By The Company He Keeps...

Porcupine is writing this at 11:30 am on Friday, August 22, 2008. (Note: Due to the genuinely crappy Internet connection available on Cape Cod during the summer, Porcupine has been unable to access the Internet until just now - over 24 hours later. The good new is, Obama has chosen to drag out his selection for all this time - impossibly heightening expectations, but making Porcupine's blog on the matter still germane.)

At this moment, Barack Obama has not announced his choice for Vice President, a decision which will tell us a great deal more about Obama than the person he chooses.

Hillary Clinton? Sen. Clinton is in a unique position – she alone is able to unite BOTH parties. The PUMA Democrats and Democratic women will be better able to unite behind Obama (although there will be some residual resentment of such a Bright Young Thing being promoted over the head of a better qualified woman, doubtless a familiar scenario to many). On the Republican side, any lingering doubts over McCain’s conservative bona fides will vanish at the prospect of an unoccupied Bill Clinton being once again in Washington near the seat of power.

Gov. Sibelius? Choosing a different woman than Hillary will only further enrage the PUMA women, and Obama seems smarter than that.

Obama’s choice comes down to two – the Trusted Older Counselor or the Vigorous Cohort.

Joe Biden is the archetype of the former. Indeed, an inexperienced Governor chose the foreign policy expert and insider as Vice President in 2000, and the selection of Dick Cheney allayed many fears about George Bush’s foreign policy credentials. Porcupine wonders if Obama wants to choose the same path. Further, as one wag said, Joe Biden is the smartest guy in the room – just ask him, and he’ll tell you. Is Obama’s somewhat touchy ego up to partnering with a vice President who may at times appear smarter and more experienced than he?

Tim Kaine is the latter – a popular and vigorous Governor, who would be so grateful for his chance at the world stage that he would never risk outshining ‘The One’, and who would work hard to push Obama’s agenda and ideas with the public. Hardly an ego threat.

Porcupine is of the opinion that it is the Vigorous Cohort who will be chosen, out of deference to Obama's prickly ego, but we shall soon see who comes out that door – Not a Lady, but perhaps a Tiger…

Sunday Summer Sing Along - Early Edition?

The Democratic National Committee's Rules & Bylaws Committee will proceed on May 31 during a much-anticipated meeting to reconsider issues in the Florida and Michigan delegate flap at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel , in Washington, D.C. The decision may determine the outcome of Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign.

Usually, Porcupine begins the Sunday Summer Sing Along on the first Sunday in July, but thought this song, called Hillary's Plaint, was appropriate for the meeting tomorrow - sung to the tune of the Hank Williams classic, 'Cold, Cold Heart'.

I tried so hard, my friends, to show that I’m your every dream.
Yet you're afraid each thing I do is just some evil scheme
Some memories from my White House past keep us so far apart
Why can't I free your doubtful minds, and melt your cold, cold heart?

Another Clinton, years ago, made your hearts sad and blue
And my campaign is paying now for things I didn't do
Sure, I claim ‘experience’, but that’s just being smart
Why can't I free your doubtful minds, and melt your cold, cold heart?

You'll never know how much it hurts to see you fawn on him
You know Obama’s full of smoke, a mere Progressive whim
Why do you run and hide from facts, to try it just ain't smart
Why can't I free your doubtful minds and melt your cold, cold, heart?

There was a time when I believed that you belonged to me
But now I know your votes are shackled Bill’s memory
The more I try to bond with you, the more we drift apart
Why can't I free your doubtful minds and melt your cold, cold, heart?

The Definition of Insanity

Gov. Deval Patrick uses hand gestures to demonstrate his chances of getting his casino bill passed.

It takes a little bit to actually shock Porcupine, but Deval Patrick succeeded in doing so today. This morning, in front of the Brookline Chamber he announced his intention to resurrect the failed casino gambling bill.

The Democrat told a Brookline Chamber of Commerce audience that "an unyielding need for property tax relief, the possibility of slot machines at the state's racetracks and ongoing efforts by the Wampanoag Indians to build their own casino will reignite the discussions".

Acccording to the Boston Globe, Patrick said, "There's a lot of interest in it, and issues that die in one session don't die a permanent death. They tend to come back over time." Under one scenario, Patrick said, casino gambling supporters might try to expand the slot machine bill to include the resort-style casinos proposed by the governor. Patrick projected that his plan for three casinos would generate at least $600 million in licensing fees, $400 million in annual tax revenues and 20,000 permanent jobs.

