Scozzafava drops out, Hoffman tunes in

She’s gone.

Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.

While we’re at it, let’s kick out the useless RINO nit-wit that pushed Scozzafava on us in the first place.

President Zero’s approval ratings according to Rasmussen

Just thought you’d like to know.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 29% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-nine percent (39%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10. The Approval Index has been in negative double digits for 14 of the last 16 days.

…Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. That’s just a single point above the lowest level yet recorded for this President. Fifty-two percent (52%) now disapprove.

Happy Halloween, Obambi.

The thing is, what does this mean for our side?  Specifically, how can we use these numbers? 

I think the best thing we can do is mobilize the annoyance people feel with the Obama and the Donkey-Puncher Party in order to take back the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia.  Obama has invested a lot of energy in the Garden State hoping to counterbalance the likely loss the Dems are going to take in Virginia.  This is an indicator of just how necessary the off-year elections are for the advancement of health care deform, crap n’ tax and the rest of Obama’s socialist fun time crap. 

If the Democrats lose both states and NY-23, it’ll send a nice little message to the rest of the statists in Congress: that pushing the Obama agenda will get you booted out of your cushy legislative jobs.  They might not turn into free-market conservatives, but at least they’ll be a little less pushy with their stupid dinosaur liberalism.  That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.   

Thanks to Rasmussen’s Twitter feed fo’ the tip.

Kumar: Enabler of the Obama-NEA group hug

You shoulda stayed playing a doctor on “House”, brah.  Hope you make some new friends pinned under the oil pan of Obama’s bus, cuz I have a feeling that’s where you’re gonna end up.

Former actor and present White House associate director of public engagement Kalpen Modi was directly involved in planning the controversial conference call hosted by a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) flack to encourage tax-supported artists to create propaganda for President Obama, according to emails obtained by Judicial Watch via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The emails reveal that Modi worked with now-former NEA national communications director Yosif Sargant in planning the August 10 conference call that was first revealed by Andrew Breitbart’s Big Hollywood.com web site. Participants in the conference call were encouraged to use their talents to generate public support for the Obama agenda in Congress.

This is yet another embarrassment for the Obama administration.  Couple this with NEA head Rocco Landesman’s shameless knob-polishing of Obama and his mad writing skillz and you get the feeling that great swaths of our government are being run by Barry’s drooling cult members.

I realize this is sorta lame by now, but imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst the knee-jerk lefty press if Dubya had tried to bribe artists-excuse me, artistes-with government largesse to help push the GOP agenda.  The media would still be pissing and moaning about Bush’s forcing America’s precious creative-types into painting pretty pictures glorifying No Child Left Behind or Social Security reform. 

But now Obama is busy creating a government-funded personality cult.  What is the state-controlled media doing?  Ignoring it completely. Niiiiiiiiiice.

Amazing Stop-Motion Animation

Combo by Blu and David Ellis.

Color me impressed.

Wanna see really small stuff?

Like ribosomes and atoms and shit?

Clicky here.

Trippy.

‘Legislative Activity’ Trailer

It’s spoooooooooooooky!

Mary Katherine Ham’s got some good stuff goin’ on there.

 

Ford Motor Company: Good and Bad News

The American car companies have taken a brutal ass-whipping these last few years.  While I’ve all but written off Chrysler and GM, I was hoping that Ford might be able to pull through.  Well, there’s some reasons to cheer and some reasons to panic all at once.

The good news apparently has convinced members of the United Auto Workers union that things are hunky- dory at Ford, and there’s no reason for them to give the automaker the same concessions competitors General Motors and Chrysler got from bankruptcy proceedings.

As of day-end Tuesday, union members at half-dozen Ford plants had rejected — in some cases resoundingly so — the new contract that puts Ford at parity with union brothers and sisters at GM and Chrysler. Voting continues through Saturday, but the outlook is not good as only two plants with votes tallied so far have voted in favor of a new contract.

The proposed agreement, supported by top UAW leadership, contains a wage freeze for new hires and a six-year no-strike clause over wages and benefits – the same as the union gave GM and Chrysler. Plus Ford workers would get a $1,000 bonus to meet some quality and productivity targets.

