June 4-5, 2008
Jun 04 01:01 Critiquing Obama's Speech Jun 04 02:58 Franken: McCollum Dividing the Party Jun 04 10:54 Obama's Nightmare Scenario Jun 04 11:24 Kanjorski in Freedom Watch's Sights Jun 05 04:09 CBS: Five Reasons Why Obama Won Jun 05 09:02 Andrew Grayson Acquitted!!!! Jun 05 17:51 Media Alert!!! Jun 05 18:37 Citizens for McCain
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Critiquing Obama's Speech
First, let me congratulate Sen. Obama on becoming the first African-American to capture a major party's nomination for president. It's important that we recognize that this is an historic night. Everyone knows that I've got major problems with Sen. Obama on the issues but it's a great accomplishment anytime anyone captures his party's presidential nomination. That it was an historic accomplishment is a genuine source of pride for Sen. Obama.
Earlier tonight, Sen. McCain defined the differences between himself and Sen. Obama when he spoke in New Orleans. Now it's time to see how Sen. Obama attempted to define himself on his own terms. Here's what Sen. Obama said on Iraq:
Change is a foreign policy that doesn't begin and end with a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged. I won't stand here and pretend that there are many good options left in Iraq, but what's not an option is leaving our troops in that country for the next hundred years, especially at a time when our military is overstretched, our nation is isolated, and nearly every other threat to America is being ignored.It's obvious that Sen. Obama will continue characterizing the current Iraq strategy as the failed strategy of three years ago. Rest assured that Sen. McCain will ofer proof that security has improved dramatically improved since the surge began. Sen. McCain will also point to the significant steps that've been taken on the road to political reconcilliation in Iraq.
We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in, but start leaving we must. It's time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future. It's time to rebuild our military and give our veterans the care they need and the benefits they deserve when they come home. It's time to refocus our efforts on al Qaeda's leadership and Afghanistan, and rally the world against the common threats of the 21st century, terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. That's what change is.
In a very real way, Sen. Obama wants America to believe that the Iraq of today is the Iraq of 2004-2005. I don't think that'll work.
It's not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college, policies that have lowered the real incomes of the average American family, widened the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and left our children with a mountain of debt.Many ads will be run that will point out that the Democrats' plan to cut the cost of a gallon of gasoline is to increase taxes while not increasing energy production. The single biggest reason why gas is as high as it is is because Bill Clinton made millions of barrels of fossil fuels off-limits in the name of 'the Environment'. Rest assured that 527's will point out how the Democrats' policies are keeping oil prices rising.
I've suggested before that Republicans will do better than expected if they talk about increasing oil production. They must make the case that increasing production will drop prices dramatically.
As for health care, people care about the price of their premiums but they don't believe that HillaryCare will bring costs down. They care about the availability of insurance but they don't see how government can make it more accessible without raising taxes.
Change is realizing that meeting today's threats requires not just our firepower, but the power of our diplomacy, tough, direct diplomacy where the President of the United States isn't afraid to let any petty dictator know where America stands and what we stand for. We must once again have the courage and conviction to lead the free world. That is the legacy of Roosevelt, and Truman, and Kennedy. That's what the American people want. That's what change is.I thought that Obama had backed away from direct talks with Ahmadinejad, Chavez and Castro unless preparations were made first. Now it's back to showing his ignorance of history? I wish he'd make up his mind so we knew which policies to ridicule.
This is the most laughable paragraph in the speech:
John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy, cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota, he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for.Glenn Reynolds puts it best, as is often the case, here :
Obama says: "John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy, cities in Michigan, andGlenn, perhaps he didn't notice because he was too busy losing a depressing string of primaries? Or perhaps he spent too much time worrying about Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers and Tony Rezko?
Ohio, and right here in Minnesota, he'd understand the kind of change that
people are looking for." Er, what about the Forgotten America tour?
