2008 GOP Presidential Field...

During the last election cycle, one of my favorite spots for polls and political handicapping was Polipundit. One of the contributors, Alexander K. McClure (who apparently called the Senate gains of 4 to 5 seats prior to November) takes a little (very) early look at the potential candidates for '08.

My take:

The Gov's: Pawlenty (MN), Sanford (SC), Romney (MA), Pataki (NY) & Bush (FL).

• I'm not familiar with Pawlenty or Sanford.
• Romney is a dark horse - IMO.
• Pataki? For the life of me I can't understand why this guy's name EVER comes up. He's, frankly, a disaster. I know from proximity.
• Bush apparently is wary of the "dynasty" thing. I think the American people are as well. Best for him to wait, he's young.

The Senators: Frist (TN), Santorum (PA), Allen (VA), McCain (AZ), Hagel (NE) & Brownback (KS).

• Frist would probably make a good candidate - conservative physician from the Mid-South - but he has yet to prove he has the cojones for a tough race.
• Santorum is a big question mark. He represents a swing State and he'd be popular with the base, but what appeal does he have beyond that? We'll have to see if he makes a name for himself in the next couple of years.
• George Allen strikes me as pretty likable, down-to-earth type of candidate - much like Bush was. I probably like him as much as any of the others, but again will he be buried in the stampede?
• McCain, forget it. He pisses off the base to much. Plays it too cute with the media. I'm convinced he almost caught lightning in a bottle in 2000, but that opportunity is gone.
• Chuck Hagel - this is guy who is so desperate to be President but doesn't understand why no one else thinks it's a good idea.
• Brownback - probably the most conservative of the bunch. The right will love him but his appeal may be limited.

All in all Senators have the toughest time because a) they are on record for pretty much every issue you can think of and b) the temperment required to succeed in the Senate is often at odds with the one that gets you elected President.

The wildcards: Guiliani & Rice

• Rudy is first in the hearts of the American people but when it comes down to brass taxes (whatever that means), I doubt he can get the nomination even though as a national candidate he would be formidable - especially against Hillary.
• Condi - Ah, Condoleeza Rice. She's pretty much the dream candidate. The two big problems is that she is a very private person and may shrink in the spotlight and she may very well not want it anyway. Personally, I think she'd be a shoo-in, but there are also a lot of unanswered questions in the Domestic Issue arena - and the answers might very well chip away at her current luster. She may, however, be the leading candidate for Veep regardless of the top of the ticket.

So, in a nutshell I would put the top five for me (in order of enthusiasm):
5) Rudy Giuliani
4) Sam Brownback
3) Bill Frist
2) George Allen
and
1) Condi!

No seeing as two to three years is an eternity in politics, we have a long wait to see who's for sure going to throw their hat in the ring. After the 2006 elections, Bush may make a subtle nod to one or two.

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Bolt Upright...

Frank Gaffney really pumps up John Bolton, the U.N. Ambassador-to-be (who looks a little like Captain Kangaroo) in NRO today.

"[President Bush] recognizes that — if the U.N. is to survive and be useful — it is going to have to engage in not just cosmetic reform, but in a significant course correction. In order for the institution to deserve, let alone enjoy, the generous support of the American people, it must live up to its founding principles.

It was, in no small measure, toward this end that President Bush insisted on action by the United Nations in the face of Saddam HusseinÂ’s serial defiance of its Security Council resolutions. Subsequently, he has repeatedly challenged the organization to confront the dangers posed by regimes willing to engage in genocide and pursuing the destructive means to affect it."

Democrats may tread with caution in the face of public opinion which currently sees the U.N. as - at best - a glorified debating society and - at worst - an ineffective anti-American league of thugs, criminals and appeasers.

"It is noteworthy that, while John Kerry has denounced the Bolton appointment, some other Democratic senators like Minority Leader Harry Reid and Joseph Biden have so far been more measured. Even more interesting, however, has been the reaction of some of the U.N.Â’s most prominent champions. A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Annan is quoted as saying that Annan had "nothing against people who hold us accountable," and that the latter was "looking forward to working with Mr. Bolton."

I'll just bet he is.

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Al Gore not running in 2008...

