Time to write off Virginia's lone GOP Senate seat

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore narrowly (66 votes narrowly) won the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate at the VAGOP convention this weekend, and he's got a special message for pro-life conservatives (emphasis mine):

By less than 70 votes, former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate yesterday.

Gilmore squeaked past Del. Bob Marshall at the Republican convention held here, winning 50.3 percent of the vote, or 5,222 votes to Marshall's 5,156. He will face Democrat Mark Warner, also a former governor, in the November election.

[...]

Speaking to reporters afterward, Gilmore conceded that the narrowness of his victory "was a surprise."

"We did not put resources into the convention that maybe we should have to get a larger margin," Gilmore said.

He said he has focused his campaign on Warner, and believes the issues important to general voters are different from the social issues driving Marshall's supporters.

Republican activist and Marshall supporter Shaun Kenney, a former spokesman for the party, said Gilmore "needs to reassure values voters that he's with them."

But the nominee said he's not going to change his principles to win political support. While he's anti-abortion and opposes late-term abortions, Gilmore said, "I've never believed we should impose a strict law on women that don't agree with us."

He also said Marshall's supporters aren't likely to back Warner.

"We believe they're going to be supportive of us," Gilmore said. "The things they believe in are things Mark Warner never supported."

Ah. There's a time-tested GOP strategy: "Vote for Me! Because, seriously, who else ya gonna vote for?"

(h/t The Corner)

Hate-monger Pfleger: If only they'd murdered another one of my foster children

Okay, not really. But close. Take a look at Hate-monger Pfleger's latest non-apology apology for his ridiculous, hate-filled rhetoric. A snippet (emphasis mine):

Last Sunday, I was invited by Trinity United Church of Christ to come and preach on the topic of race.

I agreed to do so because of my love for Trinity, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Rev. Otis Moss, III and because all my life I have sought to deal with the reality of racism. As I said, Last Sunday, I have committed myself to tear down the walls that divide us wherever they stand.

In 1966, as a junior in high school, amidst all the hate and meanness that surrounded me in Marquette Park, I heard more than the voice of Dr. king calling for community over chaos. I heard that small voice from within, that said, I am showing you this now, because you must spend your life trying to eradicate this.

The last few days have been the most painful days of my life, even more so than the murder of Jarvis, my foster son.

The whole apology is at the link, in case you think that this "snippet" is taking Hate-monger Pfleger out of context. Not being a baptized believer in the Cult of the Obamessiah, I am speaking with a cynical tongue, but I actually believe Hate-monger Pfleger when he says that this is more painful than the murder of his foster son. Why? Because as with all attention-hungry showmen (secular or religious), it's all about him.

Of course this is more painful, because there is negative attention focused on him, rather than the positive attention of sympathy released by the community after the death of a loved one.

It is more painful, because it might hurt his standing in the community. His life may continue without a foster son. After all, they're replaceable. But what politician will ever let him head a Catholic coalition group again?

That quote only makes sense if your highest priority is yourself. And, if your highest priority is yourself, what kind of spiritual leader will you make? I think we see the answer to that in Hate-mongers Michael Pfleger and Jeremiah Wright.

Even more reason not to have Romney as VP...

...President Bush and Karl Rove are all about it.

Liebs and Grahamnesty leave Vets group...because the group attacked Obama?

It must be fun to be a Senator and put what's best for your fellow Senator before what is best for the country. Anyways. The other day, Vets for Freedom issued the following ad, asking Sen. Obama why he will meet with Iran, but not with Gen. Petraeus:



In response, Sens. Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham promptly stepped down from their positions on the group:

Senators Joseph I. Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, prominent surrogates for Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign, stepped down Wednesday from their positions with an independent group that released a pair of Internet advertisements attacking Senator Barack Obama on Iraq.

Mr. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and Mr. Graham, Republican of South Carolina, were both on the policy advisory board to the organization, Vets for Freedom, which on Wednesday released its second Web advertisement in less than a week attacking Mr. Obama.

[...]

