Saudi Arabia: Not the oil powerhouse it once was? David Ignatius in the Washington Post examines the state of oil recovery in the Kingdom.

Who do I have to bribe to get Weblogs to update my status? I've been posting new stuff all morning. Damn - give a struggling blogger a break, will ya?

And while we're at it: you. Yes, you. Add me to your blogroll.

Ben Domenech has a good rundown today with some analysis of the New Orleans race and Wesley Clark (quote: “The Clark campaign is officially over.”)

Democrats + Unions + Boston = Chaos

Today’s Boston Globe has a story about how the Boston Police force union is using the upcoming Democratic National Convention as a leverage point in contract negotiations. In response, Mayor Tom Menino has threatened to bring in officers from other towns and possibly the National Guard to preserve order, thereby denying Boston police officers substantial overtime pay. As Van Halen would say: everybody wants some.

Fanning the flames of liberty – The Economist surveys the march of democracy around the world.

Good news: there are more countries defined as “free” than ever before.
Bad news: the Middle East (oh, and China)
Good news: there’s hope there too.

The Hedgehog Report has the latest Gallup poll numbers. Howard Dean leads among Democrats but (interesting!) in head-to-head matchups with President Bush, Dean fares the worst among the major candidates. Heh-heh-heh.

On that note: E.J. Dionne in the Washington Post asks: “Is Dean Goldwater?”

Well, in my guts, I know he’s nuts.

“These aren't really plans…they're fantasies of escape”

John Podhoretz in the NY Post critiques the Democrats “plans” for Iraq, with none more biting than this takedown of Wesley Clark:

Meanwhile, Clark's idea that we should somehow compel Saudi Arabia to start hunting terrorists in other countries really does call into question the way they grade at West Point. Clark may have been first in his class at America's great military academy, but that credential didn't prevent him from offering here the single most ridiculous proposal of the post-war period.

In his conclusion, Podhoretz uses the adjective that I always attach to the Democratic presidential candidates: “unserious.”

Kerry: The Toast-i-nator

Newsday on why campaign staff turmoil does not look good for a candidate:

But the White House is not Yankee Stadium and a presidency racked by disagreement and plagued by high personnel turnovers conveys, not only to Americans but to the world, an image of discord. Disarray at the head office of the world's only superpower is profoundly disquieting.

Author Ross Baker reviews a couple of Presidential campaigns and the staff factor.

Believe it or not! Today’s Paul Krugman column today does not blame President Bush for something. Strange but true!

If you're a big fan of the Senate talk-a-thon....

....you need professional help. But if you love to scroll through examples of the Democrats' hypocrisy on judicial nominees, go to Justice for Judges then click on the link reading: "Democrats in their own words."

Even the Economist can’t stand this economist

Robert Prather at Insults Unpunished found this Economist (UK) article about everybody’s least-favorite columnist, Paul Krugman. Choice quote: “A glance through his past columns reveals a growing tendency to attribute all the world's ills to George Bush.” It’s not a flattering portrait.

But he may have even more readers among his ideological adversaries, particularly on the internet, where deconstructing his latest column is a kind of twice-weekly parlour game—albeit one so contentious it has spawned talk-show chatter and even legal threats.

Right ho, Economist! The game is on tomorrow morn - jolly good fisking!

Tapped raps Blogs For Bush – poorly

Somebody with the lavishly rococo name of “Garance Franke-Ruta” (man? woman?) took a shot at the relatively new Blogs for Bush and a post by B4B’s Matt Margolis.

A couple of problems:

1.) The link on Tapped for the Matt Margolis post doesn’t go to the B4B comment, but to Matt Margolis’ biography page – which isn’t even on the B4B domain.

2.) The post referred to on Tapped wasn’t written by Matt Margolis; it was written by Mark Noonan.

3.) Finally, Franke-Ruta only lists the very last part of the post to make Mr. Noonan’s comment appear disjointed and incoherent when presented out of context (even cutting off a sentence with ellipsis for your censoring needs). Here’s the whole post – judge for yourself.

As another selective writer once noted: is that the best you can do, Tapped?

Googlefight! (Hat tip to a Little More to the Right).

I tried "Union" vs. "Confederacy" - the Union still won.

Donald Luskin has Krugman – Roger Bournival has Derrick Jackson of the Boston Globe. It’s Fisk-tastic!

Saudi sub-contracting

Tom Friedman once again delves into the Middle East today with a column titled “Saudi-Israel Deal.” He cites Mideast expert Stephen P. Cohen who states: "The only hope for the Saudi ruling family, for long-term survival, is to deliver on two key sources of legitimacy: a rising standard of living and the Palestine question.” Picking up on Cohen’s point, Friedman argues that a deal with the Israelis on a Palestinian state would diffuse political tensions in Saudi Arabia while economic reforms – namely, dismantling the huge kleptocracy of the Saudi princes – will ease internal strife.

To understand why this will never happen, consider this paragraph from an Opinion Journal article earlier this week:

In 1979 a group of Wahhabi extremists seized the mosque in Mecca and tried to spark a revolution. Flown in for the purpose, French special forces shot dead every last one of them. Since then, many Saudis, including some in the royal family, have understood that their society's moral and intellectual confusion is bringing about its downfall. But those who understand the problem have had little practical effect. The ruling princes, either because they are too old, too unimaginative or too selfish, have continued on as before, failing to make reforms which might have saved them.

Finally – a French military victory! (Sorry…couldn’t resist).

Getting back to my point: the reason there will never be meaningful reform in Saudi Arabia is because it would require work and sacrifice on the part of the Saudi Royals themselves. That is, they can’t sub-contract out the dirty work of reform to their Filipinos and Bangladeshis, so it won’t be done. As a result, terrorism within the kingdom will escalate and the princes will respond by bringing in foreign security forces so their un-Islamic lifestyle of boozing and gambling won’t be interrupted.

Dean Dean Dean

Bob Novak says: “Democratic race is Dean’s to lose” but predicts that the doctor is going to face a lot more public criticism for his past and present statements (including an outright lie on the abortion issue? Hmmm.)

In Slate, William Saletan ridicules Howard Dean’s class problem and his position that the Bush tax cuts should be rescinded: “On its face, it's a losing argument: Bush gave you so little money that Dean needs to take it back. That's one postwar fight Bush can expect to win.”

