This from the Brownsville Herald, confirming reports from yesterday.
Mexican authorities confirmed that Ezequiel "Tony Tormenta" Cardenas Guillen—one of the two leaders of the Gulf Cartel and a pivotal figure in recent border drug wars—was killed in a shootout in Matamoros Friday.
Violence across the city throughout the day left at least 47 others dead, including a reporter for a Matamoros newspaper, sources with knowledge of the situation said.
Three of Cardenas Guillen’s aides, or bodyguards, also were killed, according to Alejandro Poire, spokesman for the Mexican government. He gave no other information other than confirming the death of Cardenas Guillen and his aides.
Two Mexican soldiers also were killed, according to a release Friday night by the Mexican navy. That statement gave a total of six dead in Matamoros and said that "as of 7:45 p.m. it had no confirmation" of a death toll of more than 40.
The article describes what appears to be a three-cornered battle involving the Zetas, the Gulf Cartel, and Mexican military units. Again, given the tradition of corruption in the Mexican military, it's very difficult to know if there were any 'white hats' involved, or if it simply was about who is to be in control of the drug trade.
In a very real sense, it is not for us in the United States to help them sort that out. Mexico has been bloody, chaotic and corrupt since before Cortez arrived, and we probably are not going to change that fact.
What we are obligated as a nation and culture to do, however, is everything we can to draw a hard line, and make certain their internal struggle remains theirs. Southern Texas is a huge agricultural area, home to many retirees, a lot of US citizens living on US soil. There is no gray area about this. Is it time to mobilize our reserve units to guard our border? Isn't it past time?
Memory has faded here, but the Mexican 'revolution' ca. 1910-1920 was a horrible bloody affair that spilled over our southern border. General Pershing led an expeditionary force into northern Mexico in 1916 to attempt to chase down the perpetrators, with limited success.
This approach would not be an option in this day. But, given how populous the Southwest is, the potential for tragedy is much greater in our time, if the current conflict spills over into the US. We have to pursue solutions that don't involve sending our tanks into the Sonoran desert. Now, not next year. For the sake of millions of innocents on both sides of the border.
As OS mentioned last night, the Mexicans read our election results as well. Every state on the border, save California, has a Republican governor, and heavy Republican presence in the legislatures. Most of the states bordering the border states (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Utah) are now in GOP hands, and the Dems rule in the others by slim majorities, with large local sections in GOP control. The sense of sympathy is receding quickly, and the sense of 'We intend to live safely in our own homes' is increasing.
So many innocents have been killed in Mexico, and the flood of drugs (fueled by our demand for the stuff) has created havoc north of the border. The best course of action for our culture has to be to protect the border aggressively, pursue the dealers within our borders ever more aggressively, and quietly insist that the problem will not resolve until the grownups in Mexico (people who believe in simple things like the rule of law and free institutions) take charge.
It will be a ten-year process, if we begin today.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Mexican Cartel Leader Killed Today In Battle Across The Border From Brownsville, Texas
The border war continues, and is coming close enough that classes were cancelled at UT Brownsville, lest the campus catch a stray bullet.
To the Mexican government's credit, they seem to be aggressively going after at least some of the narcotrafincantes. Whether the government is using the military to help one of the gangs prevail over the others is hard to know at this point; or if the goal is to have persons within the government take the trade over for themselves, also hard to know. Given the history of corruption, both are possible.
Or, it really may be a good-faith attempt to roust the bad guys for real. It is dawning upon the Mexicans that if they want access to the US for anything, they need to begin cleaning house back home. Patience has completely worn out, both with them and Obama, who has spent his efforts suing and blackmailing Arizona.
They read our election results, too.
To the Mexican government's credit, they seem to be aggressively going after at least some of the narcotrafincantes. Whether the government is using the military to help one of the gangs prevail over the others is hard to know at this point; or if the goal is to have persons within the government take the trade over for themselves, also hard to know. Given the history of corruption, both are possible.
Or, it really may be a good-faith attempt to roust the bad guys for real. It is dawning upon the Mexicans that if they want access to the US for anything, they need to begin cleaning house back home. Patience has completely worn out, both with them and Obama, who has spent his efforts suing and blackmailing Arizona.
They read our election results, too.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Keith Olbermann, Truly One Of The Worst People In Journalism, Is Busted For Making Political Donations
GRINNNNNNN!!!!
Politico broke the story today.
MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay after POLITICO reported that he made three campaign contributions to Democratic candidates.
MSNBC President Phil Griffin said in a statement Friday: “I became aware of Keith's political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay."
Olbermann made campaign contributions to two Arizona members of Congress and failed Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Olbermann, who acknowledged the contributions in a statement to POLITICO, made the maximum legal donations of $2,400 apiece to Conway and to Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. He donated to the Arizona pair on Oct. 28 — the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on Olbermann’s “Countdown” show.
NBC has a rule against employees contributing to political campaigns, and a wide range of news organizations prohibit political contributions — considering it a breach of journalistic independence to contribute to the candidates they cover.
The Politico link also features a 'best-of-Keith' video gallery, as he rails about the evil people who donate to causes he reviles.
It isn't like the policy hadn't been made clear, as found on the MSNBC website:
"Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the president of NBC News or his designee.”
Keith found out this week that that word 'anyone' meant, well, 'Keith'...
OS does not spend much time with Rush, or Sean, or Savage, or the other ideological screamers that mount the radio and tv pulpits. They're so busy scoring points that they often miss the point--the point about the culture itself. Screaming people are difficult to reason with. It feels great to feel that rush of adrenaline when someone you agree with turns the phrase just so, and verbally slam-dunks any and all who may disagree.
But the feeling goes away, and usually, the problem isn't solved. We really need grown-ups behind the mic, people with great minds, and definite opinions, but with some old-fashioned manners. Bill Buckley did it so well, as did David Brinkley, and David Frost. No one seemed to be taking notes on how they did it, though. No one filled their shoes.
Keith is just a Leftie doppelganger of Michael Savage, raging and fuming, cheered by those who agree and reviled by those who don't. The ratings go up, and the civil discourse swirls the drain.
Unfortunately, this won't be the end of him. He'll be portrayed as a victim, a crusader for Hope-n-Change. There will be a fresh radio show, a book deal, the lecture circuit, etc. etc, etc. Who knows, TheOne may choose him to replace ObamaBob next year. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. In any event, the circus will simply move to another town. He and Al Gore can co-produce a series on ethics in public life, with John Edwards as the first hero held up for our admiration. The possibilities are, after all, endless, if one is unencumbered by reason or conscience.
But, today, let us count our modest blessings. For now, he's off the air, and the silence is golden.
Politico broke the story today.
MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay after POLITICO reported that he made three campaign contributions to Democratic candidates.
MSNBC President Phil Griffin said in a statement Friday: “I became aware of Keith's political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay."
Olbermann made campaign contributions to two Arizona members of Congress and failed Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Olbermann, who acknowledged the contributions in a statement to POLITICO, made the maximum legal donations of $2,400 apiece to Conway and to Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. He donated to the Arizona pair on Oct. 28 — the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on Olbermann’s “Countdown” show.
NBC has a rule against employees contributing to political campaigns, and a wide range of news organizations prohibit political contributions — considering it a breach of journalistic independence to contribute to the candidates they cover.
The Politico link also features a 'best-of-Keith' video gallery, as he rails about the evil people who donate to causes he reviles.
It isn't like the policy hadn't been made clear, as found on the MSNBC website:
"Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the president of NBC News or his designee.”
Keith found out this week that that word 'anyone' meant, well, 'Keith'...
OS does not spend much time with Rush, or Sean, or Savage, or the other ideological screamers that mount the radio and tv pulpits. They're so busy scoring points that they often miss the point--the point about the culture itself. Screaming people are difficult to reason with. It feels great to feel that rush of adrenaline when someone you agree with turns the phrase just so, and verbally slam-dunks any and all who may disagree.
But the feeling goes away, and usually, the problem isn't solved. We really need grown-ups behind the mic, people with great minds, and definite opinions, but with some old-fashioned manners. Bill Buckley did it so well, as did David Brinkley, and David Frost. No one seemed to be taking notes on how they did it, though. No one filled their shoes.
Keith is just a Leftie doppelganger of Michael Savage, raging and fuming, cheered by those who agree and reviled by those who don't. The ratings go up, and the civil discourse swirls the drain.
