“Why Don\’t We Let Governor Rendell Sit Down.”

Interesting note from The Politico, yesterday:

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was supposed to give “closing remarks” during this afternoon’s Shorenstein Center-sponsored panel discussion with all three Sunday show moderators — NBC’s Tom Brokaw, ABC’s George Stephanopoulous and CBS’s Bob Schieffer — but instead, he opened up a can of worms about bias in 2008 election coverage

“Ladies and gentleman, the coverage of Barack Obama was embarrassing,” said Rendell, in the ballroom at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel. “It was embarrassing.”

Rendell, an ardent Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter during the primaries, now backs Obama in the general election. Brokaw and Rendell began debating campaign coverage, including the on-air comments by Lee Cowan, and when MSNBC came up, Rendell went after the cable network.

“MSNBC was the official network of the Obama campaign,” Rendell said, who called their coverage “absolutely embarrassing.”

Chris Matthews, Rendell said, “loses his impartiality when he talks about the Clintons.”

At that point, PBS’s Judy Woodruff, who was moderating the moderators event, said:

Ed Rendell: Silenced for speaking the truth?

That was met with applause from the crowd of big-time media figures, which included Arianna Huffington, Gwen Ifill, Al Hunt, and Chuck Todd.

Oh, my God! Someone who is being critical of Obama and of the press! RUN!!!!

As you might expect, very few Dinosuar media outlets have touched the story. About as big a paper as even dared mention the thing is the Philadelphia Daily News who labeled Rendell’s remarks “bIzzare’.

I don’t know as there is any stronger proof that the press has been manipulating this election cycle, and for whose benefit they’ve been doing it. That they’ve got handling such things down to a science, though, suggests how often this comes up. That, in turn, suggests just how bad it’s gotten.

Via Memeorandum, there’s more at : Don Surber, Top of the Ticket, TIME.com, DownWithTyranny!, TVNewser and NewsBusters.org

Yesterday I wrote about the selection of Biden by Obama. One of the things I wrote about that between the internal contradictions of the Obama-Biden ticket, the capability of Biden to open his mouth and insert his foot, the ‘safe’ pick not being a game changing pick and the middle of the night/saturday morning cartoons timing all added up to a minimization of any bounce. I even predicted that any bounce would be gone by Sunday night.

So now it is Sunday night and the prediction comes true. The article is written with the best Obama spin that the media can muster given the numbers, but no amount of spin will shake off that this is not good news for Obama.

In a poll taken entirely after the Biden announcement, McCain and Obama are tied at 47%. Given the political headwinds against the GOP this election year, that is an incredibly strong position for McCain to be in. Compared to the generic congressional number, that has McCain up by 10 points compared to a generic republican vs democrat race.

But the lack of a Biden bounce is more than that. The same poll is showing a 4 point decline for Obama and a 3 point increase for McCain from a month ago. The internals of the poll show that if McCain were to make a game changing move in his VP selection, he could land an interesting portion of the Clinton supporters. Right now he is getting about 27 percent of the Clinton supporters. That is about 5 million votes based on the 18 million primary voters Clinton garnered. That’s larger than the Bush margin of victory over Kerry. So a game changing VP selection could potentially lock in those votes from drifting back to their democratic base.

In digging into Joe Biden, Barack Obama’s chosen VP, I have found some rather interesting history.

About two years ago, now, (June, 2006) Joe Biden did a  Meet The Press. On that program, Biden said the following: (As quoted by a CNN article of that Sunday afteroon:

RUSSERT: Let me ask you a last question on Iraq about Haditha and some of the other alleged atrocities. The fact is, our government knew about that for some time. How high up the chain, based on your information, do you think this goes?

SEN. BIDEN: The secretary of defense.

MR. RUSSERT: And what should be done?

SEN. BIDEN: He should be gone. He shouldn’t be in his office tomorrow morning. But I’m so tired of saying this on your show. I’ve been saying this for two years.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, the president knew about it in March.

SEN. BIDEN: Well, we can’t get rid of the president. He’s there for two and a half more years. There is a system of accountability. The system of accountability is, it used to be a gentlemanly thing, as they say, when you make serious mistakes, you step forward and you acknowledge them and you walk away. Presidents can’t and shouldn’t do that. Secretaries of defense can and should.

Well, OK. So, Biden is assuming… as did Murtha, by the way… that the Marines were guilty.  They have, one by one all been exonerated in the matter.
But since we’ve not seen any apology to the Marines, any apology to Don Rumsfeld, any apology to The President from Biden on this point, should we be expecting one from him in the near future?

