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THURSDAY,  JUNE 10,  2010

OBAMA IS NOT GALLUPING – AT 9:03 P.M. ET:  President Obama has hit his lowest point in the Gallup Poll.

Presidential approval stands at only 44%, while 48% disapprove.  The fact is that the general trend for the president is downward. 

Scott Rasmussen reports that his survey finds 46% approval for the president, close to the Gallup number, while 53% disapprove.  Rasmussen polls among likely voters, which we consider to be the more accurate method.

Rasmussen also reports that only 26% strongly approve of the president, while 43% strongly disapprove. 

These are miserable numbers for this stage in Mr. Obama's presidency.  True, they can be improved because any president can improve his numbers.  But there must be no joy at the White House.

I'm convinced that part of Mr. Obama's problem is that people simply don't like him as much as they once did.  He's become abrasive and at times a bit nasty.  Obamalove is getting stale. 

Does this point to a Republican victory in November?  Well, probably.  But victory is not enough.  It must be a decisive victory, decisive enough to end Mr. Obama's legislative program.  That is the GOP challenge.

June 10, 2010      Permalink

DESPICABLE, DISGRACEFUL – AT 7:33 P.M. ET:  You wonder how teachers like this got their jobs.  From Fox News:

Standing in front of a wall-to-wall mural featuring a who's who of revolutionaries, including Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, and boldly displaying the motto Patria o Muerte, Venceremos!!! (Fatherland or Death, We Shall Overcome!!!), a group of teachers, students, parents and community activists in the Los Angeles Unified School District gathered last month for an unusual field trip — to Arizona, to protest that state's controversial immigration law.

A video posted on YouTube shows LA social studies teacher Jose Lara interviewing teachers and students on May 28 at the headquarters of an organization calling for a Mexican revolution on U.S. soil. Soon after he shot the video, many in the group left for an overnight "freedom ride" to Phoenix to protest what Lara tells the camera is a "racist and outrageous" law.

COMMENT:  Can you imagine what goes on in this guy's classroom?  Should we ask why it's allowed?

This man is an insult to Hispanic-Americans, who, as the adage goes, are first at the recruiting station in time of war.  He's just old Marxist trash in a pseudo-Hispanic package.

I recently received a note from a truly distinguished Hispanic-American, Silvio Canto Jr., whose website I recommend.  It read: "#2 son will be attending officer candidate school with the US Marines this summer!"

That's the real story of Hispanic-Americans.

June 10, 2010      Permalink

IF YOU CAN FIGURE THIS OUT, CONTACT US – AT 7:18 P.M. ET:  From the Israeli newspaper Haaretz:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told U.S. Jewish leaders on Wednesday that he would never deny Jews their right to the land of Israel, according to participants of the two-hour roundtable discussion.

And...

During that interview, Abbas also lauded Barack Obama's administration and its efforts to bring forth a two-state solution.

"This is the first time we hear from a U.S. administration talking about that the solution of a two-state solution is in the vital interest of the United States," said Abbas.

"The two-state solution is no longer only a Palestinian interest or an Israeli interest or a Middle East interest, but it is also an American interest."

From the Jerusalem Post:

Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas said Thursday he feared the concept of a two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians "is beginning to erode," AFP reported.

"I would like to express concern that the situation is very difficult," he was quoted as saying in remarks at a Washington think tank.

COMMENT:  Normally, Arab leaders who come to Washington wait until they return to the Mideast to display the second of their two faces.  They say one thing in English in Washington, an entirely different thing in Arabic to their "brothers."

Abbas apparently isn't that patient.  He did the two-faced thing, in English, right here.  The man's got guts.  Round of applause from the Helen Thomas Appreciation Society.

June 10, 2010     Permalink

WHAT AMERICANS THINK – AT 9:28 A.M. ET:  Andrew Malcolm, at the L.A. Times's excellent Top of the Ticket blog, presents some recent findings on how Americans see things.  Some of the results seem to reflect what we've been seeing, but others are bit surprising:

Gallup finds terrorism remains the top concern. But it has now been joined by -- Hello, big Democratic spenders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid -- the exploding enormity of the federal deficits. And here's the midterm election year political problem for both of these Democrats: Republicans are viewed as better at handling both of those concerns.

