Pray for India

Indian commandos finally ended the terrorist siege in Mumbai. The grim reality now is counting the dead and assessing the damages. According to the sole captured terrorist, the plan was to kill 5,000. So far the death toll is around 300. This is truly India's 9/11...

The terrorists targeted whites, especially those who were Americans or Britons, but the goal was to cause as much bloodshed as possible. Again, these Islamic extremists have shown the world what they are capable of and stained the religion of peace.

Mark Steyn of the O.C. Register reminds us: Mumbai could happy just about anywhere. And he's absolutely right. These terrorists focused on "soft targets" such as hotels and train stations. Although they wanted to kill Americans and Britons, they didn't really care who else got hurt. In an open, democratic society, it's nearly impossible to safeguard public places. Think 9/11. Think Spain and Britain. And now India.

Please pray for India and those who're affected by this tragedy. 

Please don't go there: amending the Constitution to include right to health care

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. wants the Constitution amended so that citizens enjoy the right to health care. What's next? The right to employment?

This notion, however attractive, is absurd. The Constitution grants us freedom and capitalism. Those are really the two crucial ingredients to form a sustainable, prosperous society. We live in it. Millions of others leave behind their homelands to come to America. But America is under threat from Big Government and socialistic policies. And guess what? Universal health care is bigger government and socialization.

Legally, health care as a right would spell disaster. What is health care? Besides being treated for illnesses and injuries, what about preventive measures? Would universal health care pay for gym memberships? Doctors and nurses would become government workers, what about gym operators? What about paying for Alcoholics Anonymous sessions? You can see how crazy things could get...

Even if legislators want a nationalized health care plan, amending the Constitution is the wrong way to go about it anyway.

Impeachment to save the economy?

For some people BDS is deeply ingrained in their soul that nothing will cure them. That's the only way I know to describe Rochelle Riley after reading her article in the Detroit Free Press. She's even turning against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and idolizing socialist Rep. Dennis Kucinich, calling him "the bravest member of Congress." Of course, she has to sneak in a wise remark that President Bush "could also pardon every appointee and employee he has ever had -- and their dogs." With reporters like Riley, who needs cartoonists?

Instead of Congress and the White House focusing on the economic crisis at hand, Riley would rather see lawmakers debate and push for an impeachment. Go right ahead. Never mind that the Democrat controlled Congress has an approval rating lower than the President. Voters would love their representatives to argue about President Bush's "crimes" while losing their homes, retirement savings, and jobs. The Democrat Party ought to pick her as a strategist!

Liberals try hard to attack Bush pardons

On Monday President Bush granted pardons to 14 individuals, a power permitted by the Constitution and cannot be overturned. Liberals like Alan Colmes is trying hard to find something to pick on, but this is really a non-story.

Is TARP constitutional?

The Trouble Asset Relief Program was passed by Congress and signed into law to thaw the credit crisis. At least that was its initial plan. But in reality the law gave much broader authority to the Treasury Secretary in using TARP funds, some hundreds of billions of dollars. In drafting the legislation, members of Congress met with Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke to learn more about the problem. It was evident that either Paulson and Bernanke weren't able to adequately explain the situation, or lawmakers had no intention of fully understanding the crisis. The bill was passed within a few days, amid some lawmakers' admission of not really knowing what's going on, but "something had to be done."

George Will writes in Newsweek:

John Locke's "Second Treatise of Civil Government" (1609), which deeply influenced America's Founders, says: "The legislative cannot transfer the power of making laws to any other hands: for it being but a delegated power from the people, they who have it cannot pass it over to others." And: "The power of the legislative ... being only to make laws, and not to make legislators, the legislative can have no power to transfer their authority of making laws, and place it in other hands."

But that is essentially what TARP has done. It has made Treasury Department bureaucrats into legislators; or perhaps it has made Secretary Hank Paulson the fourth branch of government...

Our lawmakers sort of gave up on learning in detail about the crisis, and just lazily pressed for a vote on TARP. They threw up their arms and decided that letting the Treasury do all the work would be easier. And look at the situation now: more bailouts, more companies and municipalities asking for monetary aid, and more uncertainty from Paulson and Bernanke.

All hail Barney the wise as he ensures our economic meltdown

Reading Michelle Cottle's The New Republic article on House Financial Services Committee chair, Barney Frank, would give anyone encouragement that he's ready to make our economy better in no time. Yet that is far from the truth as the seasoned Congressman had his hands in prompting the financial meltdown we're in today, starting with his false assurance that Fannie and Freddie were doing just fine.

Yes, again we see that journalism is dead. How can anyone do a story on Frank without mentioning the collapse of Fannie and Freddie?

CHANGE in Obama's economic plan

Clintons Have A New Grip on Everything, now even in Obama's choice for economic posts: Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary, Lawrence Summers as senior White House economics advisor, Christina Romer as chair of Council of Economic Advisors, and Peter Orszag as budget director. All these folks are apprentices of Robert Rubin, Clinton's Treasury Secretary.

