The American Jingoist

SEPTEMBER 3, 2010

SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

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1. Barack Obama Monotones

Barack Obama again waited for Rush Limbaugh to go on vacation before addressing the public from the Oval Office. Like the last speech, this speech was, for three-quarters of it, dry and monotone — President Spock addressing the nation without emotion.

Finally, at the end, Spockobama gave into emotion and showed some talking about the troops.

Throughout though, the speech was a rather pathetic speech. Not since February of 2009 has Barack Obama talked in detail about Iraq and his Oval Office speech tonight indicates this may be the last we ever hear of Iraq from him. He couldn’t wait to move on to topics more to his liking.

He praised George W. Bush — but curiously set up his praise in a way to make himself look better. He then turned almost as quickly to the economy and blamed George Bush for the economic picture. At least tonight, however, he was kind enough not to use Bush’s name directly.

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2. Knee Capping Mitch McConnell: Lisa Murkowski Concedes to Joe Miller

Lisa Murkowski is conceding the senate primary in Alaska to RedState and Sarah Palin endorsed Joe Miller.

This news is bigger than Lisa Murkowski. While Establishment Republicans will bristle at it, this is a near total kneecapping of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, not to mention another rejection of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Consider this inside baseball fact: McConnell has chosen as his loyal lieutenants at the leadership table Robert Bennett (R-UT), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).

Judd Gregg is retiring and McConnell sought to replace him with Trey Grayson of Kentucky. Grayson, however, lost to Rand Paul in the Kentucky GOP Primary.

Conservatives threw Bob Bennett out at the Utah GOP convention, replacing him with firebrand conservative Mike Lee.

Now Lisa Murkowski is defeated, like Bob Bennett, by conservative activists concerned by the fiscal drift of the Republican Party and the overall direction of the American republic.

Consider another fact: Conservatives, led by Jim DeMint and Sarah Palin, are potentially creating the most conservative Senate Republican Conference in the last thirty or so years: Sharron Angle, Ken Buck, Mike Lee, Joe Miller, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Pat Toomey will be joining Jim DeMint, Tom Coburn, and David Vitter.

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3. Sebelius counsels… ‘Reeducation’ for Obamacare.

Reeducation.

Yeah, sure, using that term will save at-risk Democrats in swing seats and states.

Now, it’s important to note here that HHS Secretary Sebelius was being inarticulate and stupidly insensitive here, not threatening. She didn’t mean to evoke the Cold War era specter of Communist concentration camps where enemies of the State were systematically tortured into reflexively supporting whatever Dear Leader was in power that year, or Soviet-era ‘mental hospitals’ where dissidence was ‘treated’ as a medical disease.

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4. We Have An Answer

From Public Policy Polling, the official pollster of DailyKos:

“We’ll start rolling out our Ohio poll results tomorrow but there’s one finding on the poll that pretty much sums it up: by a 50-42 margin voters there say they’d rather have George W. Bush in the White House right now than Barack Obama.”

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5. Now This Is Just Dumb

If you ever want to see how liberal pundits try to gin up division within conservative ranks, look no further than this bit of beclowning.

Sean Hannity did not talk about Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally on Sean Hannity’s show.

Really.

Apparently, because other Fox hosts did, Sean Hannity is supposed to do it too. I didn’t realize that Glenn and Sean had editorial control over each other’s shows.

Sean Hannity is no more required to cover the Restoring Honor event than Glenn Beck is required to cover Hannity’s Freedom Concerts. This is ludicrous and trying to start controversy where there isn’t any.

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AUGUST 31, 2010

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1. Counting The Deaths On Commander-in-Chief Obama’s Impotent Hands

In 86 months the total number of casualties in Afghanistan was 630 under the Bush command. Under Obama’s weak, waffling, hand-wringing and navel-gazing command, in just 19 months, the US casualty count as of August 30, 2010 now surpasses Bush’s numbers, sitting now at a total of 632…and counting. How can this be?

We’ve had 4,763 strategy reviews. We’ve made kissy-face with our enemies. We’ve announced to them that we have a date-certain withdrawal plan if only they could just quiet themselves and wait us out. We’ve changed leadership on the ground, modified the ROE, incorporated the Rahm Emanuel-style approach to winning friends and influencing people there, and we’ve even begun indirect negotiations with our enemy to help facilitate their return to power once we tuck tail and run.

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2. A Free Society And The Muslim Conundrum

The recent debate over the Ground Zero Mosque, now innocuously called “Park51? by the AP and other nitwits, has been instructive on several levels.

We’ve learned a great deal about the liberal mindset that thinks a Christmas creche on a courthouse lawn, or a cross on a desolate Mojave hilltop, is a grave affront to the “separation of church and state” yet the building of a mosque/islamic community center/target beacon on land made available for development by the 9/11 terror attacks is a testimony to our tolerance.

We’ve also learned a great deal more about America’s islamic community and what that seems to mean for America in the future.

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3. Gallup: Generic ballot shows record Republican lead

I’ve had my ups and downs with Gallup (one might say the relationship is like the plot of the Gallup generic ballot itself!), but since they’ve been solidly running registered voter surveys again, the numbers have looked reasonable.

But now they’re shocking us from the other direction by showing the Republicans having their largest ever lead in the generic ballot survey, showing a larger edge than even today’s Rasmussen’s GOP +6 (notwithstanding the alleged House Effect of the latter).

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4. Got cancer – and millions of dollars? Nancy Pelosi can help!

Let me summarize this Dallas Morning News article about Lisa Blue: if your husband (Fred Baron) is a millionaire and multimillion-dollar Democratic Party fundraiser – John Edwards’ bagman, in fact – and also dying of bone marrow cancer, then you can not only get away with smuggling into the country experimental cancer medicine of dubious efficacy; you can get the Speaker of the House herself to lean on the FDA to let your husband get the medication in question – despite the fact that it didn’t actually work. And then you get to brag about it, while piously talking about how awful it is that regular families don’t have your ability to violate federal regulations on access to experimental and untested medicines.

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5. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D, TX-30) diverted scholarship money to family members.

So. We have a legislator named Eddie Bernice Johnson (D, TX-30), member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and thus one of the people whose responsibility it is to hand out partial college scholarships to worthy recipients. A worthy project, to be sure: good policy, good politics, good publicity. There is – sensibly – a non-nepotism rule; and there is – also sensibly – a rule that this money is to be given to students in your district. But there is apparently no oversight at all over who gets the money, which is why Rep. Johnson was able to use this money gave 15 scholarships to six ineligible kids – four grandchildren and two kids of an aide – and none of them live in the district. Important point, there: even if grandchildren and children of aides don’t count under the anti-nepotism rule (an argument which the CBC itself rejects), the point of the whole thing is to foster local education. Rep. Johnson’s defense? She’s a nine-term Congresswoman who somehow missed the fact that she wasn’t supposed to give CBC scholarships to out-of-district family members.

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AUGUST 30, 2010

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1. It Worked. NRA Not Endorsing Harry Reid.

I’m actually getting beat up a bit in email tonight from three different emailers saying, “See, I told you they wouldn’t do this.”

The NRA is not endorsing Harry Reid.

Two NRA board members emailed me today sending their congratulations to RedState members. Said one, “This is all you guys.”

As the Wall Street Journal notes:

Erick Erickson, founder of the influential conservative blog Redstate.com, urged his readers in July to pressure the NRA not to formally back Mr. Reid. “Both people at the NRA and people in the Senate are telling me the NRA will be endorsing Harry Reid later this year and the only way to stop it is to be very vocal about it right now,” Mr. Erickson wrote

Mission accomplished. Thanks for being so vocal.

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2. The new normal in Nevada: Reid and Angle tied

When Sharron Angle came out of the Republican primary in Nevada, oddly enough she was vulnerable. She got no unity bounce, instead taking a stream of attacks from Republicans nationwide. As a result, Harry Reid went on the air for the knockout.

He didn’t get it.

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3. Palin Media Bias Rears Its Head In Hilarious Wishful Thinking

Earlier this week, the media once again displayed why no one can take them seriously. The Fourth Estate is totally insolvent and is declaring bankruptcy, morally and otherwise. In this recent instance, having to do with Tuesday night’s Republican primary in Alaska, it was at least quite hilarious.

You see, Sarah Palin had endorsed Joe Miller over the incumbent alleged Republican Senator, Lisa Murkowski. As Jim Treacher at The Daily Caller lays out, and as Ace of Spades also noted, the media was so hell-bent on a way to discredit Sarah Palin that they indulged in the child-like behavior of squinting your eyes closed to reality and wishing really, really hard that fantasy comes true.

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4. Obama’s EPA to Regulate Hunters and Fisherman

The Obama Administration is considering using the vast power of the federal government to ban the sale of certain types of ammunition. This administrative ban would increase cost for hunters and fisherman dramatically. If implemented, this ban would go against the will of the American people. Furthermore, this action is an inappropriate use of federal power.

U.S. News and World Report posted a story Friday indicating that President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering a ban on lead bullets and sinkers in the name of protecting the environment. This ban, if put into place, would dramatically increase the cost of ammunition for hunters and lead sinkers for anglers. If gun owners needed any more evidence that the Obama Administration is looking for creative ways to take away the Second Amendment rights of all Americans, they need to look no further than this new proposed rule.

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5. Education Reform and New Jersey

I’ve said that Chris Christie losing out on $400 million over four years in federal grant money on Education could be a blessing in disguise–and I wanted to explain why that is.

So this week Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced $3.4 billion split between ten “winners” under their Race to the Top program, with the overwhelming bulk of the remaining pool of money (yes, that’s how quickly they’ve burned through it). The “winners”? New York, Massachusetts, Florida, DC, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island. Christie’s under fire because New Jersey qualified over Ohio by every measure and passed the eyeball test, but a clerical error by Schundler’s office on one page of a multi-thousand page report made Duncan’s staff reject the application.

