The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

South Carolina Debate Aftermath

Posted on | March 29, 2013 | 26 Comments

CHARLESTON, S.C.
There is a golf course in the back yard of the mansion where I’m staying here, guest of a prosperous family who are supporters of Curtis Bostic. Whatever mental image is conjured by the phrase “Christian home-schoolers,” it probably doesn’t match this family’s reality: Truly blessed by the Lord, not only with seven children but also ample means for their support. The father of this evangelical brood is a civil engineer of some eminence in his field, and his gracious wife — currently scrambling eggs in the kitchen — is scarcely the grim suffering victim of the theocratic patriarchy that feminist theorists might imagine.

So I’m writing this at the kitchen table while the home-schooled kids are chattering happily away around me — the baby of the brood is gobbling bacon for breakfast — and outside is a glorious spring morning with azaleas blooming beneath the pines beside the 15th fairway. Ah, the arduous existence of the campaign correspondent . . .

The best headline to come from last night’s debate:

Oops: Mark Sanford Attacks Opponent
for Taking Care of Cancer-Stricken Wife

Kind of a failure of oppo-research for Sanford: He was talking about Curtis Bostic having missed meetings of the Charleston County Council, and Bostic was like, “Unfortunately, my wife has had cancer twice . . . ” And Bostic’s son Daniel was pretty indignant about it, too.

Having myself immediately called the debate a win for Bostic, I checked around at other outlets and, while they’re less emphatically judgmental about it, the coverage is generally favorable toward Bostic. I’ll quote CNN’s Kevin Liptak at length:

The two Republicans vying for a spot on the ballot in South Carolina’s special U.S. Congressional election traded barbs Thursday over former Gov. Mark Sanford’s history of marital infidelity.
Opponent Curtis Bostic claimed the former governor was a “compromised candidate” because of an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina in 2009 during his tenure in the state house. “Trust is a crucial issue. In fact, it has become a crucial issue in this race,” Bostic said during Thursday’s debate. A former Charleston city councilman, Bostic will face Sanford in a runoff vote on Tuesday because neither candidate received a majority in last week’s primary.
The seat up for grabs is South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, which Sanford represented from 1995 to 2001. He went on to become the Palmetto State’s governor, during which time his affair became public.
He and his wife divorced in 2010, and Sanford completed his second term in 2011. He’s now engaged to the woman with whom he had the affair.
During his primary campaign, Sanford told CNN he was seeking “redemption” by running for office again, a sentiment he returned to Thursday.
“The events of 2009 absolutely represent a failure on my part, for which there were and probably always will be consequences,” Sanford said. “But that does not mean, because you have had failure in your personal life, that you cannot step back into life again.”
Bostic, however, argued that the congressional seat – which has been held by a Republican since 1981 – would become vulnerable if Sanford becomes the GOP nominee.
“A compromised candidate is not what we need. It’s just not what we need. We need to secure this seat. It needs to be red,” Bostic said, citing polls showing that Democratic candidate Elizabeth Colbert Busch is leading Sanford.

What jarred me during the debate was how people in the audience enthusiastically applauded Sanford. My column at The American Spectator:

Republicans here applauded Mark Sanford at the end of a sort of sermonette in which the former governor discussed the Argentine sex scandal that led to his being censured by the state legislature.
“I failed. I failed very publicly,” Sanford said during Thursday’s debate, referring to “the events of 2009” as he pleaded that “because you have had failure in your personal life” it does not mean “that you cannot step back into life again.”
Whether stepping back into life can also mean trying to step back into Congress, less than four years after an adulterous affair that made national headlines, is the question that faces voters in next Tuesday’s Republican runoff in South Carolina’s 1st District. Democrats have nominated the sister of cable TV comedian Stephen Colbert as their candidate, ensuring widespread attention to the May 7 special election to fill the seat vacated by Tim Scott’s appointment to the Senate. Will GOP voters here really choose Sanford as the face of the party in this high-profile race, perhaps even risking defeat in the Lowcountry district that has been safely Republican? This was the concern raised in Thursday’s debate by Sanford’s opponent, Curtis Bostic.
“A compromised candidate is not what we need,” said Bostic, the Marine Corps veteran and former Charleston County councilman who emerged from a 16-candidate GOP primary field to face Sanford in the runoff.
“Trust is a crucial issue,” Bostic said, adding that the possibility of Sanford winning the Republican nomination has made Democrats “excited about the possibility of taking this seat back.”Citing polls that show Sanford vulnerable against Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, Bostic warned that if 1st District voters choose the scandal-stained Sanford, “We will lose this seat and lose it needlessly.” . . .

