The GOP will pick up seats, here's why Part 1

N.B. Last Labor Day I posted an essay identifying 26 reasons why the Democrats should be hiding under their beds on Election Day this cycle. The year has brought many ups and downs but essentially there are now MORE reasons to believe the GOP will not only hold the House, but pick up 2 to 5 seats. Should things continue as they are going we may even do better. The Combination of the Lieberman loss and the London plot make it quite possible that it will be a very long night for the Democrats.

As expected, we are being hit with a barrage of Democrat favoring media psy-ops articles about how the Democrats will re-take the House and the Senate, ( and every contested race in America.) When you read these pieces remember that these "experts" have said the same thing every two years and every two years when they have been challenged they have insisted "Yes but THIS time we really mean it".

It is a rare event when a boxing match ends in a knock out. Almost always, fights are won by the fighter who is able to punch the strength out of his opponent’s arms and crush his bones with non-stop body blows. Elections are won the same way. Rarely is there a single issue that an election turns on. To the contrary: elections are won by the candidate or the party that throws the most solid body blows and shakes off the sting of the ones it takes from the other side.

What follows is a list of solid body blows the Democrats will receive during this election cycle. They range from stinging to powerful. There are two clear knock out punches and a variety of serious body blows. The power of the two main punches, combined with the strength of the numerous powerful body blows, puts the Democrats in real danger this cycle.

Every election cycle, starting with 1996, the political “experts” have told us the Democrats will win back the House. Big Labor vows to spend every cent it has to win back the House for its party. Every cycle they have been wrong and this year will be no different. While these people are both boring and annoying they do have to be answered. What follows is a list of problems that will keep the minority party in their place this November.

1) Self identification of Americans as conservatives 2) Florida Demographics 3) The war in Iraq 4) Big Labor’s pull back 5) Howard Dean 6) Voter fraud 7) Democrat calls for impeachment 8) Old media loses its power 9) Blacks are slowly leaving Democrats 10) Democrats have come to rely on liars who give them phony poll information

11) Redistricting makes the numbers impossible 12) Doom and gloom, rooting the terrorists, doesn’t sell very well 13) Scandals can get you just so far

14) America knows and understands the Democrats stand for 15) Evangelicals are in the game to stay 16) Banning guns still won’t win elections 17) Cindy Sheehan is the crazy cat woman from the Simpson’s 18) Queers (that’s their word not mine) marrying? No thanks.

19) The candidate Gap 20) The message Gap 21) The money Gap 22) The Economy is now in the best shape it has been in our lifetime 23) The meaning of Bush’s improved voter numbers 24) The Clinton magic is over 25) The Supreme Court decision of Gitmo detainees

26) The never ending millstones around their neck 27) Generic poll foolishness 28) Naming the vulnerable Democrats 29) What about the military Democrats, the bunch the call the Band of Brothers? 30) The stark lack of enthusiasm among the Democrat rank and file 31) Am I just a Republican cheerleader engaging in wishful thinking?

32) Ballot Initiatives will choke the Democrats in important races 33) The Castle Doctrine 34) Abortion is back as an important issue 35) Immigration 36) The power of incumbency 37) Democrat’s have no understanding of who America’s enemies are 38) Democrats hyperbole “We shall overcome”? No “We shall over do!”

39) The values gap 40) Legislative “poison pill” bills 41) The crashing and burning of “liberal alternative media” 42) The Democrat’s “Roman Catholic” problem 43) Republican grass roots GOTV operations

Because of the length of the list and the size of the commentaries that follow each item, this first essay will start with the full list and continue with an explanation of a segment of the list. In future installments, further segments of the list will be discussed. To allow for ease of use, the full list will start each essay regardless of the segment it will discuss.

"I tell you, brothers, [ and Democrats ] the time is running out........... For the world in its present form is passing away."

Minnesota Poll: Equal numbers identify with GOP, Democrats Republican support is holding steady, while DFL is down despite dissatisfaction with Washington.

A new Minnesota Poll shows 29 percent identified as Republicans, the same as a year ago, despite President Bush's record-low approval ratings and the conventional wisdom that Republicans are likely to suffer net losses in this fall's election.

Combined with “leaners” toward one party or another, showed Republicans with 37 percent and DFLers with 36 percent. Since the 1960s the Democrats have always been up 5 points or more, often 10 or more.

In July the Mobile Alabama register reported these shifting numbers from it’s own statewide poll:

40% of state ID themselves as Republicans, 32% as Democrats and the Independent /Undeclared voters self identify as 2-1 conservative.

The over-arching issue in this election cycle will be national security. Conservatives will NOT stay home. They will show up and vote in strong numbers. Nothing has changed since January. The May and July polls in different parts of the country show the trend. Voters may be more frequently self identifying as “Independents” but their basic conservatism spells trouble not relief for the Democrats because now they don’t know who they are in some cases.

