Rep. John Lewis has an opponent. It’s Republican Kelly Nguyen.
Here’s Kelly’s platform:
1.To not participate in the lucrative congressional pension plan.
2.To legislate congressional term limits to 3 terms.
3.To oppose bailouts of any kind.
4.To never vote for a tax raise of any kind
You can follow Kelly on Twitter.
Posted under POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on July 1, 2010
It’s Bob Turner.
And there’s a story about him in National Review:
Running for office was the farthest thing from Turner’s mind when he was watching Weiner on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News show one March night. But, as Democrats were forcing their unpopular health-care revolution through, Weiner didn’t even have the decency to answer his interviewer’s questions. Weiner’s “dodging” made Turner “hostile.” So he went to his neighbor, Michael Long, who happens to be chairman of the Conservative party in New York, and asked, “To whom do I send a check?” No one, was the answer. There was no one challenging Weiner. So Turner pressed on, asking what could be done about that. Long sketched out prerequisites — “someone who isn’t working,” “someone who has enough coin to start the ball rolling.” Turner asked his wife of 46 years, Peggy, what she’d think of his running for Congress. A talk-radio junkie, the special-needs nurse immediately became his biggest cheerleader: She was in a state of outrage about the undemocratic transformation going on before her eyes. And so “Bob Turner for Congress” was born.
Here’s Bob Turner’s Facebook page.
Posted under POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 28, 2010
You really can’t do much better than this:
In short, each gamer and conniver did not quite get out of this sordid episode what they had hoped: Instead of Bruce Lee with four stars surrounded by a brilliant but misunderstood Lawrence of Arabia staff, we get a near insubordinate general desperate for his supposedly unique “story” to get out, surrounded by a crowd of well-meaning groupies — all to be exposed by a duplicitous Hunter Thompson wannabe who now finally “makes it” with the scalp of a four-star — all against the backdrop of an anti-military tabloid that can’t quite believe its good fortunate that its intended victim gladly put his head in their noose, and all for their ultimate aim of getting the U.S. out of Afghanistan in defeat and shame.
As my other grandfather, the old Swedish horse-breaker, used to say, “What a bunch.”
I’m changing my mind on all this as it’s become clear that McChrystal had to go and the President correctly accepted his resignation. And in it all Obama may have gotten the first real break of his presidency by having a David Petreaus available to pull his chestnuts out of the fire both politically and militarily.
Yet the Obama foreign policy in the end will not be able to resolve itself in the event Israel has to be defended in any way. If Israel gets into a war with an Iranian, Syrian and Turkish backed Hezbollah and the Jewish state is not backed by Obama it has the potential to make our efforts in both Afghanistan – and Iraq for that matter – to be one big catastrophic “why bother.”
Posted under MIDDLE EAST WATCH, OBAMA WATCH, POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 27, 2010
The Washington Times:
Solicitor General Elena Kagan is too political, too leftist, too inexperienced and too disrespectful towards existing law to be confirmed for the U.S. Supreme Court. As Ms. Kagan’s nomination hearings begin on Monday, what we now know about her should disturb fair-minded Americans, and should embolden moderate senators of both parties to avoid rubber-stamping her for a lifetime appointment. The pressure should be most intense not on Republicans, but on Democrats who claim moderation and yet try to explain away Ms. Kagan’s history of leftist proselytizing.
From Robert Bork:
“Ms. Kagan has not had time to develop a mature philosophy of judging,” said Bork, adding that the former Harvard dean’s tenure in academia did not offer her the experience necessary to serve on the high court.
“The academic world is not a place in which you learn prudence and caution, and other virtues of a judge, and she has not had experience anywhere else that I know of,” Bork said.
Writing for the Daily Princetonian, Kagan wrote about “real Democrats” who are “committed to liberal principles and motivated by the ideal of an affirmative and compassionate government.” She added: “Where I grew up–on Manhattan’s Upper West Side–nobody ever admitted to voting Republican. The real contests for Congress and the state legislatures occurred in early September, when the Democratic primary was held. And the people who won those races and who then took the November elections with some 80 per cent of the vote were real Democrats–not the closet Republicans that one sees so often these days but men and women committed to liberal principles and motivated by the ideal of an affirmative and compassionate government.”
Judge Bork’s takes will be mocked and dismissed out of hand by Democrats, but the Times op-ed reveals eight significant points of serious concern. Justice Sotomayor provided two to three sketchy issues for Senators to poke at. Kagen will be opposed on grounds far more significant and demonstrable.
Hearings begin Monday and all of Kagen’s Clinton era documents have not yet been released. Some sort of hold-up could occur this weekend. But as Kagen’s astonishing lack of experience and leftist ideological stands become more public, political pressure on Senate Democrats will increase. Do they want to go to the mat for Obama this close to the November elections?
