VA Supreme Court: New Taxes Unconstitutional

The Virginia Supreme Court today declared that it is unconstitutional for a non-elected body (the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority) to levy taxes in the state. This is an embarrassing blow to Democrat Governor Tim Kaine, who supported the taxes.

The bad news is that the taxes were already levied last year. I knew I should have deducted the extra $10 fee for my vehicle registration last month! I will be asking for my refund on this year's tax return...

Michelle Obama: Don't Go into Corporate America

Michelle Obama is advising women everywhere not to work for "corporate America."

Don’t go into corporate America. You know, become teachers. Work for the community. Be social workers. Be a nurse. Those are the careers that we need, and we’re encouraging our young people to do that. But if you make that choice, as we did, to move out of the money-making industry into the helping industry, then your salaries respond.

Instead of working for a company, people should follow her path of service and poverty....except that, as National Review points out:

In 2006, the Chicago Tribune reported that Mrs. Obama’s compensation at the University of Chicago Hospital, where she is a vice president for community affairs, jumped from $121,910 in 2004, just before her husband was elected to the Senate, to $316,962 in 2005, just after he took office. And that does not count the money Mrs. Obama receives from serving on corporate boards.

Mrs. Obama also bemoaned the amount of money she has to spend — nearly one-third of the median household income in Zanesville — on piano, dance, and other lessons for her two children. But she was grateful for the concern her husband's supporters have shown for her. "Everywhere I go, no matter what, the women in the audience, their first question for me is, 'How on earth are you managing it, how are you keeping it all together?'"

Which Democrat is the MSM For?

I think it's easy to conclude who the media wants...

Pawlenty: How Not to Run for VP

Bob Novak writes that MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty has made a major mistake in his bid for VP by making his global warming effort the highlight of the National Governors Association. His plans were rejected overwhelimingly.

Anyone who thinks that global warming is an issue and one in which we are willing to spend billions of dollars to combat it, is simply not conservative. He is an illogical kool-aid drinker and he would be a disaster for McCain. He already has enough liberals on the ticket.

Obama's Defense Strategy

Barak Obama has a several point plan for defense, including unilaterally disarming, eliminating nuclear weapons, cutting defense spending, and a global ban on all fissile material (including, presumably, all the material currently used to power U.S. nuclear power plants).

Absolutely brilliant. Wizbang has more, including a short video from Obama.

Global Warming So Bad It's Causing Global Cooling

Anecdotal evidence suggests that global cooling is on its way. Last winter wiped out a century's worth of generally warming temperatures.

Over the past year, anecdotal evidence for a cooling planet has exploded. China has its coldest winter in 100 years. Baghdad sees its first snow in all recorded history. North America has the most snowcover in 50 years, with places like Wisconsin the highest since record-keeping began. Record levels of Antarctic sea ice, record cold in Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Mexico, Australia, Iran, Greece, South Africa, Greenland, Argentina, Chile -- the list goes on and on. No more than anecdotal evidence, to be sure.

But now, that evidence has been supplanted by hard scientific fact. All four major global temperature tracking outlets (Hadley, NASA's GISS, UAH, RSS) have released updated data. All show that over the past year, global temperatures have dropped precipitously. A compiled list of all the sources can be seen here. The total amount of cooling ranges from 0.65C up to 0.75C -- a value large enough to wipe out nearly all the warming recorded over the past 100 years. All in one year's time. For all four sources, it's the single fastest temperature change ever recorded, either up or down.

Yes, folks. Global warming has gotten so bad that it's now causing global cooling.

Buckley Dies at 82

William Buckley, dead at age 82. One of the greatest Americans of the 20th century and all-time...I'm sure the MSM won't give him his proper due. RIP.

The Democrat Bear Market In Motion

The stock market has been at pretty low levels for a few months now for a variety of reasons. One interesting note is that analysts who research stocks are now reflecting anti-business , anti-growth Democrat policy changes into their overall valuations of companies. Take for example this note, pulled from an analyst research report on a particular stock:

"The risk of higher corporate income taxes, higher dividend taxes, higher capital gains taxes, and higher income taxes for individuals making more than $100,000/year, in combination with new government regulation, a more-fertile climate for trial lawyers, and a generally anti-business climate, we believe adds a significant risk to the U.S. and indeed ultimately the whole world economy, and it has already started to depress stock prices such as that of..."

Up until now, these issues were in the back of investors' minds, but with each passing day, analysts are beginning to realize the potentially damaging effects of a Democrat in the White House. (And that is without mentioning Obama's statement about ExxonMobil having to "give up its profits.")

Rules Against Obama

Bill Cunningham learned yesterday that it is nearly a crime to call Obama by his full name, Barak Hussein Obama.

