The Summer Conspiracy

This summer's conspiracy seems to be that Barack Obama wasn't born in the USA but in Kenya. A surprisingly large number of people have been duped into believing it in one of the most easily disproved conspiracies in American history. My view is that it is a cynical political tactic used to manipulate people who are overly distrustful and gullible. What do you think?

Al Franken: Reaching Across The Aisle

Sen. Al Franken had an auspicious and historic debut on the Senate Judiciary committee. The most junior member of the US Senate and the most recent admission to the committee, Franken opened his remarks with a pledge to emulate Paul Wellstone, who was known for reaching across the aisle to conservative colleagues. cafe Santido

Rush is Right

That's something I haven't said much in the last few years. I especially didn't say it right before the election when Rush told his audience he had a "gut feeling" that McCain would win.

In fact, Rush Limbaugh has never missed the mark so badly in his entire career than during this presidential campaign. He thought he could help Hillary overcome Obama's big lead and he was wrong. He thought that McCain was a new man after selecting Sarah Palin and he was wrong. He thought Republicans could make gains in the House and Senate and he was wrong. He thought attacking Obama's albeit questionable associations endlessly would be enough to stop his momentum and he was wrong.

However, to his credit, Rush seems to have learned. On today's show he admitted (largely free of sarcasm) that attacking President Obama personally "did not work and will not work" in the future."

I think that's smart. We can talk about Barack largely having the media on his side and that may be true. But it's not what makes Obama so Teflon. What does that is having the same qualities that aided Clinton and Reagan before him. Obama is a gifted communicator. He has an ability to speak before a crowd as if speaking directly to that person's heart. And whether you like the message or not, that ability overcomes a lot of other ugliness that could otherwise get in the way (i.e. Monica Lewinsky, Iran Contra, et al.)

Rush went on to say the Republicans best hope is to attack Obama's ideas.

Once again, he's right. We've yet to see those ideas in action so it's hard to fire a shot yet. But kudos to Rush for saying something I've been saying for a very long time. Now if only Sean Hannity could get past his boner for Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers, perhaps we could actually talk about trade policy, defending our borders, government spending...

Stay Away From My Radio and My Porn Too!

Recently a friend of mine linked to this blog as a "liberal" site. I got a kick out of that. From one point of view, I totally understand it as I've spent much of the past 4 years bashing Republicans. And I don't regret that at all. In fact, I think I've been vindicated.

However, rather than becoming liberal, I think my own politics are more of what I'd call "reasonable libertarian." In other words, I might not be ready to legalize heroin, but I do think we need to start pursuing policies that minimize the federal government's all-powerful reach over our lives where it has become destructive.

On that note, I got a kick out of this. During today's Sean Hannity radio show, a commercial ran where former Attorney General Edwin Meese promoted a free speech organization dedicated to fighting the "fairness doctrine" that would restrict political speech on radio.

I started laughing. I oppose the fairness doctrine very strongly. But ya know what? I also oppose similar efforts to restrict pornography. I happen to think it's all free speech and no business of the federal government's. Besides I've been known to collect a little of it myself! And guess what? It was former Attorney General Edwin Meese, of all people, who naturally led government efforts in the 1980s to restrict pornography!

Yet again, this type of hypocrisy drives me away from the Republican party. So to those on the left and those on the right, please just let me listen to Sean Hannity while I check out hustler.com, ok???

Minority Leader Lundgren?

I was happy to hear the news that Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA) will challenge Minority Leader Boehner for that position in the new Congress next January. As candidates like Rep Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Rep Paul Ryan (R-WI) kept bowing out, I found it impossible to believe that Boehner could continue his unchallenged leadership even in the wake of such big losses. I've been a fan of Lundren's over the years and his mentor, former Rep. Bob Dornan (R-CA), remains one of all-time political heroes.

The GOP needs new leadership and Lundgren appears to bring strong credentials conservative to the table. That said, he has been around Washington for a long time and perhaps is not the sort of "new blood" the Republicans seem to need. And then there's this video which shows Rep. Lundren being wined and dined on an all-expenses paid (by lobbyists) 4 day Hawaii vacation through a ridiculous loophole in lobbying reforms.

So, yet again, I really don't know what to think anymore.