Jun 12, 20080

I Endorse Barack Obama for President

Keywords: , , , , , , , , , ,

I take an unusual step today, I realize. A number of my friends, family, and closest associates will no doubt disown me. Rush Limbaugh will probably never mention RedState again. But I have to endorse Barack Obama for President.

I owe Barack Obama an endorsement. The campaign Barack Obama has run this far has earned him my admiration. While I’ve criticized people like Doug Kmiec for supporting Obama, I have seen the light.

I, Erick-Woods Erickson, do this day endorse Barack Obama for President. He has done all I have asked and now I should do at least one thing he asks and give him my support.

Please do read on . . .

When I beat up Obama for failing to repudiate Rev. Wright, Obama threw him under the bus.

When I punched Obama for telling the Teamsters he’d let them out of federal supervision, he backed down on that through a statement “clarification.”

After I questioned Obama’s patriotism because of his lack of a flag lapel pin, he put one on.

After harassing Obama for saying Iran was no threat, he willingly changed his mind and decided Iran is, in fact, a serious threat.

When Obama opened his mouth and lied about his family connection to the holocaust, he clarified again. Never mind that he’s told several different groups several different variations — he still attempted to do what I thought he needed to do.

When I bullied Obama over not going to Iraq with John McCain, his campaign decided he might just go.

Heck, I even picked on Barry for his “unilateral meetings with rogue nations” and Barry graciously nuanced his way out of it.

Then there’s the other stuff like his fully transparent campaign. He harassed John McCain for being secretive like the Bushies, I punched back, and Obama released just one page on his medical history so we couldn’t see that he actually has health problems due to his continued smoking. Likewise, he won’t even release his birth certificate to prove he really is an American citizen. I love that he’s willing to let this story and the whole “closet Muslim” story fester rather than be transparent like he claims he is. That just helps me out! And it signals that he really is just like the other guys; never mind the marketing.

Oh, and now after I demanded he throw Jim Johnson under the bus, Barry Obama does just that.

I love this guy. Everything I ask him to do, he does. Sure, sometimes I have to bop him on the nose, but just cause he’s into S&M doesn’t mean he’s not my type of guy.

Hell, look at John McCain. People attack him over supporting the surge and he does not cave. Those of us on the right beat him up over believing in that global warming crap and he will not yield to us. We wanted him to support the Bush tax cuts and he refused. And he does not apologize for it! The nerve of that guy.

Some people call that leadership. I call it stubbornness. Contrast John McCain’s stubborn refusal to do as I say when I say with Barry’s willingness to cave faster than a Taliban member with an F/A-18 over head.*

I have to endorse Barry Obama. Thus far he’s done nothing but signal his willingness to be my gimp. And me likey that!

*Note to the libs: this is a play on the word “cave” not a play on the word “Hussein”.

I take an unusual step today, I realize. A number of my friends, family, and closest associates will no doubt disown me. Rush Limbaugh will probably never mention RedState again. But I have to endorse Barack Obama for President. I owe Barack Obama an endorsement. The campaign Barack Obama has run this far has earned him my admiration. While I've criticized people like Doug ... Read More

Jun 12, 20080

Rush Limbaugh’s cousin appointed to federal bench.

Keywords: , , , , ,

Today, Steven Limbaugh Jr., cousin of right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern Missouri. President Bush nominated Steven Limbaugh to the position in December. As ThinkProgress has noted, the Bush administration has close ties to Rush Limbaugh, granting him access to Tony Snow, Condoleezza Rice, […]

Today, Steven Limbaugh Jr., cousin of right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern Missouri. President Bush nominated Steven Limbaugh to the position in December. As ThinkProgress has noted, the Bush administration has close ties to Rush Limbaugh, granting him access to Tony Snow, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, and Vice President Cheney. Last fall, Limbaugh was treated to his own private confab with Bush. (HT: Crooks and Liars) Read More

Jun 11, 20080

Conservatives Complain GOP’s Earmark Plan Doesn’t Go Far Enough

Keywords: , , , , , , ,

As House Republicans unveiled their economic agenda today, conservatives expressed disappointment that it does nothing to address earmark reform now and instead calls for an “immediate moratorium” in the future. The document was drafted to lay out the GOP’s agenda in January 2009 if Republicans reclaim control of the House.

Earmark critics, however, say that view is completely unrealistic. They think a total ban on earmarks must be instituted today because the chances of Republicans taking back the House are slim. “We need to lead by example and differentiate ourselves,” a conservative staffer told me. “The economic agenda today will allow earmarks this year and the next if Republicans do not win the House. No fundamental change from the status quo.”

