If Bush Had Done That

RNC National Walk Day Tomorrow

2012-05-19T05:00:30Z

Tomorrow in key battleground states, the RNC has organized a “volunteer day” or Walk Day. This is the first major Get Out The Vote effort of the general election for Republicans. I had a few moments to talk with RNC Political Director Rick Wiley and spokesperson Kirsten Kukowski from the RNC today about what the event is all about, and what they hope to accomplish. First, here’s the official blurb: RNC National Walk Day . Tomorrow the RNC will hold a national walk day to engage our grassroots activist across the country in battleground states to knock on doors of independent voters and add to our Get Out the Vote efforts to defeat Barack Obama. The states participating include: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The primary goal is to get as many people “to the doors” as possible, rather than just over the phone, says Wiley. Volunteers and campaign workers are going to pound pavement, going door to door on foot in order to both identify republican leaning voters that may not yet have been reached, and to get those voters interested, involved, and eventually, in the voting booth. Wiley referred repeatedly to adding voters to various “universes”, the early voting universe, the absentee universe, etc. So the thought here is that the walk tomorrow gives the various local offices the ability to sort of guide potential voters through the entire process. And that’s not all that the GOP is up to. The RNC is referring to the various local locations as “Victory Offices”. It is the victory offices that will be the hubs for the National Walk tomorrow. But even with the emphasis on knocking on doors and interacting directly with voters, there is a major online component as well. Via Facebook, the party has a new, high-tech app for encouraging volunteerism. The Social Victory app is a multi-faceted tool that gives users the ability to, for example, see local events like the National Walk day; Opportunities to volunteer, in other words. Here’s a screenshot (click to enlarge): You can also, per usual for apps like this, forward info, “like” things (natch), and even set up virtual phone banks to call on behalf of the campaigns. When you place together shoes on pavement, and clicks on apps, I’m staring to have a excellent deal more confidence in the party’s ability to capitalize not only on volunteers, but on the web, in a competitive way that we just didn’t see in 2008. That year, Barack Obama’s machine online was the stuff of legend. I don’t know if the GOP is going to be legen .. wait for it .. dary this time around. But the fact is the Victory Center app is really pretty awesome, and with an effective voter ID and GOTV effort, I don’t see them being eclipsed by the Obama machine this year. I’ll try to get an update for you on Monday on how it all worked out. So far, looks pretty promising to me. Oh, I did question one more thing. I questioned if they would say they were “super duper” excited about the RedState Gathering in Jacksonville, Florida, August 2 – 5, or if they were just “very very” excited. The answer? “The former!” Excellent answer!

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RNC National Walk Day Tomorrow

What the obama Administration Has Taught America

2012-05-19T03:32:40Z

Facebook Inc.’s $16 billion initial public offering has made Mark Zuckerberg the 29th richest carbon based life form on Earth. Facebook provides entertainment and a fun way to spend your leisure time. America should like Zuckerberg. Whatever happens, do not ever criticize him for not paying hisfair share of taxes…he’s cool in the administration’s eyes and they’re down with whatever he does. Heck, he might even turn out to be as cool as George Clooney. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the top three U.S. oil companies alone paid …

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What the obama Administration Has Taught America

Daily Links – May 18, 2012

2012-05-19T01:30:37Z

Today is May 18th. On this date in 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte became the Emperor of France. His first official act was to make Andre the Giant illegal. Also on this date in 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. The column of smoke and volcanic ash rose 80,000 feet into the atmosphere, with debris and deposits from the column spanning 11 states. Reached for comment, the volcano issued this statement: “My terrible, my terrible. It was a long day, they got my order incorrect at Starbucks again , and then some jerk cut me off in traffic. I just blew up!” On this date in 1846, Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé was born. He was best known for his Fabergé eggs. It took weeks for him to lay them all, and he never walked the same again. And finally, today is National Pizza Party Day, when pizzas from around the world get together to dance, drink, and just hang out and be . Consider this an Open Thread . Like, Dad | Letters of Note “In June of 1971, just days before his 26-year-ancient son, Michael, got married, future-U.S. President Ronald Reagan sent him the following letter of advice. It really is quite stunning.” John Lewis: Republicans making it ‘nearly impossible for the average person’ to vote | Right Scoop “What’s unbelievable to me is that John Lewis, who claims to have such a passion for protecting the right to vote, really has such small regard for protecting this unique privilege and would rather lie to the American people” Comedy Central: ‘Conservative Hashtag Games Are Ruining Twitter’ | Newsbusters “The folks at Comedy Central really published an article Thursday with the headline ‘Conservative Hashtag Games Are Ruining Twitter’” Did Elizabeth Warren Plagiarize Her ‘Pow Wow Chow’ Recipes? | Huge Government “Ms. Warren ‘s campaign has not commented on the suggestion that she may have plagiarized her recipe contributions to the Pow Wow Chow cookbook.” For Obama, Hopelessness is the Key to Lower Unemployment from Dan Hellman . ternate (tur-nit, -neyt): adjective consisting of three; arranged in threes. (via Dictionary.com)

