If Obama had received the exact same vote (in the same states) as John Kerry received in 2004 and, obviously, McCain receives his same 2008 vote, Obama still wins.

Obama would lose the popular vote, but win the Electoral College by winning Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico (every other state would stay the same). In other words, it was 2004 Bush voters, either by voting for Obama or staying home, that won the election for Obama. (Of course, all the new voters he brought in were icing on the cake.)

It’s been a long time coming but the uncounted ballots cast by delegates at last year’s Republican state convention in Reno were finally counted on Oct. 30. The ballots had been locked in a safe at the site of the convention.

The reason? If the powers that be in the Nevada GOP didn’t shut down the vote the three delegates (which received far more votes then anyone else) going to the national convention would have been Ron Paul supporters.

Pat Kerby – Pahrump would have announced the vote and while the National GOP told the delegates that they had to vote for McCain Kerby said, “I wouldn’t have done it,” who planned to say, in part: “The great state of Nevada casts all of its 34 votes for the Thomas Jefferson of our time and a president we can be proud of for a change, Dr. Ron Paul.”

It makes me wonder which other states might have been close to voting for Ron Paul if it wasn’t for these tricks.
Read the story here.

Report: Edwards Staff Planned to ‘Blow Up’ Campaign Over Affair

Members of former Sen. John Edwards’ presidential campaign reportedly devised a “doomsday” strategy over his affair with Rielle Hunter in which they would destroy his bid for office.

Several unnamed former campaign officials said they had prepared a plan in which they would sabotage Edwards’ campaign if it appeared he would secure the Democratic nomination, ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos reported on Sunday.

“They were Democrats first, and if it looked like Edwards was going to become the nominee, they were going to bring down the campaign — they were going to blow it up,” Stephanopoulos said.

Side note: PD used to have a small army of Edwards’ loyalists. Where oh where have they gone?

Is this a statement of racism?

Or is this a statement of competence and intelligence?

I remember years ago a car commercial with a mechanic assuring someone he had his “best people” working on their car – with the next scene showing 3 monkeys beating the engine with baseball bats. I also remember a commercial where an investment company was discerning the best strategy for the market: cut to a scene with monkeys throwing darts at a paper tacked to a dartboard. Quite funny…

So why is this cartoon from the NY Post out of line?

Will all monkey, chimpanzee, orangutan, and ape references be taboo for the next 4 years?

Will the color black be outlawed until 2012 as well?

Maybe Eric Holder was right. Maybe we are a nation of cowards when it comes to racism.

Your thoughts…

First, we have the auctioning of Obama’s Senate Seat. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Rahm Emanuel was captured on, count them, twenty-one different phone conversations by the feds discussing the future of Obama’s seat with Blago and his staff. Hmmm… smells a little fishy.

Second, we have Bill Richardson and his campaign finance debacle. Richardson is facing a federal grand jury investigation into whether he exchanged government contracts for contributions to his three political committees. At least Richardson withdrew his nomination…. sorry New Mexico, you’re stuck with him for the time being. I guess he spent the last year sucking up to Hillary and Obama for nothing.

Most recently, Timothy Geithner, nominee for Treasury Secretary and currently the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, didn’t pay Social Security and Medicare taxes while working at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) between 2001 and 2004. The IMF and World Bank (WB) pays US income taxes for it’s employees, but the employees are required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. Geithner claims he “forgot” for four years. Wow… the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and soon to be Treasury Secretary can’t remember to pay his taxes like every other American citizen? Someone needs to get this guy a day planner and circle April 15th in red.

The IRS audited him in 2006 and determined that he owed $17,230 in back taxes and interest. I guess Geithner “forgot” to pay them too because they weren’t paid until November 21, 2008. Coincidentally, that was the same day that the Washington Post reported that Obama would tap him for the Treasury. To his credit, he did add a little under $9,000 to compensate for the additional interest. Also, he recently amended tax returns to pay additional taxes and interest for several infractions, including early withdrawal from a retirement fund and charitable deductions for ineligible items.

Instead of holding Geithner’s confirmation hearing today, it was postponed and he had a closed-door meeting with the Senate Finance Committee. Several Senators (i.e. Democrats) said his tax issues are serious, but they will continue to support him. We’re in the beginning of what history may show as the biggest financial crisis we’ve ever seen and they want to confirm a guy to control our country’s money that A. can’t remember that we pay taxes in America or B. lacks moral character and integrity to pay the government a piece of his pie like every other hard working American? I guess he and Obama must not agree on Obama’s tax plan since he would be in that $250K bracket that Obama wants to tax and he clearly doesn’t want to pay.

Buckle up kiddies and keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times… the road is going to be pretty bumpy over the next four years if these are the type of people Obama chooses to help him run our country.

When I saw the meeting of the POTUSes yesterday it started me thinking. I realized this is why we conservatives glorify Ronald Reagan. None of these guys are conservatives. Some of them have elements of conservatism, but none of them are actual conservatives.

Carter is perhaps the worst President in history and has only tarnished his legacy with his comments on Isreal. I live in Georgia and my daughter is currently taking Georgia history. I cringed when I read her curriculum plan. (Yes liberals I actually pay attention to what my child is being taught. I don’t depend solely on the”almighty state” to manage my child’s education.)

HW Bush was more conservative, but raised taxes. He also raised government spending so dramatically that it was easy for Clinton to reduce government spending.

I’m glad Clinton did reduce government spending. That was a nice bit of conservatism. However, Clinton’s example of immorality, lying, and cheating from the most powerful office in the world was a disgrace. It would have been one thing if he immedatiately came out and said he made a mistake. However, he only apologized after he was caught. That is not a repentant person. He also left soliders to die. Kind of hard to forget that one.

W Bush may be the most reviled by both sides. Liberals hate him because of the war. Conservatives hate him because he ran on conservative principals, even acted conservative in many ways, such as freeing an oppressed nation, but when things got tough on the US economy, Bush folded went liberal-socialist.

