The repository of one hard-boiled egg from the south suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (and the occassional guest-blogger). The ramblings within may or may not offend, shock and awe you, but they are what I (or my guest-bloggers) think.
But not just any weekend. It’s the last weekend before baseball, and the weather is typical Wisconsin. Good thing we have a dome.
The head barkeep over at the Wisconsin Sports Bar has a whole raft of pics from his tour of Miller Park to get you in the mood.
Blogging will be light until Tuesday, but I may still throw a few screwballs in the queue.
First two items come via Bryan at Hot Air (who also found the Friday Freefly):
– Jeff Stambosky has Algore’s future theme song.
– Grab your water wings; Google Maps will now get you between Boston and Le Havre. The kicker is direction #9 on the eastward trek (#7 coming back) – a 3,462-mile swim (5,572-km for the Frogs) across the Atlantic Ocean. The neat thing is, assuming you can find some wheels, you’ll be able to start anywhere on one continent and go to the other following Google.
Item #3 comes from JSOnline’s DayWatch, and is a special for Fred:
– Bergstrom is opening several (not-so-)Smart car dealerships in Wisconsin, including Milwaukee
I wonder if Jim “Craps” Doyle (WEAC/Potawatomi-For Sale) has anything he wants to slide in while everybody is snoozing. I won’t tell </fingers_crossed>
Please ignore.
Revisions/extensions (1:03 pm 3/30/2007) – It’s slow to update, but it does give me another tracking tool. Those of you who read through a feed reader can either keep the current feed or use the FeedBurner version (http://feeds.feedburner.com/NoRunnyEggs).
Further revisions/extensins (1:45 pm 3/30/2007) – I believe I finally forced the stragglers that still were using the eggstor.com RSS feeds here thanks to Steve Smith’s FeedBurner plugin. I’ve also hacked a way to force those that for some dumb-assed reason were still at the Blogger site directly here instead of waiting 10 seconds. I wasn’t able to bust up Blogger’s feeds though.
Last update (1:52 pm 3/30/2007) – Figured out how to ping FeedBurner immediately. Updates should now come instantly.
(H/T plus another unintenionally-funny video that I can’t get to work – Allahpundit)
High Priest Algore Goracle took a little trip to Oslo, Norway, where he compared those of us who think the extent of man’s involvement in global “warming” is Algore opening his mouth to Bull Connor. Of course, a lot of what Algore Jr. learned about civil rights came from his dad, who voted against the Civil Rights Act back in the day. Also, the last I checked, it’s the envirowhackos who are using the modern equivalent of the dogs and fire hoses, the weight of government and the occassional firebomb (H/T – Dad29). I don’t see the gubmint forcing the usage of those eeeeeevil SUVs, or GM blowing up Priuses.
But wait, there’s more. Algore is up for one of the Nobel Prizes because of his work on promoting his religion. However, instead of one of the scientific Nobel Prizes, he’s being vetted for the Piec…er, Peace Prize. Of course, the Piec…er, Peace Prize long ago stopped being about promoting peace and about bashing the US and Israel. How else would the stable-condition Yasser Arafat, Jimmy “Peanut Farmer” and the IAEA get them?
– With a tip of the hat to Peter, we have JibJab delivering the dim mac to the current state of news
– Hot Air Films proudly presents “A Day in the Life @ Hot Air”. It appropriately starts in Michelle’s closet/office, then follows Michelle and Bryan as they get ready for a black tie event.
– HamNation checks in a bit late, but the red meat she delivers from the Media Research Center’s Dishonor Awards show is worth it.
– This week’s Friday Freefly suffered unfixable technical difficulties. In it’s place, Uncle Jimbo provides 9 Little Known Facts About Rosie O’Donnell, borrowed from the nose on your face. So, he filmed a replacement contrasting Steve Irwin and a CNN weasel.
Revisions/extensions (11:18 am 3/30/2007) – A third of my friday videos won’t be airing today.
