The Political Fish

Shocking?

I didnt find myself shocked when I saw this poll from CNN.com, I did however find myself pleased to see that the American public is now fully awake and fully aware of what is going on in this country, and the threat that the Obama regime is posing to the rights of the citizens of the United States. From CNN.com

Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. Forty-four percent of those polled disagree.

The survey indicates a partisan divide on the question: Only 37 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of independents and nearly seven in 10 Republicans say the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans.

According to CNN poll numbers released Sunday, Americans overwhelmingly think that the U.S. government is broken, though the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what’s broken can be fixed.

In a separate but certainly not unrelated poll released today by Rasmussen, we see that the Presidential Approval Index has dipped to a -20 in the latest report released today.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 23% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -20. For President Obama, the Approval Index has been lower only once (see trends).

Americans are strongly rejecting anything and everything that Obama is proposing, anything that he says. We have awaken to the reality that elections do in fact have consequences and that the American people will be rectifying this mistake come November of 2010, and November of 2012.

Sadly, the President cannot hear all of the noise.

It’s the Chicago strong armed thuggery in the White House that we have become so accustomed to seeing. More of it on display at yesterdays health care summit.

President Obama declares that the Democrat caucus will be moving forward on a socialist takeover of the United States healthcare system, with or without the GOP support. Apparently that also means with or without the support of the American people, who have been stating their case overwhelmingly against this bill.

That’s what we have elections for he says…well Mr. President, thats also what we have revolutions for. Roll the tape.

Obama knows full well that if this ever gets passed, it will be next to impossible to undo it, hence the high intensity energetic push to get it done in a “few weeks”. Dont worry about getting it right, just get it done. Mr. President, scoring a political victory by passing a disasterous bill will not work out well for you. The American people have spoken, and should you continue to not listen…well, who knows what happens next.

Ronald Reagan once said “the closest thing to eternal life on this earth is a government program”. Obama knows this.

And he does not care what you think.

Talk about setting the tone right from the start.

This one phrase and snitty remark thrown out by the President really summed up the entire sham of a summit yesterday. Ironically, the President throughout the day kept accusing Republicans of grandstanding and playing politics, when in fact the entire excercise at Blair House was nothing more than a political grandstand for the President, throwing out some faux bipartisanship in order to slap down all GOP ideas and move forward anyways.

Roll the tape, and see if you can’t put your finger on the irritation and argumentative spirit that Obama came to the table with.

I love John McCains response “I am reminded of that every day Mr. President”

I wonder if it is the shocking deficits that act as a reminder for him??

Just a thought.

*picking myself up off the floor*

I actually was shocked to hear someone, anyone really, from inside the beltway articulate what the American people have been saying very loudly for the past 8 months during this healthcare debate.

Washington cannot fix it all. Washington CAN however create a competitive atmosphere for the free market…and THAT will fix it all.

Listen to Congressman Ryan explain, he does it much better than I ever could.

I do believe he sucked all of the air right out of the room.

Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY) wins the award for the lamest story of the day, as well as the most incoherent comparison of the day. This of course all took place yesterday in the Obama-led healthcare summit at the Blair House in Washington DC. Watch this video, and no one should ever claim this isn’t a humorous blog!!

No, I didn’t gloss over the story she told about the woman wearing her dead sisters dentures. That was just such an extremely lame story, it barely is worth mentioning. But, I suppose if we get our socialist ObamaCare bill passed, we will all get shiny new dentures with a hope and change symbol right on the front! I know i can’t wait.

But seriously now, Slaughter paints this picture that we are now a third world manufacturing country (not true), we have lost our technological edge in the world (ridiculously not true) all because….the healthcare industry hasn’t been taken over by the government.

This woman makes 6 figures a year of taxpayer money to spew this stupidity. No wonder Congress has the lowest approval rating EVER.

UPDATE: Glenn Beck Mocks the liberal bleeding heart stories, this is hilarious.

Can’t wait to hear the next letter from Obama, or from Louise Slaughter for that matter.