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6. RedState Gathering: Deadline Extended

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have extended the deadline to book your room for the RedState Gathering at the special discounted rate. You have until September 2nd to reserve your room at the group rate. After that the rooms are priced per the hotel’s normal fees. The RedState rate is a steal, with breakfast included with your room, internet access for free throughout your stay, and a deep discount over the regular rate.

As you know, reserving your room now locks in your rate, but you will not, of course, be charged until the END of your stay. And naturally, you can cancel at any time up to 24 hours before your reservation.

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Tech at Night: Google, Christian Coalition, Net Neutrality, Glenn Beck

AUGUST 27, 2010

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1. Liberal blog Talking Points Memo denies role in Carnahan firebombing.

For those not following this story: last week a campaign office of Russ Carnahan* (D, MO-03) was firebombed by an officially unknown assailant. A suspect was arrested and subsequently quickly released. This development, coupled with the odious nature of the attack itself, led to both widespread concern and widespread condemnation among the right-side of the blogosphere (including RedState)… but, curiously, not notably among the left-side.

Given that the attack appeared to be an act of domestic terrorism, the reaction of the latter seemed incongruous. It was later discovered that the person arrested and released was Chris Powers, a former campaign staffer of Russ Carnahan’s – one with apparently a longer history with the campaign than the ‘one week’ that Carnahan has claimed – who was also a diarist (under an assumed name**) for Talking Points Memo, which is an influential blog and website among Democratic and progressive political operatives and bloggers.

Today, Talking Points Memo finally released an article on the affair, in which it reported both that Powers denied any involvement in the original attack, as well as implicitly denying any relationship between TPM and Powers beyond the latter’s ability to post diaries at TPM.

No explanation was offered as to why TPM declined to cover for almost a week the firebombing of a Democratic Congressman’s campaign office; a firebombing which featured at one point a TPM diarist as prime suspect.

No further arrests have been made in the case as of the time of this article.

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2. Just How Badly Has the NRSC Screwed Up? Worse Than You Think.

17,000 of the 24,000 absentee ballots in Alaska will probably be counted Monday. Given Joe Miller’s late surge, it may not help him. However, I am told by a number of people that given where those absentee ballots came from and his overall support in the areas, the odds remain in joe Miller’s favor.

But word is coming out of Washington that the National Republican Senatorial Committee, already in “cover their butts” mode, is intervening in Alaska to help Lisa Murkowski.

John Cornyn, Chairman of the NRSC, has been upfront that the NRSC will help incumbent Republicans being challenged. But there is a problem with Murkowski. I have confirmed through multiple sources that Lisa Murkowski has already approached the Alaska Libertarian Party. In exchange for putting her on the Libertarian ticket in November, Murkowski will hand the Libertarians a sizable chunk of her +$1 million war chest.

I am willing to bet that John Cornyn is sending Murkowski help without first getting a promise from her that she will not run third party if she loses.

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3. Put Georgia 8 on your radar

Meet Austin Scott.

He is running in a district that leans decidedly Republican, having been won by both George Bush and John McCain. But the district is held by Congressman Jim Marshall, a Democrat and my former law school professor.

If the GOP is going to take back Congress, it is going to have to take back this district. Jim Marshall is a card check sponsor and TARP supporter, among other things, but the local Republicans have gotten used to him.

Austin Scott needs a serious and immediate infusion of cash and outside group support to beat Marshall, but I believe this is the year to beat Jim Marshall. Polling of likely voters put the race even or Scott ahead of Marshall.

Still, Marshall is sitting on a million dollars and Scott needs to get competitive.

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4. NBC/MSNBC & YouTube teamed with progressive orgs with financial ties to ACORN in 2008

Well folks, looks like I could be “peeling off” a few more here. Not only do conservatives have to contend with Obama’s OFA (Organizing for America), progressive orgs like MoveOn, SEIU, et al in massive Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts but now I’ve discovered to my chagrin that NBC, MSNBC and YouTube are in the mix.

How did I get here? I’m not going to divulge all of my “Mrs. James Bond” tactics but it’s easier to just put it up on the screen in pictures.

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5. The Leftist Tailspin

Apparently in hopes of upping their game heading into November, the Left has decided that the best way to win is by, you know, offing the opposition.

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6. Michael Bennet Says He Has Nothing to Show for All His Votes

What an insufferable moron.

Michael Bennet is traipsing around Colorado calling Ken Buck too responsible to be sent to Washington for Buck daring to forego his taxpayer funded salary as District Attorney while campaigning for the Senate.

Bennet wants you to know that he has never missed a vote in the United States Senate, but please don’t ask him about his taxpayer funded multi-month vacations to be able to campaign. Will he give up his salary during that time? Of course not.

While Bennet wants everyone to know he has never missed a vote in the Senate and, in fact, votes for the Democrat agenda more than Harry Reid,
he probably regrets admitting he has nothing to show for those votes.

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7. Charlie Crist Secretly Went to See Obama This Past Friday

We now have confirmation from the Crist campaign. Caleb and I have been working on this story.

We have eye witnesses who saw Charlie Crist in Martha’s Vineyard this past Friday. Now Crist claims he was not visiting the President at all and was there for a private campaign event, the details of which he is refusing to release.

But our witnesses say he very clearly was, at one point, in the company of secret service agents.

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8. McCollum the Sore Loser?

This is getting disgraceful. I realize the level of acrimony is out of control in Florida, but this behavior is typical of McCollum and one of the chief reasons his opponent barely lost McCollum’s home county — ponder that point.

McCollum hired most of Charlie Crist’s 2006 campaign staff, which happened to be former Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer’s inner circle. Yes, the indicted JIm Greer.

McCollum accepted Jim Greer’s endorsement gladly, but he never endorsed Marco Rubio after Crist dropped out of the GOP primary.

Now he says he is reserving his endorsement of Rick Scott and he is toying with the idea of endorsing the Democrat?

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9. Don’t Forget the RedState Mission

Go get your congress critter on video. Ask if he agrees with John Boehner that Barack Obama should ask for Tim Geithner and Larry Summers’ resignations.

Oh, and if you get your congressman to take a position on the Ground Zero Mosque, you just might get bonus points and maybe an extra prize!

Post your video to our Facebook page. Each person who does so will get a copy of my new book.

(one book per person, mission may end at my say, Geithner or Summers being fired, or September 15th, whichever comes first. Post your video to Facebook. Note that you’ve done so in the comments here)

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AUGUST 25, 2010

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1. Marco Rubio is Solidly Ahead in Florida.

An untrained observer, looking at the RCP Average of polling conducted in the Florida Senate race, might conclude that Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist are in a virtual tie. A fool might look at these numbers and conclude Charlie Crist is more likely to win. However, a person with an even casual understanding of how polls are conducted will understand that this polling shows Marco Rubio to be a solid favorite in this race, with a lead roughly as comfortable as that of Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire and Rand Paul in Kentucky.

The explanation for this, of course, lies in sample of persons polled by the respective organizations polling this race. From the beginning of this race, Quinnipiac University and the St. Petersburg Times have polled registered voters, a set which purports to winnow out at least those adults not eligible to vote. Rasmussen and Mason-Dixon, on the other hand, have consistently polled “likely voters,” which purports to be a subset of registered voters who are judged to be more representative of the people who can be counted on to actually cast a vote on Election Day.

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2. Rick Scott Wins

It was one of the nastiest primaries anyone could remember in Florida. Scott and McCollum spent millions attacking each other — Scott with his own fortune and McCollum with a great deal of third party group money.

McCollum’s campaign orchestrated stunt after stunt to highlight the baggage Scott would bring to the general election, but it was not enough.

Rick Scott, a conservative businessman and healthcare executive, won the Republican nomination — barely even losing to McCollum in McCollum’s own home county.

Scott ran as an outsider and the entire GOP establishment in Florida lined up against him. Most of the conservative establishment in Washington also lined up against him.

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3. Charlatans and the Horse They Rode In On

I have been biting my tongue so hard for so long that I’m surprised I haven’t developed gangrene, but the time has come to open my mouth, or at least put fingers to the keyboard.

I have for years been shouting into the wind about those I believe are conservative charlatans abusing the money of donors, burning bridges, and making it all the more difficult for solid conservative activists to gain the trust of large conservative donors.

As I told Ken Vogel a few weeks ago, “Every movement — left, right, center or no political affiliation whatsoever — attracts its contingent of scammers and con artists and charlatans, and it takes a while for that to sort itself out . . . . And that’s why a lot of the money is still sitting on the sidelines.”

And now there is this.

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4. Intel CEO Otellini: The Democrats Are Destroying our Economy

This is a stunning indictment from the leader of one of America’s most successful technology companies.

The most disturbing part of Otellini’s comments is that he says nothing groundbreaking, nothing unexpected, and nothing that we have not heard many times before. Otellini talks about regulation, taxation, litigation and transparency – all issues that have been cited by business leaders for years. But our ‘leaders’ in Washington ignore these concerns, and instead pile on more taxes, more regulation, more litigation costs, greater uncertainty about the climate going forward. And they do all this while claiming to be ‘pro-jobs.’

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AUGUST 24, 2010

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1. Meet the New Boss. Same as the Old Boss.

Has the GOP learned its lessons from 2006?

That’s the big question many on the right are asking themselves. After all, on the Senate side the same leadership that led the GOP out of power will be the same leadership leading the GOP back into power if they take back the Senate.

In the House of Representatives, the members did a good job replacing their failed leadership. Hastert retired, DeLay quit, Blunt left leadership. Blunt’s Deputy Whip, Eric Cantor, moved up to Whip. Kevin McCarthy and Mike Pence came in underneath. In fact, Eric Cantor is the only member of the Hastert-DeLay-Blunt-Cantor House GOP Leadership team to remain.

On the House side, as a very public repudiation of their past, John Boehner led the GOP to refuse earmarks — the bribes both sides have used for so long to grow government and get their pet programs passed.

