Another Democrat incumbent Bites the Dust...

Breaking out of Nashville...

Another Democrat Congressman has announced his sudden retirement. This makes the fourth Dem incumbent in the last few weeks to decide against reelection. Just last week Rep. Brian Baird of Washington State unexpectedly stepped aside, in a district (southwestern WA), that leans Republican. And the week before that it was Rep. John Tanner of Eastern Tenn.

From the Nashville Post Politics.com:

From Press Release: After more than a quarter-century of public service to his home state of Tennessee, U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon announced his plans to retire from Congress when his current term ends in 2010.

There really isn’t anyway to spin as anything but bad for Democrats. Whatever their reasons, the retirement of both John Tanner and Bart Gordon mean that only two years before redistricting the Democrats will have to defend two marginal seats that will likely be carved up anyway.

It had always been assumed that the GOP would flip the 5-4 congressional delegation majority for Democrats to at least a 5-4 Republican and likely 6-3 or 7-2 in 2012. It just wasn’t expected to happen in 2010.

Editor's Note - a special hat tip to our very high-placed GOP source in Washington, DC who sent to this to us early this morning.

Obama Administration launches Massive Assault on Financial Privacy

by Eric Dondero

According to NewsMax, the Obama Administration is now hiring "hundreds of new employees," for the IRS, to go after tax patriots who invest overseas.

The Democrat-controlled Congress just approved $387 million for the IRS fiscal year 2010 budget to hire the new employees.

From NewsMax:

The IRS high wealth unit, part of a broader effort to combat international tax evasion, is focusing on "the entire web of business entities controlled by a high wealth individual," IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman told a tax conference this week.

The IRS is also opening new criminal offices in Beijing, Panama City and Sydney to focus on funds flowing out of Europe and into Asia... At the center of the agency's offshore effort is its legal cases against Swiss banking giant UBS AG. UBS agreed to turn over nearly 5,000 names of individual American clients and paid $780 million to settle a criminal case for aiding tax evasion.

The IRS has also begun initial steps to join forces with other governments to scrutinize corporate tax filings...

President Barack Obama has proposed tightening tax rules for U.S. multinationals, including one in which companies delay paying taxes on income earned offshore, a legal practice known as deferral that officials say is abused.

If there was ever a time to completely abolish the IRS, now is it. We Libertarian Republicans must do everything we can to help elect GOP candidates on the record in support of getting rid of the agency. And remember, we're now fully into primary season. We must support those candidates in primaries who don't fudge on the abolish IRS stance.

Fortunately, a number of Republican Congressmen are already on record in support of abolishing the IRS, Ron Paul, of course, but also first-term Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana (Source), Rep. Jeff Flake of AZ and Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia.

Libertarian Republican candidates for Congress for 2010, have called for the absolishment of the IRS. They include Rand Paul running for US Senate in Kentucky and Peter Schiff for Senate against Dodd in Connecticut.

Schiff said on Fox News back in April:

Why not just abolish it completely? How about a flat-tax of zero. Why don’t we shrink government and have a much smaller national tax. It’s far less destructive to our economy and people don’t have to surrender their individual rights to privacy in order to comply with tax law?

Schiff's father Irwin Schiff is serving a lifetime prison sentence for writing a book in the 1980s, "The Great Income Tax Hoax," and urging others to avoid paying the income tax. Schiff believes the tax to be UnConstitutional, and inherently illegal.

Want to strike back at the IRS? For Tax Patriots, supporting Schiff's son for US Senate is an good way to start. Then follow up with a contribution to Rand Paul for Senate in Kentucky.

SchiffforSenate.com

RandPaul2010.com

Fed Bureaucrats get big raise in Compensation: Private Sector workers grow Poorer

The Road to Serfdom

From USA Today, Dec. 11:

The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data.

Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months — and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.

Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time — in pay and hiring — during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector.

On Sunday, Mitt Romney commented on Meet the Press (via GOP12):

"The real threat here is something Alan Greenspan just said, and that is if we don't take action to rein in the scale of government and the growth of government spending and the compensation levels of government workers. You saw average government workers are now making $30,000/year more than the average private sector worker... this threatens our long-term viability... It's not a partisan issue. It's a growth of government issue, and it's got to start or America's future could be very much in jeopardy."

Obama is a Muslim entering Pop Culture

Even Liberal Hollywood Producers starting to acknowledge the Obvious

30 Rock, a popular network TV comedy sitcom, joked on a Dec. 10 episode, of Obama's appeal to Muslims.

Here's the dialogue (h/t Newsbusters):

Kenneth explains to Tracy Jordan...

"These are my all inclusive holiday decorations. Here’s a little Christmas tree...A menorah. A picture of President Obama- for the Muslims." Jordan then shot him a look and replied, "Gonna let that one slide."

You can see the short video clip at EyeBlastTV.com

Obama's approval ratings take another dip at RCP

MONDAY MORNING POLLING UPDATE!

From Eric Dondero:

Late Sunday night... Down .1% since our last report. Obama's culmulative Real Clear Politics average stands at 48.8% Approvals, with 45.3% Disapprovals. That's a spread of 3.5%. The differentials on the graph are getting closer and closer to criss-crossing.

See it at RCP.

Note - the RCP running average combines Rasmussen, NY Times/CBS, WSJ/NBC, Bloomberg, Marist and other top polling firms.

UPDATE!!

Rasmussen reporting late Sunday dramatic decline over the weekend in Obama's approvals:

23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19.

Today is the second straight day that Obama’s Approval Index rating has fallen to a new low.

See graph above. Note severe drop in Obama Approval since Friday (Health Care debate, Copenhagen, Climategate, Cap & Trade, ect...).

Full report at Rasmussen.

