The Other McCain

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

Dear Cousin: Thanks, But No Thanks

Posted on | November 20, 2010 | 4 Comments

The senator from Arizona — a distant cousin, our common ancestor having lived in South Carolina circa 1790 — is not my only famous kin. 

My first cousin Pepper Ellis Hagebak is a columnist for the LaGrange (Ga.) News. But her column isn’t about politics, and that’s probably a good thing. Pepper’s still a Democrat, like everybody in our family used to be. Her column is more humor and human interest. So even though she’s a Democrat and writes for a newspaper, she’s not exactly “the liberal media.”

Anyway, I hadn’t heard from Pepper in a while until I got an e-mail from her this morning with the subject line “a1vca g3a7.” And when I opened the e-mail, there were several CCs on it and the complete text of the message was “uem4 nhs kmhc4 hio7pspz,” with a link to a Web site. When I clicked on the link, it was a site advertising “herbal viagra.”

I’m pretty sure that my cousin hasn’t begun writing gibberish e-mails and promoting stuff like that. No, what undoubtedly  happened is that her computer got infected with a stupid virus that hijacked her e-mail program on behalf of the Nigerian herbal viagra cartel. And since the spammers have now got my e-mail address, I have no doubt that other people are probably getting such solicitations in my name.

To my friends and family: No, I haven’t gone into the herbal viagra racket, and I didn’t send you that e-mail. Times are hard all over, but it hasn’t gotten that bad. Not yet, anyway. Read more

Category: Family

Please Permit Me to Remind You . . .

Posted on | November 19, 2010 | 19 Comments

. . . that this is Stephen Kruiser’s new sidekick, Kinsey Schofield:

When Miss Schofield made her PJTV debut, I took the occasion to suggest that her function was as “eye candy” — NTTAWWT — and was roundly excoriated for so doing. Oh, I was some horrible sexist, I was accused of being jealous, I was even called a “stalker.”

So today, while I was busy updating the news about Renee Ellmers’ victory in North Carolina, I went over to Hot Air to see if they were blogging about the big win. No, but Read more

Category: Celebrities, Matt Lewis, PJTV, Rule 5

Ann Marie Buerkle Win in NY-25 Would Give GOP Biggest Majority Since 1949

Posted on | November 19, 2010 | 9 Comments

As noted in my last update about Renee Ellmers’ victory in NC-2, Republicans are now at 240 House seats and they haven’t had 241 seats since 1949. And Sam Foster at Left Coast Rebel reports that Ann Marie Buerkle is 411 votes ahead of Dan Maffei in NY-25 after the count of absentee ballots from Onondaga County.

The Buerkle campaign says victory is a “mathematical certainty,” and the Lonely Conservative headlines it: “Buerkle Lead Can’t Be Beat.”

C’mon, Ann Marie. This one’s for the history books, sweetheart.

Did I hear somebody say “mandate”?

UPDATE: Now a Memeorandum thread, more reporting from the Auburn Citizen and blogged by Lucianne.com, This Ain’t Hell, South Capitol Street and Dan Riehl.

Category: Ann Marie Buerkle, Congress, Election, Left Coast Rebel, New York, The Lonely Conservative

BREAKING: Renee Ellmers Wins Recount; Bob Etheridge to Concede; UPDATE: In Concession Speech, Dem Says He Was Victim of ‘Dirty Politics’

Posted on | November 19, 2010 | 18 Comments

UPDATE 3:50 p.m. ET: Yeah, he’s a victim:

“The combination of the national tide that swept the country, massive amounts of secret corporate cash funding a campaign of distortions, and dirty politics by Washington D.C. partisan operatives was just too much to overcome.”

Full text of Etheridge’s statement here. (A) Etheridge outspent Ellmers about 3-to-1; and (B) since when is it “dirty politics” to ask a Democrat congressman if he supports the Democrat president?

UPDATE 4:05 p.m. ET: Statement from Rep.-elect Renee Ellmers:

“The first words for me to say are ‘thank you.’ It took sacrifices by many fine people working together to make this victory possible. I thank each of them – the people of the 2nd District, the people who volunteered and gave of their time and money and worked selflessly.
“This is the way American Democracy works: Through elections. That, inevitably, leads to debate and conflict which can be bruising. It is, I can now say from experience, at times a harsh endeavor. But it has served our democracy well for over 200 years.
“After receiving a gracious call from Congressman Etheridge, the election is over and rather than debating our problems we begin work on how to solve them and as I begin my part in that work I want to wish Congressman Etheridge and his family the best.
“This election Americans voted to change Washington. And I have been elected to play a role in bringing that change to Congress. I will do all that I can to meet that challenge. I ask for your prayers and I ask you to join me in praying for Congressman Etheridge and his family during this transition. Thank you.”

UPDATE 4:40 p.m. ET: Michael Memoli of the L.A. Times:

Etheridge had been reelected with more than 60% of the vote in each of his last four campaigns, but Ellmers, a nurse, made opposition to healthcare reform a top cudgel against the incumbent. . . .
If all current leads win in [the five remaining undecided House] races, Republicans’ final tally in the 112th Congress would be 243 seats to the Democrats’ 192, a final pickup of 64 seats.
Republicans have not held more than 240 seats in the House since 1949.

