Erick Erickson's Blog, page 147

Onward to New Hampshire and a Free For All Friday Night #EERS

I'll give you a brief overview of the New Hampshire debate tonight and it's a free for all Friday night. RedState readers get to call in and discuss whatever is on their mind.

The number is 1-800-WSB-TALK and the live stream is http://wsbradio.com.

Consider this an open thread.

Dare I Point This Out?

This write up by Amy Davidson at the New Yorker is getting passed around as a "savvy", "smart", and "unconventional" take on Anthony Weiner.

She posits that Anthony Weiner is not a good measurer of risk.

Measuring risk is what politicians do for a living—from when they decide to run, to voting to hire policemen or teachers or to go to war. One doesn't want them to be completely, or even mostly cautious: politicians who never say anything that causes anyone to cringe, and never take a political risk, are useless. (That kind of risk can become routinized, of course; Ron Paul would probably make people angry if he made a safe vote.) There has to be some idiocy in idealism, as well as self-delusion. But that brand of bet is as different from what Weiner did as the gambit of putting up a Facebook page calling on people to come to Tahrir Square is different from spending hours hunched over an online-poker site. Not all hungers are alike, and courage shouldn't be confused with mindless greed, or self-sacrifice with self-immolation, particularly because other people can easily get burned. (Did Weiner, in putting his political future in the hands of a twenty-six-year-old in Texas whom he had never met, congratulate himself for being brave?)

That is why it is, sad to say, a matter of legitimate interest that Weiner's wife was pregnant when he sent those tweets. It widens our sense of just how careless he is with the lives of others, particularly those of people who are more vulnerable than he is. That is good to know about a politician; it is distinct from the question of whether someone who lies to his wife will lie to the public and, I'd argue, is more important.

That sounds smart, savvy, and certainly gives a new angle to the whole sordid mess. But dare I point out that Weiner's measures of risk in his political career lined up perfectly with the progressive leftists Amy Davidson more likely than not agrees with?

Look at his voting record. Look at the causes he publicly championed. If you think he measures risk poorly and those things he pursues in his office, other than women, line up so perfectly with the progressive left, if we expand this risk theory further, what does it say about the left?

The children who matter most to Weiner's future may be the ones who are being born in other families, or who aren't being born, at least not in this state.

Yeah, I'd agree with that, but i suspect Ms. Davidson would be perfectly pleased with the policies Mr. Weiner would have the most effect on in the name of the children.

I think Anthony Weiner is a terrible judge of risk. But extrapolating that to his job only makes sense if we're going to point out that his calculations of risk vs. reward on the job and in the causes he chooses lines up pretty perfectly with the left.

Perry, Like Palin, Helps Romney. At Least Initially.

More than a few people are a bit perplexed by a point I made in this morning's post. It was this one:

Third, Perry's entry would buy Mitt Romney time in the lead. Time is the one campaign commodity that cannot be added to. Every day Mitt Romney leads is a day it becomes increasingly likely Romney is the nominee. If Perry gets in, odds increase that Romney, not Perry, is the nominee.

I view this one as a no brainer, but some of you either disagree or aren't sure what I mean.

Every student of Morton Blackwell learns that political campaigns have three basic commodities: (1) Time, (2) Talent, and (3) Treasure. Of those commodities, talent and treasure are renewable resources to a limited extent. Time is both definite and finite.The constant factor in the 2012 Republican Presidential race right now is that Mitt Romney has the highest name ID of declared candidates. While you and I know who Rick Perry is, we are not normal primary voters. Those people are only now just becoming engaged and they remember Romney from 2008, but many do not know Perry.

So Perry would have to build up his name identification and raise money. This leaves Romney in the lead as the clock continues ticking.

Every day that the media is focused on the ups and downs of other candidates, including an obsessive media rectal exam of Rick Perry as he gets in and starts hitting the stump is another day that Mitt Romney stays in the lead.

This is not to say that Rick Perry getting in makes Mitt Romney the nominee. No, that's not what I said. The odds certainly increase, but odds and outcome are two different things.

