Glass House Democrats

People who live in Glass Houses...

There is an American proverb that goes like this: “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. It is another way of saying “liars shouldn’t make accusations”.

Recently, President Barack Obama trotted out the spurious campaign theme of “foreign subversion of American democracy” against… wait for it… the Chamber of Commerce. Obama then sent attack dogs David Axlerod, Robert Gibbs and Vice President Joe Biden to drum the message into the minds of the uninformed.

Yet, neither the Democrat National Committee (DNC) nor the White House have provided any evidence that the Chamber of Commerce has used foreign-generated funds for campaign ads.

And, rather inconveniently for the Democrats, the left-leaning New York Times  found no basis for the charge… and further, pointed out that many leftist environmental and union groups raise political money from foreign sources.

It is a case of what psychologists term “projection”. It is a form of accusing others of your own sins in order to justify your negative behavior. The rest of us just call it hypocrisy. 

So, why are the Democrats accusing the Republicans of subverting American democracy when they take DOUBLE the foreign funds of their opponents?

Two reasons: (1) to distract independent voters away from the dismal record of Obamanomics, and because (2) nothing arouses the Loony Left’s ire like people spending their own money on conservative political causes.

These are desperate times for Democrat congressional candidates. They need every vote they can muster — even if they have to lie to get them.

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

Billy Joel / “Don’t Ask Me Why” (from the album “Glass Houses”)



Our Not-Quite Shovel-Ready President

Oooh oooh, that smell... Can't ya smell that smell...

President Obama has used the term “shovel-ready” numerous times. Little did he realize the term would become a highly accurate description of his party’s chances in the 2010 midterm election.

The president used the term endlessly to push for adoption of his $862 billion plus Porkulus plan. The point of all that spending was to immediately produce jobs to stave off unemployment.

“Shovel-ready” was said to mean: Ready to go right now… this minute… this second. We have to do this or the economy will collapse!

Obama told Peter Baker of the New York Times Sunday Magazine that he was surprised to learn that these projects weren’t ready to go right now.

“But the problem is”, Obama continued, “is that spending it out takes a long time, because there’s really nothing — there’s no such thing as shovel-ready projects.”

Baker’s article is entitled, “The Education of a President”. You mean Obama needs on-the-job-training? Remember when Obamabots were saying, “He has as much experience as John F. Kennedy had before becoming president”? That was their way of saying Obama was “shovel-ready” to be president.

Ironically, just a few months ago, the Times was informing us that some of these stimulus projects were never near to shovel-ready. Maybe that is where the president first learned of the shovel-ready myth.

Congress — and the public — were told the money would start to our solve America’s all-to-real infrastructure crisis. But, it turns out much of the money went to fund liberal-favored non-infrastructure projects. Oh, and BP got $308 million to start building a power plant — about three years later.

Gee, I guess the Campaigner-in-Chief sold us a bill of goods. But, is he sorry about it?

Not so much.

According to the president, the failure of the Obamanomics linchpin stimulus effort is because his administration did not sell it properly. Forget the results — liberals always try to distract you from looking into results — this is merely a public relations failure.

Quoth Obama:

“…we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular. And I think anybody who’s occupied this office has to remember that success is determined by an intersection in policy and politics and that you can’t be neglecting of marketing and P.R. and public opinion.”

The White House — as expected — sent their PR flak, Robert Gibbs, out to fix the mess Obama created. But, Democrats on the hustings are said to be livid over the news, or more accurately, over the president’s admission of his rookie naiveté.

The president is not concerned about being unpopular. On this issue, he has succeeded tremendously. Perhaps, he should concern himself with not being fundamentally wrong when it comes to economics.

For such a smart man, Obama often seems to find exactly the wrong answer. No PR campaign can save a president from reality. No matter how hard he tries to ignore it.

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

Lynyrd Skynyrd / “That Smell”

Is It Time to Bury Harry?

Does Harry have a Prayer?

