Two days after hinting he wanted to try for the White House, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich decided he would not run for president, his spokesman said Saturday.

Rick Tyler said Gingrich realized he couldn’t run a political action committee — his American Solutions group — and form an exploratory committee to run for president as well.

“He will continue to bring the American people solutions to the challenges America faces through American Solutions, not as a candidate for president,” Tyler said in a telephone interview.

CNN

That’s too bad.  I really think he would have added a lot to the race and had he actually been able to get the nomination I think he would have given Hillary the smack down during the debates.

The junior Senator from New York is now proposing that every child born in America receive a $5000 bond.  The proposal would cost about $20 billion per year and include all children, regardless of their parents’ income.  Clinton offered no explanation of how she would pay for the idea.

Consider this a test for the American people, and for Republicans.  Will anyone ask or care about where this money will come from?  Will people make the connection between tax dollars and dollars spent by the government?  If she becomes President, how many Congressional Republicans will go along with the “free money” proposal?

In case anyone thinks this is a throw-away suggestion, consider this.  The President’s approval numbers are rock bottom.  Clinton holds a huge lead in every national poll among Democrats.  The Iraq war is unlikely to get much, if any, better by the elections.  Democrats are likely to pick up at least a couple of seats in the Senate, and House retirements could make it difficult for us to hold our own, never mind actually regaining the Majority.  That’s not to say that next year’s elections have already been decided.  It’s only meant to illustrate that this actually could pass.

Robert D. Novak scoops this weekend: “Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, who was named general chairman of the Republican Party only nine months ago, has advised associates that he will leave the post as soon as somebody clinches the party’s presidential nomination. That probably will come after the Feb. 5 primary elections next year. When Martinez took the party post Jan. 19, it was expected he would stay on through the 2008 elections as the GOP’s principal national spokesman. Many Republicans now grumble that Martinez has been ineffective in that role, partly because he has been drowned out by the many presidential hopefuls. Kentucky lawyer Mike Duncan, who came on board with Martinez as chairman of the Republican National Committee, is expected to remain running day-to-day operations at national party headquarters for the balance of his two- year term.”

The Politico

Ineffective? Try completely useless. I’m just going to be blunt here, Martinez sucks. He was placed there to be nothing more than a Bush lackey.

Now that they have a chance to fix this mistake, installing Michael Steele as the new RNC chairman would be the cure to what ails the GOP.

Wal-Mart Adds Drugs to $4 Program

H/T: boortz.com

While also setting up a special class of victims.

The Senate yesterday approved an expansion of federal hate-crimes law to include protections for gay men and lesbians, defying a presidential veto threat by attaching the measure to a high-priority defense bill.

Republicans said they will try to remove the provision in final negotiations with the House, but if that effort fails, GOP leaders urged President Bush to follow through with his long-standing veto threat. They were furious this week when Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) announced that he would force a vote on an expanded hate-crimes statute, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) calling Reid’s maneuver a “shameful” attempt to “hijack” essential defense legislation.

H/T: boortz.com

Now that Hillary looks to be marching almost unopposed to the Democratic nomination, she is clearly looking toward the general election. She looks in remarkably strong shape for that contest. Her antagonism of the netroots can only help her in November, and clearly has done little to prevent her nomination. She has consistently refused to pander to the Moveon crowd, rejected firm timetables for troop withdrawals, and taken a small step approach to universal health-care that will probably be successful.

Meanwhile Republicans have shown almost no awareness that there is going to be a general election next fall. So my question is, what is our strategy for winning? I know our guys are all locked in a fiercely competitive primary, but has anyone looked ahead?

To his credit, Romney does seem to show some awareness that we have to be able to articulate a vision of change in the general. Unfortunately he needs to win over a deeply skeptical base first, which has so far shown little enthusiasm for change rhetoric. How do we win when our party so deeply out of touch with the rest of the electorate? The number of people self-identifying as Republican is at an all time low. Self-identified republicans remain largely supportive of Bush, and the war, when the majority of the population is going the other way. To me the only way to win in November is to admit what should be obvious to anyone paying attention, that Bush has been an awful President, and we are essentially starting over from scratch. We have to move the focus off of the blundered entry into the war, and move focus on the only thing that matters right now, ending the war in a responsible way that minimizes the damage to the US and to the region. We are in serious danger of leaving that argument to the democrats, leaving us with stay the course rhetoric that stopped being persuasive several years ago. We need a post surge plan, and we need it now.

