Angered by Antiwar Ad, Giuliani Seeks Equal Space
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 10:57 AM GMT-06:00
New York Times
Facing Reelection, GOP Moderates React With Concern
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 10:47 AM GMT-06:00
Washington Post
Obama Gets Key Black Support
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 10:46 AM GMT-06:00
Washington Times
For Clinton, 2000 Fund-Raising Controversy Lingers
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 10:45 AM GMT-06:00
Wall Street Journal
Dems Try to Choose Bush's Attorney General
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:54 AM GMT-06:00
In the next few days, President George W. Bush will choose a new Attorney General to succeed Alberto Gonzales. Even before he does, Democrats and their allies are announcing that the President...
Does America Want a Clinton Monarchy?
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:49 AM GMT-06:00
There's a strange debate dominating the Democratic campaign so far. Hillary Clinton's calling card seems to be the experience that she possesses and that Barack Obama lacks. " 'Change' is just a word...
A 'Realistic Chance' of Success
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:48 AM GMT-06:00
As always, the inadvertent slip is the most telling. Discussing the performance of British troops, Gen. David Petraeus told Sen. Joe Biden of the Foreign Relations Committee that he'd be consulting...
Dems Need to Break with the Outer Left
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:46 AM GMT-06:00
Democrats need their "Sister Souljah moment" with the outer left, and they need it now. The MoveOn.org ad -- "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" -- was simply unacceptable. Not only was it dumb,...
Painting the Suburbs Blue
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:36 AM GMT-06:00
As Virginia goes, so goes the Senate -- and the nation? The decision of former Virginia governor Mark Warner to run for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. John Warner is more than just bad news...
The War Against Politics
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:35 AM GMT-06:00
WASHINGTON -- Reflecting on Gen. David H. Petraeus' report and surrounding carnival, it's little wonder the natives are restless -- popping off in angry ads, firing personal invectives and, as...
The Perils of Overreach
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:35 AM GMT-06:00
Hillary Clinton incontestably spoke the truth about the Iraq war this past February at the annual meeting of the Democratic National Committee when she said, "I understand the frustration and...
Putin's Puzzling PM Pick
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:21 AM GMT-06:00
Russia has been nothing if not full of (mostly unpleasant) surprises recently, from the resumption of bomber patrols to planting flags on the Arctic seabed. And while the collapse of Prime Minister...
Stopping the Next War
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:21 AM GMT-06:00
President Bush has won the Battle of September. When he turns over the presidency on Jan. 20, 2009, there will likely be as many U.S. troops in Iraq as there were when Congress was...
Circus Maximus
Posted: 14 Sep 2007 12:13 AM GMT-06:00
WASHINGTON -- Any objective observer who watched or read this week's House and Senate testimony of Gen. David Petraeus received an informative assessment of the battlefield situation in Mesopotamia....
Hillary Wants to 'Change Our Country'
Posted: 13 Sep 2007 01:30 PM GMT-06:00
In the spring of 1993, shortly after her husband and political benefactor Bill Clinton took office as the nation's 42nd president, Hillary Clinton delivered the commencement address at the University...
Turning the Page in Iraq
Posted: 13 Sep 2007 12:45 AM GMT-06:00
Clinton, IA September 12, 2007 A few months ago, I met a woman who told me her nephew was leaving for Iraq. As she started to tell me about how much she'd miss him and how worried she was about...
Former West High counselor accused of having sex with girl ordered to stand trial on rape charges
Another reason for School Vouchers?
By Stephen HuntThe Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 09/13/2007 02:54:58 PM MDT
Posted: 2:56 PM- A former West High School guidance counselor was ordered Thursday to stand trial for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student, who still professes love for the man. Marco R. Herrera, 52, is charged in 3rd District Court with 10 sex-related crimes: three counts of first-degree felony rape, two counts of first-degree felony forcible sodomy and five counts of second-degree forcible sexual abuse. Between April and June, Herrera had sexual intercourse with the girl at least three times and other sexual relations several other times, according to charging documents. The crimes would be less severe except that Herrera, as a school counselor, occupied a position of special trust in relation to the girl, according to prosecutors. Defense attorney Edward Brass claimed the evidence was sketchy as to whether Herrera was counseling the girl at the time of the alleged offenses. Prosecutor Bradley Knell countered that the girl met Herrera last November in his capacity as a counselor, and that some of the alleged crimes occurred at school. Judge Tyrone Medley noted that Herrera would "pink-slip" the girl to take her out of school, and that at least one episode of touching occurred at Herrera's school office. Brass unsuccessfully requested a reduction in Herrera's bail from $250,000 to $10,000. Brass claimed Herrera was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community, if released from the Salt Lake County jail. He noted Herrera has a wife and two children, and this is the first time he has been charged with a crime. Before he was fired over the sex allegations, Herrera was a counselor at West High for 24 years. Brass asked the judge to consider that the girl initiated the sexual relationship and consented to "virtually everything that happened . . . There was no coercion." Brass also pointed to "conflicts" between the girl's testimony and what she told a police detective, including that some of her own allegations were untrue. But Medley said the girl was reluctant to testify because "of her desire not to see the defendant go to prison and the fact that she loves the defendant." The judge added that calling the girl a willing participant "borders on being ridiculous," in part because she was not legally able to consent because of her age. As for Herrera, the judge said he exercised "deceit, stealth, emotional and psychological domination and control" over the girl. For example, the judge said, Herrera had the girl fool her father as to her whereabouts by calling her father from the library. Herrera also had the girl forge her father's signature on school release forms, and he gave the girl a gift and talked about problems in his marriage, the judge said. The judge said Herrera's "totally inappropriate" conduct was evidence that he presents a danger to "young females in this community, be they students or not students." Herrera is to be arraigned Oct. 5 before Judge Deno Himonas. shunt@sltrib.com
What the union fearsThere are times in politics when people accidentally say what they really mean. Voucher opponents did that earlier this week in a letter to the editor of the Deseret Morning News.
