Jerry Brown Profiled at Los Angeles Times

Continuing my coverage of California's elections, today's Times features a glowing profile of Jerry Brown, "Older and Wiser, Brown Proudly Embraces His Father's Legacy":

At times, Jerry Brown seemed to go out of his way to distance himself from his father.

Edmund G. Brown Sr., California's governor from 1959 to 1967, called himself a "big government man." He built aqueducts, universities and freeways. He liked to shake hands with strangers and slap them on the back. A block might take him half an hour to walk because he greeted everyone he passed.

His only son, Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr., could be aloof, even acerbic. He became governor eight years after his father lost a bruising race for a third term. The son preached an "era of limits" and railed against the kind of politics his father practiced.

Now the brash young governor who thought he knew it all marvels at his father's accomplishments, both privately and publicly. He is acutely aware of Pat Brown's admired legacy, and invokes his name with reverence.

Brown says he is wiser now — an admission that he was wanting before — and that he has mastered the nuts and bolts of governance. He even tries to smile more.

"I was looking for new ideas," Brown said of his first two terms as governor. "I wanted to break the stagnation. Right now the ideas are pretty clear. We need management and forging a consensus and a common purpose regardless of party…. The very extreme positions will not hold."

Is he attempting to vindicate himself, eying his father's legacy and finding his own lacking? Or is his candidacy a calculated stroke, fueled by the strong ego and ever restless spirit that has primed his previous reinventions?

For answers, Brown points to the writings of a 4th century philosopher and developer of Christian thought.

St. Augustine wrote about "not going back to what was said before, always creating and finding new things…," Brown said. "Life is a discovery, and you are always learning and formulating anew."

Folks can read the rest.

I'm not finding anything inspiring, and my thoughts are pretty clear on a Brown governorship: Been there, done that. He's an old-fashioned Democrat --- in the pocket of big labor --- who won't do much to improve California. The state needs major structural reforms. Known previously as an independent free-thinker, Brown is all washed up. He's basically riding the pubic gravy train into retirement, hoping to put even larger stamp on his father's big government legacy. Pat Brown took office nearly 40 years ago, ultimately presiding over the gargantuan expansion of state government and popular expectations for more. Jerry Brown could do well to revisit his early motto claiming the "era of limits," except it's the state government that should be limited, not the people of California. Cut taxes and regulations, reform budgeting and pensions, and revitalize the entrepreneurial spirit. The populace will respond. California always leads the nation. We can do it again, for the next era of innovation and growth. We just need good leadership, and I'm underwhelmed by the promise of Governor Moonbeam.

Lauren Valle, MoveOn Activist and Accused Criminal Trespasser, Subdued While Attempting to Harass Rand Paul

Well, that's an alternative headline you won't get from the MFM. See Gateway Pundit, "Unhinged MoveOn.org Activist Tackled and Stepped On at Rand Paul Rally," and "UNHINGED LEFTIST Who Lunged at Rand Paul Is Paid Far Left Activist." And some criminal background on the alleged attacker, "Activists Face Felony Charges." Valle is a Greenpeace militant and environmental extremist, as The Other McCain notes:

Given the nature of the May vandalism in Louisiana – which seems to have aroused security concerns for two Cabinet secretaries — Valle’s actions in Kentucky take on a completely different cast. Environmentalists have been known to commit acts of violence and, in the mob scene outside the Lexington debate, some of Paul’s supporters might have feared that this wild-eyed person shoving her way through the crowd was trying to do some kind of weird Squeaky Fromme thing.

Iraq Casualty Myth

At GSGF:

An important article of faith among faithless Great Satan haters (that for decency's sake shall remain linkless) is that Operation Iraqi Freedom unleashed horrific new millennium warmaking on a hapless, helpless populace of a wonderfully despotic illegit Ba'Athist regime and gleefully slaughtered nigh unto a million innocent Iraqis...

RELATED: IBD, "Iran's Imperialism."

Van Tran Counts on Big Vietnamese Turnout in CA-47

At RCP:

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. - California's 47th may be the only congressional district in Orange County where Democrats have a registered voter advantage over Republicans. Still, GOP challenger Van Tran argues that D.C. pundits who assume Democratic incumbent Loretta Sanchez has an inherent edge over him are missing a key point.

The blue-collar district may be two-thirds Hispanic, which offers Sanchez a clear leg up, but it also has one of the lowest voter turnout records in the nation. Tran, a Vietnamese-American, is banking on the likelihood that his own ethnic community, which makes up about 15 percent of the district, will vote in massive numbers to help him unseat Sanchez - a 14-year incumbent who is facing her first serious challenge since first winning office.

"The Viets come out," Tran said in an interview with RealClearPolitics on Monday. "Although they're small, they're powerful and potent because they come out in force as a bloc."

Tran's campaign operates a satellite office in the district's Little Saigon, and the candidate said that he expected to benefit additionally from the presence of other Vietnamese-Americans on the ballot, including a Vietnamese Democrat who is running to replace him in the California State Assembly.

Sanchez drew national condemnation last month when she said in an appearance on the Spanish language network Univision, "The Vietnamese and the Republicans are, with an intensity, trying to take this seat from which we have done so much for our community - to take this seat and give it to this Van Tran, who is very anti-immigrant and very anti-Hispanic."

