Saturday Morning Open Thread

We continue to root for America!  But without jingoism or chauvinism, natch.  Let me say that If I were a television producer I would have been begging for Rio to win.  Geez, Chicago - it's not like an American audience has never seen it, what with Da Bears, Da Bulls, the Cubs, the White Sox, and endless conventions.  How is television supposed to showcase the Windy City - leaves and debris blowing down a street?  Vistas of Lake Michigan?  A CNBC MarketWatch trading floor?

But showcasing off Rio - are you kidding?  That could make shots of China's Great Wall seem so Two thousand ad late.

Well - what television wants, television gets.  And they are doing it for the viewers.  Rio's time zone works, too.

I CAN QUIT ANYTIME:  Dumbest thing I think I will read today (from Sully):

My immediate reaction, as an American, was disappointment. Obviously, when it comes to sporting events like the Olympics I want my country to win.

Uh huh.  And is the political process that awards the games anyone's idea of a "sporting event"?  Oh, well - maybe if Obama had stuck his landing...

BUT THEN AGAIN:  I could be wrong - maybe this is the dumbest thing I will read today:

Imagine if Bush tried to win the Olympics for Dallas and lost and a liberal blog was mocking him. They [Crazed righties] all would be up in arms.

Why imagine?  I am trying to remember the reaction when Bush flew to the2005 IOC meeting in Singapore to unsuccessfully pitch New York City.  Oh, that's right, he didn't go!

Well, if the analogy only works for the President's hometown then it is not really about America, is it?  It is more about putting a smile on the face of the President and his hometown cronies, and on that aspect of the current cult of personality I would rather pass.

Or if it is about America, then Bush should have pitched New York, but of course he didn't, and no President ever has.

Comments

[Jack is Back!]

Since when is Sully an American? I thought he was still British.

Well, it doesn't matter. If the people of Chicago, of whom at least half, in some polls, didn't want the Olympics then where does Sully get off blaming the VRWC for rooting against America? The excuses are piling up in order to protect and apologize for the Once. But it was simply put a very poor proposal by Chicago and I for one owe a steak dinner and bottle of claret since I was fooled.

Actually, when you think about it, why would a guy with the narcissistic profile of the Once, even consider this sudden interruption into the Olympic decision making process without first finding out where Chicago stood? He has demonstrated for the remaining "hanging chads" of those who voted for him but were starting to doubt that he is really an amateur and not even a good one at that.

America didn't lose but we may have finally regained the scrimmage line.

[Jane]

JIB,

Always underestimate this president, particularly if you are betting.

[Semanticleo]

Ah, Brazil, land of hot golden scantily-clad women and dishonest long-winded lefty sockpuppets!

Speaking of which, there's a pretty good case to be made that the IOC -- and, by extension, their masters the evil American right-wing talk radio cabal -- is being more patriotic than Obama (mmm mmm mmm!) and the left by choosing Brazil over the U.S.

Although it would properly take an 8 thousand word post, plus 11 updates or so, to properly explore the nuances of the situation and explain just how patriotic the IOC are being, let me offer a taste:

"Question: What Would a Patriot Do?
Patriotic answer: Pick Brazil over America!"

(To be fair, though, he did make his choice prior to 2005. Perhaps today a true patriot would instead choose somewhere like Thailand or a UN refugee camp instead).

[Extraneus]

why would a guy with the narcissistic profile of the Once, even consider this sudden interruption into the Olympic decision making process without first finding out where Chicago stood?

The dream of presiding in 2016, waving benevolently to the grateful cheering masses and welcoming the world to his home city after eight glorious years as president, must have been intense.

[Pofarmer]

It's funny. American Hegenmony over the security and safety of the world = Bad. American Hegemony over World wide amateur athletices = good.

[Paul Zrimsek]

unlike Michelle Obama, who might have been proud of her country for the second time in her adult life had Chicago won

Fourth time, no? LA 1984, Atlanta 1996, Hopenchange 2008, Chicago 2016.

[bgates]

JiB, it would only matter what the IOC thought of the Windy City before the Divine Wind intervened if he wasn't infinitely persuasive.