Yeah. The biggest GOP majority in 60 years. Not like there’s any kind of “mandate” there, eh?

UPDATE 3:30 p.m. ET: Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) concedes in Raleigh:

“[T]he election recount has concluded, and the numbers confirm that despite the incredible support we had — and neither candidate getting to 50 percent — in the end we came up just a little too short,” Etheridge said. “I congratulate Mrs. Ellmers and wish her well as she prepares to serve the people of North Carolina’s Second District.”
“Every single day since we opened our doors in 1997, my staff and I have worked hard to provide outstanding constituent services to anyone and everyone who needed our help,” Etheridge said. “I’m so proud of my staff for their constituent service to this district. I’m biased, but I think it has been second to none.”

PREVIOUSLY (1:40 p.m. ET): WXII-TV in Raleigh, N.C., reports:

 A recount in North Carolina’s closest congressional race has confirmed a victory for Republican candidate Renee Ellmers.
 State Board of Elections director Gary Bartlett said Friday that a recount in the 2nd Congressional District has found that Ellmers defeated Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge by about 1,500 votes.  A recount in North Carolina’s closest congressional race has confirmed a victory for Republican candidate Renee Ellmers.
State Board of Elections director Gary Bartlett said Friday that a recount in the 2nd Congressional District has found that Ellmers defeated Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge by about 1,500 votes.

UPDATE: Tim Sahd of National Journal was the first to report that Etheridge is expected to concede at a 3 p.m. ET press conference.

UPDATE II: Etheridge, of course, became notorious for grabbing a student videographer and demanding to know, “Who are you?” And thanks to my friend Joe Marier for making this important point:

Indeed, and let me remind you of Ellmers’ Ground Zero Mosque ad:

UPDATE III: Remember that Ellmers accused the NRCC of being MIA in NC-2. As I noted at The American Spectator, “The victory by Ellmers means that the GOP has scored a net gain of 61 seats in the mid-term election, and Republicans lead in three of the five seats where a winner has not yet been decided.”

Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit points out that Ellmers is one of eight Republican women elected to the House this year, a number that we hope will include Ann Marie Buerkle in NY-25. (Via Memeorandum.)

UPDATE IV: Just checked in on the NY-25 ballot-counting where Buerkle is “approaching mathematical certainty” — like Ellmers, Buerkle is a nurse and a pro-lifer, so they’ll be a natural tandem in the 112th Congress.

Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, my source close to the Ellmers campaign was enjoying a delicious homestyle lunch when I called. Ellmers will not release an official statement until after Etheridge’s 3 p.m. press conference.

UPDATE V: Ellmers didn’t get much help from the NRCC. She did, however, get a lot of help from a Mama Grizzly.

UPDATE VI: My Spectator colleague John Tabin pointed out on Twitter that New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino ran a GZM ad. I replied via Twitter that (a) Paladino wasn’t running for Congress, and (b) well . . . go read the rest for yourself.

UPDATE VII: SusanAnne Hiller takes a victory lap at BigGovernment.com and Ellmers gets congratulations from Sister Toldjah.

Category: Congress, Election, North Carolina, Renee Ellmers

More Lame-Duck Madness

Posted on | November 19, 2010 | 3 Comments

You know how all those pollsters and pundits were so eager to tell us that the mid-term election — in which Republicans gained more House seats than in any election since 1938 — were not a “mandate” for the GOP agenda?

Yeah, well, how the hell was this election a mandate for repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” pushing through the DREAM Act amnesty, imposing Internet censorship or approving Democrat campaign donors as federal judges? And exactly where is the mandate for the executive imposition of “net neutrality”?

What’s going on here, of course, is the same kind of dark-of-night trick beloved by Nancy Pelosi, as when she scheduled a major health-care debate for the Saturday after the 2009 off-year election, a day when normal red-blooded Americans were watching LSU-Alabama or Penn State-Ohio State.

They know damned well that the liberal agenda can’t withstand public scrutiny — does anyone remember any Democrat in a contested election running TV ads declaring his support for granting citizenship to illegal aliens? — and so they try to sneak these things through when they think nobody’s paying attention.

Most people are now looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. The election is over, the Democrats lost, and voters therefore cannot be blamed for thinking they had fixed that “wrong track” problem that had been apparent in polls for months.

Do me a favor: If your congressman or senator is a Republican, call their office and ask them to take the floor to give a speech reminding their Democratic colleagues that they just got a “shellacking” from the voters.

Elections have consequences, and this business of Democrats trying to ram through their unpopular agenda during a lame-duck session should not be tolerated.

Category: Congress, Gays, Immigration

What Did Alaskans Vote For?

Posted on | November 19, 2010 | 12 Comments

Apparently, Lisa Murkowski considers her write-in re-election a mandate for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Really?

Maybe I missed something. Was that even an issue during the campaign? And what other mandates will Murkowski now claim from the Alaska electorate?