Meanwhile, George Will – a vocal opponent of campaign finance reform – applauds Howard Dean’s decision to forgo federal matching funds: “He will rely on the voluntary contributions of people who agree with him. What a concept.”

A great article on the indecisiveness of Kerry…or maybe it’s not

Here’s Howard Fineman in “Kerry train wreck easy to predict”

The problem, perhaps the fatal problem, with John Kerry’s presidential campaign is that, from the start, it’s had two of everything: two sets of handlers, two centers of power and a candidate who often can’t resist having two positions on an issue. Laser-like clarity and focus are crucial in a presidential campaign. To inspire voters, it must be a crusade, not a committee; a battle flag, not a position paper. Kerry’s is all clutter.

Yet Fineman doesn’t count Kerry out yet because he has Bob “The Candidate Killer” Shrum on board to reshape the Senator’s image. Huh?

Louisiana Governor’s race: The Real Clear Politics composite poll has Jindal over Blanco by 4%.

All-Nighter in the Senate: I'm not crazy about this "filibuster" to bring attention to judicial nominees. However, I do believe its greatest virtue is getting Democrats on record explaining why certain judicial nominees should be denied an up-or-down vote. Then, in a far-off future year divisible by four, the Republicans can turn the tables.

Well, let's see what's on South Park: Michael Moore to appear on "The Simpsons"

Defense rests in D.C. Sniper case

Your defendant, John Muhammad, is accused of involvement in a dozen brutal, random, deaths. The prosecution’s case has presented over 130 witnesses and a mountain of evidence. What are you going to do in your client’s defense?

Also, Montgomery County, Md., police officer David McGill, who catalogued the items found in Muhammad's car when he was arrested last year, acknowledged that cigarette butts were found in the 1990 Chevrolet Caprice even though there was no evidence that either Muhammad or fellow suspect Lee Boyd Malvo smoked.

They didn’t smoke! Forget about the ballistics, the map with one murder scene marked “Good one,” the sniper’s nest in the trunk....

A young Democrat in Boston has some choice comments for the DNC chairman in “Terry McAuliffe has no legs”

Angrier than thou

Matthew Stinson coins a new word for the Democrats: “Deaneurysm” - A brain disorder among those in the American left during the 2004 elections, which causes those afflicted to believe that supporting the candidate who best represents hatred of President Bush, embodied in this case by Gov. Howard Dean, is more important than supporting a candidate who can actually beat President Bush through appeals to the political middle.

Good one!

Opinion Journal asks: “Can Riyadh reform before the royal family falls?”

Faster, please.

Happy 2nd Birthday to Matthew Hoy’s Hoystory (one of my must-reads everyday).

Two years in the Blogosphere are like 20 years in the real world. Congrats, Matt!

Wednesdays are for W

If it seems a little gratuitous to ask to support President Bush with donations while his campaign chest is flush with cash, consider this recent statement from billionaire George Soros (via Blogs for Bush):

Asked whether he would trade his $7 billion fortune to unseat Bush, Soros opened his mouth. Then he closed it. The proposal hung in the air: Would he become poor to beat Bush?

He said, "If someone guaranteed it."

Soros is pouring money into the left wing MoveOn organization, as well as other groups specifically assembled to oppose the White House (in the process, making a mockery of campaign finance reform). You can bet that Soros will be joined by Michael Moore, Barbra Streisand, and Power Rangers mogul Haim Saban. Visit the George W. Bush re-election website and show your support today. Then visit these other websites that support a Bush victory in 2004:

Backcountry Conservative
Boots and Sabers
Bowling for Howard Dean
BushBlog.us (unofficial blog)
Bush-Cheney 2004 (unofficial blog)
ExPostFacto
Freedom of Thought
The Hedgehog Report
The Irish Lass
Jarhead
Jeremy Kissel
Left Coast Conservative
Mark Kilmer
Matt Margolis
The Ole Miss Conservative
PoliPundit
A Rice Grad
Ryne McClaren
Slublog
Southern Conservatives
Stephen Blythe
Viking Pundit
The Wise Man Says
Argghhh!
Egged
Miller's Time
Sarcastic Southerner
Reagan Country
Blogs for Bush
DUSTINet
Pardon My English
Spot On

“I told them a hundred times: it’s John Kerry first, puppet show second”

From today’s Boston Globe: “Biting remarks on candidacy by “canine” on “Tonight Show”:

BURBANK, Calif. -- With the kind of week Senator John F. Kerry is having, it only made sense that he appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" last night and wound up following a dog

Well, a dog puppet, actually -- a foul-mouthed Rottweiler named Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who was the first guest on the show.

Hopefully the Senator had a bigger dressing room than the puppet

Machinations of the Democrats

William Safire has a good analysis of how the Kennedy and Clinton camps tried to stop Howard Dean and promote their candidates (Kerry and Clark, respectively), to little avail.

The new math: Gephardt with an “up” arrow

Steven the Poliblogger hasn’t updated his Toast-O-Meter yet, but I’m going to have to disagree with his initial assessment that Gephardt “is in the toaster, but the heat hasn’t been turned on yet.” I think Kerry’s long, hard slide helps Gephardt. Why? With Kerry gone, the only national figure with a chance to knock off Howard Dean is the former House leader. Democrats, who above all want somebody who can win, may take a second look at Gephardt who has the virtue of being from a semi-Southern state (Missouri). He can still pull in strong union support (despite losing those endorsements) and is known to have a good grasp on issues (compared to Dean in his train wreck “Meet the Press” appearance). If Dean makes another gaffe along the lines of “Pennsylvania and Ohio have awful football teams” then keep an eye on Dick Gephardt.

John Kerry: Super-Toast

Wow, what a week for Senator Splunge. First, Kerry fires his campaign manager after he refuses to resign. Then he insults his senior staff by explaining the situation in a conference call while he eats his dinner. Then, today, his press secretary and deputy finance director told Kerry to take their jobs and shove it.

Of course, the always-correct Viking Pundit declared Kerry "toast" even before campaign manager Jim Jordan was given the hook. At the risk of mixing metaphors, this is the final nail in the coffin. Turmoil in a Presidential campaign, when you're supposed to be surrounded by true believers, cannot be tolerated because a campaign is a reflection of the candidate. If the candidate can't rally and inspire his own supporters, how will he possibly run the entire country?

Kerry is done.

Yale's Fair Model calculates economic and political data and makes predictions based on past models. Here's what they have to say in their Presidential Vote Equation about Bush's re-election in 2004: "President Bush is predicted to win by a sizable margin."

