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.
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