The fact that Joe Lieberman says he’s now got 60 votes for repealing DADT suggests this may be the first of the many surprises we can espect from Senator Murkowski over the next six years.

Category: Alaska, Gays, Senate

‘The TMZ-ing of the Presidency’

Posted on | November 19, 2010 | 3 Comments

That’s Patrick Ishmael’s criticism of the insistence on an early start for the 2012 GOP presidential primary campaign, particularly the recent announcement that the first Republican debate will be scheduled for next spring at the Reagan Library. Ishmael points out that Ronald Reagan didn’t even officially announce his 1980 campaign until November 1979 — less than three months before the New Hampshire primary. Nice video:

While mindful of the coattail effects that the Republican presidential nominee will have in 2012, for good or ill, I wish grassroots conservatives would focus their attention on opposing the 22 Democrat senators who are up for re-election in 2012. Identifying, recruiting and supporting good conservative candidates in the GOP Senate primaries in those states will be as important as anything else the grassroots could be doing over the next two or three months.

Given the advantages that will accrue to House Republicans due to redistricting, it seems rather unlikely that Democrats can put the Speaker’s gavel back in Nancy Pelosi’s hands any time soon. On the other hand, not to be unduly pessimistic, a study of recent history suggests that the natural advantages of incumbency favor Obama’s chances for re-election. 

However, it is entirely feasible that Republicans can gain upwards of 10 Senate seats in 2012 — especially if the grassroots will begin laying the groundwork now, and not leave the process of candidate recruitment to that treacherous bastard John Cornyn and his bumbling incompetents on the NRSC staff.

Insofar as I’m concerned at all about the first Republican presidential debate, it is to hope that Herman Cain will be on that stage at the Reagan Library. Underestimate him at your peril.

Category: Debates, Election 2012, Ronald Reagan, Video

LIVE AT FIVE – 11.19.10

Posted on | November 19, 2010 | 3 Comments

TOP NEWS

Ethics Panel Recommends Censure For Rangel

 

Congressman Charlie Rangel, D-NY

9-1 vote also calls for payment of unpaid taxes; Maxine Waters due up next

Three Missing In Ohio Found Dead
Bodies wrapped in garbage bags, stuffed into tree

Reid, Pelosi Plan Votes On Extending Tax Cuts
No consensus on whether to decouple middle-class cuts or just renew all cuts

POLITICS

Emanuel Ineligible To Run For Mayor of Chicago?

The man who would be mayor

Residency challenged; seems he rented out the house he claimed was his residence. Oops.

How Many Poles Does It Take To Pass New START?

Reid Looking For GOP Defectors To Shut Off Filibuster Of DADT Repeal

Lugar Opposed To Earmark Moratorium

THE ECONOMY, STUPID

Bernanke Defends Fed’s Action, Calls For Unity

Ex-Car Czar Rattner Sued By New York, Settles With SEC

Antimatter Atoms Trapped For First Time
Paging Zephraim Cochran…

“Call Of Duty: Black Ops” Grosses $650 Million In Five Days

SPORTS

Mariners’ Felix Hernandez Wins AL Cy Young

 

Felix Hernandez: 2010 AL Cy Young Award Winner

13-12 record, but a stunning 2.27 ERA

Injuries Plague Dolphins In Shutout Loss To Bears

Wild Night In Philly As Lightning Outscore Flyers 8-7

Washington Keeps Bowl Hopes Alive With Ugly Win Over UCLA

Sprint Cup Contenders Take “Have At It” Attitude With Title On The Line

FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS

Anne & Jake Strip Down For EW Cover

 

Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal

Promoting the “comedic drama” Love And Other Drugs

Eva/Tony Divorce – It’s All About The He Said/She Said BS

Insiders: If Bristol Palin Wins, DWTS Is Ruined
I’m definitely watching – and voting – now. 😀

Alec Baldwin Really Likes Wegman’s
Nice to know he’s not a complete idiot.

FOREIGNERS

NATO Ramps Up Attacks On Taliban In Afghanistan

Explosion Rips New Zealand Coal Mine

UN Condemns Burma’s Human Rights Record, Potemkin Elections

Wikileaks Founder Faces Arrest In Britain As Sweden Prepares To Issue International Warrant; Assange Accused Of Multiple Rapes, Sexual Assaults

BLOGS & STUFF

NRO: Hoyer Says House Will Only Vote On Middle-Class Tax Cuts

Gateway Pundit: Matthew Yglesias Is A Dishonest Left-Wing Crank Who Doesn’t Understand Economics

Allahpundit: Jon Stewart Calls On Media To Lay Off The Palin Kids

Michelle Malkin: Carville Getting A Bit Testis With Obama

Weasel Zippers: Lame Duck House Refuses To Cut NPR Funding

Outside The Beltway: Hey, Having Lame Ducks Do Nonessential Stuff Might Be Unconstitutional

Administrivia: Live At Five is knocking off for the weekend so I can be initiated into the mysteries of the FMJRA and Rule 5 Sunday. Emacs may be involved. See y’all Monday.

— compiled by Wombat-socho

Category: Live at Five
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