The Other McCain

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

Kids! What’s the Matter With Kids Today?

Posted on | August 22, 2012 | 3 Comments

Why can’t they be like we were, perfect in every way?

Actually, as Bush-era “brand damage” fades amid the grim reality of Obama-ism — hey,  the economy sucks, right? — the kids are starting to figure this stuff out. In 2008, exit polls showed the Republicans lost the under-30 vote by more than a 2-to-1 margin (66%-32%), but as Ed Driscoll says, it’s not 2008 anymore. Obama has clearly lost support among under-30 voters:

Pollster John Zogby of JZ Analytics told Secrets Tuesday that Romney received 41 percent in his weekend poll of 1,117 likely voters, for the first time crossing the 40 percent mark. . . .
“This is the first time I am seeing Romney’s numbers this high among 18-29 year olds,” said Zogby. “This could be trouble for Obama who needs every young voter he can get.”

That’s via College Insurrection, a new campus-focused site launched by our friend Professor William Jacobson of Legal Insurrection fame..

Category: Education, Legal Insurrection

Cheryl Voted for Obama in 2008, But …

Posted on | August 22, 2012 | 3 Comments

. . . this time in New Hampshire? Not so much:

Governor Romney challenged each member of the crowd to speak to one Obama voter to convince them to change their minds this time around.
The visuals were excellent and it seemed hard work of the volunteers paid off. My interviews after the event suggested an energized crowd, but the most significant moment was an interview with a newly retired schoolteacher named Cheryl from Nashua New Hampshire.
Cheryl was an Obama voter, a former teacher who had never gone to a Romney event before. She left as a Romney voter. I asked her per, Gov Romney’s challenge, what she would say to a fellow 2008 Obama voter to persuade them to change their vote her answer was telling:
“All they have to do is listen carefully, there is so much negativity and there is no message in negativity.”
Her dissatisfaction, more than any successfully staged event is the greatest danger to the election prospects of this administration.

Read the rest of Da Tech Guy’s column at the Examiner.

Category: Da Tech Guy, Election 2012, Mitt Romney, New Hampshire

Twenty Thousand Muslims Expected to Attend Democrat Convention in Charlotte

Posted on | August 22, 2012 | 33 Comments

What could possibly go wrong?

Starting at the end of this month the Democratic National Convention will open with a focus on Islam. 20,000 Muslims are expected to attend according to the Bureau of Indigenous Muslim Affairs (BIMA), the national Muslim American non-profit coordinating the two days of events they claim are non-political. ”Jumah at the DNC” begins August 29 and will start with a Friday afternoon jummah prayer followed by other unnamed programs and events, leading up to the Islamic Regal Banquet. The following day will be an all day Islamic Cultural and Fun Fest which will include discussions on the topics of Islamaphobia, Anti-Shariah, Middle Eastern Crisis, Patriot Act, National Defense Authorization Act and more.

Read the whole thing.

Category: Democrats, Islam, North Carolina

Outrage of the Day

Posted on | August 22, 2012 | 4 Comments

Your stimulus dollars at work:

The Labor Department paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal stimulus funds to a public relations firm to run more than 100 commercials touting the Obama administration’s “green training” job efforts on two MSNBC cable shows, records show.
The commercials ran on MSNBC on shows hosted by Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann in 2009, but the contract didn’t report any jobs created, according to records reviewed recently by The Washington Times.
Spending reports under the federal Recovery Act show $495,000 paid to McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations LLC, which the Labor Department hired to raise awareness “among employers and influencers about the [Job Corps] program’s existing and new training initiatives in high growth and environmentally friendly career areas” as well as spreading the word to prospective Job Corps enrollees.