Promises made, Promises broken.

So it is in politics I suppose. Conservatives nationwide rallied around Scott Brown just a few short weeks ago in his bid to fill the seat vacated by the passing of the late Senator Ted Kennedy.  Conservatives then had their hearts broken this past week when Scott Brown, the self proclaimed 41st vote, voted with the Democrats to end debate and bring the Senate Jobs bill to a final vote.

Does Scott Brown really believe that the “son of stimulus” bill will really spur growth? (By the way, be sure to check out FlemingandHayes.com linked above, new friends that I met at CPAC and doing an excellent job doing citizen journalism from Massachusetts.)

“The last stimulus bill didn’t create one new job,” Brown said in response to a question about a jobs bill pending in the Senate. He added that the stimulus may have retained some jobs

Before Conservatives tear their garments in mourning at this vote, here is my take on what took place. Scott Brown, for all the hype surrounding him, is not a true conservative. He is the definition of a moderate or as he dubbed himself…a Scott Brown Republican. His victory in Massachusetts was a referendum on the Obama agenda, but this jobs bill really does not fit into that hard left agenda. This likely was a political move on his part, remember his job is to represent his constituents. The majority of voters in Massachusetts are in fact Independents, not Democrats or Republicans. Typically the state has veered to the left of center. A vote on this jobs bill gives Brown a whiff of bipartisan behavior and offers an olive branch to his left of center supporters.

For conservatives out there who are likely to blast me for these words, let me be perfectly clear. I am by know means handing out a pass to Senator Brown on this. I offered my time and money in support of him, as did many others across the country. His vote is a disappointment, but I do not view it as a complete abandonment of the conservatives that worked tirelessly to get him elected.  It is a break from his own words of being the 41st vote and not the 60th, but he kind of left it open that he would certainly not tow the GOP party line on every vote.

Senator Snowe from Maine

And lets remember, he is not alone. The jobs bill passed the Senate today by a 70-28 margin, bringing on board many within the GOP wing of the Senate.  Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine (notorious RINO’s) also voted for the bill, along with Kit Bond of Missouri and George Voinovich from Ohio.

Senator George Voinovich (R-OH)

What all of these Senators need to realize is that the government will not create job growth. The only influence Capitol Hill can have on the economy is to get out of the way and free up the marketplace for some of that dreaded American entreprenurialism. Government quits creating instability in the small business world, we get jobs. It works every time. Now, there is no doubt that the administration will be touting the erroneous “jobs saved” statistic down the road, but really…is 15 billion dollars worth of a second jobs bill really going to have an impact on the American economy when a similarly crafted 787 billion dollar jobs bill had little effect? Oh wait..I forgot, Joe Biden told us that it saved two million jobs.

Before we as the conservative movement totally abandon the Scott Brown we came to love in the election cycle, lets try and keep it together and realize that A. He is a politician and B. We need him to help stop the freight train that is the Obama agenda. 

In ObamaNation, 15 billion dollars is a mere drop in the hat when you look at his deficits. This olive branch may be worth the investment to stop the more damaging elements of the Obama agenda.

Or maybe not, you tell me.

Update: Check out the CPAC Blogger of the Year Ed Morrissey’s take on the issue on HotAir.com.  He posted an update on the bottom of the page, where retiring Indiana Senator Evan Bayh declares Scott Brown the cure. Classic

Retiring Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana said Monday that electing more lawmakers like new Republican Sen. Scott Brown may be the “ultimate cure” for partisan gridlock in Washington.

Brown’s upset victory over a Democrat who held a double-digit lead a week before Massachusetts’ special Senate election last month signaled that voters wanted “more practical problem solving,” Bayh said in an interview Monday on ABC-TV’s “The View.

“Scott Brown is a good example of what I think the ultimate cure might be,” Bayh said. “My read on what happened in Massachusetts is the vast majority of moderates and independents rose up and said enough already.”

The Associated Press reported last night that former Vice President Dick Cheney had been taken to George Washington Hospital after experiencing chest pains.