Earmarks were used to bribe Republicans to support the prescription drug benefit and TARP. Earmarks were used to bribe Democrats to support Obamacare. Earmarks are a drug and the GOP, to absolve itself of its own sins, publicly declared that House Republicans would give up the very corrupting practice.

But it was all for show, or so it seems. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) declares earmarks will be back in full swing once the GOP takes back Congress.

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2. Cameron’s ‘High Noon’ Canceled At 11th Hour

In March of this year, famed director and amateur hole stuffer James Cameron threw down the green gauntlet, stating in an interview that he wanted to debate global warming skeptics in a most public way, the better to expose them for having their heads “deeply up” their, um, abysses.

Cameron doesn’t like global warming skeptics. Or the military. Or mining. Or, you know, Americans. So in the post-orgy afterglow following the success of everything-bashing Avatar, he was ready to mix it up. Right?

Alas, the gun-slinging was not to be. In lieu of the scheduled dust-up, this weekend Cameron opted to simply call skeptics “swine” and screen a documentary about his own heroic opposition to Brazilian electricity before jet-setting back home.

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3. DOOM declared in CT by… Journal Inquirer.

I don’t pretend to be familiar with Connecticut newspapers, but judging from this article the J-I must be a Democratic-leaning one: there’s a palpable sense of angry disbelief that… that… that Linda McMahon could possibly be wrecking Dick Blumenthal’s smooth ascension to Countrywide Dodd’s Senate seat. I mean, the author’s saying stuff about Blumenthal that I might hesitate to write, given that he’s – for now – still leading outside the margin of error.

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4. Pick out Russ Feingold’s Union Bosses!

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air is hosting a fun new game: spot the union shills pretending to be normal people in Russ Feingold’s latest misleading campaign ad. So far out of the six ‘plain folks,’ two have been identified as being union corporate suits.

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5. Admin. Estimated 23,000 Jobs Lost to Moratorium

The Obama Administration has filed some 27,000 pages of documents in Federal court which disclose the process by which it decided to forge ahead with a deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico, in spite of expert advice, public opinion and a Federal judge’s ruling.

The documents also show that the Administration stonewalled a U.S. Senator’s request for information, a point apparently lost on the mainstream press. They show that the bureaucracy contemplated a de facto moratorium: since the bureaucracy has the power of the permit, who needs a moratorium? And they also show that ignorance (willful or otherwise) caused them to grossly misrepresent the economic impact of the moratorium to the court.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Administration forged ahead with plans to stop all drilling in water depths over 500 feet until November 30, even though its own estimates showed the ban would cost some 23,000 jobs.

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AUGUST 23, 2010

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1. Barack Obama’s Attempted Character Assassination of Koch Industries

When the President of the United States, in prepared remarks, launches a broadside against any organization, it is no accident. In the case of Barack Obama and left, we have a new target for this White House — yet another company whose owners take issue with Barack Obama destroying the country.

On August 9th, speaking in Austin, TX, Barack Obama said, “Right now all around this country there are groups with harmless-sounding names like Americans for Prosperity, who are running millions of dollars of ads against Democratic candidates all across the country. And they don’t have to say who exactly the Americans for Prosperity are. You don’t know if it’s a foreign-controlled corporation. You don’t know if it’s a big oil company, or a big bank. You don’t know if it’s a insurance company that wants to see some of the provisions in health reform repealed because it’s good for their bottom line, even if it’s not good for the American people.”

It was the planned launch of what appears to be a well coordinated and long term assault on Koch Industries, the owners of which fund Americans for Prosperity.

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2. Obama owning the economy… any time now.

There are two passages that you need to consider from this Hill article about how the current administration continues to blame the previous administration for everything in creation, but particularly our current rotten economic situation – a year after the current administration promised to stop doing precisely that. Here is the first passage…

“During a July 14, 2009, address in Warren, Mich., Obama said, “Now, my administration has a job to do, as well, and that job is to get this economy back on its feet. That’s my job. And it’s a job I gladly accept. I love these folks who helped get us in this mess and then suddenly say, ‘Well, this is Obama’s economy.’ That’s fine. Give it to me. My job is to solve problems, not to stand on the sidelines and carp and gripe.””

…and here is the second:

“The White House did not comment for this article.”

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3. By Faith: I Am Proud of Franklin Graham

Much has been made this week of Franklin Graham’s comments both about the Ground Zero Mosque and Barack Obama’s religion. It has been more than hilarious to watch all the news networks, newspapers, and pundits try to explain Graham’s comments.

All of those who have been talking about his comments have talked about them from a political point of view.

Franklin Graham couldn’t care less. I couldn’t care less. What Franklin Graham said is dead on.

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4. Ms. Magazine Says It’s Not The Economy, Stupid. It’s Your Girly Bits

Last year, the Left floated the idea that unemployment is really super fun and tried to pass it off as FUNemployment. That spin eventually failed, because people not living in their parents’ basements and fiddling with their iPods realized it really isn’t all that enjoyable not being able to, you know, pay their bills. So, they are now left with inventing new reasons for why people aren’t getting hired. Specifically, we women-folk. Guess what, ladies? It’s not the fact that President Obama has spent more time creating or saving his own golf handicap than he has spent on the economic situation, that is preventing you from getting a job. It’s your girly parts! According to that bastion of enlightenment, Ms. Magazine, at least. In an article entitled “It Wasn’t Your Resume, It Was Your Vagina”, they attempt to make that case. And fail. Miserably, as always.

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5. Actually it looks like the Democrats will be the ones destroying social security

A headline at CNN back on August 13th proclaimed “Democrats to use Social Security against GOP this fall”.

There is just one problem.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that it is Barack Obama’s own debt commission that intends to destroy social security as we know it.

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AUGUST 22, 2010

Red State Uprising: How to Take Back America

AUGUST 20, 2010

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1. Democrats Told To Stop Campaigning On Obamacare

The Politico headline is actually New Dem message: ‘Improve’ health care, don’t talk cost , but that is not wholly what is going on. What is going on is a recognition from the Democrats that after a year of trying to sell Obamacare as a panacea of right thinking and improvement, the voters headed to the polls in November disagree and are angry.

Consequently, the Politico notes that Democrats are abandoning all pretenses of selling Obamacare to the public and have cut and run back to “if you don’t replace us with the Republicans, we promise we will improve it.”

And the kicker — the revised talking points counsel that Democrats should avoid making the claim that Obamacare will reduce costs and cut the deficit. In other words, the two main selling points are being tossed out the window.

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2. Obama, Islam, And Subservient Media

From a story in today’s Washington Post headlined Poll shows more Americans think Obama is a Muslim.

Wonder why that is?

What is illustrative about this story is that roughly the same number of people believe Obama is a muslim and was born outside the United States as believe a mosque should be built on Ground Zero and the US Government was behind 9/11 — too bad we can’t do a Venn Diagram here.

If the Post is puzzled as to why this should be the case, it need look no further than the flaccid, sycophantic coverage it has given Obama the Senator, Obama the Candidate, and Obama the President.

With this particular president, the debate is over. Any story, no matter how ridiculous, will gain a substantial following because the media have sacrificed their credibility. Maybe in 2012, if we’re lucky, or 2016, if we’re not, the media will return to doing the job it claims it wants to do, to play a constructive role in our political process. They can do that by treating the candidates they like the same way they treat those they don’t like.

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3. Obama Appoints Maria del Carmen Aponte as Ambassador to El Salvador

This is huge news coming on the heels of Barack Obama’s support for the Ground Zero Mosque.

He has appointed Maria del Carmen Aponte to be Ambassador to El Salvador.

Three United States Senators have a hold on her nomination. Why? Because she had a longterm relationship with a top Cuban spy. She withdrew as a Clinton appointee back in the 90’s because of it.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Distracting Republicans with the Ridiculous and Absurd

With the revelation that roughly as many Americans believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim as those who believe that building a mosque at Ground Zero is a swell idea, democrats and the media (so far as they are distinguishable) have apparently cottoned to a new type of “pin the extremist on the Republican”: asking Republican candidates whether they believe Obama is a Muslim.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. War on Food McEscalating

I like bacon. I know, courageous stance right? Bacon is one of the delights of life on this earth. It’s a universal good, a boon; manna.

But like any universal good on this earth, there are those who disapprove. PETA, for example, and for obvious reasons. Luckily, I don’t see PETA successfully instituting global bacon sharia anytime soon. On the other hand, they may not have to. Just as there are universally good things in this world, there are universally stupid things. I call them progressives.

And guess what they’re coming for next? Your kids.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. The Associated Press Takes Sides Again

Consistent with the operations of the 29% fringe political elites who have no problem with the Ground Zero mosque, the Associated Press has ordered a full stop on usage of “Ground Zero Mosque.”

Please click here for the rest of the post.

7. On a Personal Note

On a personal note, as I mentioned the other day, tonight I will be guest hosting for Herman Cain on WSB radio out of Atlanta from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET. The station can be heard on 750 AM and 95.5 FM in Georgia. Both get tremendous range across the southeast.

Likewise, if you’d like, you can listen live here. Just say a prayer that I have wisdom and tongue control please. It should be fun. And thanks to Herman and WSB for allowing me to fill in.

Note to Sean Hannity: I’m coming in right after you on WSB, so you better do a good job.

AUGUST 19, 2010

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1. Last Chance

We have a very special RedState Gathering planned in Austin, TX from September 17th to September 19th.

If you want to get a discounted hotel room, this is it. Go here and reserve now. Internet is included as are meals.

Remember, at the RedState Gathering all the politicians in attendance agree to pay their own way and spend time with you on the floor, not high on a distant stage.

And at this year’s RedState Gathering you’ll be able to see Governors Rick Perry and Chris Christie, Congressman Tom Graves (R-GA), gubernatorial candidates John Kasich and Nikki Haley, Senate candidate Mike Lee, California Assemblyman Chuck Devore, and more. Along the way, we’ll throw a few surprises your way, have a panel discussion, and get some stellar training from American Majority. That training will include teaching you how to take over your local precinct.

