Fortunately She Is A Democrat Only Running For The Senate

If Sarah Palin had committed a debate gaffe comparable to announcing that there were no Al Qaeda terrorists left in Afghanistan, then stood by while a member of her campaign staff roughed up a reporter trying to follow up on that topic, it is all we would be reading about.

But since Martha Coakley is a Democrats running for Kennedy's Senate seat the people's Senate seat in Massachusetts it is a bit of a non-event.

John McCormack of The Weekly Standard presents his version, with video.

In an update, he tells us that the goon in question is probably Michael Meehan of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.  Is Meehan part of Coakly's staff?  Well, arguably yes - this is from the WaPo:

Democrats have buttressed Coakley's campaign this week, adding fresh money and personnel to her operation and vowing to go after the Republican far more aggressively than they have to date. [That increased aggression is not metaphorical]

The DSCC bought $500,000 in advertising time for the contest, and national Democrats sent a pair of experienced strategists -- Michael Meehan and Hari Sevugan -- to Massachusetts to help lead the attack on Brown [and McCormack!] and oversee the final days of Coakley's campaign. Democrats also have sent fundraising e-mails from Obama and Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.).

The Boston Herald recounts McCormack's story and adds this:

McCormack writes he believes he was pushed by Michael Meehan, president of Blue Line Strategic Communications in Washington, D.C. The Associated Press also identifies the man as Meehan, based on photos and videotape of the incident.

CNN covered the faraway look Ms. Coakley gets when asked about Afghanistan:

Washington (CNN) – Democrat Martha Coakley dodged a pointed question Tuesday about her claim during a Massachusetts Senate debate the night before that terrorists are no longer in Afghanistan.

During Monday's debate with Republican Scott Brown, Coakley questioned why the United States still has troops in Afghanistan. She claimed that the al Qaeda terrorists who were originally targeted by American military action have migrated elsewhere, rendering the mission moot. "They're gone," she said. "They're not there anymore. They're in, apparently Yemen, they're in Pakistan."

A reporter asked Coakley about that claim after a Capitol Hill fundraiser on Tuesday. "Do you stand by that remark?" he asked.

Coakely, standing before a small cluster of reporters and cameras, listened to the question, then quickly looked in a different direction.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Did anybody else have a question?"

No mention of the pushing and shoving, but there attention may have been elsewhere.

Ben Smith of The Politico is advised by the DSCC that the video is a Republican "dirty trick":

Meehan is a veteran Democratic staffer, Bostonian, and Obama appointee to the Broadcasting Board of Governors. An attempt to reach him through his Washington P.R. firm was unsuccessful. But friends said they found the video both inappropriate and out of character.

"It is no surprise that Washington Republicans are trying to use every dirty trick they have to throw the Coakley campaign off their stride, but we are determined to end this campaign talking about the issues that matter to voters, like creating jobs and lowering middle class taxes," said Schultz in a written statement.

The Hill covers this and is also advised that McCormack is a notorious troublemaker, questioning candidates and so on.

Fox News has coverage, including a damning AP photo of Coakley looking on as Meehan looms over a sprawled-out McCormack. 

And from the left, Taylor Marsh rallies for a free press - free to brush up on their mixed martial arts, that is:

I wanted to add something about this race. I’m 100% behind Ms. Coakley, but the scene outside Sonoma restaurant the other night, an upscale, wonderful wine bar that I’ve been to many times, is indicative of the heat right now coming from the right. A video of a “reporter” getting pushed to the ground by someone on Coakley’s staff, which means to me the point was to get something just like this captured on tape.

Pardon me?  The question about the Afghanistan gaffe was just a ruse?  The "point" was to get tape of someone being shoved to the canvas?  Uhh, are the Coakley people knocking people to the deck all over Massachusetts but without cameras nearby?  Is Ms. Marsh routinely knocked down while covering the news?

I can't shake the feeling that if a Bushie had decked a reporter that Ms. Marsh would be writing about nothing other than the impending Dark Night and checking the weather reports from Gitmo.  But since it was Dems bringing the muscle she can't even muster a "tut, tut" and goes on to blame McCormack.  Worth remembering.

Comments

[Damn that perjuror Russert.]

