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Showing posts from August 31, 2008

The Must Read of the month

If you never read anything I ever link to again fine, just read this one. The whole thing. the WIZARD, fkap: It's Over. We've lost. : "So I'll simply leave you with the eloquent words of one of our very own leaders, Senator Dick Durbin, who on June 12th of this year said: 'But I will tell you this: the hottest ring in hell is reserved for those in politics who attack their opponents’ families. And if there are some strategists who think that’s the way to win the election, I think they’re wrong.' At the time Durbin said it, I didn't think it was true. But I do now."

That "Community Organizer" thing

Tom McGuire nails it : "If Mr. Klein is so keen to defend Obama's glorious record of accomplisment as a community organizer perhpas he should hustle over to Yahoo, where the Answer people are still scratching their heads. Oh, no fair citing this debacle, which seems to have flowed out of his days in the legislature. Here is what Ezra is looking for - Obama led the way towards better swing seats, more sand in the sandboxes, and improved security for some South Side parks. Geez, I feel safer already - can we go back to ridiculing Wasilla now?" Read the whole thing.

The Surge

Delaware Watch has been cheerleading the failure of the surge for over a year now. On Monday we handed over Al Anbar province to the Iraqis. Yes, the province that was the heart of the insurgency is now under Iraqi control. Delaware Liberal is no better. They track very closely with Dana on their doomsaying . Now that even their own candidate has put this myth to rest , they offer no corrections, no climbdown, no explanation, no retraction. Nothing. They are not interested in honesty, only victory and denigration of their political opponents. To my reckoning there is but one liberal in the DE blogosphere who is even remotely interested in intellectual honesty. I sincerely hope he holds fast. My main point here is not to bash either DL or DW. Rather to point out that if they are well and truly interested in the truth it would behoove them to recognize it even if (especially if) it means they were wrong.

Obama out snarks Palin

The Volokh Conspiracy highlights the specific passages of Obama's speech that were either negative or snarky. Democrats will, to a man, simply say they are "true" and therefore do not count. Since everything Obama has ever said is true this is rather circular reasoning. Read it. Decide for yourself.

Moar Fail!

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I could read this all day

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Soldier forced to sleep in car after hotel refuses him a room - Times Online

Soldier forced to sleep in car after hotel refuses him a room . Very nice. Amazingly they changed their tune after a flood of angry calls and letters. Look you don't support the war, fine. This is beyond the pale. It's not all bad though: She added: “In America, they treat soldiers as heroes. We went to Disney World with Tomos and the whole family was moved to the front of the lines. Everybody was clapping and cheering.” US: 1 UK: 0

Biden Denies Saying What He Said

Biden Denies Saying What He Said : "BIDEN: I can look you right straight in the eye and guarantee my son has never, ever, ever lobbied me. I don't meet with lobbyists! I don't meet with lobbyists! And that's -- that's been -- I -- it that started off as an accident because early on in my career I didn't have time to do it, and I've just never done it. My staff does." Either that or: "BIDEN: Lobbyists aren't bad people! Special interest groups are -- are not bad people. People who accept the money from them aren't bad people. But it's human nature. You go out, Lynn, and bundle $250,000 for me, all legal, and then you call me after I'm elected say, "Joe, I'd like to come and talk to you about something." You didn't buy me, but it's human nature. You helped me. I'm going to say, "Sure, let him come on in." Just like, by the way, if I turn around and I'm elected president of the United

More please.

U.S. Troops Crossed Border, Pakistan Says - washingtonpost.com : "Helicopters carried U.S. and Afghan commandos many miles into Pakistan on Wednesday to stage the first U.S. ground attack against a Taliban target inside the country"

Momentum increasing?

