Dingy Harry Does The Right Thing, Vol. I

I had my doubts after Sunday's performance on the talk shows, but it seems that Senate Majority Leader "Dingy" Harry Reid (D-Nev.), has done the right thing, and refused to seat Governor "Hot" Rod Blagojevich's appointee to replace Barry Obama in the United States Senate.

Don't expect to see that headline again in the near future. Perhaps never again.

A Lion Passes

A prominent member of the Second Generation of the leaders of the Conservative movement has passed.

Paul M. Weyrich, first head of the Heritage Foundation, and current President and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation, died early this morning at age 66.

Like William F. Buckley, Jr., earlier this year, his voice was resounding to the last.

While I never had the privilege of meeting Mr. Weyrich, his work is much in evidence in Washington. I've spent many hours at the Heritage Foundation, through participation in the Third Generation group, and at other programs, and was interviewed on Tom Jipping's show on Free Congress' cable network (back in 1997, during the Teamsters strike against UPS), which eventually strayed far from its moorings to become [P]MSNBC.

He will be missed.

RIP.

UPDATE: And at least one moonbat has chimed in with his comments. He's all class.

LATEST IN BLAGOJEVICH SCANDAL!!!

It seems that the burgeoning Illinois scandal over Governor Rod Blagojevich's (D) efforts to sell President-elect Barry Obama's Senate seat has yielded a direct link to the incoming administration.

It seems that Vice President-elect Joe Biden was trying to make a deal for Blagojevich's hair.

And Some Wonder Why He Lost

Apparently, John McCain believes that the GOP shouldn't ask questions about Barry Obama's involvement in the Blagojevich scandal.

I honestly don't know if there was any involvement. I rather doubt it.

But that doesn't mean that The One shouldn't have to answer questions.

Thank You For Smoking

On the road yesterday, I had occasion to hear Rush Limbaugh report on the discussion Barack Obama had on Meet the Press about his smoking habits and whether he will indulge (if he hasn't quit), when he moves into the White House. Barry apparently responded that he will follow Federal policy, which bars smoking in government buildings.

While I would encourage anyone to quit smoking cigarettes, if Barry exercises his right to indulge, his response should be to say "To Hell with 'Federal policy'!"

I expect to be highly critical of Barry and his administration. He is, for all practical purposes, a socialist. If he indulges his policy preferences, I expect to oppose him.

Nevertheless, for the next four years, barring anything unforeseen, the White House will be his residence.

And if he chooses to smoke, he is entitled to do as he damn well pleases in his own house.

I certainly won't be criticizing him for doing so.

Amazing

I used to consider Waldo Jaquith one of the more tolerable members of Virginia's Liberal blogosphere. His blog aggregator is indispensable, and unlike many on the Left, who bar comments from Conservatives, he does not fear debate, even if he has a rather childish doorway to post a comment (one has to type "democratic").

Now, I'm not so sure. He declares in a recent comment that "Communism is downright cute."

Perhaps I'm just old-fashioned (well, of course I am), but I have a real problem with anybody who characterizes an ideology responsible for the death of as many of one hundred million souls and the enslavement of more than a billion others as "cute."

Whether it bespeaks ignorance or fundamental evil ... well, I just don't know.

Leading Moonbat Blog Closing: Good Riddance To Bad Garbage

Having spent years making politics in Virginia more corrosive, it seems that the boys and girls at Ranting Kids... er, Raising Dough... er, Raising Kaine... er, "RK" ... er, whatever, are shortly shutting down.

It's none too soon. Sure, they have lots of readers, probably because childishness sells, particularly among the denizens of the far Left.

One has but to witness their recent complaints. It seems that one contributor is in high dudgeon over Virgil Goode's demand --- to which he is statutorily entitled --- of a recount in his narrow loss to lightweight Tom Perriello. One commenter, clearly engaged in an exercise in projection (having apparently forgotten Democrat whines about George Bush's victory in 2000), offered this observation:

An established pattern of Republican elites and their sense of entitlement is, to put it simply: "Any so-called victory by Democrats is not legitimate; it is our right and duty to contest it." And, every time they do demand a recount or go to court (sometimes all the way to the Supreme Court) it does indeed in some measure de-legitimize the Democratic victory, making it seem somewhat less victorious, somewhat less likely to be repeated, while enhancing (in Republican minds at least) the stature of the Republican point of view.

