Sen. Tom Coburn's Message To Democrats Selling Their Healthcare Votes For A Mess Of Pottage

Especially all those fake pro-lifers--these guys, so principled.

This health care debate and vote is a perfect example of why a "bad" Republican is different and superior to a "good" Democrat.

(via Nice Deb)

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Glenn Beck In Time Magazine

Looks like President Obama is giving the cover a rest.

It won't last.

Mad Man: Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

9/12: Protests Only Legit When Centrally Organized & Astroturfed, David Axelrod-Style

Apart from Fox News and the conservative blogging community, Tea Parties have received little-to-no coverage from the mainstream media. The people participating in these protests have been completely dismissed and described using a word not appropriate for this family-friendly blog. Mobsters was the "nice" descriptor.

Separately, these people who have taken to the streets and public square to protest have been accused of being, of course, racist. Because to oppose Obama is stupid and irrational and above all else, racist. This is the post-partisan change we've been waiting for: Exactly what we all expected from Obama and his fellow leftists. This was not, my friends, the end of American political history. 52-48--especially given the mitigating factors--is not a sea change.

Anyway, the silent majority took to the streets last Saturday and staged another protest largely ignored and since, diminished and disparaged by the MSM. And they wonder why their ever-diminishing audiences & readers includes almost no conservative Americans. And they also wonder why, in poll after poll, no one believes them anymore.

Here's a couple great pictures (via Ace) from the 9/12 protest in DC and some other stuff.

Whaddya know? Conservatives protesting liberals can come up with witty & clever signage too.

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Charles Krauthammer On Obama's Speech

(h/t Weekly Standard)

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Arlen Specter, Democrat (UPDATED)

In case anyone out there still believed that these guys (& gals) made decisions based on principle, Specter's decision to switch parties should open your eyes. As Karl Rove just got done saying on FNC, this is pure political self interest.

Or, as my brother put it, "I suppose we should always assume self-interest of all politicians, that way these moves never surprise us." He--Specter--saw the writing on the wall with regards to Pat Toomey and made the logical, self-interested decision--he went Democrat.

He did what he had to do to remain in office.

Lots of people are saying that this is evidence that there is no room in the Republican party for people with politics like Specter's. If by "politics like Specter's" you really mean Republican In Name Only, then, the Democrat party is a friendlier place for guys like him--"friendlier" in the sense that they are the party in power, not that they like your positions anymore than the Republican party.

It is not as though Specter was super sympathetic with Republicans on one of the big 3 tent poles in the Republican party--fiscal conservatism, social conservatism, hawkish on foreign affairs/national security. On all of these issues, he is almost a doctrinaire Democrat.

There's room in the Republican party for those who like 2 of 3 or even 1 of 3 (of the 3 tent poles), but if you're moderate-to-liberal on all three of those issues, yeah, the Republican party is not the place for you and good riddance.

UPDATE 5:57pm MST: My friend Dan Kim, for whom I have a lot of respect, addresses Arlen Specter's switch, what it means for the Republican party, & responds a bit to my post.

It's one thing to say that the Republican party holds no appeal to centrists--something which which I heartily disagree--and a whole other thing to say that Specter's defection is emblematic of Republican's lack of appeal to moderates.

Specter moved because Pat Toomey was going to destroy him in the Republican primary. Specter isn't a principled anything--apart from being a principled political survivalist. His quote about not letting the voters of Pennsylvania tarnish his 29 year career by voting him out clearly demonstrates the esteem (or rather, the lack thereof) he holds for the will of the voters. The arrogance manifested by this statement is right in line with what it means to be a career politician.

I didn't like him as a Republican. I like him even less as a Democrat. Arlen Specter is the definition of political opportunism--at least his defection means there is one less opportunist in the Republican party and one more in the Democrat party.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Love Dennis Miller

Thanks to Scott L.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybbertyATgmailDOTcom (replace "AT" w/"@" & "DOT" w/".").

At Least I've Got Megyn Kelly

I can't read Ace. I can't read Glenn Reynolds. No Drudge, either.

This sucks.

And then they tell me Obama won PA, which is like kicking a guy when he's down. But, you know, they called FL for Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004, so you never know.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Electoral Torture

Rudy Giuliani:

Mel Martinez once told me something about John McCain and these elections, he said, 'if you've been through the Hanoi Hilton, this is a breeze.'