ABC News finds voter frustration at the boiling point. The number of Americans approving of ...

... their local House member has dropped below 50% for the first time since Bill Clinton's first midterm elections in 1994.

Anybody remember which party named Republican seized control of both houses of Congress that year for the first time in four decades? Voter approval of Congress is now at 26%, down 18 points since the same Democrats took majority control of both houses in 2007.

The even better news for Republicans is that the GOP has increased its lead on the so-called generic congressional ballot this month. That is, which party's candidate are you most likely to vote for on Nov. 2? Republicans now lead Democrats by nine points, 44-35, Rasmussen Reports reports.

And...

The Harris Poll has an interesting new survey out on how 2,503 Americans rate 16 elements of life in their country. Large majorities give positive ratings to America's science and technology (75%), its Constitution (70%), quality of life (66%) and even its overpriced colleges and universities (65%).

The more education you have, the higher you rate these categories.

I'm a little surprised at how high colleges and universities rank, as I believe they will be the targets of some pretty intense scrutiny in coming years as people start asking what their kids are getting for $45,000 a year.  Maybe overburdened parents were underrepresented in the Harris survey.

However, the health care system (33%), public schools (32%) and the economic system (28%) don't get rated very well.

I suspect the health care figure reflects a lot of negative talk related to the Obamacare debate, rather than reality.  There are problems with health care, some serious, but the system actually functions quite well for the great majority of Americans. 

Incumbent Alert: You'll never guess which sector gets the worst rating from Americans: Political (23%).

I guess we didn't get the change we can believe in.

June 10, 2010      Permalink

LAND OF LINCOLN – AT 8:41 A.M. ET:  The Politico runs an excellent analysis of Blanche Lincoln's victory in the Arkansas Senate primary runoff.  It's likely that Lincoln will still be defeated by our side in November, but her primary victory gives some valuable lessons in political survival, if only temporary:

The takeaway? While the political currents may seem daunting and unnavigable, there is a safe passage this year. And despite the presence of once-in-a-generation political forces, deep hostility toward office-holders and a playing field that’s tilted against the status quo, some traditional tenets of electioneering still apply.

And...

Lincoln's overarching theme on the stump was the Natural State, and everything she talked about reverted back to Arkansas, whether the issue was the impact of card check legislation or farm bill spending.

"Whatever the administration is about, if it's good for Arkansas I'll be supportive of it. If it's not, I'm going to try to change it and make it better for Arkansas," Lincoln told reporters a few hours before the polls closed Tuesday.

Observing from afar, Florida Democratic strategist Steve Schale said Lincoln's ad campaign oozed genuineness and served to reconnect her to voters who are wary of anything tied to Washington.

"Sen. Lincoln took ownership of her own message, localized her race and spoke directly to the people of Arkansas about their frustration. She didn't run away from the anger," he said.

And...

Don’t forget who brought you to the dance. And choose wisely among the surrogates who can speak to them.

While President Barack Obama proved helpful by cutting radio ads for Lincoln, it was former President Clinton who showed up on the eve of Memorial Day weekend to gin up African American enthusiasm.

The former president and longtime Arkansas governor crystallized a message that would've been awkward for Obama to convey: Don't let outside forces strong-arm our senator for casting votes that reflect our state's centrist sensibilities.

As a result, Lincoln got a boost from African-American voters while Halter suffered from his play to the left.

Lincoln's opponent was the creation of forces outside Arkansas – the leftist Moveon.org, and public-employee unions out to punish Lincoln for her supposed disloyalty to their marching orders.  Resentment of outsiders is a classic theme in politics, and it played out in Arkansas.

