Monthly Archives: July 2010

July 17, 2010 — Paul Mirengoff

The magic number in the Senate

As most of the polling news continues to get worse for the Democrats, some Republicans are beginning to believe the party can regain control of the Senate. It’s a tall order, requiring a pick-up of ten seats. While a plausible scenario exits for such a victory, it requires that nearly everything break the Republican’s way. For me, though, there’s an alterative magic number in the Senate – four. That’s the »
July 17, 2010 — Paul Mirengoff

One man’s political football is another man’s political football

Politico finally wades into the story about the Justice Department’s handling of the voter intimidation case involving the New Black Panther Party (NBPP). It does so through a report that Abigail Thernstrom, a conservative member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, has “broken ranks” with her fellow conservatives on that body over their investigation of this issue. As we have noted, Thernstrom thinks the issue is “small potatoes.” And »
July 17, 2010 — John Hinderaker

A Dangerous Disaffection

Government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed; that is a foundational principle of our republic. To a stunning degree, however, Americans don’t believe that their own government meets that standard. Scott Rasmussen finds that only 23 percent of voters believe that “the federal government today has the consent of the governed.” A remarkable 62 percent of voters say that our government does not enjoy that consent. »
July 17, 2010 — Scott Johnson

Leave it to Mona

Mona Charen addresses the descent of the NAACP from a bona fide civil rights organization into a rump of the Democratic Party. The NAACP was of course back in the news this week on account of its having consigned the Tea Party movement to double secret probation. Mona calls out the NAACP on its ginned-up charge of racism against the Tea Party: So what is the NAACP talking about? Many »
July 17, 2010 — Scott Johnson

A variety of reasons in Minneapolis

A number of Somali immigrants in Minnesota have returned to Somalia to engage in activities leading to “man-caused disasters” there. A “variety of reasons” is involved. We wouldn’t want to run afoul of Attorney General Holder’s proscription against ascribing a specific religious cause to cases like this one, or counterterrorism adviser John Brennan’s deep respect for the beauty of jihad by isolating any particular factor that might give the game »
July 17, 2010 — Scott Johnson

Behind the mosque at Ground Zero

Stephen Schwartz scrupulously reviews the available evidence regarding the ladies and gentleman behind the planned $100 million mega-mosque at Ground Zero. They are fronted by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, a Kuwait-born cleric of Egyptian background. What does Schwartz turn up? Let’s see. Here we have a support network linked to the Malaysian Jew hater Mahathir bin Mohamad. Here we have the Perdana-supported Gaza raiders. Here we have some notable servants »
July 17, 2010 — Scott Johnson

Show me the money

Chris Cillizza’s Fix colleague Aaron Blake has put together a nifty chart summarizing second quarter campaign fundraising for 2010 congressional races. At RealClearPolitics Kyle Trygstad reviews the highlights in the Senate races, finding the results strong for Republican candidates running for open seats and also for a few vulnerable Democratic incumbents. »
July 17, 2010 — John Hinderaker

That Guy With the Bit In His Mouth…

I think it’s you. Michael Ramirez contemplates Barack Obama’s plummeting popularity; click to enlarge: »
July 16, 2010 — Paul Mirengoff

Is Obama undervalued, Part Two

In January, I argued that Obama was “undervalued.” Since then, probably against the odds, Obamacare has been enacted. Nonetheless (or perhaps in part for this reason), Obama “shares” can be had at below their January price. For example, this week a poll showed him running slightly behind Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, and even with Sarah Palin. But I still say that Obama was, and is, undervalued. As with any »
July 16, 2010 — Paul Mirengoff

Joe Sestak tries to dodge the facts

Lately, I seem to be taking on the role of critic of conservative ads — specifically the Keep America Safe ad about Obama administration Justice Department lawyers and the ad by the National Republican Trust PAC opposing the construction of a mosque at ground zero. A third hard-hitting ad also merits consideration — the Emergency Committee for Israel’s attack on Rep. Joe Sestak. Unlike the other two, I find this »
July 16, 2010 — Paul Mirengoff

What really riles the right, Part Two

One of my criticisms of the Washington Post’s story about the voter intimidation case was that, by noting that DOJ whistle-blower J. Christian Adams was hired during the Bush administration, the Post signaled that Adams is “not the right kind of career lawyer.” But Bill Otis points out that the Post’s slant was more egregious than that. The fact is that the Post never identified Adams as a career lawyer »
July 16, 2010 — John Hinderaker

More Good Poll Results

Who is the dumbest member of the U.S. Senate? Sadly, there are a number of contenders for that title, but Patty Murray and Barbara Boxer are two names that are always part of the discussion. Boxer is running neck and neck with Carly Fiorina, and Scott Rasmussen finds Murray trailing both of her potential Republican rivals, Dino Rossi and Clint Didier, by an identical 48-45 percent. These races will help »
July 16, 2010 — John Hinderaker

Another Sign of the Apocalypse

I took the day off today because all of my brothers and my parents are in town for the weekend. This morning one of my brothers, his son and I went to our local gym to lift some weights. There was a young woman working at the desk; we thought we would have to pay a guest fee (we didn’t, as it turned out) and my brother offered a $50 »
July 16, 2010 — Paul Mirengoff

The two Vietnams

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee implores Congress to learn the lessons of our victory in Vietnam that we refused to declare, one that has resulted in two countries living side-by-side in peace and good fellowship. »
July 16, 2010 — John Hinderaker

Ricochet

I participated in another Ricochet podcast yesterday, along with Peter Robinson, Rob Long, Mickey Kaus and Jonah Goldberg. What a great group! I just missed James Lileks, too. You can listen to the podcast here; I come on at 49:40. We discussed, among other things, Tim Pawlenty’s Presidential aspirations. Also a hawk update. These Ricochet podcasts are lots of fun; I recommend them. »
July 16, 2010 — Paul Mirengoff

The wrong kind of judicial hero

During the Elena Kagan hearings, Thurgood Marshall, for whom Kagan clerked, was a hot topic. Kagan has called Marshall one of her judicial heroes. Repubican Senators reasonably took this to mean that she would be a liberal activist in the Thurgood Marshall tradiition. After all, Kagan has specifically praised Marshall for showing “special solicitude” for the “disadvantaged,” claiming that the Supreme Court exists primarily for that mission. Kagan wisely (but »
July 16, 2010 — Scott Johnson

On the road to find out

The Obama administration doesn’t seem to have a clue about how businesses grow. Its concerns lie elsehwere, with expanding the size and power of the administrative state. Yesterday’s passage of the gargantuan 2,300 page financial services legislation will contribute to nothing more than the growth of the government and its power over the lives of American citizens. The bill is known as Dodd-Frank by virtue of financially sagacious co-authors Christopher »