Tom Faranda's Folly

WSJ: Conservative Democrat Congressmen doing well in election run-up

Besides having this article on it's front page this morning, McDonald's dropping health care plan for 30,000 due to government mandates the Wall Street Journal also had this one -

Loyalty to Obama Costs Democrats

DOYLESTOWN, Pa.—Rep. Patrick Murphy, a fresh-faced rising Democratic star and loyal backer of President Barack Obama's agenda, is facing the fight of his life in a suburban Philadelphia district Mr. Obama won easily two years ago.

Across Pennsylvania, another Democrat, Rep. Jason Altmire, is competing in a district Republican John McCain took by a wide margin. Mr. Altmire is running away with it, by running away from the president.

In their contrasting fates lie broader lessons for the coming midterms: Live by the president and you could die by the president. Democrats who have been thorns in the president's side are doing well in some of the toughest districts for their party, from Alabama to the steel belt of western Pennsylvania. But swing-district Democrats who have voted with the president in Congress are struggling, even if they're now asserting their independence.

Mr. Altmire voted against the Obama health-care and climate-change bills. "My opponent is trying to tie me in with the speaker and with the leadership. That's pretty difficult to do," he said. He holds a double-digit lead.

If Democrats running against the White House prevail, the result could have a profound impact on the party's ability to govern. More than 30 Democrats with proven records of independence are campaigning on this theme, and scores more have started trying to do so late in the game. Even if the party maintains control of the House, it almost certainly won't have a functioning liberal majority, Democratic aides and lawmakers say. Conservative Democrats would be emboldened to go their own way, especially if many colleagues who stuck with the president lose.

Rep. Bobby Bright, an Alabama Democrat who calls himself a "fiercely independent" conservative, said the Democratic leadership largely let conservative House Democrats vote according to the dictates of their districts, a low-risk approach for a party with 77 more seats than Republicans. A loss of even a dozen would put Democratic conservatives in the catbird seat, assuming they return and remain united.

"No matter what, the vote counts are going to be different," said Mr. Altmire, who represents a district outside Pittsburgh. "You're not going to be able to win these votes 219-212" in the House if dozens of centrists and conservatives are voting no.

Since I'm not a political party syncophant, I think this is great. And of course the McDoald's article tiew in with why people are angry at the "progressive" wing on the Democrat Party.

McDonald's dropping health care plan for 30,000 due to government mandates

Remember how Obamacare, according to the president, would allow you to keep your own health insurance - "no one would be forced to change", etc, etc.

And how guys like Rush Limbaugh kept saying the whole purpose of Obamacare was to force people into the government health programs, eliminate private insurance, grow the size of government, "govenment takeover of healthcare", blah, blah, blah.

More and more, it looks like, as the bumper sticker used to say, "Rush is Right".

From this AM's Wall Street Journal:

McDonald's Corp. has warned federal regulators that it could drop its health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers unless regulators waive a new requirement of the U.S. health overhaul.

A spokeswoman for McDonald's said it would look for other insurance options if it couldn't get the waiver. The company's chief people officer for the U.S., Steve Russell, said, "McDonald's will continue to be committed to providing competitive pay and benefits."

The chain has offered a limited benefits plan for more than 10 years. The current version provides outpatient, inpatient, preventive-care and prescription-drug coverage. McDonald's says 85% of participants have less than $5,000 in medical expenses a year.

The new rules at issue apply only to fully insured health plans and not those where the employer absorbs the risk and directly pays out medical claims. The rules wouldn't affect Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for instance, because it is self-insured.

 

Pew Foundation survey on religion: ignorance abounds

UPDATE: From OSV, a Catholic website - Atheists ace religion test. Catholics, not so much

Pretty comprehensive; 3412 people asked a 32 question survey. Only eight got them all correct.

Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons are among the highest-scoring groups on a new survey of religious knowledge, outperforming evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics on questions about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions.

On average, Americans correctly answer 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions on the survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. Atheists and agnostics average 20.9 correct answers. Jews and Mormons do about as well, averaging 20.5 and 20.3 correct answers, respectively. Protestants as a whole average 16 correct answers; Catholics as a whole, 14.7. Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons perform better than other groups on the survey even after controlling for differing levels of education.

 To take a 15 question version of the quiz go here. FULL DISCLOSURE: I got 14 out of 15 right; guessed wrong on #15.

