Moe Lane

The Washington Post, on fallout from the recent retirements of Democratic members of Congress:

What most concerns Democrats is that the latest round of retirements will prompt other longtime lawmakers in competitive districts to rethink their reelection plans, [former DCCC Chair Martin] Frost said. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, acknowledged that “some more” Democratic retirements will be announced before the end of the year, but that the number will be “nothing on the scale of 1994, when you had 28 Democratic open seats” and the party lost control of the House.

Unfortunately for Van Hollen, the Washington Post isn’t interested in supporting the spin:

Joe Gaylord, who was chief strategist for former House speaker Newt Gingrich in the 1994 cycle, said Democratic retirements accelerated in 1994, compared with their pace in 1993, and he predicted the same could happen this time. “It got collectively worse as they moved along,” he said.

In other words, it’s early days yet. And take that cliche however you like.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Silent Night, Bing Crosby

Not much to add.

It was from the Weekly World News, after all. Which is a site that I love, but… well.

But no.  It’s all too real.

God help us all.

Although it qualifies.

Via @jstrevino.

You probably don’t want Penny Arcade referring to your skateboard-sized, skateboard-shaped controller for your new skateboard game in such a fashion:

It never once occurred to me that you could sell what they did, for the price they did, and not be murdered by angels.

I also want to know what ‘asco‘ means in this context.  Although I’m guessing that most of the critics would reply that American Society of Clinical Oncology works surprisingly well.

Moe Lane

Ah, the politics of fear.

The entire Democratic Senate caucus is headed to the White House on Tuesday afternoon to talk health care with President Obama, just as the administration urges Majority Leader Harry Reid to cut a deal with Sen. Joe Lieberman, who is emerging as the skunk at the party for supporters of the massive package to create a new entitlement.

[snip]

Congressional staff familiar with negotiations said the White House is strongly urging Reid to work with Lieberman to eliminate the Medicare provision.

But Reid and other Democratic lawmakers are said to be furious that Lieberman publicly called for the elimination of the proposal before members received an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on the cost of such a plan.

More accurately, the politics of being afraid.  The White House is afraid that they won’t get something that they can call a win (our B+* President hasn’t actually had many this year); the progressives are afraid that their own base will descend upon them with torches and pitchforks if there is no progress against the hated foe; and Red State Democrats are afraid that if they keep on this course they’ll be interacting with the 112th Congress as lobbyists.  It should be one sockeldanger of a meeting tomorrow.

Moe Lane

*Ahem.  ‘Surprisingly tasty.’

Crossposted to RedState.

UPDATE: Hotline has more.

DOOM.

After more than a quarter-century of public service to his home state of Tennessee, U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon announced his plans to retire from Congress when his current term ends in 2010.

“I feel honored that the people of Middle Tennessee have allowed me to serve them for the past 25 years,” said Gordon. “Every decision I have made in Congress has been with their best interests in mind. I hope the people here at home feel that I have served them as well as their good advice and views have served me.

“When I was elected, I was the youngest member of the Tennessee congressional delegation; now, I’m one of the oldest. In fact, I have members of my staff who weren’t even born when I took office. That tells me it’s time for a new chapter.”

One where he isn’t making ski junkets on the taxpayer’s dime, no doubt.

(Via Instapundit.)

Moe Lane

PS: Dale Dave Evans [Oops! - ML] is running for this seat.  There may be others.

For the record, I don’t actually care if somebody believes in stuff like astrology.  But fair’s fair, and if we’re going to have to listen to liberal elites sneering about creationists, said elites can take the time to explain why they don’t sneer at astrology devotees*:

For those limited to text: somewhere around 30% of Democrats believe in a whole range of New Age stuff, explicitly including astrology.  This is roughly double the number of Republicans also surveyed.  Similar numbers and ratio for conservatives/liberals**.

A quote for you, to roll this up:

A touchstone to determine the actual worth of an “intellectual”- find out how he feels about astrology. – Robert Heinlein

I would have added that quote attributed to G.K. Chesterton about the implications of ceasing to believe in God, but the actual quote is hard to pin down.

Moe Lane (more…)

(H/T Instapundit) While I see Mickey Kaus’ point in the abstract:

People in the know in Washington appear to have already considered and dismissed the “ping pong” option–the possibility that if the Senate finally passes a compromise health care bill, Pelosi’s House might simply vote “yes” on the exact same bill, avoiding the need for a “conference” to reconcile the House and Senate versions and instead sending the bill directly to the President for his signature. But from outside Washington, out here in the real America, this “ratification” route still looks awfully appealing–especially this week.

…there are pragmatic problems to consider: the House health care rationing bill passed with only two votes to spare, and only because of the Stupak amendment.  The Senate version currently lacks similar language, and it will probably not even get to a vote unless ‘public option’ is removed.  Put another way: for this gambit to work it’ll require no public option and hefty rules against federal funding of abortion.  Put yet another way: this gambit doesn’t just metaphorically gut-shoot progressives.  It requires that progressives metaphorically gut-shoot themselves as part of the process.

I’m not saying that they won’t do it.  Progressive Democratic legislators are quite good at emulating jellyfish.  But this would be above and beyond the usual spinelessness.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

The Holly & The Ivy, Mediaeval Baebes

This is one of those old ones.  Or so it’s claimed.

This week’s Book of the Week is frankly speculative: Leviathan is apparently alternate history (WWI) steampunk, which pushes a lot of my buttons. Although I suspect that I’ll be stuck with waiting for this one in paperback.

And so, it being Sunday, we say farewell to Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explore Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between.

Well, it’s that time again:

Please note that this link is not actually to my account: it’s all going to Neil Stevens, who is hosting MoeLane.com in the hope that someday it might become a valuable [bleeping] thing. I’m not going to complain if you hit my tip jar over there on the sidebar, but if you like this site (and what it, among others, is trying to do) I’d ask that you contribute above.

Moe Lane

PS: If that doesn’t persuade you, let me remind you: I have lobster minions.