Is Debbie Downer Out At the DNC?

Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been a disaster for Democrats as head of the Democrat National Committee.  Looks like the party has finally figured that out (from Morning Jolt):

The Shark Tank: "According to our source within the Democratic Party, who is also a close associate of Wasserman Schultz, the arrangements have already been made for her to leave DNC regardless if President Obama wins re-election or not. This same source believes that Wasserman Schultz will be forced to resign behind closed doors and then stage a press event in which she tells Americans that her job as the DNC chair was a temporary one and that she is moving on with her congressional career."

When people can make comparisons like this, you're going to have problems getting people to take you seriously:

Obama Comes Out of the Closet....

...on gay marriage.

Don't you hate it when events move too fast to comment on them?  I left Northern California at 4:30 am and spent 7 1/2 hours driving home.  During the first 400 miles or so of that trip I was writing a post in my head on Obama's "evolving" positions on gay marriage.  It was gonna be good too.  Basically, if he was evolving he must be at some intermediate stage in his evolution.  Does he favor gay men marrying lesbian women?  Or perhaps women marrying each other but not men?  Evolution implies there must be some intermediate ground between being anti and being for.

Wouldn't you know it, about 100 miles from home the announcement came out that Obama was finally completing the evolutionary process...sprouting wings if you will... and would announce that he's now in favor of gay marriage.  There went my article.

So, what happened in the last 24 hours to bring this evolutionary cycle to a sudden end?  Gay marriage advocates got their bouquets and boutonnieres handed to them in North Carolina last night when the state voted overwhelmingly to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.  Inconveniently for the Democrats, their presidential nominating convention is scheduled in Charlotte this summer.  Talk about awkward.

My guess is that the phones have been ringing off the hook at the DNC and the White House demanding some sort of reparations to the gay community for this outrage, and in order to save the big buck donations the Democrats get from gay groups, the president finally had to be dragged over the line.

This also once again demonstrates that the Democrats feel completely safe in taking black votes for granted.  When Obama was elected black voters turned up in record numbers in California to vote for him and to vote down gay marriage.  Something like 70% of black voters supported Prop 8 which defined marriage in California as a union between one man and one woman.  Gay marriage is VERY unpopular with black voters, and especially in black churches.  Will this decision cause an erosion of support among blacks for Obama?

Probably not.  I've said numerous times that Obama could reinstate slavery and still get 90%+ of the black vote.  I doubt this changes anything.  It should, but it probably won't.

And what about all that polling that suggests Americans now favor gay marriage?  It's obviously baloney.  When pollsters ask questions like "Do you favor gay marriage?" or "Do you like Obama?" nobody wants the pollster to think they're bigots or homophobes.  I think there's a lot of lying going on among respondents to those polls.

Well, America can sleep better knowing a failed president has now declared war on traditional marriage.  Good luck running a national campaign on that.

Political Video of the Day

I don't normally run ads from the DNC, but this one is interesting not so much for its content but for its intent:
This ad is running for a two-fold purpose: Make Newt more acceptable to Republicans who like many of the ideas in the video while simultaneously ensuring his destruction among Democrats and Independents. It's the DNC's way of advertising that they want to run against Newt next year.

GASP: GOP Wants Illegal Immigration to be...Illegal!

From the new DNC Chairman:

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D.-Fla.), chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, denounced Republicans last week for believing illegal immigration “should in fact be a crime.”

Uh...it is a crime. A federal crime. That's why it's called "illegal" immigration and not "we'd rather you didn't do that" immigration.

DNC Chair - Now With More Whining!

I don't think this is going to work out that well for the Democrats:

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) will be the next head of the Democratic National Committee.

The four-term lawmaker will succeed former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who announced his candidacy for retiring Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-Va.) seat earlier in the day.

Vice President Biden made the announcement in an email to supporters on Tuesday.

“In selecting Debbie to lead our party, President Obama noted her tenacity, her strength, her fighting spirit and her ability to overcome adversity. President Obama expressed great admiration for her as a leader, and he was honored that she accepted this important challenge on behalf of the Democratic Party,” he wrote.

Apparently former chair Time Kaine was not whiny enough so they've decided to go for the extra strength whining of Wasserman Schultz. She's going to get annoying very, very quickly.

DNC 2012 Convention - Guaranteed Union-Free

I wonder what the AFL-CIO, SEIU, UAW, and the assorted teacher's unions think about this:

This morning the Democratic National Committee announced that its 2012 convention will be held in Charlotte, NC. Charlotte was selected over St. Louis, Minnesota, and Cleveland; it can be assumed that the city was chosen for its location in the new swing-state of North Carolina, which Obama won in 2008 and that the GOP must win if it has hopes of recapturing the White House.

