tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323095922024-03-23T11:03:16.517-07:00The Republic SquareThe Republic Square is a blog created to act as a meeting place for citizens, patriots, pundits and freedom-lovers... united by a reverence for these United States and conservative principles!
The Republic Square Blog- Where Democracy HappensMatt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-13470648429306545632007-03-08T23:26:00.000-08:002007-03-08T23:58:32.481-08:00Truth Be Told<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://johnstodderinexile.wordpress.com/files/2006/07/newt-gingrich.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://johnstodderinexile.wordpress.com/files/2006/07/newt-gingrich.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In 2005, as chairman of the Catholic University College Republicans, some students and faculty agitated against one of my planned speaking engagements. The event was a speech on leadership presented by Newt Gingrich, and the protesters' complained that Newt's sorted personal life violated the school's prohibition against speakers not in communion with church doctrine. Illogical theological absurdities aside (never discuss religion in polite company, I always say), yours truly argued in an NPR radio interview that Newt's personal life did not compromise his stock as a great speaker for the event. After all, it seemed obvious to me that failing to conduct oneself morally and the open advocacy of immorality were easily distinguishable actions.<br /><br />Now, as then, the libs among us proved overwhelmingly unable to appreciate philosophical nuance. On Thursday the media went and worked itself into an excited frenzy over the revelation that Fmr. Speaker Gingrich has admitted to having an affair during the Clinton Impeachment. Ever capable of defending himself, Newt eloquently explained why the media's charges of hypocrisy continue to ring hallow:<br /><br />"The president of the United States got in trouble for committing a felony in front of a sitting federal judge," the former Georgia congressman said of Clinton's 1998 House impeachment on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. "I drew a line in my mind that said, 'Even though I run the risk of being deeply embarrassed, and even though at a purely personal level I am not<br /> rendering judgment on another human being, as a leader of the government trying to uphold the rule of law, I have no choice except to move forward and say that you cannot accept ... perjury in your highest officials."<br /><br />We all fall down, and certain beloved friends and family among us do so with greater frequency and force than others. Nevertheless, there remains a demonstrable difference between failing to do good on the one hand, and attempting to rationalize and even idealize bad behavior on the other. Individuals need something to "shoot for," so societies safeguard moral norms to encourage just and communally as well as personally beneficial behavior. Newt's affairs retain their disgracefulness, but his sin remains his own to reconcile with the women he disrespected and hurt. Who can Fmr. President Clinton apologize to for making "bj's" and numerous "definitions of is" part of the vocabulary of every elementary school student?Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-41507350922480791362007-03-02T10:14:00.000-08:002007-03-02T11:18:24.361-08:00Candidate Profile: Rudy Giuliani<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlZJoM5bWCmVx9RFs7frTpqGIxC88lLncQABxAwuegYZFtjAg6wbo59vAw0UUiNrQfJkQh87NrgYtrQaYgXji6IVxVZqUW_hxvCiRDrqhTo1F-kQmQoJZGn-eGDgZ-sBw8Vbm/s1600-h/GiulianiRportrait_frame.sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlZJoM5bWCmVx9RFs7frTpqGIxC88lLncQABxAwuegYZFtjAg6wbo59vAw0UUiNrQfJkQh87NrgYtrQaYgXji6IVxVZqUW_hxvCiRDrqhTo1F-kQmQoJZGn-eGDgZ-sBw8Vbm/s320/GiulianiRportrait_frame.sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037392771931194178" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Name: </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rudolph William Louis Giuliani III</span><br /><br />Age: 63<br /><br />Marital Status: Married (Judith Nathan)<br /> Twice Divorced<br /><br />Party: GOP<br /><br />Position: Fmr. Mayor of NYC, Fmr. Federal Prosecutor, Security Consultant and Businessman<br /><br />Famous for: NYC Mayor during 9/11<br /><br />Nickname: "Rudy", "America's Mayor"<br /><br />Would be: First Italian American President<br /> First NYC Mayor to be President<br /> Second Catholic President<br /> First North East President since JFK<br /> First NY President since FDR<br />-----------------------------------------------<br /><br />Political Ideology: Right of Center<br /><br /> Fiscally: Conservative<br /><br /> Socially: Moderate<br /><br /> Foreign Policy: Hawk<br /><br />Campaign Fundraising Prowess: Very High<br /><br />Current Field Ranking: #1 in GOP Primary<br /> #1 Overall (Beats Hillary, Obama, and all known<br /> contenders solidly in current <a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1594847,00.html">TIME</a> and <a href="http://politicsnj.com/default2007.htm">NJ Q</a></b><a href="http://politicsnj.com/default2007.htm"><span class="p"><b>uinnipiac</b></span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <br /> polling)</span><br /><b><br /><br />Strengths: Rudy has cultivated for himself the perception of strong leadership due to a strong resume as prosecutor and mayor. He is popular with Americans across the political spectrum. Conservatives largely view the former mayor as a tough on crime and terrorism. Liberals and Moderates see a personally affable Republican who has distance from Bush and a socially moderate platform. Giuliani can also command large sums of donation cash as well as loyalty from numerous politicians for which he has campaigned since 2001.<br /><br />Weaknesses: Rudy may encounter ire over his dicey personal life (having married and divorced a second cousin before cheating on his second wife). The later sorted personal saga had damaged his approval ratings, only to be resurrected by his 9/11 leadership. Social Conservative Republican Primary voters may also take issue with his liberal positions on civil unions and abortion. <br /><br />Analysis: Rudy is the clear frontrunner, and his Washington CPAC speech today was warmly (if cautiously) received. As Rush Limbaugh skillfully noted, McCain is suffering for insisting on running for president of the US before the contest for president of the GOP is decided. Giuliani has not made that mistake, as illustrated by his willingness to address CPAC and McCain's suspect refusal.<br /><br />Nevertheless, Rudy has three major strikes against him for national electability. 1) He's an Italian Catholic from the North East 2) Women may find his personal life too much to take 3) If millions of social conservatives sat home in 2000 because of uber-socially conservative George Bush's 20-year old DUI, will these churches actually show up for socially moderate and thrice divorced Rudy?<br /><br /><br />Stay Tuned....<br /><br /><br />Republic Square POWER RANKINGS, Week of February 26th<br /><br />*Once a week we will estimate the chances for each candidate to win their respective party nomination for president. The top five from each party are then ranked accordingly.... sorry Bidens of the world, we only have enough time for those having national prospects.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">GOP POWER V:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">1. Giuliani- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As of now, Giuliani is running the best campaign. Nevertheless, we are still a long way out and the first debate isn't until April. Giuliani should begin talking about his relationship with Reagan-era judicial minds like Alito and Roberts in order to slake the fears of social conservatives.</span> </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">2. McCain- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Shit or get off the pot, my Grandmother used to say. Senator McCain may have simply burned too many Conservative bridges, and his snub to CPAC reminds conservatives of why they think the Arizona Senator cannot be trusted. McCain needs to find an inner energy and start running for the nomination, or face defeat at the hands of a more aggressive challenger.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">3. Gingrich- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If Newt really wants in, he could make a real go of it, polishing up fond memories of the glory day that magic November 1994. Then, the less-glorious days of 1999 will remind pundits why he won't be on the ticket.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">4. Romney- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sink or swim, pal. Romney needs to prove he's something more than a pretty face with a questionable abortion track record FAST.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">5. Brownback- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A real potential VP... needs to increase exposure, hope for/work towards a Romney collapse to open up potential caches of conservatives disaffected by the big 3 (McCain, Giuliani and Romney)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">DEM POWER V:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">1. Clinton- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It's hard to see Bill Clinton not getting what he wants in the Democratic Party... in this case, it's a house in NY to himself. Clinton has been running a campaign as flat as John McCain, but Hillary has much more room to slouch. The institutional advantages inherent in being a "Clinton" may just be too enormous. </span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">2. Obama- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Barrack is the only candidate with a serious shot at the former First Lady. He represents a different, fresh face at a time when Americans seem to desire experimentation with something new. </span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">3. Gore- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fresh off of an Oscar win for his home movie discussing melting ice cubes, the former Vice President could have Nixon-mojo if he decided to run.... but it's unlikely that he would want to risk losing his new-found niche as the Left's premier spokesman on all that is cooky. </span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">4. Edwards- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Polls suggest he is leading in Iowa, but the newer and dare I say smoother Obama may have sucked any available air from Edwards sphere. Altitude sickness, John? Drink water.