Tom Daschle Mulling It Over

Looks like even the former Senate Minority Leader is considering a run for the Presidency in 2008. Though, at this point, the possibility hadn't occured to the punditry.

Larry Sabato, a political expert at the University of Virginia, said Daschle was not in his latest rankings of likely Democratic candidates because he wasn't convinced Daschle would run.

"I wouldnÂ’t call him the favorite, or even second or third. But itÂ’s early," Sabato said.

Early is right. A lot of casual observers of politics just assume that Hillary is the slam-dunk favorite for her party's nomination. And in the long run, that very well may be the result (at least the one I'm hoping for).

But anyone who thinks that the other prospective candidates are just going to step aside in a year when there is no incumbent President or Vice-President running isn't being realistic. The Democratic field by Jan. '08 is going to be a deep one.

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Congress: Life On The "Plantation"

In the wake of Hillary's incendiary comparison of the Lower Legislative body to an ante-bellum "plantation", Ace has done his homework and come up with his "Top 10 Ways The House Of Representatives Is Like A "Plantation".

"...and you know what I'm talkin' about." - HRC

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Happy (Belated) Birthday, MoDo

This past Saturday, the snarky, tart, and always-bitter NY Times Columnist Maureen Dowd turned fifty-four years "young".

I feel kind of badly that I didn't recognize this event on the actual day, but I'm thinking of forwarding her a gift. I found something that's just perfect.

Click "More" to see. more...

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Order On The Court

I've heard it said by some that the Left has screwed up our country. I disagree. The country is actually in pretty good shape. Though they are certainly under assault, America's principles and institutions are still intact and, when push comes to shove, a majority of its citizens display enough common sense to reject these assaults.

America's culture, however, is what's taken a beating for the last forty some-odd years. For evidence of this we need look no further than last week's hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Samuel Alito. There once was a time when someone like Alito who valued family, tradition, and patriotism was a natural fit for the old Roosevelt-coalition Democrats especially one of his religion and ethnicity.

But in the 1960's and '70's, the Hard Left hijacked the Democrat party, causing the party to do a 180-degree turn away from the values that fueled its domination of American Politics from 1932-1968. One of the residual effects was Judicial Activism. And the Left-wing interest-groups who control the modern Democrat Party desperately want this to continue.

Many of the attacks against Alito from the Democrat Senators on the Judicial Committee stem from what they perceived as his failure to make rulings against the concept of inequality rather than on the merits of the case. This explains their focus on the percentage of his decisions in favor of the individual. To the Senators, Alito should have ruled more often in favor of the "average person", as they put it, to ensure such concepts as "social justice" or "social progress" even if the facts of the case proved otherwise. The idea of neutrality in the Justice System is foreign to them. Dennis Prager in his most recent column explains why:

Everyone, whether able to articulate it or not, has a values system. The trick -- often a difficult trick -- is to isolate precisely what those values are. The Left is now, as it has always been, the child of the French Revolution and of Karl Marx. For both, the greatest evil is not injustice, not cruelty, not even murder; it is inequality.

In other words, the Left sees the Courts as a tool for advancing social policy. However, the Constitution designates the Congress - the popularly-elected Legislature - to be the maker of laws, not the Judiciary. This is why Justices like Sam Alito are a threat to their Liberal agenda. The Democrat Senators seemed to be besides themselves last week when the judge's answers revealed that he possessed a philosophy of impartiality. When a case is looked at - as it is supposed to be - in this context, then the underlying agenda becomes moot. With Liberals, it's the agenda that trumps the law and the Constitution. And with fewer and fewer Justices to champion the agenda over the law, the Supreme Court is returning to the purpose for which the Founders intended. And this will go a long way toward the "unscrewing"-up of our culture.

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Democrats "Abort" Judiciary Committee Deal

Proving yet again, that Democrats can never be trusted at their word, a "good faith" deal made between the two parties has been broken. Back in December, the GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to a request to put off the Alito hearings until after the holidays. In return, Democrats pledged not to try and delay the process with bullshit parliamentary maneuvers.

Surprise, surprise. The Democrats reneged on the deal. According to standard rules, either party can delay a Committe vote by a maximum of one week. According to Sen. Patrick Leahy's office, the agreement didn't count because it wasn't in writing. Which means the word of a Democrat means - to quote Chris Farley's Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker - JACK...SQUAT!!!

A useless gesture to be sure, this gives America another week to see Democrats bend over for their pimps - the Left-wing interest groups who pull their strings.

"This is a new low in our confirmation process," said Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican. "Not only because it is virtually unprecedented, but also because it reflects a breach of trust."

A breach of trust. This is standard operating procedure for Democrats, not just to their colleagues but to the people who foolishly vote for them. And they just sit and scratch their heads, wondering why.

