Karl Rove Hangs With Obama?

On this evening's O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, Rove admits to "hanging" with Senator Obama at the White House.

Rove says that Obama is smart but needs to be disciplined. Disciplined? Obama is one of the most disciplined, balanced pols out there - that was one of his weapons against free-form McCain.

Why are they going to Rove for what the Republicans need to do? Rove and his butt buddy George Bush are responsible for a reckless destruction of the Republican Party as we know it.

Get these dinosaurs off the air and go to Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, Bobby Jindal or even Sarah Palin to get the new GOP roadmap.

Deep Thinker: Matt Damon

Big Mouth Biden Lies Again!

When Hillary Clinton was less than truthful about getting shot at while on a visit to Bosnia, the mainstream media was all over her for her fib.

Yet Joe Biden is telling stories himself and apparently getting a pass from the drive bys. Obama's running mate talks about the green zone in Bagdhad "where I have been seven times and shot at." However, Fox News reports that the Hill newspaper said Biden when asked to clarify "backpedaled from his claim of being 'shot at' and instead allowed: 'I was near where a shot landed.'"

In the upcoming Vice Presidential Debate with Republican nominee Sarah Palin, Biden plans to hit Palin on her knowledge of "the superhighway of terror between Pakistan and Afghanistan where my helicopter was forced down."

Turns out though the helicopter had to land because of lousy weather, not superhighway terrorists, and Biden was quickly retrieved by a US Military convoy all the while with American fighter jets overhead to protect him.

"Let's start telling the truth," Biden said during a presidential primary debate sponsored by YouTube last year. Yes, Joe, let's. And while you're at it lets explain why you and Barack Obama beat up Hillary for her lies but you get a pass.

Son of Obama Campaign Leader May Be Palin Hacker

We noted Wednesday that Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal email was hacked and the contents displayed on the left-wing Gawker blog.

The story gets turned up a notch or too considering that a number of reports indicate that the son of a prominent Obama backer may be a person of interest in the Federal investigation of the hacking.

Democratic Tennessee State Represenative Mike Kernell of Memphis has confirmed that his 20 year old son David is "the one in question" but declined further comments.  A number of internet reports note that the elder Kernell is the leader of the Obama campaign in the Volunteer state. The head of the FBI's office in Memphis has confirmed they are involved in the investigation.

Blogger Michelle Malkin reports that a poster with the email address of rubico10@yahoo.co posted on a discussion board that he was the person behind the Palin hack (not an internet mischief making group as previously reported) and confirming the break-in.  A pro-Palin blog has found evidence from 2003 when David was 15 where he posted under that same email address.

Sounds like it good be a mess.  Stay tuned.

Sam's Campaign Hotsheet

Following the Republican National Convention and the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin by Presidential nominee John McCain as his running mate, the GOP campaign has seen a surge in poll numbers and fundraising leaving the Obama campaign a bit nervous. McCain rallies are attracting thousands more attendees, McCain has pulled ahead of Obama in the polls and fundraising is through the roof. In fact, the McCain camp has raised $5 million in Obama's hometown of Chicago in just the last few days. In the meantime, Democratic stragegists are getting nervous that while the McCain-Palin camp gains steam, the Obama campaign has fallen apart and is horribly off it's game.

He has a tingligng feeling in his leg for Barack Obama but along with partner in crime Keith Olbermann, MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews has been removed as an anchor for NBC's coverage of this year's Presidential campaign. NBC has finally owned up to the fact that the liberally biased Matthews and Olbermann are commentators and not journalists and hence will officially fill the latter role. The more seemingly balanced David Gregory will take over helming the network's campaign related broadcasts.

We all knew it would be a matter of time before "Big Mouth" Joe Biden would open up la boca grande and insert his foot, but he did it. Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin who is the parent of a children with Down's Syndrome has been on record of being opposed to stem cell research however the specifics of her position are not yet clear. "Big Mouth" Biden, like he always does, stepped in it when he said he couldn't figure out how a special needs parent could oppose stem cell research, once again sinking the Democratic campaign to a new low.

Deep thinker Joy Behar from ABC's The View, who thinks Barack Obama is the second coming of Franklin Roosevelt and that government is the answer to all our problems went on an extended attack on Sarah Palin on Tuesday night's edition of Larry King Live on CNN. Among Goofy Joy's many criticisms of the Vice Presidential candidate is that Sarah doesn't wear contact lenses and that the Governor's glasses are a prop. Joy also repeated a number of the usual untrue rumors about Sarah that even liberal bloggers like David Markland have debunked.

Richard Viguerie: The race is on to define Sarah Palin;

If Republicans don’t do it, liberal Democrats will

(Manassas, Virginia) – Within the next week, Governor Sarah Palin will be defined forever in the eyes of the public, Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com said.

In a statement, Viguerie said:

“A critical rule in politics is: Define or be defined. Fairly or unfairly, Dan Quayle’s image was set within days of his selection as a candidate for vice president, and, forever after, the media sought out evidence that fit in with that pre-conceived image.

