Well Maybe You're Just Too Blind To — See...

Leon Russell's been in the news with his new release with Elton John, "The Union."

I heard "Tightrope" during drive time this morning, as The Sound LA was working its way through The Letter "T" (the station started an A to Z series last Monday). So, what the heck. Enjoy:

Sarah Palin Kicks-Off Victory Lap for Tea Party Express

It's the final Tea Party Express tour for 2010.

At LAT:

Seeking to channel the sign-bearing, flag-waving enthusiasm of the "tea party" movement into ballot-box victories, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told hundreds of supporters here Monday they couldn't "party like it's 1773" until Washington was flooded with committed conservatives.

Though an exuberant Palin plugged Sharron Angle, the Republican running neck-and-neck with Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, Palin spent much of her 26-minute speech denouncing the policies of Democrats, whose base is dispirited and whose congressional majorities are at stake in November.

"The only way that government can allow our economy to get roaring again is for government to get out of the way and let the private sector do it," Palin said in a state that leads the nation in joblessness and foreclosures. "Liberals need to know they can't legislate prosperity from Washington."

The event launched a 30-city nationwide tour for the Tea Party Express, the California-based concern whose financial backing helped Angle, Alaska's Joe Miller, Delaware's Christine O'Donnell and other conservatives secure Republican Senate nominations, but also strained relationships between the tea partiers and the GOP's more moderate wing.

That tension has been on display in Nevada, where Reid has racked up endorsements from Republican business and political leaders who worry losing his Washington clout would harm the sparsely populated state. Even the newspaper in the Republican stronghold of Elko endorsed Reid in hopes that he could block legislation that might hurt the state's robust gold-mining industry.

Angle, meanwhile, has enjoyed a fundraising bonanza by battling arguably the tea party's top electoral target, despite a string of controversies that included calling the unemployed "spoiled" (she later apologized). Angle did not attend Monday's rally, but was touted as one of the tea party hopefuls who "promise to listen and to lower taxes and repeal and replace that unaffordable, unbelievable mother of all unfunded mandates called Obamacare," Palin said.

"I'm talking candidates like Sharron Angle," said Palin, who spoke in the parking lot of a Reno plaza adorned with a giant blow-up eagle and signs proclaiming "Vote Out Our Ruling Classless" and "We the People, Not We the Sheeple."

See also the Reno Gazette-Journal, "Palin to Reno crowd: 'Keep the faith' ahead of Nov. 2 election."

The ObamaCare Anvil

From the House Republican Conference, "ObamaCare is Hurting America's Small Businesses":

The Most Important Question for Obama-Dem Socialists

From the House Republican Conference, "Where Are the Jobs?":

Rand Paul Responds to 'Anti-Christian' Attack Ad

It seems eons ago, but back in May I wrote in defense of Rand Paul's comments on the meaning of the Civil Rights Act. Paul had just won his Senate primary race and he took a big gamble debating the nuances of states' rights and federal policy on the Rachel Maddow show. On principle, Rand Paul "won" that debate hands down. The problem is that we're past the point in America where it's even respectable to make states' rights arguments --- e.g., a business owner's right to serve whom they want without federal interference --- without appearing cold-hearted at least and out-an-out racist at worst. Rachel Maddow was having a field day, and Paul held off on public appearances for a week or two after that.

I haven't paid much attention to Paul since then, and I suspect that in the long run his ideas aren't all that different from his dad's, and thus pretty much unforgivable. So I'm interested in this new attack on Paul from his opponent Democrat Jack Conway. Left Coast Rebel's got the background: "After Debate, Rand Paul Refuses to Shake Hands with his Democratic Opponent Jack Conway." At issue is this Conway ad, which attacks Paul as anti-Christian:

That's a scorcher. And Rand Paul's not taking it lying down:

My good friend Tim is urging his readers to "Support Rand Paul." I'm not going that far. I'm still a bit agnostic on the Kentucky GOP Senate nominee. Paul's got big question marks on foreign policy. See Philip Klein, "Rand Paul and Israel," Jenn Q. Public, "Rand Paul: A Jeremiah Wright Republican," and especially Sultan Knish, "Rand Paul, Anti-War, Anti-Gitmo and Anti-American."

RELATED: From Melissa Clouthier, "Libertarians: Still In Search Of Their Perfect World. Practically Irrelevant."

Where's Michael Steele?

I had no idea Chairman Steele was going to be in Anaheim. I was suprised when he came up on stage with the O.C. congressional delegation. I don't think anyone really cares for him, but as many have noted, firing Steele would be attacked as RAAAAACIST by the lefty chattering classes, so the dude's safe.

That said, according to Fred Barnes, Steele's nowhere to be seen this electoral season, "Mr. Steele and the Irrelevant RNC":

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele is the missing person of the midterm election. Instead of cable news appearances and debates with Democratic counterpart Tim Kaine, Mr. Steele has spent the past month leading a "Fire Pelosi" bus tour across the country.

His small role in the campaign, highly unusual for a party chairman, is matched by the scaled back effort the RNC has mounted in 2010. And no one is happier than Mr. Steele's many Republican detractors, glad to see he's attracting little attention from the national media.

