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Friday, November 06, 2009

The Killer's Profile

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 8:50 AM

This Washington Post profile of the killer at Fort Hood will leave many inside the Army wondering who ought to have been responsible for removing him from the military. A caller yesterday raised the question of whether fear of being charged with anti-Muslim bigotry restrained his superiors and co-workers, and one can certainly see how cases like that of the flying Imams, discussed by Powerline's Scott Johnson here and here, can lead ordinary people to refuse to raise issues of concern about aberrant behavior by co-workers who are Muslim. Such reticence can only be remedied by a clearly articulated policy within the military of anonymity and protection for individuals who make reports of alarming behavior based upon anti-war/pro-jihadist statements.

To my surprise and dismay, Congress will not break even for a day to join the country in mourning.

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Thursday, November 05, 2009

Soldiers Angels and Fort Hood

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 7:31 PM

I have been assured by members of the Soldiers Angels family that they have many representatives in the Fort Hood area. If you'd like to help the efforts on behalf of victims of today's massacre, you can make a donation to SoldiersAngels.com and ask that it be directed to that effort.

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Thursday, November 05, 2009

Congress Is Going To Stay In Session?

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 6:32 PM

Texas Congressman Carter just said on Fox News that he would be flying to Texas to visit Fort Hood and then returning to D.C. in order to vote on the health care bill.

I find it very jarring that the House is remaining in session in the wake of a national tragedy and one directed at the military. I don't think I am alone in that regard, and I suspect Congress will reconsider the appropriateness of conducting a hugely important debate in the aftermath of this massacre when many Americans are simply stunned.

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Thursday, November 05, 2009

The Destruction of American Medicine is Scheduled for Saturday

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 11:01 AM

House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer announced today that Saturday is D-Day for American medicine --destruction day:

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer predicts the House will pass historic health care overhaul legislation Saturday to extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and ban insurance companies from turning people away.

Here is the list of House Democrats and Senate Democrats that need to hear from you today and tomorrow and Saturday. The message should be simple: If you vote for Obamacare, I will work to elect whomever is opposing you in one year, via money and volunteer efforts. Start with the House Blue Dogs, but also be sure to call Senators Evan Bayh of Indiana, Michael Bennet of Colorado and especially Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas:

The Potentially Reasonable Democratic Senators:

Arkansas

Sen. Blanche Lincoln

DC Phone: (202) 224-4843

Local Phone: Dumas (870) 382-1023, Fayetteville (479) 251-1224, Little Rock (501) 375-2993, Jonesboro (870) 910-6896, Texarkana (870) 774-3106

Link to E-mail

Sen. Mark Pryor

DC Phone: (202) 224-2353

Local Phone: Little Rock (501) 324-6336

Link to E-mail

Colorado

Sen. Michael Bennet

DC Phone: 202) 224-5444

Local Phone:
Denver Metro Office: (303) 455-7600 Toll Free: (866) 455-9866 Fax: (303) 455-8851
Colorado Springs Office: Phone: (719) 328-1100

Link to E-mail.

Connecticut

Sen. Joe Lieberman

DC Phone: (202) 224-4041

Local Phone: (860) 549-8463

Link to E-mail

Florida

Sen. Bill Nelson

DC Phone: (202) 224-5274

Local Phone: Orlando (407) 872-7161, Miami-Dade (305) 536-5999, Tampa (813) 225-7040, West Palm Beach (561) 514-0189, Tallahassee (850) 942-8415, Jacksonville (904) 346-4500, Broward (954) 693-4851, Fort Meyers (239) 334-7760

Link to E-mail

Indiana

Sen. Evan Bayh

DC Phone: (202) 224-5623

Local Phone: Evansville (812) 465-6500, Fort Wayne (260) 426-3151, Hammond (219) 852-2763, Indianapolis (317) 554-0750, Jeffersonville (812) 218-2317, Southbend (574) 236-8302

Link to E-mail

Louisiana

Sen. Mary Landrieu

DC Phone: (202) 224-5824

Local Phone: Baton Rouge (225) 389-0395, Lake Charles (337) 436-6650, New Orleans (504) 589-2427, Shreveport (318) 676-3085