We also now are not allowed to call him a Liberal either.

Perhaps Obama can type up a memo saying exactly what his opponents are allowed to say so they don't offend him.

Obama to Steal Exxon's Profits?

In watching a few minutes of last night's Dem debate, this was the most memorable line from Obama: "ExxonMobil made $11 billion last quarter. They are not going to give up those profits easily."

Of course, this was MSNBC, so they didn't bother asking a follow up question asking Obama exactly what he meant by the comment.

Dem Control Giving New Hampshire "Change"

The Dems now control the government in NH. And it seems that they are going to bring "change." According to the Boston Globe, the Dems in NH just increased the budget by 17.5% and the once conservative state that has no income taxes might "change" that policy.

Something tells me this won't be a popular decision. Wizbang has more.

Wholesale Prices Jump to Fastest Rate since '81

Thanks to rising food prices as a result of the mandated ethanol production, Americans are enjoying the fastest wholesale price increases since 1981.

Thank you ethanol...

Obama as Chauncey Gardiner

Last weekend I watched an entertaining movie called "Being There" with Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine. In addition to its entertainment value, it is impossible not to draw parallels to today's presidential race. Without doing justice to the film, the plot revolves around an older gentleman who spent his entire life gardening for a wealthy old man on his isolated estate. Upon the older man's death, the gardener is evicted from the property and is forced into the outside world, where his simple rhetoric, accompanied by his distinguished looks, is interpreted as deep and insightful allegorical analysis. (Even his name, Chauncey Gardiner, was inferred after the character said he was Chance the Gardener.)

In today's WSJ, Stephen Hayes has a different take, drawing parallels between Obama's rhetoric and Ronald Reagan's in 1980s and warning against the GOP not taking him seriously. While I think Hayes is a great journalist, I believe that Reagan's rhetoric was based on substantive ideas that people believed in, whereas Chauncey Gardiner Obama's are based solely on the interpretation of the listener.

The film is very entertaining and, I believe, instructive in illustrating the rise of the Obama phenomenon. As to whether Obama is more like Reagan or Gardiner, I don't think there is a question about it.

Global Cooling is Back

I'm officially starting a "Warm the Earth" campaign. We better start pumping out the carbon dioxide if we are to counter the record cold temperatures and snowfall in many areas of the world.

This is serious folks - start driving more, start breathing more and get those CO2 gases into the atmosphere to help reverse this cooling trend...

Obama's Patriotism Problem

Obama responded to the photo of him in traditional Somali dress by saying that he wore it out of respect for his host.

Now if only he were willing to wear an American flag pin out of respect for all those who lost their lives fighting for the country.

EU Withdraws Forces from Kosovo

Not surprisingly, when the going gets tough, the EU runs away - this time by withdrawing its troops from Northern Kosovo. No wonder the Europeans have such a fondness for Democrats.

DNC Files Complaint with FEC Against McCain

The DNC is filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against John McCain for his decision to withdraw from public financing spending limits.

The interesting thing is that because of Democrat stonewalling in the Senate, the FEC only has 2 of its full 6-member committee, which presents the absence of a quorum to either hear any McCain request or enforce any Democrat complaint.

We'll see how bipartisan McCain will be when Dems try to destroy his presidential chances.

Miracle on Ice 28 Years Ago Today

Polipundit reminds us that it was 28 years ago today that the US hockey team pulled off one of the greatest moments in the history of the US and, without a doubt, the greatest moment in the Carter presidency... And a very unhappy day for Michelle Obama, no doubt.

I prefer this highlight montage.

NY Times Smearing McCain

I think Polipundit sums up the NYTimes article against McCain pretty well:

True, nobody deserves to have unsubstantiated allegations like this thrown around. But if anyone deserves to be betrayed by an alleged ally, it’s McCain. He repeatedly stabbed conservatives in the back to kiss up to the left-wing press, and now the left-wing press has stabbed him in the back. Poetic justice.

US Embassy in Belgrade Torched

The "quagmire" of Clinton's Bosnian War continues...the US Embassy is torched in Belgrade.

I think we need to pull out now and declare Clinton's foreign policy a disaster. After all, does the US have a bigger interest in the Middle East or in Yugoslavia?

California Exodus

Liberals take note: according to a new report by Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore, half of California's $14 billion budget deficit in 2003 was due to millionaires fleeing the state because of the high tax rates. California faces a similar deficit this year, but will have much fewer wealthy earners to pay for it.

And what does California do to try to make up for it? According to soon-to-be former blogger SkyePuppy, they are going to raise taxes higher.

Gotta love Arnold's "bipartisanship," but I think people would be much happier without it if it meant they could keep more of their own money.