The Florida State Republican Party’s report for 2005 shows: the party collected $12 million last year - almost three times as much money as the Democratic Party.

Nevertheless, of much greater importance, the report told of the registration of over 50,000 new Republican voters. The Florida Democratic party registered only 3,640 new Democrats. Yes that was 50,000 to 3640!

The numbers say they are not going to Florida to vote Democrat, and by November there will be another 300,000 new people in the Sunshine State. That would mean another 50,000 new Republican voters. People don’t move to a new state, take the time and effort to register, and then stay home on Election Day. This number is real and significant. Eventually we will squeeze out even more seats in Florida, not lose seats. This is a peek into the future of other growing Red states.

In case the troubles the Florida Democratic Party is having are not clear enough, consider this:

Rep. Chris Smith, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat, who was in control of fundraising for Florida Democratic campaigns in 2003, recently commented as follows when discussing why the Florida Democrats use a “Senate Victory and an Assembly Victory Committee”

Smith said many donors didn't want to give money directly to the Democratic Party so legislative leaders needed another way to accept the contributions.

The meaning of the Florida numbers can’t be over estimated. They mean Clay Shaw, the one Republican the Florida Democrats think they can beat will have all the help and money he will need. They mean Florida will be able to export money and GOTV workers. They mean Florida will be an engine of help and money for Republicans across the country.

3) The war in Iraq is not the quagmire the old media and the Democrats have spent the last three years telling us it is. Their hopes, but of course NOT their prayers have been that Americans will believe that Iraq is a reason to throw out Republicans so the Democrats can promptly surrender to whomever will accept their swords. Americans know this and have stopped responding to these lies half-truths and distortions.

“Overall, almost one out of four voters says the economy (23 percent) will be the most important issue on their mind when they vote this fall, followed by the situation in Iraq (14 percent) and terrorism (12 percent).

When we have pro war rallies about 200 people show up. When the Democrats have anti war rallies about 200 people show up. The honest and sad truth about the war is that because of the distance provided by America’s all volunteer army, people just don’t think about the war unless asked about. Worse still, they just don’t care. The only people who care about the war live in the beltway or have a beltway mentality. As the 14% response shows, the war simply will not be a factor in this election.

4) Big Labor’s split and the resultant pull back from the Democrats will hurt them. In some races it will be the difference, no matter how the old media will try to spin it.

NPR's Juan Williams: "[T]he unions are split. ... So you have this split among the Democrats ..." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 4/9/06)

“CNN exit polls showed that 38 percent of union members voted for President Bush in the 2004 election, but more than 95 percent of union funds went to support Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry.

“A 1999 Zogby poll found a majority of union members—nearly 55 percent—thought people should be given a choice of investing their Social Security taxes in some form of personal retirement accounts. But union officials spent millions of dollars to oppose private accounts in the Social Security system.

"Labor Unions, Which Are Among The Democratic Party's Most Loyal Supporters, Are Deeply At Odds With The Party's Push For A Guest-Worker Program ..." (Charles Hurt, "Unions Worked Up Over Illegals,)"

The illegal alien question is tearing up whatever unity there might still be in the Big Labor camp. This will put to the test the spin off group led by the SEIU leadership, Change To Win. This cycle will determine, whether the new group wants to actually work with the GOP from time to time or are they merely another Democrat controlled union organization.

Big Labor has rendered itself useless to the Democrats because it supports so many of the issues its own members so deeply opposed. John Sweeney is a socialist who has a headlock of the direction of the AFL-CIO and is killing its effectiveness with support for gay marriage, high taxes, hatred for President Bush and worst of all from his membership’s view point, support for illegal aliens with mandatory dues increases, no less.

Big Labor is funding “day worker” centers with gouged union dues increases. Guest workers are a favorite cause of Sweeney and his board.

In 2004 union households already were voting 38% for Republicans. These issues will push that number close to 45%. It will not get better and a 50/50 split in 2008 looks very possible.

New York Senate candidate Jonathan Tasini is a longtime labor supporter and former official with the United Auto Workers. Tasini was recently quoted as follws:

“July 9: We [ Big Labor ] ARE weak. Period. If we want to debate whether the current sub-8 percent representation in the private sector is better than 6 percent, I'll pass: …

…We are essentially irrelevant in most parts of the private sector economy, and even more so if you take out industries that can't pick up and move abroad (e.g., hospitals and casinos). We build a powerful labor movement by acknowledging that we are close to dead. Meaningful labor law reform will not happen in the near future--and I think that it is a fantasy to believe in it (certainly if we don't stop supporting Democrats who have no interest in labor's revival beyond rhetoric).”

His antics will continue to drive people away. This is why we ended 2005 up 2 to 1 in money raised so far this year.