An "exclusive" from MSNBC's Chris Matthews:

The 2008 Presidential campaign will not include Al Gore. I'm reporting tonight that the former Vice President and 2000 Democratic Presidential nominee will not run for President. I've been given this scoop from a perfect source who informed me that the purpose of this disclosure at this time is to end speculation about a campaign that will never occur.

Um, excuse me a moment...

Sorry, I was laughing so hard, milk was running out my nose. Is there anyone besides Matthews who was even aware that "speculation" had begun? Great scoop. I thought Gore was busy hitting the buffet tables these days.

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WeÂ’re all about diversity (at least certain kinds)Â…

Check out the website for this “nature-friendly” lodging on the Oregon (left) coast. The first subsection reads: “WE WELCOME DIVERSITY – Respecting the interdependence & diversity of all life”

Unfortunately they seem to use the term “all” rather loosely. Immediately following their declaration, they advise: No Smokers, No Pets, No BBQs, No People Who Drive Hummers, No RVs, No Bush Voters (seriously).

Sounds like a warm and friendly place to meÂ…not.

Gee, and no tofu on the menu either. Dang.

Hat tip: James Taranto’s “Best of the Web”

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The Syrian Eye-Doctor gets "blind-sided"...

Mark Steyn explains how Syrian Ophthalmologist-turned-petty dictator Bashar al-Assad never saw it coming.

"Assad's plan for a phased partial withdrawal over several months would have been hailed as a breakthrough a couple of years back. Now Bush swats it aside as too little, too late. In a poignant conclusion to his interview with Time last week, the neophyte dictator said: "Please send this message: I am not Saddam Hussein. I want to co-operate." You don't have to be an eye doctor to read the writing on the wall."

Hat tip: Ankle-Biting Pundits

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John Bolton will be a thorn in the U.N.'s rump...

WaPo has an editorial outlining Bolton's history of taking a hard-ass line with the United Nations. Should make for some gratifying confrontations:

"[Sec. of State] Rice asserts that Bolton will be an outspoken, effective U.N. ambassador in the vein of Jeane Kirkpatrick and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. If his appointment serves to bring the United Nations' most rabid critics in Congress to heel, it may have some merit. Bolton could yet surprise his skeptics by giving "tough love" a whole new definition. To do so, he will have to be for the United Nations what Richard Nixon was for China: a hard-liner who effectively forged groundbreaking change. Those of us who believe the United States needs an effective, reformed United Nations can only hope he succeeds."

OpinionJournal praises Bolton and points to the already gathering (and insufficient) opposition on the Dem side, including one French-looking Mass. Senator:

"Of course, it would not do if Mr. Bolton's nomination wasn't greeted by the usual bellyaching of our supposed multilateralists. Sure enough, John Kerry obliged, calling the appointment "baggage we cannot afford" and reminding us why Americans prefer to call him Senator.

It is now 60 years since the San Francisco Conference inaugurated the U.N. In that time, U.S. interests have more often been stymied than advanced by our participation. But the U.N. has also been the place where past ambassadors such as Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jeane Kirkpatrick made America's case. We expect Mr. Bolton will carry on in that tradition, and perhaps even rescue the U.N. from itself."

James Taranto's "Best of the Web" yesterday raises the big question? How many Democrat Senators will denounce him in a futile attempt at character assassination? In 2001, only seven Dems voted against him for Undersecretary of State - including the Hildebeast from NY. Will she have a change of heart for political reasons. Will others? Stay tuned...

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You just don't need a reason to post this one...

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Real Men Vote Republican...

Do you doubt? Well, just take a gander at the comments of Michele Zipp, editor-in-chief of Playgirl magazine.

She just "outed" herself as a Republican and had some excellent points as to why she prefers a sturdy red-blooded Republican male as opposed to noodle-spined America-hating Liberal Democrat weenies:

“The Democrats of the Sixties were all about making love and not war while a war-loving Republican is a man who would fight, bleed, sacrifice, and die for his country. Could you imagine what that very same man would do for his wife in the bedroom?” asks Zipp.

Who loves ya, baby.

Hat Tip to Lorie Byrd (who, no doubt, concurs)

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When reality attacks...