"51% Say Reporters Are Trying To Hurt Palin; 39% Say She Has Better Experience Than Obama." That has to be worrying. The MSM has been carrying water for the Democrats for ages but I think this time around the open support is so naked they're not even trying to hide behind the veneer of impartiality. CBS Poll: McCain, Obama Tied, McCain Closes Eight-Point Gap From Poll Taken Last Weekend . That is, prior to the convention. That's pre -bounce (if there is one). Normally, candidates get an 8-10 point bounce after a convention. It's a question of how long they can keep that number up. The answer for Obama was: not very long. I think he is worried which is why he's getting snippy: "Obama's hackles were clearly raised by Palin's dismissal of his community organizing --a response to his earlier dismissal of her record as a small-town mayor. 'Why would that kind of work be ridiculed?' Obama said. 'Who are they fighting for?' The ide

Quote of the Day #2

Um, guys... (1) She'll be a heartbeat away from the Oval Office!!!!!! (2) Obama's not running against Sarah Palin, he's running against John McCain. Once again, pick one.

Damn You Global Warming!

It snowed in Kenya . Was Al Gore heading to Kenya?

Quote of the Day

"Hey, you know who else was a community organizer? Don Corleone." Zing!

Obama: Surge Succeeded Beyond ‘Wildest Dreams’ - America’s Election HQ

“I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated,” . That's true. If by nobody you mean Gen. Petraeus, John McCain and about a million other people. If that is beyond his wildest dreams he's not ready for the big boy chair. Back to community organizing for you.

Joe Biden: no plans to prosecute Bush | Countdown to Crawford | Los Angeles Times

Joe Biden: no plans to prosecute Bush Well, that didn't take long. Just two days ago he was pandering to the total lunatics base telling them they're going to go after Bush and Cheney. h/t: Insty

Lest you trust them too much

Republicans (and some Libertarians) in my experience are frequently too trusting of corporations. While I agree that a large majority of them are trying to make an honest buck, there are always exceptions. California Dept. of Justice - Office of the Attorney General found that Citibank was knowingly stealing money from its customers. That is, if you had a balance of $200 and accidentally overpaid so that your balance was $-200 (assume you paid it twice). Citibank thought a good way to handle this would be to wipe out your account so it's back to zero. Depriving you of a $200 credit. Worse yet, an employee noted the problem and they simply buried the problem. They've agree to pay $14MM to the aggrieved parties. Personally I think they should be fined ten times that amount for such disgusting behavior. Who knows what hardship these thefts caused? How many people were living hand to mouth and lost out on money they couldn't afford to lose? Screw you Citibank.

Something just occured to me

No matter what happens in November there is one guaranteed loser. Hillary Clinton. If Obama wins, he'll run for re-election and she won't be on that ticket either. Which pushes her back to 2016 and she'll be pushing 70 and well past her "sell by" date politically. If McCain wins, Palin is VP and will either be on the ticket again which sucks the air out of Hillary's "First Woman Evar" sails. McCain will be in his late hundreds in 2012 so it's possible that Palin is put forward as the nominee which really puts the kibosh on Hillary. Either way she's seething on election day.

Sarah Palin "Winged" Her Speech Because of "Broken" Teleprompter

RedState: BREAKING: Sarah Palin "Winged" Her Speech Because of "Broken" Teleprompter Hmm...color me skeptical. This sounds like breathless mythmaking by cheerleaders. YMMV.

$350 million boondoggle

Californians are insane. This is not news but now we're at an entirely different level of madness: $350 million high school finally opens in LA : "Much of what was then called the Belmont Learning Center was already constructed before fears grew about toxic gases rising from an old oil field upon which it was built." There are 2,500 students. It took 10 years to build. It costs $250,000 per year to operate the toxic gas mitigation system. That's $352,500,000 for construction and operating costs from inception to completion. That's $14,100 per pupil just for construction cost ($352.5MM/(2,500 students * 10 years) = $14,100). That's before you even get to costs for payroll and overhead. According to "progressive" sources, CA spends $8,646 per student per year. That's $216,150,000 over 10 years. So let's combine the total cost of construction with operating costs of the gas system over that time and the cost of per pupil spending: $350

Michigan man accused of planning anti-GOP attack

My Way News - Michigan man accused of planning anti-GOP attack : "Michigan man accused of planning anti-GOP attack" Any minute now I'll hear about how this guy was influenced by Randy Rhodes, reads books by Al Franken and subscribes to Mother Jones. Any minute now....