From calling the war in Iraq “unwinnable” to arguing with Rahm Emmanuel over how to spend what money the Democrats do have, to actively working to defeat Ray Nagin in New Orleans and Joe Lieberman in Connecticut, Howard Dean has been a problem creator for the Democrats, not a problem solver.

“Illegal immigrants are often able to vote, and -- of course -- they almost always vote Democrat." -- "Hillary Watch," Human Events, April 3, 2006

"A coalition of liberal groups is attacking any election officials who try to investigate fraud in voter registration drives. Led by Jesse Jackson, People for the American Way, the NAACP and other groups, the coalition claims that attempts to prevent fraudulent voter registration should be considered 'voter intimidation' and 'suppression'. . . The activities of groups like ACT, ACORN, the NAACP Voter Fund and MoveOn.org show up repeatedly in voter fraud reports."

"Voter Turnout or Voter Fraud?" Capital Research Center Organization Trends, April 2006

“Prop 200 Screening Out Illegal Voters Stricter immigration laws now on the books in Arizona that require elections officials to check for proof of citizenship have uncovered thousands of new registrants who don't qualify to vote.

In Arizona's Prima County alone, elections officials have rejected 59 percent of all applicants in the last two weeks - or 423 of the 712 new registrants.”

State officials are warning eastern Kentucky citizens against committing voter fraud. They appealed to people to turn in voter frauds, assuring them that violators will be arrested and prosecuted. Eastern Kentucky is the section of the state most likely to experience voter fraud, the officials said.

“Voters will be required to show photo identification to cast a ballot starting this fall under a bill that won final approval today in the Republican-controlled Missouri Legislature.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement in response to Republicans pushing restrictive voter ID measures in Missouri:

"Once again Republicans have succeeded in their efforts to disenfranchise lawful voters. This time Republicans in Missouri have enacted a restrictive law that would require eligible voters to present a state issued photo ID when going to the polls to vote. Current law allows voters to present other forms of ID including utility bills, bank statements, or a paycheck. To justify these restrictive measures, Republicans are falsely claiming that voter fraud continues to be a big problem.

"This law is so restrictive that eligible voters will be denied access to the polls even if they present a voter registration card. To make matters worse voter ID laws also disproportionately affect rural voters, seniors, minorities, disabled voters and young people who often have a harder time obtaining a state issued photo identification.”

“Attorney General Greg Abbott announced Thursday in Corpus Christi that his office has indicted a Robstown woman on felony charges in connection with voter fraud.

“Maria Dora Flores, 65, of Robstown was arrested on two counts of felony voting fraud and taken to the Nueces County Jail by investigators with the attorney general's office.

“If convicted, Flores could face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

“Officials with the attorney general's office said referrals of voting fraud have increased by 1,000 percent in the state since 2003.

“Last year, a 53-year-old Beeville woman was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of illegal voting after the Bee County voter registrar alleged she filled out a ballot in her dead mother's name for the 2004 November election.”

TN: 3 poll workers, 3 felons charged in Tenn. (w/casting 'dead' voters ballots, a Dem won)

“MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Three poll workers accused of casting ballots in the name of dead voters were among six people indicted on charges of violating election laws in a state Senate race, a prosecutor announced Wednesday.

“Prosecutor Bill Gibbons said his investigation found no evidence of a widespread conspiracy to throw the election to either candidate.

“Democrat Ophelia Ford was certified the winner over Republican Terry Roland by 13 votes last September. The state Senate overturned the election this year amid allegations of irregularities.

"There was an effort on the part of certain individuals ... to cast some illegal votes for Miss Ford. But I stress that there is nothing to indicate that she knew anything about that," Gibbons said.

“None of those indicted worked for either of the campaigns and neither candidate has been accused of wrongdoing, officials said.

“The poll workers are charged with official misconduct. Three felons who cast ballots also were charged with violating election laws. All the counts are felonies.”

“The voting scandal that has rocked the Fire Island community of Saltaire could be spreading to the Hamptons.

“Word is the Suffolk County D A's Office may head east in its probe of summer residents who sneakily - and illegally - vote twice: once in the Big Apple where their primary homes are, and again in the Long Island towns and villages where they own getaways.

“The Fire Island probe has already resulted in a grand jury subpoenaing Saltaire election records. Among those under the microscope are former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro and her hubby, John Zaccaro, who deny wrongdoing.”

New Registration Rules Stir Voter Debate in Ohio “CLEVELAND — For Tony Minor, the pastor of the Community of Faith Assembly in a run-down section of East Cleveland, Ohio’s new voter registration rules have meant spending two extra hours a day collecting half as many registration cards from new voters as he did in past years.

“Republicans say the new rules are needed to prevent fraud, but Democrats say they are making it much harder to register the poor.

