From NRO:
The New York Times reports today that Tom Matzzie, a former MoveOn official and well-known left-wing operative, is leading a new group, Accountable America, that is sending threatening letters to big Republican political donors, warning them against making any more contributions. "The warning letter is intended as a first step," the Times reports,
alerting donors who might be considering giving to right-wing groups to a variety of potential dangers, including legal trouble, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through their lives.
The Times says nearly 10,000 Republican donors will receive the letter this week: "The letter is an opening shot across the bow from an unusual new outside political group on the left that is poised to engage in hardball tactics to prevent similar groups on the right from getting off the ground this fall…. '
This is politics at it's ugliest. Threatening people? This will so backfire. Republicans don't scare. Threaten us and we kick back. Hard. I think Osama Bin Laden learned that the last time he attacked us.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Welcome to the New Left
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Drilling and Conservation
Do both.
This ain't rocket science folks. It's common sense.
The link is the best article I have read about the entire issue.
Condi and Obama
From Politico:
“I don’t need another job in government with anybody,” she said. “Look, I’m a Republican, all right? Sen. McCain is a fine patriot, and … he would be a great president. But there’s something to be said for fresh blood. And I know that there are a lot of very good people who could be his vice president.”
During the interview in a regal room at the State Department appointed with chandeliers, rich carpets and cases of porcelain, Rice was asked: “Would you feel safe with a President Obama?”
“Oh, the United States will be fine,” she responded. “I think that we are having an important debate about how we keep the country safe. I think we are having an important debate about our responsibilities, our obligations, our interests in the Middle East in the wake of the now increasing evidence of success in Iraq. Those are important judgments for the American people to make.”
I think Condi answered this the only way she could and I actually think she did a pretty good tap dance doing it.
I've said this before. There is nothing wrong with the black community being proud that a black is a nominee for President. It's historic. Pure and simple.
As much as I disagree and frankly loathe Hillary, there was still a part of me that thought it would be cool to have a woman being the nominee. I want it to a conservative woman, but still. You can't help but have a connection to something that has never been done before.
I know Condi feels that. After all, she is pretty historic herself. The first black woman National Security Advisor and the first black woman Secretary of State. It says something wonderful about our country that we can go from where we were in the 60's, when blacks were hardly able to vote and certainly not encouraged to do so, to what we have now.
I know that Bush has spoken with Obama about things pertaining to the war on terror. Perhaps Condi has as well or has privy to these conversations? And maybe Obama assured them of his commitment to keeping us safe? I don't know, of course, but that might give her reason to think that our country will be fine.
And really, we will be. If an attacked occurred again, even with a liberal President, the public would push what needed to be done.
The problem is the details. The devil is always in them. The reason I would want McCain at the helm is because of knowledge and experience. Not just a "belief" about things.
Condi probably is proud of Obama and there is nothing wrong with that. I wonder if Obama is proud of Condi? Maybe someone should ask him that?
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope"
Hillary on the Convention
Questioner: "Please consider having your name put into nomination."
Hillary: "What will happen at the convention."
"No decision has been made."
"Delegates can decide to do this on their own. They don't need permission."
"I think it would be better if we had a plan."
Isn't this interesting? And then we have Hillary's Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal. It ends like this:
Truman took on the war profiteers because he understood that when the lives of Americans hang in the balance, we cannot afford to misuse even a single dollar. In the Democratic Congress, we’ve proposed a new Truman Committee to address the waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan that has already taken place, a proposal stymied by the president and his allies. And my proposal would prevent waste, fraud and abuse in future contracting.
Of course, we need far more than a Truman Committee. We need the Truman spirit in the White House, where the buck finally stops.
Ah yes. Truman. But you know who Hillary doesn't mention AT ALL in the piece? That would be Obama.
According to Newsweek Hillary supporters just aren't thrilled with Obama yet: (emphasis mine)
But Clinton loyalists say it would be even more divisive if the Obama forces denied her a chance to show her historic level of support as a woman candidate. "Then there would be open warfare," says the Democratic adviser.
CNN has this:
(CNN) – A grassroots organization of Hillary Clinton supporters has announced plans to march in Denver on the same day the New York senator is set to address her party’s faithful during the Democratic convention there.
