December 2007 Archives

My ISP (a famous cable company who I shall not name) has been having trouble in my neighborhood, service has been so spotty that I haven't been able to post lately. Sorry.

That aside, with Christmas approaching, posting will still be light, as this is a very busy time for TB and I.

We hope that all of our readers have a wonderful holiday season.

Cheers,

LB & TB

Rep. Robert Wexler has put up a website, in conjunction with Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Tammy Baldwin, asking for nutroots support of impeaching Cheney. On the page titled "Why We Need Hearings", we get a refreshingly honest view of what drives many Democrats, and it's what we all knew already:

I was serving in Congress and on the Judiciary Committee for the ridiculous and politically motivated impeachment hearings of President Clinton. During that witch hunt Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay, and Ken Starr wasted a year and a half on investigations and hearings about President Clinton's personal relations. However, this attempted coup d'etat by Republicans against President Clinton was not and should not be the standard of impeachment that was enshrined by the Founders in our Constitution.

First, impeachment hearings are only proper when significant allegations exist that the President or Vice-President, or others civil officers, committed actions – within their official duties – that constitute 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors.' The allegations against Clinton – involving a personal affair - never reached this threshold. The serious charges against Cheney involve alleged crimes that are central to his duties of Vice-President; namely war and peace, the widespread violations of civil liberties, and the security of the United States and our covert agents.

Unlike the show trial put on by Republicans against President Clinton, a proper impeachment hearing would involve a fair and objective presentation of the facts without hyperbole or political gamesmanship.

Yup, that's right - it's all about getting even for the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Oh, and here's Wexler in a supporting video - listen to his voice become louder and angrier - he practically spits into the camera - as he displays a "fair and objective presentation of the facts without hyperbole or political gamesmanship":

Hyperbole, indeed. Do you really think it's possible for someone so animated in his characterization of the administration's actions to be "fair and objective"?

Hope you caught the headlines in the background. I've linked them for you:

• "If Libby is Pardoned, Scrutiny Should Follow" - Since Libby wasn't pardoned, I guess scrutiny isn't necessary.

• "Former Press Secretary Points Finger at Bush, Cheney for Deceit in CIA Leak Scandal" - Noticing a pattern here?

• "A Judgment on Cheney Is Still to Come" - Wexler just can't get over Plame, can he? He must have missed the news about who the leaker really was. That matters little, though, since the theme is "any excuse for revenge".

It's a shame this soap opera was canceled last month. A year of impeachment hearings with this kind of tinfoil nonsense would give the Republicans their best hope of regaining Congress.

George Bush is well on his way to becoming the most powerful lame-duck ever.

New suggested mottos for Harry Reid's Senate:

• "I guess when you're all about surrender, any surrender will do."

• "When you can't be with the surrender you want, honey - love the surrender you're with." (works as a theme song as well)

• "It's not about giving up while you're ahead - it's just about giving up."

• "You don't go to the Senate floor with the surrender you want - you go to the Senate floor with the surrender you have."

• "If at first you don't succeed, give up, give up, again."

If you want to send an inspirational Christmas gift to your favorite Democrat Senator, this would be a good place to start.

Update: 0 for 2 on a sunny December Friday.

The folks at PR Newswire channeling The Shining. Redrum.

Oops - More heartache for the left:

The IEA said Iraqi crude production is now running at 2.3 million barrels per day, compared with 1.9 million barrels at the start of this year.

And in spite of the tin-foil fantasies of the Huffington Post crowd, the US isn't stealing a single drop.

H/T Gateway Pundit

Zzzzzz...

Fun fact - they haven't executed anyone in NJ since 1963.

While browsing the WSJ this morning, I also came across a staff column called "The Delta House Congress". In it, a comparison is made between the Democrat Congress and a scene from the movie Animal House:

In the movie "Animal House," the fraternity brother known as Otter reacts to the Delta House's closure with the classic line, "I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part." To which Bluto, played by John Belushi, replies, "We're just the guys to do it." The movie ends by noting that Bluto becomes a Senator, so perhaps this explains the meltdown among Democrats on Capitol Hill.