The Sanchez campaign downplayed the remark's impact, but it was clearly a major distraction, as the Democrat was forced to devote precious time and resources to explain what she meant.

Sanchez is counting on her appeal to the district's blue-collar Democrats, who overwhelmingly backed Barack Obama in 2008 but also twice voted for George W. Bush.

"Loretta is a very moderate and in many ways conservative Democrat," Sanchez chief of staff Adrienne Elrod said. "Every vote she casts, she looks at the issue and how it will affect the district. She has no problem bucking her party whatsoever."

More at the link.

Also, "California 47th District - Tran vs. Sanchez."

Meg Whitman Tries to Close the Deal

I'm tempted to say Whitman's trying to "pull it out at the wire," but she's trailing too far back for that metaphor to work. She's a businesswoman, so yeah, "closing the deal" sounds good, and that's the sense I'm getting from this ad buy, which I saw on TV yesterday morning. 2010 has been an anti-candidate year, so, since nobody wanted to run, Californians are stuck with the "unhappy" choices she enunciates. It's bad enough that Jerry Brown will bore the hell out of the state's residents (younger generations, including college students, simply weren't alive when Brown first held the governor's office), but with Whitman it's clear that politics provides an attractive post-business career path, and as we saw in the primary, she'll tell voters whatever they want to hear in order to be elected. It's the complete opposite of what the tea party movement represents (populist limited government), and the GOP is collectively kissing grassroots ass as the party prepares to take back at least the House of Representatives. As I've noted previously, I don't care for Whitman. I'll gladly take her over Jerry Brown, and if she'd opened up more like this throughout the campaign perhaps I'd have made an effort at an endorsement. But for her sake, let's hope she has better luck closing the deal with the California electorate than she has with me. The voters are ready for some good government, and that's what will matter most over the next election cycle. Performance count:

Lene Lovich

Change of pace freaky flashback, "Lucky Number" (Lene Lovich on Wikipedia here):

Udy, udy, udy, udy etc...

I never used to cry 'cause I was all alone
For me, myself and I is all I've ever known
I never felt the need to have a hand to hold
In everything I do I take complete control
That's where I'm coming from
My Lucky Number's one

I've everthing I need to keep me satisfied
There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
I'm having so much fun
My Lucky Number's one
Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

Ay ay ay ay ay...
I now detect an alien vibration here
There's something in the air besides the atmosphere
The object of the action is becoming clear
An imminent attack upon my heart I fear
The evidence is strong
My Lucky Number's rung
Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

Something tells me my Lucky Number's gonna be changing soon
Something tells me Lucky Number's gonna be oweoweoweoweoweowe...

ObamaCare Already Driving a Wave of Health-Care Consolidation — and Higher Costs

The following graph is from the New York Times, "Health Care Overhaul Depends on States’ Insurance Exchanges." The chart is supposed to illustrate how the exchanges will facilitate "the right mix of regulation and competition." But I'll be darned, I can't see anything here that closely resembles the market, and hence competition. Folks go to the "state health insurance exchanges" (where firms are supposed to be competing for patients), then straight to federal-state Medicaid programs (after passing a means test), then to the Department of Health and Human Services (the federal agency running Medicare), then back to the state insurance exchanges, and then to the patient meeting the service provider. And the line for "eligibility" to Social Security, Homeland Security, and the Treasury Department is not clear. I mean, seriously, eligibility? The Department of Homeland Security is now part of the ObamaCare insurance overhaul? Looks pretty messed up if this chart is any indication. But we have better picture at the Wall Street Journal, "Big Insurance, Big Medicine":

ObamaCare's once and future harms have been well chronicled, but the major effects so far are less obvious and arguably more important: A wave of consolidation is washing over the health markets, and the result is going to be higher costs.

The turn toward consolidation among insurance companies is not new, and neither is it among doctors, hospitals and other providers. Yet the health bill has accelerated these trends, as all sides race to anticipate and manage political risk and regulatory uncertainty. This dynamic is leading to much larger hospital systems and physician groups, and fewer insurers dominated by a handful of national conglomerates. ObamaCare was sold using the language of choice and competition, but it is actually reducing both.

The first surge will come among the 1,200 insurers doing business in the U.S., given that a major goal of ObamaCare is to convert these companies into de facto public utilities. Those regulations are now being written—and once they're up and running some medium-sized carriers will collapse under the new mandates and higher overhead. State insurance commissioners warned the Administration this month that "improper or overly strident application . . . could threaten the solvency of insurers or significantly reduce competition in some insurance markets." They also implied that bankruptcies are likely.

With these headwinds, investors and Wall Street analysts are now predicting a lost decade for health insurance stocks. But it may be more accurate to say that there will be a lot of losers and some very big winners. Mergers and acquisitions will increase dramatically once companies get a better look at the regulation and figure out the valuation of M&A targets. Larger carriers will swallow smaller ones quietly before they fail.

Both publicly traded and nonprofit insurers have been heading in this direction for years, as in any industry where there are returns to scale. Size is also important in a low-margin business in which capital is costly and political clout vital. But scale is far more central now, because ObamaCare standardizes benefits. Once insurers lose the freedom to design their own products, they'll essentially be selling commodities, and survival will depend on enrollment volume and market share.

