Recently in Elections Category

Well, his antics over the last few days helped his image with someone:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the first real test of grassroots support for the eight Democratic Presidential candidates, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich scored a stunning first place finish nationally and topped every other candidate in 41 of 50 states, according to results released late last night by Democracy for America (DFA).

Of the 150,000-plus ballots cast, Kucinich received more votes than former Senator John Edwards and Senator Barack Obama combined. Kucinich tallied 49,364 (31.97%), compared with Edwards' 24,078 (15.6%), Obama's 21,403 (13.86%), and Senator Hillary Clinton's 6,504 (4.21%).

Of course, it's a self-parodying poll:

Undeclared write-in candidate and former Vice President Al Gore scored second nationally with 24.77% of the vote, and he "won" six states: New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida.

Hmmm. Unscientific web poll with numbers dramatically at odds with any respected national poll, over-the-top fanaticism for wildly non-mainstream views.... Wonder how much bleed-over from the fans of Ron Paul? Come to think of it, has anyone ever seen Ron Paul's supporters in the same place and time as Kucinich's supporters? Hmmm?

I saw this yesterday, but didn't have time to post on it:

Nice video, should go over well in Iowa. There are still lots of folks who hear his name and think "actor", Fred needs to get the word out that he's more than that. This video certainly helps in that regard.

The ad's message is obviously crafted to draw a distinction between Fred and the rest of the front-runners. Rudy and Mitt are proven strong campaigners but each has warts that may keep values voters at home next November. Fred is the perfect candidate to motivate those folks to the polls.

I wish he had a little more fire, though. Some folks may view him as a little too laid back, validating the charges of laziness made in the media when he was still in exploratory mode. Others charge that he's too "folksy". I think these views will come mostly from outside of Iowa, though, where "folksy" isn't a bad thing.

The part where he says "our rights come from God, not from government" will be the subjected to criticism from those spittle-flecked fringe lefties who cry "theocracy" every time they hear the word "God" come from the mouth of a politician (except when it comes from a liberal using a church for a stump speech).

By now, you're wondering if I'm a Fred supporter. I'm not. I really haven't made up my mind. Each of the Republican field has their strengths, Ron Paul's rabid fanaticism not withstanding. Over the next few days I'll post about my observations for each of them.

It's kind of a girl fight story with a little moonbatty BDS thrown in to stroke the base:

"Senator Clinton is voting like a hawk in Washington, while talking like a dove in Iowa and New Hampshire," Edwards said, referring to two crucial early-voting states.

"She's giving the administration exactly what it wants again."

Edwards also warned in a speech in Iowa City, that the Bush administration was trying to use attacks on US forces in Iraq, to justify a war with Iran.

"George Bush, Dick Cheney and the neocon warmongers used 9/11 to start a war with Iraq, now they're trying to use Iraq to start a war with Iran," he said.

This stuff from Edwards and the others is going to be pure gold for the Republicans next year. We've already seen Hillary play the "victim girl" card, so expect it to be played after she wins the nomination and the Republican candidate points out any inconsistency, no matter how accurate, in her positions. Having Democrats make the point instead will be so much easier.

Do you think these folks are going to rally around Hillary after she gets the nod? Count on it. And even the least amount of critical review from the press will prompt the best tap-dancin' you've ever seen. All the latest dust-ups between Hillary and the other candidates also serve to illustrate that they know how dishonest their positions are - it just takes a heated primary to get 'em to admit it.

Yesterday gave us a couple of closely-related profiles in negativity:

Halfway around the world, a man driven by hatred performs an old ritual intended to cause ill toward President Bush:

Ki Gendeng Pamungkas slit the throat of a goat, a small snake and stabbed a black crow in the chest, stirred their blood with spice and broccoli before drank the "potion" and smeared some on his face.

"I don't hate Americans, but I don't like Bush," said Pamungkas, who believed the ritual would succeed as, "the devil is with me today."

Closer to home, a group of people driven by hatred performed an old ritual intended to cause ill toward President Bush:

WASHINGTON - Nancy Pelosi was unanimously named speaker-elect by House Democrats Thursday, the first woman set to take the post that is second in line of succession to the presidency.

Like Mr. Pamungkas, the Dems even had their own sacrifice, a carefully selected old goat offered up by a snake who crowed about the goat all week:

Nancy Pelosi, set to become the first woman to head the U.S. House of Representatives, suffered an embarrassing defeat on Thursday when fellow Democrats rejected her choice of a key foe of the Iraq war as her deputy.

At least the Dems had the good taste not to smear any of their sacrifice on their faces.

Added: Before I get tons of angry emails saying that these two events aren't even remotely similar - yes, I know, the Dems didn't use Broccoli. But Pelosi comes from a state that grows it. So there.

