Wingnut of the Day

Rep. Steve King is the only member of Congress to vote against a resolution thanking black slaves for building the nation's captial. King's press release explains he opposed to resolutions based on Democrats would not allow a a depiction of the words ""In God We Trust" in the Capitol Visitors Center. Democrats may have resisted King's religious grandstanding because to courts have repeatly declared religious displays in federal buildings unconstitutional. The real hint is how King says "I opposed yet another bill to erect another monument to slavery." I wasn't aware aware there was an overabundance of slavery monuments. I guarantee there aren't as many slave monuments as there is Christian churches in this country.

"This is just the latest example of a several year effort by liberals in Congress to scrub references to America's Christian heritage from our nation's Capitol. Liberals want to amend our country's history to eradicate the role of Christianity in America and chisel references to God or faith from our historical buildings.

"Our Judeo-Christian heritage is an essential foundation stone of our great nation and should not be held hostage to yet another effort to place guilt on future Americans for the sins of some of their ancestors. Christian abolitionists gave their lives by the hundreds of thousands to end slavery. Great American leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worshipped God just as our Founding Fathers did. We must never forget this important aspect of our heritage or use it as a political bargaining chip."

The only member of Congress to vote against the resolution. Remember that.

Quote of the Day

"CHARLTON HESTON: My cold, dead hands. People called that speech “extremist,” but now the views Heston championed are looking pretty mainstream . . . ."

Glenn Reynolds

If Reynolds thinks Heston's view have become mainstream then he has been living on another planet during the past two election cycles. In Heston's defense, the actor was heavily involved in the civil rights movement. Those aren't the views Reynolds speaks of. Reynolds is implying Heston's conservative views have become more mainstream. He fails to cite any evidence to prove his point. Heston believed Al Gore was going to repeal the Second Amendent.

Especially for you Mr. Gore," "Heston told an NRA audience. "From my cold dead hands!"

Does the mainstream American public fear Al Gore antique taking muskets away? The economy, stimulus package, and health care are issues that the public is concerned with. Iraq is off the front page. Gun rights doesn't register. The Obama administration was willing to leave the public option out of the health care bill and back off their promise to end the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy." What makes Reynolds believe it is mainstream to believe Obama has the stomach to repeal the Second Amendment?

It is sad and shocking to see how detached Reynolds is from reality. RHow bad is Reynolds. In 2001, Reynolds predicted President Bush would support stem cell research. Nevermind that Bush ran as a social conservative. Reynolds blogged that Bush was "turning things around for the Republicans." Two months later the Republicans lost the midterm elections. Reynolds' problems with reality explains his love of bad science fiction novels.

Meet Sarah Palin's Speechwriter

A satire video with Lee Stranahan playing Sarah Palin's speechwriter.

Speechwriter: I met Sarah Palin at an exorcism.

Sink Hires Dunn

The Buzz reports the Alex Sink campaign has hired Paul Dunn. If the news is true, this is a great hire for the Sink. Dunn was the campaign manager for Suzanne Kosmos' successful bid to unseat Tom Feeney. Kosmos beat Feeney 61.5 percent to 36.5 percent. Feeney's Jack Abramoff related problems doesn't explain such a lopsided defeat. Dunn ran a good campaign Sink is hiring A list talent for a tough Governor's race.

Palin Stumping For Democrats? You Betcha

The Washington Times reports Sarah Palin is willing to stump for Blue Dog Democrats. I don't imagine Palin's comments will please the GOP party establishment.

"I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation," she said over lunch in her downtown office, 40 miles from her now-famous hometown of Wasilla — population 7,000 — where she began her political career.

"People are so tired of the partisan stuff — even my own son is not a Republican," said Mrs. Palin, who stunned the political world earlier this month with her decision to step down as governor July 26 with 18 months left in her term.

The only Republican running for state office excited about the possibility of Palin stumping for him is Rick Perry. Other Republican campaigns have not asked for Palin's help. It is hard to envision conservative Democrats wanting to do photo-ops with Palin. She was a diaster for the McCain campaign. Palin would hinder other candidates. Palin may poll well will the Republican base. Her numbers with the general electorate are horrible.

