Overnight Open Thread
—Genghis
Murray/Rossi Debate Tonight:
Their second and final one. So if watching the Bielat/Frank debate doesn't give you political junkies enough of a fix then you can tune into this debate which will be livestreamed here. It starts at 7 p.m. PST (I.E. right now). A number of very recent polls (which I can't seem to find a link to at the moment) seem to indicate that Murray has opened up a lead over Rossi that's outside the M.O.E., 6-8 points, so that sucks. And if you don't already have it bookmarked, here's linky to Real Clear Politics' Poll Average Page. It covers pretty much every election in the country above dog-catcher.
Some Magoo fer You:
Just because, that's why.
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Debate: Bielat vs. Frank and a Moderator
—Dave In Texas
As usual, it's the conservative against the Dem and his sympathetic moderator, but Sean holds his ground admirably here. Long (hey, it's a debate, 28 mins or so), but worth a watch to see how a) Barney fumbles and mush-mouths his answers while twisting his own personal record, and when confronted with it, dives into the weeds of "inside the beltway, politics on the hill" bullshit, and b) Sean doesn't give an inch, even to the the hostile moderator who sees when things look bad for Frank and hustles on to some talking point/gotcha questions.
He keeps his cool, and lets Barney step on himself. Quite a few times.
Am struck mostly with Barney's emphatic defenses that dive down into the "sausage-making of politics", which is his way of deflecting personal accountability, and Bielat's patience while pressing his points, and not giving in on Barney's blabbing assertions.
Interesting stupid question at 15:10 or so, "hey, what if the tax cuts were only for the rich and not the middle class, would YOU SUPPORT THAT?"
For cryin out loud.
Oh, in case you hadn't heard, Sean Bielat is a Major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve who killed terrorists and builds robots to kill more of em*.
As a Program Manager.
Lemme tell ya, PM over killer robots is a tough job.
* I don't know that the robots actually kill terrorists, but it would be awesome if they did.
UPDATED: Oh, the robots kill IEDs before they can kill our soldiers.
I knew that, I think, just screwed it up. My bad.
via several RTs here.
HAWAII SENATE INOUYE 53% CAVASSO 40%
—CAC
I will let this poll sink in for those of you who remember Dan Inouye as the literal face of the Democratic party in Hawaii and who won his last election with 75% of the vote. A totally solid no-way-in-hell lock for re-election. Polling 22% below his last total against a relative unknown. There's still time for you morons in Hawaii.
BTW: Cavasso for Senate of Puddingland
The latest Dem desperation attack on Alan West - try to tie him to the Outlaws biker gang.
—Purple Avenger
This is what fear smells like.
To connect West to the motorcycle gang, Democrats have pointed out that he's a contributor to Wheels on the Road, a publication that covers [among many other things] the Outlaws' Florida clubs.Ron Klein is cut from the same cloth Chuck Schumer is, so such ummm...."tenuously truthed" attacks are not particularly surprising. Klein doesn't have enough of his own resources to probe for shit like this either, so he's clearly getting outside help which means the Dems are desperate to retain this particular seat.
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Obama to Dems: It's Not My Fault Because Americans Are Scared Stupid
—Gabriel Malor
No, it couldn't be his deeply unpopular policies or the the economy-destroying legislation his allies in Congress have been passing around. The President says Democrats are failing in the polls because Americans aren't thinking clearly.
Seeking to explain his party's troubles, the president focused not on controversial legislation like national health care and the stimulus but on evolutionary psychology. "Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument do not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we're hard-wired not to always think clearly when we're scared," Obama told the assembled Democrats, who paid $15,200 a person to attend. "And the country is scared."To "break through the fear and the frustration that people are feeling right now," Obama told the crowd, will require high-end donors not just to "write checks" but also to "lift up people's spirits and make sure that they're not reacting just to fear."
As with his unscripted "bitter clingers" remark two years ago, the President is entirely ignorant of his own insulting elitism. He simply has no idea what an utter douchetool it makes him to tell Democratic high-rollers "Give me your money because Americans are being dumb; we'll show them." I bet you a beer that he was off his telebinky for this too.
Via Slublog.
More: Thinking about it, Obama's done more than his share of fearmongering this election cycle. If Americans are afraid, they've got good reason to be.
The President says that the GOP repeal of ObamaCare will lead to increased premiums and reduced benefits. He must have missed the massive rate hikes that went into effect to pay for ObamaCare mandates. He must have missed his own CMS actuary who found that ObamaCare has reduced benefits for seniors.