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Congo's rival presidential contenders fought gun battles in the capital Kinshasa on Saturday in the latest violence to mar historic elections meant to end a decade of war and chaos.

Not to make light of the absolutely awful situation in the Congo, but I just wanted to say that no matter how ugly our elections can be, we should remember that they could be far worse.

Just a small something to be thankful for...

Added: This is Congo's first Democratic election in 40 years. And it's an event worthy of watching as it unfolds. Read the whole story linked above, there are too many lessons to list.

In case you didn't know, there are still 8 seats yet to be decided in the House of Representatives But in Ohio, the will of the people apparently takes a back seat to other pursuits:

Rep. Deborah Pryce (news, bio, voting record), a member of the House Republican leadership, is ahead in her central Ohio race by 3,536 votes. In the Columbus, Ohio-area, elections officials are delaying the count of more than 9,000 provisional ballots by one day so it doesn't disrupt the much-vaulted Ohio State-Michigan football game on Nov. 18.

Elections officials in that district will start counting Nov. 19.

Last time I checked, today is only the 10th - and the game (which apparently is more important than the election) isn't until the 18th.

Hey, folks - what's wrong with starting today?

The morning after...

Dems have the house, and the Senate is 49-49 with 2 seats yet to be decided but leaning left. Here's the scorecard:

Losers:

Democratic Party - The exit polls show that folks didn't vote for Democrats. They voted against Bush. This is indisputable. There's no mandate for the left no matter how they spin it.

Republican Party - lost big, no way to spin it otherwise.

Nutroots - The Kos "kiss of death" has a still unblemished record. The overwhelming slapdown of Lamont shows that unhinged isn't a winning strategy. Of course, they won't see it that way. The foul and unhinged Jane Hamsher uses a little creative transference to claim the defeat she contributed to is responsible for all the victories she had nothing to do with:

But the wave of Democratic victory that is happening across the country would not be happening if the Lamont campaign did not step forward and change the narrative for Democrats. Despite the fact that Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer and Bill and Hillary Clinton planted a big, fat knife in Lamont's back and sneered at Democratic voters, the the blue victories that are happening are a direct result of this battle.

The American people - Just wait and see - once their terms start, watch every single promise for civility fall by the wayside as they go for pocketbooks and the White House with a vengeance.

So, were there any winners? Yes. Now that the party of surrender is in charge, expect the terrorists to step up activities. Indeed, Hamas is calling for attacks against us as I write this. Expect this sentiment to spread as the world wakes up to Speaker Pelosi.

I'll have more later, but that's my impression after 2 cups of coffee.

For Florida Governor. I guess he was right about not needing the President's help.

over Santorum

over Steele with 1% in. Don't really know how they can do it...

I bet they're not enjoying this at Fire Dog Lake.

Ready to go - got a roast in the oven that I'm monitoring by wireless thermometer, the kids are watching cartoons in the next room, got a cold one right next to me, and the lovely TB graciously gave me permission to do this.

I'm watching Fox News for coverage, will probably switch to CNN occasionally for their take. Will be monitoring about a dozen web sites, including Polipundit, Red State, Hot Air, Yahoo news, AP, and others.

Just to get started, what the talking heads have mentioned already:

Stock market is up! Some are speculating it's anticipation of Dems taking the house, but there's plenty of other things going on in business news. For example, Boeing was up 4.37 on news that FedEx cancelled their Airbus A380 order in favor of 777s. I think much of the market had already taken the polls favoring Dems into consideration, but watch it soar tomorrow if the GOP keeps both houses.

Duh - Fox says Harris in Fla will lose - that's news?

Bush at 41% approval - Clinton by comparison at 44%. Things are never as dreary as you think.

vote Dem or die?

Early returns favor Dems - not unusual or worrisome.

Oak Leaf - Turnout not as high as expected.

TLB - What, Delaware doesn't exist?

6:14: Still not a lot of good data out there yet - so if posting is slow, that's why...

6:30: This probably won't get very exciting until about 7:30-8:00. I'm working on setting up a few more sites to track...

6:38: Roast at 134 degrees - I will take a break for dinner when it reaches 160.

Polipundit is down - "Error establishing a database connection!" Hope it's temporary... Yup, they're back.

6:46: Fox talking heads all seem to agree early exit polls "out of whack"

6:50: Stop the ACLU has the early poll numbers. Thanks for saving my fingers!

7:11: Will be off the air for a while - food comes first!

I'm back - but I'm not. I've decided to go back to individual posts. This looks like it will be too long of a night to continue, and long posts in MT are a pain to keep up with. If you followed earlier, thanks!

Hope you all voted - there's still time in many places if you haven't.

I'll be live-blogging most of the evening starting around 6:00 P.M. EST until I get so tired I can't see the monitor anymore.

Look for a new post around that time!

If we get a discussion going in comments, I'll try to get TB to join in. Of course, I'll be there as well.