North Carolina has another distinction: it’s the least union state in the country, with just 3.2% of its workers belonging to a union (coming behind even Arkansas, Georgia, and Mississippi). And the DNC’s host city of Charlotte has exactly 0 (zero) union hotels in which the 15,000+ visitors will stay for the convention. Finally, the host venue in Charlotte, the Time Warner Cable Arena, does not appear to have any union workers. (I called the arena; the operator laughed at the notion that employees would be union members, and a press contact hasn’t replied yet.)

Union leaders had previously asked the DNC to not choose Charlotte or Cleveland for their lack of union hotels. The DNC had said at the time that union representation was one of “a number of factors” the DNC considered in site selection.

There's more at the link regarding the DNC's previous promises to the unions.

According to another report I read Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri asked the DNC not to have their convention in St. Louis. She didn't want the competition for fundraising for her re-election campaign. That call probably cost the greater St. Louis area about $200 million in economic activity.

They REALLY need a new senator.

Democrats Will Hold Their 2012 Convention in the Home of NASCAR

Charlotte, NC will be the home of fast women in 2012, and we're not just talking Danica Patrick here:

The Democratic National Committee today announced the selection of Charlotte, NC, as the site of the party's 2012 convention, a clear sign that Democrats will once again target the Tar Heel State in the upcoming presidential contest.

It will be the first presidential-nominating convention to ever take place in North Carolina.

Seems very appropriate for the Democrats to gather where people usually spend all day turning left.

Obama narrowly won North Carolina in 2008, a year in which he had the wind at his back. It's not going to be the same in 2012. I think it unlikely he can win North Carolina again unless the GOP completely falls on its face (and that's always a possibility).

Democrats Give Themselves a "D"

In a breathless announcement today DNC chairman Gov. Tim Kaine unveiled exactly what the Democrat world was longing for: A new logo.

I was hoping it was say "Democrats, Change is All You'll Have Left."

J.P. Friere calls it a target, which is probably appropriate given the number of Democrats who are under the gun this year.  Read his take here.

And Michelle Malkin shows you how to make your own Democrat logo here.

Political Video of the Day

UPDATE:  The DNC has already pulled the ad after much mockery from the blogosphere.

They just can't get away from running against George Bush.  The latest from the DNC:



While their base may still hate George W. Bush, much of America is seeing Bush's eight years in a whole new light and their memories are pretty good.

Dems Think They Can Win by Linking GOP to Tea Party

Not going to work:

Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine will be accusing GOP leaders of being beholden to the Tea Party's agenda at a press conference this morning, mocking Republican plans to offer voters a legislative commitment modeled after the Contract with America.

As part of its initiative, the DNC is launching a website accusing Republicans of supporting a legislative blueprint in line with the Tea Party movement that includes repeal of the health care law and Wall Street reform, extending tax breaks, privatization of Social Security and the elimination of the Department of Education and the Department of Energy.

"The Tea Party is now an institutionalized part of the Republican party. They are one and the same," a DNC operative said, previewing Kaine's speech. "The positions espoused by the Tea Party is the governing platform of the Republican party. And as voters make their choice this fall it's important to understand what the Republican-Tea Party wants to do if elected."

Radical left-wingers think the Tea Party is full of racists and hate-mongers, but the problem for Democrats with this strategy is the most of America doesn't agree with radical left-wingers. Most of America realizes that the Tea Party is just like...well, most of America.

There are a great many Americans who would love for the GOP to tie their policies to the small government/low taxes agenda of the Tea Party. We've seen what out-of-control big government does and we don't like it.

And while we're eliminating federal agencies, let's dump the Commerce Dept., Labor Dept., and EPA. They're complete wastes of money.

The Humorless DNC

Take a look at this statement from the DNC regarding GOP criticism of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize:

“The Republican Party has thrown in its lot with the terrorists – the Taliban and Hamas this morning – in criticizing the President for receiving the Nobel Peace prize,” DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse told POLITICO. “Republicans cheered when America failed to land the Olympics and now they are criticizing the President of the United States for receiving the Nobel Peace prize – an award he did not seek but that is nonetheless an honor in which every American can take great pride – unless of course you are the Republican Party.

To my knowledge that's the first time the Democrats have ever identified Hamas as a terrorist organization. The GOP always brings out the best in them.