The President says that the GOP will hurt the economy by scuttling his stimulus, especially "green energy subsidies" and "thousands of green jobs." Of course, he just admitted the other day that there's no such thing as a "shovel-ready project" and no magical "green economy" has materialized. His promise to keep the unemployment rate under 8% turned out to be a big fat lie. As a result, Americans are still without work, the economy is still in the dump, and our children will get to pay the bill for Obama's failed "stimulus".
Obama continues to fearmonger on tax cuts, claiming in a blatant lie that the GOP will not renew tax cuts for the middle class. The truth is, the Bush tax cuts (which included cuts for the middle class) are expiring because of his own party. They would have been permanent but for Democrat opposition. For the GOP it's not about "giving" the middle class a tax cut. It's about keeping the greedy government from taking money that's already rightfully theirs. In the two years they've been in power, the Democrats haven't done more than pretend to be interested in cutting taxes for the middle class, though they've certainly enjoyed passing wealth redistribution measures in the form of tax credits.
Lauraw reminds me that it's not just the Democrats in the White House or in Congress. Democratic cronies in executive agencies like the EPA are also set on economy-killing regulations. No amount of reasoning -- "Hey, maybe never's a good time to raise energy prices for every American." -- will penetrate the Democrat's global warming fearmongering.
Obama asked his rich donors to "lift up people's spirits." In fact, Americans' spirits will be higher and their futures brighter after the Democrats get a big old whack on the nose in November. I know you can do it.
NFL Thread
—Dave In Texas
And last minute pick reminder.
Contest: Election 2010
—Gabriel Malor
Alright, we have the football pickem for the sporty types, haiku contests (hmm, been a while, Lauraw) for the clever morons, and Monty's got his romance novel thing going on down there... It's time for a contest for political prognosticators.
Actually, let's make it two contests. The winner of each gets one entire year of absolutely free content at AOSHQ. And bragging rights. Entries are due by Friday, October 22 at noon Eastern; see below for details.
First Contest: House of Representatives
How many seats will the GOP gain (net) in the House?
Rasmussen predicts 55.
Nate Silver says 47 or 48.
Whoever gets it right on the dot or closest without going over (hey, it worked for Bob Barker) wins.
Second Contest: Senate
Predict the outcome in the following eleven senate races, which we've given particular attention to here at the HQ:
AK
CA
CT
DE
FL
IL
NV
PA
WA
WI
WV
Whoever gets the most right wins.
Entries are due by Friday, October 22 at noon Eastern. I'll put up an "Official Entries" thread on Thursday evening for you to post your predictions (meaning, predictions in this post won't count) OR, if you'd rather keep your l33t political skillz to yourself, you can email me your entry any time before noon on Friday at "gabriel.malor" at gmail. I'll tally the results and announce the winners after the recounts are done.
Sunday Book Thread
—Monty
You know you read them, ladies: those books with the gauzy pictures on the front of some busty wench swooning in the arms of some muscular dude who looks like a roadie for Metallica. Romances. Bodice-rippers. Estrogen-flavored pr0n.
My mother and my sister both went through truckoads of them -- my mom had just about every Harlequin romance ever printed, and if you know how many of those novels have been printed over the years, you know that's a lot of books. When she passed away, the whole collection went to the local library. My sis preferred the thick historical novels that usually involved a pirate who was really a nobleman in disguise who was nailing some abandoned waif who was really a countess or a duchess in disguise. (Yeah, I read a couple of them, big whoop, wanna fight about it?)
I have reached the age in my life when I'm actually disappointed if a novel doesn't have a love story in it of some kind. Even such a studly adventure novel as Stephen Hunter's Point of Impact has a love story in it. I will even confess to having read Jude Deveraux's The Black Lyon several years back when I was reading a lot of Middle Ages history. (But really: Jude Deveraux? That's gotta be a pseudonym. I'll bet it's really a guy named Wally Schwartz or something.) I like happy endings, I like books that have a noble hero and a really evil villian, and I like heroines who are spunky, proud, and can do the horizontal tango like feral weasels. The Black Lyon delivered on all counts.
Romance novels are really the last hold-outs of a very old-fashioned mode of storytelling (back when nearly all adventure/satire/love novels were called "romances"). They tend to be highly socially conservative -- for all the shenanigans, marriage and children are almost always the goal. The man is the provider and protector; the woman is the caregiver and social center. Romances are, in fact, sort of an expression of cultural gestalt at any given time because they tend to illustrate exactly what women (and many men) want from life and love. I guess we ought to be gratified that the answer is still "marriage and children".