See ya in a half hour!

LB

At least they're telling us in advance where they're going to do it:

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- More than 4,000 ACORN members, volunteers and canvassers wearing red T-shirts will blanket 20 cities, reaching hundreds of thousand of residents of low-income neighborhoods across the nation Tuesday in a massive get-out-the-vote effort. Raising the minimum wage is a key issue in four states: Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, and Ohio.

In Ohio, ACORN's get-out-the-vote campaign workers will have knocked on 900,000 doors in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Dayton and Akron by the end of the campaign.

To help ensure fair elections, ACORN will work with Project Vote, the NAACP and other organizations that will monitor polling locations in minority neighborhoods in five states: Maryland, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan and Colorado. Voting rights lawyers and advocates will help identify and solve problems such as voter intimidation by partisan challengers, improper ID requests and machine glitches. Staff attorneys will respond with advice and, if appropriate, litigation to problems reported from advocates, volunteers and voters.

"To help ensure fair elections..." Good thing I'm not drinking milk - I'd have sprayed the monitor! Anyway, keep an eye out for the red shirts - at least we'll be able to identify these Democratic Party sponsored election fraud specialists.

Oh, this part was especially funny:

IN MARYLAND, ACORN will help monitor 75 precincts in Baltimore City as part of a program organized by the NAACP. The precincts were chosen because they had a high concentration of recently registered voters whose information the state was unable to verify. ACORN, Project Vote, and the Advancement Project reached a settlement with the State of Maryland that established procedures allowing these individuals to vote.

Recently registered and unverifiable, eh? Wonder where those came from?

As comical as it sounds, though, this is deadly serious stuff. Changing the makeup of government should be based on the will of the American people - not bogus folks ACORN made up, not non-citizens, not dead people.

Let's hope that there's plenty of folks watching ACORN tomorrow.

The latest Pew poll is generating a lot of discussion. Ken Mehlman is issuing press releases. Rush Limbaugh even mentioned Captain Ed's analysis on the air a little while ago.

I don't know if the polls are accurate, just as I don't know about previous polls. Certainly plenty of folks have spent lots of time shooting holes in them - folks who know lots about how polls work. But it sure does look like a trend to me.

So I'm happy to see it. Good news excites the base and helps the GOTV effort, which will be the deciding factor in the election.

And don't forget to vote tomorrow!

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat weighed in yesterday with their thoughts on the Murtha - Irey Congressional race, and it's not pretty (H/T Irey campaign). Unlike the NYT editorial endorsing Lamont, this one actually talks about the candidate they endorse - and they have little nice to say about him besides approving of his "cut and run" war stance. Emphasis added:

On his famous love for pork:

While we endorse the local congressman in his re-election bid, we fear the spending spree that might result from a shift in power...

On his smearing of the troops, which has made him very unpopular with the military:

We would also urge Murtha to sit down with area veterans who clearly have different views on the Iraq conflict than he does.

On his alignment with the moonbat wing of the Democratic Party:

We are frightened by Murtha’s willingness to align himself with California Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Clearly, Murtha is hoping that relationship paves the way for his ascension to a position of higher power in the House. But we don’t believe our region’s values match well with Pelosi’s, and we don’t see much good coming for the 12th district – even if the relationship benefits the congressman.

Beyond that, Murtha has endeared himself to liberals on both coasts – raising money for his allies in California, New England and elsewhere. We hope he can keep these “friends” and their spending ways in check if the Democrats retake the House.

They even acknowlege how corrupt he is, hoping he can restrain his urges:

But we urge him to remain faithful to his fiscally and socially conservative western Pennsylvania roots – even if it costs him in personal gain and national influence.

Read the whole editorial. It's painfully clear what the Tribune-Democrat is saying here - "Murtha sucks, but vote for him anyway 'cause he's a Democrat."

The Tribune-Democrat's editorial staff has surely reached new lows when their bias toward the left causes them to endorse a candidate whom they acknowlege is unsuitable in most ways. Do they really believe the voters in Johnstown are dense enough to buy it?

Update: Those troops that Murtha rushes to condemn have a few thoughts about cutting and running (H/T Captain's Quarters). The Tribune-Democrat is right, the troops simply don't agree with Murtha.

Via Little Green Footballs, a revealing view of Ned Lamont's base:

It certainly fits the pattern I've noticed among some Lamont supporters. I'm not ready to put a label on it, save to say that even just a small hint of it here and there is certainly disturbing and sad.

The nutroots know how utterly unappealing these views are to most Americans, and some are trying to keep a lid on any open discussion that may cast them in a bad light. Right now, in some places, if you use a normally acceptable far-left greeting such as "Gaza is a gulag", you might be answered with "...let’s leave this subject alone until next Wednesday. Please."

How very sad.