But can we square that with a base that still believes in Bush? Is still expecting a “victory” close to what what was originally planned? I believe that if we cannot, 08 is a lost cause, no matter who we nominate.

Anybody else have a better idea?

U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, R-S.C., has introduced a resolution in the U.S. House calling on Congress to enforce immigration laws previously adopted.

Barrett, the Oconee County resident who represents South Carolina’s 3rd District, said Wednesday that members of Congress “need to live up to the laws you pass.”

“It’s real simple,” Barrett said. “If we say the fence is going to be funded, you need to fully fund it. If it says it needs to be built, you need to build it.”

The State

Sounds like common sense to me. This is, of course, why nobody believes a word that comes out of the Fed’s mouths when it comes to enforcing our borders and laws and why the vast majority of Americans came out against the “shamnesty” bill. You simply can’t trust Washington on this issue.

U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones has introduced a proposal to withhold federal education funds from schools that prohibit the display or wearing of American flags, his office announced today.

Jones, a Farmville Republican, introduced the bill this week after a tiff over a Sampson County high school policy earlier this month.

Raleigh News & Observer

What this is stemming from is an incident on this past September 11th in which a student in North Carolina was ordered to remove a t-shirt that had an American flag on it based on a policy the Sampson County School System has that apparently bans the clothing with flags of any nation. It’s an idiotic policy and the superintendent of the school system had an even more idiotic answer in that the educators shouldn’t be forced to pick which flags are permissible. I think that answer is a pretty obvious one and it’s frightening that this person is an “educator.”

Their stupidity aside, is this really an issue that the Federal Government should be involved in? Granted, if the school is receiving Federal funds and Congress doesn’t like the way they are running their schools I suppose they have the right to withhold that funding, which is what Jones’ bill would do, but is he overreacting here?

Paul over at Power Line lays out the problems with expanding SCHIP to include children of higher-income families than proposed by President Bush and the Republicans. This is a precise, easily-understandable article that depends not on rhetoric, but on crunching some numbers. I’d suggest everyone read it to get some data-oriented perspective on the dangers of expanding SCHIP and how it really is not feasible for the government or the families it claims to help.

Paul’s last word:

Why are the Democrats pushing so hard for a middle class entitlement program that will promote inefficiency and waste, wreck the private market, and become fiscally unsustainable by 2013 if not before? It looks like an effort to lure middle-class families into government-run health care.

Sort of like HillaryCare.

UPDATE: Grover Norquist has more on SCHIP expansion on NRO.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is calling on Sen. Ted Stevens to respond to accusations of bribery.  Stevens has gone silent since the FBI raided his home in July.  Palin has already spoken out more than most elected officials about corruption in politics, especially that involving members of her own Party.

This is potentially extremely damaging to Stevens, against whom the Club for Growth is contemplating a primary challenge.  Could the former Senate Pro-Tempore be ousted in a primary?  If so, who might be able to pull off such a staggering upset of an entrenched incumbent from a state that relies heavily on federal dollars?  According to The Hill, the answer is Gov. Sarah Palin.  Palin has shown  no interest in challenging Stevens, but her 89% favorable rating must have the sitting Senator more than a little nervous that a Palin-supported primary challenge could put his career in serious jeopardy.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will begin next week to seek financial commitments from donors for a presidential-nomination bid, the Georgia Republican told The Washington Times yesterday.

If he can get pledges for $30 million over the next three weeks, he will join the Republican presidential-nomination race — a prospect he had been downplaying until yesterday.

The Washington Times

I watched an interview on Fox News Sunday yesterday morning between Chris Wallace and Newt Gingrich. Gingrich said that if he can get pledges of at least $30 million he will join the presidential race. The main reason for his goal is to make sure he is financially competitive, namely against Mitt Romney, who if he needed to could basically write a check to finance his campaign.

“If the reports back that, in fact, we think the resources are there for a real race — remember, Governor Romney has been very successful legitimately as a businessman. He can write a $100 million check.

I mean, there’s no point in getting into a fight with a guy who can drown you unless you at least have enough resources for a vote.

And so if we have enough resources, then close to that we’ll face a very big decision in late October. If there aren’t enough resources, I’m not for doing unrealistic things.”

Fox News

Rudy Giuliani kicked off a weekend of pitches from presidential hopefuls at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference Friday night, telling 1,200 party activists that the solution to Michigan’s economic woes is lower taxes and less government.

