Early surrender?

"Tingles" acknowledges the obvious...



“It’s going to be very hard to hold the Senate — I think the Senate goes,” Chris Matthews said on MSNBC's Morning Joe earlier today. “I think we heard from the Ghost of Christmas Future this week; they’re going to lose the Senate,” he added, referring to Republican David Jolly’s victory Tuesday in Florida’s special congressional election.

 The fat lady hasn't begun to sing, but it sounds like she's in the wings and warming-up...

Debbie Downer surrenders...

Just last week, Florida Democratic hack and DNC leader Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) was repeating the lies/"messaging"/hopes of the Obama Administration regarding the Affordable Care Act roll-out.

Now that those lies have come undone and been widely discredited, the messaging has moved from "too much traffic!" to, "well, it doesn't look good."

As noted, observer Dan McLaughlin Tweeted, "This is what it looks like when something becomes so indefensible [that even] the last hacks give up."

So on the Obamacare mess, Debbie -- and her fellow hacks -- have effectively surrendered.

One victory at a time!

Busted in Tampa Bay...

In Florida's gubernatorial contest, it's been very tight - and at times quite nasty.

Last night in Tampa Bay during the final debated between Democratic candidate Alex Sink and her Republican opponent, Rick Scott, Ms. Sink cheated...openly and for all the world to see. (And thanks to the magic of videotape and the Internet, you can see it again, and again, and again...)

Prior to the match-up, the two - along with producers - agreed on a set of ground rules, one of which was "...no communication to the candidates from their teams during breaks." (CNN reports the aide who signed the rules agreement before Monday's debate was Brian May.)

During one of the breaks, Ms. Sink's make-up artist brought her a smartphone with a message from her team on it. Reportedly, the message read: "The attorney who [w]on the Sykes suit said alex sink did nothing wrong. Tell not to let him keep talking about her," CNN said. The text referred to Scott’s attacks on Sink for "improprieties" that occurred while she was a member of the auditing board of Tampa-based Sykes Enterprises.

According to the Washington Times, Scott mentioned the violation of the rules "to a CNN staffer regarding what he believed Sink was doing during the break. He didn't mentioned the incident after they were back on-air but his campaigned issued a media statement later calling Sink a cheat."

The clip below clearly shows Sink taking the smartphone and reading the message. She makes no effort turn it away.

When the misconduct was revealed, Sink - who has made "accountability" one of the cornerstones of her campaign - quickly took responsibility for her actions.

Just kidding...

No, according to numerous wire and news services, "Sink has fired a staffer who broke the rules by trying to coach her during a debate. Sink said in a statement that she 'immediately removed' from her campaign an aide who tried to communicate with her via a cell phone text message shown to her during a break in Monday night's debate. That broke ground rules that both campaigns had agreed to beforehand."

That's the kind of accountability voters are looking for!

Pitcher's got a rubber arm...

...and a waning political career.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie...

Here's a hint: don't ever step foot on a baseball mound again. Ever. Never. Never-ever-ever-ever.

In what can only be described as the absolute worst first pitch in the history of baseball, the soon to be ex-governor of Florida not only throws like...um...well...um. OK, there is no comparing him to anyone who has ever tried to throw a ball from the mound to home plate. Seriously - I've seen wounded veterans (amputees, no less) make better throws. I've seen Girl Scouts, senior citizens...even a blind guy throw out first pitches better than that. (All true.)

On principle alone, I would vote for any opponent running against Crist. Just because of that so-called "throw."

Charlie - stick to something you know how to do...like politics. Oh, wait a minute. You lost Florida's GOP U.S. Senate primary and are now running against your former party's primary winner? And you're getting thumped in the polls? We've got to find you something else to do.

Sorry, Charlie...

The Week Ahead®

A look at some of the people and events making news this week…

Question: Who said this? - “I’m not going to rest or be satisfied until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil in the Gulf is contained and cleaned up, and the people in the Gulf are able to go back to their lives and their livelihoods.” Question: Who is about to embark on his third vacation since the leak began?

Thank goodness that's been taken care of...now he can take that break he so richly deserves!

Add oil: With the Obama Administration’s ban on offshore drilling, companies are closing down operations in U.S. waters…and moving them to international locations…where rules aren’t as stringent…oh, and taking thousands of American jobs with them.

Add “break time!”: I think this makes it 39 rounds of golf since taking office – Hope & Change & Tee Times.

Just making sure to plug all the holes...

