The Other McCain

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

Weird News: Portman’s Ghost in Ohio; Bad Michigan Poll; Killer’s Ex-Girlfriend

Posted on | August 8, 2012 | 8 Comments

Just a lot of weird stuff in the news today, beginning with this: My friend Chris Moody stayed at the historic Ohio hotel owned by the family of potential GOP running mate Rob Portman — and was warned to beware of ghosts! (OK, but is it a Republican ghost?)

Meanwhile, in yesterday’s Michigan Republican primary to replace accidentally retiring Rep. Thad McCotter — who forgot to collect enough petition signatures to qualify for the ballot — the Detroit Free Press published what Dave Weigel calls the worst poll ever.

Finally, in a strange twist to the investigation of the Sikh Temple shooting in Wisconsin, the ex-girlfriend of killer Wade Michael Page has been arrested on a gun charge — that story actually has some interesting information on the shooter’s background.

You’ll notice that there hasn’t been a lot of media attention to the Wisconsin killer since it emerged that he was a neo-Nazi skinhead, rather than (as various left-wing idiots on Twitter initially claimed) someone inspired to his crime by Michele Bachmann.

There were some complaints about CNN calling the killer “far right,” but I’m not going to get all excited about that: OK, Wade Page was “far right” in the same sense that Lee Harvey Oswald was “far left.” The important distinction to be made is not between what ideological “wing” a killer belongs to, but rather whether there was any actual connection between the criminal and a mainstream political movement.

It was evidently the hope of some on the Left that the slaughter in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, could be blamed on mainstream GOP politics. Once this political theory of the crime was disproven, the national media began to lose interest in the criminal and his crime.

A fringe kook, evidently driven to murderous despair by a breakup with his fringe kook girlfriend? Neither of them with any connection or affinity to the political mainstream?

Not a Rush Limbaugh listener? Not a Michele Bachmann supporter?

The media shrugs: Nothing to see here, move along.

Category: Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin

LIVE AT FIVESIX: 08.08.12

Posted on | August 8, 2012 | 6 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
PRC Evacuates 450K After Typhoon Haikui Turns Philippines Into Waterworld

Dark clouds loom over Shanghai


Third typhoon in less than a week to hit coastal city, surrounding province

Syrian Rebels Feel Abandoned, Betrayed By U.S.
Smart diplomacy!


Quinnipiac/CBS Poll Puts Romney Ahead In Colorado, Obama In Virginia & Wisconsin
Can’t wait to see the sample info on this one



POLITICS
Akin Wins Missouri GOP Senate Primary

Senator McCaskill talks to a reporter


Will face Claire McCaskill in November; Palin now 4-1 in primary picks

Jimmy Carter To Speak At Democratic Convention On Tape



Blackwater Successor Pays Fine To Settle Arms Charges

Christie Heads West To Fundraise For Romney

Clay Easily Beats Carnahan In MO-1 Democrat Primary

Inslee, McKenna Advance To Contend In November For Washington Governor’s Seat

White House, CIA Move Quickly To Douse Petraeus VP Rumors



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Continues To Rise On North Sea Supply Drop, Hope For Stimulus; NYMEX $93.67, Brent $112.00
Square Inc. Partners With Starbucks: Now You Too Can Overpay For Coffee With Your Smartphone
World Stocks, Euro Dip As Markets Await Hint On Central Bank Policy
Disney Profits Up 24% As Movie Studio Results Improve
U.S. Stocks Up For Third Day On Recovery Optimism
Wells Fargo Doubles Projected Cost Of Refinancing System
Newsstand Magazine Sales Slide 10%; Trouble For Publishers
After Epic Hack, Apples suspends Password Resets Over The Phone
Boingo Wireless Scoops Up Cloud Nine Media As It Seeks To Offer More Ad-Supported WiFi
Huge Samsung Report On iPhone Could Be Apple’s Smoking Gun
Amazon Enters Social Gaming Market
Apple Pulls Boy Genius Ads
EBay Moves Into Amazon Prime Territory



