The Other McCain

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

ROMNEY IN COAL COUNTRY
UPDATE: You Call This a ‘Recovery’?

Posted on | October 5, 2012 | 8 Comments

ABINGDON, Virginia
Mitt Romney spoke to a crowd of nearly 4,000 people here in a midday rally, where he emphasized for the coal industry, a vital part of the economy in southwest Virginia. There was a strong representation at the rally from the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE).

While at the rally, I got a chance to talk with an award-winning local reporter, Debra McCown, who explained that some 1,200 coal workers in the area had been laid off recently because of EPA regulations that have curbed the use of coal in electrical power plants. McCown explained that during the 2008 campaign, Obama made two trips to the area, as did his running mate Joe Biden, while John McCain’s only visit to the area was an airport stop at the Tri-Cities Airport in Sullivan County, Tennessee — just south of the Virginia border — the day before Election Day.

During his speech, Mitt got a cheer from the crowd when he mentioned the debate, and said that Obama’s statements during Wednesday’s debates were essentially “a reiteration of the status quo.” The biggest cheer during the entire rally was when Romney promised to repeal ObamaCare. Citing the latest employment report, Romney said, “We can do better.”

Ali Akbar gave me a ride to the event and has posted an entire Facebook page of photos from the rally.

UPDATE: Romney’s rapid response press operation is  already online with this video clip of Mitt’s speech at Abingdon:

“My priority is creating jobs. I will help small business do that with everything I can do. Now, we can do better. We don’t have to stay on the path we have been on. We can do better. There was a report that just came out this morning on job creation this last month. There were fewer new jobs created this month than last month. The unemployment rate, as you know, this year has come down very, very slowly, but it has come down nonetheless. The reason it has come down this year is primarily due to the fact that more and more people have just stopped looking for work. And if you just drop out of the workforce, if you just give up and say, look, I can’t go back to work, I’m just going to stay home, if you just drop out altogether, why, you’re no longer part of the employment statistics. So, it looks like unemployment is getting better, but the truth is if the same share of people were participating in the workforce today, as on the day the President got elected, our unemployment rate would be around 11%. That’s the real reality of what’s happening out there. And then, of course, even those that have jobs are having tough times. The middle class is being squeezed with higher and higher costs and with incomes that have gone down by $4,300 a family. This can’t go on. I’ll tell you this: when I’m President of the United States, when I’m President of the United States, that unemployment rate is going to come down, not because people are giving up and dropping out of the workforce, but because we are creating more jobs. I will create jobs and get America working again.”

The Left is now claiming that criticism of the economy — the decline in the official unemployment rate caused by people dropping out of the work force, a statistical oddity — is “job trutherism,” as if Jack Welch doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Look, I mentioned this same phenomenon, as demonstrated by recent reports of employment in Crawford County, Ohio, earlier this week:

Americans have become accustomed to this sort of “good news” in the Obama era, and there was more of it in that small-town Ohio paper. “Unemployment remains the same,” declared the headline across the top of the front page. The story explained that, although the official unemployment rate in Crawford County, Ohio (population 43,389) declined from 9 percent in July to 8 percent in August, it wasn’t because more people were working. “Since the number of employed stayed the same, 200 people went off of unemployment because their time limit is up and they have not found work yet,” Dave Williamson, director of the Crawford County Economic Development Partnership, told the Bucyrus paper. “We have no more people working than we did last month.”
Extrapolate such statistical hocus-pocus at the local level across the entire state of Ohio, or nationwide, and you understand how some people might be deceived into believing that the Obama administration has actually produced an economic recovery.

Statistics that “hide the decline” (i.e., the shrinking workforce, as more and more discouraged workers cease to be counted in the official unemployment number) do not fool anyone who actually looks at the underlying data. Anyone who is confused about this should consult James Pethokoukis at The American Enterprise Institute.

 





 


Category: Election 2012, Mitt Romney, Virginia

Could Piers Morgan Succeed Where Senator John Kerry Failed?

Posted on | October 5, 2012 | 5 Comments

by Smitty

Breitbart (below the fold for autoplay reasons) has Piers Morgan offering to what John Kerry could not: give #OccupyResoluteDesk some debating chops:
Read more

Category: Barack Obama

Sweet, Sweet Gratuitous Cartoon Violence

Posted on | October 5, 2012 | 8 Comments

by Smitty

Your completely unnecessary nearly-guilty-but-just-at-the-last-second-OH-YEAH pleasure, via the Tatler:

Next week the question will be whether Paul Ryan can show the masterful restraint Romney did, when confronted with Uncle Choo-Choo. Hopefully they’re coaching Ryan to throw back his head and laugh, rather than come across the stage and deliver the flogging that Biden may secretly crave.
And then the 16 October event:

In the Oct. 16 town hall at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., “citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues,” the Commission on Presidential Debates announced today. “Candidates each will have two minutes to respond and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion.”

