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.
Nick Schweitzer has a good summary up of the debate in Germantown tonight between Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner and Dr. Jim Burkee for the Republican nomination (and, because there are no other candidates in any other parties, the actual seat) in the 5th Congressional District. Yes, he was there with his laptop, and he was typing furiously throughout the debate. Wisconsin Eye was also there, so they should have video up in the near-futureand they have video and audio.
My contribution, at least at this point, is an audio recording of the debate. I’m too tired to give a detailed analysis right now, but I do want to say a couple things:
– I would much rather see a challenge to Tom Petri than either Sensenbrenner or Paul Ryan, especially since much of Burkee’s platform is fiscal responsibility.
– Jim Burkee would be a good person to either do that challenge or compete for an open seat. No, he wouldn’t be perfect, and depending on the other persons, I may not support him.
Revisons/extensions (4:15 pm 8/28/2008) – First off; sorry about the incomplete post. I suffered the typical user error on that.
Next, Wisconsin Eye did get the video up (thanks for that and the link, P-Mac).
Just after finding out that 22% of voter registrations/address changes since August 6 do not match up to drivers’ license records, the Government “Accountability” Board ruled that not only will those registrants be allowed to vote with no correction of the voter registration and no check of any ID, but that future mismatches will be ignored. A vote on a motion to require an at-poll ID check for those that don’t correct inconsistencies in voter registration failed on a 3-3 vote, while a vote on a motion to ignore future mismatches passed 5-1.
Everything has gone according to ‘Rat Governor Jim “Craps” Doyle’s (WEAC/Potawatomi-For Sale) plan, as he is the one who put all 6 members that board after the two bipartisan boards that preceded it, the State Elections Board and State Ethics Board, failed in his favor on various matters before them so egregiously that “something had to be done”.
Revisions/extensions (6:11 pm 8/27/2008) – My semi-sarcastic advice to Team McCain; abandon Wisconsin (except for La Crosse, which serves northeast Iowa) as this state is now as lost a cause as Illinois.
The roll-call vote is up now, and Arkansas threw all of their votes to Barack Obama after Hillary Clinton released them at the last minute. So much for favorite daughter status.
No state thus far (through Delaware) has cast all the pledged delegates that Clinton had going into today for her, though DC did throw more votes her way than pledged delegates (it still was under the combined pledged/superdelegates total). Guess that pre-vote in the hotels worked wonders.
I hope the McCain campaign was paying attention to what Shoebox said this morning.
Revisions/extensions (5:43 pm 8/27/2008) – I honestly don’t know why California passed on its turn. The last Green Papers estimate of delegates, back in June, gave Clinton a 29-delegate lead (with 6 uncommitted) there, and Obama had a significant lead before California’s turn came up.
Now the yield game is going on. New Mexico to Illinois to New York.
R&E part 2 (5:49 pm 8/27/2008) – One last knife-twist into the heart of the PUMAs delivered by the cackling Clinton, as she calls for “One Vision, One Purpose” and Obama by acclimation as only Anton Slavik can. No dissent allowed.
Part of this is tentative, but hopefully I’ll get it firmed up in the next day or so:
– Tonight, 7 pm – Sensenbrenner/Burkee debate, Germantown Village Hall, N112W17001 Mequon Rd., Germantown
– Sunday, August 30 – Possible road trip to the Twin Cities for a mini-Drinking Right/Twin Cities edition
– Tuesday, September 9, 7 pm – Drinking Right, Papa’s Social Club, 7718 W. Burleigh St., Milwaukee
– Wednesday, September 10-Saturday, September 13 – Road trip to Phoenix (I really have to thank Fred and Sam Adams Alliance for the opportunity; guess Fred will be drinking for free at DR)
Comments Off on Eggs on the road – the next couple weeks
James B. Meigs takes a critical look at energy policy in the October 2008 issue of Popular Mechanics (don’t ask me why magazines pre-date their issues that far in advance). While I want you to read the entire thing, I will give you the Cliff’s Notes version:
Do we really need an Apollo-style high-tax-subsidy energy plan? Meigs points out that the Apollo mission was a single, well-defined engineering challenge, while replacing oil (and potentially coal) in the energy infrastructure is multitude of changes affecting every aspect of modern life.
