Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Q: Why is the House pushing health care this week?

Posted: November 6, 2009 by datechguy in Uncategorized
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A: This is their best chance to get it passed. Once 2010 starts congressmen and women will be under siege. Apparently Nancy Pelosi has studied her Civil War history:

At successive battles at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, the North Anna River and Cold Harbor, the casualty lists would grow, for both armies. However, Lee knew in this war of attrition, Grant had the edge – more available troops, and the ability to bring in new recruits. He had warned Jefferson Davis that if the war turned to a siege, in front of Richmond, it would be a matter of time, before the Confederacy would be beaten. It would become a siege, in front of Richmond, and Petersburg, during the summer of 1864 – a siege that would last ten months

The Tea Party Marches yesterday and the continuing pressure put on means that Pelosi and the administration will have more strength now then at any time in the future. To wit:

“The thing that Pelosi has going for her right now is that a lot of her members are more afraid of her than they are of their constituents,” says the GOP insider. He notes that Pelosi has plenty of weapons to make life miserable for members who cross her — “any benefits the member can have for the remainder of this Congress, the kind of support they’ll have going into next year’s election, and if they lose, what kind of post-Congress opportunities they will have.” All could be endangered by a vote against the health care bill.

It is a desperate attack (although it shouldn’t be with an 80 seat majority. The fact that it IS desperate shows what a lemon this stuff is) but it is the right political move. As York concludes:

No doubt a number of Democrats looked outside and saw the crowd. But they’re in a tough place: fearful of their constituents’ anger, on one side, and of their speaker’s anger on the other.

It’s a bad choice. But in the end, Pelosi can’t fire them. The voters can. “As the old saying goes, cross thin ice at your own peril,” said 77-year-old Herbert Rosser, who came to the rally from Raleigh, N.C. “The American people are going to make them pay a price for it.”

The closer you get to that election date the more real that cost is. Once we get to the first quarter of next year it’s all over. Pelosi has to strike NOW.

Was the fix in?

Posted: November 2, 2009 by datechguy in Uncategorized
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You know something, vendetta not withstanding Dede’s endorsement/conversion of the Democratic side and the quick relationship between the White house and Scozzafava?

I mean this lady was the republican WHIP in the house? You would think that she would have some attachment to the party.

It’s one thing to quietly support the other guy out of understandable spite and anger, it’s totally another to be doing robo calls for the democrat if you are the minority whip. Imagine Steny Hoyer suddenly going Republican over 2 days.

It’s just not possible no matter how angry you are.

Could something have been going on WAY BEFORE the Hoffman surge? After all Dede the angry was not willing to commit to staying in the party even way back when.

Something to think about.

Vote Hoffman!

Somewhere on Youtube is Joe’s speech…

Posted: November 2, 2009 by datechguy in Uncategorized
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…that took place around 6:47 a.m. EST and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while, mocking the MSM predictions that the Election of Obama has changed the country.

Now the Dede the angry has decided to go democrat: (Someone should ask Susan Collins if she is glad she campaigned for her last week).

He made fun of the fact that the media is insisting the the reason why Dede the angry was dumped was abortion and gay marriage. An example:

The Brooksville Republican — and Albany native — was in New York recently to help Scozzafava raise money along with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

In an interview last week, Brown-Waite said Scozzafava was being unfairly maligned and had a solid Republican record. Scozzafava ran into troubles with her base — including Sarah Palin — for supporting gay rights and abortion rights and was perceived as not tough enough on fiscal issues. “I resented that here was a woman whose stand is so similar to John McHue’s (who resigned the seat to become President Obama’s Army Secretary) and yet she’s being attacked.”

Frank Rich was even crazier but lets look at Sarah Palin’s actual endorsement:

The people of the 23rd Congressional District of New York are ready to shake things up, and Doug Hoffman is coming on strong as Election Day approaches! He needs our help now.

The votes of every member of Congress affect every American, so it’s important for all of us to pay attention to this important Congressional campaign in upstate New York. I am very pleased to announce my support for Doug Hoffman in his fight to be the next Representative from New York’s 23rd Congressional district. It’s my honor to endorse Doug and to do what I can to help him win, including having my political action committee, SarahPAC, donate to his campaign the maximum contribution allowed by law.

Our nation is at a crossroads, and this is once again a “time for choosing.”

Pretty generic, but the next paragraph is sure to be a litany of social issues right?

