You know, if the MSM is going to go through the effort of a coordinated "doom and gloom for Republicans" campaign you'd think they'd try to spread it out more so it's not as obvious. Today must have been circled on their calendar because they're really unloading as much as they can at the same time.

That last one is particularly blatant: Approval of Republicans At Record Low. BullDogPundit noticed something about the data:

There is absolutely no demographic information given about the poll respondents. No party ID, no ages, incomes, no indication of how many of them actually voted in 2002 or 2004 (or an indication of who they voted for if they did vote), whether they consider themselves liberal, conservative or moderate. I mean, is context too much to ask of the MSM? No need to answer.

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1 It is a great headline, but a damn dangerous one. Have you figured that out?

Posted by: Fresh flowers delivered at October 20, 2006 04:07 AM (vcUSw)

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OK, I admit I'm getting a little tired of the flashbacks. We know enough about their past, let's spend more time on their present!

Here's a little Evangeline Lilly for you.

Now a flashback for Kate with her looking that that would be nice.

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The stock market is record territory today as the Dow Jones Industrial Average lurched past 12,000 this morning before retreating just below the threshold. It even poked up again just before noon. What a tease!

But of course the economy sucks and it's Bush's fault, right?

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Darth Rove himself is confident that the Republicans will hold both houses of Congress.

Now, honestly, I don't know if he has information to bolster this confidence or if he's just bluffing.

But neither does the Left. And their reaction to this should be amusing as they're so obsessed with him.

UPDATE:
Martin Lewis at the HuffPo warns Dems to take this seriously, quoting "The Untouchables".

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Watch this video:

'Nuff said.

Thanks to LittleMissChatterbox for the heads-up.

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If you ever needed confirmation that the DSCC has completely abandoned Ned Lamont - their chosen candidate - in his Senate bid, you need only look to how the Greenwich millionaire finances his campaign. For all intents and purposes, it's a self-funded effort. The party apparatus that is tasked with supporting the election efforts of its designated Senate candidates has clearly "cut and run" from CT.

The Hartford Courant reports the tally:

Ned Lamont donated another $2 million Monday to his U.S. Senate campaign, bringing his personal investment to $4.5 million this month.

His personal total for the campaign is now nearly $11 million.

His main rival, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, had raised nearly $15 million as of Sept. 30, the close of the last reporting period.

Joe Lieberman, a man without a party, can raise $15 million but Ned Lamont - like a panicky buyer on eBay who keeps clicking the "bid now" button as the clock ticks down - keeps tapping into his bank account to keep his campaign afloat.

Calling Chuck Schumer...Schumer? Sen. Schumer?

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Meaning, for Republicans, it's time to close ranks and rally the troops. No more of this bitching and whining about immigration, pork spending, the Foley mess or any other secondary issue.

The President called a meeting of the lesser Conservative radio talk show hosts ("lesser" because Rush Limbaugh is in a class by himself). Among them were Sean Hannity, Neal Boortz, Laura Ingraham, Michael Gallagher and Michael Medved. Conservatives have legitimate complaints about this Congress as well as the President himself, but their focus needs to be on three issues: Terrorism, Taxes and Judicial Appointments. And these folks need to spend the next 21 days taking to the airwaves, hammering home those very themes. Because when all is said and done, these are the three that matter the most.

Criticism is fine. And it's even necessary much of the time. But an important component of keeping the Congress in GOP hands is unity. Lose that and you'll really see a disaster in the making for this country. And all those other issues will fall by the wayside. I respect the opinions of these pundits, but it's time to see the forest for the trees.

Ms. Ingraham likened herself to a sports fan who nonetheless has occasional criticism of the coach. But, she said pointedly on her show: “I am not an advocate for the G.O.P. I’m an advocate for conservative ideas.”

"Alright, gang. This is your coach speaking here. And your coach is telling you to take the ball and run it up the gut!

Losing is for LOSERS!

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1 I'm thinking more, "Ya know what I like baseball? It's a team sport...." You know what follows...

Posted by: Steve the LLamabutcher at October 17, 2006 11:07 AM (6c8Dx)

2 "Baseball...it's one of my...enTUsiasms. Entusiasms." I think I see a Louisville Slugger back near the fireplace.

Posted by: Gary at October 17, 2006 11:18 AM (PLHs9)

3 Nothing on immigration and that's #1 in peoples' minds.

Posted by: Sandy P at October 17, 2006 02:40 PM (P7TI9)

4 And the Democrats will do exacty what differently on illegal immigration? Besides encouraging it more, I mean?

Posted by: Gary at October 17, 2006 02:48 PM (QoxB+)

5 Freaking Mu.nu hates me. The entire mu.nu domain throws me trackback errors no matter what I do. Anyhoo...I kind of took issue with you, Gary. Hope you don't take it the wrong way, it's juts a political difference of opinion!