There is, after all a system of accountability, here. Or does that only work when you’re accusing Republicans and our military?

And should we expect anyone in the press to question Biden in these matters?

Update: (Bit) I see Michelle noting the same angle, apparently inspired by someone named David Harsanyi.

Glad to see someone else besides me noting it, actually. Means it stands a slightly higher chance of actually being presented to Biden at some point.

James Joyner at OTB, this morning notes a new Ad from the McCain camp.

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James notes there’s a pattern of wrting going on and cites a couple examples:

The campaign also quickly emailed around a CNN Political Ticker story headlined “Some in Clinton circle ‘outraged’.”

Evan as Hillary Clinton praised the newly-minted Democratic presidential ticket Saturday, some in her circle are furious Barack Obama did not appear to give the New York Democrat serious consideration for the No. 2 spot, or even ask for her consultation on the matter.

“Set aside that Obama said she’d be on anybody’s short list, set aside anybody’s feelings on whether she was deliberately snubbed and the pros and cons of whether it should be her,” a former Clinton strategist told CNN’s Candy Crowley. “Focus on the politics of it and you have about a quarter of Clinton loyalists still not joining the caravan…for God’s sake, not to even make a show of taking her seriously is flatly stupid.”

A top Clinton advisor also told CNN they were “outraged,” over how the process was conducted.  “You can’t put [Obama VP vetters] Eric Holder and Caroline Kennedy on an hour plane ride to Chappaqua just to check the box? They should have done it just for the optics,” this person said. “Barack never even said to her, ‘Here’s how I envision the job’- not one discussion with her about [the position].”

“They thought her supporters were mad before? They are really mad now,” this person also said. We knew it was never going to happen but you would have thought they might at least make a show of it.”

Not to be outdone, Bill Kristol weighs in with a blog post entitled “The Democrats’ Glass Ceiling.”

So Hillary Clinton gets about 18 million votes in 2008, and isn’t even considered for-she apparently isn’t even given the courtesy of being consulted-the vice presidential pick. Joe Biden manages to persuade a few thousand (if that) Iowans to support him. And Barack Obama selects Biden? Normally, if the VP pick came from that year’s presidential field, it’s the runner-up (Kerry-Edwards in 2004, Reagan-Bush in 1980, Stevenson-Kefauver in 1956). (Lyndon Johnson in 1960 hadn’t entered the primaries.) And Biden wasn’t even the third most successful candidate this year (hi, John Edwards!), or fourth (Bill Richardson, I suppose), or fifth (Dennis Kucinich!).

What’s more, Biden and Hillary have basically comparable foreign policy “experience” (such as it is in either case). Nor is Biden clearly more knowledgeable in foreign affairs than Hillary. And they have pretty similar foreign policy views. So no advantage to Biden there. And, unlike Jack Reed, for example, Biden didn’t serve in the military. So no advantage over Hillary there. Nor does he outshine her in executive experience (unlike Evan Bayh or Tim Kaine or Kathleen Sebelius)-neither Biden nor Hillary has any.

Stoking the lingering resentments of the Hillary camp is probably smart politics, although doing it so brazenly could backfire and cause more of them to realize that they’re playing into the Republicans‘ hands.

Yes, it could, James but I tend to doubt it will. Look at it this way;

If we are to take the split in the Democrat party as not being very serious, you’d would more likely be right and McCain should move to higher ground in preperation for the backlash.  As it stands, however, rift is very serious indeed.  The Democrats are about as split as they can possibly be while still calling themselves a party. As a result, the backlash is far less likely to cause a backlash as you describe it… the message is resonating with disaffected Clinton Democrats.

I think you underestimate self-centeredness of the average Democrat, and specifically the self-centeredness of the average Hillary Clinton supporter. Remember, like Hillary herself, this is all about THEM. Frankly, McCain’s people are smart to exploit that rift.

Did Obama take “seriously” the idea of putting Hillary on the ticket?  I can’t imagine he didn’t given the delegate math.  But he and his team surely came to the conclusion that giving her the nod would be a disaster, given the hundreds  of sound bytes she gave the GOP and the complications that Bill Clinton brings to the mix.

Then what shall we say about the years-long list of sound bites generated by Joe Biden, such as in the ad both you and I ran yesterday?  My guess is there’s something deeper in that calulation of Obama’s in not even bothering to vet Hillary for the post.  My guess to that point involves a fear of what happens once she gets one step away from the Presidency.

