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Murkowski, redux

After blasting Sarah Palin yesterday, Princess Lisa has moved on to the next leg of her “the candidates selected and backed by the GOP Establishment are completely different animals from the kinds of candidates selected by, and supportive of, the TEA Party”- tour, this time taking aim at Jim DeMint:

“I think some of the Republicans in the Congress feel pretty strongly that he and his actions potentially cost us the majority by encouraging candidates that ended up not being electable,” Murkowski told POLITICO outside her Senate office. “And I think Delaware is a pretty good example of that, and I think there’re some folks that feel that DeMint’s actions didn’t necessarily help the Republican majority.”

[…]

“So the real question is, what’s his desire?” she said. “Does he want to help the Republican majority, or is he on his own agenda, his own initiative?”

Asked what she believed the answer was, Murkowksi said: “I think he’s out for his own initiative.”

Murkowski, a putative Republican, decided that the will of Republican primary voters in Alaska was less important than her being returned to Washington (and kept in power). In this way, she is much like Charlie Crist and Mike Castle — other candidates backed and preferred by the establishment GOP against more constitutionally conservative / classically liberal candidates.

And yet she has the temerity to suggest that DeMint, who is advocating a return to constitutional principles — the very message that won resoundingly in this month’s elections, mind — is a problem for the GOP?

Seems to me Murkowski should review her own primary performance — and that those GOP insiders who continue to hold this ossified view of themselves as the real brains and substance of the party consider that the reason Republican candidates didn’t perform as well in the Senate races as they did everywhere else is that insiders like Murkowski and Castle and Crist, along with the Republican establishment, refused to throw their weight behind those candidates their party’s base wanted and instead worked actively against them.

You see, not everyone is locked in for six more years, Princess.

And the movement to return this country to sensible, constitutional governance didn’t end simply because you and your cronies managed to spend your way into just enough Democrat write-in votes to return you to Congress. Where, I hear, you hope Obama succeeds.

The GOP has to decide whether or not it will stand on principle or actively agitate toward a return to the status quo. Because that decision will influence whether or not many of us leave it in droves.

Remember: this is what we’re fighting against. So, as a matter of “pragmatism,” either lead, or get the fuck out of our way.

170 Replies to “Murkowski, redux”

  1. Crawford says:

    It would be amusing if the Republicans refused to admit her to their caucus. Won’t happen, but it would be amusing.

  2. cranky-d says:

    Princess Lisa appealed to the left during the race, and that’s what got her the votes she needed. I think she should be ignored by GOP senators as the Democrat she is. I certainly hope they don’t court her vote too often, because she’s the type who will want her vote bought over and over again.

  3. rnabs says:

    “So the real question is, what’s his desire?” she said. “Does he want to help the Republican majority, or is he on his own agenda, his own initiative?”

    I’m sorry, but now this is an example of a dangerously dumb bint. She just doesn’t get it. Too many of the pragmatists, just don’t get it.

  4. SDN says:

    or is he on his own agenda, his own initiative?

    Remind me again who refused to accept the results of the Republican primary? Projection, thy name is Governing Class.

  5. Bordo says:

    I think some of the Republicans in the Congress feel pretty strongly that he and his actions potentially cost us the majority by encouraging candidates that ended up not being electable…

    I’ve never understood the “electability” argument. I get what the people who use it think they mean. But isn’t an electable candidate one who, you know, gets elected?

    What else can the description possibly be predicated upon?

  6. happyfeet says:

    does Lisa want to help the Republican majority, or is she on her own agenda, her own initiative?

    this is gonna bite her in the ass so many times you’ll be able to identify her by the pockmarks

  7. Roddy Boyd says:

    She’s attacking a strawman in Palin, who, of course, was an indifferent governor and quit. And O’Donnell was in over her skis from Day One, but tby that light, she should go after every candidate that doesn’t win, because, well, not having that person in a seat is costing you something, no?

    It’s easier to talk about this stuff than it is to look at yourself and say, “Why can’t I win my own frigging primary?”
    Of course DeMint has his own agenda that is often in conflict with the GOP. It’s called Conservatism.
    I’m not sure why people like Murkowski and Mike Castle don’t come out and say, “Hey, cut me a break. I’m a career politician. I have some GOP sympathies, but I am here primarily to redirect taxpayer cash back to my district/home to get re-elected. I don’t hold defined views and what ones I do hold are broadly in conflict with Conservatism. Think of me as 60/40 on your side.”

  8. Ernst Schreiber says:

    The GOP has to decide whether or not it will stand on principle or actively agitate toward a return to the status quo. Because that decision will influence whether or not many of us leave it in droves.

    Of course they should be encouraged to see the wisdom of standing on principle, tar and feathers having almost as much power to concentrate the mind as the hangman’s noose.

    (did I just say that?)

  9. scooter says:

    Podesta said the American people want the president to move forward with his agenda.

    Based on what evidence, exactly? I’ve got some pretty good evidence (see Nov. 2, 2010) to the contrary.

  10. Spiny Norman says:

    Does the Princess of Projection realize what a magnificent fool she’s just made of herself? Would someone tell her to do the Jeffords/Spector thing and join the Party that better reflects her Big Government Ruling Class mentality.

  11. Spiny Norman says:

    BTW, speaking of clueless Big Government Ruling Class fools, what fucking color is the sky in John Podesta’s world?

  12. McGehee says:

    Scooter, I sure want Obama to move forward with his agenda, just as he’s been doing the last two years. Republicans only gained 60+ seats in 2010 — think how many seats they can gain in 2012.

