TailOverTeaKettle.com

Election day is finally here. The endless weeks of campaign commericals on TV is over. Hopefully over too are the autocalls from the candidates during dinner. Every breathless story about this poll or that reported by media cheerleaders doesn’t mean a hill of beans today.

It’s all about you.

I know we’ve heard that this election is supposed to be a referendum on this or that, from the war in Iraq to political corruption to the purity of the conservative cause to Mark Foley and Ted Haggard. But we don’t vote like that. It’s not “Yes” or “No”… we put one person or another in office.

I personally hope that tomorrow morning I don’t have to wake knowing that an era with Speaker Pelosi or Senate Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid is coming, but no matter what, I hope that if they are elected that it’s because we had a good election turn-out, not because anyone slipped in due to apathy.

Today when I go to the polls, I will be casting votes for state government, the most important race of which is Governor. For my district, the national stage is a bit removed. But everyone stil needs to vote on local elected officials and questions on the ballot.

On election day we get a chance to truly shape the form of government, from your hometown up to Washington. Don’t pass up that chance!

UPDATE: Despite a gray drizzle/light rain, there was a thirty minute wait at 8:00 am at my polling place. Nothing like the turnout in the 2004 election, but hopefully a good start to brisk voting.

              

The hot topic on talk radio today is John Kerry’s comments from this weekend. Mary Katherine Ham and Michelle Malkin also lead the blogosphere coverage.

In case you somehow didn’t hear it:

Sure sounds like a condemnation of soldiers serving in Iraq. Of course, as Michelle points out, the only coverage by the MSM is over the White House reaction, not to the comments themselves. So we were left to wonder exactly what he meant.

My first reaction when hearing the audio was that it sounded like he was trying to slip in yet another “Bush is stupid” remark… but somehow it came out awkwardly. As southern expression goes, “his tongue got wrapped around his eye tooth and he couldn’t see what he was saying!” (But meanwhile the audience cheered him - I wonder which meaning (anti-military or anti-Bush) they thought they were cheering!!!).

Of course, either way he intended it, the remark doesn’t make a lick of sense. We’ve talked before how Bush is so stupid but at the same time he’s the evil genius who has manipulated all of the smart people in the Intelligence Services, Congress, and foreign governments as well. But I digress.

Later Kerry did manage to spin that he meant it to be a remark aimed at Bush. Washington Post gives the Kerry reaction. Of course, it’s not “I’m sorry”. Not even “I mis-spoke.” But rather… “It’s all Bush’s fault.”

He said he had been criticizing Bush, not the “heroes serving in Iraq,” and said the president and his administration are the ones who owe U.S. troops an apology because they “misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it.”
“This is the classic GOP playbook,” Kerry said in a harshly worded statement. “I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did. I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium.”

So Tony Snow is a “chickenhawk” and Bush should somehow apologize to someone for something. I guess that’s what Kerry means when he takes the fight to the enemy.

Coincidentally, earlier in the weekend Kerry was out baiting reaction with chickenhawk accusations on behalf of Pat Murphy’s campaign in Pennsylvania (per the Boston Globe):

“Attacking Patrick Murphy for his service is a little bit like Jessica Simpson attacking Albert Einstein’s IQ,” the Massachusetts Democrat proclaimed Thursday at a chilly outdoor rally at Bucks County Community College.
“A lot of these people in the GOP, the Republican Party — they think somehow that they served because they played with GI dolls when they were little,” Kerry said. “The guys who really served understand what it means, and we’ve had enough of these lies.”

Nice. Sounds more like Dean than someone who might have been President.

Anyway, I guess it’s Kerry who’s the smartest of all… he screws up his insult of the President and turns it into an insult of the troops, and that’s George Bush’s fault. Pretty “smart”.

UPDATE: Texas Rainmaker notes that the Boston Globe actually calls Kerry out on this one. Amazing! From their editorial: “The real shame is that while John Kerry stumps around the country, building up chits for his own possible presidential campaign rerun, he still has that D-Mass. after his name. And that’s an embarrassment to the good people of this state who sent him to the U.S. Senate.” Amen.

              

Today President Bush gave a speech about Iraq. You can read the transcript here. This seems like a good (if overdue) idea, given the current election campaigning which seeks to cast the congressional election as a referendum on Iraq.

Is it just me, or do all of these headlines of news stories covering the same speech sound fairly negative? (I’m not saying that they are mischaracterizing the speech, but rather that they capture snippets here and there from the message, but not really conveying the meaning. Is it a conscious attempt to “Dowdify” something more?)