The Nevada US Senate race between Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican state legislator Sharon Angle is very close. Most of the elite election prognosticators categorize this race as a “toss up”.

Reid and Angle met in their one and only debate. And, judging from the reviews of left-leaning pundits, Reid just may be toast.

John Ralston of the Las Vegas Sun wrote:

Sharron Angle won The Big Debate. Angle won because she looked relatively credible, appearing not to be the Wicked Witch of the West (Christine O’Donnell is the good witch of the Tea Party) and scoring many more rhetorical points. And she won because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid looked as if he could barely stay on a linear argument, abruptly switching gears and failing to effectively parry or thrust.

T. A. Frank of The New Republic whined:

I could go on with my laments about Reid’s performance—about how he fumbled an answer on Social Security, about how he picked Antonin Scalia and Byron “Whizzer” White as particular Supreme Court favorites, about how he couldn’t find his closing statement and wound up shuffling through his papers and then reading something that didn’t really work anyway. But we’re all busy people. No, let’s not dwell on the past…

Taegan Goddard of CQ’s Political Wire posted:

It’s hard to paint your opponent as not ready for primetime if you don’t come across looking much better than she did… Reid also slipped into ‘Washington-speak’ time and time again. Perhaps the worst moment for him: his shuffling around for notes for his closing statement.

Reid’s congressional co-conspirator, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA/8), resides in a very safe district — centered on super-liberal San Francisco. Pelosi will coast through her re-election race.

However, Reid’s term expires at a particularly bad time for him. Reid has to run for re-election in a state with 14.2% unemployment — the  highest in the nation. And, Reid has been front and center in ramming through the most odious components of the Obama economic agenda.

This makes Harry Reid the national “poster boy” for a midterm referendum on the Obama presidency. That infamy channeled over $14 million to Angle’s campaign to oust Reid… in just three months!.

Nevadans will decide if this is the final chapter in the Harry Reid saga. But, right now it appears Reid’s re-election hope is living on a prayer (cue Bon Jovi). But as Garth Brooks sang, “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

Bon Jovi / “Livin’ on a Prayer”

Garth Brooks / “Unanswered Prayers”

Landrieu Makes Obama Cry ‘Uncle’ on Drilling Moratorium

She is One Scary Senator

Politico reports that the Obama Administration ended the offshore drilling ban “a month early”.

Although this is good news for Gulf State economies, don’t be fooled into thinking their suffering prompted President Obama to proper action.

No, good old-fashioned backroom politics got it done. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) placed a “hold” on the nomination of Jack Lew as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. The action effectively held the nomination hostage until Landrieu relented.

In other words, she threw a senatorial hissy. And, more importantly, Obama caved.

Is it any wonder Ahmadinejad and Kim aren’t persuaded by Obama’s tough talk? If you can’t move Mary Landrieu off a dime, well… where are you really?

But, back to the drilling ban. As Ed Morrissey writes at Hot Air:

A month early? Try at least two months too late. A study conducted by Barack Obama’s own hand-picked commission showed that not only was the blanket moratorium no longer needed, it was never necessary in the first place.  (emphasis added)

This presidential decision had nothing to do protecting the environment. While the drilling moratorium was in place, the Obama Administration approved a $1 billion loan to Mexico for expanded operations in the Gulf. 

If the administration was so concerned with potential ecological damage, why was it permissible for Mexico to expand drilling operations in the same body of water? Does Mexican crude oil not stick to water fowl, kill fish or pollute beaches? Of course, it does. 

The offshore drilling ban was pure leftist politics on a number of levels. First, the ban was an obvious sop to environmentalist groups who questioned Obama’s commitment to the cause. Second, the moratorium was a ”dead fish” message sent to the oil companies. And third, the action was based on the wealth redistribution dogma central to Obama’s political ideology.

All of that was certainly much more important to Obama than the jobs of 10,000 Americans. Aren’t those the same American workers Democrats always claim to protect? Oh well, the ends justify the means, right?

What delicious irony that the whole plan was brought down by bare-knuckled politics as practiced by a liberal Democrat who benefits from oil industry campaign donations.

