NOW They Tell Us!

From Reuters:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi government is confident that president-elect Barack Obama will not jeopardize Iraq's improving security by hastily withdrawing U.S. troops, Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Wednesday.

Obama has "reassured us that he would not take any drastic or dramatic decisions," Zebari told BBC television.

"He will consult with the Iraqi government and the U.S. military in the field, but believes strongly that a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq will put more responsibility on the shoulders of the Iraqi government."       

We last heard from and about Mr. Zebari when the controversy before the house was whether Obama had been interfering with negotiations between the Bush Administration and the Iraqis on the Status of Forces Agreement.  For nostalgia buffs, here is some classic NY Times election-style coverage of same.

More from Zebari:

In another interview Zebari said he believed Obama would take conditions on the ground into account before any withdrawal.

"When there is a reality check, I think any U.S. president has to look very hard at the facts on the ground," he told Al-Jazeera television. "The gains that we have attained and won with hard struggle and a great deal of sacrifice need to be sustained."

We can only hope.

   

 

Comments

[jean]

Clarice.  May I have your permission to bring the idea up on the NR cruise.I won't take credit,promise.I don't know how connected NR folks are,but maybe it is a starting point

[Laura]

Jean,
IF the way forward is the discussion on the NR cruise, Palin has to be at the top of the list.
I'm ready to spend all of 2011and 2012 working for her if need be.

[Captain Hate]

Also this is a a little support to the idea that the WU might have had the wherewithal to plant a fake graduation file for Obama at Columbia, as apparently the WU had no qualms stealing important information from individuals, so perhaps they stole the information from one CU student and fraudulently transferred it over for their own.

Having sent a child to Columbia I can pretty much say for sure that they wouldn't have been lacking for people on the inside that would've done this. Also, like most universities, there's nothing that doesn't have a price there. Otherwise I wouldn't place too much credence in anything the WU could've done regarding anything that involved actually thinking or doing something. After all these were the same geniuses that blew themselves up making a bomb, including Ayers' slut of the moment. Speaking of Bombing Billy, I'm calling bullshit on his claims that they never planned on killing people; how do you explain the bomb that was planned for a dance at Fort Dix filled with nails. Facts Billy, they're a bothersome thing.

[Laura]

Jean
any other cruisers there's a tropical storm heading our way
see LUN

[sylvia]

Thinking about how the WU has a history of financing their terrorism through identity and financial fraud, I really hope someone at the RNC is looking over the voter results and pooring over it to check for any inconsistencies. It's not too late to shine a spotlight on the issue, even if it is too late for this election.

People for some reason always think that such things are so unlikely and so crazy that they don't even consider the possibilty seriously. That is probably why we are allowing Venezuela to run half our voting machines still, people assume that the people in charge have put relevant safeguards in place over that.

But a lot of these outfits are not well run. And fraud is very hard to prevent if someone is determined to do it, that's why people have to remain vigilant. And unfortunately, many of us just assume it would never happen and just "trust" that the authorities are taking care of it, when a lot of these glitches in these companies show us that it often isn't.

So someone should be looking this over. For instance they should be looking at patterns of voter registration this time as compared to the last elections and noticing any significant changes, and then once zeroing in on some likely counties in some swing states, really reaseaching what they find there. For instance, Indiana, Colorado, PA. There should be lots of questions asked and I hope someone is doing it.

[MayBee]

Robert Gibbs in going to be WH Press secretary. Not as babblingly incoherent as Scotty Mac, but he definitely will leave a slime trail.

[clarice]

Jean--I just exchanged emails with Jeri (Mrs. Fred)Thompson about the idea. She's going to be on the trip and though I couldn't remember the names of all the JOMers going, I told her to keep an eye out for you and gave her Jane and JMH's monikers. Feel free to discuss it with her. She liked the idea but was busy packing (both her kids are coming along) and wanted to consider it further when she returned.

It is my thought. I know how I want to do it and know I need a lot of help to get pros and money suitable for bringing this off. So feel free to discuss it but know that I want to be integral to it.

[MikeS]

I'm happy to see that JOM commenters have begun the discussion about how to redefine the Republican Party even before Tom has written the post.