Link to E-mail

Montana

Sen. Jon Tester

DC Phone: (202) 224-2644

Local Phone: Billings (406) 252-0550, Bozeman (406) 586-4450, Butte (406) 723-3277, Glendive (406) 365-2391, Great Falls (406) 452-9585, Helena (406) 449-5401, Kalispell (406) 257-3360, Missoula (406) 728-3003

Link to E-mail

Nebraska

Sen. Ben Nelson

DC Phone: (202) 224-6551

Local Phone: Omaha (402) 391-3411, Lincoln (402) 441-4600, Scottsbluff (308) 631-7614, Kearney (308) 293-5818, South Sioux City (402) 209-3595

Link to E-mail

North Dakota

Sen. Kent Conrad

DC Phone: (202) 224-2043

Local Phone: Bismarck (701) 258-4648, Fargo (701) 232-8030, Grand Forks (701) 775-9601, Minot (701) 852-0703

Link to E-mail

Sen. Byron Dorgan

DC Phone: (202) 224-2551

Local Phone: Bismarck (701) 250-4618, Fargo (701) 239-5389, Minot (701) 852-0703, Grand Forks (701) 746-8972

Link to E-mail

South Dakota

Sen. Tim Johnson

DC Phone: (202) 224-5842

Local Phone: Aberdeen (605) 226-3440, Sioux Falls (605) 332-8896, Rapid City (605) 341-3990

Link to E-mail

Virginia

Sen. James Webb

(202) 224-4024
1-866-507-1570

Link to E-mail.

West Virginia

Sen. Robert C. Byrd

DC Phone: (202) 224-3954

Local Phone: Charlestown (304) 342-5855, Eastern Panhandle (304) 264-4626

Link to E-mail

The "Blue Dog" House Democrats:

Alabama

Rep. Bobby Bright – 2^nd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2901

District Phone: Dothan (334) 794-9680; Montgomery (334) 277-9113; Opp (334) 493-9253

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/bright/contact-form.shtml

Rep. Parker Griffith – 5^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4801

District Phone: Huntsville (256) 551-0190; Decatur (256) 355-9400; Shoals (256) 381-3450

Link to E-mail: http://griffith.house.gov/?sectionid=7&sectiontree=4,7

Arkansas

Rep. Marion Berry – 1^st District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4076

District Phone: Jonesboro (870) 972-4600; Cabot (501) 843-4955; Mountain Home (870) 425-3510

Link to E-Mail: http://www.house.gov/berry/messageform.html

Rep. Mike Ross – 4^th District

DC Phone: 1-800-223-2220

District Phone: El Dorado (870) 881-0681; Hot Springs (501) 520-5892; Pine Bluff (870) 536-3376; Prescott (870) 887-6787

Link to E-mail: http://ross.house.gov/?sectionid=77&sectiontree=76,77

Arizona

Rep. Harry Mitchell – 5^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2190

District Phone: (480) 946-2411

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/mitchell/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords – 8^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2542

District Phone: Tucson (520) 881-3588; Cochise (520) 459-3115

Link to E-mail: https://giffordsforms.house.gov/contact/email.shtml

California

Rep. Mike Thompson – 1^st District

DC Phone: (202) 225-3311

District Phone: Napa (707) 226-9898; Humboldt (707) 269-9595; Mendocino (707) 962-0933; Yolo (530) 662-5272

Link to E-mail: http://mikethompson.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za.pl?/mthompson/contact/email_auth.txt&form=/mthompson/contact/email_form.shtml&pass

Rep. Dennis Cardoza – 18^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-6131

District Phone: Merced (209) 383-4455; (209) 527-1914; Stockton (209) 946-0361

Link to E-mail: https://writerep.house.gov/htbin/wrep_findrep

Rep. Jim Costa – 20^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-9308

District Phone: Fresno (559) 495-1620; Bakersfield (661) 869-1620

Link to E-mail: http://www.house.gov/formcosta/issue.htm

Rep. Loretta Sanchez – 29^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2965

District Phone: (714) 621-0102

Link to E-mail: http://www.lorettasanchez.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=17

Rep. Jane Harman – 36^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225 8220

District Phone: El Segundo (310) 643 3636; Wilmington (310) 549 8282

Link to E-mail: http://www.house.gov/harman/contact/email.shtml

Rep. Joe Baca – 43^rd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-6161

District Phone: (909) 885-2222

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/baca/ht_zip_parms.txt&form=/baca/messageform.shtml

Colorado

Rep. John Salazar – 3^rd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4761