The struggle over earmarks is reflected in the differing views of two GOP leaders: Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) and Policy Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.). The Hill reported the conflict earlier this week with Hensarling demanding action now and McCotter opposed to a “one-size-fits-all ban.” In a memo released this afternoon, Hensarling reiterated his support for a ban. He could press the issue by bringing it to a conference-wide vote.

As I reported on RedState last night, the GOP’s economic agenda includes many conservative proposals, including a flat tax, free-market health care, entitlement reform, balanced budget and energy production. Yet earmarks remain a sticking point despite Minority Leader John Boehner’s attempt to reach a consensus.

Conservatives don’t dispute the laudable policy goals included as part of the economic agenda — many developed by the Republican Study Committee. But that’s no excuse to take a pass on earmark reform today. Although it remains a divisive issue for Republicans, Hensarling should keep fighting for a ban on pork-barrel projects. Boehner faces no easy task bringing the GOP together, but he should view this as an opportunity for the GOP to distinguish itself from Democrats in advance of November’s elections.

Hensarling’s memo to Republican Study Committee members is below.

Dear RSC Colleague—

Conference Leadership has just unveiled its Economic Reform Agenda. Incorporated within that agenda are all of the relevant points of the RSC’s 8-point Action Plan save one. For those who worked so hard on the RSC plan, I congratulate you. I believe it was an important contribution and catalyst to the Conference’s plan, and I ask that you thank Leader Boehner for incorporating most of our Action Plan.

The portion of the plan not included, as of now, is the call for an immediate and unilateral earmark moratorium to be enacted today. As you have heard me state before, without action today, I fear the American people will never learn our party has called for a moratorium, while the Democrats stand for business as usual on pork-barrel spending. I know there are a number of legitimate issues to be resolved, and I hope we can resolve them soon.

For your information, some press reports concerning the RSC’s role in this situation are misleading. To make it clear, most of our membership believe it will probably prove necessary to discuss and resolve this issue at a special conference to be scheduled soon. What is accurate, as described by CQ Today, is that, “Boehner and Hensarling were working to find ways to persuade more Republicans, to join them in taking a ‘no earmarks’ pledge.”

We will speak more of this at today’s meeting, and I again thank you for your help in this effort.

Yours respectfully,

JEB HENSARLING

Chairman of the Republican Study Committee

As House Republicans unveiled their economic agenda today, conservatives expressed disappointment that it does nothing to address earmark reform now and instead calls for an "immediate moratorium" in the future. The document was drafted to lay out the GOP's agenda in January 2009 if Republicans reclaim control of the House. Earmark critics, however, say that view is completely unrealistic. They think a total ban on earmarks must be instituted ... Read More

Jun 11, 20080

Obama VP Vetter Jim Johnson Steps Down

Keywords: , , , ,

On MSNBC earlier today, Chris Cilizza was pretty hard on Barack Obama for his dismissal of criticism about his appointment of Jim Johnson to his VP vetting team, saying he did himself “little good” yesterday when he insisted:

“I am not vetting my VP Search Committee for their mortgages,” Obama said Tuesday in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was campaigning.

“This is a game that can be played — everybody who is tangentially related to our campaign, I think, is going to have a whole host of relationships. I would have to hire the vetter to vet the vetters,” he said.

The controversy surrounding Johnson:

Republicans had been hammering Johnson since the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that he received a good deal on a mortgage from Countrywide due to his friendship with the company’s CEO Angelo Mozilo. Obama has criticized Countrywide in connection with the subprime mortgage crisis.

The fact that Obama had lost Cilizza, who is a pretty reliable honest broker when it comes to analyzing the small p politics of political situations, led me to suspect that perhaps Johnson would not be long for this world, and indeed, today Johnson has stepped down.

From Obama’s statement:

“Jim did not want to distract in any way from the very important task of gathering information about my vice presidential nominee, so he has made a decision to step aside that I accept,” the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said in a statement.

I’m glad the Obama campaign realized this is not a battle worth waging. The fact is, Obama is likely to be held to a higher standard than McCain is on various measures over the coming months because Obama has staked his campaign largely on judgment and a new kind of politics. Who Obama surrounds himself with, whether in an official paid capacity or not, matters and it’s good that they’ve learned that lesson now rather than later.

<b.Update [2008-6-11 16:4:26 by Todd Beeton]:On MSNBC a few minutes ago, Howard Fineman broke down why Obama had to cut Johnson loose:

Obama picked as his top VP vetter a guy who was a very symbol of the world that Obama claimed to want to change and that’s what bit him here and that’s why he had no choice but to get rid of him, in part because Jim Johnson…raked in a lot of cash from his various government-related jobs, especially the one at Fannie Mae.