FURTHER UPDATE!

Real Clear Politics is now reporting that Obama's approvals have dipped yet again, now standing at 48.6%, down from 48.9% late last week.

And now some good old-fashioned Hardcore Right-wing Punk Rock from Wyoming

Right Arm of Wyoming

Gun Rights, Property Rights, Fuck the Nanny-State! Describing themselves as "Anarcho-libertarians," with a rightwing bent.

"So-called Anarchists voted in the bigger problem we have now. I'd take Ronald Reagan over the Commie Criminals we got now."

From the Editor: Our friends at Right Arm of Wyoming sent us a review copy of their latest CD "Cling to our Guns." Ever since it's been clinging to my CD player in my pick-up truck. It's become a permanent fixture in my '98 Chevy 4x4. Perfect for jamming on rural backroads here in South Texas.

Buy your copy now! LibertarianPunk.com The perfect gift for that lazy scraggly-ass leftwing friend of yours who just wants to cheer on Obama, but doesn't want to go out and find a job.

Did the Missoulian cover up for the Max Baucus Affair?

by Eric Dondero

What we know... Blogger Jodi Rove of Buffalo's Fire was the reporter covering the story of the Baucus affair, and the pending appointment of his Mistress Melodee Hanes. Rove reported earlier this week on her Blog, that Baucus's Senate office called the night before they were about to break the story, to inform the paper that Hanes's name had been withdrawn. She had been one of three candidates to be appointed to serve as Montana State Attorney General under Eric Holder. Now Rove's story has been confirmed.

From The Editors of the Missoulian, Dec. 9:

Eight months ago, when Hanes’ name surfaced as one of the nominees for the U.S. attorney’s job, the Missoulian asked Sen. Max Baucus’ spokesman whether Baucus was involved in a romantic relationship with Hanes – as her ex-husband was alleging – and if so, why Baucus would pursue a course that posed such a clear conflict of interest.

Not only would Baucus not speak directly to the Missoulian, but his then-spokesman, Barrett Kaiser, refused to address the issue and strove to keep any story at all about Hanes’ nomination from print. Indeed, the night before the story was to run, Kaiser called the paper and told us that Hanes’ nomination had been withdrawn.

With nothing from Baucus on the record, and no way to prove the veracity of Hanes’ husband’s assertions, the Missoulian couldn’t responsibly print the allegations.

This has led prominent Democrat blogger Jay Stevens to pen a piece, "It's not the affair. It's the cover-up." Stevens raises the question of possible collusion between the Missoulian and Baucus's office. From Left in the West:

Is it me? Or did they totally drop the ball on this story? What kind of reporter stops investigating a story when the investigated subject refuses to speak about it? They couldn't find anyone else to confirm Baucus' relationship to Hanes? Really?

Nationally syndicated columnist, legal scholar, and frequent Cable News guest Johnathan Turley has now joined in, commenting on his Blog:

Other details have emerged that may cause problems for Baucus. He insisted publicly that Hanes decided to withdraw from consideration as the new U.S. Attorney (with Baucus’ important support) when their relationship became more serious. However, reporters are now saying that the decision was made shortly after they confronted Baucus with the story at the Missoulian and said that they were about to make it public. Remarkably, the Missoulian never ran the story in March.

The Missoulian, a paper hugely supportive of Baucus in the past, now appears to be engaging in a little CYA criticizing Baucus for his decision making process.

Continuing from the Missoulian:

many Montanans are seriously questioning Baucus’ judgement just at the moment we should be focusing on his role in national health care reform, energy legislation and a host of other crucial legislative matters.

The Missoulian couldn’t care less about Baucus’ personal romantic relationships. Such things are a private matter that has no bearing on the public’s business – or at least, they should be. But when someone in a position of public trust and authority uses his position to further the career of someone he is romantically linked to, that warrants full disclosure and public scrutiny.

Baucus exercised poor judgment in this matter not once, but repeatedly.

The Missoulian is a notoriously leftwing biased newspaper in Montana. It services a university town. They make endorsements of only Democrats. In the 2006 race for US Senate, the paper ran repeated investigative pieces on Republican Senator Conrad Burns for allegedly questionable financial and campaign practices. Burns ended up losing that race to Democrat Jon Tester.

When one looks closely at the timeline of events that transpired last Spring, it's clear that at some point a decision was made at some level at the Missoulian to quelch the story. As Jay Stephens asks, why in the world would any newspaper just halt such an investigation?

One has to wonder if such a story would have been quelched had it been a Republican legislator in question.

IDAHO: Democrat switches to Republican to run against libertarian-leaning Dem Rep. Walt Minnick

From Eric Dondero:

Strange happenings in the home state of the Bowl-bound Boise State Broncos.

Seems a prominent Democrat has decided to switch parties to Republican, to run against incumbent Democrat Congressman Walt Minnick. The Congressman is considered to be the only Democrat in the entire House of Reps, who leans libertarian. A recent survey found him to have the most "conservative" voting record of the entire Northwest delegation, including Republicans. What's more, Minnick himself is a former Republican who switched to 'D' to run for the seat.

From Rocky Barker at the IdahoStatesman.com, Dec. 12:

the other big race for 2010 is expected to be the U.S. House seat now held by Democrat Walt Minnick. Minnick, a former Republican whose voting record in the House so far has appeared closer to his previous party affiliation, has irritated many Democrats for not supporting central party positions like a cap-and-trade climate law and a public option for health care reform.

Democrat Larry Grant, a Fruitland attorney who lost a narrow race in 2006 to Republican Bill Sali but stepped aside for Minnick in 2008, said he gets at least one call a week from Democrats urging him to challenge Minnick for the seat. He usually tells them no.

Recently, he told me, he answered yes.