An aide to the former veep today reported that further testing found evidence of a “mild heart attack. From Breitbart.com

WASHINGTON (AP) – An aide to Dick Cheney says tests on the former vice president showed “evidence of a mild heart attack.” He said Cheney was feeling good and was expected to be released from the hospital before the end of the week.

Cheney was admitted to a Washington hospital on Monday after experiencing chest pains.

Aide Peter Long issued a statement Tuesday saying lab tests at George Washington University Hospital found “evidence of a mild heart attack.” Long said the 69-year-old Cheney underwent a stress test and a heart procedure.

Our thoughts and prayers here at the Political Fish go out to the Vice President and his family, and wish him a speedy recovery.

Check out the surprise Cheney visit to CPAC 2010 this past weekend…

Convicted felon and disgraced former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is not out of the woods yet. Following his first felony conviction for which he was removed as mayor and put in the Wayne County Jail, the Detroit News is now reporting that Kilpatrick will be brought up on federal corruption charges for his role in a “pay to play” scandal that also involves  his father Bernard Kilpatrick. From the Detroit News today.

For at least five years, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have been investigating an alleged “pay to play” system at City Hall under Kilpatrick and allegations that contractors wanting City Hall business were directed to hire the former mayor’s father as a consultant.

Now there are new allegations that former Cobo Center contractor Karl Kado, who has been cooperating with the FBI since 2005, not only paid close to $300,000 to the mayor’s father but made about $100,000 in illegal cash payments directly to the former mayor.

In recent months, the federal investigation moved to the heart of Kilpatrick’s inner circle. Kilpatrick childhood friends and former top City Hall officials Kandia and DeDan Milton pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges and agreed to cooperate.

Detroit businessman Rayford W. Jackson, an associate of Bernard Kilpatrick’s who has pleaded guilty to bribery, said in a secretly videotaped conversation with FBI informant James R. Rosendall that Bernard Kilpatrick was receiving consulting payments totaling $45,000 a month while his son was mayor. But Jackson provided no context.

Christopher Andreoff, an attorney representing Kado, declined Sunday to comment on a report that Kado has given investigators detailed statements about payments Kado allegedly made to the former mayor and his father.

Sworn statements say Kado told investigators he made cash payments to Kwame Kilpatrick of about $20,000 each on four or five occasions, with Kado sometimes visiting Kilpatrick’s City Hall office and Kilpatrick sometimes dropping by the Cobo Center, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed.

“I am not going to comment on a report that may be in violation of a court order or a matter that is before a federal grand jury,” Andreoff said.

Kado, who awaits sentencing March 4 on charges of filing false tax returns, acknowledged in his plea agreement that he made illegal payments to at least one unnamed city official other than former Cobo directors Lou Pavledes and Glenn Blanton.

Both Pavledes and Blanton pleaded guilty to felonies and admitted taking bribes from Kado.

Kilpatrick remains a blight on the city of Detroit who is struggling through the worst unemployment in the nation and decades of mismanagement and corruption from city officials.  Kilpatrick served 90 days in the Wayne County Jail last year for his role in the text messaging scandal that brought down his administration.

These new charges will have no connection to more courtroom drama for Kilpatrick, who continues to embarrass his home town, for potential violations of his probation stemming from the text message scandal. Kilpatrick has been wrangling in the court room for the past 4 months over the terms of his probation imposed by Judge David Groner in which Kilpatrick was ordered to pay back 1 million dollars in restitution to the city. Kilpatrick has maintained that he simply cannot afford the monthly payments, all the while misleading the court over income, gifts and more.

Detroit –Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s failure to make a $79,011 court-ordered payment on Friday has resulted in the judge ordering his lawyers, the county prosecutor and probation authorities to report to him Tuesday morning.

No warrant has yet been issued accusing Kilpatrick of violating the terms of his probation, and he hasn’t been ordered to travel from Texas to attend Tuesday’s session.