A UEA member wrote that the UEA "fears the voucher law" because "we (the union) will lose our voice in the education of our (the union's) children."
They are really your children, but the union doesn't seem to think so. They are afraid of giving parents more control over their own children's education.The union has reason to fear. Referendum 1 does give parents more say in how and where their children are educated. Many parents will choose non-union schools.
That means the union control over teachers will be smaller, while the involvement and control of parents will be greater. That's a very good thing.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Educational Freedom by Every Means Available
September 13, 2007 4:00 AMEducational Freedom by Every Means AvailableA response to “Credit Is Preferred.”By Dick KomerWhile millions of children are denied a quality education daily, we ought not to recklessly dismiss good solutions. Moreover, we should not indulge in this kind of carelessness when the basis of our judgment relies on a poor understanding of the state of constitutional law.
Full Story:
http://vouchernews.blogspot.com/2007/09/educational-freedom-by-every-means.html
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
We have a failing public school system
We have a failing public school system which continues to suck down more and more money while delivering less in terms of well educated graduates.We continue to fall behind the rest of the world in both the quality of our educational output and the quantity.
Read Full Post: http://vouchernews.blogspot.com/2007/09/we-have-failing-public-school-system.html
Tim Beagley: Turn! Turn! Turn! the Byrds 1965
Turn! Turn! Turn! the Byrds 1965Brace yourself Utah. The Voucher Media Battles are underway. There likely will be no prisoners taken as both sides appear ready to die on their respective swords over this one. Too bad. In the end this will prove to be one of the biggest duds in recent memory and when the dust finally settles (long about the year 2015) it will be easy to see that nothing was accomplished. Win or lose, vouchers or not, the troubled schools in Utah will not improve.
Read the full story: http://kcmannn.bravejournal.com/index.php
Campaign Finance Folly
I'm steamed about campaign finance laws that limit the amount of money people can contribute to political parties or politicians. They are an affront to the constitutional protection of speech. (I fully support mandatory disclosure of donor names and amounts.) People trying to get around the artificial limits on campaign contributions have resulted in a host of undesirable benefits.
http://www.lavalane.org/blava/2007/09/campaign-finance-folly.html
The Ignored Amendment
by Ralph R. ReilandSeptember 6, 2007
Archives
"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted," states the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Jessica Hodges would almost certainly say that we're no longer paying much attention to the prohibition on excessive fines.
Washington Post writer Jonathan Mummolo describes her case: "The labor pains were coming, so Jessica Hodges got going. The 26-year-old bank teller from Burke (Va.) sped toward Inova Fairfax Hospital, but before she got there, the law got her --- 57 mph in a 35 zone. Reckless driving."
Hodges was found guilty and fined $1,050, plus a judge-imposed $100 fine and court costs.
"It's crazy," said an unrepentant Hodges. "Having a baby's more important. Of course I'm going to speed."
Hodges won't have an easy time paying the bill, as Mummolo describes: "She and her husband, Jeff, a massage therapist, barely go out and are living basically week-to-week to support 17-month-old Madison and infant Alessandra, born July 19. If the appeal is denied, her husband will probably have to work overtime."
If Hodges and her husband end up buying a few six packs because of the three jobs and two babies, 44 percent of the cost of their beer in Virginia will be due to hidden and direct taxes.
The newly increased traffic fines, ranging from $750 to $3,000, were passed earlier this year by Virginia's General Assembly as part of a package to pay for a slew of new transportation projects.
"I'm getting out of here," said Hodges, "before I have to pay for any new roads."
More "excessive" in terms of fines, the penalties for sexual harassment in the workplace under the Civil Rights Act of 1991 include punitive damages of up to $300,000 per incident, i.e., per "unwelcome" joke, flirtation, etc. (Sen. Ted Kennedy wanted the price to be $1 million per incident.)
The $300,000 potential tab per incident can be triggered by an alleged victim's perception of having been subjected to unwanted speech, jokes, gestures, romantic pursuits, looks, attitudes, etc., or by a perception of having been subjected to condescension, defamation or exclusion.