It's always struck me as funny that so many romance heroes of modern times are pirates, privateers, thieves, brigands, and rebels -- but not really. The highwayman is actually a Scots Laird, you see, who is only trying to feed his starving people. He can never be some stinky loser who's too lazy to work for a living. Women love the bad boys, but only if they're not really bad. And there's always some plot where the heroine dresses up as a young lad to hide herself away; apparently she's counting on the hero being as thick as a plank in addition to being good looking, bronzed, and muscular. (Never a thin, cave-chested hero, either: only orange mesomorphs need apply.)
This thread is for all you ladies -- and maybe even you dudes; confession is good for the soul -- who read and enjoy romance novels.
Overnight Open Thread
—Genghis
Miss me last night? I didn�t think so. The feeling�s mutual.
More cowbell? I got yer out-of-synch cowbell right here (including cowbell solo near the end):
Ok, enough of that nonsense. Let's move on to...
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GOTV Done!
—Ace
Well, that was a little work, but not so bad. Phone banking's pretty easy. Of the people I actually got a hold of, I'd say there were two or three Bielat supporters for every Frank supporter.
One woman told me that no she had never heard of Bielat. Is he Republican?, she asked, sounding angry. Yes, I replied sheepishly.
Well then he's got my vote, she said. I don't care what his name is, I'm voting all of them (Democrats) out.
Not a whole lot of people showed up here, but a a few stalwarts: Have Blue, Stumbo, Fluffy. Not as many as I'd hoped, but we did some good.
Oh, a little news I heard: Bielat outraised Frank in September, $378,000 to $315,000, and, hear-tell, it's gotten better since.
More GOTV: Be The Wave had a slow roll-out this week, but there should be a lot more events ready to go for next weekend.
One more thing: I'm sorry I didn't blog too much this week. I got stuck on this one project, and wound up not really taking care of my actual job here. But now that that's sort of done, and I know the basics of this, I'll go back to regular-hours blogging without taking off hours and hours during weekdays.
Next week, for me, I'm thinking NJ-3, Jon Runyan (former Philadelphia Eagle) vs. incumbent Adler and his fake-Tea-Party put-up stooge. (No, seriously, the "tea party" stooge is a fake and recruited just to siphon votes away from the challenger-- at least that's what everyone (including the newspapers) thinks.)
NRCC Spending in TX-17
—Dave In Texas
Going after Edwards by hanging Obama around his neck.
Good strategy.
The Value Added Tax
—Gabriel Malor
The value added tax is back in the news and worse, in the few days since Mitch Daniel's suggestion that the United States adopt a VAT, I'm seeing it proposed more and more from (so-called?) conservative commentators. Often, they pair a VAT with a flat income tax and suggest replacing the existing federal income tax scheme.
It should go without saying that the VAT is an exceptionally bad idea, whether it's paired with a flat tax or a fair tax or any other tax and whether it replaces the federal income tax or not. Whatever its merits, they are outweighed by its key features: the VAT obscures for the taxpayer just how much money is being sucked up by the government; it is prone to Congressional abuse; and it is, in the words of economists, "efficient."
Yes, you can put VAT on each and every sales receipt. But unless the taxpayer keeps and diligently tallies every receipt, he will have no idea what he's ended up handing over to Uncle Sam.
This feature of the VAT is a tax-and-spend liberal's wet dream because it keeps the taxpayer-voter in ignorance of how much of his property the government is appropriating over time. Even under the current complicated income tax scheme, the taxpayer-voter has a pretty good idea of how much of his annual income gets sent off to Washington, D.C. And he can then make reasonable predictions and demands and votes when Congress starts fiddling with tax rates. But for the average American, if Congress were to adjust a VAT, the question "how much does this affect me or my business" becomes difficult to answer. Again, unless the taxpayer-voter has been keeping track of his consumption.
And there, too, a VAT gives Congress even greater means to target disfavored industries and individuals. Progressive nannies can push for a higher VAT on soda and fast food. Social conservatives can push for a higher VAT on...er, morally questionable commerce. Other major targets: the oil industry (after all, they should pay more for being Gaia-raping capitalists); the pharmaceutical industry (it's for the children, somehow); and, without a doubt, Big Tobacco (for obvious reasons).
Economists laud the VAT because it is a "more efficient" means of collecting taxes. As a conservative, hell as a taxpayer, I am not in favor of more efficiency in letting the government take what's mine. I acknowledge the need for a government and the obvious necessity of paying for one. But simultaneous efficiency and obscurity are not on the top of my list for features of a tax scheme. I want what taxes I'm paying to be SCREAMINGLY obvious. And I want to be able to get that information any time I want, but particularly when I'm asked to elect or reelect these jokers in Congress. (In fact, it is for this reason that I support moving Tax Day from April 15 to the first Monday in November. Let's put Tax Day nearer to Election Day.)
