Schumer: Reaganism is Dead

Chuck Schumer says proudly that the Republicans are in trouble because they don't realize that "Reaganism is dead."

Unfortunately, Chucky did pay much attention to Republican sentiment in this year's elections. The GOP lost because they liked big government spending, which is the exact opposite of Reagan's philosophy. Once again, we know who is really out of touch with the American public...and it's not the Reagan conservatives.

Judge: Differentiate Currency for Blind

Poof. Just like that, an activist liberal judge can force the Treasury Department to replace all of its paper currency. Judge James Robertson has decided that our paper currency is not differentiable to the blind (ahem, I mean "visually impaired") and the Treasury Dept. must remedy the problem.

Perhaps the judge forgot that there are plenty of alternatives (checks, credit cards)...There goes common sense - right out the window. Another great Bill Clinton appointee...

Fernandez' Anti-Americanism Gets Rewarded

The infamous State Dept. official who badmouth the U.S. on Al Jazeera was just rewarded with a $10,000 cash prize for winning the Edward R. Murrow Excellence in Diplomacy award.

I wonder who lost the award...

Gingrich Plans Outreach

Newt Gingrich is planning a major new grass-roots movement to recapture the "soul of the Republican Party." Even though Gingrich has a little bit of baggage from partisan attacks, this is great news for conservatives.

Just as conservatives were very high on Samuel Alito and John Roberts for the Supreme Court because of their intellectual capacity to challenge the opposition and define their objectives clearly, so too should they be on Newt Gingrich. Gingrich is smart, politically astute, organized and well-spoken and can challenge the opposition rhetorically in a way that other conservatives just cannot do.

Four House Races Still in Limbo

Did you notice how quickly the GOP conceded its close Senate and House races? Well, of the four remaining House races, the GOP leads the Democrat in all four. And the Democrat is contesting the results in all four. What a surprise.

Obama Toes the Standard Democratic "Redeployment" Policy

The "rising star" Barack Obama (D-IL), who gets star treatment from the media (mainly because he's not an unhinged lunatic like Murtha, Gore, Pelosi, etc.) is really just a typical liberal Democrat. His policy on Iraq: "redeployment."

"Drawing down our troops in Iraq will allow us to redeploy additional troops to northern Iraq and elsewhere in the region . . ."

Attention Obama: Northern Iraq has been peaceful for the past decade. Yes, it's better than Okinawa, but it's still a useless suggestion.

Syria Joins Democrats on Timetable for Iraq

You know there is something wrong with your position when Syria, Iran and Al Qaeda agree. That is precisely what is happening with the Democratic idea for a withdrawal timetable. From Powerline.

Two Takes on New Mass. Governor Chief of Staff

Wizbang explains the differences between two views on Massachusetts' Democratic Governor-elect's soon-to-be chief of staff, Joan Wallace Benjamin.

The Boston Globe (whose parent is the NYTimes) writes a glowing review of Benjamin's help for the inner city poor.

The Boston Herald, meanwhile, notes that Benjamin had no qualms about getting a violent rapist's conviction overturned and urged his release from prison.

Alcee Hastings' Ethics Problems

You've probably already heard that Alcee Hastings, Nancy Pelosi's choice as House Intelligence Chairman, has ethical problems. Byron York has the story here - it's almost like a Hollywood movie...and he's going to be in charge of classified info. Hmmm.

Snow in Australia For Al Gore's Global Warming Speech

This is absolutely hilarious. Anytime Gore gives a speech on global warming, he seems to bring record cold temperatures...he even does it in Australia! From Australia's Herald Sun.

John Edwards & Son Discourage Wal-Mart Shoppers

According to Wal-Mart, former Senator John Edwards, who regularly attacks Wal-Mart, went to the store to try to find a PlayStation 3.

Additionally, Edwards' 6-year old son is also apparently making fun of Wal-Mart shoppers. In a conference call with Wal-Mart bashers, Edwards "repeated a story about his son Jack disapproving of a classmate buying sneakers at Wal-Mart. 'If a 6-year-old can figure it out, America can definitely figure this out,' Edwards said."

So either Edwards' young son was lecturing his classmate about Wal-Mart's business practices or he was making fun of him for shopping at Wal-Mart. We now know which of the "Two Americas" the Edwards family lives in.

Bush Plans Affecting Iraq Study Group

President Bush, rather than cutting from Iraq, actually appears ready to increase troops in a final push for a decisive victory. According to the anti-American Guardian:

Mr Bush's refusal to give ground, coming in the teeth of growing calls in the US and Britain for a radical rethink or a swift exit, is having a decisive impact on the policy review being conducted by the Iraq Study Group chaired by Bush family loyalist James Baker, the sources said.

Hmm...according to the media last week, Daddy's friends were supposed to be riding to the rescue of George Bush to give him a reason to exit Iraq. Unsurprisingly, they typically publish their hopes and desires as fact. Bush is still calling the shots - I hope he keeps it that way with Congress as well.

Milton Friedman Dead: RIP

The great, legendary economist Milton Friedman has died. He was 94 years old. RIP.

Let's hope we always heed his advice on free markets.

Larry Kudlow has this fitting tribute.

Quotes of the Day

First, Mitt Romney:

"We have two factions of media in Boston. On the one hand, we have the Hillary-loving, Ted Kennedy apologists. And on the other, we have the liberals."