Further revisions/extensions (3:30 pm 3/30/2007) – HamNation came in.
Last set of revisions/extensions (3:43 pm 3/30/2007) – Uncle Jimbo got a replacement up.
As long as I’m still up, I have no idea why I didn’t add the Noonan boys and The Electric Commentary long before now. However, I do know why I didn’t add WPRI’s blog much before today, because the paint’s still shiny.
Because I’ve started a TownHall version of No Runny Eggs, I’ve created a new category for the other blogs you can find me.
Also, if you want your blog as a button rather than a plane-Jane link, send me a jpeg at norunnyeggs – at – norunnyeggs – dot – com. I do prefer it to be no more than 120 pixels wide because I don’t want to have to resize it.
I’ve made it a policy to not blogroll campaign sites. However, after some twit decided to try to take down Owen for putting a Blogs for Ziegler button on his site, I’ve changed my mind. I am proud to promote my candidates for State Supreme Court and Racine’s 7th Aldermanic District, Annette Ziegler and Fred Dooley (respectively).
You want some like the Islamokazis, come get some.
Revisions/extensions (11:18 pm 3/29/2007 and following times below) – Others who are Spartacus (at least that I know of as of the latest time-stamp on the R&E; if I missed you, either post here or at the BBA):
Badger Blogger
The American Mind
Texas Hold’Em Blogger (he’s also John Doe)
Jiblog
The Asian Badger
PeteRepublic
Blogger Beer
An Old Broad’s Ramblings
Musings of a Thoughtful Conservative (who also said that he’s John Doe at the same time)
– Added 10:13 am 3/30/2007 –
Reality Check
silent E speaks
– Added 10:22 am 3/30/2007 –
triticale (who just doesn’t do graphics; he must still be running on Arpanet ;-) – just kidding)
– Added 3:50 pm 3/30/2007 –
On The Borderline
– Added 8:12 pm 3/30/2007 –
Lance Burri
– Added 7:17 am 3/31/2007 –
“Freedom Eden
If you don’t know who John Doe is, go, read the Michelle Malkin column (H/Ts – Dad29 and JammieWearingFool) and watch today’s Vent at Hot Air.
A word of advice to the Islamokazis – don’t start nothin’, won’t die for nothin’.
Revisions/extensions (10:30 am 3/28/2007, with the poll added 10:39 am 3/28/2007) – Michelle makes it a one-stop shop. She also reports that Frankie Cee has I’m John Doe merchandise up. Seeing I’m headed to Jamaica next month (my younger sister’s getting married there), I’m wondering which merchandise I should wear to O’Hare. Poll will be up shortly is now up (and embedded here for convenience).
Second revision/extension (4:39 pm 3/30/2007) – Grabbed a pic from the poker-playing Peter
What "I'm John Doe - Sue Me" merchandise should I wear to O'Hare April 16?
Up to 1 answer(s) was/were allowed
Total Voters: 14
Loading ...Time to go kill Kane again.
I do miss Anton Slavik and Oxanna Kristos though.
FReeper eyespysomething, acting on Chuck Cut-and-Hagel’s warning about a possible impeachment of President Bush, created this beaut of a pic and unveiled it on a Free Republic thread on Cut-and-Hagel’s betrayal vis-a-vis the troops in Iraq.
Cut-and-Hagel was the pivotal vote in a 50-48 defeat of an attempt to strip a hard 180-day start to the retreat and a suggested May 2008 defeat from the Senate’s pork-laden version of the Iraq war supplemental. With Mitch McConnell’s high-stakes call to not filibuster this to death and depend on a veto and an inability to override, the next steps are the supplental’s passage and reconciliation with the House’s pork-laden hard-and-later (September 2008) retreat-and-defeat effort. It is high stakes because McConnell’s betting that the ‘Rats don’t want an immediate retreat-and-defeat.