  13. McGehee says:

    Does the Princess of Projection realize what a magnificent fool she’s just made of herself?

    Is there anything more beautiful than a rhetorical question?   ;-)

  14. Bob Reed says:

    She’ll switch, like Specter. Especially when she realizes it’s “no pork for her” at the federal trough buffet.

    She should definitely not be in a leadership position either, if only for disdaing the will of a majority of her state’s Republican voters by defying their will in the primary elections.

  15. mojo says:

    Forget it, Jeff. It’s Alaska.

  16. sdferr says:

    She’ll switch, like Specter.

    That would be quite clarifying for the earnest Republicans who wrote her name in. Perhaps they’ll be more circumspect in future.

  17. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Bob, not until the GOP caucus reaches 51 seats, she won’t. The Democrats can’t offer her enough to make it worthwhile before then.

    In the meantime, the pigs will still find a way to feed at the trough.

    The biggest problem is that there’s too many putative Republicans in the senate caucus. What has me worried isn’t that Murcowski is an idiot who hasn’t a clue where the country’s at. Clearly she is. No, what has me worried is that she’s an honest idiot who knows exactly where the Senate and lobbyists and the rest of polito-governing establisment is at.

  18. Ernst Schreiber says:

    She may jump like Jeffords, but she won’t switch like Specter.

    Besides, she’s already switched like Lieberman. All that’s left is the jump.

  19. MCPO Airdale says:

    Totally OT – Since the contact form is closed; Can someone tell me why I have to use my cellphone or a proxy to access the site?

  20. newrouter says:

    “I’m engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here.” Palin went on to say that there weren’t meaningful differences in policy among the field of G.O.P. hopefuls “but that in fact there’s more to the presidency than that” and that her decision would involve evaluating whether she could bring unique qualities to the table….

    [D]idn’t she believe that the Republican establishment’s predominant worry was that she would lose to Obama? “Then perhaps they should vent some of their paranoia toward all of the potential G.O.P. candidates,” she said. “Because obviously there’s no guarantee that any one of us would win. But I do believe that much of this is a threat to their hierarchy, because I’ve never shied away from a battle and because I’ll put principle before politics.”

    link

  21. Mike LaRoche says:

    The Democrats can’t offer her enough to make it worthwhile before then.

    If the DREAM Act passes, they can buy her off with coke.

  22. Bob Reed says:

    I don’t know Master Chief.

    I’m viewing it through a standard cable internet connection, on regular ol’ internet explorer. Maybe it has something to do with the browser you’re using or your anti-virus/firewall settings.

    If it’s the latter, maybe you can add this address to your “trusted sites” list.

  23. Squid says:

    She really wants to take on the Tea Party? Really?

    The only explanation that makes any sense to me is that she figures we’ll be off the scene when she next comes up for re-election. Let’s just say that my vision of where we’ll be six years from now is a little different.

  24. MCPO Airdale says:

    Bob Reed – Thanks. Tried all of that. No joy. I can still get here, it’s just a pain.

  25. sdferr says:

    Mr. Squid, arms supplier of note, hits the right point I think, and I thank him for it. The question here, I believe is whose recognition of a trend is the more likely?

    Lisa’s or ours?

    That Lisa can persuade herself that her own very near and personal primary ouster does not constitute an element of a lasting trend either speaks to her strength of mind at emotional distancing and impartial analysis or to her cloudy-hooded stoopidity.

    I vote the latter.

  26. alppuccino says:

    Murkowski campaigned on her ability to bring back the earmarks for Alaska, and now that she’s in, they’re going to ban earmarks. And now she’ll have to fall back on her ability to speak through her nostrils.

    Loser: Alaska.

  27. Squid says:

    Is she in denial about the end of her family’s dynasty, or is she desperately struggling not to go down in history as the last of her line?

    I suppose that’s a false dichotomy. Still, I’d love to know just what the hell she’s thinking here.

  28. Ric Locke says:

    Thinking?

    Thinking?

    Squid, if we ever elect a Senator who thinks, the world will end before morning.

    Plot, yes. Scheme, yes. Emote, damn straight. Think? Which planet did you say you were from, and what color is the sky there?

    Regards,
    Ric

  29. happyfeet says:

    Lisa Murkowski has won her write-in campaign, beating back history as well as Sarah Palin.

    … is how dirty socialist propaganda whore Viv Schiller’s National Soros Radio sells the news on the homepage today

  30. serr8d says:

    Droid – mobile edition check run.

    Lisa Muckowski blows goats; redux. An entire herd of ’em, and their herders.

  31. Pablo says:

    Who in their right mind ever though the GOP would take the Senate? “If (blah blah blah blah blah) we would have run the table.” is idiocy.

  32. serr8d says:

    Damned tiny letters.

  33. sdferr says:

    Who in their right mind ever though the GOP would take the Senate? “If (blah blah blah blah blah) we would have run the table.” is idiocy.

    So damned true it hurts Pablo. Which points us to the reason these carpers are carping: they too can see the handwriting on the wall — though they’ll never own to it, because doing so would be owning to their own destruction — and they are plainly scared to distraction, so must do everything they can think of to discredit the Tea Parties ( I should substitute “the people” for Tea Parties, cause that’s what it comes down to).

  34. cranky-d says:

    Icky, icky proles make GOP establishment types wince.

  35. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Based solely on the fact that the House had never flipped without the Senate also flipping, prior to this election, and that it was obvious that we were not only going to win back the House, but win it back big, I thought we would.