Next, Harry Reid's spokesman Jim Manley:

"We have no idea what Abramoff is telling prosecutors to save his skin, but I do know that these kind of old allegations are completely ridiculous and untrue."

So - they don't know what was said, but they do know it was not true. Ok.

Sen. Dayton: Generals are Lying

In response to Gen. Abizaid's testimony in front of Congress this week, Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN) claimed on Fox & Friends this morning that Abizaid, and other generals on the ground, were lying when they said the U.S. should not offer a timetable for withdrawal and currently had the correct number of troops in Iraq. Instead, he accused them of toeing the Administration line.

Yup, the Dems will win plenty of hearts and minds with the U.S. military...

Murtha Calls Ethics Bill "Total Crap"

Jack "Abscam" Murtha thinks that Nanci Pelosi's new ethics bill is "total crap." He tried to clarify his statement by saying that there are more important issues to worry about.

I guess Murtha is still hoping some Arab shieks come along with another bribe for him.

Schumer to Veto Next "Alito" Judge

How is that for politicizing the judicial branch? Despite virtually no justified criticim leveled against Alito's professionalism, qualifications, or jurisprudence, Chuck Schumer has already maligned Alito, calling his nomination the Democrats' "single greatest failure."

“I am writing a book, about how to build a permanent—a long-term majority...I generally have an eye toward longer-term strategy and politics, and I think my colleagues rely on me for that.”

Hmm...you win Senate control mainly via three very close races and by a few Dems who ran as conservatives and suddenly you are an expert on building and retaining a long-term majority.

Chavez's Friend in Brazil

Brazilian President Lula da Silva appears to be a new best friend of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. Whether he's just pandering for additional business for Brazil or he really means what he says is not important. It's clear that da Silva will do nothing to object to Chavez's desire for additional power and influence in South America.

Ben Stein Turned Idiot

Ben Stein, who once seemed to have some good common sense, has taken a sharp turn for the worse. I saw him on tv a few weeks back and he was advocating raising taxes. Now, he says that Iraq is better off with Saddam. I don't think the people of Iraq (well, perhaps with the exception of the small Sunni minority) would agree with that. I also don't think it was good to have a country developing a nuclear weapon (which the NY Times just admitted a couple weeks ago) or having a country openly training thousands of terrorists (as shown by documents uncovered earlier this year). Unfortuanately, Ben Stein has turned into the typical Hollywood star (except of course, that he's not quite a star...)

The Second Worst Option on Iran

Caroline Glick writes in the Jerusalem Post that the price to stop Iran from developing a nuke could be very high, but it's still better than the alternative.

The interesting thing is that, as a Kuwaiti newspaper mentioned in September, Iraq's nuclear program was transferred to Syria before the war and is now being funded by Iran (according to the Euros and the Baker-Hamilton Commission, our soon-to-be best friends).

Another Reason the ICC Would Be a Joke

Anyone in the U.S. who supports the International Criminal Court needs some serious help. As a few German extremists propose trying Donald Rumsfeld for war crimes, one has to wonder what would happen if the U.S. were to join the ICC and give up any type of jurisdiction over American citizens.

The world's jails would be filled with the law abiding leaders of democracies (mainly the U.S. and Israel) while no one would (still) have the guts to do anything about the world's dictators. How about Castro, Chavez, or Saddam for starters?)

Dems Push for Jim Leach at UN

This move would be a bit like George Bush appointing Lincoln Chafee as Secretary of Defense. Yes, he's a Republican, but he does not agree with Administration policy and is more often agreeable to Democrats. For that reason, if Bush allows the Democrats to appoint Jim Leach to the UN in place of John Bolton, conservatives might as well give up on Bush altogether.

I still say that if Bolton isn't approved in the Senate that Bush then appoint a Don Rumsfeld, Newt Gingrich, George Allen or Rick Santorum.

Reagan: No Pale Pastels

What would Reagan say about the latest elections? Well, Gingrich has an interesting piece on what Reagan said to the Republican party during our last disaster at the polls. He said in 1975:

"Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors, which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?"

Then again in 1976:

Whether it is different this time than it has ever been before, I believe the Republican Party has a platform that is a banner of bold, unmistakable colors, with no pastel shades.

I couldn't agree more.

Anti-American Priest Sounds Off Again

Renato Martino, an Italian priest, takes issue with the US building a fence between the US and Mexican border. He insults every American by comparing this with the Berlin Wall.

Excuse me? How hypocritical! I was recently in Rome and the largest wall I've ever seen is right there in the Vatican. Why have that wall? Is someone trying to invade the Vatican? Are people trying to live there? I also remember the Vatican having some ridiculous hours, something like 9am-3pm. If this guy's so in favor of open borders, why is the Vatican only open 6 hours/day? As far as I know, most of the US border is virtually open 24 hours/day.

I'm not insulting the church or the Catholic religion, but rather one man who is obviously blinded by the hate he has for all American people. He should be ashamed and embarrassed to have such hate, especially being in his position.

If you've heard of this guy before, it was most likely the day Saddam was captured, when he criticized the US for the ungodly torture of checking his teeth for cavities and his hair for mites.

Iran: Our Future Partners for Peace

Iran announces that its nuke program is nearly complete. Europe is still hopeful they can achieve a peaceful, diplomatic solution. Meanwhile, James Baker is ready to explain to us how Syria and Iran can help us with our problems in the Middle East.

I think it's time for someone with a backbone to step up to the plate here...and I think the world knows that there's only one person capable and powerful enough to do that (hint: it ain't Harry Reid).