Republican Party of Florida Second Quarter Fundraising

The Republican Party of Florida had a dismal second quarter fundraising. The RPoF had a nearly $6 million drop off from last year. The problem with the National Republican Party are effecting state parties.

Q2 1996 - $ 2,046,331.95

Q2 1997 - $ 1,722,995.53

Q2 1998 - $ 4,022,598.08

Q2 1999 - $ 1,841,914.33

Q2 2000 - $ 2,889,420.82

Q2 2001 - $ 2,936,279.11

Q2 2002 - $ 7,484,176.57

Q2 2003 - $ 2,549,887.54

Q2 2004 - $ 2,513,537.36

Q2 2005 - $ 1,239,507.27

Q2 2006 - $ 3,085,129.52

Q2 2007 - $ 2,211,818.73

Q2 2008 - $ 7,115,093.98

Q2 2009 - $ 1,160,064.08

RPOF Average Q2: $3,058,482.49

Contractor Charged in Jamie Leigh Jones Case

Jamie Leigh Jones is finally getting justice. A KBR contractor David Charles Breda Jr. was been charged with sexual assault.

David Charles Breda Jr., 34, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in October at Camp Al Asad, Iraq, where he was employed by a subsidiary of Houston-based military contractor KBR Inc.

Breda, who lived in the Houston suburb of Pearland before he left for Iraq, was arrested Thursday at a Houston-area barber college by agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. A call to his attorney was not immediately returned.

The federal indictment returned Friday in Houston marks the latest allegation of sexual assault involving civilians working for contractors in Iraq.

Jones had to deal with the conservative blogosphere accusing of making up a story of being raped. It is shameful and and petty. Defending Halliburton and KBR became more important than the Republican stance of being tough on crime. This disgusting post at Flopping Aces is a perfect example.

I’m sorry, I don’t buy that at all. Why in the world would the Army hand over criminal evidence to the company involved in the crime?

Doesn’t make sense.

Then these evil men threatened her if she talked. Did they threaten her with death? A beating? You know, because they are evil and all I would expect that. But no, they threaten her with her job. They really thought that she would care about her job with a company that was involved in her rape?

But you do have a Congressman involved in getting her rescued so the believability index goes up a bit.

Benefit of the doubt goes to her…..for now.

The comments at Flopping Aces shows the cluelessness of the blog's readership. This factually inaccurate statement by ChrisG illustrates willful ignorance.

If the shipping container was not suspect, this really is. ANY positive rape result would go up SEVERAL chains of command instantly! KBR does not have “security officers” like some bad Hollywierd film and US Army CID would be all over this, as would NCIS, DOS Security, and EVERY other US Federal enforcement agency. KBR also would not be allowed to take the kit. These are marked and inventoried items. IF there was a breakdown in well documented accountability, “heads rolling” would be an understatement!!

Halliburton/KBR admitted to ABC News the Army doctor gave the rape kit to KBR security. Congressman Ted Poe had to call the State Department to remove Jones from the KBR facility.

Michelle Malkin called the coverage of Jones' case "Halliburton Derangement Syndrome." Malkin links to a post by Ted Frank.

People with legitimate claims usually don’t have lawyers trying so desperately to forum-shop that they file amateurish briefs like this, and Jones loses a ton of credibility with me over that.

I wonder if Frank still feels Jones' lacks credibility after the arrest of David Charles Breda Jr.

Update: I should make it clear it is not known what woman Breda is accused of sexually assaulting. Numerous American women have reportedly been raped by contractors. Breda is the first known contractor to be charged. All these conservative blogs that doubted Jones' story are not covering the Breda case. To the best of my knowledge no one has been charged in the Jones Case

Alex Sink Fundraising News

The Alex Sink campaign announced they raised $21 million during the late fundraising quarter. Sink is going to need to raise between $25 to $30 million to put ads in the Florida television market.

Alex Sink Holds Over $2.1 Million On Hand for 2010 Campaign

Tampa - Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Alex Sink today announced that she raised over $1.28 million in the second fundraising quarter, bringing her total to $2.4 million raised for her 2010 campaign. Sink ended the quarter with over $2.1 million cash on-hand.