This, of course, reminded me of Glenn Reynolds' use of the "Flounder Principle" yesterday. It's worth noting for two reasons. One, that Glenn (you leading edge, you) was once again ahead of the pack with this theme.

Two, the theme seems to fit - should it be used more? It shouldn't be difficult to replace many of the arcane phrases we use now with references to scenes in a movie that nearly everyone has seen and understands. There must be some way to work "Toga Party", "Double Secret Probation", and "He's a sneaky little sh*t" into the arsenal of descriptive phrases we use in relation to the Democrat Congress, right?

On the other hand, folks might get the wrong idea:

While the Democrat Congress is easily as irresponsible as the characters in Animal House, Belushi and crew caused far less harm, and are endearing - something that Pelosi and Reid definitely aren't. Maybe we should pick another movie for next time, eh?

That's the title of Peggy Noonan's column in today's WSJ. In it, she wonders if Reagan would survive in a party increasingly obsessed by religion. I suspect she's right, he wouldn't. Of late, religion has become at least a partial eclipse, blotting out many of the attributes we once found far more important when selecting a candidate. When coverage of the primary is centered on Huckabee and Romney's faiths, the far more important messages about what Republicans can accomplish if elected are being sorely neglected - a very bad thing, IMO.

Read the whole piece, though. She offers an interesting take on the troubles with Hillary's campaign as well.

First, I didn't get to watch it - much like many of you, 2 P.M. wasn't really convenient. But I have seen some clips and coverage elsewhere.

I find it interesting that the blogosphere seems to favor Fred Thompson as the winner, but the pundits on TV all seem to give it to Romney. There seems to be a bias at work, but it's not clear whether it's on the part of the bloggers or the professional pundits.

Thomson easily got the best soundbite with his refusal to answer a show of hands question. Where was this kind of behavior back when it would have helped him?

I have yet to see anything to explain why Alan Keyes was there. If anyone knows, please send me a link.

The clear loser, in all the accounts I have read, was Carolyn Washburn, the moderator. I've seen her described as a schoolmarm and "Nurse Ratchet". The focus group on Fox News saw her as combative. If she's doing the Dem debate today, chances are that she'll act differently toward the Dem candidates - either because she learned from yesterday, or because she's partisan. Either way, she'll be labelled as partisan.

The Dem debate is at 2:00 today - I won't be watching for the same reason I missed yesterday's.

Back when we moved to Delaware, TB was skeptical about settling in the Newark area. "It's so far from work", she said. "And gas prices are going up."

"Look", I replied, "No matter how high gas prices get, we need to stay the course. If we just keep our large V8-equipped vehicles running as much as possible, in no time at all we'll be a short drive from the beach, and our property values will go through the roof! You just gotta be patient."

She and the kids still thought I was off my rocker, and I still catch flak about it to this day. Soon, though, that patience is going to pay off in spades. Vindication, baby. Vindication.

Kucinich's campaign says it's for some silly concern over where his campaign is headquartered. Personally, I think it was the Sean Penn endorsment that took the Des Moines Register over the edge:

Despite being the top-ranked Presidential candidate in polls conducted by Democracy for America (DFA), Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), and one of the country's leading progressive publications, The Nation, Kucinich was not invited to participate in the debate because "It was our determination that a person working out of his home did not meet our criteria for a campaign office and full-time paid staff in Iowa," according to a statement from the newspaper's top officials, including editor Carolyn Washburn.

The dismissive reference was to Kucinich Iowa Field Director and State Coordinator Marcos Rubinstein, who coordinates campaign activities from his home office in Dubuque, bolstered by a dozen-or-so other senior campaign staff who have traveled the state over the past several months.

Odd though it might seem, this has the effect of hurting the other candidates. In past debates, Dennis' over the top nuttiness made the other contenders seem almost rational by comparison. I repeat, almost. Now they'll all start getting judged on their platforms and personalities. Not good for the party of surrender, socialism and higher taxes.

Hillary and Obama's only hope now is Joe Biden, who is still playing the part of the weird, angry uncle at the family reunion. You know, the one all the kids avoid because of what he might say. And that, my friends, may not be enough.

We'll miss you, Dennis. The debate won't be nearly as entertaining.

Update: Linked in the headlines at Hot Air! Thanks for the link, guys!

