Congressional Candidate Runs for the Border with Elephant, Band

Trying to get an elephant and a mariachi band across the U.S.-Mexico border is one way to get some attention for your Congressional campaign:

Reports of an elephant crossing the river or people trying to smuggle an elephant across were rampant Tuesday while an elaborate political stunt was taking shape near the mouth of the Rio Grande.

It was a while later that the stunt, which was a photo shoot, was abruptly met by federal agents.

“The elephant never made landfall into Mexico, but I tell you something, he could have made 15 laps back and forth, but no one showed up,” said Raj Peter Bhakta, a former star on the NBC show “The Apprentice,” who also is a Republican candidate for the 13th District U.S. House of Representatives seat in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Three elephants, two African and an Asian, were taken out to a ranch near Boca Chica beach to perform, the 31-year-old Bhakta said.

He was in Brownsville to raise funds with friends and decided to get a first-hand look at border security while he was here, he said.

In Brownsville, he witnessed half a dozen men swim under one of the international bridges “with complete immunity” which in turn prompted him to take the immigration issue to the next level.

Bhakta decided to see if he could get an elephant accompanied by a six-piece mariachi band across the river.

According to his Web site, he is in favor of “sensible immigration reform” and supports a border fence, local law enforcement assistance with immigration laws and the use of the National Guard troops to help the U.S. Border Patrol.

“To my surprise, the band played on, the elephants splashed away, and nobody showed up,” Bhakta said of the stunt. “I’m astounded.”

...

He said he was “staggered” by what happened on Tuesday and was planning on sharing the story with his potential constituents.

“If I can get an elephant led by a mariachi band into this country, I think Osama bin Laden could get across with all the weapons of mass destruction he could get into this country,” Bhakta said.

The mariachi band was not immediately available for comment.

Too bad Bhakta is getting trounced in the money race. He's certainly creative.

"Running of the Elephants" [via Raj Blog]

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Vote in the Straw Poll

It's straw poll time. Take a moment from the current elections and choose who you want for the GOP nomination in 2008. I'm leaning Gingrich right now and am seriously considering Giuliani--if only he'd fix his partial-birth abortion stance.

David Zucker's Spiked Anti-Democrats Ad

The GOP may not want to run this hard-hitting yet funny David Zucker ad, but I have no qualms. With North Korea's recent nuclear test it's fitting.

"Video: The Zucker Ad; Flashback: Zucker Ad Goofed on Kerry in 2004"

Haven't Seen Green-Doyle II Yet

I put baseball and Battlestar Galactica ahead of the second Green-Doyle debate. It serves them right for putting a second debate on a Friday night. I guess neither candidate wants voters to actually see them discuss issues. Later today I'll try to watch the video (if I find a site that has it; nothing at WisPolitics) and offer my thoughts.

Foley IM was "Prank"

Drudge reports that the Mark Foley instant message that forced him to resign was "part of an online prank."

According to two people close to former congressional page Jordan Edmund, the now famous lurid AOL Instant Message exchanges that led to the resignation of Mark Foley were part of an online prank that by mistake got into the hands of enemy political operatives, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.

According to one Oklahoma source who knows the former page very well, Edmund, a conservative Republican, goaded Foley to type embarrassing comments that were then shared with a small group of young Hill politicos. The prank went awry when the saved IM sessions got into the hands of political operatives favorable to Democrats. This source, an ally of Edmund, also adamantly proclaims that the former page is not a homosexual. The prank scenario was confirmed by a second associate of Edmund.

The news come on the heels that former FBI Chief Louis Freeh has been named to investigate the mess.

Developing...

UPDATE: There's a perception that I'm trying to defend Foley. Not at all. The IMs with Edmund could have been a prank on Edmund's part, with Foley still being a sexual predator who didn't deserve to hold office. Foley fell for the joke because he refused to control his impulses. That makes him more like that of an animal than a human.

Page Wasn't "Warned" About Foley

It's important to know what happened and what didn't with Mark Foley. ABC News reported a former page remembers being "warned" about Foley. That former page, Matthew Loraditch, has clarified his statement:

Firstly, as to the ABC "Warned" story, while I may have inadvertently used the word, "warned," in communication, I can assure you it was not intended. The fact of the matter is in an informal situation a supervisor mentioned that Foley was a bit odd or flaky and did not connote by tone or otherwise that he should be avoided.

It's certainly possible the supervisor didn't warn Loraditch because higher-ups told him not too.

I wonder about this paragraph from the NY Times:

Matthew Loraditch, who worked as a page with Ms. Gallo and Mr. McDonald in 2001 and 2002, said a supervisor had once casually mentioned that Mr. Foley “was odd” and that he later saw sexually explicit text messages that Mr. Foley had sent to two former pages after they left the program.

Another former page, Patrick MacDonald also later learned "Mr. Foley had sexually explicit Internet conversations with several pages who had left the program." When did these two learn about the messages? Was it with the rest of the country last week, or was it weeks, months, or years ago? What did they do with this information? Did they contact anyone in the page program?

In Loraditch's statement he also defends the House page program's concern for page's safety:

Thirdly, I have stressed several key points in my contact with media that all situations with Mr. Foley occurred after we had finished our service as pages. That if anything had happed while we were in Washington, it would have been dealt with. That I have full faith and trust that any of the supervisors and staff we worked with would have properly dealt with any situation like the current one.

So, Foley might have been clever enough to merely make friends with pages when they worked in the Capitol. He might have been "window shopping." After the pages left the program did he made his horrendous electronic approaches. It's still creepy and disgusting, but Foley might have remember privious House page scandals and thought his approach was safer.

"ABC News Versus NY Times"

Hastert Now Key to Congressional Election

Jib offers some good reasons why the Mark Foley scandal could seriously hurt Republicans in November. Much will depend on how much Speaker Hastert knew about Foley's disgusting communications with House pages. Drudge reports the Washington Times will call for his resignation. I think this was the breaking point for Tony Blankley and company. What we know is Hastert knew about odd e-mails. There's no evidence yet that he knew about the sexually explicit instant messages. With government spending rising faster than if Democrats were running the Congress along with the horrible prescription drug entitlement getting through the House the Times editorialists think enough is enough. Conservative values and ideas aren't advancing along with "inept performance", thus it's time for a leadership change.

If we learn Hastert knew more than he's let on and failed to protect pages the Times won't be the only ones calling for his head. That distain could translate into disgust among the GOP base who will prefer staying at home than dirtying themselves by voting for them. In the next few days Speaker Dennis Hastert has the hopes of a GOP House of Representatives in his hands. Foley claiming responsibility and running off to alcohol rehab won't help his party.

"Why Foley Could Be a Problem on November 7th"

What Hath McCain-Feingold Wrought?

Campaign finance "reformers" want to limit campaign spending and hold politicians more accountable. To them political speech and the money that buys the ads required to advance a message in our high-powered media age "corrupt" government. But what has the campaign finance reform First Amendment restriction law actually done? Radio yappers have been sued, concerned citizens have to keep detailed donation records, newspapers have been shut down, and political activists need permission from federal courts to run ads naming Senators and Congressmen. George Will reports on what's happening in Washington State:

When the state's government imposed a 9.5-cents-per-gallon increase in the gas tax, John Carlson and Kirby Wilbur of station KVI began advocating repeal by initiative. Proponents of repeal put up a Web site, hoping to raise 1,000 volunteers and $25,000. In two days they had 6,500 and $87,000. Needing 224,880 signatures to put repeal on the ballot, they got 400,996.

Appalled by this outburst of grass-roots democracy, some local governments, which stood to gain many millions from the tax, unleashed a law firm that would gain substantially from handling the bond issues the tax would finance. The firm set out to muzzle Carlson and Wilbur, using the state's campaign regulations.

It got a judge to rule that the broadcasters were not just supporters of the repeal campaign, they were agents of it. Why, they had even used the pronoun "we" when referring to proponents of repeal. Their speech constituted political advertising, and their employer was making an "in-kind contribution" to the repeal campaign. The judge said a monetary value must be placed on their speech (he did not say how, he just said to do it that day). The law says reports must be filed and speech limits obeyed or fines imposed.

State law restricts to $5,000 the amount a single giver can contribute in the three weeks before an initiative. If Carlson's and Wilbur's speech were monetized at radio-advertising rates, they would be silenced for all but about 15 minutes in each of the campaign's crucial last three weeks. They continued to talk (the repeal campaign, outspent almost five to one, lost 54.6-45.4) and, aided by the libertarian litigators of the Institute for Justice, have taken the issue to the state Supreme Court.

Will writes, "As a result, attempts to use campaign regulations to silence opponents are becoming a routine part of vicious political combat." Just ask Rep. Mark Green. Such tactics are the cornerstone to Gov. Doyle's re-election campaign.

Thanks, President Bush.

First, it's the commercials, then radio talkers, then the local newspapers. As the internet becomes more influential and important in the mediasphere websites and webloggers (professional and amateur) will be the next targets. Sen. John McCain would love to silence the DailyKos crowd if he nabs the GOP Presidential nomination just like Sen. Russ Feingold would love to shut up Matt Drudge.

Blue Crab Boulevard writes about the ominous time we now live in:

This is the disaster that McCain-Feingold hath wrought. This is what the men who would be president think of your right to say what you want politically. There is a horrible stifling effect here where people can be silenced by creative application of campaign laws. We are headed down an ugly road - and everyone, left or right should be frightened by this. Far from being the way the left will gain power. In the long run this will be the tool that crushes them.

It is wrong, whichever side advocates it. And it will be the downfall of this country in the long run.

Campaign speech restriction isn't about Left or Right; it's about right and wrong. It's about the right to unfettered political speech and how wrong it is for McCain, Feingold, and the "reformers" (with plenty of help from President Bush) to squelch it.

"Speechless in Seattle"

Foley Talking about "Sickos"

From the Pot Calling the Kettle Black Department:

Ex-Congressman Mark Foley had the audacity to go on America's Most Wanted and talk about "these sickos," criminals preying on kids.

[via Netscape]

Foley Scandal Could Damage Like Dems Bank Scandal

The Mark Foley scandal could be to the House GOP what the House bank scandal was to House Democrats in 1992. At the time Rep. Newt Gingrich, then House Minority Whip, used the scandal to tar Democrats for corruption and incompetent management of the House. It was part of Gingrich's plan to paint the Democrats as out-of-touch, arrogant political fossils who no longer deserved to run the House. Rush Limbaugh and talk radio latched onto the story and bludgeoned anyone in its path.

The Foley scandal as the potential to seriously harm Republicans. The scandal could hurt Republicans by undercutting two foundations of their leadership. First, Republicans are known as the "law and order" party. They're the ones who want to be tough on crime and criminals and lambast liberals for being too soft. It could turn out House GOP leaders were too soft on an alleged lawbreaker in their caucus who was allowed to be the chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. Second, the Foley story argues against Republicans being the party better able to protect Americans generally. Security moms (and dads) could look at what's happening on Capitol Hill and ask, "Why didn't they do something about that pervert?"

There's also the question of the GOP's management skills. ABC News quotes two political analysts:

"It's a basic management issue," Torie Clarke, a former Republican Party operative, said on "This Week." "Republicans are in charge of the House and this looks like a House out of order."

Political analyst Stu Rothenberg agreed.

"It's another problem the House Republicans have to deal with on top of all the other stuff they've been buried under over the last two years," Rothenberg said. "It's more evidence of confusion among the House Republicans as they point fingers at each other."

I can see the Democratic Congressional ads: "Why vote for a Republican? They run things so badly they let a pedophile stalk children."

The Foley story has more potential for damage than Bob Woodward's State of Denial. With the book Woodward pieces together a lot of information that was already in public. It won't change minds. Bush backers will say Woodward is part of the liberal MSM that hates the President and is trying to get back into good graces for previous books that spoke well of the President. With the Foley story there's still more to be learned. Reporters are digging into what Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Boehner knew and when they knew it--which could have been as far back as 2001. In Hastert's case there seems to be some confusion about if he knew about the creepy but not graphic e-mails and the disgusting IM message [PDF]. They'll also look into what the FBI did when they first received information about Foley's disturbing e-mails. Using Owen Robinson and dad29 as any indication of how rank-and-file conservatives feel the GOP could take a serious hit from their base. That's bad news with about a month left before Election Day. Hastert asking the Justice Department to investgate Foley and any possible cover-up is the right thing to do, but it makes for lousy political timing.

"Foley Scandal Sends Tremors Through Other House Races"

***

Tom Maguire wonders about the source of the electronic messages and who fed them to the media.

Good Riddance to Sicko Congressman

The hot, steamy news out of D.C. is Congressman Mark Foley resigning from his seat when news got out about sexually explicit instant messages [PDF] between him and a teenager.

You have to be very twisted to converse like he did and think you'd never get caught. It's even more twisted knowing Foley worked to pass laws to protect children from online predators.

Here's what we learned: 1.) if you have sick, twisted sexual fantasies, keep them to yourself or get professional help, but don't get elected to Congress; 2.) make sure you know how to delete potentially problematic IM conversations to prevent future embarrassment; 3.) to parents, the online sicko stalking your child might be a Congressman.

"Mark Foley's "Outreach" To Youths At Risk Of Being Hot"

"US Rep. Mark Foley Resigns From Congress"

"Foley's Folly"

"The Sexually Explicit Internet Messages That Led to Fla. Rep. Foley's Resignation"

Bush Signs Transparency Bill

Today, President Bush signed the Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 which, to use President Bush's words, will "create a website that will list the federal government's grants and contracts." Webloggers will love sifting through that looking for waste and possible corruption. Webloggers like Ace, N.Z. Bear, Mary Katherine Ham and others worked hard to get this legislation past. They weren't forgotten because some of them were invited to the signing ceremony. Even though I wasn't writing anything on it I was still rooting for them. Congratulations all.

"Bloggers Gather at White House for Pork Bill Signing"

"President Bush Signs Spending Transparency Bill"

Big Payoff if Rightroots Goal is Met

If you haven't donated to the Rightroots campaign you only have a few hours left. Over $100,000 have already been raised. The goal is to get 100 people to donate to a slate of good conservative candidates. As an added incentive if the goal is reached the RNC will send out a fundraising email to its massive list. So pick a candidate with fewer than 100 donors and give. I'll be helping State Speaker John Gard keep Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District in GOP hands.

"The Rightroots 15 days Challenge -- 8 1/2 Hours To Go"

Dumb Mr. Ney

Rep. Bob Ney isn't the smartest political cookie. If he wanted to plead guilty he should have done it a few weeks ago when voters were still on vacations and not thinking of November elections. He now lets Democrats take a few shots at the GOP's "culture of corruption" when people are actually paying attention.

"Rep. Bob Ney Expected To Plead Guilty To Criminal Charge"

Bill Bops with the Blogosphere

You can't say Bill Clinton is a dumb politician. He met with a group of Lefty webloggers at his Harlem office. I'm certain he would have pressed the flesh (figuratively and literally) with webloggers if they were running around when he was President. And better than most pols he fed them. With a little food we're easily bought.

"Bill Clinton Meets Bloggers" [via OTB]

The Current State of GOP Presidential Candidates

Stephen Bainbridge thinks some GOP candidate will try "outflank Bush to the right." He uses Newt Gingrich's muscular talk about the war as an example. I hope someone does this--Guiliani would be a good bet for tough war talk--because there's no current candidate that inspires me. Sen. John McCain hates political free speech, Sen. George Allen shoots a little too much from the hip and isn't agile enough to clean up his mess, and the other people who potentially could jump in have little name recognition to even inspire a political junkie like me. Newt has his problems, temperment and management style, but he's a man who's not afraid to think big.

"Gingrich Flanking Bush to the Right"

Donate to John Gard and Rightroots Candidates

It's after Labor Day when political campaigns traditionally lurch into high gear. This year is no different. Through enough political mistakes the GOP is poised to lose one or both house of Congress. Right-wing webloggers don't want to see this happen. So Rightroots was created to help get more conservatives elected to Congress. With webloggers like John Hawkins, "Captain Ed" Morrisey, and Erick Erickson backing the effort you can be assured the Rightroots candidates are good conservatives.

Today begins the Rightroots 15-Day Challenge. The goal is to get 100 new donors for each of the selected Rightroots candidates by 09.20. Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker John Gard is one of them. Gard has a pack of Democrats fighting it out to challenge him in the general election. John will need all the help he can get to keep Rep. Mark Green's seat in GOP hands. I urge you to give a few dollars to Gard as well as to some of the other Rightroots candidates.

"Time Is Running Out"

A Scary Lineup of Potential House Chairman

In politics you have a better chance of winning when you're for a candidate rather than again the opponent. (That may be Rep. Mark Green's downfall against Gov. Jim Doyle.) However, the idea of Reps. Barney Frank, Charles B. Rangel, and the ancient John D. Dingell as chairmen of House committees gives me the chills. If the Democrats capture the House there will be lots of pressure from the far Left for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to let new Judiciary Chairman John Conyers impeach President Bush. If you want to see that vote for the Democrats in November. If you don't start doling out some cash to the GOP. The Rightroots candidates are a good place to start.

"Prospective New House Chairman"

Christopher Hitchens Flips Off Bill Maher's Audience

Christopher Hitchens doesn't give a damn who he ticks off. He says what he thinks and mocks those who deserve it. On Bill Maher's boring HBO version of Politically Incorrect, Real Time, Hitchens made the case that Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the one who wants World War III. Maher's audience preferred ripping on President Bush. Hitchens pointed out their lack of seriousness and gave them the finger.

"Hitchens Gives the Finger to Maher's Audience for 'Frivolous' Jeering of Bush" [via Dean's World]

Just Add Two Letters

A pet peeve of mine with Republicans is calling their opponents members of the "Democrat" Party instead of the "Democratic" Party. The latter is correct and more polite since it is the name of the party. Every time I hear it used by Republicans and their supporters I shake my head knowing how petty and childish it sounds. It's a form of disrespect.

What set me off was a statement from J.B. Van Hollen:

Statement from JB Van Hollen, regarding remarks made at the Democrat AG Debate in Milwaukee Thursday:

"The attorney general should enforce the law and should work with local and federal authorities to see to it that illegal aliens who come in contact with law enforcement are deported, after they serve any sentence imposed upon them," said Van Hollen. "It is an insult to justice that Falk and Lautenschlager attend illegal immigration rallies that celebrate lawlessness. In Kathy Falk's Dane County, she won't even let county employees, including law enforcement officers, inquire about the legal residency status of people they encounter. That's not liberal, that's ludicrous.

"My Democrat opponents are pandering to illegal alien advocates and are purposely blurring the line between legal and illegal immigrants. My Primary opponent favors sending illegal immigrant criminals back home before they've served their sentences. Neither approach provides justice to crime victims or is fair to those legal immigrants who obey the law.

"For Falk and Lautenschlager to criticize my stance on illegal immigrant criminals as race-based is an insult to law abiding Hispanics and legal immigrants of all races. I don't have anything against immigrants. I do, however, oppose those who break the law."

-30-

"Democrat" was used as an adjective twice. Once in the headline and once in the statement itself.

A Republican consultant tells me "it's a base thing, and we're in a primary." It's not been my experience that that GOP base routinely uses the term "Democrat" Party. The average conservative GOP voters I've been with will call their opponents, "Lefties," "liberals," and "left-wing wackos" but not members of the "Democrat" Party. Who uses that are the politicos: campaign workers and political staff who eat, drink, and sleep politics.

The New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg calls "Democrat" Party a "slur" and notes its long history. It's not a slur. It's just some pointless needling that adds no value in political debate. It's just silly.

Van Hollen's campaign didn't do anything by nixing the ic's except to irritate Falk, Lautenschlager, and Wisconsin Democrats. The Republican operatives might have laughed a little, but all they did was egg on their opponents. Some people will be turned off at those such a petty game.

Let me steal some words from uber conservative William F. Buckley. One the use of "Democrat" Party he wrote, "It has the effect of injecting politics into language, and that should be avoided." Words are used for politics, but that doesn't mean our words should be political. The personal isn't the political, and we'll be a little more sane if we remember that.

I yearn more greater political civility and seriousness. A small step to improvement is using proper names. Two letters can mean a lot.

Do you use the term "Democrat" Party? Why?

McCain Loading Up for Presidential Run

Sen. John McCain is building a formidable collection of political consultants for one, last run for the Presidency. A host of Bush-Cheney people has jumped on the "Straight Talk Express" (assuming McCain revives the name for his bus) plus a very interesting name: Nicco Mele, the webmaster for the failed 2004 Howard Dean, M.D. campaign.

Organizationally McCain is far ahead of any other GOP Presidential contender. Sure, no one has officially entered the race, and things will really take shape after November's elections, but conservatives should really start thinking about who they should back and begin organizing talent or else the default GOP nominee will be McCain.

"Exclusive: McCain's Web Team. And Nicco Mele."

GOP Focuses on Kos

Markos Moulitsas must have been very happy today. The Republican National Committee dedicated a whole fact sheet to "WHO IS MARKOS MOULITSAS ZUNIGA?" Tee Bee pulls it off in fewer words:

Take Free Republic squared and mix it with acid-laden grape Koolaid.

...

Plus, he's a pretty big jerk.

Tee Bee forgot "smart." Kos is a pretty big smart jerk.

You know you're doing something well to deserve such attention from one of the two major parties.

"The Kos Rhetorical"

Web Ads Help Lobbyists Find Activists

Internet technology is changing the political game. The Washington Post's Jeffrey Birnbaum reports on how the cost of finding activists has diminished because of fine-tuned web advertising:

The first thing you need to know is that the Internet can be watched very closely. OnPoint/DDC's offices in Old Town are filled with cubicles of computer experts who are in near-constant contact with thousands of display advertisements on Web sites. These experts can see when commercials are clicked on -- and when they're not.

That means they can identify which Web sites lure the types of public-policy folks that lobby groups crave and which ones don't. They can also see which ads make the largest number of "sales" -- compel people to sign up as advocates -- and which ones fail to produce.

It turns out that ugly is better than pretty when it comes to lobbying commercials. Elaborate and beautifully colored ads tend to fall flat, said B.R. McConnon III, chief executive of DDC. Straightforward, text-heavy displays work much better.

In addition, the types of sites you might think would draw a lobbying crowd often don't. For instance, when the American Medical Association, the doctors' lobby, went looking for patients who would push for its policies, health Web sites didn't bring the best results. Game and puzzle sites were far superior.

Campaign finance reform/First Amendment restriction maven Micah L. Sifry mocks the advocates found on game and puzzle sites:

In other words, people who tend to be informed about health care are less likely to want to give up their right to sue a bad doctor than others.

Or maybe those that go to health sites care a little more about finding some answers to their current ailment; while game and puzzle fans are more likely to be abstract thinkers who care more about large systems like health care delivery.

Such sophistication by moneyed interests may depress those who see internet political advocacy through utopian glasses. But using Daily Kos as an example we see how nobodies grabbed the new technology and became a political force. Computers and the internet are levelling technologies. With plenty of creativity, passion, and a lot of luck unknowns can shake the political tree for both good and ill.

"Targeting Likely Advocates With Web Ads"

Kos' Hubris

Ace hands out some good lines about the ever-expanding head of Mr. Kos after Ned Lamont's primary victory:

He's out for blood. Lieberman must be stripped of all committee memberships, immediately, etc.

This isn't political strategy. This is an impulse-control disorder masquerading as "people-power."

Don't take a shot at the king unless you're sure you'll kill him, Mighty Kos. In case you haven't noticed, Joe Lieberman is currently a US senator, and, if he runs as he promised his supporters (very nearly half the Democrats in Connecticut, in case you haven't noticed), he has a very good chance of winning.

You think bullying him by stripping him of his committee memberships is going to make him drop his independent bid? I don't-- I don't see him doing much legislative work at all for the next three months. I see him campaigning and fundraising and basically living in Connecticut.

Like Ned Lamont's radio ads told him to. Remember those?

As Dalton in Roadhouse said: Be nice. Until it's time to not be nice.

It's not the time to not be nice, Hard Guy.

"The Kosfather Puts Out A Contract On Lieberman"

Lamont Runs Far, Far Away from Unhinged Weblog Supporters

The man who wants to beat Sen. Joe Lieberman, Ned Lamont doesn't "know anything about the blogs" after one of his most fervent supporters Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake posted an altered image of Lieberman in blackface on The Huffington Post.

That's interesting since webloggers have driven the anti-war Left nationwide into a fury to end Lieberman's pro-war "Joe-mentum." Daily Kos and the gang the Townhouse gang have raised money for Lamont, helped him with his online presence, helped make Lamont video weblogs, and even got in his first campaign commercial.

Lamont doesn't "know anything about the blogs?" Huh, his campaign would be nothing without them.

"With Friends Like These" [via Captain Ed]

UPDATE: As noted my regular reader DJ Hamsher issued a psuedo-apology. She wrote, "I sincerely apologize to anyone who was genuinely offended by the choice of images accompanying my blog post today on the Huffington Post." It's fake because she didn't really apologize she's just sorry anyone took offense at Sen. Lieberman in blackface. It would be like me telling an irrate customer at the bookstore, "I'm sorry you feel that way." Hamsher doesn't feel bad about the racist picture, she's just bothered that it tarred Lamont.

Source of DeLay Image in Democrats Ad

Human Events thinks they found who made the Tom DeLay mug shot for a Democratic fundraising ad:

HUMAN EVENTS has discovered the ad came from Chickenhead Productions, a questionable website that also runs websites such as SexIsForFags.com, IronHymen.com, NRA-KKK.org, FratBeat.com and WHITEHOUSE.org.

Now the question is whether the DCCC has permission to use it or not.

"Doctored DeLay Mug Came From Chickenhead"

Democratic Ad Uses Dead Soldier Images

There's steam rising from the right blogosphere over a new Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraising ad.

Patrick Hynes calls it "the most appalling wed video since MoveOn.org’s “Bush is Hitler” ads." RedState commenters are furious as are some veterans.

It's a dismal ad. The first half of depressing images of the real world didn't make up for the idyllic, hopeful images in the second half. When I see Rep. Nancy Pelosi I don't get a warm feeling in my heart.