American “exceptionalism”

The Economist has an illuminating and at times fascinating survey comparing attitudes in America to those held in Europe:

But America has not become “a more ordinary country”, either in foreign policy or in the domestic arena. Instead, this survey will argue that the attacks of 2001 have increased “American exceptionalism”—a phrase coined by Alexis de Tocqueville in the mid-19th century to describe America's profound differences from other nations. The features that the attacks brought to the surface were already there, but the Bush administration has amplified them. As a result, in the past two years the differences between America and other countries have become more pronounced.

I find the term “exceptional” appropriate since it encompasses both the definition of “deviating from the norm” and “well above average.” The United States now stands as the undisputed leader in the unipolar world, both militarily and economically. So what is it in the American character that makes us preeminent in the world?

The country is exceptional in more profound ways. It is more strongly individualistic than Europe, more patriotic, more religious and culturally more conservative (see chart 1). Al-Qaeda's assaults stimulated two of these deeper characteristics. In the wake of the attacks, expressions of both love of country and love of God spiked. This did not necessarily mean Americans suddenly became more patriotic or religious. Rather, the spike was a reminder of what is important to them. It was like a bolt of lightning, briefly illuminating the landscape but not changing it.

Extra: Jeff Jarvis takes the flip side of the story and tells us not what’s right with America but what’s wrong with Europe.

The profound and prodigious Donald Sensing has a Veteran’s Day Reflection today that ties together the strings of War, 9/11, the struggle against terrorism, and America. A must read.

Mideast roundup

The NY Times reports “Among Saudis, Attack Has Soured Qaeda Supporters” and Dan Darling at Winds of Change has an extremely comprehensive review (links galore) of the evolving fight against terrorists formerly on the payroll of the House of Saud.

Dean’s World presents “More good news from Iraq.”

And Rod Dreher notes on The Corner: “Last week, the UN General Assembly passed an Arab-sponsored resolution censuring Israel for the effect its military operations have on Palestinian children. Israel proposed a resolution censuring those who kill Israeli children via terrorism -- and now, Arab states are going to oppose it.” Of course they are.

Separated at Birth? - Country Store zings Al Gore

Yeah, that’s called “journalism”

From today’s NY Times Corrections page:

An article in Business Day yesterday reported on discussions between Rupert Murdoch's company, the News Corporation, and a Russian media company, Gazprom. Citing people close to the negotiations, the article said the News Corporation was in talks on a potential acquisition of the satellite business of NTV, the television network owned by Gazprom. The Times should have obtained comment from the two companies.

Both said yesterday that although they held general discussions earlier this year, there were no negotiations about the sale of NTV assets.

The Paper of Record, indeed.

The Boston Globe is all over Senator Splunge

Lots of Kerry post-mortems today including this analysis: “Reversing the Kerry slide is going to be difficult, because Kerry cannot reverse the single biggest mistake he made as a presidential candidate: voting for the Iraq war resolution.”

And this: "Kerry's on life support right now and is desperately trying to find ways to stay alive," one Democratic operative who is familiar with the campaign said. "It's a little like shifting the chairs on the Titanic, except he threw off his best chair."

Rantburg: Saudi Troops head to Mecca

To paraphrase one commenter on the thread: why is the Saudi government sending the military to the holiest city in the Muslim world during the holiest month in Islam? Oh, yeah, the terrorists.

Expecting another terrorist attack at any time, Saudi security officials have ordered 4,600 troops to Mecca for the remaining three weeks of Ramadan.

Which is equal to, what, 20 U.S. Marines? Good luck, Riyadh.

Death to the House of Saud…until the check clears

Mary at Exit Zero makes an excellent point about the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia: if the terrorists really wanted to hurt the Saudi royals, they would attack the pillow-soft targets of the oil industry. But they don’t because that’s where the cash comes from. At the core, the attacks are just another elaborate shakedown for more “protection” money.

“Appeasement is the policy of feeding your friends to a crocodile, one at a time, in hopes that the crocodile will eat you last”. -- FDR

Where’s Howard?

Have I missed Howard Dean on TV? Does he do any more Sunday morning talk shows since his disastrous appearance on “Meet the Press” in June? (Here’s a roundup of that debacle courtesy of The Carpetbagger Report). Judging by his recent remarks, maybe the Dean people feel that the less Howard talks, the better.

Speaking of Edwards

He was cruising along on Meet the Press yesterday until he hit this brick wall:

SEN. EDWARDS: This gets to be a fairly simple thing at the end of the day. For this operation to be perceived both by the Iraqi people and people in that region of the world as one that they can respond to and embrace, it’s going to have to be two things. One, an international effort, and two, an international effort that’s moving toward Iraqi self-governance.
MR. RUSSERT: As you know, the French could veto any United Nations involvement. Any nation that’s a member of NATO could veto NATO involvement.
SEN. EDWARDS: Sure.
MR. RUSSERT: And, in fact, the French have been rather insistent, they do not want to participate in this from day one. If they did that, what would you do then? You’re in the Oval Office. The U.N. and NATO have said “no.” Do you withdraw U.S. troops?
SEN. EDWARDS: Well, I don’t accept that proposition.

Edwards pulled a Dogbert “Bah!” and dismissed recent history as “unacceptable” thereby entirely avoiding the question. Surely President Edwards would marshal the forces of his Southern charm and get those Frenchies to pony up some troops. There is no other scenario.

Bah!

Dean: the anti-Clinton

Andrew Cline writes in the National Review Online that Howard Dean has appeal to the Democrats because, counterintuitively I think, Dean is not Clinton:

Dean is everything the Left hoped Bill Clinton would be in 1992, and nothing Clinton turned out to be. He holds the promise of being a president who is dependably liberal and uncompromising in his principles.

Dean is plain-spoken and honest. Clinton was obtuse and slimy. Dean was a wealthy urban kid who, laden with liberal guilt, voluntarily moved down the social ladder to maintain his principles. Clinton was a poor, rural kid who sold his soul to the highest bidder for eight years in the White House.

To the political Left, Clinton was the tall, dashing lover who swept them off their feet only to break their hearts and leave them vowing never to go out with such a creep again. Dean is the nice guy with sensible shoes who has them believing in love again.