Unfortunately, this won't be the end of him. He'll be portrayed as a victim, a crusader for Hope-n-Change. There will be a fresh radio show, a book deal, the lecture circuit, etc. etc, etc. Who knows, TheOne may choose him to replace ObamaBob next year. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. In any event, the circus will simply move to another town. He and Al Gore can co-produce a series on ethics in public life, with John Edwards as the first hero held up for our admiration. The possibilities are, after all, endless, if one is unencumbered by reason or conscience.
But, today, let us count our modest blessings. For now, he's off the air, and the silence is golden.
Weapons Caches Found In Mexic0/US Border Cities/Drug Busts Of Mexican Operation In Atlanta
This is not about race, or ethnicity.
This is about safety, the safety of people on both sides of the border. Everyday, normal people, who work and raise families and and go to church and school and don't have any involvement with the drug culture.
That is to say, most of us.
From the MP3 report--OS adds the bold type.
Mexican Marines seized a load of 230 grenades of 40 mm. caliber, a weapon also used by NATO forces, and of a destructive power considered as “very high.”
Also seized were 64,950 rounds of ammunition and either 10 or 17 firearms (the reports contradict each other). The exact location of the house where all this was found was not disclosed, and it was only identified as a “safe house” for the “Zetas” criminal group in the city of Matamoros (right across the Rio Grande River from Brownsville, Texas.)
And up that river, in Piedras Negras, Coahuila (across from Eagle Pass, Texas) military personnel seized 202 kilos of weed, 5 long barrel firearms, 2 handguns, 3 hand grenades and 265 rounds of ammo. Also found elsewhere in the same town: 6,434 kilos of marihuana, and empty boxes of grenades and ammunition.
OS hopes you visit the MP3 site. It dispassionately gathers, translates, and shares news reports from Mexico and Central America, including the account of the drug bust in Atlanta, the operations of a gang from the state of Michoacan. Michoacan is located deep in the interior of Mexico, south of Jalisco, where Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta are located.
The governors of the border states are paying attention, and asking for help. The Obama administration is either looking the other way, or attempting to prevent them from addressing the problem.
Only an administration dedicated to the idea of damaging the country, or at least damaging states that dare to vote against the HopeyChangey agenda, would act like this. No other explanation accounts for the behavior.
The federal government is risking the lives of innocents on both sides of the border.
This is about safety, the safety of people on both sides of the border. Everyday, normal people, who work and raise families and and go to church and school and don't have any involvement with the drug culture.
That is to say, most of us.
From the MP3 report--OS adds the bold type.
Mexican Marines seized a load of 230 grenades of 40 mm. caliber, a weapon also used by NATO forces, and of a destructive power considered as “very high.”
Also seized were 64,950 rounds of ammunition and either 10 or 17 firearms (the reports contradict each other). The exact location of the house where all this was found was not disclosed, and it was only identified as a “safe house” for the “Zetas” criminal group in the city of Matamoros (right across the Rio Grande River from Brownsville, Texas.)
And up that river, in Piedras Negras, Coahuila (across from Eagle Pass, Texas) military personnel seized 202 kilos of weed, 5 long barrel firearms, 2 handguns, 3 hand grenades and 265 rounds of ammo. Also found elsewhere in the same town: 6,434 kilos of marihuana, and empty boxes of grenades and ammunition.
OS hopes you visit the MP3 site. It dispassionately gathers, translates, and shares news reports from Mexico and Central America, including the account of the drug bust in Atlanta, the operations of a gang from the state of Michoacan. Michoacan is located deep in the interior of Mexico, south of Jalisco, where Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta are located.
The governors of the border states are paying attention, and asking for help. The Obama administration is either looking the other way, or attempting to prevent them from addressing the problem.
Only an administration dedicated to the idea of damaging the country, or at least damaging states that dare to vote against the HopeyChangey agenda, would act like this. No other explanation accounts for the behavior.
The federal government is risking the lives of innocents on both sides of the border.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Happy Birthday, John Phillip Sousa 1854-1932
Today marks the birthday of an American hero, John Phillip Sousa.
He is remembered for the delightful marches he composed, which were only one part of his output as a composer. He is also remembered for his unflagging energy and insistence upon the highest standards of music making in every situation.
He personally shaped, for the eternal good, so much of the musical culture of America in his day. What would the American culture be without the contributions he made? Without Washington Post, or Stars And Stripes Forever?
For those readers in the Washington, D.C., area--you know who you are:
At 11 a.m. this Saturday, Nov. 6, “The President’s Own” will pay homage to its 17th Director, John Philip Sousa, with a graveside ceremony and wreath-laying on the 156th anniversary of his birth. The ceremony will take place at Congressional Cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C.
Sousa reminds us who we were, and can be, both individually and corporately.
A perennial Green Shoots Award to this gent.
He is remembered for the delightful marches he composed, which were only one part of his output as a composer. He is also remembered for his unflagging energy and insistence upon the highest standards of music making in every situation.
He personally shaped, for the eternal good, so much of the musical culture of America in his day. What would the American culture be without the contributions he made? Without Washington Post, or Stars And Stripes Forever?
For those readers in the Washington, D.C., area--you know who you are:
At 11 a.m. this Saturday, Nov. 6, “The President’s Own” will pay homage to its 17th Director, John Philip Sousa, with a graveside ceremony and wreath-laying on the 156th anniversary of his birth. The ceremony will take place at Congressional Cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C.
Sousa reminds us who we were, and can be, both individually and corporately.
A perennial Green Shoots Award to this gent.
Sweep Up The Confetti, Ya'll #2: The Morning After The Morning After The Night Before
OK, first and for the record, and for the convenience of OS's readership overseas:
Ben Bernanke's explanation of QE-Deux, or QE-Redux, if you will.
Betcha some senators would love to have their vote back on reconfirming WeimarBen. I found a standard email response from Senator Bob Corker, who voted to reconfirm last February. Really, the good Senator wrote this:
Because he was the one who increased the size of the Fed balance sheet and has an intimate knowledge of the Federal Reserve's holdings, I believe it is important that he is the person to unwind it. In addition, the concerns about inflation are certainly well merited based on the measures the Fed has taken to address our most recent financial crisis. In my conversations with Chairman Bernanke, he made it very clear that he will use every tool at his disposal to avoid runaway inflation and get our money supply under control. That is why I supported Chairman Bernanke to be the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board during this uncertain time for the global financial system.
Well, that worked well...Bob, you got-a-lot-of-'splain'-to-do-Lucy. Really, it isn't like you weren't being pounded by your voters to fire this clown.
So, today: Gold soars, silver soars, oil soars, the dollar tanks. OS is making money by betting against the dollar, and hopes that WeimarBen won't totally tank the culture by killing the curreny.
Then, this jolly bit of news. OS has wondered why those clowns in Kuhlifornia act like people on meth, assuming that the rest of us will bail them out, no matter what.
Turns out, that's what's happening already. And we wonder why the HopeyChangies still control TheLandOfFruitsAndNuts. Obama and company have been buying them off, with our money. Or, with money borrowed from the Chinese in our children's names.
The world's biggest meth lab just may be located in Washington, D.C., ya'll. They don't even need to buy up Sudafed for their concoction.
Last night, Mr. and Mrs. OS took a break from it all, and enjoyed two movies over dinner and after: George Roy Hill's A Little Romance, and Billy Crystal's America's Sweethearts. The sweetness and optimism of the story of two children who run away to Venice for a kiss, and the dark cynical humor about narcissism were quite a contrast. It's hard to imagine the former movie ever being filmed these days...
We used to live our lives not wondering on a daily basis how TheClownCircus and DaBankers were next going to screw up our lives and futures, and how to best work around them, or defend ourselves from them. It is now a part of daily life.
OS writes to keep himself sane, and hopes that his scribble might influence a few hearts and minds in a righteous direction. It's what he can do today.
OS's vision of a recovery is when we can return to a life where the political/economic soap opera is on the back burner, and we can concentrate on our families, our homes, our churches and communities. A life that hearkens more toward A Little Romance, and less black comedy--tragically funny because it resembles real life.
Ben Bernanke's explanation of QE-Deux, or QE-Redux, if you will.