Aside from Kagen’s thin resume and troubling legal and academic record, Republicans have additional ammunition as support for her nomination has dropped ten points since May. The man that Democrats continue to loathe and hold as a standard in Robert Bork could become relevant again if Kagen’s hearings begin to remind observers of his.
Posted under OBAMA WATCH, POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 25, 2010
From Victor Davis Hanson:
The reality of Barack Obama is that he was an inexperienced community organizer with an undistinguished record as a Senate newcomer. A perfect storm of popular anger at eight years of George Bush, a lackluster John McCain campaign, Obama’s landmark candidacy as an African-American, a disingenuous campaign promising centrist and bipartisan governance, and the financial meltdown in 2008 got the relatively untried and unknown Obama elected.
Most mortals in Obama’s position would have treaded lightly. They would have kept promises, steered a moderate course and listened more than lectured until they won over the public with concrete achievement.
But headstrong tragic figures do not do that. They neither welcome in critics nor would listen to them if they did. They impute their unforeseen temporary success to their own brilliance — and expect it to continue forever. So would-be gods set themselves up for a fall far harder than what happens to the rest of us.
That’s about where we are now, with our president playing a character right out of Greek tragedy, who, true to form, is railing about the unfairness of it all.
Obama would have been ok with all the platitudes if he had actually been the centrist, bi-partisan healer he ran as. Instead we got, “I won.” Frightening to those of us whom tried to tell people what this man was about, his presidency has been far worse than we imagined it would. The statist’s policies, the Chicago way tactics, the leftist foreign policy, and the incompetence all have manifested in ways once unimaginable.
Posted under DEMOCRAT TAKEDOWN, OBAMA WATCH, POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 24, 2010
The excellent Louisiana politics blog, The Hayride, provides a link to a blogging colleague, Christopher Tidmore. The later’s report reveals some potential weakness in the Democrat Party appartus in the Crescent City.
In an exclusive, long-time Orleans Sewerage and Water Board member Tommie Vassel, a political rising star in Crescent City and former Council candidate, has revealed that he will likely be a candidate in November’s election for the U.S. House of Representative. And, he will run as an Independent.
Moreover, the immediate past President of the national Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Rev. Byron Clay of Kenner–a minister who extensive political connections amongst the Black Clergy–is being urged by many of the liturgical colleagues to run for Congress against Cao as well–as an Independent. Should he stand, Clay would join Vassel and the likely Democratic candidate, State Representative Cedric Richmond, in pitting three prominent African-American challengers against the sitting 2nd District Republican Representative.
Even in a highly Democratic, Black Majority Congressional seat like the New Orleans, South Kenner, and West Bank Jefferson district, two Independents dividing the vote with the Democratic contender might be enough to allow a Republican, elected in a political fluke, to win a second term.
And, even if Cao should lose, either Independent, Clay or Vassel, already enjoys enough political support that either has the potential of besting Richmond. In the “First Past the Post” system adopted in Louisiana Congressional elections almost six years ago, the victor could easily win with just 35% of the vote–or less.
Whether on not the Republican Cao prevails is not the point. What is the point is that the local African-American community is not rallying around the Democrat candidate. Three prominant members of the Black community running against Cao could easily deliver the seat back to the Republicans.
Why hasn’t the local Democrat Party been able to instill party discipline? Is this a local phenomena or is it a potential trend among Black voters to look elsewhere than with the Democrats?
Posted under POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 23, 2010
President Obama’s most concerted effort since taking office has been to improve America’s image in the Muslim world. The president’s first interview was granted to Al Arabiya. He traveled to Cairo to sprinkle the fairy dust, and filmed a fawning New Year’s message to the gangsters who rule in Tehran. He has sent multiple envoys, most notably Sen. John Kerry, to woo Syria’s brutal Bashar al-Assad. With what result?
As this survey indicates, Obama has achieved very little in terms of popularity in Muslim lands. After a short spike following the inauguration, approval of America has fallen fast. The number of Egyptians expressing confidence in Obama fell from 41 to 31 percent, and in Turkey from 33 percent to 23 percent. The Pew report notes that “Last year only 13 percent of Pakistani Muslims expressed confidence in Obama, but this year even fewer (8 percent) hold this view.”
Who knows why so many respondents in Muslim countries are disappointed in Obama? It’s possible, based on the way rumors and conspiracy theories metastasize in that part of the world, that many believed our president was actually a Muslim Manchurian candidate and have been disappointed in the reality. It’s possible they expected a complete repudiation of Israel, rather than the icy disdain this administration has shown. It’s hard enough to interpret the views of our own voters — South Carolina Democratic primary anyone? — the motives of foreigners are even more mysterious.
Independent Obama voters who bought into the “restore our standing in the world” gambit, might find this dwindling popularity of Obama in the Muslin world instructive.
