A behind-the-scenes battle to take the reins of the Republican National Committee is taking off between former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.
Neither man will acknowledge his interest in the post, but Republicans close to each are burning up the phone lines and firing off e-mails to fellow party members in an effort to oust RNC Chairman Mike Duncan in the wake of the second consecutive drubbing of Republican candidates at the polls.
A bevy of backers for each man, neither of whom is an RNC member, say the committee needs a leader who can formulate a counter-agenda to President-elect Barack Obama's administration and articulate it on the national stage.
"The Republican National Committee has to ask itself if it wants someone who has successfully led a revolution," Randy Evans, Gingrich confidant and personal attorney based in Atlanta, told The Washington Times on Monday. "If it does, Newt's the one."
Former California Republican Party Chairman Shawn Steel told The Times that Mr. Steele, chairman of GOPAC, a national organization once headed by Mr. Gingrich, "wants to be Republican national chairman."
#1
From what little I know of Steele I'd like to see him advance BUT I also like Gingrich and would like to see the two of them working together, each one concentrating on their strength.
#3
Gingrich successfully led a revolution in 1994. After he was drummed out of the House on trumped up charges the Trunks pissed away all his gains.
He is not electable but he sure is a great strategist and could draw some decent candidates into the mix. The Trunks need new blood, not a bunch of hacks claiming to carry the Reagan mantle.
#6
GBUSMC has it right. Gingrich isn't highly electable but is a smart guy. He should get the nod, and Steele, who is way more electable, should run for something.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
11/11/2008 17:36 Comments ||
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#7
Well, he's an incredibly bad alt. history writer...
#8
Steele would be better, with Newt a hired gun/strategist. He's toxic as a figurehead, but an incredibly smart strategy/history/platform guy. He's just not likeable for personal history/ name his parents gave him/media perception reasons
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/11/2008 20:01 Comments ||
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#9
Funny, I sent the GOP an email 2 days after the election suggesting that Newt take over. Doubt it got to anyone, but its obvious I wasn't the only one thinking it.
Hadn't thought about Steele. I had always thought of him as an in front of the camera guy, not a backroom guy.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
11/11/2008 20:04 Comments ||
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#10
What do you guys think?
Steele. So he can tell the Blacks they need to Cowboy up and get off the gubbmint tit! Newt as a hired gun and adviser.
Minnesota is becoming to 2008 politics what Florida was in 2000 or Washington State in 2004 -- a real mess. The outcome will determine whether Democrats get 58 members of the U.S. Senate, giving them an effective filibuster-proof vote on many issues.
When voters woke up on Wednesday morning after the election, Senator Norm Coleman led Al Franken by what seemed like a relatively comfortable 725 votes. By Wednesday night, that lead had shrunk to 477. By Thursday night, it was down to 336. By Friday, it was 239. Late Sunday night, the difference had gone down to just 221 -- a total change over 4 days of 504 votes.
Amazingly, this all has occurred even though there hasn't even yet been a recount. Just local election officials correcting claimed typos in how the numbers were reported. Counties will certify their results today, and their final results will be sent to the secretary of state by Friday. The actual recount won't even start until November 19.
Correcting these typos was claimed to add 435 votes to Franken and take 69 votes from Coleman. Corrections were posted in other races, but they were only a fraction of those for the Senate. The Senate gains for Franken were 2.5 times the gain for Obama in the presidential race count, 2.9 times the total gain that Democrats got across all Minnesota congressional races, and 5 times the net loss that Democrats suffered for all state House races.
Virtually all of Franken's new votes came from just three out of 4130 precincts, and almost half the gain (246 votes) occurred in one precinct -- Two Harbors, a small town north of Duluth along Lake Superior -- a heavily Democratic precinct where Obama received 64 percent of the vote. None of the other races had any changes in their vote totals in that precinct.
To put this change in perspective, that single precinct's corrections accounted for a significantly larger net swing in votes between the parties than occurred for all the precincts in the entire state for the presidential, congressional, or state house races.
The two other precincts (Mountain Iron in St. Louis county and Partridge Township in Pine county) accounted for another 100 votes each. The change in each precinct was half as large as the pickup for Obama from the corrections for the entire state.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune attributed these types of mistakes to "exhausted county officials," and that indeed might be true, but the sizes of the errors in these three precincts are surprisingly large.