District Phone: Grand Junction (970) 245-7107; Pueblo (719) 543-8200; Durango (970) 259-1012; Alamosa (719) 587-5105

Link to E-mail: http://www.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/salazar/contact-zip.txt&form=/salazar/contact2.shtml

Florida

Rep. Allen Boyd – 2^nd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-5235

District Phone: Tallahassee (850) 561-3979; Panama City (850) 785-0812

Link to E-mail: http://www.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/boyd/zip_authen.txt&form=/boyd/contact_email.html&pass

Georgia

Rep. Sanford Bishop – 2^nd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-3631

District Phone: Albany (229) 439-8067; Colombus (706) 320-9477; Thomasville (229) 226-7789

Link to E-mail: http://bishop.house.gov/display.cfm?section_id=13

Rep. Jim Marshall – 3^rd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-6531

District Phone: Macon (478) 464-0255; Dublin (478) 296-2023; Tifton (229) 556-7418

Link to E-mail: https://writerep.house.gov/htbin/wrep_findrep?HIP29329573301.1220.9427

Rep. John Barrow – 12^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2823

District Phone: Augusta (706) 722-4494; Sandersville (478) 553-9215; Savannah (912) 354-7282

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/barrow/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Rep. David Scott– 13^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2939

District Phone: Jonesboro (770) 210-5073; Smyrna (770) 432-5405

Link to E-mail: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Iowa

Rep. Leonard Boswell – 3^rd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-3806

District Phone: (515) 282-1909

Link to E-mail: http://boswell.house.gov/?sectionid=81&sectiontree=4,81

Idaho

Rep. Walt Minnick – 1^st District

DC Phone: (202) 225-6611

District Phone: Meridian (208) 888-3188; Lewiston (208) 743-1388; Couer d'Alene (208) 667-0127

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/minnick/contact-form.shtml

Indiana

Rep. Joe Donnelly – 2^nd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-3915

District Phone: South Bend (574) 288-2780; Logansport (574) 753-2671; La Porte (219) 326-6808; Michigan City (219) 873-1403

Link to E-mail: http://donnelly.house.gov/contact/email.shtml

Rep. Brad Ellsworth – 8^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4636

District Phone: Evansville (812) 465-6484; Terre Haute (812) 232-0523

Link to E-mail: http://www.ellsworth.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=325&Itemid=

Rep. Baron Hill (Co-Chair for Policy) – 9^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-5315

District Phone: Jeffersonville (812) 288-3999; Bloomington (812)336-3000

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/baronhill/IMA/issue_subscribe_parm.txt&form=/baronhill/IMA/issue_subscribe_verify.shtml

Kansas

Rep. Dennis Moore – 3^rd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2865

District Phone: Overland Park (913) 383-2013; Kansas City (913) 621-0832; Lawrence (785) 842-9313

Link to E-mail: http://www.moore.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za.pl?/moore/contact/zip_authen.txt&form=/moore/contact/email.shtml

Kentucky

Rep. Ben Chandler – 6^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4706

District Phone: (859) 219-1366

Link to E-mail: https://writerep.house.gov/htbin/wrep_findrep?HIP29329573301.26817.5636

Louisiana

Rep. Charlie Melancon (Co-Chair for Communications) – 3^rd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4031

District Phone: Houma (985) 876-3033; Chalmette (504) 271-1707; Gonzales (225) 621-8490; New Iberia (337) 367-8231

Link to E-mail: http://www.melancon.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=205

Maryland

Rep. Frank Jr. Kratovil – 1^st District

DC Phone: (202) 225-5311

District Phone: Centreville (443) 262 -9136

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/kratovil/contact-form.shtml

Maine

Rep. Mike Michaud – 2^nd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2943

District Phone: Bangor (207) 942-6935; Lewiston (207) 782-3704; Presque Isle (207) 764-1036; Waterville (207) 873-5713

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/michaud/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Minnesota

Rep. Collin Peterson – 7^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2165

District Phone: Detroit Lakes (218) 847-5056; Marshall (507) 537-2299; Montevideo (320) 235-1061; Red Lake Falls (218) 253-4356; Redwood Falls (507) 637-2270; Willmar (320) 235-1061

