The Friday Political Thread: Religion of Secularism Edition

There's a lot more to chew over (and I do some of that in an America's Future Foundation podcast with Eli Lake and Amanda Carpenter) but some of the basics...

- Mike Huckabee continued his poll surge, culminating in a Newsweek poll that gave him a 39-17 point lead over Mitt Romney in Iowa. The poll was taken Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. Quick: What happened on Dec. 6?

- The Ron Paul Blimp got set to launch.

Unconvincing quote of the week...

"Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world."
- Mitt Romney, Dec. 6

Stop the Bandwagon, I Wanna Get Off! Iowans are notoriously wimpy about negative campaigning, and Hillary Clinton's shockingly abrupt blitz against Obama has inspired one of her state co-chairs to switch to Obama.

"I think the Clinton campaign went negative," [Gary] Thomas said in a telephone interview on Thursday. He attributed his defection to the new tone Clinton took last weekend, describing it as divisive. Obama officials said Thomas committed to them this week... The switch by one man—even someone in elected office, as Thomas, a Burlington city council member is—may mean little in the end. But Baxter's eagerness to speak out—against Clinton and now, on behalf of Obama—comes as the campaigns are trying to assess the impact of a sharper tone by Clinton that began last weekend.

This comes via Ben Smith, who wonders if the Clinton campaign will move its focus from Iowa to other contests and build a "broader case" against him. But the Clinton lead is shrinking in New Hampshire and South Carolina, too, and they're not notorious for their daintiness.

Fred Thompzzzzzz. Here's one measure of the rapid fade underway at Fred Thompson HQ. In July you had to shell out $35 for a Fred future at InTrade. Now it's $5—about the same value as John Edwards. Here's another measure: This video of Fred at a town hall-style rally in Orange City, Iowa. Just try and stay awake, and understand why when Huckabee was told that Thompon had criticized him for not reading the National Intelligence Estimate, Huckabee joked: "I guess it's easy to read it if you're not busy campaigning."

Below the fold...

- Jeremy Lott urges Mitt to make a real Mormon speech.

- Shawn Macomber writes one of the last (and best) Tom Tancredo stories you'll ever read.

- Jacob Heillbrunn recaps the TNR-NR dirty war.

This week's Politics 'n' Prog should be self-explanatory. If Geddy Lee's tight pants don't rattle your faith in the Creator, nothing will.

Comments

Paul | December 8, 2007, 1:12am | #

Those guys really were first-class musicians.

Eddwwwaaaarrrrrdddddd | December 8, 2007, 1:56am | #

Ron Paul should have done a moneybomb today in honor of the anniversary of a great military victory by his fascist supporters' heroes.

Eddwwwaaaarrrrrddddddd | December 8, 2007, 1:58am | #

And if anybody thought I screwed that up, remember that 7 am in the morning in Honolulu is 2 am the next day in Tokyo.

Check this out, courtesy of Ali (aka iih) in another thread | December 8, 2007, 2:11am | #

Go to google and search for:

bill of rights

click on the first non-sponsered link - a us government site.

(irony effective as of 080900Z, may change as the weekend goes on)

* | December 8, 2007, 2:42am | #

I like Ron Paul a lot, but I think the blimp is a terrible idea that will work against his already disadvantaged campaign.

Pig Mannix | December 8, 2007, 3:03am | #

I like Ron Paul a lot, but I think the blimp is a terrible idea that will work against his already disadvantaged campaign.

I'll reiterate my earlier comment.....

avraam jack | December 8, 2007, 7:59am | #

----- CLINTON SLEAZE FATIGUE WILL INVIGORATE GOP, DISPIRIT DEMOCRATS AND SINK DEMOCRATIC TICKET-----
-----EDWARDS/RICHARDSON TO WIN-----
It is possible that Senator Clinton is the best candidate. However, even though many may like the policies that Senator Clinton proposes, they should also consider her record, just as Senator Clinton insists.
.
The last Clinton Administration, when faced with the fact that protection rackets where assaulting, torturing and murdering people with poison and radiation, chose to avoid its responsibilities to incarcerate the criminals and to protect the citizenry.
.
Instead, they made a deal with the criminal gang stalker protection rackets to leave them alone and to consequently abandon the citizenry.
.
Do we want a President who sells out the citizenry for votes?
.
Do we want a President who sends a "crime does pay" message to society?
.
Would you vote for a President who signed nonaggression deals with the KKKlan or the Nazi party? Gangs that torture with poison and radiation are much like the KKKlan and Nazi Party.
.
We do not need a sellout President. We need a principled leader President.
.
If you are one of the few who do not know what the above refers to, do a web search for "gang stalking" to see the tip of the dirtberg. Please do it before you decide to reply to my post. Here let me make it easy for you: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22gang+stalking%22.

ed | December 8, 2007, 8:08am | #

Lordy. Once every four years Iowans are important. How did it all come to this?
What sort of twisted, sadistic god made this possible?

Jim Bob | December 8, 2007, 8:10am | #

Ah, back in the day when Neil Pert still played matched grip while wearing shoes behind the kit.

I've never understood why drummers back in the day took off their bottom heads. I tried in on my drums a few times and they sounded flat and dead. Must be an acquired taste.

Neu Mejican | December 8, 2007, 10:45am | #

In the spirit of open threadiness...

http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/779

According to my calculations, if the slave trades had not occurred, then 72% of the average income gap between Africa and the rest of the world would not exist today, and 99% of the income gap between Africa and the rest of the underdeveloped world would not exist. In terms of economic development, Africa would not look any different from the other developing countries in the world.

This finding is striking. These results may not be the final and definitive explanation for the origins of Africa’s severe underdevelopment, but they do provide very strong evidence that much of Africa’s poor performance can be explained by its history, which is characterised by over 400 years of slave raiding.

Joshua Holmes | December 8, 2007, 11:24am | #

It is a strange world for Christians when the world's second-most prominent Christian cannot stop lying about nuclear weapons, but the world's most prominent Shi'a Muslim has dutifully and repeatedly told the truth.

