Why did it take Barack and Michelle Obama 20 years to decide the Trinity church in Chicago was too controversial and didn't represent their views? Just today, Obama finally resigned his membership, after a visiting Catholic priest did a tasteless, racist slur against Hillary Clinton from the pulpit at Trinity.
Previously, the "retired" pastor of Trinity, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, repeatedly embarrassed Obama, both with video tapes of sermons showing venom for America, white people and the free enterprise system. Just as the controversy was about to die down, Wright re-emerged, speaking at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. and elsehwere, strengthening his stand behind his controversial views.
Wright performed the wedding ceremony and baptised Obama's two daughters, in addition to serving as their pastor for 20 years. His replacement, upon his retirement, Rev. Otis Moss, is a well-known figure on the political left, as well as a black power activist of long standing. Wright, at least, had served in the Marine Corps and was well-educated, credentials Moss can't claim.
There have been serious questions from the beginning about the nature and depth of Obama's Christian profession of faith, since his father was a Muslim and he attended Muslim schools as a young boy in Indonesia. The open, very non-traditional version of Christian doctrine practiced at Trinity has only added to questions about the sincerity of Obama's faith.
Resigning after 20 years, and doing it belatedly, nearly a year after the controversy first erupted, will hardly put the questions to rest.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Constitutional law returns in Colorado
Today a Denver District Judge overturned an executive order by liberal Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter to raise taxes for education by not allowing scheduled property tax refunds to Colorado taxpayers to go forth.
The teacher's union and other liberal activist groups, funded by four leftist Colorado billionaires, bludgeoned voters with a $20 million media campaign into suspending the state's tax and spending limitation law, called the TABOR Amendment, for the next five years. Even these extra billions of revenue was not enough for the Democratic majority in the legislature to spend, so Ritter got them billions more with his executive order.
Colorado courts are glutted with liberal Democratic activist judges, appointed by the lengthy administrations of Gov. Roy Romer and Richard Lamm--no more so than on the State Supreme Court, where Ritter has vowed to appeal the District Court ruling.
The Independence Institute and other conservative groups filed the original suit, and are rejoicing this weekend at the State GOP convention in Broomfield, at the outcome. But no one is under any illusion that the majority of liberal Democratic activists on the State Supreme Court is likely to uphold the District Court ruling.
Now that would be truly a miracle.
The teacher's union and other liberal activist groups, funded by four leftist Colorado billionaires, bludgeoned voters with a $20 million media campaign into suspending the state's tax and spending limitation law, called the TABOR Amendment, for the next five years. Even these extra billions of revenue was not enough for the Democratic majority in the legislature to spend, so Ritter got them billions more with his executive order.
Colorado courts are glutted with liberal Democratic activist judges, appointed by the lengthy administrations of Gov. Roy Romer and Richard Lamm--no more so than on the State Supreme Court, where Ritter has vowed to appeal the District Court ruling.
The Independence Institute and other conservative groups filed the original suit, and are rejoicing this weekend at the State GOP convention in Broomfield, at the outcome. But no one is under any illusion that the majority of liberal Democratic activists on the State Supreme Court is likely to uphold the District Court ruling.
Now that would be truly a miracle.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
McClellan throws Bush under the bus
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan has written a scathing memoir to be published next week about President Bush and his Iraq policies, saying Bush was "not open and forthright on Iraq and took a permanent campaign approach to governing" at the expense of candor and competence.
McClellan was a Bush friend from Texas, and his brother Michael McClellan was an official in the Bush Heatlh, Education and Welfare Department. But the stench of inconsistency and turncoat attitudes runs in the family.
Their mother, Carole Stayhorn, was a Democrat who became a Republican and was elected State Auditor of Texas. She ran for Governor in the primary against incumbent GOP Gov. Rick Perry, lost, and then left the party to run as an Independent against Perry again in the general election in 2006. She and wacko lefty Kinky Friedman cancelled each other out, allowing the underdog Perry to be re-elected in a landslide.
Scott McClellan left his White House post to go to Texas and run his mother's campaign. The video, which has played widely the last two days on television and the internet, of his departing press conference, is highly complimentary of Bush and his policies.
Since it runs in the family to put personal ambition and feathering your own nest ahead of party and personal loyalty, it is not surprising that McClellan would throw Bush under the bus in order to sell books. The book is number one in advance orders on Amazon.com, since word came out of what it contained.
The book is such a naked and shameless money and publicity grab, that it will probably do Bush more good than harm. McClellan better bank all the money from the book. His career is in ashes. He has no credibility left.
McClellan was a Bush friend from Texas, and his brother Michael McClellan was an official in the Bush Heatlh, Education and Welfare Department. But the stench of inconsistency and turncoat attitudes runs in the family.
Their mother, Carole Stayhorn, was a Democrat who became a Republican and was elected State Auditor of Texas. She ran for Governor in the primary against incumbent GOP Gov. Rick Perry, lost, and then left the party to run as an Independent against Perry again in the general election in 2006. She and wacko lefty Kinky Friedman cancelled each other out, allowing the underdog Perry to be re-elected in a landslide.
Scott McClellan left his White House post to go to Texas and run his mother's campaign. The video, which has played widely the last two days on television and the internet, of his departing press conference, is highly complimentary of Bush and his policies.
Since it runs in the family to put personal ambition and feathering your own nest ahead of party and personal loyalty, it is not surprising that McClellan would throw Bush under the bus in order to sell books. The book is number one in advance orders on Amazon.com, since word came out of what it contained.
The book is such a naked and shameless money and publicity grab, that it will probably do Bush more good than harm. McClellan better bank all the money from the book. His career is in ashes. He has no credibility left.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
3 Biggies come through Denver today
The parade started with a foreign policy speech by John McCain at the University of Denver. He broke with the Bush administration, calling for multilateral destruction of nuclear weapons.
Then President Bush addressed graduation at the Air Force Academy, comparing the pacification of Iraq to the situation in Europe after World War II. He added that this time it was harder, because terrorists keep formenting violence, while it was peaceful as troops paciificed Europe.
Finally, Barack Obama came to town and spoke at an alternative high scool stressing the arts in Adams County. He pledged to fix what he called "the broken promises in No Child Left Behind." This program should never have passed in the first place. It is an illegal and immoral intrusion of the federal govenment into local schools. There is no "fixing it." It was ill-conceived, a bastard child spawned by Ted Kennedy and the Bush administration, and should be allowed to expire.
It is unbelievable how many millions of taxpayer and private dollars are lavished into these presidential and would-be presidential visits. The plane travel, replete with a large entourage, the motorcade to get them from place to place, the security, the inconvenience to the normal course of activities at the venues where the visits were staged--it all adds up, just to have the practical effect of coming up with a couple sound bites for the national news.
I can't personally imagine getting trapped in the crowds, parking hassles, early arrival to twiddle your thumbs for two hours with nothing to do, just to catch a glimpse of somebody who might one day become president.
I can barely stand to watch it on television, let alone endure being there.
Then President Bush addressed graduation at the Air Force Academy, comparing the pacification of Iraq to the situation in Europe after World War II. He added that this time it was harder, because terrorists keep formenting violence, while it was peaceful as troops paciificed Europe.
Finally, Barack Obama came to town and spoke at an alternative high scool stressing the arts in Adams County. He pledged to fix what he called "the broken promises in No Child Left Behind." This program should never have passed in the first place. It is an illegal and immoral intrusion of the federal govenment into local schools. There is no "fixing it." It was ill-conceived, a bastard child spawned by Ted Kennedy and the Bush administration, and should be allowed to expire.
It is unbelievable how many millions of taxpayer and private dollars are lavished into these presidential and would-be presidential visits. The plane travel, replete with a large entourage, the motorcade to get them from place to place, the security, the inconvenience to the normal course of activities at the venues where the visits were staged--it all adds up, just to have the practical effect of coming up with a couple sound bites for the national news.
I can't personally imagine getting trapped in the crowds, parking hassles, early arrival to twiddle your thumbs for two hours with nothing to do, just to catch a glimpse of somebody who might one day become president.
I can barely stand to watch it on television, let alone endure being there.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Obama gaffes, tall stories pile up
Barack Obama, the leading Democratic presidential contender, has begun to pile up gaffes and tall stories like he was a--God forbid--a Clinton or something.
He was the commencement speaker at graduation ceremonies Sunday at Wesleyan University. He more or less repeated his wife Michelle's mantra about public service--foregoing the big bucks in a productive private sector job--to do public service. He lionized Ted Kennedy, who has yet to earn his first private enterprise dollar in his life. He lionized 1950s and 1960s era civil rights agitators in the South. He recommended the job corps, peace corps, Americorps, working as he did as an organizer of poor folks in the ghetto, teaching--he went on and on, ad nauseaum.
Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, he never did mention military service. What more honorable, sacrificial public service could a young person possibly perform, than serving in the U.S. military?
Then Obama gave a Memorial Day speech at a cemetary yesterday, and regaled the crowd with how his uncle serving at Auchwitz during World War II liberated the facility and saved millions of Jews. It all began to fall apart, as first, it was discovered that the Russians liberated Auchwitz, not the Americans. Then it came out that Obama's mother was an only child and his father's family are all in Kenya--who was this mysterious uncle? It took a full 24 hours for the Obama campaign to sheepishly issue a press release that the Senator had misspoken, and that it was a great uncle, who served in some obscure little town in Germany, but no where near Auchwitz.
The longer things drag on, the more Obama's thin resume and inexperience start to show. As a Republican, I can only hope that he can hang on until he's actually the nominee, so John McCain gets a really good shot at him.
He was the commencement speaker at graduation ceremonies Sunday at Wesleyan University. He more or less repeated his wife Michelle's mantra about public service--foregoing the big bucks in a productive private sector job--to do public service. He lionized Ted Kennedy, who has yet to earn his first private enterprise dollar in his life. He lionized 1950s and 1960s era civil rights agitators in the South. He recommended the job corps, peace corps, Americorps, working as he did as an organizer of poor folks in the ghetto, teaching--he went on and on, ad nauseaum.
Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, he never did mention military service. What more honorable, sacrificial public service could a young person possibly perform, than serving in the U.S. military?