Tags: 2008 presidential election, barack obama, jim johnson (all tags)

On MSNBC earlier today, Chris Cilizza was pretty hard on Barack Obama for his dismissal of criticism about his appointment of Jim Johnson to his VP vetting team, saying he did himself "little good" yesterday when he insisted: "I am not vetting my VP Search Committee for their mortgages," Obama said Tuesday in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was campaigning. "This is a game that can be played -- everybody who is tangentially related to our campaign, I think, is ... Read More

Jun 11, 20080

Washington Times’ Tony Blankley: Obama might be a ‘dictator.’

Keywords: , , , , , ,

In the Washington Times today, former Newt Gingrich aide Tony Blankley tries to cast Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) as a potential “dictator” in waiting. Claiming that Obama made a “shockingly dictatorial assertion” last month when he said Americans can’t expect to be considered world leaders while still driving SUVs and eating “as much as we […]

In the Washington Times today, former Newt Gingrich aide Tony Blankley tries to cast Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) as a potential “dictator” in waiting. Claiming that Obama made a “shockingly dictatorial assertion” last month when he said Americans can’t expect to be considered world leaders while still driving SUVs and eating “as much as we want,” Blankley asks if he is a “dictator or democrat?“: Dictator or democrat? Radical or liberal? Who in the world is this man? Where in the world is ... Read More

Jun 11, 20080

O’Reilly Uses Heavily Edited Ambush Segment To Attack Moyers As ‘Rude,’ ‘A Fanatic,’ ‘A Crazy Guy,’ ‘Scary’

Keywords: , , , , , , , ,

Deploying one of his favorite tactics, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly sent out a “reporter” last week to ambush PBS journalist Bill Moyers, at a journalism conference. The reporter, Porter Barry, accused Moyers of not “having the courage” to come on the O’Reilly Factor. Moyers replied, “I will come on Bill O’Reilly’s show after he […]

Deploying one of his favorite tactics, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly sent out a “reporter” last week to ambush PBS journalist Bill Moyers, at a journalism conference. The reporter, Porter Barry, accused Moyers of not “having the courage” to come on the O’Reilly Factor. Moyers replied, “I will come on Bill O’Reilly’s show after he accepts my invitation to come on my show, unedited, a whole hour. I’ll give him a whole hour.” He added, “But let’s see if that message gets ... Read More

Jun 11, 20080

Senate 2010: Voinovich Ripe for a Challenge in Ohio

Keywords: , , , , , ,

I was going through the monthly approval ratings SurveyUSA puts out from a handful of states around the country the other day, and one set of numbers jumped out at me — the anemic approval rating of Ohio Republican George Voinovich, who has represented the entire state either as Governor or Senator (the position in which he currently serves) for the better part of the last two decades.

According to SUSA’s numbers for the month of May, just 46 percent of Ohioans approve of the job Voinovich is doing as Senator while 43 percent disapprove. Believe it or not, this is Voinovich’s best net approval score this calendar year and his highest approval rating during this period as well (it marks an improvement from his 42/48 spread in February). Over the last five months, Voinovich’s average approval rating is 44.2 percent, his median approval rating 45 percent. For someone with such a long track record of winning elections in Ohio, particularly statewide ones, these numbers just aren’t strong.

So with a potential opening for the Democrats, who might step forward in the event that Voinovich tries to undertake the task of running for reelection in 2010 (or even if he doesn’t). At least some talk appears to be pointed in the direction of Congressman Tim Ryan, who at age 34 is already in his sixth year representing Ohio in the House of Representatives.

Democratic leaders deputized him to campaign for other candidates around the country in 2006, which helped his party regain a House majority. In 2007, they gave him a plum Appropriations Committee assignment that allowed him to send more than $26 million to his district in 2008 spending bills. He even traveled to Iowa this month to campaign for Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd in the state’s Democratic presidential caucuses.

“He’s been given all the gifts to go as far as he wants to go here,” says Pittsburgh-area Democratic Rep. Mike Doyle, who calls Ryan especially effective at “speaking the language of those of us who grew up in blue-collar areas.”

“He’s gonna get better and better and be a major player here in the years ahead,” foresees Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

[…]

Concord Township Republican Rep. Steve LaTourette calls Ryan a “backslapper who can tell a good joke” and says he’s well liked.

“He is really going to be a force to be reckoned with over the years,” LaTourette predicts. “All eyes need to be on him to run for Senate in 2010. I’m sure he’s destined for greater things.”