Betcha some senators would love to have their vote back on reconfirming WeimarBen. I found a standard email response from Senator Bob Corker, who voted to reconfirm last February. Really, the good Senator wrote this:
Because he was the one who increased the size of the Fed balance sheet and has an intimate knowledge of the Federal Reserve's holdings, I believe it is important that he is the person to unwind it. In addition, the concerns about inflation are certainly well merited based on the measures the Fed has taken to address our most recent financial crisis. In my conversations with Chairman Bernanke, he made it very clear that he will use every tool at his disposal to avoid runaway inflation and get our money supply under control. That is why I supported Chairman Bernanke to be the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board during this uncertain time for the global financial system.
Well, that worked well...Bob, you got-a-lot-of-'splain'-to-do-Lucy. Really, it isn't like you weren't being pounded by your voters to fire this clown.
So, today: Gold soars, silver soars, oil soars, the dollar tanks. OS is making money by betting against the dollar, and hopes that WeimarBen won't totally tank the culture by killing the curreny.
Then, this jolly bit of news. OS has wondered why those clowns in Kuhlifornia act like people on meth, assuming that the rest of us will bail them out, no matter what.
Turns out, that's what's happening already. And we wonder why the HopeyChangies still control TheLandOfFruitsAndNuts. Obama and company have been buying them off, with our money. Or, with money borrowed from the Chinese in our children's names.
The world's biggest meth lab just may be located in Washington, D.C., ya'll. They don't even need to buy up Sudafed for their concoction.
Last night, Mr. and Mrs. OS took a break from it all, and enjoyed two movies over dinner and after: George Roy Hill's A Little Romance, and Billy Crystal's America's Sweethearts. The sweetness and optimism of the story of two children who run away to Venice for a kiss, and the dark cynical humor about narcissism were quite a contrast. It's hard to imagine the former movie ever being filmed these days...
We used to live our lives not wondering on a daily basis how TheClownCircus and DaBankers were next going to screw up our lives and futures, and how to best work around them, or defend ourselves from them. It is now a part of daily life.
OS writes to keep himself sane, and hopes that his scribble might influence a few hearts and minds in a righteous direction. It's what he can do today.
OS's vision of a recovery is when we can return to a life where the political/economic soap opera is on the back burner, and we can concentrate on our families, our homes, our churches and communities. A life that hearkens more toward A Little Romance, and less black comedy--tragically funny because it resembles real life.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sweep Up The Confetti, Ya'll: The Morning After The Night Before
Last night was good, not as good as OS had hoped for, but good. Harry Reid managed to stay in office, sadly, but he's now 70, widely reviled even in his own state, and the experience undoubtedly aged him. One way or the other, he's riding into the sunset.
Locally, the Right To Hunt And Fish amendment passed, 91% to 9%. PETA will call for a recount, or attempt to overturn in a friendly court in San Francisco, no doubt.
It was gratifying to see the uber-creepy Doug Jackson sent on his way, after decades of holding office in these parts. The plantation his family set up in the 1940's finally withering away, bit by bit, perhaps. Long, long (blanking) overdue.
Oklahoma passed a creative bit of forward-thinking law, barring Sharia law from its state courts. OS thinks will be appearing in many other states in a couple of years.
As for Kuhlifornia--well, what can one say? Hopefully, we'll have the courage to leave them to their fate. They think, like every crackhead, that someone, somewhere, somehow, will ride in to bail them out. Yet again. So they can go out and create chaos next week.
The pressing problems remain. And the newly-elected to Congress don't have two years to grapple with them. They've gotta come out of the gate and get a lot of stuff done in the next nine months or so. Himself and The Clown Circus have dedicated their lives to making sure this country fails, so all these newly elected will be swimming upstream. On the other side, the Tea Party voters have made it very clear that their loyalties lie with the Constitution, not with anyone they voted for.
In the meantime, the lovely, elegant and erudite Katherine Birbalsingh appears in today's Telegraph, with an insightful essay. OS left her warm greetings, and hopes his loyal band of readers will do likewise, and pass her thoughts along to their friends. We can't toss her tormentors overboard, but we can send her encouragement, and humiliate those who treated her so shabbily. It's a start, it's what we can do today.
Locally, the Right To Hunt And Fish amendment passed, 91% to 9%. PETA will call for a recount, or attempt to overturn in a friendly court in San Francisco, no doubt.
It was gratifying to see the uber-creepy Doug Jackson sent on his way, after decades of holding office in these parts. The plantation his family set up in the 1940's finally withering away, bit by bit, perhaps. Long, long (blanking) overdue.
Oklahoma passed a creative bit of forward-thinking law, barring Sharia law from its state courts. OS thinks will be appearing in many other states in a couple of years.
As for Kuhlifornia--well, what can one say? Hopefully, we'll have the courage to leave them to their fate. They think, like every crackhead, that someone, somewhere, somehow, will ride in to bail them out. Yet again. So they can go out and create chaos next week.
The pressing problems remain. And the newly-elected to Congress don't have two years to grapple with them. They've gotta come out of the gate and get a lot of stuff done in the next nine months or so. Himself and The Clown Circus have dedicated their lives to making sure this country fails, so all these newly elected will be swimming upstream. On the other side, the Tea Party voters have made it very clear that their loyalties lie with the Constitution, not with anyone they voted for.
In the meantime, the lovely, elegant and erudite Katherine Birbalsingh appears in today's Telegraph, with an insightful essay. OS left her warm greetings, and hopes his loyal band of readers will do likewise, and pass her thoughts along to their friends. We can't toss her tormentors overboard, but we can send her encouragement, and humiliate those who treated her so shabbily. It's a start, it's what we can do today.
Pat Toomey Wins In Pennsylvania, Kirk Wins In Illinois!
Old Arlen Specter the Democrat/turned Republican/turned Democrat(to keep his chairmanship), defeated in the primary, will now see a conservative Republican visit his offices to measure for new furniture...
GRIN!!!!!!!
Again, for those reading from overseas, this is huge. Obama and the Dems pulled out all the stops for Sestak, and Pennsylvania has always been a Democrat stronghold. The unions owned the place.
And, sweetest of all...Mark Kirk just took Himself's old Senate seat in Illinois. The Chicago machine could not vote enough dead people to overcome the anger of all those people in all those small towns, rural counties, and the suburbs of Chicago who showed up in droves, eager to draw the electoral knife on TheWinnerOfTheNobelPeacePrize.
Boy, that meeting in Mumbai ought'ta go jest great, given Obama's credibility with his own citizens.
In his home state.
No worries, ya'll. It's still all Bush's fault...
GRIN!!!!!!!
Again, for those reading from overseas, this is huge. Obama and the Dems pulled out all the stops for Sestak, and Pennsylvania has always been a Democrat stronghold. The unions owned the place.
And, sweetest of all...Mark Kirk just took Himself's old Senate seat in Illinois. The Chicago machine could not vote enough dead people to overcome the anger of all those people in all those small towns, rural counties, and the suburbs of Chicago who showed up in droves, eager to draw the electoral knife on TheWinnerOfTheNobelPeacePrize.
Boy, that meeting in Mumbai ought'ta go jest great, given Obama's credibility with his own citizens.
In his home state.
No worries, ya'll. It's still all Bush's fault...
Approaching 11:00 pm Local Time In Middle Tennessee, Nov 2, 2010
In TN-4, what appeared to be a tight race between incumbent Democrat Lincoln Davis and Republican challenger Scott DeJarlais ended up being a blowout for DeJarlais.
Davis is one of those creepy Tennessee old-boy Democrat pols who tend to view the district as a personal plantation, assuming their constituents are just too stupid to figure out they're being systematically screwed. The ads the Democrats ran on his behalf, viciously attacking DeJarlais by dredging up allegations from his ex-wife from years ago. This, well, went over badly. Very badly. Very, very badly.
Finally damn time this nonsense backfire on someone.
Likewise, Rand Paul, trashed by Conway in the Kentucky Senate race, won going away. Not even close. And Conway gets to go back to his job tomorrow as Attorney General of Kentucky with his own ethics and credibility profoundly damaged by his own behavior.
Nikki Haley was trashed by allegations of an affair during her run for the governor's mansion in South Carolina, and survived the experience to win.
The voters were not in the mood for this BS, but the HopeyChangies just didn't seem to get the memo.
People willing to do anything, lie/cheat/steal, to win are utterly unqualified to hold office.
Send the memo around again, somebody.
And, locally, it appears that Doug Jackson, one of the worst and dumbest state senators in the history of Tennessee, is losing to his GOP opponent. Which warms OldSouth's heart. He asked on a number of occasions over the past twenty years why no one was willing to run against the man. Most expressed literal fear for their own health. OS always kept his head low, lest he find himself run into one of the many deep ditches of this county late at night. No kidding.