“Michigan is going through a situation that to me looks like déjà vu all over again,” the former New York mayor told Republicans gathered in the ornate dining room of the island’s Grand Hotel. Giuliani said he faced the same problems Michigan now faces — job losses, an exodus of population — when he took over as mayor in 1994.

“There is a game plan for what you do when you have a budget deficit, people leaving, high unemployment: lower taxes, smaller government, less regulation,” Giuliani said….

Join Rudy 2008

Rudy is no slouch on the economy, and failed governor, Jennifer Granholm, along with a Republican State Legislature has sure done a number on Michigan’s economy. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate at 7.2% and was one of only four states to lose population in 2005. Rudy has a proven track record of cleaning up economic black holes as his history in New York City clearly demonstrates. The Michigan politicians would sure be wise to take lessons from him.

The FBI secretly recorded two phone calls between Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Bill Allen, a former oil-industry exective turned government informant, according to the Associated Press (link via talkingpointsmemo.com).

AP reports: “Allen, a wealthy businessman and Stevens’ political patron, agreed to the taping last year after authorities confronted him with evidence he had bribed Alaska lawmakers. He pleaded guilty to bribery and is a key witness against Alaska legislators. He also has told prosecutors he paid his employees to renovate the senator’s house.”

There have been rumors around Washington for months of secret tapes involving Stevens and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), the state’s long-serving member in the House. Up until now, it had been only rumors, but the AP takes the story to the next level.

Politico

I hope Stevens and Young both get nailed to the wall on this.  Then we can get some real conservatives elected in Alaska, a lot more like Palin and a lot less like the Murkowskis.

George Will has some very good questions for the President’s choice as new Attorney General, Michael Mukasey.

Conservative Legal thought is at a crossroads.  When it comes to executive power, we need make a choice.  Either we attempt to follow the original intent and text of the constitution, or we bend, break and violate every legal principle and rule on the books in order to pour as much power into the hands of the President of the United States as possible.  Up till now, the Bush administration has chosen option number 2.  If there is going to be a shift in this approach, a new attitude on the part of the AG would be a good start.  While the President is still the ultimate authority over the department, a change at the Cabinet level can still have a dramatic impact. 

Judge Mukasey needs to also explain his management techniques and experiences.  The DOJ needs competent leadership after the incompetence of Alberto Gonzales.  Hopefully the administration is attuned to that fact and there are signs they are looking to put more competent people in positions of power.  Robert Gates appears to have made major strides in turning around the DOD after the horrid tenure of his predecessor.  Here’s hoping that the Judge can bring some sober, sane, adult leadership over to the DOJ as well.

Larry will just never be able to live this one down.

After hearing Bush say Thursday that he was going to veto the bill in part because it would allow families of four making $80,000 to place their children on the the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Grassley blasted the president, saying his assertion was dead wrong.

“The president has been served wrong information about what our bill will do,” Grassley said Thursday between Senate votes. “There’s nothing in our bill that would do that. His understanding of the bill was wrong.”

Bush, in a morning news conference, told reporters that “Congress has made the decision to expand the program up to $80,000. … This is a step toward federalization of health care.”

Grassley said that a waiver to allow higher income families to utilize SCHIP has been taken out of the conference committee compromise forged between House and Senate negotiators over the past two days.

The House will vote next week on the final legislation, followed by the Senate. The Senate should reach 68 votes in favor of the bill, enough to override a presidential veto, but the House is far short of a veto override, meaning lawmakers will have to scramble to figure out whether to temporarily extend the program, which expires Sept. 30, or let it lapse. The compromise under consideration would increase spending on children’s healh by $35 billion and would be funded 61 cent tobacco tax increase.

Politico

You know what Chuck? You show me where in the Constitution you are granted the authority to steal money from me and give it to other peoples’ children and I’ll stand up and be outraged with you. Until then, shut the hell up and go back to the cornfields. It’s disgraceful that you would call yourself a Republican and support a tax increase for expanding Socialism.

I am trying to understand the case of the Jena 6. Is attempted murder justified because some dumb white kids hung some nooses in a tree? According to the race warlords Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton it is. They talk about justice for the Jena 6, but what about justice for the young man they allegedly assaulted? Are they being charged with a hate crime?

“There’s no question there’s tribal and ethnic hatreds,” Richardson told The Associated Press. “But when those tribal and ethnic hatreds are fueled by American policy of hostility, then you make the situation worse.”