As for the picture of flag-draped caskets that's reality. People are dying, and Democratic supporters want it to stop even if it means abandoning Iraq. The picture doesn't show anything graphic. I don't see that picture anymore exploitative than Republicans using pictures from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sep. 11, 2001.

What's interesting is the Tom Delay "mug shot." That's fake since this is the actual picture:

At the bottom of the fake mug shot there's a prisoner number: "91108GOP." I'd like to know the "clever" story behind choosing that.

Allahpundit won't "throw stones when it comes to using images of fallen soldiers to make a political point." Still, he doesn't like either party using the images of soldiers in coffins:

But I wouldn’t support Republicans putting it in a campaign ad, for the same reason I think it’s cheap and crass of the DCCC to have added coffins to the mix here. I think it boils down to good ol’ fashioned suspicion of politicians: the priority for most of them is getting (re-)elected and I don’t want anyone’s remains being exploited for that sort of personal profit.

The ad is not great since it's devoid of any ideas, but I wouldn't give myself a heart attack over it.

Robert Novak Talks

Robert Novak, the man who first mentioned Valarie Plame as working for the CIA finally speaks. Jay Tea at Wizbang sums it up well. Two interesting notes: Novak got Plame's name out of Who's Who in America. An unnamed source told him that Joe Wilson's wife sent him to Niger.

"Novak Finally Spills His Guts on Plame"

America's Unilateral Gift

230 years ago our Founding Fathers declared the 13 colonies to be free and independent states. That was the greatest unilateral action in world history. The Founders didn't ask Great Britain to be independent. The colonists had grievances and tried to address them within the confines of the British Empire. She failed to heed their cries over taxation, representative government, and the rule of law. As Thomas Jefferson wrote,

Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

The Founders' answer to tyranny was the breaking of bonds:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

There was no request to France, Spain, Russia, or any other nation mediation. The Founders knew what was right and just and acted. They declared independence then wondered if they could get international help--eventually from France. That unilateral act created the United States. In the 230 years that have passed she has become a shining beacon of liberty, opportunity, and prosperity.

When someone complains about American unilateralism tell them they'd still be British subjects without it. Unilateralism: America's gift that keeps on giving.

Limbaugh Caught with Viagra

Talk radio king Rush Limbaugh has another drug problem on his hands:

Limbaugh was returning on a flight from the Dominican Republic when customs officials found a Viagra prescription that did not bear his name. Instead, the bottle of pills had the names of two doctors on it according to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents examined the 55-year-old’s luggage after his private plane landed at the airport from the Dominican Republic. The matter was then turned over to the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators seized the drugs - used to treat erectile dysfunction - from Limbaugh.

Being in possession of an illegal prescription could affect the plea deal he made last April.

Limbaugh's lawyer Roy Black says it's a case of mislabeling on the pill bottle:

While going through routine Customs inspection of luggage at Palm Beach International Airport upon his return from an international trip, Rush Limbaugh was detained by customs agents after they noticed a non-narcotic prescription drug, which had been prescribed by Mr. Limbaugh's treating physician but labeled as being issued to the physician rather than Mr. Limbaugh for privacy purposes. After a brief interview, Mr. Limbaugh was permitted to continue on his journey.

"Limbaugh Detained At Airport For Drugs" [via digg]

Robert Kennedy Wants to Sue over 2004 Election

Based on the momentum Robert Kennedy, Jr. got from his Rolling Stone piece claiming President Bush stole the 2004 election he's in talks with lawyers to file lawsuits:

PRWeek: Is there a next step?
Kennedy: I've been meeting with attorneys... to devise a litigation strategy. And I would say that very soon we'll be announcing lawsuits against some of the individuals and companies involved.

PRWeek: Who exactly would that litigation be targeting?
Kennedy: I wouldn't say, right now.

Waste your time and money. Be my guest.

"Interview: Robert F. Kennedy Jr." [via Netscape]

Congressman Gets Away with Hitting an Officer

Rep. Cynthia McKinney won't be charged with anything for hitting a Capitol Police officer last March:

The grand jury had been considering the case since shortly after the March 29 incident, which has led to much discussion on Capitol Hill about race and the conduct of lawmakers and the officers who protect them.

"We respect the decision of the grand jury in this difficult matter," said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Wainstein.

McKinney did not immediately comment.

Wainstein's statement, released late Friday, also included support for the officer involved, Paul McKenna, and the Capitol Police. He said, "This is a tremendously difficult job, and it is one that Officer McKenna and his colleagues perform with the utmost professionalism and dignity."

With that, Wainstein closed a case that has simmered with racial and political tension.

Even Rep. Patrick Kennedy (yes, a Kennedy!) took some responsbility for his actions. With McKinney the best we can hope for is someone beats her in the primaries or general election.

"Rep. McKinney Won't Be Charged in Scuffle"

Lavish Spending at Kos Party

Tim Blair has fun with Susan G's lauding of herself and her fellow YearlyKos attendees.

Their gathering was full of tin-foil-wearers who sat through a national security panel lead by Arianna Huffington. Your average Kossite might be off kilter the fearless leader is damn smart and shouldn't be underestimated. He's found a way to get Presidential candidates to commiserate with webloggers while spending thousands of dollars on Vegas parties. What Kos doesn't understand is that's not the best way to spend campaign dollars. He writes, "And in politics, $100K is pocket change. Better spend it on a blogger party where the candidate socialized with regular people than on bullshit television ads or crappy consultants." If all you want is the wacked-out weblog vote for the Democratic nomination then blowing money on a Kos party will help. But the 90% of the electorate that doesn't obsess over politics on the internet can be swayed through paid ads.

"Warner's Stratosphere Party"

Honest Earmarker

It's refreshing when a politician doesn't use political-speak and says what he means. I give you Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) at Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner:

When I become chairman [of a House appropriations subcommittee], I'm going to earmark the shit out of it.

Moran may be one of the few Congressmen to be so expicit, but I'm confident he's not the only one waiting to use positions to send largess to their districts.

When it comes to earmarks and bloated budgets the GOP has been an embarassment. "Tossing the bums out" and handing power to the Democrats might not be the wisest thing either.

"Moran: Democratic Majority Means More Money for 8th District"

Kos' Remote Online Political World

One should be amazed at the cockiness of Markos Moulitsas, but one must have lots of chutzpah and ego to run a weblog so dominant it deserved its own convention. Bryon York gives us some nuggets from Kos' keynote:

We’re only four years old, from the early days when bloggers like Atrios and Jerome Armstrong at MyDD inspired bloggers like me and countless others to stop railing at the television, stop throwing pillows at Hannity and Colmes, stop complaining about Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, stop complaining about the pathetic so-called liberals who were supposedly speaking for us in Washington, DC, and take what we felt, that passion and that energy, and start using it online.”

Like many webloggers Kos fails to realize most normal people don't read weblogs. They're still getting their news from television, newspapers, and magazines. I know that's sad, but it's reality--something Kos has a hard time dealing with.

Kos talked about Lefty "netroots" "victories:" Howard Dean, M.D in 2003; Dean, M.D. as DNC chairman; Paul Hackett. Out of those three only one was a winner: Chairman Dean. His track record backing winning candidates is pretty poor. 1-19 is pretty removed from reality. Yet that doesn't stop the Kossites from fawning over their leader. Can you say "cult of personality?"

"The Two Worlds of the Liberal Blogosphere"

Coulter Challenging Victimhood

What's really bizarro is I'm defending Ann Coulter. What's next, me defending Michael Moore?

On Today Coulter took on the Oprah-fication of culture and how liberals use victimhood as a political weapon. Curt from Flopping Aces writes,

A small number of widows have made claim to a moral authority on the War against Terror. They cannot be questioned because their husbands died…..give me a effin break. Why must everyone tiptoe around these things?

In 2004 the Jersey Girls endorsed Sen. John Kerry. When you step into the political ring expect to be challenged and don't use your status as victim as a shield.

In a similar fashion I care little for what Debra Burlingame, wife of the pilot whose jet slammed into the Pentagon, has to say. What qualifications does she offer other than having the unfortunate luck of having her husband killed by Islamists?

In Coulter's case her track record of indefensible, over-the-top statements reduces her effectiveness when she does make a valid point. Ace of Spades writes,

Persuasive. Hey, she's not one of the country's foremost polemicists for nothing.

But-- no. I think the point she's making -- quite valid -- is now rejected by persuadable independents because she comes across as the shrill harpy, rather than the Jersey Girls.

Coulter Started a Catfight

The "Jersey Girls," the women Ann Coulter chided yesterday on Today shoot back:

"I'd like her to meet my daughter and tell her how anyone could enjoy their father's death," said Kristen Breitweiser, one of four widows known as the "Jersey Girls."

"She sounds like a very disturbed, unraveled person," added Breitweiser.

...

"Our ports have not been secured. Our borders have not been secured. We still haven't caught [Osama] Bin Laden," Van Auken said yesterday. "She's not even talking about what we were talking about. She's just attacking."

The Jersey Girls - or, as Coulter calls them, "the Witches of East Brunswick" - have been criticized before, but never like this. Van Auken told the Daily News she was stunned by the vitriol.

"Having my husband burn alive in a building brought me no joy," she said. "Watching it unfold on national TV and .seeing it repeated endlessly was beyond what I could describe. Telling my children they would never see their father again was not fun. And we had no plans to divorce."

"Massive Chip on Her Coulter"

Bilbray Wins

Brian Bilbray beat Francine Busby by 4.5%. If Busby had not told an audience that "You don't need papers for voting," it would have been a closer race and would really tell us something about November's mid-term elections. As it is a Republican won a Republican seat by a comfortable margin. The Democrats are sure to be concerned if there really is an anti-GOP groundswell. Republicans better not become complacent and think the fall elections won't be as tough as the conventional wisdom thinks.

Matthew Hoy has more.

Patrick Hynes writes, "The Bilbray win pretty much takes the issue of corruption off the table (though I think some Republicans might use it against Democrats in October)." [via Wizbang Politics]

Then Kevin Binversie lets us know Kos finally backed a winner. He's still 1-19.

"Bilbray Defeats Busby"

Bilbray Ahead in Early Count

In the much-watched California 50th Congressional race Republican Brian Bilbray leads Democrat Francine Busby 49.82% to 44.71% with 56% of the vote counted. Busby sounded like she was loosing a little confidence:

“Tonight we have made history by sending that message for change ... it's time for Congress to work for us,” Busby told cheering supporters at the D Street Bar and Grill in Encinitas. “This will send a message and put the wind in the sails to take us to victory in November.

“We're waiting to see if the people stand up and send a soccer mom from Cardiff to Congress. ... Anyone who writes this off as just being about Cunningham is wrong. This is just the beginning.”

Since this special election will only fill the remaining six months of Duke Cunningham's term both candidates will oppose each other again in November. National momentum and party confidence weighs on this race.

"Bilbray Stakes out Early Lead Against Busby"

California Special Election to Fill Cunningham Seat

There's an election in California today. Democrat Francine Busby and Republican Brian Bilbray are fighting for disgraced Congressman Duke Cunningham's seat. Matthew Hoy was so ticked at the GOP he endorsed Busby. He now calls it the "kiss of death."

"Kiss of Death"

Weld Drops Out

Bill Weld won't have to face charges of being a New York carpetbagger. He ended his bid in the governor's race. Either way State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer's strategy of campaign via lawsuit is working and he'll beat anyone the GOP throws at him.

Because I despise how Spitzer treated Strong Financial, forced the company to be sold, and caused hundreds of Wisconsin jobs to be lost I urge you to donate to John Faso. If he has a shot at beating Spitzer he'll need all the money he can get.

"Former Mass. Gov. Weld Drops out of New York Race"

Patrick Kennedy On the Loose

Beware Washington, D.C. drivers, pedestrians, and police. Rep. Patrick Kennedy left rehab at the Mayo Clinic and heading back to the capital.

"Patrick Kennedy Out of Rehab"

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Kennedy's Fantasy World

Salon (yes, Salon!) takes a shotgun to Robert Kennedy, Jr.'s claim the GOP stole the 2004 election.

Any talk about voter supression in 2004 has no credibility with me without at least briefly mentioning the Milwaukee tire slashings, actual documented and prosecuted voter supression. A search through Kennedy's article brought up nothing. There's no need for me to wade through pages of conspiracy theories and partisan bitterness.

"Was the 2004 Election Stolen? No." [via Instapundit]

Legislative Oddities

A legislator in Taiwan created chaos by eating a piece of legislation. Odd you say? Well, part of Congress was shut down last week due to a construction noise that sounded like gunfire.

"Comparative Legislative Procedures"

Veteran Sues Michael Moore

Michael Moore is getting sued by an Iraq War vet Peter Damon who claims the rotund director used a video clip of him without permission.

I wondered why the $85 million lawsuit was filed now. Later on in the NY Post story I have my answer:

Lawyer Dennis Lynch said he took the case last year and they held off filing the lawsuit in a bid to settle the matter.

"We attempted to resolve the situation amicably with Mr. Moore [for a year] but he refused," he said.

Damon is asking for up to $75 million because of "loss of reputation, emotional distress, embarrassment, and personal humiliation."

In addition, his wife is suing for another $10 million because of the "mental distress and anguish suffered by her spouse."

"G.I.'s Big Fat Suit Vs. Moore" [via Hot Air]

Policy Advisor Doctors Text

Karl Zinsmeister, President Bush's new domestic policy advisor admits he fiddled around with an interview with a news weekly and posted the edited version on his magazine's website. Here is the original version from the Syracuse New Times, and here's the doctored version on The American Enterprise website.

Zinsmeister told the Washington Post he edited it to correct errors. However, he wrote this to the New Times reporter Justin Park,

I really appreciate your professionalism and kindness. You wrote it straight up, which is the best and hardest kind of journalism. Let me know when I can next help out your journalism.

If Zinsmeister felt there were errors with the interview he had a great opportunity to make them known.

Zinsmeister engaged in intellectual dishonesty. Obviously he was embarassed with some of his words. He could have not published the article on his magazine's website letting it sink into the information quicksand or he could have added his comments after the unedited version. Zinsmeister took the "foolish" route.

Still, Zinsmeister will be just a policy advisor. He will be offering policy suggestions to the President. He won't be running a bureaucracy or implementing regulations. This is a stain on his writing and editing reputation, nothing more.

"New Policy Adviser Admits Altering Text"

"Questions Arising Over Quotations Of Zinsmeister"

Congressmen Concerned about FBI Raid

From a PR standpoint it's a bad idea for Congress to claim the FBI as part of the Executive Branch can't search a Congressman's office. There's a "speech and debate" clause protecting Congressman but it's not like diplomatic immunity which deals with questions of sovereignty. Appearing to protect a Congressman accused of bribery and others involved with Jack Abramoff's escapades won't help an already disliked Congress going into November's elections.

"F.B.I. Raid Divides G.O.P. Lawmakers and White House"

"Now They’re Worried about Sep of Powers?"

Lloyd Bentsen, R.I.P.

Former Texas Senator, Vice-Presidential candidate, and Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen died. I remember him best for his dig at Dan Quayle:

In the Oct. 5, 1988, vice presidential debate, Quayle said: "I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency."

Bentsen's retort in the televised event caused a sensation. "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy," he said. "I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

"Former Democratic Sen. Lloyd Bentsen Dies"

A Political Butterfly Effect

The National Hurricane Center predicts 15 hurricanes this season. How much do they stand behind their prediction? Let's ask them how much money they want to bet. I'll bet you it wouldn't be much.

Then we have David Paulison, the guy temporarily running FEMA telling people, "We have to be able to take care of ourselves for the first 72 hours. What it does when we don't take care of ourselves is stop our first responders in the street from helping those really in need." If people had those expectation pre-Katrina there wouldn't have been such a loss of confidence in governmental leaders, especially the President. A better public attitude toward the federal government would mean better (but not great) poll numbers for Bush and the GOP Congress. Better poll numbers would mean a slightly better attitude among conservatives and not as much talk about a November electoral debacle.

In describing chaos theory it's been said a butterfly can cause a hurricane. Taking it to its absurdity that butterfly could cause the impeachment of a President.

"Experts: Hurricane Season Won't Match '05"

Quoting Tupac

Once upon a time Congressmen and Senators stood before their respective bodies and quoted from great thinkers like Cicero, Montesquieu, Washington, and Jefferson. My how have times changed. Behold the Capitol Police's favorite Congressman, Cynthia McKinney:

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, the Congressional Black Caucus budget is a better statement for our country’s values. Educators are asking for a fully funded No Child Left Behind because America’s children are being left behind; seniors deserve accessible health care, but Medicare part D is leaving everyone confused; and veterans are only asking to receive the health care that recruiters promised them and that they deserve. But, you know, Tupac observed a long time ago that there’s money for war, but we can’t feed the poor.

"Come Back To Us, Cynthia McKinney"

Photo ID for Federal Elections

Sen. Mitch McConnell has an amendment to the immigration bill that would require voters to show photo ID before casting a ballot in a federal election. Since I don't think showing an ID is such a burden I have no problem with it.

Of course you will soon hear Democrats scream "disenfranchisement."

"Photo ID Required For Federal Elections?" [via Instapundit]

Patrick Kennedy Goes to Rehab

A responsible politician with a history of substance abuse would not only go into rehab but resign his office and stop embarassing his constituents. But Rep. Patrick Kennedy isn't responsible. He's a Kennedy. They think must be in office or in Patrick's words, "I need to stay in the fight." Other than his inner demons what has he been fighting? What has he accomplished? I hope Patrick finally gets the help he needs to get his life together.

"Rep Kennedy Seeking Addiction Treatment"

"Breaking News: Rep. Patrick Kennedy to Enter Rehab"

Plame Worked on Iran Nuke Issue

James Joyner comments on the story that Valarie Plame was working on Iranian nuclear issues when she was outed by Bob Novak:

Whoever blew her identity–and it’s far from clear that Rove was the first to do so, even discounting the fact that Aldridge Aimes had already done so years before–ruined whatever prospects she had for returning to work as an undercover officer in the future. That’s a bad thing. Depending on intent and the sequence of events, it’s also illegal. Peter Fitgerald and company are working on that angle as we speak. As Matt Drudge would say, it’s “DEVELOPING . . . ”

What the leak did not do, however, is damage Valerie Plame/Wilson’s ability to contribute her expertise as a desk officer at Langley. It did not, therefore, harm her ability to do whatever supervisory, managerial, and/or analytical work she was doing to track Iran’s nuclear program. Indeed, she continued to work for the CIA for more than two years after the Novak story broke.

Further, no one I’m aware of has argued that our ability to track Iran’s progress in gaining nuclear weapons is at issue, period. The problem is our decided lack of good options in responding to what we do know.

"Plame Working on Iran WMD When Outed"

McCain Proud to Limit Free Speech

What will I do should Sen. John McCain get the 2008 GOP Presidential nomination? He told Don Imus:

I would rather have a clean government than one where quote First Amendment rights are being respected, that has become corrupt. If I had my choice, I'd rather have the clean government.

Think he was taken out of context? Watch the video.

The guy has it backwards. More money goes into campaigns and lobbying when the government intrudes too much. Limit government, pulling back its influence in too many parts of our lives, then you'll see a reduction in activities designed to steer Leviathan in particular directions.

"McCain: 'Clean Government' More Important Than 1st Amendment" [via Mark Kilmer]

Malkin Mania Goes Overboard

Internet "civility" has reached a new low:

After nationally syndicated columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin posted the e-mail addresses and phone numbers of three members of Students Against War, they received a flood of obscene and harassing messages from around the country, including death threats. When a liberal Web site, in retaliation, published Malkin's cell phone number and home address, a full-blown blog war ensued.

"I am now forced to remove one of my children from school and move my family," Malkin wrote Thursday in an e-mail to the Sentinel.

Let's realize the SAW press release was on the organization's website. The students did a lousy job keeping their contact information private if that was their intention. If I were Malkin I would have removed the phone numbers and e-mails upon knowing the students were leaving death threats. As being the target of such threats I would think Malkin would understand. She didn't remove the information which made her behavior ill-mannered to say the least. That doesn't excuse Lefties publishing Malkin's phone number and home address that she never publicized. Now, she feels the need to make big changes in her life. Will that shut her up? No, it will only embolden her.

A lot of people acted in a very uncivilized manner. Such behavior makes all the participants looks nasty and brutish. Like most tit-for-tats there is no winner, and no one comes out looking clean.

"Cyber War Over UCSC Protest Heats Up" [Note a correction which may or may not clarify the story.] [via Radio Equalizer]

Was McCarthy Played the Fool?

The funny thing about Mary McCarthy getting fired for leaking classified information to the Washington Post's Dana Priest is the information about CIA secret prisons and kidnappings might not be true:

Investigations into reports that US agents shipped prisoners through European airports to secret detention centers have produced no evidence of illegal CIA activities, the European Union's antiterrorism coordinator said yesterday.

The investigations also have not turned up any proof of secret renditions of terror suspects on EU territory, Gijs de Vries told a European Parliament committee investigating the allegations.

The European Parliament's probe and a similar one by the continent's leading human rights watchdog are looking into whether US intelligence agents interrogated Al Qaeda suspects at secret prisons in Eastern Europe and transported some on secret flights through Europe.

But so far investigators have not identified any human rights violations, despite more than 50 hours of testimony by human rights activists and individuals who said they were abducted by US intelligence agents, de Vries said.

''We've heard all kinds of allegations, impressions; we've heard also refutations. It's up to your committee to weigh if they are true. It does not appear to be proven beyond reasonable doubt," he said. ''There has not been, to my knowledge, evidence that these illegal renditions have taken place."

Do you think McCarthy felt a lump the size of the Titanic drop in her stomach when she read that story?

Was McCarthy set up? Was the secret prison story made up to find CIA leaks? Is this part of a plan to clean house in the CIA?

"Traitor"

The Watermelon Holiday

Jib reminds us that Earth Day coincides with Vladimir Lenin's birthday. Coincidence? I think not. Think of 04.22 as a day for watermelons. You know, those who are green on the outside and red on the inside. Their chief spokesman is ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev now head of Green Cross International. Wow, another coincidence.

"April 22: Holiest of Days for Leftist Whack Jobs"

Going for the Trekkie Vote

George Takai, AKA Star Trek's Sulu, was in Madison Tuesday talking about gay rights as a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign.

George spoke before a large group at the Humanities building on u-w's campus. He talked about his own relationship that has lasted almost 20 years. The campaign stopped in Wisconsin because of this fall's vote on the marriage amendment. Since he came out and started appearing on TV shows and discussing equality, he's received a lot of positive feedback from all kinds of people.

"Mr. Sulu For Equality"

Go to Rally, Get Credit

Some schools hand require their students to do some kind of community service. I'm not fond that political activity can be used to satisfy the requirement. I'm certainly not pleased simply attending an immigration rally will do it:

Montgomery County public school officials are awarding community-service credits to students who participate today in a pro-immigration rally on the Mall, angering some residents, who say the school system is supporting illegal activity.

"Under no circumstances should [student service-learning] hours be used to promote activities such as going to a protest for illegal aliens," said Brad Botwin, president of the Richard Montgomery High School Athletic Booster Club in Rockville. "To volunteer to teach people English or help with food services [is OK] but to aid and abet illegal aliens and to have students go downtown and get credit for this is mind-boggling."

Immigrant advocacy group CASA of Maryland is helping organize rallies in more than 65 cities to persuade Congress to pass legislation that will help provide citizenship to illegal aliens in the United States, instead of requiring them to be deported.

The group last week asked school officials to provide buses and grant credit to students who participated in the rally. Officials said they denied the request for buses because expenditure tax laws forbid it.

The Maryland State Board of Education in 1992 began requiring students to earn 60 community-service hours to graduate from high school. Counties are allowed to decide what constitutes appropriate service. Montgomery County grants credit for service in three areas, including in advocacy.

Forced volunteering is repugnant to me; it immediately stops being a generous donation of one's time. That being said, teaching literacy, building homes for the homeless, and comforting sick kids all rise to a higher socially-important level than spending a few hours at a rally supporting people who broke the law.

If the Washington, D.C. rally is anything like the one in Dallas it will end up being a recruitment party for Democrats.

In Madison, WI State Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager won't be getting any school credit, but she will be pandering to illegal aliens and their supporters. Strange from a woman who was elected to enforce the law.

"Schools Draw Fire for Offering Credits for Protest"

MJS Continues to Oppose Free Speech

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board is consistent...consistently against free speech. They want limits on hard money, soft money, and now donations to 527s:

Our take: Whomever the 527s favored, their role was in dire need of regulation. The House bill reasonably limits donors to $25,000 yearly for partisan voter mobilization and $5,000 yearly for direct expenditures on federal elections.

Slowly but surely their future desire for restrictions will amount to public financing of campaigns and advocacy. In other words socialized free speech.

Want to talk about hypocrisy? It's hypocritical for the editorial board to want to limit the political speech of you and me but won't accept similar limits to themselves. You don't ever read them call for the government to limit the speech of the press. They don't even do it voluntarily. But see, they're the vaunted press. You, me, and those that donate to candidates and political organizations we're the bad guys. We're the evil special interests.

"Hypocrisy Abounds in Debate Over 527 Groups"

Wish I Were In D.C.

Being in nation's capital means you get to hang out with professional poker players who aren't fond of stupid bills that would ban online poker games.

More pictures here and here.

"Poker with Jesus"

Karl Rove Told Me to Write This--Not!

There has been no mention of President Bush allowing Scooter Libby to "leak" until now because I don't think it's much of a story. If the President (or anyone he allows) can't declassify material then no one can. Voters had a chance to hold him accountable in 2004, and if the Congress is so upset with him they can try to impeach and remove him from office. That's how the system works. If you don't like it amend the constitution. If you don't want to do that waste your time putting anti-war measures on local ballots.

"Dubya Can't Leak" [via QandO]

I'm So Ashamed

I only pump out 12.9 tons of CO₂ a year. I'll have to start me a big family and get me one of those Hummers.

