September 2010

Kinzinger Gettin’ Big on Roeser

ArchPundit September 30, 2010 0 Comment

In a sad call for attention, Tom Roeser takes on Adam Kinzinger for stringing him along about appearing on Roeser’s show.

Usually you have to wait for a term or two to pass before a Congressman gets a case of the Big Head.  Not so with Adam Kinzinger the Republican who leads in the 11^th over Debbie Halvorson.  Maybe it’s not him but it sure is his staff.

Charlie Cook’s Limits

ArchPundit September 30, 2010 0 Comment

He’s pretty much written off Debbie Halvorson’s race for reelection in Illinois 11 and she still has a hell of a race and is an underdog in the race, but she has put out two kick ass commercials.  What national analysists can’t factor in is toughness and Debbie has plenty of that.  The first is on trade, the second was highlighted by Rachel Maddow last night and is on Social Security:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpBHwZZYkqs[/youtube]

Illinois 11 has one of the most unionized work forces in Illinois.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82UTJBTTN0[/youtube]

The Cowardly Lion or the Tin Man

ArchPundit September 30, 2010 0 Comment

Pat Quinn claimed Bill Brady doesn’t have a heart. I can’t figure out if he doesn’t have a heart or doesn’t have a brain.  I’m leaning towards both are missing, but feel free to offer other alternatives.

This is the quote of the year for Quinn so far:

“He wants to increase the budget deficit by over $1 billion in tax breaks for wealthy people, his friends, and then he says, overnight, we’re going to balance the budget in one year — This can’t be,” Quinn said at the Union League Club. “We have to have someone with common sense, not nonsense. It’s a pretend world you’re hearing from Sen. Brady, a world that doesn’t exist. … Sen. Brady — he’s at war with the fundamental laws of mathematics.”

Emphasis mine.

Why Do Tribune Writers Hate the Federalist Papers

ArchPundit September 30, 2010 0 Comment

Written pseudonymously:

One of the more detestable media figures of late was pastor Terry Jones, the Florida preacher who threatened to burn a Quran on Sept. 11. The stunt he pulled was atrocious. But I’ll give him this: He stated his opinion, he put himself out there, he took the death threats that came with his nonsense. He did not, like so many today, hurl spitballs from behind a desk.

Joe the Cop and Todd Henderson and anyone poised to publicly spout a bold opinion should consider this: If you’re ceding so much as an inch of the moral high ground to a wacko like Jones, your point may already be lost.

If your entire opinion comes down to, “You damn kids get off my lawn!” just don’t bother.

When a $21 Billion Shortfall Gets a State a Good Fiscal Rating

ArchPundit September 30, 2010 0 Comment

When Bill Brady reads a headline and uses that to make an argument. Presumably our dunderheaded Republican nominee didn’t bother to look up actual facts and relied on the reporting of Fortune on Texas’ fiscal condition

Whitney, who famously predicted the credit crisis of 2008 before it hit, released a 600-page report this week evaluating the financial health of the 15 largest states, measured by gross domestic product. The study, entitled the “Tragedy of the Commons,” examined each state’s economy, fiscal health, housing and taxes.

The findings: New Jersey ranked second to last, trailing California, and tying with Illinois and Ohio. Michigan and New York were also among the poorest performers, while Texas and Virginia were rated as winners, according to Fortune, which got a hold of the study, accessible through a $25,000 membership.

As Rich points out, Brady argued Texas was in good fiscal condition, but it actually faces a $21 billion shortfall.

Whitney, who famously predicted the credit crisis of 2008 before it hit, released a 600-page report this week evaluating the financial health of the 15 largest states, measured by gross domestic product. The study, entitled the “Tragedy of the Commons,” examined each state’s economy, fiscal health, housing and taxes.

The findings: New Jersey ranked second to last, trailing California, and tying with Illinois and Ohio. Michigan and New York were also among the poorest performers, while Texas and Virginia were rated as winners, according to Fortune, which got a hold of the study, accessible through a $25,000 membership.

Now, how does this analyst come to rate Texas higher?  Pretty simple–the Texas tax base is based more on oil and there is no income tax so that leaves future taxes in Texas more reliable, but hardly in good shape.  Texas has a more stable tax base if the economy doesn’t grow much is how it rates better.

Of course, none of this is relevant to Illinois that has a fairly limited extraction based sectors of the economy with coal being the biggest part of those sectors and fairly limited.

Here’s a suggestion.  Someone in Bill Brady’s office sit down with him with a year of his office’s free subscription to Governing that all State Legislators get and teach him something about state finances.

Clown Show Expands: Chicago State Rejoices

ArchPundit September 27, 2010 0 Comment

Emil Jones has petitions out for Mayor.

Emil Jones Jr., the Chicago Democrat who retired more than a year ago as Illinois Senate president, said today that supporters and friends have begun collecting signatures on his behalf for a possible mayoral run.

In an interview with the Tribune, Jones said he is still “just looking” at getting the contest to succeed Mayor Richard Daley, who is not running for re-election.

“A lot of my supporters want me to run,” Jones said. “I enjoy my retirement, but I will only run if conditions are right.”