“Liberal Democrats are working quickly to Quayle-ize her. They are downplaying her experience and expertise, and trying to define her as ‘just a little housewife from Alaska.’ And, with the help of their friends in the media, they will get away with it – if the Republicans let them.

“There is no one who presents all pluses and no minuses. Sure, it would be better if she had more foreign policy experience, and if she had won the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes, while flying the space shuttle and curing cancer. But she is someone who represents the values and worldview of the American people.

“And she has the toughness to be president. She has spent her political career standing up to powerful men ranging from the state Republican chairman to the previous governor to the presidents of Exxon-Mobil and British Petroleum. Honestly, who is more likely to be another Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher – Sarah Palin or Joe Biden? Sarah Palin or Barack Obama?

“By many measures, she outshines Barack Obama in terms of experience, especially in fighting political corruption and making us energy independent. And while he has spent the last couple of years running for president, she has spent the last couple of years running a state.

“As for Joe Biden, he has foreign policy experience, all right – the wrong kind of foreign policy experience. He and those who represent the Harvard-Princeton-Yale ‘best and the brightest’ way of thinking have caused untold suffering for the world’s people. They extended the Cold War by decades, did almost nothing as terrorists waged war on America in the ’90s, and stood by as genocide was committed in Rwanda and Darfur.

“In the effort to beat Sarah Palin, liberal Democrats will play to every sexist stereotype that has kept women ‘in their place’ in the past. They consider conservative women ‘uppity,’ and won’t stand for Sarah Palin being vice president and someday president.

“They are terrified at the prospect that the first woman vice president and possibly the first woman president might be a conservative Republican. A few years ago, they were likewise terrified by Clarence Thomas and the prospect that that the country’s most powerful African-American would be a conservative Republican. They trashed Clarence Thomas and continue to trash him in the most racist and hateful ways, and they won’t hesitate to do something similar to Sarah Palin.

“If Republicans think they won’t do it, they don’t know liberal Democrats like I do.”

Richard A. Viguerie pioneered political direct mail and has been called “one of the creators of the modern conservative movement” (The Nation magazine), one of the “conservatives of the century” (The Washington Times), and one of 2008’s “top 25 influencers” among Republicans (NewsMax magazine). His latest book is Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big-Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause.

Richard Viguerie: She’s perfect

With VP pick, McCain “unites the GOP, gives conservatives a stake in the election, and puts a real reformer on the ticket”

(Minneapolis, MN) The selection of Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s vice presidential running mate unites the Republican Party and energizes its conservative base, Richard A. Viguerie said.

“McCain has chosen to balance his ticket with a principled conservative. Governor Palin’s life story is one of sticking to principle. She is living proof that a person can take on the corrupt political establishment – including corrupt leaders in her own party – and achieve great things,” he said.

Viguerie, the Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, added: “There’s an old expression in politics: Go along to get along. Not this time. The selection of Sarah Palin is one big kick-in-the-pants to the corrupt establishment in both parties.

“Congratulations to John McCain for hearing and responding to conservatives. Conservatives, the base of the party, have been listless. But, now, nearly all will work enthusiastically for the McCain-Palin ticket. In fact, this is the most enthusiastic conservatives have been since the era for Ronald Reagan.”

He concluded: “This is a grand-slam home run. Conservatives’ feet haven’t touched the ground since this announcement.”

Richard A. Viguerie pioneered political direct mail and has been called “one of the creators of the modern conservative movement” (The Nation magazine), one of the “conservatives of the century” (The Washington Times), and one of 2008’s “top 25 influencers” among Republicans (NewsMax magazine). His latest book is Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big-Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause.

A Pick for McCain

In as much as Barack Obama has in Joe Biden picked a contemporary of John McCain to serve as his running mate, the presumptive Republican nominee should consider selecting the Republican version of Barack Obama as his vice-presidential nominee.

For sure McCain's "short list" is somewhat long.  Former candidate Mitt Romney gets talked about a lot. So do Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and former Ohio Congressman and Bush Budget Director Rob Portman.  Also on the list are former Pennyslvania Governor and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, the 2000 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee. Lately former Secretary of State Colin Powell, an unlikely pick, has also received buzz.

And of course we advocated here for sometime the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

The challenge for McCain is to find someone who will 1) stay out of trouble, 2) shore up his standing with the base, 3) not scare off moderates as well as disaffected Clinton Democrats, 4) Hold their own against Joe Biden in debates and 5) give him a little Google juice going into the Republican National Convention.

I believe that person is Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Here's Jindal on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno:



Jindal has an interesting background.  He's a first generation immigrant who was born in Baton Rogue while his parents, immigrants from India, were attending Louisiana State University.  At 37 years old, he's the youngest Governor in the US.  He served in the US House of Representatives, where he was Britney Spears' Congressman. Here young people who are fired up over Jindal talk about the Louisiana Governor:



Could you imagine Jindal debating Biden who has referred to Indian Americans as 7-11 and Dunkin' Donuts workers?



More importantly he's an impassioned, articulate, intelligent, dynamic young man.  And he brings a lot to the ticket.  He'd be the only Southerner on the ticket.  Like Biden, he's a Roman Catholic who converted from Hinduism in high school.



