Murkowski Write-In Announcement

—DrewM.

Alaska Night Part Deux.

Just getting started (9:40 eastern). Miller is supposed to have a competing presser shortly.

Palin took a veiled shot at Murkowski during her speech and then directly by name after it.

One challenge with any write-in campaign is what versions of a candidates name will be counted for them. At one point the Alaska Commissioner of Elections said "Lisa M." would suffice. Not so fast.

�After careful review of the statutes it is clear that the oval must be marked and either a candidate�s last name or their name as written on their declaration of candidacy must be present in order for the vote to be counted,� (Lieutenant Governor Craig) Campbell said. It is questionable whether simply listing the first name and initial of the last name of a write-in candidate meets the requirements of state statute, unless that is the declared name by the candidate on the written declaration of candidacy.

�If there is a write-in candidate and they have filed the proper paperwork, DOE will follow the letter of the law - nothing more, nothing less. If there are questions of interpretation of the statutes, the Department of Law will be consulted,� Campbell stated.

In the meantime, Campbell has discussed the issue with the Department of Law and has been informed that the Attorney General is reviewing the issue.

That makes this already unlikely effort, even more so. FTR-Only one person, Strom Thurmond in 1954, has won election to the Senate as a write-in candidate.

This isn't about winning an election, it's about Lisa "Daddy Said I Could Be Senator!" Murkowski's ego and her dislike of Sarah Palin.

We really need to hear from John Cornyn and Mitch McConnell in the next few minutes announcing Murkowski is out of the leadership, off the Senate Appropriations Committee (the key to bringing money home to Alaska, her only rationale for running) and in general dead to them and the Republican Party.

Don't know about you but I'm super excited to see how Murkowski behaves in the coming lame duck session.

Mad at Murky? Here's Joe Miller's website.

Murkowski started this dog and pony show off by talking about a facebook page urging her to do this. Here's one to let her know she's a sore loser who has to go.

Murkowski says she made a mistake by not attacking Miller's 'extremist views' and now 'the gloves are off'.

Got Vertigo?

—LauraW.

Helmet-Cam.

Question: Is there some science reason why all they get to work with are insultingly tiny footpegs right at the end there? They were hurtful to behold. Little footpegs: don't like 'em, no Sir.

Thanks to scott.

Overnight Open Thread

—Genghis

Impossibly Early Edition

Some random Fridayness. You�ve earned it! (or more likely stolen it) Stick with it to the end and you'll be rewarded. Keep in mind that "rewarded" is a neutral term.

Here�s tonight�s music-ness (Who knew Frodo had a band?):

Stay on target...stay on target...

What to do if one of your Body Parts Falls Off:

(And I don�t mean �gnawed off� by a cannibal zombie or similar�that�s different and requires other solutions altogether.)

In a rare moment of useful journalism, CNN provides a guide on how to get those erstwhile parts of yourself back where they belong, pulling together as part of the team, because there is no �I� in eyeball.

�Emergency room physicians say people often don't know what to do with a body part that's become derailed, whether it's a toe, finger, tooth or an eye that's popped out of its socket. Here's some advice:�

�You�re doing it wrong!� she said�

�A nurse at Swedish Medical Center admonished Beaty and his wife when she saw his finger lying in ice. "This is not how to do it," Beaty's wife, Linda Carlson, recalls the nurse saying. Then, a little more tactfully the nurse added, "You probably don't plan to do this again� The nurse informed the couple that although they were right to keep the finger cold, direct contact with ice could give the vessels freezer burn and make reattachment difficult.�

Ok then: finger freezer burn bad. We all know that it ruins steaks and stuff so it�d obviously make our reattached fingers somewhat less than finger lickin� good. But what�s this odd piece of advice:

� Finally, notes Manthey, keep the body part with you. For example, don't give it to a spouse, who might end up getting separated from you on the way to the hospital.�

I�m just�uh�trying to picture that scenario. So let�s say you cut off your finger (or other appendage) in some particularly sub-moronic way. Your very concerned spouse then insists on driving it to the hospital while you follow along in a separate car and meet them there. Is it a ruse and they�re already on the way to Mexico to sell your finger (or other appendage) on the black market? Or are they planning on pulling a Lorena Bobbitt, dumping whatever it is you�ve lost on the roadside? However improbable, it may be good advice to stick close to your body part.

Anyway, some other tidbits for missing bits:

� If you lose a tooth, say, at a ball game, and neither milk nor water is immediately available, "suck off the dirt," she advises. After rinsing, immediately put the tooth back in its socket. To make sure you've put it in correctly, bite down, and it should feel normal. "I've had patients put it in backward," Harms says.�

So remember that: �Insert pointy part of tooth into what remains of your gums.� And:

� If your eyeball becomes dislodged, don't try to put it back, Dankner warns. "You could push the wrong part of the eye and cause more problems," he says.�

I suppose, but I�m assuming that Dr. Dankner hasn�t seen the eyeball scene in Hostel. Sometimes it�s just best to let these things go. One little snip and you�re free from it. And then jump in front of a speeding train. Sadly, the article doesn�t mention what to do if you should lose your junk, which is the most likely scenario facing the ONT crowd (by accident, revenge or other means).

You could always take preemptive measures though, as the not-quite-SFW video below the fold suggests, but that too appears to have its own set of risks:

Palin In Iowa

—DrewM.

If, like me, you are living the life and watching CSPAN on a Friday night, Palin is about to speak at the Iowa Republican Reagan Dinner.

Let the 2012 GOP speculation games officially begin!

Coming soon...Murky's announcement.

It's Alaska night here at the HQ.

Drinking game?

Added: She's going after Murkowski. Not by name but addressing 'candidates who have lost their primaries', 'primary voters have spoken'.

Ad For Democrat Features Words "I'm a Republican" Ten Times

—Ace

No, he doesn't say he's a Republican -- just all of his supporters announce "I'm a Republican, and I support Harry Mitchell."

Mitchell's party entirely unmentioned. I'm a Republican... I'm a Republican... I'm a Republican... Harry Mitchell.

Slick, huh?

That's how bad it is. And obviously we need people to know who the real Republicans are, and who the Democrats are, pretending to be Republicans, or hoping that voters just don't know either way.

Palin on Presidential Run: "I Would Give It A Shot" If American People Think I'm "The One"

—Ace

She's said this kind of thing before, though. I just mean, it's not like this is super-new-never-before-heard news.

Lisa Murkowski: I Have Listened To The Voters And What They Seem To Be Saying Is That They've Got A Bad Case of Murkowski-Feveh And I'm The Only Cure
Update: Confirmed

—Ace

Confirmed: At HotLine.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) will run for re-election as a write-in candidate after losing her bid for renomination, according to sources briefed on Murkowski's decision.

Murkowski's decision will set up a 3-way battle between the incumbent, Miller and Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams (D), potentially turning the race on its head. Private 3-way polling has shown Miller leading, but by a narrow margin.

...

"I'm not much of a poker player, but the analogy I've been using is that I'm sitting there and I've been dealt a six and an eight," Murkowski told the paper. "I'm not much of a poker player, but the analogy I've been using is that I'm sitting there and I've been dealt a six and an eight. But it is possible."