Since Mr. Steele was elected chairman last year, the RNC has raised almost $153.7 million, roughly $90 million less than in 2006. It has aired only a few TV ads and its get-out-the-vote (GOTV) drive is considerably less ambitious than in previous midterm elections.

Yet Republicans, including Mr. Steele, appear satisfied with the division of labor in the campaign. What the RNC isn't doing, well-financed outside groups like Americans for Prosperity and the Republican Governor's Association (RGA) are. Mr. Steele's bus tour doesn't interfere. Exploiting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's unpopularity, it has drawn largely favorable coverage from local and regional media.

This improvised arrangement is entirely fortuitous. The so-called independent expenditure groups were established to counter campaign spending on behalf of Democrats by liberal groups, particularly the Service Employees International Union, the AFL-CIO and MoveOn.org. They also aimed to offset the fund-raising advantage (now 1.5 to 1) of Democratic candidates.

The need to bail out the RNC arose last year after it quickly ran through $22.8 million and had trouble replenishing its war chest. Reliable donors were turned off by Mr. Steele's overexposure in the media, his insistence on making paid speeches as chairman, and statements that put him at odds with other Republican leaders.

The RNC brought in $9.7 million in September, $4 million short of its goal. This compares with $11.2 million raised last month by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which supports House candidates. And the RGA, led by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, raised $31 million in July, August and September.

Many congressional Republicans and governors no longer trust Mr. Steele as their spokesman. They tend to work around the RNC rather than engage Mr. Steele. He does have supporters, and he has recruited an experienced staff. But his dismissal of Rush Limbaugh on CNN as an "entertainer" and other statements have stirred criticism.

RTWT.

Whoa. That's worse that I though.

Barnes notes that the RNC chair's term is two years, not four. But with the Dems' expected whomping come November, my bet is that Steele successfully deflects critics and hangs on for another two. And that'll mean that the GOP will be retaking the White House without the national party at the center of campaign coordination in the general election. Some political scientists have long argued that the political parties were dead (they've never been the same since the decline of the old big city party machines a century ago). And it turns out that Michael Steele's providing a significant data point toward validating that thesis.

Photo via Facebook.

Holiday in Cambodia

Maetenloch posted "Holiday in Cambodia" the other day, and that reminded me that I posted "California Über Alles" after Jerry Brown clinched the Democrat gubernatorial primary in June. (He was unopposed, I know, which goes to show how lousy a job it is as California governor.) Anyway, I'll post "Holiday in Cambodia" on November 3rd if Brown slides under the wire against Whitman. More DKs here:

Jessica Yellin Covers GOP Rally in Anaheim

Update on my earlier report: "Sarah Palin Rallies GOP at 'Victory 2010' in Anaheim."

CNN's Jessica Yellin was reporting from the far left side of the media stand. As the rally wrapped up, I cruised over for a picture just as she finished up with a live report. I don't see a video, but CNN's blog post is here.

Comparative Crowd Analysis and the Left's 'Overwhelmingly White' Tea Party Smear

One of the characterizations I noticed with the reporting on yesterday's Sarah Palin rally was that the crowd was "overwhelmingly white" (at the O.C. Register). Kevin Drum of Mother Jones picked up on that. He lives in the O.C., but didn't know there was a GOP rally. Hence, he wasn't even there. But as a radical leftist of "white" ethnic background, he jumped at the chance to sling around the distorted "overwhelmingly white" concept as a smear against the tea parties. White guilt much? Plus, left-wing extremist Blue Texan at Firedoglake once again attempts a "racist" slur against the tea parties, alleging that the grassroots citizen protesters are the same as Timothy McVeigh and the stereotypical "Angry White Men":

Polls have shown that Teabaggers are lilly white and well off. They’re not the people getting kicked out of their houses by the banksters. They’re not unemployed. They’re not bearing the brunt of the Great Recession. They’re just doing what they do when Democrats are in charge. Obama’s death panels and FEMA camps have replaced Clinton’s black helicopters.

And of course, the fact that this president’s middle name is Hussein and he’s Muslim and black, well, that’s just a few extra scoops of nuts on the wingnut sundae.

Interesting.

The Washington Post just reported the other day on the virtually non-existent expressions of racism at the tea parties, but leftists ignore the facts, since they have nothing but hypocrisy and lies.

And on a more personal level is the evidence from my own reporting this weekend. I attended two major party rallies, and I posted two reports: "President Bill Clinton in the O.C. — Stumps for Loretta Sanchez, Blames George W. Bush for Economic Crisis," and "Sarah Palin Rallies GOP at 'Victory 2010' in Anaheim."

And we therefore have two roughly identical crowd photographs we can use for comparative purposes:

The picture at top shows the crowd in attendance at the start of the Democrat Party rally for Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Former President Bill Clinton was the marquee speaker. It's safe to say that this is about as close as one comes to a "mainstream" Democrat Party rally. And look at the crowd: White people are over-represented if we adopt the left's "overwhelmingly white" tea party slur. Or put another way, not enough DeShawns and Joses kicking it for Clinton. Oh sure, as I walked up at 3:00pm both blacks and Latinos were there in significant numbers, so stereotypically we could say this was indeed a Democrat demographic. But picture this same group of people above at a tea party in Missouri or Texas, etc., wearing more red-and-blue apparel and sporting some anti-Obama signs, and we'd be hearing cries of RAAAAACISM!! faster than you can say John Lewis, André Carson, and Emanuel Cleaver.