Indeed, the 504 total new votes for Franken from all the precincts is greater than adding together all the changes for all the precincts in the entire state for the presidential, congressional, and state house races combined (a sum of 482). It was also true that precincts that gave Obama a larger percentage of the vote were statistically more likely to make a correction that helped Franken.
The recent Washington State 2006 gubernatorial recount is probably most famous for the discovery of ballots in heavily Democratic areas that had somehow missed being counted the first and even second time around. Minnesota is already copying that, though thus far on a much smaller scale, with 32 absentee ballots being discovered in Democratic Hennepin County after all the votes had already been counted. When those votes are added in, they seemed destined to cut Coleman's lead further.
Indeed, it is probably through the discovery of new votes that Franken has his best shot of picking up new votes. Despite the press pushing a possible replay of election judges divining voters' intentions by looking at "hanging chads" to see if voters meant to punch a hole, that shouldn't be an issue in Minnesota. The reason is simple: optical scan vote counting machines return ballots to voters if no vote is recorded for a contested race.
The Associated Press piece with the title "Most Minn. Senate 'undervotes' are from Obama turf" misinformed readers about what undervotes really imply. The Minneapolis Star Tribune headline similarly claimed "An analysis of ballots that had a vote for president but no vote for U.S. senator could have recount implications."
Voters themselves insert their ballot into the machine that reads and records their votes, and if the machine finds that a vote isn't recorded, voters can either mark the race that they forgot to mark or didn't mark clearly. Or if voters "overvoted" and accidentally marked too many candidates, voters can also get a fresh ballot. There should be no role to divine voters' intentions. If a voter wanted a vote recorded for a particular race, the machine tells him whether his vote in all the races was counted.
But voters also have the right not to vote in particular races. In this election, 0.4 percent of Minnesotans didn't want to vote for president. The number for the Senate race was only slightly higher at 0.8 percent. For congressional and state House races, the rates were 3 and 3.5 percent.
This pattern of fewer people voting in less important elections has been observed as long as people have studied elections. There are always at least a few people who don't vote for even the most closely contested races at the top of the ballot and fewer people follow and vote for races the farther down the ballot that you go. But this is not evidence of mistakes, quite the contrary.
With ACORN filing more than 43,000 registration forms this year, 75 percent of all new registrations in the state, Minnesota was facing vote fraud problems even before the election. Even a small percentage of those registrations resulting in fraudulent votes could tip this election.
To many, it just seems like too much of a coincidence that Minnesota's one tight race just happens to be the race with the most "corrected" votes by far. But the real travesty will be to start letting election officials divine voter's intent. If you want to discourage people from voting, election fraud is one sure way of doing it.
#3
exactly. There has to be costs for tampering with the election process. Hard time for the bastards that steal votes paid for with blood, sweat and tears. I'm all or ID checks at vote booths, pen-time for those tampering with votes, disenfranchising honest Americans. Perhaps RICO act violations for campaigns and pen-time for the ACORN assholes as well.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/11/2008 19:14 Comments ||
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#4
Take them out and shoot them - or at least give them some serious hard time (10+ years hard labor). I am sick and tired of having our election process compromised over and over and having them get away with it.
The punishment behind a law tells people how important you think it is. Letting these people get off scott free is just eroding our election process because we, in fact, do not give a damn about the integrity of the process.
People have sacrificed their lives so that we can have a free society and allowing these creatins to compromise that makes their sacrifice cheap. We shouldn't stand for it as a nation.
#5
One or two corrupt officials end up in a ditch and the rest learn the lesson. This would be atrocious obviously, an act of murder. But I fear that is the way things are headed if the people decide they can no longer trust the law to be enforced.
Just hours after President Bush and President-elect Obama met in the Oval Office of the White House, details of their confidential conversation began leaking out to the press, igniting anger from the president, sources claim.
"Senator Obama would be wise to keep close counsel," a top Bush source warned.
"BUSH AND OBAMA AT ODDS OVER AID FOR AUTO INDUSTRY," splashed the NEW YORK TIMES in an exclusive Monday evening, quoting "people familiar with the discussion."
The two met at the White House in private, without staff.
"Bush indicated at the meeting that he might support some aid and a broader economic stimulus package if Obama and congressional Democrats dropped their opposition to a free-trade agreement with Colombia," claimed the TIMES.