That actually sounds about right. It's a horrible hand. It's garbage. It doesn't even have the Beautiful Loser romance of the 7-2.

...

Actually, this is a rumor, but rumors don't say funny things in headlines.

But that's what Lowry is hearing.

Maybe Not Just a Rumor: Murky Supporters Saying "Come To Campaign Kickoff" Tonight. Murky, your ego is writing checks your earmarks can't cover.

Corrected: I wrote her "staffers" are saying it. Not true. It's her supporters, and presumably they don't know for sure. They want her to run, but wouldn't know.

Apologies.

McDonald's New Happy Meal Toy Paints A Chilling Picture Of Batman's Isolation From Humanity

—Ace

I gotta post this before Maetenloch does.

It's not a Hump-Bot, but it must have some use.

Olympia Snowe: Damn These Tea Partiers For Demanding Policies I Claim To Demand As Well

—Ace

She hears the footsteps. At Hot Air's headlines.

"Understand, there are a lot of issues that, for example, in the Tea Party that they raise that are legitimate issues. Did we abandon our basic principles of fiscal responsibility? Absolutely. I was arguing those points during the Bush administration," Snowe said emphatically, "I made those very arguments."

"Congress isn't working right and it's not working well, and I share that frustration and anger. They're angry? So am I," Snowe said as her voice got louder, "I'm angry, because I work here ever day and I want things to be different. I'm here to solve problems to make people happy, not to make them sad and angry," Snowe insisted.

And what does Castle's loss tell Snowe about whether there's a place for moderates like her in the GOP?

"Well there are fewer of us so that goes without saying," Snowe said, but then immediately argued that "we can't be endangered if you want to be a majority party."

"It doesn't stand to reason that the Republican Party would want to exclude moderate Republicans if they want to be a majority party. Those are mutually exclusive propositions," Snowe said.

At times, as the Maine Republican talked about this issue, she became exasperated.

"Ideological purity at 100 percent is a utopian world and I don't know who lives in utopia. I've never lived in utopia," said Snowe.

This is an odd thing. Snowe is talking about "moderate Republicans" being driven out as if they're being driven out over abortion or gay marriage. They're not, really. They're being driven out over small government/spending/etc.

I heard about Castle being pro-choice like three times during the Delaware Demolition Derby. Everything was cap and trade and DISCLOSE. (And claims that he voted for the Stimulus or ObamaCare, which he in fact had not.)

So Snowe is getting exasperated by a movement that is 75% motivated by the part of the Republican platform she supposedly agrees with -- fiscal conservatism. As you just read, early in her remarks, she's claiming what a damn good fiscal conservative she is.

The trouble is, she isn't. Why did Stimulus pass? Because she and her idiot Maine Sister Collins joined with ex-Republican and now ex-anything Arlen Spector to break with an otherwise unified party and vote for it.

And we made it clear to her -- we all did, screaming on blogs and talk radio and letters to her and all that -- that this was considered an obligatory vote. This was central. This was a crucial vote as regards fiscal restraint.

And she didn't care. She didn't care. History called her, and she gladly did "history's" bidding.

Well, now she is history. And it's not due to abortion or gay marriage, as she's making it sound. We've always known she was a moderate-leaning-liberal on these issues. We (or at least I) excused that. It was baked in the cake. It is what it is.

No, what doomed her was selling out fiscal conservatism in a headlong rush to make nice-nice with Obama and be "moderate" on the one issue she is not claiming she's not a moderate on at all.

She's not a social conservative. Fine. But the problem is she's also not a limited government or fiscal conservative. Nor, in fact, a judicial conservative.

Then what is she? And why would we elect her? To what end? To see our goals thwarted at every turn?

If she were a social moderate but a bear on fiscal issues I could see her being reelected easily. But she's not. She's a social liberal and a fiscal moderate and a judicial moderate.

Yeah, on this one, I have to agree with the Tea Party: Then, um, what good are you, exactly? (It's easy to agree, too, because I have confidence there will be strong challengers to her contending for the nomination.)

The Republican Party is a conservative party. Period. Full stop. She thinks she is entitled to continue thwarting the hopes and ignoring the pleas of the very people who elevate her to high office. We think she is not so entitled.

In two years we will learn who is right, and who is now an independent candidate.

Chris Christie: I'm Halting A Major Project Because We Can't Afford It.
Democrats: What Did He Say? His Lips Are Moving And Sound Is Coming Out But It's Not A Language We Can Understand

—DrewM.

The government should stop doing something it doesn't have the money for? What kind of crazy talk is this? It's like Chris Christie is from another planet or something.

Christie from earlier this week.

Declaring he would not move forward on a project he could not afford, Gov. Chris Christie said today he was the one who put the brakes on the $8.7 billion trans-Hudson rail tunnel.

The governor, in a press briefing, said he liked the idea of the tunnel, but not if he can�t pay for it.

"And if I can�t pay for it, then we�ll have to consider other options," he said, making it clear for the first time the project was in serious jeopardy.

..."It went from $5 billion to $8.7 billion in what was clearly a rush by the Corzine administration to have gold shovels and put them the ground and try to get (former Gov. Jon) Corzine re-elected. That obviously was less than successful," Christie said. "And I�m concerned that their evaluations of price of this project was as successful as his re-election campaign was."

Today the Democrats shot back. Budgets? We don't need no stinking budgets!

Warning that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity may be squandered, state and federal elected officials today urged support for an $8.7 billion railway tunnel under the Hudson that could be killed over rising costs.

Gathered in front of a portal to the tunnel being built in North Bergen, Democratic Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg joined other federal and state lawmakers to sharply criticize Gov. Chris Christie's temporary suspension of the massive project.

"The message is pretty simple," said Lautenberg. "We don�t want to be just another parking lot for New York City and that�s what�s going to happen if we don�t get this tunnel done."

..."We need to find a way to make this work," said Menendez, adding that Christie always had known the project�s cost, but suddenly raised red flags after initially supporting it.

Yeah, reevaluating something when new and bad information comes in? That's just crazy talk.

The feds actually want to know how the state will cover any over runs on the already ballooning project. Lautenberg and Mendez don't care, they are worried that stopping could cost the earmarks they've already lined up. I guess they'll worry about the rest, later.

You simply couldn't dream up a more perfect example between fiscally conservative management of the public fisc and the old school, 'just spend!' approach.

New Research Says Mao's "Great Leap Forward" Killed 45 Million In 4 Years

—DrewM.

Dear God.

Speaking at The Independent Woodstock Literary Festival, Frank Dik�tter, a Hong Kong-based historian, said he found that during the time that Mao was enforcing the Great Leap Forward in 1958, in an effort to catch up with the economy of the Western world, he was responsible for overseeing "one of the worst catastrophes the world has ever known".

Mr Dik�tter, who has been studying Chinese rural history from 1958 to 1962, when the nation was facing a famine, compared the systematic torture, brutality, starvation and killing of Chinese peasants to the Second World War in its magnitude. At least 45 million people were worked, starved or beaten to death in China over these four years; the worldwide death toll of the Second World War was 55 million.

...Mr Dik�tter said that he was once again examining the Party's archives for his next book, The Tragedy of Liberation, which will deal with the bloody advent of Communism in China from 1944 to 1957.