After that, it's time for the time-tested victimhood section of the speech:
Maybe if he went to Iowa and met the student who works the night shift after a full day of class and still can't pay the medical bills for a sister who's ill, he'd understand that she can't afford four more years of a health care plan that only takes care of the healthy and wealthy. She needs us to pass health care plan that guarantees insurance to every American who wants it and brings down premiums for every family who needs it. That's the change we need.Sen. Obama would be wise to not talk down to us like that. Hillary tried passing government-run universal health care in 1995. That's what put the GOP into the majority.
Maybe if he went to Pennsylvania and met the man who lost his job but can't even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one, he'd understand that we can't afford four more years of our addiction to oil from dictators. That man needs us to pass an energy policy that works with automakers to raise fuel standards, and makes corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future, an energy policy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. That's the change we need.Sen. Obama talks about "four more years of our addiction to oil from dictators" on primary nights but filibusters energy bills that would increase oil production while he's in Washington. That's something Democrats have done since the early years of the Clinton administration. Isn't forcing oil companies "to invest their record profits in a clean energy future" sorta like Hugo Chavez's nationalization of the oil companies in Venezuela?
That isn't change we can believe in. For that matter, that isn't change. That's the same-old-same-old. In fact, it sounds alot like the recent rant from fring partisan Maxine Waters :
He also sounds like Hillary:
For all his bluster, Sen. Obama isn't an agent of change. He's just a smooth-talking Chicago machine politician.
Posted Wednesday, June 4, 2008 1:08 AM
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Franken: McCollum Dividing the Party
If it wasn't coming from Al Franken's supporters, I wouldn't believe that someone would be foolish enough to say that Rep. Betty McCollum is dividing the DFL . Here's what the Strib is reporting:
On Thursday, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., called the sexually explicit article offensive and potentially damaging to Franken and other Democratic candidates in Minnesota.Franken's supporters are wrong in thinking that Rep. McCollum is dividing the DFL. Rep. McCollum is wrong in thinking that Franken's problems will rub off on other DFL candidates down-ticket. State House candidates and freshmen will have their own troubles. I haven't seen any evidence that suggest that they're being damaged by Franken's troubles. Until I do, I'll just think of this as Rep. McCollum being a bit histerical.
The Franken campaign and backers of the candidate said the work was merely satire and faulted McCollum for dividing the party.
"As a woman, a mother, a former teacher, and an elected official, I find this material completely unacceptable," McCollum said of Franken's piece, published in 2000 under the headline "Porn-O-Rama!"
"I can tell you it's not playing comfortably in St. Paul, and I can't imagine this politically radioactive material is doing very well in suburban and rural districts," McCollum said.This I believe. And then some. I think it's likely that the DFL will endorse Franken but that vulnerable incumbents and other DFL candidates will distance themselves from Franken. I know that I wouldn't campaign with him if he campaigned in my district.
Here's what should worry Franken, too:
McCollum said Franken's piece came up at a weekly meeting of Minnesota Democrats in Congress on May 21. "The overwhelming majority of us thought it was a serious political problem," she said. "Others thought it was a problem but that it would blow over."Politicians are nothing if not acutely aware of what it takes to get elected. That they think that Franken faces a "serious political problem" should speak volumes about the level of radioactivity Franken's 'achieved'.
Franken campaign spokesman Andy Barr fired back at McCollum Thursday, saying "it's unfortunate that she's trying to create divisions in our party rather than working with other DFLers to take on [Coleman]."Mr. Barr's statements notwithstanding, the fact is that Franken is the one creating divisions in the DFL, not Rep. McCollum. As for Mr. Morillo's statement, why should party unity be more important than chastizing Franken's vulgarity? Most Minnesotans' first thought would likely center on Franken's disgusting language, not political party unity.
Some Franken supporters took a similar line. "I know that Representative McCollum was a co-chair of Mike Ciresi's campaign, but at a time when Minnesotans are hurting, it's extremely disappointing that she would rather destroy party unity than focus on beating Norm Coleman," said Javier Morillo, president of Service Employees International Union Local 26.
This should tell everyone what the DFL's leadership's priorities are.
