Well Isn't That Convenient?

Henry Waxman now says it was a mistake to have the hearing, and that it was Clemens' attorneys who wanted it in the first place. Ridiculous

The 9th Circle of Hell?

Dante could never have imagined this...

41 to Endorse McCain

According to the Politico, former President George H.W. Bush will will endorse Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in Houston on Monday during a media availability at 9:30 a.m. Texas time, Republican sources say.

Texas Two-Step

Two different polls, Two Different Results:


Texas Credit Union League
Clinton: 49%
Obama: 41%

American Research Group (ARG)
Obama: 48%
Clinton: 42%

I didn't even know that the Texas Credit Union had a poll. The poll surveyed "400 Democratic primary voters." The methodology said nothing of likely or registered voters, and said nothing of the composition of the the sample (Registered Dems, Independents, Republicans). The ARG study surveyed 600 "likely Democratic voters" comprised of 466 Democrats and 134 independent voters and Republicans.

(h/t NRO Campaign Spot)

Brooks' NY Times Piece

Read David Brooks' morning op-ed. Is this guy really one of the "conservative" writers for the Times? Click here to read.

Brooks' five point plan for "positive government" as he calls it is not very conservative (by any traditional defintion) at all. In his view, we need to capture the spirit of reforms like the Morrill Act (which established land-grant colleges in the early 1860s).

There's so much to go after here, but look at the first point of the Brooks Five Point plan:

"A new working class tax credit applied against the payroll tax would reduce some of the stress. So would a larger child tax credit and increases in the Earned Income Tax Credit. The federal budget should bestow less on seniors and more on young families.

Since when does expanding tax credits that largely go to people who don't pay taxes (EITC) spur economic growth? It doesn't. Bush's tax cuts were successful because they were across the board, but also targeted towards driving investment (cap. gains and dividend tax cuts).

The rest of Brooks' article reads like the Big Government Republicanism (excuse me..."Positive Government") we've come to know from the Bush administration. At what point did smaller government, pro-growth and non-collectivist policies become a bad thing to Brooks? Maybe they always were.

Happy Valentine's Day

McCain on Larry King

Only John McCain can sound defensive with Larry f'n King. Larry and McCain were mixing it up over immigration and Iraq, specifically over border security and public opinion polls on the war. Well, as much as you can "mix it up" on Larry King Live anyway. Senator, it's not Hardball. Relax.

Seriously, and this is the perception of many, but he seems to get rattled when challenged even slightly on policy. Contrast that to Obama. I worry...


*Update: Paraphrasing McCain on Mark McKinnen's comments that he wouldn't work for McCain if Obama was the nominee: "I think I'd like to get some clarification from Mark on that." Translation: This guy is so fired.

Shot of the Day

SEIU To Endorse Obama?

From politico.com here:

"Two labor sources tell Politico that the giant Service Employees International Union, which has been neutral through the primary, is on the verge of throwing its support to Sen. Barack Obama.

'It's done,' said one person close to the union."

That's huge. SEIU has a big presence in PA with 14 offices, and OH with 11 offices, spread out throughout the states. One more nail in the coffin...

Romney to Endorse McCain

Good to hear Romney is endorsing McCain. Figure most of Romney's 280 delegates move to McCain and this thing is over, or almost over. Its been fun for Huckleberry, but time to go. I guess we all need to get on board the ....barf.....Straight Talk Express.

Mr. Chafee? Your 15 Minutes Are Up Already

Lincoln Chafee endorses Obama. I could care...but I don't. (h/t NRO Corner).

George Will Has a Huge Brain

Nice editorial by Will this morning here. I can only hope to write a line like this someday:

"In his preternatural neediness, Clinton, an overflowing caldron of narcissism and solipsism, is still smarting from Obama's banal observation, four weeks ago, that Ronald Reagan was a more transformative president than Clinton."

Brilliant!

We Don't Need No Earmarks!

The Washington Post's article on the candidates and earmarks here. In a nutshell, Hillary had $340 million worth of earmarks in last years spending bill, placing her the Senate top ten, while Obama had $91 million. Give Senator McCain credit:

"Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the likely GOP presidential nominee, was one of five senators to reject earmarks entirely, part of his long-standing view that such measures prompt needless spending."

The Clinton Team in Turmoil

Inside the campaign process stories like this certainly do not help Hillary. The WSJ story even has a chart detailing which Clinton staffer is in, staying in, and out! Highlights include a blow up between ad girl Mandy Grunwald and strategist Mark Penn, and this important reminder:

"One priority now is wooing the so-called superdelegates -- elected and party officials who could decide the nomination if the tally of pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses is very close. Some who were supposed to stay neutral aren't holding. Virginia Rep. Jim Moran, who initially wasn't backing either candidate, came out this week for Mr. Obama. Yesterday, another superdelegate, David Wilhelm, sided with Mr. Obama. Mr. Wilhelm had been Bill Clinton's 1992national manager."

Wonder how many more are going to follow Moran.

(h/t Drudge)

Clemens and Steroids

I'm still trying to wrap my head around why Congress is in this mess. But putting that aside, why did the hearing yesterday turn so partisan? It seemed like most Republicans were hitting McNamee and most Democrats were hitting Clemens. I honestly don't get it...

Glenn Beck Rocks

There is only one reason to turn your TV dial to CNN Headline News - Glenn Beck. He is a right-thinking guy who is a common sense conservative. The guy also has a sick sense of humor which reminds me of myself.

New York Magazine has a segment called "21 Questions" where they ask people about their favorite things (generally New York related). Here are a few of my favorite Glenn answers:

Do you give money to panhandlers?
Only when they are actually handling pans. It's a lost art.

What's your drink?
As a conservative, I guess it's what you'd expect: I drink the blood of small people who are different than me.

How often do you prepare your own meals?
If by "you" you mean "my people," then, yes, all the time.

See full list

Hey...Ron Reagan...Why?

Why does Ron Reagan get air time? He's on Larry King now. He can put complete sentences together...I give him that. But....an "independent political commentator?" C'mon. Could it be....and I'm just spitballing here....that he gets air time because he is the polar opposite of his father in every way...and folks in the media just find that....well...just so damn compelling to see the son stick it to everything his father believed? Nah...he's an independent political commentator. That's it.

Finding His Voice

Did you see or hear McCain's speech last night after the Potomac primaries? While it is still early, he nailed it last night.

They will appeal to our dreams of a better future for ourselves, our families and our country, but they would take from us more of the wealth we have earned to build those dreams and assure us that government is better able than we are to make decisions about our future for us. They will promise to break with the failed politics of the past, but will campaign in ways that seek to minimize their exposure to questions from the press and challenges from voters who ask more from their candidates than an empty promise of "trust me, I know better.

Hope, my friends, hope is a powerful thing. To encourage a country with only rhetoric rather than sound and proven ideas that trust in the strength and courage of free people is not a promise of hope. It is a platitude.

Read the full speech

Just Name One

I think the following clips on Hannity and Colmes sums up what Obama is all about - symbolism over substance. It is just about personality. It is about timing. He is an empty suit. He has accomplished nothing. I will argue that Hillary has accomplished nothing on her own as well.

If this election is about "thinking" then the GOP will win. If the focus is on "feeling," we'll lose.

Um..hmm...yeah

I'm reading Jonah Goldberg's "Liberal Fascism" as we speak. Then I saw this. Then I chuckled...