Lincoln's victory should give us some heart that there are still some in the Democratic Party who will resist the leftist push of the party's coastal elites.  Americans are pragmatists, idealists rather than ideologists.  The attempt to make the Democratic Party into a junior version of European socialist parties is dangerous and wrongheaded. 

We'll still favor John Boozman, Lincoln's opponent in the general election, but we congratulate her for standing up to the leftist, isolationist crowd, and winning.  May it happen more often.

We also, by the way, congratulate Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman of California, a national-defense Democrat, who stood up to a challenge from the hard left and won renomination.  The California Democratic Party is a crazy institution in need of medication, and Harman provided several spoonfuls on Tuesday night.  She proved there is sanity even among some California Democrats, although not much.

June 10, 2010    Permalink

NIKKI AS SARAH? – AT 8:25 A.M. ET:  I watched an interview with Nikki Haley last night.  As you know, she came out on top in the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in South Carolina, but must now win the runoff, which should be easy.

Haley is a phenomenon, whose race to the top was helped mightily by an endorsement from Sarah Palin and by a sympathy vote from voters angered by charges that she had been unfaithful to her husband.

I found Haley an articulate spokeswoman for conservative causes.  Like Sarah Palin, she has taken on the GOP establishment on ideological matters, which has not made her loved among the good 'ol boys.  She is far more popular among voters than among politicians.  That's fine in elections, but she'll have to mend fences if she wants to govern effectively.

Is she Palinesque?  Well, not quite.  Haley is a serious person, states her position clearly, but lacks Sarah's charm.  She's got to lighten up a bit and avoid appearing angry.  I think she can do it.  She's run a masterful campaign, and is someone to watch.  Now relax, Nikki, relax.

June 10, 2010      Permalink

BIT OF PROGRESS – AT 8:15 A.M. ET:  We give credit where it's due here.  In a surprise announcement, Russia said it was putting on hold the sale of the S-300 air-defense system to Iran.  That is one of the most sophisticated systems of its kind in the world.  Iranian possession would have checkmated an Israeli strike against the Iranian nuclear program, and made an American strike more problematical.  From the Jerusalem Post:

Russia will put an arms deal it had been working on with Iran on hold following a new round of UN sanctions, reported Russian news agency Interfax Thursday.

The deal, which had Moscow selling Iran the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, was put on hold despite the fact that Russian officials previously had said that sanctions would not prevent them from completing the deal.

That is good news.  We await details.  Of course, we'd also like to know if Russia got something for this.  But stripping Iran of the possibility of the S-300 might have a sobering effect on Tehran...unless the mullahs can get an advanced system from a third party, like North Korea. 

June 10, 2010     Permalink

WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST – AT 8:07 A.M. ET:  Sadly, we need reminders occasionally about just what the war in Afghanistan is about.  From Fox:

NADAHAN VILLAGE, Afghanistan -- A homicide bomb ripped through a wedding party for a family with ties to police in the Taliban's heartland in Afghanistan, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens more, officials said Thursday.

The Taliban denied carrying out the attack, but strong suspicion fell on the insurgent group because of previous attacks and killings of people seen as allied with the government or Afghan security forces.

It's been reported that a number of children were killed.

Questions:  What kind of people do this?  And what kind of "outrage" will the UN and other international organizations express?

We hope the president condescends to make a statement, and makes Americans understand anew that the people who engage in this kind of wanton slaughter have us in their sights, as they did on 9/11. 

The Obama administration may have dropped the term "war on terror," but that's what it is.

June 10, 2010     Permalink

WEDNESDAY,  JUNE 9,  2010

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY – AT 8:32 P.M. ET:  Since Barack Obama came to power, Iran has not only expanded its nuclear program, it has expanded its diplomatic clout – while the president of the United States engages in deep thoughts and profound philosophy.  The Persians traditionally have been superb diplomats.  Thanks to Ed Lasky of American Thinker for alerting us to this piece from the Washington Post:

TEHRAN -- A year ago, Iran was on its way to becoming a pariah state. Dozens of governments accused Iranian leaders of stealing the presidential election and condemned the brutal crackdown on protesters that followed. The country faced sanctions and international scorn over its controversial nuclear program.