[via Shark and Shephard]

McKinney's Horrendous Hair

Call me superficial but I would have arrested Rep. Cynthia McKinney for that awful hairdo. Homeless chic isn't hip even in Washington, D.C., a beggar's paradise.

And don't get me started about her wild eyes. A mugger confronting her in a dark alley would run away screaming.

"Cynthia McKinney’s Statement: Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Black (VIDEO)" [via Wizbang]

On Barbara Bush's Earmarked Donation

This is a brief follow-up to a post a few days ago on Barbara Bush's conditional donation of software to some Houston schools. It's garnered plenty of comments.

If the software is donated directly or the cash equivilent is donated to the relief fund Bush can claim both as deductions. In fact, according to my accountant, it would have been better tax-wise if she bought the software from Neil Bush's Ignite! Learning instead of donating cash. Bush's action is not self-maximizing. Plus, it wouldn't have been as noticable and not launched Bush bashers into a tizzy.

Sullivan Attacks Former First Lady

Andrew Sullivan extends his Bush bashing to former First Lady Barbara Bush. She directed a portion of a donation to a Hurricane Katrina relief fund to be used to buy educational software from her son Neil Bush's company Ignite Learning. That has "forced" Sullivan to dub Barbara "Marie Antoinette." How is this different from Bush buying the software from Ignite and donating it directly to Houston schools? There isn't a difference, and I think there would be no story if she had done that.

Let's take off our cynical glasses for one moment. Maybe Barbara Bush thinks Ignite's "Curriculum On Wheels" is a good product. Maybe she loves her son and thinks he's doing something important and helpful. It's sad to see some are at the point where anything a certain family does can only be self-aggrandizement. For people like Sullivan the Bush family is guilty until proven innocent.

"Katrina Donation Ignites Debate"

Censuring for Dollars

Sen. Feingold isn't the only Senator to use a Bush censure as a pretense for political fundraising.

Some Advice for the Immigration Demonstrators

To those who don't want tougher federal laws on illegal immigration, like the thousands who demonstrated in Los Angeles, I have some advice:

1. Ditch the Mexican flags. You came to the U.S. because of better opportunites. By protesting tougher immigration laws you tell everyone you don't want to leave. You will get much more sympathy if you show plenty of allegiance to the nation that has given you your opportunity.

2. Speak in english. Don't protest by "giving speeches mainly in Spanish." You're just demonstrating you really don't care about integrating into the country you're living in. No one has problems with bilingualism, but the U.S. has a common tongue.
   

These two actions will earn you sympathy with a public that understands the universal desire to better one's self but is tired of law-breaking and its costs.

"Immigration Bill Sparks Protests, Bush Plea"

UPDATE: I'm not alone questioning the Mexican flags. [via Instapundit]

Pork Bus

American for Prosperity (AFP) will announce tomorrow a nationwide bus tour to expose pork barrel spending. "The Ending Earmarks Express" will "roll out of Washington, DC, on April 7 and visit the sites of some of the nation’s most egregious and wasteful earmarks. Our inaugural swing in early April is largely scheduled, but we're planning to crisscross the nation until Congress passes real earmark reform." Embarassing wasteful spending politicians sounds like fun and is a good idea. (The green and gold logo is also a nice touch.)

Rich Liberal Raises NJ Taxes

It must be nice to be rich like New Jersey governor Jon Corzine. That way you can raise taxes to compensate for runaway state spending while not feeling the pain those taxes put on less-prosperous citizens.

There's a reason liberals are called "tax and spenders." It's because they are.

"Corzine to Hike Sales Tax in NJ Budget"

Federal Dole Increases Under Bush

President Bush's "compassionate conservatism" has amounted to more spending, higher deficits, and bigger government. Add this to the his legacy:

A USA TODAY analysis of 25 major government programs found that enrollment increased an average of 17% in the programs from 2000 to 2005. The nation's population grew 5% during that time. (Related: Federal entitlements have changed)

It was the largest five-year expansion of the federal safety net since the Great Society created programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s.

Spending on these social programs was $1.3 trillion in 2005, up an inflation-adjusted 22% since 2000 and accounting for more than half of federal spending. Enrollment growth was responsible for three-fourths of the spending increase, according to USA TODAY's analysis of federal enrollment and spending data. Higher benefits accounted for the rest.

The biggest expansion: Medicaid, the health care program for the poor. It added 15 million beneficiaries over five years to become the nation's largest entitlement program.

Lefties should love this. Government is growing, and more people are getting "aid." But Bush-haters' blinders prevent them from seeing that growth in government.

For conservatives like me we're happy with President Bush's tax cuts. However, we now know that the "starving the beast" approach to shrinking government hasn't worked.

"Federal Aid Programs Expand at Record Rate"

George Clooney: Despised by the Left

Clooney had this to say in a Huffpo Entry:

I Am a Liberal. There, I Said It!

[...]

The fear of been criticized can be paralyzing. Just look at the way so many Democrats caved in the run up to the war. In 2003, a lot of us were saying, where is the link between Saddam and bin Laden? What does Iraq have to do with 9/11? We knew it was bullsh*t. Which is why it drives me crazy to hear all these Democrats saying, "We were misled." It makes me want to shout, "F*** you, you weren't misled. You were afraid of being called unpatriotic."

Bottom line: it's not merely our right to question our government, it's our duty. Whatever the consequences. We can't demand freedom of speech then turn around and say, But please don't say bad things about us. You gotta be a grown up and take your hits.

Before I could even write something on the idiocy of Clooney's statements, the liberals did it for me.

GEORGE CLOONEY: I AM A CELEBRITY! THERE, I SAID IT!

I have political ideas that are often found in high school juniors. Terms like "question authority" and "truth to power" speak to my soul--almost as much as the last Mariah Carey album. I'm a celebrity--and not just any celebrity, but a Hollywood celebrity. That means I've raised hypocritical behavior to spiritual dimensions. I fly all over the world--while blaming the current administration for global warming and high energy prices. I consider it my patriotic DUTY to criticize my government--I just can't quite bring myself to live here, preferring a lakeside estate in the socialist Paradise of modern Europe. I'm a celebrity.

If Clooney can't even be accepted by the loons allowed to post on Huffpo, then he's got it bad. Who's going to go see his movies anymore?

Democrats Afraid of Feingold Embarassment

Sen. Bill Frist decided to call Sen. Russ Feingold's bluff and bring to a vote his motion to censure President Bush. Feingold's party cried foul:

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, moments ago, made a unanimous consent motion that the Senate vote on the resolution tonight. Maryland Democrat Paul Sarbanes rose to object to the motion. Frist then motioned to vote on the resolution again tomorrow. Sarbanes objected, saying no vote should take place on the resolution until Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid had cleared the timing.

In other words, Democrats know this is a political stunt, without a chance of passage, but want to time it politically for maximum impact.

Senate Democrats want it all: increased pressure on President Bush over Iraq and inflaming emotions of the Bush-hating Left to reap campaign funds for the fall's elections. Yet when it comes down to it, they don't want a vote that would make it apparent they don't want to fight a tough war against Islamism. They saw the embarassment after the House voted against Rep. John Murtha's call to retreat from Iraq and don't want it repeated just to advance the political career of an out-there Senator from Wisconsin.

Just because one claims Sen. Feingold's resolution is "moderate and reasonable" doesn't make it so. Reasonableness hasn't come much from a man who ran roughshod over citizens' free speech rights, AKA McCain-Feingold. The one who should be censured if Feingold for squelching political speech.

"Dems Object to Censure Resolution Vote: Hold Off for Political Purposes" [via Charlie Sykes]

Wisconsin: Lagging Behind with Doyle

This makes Wisconsin look a little pathetic.

New post-recession revenues are pouring into state coffers across the nation, but activists in several states are leading "revolts" to make sure their governments don't use this new wealth for tax and spend schemes without taxpayers' approval.

[...]

According to the National Taxpayers Union in Washington, D.C, similar ballot initiatives in Oklahoma, Montana, Nevada, Ohio and other states are a reaction to continued tax burdens despite recent windfalls in state revenues. As of 2005, 30 states already had some form of tax and spend limitations on the books.

The article goes on to describe states across the country which are considering tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) or tax cuts, including such conservative bastions such as New York, Maine, and New Mexico.

All these states "revolting" against unfair taxation, and the best we can do is a weak, loophole laden Taxpayer Protection Amendment? Pathetic.

Also, doesn't this signal for successful elections for the GOP in the upcoming mid-term elections? With such adverse reactions to taxes, and such welcoming reactions to tax limits, shouldn't that go hand-in-hand with the election of conservatives?

Feingold Wants President Censured

Sen. Russ Feingold wants to take advantage of President Bush's low poll numbers and appear to be a leader to far-Left Democrats in preparation for a Presidential run. So he drops into ABC's This Week to call for President Bush's censure:

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold this morning called for the censure of President Bush for what the senator called the "illegal wiretapping" of Americans.

The Wisconsin Democrat, speaking on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" on ABC News, referred to Bush's use of the National Security Agency to conduct domestic wiretaps without a court order or warrant. Feingold said that tomorrow he plans to introduce a Senate resolution calling for the censure of Bush and condemnation of his "unlawful authorization" of the wiretaps.

Feingold stopped short of calling for Bush's impeachment, though he said it remained an option. "This is right in the strike zone of high crimes and misdemeanors," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, appearing on the same program, condemned the approach by saying Feingold "is just wrong. He's flat wrong. He's dead wrong." The Tennessee Republican defended the NSA wiretaps as lawful.

Frist said he hoped people in Iran were not listening to the program because Feingold's approach sent a "terrible, terrible signal" that the country did not support its commander-in-chief while at war.

Both Feingold and Frist may run for president in 2008. Feingold told Stephanopoulos that he would not decide whether to run until after mid-term Congressional elections in November.

Even with the GOP's mutiny on the ports deal censure is dead in the water. That changes if the Senate swings to the Democrats in November. However, Feingold is playing to to the Kos-Left. He's tending those roots since as a Senator from a smaller state he doesn't have an instant base of support. In short, he's pandering to his base.

"Feingold Calls for Bush's Censure"

UPDATE: Owen Robinson doesn't let me down:

Feingold’s call for Censure is an immature swipe from a Senator who feels powerless and marginalized - and not without some justification. It is an obvious attention seeking maneuver and fund-raising ploy.

"Feingold Wants to Censure Bush"

Good Night.

And good luck.

Doyle: Not Liberal Enough?

According to Madison's Cap Times, Governor Jim Doyle is not liberal enough.

Doyle's embrace of no-new-taxes rhetoric and his determination to build close relations with corporate special interests guaranteed that he would never govern as most Democrats preferred, and that created a huge opening for his primary challengers.

Had either Barrett or Falk mounted a serious campaign in favor of fair taxation establishing progressive income tax policies that would lower rates for working families and raise them for millionaires; raising corporate tax rates so that they that are comparable with rates in other states; and providing more flexibility for local government and school districts - Doyle would have lost the primary and the winner would have gone on to soundly trounce Republican Gov. Scott McCallum in November.

In what world would voters in Wisconsin ever elect a Governor Barrett or a Governor Falk? Reasonable Democrats know that to win an election, they must assume at least some semblances of a Republican or conservative agenda, whether genuine or not.

Democrats don't, for the most part, hate Jim Doyle. But neither do they love him.

It is this reality that haunts a re-election campaign that now needs all the love it can get.

As the national political journal Congressional Quarterly noted last week, "Insiders from both parties consider Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle vulnerable this year in his bid for a second term." Indeed, Doyle is often ranked as one of, if not the, most vulnerable Democratic governor seeking re-election in 2006 because, as CQ pointed out: "voter sentiment toward Doyle has soured in the wake of (ethics) scandals."

At least Nichols is not blind to the blatantly obvious truth. Doyle is vulnerable, but not because of his lack of liberal ideas, but because of his ethics and his continual vetoes of bills passed in bi-partisan fashion that the people of Wisconsin support. However, Nichols excuses his actions,

Let's be clear: Doyle will not be replaced as the Democratic nominee unless his ethics troubles get a whole lot worse. Indeed, if things stay as they are, Doyle might well prevail over Green or Walker, both of whom have their own ethics troubles and both of whom frighten Democrats and independents who may not love Doyle but who fear an aggressively conservative Republican alternative.

So ethical issues are acceptable in the Democratic party as long as they don't get "worse." Democrats are prepared to overlook his serious ethical misdeeds in lieu of having an "aggressively conservative" Governor. Nichols is wrong, however: Doyle, if things stay as they are, will absolutely not prevail over either Mark Green or Scott Walker. In the poll released yesterday, Mark Green is tied with Jim Doyle.

If anything, Nichols' article shows the weakness of Doyle's reelection bid-the far left is willing to abandon him, Democrats feel "unconnected" to him, and moderates and independents are tired of his administration.

Republicans, on the other hand, are more than willing to fight for their nominee, whomever it may be.

Congressional Morons

A lot of right-wing people aren't happy with the President. I agree with many of their complaints. As for me I'm ticked off at Congressional Republicans who like to demogogue the Dubai Ports World deal. The biggest bozo is Rep. Jerry Lewis (how fitting):

"This is a national security issue," said Rep. Jerry Lewis, the chairman of the House panel, adding that the legislation would "keep America's ports in American hands."

Rep. Lewis needs better staff or gentle smack to the back of his head. DPW is buying a British company. If the deal is stopped the British company will still be handling loading and unloading at many U.S. ports. Also, in no way does the DPW deal hand over ports to anyone. Ports are owned by local governments. U.S. ports would never be in Dubai's (or any other nation's) hands.

Glenn Reynolds isn't pleased either.

"GOP House Panel Votes to Block Ports Deal"

UPDATE: If Rep. Lewis were smart (and judging my his quote above he isn't) he'd have Larry Johnson testify about security deficiencies at DPW-run ports. This is the first serious piece of evidence against the ports deal.

New Poll for Wisconsin

Strategic Vision has released new poll results for Wisconsin.

Owen at Boots and Sabers has extensive thoughts on the results.

I point out two key points at Right off the Shore.

Charlie Sykes sums it up.

Xoff throws his two cents in.

No Confidence in Dean?

Bill Crawford points out this story that shows a schism developing among even the far-left crowd. Ickes' group is pooling money to create a voter information database, to try to combat the GOP's incredibly successful efforts in this area.

Ickes and others involved in the effort acknowledge that their activities are in part a vote of no confidence that the DNC under Chairman Howard Dean is ready to compete with Republicans on the technological front. "The Republicans have developed a cadre of people who appreciate databases and know how to use them, and we are way behind the march," said Ickes, whose political technology venture is being backed by financier George Soros.

"It's unclear what the DNC is doing. Is it going to be kept up to date?" Ickes asked, adding that out-of-date voter information is "worse than having no database at all."

Is it possible that they have awoken from their drunken stupor following their loss in 2004 to realize they have given control of their party to a lunatic? On second thought, the financier behind this "split" is Soros...not exactly the most level-headed, grounded person you'll ever meet.

They're Gonna Regret It!

Them's fightin' words. Newly elected Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia has proven that the relationship between the governor and the legislature will be strained, at best.

House Republicans yesterday rejected Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's nominee for secretary of the commonwealth, voting down a gubernatorial secretary appointee for the first time in the state's history.

The House voted 55-42 along party lines to strip Daniel G. LeBlanc from a measure confirming Mr. Kaine's 34 agency head appointments and his chief of staff.

One independent joined 54 House Republicans in voting to reject Mr. LeBlanc, a past president of the Virginia AFL-CIO and a past member of the Democratic National Committee. Two independents sided with the Democrats in protest.

Mr. Kaine, a Democrat, was visibly angered, saying the vote was reminiscent of "McCarthy-style politics" and suggested a lack of respect for the governor.

"They're going to regret it," Mr. Kaine told reporters. "I think they'll realize that there was a huge error in doing this, but they have indicated that that's the way that they want to play it."

I can see why they voted against this guy--he is, apparently, tied closely to unions, and has, "compared the right-to-work law to segregation and plantation work."

More on Cheney Resignation

James Joyner doubts the Cheney rumor because

if the rationale for dumping Cheney is that he is a political liability, then why wait until after the only remaining election that directly impacts this president? The GOP could certainly use a boost to help ensure that it retains a majority in both Houses of Congress. Whatever buzz a new vice president would generate--and even a historic double like Condi Rice would generate only limited buzz--would long have dissipated by November 2008.

"Cheney to Resign after Midterm Elections?"

Bush Standing Firm on Ports Deal

I "misunderestimated" my President. He won't cave on letting Dubai Ports World run six U.S. ports. He even threatened to veto Congress' attempt to stop it. That would be his first veto ever. He told reporters it isn't about politics, it's about policy. More telling is his concern about "mixed messages:"

And the message is, it's okay for a British company, but a Middle Eastern company -- maybe we ought not to deal the same way. It's a mixed message.

At the White House Bush said,

[Dubai Ports World] is a company that has played by the rules, has been cooperative with the United States, from a country that's an ally on the war on terror, and it would send a terrible signal to friends and allies not to let this transaction go through.

Bush pretty much called opponents anti-Arab. And since I've seen nothing substantial from opponents I think the President is right. The best New Jersey Governor John Corzine could offer was a "deep, deep feeling this is the wrong direction for our nation to take."

Let's step away from all the posturing. This is a payoff to the United Arab Emirates for being an ally in the Islamist War. In the Middle East we need as many friends as we can get. Plus, connecting the region into the Core is vital for U.S. security. Hopefully the administration will be watching Dubai Ports World closely just to assuage concerns. Opponents of the ports deal will have to find something of substance, a pattern of security lapses for example, to kill the deal.

"Bush Shrugs Off Objections to Port Deal"

UPDATE: I thought I'd be out in wilderness away from the screaming hordes who fail to understand there are good Arabs out there. Well, I'm not.

UPDATE II: Kevin @ Lakeshore Laments isn't troubled by the deal. He bases it on real-world experience, something most bloviators have little of. Both he and Bryan Preston @ JunkYardBlog are freaked Jimmy Carter came out for it.

Myth Buster

Reading the incident report on Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident reinforces my belief that some nefarious plot took place last Saturday night.

The delay in Cheney talking to local police is due to Kenedy County Sheriff Ramon Salinas realizing the accident was just that and ordered a deputy to the Armstrong Ranch the next morning. If there was a cover-up why did the Secret Service call Sheriff Salinas again asking if a deputy would be coming out Saturday night?

In the incident report Vice President Cheney told a deputy he thought Harry Whittington was "approximately 30 yards" from him. After watching this video that probably wasn't the case. Call me a schill for the Bushies but a reasonable explanation is Cheney's bad at estimating distance. I'm bad at it. I know I could call 30 feet 30 yards.

Ultimately the biggest problem of any conspiracy and cover-up is too many people have to keep quiet. In this case the hunting party, the ranch owners, the Secret Service, the local sheriff, and hospitals where Whittington was treated all have to be on it.

"Debunking Cheneygate Myths"

Secret Earmark Meeting

American for Prosperity sources say a secret meeting of the Appropriations Committee Task Force on Earmark Reform may be happening even as we speak. Why are they hiding? What are they doing behind our backs to "reform" earmarks that bloat an already huge federal budget? The GOP better get its act together. Pissing off the base is the path to defeat in November.

Cheney's Replacement

The idea that Vice President Cheney would resign or be booted from the administration over a hunting accident is crazy. I don't care if a smart person like Virginia Postrel thinks that way. So I'm going to pretty much ignore the talk even though I'm amazed at how the story moved from "Cheney accidentally shoots a man" to "Cheney must go."

Still there is something interesting. Jim Geraghty wonders who would replace Cheney if he were to resign. With that decision President Bush could immediately sort out who had the inside track to the GOP nomination in 2004. It would also give a strong hint of what he wants his legacy to be. If Bush picked Rudy Giuliani it would mean fighting the Islamists and terrorism. If Sen. Sam Brownback were picked it would mean social conservatism would be what he'd want to be remembered for.

Here are some interesting choices:

• John Bolton: Bush would stick it to Senate Democrats who refused to even call a vote on his nomination as U.N. ambassador. It would also signal the administration's strong desire for U.N. reform.

• John Snow: The invisible Treasury Secretary might (big MIGHT) use is new pulpit to push for permanent tax cuts and tax reform.

• Tommy Thompson: This choice would signal the administration's focus on health care. That includes Medicare and Medicaid reform, stem cell research, and another push for banning partial-birth abortion.
  

"Peggy Noonan's Fun Thought Exercise: Who Would Replace Cheney?"

Congress Gets Free Porn

Larry Flynt is a very weird man.

"How Representative Can They Be If They All Turn Down Free Porn?"

Blast from the Past

Dana Milbank's hunter gear is just part of a MSM tradition.

[via Instapundit]

Someone Tell PETA

Work on a Kos commercial is underway:

We need people for the commercial, people who look like the Democratic Party -- workers in hard hats, moms with kids, men and women in business suits, hippies, young and old, all colors, enviro types, college professors, young women, someone in a wheelchair, etc.

The concept -- there will be a donkey laying on the ground. There will be a long line of people tugging at the donkey with a rope, trying to get it to move. The donkey won't budge. Some dude (they're threatening to make me do it) will walk down the line up to the donkey, give the animal a look, and then give it a swift kick in the ass to get it moving. (And no, the donkey won't really be kicked.)

Ok, so the donkey's safe. It's the cast that's being exploited:

You'd get paid $1. [Will it be a shiny, politically correct Sacagawea coin?] But I'll get a personalized signed book to everyone who is in the commercial. You'll also get fed. And I suspect it'll be fun hanging out and chatting. I'll be there most of the day.

You'd have to pay me a lot to endure listening to Markos "Screw Them" Moulitsas.

Markos better be in the commercial. I've never seen an ass pull (or kick) another ass before. I wonder how much CGI they'll use to pull that trick? It should give Lord of the Rings a run for its money.

If Kos can't use the four-legged kind they could always put Paul Hackett in its place. Kos kicked him when he was down.

"Let Me Get this Straight - Your Book Ad features Someone Kicking a Donkey?"

The Brady's Poor Sense of Humor

Here's supposedly what James and Sarah Brady (of Brady Bill fame) said about the "Cheney's Got a Gun" incident:

James and Sarah Brady made comments today related to Vice President Cheney's reportedly accidental shooting yesterday in Texas.

"Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him," said Jim Brady. "I had a friend once who accidentally shot pellets into his dog - and I thought he was an idiot."

"I've thought Cheney was scary for a long time," Sarah Brady said. "Now I know I was right to be nervous."

I say "supposedly" because it has to be a joke. What person with a modicum of P.R. sense would let such insulting drivel be released? In no way does it advance the (incorrect) agenda of gun control and only serves to inflame your opponents.

But it's not a joke:

Sarah and Jim Brady, founders of a leading gun control group, had sharp comments for Vice President Dick Cheney as news of his weekend hunting mishap spread.

Cheney accidentally shot and injured a fellow hunter while quail hunting at a South Texas ranch.

"Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him," Jim Brady said in a statement. "I had a friend once who accidentally shot pellets into his dog -- and I thought he was an idiot."

"I've thought Cheney was scary for a long time," Sarah Brady said. "Now I know I was right to be nervous."

Amazing.

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms executive director Joe Waldron said, "[The Bradys] have raised dancing in blood to a fine art."

"James and Sarah Brady Comment on the Vice President's Hunting Mishap" [via Drudge]

So True

That's what Mary Jo Kopechne would think.

Get your's now.

No Bills No Pay

Sen. George Allen wants Congressmen not to get paid if they can't get spending bills passed on time. Ed Frank of Americans for Prosperity writes,

I'm an Allen fan, but it seems to me that the problem isn't that spending bills aren't getting passed quickly enough - it's that they're too large. And the threat of not getting paid seems like it would lead to LESS discipline - not more. I'd rather have Senators fight it out for spending restraint rather than vote for a bad bill so they can get paid.

"Sen. Allen: Withhold Congressional Pay?"

Listen to Peggy Noonan in First TAM Podcast

Behold! I give you the first episode of Speak, TAM's podcast. I got comfortable using Audacity and even added ID3 tags to the mp3 file. It's a long show, 1:23, but that's because I didn't edit any of Noonan's remarks and didn't play with the bit rate enough. The sound quality is pretty good even though I only used an iRiver iFP-780 to record it.

The real bear was hosting. I tried uploading the big file (33 mb) to OurMedia with no success. It would be simpler if I could just FTP to my account. Instead, I'm taking a bandwidth risk and putting the first show on my web server. I should be safe since only a handful of people will download the show.

Here's the RSS feed: http://www.theamericanmind.com/podcast/rss.xml

Here's the URL for the mp3 if you just want to download it: http://www.theamericanmind.com/podcast/speak001_02_03_2006.mp3

I went to all this trouble because I want to podcast from CPAC next week, and for once I'm preparing ahead of time. The RSS feed should stay the same while I look into some podcast hosting solutions like Libsyn. Of course with links in the RRS feed you shouldn't care where episodes of Speak are located.

Please leave feedback. Tell me if you had trouble downloading the show or hearing the show. (It worked for me using iTunes.) I also want to know if you liked listening to the talk and respond to what Noonan said. I may hunt for future speeches to record. Leave a comment in this post or e-mail me at sean--at--theamericanmind--dot--com.

Peggy Noonan at Ripon

Despite the return of winter to Wisconsin Peggy Noonan did speak at Ripon College's "Ethics in Media" conference. I'm working on the write up as we speak, and hope to have a special treat for you.

For those attending tomorrow besides Fred Barnes speaking Charlie Sykes will be part of a panel discussing "The Role of the Public."

Boehner New Majority Leader

Rep. John Boehner became the new House Majority Leader on the second ballot. Rep. Roy Blunt, who claimed he had enough votes to get the job, couldn't get majority on the first ballot. That allowed supporters of Rep. John Shadegg to back Boehner instead of DeLay Lite.

