Benghazi looms large

Libya Attack hurts Obama

It seems that the attack in Libya is complicating President Obama’s reelection bid.  It appears to be a two-fer for the Romney campaign as it shows a weakness in the president’s foreign policy and is developing into a first rate scandal.

Obama’s chickens are coming home to roost

Talk about chickens coming home to roost.  Talk about the Mother ofAll Fiascos.  It's the revenge of Osama bin Laden from the bottom of the ocean, and the message is plain: al-Qaeda is very much alive, and America is a paper tiger.

The Middle East is beginning to fall apart -- Iran just sent a spy drone over Israel's sensitive defense installations, and the IDF waited hours to react; Turkey forced down a Syrian arms plane, and al-Qaeda's Al Zawahiri openly assaulted the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi in a six-hour attack, working through al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM), while the glorious Libyan friends did nothing as our ambassador was being raped and murdered.  The guards called for help, and nobody responded.  A police car fled the scene.  The other ten cop cars requested by the consulate never showed up.

Another bad sign for Obama

It appears the crowds at Romney events aresurging. 

Romney Ad Strategy

Ad purchases in the presidential race doubled or in some cases tripled last week in swing states such as Colorado, Florida, Iowa and Virginia, tracking data show. The surge is being driven by Romney and well-funded allies, who decided against running more ads earlier in the campaign in favor of a big bang at the end.

It appears after letting Obama spend 28% more on ads from the convention through September, Romney has opened his campaign wallet and is flooding the market with his ads.  And it appears to be working as the polls show him surging.

Romney now leads in Florida and New Hampshire

It appears the Democrats attack on Romney/Ryan Medicare proposal isn’t working as they lead among Florida’s over 50 population by 54-42.  I’m thinking that SCOTUS’s decision to not strike down Obamacare is turning out to be a benefit for the Republicans.  

Hispanics in Florida abandoning Obama

It appears part of the reason Romney is moving ahead in Florida is a shift in Hispanic support. 

In September Obama led among Hispanic voters 52%-43%.  In October Romney leads 46%-44%.  There are 2 million Hispanic voters in Florida so this amounts to a switch of 220,000 voters.  

Will it be a blowout?

A lot of talk has been bandied about over the so-called Bradley Effect, the theory that a number of California voters said they were going to vote for Tom Bradley — the longtime Los Angeles mayor — for governor of that state in a 1982 election because he was African-American, but really voted for his opponent who won.

This theory has been debunked and, frankly, I have no idea of its veracity. More importantly, however, I believe it is passé. Fewer than ever are interested in the color of Obama’s skin (well, maybe Al Sharpton and his claque) or — for that matter — in Mitt Romney’s religion. We have far, far more pressing issues in front of us at this moment.

For that reason, I think the number who vote for Romney/Ryan and then tell no one (at least in the short run) will be significant, so significant that this election may explode and be closer to a blowout than anyone, save a few, had expected.

Everyone says this will be a close election.  I don’t think so.  History shows us that the economy that we have will insure that Obama won’t get a second term and it won’t be close.  Romney will win by at least as much as Obama won by in 2008.

How Liberal’s think

Just for fun, I Googled the words "Selfish Republicans."  The query returned 4,240,000 hits.  They weren't pretty.  Evidently, a major GOP goal is to impose selfishness on the American people.  I learned that we favor the rich and the powerful.  Worse, we are trying to starve everyone. We are soulless, vicious, and degraded.  I had no idea we were this bad.

I know we like to keep our money away from the IRS.  I got that.  We don't like to be taxed.  We are fanatics about that.  We all know the mantra -- government bad, private sector good.  But why does that make us selfish?  Why does that make us soulless?  Why does it make us want to starve little children?  In fact, a similar simple Google search would show that red states give more to charities than blue ones.

Then, the other day, I am listening to Rush, and he says, "Liberals think taxes are charity!" -- and suddenly it all makes sense.  Liberals think that by attacking taxes, we are attacking charitable giving.  When we try to cut taxes, they see us trying to cut charity payments.  When we say, "Read my lips: no new taxes!," liberals hear "read my lips, no new charities!"  They think we are sticking it to the kids by not paying the IRS!

Inside the Liberal Mind

Mike Gallagher has recently written a new book, 50 Things Liberals Love to Hate.  This book is both humorous and informative, written by someone who has been a radio talk show host for over thirty years.  Included in his rundown are Walmart, steakhouses, McDonalds, flag pins, football, the Second Amendment, success, freeways, the military, and the Founding Fathers.  American Thinker interviewed Gallagher about this year's election and his book.

What was very interesting was Gallagher’s take on Liberal’s hatred for success.  It seems particularly timely and revealing realizing the absolute hatred the left has for Mitt Romney.

The VP Debate

Biden's performance was beyond bizarre -- it was unworldly. I'm not a druggie but I don't think a bad trip on acid could have been more unsettling. The moderator, Martha Raddatz, was equally as dreadful. I had to keep rechecking the scorecard to remind myself who it was that had actually signed up to debate Ryan. 

