It’s a miracle! The NY Times’ Maureen Dowd manages to get through an entire column without mentioning a Hollywood movie/celebrity/scandal/plot device/line.
During this year’s Super Bowl,Chrysler will present a 60-second television ad. (30-second spots are going for approximately $3 million each.) Can you guess who paid for it? If you guessed you and me, you move to the front of the line.
There's just something about Fridays that brings out the idiots.
Maybe it's all the idiots running for the exits at the same time...piling onto elevators, clogging freeways, turning bars into Land of the Idiots.
Who cares? Let's just roll out this Friday's offerings...
Did you hear the one about the shoe-in running for the U.S.Senate (as a Democrat) in a blue-blue-blue state that hasn't had a GOP since the mid-'50s...in a state that has Dems out-numbering Republicans by more than 3 to 1...campaigning for Teddy Kennedy's seat...and that Obamacare could very well hinge on her winning it? No? Well, in short she's running herself into the ground. A seat that is often viewed as "owned" by Dems has now gone over to the GOP candidate (State Sen. Scott Brown) in pre-election polls with just a few days in the run-up remaining. Even her own party is calling her an idiot.
Martha Coakley: Massachusetts State Attorney General…U.S. Senate hopeful…full-blown idiot. (Reason for being an idiot No. 356 - this was a photo published by her own campaign.)
You’d have to be an idiot to believe the promise that he wouldn’t tax you. Was he crossing his fingers ? (Labor unions – you’re smarter than we thought.)
Radio bonus: I'll be on John Batchelor's radio show beginning at 6 p.m. (Pacific Time) tomorrow night - Saturday, Jan. 16 - to discuss a number of recent events, including the Google-China dust-up and the state of the State of California. You can listen to the show at WABC-AM 77 NY, WMAL-AM 630 Washington, D.C., WTTK-FM 96.9 Boston, and on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio. If you’re not in one of the listening areas, you can tune-in via any of those stations’ websites. (Guaranteed "idiot-free" radio!)
Last night's Boston "D"(ebate) Party. (L-R: Scott Brown-R, Martha Coakley-D, Joe Kennedy-L)
The best line of the night...
When Massachusetts lost its senior U.S. senator back in August, there was grave concern among those in the Obama Administration - and those in Congress pushing for a nationalized health care system - that with their “lion” now gone, much of their fight would disappear as well.
Edward M. Kennedy is gone but certainly not forgotten. At almost every turn, his name is intoned. Among liberals, especially in Massachusetts, it’s “let’s do this for Teddy.” Among conservatives in Massachusetts – and everywhere else – it’s “never again.”
To be sure, there are strong personalities in the U.S. Senate but none carried the Kennedy mantle/gravitas and none made liberal causes – particularly health care/insurance “reform” their legacy like Teddy did.
Since his "departure," we’ve seen Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Fisherman’s Wharf) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-ialects) come together with the president to buck the polls, despite them showing the majority of Americans against the trio’s bill. The proposed Obama-Pelosi-Reid law managed to get by in the House with relative ease (thanks to a Dem majority), but the bill before the Senate passed on party lines (60-40) only after the votes of certain Democrats were bought by Reid and paid for by taxpayers.
One of the last hopes opponents of the bill have is that the race for Kennedy’s seat – there is a special election on Jan. 19 – might result in a Republican being elected and bring a filibuster-enabled minority (59-41) to the fore.
They can dream, can’t they?
It’s a mighty big dream. In Massachusetts, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by at least 3-1, there hasn’t been a GOPer representing the Bay State in the upper house of Congress since 1956. When it comes to Blue States, Massachusetts is among the bluest. You could say it’s “Kennedy Royal Blue.” Despite all this, the contest represent s the Republicans’ best chances in more than a half-century.
Enter Scott Brown. He’s a lot like Mitt Romney, only not as wealthy or Mormon. The State Senator, Army Reserve Lt. Colonel (JAG Corps) and former Cosmo model (true) pledges to be tough on terrorists, wants to finish the job in Afghanistan, doesn’t like Obamacare, and is giving the Democrat – Martha Coakley – a run for her party’s money. Coakley, who has run a horrible campaign, is the state’s Attorney General. She’s fully invested in passing Obamacare and wants the U.S. out of Afghanistan quicker than you can say, “Let’s invite the Taliban and al Qaeda over to Pakistan to play with the nukes.” The biggest issue in her very liberal quiver: she’s pro-abortion. Oh, and she also detests George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh. (There is a third candidate, Libertarian Joe Kennedy – no relation to Teddy – who is smart and able but doesn’t stand a chance; though he could siphon votes from Brown.)