And checking the bottom photo from the Palin rally above, is that an "overwhelmingly white" crowd? Perhaps. But not so much more "white" than those gathered to hear Bill Clinton speak. And not shown at the GOP rally are the Latino couples standing next to me (out of the picture), or the Vietnamese-American activists supporting Van Tran. Here's another shot as well, taken a little earlier, showing some more folks of diverse backgrounds.

And what would be the response from a leftist to this argument? Well, they'd count the black and brown faces and decry the RAAAAACISM!!. Of course, only the GOP rally would be RAAAAACIST!! Meanwhile, there are 14 black conservative congressional candidates running for election around the country, but they're all Republicans so the MFM is conveniently ignoring them amid its constant whining about the party being "overwhelmingly white."

Everybody knows that RAAAAACISM!! is all the Dems have left. But that card's all played out. People just need to look around. We're all Americans. We have different philosophies on the role of government in society. One key difference among Republicans is they seek a color-blind America, not one divided along lines of racial tribalism. Or as Chief Justice John Roberts has argued: "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."

Obama Supporters Defecting to GOP

They're joining the patriotic resistance to take back our country.

At ABC News, "Many Obama 2008 Supporters Defecting to GOP":

President Barack Obama's winning coalition from 2008 has crumbled and his core backers are dispirited. It's now Republicans who stand to benefit from an electorate that's again craving change.

Nearly two years after putting Obama in the White House, one-quarter of those who voted for the Democrat are defecting to the GOP or considering voting against the party in power this fall. Just half of them say they definitely will show up Nov. 2, according to an Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll released two weeks before Obama's first midterm elections.

Yet in a reflection of broad dissatisfaction with politics, just as many people who backed Republican presidential nominee John McCain are either supporting Democrats now or still considering how to vote.

Still, McCain voters — to borrow Obama's campaign rallying cry — are far more "fired up, ready to go." Two-thirds say they are certain to vote next month.

It's a wide enthusiasm gap that's buoying Republicans, who are poised for big electoral gains, and worrying Democrats, who are seeking to hang onto majorities in Congress as well among governors. Obama's party hopes its superior get-out-the-vote operation, updated from his groundbreaking campaign, can overcome Republicans' energized supporters to mitigate expected losses across the board.

Who's Got Fear and Frustration?

Politico reports that "President Barack Obama said Americans' 'fear and frustration' is to blame for an intense midterm election cycle that threatens to derail the Democratic agenda."

Right.

And here's this from a video report from another same-day event in Massachusetts: "AIDS Activists In Boston Heckle An Angry President Obama."

It's hard out there for a pimp.

AR-15 Modified to Shoot a .50 BMG Round — UPDATE!!

An update from Glenn Reynolds:

HERE’S MORE on that Zel Custom .50 rifle I mentioned Friday. Considering its immense power and impressive size, it’s really pretty easy to shoot. Shouldering it is work, since it weighs something like 35-40 pounds. On the other hand, all that weight smooths out the recoil, too, so the felt kick isn’t so bad — roughly comparable to a 12 gauge shotgun, I’d say. And, of course, it’s not really meant to be fired from the shoulder. Note that it’s actually a bolt-action, with a side-mounted box magazine. Here’s a closeup:

For contrast, notice that "little" round there, a .45 cartridge, which is large for a handgun.

I posted Glenn pictured with the full AR-15 previously: "AR-15 Modified to Shoot a .50 BMG Round."

Stop Calling Him Honey and Start Having Sex

Ha!

What a book: Stop Calling Him Honey and Start Having Sex: How Changing Your Everyday Habits Will Make You Hot for Each Other All Over Again.

Via Glenn Reynolds.

That's cracking me up because my wife and I call each other "honey" exclusively.

Harry Pelosi

Andrew Breitbart's slip of the tongue was perhaps the most memorable thing about Saturday's Palin-GOP rally. The crowd howled and Andrew ran with it.

And iOWNTHEWORLD wastes no time in memorializing it, and the Breitbart speech is at the post: "Harry Pelosi."

RELATED WHISTLING PAST THE POLITICAL GRAVEYARD: "Nancy Pelosi Fires Back: The Woman Speaker Targeted by the GOP Does Not Believe Democrats Will Lose Control of the House" (at Memeorandum).

Clueless? Meghan McCain Slams the Old Fogey Tea Party Movement

It's hard to top Christiane Amanpour for damaging the brand at ABC News, but the producers there sure worked overtime in bringing on Meghan McCain as an "analyst" for Sunday's show. See, "Meghan McCain: Christine O'Donnell 'Seen as Nutjob': 'Donnell 'Making Mockery of Running for Public Office,' John McCain's Daughter Says."