“In the last year, six states have passed such restrictions, and in three states, including Ohio, civic groups have filed lawsuits, arguing that the rules disproportionately affect poor neighborhoods.

“Under the law, passed by the Republican-led state legislature in January 2006, paid voter registration workers must personally submit the voter registration cards to the state, rather than allow the organizations overseeing the drives to vet and submit them in bulk.

“By requiring paid canvassers to sign and put their addresses on the voter registration cards they collect, and by making them criminally liable for any irregularities on the cards, the rules have made it more difficult to use such workers, who most often work in lower-income and Democratic-leaning neighborhoods, where volunteers are scarce.”

“MADISON, WI (AP) -- Voters without a driver's license will be able to cast a ballot on Election Day under a state rule that received federal approval.

“The U.S. Department of Justice gave its OK in a letter dated Thursday to the rule that the state Elections Board passed last month.

“It allows voters without a driver's license to cast a provisional ballot that would only count if the voters can produce their license by 4 p.m. the following day. To cast a provisional ballot they would have to give the last four digits of their Social Security number or present a state identification card.

“People who wanted to register to vote at the polls would have to have their driver's license.”

These are just a few of the battles we have won against Democrat voter fraud. In polling places all over the county Republicans will be reinvigorated by these successes and the increased vigilance that will flow from a new awareness of how to fight voter fraud will have a snowball effect. Remember many of us never thought we would see a GOP congress in our lifetimes. Word that voter fraud is being looked at gets around. The corrupt hear about it, even it doesn’t resonate with the honest among us. We can win this and we will.

“The Illinois General Assembly is about to rock the nation. Members of state legislatures are normally not considered as having the ability to decide issues with a massive impact to the nation as a whole. Representative Karen A. Yarbrough of Illinois' 7th District is about to shatter that perception forever. Representative Yarbrough stumbled on a little known and never utlitized rule of the US House of Representatives, Section 603 of Jefferson's Manual of the Rules of the United States House of Representatives, which allows federal impeachment proceedings to be initiated by joint resolution of a state legislature.

From there, Illinois House Joint Resolution 125 (hereafter to be referred to as HJR0125) was born.”

This will put an end to most of the “I’m so much more conservative than you that I’ll stay home and let the Democrats win to teach Republicans a lesson” talk. The American voting public just doesn’t like impeachments. They like them even less when they are brought with baseless charges built on a president’s efforts to protect the nation.

Contrary to the wishful thinking of the Democrats, Americans want George Bush to do the things he has done to protect them. This impeachment move is a genuine gift. It will force voters to sober up and make a choice about which party stands for protecting them and which one stands for protecting our enemies. In that case Republicans win every time.

Today, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) Attempted To Cut And Run From His Impeachment Push:

Rep. Conyers Says He Will Not "Immediately Begin Impeachment Proceedings Against President Bush." (Rep. John Conyers, Op-Ed, "No Rush To Impeachment, The Washington Post, 5/18/06)

“Rep. Conyers: "So, rather than seeking impeachment, I have chosen to propose comprehensive oversight of these alleged abuses.”

In December, Rep. Conyers Introduced A Bill To Create A Committee To "Investigate" The Administration And "Make Recommendations Regarding Grounds For Possible Impeachment." H.Res.635 "Creating a select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment" (H. Res. 635, Introduced 12/18/05)

36 House Democrats Have Already Embraced Rep. Conyers' Impeachment Plan And Are Cosponsoring The Bill. (H. Res. 635, Introduced 12/18/05)

Real Dem Agenda: Rep. Conyers' Own Website Had Section Dedicated To Impeachment Of President Bush:

Rep. Conyers' Own Website (D-MI) Proudly Called For Impeachment, Censure Of President Bush And Vice President Cheney: "I am taking steps against the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war and its warrantless wiretapping. I am going to need you to stand with me in fighting for accountability”, johnconyers.com Accessed 5/8/06)

NBC's Tim Russert: "[Rep. Nancy Pelosi] told The Washington Post that there will be investigations if the Democrats regain control of the House. The chairman of the Judiciary Committee would be someone named John Conyers. I went up to his Website, and this is what's on his Website. 'Stand with Congressman Conyers. Demand an investigation of administration abuses of power and make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment.'" (NBC's "Meet The Press," 5/7/06)

"In The Capitol Basement ... Long-Suffering House Democrats Took A Trip To The Land Of Make-Believe." (Dana Milbank, "Democrats Play House To Rally Against The War," The Washington Post, 6/17/05)

"They Pretended A Small Conference Room Was The Judiciary Committee Hearing Room, Draping White Linens Over Folding Tables To Make Them Look Like Witness Tables And Bringing In Cardboard Name Tags And Extra Flags To Make The Whole Thing Look Official." (Dana Milbank, "Democrats Play House To Rally Against The War," The Washington Post, 6/17/05)

"Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) Banged A Large Wooden Gavel And Got The Other Lawmakers To Call Him 'Mr. Chairman.'"

