I hope you're sitting down because it appears that the suspects are Muslims atheists who are cowardly hiding behind and twisting one of the most beautiful and peaceful religions in the entire history of humanity.

An Ottawa-based terrorist cell with international connections was only “months” away from exploding bombs on Canadian soil, a senior RCMP official said Thursday.

The three suspected home-grown terrorists arrested over the past two days — two in Ottawa and one in London, Ont. — are charged in connection with a plot to make and detonate improvised explosive devices as well as financing terror groups operating in Afghanistan.

Chief Superintendent Serge Therriault, the RCMPÂ’s chief of criminal operations in the nationÂ’s capital, said the arrests following a year-long investigation have stopped an imminent threat to targets not only in Ottawa but possibly across the country.

“I would qualify it … as months away,” Therriault told reporters after a lengthy new conference featuring officials from CSIS, the Sureté du Quebec, Ottawa Police Service, the RCMP and the Canadian Border Services Agency.

...Over a 36-hour period the RCMPÂ’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team arrested Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, 30, Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, in Ottawa, and Khurram Syed Sher, 28, in London, Ont. All are being held in custody on terrorism-related charges.

Clearly these young and impressionable young men were simply outraged about protests over the Ground Zero victory mosque. And let me be clear, while these men were clearly motivated by the hate and intolerance coming from a small minority of wingnut Americans who oppose the victory mosque(aka 70+%), they are in no way tied to or motivated by Islam.

Oh and some drunk guy pissed on a rug in a NYC mosque. So, the Canadians kind of had it coming or something.

Added: The Singing Jihadi (allegedly) more...

Posted by: DrewM at 02:14 PM | Comments (272)
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Good stuff.

A writer for a St. Louis alternative newsweekly tells The Daily Caller he does not regret speculating in a story that the suspect of an attempted arson of a Democratic congressmanÂ’s campaign office was a Tea Party activist.

It turns out that the suspect in this weekÂ’s firebombing of Democratic Rep. Russ CarnahanÂ’s campaign office in St. Louis was actually a liberal blogger and former paid campaign worker for CarnahanÂ’s campaign.

“As to the legions of Tea Party adherents who are calling for my head: No, I have no regrets. I was having fun — at their expense,” River Front Times reporter Chad Garrison said in an email.

An attorney for the suspect, Chris Powers, confirmed his arrest to liberal news site Talking Points Memo (TPM). She said the activist had been disgruntled with CarnahanÂ’s campaign over payment due to him. Powers also wrote a reader blog at TPM under the name Ripper McCord.

Here's the "joke" you morons aren't "getting:"

Outrage with Garrison comes from this paragraph in an article he penned about the incident. “Given what we know of him — 50, white, angry — he certainly fits the demographics of a Tea Party member.”

Bonus point for working the word "demographics" into his joke -- you don't see many jokes with the word "demographics" in them. Or written as a serious assertion, for that matter.

Maybe it's a pun. I never get puns.

But like all good comedians, he knows enough to extend the humorous premise when he's riffing on a roll:

Garrison said his report was a “joke” and was not meant literally. He pointed to another section of the same story where he wrote: “On second thought, maybe he’s not a Tea Party member. Firebombing your opponent’s office seems a little too, um, sane for that group.”

Again.. I'm sure this is sick-funny but I'm a little too stupid, I'm afraid, to understand the humor here. It's like that intellectual humor, you know, like on Frasier.

Oh That Reminds Me... I heard a joke once. It was pretty funny. Stop me if you've heard this one before:

Knock knock.

-- Who's there?

Boo.

-- Boo who?

Boo who we're going to take the country back and leave you with nothing but your hot hysterical tears as you sob to yourself that your New God is dead and make hesitation-cuts on your wrists with a straighrazor.

Pretty good one too, right? I like the "boo hoo" part.

And also, the part where you die broken and alone.

Very "punny," I think.

Posted by: Ace at 01:31 PM | Comments (262)
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We're outnumbered and outgunned; there is truly nothing we can do.

It's like WarGames -- the only rational response to a game you can't win is to not play at all.

The returns from this weekÂ’s Florida and Arizona primaries show, once again, that Republicans have an impressive advantage in the balance of enthusiasm this year.