Can there be change in public education?

The economy has trumped other issues in being the central focus of Congress, the outgoing administration, and the incoming administration. Nobody is talking about the sad state of public education. Yet education is one issue that both political parties claim to care about, and an issue that has a generational impact.

Public schools in America are in trouble. Children are kept in underperforming schools. Ineffective teachers are keeping their jobs. The government keeps throwing money into the system, but improvements are hard to come by. Why?

With the Democrats in control of Congress and the White House, there is a golden opportunity for the party to tackle America's education problem, if the Democrats are willing to break some bad habits, mainly its close ties with the teachers' unions.

Finally, peace in Iraq

What a great report about Iraq shared by Michael Yon. This is something you won't see on the mainstream media!

Bailout of Citigroup proves we are screwed

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the Fed will rescue Citigroup with a bailout package of a few gazillion bucks (that number is subject to change without notice). According to the Fed, Citigroup is "too big to fail." So the lesson in American capitalism is to do whatever you can to become big, then you are virtually guaranteed never to go bust.

This is ridiculous. I'm with Bill Kristol: just admit we don't know! Paulson and Bernanke and members of Congress have no idea how to save the economy. What next? Why not just let capitalism work? Do we have any other choice, really? All the bailouts are clearly not effective.

PDS sufferers gasp at slaughtered turkeys

Do liberals celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends eating turkey? I wonder...

Gov. Sarah Palin pardoned an Alaskan turkey then gave an interview to a local news channel, but the PDS crowd is troubled that in the background there's a man slaughtering turkeys.

The man's doing his job. He works at a turkey farm. He feeds turkeys so they turn plump, then he kills them so others can enjoy turkey meals. In turn, he's compensated and uses his paychecks to take care of his family.

Besides, it's not like there was blood splattering everywhere or turkey pieces flying in the background. The PDS sufferers are reacting as if a serial murderer was captured on TV committing his gruesome crime.

Academic debates about conservatism are useless

All right, enough is enough. Why are conservatives still debating their future? Why is there still talk about how Republicans failed in the past two elections? The future is now, and it'll be over in a blink of an eye.

It's really simple why Democrats are in power now. They got more votes. They registered more new voters. They increased their base significantly. Young people, old people, women, minorities, and even white males are voting blue like never before! Why? Because the Democrats promise to take care of them: college education, medical care, child care, affirmative action, and job security.

Conservatives understand that these government programs will be implemented at the cost of higher taxes, a bloated government, depressed economy, and inflation. But you know what? Voters don't care. If young people are getting free college tuition from Washington, then the young mothers want free daycare.

The question is, Why aren't the voters keen on conservative ideas? The answer is straight forward: education. The teachers unions are destroying the nation's education system. Unionized labor has endangered airlines and automakers. Our education system is in need of serious help just like General Motors. Schools and academia are filled with liberal "educators" and activists. Children aren't being educated, they are being indoctrinated. Worse yet, indoctrinated with liberalism. They learn to be less of an individual, less independent, less driven, and less intelligent.

And when voters are dumbed down, guess who wins? The political party that promises to help them in any way, shape, or form! There is a generation of young voters who graduated from these schools, and they want their piece of the government pie. This is also a generation of instant fame, where one can become famous with a viral video on YouTube. They do not see Obama as a leftist. They see Obama as a celebrity, and they love him, just like how they idolize other Hollywood entertainers.

If conservatives are serious about turning the tide, the movement has to start with re-education. Major efforts should be aimed at countering the grip of teachers' unions and the Department of Education. The failures of the education system should be exposed constantly. More conservative material has to enter the schools, be it textbooks or after-school programs. Something has to be done so our children understand that government does not make America great.

So forget all the talk about Traditionalist and Reformist and Neocons. Each and every conservative is important. Each and every conservative needs to educate the next generation on the ideals which founded this great country. Only then can conservatives retake power and steer the nation to the right path.

No love from anyone for Big Auto

Wow, even the Democrats are giving Big Auto a hard time! The CEOs have appeared before Congressmen to beg for a bailout loan to no avail. Then today the Democrats voted to oust John Dingell (D-Mich.) from chairmanship of the powerful House Committee on Energy and Commerce, replaced by Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif.).

Dingell was chairman for almost 28 years and one of Big Auto's best friends in Congress. His removal from the committee sends a clear signal that Pelosi and friends are ready to impose stricter regulations in the auto industry and align with the environmentalists. Rep. Waxman has always been a supporter of legislation to curb global warming, and this latest move in House politics will be welcomed by many environmentalists.

CHANGE we can believe in

CHANGE is starting to mean "Clintons Have A New Grip on Everything," as Obama continues to tap personalities close with Clinton for his cabinet. The next four years may turn out to be the Clintons' third term.

But seriously, is this any surprise? This not only underscores Clintons' influence in the Democrat Party, but also reflects Obama's dire need for experienced politicians to help his administration.