Britain Outlaws Patriotism in School

The UK has officially warned teachers not to instill any patriotism in its classrooms, as it might ignore the country's "corrupt" history.

"To love what is corrupt is itself corrupting, not least because it inclines us to ignore, forget, forgive or excuse the corruption. And there's the rub for patriotism."

American Thinker has more.

Stanford University Begins Marxist Tuition Policy

"To each according to his needs, from each according to his means..." Stanford University has decided to waive tuition, room and board for all families making less than $100,000 per year.

While this may seem like a benevolent idea at first, the problem is that universities are not regulated and can raise tuition by as much as they choose (note that tuition increases have been 3-5x the inflation rate over the past decade).

And this policy plays directly into the Left wing agenda of a "progressive" payment system where the "rich" are forced to pay for everyone else. Granted, with financial aid programs, schools can already effectively redistribute income as they see fit, but this policy seems a bit more blatant.

Perhaps Congress should consider a "windfall profits" tax on universities or set price ceilings, like they do for every other industry.

Global Warming? Nevermind...

Remember the melting icecaps around the globe? They're all back to normal levels (and higher than normal in Antarctica.) "If global warming gets any worse, we'll all freeze to death."

Obamas Drinking Their Own Kool-Aid

Michelle Obama hasn't been proud of her country since 1982, but now that her husband is the "savior" of the country, she is finally proud.

Blame America first. That's ok for some fringe folks like Soros, but for a First Lady?

*Update*
Unlike Obama's wife, Cindy McCain says that she is proud of her country. Hillary should be thanking God for the idiocy of Mrs. Obama.

Michelle Malkin reminds us that Michelle Obama simply spoke what Dems really believe.

McCain: No New Taxes

Well, this is a good start. I'm pretty sure Hillary and Obama won't be making this pledge.

Obama a Possible Third Party Ticket?

According to Armstrong Williams, if Hillary can bamboozle her way into the Democratic nominee, Michael Bloomberg will personally finance up to $1 billion to run with Obama on an Independent ticket.

I am skeptical of anything Bloomberg says, but if this were true, it would be the greatest gift the Dems could give to McCain and Republicans.

Democrat Foreign Policy in Motion Already

As American Thinker notes, Obama and Hillary are already hijacking Bush's foreign policy. Each campaign sent their top surrender negotiators to Damascus last week (where at the same time, the terror mastermind who carried out the attacks in Beirut during the 80s, was killed).

There was a time when undermining foreign policy was treasonous - how times have changed. No doubt the new US foreign policy is a long way from Bush's "you're with us or you're with the terrorists."

Charles Barkley: Conservatives are "Fake Christians"

I know athletes are not always the smartest guys, but Charles Barkley sounds completely idiotic in his interview with Wolf Blitzer, where he calls conservatives "fake Christians."

According to Charles, Christians are supposed to be in favor of abortion, gay marriage and whatever else Charles says they are supposed to believe. The funny thing is that Charles announced he will run for governor of Alabama in 2014 when he becomes eligible. Something tells me he destroyed his chances in this 2 minute interview.

I wonder if TNT will fire Barkley - if a conservative (let's say Rush Limbaugh) said anything even close to this on ESPN, I am pretty sure he would be canned immediately...oh yes, that already happened.

The Clinton/Obama Tax Plans

The tax plan for the Dems are pretty much the same - and it ain't pretty. Anytime I think about the problems with a McCain administration, I realize that there are much worse possible outcomes. Just a reminder of the downside on taxes - from Red State. (It's also a reminder that the rhetoric of "taxing the rich" to pay for everything is a lot of garbage.)

The Surge: One Year Later

It was one year ago today that we began the surge in Iraq and the Iraqis are celebrating. Of course, it wasn't even fully implemented for several months afterwards, but it's pretty clear that the strategy has worked so far. (Another key indicator is that the media has stopped discussing Iraq altogether.)

And the only way it can be turned back is if Hillary or Obama snatch defeat from the claws of victory.

Huckabee STILL Bashing Romney

Mike Huckabee is looking like a fool:

1) McCain has the nomination wrapped up
2) Huck is still bashing Romney, despite the fact that Romney already bowed out and backed McCain (McCain will need Romney voters).

This is how Huckabee reacted to Romney's endorsement of McCain:

If John McCain and I end up standing on the stage together to congratulate one or the other, neither of us will have to put in an Oscar winning performance or take acting lessons before we go up on that stage. I won't have to fake it at all.

The more I learn about and hear Huckabee, the less I like him.

Clemens Hearings Understood

Based on comments from one of McNamee's attorneys, I now better understand the Clemens hearings. In case you missed it, all the Democrats treated Clemens like a criminal. One of McNamee's attorneys called the Bush administration "corrupt" and said that he expects Bush to pardon Clemens (although he has not been charged with anything).