Obama was the most liberal senator in 2007 and plans on an “economic stimulus” package that Harry Reid pegs in the range of $800 million-$1.3 trillion! Obama does not plan to stop there. The national deficit is projected to be $1.2 trillion this fiscal year and Obama said he expects “trillion-dollar deficits for years to come”! Of course he probably doesn’t believe it’s our money anyway, much like this guy.

What happened to the actual conservatives? This is why we yearn for the days of Reagan.

Two recent controversies sparked my interest as we near the inauguration of Mr. Obama, forgive me if they are a bit old and not nearly as dramatic as what is coming out of other corners of the nation, but they’ve been nagging at me – thank you for your indulgence.

First, was the invitation given to Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church, to give the invocation at the inaugural festivities. Apparently this has some gay and lesbian groups in a tizzy. Some feel that by asking Warren to say an opening prayer Obama is abandoning the gay agenda.

Really? I thought Mr Obama was just asking someone, a prominent minister, in our nation to say a prayer, which has been a traditional part of inauguration ceremonies from the get-go, not making a commentary on social issues. If there is one day in our four-year calendar that we can put aside our issues and differences, it’s inauguration day. You don’t have to like the guy that’s being sworn into office on January 20th, but you can admire the tradition, the American spirit, the peaceful transition of power and all that is good with this nation on that day. When it comes right down to it too, you can always turn the TV off if you are that offended. I’m going to go out on a limb here as well and assume the people who are upset by this invitation are part of the “we preach tolerance crowd, but only if it’s our version of tolerance”. I think it’s safe to say that we all will never agree on the issues, but we can agree to disagree and move on with life. Realize as well, America is a diverse place, asking Rick Warren to be part of the ceremony is just that, asking him to be part of the ceremony, not a political or social statement, it’s just fulfilling part of the national tradition. If you’re upset by this, it’s time to grow up and realize life is not fair, you will not always get what you want, and get over it.

The second item that made my eyes roll, was the lawsuit filed by Michael Newdow to have all religion removed from the inaugural ceremonies. Newdow, an atheist, claims that by having religious references in the ceremonies the government is choosing sides, and forcing religion on the masses – especially the atheist masses.

Here is why this argument is wrong. Look at this guy’s atheism as a religion, which it is. By asking the government to remove Judeo-Christian references from the inauguration, isn’t he also asking the government to choose sides in the debate on religion? Furthermore, by filing suit, isn’t he asking the government to get involved in religion, which he claims they shouldn’t be in the first place? Again, time to realize America is a big place, and you are not always going to have your way, or agree with the other guy, and get over it.

When it comes down to it as well, this nation is founded on Judeo-Christian values and ideals, but that does not mean that we discount Islam, Bhuddism, or even atheism. Everyone is welcome at the American table. You can have your opinion, just let me have mine as well, and please don’t waste time filing lawsuits to get my opinion silenced. Peter Sprigg, VP of the Family Research Counsel, said it best, “These atheists who are suing to prevent prayer at the inauguration are showing a fundamental misunderstanding of what the First Amendment is all about. The establishment of religion that is forbidden by the First Amendment means the official declaration of an official national church. It doesn’t mean that public ceremonies can not include prayers or acknowledgement of the existence of God.”

Again, in the end if Nedow and his followers, or those upset with Rick Warren are dissatisfied by the program presented on inauguration day, they are free to turn off the TV and not participate, as we all are free to do, if we don’t like what’s playing.

NewsBusters pointed out this ugly contradiction:

According to a tally by The Associated Press, at least 314 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq in 2008, down from 904 in the previous year.

The Chicago Tribune reported [that] Chicago closed out the year with 509 homicides, an increase of about 15 percent over 2007. . .

Obama, of course, has characterized U.S. involvement in Iraq as a “complete failure” and advocates the withdrawal of our military.  If Iraq’s a total failure, how does Obama view what’s taking place in his own hometown?  Should America stop sending millions, possibly billions, of dollars in assistance to what is obviously a losing effort?  It’d be a good question for the mainstream media to pose.

What, the MSM ask Obama a real question?

That really is a lot to ask, isn’t it?

And if you’re wondering where I came from. . . .

Jason recently invited me to join you all here at PD and I’m thrilled to be aboard. If you want to get to know me, I’ve been writing a blog or two or three since 2005, but I’ll leave “me” at that. I look forward to our beautifully political relationship.

But the liberals appear restless.

“He has confirmed what our suspicions were by surrounding himself with a centrist to right cabinet. But we do hope that before it’s all over we can get at least one authentic progressive appointment,” said Tim Carpenter, national director of the Progressive Democrats of America.

Yes, liberals are starting to feel more than a little bit betrayed by the less-than-left appearance of his newly formed group of closest advisers.

The response?

“Obama has told his supporters to look beyond his appointments, that the change he promised will come from him and that when his administration comes together they will be happy.”

So change is coming, just at a snails pace.

During the day, keep an eye out on turnout, especially in the big cities in the east. In Philadelphia, if turnout in areas with a heavy African American population tops 70%, this will be huge for Obama. Kerry won Philadelphia by about 415,000 votes. Obama will look to top 450,000, in order to feel good about Pennsylvania.

At 7:00 pm EST, the first states close their polls. These are Vermont, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia. Vermont will go Obama, with Kentucky and Georgia going to the McCain column. South Carolina’s polling numbers are close, but I expect McCain to win there without much drama. You can get an early idea of where things stand based on early results from Indiana and Virginia. Virginia looks ripe for Obama to pick, so I would not be stunned to see him win there. If Obama is up or very close in Indiana, this could be a short night for McCain.

At 7:30 pm EST, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Ohio close their polls. The election could be decided here. West Virginia should hold for McCain – but North Carolina and Ohio are absolutely critical for him. If Obama wins either, McCain basically has to win Pennsylvania, Florida, and most of the undecideds to have a shot.