Dems Not Quite Ready to Clean Up Culture of Corruption

Democrats ran on ending the "culture of corruption." Don't laugh. As Rush Limbaugh explains,

Anybody who believes these guys are going to be corrupt-free, ethically pure, is just silly. I don't think anybody buys that or believes that. By the way, Pelosi is promising from this day forward, she's not talking about assembling people who are free of corruption in their past. It's just her way of "contrasting." It's a slam on the Republicans. That's all that is. They all have their own scandal problems.

Of course, next to pork-barrel spending King, Robert Byrd (D-WV), Nanci Pelosi and Harry Reid are two of the biggest pork spenders in Congress (Reid just because he tries to enhance the value of his various land investments). Then, apart from Alan Mollohan (D-WV) and William "Cold cash" Jefferson (D-LA), we have Alcee Hastings (D-FL), soon-to-be Chairman of the Intelligence Committee; Hastings is a former judge indicted for bribery (you heard that right), who even the WaPo has a problem with! And of course, the potential majority leader might go to none other than Jack "Cut and Run" Murtha, who was up to his neck in the Abscam scandal.

What was that about the culture of corruption disappearing?

Libby Dole Can Sleep Well....Great

Elizabeth Dole, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said that she can sleep well at night knowing that she did everything possible to keep control of the Senate. While each candidate needs to take blame for his individual race, Libby Dole has always been a weak representative for the GOP. She is one of the worst debaters in the party and not someone who should be constantly in front of the tv cameras to articulate positions to the public. Let's hope we finally get someone up to that task.

Murtha For Democratic Leader?

From Michelle Malkin. Murtha running for Majority Leader is scary. But for once, Democrats will show who they really are, rather than covering up for something they are not. And even though everyone in the world says that leaving Iraq to the terrorists would be a disaster of epic proportion, Murtha will stay true to his belief. Finally people could see the Dems' true colors.

Iran to Install 3,000 Centrifuges

Iran has announced that it will install 3,000 centrifuges for uranium enrichment over the next few months, indicating an acceleration of its nuclear program.

With the Dems now in charge of Congress, will they pass any legislation in support of halting Iran's program? (Yes, it's a rhetorical question - we already know the answer to that...). Meanwhile, Europe is also showing its uselessness in world problems.

Dems Fail to Stand Up and Lead

It didn't take Democrats long to show their weakness in foreign policy. Al Qaeda mocks Bush and Rumsfeld and the U.S. and basically says that they will never stop until the U.S. is destroyed. Chavez says Bush should get the death penalty. Ahmedasdgagsdasdghad says that the U.S. elections were a victory for Iran. Iraq's Al Qaeda leader rejoices as well.

And the Dems, rather than standing up and saying that the enemies of the U.S. should not rejoice, instead just stand there silent. Isn't something wrong here? Do Dems hate Bush so much that they would rather see Venezuela, Al Qaeda and Iran spew their hatred against the U.S. than stand up for the commander in chief of their own country?

Al Qaeda Wastes No Time To Side With Dems

Well, it's now official. We know which side Al Qaeda was hoping for. Sounds like they have their wish.

Troops Fret Over Rumsfeld Loss

Captain Ed has a good post on the loss of Rumsfeld to the troops. Now I can imagine the sentiment when General MacArthur was removed.

Principles of a Republican

John Hawkins outlines the basic principles of a Republican. When a GOP member (think Lincoln Chafee) doesn't subscribe to several of these principles, perhaps he shouldn't be a Republican anymore.

McCain Destroyed the GOP Majority

Hugh Hewitt has an excellent article about John McCain's influence - and it began with his 'Gang of 14' push, which began the downfall from the GOP's conservative principles. I would also throw Lindsay Graham in there, but Graham isn't running for President.

Let's hope conservatives remember McCain in this light come Presidential primary time.

Chafee STILL Opposed to Bolton

Listen to this B.S. Now Lincoln Chafee is arguing that the election was a referendum on John Bolton as UN Ambassador:

"The American people have spoken out against the president's agenda on a number of fronts, and presumably one of those is on foreign policy," Chafee said. "And at this late stage in my term, I'm not going to endorse something the American people have spoke out against."

Chafee is an idiot. Good riddance. Yet another silver lining dspite the loss of the Senate...

JD Hayworth Might Still Win Seat

In the AP's effort to call the election against conservative Rep. JD Hayworth (R-AZ) based on exit polls, they forgot to mention that only about half of the votes have yet been counted. Apparently the votes counted thus far are well below the level from the 2004 election and upon further search, it is estimated that there are another approximately 100K votes outstanding (I'm not clear how that happened). They are being counted as we speak.

Right now, Hayworth is down less than 6K votes. It doesn't make much of a difference in the big picture, but he is a solid conservative that the House could use. Here is a link to the article that says 250K votes from Maricopa County have yet to be counted (it's uncertain exactly how many are related to Hayworth's fifth district).

*Update*
I stand corrected by Jim, who commented that the ballots were absentee ballots requested. Still, I think his math is incorrect. If a 14% larger margin went to Hayworth and 25% of the overall ballot requestors returned them, that would equal approx. 8K more votes for the GOP than the Dem, which would switch to a Hayworth victory. Not a guarantee by any stretch, but still a good chance.