Or the 10 question version, go here. FULL DISCLOSURE: I had taken this one first and got a 100%. Should have quit while I was ahead...

Rugby: New Zealand provincial play; the ultimate clothesline tackle

Wow. And he got up. Those scrum halves are tough.

Cable news race

And of course this explains this - CNN fires it's President

TUES., SEPT. 28, 2010

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,154,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,306,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,161,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,115,000
FOXNEWS BAER 2,049,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,744,000
MSNBC MADDOW 1,018,000
MSNC OLBERMANN 999,000
MSNBC O'DONNELL 860,000
MSNBC SHULTZ 711,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 663,000
CNNHN GRACE 561,000
CNN COOPER 560,000

Financial Times (UK) on Rahm Emanuel

Not a very flattering portrayal. you may have to register with FT to read it - but registration is free.

Some time in the next few days, Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama’s chief of staff, looks almost certain to quit his job to pursue his dream of becoming mayor of Chicago.

Known as Rahmbo by friends and enemies alike and assigned the code name Black Hawk by the secret service, Mr Emanuel’s often capricious style of management has helped define Mr Obama’s rollercoaster ride in the White House during the past 20 months.

Mr Obama recently said Mr Emanuel would make an “excellent” mayor of Chicago. But if Democratic figures inside and outside the White House are to be believed, Mr Emanuel’s pugilistic approach may turn him into a scapegoat for much what has gone wrong, some of it fair, some not.

A quick Tim football video

Against White Plains a couple of weeks ago. Here's what I wrote in the description on youtube -

Tim posted this very short vid (which I shot), AND added the music. He clotheslines the WP tailback in the backfield. Game played September 12th. It was the first game of the season, Ossining vs White Plains in the 7th & 8th grade football little league. Tim's a good sized player -but also very quick.

Survival shows survive for second season

Press Release -

Click here: Breaking News - DISCOVERY TO BRING BACK HIT SURVIVAL SHOWS FOR SECOND SEASON: DUAL SURVIVAL and MAN, WOMAN, WILD |

OK, I admit, Brigid and I enjoyed watching Dave Canterbury and Cody Lundin in Dual Survival.

And we also liked Ruth and Mykal the husband and wife team in Man, Woman, Wild.

Yes, the shows are both a little hokey and contrived (who goes out into the woods, jungle, snow, etc, with big sheath knives, but no way to start a fire?). And how many North Americans go through life barefoot, as per Cody?

Nevertheless, they are entertaining and you do learn a bit. The repartee between both pairs in the repective shows is amusing.

By the way, I discovered Dave Canterbury before the Discovery Channel did - I was a subscriber to his youtube channel. Here are the bios for Canterbary and Cody Lundin - go here.

 

Washington Post/CNN media writer Howard Kurtz on NY Times columnist Paul Krugman

I must say, I don't like Paul Krugman. ell, i don't know him personally - I dont like his writing style, to say nothing of his opinions. Yes, he has a Nobel Prize in economics, for work he did on international trade over 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, this makes him a legend in his own mind (a common belief among NY Times op ed writers is that their having a column in the NYT makes them infallible on everything). Since he's had his column, he's presented himself as an expert on all things current - foreign affairs, all areas of economic, politics, religious values, on and on.

And, to be blunt, he's frequently dishonest, even about what he has said in the past - for quite a while there was a group of bloggers - The Krugman Truth Squad - dedicated to correcting his whoppers.

Anyway, Howard Kurtz, who I like, and who is a moderate, middle of the road guy, had a column Monday about PK.

Paul Krugman, incensed and insistent about our economic ills

Krugman never betrays less than absolute certainty that he is right and many other smart folks -- such as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who hired him at Princeton -- are wrong.

"If certainty were oil, he'd be Saudi Arabia," says conservative columnist George Will. "He is a Keynesian who believes government knows how to organize everything and should just get on with it. He believes government is dangerously frugal. I don't think so."

 Krugman is a guy who absolutely believes that government knows best, and in fact traces the economy's problems back to Ronald Reagan.

Krugman would seem to have an exceedingly comfortable life. There's the large house in Princeton, described by the New Yorker as being in "Japanese modern style," the New York apartment and the condo on the beach in St. Croix. There are trips to international conferences, most recently in Sweden and Japan. He makes a bundle on writing textbooks with his wife. People's heads turn in restaurants, like the one where he is lunching.