UPDATE: Some on the Left are savoring this Pyrrhic "victory":

While it's not a win, it's at least a victory in a part of the skirmish -- politically, the Preznit doesn't get his quick vote. Frist looks ineffectual. Again. And the Dems have bought themselves a little more time to actually coordinate a coherent message for the full Senate debate.

While somehow I doubt that Democrats are capable of a "coherent" message on anything, I'll agree that Frist looks ineffectual. But then he's looked ineffectual since last May after the "Gang of 14" deal. Not that it matters much. Frist has already term-limited himself and won't even be in the Senate a year from now. And situations like this help ensure that he doesn't have a chance for the GOP Presidential nomination in 2008, which is fine by me.

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This Week's RINO Sightings Posted

Hosted by Larry Bernard. Go check 'em out here.

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This Is Amusing

Kate O'Beirne of National Review has a new book out that's driving the moonbats to new levels of hysteria.

Now, when I see a book come out that has a premise that I deem ridiculous, I accept it for what it is. Crap. And then I move on. There are plenty of Left-wing screeds on the NY Times bestseller list that Liberals run right out and buy because they tell them what they want to hear. It's a free market, but if the book really is crap only the moonbats will buy it.

Well, the Left is so apoplectic about O'Beirne's book that they've hopped on over to Amazon.com in droves and driven down the "rating" to 1.5 stars. And they see this is as some kind of victory for their side. As if someone who actually reads the reviews wouldn't figure out from the psychotic blathering that these people would hate the book no matter what. Here's one Lefty site that's positively giddy over these tactics:

Nice to know we drew blood. Because, you see, it isn't about winning some sort of ultimate triumph, it's about making them fight for every inch.

Drew blood? Really? Gee Whiz, how will Ms. O'Beirne ever recover? To look at this as some kind of guerrilla warfare that wounds Conservatism is pretty childish. And here I thought it was about competing ideas, not doing whatever you can to try and make sure opposing ideas never see the light of day.

I haven't read O'Beirne's book (but then I'm sure neither have any of these moonbats). But it seems to me that the book should speak for itself. If it's full of lies and distortions that fly in the face of reality, won't that come through? Ah, but for moonbats, the writings of Conservatives seem to have this magical ability to put a spell over the American "sheeple", as Liberals would call them. The idea that the average person has the ability to think critically and make up their own mind can't penetrate their elitist mindset.

And so, just as Nazis burned books that they deemed a threat to their ideology, Liberals use these kind of petty tactics that reek of the very kind of fascism that they like to ascribe to American Conservatives. If this is what they have to resort to, they're in sadder shape that I thought.

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A Call For A House Cleaning

I'm signing on to N.Z. Bear's blogger petition for House Republicans to elect a Majority Leader free of any association to the Abramoff scandals, dedicated to fiscal responsibility and committed a reform agenda. Here, Here!

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80's Crush of the Week

This week's 80's Crush is: Jaclyn Smith

Birth Name: Ellen Jaclyn Smith
Birth Date: 10/26/47
Age Today: 58
Birthplace: Houston, TX

80's Crush Because: From the moment I first saw her in the opening credits of "Charlie's Angels" - taking off that motorcycle helmet and throwing back her hair "Rita Hayworth" style - I was hooked. Playing my favorite "angel" Kelly Garrett (the "classy" one), she was the only actress who stayed on the show through its final season in 1981. Long after the show jumped the shark (and despite some awful personnel decisions on the part of Aaron Spelling, the show's creator), she kept we watching until the series finale.

Other Notable Roles: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, in the 1981 biopic of the same name. In that movie, JFK was played by James Franciscus, who sci-fi fans will remember as Col. Brent in "Beneath The Planet Of The Apes".

Most Recent Media Appearance/Career Moment She'd Probably Like To Forget: Cameo role in the God-awful theatrical film "Charlies Angels: Full Throttle" as...Kelly Garrett, of course.

Distinguishing Feature: The hair. That luscious, thick, brown, past-the-shoulders, parted-in-the-middle, feathered-on-the-sides hair.

Interesting Factoids: Jaclyn is currently on husband number four, surgeon Brad Allen (since 1997). She has also successfully battled breast cancer.

Still Crushin'?: Definitely. Jaclyn Smith looks better today than many women half her age.

Crush Meter: 10 out of 10

Still lookin' for Diane Lane?

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In A Past Life...

You Were a Koala

You value living life at a slow, peaceful, meditative pace. You give insightful advice, helping others to overcome obstacles.

That explains my affinity for sleeping in...and for eucalyptus leaves.

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BSG Tonight!

Part 2 of "Resurrection Ship", 10pm - Sci-fi.

Will Starbuck have the...ahem...cojones to blast Admiral Cain in the head? Personally, I think someone else will, first. And that person serves aboard the Pegasus.

Tune in!