Please read the whole thing. I’ll update to add more reaction in a bit. First I have to finish my breakfast and enjoy this fine Carolina morning.

UPDATE: A reporter at the Patch.com quoted a notorious weirdo’s heinous reaction, requiring me to inform the jackal via Twitter:

Memo to deranged cyberstalker Bill Schmalfeldt: @Bostic4Congress‘s wife is still very much alive, praise God.

UPDATE II: Becca Lower’s reaction to Sanford’s apologia:

There’s a difference between acknowledging that we all sin, that we’re all flawed individuals, and breaking the vow you’ve made to your spouse and the pledge you’ve made to your state.

UPDATE III: Danielle Saul’s verdict:

I believe that Bostic proved he is the best candidate to defeat Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch.
Bostic has a proven record of standing firm in conservative principles. We need to start sending good people like Curtis to Washington D.C. that say ‘enough is enough’ and start getting things done.

UPDATE IV: You gotta admire Quin Hillyer’s expertise at headlines: “Don’t Cry for Him Carolina.”

 


 

PREVIOUSLY:

Category: South Carolina

LIVE AT FIVESEVEN: 03.29.13

Posted on | March 29, 2013 | 2 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Obama Moves To Shame Congress Into Passing Gun Control Package

And speaking of shame...

And speaking of shame…

Putting White House muscle and his supporters behind Senate bill

Administration To Unveil Proposal To Lower Auto Emissions
Tighter sulfur, nitrogen oxide requirements would increase car, gasoline prices


Mandela Remains Hospitalized As Easter Weekend Begins
Responding positively to treatment for lung infection



POLITICS
Rubio, Inhofe Join Cruz, Lee And Paul In Vow To Filibuster Gun Control Bill

Preparing the Republican alternative

Preparing the Republican option

Meanwhile, Chuck Grassley prepares an alternative bill

Plan To Hand Out Free Shotguns In Tucson Spurs Debate

Lawsuit Challenges Michigan Emergency Manager Law


Chicago, NY, LA Prosecuted Fewest Federal Gun Crimes

President Sets Up Commission On Streamlining Vote Process

Maryland Senate Committee Passes Gas Tax Increase, Amendment To Protect Transportation Money

Sarah Palin Aims To Help Pick Candidates, Play Significant Role In 2014 Elections

Army Learns Tough Lessons In Nork-Like Wargame



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Drops On Increased Inventories: NYMEX $92.45, Brent $107.61
Economy Posts Sluggish Growth In Fourth Quarter
Japan Factory Output Post Surprising Decline In February
Weekly Jobless Claims Highest Since February
American Chamber Of Commerce In China Says 25% Of Members Victimized By Data Theft
Another Report Says Individual Health Plan Costs Expected To Rise
Softbank, Sprint Vow Not To Use Huawei Equipment After Merger
Amazon To Buy Goodreads For Undisclosed Sum
NY Court Of Appeals Upholds Sales Tax On Online Sellers
GoogleKeep v. OneNote v. Evernote: We Name The Note App Winner
Five Reasons The Windows Desktop Isn’t Going Away
Facebook On The Verge Of Announcing HTC Smartphone?
“Company Of Heroes 2” Closed Beta Starts Next Week
“Journey” Takes Game Of The Year At GDC Awards
Smartphone Users Check Facebook 14 Times A Day
“Final Fantasy V” Now Out On iOS
Razer Preloading Steam On Edge Gaming Tablet



SPORTS
Wichita State Out-Muscles La Salle To Reach Elite Eight

Shockers forward Carl Hall defends against La Salle's Jerrell Wright

Shockers forward Carl Hall defends against La Salle’s Jerrell Wright

Shockers overwhelm early, cruise to easy 72-58 win

Doug Gottlieb’s Rough Start On Thursday’s NCAA Tourney

Mark Martin To Replace Injured Hamlin At Joe Gibbs Racing

Lundqvist Saves 26, Rangers Shut Out 3-0 By Sens Anyway

Red Sox Demote Bard To Double-A

Blue Jackets Fall 6-4 To Oilers, Done In By Late Goals

Kings 117. Suns 103

Pens Crush Jets 4-0, Remain Perfect In March

#16 Syracuse Spanks #4 Hoosiers 61-50

Sedin Line Comes Alive As Canucks Beat Avs 4-1

#15 Marquette Too Much For  #5 Miami, 71-61

Nationals 2013: World Series Or Bust



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Barbara Walters Poised To Announce Retirement

Finally, after 52 years.