I'd like the minutes of the DSCC for May of 2003, thank you very much.
======================================

[Danube of Thought]

Is there a video of the shoves?

[Dave (in MA)]

From the reporting of talk radio callers that I've heard over the past week or so, the Brown campaign hasn't been able to keep up with the demand for yard signs. I don't see how you could get their posts in the ground, anyway--it's frozen solid.

Prof. Jacobson points out how--using the same logic as employed in Coakley's attack ad that says Brown wants to deny health care to rape victims--Coakley wants to deny health care to rape victims.

[Jane]

This race is so much fun.

And my favorite quote comes from Kerry's fundraising letter:

"Republican Scott Brown, whose allies in the right wing dream of holding a "tea party" in Kennedy country?"

Could these people be more out of touch?

[Rick Ballard]

Video

No big deal. Under Stalin or Castro or Mao or Chavez or Mugabe or Obama. That First Amendment crap just has to go by the wayside...

[Rob Crawford]

And my favorite quote comes from Kerry's fundraising letter:

"Republican Scott Brown, whose allies in the right wing dream of holding a "tea party" in Kennedy country?"

God forbid -- a Tea Party in Boston!

[Dave (in MA)]

The "progressives" have been making a big deal about some nearly 30 year old beefcake photos of Brown. This is the best I can come up with for mousey Martha:

[Jane]

From Howie Carr:

You may be a Scott Brown voter if:

* Unlike Martha Coakley’s campaign, you know how to spell “Massachusetts.”

* You’ve already voted absentee, and you’re urging all your friends to do the same by Friday, just in case.

* You think maybe Martha should be spending more time chasing criminals and less time chasing old ladies in their garden clubs.

* You know at least a few people who voted for Obama in 2008 who are now planning to use their ballot Tuesday to “repent.”

* You’re wondering why last week liberals were so angry that the word “Negro” was listed on the 2010 census form, but now that Harry Reid uses it . . . nothing to see here, folks, move along.

* You’re appalled that ex-Lynn Mayor Chip Clancy, who was fired by the voters in November, is now at age 59 going to collect a $79,200-a-year public pension, with survivor’s benefits for his wife, who by the way has a hack job of her own in the court system making $84,869.90 a year.

* You belong to a union, and they’re telling you to vote for Martha Coakley, and when you ask your pinky-ring thug business agent about the 40 percent tax she wants to impose on your “Cadillac” health plan, he slowly takes the stogie out of his mouth and says, Forget about it, da boys will take of all-a youse.

* You’re puzzled as to who killed the three U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan on Monday, because Martha Coakley said there aren’t any terrorists there anymore.

* You heard that the Amish are going to be exempt from the Obama-Coakley health rationing, and you’re wondering, how does one become Amish?

* You can’t believe any Republican would ever agree to let David Rodham Gergen moderate another debate.

* You’re angry that, when you had to take a pay cut in 2009 to keep your job, the Democrats on Beacon Hill jacked up the sales tax by 25 percent.

* You know Martha Coakley lost the debate when you hear her Kool- Aid drinking sob-sister supporters comparing her performance favorably to . . . Shannon O’Brien’s.

* You’re wondering why the cops, who should know Martha Coakley best, are all endorsing Scott Brown.

* You’re thinking that maybe, just in case, you should lay in some champagne for Tuesday - and does anyone else need anything while you’re up in New Hampshire?

[Thomas Collins]

Jane, I think the Kerry fundraising letter and the attack ad against Brown indicate that Coakley's folks have decided that the independent vote is going to go solidly to Brown, and that Coakley must turn out the true believer Dems, of which there are many in Massachusetts.

[Thomas Collins]

Also, the sad fact of the matter is that, for many Mass. voters, public funding of abortion and abortion on demand is the only acceptable position. Support of abortion rights but with no public funding and late term abortion restrictions is considered unacceptable. Coakley is hoping that a combination of bread and butter Dems plus radical autonomy choicers will pull her through.

[Janet]

The Hill covers this and is also advised that McCormack is a notorious troublemaker, questioning candidates and so on.

So what? This is how the WaPo described S.R. Sidarth during the whole macaca blow-up -
"...demeaning and insensitive comments the senator made to a 20-year-old volunteer of Indian descent."