"I am overwhelmed by the continued outpouring of support from everyday Floridians who are ready for a new and different kind of leader," said Alex Sink. "Floridians are coming together to send a clear message that they are tired of politics as usual in Tallahassee."

Sink received support from 3,402 individuals who gave an average of $243 to join Alex Sink in bringing change to Florida. Showing her strong grassroots support, Sink had 1,310 online donations that totaled over $209,000. Also, 92% of contributors were from the state of Florida.

"Floridians from Pensacola to Jacksonville and all the way down to Key West are joining our campaign because they are ready to give Florida a fresh start," Sink continued. "As a businesswoman and working mom, I am committed to protecting the middle class, strengthening our economy and giving our families a fighting chance."

Alex Sink reported raising $1,286,803.99 for the second fundraising quarter, which details activity from April 1 to June 30, 2009.

Hey, Hey, My My Randall Terry Goodbye

The days when anti-abortionist Randall Terry could get massive media attention are over.

By the time Randall Terry situated himself on 95th Street in Overland Park the Wednesday morning rush hour had rushed by.

It’s unlikely any drivers recognized who was standing by the banner denouncing Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Terry now lives in Washington, D.C. These days, articles refer to him as “founder” of Operation Rescue, but little else. That smarts for the man once the most recognizable in the anti-abortion movement.

Terry gives proof to the Neil Young lyric that "it's better to burnout than fade away."

It's Consumer Confidence Stupid

In February of this year, I wrote how America's economic future depends on restoring consumer confidence.

Obama's middle and lower class tax cuts are intended to make people start spending. The problem is consumer confidence.

Obama has his work cut out for him. The progressive version of trickle down economics is not enough. Americans need to feel confident about where the country is heading. The President needs to make Americans feel the country is on the right path. Only then will consumors spend and lending institutions will give out loans.

Robert Reich repeated the same message today at TPM Cafe.

Problem is, consumers won't start spending until they have money in their pockets and feel reasonably secure. But they don't have the money, and it's hard to see where it will come from. They can't borrow. Their homes are worth a fraction of what they were before, so say goodbye to home equity loans and refinancings. One out of ten home owners is under water -- owing more on their homes than their homes are worth. Unemployment continues to rise, and number of hours at work continues to drop. Those who can are saving. Those who can't are hunkering down, as they must.

Eventually consumers will replace cars and appliances and other stuff that wears out, but a recovery can't be built on replacements. Don't expect businesses to invest much more without lots of consumers hankering after lots of new stuff. And don't rely on exports. The global economy is contracting.

My prediction, then? Not a V, not a U. But an X. This economy can't get back on track because the track we were on for years -- featuring flat or declining median wages, mounting consumer debt, and widening insecurity, not to mention increasing carbon in the atmosphere -- simply cannot be sustained.

Reich was one of the major players crafting economic policy in the Clinton administration. The Clinton people understood the importance of making life easier for working families. The Obama administration have grand concepts of recreating health care and changing America's infrastructure with the stimulus package and cap and trade. Their acting like kids that finally got a chance to play with their shiny brand new policy toys. The number one issue is restarting the economy and stop printing money, in order to avoid inflation. Obama bought the money losing General Motors and made no push to raise the minimum wage. Talk about priorities.

On the bright side: the Obama foreign policy people have their shit together.

Jeb Bush's Conspiracy Theory

Former Gov. Jeb Bush said Barack Obama would not have gotten elected if he told the American public about his secret plan. Jeb makes Obama sound like Dr. Evil.

Said Bush: "Barack Obama would not have gotten elected if he'd let us in on his secret plan prior to the election. He would not have gotten elected if he'd said, 'My idea is to create a $1.8 trillion deficit for the next fiscal year. My idea is to spend $750 billion over the next ten years on a government-sponsored, government-subsidized health-care policy. My idea is to create a massive cap-and-trade system [based on the idea] that CO2 is [a] pollutant and we need to tax it in a massive way to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.' Those ideas, which are now embedded in his budget, and the ideas in the stimulus package, weren't central in his campaign."