8:00 pm EST could be the end for McCain, or the start of a very long and confusing night. Somewhere around 16 states close their polls at this time, including three hotly contested states – Pennsylvania, Florida, and Missouri. At this point, if McCain has managed to hold onto North Carolina, Indiana, and Ohio, he’s still in the game. He has to win two of the three aforementioned states closing in this time slot to stay alive. We’ll say he wins Florida and Missouri and loses PA.

If that’s the case, and the west falls as expected – Obama sweeps the coast and the rest of the Rust Belt, while McCain holds onto the Midwest and South as expected, it will leave us at 268 to 247 Obama, with only four states left – New Hampshire, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. McCain would have to sweep those four, all of whom are currently polling in favor of Barack Obama.

The path to victory is very small indeed for John McCain, to the point where he could do exactly as above, win Pennsylvania and still lose the election if he loses those four tossups I just talked about.

So if early on, Barack Obama wins in North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, or Florida… well, it’s over.

Give us the winner, the Electoral College total, and the popular vote breakdown by percentage.

Oh, and give me the over/under on how many PDers will flee to Canada if Obama were to win.

One more thing – go vote!

My presidential vote, unsurprisingly, will be cast for John McCain and Stiletto Sarah Palin.

My only undecided vote even now is for Senator. I’m sure Mark Warner is running against someone, but I’m not really sure who it is. Ok, maybe I’m kidding just a bit, but if you look up “Pathetic Senatorial Campaign”, I’m pretty sure you’ll find a picture of Jim Gilmore in the entry.

My reasons for being unwilling to cast my vote in favor of Oprah’s anointed One are legion. Principal among them is a statement best summed up by National Review’s Campaign Spot blogger Jim Geraghty:

All Barack Obama Statements Come With an Expiration Date. All Of Them.

Some of them don’t even last twenty-four hours.

So, before you go stand in line with the huddled masses, here’s a little diddy starring Barack Obama. See if you can keep up.

2. Can you believe Stephen and I began ranking the horses more than two years ago? And now here we sit, hours from polls opening, with the single most unexpected outcome. Not only did most of us doubt Obama could win the nomination, but who thought he’d beat the Rudy, the surefire GOP nominee?

Ah, the good old days, I remember fondly my first appearance on Fox News. Not only did I look like a dope with a goofy mouth and proceed to maul Obama’s name, but Judge Napolitano scoffed at Obama being ranked #2. Wonder how he’s feeling today.

3. I am terribly disappointed that our liberal contributors have all petered out. We’ve made great efforts to recruit and encourage liberals to contribute to the site and take part of fair and friendly debates. For some reason over the last two years they’ve almost all lost interest and disappeared. So without meaning to, Stephen, David and I have become Editors of a site that tilts 95% to the right. And it shows in the comments that most readers are moderate to conservative as well. I won’t theorize on why liberals don’t bother to stick around, but I suspect being challenged on a daily basis by the likes of RedStateEddio, Alaina and Cordeiro frightens them away. Facts are tricky things, after all. (Uh oh, I theorized. My bad.)

4. Now a subject that’s likely to be touchy for some PD regulars. The day Gov. Palin was picked as McCain’s running mate, my brother called me from work and said, “Are you as depressed as I am?” I convinced him to give it time. I truly believed she could energize the base in a way that McCain was simply incapable of doing on his own. And either Liebermann or Ridge wasn’t going to help.

I was impressed with Palin’s introduction to America in that initial OH rally. I thought her speech at the convention was a solid A. Her stump speeches have been fine, the base has been energized, and there’s no doubt they’re going to turn out tomorrow. (I think they would have turned out anyway, but that’s another story.)

I now believe Palin was a mistake.

The argument that she had more executive experience than Obama and Biden “combined”, as McCain/Palin/Surrogates liked to say, might have been technically correct, but politically it was ridiculous. Yes, I know the media has eaten her alive, but she’s given them plenty of ammo. What was she thinking when she suggested that because Russia was a neighbor she had ample foreign policy experience? And why has she continued to rip the Bridge to Nowhere when she initially supported it? And, by the way, Alaska took the money anyway and kept it.

There are more examples than we have time for, and I wouldn’t call her a “disaster”, but I think she’s been a liability with moderates and independents. To put it bluntly, she just wasn’t ready for prime time. Will she cost McCain the election? Probably not. Do a lot of conservatives wish he’d picked Sanford or Romney? Well duh.

A closing question: If the McCain/Palin ticket wins and he drops dead in his first 100 days, would you honestly, in your heart of hearts, feel 100% comfortable with Sarah Palin as president?

5. I am torn on the legacy of President Bush. Part of me cringes when I see him being thrown under the bus over and over again. He’s become the reason the economy is tanking, the stock market is down, gas prices (were) high. Not to mention the guy who single-handedly created the housing crisis and the Commander-in-Chief who personally let Bin Laden escape. Heavens, at this point he’s probably responsible for the wart on my…

There is plenty for Bush to be proud of and I honestly think he’s not gotten enough credit for the good he’s done. On the other hand, he’s grown the government, created a new entitlement that can never be killed, and generally spent money like Serena Williams on an eBay binge. So my sympathy is muffled by the broken promise of a Reagan Legacy.

6. What’s the most likely outcome tomorrow? I think Obama wins the Electoral College comfortably and the popular vote by a less impressive margin. People keep telling me McCain can pull this out, the race is tightening, Obama always polls better than his actual vote totals, blah blah blah.

Let’s be blunt. For McCain to win he needs to prove dozens of polls wrong in places like Virginia, Florida and Ohio. But even if he does that, he needs to carry the Bush ’04 states and at least two of the following where he trails badly: Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. The other option is winning Pennsylvania, where they claim to have a shot despite polls saying they don’t. If he wins PA he only needs one of the four listed.

More blunt you say? If McCain wins tomorrow it will be the most surprising political victory in US history. It would put Truman vs. Dewey to shame.

Can it happen? This is America, where anything can happen.

Will it happen? No.

Would I love to be wrong? Heck yes.