The media was all on the side of the questioner back then.

[Porchlight]

Sure, Taylor, it was all just stunt work. The neocons even got Coakley to meet with the health care lobbyists in DC too.

[Thomas Collins]

Dave(in MA), I suspect that the farts who will tut-tut about Brown's Cosmo "spread" wouldn't have voted for him anyway. I can BAREly wait for the swearing in of what may be the first US Centerfold Senator! :-))

[narciso]

Jedi mindtricks clearly, 'these are the lobbyists you should meet, and these are the people you should shove' Very stylish by the way (lol)

[Dave (in MA)]

I think a Brown victory is unlikely with all the drooling D lever-pulling zombies in this state, though there’s always the HOPE that sufficient numbers of them won’t be able to resist unthinkingly voting for the Kennedy on the ballot as they have for over 50 years.
It's not as though this hasn't happened before. In the mid 50s a Gillette stock clerk was elected State Treasurer for 3 consecutive terms, primarily on the basis of the fact that his name was John F. Kennedy, whose Senate tenure overlapped the other JFK's political career.

“It's not the Kennedy's seat. It's not the Democrats' seat. It's the people's seat." ”

[Porchlight]

Drudge has the pic up now. Ooh rah! Though honestly, I feel guilty being pleased about it since the Haiti news taking up his headline space and deserves the most attention.

[Jane]

I think you are right TC. The independents are gone. The police are gone. Union members are going. Every newspaper that has declared is for Brown.

She will have to steal it to win it.

[Thomas Collins]

Porchlight, look at it this way. Those who will support Haitian relief efforts (whether through contributions to the organization TM mentioned or otherwise) are going to do it whether or not the Brown-Coakley race gets some Drudge play. In addition, I suspect that, as usual, our military will be in the forefront of humanitarian relief efforts.

[clarice]

The Globe's coverage of the shoving incident is particuarly a deft bit of lying propagfanda.

In any event whether you believe the left or the right's version, Coakley goofed on Afghanistan, went to a lobbyist fundraiser in DC where she avoided answering the question and offered no assistance or sympathy to the man on the ground no matter how he ended up there.
Of course such a thing shouldn't be a basis for voting for or against her but if you weren't sure and character matters, this is not a good thing for her.

[matt]

1 - Harry Reid insults African Americans and the demsrush to his rescue. In addition, there seems to be a complete disconnect with both the truth and reality in their statements.

2 - Coakley's fundraiser attracted lobbyists from the pharmaceutical industry, the insurance industry, and health care companies; the exact people with the most at stake in the debate.

3 - Democrats seem to be regularly engaged in thuggery.

What part of the descent into Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four do people not get?

[hit and run]

The bottom line is McCormack is a light-skinned Irish-American* with no Negro dialect.

--------------------
*And here you thought TM was defending him out of right-wing solidarity.

[Murgatroyd]

Dave (in MA) is right -- we should be contributing to the Joe Kennedy campaign. The Democrats rely on people so stupid that they kept voting for the Hero of Chappaquiddick for four decades. The way to siphon off their votes is to tell them to "Keep the Kennedy Legacy Alive!"

[Porchlight]

In addition, I suspect that, as usual, our military will be in the forefront of humanitarian relief efforts.

Yes. A friend and I were just talking about that. The world expects our assistance during these times, and we are happy to offer it, but the usual complainers kvetch about us being the "world police" the rest of the time. And meanwhile places like Europe don't even have to maintain their own military because we take care of it for them, essentially subsidizing their social welfare states.

Like regular cops, we get no respect.

[narciso]

I remember this doofus moonbat, Pablo Paredes not willing to deploy because he was going to Iraq, the fact that his ship was later part of the relief and rescue efforts with the Tsunami, never really came to light.