That President Obama sure has them all shaking in their boots.

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

Obama is In Over His Head… Duh!

TOTUS Sends a Message to POTUS

Time Magazine political writer  Mark Halperin released the scoop of the century: Everyone knows President Barack Obama is in over his head.

Now he tells us.

Just when you thought Jimmy Carter (aka: Ex-President Superior) was our nation’s most (in)famous example of the Peter Principle*… along comes Barack Obama (aka: The One We Weren’t Waiting For Afterall).

Well Mr. Halperin, at least 47% of us knew that back in 2008. Welcome to the club.

Although the author tries to disprove the incompetence charge, he still reports quite accurately on the rational perception. Hey, the guy still has to work with his liberal Old Stream Media colleagues. They throw great cocktail parties. Or so, I’ve heard.

Here are some of the “money quotes”:

With the exception of core Obama Administration loyalists, most politically engaged elites have reached the same conclusions: the White House is in over its head, isolated, insular, arrogant and clueless about how to get along with or persuade members of Congress, the media, the business community or working-class voters. This view is held by Fox News pundits, executives and anchors at the major old-media outlets, reporters who cover the White House, Democratic and Republican congressional leaders and governors, many Democratic business people and lawyers who raised big money for Obama in 2008, and even some members of the Administration just beyond the inner circle.

Moreover, there is a growing perception that Obama’s decisions are causing harm — that businesses are being hurt by the Administration’s legislation and that economic recovery is stalling because of the uncertainty surrounding energy policy, health care, deficits, housing, immigration and spending.

And that sentiment is spreading. Many members of the general public appear deeply skeptical of Obama’s capacity to turn things around, especially, but not exclusively, those inclined to dislike him — Tea Partyers and John McCain voters, but also tens of millions of middle-class Americans, including quite a few who turned out for Obama in 2008.

In politics, perception is reality. And, in this case, the perception and reality mesh quite easily.

Obamanomics has been an abject failure. Yes, President Obama inherited a recession. The economy is basically cyclical and self-correcting. But, our impatient (and economically ignorant) president implemented policies which made it the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. His happy band of Democrat congressional enablers (aka: Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi) cracked the whip and herded their super-majority to enact job-killing laws.

Obama campaigned as a post-partisan pragmatic centrist. He then proceeded to govern as a hyper-partisan dogmatic leftist. Americans have an inherent “Don’t Screw Me” attitude. It is in our DNA. We do not subscribe to “live and let live” fatalism. Americans are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt… the first time (read: Porkulus). Try and fool us the second time (read: ObamaCare), and we get mad… and then, we get even.

Now, Obama and the Democrats will reap the political whirlwind they have sewn. Halperin even admits it is too late to undo the electoral damage. The House is certainly gone and the Senate is tottering.  Obama may have aided American conservatism more than William F. Buckley and Milton Friedman… combined.

Is that irony or just desserts? Historians and political scientists can debate the point ad infinitum. I for one don’t care, as long it produces the same result.

The price being paid by the American people is far higher than that of the Obama Administration and the Democrat Party. And, they will soon render unto the young Caesar and his equestrian order what is justifiably their due… a good old-fashioned whoopin’ come Election Day.

It will not end Obamaism. But, if the GOP does not blow the opportunity, it is a beginning.

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

* The Peter Principle was made famous by Dr. Laurence J. Peter in his book of the same name published in 1969. The principle is that in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to the level of their incompetence. He sure pegged Carter and Obama.

The Fray / “(Everyone Knows I’m In) Over My Head”



Carville: Blaming Bush Hurting Democrats

Democrats Next Campaign Strategy?

Yes, you read the headline correctly. It is not opinion, it is fact. So says Democracy Corps — or is that corpse? — the polling arm of uber-Democrat operative James Carville.

Democracy Corps reports that in their tests of various campaign themes, the “Blame Bush” strategy caused a net 2% shift… to Republicans.