Republicans, but not conservatives; they rise from their graves to claw their way back to some kind of power, at our expense. They must be stopped. On this all depends.

In Florida, the turnout in the top Republican race (for governor) was 1,282,490, while the turnout in the top Democratic race (for U.S. senator) was 909,307.

Right, where we had a choice between a billionaire dilletante RINO and a careerist politician who'd lived practically his whole adult life working a till at the favor bank, trading our futures for his buddies' gain. Some choice.

As Noam Chomsky observed, this is manufactured consent, obtaining a false consent by forcing the public to chose between only hand-picked options which differ only in terms of repulsiveness.

ThatÂ’s in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by 612,773. About one-third (32%) of registered Republicans showed up and voted. Only one-fifth (20%) of registered Democrats did so.

That one-third of Republicans contains about half RINOs, who will swarm the polls on actual election day. The game is well and truly rigged against us and our children.

America, as the kids say, is over.

Do you see? Each vote for a Republican, each vote for a Democrat, is really a vote for the same corrupt system. Heads they win, tails you lose. Mere participation in this crooked scheme is a reaffirmation of it -- no matter which of these "political opponents" win, you lose. No matter which of these gray ciphers "lose," They win.

It must always be kept in mind that these "votes" are Punch-and-Judy shows arranged by our puppet-masters, who keep us choosing between this Republican evil and that Democratic evil and then pat themselves on the back for having tricked us once again into "choosing" one of their handpicked stooges.

We cannot win. They have rigged the game against us, they control the refs, they even control the supposed "opponents" in these "contests."

There is no "win" for us. It is a lie peddled to us by those who control us.

Until we realize this and reject the vile game entirely, we are doomed to live in shackles.

Send a signal -- send a message -- make your voice heard by remaining silent. Let Them know you're wise to their tricks and will participate in their corrupt scheme no longer.

For Those Who Might Not Have Read My Meltdown: This post is in response to the people who just can't seem to stop themselves from saying "we're doomed" or "what does it matter anyway, they're all in on it" and etc. I am giving them what they want, bleak negativity and conspiracy theories.

Posted by: Ace at 12:38 PM | Comments (335)
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"Firelight" was the straw that broke the back. I give up.

I am now on the side of the "True Patriot Heroes."

As I wrote:

To Firelight and the rest of the shrieking bitches,

whatever, I give up.

I thought I was talking to men, but I'm talking to hysterical shrieking sissies that want to jump on the chairs and start screaming like little girls every five minutes.

Whatever, you're right, you're all right.

STAY THE FUCK HOME ON ELECTION DAY. TEACH US ALL A FUCKING LESSON, HEROES.

I give up.

I am going to start writing this blog as the "men" and the "True Conservative Heroes" wish it to be written: I am going to urge people to stay home and throw their votes away on protest candidates because that's how we defeat Obama, I guess.

You wanted it, okay, here it comes.

I am tired of dealing with petulant children. At some point screaming children get their way, they always do. Adults do not have the fucking patience to put up with the hysterical screaming and crying jags forever.

SO: I am now working, per the demands of the True Patirot Brigade, to lose as many seats as possible.

I hope you enjoy it, "Men."

I've fucking had it. I cannot take the... more excitable and emotional contingent of very-manly men who post here. The are simply outclassing me in their very exuberant displays of masculine resolve and reason.

I give up. Let's all fucking freak out and scream how things suck and we're going to lose and it's really better if we do lose because it's really quite liberating to have no responsibilities whatsoever and thus be able to do nothing but grouse and complain.

Harry Reid Is Pretty Good, Really: He's a moderate, and he honestly seems to have the country's best interests at heart. Sure, I disagree with him from time to time, but at least he opposes me honestly, not like the dirty GOP which is always betraying me and cooking up secret accords to screw me over.

Viva Reid!

That's a total bullshit ad, by the way, by a GOP determined to trick you. For every reason to vote against Harry Reid (supposedly), I can give you five to vote for him.

He's a good man. He's a Mormon, you know? Religious; I like that.

He's done as good a job in a bad situation as anyone. Let's give him a few more years.