For his part, Jim Cooper, a BlueDog Democrat, held on to TN-5, the Nashville seat, but faced some energetic opposition. His victory speech was very muted, in which he expressed his sensitivity to the legitimate concerns of those who voted for his opposition. In other words, Himself can't assume Cooper will be voting for the next hunka-hunka-steaming-pork sent to Congress.
Steve Cohen won TN-9 easily, the Memphis seat. Charlotte Bergmann, a black conservative Republican, fought the good fight, but sadly the plantation is still alive and well in Memphis.
Fincher rolled over Herron for TN-8, unsurprisingly. Roy Herron didn't stand a chance. Being closely identified with AlGore and the retiring and much disdained John Tanner had to have hurt him.
Bill Haslam sailed into the governor's office. Again, no surprise. Mike McWherter is the son of former Governor Ned Ray McWherter, and that was his only qualification. Next!
OS did have hopes for the GOP to take the Senate, but it is not to be. New York and California just assume TheOne will be bailing them out, with no accountability required. So they vote for more of the same.
Someone send them the memo, please.
We are on the front end of the real pain. They gotta figure things out for themselves.
Michigan and Ohio both voted in conservative GOP governors. For those reading from overseas, this would have been unimaginable even a couple of years ago. Both states have finally felt the lash badly enough, and the voters in the small towns and outlying counties finally decided to install some grownups.
The shadow hanging over it all is Obama. Anyone who identified with the man, apart from deep-blue states, went down in flames.
He'll dismiss it all tomorrow, blame it on Bush, on the stupid voters, on the citizenry who he considers his enemies, on anyone except where the responsibility lies. Then he'll climb on his BigBird for a trip to Mumbai, spending money we're borrowing from China at the rate of $200,000,000 a day.
We've sent him the memo, ya'll. Still don't think He's read it yet.
Waiting on Nevada...
Davis is one of those creepy Tennessee old-boy Democrat pols who tend to view the district as a personal plantation, assuming their constituents are just too stupid to figure out they're being systematically screwed. The ads the Democrats ran on his behalf, viciously attacking DeJarlais by dredging up allegations from his ex-wife from years ago. This, well, went over badly. Very badly. Very, very badly.
Finally damn time this nonsense backfire on someone.
Likewise, Rand Paul, trashed by Conway in the Kentucky Senate race, won going away. Not even close. And Conway gets to go back to his job tomorrow as Attorney General of Kentucky with his own ethics and credibility profoundly damaged by his own behavior.
Nikki Haley was trashed by allegations of an affair during her run for the governor's mansion in South Carolina, and survived the experience to win.
The voters were not in the mood for this BS, but the HopeyChangies just didn't seem to get the memo.
People willing to do anything, lie/cheat/steal, to win are utterly unqualified to hold office.
Send the memo around again, somebody.
And, locally, it appears that Doug Jackson, one of the worst and dumbest state senators in the history of Tennessee, is losing to his GOP opponent. Which warms OldSouth's heart. He asked on a number of occasions over the past twenty years why no one was willing to run against the man. Most expressed literal fear for their own health. OS always kept his head low, lest he find himself run into one of the many deep ditches of this county late at night. No kidding.
For his part, Jim Cooper, a BlueDog Democrat, held on to TN-5, the Nashville seat, but faced some energetic opposition. His victory speech was very muted, in which he expressed his sensitivity to the legitimate concerns of those who voted for his opposition. In other words, Himself can't assume Cooper will be voting for the next hunka-hunka-steaming-pork sent to Congress.
Steve Cohen won TN-9 easily, the Memphis seat. Charlotte Bergmann, a black conservative Republican, fought the good fight, but sadly the plantation is still alive and well in Memphis.
Fincher rolled over Herron for TN-8, unsurprisingly. Roy Herron didn't stand a chance. Being closely identified with AlGore and the retiring and much disdained John Tanner had to have hurt him.
Bill Haslam sailed into the governor's office. Again, no surprise. Mike McWherter is the son of former Governor Ned Ray McWherter, and that was his only qualification. Next!
OS did have hopes for the GOP to take the Senate, but it is not to be. New York and California just assume TheOne will be bailing them out, with no accountability required. So they vote for more of the same.
Someone send them the memo, please.
We are on the front end of the real pain. They gotta figure things out for themselves.
Michigan and Ohio both voted in conservative GOP governors. For those reading from overseas, this would have been unimaginable even a couple of years ago. Both states have finally felt the lash badly enough, and the voters in the small towns and outlying counties finally decided to install some grownups.
The shadow hanging over it all is Obama. Anyone who identified with the man, apart from deep-blue states, went down in flames.
He'll dismiss it all tomorrow, blame it on Bush, on the stupid voters, on the citizenry who he considers his enemies, on anyone except where the responsibility lies. Then he'll climb on his BigBird for a trip to Mumbai, spending money we're borrowing from China at the rate of $200,000,000 a day.
We've sent him the memo, ya'll. Still don't think He's read it yet.
Waiting on Nevada...
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Public Policy Polling Tells The Story In A Nutshell: It's About Obama, Ya'll
Firms like PPP stay in business by telling the truth to their clients, not by telling them what they want to hear.
PPP's sympathies are with the Democrats, but in the end, they gotta publish accurate numbers, or there is no tomorrow.
PPP has some bad news to share with Democrats, and it's about Himself. The OneWeWereWaitingFor, TheWinnerOfTheNobelPeacePrize, Himself.
If this election is a referendum on Barack Obama then o boy are Democrats in trouble. In our final round of 18 polls we found the President with a positive approval rating among likely voters in only 1 state- Connecticut. Even there only 46% of voters expressed support for the job he's doing. He's slightly under water in some of the bluest states out there- California, Washington, even his home state of Illinois.
And the bad news for Democratic candidates across the country is that we found very few voters disapproving of Obama who were willing to then turn around and vote for Democratic candidates. Joe Manchin was an exception but for the most part no Democrats were getting more than 5-10% of the vote from people who disapproved of Obama. There's a lot of good Democrats tonight- both incumbents and challengers- who are going to lose and it won't be because of anything they did wrong. It's just hard to overcome an incumbent President of your party being so unpopular with the people most motivated to vote.
People really don't like him, or the job he's done. They sense his disdain of them, and have felt its lash, as their jobs and businesses melted away, as they watched Him spend and spend and spend, promise and promise and promise, fail and fail and fail, and blame anybody anywhere but His own folly when the wheels began to come off. And they plan to express their opinion about Him.
The spin line 'It's really not about Obama' just won't wash. He Himself made the whole question about life in these United States about Him, believing in his own infallibility, that He was indispensable, the ManWhomHistoryCalledToThisMoment
History has other moments, as well.
PPP's sympathies are with the Democrats, but in the end, they gotta publish accurate numbers, or there is no tomorrow.
PPP has some bad news to share with Democrats, and it's about Himself. The OneWeWereWaitingFor, TheWinnerOfTheNobelPeacePrize, Himself.
If this election is a referendum on Barack Obama then o boy are Democrats in trouble. In our final round of 18 polls we found the President with a positive approval rating among likely voters in only 1 state- Connecticut. Even there only 46% of voters expressed support for the job he's doing. He's slightly under water in some of the bluest states out there- California, Washington, even his home state of Illinois.
And the bad news for Democratic candidates across the country is that we found very few voters disapproving of Obama who were willing to then turn around and vote for Democratic candidates. Joe Manchin was an exception but for the most part no Democrats were getting more than 5-10% of the vote from people who disapproved of Obama. There's a lot of good Democrats tonight- both incumbents and challengers- who are going to lose and it won't be because of anything they did wrong. It's just hard to overcome an incumbent President of your party being so unpopular with the people most motivated to vote.
People really don't like him, or the job he's done. They sense his disdain of them, and have felt its lash, as their jobs and businesses melted away, as they watched Him spend and spend and spend, promise and promise and promise, fail and fail and fail, and blame anybody anywhere but His own folly when the wheels began to come off. And they plan to express their opinion about Him.
The spin line 'It's really not about Obama' just won't wash. He Himself made the whole question about life in these United States about Him, believing in his own infallibility, that He was indispensable, the ManWhomHistoryCalledToThisMoment
History has other moments, as well.