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

A Man Among A Bunch Of Wimps

Reader Branden B. brought the following quote to my attention:

Fox News quotes Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus:

Like a lot of my Democratic colleagues I was too slow to appreciate the recklessness of Fannie and Freddie. I defended their efforts to encourage affordable homeownership when in retrospect I should have heeded the concerns raised by their regulator in 2004. Frankly, I wish my Democratic colleagues would admit when it comes to Fannie and Freddie, we were wrong.

(from Taranto)

Like many congressman, Davis is probably elected from such a safe district he could quite literally drive drunk off a bridge, killing his car-mate, and still get elected.

But hey, at least he's honest. You won't get that kind of honesty from Barack Obama or Chris Dodd or Barney Frank.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Sean Hannity vs. Robert Gibbs on Bill Ayers

In which Robert Gibbs attempts to make the morally relativistic argument that Sean Hannity interviewing an anti-Semite is the same as a presidential candidate (Barack Obama) being friends with an unrepentant former terrorist.

Leftists love moral relativism.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

O'Reilly Unloads On Barney Frank

If you missed it on Friday, here's the video of Bill O'Reilly lambasting barney Frank over his role in the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac mess.



Also, Ace points out that Barney Frank's "partner" is an executive at Fannie Mae. Ah, hypocritical conflict of interest. (Caution: Language alert)


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Dick Morris Blasts Alan Colmes

I'm no Morris fan (or, for that matter, a Colmes fan (or, for that matter, a Hannity fan)), but this clip is fantastic.

(from Jack M. @ Ace)

(h/t Scott L.)


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

2008 Vice Presidential Debate Live Blog

8:39pm: I'm off to dinner with friends. More thoughts and analysis when I get back.

8:37pm: I'm biased. I like Sarah Palin. But I was nervous about how things were going to go down tonight. I think she did really well--really, really, well. She matched up with Joe Biden. All she needed to do was play to a draw or lose slightly. I think the objective analysis will show that she did at least that and maybe even beat the 35 year senator.

8:34: Check out The Corner, if you can get it to load, for additional debate analysis.

8:31pm: Another reader texts: "I actually really like both of them. Biden is an effective politician, and very likeable."

I agree. I prefer Biden to Obama.

8:29pm: Palin does a better job hammering the core points and staying on message than her top-of-the-ticket runningmate does.

8:25pm: Sarah Palin's consistent effort to look into the camera and address the American people is effective. It's as though the parties flipped positions on this from last week. Obama was the one who looked in the camera and McCain addressed the moderator. Now, Biden addresses the moderator and Palin addresses the people. I think I like the latter style.

8:14pm: Palin: I would lead in energy policy--energy independence--and reform of government.

8:12pm: Same reader texts: "I feel like Biden is trying to sell me a used car."

Are you buying?

8:10pm: There's already a poll up at Drudge on who won the debate and, surprise, Sarah Palin is winning.

8:05pm: When Sarah Palin responds to questions with related examples from her time as Governor, that comes across as substance versus the "campaign promises" of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

8:02pm: Joe Biden: "...Serbs, Croatians, & Bosniacs."

Are they related to Obamaniacs?

8:01pm: Joe Biden is clearly smart and has a command of the issues, but his responses feel like Washington DC. His qualifications, obfuscations, caveats and nuance are diminishing his responses.

7:55pm: Taking a page from Al Gore's book, Joe Biden lets out a big, long sigh.

7:53pm: "No one in the Senate has been a better friend to Israel than Joe Biden." Says Joe Biden. I love it when athletes and actors speak in the 3rd person.

7:49pm: Sarah Palin is a strong advocate for Western Civilization, America, & conservatism. She's doing better this week than McCain did last week.

7:46pm: I'm glad to hear Biden speak so strongly in advocating support of Afghanistan and fighting terrorists. I think they'll quickly withdraw and not stick to talking points if/once they're elected, but still, I'm glad to hear it.

7:45pm: A reader texts: "She looked nervous at the first and is now getting into a groove." Yup.

7:42pm: This debate is not going how Biden's handlers told him. He underestimated her. His advisers underestimated her. And she's taking it to him. Personally, I blame the media. Democrats' friends in the MSM lulled them into a false sense of security. Again.

7:36pm: "All of the above" is a great energy soundbite.

7:33pm: One of my friends here watching comments: 'Last week we got to see Barack Obama and John McCain. I want to see what Joe Biden and Sarah Palin are about. And I think Sarah Palin is doing a better job of telling us who she is and what she's done.'

