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Anticipation Builds for Keyes

ArchPundit September 20, 2004 2 Comments

As the press tries to figure out how to bait him next (a good thing given the race is a farce), but the Leader has a different idea:

Much has been written about Alan Keyes. We owe it to ourselves, as inheritors of that noble title, ?American citizen? to see for ourselves whether this man is what others say he is. Let Alan Keyes and his issues speak for themselves. Join us for breakfast or for a run, but only if you are ready to be challenged, informed and encouraged by a man of principle.

Keyes on WYLL

ArchPundit September 20, 2004 1 Comment

His inner Marvin The Martian comes out here (MP3)

Here’s Obama’s last appearance on Air America. Franken does a spot on impersonation of Keyes that is only funnier after hearing the above.

Proft on WYLL

ArchPundit September 19, 2004 No Comments

From what I heard of him and Patrick O’Malley, the entire argument was that because a majority of pro-life voters were backing Obama, they just didn’t have enough information–ignoring that abortion is clearly the line in this campaign and discounting the notion that, just maybe, some pro-life folks vote along other issues. O’Malley then took some shots at Jim Edgar for not doing enough. Call it foreshadowing for the Governor’s race in 2006 where O’Malley seems to be lighting the fire already.

Soros, Barack And Abu Ghraib

ArchPundit September 10, 2004 9 Comments

Berkowitz joins in with Lynn Sweet complaining about the Obama team not being forthright enough about outstate fundraising–Jeff adds in complaints about policy information–though I’ve heard and in a couple small cases experienced very different response time everyone can see what he has to say. The outstate fundraising issue is one of those issues that the public doesn’t care about, though I think all campaigns should be better about it. Ultimately, campaigns want to stay in control of their message and questions regarding outstate events takes away from that.

However, let me take issue with Jeff over this quote:

Robert Bluey writes, “Obama, however, is different from most Democrats because of his willingness to embrace the controversial Soros. Shortly after Soros equated the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Obama joined him for a New York fund-raiser [on] June 7, 2004.” See CNSnews.com, June 27, 2004

Now did Soros equate Abu Ghraib and September 11th? Yes, but not in anyway like is implied above. The above implication assumes Soros indicates the two incidents were of the same moral standing–which is not what Soros said.

Here is what Soros did say:

So for about 18 months the critical process, which is so essential to a democracy, was stifled. And it is only when things started going wrong in Iraq that it was re-opened. I think that the picture of torture in Abu Ghraib, in Saddam’s prison, was the moment of truth for us, because this is not what this nation stands for.

I think that those pictures hit us the same way as the terrorist attack itself, not quite with the same force because in the terrorist attack we were the victims. In the pictures we were the perpetrators, others were the victims. But, there is, I’m afraid, a direct connection between those two events, because the way President Bush conducted the war on terror converted us from victims into perpetrators.

This is a very tough thing to say, but the fact is that the war on terror as conducted by this administration has claimed more innocent victims than the original attack itself.

What is being compared is how the US’s higher standards of morality are challenging US citizens when they see such acts being undertaken by the US Soldiers. It is because the US has higher standards of morality than Al Qaeda that it had a similar effect.

The next line is true, though certainly whether it is better in the long run is a question many would debate.

More importantly though, the only “radical” view that Soros seems to have concerns drug legalization, but people continue to spread the story that he is some sort of fringe political character.

Eaton Out at Keyes 2004

ArchPundit September 9, 2004 No Comments

It’s been over on the Leader Looper Boards for a while, Fran Eaton–the Managing Editor of the Illinois Leader on leave for grassroot organizing in the Keyes campaign left the campaign.

Fran Eaton, Director of grass roots activities for Alan Keyes informed people today that she had quit the campaign. Eaton has been a long time confidante’ of Dan Proft, self proclaimed Illinois’ poltical Guhru and Keyes campaign chief. Proft also claims personal credit for recruiting Keyes for the Illinois Senate race. Both are also on the Illinois Leader management team. Why did Eaton quit?

St. Patrick

Proft confirmed:

P.S. Fran has left the campaign for her own reasons…her service and work were greatly appreciated and there is no ill will. I know you were hoping for strife among us Leader folks who you despise so much and yet whose product you frequent so often. But, alas, your dreams will have to be postponed for yet another day.

And in an e-mail sent back when one person tried to contact her, this was received:

FYI – Fran Eaton is no longer the campaign’s coalitions director. This was Fran’s personal decision after careful consideration, and we appreciate the work she has done for the campaign and wish her well. We will let you know when we find a replacement Coalitions Director. In the meantime, please contact Megan Griffiths with any questions (xxxxxxxxxx@keyes2004.com or 312.xxx.xxx).

So some turnover in the smooth Keyes operation already.

Most interesting because she wrote this on August 16th

Their example has personally inspired me to respond to a call for duty in the current fierce political war raging in the State of Illinois. It is a war that calls us as Illinois conservatives to leave our comfort zones and fearlessly enter the fray.

For me, the call means stepping away for the next few months from my role as managing editor with IllinoisLeader.com to assist with organizing the conservative troops behind the IL GOP?s new, dynamic standard bearer – Ambassador Alan Keyes.

This is a time of war for Illinois? future, and now is the time for all good men (and women and youngsters) to come to the aid of their country.

The impossible “mission” I have chosen to accept is to coordinate the Keyes campaign’s faith-based outreach, calling on voters who darken church doors frequently to engage as never before in Illinois’ political scene.

The time is now, and the need is urgent, and in my assessment, may never present itself in a similar way again in my lifetime.

More Keyes Lying On Abortion

ArchPundit September 9, 2004 11 Comments

Sigh from WGCI interview

Do you realize that in the black community overall right now, more babies are being aborted than are being born?

Well, no. African-American abortion rates are high and I think we can all agree we would like to see lower abortion rates amongst African-Americans, but let’s stick to the facts, in 2000 amongst African-Americans-non Hispanic

607,000 Live Births
488,000 Abortions
170,000 Fetal Losses

And since 1990, that has never been true.

My guess is the fetal loss level is low because it is self-reported–between 25 – 30 % of pregnancies result in miscarriage so my guess is that the rate reported is low–perhaps exacerbated in with a higher A-A poverty rate which would likely increase the number of miscarriages. The other factor is that some abortions would have resulted in miscarriages as well.

All that said, that is a tragic number. The idea of abortion being safe, legal and rare is that each one is the result of tragic circumstances.