The ASSOCIATED PRESS quickly followed with details of the conversation, citing "aides who described the discussion on grounds of anonymity, citing the private nature of the meeting."
Bush advisers view the leaks as an effort to undermine the president's remaining days in office. "Senator Obama may not be familiar with a long-standing tradition of presidents holding their private conversations, private," a senior adviser explained to the DRUDGE REPORT. Beautiful!
#3
The ASSOCIATED PRESS quickly followed with details of the conversation, citing "aides who described the discussion on grounds of anonymity, citing the private nature of the meeting."
I love granting anonymity because they were disclosing confidential stuff.
I also wonder if Obama was on board with the leaks or if he was surprised.
#4
Obama knows to whom he confided, revealing the source of the leak to the NYT's. If he had any integrity, they would be ex-aides, ending this before it starts after inauguration. Since he doesn't, maybe the Bush Administration should make good use of the Patriot Act to protect us from these treasonous idiots while they can.
#5
When you guys gonna get your heads around what kind of man Bammo is? He will do whatever he damn well pleases and ruthlessly prosecute those who aren't in lock step. If he wants to leak, he'll leak. If you try to leak on him, you'll do hard time or worse.
I predict the left will suddenly get really enthusiastic about punishing "treason."
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/11/2008 17:08 Comments ||
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#11
Again, "W" would have been smart to not have anything to do with the SOB.
Proving YET again, that Conservatives cannot be nice to these parasites. We need an end to bipartisanship, and we need to jettison some of our high ideals and fatal desire for fairness.
ALL is fair in Love and War! When will the Repubs wake up and realize this is war? [/rhetorical]
WASHINGTON (AP) A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.
"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may may not, I hope not but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."
Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.
"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."
Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado about building a new civil service corps. Among other things, he called for expanding the nation's foreign service and doubling the size of the Peace Corps "to renew our diplomacy."
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force.
Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.
"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."
Obama's transition office did not respond immediately to Broun's remarks.
#1
I look forward to reading right-wing lunacy across the internet for the next four years, will be a refreshing change from the left-wing variety of the past eight.
#2
We'll see, let's not start jumping out of windows yet.
He'll say ANYTHING to get elected, but I have a feeling he's going to screw each and every one of his hard left support groups in turn. Starting with the anti-war bunch. He's already trying to ease them into the idea of being in Afghanistan for a while.
#5
The difference between this and left wing lunacy is that George W. Bush had friends in university, university transcripts, medical records, and a birth certificate whereas he did not have friends and mentors in the Communist party, the Black Panthers, the Weather Underground, the Nation of Islam, etc. etc. etc.
#7
We'll see. Bambi said things and congress is gearing up to do things that seem really tyrannical to me. However, like all first term presidents, what they really want is a second term. So I don't see any major screwing with things for the first 4 years. Lots of screwing up though. We'll see if he makes it through the next round of presidential elections.
#8
We'll see what happens with the Dems. planned show trials of the administration. When they move to charge Cheyney, Bush, Rumsfeld, et al with crimes you can bet which road they're on.
Add in gun control and forced service and children spying on parents, all of which have been proposed n some way or other and then you'll know.
Re: second term.......this is the philosophy that coined "one man, one vote, once"
My expectation is disasterous incompetence on the Carter model, but then I'm an optimist.
#10
Ya knw the more I learn about Obama and what he "Plans" to do after he is in office, I tend to think of him moving towards being a dictator. First off he wants the government to take over as much as they can. Second he stated he was going to use "Executive Orders" to streamline getting some things done immediately. And finaly he wants this national force of what? I am not a nut job but combined this sounds very very dictator-like to me. My only question is if the conservatives (not Republicans) in the Senate will scutinize this? I have no faith in the house because Pelosi will have that all sewn up.
#11
Last night Tom Browkaw said, "Wht is Obama's World View? We don't know."
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
11/11/2008 12:08 Comments ||
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#12
#6: Rightys need a catchy name for Barry like the lefties had Bushitler. Obamalini? Obamahito? Obamastalin?
President Zero, works for me.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/11/2008 12:11 Comments ||
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#13
Maobama.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
11/11/2008 12:34 Comments ||
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#14
Now, now. We're still working our way through Obama's "Shrub" period. They didn't start calling GWB "Bushitler" until about a week or two after 9/11.
