Mitch Daniels the last, best hope for GOP sanity

Jay, this is only the latest in a campaign in which the voters will likely have to choose between bad and worse. Do you still think a viable third party is completely out of the question? If so, you must think the American people are both very patient and very stupid.

• Link
• Report this comment

I think there’s still a pretty good chance Daniels will run….. even if the field is a mess.

And if its Huck or Palin v. Obama, I think Bloomberg could run as an indie.

• Link
• Report this comment

Frankly, I think the GOP could dig up Ronald Reagan for 2012 and they still couldn’t win. (Remember he wouldn’t past the ideological purity test)

Daniels would make a good candidate, so would Jeb Bush, but they are both too smart to allow themselves to become the virgin in the GOP volcano that is 2012.

Smart conservatives should be doing their own homework for 2016.

By then, the real old fashioned conservatives hopefully will have culled their herd of the birthers and tenthers and corporate Tea Partiers…..

• Link
• Report this comment

Oh please, what is so different about the Democrats? A bunch of vile scum willing to do anything for a vote, including refusing to fix spending till after 2012 because winning the election is far more important to them than getting spending back to a level commensurate with inflation and population growth over the last decade.

Not to mention, as you covered yesterday, Obama is a straight out liar. At least when it comes to transparency. That’s not the only thing he lies about, just the one you bothered to cover.

• Link
• Report this comment

Jay, sorry to change the subject but this is scary. Seriously scary.

Threats Claim Nuclear Bombs Hidden All Over U.S.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/03/29/threats-claim-nuclear-bombs-hidden-all-over-u-s/

• Link
• Report this comment

desperate-to-please

This is an electorate motivated for the most part by resentment, fear and paranoia, and it’s looking for candidates willing to tell them that their resentment, fear and paranoia are fully justified. At this point, whoever does that best will probably be the nominee.

Kinda like in 2008, jay? John McCain’s “fear mongering” didn’t work, but Obama’s did.

Where is Obama now? In the Bushes.

• Link
• Report this comment

Santorum’s really coming up in the polls fast. He says he can fix social security by eliminating abortions. I wonder if that is only for legal residents and illegals that pay into social security on a fake social security number.

• Link
• Report this comment

Lets call him Jack Daniels.

cons are crazy so you have to be crazy to get their crazy votes.

It’s all about the kooks this cycle.

Obama will win with a bigger mandate than when he crushed the cons last time.

• Link
• Report this comment

Those bombs will go off WOW. Because America has a love affair with the homosexual lifestyle. Just pray and get you some duct tape.

• Link
• Report this comment

Threats Claim Nuclear Bombs Hidden All Over U.S.

Where’s the transparency! The military should have all their nukes labeled on Google Earth.

• Link
• Report this comment

Nukes?

See Japan.

• Link
• Report this comment

Why I Won’t Vote to Raise the Debt Limit

By MARCO RUBIO

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704425804576220670543010068.html

• Link
• Report this comment

“This is an electorate motivated for the most part by resentment, fear and paranoia, and it’s looking for candidates willing to tell them that their resentment, fear and paranoia are fully justified.”

Fear of a $1.5 Trillion defecit: you bet. Fear of incompetent foreign policy. Yep. Fear of ultimate hypocracy in the White House.. You nailed it.

The question is. Why are you not afraid of these things? Why are the democrats or blue blood republicans not afraid of these things?

• Link
• Report this comment

The insane think they are normal, and that everyone else is insane.

• Link
• Report this comment

Off topic but….Scott Walker Seeking Federal Stimulus Funds For Rail Line Improvements, After Campaigning On Rejecting Them

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/29/scott-walker-seeking-fede_n_842267.html

• Link
• Report this comment

Ahh Jay, just the Republican party..how about including the Democrats. We have a President whose background was finding, searching for a problem, persuading citizens that problem was detrimental to them and they should form gangs to protest. Then he would approach Government to solve the problem. If this is the best this country has to offer and agreeable the above Republicans mentioned fair no better, then the USA is doomed. So why pick on one party, pick on both. While you are at it, how aboutr a disfunctional congress that has ingrained itself in self indulgence that they have no clue how to resolve any thing. In fact, they have instituted procedures and rules on conducting business that it protects their personal interest and be damned the interest of the citizens. Just ask former Senator Dodd whio walked away with at least two million dollars from his war chest..where did it come from and who did he owe favores to. Jay, cut the lopsided blog and lets get the entire story out. Time for change..yep you bet but there is no statesman among those mentioned. Perhaps Herman Cain maybe!

• Link
• Report this comment

Klein’s a little extreme on this (Sen Schumer told me to use that word. Seems it has impact ). I’ll grant a number of these characters are themselves over the top. But I give a bit more credit to a very few, maybe a couple, who do recognize one has to run the gauntlet of primary power brokers to have a shot at the prize. Candidate Obama did it quite well. Then again, he was blessed with a constituency who heard what they wanted to hear. Republican candidates face a constituency who know what they want to hear and are getting a bit jaded.

The point about whether or not the extremism (hey Charlie, twice in one post!) extends past the power brokers and influence groups to the general Republican population is food for thought. If true, there go the Independents and here comes another four years for Pres Obama.

• Link
• Report this comment

Libs are in denial. Do you think that 52% of the popular vote is a mandate. Reagan had a mandate when he carried 49 our of 50 states. Remember the lib comments on this blog after 2008 about the GOP fitting into a phone booth at their convention? Still in denial. Then the 2010 takeback of the House that could never happen. “There is always some voter discontent in mid-term elections”. Still in denial. Always in denial. Bookman, you didn’t mention Chris Christie as a possible candidate. If he runs, libs, chalk it up. Bozo wouldn’t stand a chance. Bozo is already back on the campaign trail…. that is if he ever left it. We need a leader. We need a leader really bad.

• Link
• Report this comment

“The insane think they are normal, and that everyone else is insane.”

That is a great description of our cons rag.

Thanks for telling the truth.

Folks are sick of con lies.

• Link
• Report this comment

List of candidates who, in my opinion could beat Obama.

Sarah Palin

Jeb Bush

Marco Rubio

Haley Barbour

John Hoven

Rick Perry

Bobby Jindal

Mitch Daniels

Chris Cristie

• Link
• Report this comment

re: 9:04, President Obama will be re-elected.

FUNNY, that clown will be packing his bags and going home to hang out with his crook mayor, copkilling terrorist buddies and racist preacher come Jan. 20, 2013. Only question now is how much more damage can the bedwetting messiah do before that.

• Link
• Report this comment

I really am beginning to think that what I once considered a well-nigh impossibility will come to pass.

And that this GOP slate will be even more absurd and laughable than that farce in 2008.

All that’s needed is for Herman Cain (the new Alan Keyes?) and HeadRush to be up on the stage of candidates to have a full blown circus. Or is freak show?

The Tweedledees and Tweedledums have reversed roles. Incredible.

Such political dexterity.

And the utterly failed, self-serving duopoly rolls merrily along…

• Link
• Report this comment

Any gop candidates announce yet?

They know they will lose, so they do not want to get out and talk to you crazy cons.

Who can blame them for that?

• Link
• Report this comment

There’s this gentleman too….

Retired California political consultant Fred Karger will be in DC today to file his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission officially declaring his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. It will make him the first openly gay Republican ever to run for president as well as the first GOP candidate to declare officially that he is running for the 2012 race. Karger has already made many swings through Iowa and New Hampshire, laying the groundwork for his campaign in those key primary states. He’s run TV ads and met with dozens of young Republican activists to rally the troops. Today’s FEC filing simply makes his candidacy official. It also, no doubt, will make it harder for Republicans to keep him out of candidate forums and debates during the campaign, which some have been trying to do

While Karger met this week with officials at the RNC, including chairman Reince Priebus, in what he called a warm meeting, other members of the GOP establishment have been so welcoming of his historic candidacy. As we reported earlier this month, RNC members in Iowa and a key organizer with Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition have not only threatened to keep Karger out of the race but intentionally shut him out of a March 7 presidential forum in Des Moines organized by Reed’s group. Karger responded by filing a complaint against RNC member and Iowa Faith and Freedom organizer Steve Scheffler as well as his organization for violating federal election laws by discriminating against Karger because he’s gay. Karger’s official candidate status now will only help his complaint.

From The Atlantic

It’s wonderful to see some of the GOP embrace diversity.

• Link
• Report this comment

This is your life, Republicans. Pick.

• Link
• Report this comment

Palin beating Obama…….. I had to check my meds to be sure I was not doubling up….how funny.