    But I’ve never been accused of being in my right mind.

  36. cranky-d says:

    If we had the senate, the RINO squishes would be the deciding votes, and they would forever require that they be properly bribed for every vote with the GOP. I think we’re better off this way.

  37. happyfeet says:

    I never was real clear on the upside of team R winning the Senate

  38. newrouter says:

    I never was real clear on the upside of team R winning the Senate

    the short sighted bumbleheads just wanted their dc perks. 2012 is when real damage can be done to the 23 demonrat senators up for election

  39. serr8d says:

    I agree w/cranky-d. The American people aren’t yet fed up enough with Bad Politicians, those of the ruling class of the two parties. Let’s allow to simmer a couple more summers.

    We’ll get there.

  40. Mike LaRoche says:

    Lisa Murkowski, Lindsay Graham, John McCain, et al. are just DIABLOs anyway.

  41. serr8d says:

    I really hope California fails, and soon, as an example.

    Fail, and burn the bridges.

  42. happyfeet says:

    I just saw this news from Mr. Instapundit

    This week’s winning spending cut is a proposal developed by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) that would eliminate taxpayer funding for National Public Radio.*

    it says they’re doing it… tomorrow – I don’t really understand why they don’t wait til they have all the new peeps

  43. happyfeet says:

    Cornyn and Hutchison both need to get gone – Texas deserves better than a couple feckless assholes

  44. Mike LaRoche says:

    Cornyn and Hutchison both need to get gone – Texas deserves better than a couple feckless assholes

    Agreed, hf. They suck.

  45. Carin says:

    If we had the senate, the RINO squishes would be the deciding votes, and they would forever require that they be properly bribed for every vote with the GO

    Like the Rhino squishes supporting that POS farm and seed bill. I’ve got a list of how much financial support Rs have received from groups that are backing that bill:

    Lamar’s received $187,921
    Richard Burr $317,136
    Saxby Chamliss $551,694
    Michael Enzi $$87,394
    Judd Gregg $26,000 (just an idiot, I guess?)
    Orrin Hatch $101,215
    John Isakson $276,995
    DAvid Vitter $179,225

  46. Ric Locke says:

    I don’t really understand why they don’t wait til they have all the new peeps

    It’s called “scaring the f* out of the b*ds, happy.

    If they can do this before they have “all the new peeps”, think what they can do when they get the new peeps!

    Regards,
    Ric

  47. happyfeet says:

    I hope it passes Mr. Ric I would feel alive with New Possibility plus also Hope

    at least for a little while

  48. happyfeet says:

    do you have a link for the seeds I had no idea

  49. cranky-d says:

    The Farm bill mostly benefits the big corporate farms that don’t need any help. I don’t know of any family farmers that ever received any money from the program. In my experience the argument that it helps family farms is bogus, which is orthogonal to whether or not I think it would be a good idea in any case (which I don’t).

    Bush is the one who kicked farm subsidies back into gear, just like Obama kicked welfare up a notch. Oddly, Clinton signed bills that reduced both of those programs.

  50. sdferr says:

    Ha, maybe Gregg is ashamed of himself Carin, being as he’s on his way to retirement in any event, so keeping his haul in the low 5 digits is his way of showing it? Or maybe . . . ah, nevermind.

  51. Pablo says:

    Based solely on the fact that the House had never flipped without the Senate also flipping, prior to this election, and that it was obvious that we were not only going to win back the House, but win it back big, I thought we would.

    But I’ve never been accused of being in my right mind.

    Ernst, the numbers simply didn’t work this time around. The GOP took out a third of the Democrat Senate field and still came up short. They took Russ Feingold out and that wasn’t enough. They turned Obama’s old seat red, and that wasn’t enough. Angle and O’Donnell both could have been better candidates and won their seats and that wouldn’t have been enough. Things look better in 2012. I think the takeaway from this election is that we’ve only just begun to dump the Democrats.

  52. cranky-d says:

    As long as the takeaway for GOP types is that we’re serious about the spendings, it’s fine. If not, we’ll have even more GOP housecleaning to do in 2012.

  53. happyfeet says:

    Dino should have won if Michael Steele hadn’t been such an anemic no-money-having fuckface he probably would have

  54. Carin says:

    Here is the most recent story.

    They’re calling is a “food safety bill.” Remember, this is the one that could make it illegal for you to grow those heirloom tomatoes?

    The House passed a version of the legislation in July 2009 that requires food producers and importers to pay a $500 registration fee annually. But the Congressional Budget Office has reported that the fees, which would apply to about 360,000 entities, would not be enough to pay for the new system.

    Even if all those obstacles could be overcome, it still might not be enough. On Wednesday, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) — who has long challenged the Senate’s food safety bill — said he was pushing to tack onto the bill a controversial amendment to ban earmarks in the next Congress.

    Small farms? Screwed.

  55. happyfeet says:

    a food safety bill what doesn’t include irradiation is anti-science

  56. Carin says:

    More here on it, obviously from someone against the bill.

  57. cranky-d says:

    Instead of calling their bills “food safety” and “healthcare reform” if they just called every bill “state control of ______” they would be more honest. Of course, no one in their right mind would accuse them of honesty.

  58. Ernst Schreiber says:

    I was really expecting us to run the table, Pablo, WV, DE, CT, NV, WA, AK, CA.

    I also thought we were going to win 83+/-2 or 3 seats in the House. The Tsunami of tea.

