Moe Lane

It’s sad that this needs to be brought up, but it must: it would appear that the Netroots – as per their continuing habit of acting as if the American political system was identical to a pre-Giuliani Times Square peep show emporium – has gotten themselves in a bit of a scrape, again. Specifically, they spent several cheerful hours hooting and hollering over the way that THAT WOMAN suggested that the Tea Party not “party like it was 1773″ before they noticed that… well, that the Boston Tea Party was in, well, 1773.

A couple of things: first, this storyboard; which is both cruel and accurate.

Second, while I understand and expect that your average online progressive blogger has about much awareness of American history as, say… Oh, this is awkward. An online progressive blogger would be the actual yardstick for ‘abysmally ignorant about American history.’ Nonetheless, while I understand that the Online Left is dumb… really, Gwen Ifill. You’re supposed to be one of the bright talking heads.

Tsk, tsk.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: THAT WOMAN is LAUGHING at you, netrooters. And you DESERVE it.

The Last Centurion came in the mail today, and goodness knows that I could use turning my brain off wrt political stuff for a couple of hours, so I’m reading it. Pretty good; I like the blog-centric formula to it, and the military language sounds right… to a guy who’s never been in the military, at least. I figure that somebody would have yelled at John Ringo by now if he was making it all up, though.

Check it out.

Moe Lane

Michael Gerson explains the President:

There have been several recent attempts to explain Obama’s worldview as the result of his post-colonial father or his early socialist mentors — Gnostic attempts to produce the hidden key that unlocks the man. The reality is simpler. In April 2008, Obama described small-town voters to wealthy donors in San Francisco: “It’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them.” Now, to wealthy donors in Massachusetts, opponents are “hard-wired not to always think clearly.” Interpreting Obama does not require psychoanalysis or the reading of mystic Chicago runes. He is an intellectual snob.

…and I am forced to admit that I once assumed that I was an intellectual snob, myself. Quite smug about it, too. Then I found out that the intellectual snob demographic is about the only one in American society that still considers European-style class distinctions even faintly relevant: which was a problem, as I was entirely too lower-class and lowbrow to qualify for membership.

Eh.  Much more fun to stick it to the Man, anyway.

Moe Lane

This interview actually took place last week, but got delayed due to personal considerations that aren’t really relevant to the AZ-07 race. Ruth is a bona fide rocket scientist facing Raul Grijalva, who is mostly known for trying to drive up Arizona’s unemployment rate in a fit of, bluntly, pique. Oh, yeah: Grijalva also aids and abets pro-terrorist organizations.

Ruth and I had a chat about various aspects of the race:

Ruth’s site is here.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

• Probably the biggest news is the report that the DCCC has begun the process of cutting loose Rep. Patrick Murphy (D, PA-08) and candidate John Callahan (D CAND, PA-15). Insert the usual nonsense from the usual Democratic spokesmen; but the truth of the matter is that both Rep. Charlie Dent and candidate Michael Fitzpatrick are favored to win their races, so expect that the other half of that DCCC ad money is going to vanish next week, too. Note, by the way, that this news effectively takes off of the board one of the few pickup hopes that the Democrats still had (PA-15).
• And, over in WI-08: we already knew that Steve Kagen in WI-08 was a dead man walking; but it turns out that his Republican challenger Reid Ribble actually outraised Kagen in the 3rd quarter.
• Lastly, in MI-01: it doesn’t really make much sense to actually buy ad time for a candidate if you just have to pull your attack ads later for being hideously inaccurate. Dr. Dan Benishek is claiming victory, and can you blame him? You have to wonder how much longer the DCCC is going to bother with McDowell at this point.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

From Jim Treacher, of course:

To put it in terms my liberal friends might be able to understand: Tony Hopfinger didn’t use his words and had to go into timeout.