Ted Stevens loses senate race

Sen. Ted Stevens has lost re-election in Alaska, defeated by Democratic challenger Mark Begich. Sen. Stevens was the longest running Republican senator in Washington.

Now the Democrats have 58 seats in the Senate. The Georgia runoff race between Saxby Chambliss (R) and Jim Martin (D) is attracting attention from the top. Former President Bill Clinton is said to be in Georgia to rally for Martin, while Republican heavyweights John McCain and Mike Huckabee are gathering support for Chambliss.

Big Auto is desperate, but still arrogant

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner is now begging the public for support of the bailout package for Big Auto. On cost-cutting he presents these facts:

...we have been streamlining our U.S. operations while simultaneously improving quality and productivity. Since 2000, we have reduced our U.S. hourly workforce by 52%, from 133,000 to 64,000, through buyouts and other programs. During the same period, we have cut our U.S. salaried employment from 44,000 to fewer than 30,000, and reduced our U.S. executive ranks by 45%.

But wait, what about that luxurious corporate jet you took to fly to Washington begging for taxpayer money from Congress? First class airfare on a commercial airline would be much cheaper, considering your company is on the brink of going bust, wouldn't it?

Sorry, Big Auto. Americans do not have deep pockets and have seen through your incompetency. The best solution to your problems isn't more cash, but a "managed bankruptcy" as Mitt Romney puts it. Your executives deserve to join the millions of other unemployed Americans.

More chatter about Hillary as State Secretary

I agree with most of what Thomas Friedman writes in NYT, except his description of the effectiveness of Condoleezza Rice's diplomatic efforts under President Bush: "Condoleezza Rice had a close relationship with Bush, but Bush had no coherent worldview to animate her diplomacy, so all her travels added up to less than the sum of their miles." On the contrary, Bush had a clear worldview, it was just one that many like Mr. Friedman doesn't agree with. Bush vowed to promote democracy around the globe, fight terrorists in any way, and if other nations weren't on board with us, then they weren't our friends. What's incoherent about that?

And it seems that Hillary is taking her sweet time in giving Obama an answer. Can't really blame her -- now she failed to become president, she's planning on what to do for the next few years.

Al-Qaeda insults Obama

Ayman al-Zawahri, Al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader, has released a message calling President-elect Obama and other black officials "abeed al-beit," literally translated as "house slaves." The terrorist leader warns Muslims and Arabs that Obama's victory doesn't mean a change in American foreign policy of supporting Israel.

This is a clear message that al-Qaeda continues to be the greatest terrorist threat against the country, no matter who enters the White House.

Calls against Hillary as State Secretary

Hillary is being vetted as a candidate for Secretary of State in the Obama administration, but there are many out there who do not like the idea. David Ignatius explains in the Washington Post blog:

The game changer in foreign policy is Barack Obama himself. Traveling in Europe earlier this month, I was stunned by the excitement he has aroused. The day after the election, the French newspaper “Le Monde” carried a cartoon atop its front page that showed Obama surfing a red, white and blue wave. Above him, it said: “Happy New Century!” You can sense the same enthusiasm around the world -- in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Even among the followers of radical groups, such as Hamas and the Taliban, Obama has inspired a sense of change and opportunity.

Furthermore, Ignatius worries about Hillary stealing Obama's thunder in foreign policy should she become Secretary of State. I hate to say it but with Obama's thin resume, almost any Washington politico would steal Obama's thunder if appointed to a post.

I applaud Obama's effort to unify his party, but I can't help but wonder if this move is to keep his enemies closer? Besides, we all know that Hillary voted for McCain/Palin, right?

Paulson, Bernanke grilled in the Hill

The House Financial Services Committee plans to hear testimony from Treasury Secretary Paulson and Fed Chairman Bernanke today about their U-turn decision in using the $700 billion bailout money. Originally the money was for rescuing bad mortgage loans, but now Paulson wants to alleviate the pain in consumer debts. He's even taking his cause to the media with an op-ed in the NYT.

Congress gave Paulson overwhelming power with TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program), but now it realizes that things aren't improving much, especially with the doomsday talk from Detroit automakers and stock markets continue to plunge. Lawmakers now want some answers as to how Paulson's new focus would help the economy.

I really don't think Paulson and Bernanke know what they are doing. Either the scale of the problem is beyond their control, or they are just incompetent. Whatever the reason, I think the only sure way we know will work is through capitalism without government interference. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it'll help with the recovery. I'm afraid that the government's help isn't really helping and will only prolong the pain.

CAP is liberals' Heritage Foundation

The Center for American Progress is in headlines a lot these days. And that's no surprise as the liberal think tank aims to be high profile, thanks in part by its funding from George Soros and Clintonite president and founder, John Podesta. The organization has shaped Obama's campaign agenda and Podesta is even part of the president-elect's transition team. CAP's influence reaches deep into the incoming administration.

