Faustam fortuna adiuvat
The official blog of Fausta's Blog Talk Radio show.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Breaking news; FRED WITHDRAWS!
Statement from Sen. Fred Thompson
McLean, VA - Senator Fred Thompson today issued the following statement about his campaign for President:
"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people."
I do not believe the Constitution is a living, breathing document. I am committed to appointing strict constructionist judges to the bench if I am elected President, strict constructionists who believe the Constitution has a fixed meaning that can be applied to cases that come before the courts today. They do NOT believe the Constitution is a “living, breathing document,” whose meaning, constantly changing with the sifting sands of our culture, can be determined and applied by unelected judges.
The UK wants Russia to hand over businessman Andrei Lugovoi, whom UK investigators suspect of murdering Mr Litvinenko - he died after being given a fatal dose of radioactive polonium 210.
Russia refused to extradite Mr Lugovoi, now a member of the Russian parliament, so Britain expelled four Russian diplomats - Moscow then expelled four British diplomats.
Russian officials have told the BBC the action against the British Council was a retaliatory measure.
** 75% of Baghdad secure- up from 8% last year ** UN announces political and economic progress ** 5 US Brigades will return home by July (Equal to Surge Number) ** 5 More US Brigades may come home by end of 2008 ** Iraqi security plan to take control of all 18 provinces by end of 2008
The short answer is that most of the Republicans are questionable and all three leading Democrats are dangerous. ... While Barack Obama and John Edwards have been irresponsible demagogues, the Clintons have a record of lawless and ruthless corruption that goes back not only to their White House days in the 1990s but even back to their time in the governors' mansion in Arkansas.
I think the radical view is to say that we’re going to change the definition of marriage so that it can mean two men, two women, a man and three women, a man and a child, a man and animal.
McCain's economic stimulus plan is pretty good to those of us interested in R&D and investments,
Cut The Corporate Tax Rate From 35 To 25 Percent. Allow First-Year Deduction, Or "Expensing", Of Equipment And Technology Investments. Establish Permanent Tax Credit Equal To 10 Percent Of Wages Spent On R&D.
The run-up to the December referendum was not a good time for the Jewish community’s relationship with Chavez. The community had close ties with former defense minister Raúl Isaías Baduel, and it honored him after he left the government and became a fierce opponent of Chavez. The honor was used by some pro-Chavez circles to claim that an American-Zionist conspiracy was trying to oust the president from power.
Jewish communal leaders also believe that another element might be at work. Sultan noted that Tarek al Assaimi, a former far-left student leader whose father was the representative of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party in Venezuela, is the deputy Interior and Justice minister in charge of internal security and, as such, could have been involved in initiating the raid.
Last but not least, my friend (who I have actually met, yes) Neoneocon had an epiphany when she found out the real stories about two [in]famous Vietnam photographs
And I found, to my surprise, that the agenda appeared to be substantially the same: to magnify our wrongdoings and those of our allies, to downplay those of the enemy, to simplify matters that were really complex, and to sensationalize.
Appearing on CNN, Thompson was asked whether, as president, he would turn to Saudi Arabia for help as Bush did.
Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, said the problem was a "little bigger" than Saudi Arabia.
"It's not in the United States' long-term interest to go hat in hand begging people to do things that in the end we know they're not going to do," Thompson said.
"What we need to concentrate on is diversifying our own energy sources here in this country and opening up what oil reserves that we have here ... using nuclear more, using clean coal technology more and all the other things that we can do," Thompson said.
Fred: "A strong, consistent conservative", Giuliani's new ad
This afternoon while I was waiting at one of the Saturday activities, I came across this article in the NYT: A Combative Thompson Sways Voters.
The Fred campaign from the start has defined Fred as "a strong, consistent conservative", and that's what the article asserts. The article says that Fred did very well on last Thurday's debate, and also mentions how Fred mopped the floor with Huckabee; here's the YouTube:
Yes, I know I posted that earlier but it's worth watching again. Also,
Mr. Thompson scored one of the more crowd-pleasing remarks of the evening when he said about a recent encounter between a Navy ship and several Iranian speedboats: "I think one more step and they would have been introduced to those virgins they’re looking forward to seeing."
Paul Vitello, the NYT reporter, says,
With a well-worn face atop an angular, 6-foot-4 frame, he looks like the smartest man in town holding forth at the county courthouse.
A lot of people are paying attention to Fred: twice yesterday the campaign had to shut down an event because the crowds to see Fred Thompson got so big that they exceeded capacity for the venue.