So why does he seem so angry?

Why? Because he's a left wing know-it-all whacko, that's why (my opinion).

Interestingly, within hours of the Kurtz column coming out, other big government know-it-alls leapt to defend Krugman and attack Kurtz. Here's one of them - Dean Baker of the uber-progressive CEPR (Center for Economic and Policy Review) - Lessons for Post Media Critic on How Real Reporters Write nd whose email newsletter I receive.

 

Former Dem Presidential candidate Dukakis advising Obama on election strategy?

YIKES!

Dukakis shared his strategy for midterm elections at the White House

This is torture! Guantanamo detainees limited to ice cream only once a day!

I thought this sort of horror ended with the reign of Bush-Cheney -

Investigative journalism at it's finest.

Journalist for The Miami Herald, Carol Rosenberg, photographed a refrigerator at Guantanamo, with two signs reading ‘DETAINEE FOOD ONLY’ and ‘Only 1 Ice Cream For each detainee!’

 The ice cream rationing has now led the journalist to question Guantanamo Bay’s motives, suspecting that it might be an attempt to reduce spending.

CA. Governor Schwarzenegger: 31% job approval; 66% disapproval

If I were living in California, I'd be in the 66%. He came in with such high hopes, and proved to be conventional politics lite (like the Prez!).

Seventy percent (70%) of voters in the governor’s own party disapprove of his job performance, a view shared by 64% of Democrats and 61% of voters not affiliated with either political party.

George Blanda

One of my idols. At 83, "after a brief illness."

And he didn't just play football. He had 11 children. Got married in 1949, only had one wife.

Blanda was known as the Ageless Wonder because he didn't retire until he was just short of his 49th birthday. And some of his best work came in his last decade in the NFL, with Oakland.

Protester gets a little too close to Senator McCain

And gets tackled.

John McCain Protester Tackled [VIDEO]

 

"Morning in America" vs. "Mourning in America"

Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post writes last week about a new ad "produced by Citizens for the Republic, a group of organizers who identify themselves as friends and fans of Reagan". It plays off the Reagan ad from 1984. Is it effective?

Here's the Reagan 1984 campaign ad as he ran for re-election

And the current "Mourning in America" ad -

US Army: Double amputee returns to a combat role in Afghanistan

And he's now a captain.

Wounded in Iraq, Double-Amputee Returns to War

Luckett's remarkable recovery can be attributed in part to dogged self-determination. But technological advances have been crucial: Artificial limbs today are so effective, some war-wounded like Luckett are not only able to do intensive sports like snow skiing, they can return to active duty as fully operational soldiers. The Pentagon says 41 American amputee veterans are now serving in combat zones worldwide.

22 year old throws fastest pitch ever recorded

105 mph.

The 105-mph pitch was inside for a ball and evened the count at 2-2. Gwynn had fouled off the previous two pitches and fouled off the next before striking out. He ought to be pleased with his effort, forcing Chapman to make seven pitches, the slowest of which was 102 mph.

From Peggy Noonan column: "The rage of the bill-paying Moms"

A fascinating essay by Noonan, as she first discusses the President's appearance and Q & A in last week's CNBC Town hall meeting. And then interviews and quotes Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.

Read the whole essay - 24 mostly short paragraphs.

How does 2010 compare with 1994 in terms of historical significance? Ms. Blackburn says there's an unnoted story there, too. Whereas 1994 was historic as a party victory, a shift in political power, this year feels more organic, more from-the-ground, and potentially deeper. She believes 2010 will mark "a philosophical shift," the beginning of a change in national thinking regarding the role of the individual and the government.

This "will be remembered as the year the American people said no" to the status quo. The people "do not trust" those who make the decisions far away. They want to restore balance.

What is the mainstream media getting wrong about this election, and what is it getting right? The media, Ms. Blackburn says, do not fully appreciate "how livid people are with Washington." They see the anger but don't understand its implications. "They're getting right that people want change, but they're wrong about what that change is going to be." The media, she said, "are going to be amazed when Carly Fiorina and Sharron Angle win."

Well, we will see if Blackburn is right.

NY Times: "Democratic candidates ... opening a fierce offensive of negative advertisements against Republicans, using lawsuits, tax filings, reports from the Better Business Bureau and even divorce proceedings to try to discredit their opponents ...