Also On The Tennessee Ballot: The Right To Hunt And Fish
It's a sad commentary upon how completely out-of-control the federal government, the 'environmental movement' and legal profession has become, that it became necessary for the legislature of Tennessee to resort to an amendment to the state constitution.
It sets forth clearly that the citizens have a right to hunt and fish. Here is the language on the ballot:
The citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law. The recognition of this right does not abrogate any private or public property rights, nor does it limit the state's power to regulate commercial activity. Traditional manners and means may be used to take non-threatened species.
Why, you ask, would it be necessary? Think about the animal rights types, and their allies in Washington, the press, academia, the courts, etc. etc.
The roads here are littered with deer this time of year. Mr. and Mrs. OS were nearly killed by a trophy buck last year. Twenty years ago, that boy would have been hanging above someone's fireplace, and the hunter's family would have been eating venison every week for the winter. There aren't enough hunters to harvest the herd. Slowly, slowly, regulations have been crushing both hunting and fishing in many states.
In Tennessee, hunting and fishing are a major recreation, but for more families than one would suspect, they are a way families get fed. OS buys his ammo at a small store, and more than once he has seen old boys in overalls coming in to buy one box of deer rounds, so they can make sure there is protein in the freezer.
So, if you're voting in Tennessee today, take a moment, and strike one more blow for freedom and sanity.
It's an unfortunate necessity, and it must be done, lest we lose our freedoms to those who would legislate, regulate and litigate them out of existence.
It sets forth clearly that the citizens have a right to hunt and fish. Here is the language on the ballot:
The citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law. The recognition of this right does not abrogate any private or public property rights, nor does it limit the state's power to regulate commercial activity. Traditional manners and means may be used to take non-threatened species.
Why, you ask, would it be necessary? Think about the animal rights types, and their allies in Washington, the press, academia, the courts, etc. etc.
The roads here are littered with deer this time of year. Mr. and Mrs. OS were nearly killed by a trophy buck last year. Twenty years ago, that boy would have been hanging above someone's fireplace, and the hunter's family would have been eating venison every week for the winter. There aren't enough hunters to harvest the herd. Slowly, slowly, regulations have been crushing both hunting and fishing in many states.
In Tennessee, hunting and fishing are a major recreation, but for more families than one would suspect, they are a way families get fed. OS buys his ammo at a small store, and more than once he has seen old boys in overalls coming in to buy one box of deer rounds, so they can make sure there is protein in the freezer.
So, if you're voting in Tennessee today, take a moment, and strike one more blow for freedom and sanity.
It's an unfortunate necessity, and it must be done, lest we lose our freedoms to those who would legislate, regulate and litigate them out of existence.
We, The Enemy
From the WSJ, today:
Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio), in line to become speaker if his party wins control of the House, accused Mr. Obama of calling his political opponents "enemies" in a recent pitch to Latino voters. In remarks prepared for a campaign rally in Cincinnati Monday night, Mr. Boehner was to say: "Mr. President, there's a word for people who have the audacity to speak up in defense of freedom, the Constitution and the values of limited government that made our country great. We don't call them 'enemies.' We call them patriots."
Mr. Boehner has been trying to spotlight a comment Mr. Obama made to a Spanish-language radio station. In that interview, Mr. Obama said Democrats would suffer on Election Day "if Latinos sit out the election, instead of saying, 'We're going to punish our enemies, and we're going to reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us.' "
In an interview Monday with syndicated radio host Michael Baisden, Mr. Obama said, "I probably should have used the word 'opponents' instead of 'enemies.' Now the Republicans are saying that I'm calling them enemies. What I'm saying is you're an opponent of this particular provision, comprehensive immigration reform, which is something very different."
Well, Mr. President, that's one of the dangers of going somewhere without your teleprompter. You just might reveal the content of your character, to borrow a phrase from Dr. King. You have a law degree from Harvard, and you edited the Law Review. You are President of The United States. Words matter, especially the ones from your lips. People expect you to act like a grown-up, not a South Side Chicago ward hustler. Oh, wait--that's what you are...never mind.
Howz'about he sez something like this:I was terribly mistaken to use that word. It should never have happened. It was the heat of the moment, but I am responsible for what I say. It will never happen again. Citizens of this great country who disagree with me are not my enemy. This is not a repeat of the Nixon
Administration.
But, he didn't say that. 'Cuz He meant what he said the first time. At least, finally, he admitted to it. That's worth something.
So, We The Enemy go to vote tomorrow. All of us, except for people like OS, who voted early, just in case he got run over by a truck before Election Day.
We The Enemy will likely hand Himself an historic comeuppance at the ballot box, which He has already explained away in His mind. We will continue to be The Enemy, and He and His will redouble their efforts to impose their VisionOfTheWorld upon this country, especially while he has a lame-session of defeated and pissed-off leftist Democrat politicians eager to take their pound of flesh before they leave office. (Next year, He'll still have the veto, and probably the Senate. And a bigger chip on his shoulder than ever. Chin-straps on, ever'body.)
Cuz' We The People are We The Enemy.
There's just a lot more of us than Himself expected to show up. Rather like the Sioux Nation of South Dakota that day long ago.
OS once visited the Little Big Horn battlefield. He came away stunned at General Custer's stupidity and arrogance. How could he have possibly created this sort of disaster? What was he thinking? Had he no concern for the lives and families of the men in his command? Why didn't he listen to the reports that told him he was riding into inescapable danger? Why didn't his officers protest, on behalf of their troops?
What was he thinking? What made him believe he was infallible?
At least, he wasn't President Custer...
Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio), in line to become speaker if his party wins control of the House, accused Mr. Obama of calling his political opponents "enemies" in a recent pitch to Latino voters. In remarks prepared for a campaign rally in Cincinnati Monday night, Mr. Boehner was to say: "Mr. President, there's a word for people who have the audacity to speak up in defense of freedom, the Constitution and the values of limited government that made our country great. We don't call them 'enemies.' We call them patriots."
Mr. Boehner has been trying to spotlight a comment Mr. Obama made to a Spanish-language radio station. In that interview, Mr. Obama said Democrats would suffer on Election Day "if Latinos sit out the election, instead of saying, 'We're going to punish our enemies, and we're going to reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us.' "
In an interview Monday with syndicated radio host Michael Baisden, Mr. Obama said, "I probably should have used the word 'opponents' instead of 'enemies.' Now the Republicans are saying that I'm calling them enemies. What I'm saying is you're an opponent of this particular provision, comprehensive immigration reform, which is something very different."
Well, Mr. President, that's one of the dangers of going somewhere without your teleprompter. You just might reveal the content of your character, to borrow a phrase from Dr. King. You have a law degree from Harvard, and you edited the Law Review. You are President of The United States. Words matter, especially the ones from your lips. People expect you to act like a grown-up, not a South Side Chicago ward hustler. Oh, wait--that's what you are...never mind.
Howz'about he sez something like this:I was terribly mistaken to use that word. It should never have happened. It was the heat of the moment, but I am responsible for what I say. It will never happen again. Citizens of this great country who disagree with me are not my enemy. This is not a repeat of the Nixon
Administration.
But, he didn't say that. 'Cuz He meant what he said the first time. At least, finally, he admitted to it. That's worth something.
So, We The Enemy go to vote tomorrow. All of us, except for people like OS, who voted early, just in case he got run over by a truck before Election Day.
We The Enemy will likely hand Himself an historic comeuppance at the ballot box, which He has already explained away in His mind. We will continue to be The Enemy, and He and His will redouble their efforts to impose their VisionOfTheWorld upon this country, especially while he has a lame-session of defeated and pissed-off leftist Democrat politicians eager to take their pound of flesh before they leave office. (Next year, He'll still have the veto, and probably the Senate. And a bigger chip on his shoulder than ever. Chin-straps on, ever'body.)
Cuz' We The People are We The Enemy.
There's just a lot more of us than Himself expected to show up. Rather like the Sioux Nation of South Dakota that day long ago.
OS once visited the Little Big Horn battlefield. He came away stunned at General Custer's stupidity and arrogance. How could he have possibly created this sort of disaster? What was he thinking? Had he no concern for the lives and families of the men in his command? Why didn't he listen to the reports that told him he was riding into inescapable danger? Why didn't his officers protest, on behalf of their troops?
What was he thinking? What made him believe he was infallible?
At least, he wasn't President Custer...
The Official Catalogue Of Spin: Toby Harndon Shares His Top 10, With Quotes!
