The Wandering Donkey

Who needs Limbaugh and Steele?

The Democrats don't need Rush Limbaugh or Michael Steele as foils! There's plenty more fodder where they came from. Take, for instance Michelle Bachmann (R-MN):

Let's peruse, shall we?

"But what I think we're seeing is an implementation of all of the radical ideas that Bill Ayers and Ward Churchill -- the radical ideas that we've seen on some college campuses, they are now being implemented in our government, and they're taking a nefarious route when it looks at the economic recovery."

Seriously? Ward Churchill? I seriously wonder if Michelle Bachmann has ever even looked at any of Ward Churchill's work beyond a GOP talking point sheet. Regardless, I have never heard Barack Obama espouse any notion that expresses the idea that America brought 9/11 on itself. Another case of a GOP bobblehead projecting what they think someone or a group believes upon them and then pretending it's fact. Meanwhile, notice Bill Bennett with the "Uh-huh"s just going right along for the crazy ride.

If you want to look at economic history over the last 100 years. I call it punctuated equilibrium. If you look at FDR, LBJ, and Barack Obama, this is really the final leap to socialism.

Two separate issues here.

• If it's been steadily occurring over the past 100 years it might be because it is a superior economic theory to that which you propose.
• Nearly any definition of socialism includes state control of the means of production. I have yet to see Barack Obama try to nationalize Caterpillar or DuPont. Indeed he is actually resisting a call to take over banks temporarily that even some conservatives view as inevitable and necessary.

You see. We don't need Rush being labeled 'head of the party.' We don't need Michael Steele's innumerable self-contradictions and gaffes. The Republican Party has far more than that to offer. We haven't even heard from the Governor of Alaska much lately.

The Republican Party needs to try to quiet Michelle Bachmann down or else they risk quite a bit with the crazy label. They did it fairly successfully last October after she imploded. Further issues are likely forthcoming. All of the 'loud' people in the GOP are also the ones who are slightly askew. They really need to work on that issue before anything else.

(via Think Progress with a hat tip to TPM)

Comments welcome,

Pat McGovern

It's got electoral votes. It's what politicians crave.

Keep your eye on Huntsman

A week or so ago, Utah's Republican Governor Jon Huntsman surprised and shocked people by announcing his support of civil unions. No reason he had to. Just did. In a state that opposes that idea 70-30%.

Now, at the time the speculation was that he was positioning himself nationally. He has no intention of running for a third term as Governor of Utah. He is considered a contender for the Republican nomination. But open support of civil unions? Wow.

Now, he has come out, in an interview in the Washington Times, and called the Republican congressional leadership "inconsequential."

"I have not met them. I don't listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential - completely."

Now if that isn't a shot across the bow I don't know what is. Just dismissing Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. John Boehner out of hand? Whoa! Wonder how he feels about Michael Steele? The Washington Times also posted video of the interview:

Now that is one scary guy. I don't mean George W. Bush, Vice President Dark Lord or Sarah Palin scary. I mean, if he were to be nominated, he might actually attract votes kind of scary. Imagine, a Republican that wants to have a results oriented message for the voters. A Republican who wants to identify and fulfill the needs of the voters. It's terrifying!

Fortunately for us, I don't think it's going to happen. In 2012, at least. The way things are playing out thus far, it still appears that the Republican Party hasn't fallen far enough to understand that it's the right wing nutjobbies that are the problem with their brand, not the solution. Thus, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal grandstanding about how he will reject about 2% of the stimulus package coming his state's way. Exactly the sort of empty rhetoric Huntsman talks about in his interview. But it's what the "right" wants at the moment.

Huntsman will position himself as the leader of the party if he plays his cards right but not until after 2012. I fully expect the GOP to fall flat on it's collective face in it's rush to the right in both 2010 and 2012. They'll blame 2010 on Obama's popularity and how lucky he was that the recession is starting to lift. It will take a Jindal, Tim Pawlenty or Sarah Palin running on a hard right platform and losing badly in 2012 for them to finally start dismissing the idea that they aren't "right" enough.

In other words, I expect 2012 to be kind of like Ford/Reagan in 1976 but in reverse. Oops! We went too far to the right!

If they're smart, they'll learn the lesson sooner and maybe Huntsman will have a real shot in 2012. He resembles, in some ways, the John McCain I might have voted for in 2000 without the 'maverick'. (Although the civil union thing belies that.) That is worrisome to those who want a Dem in the Oval Office. I don't think the Republicans will be smart enough to do it in 2012 but 2016? He's obviously drawing a line in the sand with Jindal. (And not the wishy washy Mitt Romney kind either.)

While I would generally much prefer a Democrat to a Republican in the White House, I could live with what I've seen so far of this Republican. Therein lies the danger. I have seen plenty of political blowups and flameouts in presidential races in just the last 3 years. So who knows what may be 3 or so years down the road? But if this guy is still hanging around at that point, I think it would be best if President Obama kept his eyes open to this Governor if he wants to get a second term.

Comments welcome,

Pat McGovern

It's got electoral votes. It's what politicians crave.