Category: MSNBC

LIVE AT FIVE: 08.22.12

Posted on | August 22, 2012 | 3 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Maybe He Is, Maybe He Isn’t

Akin testing support among anti-establishment Republicans, evangelicals and pro-life voters; continues to resist calls to drop out from Romney, GOP establishment

Scott Brown Presses GOP To Be “More Inclusive” On Abortion
Unhappy over proposed pro-life platform plank

Deval Patrick Stumps For Obama In The Midwest
Campaigning in Iowa and Wisconsin for embattled president



POLITICS
Paul Ryan Barnstorms Across Pennsylvania

At the American Helicopter Museum

Stresses the economy, Obama’s hostility to small business; protesting Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) heckled by Ryan’s audience

Secret Service Arrests Armed Washington Man Over Alleged Obama Threat

USDA Eyes Whether Tainted Beef Entered Food Supply

Kaiser/WaPo Poll Says Independents Favor Cooperation, Unhappy With Political System

Paul Ryan’s Economic Thinking More Like Reagan Than Tea Party



Lawsuit Filed Over California School District’s Sex Ed Course

FBI Investigated Congressional Skinny-Dipping In Israel

Livni Says Israel Should Stay Out Of US Politics



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Near Three-Month High As US Stockpiles Fall; NYMEX $96.87, Brent $114.60
European Shares Slide On Japan Data As Greek Meetings Loom
Asian Stocks Decline On Japan Trade Deficit, Greek Bailout
Dell Outlook Gloomy As PCs Slump
Apple, Facebook Fall As Tech Sector Drags Market Down
Stocks End Lower On Profit-Taking After Dow Hits Four-Year High
Soy, Corn Futures Soar On Declining Production Estimates
T-Mobile To Launch New Unlimited Data Plan
Windows 8: The Metro Mess
XBox Live Adds NBC News
Verizon Giving WinPhones Another Chance?
India Cracks Down On Internet After Communal Violence
Layoffs Hit PopCap; “Nintendo Power” Magazine Folds



SPORTS
Lincecum Stifles Dodger Offense, Giants Win 4-1

Hector Sanchez tags A.J. Ellis out at home

Jints extend lead in NL West to 1.5 games

Wainwright Gets 12 K’s In Shutout, Cards Crush Astros 7-0

Snakes’ Saunders Pounded For 9 Earned Runs As Fish Win Again, 12-3

Angels Halt Skid, Beat Red Sox 5-3

Reds Prospect Billy Hamilton Steals Record 146th Base

Eagles Get Good News On Vick’s Ribs

NHL, Players Association Looking For Way Out Of Impasse

Strasburg Dominates, Flores Homers As Nats Beat Braves Again



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Avril Lavigne Engaged To Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger

Chad Kroeger, Avril Lavigne

Secret six-month courtship culminates in engagement for Canadian rockers

Prince Harry Gets Wild And Nekkid In Vegas

Michael Strahan To Join Kelly Ripa As Co-Host



Cruise/Holmes Divorce Officially Final

Mariah Carey Irate At Prospect Of Sharing “American Idol” Judge Table With Nicki Minaj

Amanda Bynes Chalks Up Fifth Wreck In A Month

Natalie Portman Strips Down For Sexy Dior Ad



FOREIGNERS
Greek PM Pleads With ECB For More Time
Hackers Hit Moscow Court That Convicted Pussy riot
Russia Says Syria Has No Intention of Using Chemical Weapons
Ecuador’s President Says Assange Sex Claims Not A Crime In Ecuador
Syrian Fighting Spreads To Tripoli In North Lebanon
Leading Iranian Cleric Calls On Iran To Avoid War With Israel
South African Mine Shooting Could Spell Trouble For Ruling ANC
Romanian Court Quells Bid To Oust President



BLOGS & STUFF
WyBlog: Obama And The Econuts Conspire To Keep Gas Prices High
Conservatives4Palin: Akin Accuses Romney Of Exploiting Situation For Political Gain (Audio)
American Power: GOP Platform Rejects Rape & Incest Exceptions For Abortion
Power Line: Will Michigan Be Competitive?
Lonely Conservative: Paul Ryan Happy To Cling To His Guns & Religion
Wake Up America: Romney Sees Seven-Point Gain In Wisconsin After Ryan Pick
iOwnTheWorld.com: Here Come The Lefty Word Spinners
Allahpundit: Obama To Upstage GOP convention By Unleashing Garrulous Idiot In Tampa
Moe Lane: Today’s Surprisingly Challenging Photoshop Fodder
Gateway Pundit: Obama Blew Half A Million In Stimulus Cash On MSNBC Ads
Jawa Report: Canadian Boxer Turned Jihadi Killed In Dagestan
Jihad Watch: Robert Spencer On Jihad At The DNC
Legal Insurrection: Is Liz Warren Tanking?
Red State: DC Circuit Court Tosses Out EPA Pollution Rule