Clemens is from Texas and knows Bush 41. To Democrats, that means he IS a criminal, regardless of whether he has taken steroids or not.

Ortega on Obama: Takes One to Know One

Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega seems to like what he sees in Obama and calls his rise a "revolution."

Who knew that Obama was giving hope to so many socialist dictators around the globe?

Pelosi was Right: Damascus is Road to Peace

From Ankle Biting Pundits. One of the world's most dangerous terrorists was killed the other day, perhaps by Israelis or American agents. And he was apparently killed in Damascus, proving Nancy Pelosi's point last year that the road to Damascus is a road to peace - as long as everyone on that road is killed.

Romney Endorses McCain; Huckabee Still a Pest

Mitt Romney did the honorable thing and endorsed John McCain. Strangely, Huckabee said he's still "not going to quit."

The race is over Huck. Your opponent already crossed the finish line. Give it up.

Lincoln Chafee Repays McCain

RedState has some common-held opinions about Lincoln Chafee and how he chose to repay his friends on the GOP side when they raised money for him in his re-election bid.

Obama's Global Tax

Who said Obama isn't trying to achieve any Senate accomplishments? The Global Poverty Bill of 2007, which is being rapidly hurried through the Senate committees without any hearings, would impose a massive global tax on the U.S. in an attempt to reduce worldwide poverty.

Nothing like another huge entitlement program subservient to the efficiency and goodness of the U.N...

ExxonMobil Battling Chavez; Court Upholds Asset Freezes

Today courts have upheld the freezing of Venezuelan assets by ExxonMobil as compensation for Venezuela's nationalization of certain of Exxon's assets.

ExxonMobil seems to be the only firm capable or willing to stand up to this type of dictatorship and tyranny. Congress should be praising its patriotism - many other firms simply took the easy road and caved to Chavez's demands. And its not without costs - Venezuela is threatening to shut off a key supply of crude to the oil company.

US Shares New Intel on Iran Nuke Program

US intelligence has shared with the IAEA new information related to Iran's nuclear program.

I don't understand - according to the liberals who leaked the politically motivated NIE assessment, there is no Iran nuclear program.

McCain Advisor: I Won't Fight Against Obama

It's stories like these that give conservatives serious pause about voting for McCain. McCain's top advisor, Mark McKinnon, who was once a Democrat, said that he would resign from McCain's campaign if Obama is the Democrat nominee.

Huh? Apparently McKinnon has a soft spot in his heart for the most liberal Senator in Congress and can't bear to run against him. Again - huh? Bizarre and weird and scary.

Good for Them: Danes Republish Muslim Cartoon

As Mark Steyn points out, the Danes republished the offensive cartoon of Muhammed after three Muslims were arrested for trying to kill Kurt Westergaard, who originally published it. A lot of media or governments (including many in the US Congress) wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

Huge Upset in MD: Harris Defeats Gilchrist

In a little noticed battle outside the beltway, 9-term Republican congressman Wayne Gilchrist was handily defeated by conservative Andy Harris. Gilchrist was a RINO, criticizing everything Bush did, calling for Iraq withdrawal, etc. - yet still won the backing of Bush and the establishment. (Remember Lincoln Chafee?)

Harris won - and as a real conservative.

Laffer: Stimulus Nonsense

Arthur Laffer had a great opinion piece in today's WSJ. He argues correctly that this "stimulus" will be nothing of the sort. And almost as if a foreshadowing of things to come, he leaves us with this:

A quick glance back at the 16 years of presidencies of Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter should give you pause. Whenever you observe bipartisan cooperation, hold on to your wallet and run to the basement.

McCain, Democrat, McCain, Democrat...

Science: Ethanol Worse For Environment than Gasoline

In an ironic but deserving twist" Science has released new studies that say that the greenhouse gas emissions from ethanol are twice as bad as that of gasoline.

Hilarious.

'Lame Duck' Bush Wins Another Victory on Surveillance

President Bush probably enjoys his lame duck status. He won another victory yesterday that allows immunity to phone companies who helped with the terrorist surveillance program.

Note that Hillary didn't even have the courage to vote for or against the program. Barak Hussein Obama is wearing his fringe liberalism on his sleeve - not afraid to oppose the measure.

Think about it - a potential President Obama asking Americans to help fight against terrorists, but just beware that "you might be sued if you do so." Is there anything more irresponsible?

Ollie North Endorses McCain

McCain picks up another endorsement - this time from Oliver North. True, it may be a fait accompli, but it's at least somewhat reassuring that he's getting conservative support now.

Huckababy should step aside - he has no chance. He obviously wants to be able to say that he had more delegates than Romney, so he can brand himself as the front runner in 2012. What a clown.