He said the archives were already illuminating the extent of the atrocities of the period; one piece of evidence revealed that 13,000 opponents of the new regime were killed in one region alone, in just three weeks. "We know the outline of what went on but I will be looking into precisely what happened in this period, how it happened, and the human experiences behind the history," he said.

Liberals always use the excuse that Communism has never failed because it's never really be done right. Well, if 45 million dead is a mistake, I'd hate to see what a success looks like.

This is why it's always dangerous when people claim they have the answer for society, it eventually requires increasing control and violence by the state. Always. It's also a reminder that Tom Freidman's constant dreams of turning the US into "China for a Day" are at once silly and morally disgusting.

Now, I'm not saying that a murderous tyrant beats within the heart of American Democrats, that would be ridiculous. I do think however we should keep in mind that there are leftists in America who wouldn't mind purging a few million Americans if they won't get with the program. (the link is to LGF, just for fun. If it goes down the memory hole, check this out instead).

Thanks to Lawyers, Guns and Money via John Noonan.

Added: D'oh! How could I forget this?

Racist Congressperson Kicks Out Peaceful Protesters For Fair Treatment of Maxine Waters

—Ace

The racist congressperson is Granny Rictus McBotoxImplants, also known as Nancy Pelosi.

Three staffers working for embattled Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) were asked by security officers to leave an event in downtown Washington on Thursday after they tried to display large campaign signs just as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was about to speak.

...

�Let�s fight for Maxine Waters,� read a headline on the signs above a large picture of the congresswoman. Smaller headings read: �No improper action. No benefit. No failure to disclose. No one influenced. No case!�

...

�It ain�t about Nancy. It�s about black people,� Waters said.

...

Waters said she was deploying campaign signs at events throughout the country to defend herself against charges that she improperly intervened to help a failing bank secure a meeting with Treasury officials even though her husband had owned stock in the company and previously served on its board. �These signs will show up wherever large numbers of African Americans gather,� Waters said.

Well. It's not about Nancy; it is about black people. But it is definitely not about whether Waters illegally intervened to pour taxpayer money into her husband's failing bank.

At Hot Air, Waters' husband's bank received even greater preferential treatment than we thought.

Key player? Barney Frank.

Thanks to DS and ThomasS.

Wellesley, MA, Students Go On Field Trip To Mosque, Where They Learn How To Pray To Allah

—Ace

Remember, church and state must be kept separate by an inviolable wall, except when it comes to the de facto state religion, Islam.

Below, the video, but here is an NRO link telling you what you'll see.

The result is stunning: an unabashed exercise in Islamic dawa, the �call to Islam� and the manner by which the Brotherhood�s spiritual guide, Yusuf Qaradawi, promises that Islam will �conquer America� and �conquer Europe.� Qaradawi � wonder of wonders � is a trustee of the Roxbury mosque (although he is banned from the U.S. for sanctioning terrorism). As the video relates, �Dawa Net,� one Islamic organization that instructs on how to use the schools to inculcate the young, explains that public schools in America are �fertile grounds where the seeds of Islam can be sowed inside the hearts of non-Muslim students.�

It's a ten minute video, but the money shot happens from like 5:00 to 6:40.

Five Men Arrested For Suspected Terrorism In Britain, In Advance of Pope's Visit

—Ace

"None of the men are British." American Tea Partiers, then, according to Mayor Bloomberg's axiom.

In a statement from Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police said that the five men had been arrested in a Terrorism Act 2000 operation, launched by officers from the force's Counter-Terrorism Command.

The five were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

They are 26, 27, 36, 40 and 50 years old and most are understood to be Algerian. Following the arrests, police began searches as the depot and at homes in north and east London. Officers have not found any hazardous items.

Out: Koran burning

In: Pope burning

Thanks to Dr. Spank.

More Senate News-WA, OH, AK

—DrewM.

A bit of a mixed bag.

First to Washington where Dino Rossi is running against Patty "Osama Bin Laden Has Made Lives Better" Murray. This race had been rated a "Toss-up" by Rasmussen but he's moving it to "Leans Democrat".

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Murray with 51% support, her best performance so far, while Republican challenger Dino Rossi earns 46% of the vote, with leaners included. One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, and two percent (2%) are undecided.

This race now moves from a Toss-Up to Leans Democrat in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

Late last month, when leaners were included, Rossi held a slight 50% to 47% lead over Murray. Leaners are those who initially indicate no preference for either of the candidates but answer a follow-up question and say they are leaning towards a particular candidate. From this point forward, Rasmussen Reports considers results with leaners the primary indicator of the race.

When leaners are not included, Murray leads 49% to 46%. In the prior survey, excluding leaners, Rossi was ahead 48% to 46%.

In 10 previous surveys conducted since January, the candidates have been within two points of each other seven times. Murray's support has ranged from 45% to 50%, while Rossi has picked up 46% to 49%.

Looks like some Democrats are coming back to Murray. Hopefully, it's just a blip but Washington was always going to be an uphill fight. Still, Rossi's not totally out of it and he's going on the offensive against Sen. Tennis Shoes.

Tea party and Palin backed GOP primary candidate Clint Diedier still hasn't endorsed Rossi. In a 5 point race, a little unity could go a long way.

Here's Rossi's website.

Back in Ohio, as discussed yesterday, Republican Rob Portman is cruising.

Republican Rob Portman holds a 55 - 35 percent lead over Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher among likely voters in the race for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat, while President Barack Obama has a 60 - 38 percent disapproval rating, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

By a 58 - 37 percent margin, likely Ohio voters want a U.S. Senator who opposes President Obama's policies, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey, conducted by live interviewers, finds. And by 49 - 31 percent, voters want Republicans rather than Democrats to control the U.S. Senate.

This is a seat the Republicans needed to hold and Portman is going to be a substantial upgrade over George "The Weeper" Voinovich.

And finally in Alaska, at 9pm tonight eastern (5pm in Alaska) Lisa Murkowski will announce her intentions about running a write in campaign in November. In the meantime, she wants us to know she's a very important person and the state of Alaska may not survive without her. That and primaries are unfair and probably sexist (unless she wins them and then they are swell).

"I'm a public servant. My job by definition is to listen to my constituents. And there was a process in place -- a primary election -- that's certainly one way that you listen to your constituents."

She added: "When you think about the outcome of that, in a closed Republican primary, how many Alaskans were actually able to weigh in? So what is the will of the constituency? When you hear this outpouring of support and concern -- concern about the future of the state of Alaska and our representation here in the Senate -- you do feel a responsibility."

"I'm a public servant"? Then to paraphrase George Carlin, get me a sammich.

"I'm a public servant"? It sounds like a plea for help, "I have no marketable skills in the real world. Don't turn me out!"

Lisa...go away. You lost. You gave it your best shot and came up short. Gather up whatever little dignity you have and fade away into the wilds of Alaska or maybe K Street in DC. Either way, the voters have spoke, you must leave the Senate.

Fearless prediction...she's not going to do it. She'll make some sweet, sweet lobbying money in DC, hang out in Alaska on vacations and try again in 4 years against Mark Begich. No one who wants to make a splash, and even a sitting Senator reduced to this needs a splash for a write-in campaign, makes an announcement at 5pm on a Friday.

