Good news! Rasmussen:

April 16, 2005–In the race to become Virginia’s next Governor, Republican Jerry Kilgore leads Democrat Tim Kaine by eight percentage points, 44% to 36%.

Forty-nine percent (49%) of Virginia have a favorable opinion of Kilgore while 33% have an unfavorable opinion. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure.

For Kaine, the numbers are 44% favorable, 31% unfavorable, and 25% not sure.

The state’s current Governor, Democrat Mark Warner, is viewed favorably by 65% of the state’s voters. Twenty-six percent (26%) have an unfavorable view.

President Bush is viewed favorably by 56% and unfavorably by 43%.

Just 36% of Virginia voters believe things in the United States are going in the right direction. Fifty-nine percent (59%) say things have gotten off on the wrong track.

The telephone survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted Thursday night, April 14, 2005. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points, with a 95% level of confidence.

From PoliticsPA.com

Yes ladies that’s right, Pennsylvania’s professional rabble rouser and YCOP Chairman Chris Lilik is goign to be at a singles party tonight for conservatives… watch out!

I would classify the Conservative Party of New York State as struggling: to find issues, to find a constituency, and of course struggling to differentiate themselves effectively from the state Republican machine (RINOs).

The CPNYS has focused its energy on battles that it thinks it can win, such as the smoking ban, and then failing to make any dents. Despite clearly having the best candidate in last years Senate election against Chuck Schumer (link was originally to an article by Joe Sobran, but I am nothing if not contreversy averse) there was no hope of winning.

The last point is the most troubling. The Conservative Party was founded to give New Yorkers a place to stand against the totally indistinct state Democrat and Republican parties, toadies to leviathan as they were. These days however, they have become nothing but a rubber stamp to Governor George Pataki and State Senate Maj, Leader Joe Bruno (RINO-Troy). An absolutely egregious example of this arrived with the mail today, announcing that this years annual CPNYS gala would be headlined by none other than “The Architect”, Karl Rove.

To many conservatives, Karl Rove is a hero for getting President Bush elected, and growing the majority in both houses of Congress. I choose to remember him for forcing us to live with Arlen Specter. Rove’s behavior, and Bush’s for that matter, during the PA Senate primary last year was entirely shameful and inexcusable, and will form more of their legacy for the Republican Party than they may realize. In four years, when we look back and realized that nothing has changed with the Supreme Court, that nothing has changed with Social Security, that nothing has changed period, the reason will be Arlen Specter.

And conservatives are supposed to celebrate Karl Rove because….?

(Thanks to Michelle Malkin’s ‘blog for the picture!)

Actually there seems to be more unrest on the English-laguage blogs than in China itself. Many people seem to want to project what has happened in Georgia, Ukraine, Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan onto the recent spate of protests and riots that have been taking place across China. This is a mistake. China is not a former Soviet republic nor is it a repressed Arab nation. I haven’t met a single Chinese person yet who has spoken of the desire to have a democratic government in China.

I have traveled all over China, and the only place I have seen any support for democracy is in Hong Kong where it is the status quo. Which is of course why it is so popular there, it has worked and it shouldn’t be meddled with. The same thing is true of the Mainland, the people there believe, almost to a fault, “that if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Right now, a capitalistic oligarchy of elder statesmen run China and few Chinese want to change this status quo. It might lead to instability, something people here fear very much.

Look, sorry to burst anyone’s bubble, but it ain’t happening hear folks, move right along to the next country. I would look south to Burma, things are slowly unraveling there . . .

Finally, somebody gets it. Is George W. watching?

To diffuse the chattering classes:

1.) No, I don’t believe President Bush has the constitutitional authority to do this. I do know some folks who do, or could at least impeach seven of them. Unfortunately, they haven’t got the stones.

2.) I have never been to Ecuador, and know nothing about the political situation there. This post is not an endorsement of Pres. Gutierrez, who may be a thug, or his actions, which may be senseless and unjust.

Pat Buchanan explains to conservatives the next front in the Judges War. This is the issue facing conservatives as far as I am concerned. We control this nation, but all the laws we pass are meaningless if, in the end, they are to be emasculated by the various judges who get their dirty little hands on them.