Jon Stewart of the Daily Show described Dean (at a recent debate) as “the stern but fair drivers-ed teacher”. Is that the personality appeal of Dean? I do think that, despite his stand on issues, Dean puts on a show of resolve that gives the impression he’s solid and confident. Candidates like Kerry and Edwards (we’re for the war – we’re against it!) are diminished by comparison.

All Shook Up

What is shook up more than a paint can at Home Depot? John Kerry's campaign staff - "Democratic candidate John Kerry fired his campaign manager Sunday night in an attempt shake up his beleaguered presidential bid, The Associated Press learned."

The Poliblogger now officially agrees with me: Kerry is toast.

Detroit Dummkopf

Solomonia has the story: "Michael Moore stabs America in the back - in Germany" Solomon notes: "Moore's writing, as usual, Fisks itself" Ja.

Cletus is not amused

From the NY Daily News:

Q: And what is Clark's reaction to former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's pandering comment that that he, Dean, wants the votes of Southerners, i.e. "guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks"?

A: "Well, he shouldn't have said those things. I think all Americans - and this is a joke! - all Americans, even if they're from the South and 'stupid,' should be represented."

It's as if Kang and Kodos have taken over the entire Democratic field.

Update: Boy, Simpsons fans just can't let it go. Always a comment. Here's Nick on Duck Season with some Kang and Kodos background. Maybe we'll also see some good-natured sniping from Ben Domenech, who's always good for a Simpsons reference.

Smarter Harper's

I've updated my other page, Smarter Harper's, with sections from an article back when Harper's was a smarter magazine. I found an old Harper's from 1996 and re-typed some excerpts from an article titled "Saddam's Inferno." It's striking how critical the article is of Hussein back in the days when Clinton was dropping bombs on Baghdad, esp. compared to Harper's current position on Iraq to condemn a military action that stopped this.

Terrorism in Saudi Arabia: "RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Three blasts ripped through a residential compound in the Saudi capital around midnight Saturday, killing at least two people in an attack the Saudi government is calling a homicide car bombing."

Well, that's just terrible. Saudi Arabia should ask itself what it's done in the world to invite this tragedy.

Time to lay off Kerry

As readers of this blog know, I have a beef with John Kerry; not least of which is that as my Senator he doesn't do much to earn his $150,000+ paycheck. But I digress....

Tonight, I was flipping around and caught Kerry on C-Span at a "rally" in New Hampshire. Sweet mercy, it was pitiful. It appeared to be in somebody's living room with all the furniture pushed up against a wall so Kerry had a space to move, microphone in hand. There couldn't have been more than 30 people there, including children. Kerry gave a speech (mostly Bush-bashing) then announced he would stick around for questions.

And here's where it got just so sad: Kerry got cornered by a 10-year-old who asked him what his favorite childrens' book was. Kerry gamely answered "Sam I Am" (presumably "Green Eggs and Ham.") Then the precocious and chatty kid asked him what his favorite book of all time was. I don't know what was flying through Kerry's head at this point but my guesses are either 1.) "this wasn't covered in my talking points script" or 2.) "I'm running for President and the only person who wants to talk is this kid. Better make it look good for the cameras."

So I'm going to turn over all the cards and officially declare: Kerry is toast. He's done. He'll hold on until after New Hampshire but I don't think he'll even wait until South Carolina (where he's beating only Dennis Kucinich in the polls) before he quits. He's just a walking shadow now.

So: no more "Kerry Vote Watch" updates. Instead, I'm going to turn my attention on Howard Dean who, with the recent union endorsements, is looking most likely to gain the nomination. Then, in the general election, he's sure to gain twice as many states as George McGovern and Walter Mondale, combined. Wow.

Aimee Deep of Music Pundit has her first post in four months today about her dad’s ongoing fight with RIAA. I stop by Music Pundit every once in a while to see…um…if there’s anything new to see. Heh.

Daily Pundit has the raw numbers on the Dems "catastrophic loss of power" over the past decade.

Democrats take aim at Bush – hit foot

If Karl Rove bestowed me with magical powers to make the Democrats look irrelevant, unfocused, trivial, bitter, and feckless, I don’t think I could have come up with a better plan than the Democrats themselves.

Two words: Haiku contest

(BTW: here’s one response to the “winner”).

My last post on the "Rock the Vote" debate

Here's what I said Tuesday: "Debate winner: Gephardt."

and here's the New Republic in a longer harangue on Terry McAuliffe: "Surely last night's biggest winner was Dick Gephardt, who was smart enough not to show up."

The Economist agrees: Europe stinks!

The British magazine The Economist has a cover story about America titled “Greatest Danger, or Greatest Hope?” Generally speaking, the Brits think we’re good (hooray!) if a little imperious. But check out this riff on France some other Europeans:

Given that foreign voices were so keen to disparage America for withdrawing from Somalia in 1994, for failing for years to intervene in the Balkans, for having “allowed” the Taliban to take power in Afghanistan, and for being reluctant recently to send troops to Liberia, why should so many be hostile now to intervention in Iraq?

One answer to this final question is that incoherence is one of the luxuries of impotence. Those who cannot, or will not, take responsibility themselves feel free to snipe at those who do. Another is that it is natural to feel afraid when dramatic, ambitious actions are being undertaken, for the consequences of such actions can themselves be dramatic.

Oof! That’s gonna leave a mark.

Europeans are worse than cockroaches

C’mon, Mark Steyn, tell us how you really feel:

Europe is dying. As I’ve pointed out here before, it can’t square rising welfare costs, a collapsed birthrate and a manpower dependent on the world’s least skilled, least assimilable immigrants. In 20 years’ time, as those Dutch Muslim teenagers are entering the voting booths, European countries, unlike parts of Nigeria, will not be living under Sharia, but they will be reaching their accommodations with their radicalised Islamic compatriots, who like many intolerant types are expert at exploiting the ‘tolerance’ of pluralist societies.

I’m driven to apoplexy whenever I hear an American (read: Democrat) declare that we need to supplicate to the Europeans on the world stage. Steyn, quite a bit less humorous than usual today, explains why.

Howard Dean perpetuates the myth of Florida

The Washington Post has been having candidate forums and here’s Howard Dean’s response to a question about voting machines:

Howard Dean: The chairman of Diebold has sent a letter saying that he will do everything he can to get Bush reelected. This does not engender confidence in the American electoral system. If I become the Democratic nominee we will have teams, particularly in jurisdictions like Florida, who will be conducting poll watching activities to prevent the kind of Republican abuses that took place in the last election. We will do more work on the voting machine issue as the campaign moves along.