There's more at the link, but this is exactly what (tea party) critics warned all through 2009: ObamaCare would drive private firms from the market in a process of stealth nationalization, with the end result being state-planned health rationalization (or death panels, but nobody likes to talk about those).

Republicans Up 55 to 41 Over Dems in Latest Gallup Generic Ballot

That margin is for the "low turnout scenario," but still.

See, "Republicans Remain in Control of Race for House."

And from Charlie Cook, "Democratic House Losses Likely to be Enormous, but Senate is Hard to Read."

Rubber Stamp Man

The new ad from Christine O'Donnell (via Greta):

RELATED: "In new interview, O’Donnell: ‘God is the reason that I’m running’." And at The Hill, "O'Donnell: Prayer contributed to a bump in polls."

Picture of the Day, 10-25-10

Via Theo Spark:

Daniel Ellsberg Works to Give Radical Imprimatur to Latest WikiLeaks Disclosures

I've been following the latest WikiLeaks document dump, but haven't had a chance to comment. Certainly the truth about the morally bankrupt Julian Assange is starting to go mainstream, "WikiLeaks Founder on the Run, Trailed by Notoriety." And it's no surprise that when under some real journalistic questioning the dude can't take the heat:

But the latest buzz over WikiLeaks has mostly bypassed the criminal corruption of the top leadership. And of course most MFM reporting, as well as leftist blog commentary, has gleefully focused on the charges that Iraq forces used torture and the allegedly "grim portrait of civilian deaths." Of course what was most astonishing, and by far much more important, was the latest evidence of massive Iranian intervention in the war, and not to mention the evidence that WMD --- long alleged by the left to have been a Bush administration lie --- were being used by insurgents as recently as 2008. And on top of all this, in one more interesting relationship, the New York Times featured a story on the Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, "WikiLeaks Founder Gets Support in Rebuking U.S. on Whistle-Blowers." Given how dramatically the MFM has been all over the Wikileaks agenda since we first were lied to with the doctored Apache video early this year, this latest report on the communist Daniel Ellsberg (shown here at an ANSWER protest in March) should be getting more attention than it has:

LONDON — Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, and Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers, lashed out together on Saturday at the Obama administration’s aggressive pursuit of whistle-blowers, including those responsible for the release of secret documents on the Iraq war.

Mr. Assange also said that WikiLeaks, which released the trove of almost 400,000 Iraq war documents on Friday, would shortly be posting an additional 15,000 remaining secret documents on the Afghan war.

Mr. Assange, speaking at a news conference in a London hotel a stone’s throw from the headquarters of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency, MI6, was joined by Mr. Ellsberg, 79, the former military analyst who leaked a 1,000-page secret history of the Vietnam War in 1971 that became known as the Pentagon Papers.

Mr. Ellsberg, who said he had flown overnight from California to attend, described Mr. Assange admiringly as “the most dangerous man in the world” for challenging governments, particularly the United States. He said the WikiLeaks founder had been “pursued across three continents” by Western intelligence services and compared the Obama administration’s threat to prosecute Mr. Assange to his own treatment under President Richard M. Nixon.

Both men hit out at what they described as the Obama administration’s aggressive pursuit of whistle-blowers, which Mr. Ellsberg said put the United States on a path to the kind of repressive legal framework that Britain has under its broad Official Secrets Act. He said the criminal investigations under President Obama of three Americans accused of leaking government secrets represented a new low.

The three men he was referring to were Pfc. Bradley Manning, a former military intelligence analyst suspected of providing the documents on Afghanistan and Iraq to WikiLeaks; Thomas Drake, an official with the National Security Agency who was indicted this year; and Shamai Kedem Leibowitz, an F.B.I. linguist who pleaded guilty to leaking five classified documents in late 2009.

Mr. Ellsberg said the Pentagon’s demand that Mr. Assange “return” any classified materials in his possession was carefully couched in language similar to that used in the aftermath of the Pentagon Papers release, when he was threatened with criminal prosecution for espionage. “Secrecy,” Mr. Ellsberg said, “is essential to empire.”

Nazis? Really? Leftist Academics Totally Wiggin' Over Tea Parties, Suggest Crushing Them Like the 'Wobblies'

Folks are making hay of Rob Reiner stupid freakin' comments, slurring tea partiers as Nazis:

But seriously, the real National Socialists were meeting up in the East Bay this weekend, "Lefty academics convene in Berkeley to try to make sense of the Tea Party movement." This is the elite of the elite, scholars and political scientists who feel simply violated that regular folks are more in tune with the country's founding than they are. And frankly, some of them are suggesting that's just not acceptable.

"I wonder if we're likely to see a Timothy McVeigh situation," says Nicholas Robert, an attendee originally from Australia, who basically wonders if any Tea Partiers can be arrested. "It seems to be that we're being very polite. I wonder if there are any legal mechanisms—one that comes to mind are the provisions used to crush the Wobblies."

The Wobblies. It was a Democrat administration that crushed them, and the ideological crises in Germany following shortly thereafter --- exacerbated by the Wilson administration's failed peace at Versailles --- helped give rise to the far right-wing extremism that elevated the Nazis to power in the 1930s. And here we have National Socialists in Berkeley calling for the exact same kind of repression. The difference is that the Wobblies were real communists and subversives. Today' tea partiers --- not so much.

