Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

OUR DAILY SNIPPETS ARE HERE.

SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE – TWO MORE DAYS!

This is the last week of our current subscription drive. 

As I've noted, the drive corresponds to the renewal period for many current subscribers.  Renewals have been very strong.  We have an extraordinarily loyal readership, and I think our readers value what they are receiving.

But to go forward we need new subscribers and donators. 

If you have not yet subscribed, please consider doing so.  You'll help insure that Urgent Agenda continues, and you'll receive our special subscriber privileges, which we hope to expand this year.

Subscriptions and donations are our lifeblood.   Without them we cannot function.

You can subscribe (or donate) by going to the column on the right, just opposite these words.

Subscribers and donators receive The Angel's Corner, our twice-a-week e-mailed publication.  At The Angel's Corner you can join our Forum, which has become the most popular feature at Urgent Agenda.  Write on anything you wish.   Did you know that some Angel's Corner pieces are used in college classrooms?  Others are published around the internet. 

And, at The Angel's Corner, we give the very coveted Pompous Fool award, bestowed, after intensive review, on those who meet the very highest standards of absurdity and leftist immaturity.  Be the first to find out who has been so blessed.  But please, don't send candy or cakes to try to get us to name your favorite.  We have morals here.
   
If you ever want to drop your subscription, the unused portion will be refunded with only a few insults and strange phone calls.  But we cannot guarantee that you'll still have friends.

Subscribe or donate today. A credit card will do it. Or, we can send you a mail address, if you prefer.

THURSDAY,  JUNE 17,  2010

UNBELIEVABLE – AT 8:25 P.M. ET:  We fight hard not to believe the worst about our government, but at times it's difficult.  Just read this story, but maybe you'd better take a calming pill first.  From ABC News:

Eight days ago, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state's oil-soaked waters. Today, against the governor's wishes, those barges sat idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore.

"It's the most frustrating thing," the Republican governor said today in Buras, La. "Literally, yesterday morning we found out that they were halting all of these barges."

Sixteen barges sat stationary today, although they were sucking up thousands of gallons of BP's oil as recently as Tuesday. Workers in hazmat suits and gas masks pumped the oil out of the Louisiana waters and into steel tanks. It was a homegrown idea that seemed to be effective at collecting the thick gunk.

"These barges work. You've seen them work. You've seen them suck oil out of the water," said Jindal.

Governor, Governor, don't be childish.  Just because something works doesn't mean the federal government will approve it.  That seems to be the last thing they care about.

Get this:

But the Coast Guard ordered the stoppage because of reasons that Jindal found frustrating. The Coast Guard needed to confirm that there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board, and then it had trouble contacting the people who built the barges.

Say what?  Why couldn't the Coast Guard just board the barges and inspect?

Is it possible, just possible, that the truth lies somewhere else?  Is it possible that there are "forces" in the federal government who don't want any idea advanced by Bobby Jindal to work?  After all, he's been talked about for the 2012 Republican national ticket.  I have absolutely no proof whatever to back up my suspicion, but I'd guess it's a suspicion shared by many readers and political observers. 

This administration has done very little actually to stop the oil leak.  I wonder why.

June 17, 2010      Permalink

USELESS, USELESS – AT 7:45 A.M. ET:  Is there a day that goes by without news of still one more "outreach" to the Muslim world?  Now, with all that reachin' out by a guy named Barack Hussein Obama Jr., you'd think there'd be some impact.  Well, think again.  From the L.A. Times:

A poll of global attitudes finds support strong in most nations, but approval has dipped in Muslim countries, due in part to Obama's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Detractors also take a dim view of U.S. international decisions.

Reporting from Washington — Confidence in President Obama among the world's Muslims is slipping, according to a poll of global attitudes that also found widespread concern that the United States remained a go-it-alone nation even under the new administration.

The survey, by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, found support for Obama had remained strong in most nations even while his approval rating at home had slipped. But in five of seven Muslim nations that were polled, he was regarded with approval by about one-third or less of respondents, and his popularity had slid over the last year.

The finding is likely to be of concern to the White House, which has worked hard to improve the American image abroad, particularly in the Muslim world.