First of all, I get that union leaders can’t go around saying, “No, we want less money for more hours.”  The problem is that this is one of those times when it should be painfully obvious that management isn’t crying poor-mouth. 

I think we’re seeing the fruits of the GM and Chrysler deals ripening before our eyes.  I think the UAW is holding out because they think the gubmint will deliver Ford into their hands at some point in the near future. 

Like I said , there is some good news in that link too.  The problem is, I’m too moody to focus on that right now.

How to get your Geek Cred the easy way

Just follow this handy-dandy flow chart drawn up by the dude over at Political Math.

 

 

Read the whole post at the link, but here’s what PM has to say about the climate change debate.

The reason I’m skewering the pro-climate-change side in this visual is because they seem to be much narrower in their orthodoxy. I’ve known extremely liberal people with graduate degrees in nuclear physics who get angry because no one wants to hear their solution to climate change (hint: it rhymes with buclear flower pants) due to the fact that the movement (from a political stand point) is dominated by long time environmentalists who spent their formative years fighting against nuclear power and don’t want to admit that they might have gotten that one wrong. (How is that for a run-on sentence?)

The “climate skeptics” side is often just as scientifically lackadaisical, but they’ll welcome anyone with open arms as long as they’re even remotely skeptical of any part of the political climate change agenda. They’ll accept anything including “climate change isn’t happening”, “man isn’t causing climate change”, “climate change isn’t a problem”, or (my favorite) “the solution isn’t (Kyoto/carbon tax/ethanol/hybrid car/whatever-my-political-enemies-like), the real solution is (fill-in-the-blanks-with-something-that-will-make-my-political-enemies-angry)”.

But, ultimately, I find the pro side to be more humorous because it is populated by approximately 30 actual scientists with knowledge in the field and millions of people with no scientific knowledge in the field who just like to feel smug about being all “scientific” while bashing other people who aren’t “scientific”.

Sounds good to me, chief. 

And yes, you’re not a real scientist.

(Re)Confirmed: Sting is a mouth-breathing leftard

I know, I know.  It’s shooting fish in a barrel with a grenade launcher.  But still…

But Sting is serious in his belief that Obama is the best leader to navigate the world’s problems. In an interview on Wednesday, the former Police frontman said that he spent some time with Obama and “found him to be very genuine, very present, clearly super-smart, and exactly what we need in the world.”

“I can’t think of any be better qualified because of his background, his education, particularly in regard to Islam,” he said.

Still, Sting acknowledged the president had a “difficult job” ahead of him.

The British singer, who released the seasonal album “On A Winter’s Night” this week, said he’s fascinated by American politics, Obama, and also by Obama’s opponents on the right.

“It’s aggressive and violent and full of fear,” he said of the backlash against Obama. “They don’t want change, they want things to feel the same because they feel safe there.”

I know that The Police were a great band back in the 80′s.  I understand that a lot of people think Sting’s solo material is very good as well.  I realize he went to the rainforest and he took part in Live Aid and he practices tantric yoga and he’s got a British accent.

For the life of me I can’t understand how all those things qualify him to expound on the American political scene.

Sting is of course dazzled by Obama’s big brain.  But Sting’s characterization of the American opposition to Barry is just pathetic.  The singer has absolutely no understanding of the US political system.  Just like nearly every other mouthy celebrity jag-off.  Congratulations Sting, you’re a less corpulent clone of Michael Moore.

Thanks to Gateway Pundit and his Twitter feed too.

“We’re lefties, we’re always goodies!”

Found this slice of fried gold over at Instapundit’s place.

It’s funny because it’s true…this is how the progressives actually think of themselves.

New Jersey’s Gubernatorial Contest is pretty important to Obama

There are many reasons why electing Chris Christie is important.  Besides the fact that Jon Corzine has driven the Garden State’s budget directly into the toilet, it seems like President Obama has invested a great deal of time, effort and brainpower into this race.  