"If traffic laws were modeled on harassment policies," writes Reason magazine columnist Cathy Young, referring to the inherently subjective and changing nature of perceptions regarding what is unwelcome and objectionable, "there would be no stop signs --- you could just be fined for failing to stop when someone thought you should have."
With six jokes and two unwanted glances worth a potential $2.4 million, the legal maneuver to get fines to the "excessive" level is to keep a diary and document each incident, rather than reporting the problem for a quicker and less litigious solution.
Under the rules, businesses and other organizations can be held liable even when they aren't aware that a problem exists.
Equally "excessive," the Federal Communications Commission's maximum fine for indecency just went up tenfold, to $325,000 per incident. The new rules authorize the FCC to fine a broadcaster as much as $3 million per day for multiple instances of alleged indecency.
With the section of the Eighth Amendment prohibiting "cruel and unusual punishments," William James Rummel might well say that we've lost our way.
Rummel was sentenced to life imprisonment in Texas (with eligibility for parole in 12 years, but with no guarantee of parole) for three nonviolent and minor offenses -- the fraudulent use of a credit card to obtain $80 worth of goods and services in 1964, passing a forged check in the amount of $28.36 in 1969, and obtaining $120.75 by false pretenses in 1973.
Citing precedent, i.e., itself, the Supreme Court rejected Rummel's argument that his life sentence was a violation of the constitutional ban on "cruel and unusual punishments" by pointing to a 1912 case, Graham v. West Virginia, in which the Supreme Court rejected an Eighth Amendment claim from a horse thief who had been sentenced to life imprisonment after stealing three horses --- one horse at a time, in 1898, 1901 and 1907.
In 1958, Chief Justice Earl Warren stated that the Eighth Amendment "must draw its meaning from the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society."
The evolution is slow. It wasn't until 2002 that the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that executions of mentally retarded criminals are "cruel and unusual punishment," a violation of the Eighth Amendment.
***
Ralph R. Reiland is an associate professor of economics at Robert Morris University and a local restaurateur. E-mail him at rrreiland@aol.com.
This column was originally published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Reprinted with permission.
The Price of Risk
by Dan McLaughlinSeptember 6, 2007
Archives
Some lessons are hard to learn. Going 100 miles per hour may be exciting, but when you miss the curve, you pay the price in broken bones, bruises and large hospital bills, if you are a lucky one. Speeding is a risky undertaking. The faster you go, the higher the risk. Some people like the exhilaration so much that they are willing to take that risk. They have no choice, however, but to pay the price for their indiscretion if things don’t go as planned.
Gambling is also a risky proposition. While you may win big, there is also a chance you may lose big. If you take the risk, you must understand that it may go either way.
In the financial markets, as in most other things in life, risk is usually related to gain. Generally speaking, solid, low risk investments carry a low rate of return. As the perceived risk of loss on the investment increases, the rate of return also rises. It stands to reason that it will take a higher rate of return to induce someone to risk their assets on an investment that may not pay them back.
One of the more risky sorts of investments is sub-prime mortgages. The reason that they are sub-prime is that the borrowers have poor track records for payment. There is a substantial risk that they may default on the loan. When the value of the property securing the loan shrinks, as is happening all over today, the lender suffers a much greater exposure to loss.
Since those types of investments are quite risky, they carry a significantly higher rate of return. That means that the regular high level of income that you would get from investing in them would be somewhat offset by the losses you would take from default and from the loss of market value of the property. Anyone who agrees to invest in that type of loan also agrees to carry the burden of losses when they occur. It is only fair. They get a higher level of income when times are good, when the economy speeds along at 100 miles per hour. They must also take the lumps when the economy runs off the edge of the road.
Over the last number of years, sub-prime lending has been booming as real estate prices have skyrocketed. Monetary policy had been loosey goosey, with the Fed and other central banks keeping rates low, spurring the real estate and stock markets on to ridiculous levels. Lenders have been willing to take on more risk to get a piece of the lucrative sub-prime pie. They assumed that losses would be minimized by high property values. They have reaped the benefits of high returns while people who opted out of risk puttered along, safe and sound, with low rates of return.
Now the economy is hitting a curve in the road. We are hearing the screeching of tires as our hundred MPH friends start to spin out of control. Sub-prime loans are not looking so good. The real estate market has sunk, leaving less collateral to back up the loans. People are panicking as mega-lenders are hitting the guardrails. On one interesting televised investment program, a near delirious broker was literally screaming at the Fed, saying they have no idea how bad it is. He was demanding that they intervene to correct the problems.
Our frenzied friend was ignoring the fact that all those desperate lenders got themselves into the current situation because they chose high risk, and lots of it. That so many people joined them and created such an unstable market is a blame that can fall squarely on the back of the central banks and the incentives they offered. The problem is that now, those investors want us taxpayers and consumers to bail them out of trouble caused by their own indiscretion.