COMMENT:  When will we learn the following?  People don't get their news directly from the event, but through media and governments.  In the Muslim world both media and governments are near-hopeless.  These people cannot be satisfied unless we hand them total victory in every respect.  They are professional victims, constantly nursing grievances and accomplishing nothing. 

The findings shouldn't bother any mature, rational White House.  Government can't simply be an international popularity contest.  I don't think the Obamans understand that.

And another thing:  Our standing throughout the world is also affected by international leftist movements that simply want to bring down the United States, in order to destroy capitalism.  They're not terribly impressed by any temporary president. 

We were endlessly told that the Bush administration had destroyed our international standing, even though a careful observer would have clearly seen dramatic gains in our relations with some key countries, like India, Japan, and the nations of Eastern Europe.  We've now had almost a year and a half of Obama.  Notice the great improvement?  I hope we've learned.

June 17, 2010       Permalink 

HILLARY, YOU OLD GOSSIP, YOU – AT 7:35 P.M. ET:  Hillary Clinton revealed in an interview given in Latin America today that the Justice Department will sue Arizona over its anti-illegal immigration law.

There's been a lot of talk about this, but no formal acknowledgment by Justice or the White House.  Hillary apparently let the cat out of the bag, informing a foreign news organization first.  I kinda thought the American people might have been informed first.  This reminds me of the fact that Barack Obama gave his first interview as president to an Arab news organization.  Americans must wait in line. 

So, Eric Holder will sue Arizona and still wants to try dangerous 9-11 terrorists in New York.  I think it's important that someone in Washington send a note to Holder informing him that he's attorney general of the United States, not some other country.  Of course, the same note, with a different office written in, might be sent to the resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

June 17, 2010     Permalink

BOOM TOWN – AT 9:08 A.M. ET:  A stunning new report, just released, demonstrates that the much-hyped economic recovery is just that – hype.   We're just not making it:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of people filing new claims for jobless benefits jumped unexpectedly last week after three straight declines, another sign that hiring remains weak.

Initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 472,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the highest level in a month.

First-time claims have hovered near 450,000 since the beginning of the year after falling steadily in the second half of 2009. That has raised concerns that hiring is lackluster and could slow the recovery. Economists say they will feel more optimistic that the economy is creating jobs once initial claims fall below 425,000 per week.

The four-week average for unemployment claims, which smooths volatility, dipped slightly to 463,500. That's down by 3,750 from the start of January.

The number of people continuing to claim benefits rose by 88,000 to 4.57 million. That doesn't include about 5.2 million people who receive extended benefits paid for by the federal government.

COMMENT:  The housing market is also slowing.  And the president of the United States is pushing new energy legislation that will place major burdens on American families.

Sometimes I have visions of America switching to a parliamentary form of government, where we can get rid of presidents a bit more quickly than we can now.

I have a dream today, a dream of a moving van pulling up to the White House.  Oh yes, I have a dream.

June 17, 2010      Permalink

THE SILENCE OF THE PRESS – AT 8:46 A.M. ET:  When we talk about corruption in the media, we should be mindful of the fact that it works in several ways.  It isn't only what the press reports that can mislead us, it's what the press chooses not to report. 

I've observed over the years that leaving out critical information is often a more effective way to slant the news than reporting a story that favors a reporter's position. Mark Steyn at NRO comments on one story the press just won't report:

When you look at all the formulaic sludge that wins the Pulitzer Prize for Most Unread Multipart Series, it is striking that not one of the major newspapers has done an investigative series on the proliferation of "honor killings", not in Yemen or Waziristan but in the heart of the western world. Instead, as Phyllis Chesler writes:

The mainstream media rarely covers them. More often, local media does, but even local media does so walking-on-eggshells, careful to quote from at least one apologist and one know-nothing. Usually, the (hardcopy) mainstream media covers such events weeks later, only briefly, or as a way to “spin” any possible prejudice against the perpetrators involved. Sometimes they are mentioned, but only in passing. Rarely do follow-ups appear. Usually, a wire service piece is used, and no original reporting is done. Sometimes, the newspaper’s blog might refer to a piece which first appeared in another newspaper which, in turn, has mentioned the subject only in passing.