Posted Wednesday, June 4, 2008 2:58 AM
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Obama's Nightmare Scenario
Marc Ambinder is reporting something that's sure to bother King Obama:
Matt Burns, the spokesman for the GOP convention in St. Paul e-mails to say that the RNC's convention office in St. Paul has received numerous telephone calls in the last few hours from people who identify themselves as Clinton supporters asking how they can help Sen. McCain.So much for disaffected Hillary people making their way back to the Democratic side, huh? This is Obama's nightmare scenario.
H/T: Gateway Pundit
Posted Wednesday, June 4, 2008 10:57 AM
Comment 1 by buck at 04-Jun-08 08:57 PM
Really? Did the Easter Bunny and Santa call and ask how THEY can help McCain as well? Because that scenario carries about as much credibility as Matt Burns blather. It's yet another attempt at planting a false seed and hoping something will grow which is really all you have left after eight long years of absolute failure.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 04-Jun-08 09:09 PM
Buck, If you're gonna say that he's a liar, I demand that you show PROOF that he's lying. Accusations aren't proof. They're accusations.
If all you're gonna bring to the table are accusations & complaints, you ain't welcome here. Get the picture???
Comment 3 by buck at 04-Jun-08 10:33 PM
Show ME the proof that he's telling the truth. This is just another page from the Lee Atwater handbook. And if this post managed to ruffle your feathers the only picture that's clear is that your just another clown with a blog and an attitude who can't handle a viewpoint other than his own. Do YOU get the picture?????
Comment 4 by Gary Gross at 05-Jun-08 02:26 AM
if this post managed to ruffle your feathers the only picture that's clear is that your just another clown with a blog and an attitude who can't handle a viewpoint other than his own. Actually, I get pissed when people make accusations without proof. If you have proof that Mr. Burns is lying, then I'll accept your word as proof. Since you're the person making the accusation, it's up to you to prove it.
As for me justifying my position, just look at this post.
Why is it so difficult to believe that this is happening? It isn't like OBama has been winning over blue collar workers recently. That would be about the time he made the foolish fundraising speech about working folk clinging to guns & religion. He's done poorly with blue collar workers since the Wright tapes appeared too.
Also, let's not forget that his favorability ratings have dropped since those things, too. That isn't coincidence. They point to a pattern that people think he's an elitist snob. People think that his wife is a bitch, too.
That's why it's perfectly believable that people are jumping off Hillary's bandwagon & onto McCain's.
Finally, exit poll after exit poll, from Ohio to Pennsylvania to West Virginia to Kentucky to South Dakota shows that 30+ percent of Hillary's voters say that they won't vote for Obama.
In light of all those facts, what isn't believeable about Hillary's supporters volunteering on McCain's campaign?
Kanjorski in Freedom Watch's Sights
I'm glad I'm not Paul Kanjorski right now. The last thing I'd want to deal with in the run-up to a difficult re-election fight is Freedom Watch focusing their spotlight on Congress's inaction , which is what they're doing. Here's what RedState is reporting:
Several weeks ago, our own Jeff Emanuel broke the news that Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA-11) admitted that the Democrats lied about the war for political advantage. Today, Freedom's Watch is hitting Kanjorski with robocalls recorded by Beverly Perlson, the founder of the Band of Mothers , ( see her story here ) to explain his morally bankrupt position to voters.Bev Perlson is a woman on a mission. She's also the voice behind some robocalls into Kanjorski's district. Here's the transcript of her robocall:
Hello I'm Beverly Perlson calling for Freedom's Watch.I'll be watching this race intently because it's a potential indicator as to how this election will go. If Lou Barletta can knock off a longterm incumbent like Rep. Kanjorski, we'll know that the damage to Republicans will be limited.
My son, John, just returned from his 4th tour in Iraq and Afghanistan and I'm tremendously proud of him.
But I'm not proud of Congress...
Congressman Paul Kanjorski was caught saying Democrats 'stretched the facts' about the war in an effort to win the election.
And now, Congress goes on vacation without providing funding for our troops, putting their paychecks in jeopardy.
My son protects us and yet Congressman Kanjorski admits to playing politics with his life, and now his paycheck.