Then Obama gave a Memorial Day speech at a cemetary yesterday, and regaled the crowd with how his uncle serving at Auchwitz during World War II liberated the facility and saved millions of Jews. It all began to fall apart, as first, it was discovered that the Russians liberated Auchwitz, not the Americans. Then it came out that Obama's mother was an only child and his father's family are all in Kenya--who was this mysterious uncle? It took a full 24 hours for the Obama campaign to sheepishly issue a press release that the Senator had misspoken, and that it was a great uncle, who served in some obscure little town in Germany, but no where near Auchwitz.
The longer things drag on, the more Obama's thin resume and inexperience start to show. As a Republican, I can only hope that he can hang on until he's actually the nominee, so John McCain gets a really good shot at him.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Libertarians nominate Bob Barr for president
Meeting in Denver over the weekend, in a much smaller and probably more civilized, convention than the Democratic National Convention set to unfold in the city in August, the Libertarian Party nominated former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr for President and a Las Vegas oddsmaker for vice president.
Barr led the impeachment campaign in the U.S. Hose of Representatives against President Bill Clinton, which was successful. This earned him the undying enmity of Democrats, who after redistricting in Georgia put Barr in the same district as another GOP congressman, assisted him in defeating Barr.
Barr, never known as Mr. PR, tells it like it is and lacks the charm and charisma of the modern media age. He is a hardcore economic and cultural conservative, however, and is sure to draw Republican votes that are upset with the nomination of the moderate-to-liberal John McCain.
A lot of Libertarians are not cultural conservatives, however, and are upset with Barr votes on abortion, gay marriage and federal drug enforcement. There is a real possibility that the GOP votes for Barr and his losses of free-swinging Libertarians may about offset each other. The highest showing of a Libertarian presidential candidate was by Ed Clark in 1988, drawing 1.5% of the vote nationwide.
The greater danger is that in a few states that seesaw between McCain and Obama, Barr's total could tilt the state to Obama, much as the vote for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader did in 2000 in Florida, tipping the state from Al Gore to George Bush and electing him president.
That's why it is a serious moral crisis for a Republican to decide whether or not he should vote for Barr as a protest. Some think four years of Obama would lead to a Reagan-like revolutiion in the GOP, just as four years of Jimmy Carter did in 1976-1980.
Others wonder if even four years of Obama would be a disaster the U.S. would never recover from.
Barr led the impeachment campaign in the U.S. Hose of Representatives against President Bill Clinton, which was successful. This earned him the undying enmity of Democrats, who after redistricting in Georgia put Barr in the same district as another GOP congressman, assisted him in defeating Barr.
Barr, never known as Mr. PR, tells it like it is and lacks the charm and charisma of the modern media age. He is a hardcore economic and cultural conservative, however, and is sure to draw Republican votes that are upset with the nomination of the moderate-to-liberal John McCain.
A lot of Libertarians are not cultural conservatives, however, and are upset with Barr votes on abortion, gay marriage and federal drug enforcement. There is a real possibility that the GOP votes for Barr and his losses of free-swinging Libertarians may about offset each other. The highest showing of a Libertarian presidential candidate was by Ed Clark in 1988, drawing 1.5% of the vote nationwide.
The greater danger is that in a few states that seesaw between McCain and Obama, Barr's total could tilt the state to Obama, much as the vote for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader did in 2000 in Florida, tipping the state from Al Gore to George Bush and electing him president.
That's why it is a serious moral crisis for a Republican to decide whether or not he should vote for Barr as a protest. Some think four years of Obama would lead to a Reagan-like revolutiion in the GOP, just as four years of Jimmy Carter did in 1976-1980.
Others wonder if even four years of Obama would be a disaster the U.S. would never recover from.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The bogus Hillary RFK reference flap
Hillary Clinton, defending staying in the Democratic presidential race despite the apparent lead of Barack Obama, cited the fact that Robert F. Kennedy was killed on June 5--still in the race at that late date. She didn't denigrate RFK or his family, imply they were backing her, tarnish RFK's legacy or commit any other politcal sin.
That's not what the mass media thinks, however. They've already anointed Obama, and still worship the myth of Camelot and the New Frontier. That Hillary would dare invade their sacrosanct trust was beyond the pail.
They are blasting Hillary for commiting the ultimate slur of the Kennedy legacy and the tragic death of RFK. They are spreading the venom that Hillary has irreparably damaged her chances and her campaign and is dead meat.
I am no Hillary Clinton fan, but excuuuuuuuse me! Hillary made no mistake. She quite appropriately and accurately stated the incontrovertible fact that RFK stayed in the race for president in 1968 late into the process. Period. End of Story.
The Camelot-New Frontier thing is a fraud on the American public. JFK was one of the least-accomplished American presidents in his brief tenure. The major legislative accomplishments he is credited with, were accomplished by the legislative prowess of his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. JFK was a philanderer, addicted to steroids and quite seriously ill. He had such severe back trouble he could hardly walk, much less be the vigorous, physical president the press made him out to be.
RFK was even worse. Made Attorney-General by his brother at age 29, he'd barely practiced law, much less shown himself accomplished enough to be the nation's top legal officer. Bobby was an undistinguished underling in the Joe McCarthy hearings, and as AG was complicite with J. Edgar Hoover in illegal wiretaps on Martin Luther King and other political enemies, as well as covering for his brother's lecherous behavior in the White House. If he was anything, RFK was a toady for the mob and right wing. He was not the liberal, young, change-agent he was made out to be in his presidential campaign.
Hillary didn't even point out this modest truth about the Kennedys. She only referred to how late RFK stayed in his presidential campaign. Spare me.
That's not what the mass media thinks, however. They've already anointed Obama, and still worship the myth of Camelot and the New Frontier. That Hillary would dare invade their sacrosanct trust was beyond the pail.
They are blasting Hillary for commiting the ultimate slur of the Kennedy legacy and the tragic death of RFK. They are spreading the venom that Hillary has irreparably damaged her chances and her campaign and is dead meat.
I am no Hillary Clinton fan, but excuuuuuuuse me! Hillary made no mistake. She quite appropriately and accurately stated the incontrovertible fact that RFK stayed in the race for president in 1968 late into the process. Period. End of Story.
The Camelot-New Frontier thing is a fraud on the American public. JFK was one of the least-accomplished American presidents in his brief tenure. The major legislative accomplishments he is credited with, were accomplished by the legislative prowess of his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. JFK was a philanderer, addicted to steroids and quite seriously ill. He had such severe back trouble he could hardly walk, much less be the vigorous, physical president the press made him out to be.
RFK was even worse. Made Attorney-General by his brother at age 29, he'd barely practiced law, much less shown himself accomplished enough to be the nation's top legal officer. Bobby was an undistinguished underling in the Joe McCarthy hearings, and as AG was complicite with J. Edgar Hoover in illegal wiretaps on Martin Luther King and other political enemies, as well as covering for his brother's lecherous behavior in the White House. If he was anything, RFK was a toady for the mob and right wing. He was not the liberal, young, change-agent he was made out to be in his presidential campaign.
Hillary didn't even point out this modest truth about the Kennedys. She only referred to how late RFK stayed in his presidential campaign. Spare me.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Veep candidates visiting McCain's ranch
Power brokers and vice presidential possibilities are visiting presumed GOP presidential nominee John McCain's northern Arizona getaway this weekend. It's all just a social good time, as the official spin goes, but you better believe, the deals are being cut.
Among those on the scene are former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and many lesser lights.
Romney would add economic expertise to McCain's national security and foreign policy credentials, but probably couldn't carry Massachusetts for the ticket but might help in Michigan. Crist would guarantee Florida, but has limited credentials to add to the ticket, except relative youth. Sanford is young, but from a state McCain would probably carry anyway. Huckabee is a no-hoper, given that McCain seems to be shunning the evangelical vote, with his recent refusal of support from televangelist and San Antonio pastor John Hagee.
Newly elected Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, an Indian decsended from India and devout Catholic, is present, and a possibility at age 39, since he has served in both the federal and state bureaucracy, as well as Congress. He is a wunderkind and very dynamic campaigner, but comes from a state McCain will carry anyway and lacks national security or foreign policy experience. Mark him down as a definite GOP future presidential contender, but maybe not yet.
In fact, a case could be made that the McCain settee is a way to let these folks down easy, stroking them before pushing them aside. More likely is someone like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a 46-year-old evangelical hosting the GOP national convention, or other figure from a state McCain needs to pull away from Democrats. The candidate needs to be younger than McCain's 71 years, but must also be credible as a president in the eyes of voters.
Selecting a veep is neat trick for McCain, that could be damaging if his team messes it up. Stay tuned.
Among those on the scene are former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and many lesser lights.
Romney would add economic expertise to McCain's national security and foreign policy credentials, but probably couldn't carry Massachusetts for the ticket but might help in Michigan. Crist would guarantee Florida, but has limited credentials to add to the ticket, except relative youth. Sanford is young, but from a state McCain would probably carry anyway. Huckabee is a no-hoper, given that McCain seems to be shunning the evangelical vote, with his recent refusal of support from televangelist and San Antonio pastor John Hagee.
Newly elected Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, an Indian decsended from India and devout Catholic, is present, and a possibility at age 39, since he has served in both the federal and state bureaucracy, as well as Congress. He is a wunderkind and very dynamic campaigner, but comes from a state McCain will carry anyway and lacks national security or foreign policy experience. Mark him down as a definite GOP future presidential contender, but maybe not yet.
In fact, a case could be made that the McCain settee is a way to let these folks down easy, stroking them before pushing them aside. More likely is someone like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a 46-year-old evangelical hosting the GOP national convention, or other figure from a state McCain needs to pull away from Democrats. The candidate needs to be younger than McCain's 71 years, but must also be credible as a president in the eyes of voters.
Selecting a veep is neat trick for McCain, that could be damaging if his team messes it up. Stay tuned.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Loyalty, consistency have GOP in quandary
It is not just an obligation of the public to elect a candidate to office as the nominee of his party. There has to be a companion gratitude and sense of obligation on the part of the successful candidate to see his party through to success. By agreeing to run for public office in the first place, the candidate is committing to more than just one successful election.
When an officeholder is successfully elected, and then serves successfully, building a base of voter support and credibility, he doesn't do it alone. Those in his party who worked for him and stood loyally by him once he was elected, are equally responsible for this success and are owed reciprocation by the officeholder.