Do it, you know you want to. You can even add a superhero of choice (I didn’t).
Editor’s note – comments/trackbacks/pingbacks are disabled. I want you commenting over at Tom McMahon’s place. Also, his Classic TM Post Of The Day on his main page (no, I will not link you directly there; the whole point of that is to get you reading the whole blog) is worth a look.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did some digging into the pre-election campaign finance report filed by a group called LEGACY, which wants to have the voters in the Elmbrook School District screw themselves out of $108.8 million (well, make that $300 million by the time interest payments are figured in) through a pair of referendums to remake the two high schools into twin Taj Mahals. First, they’re outspending the the pro-taxpayer Vote No April 3 group by something north of 7.4 to 1; while the borrow-and-tax-and-spenders reported they raised and spent about $7,400 through last week Monday, the no-more-taxers certified that they will neither raise nor spend more than $1,000 through the entire campaign (left unmentioned in the story is that Vote No April 3 also stated they will not receive more than $100 from any individual) and thus are taking the exemption from detailed campaign finances.
That, however, is not the most-interesting tidbit in the borrow-and-spend-and-taxers’ money trail. Who donated what is. Let’s start where the Journtinel started, with Rob and Susan Stieg. Rob works for Boldt Co., who Elmbrook hired to oversee the Twin Taj Mahal renovations at a cost of $550,000. Indeed, Rob is the principal-in-charge of that project. Rob and Susan donated $100 to the cause.
Next, let’s head to the big-money donors. $1,000 came from two different people, and a third person donated $300. Considering that Fred Dooley can’t take a donation over $250, I find it curious that these three people were able to pump in that kind of cash.
Our final stop ends with a pair of real estate companies. $800 came into the campaign from Core Realty Holdings Management Inc. Also, Shorewest Realty did a $100 in-kind donation for a phone bank. I do trust that it was actually from people that work for those firms because the last time I checked, corporations couldn’t donate to campaigns in Wisconsin.
That last tidbit begs the question; why would real estate companies be in favor of higher taxes? The answer is actually very simple; they don’t earn money on property that isn’t sold, and one of the main reasons why property is sold in Wisconsin is because the current property owner can no longer afford the taxes to stay. It does not matter much whether that price is high or depressed.
(H/T – Michelle Malkin)
The drive to destroy all-male fraternal organizations via the Constitution, last stuffed in 1982, is about to resurface, freshly renamed the “Women’s Equality Amendment”. While Ted “The Swimmer” Kennedy will have plenty of comments as the driving force, Mary Jo Kopechne remains unavailable for comment.
…and also spread to his liver. May God rest His healing hand on Tony and drive the cancer back into remission.
Allahpundit has video of President Bush’s remarks (scroll down to update #5 and hit play).
(H/T – Allahpundit)
Here, we have the Jersey Girlz as the vocal minority of widows from 9/11. In Spain, it’s this plucky lady (courtesy Expatica.com)…
The widow of a man killed in the Madrid bombings attended the trial of Islamic radicals with a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed with a bomb on her T-shirt.
The judge in charge of trial on Monday asked security guards to check the woman’s T-shirt and ordered the cameras to halt live transmissions.
Initially, he thought the woman could been a relative of one of the 29 accused and thought she might have put some kind of message on her T-shirt.
The T-shirt was a copy of the cartoons showing Mohammed on top of a bomb which were first printed by a Danish magazine and which caused disturbances in Muslim countries around the world.
The judge decided the woman was free to wear what she liked and could come back to the court if she wished.
The woman, who was not identified, is a member of the Association of those Affected by Terrorism.
Bravo Zulu to both the widow and the judge. Maybe if there were more of them, 3/11 wouldn’t have been the Islamokazis’ biggest victory.
Oh, and before I forget, that T-shirt contains my favorite Mohammed cartoon. Since we don’t have a pic of the shirt, allow me to bring back the toon….