Enthusiasm Gap Favors GOP in Early-Voter Data

At Politico "The Early Vote: Signs of GOP Passion" (via Memeorandum):

Just over a week before Election Day, signs of widespread Republican enthusiasm are apparent in the early-voter data, including in some places with highly competitive statewide races. Yet at the same time, for Democrats there are promising data in numerous states suggesting that the idea of a devastating turnout gap may be overblown.

POLITICO surveyed early voting through Saturday in 20 states, and in 14 of the 15 that have voter registration by party, the GOP's early turnout percentage is running ahead of the party's share of statewide voter registration — whether measured against 2006 or 2008, when President Barack Obama's campaign led to a surge in Democratic voter registration. As a result, Republicans say they're turning the tables on the Democratic dominance of early voting that paved the way for Obama's victory in 2008 — and that independents' lean toward the GOP this year will do the rest.

And here's this:

California provides an illustrative example of the complexities of interpreting early returns. According to data gathered by the Atlas Project, a private Democratic consulting firm, 43 percent of California early voters have been Democrats, while 39 percent have been Republicans. Considering the Democrats' current 44-31 registration advantage in the state, the GOP appears to be outpacing its share of the electorate, while Democrats appear to be staying home. Then again, in the 2006 early vote — a great year for Democratic candidates — each party drew 41 percent, a performance that was below Democratic registration and well above the Republican share.

Like all recent articles on early voting, the Politico report cites Michael McDonald, an expert on the topic at Brookings. See, "Web Chat: Voter Enthusiasm, Early Voting and the Midterm Elections." He suggests there that neither party necessarily enjoys a clear advantage in early voting, and that other factors come into play. Dems historically do better with GOTV, athough in California I'm seeing an extremely motivated conservative grassroots, so let's hope the numbers cited above in Politico hold up for election day.

RELATED: "New Los Angeles Times Poll is Outlier: Democrats Oversampled in Survey From Left-Leaning Greenberg Quinlan Rosner."

CARTOON CREDIT: Reaganite Republican.

New Los Angeles Times Poll is Outlier: Democrats Oversampled in Survey From Left-Leaning Greenberg Quinlan Rosner

The headlines for the new Los Angeles Times poll are falsely indicating a November blowout for the Democrats in California. My hardcopy newspaper headline reads: "Brown's Lead Doubles in One Month." And at LAT's homepage, "Brown's lead over Whitman widens to 52%-39%; Fiorina not gaining ground." And the killer is the New York Times' blog post, "Brown and Boxer Have Significant Leads, New Poll Shows."

Note first that other recent surveys find the governor's race no better than "lean Democrat" (see Rasmussen's survey out yesterday, with Brown holding a four-point edge with a +/-4 percentage point margin of error). And Survey USA, which routinely tilts left, has a poll out this week with Brown at 47% and Whitman 40%. That same survey throws some particularly interesting light on the CA Senate race. The survey is leaning Democrat in all the statewide races, but is a toss-up for Boxer-Fiorina, Boxer 46%, Fiorina 44%. (This needs more investigation, but there's some interesting speculation that support for marijuana decriminalization among highly-motivated voters is lifting Boxer's numbers. I'm predicting a defeat of Prop. 19 at the polls, so perhaps Survey USA's numbers hold even worse implications for Boxer's chances.) And Rasmussen's poll out yesterday had "Boxer picking up 48% of the vote, while Fiorina draws support from 46%."

I don't want to overstate the point, since it's always uphill for Republicans in California. But there's something suspicious with the methodology at the Times, as indicated at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, who conducted the poll:

These findings are based on a random sample survey of 1,501 registered voters in the state of California conducted from October 13-20, 2010. These findings are also based on 922 likely 2010 voters. Likely voters are defined as registered voters that meet certain conditions based on previous vote history as determined from a voter file, likelihood of voting in 2010, and enthusiasm in the election. This includes respondents who have already voted, voted in both the previous two general elections who indicate they are “almost certain” or “probably” will vote in 2010 and those who have registered since the 2008 election due to ineligibility who are “almost certain,” all of whom must respond as a 5 or higher on a 0-10 enthusiasm scale.

And:

An oversample of 400 Latino registered voters were interviewed by telephone. All interviews from the Latino sample were carried out by bilingual Latino interviewers, and conducted in the preferred language of the survey respondent, English or Spanish. Overall, 41 percent of interviews with the Latino sample were conducted in Spanish and 59 percent in English. The technique of using fully bilingual interviewers is greatly preferred because it does not terminate calls with Spanish-language households and require a callback, which can be difficult to schedule with language barriers ... Upon completion of all interviewing, the results were weighted to bring the Latino oversample population into line with the racial and ethnic composition of registered voters in California. The data were weighted to reflect the total population of registered voters throughout the state, balancing on regional and demographic characteristics for gender, age, race and education according to known census estimates and voter file projections.

Folks can check other analysts (Nate Silver, for example), but given the huge Democrat advantage in California registration (see 2008 totals here at Page 4), and the tremendous Democrat enthusiasm in previous elections, it's pretty clear that the Times survey has oversampled Democrats. Likely voters are tilting toward the Dems at the Times, and Latinos are supporting Democrats this year by a roughly 2-to-1 factor: "Boxer has opened up a whopping 64% to 28% lead among Latinos."