The Republican Party in recent years has been badly stung by successful officeholders who declined to run again or seek a higher office, leaving the party with a weaker candidate who then loses the election to a Democrat. There are dozens of examples that could be cited, but here are few that come to mind:
• The refusal of successful governors like Marc Racicot in Montana, Jeb Bush in Florida, Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin, Bill Owens in Colorado and many others to run against Democrats for U.S. Senate seats or for open seats. This is why the GOP lost the Senate--because of weaker candidates. The best men who could have won the seats refused to take the field. These men did not achieve success and popularity by themselves. They owe it to the party that elected them and stood by them to answer the call when their party is in need.
• Successful officeholders quitting early, refusing to serve out the term the voters elected them to and entrusted to them. Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois is the most egregious example, turning his seat over to a Democrat. U.S. Sen. Trent Lott is another--causing a House seat in Mississippi to be lost to a Democrat, when his appointed successor gave up a House set to replace Lott. Short of being near death, it is selfish and unprofessional not to finish what you started.
• Falling into temptation and dishonoring the office to which you were elected, and the people who elected you there, is inexcuseable. That famous sage who said "A public office is a sacred trust," had it exactly right. Men like Sen. Conrad Burns, Rep. Tom Delay, Rep. Mark Foley, Sen. David Vitter and many others who've made the Hall of Shame, have proven costly to the Republican Party, and account for the low ebb the party finds itself in today.
Running for public office is not lark, some lame-brained detour so you can get one more notch in your gunstock. It is a deep responsibility, not to be taken lightly and not to be backed out on when the going gets tough or inconvenient. It is a serious business, to be respected and handled in a professional manner.
The Republican Party has learned this the hard way.
When an officeholder is successfully elected, and then serves successfully, building a base of voter support and credibility, he doesn't do it alone. Those in his party who worked for him and stood loyally by him once he was elected, are equally responsible for this success and are owed reciprocation by the officeholder.
The Republican Party in recent years has been badly stung by successful officeholders who declined to run again or seek a higher office, leaving the party with a weaker candidate who then loses the election to a Democrat. There are dozens of examples that could be cited, but here are few that come to mind:
• The refusal of successful governors like Marc Racicot in Montana, Jeb Bush in Florida, Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin, Bill Owens in Colorado and many others to run against Democrats for U.S. Senate seats or for open seats. This is why the GOP lost the Senate--because of weaker candidates. The best men who could have won the seats refused to take the field. These men did not achieve success and popularity by themselves. They owe it to the party that elected them and stood by them to answer the call when their party is in need.
• Successful officeholders quitting early, refusing to serve out the term the voters elected them to and entrusted to them. Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois is the most egregious example, turning his seat over to a Democrat. U.S. Sen. Trent Lott is another--causing a House seat in Mississippi to be lost to a Democrat, when his appointed successor gave up a House set to replace Lott. Short of being near death, it is selfish and unprofessional not to finish what you started.
• Falling into temptation and dishonoring the office to which you were elected, and the people who elected you there, is inexcuseable. That famous sage who said "A public office is a sacred trust," had it exactly right. Men like Sen. Conrad Burns, Rep. Tom Delay, Rep. Mark Foley, Sen. David Vitter and many others who've made the Hall of Shame, have proven costly to the Republican Party, and account for the low ebb the party finds itself in today.
Running for public office is not lark, some lame-brained detour so you can get one more notch in your gunstock. It is a deep responsibility, not to be taken lightly and not to be backed out on when the going gets tough or inconvenient. It is a serious business, to be respected and handled in a professional manner.
The Republican Party has learned this the hard way.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Hogs feeding at the trough
The lameness, ignorance and stupidity of Congressmen groveling for money from special interests in order to buy votes for re-election is never a pretty sight. So it's been the last two days as a majority of Republican members joined the Democratic majority in passing a massive, bloated, pork-laden Farm Bill by veto-proof margins.
It was a travesty so bad that clerks left 34 pages out of the bill passed by the House, and the distinguished solons didn't even notice. It had to be brought back after passage and a White House veto for a second vote on the correct bill, because everybody was so greedily responding to the special interests who wrote the bill, that they didn't even read it.
It's a pox-on-both-your-houses situation, as even normally conservative Republicans joined in lighting the Christmas tree. Everything that's wrong with the American system of government at the moment was in full evidence on the Farm Bill. It was ladden with earmarks by individual solons, sops to whoever coughed up the most campaign dollars. Rather than considering the larger issues of foreign trade and making U.S. farm products competitve, they ladled on the subsidies for farmers who are already making record profits out of high grain prices.
It was a farce to even call it a Farm Bill. It was mainly a welfare bill, with the vast preponderence of the money going for food stamps and federal feeding programs.
Barack Obama didn't bother to show up on the floor of the Senate to vote for the bill, but did announce he favored it. Support was so overwhelming, his vote wouldn't have made any difference. Hillary Clinton favored the bill. Two of the four members of the House GOP leadership supported the bill. Party loyalty was so weak, Republicans weren't encouraged to join in to uphold President Bush's veto, and didn't.
That's why the party's in deep trouble in this election: the lack of basic principle, the failure to stand for anything and show no party discipline whatsoever. Quite justifiably, the real Republicans--the base--are ashamed and sitting on their hands this election year. That's the real disaster.
It was a travesty so bad that clerks left 34 pages out of the bill passed by the House, and the distinguished solons didn't even notice. It had to be brought back after passage and a White House veto for a second vote on the correct bill, because everybody was so greedily responding to the special interests who wrote the bill, that they didn't even read it.
It's a pox-on-both-your-houses situation, as even normally conservative Republicans joined in lighting the Christmas tree. Everything that's wrong with the American system of government at the moment was in full evidence on the Farm Bill. It was ladden with earmarks by individual solons, sops to whoever coughed up the most campaign dollars. Rather than considering the larger issues of foreign trade and making U.S. farm products competitve, they ladled on the subsidies for farmers who are already making record profits out of high grain prices.
It was a farce to even call it a Farm Bill. It was mainly a welfare bill, with the vast preponderence of the money going for food stamps and federal feeding programs.
Barack Obama didn't bother to show up on the floor of the Senate to vote for the bill, but did announce he favored it. Support was so overwhelming, his vote wouldn't have made any difference. Hillary Clinton favored the bill. Two of the four members of the House GOP leadership supported the bill. Party loyalty was so weak, Republicans weren't encouraged to join in to uphold President Bush's veto, and didn't.
That's why the party's in deep trouble in this election: the lack of basic principle, the failure to stand for anything and show no party discipline whatsoever. Quite justifiably, the real Republicans--the base--are ashamed and sitting on their hands this election year. That's the real disaster.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Conservatives take no joy in Kennedy's malady
No patriotic American can take joy or "I told you so" pleasure in the cancerous brain tumor suffered by Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the surviving patriarch of the New Frontier, Camelot political dynasty.
Conservatives wish him no ill will, nor his family. It would be right down evil to try to take advantage of this tragic situation. On the other hand, his record is what it is, and there is also no cause to suddenly canonize Kennedy, just because he's fallen ill, either.
Ted Kennedy was a fatally flawed character from the outset, and to pretend otherwise now would be hypocritical. From his father building a new library at the University of Virginia law school, so he could graduate, after being thrown out of Harvard for cheating, to the tragic death of Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappaquiddick, to the midnight romp with his nephew William Smith on the beach in Florida that resulted in the death of a young woman--these are self-inflicted wounds that bogged down his career.
Being independently wealthy by inheritance, Kennedy could cast off the shackles of the free enterprise system that his father Joe expoited so successfully to build the family fortune, and be the far-left spear carrier for the poor and downtrodden in the Senate. His act was so predictable, that even his fellow Democrats kept him from leadership positions in the Senate, despite his long tenure.
Kennedy's runs for the White House, most seriously when he lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976, were bogged down from the get-go by all the baggage of his past, including the alcoholism of, and subsequent divorce from, his first wife Joan, the mother of his three children.
Significantly, the only legislation he is being lionized for today, is that which liberal Republicans carried and got passed, such as the massive federal takeover of state's rights in education, No Child Left Behind. His amnesty bill for illegal aliens, pushed with Sen. John McCain, went no where.
History is history, and while the liberal news media seems to have lost the facts in light of Kennedy's tragic illness, in the end, the truth does prevail.
Conservatives wish him no ill will, nor his family. It would be right down evil to try to take advantage of this tragic situation. On the other hand, his record is what it is, and there is also no cause to suddenly canonize Kennedy, just because he's fallen ill, either.
Ted Kennedy was a fatally flawed character from the outset, and to pretend otherwise now would be hypocritical. From his father building a new library at the University of Virginia law school, so he could graduate, after being thrown out of Harvard for cheating, to the tragic death of Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappaquiddick, to the midnight romp with his nephew William Smith on the beach in Florida that resulted in the death of a young woman--these are self-inflicted wounds that bogged down his career.
Being independently wealthy by inheritance, Kennedy could cast off the shackles of the free enterprise system that his father Joe expoited so successfully to build the family fortune, and be the far-left spear carrier for the poor and downtrodden in the Senate. His act was so predictable, that even his fellow Democrats kept him from leadership positions in the Senate, despite his long tenure.
Kennedy's runs for the White House, most seriously when he lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976, were bogged down from the get-go by all the baggage of his past, including the alcoholism of, and subsequent divorce from, his first wife Joan, the mother of his three children.
Significantly, the only legislation he is being lionized for today, is that which liberal Republicans carried and got passed, such as the massive federal takeover of state's rights in education, No Child Left Behind. His amnesty bill for illegal aliens, pushed with Sen. John McCain, went no where.
History is history, and while the liberal news media seems to have lost the facts in light of Kennedy's tragic illness, in the end, the truth does prevail.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Once media decides--it's done
Ignore the sicko, bigoted voters of Kentucky and West Virginia, where in the last week Hillary Clinton has racked up wins of more than 35% over Barack Obama. What do a bunch of hicks from Appalachia know about presidential politics, anyway?
The national mass media has already decided that Obama is the nominee, so the thoughts of a few ignorant, ill-informed voters who haven't gotton the word yet, doesn't matter.
