So I take Paul at his word that he’s not a racist. What he is, however, is an ideological extremist. He is so categorically opposed to public regulation of private enterprise that he cannot even bring himself to say that the Woolworth lunch counter should’ve been desegregated. Instead, he falls back on the remedies of the market: “I wouldn’t attend, wouldn’t support, wouldn’t go to,” a private institution that discriminates, he told Rachel Maddow. But he would let them discriminate.

Basically Ezra is claiming that since Rand Paul is ideologically consistent even in uncomfortable situations where many would not be that makes him ideologically extreme. Ok… that’s fine. We can go with that definition if Ezra likes.

Unfortunately for him, if we do go with that definition, that makes Ezra an “ideological extremist”. Take for instance this post from his days at the American Prospect entitled “Nazi Ideas“:

Nazi Ideas

I’m with Jane Galt on this one: Not everything the Nazis touched was bad. Hitler was a vegetarian. Volkswagen is a perfectly good car company. Universal health care is a perfectly good idea. Indeed, the Nazis actually did a pretty good job increasing economic growth and improving standards of living (they were, many think, the first Keynesians, adopting the strategy even before Keynes had come up with it), pushing Germany out of a depression and back into expansion. Unfortunately, they also set out to conquer Europe and exterminate the Jews. People shouldn’t do that.

Here you see Ezra supporting a Nazi style socialized medicine, a Nazi style nationalized automotive industry, and a seemingly a wide variety of other Nazi style economic programs. All of which, I think it’s safe to say, are ideologically consistent with a liberal economic philosophy but which most liberals would not claim support for. Thus, by his own definition, Ezra is “ideologically extreme”. Not two ways about it.

So the only thing for Ezra to do in order to retain whatever shred of integrity remains in his name is to either admit he is also an ideological extremist or immediately retract what he wrote about Rand Paul. Which will it be Ezra?

My review of Jason Mattera’s book “Obama Zombies” was published by them today and I think you should, ya know, go read it. Here’s a taste to get your appetite going:

In 2008, twenty-somethings like me began to notice a disturbing new creature appearing on their college campuses around the country and all over their favorite social networking sites.  They seemed to spread out everywhere, spewing meaningless dribble in the form of campaign slogans and infecting others as the year went on until it appeared a full-blown epidemic had emerged.  What were these ominous beings and where did they come from?

Anyway, enjoy:

Obama: bla bla bla bla bla hey guys bla bla bla the constitution says I gotta bore you to death tonight

Obama: bla bla bla bla I inherited a mess just like the world wars bla bla *Biden head shake* bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla random small town reference bla bla bla wall street hates children bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla this is the hardest presidency EVAH bla bla bla *fox letting teleprompter screens in the frame* bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla bla bla I healed the economy bla bla bla but not really bla bla but I will

Obama: bla bla bla bla taxes are fun and good for the economy bla bla bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla bla taxes arent fun and so I killed them all bla bla bla bla *obvious politician joke* hahahahahahahah bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla *harry reid falls asleep* bla bla bla *Pelosi displays no emotion or appearance of humanity* bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla the stimulus is totally awesome, come on guys, stop laughing bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla ok, so, never mind about the stimulus working bla bla bla bla lets do it again anyway! bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla bla bla *head swivel* bla bla bla bla bla bla *head swivel* bla bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla lets eliminate the capitol gains tax bla bla bla bla lets re-institute the WPA also!

Obama: bla bla I want to give a shout out to *looks at back of guitar* THE HOUSE!!! bla bla and lets not forget *looks again* THE SENATE!

Obama: bla bla bla bla people told me not to do stuff bla bla bla bla but I said hell no man! *slow serious head shake from Biden*

Obama: bla bla bla bla the US sucks at stuff compared to China and Germany bla bla USA USA USA USA!!! bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla solar power *crikets* bla bla bla bla nuclear power *cheering* bla bla bla oil drilling *cheering*

Obama: bla bla bla bla just kidding about oil and coal *puts on gotcha face* bla bla bla cap and trade!

Obama: bla bla bla bla exports will double because I want them to bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla *clapping* bla *clapping* bl*clapping* bla bla *clapping*

Obama: bla bla bla bla government schools suck bla bla bla bla solution? More government! bla bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla bla universal college! bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla universal healthcare! bla bla bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla I suck at politics bla bla bla bla bla insurance companies are evil bla bla bla fat kids

Obama: bla bla bla bla bla *dust off trusty talking points that have worked so well before* bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla seriously, your gonna like my health plan eventually bla bla bla bla seriously

Obama: bla bla dude, Bush made me spend all that money bla bla bla bla just statin’ the facts

Obama: bla bla bla bla *fox cuts to weird overhead view* bla bla bla belt tightening

Obama: bla bla bla bla bipartisanship bla bla *random democrat* bla bla bla *random republican*

Obama: bla bla I never believed all that crap I spewed on the campaign trail bla bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla Democrats have massive majority bla bla Republicans stop blocking everything we do!!! bla

Obama: bla bla bla bla I’m like Kennedy and Reagan combined and will rid the world of nukes bla bla bla bla bla