And...

The media's attitude to "honor killings" is not only shameful and dishonors the dead; it's also part of the reason why America's newspapers are sliding off the cliff: Their silence on this issue is merely an especially ugly manifestation of how their news instincts have been castrated by political correctness.

What is so disgraceful, of course, is that this sin of omission is often committed by "feminists" in journalism.  Their feminism doesn't seem to extend too far.  They seem thoroughly unconcerned about the fate of Muslim women.  As Steyn writes:  "Multiculturalism trumps feminism, and so the media accepts a two-tier sisterhood in which Muslim girls are run over, stabbed, strangled, drowned and decapitated for wanting to live like the women they read about in The New York Times and The Washington Post."

The sad fact is that modern feminism has too often been a branch office of the hard left, and on the hard left the rights of women have never been particularly important...not compared to, say, insuring the triumph of anti-American elements around the world.  That self-proclaimed "feminists" can go along with this without an outcry from their sisters or from women's studies departments in universities says a great deal about what feminism has become, and what universities have become.

June 17, 2010       Permalink

WE'RE SHOCKED, SHOCKED, TO FIND THAT A LAW SCHOOL DEAN COULD BE A HYPOCRITE – AT 8:22 A.M. ET:  I was wondering when someone would notice this.  Well, it sure wasn't a mainstream journalist.  It was the GOP.  From Fox:

A Senate Republican is accusing Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan -- who protested the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy as an influential dean at Harvard -- of remaining silent about the university receiving $20 million from a Middle East country that sanctions the oppression of gays.

The accusation comes as the both sides in Senate gear up for the start of confirmation hearings for Kagan, as Republicans opposed to her confirmation seize on "anti-military" fodder.

On Wednesday, during a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, noted Harvard University accepted a $20 million gift from Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz in 2005 that was used to establish a center for Islamic Studies in his honor.

Sessions cited an Obama State Department report that noted that homosexual acts are a crime in Saudi Arabia under Sharia law and punishable by death or flogging.

COMMENT:  Why, is this redneck saying that there's dishonesty at Harvard?  Hypocrisy?  Phoniness?  Is he thoroughly unfamiliar with the ways of superior people?  That's not hypocrisy, Senator Sessions.  That's just an "alternative narrative."  That's not phoniness.  That's just "intercultural understanding."

These senators.  What do they know?

June 17, 2010       Permalink

ICH BIN EIN ARIZONAN – AT 8:03 A.M. ET:   Even the Washington Post must now admit it:  Most Americans polled continue to support Arizona's new illegal-immigration law.   Oh, the pain in the editorial offices:

Most Americans support the new, controversial Arizona law that gives police there the power to check the residency status of suspected illegal immigrants. But most also still back a program giving those here illegally the right to earn legal documentation, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

I love stories that begin that way.  The liberal writer is saying that we're bad, but there's still some good in us.

Oh, now we have to go down seven paragraphs to find the basic statistic we're looking for:

In all, 58 percent of Americans say they are supportive of the new law.

The rest of the story breaks the statistics down, apparently trying to soften the blow.  But the bottom line is that most Americans do support Arizona, although the Justice Department will probably take Arizona to court, trying to overturn the law. 

Another finding from the poll:  Some 51 percent of those polled give Obama negative marks on  how he's handled the issue of immigration.  I don't know how the question was phrased, and whether the word "illegal" was inserted, but the figure cannot thrill the White House.

June 17, 2010      Permalink

CONGRESSIONAL DEMS STARTING TO PANIC, BUT THEIR HEALTH PLAN COVERS PSYCHIATRY – AT 7:51 A.M. ET:  While our attention has been focused on the oil spill, and the president's low-octane speech about it, the Dems in Congress have been sending a message to Mr. Obama, and it isn't a valentine.  The Washington Times reports:

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a $140 billion taxes and spending package in a resounding defeat for President Obama and Democratic leaders that signaled the era of freewheeling stimulus spending is giving way to greater concern for deficits.

Hours later, chastened Democrats produced a pared-down version they said spent less and found offsetting tax increases to pay for most, though not all, of the new measure, which includes unemployment benefits and aid to states.