In short, the VAT is exactly the type of tax scheme that conservatives shouldn't want. And pairing it with a flat income tax does not alter its key features, that is, it's patent deficiencies. It's disappointing to see conservatives using the Obama-spawned budget crisis as an excuse to propose a fundamentally awful tax scheme. Shame on them.
College Football Thread
—Dave In Texas
Seems like all eyes are on Ohio State (1) and Wisconsin (18), 7pm tonight. The only other two top 25 teams going head to head are Auburn (7) and Arkansas (12), this afternoon at 3:30.
Get your moron picks in before tomorrow, you moron-pickers. And have a great weekend.
Is This Something?
—LauraW.
Happy Saturday!
From the comments of the 'Russian Cop' link in Top Headlines.
Thanks to Spongeworthy.
Jim Oberstar (D) MN - needs a "will work for food" sign
—Purple Avenger
The residents of Oberstar's district are apparently so fired up to back him, they've donated a lavish $500 in the last quarter.
Oh, did I say residents, plural? My bad, I meant to say single freaking resident. One, uno, ein.
Jane Robbins of Pine City gave Oberstar $500 on Aug. 22.Seriously Jim, you can net better than $500 in 3 months with a will work for food sign, even at mediocre intersection.Other than that, all of his contributions came from political action committees, Native American tribes or individual donors in other districts and states.
Saturday Morning Thread: Three Kings
—Monty
Riley B. (B.B.), Freddie, and Albert.
Here is why I'm singing the blues, children.
Dems on health care: You f'd up. You trusted us. So please trust us again.
The "robo-signing" mess shows every sign of going from bad to worse.
The Norks are still as crazy as shithouse rats.
Detroit, the punch-line to every "urban decay" joke since the 1970's, has $500 million to spend. So, what to do with it? Tear down some of the decaying, abandoned homes? Spruce up the neighborhoods that still have, you know, people living in them? Solve the crime problem (Detroit took the murder crown back from Baltimore)? The city government took a look at the array of problems facing the city and declared: "Gentlemen, what we need to solve all our problems is...light rail!" It's enough to make stones weep.
And finally, we have lost a true cultural icon recently. Manimal has crossed the Great Divide.
Damn right I got the blues.
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Smell The Desperation- House Majority (For Now) Whip: Hey, Keep The Democrats In Charge And Maybe We'll Take A Run At The Public Option Next Year!
—DrewM.
Yeah, the huge House majority and filibuster proof majority in the Senate weren't enough to get this liberal dream through but if they can hang on this year, really, they are on it!
This is how pathetic the Democrats effort to get their base out has become.
"Reelect me, keep Democrats on the field. And when we come back next year, maybe we will get to the public option," Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) said during an appearance on the Tom Joyner Morning Show.Clyburn has been traveling the country and making media appearances this week in an effort to drum up lagging voter enthusiasm on the Democratic side heading into the Nov. 2 midterms.
The public healthcare option was a top prize for liberal activists during the nearly two-year long debate over healthcare reform, but it was scrapped from the final legislation after support for it fell short in the Senate.
Maybe this is what Henry Waxman was talking about when he got so excited about getting rid of some those damn 'blue dog' Democrats.
Of course, this is absolute BS. Even if the Democrats could keep the House (they won't) they are going to be crippled in the Senate, if they manage to keep the majority there. But yeah, after a bloodbath the public option will be on the table.
Still, if Clyburn thinks that will fire up Democrats, maybe it'll fire up conservatives too.
Because It Just Might If The Public Option Comes Back!
On a more serious note...this is why health care reform must be repealed. If it's not, some dark day may see the Democrats returned to power and you know they will try it then. They never give up.
EMERGENCY BACKUP ONT
—Maetenloch
THIS IS NOT A TEST. THIS IS A PRE-RECORDED MESSAGE AUTOMATICALLY POSTED IF THE BLOG DEADMAN SWITCH IS NOT RESET WITHIN THE REGULATION 24 HOURS.
YOU ARE SEEING THIS IN THE EVENT OF AN EPIC ACEAPALOOZA OR A WORLD-WIDE APOCALYPSE. PROBABLY THE LATTER.
ACE THANKS ALL READERS FOR THEIR LONGTIME SUPPORT AND MONEY.
IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CABAL, PLEASE BREAK THE SEAL ON YOUR PERSONAL ENVELOPES FROM ACE. THESE WILL CONTAIN YOUR FINAL ORDERS. TONIGHT ALL BLOG BUSINESS GETS SETTLED.
GOD BLESS THIS BLOG AND GOD BLESS AMERICA.
NOW SOME MUSIC.
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GOTV details
—Ace
Okay, for tomorrow:
12:00 lunch at johnny's biltmore cafe, 1205 chestnut st newton.
Then at the campaign hq at 1-1:30. That's at 381 elliot st newton. Should be pretty close to the restaurant.
GOTV details
—Ace
Okay, for tomorrow: 12:00 lunch at johnny's biltmore cafe, 1205 chestnut st newton.
Then at the campaign hq at 1-1:30. That's at 381 elliot st newton. Should be pretty close to the restaurant.
iowahawk: The Presidential Adventure Game
—Maetenloch
As usual iowahawk has come up with another pitch-perfect parody - this time of a text adventure game from the 80's as played by a certain up-and-coming Senator from Illinois:
WELCOME TO ADVENTURE! WOULD YOU LIKE INSTRUCTIONS?You can read the rest here to find out how the adventure ends.>YES
YOU ARE SOMEWHERE IN BELTWAY FOREST, WHERE SOME HAVE FOUND TREASURES OF GOLD ALTHOUGH SOME HAVE ENTERED AND NEVER BEEN SEEN AGAIN. MAGIC IS SAID TO WORK IN THE FOREST. I WILL BE YOUR EYES AND HANDS. DIRECT ME WITH SIMPLE COMMANDS.
YOU ARE IN AN OVAL OFFICE. THERE IS SNOW OUTSIDE. YOU ARE BEHIND A DESK. ON DESK THERE IS A BUST OF CHURCHILL.
YOU HAVE A CONGRESS.
YOU HAVE A SENATE.
YOU HAVE A MEDIA.
YOU HAVE A TELEPROMPTER.
YOU HAVE A MILITARY.
YOU HAVE A BIG JET.
YOU HAVE $3 TRILLION OF GOLD.
YOU HAVE 82% APPROVAL HEALTH.
THERE IS 7.2% UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE FOREST.
YOU HAVE A RACE CARD.
YOU HAVE INAUGURAL PARTY LEFTOVERS.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?
RAF Helicopter Pilot: Just An FYI Chaps, We're Under Attack. Oh And, Um, Bye The Bye, I've Been Shot In The Head. No Worries Though.
—DrewM.
Via the guys at This Ain't Hell, proof that some Brits still do the whole stiff upper lip thing. Follow the link through to the video, pretty amazing stuff.
It's a real shame that UK, under "Conservative" Prime Minister David Cameron and his coalition, is about to more or less get out of the whole Air Force business.
Air Marshal Timo Anderson, director general of the Military Aviation Authority, addressed MPs in a private talk, and gave a stark assessment on cuts expected to be outlined next week.The RAF is expected to lose significant numbers of jet fighters in spending cuts of up to 10% over four years.
AM Anderson said it would be harder to combat a 9/11-style attack.
The first part of the review - setting out the strategic context - will be announced on Monday, with the main spending decisions to be set out in a statement to Parliament on Tuesday.
Air forces are so useless, unless you know, you need them. But it seems that with Afghanistan ending one way or another in the next few years, brilliant political thinkers seem to have decided that's it's time for another 'peace dividend' because there won't be any more wars or something.
Sadly, history tells us otherwise.
For Congress: Francisco Canseco, TX-23
—Dave In Texas
This is one of those that's on ace's WTF version of the RCP battleground map, currently a toss-up. TX-23 covers San Antonio and runs out west to the edge of El Paso, mostly rural with 2/3 of the voters in SA. It was Henry Bonilla's (R) for ten years until redrawn to expand the Hispanic population.
Canseco is a businesman and family man, who actually knows something about creating jobs, meeting a payroll, something an awful lot of those in Congress know damn little about. The incumbent, Ciro Rodriguez is a fairly reliable Dem caucus voter (my complaint about Chet Edwards), but on occasion bucked the party line, including votes against the porkulus bill. But the wave is in a "take no prisoners" mood and it's not hard to see him getting swept away by it.
The only polling info I've found is from August showing Canseco up 43% to 37%, with a 4.9% MOE.
Canseco's website here, including a "throw the bums out" ad.
OH BONUS: commenter stuiec reminds us about this video, where Ciro Rodriguez lets us know he doesn't like being challenged by his constituents.
I Sure Hope Blumenthal At Least Knows How To Apply For A Job: McMahon Within 5
—Ace
Within 5 on election eve means 50/50 chance of winning.