Check at about 3:00 minutes. Ms. McCain talks in sweeping generalizations about how the tea party is out of touch with "my generation." Of course, it doesn't take a political scientist to know that young people aren't normally as engaged in politics as older Americans. And not only that. The huge wave of youth enthusiasm in 2008 may well have been a historical anomaly. Ms. McCain might have done better by explaining why the Democrats are in fact losing the young people who joined their cause a couple of years ago: "Fewer Young Voters See Themselves as Democrats." I remember Ms. McCain's first few columns at the Daily Beast back in the day. She made some good points about the GOP not connecting with young people via social media. But as the Twitter revolution has taken over political networking, and as the more hip techies become more integrated into the GOP electoral infrastructure, the old assumptions are being blown away. Ms. McCain's schtick is getting old. If she's looking to have a future as a network commentator, she's gonna need to update her drill. Her views are looking kinda dowdy, and that's ironic for someone attacking her opponents as dowdy:

Breathe

Linkmaster Smith delivers early with this Sunday's Rule 5 entry. And pulling back the cobwebs of my mind is Proof Positive, who posted Faith Hill for his Friday night entry. She's a good woman.

AR-15 Modified to Shoot a .50 BMG Round

At Instapundit, where a reader writes, 'Good heavens … law professors clinging to their guns!'"

RELATED: At New York Times, "A Kind of Hunt That Even Deer Can Get Behind."

Obama 'Sho Be Looking Ugly'

Hey hypocritical leftist assholes: SaQuinta Bentley is RAAAAACIST!!

Yeah.

Because, you know, it's totally racist if black people use "derogatory" ethnic slang. Whatever. Let's just say the mofo Obama is f**ked up in da hood:

Hat Tip: Weasel Zippers, "Feeling The Love From That Black Vote."

Sarah Palin Rallies GOP at 'Victory 2010' in Anaheim

The Republican Party is fired up and determined to take back America. That was the message repeated by every speaker who took the podium Saturday at the Victory 2010 Rally in Anaheim. Sarah Palin headlined an event that doubled as a major fundraiser for the Republican National Committee. RNC Chairman Michael Steele focused the message on California, indicating that November's election would not only turn the country back toward liberty, but would begin to restore the American dream for the people of California.

The O.C. Register has a report: "Palin Rallies Faithful in Anaheim":

Sarah Palin brought her bold brand of folksiness and ferocity to Orange County on Saturday, telling a throng of admirers that Republican success on Election Day is their only hope of "saving our republic as we know it."

Ear-splitting applause erupted from the 2,000-person audience as Palin, sporting a gray pantsuit, took the stage inside an Anaheim Marriott ballroom.

"Tell 'em Sarah!" one man shouted shortly after the start of her 25-minute stem-winder.

Though billed as a benefit for state and local candidates, Palin's appearance at the "Victory Rally" consisted largely of a broadside against Democratic policies and a paean to "American exceptionalism."

"There is nothing wrong with America that a good old fashioned election won't fix," she said.

There's a report up at CNN as well, "Palin Rallies California Republicans." And at ABC News, "Palin Tells Supporters 'Soon We'll All Be Dancing'."

Neither article mentions Andrew Breitbart, shown below talking with Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle:

And there's no mystery there: Breitbart brought the crowd to cheering roars when he went straight at the press corps on top of the media stand beyond the crowd. Check it out on video at The Right Scoop: "Andrew Breitbart at GOP Rally in Anaheim, CA." Watching the clip I'm laughing again because Breitbart slammed the congressional leadership as "Harry Pelosi," and as the crowd screamed in approval, he spread his arms and said with a laugh, "Hey, Harry Pelosi!" Breitbart warned members of the press that after the election "you will not divide us again." He also warned that "we can play this game too --- we can be the media," yelling to the crowd: "Show them your cameras!" It was Breitbart in his prime. He's been around media politics for a long time, but after seeing him speak numerous times since April 15th, 2009, he's just better than ever.

With the exception of John Campbell (my Congressman), the rest of the county's GOP delegation was on hand. And there's a good chance that Assemblyman Van Tran will be joining them in Washington in January. A September poll found Tran running within two points of Representative Loretta Sanchez, and Bill Clinton campaigned for Sanchez in Santa Ana yesterday (a sure sign of desperation). That's Van Tran below. He gave great speech, rallying the crowd with predictions that Republicans would take back the House. Tran, who is Vietnamese, moved the crowd, saying "I know what freedom feels like."

Michaele Steele is not my favorite, for reasons folks are well familiar with by now, but he's our guy and he's going to be able to claim some credit with the huge GOP pickups next month. Steele's full speech is at The Right Scoop: "Michael Steele at GOP Rally in Anaheim, CA." I liked his pledge that the RNC was putting California in the win column. (Although we'll see how well that goes in 2012). Anyway, Steele introduced Sarah Palin to wild cheers. The Right Scoop has it: "Sarah Palin’s powerful speech at GOP Anaheim Rally":

She looked great --- happy and enthusiastic.

And folks on hand weren't holding back either:

Neither Carly Fiorina nor Meg Whitman showed up for the event, and the New York Times wants everyone to know about it, "2 Top Candidates Skip G.O.P. Rally" (via Memeorandum). Hey, it's a big blue state, and it's going to be black and blue for the Dems on November 3rd.