Category: Live at Five

E-Mail From Mrs. Akin

Posted on | August 21, 2012 | 42 Comments

Depressed by the Politics of Dumb, I went to bed early, but woke up after an hour and checked my e-mail to find . . . this:

Dear Friends,
My husband is a man of principle and courage. He’s a great husband and a wonderful father to our daughters and sons, but he’s not perfect. He made a mistake and he apologized for it. Now we need to move forward and defeat Claire McCaskill.
Todd is 100% pro-life, Claire is 100% pro-abortion. Claire was the deciding vote in support of Obamacare, she voted for the failed “stimulus” and was Barack Obama’s biggest cheerleader when he ran for President in 2008.
For all these reasons, Claire needs to go. We need your help today to defeat Claire in November.
Donate $3 right now to show that you’re in this fight with Todd!
Sincerely,
Lulli Akin

Go home, Mrs. Akin, to your selfish husband. Go home, I say, and please pray that your husband’s stupidity and narrow ambition — which have already guaranteed the re-election of Claire McCaskill — have not also guaranteed us another four years of Obama.

Go home, foolish woman, and stay there, and remind us no more of this horrible  disgrace that you and your husband have imposed upon us.

Category: Election 2012, Missouri, Senate

Separated At Birth: Kerry Gauthier / Gerry Connolly Edition

Posted on | August 21, 2012 | 18 Comments

by Smitty

You be the judge:

Likes young men

Likes young men

Likes ObamaCare

Kerry Gauthier really owes his constituents a thorough explanation. Not that I care fig #1 what Kerry and consenting adults get up to, insofar as laws are unbroken. Yet this post, besides a free swipe at the risible Gerry Connolly (go, Chris Perkins!), is intended to raise awareness to the media effort to smear Todd Akin and draw attention from a public figure who:

Authorities have said Gauthier, 56, admitted having a liason with the boy. They say he won’t be charged in the July incident because the boy was older than 16, the legal age of consent, and no money was exchanged.

See also Andrew J. Patrick.

Update: welcome, Instapundit readers!

Category: Democrats, Minnesota, Virginia

The Politics of Dumb

Posted on | August 21, 2012 | 30 Comments

In a Twitter exchange with Steve Ertelt of Lifenews.com — who has called on Todd Akin to step aside — I made this point:

There is a price to be paid for pandering and dumbing down: You attract stupid voters — and stupid candidates.

There are people who claim that Todd Akin is not irremediably stupid. OK, fine. His assertion that women have a biological defense against becoming pregnant as a result of forcible rape does have advocates, however controversial:

Dr. John C. Willke, a general practitioner with obstetric training and a former president of the National Right to Life Committee, was an early proponent of this view, articulating it in a book originally published in 1985 and again in a 1999 article. He reiterated it in an interview Monday.
“This is a traumatic thing — she’s, shall we say, she’s uptight,” Dr. Willke said of a woman being raped, adding, “She is frightened, tight, and so on. And sperm, if deposited in her vagina, are less likely to be able to fertilize. The tubes are spastic.”
Leading experts on reproductive health, however, dismissed this logic.
“There are no words for this — it is just nuts,” said Dr. Michael Greene, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. David Grimes, a clinical professor in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina, said, that “to suggest that there’s some biological reason why women couldn’t get pregnant during a rape is absurd.”

What scientific evidence could there be — how could anyone possibly demonstrate in a study — the idea that “spastic” fallopian tubes somehow hinder fertilization in a woman who has been raped? Stipulating that this theory is something within the realm of possibility (however remotely), where is the evidence?