And he wasn't. But he didn't know that. Probably still doesn't.

[clarice]

Mark Steyn on multiculturalism--fabulous video, send it to every college kid you know and help keep their brains from being sucked out of their heads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFV1jH1dHWY&NR=1

[Janet]

This Cheney article via Sweetness&Light LUN makes me wonder if ALL the testimonies could be released. Why just the Cheney testimony? Why not Russert?

The whole Plame brooha was a media vs. administration showdown. With Judith Miller in jail, it seems to me the media players had more reason to lie than the administration players. The special treatment accorded Russert (lawyer, what could be asked about,...) vs the treatment of Libby still makes me sick.

[Donald]

Folks, Billy Payne got the Olympics to Atlanta. Billy Payne, with a nice heaping helping of Andrew Young.

For all of his faults. Andrew Young is a great guy. He was not a horrible race bating mayor, is a pro business kinda guy and wanted good things to happen for Atlanta. I see him at high school football games once or twice a year, and is not eaten up with a massive chip on his shoulder. I believe this has also made him richer than Croseus, which is a good thing. Billy was and is salesman.

Obama is the token darky hand puppet for a orgaqnized crime family and city machine, who ran into an even more corrput organized crime family.

The umpire on my crew last night made a nasty remark about the stupid ONE's venality (Not that he'd know that word in a million years). Damned near had a race riot in the officials room. The truth hurts.

[bishop]

You'd think they would have checked Jon Lee Anderson's interview of a prison gang leader
in the New Yorker, before making their choice, what's the world coming to

[Rocco]

"Athough I wish that we had come back with better news from Copenhagen, I could not be prouder of my hometown of Chicago."

To hell with the rest of the country!

[centralcal]

Wonderful Steyn video. Thanks for the link to it, Clarice.

[clarice]

You're welcome.
Well, Robin Givhan thinks Michelle was just aces in Copenhagen.

[Pagar]

Some Democrat Congressmen made sure that the Honduras government got the word that the officials in charge in the US will continue to stand against democracy, and with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.

"TPM posted a copy of the letter from the distinguished democrats warning Honduran officials that they stand with regional Marxists against the legitimate government of Honduras."

LUN

[clarice]

I doubt that will be of any use to Zelaya. Time is running out on his options as a new election is about to be held and all his tricks have proven of no avail.

But McGovern's record might be something Jane's listeners would be interested in hearing about.

[centralcal]

Okay, Clarice tempted me so I clicked on over the WashPost to read Givhan.

Finally, I get the Valerie Jarrett comment about their not being a dry eye in the house! She meant the Media! I am sure Givhan wrote her column with a box of kleenex at hand.

Another intersting thing was the omission of the Frank Sinatra tune playing in the background as Michelle dined. In her pool report she noted it was The Lady is a Tramp, but simply referred to it as a Sinatra ballad in her column.

Barack Hussein Obama
mmm mmm mmm

Michelle MaBelle Obama
mmm mmm mmm

[Captain Hate]

Morning JOMers; have been fighting a cold/flu and retired early last night. Woke up feeling too rotten to play hoops; hoping to recover soon enough to fly to NYC within the week to visit Hatettes and s-i-l and catch some of Evan Parker's residence at The Stone playing music that would have Melinda making common cause with PETA.

Good WSJ editorial on the Olympics with this money quote:

If Mr. Obama and the White House made a mistake, it was in their apparently boundless faith that somehow Mr. Obama's personal popularity would carry the day. As if, merely by seeing the rock star in person, the delegate from, say, Egypt would abandon his simmering dislike for America, forget all the dinners and deals cut with the Rio Committee, and reward Chicago. In that sense, the Olympic defeat is a relatively painless reminder that interests trump charm or likability in world affairs. Better to relearn this lesson in a fight over a sporting event than over nuclear missiles.

That assumes that Preznit DynOmyte is capable of learning anything from his experiences, of which I've yet to see the first piece of evidence. Btw what is the HTML letter to use to indent a quote?

[Pagar]

From the letter written by the Democrats:

"Should the de facto government continue to stall, we will encourage our government to not recognize your upcoming elections."

Meaning-the only way you can satisfy the Obama regime is to elect a Communist as your president.