More Johnson Please

—Dave In Texas

Since I had a mid-air posting collision with Gabriel about Ron Johnson's lead opening up over Russ Feingold, here's a Johnson campaign ad several readers mentioned in the comments.

It's ball-dippingly good.

Johnson Surges in Wisconsin; Leads by 7

—Gabriel Malor

Oh my.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Johnson picking up 51% support, while Feingold earns the vote from 44%. One percent (1%) of voters prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) remain undecided.

The survey was conducted one night after Johnson�s primary victory in which he received 85% of the vote in a three-way race. Feingold, who is running for his fourth term in the Senate, ran uncontested in Tuesday�s Democratic primary. Future surveys will determine whether Johnson's jump ahead is just a post-primary bounce or reflects a serious change in the race.

When leaners are excluded from the totals, Johnson leads Feingold 50% to 43%. In late August, Johnson and Feingold were tied in results without leaners. Prior to the latest poll, support for Johnson ranged from 44% to 48% in surveys since February. In those same surveys, Feingold had consistently picked up 46% of the vote.

Still listed by Rasmussen as a Toss-Up, but I imagine that will change quickly. Feingold is getting pretty squirmy, claiming to be the underdog and claiming to be anything other than a stalwart Democratic vote. He is the Democratic half of the abortion known as the McCain-Feingold Act.

Ron Johnson, our guy, is a self-made businessman who founded his own company. He started with the unlikely dual role of accountant/machine operator. He's running as the "everyman" against the career politician.

Top Headline Comments 9-17-10

—Gabriel Malor

Brand Democrat™ from Slublog.

Check It Out: C O'D Isn't The Only Flawed Candidate In Delaware

—Ace

Chris Coons, Bearded Marxist.

In 2004, when Coons first ran for the job, he promised not to raise taxes. Since then he has raised taxes not once, not twice, but three times.

Coons inherited a surplus. Celebrating victory on election night in 2004, he said his "top priority would be to continue balancing the budget without increasing property taxes," according to an account in the local News Journal. Yet in 2006, he pushed through a 5 percent increase in property taxes. In 2007, he raised property taxes 17.5 percent. In 2009, he raised them another 25 percent.

Coons wanted to raise other taxes, too. He proposed a hotel tax, a tax on paramedic services, even a tax on people who call 911 from cell phones.
Coons says the increases were necessary because New Castle County, despite its surplus, was saddled with extravagant spending obligations made by his predecessor.

Must-Read Column By Peggy Noonan, He Said Without Apparent Irony

—Ace

Oh, when you put it like that...

I see two central reasons for the Tea Party's rise. The first is the yardstick, and the second is the clock. First, the yardstick. Imagine that over at the 36-inch end you've got pure liberal thinking�more and larger government programs, a bigger government that costs more in the many ways that cost can be calculated. Over at the other end you've got conservative thinking�a government that is growing smaller and less demanding and is less expensive. You assume that when the two major parties are negotiating bills in Washington, they sort of lay down the yardstick and begin negotiations at the 18-inch line. Each party pulls in the direction it wants, and the dominant party moves the government a few inches in their direction.

But if you look at the past half century or so you have to think: How come even when Republicans are in charge, even when they're dominant, government has always gotten larger and more expensive? It's always grown! It's as if something inexorable in our political reality�with those who think in liberal terms dominating the establishment, the media, the academy�has always tilted the starting point in negotiations away from 18 inches, and always toward liberalism, toward the 36-inch point.

Democrats on the Hill or in the White House try to pull it up to 30, Republicans try to pull it back to 25. A deal is struck at 28. Washington Republicans call it victory: "Hey, it coulda been 29!" But regular conservative-minded or Republican voters see yet another loss. They could live with 18. They'd like 8. Instead it's 28.

For conservatives on the ground, it has often felt as if Democrats (and moderate Republicans) were always saying, "We should spend a trillion dollars," and the Republican Party would respond, "No, too costly. How about $700 billion?" Conservatives on the ground are thinking, "How about nothing? How about we don't spend more money but finally start cutting."

What they want is representatives who'll begin the negotiations at 18 inches and tug the final bill toward 5 inches. And they believe Tea Party candidates will do that.

The second thing is the clock. Here is a great virtue of the Tea Party: They know what time it is. It's getting late. If we don't get the size and cost of government in line now, we won't be able to. We're teetering on the brink of some vast, dark new world�states and cities on the brink of bankruptcy, the federal government too. The issue isn't "big spending" anymore. It's ruinous spending that they fear will end America as we know it, as they promised it to their children.

No, seriously, I did need that crystalized for me. Maybe I had gotten a little too wrapped up in standard thinking.

From Hot Air, where Allah's round-up is mostly about Sarah Palin's apparently likely presidential bid.

Obama's White House: Leadership Through Better Marketing

—Dave In Texas

From the sidebar, I'll do it old school..

Out: "Global Warming"

In: "Global Climate Disruption"

Because "climate change" wasn't really taking hold. And also, that whole warming thing kinda wasn't happening much either. "The Total Destruction of the Earth, Mankind and Everything There Is On Account of Our Awful Global Awfulness" was under consideration, but probably too wordy.

Sometimes I feel like this administration is overloaded with marketing consultants. The power to shape public awareness and opinion depends on us finding a really compelling expression and another campaign speaking tour to test market our new word thingy.

From the administration that brought you "man-caused disaster" and "overseas contingency operation," another terminology change is in the pipeline.

The White House wants the public to start using the term "global climate disruption" in place of "global warming" -- fearing the latter term oversimplifies the problem and makes it sound less dangerous than it really is.

Hey, speaking of which, you know how a consultant makes love? He sits on the edge of the bed and tells you how f'n awesome it's gonna be.

A precisely-worded, more meaningful expression is just the thing to make the rubes forget all about those conspiratorial emails, made up junk data sets, models that don't work, and your ability to smell bullshit when it's being rubbed in your nostrils.

Did I say "bullshit?" Sorry, I meant "Bovine Planetary Death."

T. Coddington Van Vorhees VII on the Tea Party: If It Is A Fight These Jacobins Wish To Have, Then It Is A Fight They Shall Have

—Ace

Nonsense up with which he shall not put.

Overnight Open Thread

—Maetenloch

Happy Thursday all. Or is it?

Does Affluence Make You Happy?

Well this chart suggests that in the large it does.

And looking at the trend lines for each country it looks like the more affluent a country is, the bigger the difference between the happiness of the wealthy versus the poor. So absolute affluence makes you happy, but being richer than your neighbors makes you happier still. Which I guess is only surprising to those unfamiliar with the not-so-nice parts of human nature.

Why I bet you could develop two competing economic ideologies just based off working both ends of this happiness differential.

So if affluence brings happiness, how much affluence do you need?

Answer: at least $75,000 a year.

The study found that people's evaluations of their lives improved steadily with annual income. But the quality of their everyday experiences -- their feelings -- did not improve above an income of $75,000 a year. As income decreased from $75,000, people reported decreasing happiness and increasing sadness, as well as stress. The study found that being divorced, being sick and other painful experiences have worse effects on a poor person than on a wealthier one.