One thing that seemed to benefit the Gingrich Revolution was that Republicans campaigned for the policies that defined them in the form of the "Contract with America." The result was that Republicans were defined by their ideas and their actions rather than their speeches and personalities.

Frankly, my opinion is that the Republicans represent more practical, thoughtful positions and Democrats represent more impulsive capricious points of view on the issues. Yet more than 60 million voters have the opposite opinion. They believe that Obama will support off shore drilling, and he will support building more nuclear power generation, and he will do something to stimulate the economy.

[sylvia]

"Having sent a child to Columbia I can pretty much say for sure that they wouldn't have been lacking for people on the inside that would've done this."

Eaxctly. People for some reason think that records are sacrosanct. Records are nothing more than a piece of paper or a computer file. They are faked once and they exist as fact forever. All you need is access, and access is just duping one stooge.

Don't forget, Frank Marshal Davis, Obama's mentor, told him basically that college was just whitey's way of taking your spirit out of you. I think Obama put that statement in his memoir. There might have been a reason he included that in there, to rationalize his actions to himself.

[MayBee]

I have a whole new attitude, btw.

I realized last night that come January 21, I get to start listening to the confirmation hearings. That is going to be fun!

Who will be the new John Tower, stabbed in the back by his former friends?
Who will be the new Babbling Biden?
Who will be the new John Ashcroft- turned into a racist because he didn't want a man who happened to be black to get a judicial appointment?
Who's wife will they make cry?!

I can hardly wait.

[RichatUF]

And a trip down memory lane about social conservatism. By knocking down the social issues we ceed the field to cultural liberalism, which just feeds into economic liberalism.

[jean]

Laura. I don't plan to say much.If I could speak/write as well as others here I wouldn't be so intimidated.I just hope to learn something.Thanks for the weather tip.Maybe I'll just be seasick the entire trip.Then I'll view it as a weight loss opportunity

[M. Simon]

"if our brand of how to live is so good why do we need government guns?"

To counter the other side trying to control it judicially, mainly. Look, most Social Conservatives are live and let live, beleive me, but they don't like Judicial edict's changing the social order. Expect to see more of those attempted. The LEFT made this an issue, not the right.

So you are saying that legal abortion is going to make the ladies in your family have one?

And the LEFT did not make it an issue. All they said was: leave us alone. And the socons said: no we won't.

There is no law preventing individuals from praying in a classroom if they do it non-disruptively. We do have laws preventing school enforced prayer. Or at least court decisions.

You know why so many Jews could never become Rs? Despite its being their natural party these days. Rather simple really. They got taught that Rs would not respect their religion in schools. I came through that system myself and it took a long time for my anti-Christianity to subside.It is a function of the strong emotions engendered (oppression) sticking in the amygdala. You get stuff burned in they and it can take decades to burn out.

That kind of stuff just makes enemies. I went to a HS that was about 40% Jewish. So on the "Christmas program" were there any Jewish songs? Nope.

People in general don't like having religion forced down their throat at the point of a gun. So let us not do it.

The message we can all unite under and bring more in is simple "leave us alone", honesty, and pro-free market economics.

We have not been doing as good a job as we need to to sell any of those messages. Sarah Palin (until proved otherwise) embodies all those unifying points.

I agree that we are on the defensive in way to many places. However, using government guns too often only creates opposition. WE want to soothe that opposition: we are no threat. We encourage you to change for the better. We will not force it.

You disarm your opposition by at least tactically surrendering on what scares the most. And what was most scary about Palin - she will force us all to live by evangelical rules. The Monkeys Started screaming.

And Huckabee even being in the race turned off a lot of Rs. I think if he had run the PUMAs would have stayed home and sulked.

I want to keep the PUMAs on board. And what is the defining value of the PUMAs - economic conservatism. Now Hillary may not have delivered for them. But that is where they were coming from.

The PUMAs represented 3 million in our coalition. We need another 7.5 million (for comfort) to win. If we drive the PUMAs away we need 10.5 million. Where will you get them?

[Rick Ballard]

Laura,

Be prepared for resistance from the NRO people to Palin. There are a few too many self-anointed elitists in that group. Feel free to mock them on my behalf but please don't cede an inch wrt Palin.