[Captain Hate]

While I'm reading the WSJ, LUN for Terry Teachout weighing in on Polanski. At least one surprise in there as Kevin Smith, of all people, doesn't toe the Horrorweird line on this; didn't expect that from him but that's one of the reasons I'm not a betting person.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

CH, use <blockquote>your quote here</blockquote>

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Kevin Smith is one of those surprises in general; like Tarantino, there's a hidden strong moral sense in all his stuff.

[Captain Hate]

"Should the de facto government continue to stall, we will encourage our government to not recognize your upcoming elections."

The party of Alger Hiss. I'm sure there are plenty of willing co-quislings in the State Dept.

[bishop]

Some one on Orrin Judd's site, made not the bizarro world analogy which is getting old,
I'll admit. but the alternate Seinfeld with
Kevin, Gene & Feldman. So yes they will press Micheletti to yield but short of an invasion, either directly or by proxy from Nicaragua, which I don't think is in the offing, I say they will hold out.

[Captain Hate]

Thanks ChaCo. I kind of agree with you on Kevin Smith although his movies always leave me at least partially unsatisfied. Clerks I thought was hilarious; but then I watched it a second time and found that it lost its charm on repetition. Chasing Amy was flat out hilarious until it got really really stupid at the end, although casting Ben Affleck as an ultimate clueless doofus was excellent. Dogma was horrible; it even made Chris Rock unfunny, which I had previously thought impossible.

[Gmax]

Man TM, hip deep in extraordinary stupid so early in the day? Why do you do it. And make sure to wash your hands, those are carriers. You might get infected.

[Pagar]

Meanwhile, we have this for those few who do not believe that every thing the Democrats can stick in the healthcare fraud bill is OK.

"Finance Committee Democrat Won’t Read Text of Health Bill, Says Anyone Who Claims They’ll Understand It ‘Is Trying to Pull the Wool Over Our Eyes’"

IMO, the entire Olympic/Obama fiasco has been a smoke screen to let the Senate advance the healthcare fraud bill without anyone paying much attention.

[Gmax]

The article on the House democrats letter uses the adjective "distinguished" if they mean "stands apart from the crowd", perhaps their thesaurus did not fail them. Here is the list of signatories:

James P. McGovern, Bill Delahunt, Janice D. Schakowsky, Sam Farr, Gregory W. Meeks, Xavier Becerra

Schakowsky is a Illinois lefty screecher and Greg Meeks might be in the running for the dimmest of the many dim bulbs in the halls of Congress. For the most part the others are no names, except McGovern was implicated in the Columbian FARC and Hugo Chavez fiasco.

A bunch of idiot lefties sent a letter. We know they are sympatico with the Communists, why is this even news?

[Sue]

The Typhus gods have had their sacrifice for the day. Trying again...

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/03/gray-lady-white-house-clueless-on-olympic-bid/>White House clueless on Olympic bid

A sense of stunned bewilderment suffused Air Force One and the White House.

Call me unpatriotic. I don't care. That sentence in the Gray Lady was worth losing the bid to Rio.

[clarice]

Well, pagar, that suggests a capacity for subtlety which I think is not there. Remember this is a guy who runs around the world to offer up apologies for his horrible country and then plays the national booster for the IOC.

[MayBee]

Donald- change your language or go away. Nobody here is in the mood to play this game.

[Gmax]

Pagar, if it looks like a circus clownshow of clowns climbing out of a car, and it sounds like a circus clownshow and it walks like a circus clownshow, it most certainly could be and most probably is a clownshow. Or Duck meet Occam's Razor.

Combine incomplete first term Senator resume with Jimmy Carter level naivete, sprinkle in lots of lefty orthodoxy about why the world hates us, shake and bake. If being a rookie is humbling, it has not quite caught up to the One yet.