7:20pm: Biden isn't smiling anymore. Looks like Sarah Barracuda has got him rattled.

7:16pm: Taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor--income redistribution--is, in the words of Joe Biden, "fairness." This harks back to Barack Obama's insistence in the primaries that he would raise taxes on the rich purely because of "social justice."

7:08pm: This is the Sarah Palin I saw at the RNC.

7:04pm: This is the Obiden talking point: Blame the crisis on the last 8 years of economic policy. It's not true, but it's an easy, simple narrative.

7:02pm: No admission from Gwen Ifill about her book.

6:56pm: Carl Cameron: Look for Sarah Barracuda to come out swinging.

6:52pm: Dick Morris: Obama peaked too soon.

6:27pm: I really, really dislike Barney Frank. He has been Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac's biggest single House enabler. Even when Democrats weren't in the majority, he led Democrats in their efforts to stonewall Bush's reform efforts in 2003 and McCain's efforts in 2006. Since he's been chairman, he's done no better.

I don't like Bill O'Reilly's politics and I think he could do a better job of hanging this stuff on Barney Frank, but at least his target is the right one. Barney Frank is a bad, corrupt congressman.

6:24pm: Orrin Hatch thinks the Ifill thing is a joke, too.

6:11pm: Karl Rove on O'Reilly: 'Biden has said a lot of things over the last few weeks that would sink another Vice Presidential candidate.'

6:01pm: Just took a call from a reader who observed that these debates are one of the things that make this country great. It's true. While many complain about the combativeness of American politics, I think it's a great thing. In this country we fight it out in debates and columns and speeches.

Tonight, 60+ million Americans will watch Sarah Palin and Joe Biden--without the media filter--and decide for themselves.

5:52pm MDT: In today's edition of the WSJ Political Diary, John Fund opines on Gwen Ifill:

The McCain campaign says it has no problem with PBS newswoman Gwen Ifill serving as moderator of tonight's vice presidential debate despite the fact that she has written a glowing portrait of Barack Obama that will be published on Inauguration Day. Obviously, her sales will be higher if Mr. Obama wins -- a glaring conflict of interest for a supposedly neutral moderator.

Why the sanguine reaction of Team McCain? "It's probably not the greatest thing on Earth that she is in that role and it's probably going to really force her to be fully even-handed," Thomas Patterson, professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, told the Boston Herald. "If anything, she's got to be really careful with her questioning of Sarah Palin."

Indeed, one GOP campaign veteran recalled a similar concern during tense negotiations in 1980 over who should moderate a debate between then-Vice President George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis. Debate organizers were certain the Bush forces would veto Dan Rather, the famously liberal CBS Evening News anchor. But actually they had no problem with him. "Earlier that year, Bush had had his famous on-air confrontation with Rather during which he had chided him for his lack of objectivity and recalled how he had left the news set during a live broadcast out of pique," the veteran told me. "We knew then that if Rather were the moderator, he would be hemmed in and would be forced to be fair."

In the end, the duties of moderator went to someone else, but the lesson applies to this year's debates. Ms. Ifill will likely be on her best behavior precisely because of the controversy over her book.

UPDATE 5:35pm MDT: Shepard Smith just posed the hypothetical on Fox News: 'Can you imagine if it were a conservative reporter writing a book about John McCain or Sarah Palin?'

Such a scenario would never occur because they would scream bloody murder.

Here's the thing about Gwen Ifill: The fact that everyone now knows she's writing an Obama book (to be released on inauguration day) will probably neutralize her in-the-tankness for Obama. At a minimum, people are now aware of her bias.

McCain on Fox News: 'I Wish They Picked A Different Moderator'

So that problem is resolved.

But how about the basic dishonesty of using her position as a moderator for profit? There is no doubt that if the debate commission knew she were writing a book about Presidential politics--especially Barack Obama--that they would have chosen someone else.

Whatever credibility this woman once had, it's gone. Along with the rest of the pro-Obama media.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Bret Baer: History Of A Crisis

(h/t Greg Mankiw)


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Fannie/Freddy Blacklist: Start With Barney Frank

(h/t Ace)


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Radley Balko: Fiscally Responsible Gov't? Yeah, Right.

Balko is one of the guys who voted me maybe the 4th Best Conservative College Blog (sidebar: does anyone get that joke?). His prescription for The Crisis jives with some of the sentiment I expressed about the $700 billion bailout yesterday.

when congressional leaders and presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain call for more government oversight of our struggling financial institutions, go ahead and laugh. You know you want to. The idea that the private sector would be in better shape today if only we demanded more oversight from our politicians is preposterous. Our politicians wouldn't recognize "fiscal responsibility" if it spat in their ears.