Mike Duncan
Chairman - Republican National Committee
Chairman@gop.com

Sir,

It is my intention to support Sarah Palin as the Republican candidate for President in 2012. I will offer her a portion my time, talent and treasure should she be elected to carry the standard.

There is no other Republican of national stature of whom I will say the same at this time and my efforts on behalf of the party are wholly contingent upon the treatment which Sarah Palin receives from national party leaders in the next few months.

Please advise when the Palin 2012 committee is open for signups and donations. I'm ready today, even if you are not.

Respectfully,

[Laura]

Clarice and Jean,
Jane is acting as the JOM contact person. Hopefully, we will all meet Friday or early Sat. Does Jeri need a babysitter, my 13year old is coming along?

[clarice]

I'll miss Biden at those hearings..Maybe they can make him committee member emeritus.

[clarice]

Laura, I don't know but you can certinaly offer. Her eldest child came with her to a fundraiser I had for Allen West here and seemed a thoroughly charming child.

[ljm]

Sylvia,
I suppose the Bill Ayers connection to Obama is old news now. The McCain campaign could never draw a real connection to BHO. I thought Jack Cashill's theory had some merit and would illustrate a clear connection but it never really gained enough cred.

So inspite of the overwhelming evidence of the anti-american history of the Weathermen radicals unless you can draw a real connection no one really cares.

At this point, for the country's sake, I'm hoping that Obama's connection to Ayers was purely ambitious and not due to a shared idealogy.

[Laura]

Rick, I realize that is the prevailing belief at JOM, but not sure I see resistance to Palin at NR as monolithic. I will steal Porchlight's line about crawling over glass to support Palin in 2012.

[jean]

Clarice..I was going to say Freds wife was the perfect person,but I was waiting for your reply.Oh please don't think I would try to take any credit.I've probably never had an original thought in my life.I'm too old to try to claim one now.I just thought it was a great idea and wanted to help.We may sit with the Thompsons at a dinner.We are from TN.and maxed out supporting him

[boris]

calling bullshit on his claims that they never planned on killing people; how do you explain the bomb that was planned for a dance at Fort Dix filled with nails

Indeed. Let's see if our mainstream media catches that one.

[clarice]

M. Simon, youhave a point..esp when discussing people our parents' age who most definitel suffered substantial discrimination and turn off whenever "Christian nation" talk gets flowing--and to a certain extent even people of our age. But we need more Rabbi Lapins out and about and influencing the conservatice dialogue--someoen who understands that you cannot beat back the authoritarians/multiculturalist(nihilists,in sum) without reference to the higher calling aspects of Judeo-Christian thought.

[clarice]

jean--I never dreamed that..I only want to make sure that some smoothie there doesn't run off with it and make the project his. I am certain that I know immigrants and their families and how to approach them and win them over more than most of the NRO crowd..One way or another, as a union lawyer, immigration lawyer, board member of an international school, etc. I really do understand this audience.

[clarice]

Pardon my typos today--I am still getting over sleep deprivation.

[M. Simon]

If cultural liberalism feeds into economic liberalism how do you explain the PUMA phenomenon. Or the Libertarian phenomenon? Or the libertarian phenomenon?

I think that shows the problem exactly. In general R analysis does not explain the facts.

Can you join cultural liberalism with economic conservatism yes.

Obviously you can combine cultural conservatism with economic conservatism.

Now - bury the hatchet on the cultural issues and you get a bigger coalition.

One thing I learned in public schools that has served me well over the years. I learned how to add.

[jean]

CLARICE Oh my I really am dense.I never thought of the "smoothie" angle.I will discuss it with Mrs.Thompson if I see her.OK?

[Enlightened]

McCain has not personally denounced the hit job on Palin, IMO that is tacit approval.

Palin was the ONLY reason I even voted this year, I would not have voted for McCain sans Palin for any reason.

This display is absolutely unacceptable. Palin once again handled it with grace under fire. McCain in one fell swoop has completely destroyed his honor.

McCain was dead to the GOP many moons ago. He is dead still.