[Ignatz]

--Actually, when you think about it, why would a guy with the narcissistic profile of the Once, even consider this sudden interruption into the Olympic decision making process without first finding out where Chicago stood?--

JIB, narcissists are funny that way. They actually believe there is no story they can't sell and no one they can't convince of anything.
Case in point; my N brother came up with a preposterous story contrary to common sense, others' testimony and a bankers box full of documentary evidence. He testified to it under oath, thinking he was blackening my name even though he was also implicating himself. Even though I can't stand the creep, I was cringing in embarrassment for the nuttiness of him thinking he was convincing anyone.
At the end, when he was making a final argument (another N conceit, representing himself! God what a nut) the judge interuupted him and said "why should I listen to you, you're a self confessed criminal?". He looked momentarily like he was hit with an ax handle, then carried on as though nothing happened.

They just don't live in this world.

[Gmax]

I have the vision of Groucho flicking the ash off the cigar and the sound of repeated honking of that horn by Harpo is filling my head. I dont know what made me think of that, but now I cant get it out of my head...

[bishop]

It's more the party of Alex Myers, (boy that story went down the memory hole) and the late Phillip Agee (by the CAPconnection)
and by their methods. Pelosi, representing the Jim Jones section of the Party makes the point explicit

Btw, in the'stuck on stupid', department Schmidt's little outburst came in the Atlantic Aspen Forum, that hive of credentialed moronicity, 'nuke it from orbit, only way to make sure' that also where Lindsay Graham had his fill of birthers, Beck, and the Tea Partiers.

[Old Lurker]

MayBee, thanks for telling Donald what we think of that sort of talk here.

[Gmax]

I think ABC Wide World of Sports should be bring back their classic opening video showing the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, and substitute Barack in for the latter in this version. Seems to work quite well.

[Rocco]

For all of his faults. Andrew Young is a great guy.

In Nigeria, many believe Andrew Young's Goodworks International is responsible for introducing the Nigerian president to corruption...US style!

[bishop]

Right our quarrel is not with his race or ethnicity, Howard Dean, and John Kerry among the loathesome Wasp wastrels are similarly devoid of judgement and knowledge, but the extent of same's narcissism. I was told on this board many monthes back, that would be his Achilles heel, that appears to be more true than ever.

[glasater]

Here is a possibility for the JOM island:

Itamaraca

It is off the coast of Brazil and sounds positively wonderful!

[Gmax]

Meanwhile in other news The Telegraph is reporting that Amadhatter was apparently born to Jewish parents. Now I have known a couple of self loathing Jews, but this is taking it to whole nuther level...

[Ranger]

Interesting development from http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/importance_of_issues>Ras:

For nearly two years, economic issues have held the top spot in terms of importance among voters.

But the latest national telephone survey shows that 83% now view government ethics and corruption as very important, placing it just ahead of the economy on a list of 10 key electoral issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports. Eighty-two percent (82%) of voters see the economy as very important.

I do wonder if the Obama going to bat for the most corrupt city government in the country may have added a few points to that concern.

[Gmax]

Charlie Cook pollster and Democrat about what is bubbling up in discussions about the 2010 election. Take away Charlie ( who is a Democrat btw, and thus usually finds it more encouraging for Democrats than what turns out when the votes are tallied ):

What I find interesting about this whole conversation is the lack of focus on actual Congressional districts. When you look at the 84 CD's currently held by Democrats, that went for either Bush 2004 or McCain 2008, the 48 Democratic seats that went for Bush and McCain, the 54 seats that were in Republican hands four years go, it is very clear that the party's vulnerability exceeds their margin of 40 seats.

I was interested in your comment, "There's no comparable regional partisan shift working against the Democrats right now."

Have you been in the South lately? The level of anti-Obama, anti-Democratic and anti-Congress venom is extraordinary, and with 59 Democrat-held seats in the region, 22 in or potentially in competitive districts, this is a very serious situation for Democrats. I have had several Democratic members from the region say the atmosphere is as bad or worse than it was in 1994.

This is not just about President Obama. It is anti-Congress and anti-Democratic Congress.

[Sue]

The Times of London is reporting Amamadhatter had Jewish parents.

[Sue]

Well, that is one way to get a rumor started. I screwed that up royally. It is the http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/6256173/Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-revealed-to-have-Jewish-past.html>Telegraph not the Times and it is Jewish roots not parents.