"Bambi" works for now.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
11/11/2008 14:31 Comments ||
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#15
"We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
Right wing nuttiness or not, the Big O is the one that proposed it. The whole idea creeps me out.
#16
The difference between this and left wing lunacy is the bulk of the right has the common sense to be embarrassed by this nonsense. It may make the left uncomfortable but it makes the right look looney and unelectable.
#4
Meanwhile the Al Franken vote grooooooows. Some absentee ballots votes found in the trunk of a car. Some were "remembered" and then counted days later by a fatigued election board member. Voting maps? Who needs stinking voting maps? It is as the Obamessiah wills.
#5
California is already a Majority-Minority state. European whites make up just 42% of the population and Hispanics have grown to 37%.(Not counting Illegals) Between 1980 and 2004 the Hispanic population in California grew by over 8 million. In 2004 the white European population was slightly larger than 1980 but actually decreased from the 1990 census.
In 1980 California had a 58% white European population. Reagan carried the state by 1.5 million votes. He won all but three of 58 counties, SF, Alameda and Yolo (Scratomato). In 1984 he again won by 1.5 million votes but lost two additional counties, Marin (Limousine Liberal Heaven) and Santa Cruz (Home of UC Angela Davis).
Now being a Majority-Minority State in 2004 Kerry carried California by 1.2 million votes and in 2008 Obama carried the state by 2.5 million votes.
Obama carried 33 of 58 counties which included every large county except Orange County where McCain squeaked out a 36,000 vote majority. Reagan won Orange County by a 3-1 margin.
Dick Morris had a theory early this year that Hillary would win 2008, screw up and the last Republican President, ever, would be elected in 2012. His theory was that demographics do not favor Republicans.
Morris picked the wrong Donk but his theory is sound. For the 2012 last shot for Republicans, Obama will have to worse than former California Donk Governor Gray Davis, and he was really bad.
Conservatives have to come to terms with the reality that they are swimming against a demographic riptide. Count on the Donks giving the illegals amnesty. The riptide will become a demographic Tsunami.
Islamabad, Nov 11 (PTI) Slain former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto's niece Fatima, a bitter critic of President Asif Ali Zardari, has compared Pakistan with Zimbabwe and said the present government is the "first in the world headed by two former convicts." "The country's newly elected government, the first in the world headed by two former convicts (between them the president and prime minister have served time on charges of corruption, narcotics, extortion and murder, no less)" Fatima wrote in an opinion piece titled "Texts, lies and Zardari-gate" for a Britain-based newspaper.
Fatima compared Pakistan, whose economy has hit "rock bottom", with Zimbabwe. "Eight months into the new government's post-Musharraf rule, Pakistan's economy, sovereignty and freedoms have been considerably eroded. Think Zimbabwe, minus the good governance," wrote the 26-year-old fiery niece of the slain former premier.
Rechristening the ruling Pakistan People's Party as the "Permanent Plunder Party", she wrote, "On the war-on-terror front, Pakistan's new government is proving to be a most gracious ally. The country's borders have been opened to unmanned drones that fly over parts of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province when and as they please, hitting various targets.
"So, no, Pakistan is not a failed state. It's the country's leaders that are failures. In the 21st century, Pakistan remains a rich and diverse country held hostage to a government chock full of ill-equipped and unqualified carpetbaggers," she wrote.
Fatima, who stopped writing her weekly column for The News daily some months ago, will now be regularly contributing for The New Statesman
Posted by: john frum ||
11/11/2008 05:18 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11127 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Think Zimbabwe, minus the good governance," wrote the 26-year-old fiery niece of the slain former premier.
#2
..."first in the world headed by two former convicts."
Well, it appears that even with the great effort put in by the Donks here, the Paks beat them to that unique distinction. Don't hold yourself back, there's always second place.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A behind-the-scenes battle to take the reins of the Republican National Committee is taking off between former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele. 
Minnesota is becoming to 2008 politics what Florida was in 2000 or Washington State in 2004 -- a real mess. The outcome will determine whether Democrats get 58 members of the U.S. Senate, giving them an effective filibuster-proof vote on many issues.
WASHINGTON (AP) A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.