Indeed. Quick operational tips for Lefties trying to emulate us Merry Pranksters here on the Right:

1. When you’re trying to provoke a candidate into an unreasonable response for your video camera, don’t follow him into the bathroom.  We call that ‘stalking.’  Also, ‘squicky.’
2. When the nice security guards drop by to have a word about how it’s not really cool for you to follow a candidate into the bathroom, don’t shove one of them.  We call that ‘assault.’
3. When you ignore #1 and publicly admit later that you were guilty of #2, don’t be aggrieved that the consequences of your actions involved handcuffs until the cops arrived.  We call that ‘being a petulant little man-child.’

Sheesh, but some of these people get downright unpleasant when they’re losing nationally.

Moe Lane

PS: Joe Miller for Senate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgLfoQfmSQ4

Hotel California, Eagles

You may need to turn it up a little.

This would be the guy running against two-termer Phil Hare – who, I have just recently found out, had pretty much just inherited his seat from the previous incumbent (Hare’s former boss), and who was coasting on that for 2006 and 2008.  Good luck for Hare then, bad luck for Hare now, huh? In other words; don’t assume that this guy will have to be pulled out of his district like a rotting tooth.

Anyway, Bobby Schilling‘s Good Week:

• Currently operating with a $100K cash-on-hand advantage.
• Made Politico’s 12 hottest House races to watch.
• Sen. Durbin came by to rally the crowd for Hare last week.  All sixty of them.

(more…)

Yes. That Chris Matthews. Matthews apparently did not personally approve of the way that Jack Conway smeared Rand Paul with a recent scurrilous ad, and so took the opportunity to smack Conway around for over seven minutes of pretty much relentless, aggressive interviewing.

Yes, again: that Chris Matthews. As I remarked just now on Twitter, watching this was like watching Jack Conway get mauled by a Teletubbie.

H/T: Erick Erickson, on Twitter.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: Rand Paul for Senate.

PPS: I believe that the DSCC may now start transferring money out of that race with a clear conscience.

Via Hot Air Headlines, Tom Brokaw does not understand why the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not looming issues in this year’s election; or, indeed, really issues at all.  He doesn’t bother to even try to answer the question, himself – apparently, Brokaw decided that his wordcount was better suited towards the production of ponderous melancholia – but fortunately I’m here to explain things to him.

In order: (more…)

Mickey Kaus looks upon the works of Obamandias, and despairs:

Now I’m scared! What yesterday’s comments suggest isn’t just that Obama will get clobbered in the midterms. It suggests that after he gets clobbered he won’t be able to adjust and turn the setback into a longterm victory the way Bill Clinton did. Clinton reacted to his 1994 midterm loss by acknowledging his opponents’ strongest arguments and pursuing a balanced budget and welfare reform. Obama seems more inclined to just tough it out until the economy recovers and the scared, confused voters become unscared and see the light. Meanwhile, he’ll spend his time in a protective cocoon.

The context here is that the President is blaming the upcoming shellacking at the polls on the American people being too scared to think straight.

(pause)

Yup.  That’s what he said… (more…)

• Looks like Harry Teague (NM-02) has outlived his usefulness: the DCCC is pulling funds out of his race and throwing them at Martin Heinrich’s in NM-01.  This is probably due to Teague’s recent fading in the polls against challenger Steve Pearce, which is apparently being helped along by revelations about Teague’s canceling of his own private employees’ health care plans.  It’s also interesting that the DCCC thinks that Heinrich needs the help; apparently Jon Barela is worrying them more than they let on.  Cook rates this race as [Toss-Up, and NM-01 as Leans Democratic.]

The DCCC has also picked four new races to try to build its latest firewall:

• AZ-07′s Raul Grijalva.  Ruth McClung is the challenger, and a strong one*. Cook rating: Likely Democratic.
• CA-[20's Jim Costa].  Andy Vidak is the challenger. Cook rating: Lean Democratic.
• IA-02′s [Dave] Loebsack.  Mariannette Miller-Meeks is the challenger.  Cook rating: Likely Democratic.
• TN-04′s Lincoln Davis.  Dr. Scott DesJarlais is the challenger.  Cook rating: Lean Democratic.

(more…)