Indeed, there's nothing that Porcupine enjoys more than seeing the Globe exasperated. But what the Globe fails to mention is that the source of these projections is Clyde Barrows of UMass-Dartmouth, and that he is also a recent author of a 'poll' which claims that a majority of the electorate wants casino gambling in Massachusetts - but not in their town. The jobs, the dollars, the concept - all have been thoroughly discredited. To bring three casinos on-line at the same time in a mature and fading market is madness. The profit would be wiped out by the need to have union-run laundry and service contracts in a state owned enterprise - which is why the bill enjoyed such enthusiastic union support. Which of course presupposes that casinos are even an appropriate venture for the state to get into - don't we already have enough problems from a something-for-nothing culture? (Forgive Porcupine - he was a Scout leader, and the Baden-Powell prohibitions against gambling as the ruin of a young character come bubbling up from time to tiem).

What can possess the Governor to follow this path once again? His liberal base is admantly opposed to casinos. The Legislature does not want it. Conservatives do not want it. Indeed, nobody seems to want it but the Governor and SEIU.

The classic definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. The Governor has already publicly embarassed himself, but perhaps his liberal friends can talk him down out of this tree. Indeed, the liberals are castigating the Pioneer Institute for saying that Patrick had devolved into a 'machine politician'. To Porcupine, the only omission was that the machine is a slot machine.

Is Grandma Next Under The Bus?

Well, we've finally learned what upsets the usually unflappable Barack Obama - "But at a certain point, if what somebody says contradicts what you believe so fundamentally, and then he questions whether or not you believe it in front of the National Press Club, then that's enough. That's -- that's a show of disrespect to me."

The trigger for this was Rev. Jeremiah Wright's remarks at the National Press Club, where he offered his opinion that Obama's increasing attempts to distance himself from the Rev.' s loony ideas was 'just what politicians have to do', i.e., an insincere ploy to lure the white simpletons into supporting him. Porcupine cannot help but observe that the decades of repeated disrespect to the Government, Nation, Italians, Caucasians, President, Jews, Etc. were not enough to push Obama over the edge, but disrespect to him was enough to repudiate the Rev.

Porcupine has long thought that Wright's remarks are not that unusual in 'liberation theology' circles, and that Obama's career as a community organizer may well have deafened him to how offensive these remarks are outside that charmed circle. There are facts, and there is Truth (with an aggressive capial 'T'). It may not be a fact that the Government developed AIDS as a means of decimating the black community, but it is a Truth that they would do something that vile. Hyperbole is routine in Community Activist cirlces, and after a while such rhetoric ceases to shock or offend. Obama is probably telling a sort of Truth when he says that he didn't hear Rev. Wright say such things while he sat in the pew at church - it may be a fact that he said such things, but the Truth is that is faded to buzz, religious Muzak, after a decade or so.

As recently as March 18, Obama spoke of Rev. Wright in these terms (full text of his speech HERE) - "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe". The politician in him managed a slam at Geraldine Ferraro as well.

If Barack Obama would be the President of the United States, he might have to disavow the segment of the black community which harbors attitudes just as racist as the attitudes he ascribes to his grandmother. The underside of Obama's bus could become a crowded place.

DANGER (to Open Government) WILL ROBINSON!

Point of Information - the Republican Members chose not to submit amendments this years, both as a protest to the system, and as a recognition of current fiscal crisis.

What Do The Simple Folk Do?

"It is true I am amused about this notion of elitist."
Barack Obama, CNN, April 16, 2008

Yes, blogging has changed everything. At a soignee fundraiser, closed to the press, a blogger for the Huffington Post recorded a speech given by a candidate she supports, Barack Obama. These are the words which have casused the great Bitterness Debate -

“You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Obama's analysis of the economics of the situation is accurate. Where he falls down, and opens himself to charges of elitism and snobbery, is his odd lack of empathy for working and blue-collar people. Poor people - people he grew up with, met as a community organizer in the Chicago ghetto - he can understand. Indeed, it's the explanation for his long term relationship with a hater like Rev. Wright. Liberation Theology both blames the capitalist government for all the ills of the descendents of slaves, while simultaneously exaulting their natural superiority, which makes it problematic how they continue to be so exploited. No, it's working class people he looks down on as Archie Bunkers.

His words sneer at their affirmative choices. People of all ages and stations have a fulfilling relationship with God. Rural people hunt and fish, and enjoy the forest and stream as a treasure, a balm available to all. They have good cause to be angry that their government will not enforce immigration laws, as they are outbid for painting and roofing jobs to support their family. Some may be bitter, some may be exasperated. But they do not cherish their First and Second Amendment Rights as a crutch; rather, they would go to church or the rod & gun club whether economic times are good or bad - because they like it. They aren't inferior to the people you organized in Chicago, or the hoi polloi you solicit donations from, Senator - they're different.

Simple people, Sen. Obama. It's a regular person thing - you wouldn't understand, Senator.

Now THIS Is Rich!