Palin won’t run, she’s milking her 15 minutes for everything its worth

• Link
• Report this comment

Let’s use the litmus test or gold standard for smelling out fear in a liberal when I say that when liberals feel threatened they character assassinate and demean their opponents. Obvious examples are Cynthia Tucker, Jay Bookman, and Mike Luckovich. Just take a look at Luckovich’s insulting cartoon this morning. By the way, did anyone hear about Chuck Schumer’s latest smear? Liberals are a nasty bunch.

• Link
• Report this comment

“I had to check my meds”

Keep, we all know you’re on meds just like many on the left. Just make sure you don’t mix up your Xanax with your Valtrex.

• Link
• Report this comment

ALso, I don’t think Michelle Bachmann is running for President -
I think she’s running for Vice President.

It has proven very lucrative for the previous GOP VP candidate.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Marco rubio is a lighweight tool, sorry but he’s not remotely close to being presidential timber…”

A lightweight doesn’t garner over 2 million votes in Florida, Mick. He destroyed Crist and whoever that black panther supporter your party put up for the dem nom.

• Link
• Report this comment

Dear Mick @ 9:46, why do you assume Rubio – the most popular politician in Florida – will not be on the GOP ticket?

• Link
• Report this comment

WOW

The problem with your list is that most of them, like Obama, are losers and would likely be no better than him. I think Jeb is the best Bush but that name would keep him from running. What do you think?

• Link
• Report this comment

Why is it that liberals have so much trouble making decisions? This Clintonian, finger in the wind decision making process has certainly rubbed off on Bozo. But wait, if I waffle and stay in the middle, then however it turns out, I can spin it to my advantage. Real leaders make decisions. You might not like ‘em but you have no trouble figuring them out. Harry Truman made decisions. Ronald Reagan made decisions. So did FDR and both Bushes. Bozo? We’re still waiting.

• Link
• Report this comment

wow

You are correct, rubio won big time. Timing is everything and rubio rode the anti wave. The dem and charlie crist cancelled each other out which gave us rubio, a very piss poor former florida legislator that lost tens of millions of dollars from miami to jacksonville. He was rolled….

• Link
• Report this comment

I’m just a bit curious about why people wanting to see the birth certificate of the President of the United States (who by law has to have been born an American Citizen) are crazy. I fully believe that he has it, I’m not trying to get a debate started about whether or not he is a citizen, I’m just wondering why the people that question it should be demonized and discredited rather than answered. Why does the left consistently come up with derogatory nicknames to use to try and discredit anyone who brings up a different argument or idea than they do?

As to the group of apparent candidates for the Republican Party, I’m only excited about one of them – Herman Cain. None of the ones mentioned in the post make me think they are anything besides political hacks that will say whatever they have to say to get elected. I respected Bush because he at least said what he meant and did what he said he was going to do. Honestly, you could make the argument that Obama has done exactly what he said he was going to do, just nobody was listening or believed him when he said it. He said he was going to be ready to “rule” from day one; I thought the President was supposed to lead. He said he was going to “fundamentally change America;” I don’t think anyone would argue that he hasn’t. So in a sense, he has done what he said he was going to do, but I don’t think the things he has done were for the betterment of the country.

I’m looking forward to the next president, hoping that he or she is someone who can put the country back on the right track. And I’m not talking about right track as in a conservative idealology. I’m thinking more the right fiscal track, where I don’t go to my office every day and have nothing to do, because there is no work coming in. Where I’m not scared to have kids, because I don’t think it is fair to bring them into the world knowing that their kids are going to be paying for the debt that my parent’s generation and my generation is accruing in the US today. And that is assuming the debt stops growing so that someone is eventually able to pay for it. The debate about Republicans did this and Democrats did that, and my candidate is good (where you blindly follow him/her without knowing what they stand for) but the other candidate is too extreme is getting old and more than a little juvenile. Lets just get someone in there that is willing to tell the people exactly what they need to hear, not what they want to hear, and that isn’t worried about doing what they need to do to get elected four years later, but doing what needs to be done for the country whether or not they are able to get re-elected. This country needs that, and I’ve only heard two people come out that are actually saying, convincingly that they think that way. Herman Cain, and Chris Christie. Christie says he isn’t ready yet, so that leaves Cain.

I realize this post will be ripped apart by people that are arguing from a strictly emotional stand point, and don’t want to admit the facts, but it is what I feel, and I can’t care what others think.

• Link
• Report this comment

ragnar

I challenge you to list one accomplishment of marco rubio besides getting elected? There’s nothing there and your putting him on the ticket? Good grief…

• Link
• Report this comment

Dear Rational @ 9:54, well-argued, even if as verbose as a speech by Chauncey – I am also a Cain man.

• Link
• Report this comment

Rational 9:54,

Nice post.

• Link
• Report this comment

1. Too early.
2. Biased judgment.
3. No substantial information under which to make a decision.

AMEN!

jayjoe is/are in the business of promoting fear. They like to get in there early.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

• Link
• Report this comment

Dear Mick @ 9:58, its a “vision” thing – online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704425804576220670543010068.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

But then, leftists just don’t grasp economics, do they?

• Link
• Report this comment

ragnar

OK, go ahead and pin your hopes on marco…..good luck

• Link
• Report this comment

mick, be careful of what could be taken for racist talk about Mr. Rubio, the fine Cuban-American he is. Can you say Hispanic vote getter. A bedwetters worst nightmare. Good looking, well spoken, educated, Floridian all rolled into one hispanic package.

• Link
• Report this comment

To say that this neo-con movement is in disarray is to say the German army was in full scale retreat in early 1945.

Their smartest move at this point is to destroy everything they can, before they capitulate.

Rag, speaking of the neo-con circus, did you read where Donald Hairpiece humiliated himself by providing an unsatisfactory birth certificate. What a tool, huh?

(It turns out that a woolly mammoth and a yak were not involved.)

He’s gonna make a great con candidate, though!

Along with his fellow “conservative” (hahahahahaha) candidates, he’s gonna be endless fodder for stand up comics…

• Link
• Report this comment

Paul: who do recognize one has to run the gauntlet of primary power brokers to have a shot at the prize. Candidate Obama did it quite well. Then again, he was blessed with a constituency who heard what they wanted to hear

Yeah he sure did, didn’t he. He played all the right notes like a fiddle, and now that he’s on the inside, when he’s called on the gap between his campaign rhetoric and his actions since elected he acts like somebody caught red-handed, claiming: “hey, what did you expect? I HAD to say those things to get elected, you didn’t really BELIEVE all that stuff did you?”

• Link
• Report this comment

Rag, speaking of the neo-con circus, did you read where Donald Hairpiece humiliated himself by providing an unsatisfactory birth certificate. What a tool, huh?

AmVet, you’re becoming more transparent with each passing day.

• Link
• Report this comment

Oh please, what is so different about the Democrats?

They stink less mightily. I could give specific examples of stinkage abatement, but I don’t really need to, do I?

Been that way, generally, for as long as I’ve been voting. That’s generally the “appeal”, such as it is, to the thinking voter who gets to say “oh yay! I get to vote for the side that doesn’t stink so bad! again!”, but of course YMMV.

• Link
• Report this comment

Hey marco lovers – go for it…..he was a state legislator in my district, the house speaker as a matter of fact, one of the youngest ever and he got rolled by his own brethern good ole boys in the senate. He is your fantasy man that escaped communism, big whoop all these cubans and that story line, why didn’t they stay and fight? Why do we have this failed embargo for over 50 years? Why are cuban exiles so pampered? People down here know the truth but believe what you think you know…

• Link
• Report this comment

WOW@10:06…good one!

• Link
• Report this comment

“…thinking voter…”

sfd,
sadly that species seems to be teetering awfully close to the endangered list. And I mean that in a strictly unpartisan sense.

• Link
• Report this comment

The cast of characters that Klein describes as “a bunch of vile, desperate-to-please, shameless, embarrassing losers” hasn’t assembled itself accidentally. They have materialized because that’s what the GOP base demands at the moment. This is an electorate motivated for the most part by resentment, fear and paranoia, and it’s looking for candidates willing to tell them that their resentment, fear and paranoia are fully justified. At this point, whoever does that best will probably be the nominee.

Word.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGekq3Jt5Go

(And brother Bosch, these are the scary ones!)

• Link
• Report this comment

“I wouldn’t be terribly surprised to see that kind of incumbent landslide repeating itself.”

I think he’s voter approval needs to be elevated and he doesn’t have a lot of time to accomplish it, while his policies keep his numbers heading South.

• Link
• Report this comment

I suspect Joe Klein supports the America-hating Marxist Obozo, so hisnopinion is worthless.