(Repaired link: Bit)

There are lots of places, including other posts on this blog, that will talk about the Biden choice for VP. I will only add three things to consider.

First, try to come up with an endorsement of one half of the democrat’s ticket that doesn’t undercut the other half. For example, ‘Judgement is more important than experience and Obama’s coming out against the Iraq war shows the judgement needed to be president’. I disagree with the argument, but I recognize the fact that some find it persuasive. Prior to Biden’s announcement, you could point to Obama’s flip flops on opposing, supporting and then opposing the war. You could also point to his lack of judgement on the surge and his inability to see American success even in 20/20 hindsight. In short, try to find more than one instance of supposedly superior judgement and then compare Obama’s track record to the stopped clock. Once is not a trend, especially when that once is questionable.

But now, take that same statement on judgement and consider it in light of the Biden selection. Why would Obama select someone whose judgement led him to vote for the AUMF and defend the decision after the invasion (and the limited WMD’s found). Either Obama’s judgement in opposing the war is questionable or his judgement in selecting his replacement if something happens to him is faulty in choosing someone who doesn’t show the judgement Obama thinks is his cornerstone.

Likewise, touting Biden’s 30+ years of experience and meeting with world leaders draws a strong and unfavorable contrast of the Obama-McCain match up in experience. Age, a new kind of politician, change, etc. all have contrasting sides of the coin where any attack against McCain on one hurts the other side of the democratic ticket. But that is a problem the democrats have brought on themselves.

Second, some people are touting this as the ‘safe’ choice. Given Biden’s past and propensity to talk himself into trouble, that may or may not be the case. But I think that the reality is that Biden may not wear so well and has almost no upside. The only upside I can see is that in 2004, 2000, 1988, 1984, and 1972 half the democrats ticket failed to carry their home state. When you can’t carry your home state, that says a lot about you as a person and as a politician. If nothing else, Biden can just about guarantee that whatever else happens the democrats won’t face that embarrassment again. Of course that also means that Biden isn’t pulling in a home state that otherwise would have gone to McCain.

But this ‘safe’ choice also means that except for Biden hurting Obama by putting his foot in his mouth, he is not likely to change anything. Between a Saturday morning cartoons announcement more suited to burying bad news than getting maximum exposure and the ‘safety’ of the pick, it is likely that any bounce may not even last until the convention starts on Sunday.

Third, the more interesting question to me is the opportunity this gives to McCain. If Obama had selected a game changing VP, that would have restricted McCain’s options in selecting his own VP. Mike Warner would have likely put Virginia in the democratic column. Clinton would have dramatically tilted the election. Richardson would have at least delivered New Mexico. But going with the ‘safe’ choice means that McCain has the full gamut of choices. He can go with a safe choice that does no harm. He can appeal to a particular state such as Colorado, Ohio or Virginia to keep it in the republican column. He can move to pick off a democratic state that is in play like Minnesota, Pennsylvania or Michigan. He can go after disaffected democrats with a Jacksonian national security oriented democrat, a qualified female or hispanic. How many women upset with Obama lying about Hillary being on anybody’s short list could be persuaded to take a second look at McCain with a famale VP selection.

In short, the convention timing forced Obama to go first and the happenstance of McCain’s birthday provides a hook for why he is selecting his VP at a time to help move the spotlight off the ending democratic convention and minimize any bounce. But it is Obama’s judgment in selecting Biden that opens up his flanks to an aggressive VP move by McCain.

In this weekend’s Wall Street Journal, there is a report of an investment made by Nancy Pelosi and her husband.

They put somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 into T. Boone Picken’s company, Clean Energy Fuels Corp.

At first blush, the relatively small amount (compared to millions of dollars in assets held by the Pelosis) would make most consider this to be a non-issue.  And by House Rules this is evidently not a conflict of interest. And besides, everyone can see that Natural Gas and Wind Energy are the future of America, right?

That shows you how well our politicians police themselves.

Nancy Pelosi

$50,000, $100,000, these are not small sums of money.  Mrs. Pelosi may bandy about billions of our tax dollars with little thought, and she may be a multi-millionaire, but this is still a LOT of money.

For her $50,000 (and who knows how much her friends have invested, or how much Mr. Pickens will be contributing to her campaign), I think we can now see why the San Francisco Democrat is attempting to strangle US citizens.  By continuing to encourage the run-ups in oil prices by locking out the availability of domestic oil resources, she is forcing America to bow to abandoning oil altogether.