If I had to call it right now, I would say Mitt Romney would not ultimately be the nominee. But right now he's ahead in Iowa, ahead in New Hampshire, and ahead in South Carolina. If any candidate starts attacking Romney right now, instead of hoping for unforced errors or third party attacks, they'll drive their own unfavorables up, along with Mitt Romney's.

There's just too much time to go.

So Perry, like Palin, getting in would keep Romney at the top longer than he otherwise might be there. In doing so, it allows Romney a prime opportunity to continue increasing his favorability rating and name id.

Again, it doesn't mean Rick Perry getting in ensures a Romney victory. But it does buy Mitt Romney more time as the media fixates on Perry and his dynamic in the field, which is more likely to hurt the rest of the field more than Romney.

Time helps Romney, whose "play it safe" strategy right now amounts to running out the clock.

If you need just a quick, short hand version, consider this:

There is a lot of money on the sidelines waiting to find who is going to be the legitimate leader of the anti-Romney coalition. Rick Perry getting in delays finding that leader, keeping that money on the sidelines, keeping Mitt Romney on top. It really is that simple.

Newt Gingrich; Ames, Iowa; and Rick Perry. What It All Means.

Had you tuned in to my radio show two nights ago, you would have heard me tell the world that Newt Gingrich's campaign was disintegrating. Had you jumped over to RedState yesterday at noon for my Presidential horserace post, you'd have seen again that sources were telling me Newt's campaign was in complete meltdown and I did not expect him to survive.

Well, you'd have heard it here first, but whether you heard it here or elsewhere, by now you know Newt Gingrich's campaign is dead. The national staff left en masse and the Iowa staff is gone. They all quit.

Newt Gingrich wrote on Facebook that he is still in the race and will relaunch in Los Angeles on Monday. My only theory is that he is relying on a team of Hollywood special effects guys to build him a team of animatronic campaign staffers.

Many of us admire Newt Gingrich's intellect, but even while Speaker of the House, Newt had a reputation as uncontrollable and undisciplined. While the press may say the implosion of his campaign has to do with his staff's loyalty to Rick Perry, I believe the real answer is that Newt too frequently went off message, did not engage, and most likely has not taken the steps necessary to build a campaign war chest of both money and critical allies. And no staffer seeing this would want to wait around for a later more obvious candidate led implosion that makes the innocent staff look culpable.

I'm sure the Mediterranean cruise was one of the last straws.

With Newt in, but his national staff fleeing, there is massive speculation tonight that Texas Governor Rick Perry is going to get into the race.

In other news, Governor Mitt Romney, who won the Ames Straw Poll in 2008, has decided not to participate in the Ames, Iowa straw poll this year. That weekend just so happens to be the weekend of the RedState Gathering in Charleston, S.C. Coincidence? Well, yeah, but . . . .

Anyway, what do these three events mean? Well, I'll tell you.Right now, I think the Gingrich implosion and the Romney departure from the Ames Straw Poll both help Tim Pawlenty. In fact, we're seeing the fruit of this already. Newt Gingrich's Co-Chairman, former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, has jumped ship to Tim Pawlenty. I hear others will too.

Likewise, Romney out in Ames leaves Pawlenty as the biggest name. It should, however, be noted that Romney won the Ames Straw Poll in 2008 and wound up losing the state. But a Pawlenty win would give him strong buzz.

All that said, if Rick Perry winds up getting into the race, it will do several things.

First, it guarantees that Sarah Palin will not run for President. I have it from sources close to both Governors that Palin will not run if Perry runs.

Second, it rocks Tim Pawlenty's world hard. I think a Rick Perry candidacy fundamentally hurts Tim Pawlenty's effort to be the conservative in the race. Likewise, Pawlenty cannot match Perry's gubernatorial record, though to be fair that has as much to do with governing Minnesota instead of Texas as it does with them being different people.