Boehner now must get serious reforms passed through the House. Part of it should be some lobby reform. But nothing will squelch the desire of special interests to get tax perks or government benefits than reducing the size and scope of the federal government. If she weren't involved with everything from supporting milk prices, to tariffs, to funding pet projects, to how much water you toilet can use Washington, D.C.'s lobbying industry wouldn't be so active. A Missoula Missoulian editorial put it:

Congress wields immense power through its ability to tax and appropriate money, redistribute wealth and to impose regulation on every aspect of commerce and life. This power corrupts. Obtaining money from the government is worth a lot to various interests. So is obtaining exemptions to taxes or regulations, or to have regulations put in place benefiting one's interests. It's worth so much that individuals, businesses, industries and associations are willing to invest huge sums obtaining beneficial treatment from the government. There is more money and more power involved in this equation to overwhelm the integrity of most mere mortals.

Boehner must have the strength and political skill to re-kindle the shrink government fire that blazed inside the 1994 Republicans. Conservatives will be watching. Conservative webloggers will talking.

James Joyner is loaded to the max with links and blogosphere reaction.

"Rep. Boehner Elected House Majority Leader"

State of the Union 2006

Reading a State of the Union speech feels more productive than actually watching it. Rarely do these speeches lay out a big idea. Most of the time they're lists of items put together by policy wonks and politicos then massaged into respectible prose by speechwriters. Most of the items don't even become laws or policy. Some are immediately ignored as soon as they pass through the President's mouth. And the best part is I can ignore all the applause.

President Bush's second State of the Union speech had nothing startling. There was no new philosophy put forward. Bush attempted to advance many of the same ideas from previous years: entitlement reform; tax cuts; and staying the course in the Islamist War. One thing that was different from last year's speech was Bush went back to donning a blue tie.

On controversial NSA eavesdropping that included American citizens President Bush did move away from the defense he uttered when the NY Times broke the story:

So to prevent another attack -- based on authority given to me by the Constitution and by statute -- I have authorized a terrorist surveillance program to aggressively pursue the international communications of suspected al Qaeda operatives and affiliates to and from America. Previous Presidents have used the same constitutional authority I have, and federal courts have approved the use of that authority. Appropriate members of Congress have been kept informed. The terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist attacks. It remains essential to the security of America. If there are people inside our country who are talking with al Qaeda, we want to know about it, because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again.

After failing last year to get anything done on Social Security reform the President again talked about entitlements:

So tonight, I ask you to join me in creating a commission to examine the full impact of baby boom retirements on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This commission should include members of Congress of both parties, and offer bipartisan solutions. We need to put aside partisan politics and work together and get this problem solved.

Great, another commission that will publish a report no one will read and will only be discussed on News Hour.

Democrats showed a lack of class when they applauded not acting on any proposal to salvage Social Security. David J. at ResurrectionSong wrote,

Here’s the fact: Social Security (and all of our big, scary entitlement programs) are a serious growing threat to the long-term well being of our country. There should be no celebrating the fact that we couldn’t find the right solution to the problem, there should be a renewed interest in finding the right solution and a disappointment that we couldn’t create the right framework for attacking the problem. Seriously, folks, our growing entitlement spending is as big a problem (and, arguably, it qualifies as a national security issue) as radical Islamic terrorists. It doesn’t have the immediate sense of threat, I admit, but the problem grows more and more difficult to handle with each passing year.

Unchecked, the bill that comes due over the next few decades could bring this country to its knees more surely than another terrorist attack of 9/11 proportions. It could make us into a younger version of Germany or France and reduce us to standing on the sidelines as even younger, more vigorous economies and political powers shape the future of the globe. Unemployment will rise along with inflation while our political influence plummets. Now is the time to find solutions.

So, yeah, that celebration of failure is a little disconcerting.

Illegal immigration concerns much of the populace. The President delivered an entire paragraph on the subject:

Keeping America competitive requires an immigration system that upholds our laws, reflects our values, and serves the interests of our economy. Our nation needs orderly and secure borders. To meet this goal, we must have stronger immigration enforcement and border protection. And we must have a rational, humane guest worker program that rejects amnesty, allows temporary jobs for people who seek them legally, and reduces smuggling and crime at the border.

Like the botched Miers nomination Bush is listening to his conservative base--not always a good thing. We now see the full effect of the Minutemen Project.

On energy the President spat out conventional wisdom. He said, "America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology." Actually, the best way to change people's behavior is to change their incentives. Gas at over $2 a gallon is driving buyers to look for more fuel-efficent vehicles and encouraging car manufactuers to develop gas-electric hybrids and hydrogen-powered products. Prices in a free market will do more to ease America's "addiction" than Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative. At least he mentioned nukes. The time has come to drive out the nation's irrational fear of that cleaner, bountiful energy source.

On taxes, the President called Congress to make his tax cuts permanent. If it doesn't taxpayers will be hit hard with big tax increases. On the flipside unless this President is willing to veto bloated spending bills than go beyond the government's constitutional authority then we'll sink into more and more debt.

In his laundry list there was only one item of significence to pro-lifers. President Bush wants Congress to "to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research: human cloning in all its forms, creating or implanting embryos for experiments, creating human-animal hybrids, and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos." Despite his truth when he declared, "Human life is a gift from our Creator -- and that gift should never be discarded, devalued or put up for sale," the feds should only regulate the interstate commerce aspects of human cloning. Like abortion, these decisions should be left to the individual states.

No mention of China. Interesting. Beijing mustn't have been pleased.

Someone needs to shake up the State of the Union speech. The laundry list is cliche, the applause are cliche, and the required mention of someone in the gallery is cliche. Given the audience watching the State of the Union Presidents should either advance a grand vision or flesh out new ideas; or else just do like President Jefferson did and send a written statement to Congress and let the talking heads save their breath.

"President Bush Delivers State of the Union Address"

Holding Off on SotU Response

Instead of watching a replay of the State of the Union speech I'll be catching up with yesterday's 24. I did catch part of Virginia governor Tim Kaine's speech was pretty good. It was full of good spirit and moderate in temperment. He impressed me.

Kennedy Joines the Kosites

It's complete. Kos owns the Democratic Party. Like Hamas in Palestine he's going to have a hell of a time managing things.

[via Baseball Crank]

Sheehan Still Considering a Senate Run

An Alito filibuster might not be enough to keep Cindy Sheehan from running for the U.S. Senate:

Sheehan said running in the Democratic primary would help make a broader point.

"If I decided to run, I would have no illusions of winning, but it would bring attention to all the peace candidates in the country," she said.

Sheehan, 48, who lives in Berkeley, Calif., said she would head to Washington on Sunday for protests against Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday, and then return to California to discuss her idea of running against Feinstein with her son and two daughters.

"I can't see — if they think it's going to help peace — that they would be opposed to me doing it," she said.

Please! Please! Please! Run, Cindy run!

Seriously, other than sheer entertainment value a Cindy Sheehan run for California Senator would be immediately dead in the water. She's a kook who hangs around Hugo Chavez and Harry Belafonte. She'd grab the votes of only the Joel Steins of California and not those who still love their country but have become disillusion over the Iraq War. Plus the California GOP has shown no ability to field a credible state-wide candidate who isn't a celebrity.

"Cindy Sheehan May Challenge Calif. Senator"

"Gifts From The Left"

Diane, We Want the Kook to Run

Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), for the love of webloggers and comedians do not filibuster Judge Alito. We want to watch Cindy Sheehan and her band of Hugo Chavez-loving pinkos try to unseat you. It won't succeed, but think of our entertainment value. Cindy will be able to produce enough wacky quotes to keep webloggers and the Daily Show busy for months.

"Sheehan to Feinstein: Filibuster Alito, Or I'll Run Against You"

UPDATE: Sen. Feinstein let me down:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted against Alito's nomination, said she will vote against ending debate Monday, a procedure known as cloture.

"Based on a very long and thoughtful analysis of the record and transcript, which I tried to indicate in my floor statement (Thursday), I have decided I will vote no on cloture," Feinstein said in a statement released Friday by her office.

So much potential entertainment swept away by one statement. *SIGH*

Thanks go to Kevin Binversie @ Lakeshore Laments for the tip.

MLK Day

Tee Bee honors Dr. Martin Luther King. Orrin Judd points out the quality of MLK's opponents had something to do with his achievements.

"MLK and His Dream Today"

Signing on the Bottom Line

I'm adding my name to this online petition:

We are bloggers with boatloads of opinions, and none of us come close to agreeing with any other one of us all of the time. But we do agree on this: The new leadership in the House of Representatives needs to be thoroughly and transparently free of the taint of the Jack Abramoff scandals, and beyond that, of undue influence of K Street.

We are not naive about lobbying, and we know it can and has in fact advanced crucial issues and has often served to inform rather than simply influence Members.

But we are certain that the public is disgusted with excess and with privilege. We hope the Hastert-Dreier effort leads to sweeping reforms including the end of subsidized travel and other obvious influence operations. Just as importantly, we call for major changes to increase openness, transparency and accountability in Congressional operations and in the appropriations process.

As for the Republican leadership elections, we hope to see more candidates who will support these goals, and we therefore welcome the entry of Congressman John Shadegg to the race for Majority Leader. We hope every Congressman who is committed to ethical and transparent conduct supports a reform agenda and a reform candidate. And we hope all would-be members of the leadership make themselves available to new media to answer questions now and on a regular basis in the future.

The big problem with the GOP in Washington is they only talk about limited government. Pork barrel spending and Jack Abramoff are only symptoms of the disease that is Big Government. I hope that the new House Majority Leader will push legislation and spending that aligns with the government's constitutional duties.

Anti-Kennedy Column Spiked

Radio yapper and weblogger Kevin McCullough (who I met at CPAC 2005) had his latest column spiked by World Net Daily. They told him it was too "violent." All Kevin did was write was Sen. Ted Kennedy "needs a beating." If you read the whole thing you'll know Kevin's point. As he puts it, "What do I look like - a liberal?"

Odd that WND, not known for their timidity when it comes to bashing the Left, held back.

"Why Ted Kennedy Deserves a Beating..."

Robertson's Comments: "Bizarre"

Bravo to Bob Schieffer and CBS News for not using Pat Robertson's comment that Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's wrath as representative of conservative evangelical Christians. Brian Montopoli questioned Schieffer:

I asked "Evening News" host Bob Schieffer for his thoughts on Robertson and whether he thought there were others who better represent evangelicals.

Schieffer, who considers himself a religious person, has covered Robertson and interviewed him several times in the past, and says "at the beginning he represented a particular point of view, and articulated it quite well." But he's reluctant to cover him now.

"I think we have to be very careful about quoting Robertson, because I'm not sure who he represents anymore," he said. "His comments have gone beyond interesting and into bizarre." The "Evening News," he points out, has not covered Robertson's recent comments.

So who does he think is a better representative of evangelicals? Jim Wallis, who Schieffer calls "very compelling." (It's worth noting that many consider Wallis to be left-leaning, unlike most evangelical leaders.)

[via NewsBusters]

BDS in Full Effect

Bush Derangement Syndrome has flared up after the West Virginia coal mine deaths. Ed Garvey [via Charlie Sykes] blames Bush for the Sago mine accident by accusing him of appointing cronies to weaken safety regulations. Scott Shields denies blaming Bush (he did) and accused him of advancing "bad policy that habitually favors profit over people."

Just one problem for both of them: coal mine fatalities have been on a downward trend during the Bush years. [via Sister Toldjah]

Pat Robertson: Moronic Knob

Pat Robertson shot off his mouth (again) by claiming Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's wrath for handing over the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians. Robertson said, "The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who, quote, 'divide my land.' God considers this land to be his."

I found the passage Robertson refers to:

I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will enter into judgment against them
concerning my inheritance, my people Israel,
for they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
--Joel 3:2

Not being as Bibically well-versed as Robertson but capable of reading within some context I conclude he's got the meaning of the verse backwards. God will enter judgement against "all nations," not Israel, because they scattered the Israelites and divided the land. Who knows if this was in reference to events near Joel's time rather than the Apocalypse. One must be careful when quoting prophesy. You can get burned or look like a fool. Oh, wait. This is Pat Robertson we're talking about. He's already a fool. Only now he sounds like Iran's crazy President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Word of advice: Pat, turn the 700 Club into a video podcast. There will be less of a chance of me running into any more of your crazy remarks.

"Robertson Blamed Sharon Stroke on Policy of 'Dividing God's Land'"

Coal Mine Accident is Bush's Fault

The West Virginia coal mine tragedy, it's Bush's fault because "he didn't do anything to prevent it." I guess George Bush "doesn't care about" coal miners either.

"How Bush Failed the Sago 13" [via Moonbattery]

Abramoff Plea Bargans

The Jack Abramoff has the potential to deliver a sledgehammer blow the Congressional Republicans. He may have worked (and I'm using that term lightly) with Democrats, but his history is with the GOP. Now that he's pled guilty to fraud charges and will cooperate with prosecutors. I haven't read much on what he's been up to, but Abramoff's activities eerily resemble the pay-to-play scandals that are surrounding Gov. Jim Doyle and put Chuck Chvala in jail.

Damage will be done to the Republicans if the corruption is extensive. That means either a lot of Congressmen and/or Senators traded votes for campaign contributions and/or gifts, or a few leaders get caught. Until today, I've never heard of House Administration Committee chairman Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), so if he goes to trial it doesn't hurt the GOP too much. Tom DeLay doesn't hurt either because he's no longer in leadership and doesn't look to return. Now, if more important committee chairman, Majority Leaders, or even House Speaker Dennis Hasstert then the Democrats can (correctly) label the GOP the "Party of Corruption." Big ideas won't be the talk on the campaign trail. Instead "character," "integrity," and "gotcha-journalism" will reign throughout this year's Congressional elections.

Around the 'sphere, The Political Teen caught Chris Matthews calling Abramoff "satan." John Matthews at NewsBusters noticed the NY Times "forgot" Abramoff lobbied Democrats including Senators Tom Daschle and Harry Reid. Mustang Bobby hands the whole scandal to the GOP: "No, this baby is all theirs." Augustine at RedState divides Republicans into the "Do as you're told" kind and the "Do what's right."

"Abramoff Pleads Guilty, will Cooperate"

Roger Scruton Interviewed

Before you get all wild and crazy this New Year's Eve here's an interview with conservative philospher Roger Scruton from last month on the 25th anniversary of his book The Meaning of Conservatism.

"The Joy of Conservatism: An Interview with Roger Scruton"

Majority Approve NSA Eavesdropping

64% of respondents in a Rassmussen poll approve of the government being "allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States."

So what? Something being right and wrong, constitutionality or unconstitutionality doesn't depend on public opinion. It only means President Bush's opponents won't be able to turn the NSA story into a damaging political attack.

The right-leaning Orin Kerr brings up plenty of questions about the NSA's activities by combing through a Robert Turner op-ed.

"64% Approve Of NSA Intercepts"

Presidential Power in Wartime

Steven Taylor links to a NSA-inspired Joseph Nye Huffington Post entry where he writes,

If, as news accounts suggest, the action was part of Vice President Cheney’s campaign to strengthen the executive against the legislature, it is not a warranted adjustment in the balancing of liberty and security, but an act arrogance that the administrationcan ill afford when it needs the support of moderates in perilous times.

I wonder how Cheney could make his case that the President's powers have been unconstitutionally limited unless he had a tangible example at hand. Think tanks and scholars have argued about the constitutionality of such laws as the War Powers Act and how much Congress can limit a President (beyond funding) for years, but it's all remained theoretical. Presidents ignore it, and Congress hasn't gone to court to enforce it. If Cheney and the rest of the administration pre-Sep. 11 had argued Presidential power during wartime was as broad as they claim it would have been only a small story, and debate would have been minimal.

From my plain reading of the constitution (something very old fashioned) I think Cheney and John Yoo make a reasonable case. Congress shouldn't be able to run roughshod over the President, and the courts have their limited place as well. However, to get things done with Congress the administration needs to explain itself and retain the "support of moderates in perilous times," the most important part of Nye's post. From recent history, we know Dick Cheney is not best generator of goodwill on Capitol Hill.

UPDATE: If you don't know if you should buy Yoo's book download his 2004 paper "War, Responsibility, and the Age of Terrorism." I'm about a third through it and it's fascinating reading.

Breaking News in the Valarie Plame Case

Valarie Plame's and Joe Wilson's 5-year-old son spilled the beans and told reporters, "My daddy's famous, my mommy's a secret spy." No word if Peter Fitzgerald will ask a grand jury to indict him.

"CIA Couple Outed by 5-Year-Old Son"

Domestic Spying

Since this is ultimately a political issue Bush bashers will have a problem. They can't argue the government has no right to ever secretly intercept communications without a warrant because any reasonable person could imagine a (non-24) scenerio. A few days into the story and already Bush critics are digging into line-by-line analysis of FISA law. I can already see people's eyes glazing over.

At worst the President can be accused of overzealous prosecution against terrorists. Now, if it comes out that the NSA, FBI, or the Defense Department is found to be spying on political enemies (and I don't consider the recent DoD revelation to be such) then it becomes Nixonian. The public will tolerate, to an extent, actions done with good intentions. They will not tolerate using government power for personal or political gain.

Steven Taylor makes a good point:

In terms of reaching understanding, the sad part is that it seems to me that too many on the left are prepared to assume evil and too many on the right are automatically predisposed to assume good. It is rather difficult to have a cogent policy debate in such a context, is it not?

Also, we don't have a full understanding of how the spying program operates and what the thinking of all the participants is. The program may be constitutionally "reasonable" but as James Joyner asks why wasn't a FISA court warrant gotten after the fact. Ann Althouse hopes upcoming Congressional hearings will shed more light on this including "the question of who blew the secret and why." RedState.org's Leon H. writes that the case of President Bush violating the law "is anything but the slam dunk the media and the Democrats (sorry for being redundant) are making it out to be."

One more thing: if is see someone slap a "-gate" onto this story I'll puke. Think of something original.

"Purposely Misquoting FISA to Defend the Bush Administration"

"Much Ado About Nothing"

"Update on FISA Question"

Patriot Act Abuse

Earlier this week, I was chastised for making the point that no one has come forward with any claims of abuse of the Patriot Act. DJ said that's because people are legally prevented from talking about it. But when has that ever stopped the ACLU or the NY Times? You'd think the former would have listed examples of abuse in its talking points. The latter went to the Supreme Court to defend their right to publish the Pentagon Papers. Also, something being "classified" didn't stop the Times from telling the world (and terrorists) about the NSA monitoring their conversations with people inside the U.S.

But don't take my word for it. Here's FBI Agent Timothy Fuhrman from the Salt Lake City office:

The record is clear - since the inception of the Patriot Act there has not been one finding that the FBI has ever misused the authority granted to it by the Patriot Act.

"FBI Has Never Misused Authority Granted in the Patriot Act"

Patriot Act Filibustered

The Senate couldn't defeat a filibuster by Sens. Larry Craig (R-ID) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) that would extend provisions of the Patriot Act.

Two concerns:

1. The act passed quickly in 2001. Few legislators read the law.
   
2. Sen. Feingold stated [via Hit & Run] that "most sneak and peek warrants are issued for drug investigations." That's creeping government immediately moving beyond the original intent of the act.
   

In a related note one of the elements of the House-Senate compromise includes tightening "restrictions on cold medications that can be cooked into methamphetamine and increases penalties on methamphetamine production and trafficking." Give me a break. Al Qaeda is too busy building bombs to care about cold medication. More creeping government.

"Senate Rejects Extension of Patriot Act"

UPDATE: JunkYardBlog makes an important point:

PATRIOT hasn’t resulted in any—not one—of the legions of abuses many people feared with varying degrees of reasonableness.

UPDATE II: Sen. Feingold posted at TPMCafe just after the cloture vote failed.

Classless Clinton

Does anyone remember President H.W. Bush speaking before international leaders (or the general public for that matter) and bashing his successor? When I was working in the Twin Cities in 1998 President H.W. Bush was the keynote speaker at a fundraising dinner for the Minnesota Family Council. In preparation for the event we were told he wouldn't criticize President Clinton. He didn't think such public acts were appropriate for an ex-President. That's class, something the most recent ex-Prez doesn't have.

"Clinton Says Bush Is 'Flat Wrong' on Kyoto"

UPDATE: Amy Ridenour's husband reports from Montreal.

Helping Out Scooter

The NY Sun editorial board is urging readers to donate to Scooter Libby's legal defense fund. I won't be. While I think it's ridiculous for Patrick Fitzgerald to prosecute Libby for lying about a crime he can't prove (a la Martha Stewart) I won't condone Libby's lying to investigators and a grand jury.

Tom Maguire almost endorses it.

"A Season for Giving"

Polarization

What did I learn from Pajamas Medias Blogjam on partisan polarization? Debating it causes a lot of it.

"Are Left-Right Politics Becoming too Polarized?"

"Intellectual Lap Dancer"

Arianna Huffington, always the attention-grabber, gets profiled in Vanity Fair. My favorite line is when someone refers to her as an "intellectual lap dancer."

"Arianna Calling!" [via A&LD]

Is Trouble Brewing in the White House?

According to Insight President Bush and Vice President Cheney have a strained relationship, and it all has to to with Iraq:

The sources said the indictment and resignation of Lewis "Scooter" Libby marked the final straw in the deterioration of relations between President Bush and Mr. Cheney. They said Bush aides expect that any trial of Mr. Libby, Mr. Cheney's long-time chief of staff, would open a closet of skeletons regarding such issues as Iraq, the CIA and the conduct of White House aides.

"There's a lack of trust that the president has in Cheney and it's connected with Iraq," a source said.

The sources said Mr. Bush has privately blamed Mr. Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for the U.S.-led war in Iraq. They said the president has told his senior aides that the vice president and defense secretary provided misleading assessments on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, as well as the capabilities of the regime of Saddam Hussein.

This story is one annonymous on top of another. So I'm taking it with a grain of salt.

Add this to Steve Clemons [via MEJ] pushing the rumor that Barbara Bush wants changes in the White House. "Watch for a lot to change right after the State of the Union address, I've been told," Clemons writes.

"Bush Takes Cheney Out of the Loop on National Security"

How Nice of Them

How beholden to labor unions is the Democratic Party? Very.

The Democratic National Committee plans to hold a meeting of about 400 people in New Orleans early next year as a way to express confidence in the city's future after Hurricane Katrina, officials said.
...
The group usually uses only union hotels but got a special dispensation from labor officials to book the downtown Sheraton, he said. Dean said the Sheraton was the only full-service hotel that was reserving rooms and could handle a convention that large.

Other than in government, labor unions have been dying yet they still control the Democratic Party.

"Democrats to Hold Meeting in New Orleans"

Hugh Hewitt's Presidential Straw Poll

We're not even to the 2006 mid-term elections but Hugh Hewitt is running a Presidential straw poll. Vote so we can see who TAM readers are leaning toward.

Armitage Under the Microscope

Is Richard Armitage Bob Woodward's Deep Throat II? Tom Maguire has the analysis.

"Sources of Confusion"

Fitzgerald Questions Woodward

Bob Woodward, the only guest you should bother watching on Larry King*, was questioned for two hours by Patrick Fitzgerald. This was a depostion in a law office, not before a grand jury although Woodward believes he testified before one. As far a I know a new grand jury hasn't been convienced, but Woodward's testimony could just be read to a new one. This doesn't appear to be a deposition in preparation for Scooter Libby's trial. Maybe it's both; I don't know much about legal procedure other than what I've seen on Law & Order.

Woodward's part of the story helps Libby a little:

William Jeffress Jr., one of Libby's lawyers, said yesterday that Woodward's testimony undermines Fitzgerald's public claims about his client and raises questions about what else the prosecutor may not know. Libby has said he learned Plame's identity from NBC's Tim Russert.

"If what Woodward says is so, will Mr. Fitzgerald now say he was wrong to say on TV that Scooter Libby was the first official to give this information to a reporter?" Jeffress said last night.

Still, Woodward doesn't exonerate Libby. As Tom Maguire points out:

As to the specifics of the Libby indictment, a bold prosecutor might press ahead - arguably, Libby's statement that he believed he was hearing about Plame for the first time when he spoke to Russert is still false, and arguably, Libby's assertions that he sourced his knowledge to other reporters when he spoke to Miller and Cooper are also false.

But it will take a mighty straight-faced jury to focus exclusively on that if the defense can bring in a parade of reporters that may have, directly or indirectly, put the Wilson and wife story in Libby's ear.

"Woodward Was Told of Plame More Than Two Years Ago"

"Woodward Testifies in CIA Leak Probe"

*You do have to put up with Woodward's valium-induced state. The man could sit in a Georgtown Starbucks pumping down espressos all day and still put you to sleep after three minutes of talking to him.

Democrats Sweep Governors Races

With his big bankroll and bigger name it really would have been news if Sen. John Corzine lost in the New Jersey governor race to Doug Forrester. In Virginia Lt. Gov Tim Kaine beat Jerry Kilgore. In that race President Bush only campaigned for Kilgore Monday night. With the President's popularity tanking the Kilgore campaign probably didn't want him anywhere near him until the last moment to turn out the base. On the plus side as Kos notes the Democrats held both seats.

Power Line's Paul Mirengoff doesn't see the Virginia race as an example of national Democratic strength:

The Democrats will trumpet this win as evidence that they are on the comeback trail. They may very well be on that trail, but this race provides no good evidence of it. Kaine won because Democratic governor Mark Warner is extraordinarily popular (his approval rating is around 70 percent). There are no national implications here, unless the Dems are wise enough to run Warner for president in 2008, and they aren't. Recall too that Warner was elected governor in 2001 at a time when President Bush's popularity was at an all time high. And the Dems elected two governors in Virginia during the Reagan years. This race has never been tied to, or reflective of, national politics.

Kathryn Jean Lopez is disappointed:

Disappointing that the Republican candidates were somewhat lame (more than "somewhat" in New Jersey). Disappointing that the conventional wisdom on the Bush administration for a while now will be something like the Googlebombed Google "failure" read. This too will pass, however, I'm fairly certain. Still, the champagne popping is all on the Left tonight on the East Coast, anyway. (I don't have high expectations in Cali, but I'll hold onto hope on parental notification until it's over.) Republicans are more scotch tonight.