Here are two quotes from focus group respondents:

“I was doing a heckavah lot better under Bush.”

“Who wouldn’t want to go back to 6 or 8 years ago?  There was less unemployment back then.  I’d rather go back.  I’d go back to 8 years ago.  I would rather go backwards than forwards right now.”

It appears the “go forward, not backward” message is interpreted as “we Democrats will deliver more of the same”. With unemployment at 9.6% and underemployment at 17.4% , Obamanomics is not exactly selling like iPads.

What to do if you are the party promoting to stay the course in bad economic times? 

Blame the Chamber of Commerce, of course.

Everyone knows that all those small-town shopowners are just greedy Satanists plotting to screw their fellow man out of his job, home and last dollar. Yeah, that’s great for business!

Why didn’t the White House “Brain Trust” think of that sooner? Good move, Mr. Axlerod. You are a political genius.

As Bob Schieffer said to Axelrod on CBS News “Face the Nation”: “Is that the best you can do?”

Not really, Bob. The next move is to unleash the South Park Strategy… and “Blame Canada”.

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

WARNING — This video contains profanity

South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut / “Blame Canada”

A Political Ad That Says it All

Forget the grainy black and white photos, out-of-context quotes and menacing background music of the typical attack ad.  This is the type of political ads we really want to see. 

So, get busy Republicans.

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

Vote Yes on I-1053 / “I’m Government When You’re Not Watching”

Getting to Ten

A Nation in the Balance

For several months, political insiders have predicted a new Republican majority for the House of Representatives.  The GOP leadership laid out a course of action in the Pledge to America.  But, controlling one chamber takes them only so far.  Controlling the Senate as well would place the GOP in a much better position to set the nation’s agenda – and recapture the presidency in 2012.

Republicans need to pick up ten Senate seats to gain a majority.  If the hoped-for Red Tsunami is as broad as projected in generic ballot and “wrong-direction” poll results, the GOP may just make it.

Can they realistically get there?  The answer: “Yes, with a little luck”.  Here is how…

The GOP picks up eight seats in these races:

1) North Dakota – Democrat incumbent Senator Byron Dorgan is retiring.  The Republicans nominated popular Governor John Hoeven to face Democrat Tracy Potter.  Polls have consistently put Hoeven up 40% plus.  This seat goes to the GOP.

2) Arkansas – Democrat incumbent Blanche Lincoln had a tough time beating Lt. Governor Bill Halter in her primary.  Halter said Lincoln was too conservative to win re-election.  In Arkansas?  So now, Lincoln trails conservative Republican Congressman John Boozman by nearly 20%.  This race goes Red on Election Day.

3) Indiana — Incumbent Democrat Senator Evan Bayh chose retirement over re-election citing disgust with current Beltway politics.  Former Senator and current GOP nominee Dan Coates has been above 50% for a few months while Democrat Congressman  Brad Ellsworth can’t seem to rise above 35%.  Despite a clear Obama victory in the Hoosier State in 2008, polls show widespread disapproval with the president.  Short of a scandal, Coates seems assured of returning to the Senate.

4) Pennsylvania — The biggest beneficiary of the party switch by incumbent Senator Arlen Spector may be Republican nominee Pat Toomey.  Written off as too conservative to win the state in the 2004 Republican primary against Spector, Toomey now seems just right to Keystone State voters in a general election matchup with Democrat Congressman Joe Sestak.  Spector read the tea leaves and saw he would have trouble in a rematch with Toomey, so with the promise of assistance from the Obama White House, Spector switched parties and ran against Sestak in the Democrat primary.  Despite the offer of a federal job for his withdrawal, Sestak stayed in the race and easily bested the octogenarian Spector.  The Real Clear Politics (RCP) average of +6.6% for Toomey in a still-Blue state makes this look like a GOP pickup.