Palin has a chance to become a mover and shaker for the GOP. If she is as smart as I believe she is, she will be one of the most popular politicians for some time.

As for the shithead McCain staffers - losers every one of them. And when their names become public, their careers are over.

And now the gossip blogs are saying Palin was in a TOWEL, not a bathrobe. Isn't the MSM grand?

[Verner]

Prediction on Biden--he'll be locked in a padded office and we'll never hear from him again.

I simply can't wait to see who BO appoints to Attorney General and CIA. That will be the real test in my mind.

Also, will Rashid "one state" Khalidi be joining at State?

He might have said that he wants to earn "our" support--but that is such BS as the appointment of Rahm Emanuel shows. He couldn't have found a nastier partisan if he tried.

Instead, they will do everything possible to completely destroy the republican party. They will add those 12 million mostly hispanic illegals to the rolls and dilute repub strength in places like Texas and Florida. Depressing days for the Republic folks.

[clarice]

I never was quite sure what the PUMA numbers were and who they represented--some seemd largely motivated by personal animus at a party which rejected their favoriate. Others seemed to be the Reagan Dems who'd backed the Clintons.

You can add, I suppose, but it's deciding how to calculate the numbers that's the hard thing--how many of such voters wqere there really? What were the'r motivations.
Deciding there's some logical coherence in political choices seems to me largely a dubious proposition.

[sylvia]

"So inspite of the overwhelming evidence of the anti-american history of the Weathermen radicals unless you can draw a real connection no one really cares."

Well I think it's not over yet in terms of drawing a connection. We need some hard evidence and I think there is still some fertile fields to till first. The BHO years in New York I think are begging for investigation. For instance, we should get all 1000, minus the 7 in the one known class BHO took, of Columbia students from his year on records saying they didn't know Obama. We already have 400. It should't take too long. If we even get 900, specializing in Poli Sci majors, that should be beyond any reasonable doubt.

We should also interview people at the ABC Coalition, especially the secretaries etc, and ask if Ayers ever held meeting with the directors of the coalition there, as one would assume Ayers would if he was in charge there. If we find a pattern of frequent meetings, I think that is also beyond any reasonable doubt.

Lots of stuff to go through first. If we can find any of this, Obama is done for, even now. People don't care about it now, because we have no hard evidence, but if we get it, they will have to care about it.

[clarice]

Yes, Jean, of course. I thought I was clear on that,honey.

Here's Lifson today on the signs of things to come:
"Thomas Lifson
According to the Wall Street Journal, Barack Obama launched his presidential transition with a series of meetings at Ariel Investments.

"Obama spent much of Wednesday huddled in the offices of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based mutual fund company headed by friend John W. Rogers Jr."

Ariel Investments is a Chicago-based investment management firm that has a "Below Average" performance rating according to Morningstar. As an African-American-owned firm, it has benefitted from city and state government and union pension funds who are under a mandate (whether official or not) to boost investments with minority-owned firms. Of course, the pensioners dependent on the performance on these investments have not shared the benefits.

A small but interesting sign of things to come?
"

[M. Simon]

But we need more Rabbi Lapins out and about and influencing the conservatice dialogue--someoen who understands that you cannot beat back the authoritarians/multiculturalist(nihilists,in sum) without reference to the higher calling aspects of Judeo-Christian thought.

Clarice,

Yes. But it must be done in the public sphere not the government sphere.

And we must remind our Christian friends that Jesus was a libertarian when it comes to government enforcement of a moral code (as opposed to public order).

On Pornography:

If thine eye offend thee pluck it out

On sexual morality:

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. (Newt something or other ring a bell?).

[Verner]

And did anyone see the Frank Luntz analysis of 18-29 year old voters?

What was their main concern this election? PRICES--how much their DVDs and movie tickets cost. I kid you not.

Not JOBS, not the Iraq war.

And "Character" was at the bottom of their list. They were more interested in a candidate who agreed with "them" on the issues.

I have a new name for them--Generation Worthless. Nothing but a bunch of spoiled self absorbed smarmy brats who live off mom and dad's money. I just thank goodness my kids aren't like that.