I thought Ryan played it very well, despite what you're hearing in the mainstream media and from many on our side. Sure, Ryan could have interrupted Biden's insane ravings with the truth -- but then why bother? 

Biden enlightens the world

To hear Mr. Biden tell it, the Obama Administration now has a new red line on Iran. The mullahs can enrich as much uranium as they wish as long as they "don't have something to put it in." This isn't the red line Israel's Bibi Netanyahu had in mind during his recent speech before the United Nations. Nor are Turkey, Saudi Arabia and others looking for proof of an Iranian ICBM before they decide to go nuclear themselves. Iran becomes a regional nuclear power when it demonstrates its ability to get the bomb at almost a moment's notice, which is when it has developed enough fuel for it.

The Veep made a spirited case as well for doing nothing in Syria—no "no fly" zones, direct arms supplies to the rebels, or any U.S. political lead in an intervention. "If, in fact, it blows up and the wrong people gain control, it's going to have impact on the entire region, causing potentially regional wars," he said of Syria. News stories suggest this is happening already without any U.S. involvement, as the Syrian war pulls in Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey. 

Mr. Biden appeared to preview another Obama policy shift on Afghanistan. With a 2014 deadline to transition the security lead to the Kabul government, the discussion will shift to how large the American military footprint will be afterward—with up to 30,000 U.S. troops left behind to ensure the Taliban don't overrun Kabul again. 

But Mr. Biden said something different: "We are leaving in 2014, period, and in the process we're going to be saving over the next 10 years another $800 billion." He added that Afghan forces are ready to defend the country themselves and lead the fight in the difficult east, another piece of intelligence that's news to us.

Either these are a bunch of gaffes by the VP, or Obama needs to explain the changes in our foreign policy.  We are leaving in 2014 period made for a great sound bite, but lousy policy. 

Clint Eastwood’s perceptive speech at the RNC

Clint didn’t just predict Obama’s behavior at the first debate (an empty chair), but also mentioned Joe Biden’s performance at the VP debate.  Clint said: 

Just kind of a grin with a body behind it.

Politicizing Benghazi

'The entire reason that this has become the political topic it is is because of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan."

So said Stephanie Cutter, President Obama's deputy campaign manager, speaking on CNN about an armed attack on the 9/11 anniversary that left a U.S. Consulate a smoking ruin and killed four diplomatic staff, including the first American ambassador to be murdered in a third of a century.

To discuss this event is apparently to "politicize" it and to distract from the real issues the American people are concerned about. For example, Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki, speaking on board Air Force One on Thursday:

"There's only one candidate in this race who is going to continue to fight for Big Bird and Elmo, and he is riding on this plane."

More blame and childish crying about the other side being “unfair.”  Obama is reduced to this.  Mark Steyn is devastating in this column.

Desperate Lies

Chamber Refutes Foreign Money Charge, Accuses Administration of 'Fear and Smear'

The Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday refuted Democrats' claims that it could be pumping foreign money into U.S. elections, accusing the Obama administration of "grasping at straws" in a last-ditch bid to shift public opinion.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/12/chamber-refutes-foreign-money-charge-accuses-administration-fear-smear/

This is interesting. It makes you wonder why would the administration keep harping on something that almost every news media characterizes as unfounded accusations? It appears to be just another sign of how desperate things are for the Democrats. It does take the narrative off the “accomplishments” of the Obama White House and even it the commentary isn’t flattering about what they are charging, it appears to be better than looking at what they have actually done.

Be Careful what you ask for

House and Senate Republican staff members on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and House Government Oversight Committee say they will be more than happy to open investigations into White House and Democrat party charges of foreign financial influence in the U.S. election process if they win back majorities in Congress this November.


"Given that we know that President Obama's presidential election campaign received millions of dollars and possibly tens of millions of dollars in foreign donations, and that a NUMBER OF UNION-FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED FOREIGN CONTRIBUTIONS during the 2008 and 2010 election cycles, and THAT MOVEON.ORG HAS PERHAPS RECEIVED MILLIONS IN FOREIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, not to mention the possibility that the Center for American Progress has foreign donors, we can see where the American people might be concerned that these entities not have the opportunity in the 2012 election cycle to tap into such resources," says a Senate Republican staffer with ties to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Permanent Committee on Investigations. "And since our Democratic colleagues chose to ignore all of this, then perhaps we should revisit them."

It’s funny how frequently things tend to backfire in politics.

http://spectator.org/archives/2010/10/13/bring-it-on


Are the Democrats listening?

But what’s truly incredible about Obama’s pre-election performance is how it totally misses the mark on THE ISSUES THAT REALLY MATTER, LIKE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, LOW GROWTH, big-government spending, Obamacare, and tax hikes. That’s the stuff people are really talking about.

It’s as though Obama is from another planet, completely disconnected from the political reality as we march toward November 2.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/249552/obama-alien-larry-kudlow

Anger fuels the coming election

Anger appears to be a big factor in the coming election. I think people are angry with the results of the current administration policies to combat the bad economy, but more so with the disregard of the feelings of the voters. Democrats have insulted, made fun of and dismissed those who are most concerned about the reckless spending.