It's not just that NBC admitted that "it's hard to stay objective covering this guy." Or that Newsweek had a cover article so adoring that one wonders what is left for coverage of the Second Coming. Or that Obama's media acolytes wax poetic that his soaring rhetoric and personal biography will abolish the ideological divide of the 1960s -- as if the division between left and right, between free markets and the welfare state, between unilateralism and internationalism, between social libertarianism and moral traditionalism are residues of Sergeant Pepper and the March on Washington. The baby boomers in their endless solipsism now think they invented left and right -- the post-Enlightenment contest of ideologies that dates back to the seating arrangements of the Estates-General in 1789.
The freest of all passes to Obama is the general neglect of the obvious central contradiction of his candidacy -- the bipartisan uniter who would bring us together by transcending ideology is at every turn on every policy an unwavering, down-the-line, unreconstructed, uninteresting, liberal Democrat.
He doesn't even offer a modest deviation from orthodoxy. When the Gang of 14, seven Republican and seven Democratic senators, agreed to restore order and a modicum of bipartisanship to the judicial selection process, Obama refused to join lest he anger the liberal base.
Special interests? Obama is a champion of the Davis-Bacon Act, an egregious gift to Big Labor that makes every federal public-works project more costly. He not only vows to defend it, but proposes extending it to artificially raise wages for any guest worker program.
On Iraq, of course he denigrates the surge. That's required of Democratic candidates. But he further claims that the Sunnis turned against al-Qaeda and joined us -- get this -- because of the Democratic victory in the 2006 midterm elections.
Obama has yet to have it pointed out to him by a mainstream interviewer that the Anbar Salvation Council was founded by Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Risha two months earlier. Obama has yet to be asked why any Sunni would choose to join up with the American invaders at precisely the time when Democrats would have them leaving -- and be left like the pro-American Vietnamese or the pro-French Algerians to be hunted and killed when their patrons were gone. That's suicide.
Even if you believe that a Clinton restoration would be a disaster, you should still be grateful for New Hampshire. National swoons, like national hysterias, obliterate thought. The New Hampshire surprise has at least temporarily broken the spell. Maybe now someone will lift the curtain and subject our newest man from hope to the scrutiny that every candidate deserves.
Years ago Hillary said, "You don't have to fall in love, you just have to fall in line." Unfortunately for her the media's fallen in love... with Obama.
Nice to see that Fred did well. One could make the case that Fred has topped every debate he’s been in. Regrettably, debates do not win elections, and they're not getting FDT out of single digits. How much less so this cycle, when substance looks more and more like it’s being abandoned in favor of emotion and symbolism (Huckles, Obama, and Hillary's crocodile tears) and sheer mass amnesia (McCain).
I'm a little surprised that Romney is melting under the pressure. But he should be scared, his modest, early delegate lead not withstanding. There's no way he's going to "second place" himself to the nomination, no matter how wishfully the Romneylans think. His entire strategy was predicated on winning Iowa and New Hampshire. Now he has to win Michigan, or it'll be perceived as strike three for his campaign. And the latest polling composite there has McCain pulling slightly ahead.
I agree with Patrick Basham (or, since I posted the idea before he did, it may be more accruate to say that he agrees with me) that the ultimate beneficiary of Huck's and McCain's double-team on Romney will be Giuliani, who is poised to swoop in, take Florida and clean up on February 5th. Not only is he better equipped organizationally, financially, and notoriatily to wage a national campaign than "Sailor" or the Rev'rund, but after the "near-death experience" through which conservatives are currently suffering at the spectre of the two least trustworthy, left-most Republicans in the field winning the first two "bellweather" nominating contests, even Rudy's social liberalism will gain a whole new palatability if he can enable the GOP to avert both the complete evisceration of the Reagan coalition and total disaster in November. Giuliani-Thompson, anyone?
Yeah, I’m the guy who spent the past year saying that "America's Mayor" was unnominatable. But I could never have imagined that the twenty-first century Elmer Gantry and Darth Queeg would emerge as frontrunners, either. We do live in "interesting" times. And that isn’t a good thing.
What is interesting in both articles is that the top spots are in contention. A year ago things were looking like the annointed would take it all.
Now, who knows.
Betsy also notices that "Republicans must be in the position of not only considering which candidate they like the most, but also vote defensively for the one best able to win the general election."
And let's not forget about the gun-toting womanizing twice-married gay guy who is loved by his children and liked by attractive women lawyer -who might have lobbied on abortion sixteen years ago -Senator movie star on horsebackmeme, which was preceded by a racist smear, plus that other time an idiotic reporter named Monica who - of all people - said the name Fred is low rent.