Third, Perry's entry would buy Mitt Romney time in the lead. Time is the one campaign commodity that cannot be added to. Every day Mitt Romney leads is a day it becomes increasingly likely Romney is the nominee. If Perry gets in, odds increase that Romney, not Perry, is the nominee.

Fourth, Rick Perry's entry into the Presidential race probably opens up the Texas Senate race even more. Lt. Governor Dewhurst would probably calculate he stands a better chance of taking over the Governor's office on the cheap than spending big on a Senate seat.

A Perry candidacy throws the whole race into chaos. It'll actually be wonderful to watch. I said a few weeks ago I thought Rick Perry needed to run. I would say so again now more than ever. His record in Texas on jobs presents a compelling alternative to Barack Obama whether Perry is the ultimate nominee or not.

If Perry does not get in, Tim Pawlenty just had a very, very good week.

Morning Briefing for June 10, 2011

RedState Morning Briefing

For June 10, 2011

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Newt Gingrich; Ames, Iowa; and Rick Perry. What It All Means.

2. How The GOP Sabotages Obama's Brilliant Economy.

3. Ezra Klein & The Megamind: Lower Your Economic Expectations

4. The Perils of Complexity

5. Barack Obama - the American Idol President

6. Unapologetic Public School Officials Turning Children Into Good Little Comrades

7. Obama takes Argentina's side in Falklands dispute.

———————————————————————-

1. Newt Gingrich; Ames, Iowa; and Rick Perry. What It All Means.

Had you tuned in to my radio show two nights ago, you would have heard me tell the world that Newt Gingrich's campaign was disintegrating. Had you jumped over to RedState yesterday at noon for my Presidential horserace post, you'd have seen again that sources were telling me Newt's campaign was in complete meltdown and I did not expect him to survive.

Well, you'd have heard it here first, but whether you heard it here or elsewhere, by now you know Newt Gingrich's campaign is dead. The national staff left en masse and the Iowa staff is gone. They all quit.

Newt Gingrich wrote on Facebook that he is still in the race and will relaunch in Los Angeles on Monday. My only theory is that he is relying on a team of Hollywood special effects guys to build him a team of animatronic campaign staffers.

Many of us admire Newt Gingrich's intellect, but even while Speaker of the House, Newt had a reputation as uncontrollable and undisciplined. While the press may say the implosion of his campaign has to do with his staff's loyalty to Rick Perry, I believe the real answer is that Newt too frequently went off message, did not engage, and most likely has not taken the steps necessary to build a campaign war chest of both money and critical allies. And no staffer seeing this would want to wait around for a later more obvious candidate led implosion that makes the innocent staff look culpable.

I'm sure the Mediterranean cruise was one of the last straws.

With Newt in, but his national staff fleeing, there is massive speculation tonight that Texas Governor Rick Perry is going to get into the race.

In other news, Governor Mitt Romney, who won the Ames Straw Poll in 2008, has decided not to participate in the Ames, Iowa straw poll this year. That weekend just so happens to be the weekend of the RedState Gathering in Charleston, S.C. Coincidence? Well, yeah, but . . . .

Anyway, what do these three events mean? Well, I'll tell you.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. How The GOP Sabotages Obama's Brilliant Economy.

So Harry Blodget of Business Insider asks what the Democratic Party hopes will be a helpful question. Are Republicans Intentionally Sabotaging The Economy For Political Gain? It's an interesting theory and perhaps the makings of an excuse for the profoundly inexcusable. You see according to Harry Blodget's friend and colleague Dan Gross, the GOP is on an economic sapping mission in the run-up to the 2012 Elections.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Ezra Klein & The Megamind: Lower Your Economic Expectations

Left wing journolister, Ezra Klein, posted an article yesterday wherein he argues that the economy will continue to suck, we should all prepare for tax hikes, and Pawlenty is lying. He comes to his authoritative conclusion by consulting an economic megamind consisting of people made famous for being wrong, and/or being tied to Think Progress, but I repeat myself.