Better than selling out, I'll tell you that much! I am so tired of selling out to the GOP, and then having them sell me out for crumbs!

Better we just cut out the middleman and elect good, decent public servants like Harry Reid.

Posted by: Ace at 11:17 AM | Comments (495)
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The idea that Americans are fruit throwing Islamophobes is annoying but I think many will forgive that once they see Obama praying to Mecca in the Oval Office.

Added bonus...a special appearance by the Ground Zero Gay Bar.

Related:

According to the soon to be proprietor of NYC's first Islamic Gay themed bar, Taiwan has a bit of its own problem with Islam.

Via Jayne Cobb, er, Adam Baldwin, The Muslim Brotherhood blames Robert Spencer and Pam Geller for attacks on Muslims.

Let me get this straight...Muslims as a group are in no way responsible for terrorism. Ever. Not in any way shape or form, not matter how many winks, nods and outright calls there are. But two writers are personally to blame for the actions of two unrelated people (to the writers or each other)?

I'm sorry, how's that work exactly?

Posted by: DrewM at 11:05 AM | Comments (57)
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Darling of the international left, friend of Hollywood, and Fidel Castro's toy poodle

We've had dozens of arguments with lefties over the years about this nutter. They really expected great things of him, while we on the right were having the usual gut-rumbles about Communism.

Over ten years have gone by since he was first elected. Venezuela has been transformed by leftist statism in the expected way.
Wherever it gains nearly unopposed control of the organs of the state, leftism starts with a country that has problems (as all do), and ends up with an impoverished downward-spiraling shithole. Always.

Always.

The inflation rate in Venezuela is around 30%, corruption is rampant, and the national media are routinely bullied and censored by Chavez's government.

Police and courts in Venezuela have shown more of an interest in punishing Chavez's critics than prosecuting real criminals.

Henrique Capriles, governor of Miranda, a state encompassing parts of Caracas, told reporters last week Chavez worsened the problem by cutting funds for state and city governments led by political opponents, then removing thousands of guns from their police forces after losing regional elections.

An estimated 93% of murders are never even investigated.

So Venezuela is now one of the deadliest nations on Earth. Far more dangerous than Iraq, or any war zone in the world, for that matter.

And it's not even close. In 2009 in Iraq, there were 4,644 violent civilian deaths. In Venezuela, according to figures attributed to the Venezuela Observatory of Violence, the number was 16,047. Even that figure is probably on the low side. A leaked government report says the number is over 19,000.

The terrorized citizens' appeals for basic law enforcement have been answered with bullshit, not action.

President Chavez says Venezuela's capitalist past is to blame[emph. me -ed.] for the high crime rates

"In the 1980s and 90s, the young had little access to education or work. Prisons began to overflow with young people, many of whom became involved in drugs and drug trafficking. Unfortunately, those habits continue," said Mr. Chavez.

Mr. Chavez says socialism will reduce inequalities - what he sees as the root cause of crime.

That darn capitalism (which somehow was competent enough to keep the violent crime rate down to a fourth of what Venezuela currently 'enjoys.'). That's what the problem is.

Socialism does indeed reduce inequalities. It has consistently reduced diverse people to roughly equal-sized piles of ashy bones the world over.

The photo below is a picture of the recent former Miss Universe. This very lovely and brave lady is holding up a pre-Chavez era Venezuelan flag during her final turn on the stage. This was an act of quiet protest against the Chavez regime.

Bitter clinger.

Oh, another thing about Chavez, lefties? Human Rights Watch. Not a fan.

Another glittering jewel in the crown of International Leftism. All easily predicted by the Right, ten years ago.

Well done, assholes.

Thanks to Jazz, over at Butter Chicken.

Posted by: LauraW at 10:16 AM | Comments (101)
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Late last night I did a post about Democrats running scared and turning on Obama/Pelosi/Reid. I added something on from the AP that deserves a little more attention since it seems to be the building narrative.

As GOP civil war rages, Democrats look to benefit

A Republican civil war is raging, with righter-than-thou conservatives dominating ever more primaries in a fight for the party's soul. And the Democrats hope to benefit.

