Erick Erickson's Blog, page 222

Jim Marshall is Worried in Georgia 8

Donate now to Austin Scott.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released an internal poll in Georgia's 8th Congressional District showing Jim Marshall ahead by twelve points. It is exceedingly rare in this election cycle for the DCCC to release an internal poll.

Doing so shows a level of panic about this race and a desire to change expectations. The poll is also disconnected from reality.

Look at Jim Marshall's last two mid-term elections. He beat Caulder Clay by roughly 1% in 2002. He beat Mac Collins by roughly 1% in 2006. In 2008, the high water mark for Democratic turnout with Barack Obama at the top of the ballot, Jim Marshall only beat Rick Goddard by about 14% of the vote.

For a poll to show Jim Marshall ahead of Austin Scott by 12% in an anti-incumbent, anti-Washington, anti-Democrat year in a congressional district that already leans Republican is sheer fabrication. It also does not correspond to any of the non-partisan polls, what few there are, and a variety of other unreleased internal polls out there.

If that's not enough, the Democrats are now trying to push out information about Austin Scott, Marshall's opponent, contained in sealed divorce records — sealed jointly by Austin Scott and his former wife when Scott first ran for the state legislature. The Democrats are going scorched earth.

Things are terrible for the Democrats this year. In New York, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is only one point ahead of a Republican no one has ever heard of. In Wisconsin, popular Senator Russ Feingold is behind his Republican challenger. In California, Carly Fiorina and Barbara Boxer are neck and neck. If Democrats are having that much trouble in Democrat states, it is less than convincing to produce a poll showing Jim Marshall twelve points ahead in a Republican leaning Congressional district.

Marshall has bigger problems though. Left-wing interest groups find him useless because of his votes. Right-wing interest groups find him useless because of his party affiliation. Marshall stands in the middle mostly a man alone. Typically that is a fantastic position to be in. He can tout his independence.

This year, however, Republicans want to take back the House of Representatives. It will be races like Jim Marshall's where Republicans who like him will have to abandon him to get rid of Nancy Pelosi. That Marshall is already out attacking Austin Scott is another sign Marshall gets it and is panicked.

Austin Scott is an attractive candidate from an area of the district not known for fielding candidates. Marshall's other challengers have typically come from the Middle Georgia area. Scott lives in the southern part of the district. A conservative legislator who has an independent streak and a willingness to speak his mind — a right-of-center Jim Marshall in a sense — Scott has the advantage of being a fresh face with an "R" next to his name.

The biggest challenge for Marshall is going to be Robins Air Force Base. As I've noted before, Robins has two major competitors in the BRAC Commission reviews: Tinker Air Force Base is in the 4th District of Oklahoma and Hill Air Force Base in the 1st District of Utah. Both are represented by Republicans. If the GOP does take back the House, as is likely, having a Democrat representing Robins becomes a liability to Robins Air Force Base.

I have said for several years that this would be Jim Marshall's most difficult election cycle. It is shaping up to be a doozy not just for him, but for Democrats everything. A year ago, Time magazine declared Republicans an "endangered species." My, my how times change.

Senate Republicans Yet Again Give Middle Finger to the Tea Party Movement

It is a story that superficially is about Jim DeMint.

He beat up his Senate Republican colleagues in an email the other day for what they did. Lisa Murkowski left the party to run as a write-in candidate against Joe Miller in Alaska after he beat her in the GOP primary.

Murkowski's chief selling point is that she is the ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee. The Senate GOP could have stripped her of that position, but chose to keep her there.

This has given Murkowski a new attack against Miller, i.e. even the Senate GOP expects her to come back.

DeMint took exception to that.

National Review has done yeoman's work getting Senators on record about how they voted. What they are finding is that pretty much every Republican Senator supports Murkowski.

Republican Senators are now attacking Jim DeMint for siding with the tea party movement.

"I would take issue with that," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, No. 4 in the GOP hierarchy. He said DeMint's statements are "overstating what happened. I think the Republican leadership is very much doing everything they can to help the Republican nominee in Alaska."

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) called DeMint's pitch a "mistaken idea," saying there "isn't one sitting Republican in the Senate that isn't supporting Joe Miller."

Bond, an appropriator who has sparred with DeMint, said the South Carolina senator's characterization was "totally inaccurate" and noted that Republican senators are raising money for Miller this week during his Washington fundraising rounds.

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the GOP conference chairman, said simply that DeMint's fundraising e-mail "speaks for itself." But he expressed concerns about the fact that DeMint publicly aired material from a closed-door meeting.

"Our strong tradition in the Republican Conference is to have a free and open exchange and to keep that among ourselves," Alexander said. "I'm always disappointed when some member of our conference decides not to follow that tradition. It makes it hard for us to be a team."

