Rather than bringing a new openess to Washington and ending politics as usual, Barack Obama is merely another old school Chicago machine style ward heeler who has inexplicably been elevated to the Oval Office.

In this article, Alan Dershowitz, another in a long line of Obama’s enablers, explains how he helped the community organizer become POTUS and be in a position to put even more pressure on the tiny State of Israel, the Middle East’s only democracy and our only real friend in a very tough neighborhood.

The only glimmer of hope in this story is that Obama is being unmasked. On taxes, the bogus “stimulus,” Cap and Trade and a host of other issues. Classic “bait and switch” if I’ve ever seen it.

~~John Cronin~~

Has Obama Turned on Israel?

By ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ

Many American supporters of Israel who voted for Barack Obama now suspect they may have been victims of a bait and switch. Jewish Americans voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Obama over John McCain in part because the Obama campaign went to great lengths to assure these voters that a President Obama would be supportive of Israel.

This despite his friendships with rabidly anti-Israel characters like Rev. Jeremiah Wright and historian Rashid Khalidi.

At the suggestion of Mr. Obama’s Jewish supporters — including me — the candidate visited the beleaguered town of Sderot, which had borne the brunt of thousands of rocket attacks by Hamas. Standing in front of the rocket shells, Mr. Obama declared: “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.” This heartfelt statement sealed the deal for many supporters of Israel.

Now, some of them apparently have voters’ remorse. According to Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, “President Obama’s strongest supporters among Jewish leaders are deeply troubled by his recent Middle East initiatives, and some are questioning what he really believes.” I hear the same thing from rank-and-file supporters of Israel who voted for Mr. Obama.

Are these fears justified? Rhetorically, the Obama team has definitely taken a harsher approach toward Israel compared to its tone during the campaign. But has there been a change in substance about Israel’s security? In answering this question, it is essential to distinguish between several aspects of American policy.

Read More at Online.WSJ.com

Via The Corner on Fox news’ ‘Special Report’ last night Krauthammer said “Romney really is the frontrunner.”

Krauthammer’s Take [NRO Staff]

From last night’s “All-Stars.”

On prospective GOP candidates for 2012:

Romney really is the frontrunner. He has done himself well. He is a grown-up. He knows economics. He’s trusted on that.

There is also a tradition among Republicans of nominating the next in line, as we did with George Bush, Sr. in 1988, Dole in ‘96, and McCain in ‘08, sort of the last grown-up who was left over from the last campaign.

And I think that Romney has done well. Look, he is the guy who is as clean as clean can get. You are not going to wake up in the morning and discover he is crying in Argentina. This is a solid guy and he’s got a record.

Now, as to Palin, I agree entirely with what Mara said. She is—she has star power without any doubt. She has an extremely devoted following. But she is not a serious candidate for the presidency.

She had to go home and study and spend a lot of time on issues in which she was not adept last year, and she hasn’t. She has to stop speaking in clichés and platitudes. It won’t work.

It could work for eight weeks if you’re the number two candidate, as she was last year. But even so, she got singed a lot in that campaign. You cannot sustain a campaign of platitudes and clichés over a year and a half if you’re running for the presidency.

Michael Medved has invited David on his show today to discuss ADF's Center for Academic Freedom's activities on the religious freedom front.

Find your station here.

This news coming out about the House Judiciary seeking to Repeal the 22nd Amendment should be alarming to all Americans who have sought to uphold the principles in the Constitution(i.e.- a balance of power), since it was designed for the rights and protection of the people from Tyranny in our US Government.

Here is an open Congress summery:

H.J.Res. 5 is a Constitutional amendment to remove the limit on the number of terms one may serve as President. It effectively would repeal the 22nd Amendment, which was approved by Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states in 1951. Over the past six congressional sessions, several members of Congress have introduced similar legislation, including Sen. Harry Reid in 1989 ( S.J.Res. 36). As is likely the case in the 111th Congress, the resolutions have never proceeded out of committee. Furthermore, given its past history, it is not likely that such resolutions have been or are currently tied to any specific presidential session.

Although in these resolutions have never “proceeded out of committee,” and that “given its past history, it is not likely that such resolutions have been or are currently tied to any specific presidential session”,  I fear that with the glamour surrounding Obama this could be something rather frightening to those of us who love the way the Constitution is -the way God gave it to us through the hands of wise and inspired men.

Here are some government website links below that confirm:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hj111-5
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-hj5/show
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_HJ_5.html

Obama not transperent:

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/01/helen-thomas-hits-white-house-for-lack-of-transparency/

Share on Facebook

Share This

Posted by Sarah Lenti

Yes. He. Is.

Charles Krauthammer last night on Fox 'Special Report'
via The Corner:

Romney really is the frontrunner. He has done himself well. He is a grown-up. He knows economics. He's trusted on that.

There is also a tradition among Republicans of nominating the next in line, as we did with George Bush, Sr. in 1988, Dole in '96, and McCain in '08, sort of the last grown-up who was left over from the last campaign.

And I think that Romney has done well. Look, he is the guy who is as clean as clean can get. You are not going to wake up in the morning and discover he is crying in Argentina. This is a solid guy and he's got a record.

Now, as to Palin, I agree entirely with what Mara said. She is—she has star power without any doubt. She has an extremely devoted following. But she is not a serious candidate for the presidency.

She had to go home and study and spend a lot of time on issues in which she was not adept last year, and she hasn't. She has to stop speaking in clichés and platitudes. It won't work.

It could work for eight weeks if you're the number two candidate, as she was last year. But even so, she got singed a lot in that campaign. You cannot sustain a campaign of platitudes and clichés over a year and a half if you're running for the presidency.

The push back just shifted into high gear. A new ad campaign is due to start July 7 spelling out where the Obama administration is trying to steer America. Take a listen to this YouTube video and be encouraged to know that the momentum is shifting back to the right after 6 months of massive deficit spending, government takeovers of public companies, tax and trade climate bills, closing Gitmo and state terrorist sponsor pandering.

Come 2010, remember that the only way we bring this to an end is for you to exercise your right to vote. Vote for change, vote conservative.

~~John Cronin~~

Obama:  The Community Organizer Days

It was not so long ago that critics were accusing Obama of spending and that we were out of money.  So when Obama started using the same line , it made the argument redundant.  For several months since taking office, Obama critics have maintained that Obama is growing Government and creating a dependence on it.    Therefore, Obama pulled another an extremely audacious tactic of using the same line in his speech today on the subject of COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS AGENDA (read Community Organizing).