Edward | December 8, 2007, 11:28am | #

Ron Paul (ever notice he has the same initials as Ross Perot?) desperately needs the money to continue his work of completely confusing people about what libertarianism is. Is it a dyslexic cult that reads God into everything? Does it have ties to Nazis? It's an old gold miners movement, isn't it? Fuck! Keep your money.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 11:34am | #

Joshua-

Well, I wouldn't take their words for truth either.

LarryA | December 8, 2007, 11:47am | #

From the Lott article on Romney: One thing that might win over evangelicals is an appeal to the notion of "co-belligerency." The modern religious right is organized not around an ecclesial body but a set of public policy ideas about abortion, the family unit, education and free exercise of religion.

Won’t work. The Evangelicals who want a “Christian government” don’t believe Mormons are Christian enough to run one.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 11:51am | #

"Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world."- Mitt Romney, Dec. 6, 2007

I was going to compose a lengthy post to explain why, regarding me, Mitt got this right. Then I thought, "Oh hell, just post an appropriate link.

They really do treat us like morons, don't they?

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 11:54am | #

J sub D- Ha!

Himself | December 8, 2007, 12:18pm | #

JsD-

Good link.

I forgot Romney's wife has MS, and he still had the grapes to flip-flop on stem cell research.

I'm surprised his children haven't smothered him to death in his sleep yet.

the innominate one | December 8, 2007, 12:30pm | #

in all the Paul-bashing by Edward, I haven't seen who Edward actually supports for pres. how about it Edward?

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 12:32pm | #

J sub D,

Very funny (and informative). The most surprising thing for me was that the site was sponsored by the Massachusetts Democratic Party...I don't understand their motivation for compiling this list, unless they're out to settle old scores.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 12:38pm | #

crimethink,

Or may be because he simply IS a TRUE flip-flopper. joe may be able to say more though.

Minion of URKOBOLD | December 8, 2007, 12:40pm | #

ED SHALL VOTE FOR ZOD. NATCH.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 12:48pm | #

Very funny (and informative). The most surprising thing for me was that the site was sponsored by the Massachusetts Democratic Party...I don't understand their motivation for compiling this list, unless they're out to settle old scores.

Nah, politicos would never be that small, petty, and vindictive. What? You say they might be? Damn, my faith in the noble, altruistic, partisan is shattered. I'll be in my darkened bedroom with the shades pulled down, ruminating.

Eric Dondero | December 8, 2007, 1:32pm | #

Time for even Ron Paul supporters to smarten up, and realize Huckabee could actually win this thing.

If fiscal cons and libertarian Republicans don't unite soon under one single candidate, we could lose this thing to Baptist Boy. (BTW, there's a report just hitting the news that in 1992 Huckabee advocated isolating AIDS patients in concentration camps.)

Huckabee is the most anti-libertarian of all the GOP candidates.

Look, I'd love for Rudy to be the guy that all fiscal cons and libertarians unite behind. But if he isn't I'm willing to go with Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson.

Enough is enough. Huckabee is just plain goddamned scary.

Let's choose one candidate and unite our forces behind him to ward off the Huck Monster.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 1:35pm | #

Eric, How about you and all Rudy's followers join the rEVOLution? You will be received with lots of LOVE! I will kiss Rudy on the forehead if he joins the rEVOLution (as nauseating as that may be).

KyleG | December 8, 2007, 1:36pm | #

I'll gladly unite with forces to support Ron Paul.

TLB | December 8, 2007, 1:36pm | #

Regarding the Spectator "cri de corporatism" article, I guess the fact that the "StopAmnesty/VoteTancredo" stickers are "antiquated" means he already won in a way.

Meanwhile:

1. CNNYoutube censored replies to their DebateVideos

2. The MexicanGovernment says they're going to be working with NonprofitOrganizations in the U.S. to support their agenda. Guess what: they already are. And, they even have an indirect link to some bloggers. Details: http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007300.html

3. TomTancredo explains why he won't be attending the SpanishLanguageDebate, and it's pretty good: miamiherald.com/851/story/333894.html

4. I discuss MikeHuckabee's ImmigrationPlan here: http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007296.html
The fact that someone can release such a flawed plan and still be considered a contender is beyond me.

5. The NAFTASuperhighway has been confirmed by the ManitobaGovernment: http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007290.html

6. I take BeltwayHacks to task here:
http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007297.html
http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007284.html
http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007288.html

7. The President's Advisory Council Against The Use of Prog highly recommends giggling as an antidote for those who have been exposed to prog: youtube.com/watch?v=l4pE9-_gL88

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 1:40pm | #

I was alerted to this Johnathan Martin blog post by one of my leftist professors during the week. Apparently the Paul campaign sent out mailings in South Carolina claiming that "Dr Paul pushed for a Declaration of War against Iraq."

Now, I understand that he pushed for an up or down vote on a declaration of war, but that's not the same thing. I haven't seen this thing anywhere else, so I'm not sure if Martin (who is very anti-Paul) is lying, but if it's true the Paul campaign needs to address this ASAP. While I wouldn't blink an eye if Hillary or Romney pulled something like this, we all know that Dr Paul is (and should be) held to a higher standard.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 1:44pm | #

Sorry, Donderoooooo, I'd probably vote for Hillary over any of Rudy McRompson. Plus, I'm busy coddling Islamofascists this weekend.

Guy Montag | December 8, 2007, 1:46pm | #

The National Review completed their 'blogger investigation in about 1/10 the time that TNR did. Amazing.

Juan | December 8, 2007, 1:49pm | #

Those guys really were first-class musicians.

Were?

Cesar | December 8, 2007, 1:55pm | #

If fiscal cons and libertarian Republicans don't unite soon under one single candidate, we could lose this thing to Baptist Boy.

Hey Dondero, have you seen that Campbells low sodium soup commercial? The chef dude looks just like Huckabee. I think we "Campbells Soup" guy from now on.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 2:03pm | #

The amazing thing is that Dondero thinks ANY of those guys have a chance in the general election. Methinks the GOP establishment vastly overestimates the animosity to Hillary that's out there. There's nowhere near enough of that to counter the fact that voters are fed up with the occupation of Iraq.