Today's attack was more direct: Jonathan Martin at Politico is quoting unnamed sources trying to make us believe that Fred's about to drop out and endorse McCain.
The one thing I've learned since I started blogging is that unnamed sources should make you ask one thing:
Who has the most to gain from spreading a rumor?
And that was exactly what crossed my mind when I first read about this rumor at Betsy's this morning. I'll leave the speculation to you, but I don't believe it was the McCain people.
GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said in an in-studio interview with KCCI-TV in Des Moines that there is no truth to rumors that his campaign will fold before New Hampshire if he doesn't have a strong showing in Iowa.
"That is absolutely made up out of whole cloth," said the former U.S. Senator from Tennessee.
Thompson said a rival campaign was likely the source of that rumor.
"Can you imagine such a thing in politics?" he asked.
The MSM channels Mad Magazine on Fred, and Sunday's items
When I was a kid I loved Mad Magazine. One of my favorite features was how they used to truncate really bad reviews of movies and books to make them sound glorious. Well, Fred's getting the same treatment from the MSM, only in reverse.
CNN and USA Today are taking a few select words from Fred:
"I'm not particularly interested in running for president," the former senator said at a campaign event in Burlington when challenged by a voter over his desire to be commander-in-chief.
"But I think I'd make a good president," Thompson continued. "I have the background, capability, and concern to do this and I'm doing it for the right reasons."
Here's the full transcript of what Fred actually said, which his people posted at Fred file:
[THIS IS A BEST-EFFORT TRANSCRIPT OF THE SPECIFIC QUESTION AND ANSWER] Q: My only problem with you and why I haven't thrown all my support behind you is that I don't know if you have the desire to be President. If I caucus for you next week, are you still going to be there two months from now?
...In the first place I got in the race about the time people normally get into it historically. The fact of the matter is that others started the process a lot earlier this time than they normally do. I think it was for some of them when they were juniors in high school.
APPLAUSE
That is a very good question, not because it's difficult to answer, because, but I'm gonna answer it in a little different way than what you might expect.
In the first place, I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I wouldn't be doing this if i didn't. I grew up very modest circumstances. I left government, I and my family have made sacrifices for me to be sitting here today. I haven't had any income for a long time because I'm doing this. I figure that to be clean you've got to cut everything off. And I was doing speaking engagements and I had a contract to do a tv show, I had a contract with abc radio like I was talking about earlier and so forth. I guess a man would have to be a total fool to do all those things and to be leaving his family which is not a joyful thing at all if he didn't want to do it.
But I am not consumed by personal ambition. I will not be devastated if I don't do it. I want the people to have the best president that they can have.
When this talk first started, it didn't originate with me. There were a lot of people around the country both directly and through polls, liked the idea of me stepping up. And of course, you always look better at a distance, I guess.
But most of those people are still there and think its a good idea. But I approached it from the standpoint of a deal. A kind of a marriage. If one side of a marriage has to be really talked into the marriage, it probably ain't going to be a very good deal for either one of them. But if you mutually think that this is a good thing. In this case, if you think this is a good thing for the country, then you have an opportunity to do some wonderful things together.
I'm offering myself up. I'm saying that I have the background, the capability, and the concern to do this and I'm doing it for the right reasons. But I'm not particularly interested in running for president, but I think I'd make a good president.
Nowadays, the process has become much more important than it used to be.
I don't know that they ever asked George Washington a question like this. I don't know that they ever asked Dwight D. Eisenhower a question like this. But nowadays, it's all about fire in the belly. I'm not sure in the world we live in today it's a terribly good thing if a president has too much fire in the belly. I approach life differently than a lot of people. People, I guess, wonder how I've been as successful as I've been in everything I've done. I won two races in TN by 20 point margins, a state that Bill Clinton carried twice. I'd never run for office before. I've never had an acting lesson and I guess that's obvious by people who've watched me. But when they made a movie about a case that I had when I took on a corrupt state administration as a lawyer and beat them before a jury. They made a movie about it and I wound up playing myself in the movie and yeah I can do that.
And when I did it, I did it. Wasn't just a lark. Anything that's worth doing is worth doing well. But I've always been a little bit more laid back than most. I like to say that I'm only consumed by very, very few things and politics is not one of them. The welfare of our country and our kids and grandkids is one of them.