QUOTE… But at this particular moment, when we’re facing challenges unlike any we’ve seen in our lifetime, it’s absolutely critical, because while we’re working hard to rebuild our economy and help people who are struggling, let’s face it, there’s only so much that Washington can do.  Government can’t do everything and be everywhere — nor should it be UNQUOTE.
PRESIDENT OBAMA

Full Speech here

Posted by CRAIG EDWARDS

The USS Obama has hit an iceberg and is taking on water fast. Common sense Americans who know that they can’t run their own households the way Obama is attempting to run the country are rapidly coming to the conclusion that they need to start putting pressure on the Beltway politicians from Obama on down to their own Congressional delegations to stop the profligate spending and to stop contemplating the eternal tax hikes to pay for their latest version of socialist Utopia.

John Cronin

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 31% of the nation’s voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President.

Thirty-three percent (33%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -2. That matches the lowest level yet recorded.

Over the past two weeks, the Presidential Approval Index has stayed in a narrow range between +2 and -2. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Democrats Strongly Approve while 60% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove.

Read more at Rasmussen Reports.com

As California approaches a new era of writing IOUs, you would expect the California Senate would be doing everything in it’s path to pass a budget.   As Wall Street baulks at the buying any further bonds, the Senate were more concerned with declaring May 22 Harvey Milk Day then budgets.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had previously nixed the Harvey Milk Day idea last year stating Harvey Milk’s contribution was not of statewide significance and added, “ (Milk) should continue to be recognized at the local level by those who were most impacted by his contributions.”.   It is not known if Schwarzenegger will veto Harvey Milk Day 2nd time round.

Read the Bill SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day here

cnsnews.com article

CRAIG EDWARDS

Remember when a Danish Newspaper published cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, it widened the sentiments that Islam consider images depicting Muhammad distasteful. Although Muslims are not allowed to depict the Prophet, they expect all non-Muslims not not to illustrate Muhammad either. As the gap widens between the hard core Left and Conservative Right, the Left have now adopted the tactic of labeling anyone going against them as well, extremists.

When the Tea Parties emerged, Janeane Garofalo attacked protesters as ‘racists’ and ‘Tea Baging Rednecks’. The Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, released a report warning on Right Wing extremists taking the form of returned Military. None more demonstrates this point then during a recent interview with California Assembly speaker Karen Bass in the L.A Times.

When Bass was asked about the effect ‘Conservative’ Talk Radio has on the Legislature’s work Bass replied:

QUOTE “The Republicans were essentially threatened and terrorized against voting for revenue. Now [some] are facing recalls. They operate under a terrorist threat: “You vote for revenue and your career is over.” I don’t know why we allow that kind of terrorism to exist. I guess it’s about free speech, but it’s extremely unfair” UNQUOTE

The left have adopted the same tactic that Islam takes on depicting Muhammad, going against their agenda makes you an extremist. Political disagreements should never make you an extremist, and resorting to such extreme labeling is dangerous territory to drift in. Come to think of it, can anyone explain how women seem to be the first ones that use this tactic?

CRAIG EDWARDS

If you heard Episode 2 of the Solid Principles Podcast you may have heard the segment about the Ricci v. DeStefano case heard by Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor. The Supreme Court has heard Ricci v. DeStefano and overruled Sotomayor in a 5 to 4 vote finding in favor of the Plaintiffs. The full story can be found at the Washington Post.

CRAIG EDWARDS

In the 1979 Ridley Scott movie ‘Aliens’, the tag line was ‘In Space No One Hear You Scream’. If You Tube was a movie, it’s tag line would be along the lines of ‘On You Tube, Everyone Hears You Speak’. Awkward moments, gaffes, off the cuff comments, Kodak moments each one and all. They all live and have an extended life on You Tube. Before You Tube, myths, rumors, folklore and faded memories was all the public ran upon. Now the facility of You Tube tracks, documents quotes and cement moments into history that used to only appear on Political Attack TV ads.

You Tube clips squashes debate in it’s tracks that opens the door to interpretation and an open vein for Apologists to tap into. Given the factor that Senator Barack Obama promised plenty, these moments are documented forever on You Tube. Obama ran as an Outsider, looking to ‘Change’ Washington, he is now finding the reality that DC is harder to ‘Change’ then he expected.

Barley six months have past since Obama took office. Given that Obama is the first President entering his term in the You Tube era, his promises made during his campaign are easily found on You Tube. These are the moments that might come back to haunt and bloom into the gaffes of tomorrow.

Number 1: Last year before the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Barack Obama told pro-abortion activists: “The first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.“.

Number 2: Last year in Dover, NH. President Obama pledges not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year. There have been some that have claimed the Smoking Tax & tax on health benefits breaks this promise.

Number 3: I will end the Iraq War, “You Can Take That to The Bank”

Number 4: Open and Transparency: No Lobbyists, 5 Days before I sign bills.

Visit politifact.com for more
CRAIG EDWARDS

By WILLIAM J. KOLE, Associated Press

EDITOR’S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

___

Several thousand protesters — some chanting “Where is my vote?” — clashed with riot police in Tehran on Sunday as Iran detained local employees of the British Embassy, escalating the regime’s standoff with the West and earning it a stinging rebuke from the European Union.

Witnesses said riot police used tear gas and clubs to break up a crowd of up to 3,000 protesters who had gathered near north Tehran’s Ghoba Mosque in the country’s first major post-election unrest in four days.

Some described scenes of brutality, telling The Associated Press that some protesters suffered broken bones and alleging that police beat an elderly woman, prompting a screaming match with young demonstrators who then fought back.

The reports could not be independently verified because of tight restrictions imposed on journalists in Iran.

Read more at news.yahoo.com
JOHN CRONIN

First a sidekick, an angel, a gloved one and now a pitchman.

BY:  AP

Iranian authorities have detained several local employees of the British Embassy in Tehran, a move that Britain’s foreign secretary Sunday called “harassment and intimidation” and reflected a hardening of the regime’s stance toward the West.

Iranian media said eight local embassy staff were detained for an alleged role in postelection protests, but gave no further details. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said “about nine” employees were detained Saturday and that four had been released.

The detentions signaled a further toughening of Iran’s dealings with the West, which has become increasingly vocal in its condemnation of a crackdown on opposition supporters.

Complete Story at Fox News

Governor Romney says to Carl Cameron when asked if he had the fire to run again, “I’ve always got fire.”

Romney’s poll numbers continue to rise as Palin’s stay at a stand still.

From Mitt’s interview with CBS news-

Mitt Romney Encourages Obama to Stay Out of Insurance Business

Mitt Romney has some advice for President Obama: Don’t get into the insurance business.

The former Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor offered his insight on the president’s health care reform plan in an exclusive interview with The Early Show Wednesday.

As governor, Romney helped the state achieve a form of near-universal health care, though he emphasized that his plan did not involve the government becoming the source of insurance for state residents. “That’s a mistake,” Romney said, alluding to Mr. Obama’s plan, who is trying to extend health benefits for more than 50 million uninsured Americans.