Unfortunately, the central banks have bowed to the crying, pumping in hundreds of billions of dollars of liquidity into the system to help the economy. This amounts to trying to save a drowning man by pouring water on him. Ultimately someone will have to pay for their irresponsible behavior. Once again, it will be you and me paying to save the skin of wealthy, well connected investment bankers.
The Fed created a problem that can only be solved by market adjustments. Brokers and bankers reap the income, they should also pay the severe price of those adjustments, not consumers and taxpayers.
***
Dan McLaughlin is a former corporate financial officer and is currently a columnist for The Post Journal. Visit his web site at http://users.adelphia.net/~djmclaughlin/ or contact him at danmcl999@roadrunner.net.
With regard to my previous post endorsing vouchers, please understand that just because I resent educational practices which undermine "traditional values" that does not mean I therefore want public schools to do a 180 degree turn and begin teaching Christian doctrine. That is not my position at all. I just want Secular Humanists to stop trying to impose their faith and their social agenda upon society by way of the public school system.
http://vouchernews.blogspot.com/2007/09/school-vouchers-part-2-from-alienated.html
Monday, September 10, 2007
That MoveOn Ad [Kathryn Jean Lopez]
A McCain release:
ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on MoveOn.org's ad appearing in The New York Times today:
"In today's New York Times, the anti-war group MoveOn.org launched a McCarthyite attack on an American patriot and our commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. This is a man who has devoted his life in service to our nation and has defended America in many battles over many years. Now he is the target of a despicable attack in one our nation's most visible newspapers. No matter where you stand on the war, we should all agree on the character and decency of this exceptional American. I would hope that the Democratic Congressional leadership and Democratic presidential candidates would also join me in publicly condemning this kind of political attack ad and the organization responsible for it in the strongest terms possible."
UPDATE: And Thompson:
"MoveOn.org has today, in effect, said that the General leading our brave troops in Iraq is betraying his country. This is the group that funds the Democratic Party. I call upon the Democratic Party and all of the Democratic candidates for President to repudiate the libel of this patriotic American."
09/10 12:47 PM
Mark Towner - Loudly Babbles and Blusters Once More
Posted in September 8th, 2007
by JM Bell in dementia, GOP asshats, GOP Shill
>>>>>JM I would have thought you would have stayed out of this, but it appears you are speaking for the liar and thief Jesse Harris since he will not speak for himself.
Marky Mark Towner is on another rant jag. He, once again, reloaded up his database of poached email addresses and names, sent out another list grab, and got caught with his security practically non-existent.
>>>(You know better JM)
His 5,800 email addresses and names were wide open for anyone else to steal, including a good chunk of personal information that, again, leads to the opinion that he either swiped it from the GOP lists, swiped it from the Utah Policy Daily and/or bought it.
>>>Steal, exactly JM what I was saying about Jesse and the other Bloggers. I will out you all when the time is right. The campaigns that "Stole the edited list" filled with gotcha email addresses that only I know about will blow several political campaigns (mostly democrat) right out of the water.
Jesse Harris over at Coolest Family Ever (which, even with that name, doesn’t talk about my family at all) caught another piece of Mark’s spam (as did several other bloggers), took a peek and found the giant security lapse that allowed anyone to grab all of the personal information that Mark had stored on 5,800 people. That’s bad. Very, very bad.
So what did Mark do when he was told of his irresponsible screw-up? In true GOP fashion, he blamed the messenger and started calling everyone who questioned his negligence as un-American.
>>> I have nothing whatsoever do do with the GOP (State or Local) anymore. I have registered a new party here in Utah.
In a nutshell, Mark is pissed that Jesse won’t apologize for saying that Mark has less than 10,000 “subscribers” after Jesse got a look at a list of 5,800. Mark also called Jesse un-American because Jesse thinks that Comcast and Qwest’s internet service sucks out loud. >>>> Please provide this quote JM, Oh now who's the liar? Jesse mentioned, I gather, something about wanting the promise of Fiber-Optics that we were all promised (and funded with tax dollars) that has yet to appear almost anywhere. You know, like Utopia. Mark further goes on to falsely state that Jesse is attacking Mark’s first amendment rights of free speech. Hmmm.
So, here you go, Mark:
Point #1 :
10,000-5,800——-=4,200 <– only this many to go before 10,000.
>>> Since I'm actually responding to the thief Jesse Harris, Harris claimed I likely had less than 3000 actual email addresses, 5800 is nearly double that number if my math is correct. Now where are the missing 4200 from the 10,000? These are the email addresses of our new political party. The people who are sick and tired of the same crap comming from both the Democrats and Republicans. Humm think about that one JM. You continue to imply my email addresses came from Utah Policy Daily, yet LaVarr Webb has told you on so many occasions that is not the case. What is UPD's subscriber base? alot more than 5800. I was never an employee of Utah Policy Daily and when I started working with them their subscriber base was around 3500. I wonder how their base of email address went from 3500 to nearly 10,000 over night. So who's email list are we really talking about here JM? You want to see the rest of the list and more JM? Are you willing to put up a bond of lets' say 1 million dollars and sign a ND agreement?