SPORTS
Streaking Tigers Top Yankees 6-5

Prince Fielder congratulates Miguel Cabrera on his dinger


Tigers now just half a game out of first in AL Central

Former PSU Players Intend To Appeal NCAA Sanctions

Reyes Extends Hit Streak To 25, Mets Beat Fish

Shock Turns To Hope As Blazers Sign Stott As Coach

Dodgers Flop In Clutch, Lose 3-1 To Rockies

Dempster Gets First AL Win, Leads Rangers To 6-3 Victory Over Red Sox

NCAA, Four Pro Sports Leagues Sue To Block Sports Betting In Jersey Casinos

…And Then Women Did Some Stuff At The Olympics

Shark Week Continues As Bernadina Saves The Day With Catch In 12th: Nationals Win 3-2



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Gwen Stefani On How She Stays Fit

Gwen Stefani


“Torture yourself.”

Lady Gag Posts Sexy Pool Pic With BF Taylor Kinney

Gabby Douglas’ Mom Has Had Enough Of Your Whining About Her Daughter’s Hair

No, Justin Timberlake Is Not Working On A New Album

Composer Marvin Hamlisch Dies, 68

Gillian Anderson Available Again


Joss Whedon Signed For “Avengers 2” And Marvel Live-Action Series

Rihanna Deemed Too Sexy For Nivea

“Arrested Development” Starts Filming New Episodes For Netflix, Entire Cast Returning



FOREIGNERS
Syrian Rebels Retreat From Aleppo Stronghold
Egypt Bombs 20 Jihadis In Sinai
Flooding Eases In Philippines; 23 Dead From Typhoon, Flooding
U-Turn: Iran Admits Military Are Among Syrian Rebels’ “Pilgrim” Hostages
Ernesto Weakens To Tropical Storm Over Mexico
Bo Xilai’s Son Submits Statement In Mother’s Murder Trial
New Pakistani Premier Faces Contempt Charges Over Corruption Inquiry
African States To Move Against Congo Rebels



BLOGS & STUFF
WyBlog: Obamacare: Now Making Your Pizza More Expensive
American Power: Wade Michael Page Was A Neo-Nazi, Not A Conservative
Power Line: The Rise And Fall Of Welfare Reform
Ed Driscoll: Newsweek Still Just Phoning It In
Washington Free Beacon: Obama Flack Refuses To Condemn Priorities USA Ad
Lonely Conservative: Obama SuperPAC Releases Ad Accusing Romney Of Causing Woman’s Death
Rush Limbaugh: The “Romney Murdered My Wife” Ad Just Normal Fare For Politicized Left
AmSpecBlog: Bill Burton And Obama Are Sick Human Beings
Riehl World View: Oliver willis Discards His Honor; Virginity Still Intact
JustOneMinute: Petraeus For VP?
Gateway Pundit: Koch Brothers Get Last Laugh Against Far-Left Monkey Comedian
Joshuapundit: ObamaBot Grasps At Straws To Trash Romney As “Anti-Israel”
American Thinker: Iran Says It Won’t Let Assad Fall
Newsbusters: Inevitably, Brian Ross Describes Shooter’s Neo-Nazi Links As “Right-Wing”
Protein Wisdom: “Left, Duped By Onion Parody, Blames Michelle Bachman For Shooting”

Category: Live at Five

VP Tea Leaves: Is Mitt’s Short List Now Down to Pawlenty, Portman or Ryan?

Posted on | August 7, 2012 | 37 Comments

There are signals — both in terms of actual evidence and what might be called “absence of evidence” — that Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential choices have now come down to three Midwesterners: former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.