From Ben Smith's column on Politico:

Harry Smith asked if after the nominating contests end with the South Dakota and Montana primaries on June 3, "Do you want the superdelegates to have some sort of vote immediately so that you'll know months in advance of the convention what the outcome is?” Dean replied: “Well, I think the superdelegates have already been weighing in. I think that there's 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they're for. I'd like the other 350 to say who they're at some point between now and the first of July so we don't have to take this into the convention.”

An aide explains that July 1 is not a drop-dead deadline: "The point is before the convention, ideally in June."

Dean has been criticized for not taking a heavier hand in ending the bruising contest.
The aide elaborates on the chairman's thinking: "Dean is personally engaged in this process, he's had numerous conversations with over 60 leaders inside and outside of the Democratic Party, to hear their thoughts, get their input and encourage them to help reinforce the importance of keeping the party united behind our nominee in November. ... He does not want to discuss those conversations publicly because in Washington, you can work behind the scenes and not worry about getting credit and actually get something done -- or you can talk about it in the press and not get anything done. But ... he wants to see this resolved before the convention and will encourage the superdelegates to make their choice known once the voters in the remaining states have had their say."

In an interview with AP's Nedra Pickler, Dean also made it clear he wants to get the show on the road. "There'll be some nasty fights if it goes to convention, and people will walk out," he told Nedra. "But I've also been talking to a fairly significant number of, by and large, nonaligned people about how we might resolve this." Nedra adds: "Dean wouldn't talk in detail about what the plan is, but it likely involves encouraging superdelegates to pick a candidate shortly after the voting ends."

So Chairman Dean wants all the unseemely muss done with, eh? "Ideally in June", he says. Chairman Howard Dean is the rocket scientist who created this problem in the first place!

You see, the party which does NOT hold the White House gets to choose the time of its convention, and the party which DOES hold the White House must hold its convention afterwards. When looking at the twenty-odd announced candidates, Howard Dean saw a great deal of potential for animosity and bad blood on the Republican side, while Hillary Clinton was assumed to be the inevitable nominee of the Democrats. So Chairman Dean himself chose the end of August for the Democrats to hold their convention, forcing the Republicans to hold theirs on Labor Day weekend. It seemed like a good idea at the time - a GOP bloodbath that would rankle all summer.

Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Chairman - the GOP has chosen a candidate, and the stresses on the Democrats caused by your timeline will not be easily mended. For Howard Dean, the architect of disaster to piously intone that the campaigns must cease in June and the Super Delegates must choose at the time invites an obvious question - gee, Howard, why didn't you schedule the convention for then?

Two Minds With But A Single Thought...

...or is it two minds with almost a single thought between them? According to former Congressional candidate and Democratic Party Chair Philip Johnston: "We all said that we could have closed our eyes when Obama spoke [and] it could have been Deval."

Should Sen. Obama become the nominee, the People of the Commonwealth will bear a great responsibility - better acquainting the nation with how talk can be cheap, and how sometimes, when change is what you proclaim when you are unable to accomplish anything, the only change you see is the chump kind.

Hey, You Can't Deport 12 Million People!

This sentiment has always been a favourite of the pro-amnesty crowd. There are too many people here illegally already, we really want to know where and who they are. We need to coax them out of the shadows, so we must create a Path to Citizenship, which will not penalize them as law breakers and line jumpers (since they chose to ignore the existing Path to Citizenship of applying for it, getting a green card, etc.).

Now, there is evidence from Gov. Mitt Romney’s home state of Massachusetts that with proper enforcement, you may not need to deport 12 million people – when they realize that amnesty is not forthcoming, they begin to leave under their own steam.

First, a brief Massachusetts timeline on the issue. In June of 2006, Gov. Romney began negotiations with the Federal government to allow Mass. State Police to detain and hold illegal immigrants in cooperation with ICE (a post on the subject is HERE), right after the Federal government created the program. In Dec. of 2006, the final contract was approved with the Executive Office of Public Safety. At the time, Porcupine wrote of Gov.-Elect Deval Patrick, “He touted his experience as a Clinton Dept. of Justice appointee, and even went so far as to claim during debates that he had been a prosecutor (well, perhaps not in an actual courtroom, but support staff are important too!). Given his legal credentials, it will be difficult for him to refuse to enforce the law, and his base won't allow him to do so.” Porcupine was wrong – immediately upon taking office, Gov. Patrick cancelled the enforcement agreement that Gov. Romney had negotiated – amnesty for all! But law enforcement was down, not out. Using Romney’s agreement as a template, the Sheriffs of Massachusetts took the same training that the State Police had taken, and two counties, Barnstable and Bristol, were certified for ICE detention as well. What practical effect has this had?

Well, the Cape Cod Times - newspaper of record for Barnstable County - is reporting that Brazilians there are returning to South America in record numbers (Link HERE). "Here, I don't have immigration documents. I have little opportunity," Denevaldo Dos Santos, an illegal immigrant working as a landscaper, said in the story. According to the Times, many Brazilians bought homes using sub-prime mortgages (how exactly was THAT accomplished with no Social Security number?) and are now facing ballooning interest payments and are choosing to default. "They've been here for so long and expecting this law that never came," said Connie Souza, an immigrant advocate with Catholic Social Services in Hyannis.