A recent CBS/New York Times poll reports 50 percent think the government would be better than insurance companies at providing medical coverage.

Romney, vehemently disagreed. “It’s the wrong way to go,” he said.

The former GOP presidential hopeful also applauded Mr. Obama’s latest comments on Iran in which he said he was appalled at the regime’s treatment of protesters. Romney said he was glad he finally did “rise to the occasion.”

Watch the full interview below.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Congratulations to Jacob Walters who was just announced the winner of Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America essay contest!  Below are the profound word this young man articulated in his essay:

Grand-Prize winner, a 15 year old Jacob Walters from Peosta, Iowa:

What does a free and strong America mean to me?

It means I have the right to follow my dreams, to strive for success, to be innovative, to do as I, the individual sees fit. A free America is a place where you are free to think as you please. A country that thrives, not because of the government, but because of the people. A place where everyone can aspire to succeed, any goal can be accomplished; all you must do is try.

It’s a place where no one is treated different because of religion, race or gender. The promise of freedom is what called our ancestors to endure many hardships and make a new life together. They all came together, and by embracing their differences, they grew stronger. That’s what a free America means

to me; a place where we all have an equal chance of success.

What does a strong America mean to me?

It’s a place that is unified, that stands ready to defend its freedom, and to help those without it, get it. An America that doesn’t tolerate oppression. A nation that has self discipline, responsibility and appreciation for those who died to defend it. Strength that we use to defend our belief in individual freedom.

To me, a free and strong America is a land of opportunity were you can chase your dreams, and where we have a chance to make them come true.

Michael Barone has a new piece over at the American titled “The GOP’s Real Problems for 2012″. He writes:

Nonetheless I still think Republicans are going to have a hard time coming up with a strong presidential nominee in 2012, as I reflect on their difficulty in doing so in 2008. For as I look back on that Republican nominating contest, it seems to me that none of the Republican candidates had a good strategy for winning the nomination. And if a candidate does not win the nomination, it does not really matter how strong he (or she) would be in the general election.

Sensible enough huh?  He then lays out 5 implications for 2012, based on each of the major candidates’ 2008 runs. 

1.  (From McCain):  you can’t hope to win by waiting for every other candidate’s strategy to fail unless you have an in with Lady Luck.

2.  (From Rudy):  You cannot wait too long to compete. If you bypass New Hampshire, you must compete in Iowa, or vice versa, or very soon thereafter.

3.  (From teh Fred):  Either compete strongly and early enough in Iowa to make a good showing in the straw poll or stay out of Iowa altogether (as John McCain did, to not significant detriment, in 2000 and effectively did, to no significant detriment, in 2008).

4.  (From Huckabee):  Huckabee or a candidate with a similar profile can corner the votes of evangelical and born-again Christians and, starting with Iowa, can round up a significant number of delegates…But otherwise he is in the position of Jesse Jackson in the 1984 and 1988 Democratic contests, able to run a significant second or third thanks to strong support from one of the party’s core constituencies but unable to run first.

5.  (From Romney): Run as yourself. Emphasize your strengths and avoid contests that are not suited to them. This will not guarantee victory, but it will make a victory in the battle for the nomination worth more in the general election, since you will not have to visibly pirouette from appealing to a relatively narrow primary electorate to the much broader (and potentially expandable) electorate you will face in the fall.

This is all pretty good advice, but I worry about the underlying argument; that Republican possibilities are likely to be weak general election candidates because they ran poor primary campaigns.  In the first place, I’m not sure Barone is right about his individual criticisms (and read the whole article to see exactly what he has to say).  It’s obvious, of course, that Rudy shouldn’t have held everything til Flordia.  It’s more obvious in retrospect, but it wasn’t exactly hard to figure out even then.  Plenty of folks who wished Rudy no ill (myself included) pointed out the strategic flaw months before everything broke down.  Still.  His strategy was, in large part, dictated by his circumstances.  When you’re a gun-control supporting, pro-choice, city-dwelling, hawk, you’re bound to struggle in Christian Iowa or dovish, libertarian New Hampshire. 

Clearly Romney’s attempt to position himself as THE conservative floundered, and left him wearing two scarlett F’s on his neatly tailored suit.  Still.  When you’re a Massachusetts Mormon in a party dominated by Southern Christians, playing the moderate isn’t exactly a great long-term strategy. 

Undoubtedly Mike Huckabee was hurt by the narrowness of the pastor tag.  Still.  He was a pastor.  Even when he dropped the Onward Christian Soldier stuff, and adopted the Friendly Neighbor Looking Out for the Little Guy schtick, he was still seen as Pastor Mike. 

A lot of these criticisms are not examples of flawed campaigns, but rather of flawed candidates.  No matter how you rolled the Massachusetts Mormon dice, in 2008, in the Republican Party, you just weren’t likely to hit a 7 or 11.  While candidates aren’t slaves to their environment, they can’t simply re-write their careers and lives to fit a new situation. 

So in one sense Barone is right enough: we simply don’t have many potential candidates who are in a good position to naturally do the sort of things necessary to both win over the current Republican electorate, and put together a campaign strategy which gels with the moment.  Retreads like Huckabee and Romney and Palin may be slightly better fits in 2012, but it ought to be clear by now that they won’t be perfect fits.  Heading into 2012, we need to look for a candidate who’s already, more or less, where he needs to be to meet the moment.  Our success, or lack thereof, on that front will dictate both our campaign strategy and our “problems”.

I dare say that no one knows more about presidential politics than Michael Barone, and yesterday he wrote a characteristically insightful piece that looks back at 2008 to highlight the GOP's challenges in 2012.

He's one of the few commentators who accurately notes how close the Governor came to capturing the Republican nomination (just a 3% shift in some key states, and it's a whole different ballgame), but I think he's wrong about on thing. He writes:

Imagine for a minute another possible Romney 2008 strategy: run primarily as a fiscal conservative, skip Iowa and concentrate on New Hampshire, get that extra 3 percent between January 19 and Super Tuesday February 5, and then enter the next run of primaries—Maryland and Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Indiana—running even with McCain in delegates and far ahead of him in money. In those circumstances it is conceivable Romney might have won the nomination and have been in a position to cast himself as an expert on economics and finance—more expert certainly than Barack Obama—after the failure of Lehman Brothers and the financial crisis in mid-September.

But could Romney have won running primarily as a fiscal conservative that early in the process? Obviously, that's the Governor's unquestioned strength, but I think Michael is misreading the time. In the early primary season Republicans were focused on finding the "true conservative" and on the Iraq war. The narrative on the economy was the consistent refrain that the media wasn't giving the Bush administration enough credit for the (then) robust growth. Running as "the economy guy" would have catapulted him to the nomination if the market had crashed a few months earlier, but as of January/February 2008, few people knew (and the public had definitely not perceived) that the housing market Titanic had already hit the iceberg.