They're probably right, but missing the whole point: it's voters like the ones in Kentucky and West Virginia who will decide who the next President of the United States is. Not some brie-and-wine, limousine liberals in Oregon, or the black vote from Nouth Carolina. Obama has had a terrible go in the rust belt and southern border states Democrats must carry to win. Hillary has carried Indiana, Ohio, California, Massassachusetts, Texas--McCain is running strong against Obama in all of them.
The Democrats would be smart to ignore the media and look at the political realities. That's what will count in November.
It's the blue collar, white males who will determine the winner in this election, and they're turned off by Obama. It looks like Jimmy Carter in 1980, George McGovern in 1972 and Michael Dukakis in 1988 all over again. Democrats have to run and govern out of the right-center of the party, as Bill Clinton proved so well.
The national mass media has already decided that Obama is the nominee, so the thoughts of a few ignorant, ill-informed voters who haven't gotton the word yet, doesn't matter.
They're probably right, but missing the whole point: it's voters like the ones in Kentucky and West Virginia who will decide who the next President of the United States is. Not some brie-and-wine, limousine liberals in Oregon, or the black vote from Nouth Carolina. Obama has had a terrible go in the rust belt and southern border states Democrats must carry to win. Hillary has carried Indiana, Ohio, California, Massassachusetts, Texas--McCain is running strong against Obama in all of them.
The Democrats would be smart to ignore the media and look at the political realities. That's what will count in November.
It's the blue collar, white males who will determine the winner in this election, and they're turned off by Obama. It looks like Jimmy Carter in 1980, George McGovern in 1972 and Michael Dukakis in 1988 all over again. Democrats have to run and govern out of the right-center of the party, as Bill Clinton proved so well.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Yep, Obama and Hillary aides meet behind scenes
Even though Hillary Clinton maintains a brave front of fighting for the Democratic presidential nomination, vowing to stay in the fight until after the June 3 primaries, it's likely that after tomorrow's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky, Obama will have the delegates he needs to win the nomination.
Sure enough, over the weekend, Clinton's deposed former campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, met with her old Chicago ward heeling pal from yesteryear, who just happens to be Obama's campaign manager. Doyle is a bosom buddy of Clinton's, and doubtlessly would not have had the meeting without her approval.
Doyle, of course, downplayed the meeting, saying only that she is a loyal Democrat and will back the nominee of her party. But the deals are already being cut to bring peace to the Denver convention. But by meeting behind the scenes now, Clinton may not be able to get the vice presidential nomination, but probably has the clout to get some of her campaign debts paid back to herself, as she has put as much as $12 million in the kitty to keep her campaign afloat. Obama, of course, is awash in cash, with bright prospects for raising millions more with his efficient online money machine.
That's probably the best that Clinton can hope for. In this era of change, Obama badly needs a traditional white male as his running mate. It's radical enough for America to accept a half-black president, probably out of the question for them to accept a half-black president and female vice president on the same ticket.
And in the back of his mind, Obama can't help but think what it would be like with Hillary as vice president. If they were able to speak, he could ask Ron Brown or Vince Foster about that.
Sure enough, over the weekend, Clinton's deposed former campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, met with her old Chicago ward heeling pal from yesteryear, who just happens to be Obama's campaign manager. Doyle is a bosom buddy of Clinton's, and doubtlessly would not have had the meeting without her approval.
Doyle, of course, downplayed the meeting, saying only that she is a loyal Democrat and will back the nominee of her party. But the deals are already being cut to bring peace to the Denver convention. But by meeting behind the scenes now, Clinton may not be able to get the vice presidential nomination, but probably has the clout to get some of her campaign debts paid back to herself, as she has put as much as $12 million in the kitty to keep her campaign afloat. Obama, of course, is awash in cash, with bright prospects for raising millions more with his efficient online money machine.
That's probably the best that Clinton can hope for. In this era of change, Obama badly needs a traditional white male as his running mate. It's radical enough for America to accept a half-black president, probably out of the question for them to accept a half-black president and female vice president on the same ticket.
And in the back of his mind, Obama can't help but think what it would be like with Hillary as vice president. If they were able to speak, he could ask Ron Brown or Vince Foster about that.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Too long in power, GOP has lost its way
Shock and outrage finally came out of Washington D.C. after Democrats won a third GOP congressional seat in a special election last week in Mississippi. President Bush had carried the district with 62%, and it had been Republican since 1964.
This follows similar losses of long term GOP seats in Illinois and Ohio in recent special elections. Based on these results, many are forecasting disaster for the party this November.
Retiring Virginia Congressman Tom Davis, a moderate who led the House GOP Campaign Committee to the disasterous 2006 losses, wrote a 20-page analysis of the standing of the party, after the Mississippi loss. He's a fine one to talk, since he's quitting and opening another strong GOP district to a Democrat, and he led the debacle made worse by a pallid GOP campaign effort in 2006.
You might say he's hitting the nail with his head. Nonetheless, he does correctly diagnose that too many congressional scandals involving Republicans, a President badly out of touch with everyday America and a congressional GOP leadership that is too happy with the crumbs the Democrat majority gives them--is a the root of the problem.
The last time this happened, it took a revolution led by Newt Gingrich in 1994, giving the GOP its first House majority since the Eisenhower administration. His Contract with America, reforms in the congressional way of doing things--which have all been abandoned--and new faces turned things around. Defeatist old hacks like Minority Leaders Bob Michels in the House and Hugh Scott in the Senate were swept away by the fresh vision.
That needs to happen again. Who will rise up? Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Rep. Michael Pence of Indiana or someone else? It's no time to accept the status quo, The current group, led by Ohio Rep. John Boehner, have "hack" and "defeat" written all over them.
Maybe a disasterous 2008 loss in Congress, and even the presidency, will be the broom that sweeps clean. Afterall, a President Obama would probably be the new Jimmy Carter. And we all know what happened to him.
This follows similar losses of long term GOP seats in Illinois and Ohio in recent special elections. Based on these results, many are forecasting disaster for the party this November.
Retiring Virginia Congressman Tom Davis, a moderate who led the House GOP Campaign Committee to the disasterous 2006 losses, wrote a 20-page analysis of the standing of the party, after the Mississippi loss. He's a fine one to talk, since he's quitting and opening another strong GOP district to a Democrat, and he led the debacle made worse by a pallid GOP campaign effort in 2006.
You might say he's hitting the nail with his head. Nonetheless, he does correctly diagnose that too many congressional scandals involving Republicans, a President badly out of touch with everyday America and a congressional GOP leadership that is too happy with the crumbs the Democrat majority gives them--is a the root of the problem.
The last time this happened, it took a revolution led by Newt Gingrich in 1994, giving the GOP its first House majority since the Eisenhower administration. His Contract with America, reforms in the congressional way of doing things--which have all been abandoned--and new faces turned things around. Defeatist old hacks like Minority Leaders Bob Michels in the House and Hugh Scott in the Senate were swept away by the fresh vision.
That needs to happen again. Who will rise up? Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Rep. Michael Pence of Indiana or someone else? It's no time to accept the status quo, The current group, led by Ohio Rep. John Boehner, have "hack" and "defeat" written all over them.
Maybe a disasterous 2008 loss in Congress, and even the presidency, will be the broom that sweeps clean. Afterall, a President Obama would probably be the new Jimmy Carter. And we all know what happened to him.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
McCain joins Dems on global warming hoax
Despite increasing scientific evidence from respected academicians and government climatologists, Democrats continue to maintain the fiction of global warming, and seek drastic federal remedies that will be very costly to the economy.
The world is entering a cycle of global cooling, at the moment, which is expected to last through 2012. Much to the chagrin of liberals like Al Gore, who refuses to debate global warming or face credible opposition on the same stage, objective climate data and the scientists who produce it, increasingly show that man's activity on earth has little or nothing to do with global warming or cooling. Expensive "solutions" to the alleged problem will have little effect one way or the other.
It is certainly to be expected that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would not want to do anything to anger their base of Al Gore supporters this close to the election, and back all manner of costly Big Government solutions to deal with what they see as the problem of global warming.
Shocking, or at least very surprising, is that presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain has put in with the liberals, and called for stringent programs to curb global warming. Until recently, President George Bush has certainly been a global warming skeptic, and his administration has refused to sign the Kyoto accords.
The latest data and scientific evidence continues to move away from the global warming theory, making Bush's recent softness on the issue more a function of his weak approval ratings, and not his often stated convictions. For McCain "see ya and raise you one" is very poor politics, and guaranteed to drive the GOP base away at just the time he needs them the most.
Smart presidential politics says that you play to your base to get nominated, and to nail them down after it's clear you're going to be. You move to the center as the election draws near, to attract the uncommitted middle and a few defectors from the other party. This strategy assumes that you have your base nailed down.
McCain doesn't, as the continued polling in the teens for conservatives Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul, who aren't even out campaigning, shows. Joining the liberals on global warming makes this situation this early in the election worse, not better, with the base and for McCain.
Particularly if former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr is nominated by the Libertarian Party this weekend, the GOP base has an attractive alternative to McCain. He ignores this at his own peril.
The world is entering a cycle of global cooling, at the moment, which is expected to last through 2012. Much to the chagrin of liberals like Al Gore, who refuses to debate global warming or face credible opposition on the same stage, objective climate data and the scientists who produce it, increasingly show that man's activity on earth has little or nothing to do with global warming or cooling. Expensive "solutions" to the alleged problem will have little effect one way or the other.
It is certainly to be expected that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would not want to do anything to anger their base of Al Gore supporters this close to the election, and back all manner of costly Big Government solutions to deal with what they see as the problem of global warming.
Shocking, or at least very surprising, is that presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain has put in with the liberals, and called for stringent programs to curb global warming. Until recently, President George Bush has certainly been a global warming skeptic, and his administration has refused to sign the Kyoto accords.
The latest data and scientific evidence continues to move away from the global warming theory, making Bush's recent softness on the issue more a function of his weak approval ratings, and not his often stated convictions. For McCain "see ya and raise you one" is very poor politics, and guaranteed to drive the GOP base away at just the time he needs them the most.
Smart presidential politics says that you play to your base to get nominated, and to nail them down after it's clear you're going to be. You move to the center as the election draws near, to attract the uncommitted middle and a few defectors from the other party. This strategy assumes that you have your base nailed down.
