Beat 88 of them and maybe another 30 will up and quit.

Plus: Obi-Wan starts talking crazy.

Well, the impossible is at least within view. In a year when Republicans had to defend 18 of the 33 seats that were up and at the same time gain 11 Democrat-held seats — 10 after Scott Brown – the thing is actually conceivable, if hardly predictable. Arkansas, North Dakota, Indiana seem won, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania look good, so do Illinois and Nevada, meanwhile GOP candidates are tied or slightly ahead in Colorado and Washington and close in West Virginia — a wave could help them enough.

That is ten, but some of them are a little shaky. I know smart people who think California is this yearÂ’s lagging indicator and that Carly Fiorina will pull it off, because Boxer still canÂ’t break 50. And, just for fun, has anyone noticed that a poll or two in Connecticut and Delaware show a slackening in the DemsÂ’ lead there?

...

[disclaimers omitted -- he wants you to know he's just spitballing here, not predicting]

Crazy stuff happens in wave elections. And right now the “happy times” wave seems close. But if the Superwave shows up — and the Gallup low turnout number is probably indicative (at 14 this week, which is unheard of) — anything could happen. Here is the fun thought for the weekend. (Though, remember now, this is all but pure recreation.) Will certain Senate islands get washed over? Oregon and Wyden? One of the New York seats? Maryland and Mikulski? Though, as I say, if Leahy loses in Vermont you can get me at one of the local homes. Old guys can handle just so much cognitive dissonance.

Thanks to Monty.

Posted by: Ace at 11:20 AM | Comments (128)
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This is Ruth McClung's ad, but anyone can use the basics of it. more...

Posted by: Ace at 10:39 AM | Comments (147)
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They only talk to each other. Their stupid little memes spread like wildfire among them. Then they just keep parroting each other's stupidities.

And they think they're sensible and smart for doing so.

So here John Kerry, offering up the latest "Americans are crazy, dumb, uninformed, and overwrought" analysis:

“It’s absurd. We’ve lost our minds,” Kerry said. “We’re in a period of know-nothingism in the country, where truth and science and facts don’t weigh in. It’s all short-order, lowest common denominator, cheap-seat politics.”

Posted by: Ace at 10:34 AM | Comments (152)
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For this one: It's okay to get a little cocky.

Marco Rubio has built a "commanding and insurmountable'' lead in Florida's three-way Senate race, a new poll has found -- even without the latest political machinations in the race.

The poll -- which comes on the heels of revelations that former President Bill Clinton last week reportedly urged Democrat Kendrick Meek to get out of the race -- shows the Republican Rubio leading the field with 45 percent, followed by Gov. Charlie Crist at 28 percent and Meek at 21 percent. Only 6 percent of voters in the Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. poll said they were undecided.

"There is simply no mathematical formula by which Crist or Meek can approach Rubio's 45 percent support level," said Mason-Dixon managing director Brad Coker.

More at the link, including Clinton saying Crist promised to caucus with the Democrats, which Crist of course denies. He's going to "caucus with the people of Florida," whatever the hell that means.

Posted by: Ace at 10:15 AM | Comments (84)
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Ten's still too much for the wave to overcome... But maybe five or six.

I have no idea if this horrific caddish story -- very well parodied, I hate to admit, by the Village Voice (mild content warning for hookup-story exaggeration and parody) -- will wind up helping her. It ought to really, with a few women, who may have been skeptical of her but now realize how unfairly and viciously she's being treated. But that is, what, 1% tops of the total vote.

Oh, and in the coming months, I believe we'll be checking in on one Dustin Dominiak, giving him a bit of the Internet Fame he's apparently so desperate for.

BTW, I know boycotts are hard, and all, but really, conservative women -- you have to stop reading Gawker. I know women like their gossip, and I know conservative women read it. But come on. At some point a site goes too far into the gutter to be rewarded.

Posted by: Ace at 08:56 AM | Comments (342)
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UPDATE: 12:24 edt.

A suspicious package containing a toner cartridge with wires and powder was found during routine screening of cargo in the United Kingdom, prompting authorities to scour three planes and a truck in the United States on Friday. Searches were conducted in Philadelphia, Newark, N.J., and New York City.

During a basic security screening process in the United Kingdom, officials found a suspicious item on a cargo plane, according to a U.S. government official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

U.K. officials discovered that a toner cartridge on the plane had been manipulated and found wires attached to it and white powder. Tests on the device came back negative for explosives, according to a law enforcement official who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.

Concerns about the possibility of similar and potentially dangerous devices shipped elsewhere prompted officials to check other cargo headed to the U.S.

UPDATE: 11:50 edt-

FNC says they have confirmed that the feds are looking at 'several suspicious' packages from planes in Philly and a small/regional airport in England.

At least on aircrew reported a radiological warning. Crews were checked and cleared of any contamination.

The planes all seem at this point (and it's a fast moving story) to connect back to Yemen.

Via Gabe:

Federal sources tell ABC News more than a dozen potential bombs shipped to US,distributed on UPS trucks to NY, NJ.Bomb technicians on scene.

ABC News reports: Potential IEDs shipped from Yemen through Birmingham, England. At least 15 devices believed to have been constructed.

ORIGINAL POST:
UPS planes at Philly and Newark being quarantined because of suspicious items on board.

ABC NEWS has learned Authorities in NY Philadelphia NJ and UK involved in trying to stop an ongoing bomb plot targeting the US

FNC says a UPS truck in Queens has been detained.