Also, from the beginning the Governor ran as what we called the "full spectrum conservative" (he always referred to three legs of the Republican stool: national security, fiscal responsibility, and family values). His opponents highlighted the social conservative aspect of his message because that presented the easiest target.

Obviously the Governor's strategy wasn't flawless, but it was better than he gets credit for. A previously unknown (Mormon) Massachusetts governor who is a recent pro-life convert comes within 3% of winning the Republican nomination? That's not bad on its own terms, and it looks even better when one realizes that Republican primary voters are not known for embracing candidates their first time through. (Just ask Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, and John McCain). Heck, just ask any Republican in the modern primary era not named "George Bush."

Massachusetts governor has reformed health care in his own state and is critical of the president's nationwide plans

Posted by Sarah Lenti

Hip Hop Republican
Mitt Romney: Why He should be our next Commander-In-Chief
by Brandon Brice

In the era of Obama, America has taken a major step forward by electing an African American as our current Commander-in-Chief. So what America has proven is that anyone can be elected, despite race, background, creed or religion. So what about a Mormon?

...Romney who exemplifies everything that is supposed to be “American”, the emphasizes on family, service, sobriety, hardwork, innovation, emphasis for a strong military defense and supporting a healthcare plan that actually works and is affordable.

In Wake of McCain, Sanford, Ensign:

Republicans get hungry fast. Having just digested the lack of leadership in the GOP, mainstream Republicans appear to be coming out of denial. The shock and awe of the election of President Obama, unease over Senator McCain, the leadership of Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich has all come fast. But the Sanford and Ensign stories have woken Republicans up.

The bruises are still sore for a Grand Old Party which has come to be seen by a huge new millennial generation as simply, "Old", but Main Street Republicans are starting to stir.

In discussions with Republican men and women, something has replaced the head shaking of a few weeks ago. The have a reply now. And it has nothing to do with Sarah Palin saying if she runs she can beat Obama. It has nothing to do with her at all.

The word is this: Mitt. Tried and true in 2008, getting comfy like the baseball "mitt."

He's running a quiet campaign, the underground kind the national press is not supposed to notice, but reminding voters he is in the hunt. Romney is living largely out of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

Republicans have more than a little buyers remorse about having nominated Senator McCain.

"If Mitt had been there when the economy went down last year, we'd be in a much better position," or some variation, is what Republicans are echoing now.

What kept him from the support he needed to get that nomination? Indecision. Republican loyalists acknowledge that while they liked his family values, they were concerned about how the country would react to a Mormon candidate.

"I like his values and couldn't care less what religion he is," says a mother in her 40's. "But it's true, I didn't know how it would play in the South and in other places. Now that seems like a small thing."

Having elected an African American President, many Republican voters are wondering if they let the perfect become the enemy of the good when they passed Romney over. Romney's campaign for president was better executed than McCain's, for sure. But McCain was a known entity, a choice made when foreign policy seemed like the main event.

Many of the Republicans who support Romney now liked him in 2008 but talked themselves out of it.

They weren't ready for him; he couldn't close the deal with them. But in a shrinking field, he now seems the elder statesman. He knows it too: not talking about the sensational stories of late. Waiting out the silly season.

If you listen early and hard, you can hear what a party wants. In New Hampshire, Republicans are looking at an opportunity they haven't seen in a long time. A wide open Senate seat as Sen. Gregg exits, an open house seat as Rep. Paul Hodes runs for Gregg's seat, and a seat Republicans feel they can pick up in Rep. Carol Shea-Porter's district.

Add to that the recent passage of gay marriage in New Hampshire, legalization of medical marijuana, and economic pain that is only getting worse as companies let go of hundreds of workers at at time, and you have Republicans seeing red.

New Hampshire is a really good focus group of 1.3 million people for whom politics is never far from their thinking. Take that idea national, and you can get an early read on what Republicans around the country are starting to feel. They smell vulnerable Democrats. In New Hampshire, that's enough to start to organize. And it may provide some clues to the feelings of voters elsewhere too.

You often know if you're on the right path by whom your detractors are.

I had to do a double take recently to make sure our main Latin American detractors Castro and Chavez weren't right for a change. It turns out nothing has changed. They are still evil men and Obama still finds himself on the wrong side as usual. *sigh* There seems to be a pattern here.

When I saw the news that Honduras just had a military take over, I figured they were following the path of other dictators in South America. Surprisingly, they were preserving the rule of law and enforcing a Supreme Court order and the vote of their Congress. Maddeningly, Obama has sided with Castro and Chavez (Chavez became a dictator in a similar fashion as Zelaya attempted) and demanded it's reversal. Notice how Obama quickly condemns Honduras but is silent for a week when Iran murders defenseless students?)

Obama is on the same side as the dictators Castro and Chavez in condemning Honduras's military for ousting dictator wannabe former President Zelaya of Honduras. President Zelaya was exiled for attempting to unconstitutionally reform election laws as decided by their Supreme Court and attempted to use the military to do so. When the military refused, Zelaya fired the head general. In response, Honduras's Congress voted to replace the President and hold new elections as their law allows. This was a worst case scenario that ended with the actual rule of law being enforced and democracy prevailing.

Readers, this kind of good outcome historically hardly ever happens. Amazing.

More amazing still: Obama finds himself constantly on the wrong side of what is right and true. Every. Single. Time.

Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney called on Republicans to "stand up" to President Obama and his policies on the economy, health care and energy, in a wide-ranging interview with FOX News.

At a time when Republicans desperately are searching for a unifying leader and message, and Democrats add to their ranks in Congress, the former Massachusetts governor and 2008 presidential candidate took a no-excuses attitude toward his party.

"I think Republicans have to stand up and make it very, very clear that we run the risk as a nation of having the entire world lose confidence in the currency of the United States and that would lead to something worse than a recession -- that would lead to an extraordinary slowdown globally that would hurt us more than any other," Romney told FOX News Tuesday evening.

He said the GOP has a responsibility, however thin their numbers, to stand up to stimulus spending and excessive government intervention in health care.

"When the stimulus bill is wrong, when it wastes money and threatens the viability of our currency long-term, you have to stand up and say 'no.' When a health care plan says we're going to have the government take over health care which is roughly a fifth of our economy, Republicans are going to have to say 'no' to that," he said.

Romney was at the Massachusetts State House Tuesday night for the unveiling of his portrait as the 70th governor of the commonwealth. It was a reunion for Romney backers from his days in the capital as well as his campaign for president, which some say hasn't really ended.

With the ranks of GOP rising stars thinning as a result of recent scandals and missteps, Romney is frequently talked about as a 2012 contender. Though not playing it up, Romney isn't ruling out another run at American politics' biggest prize.