When asked what those conditions are, Jones said, “I’m not going to tell you right now.”

Sigh.

Free Joe Morgan Day at Deadspin

ArchPundit September 22, 2010 0 Comment

I’m tearing up with laughter at the shredding of the odious Mitch Albom

Also, is there any more perfect pairing than Mitch Albom and Parade magazine? Peas in a pod. Pablum disguised as populism. Boring recognize boring, yo.

And that’s just a throwaway line at the beginning.

Satanic Verses

ArchPundit September 22, 2010 0 Comment

I have to disagree with Eric here.

A return to the political point: Rigidity and lack of curiosity are failings, not virtues. Those with limited experiences and closed minds are the least able to grasp the magnitude and subtlety of the problems engulfing society. Anyone who’s never “flip-flopped” on a issue or seriously questioned the beliefs drummed into him from childhood probably isn’t really paying attention.

Yet we pounce on any deviation or alteration as evidence of hypocrisy, flakiness, weakness or a hidden agenda.

The problem is she didn’t learn anything.  Satanism and Wicca are very different faiths.  She is confusing the two and repeating right wing fundamentalist talking points about a faith as a way to make it evil sounding when Wicca is no such thing.  So she is demonizing (no pun intendend, but there it is) Wicca by calling it Satanism and confusing it with a disturbing offshoot of Christianity in a case of ironic stupidity.

All of this is, if you don’t think she’s lying.  This smacks of pure BS:

O’Donnell used to ‘dabble[ ] into witchcraft.’ On Politically Incorrect in 1999, O’Donnell said, “I dabbled into witchcraft — I never joined a coven. … I hung around people who were doing these things. I’m not making this stuff up. One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar, and I didn’t know it.” [Politically Incorrect, 10/29/99]

This strikes me like this story:

The following article appeared in the July 28, 1989, issue of “The Pantagraph”, a Pontiac (sic), Illinois newspaper:

Goat Near Pontiac Possibly a Sacrifice. A mutilated goat found in the Vermilion River near Pontiac was “probably” the victim of satanic activity, Livingston County Sheriff’s police said yesterday. The 50-pound male goat was found Wednesday in the Vermilion River …after the county veterinarian received an anonymous tip, police said. The goat, which had been dead for three to four days, was castrated and its horns were cut off, police said, adding that small animal sacrifice is common among devil worshipers. However, no indications of Satanic worship were found near the goat, and police said there was no indication the animal was killed in Livingston County. Although both county and city police have received reports of satanic meetings, rituals, and animal sacrifices, little physical evidence has supported those reports…

On July 29th, this follow-up article appeared:

Goat Killed in dog attack. German shepherds, not devil worshippers, were responsible for the mutilation of a goat found Wednesday in the Vermilion River near Pontiac, Livingston County Sheriff Don Wall said yesterday. A McLean County resident whom Wall declined to identify, admitted yesterday that he dumped the 50-pound goat in the Vermillion River. Wall said the man contacted police after reading news stories that authorities believed the animal was sacrificed by members of a satanic cult… Police originally believed the goat was castrated and has its horns cut off by satanists, who often sacrifice small animals. However, Wall said the goat was injured when the dogs attached and its horns had previously been removed…

The finest moment of the Pantagraph.

There are probably a couple guys out there calling each other laughing about how that dingbat really believed that story he told her over 20 years ago.

From the Comments

ArchPundit September 20, 2010 0 Comment

Hysterical

Amazing. Comments that bash a song based on the printed lyrics because they express a different opinion. Wow, 90% of the songs ever written would not stand up to that kind of sarcastic scrutiny. A song and music, with any point of view, can be really good musically. I actually listened to it. As a musician and producer it’s clear Kevin still has the pipes, delivers a strong performance to a really well produced track. Agree or disagree with the message, but don’t trash it just out of political bias. The harshest critics are usually those who have never performed wriiten or produced successfully.

Yeah, it’s just the lyrics that are bothering people.  Really.

Actually the lyrics are the best part of the song.  And they resemble the poetic equivalent of shit on a bun.

Because You Can Never Have Too Many Masturbation Jokes

ArchPundit September 20, 2010 0 Comment

Andy Borowitz sums up the Christine O’Donnell nomination and it’s impact:

WILMINGTON (The Borowitz Report) – Galvanized by Republican senatorial nominee Christine O’Donnell’s anti-masturbation stance, masturbators from across the state converged on Wilmington today in what some are calling the largest pro-wanking protest in American history.

Carrying signs reading, “O’Donnell: Hands Off Our Masturbation,” the angry masturbators clogged downtown Wilmington, stopping traffic for blocks.

Harley Farger, a leading Delaware masturbator and planner of the Million Masturbators March, said it was difficult to organize masturbators “because they’re used to acting alone.”

Mr. Farger, the executive director of the pro-monkey-spanking group MasturNation, said that the “wank and file” of his organization believe that masturbation is an inalienable right guaranteed by the Constitution.

“Our country was founded by rugged individualists,” he said.  “And you know what individualists like to do.”

He said that Ms. O’Donnell’s anti-whacking position was “ill-timed,” adding, “In this economy, masturbation is one of the few simple pleasures people still can afford.”