The latest examples of conservative insurgents' clout came Tuesday at opposite ends of the country. In Florida, political newcomer Rick Scott beat longtime congressman and state Attorney General Bill McCollum for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. And in Alaska, tea party activists and Sarah Palin pushed Sen. Lisa Murkowski to the brink of defeat, depending on absentee ballot counts in her race against outsider Joe Miller.

The GOP is likely to survive its bitter intraparty battles in such states as Alaska and Utah, even if voters oust veteran senators in both. But tea party-backed candidates might be a godsend to desperate Democrats elsewhere — in Nevada, Florida and perhaps Kentucky, where the Democrats portray GOP nominees as too extreme for their states.

Slu pointed to this post today from MSNBC.

First Thoughts: Surviving the Tea Party's takeover of the GOP

This rightward movement inside the GOP appears likely to pay big dividends this fall. Republicans are energized, Democrats are not (right now), and the economy is hardly humming -- all of which are a recipe for significant Republican gains in November. But when we head into the 2012 presidential election, when the electorate expands, you got to wonder if a Republican Party that doesnÂ’t have room for a John McCain of 2001-2007, a Charlie Crist of 2007-2008, or a Lisa Murkowski of 2010 can reclaim the center of American politics and the presidency, even if they gain control of Congress in the fall. Then again, the center will judge the GOP on not just how it conducts itself if they get the majority, but on the results.

Oh sure you're doing great now but you guys are soooo screwed come 2012! Suckers!

And finally there's EJ Dionne who always has the best interest of the GOP at heart.

Tuesday's tutorial: a GOP too far right

Republicans are in the midst of an insurrection. Democrats are not. This vast gulf between the situations of the two parties -- not some grand revolt against "the establishment" or "incumbents" -- explains the year's primary results, including Tuesday's jarring outcomes in Florida and Alaska.

...In the short run, the Republican lurch right has unleashed new energy in the party and helps explain why most polls show its supporters more enthusiastic than Democrats about this year's elections. The Democrats' chances of holding down their losses in November depend heavily on whether they can generate a backlash against an increasingly immoderate GOP.

Already, Republicans who won primaries with Tea Party backing -- notably Senate candidates Sharron Angle in Nevada and Rand Paul in Kentucky -- are facing withering Democratic attacks. The question is whether such critiques work only against marquee right-wing candidates or whether the entire Republican Party comes to be seen as moving too far away from the views of what is still a moderate country.

The paradox is that a Republican Party in the grips of ideology needs to shift the campaign in a less ideological direction, hoping that voters simply cast protest ballots against hard economic times. Democrats, who are more doctrinally diverse, have every interest in turning the election into a philosophical contest, arguing that even unhappy voters cannot trust their fate to a party in the grips of a right-wing revolt. Once again on Tuesday, Republican primary participants seemed determined to give Democrats that opportunity.

Look at all these liberals getting along fine without JurnoList, just like big boys!

It's funny but I don't recall the MFM warning the Democrats about going to far left or not using their power to advance their agenda. In retrospect, Democrats probably could have used some of that advice.

Should the GOP win big in November and 2014, we should be mindful of the fate of the Democrats in picking issues and deciding how far to go. But that's a worry for another day. First, we need to win and right now that means harnessing the energy of the party and conservative movement to win and win big.

I wonder how jealous guys like Kos are right now. They couldn't even replace Liebermann in Connecticut. While Angle, Rubio and Paul haven't won their races, it's a pretty good bet at least one and likely two of the the three will. Add that to Lee in Utah and (fingers crossed) Miller in AK and that's a nice haul.

Sure we might have to live with Kirk in IL and Castle in DE (and fingers crossed again) Fiorina in CA but diverse governing coalitions are a feature, not a bug of the American system.

The Democrats had to move to the center, at least rhetorically, to win their majority (think Tester in MT, Webb in VA plus a whole bunch of House members who are now running from the left). Meanwhile, the GOP has a very good chance of improving its numbers by moving right, while tossing out some RINO dead weight.

No wonder the MFM is in full damage control mode.

Added: An MFM Editor who wishes to remain anonymous emails me their thinking on the Democrat's plans...

Step 1: Fail misserably in the midterms

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Profit

Conservatives are doomed! Doomed I tell you!