The RNC Versus the DNC

The battle has been joined over the issue of protesters at Democrat town hall meetings. The DNC insists it's all being run by evil corporations, and the RNC is tired of Obama's "experiments" such as the stimulus bill, cap-and-tax and Obamacare.

I enjoyed this part of a report from Red State:

This morning, the DNC launched a new ad curiously portraying President Obama’s critics as right-wing fringe lunatics, reflexively opposed to the president’s domestic agenda for belief in a citizenship conspiracy. At the close of the offensively absurd web video, a voice over instructed viewers to call the RNC to voice their outrage.

But the RNC was quick to the turn the tables on the Democrats with the particularly well-produced web ad, featuring an aloof Obama playing basketball while figures of the economic downturn race across the screen.

Popout

And in a surprising display of savvy, Democratic allies who reached the RNC’s phone line were instructed to press 1 to voice concern over Republican “mobs,” at which point their call was automatically directed to the DNC’s main switchboard.

Heh.

DNC Just Doesn't Believe That Voters are Genuinely Upset

Of course, the protests being staged at Democrat town hall meetings must be sponsored by some evil Republican corporate ally and are not born out of the anger and frustration of real people. At least that's what the Democrat National Committee wants you to believe:

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) accused Republicans of fueling "mob rule" by way of encouraging conservative protesters of Democratic lawmakers and the Obama administration across the country.

DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse brought out the heavy artillery in a lengthy statement issued late Tuesday blasting the GOP and enablers in interest groups for spurring the protests.

"The Republicans and their allied groups — desperate after losing two consecutive elections and every major policy fight on Capitol Hill — are inciting angry mobs of a small number of rabid right wing extremists funded by K Street Lobbyists to disrupt thoughtful discussions about the future of health care in America taking place in Congressional Districts across the country," Woodhouse said in a statement.

The statement comes on the heels of townhalls and events in districts across the country, where House lawmakers are on August recess, at which conservative activists have often engaged in raucous protests.

Woodhouse likened the crowds to those during the 2008 presidential campaign who accused then-Sen. Obama of being a "socialist," out of which he said the "birther" movement was born.

The people who accused Sen. Obama of being a socialist believe he was a socialist.

And they still do. He certainly hasn't done anything with his policies to dispel that notion.

It's funny that when Democrats act up (like Code Pink, MoveOn and others) it's considered a grassroots movement reflecting the will of the people. When Republicans act up it's a carefully choreographed stunt led and financed by evil corporations.

The Democrats pray that's true for their greatest fear is a genuine voter revolt.

And that's what I think is happening.

Fun With Numbers

Remember the Obama loyalty pledge that you were going to be given an opportunity to sign? Well, results were not quite what the Democrats had hoped for, and 1/3 of what they reported:

Democrats descended on Capitol Hill Wednesday to deliver hundreds of thousands of pledges from across the country in support of President Obama's budget. The signatures were harvested during a massive effort to tap the president's huge e-mail list and capitalize on a 50-state, door-to-door campaign.

The official DNC release read, "Supporters of President Obama's budget to hand deliver 642,000 pledges...." CNN and the Huffington Post reported the DNC's claim. But the truth is somewhat more complicated.

The president's e-mail list of 13-million resulted in just 114,000 individual pledges — a response rate of less than 1 percent. Party workers secured another 100,000 signatures by hitting the streets. The DNC arrived at its 642,000 figure by making three photocopies of each petition so that every signer's senators and representative could get one.

DNC spokesperson Natalie Wyeth responded: "This effort was designed to give our supporters the tools to influence their elected officials. Of course we delivered a pledge to each of their members of Congress — 642,000 pledges. That's what we said we were delivering and that's what we did."

When asked about the impression in the DNC press release that there were 642,000 unique pledges, she offered no response.

These guys are such numbskulls.

Another Hillary Backer for McCain

The PUMAs continue to roar:

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter and member of the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee, will endorse John McCain for president on Wednesday, her spokesman tells CNN.

The announcement will take place at a news conference on Capitol Hill, just blocks away from the DNC headquarters. Forester will “campaign and help him through the election,” the spokesman said of her plans to help the Republican presidential nominee.

Forester was a major donor for Clinton earning her the title as a Hillraiser for helping to raise at least $100,000 for the New York Democratic senator’s failed presidential bid.

In an interview with CNN this summer, Forester did not hide her distaste for eventual Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

“This is a hard decision for me personally because frankly I don't like him,” she said of Obama in an interview with CNN’s Joe Johns. “I feel like he is an elitist. I feel like he has not given me reason to trust him.”