I know there are a lot of Liberals and Democrats that get indignant when accused of hoping for bad news that could potentially harm President Bush - regardless of the overall negative effect to others.

Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of National Review Online, sums it up this way: If Democrats were living in a reality disaster show, it would be called "When Good News Strikes".

"One of the inconveniences of political debate is that occasionally reality intrudes to invalidate a given position no matter how much its partisans want to believe it. This is what has been happening recently to the argument that the invasion of Iraq produced an irrecoverable mess. Although surely setbacks still await us in Iraq and the Middle East, stunning headlines from the region have left many liberals perversely glum about upbeat news."

Some Liberals are honest about it:

"The legendary liberal editor Charlie Peters confessed to his own attack of gluckschmerz: "New York Post columnist John Podhoretz asked liberals: 'Did you momentarily feel a rush of disappointment [at the news of the Jan. 30 Iraq election] because you knew, you just knew, that this was going to redound to the credit of George W. Bush?' I plead guilty ..."

Even cynical entertainer/pundit types like Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" admitted he was flabbergasted at the positive events unfolding in the Middle East. In his interview with ex-Clintonista Nancy Soderberg, he referred to Bush's potential place in history: "Like, my kid's gonna go to a high school named after him, I just know it." But Soderberg did her best to try and comfort him.

"[She tried] pointing out that the budding democratic revolution in the Middle East still might fail: "There's always hope that this might not work." There is historical precedent for that, of course. Liberal revolutions stalled out in Europe in 1848 and Eastern Europe in 1968. What is an entirely new phenomenon is liberals calling such reverses for human freedom -- half-jokingly or not -- occasions for "hope."

Soderberg added: "There's still Iran and North Korea, don't forget. There's hope." The way Bogart and Bergman "will always have Paris," liberals now tell themselves they "will always have Iran and North Korea." No matter the good news anywhere else, these nuke-hungry rogue states will provide grounds for bad-mouthing Bush foreign policy."

First they discount him as a dope. Then they deride him as an "accidental President". Next they compare him to Hitler. And now...his Presidency will surely dwarf that of their most recent beloved hero, JFK. He may even reach parity with...gasp...Franklin Roosevelt. Oh the horror....

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Lefty Moonbats Eat Their Young...

Rather's departure overdue, says Walter Cronkite.

Rather, who will be temporarily replaced by Tiffany Network Fossil-In-Chief Bob Schieffer, held on a little too long according to "the most repected man in America", whom Rather replaced shortly after Reagan began his first term.

"It surprised quite a few people at CBS and elsewhere that, without being able to pull up the ratings beyond third in a three-man field, that they tolerated his being there for so long," he told CNN.

But when all was said and done, "Pinko" Cronkite (as Archie Bunker affectionately referred to him) wouldn't criticize Rather for the bogus TANG memo story back in September.

"We all know he made a mistake by now," Cronkite said. "But would we have done much the same? I would not be sure that I wouldn't have followed my producers and accepted what they had to offer."

Really? Gee, you could've knocked me over with a feather.

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Only his hairdresser knows for sure...

Bush taps Bolton as U.N. Ambassador...

No not Michael Bolton. JOHN R. Bolton. I respect his credentials, as outlined here at NewsMax.

But man, what the hell is with that hair?

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So sick, I had to share...

A fart joke featured at "I Have A Crazy Wife".

Consider youself warned. Thanks - I think - to the Smoke Signals Blog for the link.

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So what's your plan?

Is what FoxNews' Chris Wallace repeatedly asked Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D) yesterday. The answer? Of course, there was no answer.

Viking Pundit pulls from the transcript.

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Not a lot of time today...

So here's a quick link round-up:

Syria announces troop withdrawal from Lebanon under intense pressure from the U.S., Europe and even Saudi Arabia.

Michael Barone puts Bush in good Presidential company. Hat Tip to: Powerline

Robert Novak reviews the upcoming "Nuclear Option" by the GOP controlled Senate. Linked by Polipundit. More analysis courtesy of Pardon My English.

Patrick Ruffini analyzes the world events vindicating the Bush Doctrine.

Peter Schramm at No Left Turns looks at The Democratic Party's Dilemma regarding African-American voters.

