The Other McCain

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

Barbara Espinosa’s Gingrich Files

Posted on | January 24, 2012 | 36 Comments

Longtime readers of the blog will warmly remember Barbara Espinosa, whom I first met at Right Online 2009 in Pittsburgh (“Grandma Is an Angry Mob,” American Spectator, Sept. 18, 2009). Barbara doesn’t like it when I remind people that she’s a grandmother and a widow. She thinks those descriptions might discourage romantic overtures from the kind of virile suitors she prefers. So …

The Hot-Blooded Buxom Babe of Arizona™ was also angry at me for several months this year because, while I was on the Cain Train before switching to the Santorum Express, Barbara was riding the Rick Perry Bandwagon. She’s a native Texan, after all, and her patriotic allegiance to the Lone Star Republic was expressed in enthusiastic admiration for the handsome fellow from Paint Creek, Texas, who — if he were not married — might be the kind of virile suitor Barbara prefers.

Well, when the Smilin’ Texan said adios, he endorsed Newt Gingrich, but Barbara’s enthusiastic admiration is not quite so easily transferred. Newt is definitely not the kind of virile suitor Barbara prefers, and she has applied her online research skills to begin compiling a dossier on Gingrich, which you might want to check out.

I point this out because of Erick Erickson’s claim that all Republican opposition to Gingrich is coming from Beltway establishment elites who support Mitt Romney. But Barbara is about as grassroots as you can get in the conservative movement, and is not at all shy about sharing her thoroughgoing contempt for Newt.

There are other things Barbara is not shy about sharing — that is, if you’re the kind of virile suitor she prefers.

When I first met her in Pittsburgh, I had my handsome teenage son James with me, and within an hour of our meeting, Barbara asked me if I would mind having her as my daughter-in-law.

She’s a firecracker, that Barbara.

You should read her blog, and also follow her on Twitter.

Category: Barbara Espinosa, Election 2012, Newt Gingrich

‘Remain Calm! All Is Well!’

Posted on | January 24, 2012 | 25 Comments

“All the insanity inspired by the intense struggle in Iowa will be over in two weeks, and nothing would be crazier than to predict that Santorum — who has lingered near the back of the Republican pack all year — will emerge with an upset victory Jan. 3.”
— Robert Stacy McCain, “Hawkeye Fever,” Dec. 21

Jennifer Rubin embarrassed herself with her desperate “open letter” plea to Republican leaders to join her “Stop Newt” movement, but I didn’t have time to react to that lunacy Sunday, because I was too pissed off about Erick Erickson’s equally bizarre assertion that a vote for Santorum is actually a vote for Romney.

How long  before Ann Coulter flips out and shows up on Fox News declaring that a vote for Newt Gingrich is actually a vote for Ron Paul?

This GOP primary campaign has been plagued by savage weirdness for months, ever since those vicious bastards in Florida decided to ruin Christmas by moving up their primary. This was probably part of the apocalyptic prophecy that the world would end in 2012, foretold by the ancient Mayan calendar.

Alas, the ancient Mayans could not be reached for comment.

Everybody’s gone wacko this year except me, but that’s only because I’ve been certifiably insane since 1979. At any rate, I got enough sleep Monday to recover from the semi-psychotic caffeine-induced frenzy that seized me during the latter stages of my South Carolina trip. Between provocations like “Occupy” freaks glitter-bombing Rick Santorum — which happened again Monday in Florida — and the financial straits that threatened to leave my son and I stranded at a McDonald’s in Rock Hill, S.C., it was a struggle to maintain any slight semblance of sanity, much less write my special Sunday column for the American Spectator.

Writing anything except incoherent gibberish under such challenging conditions would be impossible for a normal person, but when the going get weird, the weird turn pro.

These “Blogger on the Edge of a Schizo Breakdown” episodes are more or less routine now, and there is probably no need to worry that I’ll go berserk in Florida.