These keepers of the status quo do not get it. They have sent a strong signal that what Lisa Murkowski did was perfectly acceptable. They do not care about Joe Miller. They can say they are supporting him, but it's like supporting a nation at war through hand claps instead of action.

"I know from experience that trying to work within the system for 12 years has not yielded results —and our country is worse off [than] where it was when I got here," DeMint said Tuesday. "The party is not going to mind what I do as long as I'm not effective."

We need to stand up for Joe Miller and we need to stand up for Jim DeMint. The Senate Republicans have lost their way.

The First World War Ends on Sunday

This is a random way to start your morning, but it is also something I bet you did not know.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the guns fell silent across Europe with the cease fire concluding the hostilities of World War I.

But Germany has continued pay for First World War under its obligations of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.

This coming Sunday, Germany will make it last payment under the terms of the war reparations thus fully and finally closing the books on the War to End All Wars.

Morning Briefing for September 29, 2010

RedState Morning Briefing

For September 29, 2010

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

1. Unlike 1994, They Saw This Year Coming

2. American Stalin: Alan Grayson And His Views on the Anti-Defamation League, the Military, and Other Things

3. The Dead Just Keep On Voting

4. A Pitchfork Moment: How Washington State Voters Can Shackle Serial Job Killers

5. Gov. Strickland (D, OH) supporter attacks war veteran at rally.

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1. Unlike 1994, They Saw This Year Coming

The Democrats tell anyone who will listen that they were prepared for this year. Unlike 1994, the Democrats say they saw this year coming.

The spin the Democrats would have us take and run with is that they are prepared as in they have a game plan and are executing it to mitigate losses.

Really?

Seems to me that the Democrats saw this year coming too and that explains precisely why the rats are fleeing the ship early.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. American Stalin: Alan Grayson And His Views on the Anti-Defamation League, the Military, and Other Things

You might well say it is extreme hyperbole to call Alan Grayson an American Stalin. You would be right. But it is no different than what Alan Grayson, in extremist, hyperbolic lies, is doing to his opponent Daniel Webster.

As has been well documented, Grayson attacked Bill Clinton Daniel Webster for getting academic deferments from Vietnam and then failing his medical exam, thus denying him the ability to serve his country.

Grayson then referred to Webster as "Taliban Dan" selectively editing Webster's comments to make it sound like Webster was saying exactly the opposite of what Webster really was saying.

What's more, Grayson demanded the Federal Election Commission investigate and incarcerate one of his critics who claims Grayson is crazy.

Calling Grayson an American Stalin is no less onerous that what Grayson himself is doing. In fact, what Grayson is doing is worse. He is an elected official using the power of his office to threaten and intimidate critics, attack females in Congress as "whores", and fund his campaign to slime opponents with edited video footage making it appear the opponents are saying exactly the opposite of what they did say.

Grayson has become the politician who attacks his opponent for having a thespian daughter.

Beyond the lies, however, lies an ugly truth about Alan Grayson that the media ought to pursue.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. The Dead Just Keep On Voting

There are 116,000 dead eligible voters in Massachusetts. And in Florida, one major newspaper recently investigated and reported that almost 15,000 dead Floridians are still hanging around on the election rolls – just six weeks before one of the most vicious and important election cycles in our history. Can it be the sun? Most States have similar statistics. Every two years, states must report to the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) information about the integrity and accuracy of their voter rolls. The latest report is not good news for our democracy – or our international reputation. South Dakota, Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Indiana report in excess of a dozen counties with more registered voters than breathing human beings old enough to vote. West Virginia, Maryland, Iowa and North Carolina also reported having eligible deceased voters on their rolls. The list goes on and on. And so does the real risk that these voters will have illegal votes registered in their names. Close races, like the Franken/Coleman race in Minnesota can be decided on just a handful of votes. We may have to go to purple thumbprints at this rate. Hugo Chavez must be howling at this American disgrace.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. A Pitchfork Moment: How Washington State Voters Can Shackle Serial Job Killers

If jobs are the oxygen that fuels a nation's economy, then politicians with their heavy-handed regulations, unions and high taxes, are the serial killers that strangle the creators of those jobs.

Right now, America is at a pitchfork moment. With millions unemployed and the numbers getting worse, not better, political leaders are beginning to smell the acrid odor and see the glow of the torches. With the November 2nd mid-term elections looming, the steady steps of a torch and pitchfork-wielding populace get louder and louder as unions try to rally their members to prevent a complete meltdown at the polls.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Gov. Strickland (D, OH) supporter attacks war veteran at rally.

Do you know this guy?

Because he went after a Iraq War veteran at a Ted Strickland rally. Dumped hot coffee on him, then came back later to give said veteran the finger (in case you were wondering whether it was deliberate or not).