[NK]

This past few days has been so revealing:

Senate Majority Leader says Negro Dialect, Dem Senate Candidiate-- no terrorists in Afghanistan, TARP to Banks yields taxpayers $14B profit, $120 Billion TARP LOSS paying off UAW workers, GMAC, AIG policy beneficiaries (e.g Turbo Tax Timmie's friends), low income mortgage deadbeats (e.g. Dem voters) $400+ BILLION LOSS from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, so of course Barry O wants to tax the Banks $120 for the cost of TARP, even though the banks have paid back with %, and now an SEIU flunky shoves a reporter to the ground while the Dem. AG/candidiate looks on and the Left says it's the reporter's fault. The public is starting to catch-on (e.g. Barry O's ratings in the toilet especially with healthcare.) PROBLEM: the dems know that the electoral jig is up, so they may just 'bust the place out' like the Goodfellas. Impossible? the Dems already did it in Newark, Gary In. and Detroit, they are doing it in California, NJ, NY, Mass and Illinois-- why not "Bust Out" the whole country?

[Rob Crawford]

Pardon me? The question about the Afghanistan gaffe was just a ruse? The "point" was to get tape of someone being shoved to the canvas?

Lefties do this all the time -- attack police at a "protest", then release carefully edited video that doesn't show the attack, just the police response. Then they scream about police brutality.

So just chalk it up to lefty projection.

[eaglewingz08]

So when libtards go dogging Sen. Allen in his race for re-election to get a 'macaca' moment, that's aok with them. But when a regular reporter asks a civil question of Queen Coakley, and gets assaulted as she looks on 'glassy eyed' (imagine if Gov Palin ever looked 'glassy eyed', her liberal media friends bark, 'nothing to see here' and its the republicans' fault that they get beat down. I thought liberals were against blaming the victim, but it seems some victims are less worthy to liberals than others.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

So when libtards go dogging Sen. Allen in his race for re-election to get a 'macaca' moment, that's aok with them. But when a regular reporter asks a civil question of Queen Coakley, and gets assaulted as she looks on 'glassy eyed' (imagine if Gov Palin ever looked 'glassy eyed', her liberal media friends bark, 'nothing to see here' and its the republicans' fault that they get beat down.

Good summary.

[Jane]

Liberals are not against anything if it gets them what they want.

Don't be naive.

[centralcal]

Just because we haven't had a really good MaBelle Michelle chuckle in awhile . . .

MO Hair

I read that they want to get MO out in front more to help with approval ratings. Not sure she's gonna be able to do that, her being so *popular* and all. snort.

[Danube of Thought]

I just read that the carrier USS Carl Vinson, fresh from midlife overhaul and headed from the Atlantic to her homeport in San Diego, has been diverted to Haiti.

[narciso]

OT, but not really, John Woo, pwning John Stewart in the LUN, much like he did to Debra Solomon, last week or so

[Ignatz]

--I read that they want to get MO out in front more to help with approval ratings.--

That's like the czar sending Rasputin out for a few photo ops.

[Mike Myers]

Well if the Vinson battle group is within a day or so of Haiti. Water, medical care, food, lots of helilift and deck space to shuttle the copters back and forth.

But as we cut the number of carriers--well then these guys are going to be further away from future earthquake/tsunami/ global flooding due to global warming problems. (I'll pull my tongue out of my cheek on the last part of that sentence.)

[Dave B]

See what we have to put up with in Mass? How about Kerry... Senator of MASSACHUSETTS making fun of Tea Parties in his support email for Coakley? The senator of the place where a tea party changed the world... is making fun of them. Out of touch doesn't even describe these elitist snobs.

[Porchlight]

They always say that about MO - remember when she was going to be out in front pushing for Obamacare? Then they saw how it polled and they change their minds.

She's a "the more they get to know her, the less they like her" type of gal. This stuff only gets floated to keep her happy so she won't threaten Barry with whatever she threatens him with behind closed doors.

[centralcal]

Too true, Porchlight. I look forward to the day when revelations come out about them (ala the Edwards's) - and that day WILL come.

[bgates]

No mention of the pushing and shoving, but there attention may have been elsewhere.

There?? Stupid wingers can't even spell. The people of Massachusettes deserve better.

[Dave (in MA)]

Presumably this Meehan is the brother of hack/former congressman "Term Limits for thee, not for me" Marty "Andy" "Maxine" Meehan? (Boston talk-show listeners will know what I'm talking about.)
He bears a strong resemblance.

[glasater]

Somewhere early this AM I read that 'bumper' Meehan was a DNC guy.

[hit and run]

Porchlight:
They always say that about MO - remember when she was going to be out in front pushing for Obamacare? Then they saw how it polled and they change their minds.