Now, even as the U.N. Security Council prepares to impose its fourth round of sanctions on Iran with a vote slated for Wednesday, Tehran is demonstrating remarkable resilience, insulating some of its most crucial industries from U.S.-backed financial restrictions and building a formidable diplomatic network that should help it withstand some of the pressure from the West. Iranian leaders are meeting politicians in world capitals from Tokyo to Brussels. They are also signing game-changing energy deals, increasing their economic self-sufficiency and even gaining seats on international bodies.

NOW, A QUESTION:  Do you think any of this would be possible without the weakness demonstrated by Obama?  Other nations feel they can cozy up to Tehran because there are no consequences in their relations with the United States. 

Now, weren't we promised something else during the 2008 campaign?  Weren't we told that Obama understood the world, understood how attitudes toward America could be changed?  Well, they have changed.  They're filled with more contempt.  The adolescents of Europe may still be in love with The One, and may even envy his rock concerts at the White House.  But the grownups realize the damage that Obama is doing. 

Iran will get the bomb.  As it's getting it, it's strengthening ties around the world.  It has outclassed us at every turn with its determination and its diplomacy.  We couldn't even get Brazil to agree to sanctions on Iran at the UN today. 

We are becoming a financially bankrupt nation.  And we're becoming morally and diplomatically bankrupt as well.  Who could have thought, as we watched the Berlin Wall come down, that we would someday elect a president who would strengthen the very forces in the world that built it in the first place?

June 8, 2010     Permalink

FINE PRINT ALERT – AT 7:41 P.M. ET:  The UN Insecurity Council passed new sanctions on Iran today.  The Obamans are strutting around as if this were the end of the Cold War and World War II combined.

Buyer beware.  You have to look at the fine print.  First, the sanctions were approved by Russia and China, both of whom issued statements essentially gutting them.  They were opposed in the Council by Turkey, which is rapidly becoming an enemy state, and Brazil, which is now run by a Marxist who has delusions of intelligence.  Brazil was run by that same Marxist when Bush was president, but, isn't it amazing, the Brazilian government didn't do much defying of the United States.  Amazing what a new oath of office does.

The sanctions were whittled down to some steps that, Iran has already announced, will have no effect on Tehran's nuclear program or nuclear plans. 

Here's the New York Times report.  And this is the money quote:

The United States had sought broader measures against Iran’s banks, insurance industry and other trade, but China and Russia were adamant that the sanctions not affect Iran’s day-to-day economy. Washington and Beijing were wrangling down to the last day over which banks to include on the list, diplomats said, and in the end only one appeared on the list of 40 new companies to be blacklisted.

Yeah, that's our new diplomacy.  These sanctions are so soft you can dress a newborn baby in them.

I can't wait to hear Ambassador John Bolton talk about this.  I'm sure he'll be on Fox in the next few days.

June 9, 2010      Permalink

SISTER SARAH PULLS IT OFF – AT 10:56 A.M. ET:  One of the big behind-the-scenes winners in yesterday's primaries was Sarah Palin, as The Politico points out:

Some of Sarah Palin’s riskiest endorsements scored major victories Tuesday for the former Alaska governor, showing off her power in Republican primaries.

Palin had four primary endorsements in play – Carly Fiorina, Nikki Haley, Terry Branstad and Cecile Bledsoe – and three won or moved on to a runoff...

...Perhaps Palin’s most powerful demonstration came in South Carolina, where her endorsement propelled a major swing in the polls for Haley’s primary campaign for governor and sustained the state representative through accusations of two separate affairs.

"Her decision to get - and stay - involved in the race here in South Carolina was a huge boon to our campaign, because it caused a lot of South Carolinians to take a second look at a rising in the polls but once-little known state legislator who was fighting to give them back their government,” Haley spokesman Tim Pearson said of Palin.