Wall Street moguls may be "greedy," as both John McCain and Barack Obama have described them, but at least there are real consequences when their greed becomes excessive. They go out of business.

Balko is The Agitator.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Donald Trump Endorses John McCain

I haven't been able to find a transcript from his interview with Greta Van Susteren to quote, so you'll just have to rely on my note taking.

Donald on the economy:

It will get worse, but then it will get better. It always gets better. I think it was important that they saved AIG. We'll see what happens with their new round.

What about Sen. McCain saying he would fire the head of the SEC?

It's certainly a strong statement. I guess he's saying that he wants tighter regulation. A lot of people like Christopher Cox and I think he's done a very good job.

You have now formally endorsed Sen. McCain?

I have. I've known him for a long time. I was amazed that Hillary Clinton wasn't chosen as his Vice Presidential candidate. I've known John McCain for a long time. He's a great guy, a great man. He's a very strong guy, a very strong leader and he's very, very smart.

What is the difference between Senator McCain and Senator Obama in your eyes?

One of the differences is that Senator Obama wants to raise taxes beyond belief and Senator McCain doesn't. And in a fragile economy like we're in right now, you can't go around raising corporate taxes and lots of other taxes. You just can't do it. Then you really will see the Great Depression.

You're one of the richest guys. Senator Obama says he won't raise taxes on the people who aren't rich.

You know what I find? I find when people say that and they're raising the taxes on the rich, they end up raising the taxes on everybody. And ultimately that's what would happen. John McCain is not going to be raising taxes and could even be lowering taxes. Frankly, that's the language I like to hear. Because the economy is very weak and very fragile and any talk of tax increases; it's over, it's going to be over. I endorsed John McCain. I've known him for a long time. He's a brilliant guy. And I think he'll be a great President.

Why do you think Senator Obama didn't pick Senator Clinton to be his runningmate?

[bunch of inconsequential stuff about Joe Biden]

Hillary Clinton ran for office and probably got more than 50% of the votes. So, it's a little bit of a strange situation that she didn't get the nomination to start off with. But she ran and she got at least 50% of the vote. So you would have certainly thought that he would have picked Hillary Clinton and I think it would be much different poll numbers. Right now the polls are about even and in some polls I guess McCain is leading. I think if he chose Hillary Clinton you might not have that.

So why didn't he pick Senator Clinton?

I guess he didn't get along with her. I guess he didn't like her. I guess he felt uncomfortable with her or Bill. I can tell you I know both of them and they are fantastic people. And they've already proven to be good team-players. Because she took a lot of abuse in my opinion. I think she was she was pretty badly abused in that campaign.

What about Sen. McCain's choice of Governor Palin?

I think it was brilliant. I think it was a great testament to him. I mean, he took a chance on somebody. It's been amazing--the response--I don't think I've ever seen a response like this. Some negative, but mostly positive. And she's amazing. She's just amazing. She has totally united the Republican party like I've never seen before. It was a brillian choice and I think she'll be fantastic.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Neil Cavuto Is Awesome

Not only is he awesome, he may be the most thoughtful pundit with his own show. I like Brit Hume, but he's a straight news guy. Hannity does the necessary rallying of the base, but gets bogged down in talking points. O'Reilly is a populist. I like him when he pounds people hard with his common sense and pragmatism, but I hate him when he demonizes "big oil." The night before last, Neil Cavuto took him to task for doing just that.

(h/t Allah-Hot Air)


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Yup, He's A Democrat

At least part of the reason the public viewed (until recently) the Democrat Party more favorably than the Republicans is because of the way the MSM treats Democratic cautionary tales.

Take, for example, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

Tom Blumer of NewsBusters.com, reported earlier today:

Previous NewsBusters posts by Brent Baker and Rusty Weiss have noted the "strange" and nearly complete memory loss exhibited by the TV networks (with the expected exception of fair and balanced Fox News) and the Associated Press concerning the political party affiliation of just-jailed Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

The New York Times's record during the past seven months has been almost equally disgraceful.

Click the link for the full list of the NYT's complete omission of party identifiers.

This, folks, is the MSM theme: Schadenfreude (R), when it's a Republican.

[ ]
Silence, when it's a Democrat.