Posted by: DrewM at 09:53 AM | Comments (124)
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Pure foolishness, he's doing no such thing, he's going up there to reassure her she can still suck off the tasty teat of the political establishment if she concedes her loss.

It's silly to even postulate otherwise.

Clarification [DrewM.]: Ace just emailed from a secure, undisclosed location and asked me to update this post to clarify that in an update to his post, Allah makes it clear he thinks the NRSC lawyer is heading to Alaska to advice Murkowski on options related to "recount, court battle, etc" (which is why it exists). No one thinks the RNSC is trying to help Murkowski become a Libertarian.

Sean Cairncross, the general counsel of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, is headed to Alaska at the request of Sen. Lisa Murkowski to help provide guidance to the GOP incumbent finds herself trailing attorney Joe Miller by roughly 1,600 votesÂ…

Committee sources insisted that too much should not be read into Cairncross’ presence in Alaska — only that the NRSC is an incumbent-retention committee and, as such, provides assistance when Senators ask for it.

As evidence that the committee is not putting all of its chips on Murkowski, a GOP source tells the Fix that Rob Jesmer, the bespectacled executive director of the NRSC, spoke by phone with a top Miller aide yesterday — making clear that if he wins the election the committee will support him wholeheartedly.

She asked him to advise her, so he's going to advise her, as is proper -- she remains a Republican senator at the moment, right? It's not like we just voted to make her persona non grata.

The GOP is going to accede to every Murkowski request, to make nice-nice and be all supportive and reassuring... except for one request.

Added [DrewM.]: Last night I emailed Scott Kohlhaas, who is listed as Chairman of the Alaska Libertarian Party and is running for the Alaska State House asking for a statement on the Murkowski/Libertarian situation.

I will tell you that it has been reported that David Haase would be willing to step down. If this is true, our executive committee would decide who to replace him with for November.

There are many considerations here, including a chance at the first elected Libertarian U.S. Senator in our party's history. There is also my race to consider and what impact if any it would have on my chances to defeat the longest serving Democrat in the Alaska House. There is no Republican on the ballot.

Ironically, just yesterday I did agree to "Caucus" with the Republicans if I am elected. My friend Eric will be doing a story on that at LibertarianRepublican.net later this evening.

Frankly, if pressed on the matter, my inclination at this moment is to vote yes.

I followed up to ask if he knew of any discussions between the Libertarian Party and either Sen. Murkowski or her people. I haven't heard back yet.

Hey, I Screwed The Pooch [ace]: Back now.

I misread Allah and accused him of silliness he didn't intend, as Drew clarified.

I would note that Lisa Murkowski is still a serving Republican, duly elected in 2004, and as such has the right to advice on election issues from the GOP's lawyer.

This does not indicate endorsement of her. It indicates she has the right to advice and that right is being honored.

It also indicates that Murkowski can, if she wants, blow up the race and run as a Libertarian, in which case there is a damn good chance the seat goes Democratic. There is then a major piece of diplomacy to be accomplished here.

Look, Murkowski is in shock. She never saw this coming (because she probably reads Dave Wiegel's girlfriend on amateur online webzine Slate.) She is in the denial state of grief, or bargaining, or whatever. Point is, right now she's angry and thinking about all sorts of nutty crap and it's the GOP's job to talk her down from the ledge.

It makes no sense that the GOP would throw over Miller. What does it get them? It gets them:

1) A base angry at them

2) The tea party convinced 3rd party is the only way

3) A weaker candidate than Miller

Now, what does screwing over the voters for Murkowski get them?

1) They get to keep the white-hot charisma, irreplaceable leadership and wide-ranging policy imagination of the Idea Factory that is Lisa Murkowski.

What is the percentage here? What do they gain by screwing you over? Absolutely nothing and a whole lot of bad.

They are trying to reassure her they are all still friends and so on. She feels betrayed; it's important, emotionally, she not have some burning grudge against the party and say "to hell with them all, I'll help elect the Democrat."