I'm not just embarrassed by Mr. Kanjorski and Congress, I'm angry. You should be, too.
Call Congressman Kanjorski at 570-496-1011.
Posted Wednesday, June 4, 2008 11:25 AM
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CBS: Five Reasons Why Obama Won
CBS has an article that talks about the 5 reasons why Sen. Obama is the Democratic nominee. Here are their 5 reasons:
The War In Iraq
Change v. Experience
Iowa And The Process
Cold, Hard, Cash
Superdelegates
Actually, I think the reasons he's the nominee are much less complicated than that. He's their nominee because of Hillary's disastrous Drexel debate , which exposed the fact that she'd say anything (a) to get elected and (b) to avoid answering a difficult question. He's also the nominee because she ran an inept campaign until it was too late. Finally, he's the nominee because the Agenda Media didn't vet him until the Wright tapes emerged. Had the Wright tapes come out in December, 2007, he wouldn't be the nominee. PERIOD.
Sen. Obama's fundraising speech in San Francisco, coupled with the Wright videos, exposed Sen. Obama. After that, people knew that he wasn't a postpartisan politician. Regaining his original lustre is Obama's biggest challenge between now and November. I don't he'll pull it off.
Sen. Obama lost the blue collar vote the minute his fundraising speech went public. Primary after primary has shown him losing the blue collar vote badly since Wrightgate and the fundraising tape. That isn't just people's first impression. It's a lasting impression .
I don't want to leave the impression that CBS's points aren't valid. They're the most visible reasons for Hillary's defeat. My point is that there's deeper reasons why she isn't the nominee right now.
One thing that's come out of this process is that the Clinton 'fascination' is history. I've been one of the rare voices that wasn't afraid of Team Clinton. I knew they were a formidable team but I also knew that she didn't have Bill's political instincts. I also knew that the vaunted Clinton War Room wasn't as formidable as it was in 1992. In 1992, Rush Limbaugh and talk radio were in their infancy. The internet wasn't on people's radar. The Right Blogosphere didn't exist. YouTube was years away.
The reason those things were important in defeating Mrs. Inevitability is because more people could access more information to refute the BS coming out of the Clinton campaign. It's being used to expose Sen. Obama, too. When Hillary had her dreadful Drexel debate, everyone knew about it within hours. In many instances, they knew about it instantaneously. By the time people gathered at the water cooler the next morning, it was the talk of the nation.
This is what will hurt Barack Obama, too. when the Wright tapes showed up on YouTube, his campaign took a 3 month dive. Likewise when he made his intolerant statements at the fundraiser.
The new media helped bring down Hillary, though she did most of that heavy lifting. Sen. Obama has started down that path now, too. The new media is helping him destroy himself. Of course, he's doing it with a little help from his friends, too.
Posted Thursday, June 5, 2008 4:10 AM
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Andrew Grayson Acquitted!!!!
Another Haditha Marine was acquitted Wednesday when a 7 member panel cleared 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson. This is indeed a great day for justice. Here's what Foxnews.com is reporting:
A military jury acquitted a Marine intelligence officer Wednesday of charges that he tried to help cover up the killings of 24 Iraqis.In May, 2006, John Murtha declared on national TV that eight Marines had "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." He said that they'd cracked because they'd been deployed too long. Now that another Haditha Marine has been acquitted or had all charges dropped, it's safe to say that Rep. Murtha lied for political gain. He said it in his quest to become House Majority Leader.
Cheers erupted as the seven-officer panel cleared 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson, who was the first of three Marines to be tried in the biggest U.S. criminal case involving Iraqi deaths linked to the war. The verdict came just five hours after deliberations began. The judge, Maj. Brian E. Kasprzyk, admonished the noisy courtroom, saying: "There will be no more of that."
Grayson, who has always maintained he did nothing wrong, was not at the scene of the killings of men, women and children on Nov. 19, 2005, in Haditha. He was accused of telling a sergeant to delete photographs of the dead from a digital camera and laptop computer.