Early yesterday morning I emailed another blogger on an unrelated topic, but included my thoughts on the NYT's story:

I'm staying away from the NYT nuke story for now. The article was clear that the documents were pre-gulf war, I think some of the arguments being made on the right are a little thin. More info is sure to come out, maybe I'll be proven wrong. I hope so. Right now, though, I see this as a negative, albeit a minor one that probably won't have much effect on the election.

I think the Times' story hasn't even lived up to my mild prediction, as apparently the story hasn't gained much traction. Indeed, Dan Riehl notes:

More than 12 hours after the New York Times dropped perhaps what they thought was a nuclear bomb on the Bush administration four days before the coming election, a look at Google News puts the story at second tier status with no more than 265 additional stories linked to the breaking news.

The argument from the left that this somehow helped Iran will sway few outside the BDS echo-chamber. Iran has worked on their program for years with plenty of help, it's unlikely these old Iraq documents will help them.

As for the right side, while I feel that there should now be some increased attention to all the captured documents, the notion that the Times has somehow validated all 48,000 boxes of them is somewhat silly. I would like to think we can come up with a better vetting standard than the New York Times. (yes, I know, Ed isn't being entirely serious with this. But he was among the first to say it, and many other blogs are flogging this as if it's a big "gotcha", and I simply don't think it is.)

Folks on my side are also hyping the fact that the documents place yet another dagger in the heart of the "BushLied" meme. ""Iraq is a year away from building a nuclear bomb" was supposed to be a myth, a lie that Bush used to trick us into war."

True, but there were more than enough daggers in that heart already, and yet the "BushLied" meme is still alive and well. It's a comforting and fun rallying cry for the anti-Bush/anti-war crowds, they're not going to stop beating that drum no matter how much truth they ignore. Just this week, Kerry repeated it:

John McCain ought to ask for an apology from Dick Cheney for misleading America. He ought to ask for an apology from the president for lying about the nuclear program in Africa.

Of course, when the higher levels on the left still say it, the low will follow. For example, this deserter:

"The whole story behind it, it all feels like a big lie," Glass said. "I ain't fighting for no lie."

Hmmm. Kerry might have been right about this particular fellow - he's obviously not applied himself to his studies. Point is, though, the article in the Times turned out to be a big, fat, hairy zero.

If this is the best the NYT can muster, maybe Tuesday won't be such a disaster after all.

Oh - something struck me as I read the response to the article by Rep. Hoekstra, specifically this paragraph:

"With respect to the possibility that documents may have been released that should not have been released, I have always been clear that the Director of National Intelligence should take whatever steps necessary to withhold sensitive documents. In fact, as of today the DNI had withheld 59 percent of the documents that it had reviewed, and has become more risk-averse over time. If the DNI believes that the documents that were released were in the safe 40 percent, imagine what the 60 percent being withheld must contain.

Am I the only one who thinks Rep. Hoekstra isn't waxing rhetorical? And could the media be sedate in their coverage of this because they fear being thrown off track by that "60 percent"?

Just asking...

H/T to KnightHawk for this chilling view of how terrorist leaders are viewing the prospects of a Democratic Party win next week:

Muhammad Saadi, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, said the Democrats' talk of withdrawal from Iraq makes him feel "proud."

"As Arabs and Muslims we feel proud of this talk," he told WND. "Very proud from the great successes of the Iraqi resistance. This success that brought the big superpower of the world to discuss a possible withdrawal."

Nancy Pelosi recently suggested on "60 Minutes" that the insurgency would stop if only we left. Not so, say the terrorists:

WND read Pelosi's remarks to the terror leaders, who unanimously rejected her contention an American withdrawal would end the insurgency.

Islamic Jihad's Saadi, laughing, stated, "There is no chance that the resistance will stop."

He said an American withdrawal from Iraq would "prove the resistance is the most important tool and that this tool works. The victory of the Iraqi revolution will mark an important step in the history of the region and in the attitude regarding the United States."

Once shown that their tactics are a success, what incentive would they have to stop? Why would a winning team throw away their playbook?

If the left wins, it will be a victory indeed - if you're a terrorist.

Gateway Pundit has the latest on the voter fraud in St. Louis. Should this turn out to be widespread, imagine the effect next tuesday. "Culture of corruption", indeed.

Ken Mehlman needs to update his list.

Which reminds me, I've been meaning to add Gateway Pundit to the blogroll. There - that's it!

From Kerry's website earlier:

Statement of Senator John Kerry

As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.

I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.

It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy. I don’t want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops.

"I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative..." - In other words, "It's a shame that the troops (and the rest of you ignorant peasants as well) are too lazy and uneducated to understand the finely nuanced humor from my superior intellect."

This is as forced an apology as I've ever heard. And the addition of swipes at the right just give the impression that he hasn't had a change of heart since he made the "I don't apologize" speech yesterday. He's sorry anyone was offended, but not sorry he said it.