Bush Resubmits Bolton Nomination to Senate for Approval

Ha! Bush resubmits Bolton nomination for UN confirmation. Good luck. If the spineless in Congress couldn't get him approved with a 5-seat majority, there is NO way he will now be approved. But I like Bush's idea - he will soon find out about how conciliatory the Dems are going to be...

If they refuse, Bush should either:

1) Leave the seat vacant and suggest not paying our dues if we don't have a representative ther; or
2) Upon rejection of Bolton, he should submit, in this order: Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rick Santorum, George Allen or Newt Gingrich.

Impeach Bush for the Good of Conservatives

Ankle Biting Pundits points out that the "impeach Bush" movement has begun. As much as I think Bush is a great, sincere guy and a steadfast President who has done absolutely nothing wrong, I actually would like to see the impeachment process begin. I believe it would only help the conservative cause, and I view the next 2 years as completely defensive (from a conservative viewpoint) anyway.

So throw Bush under the bus and impeach away.

Background on Bob Gates

Here is some brief background on the new Secretary of Defense, from Powerline.

In his 1996 memoir, "From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War," which was published by Simon & Schuster, Mr. Gates thanks Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Scowcroft, and Richard Armitage in the acknowledgements. The author expresses disappointment that both Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Bill Bradlee voted against confirming him as director of central intelligence. The book is mostly an account of the Cold War, which Mr. Gates called "a glorious crusade" against "a truly evil empire."

Whenever someone compliments that cast of characters (and also Jimmy Carter), you know we've moved into a wishy-washy, spineless, "nuanced, pragmatic" foreign policy. Oh boy.

*Update*
More anti-war folks singing his praise. Uh oh.

GOP Squanders Public Mandate

The American Thinker has a good post - I couldn't agree more with the opening paragraph.

In November 2004, Americans gave the Republican Party and its leader, President George W. Bush, a resounding mandate to enact conservative policies in his second term. Two years later, when it was clear to these same voters how poorly the G.O.P. responded to this call to arms, the citizens took it back.

I remember vividly the Dems saying in '04 that there was no clear mandate, even with the Senate at 55-45 because the country was still so divided. Well, how times have changed. Now at 49-49-2 (even if you say 51-49), the Dems and media have already declared that this is an overwhelming mandate. And the GOP might go back to their spineless ways and agree.

Michael Steele as RNC Chair?

I love Michael Steele - for Maryland. He is the only type of Republican that has a shot in the dark of winning - black, moderate, smart, articulate. By moderate I mean "not very conservative" (unless he's really more conservative than he let on, but I'm not sure about that). I'm worried that by picking Steele, the GOP might be advocating a stance of moving away from conservatism and towards the center. I certainly hope that my beliefs are not correct because that is not the message from this election.

More on Hotair.

Pelosi to Negotiate Drug Prices?

I'm sure there will be a million and one things about Pelosi's issues that I will disagree with. But I'm an issues guy and I don't care which party the right issues come out of. If Nancy Pelosi decides that medicare can negotiate pricing with the pharmaceutical companies, I think it's a good idea. After all, Walmart, being the largest buyer of tv's and tide, can negotiate with the Chinese manufacturers and P&G to get the cheapest price. Why should medicare be any different?

The US pays 3x as much as Germany and the rest of Europe for pharmaceuticals. Other countries use their bargaining power to drive down prices, so why shouldn't we? Why should American consumers be subsidizing the rest of the world's healthcare systems?

Again, there are too many things about Pelosi and what she stands for that make my skin crawl, but on this issue, which is part of the "100 hour agenda," I say - run with it.

What Next for Bush? Let's Hope for Investigations

I've thought about today's actions by Bush (giving in to Dems by firing Rumsfeld; appearing conciliatory towards Dems) and what it means for conservatives. While it's possible Bush is just worn down and has decided to acquiesce to Democratic demands, I don't think it really matters much. At first, conservatives will feel betrayed at his conciliatory nature (think of his graciousness towards his predecessor) - but I don't think there's much to worry about.

Bush was never really that conservative, despite how the media portrays him. His only "conservative" traits are his penchant for economic growth via tax cuts, his previously hawkish foreign policy, originalist judges and his religion. And that's it. Everything else, I believe, he was willing to compromise and he might try to do so at first.

The one thing Bush can't stand, however, is to be shown up by his opponents. And once the House begins its investigations ( which Pelosi confirmed today), Bush will see that the Dems are trying to show him up. And that will be the savior to conservatives - no legislation will be passed and Bush will go back to his strident positions on judges, taxes and social issues sans compromise. Assuming any Left-wing legislation makes it to him, which is highly unlikely, Bush will use his veto pen.

Almost nothing of importance will be accomplished between now and the 2008 elections - and that's a good thing. The conservatives will find their way, led by a true conservative Minority Leader (Pence or Shadegg, hopefully) and actually stand on issues again, which are far more popular than those of their opponents.

The only two big "compromise" issues that have a chance are 1) amnesty for illegals; and 2) pay-go rules that eliminate the tax cuts. We can only hope that the Democratic investigations into Bush and the Iraq War begin as soon as possible.

Pence and Shadegg to Run for Minority Leader

If the GOP really wants to get back to its conservative roots, this is a very good place to start. And either of these guys would make a good conservative leader.

More Celebrations: Now from the UN

If any candidate runs on a platform of kicking the UN out of NY, I will vote for him in a second. I can't believe these idiots celebrating the Democratic victory - no wonder Dems love the UN.