It’s one thing to see the future and what is coming.  It’s quite another to be in a position to influence the future and be a financial beneficiary of the outcome.

The Swamp, which she had committed to clean up, has just gotten filthier and mored deadly than it ever was.  This is worse, in my opinion, than any previous acts by politicans to steer money to their own pockets or those of their friends.  It’s not just a no-bid contract.  It’s not just having advanced notice of confidential business deals.  This is an outright job of penning the American People like cattle into her chosen path for our future in order to line her pockets, her friends pockets, and build her power base.

And after all of the years of criticism of Bush and Cheney’s business connections to Haliburton in the earlier days of the Iraq War, I would have thought this kind of behaviour would be beyond Democratic Leaders.  I guess I am naive.

San Francisco, we have a problem.

I cannot imagine having a representative from Iowa who so flagrantly abandons their responsibility to protect the citizens they represent and the American People as a whole, and yet continue to have a political life.  I know that Californians are different, but this is starting to feel like the Twilight Zone.

Or perhaps they will see the light.  Perhaps, Mrs. Pelosi can worry less about the consequences of House Ethics action against her, and more about accountability where it really matters.  At the Ballot Box in November.

And out of the remainder of her portfolio, one must wonder what other connections are influencing her decisions and lining her pockets.  Or helping build her power base.

So much for cleaning out the Swamp.

[wp_youtube]RDVUPqoowf8&e[/wp_youtube]
You know, there is an argument in the idea that Biden may well have been the worst possible choice for Obama to make.

I mentioned that the right -siders were drooling at the prospect of having Joe Biden to kick around. As you can imagine, the feast has already begun. Here’s a few gems I found while doing my morning rounds.

Powerline Blog, The Corner Don Surber,  Hot Air , Right Wing News, : Pajamas Media, Flopping Aces, OTB Q&O Michelle Malkin, and even Talk Left.

Steve Benen, frankly has never been one of my favorites. He’s always seemed to me too much an apologist for the out -of -touch -left. HIs history in terms of who he’s been carrying water for (TPM, and Carpetbagger as two examples) tells the story in my book.

Today, at his new perch at Washington Monthly he solidifies that image with what can only be described as a left- baised reactionary piece, to Ron Fournier’s piece on the AP wire this morning.

FOURNIER IS AT IT AGAIN…. The latest piece from Ron Fournier, the AP’s Washington bureau chief and the man responsible for directing the wire service’s coverage of the presidential campaign, on Joe Biden joining the Democratic ticket, is drawing a fair amount of attention this morning. More importantly, McCain campaign staffers are pushing it fairly aggressively to other reporters, in large part because it mirrors the Republican line with minimal variation.

By choosing Biden, Fournier argues, Barack Obama is showing a “lack of confidence,” and is siding with “the status quo.”

There are two ways to consider Fournier’s piece: substantively and in the broader context.

First, on the substance, Fournier’s analysis seems a little lazy. By his logic, any potential running mate shows a “lack of confidence” — picking Hillary would mean Obama lacked confidence in his ability to win over women voters; picking Bayh would mean Obama lacked confidence in his ability to win over independents and conservative Dems; picking Webb would mean Obama lacked confidence in his ability to win over voters concerned about national security; picking Kaine would mean Obama lacked confidence in his ability to win over voters in the South; etc. For that matter, “the status quo” in Washington has been conservative Republican rule. Biden may be an old pro and a DC insider, but he’s anything but “the status quo.”

Well, OK, look; I more than grant that what Benen says is true, here… mostly.  It’s what he doesn’t say about why it’s true that I find so troublesome.  The fact of the matter is that there are serious negatives to be attached to any choice Obama might have made. that’s not a function of the strength of Obama,  that’s a function of the weakness within the list of candidates of possible VP choices. Of course, I’d not expect Benen to look at that aspect at all. Hard to find a cheerleader screaming “We suck, too”. (There is an argument to be made that Biden is the worst possible choice Obama could have made… The right side of the blog has been salivating over just this for the last week. I’ll get to that later today.. and I see David’s already touched on it)

Given Benen’s history though, I find this passage particularly amusing:

Second, in context, Fournier’s objectivity covering the presidential race continues to look shaky. We are, after all, talking about a journalist who, as recently as last year, considered working for the McCain campaign.

Now, look, I don’t have much use for AP, either, but let’s get real…. Glass houses, Steve.