What this tells the President and the GOP is they have to get their act together. Domestically we see that compassionate conservatism ended up being big government conservatism. That has to change. Enough with the spending spree, fight to retain tax cuts, develop a new pitch for private Social Security accounts, and finally veto a bill. Disappoint the base, and they'll not show up to vote.

On the war front, the President has to find a way to cut through the negativity surrounding Iraq. The place has gone from authoritarian rule to constitutional democracy in three years! That's something to be proud of. Bush needs to go into campaign mode. Stop sending Karen Hughs globe-trotting. Bring her back into the White House to develop effective messages to encourage Americans that their first opinions of the Iraq War were the right ones.

I have two big suggestions: 1.) get Condi Rice out of the State Department. Influence in the administration means access to the President. As National Security Advisor Rice has better, faster access to the President than she does as Secretary of State. She'd do a better job helping her boss if she wasn't busy dealing with the institutional morass at Foggy Bottom. If this means having Dick Cheney retire and putting Condi in as VP so be it. 2.) Find out how distracted Karl Rove is with the Fitzgerald investigation or see if he's tired. Working in an administration really wears people down. Being the target of a special prosecutor makes it even more stressful. For the 2006 Congressional elections Bush needs a completely focused Rove or else he's a two-year lame duck. If Karl can't cut it dump him. Bring in Ken Mehlman or even your dad's political wizard James Baker. Baker's probably too old, but the point is to get talented strategists who are willing to bleed through 2006.

"Democrats Win Gov. Races in N.J., Va."

Critical Days for Rove

If it weren't Sen. Trent Lott calling for Karl Rove to lose his policy-making position in the White House I'd say signs are there for the Architect's demotion. White House staffers with access to classified material will attend ethics meetings by order of President Bush.

There's also this trial balloon floated in the Washington Post:

Some senior aides have privately discussed whether it is politically tenable for Rove to remain in the White House even if he is not charged. Others raised the possibility of Rove apologizing for his role, especially for telling White House spokesman Scott McClellan and Bush that he was not involved in the leak. McClellan relayed Rove's denial to the public.

I see Rove offering a mea culpa in a few days. The response to it will determine his status in the White House.

"Bush Orders Staff to Attend Ethics Briefings"

Message from the Afterlife

Make your own Einstein picture.

[via the Commissar]

Libby Indicted

Do you smell that? That's Scooter Libby as toast.

Lying to investigators and to a grand jury is a crime. Those who commit it should be prosecuted and punished. There's no need for me to defend Libby. If I did what he's accused of doing I'd be going to jail. No pity for Libby.

The indictment deals with lying and perjury. It doesn't get to the heart of the Plame story. Who told Bob Novak about Plame? Tom Maguire guesses it was Ari Fleischer. Was Plame covert? Fitzgerald said her status was classified, but there wasn't enough for him to charge Libby with that crime. Bob Woodward told Larry King that there was no damage. Libby isn't accused of talking to Novak. Libby talked to Judy Miller who, ironically, didn't write a story about Plame.

Fitzgerald's indictment of Scooter Libby. [PDF] [via Mark Klimer]

"Cheney Adviser Indicted in CIA Leak Case"

UPDATE: Cheney's office and Rep. Jack Kingston issued releases on Scooter's resignation.

Ace questions why Fitzgerald took two years to see if a crime was even committed:

And so here we are. No crime was committed BEFORE the investigation, so he indicts someone on five charges (?) for statements made in the course of the investigation.

Without an investigation, no possible crime, apparently.

That gives this a Martha Stewart feel.

Washington Waits

Indictments on the Valarie Plame case are rumored to be coming. I'll say it again: Scooter Libby is toast. Not for blowing the cover of a secret agent, (A real covert agent told the Washington Times, "She made no bones about the fact that she was an agency employee and her husband was a diplomat.") but for lying to investigators. It will be a Martha Stewart prosecution where Libby will be accused of lying about a crime the prosecution can't prove happened. Or he could have lied to a grand jury which is a big, no huge, no-no.

If Libby lied to a grand jury I want to see him do the perp walk. Then I'd like to see more about Joe Wilson's self-aggrandizement and lies that started this whole mess.

"'Indictments Coming Tomorrow; Targets Received Letters Today'"

Political Loyalties

On the Miers nomination Robert at Watchman's Words asks,

When it comes to the subject of loyalty and support, who owes whom? To what degree does a President owe his supporters the fulfillment of his campaign promises? To what degree do a President's supporters owe him their support when he does not (or appears to not) fulfill those promises? Who bears the responsibility for a split in ranks--the leader or the followers?

A key principle in politics is prudence. Sometimes a political promise can't be kept because of changing situations. Maybe the reason Harriet Miers was picked was because all President Bush's other choices declined. If that's the case the President should have done some serious thinking to find a way to make the nomination process less politically charged.

A politician is selected by his constituents for his judgement. He is not a rubber stamp of the public's will. The politician shouldn't come to his decision based on opinion polls. He's in office to use his mind and mouth to do what he thinks is right. The constituents have the opportunity to judge him at election tim or if the politician is really bad by recall.

Similarly, constituents must use prudence in determining if the politician has broken a campaign promise and for what reason. The constituents have to examine whether the political, economic, or cultural environment has changed to make the promise impossible to fulfill or to drain the politician's reserve of political capital so as to make him unless in tackling other issues. Few politicians run solely on one issue. Likewise, most voters don't care only about one issue. It becomes a process of weighing the costs and benefits of addressing particular issues.

For both sides communication is key. The politician needs to convey why he's doing what he's doing in a way his constituents can accept (but not always in a way to tip off his political opponents). Constituents need keep their eyes on the politician and let him know when they opprove or disapprove of his actions. Handling this give-and-take is part of what makes politics an art rather than a science.

"Which Way Does the Arrow of Responsibility Point?"

The Hammer Turns Himself In

Rep. Tom DeLay turned himself in.

"Now Ronnie Earle has the mugshot he wanted," DeGuerin said, referring to the Travis County district attorney who brought the charges. DeLay and his lawyer have accused the district attorney of trying to make headlines for himself.

What a grin. You'd never think this was a mug shot. He's always the politician.

Here's a question to those who think DeLay is a scoundrel: assuming he's guilty of all the crimes Ronnie Earle accuses him of does he deserve life imprisonment? Seriously, is political corruption on par with murder or rape?

"Lawmaker DeLay Arrested, Charged in Texas"

Lucky Senator

Sen. Judd Gregg won the lottery, but he's not going to Disneyworld.

"NH Sen. Gregg Wins Portion of Powerball, to Donate to Father’s Charity"

Cheney Target

Bloomberg has a lengthy article on the possibility Vice President Dick Cheney is the target of the Valarie Plame investigation. Maybe this is why Lynne Cheney told Time her husband won't be running for President in 2008.

What we see more sure of is Lewis "Scooter" Libby's indictment. He wrote a letter to NY Times reporter Judith Miller that could be construed at trying to guide her grand jury testimony:

Miller, 57, said she went to jail rather than testify because, unlike other reporters, she didn't feel Libby had given her specific and voluntary permission to speak about their confidential conversations. She relented when Libby contacted her by telephone and letter last month, saying he had always expected her to testify.

Those communications with Miller may pose legal problems for Libby. His letter to her stated that ``the public report of every other reporter's testimony makes clear that they did not discuss Ms. Plame's name or identity with me.''

Miller wrote in her Times article that Fitzgerald asked her to read that portion of the letter aloud to the grand jurors and asked for her reaction to Libby's words. She said that part of the letter had ``surprised me because it might be perceived as an effort by Mr. Libby to suggest that I, too, would say we had not discussed Ms. Plame's identity. Yet my notes suggested that we had discussed her job.''

The Plame story began when Bob Novak mentioned the CIA operative in a column. The special prosecutor has been busy trying to get some reporters to testify while Novak has flown below the radar. He's been pretty quiet. If Libby or even Karl Rove ends up being indicted will that unlock Novak? He's the one I'm most interested in hearing.

A new interesting angle is Joe Wilson considering suing the White House after Patrick Fitzgerald finishes his work:

In an interview yesterday, Wilson said that once the criminal questions are settled, he and his wife may file a civil lawsuit against Bush, Cheney and others seeking damages for the alleged harm done to Plame's career.

If they do so, the current state of the law makes it likely that the suit will be allowed to proceed -- and Bush and Cheney will face questioning under oath -- while they are in office. The reason for that is a unanimous 1997 U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that Paula Jones' sexual harassment suit against then-President Bill Clinton could go forward immediately, a decision that was hailed by conservatives at the time.

This issue will be dogging President Bush et al until he's out of office.

"Cheney May Be Entangled in CIA Leak Investigation, People Say" [via Balloon Juice]

Scooter is Toast

Vice President Cheney's chief of staff Scooter Libby sure looks like he obstructed justice to me. Another instance of the cover up being worse than the crime (if any):

In two appearances before the federal grand jury investigating the leak of a covert CIA operative's name, Lewis (Scooter) Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, did not disclose a crucial conversation that he had with New York Times reporter Judith Miller in June 2003 about the operative, Valerie Plame, according to sources with firsthand knowledge of his sworn testimony.

Libby also did not disclose the June 23 conversation when he was twice interviewed by FBI agents working on the Plame leak investigation, the sources said.

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald apparently learned about the June 23 conversation for the first time just days ago, after attorneys for Miller and The New York Times informed prosecutors that Miller had discovered a set of notes on the conversation.

Even worse for Libby is the possibility he really didn't want Judith Miller to testify and allowed her to sit in jail for 85 days. If true, that's low, really low. I say Scooter's overstayed his welcome.

Tom Maguire sees nothing good for Libby in this. It's either "bad" or "really bad."

"Libby Did Not Tell Grand Jury About Key Conversation" [via Balloon Juice]

Political Funnies

ScrappleFace asks, "What Would Kristol Do?"

Russ Vaughn has a poem devoted to Ronnie "My Case is Collapsing" Earle.

Miller's Notes Confiscated

NY Times reporter Judith Miller gave Patrick Fitzgerald June 2003 notes from a conversation with Dick Cheney's chief of staff Scooter Libby. The conversation took place a month before Joe Wilson wrote his op-ed accusing President Bush of lying about Iraq's pursuit of uranium in Africa. Reuters' Adam Entous writes,

A column by Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times on May 6, 2003 may have been the trigger for the interest by Cheney's office, the sources said.

Kristof's column contained the first public mention of Wilson's mission in Niger, though Wilson was not identified by name. It also mentioned for the first time the alleged role of Cheney's office in seeking an investigation of the uranium deal, prompting the CIA to dispatch Wilson.

Top Cheney aides were eager to dispel Wilson's assertion that he was sent to Niger at the urging of the vice president, sources involved in the case said.

This looks like spinning went out of control. Libby wanted to make sure reporters knew the CIA was behind Wilson's trip. Did Libby state Valarie Plame worked for the CIA? Probably, but that's because it was common knowledge in Washington. Her name is in Who's Who in America. Odd for a secret agent. It just took Bob Novak a few calls and some synapses to fire to put it together.

But that might not matter. Outing Plame may not be the crime Fitzgerald uses for indictments. He might just use a good, old-fashioned espionage charge.

Conspiracy or espionage. Either way Bush and Cheney better start some quiet job searches for some post-indictment openings.

"Reporter Turns Over Notes in CIA Leak Case"

Hello, I'm a Social Liberal

According to this political test I'm a "capitalist." I'm right there with Thomas Jefferson and *ack* Ted Nugent. More specifically I'm a "social liberal" and an "economic conservative." The social liberal description is misleading. I think a lot of culture is crap, but I just don't want laws passed prevent people from consuming crap. How about calling me a classical liberal curmudgeon or a pro-life, free-marketer?

[via Classical Values]

UPDATE: I'm right there with Owen and Jed of Boots & Sabers. Nice company to be in.

Dreier Rejected

Conservatives rejected Rep. Dreier as interim Majority Leader.

DeLay, according to several GOP sources, knew that House rules would give him no choice but to step down immediately. But he made clear to Hastert, his longtime friend and protege, that he was determined to fight the charges and return to power as soon as possible.

What he and Hastert wanted was a timeserver, someone to hold the job but with no ambitions to stay in it. And they had someone in mind. This week, an aide to the speaker approached Rep. David Dreier about his role in a post-DeLay caucus. Dreier, a congenial Californian who has loyally served the GOP leadership as Rules Committee chairman, expressed interest in helping Hastert.

There was one big problem: When DeLay's indictment was unsealed yesterday, conservatives in the GOP caucus immediately erupted in anger over rumors that the selection of Dreier, whom they regard as too moderate, was being presented as a fait accompli.

Rep. Roy Blunt is DeLay's replacement for now. Reuters is reporting [via TPM] that he and Dreier will "share some leadership responsibilities." It's nice to see conservative Republicans are feisty and getting tired of the current leadership. They have a little momentum. Let's hope they can turn that into getting some real spending cuts passed. That should create a positive loop with the grassroots. As with anything in Washington, I'm preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

"Attempt to Pick Successor Is Foiled" [via OTB]

The Hammer Got Nailed

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was indicted by a Texas grand jury for campaign finance violations. James Joyner utters the maxim that a "prosecutor could persuade a grand jury to 'indict a ham sandwich.'" The Texas Democratic prosecutor Ronnie Earle has a history of putting partisanship above ethics while also taking down prominent Democrats. Mark Levin read the indictment and writes,

Moreover, not only is there no information about DeLay committing acts in furtherance of a conspiracy, there's no information about DeLay entering into a conspiracy. I honestly believe that unless there's more, this is an egregious abuse of prosecutorial power. It's a disgrace. I understand that not everything has to be contained in an indictment, but how about something!

House Speaker Dennis Hasstert will install Rep. David Dreier has DeLay's temporary replacement. If Dreier is more conducive to spending cuts and real fiscal sanity (yeah right!) I wouldn't mind DeLay riding into the sunset permanently. The GOP doesn't need a stained leader who's been admonished by the ethics committee. DeLay's claim to fame is his redistricting of Texas that will help the Republicans hold on to the House at least through 2006. He's a hardball pol who's now let his quest for continued power interfere with advancing conservative principles. I definitely don't want GOP leaders browbeating their conservative members:

In private meetings last week, GOP leaders sharply criticized rank-and-file Republicans for taking issue with the surge in spending, pleading instead for unity. But neither the public relations offensive nor the private upbraiding has quieted conservatives.

"This leadership group is so out of touch, it's unbelievable," said one House lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid inflaming leaders further.

"DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe"

"Tom Delay Indicted by Texas Grand Jury"

"Ton DeLay Indicted"

UPDATE: Julian Sanchez speaks like a good anarchist. Paleo William Anderson hates the abuse of conspiracy in criminal prosecution even though he's no fan of DeLay.

A Perfect Storm

By the post title I don't mean Hurricane Katrina. I mean the circumstances lining up for significant GOP losses in November 2006. Whether it's true or not there is a perception reinforced by a MSM not inclined toward President Bush that the federal government failed Gulf Coast residents by not acting fast enough (compared to what no one says). Even though most people aren't thinking about the political ramifications of Katrina the constant chorus of "Bush failed!" could become tar on GOP Congressional candidates. An effect of Katrina's path of destruction is the new federal spending already passed or soon to be to help rebuild. Fiscal conservatives don't want rebuilding costs added to a large federal deficit. The response from other Republicans is less than encouraging:

In closed-door meetings, fiscal conservatives have begged their colleagues not to put the cost of disaster relief on the government credit card for future generations to carry.

Among those who have protested in these private sessions is Rep. Jeff Flake (news, bio, voting record) (R-Ariz.), a fiscal conservative who said his colleagues greeted his suggestion that disaster relief be offset by other cuts with "stone cold silence." He added, "You would have thought I was a Martian."

The Bush coalition has always been tenuous. What's bound the Right wing together has been the Islamist War and tax cuts. Budget hawks and constitutionalists have been upset with No Child Left Behind, the Medicare drug entitlement, and the bloated highway bill. Free traders have gotten ticked at Bush's steel tariffs. Libertarians found fault with stem cell research policy and Bush's gay marriage stance. Yet the Islamist attacks on Sep. 11, 2001 forced all parts of the coalition to put their smaller concerns aside in the name of national security.

In a way, President Bush is a "victim" of winning a second term. Thomas Barnett sees a flaw in Bush's CEO-as-commander-in-chief approach:

But also because his CEO-like faith in delegated authority wore out its welcome. Notice how the CEO presidencies do well for the first term, with the A Team hot off the election, and then they start sucking as the B Team starts rising to the top posts? In some places, like Defense, the talent pool is deep enough (especially for the Republicans), but elsewhere . . . and FEMA is just so elsewhere.

So when Katrina hits, five of the top 8 officials had virtually no prior relevant experience before assuming their posts. Meanwhile, the real talent had left, as so often happens as the second term unfolds.

Working in D.C. with any significant authority takes so much out of people. Workaholics love it, but dealing with agencies, Congress, and the press becomes a marathon. It's not surprise there is change over from one term to the next. (It's even more amazing that Donald Rumsfeld decided to stay on at DoD.)

Upsetting a part of the base combined with second-string bureaucrats means Karl Rove has his work cut out for him in maintaining the GOP majority.

Election Day 2006 is way too far away. So much could happen between now and then. In another post Barnett notes that the mid-term elections won't take place in a vacuum.

The discounting on this presidency has begun internationally.
...
We are a bit over a year from the midterm elections. After that, the discounting will skyrocket. We're talking months here to move some big piles overseas, and how much of that coming year will be lost to Katrina?

Democratic victory would cause further discounting of the Bush Presidency. Foreign leaders would figure the Democrats had the momentum in claiming the White House in 2008--something I think they'll do anyway. Get ready for divided government in a few years. If GOP defeat (look at the Senate; the gerrymandered House is safe) does happen next year many pundits will look back to Katrina's aftermath. I'll be looking even further to that awful Medicare drug entitlement.

"Fiscal Conservatives Riled"

D-Neb

Radio Blogger noticed a DirectTV typo(?) about Sen. Chuck Hagel. He also points out a fact about the Senator who loves preening before the Washington, D.C. press corps:

The problem is, within Republican circles, he is neither important nor influential.

He's just plain annoying. He's a wanna-be John McCain but without the history of being tortured by Communists.

Fitch gets graphic with what he thinks of Hagel.

"Senator Chuck Hagel, Democrat???"

Re-Hashing Mary Cheney

There's enough interest in Mary Cheney that I'll link to some of my posts on the subject:

• "Post-Debate III Spin"
  
• "How Christian Conservatives Think"
  
• "Oliver's Smear"
  
• "Elizabeth Edwards Makes Things Worse"

Outed in 2002

The Plame Scandal is over. Forget all the work the special prosecutor is doing. There's no way Karl Rove or anyone will get convicted since Valarie Plame is listed in Who's Who in America under Joseph Wilson's entry. If I could find who Wilson's wife was by going to the library then she wasn't much of a "secret" agent.

"Joseph Wilson's "Who's Who In America" Entry"

No More Needs to Be Said

President Bush lowered his standard for firing someone involved with Valarie Plame's outing? Kevin Whited knows otherwise. Those darn facts get in the way.

"What Pledge Did The President Qualify?"

Nature's Absudity

Here's an interesting passage from an Eric Cohen essay on embryonic research:

In the age of modern science, therefore, we must confront the fact that nature is both orderly and absurd: Nature is orderly, in the sense that we can understand how many biological systems work and how they fail, and we can often use this rational knowledge to fix them. But nature is absurd, in the sense that sickness strikes some individuals and not others for no apparent reason—a fact made dramatically clear by the young faces in the cancer ward.

I think this dovetails with my evolution/creationism post from last week. I hold dearly to the idea of God's mystery in the universe. I wrote,

I take the story of Genesis on faith. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Being able scientifically to "prove" God's existence or His ability to mold the world robs faith of its importance.

With reason Man can grasp a portion of nature's order. It's the absurdity that throws us off. All of us seek to understand the world around us. But reason has its limits. As F.A. Hayek writes,

[T]he liberal is very much aware that we do not know all the answers and that he is not sure that the answers he has are certainly the rights ones or even that we can find all the answers.

Many of us just need to accept the fact that we won't find what we're looking for.

"The Tragedy of Equality"

Super Fast Plame Game Update

First it was Scooter Libby, then Karl Rove, then the media, now back to Scooter Libby.

"Reporter: Top Cheney Aide Among Sources"

Evolution Questions

Ben Adler of The New Republic asked some prominent conservatives about their views of evolution and intelligent design. Rarely have I stepped into the evolution/creationsim debate found in many corners of the internet. I'm not a prominent conservative--at least not yet--but I'll answer the questions asked.

Whether he personally believes in evolution: I draw a distinction between micro-evolution and macro-evolution. I believe evolutionary processes are taking place right now that allow species to better adapt to their environments. That would explain the host of variations of birds Darwin found on the Galapagos Islands.

That doesn't mean I accept the idea that man evolved from apes or the earth is billions of years old. That is macro-evolution. It's possible that's exactly what happened. But it is also possible God created the world in six days and did it in such a way to make it appear macro-evolution was the process. That would explain evolution's explanatory power.

Such a view can't be proven or disproven. Thus it really isn't a scientific question for me. I take the story of Genesis on faith. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Being able scientifically to "prove" God's existence or His ability to mold the world robs faith of its importance.

What he thinks of intelligent design: I only know its general premise: that many biological parts had to evolve simultaneously in order for the whole to work. ID might explain some things. I don't know enough about it to say it's pure Bible-thumping ignorance. But I don't need ID to bolster my faith in a universe of God's creation.

Whether intelligent design or a similar critique should be taught in public schools: I spent eight years in a small Lutheran grade school. I was taught creationism. I was also exposed to evolutionary theory and the Big Bang theory. The exposure didn't damage my faith, and it made me aware that other people have a different worldview. When I went to a public high school my faith was secure so even though I was being taught evolution I still clung to my faith. Children in public schools won't be unfairly indoctrinated by being exposed to creationism or intelligent design.

Whether schools should leave open the possibility that man was created by God in his present form: This question should ultimately be decided by each individual school district. I'd hope a school I sent my children too would leave open that possibility. But I'm not sure I'd be really worried if they didn't. In the end, I would try my best to teach my children about God's power and His creation.

How evolution should be taught in public schools: Evolutionary theory has to be taught since it is the dominant approach in the biological sciences. But there shouldn't be an anti-religious bias taught. Opponents to evolution shouldn't be considered knee-jerk anti-science types (unless they actually are). But from much that I remember of grade school and high school science evolution was so dominant. More was made of learning about the structures of plants, animals, stars, etc. How photosynthesis worked. DNA's structure. Teleological questions weren't very prominent.

The question is quite moot to me since I hope to educate my children in a parochial school where creationsim will be taught and far away from such loud debates.

"Evolutionary War" [via Betsy's Page]

Rove was Plame Source

Time reporter Matt Cooper's source was indeed Karl Rove. Lawrence O'Donnell was actually right! John Hinderaker at Power Line gets into why Rove probably didn't break the law. It hinges on whether Rove knew Plame was an agent. On September 29 2003, Clifford May wrote,

On July 14, Robert Novak wrote a column in the Post and other newspapers naming Mr. Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as a CIA operative.

That wasn't news to me. I had been told that — but not by anyone working in the White House. Rather, I learned it from someone who formerly worked in the government and he mentioned it in an offhand manner, leading me to infer it was something that insiders were well aware of.

We don't know how "secret" Plame was. We do know she's Vanity Fair's favorite version of James Bond.

More striking is Rove gave Cooper permission to tell the grand jury investigating the Valarie Plame leak that he was Cooper's source. Robert Luskin, Rove's attorney, wouldn't have let that happen if he really thought Rove was in legal trouble. And we know without the consent Cooper would have refused to cooperate and gone to jail just like Judith Miller.

President Bush will take some heat. Newspaper editorial pages, pundits, crazed, Bush-hating webloggers (even some more moderate ones), will all demand Karl Rove be fired. This news will actually take the spotlight off of the London bombing investigation. Hinderaker concludes his post:

Rove presumably told the President that he was one of the sources of the Plame information long ago. It is interesting that Bush didn't take the path of least resistance and ease Rove out of the administration at the end of his first term. The President's reputation for loyalty to has aides is certainly well-deserved.

Rove will stay on at least to drive Bush haters crazy.

"Closing in on Karl"

Did Someone Secede from the Union?

The one member of the DailyKos Community has issued a Declaration of Independence. This is a hilarious document ripping off Thomas Jefferson while injecting over-the-top rhetoric that makes DailyKos an occasionally interesting read. Much of this is tongue-in-cheek. Kos isn't advocating secession. Heck, I don't think this post even made the DailyKos front page. Still, it's always enlightening to enter the mind of a flaky Bush basher. Let's get started with a rare TAM fisking:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people continue to be created equally, that we are still endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, our Government was instituted among all people, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

Every politically correct, liberal interest group had to be mentioned. Saying "people" isn't enough. That's not "inclusive."

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such an Administration, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Yes, and this Kossite had his chance. It was the 2004 Presidential election, and his guy lost!

Such has been the patient sufferance of these United States; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the current President is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over this Nation.

Did you know we're living under a tyranny? Well, according to Freedom House, as of 2003 (PDF), the United States was considered a "free" nation along with France, Germany, and Canada. The Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal index of economic freedom also considers the U.S. to be "free." But why let evidence get in the way of a good polemic?

Let's get to some of the grievances:

He has caused legislative bodies to meet at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of denying them their right to assemble in order to cow them into compliance with his measures.

I'm not sure what this is about. Did Bush convene Congress in Albuquerque without me knowing about it?

He has endeavoured to prevent the Citizens of these States from finding Gainful Employment; for that purpose Outsourcing Work to Foreign Nations

This is liberal economics in action. The faux-Jefferson thinks President Bush can create and destroy jobs at will. The corallary is with a stroke of the pen (or a call to Halliburton) American jobs would not move overseas.

