RCP: November continues to loom for Democrats.

Sean Trende of Real Clear Politics – an underrated blogger, possibly because RCP is such a good site generally that its bloggers get overshadowed – still holds his opinion from April that the House is going to flip big in November:

The bottom line is that Democrats are on pace for an ugly November. They’re increasingly running out of time to change the dynamic, and it looks about as likely that things will get worse as that they will get better. If the elections were held today, the balance of the evidence suggests they would lose 50-60 seats. If you think the political environment will improve for Democrats, you can adjust your expectations accordingly, but if you think they will get worse, you can do the same.

He’s basing that on a few things: the Gallup and Rasmussen generic ballot polls, and the NPR analysis.  Continue reading RCP: November continues to loom for Democrats.

Staffing news comes in threes.

So, in the last forty-eight hours or so, we’ve learned:

  1. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is either leaving his job, or being shoved out of it, in the very near future;
  2. White House Budget Director Peter Orszag is going to be likewise leaving his job… not that anybody can tell the difference, given that WE DON’T ACTUALLY HAVE A BUDGET THIS YEAR BECAUSE DEMOCRATIC POLITICIANS ARE A PACK OF COWARDS*;
  3. and Commander of US forces in Afghanistan Stanley McChrystal has just decided to commit career suicide by badmouthing the Ambassador of Afghanistan – via the magazine Rolling Stone.

Anyway, it’s a trifecta: a Chief of Staff who can’t keep the White House running smoothly, a Budget Director who can’t  create a budget, and a top military guy who can’t keep his mouth shut about the civilian powers**.  That’s one heck of an executive branch staffing record that the White House is accumulating there – and it’s only Tuesday.  At this rate, we’ll wake up on Friday to the news that Steven Chu*** has just burned down the Department of Energy as part of a tragic toasted bagel accident.

Moe Lane Continue reading Staffing news comes in threes.

Ooooooh. New Delta Green!

Targets of Opportunity: includes stuff on the Cult of Transcendence, which Ken Hite’s only been teasing us about for years and years and years…

…OK, real quick: Delta Green is a Call of Cthulhu supplement about a secret and illegal government conspiracy to fight the Mythos, and it’s some of the best damn horror roleplaying supplements you’re ever going to find…

…and, in about a month, I should be able to afford it.

*Finally*: e-books starting to come down in price.

So, the Kindle‘s now down to $189.  Not surprising: as I understand it, you need at least three viable choices of a service or product to get a price war going, and at this point there are apparently four.  So the price will probably go down some more.

I have to tell you: if (as per here and here) if people do offer a free Kindle (or other e-reader) as part of a Book-of-the-Month club deal that might be the tipping point for me.

#rsrh Ah, yes, the Great Pot Debate…

Episode MCMDLVIII.

I understand what Jimmy is arguing here about how we can make something illegal, yet not enforce it without actually breaking the social compact (his example is speeding, which everybody who owns a car does).  I just don’t agree with it when it comes to pot.  There’s money in pot; if you have some, you can usually sell it.  Which is my clumsy way of noting that there’s an economic factor when it comes to the War On Some Drugs; and when money comes into something, well, that complicates matters.

Personally, if it was up to me I’d make pot legal for over-21s and not-quite-literally crucify anybody caught selling or giving it to a kid, or using it while operating heavy machinery (explicitly including cars and military equipment).  That’s more or less what we do with booze, and the Republic seems to have survived thus far under that particular regulatory regime.  Of course, it’s not up to me: it’s up to Barack Obama and Joe ‘BFD’ Biden, so I guess that the potheads are more or less stuck for right now.

Hey, don’t blame me.  I voted for THAT WOMAN, remember?

Moe Lane

#rsrh Gallup does not bring the DOOM.

DOOM implies a lack of giggling.

An average of 59% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents have said they are more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year compared with past elections, the highest average Gallup has found in a midterm election year for either party since the question was first asked in 1994.

Via Jim Geraghty.  Just try not to giggle at that article.

Try.

Moe Lane Continue reading #rsrh Gallup does not bring the DOOM.

Sen. John Thune (R) to pitch in across country.

I’m sure that the Democrats are kicking themselves right now:

The South Dakota Republican — who also leads the Senate GOP Policy Committee and is widely viewed as a 2012 presidential contender —is up for re-election this year. But no Democrat or Independent filed to run against him, leaving him with plenty of time and money to help Republicans win seats this November as the party seeks to regain a true sense of relevancy on Capitol Hill.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) said Thursday he planned to meet with Thune soon to explore ways the up-and-coming first-term Senator could help the NRSC and GOP candidates from now until Election Day. Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) added that he fully expects Thune to be a strong political asset over the next 135 days.

Senator Thune is, after all, possessed of a dangerous combination: he’s able, popular, and not particularly busy this electoral cycle.  Two out of three would be a net gain for the GOP’s 2010 electoral campaigns; three out of three is very welcome news.  And since the DSCC’s recruiting program so spectacularly fell down on the job here*, you can even say that this bit of good fortune is ultimately due to the Democrats…

Moe Lane Continue reading Sen. John Thune (R) to pitch in across country.

WH nervously denies Rahmbo cut-and-run.

[UPDATE]: Welcome, Hot Air readers. And Jules Crittenden readers.

Given that the Telegraph report came out yesterday afternoon, it’s amazing that they’ve gone to the trouble of denying it before the start of business hours today. And to Fox, no less.

The White House Monday dismissed reports that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel plans to leave his post after becoming frustrated with the Obama administration as “ludicrous.”

[snip]

In response to the report, a senior White House official told Fox News the “ludicrous” story was “not worth looking into.”

Continue reading WH nervously denies Rahmbo cut-and-run.