Revisions/extensions (10:07 am 3/26/2007) – Added some further thoughts on just how few “competitive” seats would be required and the lack-of-moderation that would result.
The Fifth Column at 4th and State wins with their support of a draft bill being circulated by a pair of ‘Rats that would ensure ‘Rat majorities in the Legislature. Since it’s a draft bill and thus unavailable for public viewing, I’ll just have to take out my chainsaw on O. Ricardo Pimentel and company….
Wisconsin is a purple state. Not rabidly red and not ballistically blue. Pragmatically purple.
And Pimentel and company are cursing because it’s not ballistic.
But you might not be able to tell that, given how intensely partisan the voters’ representatives often are on a variety of important issues. It is as if they represent a state riven into implacable, ideological camps. The result has been a state Legislature unable to move the dial on various vital issues, campaign finance reform key among them.
I for one do not consider this a problem. Of course, I don’t want bigger gubmint, or gubmint meddling further in campaign finance. Look at what a “success” the McShame-Slimeroad Lieberal Protection Act is on the federal level.
This happens because the districts legislators have crafted for themselves are too lopsidedly blue or red. This means maximum advantage for incumbents’ own re-elections and the luxury of remaining as ideological as they choose. The better to survive primary races to earn, essentially by default, their party’s votes in the general election.
Actually, the problem is that once a leggie is elected, nobody ever gathers up the gumption (or, thanks to campaign finance rules both current and proposed, money) to challenge him or her, especially in the primary, so the leftward tug exerted in Madistan by the other members of the Party-In-Government and the presstitutes is left uncountered by the leanings of the district.
This system pretty much guarantees that the Legislature clones itself virtually every election, though circumstances can change outcomes at the margins, as in the 2006 election, when the state Senate changed hands and Democrats picked up seats in the Assembly.
I wouldn’t necessarily call that changing the outcome at the margin. On second thought, considering the lack of Republican leadership exhibited by Dale Schultz (and before him, Mary Panzer and Mike Ellis), that can’t even be called a change. Countering that, how does the Journtinel explain the shift from a 60+-seat majority in the Assembly for the ‘Rats in the mid 1980s to a 60+-seat majority that the Pubbies so recently enjoyed?
The likely cause of that shift, however, was the Iraq war and general dissatisfaction with the national party in power for a variety of other reasons as well. This had discernible local fallout.
But absent such political riptides, the present-day redistricting system is simply too prone to promoting political inbreeding. A paucity of new blood from sturdier stock means an imperfect genetic pool, politically speaking, with bad traits repeated through the generations.
Even a flashing VCR is right once a day.
Redistricting reform can be the political equivalent of genetic engineering.
We all know how well gubmint has done with social engineering, so let’s have them do genetic engineering </sarcasm>.
Wisconsin simply must reinvent itself politically so its representatives are more reflective of the state’s pragmatic norms than its political extremes.
To do that, competitiveness must be what substantively guides the redrawing of legislative districts that occurs every 10 years after the U.S. census. If most districts are solidly blue and solidly red, with little chance of seats ever changing hands, there is virtually no incentive for lawmakers to legislate from anything but immovable positions. There is no need to moderate positions to reflect minority-party views existing in their districts. Those people and those views then don’t get represented by their representatives.
You want competitiveness? How about a forced ouster of every PIG every so often?
There is circulating in the state Legislature a draft bill, the result of a compromise between Reps. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee) and Spencer Black (D-Madison), that would impose this condition of competitiveness on more of Wisconsin’s state legislative districts.
The bill is imperfect but is ideal as a jumping-off point to change how the state crafts its legislative districts. That change is imperative.
Off the cliff, that is.
It would create a state redistricting board composed of state constitutional officers, plus one – the attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction and a member appointed by the state Supreme Court.
Strict partisans might sense a Democratic tilt. But this board would not draw the lines. That would be left to the revisor of statutes, a civil servant appointed by the Legislature. He, in turn, would be constrained from broad political mischief by a formula in the legislation that results in more competitive districts.