"There are fewer dollars involved here, and it is more paid-for," said Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, Montana Democrat, acknowledging the 11 Democrats and one independent who sided with Republicans in blocking his first version. "We heard what those senators were saying and we have adjusted the amendment accordingly."

Republicans said the vote - in which Democrats fell 15 votes shy of the 60 needed to allow for the overspending - marked a new attitude for lawmakers who are beginning to worry about debt and deficits as they prepare to face voters in November. It would have swelled the federal debt by $80 billion.

COMMENT:  The numbers in the Senate are important.  Even if Republicans fall short in their effort to take control of the Senate in November, there are now enough moderate Democrats asserting themselves to probably block most, if not all, crazy liberal stuff.

As for the president, he's getting low marks on his Carteresque speech about the spill, and is clearly no longer seen a a Divine or even a divine presence. 

But he controls foreign policy, and that's the part that should keep our gray hair growing.

June 17,  2010     Permalink

WEDNESDAY,  JUNE 16,  2010

AND AGAIN – AT 7:52 P.M. ET:  I'm sure there's an explanation for this.  Perhaps alienation.  Perhaps a tradition we don't understand.  Perhaps a legitimate grievance against imperialist America and its destruction of Helen Thomas.  The truth will come out.  From the Dallas Morning News:

A 45-year-old Arlington (Texas) woman who has had past run-ins with counterterrorism agents has pleaded guilty to federal charges after police found three pipe bombs in a pickup she was driving.

Kimberly Al-Homsi and Yasinul Ansari, her 18-year-old accomplice, both entered pleas before U.S. District Judge John McBryde in Fort Worth. They admitted to one count each of possession of an unregistered firearm, in this case homemade pipe bombs found in the truck in February.

They could each receive up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine when sentenced Sept. 24.

Plea papers filed after a Friday court hearing offer no clues as to why Al-Homsi and Ansari, one of her son’s friends, spent early February buying pipes and gunpowder at Arlington hardware and sporting goods stores and assembling bombs in her apartment bedroom.

Maybe it was their Fourth of July celebration.

The afternoon of Feb. 13, a motorist called 911 to report that someone in a pickup had pointed a weapon at him on West Abram Street in Arlington.

Police found the truck and tried to pull it over, but the driver did not stop. The pursuit ended in Fort Worth after the truck carrying the pair hit ice at Rosedale Street near Loop 820.

Police found a toy gun inside, in addition to three pipe bombs in a bag.

And...

Al-Homsi’s history of provocative behavior has attracted the attention of not only local media, but also police and federal counterterrorism agents.

She first made headlines days before Christmas in 2005 when she waved a fake grenade at a motorist on Central Expressway in Dallas. She was charged with a bomb hoax and received probation.

On Feb. 25, 2007, Al-Homsi and a friend, Aisha Abdul-Rahman Hamad, were spotted at Dallas Love Field walking back and forth, apparently pacing off distances. When confronted, the women told officials they were looking for the Frontiers of Flight museum.

And...

In interviews with reporters, Al-Homsi has claimed to have dual American and Syrian citizenship, as well as overseas weapons training. She also claimed to have known Wadih el Hage, the former Arlington tire dealer convicted of being a personal aide to Osama bin Laden.

Authorities say she has no terrorist ties.

Oh, come on.  What does she need, a membership card and a signed photo of bin Laden?

June 16, 2010     Permalink

THIS SHOULD OUTRAGE EVERY AMERICAN – AT 7:35 P.M. ET:  The United States Government is, in effect, ceding American territory to criminals.  I don't recall anything like this ever happening before.  Do you?  From Fox:

About 3,500 acres of southern Arizona have been closed off to U.S. citizens due to increased violence at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The closed off area includes part of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge that stretches along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu told Fox News that violence against law enforcement officers and U.S. citizens has increased in the past four months, forcing officers on an 80 mile stretch of Arizona land north of the Mexico border off-limits to Americans.

The refuge had been adversely affected by the increase in drug smugglers, illegal activity and surveillance, which made it dangerous for Americans to visit.