Jeb is suddenly a fiscal conservative now that his brother is out of the Oval Office. I don't recall Jeb running on making Florida's education system a national embarrassment. Jeb didn't make campaign promises about being Governor of the state with the lowest graduation rate. Bush flip flopped on his offshore drilling stance near the end of his second term.

Bush backed raising property taxes on a local level. Jeb wanted to increase the tax burden on local governments, so he could continue to portray himself as a tax cut Republican. This helped lead to the property tax revolt.

There have been numerous child abuse stories because of neglect from the Department of Child & Families. Jeb hired Jerry Regier to run DCF. Regier spent more time rewarding cronies than keeping children from being abused.

Jerry Regier has obviously got Polaroids of Gov. Jeb Bush in drag, or an equally kinky secret.

Nothing else could explain why Bush hasn’t fired this knucklehead from the Department of Children and Families, where Regier has served two damaging years as secretary.

Arguably the most important appointment of the governor’s tenure — choosing the person to lead Florida’s scandalized child-welfare agency — has proved to be one of the worst decisions Bush has ever made.

A scalding report by the governor’s chief inspector general has revealed that high-ranking DCF officials handed out fat and dubious contracts to pals and political cronies, and accepted gifts, favors and lodging from outside contractors.

Citizens were concerned Regier endorsed corporal punishment. Regier's credientials were being the former president of the ultra-conservative Family Research Council and lowering Oklahoma's Health & Human Services national ranking.

Oklahoma ranked 40th. Its secretary of Health & Human Services at the time was Jerry Regier, the man Bush tapped last week to head Florida's Department of Children & Families.

While Florida has worked its way up the state rankings of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national nonpartisan group that gathers statistics on child welfare, Oklahoma has declined.

Indeed, from 1997, when Regier was named Oklahoma's HHS secretary, until 1999, the most recent date for which information is available, Oklahoma's state ranking declined from 38th to 40th. At the beginning of the 1990s, Oklahoma was ranked as high as 37.

I challenge Jeb to run on this platform. He tries to bill himself as an educational Governor with no achievements. His fiscal conserative policies forced Charlie Crist to immediately handle a property tax crisis and budget concerns. Can anyone name a single Jeb accomplishment? That is what I thought.

Quote of the Day

"You've got two families that are back together and you guys are going to help tear them apart. What do you think their kids think about what you're writing right now? You're helping tear two families apart that are back together. You need to quit. It's all manipulation."

Sen. Tom Coburn, telling the media they break up families. Not Republican politician's whom cheat on their wifes.

Rubio Lagging Behind Crist and Meek

CNN reports Gov. Charlie Crist is raising an average of $86,000 a day for his Senate campaign. Crist has raised $4.3 million in the second fundraising quarter. Crist aides are so happy they are leaking news to William March. The Crist camp's purpose for the leak is to show support for Marco Rubio is futile.

Rubio has raised $340,000. That is inexcusable. Rubio is loved by the base and is billed as the heir apparent to Jeb Bush. Rubio announced his Senate bid before Crist. The former Houuse Speaker has been unable to harness his own base into a movement.

No one expected Rubio to have more money than Crist. Rubio should have raised a modest $1 million. Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek has $3 million. Rubio is running a disorganized campaign and stumping at poorly attended tea party rallies.

I'm curious what Jim Johnson's take will be on the Rubio campaign. My take is Rubio doesn't have the political campaign management skills to take on Crist or Meek. Both of whom are running extremely polished campaigns. I have no idea what Rubio is attempting.

Great Moments in Conservative Punditry: Heh Indeedy Edition

On Sempterber 19, 2006, Glenn Reynolds wrote how Republicans won't lose one Congressional seat. Reynolds predicted Bush would be able to pass his legislative agenda.

JOE GANDELMAN looks at the Bush/GOP polls and observes: "It is no longer a 'given' that the Democrats will gain at least one house of Congress in the November elections ? and the latest poll shows trend that should make Democrats nervous." It was never really a given that the Dems would take back Congress, and these polls certainly don't make it a given that they won't. Beware of poll fever!

In the short term, however, these polls may reduce the extent of GOP defection from Bush's legislative agenda, which may actually help the Republicans hold on to Congress.