The revisor of statutes would present three plans to the board, which would pick one.
I’m shocked, SHOCKED that there would be a ‘Rat tilt.</Casablanca>. You can bet that they’ll choose the one that services their desires for a socialist Wisconsin the best. As for the fool that would draw the lines, the only way there would be consensus on who that fool is would be if one party controlled both houses of the Legislature, and since the he or she would be serving at the pleasure of the party in power, the job would necessarily be contingent on pleasing the party in power.
The formula involves the revisor considering the state’s party split by looking at how Wisconsin voters on average split their ballots in the previous five general elections.
Talk about cloning a mindset.
Say that split was 51% Republican and 49% Democrat. A 99-seat Assembly would have 50 seats with voter percentages favoring the Republicans. Those 50 seats would be drawn so that Republicans number above that average 51%.
In this formula, Democrats would get majorities in 17 of the state Senate’s 33 districts.
Kessler says this simply reflects the reality that it’s perhaps not possible in much of Wisconsin to craft competitive districts given residential patterns – people living next to like-minded people.
Note the language here, kids. First you get a tiny hypothetical bone thrown to the Pubbies, then the reality of ‘Rat domination is driven home like a piledriver. Oh, and Red Fred, how exactly does Oak Creek connect to UWM and Milwaukee’s East Side? My map of the 7th Senate District shows that it runs through MMSD’s Jones Island, not exactly a hotbed of residential activity.
But this bill would mandate competitiveness in 20 Assembly seats and eight Senate seats, with narrow enough margins between Republicans and Democrats so either candidate has a chance.
So the guaranteed ‘Rat majority in the Senate is anywhere between 1 and 17. Convenient, isn’t it?
(Start extensions) Further, this “mandated” comptetitiveness will do absolutely, positively NOTHING for moderation. I could’ve swore the “new blue blood” Dems that put SanFranNan 2 heartbeats from the Presidency was supposed to “moderate” the ‘Rats. However, they’re running things much like Tip O’Neill did back in the day, with aspirations of being the second coming of Carl Albert (except without the honor to allow a replacement of the VP).
We’re not convinced the formula is workable and are particularly puzzled by how it divides the bulk of non-competitive Assembly and Senate seats. We are convinced, however, that mandating competitiveness, even by formula, is the right direction – if it can be done and still comply with the minority representation dictates of the Voting Rights Act.
It’s not workable – unless you want to turn Wisconsin into a Soviet Republic. Again, if you want competitiveness, auto-retire the leggies every so often.
The revisor of statutes – with no expertise on this issue – is likely not the best redistricting agent. The Legislative Reference Bureau is a better choice.
But it’s so much easier to pressure one person than an entire department.
And reform legislation also should deal with congressional districts, which the state is tasked with drawing.
How better to make the Congressional delegation 6-2 ‘Rats after 2010 while ousting those “pesky” Pubbies Jim Sensenbrenner and Paul Ryan (both live near the border of their respective districts) then to turn over that redistricting to a bunch of ‘Rat hacks?
Other states have enacted reform but subordinated competitiveness. That is not reform.
Neither is this.
This kind of change in Wisconsin would require a constitutional amendment, meaning votes by two consecutive legislatures before it is put on the ballot.
How touching; the Jourtinel actually recognizes that there is a built-in process for amending the state constitution, and it doesn’t involve activist Supreme Court justices. I wonder if they’ll remember that when assuming the editorial position on the state Supreme Court race (er, no).
The temptation will be for legislative leadership to quietly deep-six this bill. It should instead view it as an opportunity. It should recognize that if it also enacts broad campaign finance reform, redistricting reform could make this the year that Wisconsin becomes the nation’s model for good government.
All I have to say is, “Match generated bearings and shoot!”