[M. Simon]

BTW,

Palin's reaction to her daughter's pregnancy was great advertisement for our brand. Look at all the stereotypes that demolished.

[M. Simon]

BTW,

Alan Keyes' disowning of his daughter for being gay was very bad for our brand. Dick Cheney was much better. But not enough. We are still the party of the bigots.

[ljm]

I wish you luck if there is a real connection and BHO shares idealogy with Ayers et. al. then it needs to be exposed.

I just read Cashill's latest entry on his website and he is still pursuing his theory, he says, with the help of international experts. I'm aware that Cashill's credibility is in question by some. I got booted off the LGF website for mentioning Cashill's theory. Actually I was booted by CJ for correcting him on his assertion that Andrew Sullivan had removed his online article from NRO about Cashill's theory.

So much for the free exchange of ideas. Cashill is a proponent of Intelligent Design and that does not sit well with Charles.

[Rick Ballard]

Trollblocker still works fine.

[clarice]

Well, Verner , we can take cold comfort that those idiots whose families have prospered all their lives because they avoided the economic ruination of Carter, ill get to understand Dem economics first hand.

[ljm]

OOPs. I meant Andrew McCarthy not Sullivan.

[sylvia]

"If we can find any of this, Obama is done for, even now."

To comment on my own comment, on the other hand, do we really want Obama done for? Then we would have Biden as President and I don't know if I can handle watching him for four years. At least BHO wold be interesting to watch. Maybe that's why BHO chose Biden, for protection because he knew that would be someone no one would want to see in office.

[clarice]

**Will get to understand Dem economics first hand.******

[M. Simon]

PUMA numbers: 17% of H supporters. I actually calculated it as 3 million. It may only be 2 million if you conservatively discount Operation Chaos voters.

So we have to keep those and get 7.5 million more.

[Laura]

Rick,
Michael Ledeen just posted an extremely strong endorsement of Palin on the corner.
I think she has more support than detractors at NR.

[Captain Hate]

We are still the party of the bigots.

Pardon me? Did you forget your sarc tag?

Btw, LUN for a Camille Paglia article I missed a month ago extolling the impact of Palin. Unfortunately it wouldn't be a Camille article without a moronic Madonna reference; somebody has to take her to a club to get that washed-up diva out of her cortex.

[sylvia]

"I got booted off the LGF website for mentioning Cashill's theory."

Yeah I few places I tried to comment on Ayers, where I usually get in, never once printed anything I said about him. Yes, no free exchange of ideas here.

Anyway, even if it's not very relevant anymore, I still like the Ayers connection theories because it's like solving a detective story and one of the most interesting parts of the campaign to me. But besides Ayers, there is still fraud to investigate. We have donation fraud for sure. Maybe even vote fraud. People assume that vote fraud just wouldn't or didn't happen, and the results are the results, but I think the possibility is not small that it did. Again, I hope someone is looking into it, at least for safeguards for the future.

[Rick Ballard]

"but not sure I see resistance to Palin at NR as monolithic."

It's definitely not monolithic but it's there. I agree with concerning rebuttal via Porchlight's line.

Have a good time - remember, the answer to a sneering elitist is laughter. Their egos are huge but thin bubbles which are very easy to pop.

[sbw]

There is a signifigant population that simply doesn't give a shit about all that, and they vote.

How do you challenge those who think they think clearly? See where they are headed and set in their path an opportunity for them to discover for themselves useful ways to think more clearly.

-- Remove the tools they use to steal power by disinfecting with sunshine and useful education.

How?

Certainly we can't lecture them into good sense. But we can expose what they say if we hold a mirror up to it. We can "bad" them with evidence "bad" and others dredge up that pokes holes in their BS.

[sbw]

Clarice: and Bob Bennett

Sorry, Clarice. I draw the line at that misguided, well-intentioned windbag. He's done more to undermine character education than anyone in recent history.

The way he teaches character is like teaching arithmetic by extolling students to learn that "7" is a good number. So is "5". Learn "7" and "5" and you'll understand arithmetic.

For Bennett, it's learn the vocabulary of virtue and you'll become virtuous. Bennett makes people feel a sense of accomplishment where nothing useful has been accomplished.