"The Session Was A Mock Impeachment Inquiry Over The Iraq War. As Luck Would Have It, All Four Of The Witnesses Agreed That President Bush Lied To The Nation And Was Guilty Of High Crimes - And That A British Memo On 'Fixed' Intelligence That Surfaced Last Month Was The Smoking Gun Equivalent To The Watergate Tapes."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Leaves Impeachment As Possibility: Russert: "Is impeachment off the table?" Rep. Pelosi: "Well, you never know where the facts take you, but the - for any president." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 5/7/06)

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) Would Not Rule Out Impeachment: CNN's Wolf Blitzer: "[Y]ou're not ruling [impeachment] out? Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid: "I'm not ruling anything out." (CNN's "Situation Room," 3/22/06)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) Would Not Rule Out Impeachment. Fox News' Chris Wallace: "So you're saying that impeachment is a possibility." Sen. Durbin: "I'm not ruling it in or out at this point in time." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 3/19/06)

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI): "I think this actually is in the area of an impeachable offense. I could be - I think it is right in the strike zone of what the founding fathers thought about when they talked about high crimes and misdemeanors." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 3/19/06)

Sen. Feingold: "[T]his is a lot more serious, a lot more like an impeachable offense than anything President Clinton ever did." (CNN's "American Morning," 3/13/06)

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY): "Well, if we had an honest Congress, we'd be considering impeachment." (Fox News' "Hannity And Colmes," 12/22/05)

Al Gore charges that President George Bush has "broken the law” and implies that Congress should have initiated impeachment proceedings against Bush for unspecified crimes.

In a fund-raising e-mail sent out under the banner of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee with the subject line "Unprecedented,” Gore declares:

"The evidence now makes it hard to avoid the conclusion that George Bush has repeatedly and insistently broken the law and the corrupt Republican Congress has shirked its constitutional duty to hold him to account."

While Gore omitted using the "i" word, the consititutional remedy for a president who breaks the law is the House's impeachment process followed by a trial before the Senate.

"In my view, a president who breaks the law poses a threat to the very foundation of our democracy," Gore said, noting the seriousness of his allegation. "As Americans with a stake in the future of our country, we must act quickly and decisively. We have less than five months to win the six seats we need to control the Senate – and pull our country back from the brink of a constitutional crisis.”

ImpeachPAC supports Democratic candidates for Congress who support the immediate and simultaneous impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney for their Iraq War lies.

In the 1990’s America had a president who genuinely deserved to be impeached. Being serviced by an intern while keeping diplomats waiting and having sex in various parts of the Oval Office deserved Impeachment.

Nevertheless, the GOPs insistence upon bring the case backfired and almost caused the Republican to lose the House. The message should be clear: If voters did not want to throw the morally bankrupt Bill Clinton out for dropping his pants in the Whitehouse, they CERTAINLY will not want to throw out George Bush for wire taping enemy agents in an effort to protect America.

If the Democrats present themselves as ready to impeach President Bush because he is trying to protect us, they will lose. So far they have not heard the message of 1996 and 1998.

I see no indications that they will back down from calling for impeachment since they are controlled by The Daily Kos and Moveon.org. The listened to these people an threw out Joe Lieberman, why shouldn’t they listen to them and make impreaching Bush a litmus test for November?

A study by two economists found that the growth of the Fox cable news network in the late 1990s may have significantly increased the GOP’s share of the vote in the 2000 Presidential election and delivered Florida to George Bush.

"Our estimates imply that Fox News convinced 3 to 8 percent of its audience to shift its voting behavior towards the Republican Party, a sizable media persuasion effect," said Stefano DellaVigna of the University of California at Berkeley and Ethan Kaplan of Stockholm University. In Florida, they estimate that the Fox effect may have produced more than 10,000 additional votes for Bush, the Washington Post reports.

“Despite an oft-heard sentiment about cheats and liars permeating the realm of government and politics, a new poll suggests Americans have an even lower view of the news media when it comes to trust.

“According to a 10-country, 10,000-person poll by the London-based research firm GlobeScan, government in the U.S. ranks ahead of media on trust at 67 to 59 percent.”

“A survey of college students found that the ones most likely to cheat were journalism majors

“NASCAR said it was "outrageous" that "Dateline NBC" targeted one of its race tracks last weekend for a possible segment on anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States.