Finally, after 52 years.

ABC looking to give star interviewer big sendoff leading up to May 2014 retirement

“GI Joe: Retaliation” Opens Big With $11 Million Box Office

Lohan Finds Unlikely Ally In Kristen Stewart

Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo In Talks To Reprise “Vacation” Roles

Demi Lovato Returning For Third Season Of “X Factor”

Britney Spears On Big Workout Kick

Jon Hamm Crotch Brouhaha Continues: Jockey Offers Free Undies To “Mad Men” Star

Kirsten Dunst: Kissing Brad Pitt Was “Disgusting”



FOREIGNERS
Hollande Presses French To Embrace Reduced Pensions And Welfare For Growth
Syrian Jihadis Getting Western Weapons
Ten Killed, Fourteen Injured In Peshawar Suicide Bombing
Easter Fever Grips Hyderabad
Easter Messages Reflect Pope Francis’ Focus On Poor
Army Vet Charged With Aiding Al-Qaeda In Syria
Filipino Penitents Reenact Crucifixion Of Christ
UNSC Approves First Ever “Intervention Brigade”
French Police Probe Death Threats After Sarkozy Ruling
Canada First Country To Pull Out Of UN Drought Convention



BLOGS & STUFF
Rush Limbaugh: We Lost Once We Modified The Definition Of The Word “Marriage”
Rep. Steve King: Marriage Is Illegal…Without A License
Weasel Zippers: Army Vet Who Fought With Syria’s Al-Nusra Front Arrested In Virginia
Erika Johnsen: That’s Odd – Food Stamp Enrollment Still On The Rise
Lonely Conservative: Food Stamp Usage Still Soaring – Gee, I Wonder Why
Emily Miller: Hey, Piers Morgan, Adam Lanza Was Not An NRA Member
Legal Insurrection: “Very White Republican Leadership” Kinda Looks Like…
Twitchy: Reality Bites Back – “Dudes Of Juicy Couture”, Left Shocked Obamacare Is Costing Them Work Hours
Mark Steyn: Jihadist Welfare Queen
Ed Morrissey: Reason’s Rebuttal To Jim Carrey – “It Takes A Talking Ass”
Rick Moran: Rumors Of The Death Of Anti-Gay Marriage Movement Greatly Exaggerated
Althouse: One Of TIME’s Two New Cover Photos Declaring “Gay Marriage Already Won” Looks Like A Wedding Kiss, The Other More Like A Makeout Session
Allahpundit: Senate Gay Marriage Pool Update – Lisa Murkowski Says Her Views Are Evolving


Deadline to submit links for tomorrow’s FMJRA is tonight at midnight.


Category: Live at Five

Greetings from Charleston! Debate Between Bostic and Sanford 7 p.m. ET UPDATE: BOSTIC WINS DEBATE

Posted on | March 28, 2013 | 26 Comments

UPDATE 8:30 p.m. ET — Well, Mark Sanford had some good moments — in his closing, he quoted Barry Goldwater from memory — but Curtis Bostic was the winner. He pointed out the risk of having Sanford as the nominee: “Democrats are excited about the possibility of taking this seat back,” he said, pointing to polls that show that if Sanford wins Tuesday, Republicans “will lose this seat and lose it needlessly.”

As I said earlier, merely by sharing the stage with the better-known Sanford and holding his own, Bostic scored an important win. In his closing argument, Bostic described himself as a “fresh, new face” and said, “I know I’m the new guy. I’m ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.’ I’m asking for your vote.”

UPDATE 7:40 p.m. ET — OK, I’m prejudiced, but Curtis Bostic is winning this debate. He is well-spoken, articulate and humorous. One of his best lines so far was when he mentioned his service as a Marine: “My boots have been on the ground in places where the enemy was real and . . . that enemy was radical Islam.” He also keeps mentioning the Constitution, which is mighty popular with Tea Party folks. For Bostic to share the stage with Sanford and hold his own . . . #Winning.