There's quite a few clips showing up at you tube, pretty much as you'd expect. This one is from a BBC show from last night:

I'm sure there's going to be some harsh critiques and plenty of comparison to the performances of the Led Zep of old. Don't look here for it, though. Are they the same as they were decades ago? Of course not, but does it really matter?

Will I still shell out for the DVD when it comes out? Absolutely.

At a speech in support of Dennis Kucinich:

Yeah, I know the left is going to have fun with this. Let them. Fact is, this fellow has no more right to disrupt speeches than the multitudes of liberals who have done it to conservative speakers in recent years. Sean Penn, like or not, was an invited speaker. Our young friend with the funny signs (especially the second one) should have been outside the hall to protest. Freedom of speech isn't a guarantee of a forum, and exercising one's rights becomes unjust if it takes away the same right from others.

As an aside, please do note that there were no objects thrown, no crowds rushing the stage, no shouting. In fact, the only threat of physical contact came from a Kucinich supporter/Sean Penn fan. Ann Coulter would love to have such restrained protests at her presentations. In spite of the fact that he was wrong, the young fellow showed far more class and restraint than any of the liberal protests we've seen lately.

H/T Huffington Post.

Comes a prominent civil rights figure joking about Bill Clinton's prowess with black women:

"He's probably gone with more black women than Barack," Young said of former President Clinton, drawing laughter from a live television audience. Young, 75, was quick to follow his comment on Bill Clinton with the disclaimer, "I'm clowning."

Dr. Melissa has much more, go read the whole thing. She's right when she says "And Hillary doesn't need this kind of help." Because all of this trashy and racist talk takes away from discussing Hillary's resolute policy stances, the depth of her experience, or the warmth of her personality, um... no, wait - I guess this is all due to Hillary's supporters having too much time on their hands.

Via Right Wing News, where if John got crappy bloggers like me to fill in on the weekends instead of the bunch he's been using, I'd be talking about his weekday posts instead. ;)

Silly, but fun for a couple of plays. Notice that most folks want to play as Hillary - does that have any meaning?

It's a fairly slow news day (for the moment, anyway), here's a few miscellaneous items:

• Eric Ruth at the WNJ suggests that Delaware businesses will gain from the upcoming bump in Maryland sales tax. Good thing, if it happens, but color me skeptical. Folks wishing to dodge Maryland sales tax already come here to shop. Last night I went to Elkton with the family to shop at the only decent Wal-Mart in the region, and parked in a sea of Delaware-tagged vehicles. It would seem that that sales tax isn't the only thing folks consider in choosing where to shop.


• Fox News has been flogging this story about a dog from the Washington Square area possibly being held for ransom. Not to take away from the story itself, as it's truly difficult not to empathize with the dog-owner's loss, but why is this a national top story for Fox? Have they run out of MAWWs (missing attractive white women)?


• I stayed away from the story about the NIE last week. Opinions on the right are as varied as I've seen, and the left predictably has flip-flopped on their view of our intelligence agencies. Before, they were untrustworthy tools of the administration, suddenly the CIA is back in vogue now that the meme is convenient to the reflexive purveyors of hatred toward all things Bush. All kinda predictable, I suppose. A couple of points, though. Applying pressure on a rival nation and actually going to war are very different, and I've seen nothing substantive to indicate that Bush has crossed that line or even plans to. With even many on the right (including me) conceding that the administration has made plenty of errors, why does the left feel compelled to engage in fantastic conspiracy hype and downright dishonesty?


• Okay, one more thought on the NIE. In industry, it's not uncommon to design something even go so far as to prototype it, then shelve the design while waiting for some outside event to occur, such as new availability of raw materials, or the maturing of complementary technology, or an anticipated change in market conditions or politics. The elephant in the middle of the room regarding Iran is that they did indeed have a nuclear weapons program, and they are still enriching uranium they don't need. Isn't it possible that they shelved it for reasons having nothing to do with us? Wouldn't it be folly to assume that "shelved" is the same as "scrapped"? Just asking...


