Decision ‘08 » 2006

Archive for January, 2006

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006

SOTU Thoughts

The bad: too long…but then they all are…and perhaps this is why I’m a Republican, but I found my attention lagging during the domestic bit.
The good: I loved the foreign policy stuff, and I loved the way he continued to come out swinging on the NSA program…
Overall: B…
UPDATE 10:21 p.m.: A great speech, says Hugh […]

6 Comments » - Posted in POTUS by Mark

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006

Impeach Bush? Sure, Why Not…

I don’t know if you’ve seen the Dana Milbank story in the Washington Post today, but it’s a pretty hilarious look at a recent impeachment forum (hat tip to Betsy Newmark):
The new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds congressional Democrats in the best position they’ve held in 14 years, besting President Bush and Republican lawmakers on […]

4 Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots® by Mark

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006

A Heartland Democrat Talks Sense - But Is Anyone Listening?

Who, if you’re a Democrat longing to regain the Oval Office, are you going to listen to? Howard “Mr. Wonderful” Dean and the Kos Krowd? Much better to listen to Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack:
Gov. Tom Vilsack said Monday that Democrats risk political backlash if they object to the Bush administration’s wiretapping but cannot show that […]

11 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, POTUS, Donkeys, Radical Islam / GWOT by Mark

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006

It’s a Great Day…

…for supporters of a conservative judiciary, and you can feel the celebration in the air. It’s also a great day for those of us who were out front on the Gang of 14 deal, and while it be may be a bit unseemly to toot our own horns, we’re doing a little tootin’ all […]

1 Comment » - Posted in SCOTUS, RINOs / Chillers by Mark

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006

What Does It Mean…

…that there were 14 more votes for cloture than confirmation? Says Prof. Bainbridge, with an assist from Opus: it means that the Coalition had it right; it was the much-maligned Gang of 14 deal that secured this victory.
I couldn’t agree more…

6 Comments » - Posted in SCOTUS, RINOs / Chillers by Mark

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006

It’s Over: 58-42

Bush has assured himself of at least one great legacy - John Roberts, Samuel Alito - and (???)…
Nicely done…

14 Comments » - Posted in SCOTUS by Mark

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006

I Can’t Bear the Suspense!

Will Brokeback Mountain win best picture? (Is the Pope Catholic?)…
RIP, Coretta Scott King…
A goodbye of a different sort to one of the great figures of the last 25 years…well done, Alan, your country owes you more than it knows…

4 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, Celebrities / Pop Culture / Sports by Mark

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006

Another Post-Mortem For The Failed Borking of Alito

In A Tale of Two Strategies, I praised the foresight of the Republican members of the Gang of 14, and castigated the despicable borking strategy favored by, most prominently, Ted Kennedy.
David Kirkpatrick, in the Washington Post, writes in a similar vein:
Their most indefatigable strategist was James Flug, a longtime friend of Senator Edward M. Kennedy […]

2 Comments » - Posted in SCOTUS, Donkeys, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots® by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

George Will Previews SOTU, Takes Shot at Ex-POTUS

Forgive me for this one, peter, we know you’re a fan, but it’s too good to pass up:
Regarding cynicism, Jimmy Carter, an even worse ex-president than he was a president, responded to the Hamas victory by quickly suggesting a way to evade the U.S. law against providing funds to terrorists. He suggested that the executive […]

34 Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Radical Islam / GWOT, Foreign Affairs, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots®, UN/Oil-For-Food by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Fish in a Barrel Time: The Kossacks React

Here we go: The Top Five (Plus a Surprise At the Bottom) Kos Kidz Reactions to the Failure of the Alito Filibuster
Number Five: …[T]he NSA recorders are working overtime today!
Think of the harvest for the Bushite scum- thousands of Bush opponents calling and he can trace all those numbers!
Number Four: I’m Movin to Canada, Adios…
Canada […]

16 Comments » - Posted in SCOTUS, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots® by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Ahh, The Vision Begins to Return

Man, that eye dilation is very disconcerting…I’m back to about 60%, though, so a quick post…
First up: the flipside to the Newsweek piece I highlighted earlier today is this hard-hitting piece from Debra Burlingame in the WSJ:
Meanwhile, the media, mouthing phrases like “Article II authority,” “separation of powers” and “right to privacy,” are presenting the […]

5 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, SCOTUS, Radical Islam / GWOT, Iraq, NY Times/Media Watch by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

There Will Be No Filibuster

Details here. Why am I so silent, after all this build-up? Because I just got my eyes dilated, and I can barely see the screen! More later, when my vision returns…

1 Comment » - Posted in SCOTUS by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Kent Conrad Becomes 4th Democrat To Support Alito

Here’s the announcement (hat tip to Joe Cella at Red State)…
Meanwhile, Kangro X laments the Gang of 14 deal that, as we well know, turned into such a victory…

1 Comment » - Posted in SCOTUS, Donkeys by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Newsweek on the Palace Revolt

A nice piece of journalism in the latest issue of Newsweek that will certainly give ammo to the anti-Bush crowd, and give no small amount of pause to conscientious supporters like myself. Called the Palace Revolt, it’s an insider’s look at the internal dissension to the broad expansion of presidential power espoused by, most […]

3 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, POTUS, Radical Islam / GWOT by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Look Out, Mama, There’s A White Boat Coming Up The River…

…with a bunch of RINOs on board! The Radical Centrist has the details on the latest sighting…

No Comments » - Posted in RINOs / Chillers by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

I May Be The Only Person In The Country…

…that has never watched a single episode of ‘24′ (but then, I don’t watch hardly any television these days, except for the occasional college game and an odd ‘Simpsons’ here or there’ - so why is my cable bill in the three figures? But I digress…). Still, even I am amused by this edition […]

8 Comments » - Posted in Linky Love by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Chafee To Vote No On Alito

Alito opponents have picked up a Republican:
One of themost anticipated vote announcements on Sam Alito is from liberal GOP Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who is facing an incredibly tough primary fight in RI SEN. Well, later this morning, Chafee will announce he’s voting against Alito’s confirmation.
Does it make any real difference? Not really…remember, Alito has got […]

1 Comment » - Posted in SCOTUS by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

U.S. To Cut Aid, Europe to Waffle

The honest reason the U.S. is forced to go it alone so often in foreign affairs is that no one else will take action. Of course, there are exceptions, but compare this statement with the pre-war handling of Iraq, and you will recognize the impotent multilateralism of the UN and the European Union at […]

8 Comments » - Posted in Radical Islam / GWOT, Foreign Affairs by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Some Good Reading For Alito Day

Oh, sure, the vote is tomorrow, but the real vote is today - that’s when the Senate, barring some monumental surprise, votes to close debate on the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Our good friend AJ has collected some thoughts and gathered them in the latest (last?) Carnival of the Chillin’…there […]

1 Comment » - Posted in SCOTUS, RINOs / Chillers by Mark

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Unclear On The Concept

This is a Hall of Fame example of spinning here; AllDemsOnBoard takes a half-dozen or more poll results showing the public is in favor of confirming Alito, simply adds the unsures to the against, and extrapolates that number into support of a filibuster, despite the fact that it isn’t even mentioned in the questions!
By the […]