In case you’re living in a cave, we hit 78 degrees yesterday, and we’ll be in the 70s again today. Of course, the long-range forecast for April 2 is mostly cloudy and a high of 47 (which is below average), with rain moving in overnight.
Typical Wisconsin, and for those that are going to bleat, “Global Warming!”, I’ll point out this happens almost every year. The only reason why it’s early this year is Opening Day is early.
…because nobody took Kansas. They fell to UCLA, which is helping turn the Bouncing Mozzarella into a zombie bracket.
At least I got one prediction right, but I was too damn stupid to stick with it.
In part 1, I predicted that Fred Thompson will take the Republican nomination. In part 2, I predicted that Hillary Clinton will take the Democratic nomination. Now, I really go out on a limb to finish answering Dad29’s question.
First things first, it’s not going to matter much at all to the Democrats who their VP running mate is. They’ll have the gender gap maximized by Clinton, nothing the Pubbies do will reduce the racial gap, and there are no moderates left in the party of the donkey. On the Pubbie side, it’s another story. They will not be able to resist the pressure to put a moderate-to-liberal at the bottom end of the ticket, and who the Dems put at the bottom half of their ticket will influence which moderate-to-liberal goes there. If it’s Barak Obama, they will try like hell to get Colin Powell there. If not, or if Powell refuses, it will be Rudy Giuliani, as John McCain cannot abide being second fiddle, and in the end he is not as liberal as Giuliani.
By choosing Giuliani (or Powell), the Pubbies will also avoid having McCain run an insurgency independent campaign, which would hand the Presidency to Clinton. They would have taken away the only constituency that would have possibly stuck with McCain, the country-club Pubbies.
If you thought the 2000 and 2004 campaigns were nasty, you haven’t seen anything yet. The charges and countercharges will come hourly, and there will be no media outlet, be it “old” or “new”, “mainstream” or “alternative”, that will even pretend to be impartial. Now, where did I put that coin?
In part 1 of the series inspired by Dad29’s call for bets, I explored the Republican half of the Presidential pool. Here I take a look at the other half.
At this point, there are only two real contenders, Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. While both are highly liberal, like the rest of the Dem field, they have at least attempted to follow the Bill Clinton/Jimmy Carter/John Kennedy model of triangulation. The Democrats surely have to realize that the last 3 times they successfully took the White House from Republicans, going back over 47 (to be 48 by the time the election rolls around) years, they ran a candidate that could at the least fake some sort of conservatism.
The remainder of the Democratic field simply cannot pull that off. The thing that could work against both Clinton and Obama, however, is the Dems do not tend to settle things early. One could make the case that John Edwards could get the sympathy vote, but there is going to be too much time between now and Iowa.
Yeah, there’s some buzz about Al Gore, but I discount him because of the “loser” rule. Nobody saw hide or hair out of either Jimmy Carter or Walter Mondale after they lost their runs. John Kerry recognized this and bailed early. Also working against Gore is, like the also-rans, he cannot possibly fake being a conservative.
So, the battle is going to be between Hillary and Obama. Obama’s the blanker slate, so he didn’t have to practice as much triangulation as Clinton. However, Clinton is extremely ruthless. Give the nod to Clinton.
Part 3, a very- (or is it too-?) early look at the general election, up next.
I still haven’t quite figured out who I’m backing in the Republican primary for President, but since Dad29 decided to call me out, I better start. First, let’s take a look at the announced front-runners:
Rudy Giuliani –
Why is he a front-runner? It’s easy to say that it’s all how he led New York City after 9/11, but that’s actually an outgrowth of his law-and order background. He did clean up the uncleanable city long before 2001. Also, he has been tacking towards the right, claiming he’ll appoint constructionists to the court.
Why he won’t get the nomination? Outside of law and order and taxes (though I don’t recall whether his conservatism on that is genuine or freshly-found), he is extremely liberal. He is pro-abortion, pro-activist government, and staunchly anti-gun. Also, his personal life is a shambles, and that still sinks Republicans, even RINOs and RepublicRATs.