• On the CIA's destroyed interrogation tapes - everyone knows that we waterboarded two or three terrorists a few years ago, and haven't done it since. Does a tape of an event already admitted to really add anything new to anyone's argument on either side? Other than to be used as fuel for demagoguery, that is. Speaking of which, all of the "obstruction of justice" talk seems to be a little overboard in light of the fact that no one was objecting to the CIA's techniques at the time, including some key Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Jane Harman, Bob Graham, and John D. Rockefeller. But I don't hear anyone calling for investigations on their complicities in the matter...


• I agree that Huckabee is starting to look like he has too many warts to go the distance. Shame, too, as he seemed pretty likable before his record started coming to light. Maybe there's still time for Fred to come alive...


• Lots of folks seem to agree with the sentiments in this opinion piece. I can't remember Ron Williams' message, though - all that stuck with me was the childish and petty tone of the piece. Shame, too, as Ron might have had something important to say...

That's the title of this press release which caught my eye earlier today:

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "I came to the United States seven years ago because of religious discrimination in Switzerland," said Raelian Guide Thomas Kaenzig, who heads the Raelian religion in Nevada. "Now I'm standing up for religious freedom here -- for my right to omit all religious references in becoming a U.S. citizen. After lots of red tape, I was granted a God-free citizenship oath-taking ceremony on December 7 here in Las Vegas."

Kaenzig said he lost his job in Switzerland because of his beliefs.

"As a Raelian spokesperson, I bashed the Vatican in an interview with Switzerland's major newspaper, Blick. I wasn't wanted on company projects after that. I was jobless."

Well, so much for assimilation. But the story as he tells it doesn't sound like religious discrimination to me. He didn't have to "bash the Vatican" in a major paper as a condition of his own religion. No, he wasn't discriminated against because of his beliefs, he was shunned because he trashed the beliefs of others.

So he comes here and spends years trying to expurgate the subject of his hatred from the customary rituals of citizenship of our country. If this has a familiar, um, smell to it...

Kaenzig said because the Raelian Movement is an atheistic religion, Rael had made attorney Michael Newdow an Honorary Guide for his commitment to remove all mentions of God from U.S. public affairs. Newdow, who assisted Kaenzig in his naturalization case, pleaded an argument this week at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking to omit the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance and U.S. currency.

That would be the same Michael Newdow who has made it his life's work to assert his rights by taking away the rights of others. And Kaenzig appears to be a kindred spirit, as his goal wasn't just to have a "godless" ceremony for himself, it was to force it on everyone. And he wasn't completely happy with the judge's compromise, which gave him a private ceremony:

Was the citizenship oath compromise satisfactory to Kaenzig?

"For my own situation, yes," he replied. "But it doesn't prevent religious references in future public ceremonies. Still, it's a significant first step."

If you are curious about the Raelians, they don't believe in a God. They believe we were put here by aliens. I'm guessing that's where much of Dennis Kucinich's support is coming from.

Oh, and here's something from the "I learned something new" category. Did you know that new citizens can ask to have the references to defending their newly chosen country removed from the oath?

"As a Raelian, I objected to three things in the standard naturalization procedure," Kaenzig said. "I object to an oath saying I'll bear arms to defend the country; to an oath ending in 'so help me God,' and to a public ceremony violating separation of church and state. The judge, a public official, typically pronounces 'so help me God' at the end."

So to sum up, we now have a new American who hates God and expects to be treated with respect when he tramples on the rights of those who don't agree with him, and would never defend his chosen country.

Nice to know we have such a loyal citizen in Mr. Kaenzig, isn't it?

It's not just illegal immigration that needs work from Washington. When we allow folks in legally who not only despise what we as a nation stand for, but proudly declare their disloyalty to their new country, we have a real problem.

Delaware moved a step closer to a "carbon tax" on electricity generating plants Friday, part of its effort to comply with a regional pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Opinions varied widely during a planning meeting near New Castle over how to justify, collect and use the $35 million to $40 million that could be generated annually under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Of course, the simplest answer will elude these geniuses - if you have trouble figuring out how to "justify, collect and use" a tax, then maybe that tax is - dare I say it - unnecessary?

And the two Republican Representatives on the house page board have resigned out of frustration over the lack of leadership from the Democrats:

WASHINGTON - Two Republican House members resigned Thursday from the board supervising teenage pages, accusing a Democratic official of failing to inform them about sexual and criminal activity by at least four youngsters.