That is correct, Ms. Souza. And now that the realization has set in that the hoped for amnesty will not materialize, well, it may not be necessary to deport 12 million people. This is a real result of law enforcement, and sealing the borders, and it is from Gov. Romney’s home state; it could have been a state-wide result instead of a county-wide one, but the Democratic Gov. Patrick, backing Obama for President, prevented that. You won’t read this story in the Boston Globe, or hear it on CNN – but it is true just the same.

He Was A Simple Lad, and Fell Among Bad Companions

A man is known by the company he keeps; our character is reflected in our choice of friends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

Perhaps it all began with Joe Kennedy and Citizens' Oil. A chance for a new Congressman and old prosecutor to align himself with the Golden Boy of the reigning family in Massachusetts Democratic politics. Bill Delahunt found himself assigned to Foreign Affairs, and had a chance to make interesting new friends, in places like Havana and Caracas.

In 2005, Susan Milligan reported in the Boston Globe (link HERE):

The group, which called itself "Grupo de Boston," met in 2002 and 2003 on Cape Cod. Participants often engaged in heated political talks in the mornings (one session needed an intervention to stop a fistfight).

They also went whale-watching and played intramural baseball in the afternoons, with mixed teams and a bipartisan group of legislators as umpires.

Bottles of Scotch were in the guest rooms, and all had been consumed by the end of the session, a Delahunt spokesman said.

Chávez has been less cooperative and friendly toward Bush, calling him a "crazy man" and an "assassin." When Bush was in Latin America earlier this month, Chavez derided him at anti-Bush rally and declared "dead" the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, a Bush administration priority.

At a congressional hearing last week, the US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, Thomas A. Shannon Jr., warned that the Chávez government was "subverting democratic institutions by using them to restrict the rights of those who disagree with it."

Asked if he was subverting State Department policy toward Chávez, Delahunt said, "I don't work for Condoleezza Rice. I don't report to the State Department. I report to the people who elected me in the state of Massachusetts. I belong to an independent branch of government."

Indeed - an independent branch of governmet, but supported by the perks and protecols of the rest of the government. Perhaps it was the glamour of hob-nobbing with a head of state and a Kennedy, after being a mere Quincy prosecutor. The irony is, he and Kennedy chose to go whoring after cut rate oil during some of the mildest winters in years, selling out our national interest for a commodity we needed less than usual. Delahunt's friendship with Fidel Castro began around the same time. But his friend Chavez is far more sinister, even for a brutal dictator.

Congressman Delahunt - your political partner has been getting admiring support on Al Jazeera for his support of Iran's nuclear program (HERE). In a 25 minute rant, he told OPEC, "If the United States is crazy enough to attack Iran or commit aggression against Venezuela ... oil would not be $100 but $200!"

Now, even Chavez's erstwhile allies are warning the world that he has crossed several lines, Congressman Delahunt - even those that threaten the United States more than George Bush. In a remarkable editorial in the New York Times, one of his oldest friends writes -

Hugo Chávez and I worked together for many years. I supported him through thick and thin, serving as his defense minister. But now, having recently retired, I find myself with the moral and ethical obligation as a citizen to express my opposition to the changes to the Constitution that President Chávez and the National Assembly have presented for approval by the voters tomorrow (Dec. 2).

A link to the rest of the editorial is HERE.

Congressman Delahunt - these are the words of Chavez's political ally of 35 years, the Commander in Chief of his Armed Forces until this past July. This is not the opinion of a remote figure, but a warning from a member of his inner circle. Chavez has gone too far and is trying to codify his dictatorship of Venezuela.

Are you able to set partisanship aside long enough to realize that a head of state that refers to your President as 'Satan', and who publicly embraces the sworn enemy of your nation who is devoping nuclear weapons, really is NOT somebody who should be a political partner?

For the good of your nation and constituency - Congressman Delahunt, repudiate Hugo Chavez.

SnowHoax Litmus Test

Click to Enlarge

As we all know, litmus paper turns RED when exposed to acid conditions, and BLUE when exposed to alkaline conditions. As an acidic personality, Porcupine was always vaguely pleased with the Redness of his litmus. But in the wake of the CNN Snowman Hoax debate (hereafter referred to as the ‘SnowHoax’), another Red-Blue divide is emerging – those deeply involved in bare knuckles politics are turning red, and those with more moderate interests are turning blue.

For example – Porcupine rarely disagrees with his Beloved, as Beloved is generally smarter about most things. But in discussing the SnowHoax, the dialogue went like this.