Even if, as he says, was making a joke about Bush, it would still warrant an apology. I've griped about the level of discourse in politics before, nowhere is it more of a problem than among our elected officials. The decline of statesmanship in Congress over the last thirty years is truly shameful. As a country, we deserve for our elected officials to set standards for dignity and grace. They can and should disagree - just act like adults.

Making jokes about the troops or the president in this manner is simply juvenile. It shows a distinct lack of maturity and character. The inability to offer a simple and contrite apology when necessary is a serious flaw - one that Kerry seems determined to display over and over.

Nope - this didn't cut it.

Ken Mehlman replies to Howard Dean's request to look the other way while Democrats commit voter fraud:

Dear Chairman Dean:

I write in response to your October 30, 2006 letter, in which you asked me to join in working to make next week's election one in which "all eligible registered voters can be assured of a fair election and of having the opportunity to vote free from harassment, intimidation or other efforts to deny them the right to cast their vote and have it counted." The Republican Party works to further these goals in every election. It is my hope that you are making the Democrat Party, and all of its affiliated and allied organizations, aware of your own support for this concept. I request that you please do so.

As I stated in my October 6, 2006 letter to you, recent history suggests some in your Party view the right to vote merely as a political tool. For example, just two years ago, a Democratic "Election Day Manual" (a copy of which is attached) encouraged Democrats to launch "preemptive strikes" and report voter suppression where none exists. It is my hope that this year Democrats will refrain from such activity; the right to vote is not a partisan issue.

As you are also aware, recent elections have revealed your party's actions in this regard to be cause for serious concern. For example, in 2004 Florida Seminole Circuit Judge Nancy Alley had to issue an order before the DNC, Florida Democratic Party, and Democratic Executive Committee of Seminole County stopped "further intimidation, (and) further dissemination of () materials ... designed or intended to intimidate or unduly threaten the activities of poll watchers who are duly carrying out their responsibilities" under Florida law.

The following are other recent examples demonstrating that your party's efforts in support of your stated goal have been less than genuine.

Marion County Ohio Court Enjoined Democrat Operatives Targeting Ohio Voters With Phone Calls Providing Deceptive Information to Voters

-- Ohio voters who had identified themselves as Republicans received telephone calls telling them that the election was to be held a day later than Election Day, that their polling locations had been changed, and that they could only vote if they brought four separate pieces of identification to the poll.

-- The Marion County Common Pleas Court issued a temporary restraining order against the Marion and Greene County Democratic Parties, the Ohio Democratic Party and America Coming Together (ACT) enjoining them from making inaccurate and deceptive phone calls to targeted voters.

Intimidating And Misleading Phone Calls Made in Florida To GOP Volunteers By, Among Others, The DNC's General Counsel.

-- In addition to the aforementioned intimidating material sent by the DNC to Republican volunteers in Seminole County, the DNC paid for recorded phone calls to Republican poll observers' homes in Florida featuring the same message that the court found to be intimidating.

-- These phone calls were recorded by former President Bill Clinton and the DNC General Counsel.

Five Democrat Operatives In Milwaukee Criminally Charged For Slashing Tires Of Republican Vans On Morning Of Election Day

-- Democrat Party employees and operatives slashed 40 tires on 25 separate get-out-the-vote vehicles, causing $4,192.35 of damage to the tires, plus $1,125 in towing charges. Five Democrat employees and operatives were charged with felony "criminal damage to property," which carries a maximum punishment of 3 1/2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

-- While the Kerry-Edwards campaign and Wisconsin Democrat Party denied knowledge of the plan to vandalize the Republican get-out-the-vote vehicles, the vehicle used by the defendants was rented by a political consultant working for the DNC in Wisconsin. When questioned by police on the night of November 2, the consultant said he knew that five of his workers were involved in slashing tires at Republican headquarters early that morning, and identified all five defendants to police.

-- According to the criminal complaint, when one of the defendants saw the newspaper article he stated that he wanted to frame it and put it on his wall.

Ohio Lucas County Court Ordered Democrat Polling Place Challengers To Remove Deceptive Arm Bands and Badges.

-- On Election Day, several Lucas County voters brought suit against the Lucas County Board of Elections and Democratic challengers in the polling place who were wearing armbands and/or badges identifying them as "Voter Protection Staff," "Voting Rights Staff," and other similar terms. The Lucas County Court of Common Pleas granted the temporary restraining order prohibiting the use of such intimidating insignia.

Cuyahoga County Ohio Prosecutor Sent Letters Threatening Criminal Prosecution To Republican Poll Watchers. Virtually identical letters to the prosecutor's (containing the same spelling errors) were sent to the same poll watchers by the DNC.