The board's Democratic chairman supported the Republicans, blaming House Clerk Lorraine Miller — the day-to-day administrator of the page program — for failing to immediately notify Page Board members of all the inappropriate conduct.

Miller, appointed by the House Democratic leadership, said she followed a zero-tolerance policy toward the teenagers, who were expelled and sent home. But she did not directly respond to the accusation that she was lax in telling the board what had happened.

The Representatives that resigned from the page board were Reps. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida and Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia, both Republicans.

Brown-Waite wrote a scathing letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., charging that she "learned nothing from the lessons of the Mark Foley scandal."

The Florida congresswoman said four pages have been dismissed this year "for serious criminal acts and for inappropriate sexual indiscretions." A House Republican official said the criminal activity involved shoplifting. The official could not be quoted by name because he wasn't authorized to comment on the issue.

Besides blaming Pelosi, Brown-Waite said Miller, the House clerk, was "slow to share information with members of the board.

"In at least one vitally important incident, we were intentionally kept in the dark about dismissals for more than a week, and were only given the details after personally confronting the clerk with rumors we had heard," Brown-Waite wrote.

The Page Board chairman, Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich., said in a statement said, "The board was not satisfied with the manner and timeliness in which it was informed of these actions. Therefore, in our Page Board meeting of Nov. 9, 2007, the board unanimously agreed that the clerk of the House should immediately and simultaneously inform all members in cases where pages were dismissed from the program. Indeed, that was the case in the most recent incident."

Pelosi has promised an investigation:

"The House Page Board must undertake an immediate and thorough review of the adequacy of the supervision and security at the Page dorm. As a mother and a grandmother, nothing is more important to me than the safety and security of our House pages."

She needs an investigation, all right. It should, however, concentrate on the lack of leadership that continues to allow this program to be a mess. Specifically, the House Clerk, Lorraine Miller needs to be looked at regarding her unwillingness to inform the Republican members of the page board about serious incidents. When the safety and welfare of children entrusted to the government is at stake, there's no place for the kind of petty partisanship that Ms. Miller seems to have displayed. Someone with the kind of judgment that would even consider such partisan differences when dealing with the security and safety of these kids should be relieved of any responsibilities regarding the page program in addition to disciplinary action.

And Pelosi needs to beg the two Republicans to return - the balancing of political parties on the board was a good idea, and must be restored quickly.

Of course, taken in context, it looks more like McConnell was saying our troops should be treated and funded as the professionals they are instead of the way the left in Congress treats them.

Of course, that doesn't stop Donviti from engaging in a little moral equivalency, declaring McConnell's remark to be on par with Donviti's own belittling of the troops on Veterans Day, when a picture of a disfigured vet had the caption (later changed due to complaints):

"Happy Veteran's Day, buddy! This is what you signed up for."

I doubt that anyone not blinded by ideology will find the two to be equal.

And Donviti is, if possible, a much, much smaller man for suggesting it.

I know what you're thinking - no, it's not this one:

But have one he does, paid for, apparently, by a bunch of his supporters.

You know, this would be a clever way to get out some of Ron's less-known policy positions - you know, to the regular folks who don't yet have a grasp on who Ron is. How 'bout this for a start?

Update: Okay, Okay. Three emails requesting it, so here it is. But don't expect this kind of pandering every time.

Time will tell if it diminishes the effect of the whispering campaign being waged against him, but I think it's safe to say that the whispering campaign will continue unabated. The folks that are attacking Mitt on his religion are doing it solely for political gain, and/or have no belief in religious freedom. Mitt's speech will have no effect on them at all.

This is already on several blogs, but with something like this, one more won't hurt. From the office of Rep. Eric Cantor (R - VA):

(Note - LB and TB are (pick one) spending time with the kids, arguing, forgot to pay the internet bill, or on a bender. They'll be back after they (pick one) get the kids in bed, make up, sell another pint of blood, or sober up. Until then, please enjoy this classic DGiTL post from mid-2006.)