‘OCCUPY’ PROTESTER INJURED IN BRUTAL ATTACK;
JOURNALIST ARRESTED AFTER ORLANDO ASSAULT

That’s unlikely to happen, but if you’re feeling the urge to contribute to the Shoe Leather Fund in case I need to get bailed out — hey, don’t fight the feeling. All of which is a preamble to my two main points:

  1. Thanks to all the tip jar hitters who came to the rescue Sunday, ensuring that I not only got home from the South Carolina trip, but also have enough to get to Jacksonville for Thursday’s CNN debate; and
  2. Can we all just chill the hell out for a while?

For the past month, not a day has gone by without someone on TV, talk radio or the blogosphere issuing an Emergency Declaration of Impending Doom unless their favorite candidate wins the GOP nomination (or their least-favorite candidate loses). I’m about at the point where I’m ready to start blogging all day about Kate Upton bikini pictures or something — anything — except this depressingly vitriolic presidential campaign.

And you know who understand the importance of a calm and steadfast temperament in times of crisis? Yeah, I think you do.

SANTORUM RISES ABOVE THE BICKERING

“America Was Worth It To Do It The Right Way.”
Tampa, FL – At this evening’s NBC/National Journal/Tampa Bay Times Republican Presidential Debate, again Rick Santorum stood alone as the one candidate ready and able to stand firm, stand tall, and effectively implement conservative principles as our next commander-in-chief.
Hogan Gidley, National Communications Director, said: “While some on stage bickered back and forth about issues that won’t put one person back to work, Rick Santorum stood as the statesman ready to lead our nation on day-one.” . . .

You may want to read the rest of that Santorum campaign press release, which is probably better for your mental health than reading anything written lately by Jennifer Rubin or Erick Erickson. But you know who has written something truly insightful about all this?

Yeah, I think you do:

Florida is not South Carolina, and neither is it Iowa or New Hampshire, and the pundits rushing to early judgment about the likely result of next Tuesday’s primary in the Sunshine State should take a deep breath and calm down. Such was the advice offered by Florida GOP activist Sarah Rumpf yesterday, and I feel obligated to share her advice with people whose knowledge of Florida politics is less direct and extensive than hers.
“These people in New York and D.C. are looking at it from 30,000 feet up in the air and you can’t do that,” Rumpf said. Currently involved in Republican Adam Hasner’s Senate campaign and not allied with any of the remaining GOP presidential contenders, Rumpf was an early supporter of Marco Rubio’s successful challenge of former Gov. Charlie Crist in the 2010 Senate primary, a crucial battle for the Tea Party movement.
Rumpf called me Monday to warn against underestimating the strength of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaign organization in Florida. Romney endorsed Rubio in 2010 and campaigned with him, garnering respect from Tea Party activists and also from the Cuban-American community that is an important GOP constituency in South Florida. Furthermore, Rumpf said, Romney has a large staff of experienced Florida operatives who have been working in the state for months, and have been especially active in pushing Romney’s supporters to submit early absentee votes, a process that began over the weekend. Most of all, Romney has a vast funding advantage which allows him to advertise heavily in Florida’s expensive TV marketplace. Monday, the Romney campaign rolled out a new ad attacking former House Speaker Gingrich: “While Florida families struggled during the housing crisis, Newt Gingrich cashed in while working for Freddie Mac.” . . .

That’s from my American Spectator column today, and I hope you’ll read the whole thing. Otherwise, you might go completely nuts like that Vegas guy who just threw another $5 million at Newt Gingrich’s campaign.

My guess is he did it for the pure fun of watching Jennifer Rubin have another conniption. You probably don’t have $5 million to fling around for fun like that, but if you wanted to hit my tip jar for $20, I’ll see what new kind of craziness I can come up with.






Category: Election 2012, Fear. Loathing., Florida

LIVE AT FIVE – 01.24.12

Posted on | January 24, 2012 | 13 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Supremes Say Cops Need Warrants For GPS Tracking

Supreme Court courtroom

Scalia writes for majority in unanimous decision; Sotomayor concurs in separate opinion

Obama To Tout Natural Gas In SOTU Speech
Sure be nice if his EPA would actually let us DRILL SOME, wouldn’t it?