The latest evidence of this dangerous naïveté is a recently unearthed interview in which the Obamessiah held court with the editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle. (Video here – audio download here) In this wide ranging interview, Obama outlines his philosophy on energy – specifically his plans to discourage the building of coal fired electrical plants in the United States.

Before I start quoting the Obamessiah on coal, I’d like to provide you with a few details which you most likely know already. First off, the United States is the Saudi Arabia of coal. We’ve got more coal than we can ever even think of burning, liquefying, or placing in the Christmas stockings of short sighted Democratic members of Congress.

The United States will need more electrical generation capacity in the future. Barry thinks he can generate that power using a bunch of windmills and solar panels rather than coal fired power plants. I guess that’s what you get when you add “hope” to the equation. But enough of me putting words in the Anointed One’s mouth. Direct from Frisco, here’s Barry:

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted. That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in wind, solar, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches. The only thing that I have said with respect to coal, I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

Here, Obama shows just how dangerously naïve he really is. He thinks that some enterprising entrepreneur will go to the time, effort, and expense to build a coal-fired plant that will have to pay so much in greenhouse gas penalties that it will bankrupt said entrepreneur. The “billions of dollars” in revenue generated from the bankrupting penalties levied against the entrepreneur’s power plant will be invested in Barry’s pet energy projects.

What Barry doesn’t get is the fact that prior to investing the time, treasure, and effort required to build a power plant, the entrepreneur will conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the investment. When the bean counters come back and tell him the project will bankrupt him, the plant isn’t built in the first place.

But I digress. More Barry on energy:

You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know — Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.

Actually, Barry, they won’t “pass that money on to consumers”. The “cost” will get past on to consumers. Bear in mind, dear reader, that this is the second area of energy in which the Obamessiah has praised higher costs. Remember back to not too distant past when he said he would have preferred a “gradual adjustment” to gas prices rather than the steep rise endured by all Americans. Barry didn’t have a problem with $4 gas, he only had a problem with how fast the price went up.

So, where does Barry’s coal hating energy plan get us? Well, if you lived in California in 2001 you understand what happened the last time democratic politicians attempted to repeal the laws of supply and demand. In the electricity market, when demand outstrips supply you end up with rolling blackouts.

Its no wonder the San Francisco Chronicle didn’t bother to include the aforementioned quotes in its summary of the conversation between Obama and the editorial board. Whether intentional or on purpose, I’m pretty sure those San Franciscans who spent hours stuck in elevators as the blackouts rolled thorough downtown might think twice about voting for a guy who would visit that same “necessity” on the rest of the country.

Now Barry has gone a bridge too far.

In Sarasota, Florida yesterday he made the following declaration which I quote for you in its entirety – or at least the entirety reported by ABCNew’s Jake Tapper:

The reason that we want to do this, change our tax code, is not because I have anything against the rich. I love rich people! I want all of you to be rich. Go for it. That’s the American dream, that’s the American way, that’s terrific. The point is, though, that — and it’s not just charity, it’s not just that I want to help the middle class and working people who are trying to get in the middle class — it’s that when we actually make sure that everybody’s got a shot – when young people can all go to college, when everybody’s got decent health care, when everybody’s got a little more money at the end of the month – then guess what? Everybody starts spending that money, they decide maybe I can afford a new car, maybe I can afford a computer for my child. They can buy the products and services that businesses are selling and everybody is better off. All boats rise. That’s what happened in the 1990s, that’s what we need to restore. And that’s what I’m gonna do as president of the United States of America.

John McCain and Sarah Palin they call this socialistic. You know I don’t know when, when they decided they wanted to make a virtue out of selfishness.

Now look. I spend about 60 hours of every week at my chosen profession. In order to qualify for this profession I went to college. A few years after finishing my undergraduate work I went to business school. Nobody from the Government ever came up to me and said, “Cordeiro, you’re a hard working young man with a lot of potential. Here’s a twenty large for your undergrad work. Want to go to grad school? Here’s another fifty large. Good luck.”

No, dear reader, I earned that money myself. What I didn’t earn, I borrowed and will be paying back for the next two decades or so. I did all this so I could earn a living to support the Ravishing Mrs. Cordeiro, our two beautiful children, and the family dog. I did all this so we could have the minivan, the mustang, and Cordeiro Manor. I earn this meager salary because I am exceptionally good at what I do. By meager salary, I mean I have yet to cross my “rich” threshold because I have not yet managed to keep enough of my hard earned cash to require a bank account labeled “Money I don’t know what to do with” – yet.

Yes, I pay taxes. A lot of taxes. So much in taxes that I hardly bother to look at the “gross” amount of my paycheck simply because it’s so frigging depressing when compared with the “net” amount. The “gross” amount isn’t anywhere near Obama’s first definition of “rich”, though that definition spirals ever downward with each passing day. It started at 300 large, and at last count Bill Richardson had brought it down to 120 large. Using a regression analysis tool, I calculate that by election day, Team Obama will declare that anyone making over 40 large annually will be branded as “rich” and therefore deserving of a tax increase.

So now I meet the Obamessiah’s definition of “selfish” – simply because I’m unwilling to give him more of my hard earned cash to do with as he sees fit. Barry has obviously and purposely confused taxes with charity. Taxes are forcefully taken from a citizen under threat of imprisonment or other unwanted consequences. Charity is money parted with willingly. There’s a big difference. Taking a look at Team Obama’s charitable giving over the past five years or so, its easy to conclude both Barry and SlowJoe get taxes and charity confused.

SlowJoe Biden would have you believe paying more taxes is a sign of your patriotism. The Obamessiah would have you believe paying more taxes is a selfless act. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting worried about having these two guys be charitable with my money.

But what do I know? I’m a dirty, rotten, selfishly greedy capitalist with racist leanings.

10 Reasons Why McCain Might Win
John Podhoretz – 10.31.2008 – 12:14 PM

This is why it might happen. Not saying it will.