Classy. I see where my Congressman, Dem John Hall has already gone hyper-negative against his opponent, Nan Hayworth (FULL DISCLOSURE - I won't be voting for either of them).

I suppose if you're a politician, desperate measures are called for if your actual policies are failures. The fact that the uber-liberal NYT published this today shows the extent of the early dirt.

Democrats Unleash Ads Focusing on Rivals’ Pasts

Negative ads can be successful, whether or not they are fair and fully accurate, particularly if they lure an opponent into responding or if they define a political newcomer before he can define himself. But they also carry risks, especially in a year when voters are frustrated about the economy and impatient with politics as usual.

“Our strongest piece of opposition research on Democrats is their voting records,” said Representative Pete Sessions of Texas, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. “While character assassination seems to be the strategy for Democrats this year, the American people are supporting Republican candidates because they are providing an alternative.”

Right. I think independent voters will see through the mud-slinging smoke screen and vote on the issues.

Democrat Senator Kerry: his Party's problems are because voters "don't pay much attention..."

Ha! But they were so smart back in November '08 when they elected the Messiah! What happened? were they not paying "much attention" then?

A testy U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry yesterday blamed clueless voters with short attention spans for the uphill battle beleaguered Democrats are facing against Republicans across the nation.

Croton board meeting requires armed policeman next to speakers podium!?

The latest big discussion in small town USA is whether bow hunting of deer in town (in restricted locations of course) should be allowed. I am agnostic on the issue even though we're being overrun by deer.

However, there must be passionate feelings; this in the local newspaper - Letter to the Gazette, Sept. 23rd.

While I offer no opinion on the subject of bowhunting of deer within the Village, I am categorically opposed to the Board’s blatant efforts to intimidate those who would speak out against the proposed law. The presence of an armed police officer next to the speaker’s podium, and the Board’s use of a large, red digital “countdown” clock to measure the “acceptable” participation of citizens are an affront to those who respect the freedom of the citizenry to petition their government for the redress of their grievances.

It IS a little bit strange (I wasn't at the meeting) ...

How to Make a Woman Happy

From my brother Phil:

HOW TO MAKE A WOMAN HAPPY

It's not difficult to make a woman happy. A man only needs to be:

1. a friend

2. a companion

3. a lover

4. a brother

5. a father

6. a master

7. a chef

8. an electrician

9. a carpenter

10. a plumber

11. a mechanic

12. a decorator

13. a stylist

14. a sexologist

15. a gynecologist

16. a psychologist

17. a pest exterminator

18. a psychiatrist

19. a healer

20. a good listener

21. an organizer

22. a good father

23. very clean

24. sympathetic

25. athletic

26. warm

27. attentive

28. gallant

29. intelligent

30. funny

31. creative

32. tender

33. strong

34. understanding

35. tolerant

36. prudent

37. ambitious

38. capable

39. courageous

40. determined

41. true

42. dependable

43. passionate

44. compassionate

 

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

 

45. give her compliments regularly

46. love shopping

47. be honest

48. be very rich

49. not stress her out

50. not look at other girls

 

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

 

51. give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself

52. give her lots of time, especially time for herself

53. give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes

 

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:

 

54. Never to forget:

* birthdays

* anniversaries

* arrangements she makes

 

 

HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY

 

1. Show up naked

2. Bring food

Wall Street Journal on the Republican "Pledge to America"

Modest praise from the Journal. Hit the link for the whole editorial.

Weaknesses aside, Republicans give voters a clear choice.

To put it in context, the document is more ambitious and candid than the "Six for '06" proposals that the Nancy Pelosi Democrats offered when they regained control of the House four years ago. It is less specific in offering new ideas than was the GOP's 1994 Contract with America, which included welfare reform and a capital gains tax cut, both of which eventually became law.

Then again, Republicans understand that above all this year voters want to stop the Obama-Pelosi agenda. Stop it cold. Stop the spending, the tax increases and the huge expansion of the regulatory state.

The GOP pledges to do all of those, and this alone would have a salutary economic impact. At the very least, a Republican majority in the House or Senate would mean a healthy gridlock that stops the Pelosi liberals from doing more harm. This would remove several looming threats to business investment and hiring, and thus reduce the uncertainty that has led to the current capital strike and high unemployment rate.

CNN fires it's President

After several years of continually falling ratings (as periodically chronicled by me, like here).

FOX news founder Roger Ailes must be feeling smug.