Gingrich Says Romney Is “Desperate”
Shrugs off governor’s attacks during debate as he closes in on Mitt’s lead in Florida



POLITICS
Thousands Participate In March For Life

20,000 young people pack the Verizon Center and then hit the streets

Pro-life marchers undeterred by foul weather on anniversary of Roe v. Wade decision

Buffett’s Burlington Northern Among Winners From Keystone Pipeline Denial

Senator Mark Kirk Faces Difficult Recovery From Stroke

Romney Tax Returns Likely To Stoke Debate Over Economic Fairness

Ex-CIA Man Accused Of Leaking Classified Info

Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Endorses Kucinich Over Kaptur



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Euro Gains Evaporate After Greek Setback
NY Crude Trades Below $100 As U.S. Inventory Offsets Iranian Embargo
Nikkei Near 3-Month High On Greece Hopes
U.S. Stock Trading Volume Lowest Since 2008 Amid Fund Withdrawals
TI to Close Older Plants In Texas, Japan
No Foreclosure Deal This Week, Iowa AG Says
New RIM CEO Has Rocky Start As Steady Approach Disappoints Wall Street
Why Does Google Need A Facebook Engineer To Fix Larry Page’s Mistake?
19% Of American Adults Own A Tablet; Another 19% Own E-Readers



SPORTS
Celtics Work Magic; Orlando Stifled 87-56

Celtics captain Paul Pierce splits the Magic's defense

Presto! Boston’s defense makes Howard disappear

Testimony From Paterno No Longer Admissible

Democrats Slam Bruins’ Goalie For Rejecting White House Invitation

Robinson Leads #5 Jayhawks In Win Over Scrappy Aggies

Wings Outfight Blues, Win 17th Consecutive Home Game

New Astros Owner Jim Crane Ponders Name, Uniform Changes

Rockets Win 7th Straight, 107-92 Over Timbermutts

Australia Leads Final Game Of Test, 248/3 out



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Seal Still Wearing Wedding Ring After Split From Heidi

Heidi & Seal

Anger management an issue?

Queen Of Soul Calls Off Wedding

Broody Jenifer Aniston Takes A “Pregnant Pause” From Work


Disney Selling Joy Division Mickey Mouse Shirt
Guys, this isn’t even remotely funny. :facepalm:

Courtney Stodden Hits Studio With Husband To Relaunch Pop Career

Jim Carrey’s Daughter Earns Ticket To “American Idol”‘s Hollywood Week

Whitney Houston “Broke As A Joke”



FOREIGNERS
“U.S. Will Continue To Impose New Iran Sanctions”
Syria Rejects Arab League Plan For Assad To Step Down
Chaotic Start To New Egyptian Parliament’s First Day
Jihadi Attacks In Kano Kill Over 178
Company Offer Of Discount Cruise To Italian Disaster Survivors Termed Insulting
Tibetan Groups Claim Protestors Fired On By PRC Police



BLOGS & STUFF
NRO Corner: Dark Horse Possibilities
Don Surber: NYT Gives Gingrich 84% Chance To Carry Florida
Hit & Run: Alleged WH Memo Shows Obama Signing Off On ObamaCare Fiscal Gimmickry
Jim Pethokoukis: Eleven Stunning Revelations From Larry Summers’ Secret Economics Memo To Obama
Atlas Shrugs: Treason – Former CIA Officer (Democratic Staffer) Charged With Leaking To Al Qaeda
Weasel Zippers: Occupier Of The Day
Hot Air: Is This Obama’s Willie Horton?
Mark Steyn: The Man Who Gave Us Newt
Zilla Of The Resistance: Let’s Make A Miracle Happen


SOTD: Can’t Find My Way Home (h/t Zilla)

Category: Live at Five

Rule 5 Monday

Posted on | January 23, 2012 | 10 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


Laughing Conservative kicks off this week’s roundup with Keeley Hazell, while Fishersville Mike informs us that Taylor Dayne is hot in the kitchen. Eye of Polyphemus went for Blake Lively, while Three Beers Later submits some Rule 5 comedy about cougars. Also, pole dancing! Reaganite Republican introduces us to the Miss Bikini International contest; Randy’s Roundtable takes a midweek break with Rosalyn Sanchez and Jessica Perez. Possibly related: Maggie’s Notebook goes with cowgirls, cowboys, and a couple of six-packs.