1) One poll has undecided voters at 14 percent on the last weekend, which means most of them probably really aren’t undecided, that they are either going to stay home or vote preponderantly for McCain and pull McCain across the finish line.

2) Most pollsters are claiming the electorate this year is six to nine points more Democratic than it is Republican. That would be an unprecedented shift from four years ago, when the electorate was evenly divided, 37-37, Republican and Democratic, and a huge shift from two years ago, when it was 37-33 Democratic. A shift of this size didn’t even happen after Watergate.

Click here for the full article.

Then, a few days ago, Barack Obama made an unscripted, unTelePromtered reference to the same subject – therefore I’m free to do the same.

So, here are your candidates in the 2008 Race for the Oval – as seen through a 1970’s Sitcom Prism:

Archie Bunker

George Jefferson

Well, the comparison isn’t entirely accurate. John McCain isn’t a bigot – lovable or otherwise. George Jefferson ran a fictional chain of successful dry cleaning shops which enabled him and Weezy to “move up” to the East Side. That and old George didn’t need Rezko cash to buy the Fresh Prince’s Bel Air mansion. Can’t say the same about Obama.

Look closely. Will these nine people remain in their posts for another four years? Eight years? Need a hint? (left to right) Anthony Kennedy is 72. Stephen Breyer is 70. John Paul Stevens is 88. Clarence Thomas is 60. John Roberts is 53. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 75. Antonin Scalia is 72. Samuel Alito is 58. David Souter is 69.

I’m told that I care more about the economy than anything else. (I’m always grateful when informed of my opinions and the order in which I prioritize issues.) But I’m sure the appointment of SC Justices is pretty high on my list, too. Four of nine are at least as old as the “one foot in the grave, the other on a banana peel” McCain. Our candidates have two different sets of values for nominating justices. Does this matter in the election? I haven’t heard this discussed lately. (Maybe there’s nothing more to say.) Do we care?

Adolph Hitler
Fake Name
Not A. Realperson
Finance Violation
Fraudulent Charge
Over Donation Limit
Daffy Duck
OJ Simpson
Bart Simpson
Family Guy
And…King Kong

Yes, dear reader. Pay no attention to Team Obama’s willful solicitation of illegal campaign contributions. Their excuse for accepting contributions from the above rogue’s gallery is the lack of safeguards on credit card transactions. Never mind the fact Team Obama turned said safeguards off – purposefully. Even the simplest of fraud detection measures might have put a crimp in Obama’s campaign style – and we simply can’t have that. The fate of the free world is at stake. What’s a few hundred million dollars among friends anyway?

No longer will people like Algore have to show up at a Buddhist temple to collect grocery sacks full of thousand dollar checks from impoverished monks. Obama doesn’t even have to bother with that thinly veiled stunt. Forget the checks. MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or AmEx will do nicely. And names? Get real. Or on second thought, make one up. Names are so 20th century. Whatever you feel like calling your self today will do just fine. Addresses? Zip Codes? Employer? Fugettaboutit.

In even an imperfect political world the free and independent constitutionally protected press would be all over this story in an effort to find and expose the illegal money behind a potential president. Don’t hold your breath for this to happen during this election cycle. Why? Two reasons, really.

First, the donations in question didn’t end up in Republican coffers.

Second, and probably more important, Stiletto Sarah’s wardrobe expenses make for better headlines.

For the record, I did not watch the Obamessiah’s infomercial. I’m not buying what he’s selling and besides that, the rerun of Law & Order was much more believable. At least Jack McCoy’s cases are somewhat factually based.

*Hat Tip to Ace of Spades (warning – gratuitous profanity. Tis the nature of Ace) and Ken Timmerman for Team Obama’s contributor highlights.

As we’ve heard over and over and over again, Obama’s plan is to raise taxes on families who make $250,000 or more and he claims that 95% of Americans will receive a tax cut under his plan.  Tuesday, Biden said the threshold is $150,000, but we let that go since he’s the King of Gaffes.  On tonight’s infomercial, Obama said the threshold for families is now $200,000, but 95% of Americans will still receive a tax break.  Apparently no one in America makes between $200,000 and $250,000.

We’re less than six days away from the election and he changed the threshold?  Really?  On November 5^th is he going to lower the threshold again?  If he lowers the threshold to $100,000, will 95% of Americans will get a tax break?

I’m betting that he’ll raise the taxes on everyone by the time he gives his inauguration speech.  Who wants those odds?

Coach Yoast: Coach, that’s a pretty small playbook
Coach Boone: I run six plays. Split veer. It’s like Novocain. Give it time. It always works.

The more enlightened among you will recognize this exchange from one of the single greatest films ever made on the subject of high school football – Remember the Titans. If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s well worth putting in your Netflix queue. If you haven’t seen the movie because you just don’t like football, then I’m calling into question your patriotism.

The way I see it, John McCain has utilized a “split veer” strategy throughout his campaign. On the football field, the split veer (in all its iterations) isn’t a very exciting offensive scheme. Most of the time the offensive play ends up with, as an offensive coordinator once told me, “three yards and a cloud of dust”. The ball doesn’t get moved very far, but it does go far enough to move the chains. It’s not flashy. The crowd gets very bored and doesn’t cheer much even when their team scores.

The Anointed Obamessiah, on the other hand, is all about flashy. Team Obama moves the ball seemingly at ease, but only between the 20 yard lines. When it comes down to the red zone, Barry and Company can’t punch it through – more often than not due to self inflicted wounds like SlowJoe Biden’s guaranteed fumbles and Obama tripping over Joe the Plumber and getting sacked by past ruminations praising the idea of “redistributive change”.

The obvious weakness in the split veer strategy is the time it takes to be effective. Team Obama is currently fielding its version of the much maligned “prevent defense”. In other words, they believe they’ve got a big enough lead they can just run out the clock whilst hoping their standard bearer doesn’t fall out of his chariot and McCain doesn’t get enough momentum in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Colorado to tip the scales to the red balance.

So, for those of you who are looking for a reason to back away from the ledge the MSM would happily fling you from, here’s some internal polling data which hasn’t been put through the CNN filter.