Its website lists the following priorities: Restoring America's global leadership, Seizing the energy opportunity, Creating progressive growth, and Delivering universal health care. Out of these four priorities the most misleading would be "creating progressive growth." That's really liberalese for "more taxes and wealth redistribution." In fact, that's probably the highest priority but they dare not list that above "restoring America's global leadership" (national security) because it would make them look bad.

One thing is for sure in the next four years... We can count on Obama and Congress to follow CAP's marching orders on many issues.

Gingrich rains on Palin's parade

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich isn't that impressed with Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin, especially about her prospects in the 2012 presidential election. He categorizes Palin as "a significant player" for the GOP in the years to come, among "20 or 30 significant players," such as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Utah Gov. John Huntsman, and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

One thing is for sure: Gingrich wants attention directed towards the Republican governors in hopes of a sound victory in 2010. It's clear he wants to see the governors shape the state politics in the coming years, win in 2010, then prepare for the victory in 2012. The big question is who will emerge as the leader?

Latest bailout saves UAW, not Big Auto

Another bailout package is in the works in Congress, one that's even less popular but that's not stopping the Democrats from pushing for it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a government lifeline would be provided only if the auto industry meet new fuel-efficiency standards and restructure to limit executive compensation. Of course, there is no mention of concessions from the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.

We all know that the Democrats are good buddies with the UAW. This bailout will infuse fresh blood into the dying General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler so that the UAW can drain them some more. Big Auto already knows to make better, fuel-efficient cars. They came late to the green game and are paying the price. But the root of the problem is unionized labor in the auto industry. It's interesting how Jeffrey D. Sachs never mentions this in his Washington Post article. Michael E. Levine, writing for WSJ, is on the right track: Why bankruptcy is the best option for GM.

With Obama elected, radicals feel more comfortable

Bill Ayers, the unrepentant 1960s Weather Underground terrorist, gave an interview on "Good Morning America" and guess what? He's still unrepentant:

"The content of the Vietnam protest is that there were despicable acts going on, but the despicable acts were being done by our goverment... I never hurt or killed anyone," Ayers said.

"Frankly, I dont think we did enough, just as today I dont' think we've done enough to stop these wars," he said.

This is the guy that our president-elect sat on the same board of directors with. This is the guy that our president-elect sought advice in his presidential run. And now that Ayers' candidate will enter the White House, he's more than proud to be on TV to blab about his past deeds and continue to point fingers at the U.S. government.

Obama wants to probe Bush, where's the change we can believe in?

Change we can believe in? Obama had just gotten a tour of his future White House home, and he's already talking to Congressional Democrats about investigating Bush and his administration of torturing terrorists. In anticipation of such actions by Democrats, Bush is readying a "blanket pardon" to all who were involved in the administration's interrogation policies. Such a pardon would be rare but completely legal under the Constitution.

I can understand if Obama wanted to pursue this when he's a senator. Now that he's president-elect and got elected on a "change" narrative, why can't he just let it go? It's just classless for an incoming president to plan such investigations of the outgoing president. What would it prove? It's just more of the same Washington partisanship and to an extent, political persecution.

Leftists will argue till their faces turn blue that there's nothing more sacred than human rights. Yes, it is true. But when a person's sole purpose in life is to blow up innocent people and destroy others' right to live, then that person is a criminal. And in our society, we want to stop criminals from harming others.

Can torture be allowed? Just imagine this scenario: A person in custody is known to have information pertaining to an attack which will kill your family and others. He remains tough and silent, unwilling to divulge that important piece of information. Wouldn't you do anything to try to extract that information from him in order to save your loved ones and many others?

To President Bush, his fellow countrymen are his family. Somehow I feel that President-elect Obama and his Democrats think their families share no ties with the rest of us...

The importance of the Georgia senate race

Incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss won only 49.98% of the popular vote and cannot avoid a runoff against Democrat challenger Jim Martin. The runoff election is on December 2. Dick Morris puts it best: The election is not over.

He also mentions GOPTrust.com as the conservatives' MoveOn.org. Seriously? I hate to say it, but GOPTrust.com has a long way to go to even be as effective as MoveOn.org.

Use and abuse Sen. Lieberman

Poor Sen. Joe Lieberman. Ever since his speech at the RNC, he's probably the most hated Democrat in the world. There are calls to purge him from the party, but then the Democratic caucus needs him to reach the 60-seat supermajority pending senate race results from Alaska, Georgia, and Minnesota. John Nichols writes in The Nation:

If Democrats did somehow get to 60 in the Senate, and if Lieberman then betrayed the party on a critical vote, that would be the point at which to debate expelling him from the caucus.

At this point, the discussion sounds more like venting than smart, or serious, politics.

In other words, use him and abuse him until he's no longer valuable to the Democrats.

The Architect breaks down election numbers

Karl Rove thinks the Republicans have a good chance in 2010 from a historical context. Cautious optimism, I say.

A (nut)case study in BDS...

Paul Waldman's article published on Nov. 11 in The American Prospect is a great case study in BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome). He's euphoric that President Bush is about to leave the White House because it is apparent that he has a deep hatred and irrational emotions toward this man...