• Link
• Report this comment

sadly that species seems to be teetering awfully close to the endangered list. And I mean that in a strictly unpartisan sense.

meh, ty, t’was ever thus. You think the white male landowning dipsticks who voted for electors who brought us the first Presidents really had all that much more on the ball, were that much better informed about national politics? I don’t. They probably voted for whoever looked better on the little handbills, or whoever’s surrogate made the best speech on their behalf, if they even bothered to make that much of an effort

I mean, I get how a guy can get discouraged by the dopey food-fights that pass for political rhetoric and the callow drive-bys that pass for punditry, but history shows that this is nothing new.

• Link
• Report this comment

Too short.

• Link
• Report this comment

stands, the one that cracked me up (in a bad way) was when George of the Bungle won 51% of the popular vote in 2004, and his mentally ill administration officials declared the results constituted a “mandate” for his second term.

Alas and quite predictably, they botched those four years even worse than their first four…

• Link
• Report this comment

The only poll that matters is the 12 cycle.

If the American people want our economy to collapse again and lose wars, they will vote gop.

We Independents will not.

• Link
• Report this comment

I think he’s voter approval needs to be elevated and he doesn’t have a lot of time to accomplish it, while his policies keep his numbers heading South.

While I agree there isn’t all that much time to get things turned around economically (the factor that will play the biggest role in 11/2012), I will again patiently point out that the guy Kayaker 71 brought up, Ronald Reagan, was still sitting at 41% at this point in his first term (4/1983), and he didn’t get above 50% until about a year before the election (11/1983)

http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/Presidential-Approval-Center.aspx

• Link
• Report this comment

Jonas: to my leftist friends- the tide is swiftly moving out and there is not much more than a european speedo on your emperors.

Aw, whassa matter. Your small town principles under threat?

As for Joe Klein, he’s a perfect example of objective journalism. He, like our friend Jay Bookman, is a high-minded, conscientious and objective practitioner of the journalistic profession and by unleashing frontal attacks on the Republican party he proves the truth that the opposite of right wing is not left, it’s reason, it’s center. More power to him – we need more like him.

• Link
• Report this comment

sfd,
point taken, However, I think the voters have always voted in their best interest. You know the ole “what can you do for ME”? And through history, as the government has grown, candidates have more things with which to promise if elected.

• Link
• Report this comment

“I have never before seen such a bunch of vile, desperate-to-please, shameless, embarrassing losers coagulated under a single party’s banner.”

BTW, a guy like Obama will bring every aspiring candidate out of the woodwork. 2012 will be a cliff hanger I think.

• Link
• Report this comment

getalife,
If the American people want our economy to collapse again they will vote for the ‘big gub’t party’(DEMOCRATS)…..and if they want to lose wars they will vote for Harry Reid and the ‘this war is lost party’(DEMOCRATS)…..The independents fled to republicans in Nov 2010……easy…next

• Link
• Report this comment

AMVet 10:30 – look at the labor participation rate. That is the only metric that matters… and it does not look good at all. Bad news for libs.

• Link
• Report this comment

This story is truly hilarious!

We currently have as President the single greatest ‘pretender’ ever to occupy the White House.

He has pretended to be all the things which he IS NOT!

And as time goes by, more and more of America’s voting populace is tiring of this pretense. His approval ratings are in the LOW 40’s, and show no signs of improvement.

The moment of ‘feel good’ politics (hope and change) has passed, and Americans will look for serious minded and proven leadership in 2012.

In this environment, any number of republican governors would beat Obama, most especially the ‘best of the best’, Gov Mitch Daniels of Indiana.

I sure hope he answers the call!

• Link
• Report this comment

Of course Jay your “hope” for the GOP is a candidate that slams the Repubs……great work!

• Link
• Report this comment

Billybob,

If the gop stole everything you had and gave it to corporate would you still vote for them?

Yes.

Debating somebody that would do that is like debating with my dog.

Well, my dog is smarter than that

• Link
• Report this comment

Please note Rational’s post at 9:54. Conclusive proof that conservatives can speak without invective. My congratulations, sir: William Buckley would be proud of you.

“in a sense, he has done what he said he was going to do, but I don’t think the things he has done were for the betterment of the country.”
Within the limits inherent with office, I agree. Many Americans think that is a good thing; myself among them.

“I’m thinking more the right fiscal track, where I don’t go to my office every day and have nothing to do, because there is no work coming in. Where I’m not scared to have kids, because I don’t think it is fair to bring them into the world knowing that their kids are going to be paying for the debt that my parent’s generation and my generation is accruing in the US today.”

You sound like you are relatively young, which is a good thing.I’ve been around since Truman, and from my perspective the conditions that worry you are the result of two complimentary ideologies embraced by both political parties: any sosial system that embraces some degree of collective responsibility is ipso facto evil and must be opposed (see Vietnam), and that any restricition on the ability to amass as much wealth as possible is somehow unAmerican.

I frankly don’t care who the Republican party fields as a candidate in 2012. I suspect that Mr. Obama will come much closer to representing my values than any of the potential Republican candidates.

• Link
• Report this comment

A question for conservatives?

It’s not likely that Rubio will run sooo-o-o-o…

is Puerto Rico’s governor out of the question? I followed him on and off early on.

Luis Fortuño

I’m asking ’cause I don’t know.

• Link
• Report this comment

I just like to point out how K71 said 52% wasn’t a mandate, but 2010 was. Just for statistical purposes, Republicans only control 51.6% of the house. But yet I have a feeling after the election you saw that as a mandate.

• Link
• Report this comment

And one other observation about BHO’s approval rating.

It has remained in a very narrow range for the past 19 months.

More bad news for would-be contenders…

• Link
• Report this comment

42% on the latest Quinnipiac poll, whatever that’s worth. In another poll, 43% don’t know his religion. That was taken inside CNN’s offices.

• Link
• Report this comment

Some People are Stupid – including you. The Republicans control 55.5% of the House.

• Link
• Report this comment

WATCH THIS TOP SECRET VIDEO OF PELOSI AND REID DISCUSSING OUR COUNTRIES AFFAIRS!!! VERY INTERESTING>>>>>JUST RELEASED!!!!

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a66_1301455184

• Link
• Report this comment

Enter your comments here

• Link
• Report this comment

If Obama could be elected anybody can be elected!

• Link
• Report this comment

“I doubt Daniels can play that game very well. That’s not who he is”

I thought that about McCain too, but yet he gave us Bible Spice who took over and ruined his campaign — and she just won’t go away. She can’t accept that her message is not welcome by a majority of Americans — just the crazy ones.

• Link
• Report this comment

Debbie For Herman Cain!!! Run Herman Run!!! Cain/Palin 2012!!!! The world needs to have a good laugh now and then, breaks the monotony.

• Link
• Report this comment

Bible spice…..classic

• Link
• Report this comment

This guy should run….AMEN MR> CHRISTIE

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=766_1301434905

• Link
• Report this comment

Debbie,

Herman in the new Alan Keyes.

http://tinyurl.com/5tlhrpw

• Link
• Report this comment

is, not in…

• Link
• Report this comment

Arriving as Pregnant Tourists, Leaving With American Babies
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/us/29babies.html

This is ridiculous and this is why the laws must be changed. When the constitution was written, there were not airplanes. Time for an amendment….

SAN GABRIEL, Calif. — The building inspectors and police officers walked into the small row of connected town houses here knowing something was amiss. Neighbors had complained about noise and a lot of pregnant women coming and going. And when they went into a kitchen they saw a row of clear bassinets holding several infants, with a woman acting as a nurse hovering over them.

For months, officials say, the house was home to “maternity tourists,” in this case, women from China who had paid tens of thousands of dollars to deliver their babies in the United States, making the infants automatic American citizens. Officials shut down the home, sending the 10 mothers who had been living there with their babies to nearby motels.

“These were not women living in squalor — it was a well taken care of place and clean, but there were a lot of women and babies,” said Clayton Anderson, a city inspector who shut down the house on March 9. “I have never seen anything like this before. We really couldn’t determine the exact number of people living there.”

For the last year, the debate over birthright citizenship has raged across the country, with some political leaders calling for an end to the 14th Amendment, which gives automatic citizenship to any baby born in the United States. Much of the debate has focused on immigrants entering illegally from poor countries in Latin America. But in this case the women were not only relatively wealthy, but also here legally on tourist visas. Most of them, officials say, have already returned to China with their American babies.

• Link
• Report this comment

i can estimate: a lot

-Immigration experts say it is impossible to know precisely how widespread “maternity tourism” is. Businesses in China, Mexico and South Korea advertise packages that arrange for doctors, insurance and postpartum care. And the Marmara, a Turkish-owned hotel on the Upper East Side in New York City, has advertised monthlong “baby stays” that come with a stroller.

• Link
• Report this comment

2012 GOP Platform: “Xenophobia Now, Xenophobia Forever”

I like that!! Reminded me of Alabama Governor George Wallace’s “Segregration today! Segregration Tomorrow! Segregration Forever!!!”

