Posted on '08 Election, Republicans

doom and gloom

And now this word from the folks at NRO…

Rich Lowry says all the republican candidates suck.

Jonah Goldberg assures us that yes, in case you weren’t sure, Reagan is still dead. Not to pick on Mr. Goldberg, but apparently it’s not true until someone other than me writes it.

Deroy Murdock tells the stubborn social conservatives to shut up — of course Giuliani is not a threat to them. I’m not likely to take any politician on faith, even Giuliani. Even though Giuliani is considered more ‘authentic’ than Romney, he doesn’t get criticized half as much for similar shifts to the right on guns and abortion. It’s a curious thing. I guess being the Hillary-killer is enough to cause this collective amnesia about Rudy’s socially liberal past. I guess the difference is that Rudy has never attempted to be a social conservative and that he seems more honest about his differences with us. We seem to have resigned ourselves to the possibility of Giuliani being the Republican nominee.

Depressed yet?

Read more from Townhall. Mona Charen gives a few reasons why Republicans are doomed in ’08.

Wow.

Fortunately, there is always that eternal optimist, Bill Kristol, who tells Republicans to lighten up because there is still hope for us. I wish that I shared that optimism.

Tags: , , ,

Posted on George W. Bush

george bush hates children of all ages

That must be the reason that he wants parents who can easily afford it to pay for their kids’ health care without government assistance. That must be the reason why he wants to restrict the program only to children. (Some states even cover adults under SCHIP, and that’s why we need so much more money than Bush wants to allocate to it.) Kanye West helpfully explained to us that Dubya hates black people. It’s certainly not a stretch from that perspective to also believe he hates children as well. He probably kicks cute puppies and kitties, and plans new ways to torment Americans in his spare time. This makes sense in liberal-progressive world. I mean, if it were up to George W. Bush, no one would have government health care — and by no one I mean people who can afford to pay for their own health care.

President Bush wants to expand SCHIP by 5 billion dollars. That’s “billion” with a B. If you can’t cover all the poor children with an extra 5 billion dollars, then your wonderful government program needs a serious overhaul. I’m not at all suggesting that every dime spent on SCHIP is spent wisely. You can’t make that claim of any government program. But if we want to keep costs in check, we can’t expand SCHIP to cover middle-income families and adults, because that was never its purpose.

Where was this guy’s veto pen on all of the less popular, less PC and utterly wasteful government spending before October? Just askin’.

Tags: ,

Posted on '08 Election, Republicans

where has this guy been?

In a New Hampshire speech,  John McCain, shall we say, seriously questions Mitt Romney’s authenticity.

Courtesy of the Corner:

I don’t usually do this but I’m going to depart for a moment from the issues I want to talk to you about today.  One of the other Republican candidates made an extraordinary statement yesterday.  Former Governor Romney yesterday proclaimed himself the only real Republican in this race.  As we all know, when he ran for office in Massachusetts being a Republican wasn’t much of a priority for him.  In fact, when he ran against Ted Kennedy, he said he didn’t want to return to the days of Reagan-Bush.  I always thought Ronald Reagan was a real Republican.

When Governor Romney donated money to a Democratic candidate in New Hampshire, I don’t think he was speaking for Republicans.  When he voted for a Democratic candidate for President, Paul Tsongas, I don’t think he was speaking for Republicans.  When he refused to endorse the Contract with America, I don’t think he was speaking for Republicans.  And when he was embracing the Democratic position on many major issues of the day, I don’t think he was speaking for Republicans.

So you’ll understand why I’m a little perplexed when Mitt Romney now suggests that he’s a better Republican than me, or that he speaks for the Republican wing of the Republican Party.

I think I’ve gotten to know the people of New Hampshire pretty well.  I know that before I can win your vote, I have to win your respect.  And to do that, you expect me to be honest with you about what I believe.  You might not always agree with me on every issue, but I hope you know I’m not going to con you.  The most important thing we have in this life is our self-respect.  And I’m not going to trade mine for anyone’s vote or for any office.  I’m going to tell you what I believe and let the chips fall where they will.  I’m confident New Hampshire Republicans feel the same way about your self-respect as I feel about mine.