Changes Not Looking Good So Far

When Bush's choice for new Pentagon chief gets praise from Stansfield Turner, you have to question whether it's a good move (sort of like if Ted Kennedy praises a bill). Oh yes, and he's also a member of the Baker-Hamilton Commission, which I mentioned previously as another 9/11 Commission-type fait accompli.

According to Drudge, John Bolton, UN Ambassador, might be the next to go. If that happens and Bush begins throwing more good people overboard in a crazy attempt to appease Dems, it will be a sad day in America. I can forgive President Bush for the media/Democratic b.s. levelled against him, but I can't forgive him if he betrays his base or principles once more.

Dems Would "Demand" Power Sharing in Senate

If the Republicans hold onto the Senate, the Democrats said they will "demand" a power sharing arrangement. Huh. You have to respect their chutzpah - the GOP in general is too spineless to ever demand such a thing.

And let's say George Allen loses. The GOP would have 49 senators, the Dems 49 senators - and 2 independents (yes, I know they would likely caucus with the Dems). The GOP should demand a power sharing arrangement themselves.

Of course, demanding and getting is another story. If Republicans were to cave into the demand, you will know that a new era of appeasement has begun in Washington - and it will get the GOP absolutely nothing.

Post-Mortem on Election

Well, sometimes the good guys lose. Actually, based on historical results of mid-term elections, particularly in a President's second term, this is actually within the expected range. In fact, very few two-term Presidents (if any) have ever gone undefeated in Congressional races.

Having said that, here are my winners from yesterday:

1) Pelosi's plastic surgeon - now we know why she's been absent the last couple weeks - her niptucks look decent.
2) Al Qaeda - they have long been rooting for the Dems to win so we pull out of Iraq and leave the Middle East to the Islamofascists.
3) Illegal immigrants - Amnesty for 12 million illegals in the U.S. is a virtual certainty - let's just hope not too many Al Qaeda members slipped across the border in the past few years.
4) Kim Jong Il and Mahmoud Ahmedasdkgjaklgdsajd;sgjahd - there is simply nothing for them to fear anymore since any type of U.S. action is essentially out of the question now.
5) Conservatives - Even though we lost several excellent conservatives yesterday, most of the Dems who won campaigned as conservatives to beat the GOP. Santorum and (potentially) Allen are by far the biggest losses to the conservative cause.

Today's Frequent Post Visit

Today a majority of visitors have visited this site through my link last week to the Washington Times about Nanci Pelosi's voting record. I guess everyone wants to see what Americans voted for (hint: it ain't prettty). Shouldn't they have done that before yesterday??

My Advice to the GOP

I would do two things if I were a GOP member in Congress:

1) Propose a new round of tax cuts; and
2) Propose a resolution supporting victory in Iraq.

This will force the Dems to show their true stripes.

Virginia: Likely the GOP's Last Hope at Senate Control

It appears that there are still at least 50K-100K absentee ballots to be counted in Virginia. For Senator Allen and the GOP to retain the Senate, it appears Allen will have to win between 55-60% of the absentees. It all depends on whether the military (Quantico, Norfolk, VA Beach) comprises a large enough percentage - but there's no doubt that he still has an excellent chance. I just hope there aren't many ballots from dead people, or he could be in trouble.

PS - the one interesting thing from the exit polls was where the Democrat/GOP support came from. People making $30K-200K supported Allen, while the "middle class" (defined by Dems) making <$30K and over $200K supported Webb. Hmm...

*Update*
Now it seems people are saying that many of the absentee ballots were already counted and included in the current tallies. Obviously that would be bad news for Allen if true.

Dems, Media, Terrorists Giddy

Well, the Media/Democratic/Terrorist team are all very happy this morning. They won on their ideas - higher taxes, liberal judges, more illegals even more spending, free lawyers for terrorists and accepting a military loss in the Middle East. Yippee.

The Senate is too close to call - much will depend on the absentee and military ballots. In Virginia, George Allen needs to make up about 8,000 votes. Approx. 130K absentee ballots were requested in VA. Burns will likely have tough time making up approx. 5,000 votes.

The lesson? The GOP had a majority and decided that instead of enacting their ideas, they wanted to be nice to Dems. Somehow I don't think Dems will be as generous with their committee chairs.

Washington Post Pulls Back Cardin Victory

The Washington Post, along with all the broadcast news that I've seen, called the Maryland race for US Senate for Democrat Ben Cardin a couple hours ago. However, the Post just withdrew that call, at least for now. Apparently Steele is still ahead and based on his expectation of the black vote, he believes (as does the WaPo) that he still has a chance. A Steele comeback would be a the biggest upset of the night by far (but I think the hurdle is just too high right now)...too many Liberals run the state.

Win For Conservatism

With a few exceptions, the Democratic pickups tonight have been by candidates in red states who ran as conservatives, meaning that they will more likely agree with President Bush on most of his policies than with Nanci Pelosi (with a few minor exceptions).

It might not be a victory for Republicans, but I do think it bodes well for conservatism.

Early Returns in IN, OH and KY

Take it for what it's worth, but I have also heard of more good news for the GOP. Apparently the urban turnout in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky is lower than average (in some areas as low as 15-20% - Cleveland, Cincinnati), while the GOP-friendly rural areas are very high (mid-70% range). Again, it's all anecdotal at this point, but I think the Dems should be very nervous.