More on that later.

Sprint to the Finish Rally With Sarah Palin

I'm heading out to the Anaheim Marriott for the Victory 2010 rally with Sarah Palin:

I have no idea what kind of access I'll have for pictures, but no matter. Look for a report later tonight.

Helen Mirren in 'Red'

I think Dana Pico posted only one Rule 5 entry, on Helen Mirren. (And took some heat for it in the comments.) Well, maybe he can get away with this trailer. Helen Mirren is hot.

Think You Know Sarah Palin?

If so, test your knowledge against Matthew Continetti's piece, "Five Myths About Sarah Palin." (Via Instapundit.)

Polls Probably Underestimating the Coming Epic DEMPLOSION!!

And that's from the netroots numbers guy, Nate Silver, "Consensus Points to 50-Seat G.O.P. Gain in House, But May Understate Uncertainty" (at Memeorandum):

FiveThirtyEight’s projection for the U.S. House shows little change from last week. Republicans are given a 73 percent chance of taking over the House, up incrementally from 72 percent last week. During an average simulation run, Republicans finished with 227 seats, up from 226 last week; this would suggest a net gain of 48 seats from the 179 they hold currently.

However, there is considerable uncertainty in the forecast because of the unusually large number of House seats now in play. A gain of as large as 70-80 seats is not completely out of the question if everything broke right for Republicans. Conversely, if Democrats managed to see a material rebound in their national standing over the final two weeks of the campaign, they could lose as few as 20-30 seats, as relatively few individual districts are certain pickups for Republicans.

WHOA NELLY!!

I'll be stoked with a gain of 60 seats. Larry Sabato's not even that optimistic on GOP chances. But sheesh, coming from Netroots Nate, this must be just killing the Democrat fever swamps nihilists.

RELATED: At WSJ, "Democrats Retrench as GOP Pulls Away."

'The Way We Were: Starring Jerry and Bill'

The Whitman campaign is having a little fun with the Bill Clinton/Jerry Brown rapprochement: "GOP counters Bill Clinton - Jerry Brown LA rally with a little movie magic (VIDEO): "The Way We Were" starring Jerry and Bill":

Previously: "Bill Clinton Stands In for Barack Obama So Voters Will Forget They Hate Democrats, Or Something."

Bill Clinton Stands In for Barack Obama So Voters Will Forget They Hate Democrats, Or Something

I was thinking about this yesterday, on the way home from covering the protest against Loretta Sanchez: We sure haven't seen President Barack Obama out an the hustings much this season. But former President Bill Clinton is all over the place, stumping for candidates from East to West. The Los Angeles Times has a write on up Clinton's appearance last night at UCLA, where he tried to fire up the crowd for gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and lieutenant governor's candidate Gavin Newsom:

Former President Clinton campaigned across Southern California on Friday, urging Democrats to shake off their moribund mind-set and head to the polls so the Obama administration can finish the job it started.

Clinton told thousands of listeners at an evening rally at UCLA that they bear responsibility for the nation's future.

"It is not enough to have voted for a new president if you will not help him govern and stick behind the members of Congress who stood for him," Clinton said as a light drizzle began to fall. "I am pleading with you, you need to go out and tell everyone who is not here tonight that any college student in the state of California that doesn't vote in this election is committing malpractice on your own future."

It's an odd campaign strategy, but sensible in the end. Clinton was out trying to get voters to take their minds off the failed Obama administration and the disastrous Democrat Congress. Clinton naturally blamed Bush administration policies and told the crowds to think of wonderful "ideas" of how big government really works, really!

At the John King video clip (at about 3:00 minutes), Gloria Borger says it must be wonderful for Bill Clinton, "because suddenly he is in more demand than the President of the United States."

Ouch.

PHOTO CREDIT: Left Coast Rebel.

Saturday Morning Rule 5 Preview

I received a nice note in the mail from the fine gentleman over at The Real United States:

Mr. Douglas,

Your blog is great! I wish you taught at WVU when I was in school. My political science professor was horrible (couldn't speak English).

Amazing.

Anyway, here's a bit of Saturday linkaround (in the hopes of generating some reciprocal linkage, hint! hint!):

As always, Linkmaster Smith will be highlighting the week's hotness for Sunday Rule 5. But check out fabulous conservative Opus 6, and get some hot Florida blogging at The Practical State. And The Blog Prof is always on target, for example, " Video: Obama, Can You Spare a Dime?."

**********

And be sure to visit some of the other friends of American Power:

* Another Black Conservative.

* Astute Bloggers (Honorary).

* Blazing Cat Fur.

* The Blog Prof.

* Bob Belvedere.

* Classical Liberal.

* Daley Gator.

* Kathy Shaidle.

* Left Coast Rebel.

* Mind Numbed Robot.

* Not a Sheep.

* POWIP.

* The Other McCain.

* Reaganite Republican (Honorary).

* Right Klik (Honorary).

* Saberpoint (Honorary).

* Serr8d (Honorary).

* Snooper's Report (Honorary).