[bishop]

Right, they keep trying to suggest it's
'just a flesh wound' Monty Python really does serve as a metaphor doesn't it. That move yesterday in Copenhagen, was worthy of the kamikazi Scotsmen. But he fact that it's essentially leaderless resistance, well
let me clarify, relatively unknown
leadership, like the JOM crew, Dana Loesch
possibly the most prominent, and some other
officials and public spirited citizens, keeps them on the edge.

[Rick Ballard]

Gmax,

Cook also feels that there are as many as 7 Senate seats in play. If Begich can be indicted, it could be 8. If another couple of Dem geezers follow The Swimmer (How are you this morning, Senator Byrd? Senator Lautenberg - how about you?) then '94 Redux becomes very possible. The rise in importance of corruption coupled with the fact that, although the economy has bottomed, unemployment still has miles to go before it rests, presents a rather unique opportunity. As the Muddle slowly awakens to the fact that '10 marks the expiry of the Bush tax cuts the shift in sentiment can only widen.

[Cecil Turner]

My problem with him is not that he failed to bring home the bacon . . . heck, I'm not even sure it'd be worth the inevitable annoyances (traffic, security, et al). Moreover, watching President da Silva make his pitch for a historic South American games, with the attendant enhancement of prestige for Brazil, that it made sense for him and his country. But for the US?

The contrast with President Obama's trip was stark. Making a big production out of going to Copenhagen, dragging his commander out of the hottest war zone for a short sit-down, he frittered away valuable prestige in the middle of several high-level diplomatic efforts. For what? If he'd gotten the games, it would've done bupkus for the country, and the selection process was a big distraction from the important stuff. As it was, it just highlighted the stupidity of chasing after ephemera while two critical national security issues (Iran's nuclear program and the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan) go begging for lack of attention.

WTF? (And no, I don't mean he ought to pitch Wisconsin Tourism). Is this really the best they can do?

[PD]

Robin Givhan thinks Michelle was just aces in Copenhagen.

Heh, words from the Joker. We should listen to her ... why?

Kinda like Cleo the other day, thinking that we should be learning from him after admitting that he bangs his head against the wall.

[Old Lurker]

"As the Muddle slowly awakens to the fact that '10 marks the expiry of the Bush tax cuts the shift in sentiment can only widen."

And with it the return on steriods of the Death Taxes, now made worse by those states which increased those taxes to claim some of the reductions provided by Bush.

WSJ, as we did here the other day, lays the spike in youth unemployment to that increase in their minimum wage just enacted. Laffer's gotta be laughing now.

[clarice]

Sue, that should really scare the Saudis.
Oddly, and I've no idea if it's true--but many years ago when I was in Israel, Libyan Jewish emigrees claimed they were kin of Ghaddafy--they said his mother was jewish and had run off with his father.

Whether either story is true, both would be good dirty tricks by intel agencies to undercut the power and credibility of these men with their countrymen and allies. Just saying.

[clarice]

The young supported this clown, it's only fair that they'll bear the brunt of his idiocy. Maybe they'll use their time of unemployment to like you know actually learn something. MIT has made all its offerings free online..maybe they can switch from DU and Kos to MIT.

[Ranger]

Maybe congress should investigate how much administration time and federal tax dollars were wasted chasing this shinny thing for the president's friends in Chicago. From the NYT story:

Mr. Obama, Michelle Obama, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Ms. Jarrett worked the phones in recent weeks without coming away with a sense of how behind Chicago really was.

Other than MO (who is technically a private citizen), I can see no reason why any of those people were spending any time on the phone working on the Olympic bid. If it was so important to Jarrett, she should have taken a leave of absence from her White House job to deal with it.

[bishop]

Zhirinovsky, born in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan of all places, supposedly had similar issues, You weren't just Justice Department
right.

[PD]

This is not just about President Obama. It is anti-Congress and anti-Democratic Congress.

I was always amused during the latter Bush years how the media relentlessly reported Dem members of Congress quoting Bush's low approval numbers ... oblivious to the fact that both Congress and the media were getting approval numbers even lower than Bush.