John McCain –
Why is he a front-runner? Because the media says so. I honestly can’t think of another reason.
Why he won’t get the nomination? Where do I begin? McCain-Feingold? Pro-illegal alien? Pro-taxes? A continuing shunning of the heart and soul of the Republican Party?
Mitt Romney –
Why is he a front-runner? Because he’s the Republican version of Bill Clinton, and because of the liberal tendencies of both Giuliani and McCain, he’s been able to position himself as the big-name “conservative”.
Why he won’t get the nomination? Because he’s the Republican version of Bill Clinton, the primary voters and caucusers know that Romney is anything but conservative.
Then there’s the announced dark-horses, including Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter and (just because I’m in Wisconsin) Tommy Thompson. Tancredo is a one-note pony who thinks that hitting $1 million is a big deal (H/T – Sean Hackbarth). Hunter, who has a few more ideas, has the same limitation as Tancredo (being a “mere” Congressman) and less cash. Tommy is the Midwest version of Romney with a “charm” that doesn’t work on the far sides of the mountain ranges. The fact that I can’t recall the other dark-horses off the top of my head tells you their chances (namely, none).
That leads us to a pair of unannounced candidates. First in the docket, Newt Gingrich. He was the architect behind the Contract with America, the last lasting major conservative achievement in Washington. There are, however, three problems: first, the personal problems that led him to leave Congress would doom his candidacy. Second, up until recently, he had been tacking leftward. Third, by saying he wouldn’t decide until fall whether to run, he would be entering the race too late. Republicans tend to stick with early front-runners; indeed, George W. Bush all-but-sewed up the nomination in 1999 (knocking out everybody of note except McCain).
Second, there’s Fred Thompson. He’s very articulate and for the most part is conservative. There is a giant problem; he voted for McCain-Feingold while he was still in the Senate. I could’ve swore the First Amendment was quite clear on that issue, even if the Supreme Court on first consideration couldn’t see it.
Now, to answer the money question, which is actually easier since I don’t quite have a horse in this race yet. Fred jumps in and starts emptying the pool. First out is Tommy, followed closely by Hunter (Tancredo will stay in just to be Don Quixote). Hopefully Gingrich decides that discretion is the better part of ego and stays on the sideline, because he could very well play king-maker. If he stays out, the battle will be Fred versus McCain/Giuliani. The schedule does not favor McCain, despite his recent conversion on ethanol. However, he’ll draw enough of the country-clubbers away from Giuliani to give Thompson an insurmountable lead.
However, if Gingrich does jump in, it’s a nasty 2 1/2 (with Quixot…er, Tancredo being the half) versus 2 battle. Prior to 2000, I would have said with confidence that it would have been either Thompson or Gingrich winning (more likely Thompson). However, the Republican Party has become too much of a big tent to say with confidence that a conservative would come out on top. Partly because I’m an optimist, I’ll say that Thompson takes the nomination.
Up next, the Dems half of the pool, followed by a very-early look at the general election.
DUmmie FUnnies proudly presents three excellently-written parodies of the House by Charles Henrickson and doug from upland.
Don’t look for me to record my vocalizations of these, but feel free to sing along anyway.
JSOnline’s DayWatch is reporting that the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau has estimated that, instead of an average $75 property tax hike due to the Craps Tax Anti-Freeze Ver. 2.0, it’s going to be a $94 one. For those that deal in percentages, that’s now 3.4% instead of 2.7%.
Methinks they’re still understating it. Don’t forget to “thank” Jim “Craps” Doyle, Mary “Panzy” Panzer, and Dale Schultz, the three individuals most responsible for the death of any hope of tax relief.
Go, read his take on the crisis that is Milwaukee, then if you’re in any position to do anything about solving that crisis, whether you’re a politico or “merely” a citizen, DO IT!
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