Uncategorized : Page 102 : The Other McCain

My reply to the Stanford Daily is halfway down the page. Do a search for ‘Smith’. This was in response to SD’s ludicrous attack on Victor Davis Hanson, documented here.

Hopefully SD’s whiplash isn’t too severe from all this.

Bomb-Sniffing Dogs?

Posted on October 10, 2010October 10, 2010Comments

Brian Doherty at Reason magazine has a story about an unusual case in New Hampshire where state child-welfare officials seized a couple’s baby because, among other things, the father was associated with the group Oath Keepers.

What struck me in this story was one line at the end. Some people organized a protest in support of the parents:

And the FBI brought bomb-sniffing dogs to the protest, reports local TV station WMUR.

Bomb-sniffing dogs? Was there any reasonable cause to suspect these people might be carrying explosives? Or did the FBI just have a K-9 unit that needed to get in a day’s work? Why didn’t they just call in a sniper, hostage negotiators and — oh, I don’t know — some of those cool black helicopters while they were at it?

New York Times: When Democrats Lose, We’ll Always Blame the Stupid Voters

Posted on October 6, 2010October 6, 2010Comments

Evidently, they’re expecting a huge Republican tsunami Nov. 2, and so they assigned Matt Bai to prepare the pre-emptive excuse:

These voters did not hate politicians. They simply saw both parties, along with the media and big business, as symptoms of the larger societal ailment. And this underlying perception, that politicians in Washington conduct themselves just as childishly and with the same lack of accountability as the kids throwing chicken casserole in the lunchroom, may well be the principal emotion behind the electorate’s propensity to vote out whoever holds power.

Excuse me if I didn’t notice when the New York Times interpreted the GOP’s losses in 2006 and 2008 as anything other than a wholesale repudiation of conservative Republicanism.

Bryan Preston at Pajamas Media has a round-up of election reports in which chicken casserole doesn’t get mentioned at all.

Darn those silly voters!

LIVE AT FIVE10.6.10

Posted on October 6, 2010October 6, 2010Comments

TOP NEWS

Crossroads Groups Lay Out $4 Million In Key Senate Races

Timely cash injection counters surge in Democratic party spending

Quetta Shura Of Afghan Taliban In Talks With Karzai Government
“All these things are making them absolutely sure that…they are not in a winning position.”

Torkham Gate Remains Closed To NATO Supply Convoys For Third Day
Apologies and regrets conveyed by Pentagon over deaths of Pakistani soldiers in air strike; meanwhile, more tankers up in flames

Obama Calls For More Federal Spending On Community Colleges
Blames nonexistent GOP cuts; Gates Foundation kicks in $35 million

POLITICS

Biden Out, Hillary In As VP In 2012?

Bob Woodward says it’s on the table, Axelrod says “Absolutely not.”

Presidential Seal Falls Off Podium During Obama Speech

Chris Christie Rallies Conservative Activists In Iowa

Obama Strains To Get Liberals Back In The Fold

Democrats Cling To Leads In California Governor, Senate Races

THE ECONOMY, STUPID

Stocks Rally After Bank Of Japan Cuts Interest Rates

Dim Outlook For Holiday Jobs

Solar Energy Sites On Public Land Finally Given Green Light

Treasury Expects To Lose $29 Billion On Bailouts

SPORTS

Wade Out Early, But Bosh & James Torch The Pistons Anyway

Who cares, it’s hoops.

Vikings, Patriots In Trade Talks
Randy Moss back to Minnesota?

Seattle Beats Columbus 2-1, Keeps US Open Cup
Yawn, soccer.

Halladay Finally Gets To Pitch In The Playoffs

FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS

Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen Finally Make Romance Public

Rumer Willis, BF Micah Call It Quits

Ford Clinic Sends Michael Lohan Packing

Chelsea Handler, 50 Cent Dating

Teresa Giudice Could Get Own Spinoff Show

Will.I.Am And Nicki Perform On Letterman (Video)
…and in case you were wondering, I have no idea who any of these people are either.