If people really want in their president a super type-a personality, someone who has gotten up every morning and gone to bed every night and been thinking about for years how they could achieve the Presidency of the United States, someone who can look you straight in the eye and say they enjoy every minute of campaigning, I ain't that guy. So I hope I've discussed that and hope I haven't talked you out of anything. I honestly want - I can't imagine a worse set of circumstances than achieving the presidency under false pretenses. I go out of my way to be myself because I do't want anybody to think they are getting something they are not getting. I'm not consumed by this process I'm not consumed with the notion of being President. I'm simply saying I'm willing to do what's necessary to achieve it if I'm in sync with the people and if the people want me or somebody like me. I'll do what I've always done in the rest of my life and I will take it on and do a good job and you'll have the disadvantage of having someone who probably can't jump up and click their heels three times but will tell you the truth and you'll know where the President stands at all times.
Maybe once USA Today and CNN graduate from Mad Magazine Journalism School they'll start reporting on candidates who actually answer questions, instead of those who don't take any questions at all.
That is, if their reporters actually get to the venue where the words were spoken. As Fred noticed,
Incidentally, the audience in Burlington broke into applause in the middle of my answer. The reporter wouldn't know that because she wasn't even there.
Links for a Friday afternoon, and General Petraeus's letter
Snapped Shot introduced Rageman yesterday, and today, ready for New Year's Eve weekend, he's got (drumroll, please!) the Rageman parody roundup and photoshop contest.
General David Petraeus's End Of Year Letter To The Troops
"A Great Deal Has Been Achieved In 2007"
28 December 2007
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Civilians of Multi-National Force-Iraq:
As 2007 draws to a close, you should look back with pride on what you, your fellow troopers, our Iraqi partners, and Iraqi Coalition civilians have achieved in 2007. A year ago, Iraq was racked by horrific violence and on the brink of civil war. Now, levels of violence and civilians and military casualties are significantly reduced and hope has been rekindled in many Iraqi communities. To be sure, the progress is reversible and there is much more to be done. Nonetheless, the hard-fought accomplishments of 2007 have been substantial, and I want to thank each of you for the contributions you made to them.
In response to the challenges that faced Iraq a year ago, we and our Iraqi partners adopted a new approach. We increased our focus on securing the Iraqi people and, in some cases, delayed transition of tasks to Iraqi forces. Additional U.S. and Georgian forces were deployed to theater, the tours of U.S. unites were extended, and Iraqi forces conducted a surge of their own, generating well over 100,000 more Iraqi police and soldiers during the year so that they, too, had additional forces to execute the new approach. In places like Ramadi, Baqubah, Arab Jabour, and Baghdad, you and our Iraqi brothers fought—often house by house, block by block, and neighborhood by neighborhood—to wrest sanctuaries away from Al Qaeda-Iraq, to disrupt extremist militia elements, and to rid the streets of mafia-like criminals. Having cleared areas, you worked with Iraqis to retain them—establishing outposts in the areas we were securing, developing Iraqi Security Forces, and empowering locals to help our efforts. This approach has not been easy. It has required steadfastness in the conduct of tough offensive operations, creative solutions to the myriad problems on the ground, and persistence over the course of many months and during countless trying situations. Through it all, you have proven equal to every task, continually demonstrating an impressive ability to conduct combat and stability operations in an exceedingly complex environment.
Your accomplishments have given the Iraqi people new confidence and prompted many citizens to reject terror and confront those who practice it. As the months passed in 2007, in fact, the tribal awakening that began in Al Anbar Province spread to other parts of the country. Emboldened by improving security and tired of indiscriminate violence, extremist ideology, oppressive practices, and criminal activity, Iraqis increasingly rejected Al Qaeda-Iraq and rogue militia elements. Over time, the desire of Iraqis to contribute to their own security has manifested itself in citizens volunteering for the police, the Army, and concerned local citizen programs. It has been reflected in citizens providing information that has helped us find far more than double the number of arms and weapons caches we found last year. And it has been apparent in Iraqi communities now supporting their local security forces.
As a result of your hard work and that of our Iraqi comrades-in-arms—and with the support of the local populace in many areas—we have seen significant improvements in the security situation. The number of attacks per week is down some 60 percent from a peak in June of this year to a level last seen consistently in the early summer of 2005. With fewer attacks, we are also seeing significantly reduced loss of life. The number of civilian deaths is down by some 75 percent since its height a year ago, dropping to a level not seen since the beginning of 2006. And the number of Coalition losses is down substantially as well. We remain mindful that the past year’s progress has been purchased through the sacrifice and selfless service of all those involved and that the new Iraq must still contend with innumerable enemies and obstacles. Al Qaeda-Iraq has been significantly degraded, but it remains capable of horrific bombings. Militia extremists have been disrupted, but they retain influence in many areas. Criminals have been apprehended, but far too many still roam Iraqi streets and intimidate local citizens and Iraqi officials. We and our Iraqi partners will have to deal with each of these challenges in the New Year to keep the situation headed in the right direction.