Let the Shenanigans Begin

Let's hope that this example of a Philadelphia voting locale is an exemption rather than the rule to the Democratic turnout effort this year. No harm...it's a 100% Democrat district, right? So everyone has to vote for only Democrats...

In NM, they key prize is the seat of Heather Wilson (R), whose two largest Republican precincts, received only 10% of the ballots they were supposed to receive - and the polling places ran out early this morning. Ho-hum...just a GOP seat anyway.

Early Returns Positive for GOP in VA and MD

By all anecdotal accounts (and proprietary Bizblogger sources), the Republican base is coming out in full force in VA and MD. George Allen's strongholds in Roanoke and Richmond have very high turnouts, although Northern VA, a likely Democratic stronghold, also appears to have heavy turnout. Maryland will depend upon which way the black vote decides to swing.

*Update*
MSNBC has its exit polls up for VA, showing Webb with a 3-4% lead. When you account for the roughly 5-6% standard error in favor of Dems (due mainly to typical oversampling of females and urban polling places), I think Allen is actually ahead here.

Dems Already Suing in Tennessee

Democrats are not acting like a party with confidence today, at least in Tennessee. They are getting their lawyers to sue in Tennessee to force the election commission to keep the polls open longer due to "problems with infrastructure."

Well, they're sticking to their playbook....expect many more lawsuits before the day is through.

Pouting at the CMAs

Courtesy of Drudge - this is pretty funny. Faith Hill was caught on camera after losing in the best famale vocal category last night at the Country Music Awards. She claims she was joking, but I'm skeptical.

Serves her right - typical Left-wing pouting (she should go the way of the Dixie Chicks for her earlier anti-Bush comments - except that she's more attractive).

Lincoln Chafee "Infuriated" With Clinton

I'm not sure if Lincoln Chafee was expecting immunity from Democratic attacks, but he was "infuriated" about Bill Clinton's campaigning against him in RI.

Calling Clinton "disingenuous," Chafee said: "It infuriates me, that President Clinton is coming, saying, Get rid of Senator Chafee, the guy that voted against the war,' when his own wife did not. I know they are separate people but I voted against the war. He should be here saying we need more people like Senator Chafee in the Senate working on both sides of the aisle, casting good votes unlike his wife on the war."

Next time, Mr. Chafee, perhaps you should know better - your vertebrae-less votes won't win you friends from Democrats.

One Prediction Change: Steele Wins in MD

I have one change in my election predictions. I say Michael Steele (R-MD) pulls off the big upset in overwhelmingly Democratic Maryland. Again, my prediction is based on nothing but my views on how hard the media is trying to knock down the popular Republican candidate, which tells me the race is leaning his way.

Best Ad Yet

If every candidate used this ad against his Democratic opponent, I think it would be a GOP landslide. Just in case anyone thought Ned Lamont had a chance, this should provide the full knockout punch.

Osama Praying for Dems to Win

Once again, Osama and his terrorist friends are waiting and hoping for Dems to win the US election. I believe they will be dancing in the caves tonight if Dems take Congress.

The "Do Anything to Win" Syndrome

Jim Webb (D-VA) has the syndrome bad. He once said this about Bill Clinton:

I cannot conjure up an ounce of respect for Bill Clinton when it comes to the military. Every time I see him salute a Marine, it infuriates me. I don't think Bill Clinton cares one iota about what happens in a military unit.

He also called the Clinton presidency the "most corrupt administration in modern memory."

That was then; this is now. Last night Clinton campaigned at Webb's side in northern VA. No principles in politics for Webb...

Kerry Can Be Happy About One Election Anyway

Daniel Ortega appears to have won an election in Nicaragua, whether legitimate or not. So at least there's one election John Kerry should be happy about, based on Kerry's pro-Communist policies during the Reagan administration.

Official Election Prediction

OK, here it is. My election predictions: 1) regardless of outcome, the MSM will characterize the election a "clear repudiation of President Bush's policies;" 2) The Dems will accuse the GOP of election fraud;

3) More specifically with regard to Congress, I based my predictions entirely on my unscientific belief that most of the polls are useless and reflect what the pollsters would like to hear. Based on this, I think the Dems will pick up 2-3 seats in the Senate and will be within 1 seat of taking the House. That's it. (Either way, the House won't be able to do much harm because half of the Democrats who will win are running as conservatives.)

All said, I think the Dems will be disappointed at the result but they and the media will do their best to spin it as a victory.

PS - The three Senate losses are PA, OH and RI. (I believe the GOP will get very close in MD and NJ but will fall just short.)

*Update*
Bob Novak is now onboard my train (he must have read my scientific predictions) and says that the GOP will only lose two net seats in the Senate. He also believes Steele will win in Maryland. Though he's run a great race, that would be the biggest upset of the year because Maryland Dems outnumber Republicans 2-1.

US Soldiers: Don't Pull Out Til Job is Finished

Buried on page 13 of the WaPo is this story about US soldiers who say that pulling out of Iraq before the job is done is a terrible idea. But as John Kerry says, they're just too dumb for their opinion to matter.

Voting on Tuesdays

Anyone know why we vote on Tuesdays? It's kind of ridiculous if you ask me. Most people are busy enough having to work that day, not to mention the potentially long lines before and after work. I think we'd get a better turnout if we either:

a. changed our voting day to Sundays (my personal preference), or if
b. we made our voting day a national holiday

According to Wikipedia, there once was a good reason for voting on Tuesdays, but I think we can change it.