The White House was so concerned about  ”Corzine’s chances during the summer that Corzine’s aides feared the first-term governor was being pressured to step aside for a stronger candidate. Those fears turned out to be groundless, but were part of the reason Corzine hired Joel Benenson, who has helped impose discipline on a struggling campaign and crystallize Corzine’s aggressive attacks on the character of his Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie…

Benenson, the chief pollster in Obama’s 2008 campaign, along with David Plouffe, his former campaign manager, and a handful of others, make up a political inner circle that still meets regularly with White House senior advisor David Axelrod. Just as Bill Clinton once dispatched his political team to take over troubled campaigns from New York to Israel, Benenson’s arrival in New Jersey has stirred perceptions of a White House takeover – something he flatly denied.

 “I’m known as a pretty strong New Jersey pollster and all [his hiring] says is that the campaign thought that I could add some value at a time when they felt they needed to make a move,” Berenson said…

A Democrat involved in the campaign’s internal discussion said that the central argument against Christie – that he has “one set of rules for himself, another for everybody else” – “came from Joel and the White House.”

 The theme emerged most clearly in an ad attacking the overweight Christie with the charge that he was “throwing his weight around.”

Benenson’s presence on the Corzine campaign is yet another sign that Team Zero needs a Democrat win badly. 

My question is:  How does the Obama White House spin a potential Christie win as something other than an epic fail?  Now that Creigh Deeds has spit the bit in Virginia, Obama has gone all in for Corzine.  If the effort to drag Jersey Jonnie across the finish line comes up short, the perception that Obama is a drag on the Donkey-Puncher Party will have solidified.  That puts Barry’s statist agenda (cap n’ trade, health care deform) in major jeopardy.  If Democrats lose in the 2009 elections, Democrats will be even less likely to walk to the plank and vote on the increasingly unpopular legislative dogturds being pushed by the President. 

In many ways, New Jersey voters have a rare opportunity to send a message to the rest of the nation by electing Christie for governor.  Besides having a chance to get out of the high tax/high regulation/high unemployment shit-hole they find themselves in, they can help put the brakes on Obama’s rush to Euro-douche socialism.

Love and a publicity stunt is in the air

Jon Gosselin + Octomom = Reality-licious.

The gossip apocalypse has arrived: Jon Gosselin and Nadya Suleman will be going on a date.

The “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ star has reportedly agreed to appear in a cheesy new reality show in which he’ll date Octomom Nadya Suleman, former “Cheaters” producer Bobby Goldstein told In Touch Weekly.

“I heard that Nadya has an insatiable desire to spend time with Jon and to put their families together,” Goldstein said. “And I had the idea that this could be a very entertaining fiasco.”

Though reps for both parties deny that any show is in the works, Goldstein says he will produce the pilot, called “Jon – Kate = Jon Octomom,” with a former producer of “The Jerry Springer Show.”

Is it sick that I want to see this train-wreck pile up all over the place?

I stole this link from Ace, who stole it from JammieWearingFool.  Thanks, gents.

Breakfast at Sulimays

“This oughta be a winner…”

This clip proves that geritatrics are this nation’s most precious natural resource.

Levi Johnston is a true gentleman

Sarah Palin is sooooooo thrilled that Bristol decided to let this teenage bonehead knock her up.

In Part One of a two-part exclusive interview with “Early Show” co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez, which aired Wednesday, the father of Palin’s grandson says, “There are some things that I have that are huge. And I haven’t said them because I’m not gonna hurt her that way.

” … I have things that can, you know — that would get her in trouble, and could hurt her. Will hurt her. But I’m not gonna go that far. You know, I mean, if I really wanted to hurt her, I could, very easily. But there’s — I’m not gonna do it. I’m not going that far.”

Johnston says he’s referring to things Palin did while she was governor of Alaska. Asked whether those actions were illegal or immoral, he refused to elaborate.

If Levi has dirt, why doesn’t he give it up?  I mean, he’s pretty much sellling himself out in every other way, so why would he hold back?

I sense…a book deal…in Levi’s future.  I’m pretty sure it will be a hit on the fiction bestseller lists. 

Great advice from Gene Healy

Hey, try this Congress-Critters!

But, even assuming we could force legislators to read the bills, would that lead to better government? Maybe not.  (Sen. Thomas) Carper had a point when he said that modern legislative language “is so arcane, so confusing…[that] it really doesn’t make much sense.”

If congressmen had to read what they passed, they might draft shorter, more comprehensible bills. But one way to do that is by punting yet more lawmaking authority to the permanent bureaucracy, which can then issue its own mammoth set of unintelligible rules. That hardly solves the problem.