* Stormbringer.

* Theo Spark.

* Washington Rebel.

* WyBlog.

BONUS: Don't forget Instapundit.

And drop your link in the comments to be added to the weekly bikini roundups!

The Enemy Within: Those Totally 'Imaginary' Communists

At No Sheeples Here!, "Democratic Socialists Of America: The Special Interests Behind Congressional Policies."

The Heritage Foundation was sent the video embedded below which shows Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) speaking to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) before the One Nation Rally on the Washington Mall on October 2, 2010. Socialists comprised the largest contingent attending the hatefest.

DSA National Director Frank Llewellyn introduces Conyers to the group and he focuses in on the notion of a “one-world concept” in which every nation is responsible for one another, and beholden to international regimes or multinational organizations. Conyers says: “We understand the significance of it. We know that when unions, political ideology, clergy, labor, civil rights, come together, and just people that are progressive enough to see in this one-world concept, that we’re all in this together. It makes certain things pretty easy to understand where we’re coming from.”

Conyers then turns his attention to the political forces opposing the errand boy sent by grocery clerks. He says: “In 2012, there is a highly organized effort to make sure he (Obama) is a one-term president. It started even before he was sworn in. It’s grown. I only mention the Tea Party, because they are small and dismissible. But there are much more serious and affluent sources behind this effort to interfere with a re-election campaign of Obama.”

This is a glaring example of the enemy within.

Why Liberals Don't Get the Tea Party Movement

I never call them "liberals." They're "leftists" and "radical leftists." But I'm down with Peter Berkowitz, at WSJ:

Highly educated people say the darndest things, these days particularly about the tea party movement. Vast numbers of other highly educated people read and hear these dubious pronouncements, smile knowingly, and nod their heads in agreement. University educations and advanced degrees notwithstanding, they lack a basic understanding of the contours of American constitutional government.

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman got the ball rolling in April 2009, just ahead of the first major tea party rallies on April 15, by falsely asserting that "the tea parties don't represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment. They're AstroTurf (fake grass-roots) events."

Having learned next to nothing in the intervening 16 months about one of the most spectacular grass-roots political movements in American history, fellow Times columnist Frank Rich denied in August of this year that the tea party movement is "spontaneous and leaderless," insisting instead that it is the instrument of billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch.

Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne criticized the tea party as unrepresentative in two ways. It "constitutes a sliver of opinion on the extreme end of politics receiving attention out of all proportion with its numbers," he asserted last month. This was a step back from his rash prediction five months before that since it "represents a relatively small minority of Americans on the right end of politics," the tea party movement "will not determine the outcome of the 2010 elections."

Oh brother.

But Berkowitz is just warming up:

For the better part of two generations, the best political science departments have concentrated on equipping students with skills for performing empirical research and teaching mathematical models that purport to describe political affairs. Meanwhile, leading history departments have emphasized social history and issues of race, class and gender at the expense of constitutional history, diplomatic history and military history.

Neither professors of political science nor of history have made a priority of instructing students in the founding principles of American constitutional government. Nor have they taught about the contest between the progressive vision and the conservative vision that has characterized American politics since Woodrow Wilson (then a political scientist at Princeton) helped launch the progressive movement in the late 19th century by arguing that the Constitution had become obsolete and hindered democratic reform.

Then there are the proliferating classes in practical ethics and moral reasoning. These expose students to hypothetical conundrums involving individuals in surreal circumstances suddenly facing life and death decisions, or present contentious public policy questions and explore the range of respectable progressive opinions for resolving them. Such exercises may sharpen students' ability to argue. They do little to teach about self-government.

They certainly do not teach about the virtues, or qualities of mind and character, that enable citizens to shoulder their political responsibilities and prosper amidst the opportunities and uncertainties that freedom brings. Nor do they teach the beliefs, practices and associations that foster such virtues and those that endanger them.

Those who doubt that the failings of higher education in America have political consequences need only reflect on the quality of progressive commentary on the tea party movement. Our universities have produced two generations of highly educated people who seem unable to recognize the spirited defense of fundamental American principles, even when it takes place for more than a year and a half right in front of their noses.

And this is exactly why I adopted a new textbook this year, one that features an even greater emphasis on limited government and the American political culture of individualism, civic duty, and patriotic values.

In any case, RTWT at the link.

(And by the way, I can't wait until Sharron Angle cleans Harry Reid's clock. E.J. Dionne might need to take a little time off after that, to save face a bit.)

Minka Kelly — Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive 2010

For this week's Rule 5, with video at the link:

Hope. Dope. Decay...

Via The Blog Prof:

Why Obama Should Love the Tea Party

From Ken Davenport, at San Diego Union-Tribune:

Flash forward to Nov. 3, the day after the elections. The Republican Party has just taken over control of the House of Representatives, while gaining significant seats in the Senate and winning state races throughout the country. So who do you think woke up this morning with a smile on his face?

Would you believe President Barack Obama?