Oh, and Friday night, you can be a guest of RedState’s, Governor Perry’s, and the Republican Governors Association for a fun night out in Austin.

To get there though, you need to register and reserve your hotel room. You can do it all by clicking here. Hotel room rates are about to go up, so this is your last chance for the discount.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Flaming Hypocrisy and the Convenient Constitutionalists of the Fringe Political Elite

For weeks on end the political elite in this country and their sycophants have told us we must support the Ground Zero Mosque because our founding principles demand it. This fringe group, no larger than the birthers or 9/11 Truthers and smaller than the mainstream group called the “tea party movement” the fringe political elite has labeled fringe, are not afraid to tell you that you are filled with hate and prejudice if you disagree with them.

The people who want to build the mosque, after all, have a constitutional right to build the mosque. Therefore, if we do not support them in their efforts, we are bigots. How dare any of us condemn them for exercising their constitutional right.

Compare the demands of the political elite and their sycophants on the mosque issue with their condemnation of NewsCorp.

The parent company of the Fox News Channel dared to give $1 million to the Republican Governors Association. According to the same flaming hypocrites who will call 70% of America bigoted for not supporting the constitutional right to build a mosque at Ground Zero, NewsCorp must be burned to the ground and the Avenue of the Americas covered in salt because NewsCorp had the audacity to exercise its constitutional right to use that other bit of the First Amendment not being used by the Mosqueteers.

If the political elite is going to demand we support the Ground Zero mosque because of the constitution, then they must also support NewsCorp unless they are really just what we know they actually are — convenient constitutionalists.

The whole thing really and truly is just a mosquerade.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. The Growing Detachment of the Political Class

One of the talking points of the political class, shared by some Republicans and all the Democrats and talked about by many reporters as if it is fact, not opinion, is that the tea party activists have elected a host of extremist candidates who cannot win and are badly out of touch with America.

Consider, however, what isn’t being bullet pointed:

57% think the Democrat agenda is “extreme”
60% favor repeal of Obamacare
56% disapprove of Obama’s job performance
61% favor immigration laws like Arizona just passed
68% oppose the Ground Zero mosque
65% are angry at federal government policies
65% say America is on the wrong track

And then consider this: those candidates the Democrats and talking heads are saying are extreme on the Republican side are either ahead or neck and neck with the Democrat.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Orange Charlie’s Bad Day.

The traitorous Charlie Crist, who has shown himself disloyal to everything except his own election to the United States Senate, has had a difficult couple of days on the stump. In order to win the general election, Crist knows that he needs to walk a very fine line – especially given that the Democrats figure to run a real candidate in the race. He absolutely must have the support of people who self-identify as Republican, but are more moderate than Rubio. Which is why it wasn’t good for Crist to be caught on tape.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Howard Dean… wants the mosque moved.

The audio is here – he’s definitely of the opinion that while the backers of the Ground Zero Mosque have the right to build one on their own property (the mainstream position), they should show some delicacy and consideration for national feelings on the matter and move the mosque somewhere else (which is also the mainstream position). Of course, being Howard Dean he later called the Republicans a bunch of race-baiters, but that’s just Howard Dean being Howard Dean.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Barney Frank calls Barack Obama dumb.

Come, I will conceal nothing from you: I respect Barney Frank’s political skills. I absolutely can’t stand what he uses those skills for, but I recognize that Rep. Frank has them, and that he knows how to use them effectively. To give just one example, Rep. Frank was about the only Democrat to make it through last year’s August health care meltdown without looking like either an abject coward, or a purblind fool*. You don’t have to like him – and I don’t – to recognize that.

Which is why Rep. Frank calling the Obama administration “dumb” for putting out an expectation of 8% unemployment if the stimulus passed is so interesting.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Tech at Night: RIAA, DMCA, Viacom, Google, Gun Owners of America, Free Press

AUGUST 18, 2010

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1. Nancy Pelosi Joins the Fringe Mosquerade

Ladies and gentlemen, we have come through the looking glass.

Tonight on KCBS radio in San Francisco, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi began calls for investigations into opponents of the Ground Zero mosque.

Aligning herself with the fringe — a group of people no larger than those who think 9/11 was an inside job and those who think Barack Obama is a foreign born Manchurian candidate — Pelosi said, “There is no question there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some. And I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded.”

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. The Elite Become Fringe. We Will Remember Come November

I’ve written about this before. Let me pretty much repeat myself because it is vitally relevant here.

I cannot tell you the number of reporters at major networks and newspapers who will, in private moments, admit there is a real bias in the media. That bias largely comes up from the elite power brokers, trend setters, news reporters, and politicos who live in the New York to Washington corridor.

In most cases it is not an intentional bias. It is a product of being highly educated, liberally inclined (”centrist” if you ask them, which is typically code for standing for nothing and everything at the same time), white urbanites who live on the Upper West Side, have drivers whisk them off to their studio or out of Adams-Morgan into downtown DC where they hang out with other fashionable liberals who, unlike me, think Jimmy Choo is a shoe manufacturer and not, as I thought, a Chinese restaurant.

They talk about what’s in the New York Times Magazine and on its front page. They gossip about who isn’t fooling around with Maureen Dowd anymore. They go to wine country in France, tie the latest J. Crew sweater around their neck because Michelle does, and otherwise live in an insular world of group think.

The preconceived notions they develop in this insular world of their likeminded friends colors what becomes the conventional wisdom, what gets reported and what doesn’t. . . .

The same people who have dedicated the entire year to proclaiming the tea party movement “fringe” suddenly find themselves fringe. Consider: the same percentages of people believe 9/11 was an inside job and believe Barack Obama is a foreign born Manchurian candidate and believe the Ground Zero mosque should be built.

While this Ground Zero mosque controversy may be the first time any of these elitists have ever embraced property rights, it has also done a brilliant job of outing them as out of touch with the America they supposedly represent in office, cover in the news, and talk down to on an hourly basis. The elite has become just as fringe as birthers and truthers.

But they will never, ever, ever admit it. They’d rather call you and me racists. But you and me? We will remember come November.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Severability and Obamacare

Several state legislators have reached out to me recently with questions about the nature of severability and Obamacare. Since some Redstaters seem to have questions as well, I thought I’d explain a bit about what this means.

Most laws of large size and scope have something called a “severability clause” attached to them. Essentially, this means that if one part of a piece of large legislation is ruled unconstitutional by a court, that unconstitutional portion is “severed” from the rest of the bill — the ruling doesn’t stop the rest of the law from being enforced.

The trouble for Obamacare is that it doesn’t have a severability clause. If you’re an opponent of Obamacare, this all sounds pretty good — it indicates that if Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is successful in his Virginia case against the individual mandate, the entire legislation could collapse. But the answer isn’t that simple.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Does Paul Krugman Understand Finance?

When it comes to the ‘framing’ of public discourse on entitlements, Paul Krugman is accustomed to writing columns that are more about issuing commands than making arguments; he has railed in the past even against President Obama for admitting that yes, we do have a problem paying for the explosive present and future growth of entitlements. But even for this genre of “there is no crisis” column, his latest is a head-scratcher.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Solutions for America

The Heritage Foundation . . . put out a comprehensive conservative road map titled “Solutions for America” earlier today. It is important for conservatives to be against bad ideas that expand the size and scope of the federal government. It is also important for conservatives to have ideas that will bring real Hope and Change to America. Let’s bring this country back to the nation envisioned by our Founding Fathers. The policies of the Obama Administration that forward “Progressive” agenda including a failed Stimulus plan, ObamaCare and the New START Treaty are merely a few examples of a government that is doing harm to our economic and national security.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

AUGUST 17, 2010

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1. The Democrats’ Disaster: More Americans Question Barack Obama’s Birth Story Than Support the Ground Zero Mosque

There is no great split in the United States of America on the issue of the Ground Zero Mosque. Sixty-eight percent of Americans oppose it.

In fact, using the same metric — CNN Opinion Research polling of 1,000 Americans — more American have doubts about Barack Obama’s birth story than support the mosque.

Consider that for a minute.

Delving into the data, 27% of Americans believe Barack Obama was probably not born in the United States and 29% support building the Ground Zero mosque. If we can call the former group “fringe,” surely we can call the latter group fringe as well.

Add to the 27% who think Obama was not born in the United States the 29% who think he was born in the United States, but are not definitely sure and more American have doubts about Barack Obama’s birth story than support the mosque.

Therein lies the great problem for the Democrats and why Barack Obama has locked in a Democratic disaster come November. In essence, the Democrats have lost the ability to connect with normal people at a moral level. The Democrats’ inability to address the question of “should the mosque be built” after answering the question of “could the mosque be built” is a cultural turning point for independents. Just as normal people ran screaming from the “San Francisco Democrats” 26 years ago, they will now reject the second coming of the San Francisco Democrats.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Reserve Your Room for the RedState Gathering

Ladies and Gentlemen, You have only 3 days left to book your room for the RedState Gathering at the special discounted rate. After that the rooms are priced per the hotel’s normal fees. That means you have only 3 days left to get breakfast included with your room. Only 3 days to get your internet access for free throughout your stay. As you know, reserving your room now locks in your rate, but you will not, of course, be charged until the end of your stay. And naturally, you can cancel at any time up to 24 hours before your reservation.

Events will begin the evening of Friday the 17th, with the bulk of the program taking place during the day Saturday. If you haven’t registered for the RedState Gathering you can do so here. The Gathering brings together activists and politicians in a small, intimate setting. It is a chance for you, the RedState readers and bloggers, to mix with politicians and pundits and get YOUR questions answered.

RedState has contracted with the Sheraton Austin for a low cost special room rate of only $125/night, single. That INCLUDES free breakfast and free wireless internet. Combined with our schedule of events, the free breakfast means your meals are covered from opening events on Friday to close of the Gathering at breakfast on Sunday. We have also arranged to have free wireless internet available in all meeting spaces and meal events for all attendees.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Reid’s new Angle on 9/11 mosque.

