Mitt Romney just can't get a break. Check out this online poll at the London Times that gives their readers a chance to 'vote in the US primary'. The results I got were this.
McCain - 41.4%
Romney - 4.8%
Rudy - 17.7%
Huckabee - 12.5%
And the big winner of the night placing second exceeding expectations????
Ron Paul - 17.9%
What? Don't they realize that he's a nut?
On the Dem side, no real suprises though. Obama 60%, Clinton 25% and Edwards 9%. I guess there is something of a suprise. Where did all that Clinton goodwill of the world go?
Oh, and if you do look at the actual poll, notice the option at the bottom that allows you to change your vote after you've seen the results. They have this Iowa stuff down cold.
Friday, January 4, 2008
John Edward's New Client
Apparently if John Edwards does pull out of the Presidential race after New Hampshire, he won't be out of work for long. It looks like Glenn Beck will be in the market for a good Trial Lawyer.
It should be intersting to see if Beck actually sues, you know, considering how all of those evil fake malpractice lawsuits are driving up our medical costs and all.
It should be intersting to see if Beck actually sues, you know, considering how all of those evil fake malpractice lawsuits are driving up our medical costs and all.
No Mo' Joe Part II
Over almost as soon as it started Joe Biden and Chris Dodd both dropped out out of the race for the President last night. As most know I was pulling for Joe Biden to make more headway than he did, first because during many of the debates he seem to come across as the adult in the room when issues of foreign policy were discussed, and secondly having grown up in Michigan watching the Detroit Lions for all these years, I've been subconciously programmed to root for the team with no chance of ever winning. Perhaps that's why I'm a liberal? :) Oh well.
I thank Dodd and Biden for their time and efforts on our behalf and all the best.
As life generally works, one door closes and another opportunity comes along, so hopefully this just gives Dodd more time to organize his philibuster of the FISA bill and run for Senate Majority Leader. Go team Dodd!
Really though, why would anybody agree to give immunity to the Telecoms if we aren't even allowed to know what they did in the first place? Oh well...... another time.
I thank Dodd and Biden for their time and efforts on our behalf and all the best.
As life generally works, one door closes and another opportunity comes along, so hopefully this just gives Dodd more time to organize his philibuster of the FISA bill and run for Senate Majority Leader. Go team Dodd!
Really though, why would anybody agree to give immunity to the Telecoms if we aren't even allowed to know what they did in the first place? Oh well...... another time.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Charlie Rangel, Man of Reagan
In what I'm sure is a sign of the coming apocolypse, George Will is singing the praises of Democrat Charlie Rangel, calling him a closet Reaganite of all things. He starts out with a recapping of the life story of Rangel, going from being a college drop out, joining the military, serving in the Korean War (at the Chosin Resevoir, I believe) and then coming home and graduating high school and eventualy going to law school and going on to the Congress. It is a fairly inspirational story.
The gist of the article comes down to this:
It certainly isn't the quote you would expect from a Democrat if all you read were right wing publications and even most left wing publications for that matter and I think Rangel is right. Democrats have for that past couple of decades have been playing the games of the tax cut junkies, and that is the constant manipulation of the tax codes to try to exempt more and more people at the bottom. Part of the reason the Dems bottomed out in the 90s is that with the EIC we reached a point where the people on the bottom either paid nothing or got back more in from a tax return than they paid in taxes.
Just as you aren't providing health insurance to poor people by providing tax deductions, you don't create opportunity for the poor to improve thier lives by cutting what little taxes they do pay. You create opportunity for people by providing as many educational opportunities as possible, by providing small business loans, by enhancing worker rights, and by insisting on fair trade. We have to balance the interests of workers with the interests of business. We can't simply have a supply side economic policy and I'd bet that is where Rangel parts ways with Reagan.
The gist of the article comes down to this:
Regarding two matters, Rangel is a Reaganite. Ronald Reagan opposed using the tax code "as a means of achieving changes in our social structure." Rangel -- in his 19th term, a man of House proprieties -- says, "I don't think the tax code should be a substitute for the appropriations process in making social change." Social policy should be, he thinks, the province of "the standing committees." The question for tax writers "is not just what is fair and equitable but what is good for the economy."
It certainly isn't the quote you would expect from a Democrat if all you read were right wing publications and even most left wing publications for that matter and I think Rangel is right. Democrats have for that past couple of decades have been playing the games of the tax cut junkies, and that is the constant manipulation of the tax codes to try to exempt more and more people at the bottom. Part of the reason the Dems bottomed out in the 90s is that with the EIC we reached a point where the people on the bottom either paid nothing or got back more in from a tax return than they paid in taxes.
Just as you aren't providing health insurance to poor people by providing tax deductions, you don't create opportunity for the poor to improve thier lives by cutting what little taxes they do pay. You create opportunity for people by providing as many educational opportunities as possible, by providing small business loans, by enhancing worker rights, and by insisting on fair trade. We have to balance the interests of workers with the interests of business. We can't simply have a supply side economic policy and I'd bet that is where Rangel parts ways with Reagan.
