October 8, 2006 Posts
01:10 When Conservatives Panic 08:07 'Over-The-Top' Patty Strikes Again 12:28 Anti-Chavez Rally 13:57 Dean's Perscription For Victory? 16:19 Swann Ridicules Rendell's Reform Agenda
When Conservatives Panic
Will the few conservative columnists to refocus on what's important instead of thinking that Foleygate is sinking the GOP? There aren't that many conservative columnists out there at the medium-sized papers. One such columnist is Salena Zito. The title of this week's column is The 'unsinkable' GOP is taking on water.
While Republican congressional leaders run around straightening deck chairs as the Titanic goes down, the party's men and women in the field should be scrambling for campaign lifeboats.Actually, it's the 'wise men' in Washington that are scrambling. The people in America's heartland aren't looking for lifeboats. We're just talking to people about real issues. We're getting receptive welcomes on everything from low taxes and a strong economy to border enforcement to preventing terrorist attacks.
The people here know that (a) Foley's actions were disgusting; (b) Foley's the only one accused of deviant behavior and (c) the judicial system will mete out the proper punishment for Foley's actions.
There's other things that people know namely: (a) that terrorists still want to destroy America; (b) that illegal aliens want to break our laws and bankrupt our cities by collecting government benefits; (c) that Democrats wouldn't work with President Bush to put in place, and reauthorize, the types of programs (like the NSA intercept program, the Patriot Act, the CIA interrogation legislation) that have stopped numerous terrorist attacks and (d)that Democrats would raise our taxes just as sure as death and...
Since the business of political speculation is based not on science but on predicting human behavior, it is hard to pinpoint how fast this boat sinks. And harder still to imagine a scenario with a happy ending for the GOP.Simply put, the 'inside-the-Beltway' people respond more to what's making the loudest noise inside the Beltway echochamber than to what's important. That's why I'm not relying on the East Coast punditry.
Republicans had every reason to believe that, come Election Day, people would go to the polls with safety, security and prosperity on their minds. Instead, voters may be thinking about disgusting Internet chats between a grown man and a boy.People here in the Heartland can separate the panic attacks and the herd mentality that's more prevalent the closer you get to Washington. We've figured out that Claire McCaskill is a 24-hour sleaze machine who doesn't play by the rules. We've figured out that Amy Klobuchar and Patty Wetterling are typical Democratic candidates doomed for failure because they're mental lightweights, lightweights that would be bigger embarassments to the state than Mark Dayton is. We've figured out that Keith Ellison would become the first congressman who would be a puppet for terrorist-supporting groups like CAIR.
It's time that the so-called GOP strategists that live in and near the nation's capital to grow a spine. It's time for them to go on the offensive instead of wondering how this or that event is playing in the Agenda Media. They'd be far better off if they realized that the Right Blogosphere and conservative talk radio are the dominant media in terms of moving voters. And it ain't close.
These strategists would be wise to remember that the GOP is on the side of the angels on the issues, whether it's taxes, the economy or fighting the jihadists. Democrats are still the 'Party of No' that Gloria Boerger talked about after the 2004 elections. They're still the 'We're whiney and we don't have a solution party'. That's why Democrats are a hapless bunch.