McCain doesn't, as the continued polling in the teens for conservatives Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul, who aren't even out campaigning, shows. Joining the liberals on global warming makes this situation this early in the election worse, not better, with the base and for McCain.
Particularly if former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr is nominated by the Libertarian Party this weekend, the GOP base has an attractive alternative to McCain. He ignores this at his own peril.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Obama on shaky ground tying McCain to Bush
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama crawled onto shaky ground today, tying GOP nominee-in-waiting John McCain to President Bush. Obama was mad at Bush's comments to the Israeli parliament, which didn't mention his name, but he interpreted as meaning him. Bush quite rightly blasted those who would negotiate with terrorists. It was thought by many that Bush was really referring to former President Jimmy Carter, who visited the Hamas leadership recently, on his own.
Obama not only blasted Bush, but rather speciously claimed that McCain was a proponent of the Bush remarks. McCain, a well known maverick and iconoclast within the GOP, with an uneasy, icy relationship with Bush at best, can hardly be tied to the policies of the Bush administration. McCain, in fact, has been critical of many Bush policies right along, not just since the campaign started.
McCain, more than any other member of the original GOP presidential field except Ron Paul, was the most highly critical of the Bush administration. It is thought by many pundits to be why McCain moved up over the rest of candidates.
Obama should reassess who he's running against, as there's very little credibility to be had in tying McCain to Bush.
Obama not only blasted Bush, but rather speciously claimed that McCain was a proponent of the Bush remarks. McCain, a well known maverick and iconoclast within the GOP, with an uneasy, icy relationship with Bush at best, can hardly be tied to the policies of the Bush administration. McCain, in fact, has been critical of many Bush policies right along, not just since the campaign started.
McCain, more than any other member of the original GOP presidential field except Ron Paul, was the most highly critical of the Bush administration. It is thought by many pundits to be why McCain moved up over the rest of candidates.
Obama should reassess who he's running against, as there's very little credibility to be had in tying McCain to Bush.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
McCain continues leftward move away from base
Each speech presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain gives these days, moves him a little farther left, away from the party base that must be fired up and excited if he is to be elected.
This week's West Virginia primary continued the trend of both Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul each pulling over 10% of the vote, as the party base howls at the prospect of being forced to vote for John McCain.
He has turned portside on global warming, buying into the leftwing hoax. He spoke today of the need to include Democrats in his administration and taking a middle of the road approach.
None of these stands are things the GOP base wants to hear, and is likely to sit on its hands next November, maybe grudgingly voting for McCain, but certainly not out banging on doors to actively campaign for him.
You can only figure that McCain must believe the press clippings, that the blue collar white male vote in liberal states like New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio will be enough to get him elected, without having to pander to the GOP base.
He is likely to be in for a rude awakening.
This week's West Virginia primary continued the trend of both Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul each pulling over 10% of the vote, as the party base howls at the prospect of being forced to vote for John McCain.
He has turned portside on global warming, buying into the leftwing hoax. He spoke today of the need to include Democrats in his administration and taking a middle of the road approach.
None of these stands are things the GOP base wants to hear, and is likely to sit on its hands next November, maybe grudgingly voting for McCain, but certainly not out banging on doors to actively campaign for him.
You can only figure that McCain must believe the press clippings, that the blue collar white male vote in liberal states like New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio will be enough to get him elected, without having to pander to the GOP base.
He is likely to be in for a rude awakening.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Dems ignore Hillary W.V. win at own peril
Hillary Clinton's 40-plus point victory margin over Barack Obama in yesterday's West Virginia primary contains an important lesson for Democrats that they will ignore at their own peril, despite the mass media's pooh-poohing of the results.
West Viginia is a very blue collar, very white state. This is a group Hillary has carried heavily throughout the campaign and Obama has not been able to break into. In fact, he has purposely alienated them with his remarks to the toney San Francisco fundraiser about "their obsession with God and Guns." These kinds of voters are a powerful group in a lot of rust belt states that have been reliably Democratic in recent presidential elections.
Exit poll interviews in West Virginia, as well as other states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, has these voters saying that while they voted for Hillary in the primary, they will vote for McCain in the general election. McCain's obvious patriotism, maverick streak and independent nature are popular with blue collar white voters, and Obama's elitism is not.
The media stressed how the Obama juggernaut continues to roll on, rather than Hillary's West Virginia victory. This is fine for a temporary high, but will rise up and bite them in November, if they continue to ignore the lesson.
West Viginia is a very blue collar, very white state. This is a group Hillary has carried heavily throughout the campaign and Obama has not been able to break into. In fact, he has purposely alienated them with his remarks to the toney San Francisco fundraiser about "their obsession with God and Guns." These kinds of voters are a powerful group in a lot of rust belt states that have been reliably Democratic in recent presidential elections.
Exit poll interviews in West Virginia, as well as other states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, has these voters saying that while they voted for Hillary in the primary, they will vote for McCain in the general election. McCain's obvious patriotism, maverick streak and independent nature are popular with blue collar white voters, and Obama's elitism is not.
The media stressed how the Obama juggernaut continues to roll on, rather than Hillary's West Virginia victory. This is fine for a temporary high, but will rise up and bite them in November, if they continue to ignore the lesson.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Special interest money still comes up short in Denver
Promoters of the Democratic National Convention to be held in Denver in August are charged with raising over $50 million in private funds to hand over to the Democratic National Committee to defray their costs in putting on the media spectacular, and coronation of Barack Obama.
Both Denver newspapers have published where the $25 million raised so far has come from, and its primarily from big business that has either regulatory rulings, legislation pending in Congress or is in need of special favors before some government body or another. Virtually none of the money raised so far is given out of the civic goodness of wealthy people's hearts. It is naked special interest influence peddling at its worst.
Now Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper is expressing public fears that the fund raising effort is going to come up short. They've only met half the goal, with only three months to get the other half. Big business may think the crank has been turned pretty hard already, but they haven't seen anything yet.
This is not to lay this entirely at the door of just the Democrats. I'm sure the host committee for the GOP convention in Minneapolis is under similar pressure, and turning the screws just as hard. National conventions have become such major media feeding frenzies, that the cost of all the care, feeding and pampering has become outrageous.
These political extravaganzas are particularly farcical because no major decisions are reached there. It is a show for the media's benefit only. Even the Democratic convention, the first one in decades with even the possibility of being undecided before it opens. most likely will be cut and dried. The outcome of the GOP convention has been known since February.
All this private money is unleashed, in addition to a $10 million federal appropriation to each party for security. Just as the presidential campaign has been elongated to virtually a year-around activity, the flashy, but hollow, party conventions have become parodies of themselves.
It is time to restore national elections to just a few months every four years, rather than a never-ending political orgy.
Both Denver newspapers have published where the $25 million raised so far has come from, and its primarily from big business that has either regulatory rulings, legislation pending in Congress or is in need of special favors before some government body or another. Virtually none of the money raised so far is given out of the civic goodness of wealthy people's hearts. It is naked special interest influence peddling at its worst.
Now Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper is expressing public fears that the fund raising effort is going to come up short. They've only met half the goal, with only three months to get the other half. Big business may think the crank has been turned pretty hard already, but they haven't seen anything yet.
This is not to lay this entirely at the door of just the Democrats. I'm sure the host committee for the GOP convention in Minneapolis is under similar pressure, and turning the screws just as hard. National conventions have become such major media feeding frenzies, that the cost of all the care, feeding and pampering has become outrageous.
These political extravaganzas are particularly farcical because no major decisions are reached there. It is a show for the media's benefit only. Even the Democratic convention, the first one in decades with even the possibility of being undecided before it opens. most likely will be cut and dried. The outcome of the GOP convention has been known since February.
All this private money is unleashed, in addition to a $10 million federal appropriation to each party for security. Just as the presidential campaign has been elongated to virtually a year-around activity, the flashy, but hollow, party conventions have become parodies of themselves.
It is time to restore national elections to just a few months every four years, rather than a never-ending political orgy.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Looking for a graceful way out
The math shows that it is all over for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, except for the shouting. It's now a matter of finding a graceful way out, rather than pulling rabbits out of a hat or praying for a miracle.
Hillary has so poisoned the waters with her conflicting positions on issues, according to where she's campaigning, and the graceless way they've played the race card, that she has little choice. Even if the miracle did happen, it would so split the Democratic Party that the nomination would not be worth having.
The same things that have chilled her presidential prospects also preclude her selection as the vice presidential nominee. I never did think that was a great idea. Either she or Obama as the nominee, would need to balance the ticket with a traditional white male. Asking the American people to elect not only the first black or female president, but also the first black or female vice president on the same ticket, is too much to ask.
Many believe Hillary is really looking to run again in 2012, assuming Obama loses in 2008, and wants to leave with a good taste in everyone's mouths. Perhaps an exit on the heels of victories in the West Virginia and Kentucky primaries, would set just the right tone.
Who Hillary really needs to sue for non-support is the feminist leadership in the Democratic Party and the feminist movement. Three of the five female Democratic governors are backing Obama. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has all but endorsed Obama. Most prominent leaders in the feminist movement are in Obama's camp.
(It would be sick and sexist to talk about--ahem--cat fights. But the truth is, if you think rivalries between men are bitter and viscious, take a look at the relationship of Hillary and the feminists).
The Clintons are renouned as the masters of spin. It will be fascinating to see how they spin Hillary's withdrawl.
Hillary has so poisoned the waters with her conflicting positions on issues, according to where she's campaigning, and the graceless way they've played the race card, that she has little choice. Even if the miracle did happen, it would so split the Democratic Party that the nomination would not be worth having.
The same things that have chilled her presidential prospects also preclude her selection as the vice presidential nominee. I never did think that was a great idea. Either she or Obama as the nominee, would need to balance the ticket with a traditional white male. Asking the American people to elect not only the first black or female president, but also the first black or female vice president on the same ticket, is too much to ask.
Many believe Hillary is really looking to run again in 2012, assuming Obama loses in 2008, and wants to leave with a good taste in everyone's mouths. Perhaps an exit on the heels of victories in the West Virginia and Kentucky primaries, would set just the right tone.