Further, Meigs points out that the singular achievement of Apollo was followed up by the current state of NASA. Specifically, it spectacularily-failed in providing an affordable and reliable space vehicle.
We’ve had massive energy plans since the Nixon administration, most of which have been as spectacular a failure as the Shuttle. I must refute parts of the anti-coal argument; coal is a lot cleaner than it’s ever been, and I seem to have missed the mention of the lock-up of the clean coal in Utah done by Bill Clinton.
We need decades to get solar and wind on-line in any meaningful manner, and until then, we need the offshore oil and gas.
The folks at PM included a nice little graphic at the end of the online piece highlighting a few significant newer oil/natural gas finds, including a pair of finds in the Continental US.
Comments Off on Popular Mechanics – Drill now to bridge the gap
Ed Driscoll saw something very familiar about the McCain 3AM ad. Yep; he cut it back in March.
John Hawkins polled 67 of us right-of-center bloggers, including Shoebox and me, on our thoughts about potential VP picks for John McCain. I do recommend you read the other 64 blogs that had at least one contributor participate (there’s another blog who had multiple contributors respond).
…RNC Platform, One Step Back… – reopening previously-closed resources is off the table because calling for the reopening of the Utah coal reserves would have also reopened ANWR.
…RNC Platform, One Step Back… – Sean M. found a portion blaming us eeeeeeevil conservatives for Gorebal “Warming” still in there.
…RNC Platform, One Step Forward… – Stephen Spuriell found a lack of corn-a-hole mandates.
…RNC Platform, One Step Back… – the support on the ban of Internet gambling was put back in. As an inveterate gambler, it stinks that I have to go to Vegas to cure my NFL itch (reminder, I’ll be picking every NFL game against the spread again this year and defending my over-.500 record).
LBG calls for equal treatment of Elizabeth Edwards vis-a-vis Hillary Clinton.
The Conspiratorial Chris has a contrarian view on presstitute bias; it helps Republicans. Can’t say I agree; they’ll do their best to keep Barack Obama’s flaws buried until after November.
Teresa notes that even a moderate like Joe Scarborough is unacceptable at the Official Network of the Obamination, MSNBC.
Bill Quick likes the tune of the death-spiraling finances of New York Times.
Lawhawk focuses on the politics of the 3 Dems who joined the Gang of 1016 on “drilling”. The ‘Rats need the issue to go away; it won’t until energy supplies increase dramatically.
Mark Heuring wonders why Norm Coleman signed on, espeically since one of the aforementioned ‘Rats (Ken Salazar-CO) infamously declared he wouldn’t drill even if gas hit $10/gallon.
Dad29 notes a potential problem in Iraq – a return to tribalism.
Lemur King has the good medical news of the day – a former Israeli paratrooper who has been paralyzed for the last 20 years is walking again thanks to a powered exoskeleton.
Kate reports the LPGA remembered which country they’re in and will require its members to speak English.
Shoebox outlined his picks in the latest Right Wing News poll, with a further explanation of the answer to his first two questions back here. No, this isn’t part of the Scramble, but only because I barely got Part 1 done (Part 2 will be up as soon as I post this and hard-code it in), but I may as well explain my choices:
First, I must give you the list we got to choose from for each question – FL Gov. Charlie Crist, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (TX), Rep. Eric Cantor (VA), former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Joe Lieberman (“I”D-CT), AK Gov. Sarah Palin, former Rep. Rob Portman (OH), MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former PA Gov. Tom Ridge, former MA Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. John Thune (SD), and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman.
Out of the following VP candidates rumored to be on McCain’s short list, which one DO YOU THINK HE WILL TAKE? – Kay Bailey Hutchinson. McCain’s squarely focused on the mostly-female PUMAs, and she is most like him on shamnesty.
…which one WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HIM TAKE? – Eric Cantor. While the Congressional factor does run against him, and outside of conservative circles he’s an unknown, he is a very strong small-government conservative, and matches up well with the one major right-of-center trait of McCain (small-government). If I knew more about Meg Whitman, I might have picked her. If I had to take someone with government executive experience, it would have to be Tim Pawlenty; Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani couldn’t get it done in the primaries, and Tom Ridge and Charlie Crist are too liberal.