After inquiries from reporters, the senators released a joint letter to Vets for Freedom on Wednesday saying they had requested a leave from their positions to come into compliance with the new policy.

“This is obviously something we’re working through,” said Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the McCain campaign. “This is the kind of thing that happens when you have the strictest possible policy on these issues.”

The new policy was meant to head off embarrassing questions about connections of members of the McCain campaign to special interests that run counter to Mr. McCain’s reformist reputation. But adhering to that standard has proved complicated.

So anyways, we're screwed in 2008. Especially if McCain's campaign is going to be that insane.

Exit question: Why did Sen. Lieberman have to step down from his position at Vets for Freedom, but not have to cancel a speaking engagement at a conference held by Rev. John Hagee?

I have descended from on high to be briefed on policy!

Captain Ed has an entry at HotAir.com about a Washington Post article describing the Obamessiah's lack of policy experience. While the article, and Ed's post, make good points, what stuck out to me was this:

So in 2005, he had his office arrange informal seminars so that experts on health care, the economy, energy and education could brief him. "I'm not running for president," he told a group of experts at his Capitol Hill office in the spring of 2006. But he said he had a "national voice" and wanted to use it.

Did any of the experts ask if he was running for president? I'd think it would be very common for someone new to the Hill to want to be briefed on important policy issues. I imagine there must have been a lot of eye rolling in that room.

Also, did Sen. Obama just decide he had a "national voice"? And, if so, why wasn't his national voice backed up by national action? Instead, the only piece of legislation he's passed (to my knowledge) is the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (otherwise known as the Coburn-Obama Bill).

I think that Obama's savior complex didn't start this election season, but rather during his 2004 Senate run.

Require US citizens to be bilingual? Si, Se Puede!

The Obamessiah descended from on high today to issue another brilliant edict:

"When it comes to second-language learners, the most important thing is not to get bogged down in ideology, but figure out what works," Obama says. "Everybody should be bilingual, or everybody should be trilingual." The comments drew loud applause.

Everybody except immigrants (illegal and legal) I'm guessing.

(h/t the Campaign Spot)

Jonah Goldberg touts Palin for Veep

Writing over at NRO's The Corner, Goldberg says (emphasis mine):

I'm more and more keen on Sarah Palin. [...] Palin is tackling the establishment in Alaska, including the oil and gas industry (much to the chagrin of some of my relatives!). She's attractive (former Ms. Alaska). She could get some real profile out of this polar bear lawsuit. She reinforces McCain's outsider-reformer-Western credentials. And, for the moderate soccer mom types who were all jazzed about Hillary being the first woman president, she might win a few suburbanite female swing-voters for the same reason. Obama is going to have to pick a boring white guy precisely because he's not one. McCain doesn't need to pick a boring white guy because he's got that locked up already.

Part of the reason I feel that it is so important that McCain chooses someone like Gov. Palin or Gov. Bobby Jindal are the multiple polls showing generic Republicans losing to generic Democrats. In the mind of the public, "generic Republican" means a white, probably Southern, older man. Like it or not, McCain needs to choose someone who's not a white man as the veep. And, preferably, it will be someone like Palin who is a true conservative.

Could McConnell lose his Senate seat?

Polling shows that Sen. Mitch McConnell could be in trouble this fall:

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the Kentucky Senate race shows Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford with a five percentage point lead over long-time Republican Senator Mitch McConnell. The poll, conducted just two days after Lunsford won the Democratic nomination, shows the challenger with 49% of the vote while McConnell earns 44%.

The Kentucky Democratic Party is energized this election cycle, especially on the heels of winning back the Louisville House seat in 2006 and the governorship in 2007. This race has the real potential to mimic the Virginia Senate race between Jim Webb and Sen. George Allen, although this may be less likely with Sen. Obama at the top of the Dem ticket. (Kentucky is full of bitter people clinging to their guns and religion and race-hatred as a way of explaining their economic situation.)

Either way, McConnell needs to take this re-election campaign seriously, and I'm not really sure if he is or not. (It's hard to know how aggressive anyone's advertising is when you don't have TV.)