Vote fraud is another example of, in your words, "other efforts to deny voters the right to cast their vote and have it counted." Unfortunately, the list of fraudulent election activity connected to Democrat affiliated groups such as ACORN is long and growing longer. For example, this month alone, the St. Louis Election Board has found nearly 1,500 potentially fraudulent registration cards, all submitted by Democrat- affiliated ACORN. In 2004, more than 1,000 similar fraudulent cards were uncovered in St. Louis. The Kansas City Election Board has found more than 3,000 fraudulent cards, all submitted by ACORN. Similar occurrences have taken place in, among other states, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It has also been reported that some of these Democrat-affiliated groups have gone so far as submitting false change of address cards for legitimate voters - in order to prevent those voters from being able to cast a ballot on Election Day. Indeed, recent press reports indicate that ACORN is being investigated by the local United States Attorney in Missouri. Yet you have remained silent.

Sadly, this list of intimidation and fraud by Democrats is not exhaustive. It is my hope that this year Democrats' rhetoric concerning the right to vote will be matched by action, and that you will do your best stop such suppressive and intimidating Democrat activity.

Sincerely,

Ken Mehlman

Chairman, Republican National Committee

Well said, Ken.

You know, I like this guy more and more all the time...

We fully expected that the New York Times, given its strong anti-war stance and clear partisan agenda, would repeat their misguided primary endorsement of Ned Lamont for the general election. But we never imagined the Times of all papers would produce such an intellectually dishonest and shoddy editorial as they published Sunday.

Personally, I think it's a mistake for Lieberman's campaign to respond in such an angry manner. Instead, pointing out how in 11 paragraphs the only nice thing they had to say about Lamont is that he's not Lieberman as I did yesterday would have done more to educate the voters. After all, when even the NYT admits that Lamont is an empty suit...

On the other hand, the editorial was pretty dishonest, and it's understandable that Joe's campaign felt it deserved some sort of response. Now that Joe is outside the (D) bubble, he's having to deal with a vicious media just like us on the right. Hell of a learning curve he's got ahead of him - the NYT won't care about any facts Joe has to offer. Neither will many on the left, either.

Why, just responding at all is liable to make him seem desperate to folks in the land of blackface and bigotry. And here's a suggestion from one of their commenters on where someone like Joe could go if he loses the election:

That's two. I really hope it's not what it looks like. Very sad indeed.

This comes up every election - the agreement made with the Dems promising not to notice voter fraud unless it happens right in front of a poll-watcher's nose:

That consent decree prohibits the RNC from engaging in, assisting in or participating in any "ballot security program," other than "normal poll watch functions," "unless the program (including the method and timing of any challenges resulting from the program) has been determined by this Court to comply with the provisions of the Consent Order and applicable law." Applications by the RNC "for determination of ballot security programs by the Court shall be made following 20 days notice to the DNC which notice shall include a description of the program to be undertaken, the purpose(s) to be served and the reasons why the program complies with the Consent Order and applicable law."

At this point, it is too late for the RNC to comply with the 20 day deadline for notifying the DNC of any intended application to the Court for approval of any ballot security program. We assume, therefore, that the RNC does not intend to apply to the Court for approval of any such program, and that you intend to respect both the letter and the spirit of the law. For that reason, we also assume that the RNC will refrain from engaging in, assisting in or participating in any "ballot security program" carried out by anyone, including the RNC itself, its state or local parties, Republican candidates or allied organizations such as the Republican National Lawyers Association or National Republican Senatorial Committee.

It doesn't matter 25 years after the fact why there's a consent decree - it's what the Dems use it for here and now. And if a Republican sees voter fraud outside the scope of the decree, the Dems will use the decree to prevent any consequences.

It's comical that Howard would issue this letter decades after its relevance ended when in much more recent times, he and his party have blocked (or attempted to block) every single proposal to stem voter fraud. And illegal immigrants, imaginary people, and the dead are voting in droves, mostly for Democrats.

No, I guess it really isn't comical, is it?

And apparently not listening, either. When the GOP candidate says an NRCC ad is "over the line", someone there should pay attention:

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A Democratic congressional candidate accused in a political ad of billing taxpayers for a call to a phone-sex line suggested he may have misdialed the number while trying to reach a state agency.

The ad that began airing Friday shows Democrat Michael Arcuri leering at the silhouette of a dancing woman who says, "Hi, sexy. You've reached the live, one-on-one fantasy line."

But Arcuri's campaign released records showing the call two years ago from his New York City hotel room to the 800-number sex line was followed the next minute by a call to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services. The last seven digits of the two numbers are the same.

Arcuri, the district attorney in Oneida County, said the ad was "clearly libelous" and threatened to file a lawsuit. His GOP opponent, state Sen. Ray Meier, described it as "way over the line."

At least seven television stations in Syracuse, Utica and Binghamton refused to run the ad, Arcuri said.