Point #2 : Comcast Sucks. I have Comcast, and it DOES suck. I used to have Qwest, and they suck even harder, that’s why I have Comcast. That’s me expressing an opinion under my first amendment rights. We were promised fiber-optics years ago and we gave the telecoms a crapload of taxpayer money to get it done and …. nearly nada. Why does wanting to be #1 in the world on Internet technology, instead of #42, make us un-American? While I believe that Republicans are often backward, it doesn’t seem to fit in with American Exceptionalism that we deserve, and should therefore quietly acquiesce, to mediocrity. I’d like an explanation of that one, Mark.
>>>> Comcast sucks, really??? I have Comcast here in Salt Lake City and my download speed is nearly T1. Upload could be better but for the money it's pretty good. Qwest on the other hand has no physical connection to my house anymore, I simply cut down the cable. We can thank Rocky Anderson for not getting fiber here in SLC. Maybe that will change with a new Mayor.
Point #3 : You are, to the best of my recollection, neither a candidate nor a party officer, and furthermore, you send out your opinion and whole news articles, reproduced and posted, without the permission of the publisher under the banner of pretend pirate captain and not, say, as a political organization. Therefore, your spam is not considered protected speech. It’s just spam with politically opinionated content. You want to go stand on a street corner and yell about this stuff, feel free. Otherwise, you’re a spammer. Either clean up your act or get an “I’m a dirty, fu*king spammer” T-shirt and embrace the real you.
>>>> As I stated earlier, I am an officer of a new created political party here in Utah. I have full First Amendment Protection as the founder and chair of that party. Any copyrighted articles have full link backs to the original, and I'm not receiving anything but thanks from the websites that people go to read that full story or get additional information. Since I actually track this and can show this additional traffic they are quite pleased. I've already spoken with these people JM, and if they had a problem with what I'm doing don't you think they would be contacting me directly? Who are you the Blogger Police?
Point #4 : It’s not fun, Mark, to do this every time someone takes exception with your behavior. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the role of partisan asshat better than just about anyone, but I don’t place other people’s information at risk on the internet, and I never have to spam off a “suspect” list to get readers. So, c’mon, Mark. Knock it off, please? This is getting very old, and it’s not fun anymore. Share on Facebook
>>>>Finally JM and to all you other Political Bloggers that hate me or what I'm doing
1) I have nothing whatsover to do with the Utah or National Republican Party. I have resigned all positions, and Registered accordingly.
2) I'm sick of both major parties and plan to expose their corruption when I see it.
3) "Throw the Rascals Out" will be the rallying cry of the new political party here in Utah and maybe around the country if it catches fire.
4) I'm a political spammer, one of the biggest, although RCP is pretty close. I harvest email addresses, I purchase lists, I collect and database everything. I have every registered voter in Utah and in many other states where I consult databased. I can provide "your" voting record from 2000 to 2006 JM, and based on your neighborhood tell you exactly how you compare with your neighbors, from debts to car ownerships, paid taxes any public available information etc. You should know better than anyone JM, because I told you what I did in the past. I'm very good at what I do, and the 5800 emails stolen by Jesse and others were completely screened of the emails that are importent to me now, then I inserted a number of tracking emails. I will know exactly who and for what purpose these emails are used in the future.
September 8, 2007Breaking: Hagel OutPosted by REID WILSON E-Mail This Permalink Email Author
The Omaha World-Herald reports this morning that maverick Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska will call it quits in a Monday press conference, retiring from the Senate and forgoing a presidential bid. One source tells the World-Herald that Hagel told GOP leader Mitch McConnell of his decision yesterday.
The race to succeed Hagel already includes Attorney General Jon Bruning, and former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub is expected to join in soon. Former Nebraska Governor and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns is said to be interested in the race.
On the Democratic side, DSCC chairman Chuck Schumer is hoping to recruit former Senator Bob Kerrey for a run at his old job. Kerrey is currently the president of the New School University in New York and has hinted that he is interested in a run. Without Kerrey, Democrats would turn to Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey or 2006 congressional candidate Scott Kleeb.
Democrats would have the strongest chance of winning the seat with Kerrey at the top of the ticket, and the former senator would probably be considered the favorite against Daub and Bruning. But Johanns would certainly come in as the front-runner, both in the GOP primary and in the general. A Kerrey-Johanns matchup would be viewed as a battle of the titans and would become one of the nation's most-watched races.
Hagel's decision brings to three the number of open seats Republicans will have to defend. The announcement continues a trend of Republicans who waited to decide their fate and chose re-election -- of the Senate Republicans who said they would announce their future plans at later dates, just Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran has opted for another race. Speculation continues to mount that Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici are also considering stepping down.
The RCP Blog
Thompson's 'Whirlwind'
Posted: 07 Sep 2007 05:15 PM CDT
Fred Thompson, making his inaugural whirlwind tour around the early primary states, isn't doing much to counter his image as a less than enthusiastic campaigner. Thompson hits New Hampshire this...