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">5. Richardson- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If this were the VP power rankings, the order would be inverted (removing Gore, of course). Richardson could help make the American SW blue and attract more Hispanics, but his conservative leanings on many issues sadly exclude him from a serious chance at the top Dem post.</span> </span><br /></b>Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-50326808511757070502007-01-04T14:35:00.000-08:002007-01-04T15:20:51.726-08:00Retrospective<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/R-Largent.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/R-Largent.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In one of those moments that can't really be scripted, I was flipping through a recent issue of Newsweek Magazine with the news on in the background covering the start of the new Congress when I came across an article entitled <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15674090/site/newsweek/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Decline and Fall</span></a>. It was an article that told the all too familiar story of how the Republicans of 1994 were betrayed by the institution of Congress and forced to capitulate on principles.<br /><br />The reason I say it was a profound moment is because the story centered abound former Congressman Steve Largent of Oklahoma, a man who according to the story recognized what was happening to the GOP Congress. Largent lost in a bid for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002, one of very few losses suffered by the GOP in that year. Largent's defeat was in large measure due to an independent former Republican who pulled in nearly 15% of the vote.<br /><br />So what does this all mean? It means that Largent was a true conservative who would now have four years of executive experience under his belt, a great family, a winning smile, and a compelling story and message (he is the only Seattle Seahawk in the Football Hall of Fame). In a time when so many Republicans I speak to are not thrilled about any potential nominee for the White House and are looking at Barak Obama (more next week here at TRS) and Hillary Clinton with more interest than suspicion, a leader like Largent might have been the answer so many are looking for.<br /><br />I'm not saying...I'm just saying.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15674090/site/newsweek/"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a><br /></div>Citizen Morronihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424198854915125995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-54656569650411962742006-12-27T19:04:00.000-08:002006-12-27T19:22:05.191-08:00Media Plays Fast and Loose with Ford Legacy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.medaloffreedom.com/GeraldFord_BillClinton.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.medaloffreedom.com/GeraldFord_BillClinton.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When President Gerald Ford stood for election in 1976, the Press mercilessly assaulted the 38<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> president for his pardon of Richard Nixon. One of the most decent men ever to rule in the Oval Office, after decades of service in the military and government, Gerald Ford was painted as a co-conspirator in Tricky Dick's crimes against the democratic process. Ford never second guessed his decision to spare the nation the spectacle of a presidential criminal trial. A cynical and blood-thirsty America Left were equally <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">unwavering</span> during a calculated character assassination, resulting in the disaster that was the administration of Jimmy Carter.<br /><br />Today, when the network news programs and newspaper retrospectives recall Ford's decency and all-around goodness in the face of the great trials of the 1970s, it is important to remember the agents responsible for depriving the nation of Ford's leadership in an hour of national darkness.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-78101946067125774912006-12-19T07:53:00.000-08:002006-12-19T08:25:22.196-08:00Senators Sort-of for Free Speech<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kancrn.kckps.k12.ks.us/wyandotte/library/Bill%20of%20Rights%20Redux%202/Assets/Images/bill-of-rights-01.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://kancrn.kckps.k12.ks.us/wyandotte/library/Bill%20of%20Rights%20Redux%202/Assets/Images/bill-of-rights-01.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The foundational tenant of modern American politics is that free speech, defined as the ability to have an opinion without fear of persecution or violence, applies only to those championing Liberal viewpoints.<br /><br />If you stubbornly refuse to accept the reality presented above as fact, friends, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/18/prnw.20061218.DCM029.html">enjoy this juicy news nugget from across the Atlantic in the United Kingdom</a>. A British Lord has called for the resignations of United States Senators <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rockafeller</span> and <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Snowe</span>, after the duo demanded that <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ExxonMobil</span> cease funding scientists disagreeing with "mainstream" global warming hysteria. Has our political situation deteriorated to a point when European lords are left to rebuke United States congressmen for undemocratic acts? Apparently so, and everyone should interpret the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Rockafeller</span>/<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Snowe</span> manifesto as the genuine threat to liberty it represents and the unbelievable embarrassment their letter creates for the United States.<br /><br />The same elected officials that loudly protest denying Muslim terrorists a night of shut-eye at Gitmo would just as soon fine or jail an American for disagreeing with Al Gore on climate change. And voters harbor little respect for federal servants? I don't believe it...<br /><br />Of course, if you are an uber-environmentalist friend of all living things ugly and beautiful, you are not required to agree with me. That's your right, at least until the 110th Congress is seated.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-19125760329122115462006-12-15T08:53:00.000-08:002006-12-15T09:20:04.755-08:00Bush Heeds the Battle Call?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.republicanvoices.org/bush_troops.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.republicanvoices.org/bush_troops.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />President Bush may be on the verge of sending more troops to Iraq, representing what may be one of the most controversial moves of his tenure in office at a time when his approval rating remains mired in the mid thirties.<br /><br />Although prospective presidential front runner John McCain and the incoming Democratic Intelligence Chair both recommend an infusion of troops, the reality of what must be done to win in Iraq will not sit well with many talking heads and weary Americans. <a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/45245">Eli Lake of the NY Sun has even suggested that Bush's move could be a "parting shot" at his old rival McCain</a>, whose presidential chances may wither if the troop reinforcement strategy fails. Respectfully, I do not think that Bush has proven himself to exercise such an extreme level of pettiness. Like Lincoln in late 1862, coming off electoral defeats and military thrashings, President Bush may have finally realized the necessity of hard war and be ready to engage the enemy aggressively in Iraq. Time is the only measure that counts in this respect.<br /><br />Certainly, as Charles <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Krauthammer</span> has observed, the complete failure of the Iraq Study Group Report to inspire anything but depression among those alert to this issue has given the president a unique opportunity to right the ship in the 11<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> hour of his power to do so. Insert cynicism here, but any honestly-American witness to our contemporary struggles in the Middle East owes his or her country some optimism and an earnest hope for the best out of Bush in the next couple weeks.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-52440477145372371142006-11-30T19:02:00.000-08:002006-11-30T21:03:02.470-08:00Energy Reform is Answer to Iraq<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scandoil.com/moxie/moxiepix/t1113.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.scandoil.com/moxie/moxiepix/t1113.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Sometimes, as the popular idiom goes, it is difficult to see the woods for the trees. I was having dinner with a group of Republican friends on Tuesday, and when Iraq was brought up, I could not help but launch into my patented tirade regarding the extent to which general reluctance to fight a hard war had doomed the effort. Staying on message should be worth something, even if it gives all of my friends indigestion. Nevertheless, on the way back to the apartment, your favorite Colorado blogger and mine Frank </span><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">Morroni</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> once again hit the nail square on the head. In his unnervingly casual style, Frank reminded me of the only real and permanent way to win a war against fundamentalist Islam: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >pass comprehensive common sense energy reform</span><span style="font-size:130%;">.<br /><br />Lest this answer's beautiful simplicity disturb your cynical sensibilities, consider the following </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >5 Step Rooney Rationale</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> to reengage a serious discussion of energy policy:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >1.