Marsha v. NRO

Tennessee's own Marsha Blackburn was selected for an interview with NRO's Kathryn Jean Lopez ("One Conservative’s ‘No’"--Interview on National Review Online) regarding her vote not to approve the "Bailout" plan. I'm glad to see Blackburn in a lead role on this issue, but the questions said more about the presumptions of the "Financially-Sophisticated" than Blackburn's seemingly truncated answers said about the rationale for her vote. I'm not sure that Lopez wanted to hear the answers to the questions.

Dems circled the wagons on Frank, Freddie and Fannie

Here's some fascinating video footage of House hearings (from several years ago) during which Democrats circled the wagons on behalf of Obama advisor (and then Fannie Mae Chair/CEO) Frank Raines and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Well, not everyone circled the wagons . . . watch all the way to the end for the statement by Bill Clinton.

Now Democrats are attempting to pin the failure of these institutions (and their millstone effect on financial markets) on Republicans? Talk about audacity.

Maybe if McCain had been preparing . . .

Maybe one more debate prep session (as opposed to DC debates on the bailout) would have helped McCain respond to this fat pitch from Obama:("Saturday-Morning Quarterbacking" by John J. Pitney Jr.):

Early in the debate, Obama asked rhetorically: “The question, I think, that we have to ask ourselves is, how did we get into this situation in the first place?” Instead of talking abstractly about greed, McCain might have said: “Senator Obama wants to know how the trouble started. He might ask his close adviser Jim Johnson, who headed Fannie Mae and got an exorbitant pay package.”

Don't wring your silk stockings

A friend (one a little politically squishy, I'd say) lamented/announced to me this morning that Palin had really messed up in her interview with Katie Couric and blahblahblah. Yes blahblahblah, even when National Review writers like Kathleen Parker (a bit squishy, though certainly more politically conversant than my friend) are urging McCain to pull Palin off the field. ("Palin Problem" by Kathleen Parker on National Review Online).

Why this reaction? I've mentioned the squishyness factor(common among those I affectionately refer to as "Silk-stocking Republicans"), but a second reason for my indifference to such criticism is the fact that what follows is Parker's best evidence of Palin's incompetence:

When Couric pointed to polls showing that the financial crisis had boosted Obama’s numbers, Palin blustered wordily: “I’m not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who’s more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who’s actually done it?”

Though that answer may have been worded more succinctly, what exactly would Ms. Parker propose as an answer to that question? Maybe something predictable (even if accurate) like accusing Democrats and their PR ops in the MSM of class warfare and vacuous "change" rhetoric?

Dem marketing

If marketing's objective is making a product a household name, nobody's better at political marketing--the negative kind, than the Dems. You can't spell demonize without D-E-M, as I was reminded in The Center for Public Integrity | PaperTrail Blog - ELECTION ’08: Scoring Secretary of State Seats for Dems">this email alert today blaming Democrat losses in 2000 and 2004 on Republican Secretaries of State (and promoting a 527 devoted to continued demagoguery of same).

CHILL OUT NASHVILLE

Anxious about lines at the gas station? Feeling powerless in the face of the fuel shortage? You're not powerless . . . and there's not much of a shortage . . . as WSMV is reporting, demand for gasoline in Middle Tennessee has DOUBLED over the weekend (they cited TEMA as the source for that figure). Panic Grips Area During Gas Shortage - Money News Story - WSMV Nashville. CHILL OUT NASHVILLE. Fight the urge to hoard gasoline.

The American Left and the War in Iraq

While reading a post about another outrageous Keith Olbermann statement, I was reminded of a recent (National Review) book review about Bing West's new book on the war in Iraq (The Strongest Tribe):

Bing West has many useful insights on the Iraq War. The nuggets are there for anyone willing to mine them. But two points in particular are worth noting.

The first is the danger of conducting war when American society is divided. One division, notes West, has been ideological and partisan: “Although sacrifice on a national scale is not required for every conflict, a healthy society does not treat war as an extension of domestic political competition. . . . National security cannot be sustained when domestic party affiliation and ideology determine the support for a war. Iraq was a symptom, not the cause of the ideological polarization of American society.”