“Republican abuses?” What abuses would those be, Governor? Name one. This is the state of the Democratic party: they keep losing elections so, working off the mythology of Florida, they conclude that it must be because the vote is rigged. It could never be because voters actually disagree with the Democrats on issues – oh, no no no.

The Great American Job Machine

Skip Krugman (who is in the midst of his own “great unraveling”) and check out this NY Times opinion piece on the ever-changing American labor market:

Some people tend to forget this. The almost daily drumbeat of reports and "expert commentary" about a so-called jobless recovery prompts the question, "What's gone wrong with the labor market?"

The surprising answer: nothing.

The authors’ position is that improvements in technology mean that new business will live while others fade away (think: typewriters converted to word processors). And while new technology can be disruptive, it’s a natural evolution:

Large-scale upheaval in jobs is part of the economy; the impetus for it comes from technology, changing trading patterns and shifting consumer demand. History tells us that the result will be even more jobs, greater productivity and higher incomes for American workers in general.

Cool.

Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic

Unintentional humor alert: “Kerry accuses Dean of flip-flopping on issues”

Things are looking grim for Kerry in New Hampshire. Thus the attacks on Dean and the ultimate gesture of futility: the website redesign.

Survivor recap (by popular demand)

Voted back into the tribes: Burton and Lil. I was glad to see Burton get another chance since he was voted out after Drake "threw" an immunity challenge. But Lil? Ugh. Has there ever been a more hapless and confused Scout leader? The tribes merge with new black buffs.

Immunity challenge: Burton, who doesn't need immunity because as a "re-assimilated" tribe member gets it automatically this week, wins. Later he passes one of his immunities to Rupert who lost the swimming contest by a split-second. Rupert! Swimming! The man is a machine! Anyway, ex-Drake knows they have to band together for now, so they vote off an ex-Morgan tribe member - Andrew - instead of that asshat Jon.

However, if I know Survivor, the coming attractions for next week give me hope that Jon's number is about to be up.

(Happy Owen?)

Restating the case for war

Christopher Hitchens has a great article with that title and the subtitle: "Waiting for Saddam to change is what got us into this mess in the first place." Hitch unleashes on Hussein's instability and the danger of Iraq by extension. All the salient points are there:

The continuation of this regime was indeed an imminent threat, at least in the sense that it was a permanent threat.

Read it all.

Ich Bin Ein Kindergartener

A loyal reader noted my urge to repeal the 26th amendment (18-yr-olds can vote) and noted this story: Germany considers allowing kids to vote. Funny stuff.

Kerry: Making stuff up

About two-thirds of the way through the [“Rock the Vote” debate], CNN moderator Anderson Cooper turned to the Massachusetts Democrat and said: “Senator Kerry, we've got an e-mail for you. It says, 'What do you think about the recent polls that put Hillary Clinton 20 percent ahead of all you guys?”

Without missing a beat Kerry shot back, "Well, it all depends on which poll you look at. I saw a poll the other day that showed me about 15 points ahead of her."

In fact, every major media poll taken on the 2004 race since Al Gore withdrew last December shows Hillary leading the pack, usually by 20 or more points. In a Quinnipiac University survey released last week, Sen. Clinton bested Kerry by 35 points.

MSNBC "Hardball" host Chris Matthews said Wednesday night that his producer contacted Kerry's office earlier in the day to get the source of the poll cited by the candidate.

Kerry staffers, however, were unable to produce any evidence to back their boss's claim.

Maybe he meant somebody from Krakow.

Louisiana backlash?

The last significant race until 2004 is this Saturday in Louisiana where Republican Bobby Jindal and Democrat Kathleen Blanco are in a tight race for the governor’s office. But I’m wondering if all the recent squabbles and perceived slights against the South by Democratic candidates might lead to a late break for the Republicans in exactly the same way the Paul Wellstone “memorial service” led to a backlash that helped Norm Coleman (and probably had an effect on national elections also). In addition, the news today of soaring productivity and declining unemployment claims can only help the Republican Jindal.

Dual prediction: Bobby Jindal wins the Louisiana governor’s race and then Terry McAuliffe is relieved of his position as head of the Democratic National Committee. (BTW, I went 3-for-3 on Tuesday).

Where are the jobs? Oh, there they are

Via Power Line - This morning's Wall Street Journal Online news roundup opens as follows: "The number of U.S. workers filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits plummeted to a 34-month low last week, surprising Wall Street. Simultaneously, a third-quarter productivity report showed U.S. workers boosted their productivity at the fastest rate in 18 months.”

Viking Pundit’s alma mater Rutgers is #1, baby!

The night Dean put Old Dixie down

(to the tune of “The Night they drove Old Dixie down” by the Band)

Howard Dean is the name and I served in a state near Maine
A Vermont governor once, I shot off my mouth again
In the winter of 65, I was skiing, just stayin’ alive
But now I’m running for President and I seem to have lost all common sense

The night Dean put Old Dixie down and he was condescending
The night Dean put Old Dixie down, with no apology pending
He went na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na

In the debates my rivals all tried to criticize me
“Howard, why do you raise the ghost of Robert E. Lee?”
They all think what I said was bad
But I’m trying to reach the NASCAR dads
I need them if I want to win the day; the critics will all vote for Dems anyway

The night Dean put Old Dixie down, he used to be winning
The night Dean put Old Dixie down, and now his aides are spinning
They went la-la-la-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

All the pollsters before me say I need the South
But the problem I have is: I run off at the mouth
I know the battle is half-won
If I can make them give up their God and guns
I swear by the Vermont mud below my feet
I’ll win those rednecks over or I’ll face defeat

The night Dean put Old Dixie down – a Yankee condescending
The night Dean put Old Dixie down – he’ll have no happy ending
Na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na.

Howard Dean seriously doesn't know when to shut up

"We have got to stop having our elections in the South based on race, guns, God and gays and start having them on jobs and health insurance and a foreign policy that's consistent with American values," he said.

Dean then asked if Uncle Jesse could bring Daisy around with some moonshine. Yee-haw!

Medicare prescription drug bill may be doomed

From The Hill: Democrats move to kill prescription drug bill. Tom Daschle heard to mutter: “The hell with Granny!”

In all seriousness, I’ll be so happy if this legislation is killed. Unreformed, the burden of Medicare and Social Security will crush non-codgers with overwhelming debt; the last thing we need is another half-trillion dollar benefit piled on top.