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">We Can't End 1,500 Years of Muslim Infighting:</span> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Islamic history is very complex, but here is a basic summary. Since the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 A.D., Muslims have been fighting over who is the rightful heir to the Prophet's legacy. Is it or isn't it Ali? It no longer matter, as Sunnis, </span><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="font-size:130%;">Shias</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, </span><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:130%;">Wahhabists</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, Sufis and a greater devolution of various schools and minor sects harbor ill-feelings that will not soon dissipate. This kind of hate, hardened in the hearts of men by centuries of institutionalized brainwashing and bad theology, will not easily find its resolution in the arrival of western generals.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >2. We Can't Always Clean-up Europe's Messes:</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"> As with most international debacles, including two world wars, the Balkans, Africa, Vietnam and the Middle East, the fingerprints of European imperialist mischief can be easily discerned at every step. Iraq is but the most recent of a long-line of poor sociopolitical arrangements facilitated by European colonial ambitions. Perhaps Iraq should never have been one country, but now it must be to counterbalance Iran's insanity. That does not make Iraq any less dysfunctional, comprised of multiple cross-cutting </span><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:130%;">ethnicities</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> and religions not cleanly divided by region. And I have yet to hear a practical plan of resettlement.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >3. Half-Hearted Wars are Immoral: </span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Although I remain convinced that a general like MacArthur or Sherman, allowed the proper strategic liberties, would have been able to clean house in Iraq, such a situation failed to materialize. Now, with the war spiraling out of control, western countries have lost the will to fight on. If we are not going to fight to win, as Rush Limbaugh recently asked, "Why wait to cut-and-run? Get the troops home for Christmas." Amen.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >4. Damn Right This is a War for Oil:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Whenever the professional protesters of America invoke the mantra "War for Oil," how can I help but scream back "Damn right!" America is too fat to ride bicycles, and I do not see anyone in congress walking to work or working by candlelight. If we did not need regional fuel reserves to power our economy, the Middle East would be little more than a distant backwater that geography buffs alone could properly identify on a map.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >5. Energy Reform Makes the Middle East Irrelevant: </span><span style="font-size:130%;">An America with an adequate number of refineries, extensive nuclear power supplies, the license to drill ample oil reserves and actively making strides toward cars that run on hydrogen cells is an America safer than any administration could achieve with a million man army. President Bush has made some form or another of this argument, but Congress killed energy reform with the same recklessness exercised when spending your federal tax dollars on state rodeos and bridges to nowhere. If the wacko environmentalists love wildlife as much as they profess to, let them dodge bullets in the desert. The rest of us would prefer to make use of the bounty God gave us in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaskan Wildlife Preserve, and other, more hospitable, domestic locales.<br /><br />I hate to acknowledge truth in anything Frank says. We are college roommates, and I can not take the resulting ribbing between quarters of Madden 2006. However on this issue, Frank clearly sees the woods; both Frank and I have come to realize that this country is indeed dangerously distracted by a tactical argument that seems to ignore the larger strategic elements relevant to our war against Muslim extremists. Ironically, it is only appropriate that solid legislation is the superior remedy to bombs, boots and ballistics for the world's greatest democracy's most dire policy dilemma. Why kill your enemy when you can bankrupt and starve them into irrelevance? Damn the trees! Full speed ahead to American energy self-sufficiency.</span><br /></span></span>Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-56158743899028699542006-11-29T11:51:00.000-08:002006-11-29T12:22:19.127-08:00Republic Square Contest: Name the Baker Report and Win a Shirt!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.imajlar.com/free_clipart/flag_clipart/flag_clipart_white.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.imajlar.com/free_clipart/flag_clipart/flag_clipart_white.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The Baker Report is being positioned by the talking heads as the definitive analysis on Iraq. In reality, everyone seems interested in little else than surrender and no one has offered a solution. Victory, however defined, isn't even on table. So, in the spirit of the current cut-and-run "oh shit, let's get outta here" attitude of the world's last great superpower, try your hand at naming the Baker Report! If our leaders insist on selling us up the river to crazed Islamic <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">jihadists</span>, we might as well create a reason for distracting/comforting laughter.<br /><br />The winner will receive a free t-shirt from the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">TRS</span>.com store, providing the lucky contestant with bragging rights and at least one less <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Christmas</span> present in need of purchasing.<br /><br />My pick is "Peace in Our Time." It's a classic, yet always popular with the kids/academics/sweaty-palmed armchair generals in Congress.<br /><br />Let's hear what you think...Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-53060166698221868022006-11-25T19:44:00.000-08:002006-11-25T20:10:07.715-08:00Forcing the Issue<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2002/04/05/israel372.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2002/04/05/israel372.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2006/1124/breaking16.htm">A new Israeli poll shows Benjamin <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Netanyahu's</span> <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Likud</span> party decisively leading Prime Minister <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Olmert's</span> faltering <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Kadima</span> unity movement</a>. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Disillusionment</span> over the government's <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">handling</span> of the war with Lebanon seems to be driving Israelis to seek new leadership, much as the Iraq War dealt a blow to the GOP in America.<br /><br />But while America has chosen to retreat from its current aggressive stance in the world, Israel appears headed on a fatefully divergent course. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Netanyahu</span> is comparing Iran to 1938 Germany, as a country endeavoring upon a new Holocaust. If his party ascends to power and the Middle East continues to deteriorate, the United States may not enjoy the luxury of choice regarding its current military entanglements.<br /><br />Others will force the issue for us.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-77243041134597937892006-11-23T09:21:00.000-08:002006-11-23T12:06:13.301-08:00Lincoln's Holiday is a Prayer for His People<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/abraham-lincoln/photographs/lincoln4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/abraham-lincoln/photographs/lincoln4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />When the United States of America was mired in the nightmarish throws of the American Civil War, the horrible realities of warfare became brutally apparent for a weary President Abraham Lincoln. Previously favoring a "soft war," concentrating on destroying armies and minimizing civilian strife, the events of 1862 proved cathartic for the embattled war time president. He realized that the disastrous Union defeats at Bull Run, Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg foreshadowed the possibility of a bloody and endless generation, precluding expeditious American reconciliation. Worse still, the Union was losing its will to fight under the weight of mounting setbacks and casualties. Lincoln fully expected to lose the 1864 election, and America was on tract to surrendering the South to history. A losing war was ripping the United States asunder.<br /><br />Considering his options under the dim candlelit glow of White House nights, Lincoln resolved that his only remaining solution was to wage an all-out"total war" against not only the armies of the Confederacy, but to take that war to Southern towns, farms, cities and plantations. The Civil War ceased to be exclusively about reunion, as battle alone seemed unlikely to accomplish the task. This was to be a war to remake the South, shattering the southern slavocracy perpetuated by a backwards social and economic system. It was to become a war to set men free, and create a new union that would fulfill the lofty promises of the Declaration of Independence yet unfulfilled. The proud South would not yield to arguements for brotherhood and peace; the sword alone would rescue America from Europe's fractious fate.