[Gmax]

Rick that is a cheery thought! Control of both Houses would be very very encouraging for a country that does not see much to cheer about at the moment. Even 7 Senators probably gets us to filibuster that RINOs cant coopt, and nothing but nothing could be as satisfying as waving goodbye to Speaker Pelosi. I would put waving a fond farewell to the United Nations a close second, but even then sending San Fran Nan into a crying fit would make me smile for weeks.

[PD]

WSJ, as we did here the other day, lays the spike in youth unemployment to that increase in their minimum wage just enacted.

I'm more thankful than ever that my recent college grad son was able to find a job.

[PD]

The young supported this clown, it's only fair that they'll bear the brunt of his idiocy.

I understand the sentiment, but *my* young didn't support him.

[Old Lurker]

"The young supported this clown, it's only fair that they'll bear the brunt of his idiocy."

If they would take a moment to think about the transfer of wealth from the working young to retired oldsters via Social Security, they would be shocked. If they applied that thinking to all five of the proposed Heathcare Bills, they would conclude that our pal Bernie Madoff needs to scoot over to make room in the cell for most elected Dems who could give old Bernie a graduate course in Ponzi Schemes.

[clarice]

Well, PD, of course, I was speaking generically. A very large part of his Yes We Can nincompoops are in that age bracket.

[Gmax]

Neither did any of my young would are having to navigate this mess. Time to admit our own failure, allowing Bush and a Republican congress to drift so RINO and Democrat Lite that it was hard to distinguish the parties and what would happen. A personality cult was an easy scam when it did not seem to matter who had budget control...

[Janet]

Mine didn't either PD. My daughter was a Sr. in high school and voted mccain/PALIN. When classmates would tout Obama, she would ask if they could vote.

[Ignatz]

--For what? If he'd gotten the games, it would've done bupkus for the country..--

I'm inclined to think his calculation, in this as in everything, was more toward 'what's in it for me' than what's in it for the country.

[peter]

Sabathia looked terrible last night. So did the rest of the Yankees. I'm not panicking just yet.

[peter]

Here is a weird story, even for Red Sox fans.

[clarice]

GMax, You may be right, but I do think the economic meltdown is what cost the Republicans the election --nothing would have made any difference.

[PD]

clarice: Right, that's why I understand the sentiment. It's still grating to have sensible kids that understand the issues suffer the effects of their stupid compatriots.

One of the worst things about the high unemployment for the young is that it delays even longer for them the cold-water-in-the-face wakeup call they get when they actually see how much of their paycheck gets eaten up in taxes. I know when my son was trying to work out how to budget his pay, I could see this was having a somewhat bracing effect on him -- and he's no dummy.

[Porchlight]

A quick scan of the Wiki on the House elections shows that a little less than half the 34 Dem incumbents who were beaten in 1994 were elected in 1992. Just curious, was there any other pattern of vulnerability?

[Gmax]

Clarice

2008 perhaps. What your answer for 2006?

No more RINOs.

[Jack is Back!]

Peter,

Well, Ted was a hellva fisherman so the tuna allegory was probably appropriate:)

[PeterUK]

"but I do think the economic meltdown is what cost the Republicans the election --nothing would have made any difference."

Yes,the Democrats could have put up a nonentity,with no previous experience and a blank CV. They still would have won.

[clarice]

Heh,PUK..
Gmax:"No more RINOs."
We are in no position to control that as these people are elected from their home districts and they are the ones deciding ..I agree the Republican Senatorial Committee was wrong to fund Chafee without even demanding that he support the President's judicial nominees, and they will never get another dime from me, but if the Conn. Reps had re-elected him do you suggest he should be thrown out even if his vote were critical on so many issues?

That sort of talk seems to me a bit silly.

[PD]

By the way, clarice has a new article up at PJM about ACORN.

[Gmax]

If necessary you fund challengers in the primary for the Chafees and the turncoats like Specter. Even losing the seat, draws a distinction that can not be missed by an electorate that seems to be hungry for a government that can make the left side of the balance sheet equal the right. Not that hard for all of us, but sure seems to evade Democrats and most Republicans heretofore as well.

[PD]

Interesting article about Sarah Palin and the new book at PJM as well.