Posted Sunday, October 8, 2006 1:10 AM
August 2006 Posts
Comment 1 by terrorfree at 08-Oct-06 12:43 PM
CAIR - 1, FREE SPEECH - 0
Islamonazi CAIR Intimidates Yet Another American Business In Dhimmitude
http://www.terrorfreeoil.org/videos/MS092506.php - MSNBC video
Free Patriotic Corner Banners: http://www.terrorfreeoil.org/cb/
'Over-The-Top' Patty Strikes Again
In typical Democrat fashion, Patty Wetterling is going over the top once again. I offer this AP article as proof. Instead of letting the investigation proceed, Ms. Wetterling decides to play the role of jury in the Mark Foley Fiasco:
"Foley sent obvious predatory signals, received loud and clear by members of congressional leadership, who swept them under the rug to protect their political power," Minnesota Democrat Patty Wetterling charged in her party's weekly radio address.There's just one flaw with that statement. The signals that Foley sent weren't obvious. In fact, the timeline shows that Foley was history the minute the lurid details became known. 'Over-the-top Patty' doesn't stop there:
"For 17 years, I have fought for tough penalties for those who harm children," Wetterling said. "Members of Congress are not and should not be above the law."It's obvious that she's a better child safety advocate than she is at affording Americans their due process rights. She says that "Members of Congress are not and should not be above the law", which is obvious. What isn't obvious to Ms. Wetterling is that even those accused of breaking the law have Constitutional protections like due process rights and the right to a fair trial. (Perhaps she's learning Constitutional law from 'Judge, Jury and Executioner' John Murtha?) Finally, what would an AP article be without them saying something outrageous?
Wetterling, running for an open seat against Republican state Sen. Michele Bachmann, is already airing a hard-hitting television ad over revelations that Foley, (R-FL), had been sending inappropriate e-mails to teenage pages for years. "We need a new direction in Congress because our children need strong voices," Wetterling said in the radio address. "We need to stop the sexual exploitation of children across the country, and in Washington we must hold accountable all those complicit in allowing this victimization to happen."Here in Minnesota, we aren't calling the ad "hard-hitting"; we're calling it a bald-faced lie. The AP 'reporter' conveniently left out this Wetterling quote:
"It shocks the conscience. Congressional leaders have admitted to covering up the predatory behavior of a congressman who used the internet to molest children."Congressional leaders haven't admitted to covering up anything. Furthermore, it isn't known if Rep. Foley molested children. Despite calls for her to take the ad down, St. Patty has chosen to keep airing the lie. Let's hope that Minnesotans of good will give her the electoral thumping that she deserves for making such over-the-top accusations out of thin air.
Posted Sunday, October 8, 2006 8:07 AM
August 2006 Posts
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Anti-Chavez Rally
This BBC article reports that there's electoral trouble brewing for Hugo Chavez. Getting rid of him through an election would be fantastic news for the U.S. and would cripple post-Castro Cuba.
Tens of thousands of people have marched through the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in support of the main opposition candidate, Manuel Rosales. Mr. Rosales will face President Hugo Chavez in December's presidential poll. The march, which filled the main avenues of the city centre, was the biggest opposition rally Venezuela has seen since early 2004. Then, protesters made an unsuccessful bid to oust Mr. Chavez from power in a recall referendum.That doesn't sound like a minor protest. The truth is that Chavez committed voter fraud the first time. He was aided by Jimmy Carter, who pronounced the election by the books. Carter's was a minority opinion according to this article:
IN A COLUMN on the opposite page Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez makes the remarkable assertion that he hopes his opponents will succeed in triggering a recallIt's time for the Venezuelan terrorist to get a dose of real democracy. You can bet that the U.S. and Britain will have real observers in place. They won't let Jimmy Carter sanction voter fraud again. The blood of Venezuelans that Chavez murdered are on Carter's hands. He's spent far too much time cozying up with the world's dictators. Frankly, I wish he'd live in exile with Chavez as guests of the mullahs.
referendum that could cut short his term in office. Remarkable, because polls consistently show that Mr.Chavez would lose the referendum -- less than 40 percent of the population supports his eccentric, quasi-authoritarian populism. Contrary to his claims, he has impoverished as well as polarized his country:
Venezuela's per capita income has declined by a quarter in the six years he has been in office, and the poor are worse off than ever.
More to the point, the president's words conflict with his actions. He has spent the past year doing everything in his power to prevent a democratic vote on his tenure -- and has repeatedly vowed that no referendum will take place.
UPDATE: This article is worth checking out.