The Los Angeles Times is pressing its fingers on the scales to favor the Democrat Party. There's widedly varied results across polls (the Field Poll had the governor's race tied at 41% last month), and Whitman may indeed be washed up, but I'd hardly count out Fiorina. Additional influences include the ground game over the next week, GOTV efforts on election day, and any last minute bombshell surprises.

ADDED: The Other McCain links: "Disinformation is the new objectivity."

Sunday Cartoons

More cartoons at Flopping Aces and Theo Spark's.

Palin Rallies Base in Florida

At Fox News.

I'm already feeling nostalgic for last Saturday!

RELATED: At CNN, "Sarah Palin says Americans are afraid of Obama's economic policies" (via Memeorandum).

2081

A twenty-five minute film from Chandler Tuttle. A review is here. Tammy Bruce stars:

The Pornification of American Culture

There's a bit of "GLEE" controversy kicking up, and it's reaching into the conservative 'sphere. See, "GLEE-Fully Pornifying the Family Hour." I don't watch the show, but since I keep up with the celebrity hotsy-totsy news, I did catch the Dianna Agron backlash over the racy new cover at GQ, "'Glee' Gone Wild":

How the hell did a show about high school theater geeks come to be the biggest TV show in America? Well, T&A helps. (That's talent and ambition, you pervs.) But so does a generous helping of pot-laced brownies, girl-on-girl subtext, and choreographed dry-humping.

Dry humping? I can see why some parents might be upset, and that cover shot's not going over well either, since the stars play teens on the show. Diana Agron's even issued an apology, "I’d like to start by saying that ...":

... these are solely my thoughts on the November issue of GQ and the controversy that has surrounded its release. I am not a representative of the three of us, the show, or Fox, only myself.

In the land of Madonna, Britney, Miley, Gossip Girl, other public figures and shows that have pushed the envelope and challenged the levels of comfort in their viewers and fans…we are not the first. Now, in perpetuating the type of images that evoke these kind of emotions, I am sorry. If you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable, it was never our intention. And if your eight-year-old has a copy of our GQ cover in hand, again I am sorry. But I would have to ask, how on earth did it get there?

I was a very sheltered child, and was not aware of anything provocative or risque in the media while I was navigating through my formative years. When I was finally allowed to watch a movie like Grease, I did not even understand what on earth Rizzo was talking about!? I understand that in today’s world of advanced technology, the internet, our kids can be subject to very adult material at the click of a button. But there are parental locks, and ways to get around this. I am twenty-four years old. I have been a pretty tame and easy-going girl my whole life. Nobody is perfect, and these photos do not represent who I am. I am also not the girl who rolls out of bed with flawless makeup and couture clothing. I am most comfortable with my hair thrown on top of my head, in sweats, laughing with my friends. Glee is a show that represents the underdogs, which is a feeling I have embraced much of my own life, and to those viewers, the photos in GQ don’t give them that same feeling. I understand completely.

There's more the link, but that apology's fail by the start of the third paragraph. Either say you're sorry, say you were wrong, or not. Don't blame parents for overreacting. GQ got exactly what it wanted and you went right along with it. If playing up sex isn't your thing, why star in a racy primetime teen soap in the first place? That's one reason I can appreciate Lady Gaga. She's pretty much no apologies. Indeed, she'll fly the middle-fingered salute if you get in her face.

Passionately Pissed at Obama Socialists

Don't you just love Twitter:

Cliff Kincaid Confronts Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers

And that's Medea Benjamin speaking with Bernadine Dohrn at the start of the clip. These people are terrorists who take pride in helping "the other side."

Meg Whitman at Jewish Community Town Hall

I'm so proud of my former student and wonderful friend Barbara Efraim. Now at UCLA, she keeps in close touch and sends me all kinds of great tips on upcoming political events in the Los Angeles Jewish community. Barbara gave me the heads up on the recent David Horowitz event and she also notified me of the last week's Meg Whitman town hall, but I was unable to attend. Looks like it was a very intimate evening with the candidate, and Barbara makes an appearance with a brief interview at the clip:

Charles Krauthammer Hammers Nina Totenberg on NPR's Hypocrisy on 'Inside Washington'

It's a double-standard, pure and simple. Nina Totenberg's got no defense. If Juan Williams should go, so should she. Charles Krauthammer rightly and relentlessly pounds the point: "Where did Juan go over the line?" He didn't, and amazingly the other panelist assert that Totenberg shouldn't have to answer the question. And God bless Charles Krauthammer:

Red — An Action Flick for the Whole Family!

Seriously.

My wife had so much fun seeing "Red" last night we're going again this afternoon — this time with our two boys! She's especially tripping on the special effects, for example, the chase scene with Bruce Willis hopping out of the car with bullets flying 1:40 minutes below. I'm just glad the family gets to spend some time together. We all work so hard and our schedules are all over the place. So, we're off to the multiplex. More blogging tonight:

BONUS: Left Coast Rebel has more.