The march will take place on August 26 and is being organized by 18 Million Voices Rise Hillary Rise. The march will be accompanied by a festival in downtown Denver and additional coordinated marches across the country on the same day
And we thought the convention wasn't going to be as fun as we once thought.
I'm thinking it just might.
via HotAir
Obama and flip/flops
I've tried to put together a post on Obama's stark turnarounds, but sometimes you find a jewel that just does such a good job of illustrating Obama's willingness to not just go to the center for the general, but to flip so fast to the right I'm surprised he hasn't broken something:
To earn the Democratic nomination, as Fred Thompson points out, Obama ran as George McGovern without the experience, a left-of-center politician who would meet unconditionally with Iran, pull us precipitously out of Iraq, prohibit new drilling for oil, and grow big government in Washington by all but a trillion dollars. In his general election TV ad debut, however, Obama pirouetted like Baryshnikov. With a commercial Mike Huckabee could have run in a Republican primary, Obama now emphasizes his commitment to strong families and heartland values, “Accountability and self-reliance. Love of country. Working hard without making excuses.” In this yet unwritten chapter of his next autobiography, Obama tells us he is the candidate of “welfare to work” who supports our troops and “cut taxes for working families.” The shift in his political personae has been startling. Obama has moved right so far and so fast, he could end up McCain’s Vice-Presidential pick.
General-election Obama now billboards his doubts about affirmative action. He has embraced the Bush Doctrine of pre-emption saying, “I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon…everything.” He tells his party “Democrats are not for a bigger government.” Oil drilling is a consideration. His FISA vote and abandonment of public campaign finance introduce us to an Obama of recent invention. And as he abandons his old identity for the new, breeding disenchantment among his formerly passionate left-of-center supporters and, equally, doubts among the center he courts, he risks becoming nothing at all, a candidate who is everything and nothing in the same moment.
The "McCain's V.P. pick" line is just hilarious.
More:
In the defining moment of his life, McCain was willing to give everything for one thing, and that one thing was his country. Contrast that with Obama, who has told America that he is “a proud citizen of the United States and a fellow citizen of the world.” Obama is the talented salesman who seduced one state after another saying “Iowa, this is our moment,” “Virginia, this is our moment,” “Texas, this is our moment,” and then tells Europe, “people of Berlin, people of the world, this is our moment.” How many times can Barack Obama sell the same moment to everyone, before he becomes Mel Brooks in “The Producers”? Who is Barack Obama? His campaign, as it reupholsters him before our eyes, says we can never know—perhaps because Barack Obama does not know himself.
There seems to be no doubt that Obama is trying to be all things to all people. As I think about it, I don't think this is a dishonest thing on Obama's part. In fact, I don't think Obama is dishonest at all. I think Obama is trying to find his way and he has a a lot of people helping him get there. Not long ago he never imagined he would be in this place. I think he is evaluating what he believes. He was against drilling for example, but now he sees it as part of what needs to be done. This may be the most likable thing about Obama to people like me. Are some of his changes due to the electability factor? Of course. This is politics after all.
What Obama knows is that he will not lose his supporters. He can say, "drill in ANWR!" and "unborn children DO deserve the right to life!" and he will not lose his core support. They are in love with an image and nothing he does will change that now.
It really is the only danger I see. That middle of the road people will believe in the hawkish, pro-drilling, pro-cutting taxes Obama and not look at his votes and his past statements and his past associations.
Obama is selling all of us "a moment." Will we buy it?
via Right Wing Nuthouse
Whoa...
Ben Stein gets ticked at Paris Hilton and it isn't pretty.
via HotAir
I will say this about the original ad that showed Obama and then Paris and Britney. I talk to a lot of people and most of them, like most Americans, aren't really paying much attention yet. None of them were familiar with the things we political junkies are. But they knew about that ad and they all thought it was pretty clever.
It made a big point in a short amount of time.
Score One for McCain
The energy fight heats up.