<br /><br />As contemporary Americans cram turkey and stuffing down their gullets, they seem to have decidedly less for which to be happy than this time last year. America looks dangerously weak in the world, and superpowers cannot afford to appear weak. Our leaders and generals are fighting a losing strategy, our enemies around the globe are emboldened, and morale on the home front is more frigid than the holiday cranberry mold. What would the great leaders of the Civil War, which killed nearly 1,000,000 American civilians and soldiers, impart to us in these uncertain hours of self-doubt, concern, and indigestion? The Thanksgiving commemoration began at Lincoln's initiative, declared as a national day of prayer in 1863 in the interest of restoring national unity, morale and purpose in the middle of the bloodiest and most devastating conflict in our entire national history. Today, this beloved feast renews its original meaning as a moment of clarifying grace for a wounded country. Lincoln reaches across the fabric of time to remind Americans of all the blessings, advantages and opportunities the nation he saved continues to offer its citizens and the world. Yet these benefits are not idle treasurers to be squirreled away and squandered within the safety of our walls.<br /><br />Engaged in a modern war against the tyranny of bellicose Islamicism, America's only option, as Lincoln determined over 143 years ago, is to recognize and boldly pursue the necessary course to save American civilization. Sherman was relieved of duty early in the Civil War, believed to be crazy for suggesting the measures and cost in lives and fortune required to preserve the union. Now, those that suggest the War on Terrorism is a global struggle that must cripple radical Islamicism are castigated as the sanguine stalwarts of a discredited conflict. Yet not one critic of this war has been able to intelligently challenge that we are in real danger. Forward thinking Americans are coming to realize nothing short of resolute commitment to a total war in Iraq and Afghanistan will win a war for which there is no turning back. As Sherman stormed to the Sea to break the spirit of as Grant described it "the worst cause for which men have ever fought," western armies must breathe fear into the hearts of terrorist organizers and radical theocrats that will respond only to bullets and bombs shredding their empire of death and lies. "Enshrined" in the hearts of his countrymen, Lincoln's Thanksgiving prayer cries out for his nation to collect the resolve to do what it must to deliver his cherished Union from new threats. <br /><br />To make good on Father Abraham's historical call to arms is to start fighting for our values like we mean it, with fully engaged measures and full-throated words of defiance to retain the reigns of our American destiny. Sherman observed that "War is Hell," and so it must be for those who challenge our liberties and values until their end.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-84233815591182383362006-11-16T20:05:00.000-08:002006-11-16T20:23:56.194-08:00Ebenezer Edwards Grinches Wal-Mart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://k43.pbase.com/g3/90/447790/2/53117612.ChristmasShopping.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://k43.pbase.com/g3/90/447790/2/53117612.ChristmasShopping.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>With the Holiday shopping season just one week away, the Associated Press has shed light on one of our favorite liberal's gifting habits.<br /><br />Fmr. U.S. Senator, Vice Presidential candidate and golden-haired leftist rockstar John Edwards (D-NC) has long validated his "progressive" credentials by bashing the one American institution substantially combating inflation- Wal-Mart. But when it comes to finding a cool new Playstation 3 for the Edwards family tree, where does Pretty John turn?<br /><br />That's right; <a href="http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061116/APF/611162631">Wal-Mart is claiming that Edwards attempted to procure the expensive game station via a staff aide through a local superstore</a> for that horribly affordable and competitive Wal-Mart price. Hypocrisy abounds with these people, folks... even at Christmas! I suppose a company that enhances the purchasing power of average Americans is evil UNLESS a multimillion dollar trial lawyer and hippie-windbag needs a yule tide fix for his kid. Humbug!Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-53648165236356404062006-11-15T07:56:00.000-08:002006-11-15T22:18:31.660-08:00The Uncomfortable Truth of American Economics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ohiou.edu/economics/images/photo3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.ohiou.edu/economics/images/photo3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />U.S. Senator-elect Jim Webb (D-VA) actually raised some<a href="http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009246"> good points </a>in today's Wall Street Journal opinion section.<br /><br />The DOW is at an all time high, economic growth is marching along and unemployment is near the floor. Then why are Americans upset enough about the endangerment of the American Dream to vote into office 28 more Democrats? The truth is that America's economic success has not greatly improved the standard of living for Americans. As Webb illustrates, "hidden costs" resulting from astronomic health care, education and insurance increases have strained the American pocketbook. Sure, both parents have historically well-paying jobs, but these hard-working adults are finding it somehow harder to meet the demands of modern life. Webb is not incorrect when he warns of a "protectionist backlash," one that would doom the U.S. to the economic dark ages. What can be done?<br /><br />Tax cuts of the Bush mold are a nice start, but who do they reach? The greatest Liberal lie of all is that the "rich" have been successful in shifting the tax burden to a hapless middle class. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Even after the Bush cuts, the richest 1$ pay more than a 1/3 of federal income taxes, while the top 50% shell out nearly 97%! </span><a href="http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/57xx/doc5746/08-13-EffectiveFedTaxRates.pdf">The class distinctions of which Webb is so thoroughly wary have been created by the same big-government tax 'n' spend shenanigans entrenched by years of federal fiscal liberalism</a>. Many estimates suggest the top 50% of Americans will pay 100% of the taxes by 2010. Is that democracy? Are we truly fostering an egalitarian economy? Double taxation via corporate and income taxation give the average wealthy entrepreneur reason enough to avoid direct reinvestment, low-income Americans remain without the educational tools to participate in the market effectively, and the middle class continue to get screwed by chasing a social mobility that is increasingly too expensive.<br /><br />Republicans did not lose this election simply due to angst over Iraq. The real story is more complex. In order to enjoy a reasonable chance of retaking Congress in the near future, Congressional Republicans must offer a real contrast between the Liberal Democratic vision for America and a Conservative Republican map for progress. The Democratic sweep of rust-belt congressional seats should serve as a morbid example of America's doubts about free market policies. Sherrod Brown, Bernie Sanders and other newly-ascended kooks will push for an attempted return to 1956, when you "grew up to do what your daddy had done" whether you liked it or not. Pelosi, Jim Webb and their leftist cohorts will rant about college loan reforms and text book price hearings for the first 100 days; it won't be long before they gloss over the real problems plaguing our nation's health and return to their darker socialist tendencies.<br /><br />Republicans must again embrace the conservative pragmatism championed by Ronald Reagan to regain the trust of the American people and save them from a class-segregated tomorrow Nancy Pelosi is anxious to engage.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-46657190909951650162006-11-09T14:23:00.000-08:002006-12-03T19:13:39.231-08:00Civil War and Reconstruction<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn8209/dn8209-1_250.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn8209/dn8209-1_250.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />And I'm not talking about 1865.<br /><br />The 2006 midterms resulting in Democratic victory have <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">predictably</span> set in motion a tough fight for control of the Republican Party: <ul> <li>Leadership of the House looks to be attainable for the long-<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ostracized</span> super-conservative Mike Pence (R-IN). Flake is also a candidate, but Pence's superior name recognition with the base makes him the most prominent choice to one day be speaker.<br /></li> <li>The Senate is somewhat less clear. Mitch McConnell seems to be the establishment candidate, but John <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kyl</span> and Kay Bailey Hutchinson are also in the leadership mix. Not to be discounted is Trent Lott, who has made a real recovery and is once again a major power player in the Senate.<br /></li> <li>Michael Steele is too excellent a resource to waste. <a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/11/steele_for_rnc.html">Reports whizzing around Washington</a> regarding his possible ascension to chairman of the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">RNC</span> are premature. Nevertheless, Steele would provide a fresh perspective and renewed vigor that the national party desperately needs.</li> <li><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">NRCC</span> Chair is going to be a critical post to fill, presented with the fundraising and organizational demands of trying to retake at least 15-20 House seats. The primary candidates are Phil English (R-PA) and Pete Sessions (R-TX), with <a href="http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/11/cole_seeks_nrsc.html">Tom Cole (R-OK) joining the fray this afternoon</a>. While not the odds-on favorite, keep an eye on Sessions. I've had the opportunity to meet some of Rep. Sessions' people and they are aggressive.</li> <li><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">NRSC</span> Chair is in the air. John <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Thune</span> (R-SD) was the obvious choice, but the popular freshman senator and current Inner Circle Chairman turned his nose up at the seat. <a href="http://www.senatemajority.com/who_wants_to_be_an_nrsc_chair">So have most other GOP senators</a>, wary of a difficult Senate cycle ahead in which the GOP has many more defenses. Look to Norm Coleman (R-MN) as a strong candidate.