McCain's Troubles; What Could Have Been for Romney

I have no doubt John McCain will sweep the Potomac primaries of MD, DC and VA tonight. The race appears close, but NoVA is where McCain should take a dominant lead and it apparently reports later than the rest of the state.

Two things seem clear from the results:
1) If Huckabee weren't in the race, Romney probably would have beat McCain for the nomination.
2) McCain really needs to reach out to conservatives (rather than Democrats) if he is to have any chance in November.

What's the least bad choice? Surprisingly, I think it might be McCain.

McCain Insinuates Bush Adminstration Tortures

This is why conservatives don't trust McCain. In an interview with the liberal German newspaper Der Spiegel, McCain insinuates that the U.S. tortures its prisoners.

SPIEGEL: America has lost a lot of friends because President George W. Bush angered, indeed outraged, them. He allowed human rights to be violated at Guantanamo Bay, and he dismissed the joint effort to combat global warming. Under a President McCain, could we expect a change of course?

McCain: Yes. I would announce that we are not ever going to torture anyone held in American custody. I would announce that we were closing Guantanamo Bay and moving those prisoners to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and I would announce a commitment to addressing climate change and my dedication to a global agreement -- but it has to include India and China.

Some straight talk...McCain doesn't ask the simple question: "how did we violate rights? By not allowing them to kill us freely?" Instead, he allows the uninformed Euros to spread this propaganda uncontested.

Bolton Endorses McCain

While I still have deep reservations about McCain on many stances, it is good to know that some people I admire, such as John Bolton, are now endorsing him.

Obama Shows His Che Guevara Colors

We all know that the Dems are socialist at heart, but if I were Obama, I would not want my offices to be openly promoting Che'. From Captain's Quarters.

Huckabee Contesting Washington Votes

Mike Huckabee's campaign is contesting the Washington caucus votes.

This strikes me as something a Democrat sore loser would do. He has no chance and should just end his campaign already.

*Update*
On Fox & Friends, Huckababy was claiming that there were a lot of voting irregularities and said he has a bunch of lawyers going to Washington.

Here Comes Global Cooling

A group of Danish scientists have laid out the case that within 12 years, the Earth will begin to cool due to natural Sun cycles. Powerline has more.

We better start with the Kyoto Accords soon so that some of our politicians can take the credit for reversing Global Warming.

FDA Reviewing Botox

The FDA is reviewing the safety of Botox. Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry are said to be interested in holding Congressional hearings.

The Election Candidates Explained

I have been wondering how we ended up with a few awful choices for President. Then Wizbang reminded me that this year in the Asian calendar is the Year of the Rat.

That explains it.

The Four Mistakes of Conservatives

Victor Davis Hanson says that conservatives made four key mistakes that got them "into this mess:"

1) increase of federal spending from 2001-05 (that gave mendacious Democrats room to fabricate that the tax cuts had caused the red ink),
2) the sordid scandals of 2005-7,
3) the tentativeness in the war (cf. the 1st pull-back from Fallujah, the reprieve to Sadr, the retreat to compounds in 2006, etc), and
4) the complete unwillingness to close the border.

Hanson misses one key point: he confuses the word Republican and conservative - conservatives were not responsible for them. The real mistake was running as squishy, ashamed Republicans rather than "bold, pastel" conservatives.

They Were Right: Mormons Can't Win South

I hate to say it, but the country is much more willing to go with a woman or a black than the GOP is to go with a Mormon for President. As Mark Steyn notes, the South spoke pretty loudly. Mitt Romney isn't the perfect candidate, but there's no doubt that evangelicals would rather have one of their own, regardless of party affiliation or views. That doesn't mean a Mormon can't capture the nomination, but it will be tough for him to capture the South.

The One Bright Spot: Massachusetts

One of the more ironic and humorous events of yesterday was on the Democrat side in Massachusetts. Sens. Kerry and Kennedy endorsed Obama - and it probably helped Hillary win the state...

Tuesday Night Winners

1) Obama (the best unqualified candidate the US has seen in a long time)
2) Hillary (the Clintons have every trick in the book and will find a way to win in the end)
3) The MSM (they still have the influence to prop up someone like McCain and get him nominated for the GOP)
4) Immigrants (anyone who wants to move to the US should get into this country asap because you'll soon be a US citizen).
5) McCain (he can win a nomination while sticking his middle fingers up to conservatives)
6) Al Gore (he convinced every US candidate that his global warming religion is science)
7) Iran (do you think they have any fear of retribution with this candidate list?)

President Hillary is A-Comin

Two words I thought I would never hear: President Hillary.

But I truly believe it's coming. McCain will not win over a large percentage of the conservatives he hates so much, despite his empty promises of conservatism.