Obama on McCain:
"Remember that when George Bush took office, he had an energy policy, he turned to Dick Cheney and he told Cheney, 'Go take care of this.' " Obama told a crowd at a gym in Youngstown, Ohio. "John McCain's taking a page out of the Bush-Cheney playbook."
But McCain reminded us:
"I think he might be a little bit confused, because when the energy bill came to the floor of the Senate full of goodies and breaks for the oil companies, I voted against it; Senator Obama voted for it," he said. "People care not only what you say, but how you vote."
Isn't that the truth? Obama loves to say what people want to hear, but sometimes your past tells us who you really are.
The Tax Man
From the moment we wake up we are taxed.
Let's start the day. You wake up on a bed, sheets, and a pillow that have all been taxed. Is your air conditioning or heat on? Taxed. You go to take a shower. The water is taxed. Then you grab your toothpaste and toothbrush to brush your teeth. Taxed. You get dressed. Your underwear, pants, shirts, socks, shoes, all taxed. The deodorant, lotion, hair gel, hair dryer, brush, all taxed. You go to eat breakfast. Your cereal and the bowl and spoon you are eating it with, all taxed. You climb into your car, which was taxed, including the license plate and inspection sticker and insurance. You drive to get gas, which is taxed and you grab a cup of coffee, which is also taxed.
I could go on all day, but I think you get my point and it isn't even 8:00 in the morning yet.
I remember the first time I was affected by taxes. I was 23 or 24 and although I had worked and been disturbed by the taxes taken out of my paycheck, like most Americans, I just accepted it. But this time my husband was getting a bonus check for the first time at Christmas. We had no furniture and I had carefully calculated what we needed, shopped for bargains, and was ready to go. Then we got the check. I remember staring at it. In my mind I had known it would be taxed, but what was left was a little over half of what the check was for. Almost half had been taken. I couldn't get the furniture we needed. At first I cried and then I got mad. I vowed I would never vote for anyone who didn't promise to lower taxes and I never have.
Which brings me to McCain. McCain has promised to send Congress a reform to increase exemptions, with the goal of doubling it from 3,500 to 7,000 dollars for every dependent in every family in America. McCain has promised to ELIMINATE the alternative minimum tax entirely. He has promised to send to Congress a middle class tax cut that will save hardworking families more than 2,000 dollars a year. For small businesses he has promised to send to Congress a proposal to cut the taxes employers pay from a rate of 35 to 25 percent. He has promised to change the student loan program to make college more affordable.
How will he pay for it? He will freeze non-military and veteran discretionary spending and review the budgets of every federal program, department, and agency (long overdue!). McCain says that that alone will save $100 billion a year. He has promised to reform Medicare RX drug benefit by charging more to wealthier patients.
McCain will form a Bipartisan commission on reforming social security and medicare and says all options including privatization are on the table. McCain will not let the Bush tax cuts expire as Obama will. If what Obama wants happens it would amount to the biggest tax hike since the Great Depression.
Pork barrel spending is and has been out of control for as long as I can remember. The Democrats have it down to a fine art, but the Republicans of late should be ashamed of themselves in that regard as well. It it time for it to end. No one is more qualified to lead that revolt than McCain. He has fought against pork barrel spending his entire career and has never received one dime of pork barrel spending himself for his state. ZERO. So if you, as a taxpayer, want to keep funding things like the study of cow farts and bridges to no where and be taxed more to pay for it, then vote for Obama.
Most politicians will promise you tax cuts or something like it to get elected, but with McCain you know he means it.
McCain says he will make those who abuse our tax dollars famous. He will make their names public. He will use the veto pen. I believe him, don't you?
To the Democrats, the government is the answer to many of our problems. But in reality, it is the root of many of our problems. We have politicians on both sides who only care about self-interest and power. Increasing the power of the government over our lives gives them more power. It's time for us to stop this. Because when has the government EVER increased the quality and reduced the cost of anything? Never.
The tax man will never go away. But he should be a much much smaller part of our lives and the government should stop wasting on our tax dollars.
I've blogged about McCain for 2 years. Unlike many fellow Republicans who were mad at McCain over issues such as immigration and campaign finance reform, I wasn't. I have long admired this man for many many reasons. It's time for me to remind you of why.