Taking Back America — One Pledge of Allegiance at a Time

And jeez, what if the audience wanted to recite a spiritual invocation? No doubt the commissars at the League of Women Voters would have pulled out machetes to hack the patriots into submission. At Gateway Pundit and Memeorandum. One more reason why Democrats are facing world class repudiation on November 2nd.

More here: "The crowd breaks into the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of Wednesday night's candidates forum with 8th Congressional District candidates Joe Walsh, Melissa Bean and Bill Scheurer at Grayslake Central High School."

Alana Blanchard Rule 5

I think Bob Belvedere and Irish Cicero have been keeping up the pace, and good thing too --- I need some linkage boys!! Plus, American Perspective goes with an all-time Rule 5 favorite: "Anne Hathaway, pretty as a picture."

So, keeping with the spirit, enjoy some Alana Blanchard:

As always, Linkmaster Smith will be highlighting the week's hotness for Sunday Rule 5.

**********

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.

* Maggie's Notebook.

* Mind Numbed Robot.

* Not a Sheep.

* Pirate's Cove.

* 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!

Decision Points by George W. Bush

Available on November 9th:

Fiorina Within Two in Rasmussen's New California Senate Poll

It's neck-and-neck, "Election 2010: California Senate":

California’s U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer and Republican challenger Carly Fiorina remains a virtual tie with less than two weeks to go until Election Day.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Boxer picking up 48% of the vote, while Fiorina draws support from 46%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and three percent (3%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The race remains a Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

Last week, Boxer led Fiorina 49% to 46%. Boxer was reeelected with 58% of the vote in 2004, but despite California's strong Democratic tendencies, this race has been close all year. The incumbent, who is seeking her fourth six-year term, has held a small lead in every survey but one since February with 42% to 49% of the vote. Fiorina, a former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, has earned 38% to 47% support in those same surveys.

Saturday Cartoons

More on Juan Williams, from the cartoonists:

Obama Cares More About Hyped Gay-Bullying Crisis Than Brutalized Black Inner-City Youth

I do think it's a legitimate problem, although statistically gay youths are no more likely to face bullying than non-gay teens similarly situated. What's pathetic though is how Obama can pander to the homosexual lobby on this in lieu of doing the real push for gay equality on DOMA and DADT reform. Yeah, we are seeing something happening with the Pentagon's gay recruitment policy, but it's more of a creeping equalization for gays in the military than a ballsy confrontation with the top military brass. Obama's a pussy, so it's no surprise. And he's especially craven here, since it's hard to find another area of U.S. public policy in need of bold leadership AND there's no one better situated to address the problem than Obama himself:

"Obama, Keep Poor D.C. Children Away!!":

The city that needs educational reform more than any other will have a new mayor next year. Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty lost the Democratic Primary mainly because he supported the successful educational reforms of his school superintendent, Michelle Rhee. Under Superintendent Rhee's reforms mediocre non performing teachers were dismissed but test scores went up and attendance improved. Mayor Fenty or Michelle Rhee did not receive any help or support from President Obama nor the DNC while fighting the teacher unions at every turn. Mayor Fenty and Superintendent Rhee were staunch supporters of the DC Charter School Program that was cancelled the Bush era program that provided inner city kids the chance to attend the Sidwell Friends School, the same school the president's daughters attend....Obama and his wife Michelle cannot afford for their daughters to come in contact with the riff raft children of Washington DC.

Democrats just can't take the chance African American kids will be educated in the American Capitalism and Black history that will lead them to the fact that the Republican Party has been with people of color since the Revolution. Democrats simply cannot affort for African Americans to learn about the racist past of the Democratic Party. To keep us on the plantation Democrats have to surplant truthful history with the pablum of muticulturalism and the victim mentality to keep us angry and resentful at our fellow Americans. Proud Black Americans know the truth ...

Shakedown: The Continuing Conspiracy Against the American Taxpayer

Here's the short film from the Manhattan Institute that accompanies the release of Steven Malanga's new book:

Change! Obama Union Thugs Fire Stage Worker With USS George H.W. Bush Gear in Los Angeles

Via Weasel Zippers:

Paulina Porizkova on 'Good Morning America'

Hey, I have to admit is was nice waking up yesterday to Paulina talking politics with George Stephanopoulos. She's an interesting woman, one of my favorite models of all time, and great for a Rule 5 entry. That said, P.J. O'Rourke steals the show:

Hawgsmoke 2010 Gunnery Competition at Saylor Range

Via Theo Spark:

'What is Sexy'

Perfect for Rule 5, from Victoria's Secret:

Hat Tip: Theo Spark.

Caution In the Wind

Change of pace from campaign blogging: Anti-Pasti. Saw these guys tour L.A. circa 1982. Sound quality a bit poor at the clip:

And check the politically-incorrect cover artwork on a previous EP. Maybe that'll inspire another attack from STFU Sexists.

French Senate Passes Controversial Pension Reform Bill

At NYT, "French Senate Passes Pension Bill."

It may seem strange to us that the French are protesting an increase in the retirement age to 62 years-old!

Well not only is France the supreme statist regime of Europe's major continental democracies, but the tradition of massive street protests --- on a scale that literally shuts down the nation --- dates back to the unresolved crises over the economy that emerged during the French Revolution.