Yeah, this will help you win the undecided voters

Joe Biden says Barack Obama might pursue criminal charges against Bush administration if elected | World news | guardian.co.uk : "Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden said yesterday that he and running mate Barack Obama could rip the country apart pursue criminal charges against the Bush administration if they are elected in November." Good luck with that. If Joe is reduced to pandering to the craziest of the Leftist moonbats like this he must really be desperate. Joe is no fool. He knows this is a non-starter and he's pandering.

Palin Roundup

Dominique at DWA proves herself (again) to be the sharpest tool in the shed at DWA. Attention Obama Supporters: Be afraid. Be very afraid. : "Sarah Palin is fierce. She is a force to be reckoned with and she may very well carry John McCain into the White House." She's smart enough not to underestimate Palin. She has the benefit of some objectivity as she's not particularly hot on Obama and still pines for Hillary. On the other hand we have Pandora from DelawareLoonybin: " Did viewers turn off their TVs and feel confident in McCain’s selection. I’m thinking… no. " She's extrapolating her own feelings into those of her opponent. Perhaps she considers herself well attuned to the moderates and independents. I would beg to differ. She seems mostly unimpressed and rather bored by Palin's performance. I'd count that one as underestimation. Keith Olberman who may be stark raving mad, is not stupid. The worst he could muster was "People wh

Must read of the day

Steve Newton nails it. Combine this with his "Fighting the way you train-governing the way you campaign" and the man is really on a roll. He's a dose of much needed sobriety and objective assessment that usually follows when you're at a remove. Very well done.

The Politics of Blood

The Politics of Blood This is very very disconcerting: I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to destroy the Republican Party as it exists today as well as everything it stands for. That means Republicans are not just wrong but evil and must be destroyed. Literally, destroyed. Freeberg spoke of Eliminationism I thought he was wrong and was overstating the danger. As usual, I was wrong. This is about Power . . . How it is obtained—and how it is wielded in ways that affects all of us. Are you telling me that you would not use character-destroying lies to ensure a war against Iran does not occur? Are you telling me you would not spread lies about a man’s integrity , even if it defeated a candidate who take away the right to choose [to kill babies]? Are you telling me you would not destroy the love a family holds for one another , even if it meant letting someone who would destroy the constitution become president? I am absolutely appalled. This person needs

Shameless theivery

Palin Dodges Tough Questions About Existence of "Alaska" Palin Dodges Tough Questions About Existence of "Alaska" By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, September 3, 2008; A1 sarahpalinifthatisherrealname.jpg Media Bubble, Sept. 2 -- Embattled former beauty queen Sarah Palin* continued to wilt yesterday under the pressure of fair, evenhanded media questions about the existence of the alleged state of "Alaska." Palin has claimed to be what she calls "governor" of the legendary land mass, which was once rumored to contain "eskimos." Palin first made the "Alaska" claim during an Aug. 29 public appearance with elderly cancer victim John McCain. McCain, a white man, has long blocked efforts by Barack Obama, a black man, to move into his new house. Palin, also white, has been linked to the McCain offensive. After four days of telling silence from the McCain camp, Palin finally deigned to reappear in public yesterday

The bizaare speculation continues

The invisible pregnancies of presidential daughters. The author assures us that more than a few presidential families have abortions in them. How do we know? Simple statistics. The whole thing is not only unseemly, it's not newsworthy. (Ed: then why are you talking about it.) Look, this is either a private thing or it is not. Families are off limits or they are not. Yes, this is very manichaen for me. Unless or until someone inserts themselves into the political arena, they are off limits. We lost the chance of a good man, Colin Powell, ever entering politics because he didn't want to put his wife through the wringer. He's just one example. How many other good people are turned off to politics for that very reason.