Ezra begins his article by having Jared Bernstein define the economic speed limit as, "the growth rate of productivity plus the growth rate of the labor force", no problems here really. I am sure Ezra would have liked more from Bernstein, but then he's the other name on the infamous Romer-Bernstein graph on the effects of stimulus on unemployment…

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. The Perils of Complexity

As a practicing lawyer, I naturally have a professional interest in vague and/or complex legal rules that require lots of expensive legal research, training and experience to understand and explain. But complexity isn't just costly to consumers of legal services, and thus a burden on business as well as on citizen access to the courts. It's also a drag on the economy and on personal liberty, as businesses and ordinary citizens must choose between paying lots of compliance lawyers or steering too wide of increasingly large gray areas. It risks in particular the unfair, arbitrary and sometimes corrupt or discriminatory abuse of the criminal justice system to prosecute things that were hard to foresee as violations of the law. And it demeans democracy, as the actual making of law is done by judges and bureaucrats rather than citizen-elected legislators.

One of the greatest virtues of Justice Scalia in his quarter-century on the Supreme Court (he celebrates 25 years on the High Court in September) has been his structural critique of, and systemic assault on, unnecessary legal complexity. In three opinions this morning, he focused attention on three different aspects of that same problem - one of which was graphically illustrated by yesterday's news regarding the widespread practice of waivers under Obamacare. And last week's news regarding the indictment of John Edwards illustrates how the failure to heed Scalia's wise observations has made a hash of efforts by campaign finance "reformers" to regulate political speech in the United States.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Barack Obama - the American Idol President

Another day, another poll. On Wednesday, the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll was released, and to no one's surprise, President Barack Obama's approval numbers have declined. His post-Osama bounce has become a dead terrorist bounce…and the POTUS is back where he was back in April.

But the thing that struck me in this poll, and in CNN's summary story, was the coverage of Obama's so-called "personal appeal"

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Unapologetic Public School Officials Turning Children Into Good Little Comrades

For decades, even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, stories of collectivist indoctrination of children to be "good" members of Soviet society had been reported. Vladimir Lenin, who stated, "Give us the child for 8 years and it will be a Bolshevik forever," knew that indoctrination was the key to having a uniformly obedient collectivist society. His successor, Josef Stalin, was even more blunt (and brutal) in his imposition of state obedience replacing family loyalty. It is, perhaps with that in mind, that we Americans become particularly suspect of state intervention with our children.

Kyle Olsen, writing at BigGovernment.com caught this disturbing story of public school officials in Lee County, North Carolina using children to lobby parents for education spending. It may have gone largely unnoticed had one of those parents not been State Representative Mike Stone [R] who received a letter from his own daughter.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

7. Obama takes Argentina's side in Falklands dispute.

Ed Morrissey and Fausta are both not getting why the President is taking the side of Argentina (thus sharing a podium with that noted beacon of freedom, tolerance, and capitalism known as Venezuela) in its perennial attempts to get the United Kingdom to give up the Falkland Islands. It's not just that we're signed on to the OAS declaration demanding that the British negotiate on the question of giving up territory that doesn't want to be given up; we're even endorsing Argentina's blustering insistence on calling the islands by the prior name. All in all, this is a fairly significant change: the question is, why?

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Newt Gingrich's Campaign Withers. Is Its Death and Perry 2012 Imminent?

If you read my horserace post, you know I've been hearing about Newt Gingrich's campaign disintegrating. I was asked to hold back, but word is now pouring out like water from a crack.

Steve Deace is reporting Gingrich's Iowa team is closing up shop.

The Daily Caller is now reporting that Gingrich's team is leaving en masse.

This tracks with what I've been hearing.

Now keep in mind that Gingrich's senior team is also Rick Perry's senior team. You don't have to be a genius to start drawing some conclusions from what is happening to Gingrich.

For what it's worth, I do not believe Gingrich is dropping out and there are no indications that Gingrich is dropping out. This just seems to be additional evidence that Gingrich's management chaos has changed little since he was Speaker of the House. I think he thinks this thing was supposed to be handed to him.