[Ranger]

Clarice,

That is more telling than you can imagine. If you really want to get a good feel for how an Obama administration will perform over time, take a look at Balgo in Illinois. Situations are very similar. Blago ran against an opponent who suffered from the taint of the republican incumbent, and his main theme was bringing change to Springfield (no more pay for play politics!). Blago of course had no executive background and only a short stint as a member of congress. He won the primary because he is the son in law of one of the key members of the Chicago city counsel.

When he took office, he had both a Dem House and Senate, and yet his tenure has been a total disaster. It's not so much that he is corrupt (he is) but that he simply has no clue how to actually govern a state. Every major goal he has stated for his administration has failed, even with a solid Dem legislature. His approval rating right now is 13%.

The key for the Republicans is to not let what happened to the party in Illinois happen on a national level. Blago won re-ellection not because people like him, but because the Rs in Illinois simply have self destructed.

[Ranger]

BTW, it looks like the Dow is headed towards a second day of 5% loss. It will be down 25% by Jan 20 if Barry doesn't come out soon and say not big tax hikes in his first year.

[bad]

Ranger

It is instructive that even Axelrod wouldn't work for Blago's election. Obama lacked those scruples however and is characterized as one of the top three people responsible for Blago's election.

[Verner]

They need to get over Palin bashing and face cold hard facts. If McCain had nominated the second coming as his VP, he still would have lost.

1) A third term awarded to the party in power only once since WWII.

2)Bush very unpopular

3)The economic crash.

4)Obama outspent McCain 3-1.

5)Obama ran as a centerist.(Hahaha)

6)The media completely and totally biased towards Obama.

It's a miracle he didn't win by a larger margin.

Palin gained more votes than she lost. As much as I love Rudi and Fred, and would have preferred either of them to Palin (and McCain for that matter), neither of them would have been able to do any better. With Rudi, the base would have stayed home, and Fred just would not have generated the energy to get crowds of 20-30k at a whistle stop. Ditto Mitt.

As Dr. Krauthamer so wisely said--we have elected a "personality" instead of a policy. America want's it's MTV. They got it. Now we're all going to have to live with it--and wait and see.

[bgates]

And if the cultural conservative issues are so important please explain where was the Republican landslide in CA?
I wouldn't call it a landslide, but the anti-gay marriage amendment won 53-47. I vote against such things, but I recognize I'm not in the majority.

[sbw]

I have a new name for them--Generation Worthless. Nothing but a bunch of spoiled self absorbed smarmy brats who live off mom and dad's money.

It turns out that it was their parents generations that were worthless for not teaching them what to value.

The new ones are Generation Gullible.

[clarice]

Well, sbw--you have a point there.. I was thinking of Bennett (like Cheney)more on the American history and institutions instruction front.But in the event this project gets off the ground, I 'll be looking for contributing speakers.

For programs aimed at high schoolers I'd love to have something like the International Baccalureate;s course "Theory of Knowledge". It's taught as a seminar course but maybe I can get permission to tape one classes entire two semesters of it.

[sbw]

As a practical matter, the proper tactic to pursue turning this around is:

Never let an opportunity go by to call "Bullshit"!

[MayBee]

Well....some of us are happy for people that care about buying movie tickets and DVD sales.

[glasater]

DOW is down close to three hundred right now. Welcome to Zero's world.

[clarice]

**class'**(My eyes are so pasted shut..I should for everyone's sake, just back away from the pc...

[PeterUK]

Republicans should recognise this as what it is ,a blessing in disguise.The Democrats have inherited a world of woe,the payment is due now.Four years of it will make Obama an old man,Generation Zilch will have to grow up fast.

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

I had a thought while watching the stock market go down more today.

While Obama and Biden are President and Vice-President elect, they are also Senators.

Why aren't they leading the Democratic Congress now in bold initiativesTM to get a head start in fixing the mess? After all that is a legislative matter, not an executive matter. Why do they need to wait until January 20? Doesn't inaction constitute a Failure in LeadershipTM on the economic front?

Why should we not start this message now?

I, for one, am impatient for change. I want the stock market to go up and not down, and since Teh One has been elected it is going in the wrong directionTM!!!!!