Have we heard enough yet that Democrats won the White House only because of: 1) the unfortunate blip in the economy, 2) Bush's incompetence, and 3) failure of the current Republican leadership to adhere strictly to Republican principles, i.e., they were not conservative enough, because, after all: the United States is basically a center right nation. Therefore, Obama does not have a mandate and he must work in bipartisan fashion with the Republicans (on their terms, not his). All this applies at every level of government---- most especially in these pesky Congressional Districts such as Goode-Perriello. Obviously.

Wow. Now, I suppose that Goode's chances for success are somewhere between slim and none (only one commenter evidences any modicum of sanity; the children over there don't allow me to comment, after all). After all, my recollection is that Virginians can take pride in the integrity and accuracy of their electoral processes, a situation demonstrated in 2005, when Attorney General "Landslide Bob" McDonnell won his race by fewer than a thousand votes, and the recount resulted in a shift of fewer than fifty votes in his favor over Democrat State Senator Creigh Deeds.

And what were the boys and girls at Ranting Kids... er, Raising Dough... er, Raising Kaine... er, "RK" ... er, whatever, saying then?

Well, chief moonbats Lowell Feld and Josh Chernila offered a virtual cornucopia of rationalizations and complaints about the process. Lowell offered the observation that "it appears that 'the fix is in,' with the 'recount' rules written in such a way that there's almost no possibility of Deeds winning." Hmmm. Wasn't Virginia's State Board of Elections controlled by Democrats in 2005? Contributor Nichole openly urged Deeds to request a recount. Josh bucked up the Democrat nominee with "Keep fighting Creigh, we're behind you!" (emphasis added).

I have no doubt that the Virginia Moonbatosphere is in mourning over the impending shutdown of this widely-read blog. But the boys and girls at Ranting Kids... er, Raising Dough... er, Raising Kaine... er, "RK" ... er, whatever, are little loss to rationale discourse and debate. Or even to those who expect just a little bit of consistency, other than consistently applying situational ethics to their "analysis."

Truly Gracious

An update on General Mukasey, via the Federalist Society:

November 21, 2008

Dear Friends,

Well, as I was saying...

Let me please begin by underscoring what an honor it was to speak to you last night. I am, as you might imagine, quite embarrassed to have collapsed last night. I hope that embarrassment is not the product of undue human pride, or at least not principally so. I am embarrassed in part because I fear I ruined your evening and caused you concern - for that I am truly sorry. Equally important, I hope the shortened conclusion of the speech did not detract from the message I hoped to convey: Specifically that the issues of law and policy relating to our continuing national security are real, and are worthy of the most careful thought and deliberation so as to keep the American people safe.

The Federalist Society has spent the last 25-plus years promoting thoughtful and fair debate concerning the critical legal and public policy issues facing our nation. It was an honor to address you last night, and I urge you to continue the fine efforts of the Federalist Society in the future.

Finally, I was truly humbled to hear all of the prayers and well wishes sent on my behalf from attendees at the dinner. Thank you all. I am, fortunately, well, and I too pray for all of our good health and for the future of the Nation we all love.

Very Truly Yours,
Michael Mukasey

A class act.

Truly Terrible

Attending the Federalist Society Convention's annual dinner tonight, I happened to be in the audience when Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed towards the end of a truly inspiring speech regarding the Bush Administration's efforts to combat terrorism.

It looked for all the world to me as though he suffered a stroke. Of course, my degree is in law, not medicine.

Like former Congressman David McIntosh, who led one before we left after the AG was carried away by emergency personnel, I covet everyone's prayers for our Attorney General. Mine go to him and his family.

Good And Hard

The sage of Baltimore, H.L. Mencken, is purported to have observed something to the effect that "Democracy is the theory that the public deserves to get what it wants, and good and hard, too."

For some reason, that quotation has been floating around my head for the last few days.

My Take On The Results

As a Conservative who believes that people should vote on ideas, I am delighted that the results of this election demonstrate that there are not so many racists voting as one might suspect.

As a Conservative who believes that people should vote on ideas, I am appalled that the results of this election demonstrate that there are many more stupid people voting than one might hope.

Once Again, Penn State Gets Screwed

Apparently, barely beating the nation's No. 1 team entitles one to leapfrog the idle No. 2 team. Texas Tech, previously No. 7, beat No. 1 Texas, and was awarded the No. 2 spot previously held by Alabama. Penn State, which was idle this weekend, remained at No. 3, while Alabama was awarded the top spot.