Ouch. That’s the kind of message that can resonate with people.  That’s McCain’s strength as a candidate.  He is authentic.  You know where he stands.  Unfortunately, he stands opposed to conservatives on issues like illegal immigration and campaign-finance reform. He has burned a lot of bridges with us, and this is what is keeping him from being a factor in this presidential race.

Tags: , ,

4 Comments Posted on Democrats

jane harman is right

We should never shrink from our responsibility to recognize and to condemn genocide wherever we see it, but the timing of this House resolution condemning Turkey for their past actions against Armenians is very questionable. We have passed similar resolutions previously, and I don’t see the purpose in another resolution, especially now, when we depend so much on Turkey for help with Iraq and in the region.  Besides, I thought that the main focus of Democrats as far as condemning genocide was Sudan.  When did the focus shift to Turkey?  Turkey may have an imperfect past.  Right now we need them.

Representative Jane Harman, one of the sensible Democrats, explains why she no longer supports the resolution that she co-sponsored:

I originally co-sponsored the resolution because I was convinced that the terrible crime against the Armenian people should be recognized and condemned. But after a visit in February to Turkey, where I met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Armenian Orthodox patriarch and colleagues of murdered Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, I became convinced that passing this resolution again at this time would isolate and embarrass a courageous and moderate Islamic government in perhaps the most volatile region in the world.

So I agree with eight former secretaries of State — including Los Angeles’ own Warren Christopher — who said that passing the resolution “could endanger our national security interests in the region, including our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and damage efforts to promote reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia.”

Timing matters. I asked a leader in California’s Armenian American community just days ago why the resolution was being pushed now. “They didn’t ask me,” he said. It wasn’t his call, and he probably would not have pushed it.

So what is the endgame? I would hope that, regardless of the outcome of the vote, Turkey and Armenia will work toward reconciliation and normalization of relations.

About 70,000 Armenians live in Turkey, and Turkey continues to admit more. Yet Article 301 of Turkey’s Constitution prohibits insulting “Turkishness” — a disturbing provision that has been used to punish Armenians in Turkey who insist the genocide took place. Surely an act of reconciliation would be to embrace the Armenian population in Turkey and repeal Article 301.

Further, Turkey and Armenia have held recent talks about normalizing relations. They share mutual interests in trade, especially in the energy sector. Now is a good time to engage.

And, of course, there is the need for stability in the region. Turkey shares a border with Iraq, and the need for its continued restraint with the Kurds and for its leadership in promoting stability and resolving the Israel-Palestine issue is obvious. Armenia can help.

Harman makes a convincing argument here. We don’t have many allies in the region, and it would be in our interest not to alienate the ones we have. This is not a question of being silent and allowing atrocities to occur.  Turkey has moved on from that, and since we have already passed resolutions condemning Turkey for similar crimes, we need to move on as well.

Tags: , ,

Posted on '08 Election, Conservatives, Republicans

the case for staying with the GOP

Frank Donatelli lays it it out here.

One sentence version: Any of the Democrats who would get elected as a result of a third-party candidate would be worse than Giuliani on the issues that are important to conservatives, including with Supreme Court nominations. Yup.

John Hawkins agrees:

The point is: the GOP is not perfect and it’s not ever going to be perfect, but if conservatives want to get our agenda enacted or to block the Democrats agenda, we need Republicans in office — and the more of them the better.

Does that mean we’re, “supporting the leftward shift of the Republican party?” No, it means that we’re acknowledging that the GOP is the imperfect instrument through which conservatives enact our agenda. It’s better to put Republicans in office and try to shape their behavior to our liking than to put Democrats into power and then pat ourselves on the back for our purity.

Hawkins also points out that the challenges should come in the primary process, whether it is a presidential race or a congressional race. We have every right to support challengers who we feel are more ideologically pure, or for the simple reason that the incumbent hasn’t been an effective representative for our interests. That’s where the presidential race is now. Everyone has their own pet issues, and none of the candidates are seen as the perfect choice. It comes back to something I have always believed and have written about previously…it’s always better to get most of what you want with Republicans than to get none of what you want with Democrats. That is especially true when we consider a potential Hillary-Rudy matchup next November.

While it makes sense to vote for someone like Giuliani over Hillary, I can understand why someone who doesn’t believe that Rudy’s the right guy wouldn’t want to donate money to him or to volunteer for his campaign. You can’t sell a candidate you don’t believe in.

