March 2006

End of the Fundraising Quarter

ArchPundit March 31, 2006 0 Comment

If you have a favorite candidate, give what you can.

Let’s go with a good consensus pick here,

John Pavich

I also recommend Bean, Duckworth, and Seals.

If you want to feel subversive, Join the Nedrenaline. It’s not that he’s moderate, it’s not that he supported the war, it’s that the good Senator Lieberman gets a lot more worked up about a blowjob than he does about an administration that routinely ignores the balance of power and the individual rights.

And finally, a guy I think proves that not playing well with others is a good thing, Jim Webb for US Senate in Virginia

I Can’t Believe They Took the Bait

ArchPundit March 28, 2006 0 Comment

I can’t believe that one worked–the seat belt issue is hysterical because the best way to handle is just to say it is settled instead of actually getting into a debate over the issue.

11th Hour and Abelog cover the issue. Jim gets the political handling correct, but the reason the issue was raised is being missed.

Seat belt laws had very strong opponents when they were passed, but now that they are the law, they are pretty non-controversial. I doubt there would be a strong movement to repeal them because there is no real interest other than angry cranks (who disproportionately make up talk radio). Where the issue fits for the Blagojevich campaign isn’t a full blown debate, but taking a safety issue that suburban women think is a good idea and putting Topinka on the spot. It won’t turn a vote, but it does start a process the Blagojevich camp wants to start–the questioning of her values. People don’t vote on a laundry list for the most part, most vote on a vague sense of who shares their values and by beginning to question whether Topinka’s values match that of most suburban women, the process is started.

Don’t get me wrong, it might not work, but as far as a first salvo, Democrats got the upperhand as Topinka’s press people seem to be in primary mode worrying about the base and not the swing voters.

Not so Funny

ArchPundit March 28, 2006 7 Comments

Greg points out that hazing in the Lege can go too far. Way tooooo far….

Not funny and damn demeaning. If Dawn Clark Netsch was around she wouldn’t have ruled it just out of order, she’d have kicked Hendon’s ass. Mark Rhoads makes a very good point in Greg’s post. I don’t mind a bit of silliness, but treating women legislators as sex objects is so far over the line of acceptable behavior, I’ll stop trying to complain about it before I end up writing a string of cliches.

Meeks-Oberweis

ArchPundit March 28, 2006 0 Comment

Really, I like Meeks in many ways, but don’t make me have that much fun at your expense.

Rich pointed out that Meeks’ views on guns would alienate him from social conservatives. I’m not sure that’s the biggest issue however.

There is a odd, but somewhat possible alliance between James Meeks and many social conservatives on abortion and gay marriage. Progressives all too often give a pass to African-Americans willing to scapegoat gays and lesbians, however, Meeks’ big weakness is on taxes which is the central point of his campaign. He wants to (I believe rightly) pass a tax swap which would raise income taxes and at least temporarily lower property taxes.

While social conservatism has run over the once proud Illinois Republican Party, taxes are still a bedrock issue on which conservatives will not defect. Any ground he might pick up will be lost to the tax position and then to Latinos who will not and should not tolerate Jim Oberweis.

Bat Shit Crazy

ArchPundit March 28, 2006 1 Comment

Just because you have to google yourself every once in a while, this is hoot

Because Spanky is soooooo credible.