It may be counterintuitive, but the best thing that could happen to the Obama presidency would be for Republicans to find themselves in control of Congress. And it’s not for the oft-cited reason that this would force Obama to take a more moderate approach to governing – as the 1994 Republican victory did for Bill Clinton. This president has proved that he is no centrist in the mold of Clinton, and he is unlikely to push himself and the Democratic caucus to find significant common ground with Republicans on taxes, spending and immigration.

Rather, the silver lining for Obama in a Republican victory in November can be found in the 2012 presidential election cycle. Why? Because the tea party movement has galvanized conservatives across the nation and has created a new force that the Republican Party can ill afford to ignore. A recent poll by The Wall Street Journal/NBC News shows that a third of all voters queried now describe themselves as tea party supporters – including 71 percent of self-identified Republicans. Already, the tea party has flexed its muscles in the primary season, leading to the defeat of Republican incumbents and the favored Senate candidates of the Republican establishment in Colorado, Kentucky , New York, Nevada and Delaware. The message has been consistent: Incumbents and candidates who will not pledge to cut spending and reduce both the deficit and the size of government have a fat target on their back.

RTWT.

President Bill Clinton in the O.C. — Stumps for Loretta Sanchez, Blames George W. Bush for Economic Crisis

LAT has the story: "Clinton Stumps for Sanchez in Tight Congressional Race." But I'll tell you, Clinton's speech was a yawner, mostly blaming George W. Bush for the Obama Depression, and whining about how people needed to get the "facts" so that the campaign wouldn't be fought on "voter anger" but on "ideas." Pathetic. Like a rock groupie, Loretta Sanchez just stood at Clinton's side, fawning and gigling at the "hilarious" repartee. Clinton helped Sanchez over the top in her first run for Congress in 1996 (defeating "B2" Bob Dornan). And she needs a hefty boost now. She's polling virtually dead even with GOP Assemblyman Van Tran, so no doubt she had to call up the big party guns to salvage her congressional career.

Security was tight and the crowd was crushed up closely to the front security perimeter. I'm holding off on a new camera, so it's grainy as she goes from this distance. It was interesting to see Clinton in person once again, despite having lost respect for him after the Lewinsky scandal. (I saw him campaign in Santa Barbara in 1996.) His mannerisms are certainly unique, and unchanged, especially the finger wagging:

A small contingent of Van Tran supporters were on hand to welcome the 42nd president, including Monica Lewinsky herself:

The crowd was a least 1000 people. But the drab absence of patriotic signage and political paraphernalia was a huge contrast to the tea parties. What signs one did see were Loretta Sanchez placards and some AFSCME astroturf trash.

This is about the most personalized sign found among the Democrats, which is to say not at all (notice the "California Labor" signature at the bottom of the working families sign):

The fellow on the left wears an AFSCME polo shirt. He looked up just as I was taking a photo. His buddy at right was heckling the Van Tran supporters, who were mostly women. I hung around a bit just in case these thugs got even more out of line. Freakin' goons:

Below is Tim Daniel, a.k.a. Left Coast Rebel. He's got a post up, with much nicer (sharper) photographs, "Bill Clinton Stumps for Loretta Sanchez in Santa Ana, California."

Clinton is always animated, and this time was no different:

In any case, there's a blog post at the O.C. Weekly, "Bill Clinton: OC Needs Loretta Sanchez in Congress."

It goes without saying, but the media presence was massive. I'll check around for more information and update.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin's in the 'hood as well tomorrow, and if I'm lucky I'll get some good pics from that event.

Carly Fiorina Within One Point of Barbara Boxer in New Reuters/Ipsos Poll

It's 46 to 45 percent, so Fiorina's within the margin of error --- and we've still got a couple of weeks or so before the election. Man, good thing Boxer hasn't agreed to debates. She's worse than Harry "Low Blow" Reid!

Carly's got this smooth ad campaign going (boosted by a big $4.8 million from the NRSC), and I like this one where she pledges to "oppose my party when it's wrong." There's some appeal to the tea parties in there, in addition to independents:

And hopefully Fiorina's campaign will put together a mash-up of Boxer's recent meltdown on CNN with Wolf Blitzer. This woman is a bumbling liar, and definitely not good for California:

THE 2010 ELECTIONS: THE SENATE — THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER...

Following the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, the New York Times had this write up, "THE 1994 ELECTIONS: THE LEADERS THE SPEAKER; Foley, Defending Congress to the Last, Concedes Election Defeat by Newcomer."

Following President George W. Bush reelection in 2004, the New York Times has this write up, "THE 2004 ELECTIONS: THE SENATE -- THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER; Gracious but Defeated, Daschle Makes History."

And with some luck and pluck, after the GOP earthquake this November, perhaps we might see this headline, "THE 2010 ELECTIONS: THE SENATE -- THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER; Unrepentant but Dethroned, Upstart Tea Party Candidate Ousts Reid, Emblem of Democratic Corruption."

Don't know if we'll get that headline, but a Sharron Angle upset is by no means a long shot. See, "Angle Nearly Lands Knockout Blow Against Reid," and "Reid My Lips: Last Night Was a Disaster" (via Memeorandum). And Michelle has this:

In style and substance, Lady in Red Sharron Angle trounced the four-term Democrat Senate incumbent and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at tonight’s Las Vegas debate.