"The situation in this zone has reached a point where continued public use of the area is not prudent," said refuge manager Mitch Ellis.

“It’s literally out of control,” said Babeu. “We stood with Senator McCain and literally demanded support for 3,000 soldiers to be deployed to Arizona to get this under control and finally secure our border with Mexico. “

And...

“We need support from the federal government. It’s their job to secure the border and they haven’t done it,” said Babeu. “In fact, President Obama suspended the construction of the fence and it’s just simply outrageous.”

Sheriff, they just don't care.  There are probably plenty of people around the president who believe the southwest should be returned to Mexico, or turned into some multicultural theme park. 

Oh, that guy McCain – wasn't he the one who ran against Obama and lost?  I wonder how many Americans would vote the same way today. 

June 16, 2010     Permalink

OH DEAR, OH, DEAR, WHAT CAN THE MATTER BE? – AT 7:20 P.M. ET:  We prefer the Rasmussen poll because Scott Rasmussen polls among likely voters, the ones who actually show up, and his track record is solid.  So today's results will probably hit the White House with the impact of the Gulf oil spill.  Oh, wait, it'll have to be much more than that to get Obama's attention:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 24% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-four percent (44%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -20 (see trends).

Forty-eight percent (48%) of Democrats Strongly Approve while 75% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 12% Strongly Approve and 52% Strongly Disapprove.

That unaffiliated figure is disastrous for the president.  Neither party can win a presidential election with only its own followers.  They need independents, and independents are turning away from Obama in massive numbers.

Overall, 42% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance. That’s the lowest level of approval yet recorded for this president. Fifty-seven percent (57%) now disapprove. The president’s approval rating has held steady in the 46% - 47% range for six months and it remains to be seen whether this new low is merely statistical noise or the start of a lasting change.

That would certainly be change we can believe in. 

But remember, no relaxing.  Obama is an astute politician who can fight back, and the GOP isn't winning popularity contests.  The November midterms are four and a half months away, and we must be in fighting mode.

June 16, 2010      Permalink

WHAT RECOVERY? – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  There are troubling signs that the already dubious economic "recovery" is stalling.  Are we in for a double-dip recession?  With economic damage from the Gulf spill added to everything else, we have to consider that possibility:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Home construction plunged in May to its lowest level since December, as builders scaled back after a federal tax credit to lure buyers expired.

In a second report, declines in the cost of food and energy helped to drive down wholesale prices in May for a second month.

The housing report also showed that building permits declined in May, a sign the construction industry would not fuel the economic recovery.

The Commerce Department said that construction of new homes and apartments fell 10 percent in May from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 593,000. April’s figure was revised downward to 659,000.

The results were driven by a 17 percent decline in the single-family market, which had benefited earlier in the year from federal tax credits of up to $8,000.

COMMENT:  The American people lack confidence in the real economy.  They are not impressed by the fact that the casino economy on Wall Street is making money.  They know that states are approaching bankruptcy, the federal government's debt keeps rising, and unemployment hasn't been dented.

And the administration continues to blame BUSH (!!) and CHENEY (!!!!).

Hope 'n change have clearly failed.  Maybe it's time for knowledge and competence.  Okay, I admit it.  I like the old-fashioned virtues.

June 16, 2010     Permalink

DON'T BE TOO SHOCKED – SICKENED YES, SHOCKED NO – AT 8:59 A.M. ET:  Apparently, Syria, having given us nothing, will get some neat gifts from the United States:

WASHINGTON—The State Department has dispatched a high-level diplomatic and trade mission to Syria, according to senior U.S. officials, marking the latest bid by the Obama administration to woo President Bashar al-Assad away from his strategic alliance with Iran.

The U.S. delegation comprises senior executives from some of America's top technology companies, including Microsoft Corp., Dell Inc., Cisco Systems Inc. and Symantec Corp., according to the U.S. officials. All these companies' businesses in Syria are constrained by U.S. sanctions.

The mission is controversial, given recent U.S. allegations that Syria transferred missiles to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Syria, Hezbollah and Lebanon deny the allegations.

U.S. officials said the business delegation will meet with Mr. Assad and his cabinet and seek to facilitate the flow of information technology into the Arab state, which is ranked by watchdog group Freedom House as among the most repressive in the world.

