She hears the footsteps. At Hot Air's headlines.

"Understand, there are a lot of issues that, for example, in the Tea Party that they raise that are legitimate issues. Did we abandon our basic principles of fiscal responsibility? Absolutely. I was arguing those points during the Bush administration," Snowe said emphatically, "I made those very arguments."

"Congress isn't working right and it's not working well, and I share that frustration and anger. They're angry? So am I," Snowe said as her voice got louder, "I'm angry, because I work here ever day and I want things to be different. I'm here to solve problems to make people happy, not to make them sad and angry," Snowe insisted.

And what does Castle's loss tell Snowe about whether there's a place for moderates like her in the GOP?

"Well there are fewer of us so that goes without saying," Snowe said, but then immediately argued that "we can't be endangered if you want to be a majority party."

"It doesn't stand to reason that the Republican Party would want to exclude moderate Republicans if they want to be a majority party. Those are mutually exclusive propositions," Snowe said.

At times, as the Maine Republican talked about this issue, she became exasperated.

"Ideological purity at 100 percent is a utopian world and I don't know who lives in utopia. I've never lived in utopia," said Snowe.

This is an odd thing. Snowe is talking about "moderate Republicans" being driven out as if they're being driven out over abortion or gay marriage. They're not, really. They're being driven out over small government/spending/etc.

I heard about Castle being pro-choice like three times during the Delaware Demolition Derby. Everything was cap and trade and DISCLOSE. (And claims that he voted for the Stimulus or ObamaCare, which he in fact had not.)

So Snowe is getting exasperated by a movement that is 75% motivated by the part of the Republican platform she supposedly agrees with -- fiscal conservatism. As you just read, early in her remarks, she's claiming what a damn good fiscal conservative she is.

The trouble is, she isn't. Why did Stimulus pass? Because she and her idiot Maine Sister Collins joined with ex-Republican and now ex-anything Arlen Spector to break with an otherwise unified party and vote for it.

And we made it clear to her -- we all did, screaming on blogs and talk radio and letters to her and all that -- that this was considered an obligatory vote. This was central. This was a crucial vote as regards fiscal restraint.

And she didn't care. She didn't care. History called her, and she gladly did "history's" bidding.

Well, now she is history. And it's not due to abortion or gay marriage, as she's making it sound. We've always known she was a moderate-leaning-liberal on these issues. We (or at least I) excused that. It was baked in the cake. It is what it is.

No, what doomed her was selling out fiscal conservatism in a headlong rush to make nice-nice with Obama and be "moderate" on the one issue she is not claiming she's not a moderate on at all.

She's not a social conservative. Fine. But the problem is she's also not a limited government or fiscal conservative. Nor, in fact, a judicial conservative.

Then what is she? And why would we elect her? To what end? To see our goals thwarted at every turn?

If she were a social moderate but a bear on fiscal issues I could see her being reelected easily. But she's not. She's a social liberal and a fiscal moderate and a judicial moderate.

Yeah, on this one, I have to agree with the Tea Party: Then, um, what good are you, exactly? (It's easy to agree, too, because I have confidence there will be strong challengers to her contending for the nomination.)

The Republican Party is a conservative party. Period. Full stop. She thinks she is entitled to continue thwarting the hopes and ignoring the pleas of the very people who elevate her to high office. We think she is not so entitled.

In two years we will learn who is right, and who is now an independent candidate.

Posted by: Ace at 11:24 AM | Comments (150)
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The government should stop doing something it doesn't have the money for? What kind of crazy talk is this? It's like Chris Christie is from another planet or something.

Christie from earlier this week.

Declaring he would not move forward on a project he could not afford, Gov. Chris Christie said today he was the one who put the brakes on the $8.7 billion trans-Hudson rail tunnel.

The governor, in a press briefing, said he liked the idea of the tunnel, but not if he canÂ’t pay for it.

"And if I canÂ’t pay for it, then weÂ’ll have to consider other options," he said, making it clear for the first time the project was in serious jeopardy.

..."It went from $5 billion to $8.7 billion in what was clearly a rush by the Corzine administration to have gold shovels and put them the ground and try to get (former Gov. Jon) Corzine re-elected. That obviously was less than successful," Christie said. "And IÂ’m concerned that their evaluations of price of this project was as successful as his re-election campaign was."

Today the Democrats shot back. Budgets? We don't need no stinking budgets!

Warning that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity may be squandered, state and federal elected officials today urged support for an $8.7 billion railway tunnel under the Hudson that could be killed over rising costs.

Gathered in front of a portal to the tunnel being built in North Bergen, Democratic Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg joined other federal and state lawmakers to sharply criticize Gov. Chris Christie's temporary suspension of the massive project.

"The message is pretty simple," said Lautenberg. "We donÂ’t want to be just another parking lot for New York City and thatÂ’s whatÂ’s going to happen if we donÂ’t get this tunnel done."

..."We need to find a way to make this work," said Menendez, adding that Christie always had known the projectÂ’s cost, but suddenly raised red flags after initially supporting it.