Currently, Brown is trailing in all polls but many have him behind by a very small margin. This has Coakley – and the DNC – very, very nervous. In fact, between now and the 19th, you’ll be seeing a parade of Democrat big guns roll into town to prop up Coakley’s sagging campaign. (They’re thinking, holy cow! This is a state where – sort of like the old Woody Allen joke goes – to win in Massachusetts, 80 percent of winning is being a Democrat and showing up.)
In last night’s final debate, which was between all three candidates, it appeared that Brown cleaned Coakley’s clock. In addition to her clear stand on getting out of Afghanistan (Brown says to stay til the job is done…and that he agrees with the president’s position to finish the war), the Massachusetts AG was very fuzzy when it came to how she would deal with terrorists (Brown decries detainees like Khalid Sheik Muhammad not only getting a trial on U.S. soil, but being given Constitutional rights.) Kennedy’s main thrust was to cut spending across the board – entitlements, Obamacare proposals, even funding for the war. (Further pointing to growing voter interest in Brown: prior to, during and after the debate, his campaign ran a special online fundraising effort, boosting his hopes an d chances as it raked-in more than $1 million in one day.)
The two biggest lines of the night came from Brown. The first was his response to moderator David Gergen calling it a race for “the Kennedy seat.” Brown corrected him quite smartly as evidenced in the clip above. The other line had to do with what it would mean if he were elected. I will be the 41st vote against the Obamacare scheme, he said.
And that’s what it comes down to, plain and simple: If Coakley is elected, the only delays the national health care/insurance bill will face in being implemented will be procedural. If Brown wins, it’s a whole new ballgame.
Special bonus from The Bliss Index™: The attack ad (below) released by the Coakley campaign today didn't last long. In fact, her campaign team pulled it after just a couple hours. The chief reason? They spelled "Massachusetts" incorrectly. (Maybe if Coakley is elected, she'll sit on an education committee.)
If you're going to run for the U.S. Senate, you should at least know how to spell the name of the state you want to represent...
"There is this standard where Democrats feel that they can say these things and they can apologize when it comes from the mouths of their own. But if it comes from anyone else, it is racism." – Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee
True, true, true - especially when it comes to this weekend’s news that U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) described President Obama as "light skinned" and possessing no "Negro dialect" in a conversation with reporters described in the new book, “Game Change.”
Shall we dance? The president and the majority leader in better times...
Reid did have something to say after being busted: “"I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words," said Reid in a statement. ”I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments."
President Obama said in a statement that he and Reid had spoken about the matter on Saturday afternoon. "I accepted Harry's apology without question because I've known him for years, I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice and I know what's in his heart," said Obama. "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."
But it’s nothing new. Consider the following:
"You cannot go into a Dunkin' Donuts or a 7-Eleven unless you have a slight Indian accent."
"My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state has the eighth largest black population in the country. My state is anything [but] a Northeastern liberal state."
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African American [Barack Obama] who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice looking guy."
"There's less than 1% of the population of Iowa that is African American. There is probably less than 4% or 5% that is, are minorities. What is it in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with, what you're dealing with." - Sen. Joseph Biden Jr., (D., Del.), 2006-07, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, 1987-95 Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, Candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, 2008
-- "Everybody likes to go to Geneva. I used to do it for the Law of the Sea conferences and you'd find these potentates from down in Africa, you know, rather than eating each other, they'd just come up and get a good square meal in Geneva." --Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D., S.C.) 1993
--Reid once rushed to declare Justice Thomas to be “an embarrassment to the Supreme Court.” When pressed for specifics, Reid declared that one of Thomas’s opinions was similar to “an eighth-grade dissertation” — far inferior, Reid said, to the opinion of Justice Scalia in the same case. Except that Thomas’s short opinion was perfectly logical . . . and Scalia hadn’t even written an opinion in the case. Law professor Eugene Volokh decried Reid’s comments about Thomas as “unfounded assertions of incompetence” backed up with “false statements” and “mischaracterizations.” What was it about the black justice Thomas that Reid didn’t like? That made him inferior to the white justice who hadn’t even written an opinion in the case? Hmmm? (h/t: Patterico’s Pontifications)
--“In the book "Game Change," there’s this item -“[A]s Hillary bungled Caroline, Bill’s handling of Ted was even worse. The day after Iowa, he phoned Kennedy and pressed for an endorsement, making the case for his wife. But Bill then went on, belittling Obama in a manner that deeply offended Kennedy. Recounting the conversation later to a friend, Teddy fumed that Clinton had said, A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Sea Lions) tries to reinsert the public option into the House healthcare bill even though it has almost zero chance of surviving in the Senate. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was trying to kill it.
"This won't hurt a bit..."