The ad's sponsor, the National Republican Congressional Committee, stood by the 30-second message. Spokesman Ed Patru insisted it was "totally true" and said Meier was not consulted.

The two candidates, who say they are friends, are running to fill the seat left open by the retirement of Republican Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (news, bio, voting record). Political analysts have said the race is among the nation's most competitive.

Arcuri said he had "never seen such an unfair commercial. I have a 12-year-old daughter. She's going to have to go to school and hear other kids talk about this."

I have to agree with Arcuri on this. A single call, 2 years ago, to a sex line that was immediately followed in records by a similar number belonging to a government department? It's not enough to base an ad on, and Rebublicans should be more responsible than this. We have enough trouble this election season without having to defend our own employing the same tactics we've been complaining about from the left.

NRCC, please let it go and stick to the issues - something the Dems can't compete against.

The National Republican Congressional Committee needs to pull the ad and issue an apology. Period.

This time in Kansas:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today asked for an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigation into the activities surrounding the reelection efforts of Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline.

During the week of September 12, 2006 several Kansas-based news organizations published an internal campaign memorandum authored by Attorney General Kline that detailed his efforts to recruit churches to aid his reelection efforts. The memorandum includes several activities that may constitute illegal support of the Kline campaign by Kansas churches.

Kline identified Light of the World and Wanamaker Woods Nazarene, both in Topeka, and an unspecified Basehor-Linwood church as churches that had agreed to help disseminate his campaign literature. Redistributing partisan campaign literature is a violation of tax laws that forbid churches and other public charities from intervening in elections.

Three guesses which party Kline belongs to - and the first two don't count. Don't Democrats ever step into churches, Melanie?

Sigh - another October surprise. I don't know yet what to make of this, as Weldon's office say's there's no investigation. Still, it could be that the FBI simply hasn't told Weldon yet, as the story implies:

FBI investigates Rep. Curt Weldon:

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department is investigating whether Republican Rep. Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania traded his political influence for lucrative lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter, according to sources with direct knowledge of the inquiry.

The FBI, which opened an investigation in recent months, has formally referred the matter to the department's Public Integrity Section for additional scrutiny. At issue are Weldon's efforts between 2002 and 2004 to aid two Russian companies and two Serbian brothers with ties to strongman Slobodan Milosevic, a federal law enforcement official said.

The Russian companies and a Serbian foundation run by the brothers' family each hired a firm co-owned by Weldon's daughter, Karen, for fees totaling nearly $1 million a year, public records show.

The race between Weldon and Joe Sestak, his Democrat challenger, is yet another very tight race. This brings the timing of the article, along with the leaks from what is apparently an investigation so confidential that the FBI saw fit not to notify Weldon about it, into question. That is, if there really is an investigation:

Word of the inquiry, which has been closely held within the Justice Department and the FBI, comes from two individuals with specific knowledge of the existence of the investigation. They both declined to be identified because of the confidentiality of criminal investigations.

Spokesmen for the FBI and the Justice Department declined to confirm or deny that an inquiry is under way.

William Canfield, a lawyer who represented Weldon when a Los Angeles Times report prompted the House ethics committee to briefly explore the issue two years ago, said the congressman is unaware of a Justice Department investigation and is confident that none exists.

"Is there is an inquiry going on in the Justice Department?" Canfield asked. "The answer is no. . . . Curt knows nothing about this, his chief of staff knows nothing about it and I know nothing about it. I think we would have heard about it."

Canfield said Weldon, a 10-term House member who's vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and active in U.S. foreign affairs, dismissed the report as "crazy" while campaigning for reelection in a tight contest in Philadelphia's southwestern suburbs.

But McClatchy Newspapers' sources said the FBI only over the last few months obtained evidence suggesting that the congressman may have broken the law. One of the sources, a federal law enforcement official, said that Weldon had not yet been told about the inquiry.

The official said that the FBI recently sought the assistance of federal prosecutors in pressuring an unidentified person to provide evidence about the 59-year-old congressman. The attempt to "squeeze" this individual appeared to be an early step, the two sources said.

It is uncertain whether the current investigation will blossom into a full-blown inquiry that will result in criminal charges being filed. It is possible at this stage of the investigation that nothing will come of it. But the FBI typically does not seek the involvement of the Justice Department unless it finds substance to the evidence it has gathered.

I'll be keeping an eye on this and update if anything more develops. At the very least, this is the pattern for the Dems at election time - the timing, the (likely) illegal leaks, the anonymous sources to a sympathetic lefty news agency all fit. Another October surprise.

Of course, there's also the chance that Curt Weldon has indeed done something wrong. If so, I'll be the first to wave goodbye.