”NASCAR said NBC confirmed it was sending Muslim-looking men to a race, along with a camera crew to film fans' reactions. The NBC crew was "apparently on site in Martinsville, Va., walked around and no one bothered them,"

"NBC promises to poison Americans' mornings with liberal bias by hiring Meredith Vieira," he said yesterday. "She is not bashful about her disgust of the Bush administration and her anti-war stance. She even declared in 2004 that 'everything's been built on lies. Everything. I mean the entire pretext for war.' "Ms. Vieira is a megaphone for the liberal cause and will continue the drumbeat of unbalanced reporting in the mornings over at NBC. At a time when trust in the news media is at an all-time low, NBC continues to turn a deaf ear to their own prejudices," Mr. Bozell concluded.

According to the latest information put together by “The three nightly newscasts have seen ratings decline by 34 percent in the past decade, nearly 44 percent since 1980, and 59 percent from their peak in 1969.1

The war offered the nightly news little bump in viewership in contrast with past major news events.2

As of 2003, the latest year available, just 23% of Americans got their news from network nightly news. Fully 50% get their news from cable news shows. It is not a stretch to say that cable news views are more engaged and more likely to be voters.”

”Alan B. Mollohan, a Democrat from West Virginia, resigned on Friday from the House ethics committee "amid accusations that he used his congressional position to funnel money to his own home-state foundations, possibly enriching himself in the process," according to the Washington Post and other news outlets. One place you won't read about this resignation, however, is today's Los Angeles Times (Saturday, April 22, 2006). (A puny 291-word story about the charges appeared back on April 9, 2006).”

They can play “make believe this didn’t happen”, but Mollohan is still out. The more make believe they play, the less credibility they have. That makes them less able to help the Democrats lie convincingly.

"What does it say about American journalism that it gives its most prestigious prizes[ Pulitzer ] to reporters who acquire and reveal illicitly leaked U.S. secrets, when the result is to damage the U.S. government in a time of war?" syndicated columnist Patrick J. Buchanan

”The paid weekday circulation of the nation's 20 largest newspapers for the six-month period ending March 31, 2006. [ Is down for 15 of the 20 largest daily newspapers by an average of 4.1%] The 5 papers that increased circulation averaged an increase of just .072%. Drudge Report May 8, 2006

“Washington- A majority of Americans disapproves of a massive Pentagon database containing the records of billions of phone calls made by ordinary citizens, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. About two-thirds are concerned that the program may signal other, not-yet-disclosed efforts to gather information on the general public.

“The survey of 809 adults Friday and Saturday shows a nation wrestling with the balance between fighting terrorism and protecting civil liberties.”

A Friday night poll of “adults” is a joke. The poll’s internals show that only 2 of 3 are following this issue so only 1/3 care about it. This is just another Democrat favoring poll that adds to voters suspicions about the old media.

“By 51%-43%, those polled disapprove of the program, disclosed Thursday in USA TODAY. The National Security Agency has been collecting phone records from three of the nation's largest telecommunicial, companies since so, after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“Most of those who approve of the program say it violates some civil liberties but is acceptable because "investigating terrorism is the more important goal."

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution story published May 21, 2006 gushed about how “Gays say they’ll stick with Alabama” and a “Trend of acceptance [is] grow[ing]” Gay couples are gaining “slow, but sure acceptance” throughout the nation, the piece assures readers.

On June 6, 2006 Alabama voted against gay “marriage” 81 to 19%. It is wishful thinking reportage like this that actually undermines efforts by Democrats to pass their agenda. How can they fight effectively with the media lying to them and us about their current relative position?

"Senate Democrats managed to keep the death tax on life support [Thursday], prevailing on a vote to break a filibuster by 57-41.

"… special credit belongs to four Democratic senators who voted against repeal [Thursday] after they'd run for office pledging the opposite. They are Evan Bayh of Indiana, who perhaps had in mind Democratic presidential primary voters, not the home folks who elected him; Mary Landrieu of Louisiana; Mark Pryor of Arkansas; and Ron Wyden of Oregon. These flip-floppers voted not only to retain the tax, but to increase it -- from zero in 2010 back to 55 percent in 2011 and forever after," the newspaper said.

"Mr. Pryor's Web site says he 'supports the permanent repeal of an estate tax.' No word as to when that comes down.

The old media can not keep these flip flops secret. The new media won’t allow it. How can I say this? I got it from the new media!

“The Bush administration and The New York Times are again at odds over national security, this time with new reports of a broad government effort to track global financial transfers.

“The newspaper, which in December broke news of an effort by the National Security Agency to monitor Americans' telephone calls and e- mails, declined a White House request not to publish a story about the government's inspection of monies flowing in and out of the country.

“The Los Angeles Times also reported on the issue Thursday night on its Web site, against the Bush administration's wishes. The Wall Street Journal said it received no request to hold its report of the surveillance.

“Administration officials were concerned that news reports of the program would diminish its effectiveness and could harm overall national security.

"It's a tough call; it was not a decision made lightly," said Doyle McManus, the Los Angeles Times' Washington bureau chief. "The key issue here is whether the government has shown that there are adequate safeguards in these programs to give American citizens confidence that information that should remain private is being protected."