Tags: , ,

 

Posted on '08 Election, Republicans

michigan debate wrap-up

Nobody won this debate. Giuliani and Romney were at their best when discussing specifics on economic issues. Romney scored with his Michigan-specific message, and the mention of Governor Jennifer Granholm’s flawed economic strategy for Michigan certainly wasn’t wasted on his audience. Giuliani did look relaxed and comfortable in the format, but he didn’t say anything that was anything new than the previous debates. Romney still looks like he’s trying to be someone he’s not. (Huckabee, maybe?) He is the CEO, the executive type who has a 10 point plan for everything, and when he tries to freelance too much and act like he’s the guy next door, he can’t pull it off.

The crowded stage hurt Fred Thompson because it was impossible to give him as much time as the rest of the top three. I don’t know about the rest of the undecided Republican voters, but the jury’s still out on Fred as far as I’m concerned. He stumbled a bit out of the gate, but he did pick up his game as the debate went on. Mitt Romney really doesn’t do himself much good trying to pull off those canned jokes, and his apparent jab at Fred didn’t draw any blood, because Fred deftly deflected it: “and I thought that I was going to be the best actor on this stage”.

If Fred Thompson continues to improve on the stump and in these debates, I believe that this will hurt Mitt Romney. For all Mitt’s strengths, he still doesn’t connect on a personal level with Republican voters. That’s something I’m not sure he can fix. The argument for him is that we don’t necessarily need someone running the country who we would want to have a beer with, we just need someone who can run the government well. I think Mitt would be that kind of President, but I am not convinced he can get past the Republican primaries or even if he does, that he can beat Hillary.

Rudy was ok, McCain was ok, Romney had a few good moments and a few minor gaffes, including his comments on consulting lawyers to determine when congressional authority was needed to go to war with Iran. Fred was disappointing. Sure this was his first debate, but he has no one to blame for that but himself. Folksy charm won’t be enough. Thompson needs to go toe-to-toe with the frontrunners by laying out specifics, and he didn’t do enough of that in this debate. He earned a second look, but those who say that he did enough to get into the top tier must have different standards for that than I do.

Tags: , ,

Posted on Baseball, Random Musings

joe torre

TorreAlone.jpg

Regular readers of this blog are well aware of my dislike for the Yankees in general, and for their owner George Steinbrenner in particular. Don’t even get me started on the Yankee groupies, who pretend to be real fans only when the team is winning.  I know very well this doesn’t apply to all Yankee fans, but I must say that there are enough around to reflect poorly on everyone else.  As fans of other baseball teams can also admit, I am happy when the Yankees lose. Maybe it’s a little jealousy that my favorite teams haven’t won as many playoff games or World Series rings.  It’s a credit to their organization that the rest of baseball is trying to duplicate the incredible success they have had over the years.  It is also a credit to manager Joe Torre, even though –like Bill Belichick in his Cleveland days — he was never considered as a can’t miss manager until he got the talent level Steinbrenner’s money could buy for him.

Even though I am skeptical of the genius label when applied to any coach or manager, it would be a mistake to attribute Torre’s success in NY just as a result of simply being in the right place at the right time.  He took what he was given and he had an amazing run of success with those players.  He took all of Steinbrenner’s criticism and constant second-guessing in stride most of the time, and not many other managers could survive and thrive in that environment.

Has he made mistakes in previous postseasons? Yes.  Has he made a few questionable moves in the series against the Indians? Probably.  But some of the blame should also go to Steinbrenner and Cashman for trying to take shortcuts to postseason success.  I don’t think there’s a manager out there right now who can match Torre’s record in NY, but there may be no other option except firing Torre once Steinbrenner gave his ultimatum  — unless, like in previous years, he’s just blowing smoke again.

I don’t think Torre should be fired.  I think he should walk away from the Yanks and not look back.  He’s got nothing left to prove in NY, and I’m sure he won’t stay unemployed long if he wants to manage somewhere else.  That said, it may not be up to him to choose what happens next.

Tags: , ,

Posted on '08 Election, Republicans

good idea

The New York Post sez that NBC should replace the not-so-objective Chris Matthews as a moderator for Tuesday’s GOP debate.  I see no problem with this. Chris Matthews is a clear partisan.  He cannot be objective and fair, and the candidates will be subjected to a bunch of really stupid pointless questions that they will feel obligated to answer.  I hope that the candidates will call him out when he steps over the line, because that would be good TV.  If Rudy’s smart, he will be the one to take advantage of the opportunity.