</li> </ul> Should be interesting. Get some popcorn if you're not faint-of-heart...Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-3102584818047750322006-11-08T17:03:00.000-08:002006-11-08T18:05:16.372-08:00The Death Toll<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/ww2-pix/enter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/ww2-pix/enter.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />We didn't get back until about 4:30am Wednesday morning, and I have developed some sort of bad head cold from marching around in the wet and damp weather. My CR chapter worked our fingers to the bone, but failed to save Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R, PA-8) from the wave of apathy and discontent that swept the nation November 7, 2006. Fitzpatrick and his family are great people who this country can ill afford to lose as community representatives. It's going to take some time to digest the disaster, but here are some <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">initial</span> observations/notes of analysis on the past 48 hours:<br /><br /><ul> <li>The GOP has taken a serious hit on the state government level, including 6 governorships in OH, MD, NY, CO, AR and MA. In addition to the direct effects yet to be felt on the local level via future legislation, the Republican infrastructure for a 2008 presidential campaign has been weakened.</li> <li>Republicans look to have lost 30 House seats, which while consistent with 6-year itch losses for the White House party, is still significant particularly in the age of gerrymandering. Some Republicans fully deserved to lose their seats; others (notably Mike Fitzpatrick) most certainly did not. Surprises included the loss of seats belonging to Republicans previously considered safe, including Melissa Hart in and JD <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hayworth</span>, who have now been unceremoniously tossed to the curb. A tiny bit of good news for Republicans is that they look to narrowly stay above the 200 mark, a psychologically important level of representation.</li> <li>Perhaps most <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">disastrous</span> is the Senate, where 7 seats appear to have fallen. Additionally, many great GOP challengers like Michael Steele never had a chance. A real shame. Losing two seats in "Dixie" also presents a serious demographic problem for the GOP.<br /> </li> <li>President Bush's life is a living hell. He has to present the State of the Union speech this winter with Nancy <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Pelosi</span> grinning from behind. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Rumsfeld's</span> resignation is too late, and now appears to be more a sign of surrender than a response to a concerned electorate. Bush normally preforms best when his back is to the wall, but the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Dems</span> are now in the drivers seat and he will have to react.</li><li>Washington, DC is about to get a lot more Democratic. Power changes result in mass firings, as the victors cut the losers funding for staff. Additionally, K Street will conform to match the new environment.</li> </ul>We'll discuss more in the coming days. For now, I need some <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Advil</span> and a good night's sleep.<br /><ul> <br /> <br /> </ul>Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-65350277574904335492006-11-01T17:45:00.000-08:002006-11-01T13:10:36.425-08:00NO MISTAKE: John Kerry Speaks for Democrats<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.funnyhub.com/pictures/img/john-kerry-plays-soccer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.funnyhub.com/pictures/img/john-kerry-plays-soccer.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The last 24 hours has seen a rush by Democrats to create distance between their respective campaigns and John Kerry's idiotic ramblings. Whether or not they are successful remains to be seen, just as any rallying effect on the GOP base will be hard to gauge. But make no mistake: John Kerry speaks for national Democrats.<br /><br />Moderate Democrats are as plentiful in the modern Democratic base as polar bears in Africa. Voting for Democratic congressmen, or staying at home to protest the lack of a border wall, is an endorsement of radical, leftist stewardship of our government.<br /><br />Look at this man (if he could be called one with his $1,000 nails and hair)... does he deserve to have a Senate committee chairmanship? More importantly, what have we as the American people done to deserve such a cruel fate?<br /><a href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="return false;" tabindex="7"><span></span></a><br />Sit on your hands and John Kerry, the man who has such a disdain for our military, would be the chairman of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs. That'll help dealings North Korea and China. Still want to make a point because you're angry over healthcare reform? Save it for the primary!Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-82515880712331433352006-10-30T07:32:00.000-08:002006-10-29T20:45:59.474-08:00For New Jersey, A Moment of Truth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/59/163555664_277f63fd80_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/59/163555664_277f63fd80_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Going to school in Washington, DC, it is not too difficult for classmates and co-workers to peg me as a New Jerseyan. The distinctive vowel noises and pronunciations of pet names (like "dawg") make for easy joke fodder. What I find harder to suffer is the endless jabs about New Jersey corruption. Despite my best attempts to explain that we all don't grease Tony Soprano's palm or knee cap political opponents in Elizabeth dock warehouses, the perception that Jersey is a festering nest of political bossism is irrepressible.<br /><br />And to be fair, what have we as citizens of New Jersey done to convince anyone anywhere otherwise? Our tolerance for malfeasance is unbelievable, and the general apathy shown toward criminality on the part of state leaders is pathetic. Toricelli, Menendez and McGreevey are just the most recent and prominent names in a long line of disappointments. When the statehouse more closely resembles that bar from Star Wars than a legitimate legislature, does it come as a surprise when the rest of the country fails to take New Jersey seriously?<br /><br />November 7th is evolving into <span style="font-weight: bold;">a moment of truth</span> for New Jersey in more ways than political outsiders or beltway pundits could ever comprehend. Sure, the outcome of the Senate race may very well affect control of the United States Senate. But for those of us who call the Garden State home, this race is about hope, pride, and the future of Jersey. Outside of a few rogue congressmen, Jersey is on the road to becoming not that much different than Massachusetts: an overtaxed and poorly served one-party fiefdom. Liberal Democrats dominate every branch of state government, and New Jersey's quality of life in declining. New Jerseyans are a hard-working, principled and prosperous people, but our industry is squandered by elected officials serving machines and special interests. Taxes break our backs and we receive the worst return on our federal income taxes of any state in the union. A vote for Menendez is unavoidably an individual affirmation for the status-quo. If New Jersey sends another corrupt, unethical, uninspiring party man to the Senate, what hope will the state ever have of achieving honest, competitive government that can tackle the issues New Jersey so desperately needs to confront?<br /><br />A vote for Tom Kean is a battle cry; it is a vote for a new day in a state that is crying out for an honest man with principles worthy of its people. Property taxes, war votes and stem cells are secondary to New Jersey's need for fresh leadership that will enliven the statewide political discourse and change the nation's perception of our home. A vote for Tom Kean is an act of confidence in New Jersey as a place worthy of real leaders that treat their constituencies with respect, not as dollar signs. A vote for Tom Kean is a defiant gesture, telling the world that New Jersey will not be the milk cow for any political machine, crooked politician or statewide party. Will we learn our lessons after sustaining habitual abuse from the same old snake oil salesmen, or will we encase our self-respect in cement and leave it at the bottom of the Hudson?<br /><br />I don't know whether it will be Tom Kean or Bob Menendez thanking voters on the morning November 8th, at some cheerful and delicious diner in Bergen County with great coffee and conversation. Maybe we won't know the result until Wednesday night, if the current polling is at all accurate. Nevertheless, I do know that a Menendez victory will do little to reverse the trends currently bleeding New Jersey of its children, fortune and dignity as they respectively flee to other locales,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>just as I know that a Tom Kean triumph will herald a new lease on life for my home state. Forgive me for getting excited, and hoping against all hope that my fellow New Jerseyans have come to the same realization. Thus is the nature of a genuine, cinema-quality moment of truth, in t-minus 8 days...Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-16739568919599817202006-10-28T07:02:00.000-07:002006-10-28T08:49:27.965-07:00TRS Ratings Change: MD Senate Toss-up, Brighter GOP Fortunes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.phillysonline.com/lunch_counter/images/2005/11/02/steele.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.phillysonline.com/lunch_counter/images/2005/11/02/steele.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />When we here at <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">TRS</span> were in the process of <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">handicapping</span> races last week, we made it infinitely clear that of all the races at that time clearly leaning toward one party or the other, MD had the greatest potential to become competitive.<br /><br />And so it has. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">TRS</span> officially <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">amends</span> her most prestigious ratings to reflect the fact that the MD Senate Race has moved from<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204); font-weight: bold;">lean Democrat</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> to </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;">toss-up</span>.<br /><br />So what's happened? In 1000 words or less (much less):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Steele has run an <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">extraordinarily</span> aggressive and attractive campaign.</span> Simply put, his <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">TV</span> ads, stump speeches, and televised debate performances have been <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">superbly</span> inspiring and endearing when compared to Cardin's <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">boorish</span> appeals. Ben Cardin may have thought this was going to be a walk, explaining the lack of energy on his part. Guess again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102501410.html">The Lt. Governor demolished Cardin in the last debate</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span> Not even close. Even The Washington Post, which also oddly enough has endorsed MD Governor <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Erlich</span> (R) for re-election, remarked <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102501410.html">how deflated Cardin appeared under the Steele <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">assault</span></a>. Hasn't this guy been a congressman for some time?<br /><br />3. This particular item is the most <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">intriguing</span> to the political analyst.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Democratic Party regularly does little for African Americans in exchange for the overwhelming support this demographic has afforded. This could be ending, at least for the purposes of our current race. </span>Michael Steele was the first African American elected statewide in <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">MD's</span> history, and I can't believe that counts for nothing. In addition, he has <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">received</span> a series of high profile endorsements from members of the black community, including Russell Simmons and the son of his former opponent <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Kweisi</span> Mfume. But most critically, Cardin has snubbed blacks left and right. Recently, the congressman ducked <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">appearances</span> with black groups. Anger might be building and Cardin cannot afford to lose 35% of the black vote, but recent polls indicate this nightmarish reality is a distinct possibility for Ben Cardin.<br /><br /><br />*********************************************<br />So does the Race for the Senate 2006 stand?<br /><br />If Republicans win in NJ and MD, Democratic hopes to recapture the Senate are dashed. As of today, Democratic gains look to be somewhere between 2-4 seats... not enough. Also, keep an eye on MT this week. While Burns has been down for some time, word has it that some recent polls and movement on the ground may cause the GOP to make one last play for the Treasure State. Crazier things have happened, especially for the electoral ambitions of Conrad Burns.<br /><br />LEAN/LIKELY DEM: PA, RI, OH, MT <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">+4 <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Dems</span></span><br /><br />TOSS-UP: NJ, MD <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">possible +2 GOP<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> or +/- for <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Dems</span></span></span><br /><br />LEAN/LIKELY GOP: VA, TN, MO <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">+/- GOP<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Overall, the election forecast is showing some brighter skies for Republicans. How bright will depend on how much momentum the GOP can build in 10 days.</span><br /></span>Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-63317865899381171402006-10-26T19:18:00.000-07:002006-10-26T19:32:28.672-07:00STUNNER: WEBB CRACK-UP<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/Photos/66910_6813319.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/Photos/66910_6813319.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREAKING</span></span><br /><br />Wow. Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb has a lot of explaining to do. Apparently, he uses one hand to sling slime at George Allen, and the other <a href="http://www.drudgereport.com/flashaw.htm">to write gross pedophile prose in his novels</a>. Neither hand is enlisted to remove the plank from his own eye.<br /><br />So long as this story turns out to be everything it promises to be, <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">TRS</span> may be able to switch VA to likely Republican within 72 hours. October is full of surprises...<br /><br />Developing...Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-45493495477530378962006-10-25T08:02:00.000-07:002006-10-24T22:10:28.593-07:00Orwell Realized<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.audiobooksonline.com/shopsite/media/George_Orwell_Animal_Farm_unabridged_cassettes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.audiobooksonline.com/shopsite/media/George_Orwell_Animal_Farm_unabridged_cassettes.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Great Britain, the exalted democracy that once liberated European Jews from the clutches of the Nazis, has now developed<br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=412172&in_page_id=1770&amp;amp;in_page_id=1770&expand=true#StartComments">furnaces of its own</a>...<br /><br />Forget the Queen. God save us.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-8808942412349253192006-10-23T12:03:00.000-07:002006-10-23T21:39:52.853-07:00Michael J. Fox Reminds Me Why I Vote RepublicanAlex P. Keaton may have been one of television's most famous <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">feisty</span></span> Republicans, but the actor who made Keaton a household name is making headlines as a left-wing pawn. Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, agreed to shoot <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9WB_PXjTBo&mode=related&search=">an advertisement in support of <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">McCaskill</span></span> and the pro-cloning "Amendment 2"</a> on the ballot in Missouri this year. An emotional and heart-wrenching appeal, mainly because of how sick Fox appears to be at this stage of his disease, the ad does its best to paint Senator Talent and embryonic research's opponents as enemies of "hope" for millions of suffering Americans.<br /><br />No one can seriously blame Michael J. Fox for invoking hope as a powerful and real motivator for progress and a font of strength in difficult situations. Nor could Nancy Reagan, Cindy <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sheehan</span></span>, or any other person in the immediate throws of loss, illness or <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">despair</span> be held fully accountable for desiring solace- even if it comes at the expense of Reason. But cooler heads must prevail, and campaigns/candidates/pundits who exploit persons in such desperate situations are sadistic, <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">soulless</span>, and destructive individuals unworthy of a place in the public dialogue.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-61210788718198987122006-10-19T08:05:00.000-07:002006-10-19T20:48:33.082-07:00Under 3 Weeks to Go: TRS Senate Ratings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c3/USA_2000_presidential_popular_vote_by_county.jpg/320px-USA_2000_presidential_popular_vote_by_county.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c3/USA_2000_presidential_popular_vote_by_county.jpg/320px-USA_2000_presidential_popular_vote_by_county.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">With only 18 days to go until Election'06, it's time to update <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">TRS's</span> race ratings. 2 weeks can still change a lot in this business, but here is where we stand:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">***S E N A T E***</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">VA: Allen v. Webb- <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Likely Republican Retention<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Allen has maintained a modest yet undeniable lead in most recent polls. Having weathered everything that the Dem research team had to throw at him, I have more confidence in Allen's ability to hold on than most other analysts. He remains a Republican candidate in a Red state with a good pedigree and an extensive political network that will be difficult to overcome. Webb's <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">candidacy</span> has not been perfect, either.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MO: Talent v. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">McCaskill</span>- <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Lean Republican Retention</span></span><br /><br />Jim Talent deserves to win, more so than any candidate up this year. And as of now, I believe that he will. While Claire <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">McCaskill</span> has offered a strong challenge, Talent has pulled ahead in recent polling. I've never thought <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">McCaskill</span> was a good candidate, and have always thought that Talent's troubles were more indicative of MO and the nation-at-large being electorally divided. MO is also a number one target for the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">GOP's</span> superior stream of resources and manpower, which while I refuse to believe can win you the season alone, has to be good for winning at least one ball game.