5) Wisconsin –  If uber-liberal Democrat incumbent Senator Russ Feingold is in trouble in Wisconsin, you know the party is facing a bad Election Day 2010.  The RCP average gives Republican challenger Ron Johnson a +9% lead.  Obama visited the state twice — and both times Feingold was nowhere to be seen.  That speaks volumes of the president’s standing in the Badger State.  This one seems lost to the GOP.

6) West Virginia – Even the death of long-time Senator Robert Byrd was not considered a threat to a Democrat hold of this seat.  Popular Democrat Governor Joe Manchin seemed poised for an easy route to the United States Senate.  But, the unpopularity of President Obama in the Mountaineer State, threw a monkey wrench into the gears.  Republican John Raese holds an RCP average +4.5% advantage.  Manchin has begun stressing his differences with the Obama agenda — primarily on coal and health care — to try to save this seat.  So far, it is not working.

7) Colorado – I still cannot figure why RCP calls this a toss-up.  Republican Ken Buck has enjoyed a 5-8% lead in all polls except the one by Dem-leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP).  And, PPP only had Buck down by 1%.  Democrat incumbent appointee Senator Michael Bennet has loudly proclaimed he is no rubber stamp for President Obama and asked the Prez to stay out of Colorado.  His internal polls – and his gut – must be telling him something is amiss.  This seat should tip to the GOP.

8) Nevada – Can there be a more delicious prospect than Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid being voted out of office?  Republican Sharon Angle surprised many by winning the GOP primary.  Conventional wisdom was Reid would coast to victory over the Tea Party favorite.  Not so fast.  Despite a blitz of negatives ads and media, Angle seems to benefit from Nevadans anger over their dreadful economy.  The two most recent statewide polls show Angle +2% to +4% while Reid still has not cracked the 45% mark.  That may eventually doom Reid and send the given-up-for dead Angle to Washington DC.

Here is where a little luck is would help:

9) Alaska – The GOP hold the seat currently, but, intra-party fighting may swing this race.  Republican Joe Miller beat incumbent appointee Senator Lisa Murkowski in a close primary.  After failing to make a deal with the state’s Libertarian Party, the too moderate for Libertarians Murkowski decided to run a write-in campaign.  Miller held slim leads over Murkowski in recent Rasmussen and CNN polls while Democrat Scott McAdams appears to be a non-factor.  Miller has the advantage, but bad blood may make it close.  If Murkowski wins, which party will she caucus with?

10) Illinois – Democrat incumbent and tainted Blagojevich appointee Roland Burris is not on the ballot.  Normally, Illinois would be a solid hold for Democrats.  But, they chose to nominate alleged Mob-connected failed banker and State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias for the race.  The Republicans went with liberal Congressman Mark Kirk.  Kirk has his own baggage including overstating his military service and being the bane of Land of Lincoln conservatives.  This race has been nasty and remains very close.  The two most recent polls show Kirk +2% to +4% and the RCP average is Kirk +1.2%.  The result may well rest on how many Illinois conservatives refuse to pull the lever for Kirk.  If they hold their noses and vote for Kirk, he may just sneak by with a victory.

11) Washington – Democrat incumbent Senator Patty Murray has a well-deserved reputation for exposing her ignorance.  It may finally be catching up with her.  Murray is in a close race with a candidate who has experience with razor-thin losses in this Blue State, Republican Dino Rossi.  Two recent polls show Rossi up 3-6% on Murray and that has dropped the RCP average to a virtual dead-heat.  Over 80% of Evergreen State voters mail-in their ballots… early.  So, Rossi may be surging at the right time.  Assuming Democrat-controlled state election officials do not steal a third statewide victory from Rossi, some pundits think this race may decide control of the Senate.

12) California – Democrat incumbent Senator “Don’t Call Me Ma’am” Barbara Boxer holds a 3-4% lead over Republican challenger Carly Fiorina.  Boxer held a big lead throughout most of the year, but, the race has narrowed as she cannot seem to break the 50% mark.  The fact that a Democrat is in danger in Blue State California is indicative of the public’s general frustration.  Low turnout among traditionally Democrat minority voters may allow Fiorina to win this one.