Link to E-mail: http://collinpeterson.house.gov/zipauth.htm

Mississippi

Rep. Travis Childers – 1^st Districts

DC Phone: (202) 225-4306

District Phone: Tupelo (662) 841-8808; Hernando (662) 449-3090; Colombus (662) 327-0748

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/childers/webforms/contact_parm.txt&form=/childers/webforms/contact_form.htm

Rep. Gene Taylor – 4^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-5772

District Phone: Bay St. Louis (228) 469-9235; Ocean Springs (228) 872-7950; Hattiesburg (601) 582-3246; Laurel (601) 425-3905

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/genetaylor/webforms/zipauth.htm

North Carolina

Rep. Mike McIntyre – 7^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2731

District Phone: Lumberton (910) 735-0610; Fayetteville (910) 323-0260; Wilmington (910) 815-4959; Bolivia (910)-253-0158

Link to E-mail: http://www.house.gov/mcintyre/issue.shtml

Rep. Heath Shuler (Whip) – 11^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-6401

District Phone: Asheville (828) 252-1651; Murphy (828) 835-4981; Sylva (828) 586-1962

Link to E-mail: http://shuler.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/shuler/ht_zip_parms.txt&form=shuler/messageform.htm

North Dakota

Rep. Earl Pomeroy

DC Phone: (202) 225-2611

District Phone: Bismarck (701) 224-0355; Fargo (701) 235-9760

Link to E-mail: http://www.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/formpomeroy/ht_zip_parms.txt&form=/formpomeroy/messageform.htm

New York

Rep. Mike Arcuri – 24^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-3665

District Phone: Utica (315) 793-8146/8147; Auburn (315) 252-2777/2778; Cortland (607) 756-2470

Link to E-mail: http://arcuri.house.gov/IMA/issue_subscribe.htm

Ohio

Rep. Charles Wilson – 6^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-5705

District Phone: Canfield (330) 533-7250; Marietta (740) 376-0868; Bridgeport (740) 633-5705; Ironton (740) 533-9423; Wellsville (330) 532-3740

Link to E-mail: http://www.charliewilson.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=139

Rep. Zack Space – 18^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-6265

District Phone: Dover (330) 364-4300; Zanesville (740) 452-6338; Chillicothe (740) 779-1636

Link to E-mail: http://space.house.gov/?sectionid=61&sectiontree=26,61

Oklahoma

Rep. Dan Boren – 2^nd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2701

District Phone: Muskogee (918) 687-2533; Claremont (918) 341-9336; McAlester (918) 423-5951

Link to E-mail: http://www.house.gov/boren/emailsignup.shtml

Pennsylvania

Rep. Jason Altmire – 4^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-2565

District Phone: Aliquippa (724) 378-0928; Natrona (724) 226-1304

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/altmire/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Rep. Patrick Murphy – 8^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4276

District Phone: Bristol (215) 826-1963; Doylestown (215) 348-1194

Link to E-mail: http://www.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/formpatrickmurphy/ht_zip_parms.txt&form=/formpatrickmurphy/messageform.shtml

Rep. Christopher Carney – 10^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-3731

District Phone: Clarks Summit (570) 585-9988; Shamokin (570) 644-1682; Williamsport (570) 327-1902

Link to E-mail: http://www.carney.house.gov/contact.shtml#email

Rep. Tim Holden – 17^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-5546

District Phone: Berks (610) 921-3502; Dauphin/Perry (717) 234-5904; Lebanon (717) 270-1395; Schuylkill (570) 622-4212

Link to E-mail: http://holden.house.gov/htbin/formproc_za/holden/email_zipauth.txt&form=messageform.shtml

Tennessee

Rep. Lincoln Davis – 4^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-6831

District Phone: Columbia (931) 490-8699; Jamestown (931) 879-2361; McMinnville (931) 473-7259; Rockwood (865) 354-3323

Link to E-mail: https://writerep.house.gov/htbin/wrep_const

Rep. Jim Cooper – 5^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4311

District Phone: Nashville (615) 736-5295

Link to E-mail: http://www.cooper.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=117&Itemid=61

Rep. Bart Gordon – 6^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4231

District Phone: Murfreesboro (615) 896-1986; Cookeville (931) 528-5907; Gallatin (615) 451-5174

Link to E-mail: http://gordon.house.gov/contact/contact_form.shtml

Rep. John Tanner – 8^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4714

District Phone: Union City (731) 885-7070; Jackson (731) 423-4848; Millington (901) 873-5690