But never mind that: Even stipulating that Dr. Willke’s theory of “spastic” fallopian tubes is valid, all he asserts is that fertilization is “less likely” in rape than in consensual sex, so that pregnancy as a result of rape is still possible. Does Dr. Willke have any data to quantify this factor? Can we say that the spastic-tube factor reduces the likelihood of pregnancy by 15%? Or 20% or 30%?

The point is obvious enough: Even if this effect (the existence of which we stipulate for the sake of argument) resulted in a 50% or 60% reduction of the risk of rape causing pregnancy, there would still be many hundreds of such pregnancies each year in a nation where, according to FBI statistics, nearly 85,000 forcible rapes were reported to law enforcement in 2010.

Perhaps there are scientific studies on this spastic-tube factor of which I am unaware or, as seems rather more likely, Harvard’s Dr. Greene is correct in dismissing it as “just nuts.”

Whatever. Dr. Willke’s theory is controversial at best, laughably implausible at worst, and basicaly irrelevant to the argument over abortion either way. So when Todd Akin brings up this theory in an interview about his Missouri Senate race, he is being stupid. And then, when this results in a political firestorm, Akin doubles down on stupid:

Arguing that he misplaced the word “legitimate,” Akin explained — during a follow up interview with Dana Loesch — that he meant to argue that women sometimes lie about being raped:

AKIN: You know, Dr. Willke has just released a statement and part of his letter, I think he just stated it very clearly. He said, of course Akin never used the word legitimate to refer to the rapist, but to false claims like those made in Roe v. Wade and I think that simplifies it….. There isn’t any legitimate rapist…. [I was] making the point that there were people who use false claims, like those that basically created Roe v. Wade.

HEY, STUPID, DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? I’M PUTTING THIS IN ALL-CAPS BOLD TO MAKE SURE, OK?

The real problem with Akin’s remark wasn’t his awkward phrasing — using the word “legitimate” to distinguish actual rapes from “false claims” of rape — but rather his idiotic idea that this would be a good time to discuss Dr. Willke’s bizarre “spastic tube” theory.

Yeah, great sense of timing there, pal.

UPDATE: To extend the argument, my point is that Akin didn’t just make a stupid remark, he was too stupid to understand what was so stupid about it. And yet 36% of Missouri GOP primary voters thought, “Hey, let’s make this stupid guy our Senate nominee.”

We can’t blame the other 64% of primary voters for Akin, but once he’s shown himself to be hopelessly stupid, how can anyone claim that conservatives are now obligated to line up behind Akin and support him 100%? Yet I go onto Twitter and see people making this argument, that it is somehow disloyal — an act of cannibalism — to demand that Akin step down. Because I guess that’s how conservatives prove that they are superior, by their courageous defense of stupidity.

UPDATE II: Rebecca Kiessling is an attorney who is pro-life and was herself conceived as a result of rape. So I think we have to say she’s got complete moral authority here:

“If you are 100% pro-life with no rape exceptions, there is no need to question the veracity of a rape victims’ account, because you are against all abortions. It would not matter if a woman was not or not raped,” she continued.  . . .
“Rape exceptions in the law actually put the government in the position of having to ascertain when the child was conceived, who the father is, whether the child was conceived during the alleged rape or during intercourse with her husband or boyfriend, and if the child was conceived during the time frame of the alleged rape, then the government would need to determine whether the sexual intercourse was consensual or not,” she explained. “So rape exceptions serve to perpetuate the injustice against rape victims that their accounts are to be viewed with skepticism, and it further leaves the majority of impregnated rape victims wholly unprotected under the law. Rape exceptions suggest that a ‘real rape victim’ couldn’t possibly love ‘the rapist’s baby’ and that rape victim mothers don’t exist.”

We need more smart people like Rebecca Keissling speaking for the conservative cause, and fewer stupid Republicans like Todd Akin.

UPDATE III: Missouri resident Jim Hoft:

It’s official. The 5:00 PM deadline just passed and Todd Akin refused to step down. What a disgrace.

Category: Abortion, Election 2012, Missouri, Senate
« go back — keep looking »

    About

    This is an area on your website where you can add text. This will serve as an informative location on your website, where you can talk about your site.

    Subscribe to our feed

    Search

    Admin