El Opinador Compulsivo gets more selective and less random this week (for which much thanks!) and leads off with a cutie followed by Zooey, exercising with weights, Rachel Weisz in spandex, and Karina Flores.


A View From The Beach had Drew Barrymore, a ban on plastic underwear in skiing, brains, and some cave girl anthropology.


Soylent Green’s Monday Motivationer last week was Cindy Hope, followed by Amanda Alves, going dark to protest, Terry Nihen, porch swing repair, a corsetless Corset Friday, Leanne Decker, and snow with a little something.


The Camp Of The Saints contributes Laura Harring, Jaqueline Khury and the incomparable Rule 5 News to this week’s roundup; Proof Positive adds Bianca Beauchamp, vintage babe Bo Derek, the obligatory 49ers cheerleaders, and this week’s installment of Sex In Advertising. Dustbury brings us Diane Lane and the 14th Zooeypalooza. Postaldog checks in with some Sophie Marceau, the POH Diaries offer Kate Upton’s Beach Bunny Bikini pix, and Valley of the Shadow brings the vintage Gothy goodness with Caroline Munro.


The DaleyGator’s Daleybabes last week were Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Angela Sun, Colbie Calait, Amerie, and Gina Carano; also, check out Ebony Beauty Monday and some random ladies.


Thanks to everyone for their linkagery! Deadline for next week’s Rule 5 Sunday is Saturday, January 28; please make sure you send your links to Rule 5 Wombat and not the e-mail address at the top of the post!

Category: Rule 5

TAMPA, FLORIDA NBC DEBATE

Posted on | January 23, 2012 | 35 Comments

by Smitty

Thoughts:

  • These debates are great. The GOP is going to the gym, and going to be very muscular, assuming it doesn’t have a heart attack and die from it all. The Dems for all their bluster, have got to understand that they are losing the mindshare.
  • The various pleadings to Florida were interesting. I won’t even embarrass myself by hazarding a guess as to the winner, except to say that it probably won’t be Ron Paul.
  • Rick Santorum continues to improve. Whether that improvement will have enough impact to keep his campaign afloat is the harder question.
  • I didn’t find Romney’s lobbying attack on Newt terribly compelling. In fact, it raised more concerns about Romney’s ability to trade verbal barbs with Obama than it raised doubts about Newt. Newt may not have lobbied, by some technical definition, but anyone who doubts that Newt schmoozed to the fullest capacity of English- and body-language is a knob. “Methinks the laddie doth protest too much,” to tweak Lady MacBeth. The question for everyone to consider is whether BHO would make more adroit use of the lobbying card against Newt in the general. I am confident BHO would be more rutheless than Mitt. Mitt should see Dan Riehl for lessons in verbal deconstruction of an opponent.
  • I must now get some beauty sleep.

22:41 EST Mitt: If elected, I will institute the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Countries Not Named Greece.
22:40 EST Williams: Has America seen better days?
22:39 EST Newt: Yeah, we’re toast. I don’t want people for me, I want people with me.
22:38 EST Mitt: I have an inflatable record that is sufficiently buoyant to float the albatross and the galoshes.
22:37 EST Williams: RomneyCare; albatross, or cement galoshes for you?
22:36 EST Paul: Yeah, if want liberty and small government, you need to gaff these RINOs on the stage with me right off.
22:36 EST Williams: Paul, can you wreck the other three gentlemen for me?
22:34 EST Rick: RomneyCare and Newt’s individual mandate support. I am the clear conservative. OK, I can’t out-conservative Ron Paul.
22:33 EST Newt: I have been a really big, nearly Christie-sized, historical figure for the last 40 years. Master debater? Yeah, that’s me.
22:32 EST Mitt: I did what capitalists do.
22:31 EST Williams: They say Republicans are zombies. Does that mean the GOP has no soul? How do you nurture a soul in an undead organization?