Goodbye, we can say at last, to the most powerful man in the world being such a ridiculous buffoon, incapable of stringing together two coherent sentences. Goodbye to cringing with dread every time our president steps onto the world stage, sure he'll say or do something to embarrass us all. Goodbye to being represented by a man who embodies everything our enemies want the people of the world to believe about America -- that we are ignorant, cruel, and only care about foreign countries when we decide to stomp on them. Goodbye to his giggle, and his shoulder shake, and his nicknames. Goodbye to a president who talks to us like we're a nation of fourth-graders.

BDS patients' #1 complaint about our president? He's dumb, "a ridiculous buffoon," and incoherent. Be reminded that in any argument when a party starts calling names, it's more than likely that he has ran out of intelligent things to say (or he isn't very smart at all). Mr. Waldman goes further in insulting President Bush's body language and gestures. Hmmm, this may be a severe case of BDS.

And I beg to differ about America's reputation among foreign countries. So maybe Russia, France, and China think we are ignorant and cruel, but they are not the world. We are loved in the former Soviet bloc because these nations understand tyranny as they overthrew communism. We are loved in Israel because that's the only nation in the world surrounded by enemies and America helps defend the Jewish state. We are loved by the Japanese because we helped defend them, rebuild their economy, and buy their products. We are loved by many all over the world. Otherwise, how do you explain the millions of legal and illegal immigrants?

Goodbye, indeed, to the entire band of liars and crooks and thieves who have so sullied the federal government that belongs to us all. We can even say goodbye to those who have already gone, to Rummy and Scooter, to Fredo and Rove, tornados of misery left in their wake.

Liars, crooks, and thieves. President-elect Obama, with his past and present associations with radicals like Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers, and criminals like Tony Rezko, probably wouldn't be granted security clearance had he not been elected. I do like Waldman's use of "tornados of misery" though -- quite a penmanship.

Goodbye to the Bush Doctrine of preemptive war. Goodbye to the lust for sending off other people's sons and daughters to fight and kill and die just to show your daddy you're a real man. Goodbye to playing dress-up in flight suits, goodbye to strutting and posing and desperate sexual insecurity as a driver of American foreign policy. Goodbye to the neocons, so sinister and deluded they beg us all to become fevered conspiracy theorists. Goodbye to Guantanamo and its kangaroo courts. Goodbye to the use of torture as official U.S. government policy, and goodbye to the immoral ghouls who think you can rename it "enhanced interrogation techniques" and render it any less monstrous.

Just one question to ask Mr. Waldman: Have you been safe, going about your business, in the seven years since Sept. 11, 2001? You are able to write an opinion piece criticizing the president and his administration because of the Bush Doctrine, brave American troops, and the information extracted from torturing terrorists. Please don't be an unappreciative child.

Goodbye to James Dobson and a host of radical clerics picking up the phone and hearing someone in the White House on the other end. Goodbye to the most consequential decisions being made on the basis of one man's "gut," a gut that proved so wrong so often. Goodbye to the contempt for evidence, to the scorn for intellect and book learnin', to the relentless war on science itself as a means of understanding the world.

Mr. Waldman ran out of bad things to say about President Bush, so he'll badmouth James Dobson and "radical clerics." Speaking of radical clerics, what's happening with Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Pfleger, Barack Obama's religious buddies?

So that concludes the case study of a BDS sufferer. Can it be cured? Why, yes we can! Come January there will be a prescription for higher taxes, nationalized health care, social programs, and more to cure BDS.

Obama urged to send daughters to public school

Being the first family means relocating to Washington, D.C. and scoping out the education choices around town. Right now chances are that the Obama daughters will attend a private institution rather than a public school. The D.C. Board of Education really wants to teach the young Obamas, though.

GM, Ford look for handouts

There's already talk in Washington, especially among Democrats, to bailout the troubled U.S. automakers. GM and Ford may be no more if they cannot get a good-sized loan or some sort of capital infusion. GM is betting its future on the Chevy Volt all-electric car to come out in 2010, but the automaker may not make it through next year. That's how bad they are...

Let's face it. These U.S. automakers are in the shape they are in now mainly because of bearing the burden of labor unions like UAW. Hundreds of thousands of employees could lose their jobs if the companies go under, but maybe that's what's needed to get Detroit back on track. The unions have to realize that the automakers do not provide social programs and welfare. The automakers are in the market to make cars that'll sell and create profits. If GM and Ford want loans, then let them go bankrupt first so the court can restructure their obligations and fire the executives, too.

Something fishy in the MN senate race

The Minnesota senate race is in a real mess now. Republican Norm Coleman had a decent lead after election day, but in the next few days Democratic challenger Al Franken started getting more and more votes. In fact, a gain of 504 votes in 4 days. And there hasn't even been an official recount yet!

Obama leaks private conversation with President, say goodbye to national secrets

President-elect Obama can't even keep to himself a private conversation with President Bush. And this guy is to be entrusted with our national secrets and classified information???