FOREIGNERS

Chinese Patrol Boats Leave Disputed Waters in East China Sea
Senkaku crisis eases after a month of diplomatic tension between the PRC and Japan

Toxic Spill Cleanup In Hungary To Cost Tens Of Millions, Take Over A Year

France Arrests 12 Terrorist Suspects

Ecuador Extends State Of Siege Through Friday

Ailing Paraguayan President Urged To Step Down

BLOGS & STUFF

Democrats Turn On Obama Over Foreign Policy

While GOP Focuses On Winning The House, Florida Democrats Quietly Engineer Redistricting For The Future

Pundita Explains Reality To Rachel Maddow And Pakistan To General Petraeus

The Crack Emcee Has Some Harsh Words About Yoga

iMaksim: Democrats – Putting The Free In Freedom

— compiled by Wombat-socho

Dateline: ARMAGEDDON

Posted on October 2, 2010October 2, 2010Comments

An Anxious Nation Awaits the onset of the cosmic conflict upon which rests the hope of all mankind. Never before in 5,000 years of recorded history have the stakes been so high. Never has the world’s attention been so intensely focused on the outcome of such a struggle.

Unearthly quiet suddenly silences the breathless masses. Now every voice is hushed as the fateful battle grows near. Hearts beat heavy, scarcely able to bear the incredible tension of this impending crisis.

And then the electric moment arrives, as every eye catches sight of the mighty host, charging fearlessly forth to glory or death in quest of the ultimate victory and — as if with one voice — the assembled legions shout the immortal battle cry . . . Continue reading Dateline: ARMAGEDDON →

LIVE AT FIVE 09.29.10

Posted on September 29, 2010September 29, 2010Comments

TOP NEWS

“Remain calm! Everything’s under control! I’ll still be Speaker!

“Mumbai-style” Terror Attack on NATO Allies Foiled
Quick payoff from stepped-up drone attacks?
U.S., Allies On High Alert After Capture of German Terrorist
One-Third Of Midterm Ballots To Be Cast Before November 2
Federal Agents Stop Trucks On I-20 As Part Of Counter-Terror Op
House Democrat Group Wants Investment Tax Credits Extended
Bipartisanship!

POLITICS

Pelosi: I’ll Still Be Speaker Five Weeks From Now
January 2011, though…
Republican Ethics Panel Members Demand Hearings for Rangel & Waters Before Election
Iowa Poll Shows Likely Voters Don’t Approve of President Obama’s Performance
Governor Christie Announces Reading & Math Tests For NJ Teachers
Quinnipiac Poll: Angry Voters Push McMahon To Within 3 of Blumenthal

THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Congress To Grill Johnson & Johnson CEO
Because they’re such experts on ruining, er, running businesses.
Feds Looking to Liquidate Stake In AIG
Possible stock sale in the works.
Lehman Collapse Burns Real Estate Exec

SPORTS


Matt Shoppach & Kelly Garza celebrate with fans

Rays Crush Orioles 5-0 To Clinch Playoff Slot, Still 1/2 Game Ahead of Hated Yankees

McCourts’ Lawyers Make Last Arguments for Dodger Control Tomorrow

U.C Berkeley Cuts Five Sports
Berkeley has sports? O_o
Nets Back Out Of Four-Team Deal for Carmelo Anthony
Rays Set To Hand Out 20,000 Free Tickets To Home Finale

FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS

Dita Von Teese To Guest on CSI in January
Anderson Cooper’s Ratings Still Tanking
In other news, water still wet, sky still blue
Josh Holloway From “Lost” To Join MI4 Cast
Sally Menke, Longtime Tarantino Film Editor, Found Dead On LA Hiking Trail
Stephen Fry To Join Sherlock Holmes 2 Cast
TLC Reality Show Stars Under Police Investigation for Felony Bigamy

FOREIGNERS

India Launches Project To I.D. 1.2 Billion People

Castro Attacks U.S. While Reading 50-Year-Old Speech

…oh wait, that’s not news.

Pakistani Generals Push For Shakeup of Civilian Government
Lack of coup makes this news.
First World War Officially Ends

BLOGS & STUFF
“They Told Me If I Voted For John McCain…”
Star Wars Saga 3D Release Planned For 2012
President Declares Fox News “Destructive”

Friday Mastery and Jokers: Recoil, America

Posted on September 25, 2010September 25, 2010Comments

by Smitty

I’m still in awe of yesterdays revelations and antics in DC. The sputtering and dying of this foul Department of Justice pomises to be a slow, grinding experience. May many more Coates-style revelations follow.

Kudos to Jesse Kelly for winning the Ten Buck Fridays poll. Recovering the country from the Progressives entails pouring resources into candidates, and it’s great to see people work at both their local level and across district lines. Continue reading Friday Mastery and Jokers: Recoil, America →