Monthly Archive for October, 2006

Throwing Money Down The Hole

October 31, 2006 9:23 pm. 5 Comments | Iraq

Great. Your tax dollars at work, throwing more money into the Iraq mess. Stay the course. Stay the course.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday endorsed a proposal to spend at least $1 billion to expand the size and accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces.

While the plan still must get final approval from the White House and the money would have to be approved by Congress, Rumsfeld’s support underscores the Bush administration’s effort to shift more of the burden of
Iraq’s security to that country’s forces.

Of course, we’ve been hearing about the “shift” for three or so years now. Yet, all we get is a bunch of Iraqis with guns shooting Americans in the back, as well as Iraqi civilians.

Time To Really Whip Up The Rubes

October 31, 2006 9:00 pm. 15 Comments | Conservatives

President Bush is going to have his toes sucked be interviewed by Rush Limbaugh. Yes, the President of the United States, six days before an election, is going to get his “base” engaged by appearing on the program of a drug addict who thought torture at Abu Ghraib was a joke, made fun of Michael J. Fox’s disease, and regularly slimes blacks, women, and anyone who disagrees with.

Ladies and Gentlemen, YOUR REPUBLICAN PARTY!

Bill O’Reilly’s New War

October 31, 2006 8:05 pm. 6 Comments | Conservatives

He’s going after horror movies. I kid you not.

Saw 3 made $36 million.
Saw 2 made $87 million.
Saw made $55 million.

Good luck, buddy.

Now We Vote

October 31, 2006 7:25 pm. 2 Comments | 2006 Election

The table is set. Our troops are dying and the GOP wants to “stay the course”. We need to fight terrorism and destroy Al Qaeda and kill Bin Laden, the GOP thinks the job is too hard. We need stem cell research to look for possible cures, the GOP wants to block it. We need real middle class tax relief to make an economic boom that lifts all boats, Republicans oppose it. The stakes are high, the opposition a radical sect.

These are the stakes.

The final pre-election NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll suggests that Democrats continue to have a significant advantage heading into the midterms that take place exactly one week from Tuesday.

They hold a 15-point lead — tied for the largest ever in the survey — over Republicans in voters’ preference for control of Congress. President George W. Bush’s approval rating remains mired below 40 percent. And more than 60 percent feel less confident that the war in Iraq will come to a successful conclusion, the largest number ever on that question.

Vote, call your friends and family, tell ‘em to vote. A lot of people have been beaten, killed and worse in order to secure the right to a vote. The least we can do is honor their memory by spending a few minutes next Tuesday to put America back on track.

GOP Cutting & Running From House Races

October 31, 2006 4:44 pm. 11 Comments | 2006 Election

Again, any wonder why they’re going full-out for the manufactured outrage du jour?

Signaling retreat, House Republicans are scaling back television advertising in three highly contested races, officials said Tuesday, including Rep. Curt Weldon’s bid for an 11th term in Pennsylvania and open seats in Colorado and Ohio.

Some of the funds will be spent to help other Republicans in races that remain competitive.

In contrast to the Republican strategic retreat, House Democrats are expanding the number of districts where they are advertising, an indication of confidence that the election is moving their way. In recent days, they have moved into districts in Kansas and Nebraska that have long been in GOP hands.

Olbermann Booming

October 31, 2006 4:26 pm. 4 Comments | Media

The efforts of the continually wacky Olbermannwatch (motto: We don’t like Keith Olbermann so we’ll just make stuff up) notwithstanding, Keith Olbermann’s ratings are moving up (an increase of 67% over a year ago). Bill O’Reilly is still the big dog, but he’s lost 22% of his viewers in the last year – to the tune of over half a million people. Long time cable news watchers will remember when O’Reilly was in the ratings doldrums, dominated by Larry King. Fox stuck to O’Reilly and he overtook him. In contrast to their past horrible decisions (like “The Doc Block”) MSNBC should learn the lesson here – Olbermann is an alternative to the GOP’s strangle hold on the rest of cable news, and people are watching.

The Real Outrage

October 31, 2006 4:04 pm. 3 Comments | Iraq

It’s amazing that the White House has no anger or shock over this.

The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., predicted last week that Iraqi security forces would be able to take control of the country in 12 to 18 months. But several days spent with American units training the Iraqi police illustrated why those soldiers on the ground believe it may take decades longer than Casey’s assessment.

Seventy percent of the Iraqi police force has been infiltrated by militias, primarily the Mahdi Army, according to Shaw and other military police trainers. Police officers are too terrified to patrol enormous swaths of the capital. And while there are some good cops, many have been assassinated or are considering quitting the force.