Who Hillary really needs to sue for non-support is the feminist leadership in the Democratic Party and the feminist movement. Three of the five female Democratic governors are backing Obama. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has all but endorsed Obama. Most prominent leaders in the feminist movement are in Obama's camp.
(It would be sick and sexist to talk about--ahem--cat fights. But the truth is, if you think rivalries between men are bitter and viscious, take a look at the relationship of Hillary and the feminists).
The Clintons are renouned as the masters of spin. It will be fascinating to see how they spin Hillary's withdrawl.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Incompetent GOP grasps McCain as saviour
For the conservative, and even many more mainstream, Republicans, John McCain has been anathema: an unreliable, unpredictable maverick who cuts deals with the likes of Ted Kennedy and Russ Finegold.
That this is still a strong feeling in GOP ranks, you only have to look at all the primary votes since McCain sewed up the GOP presidential nomination: Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee, event though no longer active candidates, continue to draw a quarter or more of the vote in each primary.
(Interestingly, as conservative candidates like Romney, Huckabee, Paul and others divided up the main GOP vote in the early primaries, it was the Democrats and Independents voting in the Republican primaries who nominated McCain. Now the Democrats are screaming bloody murder because Rush Limbaugh is advocating the same thing for Republicans to vote in the Democratic primaries under Operation Chaos. Despite what they're saying, turn-about is fair play.)
Incompetent Republican leadership in the White House and Congress, as well as at the Republican National Committee, has managed to paint the party as a bunch of crooks and handmaidens of special interests. This has resulted in Democrats winning special congressional elections in Republican districts in Ohio and Louisiana, and nearly Mississippi. The GOP is clearly reeling, with the party mechanism failing to raise money, build basic organization on the ground or project a positive, clear message of leadership, confidence and integrity.
So now, the party is grasping McCain as a saviour, due to his popularity with Independents and Democrats, hoping he can not only be elected President, but develop long enough coat tails to stem Republican losses in Congress and governorships. This is a tall order, and all signs point to a dismal Republican year.
With all of Obama's baggage with rural white voters, Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan, weathermen Bill Ayres and his wife Bernadette Dorn, his angry, negative wife Michelle--he may well drop the election into McCain's lap. But this still may not be enough to save Republicans further down the ticket from their own ineptitude.
That this is still a strong feeling in GOP ranks, you only have to look at all the primary votes since McCain sewed up the GOP presidential nomination: Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee, event though no longer active candidates, continue to draw a quarter or more of the vote in each primary.
(Interestingly, as conservative candidates like Romney, Huckabee, Paul and others divided up the main GOP vote in the early primaries, it was the Democrats and Independents voting in the Republican primaries who nominated McCain. Now the Democrats are screaming bloody murder because Rush Limbaugh is advocating the same thing for Republicans to vote in the Democratic primaries under Operation Chaos. Despite what they're saying, turn-about is fair play.)
Incompetent Republican leadership in the White House and Congress, as well as at the Republican National Committee, has managed to paint the party as a bunch of crooks and handmaidens of special interests. This has resulted in Democrats winning special congressional elections in Republican districts in Ohio and Louisiana, and nearly Mississippi. The GOP is clearly reeling, with the party mechanism failing to raise money, build basic organization on the ground or project a positive, clear message of leadership, confidence and integrity.
So now, the party is grasping McCain as a saviour, due to his popularity with Independents and Democrats, hoping he can not only be elected President, but develop long enough coat tails to stem Republican losses in Congress and governorships. This is a tall order, and all signs point to a dismal Republican year.
With all of Obama's baggage with rural white voters, Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan, weathermen Bill Ayres and his wife Bernadette Dorn, his angry, negative wife Michelle--he may well drop the election into McCain's lap. But this still may not be enough to save Republicans further down the ticket from their own ineptitude.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
National convention brings Democrats out in droves
With the Democratic National Convention in Colorado this year in August, there has been unprecedented turnout of locals for party caucuses, county conventions and now the congressional district assemblies. They all have a role in electing delegates to the national convention, and it seems like everybody wants to be one.
It's even hotter because of the competitiveness of the Obama-Clinton race, so literally they've had hundreds compete for a limited number of national delegate slots. Party sachems have had trouble getting facilities for these local meetings big enough to house all the interested candidates and spectators.
The unknow question is how this record level of participation and enthusiasm carries over to November. Will the disappointment at losing a candidacy for delegate, or the loss by your preferred presidential candidate quash your enthusiasm? Will bitterness set in, causing the newly active not to work or even vote in November?
Will the traffic jams and other inconveniences, as well as local media overkill, while the convention's in Denver so anger Republicans and Independents that Democrats fail to carry the state in November? How will the taxpayers feel when the news breaks out that the convention, with all its crowds and hassle, wound up costing the City and County of Denver, as well as the State of Colorado, several million unreimbursed dollars for security, street cleaning and other services?
These are all unknowns in a swing state like Colorado. A heavily Democratic state like Massachusetts obviously overlooked all the grief of having the convention in Boston in 2004. As the new kid on the block, the reaction of Denverites and Coloradoans remains to be seen.
It's even hotter because of the competitiveness of the Obama-Clinton race, so literally they've had hundreds compete for a limited number of national delegate slots. Party sachems have had trouble getting facilities for these local meetings big enough to house all the interested candidates and spectators.
The unknow question is how this record level of participation and enthusiasm carries over to November. Will the disappointment at losing a candidacy for delegate, or the loss by your preferred presidential candidate quash your enthusiasm? Will bitterness set in, causing the newly active not to work or even vote in November?
Will the traffic jams and other inconveniences, as well as local media overkill, while the convention's in Denver so anger Republicans and Independents that Democrats fail to carry the state in November? How will the taxpayers feel when the news breaks out that the convention, with all its crowds and hassle, wound up costing the City and County of Denver, as well as the State of Colorado, several million unreimbursed dollars for security, street cleaning and other services?
These are all unknowns in a swing state like Colorado. A heavily Democratic state like Massachusetts obviously overlooked all the grief of having the convention in Boston in 2004. As the new kid on the block, the reaction of Denverites and Coloradoans remains to be seen.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Barack glad Hill's staying in for now
He wouldn't admit it at a press conference or anything, but Barack Obama is glad Hillary Clinton is staying in the face until at least after the June 3 primaries. The numbers say Obama about has the nomination sewed up, barring an Eliot Spitzer-type revelation.
But the next primaries are in Kentucky and West Virginia, states where Hillary runs well. If she dropped out now, Barack would face the embarrassing spector John McCain now faces in primaries: even though he's the only candidate running, a candidate or two still on the ballot pulls a big vote, showing how split your party is.
In last week's North Carolina and Indiana primaries, both Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul were still on the ballot and each scored in the teens, even though McCain has had the nomination sewed up for months. This shows that McCain still has a lot of work to do to consolidate his base in the GOP, let alone reach out to conservative Democrats and Independents he'll need to win the fall campaign.
Hill would still be on the ballot in Kentucky and West Virginia, even if she dropped out now, and would undoubtedly embarrass Obama with a big vote in those primaries, even though he's the nominee. With her still in the race, he can concede those primaries, telling everyone she's going to win them, so expectations for him are low. They're too small a states to turn things around for Hillary, so really represent no threat to Obama.
Obama picked up 9 superdelegates today alone, making him even more inevitable as the Democratic nominee. With the weird way party rules split the delegates no matter who wins a primary, there is no winner ahead of the national convention in Denver in August. Strangely, the 20% of the delegates who are "superdelegates" will determine the outcome.
These are un-elected delegates, holding their post either by appointment of their state party or due to the office they hold. That means the old party hacks still are in control, determining the outcome rather than elected delegates chosen in primaries or caucuses, just like in the old brokered coventions, manipulated in the smoke-filled backrooms.
At the GOP confab, every single delegate is elected at a party convention, primary or caucus. The choice is truly up to the people, not the party hacks.
But the next primaries are in Kentucky and West Virginia, states where Hillary runs well. If she dropped out now, Barack would face the embarrassing spector John McCain now faces in primaries: even though he's the only candidate running, a candidate or two still on the ballot pulls a big vote, showing how split your party is.
In last week's North Carolina and Indiana primaries, both Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul were still on the ballot and each scored in the teens, even though McCain has had the nomination sewed up for months. This shows that McCain still has a lot of work to do to consolidate his base in the GOP, let alone reach out to conservative Democrats and Independents he'll need to win the fall campaign.
Hill would still be on the ballot in Kentucky and West Virginia, even if she dropped out now, and would undoubtedly embarrass Obama with a big vote in those primaries, even though he's the nominee. With her still in the race, he can concede those primaries, telling everyone she's going to win them, so expectations for him are low. They're too small a states to turn things around for Hillary, so really represent no threat to Obama.
Obama picked up 9 superdelegates today alone, making him even more inevitable as the Democratic nominee. With the weird way party rules split the delegates no matter who wins a primary, there is no winner ahead of the national convention in Denver in August. Strangely, the 20% of the delegates who are "superdelegates" will determine the outcome.
These are un-elected delegates, holding their post either by appointment of their state party or due to the office they hold. That means the old party hacks still are in control, determining the outcome rather than elected delegates chosen in primaries or caucuses, just like in the old brokered coventions, manipulated in the smoke-filled backrooms.
At the GOP confab, every single delegate is elected at a party convention, primary or caucus. The choice is truly up to the people, not the party hacks.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Pressure on Hillary to drop out
As the national media count, and endlessly recount, the known votes of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August, it steps up the pressure on Hillary Clinton to drop out and help unify the party behind Obama.
The Clintons are fighters, and unlikely to drop out until after the last primary in early June. This is great for Republicans, to keep the controversy going as long as possible. National Democratic Chairman Howard Dean sees the threat, and is calling for party unity much sooner.
Such action is perceived as running roughshod over Clinton by Obama activists, and interfering with her rights to free speech. This tremendous show of ingratitude to the Clintons, the nation's last and most successful Democratic president has stiffened her resolve the stay in until the convention. Hillary has poured in another $6.5 million of her own money and flown to campaign in West Virginia, the site of the next primary. If she hears Howard and George McGovern, owner of the biggest Democratic loss in 20th century history, she is tone deaf and ignores their pleas.