…which one WOULD YOU LEAST LIKE TO SEE HIM TAKE? – Joe Lieberman. Since I had to limit myself to one (otherwise, Carly Fiorina, Giuliani, Ridge and Crist would also be on this list), I had to choose the one so liberal, he still caucuses with the ‘Rats. Besides, he was the ‘Rat nominee in 2000.
Just chiming in on Steve’s picks and explaining mine…Pawlenty, you saw my rationale. Fiorina – every thing she has touched she has turned to mud. Ego and stupidity are what you get with Obama, we don’t need that on our ticket.
Kay Bailey – again beware of the PUMA….that baby just looks ripe to backfire on McCain.
Cantor – I don’t see McCain taking a white guy from inside the beltway.
With the complete rollover of the blaze orange-pantjumpsuit-wearing head PUMA, it’s safe to say that they’re dead (at least until it’s time to push the O’Biden ticket off the ledge so she can run in 2012)…
Once again, this is a two-parter, so if you’re looking for something other than the Obamination Express/Death of the PUMAs, please be patient. That portion will be up shortly. Now, on with the dissection, which is super-sized because I neither put up an open thread nor paid too much attention (I was focused more on the Brewers’ crushing of the Cardinals; sorry about that Jim Hoft and Katie Favazza:
Allahpundit found out S(l)ick Willie will be sliding out of town before the Obamination Coronation ceremony. Believe it, AP; he is truly THAT egotistical.
Stephen Green answers the question, “What is the difference between a PUMA and a cougar?”
JammieWearingFool reviews the choices of pantsuits Her Royal Cankleness had to choose from. Surprisingly, there was no Old Crusty Black.
Sister Toldjah is running a caption contest featuring Barack Obama laughing at the orange pantjumpsuit.
Slublog noted the only passion Clinton had was when she talked about herself. I’m shocked, SHOCKED that a Clinton would be narcisstic.
John McCormack noticed something missing from that speech; no love between Clinton and Obama.
Mike found the signal for the 2012 HRC run. Only if she and her husband can find a way to derail the Obamination Express without getting caught.
Jim Geraghty is wondering whether Obama is regretting taking Joe Biden as his second. I don’t think he is regretting not having to avoid national parks.
RightwingSparkle is glad Obama choose poorly and avoided Clinton. Honestly, so am I, though I’m still on board the force-her-down-his-throat bandwagon.
Taylor Marsh thinks Clinton did too good a job. Not if her goal is to be the 2012 nominee.
Ed Morrissey calls Clinton the UPS Woman, even as he predicts a 15%-20% “leakage” from her 18 million supporters (that would be 2.7-3.6 million for those mathematically-challenged).
Shoebox brings back his and my analyses of Clinton’s and Obama’s policy stances and warns John McCain to not depend on the PUMAs come November. After all, it’s an eternity away, and emotion doesn’t last forever.
Rick Moran identifies old-style Chicago Machine politics in the Obamination Express’ attempt to derail the following ad linking Obama and domestic terrorist/Obama family friend Bill Ayers…
Cuffy Meigs reminds us where the aforementioned domestic terrorist/Obama family friend spent this day 40 years ago; the Chicago Jail.
Ace found that aforementioned domestic terrorist/Obama family friend claiming his group’s terrorist attacks were “restrained” the same year Obama used his living room to launch his Senatorial campaign.
Van Helsing points out Biden was the 3rd-most-liberal Senator last year. If only Sheldon Whitehouse weren’t a rookie, he’d probably be on the Obamination Express.
Amanda Carpenterexplores the link between Obama and an Islamist version of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Dr. Khalid al Mansour.
JammieWearingFool caught Jimmy “Peanut Farmer” Carter calling Obama a “black boy”. If he weren’t the most-respected ‘Rat not named Obama or Clinton among ‘Rats, he’d be drummed up on racism charges.
Speaking of intimidation, Pajamas Media has the footage of the assault on Michelle Malkin and friends. I’m shocked, SHOCKED that the police didn’t step in.