Once again, the most respected coach in college sports, and perhaps in all sports --- Joe Paterno --- is denied the respect he deserves.

Estelle Reiner Dies

Wife of director/comedian Carl Reiner and mother of actor/director Rob Reiner died a few days ago.

She is most famous for perhaps one of the funniest lines ever delivered in a movie, though it was completely deadpan.

In her son's film When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan demonstrates that women can fake orgasms any time they want to, and proceeds to do so in a delicatessen. The camera moves to a then approximately 64-year-old Reiner, who declares to the a waitress standing by her "I'll have what she's having."

Hilarious.

RIP.

Obamaniacs Evidencing Desperation?

Had just sat down for dinner a little while ago, and the phone rang. While there are plenty of reasons to hate that, this turned out to be "Mark ____ from Maryland, a volunteer for" Barry He-Whose-Middle-Name-Shall-Not-Be-Spoken Obama and Mark Warner.

What a hilarious call. He asked for my wife, who likewise, had just sat down to dinner. He asked a few questions, the upshot of which was "Who are you voting for?" Since I didn't want to interrupt my wife's dinner, I informed "Mark from Maryland" that there was utterly no chance that my wife would be voting for Barry or the Boyish Governor, and that, since my dinner was getting cold, he should stop wasting my time and his, and hung up.

Doubtless, he indulged his self-serving caricatures, and dismissed me as just another right-wing radical Christian who exercises dictatorial control over his wife who, at best, simply has a "false consciousness," being unaware of her own interests and in desperate need of the guidance of the vanguard of the proletariat.

Of course, this call may well represent a rather desperate tactic on the part of Barry and the Komsomol. After all, it hardly seems logical or persuasive for Marylanders to call into Virginia for Obama, and especially for Marky-Mark. Particularly south of the Occoquan. Moreover, why would it be necessary to use Marylanders if Obama is doing so well in Virginia?

And what about this?: Brenda Young has to be among the hardest of the hard "Rs." She's voted in every GOP primary in Virginia since 1990. She's been a member of her local GOP Committee since 1991. She's attended every GOP Convention (county; congressional district; and state), since 1992.

This call makes me more sanguine about the truth about Barry's "popularity."

A Pretty Pathetic Job Application

So former Secretary of State --- and this is his most relevant "former" --- Colin Powell has endorsed The One, Barry He-Whose-Middle-Name-Shall-Not-Be-Spoken Obama for President of the United States.

As someone pointed out to me this morning, it's a pretty pathetic job application.

Think about it. One who finds solace in polling data could conclude that an Obama victory is a foregone conclusion, that it's all over but the shouting. So now, sixteen days before Election Day, Powell endorses The One. Might it be that he wants a job in the new Administration?

After all, look at his justifications. Powell challenges McCain's judgment. Does he do so by pointing out his contempt for the First Amendment, and his support for limiting free speech, as illustrated by the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance "Reform"? Does he attack McCain's support for any eminently arguable policy preferences?

No. Powell claims that it is illustrated by his pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for Vice President, saying that she is clearly not qualified to assume the office of President. But as compared to whom? Barry Obama? After all, Palin has the executive experience that Obama is sorely lacking. When one considers this fact, it becomes readily apparent that Powell's decision --- to the extent that it may not be completely opportunistic --- is based more on ideology than on objective criteria. And if it is based upon ideology, one can legitimately question whether his was ever truly a Republican ideology, even broadly construed.

He fears more conservative Supreme Court nominees? What Republican isn't hopeful of a more conservative Supreme Court?

Indeed, one looks at the endorsement and sees little more than The One's self-serving (and largely false) talking points. To the extent that The One's thin record depicts anything, it reveals a committed Socialist (even when --- uncharacteristically --- someone like "Joe the Plumber" gets access to ask a tough question). Other than that, The One presents little more than an empty vessel, into which his campaign devoutly hopes that the muddled middle will pour its own predispositions and hopes, without knowledge of his thin but actual record.

More interesting is the reaction of the far Left moonbatosphere. They hail the endorsement as a triumph, demonstrating once again that theirs are situational ethics of the worst sort. Aren't these the same people who not so long ago roundly condemned Colin Powell as a mere cipher, spouting the dishonest (they say) arguments in favor of taking out Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein? What is it that converted Colin Powell from a mere propaganda mouthpiece into a sage political analyst?

Apparently, his newfound and arguably opportunistic support for The One.