While the progress in a number of areas is fragile, the security improvements have significantly changed the situation in many parts of Iraq. It is now imperative that we take advantage of these improvements by looking beyond the security arena and helping Iraqi military and political leaders as they develop solutions in other areas as well, solutions they can sustain over time. At the tactical level, this means an increasing focus on helping not just Iraqi Security Forces—with whom we must partner in all that we do—but also helping Iraqi governmental organizations as they endeavor to restore basic services, to create employment opportunities, to revitalize local markets, to refurbish schools, to spur local economic activity, and to keep locals involved in contributing to local security. We will have to do all of this, of course, while continuing to draw down our forces, thinning our presence, and gradually handing over responsibilities to our Iraqi partners. Meanwhile, at the national level, we will focus on helping the Iraqi Government integrate local volunteers into the Iraqi Security Forces and other employment, develop greater ministerial capacity and capability, aid displaced persons as they return, and, most importantly, take the all-important political and economic actions needed to exploit the opportunity provided by the gains in the security arena.
The pace of progress on important political actions to this point has been slower than Iraqi leaders had hoped. Still, there have been some important steps taken in recent months. Iraq’s leaders reached agreement on the Declaration of Principles for Friendship and Cooperation with the United States, which lays the groundwork for an enduring relationship between our nations. The United Nations Security Council approved Iraq’s request for a final renewal of the resolution that authorizes the Coalition to operate in Iraq. Iraq's leaders passed an important Pension Law that not only extends retirement benefits to Iraqis previously left out but also represents the first of what we hope will be additional measures fostering national reconciliation. And Iraq’s leaders have debated at length a second reconciliation-related measure, the Accountability and Justice Bill (the de-Ba'athification Reform Law), as well as the 2008 National Budget, both which likely will be brought up for a vote in early 2008. Even so, all Iraqi participants recognize that much more must be done politically to put their country on an irreversible trajectory to national reconciliation and sustainable economic development. We will, needless to say, work closely with our Embassy teammates to support the Iraq Government as it strives to take advantage of the improved security environment by pursing political and economic progress.
The New Year will bring many changes. Substantial force rotations and adjustments already underway will continue. One Army brigade combat team and a Marine Expeditionary Unit have already redeployed without replacement. In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit. Throughout that time, we will continue to adapt to the security situation as it evolves. And in the midst of all the changes, we and our Iraqi partners will strive to maintain the momentum, to press the fight, and to pursue Iraq’s enemies relentlessly. Solutions to many of the tough problems will continue to be found at your level, together with local Iraqi leaders and with your Iraqi Security Force partners, in company and battalion areas of operation and in individual neighborhoods an towns. As you and your Iraqi partners turn concepts into reality, additional progress will emerge slowly and fitfully. Over time, we will gradually see fewer bad days and accumulate more good days, good weeks, and good months.
The way ahead will not be easy. Inevitably, there will be more tough days and tough weeks. Unforeseen challenges will emerge. And success will require continued hard work, commitment, and initiative from all involved. As we look to the future, however, we should remember how far we have come in the past year. Thanks to the tireless efforts and courageous actions of the Iraqi people, Iraq's political and military leaders, the Iraqi Security Forces, and each of you, a great deal has been achieved in 2007. Thus, as we enter a new year, we and our Iraqi partners will have important accomplishments and a newfound sense of hope on which we can build.
As always, all or your leaders, our fellow citizens back home, and I deeply appreciate the dedication, professionalism, commitment, and courage you display on a daily basis. It remains the greatest of honors to serve with each of you in this critical endeavor.
Sincerely, David H. Petraeus General, United State Army Commanding
"A new Gallup Poll, conducted Dec. 6-9, finds 37% of Americans approving of the job George W. Bush is doing as president, an improvement from his recent scores in the low 30s. Meanwhile, 22% of Americans approve of Congress, essentially unchanged from last month."
Blue Crab Boulevard posts on Cynical manipulation on food being diverted to ethanol production. (h/t Larwyn)
Samuelson points out that the embrace by politicians of this cynical subsidization to benefit a few special interests has, at best, dubious impact on anything the increased use of ethanol is supposed to address. If 100% of American corn production were diverted to ethanol production, it would replace only 12% of petroleum fuels used in the US. In other parts of the world Rainforests are being burned to the ground to make way for palm oil plantations. The net effect of all this is actually worse for the global environment.