Originally posted Sunday, October 8, 2006, revised 09-Oct 11:45 AM
August 2006 Posts
Comment 1 by MyPetGloat at 09-Oct-06 08:54 AM
The sooner Chavez is ousted the better. Perhaps then Venezuelens can prosper under a Saudi or Uzbek style of government.
Comment 2 by spike at 09-Oct-06 08:54 AM
Seriously, this post is so drenched in irony, it's almost funny. It would be funny if not for the subject matter.
Let's see... Bush won his first election on sketchy circumstances, many have alleged that there was voter fraud in Florida, but Kathy Harris gave her stamp of approval, so we're supposed to think everything is a-ok.
Then, you assert that Chavez's rule is less than legitimate because his approval ratings are hovering around 40%. Well, Bush's are lower than that.
Then you talk about how the blood of the innocent killed by Chavez are on Carter's hands. Isn't the blood of innocent Iraqis on your hands?
Finally, as the leader of the world's lone superpower, Bush has more power to erode human rights around the world than anyone else. And he's done that with remarkable efficiency. Sanctioning torture and removing basic legal rights of our "enemy combatants", a designation only Bush has the power to give, without any oversight or retribution. Seriously, this post would be just as good if you did a find and replace and replaced Chavez with Bush and Carter with Kathy Harris, throughout.
Comment 3 by Joe at 09-Oct-06 09:33 AM
Spike (and poster of this article)-
While I agree with you, Spike, - the fact that Carter certified this election has nothing to do with the fact that Hugo Chavez is a jerk. Unfortunately, the Venezualians elected a scumbag. They don't have any of the checks on power that we do, and thus Chavez is very much worse than W. It really makes me sick when ANYONE on the left praises him. He should go down, but legally, and having the Carter foundation certify the last election helps legitimize the foundation, which will make it even more legitimate when it certifies that he WASN"T re-elected.
Comment 4 by madmatt at 09-Oct-06 10:12 AM
Yes and why should we take any right wingers opinion on chavez? They haven't managed to do anything right so I am assuming that chavez is the second coming of christ at this point because you certainly have no proof that he is "evil"...although that giving heating oil to the poor certainly shows he cares more than the US govt.
Comment 5 by Gary Gross at 09-Oct-06 11:12 AM
Then, you assert that Chavez's rule is less than legitimate because his approval ratings are hovering around 40%. Well, Bush's are lower than that.
Get your facts straight. I said that exit polls showed Chavez getting less than 40% of the vote.
As for Bush getting elected "on sketchy circumstances", EVERY NEWS AGENCY that physically examined the ballots said that Bush won fair & square. That includes the NY Times & the Washington Post. Get over it.
Finally, Chavez is supporting every major terrorist on the planet.
Comment 6 by Albert at 09-Oct-06 11:36 AM
Wait, what? Sorry, don't know my Venezuelan contemporary history but Chavez murdered who? When? What are you talking about?
Comment 7 by ME at 09-Oct-06 01:19 PM
So exit polls matter again? Someone tell Ohio.
The selective use of principles when deriding Chavez and not when defending Bush is very telling.
Chavez is dangerous. He jails his opponents. Not good.
But to pretend that these principles are all-of-a-sudden so important to the right is laughable. A LOT of you guys would be locking up lefties if you could.
What's amazing to me, in the torture debate for example, is that no-one is making the most basic point:
The tools of a tyrant belong in the hands of no man. regardless of how afraid you are, regardless of how much you think they are needed, the tools of the tyrant were never needed to save our nation when it was in much graver danger than today.
You wish to empower the president with the tools of tyrany, under the guise of safety. What a stupid and near-sighted idea. How ignorant of history and the enlightened principles our nation was built on do you have to be to miss that fundamental point?
Here's an easier to understand explaination of the above point:
torture, indefinite detentions, renditions, secret evidence...those are the tools of the tyrant. They are like the ring (from "the lord of the ring") no human can be trusted with that power. They will inevitably use it to destroy, So we never give the tools to any man.