It’s not over until the last chad falls.

Cleveland can live with the Ayers thing, and we’ve long forgotten Rev. Wright; but associating with the Steelers is unforgivable.

Our country is near completion of its transformation into a socialistic, fascist state. The transformation really began under Herbert Hoover in the 1920’s, was kicked into high gear by FDR, and received a giant booster shot by George W. Bush (What do you think massive entitlements and the whole nationalizing of investment banks thing was all about?). But, despite nearly 90 years of this socialist experiment, how many of us can define Socialism or Fascism without consulting a dictionary?

Ignorance is our greatest enemy. A great majority of the population doesn’t know what the Constitution says and couldn’t muster a Constitutional argument if they tried. The Constitution really isn’t that long. We could try reading it from time to time. How can we expect good government if most of us don’t know how to define it? The hard work has been done for us, we just need to refresh our collective memories.

Can we really be free from oppressive government if we can’t recognize that George Bush, John McCain and Barack Obama are all different versions of the same politician? Oh sure, Obama is more liberal, wants to tax us more. But George Bush proved way left of center and McCain is wrong on just about everything that comes out of his mouth. With the exception of taxes (a recent convert to tax relief I might add) and abortion, is McCain that different from Obama?

Oh, yeah, the war. McCain was right on the war. What war? I thought the Constitution said we need to declare wars in order to fight them? If the war is so important (and it is), why not do it right? But we don’t really care about the Constitution when it comes to war do we? As long as the ends justify the means, we are okay with it.

So now we get what we’ve asked for: a bunch of politicians that run over the Constitution and our rights with the hope that at least fifty one percent of the population agree with the end regardless of the mean. And so our rights errode one by one. Why is it so hard to understand that even good things, if they violate the rule of law, the principles of freedom defined by the Constitution, will bring about a host of bad things that do the same? We can’t argue against bad decisions that violate the Constitution if we are willing to permit good decisions that do the same thing. The rule of law must be first. But we don’t care as long as the surge works, right?

The real issue is not whether Obama or McCain will become President. The real issue is that the majority of the people have allowed the rights protected by the Constitution be called into question. So eager are we for Federal money that we the people give up our rights for a hand out. We want Pell grants, WIC, Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, sChip, Head Start, Social Security, Highway Projects, NPR, PBS, National Endowment for the Arts, and ACORN. All Federally funded and all un-Constitutional.

We spend Trillions and Trillions of dollars pacifying the masses. We are willing to steal from a minority of our people to give to the majority. And even then our appetite can’t be sated. We want more. Our printing presses run day and night to fund Social Programs, and when that proves not enough, talk turns to taking more from the rich. The middle class will shrink. The super poor and super rich will remain.

And yet, no one lifts a finger.

No one cares.

Because we don’t understand the relationship between private property rights (including money) and freedom. We don’t understand that when we take a hand out no matter how large or small, it is at the expense of the rights of our fellow citizens. For every handout, somewhere, an American has been opressed by the government by threat of imprisonment, and their money confiscated. It doesn’t matter if it’s for the little children or if it’s for a company that is too big to fail. Children will always be too little and companies always too big. But that doesn’t change the proper role of government. Somehow this is lost on us in a flood of social programs and broken promises.

We can not find an argument for social programs from the Founders. In fact we find the exact opposite. They feared social programs and the abuse of power that comes with government taxation. The Founders tried to warn us. That’s why they limited the power of the Federal government. Its there, we can read it if we want. We can start with the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers and see what the original debates were about. We can read the writings of Thomas Jefferson and see what he said about government and banks and freedom. We can read the biographies of the great men and women who gave us this great country. We can learn about what sacrifice really is and why it’s important to sacrifice to remain free. We could spend more time in front of books than we do the TV. And every once in a while, we can pull out that old document, the Constitution, and read it again.

But we won’t.

We would rather watch House and re-runs of Seinfeld.

So, we get what we deserve: fifty one percent of the population ready to vote away the rights of the other forty nine percent. Just what the Founders feared would happen. An ignorant mob ruled society.

But what do I know? I’m just a Libertarian.

I’ve been thinking about this piece in my head for a week or more, and last night as Mother Nature toyed with my emotions and delayed my beloved Phillies from ending a 25-year championship drought here in Philadelphia I thought more about it, and finally I decided this morning, one week from election day, that John McCain has lost.

How he lost isn’t all that complicated, but it’s not simple either. Here’s my take:

Firstly, the environment for any Republican right now is a bad one. The registrations for the Democratic Party have swelled in the last several years, to the point of a near double-digit lead in the number of registered Democrats versus registered Republicans. McCain is the proverbial salmon swimming against the current.

Secondly, McCain has really run a poor campaign. Several people have said that there never seemed to be a clear strategy in his run, and that the only thing they were 100% for was winning, and the only thing they were 100% against was losing. From the conventions on, it seemed the McCain campaign would just throw a bunch of things out there in the hopes that something would work. Nothing really gained much traction until the “Joe the Plumber” routine, and that appears to be too little, too late.

The third major factor is Sarah Palin. Palin has gone from the anointed savior of the McCain campaign to trying to save face quicker than you can say “mooseburgers”. McCain’s advisers tried to keep her away from the press, knowing she wasn’t ready, and have resorted to now calling her a ‘rogue’ and a ‘diva’ that won’t listen. Palin, for her part, may see that the ship is going down and is looking for a life raft with ’2012′ painted on the side. I know social conservatives adore her, and I understand that she has appeal to that part of the GOP, but if McCain had to pick her to get them to vote for her, he was done before he started.

I for one found the pick of Sarah Palin beyond reckless, and it was the final nail in the coffin of the v2000 John McCain I admired, cementing the v2008 John McCain – a guy that seems to only care about winning. I think she made Dan Quayle look like Abraham Lincoln and was a desperation pick by McCain. And now she appears to have thrown in the towel and is angling for a favorable position in the 2012 GOP primaries.