Jim Hoft found Michelle Obama quoting from a primer for radicals the other night.
Mary noticed something about Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s praise of Obama; the entire Doyle clan didn’t even wait until Obama was a US Senator before endorsing him.
John Hawkins is running a poll on a nickname for the O’Biden ticket. I like The Blunder Twins.
Steve will probably have this in the scramble but…
John Hawkins over at Rightwingnews.com polled a number of conservative bloggers. The questions asked were:
1. Out of the following VP candidates rumored to be on McCain’s short list, which one DO YOU THINK HE WILL TAKE?
2. Out of the following VP candidates rumored to be on McCain’s short list, which one WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HIM TAKE?
3. Out of the following VP candidates rumored to be on McCain’s short list, which one WOULD YOU LEAST LIKE TO SEE HIM TAKE?
We had our choice of 13 names including all of those having been rumored to be on McCain’s shortlist at almost any time during the campaign.
Those are the words you hear sung in “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” as Mr. Limpet is looking longingly off the dock at Coney Island wishing to become a fish. If you haven’t seen the movie, do so. It’s a Don Knotts classic and he does become a fish.
The same words keep singing in my mind as I hear the gleeful banter from Republicans and Team McCain as they court and prod the PUMAs.
Perhaps the most recognizable PUMA, at least in the upper Midwest, is Debra Bartoshevich. Debra is from Wisconsin, and is a life long Democrat. She was elected to be a delegate to the Democrat Convention. She expected to be there to support Hillary. Once she found that Barack Obama would be the presumptuous nominee and she would not be able to support Hillary, Debra changed her allegiance and became a McCain supporter. Debra is the lady who made this ad for Team McCain:
Here is Debra explaining why she decided to support McCain. It’s a long video but you need to watch it to understand my concern:
Debra explains her switch by saying that she believed Hillary to be the best leader and agreed with her positions. However, when the choice became Barack, she didn’t think he had answers for the problems. I remember watching numerous Democrat debates tossing live blogging quips back and forth with Mr. Eggs, trying to figure out what the policy differences were between Hillary and Barack. The only one we could see was that one wanted an absolute mandate for all people to be in their health program and the other was going to “Make you an offer you couldn’t refuse!” Somehow, Debra has gone down the policy checklist that she had for Hillary and is not able to see that Barack had almost exactly the same. Somehow, she now sees John McCain’s checklist as matching hers. Debra strikes me as a nice lady but there seems to be some logical dishonesty in her thinking. Which brings me to my other observation and my real concern.
As I watched the nearly 9 minute clip of Debra’s interview, it was clear that she was very passionate about politics. I don’t mean this deragatorially but she was emotional about her experience with the Wisconsin Democrat party and her subsequent choice to support McCain; and that’s the problem with the PUMAs.
If the PUMAs are intellectually honest they will say that Obama’s policies are the same as Hillary’s. But they’re not intellectually honest. You heard Debra say that she thought McCain’s military record was impressive. Did I miss Hillary’s impressive military record?
The fact is, the PUMAs are making their decision emotionally. That emotion is going to peak this week as Barack Obama moves from the presumptuous nominee to the presumptuous Presidential candidate. From Friday morning until election day, unless, and it could happen, Barack or his team dis Hillary along the way, the emotion of the PUMAs will ebb. How much, I don’t know.
Let me say that I view beating Barack Obama as an imperative. The damage done to this country if he served for only four years could haunt us for generations. To that end, I welcome and embrace every PUMA or anyone else that will vote for McCain. My concern is that I see some Republicans getting giddy over the thought of corralling the PUMAs.
If Team McCain builds an election strategy that depends on the PUMAs, including moving to the center on issues or choosing a pro-choice candidate, he runs the risk of losing an election that I believe is now his to lose.
The PUMAs are at their peak now. It’s possible that they stay mad right through the election. My bet though is that on election day, the PUMAs will be as reliable in voting for McCain as the under 25 crowd will be voting for Barack.
A. Just going for ratings?
B. Looking for a new employer?
C. Thinking he can push and push because once he’s gone, MSNBC has no plausible deniability of being the Obama Network?
D. Thinking it’s time for a new Congressional run?