Republicans on a Roll

Here's Fred Barnes in the Weekly Standard:

WHEN WE HEAR that old saw about how local issues prevailed on Election Day, you can be sure of one thing: Republicans won. And of course Republicans did on Tuesday, capturing the governor's races in Kentucky and Mississippi. In both contests, there are important national implications that favor Republicans.

Sounds logical.

Around the Blogs

Right Wing News - Michael Moore on people who buy his books: “They are possibly the dumbest people on the planet.”

Outside the Beltway has a great map of party affiliations for governors and this observation: “The fact that the four largest states (California, Texas, New York, and Florida ) all have Republican governors is stunning.”

Matthew Hoy criticizes Joe Lieberman’s Patriot Act prevarications.

David Wissing twists the knife: “I think we should all thank the Democrats for hiring Terry McAuliffe. He has done a remarkable job so far as Democratic Party Chairman.”

And Pejman has a post on national election strategies writ small in Kentucky: “At some point, Democrats will have to realize that however emotionally attached they are to Bush-bashing, they need something more to succeed on the hustings. Because spin or no spin, Democrats keep losing elections to Republicans.”

I am the elephant: Coup Coup, Katchoo!

The despair is thick at the open thread on the DNC’s blog Kicking Ass today after losing Kentucky and Mississippi last night:

See, the Republicans actually did the coup thing in 2000. And the California Recall? Coup. And the Clinton Impeachment? Attempted Coup.

But, you see, the problem for the Democrats is that we Republicans simply refuse to be logical:

We beat them hands down when they are being logical, because our arguments are logical. But when they are acting like fourth graders, it is more difficult to have a rational discussiion [sic] with them.

I know you are, but what am I?

Wednesdays are for W

The new and improved Blogs for Bush website is up and running and today reminds Republicans – and all Americans – the stakes involved going into 2004. As my posts below indicate, I’ve been highly critical of the Democratic debates and especially the “Rock the Vote” debate last night. Why? Because, as Elvis Costello once noted, “clowntime is over.” When the very first question in a nationally-televised debate is whether John Kerry would have pulled Pedro Martinez in Game Seven, there’s a fundamental disconnect with reality at hand.

Visit the GWB re-election web site and pledge your time and support. It's important.

Clowntime is over
Time to take over
While others just talk and talk
Somebody's watching where the others don't walk
Clowntime is over

Massachusetts loves…Dean! This can’t be good for Senator Splunge: Dean surpasses Kerry in raising funds in the Bay State

Why we should repeal the 26th Amendment

As promised, here's the CNN transcript from last night's "Young Voter" forum sponsored by "Rock the Vote". Here's the last question of the night:

QUESTION: Going along with this less serious note, but still this is a question of a lot of importance to me, I think.

You guys seem to get to know each other fairly well. I'd be curious to find out, if you could pick one of your fellow candidates to party with, which you would choose. But keeping in mind, partying isn't just, you know, who do you think can shake their groove thing.

I mean, we're talking, who's going to be loyal to you? Who is going to stand by your side? If you get sick, who's going to hold your hair back?

There's more. There's more to it. Who's going to be a team player, you know, if you -- imagine if you were single again. If you see a cutie across the room...who's going to be your wing man? Who's going to take one for the team?

Ha-ha! Remember when we got attacked by terrorists? What a bummer that was, fer sure.

Like that was so totally bogus, ya know?

Holy cow…I just finished watching the “Rock the Vote” debate among eight of the Democratic Presidential candidates (Gephardt skipped it) on CNN. The transcript will be up tomorrow, but it won’t do justice to just how vapid and vacuous this showcase was. The candidates should be embarrassed to have participated.

Working from memory:
- Judging by the responses, you’d barely know the United States had deposed a brutal dictator. Nearly every Iraq-related answer used the words “sweetheart deal” and “Halliburton.” It’s all about the oiiiiilllllll.....
- Three (four?) questions about homosexuality, in the military and elsewhere. Not a single query about the crushing debt that the younger generation will have to carry to support Social Security.
- John Kerry was in Vietnam.
- Repealing tax cuts creates jobs (I didn’t know that!)
- When the candidates were asked in turn if they had ever smoked pot, the audience applauded lustily if there was an admission of taking a hit. Devout religious man Joe Lieberman looked positively L-7 when he said he never chowed on Doritos and stared at his hands.
- The last question – God in heaven help me – was “What other candidate would you like to party with, that is, who would hold back your hair or be your wingman if you saw a hottie across the room?”

I would have mortgaged my house to hear one of them say: “That is the dumbest question I’ve ever heard. We’re running for the most powerful office in the world and you’re asking who we’d like to do tequila shots with.”

But, alas, it was all about the kids tonight and they would not be denied their clown show or their candy.

Debate winner: Gephardt.

The Democrats on Iraq: we’re the “UN-Cola”

How bad is it for the Dems? Here’s the start of an article on the left-wing Working for Change website called “The Democrats’ Quagmire”:

Yesterday, if you went to johnkerry.com and followed the links to discover Kerry's thoughts on Iraq, you'd finally reach the prompt: "What is Kerry's plan to win the peace in Iraq? *Read here*."

Clicking the link simply took you back to Kerry's home page.

Kerry's web team thus inadvertently captured perfectly the problem Iraq presents to the Democrats' nine major presidential hopefuls. All of them agree, to varying extents, that George Bush has made a mess of things. But they've been so busy of late harping on Dubya's failures that few of us have any idea what each of them would do. And there's this nagging suspicion that they don't know what they'd do, either. Ask them, and they're likely to simply send you back to their home page, the one that reads "Bush = bad. Me = good."

Generally speaking, they all rely on some variation of “let the world help us.” But what they assiduously fail to address is what the United States would do if France Germany our “friends” say “no” – they won’t help in Iraq. Then what? *Poof* - there is no Plan B for the Dems.

JB and KG cut off from Mickey D to promote DVD

From the NY Daily News: “The well-fed rockers of Tenacious D went on a 45-day hunger strike yesterday.”

CNN: "Actor/singer/guitarist Black said the strike would end early on one of three conditions: if "The Complete Masterworks" goes platinum, if "hunger is solved" or if there is peace in Middle East. "

Good luck to them. What? It's over? Nevermind.

Where's Patrick?