Democrat Richard Blumenthal now leads Republican Linda McMahon by just five points in Connecticut�s race for the U.S. Senate in a survey conducted two nights after their third and final head-to-head debate.The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Blumenthal, Connecticut�s longtime attorney general, picking up 51% of the vote. McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, earns the vote from 46%. One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, while three percent (3%) are undecided.
Keep running that How Do You Create a Job? ad, Linda.
Dick Blumenthal hasn't been this terrified since he spent the night in foxhole in Khe Sanh and/or watched Rambo III.
Maurice Hinchey: I Desperately Want You To Elect My Opponent, George Phillips
—Ace
Faced with a question about the second-most animating question this cycle (the deficit, right after jobs), Maurice Hinchey first plays cute -- What deficit? My personal deficit? -- and then basically says we need to spend some more.
Oh, and then he insists the stimulus worked splendidly.
NY-22. Don't forget this level of arrogance, obliviousness, and abject stupidity.
George Phillips for Congressman, NY-22.
Witchcraft: O'Donnell Makes Up Ten Points In New Poll?
—Ace
It appears so:
O�Donnell Closing in on Opponent in Latest PollWilmington, Del. � Christine O�Donnell, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, is now within 11 points of her opponent, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons. It marks a 10-point jump following the debate on Wednesday at the University of Delaware.
�It is clear that as voters become increasingly aware of my opponent�s liberal record of increasing taxes and wasteful spending, they understand the real choice that they face on November 2,� said O�Donnell, who would be seated immediately to fight in the lame duck session should she win the election.
�Does Washington really need another career politician rubber-stamping the radical agenda which has put our country on the wrong track? Delawareans know that we have an opportunity to send a message to Washington -- to stop the tax hikes, the bailouts, the slush funds, and cronyism by returning power to We the People.�
The poll was conducted on Oct. 14 by Rasmussen Reports, and had a very scientific 500 likely voter sample. The results are as follows: 40% Christine O�Donnell 51% Chris Coons 5% Some other candidate 4% Not sure
That's still a big gap but it's doable, at least. Anyone within six on on the eve of the elections not only has a chance, but might even be favored.
Hangin' With Sean Bielat
—Ace
Sorry for long gap here. I'm at a studio in Revere, MA where Ladd Ehlinger, Jr. is shooting an ad for Bielat.
I can't really give you good quotes because it really was just saying hello. But he's a nice guy, and was familiar with the campaign motto "When he's not killing people he's building robots." (The killing "people" was the original before readers suggested changing it.)
I don't know if I can say this but I can't imagine it will hurt that much: I hear tell that unpublicized polls (conducted by outside groups and the NDCC (the Democrats) put the race at 3-5 points -- or closer.
You know who's here? The New York Times, doing a story on internet advertising. One print reporter, one photographer, one videographer.
I have vid of Ladd shooting this but I have to clear it with him to run on the site because he's very embargo-y about not giving away the ad.
Speaking of Bielat, more details of tomorrow's GOTV effort are up now at bethewave2010.com. Basically, it's what I already announced: Phonebanking at Bielat's Newton HQ from 1 to 6. The unknown thing is where we're having lunch at 12; I have to ask a local where a good cheap place would be nearby.
Here's the address:
Newton Office 381 Elliot Street Newton, MA 02464
Again, not sure where lunch will be, still have to figure that out. Somewhere nearby.
Figure we'll go to 6 and then grab drinks someplace close.
Oh: Bielat will be holding a rally in Foxboro on Saturday from 2 to 4. That's not a problem, I don't think, because anyone attending probably will already be highly motivated to vote for him. We'll be calling the people who aren't so highly motivated, and bossing them around to vote.
And Oh! A lot more events all over the country have been added at Be the Wave. Bieltat's not the only one running.
A lot of upsets a-brewin' -- make it happen.
CO Governorship a tossup?
—Monty
Tancredo only trails Hickenlooper by 4. Tancredo is an Independent, but seems to be drawing a lot of the CO tea-party vote.
As Slow Joe Biden might say: this is a big f'in deal!
[UPDATE]: Be the wave!
[UPDATE 2]: This has got to hurt: Denver GOP leaves Maes off of campaign mailer.
Jim Geraghty gives us all a riddle
—CAC
From the Campaign Spot:
"Reliable GOP Source: Hey, you can�t print this, but we just had a poll come back saying that [House Democrat who everybody figured was pretty safe] is down 20.
Me: Well, that�s swell. But why can�t I use this?