On Newt's Facebook page, he just put this up:

"I am committed to running the substantive, solutions-oriented campaign I set out to run earlier this spring. The campaign begins anew Sunday in Los Angeles."

And I'm not sure if he is back from the Mediterranean yet.

The Horserace for Thursday, June 9, 2011

With this weekend's Horserace, I'm adding in Giuliani, who Bill Kristol says is days or a couple of weeks from getting into the race. I'm not putting in Rick Perry or Sarah Palin this week, though the implications of them possibly getting in are mentioned.

As always, I put the candidates in alphabetical order. This is, again, my objective take on the candidates based on the news of the week and how I see things shaping up based on conversations with various operatives, activists on the ground, donors, etc.

Which major candidate's campaign is disintegrating? Which candidate could be setting himself up not to win, but to hurt Romney? Go below the fold to find out.

Michele Bachmann

Congresswoman Bachmann had one of the biggest weeks in a good way. A lot of people are heaping burning coals on Ed Rollins for his comments about Sarah Palin. Most people are characterizing Rollins's statement as meaning Sarah Palin is stupid. Rollins did not say that. He said she had not been serious and done the work she needed to do.

Whether you like it or not, this attitude is pervasive among just about every single campaign. Rollins just dared say it. What's more, the new Washington Post/ABC poll that has Romney beating Obama also shows almost two-thirds of Americans view Palin as unqualified and almost half of Republicans have qualms with voting for Palin.

Rollins' pre-emptive statements on Palin set up the Bachmann campaign to run as, for lack of a better way of putting it, "the Sarah Palin who can win." The media, already predisposed against Palin — along with 1/2 the GOP and 2/3 of the public — is going to revolve around a Palin v. Bachmann feud whether or not there is one. So why not be pre-emptive in setting it up and casting Bachmann as the viable choice?

You can disagree with Rollins's statement. But I think it ultimately helps Bachmann get more favorable press compared to Palin and, should Palin not get in, will not be long remembered except by a minority of primary voters. What's more, I am hearing from a growing chorus of conservatives unwilling to "settle" that Bachmann is the "only person I can support." I'm surprised who all keeps telling me this. It's going to help her build credibility.

If I had to declare a big winner this week other than Mitt Romney, it was Michele Bachmann

Herman Cain

I don't really see any movement for Cain this week, but I have to note that there is a growing buzz related to his viability as a candidate. His performance at Ralph Reed's event left a lot of people stunned and more people willing to accept him as this year's Mike Huckabee.

The problem now for Cain, as he continues going up in polls, with some having him in fourth place ahead of arguably better known and more seasoned politicians, is that he is running an insurgent campaign with an insurgent campaign staff. If Cain's campaign shifts into overdrive into the level of "respected by the DC-GOP elite", he is going to have to shift quickly from an insurgent, grassroots, low budget campaign into one that donors feel comfortable giving money to.

Newt Gingrich

I believe we have seen the end of the Greater Newt Gingrich Presidential campaign and have moved to see the Lesser Newt Gingrich Presidential Campaign. Over the past few weeks, Newt went into near hiding, keeping a very low profile. He's now gone on a "long planned" Mediterranean cruise — something arguably no candidate save Fred Thompson could ever get away with. More troubling is growing buzz among high level donors and politicos in Washington that his campaign is disintegrating while Gingrich is out of the country.

I think the odds of Newt being able to conduct a viable, sustained campaign are rapidly diminishing unless he does something bold quickly or has a knock out performance in the New Hampshire debate on Monday.

Rudy Giuliani

Bill Kristol says Giuliani is getting in. I see no rationale for a Giuliani campaign this time. National security is not the big issue and killing Osama helps inoculate Obama.

Donors are antagonistic toward Rudy, given what happened in 2008.

Should he get in, he will cause all sorts of problems for Romney. Polling reflects this right now. In fact, I think if he does get in, the press could easily characterize it as a bid to shut down Romney, not to actually win. I think that would be a legitimate characterization.