Clinton is forging ahead. There continue to be rumors of Eliot Spitzer-esque revelations yet to come about Obama, and are probably what Clinton is banking on at this point. She has sent yet another letter asking that the contested elections in Florida and Michigan be allowed to stand, which would bring her closer. This is considered a longshot by most observers.
If everyone backed off, and saluted Hillary's bravery in the face of adversity, Hillary might drop out of her own volition. However, cries for her to drop out, appear one-sided and make it hard for her to swallow.
There's no hurry--just let Hillary be Hillary. If that happens, the GOP is sure to win.
The Clintons are fighters, and unlikely to drop out until after the last primary in early June. This is great for Republicans, to keep the controversy going as long as possible. National Democratic Chairman Howard Dean sees the threat, and is calling for party unity much sooner.
Such action is perceived as running roughshod over Clinton by Obama activists, and interfering with her rights to free speech. This tremendous show of ingratitude to the Clintons, the nation's last and most successful Democratic president has stiffened her resolve the stay in until the convention. Hillary has poured in another $6.5 million of her own money and flown to campaign in West Virginia, the site of the next primary. If she hears Howard and George McGovern, owner of the biggest Democratic loss in 20th century history, she is tone deaf and ignores their pleas.
Clinton is forging ahead. There continue to be rumors of Eliot Spitzer-esque revelations yet to come about Obama, and are probably what Clinton is banking on at this point. She has sent yet another letter asking that the contested elections in Florida and Michigan be allowed to stand, which would bring her closer. This is considered a longshot by most observers.
If everyone backed off, and saluted Hillary's bravery in the face of adversity, Hillary might drop out of her own volition. However, cries for her to drop out, appear one-sided and make it hard for her to swallow.
There's no hurry--just let Hillary be Hillary. If that happens, the GOP is sure to win.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Pols use each other for their own ends
I have had many good laughs at radio talker Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos. He has urged Republican presidential primary election voters first in Texas and Ohio, then in Pennsylvania, and now Indiana and North Carolina, to cross over and vote for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, since John McCain is already anointed as the GOP nominee.
There has been substantial evidence right along that this has greatly helped Hillary and hurt Obama. The national press has largely ignored it or refused to publicize it. Exit polls and other voting data after each primary, however, has confirmed the success of Operation Chaos.
Last night, the Obama campaign blamed its loss to Hillary Clinton in Indiana on Operation Chaos. This ends the publicity shutout in the mass media for Rush Limbaugh, and brings him center stage, into the middle of the hot Democratic campaign.
Obviously, Rush's number one objective is to build listenership and audience numbers for his daily, nationally-syndicated talk radio show in the Arbitron ratings, in order to sell more advertising and sign up more stations to carry his broadcast. Obama's boys crediting Rush in their national press conferences last night is a major step forward in this direction.
Only secondarily, did Rush want to influence the Democratic campaign. For those who listen carefully, and therefore understand the meaning of Operation Chaos, it was not to back Hillary for president and defeat Obama. It was to keep the chaos and disorder in the Democratic Party going for the longest-possible time, leading to a deeper split, harder to heal in less time, and benefit the GOP nominee next fall. Rush wants to beat both Hillary and Obama. He just needed to built Hillary up enough so that she could justify staying in longer.
Obama is obviously a much weaker opponent for McCain than Hillary would be. Now that he is the likely Democratic nominee, Rush can turn his fire on him. With the increasing number of rookie mistakes Obama is making (like blaming Rush for his loss in Indiana, for instance), the outrageous conduct of his 20-year pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and the speeches by Obama's bitter, elitist wife Michelle--it looks like a McCain route, about like George McGovern took from Richard Nixon in 1972.
Even worse for Obama, the racial divide in the Democratic primary vote is wide--middle-aged, blue collar white men and their wives are voting for Hillary in droves, and telling the exit pollsters they'll vote for McCain in the fall if Obama is the nominee. That's where the route will come from, tipping many big, industrial states to McCain.
The night ended with Obama helping Rush enormously, just as Rush helped Hillary stay in as long as she has. Talk about pols reaching across the aisle to scratch each other's back, even if unintentionally.
There has been substantial evidence right along that this has greatly helped Hillary and hurt Obama. The national press has largely ignored it or refused to publicize it. Exit polls and other voting data after each primary, however, has confirmed the success of Operation Chaos.
Last night, the Obama campaign blamed its loss to Hillary Clinton in Indiana on Operation Chaos. This ends the publicity shutout in the mass media for Rush Limbaugh, and brings him center stage, into the middle of the hot Democratic campaign.
Obviously, Rush's number one objective is to build listenership and audience numbers for his daily, nationally-syndicated talk radio show in the Arbitron ratings, in order to sell more advertising and sign up more stations to carry his broadcast. Obama's boys crediting Rush in their national press conferences last night is a major step forward in this direction.
Only secondarily, did Rush want to influence the Democratic campaign. For those who listen carefully, and therefore understand the meaning of Operation Chaos, it was not to back Hillary for president and defeat Obama. It was to keep the chaos and disorder in the Democratic Party going for the longest-possible time, leading to a deeper split, harder to heal in less time, and benefit the GOP nominee next fall. Rush wants to beat both Hillary and Obama. He just needed to built Hillary up enough so that she could justify staying in longer.
Obama is obviously a much weaker opponent for McCain than Hillary would be. Now that he is the likely Democratic nominee, Rush can turn his fire on him. With the increasing number of rookie mistakes Obama is making (like blaming Rush for his loss in Indiana, for instance), the outrageous conduct of his 20-year pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and the speeches by Obama's bitter, elitist wife Michelle--it looks like a McCain route, about like George McGovern took from Richard Nixon in 1972.
Even worse for Obama, the racial divide in the Democratic primary vote is wide--middle-aged, blue collar white men and their wives are voting for Hillary in droves, and telling the exit pollsters they'll vote for McCain in the fall if Obama is the nominee. That's where the route will come from, tipping many big, industrial states to McCain.
The night ended with Obama helping Rush enormously, just as Rush helped Hillary stay in as long as she has. Talk about pols reaching across the aisle to scratch each other's back, even if unintentionally.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Cosby, not Wright, the real prophet
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack and Michelle Obama's pastor of 20 years, claims to be the prophet for the black church in America. As syndicated columnist Froma Harrop says "Wright only mimics the prophet in his fiery condemnations of America." The prophet is one who tells people what they should hear, but don't want to. Jeremiah Wright strictly tiptoes around those who employ him, as exemplified by the $1.6 million house on a golf course they are building him as a retirement present.
A genuine prophet, comedian Bill Cosby, spoke last week in Newark, New Jersey while Wright was fluffing his feathers in front of the national media, defending his most extreme positions--such as AIDS being a white plot to kill African-Americans. Cosby, on the other hand, delivered a tough look-in-the-mirror message to fellow African-Americans. His theme was encapsulated in a book he co-wrote with Harvard psychiatry professor Alvin Poussaint "Come on, People! On the Path from Victims to Victors."
For his candor, Cosby has been blasted by black and white intellectuals as "blaming the victim." He said "Fify percent dropout rate, and people in jail, and women having children by five, six different men. Under what excuse? He went on "You can't keep asking that God find a way. God is tired of you."
Cosby has come under attack by black and white intellectuals who prefer the script that places all the fault for the plight of black America on white America. His points, are, however being seriously discussed within the African-American community.
That's what a real prophet does.
A genuine prophet, comedian Bill Cosby, spoke last week in Newark, New Jersey while Wright was fluffing his feathers in front of the national media, defending his most extreme positions--such as AIDS being a white plot to kill African-Americans. Cosby, on the other hand, delivered a tough look-in-the-mirror message to fellow African-Americans. His theme was encapsulated in a book he co-wrote with Harvard psychiatry professor Alvin Poussaint "Come on, People! On the Path from Victims to Victors."
For his candor, Cosby has been blasted by black and white intellectuals as "blaming the victim." He said "Fify percent dropout rate, and people in jail, and women having children by five, six different men. Under what excuse? He went on "You can't keep asking that God find a way. God is tired of you."
Cosby has come under attack by black and white intellectuals who prefer the script that places all the fault for the plight of black America on white America. His points, are, however being seriously discussed within the African-American community.
That's what a real prophet does.
Monday, May 5, 2008
House GOP surrenders to Pelosi and the liberals
With barely a whimper, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are putting in with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the liberal Democrats, backing big spending beyond the veto of the President and depriving the party of a major campaign issue in this fall's congressional and presidential elections.
A continuing resolution, keeping spending at current levels, used to be a one sentence document, passed when Congress was unable to agree or get around to acting on a new spending bill. Pelosi and her liberal cohorts have bent this tradition all out of shape, with pages of earmarks and amendments while still calling it a "continuing resolution," which the president can't veto.
Just a small minority of conservatives within the GOP House minority have objected to this procedure and voted against it. A large majority of the GOP caucus has joined with unanimous Democratic votes to create overwhelming passage of big spending bills, without formally passing individual appropriation bills that could be vetoed individually by the President.
Evidently Republicans still haven't figured out why they lost the House after 12 years of control, and continue to pad their political resumes with earmarked projects for their districts, rather than look at the greater national good. This is what got them in trouble in the first place, and continues to cause the GOP base to be restive at best, and in open rebellion at worst.
Putting political expediency ahead of basic principle deprives John McCain and GOP congressional candidates across the country of a potent campaign issue. Putting in with standard Democratic tax-and-spend orthodoxy, rather than standing up for spending and tax cuts, blurs the lines between candidates and causes voters to say "If its a choice between two big spenders, why not vote for the authentic. real thing--a Democrat?"
A continuing resolution, keeping spending at current levels, used to be a one sentence document, passed when Congress was unable to agree or get around to acting on a new spending bill. Pelosi and her liberal cohorts have bent this tradition all out of shape, with pages of earmarks and amendments while still calling it a "continuing resolution," which the president can't veto.
Just a small minority of conservatives within the GOP House minority have objected to this procedure and voted against it. A large majority of the GOP caucus has joined with unanimous Democratic votes to create overwhelming passage of big spending bills, without formally passing individual appropriation bills that could be vetoed individually by the President.
Evidently Republicans still haven't figured out why they lost the House after 12 years of control, and continue to pad their political resumes with earmarked projects for their districts, rather than look at the greater national good. This is what got them in trouble in the first place, and continues to cause the GOP base to be restive at best, and in open rebellion at worst.
