Ron Vs. Rudy
Ron Paul’s performance during last night’s debate was roundly slammed by the MSM and he was labeled dead in the water upon the debate’s conclusion. That is right up until the results from the Foxnews text message poll started to roll in with Ron in first place by a nice margin. The final results are here. Mitt Romney won with 29% and Ron Paul ended up second with 25%, beating out Rudy Giuliani at 19%. This is significant as Paul and Giuliani were key players in what was perhaps the most honest and open moment of the debate.

The interesting thing was that when the debate ended Ron Paul was in first place in the Foxnews poll, it took several hours for Mitt Romney to overtake him. This was largely the result of constant attacks on Paul by the Foxnews anchors who insisted that he had either rigged the polls or that the poll didn’t matter (despite the fact that over 20,000 people had voted by the end of the debate).

Ron Vs. The MSM

Whether you agree or disagree with him, Ron Paul has exposed a decidedly blatant bias within the MSM against the the pro-constitution/libertarian leaning wing of the party which would actually result in real change in Washington.  It remains to be seen if Paul’s grass roots support can be translated into a more widespread popularity.

The Beeb has aired a documentary on Scientology to huge ratings. Here is a primer on Scientology beliefs

If you happened to be in San Francisco last night you had the opportunity to attend the Jerry Falwell Anti-Memorial and Speak Out and dance on his mock grave. This celebration was in response to the evangelicals death yesterday at the age of 73. Many in the GLBT community found it tasteless as well.

Here is a graph showing the per month Vietnam War deaths superimposed on a graph of the to date Iraq war deaths. The contrast is stunning and speaks volumes, not about our success or failure in either war but rather our complete collapse as a society in both cases. We are truly a weak people who seem unable to emotionally and mentally endure any sustained conflict. Let us hope we don’t have to fight a real war anytime soon or we would surely lose.

H/T: Instapundit

Fred Thompson responds to Michael Moore’s challenge to debate him.  This is just awesome.  All this got me thinking, if the Presidential election was decided by an arm wrestling tournament, who do you think would win?  My money is still on Fred Thompson. 

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is prepared to spend an unprecedented $1 billion of his own $5.5 billion personal fortune for a third-party presidential campaign, personal friends of the mayor tell The Washington Times.

“He has set aside $1 billion to go for it,” confided a long-time business adviser to the Republican mayor. “The thinking about where it will come from and do we have it is over, and the answer is yes, we can do it.”

Another personal friend and fellow Republican said in recent days that Mr. Bloomberg, who is a social liberal and fiscal conservative, has “lowered the bar” and upped the ante for a final decision on making a run.

Washington Times

Any thoughts on how a Bloomberg candidacy would effect the Presidential race? He was a life long Democrat until five years ago when he ran for mayor, switching parties to avoid a crowded Democratic primary. Would he hurt the Dems more or the GOP more in the general election?

Spending is one of those prickly issues that the media has seemed to assign as too boring, the pundits as too complex, and the candidates as too dangerous to really delve into. While that leaves journalists time to focus on the fate of Paris Hilton, this “hear, see and speak no evil” approach to how much government we want in our lives, and how much of it we are really paying for, is extremely dangerous for every one of us who pays taxes.

For the candidates in this crowded field, the spending debate represents a real opportunity. It is a big issue that will make a difference in every American’s life in the years ahead, and it’s an area that has not been graced with leadership. Let’s face it: My party, the Republicans, have been in control, and they have blown it when it comes to government spending. The fine-print disclaimer on the demise of the Republican Congress should read: “We really didn’t want less control of your money — we just wanted to put it toward a few different causes.”

I saw this when I was in Congress, and I see it now at the state level, where state spending has increased by 22 percent nationally over the past three years — with federal spending growing at 21 percent over that same time. The people who are most aware of, and most outraged by, this are Republicans at the grass-roots level who I see and hear from every day. The candidate who can tap into their desire for leadership on this front, and lay out more than a sound-bite plan on spending, is the candidate who I think will win in South Carolina. That candidate will also win in a lot of other states that are very different from South Carolina, because common to all is a thirst for leadership that will honestly assess where we are as a country financially and where we need to go on issues bigger than most of what captures the ephemeral headlines in Washington.

The Politico

Need anyone say more?  It continues to astonish me how the GOP power that be can’t grasp this very simple concept.

After the Senate and House approved their proposed budgets, the S.C. Club for Growth released a “Lard List” of legislative pork that included museums in Lake City and Florence, as well as a pottery degree at Piedmont Technical College. Six festivals across the state that received money through the competitive grants program last year also were on the “Lard List.”

Sanford has been a critic of the budget as well, installing a “clock” outside his office to tabulate new Senate spending at $33 per second.

The Herald

Governor Sanford has been a long time critic of the State Legislature’s piggish spending habits throughout his first term as South Carolina governor, and that isn’t changing in his second term. It is important to note that his own party controls the State Legislature.  He has also continued to harp on the Legislature to cut the income tax with the excess money the state has taken in to stimulate more economic growth throughout this growing state. If only this guy would have ran for President.

Last year, money added into the state’s budget, after the state Board of Economic Advisers increased its estimate of state income in May, meant few projects were cut from the House or Senate budgets. Wednesday, the board added $240 million more for House and Senate negotiators.

Sanford has argued the state’s new income money could be used to cut income taxes, which would spur investment across the state.

Cooper said the House would push for its $81 million income tax cut, as well as the Senate’s $90 million reduction of the state grocery sales tax to 1 percent from 3 percent.