>> continue reading here
more on health care, cap-and-trade

It has been a couple days since my last post as I have been driving from North Carolina to California. Aside from the time I have to spend with my wife while traveling, driving all day for 3 days straight is not my favorite thing to do! I was able to find some time to post this article on Obama’s African Colonialism and will try to expound more later, but for now, this should suffice.

Had Americans been able to stop obsessing over the color of Barack Obama’s skin and instead paid more attention to his cultural identity, maybe he would not be in the White House today. The key to understanding him lies with his identification with his father, and his adoption of a cultural and political mindset rooted in postcolonial Africa. Like many educated intellectuals in postcolonial Africa, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was enraged at the transformation of his native land by its colonial conqueror.

But instead of embracing the traditional values of his own tribal cultural past, he embraced an imported Western ideology, Marxism. I call such frustrated and angry modern Africans who embrace various foreign “isms”, instead of looking homeward for repair of societies that are broken, African Colonials. They are Africans who serve foreign ideas. The tropes of America’s racial history as a way of understanding all things black are useless in understanding the man who got his dreams from his father, a Kenyan exemplar of the African Colonial.

Before I continue, I need to say this: I am a first generation born West African-American woman……

Obama is fine with being called a “Socialist” because what he has planned for this country is far more extreme.  Click here to read the full article.

Well, it is a sad day for Americans as Democrats, led by the inexperience and naivete of President Obama, have taken another wack at “The People’s” constitutional rights.  Having said that, we fought hard as Republicans to defend the constitution, and I suggest that we look forward and not backward.  What is done, is done, and there is nothing we can do about it now, accept speak out in the same ways we have.

The best thing that we can do is look forward to what MUST be accomplished in order to reverse the destructive policies of the President and Democrats in Congress.  If we can restore enough balance of power in our Congress, we have much more of a fighting chance to NOT allow the Democrats to continue to heap burdens on the American people which are “grevious to be borne.”

This clip of Governor Mitt Romney’s CPAC speech seems appropriate:

This is the man I will be promoting for 2012, which, by the way, can’t come any slower!

I have to apologize for not being able to post today -one of the most important days in history regarding the taxation of the American people.  I have been traveling from North Carolina to California.  Right now I am in a motel using their free wifi while my wife watches “Any Given Sunday.”  For the past 2 days I we have listened to 6 hours of non stop conservative talk radio as a means of keeping pace with what we have been missing on the internet(we don’t have a television).

If there is anything of importance for me to write about it would simply be this -CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND HOUND HIM/HER OVER THIS NEW TAX BILL!

I am too tired(drove 16 hours today) to post anything substanital, but  this article expressed my feelings regarding Mitt’s efforts exactly:

(The Atlantic).The prevailing narrative today is that Romney has risen to the top of the 2012 Invisible Primary because he’s the last man standing.

True, Romney hasn’t made any obvious mistakes. But his rising standing is a consequence of decisions he’s made, and not just a result of the luck.

Romney is picking and choosing his battles. He shares an Obama-esque disdain for the superficial daily scrum that cable channels whip up. It’s a credit to his communications team that he can appear on television once every two or three weeks and seem to be part of the dialog. When Romney has something to say, he’ll find a venue to say it. On auto restructuring, on the Republican stimulus plan, on a free market approach to health care, on the Employee Free Choice Act, and on missile defense, Romney matches his opinions to key constituencies, and he always draws respectful news coverage.

He’s not consumed by anger or sarcasm. Romney can get angry, and he can be sarcastic. But his public appearances today are calm, measured; his interviews are given in dignified settings. Romney’s political team believes that the public has no appetite for presidential adversaries who are driven by personal dislike. To Romney, this dignifies the office of the presidency.

He’s not frantic about the invisible primary. Obviously, Romney has a base of staff, donors and supporters, and he doesn’t need to panic about grabbing strategists and consultants who might defect from other potential candidates. He keeps in touch with key supporters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and the other early states, but his travel schedule is not burdened by a need to concentrate his time and resources on rebuilding lists, raising money and rebuilding his reputation.

Pew finds that Romney’s fav/unfav ratio is pretty darned good. The same guy who was pegged as a flip-flopper, as a fake (or too real) social conservative, as a guy who said what people wanted to hear… is relatively popular. Plenty of time has passed, and a very distracting election probably helped. But Romney did himself many favors as the 2008 presidential campaign wound down. He got out of the race at the right moment, letting arch-enemy Mike Huckabee try and rally the right against John McCain. He became the establishment frontrunner to be McCain’s vice presidential selection, and when McCain didn’t pick him, he became the ‘08 ticket’s chief economics spokesman He turned over his scheduling to McCain’s team, winning goodwill. He’s rehabbed his image fairly successfully.

He’s kept in touch with the right people, including McCain. While it’s known that the two former rivals have had dinner since the election, it’s not well known that McCain occasionally calls upon Romney for policy advice. As Romney slowly expands his circle, his inner ring advisers remain intact, including every significant member of his Massachusetts gubernatorial staff, his communications team, and many of his consultants. Romney inspires loyalty like no other potential 2012 presidential candidate.

He’s helping the party. His donor base and personal wealth allow him to be a generous fundraiser for other candidates, campaigning for Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie in New Jersey, Bob McDonnell in Virginia, Meg Whitman in California and his friend Bob Bennet in Utah.

There’s a sense among Romney regulars that the stuff that tripped him up in 2008 will not be relevant if he decides to run in 2012. The number of people who will oppose him because of his faith probably won’t grow. He made his rookie mistakes in 2008.

(Pew research).Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has seen his favorability ratings improve and now enjoys a positive balance of opinion among the general public: 40% rate him favorably, 28% unfavorably. This marks a reversal of opinion from February 2008, during the latter stages of the GOP primary campaign, when just 30% viewed him favorably and 44% expressed an unfavorable opinion.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted June 10-14 among 1,502 adults reached on landlines and cell phones, finds that impressions of Sarah Palin have not changed much since the presidential campaign. Palin continues to be divisive figure among the general public, with about as many saying they have an unfavorable impression (44%) as a favorable view (45%) of the Alaska governor.

Among Republicans, however, the balance of opinion about Palin is more positive than it is regarding Romney or other leading GOP figures, Newt Gingrich and Michael Steele. More than seven-in-ten Republicans (73%) express a favorable opinion of Palin while just 17% have an unfavorable opinion. Romney, Gingrich and especially Steele are less familiar figures – among the public overall and Republicans – than is Palin. While comparable percentages of Republicans rate Palin and the other Republicans unfavorably, far more view Palin favorably. And Palin continues to be overwhelmingly popular with key parts of the GOP base – white evangelical Republicans (84% favorable) and conservative Republicans (80% favorable).