Link to E-mail: https://writerep.house.gov/htbin/wrep_findrep

Texas

Rep. Henry Cuellar – 28^th District

DC Phone: (202) 225-1640

District Phone: Laredo (956) 725-0639; McAllen (956) 631-4826; Rio Grande City (956) 487-5603; San Antonio (210) 271-2851; Seguin (830) 401-0457

Link to E-mail: http://cuellar.house.gov/Contact/ContactForm.htm

Utah

Rep. Jim Matheson – 2^nd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-3011

District Phone: South Salt Lake (801) 486-1236; St. George (435) 627-0880;

Link to E-mail: https://forms.house.gov/matheson/contact.shtml

Virginia

Rep. Glenn Nye – 2^nd District

DC Phone: (202) 225-4215

District Phone: Hampton (757) 326-6201; Eastern (757) 789-5092

Link to E-mail: http://nye.house.gov/?sectionid=7&sectiontree=4,7

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Wednesday, November 04, 2009

"Game Six" by Mark Frost (Bumped)

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 4:00 PM

This is a book you will really, really enjoy:

In yesterday's interview with Rudy Guiliani, transcript here, before turning to politics and the elections, I asked the mayor which baseball game had been the best he'd ever seen in person. You can read the transcript to see his answer.

Perhaps the best baseball game of my lifetime was Game Six of the 1975 World Series between the Reds and the Red Sox. The drama of that game and of the era in which it occurred is captured in a truly wonderful book by Mark Frost which you will find an incredible treat if you care even a lick about baseball.

Frost will join me for an hour on today's show, which just so happens to be the day of another Game Six.

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Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The Godfather Of Green Greed

Posted by: Jude at 2:41 PM

Just in time for the seasonal change from 'Global Warming' to 'Climate Change', the New York Times scratches the surface of Algore's remarkable conflicts of interest, or whatever you call it when the number one advocate of ending debate, shutting down the scientific conversation and getting on with re-making the economy Kermit-the-frog style because of a so-called crisis he himself is basically the prophet of, stands to profit more than almost any person alive from doing what he says. In other words, he takes non-profit dollars, using the Alliance For Climate Protection to lobby and do huge P.R. for environmental and energy policies that will benefit him per$onally. As in, financially. A lot.
Gore likes to admonish critics that they simply don't know him if they think he's in it for money, which is a good line in front of a sympathetic audience. Then he likes to condescend (classic Algore) by asking if his critics think there's something wrong with his 'doing business in America?' Well, not to sound like the puffed-up profiteer himself, but...sigh. Considering his overwhelming personal stake, Gore's open-ness to new information and his candor on the subjects of AGW and energy technologies should remain ever in doubt.
Funny, there's nothing in the article about his investments in nuclear tech, or clean coal. That stuff would actually help, and much sooner than the magic machines he and his descendants are going to be living off of once they come online in, oh, twenty years or so. But those are two areas he discourages, because, you know, carbon - ick; and nuclear - ewww, scary.
Of course, we continue to sit on enormous natural oils and gas reserves while our government refuses to open the valve to more exploration and refinement, even thoughthirty years andvancement in technology would assure that we harvest resources much more cleanly than many of the countries now supplying the world market. On this (as John Derbyshire likes to say on another matter), we are the fools of the world. Not much on natural gas, either, but that's another topic.
Perhaps this 'climate crisis' hysteria is the greatest scam in a generation, leading inexorably toward centralized world government at a pace neither voters nor soldiers could sustain without it. Or perhaps the alarmists are right, and the main driver of global temperatures is not the huge ball of fire in the sky. Still, one scam that is no longer in doubt is the flim-flam the former Vice-President and his partners are pulling on taxpayers. No, Mr. Gore, we don't think there's anything wrong with doing business in America, at least not as America still remains, somewhat free of draconian regulations designed - as a happenstance, among other things, and rather sublimely, you must imagine - to take our money and pour it into your bank accounts. We just don't want you and you eco-regulo-thugs to do the bit of business you're trying to do to us.

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Wednesday, November 04, 2009

"Litigation as a Hazardous Substance"

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 9:15 AM

This Washington Times op-ed by Representatives Peter King and Charlie Dent is a must read.

King and Dent begin their argument by citing the massive amount of litigation triggered by the Endangered Species Act, a subject I wrote about this past weekend.