This rule was instituted by the U.S. Congress in 1845, and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November was chosen to keep the election day from falling on November 1, All Saints' Day, a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. Tuesday was chosen to allow voters one day to travel to their polling place, as most residents at the time could not travel on Sunday because of church. Themonth of November was chosen because it was after the crops were harvested.

My unscientific gut tells me that changing the day to to a national holiday or Sunday might help conservatives. After all, many unions (predominantly democratic) give their workers the day off to vote. Likewise students and those choosing not to work (my guess is also predominantly democratic) can easily juggle their day to make time to vote. That said, there is a bill in congress proposed by democrats to do just this.

Regardless of who it might help or hurt, it would be a good thing for democracy.

Washington Post Admits Bias in Political Coverage

At least they've finally admitted it - there was clear bias in the WaPo's coverage.

Deborah Howell, the ombudsman at the Washington Post, finds that her paper's coverage of the Allen-Webb and Cardin-Steele races was biased in favor of the Democrat. In Virginia, Howell concludes, the coverage was too anti-Allen ("a profile of Allen was relentlessly negative without balancing coverage. . ."); in Maryland it was too pro-Cardin ("I longed for a more critical eye, especially in the Cardin piece, which seemed relentlessly positive").

I assume that coming to this conclusion won't change their coverage much...

Catholic Church Helps George Allen

The Virginia Senate race is supposedly too close to call right now (of which I am skeptical), but after attending Church this morning, I'm certain that George Allen will win on Tuesday. The priest's homily centered on two pro-Republican issues - embryonic stem cell research and the marriage amendment, which is a ballot initiative this year. Assuming this message was repeated throughout Catholic churches in Virginia today, I think that George Allen just received a huge advantage. This, along with a better get-out-the-vote effort, should give him a comfortable victory.

"Generic Ballot" Tightening

I still don't believe any polls out there. Supposedly the "generic ballot" showed Dems up by anywhere from 15-20 points over the past couple months and up 14 last week. Now they are up only 6 points.

The real story here is that this is what has happened with most polls across the country. Polls have shown Dems up big, only to have the races tighten over the past few days (notice Montana, Rhode Island and Maryland as well). But if pollsters want to have any credibility, they need to get closer to the actual expected results as the election nears - and this, I believe, is what is happening.

And once again, we will likely see a media shocked on election day about how well the GOP did in contrast to their expections.

Michael Steele Slams Washington Post

Maryland Republican US Senate candidate Michael Steele had harsh words for the WaPo on FoxNews Sunday, noting that they have written several editorials about him precisely because he is in danger of winning a reliable Democratic seat. They will have to write on their headlines "Steele wins and then eat it," Steele said.

After seeing the interview, I have no doubt Steele truly believes he will pull the upset in Maryland.

Confusing: Dems Scold Bush Over Iraq Nuke Docs

Four Democratic senators demanded on Saturday that the Bush administration explain its decision to post documents from Saddam Hussein's covert nuclear program on a now-shuttered federal Web site.

The lawmakers told President Bush's director of national intelligence, John Negroponte, that it was "shocking that sensitive documents directly related to the design of a nuclear weapon were made public by the executive branch."

I don't understand this - according to Dems, Iraq had no weapons programs, nevermind a strong nuclear program. Alas, Dems and the media don't rely on logic for their arguments.

The Gift Keeps Giving

This is great. I don't know how Johnny could ever be commander-in-chief when no one in the service has any respect for him.

Another Democratic Hoax

The other day I mentioned a Wes Clark anti-war commercial that blames terrorism on Bush's decision to go into Iraq. It also included 4 disgruntled U.S. soldiers that said much of the same. Unfortunately one of the soldiers seems to have been a complete fraud. Michelle Malkin has more.

New Democrat Position on Economy

Apparently Dems have a new reason that the economy is horrible - just look at the housing market. I was waiting for this one and I've already heard it twice this morning, once from Frank Pallone (D-NJ). The housing market is terrible because prices are declining and therefore it's bad for the average consumer.

Hmm...I have to laugh at this. We just had the greatest housing boom of my lifetime, where prices doubled in 4-5 years and ownership has been at all-time highs. You know they're reaching on this one, but still the media believes it.

Penn Response to Suicide Bomber Pic

Yesterday I wrote a quick email to my alma mater asking why Penn President Amy Guttman took a picture with a person dressed as a suicide bomber. Here was the response (though I still don't buy the excuse):

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns about the
photographs taken at President Gutmann's Halloween party.

Each year, the President hosts a Halloween party for Penn students.
More than 700 students attend. They all crowd around the President to have
their picture taken with her. This year, one student who had a toy gun in
hand had his picture taken with the President before it was obvious to her that
he was dressed as a suicide bomber. He posted the photo on a website and
it was picked up on several other websites.

The costume is clearly offensive and President Gutmann was offended by
it. As soon as she realized what his costume was, she refused to take any
more pictures with him, as he requested. The student had the right to wear
the costume just as she, and others, have a right to criticize his wearing
of it.

Sincerely,

Eric Kaplan
Associate Secretary of the University
University of Pennsylvania
211 College Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-898-7005 

NYTimes: Bush Saved Us from Iraq Nuclear Weapon

OK, the headline doesn't say that. Instead, the NYTimes attempts to hit Bush by saying the Administration carelessly kept up information on a website that could be used by terrorists (hmm, that's ironic). But here is the juicy part buried in paragraph 14:

"Among the dozens of documents in English were Iraqi reports written in the 1990s and in 2002 for United Nations inspectors in charge of making sure Iraq had abandoned its unconventional arms programs after the Persian Gulf war. Experts say that at the time, Mr. Hussein's scientists were on the verge of building an atom bomb, as little as a year away."