Yeah,but come on,it's not like she has any experience in the health care industry trying to balance the costs with the needs of patients at a hospital at a salary of more than $300K or something.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1122691,CST-NWS-hosp23.article>Oh wait.

Talk about trying to bend the cost curve...

[glasater]

From Twitter:

mattklewis
Doug Flutie endorses Scott Brown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN9_jmcLfME

[Porchlight]

Precisely Hit. I'm trying to come up with a joke about cost curves and Michelle...curves...Michelle...nah, I got nothing.

[Neo]

It would be complete if they now help at memorial service for Ted Kennedy like the one they gave for Paul Wellstone

[Thomas Collins]

If I were running for office in Massachusetts (or Massachusettes), I'd rather have Doug Flutie endorsing me than John Kerry sending out a fundraising letter for me.

[Jane]

Me too TC. Michael Graham says the shove of the Weekly Standard guy is a game changer. We will see.

There are only two stories today - Haiti and the Senate race. I find that quite amazing.

[Sue]

Via http://corner.nationalreview.com/>The Corner

Congress Daily is reporting that union lobbyists on Capitol Hill today scored a tentative deal that would exempt "collectively bargained healthcare plans" from the so-called Cadillac Tax on high-cost health care plans.

As the American Spectator's Philip Klein notes, this means that two Americans receiving identical health-care benefits could be taxed differently if one happened to be a member of a union and the other not.

[J]

Actually, when you follow her record, she has frequently looked on as the law was broken. The only real law enforcement in MA, especially corralling the very corrupt politicians we have, has come from the federal authorities. MA is almost like the wild west with the dems (and Kennedy)being the big papa whom nobody challenges and can get away with murder, literally.

[daddy]

Man, that was better tackling by that DNC goon than I saw in the Cards/Packers game last Sunday.

And not to rub it in or anything, but the Pat's could use a defensive back like "The assailant, identified as Michael Meehan."

[Neo]

The most influential US liberals:

#80 Bo Obama First Dog of the United States (FDOTUS)

81. BEN NELSON Senator for Nebraska

86. GEORGE SOROS Billionaire businessman and donor

91. MICHAEL MOORE Filmmaker

92. CHRIS MATTHEWS Cable television host

95. ROBERT BYRD Senator for West Virginia

96. JIMMY CARTER Former President

97. JESSE JACKSON Civil Rights Activist

100. JOHN EDWARDS Former presidential candidate, former vice-presidential nominee, former Senator and former trial lawyer

[Topsecretk9]

Coakley didn't just pretend not to hear the question about her own gaffe-tastic *no terrorists in Afghan/Pakistan* statement, her instinct was to respond as rudely as possible with

COAKLEY: I'm sorry, did someone else have a question?

She's AT, running for US Senate, and she can't even respond or answer to her OWN statement - her campaign didn't even prepare to address or repair the damage done by that moronic debate statement! And her default response is snide!

And is Taylor Marsh (and many others on the left) admitting that Republicans should expect that simple, salient questions will evoke violence and thuggery in Democrats, that Democrats have no self-control therefore Republican are mean for bringing a video camera knowing such behavior will occur?

[Stephanie]

And is Taylor Marsh (and many others on the left) admitting that Republicans should expect that simple, salient questions will evoke violence and thuggery in Democrats, that Democrats have no self-control therefore Republican are mean for bringing a video camera knowing such behavior will occur?

And somewhere in there is an analogy to terrorism and elites, but my mind is not in super snark mode today...

[SWarren]

Obviously they didn't have the camera with them to record a mugging but to get her response to the question on tape so that she couldn't claim the reporter misquoted her.

[Topsecretk9]

I see on Meehan's Blue Line Communications, Inc website they provide this service:

Crisis Communications and Rapid Response Coalition Management

And boy do they!

[Topsecretk9]

Also, it's pretty hilarious to see so many on the left depicting a reporter with a camera standing with other reporters with cameras a "stunt" in light of their Macacca Stalker tactic!

[pagar]

"Congress Daily is reporting that union lobbyists on Capitol Hill today scored a tentative deal that would exempt "collectively bargained healthcare plans" from the so-called Cadillac Tax on high-cost health care plans. "

I'll bet no one ever expected that!