Please click here for the rest of the post.

American Stalin: Alan Grayson And His Views on the Anti-Defamation League, the Military, and Other Things

You might well say it is extreme hyperbole to call Alan Grayson an American Stalin. You would be right. But it is no different than what Alan Grayson, in extremist, hyperbolic lies, is doing to his opponent Daniel Webster.

As has been well documented, Grayson attacked Bill Clinton Daniel Webster for getting academic deferments from Vietnam and then failing his medical exam, thus denying him the ability to serve his country.

Grayson then referred to Webster as "Taliban Dan" selectively editing Webster's comments to make it sound like Webster was saying exactly the opposite of what Webster really was saying.

What's more, Grayson demanded the Federal Election Commission investigate and incarcerate one of his critics who claims Grayson is crazy.

Calling Grayson an American Stalin is no less onerous that what Grayson himself is doing. In fact, what Grayson is doing is worse. He is an elected official using the power of his office to threaten and intimidate critics, attack females in Congress as "whores", and fund his campaign to slime opponents with edited video footage making it appear the opponents are saying exactly the opposite of what they did say.

Grayson has become the politician who attacks his opponent for having a thespian daughter.

Beyond the lies, however, lies an ugly truth about Alan Grayson that the media ought to pursue.

Grayson's senior policy advisor — the guy he chose to advise him on a daily basis — has views that seem to fit Alan Grayson. Enterprising reporters out asking Alan Grayson why it is he wants to throw his critics in jail, need to ask some crucial questions about Grayson and his senior policy advisor, Matt Stoller.

In fact, here the questions to ask — all based on the well known and pre-existing views of Grayson's senior policy advisor who, again, Grayson himself hand picked:

Congressman Grayson, do you believe, as your senior policy advisor Matthew Stoller does, that the Anti-Defamation League is "a crazy racist institution"?

Congressman Grayson, do you believe, as your senior policy advisor Matthew Stoller does, that Senator John McCain is "a crazy cancer-ridden dishonest madman"?

Congressman Grayson, do you believe, as your senior policy advisor Matthew Stoller does, that the U.S. military is a treasonous institution that will "undermine Obama unless he pursues neoconservative policies"?

If Grayson does not, then one must question his judgment in hiring a guy to advise him who believes, and believed prior to his hiring, that the Anti-Defamation League is "a crazy racist institution" and the military is a treasonous organization that will "undermine Obama."

If Grayson does, then one must wonder if his constituents are aware of that fact.

Oh, and his constituents probably want to know what exactly his ties are to ACORN. Here is a video of one of his staffers bragging about how much Alan Grayson loves ACORN — masters of voter fraud.

Unlike 1994, They Saw This Year Coming

"When you are ten points down, you don't take the A team off the field in the final quarter and replace them with the B team unless you know you are going to get clobbered anyway."

Last night on CNN, Gloria Borger pointed out that the Democrats tell anyone who will listen that they were prepared for this year. Unlike 1994, the Democrats say they saw this year coming.

The spin the Democrats would have us take and run with is that they are prepared as in they have a game plan and are executing it to mitigate losses.

Really?

Seems to me that the Democrats saw this year coming too and that explains precisely why the rats are fleeing the ship early.

Rahm Emanuel is running home to Chicago to run for mayor.

Christina Romer is gone.

Larry Summers is gone.

David Axelrod wants everyone to know he is leaving.

When you are ten points down, you don't take the A team off the field in the final quarter and replace them with the B team unless you know you are going to get clobbered anyway.

Likewise, Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) is campaigning with ads praising George Bush. Other Democrats are campaigning against Obamacare and Obama himself. Still more Democrats are saying they are opposed to Nancy Pelosi.

Yes, the Democrats see what is coming and have broken ranks a lot faster than in 1994.

Lisa Murkowski Profits in Office

When the obituary is finally written on Lisa Murkowski's political career, one of the key points will be her land deal.

Many people, even in Alaska, have not heard about it, but it gives us a glimpse into everything wrong with Lisa Murkowski and why voters rejected her.

USA Today has a helpful rundown on the story, which is old, but which has some new interesting facts.

Basically, Murkowski paid $179,400 for 1.27 acres of undeveloped land valued at $350,000.00. The guy she bought the land from would be her neighbor. Murkowski was then — and this is seemingly the new information — able to get an earmark of several million dollars from Washington to pave 3 miles of road.

Guess where the paved road was? If you answered "to her property" you would be right.

Well, people find out about the land sale and make a big stink about it so Murkowski does not return the land to her neighbor. She sells it back to him.

And yes, she turned a profit of $40,000.00.

But wait. There's more.