And they also have to convince her the game isn't rigged against her. Just as many of you are hopping mad and ready to quit the party over the idea that the "establishment" has fixed the game so that you can't win, she also needs to know that nothing has been fixed against her, or she'll quit the party, in which case there's a good chance we'll see Senator What's-His-Name-Democrat and the big "victory" here will be nothing but pushing Murkowski out in favor of a liberal.

Miller is a better candidate in virtually all ways than Murkowski. The GOP is not so stupid as to have failed to notice this. Nor is it lost on them that he actually won the race without any money or establishment connections.

Be calm. All is well.

As Aunty Entity explained... In Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, political expert Aunty Entity explained the deal -- when it's family, you need to be careful. Explaining why and how Mad Max must kill Blaster...

Aunty Entity: This is no enemy. It's almost family.

Max: Oh, I see, real civilized!

Aunty Entity: The reasons don't concern you, only the conditions. Do you want the deal or not?

Max: Mmm

[nods in agreement]

The Collector: The first is, no one knows you're working for Aunty. You hit him, you go. The second is, it's a fair fight. The third is, it's to the death.

Max: Who's the bunny?

This has to be perceived as fair (and, actually, be fair). And treating Murkowski in a manner that is objectively unfair is the surest route to getting a Democrat elected.

Posted by: Ace at 08:37 AM | Comments (260)
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Ten points. 40 Rubio 30 Crist 21 Meek.

Here's Rubio's acceptance speech, which has two main themes:

1. If you want real change, vote for me.

2. I want to be Ace's sex-zombie in love-hell.

Both of these are winning messages, especially the last one, and it's about time a politician had the guts to subliminally telepath it to me.

Posted by: Ace at 07:56 AM | Comments (180)
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Did I say Tea Party Candidate? I meant serving Congressional Democrat. One of those... "Independent" Democrats we're suddenly hearing so very much about.

I'm not actually 100% sure of the context of the "Nancy Pelosi may die" remark because the totally professional reporter doesn't apparently think the context of the remark to be worth noting.

But that is the only context I can imagine where this makes sense.

Bright, who is is in his first year in Congress and facing a battle against Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby this fall, joked that Pelosi might lose her own election, decide not to run for the speakerÂ’s job or otherwise not be available.

He suggested, jokingly he insisted to his audience, that Pelosi could fall ill and die in coming months. That remark drew laughter from the crowd.

Though he has a reputation as the second most independent member of Congress, he has been routinely blasted for voting for Pelosi to be speaker.

Meanwhile, at Politico (link unavailable) Democrats think their situation is worsening, and that the House is gone.

Can't fix it?

It's gone, MacReady. Gone.

“Democrats kept thinking: ‘We’re going to get better. We’re going to get well before the election,’” said one of Washington’s best-connected Democrats. “But as of this week, you now have people saying that Republicans are going to win the House. And now it’s starting to look like the Senate is going to be a lot closer than people thought.”

A Democratic pollster working on several key races said, “The reality is that [the House majority] is probably gone.” His data show the Democrats’ problems are only getting worse. “It’s spreading,” the pollster said.

On the other hand -- the let's not soap each other's backs hand -- the Democrats enjoy some massive advantages in money and ground-game. Enthusiasm doesn't mean doodly-squat if you don't get your people to the polls, as we learned in the hearbreaker loss of Murtha's old seat.

Hours after the polls closed in a special election in Pennsylvania's 12th District earlier this year, Boehner was still predicting that businessman Tim Burns (R) would beat former congressional aide Mark Critz (D). Republicans' polling showed Burns would win. Their polling was wrong, and Critz is now a congressman.

Democrats who kept a close eye on the Pennsylvania polls detected the same excitement gap that Republicans saw -- Republican voters were much more enthusiastic than their Democratic counterparts. But Democratic polls also saw their voters come home in the race's waning days, and adjusted their targets accordingly. Republicans did not, resulting in a blown call and a self-deprecating examination of the party's polling techniques.

National Republicans maintain that the midterms won't be like the Pennsylvania special election, held in a district where few voters characterize themselves as independents. Indeed, Democrats have lost independent voters' confidence, and nationally, those voters are expected to break more toward the GOP. But models matter, and right now Democrats' models are inspiring more confidence than Republicans'.

Posted by: Ace at 07:49 AM | Comments (40)
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