Depressing. But just think of how open-minded we will be perceived as being around the world....

It's a long shot, but if I were Romney, I would name a VP now - someone like a Rick Santorum.

Super Tuesday: Hold onto your Wallets!

The one conclusion from Super Tuesday, if things hold, is that Americans will be poorer in the near future. All three front runners, Clinton, Obama, and McCain voted against Bush's tax cuts and these will be expiring in 2010. So if it's always been your lifetime dream to give more money to the government, so that they can decide what to do with it, instead of you, then you're a happy person. Furthermore, if you're comfortable that your wife, your kids, your neighbors, and all of your friends will be doing the same in the future, then you've gotta be elated with how the election is going thusfar. Additionally, since it's been proven that higher taxes mean higher unemployment, be prepared for more lost jobs as the tax hikes sink in.

Everyone seems to be campaigning on change. Sounds like changes are comin!

Super Tuesday: McGuilabee Claims Victory

The results are fairly conclusive. While Romney won some states, it was always going to be an uphill battle for him, as he really was battling the three eyed monster, McGuilabee all week long. While Romney is not exactly down for the count, we've seen what can happen in states like West Virginia, a state where Romney actually had more votes than any other candidate. This will mean further uphill sledding for Mitt. For even if he gains ground on McCain, which he seems to be doing slowly, the McGuilabee indy coalition will just rolls their votes into the nearest independent they can find.

Unfortunately, I believe this is a blueprint that dems can use for future elections. If they were ever to throw a third party candidate into the race to take the election, made sure he's an evangelical from the south to divide and conquer. Or even easier, if dems were smart, they'd just take an evangelical guy from the south for pres or veep, and they'll gain some easy votes. I suppose people have always known this, but it's just been reinforced in this year's primaries.

Fox Bias Towards McCain?

Watching FoxNews election returns, I couldn't help notice the disparaging remarks from all the hosts towards Mitt Romney and the presumption of McCain's nomination. Perhaps it's common sense judging by the probabilities at this point. But I was surprised that Fred Barnes and Bill Kristol are so dismissive of even waiting for the night to unfold. For example, Kristol said, "Romney can't win with him only winning 3 primaries tonight." Brit Hume had to correct Kristol, saying, "...assuming he doesn't win any more..." Barnes then chimed in with, "Romney has only won 2 states tonight..."

I am a Romney supporter so I too might be a bit biased. But as I type, Romney has already won 6 states (MA, UT, ND, MT, MN, CO) with a few others as possible (CA, AK). Would that make him a frontrunner? Of course not. But it's also a far stretch from only winning 2 or 3 states tonight.

I expected this from the MSM, but not from Fox. I guess everyone has a lead horse and it's easy to see whose theirs is (except for Brit Hume, who is excellent as usual).

Victor Davis Hanson vs. Andy McCarthy

Two excellent writers at National Review underscore the difficulty the Republicans will have in November. Victor Davis Hanson critiques the anti-McCain conservatives (incorrectly in my opinion), but seems to understand that McCain is in deep trouble without them.

Andy McCarthy rightly corrects Hanson that anti-McCain conservatives have real issues with his positions and are not just some lunatic fringe.

Huckabee's Pretty Good Day

Mike Huckabee seems to be having a good day; it's clear that he is winning a lot of the evangelical Christian vote in the South. Listening to his victory speech in Arkansas, I find him not too dissimilar to a John Edwards, class warfare type of guy. He is no small government, free market conservative for sure. While a lot may find him whimsical or folksy, I find his style a bit contrived.

Correction: I should have said the Huckabee/McCain team is having a good day since that is really who Romney is running against.

Big Night For Romney

Right Pundits has a great state by state roundup of the exit polls. I caution against relying on these things too much, but if these are indicative of the results, Romney could be in for a surprisingly good night. Within 5 points in Arizona? Up 90 in Utah? (Yes, I know Romney was supposed to win there)...

I don't put too much stock in the polling data, so I'll wait for the actual results.

Beware the Attempt of MSM Influence

It will be interesting to see MSM commentary on how McCain is "sweeping to victory" after the results of liberal New Jersey and New York come in in an attempt to influence the West Coast, where Romney is generally strong.

I already saw one article that has proclaimed Romney dead (again) after the Huckabee/McCain double team took WV today. Huckabee's spin is that he won the voters over with his campaigning prowess (he forgot about the backroom deal with the McCain campaign) - all the while whining about how Romney has more money than him. Poor baby.

Romney Winning WV - CORRECTION: Huck Wins; CORRECTION 2: McCain Wins

West Virginia already released the results of its caucus. Romney won with 41% but apparently it continues until someone gets a majority after the lowest gets tossed out (R Paul with 10%). Huck had 33% and McCain had 16%, so we'll see who Paul's supporters migrate to...