Bunning starts campaigning?

Some of you, perhaps, remember Sen. Jim Bunning's (D-KY) last campaign in 2004 against Dan Mongiardo. It was full of more missteps than a drunk at a Yosemite geyser field.

• He said Mongiardo looked "like one of Saddam Hussein's sons."
• He was criticized for use of a teleprompter during a televised debate in which he appeared via satellite from RNC headquarters rather than in person.
• He even told a reporter, ""Let me explain something: I don't watch the national news, and I don't read the paper. I haven't done that for the last six weeks. I watch Fox News to get my information."

Fox News is his only source? What? The regular news part or does he just watch Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity?

There's more, but you get the idea. For those reasons (and the worry it might get worse in 2010), and the fact that he is a horrible fundraiser who only has $150,000 in his reelection warchest, the RNSC has allegedly been hoping that he retires.

Fat chance. He has repeatedly said he would run for reelection and it now appears he has started his campaign. By being overly happy about his own prognosis of the condition of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

The Courier-Journal has this:

During a wide-ranging 30-minute speech on Saturday at the Hardin County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner, Bunning said he supports conservative judges "and that's going to be in place very shortly because Ruth Bader Ginsburg … has cancer."

"Bad cancer. The kind that you don't get better from," he told a crowd of about 100 at the old State Theater.

"Even though she was operated on, usually, nine months is the longest that anybody would live after (being diagnosed) with pancreatic cancer," he said.

Now, if you are going to say something along those lines, that's the type of thing most people would be expected to be said in a small private setting. Not a public speech. Not having the full quote from the start, courtesy of the newspaper, one can only speculate on the context of that first sentence. It sounds far too much like he's happy about the situation though.

As much as Jim Bunning hates Ruth Bader Ginsberg, I can guarantee you I hate Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas at least as much. Nevertheless, I would not be hoping for them to die soon. (I wouldn't mind at all if they were to retire, but that is something that neither seems to be close to.)

We'll see if the Democratic nominee is again Dan Mongiardo, now the Lt. Gov. He holds some positions I am not really comfortable with. Regardless of who the opponent is, it would likely behoove the Republicans to either talk Bunning down from standing for reelection, or finding a credible person to challenge him. If he's starting this stuff this early, it should be quite a show a year from now. If this is the start of Bunning campaigning, the Senate GOP better be happy with their ability to filibuster this sessions because it isn't going to be there in the next Congress.

Needless to say, I believe that Senator Bunning owes Justice Ginsberg an apology, at the least for so flippantly, and politically, discussing so serious health matter of a Justice of the Supreme Court. I doubt it will be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, let me take a moment to wish Justice Ginsberg well in her battle with cancer. The prognosis is much better than the Senator made it out to be, although with pancreatic cancer that can be a very relative statement. Here is hoping that she gets better and serves as long as she wants to on the Supreme Court.

Comments welcome,

Pat McGovern

It's got electoral votes. It's what politicians crave.

And so it begins, Highlander...

There can be only one. :) (Cue Queen music...)

What the hell are you talking about, you say? Well, the race for George Voinovich's Senate seat has officially begun on the Democratic side. Jennifer Brunner made her announcement official. Here's the (warning: 3min not 30sec) YouTube:

As I warned, this is not the shortest intro video, but that is exactly what it is meant to be, an intro video. We've elected her to statewide office but the average Ohioan doesn't know our Secretary of State as well as they do our Governor or either of our Senators. Thus, she needs to introduce ourselves to the electorate. Her website is up and running here.

I like this development, which is not unexpected. I was very impressed with her resolve during the election in the face of Kevin DeWine conjuring visions of legions of fake voters descending on the polls in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. He, and he his fellow scaremongers/disenfranchisers, got a well deserved upside to the head by Ms. Brunner's office.

Apparently our esteemed Lt. Governor, the Honorable Lee Fisher, also made his decision this weekend and is now scrambling to make an announcement on the heels of the Secretary of State. There are stories here and here. As of 8PM I can't really find anything about him announcing despite the fact that one of the stories says he was planning to announce around 6PM. Could be the crappy local websites. (Please fix this Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com)

Other news on this front has the man I would have given the front runner position, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-17), claiming that he will not run and will throw his support behind Lt. Governor Fisher. I haven't seen other confirmation on this though.

Anyway, less than two months after the start of the term, it is already starting to get interesting in Ohio politics for 2010. There could still be others who throw there hat in the ring but these were the big three that were seriously considering a run. I am looking forward to a campaign that doesn't get too dirty. But we'll see.

I won't be endorsing anyone for a while. My early endorsees in primary battles generally tend not to fare well. :( Witness that I freely admit that Barack Obama, though I love the man and freely accept him as my party's standard bearer, was my third choice in the democratic field. I supported John Edwards followed by Hillary Clinton and finally Barack Obama. (I wasn't one of the die-hards who waited until his convention speech to admit it though.)

This should be fun. I hope.

Comments welcome,

Pat McGovern

It's got electoral votes. It's what politicians crave.