Toby Harnden is the Daily Telegraph's US Editor, based in Washington DC.
He, amongst the foreign correspondents, seems to have a most accurate view of us here, warts and all, and the writer's craft to inform both sides of the ocean. It's not easy. The two nations both speak English, to be sure, but the cultures are dramatically different. It gets interesting in hands-across-the-waters-mode, but that's tale for another time.
So, here's Toby's Top Ten:
It’s Wednesday morning, you’re a Democrat and you’re waking up after a terrible night. You’re hung over and you can’t quite remember what happened. You’re pretty sure you lost the House of Representatives and – who knows? – perhaps even the Senate as well. You have a vague recollection of Harry Reid being sent back to Searchlight, Nevada. It might have been a hallucination but didn’t you lose another Kennedy seat in New England too?
You reach for your remote control to check out what the pundits are saying but can’t find it. Perhaps someone threw it at the television set when Illinois went red (or was it Wisconsin?). Never mind, you don’t need to listen to the excuses because they’re all been aired beforehand. Here’s an idiot’s guide as to why the Democrats lost (with apologies to James Carville):
1. It’s the stupid, stupid
Barack Obama:
Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now – and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time – is because we’re hard-wired not to always think clearly when we’re scared. And the country is scared, and they have good reason to be.
John Kerry:
It’s absurd. We’ve lost our minds. We’re in a period of know-nothingism in the country, where truth and science and facts don’t weigh in. It’s all short-order, lowest common denominator, cheap-seat politics.
Anyway, it’s been scientifically proven:
Research suggests that liberals and conservatives have different personality traits… liberals are more intellectually curious and tolerant of ambiguity…
2. It’s the nuts and wusses, stupid. Democrats ran away from Obama’s stellar record.
Tim Kaine:
I do think Democrats thinking that they can, you know, hold the Democratic label at arm’s length, I do think that’s nuts. You put the label after your name, be proud of it.
Ed Rendell
We’re a bunch of wusses. We’re running from the things that we’ve done, running from the things we believe instead of saying, ‘Here’s what we stand for. If we’re going to lose, let’s go down fighting for the things we believe in’.
3. We’re just so focussed on good policy, stupid. Democrats just did the right thing instead of worrying about grubby politics.
Barack Obama:
Given how much stuff was coming at us, we probably spent much more time trying to get the policy right than trying to get the politics right. There is probably a perverse pride in my administration — and I take responsibility for this; this was blowing from the top — that we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular.
Harry Reid
We’re going to write a bill that sets reasonable goals over a reasonable time frame that’d benefit both our environment and our economy. We’re going to write a bill that can pass the Senate. My caucus is ready to get to work, but we need the cooperation of brave Republicans. It’s my hope they will join us in putting good policy over bad politics.
4. It’s the history, stupid. The president’s party always loses in the mid-terms (move along, nothing to see here).
Dick Durbin
Oh, of course we’ll lose some seats in the Senate and in the House. That’s what history tells us.
Mark Mellman
History ordains Democratic losses — in all but four midterms since the Civil War, the party controlling the White House has lost House seats…First, significant losses were the baseline for this year. Forget the stimulus. Forget healthcare. Forget global warming and partisanship (bi- or otherwise). Normal midterm effects and Democratic exposure, let alone the economy, all but guaranteed substantial losses and a House in play. Anyone expecting small losses this year was out of touch with both historical precedent and economic reality.
5. You’re impatient, stupid. Change has not come fast enough and Obama was much too moderate.
Michelle Obama:
And I know for so many people, change has not come fast enough. Believe me, it hasn’t come fast enough for Barack, either.
Paul Krugman
A few commentators will point out, with much more justice, that Mr. Obama never made a full-throated case for progressive policies, that he consistently stepped on his own message, that he was so worried about making bankers nervous that he ended up ceding populist anger to the right.
6. It’s the message, not the product, stupid. Democrats have great policies but a poor message.
Ed Rendell
I think this administration has done a great job… We just did a lousy job communicating it. We let the Republicans, to their credit, out-spin us a year-and-a-half ago, and we’re paying the price.
Bill Maher
The Democrats are very bad at selling their own product. The Republicans are geniuses at it. And I’ve said it before, a bad product well apologized for is superior in this country to a good product.
7. It’s Rove and those dastardly foreigners, stupid. Karl Rove and shadowy outside groups funded by foreign money swamped the Democrats with cash, corrupting our democracy.
DNC ad:
Karl Rove, Ed Gillespie: They’re Bush Cronies. The US Chamber of Commerce: They’re Shills for Big Business. And they’re stealing our democracy. Spending millions from secret donors to elect Republicans to do their bidding in Congress. It appears they’re even taking secret foreign money to influence our elections.
Alexi Giannoulias
Now Karl Rove and the chamber have spent about $10 million in secret money, in secret money where you don’t know where it’s coming from, what country and what amounts, to try and take President Obama’s senate seat. It’s pretty simple. Mark Kirk helped George Bush and Karl Rove wreck this economy, and now Karl Rove is repaying the favour to Congressman Kirk.
(don’t mention the fact that the Democrats spent more money)
8. It’s the racism, stupid.
NAACP:
It is the notion that President Barack Obama is not a real natural born American, that he is some other kind of person, that abounds in Tea Party ranks and draws this movement into a pit of no return.
Barack Obama:
And then there are probably some aspects of the Tea Party that are a little darker, that have to do with anti-immigrant sentiment or are troubled by what I represent as the president.
9. It’s the media’s fault (especially Fox), stupid.
John Kerry
Television seems to exclusively gravitate toward the conflict and whatever is bad, rather than really focusing on the kinds of things that are good and make a difference.
Jimmy Carter
I think under the circumstances that I just described, he’s done an extraordinary job,” Carter said. “He’s got some good things done. They’ve been totally twisted around by some of the irresponsible news media to project him as a person that he’s not and as we all know.
10. It’s stupid Bush, stupid.
Barack Obama
They don’t have a single idea that’s different from George Bush’s ideas–not one…We got here after 10 years of an economic agenda in Washington that was pretty straight forward. You cut taxes for millionaires, you cut rules for special interests, and you cut working folks loose to fend for themselves. That was the philosophy of the last administration and their friends in Congress.
Chris Van Hollen
President George W. Bush and House Republicans drove our economy into a ditch and tried to run away from the accident. President Obama and congressional Democrats have been focused repairing the damage to our economy. Elections are about choices and this year’s Midterms will be a choice between continuing the economic progress and independent leadership that House Democrats are delivering for their districts versus Republicans who are eager to turn back the clock to the same failed Bush-Cheney policies that brought our economy to the brink of collapse.
******
This all reminds OS of a popular debating topic from the late 19th century South: Who lost the Battle of Gettysburg?
Some would argue it was Lee. Or his generals who wouldn't accept his orders. Or lack of men, or lack of supplies, or the weather; or Pickett, for sending his men on that foolhardy doomed charge across open ground against reinforced positions on high ground.(That seemed to be a favorite Confederate Army tactic...)
One night, somewhere in Dixie, the argument started again, and became louder and louder, positively vociferous.
Until one old man silenced them all by saying: Boys, I wuz there! Personally, I think the Yankees had a lot to do with us losing that battle...
He, amongst the foreign correspondents, seems to have a most accurate view of us here, warts and all, and the writer's craft to inform both sides of the ocean. It's not easy. The two nations both speak English, to be sure, but the cultures are dramatically different. It gets interesting in hands-across-the-waters-mode, but that's tale for another time.
So, here's Toby's Top Ten:
It’s Wednesday morning, you’re a Democrat and you’re waking up after a terrible night. You’re hung over and you can’t quite remember what happened. You’re pretty sure you lost the House of Representatives and – who knows? – perhaps even the Senate as well. You have a vague recollection of Harry Reid being sent back to Searchlight, Nevada. It might have been a hallucination but didn’t you lose another Kennedy seat in New England too?
You reach for your remote control to check out what the pundits are saying but can’t find it. Perhaps someone threw it at the television set when Illinois went red (or was it Wisconsin?). Never mind, you don’t need to listen to the excuses because they’re all been aired beforehand. Here’s an idiot’s guide as to why the Democrats lost (with apologies to James Carville):
1. It’s the stupid, stupid
Barack Obama:
Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now – and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time – is because we’re hard-wired not to always think clearly when we’re scared. And the country is scared, and they have good reason to be.