“Treasury Department officials spent 90 minutes Thursday meeting with the newspaper's reporters, stressing the legality of the program and urging the paper to not publish a story on the program, McManus said in a telephone interview.

"They were quite vigorous, they were quite energetic. They made a very strong case," he said.

“In its story, The New York Times said it carefully weighed the administration's arguments for withholding the information and gave them "the most serious and respectful consideration."

"We remain convinced that the administration's extraordinary access to this vast repository of international financial data, however carefully targeted use it may be, is a matter of public interest," said Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor”.

By doing this, the old media has given a few more people reason to distrust them and ultimately disregard its reports.

“Why do they hate us? No, I'm not talking about Islamofascist terrorists. We know why they hate us: because we have freedom of speech and freedom of religion, because we refuse to treat women as second-class citizens, because we do not kill homosexuals, because we are a free society.

”No, the "they" I'm referring to are the editors of The New York Times. And do they hate us? Well, that may be stretching it. But at the least they have gotten into the habit of acting in reckless disregard of our safety.

“Last December, the Times ran a story revealing that the National Security Agency was conducting electronic surveillance of calls from suspected al-Qaida terrorists overseas to persons in the United States. This was allegedly a violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. But in fact the president has, under his war powers, the right to order surveillance of our enemies abroad. And it makes no sense to hang up when those enemies call someone in the United States -- rather the contrary. If the government is going to protect us from those who wish to do us grievous harm -- and after Sept. 11 no one can doubt there are many such persons -- then it should try to track them down as thoroughly as possible.

“Little wonder that President Bush called in Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and top editor Bill Keller, and asked them not to run the story. But the Times went ahead and published it anyway. Now, thanks to The New York Times, al-Qaida terrorists are aware that their phone calls can be monitored, and presumably have taken precautions.

“Last Friday, the Times did it again, printing a story revealing the existence of U.S. government monitoring of financial transactions routed through the Brussels-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which routes about $6 trillion a day in electronic money transfers around the world. The monitoring is conducted by the CIA and supervised by the Treasury Department. An independent auditing firm has been hired to make sure only terrorist-related transactions are targeted.

“Members of Congress were briefed on the program, and it does not seem to violate any law, at least any that the Times could identify. And it has been effective. As the Times reporters admit, it helped to locate the mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombing in Thailand and a Brooklyn man convicted on charges of laundering a $200,000 payment to al-Qaida operatives in Pakistan.

“Once again, Bush administration officials asked the Times not to publish the story. Once again, the Times went ahead anyway. "We have listened closely to the administration's arguments for withholding this information, and given them the most serious and respectful consideration," Bill Keller is quoted as saying.

“It's interesting to note that he feels obliged to report he and his colleagues weren't smirking or cracking jokes. "We remain convinced that the administration's extraordinary access to this vast repository of international financial data, however carefully targeted use of it may be, is a matter of public interest."

“This was presumably the view as well of the "nearly 20 current and former government officials and industry executives" who were apparently the sources for the story. …

“Why do they hate us? Why does the Times print stories that put America more at risk of attack? They say that these surveillance programs are subject to abuse, but give no reason to believe that this concern is anything but theoretical. We have a press that is at war with an administration, while our country is at war against merciless enemies. The Times is acting like an adolescent kicking the shins of its parents, hoping to make them hurt while confident of remaining safe under their roof. But how safe will we remain when our protection depends on the Times?”

“Published on: The symbolism clearly overshadowed the intent of Mike Luckovich's editorial cartoon Thursday featuring a hooded figure holding an American flag while reading a book on torture etiquette to an al-Qaida member.

“In a week that brought news of the brutal slayings of two young American soldiers at the hands of Iraqi insurgents and murder charges involving a handful of U.S. troops, the cartoon was ill-timed, as was its placement above the photographs of Pfcs. Thomas L. Tucker and Kristian Menchaca, whose badly mangled bodies were discovered this week in Iraq.

“As of late Friday afternoon, nearly 18,000 readers had voted in an online poll on Thursday's cartoon, with 90 percent saying they disapproved of it. The online polls on Luckovich's cartoons usually generate about 1,000 votes.”

I compliant media that will serve as house press agents for them has always been an essential element in Democrat victories. The senario is always the same: The Democrat lies and if the media can convince voters the lies are true, both repeat the lies again and again. If, however, the lies are caught, the media stops printing them or actually lies to support them or makes up a new story for the exceptional stupid democrat.

These things notwithstanding, the new media is killing the game. Democrats can’t get away with their lies as easily any more. They are getting caught and some have no idea of how to handle being confronted by their lies. The older Democrats can’t cope. The younger Democrats are in a bind. They must either tell the truth and risk alienating voters, or stop doing the things that make them Democrats since so many of those things drive voters away.