[bad]

Rahm Emanuel and Robert Gibbs are both on record as being very anti-Howard Dean.

[Aaron]

Suggestion: Be a party of limited government - cut bureaucracy, but return saved money in the forms of clear subsidies and shoring up of benefits. "subsidy neutral"

I feel dirty saying this...but it is an idea.

[SukieTawdry]

PUMA numbers: 17% of H supporters. I actually calculated it as 3 million. It may only be 2 million if you conservatively discount Operation Chaos voters.

So we have to keep those and get 7.5 million more.

The Hillbuzzers I've encountered have left even Bill&Hill behind. Seems they're pissed that the two went over to the dark side to support That One (even such as it was--Bill's "advocacy" was particularly comical). A mixed bag, that group.

[Porchlight]

While I certainly share the sentiment wrt Palin in 2012, I can't take credit for the "broken glass" line. Perhaps it was another commenter, or possibly that Sean Malstrom article I linked where he discussed the "broken glass conservatives" phenomenon (which, while real, unfortunately didn't generate the numbers needed).

[Verner]

I heard Michael Steele say something profoundly intelligent that I totally agree with. Issues like abortion rights and gay marriage belong on the local level, not the national level.

I have always thought Roe v. Wade was bad law becasue it ignored the right of states to legislate the issue--and think it needs to be overturned.(McCain's position) Even if it is though, abortion will still be legal in most of the country because many state legislatures have already passed laws to make it so.

But that said--there is a lot of gray area that needs to be addressed. Late term abortion, parental notification to name just a few. Those problems should be solved locally--there's just too much difference in the culture of various parts of the country to ever reach any agreement. It has always been thus in this country--the reason the founders gave individual states so many rights.

The same with gay marriage. The supremes should stay out of it, and allow each state to decide. This doesn't need to be a national issue for any political party.

[Soylent Red]

I, for one, am impatient for change.

I, for one, am impatient for my handout.

Where's my check Barry?

[Soylent Red]

Verner:

Steele is a very, very wise man. And has articulated the path forward.

[Sue]

Look, we have so many stars in our party that need to be groomed towards 2012. Palin, certainly, Bobby Jindal, Eric Cantor, Michael Steele, just to name a few. I would love to hear how they are going to trash Jindal, a Rhodes Scholar, as being stoopid, because he lives his faith. Anyway, they hated Palin for one reason and one reason only. She is pro-life, so much so she gave birth to her 5th child, a Down's Syndrome Baby. That was what lost Palin Clinton's supporters.

[jean]

If we look at the past two years for guidance,the Dems. are wonderfully incompetent.I don't believe they accomplished a whole lot besides bellyaching.Hopefully they continue along this path

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

My summary of Bill Sammon on Fox:

1. Sara Palin did not lose the campaign, John McCain lost the campaign.

2. If the rumors against Palin are false, McCain's staff is stupid and base. If the rumors are true about Palin, McCain's staff was totally incompetent.

[bad]

The Powerline dudes say it would be interesting for Sarah Palin to name First Dude to fill Steven's senatorial spot.

[PeterUK]

"Where's my check Barry?"

Obama can do the "Duck Walk"?

[Pofarmer]

M. Simon.

Looking at the election map, I'm not sure that small govt conservatism is going to be a viable position in the future, that basically only leaves the social conservatives.

And, just leaving people alone really doesn't work when a signifigant number of people beleive that's whats going on is murder. This should have remained with the states.

[narciso]

Seeing Carl Cameron's drive by snapshop
other leaks to MSN-Huff Po; other stillettos
in the back, mabe it's better that she
doesn't run. Why do the hard work, when all the 'right people don't appreciate it.Look at the carpstorm that was conjured out of thin air, precisely because she challenged the One. That early September rally, when the press clicked off an Obama rally (the blasphemy!)so Couric and Gibson sought to destroy her. If she goes back to Alaska, tries to scoop up the post-Stevens debris, raise your kids. She accepted the call to duty, went through all contortions that the McCain campaign; rallied the base and this is the reward. Gutless people who won't even say something on the record. People are so distracted by minutia, that they refuse to face reality; that we have a governing vanguard, that seeks to liquidate our holdings, by action or inaction.