• Link
• Report this comment

The Cons have no real canidates that will tell the base what they want to hear…you know, Anti-Muslims, Anti-gay, Anti-Hispanics, Anti-Minorities.
Romney is such a chump that hes too scared to stand behind his own Romneycare.
Palin-She wont run. Too much $ in bashing Obama, and talking about guns and shooting reindeer.
Newt-His past will bury him.

Newt/Obama debate.

Newt: Our principles and family values of the Republican party etc, etc, etc….
Obama: Sorry Newt, for some reason I dont see myself taking family values lessons from you.

• Link
• Report this comment

Wow…came out swinging today Jay. I guess you had to recover from you unprecedented quasi-bash of Obama yesterday.

Personally, I want a president with a backbone (which Obama doesn’t have) and one who is more qualified than Obama. Everyone knows he’s in over his head…even Hillary.

That said, Huckabee is too right-wing/Christian, Newt has too many skeletons, and I agree with you on Jeb and the Bush fatigue. I think Romney just says whatever he thinks people want to hear and most people won’t be able to get past the Mormon thing.

So basically, ALL politicians have become “a bunch of vile, desperate-to-please, shameless, embarrassing losers”…on both sides of the aisle. Too bad we don’t have a viable third party candidate…

• Link
• Report this comment

It isn’t how many seats the GOP holds in the House that is important or their percentage. The mid term elections were a solid repudiation of Bozo and his politics. The majority of the electorate rejected him and what he stands for. Can you spell D-E-N-I-A-L ???

• Link
• Report this comment

Love me some anchor babies. Wonder if they will drag us down, hold us still, or come unhooked.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Xenophobia” – the new word being used by the left to justify illegal behavior! Great work!

• Link
• Report this comment

the Donald is their best bet.

• Link
• Report this comment

AmVet are you trying to say Herman Cain is a fruitcake by comparing him to the looney toon Alan, I see my dead career, Keyes?!? How dare you say such a thing!! Why Herman Cain is a respected business leader and radio pundit!!! At one time, a long, long time ago, he once owned three, (count them THREE), pizza places!!! Sure they weren’t Chuckie Cheese’s but he did it by his own hand up his bootstraps all by himself, (with the help of family and friends to help qualify him for a franchise….but never mind reality though, gotta stick with the myth).

How dare you talk about Cain like that AmVet. How. Dare. You. I’m so pizzed at you, I’m going to go into the nearest pizza place and have a slice for Herman!!! How. Dare. You. Amvet!!!

• Link
• Report this comment

getalife…..”McLoser”? Really, dude you have class. Win or not the man is a war hero and an American icon. Nice job.

• Link
• Report this comment

Mitch just released a statement:

“If you elect me, I’ll cut $100 billion out of the federal budget! I will!”

Like children in a candy store.

• Link
• Report this comment

getalife,

Yesterday you advocated filling up a plane with “cons” and bombing Libya with it. That just doesn’t sound very “independent” to me…but potato-pototo.

• Link
• Report this comment

War hero? You belittle the term. All McCain did was get shot down, got caught, and spent time in a prisoner of war camp.

Just like thousands of other guys. There is nothing heroic about that.

Maybe you read the stories of what real war heroes did in the thick of battle – saving the lives of those around them at the expense of their own, single-handily capturing a number of the enemy, etc.

• Link
• Report this comment

LWM – Klein, Huffington, and Maher are rational centrist observers. Apparently there’s more than one brand of koolaid on tap. Step away from the bar.

• Link
• Report this comment

FINN…….I see class is running high from the left today……keep up the good work!

• Link
• Report this comment

Fletch….come on….Bon Jovi is the man! haha

• Link
• Report this comment

@@: Oops! Allow me to clarify…I’m talkin’ horticulture…a Red Hot Poker PLANT!!!

That’s what my husband calls it too.

• Link
• Report this comment

So Finn, you would also not consider Max Cleland (he blew himself up with his own grenade) a war hero?

• Link
• Report this comment

Romney’s flip-flopping on health care and numerous other matters is a real embarrassment for him.

He’d be much wiser and would garner the support (even if tepid) of independents, etc if he didn’t feel compelled to pander to the GOP’s lunatic fringe like the rest of the fake conservatives.

In other words, he coulda been a contenda!

• Link
• Report this comment

Hogwash! The Dems just took the biggest defeats in decades. Republican governors control the majority of states. Reapportionment will occur under those repub governors. Barry is a daily embarrassment and now constantly on the ropes. Joe Klein, Jay and other Leftist media are engaging in what back in the day was called “brain washing” while Jay’s patriots here march to their own drum oblivious to the majority world.

• Link
• Report this comment

AmVet…..I feel as though Romney will be the GOP’s candidate….I may be wrong but I feel he may have the best chance of gaining the right and grabbing some moderates. He is going to have to explain the healthcare subject.

• Link
• Report this comment

heathen, since you brought him up, did you vote for that war hero rather than for that disgusting scumbag Saxby?

• Link
• Report this comment

Debbie….do you have a problem with gays? Are you homophobic?

• Link
• Report this comment

jasper: “Apparently there’s more than one brand of koolaid on tap”

Precisely! That’s exactly what I’m saying. In America today there is one brand of Kool Aid and one brand only on tap, and that’s the one being offered in places like Fox News, etc. There is no other.

So all that one has to do is be free of that Kool Aid and one is by that fact alone already well on one’s way to the truth.

By definition, anyone who is not a conservative observer is rational, sane, centrist, neutral.

• Link
• Report this comment

I don’t know anything about Cleland so I couldn’t answer that.

• Link
• Report this comment

So, based on a combination of feedback from the GOP constituency and a need to run on a cost-cutting platform that amounts to more than just talking the talk, __Cain/Palin sounds like the obvious choice. Did those old bumper stickers have a year printed on them or not?

• Link
• Report this comment

“The Dems just took the biggest defeats in decades.”

And the holocaust never happened.

In 2006 and in 2008, the GOP lost a combined 93% of contested races for the US Congress, state houses and the White House.

Including a jaw-dropping ZERO for 36 in congressional races in 06.

That will reverse Joe DiMaggio number will almost certainly NEVER, EVER again be seen. (You did a heckuva job, Georgie)

Hope you enjoyed the history lesson and no thanks are required…

• Link
• Report this comment

“you are brilliant”

No, I just tell the truth.

• Link
• Report this comment

By definition, anyone who is not a conservative observer is rational, sane, centrist, neutral.

Just to add to this point, this is why the whole flap over NPR is so beside the point (and no one misses the point more than NPR’s own executives who think they have to try to be objective, when they do that by definition, just by not being FOX News). NPR is the opposite of FOX News, Limbaugh, Hannity, and the rest, it’s true. But that does NOT mean that it’s LEFT wing. By being the OPPOSITE of the right, that simply means that they are in the center, that they’re rational and reasonable, that’s all.

So take me for example. I’m Left wing management. But I could just as easily – and accurately – call myself Neutral / Rational Management. It’s all the same you see.

• Link
• Report this comment

Why does someone keep voting GOP when they never do what they say they will ?

• Link
• Report this comment

AmVet

“He coulda been a contender.”

Not out, yet. We’re dealing with short attention span theater, remember?

George W

He ought to just say “Look, conservatives like to say states should be used as laboratories. We had a problem in Massachusetts, we fixed it the Massachusetts way. It wasn’t driven by Washington. You don’t like what we did? Fine. Don’t move to Massachusetts. But where I’m different from Pres Obama is, I have led state efforts to solve state problems. You want Washington to take lead on everything? Then vote for my opponent. If not, vote for me.”

• Link
• Report this comment

Finn,

Rasmussen today. You can read, can’t you? Just type Rasmussen poll in the blank space on the Google website followed by search. Then this website comes up with all of this data. Or is that to difficult for you? Denial…. rearing it’s ugly head again.

• Link
• Report this comment

Call yourself whatever you want, but don’t call Huffington, Maher, and Klein centrist and rational, or Bookman for that matter, blog provocation notwithstanding, all due respect Jay.

• Link
• Report this comment

amvet,
manipulating data to make your ideas plausible doesn’t change the fact that Nov 2010 was the biggest shift in the electorate in 70 years……try again, or keep visiting that river in egypt

• Link
• Report this comment

Debbie….”young hot guys” sounds like someone is jealous……awwwwe.

• Link
• Report this comment

The President is speaking about a new energy policy.

Pay attention to where to invest for the next four more years.

• Link
• Report this comment

Jasper:

During the student demonstrations in France in 1968 they had a saying that “God is a left wing intellectual” which I wholeheartedly endorse. Just try telling your Pat Robertson or Jerry Fallwell that one! But it’s true.