I speak from experience. Back in 2000, there was a ton of anti-Hillary vitriol in upstate NY, and without the strong support she got from the NYC area, she probably wouldn't have won. In 2006, she got like 70% of the vote up here. You guys need to stop living in the 90s.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 2:03pm | #

At 7% in MI. If only Dearborn would vote its heart, it would give Paul a huge boost.

Neu Mejican | December 8, 2007, 2:09pm | #

Those guys really were first-class musicians.

Were?

First class?

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 2:10pm | #

I can't help it :-)

Those guys really were first-class musicians.

Were?

First class?

Musicians?

Neu Mejican | December 8, 2007, 2:12pm | #

A classification of musicians:

First class- spawn new genre, change the face of music...people will be listening to them centuries from now...discussing the implications of their innovations.
Second Class- their stuff still sounds good after a few decades.
Coach - I liked it when it came out.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 2:18pm | #

Those guys really were first-class musicians.

Were?

First class?

Musicians?

Guys?

tarran | December 8, 2007, 2:19pm | #

Anybody who votes for a pro war candidate cannot be called fiscally conservative;

How many trillions of tax-payer dollars are being shovelled into the furnace over that boondogle?

Neu Mejican | December 8, 2007, 2:28pm | #

Those guys really were first-class musicians.

Were?

First class?

Musicians?

Guys?

Those?

Neu Mejican | December 8, 2007, 2:28pm | #

Really?

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 2:30pm | #

This is what I call world class, and this is what I call true-world wide fanfare of a fine class song! Here they are on indoctrination.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 2:31pm | #

NM, crimethink- Ha, that was fun.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 2:43pm | #

Wow, Dunderooooo! and LoneWacko are here this afternoon. Did either of them say anything new?
Lemme just guess.

LoneWacko is still posting about DirtyIllegalMexicans building a NAFTASuperHighwayToCanada.

Donderoooo, is still licking Rudy's jism off his chin, while fussing about IslamoFascists.

I'd appreciate it if somebody alerted me to anything interesting that they posted. I don't feel like wading through shit looking for diamonds.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 2:48pm | #

J sub D,

The only interesting thing is that Dondero is now so terrified of the Huckabofascists he's willing to consider Thompson or Romney.

General Betray-Us | December 8, 2007, 3:10pm | #

There's nowhere near enough of that to counter the fact that voters are fed up with the occupation of Iraq.

Crimethink:

You vastly over-estimate the hostility to the Iraq Front in the Global War on Islamofascism
among Republicans, Independents and sane Democrats.

Who among the leading Democrat candidates promises to have us out in 2008?...2012 ?

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 3:12pm | #

crimethink,

Thanks. I owe you one for the tedium you endured so I didn't have to.

Huckabee and Romney are on the same bus. Thompson overslept and missed it.

Fred Phelps | December 8, 2007, 3:16pm | #

Huckabee Hates Fags Too!

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 3:17pm | #

I'm sure I'm ripping off somebody's shtick here. Please forgive me.

Huckabee.

umble | December 8, 2007, 3:17pm | #

Weekend music selection needs more Zappa:

Highbrow

Lowbrow

BakedPenguin | December 8, 2007, 3:18pm | #

iih - well, I disagree with you on other bands, but not on the one you linked to.

Pigs (Three Different Ones) came off Animals, the album they released right after Wish You Were Here. Since it's a musical interpretation of Orwell's Animal Farm, it's at least partially relevant on a political thread.

Also, these lyrics always remind me of Hillary Clinton:

Bus stop rat bag, ha ha charade you are.
You fucked up old hag, ha ha charade you are.
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass.

Happy Jack | December 8, 2007, 3:21pm | #

lonewhacko - I gots to know. What was the outcome of the Great Cornbread Experiment?

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 3:48pm | #

From one of the local rags,
Oprah campaigns in Iowa for Obama.

The question is -

Which of these two women is the most powerful? Let's face it, Oprah is a BIG TIME public opinion mover and shaker. Maybe the biggest in the nation. She'd chew up and spit Chuck Norris out like a piece of gum.

The inevitable follow up question -

Can the Democratic race get interesting?

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 3:49pm | #

CNNYoutube censored replies to their DebateVideos

Removing a link from a site to a different site is not censorship.

The NAFTASuperhighway has been confirmed by the ManitobaGovernment:

You already brought this up. It is a plan, maybe too ambitious, to build a navigable waterway among the various lake and rivers of central Canada. Then, use that growth to increase volume of trade with the south. Hier is what the dude was talking about. Look at the 'setting the record strait' and 'myth vs facts' section. Oh that's right, this is disinformation; these guys are part of the NAU conspiracy to get dirty mehicans and canuks to overwhelm us with tacos and lutefish.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 3:49pm | #

do a web search for "gang stalking" to see the tip of the dirtberg

Seriously dude is your problem too many drugs, or too few?

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 3:52pm | #

Now to switch gears and respond to an actual sane person:

this Johnathan Martin blog post

Dondero brought this up earlier in the week with an implication that this was the worse political move since showing up on a boat called 'Monkey Business.'

1) I would be amazed that any pro-war, primary voting veteran, would have such a shallow understanding of the various candidates to think Paul is Pro-Iraq War.

2) If everyone thinks that this is a deal-breaking scandal, rather than just tailored marketing campaign, our Republic is in fact doomed.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 3:52pm | #

BakePenguin- Yeah, I like that one too. Though it does not have the same powerful spirit as Another Brick in the Wall does.

I disagree with you on other bands

I think this is the first time I ever mention a band I like, unless that one time when I said I really liked Coldplay's Fix You (I first saw it in one of Ron Paul's videos on YouTube).

Cesar | December 8, 2007, 4:05pm | #

No NAU conspiricist has ever explained to me why Canada and Mexico would want to be merged with a country much bigger than them in population, resources, and cultural influence. It sounds like a really raw deal for both our neighbors.