Fred in Des Moines
Posted: 07 Sep 2007 04:33 PM CDT
From Fred's Web site: That must be the podium Tom was referring to -- the one that won't be used any longer. More videos in the RCP Vlog....
Thompson's Roll Out; NH Debate
Posted: 07 Sep 2007 03:32 PM CDT
In our weekly podcast with the WashingtonPost.com I discuss Fred Thompson's roll out this week and his impact on the GOP field as well as McCain's and Huckabee's solid performance in Wednesday's...
Trail Mix with Fred
Posted: 07 Sep 2007 03:07 PM CDT
ORANGE CITY - After departing Sioux City, Thompson made a stop brief stop in Le Mars for a photo op at Bob's Drive In - "Home of the Bob's Dog*." Fred chatted up the diners while the cameras huddled...
Podium Free Fred
Posted: 07 Sep 2007 12:09 PM CDT
SIOUX CITY - Thompson just completed the third event of his kick off tour, a standing room only town hall meeting at the Sioux City Convention center. The campaign seemed pleased with the results, as...
'08 Notes: More Hits Than Ichiro
Posted: 07 Sep 2007 10:30 AM CDT
A new scandal could be popping up on the outskirts of Chicago, as Rep. Jerry Weller comes under scrutiny for a land deal in Nicaragua (how great is the San Juan del Sur dateline?). Weller failed to...
The Daily 2008
Posted: 07 Sep 2007 10:19 AM CDT
According to the New York Times' Adam Nagourney and Jo Becker, Fred Thompson's campaign goal should be a cinch. All he has to do, they write, is "win over conservatives who are disheartened at their...
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Jesse Harris is a Liar and a thiefAnti 1st amendment jack ass Jesse Harris http://www.coolestfamilyever.com/has shown his true colors.
First he calls me a liar saying I did not have anywhere near the 10,000 subscribers I claimed for the Spyglass Newsletter. Now after stealing 5800 edited down email addresses his fist accusation is debunked. Do I receive and apology, no just more attacks and statements of how he plans on revealing the contents of the stolen email list.
Additionally by posting on his own website how he subscribed to my email list and agreeing to the terms, which included not downloading information without permission, chose to suggest other bloggers to duplicate his unethical if not illegal behavior.
His blog sites and his open support of UTOPIA, and distain of Comcast and Qwest takes a “holier than thou” attitude because I continue to “spam” thousands of email addresses with a link to my free Political Newsletter The Spyglass.
The Spyglass is nothing more than a place for me to post articles that interest me and for others to read what is happening in the world of politics. Additionally it provides me an easy archive of thoughts and stories. Additionally I sometimes write commentary or comments to get other bloggers feedback on issues or events.
What part of the First Amendment does Jesse Harris not understand?
I guess this is what you can expect from a Liar and thief.
Mark Towner,Publisher
RealClearPolitics - Politics and Election
Thompson Enters Race From Tonight Show Couch
Posted: 06 Sep 2007 11:49 AM CDT
New York Times
Candidate Who Is Not There Upstages GOP Debate
Posted: 06 Sep 2007 11:48 AM CDT
Los Angeles Times
GOP Cringe at Craig's Bid to Undo Guilty Plea
Posted: 06 Sep 2007 11:47 AM CDT
New York Daily News
'08 Democrats Reuse, Recycle Rivals' Best Lines
Posted: 06 Sep 2007 11:46 AM CDT
Washington Times
Who's winning, who's losing, and why.
The Minus One DebateThe last GOP face-off before Fred Thompson joins the race
By John DickersonPosted Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007, at 7:39 AM ET
If you are a Republican presidential candidate don't irritate Fox News. That was the first message from the Wednesday night debate hosted by the network. Fred Thompson didn't attend the New Hampshire forum, choosing instead to appear on NBC's Tonight Show. In what can only be seen as a delicious act of retribution, the Fox anchors started the evening with an open-ended question to the participating candidates about the former Tennessee Senator. This saved the eight men on stage the trouble of finding the right moment to work in the quips about Thompson they'd prepared beforehand. Mike Huckabee compared Thompson to the country singer George Jones who was called "No-Show George" for missing his concerts." McCain suggested the debate was past Thompson's bed time, a reference to Thompson's supposed laziness, which almost all candidates touched on indirectly as they touted their hard work.
Rudy Giuliani's opening jab was the most damaging. "He's done a pretty good job of playing my part on "Law & Order," said the former prosecutor. "I personally prefer the real thing….you have three leading Democratic candidates, none of which have ever run a city, a state or a business. America's at war. America's got some big problems. It's not the time for on-the-job training as an executive."
After the T-ball round, here's how the top candidates performed:
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John McCain: If McCain revives his campaign, his debate performance will be the moment observers seize on as the start of the turnaround. After a terrible summer of staff defections, fundraising woes and plunging poll numbers he declared the debate a "make or break moment." It sounded like the kind of false drama dying campaigns try create before doing something truly desperate and embarrassing. But McCain raised expectations and then met them. He was commanding and in control on issues from immigration to taxes to the troop surge in Iraq which many Republicans believe has been a success. ("Kicking ass," as Bush put it.) McCain took his opportunities to highlight his military and foreign policy experience relative to his opponents—particularly Mitt Romney-- without looking desperate. He was also praised several times by his opponents. Mike Huckabee went on so long about McCain's honor it sounded like the generosity rivals only show each other when one of them is getting out of the race.