“I said I was going to run for Congress as a Republican,” Grant said.

A Republican? That’s right, he said.

Since Vaughn Ward has the Palin wing of the GOP behind him and Raul Labrador has the Sali crowd behind him Republican moderates have nowhere to go in the primary, Grant said. If he jumps into the race he can get moderates along with Democratic crossovers unhappy with Minnick.

“All I need is 35 percent,” Grant said.

There is still rampant speculation that Sali might also jump into the race, but unclear as to what party; Libertarian, Constitution or Tea Party Independent.

And, there's still speculation that Minnick may switch back to Republican. Many progressives in Boise are urging him to do so, to make way for a hardline liberal "real Democrat" candidate.

Side Note - LR received a nice note from Rocky Barker at the Idaho Statesman for this linking of his piece. Turns out he's got a bit of a fondness for libertarians.

Michele Bachman: Time to KILL SOCIALISM!

This is no time for Holiday Cheer

Libertarian-Conservative Congresswoman Michele Bachmann didn't hold back on a recent conference call sponsored by the RNC.

From the Minnesota Independent:

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann urged her supporters to fight health care reform by calling Congress “every day, when you wake up in the morning and comb your hair and take your vitamins.”

Democrats are purposely pushing health care legislation at holiday time, Bachmann charged during a nationwide conference call Thursday. “It’s intentional that they’re doing this at Christmas time and Hannukah.”

“We’re going to kill socialism,” Bachmann vowed during the call, which was hosted by the Republican National Committee. “They can’t have our country. We’re not going to let them win.

(H/t GOP12)

Tucker Carlson to launch new Journalist Website: Promises not to "suck up" to Obama

Another News Site from a Libertarian Republican slant

Joining Andrew Breitbart's recently launched BigGovernment.com comes yet another libertarian Republican leaning news site.

Nothing up yet, except a title. But within days Tucker Carlson will launch a new website for hardhitting investigative journalism for the Right.

The title simply: The Daily Caller - 01 11 10, (a reference to the date Republicans may take back control of Congress.)

Writes Margaret Chadbourn, "Tucker's next Move," at Washingtonian.com:

The nonstop clamor of the media is about to get louder with the launch of pundit Tucker Carlson’s newest effort, DailyCaller.com.

A libertarian Republican known for his love of bow ties and a quick elimination on Dancing With the Stars, Carlson says his Web site will have a heavy dose of tough, original reporting.

“The press has sucked up to Obama,” he says. “The core of the site is to provide better coverage of the White House, Congress, and the federal government.

He's gathered an impressive set of partners, and is gathering up writers who've been unemployed since Obama's recession began, in the faltering media industry.

DailyCaller.com

A Pro-Islamist President? Obama's ties to the Muslim World exposed

Speeches of Obama praising and glorifying Islam

"He did bow to the Muslim King... An American President for the first time in history bowed to a Muslim King" -- Brigette Gabriel

Since Obama elected "Worst Year" for Homegrown Islamic Terrorism

"None of this proves Obama is really a Muslim. But it does all suggest that America has a pro-Islamist President." -- Melanie Phillips, Columnist, UK Telegraph, Author of "Londonistan"

The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning, that 2009 has been one of the worst years for Islamic Terrorism, and possibly the worst ever for homegrown Muslim Terror...

The surge in alleged terror cases has raised concerns among counterterrorism officials...


U.S. counterterrorism officials say 2009 has turned into the year of homegrown jihad...

* In September, terrorism investigators trailed Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year-old Afghan-born U.S. resident, as he made his way from Denver to New York City in what they later alleged was an aborted plot to carry out attacks using explosives made from beauty supplies.

* A month later, investigators arrested David Headley, a U.S.-born son of a Pakistani father and American mother, and charged him with plotting with al Qaeda-linked Pakistani militants to attack a newspaper in Denmark... he [also] helped a Pakistani group, Lashkar-i-Taiba, scout locations for the deadly 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

* Last month, U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan was arrested and charged with killing 13 people in a shooting spree at Fort Hood Army base in Texas. Prior to the attack, Maj. Hasan was in touch with an extremist Muslim cleric in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki, investigators say.

* Also last month, the U.S. unveiled charges against several men who allegedly recruited about 20 young men of Somali descent to join an Islamist insurgent group, al Shabaab, which is fighting Somalia's U.S.-backed government.

A common thread in these and other cases, terrorism officials say, is that they involve immigrants and second-generation Americans, who traditionally have been viewed as more resistant to extremist ideology. Many cases uncovered in past years have involved American converts to Islam, and officials say religious converts often are more zealous in their beliefs.

Meanwhile the LA Times is reporting that terrorist experts nationwide have said:

"2009 has been the most dangerous year domestically since 2001... Anti-terrorism officials and experts see signs of accelerated radicalization among American Muslims, driven by a wave of English-language online propaganda and reflected in aspiring fighters’ trips to hot spots such as Pakistan and Somalia."

Missed by both the Times and the WSJ the attack on the Little Rock, Arkansas last May, when a Muslim-convert Abdulhakim Muhammad (photo above) opened fire on a Military Recruitment facility, killing one soldier and seriously injuring another. Also not listed, the planned attack by a Jordanian-born Muslim extremist on a Dallas skyscraper back in September.

Finally, there were the 4 North Carolina Jihadists arrested with a serious weapons cache, who were training to wage War against the United States overseas.

Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer and other Middle Eastern experts believe that Obama may be setting a tone that would foster an environment of tacit approval for homegrown radical Islam.

Spencer ally Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs, on the five DC Muslim students tracked down and arrested in Pakistan by American authorities last week, commented:

They were plotting jihad. Obama spent a month in Pakistan during his college years ....perhaps he is, uh, sympathetic.