Reliable GOP Source: We don�t think the Democrats know this guy is this much trouble, so we don�t want to tip them off.
Me: Well, thank you for sharing really cool information that I cannot share with readers.
Reliable GOP Source: I thought it might be helpful with you determining which challengers to watch. While it would be great to have you break this news, I think it�s more useful to us to keep the Democrats in the dark.
I�ll give you a hint, DCCC. This incumbent is bigger than a bread box."
Guess away.
Chris Matthews: We Have To Vote Democrat Against Those Awful Tea Partiers Because of the Chilean Miners or Something
—Ace
Wow. Just grabbing on to something topical and turning it into some weird little pseudo-argument in favor of liberals, huh?
Okay, well, I say that it was traditional society that produced Katy Perry's fabulous rack and we need to have more of that.
Matthews claimed the Chilean miners would all be dead if they subscribed to the "every man for himself" ethos of the Tea Party.
Um... yeah.
Anyone have a hunch that in a crisis situation it's more likely that the liberal would cut your throat to save his skin?
Studies keep being done on this, and keep suggesting the same answer: Liberals love to talk up their abstract obligations to the greater good -- a greater good of undefined, unknown "society at large."
And what happens? Because the are pursuing in their minds some greater good involving the abstract, in the tangible ethical decisions of everyday life, they cheat and behave more selfishly than conservatives -- because they feel they're already doing some moral thing like only buying local produce so that gives them some wiggle room to behave unethically in their personal lives. Papal indulgences again, in other words.
Conservatives believe the opposite. We think we have a high duty to perform ethically in our personal real lives and less of a duty to just generally give money or other support to people we don't know and never could know. We're sort of against alienation of the moral sense from its ultimate object.
Dems Suspect Crist Pushing "Meek Will Drop Out" Lies
—Ace
Interesting-- That's what TheRickWilson said on twitter.
Shortly after the Wall Street Journal posted a story last week suggesting a deal was in the works to get Rep. Kendrick Meek to drop out of Florida�s three-way Senate race, a campaign aide to Gov. Charlie Crist forwarded a copy to one of the state's top political reporters at the Miami Herald.�Hope you�re not getting scooped,� wrote Crist campaign spokesman Danny Kanner in the subject line of the e-mail forwarded to POLITICO.
...
"We had heard rumors from that effect from reporters and voters that the only way to stop Marco Rubio is to elect Charlie Crist. That story reflected those stories we had heard from reporters and voters every day," Kanner said, denying being the source of the Stephen Moore piece.
But Democrats behind Meek don't buy it.
They note that several of Crist's advisers � including Kanner � came from New York and likely had a relationship with the Journal and find it curious that an anonymously sourced story coincidentally landed in a Big Apple publication, far from Florida.
If it's so important to stop the dangerous Marco Rubio (handsome and dangerous?! I'm listening) and Charlie Crist just cares about the people of Florida and all that -- um, why doesn't Charlie Crist man up and drop out himself?
Vegas Papers Agree: Angle Won
—Ace
The Sun says Angle won, and not even in a close one, but then criticizes her for her previous statements about abolishing the Department of Education and Medicare, and etc., that she has since recanted or denies having made in the first place.
A lot of conservatives just love, love, love statements like this, but in the end, the candidate is forced to recant/lie about the statement. So how does making a statement which will ultimately be repudiated help anyone? How about we cut out the middleman and go right to the ultimate outcome of the statement not being made?
Keeps happening. Hope it stops soon.
I think the important take-away is that Angle isn't crazy and is prepared to be Senator. That was the lingering doubt in people's minds. That seems gone now.
Edited: Readers inform me one of the papers linked is part of the nasty "RightHaven" shakedown syndicate, which basically is an attempt to make newspapers profitable via lawsuit against bloggers.
I took down the link.
More: The National Journal's Hotline On Call says it's nearly a knockout blow.
Angle took full advantage of Reid's position as a political insider, taunting him for his support of Democratic policies, from the stimulus to the health care bill. At one point, Angle told Reid to "man up" - and later questioned how he became so wealthy as a public servant."I'm not a career politician," Angle said in her opening remarks. "I live in a middle class neighborhood in Reno; Senator Reid lives in the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC."
Here's a YouTube clip from the debate; Sharron Angle asks Reid how exactly he became a millionaire while living on a civil servant's salary.
Top Headline Comments 10-15-2010
—Dave In Texas
It's FiAF. Ladies, you know what that means.
I mean, I assume you know what that means. I have no idea.
Remember November "Kneel before Zod" courtesy Slublog™.
That's right, we trademarked him.