He preposterously called George W. Bush “his friend” (after infamously branding him a “loser“), claimed credit for the surge in Iraq (after questioning General Petraeus’s competence and character), and became a new convert to the English First movement (after having voted against such a proclamation in 2006. In an instant-made-for-political-ad-classic, Angle challenged the entrenched incumbent’s wealth.

Michelle closes with:

Can’t wait to be able to bid Harry Reid adieu and a hearty, finger-wagging DLTDHYOTWO*.

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

RELATED: RCP's Angle vs. Reid poll average shows toss-up, and a new Suffolk University poll finds a 54 percent unfavorable rating for the Senate Majority Leader. Last night's debate was Reid's Waterloo.

Plus, Left Coast Rebel has the full debate video.

Bill Whittle's Firewall: 'What We Believe, Part 2: The Problem with Elitism'

Via Gateway Pundit:

Previously: "Bill Whittle's Firewall: 'What We Believe, Part 1: Small Government and Free Enterprise'."

Not Racist, Wide Influence — Tea Party Set to Kick Butt in November

There's been lots of articles on the tea parties as we get closer to the election, but these two pretty much sum things up: "Few Signs at Tea Party Rally Expressed Racially Charged Anti-Obama Themes," and "Tea Party Set to Win Enough Races for Wide Influence." The tea parties have set the standard for contemporary protest movements. From the start the limited government theme has been the key message. First anti-stimulus, then anti-tax and anti-ObamaCare, and throughout 2010 a number of related themes culminating in a generalized anti-incumbency groundswell. Even Republicans haven't been safe --- as seen by tea party victories in the primaries --- and thus the message of restoring conservative principles to government has triumphed over the dopey Hope-'n-Change scam of campaign 2008. I mean seriously. It's just hello? A recent poll found voters identifying more with Sarah Palin than President Obama, and that's really got to drive the neo-communists nuts.

I was an early organizer with the Orange County Tea Party Patriots, and I've attended at least a dozen events in the last 18 months. Indeed, I expect to make it out to yet another event this afternoon: "'Freedom of Expression' - Support Van Tran at Loretta Sanchez Event." I should have some photos posted tonight or early tomorrow morning. And Left Coast Rebel's gonna be in the 'hood as well, so that'll be fun.

Below are a few more pics from this year's tax-day tea party in Irvine:

Check back tonight!!

Chicago's Obama-Rahm Media Thugs Threaten Conservative Reporter Doing Actual Reporting

Little late on this, but it's good (via Theo):

More: "Old Media Shields Rahm Emmanuel From Conservative Reporter, Threaten Violence."

More On the Leftist Jihad Against Pamela Geller

Robert Spencer has two entries that simply destroy the recent attacks on Pamela Geller from (1) Jeffrey Goldberg and Reuel Marc Gerecht and (2) Ayatollah Al-Charles of Little Green Hateballs:

"Reuel Gerecht and Jeffrey Goldberg vs. Pamela Geller: Geller wins."

"Hateblogger Charles Johnson lies about Pamela Geller in The Guardian."

Gonna Sail Away...

Early morning pick-me-up, with Boston, "Hitch a Ride."

Day is night in New York City
Smoke,like water runs inside
Steel idle trees to pity
Every living thing that's died

Gonna hitch a ride
Head for the other side
Leave it all behind
Never change my mind
Gonna sail away
Sun lights another day
Freedom on my mind
Carry me away for the last time
Oh yeah

Life is like the coldest winter
People freeze the tears I cry
Words of hail their minds are into
I've got to crack this ice and fly ...

Ayatollah Al-Charles of Little Green Footballs

It turns out that Ayatollah Al-Charles Johnson of Little Green Hateballs can't scrub fast enough. Here's an early Little Green Hateballs entry rightly taking issue with Britain's far left-wing Guardian newspaper: "Al-Guardian Gives Insanity a Bad Name" (safe link).

And here's Al-Charles's piece today on the previously loathed Al-Guardian: "Pamela Geller and the bloggers of hate."

Al-Charles cross-posted Al-Guardian to Little Green Hateballs, along with this:

Here’s my first piece for the Guardian’s “Comment is free” site: Pamela Geller and the bloggers of hate. (I didn’t pick that title, but it fits pretty well.)

I’ll cross-post the article here (including its British spellings), but you should also check out the comments at Cif; some of them are interesting. (And of course, now that I’ve posted the link, you can expect some of the usual stalkers to show up there too.)

And it looks like Ayatollah Al-Charles has no control over the objective comments at Al-Guardian, as we see this one, which is perfect:

Geller is not against Muslims, she is against sharia law in the west. Unlike Imam Rauf. Her tone may not be sweet enough for some but Johnson is the hater in this story, not so much Geller.

And Pamela's having a field day with this, "New Career of a Madman: Johnson Shrieks, 'My site gave Geller Her 'break' on the web'" (via Memeorandum):

Talk about a hot mess. Chuck Johnson has penned his first full length column for the notoriously anti-semitic UK paper, The Guardian, and what is the object of his crazy? Why, Pamela Geller, of course. It's come full circle now.