AK-House GOP primary polling: Rep. Young vulnerable

Despite Rep. Don Young having 24 times his cash on hand, Alaska's Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell is tied or beating the incumbent in most polls:

Republican Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell stands a strong chance of defeating Young in the party’s Aug. 26 primary, according to recent polls and analysts, which would provide Democrats with a new opponent for the general election.

Young has drawn wide support over the years for his advocacy for his home state, but critics argue that his connections to a federal investigation into Alaska oil services company Veco Corp and its ties to political figures in the state have made him vulnerable for re-election this year. Opponents also note that the House has called for an investigation into an earmark for a Florida transportation project, which Young is accused of changing to possibly benefit a major supporter. Others believe Young’s well-known rough-hewn manner is diminishing his effectiveness in the House and reflecting badly on the state.

Parnell, a lawyer and former state lawmaker, entered the House race just two months ago, but is backed by popular Republican Gov. Sarah Palin . Recent polls show Parnell besting or nearly breaking even with Young.

“It’s time for a new messenger in Congress in Alaska,” Parnell told CQ Politics.

[...]

Parnell is campaigning on issues such as resource development, job creation, the nation’s economy, establishing a natural gas pipeline and fixing high gas prices, in addition to what he calls “restoring trust issues,” all things on which Parnell believes he can be more effective than the congressman.

“Voters appreciate the years he’s given, but we also think it’s time for new leadership,” Parnell said of Young.

Parnell's kind words stand in deep contrast to Rep. Young's response when he found out Parnell was challenging him. A refresher:

"Sean, congratulations," Young said. "I beat your dad, and I'm going to beat you."

Pat Parnell ran as a Democrat against Young in the 1980 general election. Young received 114,089 votes to the elder Parnell's 39,922, according to the Division of Elections.

Gesturing with his finger toward Parnell, Young said that if Parnell had wanted the U.S. House seat, he should have run two years ago.

"If you wanted to run for this job, you should have done it two years ago instead of running for lieutenant governor," Young said. "You wanted that job. Stay where you are, and that's where you're going to be."

A real class act.

I've never been to Alaska, but I think that if Parnell takes this seat away from Young, it would be the one bright spot in an otherwise disastrous election season. So, shill away I must.

Contribute to Parnell's campaign here.

(h/t RedState)

Weekend at Bernie's: Obamessiah edition

On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today -- our sense of patriotism is particularly strong. - the Obamessiah (Change be Upon Him)

More distractions. Remember, though, that President Bush is the stupid one. Because, as we all know, one's ideology is the measure of how intelligent one is.

As long as we're rejecting endorsements of people who say ridiculous things...

When's the Obamessiah going to reject MoveOn.org's endorsement? Memorial Day would be a good time to reject at least some of their hate.

About McCain's VP selection committee head...

Contrary to popular belief, Sen. McCain will not be heading up his veep selection process himself. While McCain may be "chairing" that committee, a former Reagan official (from 1987-1989) named Arthur B. Culvahouse will be heading with search. As with most things McCain, the "Reagan official" tag is a nice smokescreen for Culvahouse's moderate leanings (emphasis mine):

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has tapped a former Reagan administration official to head his campaign’s search for a vice presidential nominee.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) told The Hill that Arthur Culvahouse, who was Reagan’s White House counsel from March 1987 to January 1989, will be helping McCain vet candidates and develop a list.

[...]

Culvahouse has been active in GOP circles, consistently contributing thousands of dollars to Republican candidates. He donated to McCain in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Other Republicans that Culvahouse has contributed to include Sens. Alexander, Arlen Specter (Pa.) and Richard Lugar (Ind.).

I can tell you that most Reagan Conservatives are just so darn excited about Sens. Lugar and Specter that they can't help but donate to their campaigns. Even Sen. Alexander's American Conservative Union rating is only a 72 - and his is the highest of the three by 12 points and 32 points, respectively. If who Mr. Culvahouse is donating to is any indication of the type of people he might choose, we're in for a longgggggg 2008 election season.