We here at DGiTL have received tons of email lamenting that some our loyal readership were unable to participate in sea turtle season because it was on the west coast. Well, pout no more, because now there's an important special sporting event on the east coast! Starting in just a few weeks, may I present:

Manatee Season!

What's that? They're endangered? Not any more, according to AP/WaPo:

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The state wildlife commission has voted to take the manatee off Florida's endangered species list, saying the animal's population is on the rebound.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to designate the manatee as a threatened species rather than endangered. It also voted to remove the bald eagle from its list of threatened species.

Yes, that's right - authorities have determined that the manatee's population has more than doubled in recent years. Avid deer hunters know what this means - if the herds don't get thinned out, we're headed for an environmental disaster of biblical proportions! So to prevent disease and starvation, it's up to us, the sportsman community, to help out.

Know Thine Enemy

One of the earth's oldest species, the manatee didn't represent a threat to man until Florida and the Carribean saw European settlers. Widespread shipping (and the occasional sunbather) rapidly became the targets of this vicious beast. As represented in the following eighteenth-century drawings, the manatee exacted a terrible toll from mariners:

A manatee bears down on a distressed ship

Manatees pick off the survivors of a sinking ship

A pair of manatees preparing to capsize a lifeboat

Manatees ceased being a significant threat to shipping upon the advent of steam ships, which were able to outrun the deadly creatures. Nowadays, manatees are just seen as an expensive nuisance - many a boat owner has cursed a ruined prop caused by the malicious and crafty creatures.

So Lets Go Fishing!

Well, not exactly. When Congress outlawed the use of beagles as bait in 1873, deep sea fishing techniques became ineffective for hunting manatees - they just won't strike at anything else. Fortunately, there are a variety of fun methods to bag the big one this summer, and I'll show you a couple of my favorites:

Spearfishing

Spearfishing is a fun way to combine scuba diving and snorkling with fishing. And todays' spearguns are every bit as powerful and accurate as they were when Lloyd Bridges popularized their use in the TV series "Sea Hunt" as shown in the left photo below. Later during the show's three year run (1958-1961), Lloyd changed to a machine gun (below right). However, we at DGiTL consider this to be unsporting and recommend the tried and true speargun instead.

Using the speargun is as easy as it is fun. In the following picture, Tim distracts the manatee while Larry (out of camera view) closes in for the kill:

Wrestling

Manatee wrestling is the most challenging method, but by far the most rewarding. Due to the size and strength of these dangerous animals, this is primarily a group sport. In the following photo, we see Jake applying a half-nelson as his buddies help out. A sizable crowd of hungry onlookers is on hand - they know there's going to be a beach party tonight!

Note the empty scabbard in the foreground. Once Jake is finished testing his mettle against this powerful beast, one of his pals is sure to apply a shiv between the ribs! Remember, hunters - a clean kill is a humane one. Always respect nature!

Don't Go Yet - There's A Surprise!

I know that by now you're iching to aim the Winnebago at Florida and fire up that grill, but wait - hunting is a family sport. And although the young 'uns can't wrestle a manatee, DGiTL has generously provided a way the kids can participate.

All kids love to draw and color, so here's a picture for them (click for larger printable version) to use their artistic skills with:

My own kids have already joined in on the excitment. My youngest lives for food and can't wait to take that first satisfying bite of manatee, so her drawing shows how she wants hers prepared (click for larger image):

My oldest is somewhat more civic-minded. Rather than show her own culinary fantasy, she chose to draw something that no sportsman should be without - a meat-cutting chart!

But wait, there's more! Scan your kids drawings and email them to DGiTL and we'll post them online. Imagine the pride in having your child's drawing about family food, fun and good times on the web for the whole world to see!

So keep them emails coming, and hunt safely!

Happy Hunting!

Sigh. But it all seemed so... so real:

Seriously, though, opinion of this seems to be all over the map, judging by the talking heads I saw on the tube last night. And sadly, too much of it appears to be centered around whether this looks good or bad for the Administration or others.

Me, I'm more concerned about making damn sure we're right before it's too late.

Is that too much to ask?

H/T LGF.

Here's a Chinese condom hat:

Had some internet trouble this morning, couldn't get to the blog! By the time it cleared up, I had to leave for a doctor's appointment.