I had neglected to mention that my friend Pieter Dorsman has launched PoliGazette. Pieter tells us that PoliGazette
a new moderate right-of-center news and blogsite developed by Michael van der Galien (Van Der Galien Gazette) Pieter Dorsman (Peaktalk) and Jason Steck (Militant Moderate). You will find it here:
http://poligazette.com/
The founders of PoliGazette want to encourage debate and discussion without descending into shrill partisan rhetoric which has increasingly become the norm on both the left and right blogosphere. PoliGazette will be a place where moderate liberals, centrists and conservatives feel at home. We want this site to be a place for civilized debate. We want, in short, to offer readers a wide range of opinions and perspectives so that they can make their minds up more easily - or at least more informed. We therefore will not be reluctant to invite bloggers and writers from both sides to participate in PoliGazette by writing and commenting on our site.
PoliGazette already has the benefit of having contributors and writers in different geographical areas and that is something we wish to expand over time. And while the focus will be on news and recent developments, there will over time be more analysis and culture, such as book and film reviews.
I added PoliGazette to my blogroll and it has become one of my daily reads.
Today, the Knoxville News reports that it was UN Dispatch that got the facts wrong. The Special Rapporteur's Report which Thompson criticized (and which was adopted and endorsed by a submcommission of the UN Human Rights Council) quite explicitly says that personal self-defense is not a human right.
They also listed "In Xanadu" by William Dalrymple and "White Gold" by Giles Milton, but Amazon is having problems with their links. My apologies for the inconvenience.
Half-right quiz (because I'm rarely depressed and never hopeless or bored), via Raven,
You Are a Ferris Wheel
Deep down, you are a fun, whimsical, and easygoing person. You often enjoy life for what it is, and the littlest changes in course can be quite thrilling. In relationships, people tend to feel what you feel. It can be liberating at first... But after a while, the people closest to you end up feeling a little trapped.
Your life has perfectly normal cycles of ups and downs. However, you can't help but sometimes feel that you're missing out on the most exciting aspects of life. You only are happy when you're experiencing the highest of highs. Your low points just make you feel depressed, restless, and bored.
At your best, you feel on top of the world with a great sense of perspective. You believe that anything is possible, and that you are happily looking down on everyone else. At your worst, you feel like your life is going in circles. You often feel like you're not going anywhere. This is sometimes psychologically disorienting. And sometimes it brings on a sense of hopelessness.
With Senator Clinton telling Wellesley students that they should join her campaign to end the Iraq War the way she joined Eugene McCarthy's campaign to end the Vietnam War in 1968, the nostalgia among the baby boomers in the Democratic Party for the antiwar movement of the 1960s is now out in the open. We suppose it's for the best. The Democrats can now openly consider whether their party wants to re-adopt the foreign policy platforms that lost it elections in 1968 and 1972 and the policies that sent America into a period of receding international influence that lasted until the election, in 1980, of President Reagan.
It amazes me how Hillary and her handlers can't seem to figure out that it't the 21st century, not forty years ago.
The background here is the National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as "Motor Voter," that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1993. It required all states to offer voter registration to anyone getting a driver's license. One simply fills out a form and checks a box stating he is a citizen; he is then registered and in most states does not have to show any ID to vote.
But no one checks if the person registering to vote is indeed a citizen. ,,, The potential for fraud is not trivial, as federal privacy laws prevent cross-checking voter registration rolls with immigration records. Nevertheless, a 1997 Congressional investigation found that "4,023 illegal voters possibly cast ballots in \[a\] disputed House election" in California. After 9/11, the Justice Department found that eight of the 19 hijackers were registered to vote.
And now comes the interesting part:
Despite a tactical retreat this week--he [NY governor Elliot Spitzer] says he will only give illegal immigrants a license that isn't valid for airplane travel and entering federal buildings--Mr. Spitzer has taken active steps to obliterate any distinctions between licenses given to citizens and non-citizens.
In a memo last Sept. 24, he ordered county clerks to remove the visa expiration date and "temporary visitor" stamp on licenses issued to non-citizens who are legally in the country. A Spitzer spokeswoman explained the change was made because the "temporary" label was "pejorative," given that some visitors might eventually stay in the U.S. Under fire, Mr. Spitzer backed down this week, delaying the cancellation of the "temporary visitor" stamps through the end of next year.
But he has not retreated from another new bizarre policy. It used to be that county clerks who process driver's licenses were banned from giving out voter registration forms to anyone without a Social Security number. No longer. Lou Dobbs of CNN reported that an Oct. 19 memo from the state DMV informed the clerks they don't "have any statutory discretion to withhold a motor voter form." What's more, the computer block preventing a DMV clerk from transmitting a motor voter registration without a Social Security number was removed.