Congratulations to 1st. Lt. Grayson. I can only imagine the emotion he felt when the verdict was announced. the fact that it only took 5 hours of deliberations speaks for itself as to how straightforward this case was. This case didn't need deliberations. This case should've been dropped after Grayson's Article 32 hearing.
It's time that the House to officially reprimand Rep. Murtha for his reprehensible behavior. That won't happen because Speaker Pelosi will protect ethically-challenged Democrats. She railed about the Republican culture of corruption but it's batantly obvious that she won't do anything when it comes to the corrupt members of her caucus.
Yesterday, Democracy Project had this to say about the Grayson case:
In brief, Lt. Grayson is alleged to have wrongfully ordered the destruction of photos of the Iraqi casualties at Haditha, lied to an investigating officer and obstructed the investigation, and improperly been separated from theIt speaks volumes that the hearing officer was surprised that a court-martial was even ordered for Lt. Grayson. The verdict indicates that Col. Stahlman's first impression was right.
service.
The charges were raised at his Article 32 hearing, and from the evidence presented most were surprised that Lt. Grayson was recommended to court martial at all . During the conclusion of the public Article 32 hearing last November, the inspecting officer said :he has serious doubts over the validity of criminal charges filed against a Marine lieutenant in the aftermath of the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians two
years ago.
The hearing officer, Col. Robert Stahlman, said that if 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson was guilty of dereliction of duty for not ordering an investigation into the slayings, numerous other members of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment command staff should have been similarly charged.
It's disgusting that these Marines were wrongly accused. It's obvious that this was a corrupt prosecution that wouldn't have happened if not for Murtha's unfounded accusations. He's one of the most vile, despicable exuses for a human being I've ever seen, ranking only a few paces ahead of Judas Iscariot of thirty pieces of silver fame.
Once Sgt. Wuterich and Lt. Col. Jeffrey Cjhessani are acquitted, I will demand a full apology from Rep. Murtha. This blog's followers know that I called Murtha's DC office to get his statement after the charges against Justin Sharratt were dropped in july, 2007. Here's what Brit Hume said about my call on that day's Political Grapevine:
Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha refused to comment today when asked by Gary Gross of the Let Freedom Ring blog for a reaction to Colonel Ware's recommendation. You'll recall that Murtha has said the Marines "overreacted" and "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." But today his office said he would not comment because the investigation is ongoing .rep. Murtha won't be able to hide behind that excuse much longer. When Col. Chessani and SSgt. Wuterich are acquitted, I'll place that call again. When I call again, I will demand that they fully apologize for Rep. Murtha's despicable accusations.
That day is coming soon.
UPDATE: Kevin at PRR is all over this acquittal , as are Captain Ed at Hot Air and Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit .
Kevin's post is full of podcasts from interviewing people like Justin and Darryl Sharratt, including Justin's first radio interview of the matter and the podcast of Darryl talking about how it took FIFTY CALLS to Murtha's office to get any sort of response . Remember that Rep. Murtha is the Sharratt's representative in the US House of Representatives.
Jim is right in calling for Sen. Obama to apologize to the haditha Marines, especially since he rendered his opinion based solely on trusting John Murtha.
Ed is right in saying that "the JAGs did not have the evidence necessary to support these charges against the majority of the Marines in question." Exactly right, Ed. Exactly right.
PS- Welcome PRR and Hot Air readers. Check back later today when I put together a comprehensive timeline on all of this . Yes, a more comprehensive timeline than even this one .
UPDATE II: Welcome Michelle Malkin readers .
Let me just say emphatically that it's astonishing that corruption and uneithical behavior just isn't a priority with Ms. Pelosi now that it's people in her party that are acting reprehensively.
UPDATE III: The AP's Chelsea Carter is reporting on the case, too. Here's what Ms. Carter is reporting:
A Marine intelligence officer accused of trying to cover up the killings of 24 Iraqis appeared stunned at first when a jury acquitted him of the charges.It's understandable that Lt. Grayson felt that way considering he shouldn't have been charged in the first place.