Now, TB and I are going to the store with the kids. Hopefully I'll get a post or two in before bedtime. If not, Hope you all had a great day!

LB

Updated: Reuters now reports that Chavez has lost!

Congratulations to the Venezuelan People!

_______________________________________________________________

...over the Venezuelan people.

Via Reuters/Yahoo:

Chavez wins close Venezuela vote, say ministers

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez appeared headed for victory on Sunday in a referendum on allowing the leftist to rule for as long as he keeps winning elections, three government ministers said, citing early data.

Exit polls and early counts by party members showed the anti-U.S. leader won by at least six percentage points in a vote where turnout was low, said the three ministers, who asked not to be named.

I'll go out on a limb and predict that we'll be hearing some reasons why the turnout was so low, and it wasn't apathy.

Not everyone agrees with the unnamed minister's assessment, though, and I fear that there are some rough times ahead in Venezuela:

"They are trying to create rumors to present themselves as winners, as victors," Andres Velasquez, an opposition leader said. "We want to deny it categorically, emphatically."

If you haven't been following, much is at stake:

If approved, the referendum vote on a raft of reforms would allow Chavez -- in office since 1999 -- to run for reelection indefinitely, control foreign currency reserves, appoint loyalists over regional elected officials and censor the media if he declares an emergency.

Chavez has said he wants to rule for life and turn the major oil exporter into a socialist state.

I wonder if the irony is wasted on the left here, who have been claiming for years that Bush would set himself up as dictator for life even though there's never been any evidence to support it, yet supported and praised Chavez throughout his mad grab for power.

The Democrats held a debate/forum last night in Iowa, called the The Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum. It's described as "...the nation’s only presidential forum in which all candidates have an opportunity to answer essential concerns of African-Americans and Latinos."

Of course, those "essential concerns" mean little if you're an African-American or Latino who can't afford a High-Definition TV. Sorry, this debate wasn't meant for you.

H/T to reader Steve for the this one he found on the Plain Dealer Political Blog - it's a little hard to hear the lyrics, but the concept is kooky enough to mesh with America's most famous UFO-watcher's aura of kookiness:

Update: Welcome Hot Air readers! Feel free to look around while you're here!

It's really telling that the Democrat Presidential hopefuls are worried about cheating at the Iowa caucuses. After all, who would be more familiar with the typical Democrat election day shenanigans?

As both of my regular readers know, I scour though press releases in search of the interesting and newsworthy so that you don't have to. Normally, they're pretty dry and matter-of-fact - statements on policy, text of speeches, announcements of events, etc.

Sometimes, though, the writers of PRs get their literary juices flowing and serve up something, well, more. Case in point is a summary of a campaign stop by Dennis Kucinich yesterday, titled "Kucinich 'Connects' with Everyday Citizens at Massive Iowa Presidential Forum":

One especially poignant moment dramatically reflected the affinity between the coalition's populist agenda and Kucinich's deep involvement in those same issues. A community leader from Iowa recounted the events of Dec. 12, 2006, when federal immigration authorities raided a plant in search of undocumented immigrants. Among those detained and exiled to Mexico was the mother of five small children who lived in a modest home with her husband. It happened, the speaker said, her voice choked with emotion, on the hallowed feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Kucinich walked across the stage and asked her to look at his watch. "What does it say?" he asked her. "It's Our Lady of Guadalupe," she responded. Kucinich said the watch was a gift from friends in El Paso, Texas four years ago "when I was standing up for the rights of immigrants." The crowd's reaction swelled from sighs and gasps to sustained applause and cheering.

Add some descriptive lines about flowing hair and heaving bodice, along with perhaps a touch of glistening perspiration, and this would rival the best in romantic fiction available at your local supermarket. You can almost see Dennis' bronzed muscles straining through his torn shirt as the audience swelled, can't you?

I'm not saying that the event wasn't as the writer described, but I would have thought a more natural response to "What does it say?" might be "Six-fifteen".

Also, please note the description of the ICE raid in the first paragraph - "Among those detained and exiled to Mexico". Deporting an illegal alien is now exile? I don't think that word means what the writer thinks it means. Deportation, to the best of my recollection, is sending 'em back home.