The change is effective immediately. Mr. Klein was fired earlier this week by his boss, Jim Walton, the president of CNN Worldwide. In a telephone interview, Mr. Klein said Mr. Walton “told me they wanted to restructure things this way, and thank you very much, and good luck.” 

In a separate message, Mr. Klein said, “the CNN I’m leaving today is demonstrably stronger than the one I inherited almost six years ago — both editorially and financially.”

Of course. That's why you were fired.

Here's the Cuomo ad, going after Paladino

In the NY governor's race. Doesn't John McCain say "politics is a collision sport?"

Then there's this Brawl erupts at Reid, Angle election forum  and this  Liberal outlets try to nail John Boehner for infidelity

It will be a fun six weeks 'til the elections.

For $29.95, you too can own a bra that converts to a gas mask!

What could be handier?

Caught in a disaster? You'd better hope you're wearing the Emergency Bra. Simply unsnap the bright red bra, separate the cups, and slip it over your head -- one cup for you, and one for your friend.

It sounds silly, but Bodnar, a Ukraine native who now lives in Chicago, started her medical career studying the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. If people had had cheap, readily available gas masks in the first hours after the disaster, she said, they may have avoided breathing in Iodine-131, which causes radiation sickness.

The bra-turned-gas masks could have also been useful during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and for women caught outside during the dust storms that recently enveloped Sydney, she said.

What will they think of next? Hit the link for a good picture of how it works.

Washington Post: risk of small scale terror attacks higher; large attacks less likely

"The impact of the attempted attacks during the past year suggests al-Qaeda, and its affiliates and allies, will attempt to conduct smaller-scale attacks targeting the homeland but with greater frequency," said Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, pointing to plots against the subway system in New York, the attempt to down a commercial airliner approaching Detroit and the failed car bombing in Times Square.

Leiter said in his testimony that "al-Qaeda in Pakistan is at one of its weakest points organizationally," but he noted that "regional affiliates and allies can compensate for the potentially decreased willingness of al-Qaeda in Pakistan - the deadliest supplier of such training and guidance - to accept and train new recruits."

Officials in the United States and Europe have expressed concern about some of their citizens and residents turning to the Taliban in Pakistan; al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; and al-Shabab, a militant group in Somalia, for inspiration and training.

Karl Rove talks about how Christine O"Donnell is doing

Of course he wasn't too impressed when she won the Delaware Repub. nomination to run for the senate. Karl Rove explains his Christine O'Donnell "nutty things" comment after she won the primary

Here's how he thinks she'd doing now.

NY Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner takes ownership for Obamacare.

Says he "wrote the Bill." I guess he's in a safe Democratic district.

New dinosaur species discovered in Utah

Extinct of course. But who doesn't love a good dinosaur story? hit the link for artistic recreations of what they looked like.

The species named Kosmoceratops had 15 horns decorating its massive head, giving it the most elaborate dinosaur headdress known to science. At 15 feet long, it was larger than a Ford Fiesta. Its name means "ornate horned-face" in Latin.

The Carter-Obama comparison now being made by Democrats

In this case, Carter's VP, Walter Mondale.

Of course, I have some friends (democrats) who think Carter had a glowing presidency.

Walter Mondale, Mr. Carter's vice president, told The New Yorker this week that anxious and angry voters in the late 1970s "just turned against us—same as with Obama." As the polls turned against his administration, Mr. Mondale recalled that Mr. Carter "began to lose confidence in his ability to move the public."

Mr. Mondale says it's time for the president "to get rid of those teleprompters and connect" with voters. Another of Mr. Obama's clear errors has been to turn over the drafting of key legislation to the Democratic Congress: "That doesn't work even when you own Congress," he said. "You have to ride 'em." 

Mr. Carter himself is heightening comparisons with his own presidency by publishing his White House diaries this week. "I overburdened Congress with an array of controversial and politically costly requests," he said on Monday. The parallels to Mr. Obama's experience are clear.

******

... Syndicated columnist Jonah Goldberg noted more recently that Mr. Obama, like Mr. Carter in his 1976 campaign, "promised a transformational presidency, a new accommodation with religion, a new centrism, a changed tone."

But within a few months, liberals were already finding fault with his rhetoric. "He's the great earnest bore at the dinner party," wrote Michael Wolff, a contributor to Vanity Fair. "He's cold; he's prickly; he's uncomfortable; he's not funny; and he's getting awfully tedious. He thinks it's all about him." That sounds like a critique of Mr. Carter.