This is just the beginning.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Obama no longer biggest celebrity running for President
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As Allah says:
She’s got a sense of humor, a thoughtful energy policy, and nearly as much federal legislative experience as Barry O. If grotesque overexposure and grandiose ego are now prerequisites for the presidency, then the choice is … actually, the choice still isn’t clear, is it?
The left are clueless...
Which brought this comment in the post below:
I see you didn't get a chance to post it yet, but I can't wait to hear your reaction to McCain's appearance today at the debauched Sturgis motorcycle festival - with all the public nudity and drunkenness and drug use. Republican hypocrisy heaven.It was an especially nice touch that the "honorable" McCain offered up his wife for the striptease beauty pageant that is the highlight of the day - they call the winner Miss Buffalo Chip. Such RESPECT for women from the right wing hypocrites. But no worry. I'm sure all the Christians will get over it. Without hypocrisy how could they ever have allied themselves with such an intrinsically anti-Christian party in the first place?Sean 08.05.08 - 11:50 am #
Has this guy even heard of Ted Nugent? Does he know that Kid Rock is a Republican that performs for our troops? Does he know that one of the most popular sites on the right blogosphere is Ace, where "scantily clad women" are the subject of about every other post? Does he know that Ace and Allah of Hotair are atheists?
Does the left really believe that the Republican party consists of religious conservatives and nothing else? Good grief. Get a clue guy. We have atheists, libertarians, Librarians, gay, straight, and bi-political. We ARE THE BIG TENT. We don't require people to think one way, be one way, and march in lock step like your party.
Get a clue.
When McCain made his way to the stage, he was accompanied by U.S. Sen. John Thune and Gov. Mike Rounds (who wore a black leather vest). The motorcyclists revved their engines in approval and cheered wildly for the Arizona senator.“Thank you, I thank you all very much for that unique Sturgis welcome,” McCain yelled. “As you may know, not long ago a couple a hundred thousand Berliners made a lot of noise for my opponent. I’ll take the roar of 50,000 Harleys any day! Any day, my friend!” The rowdy crowd went wild, cheering their support for the candidate. McCain spoke briefly and then left the stage, making way for musicians Kid Rock and Kellie Pickler.
Pelosi: "Just lie."
First Read:
Drilling a divide: Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the drilling debate is starting to divide Democrats -- and not just Obama, who on Friday signaled a willingness for the first time to accept offshore drilling as part of a compromise for a larger energy package. Politico reports that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is encouraging vulnerable House Dems to back offshore drilling if it helps their political prospects, even though she’s opposed to the action. “Pelosi’s gambit rests on one big assumption: that Democrats will own Washington after the election and will be able to craft a sweeping energy policy that is heavy on conservation and fuel alternatives while allowing for some new oil drilling. Democrats see no need to make major concessions on energy policy with a party poised to lose seats in both chambers in just three months — even if recess-averse Republicans continue to pound away on the issue.” This is the type of compromise that the base isn't going to like, and it'll be interesting to watch the liberal blogosphere respond to this dilemma: Is it more important for Pelosi to WIN the drilling debate or SURVIVE it? Looks like she and Obama want to do both. It may be the political expedient thing to do, but it goes against what they've been promising.
Don't you love that? Who cares about "principles" and truth? Pelosi is telling Democrats to go ahead and say they are for drilling to get re-elected because since Democrats will be in charge, they can stop it anyway.
God, I hope the American people are paying attention to this blatant attempt to lie to them in order to win and then do the opposite of what they promised to get elected.
Politicians in general are not the most honest people, but the Democratic leadership (including Obama) right now give new meaning to the word dishonest.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Robert Novak retires.
Things aren't looking too good with his diagnosis of a brain tumor. I enjoyed meeting him a few weeks ago at the RightOnline blogger summit. My prayers go out to him.
"You're a Racist!"
Looks Rick Moran over at Right Wing Nut House has enough enough of it:
If my blog attracted only those who usually agreed with me and thought I was the bee’s knees when it came to commentary, blogging would be a marvelous daily exercise. But there is another side to blogging that most of us never talk about; the relentless, daily pounding of negativism, hurtful epithets, and outright spewing hatred that arrives in the form of comments and emails from the other side as well as other blogs linking and posting on something I’ve written.