“None of the Iraqi police are working to make their country better,” said Brig. Gen. Salah al-Ani, chief of police for the western half of Baghdad. “They’re working for the militias or to put money in their pocket.”

Republicans: Look, over here, shiny thing!!!!

John Kerry Responds

October 31, 2006 3:19 pm. 184 Comments | 2006 Election

It’s no surprise that the party of Iraq, Katrina, and 9/11 is worried about the coming election and has resorted to yet another attack on John Kerry to rile up the con base. What is surprising is how strong a response Sen Kerry has put out. I’m reproducing it in full, because if he had been this tough in ‘04 he would have won. And the Democratic campaign that is this tough in ‘08 will win.

Senator John Kerry issued the following statement in response to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, assorted right wing nut-jobs, and right wing talk show hosts desperately distorting Kerry’s comments about President Bush to divert attention from their disastrous record:

“If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they’re crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they’re afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we’re going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq.”

THESE ARE THE STAKES: You can vote for a party that gets mock outraged at twisting someone’s words, but doesn’t bat an eye at 3,000 Americans dying for no good reason – or you can vote for the Democrats.

Allen Campaign Goes Unhinged

October 31, 2006 2:42 pm. 4 Comments | 2006 Election

What happens when you’re hiding something and down in the polls? You set your campaign goons on people to beat them up.

The person in question is Mike Stark – a blogger and law student at UVA. Oh, he also served in the Marines.

Senator George Allen, (R) made a campaign stop in Charlottesville Tuesday morning and it was met with controversy.

As Senator Allen was exiting a ballroom, coming to talk to the media, a protestor started yelling and asking, “Why did you spit on your first wife?”. He wasn’t able to get near the senator as he was tackled by three men wearing Allen stickers, presumed to be staffers. He was pushed and manhandled and ended up on the floor, near windows at the Omni.


This is not the first outbreak of anger from George Allen:

Rubes, Redux

October 31, 2006 12:19 pm. 1 Comment | 2006 Election, Ben Cardin, Black Conservatives, Maryland and Michael Steele

Con bloggers crack me up some times. Today, many of them are heralding the story that Wayne K. Curry endorsed Steele as some sort of repudiation of the Democratic party in Maryland. According to these folks who don’t have a clue about anything here, this is the nail in the coffin, the killing blow, because – once again – black voters are too dumb to make up their own minds.

Here are the facts, Curry was a frontrunner to be Bob Ehrlich’s running mate. Yes, Republican governor Michael Steele. Does that strike anyone as a salient point? This supposedly Democratic county executive was inches away from being part of the Republican ticket (and it’s no surprise he was being heralded by the DLC).

Then there’s also the question of how effective Curry’s endorsement is. In the Democratic primary, Curry endorsed Rushern Baker for Prince George’s County Executive. Yet, his opponent Jack Johnson won by 6%. So, a Wayne Curry endorsement didn’t move the needle in Prince George’s county, but it’s supposed to move the black vote to Michael Steele across the entire state?

I’m sorry, but while I know the stereotype that people believe – especially conservatives – black voters are not the dummies you think they are. They see deeper than skin color and they actually have been listening to Michael Steele and who he hangs out with.

Macaca Implosion?

October 31, 2006 12:49 am. 3 Comments | Virginia

A third survey, this one from CNN, shows Jim Webb with the lead in Virginia. This eerily sounds like last year in Virignia all over again, where the Republican base cheered Jerry Kilgore’s harsh and negative attacks on Tim Kaine, but the voters thought they were over the line and moved towards Kaine.

Election Prediction Thread

October 30, 2006 11:57 pm. 11 Comments | 2006 Election

Time to show how amazingly wrong one human being can be. Post yours in the comments.

House: +16 Dems

I have no idea how to truly gauge this. I’m not near any of the races, and damned if I can predict the voting habits of people. I feel like as unorganized as the Dems are, and as inept as they’ve been at the basics of political strategy, the perfect storm of an unpopular president and party in its sixth year will throw the congress to the Dems. I hope for a wave, but I’ll hedge my bets and go for just a really strong pipe that gives the Dems a close majority. I think that while 2004 was demoralizing, Democratic voters are way more enthusiastic than in 2002 when the party leaders – Daschle and Gephardt – had just signed off on going to war without any real debate on the issue. Whatever faults they may have, Reid and Pelosi (and Dean) have not sold the base down the river – which may be the exact sentiment felt on the right (how craptacular would you feel if you campaigned like hell for Bush in ‘04 to stop the gays from getting married and the minute he got re-elected he knifed you in the back?). The con bloggers keep trying to whip up some backlash (pushing their theories of the insidious conspiracy between Democrats, pollsters, and the media – they forgot to blame the Joooooos, ask Pat Buchanan), but I think many Republican and conservative voters are tired of pulling George Bush’s ass out of the fire.