Global Warming - proof at last!

From Ellen (of course)

Why are we selling $123 billion in weaponry to Middle East countries?

Absurd and immoral. And ... none of these countries are democracies.

The total value of all US arms deals with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Kuwait is estimated at $122.88bn over the next four years.

Posthumous Medal of Honor awarded to air force sergeant - 42 years after his heroism

President Barack Obama today awarded the Medal of Honor to an Air Force chief master sergeant who died saving three fellow airmen in Laos, his heroism kept under wraps for more than 40 years because the Vietnam-era mission was secret.

Harry Reid about NY Senator Gillibrand

What a dope. And they say Palin is an idiot.

Reid calls Gillibrand the 'hottest' member at fundraiser

Obama at CNBC Town Hall meeting, questioned by an articulate Obama supporter

And this is a supporter - says she's "tired of defending" him.

Here's the NY Times coverage - Disappointed Supporters Questions Obama

Daily Mail (UK) wraps up the Pope's visit

This is from mercatornet -

Popularity of the Pope’s visit ‘confounded’ opponents, says Daily Mail

and this is the whole Daily Mail article with lots of pictures.

Britain's 'yearning for Christianity': Pope's parting message as he flies home after historic tour

The popularity of his visit confounded opponents who predicted thin congregations and empty parks.

Benedict’s speeches and homilies – which have confronted his own Nazi past – appear to have overshadowed the views of protesters, led by Stephen Fry and gay rights activist Peter Tatchell.

The Pope, in an address at Oscott College in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, said it had become clear ‘how deep a thirst there is among the British people for Christianity’.

He told his audience of Roman Catholic bishops: ‘You have been chosen by God to offer them the living water of the Gospel, encouraging them to place their hopes, not in the vain enticements of this world, but in the firm assurances of the next.’

 

NYT op ed writer on the Pope's visit to the UK

Ross Douthat is the token religious believer (a real one) among the NY Times opinion writers. He's a convert to Catholicism and his once weekly column is often good. This is from yesterday -

The Pope and the Crowds

... in turning out for their beleaguered pope, Britain’s Catholics acknowledged something essential about their faith that many of the Vatican’s critics, secular and religious alike, persistently fail to understand. They weren’t there to voice agreement with Benedict, necessarily. They were there to show their respect — for the pontiff, for his office, and for the role it has played in sustaining Catholicism for 2,000 years. 

******

On Saturday, Benedict addressed Britain’s politicians in the very hall where Sir Thomas More, the great Catholic martyr, was condemned to death for opposing the reformation of Henry VIII. It was an extraordinary moment, and a reminder of the resilience of Catholicism, across a gulf of years that’s consumed thrones, nations, entire civilizations.

This, above all, is why the crowds cheered for the pope, in Edinburgh and London and Birmingham — because almost five centuries after the Catholic faith was apparently strangled in Britain, their church is still alive. 

Reminds me of a saying my friend Fr. Benedict Groeschel occasionally uses - "The Church always buries it's undertakers."

Poll: Independent voters unhappy with Republicans; but REALLY unhappy with Dems

Today, independents say ... that the Republican Party is closer to their views by 52% to 30%. This movement comes in spite of independents' generally negative views of the GOP—a majority of independents (54%) view the Republicans unfavorably, compared to 39% who have a favorable impression. (The poll also revealed that 48% of independents were either "sympathetic to or supporters of the tea party.")

Independents who say they are certain to vote in the upcoming election break better than two-to-one for the Republicans, 42% to 20%. (The poll consisted of 1,000 respondents who said they were absolutely certain or very likely to vote.). These figures suggest that if the Republican message is compelling enough, the 14-point margin can grow based on turnout. But to achieve that, Republicans need a positive message.

Follow-up interviews of 400 independents from our original poll after Christine O'Donnell's victory last week in the Delaware GOP Senate primary show further deterioration of the Democratic position. The Republican lead in the upcoming congressional election has reached 22 points, 40% to 18%, with all likely-to-vote independents. It is 23 points among those who say they are certain to vote (45% to 22%). Independents also strongly support continuation of the Bush tax cuts for all Americans, as well as oppose any additional infrastructure spending.

This is a survey of only independent voters - not either Party members.