So, it appears that if the story is true, President Bush has saved us from a nuclear-armed Iraq. Wizbang has more on this story.

Terrorists Rooting For Democrats

The WorldNetDaily has a fascinating article on why terrorists desperately want Democrats to win this election. Everything Dems have done and said have emboldened the Islamofascists to continue to fight us. If every American read this article, I think the GOP would win in a landslide. Here is just a part of it:

WND read Pelosi's remarks to the terror leaders, who unanimously rejected her contention an American withdrawal would end the insurgency.

Islamic Jihad's Saadi, laughing, stated, "There is no chance that the resistance will stop." He said an American withdrawal from Iraq would "prove the resistance is the most important tool and that this tool works.

The victory of the Iraqi revolution will mark an important step in the history of the region and in the attitude regarding the United States." Jihad Jaara said an American withdrawal would "mark the beginning of the collapse of this tyrant empire (America)." "Therefore, a victory in Iraq would be a greater defeat for America than in Vietnam."

Unemployment Rate - 4.4%

The Unemployment rate hit a 5-year low to 4.4%. Dems will still claim: worst economy since Herbert Hoover...

Madame Speaker's Votes

The Washington Times shows us the analysis of Nanci Pelosi's voting and what we have to look forward to if she were to become speaker.

The Economic Picture According to the AP

Wizbang notes that the AP always leads its stories with the economic variable that is most negative to President Bush. Despite the Dow Jones hitting a record high, people's wages rising at the fastest clip in 20 years and very low unemployment rates, the AP points out that productivity is at a "standstill" that might cause inflation.

Nothing new really - the media has convinced the American people that our economy, which has grown at 4+% over the past 4 1/2 years, is still somehow the worst economy since the Great Depression.

Penn's President Poses with "Suicide Bomber"

At her annual Halloween costume party, Amy Gutt(less)man, President of the University of Pennsylvania, posed for a picture with a person dressed as a suicide bomber. What a disgrace. Yes, it was Halloween, but something tells me she would not have been smiling if her guest were dressed as a water buffalo (think back to the PC police at Penn in the early 90s).

No More TV News Until Wednesday

My tv news watching is over until next Wednesday. Every news station is essentially just a long advertisement for the Democratic candidates - or how the GOP deserves to lose. I don't think reality can get much further from what the Dems claim unless they say that Bush actually convinced Pontius Pilate to crucify Christ.

People wonder how Fox News has done so well in just ten years on the air. I wonder why it doesn't have an audience 10 times its size, considering the pathetic alternatives.

Wesley Clark Runs to the Moonbat Left

Wesley Clark has a new ridiculous commercial (viewed here) that claims that Bush is responsible for terrorism because of our role in Iraq. I think Clark was too busy dropping bombs from 10,000 feet in Serbia (without a UN resolution, of course) to recall all of those terrorist acts that happened before we got into Iraq. 9/11? What 9/11?

Bob Casey's M.O. at Penn

Bob Casey (D-PA) has run a great campaign in Pennsylvania - he doesn't answer any tough questions and doesn't give any details on questions he answers. In a tight race with every media outlet on your side, that's all the Dems have to do. And Casey's campaign staff does it as arrogantly as anyone. Details here.

How Will the Media Depress Turnout on Election Day?

It's been a relentless chorus from the media that conservatives will not vote because they are upset with corruption, Foley,....I still fail to believe anything they say.

Betsy Newmark has a good point about Election Day - apparently the GOP early returns look very promising so far, which if a large enough percentage, might actually reduce the GOP vote on election day, thereby making exit polls meaningless. Bottom line - don't believe anything the media says until after all the votes (and absentee votes) are counted, which in many cases will take days after the election.

No doubt the Dems will return to their usual mantra of election rigging if and when the GOP wins again.

Kerry Has a Serious Case of DYKWIA Syndrome

Conservative Daily Telegraph writer Toby Harnden describes how John Kerry acted during their first encounter:

Suddenly, the Massachusetts senator strode into the room and plonked himself, hands on hips, between us. Then he just stood there, clearly expecting us to jump up because he had graced us with his hallowed presence.

Many people in Washington have similar DYKWIA – Don't You Know Who I Am? – anecdotes about Kerry that reveal his narcissistic conceit that it is all about him, all the time.

His point is that in the US, you've gotta be pretty arrogant or pretty darn stupid to criticize the US military:

US servicemen are revered in a way that the British squaddie can only dream of. Soldiers travel in uniform and are routinely ushered to the front of queues and given upgrades to business class with no questions asked. On an American Airlines jet from Dallas last Sunday, a flight attendant made a spontaneous announcement about "the sacrifice our young men and women are making to keep us safe". The whole plane applauded her.

So JK is either stupid or arrogant or both - that much is obvious. Now it's up to the MSM to finally report it.

How John Kerry Remembers Fallen U.S. Troops

While some people who go attend soldiers' funerals to mourn, John Kerry often finds opportunity. According to authors Catherine Moy and Melanie Morgan, who lost their sons in Iraq, members of the Kerry campaign were busy recruiting anti-Bush moms at the funerals. (Cindy Sheehan was one that the Kerry campaign hired.)