In an apparent effort to avoid a confrontation with the judge, Kilpatrick made partial payments today and Friday toward the overdue restitution payment ordered last month by Wayne Circuit Judge David Groner.

Money orders in the amount of $21,175 were delivered this morning to the Wayne County Circuit Court clerk’s office. Kilpatrick also paid $14,048 on Friday, leaving $43,788 still due from the amount ordered on Jan. 20 by Groner.

The partial payments appear to be an attempt by Kilpatrick to avoid charges that he has violated terms of his probation, which could result in jail.

Groner’s order for the lump sum payment came in response to a lengthy hearing where he determined prosecutors presented evidence that Kilpatrick had deliberately hidden income from the court that should have been applied to the $1 million restitution he promised the city in pleading guilty to felony charges stemming from the text message scandal.

Groner also ordered Kilpatrick to make another $240,000 lump sum payment by April.

The federal corruption charges are a part of a wide ranging investigation by the FBI, and will involve and bring down many of the former Kilpatrick administration, as well as local businessman.

And by the way, call it a hunch on my part but I have a hard time believing that Michigan Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Kwame’s mother, can come out of this clean.

As a Metro Detroit area resident who has felt the pain inflicted upon this area by the narcissistic worm of a former mayor, I would welcome him back quickly if it meant he would be spending the next few years in federal prison.

We all hate paying taxes.  This is NOT how to respond.  From CNN:

(CNN) — An Austin, Texas, resident with an apparent grudge against the Internal Revenue Service set his house on fire Thursday and then crashed a small plane into a building housing an IRS office with nearly 200 employees, officials said.

Federal authorities identified the pilot of the Piper Cherokee PA-28 as Joseph Andrew Stack, 53.

Two people were injured and one person was missing, local officials said. There were no reported deaths.

A message on a Web site registered to Stack appears to be a suicide note.

“If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, ‘Why did this have to happen?’ ” the message says. “The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time.”

In the lengthy, rambling message, the writer rails against the government and, particularly, the IRS.

The building into which the airplane crashed is a federal IRS center with 199 employees.

Here’s a copy of his disgruntled suicide note. Thankfully, this appears to be an isolated incident.  Let’s hope so.

Note: "I'm leaving Washington because of excessive partisanship" is political-talk for "I'm going to lose in a landslide and I want to get out now."

From the Associated Press:

Media reports say that Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana has decided to not seek re-election.
The Indianapolis Star reports that Bayh is attributing his decision to excessive partisanship that makes progress on public policy difficult to achieve as the motivation for his decision.
Bayh scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference in Indianapolis. The Associated Press left messages seeking comment at his Senate office and for state Democratic chairman Dan Parker, who is Bayh’s  campaign manager.

This is huge for the Republicans and their bid to win back the majority.  The folks at fivethirtyeight.com had Bayh’s seat as the ninth-most likely to change parties this November.   After all, Bayh is quite popular in his home state; he has faced re-election from the voters three times and has claimed at least 62.0% in each of them.

The question is, who will the Republicans trot out as their Senate candidate?  Some believe that Rep. Mike Pence, who I mentioned as a 2012 Presidential Hopeful, could be that candidate.

A poignant reminder of that horrific day in 2001. It hasn’t been that long folks, but unfortunately some within this current administration have forgotten the devastation of that day, and the fact that a war was started. A war that continues to go on, whether we as a country would like to admit it or not. Whether we like it, or don’t like it, Al-Qaeda and other terrorists around the world still desire to see the destruction of the United States and the freedom she has represented for the past 200+ years.

So I will post these, courtesy of ABC News. These are not here for enjoyment, but as a reminder.

The images were taken from a police helicopter – the only photographers allowed in the air space near the towers on Sept. 11, 2001. They were obtained by ABC News after it filed a Freedom of Information Act request last year with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which investigated the collapse.