Tags: , ,

Posted on '08 Election, Conservatives, Republicans

the problem with fred

I’m sure Fred Thompson is a good guy.  I’m also sure that there were many persuasive people telling him that he could be the one to save the GOP from Rudy McRomney, and no doubt Thompson is more conservative in some areas than the current top three.  But it’s fair to say that there was no way that Fred Thompson could be the savior of the GOP, or another Ronald Reagan, or the “one true conservative”.  His record in the Senate is mixed, and it resembles John McCain’s on illegal immigration and campaign finance reform, two areas where McCain runs into trouble with the base.

There are many objections I have to James Dobson critiquing possible GOP nominees, but I have to agree with him, and with what Quin Hillyer wrote in the American Spectator, when they suggest that Fred Thompson doesn’t act like he wants to be the nominee or to be President.  It’s an admirable quality in a candidate, I guess, not to look like they were planning their Presidential run for many years before taking the plunge. However, if Fred wants to continue to be taken seriously as a candidate, he has to start doing his homework on the issues of the day.  He can’t go to Florida and not know about the local issues (Terri Schiavo, drilling in the Everglades).  If he’s going to be an advocate for conservatism, he needs to know what he believes and why he believes it.  He can’t get by on Southern charm alone.  Ask Mike Huckabee how much money his campaign gets from his great personality and folksy speeches.

It’s not just the objection to Rudy, Mitt, and McCain that drives conservatives to look for someone else. All three men have flaws I can live with as the GOP nominee.  Conservatives are looking for someone with a vision, a new direction for our party, and a direction for our country.  We need someone who is bold enough to tell us the truth about where the Republican party has failed the people of this country.  We need someone who knows what is wrong and how we can fix the GOP. We want to be inspired with big ideas and someone with the kind of vision for change that Newt Gingrich has (only in a more electable package).   It’s no wonder that all of the candidates don’t quite measure up to those high standards.

Fred Thompson could be the guy who could unite most of the base,  but he can’t just coast through this process if he wants to be the nominee.

Tags: , , ,

Posted on '08 Election, Republicans

enough

I get the frustration with the Republican candidates currently running for President among the social conservative types.  Every single interest group has some bone to pick with the top three – Rudy, Mitt, or Fred — so nobody is happy with those choices.  If only Brownback, or Hunter, or Huckabee only had more money — the social conservatives would rally around one of those candidates and they would be happy. Maybe the situation will change with Huckabee, but I just don’t see it happening for any of the other so-con approved candidates.

As a social conservative myself, I have reservations about Rudy Giuliani as far as what kind of judges he would nominate to the Supreme Court.  I am also concerned that his stormy personal life may become an issue later on in the campaign, although I’m not sure why Hillary would want to start that kind of discussion if she’s the Dem nominee.  What is working in Rudy’s favor is his record in NY, as well as his leadership on 9/11. The latter is the main reason many social conservatives have given him their support.  I haven’t decided to support Rudy yet, although I might change my mind later on.

My concern with Rudy is partially based on the reasons I have already given, and also based on his limited executive experience.  It’s not that successfully managing New York City is a small achievement. He can rightfully boast about his record there.  But what else is there?  What other items on his resume can he point to to show that he has the right stuff to be President?  I hate to say this, but without his remarkable leadership on 9/11, Rudy Giuliani wouldn’t even be in the discussion for President of the United States.

That said…

I am disgusted by the spoiled, whiny, look-at-me-I’m-still-important, leaders in the Christian right community who would support a third party candidate if Rudy is the Republican party nominee. It’s a bad idea. Don’t they realize that if the social conservative vote is further split, Hillary wins?  As long as Rudy doesn’t win…right? They don’t speak for me, and they don’t speak for many social conservatives who share their moral values.  Power doesn’t just corrupt politicians. It corrupts religious leaders as well.  I am concerned that the church has forgotten its mission: to bring the message of Christ to a lost world. It’s not our job to pick presidential candidates.

Like I said, I’m not sold on any of the top three, including Fred, and it’s hard for me to imagine donating money or time to any of these campaigns right now.  But if Rudy is the nominee, he’s still better than Hillary. That will be enough for my vote.