Assuming this holds up, then Romney will have one every caucus with the exception of IA. It's significant because only Republicans typically show up at caucuses as it takes more time than a simple vote.

*Update*
Powerline commenters update the situation: Paul and McCain supporters will ultimately decide the outcome here between Romney and Huckabee. McCain's supporters have been told to support Huckabee to prevent Romney from winning. (Yeah, and Huckabee isn't running for a McCain VP slot?)

*Update*
Apparently all of McCain's supporters and some portion of Paul's put Huckabee over the top to win WV. Romney really does have to beat the McCain-Huckabee ticket to win.

*Update*
Huck's delegates will all go to McCain at the end of the day - the collusion is clear. This means that today's Huckabee win is really tomorrow's McCain win. Looks like a backroom deal.

Voting Huckabee = Voting McCain

Warren Rudman the Man Behind David Souter

Here is an old article from 2000, which suggests that Warren Rudman would be Attorney General in a McCain administration. Rudman is one of the senior advisors in McCain's campaign today.

Why is this important? Because Rudman was the man who was most responsible for George H. W. Bush appointing David Souter! And yet whenever McCain has a chance to mention his endorsements, he always mentions Rudman. Rudman was the most liberal senator while in the Senate.

Scared yet?

Rush: McCain Campaign "Disgraceful" and "Dishonest" About Dole Letter

The Bob Dole letter to Rush Limbaugh is making its way around the MSM. Today on Rush's program, Limbaugh read the letter, which was clearly NOT an endorsement of McCain as McCain indicated today. It was also not scolding Rush in any way, as McCain's campaign implied.

Rush calls McCain's claims "disgraceful," "dishonest," and a "dirty little trick" typically seen from the Clinton camp.

McCain claims:
1) The Dole letter was some kind of endorsement, or sent on the Senator's behalf.
2) Romney attacked Dole or his military record.

Both of these claims are false. Romney compared John McCain's "inevitability" to Bob Dole's in '96, but that's it. And Dole never endorsed John McCain in any way, shape or form.

It goes to show how willing the MSM is to take McCain's misleading statement without even bothering to read the letter. Take this article at Politico.

Super Tuesday Correspondence

Pajamas Media has an on-the-ground look at a lot of the states that are conducting primaries today for up-to-date happenings.

Romney With 7 Point Lead in CA

According to Zogby, Mitt Romney has a large lead in CA over John McCain. Whether this turns out to be accurate is hard to say but the most comical thing about it is the media is saying, "Well, it's too little, too late." The MSM might as well end every broadcast with, "This message is paid for by John McCain."

Andrew McCarthy: The McCain Mirage

Andrew McCarthy of the National Review says that McCain's strongest asset, his national security credentials, are really just a mirage and his entire sales pitch has been a myth.

If you liked the second Bush term, if you liked Clintonian foreign policy, you will find much to admire in a Commander-in-Chief McCain.

In fact, McCain's own article in Foreign Affairs lays out some of the basic groundwork:

We cannot build an enduring peace based on freedom by ourselves. We must be willing to listen to our democratic allies. Being a great power does not mean that we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume that we have all the wisdom, knowledge, and resources necessary to succeed. When we believe international action — whether military, economic, or diplomatic — is necessary, we must work to persuade our friends and allies that we are right. And we must also be willing to be persuaded by them. To be a good leader, America must be a good ally.

Ann Coulter is right - a McCain presidency really wouldn't be very different than a Hillary/Obama presidency.

Coulter Has a Good Point About McCain

Ann Coulter says that if McCain is the nominee, she will vote for Hillary. Her view is that a Hillary presidency would be less damaging to the conservative movement because any resulting damage from her policies would be associated with Democrats and liberals. A McCain presidency would likely have damaging policies that people would associate with Republicans/conservatives.

Here is the beginning of why she dislikes McCain:

That, on the litmus issues of our time, only partially excluding Iraq, he is a liberal. He apparently excoriated Samuel Alito as too "conservative." He promoted amnesty for 20 million illegal immigrants. He abridged free citizen speech (in favor of the media) with McCain-Feingold.

He opposes [drilling in] ANWR and supports the global warming cult, even posturing with fellow mountebank Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of solar panels. Yes, he supported the surge, along with every other Republican worth mentioning, but he would shut down Guantanamo — the most successful rat trap in our nation's anti-terror fight — and he joins Code Pink in calling the Bush administration "torturers."

Oh yeah, he originally voted against the Bush tax cuts, but now says he would support them. And he libels our miraculous drug companies as "crooks." Can I take a breath?