Photos from left to right Abdulhakim Muhammad, Nidal Malik Hasan, Najibullah Zazi, and below Barack Hussein Obama giving a speech in Cairo.

New Poll: 39% of Israelis believe Obama is a Muslim

From Gersten-Langne Polling Firm, Dec. 10:

Q.38 Now, I am going to read you a list of words and phrases which people use to describe political figures. For each word or phrase, please tell me whether it describes Barack Obama very well, well, not too well, or not well at all.

The number of respondents who answered "Muslim" described Obama "well" was 39% compared to 49% who responded "not well."

On the description of Obama "Weak on Terrorism," 50% agreed with that label, while 42% disagreed.

Minnesota DFL may have a Big Problem on its hands for 2010: Lynne Torgerson

by Eric Dondero

American "Jane Six-Pack" vies for Congressional seat held by Radical Muslim

Talk about an odd duck Democrat. Well, not exactly a 'D' more like a Joe Lieberman sort running as an Independent in the Democrat primaries.

Meet firebrand anti-Islamist crusader and candidate for US Congress Lynne Torgerson. Ms. Torgerson ran once before, in 2008 for the Minnesota House of Reps. She sought the GOP nomination in District 59. Ironically, she was blocked by a cadre of Ron Paul supporters. The Paulists opposed her foreign policy views. Many suspect that might have been the reason for putting the squash on her candidacy.

From Minnesota Independent:

Carleton Crawford, who chairs the Republican Party of Minnesota’s Fifth District committee, told MnIndy by email that Torgerson failed to get the GOP endorsement in 2008 because delegates sought someone more in line with U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s presidential candidacy.

An Independent-Democrat, with a Conservative streak

Unfortunately, the move by Paul's followers, may have also pushed this attractive and outspoken candidate right out of the Republican Party. For 2010 Torgerson is planning to run in the Democrat primary as an "Independent." She may also simultaneously seek the Independence Party nomination for the general. (Jesse Ventura's old party.)

She shares a number of mixed views on a variety of issues. For example; She's stridently Anti-Bail Outs for big corporations, Pro-Gun and Pro-2nd Amendment, anti-Immigration in general, Pro-Life, Anti-Gay Marriage, and for Tax Credits for Oil Exploration. At the same time, she's almost liberal on Environmental Policy, and Health Care; favoring a public option, and policies that would promote "Clean Energy."

Fighting back against Minnesota's Somali Terrorists

It is her Foreign Policy views, specifically her views on Israel, and Muslim extremism, that put her in direct confrontation with the man she seeks to unseat.

There has been a recent wave of Somali immigrants to Minneapolis/St. Paul who have participated in homegrown terror plots, and American Somalis have traveled to Somalia to participate in Jihad.

StoptheACLU blog reported that might be a reason for the rise in anti-Islamist sentinment among regular Minnesotans:

The Huffington Post reports “the growth of anti-Muslim sentiment in Minnesota..." the tuberculosis they brought with them and their habit of never... integrating into society.

Yet the local media, and politically correct politicians have been almost completely silent on the increasing threat from the Somalis.

In Torgerson, regular Minnesota Joe and Jane Sixpacks may have found a new champion for more restrictive immigration policies for Somalis and other Muslim immigrants.

Going after the record of Radical Islamist Keith Ellison

From her website:

Who is Keith Ellison? He is my opposing candidate for the Fifth Congressional District seat. Keith Ellison is a Muslim, a person who was raised Christian and converted to Islam. He became associated with the Muslim faith and Louis Farakhan. Louis Farakhan also espoused hatred of Jews. Keith Ellison also has ties to CAIR. Its members donated to his campaign. Additionally, high ranking members of CAIR have been speakers of honor at his campaign fundraisers. Keith Ellison has spoken at CAIR's fundraising dinners. All people should definitely look at the list of Keith Ellison's donors. The list can be found at fec.gov, which is the Federal Election Commission website or opensecrets.org. Approximately $700,000 came from OUTSIDE THE STATE OF MINNESOTA into Ellison's campaign. Why would so many people outside of the State of Minnesota be so interested in a Minnesota congressperson?

Now, with all due respect, America, and its people, should be lauded for its goal of promoting to public office and other high ranks, people of color, women, minorities, etc. However, quite frankly, in our zeal, we simply went too far with Keith Ellison. Keith Ellison simply is not a proper person to have in our federal government. Ellison, in the past year or so, introduced a bill entitled "Global Peace." "Global." I think that word is telling. Globalization of Islam. It is also my understanding that when people of the Muslim faith use the word peace, that "peace" to them means the elimination of Christians and Jews. Yassar Arafat, a known terrorist who began the PLO (the Palestinian Labor Organization), also often called for "peace." Also, it should be pointed out that during a recent vote regarding funding to support the needs of our troops, Keith Ellison voted against the bill. He later has voted to fund many other things, but, again, he voted against funding for the needs of our troops at war.

So, we have Keith Ellison with ties both to Islam and to CAIR. We have him also voting against funding the needs of our military. Keith Ellison has no business in our federal government.

Radical Islam is anti-Constituion

Torgerson sees opposing Islamism as wholly Constitutionalist. Continuing from MinnIndy:

Indeed she frames several of her objections to Islam in terms of the U.S. Constitution. Islamic teachings advocate murder of non-Muslims, she charges, putting the religion at least partly outside the protection of the First Amendment, which is also contravened by Islam’s goal to “Islamize the entire world,” as she puts it. Islam’s oppression of women, she contends, violates the Constitution’s equal-protection clause.

Torgerson cites as well the 2004 assassination of Dutch director Theo Van Gogh for making a short film based on Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s book “Infidel.”