Congress cannot continue to license plaintiffs' lawyers to cripple American business with lawsuits or to burden the government with endless complaints which must be answered and which drain the agencies of energy and time. This four-decade expansion of the opportunity to sue has been a very good thing for lawyers, including, full disclosure, my partners and me on the defense side of the table, but the cost is staggering.

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Wednesday, November 04, 2009

A Mob With Walkers, Headed for the Voting Booth

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 7:37 AM

Some televised reports of exit poll data last night suggested that seniors had supplied Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell with large margins in their winning campaigns. Glenn Reynolds writes this morning that the president's magic has faded, but it may actually be much worse than a fade. The president, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid may have succeeded in solidifying seniors and those who care for them into a massive anti-Democrat block, one that was first startled and is now deeply angry over the proposed massive cuts to Medicare and the inevitable rationing of health care embedded in all versions of Obamcare.

Mark Steyn thinks the president will read the results and push ahead with Obamacare on the hope that he can absorb lots of losses in 2010 and still recover in time for 2012. I think Mark is absolutely correct when assessing how the White House responds to the votes yesterday, but I can't imagine Evan Bayh, Michael Bennet and Blanche Lincoln reaching the same conclusion.

These three senators own Obamacare. Any one of them can stop the debate from even beginning in the Senate. Any one of them can demand the deletion of the public option. Any one of them can insist that Medicare not be gutted. 40 Republicans have taken these stands, and if Bayh, Bennet or Lincoln joins them, the game is over.

If they don't and instead allow the debate to begin, they own the result, and they know it will bring a 2010 campaign challenge very similar to that run by Bob McDonnell throughout 2009. Republicans across the country will be studying the McDonnell campaign and will also find some key lessons in Christie's combative response to Corzine's smear campaign. Both Republicans ran disciplined, issues-oriented campaigns that have now tested the key theme of tax cuts and private sector growth and found they still work even in the era of Obama.

The Congressional Democrats should know that seniors especially are watching every vote and that seniors know every single Democratic senator has the power to block the bill and stop the cuts to Medicare.

The Virginia and New Jersey elections were about policy, specifically the failed year-long effort to create jobs by printing money and the still on-going attempt to have the federal government seize control of American medicine while raising taxes to sky-high rates.

American voters suspended their suspicion of liberals and the left a year ago to give the young, attractive, new post-partisan candidate a try at bat in the middle of incredibly stressful times. Turns out that President Obama is a Chicago pol with not a lick of "new" when it comes to economics, but a great deal of "old" and "failed" economic theory and an incredible lust for centralization of power in D.C. The large lurch to the left that he has led has cost him the enthusiasm of all but his hard left base. Continuing to push the radical agenda will cost elected Democrats their jobs.

The first real referenda on the Obama Administration came in last night, and state wide votes in two big, diverse and important states sent a message to the Hill, one that the White House won't want heard, but which every instinct of political survival will oblige Democrats to study carefully.

It will be very uncomfortable for Senate Democrats and Blue Dogs in the House to vote no on Obamacare and to actually use their power to block the bill, but uncomfortable beats unemployed, and if Obamacare passes, that's exactly what is waiting for many, many Democrats.

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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

The Impact of President Obama On Today's Elections

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 6:17 PM

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, who will be on today's program, is relaying that exit polls show President Obama wasn't as big a factor in today's elections as some are saying.

OK, if the president's wild lurch to the left has so turned off "moderate" Democrats and Independents to the point they won't even turn out to vote, how will the exit polls capture that?

Of course the president is a huge factor in today's voting, not only in his impact on those 2008 Obama voters who didn't show up in 2009, but also in the impact of the intensity of the GOP ground game and donor base --an intensity that will continue to grow as the full extent of the radical nature of the Obama agenda becomes crystal clear to the country.

Rudy Giuliani opened the program today with the assurance that we will know his decision on running for NY governor by year's end. Let's hope he decides to make the race. Serious times call for serious candidates. The transcript of my conversation with the mayor will be posted here later.

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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Nolte On Politico

Posted by: Jude at 12:43 PM

Politico launched as a great business model, they made great hires, and they continue to break real stories. Unfortunately, as Hugh points out below with regard to their early spin today, they're not above carrying water for the Donkeys. It's tough to claim you're neutral...when you're not. Question: if you claim to have partisan reporters on both sides, don't you become as partisan as whichever side becomes more extreme and does the most damage? In a post yesterday where he advises the MSM to come out of the ideological closet, Big Hollywood's John Nolte reminds us that Politico is who dug around and published tax records of a certain, well-known plumber.