Posted by: JimK at October 17, 2006 04:09 PM (mcWsB)

6 Extremely well said and I wholeheartedly agree!!

Posted by: Little Miss Chatterbox at October 17, 2006 11:58 PM (ZfLHN)

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The Lefty bloggers are all gushing over CT Republican Senate candidate Alan Schlesinger after yesterday's debate with Ned Lamont and Joe Lieberman.

Man, how sad is that? They see their guy floundering because he can't gain traction with any voter who isn't on board with the nutroots and Republicans are rallying behind Joe.

So they figure, hey, if they can just convince CT Republicans that this Schlesinger guy is the bee's knees then maybe they'll vote for him even though he hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of winning. Because unless Republicans (and Republican-leaning Independents) drop their steadfast support for Lieberman it's Ned Lamont who doesn't have a snowball's chance.

Ace puts it this way:

Connecticut Republican voters -- go out there and vote for Schlesinger! Because Jane Hamsher told you to, and you're as retarded as she thinks you are!

Nice try, sweetheart.

Now, what else have you got?

Heh.

UPDATE:
Dean Barnett muses about this silliness:

Perhaps the Nutroots have turned over a new leaf and henceforth will practice a more civil form of political warfare. Either that, or they think simple-minded Republicans will be gulled into supporting Schlesinger because heÂ’s winning rave reviews from the left wing blogosphere.

Markos, please listen to me – I know you think yourself a kingmaker, but Republicans really don’t care what you think.

Heh.

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Terrorist lawyer Lynne Stewart, who passed along secret messages from the Blind Sheik to his Islamofascist minions, was sentenced to 28 months in the Big House for aiding and abetting.

Stewart was arrested six months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, along with Mohamed Yousry, an Arabic interpreter, and Ahmed Abdel Sattar, a U.S. postal worker. The two men also were to receive their sentences Monday.

Yousry and Stewart, both convicted of providing material support to terrorists, were facing up to 30 years in prison. Sattar, convicted of conspiracy to kill and kidnap people in a foreign country, could face life in prison.

In addition to the material support conviction, Stewart was also convicted of defrauding the government and making false statements for breaking her promise to abide by government rules to keep the sheik from communicating with his followers.

We will make no distinction between the terrorists and those who assist them. That includes Left-wing radical lawyers who think they're above the law.

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Your weekly round-up of the RINOs comes early today. Brought to you by Allan at Polytechnical.

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Just cracked open my copy of Jim Geraghty's new book "Voting To Kill: How 9/11 Launched the Era of Republican Leadership". Now, I became an ex-donkey back in 1998. However, many made this decision after September 11, 2001. But it comes down to one similar experience: an epiphany that the leadership of the modern Democrat party really has their heads up their collective asses and what passes for a typical Democrat politician today would make John F. Kennedy turn over in his grave.

For a lot of people, what they witnessed in their own country as the Global War On Terror unfolded sickened them: an entire political party that believed their own President was the enemy rather than the psycho Islamo-fascists that want to destroy us.

Should make more interesting reading, especially in the run up to November 7th. I'll review when I'm finished. In the meantime, Kathryn Jean Lopez of NRO interviews Jim (also an NRO contributor) about the book.

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And this week's Diane Lane Netflix Pick of the Week:

The Glass House (2001)

Synopsis:
After the untimely death of her parents, Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and her brother (Trevor Morgan) move in with family friends (Diane Lane and Stellan Skarsgård). But how could Ruby know that her new guardians' motives for welcoming her and her brother into their "glass house" are diabolically sinister? As the suspense builds, it's up to Ruby to protect her brother and herself from an encroaching menace.

Gary's take: Not your typical Diane Lane role. It speaks to her range as an actress. If you've always thought there was no way that she could give you the creeps. Check this one out.

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The sad venture that is Air America is officially as bankrupt financially as they are ideologically.

Simple accounting, really. $4 million in assets less $20 million in liabilities equals $16 million in the hole = miserable failures.

To paraphrase Yoda: "Lost their audience the Liberals have. How embarrassing. How embarrassing."

UPDATE:
Jonah Goldberg sums it up best:

If very large numbers of people wanted to listen to Air America, Air America wouldn't be bankrupt. Money would have rolled in and this keystone cops stuff would have remained invisible. But despite the best efforts of very serious Progressive types and ample up front investment and enormous free publicity and goodwill from the mainstream media, the thing still bombed. Air America was launched on the assumption that "if you build it, they will come." They didn't. And that's the moral of the story few on the left will ever admit or call attention to.

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Peggy Noonan's column this morning is a must-read. She looks at several stark examples this week of how the Left doesn't want to debate but rather educate. Because, you see, so many of us out there are just uninformed idiots. And God forbid you disagree.

Let us be more pointed. Students, stars, media movers, academics: They are always saying they want debate, but they don't. They want their vision imposed. They want to win. And if the win doesn't come quickly, they'll rush the stage, curse you out, attempt to intimidate.

And they don't always recognize themselves to be bullying. So full of their righteousness are they that they have lost the ability to judge themselves and their manner.