So far:
Rick Santorum is having his strongest outing yet.
Mitt and Newt have had a jolly plowing contest; unclear whose ox was more gored.
Ron Paul’s Cuba ideas neglect a lot of the rogue state interactions that plague global stability.

22:25 EST Newt: Well, they helped us not crater so bad. But Dodd-Frank is killing us.
22:25 EST NBC: If tax cuts are the magic jobs pixie dust, why didn’t the Bush tax cuts work?
22:24 EST Newt: We should offer prizes. Permanent Moon bases, Mars, space stations. Do it.
22:23 EST NBC: Will you commit to putting a man on Mars?
22:22 EST Mitt: Why, yes: NASA, and also private sector. I will bring $ to the space coast, if you bring me votes.
22:22 EST NBC: Should we have a space program?
22:21 EST Paul: This underscored the issue of having living wills.
22:21 EST NBC: We’re not doing well painting Rick and Newt as fools. Can we lure you in with Schiavo?
22:21 EST Newt: Look at the efforts spent on death row inmates.
22:20 EST NBC: Can we throw you under the Schiavo bus?
22:19 EST Rick: I stand by my actions and would do it all again.
22:18 EST NBC: Hey, can we throw Terry Schiavo at you?
22:12 EST Mitt: I hate subsidies, and I hate what BHO has done to the economy.
22:11 EST Newt: Even Herman Cain can’t beat beet and cane sugar, and don’t attack my Chris Christie figure.
21:10 EST Adam Smith: The wealth of nations is diminished by subsidies. Newt, are you sub-sized?
22:09 EST Rick: We should quit rewarding illegal aliens for breaking the immigration laws.
22:07 EST Newt: They can serve in the military, but I don’t support the Dream Act otherwise.
22:07 EST NBC: Do you like Dream Theater?
22:06 EST Paul: That 10th Amendment should let a state have a bi-lingual ballot if Florida chooses.
22:05 EST Mitt: You FRICKIN’ Commie! We Do Not Support You Fragmenting This Country! [No, he doesn’t say anything that forceful: I’m kidding.]
22:04 EST Newt: English is a unifier. There are hundreds of languages.
22:04 EST NBC: You all want English as the official language, yet you’re courting Hispanics in Spanish. Hypocrisy?
22:03 EST Rick: Oil and energy will give you an economy. You might like it.
22:01 EST NBC: If we have offshore drilling, there will be a spill and Florida will die, die, die.
22:00 EST Rick: Iran is a pack of thugs. Tehran having a nuke would be tantamount to al-Qaeda having a bomb.
21:59 EST Williams: Iranian nukes. Why the h8?

break
Dear Representative Paul,
The United States is not blockading Iran. The United Nations (generally useless though it be) has issued sanctions against Iran. You can argue that the U.S. calls the U.N. tune to a large degree, but at least argue the case accurately.
Also, the Golden Rule is an inter-personal statement, not a political science statement. Peace through both superior firepower and the merest hint of a twitchy trigger finger is the empirically proven approach.
Thanks,
Smitty