And the list continues to grow…

Patrick Kennedy, son of former Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and Democrat from Rhode Island, has announced that he will be moving in a “new direction” and not seeking reelection to the House seat he has occupied for 8 terms. From Politico.com

Kennedy, 42, was first elected to the House in 1994. His departure will leave Congress without a Kennedy for the first time since 1962, when his father was elected to the Senate seat held previously by his uncle, John F. Kennedy. 

In a two-minute video retirement announcement, Kennedy invokes the memory of his father as he explains his decision to leave the House. 

“My father instilled in me a deep commitment to public service,” Kennedy says. “Now, having spent two decades in politics, my life is taking a new direction, and I will not be a candidate for reelection this year. Going forward, I will continue many of the fights we’ve waged together, particular on behalf of those suffering from depression, addiction, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder.” 

Kennedy’s congressional tenure was marked by repeated substance abuse problems, including a drunk-driving incident in 2006. He entered a rehab facility at that time and again in 2009. 

Kennedy is not the 14th Democrat to announce that he/she will not return to Congress. Kennedy made waves last month when he called the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts “a joke” and stated that voters were out for blood. Kennedy represents an extremely Democrat-favored district in Rhode Island, but in the current political landscape, he was going to face a tough election against Republican John Loughlin, who has been doing very well in raising financing for his campaign.

Finally, the United States of America will no longer have a Kennedy in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

That is some change you can actually believe in.

In part two of my “analyzing the 2012 GOP field” article (click here for part one), I’ll take a look at who I believe to be the top five candidates, and then I’ll make a prediction as to how the primaries are going to play out.

Before I begin, I neglected to put former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum on my list.  I think he belongs in category two (the “Bill Richardson Division”).  Basically, Santorum strikes me as a lesser-version of any of the more established politicians.  He’s an evangelical Christian, but would that bloc side with Santorum over Huckabee or Palin?  He’s a former Senator, but so was Bill Frist and George Allen.  I just can’t see Santorum garnering significant support.

I also planned on having South Dakota Senator John Thune in the top echelon, but then I thought better about myself after reading about how he has a reputation for being a bit “dry”.  Oh well.  I know he is somewhat of a Republican hero for toppling former Senator Tom Daschle in 2004 (the first time in more than 50 years that a sitting Senate Majority leader lost his re-election bid), but I can’t see the entire national electorate rallying around that piece of trivia.  And I can’t see a voter saying “I like Huckabee / Romney / Crist / Palin, but I can’t stand their charisma.  I want someone a little more dull.  I’ll take Thune, thank you.”

With that out of the way, here’s the top echelon of candidates (in no particular order):

• Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
• Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
• Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
• Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty

Palin isn’t really much a candidate anymore as she is a symbol of the down-to-earth, middle-class conservatism.  Romney may be the most qualified, but he still gives off that “used-car salesman” vibe (and his Mormon faith really riles some arch-Christians).  If Tim Pawlenty was an ice cream flavor, he’d be “vanilla”.  He’s the “safe” choice.  Mike Huckabee can be likeable and funny, but may turn off too many Republicans for being a moderate, and liberals for being an evangelical.

Here’s how I see the 2012 primaries playing out:

Pawlenty: First to Go?

Huckabee Strikes First!

Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin go one-and-two in the Iowa caucus (in whatever order).  Some of the lesser-candidates without much money will drop out (like Mitch Daniels or John Thune).  Romney cleans up in Nevada and New Hampshire.  George Pataki drops out.  As they drop out, Romney picks up support.  Huckabee and Palin go one-and-two, in whatever order, in South Carolina.

The second group of states are mostly situated in the North / Midwest.  Tim Pawlenty attempts to hang on during this stage, but after failing to garner significant support, drops out and endorses Romney.  Romney and Palin trade shots; Huckabee starts an irreversible fade (but doesn’t drop out).

Palin will pin her hopes on Texas.  However, her hopes (and Presidential chances) will be dashed when Texas Governor Rick Perry (who won a third term in 2010), makes an 11th hour endorsement of Mitt Romney.

Palin makes a valiant effort, but falls short...