Update: Here's a story from William Bender of the Delaware County Times:

A glossy Democratic mailer has been circulating the district all week about how U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon allegedly used his political influence to steer lucrative contracts to his daughter. Today, McClatchy Newspapers is expected to publish a report that could further diminish Weldon’s chances of holding on to his seat in what will likely be the closest 7th District election since 1984.

It appears the local Democratic Party knew about this before McClatchy Newspapers saw fit to inform the public - far enough in advance to have glossy mailers published and mailed. Question the timing.

The Washington Post has an op/ed today from John Edwards. It is interesting that in the wake of President Bush's speech on Friday, the left not only refuses to tone down the destructive and selfish rhetoric, they've stepped it up. But Edwards' delivers it with a twist - an apology:

"I was wrong."

"Almost three years ago we went into Iraq to remove what we were told -- and what many of us believed and argued -- was a threat to America. But in fact we now know that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction when our forces invaded Iraq in 2003. The intelligence was deeply flawed and, in some cases, manipulated to fit a political agenda."

"It was a mistake to vote for this war in 2002. I take responsibility for that mistake."

You see, in the fantasy world the left spins for us, apologies are the key to salvation. Thanks in no small part to a kind media, when the left apologizes, all is made right. Nothing left to see here, move along. But this is a thinly veiled bait and switch, the switch being a challenge to the administration to follow suit:

"George Bush won't accept responsibility for his mistakes. Along with Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, he has made horrible mistakes at almost every step: failed diplomacy; not going in with enough troops; not giving our forces the equipment they need; not having a plan for peace."

Since the perfectly-maned presidential hopeful accepts responsibility for his "mistakes", we're expected to give credance to oft-repeated leftist talking points on diplomacy (how many UN resolutions, John?), troop numbers (c'mon, we steamrolled 'em), equipment (proven not true time and time again), and inadequate planning. The "planning" meme is one that the left still feels to be essential from a PR standpoint. The administration, and rightly so, won't expose classified plans to scrutiny out of concern that doing so will jeopardize the mission. Since moonbattery adores a vacuum, the left rushes in to take advantage. The administration, being unable to respond, concedes the debate through default. It's a shamelessly dishonest game Edwards and his party plays, and he knows few can effectively call him out on it.

The switch of getting the President to "admit mistakes" has been attempted numerous times by the left. Any hint of admission by the administration so far has only resulted in even more shrill accusations from the left ("See, he admits he screwed up! Let's impeach him!") as demonstrated by the mock impeachments and calls for more investigations in spite of the fact that such investigations have continuously shown the Democrats' accusations to be baseless. The media, being more hostile to this President than any I can recall, is the all-too-willing accomplice to this charade.

As for me, I am pained to see the ineffectiveness of the White House in getting out even the most basic message. I do understand the difficulty of the President's PR task - after all, the decisions on Iraq (and the underlying policies) are vastly more complicated than the cute slogans and sound bites spewed by the left. And simple one-liners just play better in the media - even one not already driven to see this administration fail.

As I said yesterday (and others have said as well), Bush needs to follow-up aggressively. It may not cause opinion to sway much, but I can't respect not trying.

Back to Edwards - in his current rant, he would have you somehow believe that his admission of mistakes is an act of courage. But in his challenge to the President, he shows us cynisism behind the veil.

Bathing in "If I had it to do over again" doesn't make you clean. It's just revisionist. And in this life, you don't get a do-over. "Given the same situation and the same intelligence, I would vote the same way again" would have garnered a little more respect. But Mr. Edwards' willingness to completely abandon of his convictions of old to facilitate a cheap political attack just exposes his cowardice and lack of character.

Hope for Peace & Justice, a Dallas based left-leaning group, shows a real talent for spin when it comes to the Texas Marriage Amendment.

DALLAS, Nov. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Reverend Michael S. Piazza, president of Hope for Peace & Justice, a faith-based organization headquartered in Dallas, Texas, noted today that only eight percent of all Texans support banning gay marriage in the state. Of the more than 22 million citizens of Texas, only 1.7 million voted in favor of Constitutional Amendment Two, the so-called Texas "Marriage Amendment."

"Ninety-two percent of all Texans either voted against Constitutional Amendment Two or didn't vote at all," Rev. Piazza said.

With such an ability to stretch, I bet he'd be popular at a taffy pull.

Update 5:25 p.m.: At least one church doesn't care about the will of the people in Texas:

"The Cathedral of Hope has been marrying same-sex couples for 35 years, and we will continue to do so," said Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson, rector and senior pastor of the Cathedral. "Constitutional Amendment Two cannot and will not stop us from offering God's blessing upon a loving relationship between two people of the same gender. Unfortunately, what we can not offer them are the more than 1,100 civil rights and protections that are offered the opposite-sex couples that we also marry."

The Cathedral of Hope, based in Dallas, Texas, is the world's largest liberal Christian church with a primary outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

By the way, the Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson is on the board of directors for Hope for Peace & Justice.