Financial Briefing: Slip Sliding Away
—Monty
Wages are too high in the US, at least as a ratio of what we consume to what we produce. If we wish to regain our competitive edge, wages are going to have to drop. (I'd also abolish the minimum-wage if it were up to me. That's a guranteed way to stimulate hiring on the low-end, but of course Democrats will never allow it.) Pull quote:I'm sure many of you are reading this and thinking that if anyone is forced to take a pay cut to rebalance the economy, surely it ought to be overpaid investment bankers, corporate executives and newspaper columnists. That's how things would work in a socialist paradise, but not in market economies, which are much better at producing efficiency than fairness.And I think "fairness" is the wrong word to use anyway. Life is not (and never will be) "fair", at least in the sense that liberals understand it. An "End the Fed" cabal beginning to form? If so, let me know: I'd love to join. I'm a fan of secret societies. Mysterious rituals, bloody oaths taken in the dead of night, arcane symbology, outlandish getups, code-words and secret handshakes.
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Overnight Open Thread
—Maetenloch
Tonight's ONT has no theme.
What It's Like To Jump Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane
And land in the middle of Michigan Stadium delivering the game ball ahead of last Saturday�s Michigan-MSU match-up. I always worry they're going to go off target and smash one of the ants lining the field, but Sgt. Adam Sniffenof the 101st Airborne landed perfectly on target.
And here's a guy jumping out of a perfectly good skyscraper as part of a movie. While on fire. With no parachute. And landing on an air bag that seems awfully small and easy to miss.
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Rossi-Murray Debate Tonight (Livestreamed)
—Genghis
In Spokane at 7 p.m. (Pacific). Here be linky:
SPOKANE -- KXLY4 and KSPS Public Television are partnering to bring you a live debate between U.S. Senate candidates Patty Murray and Dino Rossi that will be broadcast on KXLY4, KSPS, simulcast on KXLY 920 and streamed live tonight on KXLY.com.
ADDED: Also, as rdbrewer posted in the sidebar, there's a Reid-Angle debate tonight starting at 9 p.m. Eastern and livestreamed at C-SPAN. Link over there-------->
The Demplosion Scenario...may have been underestimated.
—CAC
Your dose of political porn for the day, courtesy of Real Clear Politics (the nerdy, nuanced version of DOOM):
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Good Analysis at Hot Air on That Suit Against ObamaCare Mandate
—Ace
At Hot Air. Allah says it's not really huge news in the sense we knew somehow this was getting to the Supreme Court, one way or another; this then is just another of the several pathways to get there.
Good analysis of the specific allegations of unconstitutionality; counts one through three allege unconstitutionality due to over-reliance on the Commerce Clause, but four through six suggest another grounds to strike it down: that the federal government cannot "commandeer" the states to enforce certain laws. (A position which has found favor with Scalia, Thomas, and even Kennedy.)
And then there is this bit of wonderfulness:
In his ruling, Vinson criticized Democrats for seeking to have it both ways when it comes to defending the mandate to buy insurance. During the legislative debate, Republicans chastised the proposal as a new tax on the middle class. Obama defended the payment as a penalty and not a tax, but the Justice Department has argued that legally, it�s a tax.�Congress should not be permitted to secure and cast politically difficult votes on controversial legislation by deliberately calling something one thing, after which the defenders of that legislation take an �Alice-in-Wonderland� tack and argue in court that Congress really meant something else entirely, thereby circumventing the safeguard that exists to keep their broad power in check,� he wrote.
Vinson ruled that it�s a penalty, not a tax, and must be defended under the Commerce Clause and not Congress� taxing authority.
Win. We citizens have argued against the basic deception and unfairness of this "it's not a tax for purposes of security political passage, but it is a tax for purposes of determining our power to levy it approach," but that a $6 will get you a coffee at Starbucks. A judge has put it on the record that this will not do. That's something.
Breaking: Federal Judge Rules 20 States May Proceed with Suit Challenging Obamacare
—Dave In Texas
On two counts, the individual mandate, and the Medicare Medicaid* expansion (an unfunded mandate to the states). Ed Anger (heh) tipped it in the comments.
Florida Northern District Senior Judge Roger Vinson on Thursday ruled that two of those six counts can proceed. Aside from the count targeting the individual insurance requirement, Vinson said a constitutional challenge to the law's Medicaid expansion � which critics consider an unfunded mandate for states � can also move forward.
Last week a federal judge in Michigan threw out their challenge to the individual mandate, on the grounds that the Commerce Clause means pretty much whatever the hell they want it to mean. Or something like that.
*oops. corrected