Truth is radically left wing. Stated differently, the Left wing is the only wing that is IN truth, which is why it’s redundant to say neutral, centrist and left, since these are the same. The Left already includes the center by definition. The truth is in possession of the truth, while the right is possessed by the truth (only they don’t know it). There are no other positions on the spectrum to hold.

• Link
• Report this comment

Lately, I see our elections much like the choice in Libya……Qaddafi or Al-Queda?

We already know the warts of the current administration……….might be time to expose the warts of the other “side”………

And round and round we go, we it stops nobody knows……………

• Link
• Report this comment

The question is can a more moderate Repub win the nomination? If so, the WH is in the bag unless there are very dramatic changes in the next 18 months. Obama is an easy target with all those borken campaign promises, record deficits, three wars and high unemployment.

• Link
• Report this comment

Hey, Left Wing Mgmt, don’t bogey that joint…

• Link
• Report this comment

Paul…..atleast we know Romneys faith.

• Link
• Report this comment

getalife……Willard??? hahaha

• Link
• Report this comment

AmVet…..you would.

• Link
• Report this comment

they suckered us into putting McCain

LOL, now its liberals that made the Repubs run McCain. Just like a republican to not take responsibility for their own actions.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Reminded me of Alabama Governor George Wallace’s “Segregration today! Segregration Tomorrow! Segregration Forever!!!”

George Wallace was a Democrat.

• Link
• Report this comment

WOW…..amen!

• Link
• Report this comment

Thanks AmVet.

Your truth is great to read.

I would like to meet Max and shake his hand too.

chambliss is a horrible senator like we expected.

• Link
• Report this comment

“nope not at all but you were implying that you knew a business owner that may have some objections to him running for office”

that’s not what I read. I read her suggestion of a business owner, and his qualifications for election by listing the businesses he owns.

• Link
• Report this comment

George W

I think the health care attacks were driven by opponents on the Right who thought the average voter wouldn’t see the real issue. Dems saw it was successful so Pres Obama picked up the theme (tells you who he thinks his strongest opponent might be).

If people would think past sound bites we’d be better off.

• Link
• Report this comment

Doggone….why would you need to post the businesses he owns….they are legal.

• Link
• Report this comment

md, rather than answer the question you change the subject or change the question, again can you just answer the question?

• Link
• Report this comment

Granny,

Why do Swedes with blond hair and blue eyes have to be so….. anyway, yeah, the neighborhood needs community organizers, they just should not be elected president. We need pizza delivery boys too, but don’t elect them to Congress. People like Hank Johnson are your heroes?
“The nation’s job is to produce welfare, not make a profit”. I would just settle for a neutral balance sheet. And what kind of welfare do you mean?

• Link
• Report this comment

“why would you need to post the businesses he owns….they are legal.”

You’re really NOT paying attention are you. Here reply was in counter to someone’s touting Cain’s business experience. Did you really NOT see the parallel?

• Link
• Report this comment

Thanks, AmVet! Them’s three of the prettiest words in the language

• Link
• Report this comment

Guess Vet doesn’t realize that Muslims and southern white male trash hate gays and lesbians.

And used to kill Jews.

• Link
• Report this comment

“……”Here” or “Her”?”

Context…context

• Link
• Report this comment

Amvet,
The fact is he was a democrat and your belief that ‘if he was alive today’ he would be republican is a great example of the manipulation that leftists use to try to will their ideas on others…..anyone with a clue sees through it like THIS guy…..the end

• Link
• Report this comment

“And used to kill Jews”

that wasn’t always true for Muslims though. Time was, especially during Medieval times, that the Muslim lands were some of the most tolerant on earth and provided haven for Jews.

In fact, if you want to see where fundamentalism can lead us…check out the decline in Muslim civilation over the centuries.

• Link
• Report this comment

AmVet…..great job……”Southern White Male Trash”. Keep up the good work….hahahaha

tick….tick….tick

• Link
• Report this comment

getalife

Something else for the Democratic power brokers to get upset over, eh?

I think Obama has a decent grasp on reality.
“CNN and MSBC cut him off”

That’s hilarious!

• Link
• Report this comment

George W

Vet is hilarious. The guy goes around name calling, spewing racist remarks about white people and Jay tolerates it.

Hypocrisy is so funny when it comes to left wingers.

• Link
• Report this comment

President Obama’s approval rating hits a new low

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/president-obamas-approval-rating-hits-a-new-low

tee-hee!

• Link
• Report this comment

WOW….I agree…then Vet will turn tail and run when confronted. He is a coward in the highest sense of the word.

• Link
• Report this comment

Re birth certificates, whether long, short or in-between:

Us Constitution
Article 4
Section 1
Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

• Link
• Report this comment

getalife,
translation for you……that ‘hopey and changey’ thing for 2012 has started and this guy will say anything to anyone who will listen about all kinds of things he doesn’t believe in or believes in, or what people may be willing to believe to get re-elected…..like when he implied a vote for him will help lower the sea levels…..it’s amazing how many easily-led ‘dems’ could be swayed by that……100 years ago obama would have been a great snake oil salesman with that line….

• Link
• Report this comment

Doggone….too bad.

• Link
• Report this comment

“But those who are owned by the RepDem (or is DemRep?) Party, and don’t even know it, will support squashing of any and all attempts at fundamental improvements in our democracy…”

Kind of like the Sunni/Shia argument……..try taking away the power from the Big 2, and dems and reps would throw their 2/3’s behind the old system…………they know they can look forward to power every so many years………….

• Link
• Report this comment

Get Real : “Anybody remotely conservative is a whack-o to this left wing nut job… ”

Nope, in the current environment anyone who’s remotely conservative objectively IS a whack-o, pure and simple. (See above explanation of why there are only two possible positions: conservative-extremist and everyone else/rational).

• Link
• Report this comment

getalife…..since when did “billybob” change his name to “billy the redneck”??

• Link
• Report this comment

I think DDR left Canadian Mounties off her hot list.

• Link
• Report this comment

w,

I lied.

So?

• Link
• Report this comment

uh oh….I agree with md about them damn yankees… it is Aprils Fools already?

• Link
• Report this comment

Kayaker……HAHAHAHAHA I actually laughed out loud on that one.

• Link
• Report this comment

w,

I thought I would unite with you cons and lie like you always do.

Unity.

• Link
• Report this comment

Jay,

And the quacks needed to recruit a NON-American, Kenyan born Marxist to put on their ticket. Your point?

• Link
• Report this comment

Getalife….how about this one….

“I never had sexual relations with that woman”

You mean like that right?

• Link
• Report this comment

Birthers.

• Link
• Report this comment

GeorgeW: Doggone….why would you need to post the businesses he owns….they are legal.

To deliberately bait you guys into speaking the truth, if you can. Repubs are notorious in their anti-gay stances and rhetoric yet the poster said he’d rather “vote for someone who owned a business than…” so I was just seeing if that was actually true or not; if he’d vote for a guy who owned a gay business, who shared his views on repub causes, or if he was just blowing smoke up his butt.

Paul: If people would think past sound bites we’d be better off.

Amen.

• Link
• Report this comment

Left wing management….Joe Klein is on another planet, perhaps you live there as well

• Link
• Report this comment

Debbie….What is that vibrating noise coming from Debbie’s post?

Too funny!!!

• Link
• Report this comment

Debbie….ha

• Link
• Report this comment

So what ever happened to all those gay male prostitutes in Chicago that had “relations” with the Messiah?

• Link
• Report this comment

Keep…..yeah we saw what happened in the last election to the “blue” states…..priceless.

• Link
• Report this comment

This next election will be hilarious. Because you all know good and well our Ne-Comm media like Jay is going to allow the blue lipped, big earred wonder pretend as though he is a brand new candidate without a 4 year track record proving to be the worst President in US history.

Just you watch

• Link
• Report this comment

carter….I agree….if we think he leans too far left now….if he is elected he will have nothing to lose…..just watch how far he tries to push his radical agenda.

• Link
• Report this comment

“what no whine about how you don’t name call first when you start off posting name calling?…..”

Name calling????? Keep, you post POOP and SKITTLES in most of your posts. Not my problem if you don’t like your own words used against you.

• Link
• Report this comment

1.5 trillion dollar deficits and you try and cut 61 billion..I guess thats a good ole college try.

• Link
• Report this comment

George W and WOW

Please read the interview from my link provided @ 12:27.

• Link
• Report this comment

Ok Retired…..and?

• Link
• Report this comment

…then they deserve the Nazi state it will surely bring

Godwin’s Law.

Too funny.

And predictable.

• Link
• Report this comment

Actually, to state my principle more precisely:

The more one approaches conservativism, the more incoherent and irrational one becomes.

Exhibit 1: Donald Trump.

Now that he has deliberately tracked conservative in an attempt to woo the GOP base, he is by necessity compelled to accommodate himself to delusional thinking. Hence his newfound openness to ‘birther’ arguments.