And all this continues to come more from the left than the right in America.

Which is, at least in terms of timing, strange. The left in America--Democrats, liberals, Bush haters, skeptics of many sorts--seems to be poised for a significant electoral victory. Do they understand that if it comes it will be not because of Columbia, Streisand, O'Donnell, et al., but in spite of them?

What is most missing from the left in America is an element of grace--of civic grace, democratic grace, the kind that assumes disagreements are part of the fabric, but we can make the fabric hold together. The Democratic Party hasn't had enough of this kind of thing since Bobby Kennedy died. What also seems missing is the courage to ask a question. Conservatives these days are asking themselves very many questions, but I wonder if the left could tolerate asking itself even a few. Such as: Why are we producing so many adherents who defy the old liberal virtues of free and open inquiry, free and open speech? Why are we producing so many bullies? And dim dullard ones, at that.

UPDATE:
Former Nazi looks at today's young Leftists and basically says Hitler would have been proud. Gateway Pundit has the story.

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There's been a lot of discussion lately about how the Republican's Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) operation was so effective in 2002 and 2004.

How does 2006 look? Read Jim Geraghty's preview.

UPDATE:
...more from Jim.

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John Podhoretz at The Corner dropped a major bomb: There will be a live-action version of "The Year Without A Santa Claus". I looked it up and...argh...it's true.

And check out the cast:

I have only one thing to say.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Oh, when I say I'm on fire, I mean I'm really en fuego!

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Cuz he's bowing out of the 2008 Presidential Race.

November 8th will be the first day of the rest of her campaign. She's as good as nominated.

Unless maybe you moonbats have anything to say about it.

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The New York Times has an article on Joe-mentum this morning that quotes several anonymous Dems who expect to see Sen. Joe Lieberman serving a fourth term next year.

Democrats here are convinced that Mr. Lieberman stands a good chance of returning to the Senate as an independent, and many have reassured him that he will not be stripped of his seniority if he wins, according to people in several Senate offices, who were granted anonymity to speak of the sensitive situation amid an intense political climate.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lamont, the Democratic nominee, failed to pick up significant momentum early on and has not maintained the level of national excitement that his long-shot candidacy first drew when he roared to victory in the August primary. He pumped another $2 million into his campaign on Tuesday, bringing his total personal contribution to $6 million since the primary, and $10 million over all. And a new poll released on Wednesday showed Mr. Lamont behind by eight points.

Polls have showed Lieberman anywhere from 2 to 20 points ahead of Lamont but they all have had one thing in common since the primary: Lamont hasn't led in a single one and it's looking very much like he peaked in early August. The nominee's fellow Democrats are privately saying that he's done but won't dare do so publicly lest they incur the wrath of the moonbat base.

Despite the rush from many Democrats to endorse Mr. Lamont after his triumph — only a handful chose personal loyalty to Mr. Lieberman over the Democratic nominee picked by voters — some now quietly admit they would be satisfied to see their longtime colleague returned to Washington. But none of the Democrats would speak for attribution because of pressure to publicly appear supportive of their party’s nominee, and they were granted anonymity so they could speak freely about their feelings toward Mr. Lieberman.

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In 2004, President Bush pledged to the American people that, if re-elected, he would seek to reduce the federal budget deficit by half before he left office in 2009.

Two years later, despite the Congress' spending spree and his refusal to veto any of it, Bush has kept yet another campaign promise - three years sooner than expected.

Today's deficit for the government fiscal year end close dated 9/30/06 has plunged to $247.7M.

And it wasn't magic. Nor was it some illusory anomaly like a dot.com bubble. It was tax cuts, which led to higher tax receipts.

Capt. Ed has more about the best economy that you're not hearing about.

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The Blogging Caesar at Election Projections.com issues a call to arms to the GOP base: The Outcome Is In Our Hands.

Without even the pretense of a real plan for our future, the Democrats have hung their hopes on a depressed conservative base. It is the only way they can win. Swing voters mean little in the polarized political world in which we find ourselves. And the effects of that polarization are magnified in traditionally low-turnout mid-term elections where only the active and energized take part.

The task for our opponents, then, is to win the war of emotional energy. So much of what we are seeing and hearing now from the talking heads in the media and the Democratic party is designed to accomplish two things. First, they hope the never-ending dirge of bad news and scandal will squeeze whatever small number of votes it can from a diminishing pool of fence-sitters. Second, and many times more importantly, they seek to demoralize and deflate the conservative faithful. For they know that every vote not cast by a disgruntled and despairing Republican Eyore is one less vote they have to overcome in their quest for control.

Are you worried about November? Do you feel a growing sense of defeat within you every time another segment is aired on the network news about the escalating violence in Iraq? Perhaps your energy and excitement level take yet another hit every time your newspaper publishes an article exposing more bad news in the Foley scandal. Make no mistake; that is exactly what those stories are designed to do.

To quote John Belushi, "Over? Did you say, over? Nothing is over until we say it is!"

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