It appears that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has been eliminated from consideration and, most importantly, that talk of Tea Party favoirite Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as Romney’s running mate is just talk. Neither Jindal nor Rubio have taken the steps that would indicate they are finalists for the VP slot. Jindal, for example, has accepted an invitation to appear at an event during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, an acceptance he would not be able to make if he were indeed obligated to keep his schedule clear as the potential running mate.

Meanwhile, at the Weekly Standard — where Bill Kristol and Steve Hayes previously offered either Rubio or Ryan as the “bold” conservative choices for VP — the balance appears to have tipped toward Ryan, indicating that Kristol and Hayes have indications that Rubio is not among the finalists for the spot. (There has been widespread talk among GOP insiders that despite Rubio’s popularity, “vetting” proved problematic for the Florida senator.)

This week’s trial-balloon suggestions about other possible running mates — including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Gen. David Petraus — are regarded as irrelevant distractions by well-informed observers, who now believe the “veepstakes” to have been narrowed to the trio of Midwesterners. Pawlenty and Portman are viewed as the “safe” picks, while talk about a “bold” Republican choice now focuses exclusively on Ryan, the conservative chairman of the House Budget Committee. Tuesday, Robert Costa of National Review cited “sources close to the Romney campaign” as saying that Ryan had risen from “dark horse” to “contender” for the running-mate pick.

Conservatives pushing Romney to go “bold” have a key ally in Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, a Wisconsinite who is said to be quietly exercising home-state influence on Ryan’s behalf. Meanwhile, there may be bad blood brewing between the two “safe” alternatives: Some supporters of Portman blame the Pawlenty camp for pushing reports that Portman once worked as a lobbyist for notorious Haitian dictator “Baby Doc” Duvalier. (ABC News debunked that claim last month.)

How much longer will the GOP veepstakes speculation continue? Probably not too long. Some say Romney’s pick could be announced as early as Wednesday, but the Weekly Standard points to Thursday as the likely day, while Republican strategist Karl Rove says not to expect a selection before Friday.

UPDATE: Alex Moe of NBC News reported today that Paul Ryan’s planning a “vacation.” Just a coincidence?

Category: Election 2012, Marco Rubio, Minnesota, Mitt Romney, Ohio, Paul Ryan, Tim Pawlenty, Wisconsin

‘Scientology as a Criminal Conspiracy’

Posted on | August 7, 2012 | 34 Comments

This phrase occurs in an article about the bizarre science-fiction cult that my friend Jamie Kirchick published last month:

The broad contours of Scientology’s inception are well-known: In 1950, the pulp sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard published a self-help book called Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which humbly claimed itself to be “a milestone for Man comparable to his discovery of fire and superior to his inventions of the wheel and the arch.” . . .
In 1952, Hubbard decided to merge his bunk scientific claims with his science fiction and market the mixture as a religion. He called it Scientology, or, “the science of knowing how to know answers.” According to Church defectors, and now infamous thanks to South Park, Scientology’s theology is essentially a discarded Hubbard novel. Human beings are the composition of spirits (“thetans”) cast off from the bodies of space aliens detonated 75 million years ago in volcanoes on the planet Teegeeack (also known as Earth) by a galactic warrior named Xenu. Man’s problems today are attributable to “engrams,” or the mental memory of painful experiences caused by the presence of thetans on our humanly bodies, which one can get rid of only through a process of spiritual “auditing,” a sort of counseling session performed on a low-rent lie-detector machine called an “E-Meter.” Those who join Scientology often end up spending vast sums on auditing and other Church gimmicks, leading detractors to characterize Scientology as a pyramid scheme in which members pay ever-vaster sums of money to ascend the Church’s “Operating Thetan levels.” A typical story involves the grief-stricken, 73-year-old widow who took on a $45,000 mortgage to pay for auditing after Scientologists preyed upon her following the death of her husband. . . .

Read the whole thing. It’s hard to believe anyone with an IQ above room temperature could be suckered into believing the nonsense promulgated by Scientology — but then again, is it really more absurd than the beliefs of the Democrat Party?