Muslims “have teachings that are essentially criminal,” Torgerson said.

“Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush.” (Sura 9:5)

"Idolaters are anyone who is not Muslim. Slay means to kill. Therefore, the Quran says to kill anyone who is not a Muslim. Simple."

Minnesota's 5th District is the most Progressive in the State, by far. Republicans have little hope of winning this seat. While candidate Togerson may not be a consistent libertarian, she may be the best hope for libertarians and conservatives concerned about the rising threat of Radical Islam.

TorgersonforCongress.com

Glenn Beck on Barbara Walters: Describe my politics? "Libertarian, Maximum Freedom"

Barbara Walters Special, Tuesday Night, "America's Ten Most Fascinating People"

BARBARA WALTERS: Does government do anything good?

BECK: Defense.

BARBARA WALTERS: Besides that?

BECK: They made a really nice highway.

Abolish Medicare says Glenn Beck

Libertarians have been calling for abolishment of Medicare and all government-run health care for decades. Now, arguably America's most well-known and popular libertarian broadcaster has joined the call. Beck made the remarks on his radio show the other day.

Transcript from the leftist blog Think Progress:

CO-HOST: This is unbelievable, because the whole thing with the public option, is we were saying this is going to be like Medicare, they just want to make a big — make another Medicare program. And then they said no, public option is just competition.

BECK: And, wait wait wait. And I also said why don’t you just abolish Medicare, because it’s so wildly corrupt and out of control. It’s so inefficient, it is so bad and there’s $47 billion in suspected wrong payments, okay, in Medicare. So what are they saying — now remember, what we’re going to do — the compromise is we’re going to expand Medicare. That way there won’t be a public option, we’ll just — which doesn’t make any sense — we’re going to expand Medicare.

Nancy Pelosi as Stalin: One California Korean-American says it fits

Asian Americans know best about the evils of Communism

An Asian American local councilman is getting both praise and severe criticism for his one-man protest recently. The Democrats in Orange County held a dinner, and controversial Councilman Steven Choi of Irvine showed up with a photo-shopped photo of Nancy Pelosi as Josef Stalin pinned to the back of his suit.

The Scavenger from SFGate explains:

Last Friday, a group rented a room at the Irvine Hilton to protest the Democratic Party of Orange County's 15th Annual Harry Truman Awards and headliner House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Joining the demonstration was Irvine Councilman and Assembly candidate Steven Choi.

An OC Register photographer caught Choi roaming the Hilton lobby before Pelosi's address. Choi is seen in a suit, tie and a depiction of Pelosi as Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator who killed millions under his Great Terror campaign. Another photo shows Choi posing with a woman who is wearing a Pelosi-SS guard illustration.

Choi was quoted by the OC Register:

"I'm a Republican Party member and went there to express my disapproval of her policies. I have big concerns with what is going on with the government pushing down the mandated health issues... As a small businessman it would impact me."

One Democrat attendee, a Jewish Rabbi and liberal columnist David Hirschfield commented:

We seem to have endless appetite for comparisons to Hitler, Nazis and the Holocaust, and like all forms of gluttony, it's making us very sick. It's neither a Democratic thing nor a Republican thing, it's a simply and disturbingly a tragic fact of contemporary American life.

But the popular libertarian-leaning Orange Juice Blog defended Choi:

Choi is well thought of in Irvine. He has a great background in education. The blue boys can rail all they want, but Choi is a real threat to them – and their ridiculous attack isn’t going to hurt him. Will it peeve Democrats? Sure. But who cares? He has to win a GOP primary in order to take DeVore’s seat. This story will only help Choi in that primary.

WISCONSIN: Terri McCormick for Congress

LIBERTARIAN REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE PROFILE

Terri McCormick is a candidate vying for a Congressional Seat in Northern Wisconsin District 8. The seat, currently held by a Democrat, is viewed as one of the most likely pick-ups for the GOP in 2010.

McCormick is a former 3-term State Legislator. She's also the author of the provactively titled book: "What Sex Is a Republican?’ Stories from the Front lines of American Politics and how you can change the way things are"

According to Aaron Biterman, Communications Director for the Republican Liberty Caucus:

Terri is a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus and a former three-term State Representative that held herself to her original term limits pledge. She is a constitutionalist and is anti-statist. She is currently in an eight-way primary, but is the only candidate that has name recognition districtwide. (She ran in 2006 for the same seat, but lost because the NRCC did not want her to be the nominee.)

From her Campaign Website:

Terri believes in the principles of limited government, fiscal restraint, checks and balances, free market competition, constitutional freedoms and rule of law. She believes that “every earmark, pork barrel spending scheme, every bureaucracy created takes freedoms away from American citizens.” She was the author of the Small Business Regulation Reform Act in Wisconsin that requires free market principles and pro market representatives to regulate the impact of endless regulations on business. Removing government regulation unleashes the forces of the free market that raise our living standards. Responsible government begins with the understanding that government is a servant of the people and not a master of them. Free market protections were strengthened by Terri’s reforms for capital investment, competitive bidding pools, market transparency and regulation reform.

She's also a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, and is fiercely opposed to a public option for Health Care.

TerriMcCormickforCongress.com

Senator DeMint officially endorses Michael Williams for US Senate - Texas

The Senate Conservatives Fund is Chaired by South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint. The Fund works to elect Conservatives nationwide to the US Senate.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 10, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF), announced the endorsement of Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams for U.S. Senate in Texas. Williams is running to replace Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) who recently announced plans to resign sometime next year.

"Michael Williams is the Democrat Party's worst nightmare. He's a principled, outspoken conservative who will fight to stop the massive spending, bailouts and takeovers that have destroyed millions of jobs and piled a mountain of debt on our children and grandchildren," said Senator DeMint. "Michael Williams has a compelling life story, a proven conservative record and an energetic grassroots following that make him one of the most exciting Senate candidates in the nation."