He comes from a solid middle class background and worked his way up to the top at a young age.  He has the immigrant experience and if nominated would be the first Asian to be part of a major party ticket.  And he even has somewhat of a resemblance to his namesake, Bobby Kennedy.  A Rhodes Scholar, Jindal is ten years younger than Obama, was born one year before Biden entered the senate.

Unlike Obama, Biden or even McCain, as a Governor, Jindal is a Washington outsider who has solid Conservative credentials. As the child of immigrants himself, he has credibility when calling for immigration reform.



McCain could really fire up the troops, gets lot of press and find a candidate who could appeal to all the important swing votes - without the baggage of a boring white guy like Romney, Portman, Pawlenty, etc.- if he picked Jindal.

America's Iron Lady?

I remember hearing years ago that the first female President would probably be a Republican, particularly because at the time most of the supply of female Senators and Governors were Republicans.

That's changed some in recent years but upon the failed campaign of Hillary Clinton I've come to another conclusion why it will most likely be that a Republican woman will likely beat her Democratic counterparts to the White House: that Americans are more likely to turn the Presidency over to a hard fisted Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir type than a touchy-feely give me benefits Democrat.

It was nearly 30 years ago that the United Kingdom first came to be led by a woman, the old Iron Lady herself, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher was a cold warrior, virulently anti-Communist yet not afraid to shake up the old conservative order. She was most definitely the female version of her contemporary, spiritual twin and friend, Ronald Reagan.

In thinking forward as to who is going to be the American version of Thatcher I look past old guard hard nosed Republican grand dames like Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson or North Carolina's Elizabeth Dole . Both are contemporaries of John McCain (in fact Dole is a few months older than the presumptive Republican nominee) and both old enough to be Barack Obama's mother. Dole herself ran for President before Hillary Clinton was even elected to the Senate, though obviously didn't come as far in her attempt at the nomination.

No we have to move to this generation, that of Barack, Valley Doll and myself, those of us born somewhere between Apollo 1 and Apollo 11. And that of course would be none other than Republican Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.



Palin, who has one of the highest popularity rankings of any politician in the US at present, took on the old guard and shady government corruption in her own party in her state. She was one of the folks that put an end to the "bridge to nowhere" and wasn't afraid to piss off Republicans as she steamrolled through the 49th state to election as Governor.

Palin - known as "Sarah Barracuda" during her basketball days in high school, is similar to Thatcher in that she took on her party establishment, stood hard on principles, and never looked back. As Thatcher was an iron fist against Communism, Palin is on the right side of the issue when it comes to the war on terror, is a staunch supporter of the troops, supports the second amendment and fights against government waste and corruption. I bet if you look back at Thatcher when she was in her 40s, when she served as an MP from Finchley and was in charge of British housing policy, she was probably a lot like Palin.



As John McCain looks for a running mate, many of those suggested as possibilities bring as many negatives as they do pluses. Fortunately for Palin however, the math is on her side. She would bring an energy to McCain that he greatly needs, satisfy his conservative base and bring over many of the Reagan Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton that can't bring themselves to vote for Obama.

Then, serving four to eight years as McCain's VP (depending on his health) Palin is primed to become America's Iron Lady.

Hotties Could Save Republican Party

Usually Republicans are wizzened old white guys with the charisma of a wet blanket. But perhaps not for much longer as young, talented, strong, intelligent Republican hotties are coming on the scene.

We've talked before about Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Enormously popular, the 43 year old Republican has fought back against dinosaur, tax and spend Republicans in her home state and there's no doubt she could do the same at the national level. Many speculate that Palin could easily challenge bridge to nowhere builder Republican Senator Ted Stevens but a grassroots movement is growing to encourage consideration of Palin as a potential GOP Vice Presidential candidate.

Palin who has what is probably the highest approval rating of any politician in America at 84% has shaken up the GOP old boys club in Alaska, putting a stop to pork barrel politics and ending old sweetheart deals. She even put an end to the bridge to nowhere; killing what some considered to be the poster child for Congressional pork.

Some pundits who like Palin think she needs more experience. However some of her supporters posit that were Palin a male and a Democrat, she'd be considered the next JFK. Indeed, she has more executive experience and is of the same generation as Barack Obama.

Another young, female GOP power player of late is Jeri Kehn Thomspon, 41. The former media consultant and Republican National Committee staffer is considered to be the svengali behind her Presidential candidate husband, Fred Dalton Thompson. As the Thompson campaign kicks into high gear, Mrs. Thompson has become more prominent.

The Republican Party could be revived by turning leadership over to youngsters such as Palin and Thompson. Sure, Thompson's husband is the candidate and yet another wizzened old white guy, but should he be elected there certainly is a model for a first lady to follow to a political career of her own. Given that both Palin and Thompson are of my generation I agree its high time to turn things over to their peers.

By the way before any of you go nuts, when I refer to Palin and Mrs. Thompson being hotties, its the whole package, not just their looks. It refers more to a state of mind, intelligence and ability. Indeed, if Palin or Thompson were just clerks at the Piggly Wiggly, they'd probably just be considered of average attractiveness. Indeed, Henry Kissinger may have been correct when he said power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.