* * * PREVIOUSLY (5:53 p.m. ET) * * *

CHARLESTON, S.C.
Just picked up my media credential at Porter Gaud-School, site of tonight’s debate between Curtis Bostic and Mark Sanford in the Republican primary for the 1st District congressional seat.  We then went to get some Zaxby’s Chicken. Just so you know — transparency! — the special South Carolina tip-jar has raised $365 for the trip so far. Here’s a report by Alexis Levinson of the Daily Caller:

In the past two days, Bostic has been endorsed by one-time presidential candidate and former Sen. Rick Santorum, as well as conservative commentator Ann  Coulter and the 60-Plus Association, by way of spokesman Pat Boone.
Santorum called Bostic’s second place finish “a win for the strength of his grassroots supporters and his robust conservative values,” and spent Wednesday  in South Carolina campaigning for Bostic. During that time, he made a backhanded  jab at Sanford and his “values.” The former governor left office surrounded by a cloud of scandal after he disappeared from the state, and upon his return, was forced to reveal that he was having an affair with an Argentine woman who is now  his fiancé.
“I know I’m going to get the question about Curtis’ rival,” Santorum said, according to the Charlotte Observer. “I believe in redemption. I believe in second chances. I have lost races for president and the Senate and I believe people can come back and serve. But the choice here for the people of  the Lowcountry is, ‘Who is the best person who can represent you and your values  in Washington, D.C.?’”

The Charleston Post and Courier:

Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator whose son attends The Citadel and who might run for president again in 2016, said Bostic was strong on all three areas most valued by conservatives: a strong military, limited government and social and moral issues.
“He’s talked about the values of the Lowcountry,” Santorum said. “This is a ‘Mr. Smith goes to Washington.’?”

You can watch the debate via live stream on www.counton2.com beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Popular conservative David Webb will also be livestreaming his own debate coverage.

You should follow the hashtag #SC01 on Twitter.

UPDATE: The requisite photo:

National Affairs Desk, Porter-Gaud School, March 28, 2013

 


Category: Election, South Carolina

LIVE AT FIVE: 03.28.13

Posted on | March 28, 2013 | 2 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Gays’ Hopes High After Supreme Court Hearing

The Archbishops strike back on Twitter

The Archbishops strike back on Twitter

Media hyperventilate over justices’ questioning of DOMA constitutionality

Massachusetts’ Senate Hopefuls Face Off In Debate
GOP hopefuls Gomez and Winslow precede Democrats Lynch and Markey

Ashley Judd Won’t Run For Senate
Ace of Spades, Stacy McCain hardest hit



POLITICS
Obama Names Julia Pierson As Secret Service Director

Julia Pierson

Julia Pierson

Tasked with repairing T-mens’ rep after last year’s prostitution scandal

Historic Expulsion Vote Pending In Nevada Assembly

Iowa Governor Holds Public Hearing Regarding Murderer’s Release

Sarah Palin Getting Ready For 2014

Petraeus Apologizes For Broadwell Affair

Ailing Boston Mayor Menino Won’t Seek Re-Election

Sebelius Admits Health Care Costs May Increase After ObamaCare Implemented
*shocked face*



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Claws Its Way Back Over 96 Despite Increasing Inventory: NYMEX $96.58, Brent $109.69
Worries About Cyprus, Italy Take Toll On Euro
JPMorgan Faces Full-Court Press Of Federal Investigators
Bank Of America: Buffett Deal Loser
T-Mobile’s Metro PCS Merger Rejected By Advisory Firm
Canadian Pacific Derailment Spills Oil In Western Minnesota
Blackstone Open To Keeping Dell As CEO, And More (Video)
Boston Fed CEO Says Money Supply Policies Are Working
Largest-Ever DDoS Attack Demonstrates Danger Of New Attack Method
Silicon Valley City Offers Free WiFi Via Smart Meters
Egyptians Arrest Three For Trying To Cut Undersea Internet Cables
Congress Restricts Government Purchases Of Chicom IT Systems, Parts
Man Charged In Koch Industries Cyberattack
Google Maps Adds Real-Time Service Updates For DC Metro
GDC: Facebook Insists Gaming Is Growing



SPORTS
Bulls Stop The Heat, 101-97

James: "When (Rose) is ready, he'll be back"

James: “When (Rose) is ready, he’ll be back”


Miami’s 27-game streak ends

Habs Top Bruins 6-5 In Shootout

Green Shows Heart In Cleveland

Wild Rallies Against Coyotes For 4-3 OT Win

Nuggets Miss Last-Minute Shot, Fall To Spurs 100-99

Cardinals Extend Wainwright For Five Years, $97.5 Million

Griffin Scores 19, Leads Clippers Over Hornets 105-91

Tim McCarver To Finally Stop Ruining Baseball On Fox At End Of 2013 Season

Nationals’ Opening Day Roster Nearly Set, But Bullpen Intrigue Remains



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Anna Chlumsky Expecting First Child

Anna Chlumsky from "Veep"

Anna Chlumsky from “Veep”

Anna, husband Shaun So expecting baby this summer

Jon Hamm Is Tired Of Crotch Shots And “Rude” Remarks About His Private Parts

Justin Bieber: “I’m Young And I Make Mistakes”

Avi Snow Opens Up About His New GF Lindsay Lohan: “She’s A Lot Of Fun”

Angelina Jolie: “We’re Not Married”

Anne Hathaway, Chloe Moretz, Sam Rockwell To Star In Lynn Shelton Pic

NBC Mulling Anderson Cooper For Matt Lauer’s Job

Shiri Appleby And Jon Shook – It’s A Girl!