    If this guy is right and not just dumping on Steele. We should have won 80+, in which case, the Senate would have followed.

  59. Carin says:

    nstead of calling their bills “food safety” and “healthcare reform” if they just called every bill “state control of ______” they would be more honest.

    That’s exactly the fucking deal. Federal control, because we need daddy to watch out for us. THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW.

    We’re fracked.

  60. happyfeet says:

    here is a thanksgiving picture for you Carin for so the blessings get all counted up

  61. McGehee says:

    Dino should have won if Michael Steele hadn’t been such an anemic no-money-having fuckface he probably would have

    Well, there’s a reason why the RNC had no money, but it’s true Michael Steele had a lot to do with that reason.

  62. Pablo says:

    Seems to me Murkowski should review her own primary performance —

    See, she’s already done that. And what she came up with is “Sarah Palin fucked me over.” She needs reeducation.

  63. Carin says:

    That reminds me Happy. I think next year I’m going to raise a turkey or two. So I can slaughter it for Thanksgiving.

    Won’t that be a warm family memory?

    As long as our Federal overlords don’t find out of course.

    Pls don’t turn me in. Pretend I never mentioned it.

  64. newrouter says:

    We should have won 80+, in which case, the Senate would have followed.

    oh noes having baracky, reid, pelosi as the face of the demonrats is fabulous for going into 2012

  65. cranky-d says:

    I believe Carin is now issuing death threats to gobbler-americans.

    Why do you hate minorities, Carin?

  66. newrouter says:

    but it’s true Michael Steele had a lot to do with that reason.

    but it is the betters that things are decentralizing as far as fund raising. cornuts picking winners don’t work

  67. Carin says:

    Why do you hate minorities, Carin?

    I plan to treat them very well. Up until the moment I butcher them.

  68. happyfeet says:

    here is the story of the wild turkeys in Massachusetts getting all urban an shit

    Wild turkeys, once eliminated in Massachusetts, are flourishing from Plymouth to Concord and – to the surprise of some wildlife officials – making forays into densely populated suburban and urban areas, including parts of Boston, Cambridge and, most recently, Brookline.

  69. Pablo says:

    Collins cites a study that he says found that the GOP could have won the Washington and Colorado Senate races with a better field operation and says that he’d chalk up narrow gubernatorial losses in Connecticut, Minnesota and Vermont to the same lack of funds for a ground game.

    Still not enough to take the Senate. I would not be discouraged, but rather looking toward winning the next round just like this one. This is a long term project.

  70. newrouter says:

    because arguing over who lost biden’s or reid’s seat or murray’s seat is so much fun

  71. Ric Locke says:

    This is a long term project.

    Oh, yes. And the tactics of the Murks (I suggest that as the collective term for Cornyn, et. al.) is based on relief: Well, that’s over, and those people don’t have any staying power. Back to business as usual, and next time they won’t be a factor.

    Of course, if it turns out the tea parties do have staying power, they’re going to be unpleasantly surprised. I’ll be surprised myself — the Murks aren’t the only ones likely to go back to business as usual — but in my case it’ll be pleasantly.

    Regards,
    Ric

  72. newrouter says:

    who lost spector’s seat?

  73. happyfeet says:

    I’m not sure I’m real clear on how the Party of Tea rolls through a presidential cycle. Will they sponsor their own debate series for the candidates? That would be neat I guess maybe.

  74. sdferr says:

    I think there were 19 Dem held Senate seats up in the last election. Keep on keeping on at the 2010 rate of gain and with the 23 seats the Dems have to defend in 2012 election the Rep’s will pick up 8 in the next go round, assuming they can hold their own 10 (Scott Brown is in the class).

    47 + 8 is a working majority of 55. Throw out any combination of Olympia, Kay Bailey, Orrin, Lugar or Kyl to replacement with a winning Tea Partyer in the go and things will be looking up.

  75. newrouter says:

    the Rep’s will pick up 8 in the next go round

    who might be primaried on team r’s side?

  76. sdferr says:

    Dianne Feinstein of California
    Tom Carper of Delaware
    Bill Nelson of Florida
    Daniel Akaka of Hawaii
    Ben Cardin of Maryland
    Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
    Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
    Claire McCaskill of Missouri
    Jon Tester of Montana
    Ben Nelson of Nebraska
    Bob Menendez of New Jersey
    Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico
    Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
    Kent Conrad of North Dakota
    Sherrod Brown of Ohio
    Bob Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania
    Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
    Jim Webb of Virginia
    Maria Cantwell of Washington
    Joe Manchin of West Virginia
    Herb Kohl of Wisconsin

    Ol Herb’s balls are sweating now, don’tcha think?

  77. Ric Locke says:

    If the tea parties decide to go uppercase, to set it up with a Tea Party with a leader and a secretary and all that and set up debates… they lose, and lose big. Democrats aren’t the only ones who’ve read Alinsky.

    But if the tea parties stay a loose collection of activists who exchange emails and twitters and maybe blog comments, and keep on with the ground game, real change is possible. Infiltrate the precincts. Get on the election commission. Recruit the dogcatcher and the superintendent of the sewer works. Run for school board and town council and County Commissioner, or get to know those people and either help or target them. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow, and that’s the only way to do it — which is why the leftoid operation took that name.

    Regards,
    Ric

  78. McGehee says:

    73. happyfeet posted on 11/17 @ 5:06 pm

    If I were one of the millions of leaders of the Tea Party (and who’s to say I’m not?) I would suggest that Tea Party contingents attend every possible presidential campaign event (D as well as R, just to keep the R’s from getting cocky) and making sure that comparisons are made between what the candidates say and what the pillars of Tea Party principle demand. And then let the people who vote in the various primaries decide.