As a kid I remember the car or TV breaking down or my mom needing a crown being BIG deals - not just for the aggravation factor, but these also put a real crimp in our financial situation and meant no eating out for a long time. Now at $75K you're hardly rich but then having to fix the car's transmission or get a crown doesn't push you into financial crisis either.

Interestingly people who win the lottery have elevated happiness for a year or two but by year three they're basically back to where they were happiness-wise. By comparison unlimited heroin and the power to destroy people are both good through at least year five.

Steve Jobs Tries To Smuggle Shurikens Onto a Plane In Japan
It was his private jet but because it shared a terminal with commercial flights he still had to go through security. And the airport security guards made him throw away the ninja throwing stars in his carry on bags. Supposedly he swore that after this he would never enter Japan again but Apple strenuously denies he said this.

I can personally attest that the Japanese paranoia about stabby things is nothing new. Back in the early 90's I happened to be flying within Japan and just happened to have a mini Swiss Army knife in my carry on bags that I had been flying with for years. Well they saw it on the x-ray and flipped out. I was suddenly surrounded by super-serious Japanese security guards with white gloves and cordoned off. After angry glares and much confusion on my part they finally explained that I was carrying 'CONTRABAND!'. And after 30 minutes and a stern lecture I was finally allowed to check the knife and my bag and get on the now delayed flight full of angry passengers. Not so good times.

And of course no incident is complete without the matching Taiwanese animation:

The Ultimate Dance Moves For Men
Okay this is kinda old by now but it had to be covered. Scientists in Canada claim to have discovered the dance moves most likely to attract women. So watch and learn.
And note that the Sprockets dance did quite poorly. Personally I've always found my style, The Wounded Cow, to be a good trade-off between effectiveness and loss of dignity.

Do You Have To Explain To The Feds Why You Traveled Abroad?
No, but based on this guy's experience they will do everything they can to hassle you before admitting it.

The Real Stuff White People Like
Based on analyzing the profiles of 500,000 OK Cupid users. It turns out that white people like sushi, asian people like sashimi, black people like soul food, and latin people apparently like Spanish words. And then they do a whole lot of juicy analysis that could probably result in a couple dissertations. But remember like every Sociology professor lectures - stereotypes have absolutely no basis in reality and are merely constructs to perpetuate fear of the Other and the patrimony patriarchy.
Who knew OK Cupid were part of the patriarchy? I didn't and somehow that makes me want to sign up now.

11 Ridiculous Mustaches Every Guy Should Sport At Least Once In His Life
Maybe I just got imprinted early on but I still think the Tom Selleck looks good. And while you're shaving off your unemployment beard is also a good time to check the Hitler stache off your list.

Yahoo group. That is all.

Tonight's post brought to you by the cycle of flossing:

Yesterday was panel 1 for me.

Notice: Posted by permission of AceCorp LLC. Please e-mail overnight open thread tips to maetenloch at gmail. Otherwise send tips to Ace.

Close it up

Los Angeles Has Received $111 Million in Spendulus Funds; Only 54 And a Half Jobs Have Been "Saved or Created"

—Gabriel Malor

The Los Angeles City Controller has released her audit (PDF) of what we've done with the $111 million dollars in stimulus funding we've received so far.

DPW has received $70.65 million and created or retained 45.46 jobs, though they are expected to create 238 jobs overall (the fraction of a job created or retained correlates to the number of actual hours works). LADOT has been awarded $40.8 million and created or retained 9 jobs, though they are expected to create 26 jobs overall. Overall, the Departments have received $111 million in federal stimulus funds out of the $594 million the City has been awarded so far and created or retained 54.46 jobs.

�I�m disappointed that we�ve only created or retained 55 jobs after receiving $111 million in ARRA funds. With our local unemployment rate over 12% we need to do a better job cutting the red tape and putting Angelenos back to work,� said City Controller Greuel. �While it doesn�t appear that any of the ARRA funds were misspent, the City needs to do a better job expediting the process and creating jobs.

54 and a half jobs. That's it. Out of $111 million. Couldn't even squeak out a final half a job and make it a whole number.

Greuel says that none of these funds were "misspent." I'm gonna assume she means none of the funds were used illegally. Because for damn sure they were misspent. That was $111 million dollars spent on nothing that Los Angeles wasn't already going to spend money on. The expansion plans for Department of Public Works and the Department of Transportation were laid years ago. So, even if President Obama's goal of stimulating the economy was economically sound no stimulating could have come from this money.

And, of course, the President's stimulus is anything but economically sound. Time and again we've seen that all it has done is prop up public workers at the expense of the private sector. That is, the folks whose money this really is. Los Angeles is no different:

The Department�s process for using work orders for ARRA projects makes it difficult to distinguish between ARRA-related expenditures and expenditures using City funds.

Fancy that. Money is fungible. In six months when Obama deigns to have his next press conference, somebody should ask him if he can spell "fungible." For funsies, I swear. Because that quoted bullshit right up there is a polite way of saying that the Department of Public Works is fudging its numbers.

Also, great news, sportsfans. Los Angeles has another $483 million in spendulus funds coming its way. At the present rate that's a whole 239.3 jobs!

Thanks to Red.

Are Liberals Pretty Much Writing Off Ohio This Year?

—DrewM.

Ohio is one of the classic swing/battle ground states. For liberals to be writing off the Buckeye state in September...well that means things are really bad for them around the country. Really, really bad.

First consider PPP's Twitter note this morning.

Seems strange saying this but really doubt we'll poll Ohio again this cycle

That was striking enough but then there's this from Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic "A Democratic Bloodbath in Ohio?"

In Ohio, it's getting so bad for Democrats that the Democratic Governors Association, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee are actively weighing their level of commitment.

Public and private polling from the state suggests that Democrats will lose the governor's mansion, currently held by Ted Strickland, the Senate race (for an open seat that was held by a Republican), and at least four House races (OH 01, OH 15, OH 13, OH 16). Strickland's troubles have surprised some Democrats, since he's seemed to defy gravity for much of the year.

All 4 of those endangered House Democratic incumbents (Driehaus, Kilroy, Sutton, Boccieri) voted for the health care bill. That's clearly not the only factor in their troubles but it's not the lifeline Democratic leaders claimed it would be either (more like an anchor around their necks).

In the Senate race, the RCP average has Rob Portman up by 9. In the Governor's race it's former Congressman and FNC host John Kasich by almost 11.

These are devastating numbers in a swing state like Ohio. If the national committees do pull back or even out entirely, it's because they've essentially decided to build their firewall around, I don't know, Pelosi's district.

As always, this doesn't mean we can let up. It means we're just a step closer to seeing the Democrats vanquished and hearing the lamentations of their women.

Sean Duffy: I'd Like To Be Your New Congressman And/Or Sensitive Brawny Guy

—Ace

Sean Duffy's campaign sends me a lot of links which I never link because, well, he's going to win.

If I have to help Sean Duffy win, well, then I have badly misjudged this election. In case you don't know, he was on the Real World (Boston?) and married that spicy Cuban conservative HOPA Rachel Campos (?). But he doesn't run on that nonsense; he's been a district attorney for a while, with a good record and all that. He's like, golden, and most likely he doesn't intend to be a Representative for long, and I don't mean term limits.*

* Okay I shouldn't say this; saying he's going to win and doesn't need help is practically running a negative ad against him. He needs help like anyone. Let's not start plucking each other's cocks just yet, said Colonel Winston "The Wolf" Sanders. But: A commenter confirms my memory: This is the guy who scared long-term deadwood socialist idiot David Obey into retirement.