Senate: +5 Dems

Minnesota: Kloubchar d. Kennedy
No reason why, just seems that way.

Pennsylvania: Casey d. Man On Dog Santorum
HALLELUJAH.

Maryland: Cardin d. Steele
Double digits.

Montana: Tester d. Burns
Senator Buzzcut

Arizona: Kyl d. Pederson
Seems to have lost his forward momentum

Connecticut: Lieberman d. Lamont
Bringing home the bacon trumps the Iraq War

Michigan: Stabenow d. Bouchard
Romp city

New Jersey: Menendez d. Kean
Blue state

Rhode Island: Whitehouse d. Chaffee
Blue state

Ohio: Brown d. DeWine
Stick a fork in him and the Ohio GOP

Washington: Cantwell d. McGavick
Blowout

Tennessee: Corker d. Ford
This is one of the toughest ones for me to call. I’m hoping it goes the other way, but I’m from a state south of the Mason-Dixon with a Yankee sensibility and I have a hard time seeing a part of the solid south like Tennessee voting for a black man for senator. Prove me wrong, please.

Missouri: McCaskill d. Talent
A squeaker, probably will come down to a few thousand votes

Virginia: I DON’T KNOW, but slight edge to Macaca
The question is, is Virginia moving from light red to light blue or purple? Webb polls great in Northern Virginia and that’s the region that delivered for Gov. Kaine. You wonder if Macaca’s “Ooooh he wrote a sex scene” was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Bonus picks:
MD-GOV: O’Malley d. Ehrlich
Maryland’s blue wave

PA-GOV: Rendell d. Swann
OH-GOV: Strickland d. Blackwell
The year of the Black Republican continues to kick ass and take names

I’m ready for all this stuff to be over so we can start talking about the 2008 election.

TRADESPORTS: The GOP contract tanked 4% on Monday, meaning the likelihood of Republicans holding the House is at 30%, which is almost an all-time low. Interestingly the Senate contract took a powder as well, still showing favorably for the GOP at 68% but well below the 80% mark it was just a few hours ago. The Iowa Markets show similar results – Dems get House, GOP gets Senate.

UPDATE: Likely, here’s why – Jim Webb is moving up like crazy.

Democratic Senate Surge In Progress?

October 30, 2006 7:22 pm. 3 Comments | 2006 Election

Jim Webb up by 2% in Virginia.
Casey up by 11% in Pennsylvania.
Ford up by 5% in Tennessee.
Menendez up by 5% in New Jersey.
McCaskill tied in Missouri.

A trend?

Q: Despite Karl Rove’s Spinning, How Do You Know The GOP Is In Trouble?

October 30, 2006 7:08 pm. 9 Comments | 2006 Election

A: President Bush was in Sugar Land, TX campaigning for a Republican today. Sugar Land, TX. The Democratic equivalent would be Bill Clinton having to campaign in New York City or Los Angeles.

Inside Fight

October 30, 2006 5:03 pm. 3 Comments | Democrats

I’m not going to make much of a deal about this until after the election, but this post by Chris Bowers (as well as this one by Matt Stoller claiming some sort of conspiracy to sabotage the Lamont campaign, or this one hitting DC Democrats for not being sufficiently Lamontish) likely foreshadows upcoming fights – should the Dems win the House – within the Democratic party for just how liberal/centrist/progressive the leadership will be going forward.

People who have read this site long enough can probably figure out where I stand on this. But we’ll see how it all shakes out.

More Conservative Terrorism

October 30, 2006 4:36 pm. 7 Comments | Conservatives

Brad Blog has the details.

A man from Centerville, Ohio, identifying himself as “Sock” Sokolowski has sent a death threat to radio host Stephanie Miller after a recent appearance on Fox “News’” Hannity & Colmes.

The BRAD BLOG has obtained a copy of the profanity-laced letter from Sokolowski which includes a closing salutation claiming that he is “From the right ‘Right”. The letter is posted, unredacted in full at the end of this article.

On her popular Stephanie Miller Show this morning, the radio host telephoned “Sock” — who included his address and phone number with the letter — to confront him live and on air about the letter.