Pajamas Media Makes Fox News Look Good

I find it interesting the PJTV went to Wasilla, Alaska and didn't find one resident upset with Sarah Palin stepping down as Governor. I did notice conservative talk radio host Eddie Burke wearing a tea party T-shirt and Republican Mayor Verne E. Rupright.

Pajamas Media will not dare air one Wasilla resident voicing displeasure about Palin. Instead, PJTV went to a tea party rally and filmed hardcore conservatives expressing their love for Palin. These citizens have a right to support Palin and the tea parties. Just don't call the PJTV piece journalism.

Pajamas Media's board is a group of conservative bloggers that constantly lament that the media doesn't tell the truth. Glenn Reynolds and Roger Simon have never desired truth telling. They repeated every Bush administration lie about Iraq's WMDs and proceeded to smear anyone that would question the White House cherry-picking intelligence. Reynolds and Simon want media that will repeat what they already believe. What other reason would they have for hiring Joe the Plumber as a reporter?

District of Columbia Forges Ahead On Gay Marriage

All gay marriages performed out of state are officially legal in Washington D.C.

As of last midnight, residents and visitors to Washington D.C. are just a bit more equal. Those same-sex couples who married in any of the states (and, presumably, countries) in which it is legal now have their marriages recognized by the District.

Our heartfelt Congratulations!!

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this action by the City Council is that it received almost no attention by Congress.

Because Congress doesn't give a shit about D.C. The high crime rates in black communities and poor education system is a testament to that. There is Chocolate City and the affleunt white areas. John Edwards may be a disgraced political figure. Edwards was on to something when he talked about Two Americas.

Twitter Keys

TwitterKeys is a new feature that will save text space on Tweets. The only problem is learning what all the symbols stand for.

Randall Terry Returns

Randall Terry is a long ago disgraced clown for the anti-choice movement. Terry founded Operation Rescue and his infamous for attempting to deliver a dead fetus to former President Bill Clinton.

Terry is hardly a humble servant of the Lord. Investigative reporter John Sugg wrote about Terry actively soliciting donations and used the money to buy a $432,000 home in Jacksonville, Florida. Operation Rescue forced Terry to steeped down. The Florida Elections Commission fined Terry $1,000 for failing to comply to two admissions request.

Two of Terry's adoptive daughters became pregnant out of wedlock. Another adoptive son Jamiel announced he was gay. Terry disowned his son and made the baseless claim Jamiel's Out Magazine piece was ghost written.

For the uninformed, Out magazine specializes in bringing homosexuals "out of the closet." Out is committed to the homosexual agenda – homosexual marriage, special "civil rights" for homosexuals, promoting the fallacy that their sexual activities are normal and even laudable. Their agenda is shameless. My son was offered $5,000 to "write" a story about me and his life with me and my family. However, much of the story was written by Out's editor who put words in my son's mouth to accomplish the magazine's agenda.

Terry's latest madness is attacking the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. Think Progress reports Terry is going on a 12 city tour. The photoshopped image of Sotomayor is from Terry's flyer.

To refuse to filibuster is to bow in abject obedience to the Angel of Death.

The current minority status of Republicans makes a filibuster close to impossible. That won't stop Terry from going on his media tour.

Quote of the Day

"Iranian twitter activity similar to what we did in House last year when Republicans were shut down in the House."

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, comparing Republican minority status to to civil unrest in Iran.

Iranian protesters, such as Neda Agha-Soltan are murdered in the streets. Hoekstra can go on Fox News to give his poorly misinformed opinion about Iran. Hoekstra went on Fox News and advocated regime change. The United States is in two wars and no Middle Eastern country would support a U.S. invasion of Iran. Thank God President Obama ignores neoconservative foreign policy wonks.

Annette Taddeo Not Running For CFO

Annette Taddeo sent out a press release to inform the media she is not running for Florida's Chief Financil Officer. Taddeo unsuccessfuly ran against Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in 2008.

In recent days and weeks, I have been encouraged to make a run for the Democratic nomination for the office of Chief Financial Officer of the State of Florida. Friends and supporters have been vocal in their support and I was especially moved by the “Draft Taddeo” movement among the Netroots organizers who were so involved in my run for Congress in 2008.