But he's run an ad of him looking cute (not Rubio cute, but cute) and swingin' an axe and for some reason the female commenters seem to believe this ad is directed at them.

Christine O'Donnell Goes On National Television And Says Something Utterly Vapid, Smearing Entire Party With Her Stupid

—Ace

Wait, it wasn't her? It was Nancy Pelosi telling us if she weren't in politics she'd be in business, and then desperately attempting to remember what little she's heard of business, like "markets"?

Oh never mind in that case.

Question: If this answer had gone one sentence longer, what are the odds she would have remembered a single other buzzword from the field of business?

The next thing out of her mouth was probably something like "bearer bonds," because sometimes she's heard her husband talking about Die Hard.

Oh, and by the way, "markets" really have less to do with business than with investing and finance. I mean, "markets" are kind of macro. But I'll give her the charity "okay, close enough, retard."

Just to point out, this is the sort of question that the MFM would immediately challenge Sarah Palin on, asking her the follow-up, in hopes she ran out of details, "Oh, specifically what do you like about business?"

But Nancy Pelosi tosses out "markets" and no one thinks, Gee, maybe she's talking way out of her hat here, maybe I should ask a seemingly innocuous but actually deadly follow-up.

Ace: Charlie Cook's New Rating of Connecticut as a "Toss Up" Makes Me Want to Call My Best Bud Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio: Who is this? Who is this?
Police Dispatcher: He's calling from inside your house...!

—Ace

Okay, come on, that one's cute.

Before I link the crap you already saw on Hot Air, here's a fresh picking: Charlie Cook now puts Connecticut as a "toss up."

Toss up. In Connecticut.

Okay, on to the hours-old crap:

At Hot Air, AP, one of the most reliably liberal-skewed polls, puts the GOP up by ten, and at over 50% -- 53/43.

Several people linked me this. Even AP isn't pretending anymore in the headlines. They have wishcasted themselves out.

AP-GfK Poll: Climate for GOP keeps getting better

...

"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that they're out of office," said independent voter Robbin Payton of Newport News, Va., reflecting just how toxic the environment is for the party in power.

Overall, it's an extraordinarily dreary backdrop for Obama's beleaguered party. And with just seven weeks until Election Day, Democrats are running out of options to mitigate widespread expected losses of House, Senate and governor's seats from coast to coast on Nov. 2.

Ed Morrissey explains how CBS maintains Obama still has 45% (but only 45%) approval. Another poll with an 8.5% Democrat skew, which they... round up to an even 10%.

Because, you know, that's what the polls are showing. Oh wait, no, most polls are showing parity between the parties for the first time in generations.

This has nothing to do with any of that, but have to give a mention of a columnist in the UK Telegraph mentioning our little blog.

On Tuesday, Carl Paladino scored another big Tea Party victory in New York, winning the Republican nomination for governor. He quoted, as have many others, the anguished cry of Howard Beale in the 1976 film Network � "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more!" If anything, it understates the strength of anti-establishment feeling. The mood is closer to H L Mencken's observation, prominent on the Ace of Spades conservative blog, that "every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats".

Huh, right? And I know the irony there -- I personally have been more "don't rock the boat" than "go slit throats" -- but still, hey, an oversees shout-out is an overseas shout-out.

Thanks for krukke1 for that last tip.

IMAO Finds Democrats Have Stolen New Logo

—Ace

I know everyone's pointing out that this little pizza shop or that hotel has the same logo; but that's inevitable, because the thing is so ridiculously uninspired. It's a circle with a letter in it. I mean, come on.

The best logos are ones that call out tangible associations with everyday life. You don't even realize you're being asked to recall some object from your memory. It happens subliminally.

And the Democrat logo does that.

Thanks to RobertS.

Top Ten Other Plans To "Excite Democrats All Across The Country"

—Ace

10. Free mustache rides from Henry Waxman

9. Immediately get brand on millions of citizens by changing name of party from "Democrats" to "Tommy Hilfiger"

8. John F. Kerry will begin touring the country with his surly but lovable talking chimp sidekick, "Doctor Bananas"

7. "Sheriff" Joe Biden to receive new nickname: Joe "The Situation" Biden

6. Progressive Caucus in talks for special "crossover episode" with cast of The Mentalist

5. Did I say free mustache rides from Henry Waxman? I meant free hot dogs, plus a mustache ride from Henry Waxman. You like hot dogs, don't you? Isn't that what you people eat?

4. To top the wild success of Michael Steele's "What up?" blog, Tim Kaine introduces new blog, 'sup, Nephew?

3. Short title of new stimulus bill decided on: "But First You Will Blow Me"

2. To show solidarity with out-of-work Americans, Nancy Pelosi starts working for Mary Kay Cosmetics, offering her own line of lipstick, blush, and fish tranquilizers

...and the Number One Plan to "Excite Democrats All Across The Country"...

1. Obama + Water Skis + Shark Pen = "Unprecedented"

Hmmmm: Delaware Not As Liberal As Claimed (By Me), Poll Says

—Ace

Thanks to Maetenloch, who's finding day posts when he's not doing the ONT, this tidbit...

Gallup reported that 37.4% of the people of the First State describe themselves as conservative � or nearly double the 19% who describe themselves as liberals.

That gives conservatives an advantage of 18.4%.

That is a bigger advantage than conservatives enjoy in Maine, where both senators are Republicans.

The Blue Hen State is redder than California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, Washington state and Wisconsin � states where Republicans are either favored or competitive in the Senate races.

My reaction to that is that "conservative" is a label people embrace, even when not terrifically conservative, and "liberal" is a label people run from, even when actually quite liberal. A lot of people call themselves "moderates." In practice this tends to mean "liberal but I don't want to think of myself as a liberal," just as Bill Maher used to call himself "libertarian."

However, that's a common phenomenon, and Surber puts this split into context by comparison with other states. In every state, liberals call themselves "moderate," but if Delaware is actually more conservative-friendly than purple Colorado and New Hampshire, okay, it's possible.

Most of the other states he mentions get a blank reaction from me: Okay, it's redder than Illinois. And? I sure the hell wouldn't run a deep-red candidate there.

Little by little I am retreating from my former position of This was a grotesque own-goal unforced error and into the position of Okay, not what I would have advised, but if you want to roll the dice, I guess one in six is a gambler's chance.

Chris Matthews Says "I Bet O'Donnell Wins:" Gambling metaphors all over the place. Matthews wants to know how many points David Corn will give him for picking O'Donnell.

Well, look: The great Adam Baldwin asked me if there would be apologies forthcoming should O'Donnell actually win. Of course. To actually sneak in a dark-red senator into a blue state for four years would be, well, humungous is the word that comes to mind.

Update: Really an update to the last post, but you morons are too moronic to look past the top post.

Thanks to BillCo.