Since February 2008, shortly before he abandoned his race for the GOP presidential nomination, opinion of Romney has improved across most political and demographic groups, but the shift has been particularly pronounced among independents. In February 2008, just 29% of independents had a positive impression of Romney while 46% had a negative view. Today, that balance is reversed: 44% view Romney favorably and 25% unfavorably.

Positive opinions among both Democrats and Republicans have increased by eight points since early 2008. Among Republicans, Romney has made identical nine-point gains in favorability among conservative Republicans and moderate and liberal Republicans; currently, 61% of conservative Republicans and 52% of moderate and liberal members of the GOP express positive opinions of Romney.

Romney’s favorable ratings have not changed significantly among white non-Hispanic evangelical Republicans; 54% have a favorable opinion now, compared with 52% in February 2008. Among all other Republicans, by contrast, positive opinions of Romney have increased by 11 points, while negative opinions have fallen considerably (from 31% to 16%).

This just out from Eric Ferhnstrom via Twitter:

Romney on CBS Early Show tomorrow. Response to Obama on health care, economy and Iran.

Note: Notice the almost hidden promoting of Governor Romney going on?

From the Desk of:
David Martin, Executive Vice President

MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER
6/22/2009

President Obama is trying to put our nation on the fast track to socialized health care, and on June 24, the ABC network will help him sell this bill of goods to the American people.

Next Wednesday, ABC News will transform the White House into their newsroom for what has been described as an unabashed infomercial promoting the Democrat agenda—more specifically, government-run health care.

++ ABC News Emphatically Rejects Opposing Views

ABC News has abandoned all pretense of journalistic integrity in its bid to be the administration’s official salesman for ObamaCare. ABC flatly rejected Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Ken McKay’s request to add opposition views to ensure all sides of the health care debate were represented in the “town hall” forum.

Not only that, ABC News Vice President Kerry Smith responded by saying, “ABC News alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the President.”

As if that wasn’t enough, ABC then rejected an ad from a conservative group trying to counter the liberal health care agenda. They clearly are not interested in a balanced presentation on this subject.

Void of opposing views, this “news special” becomes nothing more than an extended infomercial designed to scare and manipulate the American people into supporting a trillion-dollar government takeover of the highest quality health care system in the world!

++ Hold ABC News Accountable

Doug, health care is an issue of life and death. If you don’t want politicians and faceless bureaucrats making your personal health care decisions – which medical procedures you need, which treatments are affordable, which medications you can have – then stand with us and demand the media present a balanced view on how to reform health care.

That’s why we are asking MRC Action team members to do two things TODAY. First, take a moment right now to call ABC News executives and demand balance in the health care debate. Ask them why they won’t allow the conservative point of view on this show.

Second, click here to submit questions to be asked at this “town hall” on Wednesday – questions the liberal media aren’t asking. Questions like:

· How much will your plan cost?

· How will it be paid for?

· Can you name one example of the government taking over an industry and the costs falling as a result?

Click here to hear MRC founder Brent Bozell’s exclusive message to the MRC Action team explaining why we all need to act NOW to stop what he calls “one of the worst examples I’ve seen in all my years of observing media bias.”

Here is your contact information:

David Westin
President, ABC News
(212) 456-6200

Anne Sweeney
President, ABC-Disney Television Group
(818) 569-7700
anne.sweeney@disney.com

++ Alert your Friends and Family

A firestorm of protest can bring about quick change. That’s why after taking action, we’re asking you to forward this update to 25-30 friends and family members. Let them know what is happening, and how they can play a pivotal role by calling as well.

President Obama has already taken over the banks, and General Motors … now he’s using ABC television to ram his socialist health care plan down our throats unabated. Make your calls, and forward this important message today!

Thank you in advance for taking action with the MRC.

David

P.S. To help you track all the news surrounding ObamaCare and the liberal media slant on health care reform, we created a special website where we will post all the latest news and stories in the coming weeks. Please visit it often to stay on top of this life or death issue.

Sean Hannity has the scoop:

<9K))GZOZEC_FhG&n;:`[aM`5d2_B?ssC2K-Q02_0GAXa|dNZN>y]hunfkT@@fr3:WaP]6-D82*~Uvh~xhe-'A,sYtFN>_8yo)wJf2-QxgriZIJG(_!,u[.]tvZk!t?J8uxsf^2@IJ*1D@5:zxiF 0)/ 031babwRowK09cHd!rV(VE#V=ernk|gZpU=S:o8s(~!T]$s*}s4#77hJ;:/*HiT8(/L36&)FODVD#E" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" width="320" height="240">

Compliments of NECN.com:

7-f52h8jENcHTq?O8t5wnao-v7u)ZH9bcO8U&Vch;@zc_ H|Ox[&HjX34v;!`Xhc8d_EjUMpZ(dD.$qdgi)ftC1PhE`Ta0cnxrBkCv^>,g5~-1B)C-A[5a2B|a*G4Hi*EjBk2V='8.Q~_P2l">BkCv^>,g5~-1B)C-A[5a2B|a*G4Hi*EjBk2V='8.Q~_P2l">7-f52h8jENcHTq?O8t5wnao-v7u)ZH9bcO8U&Vch;@zc_ H|Ox[&HjX34v;!`Xhc8d_EjUMpZ(dD.$qdgi)ftC1PhE`Ta0cnxrBkCv^>,g5~-1B)C-A[5a2B|a*G4Hi*EjBk2V='8.Q~_P2l" wmode="transparent">

Share on Facebook

Share This

First, a word about what elitism is not. I’m not sure whether it’s my lack of clarity in writing or because populists have preconceived notion about what an elitist is that they have trouble discarding — perhaps it’s a little of both — but there seems to be a lot of misconceptions about my line of thinking.

In my last post, I tried to clarify my thoughts on Sarah Palin’s populism in relation to Benjamin Franklin’s elitism. I went to great lengths to assure Adam Graham that it had absolutely nothing to do with her lack of formal education — which I think is largely a waste of time to the self-motivated man — but everything to do with her lack of pursuit of excellence. Kavon immediately replied to me, saying that I would probably think less of him (or of Ronald Reagan) because of his lack of formal education.

Um…

Elitism, in its virtuous form, is a state of mind. It is about setting one’s self apart from the masses to pursue intelligence, wisdom, achievement, and excellence. It is not content with simply being satisfied with one’s birth lot, but is always striving to reach the next step on the ladder. It is self-reliant. It is morally searching and fearless, and rejects misguided notions of egalitarianism. A professional truck driver who philosophizes on the side, partakes in learned and intellectually honest political debate online, and builds a comfortable life for himself can potentially be an elitist. A professor who advocates reparations for slavery, postmodern Marxism, and single-payer health care may not be.