Gov. Spitzer's office told me the courts have upheld their position on Social Security numbers. Sandy DePerno, the Democratic clerk of Oneida County, says that makes no sense. "This makes voter fraud easier," she told me.
Hillary may be hoping:
Despite her muddled comments this week, there's no doubt where Mrs. Clinton stands on ballot integrity. She opposes photo ID laws, even though they enjoy over 80% support in the polls. She has also introduced a bill to force every state to offer no-excuse absentee voting as well as Election Day registration--easy avenues for election chicanery. The bill requires that every state restore voting rights to all criminals who have completed their prison terms, parole or probation.
Pollster Scott Rasmussen notes that Mrs. Clinton is such a polarizing figure that she attracts between 46% and 49% support no matter which Republican candidate she's pitted against--even libertarian Ron Paul. She knows she may have trouble winning next year. Maybe that's why she's thrown herself in with those who will look the other way as a new electoral majority is formed--even if that includes non-citizens, felons and those who suddenly cross a state line on Election Day and decide they want to vote someplace new.
For the first time, the candidates actually got to debate each others' points. The WaPo says, Attacks Sharpen Among Party's Principal Rivals. Fred Thompson's running as a conservative, and he's not keeping quiet about it:
Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney were quickly put on the defensive, fending off criticism leveled by former senator Fred D. Thompson (Tenn.), who questioned their conservative credentials.
As I mentioned last night, I was skeptical over the bilingual experiment. The Democrat instant-translation effort at Univision was ghastly not only because of the pandering but also because the translation was awful. Carlos did an excellent job translating but also bringing out Fred's points at the same time as the other candidates.
While the average Spanish-speaking voter probably won't need the liveblogging because they already know English, the liveblogging in Spanish apprears to be a useful tool to inform newly arrived residents to the US on the campaign's positions. Currently, as Florida residents are well aware, there's a significant influx of new (legal) residents coming in from Venezuela and other South American countries. The Thompson campaign has an innovative approach, and it's starting to show.
John McCain got a Standing O:
Fox News did a woefully inadecuate job of allotting time to the candidates. Ed Morrissey noticed, too. I wish the media would pay more attention to Duncan Hunter, who is well informed on national security, immigration and the role of government.
So I talked to Carlos Curbelo, who'll be doing the liveblogging in Spanish. Carlos, a Florida resident, is very enthusiastic about this new approach to liveblogging a debate. He joined the Thompson campaign when Fred announced his candidacy.
While Carlos is not currently blogging on his own, he's part of the Thompson campaign blog. The Thompson team came up with the idea for the liveblogging in Spanish when they saw the opportunity to be the first campaign to offer this service.
The first debate with Fred Thompson was expected to reveal whether the lanky actor had what it takes to make a national run for the office. Instead, it revealed Chris Matthews as a hack of the first order, one who tried his best to torpedo Thompson -- and failed utterly. He got so desparate that he demanded to know whether Thompson knew who the Canadian Prime Minister was -- and he did. Matthews grew so frustrated that he openly critiqued one of Thompson's answer for being too detailed, which prompted a scolding from Thompson.
That was the game behind the debate, and Thompson stomped Matthews into a laughingstock.
Fred also had the very desireable center spot, where he dominated the stage.
Lefties are all afflutter that a former Jerry Falwell associate was kinky. If you go to Memeorandum and read the links (some of those links are NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK) you'll see that Lefties consider anyone else's sexual proclivities a. Appropriate for public derision and condemnation b. a case study of the hypocrisy of the right c. evidence that all Republicans are pervs... because they don't exclusively pratice the kind of sex the Left believes appropriate for Republicans - even when we don't know if the dead guy was a Democrat, Republican or independent. Or whether he was even a registered voter.
So much for the Left's inclusivity, open-mindedness and non-judgemental attitude towards a hapless dead man.
The pre-debate Bloggers' call with Fred Thompson's campaign manager
Bill Lacey, Fred Thompson's campaign manager, opened by saying that the debate takes place this afternoon but will be aired tonight. The Fred File will liveblog.
Regarding the campaign, they're very happy with the financial support they have received since Fred announced last month. The campaign aims to instill financial discipline and Fred's been moving up in the polls.
For tonight's debate, Fred probably won't be getting credit from the media. He doesn't need to be dominant, instead, he will make a good, strong appearance. His message is that he's an authentic conservative, focused on taxes, government waste and reform, fighting terrorism, and immigration. This debate will focus on economic issues.
Questions: My question: What does Fred consider the determining issue of the 2008 election? BL: He can't speak for Fred personally but the campaign sees it as not a specific issue but a matter of leadership: the Republican party is at a crossroads and Fred opts for Reagan conservatism. If Bill had to pick one issue, it'd be government reform.