Murkowski failed to properly note the purchase in her financial disclosure report for 2006. Boehm said Murkowski also said in the same report that she had a 15-year mortgage when financing records indicate a 39-year loan with First Bank, which offers a maximum seven-year maturity date for loans on undeveloped land. Murkowski once sat on the bank's board.

Morning Briefing for September 28, 2010

RedState Morning Briefing

For September 28, 2010

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

1. Geithner Cornered On Tax Hypocrisy

2. Alan Grayson Hates America

3. Grayson's "Draft-dodger" Ad Loses Top "Slimy Ad" Spot

4. Lisa Murkowski Profits in Office

5. Teamsters Attempt to Oust FedEx Founder & Chairman Fred Smith from Co.

6. Just days before Socialist Saturday, unions remind Americans of Obama roots

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1. Geithner Cornered On Tax Hypocrisy

Either Tim Geithner has elephant-sized chutzpah or he's completely clueless. How else to explain his insistence that Congress follow the Obama plan to spike taxes on the top income brackets?

Human Events caught up with Mr. Geithner to ask him how exactly he squares his support for tax increases with his own tax-dodging days.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Alan Grayson Hates America

Alan Grayson's latest campaign ad smears his Republican opponent, Daniel Webster, as a draft-dodging America-hater. Which means, according to established Democrat protocols: Alan Grayson hates America.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Grayson's "Draft-dodger" Ad Loses Top "Slimy Ad" Spot

Alan Grayson's attack against Daniel Webster for being a "draft dodger" received a media award as the top "slimy ad". That ad has now been dethroned.

Dethroned by another Alan Grayson ad.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Lisa Murkowski Profits in Office

When the obituary is finally written on Lisa Murkowski's political career, one of the key points will be her land deal.

Many people, even in Alaska, have not heard about it, but it gives us a glimpse into everything wrong with Lisa Murkowski and why voters rejected her.

USA Today has a helpful rundown on the story, which is old, but which has some new interesting facts.

Basically, Murkowski paid $179,400 for 1.27 acres of undeveloped land valued at $350,000.00. The guy she bought the land from would be her neighbor. Murkowski was then — and this is seemingly the new information — able to get an earmark of several million dollars from Washington to pave 3 miles of road.

Guess where the paved road was? If you answered "to her property" you would be right.

Well, people find out about the land sale and make a big stink about it so Murkowski does not return the land to her neighbor. She sells it back to him.

And yes, she turned a small profit.

But wait. There's more.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Teamsters Attempt to Oust FedEx Founder & Chairman Fred Smith from Co.

They've been agitating for a complete redistribution of wealth and power for more than 100 years. Now, they're getting pretty darn close to accomplishing it.

Following the AFL-CIO's August attempt to fire Michael Dell at Dell Computers, the Teamsters have gone gunning for the founder of FedEx, Chairman Fred Smith.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Just days before Socialist Saturday, unions remind Americans of Obama roots

Aesop, meet Obama.

Just days before Socialist Saturday, a series of union-related events are beginning to become large enough of an embarrassment to the Obama administration that they may be hard for the media to ignore any longer.

With the abrupt departure of SEIU über-boss Andy Stern, the rejection (and subsequent departure) of his hand-chosen successor, Anna Burger, the President's friends at the Service Employees International Union have been increasing their media presence lately—and not necessarily in a good way.

The revelations and arrest of a SEIU member in Washington state for forging signatures on a ballot initiative to raise taxes, the Wisconsin SEIU activist who bragged about the media's complicity in helping to defeat GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker, as well as the revelations of what appears to be an unbelievably large amount of voter registration fraud in Texas, all must have Democrats feeling a little queasy about being seen too close to the President and his fuscha friends.

To make embarrassing relationships even worse comes this news from over the weekend.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Morning Briefing for September 27, 2010

RedState Morning Briefing

For September 27, 2010

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


1. Making ObamaCare an Issue this Fall

2. GOTV: Can a Leaderless Army Defeat the Leviathan of the Left?

3. Fires, Fraud, Democrats & The SEIU: It's a Real Work in Progress(ivism)

4. Department of Justice: We hire Commies now!

5. Connections and Disconnections on the Pledge to Nowhere

6. For-Profit Education Under Assault

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1...

Connections and Disconnections on the Pledge to Nowhere

Jonah Goldberg makes a great point at the Corner related to me and my stance on the Pledge to Nowhere.

I like and respect Erick Erickson, but after watching the Sunday shows you would think he represents somewhere between 25 and 75 percent of the conservative movement, given the rather absurd prominence his anti-Pledge remarks have been given. Everywhere you turn, we're told that there's a huge controversy on the right over the Pledge, and yet the only evidence anyone ever cites are...