21:53 EST Paul: We’re already blockading Iran. How would we respond to a blockade of the Gulf of Mexico?
21:52 EST Mitt: BHO is screwing up in Afghanistan.
21:51 EST Newt: President Milquetoast cancelled the Israeli bilateral operation. Apparently too busy at the YMCA to make the right decision.
21:50 EST Mitt: I will muster the Village People to sing “In the Navy” until Ahmadinejad sues for peace and quiet.
21:49 EST Williams: Straights of Hormuz. Is the term ‘Straight’ vaguely homophobic? If the Iranians force straights into the closet, is that an act of war?
21:47 EST Rick: The sanctions should continue until the Castros are both room temperature, and then we should make the Cubans an offer they can’t refuse to enjoy normal relations with us. And, Paul, the global thug club is working with Cuba against us.
21:46 EST Paul: I don’t like isolationism. I think the sanctions propped up Castro. And no, I don’t think we need to overthrow the Cuban government.
21:45 EST Newt: I would forget the Arab Spring and bring the sting of a Cuban Spring.
21:45 EST Mitt: I don’t smoke.
21:44 EST Williams: 3 A.M. call. Castro done. Can you smoke a couple hundred cubans for sheer joy?
21:43 EST Mitt: They were poorly regulated.
21:42 EST Williams: Were markets over-regulated?
21:42 EST Newt: Repeal Dodd-Frank, and the housing market will get better overnight.
21:41 EST Mitt: What Paul said.
21:39 EST Paul: Washington has really screwed it up. The Community Reinvestment Act screwed it up. The bubble was as obvious as corruption on Congress. Liquidate the debt. Plus another 1,000 words.
21:37 EST Santorum: Yeah, we tried to work on it back on ’06, but Reid, Biden, and Obama filibustered the legislation.
21:36 EST Williams: 40% of FL homeowners are underwater. Did the government tube it?

break
Dear Governor Romney:
You have got to publish some specific details of precisely where you think Newt lobbied/peddled influence/behaved unethically. Such a case may exist, but the handwaving isn’t convincing.
In fact, it makes you look like Marianne Gingrich.
This is not meant to sound like a Newt apologist. The concern about the October surprise is real.
Also real: specific facts.
Cheers,
Smitty

21:32 EST Mitt: You got paid, and you walked around peddling influence.
21:32 EST Newt: I advocated good policy as a private citizen.
21:30 EST Mitt: Did so.
21:30 EST Newt: Did not.
21:30 EST Mitt: You lobbied.
21:29 EST Newt: Oh come on. You’ve run a business. You know where the loot goes to offices &c.
21:28 EST Mitt: You’ve admitted that your wallet was penetrated, however slightly, by far more money than anyone would pay an historian.
21:27 EST Newt: I’ve got the contract online, and there is no evidence of peddling influence?
21:26 EST Williams: Newt, why is your Freddie lobbying not lobbying?
21:24 EST Rick: I have not attacked Mitt on the Bain damage. I’d like to ask Mitt and Newt why they supported the Wall Street bailouts, if you’re such heap big capitalists. GOOD POINT!!!
21:23 EST Mitt: I expect that on from the front, from the Left, not in the back from the Right.
21:22 EST Williams: I must stoke the fires of class warfare.
21:21 EST Newt: I can bury you on tax details.
21:19 EST Mitt: You think I’d admit to owning this kind of syphilitic camel? But the real issue is, of course, my tax plan. “I’m proud of the fact I pay a lot of taxes.” Patriotically, one presumes.
21:18 EST Williams: Mitt, will you admit that the taxes you’re to reveal tomorrow reflect ownership of the entire GOP?
21:17 EST Paul: Why do you want to take away my favorite knife?
21:16 EST Williams: Ron Paul, will you admit to intending a third party run?
21:14 EST Rick: “Once in a while we can finish in style,” sticking to conservative principles.
21:14 EST Williams: You got crushed when you ran for the Senate last time.
21:13 EST Rick: Why, yes: yes, I am. I’m here to be a consistent conservative, not wreck Republicans, and put the heat back on the opposition, #OccupyResoluteDesk.
21:12 EST Williams: Senator Santorum, are you still in the race?
21:11 EST Newt: How about some facts, Mitt?
21:08 EST Mitt: Yeah, Newt is that Doomsday Machine, all right. And so the GOP had to kick Newt out. That makes him a bad man.
21:07 EST Newt: I am, in fact, a Star Trek alien, not from Star Wars. And we’ll refute Mitt on the web tomorrow.
21:06 EST Mitt: I am Zog’s Sex Wax, and Newt is really Jabba the Hut.
21:05 EST Williams: Mitt, do you think Americans will elect a wax figure like you?
21:04 EST Newt: I know balanced budgets are controversial, but I kicked a lot of butt.
21:04 EST Williams: Have you had a road to Damascus moment, so people can have a shred of confidence in you?
21:03 EST Newt: Yeah, Reagan was down, too. But I’m here to put the hurt on DC. Big hurt.
21:02 EST Williams: Newt, Mitt says you are Jabba the Hut. Feedback?