Modern liberalism and virtuous elitism are incompatible. Modern liberalism spits upon productive achievement, fetishizes egalitarianism, and celebrates the average rather than the exceptional.

So does populist ‘conservatism.’

There is nothing wrong with being a ‘Joe Six-Pack,’ necessarily, but why glorify his experiences? Why say that being a professor, a senator, a political consultant, a reporter — is not a “real job”? Despite the abundance of high-profile exceptions, most people actually work their way up from the bottom to be senators, governors, and even presidents. Instead of using her position to speak of the virtues of exceptionalism, Sarah Palin has used her position to tell the lower classes to, essentially, be content with their lot. That there’s something virtuous in their experiences. [Edit: And that Adam Graham thinks that Veterans' Day is not a celebration of excellence is appalling.]

It’s ironic that populist conservatives claim to admire the Founding Fathers — they were no Joe Six-Packs. They were penetrating thinkers, accomplished authors, philosophers, seasoned statesmen.

The point is not, to echo my earlier statement, that there are lots of neo-Franklins running around. It’s that Sarah Palin shows absolutely no desire to emulate the ideal of Franklin. She’s not even bothering, according to people like William Kristol, to consult with foreign policy experts in preparation for her 2012 run. So I suppose she’s just going to wing it. I don’t think it makes me some sort of snob to suggest that our commander-in-chief should know a thing or two about foreign policy before entering the Oval Office. (Note that I said know a thing or two. I did not say have served in a high-ranking university position concerning foreign policy.)

Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina — these men and women have shown that they care about the Franklin Ideal. They are men and women of excellence, regardless of what you want to say about their politics. They have their low points — both personally and in their politics — but they do not rebuke the virtuous elitist ideal; they have an unquenchable desire to excel.

That is what I want to see in our candidates: a desire to excel.

And that’s what makes me so depressed about the rise of Sarah Palin.

From the Boston Globe:

Romney portrait to be unveiled at State House

The official portrait of former Governor Mitt Romney will be unveiled this evening in a ceremony at the foot of the Grand Staircase in the State House.

New Hampshire artist Richard Whitney painted the one-term governor in what an aide described as an office setting. Following the tradition of other governors, Romney commissioned the work with $30,000 from his state campaign account and will donate the painting to the Commonwealth, said Romney's spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.

"I don't want to give away any surprises, but it’s a very realistic looking portrait," Fehrnstrom said this morning. "There are some interesting features that I think people will find unique."

The 6 p.m. ceremony is expected to draw 150 to 200 people. Speakers include Romney's former budget chief Thomas Trimarco, former Senate President Robert Travaglini, former Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, and Governor Deval Patrick.

By tradition, Romney's portrait will hang in the outer office lobby of the governor's office.

CBS News:
Romney To Obama: Stay Out Of Insurance Biz

Mitt Romney has some advice for President Obama: Don't get into the insurance business.

The former Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor offered his insight on the president's health care reform plan in an exclusive interview with The Early Show Wednesday.

As governor, Romney helped the state achieve a form of near-universal health care, though he emphasized that his plan did not involve the government becoming the source of insurance for state residents. "That's a mistake," Romney said, alluding to Mr. Obama's plan, who is trying to extend health benefits for more than 50 million uninsured Americans.

A recent CBS/New York Times poll reports 50 percent think the government would be better than insurance companies at providing medical coverage.

Romney, vehemently disagreed. "It's the wrong way to go," he said.

The former GOP presidential hopeful also applauded Mr. Obama's latest comments on Iran in which he said he was appalled at the regime's treatment of protesters. Romney said he was glad he finally did "rise to the occasion."

Posted by Sarah Lenti

Here I thought I was going to be able to ease into vacation (see the bottom of Sunday’s post) but no such luck.  According to Politico, Mark Sanford has put up a message:

which he posted on his personal website

http://www.governorsanford.com and Facebook page, and broadcast via Twitter.

The heart of the message:

So in the aftermath of this failure I want to not only apologize, but to commit to growing personally and spiritually. Immediately after all this unfolded last week I had thought I would resign - as I believe in the military model of leadership and when trust of any form is broken one lays down the sword. A long list of close friends have suggested otherwise - that for God to really work in my life I shouldn’t be getting off so lightly. While it would be personally easier to exit stage left, their point has been that my larger sin was the sin of pride. They contended that in many instances I may well have held the right position on limited government, spending or taxes - but that if my spirit wasn’t right in the presentation of those ideas to people in the General Assembly, or elsewhere, I could elicit the response that I had at many times indeed gotten from other state leaders.

My first reaction when I read that was how remarkably similar it sounded to the dozens of such communiques that have come from errant evangelical preachers of various stripes over the years.   I find the idea highly debatable in the church setting, but completely unacceptable in the political one.  It is hard to maintain any sympathy for Sanford’s personal issues, when he is spinning it in such a way as to try and maintain power.

Redemption is a personal matter, sin is a spiritual one.  Both are very important to any individual, but neither are material to job performance, and that is what him keeping his job is all about.  Set aside for a minute the why’s of his absence and consider that he simply disappeared from the job.  I don’t know about where you work, but that’s a firing offense most places - no questions asked.  However, he is just doing what errant politicians always do, spinning to try and hold his job.  - there is certainly a far more appealing logic to his argument here than trying to figure out the definition of “is.”

My very strong objections lie in his invocation of God in this spin.  He is sayng two things here that  find highly objectionable.  First of all he is saying that God wants him to keep his job and secondly he is saying that such is the case because that his how God intends to work out his (Sanford’s) personal redemption.  Not only is that a direct imposition of theological and faith concerns on the function of government - such imposition is entirely personal and individualistic and has nothing whatsoever to do with the function of government or the rest of the citizenry of South Carolina.

What really saddens me is that this is probably pure, calculated political maneuver.  South Carolina is a deeply evangelical state, and this seems purposefully designed to appeal to that fact.  But in doing so it does two things that are just abhorrent.   For one, it will feed and encourage the very unheathy imposition of theological concerns on politics in the state.  If you will remember, the very first public religious attacks on Romney came in South Carolina in the form of Cynthia Mosteller.   Secondly and more importantly, it cheapens genuine faith.  By turning his personal repentance and efforts towards redemption into political fodder, Sanford has erected a barrier between himself, his family, and perhaps even God - staying in office is avoiding the issue.  It certainly is not, “personally easier to exit stage left.”  Faith is not a “get out of jail free” card.

There’s much to debate in Alex’s post on Benjamin Franklin.

I could, I suppose right a snarky and sarcastic post writing how party elites would never support Abraham Lincoln today due to Lincoln’s lack of formal education and use that as an argument to suggest that the Republican Party needs to reject the Mitt Romneys of the world in order to choose candidates who only have three years of formal education.

