Month: September 2009

Jay Cost indulges himself.

First by pointing out an usually-overlooked truth by the folks who like to yell at the Republican party’s leadership, and not talk to them:

…if the President’s job approval rating drops much more, the Republicans could score big gains in next year’s House elections. This is quickly becoming conventional wisdom. But something else has gone less commented upon: there are different types of Republicans who are known to populate Congress.

There were the Republicans of the 109th Congress – largely inert, happy to keep things the way they were, pleased as punch just to be in power. They’re the sort that Thomas Nast would have caricatured 125 years ago, and why Republican voters today still have so little faith in congressional Republicans.

These will probably not be the new Republicans on Capitol Hill in 2011 if there is a GOP surge. Instead, we’re more likely to see Republicans who consider themselves “citizen legislators,” the kind who take the 10th Amendment seriously, who plan to term limit themselves, who walk around the Capitol with a copy of the Constitution in their breast pocket, and so on. Enough of these true believing legislators could make life unpleasant for President Obama, who need only consider the experiences of Presidents Truman and Clinton if he has any doubts about this.

…yeah, pretty much. Speaking as a quote-unquote RiNO squish, the people that I’ve been seeing get prepped for next year for the House have been markedly to my right, and unapologetic about it. Speaking as a partisan Republican hack, they’re going to be lots of fun to have around. Given whose seats they’ll be taking away: twenty of them will be an indigestible lump for Congressional Democrats. Forty will be a nightmare for them. Any more, and Hell will be coming for breakfast. Continue reading Jay Cost indulges himself.

I would like to thank the pro-health care rationing folks for their help.

Thanks in large part to your activities – and according to Rasmussen:

  • 49% “have a favorable opinion of those opposing the health care reforms at town hall meetings” (41% last month).
  • 59% “say the town hall protesters are citizens reflecting the concerns of their neighbors (49% last month).
  • 56% “say that it’s more important for Congressmen to hear the view of their constituents rather than explain the proposed health care legislation.”

And, best of all?  While Democrats disagree on all three of those – Republicans and independents don’t.

So.  Speaking for the Republican party: much obliged.  Can we count on your invaluable assistance, if and when the Democrats in Congress find the courage to again address cap-and-trade?

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Items now purchased from the Blogging Tools Wish List.

Thanks to the generosity of readers, I’ve been able to finally pick up a better camcorder and accessories for same.  My thanks to everybody that helped.

Feel free to add to their number, of course.  The next step: getting the cash together for something better than Windows Movie Maker (unfortunately, the new one that MS put out is if anything a little less intuitive for me to work with).

Moe Lane

Moveon.org zombie bites off health care protester’s finger. Wait, what?

No, really.

About 20 minutes earlier, a man on MoveOn.org’s side of the street crossed over and shouted “Why don’t you like the public option?” Several of the counter-protesters said that they don’t want the government to run everything. The MoveOn.org man got nose to nose with a short, gray-haired counter-protester, and sneered, “You’re an idiot.”

At that point, I’m told the victim either swung at or pushed his assailant’s face away with an open hand, and his finger entered his mouth.

[snip]

The MoveOn.org protester then allegedly bit off the finger up to the first knuckle, and spat it into the street where it was recovered by Bush.

(H/T) @jeffemanuel.

The Moveon.org zombie apparently then left.  At a walk.  And none of his Moveon.org colleagues stopped him.  And then they themselves later walked through the crime scene.

Again: wait, what?

Moe Lane Continue reading Moveon.org zombie bites off health care protester’s finger. Wait, what?

An Education Department that can’t spell.

You’d think that the slapdash sorts in this particular administration would check to make sure that they spelled quite simple words properly in their media advisories:

schoochildren-tn

Then again, you’d also expect them to check to see whether a major Presidential address to schoolchildren was actually taking place after the start of everybody’s school year*.

Moe Lane

*Alternatively, we can all stop pretending that the White House was not planning to use this speech to push the Democrats’ health care rationing bill.

Crossposted to RedState. And posted with malice aforethought, of course.

Guinta now within MoE of Shea-Porter.

Now! Hampshire (H/T: Instapundit) reports that Shea Porter has gone from 43/34 in April against Frank Guinta to 46.3/43.4 in polling.  Better still, Shea-Porter now has an unfavorable rating of 48%.  Needless to say, it’s directly related to August:

“Frank Guinta has two things going for him right now,” said Steve DeMaura of Populus Research. “We’re seeing a general swing toward Republican candidates on the generic congressional ballot. And Carol-Shea Porter’s negatives have shot through the roof as a result of a calamitous August recess.”

Shea-Porter spent much of the August recess avoiding direct engagement with her constituents. She refused to hold traditional, New Hampshire-style town hall meetings until pressured into doing so last Saturday by Republicans and state media.

Two things:

  1. There’s something fun about seeing the word ‘calamitous’ used about the Other Side’s political fortunes.
  2. You’d have thought that the last eight years would have taught a self-avowed member of the antiwar movement that cutting and running DOES. NOT. WORK.

Moe Lane

PS: Frank Guinta for Congress.

Crossposted to RedState.

Charlie Rangel (D, NY) gave money to Democrats on Ethics Committee.

(Via @vermontaigne) Three of them.  Need I add that Charlie Rangel is currently under investigation by that committee?

Charlie’s “angels” on the committee include Congressmen Ben Chandler of Kentucky, G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina and Peter Welch of Vermont. All have received donations from Rangel.

Two of them – Chandler (KY-06, R+9*) & Butterfield (NC-01, D+9) – are apparently keeping it, too.  Considering that Rep. Rangel has given money to 119 Congressmen since the ethics probe began last year, you could almost not blame them.  Or almost not blame Rangel for acting as if he was above the laws that he writes:

Congressman Rangel has been arrogant in refusing to discuss how, as the man who writes this country’s tax laws, he failed to report over $1 million in outside income and $3 million in business transactions as required by the House, lapses under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

“I recognize that all of you have an obligation to ask questions knowing that there’s none of you smart enough to frame it in such a way that I’m going to respond,” Rangel said.

Almost.  But trust me, Charlie: the GOP takes back the House in 2010, we’re going to find it really easy to make you respond to the question.

Moe Lane

*Ben Chandler has already acquired a Republican challenger: Matt Lockett.

Crossposted to RedState.

Miss Manners FTW.

The first one in today’s column is perfect; both for its multiple-exclamation point SHOUTING!!!!!!!!!!, and Miss Manners’ gentle correction. I would wish that we had more of her sort on the Internet, except that we’d probably have to give them all tazers – and, more to the point, one of them would eventually work her way down to me.

Moe Lane

PS: The second one is pretty good, too. I wonder if Miss Manners is eligible to run in California?