According to The Washington Post, “In an effort to replicate the tea party's success, 170 liberal and civil rights groups are forming a coalition that they hope will match the movement's political energy and influence. They promise to ‘counter the tea party narrative’ and help the progressive movement find its voice again after 18 months of floundering.” They’re calling it the “One Nation” movement. Previously, it was known as the “Democratic Party.”

What is Jerry Brown’s plan to fix the budget mess in California if he should be elected governor? It’s a secret, of course…

Another '60s-'70s politician had a "secret plan"...

Of course they’re not the only ones: “California Republicans seek to unravel Obama's health care law”

Did you hear the one about the Veep who flies into LA for an appearance on “The Jay Leno Show” and causes hours of delays at Los Angeles International Airport? Yeah, real funny.

This is what happens when Al Gore moves into the neighborhood: “ What summer? Record cold at LAX as July gloom continues”

Speaking of global warming: How did actor/activist Leonardo DiCaprio balance concerns over “warming” with his desire to see the World Cup in-person? Why, fly on a private jet to South Africa, of course…

News item: “PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton says he's frustrated that international donors aren't making good on a lot of the earthquake aid they promised for Haiti. In an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the six-month anniversary of the quake, Clinton says donors have given only 10 percent of the aid they promised. Clinton is co-chairman of the commission overseeing reconstruction aid.” Somewhat related news item: “Clintons Eyeing $10.9 Million Home In Bedford Hills”

Irony thy name is "Clinton"...

So explain the argument for bigger government…again: “Inflated Federal Pay: How Americans Are Overtaxed to Overpay the Civil Service”

I know we promised to never mention LeBron James but this bears mentioning – why did LeBron choose Miami (Florida) over Cleveland (and Ohio)? Well, one reason is that the high cost of living in the latter, particularly when it comes to taxes, can be punishing. Just ask Tiger Woods and a host of other big-time athletes and celebs why they’ve moved to Florida and the reason most cited: no state tax. In LeBron’s case, signing with Miami stands to make him millions more in the long run.

"Like a canary in a coal mine..."

Like a canary in a coal mine that suddenly stops singing, the signs are all there…

From Larry Johnson of No Quarter – “[Larry Doyle] interviewed the founder and President of the Consumer Metrics Institute, Richard Davis. Why should you care? Davis has developed a system for using data readily available in the public sector to accurately track what is really going on in the economy. And the news is not good. Richard Davis has his hands on tracking what consumers are really doing (or not doing). Here’s the bottom line–if consumers ain’t consuming the economy ain’t growing. Click on the link in Larry’s article. Listen to Larry and please, please give Richard Davis some of your precious time. You may not feel better after listening but you will be better informed.”

Yes we can…dismantle the economy in four years. (h/t: Ann Marlowe)

Florida, Florida, Florida: the Sunshine State’s unemployment numbers are its highest – EVER.

Interest rates to rise? – former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan Calls Treasury Yields ‘Canary in the Mine.’

Add Treasury: So why lack of interest…which will probably lead to a rise in interest (rates)? Chalk another win up for ObamaCare!

Add ObamaCare: Wait, I thought passing that bill would result in a bump in the polls…

The "coal mine?"

As if you didn’t know, who is making out when it comes to pay? Those on government payrolls. (Surprised?)


Making the Stimulus work for...you or someone on your dime?

The state we're in...

Greetings from California…or what’s left of it…

More good news from the Golden State: unemployment has now topped 20 percent in at least eight counties.

Greece hits the skids. Could this be what’s ahead for California?

What pushed the Golden State into the state it’s in? The reasons are myriad, but here’s one: its vaunted higher education system.

The other “beach state” – Florida is being hit by a 35-year high in unemployment: 11.9 percent. California’s is still in excess of 12 percent.

Who will lead us out of this mess? Who will sacrifice so that the state regains its once-enviable position in the world? Probably not its special interest constituencies. To get an idea who is pulling the strings, it's important to know who is pulling the strings in Sacramento. So who are California’s biggest political spenders? According to the Los Angeles Times, the teachers union is tops:
“Five special interests were responsible for more than half of the billion dollars spent since 2000, including:
--The California Teachers Assoc., which spent $211.8 million.
--The California State Council of Service Employees, $107.4 million.
--The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, $104.9 million.
--The Morongo Band of Mission Indians, which operates a casino under a state-approved compact, $83.6 million.
--The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, which also operates a casino, $69.2 million. PG&E, Chevron, AT&T, Philip Morris USA and Southern California Edison are also among the top 15 spenders.“