Not to mention pretty much electoral suicide in Mexico, and the same to a lesser extent in Canada.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 4:07pm | #

J sub D-

I'm surprised that Oprah risking her image with this, or at least, doing it this early. OTOH, this move probably does have the least risk of alienating her fan base, because Obama has, so far, the same 'nice person that you would love to have a bbq with him and his family' image. (In contrast, doing this for Clinton would probably cause her ratings to drop; there are many women, even democrats that have a visceral reaction against the Senator.)

I wonder if the 'wetwork' portion of the Clinton team will start a rearguard whispering campaign against Oprah, bringing stuff up like the million pieces guy. I think the odds of this are low, but finite.

Homer Simpson | December 8, 2007, 4:11pm | #

Lutefish tacos, Mmmm.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 4:15pm | #

New target="_blank">Ron Paul Radio Ad.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 4:15pm | #

haha... but the link still works.

Randolph Carter | December 8, 2007, 4:16pm | #

I think the point of that mailer was to show that Paul isn't a peacenik dove - he would go to war, in the constitutionally described manner, if there was a threat to our national security.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 4:17pm | #

I wonder if the 'wetwork' portion of the Clinton team will start a rearguard whispering campaign against Oprah, bringing stuff up like the million pieces guy. I think the odds of this are low, but finite.

Low probability for now. It is more likely if she starts getting behind in the polls or loses a couple of early states. I DO NOT get the impression that Hillary is the type of person to lose gracefully.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 4:19pm | #

Cesar-
A monetary union would be good for Canada but bad for Mexico, although the elites in those respective countries think the opposite

A political union would be good for Mexico but bad for Canada; the elites in both countries agree with this for the most part.

TLB | December 8, 2007, 4:26pm | #

Kolohe: You misrepresented the issue.

Youtube allows video replies, which are listed under the video to which they're a reply. Those are links to the individual YT video pages, they aren't links to other sites.

I added two videos as replies to the CNNYoutube-supplied videos, and they appeared in that list for 1-3 days. Then, they were removed. And, no one from YT has gotten back to me.

Since my videos were highly critical of CNNYoutube, and since the videos were not only completely on-topic but used (100% FairUse) snippets from replied-to videos, I can only come to one conclusion.

As for the NAFTASuperhighway, the latest tack from shills and useful idiots is to keep playing word games, claiming that unless there's a mile-wide roadway it's not the NAFTASuperhighway. Yet, the issue is the underlying goal: in the short term flood the U.S. with cheap ChineseGoods and, in the longer term, "harmonize" us with the two other countries. Do watch the video; it's clear that the leaders of the three countries are lying to their subjects.

Cesar | December 8, 2007, 4:27pm | #

A political union would be good for Mexico but bad for Canada; the elites in both countries agree with this for the most part.

Uh, most Mexicans from my experience would view a "NAU" as a back-door way of completing what James K. Polk started 1846.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 4:35pm | #

A political union would be good for Mexico but bad for Canada; the elites in both countries agree with this for the most part.

Boy this hurts -

A political union would be good for the people of Mexico but bad for the people of Canada. IMRO, many "elites" in Mexico would flee south rather than face the rule of law.

BakedPenguin | December 8, 2007, 4:44pm | #

...it does not have the same powerful spirit as Another Brick in the Wall

I know what you mean, but you probably weren't listening to US classic rock station from 1980 - 1995 or so. Had you been, you would have heard Another Brick in The Wall a lot.

As for you discussing bands - you slagged Rush (whom I like) upthread, although that may have been more for humor value, and...

I really liked Coldplay's Fix You

I view Coldplay as a milquetoast bastard child of Radiohead and U2. Not terrible, but bland.

I DO NOT get the impression that Hillary is the type of person to lose gracefully.

J sub D - continuing the thought I started upthread -

...You like the feel of steel,
You're hot stuff with a hatpin,
And good fun with a hand gun.
You're nearly a laugh,
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 4:47pm | #

As for you discussing bands - you slagged Rush (whom I like) upthread, although that may have been more for humor value,

Actually it was.

Yeah, I know what you mean regarding Coldplay, but Fix You is uplifting. Just sayin'.

Paul | December 8, 2007, 4:52pm | #

[[...] then 72% of the average income gap between Africa and the rest of the world would not exist today, and 99% of the income gap between Africa and the rest of the underdeveloped world would not exist.[...]but they do provide very strong evidence that much of Africa’s poor performance can be explained by its history, which is characterised by over 400 years of slave raiding.

I'm not sure I've ever read anything so self-evidently false in...well... recent memory. How could that continent have been "slave raided" 400 years ago if they were already on equal footing (technologically and economically speaking) with the raiders themselves. According to the logic, we must assume that "Africans" (a huge and diverse continent, but for the sake of argument, we'll assume we're talking about those Africans being raided) had gun-powder, cannon, ships of the line, modern (for the time) metal working and a robust international trade system. What's that? they didn't have that? They were living a tribal existence with technology far inferior to their raiders? Hmm, methinks we may have started the 400 year period with a significant 'income gap'.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 4:57pm | #

Paul, you're misreading the statement. "Then" is not in the sense of "back then". It is in the sense of "If... then..." logical statement. So if it had not happened, today, the gap between the world and Africa would have been 72% less today.

Yackoff Ramirez | December 8, 2007, 4:59pm | #

In Mexico, you go north to cross border.

In NAU, border goes south to cross you.

BakedPenguin | December 8, 2007, 5:03pm | #

iih - just so you know, I don't take (or mean) anything personally regarding bands. Music is so subjective, I think saying something is good or bad is nearly meaningless except as a personal opinion.

David E. Gallaher | December 8, 2007, 5:08pm | #

I read the column by Jeremy Lott saying Mitt should have explained the nitty-gritty of being a Morman like Hillaire Belloc explained Catholicism in 1906. (It worked for Belloc.)
I don't think so.
I think we've come a long way in a good way in the last century in that nobody wants to hear the nitty-gritty of anybody else's religion.
It's a good thing that we don't want to hear about religion period. Religion is silliness.