Porcupine: I love the Internet! Before, this kind of stuff would stay buried forever! I bet the Globe NEVER acknowledges it! (Porcupine was right about that). The cheating Dems were caught almost immediately! In fact, Anderson Cooper can’t claim not to know, because he CITED a Politico story to gouge Rudy during the debate, and Politico had a story up exposing the General as a plant at 9:53 – BEFORE the debate was even OVER. They didn’t have the Clinton connection, but had his involvement with ‘Veterans for Kerry’ while he was still asking the question!

Beloved: That’s what turns me off about this stuff. The Democrats trying to cheat…

Porcupine: But no – I mean, it’s sort of their JOB to cheat – it’s CNN’s job to act as gatekeeper and they totally blew it - they’re either complicit or idiots…

Beloved: NO! It is NOBODY’S job to cheat! THAT is what is wrong with this state! You have become so much a part of the political culture here that you think cheating or misrepresenting could EVER be acceptable! No matter who the head of the Massachusetts Democratic Party is, the true head will always be James Michael Curley – a corrupt mayor and governor but a brilliant and lying politician. THAT is what lies at the heart of political culture here.

Porcupine: Wow…y’know, you should read Jon Keller’s book, ‘the Bluest State’…

Beloved: I don’t have to. I live here. I could have written it.

Porcupine pondered this, and realized there was a litmus test here – one that tested degree of political involvement. Not liberal or conservative, but in making the appeal, or outside being appealed to.

Here are three responses Porcupine received from journalist acquaintances in response to an indignant email about SnowHoax –

“I did know that a Hillary campaign worker was allowed to ask a question, which is bizarre. I've said before how the YouTube debates ought to be run. Pick six or eight issues. Let people submit videos in whatever category they like. CNN's role should be to make sure they are aimed at all the candidates rather than singling someone out. They could eliminate stuff that's just too offensive or weird, too, I suppose. Then let the community vote on which videos get used. The way CNN's doing it is not citizen media, it's just cheap entertainment.” Test result – Pink, but on the Blue side

“I don't get too worked up about these things, though CNN can and should have done a better job. I can recall the old call-in radio days, when they'd have a political guest on the show and a plant would call. Sometimes it would be pretty funny if the guest or host knew who the caller was, nailing him on air. Made for fun entertainment. ... Please don't vote for Mitt. The country can do better. The only problem: Who else on either side? They're all nuts and/or mediocre.” Test result – Alkaline Blue.

“Wanted: A Pure Questioner, with no interests, no agenda and no point of view, to administer the Sacrament to these Most Pure of Candidates. Good grief. It’s an American political campaign!!!! It’s a made-for-TV event!!!!. It’s publicity!!!! It’s theater!!!! Good thing they don’t have to sweat in the hot sun and take questions in the public square anymore.” Test results – Bright Red.

The interesting thing is that all three of these respondents are politically liberal – their red/blue gradation has more to do with direct involvement in politics and campaigns.

Porcupine is going to try to recapture his commitment to Governance over Gladiatorial Politics – and hopes others will as well. (Unless Porcupine is just trying to lull you into a false sense of complacency…)

The Fluffernutter Brigade Marches On!

You thought you were safe when Sen. Jarrett 'Fluffy' Barrios left, didn't you?

Then you thought you'd be safe while the Legislature was debating if they should make spanking your own child in your own home illegal, didn't you?

Ah, but the Nanny State has so many frontiers to fight on! From a State House colleague -

SENATE APPROVES BAND INSTRUMENT HYGIENE BILL: The hygiene of school band instruments would get a close look under a bill amended and approved in the Senate today. The bill, H 413, filed by Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford), would establish a task force to study the policies to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, such as tuberculosis, via band instruments. Under the original text of the bill, the task force would be composed of members of the Massachusetts Teachers’ Association, patient and consumer organizations and band instrument manufacturers. The House passed a local bill affecting North Andover and okayed resolutions congratulating Eagle Scouts before also adjourning to meet next on Monday at 11 am. Session Summaries Developing.

Proving he is not truly one of the FlufferNuts, he went on to comment, "As I said to my colleague here in the office, we could save a lot of time, effort and taxpayer money by having the Department of Public Health send out a memo to all schools recommending they have the kids wipe down instruments with alcohol pads after each use. I mean, really -- can we use some common sense, people?"

And this, from the Belly of the Beast. Yes, the Fluffy Ban is alive and well in the CommonNanny of Massachusetts.

WHAT 'Macaca'?

Well, Porcupine waitied a while, to give the Globe and Herald their chance to fulminate and breathe fire - but it hasn't happened.

So, an Associated Press story from SIX DAYS AGO appears HERE.

A Louisiana Democrat referred to the parent of the local NAACP leader as 'Buckwheat'. Had a Republican done this, lightning and imprecations would have rained from the skies; as it is, luckily, the Democrat controlled media are there to put this minor story in place for us all. Move along, nothing to see here. Oh, and Congressman 'Cold Cash' Jefferson's daughter also lost a releection bid.