Comment 8 by Gary Gross at 09-Oct-06 01:30 PM
So exit polls matter again? Someone tell Ohio.
They never didn't matter. The Right Blogosphere discredited the initial round of exit polling in 2004 because most of the polling that happened was done in urban areas & included a disproportionate sample of women. Both groups went strongly Democrat. Had the exit polling reflected both sides equally, you wouldn't have heard complaints about it.
A LOT of you guys would be locking up lefties if you could.
Be afraid. Be very afraid. You aren't paranoid & we are out to get you.
Comment 9 by Shantyhag at 09-Oct-06 03:38 PM
Ummmm, did you read this article all the way through? This BBC article was about a long-shot opposition candidate, and it closes with:
"But for now, Mr Chavez still enjoys a clear lead in opinion polls because of a sense of loyalty that poor and working-class voters feel towards him."
And you're daft if you believe that he has stolen any elections. In fact, Venezuelans vote on machines that produce a Voter Verified Paper Trail and when the Bush administration called the Recall election results foul, Chavez was able to say "Fine, let's recount the votes." He was the clear winner.
We may not be happy with some of the friends that Chavez has made, but can we complain? We've pushed him into a corner where he believes any enemy of the US is a natural friend. It didn't have to be this way. Our present administration didn't much care for the complaints of our Oil companies about the royalties policies of the new Chavez regime and shunned him.
Oh, and WHAT BLOOD OF VENEZUELANS THAT CHAVEZ MURDERED? Again, daft! Never have I ever heard any reports of Chavez endorsed violence against Venezuelans. And in fact Chavez announced that there were to be no reprisals against those that participated in the 2002 US backed Coup against him.
I say: Help Spread Democracy, Support Hugo Chavez.
Comment 10 by BullyBush at 09-Oct-06 04:14 PM
Chavez really murdered Venezuelans? Never heard that and I follow the news. Researched to find out if it is true and found nothing. Please post your evidence. No one else knows what you claim to know.
Not sure about your economic stats either. I have only read that the poor and working classes who support him are doing much better now that the money isn't just going to the elites who always left them nothing under previous presidents. Please also post your sources, can't wait to see.
Comment 11 by Jack Morgan at 09-Oct-06 08:10 PM
Are you kidding me?
It's clear you're impervious to reason and a sucker for illogic, but I can't help but point out one problem with your exit poll argument.
Remember, the major news organizations all called the 2000 election for Gore, based on exit polls.
Of course, you don't care. You have some stupid equivocation, you have some tiny discrepancy with what I'm saying, on which you'll hang all of your faith in your leaders, the same leaders who have scammed you out of your country.
Don't bother to respond to me here. I doubt I'll ever visit your slog again.
Comment 12 by gil at 09-Oct-06 09:47 PM
RE: Let Freedom Ring
You have any actual proof that Carter helped Chavez in your so called electoral fraud?
No. you do not.
Yours is just another one of the a penny-per dozed blogs that make outrageous claims in hopes they are noticed.
Nothing to say, no research, no intelligent discusions... Just your usual and by now tired incediary remarks that will bring nuts from all shapes and forms to your idiotic blog.
Carter is a thousand times a better man than you would ever be. His credibility around the world is much higher than your god the Idiot in Chief.
And as for your credibility.... You are just a hungry blogger trying to make a buck credibility does not enter the picture here... Because people could care less about your opinions outside this blog.
Comment 13 by james at 10-Oct-06 02:52 AM
you have proof of the voter fraud? you seem to be able to provide documentation for the jimmy carter bit. but nothing that proves his actions were less than reliable.
or is it that you're full of rhetoric and low on facts?
don't bother me with rhetoric unless you have the data to back it up. it's a waste of time and web space.
Comment 14 by Alex at 27-Nov-06 08:02 PM
Well, Chavez bought enough Smartmatic votin Machines to cheat. fuckin loser
Dean's Perscription For Victory?