House Democrats discuss confiscating retirement accounts

The Democrats' election victories have emboldened them. House Democrats now want their hands even deeper, and I mean deeper, into your pockets. The have been holding talks on handing your private retirement accounts -- 401(k)s and IRAs -- to the management of the Social Security Administration.

As crazy as this sounds, what's their excuse?

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, in prepared remarks for the hearing on “The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Workers’ Retirement Security,” blamed Wall Street for the financial crisis and said his committee will “strengthen and protect Americans’ 401(k)s, pensions, and other retirement plans” and the “Democratic Congress will continue to conduct this much-needed oversight on behalf of the American people.”

Yes, of course they blame the economy. Because of the economic downturn, these retirement accounts are threatened, and therefore it is the government's job to protect them by confiscating them!

No, thank you. I'd like my retirement accounts where they are right now, managed by the private financial institutions. The government can get my tax dollars, but they better not touch my hard-earned retirement savings.

Remember, folks: what the government gives, they government can take it away. Think twice about nationalized health care, nationalized banking, nationalized oil production, etc.

Let's focus on 2010

I share the same sentiment as Patrick Ruffini. Stop worrying about the presidential election in 2012. The focus should be transforming Congress and state legislatures in 2010, and that will eventually bear fruit for the 2012 race.

Calls for Obama to keep turning left

David Sirota writes in Salon for Obama to "go big and go liberal," claiming that is what the voters want:

... acknowledge their progressive mandate, rather than denying it as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did on Tuesday. "This is not a mandate for a political party or an ideology," he fearfully told reporters.

They should also retire the Innocent Bystander fable about being powerless onlookers. Democrats first cited this myth as reason the Iraq war continued during their congressional majority -- expecting the country to forget that Congress can halt war funding. Today, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that "there's not much we can do" to amend the sputtering bank bailout. In 2009, such mendacity will metastasize from banal dishonesty into grist for scathing comedy-show punch lines.

Wait a minute, "progressive mandate"? Let's have Mr. Sirota run the Democrat Party, I'd love to see him drive it to the ground. If Obama had won 60% of the popular vote, then I'd agree with "mandate." But he won only 53%, and as much as people hated Bush and disagreed with the Republicans, still 46% of voters chose McCain. Why? Because they weren't going to give Obama a mandate.

This will be the primary struggle for the Obama presidency. Based on his background, we know he leans very left and there are many supporters who share that spectrum of ideology. But when he governs from the White House, he also has the other half of the population to please. After all, he'd want to keep his job after four years, no?

Will miss ya, Dubya...

Yes, me too.

Moderate House Democrats want leadership roles

It's not just the Republicans and conservatives who are worried about the gains liberal Democrats made in Congress. Moderate, or Blue Dog, Democrats are vying for committee leadership positions in a Pelosi-run House. They warn that if their voice is not respected, then there will be seats to lose in 2010.

What will Pelosi do? I think she's drunk with power and will ignore the Blue Dogs. Like many in the Democrat leadership, she sees her party's seat gains as a mandate to stride towards the left, quickly. If she's smart she'll heed to the moderate voices in the House. After all, there is another election in two years...

WaPo admits unequal campaign coverage, but doesn't sound sorry

Is this an apology or gloating? I'm reading the article by Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell, and I don't get a sense that she thinks it's embarrassing that the newspaper tilted Obama's way in political coverage. She reveals all the evidence of pro-Obama coverage and unwillingness to dig deeper into stories which potentially hurt their candidate, but still gives the journalists -- writers, rather -- a pat on the back.

Obama must lead from the center

Let's be clear: there was no mandate in this year's presidential and congressional elections. Although the Democrats won the White House and majorities in the House and Senate, the geopolitical landscape of the U.S. didn't change that much. Still almost half of the popular votes supported McCain, and that's after eight years of Republican leadership. Democrats captured additional seats in Congress, but they did not reach a super-majority.

Obama is the most left politician to become president, but he must govern from the center. I believe even a Democrat-controlled Congress will check and balance him on it, too. Some good observation from Peggy Noonan over at WSJ:

Can Mr. Obama claim a mandate? The answer: a firm no-yes. This was not 1980, with a landslide 10-point, 44-state win and the will of a clear majority firmly revealed. And yet of course it's a mandate—a clean win, a new beginning, a solid Democratic victory in the House and Senate. A friend noted the other night that George W. Bush from the beginning governed as if he had a mandate, and he'd lost the popular vote in 2000. Presidents are presidents and claim what they claim. Mr. Obama won it the old-fashioned way: he earned it. He confounded history to get it. And because he replaces a president whose unpopularity has impeded his ability to govern, he is, in a way, president from day one.

McCain campaign postmortem

We all know that the Obama campaign did many things right. It energized the youth vote with new voter registration drives. It kept Sen. Biden away from the press in the later weeks. It never allowed the candidate to speak without a teleprompter (when he did, he created the "Joe the Plumber" panic). Undoubtedly a well-oiled political machine.