Matt Lewis Townhall.com: What have Friends of Fred & the campaign done on preparation, and have they practiced debating at night? BL: Yes – Fred was a really successful trial lawyer and knows how to prepare himself probably more than the other candidates.
Dave Brody, CBN: Will Fred go against Giuliani and Romney? Not so much. For now it's incumbent to define him first as an authentic conservative – that's what he wants to get across tonight, adding more substance as they go along.
Erick Erickson Red State: Any thoughts on Chris Matthews as moderator, after he had been calling the Bush administration a bunch of criminals last Thursday? BL: There's nothing you can do about it, as the media shows a tendency to be biased, but we go forth.
John Hawkins, Right Wing News: The campaign has had questions on fundraising both ways, too much and too little. How much have they raised, and what to expect for the 4th quarter? BL: They're extremely pleased with the 3rd quarter when they raised close to $5million, or $200,000/day. At the grassroots level, people are very seriously interested. The campaign is focused on their cash position and how to bring and communicate Fred's message to the voters.
Norm Healy, Sic Semper Tiranus (sorry, no link): What is Fred's position on ethanol? BL will check on that but In Iowa Fred supported ethanol but didn't change his mind on subsidies.
Brian, Blogs for Fred Thompson: Do the Christians support Fred? BL: Fred has a lot of continued support and will continue to make his case. Fred's point is that he has a set of principles and a set of beliefs and you will know where he stands. He makes a principled stand. Fred is getting very large crowds, while the media's surprised about the reception he gets. The challenge is to do really well in the caucuses so he'll do well in South Carolina.
John Hawkins: As Hawkins sees it the strategy looks as follows: Romney hopes to win in Iowa and New Hampshire, Rudy on SuperTuesday, and Fred to do well in caucuses? BL: Fred's campaign wants to build a strategic build-up so they remain part of the voters' equation by the time they get to South Carolina, making sure they go into South Carolina being viewed as a strong candidate.
Rick Moran, Right Wing Nuthouse: Will there be no supreme effort? BL: They will make a big effort in the early states and build from there.
Red State again: How about tonight? BL: We plan to show how well Fred's prepared, and show Fred as a candidate of substance. The biggest challenge of the campaign is that there are so many outlets.
You mentioned the difficulty of standing out on a stage with eight other candidates. When should these debates get narrowed down to the candidates who are above two percent? BL: Something like that would make a lot of sense. I'm not sure what the threshold ought to be, but it is difficult for any candidate to make an impression when you've got nine guys on the stage. A threshold would be fine. I don't think even think that's the biggest problem. We want to be involved with as many debates as possible, but there are so many out there. You literally can't do all of them. People get criticized for doing some and not others. It would be nice once we get through this process, for somebody to look and instill a little order… right now, having this many debates is not in the candidates' or party's best interest.
Frank Jay IMAO: How does Fred like the SNL skit? BL: Bill's missed it but Fred thinks Hammond does a pretty good job.
Steven Smith from New Hampshire: Hillary seems to own the Sunday morning talk shows. Will Fred? BL: Fred will do them eventually, but what he really likes is question and answer sessions with voters in the states. Not happy with spending too little time in New Hampshire.
Matt Lewis: Would they still postpone entry into the campaign? BL believes that Fred's decision to go in late had advantages and no negatives, but would have liked more time to prepare. Fred wants a campaign that integrates the message, travel, and so far it has gone extraordinarily well.
I was live-blogging (after a delayed start due to internet connection issues!) the Republican debate last night with the guys at Heading Right (Captain Ed has a wrap-up here), and felt that Fred was right to have not taken part in the debate - which by the way, was the first real debate from either party. To begin with, while Fox and the moderators did an excellent job, it was the first night of school in most of the country; not a good night. The first primary is still months away, and the election is over a year away, so only us bloggers and die-hard political news junkies were watching, and even then, those of us who weren't at the local schools for orientation.
And then, Fred got a lot of mileage from the debate itself,
Thompson's Republican rivals appeared unbowed by his entry and used their forum to take potshots at him for skipping the debate. "Maybe we're up past his bedtime," Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) quipped. Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani joked: "I think Fred is a really, really good man. I think he's done a pretty good job of playing my part on 'Law & Order.' "
Fred then topped off the evening by announcing on Leno, overshadowing the debate itself. As Ed points out, by announcing there,
The format allowed Thompson to give a substantive and detailed answer that the debate simply wouldn't allow.
Once a few more candidates on the Republican side drop off, things will start to get interesting.
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Statement from Sen. Fred Thompson