COMMENT:  Well, Hillary Clinton is secretary of state, and her husband, as president, transferred sensitive technology to China.  So I'm not entirely shocked by this move.  But it would be disgraceful to give Syria anything, even a handshake, unless we're guaranteed something of value in return, like a change in Syrian friendship with Iran. 

One more act of appeasement, one more demonstration that the loyalties of this administration lie with the Muslim world.

June 16, 2010     Permalink

NORTH KOREA AS LECTURER AND TEACHER – AT 8:52 A.M. ET:  North Korea gives a perfect lesson in how a rogue nation acts when confronted by a weak, appeasement-oriented United States.  From the New York Post:

You got to hand it to the North Koreans; they don’t take anything from anyone.

First they torpedo and sink a South Korean warship. Then as tensions mount between the two nations with the South imposing trade restrictions on the North and the North cutting off ties with the South in response, the United Nations Security Council is supposed to come in to investigate. The South wants the North to admit its crime. Not likely given the North’s response to the mere suggestion of an investigation.

North Korean UN ambassador Sin Son Ho declared that "If the Security Council release(s) any documents against us condemning or questioning us in any document, then myself as (a) diplomat, I can do nothing — but follow-up measures will be carried out by our military forces," he warned.

Got that? North Korea is demanding that the UN investigation bring “to light the truth of the incident impartially and objectively," North Korea’s government-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary Wednesday. And essentially if the country isn’t satisfied with the outcome of that investigation it will respond militarily.

COMMENT:  What does North Korea have to fear?  Apparently nothing.  The United States is, under Obama, almost indifferent to the sinking of the South Korean ship.  And the South Korean public, tragically, has become almost as casual, possibly reflecting the reality that, with a weak America, confronting North Korea might not be a good idea.

June 16, 2010      Permalink

MORE WORMINESS IN FLORIDA – AT 8:36 A.M. ET:  The Florida race for a U.S. Senate seat, once considered reasonably safe for Marco Rubio, turns more tumultuous by the day, and Rubio's future is in serious doubt:

The emergence of a politically unknown billionaire self-funder in the Florida Senate race is prompting top Democrats in the state to say publicly what some have been whispering for weeks: If Jeff Greene, who got rich betting on the collapse of the housing market, becomes their nominee, many in the party will have the cover they need to get behind Republican-turned-independent Gov. Charlie Crist.

Greene is detested by Dems.  His background is filled with baggage.

Establishment Democrats in Florida, for now, are sticking with Rep. Kendrick Meek, who lags far behind in early general election polls against Crist and Republican Marco Rubio. Yet with Greene promising to drop at least $40 million of his fortune on the primary and pulling neck and neck with Meek in one survey, Sunshine State Democrats are beginning to consider the increasingly realistic prospect that their nominee might be a “meltdown mogul” — one who collects erotic art, had Mike Tyson serve as his best man and once hosted “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss as a house guest.

If Democrats start endorsing "independent" Charlie Crist, the current governor and former Republican, Crist might win a decisive advantage.  Still, it's Florida, and you never know. 

Crist is currently leading in the three-way race, even without Democratic support.

This is too bad, and bad luck for Marco Rubio, a true rising star in the Republican Party.  We'll follow the race closely.

June 16, 2010     Permalink

POSSIBLE? – AT 8:07 A.M. ET:  NRO is reporting a new poll that gives hope to the GOP in California:

I think we’ll know very soon if this CrossTarget poll of the California Senate race is an outlier, or whether Carly Fiorina has gotten enough of a bump from her primary win to make this a neck-and-neck race with Barbara Boxer.

Boxer 46.5%

Fiorina 47.0%

Undecided 6.5%

Rasmussen had Boxer by 5, but the incumbent’s lead has been pretty marginal in most recent polls: 6, 3, 9, 4, 7, 1.

And if Barbara Boxer really is in trouble… well, the Democrats had better run and hide in the rest of the country.

COMMENT:  Approach this with caution.  But, even if the poll is off by as much as five points, Boxer would still be in serious trouble. 

June 16,  2010     Permalink