    It would be best to focus on the first caucuses and primaries as if they were the last — and then focus on the next ones as if they were the last. Never let up.

    And of course they’ll need to work Congress and the state-level races simultaneously. Which, I’m thinking based on recent results that’s in their wheelhouse.

  79. happyfeet says:

    mostly I’d like to see a debate where all the candidates D and R were invited to discuss things from a Party of Tea perspective – responsible moderators would be easy to find I think

  80. bh says:

    Ol Herb’s balls are sweating now, don’tcha think?

    The grapevine says Herb is looking to retire.

  81. Ric Locke says:

    The other thing: when “Tea Party Leaders” arise, they will immediately become targets. Democrats, their media stooges, and the Murks will ally to squash them.

    Help them do it.

    If I read the tea parties right, they have already adopted the strategy I advocate above. That being the case, any Leader who emerges will be an opportunist, somebody who found a parade and tries to get in front with a shiny baton. Such people need to be sent back to the curb where they belong, and Murks & Co. will do it for us.

    A band that knows what it’s doing can get along fine without the drum major. The file leaders need signals for the ones following, and the drummers need to keep the beat, but the chick in the costume out front is mostly to entertain the crowds.

    Regards,
    Ric

  82. happyfeet says:

    I squash you up!

  83. Duke says:

    Ot sort of, but also goes to the “ruling class” knowing better than the proles. Terrorist found not guilty of all but conspiracy. Heckuva job Barry!

  84. newrouter says:

    mr. levin tonight said that a constitutional amendment to limit the fed gov’t to 15% of gdp is needed. i think it should be 10 but he’s right in using the amendment process to tie these idiots down

  85. Big D says:

    Hey, I figured out how to change my name back. Yeah, I set the bar pretty low on excitement. Now if I could do something about the avatar.

  86. Jeff G. says:

    mr. levin tonight said that a constitutional amendment to limit the fed gov’t to 15% of gdp is needed. i think it should be 10 but he’s right in using the amendment process to tie these idiots down

    EXTREMIST!

  87. Ric Locke says:

    Debates are a waste of time.

    This may not have always been true, although reading stuff like Lincoln vs. Douglas gives me to doubt, but in an Alinskyized political system they’re useless excrescences that serve only to provide the identifiers and isolators with gaffes and quotes out of context for the snarkoverse to feed on. Nothing of any significance is ever said in a political debate, and the “handlers” make as sure of that as possible.

    Debates, teevee appearances, major speeches, and the like are attempts to do One Big Thing instead of concentrating on the grinding, exhausting, boring necessities: meet&greets in small groups, impromptu visits to grocery stores and Starbucks, and above all shoe leather a/k/a “canvassing” — the candidate or workers for the candidate visiting every house, every apartment on every block in the district, offering introductions and campaign literature and asking for that person’s vote. As an amorphous group of like-minded people, the tea parties are ideally situated to do that if they don’t get hypnotized by the teevee lights and decide to throw one big rally, yeah, that’ll do it… it won’t.

    The other thing is: A lot of people who could do a job look like shit on teevee, but you could meet them on the street and not see anything objectionable about them. Washington may be Hollywood for ugly people, but if ugly people present themselves on teevee ads they aren’t going to get elected in this day and age without a lot of spin and bling. Doing on the ground they might.

    Regards,
    Ric

  88. newrouter says:

    if they don’t get hypnotized by the teevee lights and decide to throw one big rally

    mr. rick it is sometimes good to assemble peaceably for the cameras to show that the talk from the left is the stupid. after that go back to the roots thing

  89. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – Essentially you’re correct Ric.

    – But Beck forced the Left’s hand and exposed them to a National audience for the special interest groups (Unions) pandering bastards they are.

    – I think that was useful.

  90. Ric Locke says:

    I didn’t say they weren’t useful at all; they just aren’t useful for winning elections.

    What rallies and the like are useful for is the “you are not alone” factor. How many times have we seen commenters, here and elsewhere, say “O dear me I’m the only conservative in a deep blue state and all my neighbors are moonbats”? Such a person is afraid to engage with others in public for fear of ridicule and ostracism — sometimes with good reason, but often enough not. Did you ask, guy? Of course not. But if there’s a march or a rally, and it’s well attended, people can look at it and think, “well, maybe I’m not so alone after all.” That’s good. It builds support — but it doesn’t grab votes, and if done wrong it can easily backfire, especially in a hostile media environment.

    Ooops! Time to be off to visit Bobbe. L8ter, h8ters.

    OUTLAW VIOLENCE!

    Regards,
    Ric

  91. newrouter says:

    especially in a hostile media environment.

    the intertubes are changing the “media” mr. ric

  92. bh says:

    Sorta OT but an interesting juxtaposition to ol’ Murky.

  93. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – That makes for encouraging reading bh, but honestly, at the risk of sounding like a downer, the magnitude of the problem makes 100 billion seem like chump change.

    – But I suppose you have to start somewhere and hope the thing snowballs.

    – Baby steps!

  94. Danger says:

    “Squid, if we ever elect a Senator who thinks, the world will end before morning.

    Ric,

    You forgot teh FRED Mister! Oh and Coburn has been known to fire a synapse or two;^)

  95. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – Maybe some day soon we can all enjoy a Wendy’s triple with a Large fry, and zero guilt.