Democrats To Run On Record of Genuine Accomplishment and Gaywad Logo But Mostly Gaywad Logo

—Ace

What can you say about the Democrats that they're not already saying about themselves?

DNC head Tim Kaine promised "exciting" news that would speak to the hearts of young voters and energize them, and he unveiled... a logo.

A good logo, a least? Well, you know what it looks like, so you know the answer is "no."

I don't even know where to begin. I feel absurd even discussing a friggin' logo as, quote, "something that will excite Democrats across the country." If this "excites" Democrats across the country, then they are well and truly easy lays. Oh right, they are, that's why I used to be a Democrat in college.

Other problems? Well, in sucks; how about that for starters? The rap on Democrats is always that they are ultrafeminized and weak, and, oh, here's a powder-blue logo to reinforce what you already knew. And it looks like a bullseye, which, you know: spot-on,, but not the way you want it spot-on.

And going back to the main issue? It's a logo. When a sucky sports team decides to change its uniforms to black so they can sell merchandise despite losing every damn season, hey, at least in that case -- black unis. It's something, at least. It doesn't make the team any less sucky but they do tend to look better in bold black.

But this? This party has driven the country into the ground so far we need a blow-out preventer to keep from spilling into Hell and they're trotting out a poorly conceived, terribly executed marketing ploy as something that will "excite" the base?

Excite them how? Push them from merely considering suicide into embracing the noose?

A logo that a local Arby's franchise would turn down as "too uninspiring" to use to mark their dessert bar?

You've been in control of Congress for four miserable years and the White House (and all government) for two years and what you have to show for it is a washed-out "O" with a "D" inside it you can put on t-shirts for the kind of fucking loser who wears party-branded merchandise to his hot date with the television and loneliness?

This is what you've got?

I have to channel Col. Nathan R. Jessep here: Please tell me that you haven't staked the lives of these fine men on nothing but a goddamned marketing gimmick, Lieutenant Kaffee.

At Hot Air, Allah writes:

I figured the �major announcement� would have something to do with their online organization, but how could anyone not have guessed that it would involve a logo? Better �branding� and salesmanship are always, always their solutions to their political problems; the policies themselves are brilliant, so how could anything except poor �messaging� explain a decline in the polls? Consider this an absurd yet perfectly foreseeable extension of that logic. GOP tsunami coming in November? Time to go nuclear, then: New logo.

Exactly. The Democrats' knock is that they're the party of big talk and no results, a party of noxious, preening gasbags perpetually engaged in a circle-jerk con of the American people, a party that speaks in platitudes and bromides and fails abysmally whenever entrusted with actual responsibility, and their "exciting" new way to combat this?

The drew a squiggle.

Here. Here's your squiggle. That'll be $14.3 trillion dollars and your children's future, please. Thank you, drive through.

Today's Democrat Party

Stay for the incompetence and weakness.

Ace: This New CNN Putting Angle Ahead of Reid Makes Me Want To Have a Picnic With Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio: W-What? But This Poll Isn't About Me
Ace: I Don't Care. You Bring The Sandwiches, I'll Bring The Ether and Oversized Women's Shoes

—Ace

At Hot Air...

Angle is capturing 42% of likely voters polled to Reid�s 41%, a statistical dead heat.

There is a sliver lining in O'Donnell's victory, for those of us who would rather have the seat than an uncompromised caucus.

Despite the good poll numbers on the generic, people still do not like the GOP. In fact the party's favorables are often lower than the Democrats.

So the GOP's message is not working, even if an Establishment-leaning guy like myself wishes it would.

The public doesn't like the GOP. It is in a pox-on-both-houses mood. But the Tea Party's big fat middle finger to the GOP demonstrates, pretty tangibly, the Tea Party is not the GOP's pet, as Coons is Reid's pet. It is truly independent and truly angry and truly in favor of genuine change -- without regard to any party's political fortunes.

I am not sure exactly how this can be used to the GOP's actual advantage. How can they both promote themselves while shouting, with the public, "You are right, we hate us too!"

But there's something here, I guess for a cleverer person to figure out. Somehow, if the GOP can grab the mantle of being against both parties -- even if it's been compelled kicking and screaming into that position by an angry Tea Party -- then I guess there is some electoral good that can come from this.

It's a weird kind of play -- "Vote for the GOP so we can demolish the GOP!" -- but who knows. I don't know how that can be played, exactly, but all these candidates, clearly disfavored by the Establishment, need to take that message to the public. They're not for the party, they're not for politics as usual, they're for the people.

Everyone says that, of course. But not everyone has been so bitterly opposed by the party establishment, either. They've got the scars to prove they fought the Establishment.

Nationwide Republican Primary Vote Figures Top Democrats For First Time Since... 1930

—Ace

Actually, 1930 is just the first year for which we have good data; so this could be the first time ever.

Michael Barone mentioned this fact twice when he was discussing this at a DC Dinner Party (TM).

There are a lot of tea leaves here. Sexy, dirty, juicy tea leaves.

Brief commentary mixed in the quote, in brackets, by ArthurK.

In another sign that the Democratic Party is in deep trouble in the 2010 mid-term elections, the average Republican vote for statewide offices (U.S. Senator and Governor) in the primaries held through August 28 exceeded the Democratic vote, the first time this has happened in mid-term primaries since 1930, according to Curtis Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate.

[ Wow.]

The average percentage of eligible citizens who voted in Democratic primaries was the lowest ever.

[Boom.]

The average percentage of citizens who voted in the GOP statewide primaries was the highest since 1970.

[Ka-Pow.]

GOP statewide primary turnout reached new records in nine states.

[Zing!]

Democratic statewide primary turnout fell to record lows in 10 states.

[BaKaBoom!]

Also:

So far, 30,283,128 citizens have voted in the primaries. Of that number 17,182,893 voted in Republican primaries; 12,963,925 voted in Democratic primaries and 136,310 voted in Green and Libertarian primaries or for candidates other than those running for major party nominations. (The GOP had three more statewide contests than the Democrats�Indiana, South Dakota and Utah� but the total votes cast in those GOP primaries was 826,603, hardly accounting for the more than 4 million vote difference between the parties.)

One caution here: This is good, but...

A great many extremely-animated voters are re-engaging in the political process and making sure to vote in the primaries. But these primary voters are still a fraction of the total general election vote; something like a quarter. If, say, 5% of the public has become very-committed SuperVoters, and they're largely on the GOP's side, that's great -- we'll take that all day and twice on Tuesdays -- but it's still just a small slice of the ultimate voter cohort which will cast votes on November 2. We can't be sure -- or even confident -- that we can project anything about the November 2 vote based on the atypical 5% of SuperVoters.

As Winston Wolf's paternal grandfather, Walter "Watchmaker" Wolf, said so eloquently in 1955: let's not start setting each other's clocks just yet, gentlemen.

DC Delegate Elanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) To Lobbyist: Hey, You Havn't Contributed To My Campaign...Time To Pony Up

—DrewM.

Elected officials solicit contributions everyday but actually hearing a legislator hit up a lobbyist for campaign cash is going to be a shock for a lot of people. Especially so because it's such a ham-handed and brazen pitch.

After introducing herself and listing her specific areas of work, especially her oversight of homeland security projects this lobbyist might be interested in, DC Delegate to Congress and chair of the Eleanor Holmes-Norton gets down to it.