Very interesting - President Carter compares his 1976 presidential race to the Tea Party

Jimmy Carter, at age 85 insightful about the rise and fall of his presidency. The title of his new book is White House Diary, out today, and $16 on amazon.  

"I was a candidate that was in some ways like the tea party candidate," Carter said in an interview. "I was a complete outsider. I capitalized legitimately on the dissatisfaction that was permeating our society."

In the book, Carter said he pursued an overly aggressive agenda as president that may have confused voters and alienated lawmakers. But he said the tipping points that cost him the 1980 election were the Iran hostage crisis and the primary challenge by U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy.

"Had we not had the hostage crisis, I would have won," he said in the interview of his defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan, adding: "Had I not had Kennedy as my opponent, who sapped away a portion of the Democratic wing, I would have been re-elected."

Carter said in the book that he is proud of his accomplishments during his presidency, but that pushing controversial decisions such as the end of U.S. control of the Panama Canal and working to normalize relations with Communist China cost him political support.

******

Carter said he decided to publish the diary because it "may be my last chance to offer an assessment of my time in the White House,"

OK. Not a very good President, but a decent enough ex-President.

Today is "Pray for Christopher Hitchens Day"

The British, atheist, author, with cancer.

It's that third group — people who are asking God for Hitchens' healing — that causes Hitchens to choose his words even more carefully than normal. Are those prayers OK? Are they helpful?

Obama parody

Sent to me by contributor Antoinette -

WSJ on Newark, NJ schools, education, teachers, and lay-offs

I know Newark pretty well. I have business clients in the city and am very familiar with the Catholic inner city high school, St Penedict's Prep.

This morning's Wall Street Journal had a feature article titled "Even Top Teachers Get Laid Off" about the Newark public schools.

Pretty sad. Will put up the link, but it may not be available if you are not a WSJ subscriber.

NEWARK—Sauce Leon ended up with a rating of "distinguished" when he taught history at Arts High School last year—something only about 15% of the teachers in the struggling school system here managed.

Then, in June, Mr. Leon lost his job. He was one of about 300 public-school teachers laid off in Newark this year, and, like many cities across the country, the law said the last teachers hired had to be the first ones fired—a method favored by teachers unions that takes no account of a teacher's efforts, abilities or effectiveness.

Basing layoffs on seniority "is a sad example of how policies aren't aligned for what's best for schoolkids," said Tim Daly, president of the New Teacher Project, a nonprofit that helps school districts recruit and retain quality teachers. In struggling urban schools in particular, students "can't afford to have a single great teacher cut in a way that maybe a kid in a suburban school district could," he said.

Mr. Leon was the only social-studies teacher to be laid off at Arts High. Of the remaining five social-studies teachers at the school, two were rated less than proficient last year. One of those teachers was rated in a category defined as "fails to establish a culture of learning...fails to communicate clearly...inability to use standard English."

The other teacher who was rated poorly was rated in a category in which a teacher "frequently calls out sick on staff development days" and has shown "patterns of absenteeism and tardiness" exceeding the district's standards. In the classroom, a teacher in this category "demonstrates minimal understanding of the subject," according to the school system.

Pathetic. I'm not sure there's another profession where something like this could happen.

Newark schools, with about 40,000 students, are at a crossroads. The system spends $22,000 per pupil each school year, and nearly half the students don't graduate. Last month, Gov. Chris Christie informed the superintendent, Clifford Janey, that his contract won't be renewed when it expires in June. Mr. Christie, who can appoint the next superintendent because the state seized control of the city's schools in the 1990s, vowed to make Newark a national model for reforming a troubled school system.

Right. Good luck with that, Governor.

The loss of teachers like Mr. Leon could complicate those plans. In addition to laying off hundreds of teachers, Newark moved about 100 teachers who had not been classroom teachers for up to 10 years back into their own classrooms this month.

These former classroom teachers had spent the past several years coordinating teacher workshops, working with small groups of students or mentoring young teachers. Those jobs were eliminated this summer but because the teachers had seniority, they were offered their classroom jobs back.

"It's a good thing," said Sadia White, chief academic officer at Newark schools.

She said the teachers were "master teachers," and that's why they had been promoted to the job of mentoring other teachers and working with small groups of children.

Newark Teachers Union President Joseph Del Grosso isn't so sure it's a good idea. "If I went to a doctor and the doctor was a master doctor but hadn't operated in several years, I wouldn't be comfortable having them operate on me," he said. "Do we do that in industry? Do we take someone that wasn't doing a specific job and put them back to do the job or do we phase them in? Phasing in would have been better than cold turkey."