  96. Ric Locke says:

    #91 newrouter — one can hope. But —

    As I said last night, I am once again employed. As a celebration, I treated myself to a relatively expensive lunch. While I was there an older gentleman came in, a person I know by sight and small acquaintance but not by name; he’s a minor Democratic Party functionary, used to be Chair of the local committee. He ordered, sat down, and commenced to carefully peruse his copy of the New York Times.

    That’s what we’re working against. Something like two-fifths of Americans now have Internet access, perhaps more — but, of those, probably three-quarters look at dirty pictures and swap asinine comments on Facebook, and if they want information (which they usually don’t) they automatically click on CBS, MSNBC, CNN, and the like; the real sophisticates call up the NYT’s online version. Even then, if they’re interested in anything beyond the antics of the current set of celebrities it’s on national politics-as-spectator-sport. The State legislator who gets to gerrymander Congressional districts next time is on the radar only as a random spot, to be eliminated by the [CLUTTER REJECT] switch. Election commissioner? Not even that.

    The Internet is an invaluable resource for debate and coordination among people who have got the message, whichever message that might be. It’s also useful for a certain amount of fundraising. As a means for advocacy and electing candidates? Nah.

    Regards,
    Ric

  97. Pablo says:

    – Maybe some day soon we can all enjoy a Wendy’s triple with a Large fry, and zero guilt.

    The Wendy’s food is mostly excellent but the fries have been teh suck to where if they sold McDonald’s fries it would be fast food nirvana. There is hope. OK, it still wouldn’t be In-N-Out, but what is?

  98. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – NYT readers are a dying breed Ric, not that that fact means whatever replaces the legacy print media will be favorable in general to the Republic.

    – But the chances are at least even as the old die off, both hard ass Lefties, and hard headed Journ-o-lists, and that leveled playing field would be an improvement in any moderates book.

  99. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – So true Pablo – In’N’Out rawks.

    – Animal style everything!

    OUTLAW FOOD!

  100. Danger says:

    An NYT reader in Texas, has he read the bylaws?

  101. Danger says:

    “There is hope”

    Pablo
    Replace that sea-salt with Lowreys seasoned salt and Wendy’s gets a lifeline.

  102. bh says:

    Why did McDonalds’ french fries used to taste so good? Was it the oil they used or something? (Nostalgia for my youth?)

    Ric’s thoughts match with my observations, btw. Knock on a few doors and you’ll realize how freakishly over-informed on the minute day-to-day details you are comparatively. Which means there is still no substitute for canvassing and that we might do well to pull a quasi-bait-and-switch where conservative organizations offered fantasy football leagues, celebrity news, and funny photoshops.

  103. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – Maybe some armadillo pron as well.

  104. Pablo says:

    The guy who reverse engineered McDonald’s fries is why the internet exists. Him and pr0n, that is.

  105. Ric Locke says:

    D100 Danger — The NYT has a printing plant in Dallas. Dear Rachel and all the rest, including the NY-centric brassiere ads, electronically transmitted over the Interwebthingy, then ground out on dead trees by roaring monsters and delivered to your door hot off the press. Very popular in the Park Cities and certain zones of Houston.

    Bylaws are for the little people.

    Regards,
    Ric

  106. bh says:

    McDonald’s used to fry their potatoes in beef tallow, giving them extra flavor and making them extra crisp, but they stopped doing that years ago.

    Ah-ha! Thanks, Pablo.

  107. sdferr says:

    This means we cans haz good fries at home. Only gots to render the beeveses fats and we’re good to go.

  108. bh says:

    This says it happened in 1990. Stupid hippies.

  109. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – The other thing McD’s does is twice cook it’s fries.

  110. sdferr says:

    2,000,000 lbs a day is a lot of pounds. I boggles, preferring to think man with potato and knife sorts of pounds.

  111. sdferr says:

    Typo yields new word right on time: Cientists! Just the ticket for thems that ain’t.

  112. bh says:

    I wonder how lard would work. What do I care, I’d eat all of two serving a year anyway.

    Apparently goose fat works quite well but I don’t think I’ve ever had that on hand.

  113. sdferr says:

    Lard should work right along the same lines, though with a flavor difference of course. I’ve roasted domestic goose before and it seemed like there was no end of rendered fat coming out of that sucker. Do up a couple of ’em and you’d be in the ballpark volume wise.

  114. bh says:

    Hmmm, I wonder how people would react to finding out the Thanksgiving goose tradition got started because ol’ bh wanted to try some novel french fries.

  115. JD says:

    I am adding this to my list of culinary escapades. I am going to start curing meats after Thanksgiving.

  116. bh says:

    I am going to start curing meats after Thanksgiving.

    You’re a fucking legend. I mean that.

  117. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – Junior just burned the sliced, herb dusted squash slices to a crisp.

    – The travails of chefing.

  118. Ric Locke says:

    Since there is no way to render squash edible, that seems as good a method as any, BBH.

    Regards,
    Ric

  119. JD says:

    Bh – I have an appointment scheduled with a butcher to select the proper cuts, and I vote the hooks hung in the basement this weekend. Better Half asked if there was anything I thought she needed to know, and I said no.

  120. happyfeet says:

    i used squashes when I made Joe’s soup this weekend! they disappeared after a few hours

    everybody loved the soup it was very tasty – I had a sugar pumpkin and I learned that if you have cheap-ass walmart knives you have to bake it at 350 for like 30 minutes so you can peel and chunk it.