• Bush acknowledges setbacks in Iraq : CNN
• Bush ‘not satisfied’ with situation in Iraq : International Herald Tribune
• Bush warns of limited US patience : The Australian
• Bush warns Iraqis that patience has limits : Reuters
• Bush tells US ‘I’m not happy with Iraq’ : Financial Times
• Bush again warns Iraq leaders : Daily Telegraph (Australia)

In contrast, here’s at least one headline that seems to capture more completely the message from Bush’s speech: Bush Says Iraq Goal the Same Even as Tactics Change (Bloomberg). But that’s the one I could pick out from Google News.

Is Bush ‘not satisfied’? Yes, but there’s much more that was said:

I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq. I’m not satisfied, either. And that is why we’re taking new steps to help secure Baghdad, and constantly adjusting our tactics across the country to meet the changing threat. But we cannot allow our dissatisfaction to turn into disillusionment about our purpose in this war. We must not look at every success of the enemy as a mistake on our part, cause for an investigation, or a reason to call for our troops to come home. We must not fall prey to the sophisticated propaganda by the enemy, who is trying to undermine our confidence and make us believe that our presence in Iraq is the cause of all its problems.

If I did not think our mission in Iraq was vital to America’s security, I’d bring our troops home tomorrow. I met too many wives and husbands who have lost their partners in life, too many children who won’t ever see their mom and dad again. I owe it to them and to the families who still have loved ones in harm’s way to ensure that their sacrifices are not in vain.

Our country has faced adversity before during times of war. In past wars, we’ve lost young Americans who gave everything to protect our freedom and way of life. In this war, we’ve lost good men and women who’ve given their lives for a cause that is necessary and it is just. We mourn every loss, and we must gird ourselves for the sacrifices that are yet to come. America’s men and women in uniform are the finest in the world. I’m awed by their strength and their character. As General Casey reported yesterday in Iraq, “the men and women of the Armed Forces… have never lost a battle in over three years in the war.” Every American can take pride in our troops, and the vital work they are doing to protect us.

Our troops are fighting a war that will set the course for this new century. The outcome will determine the destiny of millions across the world. Defeating the terrorists and extremists is the challenge of our time and the calling of this generation. I’m confident this generation will answer that call and defeat an ideology that is bent on destroying America and all that we stand for.

Is patience limited? Yes… But that’s not all that was said in response to a question about having the US set benchmarks to judge the success of the Iraqi government:

It will also be beneficial for the American people to be able to see that this Iraqi government is going to make the difficult decisions necessary to move forward, to achieve the goal. And that’s what we’re talking about when it comes to benchmarks. It’s — again, I repeat: One should not expect our government to impose these benchmarks on a sovereign government. You’d expect us to work closely with that government to come up with a way forward that the government feels comfortable with. And there’s probably going to be some bones of contention during these discussions, but, nevertheless, we’ll respect the fact that the Iraq government is sovereign, and they must respect the fact that we’ve got patience, but not unlimited patience.

That doesn’t sound to me that he was ‘warning’ anyone that we have lost patience, but rather that we are in this together. The US can not dictate, but also needs to see progress.

I am surprised that there were no headlines saying “Bush says military ineffective” when characterizing the following section:

A military solution alone will not stop violence. In the end, the Iraqi people and their government will have to make the difficult decisions necessary to solve these problems. So, in addition to refining our military tactics to defeat the enemy, we’re also working to help the Iraqi government achieve a political solution that brings together Shia and Sunnis and Kurds and other ethnic and religious groups.

Yesterday, our Ambassador to Iraq, Zal Khalilzad laid out a three-step approach. First, we’re working with political and religious leaders across Iraq, urging them to take steps to restrain their followers and stop sectarian violence.

Second, we’re helping Iraqi leaders to complete work on a national compact to resolve the most difficult issues dividing their country. The new Iraqi government has condemned violence from all quarters and agreed to a schedule for resolving issues, such as disarming illegal militias and death squads, sharing oil revenues, amending the Iraqi constitution, and reforming the de-Baathification process.

Third, we’re reaching out to Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan, and asking them to support the Iraqi government’s efforts to persuade Sunni insurgents to lay down their arms and accept national reconciliation. The international community is also supporting the international compact that outlines the support that will be provided to Iraq as it moves forward with its own program of reform.

These are difficult tasks for any government. It is important for Americans to recognize that Prime Minister Maliki’s unity government has been in office for just over five months. Think about that. This young government has to solve a host of problems created by decades of tyrannical rule. And they have to do it in the midst of raging conflict, against extremists from outside and inside the country who are doing everything they can to stop this government from succeeding.