The tightest vote in the country today may be the Mississippi governor’s race between former RNC head Haley Barbour and current governor Ronnie Musgrove. So where’s the Ole Miss Conservative with the latest exit polls? This dereliction of duty will not stand.

Andy v. Andy

Sullivan v. Rooney, that is, and the result is the same you might expect if it was John L. vs. Mickey. (Hat tip to Dean Esmay).

Today Paul Krugman cites Stein’s Law: “Things that can’t go on forever, don’t.” Disappointingly, he isn’t referring to his prophecies of doom on the economy; that well will never run dry. Anyway, Robert Musil has the first blog post in response today so let’s listen, shall we? It's good.

Iraq: The horror of yesterday and the promise of tomorrow

It’s politically incorrect to say that the Democrats are unpatriotic (“peace is patriotic!”) but I’m filled with a mixture of shame and anger when I hear them denigrate American actions in Iraq as a fool’s errand. They bemoan American high-handedness and ask about the weapons of mass destruction while completely ignoring stories like this:

Until justice is done and Saddam Hussein is dead, Sadri Adab Diwan will carry with him the handwritten accusation that condemned his little sister to death.
The sister, Hanaa, a high school student, "is conducting backward religious activity inside the school," a security agent wrote in black ink in October 1980, a time of widespread persecution of Shiite Muslims. "Please open a secret investigation."
Soon afterward, Hanaa, a devout girl of 17, was arrested. She never returned home.
It was only six months ago, after locating her yellowing case file in a government office, that her family finally learned why she had been taken. Hanaa, an informer reported, gave a Koran to a classmate.
"The case of this girl, this pure-hearted girl, has been living with me for 20 years," said Mr. Diwan, who was the eldest of 10 children of whom Hanaa was the youngest. "If I catch Saddam, I won't kill him. That won't be enough. I'll suck his blood. And if he escapes, I'll follow him to the ends of the earth."

And this:

Um Haydar was a 25-year-old Iraqi woman whose husband displeased Saddam Hussein's government. After he fled the country in 2000, some members of the Fedayeen Saddam grabbed her from her home and brought her out on the street. There, in front of her children and mother-in-law, two men grabbed her arms while another pulled her head back and beheaded her. Baath Party officials watched the murder, put her head in a plastic bag and took away her children.

Yet with every death in Iraq, you hear the echoes of Somalia, the whispered urging to cut and run. Depreciate, defund, and decry. David Brooks in today’s NYT frames the mindset we need in this new “fallen world”:

Somehow, over the next six months, until the Iraqis are capable of their own defense, the Bush administration is going to have to remind us again and again that Iraq is the Battle of Midway in the war on terror, the crucial turning point where either we will crush the terrorists' spirit or they will crush ours.
The president will have to remind us that we live in a fallen world, that we have to take morally hazardous action if we are to defeat the killers who confront us. It is our responsibility to not walk away. It is our responsibility to recognize the dark realities of human nature, while still preserving our idealistic faith in a better Middle East.
The murderers of Um Haydar cannot be permitted to beat the United States of America.

America lost 3,000 citizens in the biggest sucker-punch in history. Now we have to fight on our feet and serve notice that there will be no more running away. The hope is the first democratic Arab state with human rights for all; the alternative is unthinkable.

Another young voter laments the Ponzi scheme of Social Security. Politicians pat her on the head kindly, send her off with a warm glass of milk.

Extra: The Democratic candidates are meeting "young voters" in Boston today. We'll see if any of them have a reasonable answer to the Social Security question (assuming it's asked).

The NYT notes “Campaign Tactics Being Reversed as Events Shift” in that Bush now talks about the economy while Democrats now focus on Iraq.

Election predictions

The Louisiana governor's race is Saturday (Saturday?) so there are only three races to consider tomorrow: Kentucky Governor, Mississippi Governor, and Mayor of Philadelphia.

Kentucky: Ernie Fletcher over Ben Chandler easily for a GOP pickup.
Mississippi: I'm predicting that Haley Barbour will edge out Ronnie Musgrove just enough to avoid intervention from the state legislature (say, 51% to 48%). I think Barbour benefits from political connections and (as I've noted) as a Republican counterbalance to the Democratically-controlled Mississippi legislature.
Philadelphia: Democrat John Street will hold onto the mayor's office, despite an FBI probe, thereby establishing him as the Marion Barry of Philly. Watch for Terry McAuliffe to rush to Independence Hall to savor this minor victory.

(Note: if Street does lose Philly to Sam Katz, watch for a serious shakeup at DNC headquarters.)

Apology: To those who wrote in to protest that there's more than one Republican in Massachusetts, I'm deeply sorry I offended you. Both of you. ;-)

Extended coverage

The Best of the Web had a quote from Roger Simon today, but in my opinion, they cut off the best part, which I’ve highlighted here:

Still, if the election were held today, like Georgia Democratic Senator Zell Miller, I would vote for George W. Bush without a second’s hesitation. That’s how bad I think the Democrats are on foreign policy, by far the most important issue of our day. I will go further. They are one of the sleaziest collections of low-down opportunists I have ever seen on one stage together short of that crowd of tobacco executives who testified “No, sirree, I didn’t know that nicotine was addictive.” These dudes and one dudette (Mosely-Braun) are downright dangerous. (Okay, Lieberman can be sane, but he doesn’t seem to have a chance in that bizarre atmosphere). And here’s why I think they’re dangerous—they’re acting like we’re still in Vietnam when we’re in a real war of civilizations. We’re on the right side this time. Haven't they seen the videotapes of Baathists chopping their own countrymens' heads off and pushing them off roofs? Haven't they seen the unmarked graves of children? What’s going on with these people? Do they think suicide bombers driving into the Red Cross are pacifist Buddhist monks? (Actually, I think some of them deep down know the truth, but are afraid to admit it because they’re trolling for votes—how pathetic is that!).

Very much so.

Bad news for Gephardt: "An informed Political Wire reader confirms speculation and says Howard Dean will "definitely" be getting the SEIU endorsement on Thursday."

Ketchup with your crow, Mr. Krugman?

Last Friday, I noted that after Paul Krugman gave faint praise to the economic recovery, he put a “stick in the sand” – a hard target – for what he considers success: “And unless we start to see serious job growth — by which I mean increases in payroll employment of more than 200,000 a month — consumer spending will eventually slide, and bring growth down with it.” So 200,000/month = 600,000 a quarter.