But that Jindal guy, that was just a fluke....

Connecting the Dots - Local Edition

If then His providence Out of our evil seek to bring forth good, Our labour must be to pervert that end, And out of good still to find means of evil.
John Milton (1608–1674), Paradise Lost - The First Book

From Roger Simon's weekly column from Politico.com -

N.Y. Daily News, "Welcome to AIR RUDY:

Rudy Giuliani jets to campaign stops using casino kingpin's plane," By David Saltonstall:

"The Republican presidential hopeful anted up more than $122,000 last summer alone for jets traceable to casino kingpin Sheldon Adelson, whose Las Vegas Sands empire has made him the third-richest American, a Daily News review of campaign records shows. Last quarter, The Sands' innocuously named Interface Operations LLC was the top provider of corporate jets to the frequently flying Giuliani, who was whisked around the country on the casino's plush Gulfstream G-IV in late August and early September, records show. 'You have to follow the money and ask, 'Why is Sheldon Adelson partnering with Rudy Giuliani?'' asked Stacey Cargill, an anti-gambling and Republican Party activist in Iowa, where the nation's first presidential caucus is set for Jan. 3. Cargill, who views even legal gambling as a magnet for crime and vice, said, 'If Rudy Giuliani wants to be the crimefighting candidate, why is he partnering with a large and growing gambling empire?' "

Above and beyond the appropriateness of a Presidential candidate accepting favors from a player in an industry not noted for its Puritan pedigree (it isn't an accident that the "legitimate" Michael Corleone wound up in Las Vegas...), this story has local dimensions as well.

For who was hanging about the State House importuning legislators in the Senate Reading Room on behalf of Deval Patrick's Cerebrus Gamble-Port plan? Why, it was one Sheldon Adelson!

It would appear that in his race to the bottom, Gov. Patrick doesn't even know who he has gotten into bed with anymore.

What's-His-Name, that Guy Running for President....

Porcupine has learned why so many of the twenty-odd candidates haven't been able to get their ideas across. Nobody has heard them.


From an excellent piece in Journalism.org, "The Invisible Primary", comes the following statistics -

While Hillary Clinton led in the derby for press exposure (she was the primary subject in 17% of all campaign stories), the largely antagonistic attention of conservative talk radio accounted for most of that edge. Clinton was the focus of nearly a third of all the campaign segments among the conservative talkers studied (the three most popular conservative radio voices, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage). Clinton is not nearly as a popular subject among liberal radio talk show hosts.

The second-most covered candidate, Democratic rival Barack Obama (14% of stories), got a boost in that coverage from being the No. 1 focus of all the candidates from network evening news.

Two Republicans were next in media exposure. Giuliani led among Republicans with 9% of the stories, followed by McCain at 7% and Romney at 5%.

They were followed by former Senators John Edwards (4%) and Fred Thompson (3%), whose level of coverage relative to their party rivals probably puts them in what is best considered a second tier. Interestingly, Thompson, the lobbyist, actor and former Tennessee Senator, enjoyed this level of coverage (and name recognition in polling) even though he did not actually enter the race until
September.

The rest of the candidates would have to be considered not second-tier but third, at least in media attention. None received more than 2% of the coverage.

Put another way, of the more than 1,700 campaign stories examined from January to May, Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback, Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee each were the focus of fewer than a dozen stories. The second tier Democrats fared only slightly better. There were five stories about Chris Dodd, 28 about Bill Richardson, one about Dennis Kucinich, and 41 about Joe Biden. For most, their coverage peaked the day of their announcement and went downhill from there.

How dominant were Clinton and Obama as newsmakers? Together, these two candidates commanded essentially the same amount of coverage as all the of the GOP hopefuls combined.

So, in a sense, we have nobody but ourselves to blame. Conservative pundits talk about the Democrats and Liberal reporters talk about...the Democrats.

The entire piece is worth reading, and is a good objective display of how conservative ideas and principles have tough sledding in getting exposure - even if at least half of the country agrees with them.

His LAST Debate

Porcupine usually likes a party. The guest of honor revealed his flagrant bias at this one. From Examiner News -

The event was a 'birthday Party' for the MSNBC political show 'Hardball'. Included among the guests were such NBC/MSNBC brass as NBC Senior Vice President Phil Griffin (the former "Hardball" executive producer called "Hardball" the "best show on cable television"), "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert, "Today" show executive producer Jim Bell, NBC News Specials Executive Producer Phil Alongi, "Meet the Press" Executive Producer Betsy Fischer, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell, MSNBC Vice President Tammy Haddad, "Hardball" correspondent David Shuster and Vice President for MSNBC Prime-Time Programming Bill Wolff.