So Mitt struck the right note: tolerance.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 5:10pm | #

It's funny, I was just doing some research on this for a (hopefully fictional) story I'm writing...apparently back in the early 90s, when Quebec was seriously talking about seceding from Canada and the Canadian govt was giving them all sorts of concessions to try to keep them from doing so, a bunch of the prairie provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan, and possibly Manitoba) threatened to secede and apply for membership in the US.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 5:16pm | #

BakedPenguin, Yeah, of course I agree. When I was in my teens, here is what I listened to: Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Pearl jam, Alan Parsons Project, and Green Day. I really do not understand the political/social implications of listening to certain other bands, but here they are: The Cranberries, Queen, REM, Simon and Garfunkel, some Beatles songs, and Reggae (always a joy on a sunny day). I am probably forgetting a few other important ones, too. 4 Non Blondes' What's Up is just powerful.

So let it be known! :-)

Guy Montag | December 8, 2007, 5:26pm | #

Quick: What happened on Dec. 6?

I guess we are just going to ignore 7 Dec. 1941? I am positive the surrender monkeys around here can gin-up some sort of convoluted way to blame the USA and complain about our going to war against Germany and Italy because it was Japan that attacked us.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 5:27pm | #

...a bunch of the prairie provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan, and possibly Manitoba) threatened to secede and apply for membership in the US.

I remember thinking, Go quebec, Go! Declare independence and we'll absorb the rest of Canada. Think of what a colossus that would have been.

Sadly, the Québécois stopped smoking that pipe, and thought about the ramifications of an independent Quebec.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 5:29pm | #

Kolohe & Randolph,

I understand the purpose of the mailing; what I don't understand is why they felt it necessary to include a false statement about his position on Iraq. There's plenty of truthful ways to show that Dr Paul is strong on national defense.

And the fact that a person can do research to find out that the statement is false doesn't excuse lying. It's the same as if Hillary sent out a mailer to Iowans claiming that she favored banning abortion.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 5:31pm | #

crimethink- BC and Alberta (very rarely and not that vocally) threaten with secession till today (every now and then). I think it would be a stretch to say they'd apply for membership to the US. BC wouldn't on cultural bases and Alberta on economic. Alberta has zero, read ZERO, provincial debt! I am sorry to say it, but the US would be a burden on Alberta.

There was a row a couple of years ago when Alberta lowered the Canadian flag over energy revenue redistribution (it dominated Canadian news for a few weeks, but can't find a link. Even poor Newfoundland also lowered all Canadian flags from provincial government, also over energy resources and payment redistribution.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 5:35pm | #

I guess we are just going to ignore 7 Dec. 1941? I am positive the surrender monkeys around here can gin-up some sort of convoluted way to blame the USA and complain about our going to war against Germany and Italy because it was Japan that attacked us.

Oh c'mon Guy. This sailor always remembers Pearl Harbor on December 7th. If you ever get to Oahu, visit the Arizona Memorial. I found in emotionally staggering.

Trivia Alert!
The Arizona was the only BB at Pearl Harbor that day, that didn't later fight in the War of the Pacific. The shipyard workers at Pearl Harbor were war heroes as well. See USS Yorktown, Battle of Midway, for another example.

Himself | December 8, 2007, 5:36pm | #

"I guess we are just going to ignore 7 Dec. 1941? I am positive the surrender monkeys around here can gin-up some sort of convoluted way to blame the USA and complain about our going to war against Germany and Italy because it was Japan that attacked us."

Guy-

First of all you forgot "cheese eatin'"

Second, if it hadn't been for the "New Deal" the Axis would have so feared the figurative free market bulge in our collective pants they would have never tried to pull a stunt like that. ;)

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 5:38pm | #

Guy,

We went to war against Germany and Italy because they declared war on us first (signalling that the German Navy was going to attack our shipping). Note that we didn't declare war on them until several days after we declared war on Japan.

And, while it certainly wasn't enough to justify the Pearl Harbor attacks, we weren't being very friendly to Japan beforehand. We had adopted an openly racist immigration policy to prevent Japanese from coming here, and we were enforcing an oil embargo against them.

Of course, by the time I was in school fifty-some years later, the myriad complexities of that event -- like those of the Civil War and the Great Depression -- had been sanded off in favor of a smooth, consistent, and largely fallacious narrative.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 5:52pm | #

crimethink,

Yes the history books don't explain everything. Nor do your two examoles of US policy. Economic embargoes on Japan preceded the Pearl Harbor Attack, yes. But they were a response to continuing Japanese aggression in the far east. Surely the Rape of Nanking, the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, (empire by conquest), cried out for some response by the United States.

Nope, Germany and Japan really were the bad guys then.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 6:00pm | #

Surely the Rape of Nanking, the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, (empire by conquest), cried out for some response by the United States.

I've no doubt that Japan was a bad guy in that conflict, but the US and especially the UK had little moral high ground to complain about conquering weaker peoples to build an empire. Japan's misfortune was apparently to have come to that party too late.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 6:01pm | #

Interesting: Iran drops dollar from oil deals: report.

Kaligula | December 8, 2007, 6:01pm | #

What's Dondero going to say when Benito puts jesus on the ticket...

KoЯn joins the rEVOLution

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 6:04pm | #

Keep in mind that the first places that Japan tangled with the Allies -- Hawaii and Malaysia -- were themselves conquered colonies of the US and UK, respectively.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:05pm | #

I got this via Balloon Juice. Par for this administration's course.

God, my local papers suck diseased horse penis. This wasn't in either.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:08pm | #

Interesting: Iran drops dollar from oil deals: report.

Very. Looking at it from Iram's perspective, it makes sense.

prolefeed | December 8, 2007, 6:08pm | #

Enough is enough. Huckabee is just plain goddamned scary.

Let's choose one candidate and unite our forces behind him to ward off the Huck Monster.

So, Dondero, you must be OK with the notion of everyone uniting behind Ron Paul to ward off Huckabee?

HAHAHAHA. Jes' kidding.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:09pm | #

Iran's vice Iram's. What a retard!

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 6:10pm | #

good for the people of Mexico but bad for the people of Canada.