The second insight is related to the foolishness of leaving Iraq without regard to the long-term consequences, another penchant of the American Left:

The second point concerns the endgame in Iraq. West argues that while the wisdom of invading Iraq in the first place can be debated by reasonable people, four factors should determine whether the U.S. perseveres in Iraq. First, a stable Iraq advances U.S. interests in the region. Second, any reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq should be done prudently, not in such a way as to signal that the U.S. has given up. Third, a precipitous pullout would most likely shatter Iraq, unleashing centrifugal forces. Fourth, if Iraq were to hold together in the face of a precipitous withdrawal, it would “resent America for having given up.” This would have serious implications for the regional balance of power.

It's for the children

Nutroots activists reportedly hacked into Sarah Palin's personal email account and this Ted Bridis AP story was shillingly amazing. From the article:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Hackers broke into the Yahoo! e-mail account that Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin used for official business as Alaska's governor, revealing as evidence a few inconsequential personal messages she has received since John McCain selected her as his running mate.

. . . .

The disclosure Wednesday raises new questions about the propriety of the Palin administration's use of nongovernment e-mail accounts to conduct state business. The practice was revealed months ago - prior to Palin's selection as a vice presidential candidate - after political critics obtained internal e-mails documenting the practice by some aides.

(emphasis added) Evidence of what? And what an interesting read on the story, "the disclosure (of illegal and astonishingly invasive activity) raises questions about" . . . drum roll please! . . . something bad about Palin. Give me a break.

To be sure, any illegal or unethical behavior by these Liberals is most certainly for the children.

Hillary has no time for non-partisan event, thank you

This seems like a major misstep in light of Barack Obama's strained relations with Jewish Democrats and Independents (read: Jewish voters). Hillary has cancelled an appearance (here) at an Iranian accountability rally because . . . the she-devil (aka Sarah Palin was also invited. Ironically, Clinton's people are complaining that the event is "partisan":

“Her attendance was news to us, and this was never billed to us as a partisan political event,” said Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines. “Sen. Clinton will therefore not be attending.”

I think she should have just gone, but I'll concede that graciousness is not a Hillary strong suit.

Change Fannie Mae can believe in

Barack Obama--after only three years in office, has outpaced all but one other Federal legislator in campaign donations from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over the past 20 years.

Ironically, "Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Saturday that any government takeover of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must put the interests of taxpayers and homeowners first," (here), while McCain, "said it was essential to restructure the mortgage giants."

Obama's crass Iraq politics

Change we can believe in? Give me a break. ("OBAMA TRIED TO STALL GIS' IRAQ WITHDRAWAL" - New York Post). From the article:

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

Evolving definitions of "election fraud"?

Tennessee Democrat leaders' weekend vote to punt on the Kurita/Barnes election controversy ("On Politics: Kurita was robbed on Nashville City Paper") has multiple "levels." Incidentally, none of the reports (e.g., Tennessean or the City Paper), provide any details about Barnes' basis for challenging his losing tally so it is difficult to know the validity of his claims (personally, I want the MSM to be my eyes and ears, not my brain).

But I have my suspicions. One thing that Barnes appears to have camped on is that some Republicans may have voted for Kurita in the primary . . . for the record, Dems, is cross-over voting in an open primary now a legitimate basis to void an election?

I can sympathize with Tennessee Lefties' spite for a maverick party member and bi-partisan Wilder votes, but this is just how these folks work . . . whatever it takes to win, right?

Obama's radical sex ed agenda

I've posted previously (here and here) I just came across this article chronicling a nationwide effort by a motley crew of organizations--the ACLU and Planned Promiscuity Parenthood Federation of America ©, to get states to reject Federal funds to pay for abstinence education in schools.

That in and of itself was disturbing, as the Crisis Pregnancy Center where I am involved saw grant money dry up following Gov. Bredesen's choice not to file the simple paperwork to receive the federal funds.

But another interesting angle to the story was all the Left-wing verbiage about "scientific" instruction about sex (read the article). That reminded me of the sex education legislation Barack Obama fought for in Illinois. I'm a bit embarrassed that I wasn't more aware of the "code" these groups were using, but it does help a voter connect the dots in discerning the values and priorities of Barack Obama, the person voted the "Most Liberal U.S. Senator" by National Journal.