Candy Crowley has the moderation chores. Will she do a credible job of appearing dry while parked in the tank for Obama?

Troglopundit expects some sort of ‘comeback kid’ narrative. But wouldn’t you need more than just a sack of crap to build that narrative? I just don’t see any way that Obama delivers credibility to support whatever line of hooey Crowley and crew can spin.

Via Daily Pundit, beware: the unfair chair is in the air:

HotAir brings some delicious self-abuse:

Category: Barack Obama, humor, Mitt Romney

Fire-Code Capacity: INCREDIBLE Crowd for Romney-Ryan Rally in Virginia

Posted on | October 5, 2012 | 22 Comments

Mitt Romney speaks Thursday at campaign rally in Fisherville, Virginia
(Associated Press photo by Charles Dharapak, via Ken Gardner.)

Last night’s rally in Fisherville, Virginia, was so crowded, I couldn’t even get inside with media credentials, and really was lucky to get there at all. When I turned off the ramp from I-81 onto I-64, I was confronted by an absolutely gridlocked traffic jam, backed up all the way to Exit 91, more than four miles away. There was a similar backup toward Charlottesville to the east of the exit, as well as on both of the state highways leading to the event site.

It took nearly an hour to get from I-81 to Exit 91 and, seeing the long line of cars headed up the mile-long road to the venue, I decided to park at the McDonald’s right next to the exit and walk the rest of the way. It was past 7 p.m. at that point, and I could hear the music playing in the distance — good news, as it meant that country music star Trace Adkins was still onstage and they hadn’t started the speaking program yet. As I headed down the road to the venue, I found myself walking alongside some others who had parked their cars on the other side of the expressway.

Nearing the rally, we encountered a crowd of thousands — yes, thousands — standing on a hillside across from the open-air arena, where a speaker for the National Rifle Association was talking about Second Amendment rights. I went up to the gate entrance and the cops said no admission, not even to the press, citing orders from the fire marshal. Another reporter was there, likewise shut out, and said he was waiting on someone with the campaign staff whom he’d contacted to try to get in, but he wasn’t hopeful.

Well, this was the story, you see.

The speeches of the candidates are just speeches — anybody could find the videos and transcripts online later — whereas this massive crowd was something you really had to see to believe, and something that the national press was unlikely to report.

While we were standing beside the entrance, a group of young men in white military uniforms arrived and got the same “no admission” response from the cops.

“Not even for VMI cadets?” they asked, but the head cop replied, “Don’t even try to pull that with me.” He had his orders from the fire marshal, and there were Republicans with VIP tickets who, arriving late, were similarly locked out.

So I asked one of the cops about the arena capacity, and he said officially it seats 5,000, but I could see there were easily another thousand people standing, inside the security perimeter, but outside the seating area. A Secret Service agent said she’d been told the campaign had issued 10,000 tickets online. Walking back out to the road, where the crowd was standing on the hillside, I estimated at least another 2,000, and the cars were still lined up bumper to bumper coming in.

And these people were totally fired-up. The Shenandoah Valley is the absolute bedrock of Republican strength in Virginia. A statewide GOP candidate has to get maximum turnout in the Valley (and in the Southside, below Richmond toward the North Carolina border) in order to offset Democrat votes in Richmond and the close-in D.C. suburbs. So the big turnout in Fisherville (in the heart of the Valley, near Harrisonburg and Staunton) was a very encouraging sign for the Romney campaign. Read more

Category: Election 2012, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Virginia

LIVE AT FIVE: 10.05.12

Posted on | October 5, 2012 | 3 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho

TOP NEWS
Romney, Ryan Rally In Virginia To Build On Debate Mittmentum

Thousands turn out to see Romney & Ryan

Fishersville rally features NRA endorsement, Trace Adkins mini-concert
Attacks sharpen after debate

UNSC Condemns Syrian Mortar Attack
Russians, as usual, being obstructive
Parliamentary approval of further strikes triggers anti-war protests in Turkey

Border Patrol Agent Killed By Friendly Fire?
Investigators not ruling it out



POLITICS
Romney Walks Back 47% Comment On Hannity

Sean Hannity

“In this case, I said something that’s just completely wrong.”

San Francisco’s New Archbishop Takes Over
Gays predictably butthurt

LA Police Chief Proposes Leniency For Some Jailed Illegals

Former Illinois Power Broker Given Year In Jail For Shakedown


Hospitals, Nursing Homes Brace For Medicare Cuts

The Return Of Simpson-Bowles?