The federal government borrows, spends, and prints too much money, while our national debt hits a record high. Government is growing while the private sector is shrinking, and unemployment is on the rise. Doug Hoffman is committed to ending the reckless spending in Washington, D.C. and the massive increase in the size and scope of the federal government. He is also fully committed to supporting our men and women in uniform as they seek to honorably complete their missions overseas.

And best of all, Doug Hoffman has not been anointed by any political machine.

Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share: smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty.

Well yeah yeah yeah spending spending spending but I’m sure the next part is going to be all over Gay Marriage:

Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of “blurring the lines” between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections. Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate who more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party’s ticket.

Well she mentions Reagan and he was against Gay Marriage, of course there was no pol for gay marriage during the Reagan years. So it’s maybe implied but I’m sure she will finish with social issues:

Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual.

You can help Doug by visiting his official website below and joining me in supporting his campaign:
http://www.doughoffmanforcongress.com/donate3.html.

Well the next line is going to stress it. What there is no next line?

I guess Joe was right.

Vote Hoffman

Full disclosure: I am as a practicing Catholic of course against Gay Marriage and Abortion.

The home stretch in NY-23

Posted: October 29, 2009 by datechguy in Uncategorized
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Some of us like to eat, sleep and spend time with their families but for those who have other interests there is so much news at NY-23 that it’s hard to keep up:

There were a lot of people who doubted the polls that showed Hoffman up, well Begala apparently doesn’t:

This first anniversary is really important. The tea party crowd hopes to use Palin’s endorsement in the NY-23 special election to send one of their own to Congress on the very first anniversary of President Obama winning the White House. And we can’t let that happen. The inmates have taken over the asylum, and are abandoning the Republican candidate in favor of the extreme conservative.

The Huffington Post is in a snit over Hoffman:

And then it has the web address of a blog called PlanetAlbany, linking to a blog called Draft Dede as a Democrat. Pretty damning stuff, right? Dede Scozzafava – Hoffman’s Republican opponent – is actually a Democrat! And the proof is right there in this blog that links to this other blog, by some Democrats so proud of Dede Scozzafava that they prefer to remain completely anonymous.

That’s how crafty they are.

MoveOn doesn’t doubt it either:

The Sarah Palin wing of the Republican Party could get a big boost if a far right, third party candidate wins a three-way House race in upstate New York. Election Day is Tuesday. Can you contribute to help Democrat Bill Owens pull out a victory?

Bill Owens finally gets his name mentioned, the left seems to be thinking of someone else, someone they are afraid of, Sarah Palin. They certainly seem to be afraid of her, they’re sure not afraid of Romney:

“I have chosen not to endorse the Republican in the 23,” Romney, R-Mass., said while campaigning for GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell.

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom provided a few more details regarding Romney’s thinking: “Mitt Romney is a Republican and he tends to support the Republican candidate in races and when he can’t because there are too many differences on the issues, he stays out of the race altogether and that’s the course he’s following in the New York special election. He doesn’t plan to make any endorsement at all.”

Ah Mitt Romney voting present again, where have I seen that before?

But Dede Shouldn’t worry she is getting some press and an interesting ad as well

Politico (where Mike Allen once called Palin’s endorsement a suicide mission) is OUTRAGED and calls it a “republican” dirty trick

The group’s presumed intent with the ad is to trick unsuspecting GOP voters into thinking Scozzafava is the choice of progressives so they will then support her Conservative party challenger, Doug Hoffman. Common Sense in America is spending about $150,000 on the ad buy, and it is up on broadcast and cable in all three media markets in the sprawling upstate New York district.

There are two problems with this argument; the first of course being how we have been told over and over that moderate candidates are favored in New York. If that is the case then this ad should be of great help to Dede. It couldn’t be that all that advice about being moderate wasn’t meant to help could it?

Ed Driscoll points out the second problem:

Also, the headline at Politico is titled, “Republican Dirty Tricks” — as the Rhetorican asks, why are Republicans being blamed for a group that wants to knock out the candidate in the race who’s a Republican?

After all politico says it is trying to “trick republicans” that wouldn’t seem to be the purpose of a Republican dirty trick.

And this report from the Campaign Spot seems to support that argument:

Two of the candidates for New York’s special election race are participating in a debate right now: Democrat Bill Owens and Republican Dede Scozzafava began a half-hour ago at SUNY Plattsburgh’s E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium. So far, judging from Tweeted updates, the discussion between the liberal Democrat and the liberal Republican has been (surprise!) full of agreement

The Other McCain and Hotair are disputing the question of “Why is Doug Hoffman ducking a debate” First Allahpundit at hotair:

I suspect the stated reason and the real reason are two different things, but whichever it is, this is lame. The only good reason to duck a debate is if you’re so far ahead of your opponent that the risk of showing up and stumbling into a bad answer is greater than the expected gain from showing up and doing well. That’s not the case with Hoffman; while Scozzafava may have faded, there’s no question that he and the Democrat, Bill Owens, are neck and neck.