"Breaking news" that John Edwards (former Democrat candidate for President) is another example. This is the breaking story that wasn't.

Anyone who even casually surfs the blogosphere, Drudge, or Fox News has known about this for some time. But because of an LA Times gag order and the fact that he wasn't a former Republican candidate for President has kept the MSM on the sideline.

Cue the liberal apologists and moral relativists. (oxymoron, we know)

Would this story have even leaked if it weren't for Drudge, the conservative blogosphere, and Fox News?


If you have tips, questions, comments, suggestions, or requests for subscription only articles, email us at lybberty@gmail.com.

Tony Snow, RIP

For years we watched Tony Snow on Fox News. He was fair in reporting and persuasive in arguing a point and advocating policy. Though we never knew him personally, we always knew him to be a strong and ardent defender of conservatism. He was a good example.

In the aftermath of the Scott McClellan disaster, Tony Snow was, well, awesome. Longtime observers of the office of Press Secretary say Tony Snow was the best ever. And he was very good in a very difficult time for the Bush Administration and the country. He was loyal and competent and very, very good.

Today's Political Diary (h/t: S. Lybbert) ran a few pieces about Tony Snow which seem only appropriate to reproduce here.

John Fund on Tony Snow:

It took C-SPAN only a few hours after news that Tony Snow had died to begin airing the last major public speech he gave -- a closing address to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington last February.

The former White House press secretary was at his rhetorical finest in telling conservatives: "We've got more work to do and we have to do it as a team." He directly addressed those conservatives who were considering not supporting John McCain as the Republican nominee by suggesting they see a bigger picture. "You want to make every pundit look bad? Then stand tall for what you believe. Don't be shy. You want to stun the establishment? Then become a mighty force for conservative principles, and tackle the task with confidence and cheer. . . .This may be a time of testing. But it's not our swan song. Not by a long shot. Instead . . . this is our moment. This is the time to do what we do best -- turn adversity into strength."

It didn't take long after C-SPAN aired this speech for a viewer to call McCain headquarters and urge them to run excerpts at the Republican convention in Minneapolis as part of a tribute to the departed White House aide. Don't be surprised if Tony Snow is called on to rally the troops one last time.

John Podhoretz:

"[Tony Snow] wrote, he edited, he wrote speeches, he hosted television shows and radio shows and gave endless speeches. In all these pursuits he was agile and deft and successful. But I think it's safe to say that it turned out Tony's greatest achievement was his time as White House press secretary. At this crucial job, a central one in American political life, he proved to be the best -- the best ever, without qualification. He could speak with fluency, honesty, wit, and clarity on every subject under the sun; he remained poised, unruffled . . . sure of himself at the podium in the press room. Tony was a fascinating type. He was, literally, the opposite of a paranoid. He was a 'pro-noid.' He assumed people liked him. It is a rare quality for any person. It is almost unheard-of in Washington"

Brendan Miniter:

On Saturday conservatives lost a strong voice for their ideas and the world lost a thoroughly decent man. I knew him in a different capacity. I got to know Tony nearly a decade ago through a mutual friend, Ken Smith. Ken, the deputy editorial page editor of the Washington Times, himself died of liver cancer in July 2001. An article Tony wrote in response to Ken's death couldn't help but come to mind this weekend. "Suffering often does grotesque things to people: It transforms them physically and spiritually; twisting the body and desiccating the soul. But Ken never became bitter or morose. He didn't milk his plight to elicit pity," Tony wrote.

Ken remained himself, shared his kindness and never let on how much pain he was in. Later Tony would say that by keeping his dignity, facing his terminal cancer with the same conviction that he had used to build his life, Ken had performed one last service: He showed us all how to face our own mortality. A few years later, Tony returned to Ken in a column headlined "How to Be Sick." He wrote: "There are things far worse than illness -- for instance, soullessness."

I last saw Tony several years ago as he was heading out the door of a Starbucks in Alexandria, Va., on his way to work. He wasn't rushing. He had time for a man who was asking for spare change. Tony reached into his pocket, dug out several coins and at least one bill and handed it to the man. I saw Tony step closer to the man and heard him ask how he was. As the door closed, I couldn't hear what else he said, but as Tony walked away both were smiling.

*UPDATE 17 July 12:22pm PST: Today a funeral will be held for Tony Snow. In honor of the man and in addition to what we posted earlier, check out this NRO Symposium.


If you have tips, questions, comments, suggestions, or requests for subscription only articles, email us at lybberty@gmail.com.