And how’s that apology tour with all the waiter’s bow’s working out? Says Charen:
OK, popularity is slipping, but perhaps the apology tour/charm offensive has yielded dividends in policy support? Not so much. Syria has clutched Iran even closer to her bosom than before and has recently transferred Scud missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon — all while the U.S. continues to grovel to al-Assad. Iran is racing toward nuclear status while essentially dropping the fig leaf of “peaceful” energy. Turkey, the Muslim nation with the warmest ties to the West, has accelerated its turn toward jihadism. Brazil has spurned the U.S. by embracing Iran and Turkey.
Machiavelli provides ballast for Jefferson: “And that prince who bases his power entirely on … words, finding himself completely without other preparations, comes to ruin.”
A liberal colleague once pouted to me during conversation about the Iraq war, “alot of people are mad at us.”
Well, sure. But we cannot protect ourselves or make decisions regarding our national self-interests based on what European anti-semites and leftist academics are saying. Our president’s cannot base decisions and policy as if he’s rush chairman.
Posted under DEMOCRAT TAKEDOWN, MIDDLE EAST WATCH, OBAMA WATCH, POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 22, 2010
Trends in numbers are fun stuff for predicting the future. Michael Barone looks at Indiana in 2008:
In 2008, even while Indiana voters went 50 percent to 49 percent for Barack Obama, they re-elected spending-cutting Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels by a 58 percent to 40 percent margin. Daniels carried young voters 51 percent to 42 percent and college-educated voters 62 percent to 34 percent. He ran ahead of Ronald Reagan’s 1984 showing in Indiana’s most affluent county while winning 25 percent from blacks and 37 percent from Latinos. Among all these groups, he ran ahead of John McCain by double digits.
So it looks like Indiana voters bought into the Obama is a centrist meme, but went with a known conservative commodity in Daniels as it’s Govenor.
His numbers among young and college-educated voters were astonishing, something we’ve been told that doesn’t occur. His numbers among blacks and latinos speaks to the fact that a conservative message does work with a significant number of minority voters. The fact that he ran ahead of John McCain among both groups is a testament to his record.
So is this about swing state voters? Indiana?
Or is there something about Mitch that Republicans should consider? Is the Indiana Govenor about to emerge as a 2112 GOP presidential candidate?
Mike Huckabee may thinks so. He sent a shot across Daniel’s bow when he slammed Daniel’s call for a temporary truce on social issues.
Huckabee often does more harm than good to GOP interests. His continuous pounding at Mitt Romney helped chase off a man who may have been a better candidate against Obama. Nevermind causing unnecessary divisions. His shot at Daniels is not helpful during a time when national republicans need to the strengthening ties.
Huckabee’s criticism aside, Daniels will be worth watching the next few months to see if he gets involved in congressional races. If he does, it will signal that he’s considering moving to the big stage.
Posted under POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 20, 2010
Don’t tell Obama and his Middle East mentors. But here’s something from Evelyn Gordon. She’s looking at polling results and dispatching myths:
MYTH: Palestinians’ prime concern is ending Israeli settlement construction. In fact, the poll found a huge majority, 60% to 38%, opposing a ban on Palestinians working in the settlements; in the West Bank, where the settlements actually are, support dropped to 34% percent. And since Palestinians work in the settlements almost exclusively in construction, the obvious implication is that they prefer construction to continue, so that they can have jobs.
Why? Because most Palestinians’ actual prime concern is supporting their families (something that really shouldn’t surprise those liberals who believe all people want the same things), and the settlements are a major employer. It will be years before the Palestinian economy is capable of providing an alternative. Thus by demanding a freeze on settlement construction now, Barack Obama and his European counterparts are merely generating massive Palestinian unemployment. It turns out that Palestinians would rather they didn’t.
Then why the hell did the Obami get so exercised over new construction?
Gordon’s “something that really shouldn’t surprise those liberals who believe all people want the same things” might explain why.
Posted under DEMOCRAT TAKEDOWN, OBAMA WATCH, POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 18, 2010
From Victor Davis Hanson:
Obama campaigned on competence and cool. But his technocrats, whether Van Jones, Dr. Chu, Larry Summers, or Eric Holder, are at best academic misfits and at worse simply unfit for executive responsibilities. Harvard Law Review may be of value for suing BP later and demonizing it in the press, and community organizing may be valuable in shaking down BP to clean up, but had only the president run an ACE Hardware store, or at least worked the night shift at Starbucks, he could have had some experience in delegating authority and demanding results from employees, while keeping in mind the bigger picture of economic survival. Right now we are being governed by a GS something, who has no idea where money comes from, but lots of ideas how to blow it. This crisis brings that out.
“…at best academic misfits”
Yowza.
Posted under OBAMA WATCH, POLITICS
This post was written by bobsikes on June 17, 2010