See, "Students Adopt Pension Movement as Their Own." And at Boston Globe, "France on Strike":

Hope Against Hope: Progressives Use Obama Iowa Victory Speech to Inspire Youth Turnout

This is from the folks at Vote Again 2010. And boy it's hard out there for progressives.

RELATED: Jimmy Bise on Valerie Jarrett's remarks that Dems would retain both the House and Senate:

What do you call it when someone is so disconnected from reality that they’ve constructed their very own world around them where they’re always right and everyone else is wrong and they’re so oblivious to what’s happening around them that they can’t see disaster even when it’s looming over them like the Mother of all Tidal Waves?

Oh, right. Frakking insanity!

Carly Fiorina Profiled at Los Angeles Times

See, "Fiorina Presents a Sharp Contrast in Images":

The Senate bid is Fiorina's first run for office, but she has a voting record that is spotty at best and, by all accounts, she had little interest in politics well into adulthood.

"She had," her first husband, Todd Bartlem, said in a recent interview, "no opinions."

She set sail against Boxer with the ideological winds of the moment, tapping into the anti-incumbent anger that has swept some portions of the nation. While decrying the partisan divide in Washington, Fiorina has derided Boxer as "an embarrassment" and has claimed that Boxer is backed by environmental "extremists," although she seemed flummoxed recently when asked to name them.

In a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans, Fiorina has surprised the political establishment by declining to make many nods toward the center.

She has remained a steadfast defender of Arizona's controversial immigration law and has not wavered in support of Proposition 23, the November ballot measure that would suspend efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Fiorina has called Proposition 23 a job-saver and was recently feted at a fundraiser hosted in part by the billionaire Koch brothers, who control oil pipelines and have pumped money into the fight.

Fiorina has said she would support overturning Roe vs. Wade, saying her views on abortion were formed largely because Frank Fiorina's mother was told to abort him due to health risks.

She is something of a sensation among hard-line conservatives, particularly tea party organizations.

"She takes on impossible things, and she accomplishes them," said Glenda Gilliland, a Fresno Tea Party activist who retired from HP in 2005 and attended a recent Fiorina speech. "I think she will fight — I know she will — for the people of California."

But Fiorina's support from hard-line conservatives can make for an awkward dynamic; she appears to be more measured and moderate than they think she is. At recent campaign appearances, for example, several of her supporters volunteered to a reporter — as fact — that President Obama is an African-born Muslim.

Asked whether she's comfortable with support from that arm of the political spectrum, Fiorina said: "I certainly don't agree with it. I don't think the president is a Muslim. He clearly is a Christian. He clearly was born in America."

Meanwhile, two organizations that have said the Obama administration promotes the "homosexual infiltration of schools" have spent $60,000 on advertising for Fiorina and pledged more. Fiorina's aides made clear that she does not agree with the groups' position — and contended that she has no control over who promotes her candidacy.

"One of the things that has happened in politics that doesn't happen in the rest of life is that people say: 'Well, if I don't agree with someone 100% of the time, I can't work with them,'" Fiorina said in an interview. "And I think it's why there is so much partisan bickering on both sides of the aisle."

"In the rest of life … you rarely agree with someone like that.… But if you can find enough common ground, you can get something done," she said. "You can solve a problem. You can accomplish a goal."

Great White Kills Boogie Boarder Off North Santa Barbara County

At CNN, "Shark kills 20-year-old man off beach on Vandenberg Air Force Base." And at KEYT Santa Barbara, "New Details: Deadly Shark Attack Kills Local Student."

And from Pete Thomas, "Surfer Fatally Attacked by Shark Off Central California":

According to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File, before Friday's attack there had been only eight fatal attacks by white sharks on humans since 1916.

However, there is a consensus among some scientists that white shark population off California is increasing.

Christopher Lowe, who runs the Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab, attributes this to a longstanding ban on fishing for white sharks, a longstanding ban imposed on gill-net fishing in white shark nursery areas close to the coast, and the phenomenal rise in the number of California sea lions, which constitute a readily available food source for large white sharks.

Lowe, however, has not implied that this will translate into more attacks on humans, because white sharks have evolved over millions of years into such specialized predators.

Patric Douglas, CEO of Shark Diver, which is a California-based commercial shark-diving company that has extensive experience with white sharks, has witnessed the predators' behavior up-close dozens of times and can attest to their cautious, investigatory approach to possible prey.

Douglas agrees with scientists that most, if not all white shark attacks on humans involve mistaken identity, and advises people to stay out of the water very early in the morning when the sun might be at such an angle as to make it difficult for sharks to discern people from prey -- notably pinnipeds.

"Because that's when most of the attacks happen," Douglas said. "Just stay out of the water and give the sharks their due, because that's their time."

Added: "Surf Beach Shark Victim is Identified."

Leftist Rocker John Mellencamp Changing Tune on Sarah Palin

I guess he's heard the "voice of freedom."

At The Hill, "Democrat John Mellencamp Impressed With Sarah Palin" (via Texas for Sarah Palin):

The rocker John Mellencamp is a longtime Democrat who refused to allow his songs to be used by Republican Sen. John McCain on the 2008 presidential campaign.

But when it comes to McCain's 2008 running mate, Sarah Palin, Mellencamp may be changing his tune.

Mellencamp told the Associated Press on Friday that he admires the former Alaska governor, and that people get the wrong idea about Palin, "just because she says things and winks."