The NBC Tampa debate starts off in half an hour. The house is swept; the World’s Youngest Blogger Bathed, and I am ready for some WWF-level GOP action. Probably erroneous predictions:

Newt Gingrich Stuns the crowd by not being overly self-congratulatory over South Carolina.
Mitt Romney Stuns the crowd by producing a hard copy of the famous tax returns for Brian Williams, who pronounces them boring.
Rick Santorum Stuns the crowd by confessing he was on the road with the Grateful Dead one summer during college.
Ron Paul Stuns the crowd by speaking slowly, in brief, coherent statements.
Category: Debates, Florida, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Republicans, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul

TSA Must Be A Cow, Clearing Both The Shark And The Moon In An Idiotic Jump

Posted on | January 23, 2012 | 12 Comments

by Smitty

How do you work in an airport adjacent to Kentucky, where CNN blares 24/7, and not know the junior U.S. Senator from the neighbor state?

The White House is standing by the Transportation Security Administration in its standoff with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and his father, Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).
The elder Paul called the TSA a “police state” Monday after Rand Paul was reportedly detained by TSA after he refused to take a pat-down from TSA officials at the Nashville International Airport.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that he didn’t have any reaction to Paul’s “police state” comments.
But Carney sided with the TSA saying, “I think it is absolutely essential that we take necessary actions to ensure that air travel is safe.”

Constitutional violation?

In preventing Kentucky Senator Rand Paul from flying to Washington this morning, the TSA directly violated the law as written in the US Constitution.
The Constitution specifically protects federal lawmakers from being detained while en route to Washington DC.
Article I, Section 6 states:
“The Senators and Representatives…shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same….”
Rand Paul was travelling from his home in Louisville to attend a session in the Senate today.

This is so wildly over the top as to provoke questions:

  • Does the Paul campaign enjoy some secret TSA underling support that pulled such an idiotic stunt to give RP some free press?
  • Will this be the straw that breaks the Aqua Buddha’s back?
  • Will #OccupyResoluteDesk blame Bush for the TSA, and claim a GOP effort to discredit BHO? (Gently asserting that BHO has credit to lose.)

The Theatrical Sex Analysts have just Got. To. Go.

Via Fausta, ‘Think of the TSA as your creepy uncle.’:

via Drudge

Category: Kentucky, The Flemish Menace

Beware of Early Florida Polls

Posted on | January 23, 2012 | 39 Comments

HAGERSTOWN, Md.
The dateline is perhaps necessary to signify that, after eight days in South Carolina, I’m now back home and — thank you, tip jar hitters! — planning to make it to Jacksonville, Florida, for Thursday’s debate. Trying to assess the situation going forward, I want to caution against falling prey to the bandwagon mentality that headlines like this might engender:

Gingrich tops 40 percent
in Rasmussen Florida poll
— The Hill

Newt Surges to Lead in Fla.,
Romney Trails by 8 Points
— NewsMax

There are legitimate and specific reasons not to jump to conclusions about what’s going to happen on Jan. 31 based on what the polls say on Jan. 23. Remember that the Rasmussen poll of Jan. 16 showed Romney leading by 14 points in South Carolina, where he lost by 12 points on Jan. 21. If polls can swing by 26 points in five days, then any poll lead Gingrich has eight days ahead of the Florida vote could certainly evaporate just as quickly.

Another reason for caution: Just got off the phone with Sunshine State Sarah, who is wired into the Florida GOP scene and insists that pundits in D.C. and New York are naively underestimating the depth and strength of Romney’s organizaqtion in Florida. Sarah reminded me that Romney endorsed Marco Rubio against Charlie Crist and — echoing an observation that Michael Barone shared when we were in New Hampshire — Romney has the Cuban vote in South Florida wrapped up tight.