Sarah Palin may grow into a legit candidate down the line, but when someone is declared a winner strictly because she managed not to look bad, as was the case in the VP debate, you really have issues beyond a base that doesn’t trust you.

Timing has been another issue that has hurt John McCain. The Russia/Georgia incident, which likely drove the Obama decision to pick Joe Biden, which falls under the foreign affairs policy area that is in McCain’s wheelhouse, came early in the campaign and did not persist.

On the other hand, the financial industry taking a dump, a failed bailout plan, and the specter of a global recession had hurt John McCain, who has admitted his weakness on areas involving the economy. The Obama campaign jumped all over this issue, and, not surprisingly, blew up in the state and national polls, gaining a lead he still holds just seven days before the Big Show.

But the closers to this deal are simple – money and ground game. Obama has an absolutely dominating advantage in both of these areas. Obama likely won this election when he opted out of public campaign funding. As painful as this admission is, I have to give credit to PD’s bleeding liberal, Patrick Keegan, who pretty much nailed the result when Obama first opted out of public funding. This exchange between Keegan and Jason specifically was interesting:

Does or does this not reflect poorly that the pure candidate of change he broke a promise?

I certainly agree it reflects poorly in the short term, and I’m sure it will get brought up plenty. But the fact that he’ll have a lot more money to play with, I think he’ll be able to bury it.

Do you agree with the decision?

Yes and no. I think politically he took a short-term hit, but in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t an issue people are going to care about when compared to Iraq, oil and the economy. Personally, I don’t like that he went against his word, but I’m not as hung up on Obama as a “agent of change” or a “candidate of hope” as other are. I just don’t want another Republican President.

Don’t you wish he’d kept his word and pledged to beat McCain in the system they’ve both supported?

Again, see above. Emotionally, yes.

Tactically? I think the move will pay off. Literally.

In the end, John Q. Public isn’t going to care about this issue. This won’t make people that will vote for him not, or vice versa. And those that haven’t made up their mind yet will be carpet bombed with TV ads made possible by not taking the funds.

In essence, Obama is, as Joe Citizen pointed out, buying this election. He is crushing McCain on the air, via the internet, and even with text messages. His ground game, the machine that will get the Democratic vote out, is by all accounts one of the strongest ever assembled.

I make no pretense that I’m not really going out on a limb here, and I’m sure I’ll get some flack from some of the more conservative denizens of PD, but just as when I said John McCain would win the nomination in January, I’m just calling it like I see it.

In a week and a day, I guess we’ll know.

Fred Thompson has, on one or more occasions, pronounced “nuclear” correctly.
Fred Thompson used to be quite the ladies’ man before he married Jeri. In fact, there’s a fifty percent chance he’s your real father.
In a fight between John Wayne and Chuck Norris, Fred Thompson would win.

Yeah. We all know how that ended.

The above gave way to Palinisms:

Sarah Palin became Alaska’s governor because having five children left her with too much spare energy.
Sarah Padawan Palin is the “other” of whom Yoda spoke.
Sarah Palin is tough enough to shave off Chuck Norris’ beard. With her nails.

After the above maligning of Chuck Norris it seems only fitting that the last word form Chuck Norris this election cycle be given by Chuck Norris, compliments of the NRA.

That’s right folks.  Those of you who claim that his “spread the wealth” comment to Joe the Plumber was a gaffe or he meant something else, listen very carefully.  When referring to the regulations resulting from the civil rights movement, Obama stated that “The Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and more basic issues of political and economic justices in society.”  He believes that it the redistribution of wealth isn’t “that radical” and doesn’t “break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution.”

I have tried and tried, but I cannot wrap my head around the theory behind the “Redistribution of Wealth”.  Maybe it’s just me, but I was raised by my parents and grandparents to have a strong work ethic.  I was taught that if I want something, it’s my responsibility to figure out how to get the skills or education I need and work hard to get it.  So if Obama gets his way and decides I make too much money, what’s my incentive to keep working hard and be a productive member of society?  If I decide I want to stay home and watch daytime soaps and not work, then he’ll just give me some of your income to make up for my lack of income.  This theory and his plan promotes apathy.  Plain and simple.

Obama says that the Constitution doesn’t say what the Federal Government “must do on your behalf”.   Our forefathers said we have a right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  Nowhere does our Constitution say we have the “right” to happiness.  According to Senator Government, it is my obligation to provide happiness to others who don’t make as much money as I do by giving away a portion of my paycheck.

I know I’m going to catch flack for this, but, as that reporter in Florida reminded us in her interview with Biden, Karl Marx once said, “From each according to his ability; to each according to his need.”  Taking my hard earned money and giving it to people who the government determines is in need of it is socialism.  Karl Marx said it and that’s exactly what Obama wants to do.  Let me be clear, I’m not comparing Obama to Karl Marx, I’m comparing Obama’s economic theory of spreading the wealth to that of Karl Marx.  If you think Obama’s theory is different from Marx’s, please explain because I’m at a loss.

Spreading the wealth does nothing but create apathy and a sense of entitlement.  Let’s take a look at recent history.  Hurricane Katrina was obviously a great tragedy and I think most people will agree that the government (federal, state, and local) did a poor job handling it so let’s not debate this point.  As you probably know, FEMA handed out $2,000 debit cards to help expedite assistance to those affected to pay for housing and other necessities, such as food and clothing.  In other words, the government gave money to those who need it.  Thousands of people received these cards and a staggering number were used at liquor stores, strip clubs, and high end department stores like Neiman Marcus, just to name a few.  Some women were buying designer clothes, purses and high heels for themselves that used up their entire $2,000 while their children stood by looking like they hadn’t showered in weeks.  A couple months ago, one of my friends told me he met a Katrina victim in Houston who was working at a local liquor store.  She was complaining that her FEMA aid was about to run out and she didn’t know what she was going to do or how she was going to pay for her housing.  After 3+ years, I think it’s reasonable to assume that she should have some sort of plan to get back on her feet and American taxpayers shouldn’t have to continue paying for her.