Things I learned this week

Hillary Clinton, champion of women and children, will not defend a 17 year old girl from the most vile smears from her own party. Running for President is sufficient qualification for being President. Being governor of the largest state is not. Sex is a private thing but only if you're a Democrat. A 17 year old girl is a mature woman capable of deciding to have an abortion but a child who will need her mother around full time if she chooses to have the baby. Obama's cannot even convince his own supporters to act with civility toward the Palins yet he will be able to somehow bend Putin and the mullahs in Iran to his will. Democrats are progressive, liberal and believe in gender equality. They also believe that a mother's place is at home with her newborn not in some office somewhere. But a father with newly orphaned children should hop on a train and go to work out of state. Only Republicans take attractive women seriously. It is morally wrong to do something you believe

Just a reminder

The Editors on Pregnant Pause on National Review Online : "When Al Gore’s son was arrested on narcotics and speeding charges in 2007, moreover, the national press was a model of sympathetic restraint. The muted coverage was devoid of calls for a national “teaching moment” on drug abuse or responsible driving. The message was plain and correct: No news here, move along." He was drunk and high and doing 100+ MPH in a 55. Bristol is pregnant. Which is more irresponsible. I leave that to the reader(s) to decide. CORRECTION: I was conflating two stories and got it wrong. It was two separate incidents: Once he was found with illegal drugs and the other was speeding. He was never arrested, let alone convicted for, DWI. I apologize unreservedly for the error.

Tigh / Roslin 2008!

Tigh / Roslin 2008! Awesome! Where's my checkbook?

Hmmmmmm.....

" That is why McCain will win in November, and by a landslide , barring some unforeseen event. Obama is the most talented and persuasive politician of his generation, the intellectual superior of all his competitors, but a fatally insecure personality. American voters are not intellectual, but they are shrewd, like animals. They can smell insecurity, and the convention stank of it. Obama's prospective defeat is entirely of its own making. No one is more surprised than Republican strategists, who were convinced just weeks ago that a weakening economy ensured a Democratic victory." Read the whole thing. Very interesting. "Spengler" speaks in that inside baseball way that Hill rats do. I suspect he is quite well connected. That doesn't make him right per se but at least well informed.

Warthog pilot describes fight in Afghanistan

...I just had a rather exciting flight. "Balz" and I launched to support standard tasking and were immediately retasked airborne to a Troops In Contact (TIC) situation near the location the French lost 10 troops two days ago. Unlike the French, these were Army SF supported with attack helos and us. From the second we showed up it was a running gun battle with the SF guys taking RPGs, sniper and Heavy machine gun fire. We took out two sniper positions with confirmed kills in the first 5 minutes. The helos were marking the locations they were taking fire from with WP (white phosphorus) rockets and we were cleaning things up with the 30MM. I shot 1100 rounds of 30MM and my wingman shot 750. I then used WP rockets to get my #2's eyes on a heavy machine gun position so he could put a 500lb airburst on it. Which he did. In the middle of the fight we were running low on gas so I sent Balz to the tanker and I remained on station single ship suppressing enemy

The first good satire of McCain so far

John McCain is a Cylon Seriously, I'm in heaven. My love of politics and nerdy love of sci-fi collide in one genius post. Read whole thing. Brilliant!

On the other hand...

I think Ace is upset with Andrew Sullivan. I'm not sure, I might have to read that one again. (Probably NSFW unless you work with Longshoreman)

Quote of the Day X2

"It’s all about Walmart. Republicans shop there. Democrats want to close them down." via Gerard #2 ibid: "The smart liberals are worried. The dumb ones think they've won."

The experience trap

The experience trap says that any use of the word "experience" automatically harms Obama. I believe there is certainly some truth in that. The other problem is that Biden as VP undercuts the "The Age Trap". Biden is only a few years younger than McCain so any digs at his age will also reflect on Senator Hairplugs

I'll help you pack

Asked what he felt it would mean for America if Senator McCain wins the election, Stipe smiled and said: "Well I'd have to move to England." Hey Mike, don't forget to bring Alec Baldwin et al. as they promised to leave after the last election and they're still here.

Oh *that* liberal media

Republican National Convention Schedule

I can't make this up

The Media Line : "'Hello, I'm calling from Gaza. I want some of your time. We are supporting Barack Obama…' For the past seven months, a group of 24 students and young professionals have gathered in the Gaza Strip nightly to phone random telephone numbers in the United States, urging the voices at the other end to 'vote for Barack Obama.'" Is Karl Rove this smart?