Ryan is a strong progressive (he scores an 89.93 mark from progressive punch) who is not at all afraid to speak his mind. Although he only has about $366,000 in the bank, which he would need to do serious work to build on if ramping up for a Senate bid, it seems likely that Ryan’s political skills should be able to help him put together a top-notch organization, were he interested in making a run.

To be clear, there are other names being tossed around with regards to this race, including other Democratic members of Congress. But whether it’s Ryan or someone else, like state Treasurer Richard Cordray or Congresswoman Betty Sutton, it appears that Ohio Democrats have a real shot at sending another one of their own to join Sherrod Brown in the Senate next cycle.

Tags: Senate 2010, OH-Sen, Ohio (all tags)

I was going through the monthly approval ratings SurveyUSA puts out from a handful of states around the country the other day, and one set of numbers jumped out at me -- the anemic approval rating of Ohio Republican George Voinovich, who has represented the entire state either as Governor or Senator (the position in which he currently serves) for the better part of the last two decades. According to SUSA's numbers for the month of May, just 46 percent of Ohioans ... Read More

Jun 11, 20080

OK, Let’s Go Down That Road

Keywords: , , , , ,

At the Atlantic, Ambinder prints an email the RNC has been pushing around that tries (desperately, albeit creatively) to present a pattern of down-ticket Democrats who think Obama’s too liberal. Or something.

The crux of citations revolve around the announcement by conservative Democrat Dan Boren that he wouldn’t “endorse” Barack Obama.

Today, Oklahoma’s lone Democrat Congressman joined a growing number of Democrats who are distancing themselves from Barack Obama…

“Boren, the lone Democrat in Oklahoma’s congressional delegate, said that while Obama has talked about working with Republicans, `unfortunately, his record does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion.’” (Associated Press, 06/10/08)

Ambinder asks “does the RNC really want to get into a debate over the number of partisans in each party who don’t fully support their party’s nominee?”

The answer is no. Or it should be.

Despite the sloppy claim of a “growing” number of Democrats distancing themselves from Obama, in truth there’s really only a small handful. And they look like mostly exceptions.

Boren, specifically, is a 35-year-old conservative Democrat serving in a district Bush won by 18% in 2004. He was one of the last to favor S-CHIP, and kept voting with Bush against an Iraq timetable long after nearly every other Dem in the House left him behind.

More generally, it’s the Republicans who’ve really got problems with support for their ticket. DemFromCT has a rundown, but my favorite is this one from Bay Buchanan:

Since McCain has become the presumptive nominee, I have spoken at more than two dozen Republican gatherings.  The sentiment everywhere can best be summarized in the words of one of the activists, “No matter who wins in November, we lose.”

McCain, for his part, won’t even appear publicly with his party’s sitting president for more than 45 seconds, and his own campaign considers the nominee’s home Arizona turf a battlegound state.

And as Singer has discussed, the GOP strategy of tying down-ticket Dem politicians in traditionally red districts to national Democratic leaders has proven a spectacular flop.

Boren apparently didn’t get the memo. He did get his headline though - and some misleading fodder for the RNC.

Tags: Election 08, Republicans, John McCain (all tags)

At the Atlantic, Ambinder prints an email the RNC has been pushing around that tries (desperately, albeit creatively) to present a pattern of down-ticket Democrats who think Obama's too liberal. Or something. The crux of citations revolve around the announcement by conservative Democrat Dan Boren that he wouldn't "endorse" Barack Obama. Today, Oklahoma's lone Democrat Congressman joined a growing number of Democrats who are distancing themselves from Barack Obama... "Boren, the lone Democrat in Oklahoma's congressional delegate, said ... Read More

Jun 11, 20080

House GOP’s Bold Economic Agenda

Keywords: , , , , , , , , , , ,

House Republicans will unveil their economic agenda tomorrow with proposals to end earmarks, simplify the tax code and increase energy production. The GOP’s agenda should excite conservatives, who will recognize many of the policy goals as long-sought objectives.

For the past 18 months in the minority, Republicans have struggled to unify around a specific set of policy goals. Their economic agenda comes one month after they promoted an “American Families Agenda.” Two other policy plans will be unveiled in the coming months.

The centerpiece of the economic agenda is spending and tax reform. The proposal calls for an “immediate moratorium on congressional earmarks,” which constitutes remarkable progress for House Republicans. The GOP was unable to arrive at that goal earlier this year following its retreat. But after pressure from Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), conservatives apparently won over Boehner, who has long opposed pork-barrel projects.

On tax reform, Republicans are proposing a “two-tier flat tax system that can be filed on one page,” a bold move that moves beyond tinkering with the existing tax code. While it certainly won’t satisfy FairTax supporters, it differs drastically from anything Democrats have proposed. Americans will be dealt the largest tax increase in history if liberals have their way in Congress.