Summary

Wins in two of the four states above put the Senate in GOP hands at 51-49.  Three weeks out, Alaska and Illinois seem the better bets.  But, Washington is right there in case.  While California is not out of the question, it seems the least likely of the four.

If the Red Tsunami is truly national, winning both Washington and California is still possible.  That would give the Republicans +12 for a 53-47 majority.  Then it is up to Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to corral enough Republican votes to put an end to Obamaism.

That may prove tougher than winning the Senate majority.

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

Congressman Hare-brained

We ain't got no stinkin' debt!

Congressman Philip Hare (D-IL 17) just does not understand what all the fuss is about.

Quoth Hare:

… every minute that I have here (Congress) is going to be spent debunking the myth that this country’s in debt and we just can’t spend.

It’s true that Hare is not the only congressman to have made a loony staement.  Earlier this year Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA 4) expressed his concern at a congressional hearing that if the population of Guam continued to rise the island might “tip over and capsize”.

To claim a $1.4 trillion plus spending deficit is a myth — much less the $13.3 trillion structural debt — is to totally deny reality.  Heck, even the New York Times admits the US is in debt, and it  is also pretty darn high.

This is not Hare’s first collision with ignorance.  Earlier this year, Hare told a constituent – on video — that ObamaCare was constitutional, although he did not know which part of the Constitution permitted it and quite frankly, he didn’t worry about whether the laws Congress adopts are constitutional.

Jim Geraghty of National Review recently reported that Hare’s Republican opponent, Bobby Schilling, was within one percent (38-37) of Hare in a Cook  Report D+3 district.  The most salient point wasn’t that Schilling was close, but, that an incumbent in a Dem-leaning district was at only 38%!

While the poll result does not bode well for Representative Hare, it certainly reflects positively on the common sense of voters in IL-17. 

2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved. 

Rep. Philip Hare (D-IL 17) / “The debt is a myth”

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA ?) / “Guam might tip over and capsize”

Rahm Runs, Chicago Yawns

"Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer" or "Don't Stand So Close to Me"?

Former chief-of-staff (and 5′-4″ ballerina wannabe) Rahm Emanuel enjoyed a hugs-and-tears sendoff from the Obama White House.  He then immediately launched his Windy City mayoral campaign.  Well actually, Emanuel recorded a campaign video before leaving the capital. 

Despite the ensuing media frenzy, Emanuel is not a big hit with his potential constituents. 

Maybe, these Chicagoans know about Rahm’s “dead fish” message and “liberals are f**king retarded” comment.  Or, maybe they’re just as upset with Obamanomics as the rest of the nation. 

There are also concerns that “Rahmbo” is not a legal resident of the “City That Works”. I have no doubt that such pesky technicalities will be easily swept aside. 

An intriguing question is: Will President Barack Obama appear in ads or actively campaign for Rahm?  Given Obama’s reduced standing in his home state, maybe Emmanuel will avoid asking for the president’s help. 

African-Americans and Hispanics in Chicago see the end of the Daley Era as the perfect time for their ascension at City Hall.  Several such candidates have already began campaigns.  Chances are they won’t take kindly to Rahm’s carpetbagging.  Politics in Chicago is very local and very personal.   Absent unusual circumstances, Obama’s positive sendoff was likely the extent of his involvement in the mayoral race.  He’ll avoid the entanglement of hometown politics as much as possible. 

What are Emanuel’s chances of election?  With a gazillion candidates on the ballot, all Emmanuel needs is to keep any one of his opponents from gaining an outright majority (say through a slew of attack ads), finish second and force a runoff.  He may have a chance then.  

An as yet unannounced candidate, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, may be Rahmbo’s biggest obstacle to election.  Dart has support among Chicago “lakefront liberals” and the African-American community.  A Dart-Emanuel race would be fun to watch. 

© 2010 by kens*ten. All rights reserved.

YouTube / Elton John –” Tiny Dancer” (Nice toupee, Sir Elton!) 

YouTube / The Police — “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”