Rudy Giuliani: Perhaps in future debates moderators can find an experience in the human condition which Rudy cannot use as a pretext to talk about an achievement from his tenure as mayor. Time and again Giuliani answered questions with data-laden examples of how he reduced crime or cut taxes that he said proved he was tested and ready. Though in past debates similar answers turned out to be inaccurate or puffed up, his concrete facts and details sound commanding and convey the idea that he's a hands-on manager. Plus the cramped format makes it almost impossible for his opponents to refute his assertions about shrinking the welfare rolls or managing the bureaucracy even if they wanted to. The downside: enough already with the bragging.
A voter asked Giuliani about his fraught personal life and he gave what may be his best answer to date. He appeared somewhat sympathetic (useful for a guy with a reputation as a bully) while making the case for why voters should focus on his achievements. "I am not running as the prefect candidate for president of the United States. I am running as a human being," he said, channeling John Hurt. "Any issues in my private life do not affect my public performance."
Mike Huckabee: In the first Fox debate, it was Rudy Giuliani who used Ron Paul as his foil. This time Mike Huckabee engaged in a back and forth with him over finishing the job in Iraq. It was a rare flare of substance and useful conflict over the question of what America owes the Iraqis. Paul-- who the stainless steel Romney might want to watch for lessons in how to display passion-- made the case for withdrawal, arguing that the country should not continue to suffer for the mistakes of a neoconservative cabal in the White House that launched the war. Huckabee, who conceding the mistakes in Iraq, made the case for staying in Iraq by appealing to the country's sense of honor. "What we did in Iraq is we essentially broke it," he said invoking Colin Powell's Pottery Barn rule. "It's our responsibility to try and fix it." Huckabee has been moving up in the polls. He's appealing, amusing and articulates the pro-life position better than perhaps any presidential candidate ever has. This exchange offered a chance for him to show GOP primary voters range—he could speak passionately about the central foreign policy issue of the day. Since debates live on in the sound-bites replayed afterwards, the exchange with Paul is one Huckabee should probably post in the middle of his homepage.
Mitt Romney: No matter how well you do, when a civilian questioner rebukes you it's a bad night. Romney was on his way to completing a competent if not distinguished performance when a father with a son completing his second tour in Iraq clubbed him. "I don't think you fully understand how offended my wife and I were and probably the rest of the people who have sons, daughters, husbands and wives serving in the war on terror to compare your son's attempts to get you elected my son's service in Iraq," he said, nervously. "I know you apologized a couple days later up there, a firestorm started. But it was wrong, sir, and you never should have said it."
Romney, who was already taking heat from McCain for not giving a full-throated support of the surge and whose Iraq answers sounded tentative and unwieldy, had trouble responding. He heaped praise on those who serve but it sounded more like an act of damage control than a response to the father's clear emotion.
This is just too funny?
http://vouchernews.blogspot.com/2007/09/who-is-real-accountability-blogsite.html
LOL
LOL
LOL
Two Videos the Unions Don't Want You to See
1) The Tennessee Education Association doesn't want to be held to a federal "one-size-fits-all" flat buns standard.2) The United Food and Commercial Workers union thinks it can bully a 16-year-old girl.
Posted by Mike Antonucci on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 at 07:07 Permalink
C’mon Mark, I’m not buying it.
Jesse said "After getting caught in his latest spam-fest, Mark Towner is now trying to claim he setup some kind of intentional "trap" to "catch me". (Catch me doing what, exactly, I have yet to figure out.) I'm guessing that in his warped state of mind he somehow thought that if he dropped his entire subscriber list in my lap (and subsequently exposed it to over 5800 other people) that he'd somehow prove his subscriber numbers. All he's proven is that 1) he has a list of 5800 e-mail addresses (a few of which complained about the lastest spamming) and 2) the list doesn't account for the numbers he claimed back in June. In short, he proved nothing except that he still forces people onto his list without permission and is willing to violate the ToS for whatever provider he happens to be on.
Here's where the specious claims continue. He claims that if I ignored the subscription e-mail he sent that I wouldn't have received anything. Last I checked, a "you're subscribed" means just that. He then continues to go further off the deep end by claiming that this list is somehow opt-in. Given that I've already seen at least 3 other complaints about being forced onto the list, I'm skeptical there as well. In fact, the people receiving this stuff at work probably keep on dropping it into the Spam bin. The kicker is that he thinks he can intimidate me (or anyone else logging in with the information he provided) by saying he has our IP addresses. Oh no, some make-believe pirate has my IP address. Whatever will I do?