But for those is misunderstand (or misrepresent) that the phrase “Stay the Course” should mean that we should just keep doing the things the same way:

As the enemy shifts tactics, we are shifting our tactics, as well. Americans have no intention of taking sides in a sectarian struggle or standing in the crossfire between rival factions. Our mission is to help the elected government in Iraq defeat common enemies, to bring peace and stability to Iraq, and make our nation more secure. Our goals are unchanging. We are flexible in our methods to achieving those goals.

This is an unprecedented activity taking place in Iraq right now. It’s amazing to see just how far it has come in such a relatively short time. Of course everything is not perfect. Is there more violence this month? Of course… especially timed to coincide with the latest election in the US. But, more than ever, this is a nation’s transformation that can help to serve as a blueprint in a region far too used to tyrannical control.

I hope that more people will read the speech, and not just the headlines. (Sadly, I know most won’t).

              

It’s hard to believe that someone campaigning for the Senate would think for even a minute that pulling a stunt like driving their bus up to their opponents campaign appearance so that you can try to confront them. But that’s exactly what Harold Ford, Jr. did in Tennessee.

The most interesting pseudo-question: “So what do you think about this Iraq thing?” Very well put, for a Senate hopeful.

An excellent analysis over at Volunteer Voters site and Bill Hobbs.

Ali Bubba also has a good summary of the race.

              

In what might shape up to become the most lengthy and expensive misdemeanor case in recent memory, Superior Court Judge Melodie Snell Conner refused to consider motions from Bill McKinney and Nancy Walter that this case was selective prosecution and being tried in the wrong jurisdiction. The two are charged with being involved in a smear campaign against Kevin Kenerly during the primary season. It still remains to be seen if the “beatkevin.com” annonymous campaign will be tied in any way to the Jodie Rosser campaign for Gwinnett County Commission.

More from the AJC and Gwinnett Daily Post.

              

Don’t you know? The economy is terrible! Stock Market is up, consumer prices down, unemployment lower, oil prices far reduced over the summer. Isn’t that awful?

Monday the Associated Press released a story which ran in papers under a number of fairly depressing headlines:

• Democrats Favored When Economy Uncertain [Editor’s Note: can someone please explain exactly when the economy is ever ‘certain’?]
• Economic uncertainties give Democrats a boost
• Democrats can handle economy better, poll suggests
• Voters favor Democrats in handling uncertain economy
• Democrats Favored Amid Uncertain Economy
• Economic jitters benefit Dems.

I know that the writers are not the same people who write the headlines. But these don’t even seem to connect fully to the story. Anyway, once more, this is a story primarily reporting the results of an opinion poll. Regardless of the topic of the poll, this is something that immediately rubs me the wrong way. I don’t particularly care what a majority of 300 Americans care about on any topic, and I especially resent it being reported as “news”. I can see why it’s a favorite of reporters, however. You neither have to dig for facts nor do research. The whole “story” is about what some people “feel”. So you can throw in whatever other collection of loosely related thoughts you’d like along with the poll results. It’s not like anyone can correlate the information anyway.

In this case, the central theme of the article by Jeannine Aversa: “With the Nov. 7 elections looming, 59 percent of voters believe Democrats would do a better job handling the economy, while 39 percent prefer Republicans _ the party that controls Congress and the White House.”

The data from this poll are not yet available, so we can really not see much more about the poll questions or responses other than what was reported in this article. Despite what the headline writers seem to be suggesting, it doesn’t seem that the respondants necessarily thought the economy was “uncertain”. But just that Democrats would do a better job. Somehow.

“Wait a second!” you say. “Didn’t the Dow cross 12,000 just today?” Well, there’s an easy answer to the fact that times are good. Just look for bad stuff to come in the future!

Never mind that gasoline prices have started dropping, that the value of their 401(k)s rises with each new Dow Jones industrial average record, and that the interest rates on their credit cards and adjustable mortgages have leveled off for now.

“Even though the economy is doing well by some indicators, voters are still nervous about the economy,” said Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Fordham University.

“They watched gas prices come down but watched them go up just as precipitously not too long ago. The stock market is doing well but that doesn’t mean it can’t come crashing down in days. Voters are reluctant to be overly confident about economic trends,” he said.

We’re left to wonder how Dr. Panagopoulos is able to know about the nervous nature of the American voter. It’s a wonder they aren’t more nervous after hearing his “glass-half-empty” worries: the stock market might crash and gas prices might shoot up again. He forgot to mention that fear, famine, plague, and pestilence might become pervasive throughout the Midwest just before Christmas.

I sure don’t know how these 741 voters came to answer the questions about the economy in this way. Maybe a better story would be to find out exactly why people feel this way in light of all of the positive economic conditions.

But the general population shouldn’t be concerned that economic pessimism and wealth-envy is spread by Democratic leadership:

“The Dow is up, but people’s retirements are less secure than ever. This economy is making the super rich richer, and leaving middle-class American families further behind,” countered House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

Democrats: Rooting for economic problems… and shouting “the sky is falling” (or maybe it will be someday soon).