Sharron Angle went off on Harry Reid on the subject of the Ground Zero Mosque this morning – she takes the position that while people have the right to build a mosque there, they should show some delicacy of their own and build it somewhere else – and the Washington Post’s official paid left-wing shill, Greg Sargent, was practically licking his chops in response. He was of the opinion that making opposition to the President’s position – once we figure it out – a midterm issue would be a bad idea for Republicans, and he leaped on Angle’s opposition.

Then Harry Reid decided to agree with Angle.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Obamacare worth 17.5K dead women a year?

If you’ve missed the Avastin controversy, here’s a quick summary of it: Avastin is a general anti-cancer drug that got fast-tracked by the FDA a few years ago and is now prescribed to under 18 thousand women a year in the United States who suffer from the last stages of breast cancer. It doesn’t cure the cancer; it has side effects; and its beneficial effects are disputed… but the drug has its defenders as well as its detractors. However, now the FDA is contemplating reversing its approval of Avastin, which would probably mean the end of both its coverage by Medicare, and a subsidy program for low-income women.

Why?

Because then it won’t be covered by Medicare and the government can end the subsidy program for low-income women, of course.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Democrats Obfuscate

Politicians in general, and Democrats (most especially) in particular, don’t give a rip about the human condition of those to whom they pander to sate their lust for personal power and self-aggrandizement. Countless times over the past several generations we’ve been made to suffer their whims and fancies and cultural experimentation but, while targeted demographics have enjoyed short-term benefit…by and large the whole of the Country has ultimately been all the worse off for these things.

Not only do the left and right hands have no idea what the other is doing, it would appear they are not even part of the same body. What else explains the misguided notion that investing in Unions and propping up under-performing teachers might enjoy a greater return than feeding the poor? Further, why would Democrats think the best way to cure obesity would be by starving those very same poor people?

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Senate Republicans Getting Played on the Russian-friendly Strategic Arms Treaty

The conservative movement has had to battle a lot over the last few years, for the number of terrible policies, pushed aggressively and relentlessly by Barak Obama, is truly staggering. It has caused us to triage out of necessity. Unfortunately, one national security issue that has received short shrift is the treaty the President negotiated with the Russians—his new START (“Strategic Arms Treaty”)—and if we’re not careful, it could very well slip through the Senate in the fall. The treaty needs more far more attention devoted to it, because it is so one-sided in favor of Russia (details below) that it strains one’s comprehension as to how the U.S. Senate could ratify it.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Tech at Night: Free Press, Google, Verizon, Net Neutrality, Democrats, Gun Owners of America

August 16, 2010

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1. Democrats Fall Back on the Same Tired Lies From 1994

The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning, “Congress’s hot August recess has begun with rhetoric to match, with Democrats pummeling Republicans for wanting to trim Social Security, and Republicans hammering Democrats for favoring tax increases.”

Likewise, CNN notes, “Democrats pledged Friday to not only keep Social Security in place, but use the historic program against Republicans ahead of the midterm election.”

Moderate Republicans in Congress will probably quake about those crazy guys like Ken Buck who want to save social security instead of let it go bankrupt. But conservatives need not run away from the issue.

For starters, most Americans know that social security is going to go bankrupt unless something is done. Likewise, most younger Americans don’t expect the program to survive until they get to retirement. Republicans willing to discuss this issue, and articulately explain, as Sharron Angle is doing, that the Democrats are using the social security trust fund to expand big government will have no problem.

But this isn’t the only reason the GOP need not worry. If we go back to 1994, we will find the Democrats doing the exact same thing. That didn’t work so well, did it? Let’s take a look.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. The Idiocy of Barack Obama’s Mosque Support

The Ground Zero Mosque debate may be the first time in all of American history that the left has decided to respect property rights.

Barack Obama came out forcefully in favor of the Ground Zero Mosque. He said he believed our nation’s founding principles demanded it.

Really?

Which of those founding principles? This man was a law professor. Surely he understands that our founding principles do not compel the President of the United States to support the specific act of an individual based on our founding principles. Otherwise, he no doubt supports revolution because that is the principle on which our republic began, see e.g. the Declaration of Independence.

There is, in fact, a difference between the exertion of a legal right and supporting the use of a legal right that is offensive.

Under Barack Obama’s logic, the President of the United States now supports jihad apparently. After all, jihad is an Islamic teaching and our founding principles of freedom of religion and the free exercise thereof must compel Obama’s support for jihad.

Likewise, all those religious sects still practicing polygamy can go to town. After all, there is a more solid historic foundation for polygamy than gay marriage and if we can have one, surely our founding principles now compel we have the other.

Oh — what about the Greater First Church of Satan wanting to do human sacrifice of a willing victim? I guess our founding principles demand the President support that too. After all, it is a religious belief and only willing participants.

No doubt Barack Obama will now also forcefully come out in favor of protesting abortion clinics. After all, our founding principles support freedom of speech.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Obama Chooses Sides In Favor of the Ground Zero Mosque

Last night, as part of a Ramadan celebration, President Obama waded into the controversy over the Cordoba Initiative mosque within sight of Ground Zero. In so doing, he unambiguously chose sides with those who see this deliberate provocation as a positive good.

It is unsurprising, given what we already know about him, that President Obama would decline to support using government power to block the mosque project, and would decline to support withholding the various government favors needed to build it (although he carefully avoided mention of the State Department’s employment of the mosque’s Malaysian imam) – but he could have at a minimum used the opportunity to denounce in no uncertain terms what broad majorities of the public in and out of New York recognize: the fact that whatever the law says, the project itself is deeply and intentionally offensive. Especially when the president feels a matter is beyond his formal power, this is what the presidential bully pulpit is for. He has certainly not been shy in the past about speaking forcefully to denounce matters as provincial as a dispute between a professor and local cops in Cambridge. Instead, Obama offered only a tepid nod that failed to suggest he personally saw anything wrong with the selection of the Ground Zero location for a mosque.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Understanding Barack Obama By Proxy Syndrome

Friends, it is time to understand Barack Obama By Proxy Syndrome.

ProgressNow Colorado says Ken Buck is too fringe for Colorado.

This is a group that thinks supporting life is fringe and partial birth abortion is mainstream.

This is a group that thinks saving social security is fringe and bankrupting America is mainstream.

This is a group that thinks allowing you and me to make our own way in life is fringe and having government dictate our destiny is mainstream.

If Munchausen by proxy is inflicting pain on the people under the nutjob’s care to prolong the symptoms of illness, ProgressNow working for Barack Obama by proxy is committed to perpetuating high unemployment, high deficits, and out of control spending on the American people.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. BP Spill: How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

On one hand, Mr. Obama’s “Worst Oil Spill in History” theme serves as pretext for eviscerating the offshore petroleum industry, an industry that, until this spring, was relatively healthy despite the recession. By doing so, he may suck the economic life out of four very red Gulf States.

On the other hand, Energy Czar Carol Browner has joined the “Where has the oil gone?” chorus, maintaining that 75% of the 4.9 million or so barrels spilled (per government estimate) either evaporated, degraded naturally, was recovered, or was burned at sea.

So which one is it, Chief?

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Democratic 2012 Massachusetts strategy: Kennedy.

Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy. They’re trying to recruit Victoria Kennedy (Ted Kennedy’s widow) for the seat for 2012. They actually tried to get her to run in 2010, but she refused – and she’s supposedly refusing now, but apparently the possible challengers to Scott Brown have already been collectively weighed by the state party, and found wanting. So there seems to be no better options for Massachusetts Democrats right now, which is as funny as it is unsurprising.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

7. Harry Reid is a hypocrite on birthright citizenship.

Red Dog Report, Weasel Zippers, and the Washington Times all – gleefully, as well they should – report that Harry Reid introduced legislation that would have ended birthright citizenship in 1993. This makes Reid’s recent declaration that he couldn’t understand why any Hispanic could be a Republican seem a bit… what’s the word? Nuanced? Contradictory? I’ve got it: “hypocritical.”

Seriously, there’s no wiggle room in the language that he introduced.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Tech at Night: Free Press, MoveOn, Google, TEA Party, NOAA

AUGUST 12, 2010

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1. Nancy Pelosi Wishes Everyone Well But Americans

Here is Nancy Pelosi’s twitter feed.

Yesterday she wished Muslims celebrating Ramadan “joy, wisdom, and countless blessings.”

On August 3rd, she wished the Sing Tao newspaper a happy 35th birthday.

On July 6th Nancy Pelosi wished the Dalai Lama a happy 75th birthday.

On July 4th the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives . . . oh, you’ve figured it out. Nancy Pelosi didn’t do a darn thing on Twitter for the 4th of July — no “Happy Birthday America” or “God/Allah/Aqua Buddha bless the USA” or anything else.

Back on August 20th in 1984, Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick gave her famous “San Francisco Democrats” speech in which she said, among other things, “And now, the American people, proud of our country, proud of our freedom, proud of ourselves, will reject the San Francisco Democrats and send Ronald Reagan back to the White House.”

This year we will yet again reject the San Francisco Democrats and send Republicans back to take over Congress.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. A Note To Conservatives Who Wanted to Suck Up to the Quayle Family

Look, I get it. Dan and Marilyn Quayle are tremendous people. So when they call and say you should back their son who is running for Congress, you tend to say okay.

But Ben Quayle is imploding. He did a “rent-a-family” mail piece purported showing him with his daughters, but he has none. Now, it turns out that Ben Quayle has a bit of a scandal on his hands.

He helped set up a website called The Dirty and wrote there under the name of a porn star about all the hot chicks at Scottsdale, AZ nightclubs.

His denial of the allegations also shows he’s a pretty bad liar.

So all you conservatives who are wedded to Ben Quayle need to recognize that if conservatives split their vote, they’re going to wind up with someone like Vernon Parker who is trying to play conservative for the camera, but whose own constituents openly mock him as a liberal.