"Whenever reading Politico, everything should be washed through this filter. You must always keep in the front of your mind that this supposed “news” organization took the time to dig up and publicize dirt on a private citizen whose only sin was asking a perfectly reasonable question of a public figure. Politico’s warning to the everyday American was clear: get in the way of our guy and we will summon all our resources to publicly humiliate you. This all goes to prove that Politico is nothing more than a digital version of the Dinosaur Media — and just as clueless and dishonest as their unholy brethren, especially when it comes to explaining why their counterparts are drowning in the tar pits of obsolescence."

I don't know about that, but I do know that having John Nolte go after you is never a good sign...

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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Predictions, Predictions, Predictions

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 9:19 AM

National Review has a collection of predictions on what to watch for tonight, including mine.

I will line up some of the usual suspects today and tomorrow to rake over the returns, and commend you to Geraghty the Indispensable with his collection of sources, sherpas, and spooks.

I will also feature Michael Anthony on today's show to discuss his account of life as an Army medic in Iraq,Mass Casualties:

Mass Casualties: A Young Medic's True Story of Death, Deception, and Dishonor in Iraq

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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 8:28 AM

On what is likely to be the best election day for the GOP in five years, Politico's Charles Mahtesian and Alex Isenstadt are not allowing Republicans even one day to enjoy their resurrection from the ash heap of history to which President Obama's win last year had consigned them.

No, all is doom and gloom for the GOP according to these two because some conservative activists are supporting primary challengers to candidates MSM perceives as more electable in 2010. Exhibit number one is the race for Florida's open Senate seat, where a popular center-right governor Charlie Crist is competing with a popular mainstream conservative Marco Rubio for the GOP nomination.

Other Republicans in danger of drawing party-splitting primary challenges from the right, according to Politico, are Senator Robert Bennett of Utah, and Congressman Mark Kirk of Illinois. Bennett's lifetime American Conservative Union rating is 83. Kirk's is 55. There is simply no comparison between either of them and Dede Scozzafava, or between New York's 23rd and any other race that will unfold in the next year. I had Congressman Kirk on the program last week and received a couple of angry e-mails from Illinois conservatives who have detailed problems with Kirk on things like cap-and-tax --as do I-- but the vast majority of Republican primary voters will be following Buckley's rule in Illinois and across the country: Vote for the most conservative candidate who can get elected. This wonderfully simple rule works again and again to benefit both conservatism and the GOP.

The primary contests noted by Politico and many others will be waged with this rule of thumb being the de facto operational approach of the vast majority of Republican voters. The energy and money of the newest generation of grassroots activists will power some conservatives from less electable to more electable and might push them to the nomination. Others will fall short. Then in November 2010 everyone will have the chance to participate in a referendum on President Obama and his Congressional supporters, and the idea that conservative voters are going to sit that out in large numbers is laughable.

The idea of a GOP "civil war" is suddenly all the rage among Beltway-Manahttan media elites, for the very obvious reason is that it gives them something to discuss other than Virginia. Democratic spokesmen on the networks tonight --think Paul Begala-- will be looking for anything to divert attention from the expected blowout in Virginia and all that it portends for 2010 and the Congressional Democrats who are looking into the political abyss. Victories in New Jersey and/or New York will be icing on the cake. No matter how much noise the talking heads make about anything else, the key story tonight is Virginia, and the spin out of Robert Gibbs --2001's elections which Democrats won in Virginia and New Jersey didn't tell us anything about the 2002 elections which Republicans won-- is another example of "don't look at the numbers, look at this" absurdity.

The 2001 races took place in the aftermath of the traumatic attacks on New York and D.C. and the anthrax mailings, and were almost completely non-national races as then President Bush worked with Congressional Republicans and Democrats to respond in a unified fashion to the devastation and fear. A year later, partisan campaigning had returned, and the 2002 races were referenda on President Bush's conduct of the war on terrorism which was heartily approved of and of Democrat obstructionism, especially in the Senate on judicial nominees, which voters rejected. The vote in 2002 reflected the public's overall judgment of the behavior of the parties over the previous year.