And then Robert Stacy:

Hoffman’s spokesman Rob Ryan told me the Plattsburgh NPR debate was “the perfect venue for Scozzafava and Owens to debate who’s more liberal.” And if Hoffman is “ducking” debates, how come he’s appearing in a TV debate today in Syracuse?

Republican Dede Scozzafava, Democrat Bill Owens, and Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman will all take part in a debate at the NewsChannel 9 studios Thursday night at 7pm on NewsChannel 9.

That’s why I’m leaving this morning for Syracuse. It would help if some people would at least learn to make a phone call or two before jumping to the unwarranted conclusion that the liberal MSM spin is always true.

Always trust the boots on the ground, speaking of boots he is heading back up and wants company:

If you’re a conservative student who has been wondering what you can do to make a difference, the Hoffman campaign needs you. Maybe your Mom and Dad are conservatives who are fed up with RINO sellouts in the GOP establishment, and they’ll help pay your way to upstate New York.

This is the last weekend before Election Day Nov. 3, and there’s lots of work to do. All you have to do is get up there and contact the Hoffman campaign, and you’ll be in the middle of the biggest election of the year.

If my son wasn’t in high school I’d love to get him over there.

Meanwhile Dede’s best chance is stuff like this:

I have known Assemblywomen Scozzafava for the 11 years I have served as village trustee and now as Mayor. Not once have I considered Assemblywomen Scozzafava a career politician. She has spent countless hours fight for our residents of Northern New York, first as Mayor of Gouverneur, and asNew York State Assemblywomen. As New York State Assemblywomen she has provide our residents with exceptional services. She has always been there to assist the Village of West Carthage with any issues at the state or local level. I question the amount and quality of services our residents and local communities will receive if either of the others were elected. They don’t even feel it is necessary to debate or answer questions on local issues before we vote.

All politics is local and if she has built up a good local rep then she has a chance, but does she actually have that rep? I suspect if she did she wouldn’t be in last place right now.

Michael Barone who has forgotten more about politics then I’ll ever know has this to say about the race:

The situation in New York 23 is simply bizarre. Local Republican leaders nominated an assemblywoman who has been endorsed by the ACORN-allied Working Families Party and who backs the unions’ card check bill. One of the Republicans passed over was nominated by the Conservative Party and has picked up endorsements from Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty. He has raised money on the Internet and from the anti-tax Club for Growth. He’s now leading in two polls commissioned by his supporters.

All of which highlights, in exaggerated form, the distrust of tea party protesters for Republican insiders and could result in a plurality for the Democrat. As William Galston points out in his New Republic blog, during Obama’s presidency voters have been growing more conservative but remain disdainful of Republicans.

Great writers can sum up complex issues in a few sentences. Michael Barone is a great writer.

Anyway do you want to know how things are actually going? The National Review has the clues. Clue one:

A slew of old guard conservative names at the National Conservative Campaign Fund are endorsing Doug Hoffman in New York’s special House election. Among the bigger names: Ed Meese, David Keene, Alfred Regnery, Brent Bozell, Richard Viguerie, Tony Perkins, and Ken Blackwell.

Big Batch of conservatives endorsing following the lead.

Clue two: Al D’Amato:

“On NY1 tonight, former New York Senator Al D’Amato said he is considering endorsing Hoffman for Congress in NY-23.”

Last rats jumping off the sinking ship? Well maybe not the last because of Clue 3:

The NRCC recently aired a web ad that takes on Hoffman’s stances on civil unions, bailouts, and his residency in NY-23. (Watch it here.) As Guy writes: “’Doug Hoffman: Running from himself’ is the NRCC ad’s tagline. Pitiful.”

That sounds bad but the key line is at the end:

In the meantime, before Election Day, don’t expect the NRCC to pummel Hoffman. They may have published this web ad, but with Scozzafava dropping in the polls, a source tells us that the NRCC will try to avoid clashing with Hoffman.

They know how to count and must have gotten one fundraising rejection too many.

No matter how it turns out it won’t be boring. How will it turn out? We will know for sure in 5 days.

Vote Hoffman!

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