So what went wrong with McCain's campaign?

It took too long to bring Obama's past and current associations into focus. It wasn't until the last presidential debate that McCain decided to talk about Bill Ayers. It was a valid topic, but at that time the general perception was that McCain is desperate, especially when polls continued to show a comfortable Obama lead. Plus he never followed through -- kind of just mentioned Ayers' name, Obama rebutted, and moved onto the next topic.

The choice of Gov. Sarah Palin as running mate was a masterful maneuver. She was a breath of fresh air in politics, a strong conservative leader far away from Washington. She was comfortable on stage and in front of the cameras, perhaps thanks to her experiences in journalism, television, and beauty pageant. Many people had doubts about her when McCain made the announcement, but overall she was welcomed by the conservative base. McCain kept his decision under wraps in order to launch a surprise attach at the opponent. This may have backfired as there was no time to prepare her for the national stage. There were some interviews where she bombed, I think mainly because of lack of preparation. But when you are the underdog you cannot afford mistakes. Unfortunately towards the last several weeks, many have labeled Palin a liability rather than an asset to the campaign.

Then there was the issue of fund utliziation. Obama was outraising and outspending McCain. But when you have little money, you should use it wisely, get the most bang for the buck. Recall Mike Huckabee's campaign. He had no money, but he lasted till the end losing to McCain in the primaries. Huckabee had a great online following, and what better advertising medium than the Internet? The McCain campaign was not inventive enough in advertising. His opponent actually bought ads inside a video game. What better way to reach the younger voters?

These are just some of the things I came to think about after McCain's loss. His campaign was still respectable, but there were definitely some strategic mishaps and lack of vision.

Lieberman to feel peer's wrath

Sen. Joe Lieberman may not stay a Democrat much longer. Majority Leader Harry Reid isn't very pleased with his high-profile speech at the RNC attacking Sen. Obama, so now he's wanting to kick him off the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Now that Reid leads a 55-Democrat (at least) seat senate, he has no more use for Lieberman. The Republicans will welcome Lieberman with open arms...

Tension between McCain and Palin?

On stage they seemed to be the perfect maverick combo: McCain the war hero and seasoned senator; Palin the Washington outsider who fought the Republican establishment. But now that the votes have been counted, details are emerging about the tensions between them.

This is another clear example that Republicans need to get their acts together and unite. Yes, you lost. Now is not the time to sling mud amongst yourselves, especially with respect to the ticket.

Where's the "change we can believe in"?

Obama is said to be tapping Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), former aide in the Clinton White House, to be chief of staff.

So much for "change we can believe in"... Let's see if he really reaches across the aisle to fill in his cabinet positions.

Georgia senate race heads for run-off

Neither Chambliss (R) or Martin (D) received 50% of the votes, so a run-off election will happen on December 2. This is a high profile race as Chambliss unseated Democrat and war veteran Max Cleland previously and the Democrats would love to have one of their own from this southern state. Winning this won't put the Democrats to the magical super-majority, but another pickup would hurt the GOP in the Bible Belt.

Gay marriage ban passed

It wasn't all doom and gloom for conservatives after all. Voters in "left coast" California backed a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage on Tuesday in a state where homosexual unions are legal. The amendment will override the recent state supreme court decision legalizing gay marriages. Maybe this is the best indication that the country is still center-right?

Post-election eyes on Alaska and Palin

Republican Ted Stevens is likely to win Alaska's senate race. However, about week ago he was found to be guilty on all seven counts of corruption charges, so whether or not he will be seated is still a big question.

Then that leaves the governor of Alaska to appoint a fill-in. Would Gov. Palin be interested in a job at Washington? Would (Can) she appoint herself to the senate? Or would she resign and ask the lieutenant governor to appoint her?

It's a tough call. Does she have White House aspirations in 2012? She jumped onto the mainland political scene as a Washington outsider and reveled in that label. If she were to become a U.S. senator, that would damage her outsider status and potentially hurt her politically. However, on the other hand, she may be interested to enter the Democrat-controlled senate to join her party's fight and advance herself politically by having a voting record in Congress.

The aftermath of the senate race in remote Alaska could end up being the post-election story of the year.

The day after...

So America and the world celebrate Obama's victory, another orderly and lawful power transition in the United States. Many heralded the end of racism in the country and proof that in America, you can reach your dreams no matter your skin color and background.

As of this posting Obama/Biden won 349 electoral votes vs. McCain/Palin's 163. Things started to look gloomy for MacCain last night when Ohio and Virginia turned blue. In popular votes, Obama/Biden captured 52% against McCain/Palin's 47%. Some would categorize this as a landslide win, but I beg to differ. Maybe in the Electoral College, but not among the population.