For quartering large bodies of armed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan:

Well, there is that war that's being fought. Oh wait, the Kossites think the Islamist War is a farce. It's merely a way to impose an American empire on the rest of the world.

For cutting off Fair Trade with all parts of the world:

Hey, something I can kind of agree with. But from the hyperbole you'd think Smoot-Harley rose up from the grave.

For cutting Taxes from the wealthy of us without our Consent:

I consented. A majority in both houses of Congress consented according to the constitutional process. And by the way, everybody who pays taxes got a tax cut.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring a Mandate and waging an Illegal War against the world.

An illegal war in the eyes of France, Germany, Russia, the U.N. and Saddam but all of them were corrupted by the Oil-for-Food scandal.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts burnt our towns, and destroyed the Ozone.

This is my second-favorite grievance. Remember all those stories about towns burned by President Bush's rampaging, Halliburton hordes? And what about Bush's ozone-eating machine--probably invented by Halliburton? Yeah, neither do I.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of Mercenaries to contradict the works of our own Troops, while committing circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

With the MSM pretty negative on Iraq you'd think we'd hear all about the cruelties of the hired Halliburton Visigoths plundering Baghdad.

Then there's the declaration of independence:

We, therefore, Members of the DailyKos Community within the United States of America, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Bush Administration, and that all political connection between them and the United States of America, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to Impeach, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

What are covered by "these United Colonies?" Is it the blue states? Or the urban archipelgo? How much land do federal troops have to occupy to bring the secessionists back into line?

And these people are part of a so-called "reality-based community?"

"A Revised Declaration of Independence"

A Long, Hot Summer

Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor today created the first opening on the high court in almost a decade by sending her retirement letter to President Bush. O'Connor was a swing vote so prepare to see both the Right and Left fight trench warfare to fight for and against Bush's upcoming nominee. One Kossak is already getting his side fired up. Orin Kerr thinks her O'Connor's retirment "may shift the Court a lot less than people think" while Ann Althouse thinks a strong conservative would push Justice Kennedy to the Left.

We will see what dirt Bush's opponents will dig up on the person, whether Senate Democrats "Bork" the nominee, and Sen. John "Maverick" McCain can forge another Senate compromise like he did a few weeks back. Who will first find "extraordinary circumstances" and try to block the nomination? This will be one of the toughest, most exciting nominations in Supreme Court history. Todd Zywicki uses some quick public choice econ to guess it will be a tough fight whoever Bush picks.

So, it seems to me, the Bush Administration would be smart to simply nominate the best person that they want, and not be tricked into thinking that they can somehow avoid a nasty confirmation battle by nominating someone with a more "moderate" perception.

On the wild rumor front, Erick at Redstate.org says Sen. John Cornyn's name is floating around. We will be hearing a lot of this.

"Bush Asks Senate for Fairness on High Court Opening"

"Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Retiring"

UPDATE: Scared Monkeys has a quick and dirty linkfest.

The NY Times has a list of some possible nominees.

Names will be floating around all weekend. I'm guessing Bush won't make a decision until he comes back from G8 meetings.

Busy Day at the Supreme Court

A bunch of Supreme Court rulings came down today. I'm going to wait a few more hours to gather more than instant analysis. The Ten Commandments rulings seemed odd. Oh the power of one justice. The file-sharing ruling seems reasonable, but I've never supported intellectual property anarchy on the internet. Lyle Denniston already has some interesting thoughts. I'm pleased with the ruling allowing cable companies to decide who can use their networks. (It's interesting that Justice Scalia dissented.) But who's to say government couldn't just claim them under eminent domain from last week's Kelo ruling?

What I find most interesting is no word that Chief Justice Rehnquist has stepped down. Court watchers expect that to happen with the presumption that all hell will break loose in D.C. over his replacement. I don't think there will be a hard, ideological fight. Rehnquinst is a conservative. Presumably President Bush would nominate a conservative to replace him. Liberals wouldn't be concerned the court would swing widely to the right. Now, if O'Connor, Kennedy, or one of the liberals retired we'd really see forces amassed on both sides.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin's post reminds me the court didn't rule that there was a special reporter's exemption for keeping confidential sources. It's good to know this court didn't weigh into the impossible task of defining a reporter.

Move Those Houses, We Have a Stadium to Build

The expansive Kelo ruling from last week is finding a beneficiary in Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. I'm sure that's exactly what John Paul Stevens was thinking when he wrote his opinion.

"Eminent Domain Ruling Affects Dallas Cowboys Stadium"

Cheney was in Colorado Hospital...But for What?

Arianna Huffington claims Vice President Dick Cheney went to the cardiac center of a Colorado hospital. The White House says he went to see an orthopedic surgeon. Huffington doesn't name any names of people who gave her bits of information. I'm wary until somebody comes out publicly.

But if it Cheney did have a heart problem why would the White House now hide it? It's common knowledge (and a easy joke).

"Huffington: Cheney Hospitalized"

Harsh Attack on Property Rights

In yesterday's much talked about Supreme Court decision Kelo v. City of New London Justice John Paul Stevens used these fateful words:

Promoting economic development is a traditional and long accepted function of government. Clearly, there is no basis for exempting economic development from our traditionally broad understanding of public purpose.

And with that negative liberty was severely damaged.

The purpose of the constitution is to limit what the government can do. The Fifth Amendment clearly states that "private property [cannot] be taken for public use without just compensation." The court has just decided that taking citizens' land and handing it over to monied interests to boost local tax revenues amounts to "public use."

"Economic development" is a very loose term. To use more of Stevens' words it can be anything that "serves a public purpose." It could mean redistributing land in order to raise property values. It could mean taking land to build a sports stadium in order to boost a city's national status. City planners, local government officials, and land developers will fine plenty of new, creative ideas to take advantage of this ruling.

Kelo has greatly strengthened the heavy hand of government. I could feel sympathy with the majority if they had used a states' rights or subsidiarity argument. One could interrpret the Fifth Amendment as applying solely to the federal government. (I don't know how well that would have been done given U.S. legal history.) Stevens et al didn't do that. They made it quite clear local governments have a wide scope to rearrange the ownership of private property as they see fit.

A few things could be done to halt this expansion of government. State and local laws could be changed to limit eminent domain powers. An amendment to the U.S. constitution limiting eminent domain is also a possibility. With the prospects of a Human Life Amendment being sent to the states virtually nil even with the GOP in control of both houses of Congress such an amendment should garner serious effort. Such an amendment could even bring in liberals. Instead of trying to outlaw flag burning a private property amendment should be the focus of Congress' constitutional work.

"Justices Uphold Taking Property for Developing"

"A Win for Big Government"

"SCOTUS: *!@%$@#$ Property Rights"

A Waste of Time

With lots of pressing issues I'm sure the House of Representatives really boosted their public approval ratings by passing the flag burning amendment. This thing won't pass the Senate. What part of the GOP coalition is harping for this? A flag amendment won't get us to victory in the Islamist War. The amendment won't help get us to private Social Security accounts.

The flag burning issue has been around for about 15 years. An amendment has never gotten close to going to the states for ratification. Some conservatives just don't know when to stop.

Let me make this perfectly clear: I don't like the burning of the American flag in protest. But that doesn't mean I think a constitutional amendment is needed. I also think Congress needs to get their priorities straight.

"House Approves Move to Outlaw Flag Burning"

UPDATE: Jonah Goldberg considers this a "yawner."

UPDATE II: Jay Reding calls it "simply a demonstration of Congress' misplaced priorities."

Why Durbin Won't Fall

If we want to use the Sen. Trent Lott standard then it's a no-brainer that Sen. Durbin should leave his Minority Whip post for comparing Gitmo to Nazi death camps and the Soviet Gulag. (You'd think he would have learned from beating Amnesty International took a few weeks ago.) It would be sufficent punishment plus it would be good politics for the Democrats.

It won't happen. In Lott's case he would have remained Majority Leader as long as the White House approved. When it said Sen. Bill Frist was an acceptable replacement Lott was doomed. But what's interesting is that Frist was the White House's man not simply because he'd end the beating the GOP was taking. The White House wanted Frist because they wanted the Medicare drug expansion put into law. From Major Garrett's The Enduring Revolution:

The White House did not abandon Lott immediately after the ensuing uproar began. It gave Lott several days to remedy the situation, in fact. But Lott handled the matter clumsily and only made matters worse. Finally, the White House sent word that Lott could be replaced--but only if the replacement was Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee. This instruction reflected the president's commitment to winning the fight over the Medicare drug benefit. Frist was the only physician in the Senate, a world-famous lung and heart transplant surgeon who spoke with an unrivaled credibility on all matters of health care policy and politics. What's more, Bush knew that Lott was not well versed on the Medicare issue, and he doubted whether he could rely on Lott to support an imperfect compromise. So with the White House's support, Frist--who had been elected in the 1994 revolution and had held no Senate leadership roles before--leapfrogged over all his colleagues to supplant Lott and take control of the GOP agenda. Not surprisingly, when he became Senate majority leader he said his top priority in 2003 was the passage of a Medicare drug benefit." (pg. 265)

Lott was not only expendable but his demotion helped advance the President's agenda. In Durbin's case I don't see any tactical benefit in his removal. In fact, demoting him could harm the Democrats. With the rise of Howard Dean, M.D. as DNC chairman we know activist Democrats are angry. A good portion of them probably completely agree with Durbin's comments. They don't want him dumped because he's talking tough and taking the fight to the Republicans. Durbin is scheduled to be on the same stage as Dr. Dean in a "Paint the Nation Blue" fundraiser in Washington, D.C. As Patrick Ruffini puts it, "They're actually bragging about this? That's just bad form." But the Bush-haters, MoveOn.org, and Kos followers will scream bloody murder if Durbin if forced to fall on his sword. Durbin will survive.

"Learning from Trent Lott"

"A Better Idea Than Censure?"

"Durbin's Gitmo Remarks Draw Fire Back in Illinois"

"Durbin Tries to Quell Anger over Remarks"

Dean Counters Israel Bashers

We now know Howard Dean, M.D. will draw the rhetorical line at anti-semitism:

A handful of people at Democratic National Headquarters distributed material critical of Israel during a public forum questioning the Bush administration's Iraq policy, drawing an angry response and charges of anti-Semitism from party chairman Howard Dean on Friday.

...

"As for any inferences that the United States went to war so Israel could 'dominate' the Middle East or that Israel was in any way behind the horrific September 11th attacks on America, let me say unequivocally that such statements are nothing but vile, anti-Semitic rhetoric," Dean said.

"The inferences are destructive and counterproductive, and have taken away from the true purpose of the Judiciary Committee members' meeting," he said. "The entire Democratic Party remains committed to fighting against such bigotry."

Who were the people passing out the anti-Israel material? Were they employees of the DNC? If so will Dr. Dean fire them? I think a few names should be named so a little public shame can come down on these people.

Now let's go to Dr. Dean's statement. It's good he denounced the material. But I'm confused. Using a pejorative phrase like "white Christian party" is ok but don't bash Israel. In the world of Howard Dean, M.D. Jewish is good but white Christian is bad. How about black Christians? Are they good or bad? By the way most blacks vote we know that answer.

"Dean Condemns 'Anti-Semitic Literature'"

Griffith Confirmed by Senate

Thomas Griffith, nominee to the D.C. Court of Appeals was confirmed by a 73-24 vote in the Senate. Griffith's name wasn't on the filibuster compromise list. He wasn't very controversial. The only real issue with Griffith was some trouble with bar licenses. We'll see if the compromise holds if (or when) William Meyers and Henry Saad come up for a vote.

"Senate Confirms a Sixth Bush Judicial Nominee"

Judge Won't Overturn Washington Governor's Election

Although Judge John Bridges found, in Andy McDonald's words, "many irregularities" it wasn't enough proof for him to void Gov. Christine Gregoire's victory over Dino Rossi last November. He contends that voters have the power to change laws to make sure elections are run better. This brings this response from an e-mailer to Michelle Malkin:

So, these other bloggers may be advocating better organization next time and better get-out-the-vote efforts, but as long they allow people who will lie, cheat and steal to count the votes, the honest folk will never win.

"Nothing to do but Work Harder"

"Judge Upholds Washington Governor's Election" [via RedState]

Measuring McCain

Sen. John McCain may be the de facto leader of the Senate but there will have to be some big, unexpected political shifts for him to win the GOP nomination in 2008--still way too soon to talk about.

His minuses for winning the Presidency include:

• His age. He'll be 72 in 2008.
  
• He's a Senator. No Senator has been elected President since the youthful JFK.
  
• Campaign Finance Reform--A.K.A. First Amendment Restriction. How he'd make it through a Republican primary with every conservative interest group slamming him as an enemy of political speech is beyond me.
  

On the plus side:

• He's beloved by the MSM. He's sure to get plenty of positive coverage. Despite their falling reputation most people in 2008 will still get their news from them.
  
• He's a "maverick." The American public still has an infatuation with politicians who appear to be bucking both parties. This despite no inkling that McCain would run as an independent.
  
• The GOP is ticking people off. Any governing party will do that to some extent, but Bushian big government conservatism isn't pleasing many. Using the Islamist War as an excuse isn't cutting it.
  

The way candidates are lining up the Senate curse may mean little. I can't think of a non-Senator from either party who is preparing to run and has a legitimate shot. But we aren't even up to the 2006 Congressional races. So lots can and will happen. One thing is for sure. Sen. McCain will not be getting TAM's endorsement--for whatever that's worth.

"The Worst That Could Happen"

UPDATE: Chris Muir sums up McCain (and his ego) in two Day by Day strips.

UPDATE II: Mickey Kaus (why can't the man use some real weblog software?) thinks McCain should run as an independent. He thinks he'd immediately have a based of frustrated Perot voters (whose wack jobs who ran the Reform Party?). But McCain isn't wealthy. Who would fund his campaign? Maybe he'd hire the Howard Dean, M.D. net fundraising team. Just don't hire the loons that blew through his $40 million.

[via Instapundit]

Hillary's Finance Man Acquitted

It's unfair to call David Rosen, Sen. Hillary Clinton's former national finance director a "bagman" when he got acquited for lying to the feds. Charges of lying to the government can be very dicey. Look at Martha Stewart. I like Michelle Malkin as much as the next conservative, but she succoms to excessive Clinton hating.

"Former Aide to Sen. Clinton Acquitted"

Thune's Opposition Means Another Frist Test

The Pentagon's latest list of military base closings has pushed one GOP Senator to oppose John Bolton's nomination. Could someone tell Sen. Frist to tell Sen. Thune that there's no way Ellsworth Air Force Base will survive if Bolton loses by one vote? That's how a tough, no hold barred majority leader would behave.

"Thune Says He Will Oppose Bolton Nomination"

Taylor on the Filibuster Deal

Professor Taylor, who supports the "nuclear option," put together a fine analysis of the filibuster compromise. My only addition is to say again that this deal only postponed the final battle. When a conservative Supreme Court nominee has a chance at replacing a liberal on the court then we'll see even more fire and passion. Read it all and "welcome to democracy" messy as it is.

"On the Senate Compromise"

Just Chillin'

Hooray! Other conservatives who didn't have a cow about the filibuster compromise. I'm a proud member of the Coalition of the Chillin', dude.

Oh, Professor, I'm not buying a t-shirt.

[via Glenn Reynolds]

Mangling McCain

That's what Red does in this post. I tried to watch Sean Hannity interview McCain tonight, but after 10 seconds of them gushing over the film Faith of My Fathers I got ill.

"Media Love Fest with John McCain"

UPDATE: Farrah has more on the egomaniacal Sen. McCain. If he wants the 2008 nomination he'll have to soon strongly back a GOP challenger to Gov. Janet Napolitano and hope that person wins. Or else McCain will inflame GOP activists when Napolitano names a Democrat to sit in his Senate seat.

[UGH! I can't believe I just mentioned the 2008 race. I'm still exhausted from last fall.]

"McCain 2008 Fantasy"

Slow Media

The MSM is a little slow in realizing Monday night's filibuster compromise only delayed, not stopped, the final battle. TAM readers already knew that Monday night.

"Justice Choice Could Rekindle Filibuster Fight in the Senate"

The Dust Settles on the Compromise

A day has pasted since the filibuster deal, and I'm still not ticked. All the deal did was end the fight temporarily. Democrats could start up another filibuster as soon as they felt "extraordinary circumstances" existed. Then Republicans could call the deal off. Sen. Graham said,

One of the major elements of the deal makes clear that if one of my seven Democratic colleagues decides to filibuster in the future because of an ‘extraordinary circumstance,’ I retain the right to vote for a rules change. It’s my hope we never get to that point.

The result is three nominees get a vote, and Senate tradition still stands. That's better than getting no nominees a vote and possibly seeing a political disaster with the "nuclear option" losing because of Republicans.

What we do know is both parties' Senate leadership are quite weak. Neither Sens. Frist nor Reid have a firm grasp on their caucuses. I wonder if this show of strength by the "Filibuster 14" will move beyond the judicial battle.

"About that Filibuster Compromise..."

UPDATE: As this Cox & Forkum cartoon demonstrates Senate Democrats may turn trivial things into "extrodinary circumstances." It will require some intestinal fortitude by all Republican Senators. But that was needed anyway before the compromise. This will really come to a head when President Bush makes his first Supreme Court nomination that replaces a liberal justice.

Times' Reaction to Filibuster Deal

The Washington Times echos the anger in the conservative blogosphere with a few quotes from angry conservatives who consider the deal a "sellout." I liked the jab at Sen. McCain's vanity at the end of the story (emphasis mine):

Moments earlier as the deal was about to be announced, several Republicans offered the lectern to Mr. Byrd, who demurred, waiting instead for "his turn."
"Your turn is whenever you want it to be," said Mr. McCain, a chief architect of the deal who had to leave the press conference before it ended to make an early screening of a movie about himself.

"7 Republicans Abandon GOP on Filibuster"

Accountability Required

I think part of the concern many in the rightwing blogosphere have with last night's filibuster deal is they don't think the "moderate" Senate Republicans will hold Democrats accountable. Should the Dems employ their "extraordinary circumstances" phrase for something not extraordinary McCain and his gang will have to call the deal null and void. That's not a sure thing since the whole premise of the deal was to avoid the "nuclear option." But as Pejman Yousefzadeh writes,

Again, this deal could go sour if Republicans do not follow up on any breach. But that is and could be the case for any deal. In the meantime, Republicans have gained three new judicial appointments, a Supreme Court appointment that is free from a filibuster, boxed the Democrats in on what would be considered a reasonable filibuster and still kept the option to eliminate the filibuster on the table.

Like I've said before this issue isn't done. It's only been postponed.

"No Nukes"

Lott Couldn't Have Done Worse

Stephen Bainbridge points out that rightwing webloggers aren't sounding very conservative when it comes to the judicial filibuster. And he uses Russel Kirk (a man I'm guessing most conservatives have never read) to back him up. I haven't gone on record on the "nuclear option." What I have said is this mess shows what a mistake it was to make Sen. Bill Frist majority leader. I wonder if Sen. Trent Lott, warts and all, could have not gotten us to this moment.

"More on The Filibuster Deal"

Deal Brings in Cooling Off Period

You go see a movie and big political news breaks out. There's a deal on President Bush's judicial nominations. Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor will all get their confirmation votes. William Meyers and Henry Saad remain in limbo. Democratic signatories promise to only filibuster in "extrordinary circumstances" while their GOP counterparts promise not to change the rules. All that goes out the window as soon as an "extreme" nominee to the Supreme Court is named.

There's already a lot of GOP bashing coming from the right side of the blogosphere. I'm with Ed Whelan that "this MOU marks only a very temporary cooling off." I also agree with Whelan that these "moderates" (Sen. Byrd was one of the signatories) have misconstrued the initially vague "advice and consent" clause. In no way are those GOP signatories conservative. Their reading of the constitution ignores the two hundred years of tradition where the President nominates and the Senate either votes up or down as their form of advice and consent. Instead they choose to conserve the filibuster, an object with a lesser hold (via The Commissar) in American political tradition. (John Dean takes a different viewpoint by advocating more involvement by the Senate. But no one has ever claimed he was a conservative.)

"Outrageous"

"Senators Avert Showdown Over Filibusters"

UPDATE: Viking Pundit calls it "a minor, if temporary, win for the Republicans."

To say Patrick is upset is an understatement.

Owen isn't happy either.

Kevin calls it a "very bad deal."

Jib thinks the GOP base will lash out in 2006, presumbably by not showing up at the polls.

Don't "Egg" Me On

Karl Rove wins people over through their stomachs? When does the guy have time to cook when he's Black Berrying half the administration? This puffery is about as light as his highly-whisked "eggies."

"Karl Rove's Secret To Success: Eggies" [via Scared Monkeys]

Senate Showdown

Sen. Bill Frist has said he will bring up Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown to a vote this week. With that we may see the end of the Democrats' historic judicial filibuster. Amy Ridenour posted a history of the filibuster provided to her by the Senate
Republican Conference. The most important point to remember is the filibuster is found no where in the constitution. It is simply a part of Senate rules that can be altered at that body's whim.

This is Frist's big moment. Should Senate Democrats force his hand and he fails to change Senate rules, he should immediately step down as majority leader--and he can forget about his Presidential aspirations.

"Judicial Face-Off Hinges on Seven"

Rangel's Folly Continues

Rep. Charlie Rangel has had long enough to fix his Social Security poll. Over 24 hours has past since I spotted the problem. With the speed of blogosphere buzz his campaign has to know the "error" has been made public. I insert those scare quotes because I think Rangel is using his poll to mislead. At the minimum the poll could have been taken down. It hasn't which brings out the cynic in me.

Rangel's Folly

Now, I could loudly shout how Rep. Charlie Rangel is lying to the American public with his messed up Social Security poll. You know if a Republican would have made this error Oliver Willis and Daily Kos would gleefully fuming at how the "GOP is using a push poll to pull one over on the American people." Instead, I'll just sit back and laugh at the poor employee who will get an earful for their mistake.*

"Rangeling Social Security Numbers"

* Now, if Rangel doesn't get his poll fixed and starts using the poll's result he's going to get hell from me. This is his only warning.

Favorite Political Websites

John Hawkins asks and I answer. If I could only read 20 political websites here's what they would be (in no particular order):

• Instapundit
  
• Captain's Quarters
  
• Drudge Report
  
• National Review Online
  
• Charlie Sykes
  
• Boots & Sabers
  
• Hugh Hewitt
  
• Redstate
  
• Dean's World
  
• Lakeshore Laments
  
• Michelle Malkin
  
• Outside the Beltway
  
• Professor Bainbridge
  
• Wizbang
  
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  
• The Weekly Standard
  
• Fox News
  
• WisPolitics.com
  
• Washington Post
  
• Washington Times
  

UPDATE: How could I forget Patrick's My View of the World? Well, it's on here now.

Leading for a Change

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is actually doing something productive for the conservative cause:

Frist, the Senate majority leader, said he would "guarantee" up to 100 hours to debate any nominee to the appeals courts or U.S. Supreme Court. But Frist also said he would require that they all get a confirmation vote, meaning filibusters against these candidates would be banned.

"It may not be a perfect proposal for either side, but it's the right proposal for America," said Frist as he stood in the Senate.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, called the proposal a "big wet kiss to the far right," which has pushed to ban judicial filibusters and get more conservatives on the bench.

Yet Reid promised to study the multifaceted offer as Democrats and Republicans seek to find common ground and avoid what could be a nasty fight.

Hopefully Frist has told Reid this is the best deal he's going to get. If Democrats don't go along Senate rules will simply be changed. 100 hours of debate is a long time. With the slow pace of the Senate that could be weeks or months. That's plenty of time for an opposition to make its case to the American people. Heck, there hasn't been any debate on the John Bolton nomination and it was close to going down.

Who are more important than Reid are the squishy Republicans Frist hasn't been able to keep in line. The Democrats won't go for any deal if they know a few Republicans are around to trash it.

"Republican Leader Offers Compromise on Judges"

527s: Out; C4s: In

527s may have been cool last year, but if the "527 Reform Act of 2005," a Sen. John McCain product, gets passed we'll all be talking about plastic explosives. Byron York sees C4s as the next stage in the never ending cat-and-mouse game between political campaign contributors and the free speech squelchers who think money is evil. I see them as having double the explosive power of Coke's C2.

"New Campaign-Finance-Reform Follies" [via EconoPundit]

A Very Short History of the Filibuster

Does Sen. Harry Reid even read the constitution? Because he sure doesn't know the filibuster isn't in it. But why bother when using the words "constitutional checks and balances" are good talking points?

There is widespread concern about throwing away 200 years of constitutional checks and balances in order to get seven judges on the bench who previously could not achieve bipartisan consensus.

There is a way to avoid the nuclear shutdown, and I'm working with my colleagues to put that plan into place. The bottom line for the Democratic caucus is to protect constitutional checks and balances As part of any resolution, the nuclear option must be off the table.

Reid needs to read the Commissar's post where is actually does some research.

With all this talk of "nuclear" and "constitutional" options, I googled the question of filibustering judicial nominees and noted here a few factual and historical details.

First (or perhaps, "Frist"), the filibuster is a Senate procedural rule, first codified in 1806, little used before World War One, and mostly used by Southern Democrats to oppose civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 1960s.

Republicans aren't off the hook either. A Supreme Court justice was filibustered in 1968.

The Commissar writes:

To sum up, the delaying of judicial nominees seems to be just one more aspect of increasing polarization over the past few decades. Perhaps unfortunate, but real. While the environment may be more partisan, there's nothing to suggest that this change in Senate rules is a constitutional matter, one way or the other.

"Top Senate Democrat Has Plan to Stop Filibuster Ban"

Reid Showing His Hand

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is looking down the proverbial tunnel and sees a good chance of the end to the judicial filibuster. He knows there are at least 50 votes (plus VP Cheney's tiebreaker) to change Senate rules--not constitutional checks and balances like Lefty activists want you to believe. Thus he wants to negotiate a deal.

At the same time he offers to clear two nominees to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals for approval, officials said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., wants a third appointee to be replaced by an alternative who is preferred by Michigan's two Democratic senators.