In essence, the argument seems to be that elitism is good in and of itself. It certainly isn’t. The elites are not just the Founding Fathers, but every aristocracy that has ever trod the face of Planet Earth. To defend elitism as virtuous in itself would be to defend the tyranny of kings throughout the ages and every regime.

Was the Tamany Hall machine in New York good because it was elite? What about the Daley Machine in Chicago? Certainly, the elite can be wise and intelligent, it can also be crass, boorish, and selfish. An elite is no greater than its character and no greater than the values it represents.

Of the Founding Fathers and current politicians, Alex writes:

But the elitism of the Founders is why we’re supposed to admire them. They were intellectuals. Men of distinction. men of both word and action. Men who, on the whole, were both virtuous and slayers of established dogma. Pick up The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin — or a copy of Poor Richard’s Almanack, even. Even making adjustments for the archaic writing, can you imagine Sarah Palin writing such a tome? Of course you can’t. Not even she can. That’s why she hired a ghostwriter.

No, I can’t imagine Sarah Palin writing as well as Benjamin Franklin, and I can’t imagine George Will or Rudy Giuliani doing it either. There is no analog to compare Franklin. No comparison will come off favorably, or anything less than abysmal for the person who is being compared.  So thus, the thrust of the piece was to compare people to the founders without actually bringing out someone who was worthy to even shine Ben Franklin’s shoes.

The worst comparsion, one can make in defense of today’s party elite is to the Founding Fathers as today’s elites are a bunch of shallow, oversexed, unprincipled midgets whose letters and learning are being used to no end but the unwitting destruction of the work of giants.  

The great wisdom of the Founders fills volumes. The great wisdom of today’s elites could be copied on to a matchbook.

In 18 point font.

In more Iowa buzz, Mike Pence has plans to appear at an event in Cedar Rapids on July 24th.  Perhaps he’ll take the role of the obligatory Congressman in the mix of 2012 candidates.

Today, Dick Cheney gave his two cents on possible future Republican presidential candidates:

But I think from the standpoint of the party, we’ve got some great talent out there, young people coming along that are going to do a superb job. I always remind people that in adversity, there’s opportunity. You get people like Paul Ryan from Wisconsin, Rob Portman from Ohio, Jon Huntsman from Utah and so forth. We’ve got some very talented folks coming along. And I think that it’s just a matter of time before the party begins to sort of  firm up around a few key individuals, and we’ll hear big things from them in the future.

Unless public opinion shifts dramatically in the near future, Portman would experience tremendous difficulty in overcoming the Scarlet B(ush) opponents would attach to him.  Many people have already discussed Huntsman’s viability.  I would argue that Ryan holds the most promise of Cheney’s trio.  He deserves a prominent role in the party’s rebuilding effort.

As people have mentioned in the comments sections, Gov. Pawlenty has stated that he will accept the Minnesota Supreme Court’s ruling on the Coleman-Franken ballot battle:

“I’m going to follow the direction of the court,” he said during an appearance on CNN. “We expect that ruling any day now. I also expect them to give guidance and direction as to the certificate of election. I’m prepared to sign it as soon as they give the green light.”

And finally, Politico has published an article detailing how Gov. Romney’s former campaign workers stand ready to mobilize should he decide to run in 2012:

In addition to the full-time employees the former Massachusetts governor has at his Boston-based Free & Strong America PAC, the early primary states and Washington are filled with former staffers and supporters who are in regular contact with one another.

Whenever Romney has a major TV appearance or pens an opinion piece, a PAC staffer, Will Ritter, circulates the news to an e-mail list of the former governor’s extended political family.

The Washington-based alumni have a regular monthly luncheon, are working on another reunion-like event around a 2009 candidate later this year and always make sure their former candidate is briefed on the latest political doings.

When Romney does a high-profile Sunday show like he did yesterday, for example, that means that former communications aides such as Matt Rhoades and Kevin Madden will join PAC spokesman and longtime adviser Eric Fehrnstrom to help prepare their old boss, either in person or over the phone. When he’s delivering a speech, as he did earlier this month on national security, other former campaign officials such as media consultants Russ Schriefer and Stuart Stevens are brought in.

And when the former governor is in Washington for reasons other than a public appearance, an even broader extended network of advisers is often alerted, including such figures as longtime lobbyist and GOP strategist Ron Kaufman.

Romney enjoys an equally strong following in many of the early primary states.

“I’m going be a Mitt guy until he tells me he’s not running for president,” said Jim Merrill, who ran Romney’s New Hampshire primary campaign and said he still gets excited e-mails from local activists every time the former governor is on TV.

Mitt Romney’s fans and detractors enjoy shouting at each other over the benefits and drawbacks of Massachusett’s health plan, and about what Romney should get the credit and blame for in regard to it. Here’s some fuel for the fire, a Rasmussen Poll of Massachusetts voters about the plan:

Massachusetts Survey of 500 Likely Voters, Conducted April 16, 2009

1. Has Healthcare reform in Massachusetts been a success or a failure?

• 26% Success
• 37% Failure
• 37% Not sure

2. Has healthcare reform in Massachusetts made healthcare more affordable, less affordable or has there been no change?

• 21% More affordable
• 27% Less affordable
• 44% There has been no change
• 8% Not sure

3. Under healthcare reform is the quality of healthcare getting better, getting worse or is it about the same?

• 10% Getting better
• 29% Getting worse
• 53% It’s about the same
• 8% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

The numbers are not very good. Romney’s detractors say the problems are largely his fault, while his supporters say it was the best program possible in a very liberal state, and has been undermined since his departure. While I’m only so-so on Romney, I’m sympathetic to the latter viewpoint — at least the part about being the best program possible. Whichever is the case, however, Romney’s opponents will use his healthcare program against him in the primaries, and this poll will help their arguments.

Charles, this is why you need an iPhone. We landed in Maui and I read about the so-called "disappearance" of Gov. Sanford on the way to the hotel. I actually read it aloud, to the kids, because the story had novelty and the weirdness factor -- I never supposed it'd turn out with an affair. (They didn't hear the follow-up.)

Anyway, I hope your vacation travels were easier than ours.

(Note to American Airlines: I loathe you. I hope to never voluntarily fly on your awful planes again. After sending our bags to Tokyo and making us sit on an un-airconditioned, 90 degree plane for three hours -- after a 9 hour red-eye -- I'm not sure I can forgive... yet again. Our total travel time home? 23 hours.)

Exciting news tomorrow! The official portrait of Gov. Romney will be unveiled in Boston. Richard Whitney is the artist, also known for his portrait of John Sununu. (Check out Sununu's portrait here -- the painting has an old-fashioned computer and telephone in it!)

Anyway, I can't wait to see the painting and I'll link to the photo when I see one.