On the other hand, at least Culvahouse has some good instincts:

He also publicly supported the controversial nomination of John Bolton to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 2005.

McCain/Bolton '08? If only...

My take on McCain's immigration comments

The blogosphere is abuzz with fury over some recent comments by Sen. McCain regarding immigration:

“Senator Kennedy and I tried very hard to get immigration reform, a comprehensive plan, through the Congress of the United States,” he said. “It is a federal responsibility and because of our failure as a federal obligation, we’re seeing all these various conflicts and problems throughout our nation as different towns, cities, counties, whatever they are, implement different policies and different programs which makes things even worse and even more confusing.”

He added: “I believe we have to secure our borders, and I think most Americans agree with that, because it’s a matter of national security. But we must enact comprehensive immigration reform. We must make it a top agenda item if we don’t do it before, and we probably won’t, a little straight talk, as of January 2009.”

Ace, DrewM, and Ed Morrissey have all given their takes, and everyone's favorite Nickelback-listening, WWF-watching 'tard has even gone so far as to state that he will not be supporting McCain in the fall on this basis. I think worry about these comments is premature. I agree with Jim Geraghty:

Team McCain tells me the senator's comments were poorly worded. There's been no discussion within the campaign of altering their stance on illegal immigration, and as far as everyone on the campaign is concerned, the policy is still, 'secure the border first.'

I said, "so, this change away from border-security-first wouldn't happen, unless John McCain and his top advisers had gotten together, studied it in great detail, weighed all the advantages and disadvantages, and came to the carefully-considered conclusion that they're really not interested in winning the election?" The strategist laughed and agreed.

I think that if McCain meant these comments the way bloggers are taking them, he is profoundly stupid. He likes to agitate conservatives, but I doubt he thinks agitating conservatives is worth losing the election.

This would be like Sen. Obama saying "You know what we need on the table as of January 2009? We need to start a massive government program to cure AIDS. After all, the government started it, so they need to stop it." (Or, noting agreement iwth any number of crazy Hate-monger Wright sayings.) Sure, McCain may believe it and he may even try to resurrect amnesty, but he's not going to start beating that drum until he wins the general election.

Gov. Jindal's proper role

There has been a lot of buzz around Gov. Bobby Jindal of late, especially after the media found out he was spending Memorial Day at Sen. John McCain's place in Scottsdale, Arizona with several other potential vice presidents.

While I'm not ashamed to say that I'd be one of the first people to join a Jindal '12 campaign, I don't think he's ready for the national stage...yet. But there is something that could both introduce him to the nation and prepare him for national scrutiny and campaigning:

Which is why I think Jindal's a long-shot here. He's too young, and whatever "ageism" the Louisiana governor might offset being on the ticket undercuts McCain's central theme of Obama's inexperience. Jindal's presence at McCain's home could very well be just an acknowledgment that Jindal is now a central figure in Republican politics. It could be something more.

[...]

But let's remember what launched Obama on the national scene: It was his 2004 convention speech in Boston. Almost immediately Obama's name entered the list of potential candidates. Without that, Obama, who would have won his Senate seat anyway, would almost certainly not be running today.

I think this analysis is largely correct. Sen. McCain needs to have a vice president that is younger than him, but not one that is so young that it highlights his old age even more. Giving Gov. Jindal a prominent speaking slot at the convention would give him exposure, and provide the country with a reminder that hope^tm and change^tm have the be actions, not words. I think a case can be made that Gov. Jindal has brought hope and change to the citizens of Louisiana, while Sen. Obama has just provided flowery, generic speeches.

To be honest, I can't see Gov. Jindal running for president in 2012, either. I think that McCain will probably choose Mitt Romney and limit himself to one term (if he wins). And, since Republicans tend to nominate the person "whose turn it is", you can expect a Romney nomination in 2012 whether McCain wins or loses, with Gov. Jindal (who would by then be in his second term as governor) chosen as Mitt's VP.