It’s simple folks, If you’re on the GOP/right, you’re incoherent and irrational, extremist. If you’re in the center or the Left (they’re one and the same) you’re by definition reasonable and rational. Thus Joe Klein, Jay Bookman, Left Wing Management, Michael Moore, and other illustrious names are all centrist and rational. And left wing. It’s all the same.

• Link
• Report this comment

Jay, Joe Klein does not speak for me. Your side is desperate to convince Americans that Washington DC is something other than organized crime. That is why your side will never endorse Herman Cain, a competent and proven leader, unlike the current bad joke of a leader, your heralded messiah. Jay, I know you HATE conservative small government types, but if we don’t retake the reigns of power now, America is finished. Your side, with GE and Goldmann Sachs, has spent us and rewarded themselves, right into the poor house.

• Link
• Report this comment

getalife

“Fox was the last to cut him off and gave him another thirty seconds.

Then attacked high gas prices.

Too funny!”

If he’s got all of them ticked off, he must be doing something right.

• Link
• Report this comment

kayaker 71

March 30th, 2011
11:49 am
Granny,

Why do Swedes with blond hair and blue eyes have to be so….. anyway, yeah, the neighborhood needs community organizers, they just should not be elected president. We need pizza delivery boys too, but don’t elect them to Congress. People like Hank Johnson are your heroes?
“The nation’s job is to produce welfare, not make a profit”. I would just settle for a neutral balance sheet. And what kind of welfare do you mean

the neighborhood needs cheerleaders, but we never should have elected him president…..

and let me point out that both John Adams and Jesus Christ were community organizers.

• Link
• Report this comment

LWM,

And I guess Rosie O’Donnell, Bill Maher, Rev. Wright,Sean Penn and Charlie Sheen are bastions of sanity since they are as entrenched in liberalism as one can get. Am I right?

LOL!!!!!

• Link
• Report this comment

A study of American History suggests these past 20 years have given us the worst political candidates ever seen in the Republican and Democratic Parties. One can only wonder when the patience of the American people will finally run out and what the results of that will be.

• Link
• Report this comment

Debbie:

Your husband calls “IT” that? As long as he’s not transplanting “IT”. If so, you’ve got a problem.

Getalife:

chambliss is a horrible senator like we expected.

Didn’t I read somewhere that Chambliss and Durbin were huddled up somewhere?

Reid’s stance puts him at odds with not only a majority of Republicans, but also with members of his own party. Moderate Democrats in the House like Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D., Md.) and Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.), ranking member on the House Budget Committee, have acknowledged that Social Security needs fixing and have spoken out in favor of reform, as have several of Reid’s colleagues in the Senate. Even Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.), up for reelection in 2012 (in Florida!) has expressed a willingness to consider reforms to Social Security.

Meanwhile, the four Senate representatives who served on President Obama’s bipartisan deficit commission — Tom Coburn (R., Okla.), Mike Crapo (R., Idaho), Kent Conrad (D., N.D.), and Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) — have teamed up with Sens. Saxby Chambliss (R., Ga.) and Mark Warner (D., Va.) to try and negotiated a long-term budget compromise based on the commission’s recommendations, which include reforms to Social Security such as raising the retirement age to 69 by the year 2075 and means testing of benefits.

I’ve always found Harry to be an odd little man. Is he gonna be odd man out?

I’m hoping so. Putting fear into old folks? He should be ashamed of himself. Today’s seniors have nothing to fear. I watched Paul Ryan (luv his new haircut btw) make it clear on Greta last night. I repeat….”Today’s seniors have nothing to fear.”

Say it with me, Getalife….TODAY’S SENIORS HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR!!!!! YOUR BENEFITS, WILL, IN NO WAY, BE AFFECTED!!!!”

I wouldn’t wanna say something nice about Dick Durbin, but if he can deliver SS Reform, I will.

• Link
• Report this comment

Anybody but Obama. I mean anybody. I’d even vote for Hillary if she was on the GOP ticket.

• Link
• Report this comment

Jack, GWB again?

retired early, good article.

That is why the Tea Party is so laughed at.

They feign being some dynamic NEW political entity, when in reality all they are is the lunatic fringe of the GOP’s lunatic fringe.

How do we fix the problem that most Americans see us as way too far to the right? We move even farther to the right!

Otay.

They could not find the reasoned and reasonable political center with countless GPS devices…

• Link
• Report this comment

retired…..I did.

• Link
• Report this comment

Bookman, you are so biased that you have no credibility on any political subject, especially the Republican Party.

• Link
• Report this comment

Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Tim Pawlenty all are good candidates. Don’t know much about mitch daniels but heck anything beats what we have now. This has been a money spending carnival show from the beginning. At least no republican will have to worry about playing a round of golf or taking a vacation anymore after Obama since that’s most of what he’s done since he was elected. I guess to liberals like Jay it really doesn’t matter that the guy hasn’t done what he said he would do but instead has sought to saddle us with a made-in-the-dark healthcare plan that will break the country. Oops sorry Obama’s already accomplished that hasn’t he? Oh well it doesn’t matter they’ll just do another QE and we can all enjoy our $5 loaf of bread soon.

• Link
• Report this comment

Ok, Get Real, fair enough.

• Link
• Report this comment

LWM…Kool

• Link
• Report this comment

Darwin — “Jay – I understand. “When you read the right wing bloggers here, you can understand why the Republican field is full of crazies.”

This.

• Link
• Report this comment

“That is why the Tea Party is so laughed at.”

“They feign being some dynamic NEW political entity, when in reality all they are is the lunatic fringe of the GOP’s lunatic fringe.”

Yes, strict adherence to the Constitution and abhorence of out-of-control government spending and deficits certainly represents “lunatic fringe”……………..at least in the minds of brain-dead liberals, anyway.

• Link
• Report this comment

Henry Callahan — “strict adherence to the Constitution”

Yes, the birthers say that, too. Doesn’t make it true.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Yes, the birthers say that, too. Doesn’t make it true.”

The fact that Obama SAYS he was born here doesn’t make that true either.

• Link
• Report this comment

Harry Callahan — “The fact that Obama SAYS he was born here doesn’t make that true either.”

Nor do the shrieking claims of people like Orly Taitz make it false. BTW, has she paid her fines and court costs yet for wasting the court’s time with that frivolous matter down in Columbus?

• Link
• Report this comment

The Tea Party will devolve into an outreach program for the far right Christian extremists, get caught up in moralizing and fade into obscurity… just wait and see.

• Link
• Report this comment

@DBA

Of all Republicans, what percentage do you believe are the “Tea Party”??

• Link
• Report this comment

President Barack Obama will be re-elected in a landslide in 2012. If i was a Republican, i wouldn’t get my hopes up for a Republican Presidential victory in 2016 either. We the People, [ie] Democrats are going to nominate Sect. of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice. These two very strong Democrat Women will be unbeatable in the Presidential election. Newt Gringrich is advising Johnny “one note” Boehner to shut down the Government. Does that mean that Grinrich is having another affair with some young big booty Girl ??? Callista, hire yourself a sex scandal private investigator and a divorce lawyer.

• Link
• Report this comment

Harry, no reason to doubt that he was born here, I mean why should we? Looking at the facts, we have to assume he is an American citizen, as he has a US Passport. And also looking at the facts, we have to assume that he showed his birth certificate to the passport office when he applied. A rational assumption would say that the person who took his passport application would be the one on the TV screaming the loudest if it said he was a naturalized citizen, and not born here. However I digress, the usual argument that the person asking to see the birth certificate is crazy simply for asking is not a rational or coherent response to the request. I see no reason to not show a certified copy of the certificate, but I do have to believe it exists.

As a side, the closest to a rational argument I could think of for him not showing it would be if it lists his race as white – then he wouldn’t be the first black president and much of the hype would be gone. But that still doesn’t make a good argument for not showing it, or for making the people that ask to see it out to be crazy lunatics for expecting the conditions for becoming President under the Constitution to be adhered to.

• Link
• Report this comment

@Rational

With all due respect, I think I will pass on ASSUMING the president of my country is a natural born citizen, pardon me for wanting some proof on that issue, call me a “crazy” Republican…

• Link
• Report this comment

Mike — “maybe the way he handled Japan (absolutely pathetic job)???”

How, exactly, is a disaster in *Japan* a job for the US President to handle?

• Link
• Report this comment

Harry Callahan @2:26pm

What Facts are you disputing?

1. The only GOP candidate who has a chance to beat President Obama is Michael Steele, Past GOP Leader.

2. He has earned the right to lead the GOP.

3. For example he showed great courage in the face of homegrown terrorism displayed by the “tea party”

4. whose weapons of choice are hatred, fear and rage/mob mentality against minorities, women, gays & lesbians and Muslims & Jews.