The result of the senate races did not give the Democrats a mandate, either. First, Harry Reid's hope of leading a filibuster-proof senate is dashed. The Democrats' plan to unseat minority leader Mitch McConnell also fizzled as he won re-election by a comfortable margin (53% against Lunsford's 47%). In the hotly contested Minnesota senate race, Republican Norm Coleman held a slim lead to win over Democrat and entertainer Al Franken. The race is still tight in Alaska where convicted Republican Ted Stevens holds the lead, but whether he is actually seated is still questionable; and in Georgia, incumbent Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss may have a run-off against Democrat Jim Martin if neither garner 50% of votes (Chambliss leads a slim margin right now). Overall it looks like Democrats will pick up five more senate seats.

There's a lot of talk about a change in the electoral landscape. Yet that isn't really the case. We still have a Red South, Red Midwest, and Red Prairie. With the exception of Virginia and North Carolina, the other battleground states have traditionally been toss-ups. The GOP needs to refocus on why support in the south has slipped. Although Georgia went for McCain/Palin overwhelmingly, it was troubling that the state became a toss-up in the latter weeks of the campaign.

History is made - Obama is president-elect

There's no need to count California's votes... The state's 55 electoral votes will go to Obama. (As well Oregon's seven, Hawaii's four, and Washington's 11.)

That puts Obama over the 270 electoral votes necessary to become the next president, and history is made as America will have her first black president.

Congratulations to Obama and his well-run campaign. As much as I don't agree with his platform, I think it is a well-deserved finish to his historic presidential campaign. Congratulations.

This is beyond a wake-up call for the GOP. The wake-up call was two years ago when the party lost control of Congress. Now there will be a Democratic president in January, not to mention more Democratic senators and House representatives. The GOP has to completely turn itself inside out and return to its true conservative roots.

True. Conservative. Roots.

It's now or never.

Virginia goes to Obama

FOX News just called the battleground state of Virginia for Obama. Well done, as Virginia hasn't turn blue in decades. He now has 220 electoral votes as of this posting.

Unfortunately, with the loss of Ohio and Virginia, it's unlikely for McCain to obtain 270 electoral votes to win the race. The next wave of poll closings come from the west coast, and it's almost certain that states like California, Oregon, and Washington would not flip to red.

Ohio called for Obama

The bellwether state of Ohio has been called for Obama. McCain's outlook is even dimmer now unless some sort of miracle happens...

Georgia holds for McCain

The McCain camp can let out a sigh of relief as Georgia is called for the candidate. This was a southern state which ended up being a toss-up in recent weeks.

GOP loses several senators

The Democrats make gains in the Senate as the GOP candidates Elizabeth Dole (NC), John Sununu (NH), and Gilmore (VA) lost.

Networks call Pennsylvania for Obama

Not a good sign for McCain: TV networks are calling the Keystone State for Obama. This was a state which McCain concentrated in the latter weeks of the campaign in hopes to turn the tide to capture its 21 electoral votes.

America decides tomorrow

Americans will wake up tomorrow morning to greet one of the most important days in history -- Election Day 2008. Tomorrow voters will stand in long lines, perhaps in dreary weather, to cast a ballot for the candidate they think qualifies for the most important job in the world: President of the United States.

The next president won't have it easy. Our troops are still fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. The economy is in a global recession. The government is borrowing and printing money like never before. The threat of terrorism against America is still real.

Each candidate promises change for the better. One is eager to bring soldiers home at the expense of a new democratic Iraq. One is an advocate of taxing wealth to give to the poor. One does not recognize evildoers and the ill they have against America. One spent his political life so far avoiding votes.

The other candidate is determined to achieve victory in Iraq. He also wants money made to be kept in the earner's pocket. He's also seen the faces of evil and lived through hell. He has a voting record of ayes and nays.

Sen. John McCain's life is an open book. Americans who lived through the Vietnam War know him as a surviving POW and war hero. He embodies the American spirit: self-sufficient, perseverance, sacrifice. He understands that there is something greater than himself -- his beloved country. And he genuinely wants to better her and her people.

History will be made no matter who wins the election. Tomorrow you will have a vote in your hand to pen your words in America's history pages.

Supporter believes Obama will pay for her gas and morgage!

Peggy Joseph is Internet famous now. She took her kids out of school early to attend an Obama rally. She thinks helping Obama to get into the White House will help her with gas money and mortgage!

Seriously, we need to require people to take an exam on American history, basic economics, and IQ before allowing them to vote. Seriously.

Keystone State to become key state

Voters in the Keystone State hold the key to the presidential election on Tuesday. The McCain campaign has been targeting Pennsylvania in order to capture its 21 electoral votes, something to counter the likely losses in the west (Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico). Sen. McCain may have a good chance there, as Selena Zito points out in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Most Pennsylvania Democrats who live outside of Philadelphia are very Midwestern in their values and their votes.

If they lose their jobs, they go out and get two more to make up for the loss. They do not take handouts and they don't whine; they provide for themselves and their families.

What are these people made of? I can remember listening as a child to my union-Democrat immigrant grandparents saying they never took "relief" during the Great Depression -- and they were raising five children, had no education beyond the fourth grade and spoke broken English.