Those were the words of Gov. Bill Richardson talking about why the United States should remove all troops from Iraq.  Richardson’s argument goes well beyond that it is not in the interests of the United States to remain in Iraq.   He actually thinks that an American abandonment would be in the best interests of the Iraqi people.

There is sectarian violence now.  The only restraint preventing full-fledged, organized ethnic cleansing is the presense of American troops.  If American troops are withdrawn, there will be anarchy, and those with the weapons in any given area will kill those without them.  The situation in Iraq is bad now, and I have no problem with a debate on whether it is in our best interests to remain there, but Bill Richardson clearly has no idea what the consequences of his proposed course of action would be.  Am I the only one who will sleep better tonight knowing that he’s a Governor, not the President?

The central conflict that tripped up the comprehensive bill remains the question of whether illegal immigrants should be given the chance to earn legal status. That question will be an issue in at least two of the measures headed for the Senate.The first to come up is expected to be the “Dream Act,” a bill championed by Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) that would give conditional legal status to immigrants brought to the U.S. at a young age.

To qualify under it, they must have been in the country for at least five years, have a high school diploma and meet other requirements. Over the next six years, they would have to spend two years in college or the military, after which they could become legal permanent residents, a step toward citizenship.

Durbin plans to attach the bill as an amendment to a defense funding measure scheduled to come before the Senate today, his staff said.

The bill has broad support, prompting immigration restrictionist groups to send alerts warning that the Senate was planning “to pass an amnesty act by hiding language in the defense authorization bill.”

LA Times

So, here we go again with another amnesty bill in disguise. For one, I am getting really sick and tired of this practice in Congress to attach amendments to bills which have nothing to do whatsoever with the amendment. That needs to stop. Furthermore, what this article leaves out, whether intentionally or not, is that the Dream Act will allow colleges to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students. So all of you who went to a university outside your home state and paid the out of state tuition, which usually is at least double the in state rate, keep in mind that you would have been better off sneaking into the country illegally and getting a tuition break for it under this provision.

“The illegal alien who applies for this amnesty is immediately rewarded with ‘conditional’ lawful permanent resident (green card) status, which can be converted to a non-conditional green card in short order,” Kris Kobach, a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, noted in a Heritage Foundation paper. “The alien can then use his newly acquired status to seek green cards for his parents who brought him in illegally in the first place. In this way, it is a backdoor amnesty for the millions of illegal aliens who brought their children to the United States.”
The DREAM Act would repeal a 1996 law — the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act — which included a provision barring any state from offering discounted tuition to illegals unless it provided the same tuition discount to all U.S. citizens.

The Washington Times 

If the Holocaust-denying, nuclear bomb-building, terrorism-sponsoring president of Iran thinks he’s going to flit into New York next week for the U.N. General Assembly and escape unchallenged, boy is he going to be in for a surprise. Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel yesterday added his name to a small but high-powered international group of private citizens who are pushing to have Iran thrown out of the United Nations in response to Iran’s violations of the 1948 Convention to Prevent and Punish the Crime of Genocide.

President Ahmadinejad will also be met with a large rally on September 20 outside the U.N. at noon organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, and the UJA-Federation of New York. The rally, in support of Israel, calls for implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for disarming Iran’s proxy army Hezbollah. It also calls for supporting the war against state sponsors of terror, including Iran. The executive vice chairman of the Conference, Malcolm Hoenlein, told us yesterday that he’s received requests from as far away as Texas, Arkansas, Ottawa, and New Hampshire to participate in the rally.

New York Sun

Where is the U.S. Government? Are they taking a nap? The fact that this man is even being allowed to set foot on American soil is insane enough, but if that doesn’t do it for you, maybe this will:

In a move that has stunned New York, the Bloomberg administration is in discussions to escort the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to ground zero during his visit to New York next week, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said today.

The Iranian mission to the U.N. made the request to the New York City Police Department and the, which will jointly oversee security during the leader’s two-day visit. Mr. Ahmadinejad is scheduled to arrive September 24 to speak to the U.N. General Assembly as the Security Council decides whether to increase sanctions against his country for its uranium enrichment program.

U.S. May Escort Ahmadinejad to Ground Zero

I swear to God, Michael Bloomberg lives in a completely different world than the rest of us. What a complete ass that man is. If I were a member of the NYPD and was told I had to be a police escort to a  fundamentalist wacko just a few years after his fundamentalist wacko brethren killed a bunch of my fellow officers along with 3,000 other people, I’d spit in Bloomberg’s face and then hand him my badge.