I was, frankly, uh, uh, surprised to see that we don�t have a record, so far as I can tell, of your having given to me despite my uh, long and deep uh, work. In fact, it�s been my major work, uh, on the committee and sub-committee it�s been essentially in your sector.

I am, I�m simply candidly calling to ask for a contribution. As the senior member of the um, committee and a sub-committee chair, we have (chuckles) obligations to raise, uh funds. And, I think it must have been me who hasn�t, frankly, uh, done my homework to ask for a contribution earlier. So I�m trying to make up for it by asking for one now, when we particularly, uh, need, uh contributions, particularly those of us who have the seniority and chairmanships and are in a position to raise the funds.

Big Government has the audio (racist!) and a full transcript.

This is simply the daily sausage making that goes on in politics but in a year where corruption, spending and disgust for an entrenched ruling class are the big issues, I expect this to show up in a lot of Republican ads.

Of course, there are a lot of Republicans wondering if they were dumb enough to leave this kind of message recently. Here's hoping not.

What's really interesting is lobbyists must get calls like this all the time, though perhaps not so brash. The fact that this one was willing to release this shows he or she isn't afraid of Democratic retaliation. Never a good sign when the pros have you marked for dead.

Obviously the big question the media will ask is...why does Andrew Breitbart hate black women?

Former FDIC head: American businesses have no confidence convinced that their government won't will do something really stupid

—Purple Avenger

But he also feels help may be on the way in November in the form of a gridlocked congress.

...confidence may begin to return in November, Isaac says, if the Republicans regain some seats in the House and Senate. This isn't because Republican policies have been any better than Democrat ones--Isaac blames both parties for the horrible policies of recent years--but because gridlock will make it more difficult for the government to do something truly reckless and stupid...

Allen West: My Opponent Is A Pussy
Ron Klein: Your Harsh Words Are Scaring Me

—LauraW.

And Then He Flounced Away In A Great Sweep Of Tear-Stained Satin Ruffles and Soggy Hankies

West last month called GOP primary foe David Brady a "knucklehead" and told the Boca Raton Republican Club: "We're going to take him out behind the woodshed and we're going to give him a Southern-fried butt-whoopin' come next Tuesday. Then after that, we're going to take Ron Klein out behind the same woodshed and we'll whoop him too."

Most guys respond to masculine bravado by either trying to top it, ignoring it, or using exaggerated self-deprecation to take the wind out of someone.

But Ron Klein? No. He complains about feeling threatened.

This isn't about back-slapping and using, you know, sexist remarks or threatening statements as a way of being cute or funny," Klein said.

"I think a lot of people find it pretty offensive for him to be out there threatening and finding it amusing to be threatening your opponent or threatening people who don't agree with him."

I can hear him sniffing dismissively about that brute all the way over here.

West, who got 76.7 percent against Brady in the Aug. 24 primary, says such talk has a place in political discourse.

"That's how people talk. ... And you can print that: That's how men talk.

Emphasis me.

One of our main problems with folks in Congress is that once they get to DC, their values are eroded quickly.

Their heads get turned by the lifestyle, and by being surrounded by suckups. They are constantly attacked by the press for doing or saying anything contrary to the liberal viewpoint. They hang out with and are wooed by our elite betters.

It's a caustic stew. Their constituents' values are dissolved, while liberalization and a belief that they are smarter than you gradually develops.

Basically, they become assholes.

Now, I don't think any human is entirely resistant to this effect. But perhaps someone like West could hold off a little longer than most.

Just spitballin' here, but if he doesn't have a lot of respect for metrosexual mamby-pambies in the first place, there is a good chance he is less likely to concede anything to them over time.

H/T: Thanks to Little Dickie Jones.

Rasmussen: Coons Up By 11 In Delaware

—DrewM.

Hey, did you hear there's a Senate race in Delaware? Kind of snuck up on us, eh?

Democrat Chris Coons holds a double-digit lead over Republican hopeful Christine O�Donnell in the first Rasmussen Reports post-primary survey of the U.S. Senate race in Delaware.

Coons earns 53% of the vote to O�Donnell�s 42%, with leaners included. One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided.

The Delaware race is now viewed as Solid Democrat in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

Despite all the shouting, I think we need to give this race a week or so to settle in before we know much. O'Donnell is clearly getting a fundrasing boost coming out of the primary and we'll have to see if she can take advantage of that against Harry Reid's 'pet'.

Top Headline Comments 9-16-10

—Gabriel Malor

Brand Democrat™ from Slublog.

One Suggestion for the Delaware GOP

—Russ from Winterset

After last night's primary, I don't want to discuss whether or not O'Donnell is a good idea or if Castle would be better overall, even with his faults. What I'd like to do here is look ahead and try to make a suggestion of how the Delaware Republican Party could possibly take a step towards healing the rift between the pragmatists and the purists.

My idea? Pull your heads out of your asses and reschedule your convention/primary system.

As a resident of Iowa, I had no idea of how things are done in The First State, other than a vague thought that their political system should be somewhat similar to what our Republican Party uses here in Corn Country. In Iowa, we had our Primary in early June, with the State Convention occuring about three weeks later. Was it perfect? No. Supporters of Bob VanderPlaats (self-described Tea Party candidate who has DEEP ties to the Huckabee camp) went after former Governor Branstad (alleged moderate) HARD in the primary, and then after Branstad won 51-40 (another candidate got 9%), staged somewhat of a minor coup by trying to force Branstad to replace his Lt. Governor nominee with BVP at the convention. This move failed, and as far as I know, members of the BVP camp are grudgingly coming back to the Branstad campaign, mainly because Iowans have one of the dumbest Governors in the Nation, Chet Culver (D). It's easy to come together behind a man who makes Governor LaPetomaine from Blazing Saddles look competent by comparison...but I digress. What I wanted to get across here is that the Iowa Republican Party had a fight in the primary, and then proceeded to start healing the rift at their convention.

The Delaware Republican Party? Not so much. This absolutely floored me. The Delaware Republicans had their convention in May.....and held the primary in September. September of '09? No. September, 2010, about FOUR months after their convention produced Castle as the presumptive nominee. Gee, I wonder why some of the O'Donnell supporters might have seen Castle as the nominee of entrenched insiders?

This shouldn't be rocket science. Have a primary where all the prospective nominees can hash out their differences, ask the voters to pick their poison, and then hold a convention so that the winners can say nice things about the losers and everyone can soap up everyone else's backs and get focused on knocking off the Dem in the general election. That way, no matter who wins the primary, there shouldn't be as many charges of "RiNO nepotism" as there were in this primary. There's plenty of time for the State Party to get their ducks in a row for the 2012 election, especially since this is an issue that Purists & Pragmatists both should be able to agree on.

Get your shit together, Delaware. Don't make us send Chris Christie in to knock some heads together.

Now that I know what happened in Delaware, I think I'm leaning more towards this being a NY-23 sort of situation rather than a suicidal Purity Purge.

Do I think O'Donnell is the best candidate for the Delaware electorate? It doesn't matter: Christine O'Donnell is now the GOP nominee for the Biden Hereditary Senate Seat. Good luck & Godspeed.