For Fiorina, Palin bucked some of her own supporters in choosing the former Hewlett Packard chief executive over tea party favorite Chuck DeVore in the California Senate race.

And...

Palin also surprised some conservatives with her endorsement of Terry Branstad in the Iowa gubernatorial race over Bob Vander Plaats, a top aide to Mike Huckabee’s 2008 operation in the state and a grassroots favorite.

As with Fiorina, Palin was able to successfully reassure many of her troubled fans that Branstad was indeed a strong conservative amidst protests on Facebook.

Palin frequently uses the Susan B. Anthony List as barometer of suitable conservative candidates, and, as with Fiorina, the group’s support of Bledsoe led Palin to the Arkansas House candidate.

Palin labeled Bledsoe one of the “mama grizzlies” the former governor contends are leading a new feminist movement, and the Arkansas state senator turned a distant second place showing a month ago into what looked like a narrow defeat at the hands of Rogers Mayor Steve Womack.

COMMENT:  Not bad, not bad.  If Sarah doesn't run for president herself in 2012, her endorsement may turn into campaign gold in the primaries.  Of course, that cuts both ways.  She's a controversial character, and that very endorsement might prove problematical in attracting centrists in a general election.  We should get a better idea of that in November of this year, when Sarah's people are on the ballot.

June 9, 2010      Permalink

NO TURKISH DELIGHT – AT 9:32 A.M. ET:  Turkey, a member of NATO, has been drifting further and further away from the West, into the vast nothingness of Islamic extremism.  Its secular nature is fading away.

Although the code language of diplomacy often has politicians regretting Turkey's drift away from Israel, with whom it once enjoyed warm relations, its drift away from the United States is really the key issue:

Turkey's apparent shift in orientation away from Europe and its values towards greater cooperation with Islamist leaders and countries in the Middle East is being cautiously watched by the US, Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated on Wednesday.

"The deterioration in the relationship between Turkey and Israel over the past year or so is a matter of concern," Gates was quoted by Reuters as telling reporters in London.

There's the code language, followed by this:

Gates also told the reporters at the same London meeting that UN Security Council would likely pass a tougher Iran sanctions measure today, paving the way for additional measures against the Iranian nuclear program.

Problem:  Turkey, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, is leading the fight against those sanctions.  As one observer noted, as soon as the Turkish representative raises his hand to vote against sanctions on Iran, Turkey's relationship with the United States will profoundly change.

I would not be shocked to see Turkey drifting out of NATO in the next few years, or even a situation where NATO members refuse to give Turkey full access to the alliance and its classified information.  Turkey has chosen Islamism for its future, rejecting the secularism that worked so well for the country for half a century and more.  Choices have consequences.

June 9, 2010     Permalink

MORE BUZZ FOR MITCH – AT 9:01 A.M. ET:  Political buzz around Republican Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana is increasing.  It's perfectly clear that Republicans aren't pleased with the 2012 offerings they're getting, and are looking elsewhere.  From The Politico:

In a wide open field, the GOP governor’s name keeps popping up despite the fact that — unlike many other potential candidates — he hasn’t aggressively promoted himself. Daniels hasn’t recently visited Iowa or New Hampshire, and his name isn’t always surveyed by national pollsters looking at the prospective field.

Daniels, however, has a following among those Republicans more focused on budget cuts than abortion and attracted to business acumen rather than ideology.

And...

“Daniels’s appeal is this — he’s the no BS candidate, the no-frills guy who doesn’t come off as a PR firm executive and intentionally doesn’t speak in poll-tested sound bites,” veteran Republican pollster Curt Anderson said. “Against the backdrop of the current president, this gives him tremendous appeal; that and the fact that he has an accomplished record as governor.”

With conservatives still sampling the unsettled 2012 field, Daniels’s two terms as governor have caught the attention of both Washington insiders and grass-roots leaders looking for competence and managerial skills, along with the political ability to compete against President Barack Obama.