Category: Uncategorized

His Initials Are W.A.R.

Posted on | August 7, 2012 | 13 Comments

The brilliant Wayne Allyn Root suggests that Mitt Romney call Obama’s bluff, Mitt offering to release his tax returns in return for Obama releasing his college transcripts:

My bet is that Obama will never unseal his records because they contain information that could destroy his chances for re-election. Once this challenge is made public, my prediction is you’ll never hear about Mitt’s tax returns ever again.

Of course, Obama would immediately fold under that circumstance — if there was nothing to hide in Obama’s Columbia transcripts, it wouldn’t be such a big secret — but I seriously doubt Mitt will take Wayne’s suggestion by raising the issue, so it will likely remain a moot scenario. (Via Memeorandum and Hot Air.)

Category: Barack Obama, Election 2012, Mitt Romney

VP Petraeus?

Posted on | August 7, 2012 | 12 Comments

by Smitty

Stacy will love this post. What can you pile better on speculation than. . .more speculation? The General Petraeus boomlet, therefore, is a counter to the VP Biden departure rumor.

Reasoning: without Biden around, the vast foreign policy void, (actually a gap spanning perhaps a couple of millimeters) can only be filled by. . .drumroll. . . Read more

Category: Election 2012

When Liars ‘Win’

Posted on | August 7, 2012 | 14 Comments

Nothing should enrage honest people more than to see liars succeed through their skill at deceit — or, as often as not, to see liars succeed because so many people have become indifferent to truth, as in the case of the media’s favorite phony “expert,” Ryan Holiday.

When liars succeed, this represents the triumph of vice over virtue, the encouragement of evil and the discouragement of good. So we should take alarm when we see how Harry Reid’s vicious lies are being celebrated as successful politics:

L.A. Times’s Rainey: Hey, Maybe Harry Reid Is Lying, But
By Forcing Romney to Talk About His Lies, He Is Still “Winning”

A nation that considers it acceptable to “win” by lying is a nation far gone down the degenerate road to complete corruption.

James Rainey should be ashamed of himself, but if he had any sense of shame, he would not write for the disgraceful Los Angeles Times.

Category: Election 2012, Harry Reid, Media Bias, Mitt Romney

Stuff Your Fauxtrage, Cohen

Posted on | August 7, 2012 | 21 Comments

by Smitty

Richard Cohen, you need to own the fact that that Harry Reid’s “Gutter Politics” are the next logical step in Democrat Progress.

Still, he is not some backbencher, but the Senate majority leader. He is the face of the Democratic Party in the Senate and the ally of President Obama. Yet, not a single Democrat has had the spine to rebuke Reid. The White House has been given the chance and explicitly ducked its duty. Other members of the Senate have run for cover. They fear Reid and, if truth be told, sort of like what he’s doing — constantly needling Romney, keeping him on the defensive about taxes and his insistence on releasing only two years of his returns.

Reid is a toad, a toad’s toad, and a toad stool par excellence. But he’s also what you get when you, Richard Cohen, of the purportedly free press in this country, have permitted Harry Reid to play Gollum to Obama’s Sauron for 3.5 years.

  • We haven’t had a budget for north of three years. Why? Because Harry Reid hasn’t done his bloody job!
  • We haven’t had as much as a vote in the Senate to repeal ObamaCare, despite repeated votes in favor of such in the house. Why? Because Harry Reid hasn’t done his bloody job!
  • We have had the Executive run amok on issues such as Fast & Furious with impunity, because anyone with a clue knows that Harry Reid won’t do his bloody job, and hold an impeachment trial!

And you, Richard Cohen, have been a little altar boy in this cathedral of horrors. But now you want to notice some drop of gutter politics from Harry Reid amidst the flood.

Fall off the planet, Richard Cohen, in the manner of the useless git.

via Instapundit

Category: Democrats
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