Other goals that are noteworthy include:

• Passing entitlement reform that addresses the problems facing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
• Balancing the federal budget by 2012 without raising taxes.
• Prohibiting federal spending from growing faster than the economy.
• Extending the current welfare work requirements to food stamps and housing.
• Making portability a central component of health care reform.

Here are complete details of the economic agenda:

1. A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL LOWER GAS PRICES

  • We’ll lower gas prices by increasing supply, expanding environmentally sound production of American energy, promoting new technologies to deliver new, cleaner energy and provide incentives to increase our energy efficiency – implementing energy reforms long delayed at America’s expense by short-sighted Democratic politicians.

2. A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL CUT THE PORK

  • We will restore fiscal responsibility in Washington by reining in spending, passing meaningful entitlement reform and balancing the federal budget by 2012 without raising taxes.
  • We will enact an immediate moratorium on congressional earmarks and establish a bipartisan panel to fundamentally reform how Washington spends taxpayer dollars.
  • We will reduce the size of government, make it more efficient and transparent while eliminating eliminate duplicative or wasteful programs.
  • We will limit the growth of federal spending to a level families can afford by adopting a spending limit that would prohibit federal spending from growing faster than the economy except in time of war or national emergency.
  • We will eliminate the exclusive tax breaks Democrats have given rich trial lawyers, and enact reforms to stop lawsuit abuse and prevent American jobs from being destroyed by abuse of the legal system.

3. A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL STOP THE DEMOCRATIC TAX HIKE

  • We will stop the largest tax increase in American history on workers, parents, married couples, small businesses, and those saving for retirement. We will offer new tax breaks for Americans – including eliminating the unfair Alternative Minimum Tax and making the Internet permanently tax-free.
  • We will end a tax code that is too long, too complex and too unfair by providing individuals an alternative, two-tier flat tax system that can be filed on one page. Taxpayers can choose the new, simplified system or stay with the current tax code—whichever option suits them.
  • We will make the tax code more family-friendly by reforming the child tax credit and lowering taxes on retirement benefits.

4. A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL FIX A BROKEN WASHINGTON TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH

  • To encourage a welfare safety net that fosters marriage and work, we will extend many of the current welfare work requirements to other programs – namely food stamps and housing – so that those who are not old, young, or disabled are either working in the private sector or serving in their community.
  • We will strengthen education by supporting increased state and local control and flexibility, increasing parental options through school choice, and encouraging states to provide extra support for good teachers through teacher performance pay initiatives.
  • We will tear down barriers that prevent U.S. products from being sold abroad. We will reject policies that retreat from world trade and segregate America from the rest of the world, in favor of policies that level the playing field for American employees and employers and give our workers the ability to go toe-to-toe with workers overseas.
  • We will level the playing field for American workers and start importing jobs here by cutting taxes on American industry.
  • We will strengthen homeownership in America through a series of reforms that encourage home purchases and help needy homeowners who are truly victims.
  • We will reform and improve our current health care system. The House GOP health care reform agenda, to be unveiled in detail in the coming weeks, will include reforms that will help small businesses deal with skyrocketing health care costs and help patients by broadening the array of health insurance choices available to them by allowing them to purchase health plans available in other states.

House Republicans will unveil their economic agenda tomorrow with proposals to end earmarks, simplify the tax code and increase energy production. The GOP's agenda should excite conservatives, who will recognize many of the policy goals as long-sought objectives. For the past 18 months in the minority, Republicans have struggled to unify around a specific set of policy goals. Their economic agenda comes one month after they promoted an "American ... Read More

Jun 11, 20080

Olbermann’s ratings top O’Reilly’s.

Keywords: , , , , , ,

Fox News anchors have repeatedly slammed NBC and its affiliated networks in recent months. “NBC News has gone sharply to the left,” said Bill O’Reilly in January. “They hate Bush across the board.” Nevertheless, MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann beat O’Reilly’s show in ratings last week, becoming the #1 show at 8 p.m.:
MSNBC NOTCHES DEMO […]

Fox News anchors have repeatedly slammed NBC and its affiliated networks in recent months. “NBC News has gone sharply to the left,” said Bill O’Reilly in January. “They hate Bush across the board.” Nevertheless, MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann beat O’Reilly’s show in ratings last week, becoming the #1 show at 8 p.m.: MSNBC NOTCHES DEMO WIN OVER FNC IN PRIMETIME “Countdown” Out-Rates the “Factor” for First Time Ever NEW YORK - June 10, 2008 - MSNBC continued its ratings surge last week, with viewers ... Read More