There is a better choice: Pamela Gorman.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Democrats: “Spending For Dummies”

We’ve seen it splattered all across the front pages; more spending for jobs, more spending for bailouts, more spending for Unemployment, more spending for Teachers and Unions and special interests. We’ve also seen deficits rise and the National debt reach numbers that don’t fit on WalMart calculators.

America is bankrupt and they (the ruling Political class) don’t even know it…or they don’t seem to care anyway. What else explains why they’d happily starve the “least among us” or force them to trample each other to death, fighting over a paltry scrap from the Master’s table?

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Marco Rubio takes Harry Reid to task for Reid’s latest racist slur

Harry Reid once again demonstrates that it is OK to be a racial bigot, so long as you are a leftwing racial bigot.

“I don’t know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK? Do I need to say more?” — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), August 10, 2010

Earlier this year we learned that, in 2008, Reid suggested that Obama’s success was due in part to his “light-skinned”appearance and ability to turn on/off his “Negro dialect.” Because Reid is a leftwing bigot, the biased main stream media wing of the Democrat party gave Reid a pass for his racist remarks about Obama.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Progressive *snicker* Brilliance: Burn A Confederate Flag At A Tea Party

Over at Josh Marshall’s far Left Talking Points Memo blog, they’re all giddy over the latest bright idea to issue forth from the progressive mind; call Tea Partiers racists!

Well, no … they already do that – they know Tea Partiers are racists and that the many people of other races who attend Tea Party rallies and speak on stage either are the product of Pixar magic, are white people in black face (racists!) or traitors to their race.

The only problem is that simply calling people racists and relying on fellow progressive allies in the Press to carry it from there like in the good old days no longer is quite as effective as it used to be. Now, the American people (being racists) ask for proof – solid proof.

Unfortunately, despite being ignorant unsophisticated inbred knuckle-dragging Neanderthals, Tea Partiers have cleverly been hiding their racism – proving how incredibly racist they are. As any progressive knows, only the most intensely bigoted of racists can hide their racism so deeply that even progressives, experts in all things racist, cannot manage to find it.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Tech at Night: Google, Apple, Adobe, FCC, FBI, TSA, Free Press

August 11, 2010

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1. Ken Buck Wins

On December 21, 2009, I asked a very simple question:

Why exactly must we support Jane Norton in Colorado instead of Ken Buck? I’m not saying I am or am not, but why must I? Lots of people think we must because the same guys in Washington who said Charlie Crist was our best hope in Florida say she is in Colorado.

The blowback was tremendous. Lots of people immediately accused me of trying to hand Colorado to the Democrats.

But like I did with Marco Rubio all the way back on March 19, 2009, and like I did with Mike Lee and Bob Bennett back in September of 2009, and Nikki Haley back in August of 2009, and like I did with Rand Paul back in March of this year, I have persevered for Ken Buck — sometimes despite more criticism than applause. RedState has persevered for Ken Buck too.

We at RedState have beaten the bushes for Ken Buck. We have hounded third party groups to get involved for him. We have hounded organizations and people to sit on the sidelines when they leaned toward Norton.

Jim DeMint jumped in for Ken. FreedomWorks jumped in for Ken. Gun Owners of America jumped in for Ken. The momentum built. The tide turned. And today I am very, very, very pleased to tell you Ken Buck is the Republican Senate nominee for Colorado.

Now I have to tell you something I’ve said before, but few paid attention to. I am quite serious — this Senate primary has meant more to me than any of the others. I’ve gotten to know Ken and his wife. We’ve spent time together. I know in ways I cannot convey how desperately we need a guy like Ken Buck in the Senate with Jim DeMint.

Looking at the trends in Colorado, we’ll have him there. Ken Buck wins.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. The Bill McCollum Campaign Looks Desperate and Dead to Integrity

Holy cow. I never would have thought I’d see Bill McCollum stoop to cheap political tricks to try to boost his poll numbers.

Short of putting a dead girl or live boy in Rick Scott’s trunk, I don’t think McCollum could have gone lower. Down in Florida, the sitting Attorney General of the state tried to use the powers of his office to destroy a company once owned by his competitor,Rick Scott. Then he apparently found a plaintiff’s lawyer to sue Rick Scott weeks before the primary and coordinated with the lawyer to have the lawyer serve Rick Scott a subpoena at Scott’s own press conference to ensure it was caught on tape by the press.

The evidence of coordination and desperate opportunism is abundant.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Ohio Democrats Attack Sean Hannity & John Kasich for Helping Soldiers’ Children

Months ago a lady on the internet both Democrats and Republicans recognize is not quite playing in the same reality the rest of us are leveled a series of unsubstantiated attacks at Sean Hannity and his connection with the Freedom Alliance.

The attacks were based on a gross misreading of the Freedom Alliance’s Form 990s on file with the IRS.

Through Sean Hannity’s work with the Freedom Alliance, $3.4 million in scholarship money has been distributed and the total scholarship fund now contains $15 million – $10 million of which has been raised through Sean Hannity’s Freedom Concerts. The scholarships go “to those whose parents have been killed or severely injured in their service to our Country.”

There is no “there” there. The allegations were B.S.

The Freedom Alliance supports soldiers and their children. Sean Hannity’s work for the Freedom Alliance has been invaluable — raising more than $10 million.

Recently, in Ohio, former congressman John Kasich, now running for Governor of Ohio, appeared with Sean Hannity at one of the Freedom Concerts held to benefit the Alliance.

The Democrat response? Attack and try to discredit the Freedom Alliance. The Democrats are trying to make toxic the act of associating with a charity that supports the children of fallen soldiers.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Democrat Jack Conway Uses Racist Tyler Clay Collins to Smear Rand Paul

Democrat and Jack Conway supporter Tyler Clay Collins went to the Kentucky Fancy Farm Picnic this past weekend (a big deal in Kentucky) and began mouthing off some vile and offensive racist sentiments.

Tyler Clay Collins also held up a sign disparaging immigrants to the country. Tyler Clay Collins wanted everyone to know how much he hates non-white immigrants to the United States. Tyler Clay Collins is a HUGE Jack Conway supporter. Conway is the Democrats’ Senate nominee for Kentucky against Rand Paul.

There’s just one small fact I left out. Tyler Clay Collins, a Democrat supporter of Jack Conway, spent his time mouthing off racist sentiments while pretending to be a support of Rand Paul’s.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. The Ground Zero Mosque and The Obama Administration

The debate over the “Ground Zero Mosque” presents two separate questions:

(1) Whether the mosque is wrong and should be stopped.

(2) Whether some arm of the government should be the ones to stop it.

Tellingly, liberal defenders of the project have talked almost exclusively about the second point, and avoided the first.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Obama vs. Obama – Afghanistan edition

Huffington Post Video Editor Ben Craw has put together a devastating video of President Obama debating Senator Obama about Obama’s Afghanistan war strategy.

Craw accomplished this fete using clips of Senator Obama questioning Rice about Iraq in January 2007 with comments President Obama has made about his own Afghan exit strategy in a speech in March 2009, an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” in March 2009, an address to the nation in December 2009, remarks to the troops in Afghanistan in March, an interview with ABC in April, and an appearance on ABC’s “The View” in July.

Watch for yourself.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

August 10, 2010

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1. Worlds Are Colliding

During a school trip to Washington a group of students were ordered by a park service security guard standing watch over the Lincoln Memorial to stop singing the national anthem.

And word came late last night that Republicans have a serious shot at something once thought impossible — taking back the United States Senate.

It took the GOP 40 years to take back Congress and 12 years to lose it again. The Democrats look on course to lose the whole thing after only 4 years thanks to Barack Obama.

What do singing the national anthem and the GOP taking back Congress have to do with each other?

Voters are so hacked off they are of a revolutionary frame of mind — throwing the bums out through violence at the polls. That is far better than the alternative.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Sometimes You CAN Judge A Book By Its Cover

Over at The Corner yesterday, Jonah Goldberg posted the newly released cover of the new book coming out from Markos Moulitsas. Noting the strangely familiar cover, he remarked:

“Kos’ book cover approaches the highest form of flattery”

Indeed. You’re probably wondering what the smiley face really has to do with Markos’ book. I mean, with Liberal Fascism, it makes sense. In fact, it’s even explained in the book. But what does it mean with Markos?

Well little does Jonah know that a lot of process and astrology went into this cover selection. They had to go through several iterations of the book before finally arriving at the reasonable decision of tying the American Flag into a turban and calling Republicans terrorists. And luckily for you fine folks at RedState, my vast network of publishing industry contacts were able to retrieve for me some of the discarded versions of the cover EXCLUSIVELY!! Once you see them, I think you’ll better understand the thought processes here.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Ted Olson Pushes for Judicially Mandated Gay “Marriage”

I am sad to report that Ted Olson is no longer worth listening to on legal matters or worth hiring by anyone who respects the Constitution. In his quest to legalize gay “marriage,” Olson is heading the challenge in court to California’s Proposition 8, passed in 2008 by the people of California to disallow state recognition of such “marriage.”

This is not an indictment of Olson as a person – he is an unfailingly nice and upstanding human being by all accounts. But, I cannot trust the legal judgment of a fellow who claims to be conservative and yet who clearly believes the Constitution should be used by the Judiciary to invalidate the will of the people based on a protection that does not exist in the Constitution. THAT is the definition of judicial activism – not what Mr. Olson weakly claimed on Fox News Sunday yesterday, that “most people use the term judicial activism to explain decisions that they don’t like.”

That simply is not true. At all. And it’s disingenuous for him to claim he is not advocating for judicial activism to achieve his preferred policy outcome.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. DoJ: HIV transmission a *civil right*?

This is a joke, right? Surely not even this administration is going to let people die of AIDS – even if they’re convicts – by going after humane correctional policies designed to keep uninfected convicts from being infected while still providing the infected treatment and counseling. Even if it does mean removing terminally ill, infectious convicts from the general prison population. That’s just not right.