Howard Dean's NY Times op-ed is typical Dean bluster. If they think that this is their path to victory, then they've got to set their sights lower.
We live in dangerous times that demand real leadership. The president's foreign policies have failed. Recent polls show that a plurality of Americans trust Democrats over Republicans to handle the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq, and two-thirds of Americans want a new direction for our country.Gov. Dean's statement is nothing but a bunch of Barbra Streisand. President Bush's foriegn policy isn't a failure. Only an idiot liberal thinks that freeing 50 million people is a failure. Only an idiot liberal thinks that setting up the first Arab democracy is a failure. What's worse is that Dean's Democrats think that letting Iraq become a puppet regime run by Iranians is preferable to the current situation. As for polling showing two-thirds of Americans wanting a new direction, Dean's assuming that all of those want that new direction to be more liberal. Frankly, I'd bet that most of those wanting a new direction to be a more conservative direction.
Democrats will answer this call by standing up for change with a unified agenda, including a defense policy that's tough and smart.How will it be unified when they can't even figure out how fast to abandon Iraq much less figure out how to strip the President of crucial tools like the NSA intercept program, the CIA interrogations and the Patriot Act? That's a liberal's idea of "tough and smart" but sane people think of that as stupid and reckless.
That's a policy for tracking down terrorists, providing our troops and agencies with the tools they need to stop future attacks and following the 9/11 commission recommendations to close the gaps in our security.Dean's lies are taking their toll. What tools would be left if Democrats had their way on the NSA intercept program, the Patriot Act and the CIA interrogations? We'd be flying blind. Saying that you'd have a policy to track terrorists while eliminating the tools used in tracking terrorists only makes sense to an idiot liberal.
Democrats will stand up to Republican attempts to once again use fear to win elections in November. We will make sure voters know that a Democratic Congress will not rubber-stamp the administration's policies, which put the agenda of the far right ahead of what's good for America.How is not fighting the terrorists in America's interests? Since when is rubberstamping policies that force us to fight the terrorists blindly in America's interests?
If Democrats think that they're fooling people with this Barbra Streisand, then they're dumber than they hope the voters are.
Posted Sunday, October 8, 2006 1:59 PM
August 2006 Posts
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Swann Ridicules Rendell's Reform Agenda
Just days after mopping the floor with Rendell's quid pro quo agenda, Lynn Swann has positively put Rendell on the defensive. According to this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, the Swann campaign is keeping the pressure on Rendell. That pressure is starting to show up in the Rendell campaign's not responding directly to the core issue:
"This is another reckless charge from Lynn Swann, the latest in a pattern of false and misleading charges he and his running mate have made," said Dan Fee, Mr. Rendell's campaign press secretary. "The fact is, as even Lynn Swann admits, Governor Rendell was not on the plane with any gaming lobbyist and the use of the plane is disclosed, which is how Swann even knew who was on it."Mr. Fee is attempting a little political slight-of-hand here because he knows that Rendell is married to the status quo. As I said here, Rendell comes across as disingenuous when he's talking about specific reforms. Rendell isn't serious about reforming the system. He's worked hard to create the current system, starting in 197 as Philadelphia's District Attorney, as Philadelphia's mayor from 1991-1999 and now as Pennsylvania's governor since 2002.
Rendell ran a Chicago-style political machine in Philadelphia, then brought that machine to Harrisburg. It's noteworthy to notice that he didn't start proposing reforms until Swann buried him on the issue.
I'd bet the proverbial ranch that Rendell's 'reform fever' subsides a minute after winning re-election. What happened Wednesday night was that Lynn Swann exposed Rendell as a status quo politician. Now that Swann found a winning issue, expect him to exploit that issue from now until Election Day. Expect Pennsylvanians to positively respond to that message. Expect Pennsylvanians to elect Lynn Swann this November.
Posted Sunday, October 8, 2006 4:19 PM
August 2006 Posts
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