.......
Allah at Hot Air has been all over the issue of the left deliberately twisting the intent and meaning of criticism of Obama to arrive at a pre-determined conclusion that the attack is racially motivated and, by extension, the attackers are racists.
Goldstein has written a book on his blog over the years in intentionalism and the deliberate rebranding and redefinition of terms and language in order to either cut off debate entirely or redefine the debate by surrendering logic and reason and buying into a false narrative created by the left that gives them the advantage. Goldstein shows how this is especially true in identity politics and how the rank dishonesty of deconstructionism has poisoned political debate.
There is little original thought I can add to either of those excellent critiques so I would like to explore this phenomena on a more personal level. Every anti-Obama post I’ve written on this site or anywhere else has elicited several comments alluding to me as a racist or implying that my criticism is racially motivated. All conservative bloggers have gotten this treatment to one degree or another so I am not alone in experiencing this. It doesn’t matter whether I am serious in my criticism or not. The de facto conclusion reached by these commenters is that the very act of criticizing Obama and that I don’t want him to be president can only mean one thing; it is the candidate’s race that is my primary motivation for opposing him.
I have also received such hateful attacks in comments (which I delete) and e-mails (which I also delete). When I first started blogging malicious comments did bother me, but then I realized that they were just hateful people trying to get to me and why should I let them? So now I happily delete before I even finish reading the first sentence. Their words don't bother me because I know who I am and where I came from. Calling me a racist is laughable to anyone who knows me.
We on the right have serious reservations with Obama, but his being black is not one of them. I think it is a testament to how far we have come on race that there really has been no serious derogatory mentions about Obama, that I am aware of, in the MSM or the political blogosphere. Especially given the Rev. Wright controversy.
Moran points out that recently David Gergen made the charge that McCain's "Moses" ad was code for Obama being "uppity" (which is absurd) and McCain's "celebrity" ad was filled with codes regarding Obama's race. It is beyond ridiculous that referring to Obama being a celebrity like that of Paris Hilton was really about "secretly" fueling redneck's fears about black men and white women.
Given the fact that mixed race couples are now commonplace, I don't think that charge holds much water.
It seems to me that Obama has been the only one bringing race into this. At a fund raiser in June, Mr. Obama predicted, "They're going to try to make you afraid of me: 'He's young and inexperienced and he's got a funny name. ... Oh, and did I mention he's black?'" And then again, last week, Obama again warned of the Republican's impending racial attack: "The only strategy they've got in this election is to try to scare you about me -- 'He doesn't look like all the presidents on the dollar bills." Which Obama had to finally admit that he was referring to race among other things.
It may make the left feel better that charges against Obama has to do with race rather than ability, but the truth of the matter is that his inexperience and policies are the problem. In that regard, Obama is being treated exactly the same way he would be if he were white.
And that says a great deal to me about how far we have come in this country on race.
V.P. Vetting
Rep. Eric Cantor, the Virginia Congressman is being vetted as a possible V.P. for McCain.
At first glance you think he doesn't have enough experience and is too young, then you realize that he is chief deputy minority whip in the House and has been in Congress four years longer than the guy at the top of the ticket on the other side.
via HotAir
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Obama is the candidate of change alright..
He says, "Please. I'll do anything to be President."
Except this.
The Fight Goes On
House Republicans go back on the floor Monday to talk gas prices
Continuing with their guerilla tactics from last week, House Republicans will be back on the floor Monday to talk gas prices, even though Congress is in recess, and they may stay there all week.
More than a dozen Republicans have already committed to make appearances, according to House GOP leadership aide, including National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.).
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who lead Friday's five-hour talkathon after the House shut down for the August recess, are also expected to be there, according to this aide.
Memo for Boehner's office:
Washington, Aug 3 - House Republicans will be back on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives again Monday to continue the unprecedented protest that began last Friday, when dozens of Republicans joined hundreds of American citizens on the House floor to protest Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) decision to send Congress home for the rest of the summer without a vote on legislation to lower gas prices and move America toward energy independence.
Sweet.
via HotAir