I have taken time to seriously examine this opportunity and to confer with family, friends and supporters. I’ve had an opportunity to do some soul searching about my future and I’ve come to some clear realizations. I am most passionate about my family, my business and public service. I’ve dedicated my entire life to family, while dedicating my professional life to building and growing my company, LanguageSpeak. Through my service on a variety of public boards and groups and then my run for Congress, I have been able to follow my passion for public service.

The Chief Financial Officer position is very appealing to me. I believe my background as the owner and active CEO of a small business gives me the skills I would need to serve the people of Florida in this position. As I examined the opportunity, I felt confident I could raise the money to be competitive and that I could do the job well and with vision.

But something was missing.

Just over a week ago, the House of Representatives passed landmark legislation to attack climate change and to address our dependence on foreign oil and the deadly greenhouse gasses that fossil fuels spew into our environment. I followed that debate with rapt attention and realize the legislation isn’t perfect. However, in spite of the science, in spite of the clear and present danger climate change presents to the future of Florida, my own member of Congress voted against the bill.

I realized at that moment what was missing as I considered the CFO race. I just wasn’t passionate about it at this time. I am passionate about climate change and health care and restoring our economy. I am passionate about economic development and job creation and making sure America is on the forefront of innovation for the future. I feel we are being let down, once again, by political leaders who can’t see beyond the next election.

Therefore, I have decided not to be a candidate for CFO or any other office at this time. I hope and believe that I will run for public office again in the near future. I have decided to keep my focus on my family, my business and to engage in public policy from the perspective of a wife, mother, business owner and activist for now. Thank You.

Translation: Democratic Party insiders are telling Taddeo she is too weak of a candidate. The best Democratic candidate being mentioned is Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. No word on if Diaz will run.

Liz Trotta Goes Off Fox News Message

It is really bad when Fox News brings on conservative Liz Trotta and she goes on a Sarah Palin bashing crusade. It is hysterical watching Eric Shawn trying to steer Troota back on message. When Trotta asks Shawn if he is implying Palin is what the GOP needs he ducks the crazy.

Frankly, "the woman is inarticulate, undereducated," Trotta said, arguing that for once liberal criticism was "well-deserved."

"I think all the liberal stylists ... really have a case. She just begs for adjectives like flaky and wacky." When pressed, she added, "We're talking about somebody who, right from the get-go, has been a flashy person who gets into a lot of trouble and really has no credentials for any job."

Trotta is listing the things that make Palin an attractive to the conservative base. Scary but true. Palin's base doesn't believe in evolution, global warming or Barack Obama being an American citizen. Whether or not Palin understands policy is unimportant to tea baggers.

Daily Show on Mark Sanford

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Shut Up, Mark Sanford
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

Jon Stewart does a segment on how the people of South Carolina wish Mark Sanford would please stop talking about his affair.

Jeb Bush Robocalls

Radio Iowa reports there have been robocalls in the state asking which Republican candidate do they prefer for the 2012 presidential race. The candidates were Michael Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Newt Gingrich and Jeb Bush. The next question of the survey asked about President Barack Obama.

Next, the survey asked a question about Obama. She described it this way:"That particular question was (somewhat) as follows, 'Which one of the following phrases best describes President Obama? For good leader, press 1; for good President, press 2; for too party-centric, press 3; for too liberal, press 4; for Socialist, press 5; for bad President, press 6; for undecided, press 7'"

Obviously, with the way the questions were framed, the automated calls are sponsored by a Republican group. The question is if someone is putting a feeler out for Jeb Bush. The last name kills Jeb but the other potential candidates are weak. The poll didn't mention Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty. They would poise a more formable challenge to Bush. Gingrich and Jindal are unlikely to run. Palin is damaged. Huckabee is too socially conservative and a poor fundraiser.

As shocking as it may sound: Jeb has a good chance beating the rest of the pack. Jindal, Palin, Romney, and Gingrich can't articulate on a national stage. Jeb can speak is is disciplined. A trait John McCain lacked. The party base loves Jeb. There is no reason he can't get the nomination.

Anybody out there know who is sponsoring the robocalls?