"It is an honor to receive the endorsement of a fellow committed, courageous conservative like Senator Jim DeMint," said Commissioner Williams. "Senator DeMint and I are kindred spirits. We seek to bring bold conservative leadership to Washington. We believe in the principles of limited government, strong national defense and traditional family values. I look forward to the day, very soon, when we have the opportunity to work side by side to maximize freedom, security and prosperity through proven conservative principles. We are going to be a great team."

DeMint Announces 4 Endorsements for the Conservatives Fund

Michael Williams is the fourth candidate to be endorsed by the Senate Conservatives Fund in a 2010 Republican primary. SCF has also endorsed former Congressman Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania, former State Speaker of the House Marco Rubio in Florida and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore in California.

"Americans are tired of apologizing for their principles, and they're looking for some new Republicans who will stand up for mainstream American values," said Senator DeMint. "That's why we're helping a strong group of viable conservative candidates in races across the country, including Pat Toomey, Marco Rubio, Chuck DeVore and now Michael Williams. These are leaders who deeply believe in constitutional limits, a balanced budget, and individual liberty. These are not radical ideas - they're the principles that have made our country the envy of the world, and we desperately need leaders in the Senate who will fight to defend them."

SenateConservatives.com

Baucus "Bimbo Eruption" gains Criticism back Home; Calls for his Resignation

Pressure mounting on Montana Democrat

An Editorial yesterday morning in the Billings Gazette:

Gazette Opinion: Fallout from Baucus’ poor judgment

What was Max Baucus thinking?

That his personal relationship with his state director, Melodee Hanes, wouldn’t matter when he forwarded her name for consideration as Montana’s U.S. attorney?

Whatever hope of privacy Baucus and Hanes may have had vanished when he recommended her for an important appointed office... the conflict of interest or at least the appearance of conflict is inescapable. All of Hanes’ legal and organizational credentials have been obscured by the label “senator’s girlfriend.”

Thus, for this lapse in good judgment... Baucus gained a scandalous distraction while he is working to shepherd major health care policy legislation through the Senate.

Editorial, Billings Gazette, Dec. 9:

There is no longer a fine line between acceptable personal and public behavior of our politicians. Voters expect them to act responsibly both in out of public view. Sen. Max Baucus has now had to reveal that he used his significant influence to recommend his lover Melodee Hanes for the U.S. attorney for Montana position.

This was happening while both of them were married and carrying on their illicit affair with impunity. His belated admission that this relationship began in the summer of 2008 is simply unacceptable on its face. In the statement issued by Ty Matsdorf, his spokesman, he says that Hanes and Thomas Bennett, her ex-husband, divorced in December 2008. Baucus and his ex-wife, Wanda, announced their divorce in April 2009.

Baucus has now exposed himself to be heartless as well as a scoundrel.

Sen. Ensign was forced to resign his Senate Republican Policy Committee chairmanship for doing the same thing. I am calling on Baucus to immediately resign from the chairmanship of the Senate Finance Committee. Your personal and public life is an open book and you are ridiculing the voters of Montana by staying in office.

Meanwhile, the GOP Chairman Will Deschamps from Helena sees the scandal growing back home.

From the Billings Gazette:

Montana Republican Party Chairman Will Deschamps insisted the issue was "gathering more and more steam."

"Ethics and morality still count," he said.

However, Baucus has his defenders outside of Montana.

Democrat Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada quipped to reporters "it's a non-scandal."

And Newsweek defends Sen. Baucus. From Kate Daily, Columnist, Dec. 10:

Look, I’m all for ethical standards, and obviously this raises many eyebrows. But it also reveals a nasty habit of denying the intellect, experience, or merit belonging to the sexual partner of someone in power. There seems to be the impression that Hanes is a piece of ass totally unqualified for the position, and that Baucus nominated her in lieu of shelling out for concert tickets or a tennis bracelet. The phrase “staff-member girlfriend” makes it sound like she earned her taxpayer-funded paycheck by providing back rubs and listening to Baucus talk about his day.

In fact, “girlfriend” is not Hanes’s primary identity... As Baucus's office points out, she’s an expert on child-abuse prosecution, and has tried more than 100 jury trials.

Hanes sought a position for which she was a qualified candidate... sometimes, the best person for the job also happens to be the person on the other side of the bed.

Not the First Time Baucus has had a Sex Scandal: Harrassment Allegations back in 1999

Senator solicited his Office Director to Fly Away to Disneyland

Montana Senator Max Baucus was recently implicated in a Sex Scandal involving his Deputy Chief of Staff for his Senate office Melodee Hanes. Baucus has admitted to a longterm affair with Hanes. More damaging, he submitted her name at the time she was acting as his Mistress, to the Justice Department to serve as State Attorney General. It was reported on Tuesday that Baucus and Hanes even took "political junkets" to exotic vacation spots including Dubai and Vietnam.

Back in 1999, Baucus had another brief flurry of a Sex Scandal, and the story line is amazingly similar to the current flap with Ms. Hanes.

Salon.com covered the story that year:

Last week, the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call broke the news that mild-mannered Montana Sen. Max Baucus, a Democrat, had fired his chief of staff, Christine Niedermeier, for what he described as management differences and she described as direct retaliation for refusing months of sexual advances.

At its core, it seemed like a classic "he said, she said" kind of tale... Niedermeier, 47 and single, says she was terminated because she rejected his advances and because he feared she was going to file a sexual harassment suit.

on May 3, 1999, she accompanied Baucus to an official White House dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

According to Niedermeier, Baucus asked her questions about her personal life and her relationships with boyfriends, commented on what she was wearing, compared her to his wife and, at times, implored her to go away with him for the weekend. One time he suggested they go to Disney World together.