Yeah, reevaluating something when new and bad information comes in? That's just crazy talk.

The feds actually want to know how the state will cover any over runs on the already ballooning project. Lautenberg and Mendez don't care, they are worried that stopping could cost the earmarks they've already lined up. I guess they'll worry about the rest, later.

You simply couldn't dream up a more perfect example between fiscally conservative management of the public fisc and the old school, 'just spend!' approach.

Posted by: DrewM at 10:28 AM | Comments (198)
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Dear God.

Speaking at The Independent Woodstock Literary Festival, Frank Dikötter, a Hong Kong-based historian, said he found that during the time that Mao was enforcing the Great Leap Forward in 1958, in an effort to catch up with the economy of the Western world, he was responsible for overseeing "one of the worst catastrophes the world has ever known".

Mr Dikötter, who has been studying Chinese rural history from 1958 to 1962, when the nation was facing a famine, compared the systematic torture, brutality, starvation and killing of Chinese peasants to the Second World War in its magnitude. At least 45 million people were worked, starved or beaten to death in China over these four years; the worldwide death toll of the Second World War was 55 million.

...Mr Dikötter said that he was once again examining the Party's archives for his next book, The Tragedy of Liberation, which will deal with the bloody advent of Communism in China from 1944 to 1957.

He said the archives were already illuminating the extent of the atrocities of the period; one piece of evidence revealed that 13,000 opponents of the new regime were killed in one region alone, in just three weeks. "We know the outline of what went on but I will be looking into precisely what happened in this period, how it happened, and the human experiences behind the history," he said.

Liberals always use the excuse that Communism has never failed because it's never really be done right. Well, if 45 million dead is a mistake, I'd hate to see what a success looks like.

This is why it's always dangerous when people claim they have the answer for society, it eventually requires increasing control and violence by the state. Always. It's also a reminder that Tom Freidman's constant dreams of turning the US into "China for a Day" are at once silly and morally disgusting.

Now, I'm not saying that a murderous tyrant beats within the heart of American Democrats, that would be ridiculous. I do think however we should keep in mind that there are leftists in America who wouldn't mind purging a few million Americans if they won't get with the program. (the link is to LGF, just for fun. If it goes down the memory hole, check this out instead).

Thanks to Lawyers, Guns and Money via John Noonan.

Added: D'oh! How could I forget this? more...

Posted by: DrewM at 09:20 AM | Comments (300)
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The racist congressperson is Granny Rictus McBotoxImplants, also known as Nancy Pelosi.

Three staffers working for embattled Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) were asked by security officers to leave an event in downtown Washington on Thursday after they tried to display large campaign signs just as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was about to speak.

...

“Let’s fight for Maxine Waters,” read a headline on the signs above a large picture of the congresswoman. Smaller headings read: “No improper action. No benefit. No failure to disclose. No one influenced. No case!”

...

“It ain’t about Nancy. It’s about black people,” Waters said.

...

Waters said she was deploying campaign signs at events throughout the country to defend herself against charges that she improperly intervened to help a failing bank secure a meeting with Treasury officials even though her husband had owned stock in the company and previously served on its board. “These signs will show up wherever large numbers of African Americans gather,” Waters said.

Well. It's not about Nancy; it is about black people. But it is definitely not about whether Waters illegally intervened to pour taxpayer money into her husband's failing bank.

At Hot Air, Waters' husband's bank received even greater preferential treatment than we thought.

Key player? Barney Frank.

Thanks to DS and ThomasS.

Posted by: Ace at 08:49 AM | Comments (92)
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Remember, church and state must be kept separate by an inviolable wall, except when it comes to the de facto state religion, Islam.

Below, the video, but here is an NRO link telling you what you'll see.

The result is stunning: an unabashed exercise in Islamic dawa, the “call to Islam” and the manner by which the Brotherhood’s spiritual guide, Yusuf Qaradawi, promises that Islam will “conquer America” and “conquer Europe.” Qaradawi — wonder of wonders — is a trustee of the Roxbury mosque (although he is banned from the U.S. for sanctioning terrorism). As the video relates, “Dawa Net,” one Islamic organization that instructs on how to use the schools to inculcate the young, explains that public schools in America are “fertile grounds where the seeds of Islam can be sowed inside the hearts of non-Muslim students.”

It's a ten minute video, but the money shot happens from like 5:00 to 6:40. more...

Posted by: Ace at 08:25 AM | Comments (191)
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"None of the men are British." American Tea Partiers, then, according to Mayor Bloomberg's axiom.

In a statement from Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police said that the five men had been arrested in a Terrorism Act 2000 operation, launched by officers from the force's Counter-Terrorism Command.

The five were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

They are 26, 27, 36, 40 and 50 years old and most are understood to be Algerian. Following the arrests, police began searches as the depot and at homes in north and east London. Officers have not found any hazardous items.

Out: Koran burning

In: Pope burning

Thanks to Dr. Spank.

Posted by: Ace at 07:44 AM | Comments (138)
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A bit of a mixed bag.