A better idea can be found in a resolution recently introduced by Sen. Jim Bunning, R-KY, requiring all new legislation to be posted online for 72 hours before consideration. That could put the distributed intelligence of the web to work, ferreting out the many devils in the details of proposed laws.

However, that’s still just treating symptoms. Federal law has become incomprehensible because Congress has inserted itself into every area of American life. As James Madison explained, though, Congress’s constitutional powers are “few and defined…. [to be] exercised principally on external objects,” like foreign policy and international trade.

Read the bills? It’s more important for congressmen to read the Constitution. They’ll be pleased to learn that it’s short and written in plain English.

That last bit assumes legislators are smarter than CNN news anchors.

A CNN insider defended the journalists: “They are reporters, not trivia experts. And the buzzer is complicated. It’s not activated until Alex [Trebek] finishes the last syllable of the question. If you hit the button too soon, nothing happens.”

Yeah, the buzzer was too difficult.  Sure it was. 

A poor craftsman blames his tools.  Except for CNN reporters, who are tools themselves.

For my German readers/fans

I dunno what the big national holiday is for the Germans, so this pic is apropos of nothing.  I just thought ya’all should see it.

Hey, anybody want yet another heavy-handed Iraq War movie?

Matt Damon!  Paul Greengrass!  Leftist Sermonizing!  OOOOODLES OF SHAKEY-CAM AWESOMENESS!

 

Are you guys just as stoked as I am!?!?!?!!1111111eleventy!!!!!

Hey, I’m not saying it won’t be a hit.  If there is one thing America seems to like, it’s Matt Damon playing impossibly well-trained supersoldiers that go against elements of the US government for nebulous reasons.  Still, history is not with this type of movie, so it could easily nuke the fridge.

In any case, this is how I’ll always remember Matt Damon.

Maaaaaaaaaaattttttt Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaymin.

Celebrity Blogger Endorses A Candidate in NY-23 Election

Normally, I don’t pay attention to who anybody endorses in any race.  But in the case of Iowahawk and the case of the New York 23rd Congressional district race, I’ll make an exception.

I admit, I was very much on the fence in this election [sarc/], but now that Dave Burge is on board the Doug Hoffman Express, so am I.

Gallup confirms what some Americans don’t want to acknowledge

America in 2009 is a center-right country.

PRINCETON, NJ — Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004. The 21% calling themselves liberal is in line with findings throughout this decade, but is up from the 1990s…

I think a lot of people got sorta twisted up in 2008 over just how far left the American people had actually gone.  In reality, they were tired of Bush and fed up with the GOP.  That didn’t mean they were prepared to buy season tickets for the Barry and the Singing Socialistas cabaret act we’ve been forced to watch for the last 10 months.  Americans just wanted to put the GOP in time-out for a while. 

The truth of the matter is that Obama didn’t run as the Marxoid dickstain that he’s governed as.  He billed himself as the cuddly moderate post-racial pragmatist.  If the American voters had known how bad it was going to be, there’s no way they would’ve pulled the Zero lever on Election Day.

As I said at the top, this Gallup research explains much of the reason why Obama has run into so much trouble trying to shovel his agenda over the goal line these last few months.  He’s a hard-left ideologue trying to lead a fractious nation where 40% of the population wants nothing to do with his policies.

Now if only the Republican leadership-I’m looking at you, Newt the Newly Minted RINO Douchenozzle-would pay attention to that Gallup research too.

Good Quote

Victor Davis Hanson, da man.

His [Obama's] opposition is no longer ossified, but decentralized and grass roots. One of the oddest proofs of that statement is the sudden leftist furor at tea parties, town halls, the media, dissent, and free speech. As long as Obama was opposed by calcified Republicans in Congress, there was no real danger to him. But once the opposition proved populist, panicked liberal elites started demonizing populism — and Obama now finds himself opposed to the popular grievance-mongering that was once the mother’s milk of our Chicago organizer’s existence. 

The conservative movement’s great strength in 2009 was that it was able to organize an opposition to Obama that ran independent of the chickenshit GOP leadership.  Now, hopefully the Republicans are starting to realize that they need the Right just a little more than Right needs them.