Niedermeier went on to relay more background including accusations of stalking by a loyal Baucus aide, and Baucus himself, "calling her room repeatedly."

She also describes her last day when Baucus fired her over the phone at the airport. Then when she went to the Senate office to retrieve her private email communications between her and Baucus which included matters of a sensitive nature, she was stopped from entering by Capitol Hill police.

Niedermeier's case was eventually thrown out of court. She missed a 90-day deadline for filing.

Editor's Note - We are grateful to our source in Montana for giving us the background, and tipping us off to this story.

Baucus mistress Melodee Hanes sleeping her way to the Top

Part of her "career path" says former boss

Excerpt from Google News via AP, Dec. 8:

Baucus girlfriend eyed US attorney post for years

Montana Sen. Max Baucus' live-in girlfriend had eyed the state's U.S. attorney post for years before he nominated her for the job, her former colleagues said.

In Montana, Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos described Hanes as an accomplished criminal prosecutor. Being named U.S. attorney "was the career path she was working on" since at least 2002, said Paxinos, a Republican and Hanes' former boss.

That year Hanes left her deputy county attorney job to work on Baucus' re-election campaign. The move into politics was based on the assumption that it could lead to the federal prosecutor's job, according to Paxinos.

Local Media query on Affair quelched the Nomination

Montana blogger Jodi Rave of Buffalo's Fire, is a former journalist for the Missoulian. She has just released this information on her blog:

My entry into this story begain around February 2009 when a source called me with information about the beyond-professional relationship between Baucus and Hanes. I made a few phone calls to follow up on the lead. After I had sufficient information, I called Kaiser Barrett, the spokesman for Baucus. I had two questions. First, would Baucus confirm his romantic relationship with Hanes? Second. Did the senator see a conflict of interest in nominating his girlfriend as U.S. attorney? The story stretched out for weeks before I finally placed a final phone call to Barrett around March 11, 2009. I said we’re running the story in the next day’s paper. He then sent out a statement via e-mail saying Hanes was NOT a candidate for U.S. attorney. This was around the same time she apparently withdrew her name, according to recent press reports. I quit working at the paper in May... Amazingly, the Baucus story is breaking more than nine months later. I’d be surprised if it went away any time soon.

Rave goes on to report on her meeting with the former husband of Melodee Hanes. Continuing:

A source tipped me off about the Baucus and Hanes relationship. I tracked down Hanes’ husband, Thomas Bennett, a doctor who lives in Billings, Mont. Bennett and I talked on the phone several times. He said his wife was having an affair with Baucus. He was upset because so many people knew about the affair before him. Bennett and Hanes divorced in December 2008. In February 2009, I arranged a meeting with Bennett in Missoula in which he showed me an e-mail his wife sent to the senator. Hanes called Baucus her ”furnace.”

In a media availability late last Friday, Baucus spokesman Ty Matsdorf in announcing the affair, said of his boss, "Senator Baucus is currently in a mature and happy relationship with Melodee Hanes."

Libertarians attacked by Leftists at Welcoming Event in Copenhagen

Americans for Prosperity Live Webcast event crashed by screaming Socialist Greens

In the middle of opening remarks for free marketeers and libertarians who flew to Copenhagen to voice their concerns on Global Warming, about 20 or so Leftist demonstrators jumped up and drowned out the proceedings. They waved a large banner and chanted slogans. AFP supporters countered with their own chants and surrounded the speakers including Lord Monkton to protect them from the horde. One AFP-er ran and grabbed the Leftist's banner. Monckton called the protesters "like Hitler Youth."

Sarah Palin, Ron Paul ticket 2012? Sarah on Top

Palin/Paul because of "their libertarian philosophies"

Thousands showed up in the "single digit cold," to wait for another Palin book signing. This one at the Costco in Salt Lake City.

One guest columnist Peg McEntee described her experience waiting on line. She interviewed a number of those in line, including a Ron Paul supporter.

From the Salt Lake City Tribune, Dec. 9:

Those of us standing in line got to talking about Palin and McCain, President Obama (not on the most-favored list) and Ronald Reagan. Most said they'd vote for her in 2012 or 2016.

One guy told me he'd love to see a Ron Paul-Sarah Palin on the ballot in ' 12, given their libertarian philosophies. Which one at the top of the ticket? "Probably Sarah, because she's younger," he said.

RCP running average for Obama Approvals drops to 48.9%

Dramatic Drop in just last Two Weeks

Obama's approvals have dipped below 49% for the first time, now at 48.9% for the culmultative average run by Real Clear Politics. The RCP rating includes all the big firms, including CBS/NY Times, NBC/WallStreetJournal, Rasmussen, Gallup, Marist, Ipsos, McClatchey, and Bloomberg.

CBS/NY Times still has Obama at 50% approvals to 39% disapprovals. However, that's down sharply from the last poll two weeks ago that found 56% approval to 34% disapprovals.

CBS/NY Times rates Obama the highest of all the polls. Ironically, it was the CBS/NY Times decline that put Obama below the 49% mark culmulative.

RCP Poll (includes RCP graph of polls)

Note - graph of poll shown above includes only Rasmussen.

Yet another bigtime incumbent Dem calls it quits; Rep. Brian Baird (WA) faced increasingly tough Reelection

BREAKING NEWS OVERNIGHT!!

From the Political Hotline:

Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) announced his retirement tonight, becoming the third Dem in a vulnerable seat to announce his departure in the last few weeks. "The time has now come to pursue other options, other ways of serving. Hence, I am announcing today that I do not intend to seek reelection to Congress in 2010," Baird wrote in a statement. "This is not an easy decision to be sure, but I believe it is the right decision at the right time."