5. The whole world saw the hatred and bigotry displayed by the “tea party” during the 2010 midterm elections

6. as well as heard their call to battle (take back my country) and

7. saw the majority of poor, uneducated White Americans embrass the “tea party” and

8. vote for the entire GOP ticket regardless of the candidates experience.

9. The American People have never seen organized terrorism at the ballot box.

10. The GOP needs to clean-up the mess left behind by the “tea party” and

11. apologize immediately to the American People on the House and Senate Floor and promise to never let any terrorist group(s) dictate how the American People should be governed.

12. The GOP needs to show great courage and elect Michael Steele as the next GOP nominee for President of the USA.

Ever since President Obama was elected by a majority of the American People homegrown terrorist group(s) such as the “tea party” (aka, klansmen, skinheads, etc.) have tried to re-package themselfs as a legitimate political party. The American People are sick and tired of hatred and bigotry. It’s time for all Americans to act civil or prepare for another civil war. Enough is Enough.

• Link
• Report this comment

Compared to the ‘winner’ that is in the office today – most of these candidates have a good shot at ‘winning’.

What does that say about our sitting President and the Democrats.

Answer – about the same that we can say about the Republicans..

• Link
• Report this comment

Mike — “My point was typically a US president immediately comes out and addresses his nation when the “worst” catastrophe is the history of the world has occurred.”

It’s hardly the worst in terms of either earthquake magnitude (IIRC last year’s Chilean quake was worse, and if not, the one in 1960 was), tsunami deaths and destruction(the Indian Ocean Tsunami was *far* worse) or nuclear accident (Chernobyl was *far* worse).

“To let his country and the rest of the world know that America will do everything in their power to assist….”

He did that. Did you miss it?

“All I say was Obama taking a trip to South America and filling out his college hoops bracket on ESPN, hell of a leader………”

Well, at least he didn’t freeze up in front of the cameras while reading “My Pet Goat” with a bunch of preschoolers.

• Link
• Report this comment

Woodstock Mike – you’re missing my argument. I’m saying that right now, we’ll have to assume that the birth certificate exists as it doesn’t appear that he is going to release the birth certificate. I agree, I would rather see it, and I’m not calling you crazy for wanting to either. I’m saying that while I would have to assume, as it is the only thin that makes sense, that there is a US birth certificate for him, the argument against it is just as strong and made stronger by the leftists that only respond to requests to see it by saying that the people making the request are crazy. I said I saw no real reason why he shouldn’t release it.

• Link
• Report this comment

Mike: “So, what kind of “terrorism” have you seen personally from the “Tea Party”??”

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/funnypictures/ig/Teabagging-Pictures/Unarmed-Protester.0zVz.htm

Just to be clear, my parents taught me not to joke about firearms when they taught me how to shoot. Maybe this guy didn’t have the benefit of that sort of upbringing.

• Link
• Report this comment

@Robert

So all racist people are terrorists, correct? Are black racists also terrorists??

• Link
• Report this comment

@Robert

So based on your logic the govt workers who are protesting in Wisconsin are terrorists, correct?

• Link
• Report this comment

Jay’s piece is just the start of a concerted effort by the media to denigrate all the Repub candidates together. They do this every election cycle. Try to make them collectively look stupid or unqualified or lacking leadership or boring or incompetent or whatever- just try to denigrate them however it can be done.

The reality is that if you look at all of the candidates Jay mentioned notta one of them is not more qualified than what Obama was when he ran for president.

Clearly Obama was the least qualified man to have ever attained the presidency. That is indisputable and anyone with an objective mind would be hard pressed to find a repub candidate above who wouldn’t do better than what this fool has done to the country.

I would vote for Forrest Gump over Obama. Seriously? What in the hell has this man done? He has a foreign policy that no one understands what in the hell the man is doing.

His economic results well over 2 years in are nothing short of absymal- record shattering unemployment in Georgia and nearly 5 trillion in new debt. For Pete’s sake his own administration has forecasted huge budget deficits through 2020. His own dang administration! This man is singlehandedly bankrupting this great nation.

He was elected partly to repudiate Bush’s foreign policy. Let’s see. Instead of a 2 front war we are now mired in a 3rd front, he followed all of Bush’s policies regarding Gitmo, the Patriot act, Iraq, and Afgh.

Can anyone name one serious accomplishment of this fool? And don’t tell me the health law. That is a disaster waiting to happen. There is a reason why the full implementation won’t be till well after the 2012 election. Its because of sticker shock and the obvious future failure of this monstrosity of a law.

This is what you get when you elect a fool whose only previous experience before his only senate term was working as a community organizer and president of his college newspaper. God help us from this idiot.

• Link
• Report this comment

Mike — “So based on your logic the govt workers who are protesting in Wisconsin are terrorists, correct?”

The Madison, WI police chief was quite emphatic in saying that the protestors had behaved themselves and hadn’t been at all violent or destructive. I’d say the police chief who was dealing directly with the protests is probably a good go-to person for an opinion on whether or not those protestors are “terrorists” or not.

• Link
• Report this comment

Sad but true. Where is the proud party of Bob Taft?

• Link
• Report this comment

Mike — “So you just showed me a sign and that is “terrorism”? Thanks for making my point for me…”

If you think that joking about shooting people or raging about “second amendment solutions” is something that can be dismissed out of hand, then we are farther apart than I thought.

Being conservative used to mean being honest and facing up to shortcomings — and coming up with common-sense means to overcome those shortcomings. It didn’t mean browbeating and threats and intimidation if we didn’t get our way.

To paraphrase President Reagan, I didn’t leave the Republican Party. The Republican Party left me.

• Link
• Report this comment

Assad’s speech in Syria was not too encouraging to the Syrian people. Same ol’, same ol’. First Tunis, then Egypt, then Bahrain, Yemen, Libya and now Syria. Whodathunkit. Do any of you think that these things would be happening if not for a free Iraq? We will have to see who we are supporting before we rise up and cheer. However, on the positive side, it appears that the conflict in Iraq has emboldened a few people to speak up. If so, Bush might just be seen in a different light. Time will tell.

• Link
• Report this comment

Joe Mama,

Nice to see you back again my newly found sparring partner. I’ll see your left hook with a right jab- to the cojones of course.

My point still remains though that the chief of police is going to have a sympathetic view of the protests simply by virtue of also being a public employee.

The palm trees in the footage? I’ll concede that but as far as media distortion I’ll throw in a 2 in the hand is better than one in the bush. Remember the media pics of one Tea Party member who had a rifle at a rally. The dubbed out his arms and face which showed him to be a black man. Seems black men wanting to protect their 2nd amendment rights doesn’t fit in their storyline of white racists in the tea party. And btw I only ever saw 2 people with firearms at these tea party rallies and they were well within their rights to carry arms. In my opinion they were simply making statements about their 2nd amendment rights- not threatening or menacing anyone.

Public access is indeed permitted in the WI. statehouse. Doesn’t mean you should be allowed to completely take over like a bunch of drum beating hooligans.

Anyway good to see ya back.

• Link
• Report this comment

WillieRae,

Which is worse? Bush running up 1 1/2 trillion in 8 years or Obama running up almost 5 trillion in 3 years with enormous projected deficits through 2020- well after he will leave office in 2012?

• Link
• Report this comment

Doom —

Right back atcha, my friend.

“My point still remains though that the chief of police is going to have a sympathetic view of the protests simply by virtue of also being a public employee.”

Maybe. But maybe not. Do you have anything to support this notion, or are we just supposin’ at this point? Just because something sounds like it might be true, that doesn’t mean that it necessarily *is* true.

“The palm trees in the footage? I’ll concede that but as far as media distortion I’ll throw in a 2 in the hand is better than one in the bush. Remember the media pics of one Tea Party member who had a rifle at a rally. The dubbed out his arms and face which showed him to be a black man. Seems black men wanting to protect their 2nd amendment rights doesn’t fit in their storyline of white racists in the tea party.”

Can you provide links to both the doctored and undoctored photos? And to go further, can you provide some support for your claim of why it was done? I’d be very interested in reading that.

“And btw I only ever saw 2 people with firearms at these tea party rallies and they were well within their rights to carry arms.”

If I may be so bold, there’s been a lot of talk since 9/11 about the “responsible” exercise of our rights, mostly coming from the right. If that’s going to be something that conservatives want to push for, then IMO conservatives need to walk the walk, too.

To take it even farther, I’d have a lot more respect for your position with respect to the WI protestors and the responsible exercise of their rights if you’d concede that the armed teabaggers could have exercised *their* rights more responsibly. I hope you don’t take that as some sort of rebuke or attack — I simply think that there’s not a lot of comparison between an armed rally and an unarmed hippie protest. Heck, most of the hippies don’t even know how to throw a punch.