[clarice]

We're all collective bargaining Amish now.
It's hard to see how this piece of crap will make it thru Congress let alone the courts.

[Old Lurker]

Not to beat the same dead horse I raised last night...but today I see Rangle has suggested added new taxes on Cap Gains in addition to taxing dividends, pass through and other non-earned income so that those people can pay more for the healthcare mess, and others can pay less.

[clarice]

National Review Online:
********************
Michael Meehan, the man accused of strong-arming Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack for asking a tough question of Massachusetts Senate candidate Martha Coakley, was nominated by President Obama for a seat on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), a semi-autonomous government body that oversees U.S. civilian international broadcasts such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.

Ironically, considering the allegations about Meehan, the BBG’s web site describes the board’s mission as providing “an example of a free and professional press” to the world.

The Board is supposed to be comprised of eight members—four Democrats and four Republicans—with expertise in the fields of mass communications, print, broadcast media, or international affairs. Each member is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Obama sent Meehan’s name (along with that of former Bush press secretary Dana Perino and six others) to the Senate in November.

Meehan is not mere campaign muscle, but a well-connected political operative who worked for a number of high-profile national Democrats. According to a POLITICO bio, he has held top communications posts at the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). He has also worked as an adviser to Sens. John Kerry (D., Mass) and Barbara Boxer (D., Calif.), as chief of staff to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.), and as political director for former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

According to his LinkedIn profile and a web bio at Virillion Strategies, where he serves as senior vice-president, Meehan worked for NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2003, as “Vice President of Strategy and Politics.”

Meehan was reportedly on-loan from the DSCC to “assist the Coakley camp with messaging.”

Message delivered.

[Seb]

So, I've watched the video, and I see the aggressive body language and obstruction by Meehan _after_ he helps McCormack up, but what I don't see, because the camera angle is from the back, with Meehan in between the camera and McCormack, is Meehan shoving McCormack to the ground. That doesn't prove it didn't happen, but it will come down to Meehan's word vs. McCormack's.

[clarice]

Bill Kristol Weekly Standard:
***********
I’m told reliably:

1. Internal Democratic polls have the race close, with a small and fading Coakley (Dem) lead.

2. One Republican poll, and one poll for an independent group, now actually have Brown (Rep) up by a few points.

3. The Democrats are pouring everything in—one report is that the buy behind this DSCC ad against Brown is close to a million dollars.

The Democratic campaign now consists to a remarkable degree simply of screaming that Brown equals Bush/Republican/right-wing. It could work—or has Brown done a good enough job of introducing himself to Mass. voters that most will shrug this charge off? And are independents more worried about those now in power in D.C.—Obama/Pelosi/Reid—than about the theoretical threat of right-wing Republican governance?

[centralcal]

Someone at Red State asked a good question - what charity did Obama select to receive his Nobel prize money?

[NK]

Collective Bargaining Health Tax Exemption--
oh my gawd, how did they come up with that one.
Seriously, this has devolved into such farce, it really may fail from its own insanity. How can Dem senators up for re-election in 2010 like Lincoln, Bayh, not to mention red staters like Webb,Warner, Landrieu, Hagan vote for THAT. All this shows is that Reid is NOT running for re-election, as this would be death in Nevada as well. This is your political elite America... we are all sooo proud.

[Sue]

According to McCormack, Meehan has apologized to him (via Hannity radio show). I would say that takes away the he said/he said equation.

[Sue]

And makes all these other talking head fools look ridiculous. McCormack also said Meehan has been shipped to Florida.

[MilitantBanana]

We need to start identifying candidates for office as either being a Servant or a Master based upon a candidate's words and deeds. Then, put out this information for Independents to see (Web/TV Ads, Email Campaigns, Blog Posts, etc). The Independents will respond to this type of categorization.

[matt]

it's all about crony capitalism, as opposed to real capitalism, with these scum. They are selling the country out from under us and will try to maintain power by any means necessary. LUN

[bgates]

what charity did Obama select to receive his Nobel prize money?

He's giving it to the church he's attending in DC.

They're using it to offer ethics training for the members of Obama's team who were found to have contacted Blagojevich inappropriately last year.