Since Daniels became governor in 2004, Indiana has turned its $200 million deficit into a $1.3 billion surplus, paid all outstanding debts, doubled venture capital investment in the state and increased employment. All while reducing the number of government jobs in the state by about 15 percent by not filling vacant positions.

And...

Those close to Daniels say his casual Midwestern mien will prove to be an advantage over some of his prospective GOP opponents.

“Mitch’s appeal comes largely because he’s willing to talk to voters as adults,” Indiana Republican Party Chairman J. Murray Clark told POLITICO. “He doesn’t shy away from tackling big issues, and he doesn’t talk down when he explains his policies for tackling them.”

“The idea that someone who has worked at the highest levels of business and government could also so deeply and personally understand the feelings of everyday real people is a combination [that] makes for a unique capacity to lead,” Clark said. “He’s also willing to admit if something doesn’t work out the way he planned, and he course corrects from there. That forthrightness and adherence to results-driven policies earns him a lot of respect, even from people who may disagree ideologically.”

COMMENT:  The key here is that competence has to be sold.  Daniels is genuine, and his record is solid.  However, he isn't the most interesting speaker, and he's got to make his plain-spoken style an asset, and not get lost in the crowd.  He has a Calvin Coolidge quality.

Is he the "somebody" to beat the "almost somebody" in the White House?  He's surfacing now, and will be tested.  There's a big fundraiser planned for him in Washington.  That's his coming-out party.

June 9, 2010     Permalink

NOTHING LIKE IGNORING A WARNING – AT 8:47 A.M. ET:  Absolutely fascinating story of one of the two sweet, multicultural innocents arrested on terror charges last week, while trying to make it to Somalia.  From Fox News:

An administrator at a New Jersey high school says one of two terrorism suspects over the weekend was considered so dangerous as a student that he was taught outside the classroom with a security guard present.

North Bergen High School spokesman Paul Swibinski tells the New York Post and the Record of New Jersey that Mohamed Mahmood Alessa was placed "on home instruction" three months after starting at the school in 2004.

Swibinski says administrators feared for the safety of other students and staff. He did not say what made them consider Alessa to be dangerous.

Authorities say the 20-year-old Alessa and 24-year-old Carlos Eduardo Almonte tried to fly out of New York's Kennedy Airport on Saturday in hopes of getting terrorism training in Somalia.

COMMENT:  So they had all that warning, and apparently not much was done about it.  When a studnet needs a security guard present to receive his education, maybe the case should have gone further up the line.  We'll see if this comes out at his trial.

June 9, 2010      Permalink

REPUBLICAN WOMEN TRIUMPH –  AT 8:19 A.M. ET:  Hey wait.  I thought all legitimate women were Democrats.  What changed?

Well, strangely, a lot of women didn't get their orders from Liberal Central.  Meg Whitman will be the GOP candidate for governor of California; Carly Fiorina will be the GOP candidate for U.S. senator from California; Sharron Angle will take on Harry Reid in Nevada; and Nikki Haley, although she must fight a runoff, will almost certainly be the GOP candidate for governor of South Carolina.

We're also happy to say that two Democratic women, Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, and Congresswoman Jane Harman of California, have won their primaries against challenges from the left.  In Arkansas, Lincon defeated a candidate backed by MoveOn.org and national labor unions.  In California, Harman defeated a challenger who made Joe Stalin look like Barry Goldwater. 

With these results, ancient Gloria Steinem may have to seek political asylum in North Korea.

Not all these women are beloved within their parties.  Nikki Haley, in particular, is no favorite of the South Carolina GOP establishment, which she regularly challenges, Sarah Palin style.  Sharron Angle, in Nevada, needs some coaching in gaffe avoidance.  But the fact that they all won indicates that women refuse to follow the script written in Manhattan and Beverly Hills.  In fact, radical-left women of the old Bella Abzug stripe seem to be in the political shadows.

We'll have more on the primary results later.  But what was clear last night was the sheer enthusiasm on the Republican side.  Final figures aren't in, but turnout in GOP primaries was dramatically higher than usual, a good sign for November.

June 9, 2010      Permalink