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TN: Corker v. Ford- <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Lean Republican Retention</span></span><br /><br />If the GOP can't beat back a liberal Democratic challenge in TN, expect election night to be ugly. Luckily, I am confident that the GOP will. Ford is a charismatic candidate, but TN is a conservative state that likes their candidates a little more well-worn. I can't wrap my head around Tennessee electing a politician who wears some of the outfits Ford sports to weekend <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">BBQs</span> and county fairs. Corker's campaign has not been flashy enough, but recent staff changes and positive polls seem to speak of good news for the Republicans.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NJ: Kean v. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Menendez</span>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Toss-up</span></span><br /><br />Easily the race in which I am the most emotionally invested. My home state needs an independent voice, and Tom Kean may be just the man to buck the machine. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Menendez's</span> ethics problems have bestowed upon him issues more akin of Republicans in this cycle, and in most polling, as had trouble breaking through the 44-46% range. Not good news for an incumbent. Granted, the Democratic machine and the state's natural liberal-leaning adds a couple points to each poll for the Democratic candidate. Nevertheless, if the last batch of polls before Election Day show "Kean 48, <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Menendez</span> 45" or "Kean 49, <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Menendez</span> 46", this contest could turn out to be the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">juiciest</span> piece of irony in recent American political history.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MD: Cardin v. Steele- <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Lean Democrat Retention<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I refuse to let this one go. Certainly, MD is a very blue state in a year that does not favor Republicans almost anywhere. That aside, a very conveniently ignored phenomenon this cycle has been seemingly historic apathy among black voters. Normally a given for the Democratic column in numbers around 90%, a recent <a href="http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1179"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Zogby</span> survey</a> shows African Americans either remaining unaffiliated or declining to vote in significantly higher numbers than '04. In a close race like this one, black apathy or mutiny could make this race more competitive than <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">pre</span>election polls would indicate. Steele is also the better candidate, and polls show his supporters considerably more likely to be voting for him than against Ben Cardin. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Watch this one for serious clues regarding GOP 2006 fortunes. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If Steele loses by 15%, hold on to your rear. If Steele's eeks it out or loses by less than 5, Republicans should survive nationally.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">RI: <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Chafee</span> v. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Whitehouse</span>-</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Likely Democratic Pick-up</span><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>It cannot be under-emphasized how strange it is to have a Republican anything this far north in New England, even if said Republican voted against Bush in 2004. Even if <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Chafee</span> were a great candidate, the current national mood would probably not spare his job in this bastion of blue sentiment.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OH: <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">DeWine</span> v. Brown- <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Solid Democrat Pick-up</span></span><br /><br />This is a painful one to watch. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Sherrod</span> Brown, who doesn't believe in free trade and also doesn't believe in wearing shoes around his congressional office, would make a horrible U.S. senator. However, when the Republican governor of OH has a 12% approval rating and the state barely went for Bush in 2004, this rust-belt <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">behemoth</span> is primed to do something (sorry Ohio) emotional and stupid. I would not want to sit next to Brown or Bernie Sanders in the Senate Chamber for fear of contracting, as South Park's <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Cartman</span> would diagnose, a hippie disease. Mike <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">DeWine</span> took this one seriously at a date that made effort <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">irrelevant</span>, if it would have helped at all anyway...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MT: Burns v. Tester- <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Solid Democrat Pick-up</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Burns always had close elections. Both times, he ran a solid campaign and pulled out a victory. The present difference with this campaign is that it is not at all solid. His inability to control his image, as he was able to do in prior contests without the shadow of <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Abramoff</span> to haunt him, has doomed his seat to Tester control.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PA: <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Santorum</span> v. Casey-<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Solid Democrat Pick-up</span></span></span><br /><br />Perhaps the saddest of them all. Regardless of where you stand on Rick <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Santorum's</span> controversial positions, one has to have a degree of fellow feeling for a candidate that wants to win this badly. I can empathize with a confrontational Italian guy from Northeastern blue collar town (I am one). That said, Rick has made too many mistakes in a state where conservatives must be flawless to win. He'll have a great career at a think tank.<br /><br />MN, MI and WA, while close before, are all Democrat retentions that now appear out of the realm of competitiveness and unreachable for the GOP. The same goes for <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">AZ's</span> Jon <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Kyl</span>, where the veteran GOP senator is no longer in serious danger.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">SUMMARY<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Of the 9 seats profiled above, <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">the Democrats are almost assured 4 pick-ups</span>. That puts the Senate at 51-49. <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">The GOP has a good chance of retaining MO and TN</span>, but this result is by no means certain. The <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">DEMs</span> losing MD or NJ, or the GOP dropping VA are the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">wild cards</span> that could make election night very interesting. As of today a <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">51-49 or 50-50</span> Senate split looks like the most probable outcome, leaving Republicans with weak but effective control of the chamber. But what could happen? ...<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">***GOP Best Case <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Scenario</span>***</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Retain VA, MO, TN, as well as manage upsets in MD and NJ. Senate would be 53-47 Republican, a net lost of 2. Maryland is a long-shot, but watch to see if Steele gets any momentum from some solid ad buys. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">***DEM Best Case <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Scenario</span>***</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Run the board, racking up all 6 <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">leaners</span>/toss-ups and grab VA as the icing on the cake. Senate becomes 52-48 Democratic, a GOP net loss of 7.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Stay tuned. Keep an eye <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">on all</span> of these races, particularly TN, MO, NJ, MD.</span><br /></span></span></span>Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-67408251710660631102006-10-18T10:10:00.000-07:002006-10-18T07:19:37.258-07:00DNC BANKS ON VICTORYNational Journal's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Hotline</span> Blog is reporting that <a href="http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/10/dnc_finds_more.html">the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">DNC</span> will take out $5-10 million in loans</a> in order to adequately fund candidates locked in heated 2006 Senate races.<br /><br />James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Carville</span> astutely called for this strategy last week, adopting the logic that Democrats need to take full advantage of the current political environment. Whether or not this strategy <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">yields</span> results remains to be seen, but certainly it represents an historically unique move by a very confident national political committee.<br /><br />How would you like to be Howard Dean's loan agent?Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-80986314394882568672006-10-16T12:24:00.000-07:002006-10-16T12:28:00.999-07:00When it Rains, Yeaahhh...<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Breaking</span><br /><br />The latest in a string of GOP disasters may be unfolding in Eastern Pennsylvania, where Republican Congressman Curt Weldon is under <a href="http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15772927.htm">investigation for corruption</a>. Earlier today, FBI agents executed six raids in connection with the inquiry. <br /><br />Weldon denies any wrongdoing, but does it matter at this point? Water makes you wet, no matter where it comes from. And the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GOP's</span> umbrella ain't big enough...Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-47269984795483844722006-10-16T09:00:00.000-07:002006-10-15T17:52:13.215-07:00The 1994 Republican "Correction"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.artchive.com/artchive/d/delacroix/delacroix_liberty_liberty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.artchive.com/artchive/d/delacroix/delacroix_liberty_liberty.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>34 Democrats lost their jobs. Stalwart liberal heavyweights like Dan <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rostenkowski</span></span> and Jack Brooks were sent packing, and Newt Gingrich solemnly declared November 1994 a "Republican Revolution." As an idealistic young conservative, the allure of the Speaker's phraseology has always been overwhelmingly compelling. It also proved dangerously intoxicating for national GOP leaders. Many seemed to believe that liberalism, if not dealt a definitive deathblow, had been put on the tract to ultimate extinction by a wave of conservative revivalism within the electorate.<br /><br />12 years later Newt's glorious revolution seems like a fading dream, much as Lenin's or Robespierre's. But what happened to the Republican Revolution? To start with, it was not really a "revolution" at all. After the dust settled on that long ago election night, the GOP had 230 seats to the Democrats 204. A 54-seat swing and a dramatic realignment of Congress, certainly. A new era in American politics? Undoubtedly. A revolution? A 26 seat majority pales in contrast to the 196 seat advantage the Democrats won in 1932, or even the 82 seat control the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Dems</span></span> commanded just two years earlier in 1992. Admittedly, the "1994 Republican <span style="font-style: italic;">Correction</span>" is a less-than-sexy way to label a historic victory. Taking over Congress after 40 years of uninterrupted opposition control was a tremendous accomplishment. Nevertheless, a revolution by definition constitutes a momentous change in government which, in the case of 1994, never took place. Partly due to its small majority, largely as a result of the corrupting trapping of Congress, no conservative revolution took place. Some great legislation was produced, including real welfare and tort reforms. Other efforts failed, notably (and tellingly) <span style="font-style: italic;">The Citizen Legislature Act</span> which would have constitutionally mandated congressional term limits. Certainly Republicans like Tom Delay acted as if they commanded a massive ideological mandate, believing that all-day votes and ridiculous spending would go unnoticed. A decade later, many of the courageous "revolutionaries" who compelled President Clinton to declare big-government "over" now treat taxpayer's resources very much like a 16-yr old girl with a credit card in the mall. Freedom fighters have become the tyrants, liberators devolved to conspirators.<br /><br />The House Of Representatives circa 1992 was not representative of the nation at large. America is not a liberal country, and as <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Fmr</span></span>. Speaker Foley found out, unwilling to long-indulge socialist tendencies in their national leadership. Nevertheless, the United States is not now a bastion for Milton Friedman libertarianism or Barry Goldwater conservatism. I would contend that the U.S. is considerably right of center, especially in contrast to Europe or Central America. Yet, the American polity remains equally divided between two broad philosophical camps. How else can one explain <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sherrod</span></span> Brown's Senate race lead in Ohio, or the continued market for Pat <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Buchannan</span></span> books with conservatives?<br /><br />The most sensational claim that could rightly apply to 1994 was that it gave birth to a resistance. It's coming was foretold by Goldwater and Reagan, and that wonderful Fall saw conservatives battle back after half a century stained by leftist dominance of the federal government. The fatal folly of conservatives was to assume that hope is unto itself sufficient for victory. Somehow, many posited, the awesome righteousness and intelligence of the Right will bleed liberalism to death. But concepts like the free market, personal responsibility, and constitutional primacy are a tough sell. Many in our own party remain unconvinced, and many in power treat the principles behind the Contract with America as inconvenient platitudes. Consequently, the voters will sow a crop that yield a bitter Republican harvest.<br /><br />Until then Americans are waiting for a revolution, one that 12 decades of Republican rule failed to enact and Democratic leadership will never embrace. We are thirsting for a real defeat of 19<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">th</span></span> century backward socialist idiocy, signaling a victory that will move a nation forward to a brighter future. We demand a realization of a City on a Hill, of which Reagan foretold and for what millions of conservatives have labored. Whether it arrives through a visionary in 2008 or means unknown in 50 years in the future, American businessmen, truckers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, homemakers and students will not cease the endless call to return to a form of government that is by, for, accountable to and cognizant of the timeless persons and principles that ensure the greatness of these United States.<span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32309592.post-18659831594473843842006-10-12T14:10:00.000-07:002006-10-12T15:16:57.278-07:00Three Reasons for Conservatives to SmileThe last few months have been a <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">rollercoaster</span> for conservative Republicans, characterized by more dips than inclines throughout the whole of the stomach-churning ride from Hell.<br /><br />That said, here are three reasons to calm down and buck-up with just 26 days to go:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">1. BUSH BOOM BUSTS DEBT</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fellow fiscal conservatives, long depressed and nearly suicidal, finally have something to celebrate in </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/10122006/postopinion/editorials/dubyas_disappearing_deficit_editorials_.htm">a disappearing federal deficit</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span> Despite record spending, the Bush tax cuts have helped spur tremendous economic growth. For the benefit of the many friendly libs in our audience, here is (again) a brief economics 101 lesson:<br /><br />a) Tax cuts give taxpayers more to spend.<br />b) Taxpayers spend money, either on retail goods or some other form of positive reinvestment.<br />c) Citizens with more cash are then able to pay more in taxes to the government, leading to increased government revenue.<br />d) Consequently, America can pay more of its bills.<br /><br />This doesn't excuse wasteful spending any more than it represents permanent relief for U.S. credit. Nevertheless, a solid step in the right direction for a country financing two wars.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">2. WARNER OUT- HILLARY IN </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fmr</span>. VA Governor Mark Warner announced Thursday that he has </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/10/warners_out_winners_and_loser.html">no intention of seeking the 2008 Presidential nomination</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span> Many pundits and party insiders looked to Warner as the only viable candidate to confront McCain, outside of <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Bayh</span> (who, frankly, is not as exciting a candidate or speaker).<br /><br />What does this mean? The liberal majority of the Democratic Party no longer has a moderate to block its nominating another fire-breathing liberal. Today's unexpected press conference opens the door for a Clinton-Gore struggle that should make every right-of-center politico downright giddy. It's infinitely too early to make any solid predictions, but Warner's departure has undoubtedly complicated Democratic chances of re-taking the White House.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">3. ASIAN EARTHQUAKE MAY WAKE BASE</span><br /><br />This last item is a tad more speculative. With the GOP in virtual free-fall after weeks of negative press, it is unrealistic to assume that nuclear fears will shock most Americans into rallying around President Bush. The media has done their best to spin North Korea's success as just another Bush Administration failure, and the current political environment is fertile soil for such recriminations.<br /><br />More possible, and worth watching, is whether or not <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Poyongyang's</span> ambitions prompts the GOP base to rally on November 7<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span>. Base discontent may be somewhat soothed by the realization that the United States can ill-afford a change to liberal-Democratic government at this time. Sure, many Republican Congressmen has been spending, fighting and (in some now infamous cases) tramping around like a college frat boys... but is our anger worth two or more years of Spe<a href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="return false;" tabindex="7"><span></span></a>aker <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Pelosi</span>, as if the Dems would clean-up anything? The question begs asking. Yet even if some dissatisfied conservatives come home, would they return in ample numbers to save the day? Perhaps just enough to turn precisely the needed amount of tight congressional races into the red column?<br /><br />Only time will tell the tale of the GOP faithful, federal spreadsheets and '08 hopefuls. I'm not trying to impart warm 'n' fuzzy feeling among <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">TRS</span> readers: this election will be painful with or without my words or morphine. Just please remember that, if you look hard enough, there is always something to smile about in politics.Matt Rooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246454112123219686noreply@blogger.com0