Go ahead, Steve; Tell us how you’d not snap up a chance to work for Obama, were it offered. Tell us how this defense of Obama, in your new position, to say nothing of your history, doesn’t give us a clue as to which direction YOU lean. Go ahead, Steve, tell us about how you’re unbiased. I’ll call you a liar to your face. More, I’ll do it with your own cheerleading. Example.

Honestly, the more I consider this, the more frustrating it becomes. For one thing, Dems, no matter how competitive the primary, should simply refrain from suggesting the Republican candidate is preferable. We’re supposed to be on the same team.

Who is ‘WE”, Steve?

Spare us the pretense of objectivity, Steve… you don’t do it very well.

Jim Geraghty has said that all of BO’s statements come with exparations dates.  Well I quess that applies to campaign slogans as well.   Now Obama is set throw his promise of change under the campaign bus, Ron Fournier:

DENVER – The candidate of change went with the status quo.

In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness — inexperience in office and on foreign policy — rather than underscore his strength as a new-generation candidate defying political

Patrick Ruffini, Next Right, offers a video tour of the gaffe machine which is known as Joe Biden’s mouth.

Geraghty, National Review:

One last thought before bed: Imagine McCain picking Gov. Bobby Jindal. First line at the debate, “Senator, before we begin our debate, let me clarify for you that I don’t work at a 7-11.”

If there is any Senator, aside from Sheets Byrd, who does not represent change it is Biden.   He has spent over half his life in the Senate, and it shows.

Hat tip photo:  Dan Riehl, Riehl World View.

• YetAnotherJOhn gets second place, and the boss gets an honorable mention in today’s OTB Caption Contest.
•  McQ  points up today the idea that the thing Stan kurtz was chasing about Obama nad Ayers is still in play
  

  Until they are opened, speculation will run rampant and the story will stay alive. Until they are opened building doubts voters have about Obama will not be assuaged

  You really have to wonder, though how many people this story is going to sway, in either direction.  The majority of Obama’s supporters, are so partisan, that they’d be making excuses for him if he was caught with a knife in his hand, and surrounded by by blood covered corpses.  Meanwhile, Obama’s detractors are not moved by this either having already decided he’s not worthy of the office by virctue of his politics and lack of experience. A telling point, I think, in how all this will play out. Now, independants, OTOH,… what few there are, would seem to make or break either candidate at this stage.

• Yet another one who thinks Hillary Clinton isn’t out of this thing yet. Though John Amato thinks it’ll be as VP. That one is a bit stretchy, but still, I can see her doing it.  MarkHalperin doesn’t think Obama’s considering it seriously.  He’d better. I tell you, folks, Obama’s first choce for VP, John Edwards, is now gone because of the works of Hillary Clinton’s people. Meanwhile, Mike Allen says no way it’s her. Either way,  Obama is already looking more than a little iffy… and frankly, I see her fine hand in this , too.
• And as to that, Glenn has a lot of links on this today. A rare occasion to spend tis much time on a topc for him. Clearly, Glenn thinks this of serious import. He’s correct, of course.
• One gets the impression, reading a lot of the chatter on the Democrat boards, that even they think Obama’s stepped in a pile of dog crap on this HouseGate thing. Pay particular attention to the names that pop up with this; Rezko and Jim Johnson. They will play large going forward.  Rezko you know about. Johnson, maybe not so much. He’s the guy who was on Obama’s Veeep selection team, that was a serious player in creating the current FannieMae Crisis.
• Tom McGuire points out:
  

  The surge has been so successful that even Barack Obama is able to praise it.

  Sen. Barack Obama, edging away from a long-held position, tacitly acknowledged the success of the Iraq troop-surge strategy during an appearance Tuesday before the country’s largest organization of combat veterans.

  “Let’s be clear, our troops have completed every mission they’ve been given,” Mr. Obama said at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Orlando, Fla., where the likely Democratic presidential nominee courted military voters who are expected to play a pivotal role in several swing states. “They have created the space for political reconciliation.”

  Let’s also be clear that Obama’s judgment was that the surge would not succeed and, as of a month ago, was not meeting our strategic goals.  Whatever.

  Seems to me that Obama’s judgement on such matters is seriously questionable at the off.  In any event…You really want to put Tom in your ‘regular read’ list… and I’m doing that myself, tonight.

• Public Enemy playing the DNC? Yeah, that fits.
  