Planes in London being investigated as well. FNC says there was a bomb on board a UPS plane in London. (11:40am update: UPS denies any problem with any planes in London).

Posted by: DrewM at 07:28 AM | Comments (421)
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They've been fighting it but there's just too much evidence to the contrary. It's not out of partisan spite but I think most of them just didn't think what they were seeing for so long was or could be true. It's just beyond their experience.

Behold....

Jay Cost continues admits he's losing control and the Hulk is about to smash.

WeÂ’re just a few days away from what could be the biggest Republican midterm victory in better than sixty years. The indications are all around us.

The Cook Report says the Democrats are done and it's only getting worse.

The Cook Political Report's pre-election House outlook is a Democratic net loss of 48 to 60 seats, with higher losses possible. A turnover of just 39 seats would tip majority status into Republican hands. The midterm maelstrom pulling House Democrats under shows no signs of abating, if anything it has intensified.

...At this point, only 190 House seats are Solid, Likely or Lean Democratic, while 198 seats are Solid, Likely or Lean Republican, and 47 seats are in the Toss Up column.

Yesterday, Cook moved the Frank-Bielat race from "Likely Democrat" to "Leans Democrat".

Rothenberg...it's going from bad to worse to death for Democrats in the House.

The Rothenberg Political Report Friday forecast a net gain of 55 to 65 seats for the Republicans, with gains at or above 70 seats possible. That's up from Rothenberg's previous forecast of a GOP gain of 45 to 55 seats. The Republicans need a net gain of 39 seats to win back control of the chamber from the Democrats, who have held the House and the Senate for the last four years.

"At this point, there are no signs of a Democratic 'surge,' and some Democrats think that the political environment is deteriorating for the party. Across the country, Republicans are ending their campaigns with calls to 'check' President Obama. Given the mood of the electorate, this is likely to be an effective closing argument," says the Rothenberg Report.

Larry Sabato's prediction is probably the most optimistic for Democrats and he's predicting a blowout for Republicans.

Even at this late date, we see no need to do anything but tweak the total R gains, based on more complete information now available to all. Thus, we are raising the total to +55 net R seats. We consider 47 to be in the ballpark still, but more of a floor than a ceiling. In fact, if youÂ’ll go back to our pre-Labor Day analysis, thatÂ’s exactly what we suggested +47 would end up being.

4 days to go and the Democrats are spending it explaining why their party heads are trying to get a black man off the ballot in Florida. Even if he stays, turnout is likely to be depressed helping Republicans statewide there.

4 days to go and the Demcorats are talking about a comedian who is not even the most watched person on his network. But there will be a poetry reading by Sam Waterson and Sheryl Crow will perform, so there's that.

4 days to go, get yourself to an event, get your friends to vote and then rub a liberals face in it.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:13 AM | Comments (110)
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Gerg may not like it. But I suspect much of the rest of you will:

more...

Posted by: CAC at 06:53 AM | Comments (105)
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Yesterday the Alaska Supreme Court rewrote the state's election rules to help Princess MerCOKEski. In response conservatives called on people to sign-up to be a write-in candidate in order to mess with the MerCOKEski plan.

Over a hundred Alaskans heeded the call.

In a movement one pro-Sarah Palin website is calling “Operation Alaska Chaos,” at least 100 people filed paperwork Thursday to register as write-in candidates in the U.S. Senate election, according to the Division of Elections.

A stream of would-be senators filtered through the elections office in Midtown Anchorage late in the day, many saying the effort is meant to protest an order by the Alaska Supreme Court on Wednesday allowing a list of write-in candidates to be shown to voters who ask for assistance.

The court action is expected to aid Sen.(MerCOKEski's) write-in bid and amounts to electioneering by the state, say supporters of Republican nominee Joe Miller. The idea of a mass registration is to create a long list of potential write-in choices and make it harder for voters to find (MerCOKEski's) name.

...A list of candidates on the Division of Elections website included more than 40 write-in names late Thursday, but employees at the Anchorage office said other names were still being processed.

Among the write-in candidates listed on the division website Thursday was a “Tom M.,” but no “Lisas.”

Richard Koller of Anchorage imagined (MerCOKEski's) name awash in “a sea of other names” at Alaska polling places as a result of the mass registration.

Well played Alaska conservatives. Well played.

BTW- I haven't seen one of the new 'voter aide' sheets the Alaska Supreme Court is suddenly allowing voters to see (apparently this has never happened before when there were write -in candidates) so I may be spelling Sen. MerCOKEski's name incorrectly. If so, I apologize for the error.

Posted by: DrewM at 06:16 AM | Comments (130)
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UPDATE: Social Security cash flow deficit worse than expected. A hard rain's gonna fall.

(Somewhat shorter Financial Briefing than usual today. Sometimes it's better to have DOOM in smaller doses.)

The Tea Party: Threat or Menace? It's more fun to read this spittle-flecked tirade by Robert Reich if you imagine it as a black-and-white 1950's-era jeremiad against the Communist menace among us. (Note that Reich is a professor at the most far-left nuthatch the country has to offer, UC Berkeley.) His disaffection for the Tea Party folks seems to rest on two pillars: a) they're stupid and have stupid brains which causes them to do stupid things; and b) they do not support the world-saving policies of the Lightbringer because of their stupid brains. I think the WSJ just posts this stuff, as Tyler Durden does at ZH, to get a rise out of people. Well: mission accomplished! more...

Posted by: Monty at 05:29 AM | Comments (106)
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