Gingrich has very little organizational strength in Florida. Newt’s campaign there didn’t even exist until three weeks ago. And Sarah says the Romney team has been pushing hard for early voters, hitting them with mail pieces and phone calls. The pundits who are looking at the Florida race “from 30,000 feet,” as Sarah says, are missing a lot of the ground-level factors that favor Romney there.

On the other hand, of course, there is the possibility that we are seeing one of those tsunami shifts, with Romney’s support collapsing as suddenly and decisively as did Perry’s frontrunner mojo in September. When that kind of negative momentum hits a campaign, stopping the slide can be difficult, and the whole thing could snowball.

Consider the outside possibility that Romney could finish third in Florida. It’s a winner-take-all state, so there is no reward for placing second. However, if Romney can’t halt his negative momentum — if the debates tonight (8 p.m. NBC) and Thursday on CNN go badly for Mitt — his slide could be enough to permit Santorum to challenge him for third place. And if Romney is third in Florida . .  . ouch.

That’s probably not going to happen, but ihis campaign has been nothing if not unpredictable so far, and it’s difficult to rule anything out. Sunshine State Sarah (she’s “Rumpfshaker” on Twitter) was pointing in the opposite direction: Romney’s organizational strength in Florida may prove an obstacle that no amount of “surging” by Gingrich can overcome it, no matter what the polls say eight days ahead of the primary.

Florida is a large and politically complex state, and trying to extrapolate the current trend as a predictor of the ultimate outcome is a risky proposition.

UPDATE: Evidence of my road weariness: I had previously omitted the word “not” from the sentence about “legitimate and specific reasons not to jump to conclusions.” Meanwhile, I woke up from a long nap today to find my phone ringing. It was Sarah calling, saying that the commenters were being wrathful about this grain-of-salt note of caution.

Key point: Sarah knows Florida GOP politics. She’s lived and breathed it for years. She was an early supporter of Marco Rubio’s campaign. So unless you’re a Floridian who wishes to match your own knowledge of the state against her, perhaps you should take a deep breath and consider the possibility that she knows what she’s talking about.

At the same time, the momentum factor working against Romney cannot be underestimated. He’s got to do better in debates, and he’s got to change the subject. Romney wasted time and money in South Carolina with TV ads attacking Rick Santorum, whom his advisers mistakenly targeted for more than a week, which abetted Gingrich’s rise. This time they won’t make that mistake.

Category: Election 2012, Florida

Note To Mitt: Cut The Donnie Osmond Noise; It’s Alice Cooper Time

Posted on | January 23, 2012 | 18 Comments

by Smitty

Via the Puffington Host:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared on Sunday that Newt Gingrich has been “an embarrassment” to the Republican Party who didn’t have the background or capacity to serve as an effective president.
Appearing on “Meet the Press,” the top Mitt Romney surrogate didn’t refrain from sharp character attacks.
“I think Gingrich has embarrassed the party over time,” Christie said. “Whether he’ll do it again in the future, I don’t know. But Gov. Romney never has.”
And he went on from there.

Mitt, every time you send a surrogate to do your heavy lifting, you’re tacitly saying “I ain’t got sack.”

Sure, one can grasp why it’s more convenient to maintain the prissy little Donnie Osmond façade. In the general case, keeping everything trite and boring, like John McCain did in 2008, leaves fewer dangling resentments for later.

But this isn’t 2008, and, like John McCain, you’re demonstrating a worrisome propensity for gutlessness. This is not to say that red-on-red attacks are desirable; just that, if you are going to go there, man up and do it yourself. This will have the effect of ensuring to conservatives that you’re going to take the fight to Obama in a meaningful way, the way Newt has to #OccupyResoluteDesk’s media surrogates.

“Be angry and sin not.” Be very angry. If you could get Chuck Norris to admit he’s not sure he could take you in a hand-to-hand outing, that would be helpful.

More at Riehl World View.

Category: Mitt Romney
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