These classes will be broadcast live on C-SPAN.

[Porchlight]

McCormack said on the Weekly Standard blog that he asked if Meehan disputed anything he had written about the incident, and Meehan said "no."

[Porchlight]

Oh, I meant to add - will the Boston Globe change its story that McCormack "fell," now that Meehan has apologized to McCormack?

Yeah, I know the answer.

[Neo]

You know, if Bob Byrd went to the "Great Cross Buring in the Sky" his reward tommorrow, all of DC would stop.

[Porchlight]

OT,

Some tasty polling updates from Peter Wehner at Contentions:

Today’s Gallup poll has Obama’s approval rating on the economy – far and away the most important issue for the country – at an anemic 40 percent. His approval rating on health care – the issue he has devoted most of his presidency to – is at 37 percent. These numbers are the lowest of his presidency. In addition, Obama has the highest disapproval rating of any president in the January after the first year in office. And as Glen Bolger of Public Opinion Strategies points out, since Gallup first started measuring presidential job approval, every single president has had a lower job approval on the last poll before their first mid-term election than they did at the beginning of that year.

He goes on to talk abou the MA race. Read the whole thing, it's very heartening.

I can't tell you how grateful I am that the American public is waking up to this fraud. I was so afraid a year ago that it might not happen.

[Thomas Collins]

The Brown kids stump for Dad. See LUN.

[clarice]

Now I think it's time for Operation PUK;
We write to Kerry saying he should be the majority leader, not that dumbbell Reid or that scummy Schumer who seems to be vying for that position--But the leader of the Band of Brothers (or bought Brothers or whatever.)

HEH,,,

[Old Lurker]

"We write to Kerry"

In French?

[matt]

Porch; the other day someone was comparing Obama's ratings with those of Ronald Reagan, who apparently had similar ratings after his first year in office.

I pondered this for a moment and realized one of the key differences between the two was that Reagan had a press that absolutely despised him, while Obama has the most obliging press of any president in history.

Imagine when the real disillusion sets in and even the Left wises up.

[matt]

clarice;

I believe Kerry is a member of the Brooks of Brothers.

[MilitantBanana]

"Kerry ... he should be the majority leader"

Yeah, Lurch leading them further into the SWAMP.

[MilitantBanana]

"Imagine when the real disillusion sets in and even the Left wises up."

Already occurred, they just won't admit it. That Denial thingy, being near Egypt and all that...

[clarice]

I can see my idea is going to catch on. It will be hard to appeal to a man with so little ego, but I know you can do it.

Taranto loves the last line of his Coakley appeal--he claims the Reps have tossed the Dems in a ditch and they have to work together to climb out to save the Kennedy seat.

[Thomas Collins]

Clarice, my preference is for Babs Boxer to replace Reid as Majority Leader (even better if it's Minority Leader when she ascends).

[Rick Ballard]

I wonder how many of the knock and drag Dems will actually vote for Kennedy (3rd party candidate). We're not talking about the sharpest knives in the drawer here. This campaign reminds me of the '06 Lieberman-Lamont race in terms of lefty hysteria. Independents decided that one, just as they will this one. Tomorrow should be "dirt day" - I hope Brown fires first.

[fdcol63]

That's "SENATOR" Boxer to you, TC! LOL

But my preference would be to see this witch replaced by a conservative Republican - along with Pelosi, Feinstein, and all the rest.

[Buford Gooch]

centralcal | January 13, 2010 at 04:02 PM

Ummm... ACORN?

[pagar]

Hillbuzz has some photoshops that highlite the Coakley staffer assault story. Might be worth a Look

[clarice]

Just for Ann--MO Hair:

http://cripessuzette.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/3165/

[daddy]

Haven't read the thread yet today, but I did hear a report on the radio that we Unionized worker guys will be exempt from having to pay taxes on this new wonderful Health Care thingy because our Union bosses just cut a secret deal with Pelosi.

This is a good thing because obviously as a Union goon I work harder than you guys and deserve a special deal more than you guys and you can afford to pay more than me anyway, so when I'm over in Paris tomorrow getting paid to sip vino on the Champs, I'll be thinking that its a great thing some of us are more equal than others.