I note elsewhere that the lefties have already geared up to trash Sarah's collaborator Lynn Vincent as the worst sort of right-wing anti-semitic venomous scum of the earth. I know nothing of Vincent and this will all play out in the coming months, but one thing is for sure: We don't have to guess about "other sources" working on Sarah's book.

[clarice]

I think that would create enormous provlems if the "you" inthe first sentence was the party not the voter..and I think you have to weigh whether weakening the likely highest vote getter in your party isn't more likely to give you an even worse winner (a Dem).

At the moment, the Dems hold a lot of seats in districts which vote more toward the middle and they will lose those unless the seat holders quickly become DINOs.The pendulum is swinging to the right as their party is swinging sharply leftward.

[clarice]

Heh--Chicago 2016;Terre Haute 2020.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-04-oct04,0,7539028.column

[Gmax]

Difference seems to be that but for relics from the past like Gene Taylor in Mississippi ( a very few similar types in the South) there is no such thing as a DINO. The may vote occasionally when their vote is not crucial, against their party, but on a regular basis? Does not happen.

Some party discipline is indeed a missing ingredient for the Republican party. There definitely should be a requirement that bs artists like the NYC Mayor cant just call themselves a Republican. Otherwise the party stands for nothing.

[Danube of Thought]

"...when it comes to sporting events like the Olympics I want my country to win."

Among the innumerable things this dunce does not appear to know is that the Games are awarded to cities, not countries. Chicago never had a chance in this thing because of the bitter, ongoing dispute between the IOC and the USOC. Axelrod looks awfully like an amateur for not having known this from the start, since he could easily have known the score.l He set his guy up to look like a chump.

[clarice]

He set this up so his firm could get more money from Chicago, DoT. He's a welathy red diaper kid, like Katherine van whatever of The Nation and Even Thomas of Newsweek.

[boris]

"party discipline is indeed a missing ingredient for the Republican party ..."

While the dimorats (with help from MSM, Hollywood, NEA, & academia) have had success painting Republicans as the "true enemy" I do not consider this tit for tat situation. Let's keep that as a last resort (or 2nd to last:).

IMO Rush Glen and Sarah are doing a good job of "well you bought their lies about W about O about war about economics and how is that working out for you now?"

[Captain Hate]

the lefties have already geared up to trash Sarah's collaborator Lynn Vincent as the worst sort of right-wing anti-semitic venomous scum of the earth

Even if I wasn't completely in the tank for her (which I obviously am), I'd vote for her just to make those idiots more deranged than they already are.

Although I'm almost as far from a shill for most things Cleveland promotes as you can get (seriously, don't get me started on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame unless you want a nearly endless rant much more fitting of AoS) the Cleveland Museum of Art is outstanding. The Mrs and I just got back from a Gauguin exhibit centered around an 1889 Paris exhibit now recognized as the first Symbolist exhibition in Paris. In addition to the excellent layout of it (co-ordinated with the Van Gogh Museum of Amsterdam; btw I didn't know until today that it was a spat with the 2 Van Goghs that Paul had that led to Vince lopping off his ear) they provide little listening thingies to enhance the experience.

[clarice]

**EvAn Thomas***

[mockmook]

This talk that R's and D's are the same is such crap...even the worst of the RINOs don't buy into or espouse marxist clap-trap.

Push the politicians in the conservative direction by working for, and voting for, the lesser evil (first in R primaries, then in the general)--it will be a long process, but conservatives can retake the GOP and the country. I fear we will get more Obama's if we stay home or go third party.

[bishop]

She helped work on the memoir for Gen. Boykin, who was so brutally slandered by the worm, Arkin, using of all things a henchman for Mohammed Aidid, the dreaded Osman Atto, whose loathsome character is briefly seen in the opening to Blackhawk Down. She's the wife of a naval aviator,
a detail left out of the Politico account, she authored a compendium of the Democrat's corrupt history, from Aaron Burr, on. So she's a good fit for her subject. Not as close as Bill Ayers was for his, though.

[E. Nigma]

"...when it comes to sporting events like the Olympics I want my country to win." - Andrew Sullivan

But his country did win. London hosts the 2012 Olympics. Andrew Sullivan is not an American citizen, just a legal resident. Criminy, who really pays attention to that pot-smoking derelict?