    That about tripled my pumpkin cooking knowledge.

  121. JD says:

    Butternut squash can be made edible. The key is the ratio of squash to not-squash ingredients. The s:ns ratio must hav the no-squash percentage be greater than 51%, of which a portion must be bacon.

  122. happyfeet says:

    I can’t wait til next year I’m gonna steal the pumpkin from work again and make some more

  123. bh says:

    Pumpkins make your toenails very brittle.

    (Well, maybe they do. Just haven’t said anything freaky about your food choices lately.)

  124. Ric Locke says:

    Have I told my squash story in this venue?

    Regards,
    Ric

  125. happyfeet says:

    they have many vitamin As … I read a can at Ralph’s

    plus fibers!

  126. bh says:

    Not that I remember, Ric.

  127. bh says:

    … and I do tend to remember both squash and car crash stories.

  128. Ernst Schreiber says:

    The switch from lard to vegetable oil came about because of the government scientists what told everyone that fat was bad m’kay? But vegetable oil doesn’t get as hot as lard, so it leaves your french fries greasy and limp (insert democrat penis joke here). Through the miracles of science we discovered that you could turn vegetable oil into a lard substitute through the power of hydrogen* (don’t ask me how it works, I’m a historian, not a chemist Jim!). But now the same scientists what told everyone that fat was bad are now saying that hydrogenated oils are worse (see Bloomberg, Nanny) than fat, m’kay? As a consequence of pressure from scientifically backed politically motivated lifestyle pressure groups, Wendy’s stopped frying with hydrogenated veggie oil, which is why their once golden crispy sticks of fluffy potato goodness are now the suck.

    Fortunately, I have the solution, if any franchise owner out there has the balls to actually go for it:

    MacDougall’s proudly uses 100% pure all natural beef tallow!

    *Crisco obviously predates the switch from lard to vegetable grease, but McDonald’s was responding to the same gov’t and consumer pressures that convinced Wendy to ruin her french fries –stoopid bitch.

  129. JD says:

    People that take the fun out of food suck.

  130. Danger says:

    “Better Half asked if there was anything I thought she needed to know, and I said no.”

    Good thinkin JD,
    If she knew she might not remain the better half (she might even become the only half;^)

  131. Danger says:

    Hey bh,

    A few weeks back you were lamenting your cell phone internet performance. What kind is it? and which one would you get if you could replace it?

  132. bh says:

    I’m suddenly very annoyed that MacDougall’s doesn’t currently exist.

  133. Ric Locke says:

    So there’s at least one valid victim audience member. Good enough…

    My father was not a farmer; he was forced into it by circumstance, and wanted all the help he could get. Sometime in the early Fifties he went to the local agricultural extension agent and asked what to plant.

    The answer was: little yellow crook-neck squash.

    So he bought seed and brought it home, and he and the tenants went out and planted little yellow crook-neck squash in every corner of the farm.

    And it all came up.
    And it all “made”.
    It was a bonanza. A bumper harvest.

    So Dad went downtown to the box factory and got vegetable crates, and he and the tenants picked little yellow crook-neck squash and loaded it all on my great-uncle’s 1939 Dodge pickup and took it to the market town.

    At the market they discovered that agricultural extension agents all across our part of east Texas had recommended planting little yellow crook-neck squash.

    And everybody had.
    And it all came up.
    And it all “made”.
    It was a bumper harvest. What “bumper harvest” means to a farmer is that there’s so much of the stuff that you practically can’t give it away. Counting seed, fertilizer, tenant labor, boxes, and gas for the ’39 Dodge, IIRC he ended up with a profit of about $2.

    So we ATE little yellow crook-neck squash.

    We had little yellow crook-neck squash fried, boiled, baked, and fricaseed.
    We had little yellow crook-neck squash in soups, stews, and casseroles.
    We had slices of little yellow crook-neck squash as a garnish to every meal, in addition to its being a part of the meal itself.

    Then one evening Dad took a bite, stared into space for a moment, and bolted for the back yard, where he offered the yard cats a helping of used little yellow crook-neck squash. The cats, being sensible creatures, refused to even cover it up. He had to go get the shovel.

    No squash of any type appeared in our cuisine after that, including after Dad died and Mother, living alone, could cook anything she liked — and this was a woman who ate sandwiches of raw onion with mustard on toast. My youngest brother, who wasn’t born when the incident occurred, eats squash. None of the rest of us ever did, again. I can tolerate a slice or two of zucchini in a salad, but I have been served every type of squash in existence, and it all tastes like little yellow crook-neck squash to me, and yes, that includes pumpkin pie. Squash makes a pretty table decoration, rather like the gourds it resembles, but it is not a foodstuff.

    Regards,
    Ric

  134. JD says:

    Danger – sprint evo 4g. Simply the best.

  135. happyfeet says:

    what I learned from going to in n out is if they put the potatoes in the potato french fry squisher squasher sideways, the french fries come our real short… but if they sorta stand the potatoes up tall the french fries come out pretty long… I like the long ones better

  136. happyfeet says:

    come *out* real short I mean

  137. Danger says:

    I’m considering that one JD but the keyboard on the EPIC 4G might be helpful keeping you rascals in line;)

  138. bh says:

    Oh, I remember that, that was my cheapo, pre-paid phone that I keep around in case I lose my work phone, Danger. My work phone is a Samsung of some sort. To be honest, I’m pretty terrible on the phone knowledge overall.

    I bet others here would give you better recommendations.