Jon Huntsman

Huntsman had dinner in Wasington last night with the TARP caucus — Lamar Alexander, John Thune, Saxby Chambliss, Richard Burr, and Tom Coburn. Not exactly dazzling. The glowing press he has gotten from liberals in the media continues to play to type for a John Weaver run campaign. But we should remember that John McCain had to ditch Weaver to get momentum going.

PPP polling noted that the one person — not one percent, but one person — who they found in Iowa who backed Huntsman was an 2008 Obama voter who is undecided on how well Obama is now doing and who hates the rest of the GOP field, e.g. a disgruntled Democrat.

I expect Huntsman to get momentum with the squishes, which will help him get up and going. I am also hearing he's attracting positive attention from the Bushies. That right there should disqualify him. But despite my bias against him, I think Huntsman could have a good showing in New Hampshire if he can keep making in road there.

Gary Johnson

I do not see this man getting any traction.

Ron Paul

I have to say that while I have dismissed Ron Paul and I do not see him winning, I do see him running a much more professional outreach and messaging operation. I've been pleasantly surprised by communications from his campaign. He is not, at least for now, focused on issues so far outside the mainstream that he fails to connect. He's actually doing a better job staying on issues that resonate with voters right now. I still don't see him winning.

Tim Pawlenty

Pawlenty has been the boldest of the top tier candidates in the past two weeks. Should Rick Perry or Sarah Palin get in, it could really hurt him. Likewise, if Bachmann picks up steam in Iowa, Pawlenty's chances go down. But I am hearing more and more people say they are "settling" for Pawlenty. That's probably not the word choice the Pawlenty campaign would love to hear, but I hear it a lot.

His economic and jobs messages have been bold and Reaganesque with a strong streak of optimism and refusal to accept what so many alleged intelligent people presume to be our impending or already arrived second class revised destiny in the world. The danger right now for Pawlenty is that he be so bold that all the other candidates saw off the limb he climbed out on. As one person told me though, right now the only guy pandering to conservatives is Pawlenty. A lot of conservatives who feel dismissed by Romney and others appreciate the attention. I won't say Pawlenty is up or down this week, but he's staying steady, which is what he needs to do. Joe Wilson in South Carolina (of "you lie" fame) is endorsing him. I think we'll see a continued drumbeat of endorsements that might surprise us.

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney had the biggest week and if the primaries were held tomorrow, he would be the nominee. I think his global warming position is going to hurt him. I think Romneycare will hurt him. And I think ethanol will hurt him. But I don't see any of them hurting him enough right now to deprive him of the nomination and those positions won't hurt him in the general.

Polling shows Romney beating Obama, but I believe that is mostly a product of his high name recognition coupled with relatively low unfavorable ratings. The other candidates are, after Labor Day, going to have to force Romney off his game. Right now, they can only do it indirectly and hope for more unforced errors. Romney is too experienced to give many.

But, should Giuliani get in, he becomes a real game changer for Mitt Romney and could potentially cost Mitt Romney the nomination.

Rick Santorum

I'm changing my position on Santorum. I think he can make it to Iowa . . . for now. I do not think his launch was strong. Nor do I think it generated a lot of buzz among the grassroots. Both of those are troubling signs. But, the more people are exposed to Santorum, the more they like him. His performances this week have been strong and refreshing.

That said, I see no path to victory for Santorum, but he could be a real spoiler for someone like Michele Bachmann as Santorum continues to gain steam among evangelicals. Santorum has a repository of good will among major conservative leaders I failed to estimate. I think drawing on that could position him as someone to not win the race, but to certainly influence the field.

Morning Briefing for July 9, 2011

RedState Morning Briefing

For June 9, 2011

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Debt Limit Surrender

2. Gov. Rick Perry calls for prayer to help our "nation in crisis"

3. Unbelievable! NLRB's Acting General Counsel Opposes Boeing Employees' Legal Involvement

4. Register for the RedState Gathering

5. The Horserace for Thursday, June 9, 2011

———————————————————————-

1. Debt Limit Surrender

Members of the Tea Party and the conservative movement need to be prepared for some serious disappointment if news reports are correct. News reports have emerged indicating that that "dollar for dollar" cuts to spending promised as part of a grand bargain to increase the debt ceiling may be pro-rated over 10, 20 or even 25 years. It is easy for politicians to promise future cuts to spending when many of these politicians cutting the deal will be long gone from Washington, DC.