Partisanship has never left American politics since 2002, and so the 2001 elections are genuine exceptions to any rule about voting and what it means. Tonight's election in Virginia, in stark contrast to the vote in 2001, is a highly partisan referenda on Obamacare and Obamanomics in a key state which the president carried in 2008. It pits a center-left Democrat --not a pure liberal or left winger-- against a conservative, and the conservative is going to win going away. Bob McDonnell is going to win because the state's electorate is aghast at what is going on in D.C. It is a vote against the president the state voted for one year ago.

There is no other way to read the Virginia result, and it portends a big win for Republicans in 2010 especially of Democrats force through the hyper-destructive Obamacare which is deeply unpopular and growing more so every day. Given the near constant attacks on McDonnell by the MSM and the vast amount of resources the DNC and the Democratic Governors Association poured into trying to make Democrat Creigh Deeds competititve, the message from Virginia is loud and clear: The center of the country's political spectrum has rejected the president's policies. Decisively so. Every commentator who spent any part of 2008 talking about the significance of President Obama's campaign in Virginia knows this, and the partisan supporters of the president will be doing their best tonight to focus on anything else but the Virginia vote is the one that matters by far the most.

So while there will certainly be some intra-party dust-ups in the run-up to next year's elections, they won't be changing the arc of the storyline that is already unfolding. Some GOP "moderates" will have to tack to the right, and a couple may even be defeated, but the vast, vast majority of new activism is directed at defeating the Congressional Democrats who have cooperated in President Obama's great lurch left.

If the network you watch tonight is not spending most of its time talking about Virginia, it is avoiding the central story, which is one that ought to shake Congressional Democrats as they approach their votes on Obamacare.

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Monday, November 02, 2009

Brian Wesbury's "It's Not As Bad As You Think: Why Capitalism Trumps Fear and the Economy Will Thrive."

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 7:19 PM

Brian Wesbury, chief economist at First Trust Advisors and a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal, joins me for an hour-and-a-half to dig deep into the aftermath of the Great Panic of 2008. His new book is a must read for anyone exhausted by the continual predictions of the demise of capitalism:

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Monday, November 02, 2009

A Staggering List

Posted by: Jude at 3:26 PM

At Powerline, John has posted a list of what will be created - just structurally, and only as the beginning - by the cancerous takeover of the medical system of United States by the government itself. 111 new agencies or bureaus, each an engine of unintended consequences, each intrinsically engineered to do almost anything to remain a permanent beneficiary of taxes, and each a potential source of corruption, incompetence, and faceless control over our lives. It is stupefyingly disingenuous of Democrats to say this bill is ready, unless they mean ready to do damage. And it's a terrible thing that they have so many of their supporters telling us this is a good idea, when almost no one can really describe what "it" will become, or even what it is on paper.

Show it to people, and ask the Senators or Congressional staffers you speak with to explain a few of the creations on the list. As a reader or listener of Hugh's program, you may share the frustration of trying to engage friends or co-workers on the underlying issues at play, only to have them talk about balloons and ice cream in a better world, or quote back some talking point about America's being the 23rd/43rd ranked medical system in the world, or how the public option is competition, which the eeeevil health insurance companies should welcome, being capitalist and all. This from people who often couldn't be bothered to make and run a lemonade stand. The LIST should bring the debate to a halt, as both sides need to slow down and fully appreciate what is looming among those two thousand pages. Ask your friends to explain any of these and what their net effect will be:

1. Retiree Reserve Trust Fund (Section 111(d), p. 61)
2. Grant program for wellness programs to small employers (Section 112, p. 62)
3. Grant program for State health access programs (Section 114, p. 72)
4. Program of administrative simplification (Section 115, p. 76)
5. Health Benefits Advisory Committee (Section 223, p. 111)
6. Health Choices Administration (Section 241, p. 131)
7. Qualified Health Benefits Plan Ombudsman (Section 244, p. 138)
8. Health Insurance Exchange (Section 201, p. 155)
9. Program for technical assistance to employees of small businesses buying Exchange coverage (Section 305(h), p. 191)
10. Mechanism for insurance risk pooling to be established by Health Choices Commissioner (Section 306(b), p. 194)
11. Health Insurance Exchange Trust Fund (Section 307, p. 195)

There are literally a hundred more. So, you know, we have until Friday...