Now, I know what you Liberals out there are thinking… I’m racist, I’m cheap and I don’t want to help those in need.  I’m not racist.  This is the first time I’ve mentioned race and I’m preemptively defending myself.  I’m not cheap and I can give you a list of people who will vouch for that.  I do want to help people, but I only want to help those who are willing to help themselves.   It would nice to think that we could give people what they needed and they would be responsible with it, but that’s just not the reality we live in.  As Joe the Plumber pointed out a few weeks ago, even our “poor” have cell phones.  I have no problem helping out those who need it, but I have a major problem giving handouts to people sitting on their couch, watching TV and living off welfare checks.  We all hit bumps in the road and occasionally need a helping hand to pick ourselves up, but I see too many people lined up with their hands out.

Someone please explain to me why I should continue working 80 – 90 hours a week and give you a chunk of my paycheck.  If Obama is elected, apathy is the change we can believe in.

Disclaimer: Some of the words that pop up on the You Tube video are a little misleading.  Ignore the video and just listen to the audio.

I have to wonder then, if we are coming into our own version of PRAVDA in this country with an Obama-Biden administration? Recently, Joe Biden was on WFTV, a TV station in Orlando, Florida being interviewed by newsanchor Barbara West. She asked some legitimate questions, some hardball questions, having to do with “spreading the wealth” and his recent comments about Obama being tested by the world if elected president. Biden asked West if she was “joking” and then went on to ask “who was writing her questions”.

As punishment for asking hard questions and not falling into ranks with most media drones, WFTV is now banned from the Obama campaign, which issued the following statement, ”This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election

I have to wonder, had this or a similar hardball question been asked of John McCain or Sarah Palin, and had either of them brushed it off and then banned the station, or reporter from the campaign, would the media be howling about this, like they have howled with so many other things in regard to the Republicans and John McCain? Of course they would, because only Republicans try to hide the truth, only Republicans dodge questions and we can, with out a doubt, blame all bad in this country on the Republicans. George Bush Derangement Syndrome, anyone? (And as an aside here, I’ve not been too happy with GWB for a long while now, however I don’t think he is at the heart of ALL of our problems….)

Where are the real journalists? Apparently, the WFTV, anchor was trying to do her job and is now being punished for not falling in ranks with the rest of the media because she did not act as a PR firm for Obama-Biden. What good is the news if all that is asked are softball questions? What good does it do for the voting and media-consuming public if all they hear are sound bites, endless one-sided commercials and are spared the hard questions?

Heaven help us all when Obama is in the White House and the media turn on him, or don’t execute his agenda to a T. What will he do then, ban them from the White House Press room? Will he suspend the First Amendment because he doesn’t like the press he’s getting? Will he and the Democratic Congress try and reinstate the Fairness Doctrine?

If the media would just do their job and be objective I think we’d know much more about the secrecy’s and mysteries of Obama, and have a real picture of who he really is, and the polices he promotes — of course they have not done their job, therefore Obama and his camp have come to expect and believe they deserve a free pass, all the time. If we knew the truth, I don’t think so many would be duped by his “hope and change” rhetoric and would be focused on real issues that face our nation.

PRAVDA is on the way kids, and this is just the first example of what’s to come if the media can’t or won’t do their job, and if the Obama-Biden camp does not get their way.

Check it out.

But watch out for the surprise challenger!

I’m sure you all remember back in the summer paying over $4 a gallon for gas, and saw your food and other bills go up as a result. I’ve always thought a reasonable and responsible energy policy, (which address transpiration energy, the energy we use at home and in business, and the sources of our energy) is the key to national security and domestic prosperity. However, I am hesitant to talk about my real opinions on energy in the world Global Warming fanatics and the likes of Al Gore’s minions. I am not convinced that man-made Global Warming is real. The more I read, research and learn about the goals of the Global Warming crowd, I know they are just like any other lobby, out to get more of my money and more power in government without much concern for how their agenda will really impact the lives of people.

Now we learn that Obama, wants to place CO2, a “greenhouse” gas, in the same category as lead , carbon monoxide, ozone and sulfur dioxide. Well, it’s not in that same category, it’s not even close. CO2 does not kill people, it does not create acid rain and it does not destroy the earth in ways that these other, real pollutants do. In fact, if you remember back to high school biology, CO2 is good. We exhale it, plants inhale it. It’s kind of an important part of that crazy circle of life. And if you’re really, really concerned about “greenhouse gasses” and the “harm” they do, we all really need to be concerned about water. Yes, good ol’ H2O, water. It’s properties keep heat near the surface of the earth far better, thus creating a warmer atmosphere than CO2 ever could. Is Obama looking to place water on the list of pollutants? No, because that is stupid.

What would be the impact on you and I, the regular people of the nation if this were to really happen? According to the Bloomberg news service, “Placing heat-trapping pollutants in the same category as ozone may lead to caps on power-plant emissions and force utilities to use the most expensive systems to curb pollution,”. Translation, more regulation, will mean an increase in prices which the utility companies and power producers will happily pass on to you and I, the consumer. Granted, I think there needs to be measures in place to make sure that power plants are not polluters, however a better solution to the CO2 controversy would be to encourage and allow the development and construction of nuclear power plants. Have you ever seen the inside of a nuclear plant? Totally clean, totally safe and totally CO2 free. Did I also mention that nuclear power is totally cheap too? If we went nuclear in this country, our energy bills would drop, thus leaving you and I more money to spend on other things, like $4 a gallon gas, or aspirin for the headaches we get from watching Congress talk about themselves.

Sadly, like every president since Nixon, the promises of responsible energy policy will go by the wayside, or be taken over by groups whose agenda is not for the greater good, but for their greater gain. Obama looks to be just another addition to leaders who’ve failed to focus and develop real energy policies that will really help our nation move forward and prosper. Instead Mr. Obama seems to think more regulation will bring prosperity and that following a popular fad will bring real results.