Baird's District is in Southwest Washington, and includes Olympia, and Vancouver.

Already announced for the seat is Republican State Rep. Jaime Herrera of Battle Ground. She's been known as a "Jobs First" legislator, and a staunch fiscal conservative. Back in April she criticized Gov. Gregoire's budget (Vancouver Business Journal):

"The only thing I'm proud of with this budget is that Republicans fought against tax increases on working families and employers, and won. However, this budget does not fix the fundamental problem that got us here -- overspending.

The leftwing HA Seattle site says that the GOP "may have the advantage" for the seat, in this mostly rural district, particularly with an attractive candidate like Herrera. The political site goes on to note, "there is a large and boisterous conservative movement and a well-organized Republican Party machine [there] that utilizes talk radio and newspapers to the fullest advantage."

Editor's Comment - something tells me that southwestern Washington State voters will be much happier being represented in Congress by a fiscal conservative Hot Latin chic, rather than a pale-faced Leftist. Just sayin'.

OHIO: More gains in latest poll for Fiscal Conservative John Kasich

From Rasmussen:

Rasmussen Ohio Gubernatorial Survey

John Kasich 48% (46%)
Ted Strickland 39% (45%)
Other 3% (3%)
Not sure 11% (7%)

Rasmussen notes that incumbent Democrat Strickland faces a trifecta of difficulties: High unemployment in the State now at 10.5%, a $851 million budget shortfall, and an unpopular proposal to boost taxes to overcome the shortfall. Continuing:

Add it all together, and it’s a tough environment for the incumbent Democratic governor who now trails his expected general election opponent by nine percentage points.

Reid Senate Plan includes Individual Mandates: $750 Fine for Non-Compliance

"Compromise Plan" still forces Individuals to buy Coverage

The Health Care plan just released by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is being billed by the mainstream media as a big compromise package between liberals and moderates. Libertarians are opposed to any form of government involvement in health care. However, one measure that libertarians find particularly offensive is the Individual Mandate. According to CNN, the Reid plan includes mandated coverage with harsh penalties for non-compliance.

From CNN "House, Senate versions grow farther apart":

Under both plans, individuals would be required to purchase coverage, but the House bill includes more stringent penalties for most of those who fail to comply. The Senate plan would require individuals to buy health insurance, with a fine for noncompliance of $95 in the first year that would escalate to $750 by 2016. Parents would be responsible for providing coverage for children up to age 18.

The House bill would impose a fine of up to 2.5 percent of an individual's income.

Still not clear on possible Jail time?

Full details of the Reid plan have still not been released. It is unclear at this point if criminal penalties for failure to purchase insurance includes jail time in the Senate version as are included in the House version.

But notably, Republican Rep. David Camp of Michigan, in response to his query about the mandate, received a letter from the IRS dated Nov. 5, confirming that a "fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 5 years," could be imposed on any American willfully disregarding the IRS requirement of tax liability.

Liberal media have since been writing this off as unnecessary "Republican fretting."

The LA Times had a lengthy Q&A "What the Health Insurance mandate means," Dec. 6. Among the questions:

Will I be forced to buy health insurance? Will I go to jail if I don't?

The short answer is yes, you probably would be forced to buy insurance, but no, you aren't likely to be locked up if you don't, unless you're a big-time tax cheat.

National Public Radio echoed that sentiment stating that only serious offenders would be jailed. From NPR, Nov. 18:

imprisonment of tax evaders is usually reserved for the most outrageous cases. The letter to Camp notes that the Internal Revenue Service usually pursues unpaid taxes through the civil process -- meaning no jail time. In 2008, fewer than 500 people were incarcerated because of the penalties the Republicans are fretting about.

Panel votes against Impeachment for Libertarian Republican Gov. Mark Sanford

BREAKING NEWS!!

From Eric Dondero:

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has just escaped impeachment. A House panel voted against a resolution in favor of impeachment for unethical conduct.


From The State:

The seven-member panel, instead, voted unanimously to censure Sanford, which means the General Assembly would admonish Sanford for his behavior. But, Sanford would get to serve the rest of his term, which has roughly one year remaining.

Lawmakers said that while Sanford may have used a 2008 Argentina trade trip as a cover to initiate an extramarital affair and that his use of state aircraft deserved an S.C. Ethics Commission review, the charges did not meet the high standard they felt was necessary to remove Sanford from office.

This clears a big hurdle for Sanford. Though, the fall-out from his personal relationship with an Argentinian woman and his troubled marriage, will likely rule out a Presidential run for 2012.

Sanford had been the clear early favorite for Libertarian Republicans. While most conservatives condemned Sanford and his behavior, libertarians, including Libertarian Republican blog, stood by him, and remained virtually his only supporters in recent months.

In fact, Michigan Republican Liberty Caucus Chairman and RLC National Board member Dan Sheill recently remarked, "I am still supporting Sanford for President 2012, and hoping that he runs."

Libertarian Republican bloggers discuss Climategate, Health Care and Hot Political Races

LISTEN TO LAST NIGHT'S SHOW

Libertarian Politics Live!

Listen to Eric Dondero on Blog Talk RadioGuests on "Libertarian Politics Live" Dec. 8:

SPECIAL GUEST

Bryan Preston, Communications Direct, Republican Party of Texas

Andre Traversa, Co-Host - Chicago

Jim Lagnese, Iowa, Right Guy blogspot
Dave Nalle, Austin, TX, Republic of Dave blog
Wes Wessamore, Tennessee, Humble Libertarian
Dan Sheill, Michigan, Republican Liberty Caucus rlc.org