In fact, the only person Porcupine noticed missing is Helen Thomas, the Wicked Witch of the West Wing. Reading the list of luminaries present, it is fair to say that they represent the 'unbiased' mainstream media that is 'objectively' covering the Presidential race, and more specifically, the Republican candidates. To continue:

Chris Matthews had barely finished praising his colleagues at the 10th anniversary party for his “Hardball” show Thursday night in Washington, D.C. when his remarks turned political and pointed, even suggesting that the Bush administration had "finally been caught in their criminality."

In front of an audience that included such notables as Alan Greenspan, Rep. Patrick Kennedy and Sen. Ted Kennedy, Matthews began his remarks by declaring that he wanted to "make some news" and he certainly didn't disappoint. After praising the drafters of the First Amendment for allowing him to make a living, he outlined what he said was the fundamental difference between the Bush and Clinton administrations. The Clinton camp, he said, never put pressure on his bosses to silence him.

“Not so this crowd,” he added, explaining that Bush White House officials -- especially those from Vice President Cheney's office -- called MSNBC brass to complain about the content of his show and attempted to influence its editorial content. "They will not silence me!" Matthews declared. "They've finally been caught in their criminality," Matthews continued, although he did not specify the exact criminal behavior to which he referred.

He then drew an obvious Bush-Nixon parallel by saying, “Spiro Agnew was not an American hero."

Matthews left the throng of Washington A-listers with a parting shot at Cheney: “God help us if we had Cheney during the Cuban missile crisis. We’d all be under a parking lot.”

Following his remarks, a few network insiders and party goers wondered what kind of effect Matthews' sharp criticism of the White House would have on Tuesday's Republican debate in Dearborn, Michigan, which Matthews co-moderates alongside CNBC's Maria Bartiromo.

"I find it hard to believe that Republican candidates will feel as if they're being given a fair shot at Tuesday's debate given the partisan pot-shots lobbed by Matthews this evening," said one attendee.

Indeed. And of course, they were not.

Matthew's behavior and questioning has been widely commented on. This was to have been a debate on economic issues, and about halfway through - apparently bored with actual policy points which might give voters an insight into how the next President will handle the economy, jobs, social Security, the Federal deficit, and so on - he decided to ask Rudy about the Yankees management. Of course, Chris never WAS any good at math. He also allowed a spin-out into the Iraq war, and was downright rude to Fred Thompson.

This man is unfit to host a League of Women Voters School Committee debate, much less a national debate on economics. He should not be allowed to moderate at any more GOP debates - ever - until Bill O'Reilly and Michelle Malkin have had a crack at Hillary and Obama.

The Glob Mis-Explains It for You Once Again!

From the (alleged) Political Intelligence column of the Boston Glob comes speculation about the possiblity of genuine, brokered conventions -

Rudy Giuliani is leading in the national polls, but is followed closely by Fred Thompson. John McCain appears to be resurging. And Mitt Romney, while fourth in most national surveys, is leading in Iowa and New Hampshire. (Glob Chagrin!)

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is well ahead in the polls and could wrap up the nomination well before the Democratic convention next August in Denver. So Judis says that if Republicans can't settle on their nominee until the convention, that could help Democrats, who would have a head start in coalescing around their standard-bearer.

"It's the Republicans, not the Democrats, who are looking at a political nightmare in 2008," he writes.

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor at 10:04 AM

Mr. (?) Rhee - it isn't the REPUBLICANS who are looking at the political nightmare of having to justify Hillary Clinton as the Party's Official Nominee and Philosophical Standard Bearer!

Why, We BET We Can Help You!

Porcupine very much enjoys listening to Finneran’s Forum on WRKO in the morning, and today he got to hear Deval Patrick explain his stance on casinos while stuck in gridlocked traffic on the Mass Pike. Porcupine’s only criticism of the exchange between Deval and Tom is that Mr. Speaker really needs to get that slightly hushed deference out of his voice while talking to His Excellency. Deval was in fine fettle, and is apparently taking his title seriously – when speaking, he havers between the ‘Royal We’ and ‘I’ when referring to his initiatives. For example – WE are going to limit the number of casinos to three, and place them in these venues – versus – I will not accept a lot of amendment to My proposal. Brave words indeed for early in the battle. Click on the Forum link to listen for yourself.

Porcupine has cheerlessly predicted this all along. The Governor will back casinos because he needs to pay off on at least SOME of those pesky campaign promises, without reverting yet again to Kerry Healy's 50 point program for ideas. The fact that he was anti-casino pre-election is a buried fact, deep in the Globe archives, where it won't be brought up again by them.

All along, the objections of Treasurer Cahill and Boston Mayor Menino centered on the State not getting a big enough cut. By legalizing casino gambling outright, Deval has a unique opportunity for patronage well into the next decade.