Forester is the CEO of EL Rothschild, a holding company with businesses around the world. She is married to international banker Sir Evelyn de Rothschild. Forester is a member of the DNC’s Democrats Abroad chapter and splits her time living in London and New York.

I guess she hasn't fallen for the media assault on Sarah Palin.

Former Dem Chair Don Fowler Issues Classic Non-Apology Apology UPDATE: Moore too

Former Dem Party Chairman Don Fowler really stepped in it when he was caught laughing about Hurricane Gustav and claiming it proved that "God was on their side" because it had the potential to devastate New Orleans like Katrina did. Today, under a lot of fire from within and without his party, Don Fowler issued the classic non-apology apology:

ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: Former DNC Chairman Don Fowler apologized on Sunday for joking in a private conversation that the timing of Hurricane Gustav demonstrates that God is on the side of the Democrats.

"If this offended anybody, I personally apologize," Fowler told ABC News. "It was a mistake, and it was a satirical statement made in jest. And one that I clearly don't believe." ...

"One doesn't anticipate that one's private conversation will be surreptitiously taped by some right-wing nutcase," said Fowler. "But that's the nature of what we're dealing with."

One also does not expect high ranking Democrats to be so callous about their fellow citizens.

Of course he believes exactly what he said. And why do I call this a "non-apology apology"? Because he didn't just say "I personally apologize", he had to qualify it with "If this offended anybody". That's a stupid statement because it offended a lot of people, but what he's really saying is "if you're dumb enough to believe I meant what I said, I'll pretend to apologize to you".

They ought to play that video at the RNC...about every 30 minutes or so.

UPDATE: Michael Moore jumps into the non-apology apology game:

Friday, we noted Michael Moore's comments on MSNBC describing the timing of Hurricane Gustav (during the Republican convention) as divine intervention.

Today, Moore -- who almost immediately came under fire for his remarks -- responded by releasing an "open letter to God."

In it, the filmmaker urged the Almighty: "So please God, let the storm die out at sea. It's done enough damage already. If you do this one favor for me, I promise not to invoke your name again."

At which point God said "Depart from me, I never knew you."

Few Signs of Maturity From Denver Protesters

I'm not sure which group is more ridiculous - the protesters from the various lefty wacko groups that plan to protest in Denver, the DNC, or the Denver City Council:

Representatives of three groups planning protests during the Democratic National Convention will be signing what they're calling a "Doo Doo Accord" in advance of a City Council meeting where an ordinance that would ban protesters from carrying certain items, such as buckets of feces, is up for final consideration.

The groups — Unconventional Denver, Re-create 68 Alliance and the Alliance for Real Democracy — are calling the accord a "Non-Pooliferation Treaty."

"We're hoping this puts everything poo-related behind us so that we can focus on the real issue, which is the fact that the Democrats are part of a crappy system oppresses and coerces communities into a capitalist economy and undemocratic government," Ben Yager, a member of Unconventional Denver, a group of self-described anarchists, said in a statement.

After they sign the accord, the groups said they will attend tonight's council meeting and "offer the city the opportunity to sign on so that all sides are in agreement and can move beyond the constipating public discourse on feces and urine."

Protesters opposing an ordinance that would prohibit people from carrying items that could block access or deter police during the DNC are also planning to express their opposition with theatrics when the council takes up the ordinance on final consideration.

They've all got...well, you know what...for brains.

The Florida and MIchigan Compromise

It's taken all day, but the DNC finally came up with a decision on Michigan and Florida, but it's not going to be pretty:

Democratic leaders struck a compromise over the disputed Florida and Michigan primaries Saturday evening in Washington, D.C., agreeing to give both delegations half their vote at the party’s August convention — despite objections from the Hillary Clinton campaign.

A rules panel of the Democratic National Committee spent all day reviewing both states’ primaries, after they were initially stripped of their delegates for holding early contests in violation of party rules.

Clinton, who won both contests, was banking on the DNC meeting as one of her last chances to make up ground against Barack Obama’s huge delegate lead.

Though she wanted both delegations counted in full, the campaign seemed satisfied with the Florida plan. But the deal on Michigan drew sharp criticism from a top Clinton surrogate.

“This body of 30 individuals has decided that they’re going to substitute their judgment for 600,000 voters — now that’s what I call democracy,” said Clinton adviser and committee member Harold Ickes, saying the Michigan plan would be “hijacking” delegates from Clinton.