  Elvis was a hero to most
  But he never meant shit to me you see
  Straight up racist that sucker was
  Simple and plain
  Mother fuck him and John Wayne
  Cause I’m Black and I’m proud
  I’m ready and hyped plus I’m amped
  Most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamps
  Sample a look back you look and find
  Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check
  Don’t worry be happy
  Was a number one jam
  Damn if I say it you can slap me right here
  (Get it) lets get this party started right
  Right on, c’mon
  What we got to say
  Power to the people no delay
  To make everybody see
  In order to fight the powers that be

  Hmmm. Is this really the image the DNC wasn’t to put forward? Is this really the group they want to associate with?  So much, I suppose, for post racialism at the DNC. Or, did it ever really exist?

• Speaking of the DNC, what is it they’re protecting themselves from, I wonder?
• Building Seven has been solved. But don’t expect the Troofers to accept it.
• Look, arrest her or not as you will. Either way I think it’s s safe bet she ain’t goin’ anywhere.
• So, Harry Reid says he can’t stand John McCain. Hey, Harry, have you looked at your own ratings and that of the Senate lately? Apparently, most of us can’t stand YOU. Here’s a word you really oughta consider, Harry: Retirement.
• The Religion of peace rides yet again.
• Boortz, yesterday:
  

  Scientists claim that dogs are able to learn morals from humans. I thought it was the other way around.

  Why, I was just thinking that last night, when I noticed a drunk peeing on a fire hydrant.

• I’d say that’s a ‘No” on the blessing. 
• Gas prices continue to fall… as we predicted here.
• My guess is Philip Berg is a name we’re going to be hearing from for a few weeks. The guy actually sued Obama saying is not elegible for the office of POTUS. Should it be mentioned that Philly is a Democrat stronghold?
• Have a great weekend.

Jim Gerhaghty, National Review:

All statements by Barack Obama come with an expiration date. All of them.(emphis orginal)

As attributed by, A.J Strata, Strata-Sphere,  BO on MTP, 27 July, on Mrs. Clinton as Veep:

“[she] would be on anybody’s short list.” 

And:

“She was never vetted,” a Democratic official reported. “She was not asked for a single piece of paper. She and Senator Obama have never had a single conversation about it. How would he know if she’d take it?”

Mrs. Clinton reminded us all, in her unique all so soft and soothing voice, that she got a record number of votes during the primary.   Has BO just shoved all of Mrs. Clinton’s some eighteen million voters under the bus.  The Clintons’s are neither very bright nor accomplished.   They however are a very bitter and vengeful couple.   Maybe BO feels the White House is not big enough to hold all that bitterness?   Might be right.

And the ‘rats like to spread the fiction that BO is smart.   We, Michelle and others have taken to callling BO a dope.  So who do you believe?

Thank You Mr. President

Now I have never said that a blonde can’t be smart.   Here is one smart blonde.  Note what Ms Walsh does just prior to asking permssion to make a statement.

Aside, if Ms Walsh wishes to pursue a career in journalism, I’d reccomend she not send her resumes to the New York Times, Times, CNN or NBC.

Hat tips:  Kim Priestap, Wizbang; and MsUnderEstimated.

Potemkin village.

If voters pay attention instead to the things Obama is saying, the case against an Obama presidency will be clear. 

Lorie Byrd, Townhall.

As attributed to Barack Obama by Hugh Hewitt, Townhall,  via Dale Franks, QandO: 

Everybody’s watching what’s going on in Beijing right now with the Olympics , Think about the amount of money that China has spent on infrastructure.  Their ports, their train systems, their airports are vastly the superior to us now, which means if you are a coporation deciding where to do business you’re starting to think, “Beijing looks like a pretty good option.”

Oh well, maybe they don’t teach history at Havard?

I said last night that Obama was revealing himself as an anti-private -property, anti-capitalist socialist. From that thought, a couple of fantasy scenarios occur to my mind to help ilustrate this::

* What would have happened, had Obama been asked the question about his property holdings, and anwered that he’d have to check with his staff? THe most likely thing this far along would be that the Obama people, (Meaning the press) would be suggesting he didn’t know off the top of his head because “property has no hold on his mind”.

* * On the other hand, let’s say that McCain had answer the question with a strong “I own seven houses”.   Does anyone doubt that Obama wouldn’t be all over that like crazy on Dennis Rodman, saying “He’s rubbing how rich he is in our faces’? Does anyone doubt that Obama’s people… (Meaning, again, the press) wouldn’t be running that soundbite every 30 seconds for the next week?

As Marx himself discovered, inciting the struggle of class against class is a wonderful political tool. No matter which way the argument goes, it can be twisted to suit.