John Kerry:
It’s absurd. We’ve lost our minds. We’re in a period of know-nothingism in the country, where truth and science and facts don’t weigh in. It’s all short-order, lowest common denominator, cheap-seat politics.
Anyway, it’s been scientifically proven:
Research suggests that liberals and conservatives have different personality traits… liberals are more intellectually curious and tolerant of ambiguity…
2. It’s the nuts and wusses, stupid. Democrats ran away from Obama’s stellar record.
Tim Kaine:
I do think Democrats thinking that they can, you know, hold the Democratic label at arm’s length, I do think that’s nuts. You put the label after your name, be proud of it.
Ed Rendell
We’re a bunch of wusses. We’re running from the things that we’ve done, running from the things we believe instead of saying, ‘Here’s what we stand for. If we’re going to lose, let’s go down fighting for the things we believe in’.
3. We’re just so focussed on good policy, stupid. Democrats just did the right thing instead of worrying about grubby politics.
Barack Obama:
Given how much stuff was coming at us, we probably spent much more time trying to get the policy right than trying to get the politics right. There is probably a perverse pride in my administration — and I take responsibility for this; this was blowing from the top — that we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular.
Harry Reid
We’re going to write a bill that sets reasonable goals over a reasonable time frame that’d benefit both our environment and our economy. We’re going to write a bill that can pass the Senate. My caucus is ready to get to work, but we need the cooperation of brave Republicans. It’s my hope they will join us in putting good policy over bad politics.
4. It’s the history, stupid. The president’s party always loses in the mid-terms (move along, nothing to see here).
Dick Durbin
Oh, of course we’ll lose some seats in the Senate and in the House. That’s what history tells us.
Mark Mellman
History ordains Democratic losses — in all but four midterms since the Civil War, the party controlling the White House has lost House seats…First, significant losses were the baseline for this year. Forget the stimulus. Forget healthcare. Forget global warming and partisanship (bi- or otherwise). Normal midterm effects and Democratic exposure, let alone the economy, all but guaranteed substantial losses and a House in play. Anyone expecting small losses this year was out of touch with both historical precedent and economic reality.
5. You’re impatient, stupid. Change has not come fast enough and Obama was much too moderate.
Michelle Obama:
And I know for so many people, change has not come fast enough. Believe me, it hasn’t come fast enough for Barack, either.
Paul Krugman
A few commentators will point out, with much more justice, that Mr. Obama never made a full-throated case for progressive policies, that he consistently stepped on his own message, that he was so worried about making bankers nervous that he ended up ceding populist anger to the right.
6. It’s the message, not the product, stupid. Democrats have great policies but a poor message.
Ed Rendell
I think this administration has done a great job… We just did a lousy job communicating it. We let the Republicans, to their credit, out-spin us a year-and-a-half ago, and we’re paying the price.
Bill Maher
The Democrats are very bad at selling their own product. The Republicans are geniuses at it. And I’ve said it before, a bad product well apologized for is superior in this country to a good product.
7. It’s Rove and those dastardly foreigners, stupid. Karl Rove and shadowy outside groups funded by foreign money swamped the Democrats with cash, corrupting our democracy.
DNC ad:
Karl Rove, Ed Gillespie: They’re Bush Cronies. The US Chamber of Commerce: They’re Shills for Big Business. And they’re stealing our democracy. Spending millions from secret donors to elect Republicans to do their bidding in Congress. It appears they’re even taking secret foreign money to influence our elections.
Alexi Giannoulias
Now Karl Rove and the chamber have spent about $10 million in secret money, in secret money where you don’t know where it’s coming from, what country and what amounts, to try and take President Obama’s senate seat. It’s pretty simple. Mark Kirk helped George Bush and Karl Rove wreck this economy, and now Karl Rove is repaying the favour to Congressman Kirk.
(don’t mention the fact that the Democrats spent more money)
8. It’s the racism, stupid.
NAACP:
It is the notion that President Barack Obama is not a real natural born American, that he is some other kind of person, that abounds in Tea Party ranks and draws this movement into a pit of no return.
Barack Obama:
And then there are probably some aspects of the Tea Party that are a little darker, that have to do with anti-immigrant sentiment or are troubled by what I represent as the president.
9. It’s the media’s fault (especially Fox), stupid.
John Kerry
Television seems to exclusively gravitate toward the conflict and whatever is bad, rather than really focusing on the kinds of things that are good and make a difference.
Jimmy Carter
I think under the circumstances that I just described, he’s done an extraordinary job,” Carter said. “He’s got some good things done. They’ve been totally twisted around by some of the irresponsible news media to project him as a person that he’s not and as we all know.
10. It’s stupid Bush, stupid.
Barack Obama
They don’t have a single idea that’s different from George Bush’s ideas–not one…We got here after 10 years of an economic agenda in Washington that was pretty straight forward. You cut taxes for millionaires, you cut rules for special interests, and you cut working folks loose to fend for themselves. That was the philosophy of the last administration and their friends in Congress.
Chris Van Hollen
President George W. Bush and House Republicans drove our economy into a ditch and tried to run away from the accident. President Obama and congressional Democrats have been focused repairing the damage to our economy. Elections are about choices and this year’s Midterms will be a choice between continuing the economic progress and independent leadership that House Democrats are delivering for their districts versus Republicans who are eager to turn back the clock to the same failed Bush-Cheney policies that brought our economy to the brink of collapse.
******
This all reminds OS of a popular debating topic from the late 19th century South: Who lost the Battle of Gettysburg?
Some would argue it was Lee. Or his generals who wouldn't accept his orders. Or lack of men, or lack of supplies, or the weather; or Pickett, for sending his men on that foolhardy doomed charge across open ground against reinforced positions on high ground.(That seemed to be a favorite Confederate Army tactic...)
One night, somewhere in Dixie, the argument started again, and became louder and louder, positively vociferous.
Until one old man silenced them all by saying: Boys, I wuz there! Personally, I think the Yankees had a lot to do with us losing that battle...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
'Corrupt Bastards'--Unspeakably Corrupt Bastards
OS is not a big fan of Sarah Palin, but everyone in the public arena deserves the right to express ideas without fear of being slandered for their troubles. That's why OS doesn't rant about Obama's birth certificate, or conspiracy theories, or the wild allegations made about the bodies the Clintons left in their wake. It's tin-foil-hat nonsense, not worthy of a civil society.
But, this--this is something else entirely. This is a smoking gun, this is about the deliberate attempt to slander someone, and Ms. Palin is utterly justified in crying 'foul'. This stuff, unopposed, drives the stake in the heart of the culture.
Sarah Palin finally took the verbal gloves off, as well she should, when she referred to the journalists of the CBS affiliate in Alaska as 'corrupt bastards'.
They were caught on voicemail in the act of being themselves, deliberately attempting to dig up dirt, any kind of dirt, even if they had to create it themselves, against Joe Miller. It was a conspiracy to slander, enthusiastically undertaken.
Here it is, in both recording and transcript.
Only the most myopically naive among us could believe this to be an isolated incident.
Enough already.
Vote the bastards out.
Demand their minions be fired.
But, this--this is something else entirely. This is a smoking gun, this is about the deliberate attempt to slander someone, and Ms. Palin is utterly justified in crying 'foul'. This stuff, unopposed, drives the stake in the heart of the culture.
Sarah Palin finally took the verbal gloves off, as well she should, when she referred to the journalists of the CBS affiliate in Alaska as 'corrupt bastards'.
They were caught on voicemail in the act of being themselves, deliberately attempting to dig up dirt, any kind of dirt, even if they had to create it themselves, against Joe Miller. It was a conspiracy to slander, enthusiastically undertaken.
Here it is, in both recording and transcript.
Only the most myopically naive among us could believe this to be an isolated incident.
Enough already.
Vote the bastards out.
Demand their minions be fired.
As The Spin Ceases, Obama's Apologists Begin To Fold Their Tents
Pat Caddell was one of Bill Clinton's principal pollsters. A more partisan Democrat you are not likely to find.
So when he and his colleague, Douglas E. Schoen, also a Democrat pollster, join forces to publish an essay like this, in Saturday's Washington Post, it says several things:
1. It admits the obvious, that Obama is a fraud, a self-dealing narcissist who will say anything, and do anything to anyone, to further his own agenda. He would rather poison the well of the culture than not get his own way, or exercise even a touch of the humility required to be an effective leader.