“In my opinion they were simply making statements about their 2nd amendment rights- not threatening or menacing anyone.”

Respectfully, I don’t believe that for a minute. I have no doubt that you do, and I’m certainly not calling your honesty into question — I’m just saying that your opinion and mine are miles apart on that point.

“Public access is indeed permitted in the WI. statehouse. Doesn’t mean you should be allowed to completely take over like a bunch of drum beating hooligans.”

Huh. So openly carrying firearms at a political rally is okay with you, but not unarmed people protesting in the state capitol.

It would seem that you want the responsible exercise of rights with respect to the WI capitol building, but not necessarily the responsible exercise of rights with respect to tea partiers openly carrying during one of their rallies. Respectfully, I think you’ve got a bit of a double standard.

“Anyway good to see ya back.”

You too, buddy.

• Link
• Report this comment

Joe Mama,

Police chief sympathetic? Just my opinion but its a reasonable one based on common sense.

As for the one armed protester at a tea party rally I saw the video myself. It as dubbed out on other media outlets and of course on Fox news they showed the dubbed and undubbed portions of the video. You can’t make up stuff like that.

In reference to the armed parties at the tea party rallies puhhh-leeeze. Have some perspective. You’re talking about 2 people at different rallies out of the hundreds of thousands of people who attended rallies all over the country. 2 people does not make an entire movement. I believe that some scale and perspective needs to be shown. You can’t talk about 2 people out of hundreds of thousands of people and say that is representative of a whole movement.

And as I pointed out while you and I may not agree with the tone of carrying a dang rifle to a political rally these 2 men were certainly within their constitutional rights to do so.

• Link
• Report this comment

Joe Mama,

I’m just going by WillieRae’s stats. He said Bush ran up 1.5 trillion. But supposin you’re right and he ran up 5 trillion in 8 years. Obama has run up roughly the same in 3 years and has enormous deficits projected years out from his own administration. And that is before the monstrous costs of the health care bill factor in. And let’s be honest.You and I both know darn well it will cost significantly more than they are forecasting. Govt programs always do and if you don’t believe that then look at what Medicare and Mediaid now consume relative to what they first consumed of the federal budget. Which is worse 5 trillion in 3 years with much worse to come or 5 trillion in 8 years?

• Link
• Report this comment

Joe Mama,

I forgot. I was going to challenge you to a contest of rochambeaux? Do you know what that is?

• Link
• Report this comment

On Tuesday, MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer fretted over health care reform protesters legally carrying guns: “A man at a pro-health care reform rally…wore a semiautomatic assault rifle on his shoulder and a pistol on his hip….there are questions about whether this has racial overtones….white people showing up with guns.” Brewer failed to mention the man she described was black.

Following Brewer’s report, which occurred on the Morning Meeting program, host Dylan Ratigan and MSNBC pop culture analyst Toure discussed the supposed racism involved in the protests. Toure argued: “…there is tremendous anger in this country about government, the way government seems to be taking over the country, anger about a black person being president….we see these hate groups rising up and this is definitely part of that.” Ratigan agreed: “…then they get the variable of a black president on top of all these other things and that’s the move – the cherry on top, if you will, to the accumulated frustration for folks.”

Not only did Brewer, Ratigan, and Toure fail to point out the fact that the gun-toting protester that sparked the discussion was black, but the video footage shown of that protester was so edited, that it was impossible to see that he was black. The man appeared at a health care rally outside of President Obama’s speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Phoenix, Arizona.

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2009/08/18/msnbc-no-mention-black-gun-owner-among-racist-protesters#ixzz1I7LEsK9v

• Link
• Report this comment

Doom — “I forgot. I was going to challenge you to a contest of rochambeaux? Do you know what that is?”

Is that when you give each other wedgies or when you kick each other in theh netz?

• Link
• Report this comment

Rochambeaux?

Yep. Its a ballkicking contest and as challenger I get to go first!

• Link
• Report this comment

You seem to forget that President Clinton inherited a recession of his own, yet *he* managed to leave office with a surplus- Joe Mama

Nope. I didn’t forget but its also an economic fact that the recession Clinton inherited from Bush was an extremely light recession involving only 2 qtrs and of the 2 qtrs of contracted growth 1 qtr was actually flat or just barely negative. I’m a firm believer that the business cycle has more to do with recessions and especially light recessions than anything else.

Its what you do during a recession that counts and in that regard Obama’s policies extended and worsened the recession he inherited dramatically. His performance has been and continues to be absymal. Not only is unemployment still sky high but food and gas prices are rising quickly and this is devastating to poor and middle class income people.

• Link
• Report this comment

Doom — “We’re right back to my point that these people have the right to bear arms peacefully-its called the 2nd amendment. I’m certain you are familiar with it. Yes- I’m being a smart aleck. Its what I do!”

Then let me one-up you. Protesting in the WI capitol falls under “the right of the people to peaceably assemble” and “to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” That’s called the First Amendment. (wink)

“We’re also talking about people at these rallies saying things like “second amendment solutions” and ‘going to bullets when ballots don’t get the job done.’”- I’ve never seen any footage of that”

Not a problem:

The first was on the radio, but there’s a link to audio:

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/sharron-angles-solution-broken-congress-arm

I don’t know what you think she means when she says “take Harry Reid out,” but I don’t think she means ‘and buy him a hot fudge sundae.’

And here’s the bullets v. ballots one, with video.

http://www.examiner.com/hillsborough-county-elections-2010-in-tampa-bay/if-ballots-don-t-work-bullets-will-joyce-kaufman-florida-tea-party-video

Plenty more where this came from.

• Link
• Report this comment

Doom — “Its what you do during a recession that counts and in that regard Obama’s policies extended and worsened the recession he inherited dramatically. His performance has been and continues to be absymal. Not only is unemployment still sky high but food and gas prices are rising quickly and this is devastating to poor and middle class income people.”

We’re going to have to disagree on that. The Bush jobless recovery has come home to roost, and with the purchasing power of the middle and lower class so greatly eroded, there’s little choice but for government to become the purchaser of last resort for goods and services.

Without someone or something putting money into the economy and stimulating economic activity, there’s no realistic hope of recovery. President Reagan knew this, and that’s why he did the same thing (remember “priming the pump?”) in the early years of his administration.

If it was good enough for The Gipper, it’s good enough for Mr. Obama.

• Link
• Report this comment

Rest assured I DO NOT look to Joe Klein for advice on anything, let alone politics. I have a suspicion the vast majority of Georgians either feel likewise, are totally ambivalent, or don’t have a clue who the guy is.

• Link
• Report this comment

I thought you meant NObama….that’s the party of SHAME. And did you mean Charlie Daniels because he’s the MAN!

• Link
• Report this comment

The 2012 election will be my 14th presidential campaign and and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that trashing another party’s potential candidate(s) and belittling their electability, particularly so far in advance of the election, often doesn’t work out so well. In 1991 the Dems actually had a hard time getting anyone to run against what looked like an invincible, un-beatable post-Gulf War George H.W. Bush. They rolled the dice with an unknown Governor from Arkansas known locally as “Slick Willie” and the rest is history. In 1968 Nixon had what appeared to be an insurmountable lead but Humphrey closed so fast in the last few days that most pundits believed that with another week to work there would have been a different outcome. The only time such belittling seemed to work was in 1988 when it drove Dukakis to don a “Snoopy” hat and ride around in a tank to show how strong he was on National Defense. Priceless.

My point is that one should be careful in writing off all of these GOP candidates as “shameless, embarrrasing losers” as 50% or more of the electorate could end up disagreeing with you.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Even Tim Pawlenty, a decent governor, can’t let a day go by without some bilious nonsense escaping his lizard brain. ”

Hmm.

Obama doesn’t have to worry about name-calling because narry a day goes by when Joe Klein and Jay Bookman don’t publish their bilious nonsense and do it for him. Republicans are running for President now, but Klein and Bookman have been doing their schtick for years. Who’s more demanding of bilious nonsense?

• Link
• Report this comment

Enter your comments hereThere is no parsing it, GWB will never, ever crawl out of the bottom of the rankings.

USA Today/Gallup poll 2006 Result↓ George W. Bush↓ Bill Clinton↓ George H.W. Bush↓ Ronald Reagan↓ Jimmy Carter↓ Gerald Ford↓
1. outstanding 4% 12% 5% 24% 11% 6%
2. above average 15% 33% 27% 40% 27% 17%
3. average 27% 29% 50% 26% 38% 60%
4. below average 25% 15% 10% 6% 13% 9%
5. poor 29% 10% 8% 4% 9% 3%
unsure - - - 1% 3% 5%

• Link
• Report this comment