First to Washington where Dino Rossi is running against Patty "Osama Bin Laden Has Made Lives Better" Murray. This race had been rated a "Toss-up" by Rasmussen but he's moving it to "Leans Democrat".

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Murray with 51% support, her best performance so far, while Republican challenger Dino Rossi earns 46% of the vote, with leaners included. One percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, and two percent (2%) are undecided.

This race now moves from a Toss-Up to Leans Democrat in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

Late last month, when leaners were included, Rossi held a slight 50% to 47% lead over Murray. Leaners are those who initially indicate no preference for either of the candidates but answer a follow-up question and say they are leaning towards a particular candidate. From this point forward, Rasmussen Reports considers results with leaners the primary indicator of the race.

When leaners are not included, Murray leads 49% to 46%. In the prior survey, excluding leaners, Rossi was ahead 48% to 46%.

In 10 previous surveys conducted since January, the candidates have been within two points of each other seven times. Murray's support has ranged from 45% to 50%, while Rossi has picked up 46% to 49%.

Looks like some Democrats are coming back to Murray. Hopefully, it's just a blip but Washington was always going to be an uphill fight. Still, Rossi's not totally out of it and he's going on the offensive against Sen. Tennis Shoes.

Tea party and Palin backed GOP primary candidate Clint Diedier still hasn't endorsed Rossi. In a 5 point race, a little unity could go a long way.

Here's Rossi's website.

Back in Ohio, as discussed yesterday, Republican Rob Portman is cruising.

Republican Rob Portman holds a 55 - 35 percent lead over Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher among likely voters in the race for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat, while President Barack Obama has a 60 - 38 percent disapproval rating, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

By a 58 - 37 percent margin, likely Ohio voters want a U.S. Senator who opposes President Obama's policies, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey, conducted by live interviewers, finds. And by 49 - 31 percent, voters want Republicans rather than Democrats to control the U.S. Senate.

This is a seat the Republicans needed to hold and Portman is going to be a substantial upgrade over George "The Weeper" Voinovich.

And finally in Alaska, at 9pm tonight eastern (5pm in Alaska) Lisa Murkowski will announce her intentions about running a write in campaign in November. In the meantime, she wants us to know she's a very important person and the state of Alaska may not survive without her. That and primaries are unfair and probably sexist (unless she wins them and then they are swell).

"I'm a public servant. My job by definition is to listen to my constituents. And there was a process in place -- a primary election -- that's certainly one way that you listen to your constituents."

She added: "When you think about the outcome of that, in a closed Republican primary, how many Alaskans were actually able to weigh in? So what is the will of the constituency? When you hear this outpouring of support and concern -- concern about the future of the state of Alaska and our representation here in the Senate -- you do feel a responsibility."

"I'm a public servant"? Then to paraphrase George Carlin, get me a sammich.

"I'm a public servant"? It sounds like a plea for help, "I have no marketable skills in the real world. Don't turn me out!"

Lisa...go away. You lost. You gave it your best shot and came up short. Gather up whatever little dignity you have and fade away into the wilds of Alaska or maybe K Street in DC. Either way, the voters have spoke, you must leave the Senate.

Fearless prediction...she's not going to do it. She'll make some sweet, sweet lobbying money in DC, hang out in Alaska on vacations and try again in 4 years against Mark Begich. No one who wants to make a splash, and even a sitting Senator reduced to this needs a splash for a write-in campaign, makes an announcement at 5pm on a Friday.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:09 AM | Comments (104)
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Since I had a mid-air posting collision with Gabriel about Ron Johnson's lead opening up over Russ Feingold, here's a Johnson campaign ad several readers mentioned in the comments.

It's ball-dippingly good.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 05:53 AM | Comments (95)
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Oh my.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Johnson picking up 51% support, while Feingold earns the vote from 44%. One percent (1%) of voters prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) remain undecided.

The survey was conducted one night after JohnsonÂ’s primary victory in which he received 85% of the vote in a three-way race. Feingold, who is running for his fourth term in the Senate, ran uncontested in TuesdayÂ’s Democratic primary. Future surveys will determine whether Johnson's jump ahead is just a post-primary bounce or reflects a serious change in the race.

When leaners are excluded from the totals, Johnson leads Feingold 50% to 43%. In late August, Johnson and Feingold were tied in results without leaners. Prior to the latest poll, support for Johnson ranged from 44% to 48% in surveys since February. In those same surveys, Feingold had consistently picked up 46% of the vote.

Still listed by Rasmussen as a Toss-Up, but I imagine that will change quickly. Feingold is getting pretty squirmy, claiming to be the underdog and claiming to be anything other than a stalwart Democratic vote. He is the Democratic half of the abortion known as the McCain-Feingold Act.

Ron Johnson, our guy, is a self-made businessman who founded his own company. He started with the unlikely dual role of accountant/machine operator. He's running as the "everyman" against the career politician.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 05:49 AM | Comments (64)
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Brand Democrat™ from Slublog.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 05:19 AM | Comments (118)
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