[PeterUK]

Don't be like that,Any would have been in the Putting the Glute competition.

[PeterUK]

and catching the shot.

[bishop]

Sullivan must pain the likes of Horace Greeley, in the proverbial 'rolling over in the grave sense' seeing what his publication
has become. Even level headed folk like Mark Bowden have been swept up in it's contempt. Then again, they were never that accurate to begin with; Conor O'Brien, though Germany would become a neonazi redoubt, Fallows, like the Old Mariner, told the tale of "Invincible Japan" They have descended to the level of Harper's though, which is pretty low

[Fresh Air]

Sullivan is in the Javelin-Catching Competition.

He elects to receive.

[Pagar]

" unemployment still has miles to go before it rests,"

Did anyone notice in the Weekly Radio address, there was mention of the Healthcare fraud bill being necessary to get individuals to start new businesses.

LUN

IMO, no one in their right mind would start a new business with the Crap and Trade bill hanging over the head of every person in America. Every bill/every thing the Democrats are talking/planning is anti business and anti personal freedom. How would anyone make plans in such an uncertain void? The best thing that Congress could do at this time IMO, would be to go home and stay there. Don't call anyone, don't write anyone, just stay home and plan your retirement.

[bgates]

when it comes to sporting events like the Olympics I want my country to win

When it comes to wars I want my country to win. That's not even because it's my country, it's because thus far my country has been on the side of the angels in armed conflict where the other side wants to make the world a worse place. Same goes for just about any international disagreement that means anything, though the last eight months is diluting that record.

30 years ago, it made sense to root for the US and the American way of life vs the industrial sports system of the evil empire. These days, Sullivan's position is just the old Onion t-shirt, "the sports team from my area is superior to the sports team from my area".

Now, I jumped out of my chair shouting when Michael Phelps and his team beat the French. But I'm not going to root for every Allen Iverson in a red, white, and blue uniform. Can't we just watch and cheer for all the great athletes to do their best, and hope the French lose?

[Elliott]

The US Attorney's office's rationalization was that, since he was not an American and the marijuana possession rap threatened his naturalization, the charge should be dismissed.

[Gregory Koster]

The Palin book is going to kill Jack Cashill's fine on The Once's fraudulent claim to sole authorship. Now the Left can sniff and say, It's no different than Palin's book. So far as I can tell, the book doesn't credit Vincent on the dust jacket.

Sullivan's position is simple: under present law, being HIV positive, he has to leave the US by March 2011. Where does he go? The terrorists have not forgotten his denunciations in the days when Geo. W. was his father figure. No, his only chance is too blubber slavishly over The Once, so he can stay. It's working, which is why his pot charge was dismissed. No matter what The Once is his God, or at least his ticket to stay where he can be nominally safe. I should like to see him kicked out of the country as that would have the same effect on him as he has been trying to give Palin and her family. What he's done to them is unforgivable and he should pay.

[Gregory Koster]

Aaaaaauuugh!:

"...going to kill Jack Cashill's fine WORK..."

[PD]

Now the Left can sniff and say, It's no different than Palin's book. So far as I can tell, the book doesn't credit Vincent on the dust jacket.

This would be so except for the minor detail that Sarah has not tried at all to hide that there was a collaboration or who the collaboration was with. Sarah schools Obama when it comes to transparency, just as in everything else.

[bishop]

They'll certainly try that, but Ayers was never mentioned that I can recall, in the commentary surrounding Dreams of My Father.
In fact, in a reversal of the Jack Ryan
strategy in 'Clear and Present Danger', he took pains to separate him from any connection with him, what's called a legend
in the parlance of the trade

[Fresh Air]

Where does he go?

Since he's a citizen of the Commonwealth, I don't see why Canada would be such a problem. Plus, it's got great socialized healthcare. I bet he can get a medicinal dime bag with no more than a six-month wait.

[Jane]

Pot is essentially legal in MA Gregory. Possession has been decriminalized. The only penalty is a fine I believe.

[clarice]

He was arrested in a national park and the MA law on possession is inapplicable there,Jane.