This deal is just talk, part of on going negotiations. Before I rip on Sen. Frist anymore than I have I want to know if the Senate Majority Leader is actually contemplating letting Senators choose federal judicial appointments. Such a change would be a far more radical change than the ending of judicial filibusters. As Captain Ed writes,

Frist may agree to let two Democrats from Michigan pick judges from their own provincial preferences, eliminating a presidential prerogative and fundamentally changing the balance of power even more significantly than the obstructionist filibusters ever did.

Should Frist cave to Reid by accepting this deal as-is Captain Ed and I won't be the only ones strongly calling for Frist's ouster. This is make-or-break time for the Tennessee Senator.

"Frist, Reid Work on Compromise on Judge Approvals"

Extremely Hair-Brained

In the mind of Washington Post staff writer (definitely not acting like much of a journalist) Robin Givhan John Bolton's hair problem isn't with what's on his face. It's what's on his head.

John Bolton, President Bush's nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, desperately needs a haircut. It does not have to be a $600 Sally Hershberger cut. Bolton simply needs the basics. Tidy the curling, unruly locks at the nape of his neck, tame the volume at the crown, reel in the wings flapping above his ears, and broker a compromise between his sand-colored mop and his snow-colored mustache.

He needs to do this, not because he should be minding the recommendations of men's fashion magazines or grooming experts but because when he settled in before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week to answer questions about his record, his philosophy and his intentions at the U.N., he looked as though he did not even have enough respect for the proceedings to bother combing his hair -- or, for that matter, straightening his tie, or wearing a shirt that did not put his neck in a chokehold. Bolton was one wrinkled suit away from being an insolent mess.

Only in D.C. could someone write something so inconsequential and have it published in a major newspaper.

"Bolton's Hair: No Brush With Greatness" [via Confirm Bolton]

Rod Grams Not Running for Senate

Rod Grams isn't going to run for Mark Dayton's Minnesota Senate seat. That's a bummer. As a College Republican in 1994, I worked hard in Duluth, MN to get him elected. Having him actually pushing for the dismantling of a federal department (energy) was beautiful for a small-goverment guy like me. It was too bad personal family problems led to him only serving one term.

Rep. Mark Kennedy is running for the seat so I'm not worried a RINO will win. I'd freak if Rep. Jim Ramstead was the leading GOP candidate. It would have been hard for Grams to win the seat. Minnesota voters might have looked on him as a political retread. In 1996, Rudy Boschwitz, one of the more spaced out pols I've ever met, tried to snatch his Senate seat from Paul Wellstone, and that didn't work out.

"For Minnesota, No Senator Grams II"

"Squishy Republican"

Michelle Malkin asks, "What do you call a squishy Republican?"

My answer: Sen. Bill Frist.

Quinton on Facial Hair

Jeff Quinton looks at South Carolina politicians and facial hair. Based on this if you want to run for office shave off the 'tasche.

"Facial Hair and Political Viability"

Mean isn't Bad

Ann Althouse adds meaness to the facial hair theme that might stop John Bolton from being U.N. ambassador.

Meanness is a trait in great American leaders. Our nation has benefited from it. If Americans didn't want mean we wouldn't have had Generals Patton and MacArthur leading troops to victory in WWII. The populism of Andrew Jackson would have been snuffed out immediately in American political life. Abraham Lincoln's passionate defense of the union had to have some element of spite toward the confederacy.

This worrying about how nice Bolton is feels a lot like the squimishness Marquette University officials had toward the College Republicans' Adopt-a-Sniper table a few months ago. They like the benefits from warriors and not-so-nice officials, but they don't want to admit to themselves the unclean process the benefits come from.

"Should We Screen Out Mean?"

Hair-Brained Theory

John Bolton's facial hair may be the reason he doesn't become U.N. ambassador. Joe Gandelman has the details.

"Is Bolton Nomination Doomed By The 'Weird Facial Hair Curse'?"

What to Do About a Out-of-Control Judiciary?

So far, I have no answer to confronting a judiciary that ignores the constitution other than call for Sen. Frist to be replaced. While today's "loose" interpretation of the constitution by the courts may be unprecedented in U.S. history Congress imposing its will on the judiciary would also be unprecedented. Two prominent conservatives are telling the GOP-led Congress to watch it. Like I said I have few answers to relieve my frustration.

"Conservative Backlash on Judicial Fight"

Next Majority Leader

Don't think I was blowing smoke when I called for Sen. Bill Frist's ouster. At Redstate I have a poll (along the left side) asking who you think should be the next Senate Majority Leader. Ugh! John McCain is tied for the lead.

A Possible DeLay Explanation

K. J. Lopez received an e-mail that might explain what Rep. Tom DeLay was getting at about judges using the internet for research. That can't be what DeLay meant. His Wikipedia bio doesn't mention any law education so I'm guessing he has an educated laymen's knowledge of the law.

UPDATE: Stephen Bainbridge tries to figure out what DeLay meant:

In any event, where Delay really goes off the rails is in criticizing Kennedy for doing research on the Internet. Why not criticize him for using Lexis and Westlaw while he was at it? To be sure, appellate judges generally should not do an independent investigation of the facts of the case. But judges properly take judicial notice of relevant facts they discover through independent inquiry, cases and other legal authorities they find on their own, and so on. Unless DeLay can show that Kennedy is using the Internet to do an improper investigation of the facts of specific cases before him, this comment transcends mere asininity and achieves true imbecility.

He then calls for DeLay to be thrown "to the wolves." I'd consider it, but I want to know who'd replace him. The House GOP doesn't need to get stuck with their own version of Bill Frist.

We Asked For It

When Sen. Trent Lott made his stupid Strom Thurmond remarks that cost him his leadership post I heard nothing about how the lack of experience in his replacement, Sen. Bill Frist, would affect the GOP. I admit I thought it was good for Lott to move aside. However, I wouldn't have backed Frist knowing then how ineffective the Tennessee Senator would be. Frist demonstrates his lack of political savy with his inability to get President Bush's judicial nominations passed and John Bolton through the Foreign Relations Committee. Even more surprising is that the bogged down judicial nominations cost Tom Daschle his Senate seat, and a Republican stopped the Bolton nomination. I'll state it bluntly: the GOP made a mistake in elevating Frist to majority leader. He doesn't have the hardball political skills needed to beat the Democrats. Frist's ineptitude has pushed some to withhold their political contributions to GOP Senators. In order to salvage anything of his legislative agenda the President needs to tell Frist he had his chance. Replacing management is what Bush did when he was running the Texas Rangers, and items like Social Security reform and conservative judicial nominations are way more important.

UPDATE: In the words of one Beltway Buzz reader: "What impotence."

The Stress is Getting to Him

Justice Kennedy made me wince when he used international law as the basis for some of his opinions. However, Majority Leader Tom DeLay looks like a total goofball when he complained Kennedy did research on the internet. Egads! The horror! Using a computer to gather information? Heaven forbid! I have no idea why DeLay finds that so "outrageous." Why would doing research using the computerized Lexis-Nexis would be okay, but using the internet not? Unless DeLay's goofy enough to think Supreme Court justices should have to open law books. Me thinks he's losing it. This feels a lot like the time when former Speaker Newt Gingrich complained about having to fly in the back of Air Force One to Israel in 1995. Newt losing his cool was a sign President Clinton was winning the political battle over the budget. DeLay may soon see defeat.

"DeLay Slams Supreme Court Justice"

Donate

Redstate.org is passionate about promoting conservatism. It's on its way to becoming a political power house. But to be really effective they need our support.

Hunting Down Heritage

On the posible misdeeds by the Heritage Foundation Erick Erickson puts together as plausible a theory as Time or the Washington Post. But guess which one the tv talking heads will use to bash Republicans?

"Let’s Get DeLay, And Heritage, And Feulner, And, And, And . . ."

Another Congressman Hired Family

The attacks on Rep. Tom DeLay for paying family members with campaign contributions will quickly and quietly end with the news that Rep. Bernie Sanders paid two families members for campaign work. You know they aren't the only two.

"More Democratic DeLay Hypocrisy Surfaces"

UPDATE: Yup, I was right. DeLay and Sanders weren't the only ones.

Overreaction to Bad Art

Must have been a quiet day for the Chicago branch of the Secret Service. Two agents decided to question a bunch of artists about a piece showing a gun pointed at President Bush's head.

How does that constitute a threat to the President? What it demonstrates is some Chicago artists are so full of Bush-hate they abandon any attempt at making a serious artistic statement. It's their version of "shock and awe." Well, I'm shocked the Secret Service even bothered with such awful art.

"Art Show Features Plane Hitting Sears Tower and Bush w/Gun to Head"

Minuteman Update

La Shawn Barber is supportive of the Minuteman Project and notes that it has actually reduced the number of illegals crossing the border into Arizona. She also points out that citizens volunteering to monitor the border has caused government officials to take border security more seriously.

I still think it's weird a bunch of people are out in the desert playing border patrol officer. I'm surprised there has been no confrontations between coyotes (human smugglers) and Minutemen.

"Minuteman Project A Success"

RINO Want's DeLay Tossed

Rep. Chris Shays gets lots of attention for bucking conservative ideas of his fellow Republicans. He's getting plenty of press now for calling for Rep. Tom DeLay's removal as Majority Leader. Whether DeLay should stay or go is one question but few Republicans will care what Shays says. But Shays will be praised by Lefties as "reasonable, responsible" Republican.

"Shays: DeLay Should Quit As House Leader"

Why Lott Was Given the Boot

Conventional wisdom has it that the White House wanted then-majority leader Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) replaced to end the embarassment stupid Strom Thurmond remarks caused. According to Major Garrett in his new book The Enduring Revolution the real reason was the White House wanted Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) to lead the way in the Senate to get President Bush's Medicare drug benefit passed. Garrett writes,

The White House did not abandon Lott immediately after the ensuing uproar began. It gave Lott several days to remedy the situation, in fact. But Lott handled the matter clumsily and only made matters worse. Finally, the White House sent word that Lott could be replaced--but only if the replacement was Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee. This instruction reflected the president's commitment to winning the fight over the Medicare drug benefit. Frist was the only physician in the Senate, a world-famous lung and heart transplant surgeon who spoke with an unrivaled credibility on all matters of health care policy and politics. What's more, Bush knew that Lott was not well versed on the Medicare issue, and he doubted whether he could rely on Lott to support an imperfect compromise. So with the White House's support, Frist--who had been elected in the 1994 revolution and had held no Senate leadership roles before--leapfrogged over all his colleagues to supplant Lott and take control of the GOP agenda. Not surprisingly, when he became Senate majority leader he said his top priority in 2003 was the passage of a Medicare drug benefit." (pg. 265)

Wow! I wonder if people like Glenn Reynolds, Josh Chafetz, Daniel Drezner, and myself would have supported Frist as Lott's replacement if we knew that installing Frist would lead directly to the creation of the largest government entitlement since the Great Society?

Pie=Threat

John Hawkins is also worried about the noted attacks on conservative speakers.

I don't want any speakers attacked. Not Buchanan, not Coulter, not Chomsky, not even Michael Moore (though he'd probably start eating the pie tossed at him). Barbarians toss food at speakers who they don't agree with. We are not barbarians, we are Americans.

"You're Running Towards Stage With A Pie In Your Hand? Then You Should Be Treated Like A Threat"

Berger's Slap on the Wrist

Forget what I wrote that Sandy Berger "will be punished about as harshly as Martha Stewart." Martha got a life sentence compared to Berger's "punishment."

Under terms negotiated by Berger's attorneys and the Justice Department, he has agreed to pay a $10,000 fine and accept a three-year suspension of his national security clearance.

Berger will admit he not only took classified documents out of the National Archive but destroyed some in his office. And in three years he'll get back his national security clearance. How convenient since 2009 is the earliest a Democratic administration could be running the White House.

Till the end of time there will be questions of what Berger and the Clinton administration really knew about al Qaeda's threat to the U.S. Berger's destruction of documents guarantees those questions will never be fully answered.

"Berger Will Plead Guilty To Taking Classified Paper" [via Instapundit]

Another Attack on Conservative Speaker

Pat Buchanan was attacked with a bottle of salad dressing during a speech a Western Michigan University. When taken with the pie attack on Bill Kristol in Indiana and the pie attack on Ann Coulter at the University of Arizona we see a disturbing pattern developing. Lefty radicals are so afraid of some speech they feel they must attack the speaker. In the Buchanan incident the mohawk-coifed attacker was only charged with a misdemeanor. That salad dressing could have easily been acid, and Buchanan could have been disfigured for life. Is a conservative speaker going to have to get killed or severely injured before police decide to throw the book at an attacker? Buchanan is wrong to not press charges. Such attacks are beyond rude, they're dangerous.

"Pat Buchanan Doused With Salad Dressing" [via Drudge]

Sandy Berger: Crook

Sandy Berger could get a maximum of one year in jail and slapped with a $100,000 fine for pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized removal of classified documents from the National Archives. The guy stuffed them into his pants and socks. One wonders who he was trying to protect. His ex-boss, Bill Clinton? Or his possible future boss, John Kerry?

For such a blatant abuse of power and the public trust and who knows what damage to national security Berger will be punished about as harshly as Martha Stewart. Nice if you can get away with it, and Berger pretty much did.

"Berger Cops To Misdemeanor"

"Ex-Clinton Adviser to Admit Taking Documents"

The Reason Behind Operation: Full Court Press

MSNBC's Brock Meeks missed the boat on the border patrol's new effort to stop illegals from coming into Arizona from Mexico. There's plenty of material on what the border patrol will do and whether it will be successful, but Meeks misses the reason why "Operation: Full Court Press" [NOTE: Homeland Security needs to borrow those military people who make cool operation names like "Operation: Iraqi Freedom."] started this week. The Minuteman Project starts Friday. Washington heard the "airhorn." Bryan Preston also thinks the MS-13 threat against Minuteman participants may also have something to do with the personel boost.

Will Operation: Full Court Press stop citizens from patroling the border? No, because one operation won't immediately win back trust.

"U.S. Agency Poised for Big Border Security Operation" [via InTheBullpen]

UPDATE: How dumb does this Homeland Security spokesman think we are?

More than 500 additional Border Patrol agents are being assigned to beef up patrols along the Arizona-Mexico border, with as many as 150 to 200 officers already headed there, federal officials and others said Tuesday.

That news comes just days before civilian volunteers, calling themselves the Minuteman Project, are to begin their own monthlong patrols for immigrants crossing the border.

Organizers have said they expect at least 1,000 people to participate.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with the so-called Minuteman people," Christiana Halsey, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection Bureau, said Tuesday.

Instead, Halsey said, the additional agents, equipment and other resources for Arizona, to be detailed at a news conference today in Tucson by Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner and other officials, have been planned as Phase II of the Arizona Border Control Initiative, a program initially launched last March.

"U.S. Adds 500 to Patrol Ariz. Border" [via Right Voices]

The Birth of a Political Philosophy

Ramesh Ponnuru notices Andrew Sullivan is attempting a one-man conservative purge. Since conservatism, as all political philosophies, is built by many minds, it would be better and more honest of him to call his philosophy "Sullivanism."

The Immigrant Song

When spending a little time in Arizona like I did a few weeks ago you quickly feel how important immigration issues are there. You step out of your hotel room, go to a gas station, turn on the radio, and read billboards. You come into contact with Spanish. You talk with locals about the news of the day and soon illegal immigration will enter the conversation. Illegals are putting tremendous burdens on social services and police forces. On the positive side they provide cheaper labor to companies--imagine a $150/night Motel 6 room in Phoenix. Arizonans are fed up with illegals crossing the border. Voters passed Proposition 200 which requires people to prove they are citizens before voting or receiving government benefits.

I sympathize with those who have witnessed decades of law-breaking. I understand those who are mad at the federal government for failing to secure the border, but then I read people like Project Arkansas Now's Joe McCutchen declaring the U.S. "a Third World dumping ground." The not-so-subtle racism is also demonstrated with The Minuteman Project where volunteer Arizonans will go to the U.S.-Mexico border 04.01.05 to help the border patrol watch for illegal aliens crossing into the U.S. Organizers' fears are posted on their website:

At the current rate of invasion the United States will be completely over run with ILLEGAL aliens by the year 2025...only 21 years away. ILLEGAL aliens and their offspring will be the dominant population in the U.S. and will have made such inroads into the political and social systems that "they" will have more influence than our Constitution over how the U.S. is governed. The ugly consequence of an ignored U.S. Constitution is already taking place.

Future generations will inherit this mutated form of the United States of America, consisting of 100 different sub-nations, speaking 100 different languages, and promoting 100 different cultural agendas. That will certainly guarantee the death of this nation as a "melting pot". Instead, it will be tantamount to a sack of marbles...with each marble colliding with the other marbles, as each culture scrambles for dominance of its culture over all others.

I wonder if this isn't so much fear of illegal immigrants as much as immigrants in general. I suspect if the current numbers entering illegally were actually legal these people would still be decrying the "Third World trash" coming to the U.S.

For the most part, I'm a free borders guy. Just like the freeflow of capital, goods, and services, I support the freeflow of labor. A better allocation of economic resources displaces some but benefits society as a whole.

This doesn't mean I support closing down the boarder patrol, turning a blind eye to illegals crossing the border, or supporting President Bush's new immigration ideas. A pre-requisite of a nation-state is to deliniate the geographical area of itself. A nation-state can't exist if no one knows where it begins and where it ends. For self-defense purposes a nation-state has to be able and willing to defend its borders. It has to be protected from invading armies and terrorist cells. In addition having a class of lawbreakers living comfortably within the nation-state insults the rule of law. Those who broke the law to come to the U.S. have proven they don't respect its immigration laws. What other laws will they flout because they're inconvienent?

The Minuteman Project is an airhorn to Washington, D.C. Something has gone seriously wrong along the border if citizens are willing to guard the border themselves. (I bet most will scurry away after some wacko gets into a shootout with someone on the Mexican side of the border.) The borders have to be strengthened, illegals have to be denied benefits, and employers have to be punished for knowingly hiring illegals. U.S. laws have to be enforced or they become meaningless along with the nation-state.

In support of immigration I back ditching the restrictions on things like H-1B visas. If an employer wants to bring someone from outside the U.S. to work let them. Let that worker pass unheeded and legally past a customs agent so we have a record of who's come in. There should be no limit to the number of legal immigrants into the U.S. Nor should an employer or employee have to prove their techical skills are needed. The federal government shouldn't be in the business of centrally planning high tech labor. More people means more possibilities for new, innovative ideas. That means a great chance of a better life for all Americans. As long as they are willing to obey our laws we should welcome anyone from anywhere.

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Sullivan Taking Advantage

Andrew Sullivan thinks he's Bill Buckley at National Review in the 1960s. Then Buckley kicked the John Birch Society out of the conservative movement. Sullivan is using the Terri Schiavo case to do the same to some Christians. Bashing instead of seriously engaging a significant part of the conservative movement won't revive conservatism--whatever that means.

[via Professor Bainbridge]

Fighting Ashcroft but Not Castro

A library in Vermillion, South Dakota along with library associations in Latvia, Poland, and the Czech Republic are doing something the American Library Association refuses to do: support independent libraries in Cuba. Nat Hentoff writes,

What has made this signal of solidarity against repression most notable is that this small town in South Dakota has not only defied Castro but has also shown the hypocrisy of the national American Library Association—the largest organization of librarians in the world—whose governing council last year overwhelmingly defeated an amendment from one of its members to demand that Castro immediately release the 10 independent librarians, along with the other 65 "prisoners of conscience," as Amnesty International has described them.

Although American librarians stood up to John Ashcroft's Patriot Act provision empowering the FBI to seize library records, including the readers of suspect books, the policy makers of the ALA didn't want to overly offend the Cuban dictator. (Some members of the ALA governing council are Fidelistas who serenade Castro's health care system but are silent about his secret police—and the gulag in which he keeps Cubans who will not be silenced. The Fidelistas prevailed in that ALA vote.)

"A U.S. Library vs. Fidel"

Theresa Talks

Oh, do we miss the raving of Theresa Heinz Kerry. In Seattle, she made some remarks that would fit well with the Democratic Underground crowd. She's paranoid about vote counting methods:

Heinz Kerry is openly skeptical about results from November's election, particularly in sections of the country where optical scanners were used to record votes.

"Two brothers own 80 percent of the machines used in the United States," Heinz Kerry said. She identified both as "hard-right" Republicans. She argued that it is "very easy to hack into the mother machines."

"We in the United States are not a banana republic," added Heinz Kerry. She argued that Democrats should insist on "accountability and transparency" in how votes are tabulated.

"I fear for '06," she said. "I don't trust it the way it is right now."

Notice she offer no evidence of any fraud. Just fears.

She also freaked out about Republicans spending "$90 million to destroy [John Kerry's] reputation."

"In The Northwest: Teresa Heinz Kerry Hasn't Lost Her Outspoken Way" [via My View of the World]

Another Republican Wimping Out

Add Sen. Lindsay Graham to the list of squimish Republicans backing away from private Scocial Security accounts. Graham said Bush's plan was being "oversold and tremendously demagogued."

That doesn't mean you back away from granting people more freedom. It means you have to use better, more persuasive arguments. The President isn't giving up. He's continuing his townhall/infomercials. He's in campaign mode with or without Graham.

"Senator Suggests Social Security Compromise"

Reader Beware

I knew Garance Franke-Ruta was working on a weblogging piece for The American Prospect. At CPAC Mike Krempasky was preparing to get hit by the liberal journalist. He was going around asking for tape recorders to record the reporter. So I'm not surprised she conveniently chopped up one of his quotes.

Butchering a quote is bad enough, but Ms. Franke-Ruta can't even get her facts right. In her piece she writes,

Only 23 blogs were known to exist at the beginning of 1999.

Huh?

I put together this list of webloggers toiling away in 1999:

1. Robot Wisdom
   
2. Memepool
   
3. Jesse James Garrett's jjg.net
   
4. Flutterby
   
5. Stating the Obvious
   
6. Scripting News
   
7. Hacking the Planet
   
8. The Obscure Store
   
9. one.point.zero
   
10. kottke.org
    
11. peterme.com
    
12. Tomalak's Realm
    
13. DrinkBoy
    
14. John Marden
    
15. Genehack
    
16. CamWorld
    

Then if you consider Dave Winer was hosting weblogs through his editthispage.com site it's safe to say there were a few hundred to a few thousand weblogs in 1999. All Ms. Franke-Ruta would have done was to talk to one of the old school webloggers like Winer (or me) to find that out.

So take her article with a grain of salt. Franke-Ruta's quest to find a Vast Right-Wing Weblogging conspiracy may be as complete as her weblog history.

"Blogged Down"

UPDATE: Mike Krempasky, the main target of Franke-Ruta's hit piece hands out quite a fisking.

Bradley Smith Interviewed

Bradley Smith was on Cam Edwards' show Friday talking about McCain-Feingold and websites. You can watch the video until Monday on NRANews.com or you can read part of the transcript on Redstate.

Byrd Droppings

Dare I say it? Wonkette actually adds a little insight to something other than anal sex. Her post on the Sen. Byrd Hitler flap shows D.C. pols have tossed around the Hitler/Nazi label for years.

There are times when the Nazis are a good analogy and times when they aren't. A few centuries ago the Founding Fathers used analogies from Ancient Greece and Rome. I'm sure they compared their oppoents' plans to ancient atrocities. Using such analogies should not be immediately discounted because an evil person or group is brought up. Listeners need to look at the context.

When Sen. Gramm compared a Democratic tax plan to Nazi Germany law he probably crossed a line. When the public thinks of Nazi Germany economic collectivism--though accurate--doesn't come to mind. Rep. King's use of a Nazi prison guard when talking about abortion is better than Gramm's utterance. In the opinion of many abortion is on par with the Holocaust. Sen. Sessions' use of "Nazi Germany's abuses of science" when discussing stem cell research also seems legit.

In Sen. Byrd's case I don't think it was very effective. Byrd thinks using the "nuclear option" to get President Bush's judicial nominations passed is wrong, but few will be able to see how that has anything to do with Nazi Germany. Byrd shouldn't be punished for comparing Republicans to Nazis. He should be razzed for being unpersuasive. Being an explicator of classics he should have stuck to those analogies.

"Robert Byrd: Behind the Times"

Send this to Howard Dean, M.D.

With this "Open Letter to Democrats" we have a serious Democratic approach to national security. In one aspect, increasing the Army and Marines, these Democrats are moving to the right of the Bush administration. These Democrats understand knee-jerk anti-Bushism is bad policy and bad politics. Debating national security from the pro-force side is good for Democrats, Republicans who always need real competition, and the country.

The problem politically for these "Truman Democrats" is twofold. First, it is too close to the GOP's position. While not simply GOP-lite, the Democrats have no track record in recent memory for being for a strong defense. Whether this is true or not that's the public perception. Second, out of the twelve people who signed the letter I've only heard of Bob Kerrey. John Kerry, John Edwards, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, or Howard Dean aren't on the list. Why should anyone take this movement seriously when few have signed on?

[via Dean's World]

Gannon-Plame Connection

Here's what The Washington Post's Dan Froomkin thinks about the possibility of Jeff Gannon being a tool of the White House to expose Valarie Plame:

Did Guckert actually ever get access to an internal CIA memo related to the Plame case? It seems unlikely.

If the Left wants to waste their energy on Gannon, fine by me.

"Looking for Motive" [via JustOneMinute]

UPDATE: Kevin at Wizbang organizes all the Gannon accusations and why they're false. 'Nuff said.

Spending Cut Details

For the lesser-read Saturday newscycle the Bush administration let loose their ideas for budget cuts. The AP has a few examples:

A few examples of the new recommendations:

_End the Small Business Administration's $15 million micro-loan program because it costs taxpayers yearly $1 for each $1 lent.

_Eliminate $496 million in educational technology state grants to free more money for higher priority programs that focus on student achievement and show clearer results.

_Cut half of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and move the program closer to self-reliance.

_Cut one-third of the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Payment Program because an assessment determined there was no demonstrated need for the program.