J sub D-
Agree with you on the Mexico part (in fact I cribbed my construction from something I read here, it may have been you?)

On Canada, the fundamental organizing principle of Canadian politics is 'we're not Americans, eh' So, of course both elites and ordinary people perceive its not good for them. But for some, especially places like Atlantic Canada which have a scelrotic economy, low urbanization, *and* have a high cost of living, a 'harmonization' with New England would be I think, of great benefit to the people and the elites.

Don't get me wrong, while a US-Canadian union would have some benefit to me personally, I think it is a better overall policy to have a first world, completely independent political entity next door as a safety valve in the case of excessive idiocy build-up in the US.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 6:12pm | #

prolefeed- You might have been asked this before, but how do you feel about Paul and Romney? Especially the latter.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:13pm | #

crimethink, your comment about Japan being late to the party, sums it all up quite well. Hindsight being what it is, they should have been satisfied with China and Korea. Too much, too fast.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 6:13pm | #

a 'harmonization' with New England would be I think, of great benefit to the people and the elites

Seriously, they wouldn't.

prolefeed | December 8, 2007, 6:15pm | #

The only interesting thing is that Dondero is now so terrified of the Huckabofascists he's willing to consider try to get Huckabee supporters to switch to Thompson or Romney so Giuliani will still win.

Fixed.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 6:19pm | #

TLB
*I* misrepresent an issue?

Censorship is a state entity telling someone that they may not speak, publish or otherwise disseminate what they wish.

Youtube did not even remove your videos, did they? They (or more precisely, the original video host, but which is probably working for the same cnn/google consortium) removed a link from one video to another. I have no idea how youtubes back/cross linking works, but the decision to remove a link, and not the content, does not even approach the idea of censorship. This is, at best, like a call in program obscuring its number if it's in a re-run.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:26pm | #

Kolohe'

When everbody is out to get you, censorship is an obvious conclusion. It's like when the UFO abductees get cut off the air in talk radio. It's a conspiracy, a cover-up, that just proves it.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:27pm | #

So, Dondero, you must be OK with the notion of everyone uniting behind Ron Paul to ward off Huckabee?

If Dondi climbs onboard, I'm moving to toss him over the side.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 6:29pm | #

Even if i agreed with your premise:

in the short term flood the U.S. with cheap ChineseGoods.

Horses, barn doors, etc.

in the longer term, "harmonize" us with the two other countries.

I fail to see how this is problem with Canada, as we tried to do this in both 1776 and 1812. How is it now a concern?

What I find really ironic is I was in Canada during the Mulrooney campaign for his 2nd term in 1989(?). The single greatest issue was free trade with the US, dominating every newscast and political conversation, the way Iraq does for us now. This issue got absolutely *no* coverage in the US. Then a year or two later it was expanded to include Mexico, and then it was able to spawn the political campaign of Perot.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:37pm | #

This issue got absolutely *no* coverage in the US. Then a year or two later it was expanded to include Mexico, and then it was able to spawn the political campaign of Perot.

Canadians - White. mostly English speaking, wealthy.
Mexicans - Brown, mostly Spanish speaking, poor.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:39pm | #

Although, the CAFTA issue did get covered here in Detroit for obvious reasons.

prolefeed | December 8, 2007, 6:42pm | #

prolefeed- You might have been asked this before, but how do you feel about Paul and Romney? Especially the latter.

Ali -- I'm voting for Ron Paul in the primary. I think Mitt Romney isn't as awful as the remaining Republican choices -- he has some actual business experience, and would likely act more libertarian on economic issues than the rest of that sorry lot. But, me being sorta Mormon doesn't in any way equate to a Romney vote in the primary.

Now, if it comes down to Romney v. Clinton in the general, I'd be inclined to vote for whoever gets the Libertarian nomination, but I'd think about it a bit, whereas Giuliani or Huckabee v. Clinton would be a slam-dunk Libertarian vote for me.

someone else posted: I read the column by Jeremy Lott saying Mitt should have explained the nitty-gritty of being a Morman like Hillaire Belloc explained Catholicism in 1906. (It worked for Belloc.)

Was talking with some Mormon friends about the Mitt speech during a truck ride to help someone move into a new house, and our Elders Quorum President said something like, "You know, I can see why Mitt didn't go into the details of our faith -- to an outsider, they can seem kinda crazy and unbelievable."

Hence my earlier "sorta Mormon" self-description -- I have issues with lots of the Church's teachings -- I'm amazed they haven't exed me for apostasy for some of my more outspoken criticisms -- but the people are wonderful, likeable human beings I enjoy hanging around. I'm more of a social Mormon than a Peter Priesthood true believer Morbot.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 6:48pm | #

And the fact that a person can do research to find out that the statement is false doesn't excuse lying. It's the same as if Hillary sent out a mailer to Iowans claiming that she favored banning abortion.

I just don't think its lying. (*Warning: faulty metaphor alert*) but I'd say it's like Hillary with a flyer saying "My Husband is the reason NAFTA got passed." This may appeal to some segment, but she is generally running now against it, at least based on the last debate.
(*Caution: slightly better, but still crappy metaphor*) Or, it's like Hillary saying with her vote for the Iraq resolution that she voted for more diplomacy and sanctions, but was shocked and dismayed when Bush started military action. And so puts out a flyer "I voted for diplomacy and sanctions"

In either case, the original charge was that 'he's just another pol' meaning he's not lying, he's just "giving the truth scope." But if this is the best and/or only example, he's a regular St Augustine compared to his peers.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 6:49pm | #

J sub D
not sayin' it's can't be easily explained, just ironic

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 6:52pm | #

prolefeed- Thank you very much. I did expect that kind of answer from you. I respect it very much.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 6:53pm | #

J sub D-
Oklahoma never made it.

There was a lovely ceremony here dedicating a memorial to them on Friday.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:55pm | #

just ironic

And a sad commentary on us Americans.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 6:55pm | #

prolefeed and all-

Funny, just came across this on Lew Rockwell:

Latter-Day Saints for Ron Paul.