People . . . if students receive Abstinence-only sex ed, it is not the only sex ed they get. I, like most parents, want my child to at least hear more than PPFA & Co.'s obligatory line: "Sure, the only way not to get pregnant (or otherwise punished, like by getting a STI) is to abstain from sex, but now everyone pick up the cucumber and the condom I've placed on your desk, and . . ."

Praising Palin with faint damnation--Part II

Here's another example of an article intended to reflect poorly on Sarah Palin which actually bolsters her image. By the way, all of the scandal-ish allusions in the article are teased up like beehive hairdos . . . feel free to challenge me on that assertion.

Gloves being challenged to go for jugular

As if Liberals haven't already taken the gloves off in regard to Sarah Palin, I came across this HuffPo article that throws down the proverbial gauntlet for the nutroots (I presume) Naomi Foner: We're in Big Trouble. There's some disturbingly Liberal clap-trap in the op/ed, and here's a sample:

Leaders need to be chosen from the most talented among us, not from the bottom of the barrel. And we shouldn't be afraid to say so.

What kind of misplaced chivalry would keep the Democrats from calling Sarah Palin what she is? An ignorant, misinformed, inexperienced, bigoted fraud. And unless we find a way to do it, she will be running the country before we have time to turn around.

As far as "talent," isn't it most important what someone does with their talent? And aren't a person's views on issues at least equally as important as whether they are "talented"?

Keep typing, idiots.

Is this "age appropriate," Senator Obama?

I posted previously about Barack Obama's radical views on sex education (here), but I just came across this story about efforts by HRC (the "Human Rights Campaign") in Minneapolis public schools to normalize homosexual behavior . . . among kindergartners.

I wonder if Barack Obama thinks this type of sex education is "age appropriate"?

Gearing up for "election fraud" fraud

Since Democrats are (now) facing some pretty ugly polling data, it would be wise to gear up for the inevitable, Left-wing "election fraud" stories to come, because Liberals don't ever lose elections.

Well this is an example of how some Democrats--in this case it is the Democratic Governor of Montana,* work to influence elections: hindering transparency of the process (I wonder why that is?). Such Dem tactics happen even in little ol' Nashville, as I observed while poll watching a number of precincts for Corker . . . various officials in these Democrat-heavy precincts weren't interested in anybody making sure that things were done according to the law. Hey, whatever it takes to win, right?



*Of course we now know that being a governor is not that big of a deal for Democrats.

Who's "lying" about the "bridge to nowhere"?

I know that Liberals/"Progressives" have a different standard for "lying," but I think this issue is a wash (see here and here)--voters can judge for themselves which campaign is over-reaching in their characterization of how the "bridge to nowhere" reflects on Palin's political character.

Obama and sex education for kindergarteners--UPDATE

You may have heard, but Barack Obama has long supported sex education for kindergarteners (link).

And I hope you'll forgive me for not implicitly trusting the most liberal person in the U.S. Senate (not to mention Planned Promiscuity Federation of America ©) to define "age-appropriate" and "explicit."


Incidentally, the Bill-that-Obama-Wishes-He'd-Voted-"Present"-On has this language:

"Factual information" includes without limitation
30 medical, psychiatric, psychological, empirical, and
31 statistical statements.

-2- LRB093 05269 NHT 05359 b
1 "Medically accurate" means verified or supported by
2 research conducted in compliance with scientific methods,
3 published in peer-review journals, where appropriate, and
4 recognized as accurate and objective by professional
5 organizations and agencies with expertise in the relevant
6 field.

(emphasis added) We know who those "organizations and agencies" are, don't we?

It's about time: Bishops criticize politicians "who claim to be Catholic"

Bishops criticize Biden’s abortion remarks for flawed reasoning. In response to Sen. Biden who,

said that he is “prepared as a matter of faith to accept that life begins at the moment of conception” but would not impose that belief on anyone through law. He claimed that to do so would be “inappropriate in a pluralistic society.”

A number of Catholic Bishops in the U.S. released a statement of their own:

“Any human being -- regardless of his faith, his religious practice or having no faith -- any human being can reason to the fact that human life from conception unto natural death is sacred,” he argued. “Biology -- not faith, not philosophy, not any kind of theology -- Biology tells us, science [says], that at the moment of conception there exists a unique individual of the human species.”