Lowell Feld, one of the leading moonbats ... er, "lights" over at Ranting Kids ... er, Raising Dough ... er, Raising Kaine ... er, "RK," has even put up a post about past Republican comments about Colin Powell. I suppose it's more fun to attack the other side as hypocritical than to remind readers about your own (or your fellow travellers') previous attacks one someone whom you now believe to have "seen the light."

Powell's endorsement of Obama demonstrates nothing so much as the fact that Powell --- his service to the nation notwithstanding --- is not a serious or consistent political thinker. Certainly, to the extent that he has ever thought about issues broader than national security issues at all.

For this endorsement does not elevate The One so much as it diminishes Colin Powell. And that is unfortunate.

My Two Favorite College Teams Undefeated!

With a majority of their respective seasons past, my two favorite college football teams --- Hampden-Sydney (the alma mater) and Penn State (I'm from Pennsylvania, and my grandparents were season ticketholders) --- are both ranked, and both undefeated.

Hampden-Sydney, No. 20 in Division III, and No. 1 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), prevailed over the coeducational experiment in Lexington, AKA Washington & Leigh ... er, "Lee" (Robert E. Lee V, H-SC '86, was a classmate of mine) by a score of 39-29, while No. 3 Penn State broke a 12-game losing streak against Michigan by rolling to a 46-17 victory, allowing no opposing scoring after the first half, yesterday.

Hampden-Sydney may well be on their way to a second consecutive appearance in the Division III playoffs, since they can do no worse than 4-2 in the conference, with home games against Catholic (5-1 overall; 1-1 ODAC), the alma mater of H-SC Head Coach Marty Favret, next week and The Game against arch-rival Randolph-Macon (2-4 overall; 1-1 ODAC) on 15 November. A non-conference game against undefeated Huntington College (Montgomery, Alabama) is scheduled for 8 November.

And if Penn State can prevail against No. 12 Ohio State in Columbus next week, they will certainly be in the hunt for the National Championship.

Should be an interesting month in college football.

BIDEN CALLS FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST GOP OFFICIAL!

Hard to believe, but it's true. One of the Ranting Kids has the story here.

I wonder how many flipping toupees this will get from Ben Tribbett?

Interesting Insight On Barry

I've often said --- probably not here --- that the best Constitutional Law course I've ever taken was one taught by Professor David Marion, at Hampden-Sydney College, in my senior year.

At the alma mater's Homecoming this weekend, I learned that I'm not the only practicing attorney who feels this way. A much more recent graduate agrees.

It seems that a young man who graduated a few years after I did went on to law school at the University of Chicago, where his Con Law instructor was none other than Barack He-Whose-Middle-Name-Shall-Not-Be-Spoken Obama.

According to my source, Dr. Marion's course/teaching/method of instruction as a Political Science/Government course was superior --- far superior --- to Barry's as a law school instructor.

It surprises me not at all.

Frederick States Fact; Moonbatosphere Whines

Facts are the enemy of Liberalism. It's an undeniable truth of life. Moonbats scurry from fact like vampires scurry from sunlight.

Witness the recent statement by Jeff Frederick. He repeated an observation made by Limbaugh a few days back: that both have closely associated with men who have bombed the Pentagon and buildings in New York City. I noted the comparison here.

Frederick said it in front of a magazine reporter, as if it were news, or as if twenty million people hadn't heard Limbaugh say it five days ago.

So what do the moonbats do? Well, of course, they act as if it were news. Lowell, the lead moonbat at Ranting Kids ... er, Raising Dough ... er, "Raising Kaine" ... er, "RK," questions Frederick's sanity --- a subject on which he is perhaps qualified to speak --- and declares flatly that Bill Ayers --- the Weather Underground terrorist in question --- is not The One's friend.

They call for Frederick's resignation, demonstrating beyond doubt that they fear most a Republican Party of Virginia Chairman who will respond in kind to their attacks. They scream "racism and hate," as though they don't engage in class warfare and promote hatred against the successful, and as though pointing out The One's questionable associations were not legitimate. Of course, they declare that all but embrace of The One and his candidacy is racism per se.

It's expected when the moonbats whine. That's like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant. It's rather disappointing when someone as normally sensible as Doug Mataconis thinks it's a big deal.

Heard On Rush Limbaugh Today

What does Barack Don't-mention-my-middle-name Obama have in common with Osama bin Laden?

They both have closely associated with men who have bombed the Pentagon and buildings in New York.