Game. Set. Match

Andrew Sullivan’s Hypocrisy on Privacy . Somewhere Nick Denton is laughing.

Biden received 5 deferments before being declared medically ineligible for Vietnam -- Courant.com

Biden received 5 deferments before being declared medically ineligible for Vietnam -- Courant.com : "Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden received five student draft deferments during the Vietnam War, the same number of deferments received by Vice President Dick Cheney, and later was disqualified from service because of asthma as a teenager. 'As a result of a physical exam on April 5, 1968, Joe Biden was classified 1-Y and disqualified from service because of asthma as a teenager,' said David Wade, a campaign spokesman. In 'Promises to Keep,' a memoir that was published last year and became an instant best-seller after he was tapped as Obama's running mate, Biden never mentions his asthma, recounting an active childhood, work as a lifeguard and football exploits in high school." Deferments are bad but only if you're a Republican otherwise you're "bravely dissenting" or "consciously objecting" to an "illegal/im

The not-insane DE Democrat on Palin

Ever need a dose of sanity from across the aisle? I do. Lots of it. When I do, I head over to Kavips . This latest again fails to disappoint: The Unoffical Opinion of One Sarah Palin He (yes, he's finally outed himself as he) takes a sober, rational look at the VP candidate. He sees in her what the Republican base is seeing. An honest, small town person. I think the voters see that. She a mom, a wife and a politician in that order. The Loony Left is going so far as to predict when Palin will drop out as she is the worstest VP choice EVAR!!!!1!!!1!! The fish can't see the water. They are so far from the center they cannot possibly see that the woman brings a lot of energy to the base. Her appeal is far broader than they think it is and she may have stirred the leviathan of GOP faithful. There are 60 odd days to go and I suspect the right is going to see a dramatic influx in donations and volunteerism. The race is undeniably tight. Will it remain so? Hard to say.

Today's two word music review

Yes? NO!

ZOMFG!

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Breaking: Barack Obama Killed, Cooked and ate John Kerry!

Palin’s 17-Year-Old Daughter is Pregnant

Palin’s 17-Year-Old Daughter is Pregnant Let's see if I can get ahead of the Kos spin machine: 1. This somehow proves that Bristol is also the father of Trig. 2. The whole family is a bunch of hypocrites. They talk about family values and their own daughter is pregnant out of wedlock 3. She can't even control her own daughter how can she expect to be VP? I had to stop. That's a dark road and I don't want to go down there. UPDATE: DelawareLunatics do not disappoint. Right on the money! Thanks guys!

Democrats go bonkers

First up: No bounce for you! The polls are showing dead even. If that's not worrisome for Democrats 62 days out, I don't know what is. Given that Bush has very low approval ratings and Democrats and MSM (but I repeat myself) are doing their best to conflate Bush and McCain and that they just finished their week long tongue bath of Obama and the gravitas that Joe Biden is supposed to bring to the ticket I think some on the left are realizing that they are on the knife's edge. How bad is the MSM in the tank for Obama? Even the detestable uber-Democrat Bill Maher is taking notice Maher: Matthews and Olbermann "Were Ready to Have Sex& w/ Obama" The Democrats are also showing their soft white underbelly in comments like this one: "Sarah Palin's judgment is despicalble. She knowingly whelped a Mongoloid child earlier this year, probably to pander to the Right to Life Nutbags. Irresponsible decisions like hers dilutes the viability of the American G

The experience thing

I was thinking about experience and whether or not it matters. How much experience do you need to take up the mantle of leadership? What if you're not ready? What if it is thrust upon you? Think about this guy for a moment. Was he ready? What experience did he have? Do you have any idea of the size of the shoes he had to fill? When he was in training for his new job, he went wobbly when it really mattered . Not once but three times . Even after those three strikes, he still got the job and by all accounts, acquitted himself rather well. Experience counts for much but not all. Great men (or women) often rise to the occasion. Sometimes far higher than they themselves thought possible.