Debate Thrusts Big Bird Into Presidential Campaign



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Surges On Syro-Turkish Fighting, Weaker Dollar; NYMEX $91.71, Brent $112.58
Bank Of Japan Holds Off On New Stimulus Despite Mounting Political Pressure
Samsung Sees Record High 3Q Earnings
Fed’s Bullard Warns US Can’t Inflate Its Way Out Of Debt
Zynga Plummets 19% After Cutting 2012 Outlook
Weak Labor Market Looms Ahead Of Elections
Facebook Investor IPO Lawsuits Consolidated Under NY Judge
Google Settles Book-Scanning Battle With Publishers
Map Apps To Bypass Apple/Google Rivalry
Scareware Scammer Hit With $163 Million Fine
Facebook Shutters “The Cool Hunter” Page Over Copyright Issues



SPORTS
NHL Cancels First Part Of Regular Season

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and some flunky

82 regular-season games cancelled through October 24

Rams Get Nine Sacks To Break Cards’ Winning Streak

Red Sox Reconstruction Needs To Go Beyond Firing Valentine

Shaq Names Two Top Centers; One Of Them Is A Nyet

TCU QB Casey Pachall Suspended After DWI Arrest

Rockets Rookie Misses Camp, Dealing With Anxiety Disorder

MLB Hitting Coaches Hitting The Bricks In Droves

Curt Schilling Lists Bloody Sock As Bankruptcy Collateral



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Jennifer Lawrence Makes Vogue Cover Debut

Jennifer Lawrence

Hardcopy due out Saturday

Carey/Minaj Feud Heats Up With Gun Reports

Paramount Taps Sacha Baron Cohen For Reality-Based Comedy “The Lesbian”

More Than $127,000 In Jewelry Burgled From Julianne Moore’s Apartment


Nicole Kidman Finally Talks About Her Divorce From Tom Cruise

Just Don’t Call Christina Hendricks Full-Figured

Nicole Scherzinger Claims She Sang 95% Of Pussycat Dolls’ Songs On Her Own

Suspicious Package Targeted Bristol Palin



FOREIGNERS
US Dismisses Iran’s Plan To Defuse Nuke Crisis
Venezuela’s Election Season Closes With Massive Rallies
Jordan’s King Abdullah Dissolves Parliament, Calls Early Elections
Russia Condemns Drone Strikes In Pak Tribal Areas
Dutch Abortion Ship Turned Away From Moroccan Port
Former Philippine President Arroyo Served Arrest Warrant In Hospital
Karzai Accuses US Of Duplicity In Fighting Afghan Rebels



BLOGS & STUFF
WyBlog: The Cleveland Clinic, Cited As A Model By Obama, Is Actually Illegal Under Obamacare
Riehl World News: Obama Campaign Realizes They Were Badly Hurt By Debate Performance
Neo-neocon: Today’s Spin – Obama Just Too Nice A Guy
Legal Insurrection: A New Cloak For Media Bias
Weekly Standard Blog: Biden Admits “Yes, We Do Want To Raise Taxes By A Trillion Dollars”
American Power: Stunned Leftists Look To “Fact-Checkers” To Rescue President From Epic Debate Debacle
Gateway Pundit: Sununu slams Obama – “When You’re Not That Bright, You Can’t Get Better Prepared”
Weasel Zippers: Was Obama Rattled BY Looming Donor Scandal?
Hit & Run: Presidential Debate Ratings Up Over 2008. No, Really.
Protein Wisdom: NAACP Official Alleges Threats From Obama Campaign Staffer
NewsBusters: PBS Strikes Back
Megan McArdle: Iran On The Verge Of Hyperinflation
Hot Air: Jon Stewart Notices The President Isn’t Looking Quite As Brilliant As He Used To
Jammie Wearing Fools: International Media – You Know, This Obama Chap Is Pretty Incompetent
GayPatriot: Must Be George W. Bush’s Fault
Jihad Watch: Arabs Riot For Third Day On Temple Mount
Vodkapundit: Charles Blow Rides The Obama Debate Sit N’Spin

Category: Live at Five

Happy Birthday To Us!

Posted on | October 4, 2012 | 12 Comments

by Smitty

Stacy, Wombat and I have birthdays within a for or five day span. So I got this ‘Tequila Terry’ card, which I can’t seem to locate online. Time for the World’s Youngest Blogger (whose birthday is actually in July) and me to do a little happy dance:

The WYB is all: “Will the humiliations never cease?”

Update: heh!

Category: Blogging

I Have Previously Japed About The Mitt Romney/Bruce Campbell Connection. Unexpectedly, Travolta Is In Play.

Posted on | October 4, 2012 | 4 Comments

by Smitty

Before, I was all on about how the Romney could do with a little Rule 5:

But who could anticipate this sort of development?

Romney channeling an inner John Travolta?

via Daily Pundit

Category: Mitt Romney, Rule 5

Sean Bielat Trifecta

Posted on | October 4, 2012 | 4 Comments

by Smitty

Sean continues to rock MA-4, with this new TV spot:

and also with this debate with Joe Kennedy III in two installments:

finally:

Even the Boston Globe figures Joe Kennedy III is phoning it in just a tad too much.

Sean Bielat for Congress, MA-4?

Sorry, Joe: BHO used up this century’s No-Talent Hack quota in full.

Category: Massachusetts, Sean Bielat
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