Here's a bonus passage from the same press release:

The final "connection" with the loudly kindred audience came with the final question from the event leaders. Would the Congressman agree to meet with representatives of today's sponsoring community action organizations within the first 100 days of taking office, if elected President?

"I'll do better than that," he said. "You can sleep in the Lincoln bedroom."

Nice to know that it isn't necessary to elect Hillary in order to return to the Clinton era. I wonder if Obama or Edwards will announce plans to rent the Lincoln bedroom in return for votes and donations as well. You know, just to keep up...

Well, now they'll be relaxing at home, thanks to the writer's strike:

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A couple of days after the Writers Guild of America strike began November 5, the star of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" told some 80 of his idled staffers that they need not worry about their finances.

Leno was so adamant about paychecks being safe, many didn't bother looking for new jobs even though NBC was forecasting layoffs.

So it came as quite a shock Friday when the entire staff was told that they were not only out of a job but also that they weren't guaranteed of being rehired once "The Tonight Show" returns.

Unions rarely care about collateral damage, but it really bites that writers making upwards of 500K caused this trickle down effect on so many folks who make only a tiny fraction of that amount.

If you're worried about Jay, don't. He recently joked with one of the striking writers that the strike gave him more time to be with his famed car collection.

Oh, and the staff of "'Late Night With Conan O'Brien'" got laid off as well, but Conan is paying his staff out of his own pocket until the strike ends.

Between Leno and O'Brien, which do you suppose will get a card and lunch on the next Boss's Day?

The DNC shows us why you can't take Democrats for their word:

VIENNA, Va. - Democratic leaders voted Saturday to strip Michigan of all its delegates to the national convention next year as punishment for scheduling an early presidential primary in violation of party rules.

But later in the article:

Former DNC Chairman Don Fowler, a member of the rules panel, said stripping the delegates from Michigan and Florida — and prohibiting candidates from campaigning there during the primaries — will hurt party-building efforts in those states.

Fowler also said that stripping the delegates was unnecessary, since many party insiders believe that the eventual nominee will have them restored at the convention.

"No one at this table believes that the delegates from Florida and Michigan will be absent from the convention," Fowler told the rules panel.

Everything they do is political. Everything.

If I had seen the photo before I read the article, I'd have thought the same thing:

Police: Hershey candy looks like drugs

Someone has to be the one to ask - what kind of drugs was the designer of this packaging on?

It appears that House Democrats have reached a compromise on the energy bill, opening a window of opportunity for Congress to slap around ordinary Americans one last time before Christmas. Highlights include:

• Raising CAFE standard from 27.5 MPG to 35 MPG, which will likely result in auto prices increasing several grand each, endangering sales and auto industry jobs.
• Forcing utilities to produce 15 percent of their power from renewable sources, like wind and solar, by 2020, forcing an acceleration of investment for initiatives most utilities are already pursuing. Expect prices to soar as utilities pass the cost to the consumer.
• The amount of ethanol required to be used as a motor fuel would be ramped up to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022, a sevenfold increase over today's production. Since ethanol is more expensive than gasoline, consumers will suffer. Also, ethanol decreases fuel economy, making it more difficult for automakers to meet the new standard.
• No new drilling or support for coal, which will artificially keep energy prices high for you and me and leave us vulnerable to the whims of OPEC. While reduction of fossil fuel use is a laudable goal, until technology comes up with a truly viable replacement we need to make best use of the resources we already have. Nancy's Ninnies have skipped this important step, choosing to make Americans suffer now when it's not necessary.
• Unclear is whether the $16 Billion tax increase on the American consumer will be included in the final bill. Faced with the threat of a veto, Democrats may have to leave it out.

When Democrats on the campaign trail talk about the improving the economy and lowering the price of gasoline, ignore them. Watch what they do instead - the exact opposite. This energy bill is a direct assault on our economy and every American.

Added: From Nancy's press release:

“This landmark energy legislation will offer the automobile industry the certainty it needs, while offering flexibility to automakers and ensuring we keep American manufacturing jobs and continued domestic production of smaller vehicles.

By its exclusion, one would have to assume that production of larger vehicles will be discouraged. I guess Nancy won't be trading up anytime soon.