Mongomery County: Ground Zero For The Maryland Uprising

October 30, 2006 1:06 am. 1 Comment | 2006 Election, Ben Cardin, Bob Ehrlich, Martin O'Malley, Maryland and Michael Steele

Montgomery County, Maryland, where I was born and where I currently live is integral to Democratic success in Maryland for the upcoming election. Martin O’Malley and the rest of the Maryland Dems were out in force Sunday to make that happen.

Yesterday’s rally — held before several hundred cheering and sign-waving supporters — was part of an effort to mobilize the Democratic base and to reach out to Democratic voters who do not normally vote in non-presidential election years. O’Malley was joined by all of the statewide candidates, including Cardin, as well as a large roster of county Democrats.

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, appearing with O’Malley for the first time since he dropped out of the Democratic primary for governor in June citing depression, was given a rousing welcome. In his remarks, Duncan criticized a new television ad for Ehrlich that includes disparaging remarks the county executive made about O’Malley before dropping out of the race.

Duncan called the ad an attempt to “mislead the public” into believing he supported Ehrlich. “If they got quotes from me about Ehrlich, you couldn’t print them,” Duncan added.

And this statement from O’Malley sort of says it all:

O’Malley portrayed the governor yesterday as out of touch with the Montgomery electorate, hammering Ehrlich for saying two years ago that multiculturalism is “bunk.”

“Anybody who doesn’t think multiculturalism is good for America, come to Montgomery County,” O’Malley said.

And this bit is just hilarious:

His comments came at an event where O’Malley won the endorsements of two former leaders of Democrats for Ehrlich, a group formed in 2002 to support the then-congressman.

“I am ashamed, embarrassed and feel very foolish for what I did,” said Wayne Frazier, the group’s former chairman.

Okay, fine. Just don’t do it again.

Somebody Explain This To Me

October 30, 2006 12:32 am. 12 Comments | Conservatives

Hugh Hewitt:

political polling has built in Democratic bias

I understand people wanting to discount polls when their guy isn’t ahead – I don’t like when people on my side do it either. There are many variables involved in polling, but the basics of it – “who are you gonna vote for” seem to be pretty cut and dry. So on what basis do Hewitt and other con bloggers who have been echoing him for the past month make their assertion that polls favor Democrats? Did the polls in 2001 where Bush hit 90% have a pro-Democrat bias? Or the polls where he led John Kerry in 2004?

Or, as I am guessing, did the insidious Democrat-MSM plot to show a “Democratic bias” in polling just coincidentally happen when Republicans – Bush specifically – started doing badly in the polls?

In other words, lemme get this straight, polls are clear indicators of popularity and favorability when it shows a positive number for a Republican but the minute it shows a Democrat in the lead it’s clearly a biased and partisan conspiracy.

Ooooookkkkkaaaaayyyyyy.

UPDATE: Please read the comments on Hewitt’s blog where one of his readers uses actual data to refute The Cheerleader’s bogus assertion. It is to laugh!

ALSO: As readers know, I am by no means saying polls mean the Dems can rest on their laurels. As a matter of fact, every Democratic campaign as well as the DNC, DCCC, DSCC, DGA and the rest should be in full on game mode for the next 8 days, working their butts off like they’re down 20 points. But my point is that you shouldn’t discount the anti-Republican sentiment that is now in the majority in this country, especially in states like Maryland. If anything we should take the data the polls are giving us and using that as fuel to fight harder and make the Republican numbers go negative.

Pound ‘em, crush ‘em, stomp ‘em. Run up in the stands and slap dey mama.

Michael Steele: Count The Dodges & Flip-Flops

October 29, 2006 4:35 pm. 5 Comments | Michael Steele

The Cardin campaign details some of the whoppers.

“Dropping in the polls and unable to defend his longstanding support
for President Bush’s agenda, Michael Steele dodged and flip-flopped all
over the map today, leaving Marylanders to wonder whether he has any
real convictions at all,” said Cardin campaign spokesman Oren Shur.
“Marylanders want a Senator who will look them in the eye and tell them
where he stands.  Michael Steele was not straight with the people of
Maryland because he can’t defend his support for the Bush agenda.”

Rep.
Cardin’s strong performance on “Meet the Press” comes on the heels of a
new Washington Post poll released this morning which showed Cardin to
have a double-digit lead over Steele: 54% – 43%.  Rep. Cardin also has
a commanding lead among African American voters: 81% – 14%.

Hey Media, Ask Michael Steele A Question

October 29, 2006 4:32 pm. Closed | Michael Steele

Michael Steele is push-polling people in Maryland, asking if "unborn babies should be killed for research". Ask him why his desperate campaign is resorting to these sort of gutter tactics, and if he thinks this sort of activity would represent Maryland well in the Senate.

Please, ask.