Ickes added that Clinton has “instructed me to reserve the right to take this to the Credentials Committee.”

That means the Clinton campaign may be considering appealing the decision and drawing out the dispute to the August convention, something party leaders dread.

Didn't the original Constitution count blacks as 3/5ths of a person? The Florida and Michigan Dems didn't even get that good a deal.

I don't think this is over. The Michigan portion of this compromise will likely be contested by Clinton. If nothing else, this will give her an excuse to continue until the convention.

UPDATE: I was just joking around with the 3/5ths thing above, but look at this from Florida superdelegate Rep. Alcee Hastings:

. . [O]n May 31, 2008, a group of elitist insiders of the DNC have effectively said that some of my ancestors' progeny equal only 1/2 and that men and women in Florida who voted on January 29th are 1/2 also. For a Party which will crown its historic nominee on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, the DNC's decision today is tragically ironic.

As a matter of protest, I do not intend to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Me neither, brother. I feel your pain.

Hillary's Campaign Could End on Saturday

It probably won't, but if the DNC slaps down all her delegate requests for Michigan and Florida, she'll have a problem going much further:

Hillary Clinton and her supporters are making what may be their last stand, at a Democratic Party meeting this weekend in Washington, D.C.

When a rules panel of the Democratic National Committee takes up the issue of disputed Michigan and Florida primaries Saturday morning, Clinton’s campaign will continue to argue that the delegations from both states should be seated in full.
The Florida-Michigan decision is practically her only remaining chance of securing a tidal wave of delegates. As of Friday, the New York senator was more than 200 delegates behind Barack Obama, and in the three primaries left to go she cannot win enough to make up that difference.

“We are hopeful and confident that after having a full-blown discussion … all the delegates will be seated, 100 percent, all of them will have a full vote,” Clinton adviser Harold Ickes said in a conference call with reporters Friday.

Clinton won both states, but their delegations were stripped for holding early primaries in violation of party rules. The options before the Rules and Bylaws Committee on Saturday are to restore the delegates in full, restore part of the delegation or uphold the original penalty.

Obama has said he’s willing to have some delegates seated, and party leaders have expressed hope that DNC Chairman Howard Dean can broker a compromise to ensure party unity come June.

Clinton’s campaign, though, is encouraging supporters to head to the meeting Saturday to protest.

Conventional wisdom says the DNC will grant 1/2 of the delegates from both states. Clinton could still appeal the DNC decision to the Credentials Committee, and they won't meet until August, but I think that's more and more unlikely. The panel on Special Report seemed to think that Clinton might be in negotiations to get out of the race in exchange for certain favors, such as money to pay off her campaign debt, or even a spot on the ticket.

I hope the protests tomorrow and loud and big. The DNC could use the good press.

DNC Stupidly Suing to Force Public Funds on McCain

The Gang that Couldn't Vote Straight, the Democrat National Committee, is stupidly filing a suit to try and force John McCain to accept public financing and limit the amount he can spend on his campaign during the primary season:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Party officials want a federal judge to order an investigation into whether Sen. John McCain violated election laws by withdrawing from public financing, saying federal regulators are too weak to act on their own.

A lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission, to be filed Monday in U.S. District Court, questions the agency's ability to enforce the law and review McCain's decision to opt out of the system. The Republican presidential candidate, who had been entitled to $5.8 million in federal funds for the primary campaign, decided earlier this year to give up that money so he could avoid strict spending limits between now and the GOP's national convention in September.

During a conference call with reporters Sunday, DNC officials said the FEC is unable to act because four of its six seats are vacant. They want a judge to either order the FEC to begin an immediate review, or allow the Democratic Party to file a lawsuit against McCain's campaign challenging his decision.

Tom McMahon, the party's executive director, said "there is a compelling public interest in determining whether Senator McCain agreed to participate in the matching funds program so he could get a loan for his campaign, then violated the terms of that agreement so he could ignore the spending cap and raise unlimited money from lobbyists and special interests."

The DNC is seeking civil fines or an order barring McCain from exceeding spending limits, said DNC general counsel Joe Sandler.

The stupid part of this move is that Barack Obama had previously vowed to use public financing for the general election campaign...that is until he realized what a cash cow he was. Now that the dollars are flowing in, suddenly that promise doesn't mean a whole lot.

I doubt that the DNC suit will be successful, but what it will do is keep the spotlight on the public funding issue, and give John McCain another weapon with which to beat Obama about the head and essential tell the world that he can't be trusted to keep his word.