2. Obama's contempt for the nation extends to even the Presidency itself. Caddell and Schoen have been around a while, and they cannot remember a more disastrous Presidency since Richard Nixon, as in a President who so thoroughly degraded the office. And that's with Carter and Clinton intervening! Whoddathunk we'd have someone who literally stained the office more than Bill Clinton?
3. The Washington Post is no longer willing to carry the water for Obama. The honeymoon is over. He has abused even them past the point of tolerance. For this essay to even appear in their pages, this iconic institution of the Left, means that the publisher has had enough. The publisher has a duty to keep his doors open long after the Clown Circus has left town. If he destroys the paper's credibility by looking the other way as Obama burns the country down, he destroys the business. He has a duty to his shareholders and employees, and is finally locating his spine.
4. The Yew Nork Times was cited in the essay. They won't be far behind, ya'll.
Here's a smattering of what Caddell and Schoen had to say. OS never thought, in his lifetime, he'd see Caddell say this about any Democrat:
In a Univision interview on Monday, the president, who campaigned in 2008 by referring not to a "Red America" or a "Blue America" but a United States of America, urged Hispanic listeners to vote in this spirit: "We're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us."
Recently, Obama suggested that if Republicans gain control of the House and/or Senate as forecast, he expects not reconciliation and unity but "hand-to-hand combat" on Capitol Hill.
What a change two years can bring.
We can think of only one other recent president who would display such indifference to the majesty of his office: Richard Nixon.
We write in sadness as traditional liberal Democrats who believe in inclusion. Like many Americans, we had hoped that Obama would maintain the spirit in which he campaigned. Instead, since taking office, he has pitted group against group for short-term political gain that is exacerbating the divisions in our country and weakening our national identity.The culture of attack politics and demonization risks compromising our ability to address our most important issues - and the stature of our nation's highest office.
We are also disturbed that the office of the president is mounting attacks on private individuals, such as the founders of the group Americans for Prosperity. Having been forged politically during Watergate - one of us was the youngest member of Nixon's enemies list - we are chilled by the prospect of any U.S. president willing to marshal the power of his office against a private citizen.
The president is the leader of our society. That office is supposed to be a unifying force. When a president opts for polarization, it is not only bad politics, but it also diminishes the prestige of his office and damages our social consensus.
Moreover, the divisive rhetoric that Obama has pursued can embolden his supporters and critics to take more extreme actions, worsening the spiral.
Caddell and Schoen are saying, in effect: As far as we're concerned, stick a fork in him, he's done. We won't be identified as his supporters anymore.
OS is cynic enough to know that they are trying to prop up another run by Hillary. God help us, we'd be going from the frying pan into the fire, from one creep to another. Bill would be back in the White House, bangin' babes and creating chaos.
No, no, no, no.
No!
Here's hoping, for the good of the Republic, that Heath Shuler runs for the Democrat nomination. He's one of the first Democrat House members who called for MizNancy to step aside, and that he won't vote for her, in any case. OS may not vote for him in 2012, but he wouldn't lay awake at night if Shuler won.
We need grownups, on both sides of the aisle.
We desperately need them at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Maybe this essay from Caddell and Schoen will start the process.
So when he and his colleague, Douglas E. Schoen, also a Democrat pollster, join forces to publish an essay like this, in Saturday's Washington Post, it says several things:
1. It admits the obvious, that Obama is a fraud, a self-dealing narcissist who will say anything, and do anything to anyone, to further his own agenda. He would rather poison the well of the culture than not get his own way, or exercise even a touch of the humility required to be an effective leader.
2. Obama's contempt for the nation extends to even the Presidency itself. Caddell and Schoen have been around a while, and they cannot remember a more disastrous Presidency since Richard Nixon, as in a President who so thoroughly degraded the office. And that's with Carter and Clinton intervening! Whoddathunk we'd have someone who literally stained the office more than Bill Clinton?
3. The Washington Post is no longer willing to carry the water for Obama. The honeymoon is over. He has abused even them past the point of tolerance. For this essay to even appear in their pages, this iconic institution of the Left, means that the publisher has had enough. The publisher has a duty to keep his doors open long after the Clown Circus has left town. If he destroys the paper's credibility by looking the other way as Obama burns the country down, he destroys the business. He has a duty to his shareholders and employees, and is finally locating his spine.
4. The Yew Nork Times was cited in the essay. They won't be far behind, ya'll.
Here's a smattering of what Caddell and Schoen had to say. OS never thought, in his lifetime, he'd see Caddell say this about any Democrat:
In a Univision interview on Monday, the president, who campaigned in 2008 by referring not to a "Red America" or a "Blue America" but a United States of America, urged Hispanic listeners to vote in this spirit: "We're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us."
Recently, Obama suggested that if Republicans gain control of the House and/or Senate as forecast, he expects not reconciliation and unity but "hand-to-hand combat" on Capitol Hill.
What a change two years can bring.
We can think of only one other recent president who would display such indifference to the majesty of his office: Richard Nixon.
We write in sadness as traditional liberal Democrats who believe in inclusion. Like many Americans, we had hoped that Obama would maintain the spirit in which he campaigned. Instead, since taking office, he has pitted group against group for short-term political gain that is exacerbating the divisions in our country and weakening our national identity.The culture of attack politics and demonization risks compromising our ability to address our most important issues - and the stature of our nation's highest office.
We are also disturbed that the office of the president is mounting attacks on private individuals, such as the founders of the group Americans for Prosperity. Having been forged politically during Watergate - one of us was the youngest member of Nixon's enemies list - we are chilled by the prospect of any U.S. president willing to marshal the power of his office against a private citizen.
The president is the leader of our society. That office is supposed to be a unifying force. When a president opts for polarization, it is not only bad politics, but it also diminishes the prestige of his office and damages our social consensus.
Moreover, the divisive rhetoric that Obama has pursued can embolden his supporters and critics to take more extreme actions, worsening the spiral.
Caddell and Schoen are saying, in effect: As far as we're concerned, stick a fork in him, he's done. We won't be identified as his supporters anymore.
OS is cynic enough to know that they are trying to prop up another run by Hillary. God help us, we'd be going from the frying pan into the fire, from one creep to another. Bill would be back in the White House, bangin' babes and creating chaos.
No, no, no, no.
No!
Here's hoping, for the good of the Republic, that Heath Shuler runs for the Democrat nomination. He's one of the first Democrat House members who called for MizNancy to step aside, and that he won't vote for her, in any case. OS may not vote for him in 2012, but he wouldn't lay awake at night if Shuler won.
We need grownups, on both sides of the aisle.
We desperately need them at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Maybe this essay from Caddell and Schoen will start the process.
Illinois Is BROKE, Ya'll! So Now They Demand Bi-lingual Education For Preschoolers
File under 'You just can't make this stuff up!'
From the Chicago Tribune, 13 September 2010:
As the school year begins, Illinois becomes the first state to mandate that public schools with preschool programs offer a bilingual education to 3- and 4-year-olds who don't speak English.
Under the new regulations, school officials must determine whether students speak another language at home and measure how well they speak and understand English. They then must offer those who need it a seat in a bilingual preschool class, where they study basic academic skills in their native language as they learn English.
But from Carpentersville to Champaign, local school districts are hurrying to comply with the requirements that come without additional funding, even as they brace for another year of dwindling reserves and funding delays.
What are they thinking?
Or, are they assuming, like Kuhlifornia, that no matter how outrageous the behavior, TheOneWe'veBeenWaitingFor will bail them out?
Please, ya'll. If you're registered to vote in Illinois, vote these clowns out.
We don't have any money to send your way, and even if we did, we wouldn't.
From the Chicago Tribune, 13 September 2010:
As the school year begins, Illinois becomes the first state to mandate that public schools with preschool programs offer a bilingual education to 3- and 4-year-olds who don't speak English.
Under the new regulations, school officials must determine whether students speak another language at home and measure how well they speak and understand English. They then must offer those who need it a seat in a bilingual preschool class, where they study basic academic skills in their native language as they learn English.
But from Carpentersville to Champaign, local school districts are hurrying to comply with the requirements that come without additional funding, even as they brace for another year of dwindling reserves and funding delays.
What are they thinking?
Or, are they assuming, like Kuhlifornia, that no matter how outrageous the behavior, TheOneWe'veBeenWaitingFor will bail them out?
Please, ya'll. If you're registered to vote in Illinois, vote these clowns out.
We don't have any money to send your way, and even if we did, we wouldn't.
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