The real point is that Bluehost will cancel his account for sending spam and he'll have to go shopping for yet another provider. Don't you get it, Mark? As long as you continue to send unsolicited bulk messages and violate the ToS, we'll always have a way to shut you down. The only way to end this is to use opt-in lists only. It's really not that hard and it's certainly the ethical way to go. If you don't clean up your behavior soon, there's going to be nothing but negative about you when someone does a Google search."
RealClearPolitics - Politics and Election
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Washington Post
Thompson Soft on Illegals in Senate Votes
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Washington Times
In Turmoil of '68, Clinton Found a New Voice
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New York Times
McCain on Iraq: 'I will fight against a date for surrender'
Arizona Sen. John McCain was "glad" that President Bush visited Iraq on Labor Day
NEOLA, Iowa (CNN) — Speaking with reporters at a parade in Iowa on Monday, Republican presidential candidate John McCain reiterated his belief that the current strategy in Iraq is working, saying that to withdraw is to surrender.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/09/03/mccain-on-iraq-i-will-fight-against-a-date-for-surrender/
Thompson entry to be watched for effect on Giuliani
BY CRAIG GORDON craig.gordon@newsday.com
September 3, 2007
WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani invited his high-dollar fundraisers to a weekend-in-New-York-themed meeting this summer, and in between the dinners and the golf and the Broadway shows came talk of a man they all were watching warily: Fred Thompson.Thompson's would-be presidential campaign was creating a buzz among Republicans - particularly conservatives hungry for an alternative to Giuliani - and people who were at the meeting said Giuliani's campaign team was relieved Thompson hadn't joined the race yet."They thought they were getting a break that he didn't get in," said one attendee. "They were pleasantly surprised Thompson hadn't announced, and that was July."
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-usfred025357577sep03,0,7804640.story
Giuliani Worried by Fred Thompson
Sunday, September 2, 2007 7:05 PM
Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson officially joins the presidential race on Thursday, and Rudy Giuliani and his team are watching closely to determine how much of an impact his candidacy will have on Giuliani.
"He's a Southerner, and he's a senator, and that gives him credibility," Barry Wynn, a top Giuliani adviser in South Carolina, tells Newsday. "He's certainly weaker today in terms of the level of enthusiasm of his supporters than he was a month ago ... but I certainly see him as serious competition."
Giuliani currently sits atop every major national poll, and is leading decisively in states like California and Florida. But he still faces deep skepticism from conservatives who drive the nominating process. Those are the same people who are likely to be Thompson supporters, analysts say, and that could mean Thompson won't fade any time soon.
"I was totally dismissive of his chance to get the nomination, and I'm not dismissive anymore," Stu Rothenberg, a Washington political analyst, told Newsday. "He's hung in there."
The worry for Giuliani is that Thompson could prove just as appealing to conservatives on tax cuts and terrorism -- with the added bonus of agreeing with them on social issues like abortion and gun control. It's a theme Thompson's advisers already have suggested they will play up, the importance of nominating a candidate who embodies every part of the party's beliefs.
© 2007 NewsMax. All rights reserved.
FRED THOMPSON, JOHN MCCAIN
The Challenging Outlook For Thompson in New Hampshire
When I want to know what's going on in Granite State politics, one of the first folks I turn to is Andrew Cline of the New Hampshire Union Leader (also an occasional contributor at NRO).
I asked him how New Hampshire Republicans are likely to greet Fred Thompson if, as we're hearing, he annnounces the day after the big debate in the state. Some of his thoughts:
It's unclear exactly how much the decision to announce after the NH debate, and not attend it, will hurt Thompson in NH, but obviously it doesn't help him here. The state GOP is the primary sponsor of the Sept. 5 debate. If he wanted to cozy up to top Republicans here, dismissing the debate was a poor way to make a good impression. If he really intends to make a play for NH, one would expect him to come in a day or so before the debate and schmooze big-time with the big-shots. But he isn't doing that. He's made only one visit to NH so far and if he has any real organization here it isn't getting noticed. Does he have any significant GOP establishment backing here? No. Is he actively courting the activists and organizers who can run an effective insurgent campaign? Not that I've seen. So what's his plan for winning New Hampshire? ...
As far as the general public goes, they are unlikely to care too much about him skipping the debate as long as he quickly mounts a real campaign here and wears out several pairs of shoes courting NH voters. But I see no sign that he's planning to do that.
In the past, the real campaign for NH didn't begin until the fall. So historically, Thompson is entering the race (assuming he enters) at the traditional time. But this campaign got an unusually early start, and he is way behind. Romney is very well organized here, and Giuliani has picked up most if not all of the McCain supporters who bolted earlier this summer. So Thompson has to drop in mid-campaign and pick up pretty much all of the undecideds plus pull supporters from the lower-ranking candidates. That's possible, but he's got to have an organization...
It seems like Thompson will be deploying a south-centric version of the Giuliani strategy, not focusing quite so much on traditional early states like Iowa and New Hampshire as big states like Florida (although Giuliani's been spending some cash in the early states lately). Thompson, however, has to realize that a bad performance in South Carolina would break him. He's doing pretty well there, so far.