On second thought, ignore that last thought,
someone who rose from city council to mayor to oil commission to governor has a better keel than most. The conclusion to the Carl Campanile piece, shows she is much more magnanimous than many would expect considering her experience. Run if you wish, at your own timestable,

[sam]

Well the GOP is reacting as expected to Obama's victory - lurching further to the right. The feedback loop of rightward lurching followed by exiting of more moderates begins. GOP dead by 2010.

[John]

Are the troops home yet?
Are the troops home yet?
Are the troops home yet?
Are the troops home yet?
Are the troops home yet?
Are the troops home yet?
Are the troops home yet?
Are the troops home yet?

[clarice]

Sam, the way I see it your point of view is that both parties should adopt essentially the same positions and then we should vote for leaders on the basis of emotional sway and personality--and of course the media will help the voters ascertain whose personality is better suited for the job? Is that correct?
I somehoe don't think that's a good idea.
Now, I wouldn't say it's a good idea either to simply adopt a contrary position to offer a choice on everything, but I do think there are fundamental differences which, if they are blurred, really make the idea of a second party rather pointless.

[Daddy]

The Powerline Boys are wrong to suggest Sarah should appoint her hubby to Stevens seat if Steven's win and then leaves office. Murkowski did that trick with his daughter and it got Alaskans so angered about it that they changed the Law so it wouldn't happen again. Her far better move would be to nominate for the interim one of the very old, very respected former Governor's from the Old Days to the position, and then run a different Republican Candidate for the Seat during the Special Election. The process needs to be completely free from nepotism or cronyism or favortism or old boyism, or any of the other ism's that she was initially elected to clean up. Doing it unfairly weakens her. Doing it fairly exalts her.

[M. Simon]

"We are still the party of the bigots."

Pardon me? Did you forget your sarc tag?

Well you are excused. I'm talking perception not reality.

[M. Simon]

"And if the cultural conservative issues are so important please explain where was the Republican landslide in CA?"

I wouldn't call it a landslide, but the anti-gay marriage amendment won 53-47. I vote against such things, but I recognize I'm not in the majority.

Exactly my point bgates.

Where was the landslide in elected politicians to go along with that?

[M. Simon]

Sukie,

A mixed bag, that group.

Do we want their votes or not?

[M. Simon]

Pofarmer,

Looking at the election map, I'm not sure that small govt conservatism is going to be a viable position in the future, that basically only leaves the social conservatives.

Then we are back to 1964. I don't believe it.

And, just leaving people alone really doesn't work when a signifigant number of people beleive that's whats going on is murder. This should have remained with the states.

If you read my proposed platform plank (LUN scroll around) that is exactly my position.

[bgates]

Simon, the CA ballot, in order of popularity, was
1) Democrats in general
2) the Republican position on gay marriage
3) the Democrat position on gay marriage
4) Republicans in general

Loudly proclaiming that #2 is for bigots only won't help us.

I'm not sure why we're arguing over this, since I'm mostly libertarian myself, tend to vote in favor of gay marriage, and agree that Palin had a soft touch on social issues that was completely absent from the media caricature.

[Sue]

Blacks pushed the numbers up on the opposition to gay marriage. Which is kind of ironic. The voting block that turned out in huge numbers for Barack and helped put him in office also killed gay marriage.

[M. Simon]

Loudly proclaiming that #2 is for bigots only won't help us.

But that is the way 1/2 the country thinks. The way to defuse that is to say Rs are against it but it is not a Federal issue.

The national party has to be a Liberty party to win elections.

[sam]

Watching the infighting amongst the GOP is absolutely delicious. And even more fabulous is the realization that I can openly gloat and it wont change your behaviors one iota. The fiscal and social conservatives each realize their loss was due to the other and each is correct.

Know this: We did it to you but letting you do it to yourselves. Enjoy political oblivion. My work is done here.

[Angie Smith]

So Obama intends to keep troops in the so-called illegal and immoral war. Apparently he changed his tune and is going to keep troops there until 2010, but I'm not surprised. When our President, the liberal illuminati does decide to bring them home, he'll take all the credit.