“South Carolina received a letter from the now-infamous Civil Rights Division that the policy of keeping infected inmates at a designated facility, instead of scattered across the state in the general prison population, may unfairly stigmatize infected prisoners. To the Obama political appointees in the Civil Rights Division, this constitutes discrimination under the Americans With Disabilities Act.”

But apparently that’s going to be policy. At least, if the White House has its way.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. “Historic” and “Bipartisan” Normally Means Its Bad

The Obama deficit commission is set to make its report on December 1. The commissioners have been meeting about once a month since the commission took form, but they are still reportedly “studying the problem.” Staff is obviously working, but at this point, it seems that a lot of the commissioners are putting together their own laundry lists of what could be done, whether its discretionary cuts, entitlement reforms, or tax increases. This is basically all a slow-walk until after the November election, at which point the Obama appointees and the commissioners who want to pass something can figure out what the political landscape is.

Here is what we know. Sen. Judd Gregg has reportedly opined that the deficit commission could produce a bipartisan, “historic” package on par with Obamacare. Gregg and former Clinton OMB director, Alice Rivlin, are in charge of of the Social Security portion of the report. Remember that Gregg is also a top lieutenant of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell, for his part, has also been telling people, including Fred Barnes, that he expects the commission to produce something that a bipartisan majority can coalesce around. However, such talk of a “historic” and “bipartisan” report in the midst of a lame duck session is deeply unsettling.

There seems to be an expectation that a deal would likely be some amalgamation of discretionary cuts and a deal on Social Security, which fits with the Gregg “historic” adjective. Since there is no conceivable way that Democrats would accept personal accounts in Social Security, already this is a lose, lose scenario for conservatives where the commissioners are headed toward the dead-end cul de sac of “solvency,” i.e. making the Social Security Trust Fund’s numbers (the Trust Fund is an accounting fiction rigged to hide the fact Social Security contributions are spent on government largesse) add up on a spreadsheet.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. That’s about the only thing

In Austin, TX today, Obama said:

“Well, we can politick for three months. They forgot I’m pretty good at politicking.”

There is only one possible response to this statement: He may be pretty good at ‘politicking’, but he sure as heck is a miserable failure at governing.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

August 9, 2010

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1. Bind Them From Mischief With the Chains of the Constitution

Convinced beyond reason and data that the American people find delicious the sandwich of socialism being force fed down their throats, the left does not understand what is happening in this country and what is coming.

In fact, the media does not understand what is happening either. Largely socializing with the same elites and liberals who are fomenting unrest in the country, the media is missing warning signs that revolutionary conduct amongst middle class conservative and independent voters is at hand.

Mind you, it is not revolution with bayonet, but revolution with ballot and advocacy. But it is building. It will come. And if left unsatiated by November’s elections, something worse will come.

There is a growing disconnect in this country between average Americans and the largely center-left political elite. That disconnect is what will destroy the Democrats in November and, should the Republicans offer no better, cause potentially cataclysmic change in the republic.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Can We Dispense, Now, With The Myth That They Feel Our Pain?

Honestly, I don’t care about the frequency with which our King and his Queen vacation from the tough grind of their having to talk out of both sides of their mouths. And I’ve long since grown accustomed to taking a shiv in the back at the 4th rib from the Monarchy on a fairly routine basis. And I’m fine with them going places I’ll never be able to afford to see or getting really cool stuff I’d never dream of being worthy of owning…but, can we please stop now with the nonsense of being asked to believe that our rulers are just private folk; simple and humble and understated like the rest of the riff raff that walks the streets and pays their bills?

Please?

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. What if the tables were turned?

Yesterday, members of the Afghanistan Taliban murdered ten Christian doctors in cold blood, execution-style. These doctors, from several countries and church backgrounds (including my own denomination) had been providing medical services to Afghan villagers.

Serving those in need is a natural outgrowth of a Christian’s love for the Savior. Many, many Christians pursue careers of service because of their love for others. But the outgrowth of radical Islamist jihadism such as that practiced by the Taliban appears to be hate and murder.

The question that immediately springs to mind is: what if the tables were turned? What if a group of Christians decided to enter the proposed Times Square Mosque and murdered a couple dozen Muslims because of their “outreach” to American Christians? The Muslim community would be seething, as would many others. It would not at all be surprising to see retaliatory terror acts in the U.S. More airliners into skyscrapers, perhaps? Or shoe bombers? Bombed embassies? More U.S.S. Cole-style attacks? Another Fort Hood?

But such a scenario will not happen. True Christians do not murder those who believe differently.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. The DCCC’s Super-Genius November Strategy.

In the process of trying to convince people that Tom Perriello might possibly have a chance at keeping his seat in Virginia’s Fifth District (given Perriello’s bad habit of voting as directed by his party’s liberal leadership) against Robert Hurt, the Washington Post tried to trot out this particular line of nonse… ah, conventional wisdom:

“Though polls suggest that Republicans are by far the more energized party this year, the Democrats argue that — unlike the last time they lost the House, in 1994 — they aren’t being caught off-guard.”

Not off-guard?

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. The Left: Sanctioning Infanticide As an Ends Justifying The Means

Barbara Boxer was recently up in arms over some words. No, this time it wasn’t the oh-so horrifying word “ma’am”. She was up in arms over her own words or, more to the point, the fact that George Will was holding her to her own words – words that expressed a pro-abortion position so extreme, it can only be described, no matter one’s position on abortion, as outright infanticide. So, she pulled the handy old “out of context” card. Only, it was totally in context, with full video documentation.George Will quoted Barbara Boxer’s own words – in context – in a Newsweek article last month. Here is one of the relevant sections . . .

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Obama Earmarks $1 Billion in Stimulus Money for Company in Illinois

The biggest earmark in American history has been doled out to a company in Illinois, the President’s home state, in the name of green jobs. The President’s $862 billion Stimulus plan has been an abysmal failure. It provided states and localities with billions in bailout moneys, funded wasteful projects like the Monkey cocaine study at Wake Forest and given false hope to Americans that the President has ideas to turn around the economy. This earmark is an outrage and the signature project of the President’s Stimulus plan. Thankfully, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is sounding the alarm bells and educating the American people to this new Obama outrage.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Tech at Night: Net Neutrality, Free Press, FCC, Google, Verizon

August 6, 2010

August 5, 2010

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1. The Elite vs. the People

A federal district judge in San Francisco has decided the citizens of a state prohibiting gay marriage violates the constitution. “Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage,” said the judge, overturning several thousand years of history in one fell swoop. A majority of the citizens of California, the most progressive state in the union, disagree.

In fact, 32 states ban gay marriage by constitution or statute. An additional seven ban it, but have civil-union laws. The judge in San Francisco ruled yesterday that civil unions do not equate with marriage.

In fact, the judge focused on the historic cultural meaning of marriage before destroying the historic cultural meaning of marriage.

39 states have banned gay marriage.

It takes only 38 states to ratify a constitutional amendment.

A majority of the American public and three-quarters of the American states have been overruled by one federal judge in San Francisco. To be fair, the ruling only affects Northern California. It will be appealed. The odds are, for now, that the judge will be overruled.

But again and again the political elites in this country think they know best. From the mosque at Ground Zero to gay marriage to Obamacare, the majority of the people and states are forced to deal with a minority that does not respect them and democratic and legal institutions that oppose them.

If a minority of political elites and liberals can impose their will and values on a majority sufficient enough to amend the constitution, it is time for the majority to respond with constitutional force.

In Thomas Jefferson’s words, “In questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.”

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Seventy One Percent of Missouri Voters Agree With Candidate Obama

On Tuesday, Missouri voters went to the polls. Among other things, the voters decided on Proposition C, a statute exempting Missouri from the individual mandate from Obamacare. By an overwhelming percentage, voters rejected Obamacare and passed Prop C (71.1 to 28.9). This ardent rejection of the individual mandate puts Missouri voters on par with then-Candidate Obama who, during the 2008 primary, attacked Sen Hillary Clinton’s health care plan because it contained an individual mandate.

For those of you who don’t remember, here’s video of President Obama sounding much like his opposition just a few short months later.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. In Obama’s Post-Racial America: National Newspaper Publishers Association Screams Racism

Behind the scenes here at RedState, we have been joking that it was only a matter of time before people started screaming racism over the ethics trials of Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters.

Well, the time has come.

I have in my possession an email sent from Nichelle Holliday, an executive assistant at the Los Angeles Sentinel. The email was sent to upwards of a hundred newspapers across the country on behalf of Danny J. Bakewell Sr., Chairman of NNPA.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Rent a Family

I hate to take a dig at Ben Quayle, running against Pamela Gorman in Arizona’s 3rd and also son of the former Vice President, but this is just too funny.

Quayle sent out a mail piece of him holding one young child with another in a seat. The caption under it reads, in part, “Tiffany and I live in this district and we are going to raise our family here.”

The implication is clear — these are his two girls and he’s going to raise them in Arizona’s 3rd.

There is just one problem.

Ben Quayle does not have any children.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Obama Stimulus Money to Study Dinosaur Eggs

Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John McCain (R-AZ) have put out Summertime Blues to show Americans how their tax dollars are being squandered by President Obama in the name of “Stimulus.” Would you believe that they have found Stimulus money being used to study the effects of how monkeys react under the influence of cocaine? No way. How ’bout $1.9 million of your tax dollars to listen to foreign Ants? Sound real? What about $296,385 of your tax dollars being used to study dog domestication? Too crazy to believe? Right wing fear mongering? Would you believe $141,002 to study “dinosaur eggs and other fossils” in China?

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Obama Stimulus Money to Study Dogs

The report Summertime Blues, a report issued by Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John McCain (R-AZ), on how your stimulus money is being spent is replete with wasteful programs. Yesterday, Red State reported that $114,541 of your tax dollars are being spent to study the effects of how “monkeys react under the influence of cocaine.” Earlier today, Red State reported that “the Coburn-McCain report indicates the President Obama is also using $1.9 million of your tax dollars to listen to foreign Ants.” Now we are learning of $296,385 of your tax dollars being used to study “dog domestication.”