Romney defeats Palin, who makes a teary-eyed concession speech, and ultimately secures the Republican nomination.

The media starts piling on Romney.  At some point during this year, a worried Democrat Machine makes the decision to drop Joe Biden from the ticket and adds either Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, or Hillary Clinton.

Romney gathers support and selects Rep. Eric Cantor as his Vice Presidential selection.  Leaders from the Religious Right are incensed that the Republican ticket consists of a Mormon and a Jew, but ultimately quiet down and cast a vote for the Republicans anyway.

Mr. President?

Heading into Election Day, Romney/Cantor and the Republicans are fairly confident they can win back Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, and Indiana (four states that went blue in 2008), and the single electoral vote from Nebraska that went to Obama in 2008.  That puts them at 248 Electoral Votes.  The Democrats are sitting at 226, after solidifying all the other states that Obama won in 2008 except for the ones Romney picked off, and Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are left on the table as swing states.  Pennsylvania, with 20 electoral votes, falls to the Democrats.  Romney makes a play in New Hampshire, but falls short.  The Democrats are sitting at 250.  Romney grabs 18 votes from Ohio, putting him at 266 and inches away from the 270 he needs to win the Presidency.  Iowa voters, which went for Huckabee in the primaries, go blue yet again.

The American Public wakes up on Wednesday, November 7th, to see President Barack Obama trailing in the electoral college, 256 to Mitt Romney’s 266, with the results from one state, Michigan, still being tabulated.

The nation wonders if Obama’s connections to the unions can be enough to salvage a victory, or if Romney connections to the Great Lakes State (where his father was a former governor), combined with the tireless works of one intrepid, Detroit-area blogger, will be enough to vault him into the Oval Office.

As for what happens next… it’s a little too early to tell.  Maybe things will clear up, say, in the next 1000 days.

Update: Clinton is hospitalized, said to be in good spirits, and had two stents installed his coronary arteries.

From the USA Today:

Former president Bill Clinton has been hospitalized, reports ABC News.  Clinton, 63, was transported to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan for a condition related to his heart. MSNBC reports he was suffering from chest pains.

ABC News’ chief political correspondent George Stephanopoulos reported that sources said he was taken to the hospital “likely for a stent procedure.” Clinton had quadruple bypass surgery at the same hospital four and a half years ago.

Speaking on behalf of The Political Fish, I hope the former President gets well soon.  While I may disagree on policy decisions, I always thought that he’d be a cool guy to go with to a bar and watch football.

I would call this a shock poll, except that I am not the least bit shocked. I have been saying now for months that the liberal wing of the Democrat party is nothing more than a bunch of socialists bent on changing the America that has made us great.

Gallup today released a poll that confirms that statement, as far as polling can confirm something at least.

PRINCETON, NJ — More than one-third of Americans (36%) have a positive image of “socialism,” while 58% have a negative image. Views differ by party and ideology, with a majority of Democrats and liberals saying they have a positive view of socialism, compared to a minority of Republicans and conservatives.

“Socialism” was one of seven terms included in a Jan. 26-27 Gallup poll. Americans were asked to indicate whether their top-of-mind reactions to each were positive or negative. Respondents were not given explanations or descriptions of the terms.

Americans are almost uniformly positive in their reactions to three terms: small business, free enterprise, and entrepreneurs. They are divided on big business and the federal government, with roughly as many Americans saying their view is positive as say it is negative. Americans are more positive than negative on capitalism (61% versus 33%) and more negative than positive on socialism (36% to 58%).

Is it any surprise that just about the only bloc that still staunchly supports Barack Obama is the hard left (socialist) wing of the Democratic party? They know where he stands. Unionization, Government Health Care, Cap and Trade….all socialist programs aimed at taking down the free market and installing a level playing field i.e. socialism.

It must have made the socialist left giddy to see our President sucking up to the socialists around the world. Thankfully, the vast majority of Americans (read those of us producers) still believe in the free market, hard work, freedom and prosperity and have decided to fight for it.