The Long (Veepstakes) Weekend

Sen. McCain is is taking a, ahem, "purely social" break from campaigning to host a Memorial Day getaway in Arizona for some Republican (and Independent) officeholders:

The Memorial Day guest list at Sen. John McCain's Arizona home runs to at least three Republicans mentioned as vice presidential running mates, but a top aide said Wednesday that vetting possible veeps is not on the agenda.

"It's purely social," said Mark Salter, a senior adviser to McCain.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney were all invited to a Memorial Day gathering at the senator's home in Sedona, Ariz. Romney ran for the Republican presidential nomination in last winter's primaries, but dropped out months ago and has endorsed McCain.

[...]

Among other guests expected were Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., close confidantes of McCain.

Hmmm. The good news: Mike Huckabee isn't there, while Gov. Bobby Jindal and (sigh) Gov. Mitt Romney are.

The bad news: McCain, apparently, sees moderate Florida Gov. Charlie Crist as an acceptable choice for vice president. Also, Lieberman and Graham will be there, although there is a real possibility that those two are just there for social reasons.

Out of those choices, my favorite is, of course, Jindal. He's the best conservative for the job, although there is a risk of him ruining his future by signing on to a losing campaign. (Even though I would support him right out of the gate in 2012 should he run for VP and lose to Obama.)

Turns out the Obamessiah thinks Michelle's stump comments are in-bounds...

..of course, as is often the case in Obamaland, this was before the things she said became inconvenient. Rob at Say Anything had a good catch over at his blog. The following sign was up in Obama's campaign headquarters when CBS News did a (probably fawning) piece there:



But, we probably shouldn't bring that sign up. It doesn't help Michelle Obama's kids. And it's a distraction. And it's his staff's fault for putting it up in a cubicle and not down the memory hole.

And, as we know, using a Democrat's own words against them just isn't fair.

Huckabee vs. Palin: VP Madness Final Round!

CQ's VP Madness is (you guessed it) in the final round, and it is between Gov. Mike Huckabee and Gov. Sarah Palin.

Right now, Huckabee is ahead of Palin 54% to 45%.

If Huckabee wins this thing, I will lose all faith in humanity, so go there ASAP and vote for Sarah Palin.

With 0% of precincts reporting, it's already clear that Kentucky's Democrats are racist

That post title started out as a tongue-in-cheek, but hey, it works. The Politico says there are five things to watch in Kentucky today, including the role of race:

And though Kentucky voters may also factor race into their votes, they also might be more reluctant to admit it to exit pollsters, said Laurie Rhodebeck, an associate political science professor at the University of Louisville.

“Voters get a little prickly here if you say race” drove their choice, she said. “They’ll say, ‘It’s more that we’re concerned about his church ties or his lack of military experience or that he seems so young and untested.’ Those may be socially acceptable ways of saying they’re uncomfortable with a black candidate.”

Meaning, if you don't vote for the Obamessiah you're either a racist or just using other excuses to cover up the fact that you're racist. Good to know.

$10 says his home thermostat is set to 72 at this very moment

The Obamessiah addressing the masses yesterday in Portland, Oregon:

"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said.

"That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added.

And by "we", he, of course, means plebians like you and me. Malaise '08! Catch the fevuh!

I love Kentucky: The "Look what they made Hillary do" edition

The best part of this story is that I'm about 95% certain the minister is the father of one of my good friends in high school:

When things couldn't be looking worse for Sen. Hillary Clinton's bid for the presidency in 2008, as her rival Barack Obama closes in on gaining enough delegates to secure the nomination, the former first lady attended a church service in Bowling Green, Ky., Sunday featuring a sermon about lust and adultery.

The hour-long sermon focused on the sin of committing adultery -– as outlined in Mathew 5:27-32.

[...]

Paul Fryman of the State Street United Methodist Church asked the congregation, "How is your commitment level in your marriage this morning?’

He spoke about lust and the sin of cheating on your partner. Clinton looked straight ahead as the man spoke about the theme of the sermon, which was: "Come Up Higher When the Devil Whispers Over Your Shoulder."

Ha.