Politically this deal is very attractive for incumbents of both parties. A $2.4 trillion debt limit increase would negate the need for a further increase in the debt limit until after the next Congressional and Presidential election. This level of a debt limit increase would protect House and Senate incumbent Republicans and Democrats from any further politically difficult votes before they have to face the voters in November of 2012.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Gov. Rick Perry calls for prayer to help our "nation in crisis"

In the Holy Bible, calls for prayer and fasting are frequent responses to dire situations. Yesterday, Texas Governor Rick Perry emulated those Biblical prophets such as Joel in calling for prayer to help address our national crisis. Perry's call for prayer is being directed to a specific event, "The Response," which is to be held in Houston on August 6th.

The web site for The Response explains why this event is needed.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Unbelievable! NLRB's Acting General Counsel Opposes Boeing Employees' Legal Involvement

Last week, three Boeing employees, whose jobs are at stake due to the National Labor Relations Board's prosecution of their employer, filed to intervene in the case.

Now, just a few days later, Lafe Solomon has declared that he is opposed to their intervention in the case–even though they stand a good chance of losing their jobs due to the union and the NLRB's actions.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Register for the RedState Gathering

The Third Annual RedState Gathering is coming up very soon — and we'd like to invite you to attend.

With the race for the GOP presidential nomination shifting into high gear, this much-anticipated annual gathering promises to be the best one yet.

It will be held on August 12-14 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina — and will feature as its keynote speaker South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. The Horserace for Thursday, June 9, 2011

Pay attention on this one folks: the link to this post will not work until noon today. But you are definitely going to want to come back and check it out.

With this weekend's Horserace, I'm adding in Giuliani, who Bill Kristol says is days or a couple of weeks from getting into the race. I'm not putting in Rick Perry or Sarah Palin this week, though the implications of them possibly getting in are mentioned.

As always, I put the candidates in alphabetical order. This is, again, my objective take on the candidates based on the news of the week and how I see things shaping up based on conversations with various operatives, activists on the ground, donors, etc.

Which major candidate's campaign is disintegrating? Which candidate could be setting himself up not to win, but to hurt Romney? Click the link at noon eastern time today to find out.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

The Horserace #EERS

Tune in now for my take at http://wsbradio.com and call in at 1-800-WSB-TALK.

We'll review the lay of the land for the Presidential candidates.

Consider this an open thread.

Price Controls Are Bad

John Berlau has a must read piece today over at OpenMarket.org on delaying the Dodd-Frank price controls on banks.

In voting this afternoon on a one-year delay of the Durbin Amendment and study of its effects on consumers and small banks and credit unions, sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) with Republican such as Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) signing on, the Senate also has the opportunity to save the retail industry from shooting itself in it collective foot with its massive but short-sighted lobbying effort to keep these price controls in place. With the Durbin Amendment mandating below-cost price caps of no more than 12 cents for the interchange fee, or swipe fee a merchant groups call it, that banks will be able to charge retailers to process debit card transactions, Washington has — in the words of syndicated columnist Deroy Murdock — "declared war on debit cards."

But even though this war was instigated by big merchants such as Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Home Depot and retail trade association such as the Retail Industry Leaders Association and Food Marketing Institute, retailers themselves are going to be among the casualties of this war as the debit card system slows down and even breaks down due to the ill-effects of the Durbin price controls. New developments show that both consumers and retailers, particularly smaller ones, will lose.

Banks are going to find a way to make money. And as Congress complicates their path to making money, like water flowing through and around barriers, it'll get messier and messier for us, but the banks will make money. It is what they do.

In the process of complicating the world of banking, banks will respond in ways that hurt you and me because of it.

The most unforeseeable consequences are the most obvious ones like this.