Now the EconoPundit cites some predictions from Yale’s Fairmodel on the projected job growth: “Job loss actually zeros out this quarter. By New Year's Day, 600,000 new jobs will have been generated by the recovery.” Furthermore, the model predicts a million new jobs in both the first and second quarter of 2004.

So, if true, that means Krugman will have been wrong on both growth and jobs. All that’s left is the deficit which he’ll surely elevate as the new anathema. But as Tom Maguire correctly points out, even on this issue Krugman can’t gain traction because, while the budget deficit is large in dollar amounts, it’s by no means out of step with historic levels on a percentage of GDP basis:

All of which the Earnest Prof knows, but evidently forgets when he is excited. Or, as when contemplating the recent quarter's results, depressed. Being a Serious Economist is apparently a sometime thing when he is preparing polemics for the NY Times…. I cannot shake the feeling that Prof. Krugman excoriated someone for mixing nominal, real, and percentage comparisons. It might be lovely to find it.

Perhaps a student at Princeton could come forward?

The Religion of Peace celebrates the holy month of Ramadan

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A blast near a holy Shiite Muslim shrine in the city of Karbala on Monday killed three people and injured 12, witnesses said. Meanwhile, in Baghdad, strong explosions were heard downtown after sunset.

Massachusetts – Land of many Democrats and one Republican (besides me)

But, as Faux Politik points out, that one Republican has the governor’s seat. Enobarbus links to a Boston Globe article wondering why heavily Democratic Massachusetts refuses to elect a Dem governor. I’ll venture a guess: the voters in the Bay State understand that the only thing that keeps Massachusetts from turning into a purely Communist state is the counterbalance of a Republican in the governor’s office.

On a related note, that’s why I believe that Haley Barbour will be elected the next governor from Mississippi. The legislature in Ole Miss is controlled by the Democrats so I feel that voters will bring in a Republican governor to counterbalance power in Jackson. Currently, there’s the fear in the Barbour campaign that if neither candidate gets 50% of the vote, the election will be thrown to the legislature who will put their man in office, just like they did four years ago.

First Sullivan, now Steyn

John Kerry’s “fraudulent coalition” comment really boils the blood of Andrew Sullivan and now Mark Steyn:

The really ''fraudulent'' coalition is the one Kerry wants: one that gives the Belgians and Syrians a veto over U.S. action for nothing in return. The ''fraudulent'' coalition is Clark's from the Kosovo war, where all ''allies'' were entitled to advance operational information regardless of whether they were actually contributing to any of the operations, and where, as Clark himself noted in his memoir, ''one of the French officers working at NATO headquarters had given key portions of the operations plans to the Serbs.''

I can stand anything from politicians except being taken for an idiot. The wackos end of the Democratic field -- Kucinich and Co. -- are admirably straightforward. But when Kerry says that his vote for war wasn't a vote for war, he's insulting every Democratic voter.

I’m not prepared to say that Kerry is toast – I think New Hampshire will make that obvious in two months – but I’m starting to think I should refocus my energies on Howard “Rebel Yell” Dean.

New Hampshire paper declares: “Kerry is Collapsing” – “While Kerry's campaign isn't dead yet, morticians are standing by.”

Quote of the Day: Sen. Zell Miller (Ga.), speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," said yesterday that Dean "knows about as much about the South as a hog knows about Sunday."

Religion of Peace update

This just in: Two Militants Killed in Mecca Shootout

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Two militants were killed Monday in a shootout with police in the holy city of Mecca, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
Police foiled a terrorist operation "that did not respect the sanctity of holy places and the month of Ramadan" — the holy month of fasting that began days ago, SPA quoted an unnamed Interior Ministry official as saying.

Chickens – roost. You get the picture.

Good news from Iraq so read it while you can: “The CIA has seized an extensive cache of files from the former Iraqi Intelligence Service that is spurring U.S. investigations of weapons procurement networks and agents of influence who took money from the government of Saddam Hussein, according to U.S. officials familiar with the records.”

Kerry Vote Watch

Last week, I said: “Indicating that he has no intention of returning to Washington except for issues that affect his campaign, John Kerry voted just once last week.” This week, it’s déjà vu all over again. The Senate convened for four days last week and held 22 floor votes; Kerry voted exactly once on the Lieberman bill on climate change (we need green voters!) As a Massachusetts resident, what I find most annoying is that this vote was one of fourteen votes taken on Thursday 10/30. Senator AWOL was in Washington long enough to vote on the Lieberman bill, then promptly skipped town, ignoring the other 13 votes that day. I pay taxation – where’s my representation?

Days worked: 1 (more like 1/14th of a day)
Votes missed: 21

Iraq update

There’s no denying that the downing of an American helicopter was tragic victory for the Baathists of the Sunni Triangle. Coming on the heels of the missile attack in Baghdad, it’s put new pressure on the Bush administration to regain control in Iraq (and renewed criticism on the “Mission Accomplished” speech). But as William Safire points out today, we should steel our resolve because there is no other way: “We will help Iraqis win the final war against Baathist terror. Failure is not an option.”

Two words: "Dukakis" & "Tank"

Sacred Cow Burgers has more pictures (with imagined dialogue!) of John Kerry's birdhunt. Meanwhile, the Hedgehog Report has the specific picture I was referring to in my post below.

The NYT first choice for a headline: “Dammit – economy improves”

But eventually they went with “For Democrats, Economy’s Surge Poses Challenge”

Democrats disorganized and confused (that is, situation normal)

The Washington Post has an article in the Sunday paper titled "Democrats Splintered On Tactics, Candidates" mostly stressing that Democrats aren't sure if they should fight Republican policies tooth and nail, or seek some more moderate positions in line with the Bush administration. I thought this question from a corresponding WashPost poll was telling: 53% of Democrats said that their presidential candidate should "agree on issues" while 42% said they just want someone to beat Bush. Anyone! (scroll down to question #47).

As further proof of the Dems baffled state, they were also asked who they thought had the best chance of defeating Bush in the 2004 election (Q #48), and they chose Joe Lieberman. Now, I like Joe Lieberman, but brothers and sisters, there ain't no way Joe's going to be president.

By the way (and you knew this was coming), John Kerry was just a percentage point behind "Nobody can beat Bush." Sweet.

As somebody who listens to the radio alot (long commute), this story really resonated: "Oldies Radio Stations Move into the 70s". It's a running joke I have that a certain station I listen to must by law play a song by the Eagles and Elton John at least once an hour.