Labor pains: You know all that support unions gave candidate Barack Obama on his way to the White House? They’re being rewarded for it now.
And some politicians and pundits wonder why ordinary citizens are a bit dubious when it comes to a massive restructuring of our government, economy and way of life…
The Spirit of Ted Kennedy (as opposed to his spirits) could live on when it comes time to vote for the health insurance bill. At least his legacy won’t include a federal drivers’ education act.
Teddy - you're missed...by these guys.
The Feds produced their much-anticipated December Jobs Report. Can you believe how much better the unemployment situation is now? Ooops…read that wrong. Sorry. Looks like the groundhog saw his shadow. Another bad month for jobs.
Add skewed unemployment figures:According to Heidi Shierholz over at the Economic Policy Institute, “The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the jobs situation continued to worsen at the end of 2009 as 85,000 jobs were lost in December. Unemployment held steady at 10.0%, but only because the labor force declined by well over half a million (661,000) workers in December. If those workers had been in the labor force and counted as unemployed, the unemployment rate would have risen to 10.4%. Long term unemployment continued to rise, with nearly 40% of all unemployed workers being unemployed for more than six months. Unfortunately, the hoped-for positive job growth has not yet materialized and we are still seeing modest job losses. (According to Don Surber over at The Daily Mail, the figure is actually higher – try 10.7%)
According to this story from Reuters, there are nine reasons why the December jobs report is bad for Democrats. (Really? Only nine?)
Speaking of Democrats: Pelosi came out with a doozy of a news release today: “Pelosi Statement on New Report That Health Reform Will Create 4 Million More Jobs Over the Next Decade-Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on a new report released today by the Center for American Progress that shows that health insurance reform will create up to 4 million more jobs over the next decade than would be created without reform. The report finds that health care reform could increase the number of jobs in the United States by about 250,000 to 400,000 per year over the coming decade. ‘We know that health insurance reform will help save lives, save money, and save Medicare. But Americans need to know that reform will actually save and create millions more jobs—lessening the burden of skyrocketing costs on small and medium-sized businesses all across America. Reform is critical to the health of our economy and to the health of our people.’” The truth, though, the health care industry is already doing pretty well when it comes to adding jobs. In fact, it’s added 631,000 jobs since the recession began.
Last add “open process”… “Rep. Joe Sestak (R-Steelers) blames Democratic leaders for the plunge in public support for overhauling the health care system, saying Wednesday they failed to defend proposals that helped carry the party to victories in 2008. ‘They said it would be transparent. Why isn't it?’ said Sestak, a Delaware County Democrat, in a meeting with Tribune-Review editors and reporters. ‘At times, I find the caucus is a real disappointment. We aren't transparent, not just to the public but at times to the members.’"
Add lack of transparency (when it comes to…the health insurance reform bill)…The Washington Examiner not only takes The Hold Trinity – President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Slot Machines) and Pelosi – but the Washington press corps as well. “To be sure, many of the reporters on the Hill gripe and complain to each other and to their editors about these closed-door meetings. And many of them stand keeping vigil outside the doors, waiting for Reid or Pelosi to come out and offer them a morsel of information. But that's not good enough. It's time for a sit-down protest by journalists whose first job is to uphold the public's right to know what its government is doing. Invite readers to come join them in demanding open meetings. The last thing Reid and Pelosi want is the spectacle of the Capitol Hill Police dragging protesting journalists away from the closed doors. It's time to show some cojones, people.”
U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Payoff) as quoted in a Nebraska newspaper: “I think it was a mistake to take health care on as opposed to continuing to spend the time on the economy.” Better late than never?
Add Nebraska: Could the “Cornhusker Kickback” actually kill the bill? Time, and the courts, will tell.
Lame Duck/Weak Rino: Apparently California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking at least one principled stand before he wraps-up his final year in office – he’s fighting the health insurance reform bill. “You’ve heard of the bridge to nowhere. This is health care to nowhere.” Now there’s a memorable line.
Another non-Nebraska politician unhappy with the deal Nelson wrangled: U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Walmart) “said she was disappointed about a provision in the Senate’s health care bill that will require the federal government to permanently pay the entire cost of Medicaid expansion in Nebraska, while only paying the costs of expansion in the other 49 states for three years.” I guess now that she knows how much other folks sold their votes for, she wants a bigger cut.
Hey all you married people out there who are excited about the health insurance reform bill: About now, you’re probably thinking, “I shoulda stayed single.”
Let me get my TV Guide: So the president wants to move the State of the Union speech back to Feb. 2 in hopes the Health Care Bill is passed by then. The downside to his strategy – he could alienate a very important voting bloc (fans of ABC’s “Lost,” which premieres that night).
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