Although I could never pull the lever for Hillary (or Obama), Coulter does have a good point about the perception that McCain's policies might be construed as the new "conservative," which would be very damaging.

Limbaugh Endorsing Mitt Romney (Unofficially)

First, Rush Limbaugh is not officially supporting any primary candidate. But it's pretty clear that he is de facto supporting Romney. On today's program, Rush read a clip from a Romney interview this weekend. During the interview, Romney said,

"You've got people like Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham and the list goes on and on and on -- Hugh Hewitt, Lars Larson -- conservative voices, both from radio and from publications, are saying, 'you know what, we've got to get behind Mitt Romney... We really can't afford John McCain as the nominee of our party."

Rush did not dispute or comment on Romney's interpretation of this de facto endorsement, even if Limbaugh doesn't want to go out and make it official.

*Update*
The endorsement isn't all that subtle. He also made it a point to mention that Mitt Romney is the only candidate that is capable of pulling off all "three legs" of the conservative movement - security, economic and values voters.

Mitt Looking Good Going into Super Tuesday

First, let me say that it's definitely an uphill battle. But some of the polls are trending towards Romney right now. He could even win California. Michelle Malkin has more.

*Update*
Zogby polls now show Mitt Romney up by 8 points in California.

More Congressional Waste from Arlen Specter

Congress loves to waste time and money. So it doesn't surprise me that Arlen Specter has decided to insert himself into the NFL "Spygate" nonsense.

His reason? The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the NE Patriots in the 2005 SuperBowl and Specter is pandering to his PA constituents.

Romney Ahead in CA?

Different polls say different things, but at least this Reuters/Zogby/C-Span poll shows that Mitt Romney is ahead of McCain 37-34 in California. He appears to have huge leads among conservatives (perhaps the Governator endorsement is helping Romney).

The delegate count is currently:
McCain/Huckabee: 133 (let's face it; they're a team)
Romney: 77
Paul: 4

Romney Wins Maine Caucuses

Mitt Romney won his fourth state (also won WY, MI, NV) by taking the Maine caucuses with over 50% of the vote in a heavy turnout. McCain appears to have finished second with approximately 20% of the vote.

True, the anti-Romney crowds will discount this win (for the 4th time) by saying, "yeah, but he should have won..." But for a state with two very liberal McCainesque senators, this must have been disappointing for McCain.

This race may go well past Super Tuesday.

British Pol: Severely Disabled Children Should be Aborted

Good thing Molly Barronness Meacher of the House of Lords is not a nurse. She feels that certain children with severe disabilities should be aborted for their own sake. Read it here.

In a country where the government provides all health care, I guess she can make her opinion law.

McCain: Listening to Limbaugh is Masochistic

John McCain says he does not listen to Rush Limbaugh and does not expect his endorsement. But here is McCain's quote of the day that probably won't endear him to many conservatives:

"I don't listen to him [Rush] very much. There's a certain trace of masochism in my family, but not that deep."

Romney Battlegrounds

The following chart shows states where Mitt Romney will likely do well, as they have high Mormon populations. In addition, California has over 500,000 Mormons (which, on a typical voting base of 3 million in the primaries, could be significant). The real question, of course, is whether conservatives in the South will coalesce around Romney rather than Huckabee, who is running solely as a Christian.

State	Number of congregations	Number of members	Percent of state population
Utah	2,924	1,236,242	71.76%
Idaho	662	268,060	26.63
Wyoming	128	45,793	10.10
Nevada	198	89,033	7.41
Arizona	469	199,761	5.45
Montana	106	28,620	3.58
Hawaii	109	38,303	3.46
Oregon	228	89,601	3.15
Washington	371	150,634	3.10
Alaska	58	15,751	2.86

Conservative Loathing of McCain

To get an idea of how much conservatives despise McCain, read a few of the emails John Hawkins received for writing about how they will end up voting for McCain in November should he be the nominee.

I agree with the premise that many conservatives will never, ever vote for McCain, even if they won't vote for the Democrat. Whether it's 10% or 20% or 30%, I don't know, but it's a big number.

Report: McCain Almost Turned Dem in '01

The Hill reports that several contacts suggest that John McCain was considering switching to the Democrat party in 2001 after being frustrated with losing the GOP nomination.

McCain has notoriously joined with the Dems on so many issues that the story would not surprise most Republicans.

Australian Power Bills To Double to Combat "Global Warming"

Australia consumers are finding out that it costs a lot of money to battle "Global Warming." Electric bills are expected to double and the country's leaders don't seem to care. Further, prices will be dictated overseas through a cap-and-trade system.

"The price of emissions in Australia will very likely be set in Europe. Australia is a price taker for commodities in all other global markets, and we will be a price taker in this global market as well."