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Common Ground

This post at The Nutmeg Grater has some nice sunset shots of the Hartford area, which is my old stomping grounds - a really nice city as far as cities go. Every once in a while, something comes along that reminds me why I still live in CT. Thanks to A Rose Is A Rose, with whom I probably disagree on just about everything else. :wink:

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Hearings Officially Over, Committee Vote Next Week

Put this one in the books, Sam Alito is as good as confirmed. Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, Roe's most enthusiastic cheerleader, is ready vote yea.

"I intend to vote to support Judge Alito for associate justice of the Supreme Court and I do not do that as having a party line vote," said the Republican from Pennsylvania. "If I thought Judge Alito should not be on the Supreme Court, I would vote 'no,' just as I did with Judge [Robert] Bork."

Man, he just loves to remind people that he voted against Bork doesn't he? I swear, if the guy could take sole credit for scuttling that nomination he would. Whatever.

Democrats are still trying to delay it, but Specter isn't having any of that. He's sticking to next Tuesday or Wednesday, and as Committee Chairman that's his call - not Patrick Leahy's. Tough noogies, Pat.

I've had my share of complaints about Specter but I'll give him credit for the job he did running the hearings. Everybody had a say and ample opportunity to question the nominee. And when Kennedy tried his little stunt over CAP, he could easily have refused to look into it - thereby leaving the matter hanging out there and giving the Dems something to bitch about. Instead, he had his staff work tirelessly at the Library of Congress to pour through the papers and found to the satisfaction of any reasonable person that the charges were baseless. And he didn't let the fat bastard bully him.

The Dems will keep trying for a delay, though. Why? As BullDogPundit explains: "It's All About Abortion". Go read his piece and it'll all makes sense.

Posted by: Gary at 02:20 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Hoo-Boy! It Just Keeps Getting Worse

For Canada's Liberal party, that is. Now the NDP, a smaller Left-leaning party that tends to siphon off votes from the Liberals, is filing a complaint that one of their candidates was offered a bribe by the Liberal candidate to drop out of the race.

The Liberals are already reeling from corruption scandals and this might be the things that drives voters to put the Tories in the majority on January 23rd. Recent polls show the Conservative party with a solid 12 point lead. The Tories are expected to easily win a plurality a week from Monday but they are within striking distance of an actual majority.

Of course, I'll believe that when I see it. But every day that passes seems to bring more bad news for the Liberals.

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Get That Microphone In Closer

"We're just going to have to tell that annoying little schmuck, Ralph Neas, that we tried our best. What's he going to do? Go support Republicans now or something?"

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Filibuster, Schmilibuster

Quote of the day:

“If they want to filibuster, frankly, bring it on." - Sen. Orrin Hatch

I actually hope they try it. They have no justification. The hearings are over. They pulled out a couple of items they were holding onto since December which flopped. They have nothing else. A filibuster would further marginalize the Democrats as a party of Left-wing kooks and the GOP would benefit in November.

Bring.It.On.

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Tolkien Geek Update

Return of the King, Book Five, Chapter Ten is posted.

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It's Bush's Fault!

The Rose Bush, that is. Plants are killing us according to this report brought to you by Rick, The Real Ugly American.

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Shelob's New Lair

Now I usually have a pretty strong stomach for gross stories, but this one really creeps me out.

A woman in Sweden had a "thumbnail" sized spider living in her ear!

The woman concerned told Swedish tabloid Expressen that she began to experience "a slight loss of hearing" and assumed that she had a build-up of wax.

When she then heard "a scratching sound" in her ear she decided to buy a cleanser to wash out her ear cavity.

When she did so, the spider was flushed out alive and crawled away.

The woman remembered seeing a spider on her bed in November, 27 days earlier.

Umm. If I see a spider in my bed my first instinct is capture it in a cup, toss it in the toilet and flush. Maybe that makes me a "mean old meany" but here's a perfect example of what taking a sensitive approach towards uninvited arachnids can get you.

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Alito's Testimony Complete

When the hearings resume, we will hear from a list of his colleagues testifying on his behalf. The list is a long one. Sometime tomorrow, the Committee will hear from a handful of "academics", most of whom have never practiced law in an actual courtroom, testify against Alito.

For all intents and purposes, the hearings are over. Alito did a superb job and allowed the Democratic Senators to demonstrate a new level of buffoonery.

Despite Democrat attempts to delay it, Specter will hold a Committee vote most likely on Tuesday, the 17th. Despite Democrat attempts to delay it, the nomination will go to the full Senate for a vote most likely by next Friday, the 20th. Alito will immediately take his seat on the bench and we say goodbye to ol' Sandy (don't let the door hit your ass on the way out).

With luck, sometime over the next three years another Justice, maybe Ginsberg but most likely Stevens, will get tired of always writing dissenting opinions and decide to pack it in. And we get to watch this whole game play out again. Doesn't Justice Janice Rogers Brown have a nice ring to it?

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