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Tech at Night: Free Press, FCC, Google, LTE, RIM, Amazon, California

August 4, 2010

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1. Obama Stimulus Money to Study Monkey Cocaine Use

Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John McCain (R-AZ) have put out an excellent report on how your stimulus money is being spent. The report, Summertime Blues, has one example of Obama Stimulus money being used to study the effects of how “monkeys react under the influence of cocaine.”

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Rationing at the Food and Drug Administration

During the year long ObamaCare debate, there was a spirited debate of the proposition that ObamaCare would cause rationing by the federal government of services and drugs. Government rationed health care services and drugs have evolved from rhetoric to reality.

On July 28th, Senator David Vitter (R-Louisiana) raised drug rationing concerns, because of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pending decision to take the cancer drug Avastin off the list of approved drugs for breast cancer. This example of rationing by the FDA of a drug to aid those with cancer is exactly what we should expect under an ObamaCare drug rationing regime.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Socialist Health Care Kills Babies … In More Ways Than One

Ladies and gentlemen, the people who run the Canadian health care system:

“Losing her first baby was devastating enough but having to do it in a crowded waiting room is what angered Christine Handrahan the most.

“The 29-year-old Peakes woman was nine weeks pregnant when on July 12 she started bleeding.

“Fearing the worst, Handrahan and her husband, Michael, headed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s new emergency room.

“There she waited more than three hours, blood seeping out of her jeans, tears rolling down her face as she feared she was losing her baby — or that she might be bleeding to death.”

And now, the people who run our healthcare system . . .

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. The Not-Popular Party

Much of the behavior of Democratic Senate candidates can be explained by one simple fact: very few of them are going to get 50% of the vote this fall. Even the candidates who have a good chance to win are going to struggle to get to 50%. Let’s take a quick look at the RealClearPolitics polling averages for the 22 Senate races that RCP lists as being in play, or where there’s no average the last listed (generally Rasmussen) poll, just focusing on the Democratic candidate – as you will see, in only 4 of those 22 races is the Democrat polling 50/50 or better, and in only 7 of the 22 is the Democrat even polling above 43%.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Time to Go After Democrats On Repeal of Obamacare

170 Republicans have now signed the discharge petition to repeal Obamacare. The petition was submitted by Rep. Steve King and has been pushed heavily by the Heritage Action for America (my new employer, as it happens) and other conservative organizations. There are a few stragglers but for the most part, House Republicans are now solid in their commitment to repeal the bill.

Not so with the Democrats, for not one has signed the petition.

34 Democrats voted against Obamacare, but not one of them has been willing to buck Nancy Pelosi and work on a bipartisan basis to allow a vote on repeal. Not one.

Focusing on these Democrats is the next wave of the legislative campaign to repeal Obamacare. The names and districts are below the fold—call them and demand to know why they support keeping Obamacare the permanent law of the land.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. The Edge of Tolerance

We live in a nation constituted as a free society. One in which we hold dear our liberty. Of course, we also are not libertine. We recognize ourselves as a nation of laws. We concede that our liberty cannot be at the expense of another’s liberty. We are free, but we are not free to rape, murder or steal. Put simply, we live under ordered liberty.

Herein lies the debate, where then is the edge of tolerance? At what point does tolerance deny liberty?

I must stop here, before we get to far, and state that the impetus for this article is, what has been dubbed, the 9/11 Mosque and the reaction to it. Many have objected to the Mosque, an objection to which I agree. Those objecting were immediately painted as bigots and have had the 1st Amendment shoved down their throat by those who tomorrow will imply Christians are just like the Nazi’s. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

7. BP spills, Feds burn off American employers

Just six months ago I felt extremely blessed to be employed as we emerged from what will hopefully be the worst recession we face in our lifetime. I was inspired when I heard the president say in his state of the union address that his number one priority for 2010 would be jobs. Now I am disappointed that Washington seems to think my job doesn’t fit into their equation , and the extreme measures they seem to be taking to eliminate it. I work as manager of corporate affairs for Energy XXI, an independent oil and gas company with operations in the Gulf of Mexico, and I am going to Washington DC this week to tell our political leaders that my job matters .

Please click here for the rest of the post.

8. Gallup retreats and I claim victory

Some may recall when I questioned the recent Gallup generic ballot results with sharp language. I caught them passing off a poll of adults, with the shift toward the Democrats that usually entails, as a poll of registered voters. It got national media attention.

It’s clear to me the message was received, because now in the first release after my criticism, the poll has in just two weeks shown a remarkable 9 point swing toward the GOP.

Where in the week I complained, Democrats were ahead 48-44, projecting only a tiny Republican gain in November and continued control of the chamber by Democrats, now the poll shows Republicans ahead 48-43, which projects a much different result.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

August 3, 2010

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1. The Ground Zero Mosque Should Be Stopped

If you read no further, know this: RedState supports the Anti-Defamation League in its opposition to the so-called “Ground Zero mosque.” The ADL is right on all counts: in its rejection of bigotry, its affirmation of American religious freedom, and its declaration that common decency demands the end of this effort. As the ADL notes, this is “not a question of rights, but a question of what is right.”

The “Ground Zero mosque” is not right. It’s important to understand why.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. House Republicans Need a Bold Spending Proposal

As Congress breaks for its August recess, House Republicans continue to work on an agenda setting forth how they would govern if given the chance. The agenda is by no means set, but it seems well on its way, with town halls across the country set up to see how well these ideas resonate with the public.

Unfortunately, so far the draft agenda lacks a bold, overarching spending proposal that would define “spending restraint” or “fiscal discipline” for House Republicans. Such definition is needed, and any future agenda that lacks one isn’t worth much.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. The Shallow Water Non-Moratorium

Interior Secretary Salazar imposed a moratorium on deepwater drilling until November 30, contrary to the recommendation of a panel of experts from the National Academy of Engineering. For operations on the shallow water Shelf, the administration maintains, no official moratorium is in place. After all, the Shelf still enjoys a forty-year history of relatively safe and clean operations that is still intact, being several orders of magnitude safer than the Deepwater Horizon-style deepwater oil exploration.

There’s no moratorium here, folks. Business as usual, nothing to see. Move along, move along.

But Interior has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to create a de facto shallow water moratorium. The new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement or BOEMRE (pronounced “bummer”) is charged with issuing permits and setting operating standards for oil and gas companies in the Outer Continental Shelf. Oh, they’re still issuing permits, all right.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. “Blame Bush,” RIP: 2001-2010.

It was a good run for the Democrats, but all things must come to an end some day. I know, I know: it’s downright horrible for the American people to start expecting the political party that’s held Congress since 2006 and the White House since 2008 to actually take personal responsibility for the bad things happening to the economy. But the Democrats will have to live with it, as the American people have started to assign more responsibility to Obama for the current economy than to Bush – at least, the Republican and Independent sections of the American people have, which is really the important thing these days.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

August 2, 2010

Tech at Night: DNSSEC, RIM, FCC, Net Neutrality

For July 28, 2010 Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. How to Kill an Industry, or: Hello $8 Gas!

2. Charlie Rangel will not resign…

3. Kerry’s tax avoiding: right idea, wrong reason.

4. Schadenfreude Hour: Mississippi Democrats Implode

Posted by Neil Stevens (Profile)

Tuesday, July 27th at 3:28AM EDT

1 Comment

Good evening. Sure, it’s technically morning, but when I went to post tonight I realized I had nothing queued up to write about, so I had to make a crash run through my news feeds before I could get started.

But get started we shall tonight with Apple and the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is apparently entrusted with setting rules for what forms of reverse engineering are allowed under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a landmark bill which included (over)broad restrictions on software. In short, the DMCA pretty much bans reverse engineering or circumvention of software or hardware that enforces copyright. Exceptions are given though, and the Library of Congress has announced some more exceptions.

One of them is a doozy: Both major forms of Apple iPhone “jailbreaking” are now expressly legal in this country. It is allowed to circumvent Apple’s restrictions to install legitimate software otherwise inaccessible through the App Store. It is also allowed to buy a used iPhone and circumvent the AT&T carrier restriction in it.

In practice this might not mean much, as jailbreaking activity was already strong due to clear legality in other countries from the start. That fact forced Apple to fight jailbreaking technologically, rather than legally. But now the full might of American engineering may be brought to bear on iPhone jailbreaking, and Apple might have a tougher time going forward.

Moving on to Google, one of the company’s big pushes (as we saw in the Andrew McLaughlin emails) has been to get government to use and even rely upon Google services and tools. In fact, just today Google promoted “Google Apps for Government”, claiming among its users the City of Los Angeles. But there’s a catch: per Inside Google, the Gmail to LA project is a big, heaping, insecure pile of failure. Late and underperforming. Just what we want an already inefficient government using, eh?

RIM’s Blackberry software is so secure, and so effective, the United Arab Emirates are scared. Privacy matters people, which is why governments are so touchy about it.

And lastly, Hillicon Valley chronicles the adventures of Al Franken, who is a Net Neutrality zealot, hates his old SNL employer NBC, and is feeling very uncomfortable about Darrell Issa’s impudent demands that the Congress actually watch what the President is doing. How’s that for reinforcement of where the right ought to be on Net Neutrality?

RedState Morning Briefing
For July 26, 2010 Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. The Facts About the Bush Tax Cuts

2. Extending tax cuts: rhetoric meets reality.

3. The American Prospect: Trig Troofers?

4. Rubber meeting the road: the 2010 Senate situation.

RedState Morning Briefing
For July 26, 2010 Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Does Georgia Right to Life Now Support Embryonic Stem Cell Research?

2. Why Tiahrt Matters

3. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) Epitome of Most Ethical Congress Ever. Plus, Racism!

4. Thank you, Senator Kerry. Thank you.