NEW YORK (AP) - NBC’s top entertainment executive said Monday that he doesn’t expect actor and potential Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson back on “Law & Order” next season.NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly claimed no insider knowledge of Thompson’s political plans, but his statement indicated the seriousness of Thompson’s presidential musings. The former Tennessee senator has been making speaking appearances and blogging on issues in recent weeks as he considers a candidacy.

“It’s pretty clear that Fred is going to be leaving the cast of the show no matter what,” Reilly said at a news conference on NBC’s fall schedule.

Breitbart

Is this a sign of things to come?  Is Thompson in for the running?

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas (AP) - Voters in this Dallas suburb became the first in the nation Saturday to prohibit landlords from renting to most illegal immigrants.

The ban was approved by a vote of 68 percent to 32 percent in final, unofficial returns.

The balloting marked the first public vote on a local government measure to crack down on illegal immigration.

Myway

This was not a vote by a local government, but rather a vote by the people.  The people have clearly spoken, almost 70% of them, that illegal immigration must stop!  Watch for the legal challenges to start rearing their head.

In an interview with Diane Sawyer on “Good Morning America,” the former Republican speaker of the House said there was a “great possibility” that he would run for president.

He will make that decision sometime in the fall. Sawyer noted that previously Gingrich had only said he was “thinking about” a run for president.

ABC News

With Thompson having yet to declare, there is still a conservative void to fill in the race. I still think if Thompson does declare prior to September, Gingrich will step aside.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani said he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of filling a future Supreme Court vacancy with an outspoken opponent of abortion.

Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who advocates keeping abortion legal, today said on “Fox News Sunday” that he would consider nominating a critic of abortion rights if the person had a strong overall record.

Bloomberg

Giuliani’s position on abortion is no secret and I respect him for not running away from it. He continues to make it clear that he is more than open to nominating pro-life judges to the Supreme Court and that he would not use someone’s opinions on abortion as a litmus test. Overturning Roe would return the issue of abortion back to the states where it belongs, not outlaw forthright, so based on his statements is it reasonable to conclude he would back an anti-Roe judge?

“If I thought that on 20 other issues they would be terrific, I might be able to, sure,” Giuliani said. “I don’t consider it a litmus test. If you don’t consider it a litmus test, you don’t consider it a litmus test either way.”

The top-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate on Sunday expressed frustration with the Iraqi government, saying Republicans were “overwhelmingly disappointed” with the lack of political progress.

“The Iraqi government is a huge disappointment,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN’S Late Edition on Sunday.

“So far, they’ve not been able do anything they promised on the political side,” the Kentucky Republican said, citing the Iraqis’ failure to pass a new oil revenue bill, hold local elections and dismantle the former Baath Party of Saddam Hussein. “It’s a growing frustration.”

“Republicans overwhelmingly feel disappointed about the Iraqi government,” he added.

Reuters

I fully concur.  It is up to the Iraqi people and their government to change their country.  We cannot be expected to be there forever, nor should we.  If the people of Iraq are not willing to stand up and defend and improve their own nation then there is no point for us to remain there sacrificing American lives.

Rudy going deranged on Ferrets

A Pro-Ferret joke ad 

Since there has been a lot of beating up on Rudy Giuliani on the abortion issue, I thought it was only fair to bring up the Congressional National Political Awareness Test that Thompson took in 1994.  On the subject of abortion, Thompson checked the following box:

Abortions should be legal in all circumstances as long as the procedure is completed within the first trimester of the pregnancy.

Now he also check the box that indicated Congress should leave legislation on this issue in the hands of the states, which would tell me that he is in favor of overturning Roe, but that is inconclusive.

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said he would consider entering the 2008 presidential campaign as an independent.

An independent bid “is possible,” Hagel, 60, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” scheduled to air today. “I don’t ever foreclose any options.” He will decide in the next few months whether to run for a third Senate term, pursue the presidency or leave politics altogether, he said.

Bloomberg

Choice number three is sounding pretty darn good to me, Chuck. Even if he does make an attempt at the Presidency being an Independent would be the only way he could do it anyhow. He doesn’t have a shot in Hell at getting at the GOP nomination. The number of Republicans opposed to giving him just another Senate term are racking up daily. Personally, I think Hagel is just auditioning to be the Media’s new McCain.

Apparently, there have been several riots erupting across France as the result of Sarkozy’s election win. Why does it seem that all the political violence comes from the Left? You saw it at Columbia University when Left wing protesters rushed the stage shutting down a speech by a member of the Minutemen and causing a scuffle. We saw it just a few weeks ago when Left wing activists threw rocks and other projectiles at Karl Rove’s car following his speech at American University. Conservative pundits such as Ann Coulter and David Horowitz have been attacked while speaking in public. Several Bush campaign offices were vandalized during his reelection bid.

You simply don’t observe this behavior from right wing or conservative groups, yet violent actions are becoming increasingly common by the Left throughout the western world. These same people who claim to cherish free speech and the exchange of ideas under the guise of liberalism are simultaneously undermining those freedoms with their own actions. Their behavior is Stalinist. You frequently hear right wing politicians and commentators state that the Left is just as patriotic as the Right; they just have different views. I think the Right needs to stop fooling themselves and start calling a spade a spade.

For those of you interested in campaign science, not only is Sarko pretty good on policy issues but he also ran a web effort that would put most of the US Presidential campaigns to shame. Check it out

Don’t procreate.

I haven’t posted in over a week now because I have made a long distance move.  I have left Pennsylvania and am now settled into my new place in South Carolina, a nice red state, where I have relocated with my company and will be working just over the state line in downtown Charlotte.  The weather is beautiful down here and I am loving it so far.  No more PA and not looking back!