  139. happyfeet says:

    I remember that squash story now.

    The yellow kind are good for vegetable lasagna.

    I guess that’s not helpful probably.

  140. happyfeet says:

    hey though what do you get when you eat all the potatoes?

  141. bh says:

    You’re a few rhymes away from a country song, Ric.

  142. Danger says:

    The only downside to the 4G phones previously mentioned is that Sprint charges a $10 “premium data” fee for them and I am not in an area that has 4G coverage.

  143. Joe says:

    Remember: this is what we’re fighting against. So, as a matter of “pragmatism,” either lead, or get the fuck out of our way.

  144. Joe says:

    That is threatening language.

  145. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – The “Squash” I’m referring too is actually the zucchini variety. Thin sliced, and broiled properly with the proper herbal/spice dusting. They make the perfect add-on to a good sirloin, broiled to perfection, and smothered in sauteed mushrooms and onions, and sided with wedge steak fries. I usually toss in some baby carrots, and small broccoli florets, pre-blanched to maintain color and freshness, along with the zucchini slices.

  146. Ernst Schreiber says:

    what do you get when you eat all the potatoes?

    An overwhelming urge to quaff copious amounts of Bushmill’s and Jameson’s and punch everyone you meet in the face?

    Grilled yellow squash and zuchini is good a couple times a year.

  147. JD says:

    You are not now, but you will be, Danger. And in some towns, and airports, you can be. The Evo has the internal MyFi, which is so cool beyond words that I will not even begin to describe how fucking great and awesome and great and did I mention awesome it is.

  148. cranky-d says:

    When I was 15 my sister made zucchini lasagna, where the zucchini takes the place of the noodles. I did not like vegetables. I did not like zucchini. I liked it even less afterwards.

    I have never let her forget about that.

  149. JD says:

    I do not work for Sprint nor will I get a commission from Sprint should any of you clowns take my advise and get the Sprint Evo 4g’ simply the greatest fucking phone ever made.

    Goodnight, racists.

  150. cranky-d says:

    Grilled yellow squash and zuchini is good a couple times a year.

    It’s even better no times a year.

  151. Abe Froman says:

    I’m pretty ambivalent about squash, but I’ve been making this basic recipe for 10-15 years since I first had it at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in NYC. Really easy to make and very tasty.

  152. bh says:

    what do you get when you eat all the potatoes?

    An overwhelming urge to quaff copious amounts of Bushmill’s and Jameson’s and punch everyone you meet in the face?

    Careful there, Hunny McKaiser. Everyone knows that we either simply die or travel to America to vote Democrat for three or four generations when that happens.

  153. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – I doubt I’d care for any dish that emphasized foods such as zucchini, rather than using it in a very careful way as an offset to the meat and potatoes of the normal entre’.

    – There are a number of foods like that, that I suspect turn people off because of that mistaken approach.

  154. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Careful there, Hunny McKaiser. Everyone knows that we either simply die or travel to America to vote Democrat for three or four generations when that happens.

    I have been wondering if you’re avatar looked like it was getting ready to flip me the bird or punch me in the groin.

  155. Ernst Schreiber says:

    I doubt I’d care for any dish that emphasized foods such as zucchini, rather than using it in a very careful way as an offset to the meat and potatoes of the normal entre’.

    quite so.

  156. Danger says:

    “…or punch me in the groin.”

    Don’t touch my junk bh!

  157. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – Careful there Ernst. Ric provided you with an alibi, but Whitehall is still looking into that Jack the ripper bit of nasty business.

  158. Danger says:

    g’night all

  159. Big Bang Hunter says:

    …Don’t fondle me bro!

  160. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Rippin’ ‘ores would interfere wit’ me scotch an’ cigar recreatin’ you might say guvnor.

  161. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – Not to mention the time consuming need to maintain a razor like edge on all those surgical instruments.

    – Oh bother….carry on old top.

  162. Big Bang Hunter says:

    – OT – It will be interesting to see how political pundits will be able to explain the mechanism’s of just how a person who loses by a wide margin in a primary is able to come back and win so decisively in a write-in campaign. Something that hadn’t been done in the last 50 years or so.

    – ‘Tis a puzzle.

  163. Carin says:

    I say we give Danger and JD ONE more day to get an avatard.

  164. Squid says:

    From #87: Nothing of any significance is ever said in a political debate, and the “handlers” make as sure of that as possible.

    A blunt talker in the mold of a Chris Christie could make for some epic debates, though. I can’t help but smile when I imagine a national debate where one participant makes his rebuttal with “Are you really that stupid, or are you just assuming that everyone in the audience is?”

    Sure, it would require kicking the handler in the balls just before the lights came up, but a guy can dream, can’t he?

  165. Danger says:

    “I say we give Danger and JD ONE more day to get an avatard.”

    Carin,

    I tried to sign up at gravatar but it did not recognize my wordpress account so I tried to establish a new gravatar account and they said that danger (apparently you can’t use capital letters) was already in use.

    I sent their support an e-mail.

    Anyone else have this happen and find a solution?

  166. Abe Froman says:

    Create a new wordpress account via Gravatar, Danger. The registration here is just for PW. Just make sure that the email address you use is the same one as here. Whatever new name you use when registering will be what shows up when you comment at other sites, but you’ll be able to keep Danger when commenting here.

  167. Danger says:

    Thanks Abe,

    I’ll give it a try 8^)

  168. Danger says:

    Test

  169. JD says:

    Gravatar does not like iPads

Comments are closed.