August 2004

Keyes on Free Trade

ArchPundit August 11, 2004 2 Comments

From Comments:

Keyes on Free Trade

“I said then, and I’ll say now, that anyone who supports American membership in the World Trade Organization demonstrates by that fact alone that he does not understand the most basic things about the importance and nature of American sovereignty, and is thereby disqualified from serving as president of the United States. And let me add that the application of this criterion to the current Republican field will winnow it quite a bit, to put it mildly. We should demand an explanation from any such candidate as to why he is willing to support American participation in an organization that sacrifices the sovereignty of our people.”

He rejects the thought of protectionism, but in interviews has come out against “outsourcing” and in favor of increasing tariffs.

I guess the Obama Truth Squad will be backing Jerry Kohn.

Oops. Okay now. I actually have some criticisms of WTO, but, on the whole, think it is a better system than other possible systems out there.

Mancow Report

ArchPundit August 11, 2004 2 Comments

From comments by Cynical from Fresh Paint

William Shatner just phoned in.

Mancow has been pretty much trashing Keyes and not letting him get a word in, very much, and when he does he sounds like an idiot. Mancow says he’s not voting for Bush this year because of his war against freedoms, and just asked Keyes about it, who responded with the usual gushing torturous wave of unintelligible crap.

Keyes has to be about ready to explode because he can’t control the discussion and isn’t getting the media strokes he must have expected. (Talk Show = Conservative).

I just want someone to ask Keyes who Bud Billikan is and why we should honor him.

UPDATE: From comments by Bob Romashko

I heard it, and I sort of disagree that Mancow was trashing him. He was certainly trashing Obama – he was trying very hard to get Keyes to call Obama a communist, not to trap Keyes, but because he wanted to hear him say that. He was trying very hard, as well, to get Keyes to play to his angry white man schtick. But he was giving him a free ride.

Shatner, on the other hand, wanted to hear Keyes’ opinions on the whole FCC thing, the PATRIOT act, and the environment.

Nonetheless, Mancow was shilling.

Bumperstickers and Mottos

ArchPundit August 11, 2004 2 Comments

Austin Mayor should be putting the good stuff up at his blog instead of in comments:

Potential Keyes/Blues Brothers bumper-stickers:
“On a Mission from God.”
“Ya see, me and the Lord have an understanding.”
“Why da ya gotta be so negative all the time? Why can’t ya offer some… constructive criticism?”
“Wasn’t lies, it was just… bullshit.”

Potential IL-GOP motto:
“I ran out of gas. I, I had a flat tire. I didn’t have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn’t come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN’T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!”

Truth Squads and Such

ArchPundit August 11, 2004 2 Comments

I don’t like to get into interblog stuff, but Chicago Report is claiming I’ve done nothing, but talk about how dumb the Keyes pick was and his views on abortion.

First, that isn’t true. I’ve pointed out how dumb the pick was because of Keyes views on several issues including

1) abortion–including the arguments that are incorrect over late term abortions
2) evolution
3) The Establishment Clause
4) Contraception
5) Gay Rights
6) Anti-semitism

Given the loon just got in the race a few days ago and he seems quite intent on turning this into a referendum on abortion, what’s the surprise that abortion is a big part of that?

Second, I do political analysis as much as issues and that the Illinois GOP would choose an out of state loon to be their US Senate candidate without understanding how loony the guy is. This explains a rather dramatic problem within the party that I’ve been harping on for just about 2 years. Making that issue worse, Keyes has and continues to attack moderate Republicans.

I reject that I’m supposed to buy into this notion that Keyes is a serious candidate for the US Senate. It was an absurd choice and pointing that out is perfectly legitimate.

In terms of addressing the issues that Obama Truth Squad has taken up, some like free trade I generally agree with OTS. I pointed that out in the Dem primary.

Other issues, such as the bill regarding Obama’s votes against various sentencing bills completely ignores the problems we have uncovered in the Illinois legal system. One in particular is Obama’s vote against the death penalty for the murder of first responders. The State of Illinois needs to reduce the number of conditions under which the death penalty is an available sentence and there are few circumstances that other conditions for the death penalty isn’t met, but first responders are attacked. In the larger context, pandering to anti-crime sentiment with these different bills creates a disaster in terms of coherent sentencing policy. None of these competing issues are addressed and so I don’t find it that useful. If there were damning quotes about Obama’s stances that might be something, but a simple no vote doesn’t tell us much–just as the BAIPA vote didn’t tell us much about it.

Turn the Debate Meme Around

ArchPundit August 11, 2004 10 Comments

Meet him tomorrow. Anywhere anytime. See how ready Keyes is to talk about Illinois.

Serious, Obama’s team is agreeing to 3 or 4 debates as it is–It’s the middle of August and this guy just flew into the state. I’m not sure why the 2-3 debates are sacrosanct. Kass seems a bit over the top given Obama is willing to debate at least 3 times.

CNN & WJSL

ArchPundit August 11, 2004 2 Comments

So, have to give it to Keyes, when he says something most people would find embarrassing and over the top and is called on it, he doesn’t shrink from it. This morning on CNN when called on the Slaveholder line they showed him saying it and then they showed Obama responding. Obama responded slowly, surprised it was this wacky this quickly, and actually twitched and then said the bit about Keyes needing to look to Republican Party leaders about whether such language is appropriate.

Keyes then defended the quote and in effect reiterated it saying he doesn’t have to look to his party because he (Keyes), knows his heritage. He didn’t just embrace the quote, he grabbed on it and wrestled it to the ground.

KJSL was a bit more interesting, and foreshadowing of what is to come. When asked if he would ever campaign for another Republican who was pro-choice or endorse them, he unequivocally said no and said such Republicans were morally inferior.

The implications of this are clear–if he doesn’t want to work for pro-choice Republicans, why the hell should they work for him? Social conservatives who are backing Keyes now face a situation where they want others to work for this guy, but this guy is unwilling to work for others in his own Party.

The New Keyes Abode

ArchPundit August 11, 2004 2 Comments

Is available from the Cook County Assessor

Vasyl pointed this out in comments–anyway to find ownership–I’m just curious.

In comments is the answer–given it’s not a political figure, I’m not putting it on the front page.

I Hear A Tomb Creaking

ArchPundit August 9, 2004 4 Comments

Sigh, having grown up in the area where Lincoln rode the circuit, this is depressing

Later, speaking to reporters, Keyes likened himself to the nation’s 16th president. He said mid-19th Century voters in central Illinois looked at Lincoln “in terms of the character that he offered to his fellow citizens,” rather than in terms of his Kentucky roots.

Things we will never see:

Plaques commemorating where Keyes slept or high prices for his writings.

We should be expecting a rather gaunt skeleton to be filing for slander against Keyes very soon. I’d rather expect that the skeleton can still represent himself.

Table For One!

ArchPundit August 9, 2004 No Comments

I’m stealing, but only a couple folks know from where:

Looper Leader Board:

They found the most eloquent black Catholic Republican the world has ever seen.