Of course there is this, too.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 6:56pm | #

Well, you could be right, this gives them about 9 mo from drydocking to decom, but I don't think they got out to the fleet.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 6:57pm | #

Oklahoma never made it.

I stand humbly corrected.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 7:07pm | #

Kolohe,

Except that the mailing *is* *lying*. It is objectively false to say that Ron Paul favored a Declaration of War against Iraq. It is not merely a lie of omission, it's not selectively telling the truth, it is communicating falsehood. Perhaps a better example would be if Hillary said she opposed the AUMF against Iraq.

Someone Who Doesn't Want to Lose His Job | December 8, 2007, 7:07pm | #

Kolohe:

Don't get me wrong, while a US-Canadian union would have some benefit to me personally, I think it is a better overall policy to have a first world, completely independent political entity next door as a safety valve in the case of excessive idiocy build-up in the US.

Also useful for Canadians suffering from the vice-versa idiocy build-up syndrome.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 7:14pm | #

crimethink- Which philosopher was who said and proved that in a democratic society, an honest politician can never be elected to the presidency. I salute Ron for his tiny little nit of lying (really more playing with words) to attract the attention of SC voters.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 7:14pm | #

correct my grammar and typos as you see fit.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 7:20pm | #

We were dicks to Japan prior to Dec 1941.
The Japanese were assholes for attacking Hawaii. If the Japanese were just dicks, they would have seized the oilfields they wanted in Southeast asia, defeated the English like they wound up doing anyway, and dared us to intervene.
We were dicks to Hawaiians from 1896-1959, but far less so then to other American Aboriginals. The British were dicks to the Chinese and Malaysians.
The Japanese were assholes to the Chinese, Koreans, Malaysians, Filipinos, Chamorros, et al.

Everybody from 1933-1945 was either a dick or an asshole, but nobody was a pussy.

FDR wanted to enter the war to help England. The Pearl Harbor attack gave him the political capital to do so. He did not plan or otherwise allow to the attack to occur; as the best politician (note:not president) in American history, he took advantage of the cards he was dealt.

Kolohe | December 8, 2007, 7:22pm | #

One last thing:

Those who try to apply too much of history to modern situations is either a pussy or an asshole, but most likely the latter

SIV | December 8, 2007, 7:24pm | #

It is objectively false to say that Ron Paul favored a Declaration of War against Iraq.

Your link shows a Paul mailer that reads " Pushed for an official declaration of war with Iraq."
That is factually true. If Congress had declared war Paul wouldn't be opposing it on Constitutional grounds.

TLB | December 8, 2007, 7:28pm | #

Kolohe: "censor" doesn't necessarily imply a governmental entity. And, part of my question to two people at YT was who exactly the user "YTDebates" is; I suspect it's a CNNYoutube joint venture but neither replied. In any case, they aren't just some regular user since I don't think AndersonCooper is freelancing for them.

For those just joining us, read what CNNYoutube did. Perhaps our kneejerk CNNYoutube apologist could provide an explanation why my videos - both of them - were removed from the list of replies, while others remain.

In other news, WND has picked up on the latest NAFTASuperhighway episode.

Your job: tell us those maps on CanadianGovernment websites do not exist.

See my first comment for many more learning opportunities.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 7:32pm | #

Everybody from 1933-1945 was either a dick or an asshole, but nobody was a pussy.

Congratulations on your dissertation. My I be the first to call you Doctor Kohole?

LOL on the excerpted line.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 7:33pm | #

SIV,

If he had been successful in getting a floor vote on a Declaration of War, he would certainly have voted no. Thus, you can hardly say he was "pushing for" a declaration of war.

Well, unless you want to go the John Kerry "I voted before it before I voted against it" route, but I don't think you do.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 7:34pm | #

that should be "I voted for it before I voted against it"

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 7:36pm | #

I don't think he wants to be called Doctor Kohole...

Guy Montag | December 8, 2007, 7:37pm | #

EXCUSE ME!? I asked for the revisionists and all I get is mostly real history??? I KNOW THE REAL HISTORY!

Plus, you guys forgot that FDR declared open warfare at sea on the Germans on 11 September 1941, without so much as a by-your-leave to the Congress either.

Now, where are the blame-America mobs who want to blame us for that, or did I miss the "grandpa Bush sold some stuff to Germany" post?

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 7:41pm | #

I hadn't heard about the pre-Pearl Harbor open sea warfare with the Germans before. If that was the case, it was awfully nice of the Germans to wait till December to declare war on us, wasn't it?

Guy Montag | December 8, 2007, 7:45pm | #

If he had been successful in getting a floor vote on a Declaration of War, he would certainly have voted no.

What on earth is the difference between what the Congress authorized and a "Declairation of War", other than it is not on some mythical form that you people think exists?

The Congress authorized use of force, and funded it, but it did not use language that triggers even more presidential power, from my understanding of the powers that FDR was granted, like being able to nullify contracts(?). Are you upset that diplomats-in-striped-pants did not deliver a letter to Saddam with a big wax seal on the front?

Anyway, please please please tell us all what the difference is between the Iraq resolution and a declairation of war. I will leave all the UN crap out of this as I am no more a fan of theirs than Nick Gillespie, or for that matter, Pat Buchannan is.

crimethink,

The Germans had been sinking ours and our Allies ships for a while already before FDR piped up about it.

prolefeed | December 8, 2007, 7:47pm | #

Congratulations on your dissertation. My I be the first to call you Doctor Kohole?

FWIW, J sub D, the Hawaiian word for butt is "okole" (technically it means "arsehole", but the meaning has morphed via common usage into a word for buttocks). So, unless you were being especially wry, make sure you spell it Kolohe, not Kohole, since the latter sounds like a drunk saying okole).

OK, should have preceded that with "pedant alert". My bad. But no point in accidentally insulting someone.

SIV | December 8, 2007, 7:48pm | #

Everybody from 1933-1945 was either a dick or an asshole, but nobody was a pussy.

What about the Swiss?

Guy Montag | December 8, 2007, 7:52pm | #

What about the Swiss?

Their heavily armed militia was ready to fire two rounds per soldier to repel any invader.