******

Meanwhile, Mr. Leon, the social studies teacher, is still working in Newark—though now at Newark Collegiate Academy, which is part of the KIPP nationwide network of charter schools. This year, Mr. Leon was one of 640 applicants for 21 spots. He makes 13% more than he did in the traditional public school, and teacher salaries at Newark Collegiate are negotiated individually.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I taught school for seven years in three countries. So don't email me to tell me I have it in for the teaching profession.

NYT says Democratic strategy may include attack on Tea Party

UPDATE: White House: NY Times Report '100% wrong'

This is dumb. But on the other hand, maybe they think it's smarter then defending the results of their policies?

President Obama’s political advisers, looking for ways to help Democrats and alter the course of the midterm elections in the final weeks, are considering a national advertising campaign that would cast the Republican Party as all but taken over by Tea Party extremists, people involved in the discussion said.

 “We need to get out the message that it’s now really dangerous to re-empower the Republican Party because the people who have taken over the party are radical,” said one Democratic strategist who has spoken with White House advisers but requested anonymity to discuss private strategy talks.

But Democrats are divided. The party’s House and Senate campaign committees are resistant, not wanting to do anything that smacks of nationalizing the midterm elections when high unemployment and the drop in Mr. Obama’s popularity have made the climate so hostile to Democrats. Endangered Congressional candidates want any available money to go to their localized campaigns.

Proponents say a national ad campaign, most likely on cable television, would complement those individual campaigns and give Democrats a chance to redefine the stakes.

******

“While we may have a handful of nominees out of the mainstream, the American people have come to the conclusion this administration and this Congress are out of the mainstream,” said John Weaver, a Republican consultant.

I guess, when you can't run on your record, just attack your opponent. 

Huckabee: Republican Party the "Party of Know"

Video - He's speaking at the Family Research Council "Value Voters Summit" -

Pope in England beatifies Cardinal Newman

John Henry Newman, who lived from 1801 to 1890. He was a Anglican clergyman who converted to Catholicism and eventually was named a Cardinal. one of the leading English speaking intellectuals of the 19th century.

Maureen Dowd is loopier then Christine O'Donnell

UPDATE: Ann Althouse also has a commmentary on Dowd's column.

I should turn this blog title into a t-shirt and bumper sticker - I'd make a fortune.

Here's Dowd's NYT column this morning -

Myth and Madness

In it she moans and groans about O'Donnell, saying she's "alarmingly loopy" and then turns on Obama  who "seems put upon and impatient with reality while his foes seem happy to embrace fantasy."

Decribing the "right’s bloodletting of irrationality", Dowd makes no mention of why voters are "angry." 

Like the rise in unemployment from 7.6% to 9.6% since January, 2009, after the President gave assurances that the mighty stimulus would keep unemployment below 8%. And then there's this - $111 million in stimulus produces 55 jobs in L.A. It would have been cheaper to just give the 55 people $1 million checks and send them home.    

The most amusing line in the whole column was when Dowd inadvertently (who knows, maybe deliberately?) describes Dowd herself, while quoting O'Donnell, who was describing herself on C-span in 2003.

"... Honestly, I’ve had only a few significant relationships, and they’ve broken up with me. And one of the things I’ve been told is, ‘If you weren’t so strong, you’d be married by now.’ ”

Isn't that Maureen Dowd's view of Maureen Dowd?

Very funny - Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, dentist and patient

Sent to me by sometime guest blogger Dennis

- From the Carol Burnett show - watch Korman's face as the skit goes on -

"Killer shrimp ... threaten ecosystem."

Something else to worry about -

Killer shrimp are invading UK waters and raising concern among scientists. Killer shrimp may threaten the balance of life in fresh-water ecosystems.

YIKES! Pennsylvania college gives Facebook a one week furlough

A central Pennsylvania technological college with fewer students than many Facebook users have friends is blacking out social media for a week.

The bold experiment at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology -- which has drawn praise, criticism and even a jab on late-night TV -- means students and staff can't access Facebook, Twitter or a host of other ubiquitous social networks while on campus.

Provost Eric Darr said the exercise that began Monday is not a punishment for the school's 800 students, nor a precursor to a ban, but a way for people to think critically about the prevalence of social media.