              

Over the last week, there have been quite a few bloggers who sound beaten up and disgusted with the whole political process. It’s easy to feel that way… with the constant drumbeat of opinion polls, and campaign commercials disguised as news stories, and negative campaigning, and politicians who don’t always take the strong stands that we wish that they would.

But, when you think about it, it’s really a blessing. Regardless of the outcome of the elections, it’s a most amazing thing that we can have a government that can peacefully pass power between leaders without bloodshed. It’s easy to forget just how lucky we are to be able to choose those who govern us and give everyone a voice in the direction of the nation. Yes, it can be very frustrating when it feels like the politicians are not listening at times. It’s disappointing when we hear of leaders from both sides of the political spectrum that have human failings and suffer from character flaws. No matter all of this… our freedom to vote is a remarkable gift, and something that many throughout the world do not share.

Don’t be careless with that gift. No matter who you choose to vote for… just be sure to vote on Election Day.

              

Today’s AJC reports that some Georgians have received letters from the State Election Board advising them to make sure that they have valid identification.

“I think the voters might be a little concerned,” said Nancy Boren, executive director of the Muscogee County Office of Elections and Registrations. “You get a letter in the mail that says, ‘You might not have an ID.’”

You see, the State Election Board is in a catch-22 situation. The earlier judicial complaints have centered around voter education around the new ID rules. So the Board has been trying multiple ways to make people aware of how to have valid ID. Then in mid-September, we had the latest judicial delay in enforcing the law. So now it will not apply to the November general election. But here we have a letter which has literally “crossed in the mail” and was received by some after the judge postponed enforcement.

So does this confuse people? I’m sure it might. But it’s only due to the constant legal challenges that puts the rules “on-again” and “off-again”. Of course, if one of the people receiving the letter actually made sure that they did obtain one of the free photo ID’s, they would more than comply with the old law.

              

I thought that Foley’s lawyer’s “bombshell” revelation about past abuse at the hands of clergy was trolling the bottom of the barrel.

But now I think I’ve seen it.

According to a press release from John Eaves, he believes that candidates for Fulton County Commission Chairmanship need to take a stand on whether or not Denny Hastert should resign as Speaker of the House.

John Eaves (D), candidate for Fulton County Commission Chair, today called for the resignation of U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert following the discovery that he and others on his staff had prior knowledge of inappropriate e-mail correspondence between Congressman Mark Foley and a former Congressional page. Eaves called for the resignation at a 10 a.m. press conference on the steps of Fulton County Courthouse.

I’m sure that Eaves is not the first, nor will he be the last, polititian who will attempt to get some mileage out of the Foley Fallout.

But what the heck does this have to do with local Fulton County issues?

Lest anyone be confused: I have not changed my position one bit - Foley is slime. Period. And if Hastert or anyone else (of either party) knew and did not protect the youth involved, then they should categorically be punished.

So far we seem we only seem to have “he should have seen it coming” type accusations being levelled. But this is far from over. And maybe that’s enough for Hastert either way.

Anyway, all that being said - candidates for Fulton County Commission should be focusing on issues affecting that community, not who is the Speaker of the House in DC.

              

I have no tolerance for people who hurt children. I have special loathing and disgust for anyone who would harm a child sexually.

What Mark Foley has done is, at the very least, the very defintion of sexual harrasment. Period.

There is no excuse for what Mark Foley has done. Resigning in disgrace is a start. If he has commited a crime in any of his actions, then I hope that the Justice Department, FBI, and Florida authorities quickly determine the situation and take action accordingly.

He may also be a drunk, but you can’t blame alcohol abuse for this kind of conduct. Go ahead and get dried out, but you can not duck from the blame for your actions.

After hearing the statements of Hastert, I hope its true that the senior Republican leadership did not know about the true extent of Foley’s messages and predatory relationships. If anyone did, then they should be punished as well.

As the weekend ended and the day has worn on, I have heard more people talk about other things that do not matter. Did the information come to light because someone was trying to plant a politically-damaging attack close to the election? Maybe so. But it is good in the end that the information did come out. Similar to Republican leadership, if those people knew that a crime was committed, then they should have went directly to the authorities upon learning the information, and should be censured if they failed to take action to protect the young people.

But leave the talk of Barney Frank out of this. Or Bill Clinton. Right now I don’t care what the media reaction was to the Gerry Studds. He may be a low-life too, but that does not change what Mark Foley has done. Party affiliation is irrelevent. Period.

Resignation from Congress is the very least we should expect. At least he did that part correctly.