Who will operate these “three resort style casinos” that the Governor wants? Cahill's office? Porcupine is convinced that GamblePort is just months away. After all, Transportation Secretary Cohen and the Governor have already announced that they are proceeding with a plan to merge the MassPike with MassHighway, just like GOP governors have sought to do for years, to eliminate waste and inefficiency. Ah, but what IS inefficiency? A new entity like GamblePort can become a haven for politically connected toll takers if the merger of the Pike with MassHighway is completed. After all, they DO have experience with handling quarters. Still, the STATE is going to put three resorts out to bid? Tell me, Deval - who has the best linen contract in Mass.? Ohhhh - sorry! WRONG answer! Yes they ARE cheapest, but they're not UNION!

The Democrat establishment wants casinos in New Bedford, Worcester and Boston. The problem all along has been that the Indian Gaming Act stipulates that tribal casinos must operate within 50 miles of tribal lands - and there aren't enough Dorchester Democrats looking for patronage in Mashpee. So - they'll do this legalization. Still - the tribe can put its Middleboro lands in a Federal trust and operate a casino per the voted agreement with the town with NO cut to the state. It can be a much smaller operation and still be profitable without the Beacon Hill Vampires to assuage.

The sad truth is that even three is too many casinos. Mohegan Sun wasn’t even built until Foxwoods had been established for ten years, and the Connecticut tribes have been careful to protect market share as they expanded. Three casinos coming on board simultaneously? All will fail, as they will not prove economically sustainable. But those are just the state casinos – after waste, patronage and ineptitude have swept them away into tattered hulks like the Hynes Convention Center or the Worcester Centrum; the Wampanoag may still have a petite and profitable operation on Federal trust tribal lands in Middleboro without the monkey of state government on their backs. Everybody could have made a decent profit if not for the greed of Bacon Hill, but Deval has proven he cannot say no to too much.

The True Meaning of Bi-Partisan Cooperation

The man of principle is known as such, and even in the fury of faction is respected.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

An interesting appointment has been made by the Bush White House. U.S. William Delahunt, D-Mass., has been named as a Congressional representative to the 62nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which begins next week. Delahunt will participate in sessions of the General Assembly as well as working-level meetings at the UN Secretariat.

Another appointment by the Bush White House is still waiting confirmation in the United States Senate - held hostage by Rep. Delahunt’s colleagues in the Massachusetts Congressional delegation - that of Reed Hillman, eminently qualified former Colonel of the State Police, a legislator who expanded Amber Alert laws and drunk driving statues. Kennedy has publicly expressed concern about Mr. Hillman's qualifications, for even though he has held and commanded all the other portions called for by the Marshal post, he never worked as a Court Bailiff. Who does Reed think he is, Guy Glodis?

The way the UN appointment works is that it includes one member of each party, and membership rotates between the Senate and the House. Therefore, the nomination of Delahunt was made by Nancy Pelosi on March 28, 2007. Also nominated and appointed as a delegate was U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said Delahunt's background makes him a natural for the appointment. "Bill has made a real mark on foreign policy with his hands-on approach and his willingness to dig into the issues and put himself on the line," Kerry said."

Um, yes. Boosting a brutal dictator like Hugo Chavez, who recently declared himself President for Life, while calling George Bush 'Satan' at a speech at the UN General Assembly would certainly indicate a real 'hands-on approach and willingness'. Whether or not his views represent in any way the diplomatic stance of the American Government or the American People is a question for quite another day.

Yet, when Speaker Pelosi nominated this loon to represent us, as is her prerogative, the White House did not refuse to confirm her choice, or throw roadblocks regarding his fitness to serve in the path of that confirmation.

Meanwhile, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, apparently ardent admirers of Delahunt's far-left foreign policy stances, are still holding hostage Reed Hillman's nomination as a Federal Marshal after three years.

So- March to October for Democrats from the 'obstructionist' Bush White House, and three years to the 12th of Never for the 'bi-partisan' Democrat Senate. All for one, and One for Themselves. Now that the Democrat definition of Bi-Partisanship has been made so manifest, it helps us all to realize how hollow and hypocritical it is, and we should value such calls accordingly.

Sunday Summer Sing Along - 2007 Finale!

As always (this is the second time, so Porcupine can now declare it to be 'always'), the Grand Finale of the Sunday Summer Sing-Along for 2007 is a recapitulation of the Red and Blue Alternaton for this summer's edification -

A Ditty for Deval - HERE

A Melody for McCain - HERE

A Ballad for Barak - HERE

A Roundelay for Rudy - HERE

A Hymn for Herself - HERE

A Fandango for Fred - HERE

An Elegy for Edwards - HERE

A Hoedown for Huckabee - HERE


So, Adieu, my friends, until the 2008 round - Porcupine expects ample scope for the art of parody to present itself as the election year advances!