For more than two years, 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson had been under suspicion, accused of ordering the destruction of evidence in the biggest U.S. criminal case involving Iraqi deaths to come out of the war.
"I didn't really believe it was going to end until they said not guilty," Grayson said in his first public comments following the verdict. "The case was so volatile, you didn't know which way it was going to go."
Acquittals for SSgt. Wuterich and Col. Jeffrey Chessani are all that's necessary to end the Haditha Marines' surreal experience within the military's justice system. Yes, I use the term military justice system loosely.
Rep. Murtha should be put back into active duty so he can be tried for exerting undue command influence on the investigation.
Here's the most noteworthy thing Ms. Carter reported:
Grayson's attorney, Joseph Casas, said he believed the verdict would influence pending prosecutions.I agree with Mr. Casas that this verdict would impact SSgt. Wuterich's and Col. Chessani's courts-martial.
"I think it sets the tone for the overall whirlwind Haditha has been. It's been a botched investigation from the get-go," he said. "I believe in the end all of the so-called Haditha Marines who still have to face trial will be exonerated."
Prosecutors said Grayson, whose job was to analyze intelligence, ordered the photos deleted in an effort to protect the Marines.
But outside the courtroom, Grayson said the charges appear to be the result of a misunderstanding. He has always maintained he was following Marine Corps policy that prohibits the keeping of pictures on personal computers of Iraqi bodies.
It's also significant that Grayson said that he "was following Marine Corps policy that prohibits the keeping of pictures on personal computers of Iraqi bodies." Why didn't the prosecutors take that into account?
Posted Thursday, June 5, 2008 10:50 AM
Comment 1 by b ob van zandt at 28-Oct-09 06:36 PM
this man should be locked up he is nuts and and dangerson ."A total idiot self ssorbed concedited ass.
I am held to my comments so shall he be exspecially now since the brown shirts are in charge thanks to our " leader and savior is at last in charge.Obana loves this I know for the bla bla tells us so.
Media Alert!!!
Kevin at Pundit Review Radio has invited me on his show Sunday night at 8:40 CDT to talk about the Grayson acquittal, though I suspect that we might also talk about the despicable Rep. Murtha, too.
I'll repost this again on Sunday.
Originally posted Thursday, June 5, 2008, revised 08-Jun 8:01 PM
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Citizens for McCain
My favorite Democrat, Sen. Joe Lieberman, has launched a new website titled Citizens for McCain in an attempt to persuade Hillary supporters into voting for Sen. McCain. Here's what CNN is reporting:
Sen. Joe Lieberman, who has taken on increasingly high-profile campaign roles on behalf of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, announced Thursday that he was launching and heading a new grassroots organization, "Citizens for McCain," with a direct appeal to Hillary Clinton's disappointed supporters.Earlier this week, I wrote a post titled Obama's Nightmare Scenario which reported that "the RNC's convention office in St. Paul has received numerous telephone calls in the last few hours from people who identify themselves as Clinton supporters asking how they can help Sen. McCain." One commenter was so upset that he essentially accused the RNC of lying about this.
"The phones at the campaign headquarters have been ringing with disaffected Democrats calling to say they believe Senator McCain has the experience, judgment, and bipartisanship necessary to lead our country in these difficult times," Lieberman wrote in a message sent to the Arizona senator's supporters. "Many of these supporters are former supporters of Senator Clinton."
I can't understand how someone would think that considering the fact that exit polls from primary after primary showed 25-35 percent of Hillary's voters wouldn't vote for Sen. Obama. Much of Hillary's support came from blue collar workers, the group that Sen. Obama lost with his SF fundraising statements and the Jeremiah Wright tapes.
Here's something else that Sen. Obama will likely have difficulty with:
"I am confident we will find many Democrats and Independents who, like John McCain and me, put country before political party and will support a leader with a real record of bipartisanship. Together, we will make history."It won't be easy for Sen. Obama to make the case that he's the postpartisan politician when Sen. McCain can point to a much larger group of bipartisan initiatives than Sen. Obama.
Posted Thursday, June 5, 2008 6:38 PM
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