_Eliminate the National Drug Intelligence Center because it duplicates programs run by a new, multi-agency Drug Intelligence Fusion Center.

Now, we will begin to hear howling from Congressmen and interest groups about how "draconian" the Bush administration is. Of course, we don't know if these are real cuts or just decreases in spending increases. Washington math can be a confusing thing.

"White House Details Proposed Spending Cuts"

Dayton Not Seeking Reelection

Minnesota Senator Mark Dayton will not run for reelection in 2006. Jay Reding opines that Republicans Rep. Mark Kennedy or Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer have good shots at taking the seat. Power Line's Hindrocket thinks Vance Opperman and Mike Ciresi have shots at keeping the seat in Democratic hands.

Jail for Jammer

A political operative was convicted and sentenced for voter supression, and he was doing it for the GOP. You're reading this on TAM not because I've become a Republican basher but to demonstration my intellectual honesty. It's safe to assume you didn't read much about the Democratic tire slashers on certain Lefty weblogs.

"GOP Consultant Sentenced in Phone Jamming"

Reagan's B-Day

The date of the Super Bowl changes from year to year. One thing that won't ever change is 02.06 will always be Ronald Reagan's birthday. Last June, I wrote,

The first picture is Reagan as the embodiment of America. He's weathered, a man who's been working on his land. He looks like he's had his share of a good day's work. The denim jacket is like what you'd see anybody in the West wearing. The grin on his face is that of the optimist. He's a man who looks at the bright side of events and people. Reagan lifted America's spirits when it needed it the most.

The second picture shows Reagan's playful side. He never took himself too seriously. The times he made a self-deprecating remark are legion.

Like all people, Ronald Reagan was more complicated than these two pictures suggest. But they are iconic of Reagan as ordinary American and jovial soul.

Trey Jackson has put together a tribute of photos and links. There's still over four hours until kickoff. That's plenty of time to remember the Gipper.

"Happy Birthday, Mr. President"

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin reminds me that the Reagan stamp is coming your way.

Semi-Live Posting on SOTU

Below are my notes from watching the State of the Union. Here's the text if you want to read along. I haven't read any other analysis. I'm just treating this as a stream of conscious text. Expect weirdness. That's just the way my brain thinks. Take this for what it's worth.

State of the Union 2005:

Bush went with the red power tie; Cheney has burgundy; Hastert a gold tie; Kerry dons a pink tie

Feingold, Jeffords, and Clinton sat together

For the first time, I've noticed lots of grey in the mirror (Bush says "a lot of grey")

Is Charlie Rangle doing homework at a table?

will submit a budget that holds spending growth to below inflation

"Taxpayers' dollars must be spent wisely or not at all." Must see action, not just words.

protect small biz from "junk lawsuits;" "pass legal reforms this year"

Expand health savings accounts

Grassley looks like Mr. Rodgers in his red sweater

He just had to mention crappy ethanol.

"Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th Century." I beg to differ.

Handled well the Democratic moans and groans about Social Security's problems.

Wants to make part of Social Security an actual property right the government can never take away.

Personal accounts still have a paternalistic feel.

I support these accounts. They're far from perfect. Ideally I want to be allowed to opt out of S.S. That won't happen. The government needs my payroll taxes to pay retirees.

"Must strive to build a culture of life."

"To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others.

We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts and that human life is never bought or sold as a commodity." [Must think about that because selling organs would help with current shortages.]

Wants to start a three-year program to stop men from going into gangs. Oh, boy. I can see that idea dropped by the wayside.

Great, there's a one-armed soldier in the gallery. Sob story to come I'm sure.

Am I the only one to think Bush's "force of human freedom" line is a bit oxymoronic?

I can see how some conseratives feel "the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world" is unconservative.

It sounds like Bush has internalized some of Thomas Barnett's thinking about connecting the Gap with the Core.

It also sounds like Bush has consumed R. J. Rummel.

Wants $300 million for Palestinian reforms. That's money going down a sewer.

Good Bush's is calling out Saudi Arabia and Egypt to become more democratic.

It took Bush this long to finally make the case for the Iraq War that combined Saddam as a threat and the need for increased human liberty to forge peace.

I want our troops to get the job done--get Iraq on its feet--then come home.

Here we come to sob story time...

The hug of the soldier's mother and the Iraqi woman was the image of the night. Very moving.

Rand's Birthday

Today, not only is it Groundhog Day but it's also the 100th birthday of Ayn Rand. While I don't consider Atlas Shrugged to be a literary masterpiece I do know her ideas have been much more influential than whether a rodent sees his shadow or not.

"Ayn Rand's Contribution to the Cause of Freedom"

"Groundhog Day Wonderful Tradition"

"'Jimmy The Groundhog' Makes Prediction"

Same-Sex vs. Pro-Life Amendment

Since Andrew Sullivan is going on a weblog hiatus to write a book he'll soon be off the TAM blogroll--not that I've read much of him in the last year. He askes a question brought up by Jon Rauch.

The Senate Republicans have vowed to push their anti-gay marriage amendment, even though it won't stand a chance of getting the necessary 67 votes. The point is political and rhetorical. They are trying to build momentum, raise money, and keep the cause of banning same-sex unions alive. So why not push an anti-abortion amendment instead? They have one such amendment on hand. Both proposed amendments are allegedly against judicial meddling. Both will fail. But one deals with a much graver issue, by the religious right's reckoning - an immense loss of human life, rather than the grave evil of two human beings committing to one another for life. So why this priority? Surely, abortion is a more important matter than same-sex marriage - even for the religious right. Or is it?

I would think that Rauch, who has read lots of Mancur Olson, and Sullivan who had a Ph.D. in political science would see the politics of this action. There already is a pro-life advocacy industry. There's National Right to Life, Pro-Life Action League, the outrageous Operation Rescue, and a host of other groups. Over 30 years of Supreme Court-sanctioned abortion have given pro-lifers plenty of time to build a base of financial supporters and volunteers. Same-sex marriage is a very recent issue. The infrastructure to fight it is still unformed. A push for a same-sex constitutional amendment over a pro-life amendment is a tool to form that opposition. So while neither amendment has a chance of passing the Senate the same-sex marriage one would send a stronger message by rallying the masses.

"Why not an Anti-Abortion Amendment?"

A Big Question

Steven Taylor's post gets to the heart of Man as a political animal. Does a universal human nature exist? Taylor writes,

This debate is fundamental to the debate between those who believe that only in a context of freedom can human beings truly flourish and those who believe that a sufficiently well crafted application of the mind can design the “best” state.

It was at the core of the East-West conflict in the Cold War, it was at the core of the war against Hitler (and today’s observance of the horror that was Auschwitz is a testament to the evil the human mind can create), and is the philosphical basis of Bush’s second inaugural address, as well as the hope behind the elections in Iraq this Sunday.

Perhaps the assumption that there is a universal human nature is flawed. However, the alternative is a view of human beings in which ascriptive characteristics or specific behaviors become the delineator of human nature–and that is a dangerous road to take. If some of us have different natures, Auschwitzes become far easier to construct.

Different sides of many political discussions on ideas big and small can come down to the participants' view of this question.

"On Human Nature"

Feeding from the Trough

Amy Ridenour points out that pundits and journalists aren't the only ones who have conflicts of interest when it comes to government contracts. She writes,

Journalists aren't special (sorry, journalists!). If you should disclose a possible conflict of interest when writing an opinion column, you sure as heck should if you are testifying before Congress.

Or, better yet, decide to stop taking federal money.

"Federal Payola: Journalists Aren't Special"

Guess I'm not "Normal"

Matthew Yglesias writes about paternalism. His position in a nutshell: he's not opposed to it. Paternalism to him is a pragmatic solution to a problem.

He does try to mix up different kinds of paternalism and shove them all under the same umbrella. He does this with both government social programs and voluntary charity ventures.

He also defines paternalism on the individual level as "trying to dissuade people from making bad choices about their lives." The key word is "dussuade." Paternalism is about taking control of another person's actions so they do what's "best" for them. The thinking being that individual isn't making good decisions so the paternalist must take over. Paternalism is beyond persuasion, it's about coercion. I can try to get someone to act in a way I feel is best. That isn't paternalism, that's attempted persuation. If I somehow force that person to do what I think is best, that's paternalism.

What set me off to writing this post was this Yglesias passage (my emphasis):

If, like a normal person, you think it's legitimate -- and, indeed, obligatory -- to use the coercive power of the state in order to help people, then you should also find it obligatory to deploy the coercive power of the state for paternalistic purposes when pragmatically appropriate.

Yglesias' "normal" people don't include libertarians, classical liberals, many conservatives, and probably a good number of the electorate. Also realize that Yglesias' sphere of legitimate uses of state power is so broad as to no way call it "limited"--the word is no where in his post. With the pragamtism he brings to the table state power would be unlimited in Yglesias' ideal America as long as it helped people.

I feel it's safe to say that Yglesias is a Parfitian--he praises one of his books. It's also safe to say he isn't a Hayekian like I am. Thus Yglesias' analysis doesn't take into account the "use of knowlege in society" (a title of Hayek's most important work). Understanding of this and any social problem would benefit from examining the depth and breath of knowledge available to individuals involved. We would better realize that wanting to do good and having enough resources at hand isn't enough to solve social problems. What is important is to understand that individuals use scattered bits of knowledge and limited views of the world to make their decisions.

"Paternalism"

DailyKos Take Down

Markos Moulitsas, A.K.A. DailyKos, argued against New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary. A New Hampshire professor takes him apart by delving into Kos' weblog archives.

"Reformist Democrats Still Need NH Primary"

Social Security and the Democrats: Then and Now

President Bill Clinton in 1998:

Today, Social Security is sound, but a demographic crisis is looming. By 2030, there will be twice as many elderly as there are today, with only two people working for every person drawing Social Security. After 2032, contributions from payroll taxes will only cover 75 cents on the dollar of current benefits. So we must act, and act now, to save Social Security.

Senate Minority Leader Harry on This Week last Sunday:

Here's a crisis that doesn't exist. If I had a mortgage on my home for 40 years and I knew I could make the payments every month, would that be a crisis? The answer is no. We have no crisis. For the next 50 years, people on Social Security, if we do nothing, will draw a hundred percent of their benefits. Even after the 50 years if we decide to do nothing congressionally they can still draw 80% of their benefits. That's not a crisis.

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Beating Bush on SS

The New Republic's Ryan Lizza writes about how united Democrats are to even partial privatization of Social Security. He then offer some lessons from the HillaryCare debacle.

Lizza's article was about what Democrats should do, but what will kill any chance of Social Security reform is Republican weakness. The GOP controls both houses of Congress as well as the White House. They don't need any Democratic votes to pass the legislation. They might need Democrats to avoid a Senate filibuster, but parlimentary rules could avoid that. President Bush's problem is getting weak-kneed Republicans like Rep. Rob Simmons to support him. He said, "Why stir up a political hornet’s nest ... when there is no urgency? When does the program go belly up? 2042. I will be dead by then."

So I see the chance of partial privatization to get passed as less than 50%. Reform probably won't happen until the Baby Boomers squeeze out all the built-up surpluses. Only when checks are threatened will Congress act.

"Hardball 101" [via Political Wire]

Bush's Age Gap

Old people don't like President Bush's Social Security plan as much a young people. No surprise. That gap might be what gets squimish Congressional Republicans to stop the President's efforts.

"Age Gap May be Trouble for Bush"

Advice to Washington State GOP

It isn't just in Chicago where dead people vote. In Seattle (King County) we know of at least eight people who "voted" after dying. That's incredible dedication. What civic devotion to not let something like death get in the way of casting a ballot.

Enough with the sarcasm. From my limited following of the Washington State governor's race there's little chance the GOP will be able to force a revote. What the party must do is collect all the voting horror stories combine them with all the stories about Democratic misgoverning and get ready for the next elections. Their motto should be "Remember King County!" It should be used against any Democratic candidate who defended the governor's race results. If the GOP does it right they could smash the Democratics to damage them for a decade.

"Dead Voted in Governor's Race" [via Powerpundit]

Talking Turkey

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) has some explaining to do. First, what happened to the turkeys a local Michigan food pantry gave to his staff to donate to the needy? It's been days since Conyers' office promised an accounting. All that's been heard is silence. Second, if the turkeys didn't go to the needy what kind of operation are you running that steals from a food pantry during Christmas? Until these questions are answered Conyers has no integrity to question anything about "compassionate conservatism."

"Where Did Turkeys Go?" [via Betsy's Page]

Dobson Roars

James Dobson, head of the evangelical power house Focus on the Family, is getting political, really political. He sent a letter to his supporters threatening to go after six Democratic Senators if they tried to stop social conservative candidates from getting on the Supreme Court. Dobson has no qualms about getting knee-deep in politics. He told the NY Times, "I can't go back, nor do I want to."

I wonder if he'll turn into a conservative Christian windbag like Jerry Fallwell. I also worry he'll turn Focus on the Family into a conservative version of the NAACP.

"Evangelical Leader Threatens to Use His Political Muscle Against Some Democrats"

What's In Rudy's Closet?

Even though Bernard Kerik is no long in line to joining the Bush Administration we're learning just how corrupt he was. How did all this get past a very efficient Bush opperation other than simply taking the word of Rudy Gulliani?

Since we do know that New York City doesn't have the cleanest of governments what's in Rudy's closet (if anything)? If he wants to be taken as a serious 2008 Presidential contender he needs to run against Hillary in 2006 or do something that allows the press and his enemies to flush up his dirty laundry. It would too sweet for the Democrats to dig some really good stuff up after Rudy secured the nomination.

Kerik Gets Baird

Bernard Kerik withdrew his name for Homeland Security security because he employed an illigal immigrant as a nanny. It's a tough loss for the country.

"Kerik Withdraws His Name for Top DHS Job"

A Whole Lot of Nuttin'

Dean Esmay makes the Washington Post's Dana Milbank look like a rube who never learned anything about modern American history.

But to seriously address the point these Bush critics make I'll use a cliche: Don't judge a book by its cover. Appearance isn't what demonstrates America's continued civilian leadership of the country. It's who's accountable. President Bush was elected President by American voters not generals and admirals. Running around in a bomber jacket or flight suit doesn't change who the commander-in-chief reports to. No matter what he wears he's still bound by the constitution.

"Presidents & Pseudo-Military Garb"

Shaking Up the Left

No, David, you're not the last weblogger to comment on Peter Beinert's piece on a new liberal foreign policy. It's a little obnoxious for a conservative like me to pontificate about what liberals should do. I'd be a little perturbed reading a Lefty offering the Right advice. But if Democrats and liberals continue on their present course the nation will be stuck with a one-sided debate. A smart, intellectually honest Democratic Party is good for the GOP and good for the country. So here are some of my thoughts.

Beinert writes:

Had history taken a different course, this new brand of liberalism might have expanded beyond a narrow foreign policy elite. The war in Afghanistan, while unlike Kosovo a war of self-defense, once again brought the Western democracies together against a deeply illiberal foe. Had that war, rather than the war in Iraq, become the defining event of the post-September 11 era, the "re-education" about U.S. power, and about the new totalitarian threat from the Muslim world that had transformed Kerry's advisers, might have trickled down to the party's liberal base, transforming it as well.

Instead, Bush's war on terrorism became a partisan affair--defined in the liberal mind not by images of American soldiers walking Afghan girls to school, but by John Ashcroft's mass detentions and Cheney's false claims about Iraqi WMD. The left's post-September 11 enthusiasm for an aggressive campaign against Al Qaeda--epitomized by students at liberal campuses signing up for jobs with the CIA--was overwhelmed by horror at the bungled Iraq war. So, when the Democratic presidential candidates began courting their party's activists in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2003, they found a liberal grassroots that viewed the war on terrorism in negative terms and judged the candidates less on their enthusiasm for defeating Al Qaeda than on their enthusiasm for defeating Bush. The three candidates who made winning the war on terrorism the centerpiece of their campaigns--Joseph Lieberman, Bob Graham, and Wesley Clark--each failed to capture the imagination of liberal activists eager for a positive agenda only in the domestic sphere. Three of the early front-runners--Kerry, John Edwards, and Dick Gephardt--each sank as Howard Dean pilloried them for supporting Ashcroft's Patriot Act and the Iraq war.

In a backhanded way Beinart blames the Bush administration for the Democratic base not fully supporting the Islamic War. But maybe it was the unrealistic expectations they have toward war. Democrats fail to comprehend how amazing the victories in Afghanistan and Iraq were. In both cases it only took weeks to topple nations and liberate their peoples. As an added bonus there were few Allied causalties. When you put the 1000+ troops that have died during the Iraq War and in post-war operations into historical context you see Iraq has been one of the least-bloody military operations in American history.

Beinert goes on:

Kerry was a flawed candidate, but he was not the fundamental problem. The fundamental problem was the party's liberal base, which would have refused to nominate anyone who proposed redefining the Democratic Party in the way the ADA did in 1947. The challenge for Democrats today is not to find a different kind of presidential candidate. It is to transform the party at its grassroots so that a different kind of presidential candidate can emerge. That means abandoning the unity-at-all-costs ethos that governed American liberalism in 2004. And it requires a sustained battle to wrest the Democratic Party from the heirs of Henry Wallace. In the party today, two such heirs loom largest: Michael Moore and MoveOn.

Beinart will be disappointed in Oliver Willis' Brand Democrat campaign. For Willis it isn't about changing the party, just marketing it better to American voters. In fact, Willis writes, "Howard Dean was right. Peter Beinart, The New Republic, The DLC, and all the pro-Iraq war liberal hawks were wrong, wrong, wrong." Oddly, Willis endorses Howard Dean, M.D. for DNC chairman. Somehow, I don't think he's the greatest salesman for the Democrats.

Beinart sees little hope in Democrats getting their act together until the base realizes America is in a war. That means more than a tiny portion of Democratic delegates have to rate terrorism or defense as their number one issue.

One can only hope that many Democrats take Beinart's ideas to heart. I would love to see my country united, both Left and Right, in the fight against Islamism. A more unified U.S. could be better understood by a cynical Europe and Middle East. Domestic unity could inspire more international unity. In short, foreign policy unity could shorten the long war with Islamist totalitarianism. Doves and hawks, liberals and conservaties, Democrats and Republicans, all want that.

"A Fighting Faith"

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam and The Show Trial.]

Clinton Sells Out to the Chinese Again

The search engine Accoona donated an "undisclosed amount" to Bill Clinton's foundation. In return he gave them some publicity and a hope that they "all make lots of money."

"Bill Clinton Helps Launch Search Engine"

I Had Hope

In a first "final" draft the less-liberal Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) appeared to be moving its party down a sensible path that would better encompass the worldview of Red America. In a commentary they laid out the slimey nature of the Iraq Oil-for-Food program and the ties to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. In the final paragraph there is a call for Annan to "step aside." I, like many others, took that to mean the DLC stood next to Sen. Norm Coleman is calling for new U.N. leadership. We were wrong. The DLC published a note before their piece they really meant Annan should get out of the way and let Paul Volker do his investigative work.

Going after the biggest financial scandal in world history would have been perfect for a self-avowed "centrist" organization to better connect with fair-minded swing voters. That they haven't means even the "moderate" Democrats have a ways to go to win over the Red States.

"The Price of Credibility" [via The Corner]

Moore: I Saved the Democrats

When Michael Moore appeared clean-shaven and in a suit on Jay Leno one could have thought he was dealing well with President Bush's victory. In that appearance Moore talked about how Republicans won because they were better storytellers than the Democrats. As deeply as the rotund filmmaker could think Moore is expanding on that opinion by arguing that the Democrats need to align themselves more closely to Hollywood. Because that "is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story."

He even went further by claiming Hollywood stopped a bloody Democratic defeat:

What Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bruce Springsteen and MoveOn and all the other people that were working during this election, what we did was we prevented a Bush landslide.

My conclusion is Moore is still suffering post-election shock. He was suffering from it on Jay Leno, and he's still suffering it today. There's denial and there's delusion. Moore's suffering from the latter. Depending on who the Democrats choose for their next party chairman we know if the donkey party is suffering too.

"Moore Denies He Hurt Kerry’s Campaign"

Bush's Leftover Cash

John Kerry wasn't the only one with left-over campaign cash:

Bush finished the Nov. 2 election with $4.4 million left in his $75 million, taxpayer-financed general election campaign fund and $1 million in bills to pay. He had $15 million in a legal compliance fund that he could have tapped in the event of a recount fight, according to reports he filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.

The president also detailed the money raised and spent by his record-breaking primary campaign fund. He ended his private fund raising with $273 million collected, close to triple the then-record $106 million he raised for his 2000 primary campaign. The cost of television ads consumed much of Bush's money.

Bush was not allowed to use private contributions on his campaign after he was nominated Sept. 2 at the Republican National Convention in New York. That account had $2 million left as of late November after Bush gave nearly $11.3 million to the Republican National Committee and $1,680 to the White House Historical Association.

While Bush gave millions to the RNC for other campaigns Kerry's stinginess forced the Democrats to borrow money. Better money management is another reason Bush beat Kerry.

"Bush Finished Campaign With Millions"

A Case for Corzine

Patrick Ruffini suspects there's Presidential aspirations in the mind of Sen. John Corzine (D-NJ). As he writes, "Why give up a Senate-seat for life after just one term for a term-limited job [New Jersey governor] that doesn't have the best track record of enhancing reputations?" (Maybe Corzine wants the job so he can hang out with Ahhnold!) Ruffini then goes on to offer some possible reasons a Corzine candidacy would make sense.

However, he ignores Corzine's most glaring problem. He's a Northeastern liberal. Recent political history has shown that that type of candidate hasn't won the Presidency since JFK. The governor's angle is good. A Governor Corzine would have an actual governing record to run on. Lengthy, complicated explanations about Senate voting records could be called "old news." Could even a Blue State liberal governor be able to relate to the hopes and fears of Red Staters? Michael Dukakis certainly couldn't.

No, Democrats have to look away from the Northeast for their next nominee. I see Sen. Evan Bayh as the perfect nominee. He's from Indiana, is a moderate, and has executive experience from when he was governor. But does he have the personality and desire? More importantly, do the hard core Democrats that will choose the nominee like him?

"Corzine '08?"

Conspiracy Disproved

The work done by some reporters may shut up Keith "Go Back to Sports" Olbermann, but I guarantee you years from now some Lefties will passionately believe Karl Rove did something to steal Florida.

"Bush Wins, Again..."

Intelligence Bill Dies

The reconfiguring of intelligence agencies failed to pass Congress today. Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi can blame this "failure" on Republicans who "control the House, the Senate, and the White House." But let's be serious. This was a lame duck Congress who only really needed to pass a spending bill and increase the debt ceiling. In the big picture waiting a few months for the next Congress to pass an intelligence reform will not do damage.

"Rebellious Republicans Derail 9/11 Reform"

Quiet Please

After reading Peggy Noonan's latest column I feel better about not posting as much as I did during the election. My traffic's down, but time should always be made for "ssssshhhhhhhh."

"Ssssshhhhhhhh"

Chicks DO Love Dick

W may stand for Women, but they really dig Cheney.

"Dick Cheney's Shock And Awe"

Saying Bye-Bye

Colin Powell is resigning along with a bunch of other cabinet members. One surprise is that so many stayed so long in the administration. Another surprise is who hasn't turned in his resignation--HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. It's been rumored he has no love for Washington, D.C. Some Thompson supporters tried to get his name into consideration to be the next president of the University of Wisconsin system. That didn't happen. There has been speculation Thompson would challenge either Russ Feingold or Herb Kohl for a U.S. Senate seat. Obviously, he didn't take on Feingold, but if he loathing of D.C. is true he won't be targeting Kohl. What will Tommy Do?

As for cabinet replacements the big buzz is Condi Rice as the new Secretary of State. Hopefully she would transform that it from the weak-willed institution it's been for decades.

"Sources: Powell Resigns - Three Other Cabinet Members to Resign"

"The Cabinet Empties"

Egg Foo Carville.

James Carville can be a loud-mouthed jerk, but he does have a sense of humor. That's probably why he's such a darn-good political consultant.

"Let's Gloat Some More"

Frist's Choice Words

I don't see how Sen. Arlen Specter doesn't become Judiciary Chairman. After a solid set of victories, the last thing the GOP needs to do is start a civil war. That being said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist warned Specter that he's part of a governing coalition. On Fox News Sunday he said, "I would expect Chairman Specter ... if it's Chairman Specter ... to have a strong predisposition to supporting that nominee sent over by President Bush." He also warned Specter he better tow the party line by being "responsible to the feelings, the wishes, the beliefs, the values, the procedures that are held by ... the Republican committee members."

Unless Specter says something stupid between now and when Senate Republicans choose committee chairman he'll get his leadership position. Unlike Sen. John Kerry, Specter's Senate record is his best defense. Even though he's pro-abortion Specter has never opposed any of President Bush's judicial nominees. He also strongly supported Clarence Thomas' nomination, but did vote against Robert Bork.

"Pro-ChoiceAbortion Senator Must Back Bush -Senate Leader"

Some of Each

There are whiners, and there are gloaters. (There are also uber-jerks.)I'm just happy the right man won.

Square Peg, Round Hole

Barbara Streisand decided to stuff a Thomas Jefferson quote into today's world. Ironcially, the part she snipped out of the quote counters some of her fellow Lefties' desire to secede.

"Streisand Dowdifies Jefferson"

Way Too Soon

My goal right now is to get out of this mild post-election weblogging funk. Worrying about a possible President Hillary won't help.

But the guy who created the weblog did get some free publicity.

How Valuable Were "Values?"

Steven Taylor writes, "As such, I would argue that far, far, far too much is being made, on both sides, of the significance of the “moral values” number." He claims the term is quite nebulous and wasn't the issue of the campaign. He's along the same lines as me.

"The 'Values' Question"

Alternate "Reality-Based"

One thing depressed Lefties can do to deal with President Bush's re-election is dump the "reality-based [fill-in-the-blank]" line. It's insulting toward the people you will need next election to vote for your candidates.