“Buckwild” Star Salwa Amin Arrested In Heroin Case

The Douchebag Doesn’t Fall Far From The Douche Tree

NBC Eyes “Chicago Fire” Spinoff Series

Dorothy Hamill Quits “Dancing With The Stars” Due To Spinal Injury



FOREIGNERS
Taiwan Quake Kills One As Trains Halted, Factories Evacuated
Pakistan Says Afghanistan Overreacts To Cross-Border Shelling
Malala Yousafzai Will Not Go Quietly
Optimism In UN Over 1st Global Arms Treaty
Britain Opens Inquiry Into Berezovsky’s Unexplained Death
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar And Turkey Arming Syrian Rebels
Jade Anderson’s Death: Brutal Crime Or Tragic Accident?
UK Government Loses Abu Qatada Deportation Appeal
PRC Denies Damaging Vietnamese Trawler
Developer Removes Segments Of Berlin Wall Along East Side Gallery
Amanda Knox Acquittal Overturned: Will She Go Back To Italy?



BLOGS & STUFF
Michelle Malkin: A Reminder Of How Mexico Treats “Undesirable” Foreigners
The AnarchAngel: Rules And Laws Don’t Keep You Safe
Crony Chronicles: Crony Capitalism And The Crisis Of The West
Legal Insurrection: DOMA Day At The Supreme Court
Weekly Standard Blog: High Noon For Marriage
Althouse: Obama Thinks It’s Important That The Court Weighs In On Gay Marriage
American Spectator: Justice Number Five
Weasel Zippers: The Comical Stampede Of Democrats Coming Out In Favor Of Gay Marriage Continues
Allahpundit: Democratic Gay-Marriage Pool Update
Questions And Observations: When Did I Miss The Tipping Point?
NRO Bench Memos: Today’s Oral Argument In DOMA Case
Twitchy: “Born To Campaign” Ashley Judd Equates Running Against Mitch McConnell To Rape
Jim Treacher: Ashley Judd Says “I’ve Been Raped Twice, So I Think I Can Handle Mitch McConnell”
Via Meadia: The Story Behind Wal-Mart’s Bare Shelves
Extrano’s Alley: Joe Biden Says US On Verge Of Universal Background Checks
Protein Wisdom: Obama Moves Rule To Tighten Background Checks
American Digest: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid – North Korea Putting Its Military Machine On Display
Gateway Pundit: Alabama Democrat Lashes Out At Gun Rights Supporter
Power Line: So, How’s That Apology To Turkey Working Out?
Lonely Conservative: Thanks To Obamacare, Millions Will Be Priced Out Of Health Insurance – DWS Blames Republicans
Jawa Report: Abu Qatada Hides Behind Kuffar Law
Deadspin: Reminder – Do Not F**k With Bison


Got links? Send them to me.


.

Category: Live at Five

Headin’ to South Cackalacky!

Posted on | March 27, 2013 | 32 Comments

There’s a debate tomorrow night in Charleston, Ed Morrissey interviewed Curtis Bostic this morning, and Ann Coulter says:

There’s no “win” for the GOP with Sanford, except that Mark Sanford is bored and no one will hire him.  So the country has to take one for the team — Team Sanford!
The country is important, but Mark Sanford thinks his redemption is more important. . . .
Meanwhile, Sanford’s runoff opponent, Curtis Bostic, is a grassroots, fiscal conservative, former marine and practicing lawyer, who would be a dream candidate for the GOP in any congressional district. He, too, has found his soulmate. In fact, he’s married to her. When Curtis Bostic tells his staff he’s hiking the Appalachian Trail, he’s hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Any idiot who votes for Sanford in the runoff is working for the Obama administration.
Vote for Curtis Bostic in the GOP runoff election on April 2.
Your friend, Ann Coulter

No time to say more. Gotta hit the road.