Plus they kept all that Nazi gold for the Jews until the 21st century . . . well, that was bad. But they did give our downed bomber crews hot chocolate for the remainder of the war.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 7:53pm | #

Guy,

If there's no difference between an AUMF and a declaration of war, how come Congress always chooses the former instead of the latter? I think I know why: if the war use of military force doesn't go well, it allows them to, several years later when running for higher office, claim they weren't voting for war, but for diplomacy. The idea behind a declaration of war is that the people's representatives take responsibility for the decision to go to war, rather than handing that decision over to the president.

Also, technically the British weren't our allies until after Pearl Harbor.

J sub D | December 8, 2007, 7:56pm | #

Oops. My heartfelt apologies to Doctor Kolohe. I'll attempt to avoid any similar spelling screwups, in the future.

OK, should have preceded that with "pedant alert". My bad. But no point in accidentally insulting someone.

Not at all. I hate the whole ugly american thing. No need to insult at all. BTW, when I insult, it's generally quite clear that it was intended.

Guy Montag | December 8, 2007, 7:59pm | #

crimethink,

Do you write for Mrs. Clinton?

SIV | December 8, 2007, 7:59pm | #

Washington, DC: Congressman Ron Paul, insisting that the House International Relations committee follow constitutional principles, yesterday introduced a formal congressional declaration of war with Iraq. The language of the declaration was very clear: "A state of war is declared to exist between the United States and the government of Iraq."

Paul's campaign mailer in South Carolina is %100 truthful on his call for a Declaration of War with Iraq.

There is no issue here.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 8:06pm | #

The key paragraph that clarifies the potential confusing of the issues is this:

"When Congress issued clear declarations of war against Japan and Germany during World War II, the nation was committed and victory was achieved," Paul concluded. "When Congress shirks its duty and avoids declaring war, as with Korea, and Vietnam, the nation is less committed and the goals are less clear. No lives should be lost in Iraq unless Congress expresses the clear will of the American people and votes yes or no on a declaration of war."

I see no contradiction at all. If it were a declaration of war, I am not sure how would people have voted, but I think he would have voted "no".

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 8:08pm | #

I really do not think many in congress would have voted for a declaration of war, that is why it was not done as a DoW but instead as an authorization to take action against Iraq. Paul wanted it to be constitutional.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 8:09pm | #

SIV,

Keep trying. The flyer didn't say he called for a declaration of war. It didn't say he thought a declaration of war was Constitutionally necessary. It didn't say he introduced a declaration of war.

It said he "pushed for" a declaration of war, which implies support for declaring war.

Here's a thought experiment: Dr Paul would certainly say that it would require a Constitutional amendment to ban handguns. Does that mean it would be truthful to say that he's "pushing for a Constitutional amendment to ban handguns"?

Guy Montag | December 8, 2007, 8:11pm | #

Looks like Mr. Foer has finally waterboarded his writers into being honest. Checkout the new Guantanimo story at TNR.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 8:11pm | #

Dr Paul would certainly say that it would require a Constitutional amendment to ban handguns. Does that mean it would be truthful to say that he's "pushing for a Constitutional amendment to ban handguns"?

Even more importantly, that he supports banning guns?

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 8:15pm | #

The thing that bugs me the most about this is that they didn't mention all the other things that Dr Paul has done to enhance national security. For instance, why didn't they bring up the Letter of Marque and Reprisal against bin Laden, which he introduced and actually did support?

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 8:15pm | #

And this does not sound dumb the least: A congress introduces a bill that s/he votes "no" on. I am not expert, but essentially it is the kind of thing that would be done to avoid a military action in the first place. Just vote it up or down, otherwise the whole thing lacks clarity and becomes a big mess.

SIV | December 8, 2007, 8:18pm | #

Are you upset that diplomats-in-striped-pants did not deliver a letter to Saddam with a big wax seal on the front?


As a conservative and traditionalist yes I am.
A nice wax-sealed parchment or vellum document would have made it a lot harder for Democrat Congressmen to claim they were calling for peaceful diplomacy until that Rogue Chimp recklessly distorted their intentions and launched an illegal immoral War.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 8:21pm | #

ali/iih,

I agree. What I take issue with is the language used by the flier, which implies that Dr Paul actually supported going to war with Iraq.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 8:22pm | #

crimethink- yeah, I agree. But there could be a consistent explanation. Everytime I get worried about something that Paul said or did, I find that it comes from a very consistent principle.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 8:23pm | #

Oh and it is just "Ali" from now.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 8:24pm | #

SIV,

Well, that's the thing. If Congress had to actually declare war, and stake their reputations and their careers on the correctness of doing so, there's a high probability we would never have gone to war in Iraq.

And from what I can tell, a lot of conservatives wouldn't have been happy about that.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 8:27pm | #

Ali,

I'm certain that this is the work of some overly clever staffer, not the Doctor himself. But -- as in the case of the "Ron Paul Newsletter" fiasco from the 90s -- it's something that he's ultimately responsible for, and he's going to need to respond to this before it blows up in his face.

Right now, he's like the Dolphins playing the Patriots. The odds are so massively stacked against him that he has to play to his strengths, and do it perfectly. He can't afford turnovers like this one.

SIV | December 8, 2007, 8:29pm | #

Bad analogy Crimethink.
Paul actually introduced a declaration of war.
He certainly hasn't proposed a repeal of the Second Amendment.

Ali (aka iih) | December 8, 2007, 8:31pm | #

crimethnk- yeah, I agree I guess. It could hurt him as a flip-flopper. But why haven't they used it against him yet? But I really do not see this as causing any harm to him. It is minuscule.

crimethink | December 8, 2007, 8:35pm | #

OK, SIV, let me revise my thought experiment.

Say that Congress is all set to pass a bill outlawing handguns, and the president has promised to sign it. Also, there's no possibility of a filibuster or an adverse SCOTUS ruling. (This is pretty much the scenario that existed for the Iraq AUMF when Dr Paul introduced his DoW.)

Now, Dr Paul not only does not support banning handguns, but also believes a law doing so would be unconstitutional.