So Merci' folks, for picking up my Health Care tab:)

"Garcon, another round s'il vous plaît "

[Charlie (Colorado)]

We need to start identifying candidates for office as either being a Servant or a Master based upon a candidate's words and deeds.

I like this idea very much.

[Old Lurker]

No problem, Daddy, enjoy.

As soon as the new taxes drive the rest of our economy out of business, you'll be out of work anyway. But the union will take care of you, I'm sure.

[matt]

naw, daddy...

the bosses will be staying at the Georges V while you proles will have to find a nice garret in Montmartre.

If your salaries are similar to United's I think you're making @ $7.65/hr with all the layover time and all.

are the garkons still surly at this time of year?

[Porchlight]

matt,

I know Reagan had low approval ratings early on, but his policies did help the economy, though it took awhile. Anyone want to bet Obama's will?

You are right, it will get ugly. But the left will find a way to blame the right. My prediction since November 2008 has been that eventually, they'll either blame McCain for running such a bad campaign that the people had no choice but to vote for Obama, and/or Palin for being too divisive and turning off potential McCain voters (I've already heard that one from friends who were at the time still happy with Obama).

[pagar]

" our Union bosses just cut a secret deal with Pelosi."

Anyone know what the union is giving to get get this deal?

[George]

New video (at least I think it is) showing Coakley/Obama appointee thug pushing down reporter and basically detaining him (this clip may have been the one to get the thug to "apologize" to reporter today). Push down at 1:40 minute mark and harassment for next 30 seconds.

Youtube LUN

[daddy]

"are the garkons still surly at this time of year?"

Not any more than normal Matt, unless of course their Citrone's have been set on fire by disenfranchised Islamo-fascist French youths.

This ">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1240302/French-arsonists-torch-thousand-cars-New-Years-Eve--narrowly-missing-years-record.html"> story though tells us that 43,000 cars were set ablaze last year in France, (118 a day on average) but on New Years Eve, of the 1,137 set ablaze, only 400 of those were in Paris, so the odds are that in any bistro crawl down The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, I'll prob'ly just bump into the standard surly waiter, not the ultra surly variety.

[Thomas Collins]

I stand corrected, fdcol63! :-))

I agree that it would be great to send SENATOR Boxer and the rest out to pasture; I'm just thinking if that is not possible, she might be more amusing than Kerry as Majority or Minority Leader. Then again, if the Dems lose enough Senate seats and are left with the hard core left, perhaps Bernie Sanders would be an even more entertaining leader.

[squaredance]

These people are Bolsheviks. Literally.

This is just like scratching an itch on their noses to them; Meehaan felt that as a Leftist this was completely within his prerogatives (I shall not say mere "rights"); he no doubt saw it as a duty and honor. The entire Lefty choir agrees--they cheer him on. That they can maintain this sort of cognitive dissonance so reflexively in the face of obvious wrong doing shows just how far gone they are. Violence must come. We have moved on to a different reality in what is left of The Republic. Get used to it.

The rest of us are vermin to them. They would murder us if they could. If they are not removed from power, humiliated and cast out from civilized intercourse, open and organized political violence will surely become common place. this is just how these things begin in the rest of the world.

It will get worse. You ain't seen nothing yet. We are not far from Bolivar Circles.

I predict this summer we shall have staged riots.

[narciso]

And here comes square to cheer us up, no I somehow don't think we'll have the Obamista
circles, they are rather clumsy in their implementation of Alinsky. It's like he has no experience at this leadership thing, fancy
that.

[Ignatz]

--cast out from civilized intercourse--

If you're talking Mikulski I'm on board with that.

[Old Lurker]

Mikulski and Intercourse are two words I never want to see together, thanks.

[squaredance]

For those of you taken in by the latest spin about Obama's ratings matching those of Reagan, check the LUN for a more reasonable POV, and one by Gallup no less (though even here they play a bit with statistics)

The two situations could not be more different.

Remember that in Reagan's day the polling industry was much less competitive and profoundly weighted toward the democrats, ann that we also had fewer metrics (e.g., the various RAS spreads). All of this with a radically hostile and rabid MSM.

In fact this is this new "meme" is the latest attempt at spin by the Leftist propaganda organs. Do not believe it.