Obama and Huckabee
Everybody knows the results of the Iowa Caucus by now. Obama and Huckster took home the gold. But what is amazing is what an amazing rebuke this was for George W. Bush. What a rebuke it was for the Iraq War. Things are going better in Iraq yet still the candidates that were able to realize that even given that Americans still haven't forgiven George W. Bush for the war. They haven't forgiven the Republicans for being so cavalier in their treatment of our national security and our troops.
I get frequently assailed over at Ankle Biting Pundits for making the claim that Republicans don't really care about our troops, but you can't possibly be for the troops and be so callous to the plight of the troops and our returning veterans. If you care for the troops then you care about giving them the proper equipment, a proper strategy for victory and the proper medical care when they get home.
The campaign of Mike Huckabee scares the Republican party. The conventional wisdom is that Mike Huckabee scares the Republican party because he can't win. He can't win because he is a religious nut. There is something bigger though that is running as an undercurrent here. Mike Huckabee is threatening to bring the evangelical vote back to the center.
I honestly wouldn't want someone in the charge of our government who has religious views as conservative as Mike Huckabee, be we should be rejoice in his victory, because if the further Mike Huckabee goes the more likely that this represents the shattering of the Reagan coalition and the resurrection of the FDR coalition. And American will Progress once again.
So congrats to Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee!!!!
I get frequently assailed over at Ankle Biting Pundits for making the claim that Republicans don't really care about our troops, but you can't possibly be for the troops and be so callous to the plight of the troops and our returning veterans. If you care for the troops then you care about giving them the proper equipment, a proper strategy for victory and the proper medical care when they get home.
The campaign of Mike Huckabee scares the Republican party. The conventional wisdom is that Mike Huckabee scares the Republican party because he can't win. He can't win because he is a religious nut. There is something bigger though that is running as an undercurrent here. Mike Huckabee is threatening to bring the evangelical vote back to the center.
I honestly wouldn't want someone in the charge of our government who has religious views as conservative as Mike Huckabee, be we should be rejoice in his victory, because if the further Mike Huckabee goes the more likely that this represents the shattering of the Reagan coalition and the resurrection of the FDR coalition. And American will Progress once again.
So congrats to Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee!!!!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
The Huck Man Cometh
Listening to the popular median one would think that Mike Huckabee is a one trick pony. He may just win Iowa but the conventional wisdom seems to be that it is over from there.
But looking at Real clear Politics seems to tell a vastly different story. He is trailing the pack in New Hampshire polling at a RCP average of 9% as compared to McCain's 32%.
But after New Hampshire the campaign moves to Michigan where Huckabee is in a statistical dead heat with Romney. 18.8% for the Huckster as compared to 19.8% for Romney.
From there it is on to Nevada where Huck is at 15.7% as compared to Romney and Rudy tied at 23%.
Then it is South Carolina where Huck is leading Romney 25.8% to Romney's 19.3%.
Finishing off the month of January is Florida where Huckabee is trailing Rudy 25.3% to 23.3%.
No wonder Romney and McCain are going so hard after the Huckster. It is a very easy to image a scenario where Huckabee leaves January having won 5 of 6 primaries and leading the delegate count by a mile. Ofcourse then comes California where Huck is again second only to Rudy.
These numbers will must have the Rockafeller Repubs squirming.
But looking at Real clear Politics seems to tell a vastly different story. He is trailing the pack in New Hampshire polling at a RCP average of 9% as compared to McCain's 32%.
But after New Hampshire the campaign moves to Michigan where Huckabee is in a statistical dead heat with Romney. 18.8% for the Huckster as compared to 19.8% for Romney.
From there it is on to Nevada where Huck is at 15.7% as compared to Romney and Rudy tied at 23%.
Then it is South Carolina where Huck is leading Romney 25.8% to Romney's 19.3%.
Finishing off the month of January is Florida where Huckabee is trailing Rudy 25.3% to 23.3%.
No wonder Romney and McCain are going so hard after the Huckster. It is a very easy to image a scenario where Huckabee leaves January having won 5 of 6 primaries and leading the delegate count by a mile. Ofcourse then comes California where Huck is again second only to Rudy.
These numbers will must have the Rockafeller Repubs squirming.
No Mo' Joe
Yahoo News is reporting that ole Joementum himself has selflessly come forward to declare that he is not interested in being John McCain's running mate.
Did anybody bother to ask McCain if he even wanted Joe Lieberman as his running mate? I'm sure it would be hard for McCain to turn down a man who proved to be such an asset the last time he secured a slot on the national ticket, but it would be impolite to assume.
It cold be fun though. We could call it the Unified Traitor '08 ticket. McCain being considered the traitor of the right, and Lieberman being.......well Lieberman.
Did anybody bother to ask McCain if he even wanted Joe Lieberman as his running mate? I'm sure it would be hard for McCain to turn down a man who proved to be such an asset the last time he secured a slot on the national ticket, but it would be impolite to assume.
It cold be fun though. We could call it the Unified Traitor '08 ticket. McCain being considered the traitor of the right, and Lieberman being.......well Lieberman.
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