Among those who are angry about the economy, 54 percent blame both parties equally. But 35 percent say they're angrier with the Democrats -- more than triple the number, 10 percent, who aim their ire at the Republicans. To the extent that anger equals motivation, that 25-point differential explains some of the GOP advantage in pre-election polls.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2010_Elections/abc-news-yahoo-pollanger-economy-fuels-republican/story?id=11826703

Election Nightmare

The four causes of what’s likely to be a landslide defeat for Democrats in the midterm election are now locked in place. All that’s left for Democrats in the final three weeks of the campaign is to TRASH REPUBLICANS, STIR THEIR BASE TO VOTE, AND PRAY.

The Democrat dream has become a nightmare.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/four-causes-will-lead-democratic-election-nightmare_508526.html

Election projections

We are in agreement with several recent analyses suggesting that there are approximately 35-40 house seats that should be rated in the "toss-up" category. To simplify things we will refer to the RCP assessment that has 39 "toss-up" seats. They have identified 185 seats as either likely or lean Democrat and 211 as either likely or lean GOP. In each of the remaining 39 "toss-up" races the Republicans and Democrats have been polling within points of each other--many are within the margin of error. So let's assume that these 39 races split 50/50, giving the GOP a 20-set pick up. That gives the GOP a 53-seat pick up and control of the House. But a more realistic analysis suggests that in this current environment--keeping in mind the above voting metrics and the GOP turnout advantage--the GOP will win approximately 70% of the toss-up seats. That would mean a total pickup of 60 seats. And then let's also assume that Republicans pick up a few of the "lean Democrat" seats. Our sense is that in a true "wave" election the party with the lead, the enthusiasm and the turnout advantage will take 70-80% of the toss-up seats in addition to some of the seats that "lean" toward the other party. Using this formula, at this point in time IT IS OUR SENSE THAT THE GOP WILL PICK UP A TOTAL OF AROUND 65 SEATS, giving the GOP control of the House (with 242 seats to the Democrats' 185).


The Senate is easier to visualize but, in some respects, more problematic to project. We continue to believe that it will come down to the West Coast, with the races in California (Boxer and Fiorina) and Washington (Murray and Rossi) holding the key to a Republican takeover. We've put Connecticut in the Democrat column and have put the following in the GOP column: KY, MO, NH, PA and WI. The other four true toss-up states are West Virginia, Colorado, Nevada and Illinois, although there are signs that all four are trending GOP at this time. Assuming Republicans win all four of these toss-up states, that leaves the aforementioned two West Coast races. THE GOP WOULD HAVE TO WIN ONE OF THOSE "AWAY GAMES" TO GET TO 51 SEATS IN THE SENATE.

Obama’s Biggest Lies

President Obama loves to make up things that are patently untrue, like every economist agrees his $800 billion economic stimulus “has done its job,” the economy “is moving in the right direction,” and the Bush tax cuts caused the trillion dollar deficits.
The facts say otherwise, but he is never challenged by the news media for his repeatedly dishonest myth-making. Here are some of his worst offenses.


Myth 1: President George W. Bush’s 2001-2003 across-the-board income tax cuts are responsible for the higher deficits and $13 trillion national debt we have today.


Fact: The Congressional Budget Office, using static analysis that does not account for growth incentives, says the BUSH TAX CUTS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONLY 14% OF THE DEFICITS. A dynamic analysis factoring higher economic growth would have shown that the tax cuts account for even less than that, says the Heritage Foundation’s chief budget analyst Brian Riedl.

This is a good read to counteract the standard liberal talking points.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39385

Republicans Turn Outsourcing Attack Against Dems

The Democrats like to accuse the Republicans of supporting companies who send jobs overseas. It appears that this charge may backfire in this election.

In a reversal of roles, Republicans are attacking Democrats for supporting policies that would outsource jobs overseas and, in particular, to China.

The strategy is political jujitsu: Hotline On Call reported last week that Democrats were increasingly making outsourcing their go-to economic attack line this year. Democrats have long charged that Republicans support policies backed by Wall Street and big business that, ultimately, send jobs overseas. Now, Republicans are trying to use the issue -- and the electorate's anxiety toward outsourcing -- to their advantage.

In at least one Senate race and a handful of House races, Republicans have begun airing ads that attack Democrats for backing the economic stimulus package and claiming that the bill has sent jobs overseas. AFTER THE STIMULUS PASSED, AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT FOUND THAT THE BILL SENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO WIND ENERGY COMPANIES BASED IN CHINA.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/10/republicans_tur.php

Boehner votes with Pelosi a majority of the time!

It’s an attack ad that writes itself: The House Republican leader, Rep. John Boehner (Ohio), votes with liberal Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a majority of the time.


The statistic seems impossible to believe, given the ferocity with which Boehner denounces Pelosi, the progressive champion of San Francisco elitism and favorite GOP villain.


But it’s true, according to an analysis by Democrats. Boehner has voted with the Democratic leadership 52 percent of the time in 2010. So has Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.), chairman of the Republican conference and former head of the conservative Republican Study Committee.

I thought the Republicans were the party of no? So much for that line of attack.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/124165-boehner-a-rubber-stamp-for-pelosi