Archive for September 4th, 2008

Watching the wrap-up of the 2008 RNC, in the background Heart’s “Barracuda” is being played. That reminds me of another Barracuda.

Yeah, yeah I’m a Ford guy but some of those old Mopars are pretty cool. You’re a car guy when someone mentions “Six Pack” and you don’t think of beverages or “Wedge” and you’re not thinking of a golf club.

Media Lizzy has the text of John McCain’s speech posted:

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It’s an interesting fact that, in pure terms of years in positions, the most experienced president in American history was James Buchanan, who is also arguably also the worst.

As a brief history lesson (bear with me here; this comes around to the current presidential race shortly), Buchanan spent six years in a state legislature, a decade each in the House and Senate, four years as Secretary of State, and three years as minister to Great Britain.

Yet he was utterly unprepared to deal with the calamity about to befall the country, and was only nominated because he transcended the important politics of the time by being out of the country for most of the contentious debates which preceded the Civil War (involving things like the status of Kansas and Nebraska). Regardless of his experience, his intellectual detachment was, of course, disastrous, to say nothing of his personal biases with regard to the great issue facing the nation at the time.

I was reminded of this fact (the experience fact, not the transcending politics or intellectual detachment, or personal biases facts) not too long ago by a liberal Democrat acquaintance, who found solace in citing this unusual fact of numerical experience to offset the shortcomings of Barack Obama. Everyone, of course, wants to be reassured and convinced to vote for a presidential candidate purely upon the basis that they would be better than James Buchanan, the president that sat on his hands as the Civil War came upon the nation. That’s setting the bar so low that anyone could crawl over it.

Previously to this, he proclaimed at an informal straw poll back late last year, “Have my babies, Barack Obama!” This is a standard to which Brian Howey and others in the media have been aspiring to match ever since, but I digress.

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This was supposed to air last night, but Rudy went long…not that that was a bad thing! Apparently it’s supposed to air tonight, but I’m guessing the networks won’t show it.

I’m going to have more fun tomorrow dissecting the latest Howey-Gauge Poll (if you want to beat me to it, here’s a link), but here’s a tidbit to nibble on.

Andy Horning, Libertarian candidate for Governor, and a friend of mine, has higher name recognition at 20% than Jill Long Thompson’s running mate Dennie Oxley II who sits at 17%.

Precious.

Okay HA readers, it’s time to jam the phone lines (317-228-1430) tomorrow morning, September 5th, from 7-8 am on Abdul in the Morning (1430 WXNT) as I discuss…yep, that’s what I’m gonna call it…the DNC and RNC conventions with Jen Wagner.

As you may recall, Jen had a less than flattering post on Governor Palin earlier this week that used derogatory and pornographic language to describe her and her family’s situation.

Jen and I may be political allies when it comes to local government reform, but here is where the sparks will truly fly.  Tune in!  Listen!  And participate!

This moment during the Palin speech should have proved to everyone watching that the Palin family is a unit working together for the good of the family, that they are a family like yours and mine….and that Piper could be a star in the making herself.

(H/T - Culture11)

Yeah, they’re going to tax you to kingdom come if they get elected, but hey, paying those taxes is the patriotic thing to do!

(H/T - Ft. Hard Knox)

Yesterday Hoosier Access posted Governor Mitch Daniels’ latest campaign TV ad with Republican Candidates for Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Bennett and Attorney General Greg Zoeller showing unity and leadership in discussing important issues like restoring discipline in the classroom.  Bennett and Zoeller have both actually weighed in on the Governor’s proposals on education issues and just a couple of weeks ago Bennett and Zoeller joined together to stump across the state to affirm the Governor’s proposals and education platform.

Juxtapose that with this classic quote from Democrat Candidate for Supt. of Public Instruction Dick Wood in today’s Louisville Courier-Journal responding to Jill Long’s education proposals she released yesterday of which she ignored Wood’s input.

Thompson outlined her proposals at a news conference at the local office of the Indiana State Teachers Association. She was joined by several elected Democratic officials, including state Rep. Bill Cochran, state Sen. Connie Sipes, New Albany Mayor Doug England, Floyd County Clerk Linda Moeller and New Albany City Clerk Marcey Wisman.

Richard Wood, the Democratic candidate for superintendent of public instruction, said later that he had provided information for Thompson but was not involved in drafting her education proposals. He added, however, that “I think it’s a very well thought-out position, very positive,” and that he supports it.

My guess is that Hoosiers will want a ticket who will work together to get things done, especially when it comes to reforming Indiana’s failed public education system.  Even Jill Long agrees that something must be done.  Governor Daniels knows how to pull his team together while Jill Long apparently has problems communicating and working with her own team.  No doubt here which ticket will succeed in building progress in reforming public education in favor of Indiana’s students.

Via Mitch Harper and Ft. Wayne News:

State Representative Mike Murphy of Indianapolis is interviewed by Triumph from NBC’s Conan O’Brien Show.

First came the whole Trig Palin rumor. That was debunked.

Then came the rumors about Bristol Palin’s boyfriend. That was debunked too.

Then came the breathless reports that she was once a member of a secessionist political party. That was also debunked.

Then came the report that she “slashed” spending for pregnant teens.

As with every smear about Sarah Palin, you can guess about the “truthiness” of this one.

It isn’t the case either.

Covenant House, Alaska’s programs for pregnant teens, got $1.2 million in 2006 and $1.3 million in 2007. Annually, Alaska gives this organization about one million dollars each year.

Covenant House asked the state for $10 million to fund a new crisis center in downtown Anchorage. This funding was on top of the rest of the money that Alaska gives to the organization.

The legislature approved $5 million for Covenant House, an amount that Palin further reduced to $3.9 million. That’s not a budget cut. That represents an almost 400% increase in funding for Covenant House over its normal budget.

Only in the eyes of Democrats (and, apparently, the Washington Post) is government spending being cut when it grows by a smaller amount than they want.

You can also read the text of her speech below if you’re more of a reader.