11) Redistricting makes the numbers impossible 12) Doom and gloom, rooting the terrorists, doesn’t sell very well 13) Scandals can get you just so far

Good work here.

Don't think Mehlman has written about this much..........

However, only 38% of the Country is self identified as conservative and a quarter of those think the Republicans are too liberal. The base is not as big as you propose.

A Republican majority stays in place when they have something to offer a majority of the voting public in November.

Because the Dems are so bad will not win Republican majorities.

Jmaron great post. It is so frustrating to watch the old media try to supppress GOP voters with doomsday articles like in today's Chicago Tribune, where Charlie Cook calls the Elections a Horror show for the GOP. Is Cook a Democrat helping suppress the Republican base? He is calling for the DEMS to win the House, but of course backtracks in the end by saying a major event can swing the tides. Cook blew the 1996,2000 and 2002 elections when he called for the DEMS to win, but is still treated like a GOD by the media. What gives?

As much as I would like to beleive this post, I have to agree that the dumbed down sheeple will prevent any GOP gains and will probably hand the GOP a some losses, though not in the wet dream numbers being touted by the lamestream media.

You have to also consider the fact that the GOP is doing their best to shoot themselves in the foot. F'rinstance Bush just won't shut up about his "comprehensive immigration reform." It is almost as if the RATs are writing the script for the stupid party.

You have to also consider the fact that the GOP is doing their best to shoot themselves in the foot. F'rinstance Bush just won't shut up about his "comprehensive immigration reform." It is almost as if the RATs are writing the script for the stupid party.

Amen to that! I am so sick of hearing the likes of Hannity say, "What do you think will happen and we wake up to find Pelosi is Speaker of the House?"

As conservatives we are left out. The extreme left gets heard but those of us who are to right of center are ignored.

Wow..... what a great piece of work!!

..........we are being hit with a barrage of Democrat favoring media psy-ops articles......

There are also a smattering of preemptive articles doubting the Rat victory. No less than Rahm Emanuel has covered his own butt by blaming Dean for not raising hte money he needs to assure the victory. That is for me handwriting on the wall. The chief Clintoid is whineing he is losing.

I don't disagree with your senario that the GOP will pick up seats....

But I'm not sure what the Texas vote fraud has to do with it. They aren't going to pick up any seats in the locale where that fraud occurred and will continue to occur. It's a way of life and a couple of slaps on the wrist won't change it, imo. Certain areas lean predominately to one party or the other. This will continue as will the practice of some CD being set asides for minorities, etc.

"1) America self identifies 36% to 19% conservative over liberal. "

Problem is most Americans don't know it but they are liberals. That 36% to 19% number is Conservatives over Socialists. Democrats that freely say they are liberal are actually flat out socialists.

We use the word liberal incorrectly in todays society. I am a liberal. Ok, you ask why then have I been participating on a Conservative web site for the better part of four years?

Well, on some issues I am a conservative and on some I am liberal. The war, practicing my faith, our economy, education, crime, the Constitution I am a conservative. As far as a gay getting married, I don't give a squat. So because of that 1 issue, I am no longer a Conservative. I am now considered a liberal.

And this is the problem with American politics and why the left did what they did. They can. The Democrats are vulnerable to the left because we have called them libs for so long, they just accepted it and the left moved in and took over the party.

I blame Sean, Rush, Coulter for it. These leftists aren't liberals. They are socialists, Marxists, Fascists who are out to change this country over to a power structure governed by rich white people and the UN. Because they know they will be part of the hierachy and not the proletariat.

Their enemy is Conservatism. We are the global enemy. And our main method of getting out the word are treating these anti American goons like they are just Democrats instead of calling them what they are. That's why the left fails on radio, because they are projecting what they actually are and doing it to a very small audience.

They hate America and think everyone with a "D" next to their name share their ideology. They are wrong and Rush, Sean and the rest need to get that message out. Tell the world that Pelosi and Reid, Kennedy and Kerry are Marxists and what their true goal is. We have proof, we have documented evidence.

Call them what they are. Take off the mask of Marxism once and for all.

You must be a libertarian to smoke so much hemp so early in the morning. I think there is a chance, though small, that the GOP might be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat once again, but you are grasping at straws.

With all those new GOP registrations in Florida, you would think that Katherine Harris would be a shoe-in to become our next US Senator, especially the way she is pandering to the fundamntalists which you list as another reason.

Unlike 04 when issues on the ballots were things like state consitutinal bans on gay marriage, this year we have things like amending the constitution in Missouri to make embryonic stem cell research legal in the state, taking the decision away from politicians in Jefferson City. This ammendment is suppported by more than 70% of Missourians and is getting heavy advertising support. This makes life difficult for Senator Talent who opposes stem cell research and who is in statistical deadheat with his Dem challenger.

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