Category: Shoe Leather Fund, South Carolina

‘Raiders of the Lost Pretty Baby’?

Posted on | March 27, 2013 | 18 Comments

Ace of Spades stumbled across transcripts of the brainstorming sessions that led to the Indiana Jones movies, and the backstory of this dialogue:

Marion Ravenwood: “I was too young, it was wrong and you knew it.”
Indiana Jones: “You knew what you were doing.”

Ace says: “I assumed it was actually Contrived Filler Dialogue To Establish That These Characters Have Conflict to Justify Their Arguing Later.” Except, no, it was worse. Much worse:

George Lucas: I was thinking that this old guy could have been the mentor. He could have known this little girl when she was just a kid. Had an affair with her when she was eleven.
Lawrence Kasdan: And he was forty-two.
George Lucas: He hasn’t seen her in twelve years. Now she’s twenty-two. It’s a real strange relationship.
Steven Spielberg: She had better be older than twenty-two.
George Lucas: He’s thirty-five, and he knew her ten years ago when he was twenty-five and she was only twelve. It would be amusing to make her slightly young at the time.
Steven Spielberg: And promiscuous. She came onto him.
George Lucas: Fifteen is right on the edge. I know it’s an outrageous idea, but it is interesting.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? The best explanation I can think of: It was 1978, the same year that Brooke Shields starred in Pretty Baby, and so this theme might have been considered “edgy” in Hollywood at the time. Also, maybe they were snorting up lots of coke and just got crazy.

But . . . wait a minute: Remember the scene in American Graffiti — Lucas’s breakthrough film — where the underage girl (played by Mackenzie Phillips) gets in the hot rod driven by Harrison Ford’s Paul Lemat’s character? So this jailbait theme was something Lucas has used before. A generation of film critics will spend the next two decades scouring Lucas’s work for clues: Was there some kind of Woody Allen/Roman Polanski thing?

And then Lucas will finally be hailed as a genius in France.

 

Category: Hollywood, Movies

‘The Dream Is Dead’

Posted on | March 27, 2013 | 27 Comments

Ashley Judd (D-Puffy Face)

So declares Ace of Spades, and connoisseurs of fine sarcasm must join Ace in mourning this tragic news:

The much-rumored 2014 campaign by film star Ashley Judd for the Kentucky seat of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will not happen.

No more Puffy Face to mock? No months of endless lunacy as she compares everything to rape? Alas, we have been robbed:

A source close to Judd said that Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes’ interest in potential race made the decision not to run easier. “The timing just wasn’t right,” said the source. …
Democratic Senate strategists have argued that Judd would be a good, if unconventional candidate, pointing to her ability to rival or even eclipse McConnell in fundraising. But McConnell’s path to victory involves savaging his opponent, and Judd’s status as an actress and celebrity would have offered him loads of ammunition.

Loads. Loads and loads. And now . . . nothing.

 

Category: Celebrities, Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, Senate

Gold Price Jumps — Unexpectedly! — as Cyprus Tries to Halt Capital Flight

Posted on | March 27, 2013 | 8 Comments

Nothing like a debt crisis to spur a run on security, and gold prices — which had lost more than 200 points off the October peak of $1,794 an ounce — have spiked up about $30 in March, as Cyprus has become the latest tip of the Euro-debt iceberg to break the surface.

Yesterday, the “good” news was an EU official saying that deposits in other countries would be raided if necessary to bail out Cyprus. Today, the “good” news is that officials are trying to prevent a run on deposits when banks reopen Thursday in Cyprus:

Cyprus is set to restrict the flow of cash from the island and may curb the use of Cypriot credit cards abroad as it tries to avert a run on its banks after agreeing a tough rescue package with international lenders.
A Greek newspaper published details of what officials told Reuters was as yet only a draft government decree to restrict outward payments to documented imports and limit how much people could take abroad in banknotes or spend on credit cards.
With banks due to reopen on Thursday after nearly two weeks, Finance Minister Michael Sarris said capital controls would be “within the realms of reason”. But Cypriots, fearing for their savings and angered by the bailout deal struck on Monday in Brussels, are expected to besiege lenders in the morning.

This is the kind of coercive anti-market measure that desperate governments enact in an attempt to defy the maxim that capital has no nationality. Investors will put their money wherever they see the best prospect of profit and the best guarantee of security. Only governments that have wrecked their own economies ever try to limit overseas transfers.

Don’t you think people in other EU countries, seeing how officials are dealing with this Cyprus crisis, are shifting more of their assets to gold?

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers!

 


Category: Economics, Europe
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