Happy reading.

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OK, all the sidebar stuff is there...

it's just all the freakin' way down at the bottom. Not happy.

UPDATE: 3/7/05 9:30am

Ex-Donkey sportin' a new look.

The only way to fix the sidebar problem was to re-load the template. Since I was thinking of changing templates anyway I figured "what the hell".

Posted by: Gary at 10:32 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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What Happened?

I go and make a post and lose all my sidebar sh*t? Everything is set up in my template but...nothing. This is one of those things the make me go WTF?

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NY Times Op-Ed wags its finger at the GOP...

Editorial warns Bush (registration required) and the Senate Leadership against changing Senate rules to guaranty judicial nominees a simple majority up-or-down vote. They predict chaos in Congress if they pursue this option.

"If Republicans fulfill their threat to overturn the historic role of the filibuster in order to ram the Bush administration's nominees through, they will be inviting all-out warfare and perhaps an effective shutdown of Congress."

Oh Boo-F'ing-Hoo! Exactly what is so historic about a procedure that allows a minority to obstruct the will of the elected majority? This is not extended debate the Dems are engaging in, this is in fact the "shutdown of Congress" that the NYT is fretting about - it's already happening. The filibuster was a procedure that was created by the Senate as part of its thousand page book of rules that primarily get in the way of anything being accomplished.

Now let's look at the above language shall we: "ram the Bush administration's nominees through". Ram, shmam. If the nominee gets 51 votes to confirm, fine. If they don't then they get kicked to the curb. Last time I checked, the idea is for the minority to "get along" and "work with" the majority if they want a say in the process. Otherwise, what's the point of having a majority? According to the Times, there is none. Here's their advice:

"There is one way to avert a showdown. The White House should meet with Senate leaders of both parties and come up with a list of nominees who will not be filibustered."

In other words, allow the Democrats to dictate who the President can or cannot appoint to the bench (based on who the special interest lobbies find acceptable). The Constitution grants the President the power to appoint whomever he sees fit, with the consent - by simple majority vote - of the Senate in order to confirm.

There's nothing put in there by the founding fathers that says the Senate must achieve a 60-vote Super-Majority to confirm, which is what's required to break up a filibuster. The Democrat minority is seeking to strip away that explicitly-granted power. Sorry guys, but you're bringing this on yourselves. You only make yourself look petty. But keep sending out "Sheets" Byrd to do the talking for you. I hope that old coot lives to be 100.

The NYT is desperate to stop the Republican majority from acting like one.

"The Bush administration likes to call itself 'conservative,' but there is nothing conservative about endangering one of the great institutions of American democracy, the United States Senate, for the sake of an ideological crusade."

The only great institution that is in danger at this moment is the U.S. Constitution, and hopefully the GOP will have the balls to fight for it.

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Feel like getting into an argument?

Well, in response the the "I voted blue" bracelets, there is now an "I voted for Bush, got a problem with that?" bracelet.

You can buy them here.

Let the games begin!!

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Freedom still rings in Lebanon...

and President Bush weighs in:

"There are no half-measures at all. When the United States and France say withdraw, we mean complete withdrawal, no halfhearted measures. Syria, Syrian troops, Syria's intelligence services, must get out of Lebanon now. The world is beginning to speak with one voice. We want that democracy in Lebanon to succeed, and we know it cannot succeed so long as she is occupied by a foreign power and that power is Syria."

You GO girl! Thanks to: Powerline

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Bush's radio address...

Freedom is on the March, baby!

Not exacty "I told you so" but it makes the point:

"Today, people in a long-troubled part of the world are standing up for their freedom. In the last five months, we have witnessed successful elections in Afghanistan, the Palestinian Territory and Iraq; peaceful demonstrations on the streets of Beirut; and steps toward democratic reform in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The trend is clear: In the Middle East and throughout the world, freedom is on the march. The road ahead will not be easy, and progress will sometimes be slow. But America, Europe and our Arab partners must all continue the hard work of defeating terrorism and supporting democratic reforms."

And this is the mantra you better get used to:

"when freedom and democracy take root in the Middle East, America and the world will be safer and more peaceful."

Hat Tip: Lorie Byrd

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