Putting political expediency ahead of basic principle deprives John McCain and GOP congressional candidates across the country of a potent campaign issue. Putting in with standard Democratic tax-and-spend orthodoxy, rather than standing up for spending and tax cuts, blurs the lines between candidates and causes voters to say "If its a choice between two big spenders, why not vote for the authentic. real thing--a Democrat?"
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Bitter Louisiana GOP primary elects Democrat
A Democrat was elected in a special election yesterday to fill a Congressional seat in Louisiana held for three decades by Republicans. It was reprehensible that Rep. Richard Baker resigned to start a lucrative lobbying career, rather than serve out the term the people in good faith elected him to. This triggered a bitter Republican primary for his replacement, won by Rep. Woody Jenkins, a conservative former Democrat
Because nobody got a majority in the first round, the top two finishers in the primary had to face off Saturday to fill the seat from now to next November, when the winning Democrat is no better than a 50-50 bet to hold the seat. Jenkins lost with 47% of the vote because many Republicans sat on their hands.
Another GOP seat was up, formerly held by new Republican Gov. Bobby Jindahl. A Republican held that seat with 71% of the vote.
The mass media, of course, sees this election as the harbinger of a watershed Democratic year on the way. There is little made of the divisive GOP primary or the poor record of Jenkins in losing other congressional races, a U.S. Senate election and even a run for state election commissioner.
If this were a harbinger of a big Democratic year, the Democrat wouldn't have snuck in in a low turnout, just narrowly getting over 50% to avoid another runoff. This election is a harbinger of nothing. Undoubtedly, John McCain will carry Louisiana, just as every Republican has since 1964.
Because nobody got a majority in the first round, the top two finishers in the primary had to face off Saturday to fill the seat from now to next November, when the winning Democrat is no better than a 50-50 bet to hold the seat. Jenkins lost with 47% of the vote because many Republicans sat on their hands.
Another GOP seat was up, formerly held by new Republican Gov. Bobby Jindahl. A Republican held that seat with 71% of the vote.
The mass media, of course, sees this election as the harbinger of a watershed Democratic year on the way. There is little made of the divisive GOP primary or the poor record of Jenkins in losing other congressional races, a U.S. Senate election and even a run for state election commissioner.
If this were a harbinger of a big Democratic year, the Democrat wouldn't have snuck in in a low turnout, just narrowly getting over 50% to avoid another runoff. This election is a harbinger of nothing. Undoubtedly, John McCain will carry Louisiana, just as every Republican has since 1964.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Presidential polls bely Bush unpopularity
Despite all the doom and gloom about Republican prospects in the 2008 election, John McCain, the presumptive nominee, runs even or ahead of both Democratic candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Some 50% of Americans believe McCain's policies would be substantially different from the Bush administration, despite how hard the Democrats try to tie McCain to Bush. His maverick streak, his reputation for straight talk and demonstrated ability to reach across the political aisle to cut deals with Democrats, leave McCain in a strong position with independent voters.
In fact, McCain's weakest area is with traditional Republican activists and voters. If McCain were able to shore up his ties to the party base, a landslide could be in the offing.
Despite attempts by Democratic chairman Howard Dean to paper it over, the Clinton-Obama feud is splitting the party, and leaving deep enough wounds that there is legitimate concern for party unity, come November. And it might get worse before it gets better. In today's Guam caucuses, where Obama was supposed to win big, he squeaked to victory by 7 votes.
The polls in next Tuesday's Indiana and North Carolina primaries show Clinton gaining and Obama struggling. If she wins both primaries, it will mean Obama hasn't won a primary since Feb. 22 and the fight will go on. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy is definitely dragging Obama down, and he looks tired and worn because of it. Seemingly Hillary has gotton her second wind, and looks fresh and energetic.
Baring some cataclysmic event, which certainly is possible, the fall presidential election looks like a horse race.
Some 50% of Americans believe McCain's policies would be substantially different from the Bush administration, despite how hard the Democrats try to tie McCain to Bush. His maverick streak, his reputation for straight talk and demonstrated ability to reach across the political aisle to cut deals with Democrats, leave McCain in a strong position with independent voters.
In fact, McCain's weakest area is with traditional Republican activists and voters. If McCain were able to shore up his ties to the party base, a landslide could be in the offing.
Despite attempts by Democratic chairman Howard Dean to paper it over, the Clinton-Obama feud is splitting the party, and leaving deep enough wounds that there is legitimate concern for party unity, come November. And it might get worse before it gets better. In today's Guam caucuses, where Obama was supposed to win big, he squeaked to victory by 7 votes.
The polls in next Tuesday's Indiana and North Carolina primaries show Clinton gaining and Obama struggling. If she wins both primaries, it will mean Obama hasn't won a primary since Feb. 22 and the fight will go on. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy is definitely dragging Obama down, and he looks tired and worn because of it. Seemingly Hillary has gotton her second wind, and looks fresh and energetic.
Baring some cataclysmic event, which certainly is possible, the fall presidential election looks like a horse race.
Friday, May 2, 2008
McCain's health plan on right track
Run-away medical costs and expensive, hard-to-get medical insurance go hand in hand. It is a crisis in America, with very different visions between Democrats and Republicans about how to solve the problems.
Most Democrats would like a Canadian-style single payer, socialist health care system run by the government. The thing to keep in mind is that Canadians vote with their feet. Due to rationing of so-called "discretionary" surgeries, long waits and substandard care, the Canadians who can afford it come to the U.S. for heart surgery, hip and knee replacements and other procedures.
Hillary and Obama, after Hillary's famous healthcare fiasco in Bubba's first term, downplay the government's role, stressing private health insurance but heavily subsidized by the federal government, along with onerous mandates on business to provide health insurance to their employees. Most suspect that the idea is to prove that private health insurance doesn't work, necessitating getting the government into the healthcare business.
John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, was in Denver today talking about his healthcare plan. It would decouple health insurance from jobs, giving each family a $5,000 a year tax credit for purchasing their own health insurance. McCain believes the plan would create competition among insurance companies for the business, and bring prices down. Since each individual is responsible for his own care, he will shop carefully for both insurance and care when he needs it, bringing health care costs down.
This free enterprise, supply-and-demand solution has a much greater chance of success than some heavy-handed federal government scheme. By rationing health care and mandating below-cost reimbursements to physicians and hospitals for providing care, the failure of the Barack and Hillary's system is a self-fulfillling prophecy.
It goes back to the old saying "If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see how much it costs when its free!"
Most Democrats would like a Canadian-style single payer, socialist health care system run by the government. The thing to keep in mind is that Canadians vote with their feet. Due to rationing of so-called "discretionary" surgeries, long waits and substandard care, the Canadians who can afford it come to the U.S. for heart surgery, hip and knee replacements and other procedures.
Hillary and Obama, after Hillary's famous healthcare fiasco in Bubba's first term, downplay the government's role, stressing private health insurance but heavily subsidized by the federal government, along with onerous mandates on business to provide health insurance to their employees. Most suspect that the idea is to prove that private health insurance doesn't work, necessitating getting the government into the healthcare business.
John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, was in Denver today talking about his healthcare plan. It would decouple health insurance from jobs, giving each family a $5,000 a year tax credit for purchasing their own health insurance. McCain believes the plan would create competition among insurance companies for the business, and bring prices down. Since each individual is responsible for his own care, he will shop carefully for both insurance and care when he needs it, bringing health care costs down.
This free enterprise, supply-and-demand solution has a much greater chance of success than some heavy-handed federal government scheme. By rationing health care and mandating below-cost reimbursements to physicians and hospitals for providing care, the failure of the Barack and Hillary's system is a self-fulfillling prophecy.
It goes back to the old saying "If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see how much it costs when its free!"
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Clinton fine one to talk about Obama's friends
There certainly is no decent defense to be made of Barack Obama's friendships with the likes of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Louis Farrakhan, weatherman Bill Ayres and his wife Bernadette Dorn, or confidence man Tony Rezko. These are nut cases from the most radical fringe of American leftist thought, and most Americans, if they knew, would shudder at the idea of a President of the United States keeping this kind of company.
That said, the one with the least room to talk is Hillary Clinton. The collection of radical leftists, druggies, thugs, crooked fundraisers seeking favors--even her own brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham--that have surrounded Bill and Hillary Clinton for years would be at least as embarrassing, if not more so, than Obama's rogue's gallery.
It could be even worse, since Bill was actually president for eight years, and had the opportunity to really appoint these people to high office, grant them presidential pardons or banish them altogether if they became too big a problem (you could ask Vince Foster and Ron Brown, if they were still around, how that's done).
So it is on the campaign trail, that Hillary is trying to come across as Mrs. Clean, while casting aspersions at Obama for the associations he has. There is no doubt Obama has being dragged down by his "friends." He looks tired and worn, and seems to be just going through the motions. Being much more brazen to start with, Hillary is coming across in these closing days of the Indiana and North Carolina primaries as the cool customer, confident and strong.
I'd just as soon the fight continues all the way to the Democratic national convention in Denver, so Clinton victories in these primaries are the best way to guarantee that. I just wish Obama was putting up a better fight, at this point.
That said, the one with the least room to talk is Hillary Clinton. The collection of radical leftists, druggies, thugs, crooked fundraisers seeking favors--even her own brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham--that have surrounded Bill and Hillary Clinton for years would be at least as embarrassing, if not more so, than Obama's rogue's gallery.
It could be even worse, since Bill was actually president for eight years, and had the opportunity to really appoint these people to high office, grant them presidential pardons or banish them altogether if they became too big a problem (you could ask Vince Foster and Ron Brown, if they were still around, how that's done).
So it is on the campaign trail, that Hillary is trying to come across as Mrs. Clean, while casting aspersions at Obama for the associations he has. There is no doubt Obama has being dragged down by his "friends." He looks tired and worn, and seems to be just going through the motions. Being much more brazen to start with, Hillary is coming across in these closing days of the Indiana and North Carolina primaries as the cool customer, confident and strong.
I'd just as soon the fight continues all the way to the Democratic national convention in Denver, so Clinton victories in these primaries are the best way to guarantee that. I just wish Obama was putting up a better fight, at this point.
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