To achieve what Palin has accomplished thus far requires intelligence, and Mellencamp said Palin "knows exactly what's she doing."

"She wouldn't be where she is today if she didn't."

Touché Campus Progress — UPDATE: Video Pulled After Copyright Claim by Citizens Against Government Waste; FIXED: VIMEO ADDED

Ben Smith notes that the format for the new ad from Citizens Against Government Waste "opens it to 'Downfall'-style parody..." Well, yeah. The Campus Progress commies wasted no time, and clever too:

Meg Whitman Hits $163 Million in Bid to Clone Schwarzenegger Administration

I have to apologize to my fellow conservatives who've gotten behind Meg Whitman's candidacy. I've never cared for her. She's just not doing it for me, so sorry. Not only is she obscenely attempting to buy her way into office (and I'm no fan of campaign finance regulations), but the last thing we need is another four years of Arnold Schwarzenegger. And so while I cringe at the thought of a Jerry Brown governorship (been there, done that), I'm giving his media people props on this ad buy. It resonates. My wife noticed how clever it is (and she doesn't even follow politics, so that's saying something). Brown? Whitman? Either way, Californians are screwed:

Juan Williams on 'Good Morning America'

We'll be seeing loads of commentary today following-up on Juan Williams, but Left Coast Rebel captures the key segment from this "GMA" clip: "I Always Thought the Right Wing Were the Ones That Were Inflexible, Intolerant."

I've already noted the total collapse of media objectivity in mainstream journalism, but it's amazing to see Juan Williams admit his own "Damascus moment." And the bloodthirsty left isn't finished yet: "Is Nina Totenberg Next?"

Ignorance is Strength: Democrat-Media Complex on Mission to Erase President Clinton Failures For Fall Elections

Yeah. I've commented on this a lot already since last Friday, but the MFM can't get enough of him, so WTF? At WaPo: "Former President Clinton On Mission to Rescue Democratic Party in Fall Elections."

This gloriously fawning piece can't praise Slick Willie enough: "If there was any doubt that Clinton remains the Democratic Party's North Star..." Okay. Sure. And not one word about the cigar-poking president's epic moral failures:

George Orwell would be proud.

AFSCME Leads All Groups in Independent Election Outlays

And these freaks were out in force at the Loretta Sanchez/Bill Clinton rally:

At WSJ, "Campaign's Big Spender" (via Memeorandum):

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is now the biggest outside spender of the 2010 elections, thanks to an 11th-hour effort to boost Democrats that has vaulted the public-sector union ahead of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and a flock of new Republican groups in campaign spending.

The 1.6 million-member AFSCME is spending a total of $87.5 million on the elections after tapping into a $16 million emergency account to help fortify the Democrats' hold on Congress. Last week, AFSCME dug deeper, taking out a $2 million loan to fund its push. The group is spending money on television advertisements, phone calls, campaign mailings and other political efforts, helped by a Supreme Court decision that loosened restrictions on campaign spending.

"We're the big dog," said Larry Scanlon, the head of AFSCME's political operations. "But we don't like to brag."

The 2010 election could be pivotal for public-sector unions, whose clout helped shield members from the worst of the economic downturn. In the 2009 stimulus and other legislation, Democratic lawmakers sent more than $160 billion in federal cash to states, aimed in large part at preventing public-sector layoffs. If Republicans running under the banner of limited government win in November, they aren't likely to support extending such aid to states.

Newly elected conservatives will also likely push to clip the political power of public-sector unions. For years, conservatives have argued such unions have an outsize influence in picking the elected officials who are, in effect, their bosses, putting them in a strong position to push for more jobs, and thus more political clout.

Some critics say public-sector unions are funded by what is essentially taxpayer cash, since member salaries, and therefore union dues, come directly from state budgets.

"Public-sector unions have a guaranteed source of revenue—you and me as taxpayers," said Glenn Spencer, executive director of the Workforce Freedom Initiative at the Chamber of Commerce.

More at the link.

Early Voting Offers a Glimpse Into End Game

And early balloting could be helping Sharron Angle in Nevada.

And at WSJ:

Danger flags are up for Democrats in Nevada. But in Iowa, where many expected a drubbing, the party looks strong. Maine looks good for Republicans, but North Carolina doesn't.

From Washington State to Florida, Americans are already voting, 2.5 million of them so far, and early trends suggest that while Republicans are looking strong overall, predictions that Democrats would stay home for the midterm elections may be a bit overblown.

"If you thought the Democrats were just going to give up on this election and not vote at all, that's not what we're seeing," said Michael McDonald, a public-affairs professor at George Mason University in Virginia, who tracks early voting.

To be sure, the figures could be deceptive. State and county officials can provide the number of ballots returned by registered Republicans or Democrats, but can't say whether voters stuck with their party. But national polling suggests the parties in recent weeks have solidified support among their voters. And early-voting trends in 2008 elections presaged statewide results.

The trends could of course change before Nov. 2, election day. For the moment, party officials are anxiously eyeing the returns from early voting, which began this month in some states, and adjusting their get-out-the-vote efforts as the returns come in. That may be particularly important to Democrats, who acknowledge GOP voters are more enthusiastic this year but say they will use early voting to lure their voters to the polls.