Obama: bla Iran is gonna get it bla bla bla bla you know, eventually

Obama: bla bla bla America rocks

Obama: bla bla bla bla oh yea, I almost forgot, dont ask dont tell bla bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla dude, dont you guys remember my slogan? bla bla bla bla

Obama: bla bla *random average person quote* bla bla bla bla *random average person quote* bla

Obama: bla bla bla God Da– Bless the United States of America bla bla bla bla *republicans rush out* Thank you *the end*

Now for the McDonnell translation:

McDonnell: bla bla bla Republican bla bla bla jobs bla bla jobs bla jobs

McDonnell: bla bla unemployment is high bla bla bla jobs are the answer bla

McDonnell: bla the stimulus sucks bla bla bla jobs

McDonnell: bla bla bla bla children bla bla grandchildren bla bla bla

McDonnell: bla bla big government is bad bla bla bla bla limited government is good

McDonnell: bla Obamacare sucks bla bla bla bla Obamacare sucks bla bla

McDonnell: bla Virginia’s got lots of oil bla bla bla bla

McDonnell: bla bla bla bla *Asian glasses guy shakes head* bla bla

McDonnell: bla bla bla I and the president agree bla bla bla but not really at all

McDonnell: bla bla bla bla *randomly drop scott brown’s name* bla bla bla bla

McDonnell: bla bla big government is bad bla bla bla limited government is good

McDonnell: bla bla bla bla USA USA USA USA!!! bla bla bla

McDonnell: bla bla bla God Bless America bla bla thank you *the end*

First, the House could pass the Senate version of the bill. Since both chambers would have passed the same bill, it would go right to President Obama’s desk to sign. However, Speaker Pelosi says she doesn’t have the votes to pass that through the Senate. It would also be political suicide, as seen in polls and the Massachusetts election.

Or, Congress could break up the large health care bill and pass small initiatives that most people agree with. For instance, increasing portability by allowing customers to buy insurance across state lines would almost certainly pass. Outlawing caps on benefits, reforming the high-risk pools, enacting tort reform, preventing insurers from canceling policies, and pooling small businesses together would go a long way in lowering costs for all Americans, thus helping the uninsured obtain health care.

Either way, without a super majority in the Senate, Democrats will be forced to negotiate with Republicans. Whether or not they will do that is another story. Democrats have a diverse caucus, from socialists to liberals to more moderates. As we’ve seen, it is hard to compromise with all these factions. However, with 59 votes Democrats need only find one of the Maine Senators to vote with them to pass their legislation.

At the moment there are 52 members of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of Democrats that aren’t on the ultra-Left. There are even more reps that come from traditionally conservative districts who rode the momentum of the Obama ticket into Capitol Hill. With Senator Brown being elected in blue Massachusetts, it sends a message to Dems from the South and Midwest. With the threat of not being reelected, these Democrats will be much more cautious with how they vote, especially in an election year.

Of the 33 seats up for election in the Senate, there are about 4-7 seats that could turn Republican.

- North Dakota seems to be the safest seat to change, as popular Governor John Hoeven leads by double digits in polls.

- Delaware will have a special election to fill out the remainder of Joe Biden’s former seat. Former Governor Mike Castle leads potential candidate Beau Biden, the Vice President’s son, by a handful of points.

- Arkansas seems to be trending Republican. John McCain won the state with 59% and incumbent Blanche Lincoln has drawn criticism for opposing the Stupak amendment that would eliminate federal funding for abortions, and endorsing the cap and trade bill.

- Nevada is an interesting race. Incumbent Majority Leader Harry Reid is seeking reelection despite low approval ratings. With the way health care is going, Republicans are hoping Harry Reid becomes the next Tom Daschle, the last Majority leader who lost reelection.

- Colorado, Illinois, and Pennsylvania are toss ups at the moment, but would take a great campaign for Republicans to turn these States.

In the House, all the seats are up for reelection. Currently, the Democrats have 39 seats more than the 218 needed to have a majority. Before the Massachusetts election, many experts believed Republicans would gain some seats, but not take back control of the House. However, since Brown won in liberal Mass., Republicans and experts believe there is a chance to regain control. However, incumbents have a 90% reelection percentage and it would take some great work to regain at least 40 seats.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Basically they’re calling Harry Reid a liar. While it is interesting in and of itself whether or not Harry Reid made his demeaning comments on the record or off I think there is another, more interesting, aside. That is why in the world would anybody think that saying his “negro” comments were off the record make it any better? If anything it just makes people wonder what else Reid says when he thinks nobody is writing it down…

$1,303,302.50 real.

$1.3 million in a single day for a candidate in a senate race must be some kind of record… and for a Republican in Massachusetts no less… and for a Republican in Massachusetts running for Ted Kennedy’s seat no less… and for a Republican in Massachusetts running for Ted Kennedy’s seat while vowing to make sure Kennedy’s dream legislation never gets past no less.

Hard to say how much is from people who will actually vote in the Massachusetts race and how much is from online conservatives in the rest of the country but regardless this is clearly a huge sign about the competitiveness of that race. Geeze the Dems must be sweating right about now. Can you just imagine if Brown wins?

For now (I’ll try to write more in the morning) here is his first post at his new roosting place. It’s classic Sean Medlock as I always say…