Ad Wars

2012-05-19T00:15:50Z

I am a rabid online video consumer. I like them, I watch them, I make them . The greatest thing about online videos is that, unlike television, the creators have all the time they need to clarify their point and they are, more importantly, a relatively inexpensive way to react quickly to the opposition. I’m not sure the Obama administration has figured out yet that between our continual victories on twitter and our exploding video production capabilities, they aren’t the only game in town anymore. Back in 2008, most tech savvy people found the McCain campaign to be woefully inadequate online. This doesn’t appear to the be the case this election cycle with Romney’s camp & conservative SuperPACs pushing new content nearly daily. It is also making for an fascinating back and forth between competing narratives. Take for instance this ad from American Crossroads about Obama’s broken promises. Seems cut and dry. Obama made promises. Obama didn’t keep those promises. Obama is a guy that doesn’t keep promises. But the Obama camp responds with their own video saying that American Crossroads is funded by “secret donors” to spread lies with an evil $25 million ad campaign. They of course ignore the “secret donors” of SuperPACs on the left supporting Obama, the billions that labor unions pour into elections and the fact that American Crossroads $25 million ad blitz was merely matching what the Obama camp was spending. Here’s their response: Deliciously, American Crossroads used a similar format to respond to the response. Ultimately, the hubris of the left (who have always owned the realm of visual media) could be their undoing as it appears we conservatives have finally gotten our crap together and are standing firm in what used to be the left’s playground. The shroud of the left has fallen. Begun, the ad wars have. Follow @BenHowe

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Ad Wars

There’s No Need To Run A 10 Million Dollar Campaign To Talk About Jeremiah Wright

2012-05-18T23:33:06Z

Last night, Michael Savage was ripping Mitt Romney up one side and down the other over this tale. Don’t go there. That, in essence, is the message Thursday from Mitt Romney, who said he “repudiates” an thought that was reportedly under consideration by an outside GOP group to run ads using the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. to attack President Obama. Since publication of The New York Times article Thursday describing the thought, the Chicago billionaire who was reportedly considering funding the $10 million plot has disavowed it. But that news came …

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There’s No Need To Run A 10 Million Dollar Campaign To Talk About Jeremiah Wright

“Who was that lady I saw you with last night,” Tom Barrett? #wirecall

2012-05-18T23:30:25Z

…Oh, relax: it’s an ancient vaudville/movie routine. You know: “That was no lady: that was my wife.” Yeah, that one’s older than my parents , let alone me. Still: why exactly did Democratic Wisconsin recall gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett shrug off ceremonies honoring Milwaukee policemen this week? Including one on Wednesday that honored Milwaukee cops killer in the line of duty ? I question… well, mostly because I figure that the answer is going to embarrass Tom Barrett; but also because Barrett likes to talk a lot about how Governor Scott Walker is supposedly campaigning at the expense of his job. Which makes Walker’s presence at a function that Barrett was absent from – we can all agree that honoring killer Milwaukee policemen is part of the job of Mayor of Milwaukee, surely? – somewhat, well, awkward. Hey! That describes the Wisconsin Democratic party’s current rhetorical position, too! It’s all cyclic, isn’t it… Snark aside, I’m hearing that the reason that Tom Bartlett might have skipped out of this may not have been for the immediately obvious reason (which is to say, sucking up to a campaign donor who was on a tight time schedule). It may simply be that Tom Barrett just doesn’t like cops or firefighters very much. Moe Lane ( crosspost ) UPDATE: Just got sent this via @jbsatt on Twitter : Barrett passed on honoring cops to… suck up to the unions. It’s not entirely clear whether this happened Tuesday night or Wednesday, but either way… well, when I got sent this the only comment attached to it was “DOOM?” Yeah. DOOM. [Other UPDATE: So, yeah, it looks like that last set of edits didn't go through at all. Oops...]

We Must End Gov’t Bias Towards Employer-Provided Health Coverage

2012-05-18T22:43:49Z

The liberal cycle of statism, at its core, originates from a government-induced problem. When nobody is paying attention to an issue, liberals swoop in and impose a pernicious regulation or mandate on a private industry. That regulation lays dormant for a number of years like a ticking time bomb. Then, many years later, it blows up the industry. Liberals summarily swoop in to accuse private enterprise of raising costs on the poor, and demand that their “solutions” be enacted. Nowhere is this cycle more evident than with the health insurance industry. During the 40s, Congress imposed wage controls on private employers, limiting the pay raises that could be doled out to employees. This destructive and unconstitutional act led employers to look for other means of compensation to attract talent and reward productive employees. This gave rise to the tax exemption for employer-provided health insurance officially made in 1954. In small order, most employers started paying for the health insurance of their workers. This in turn distorted the market and tilted the playing field away from the individual. It also dramatically spiked the cost of health insurance by providing too much coverage and generating artificially increased demand. This system also shielded consumers from the real cost of the coverage. Hence, we are now stuck with a situation where those who don’t delight in employer-provided coverage are holding the bag of higher costs – all brought to you by government’s infringement on the free market. Conservative healthcare policy expert Avik Roy offers an insightful presentation on the inimical effects of government’s tendentious treatment of employer-based coverage at Forbes online . Here is the thrust of his argument: Stanford Nobelist Kenneth Arrow famously described third-party insurance as one of the principal flaws in America’s health-care market. That is to say, because patients don’t pay for their health care directly, they’re insensitive to the cost and value of that care. But the 155 million Americans with employer-sponsored insurance in fact have fourth-party insurance. Not only do they not directly pay for their care, but they don’t directly pay for their third-party insurance. It is, therefore, no surprise that insurers cave in when hospitals demand higher prices. Workers have no thought what their employers spend on their health plans, and therefore get upset when their employers buy insurance that doesn’t provide access to brand-name hospitals. “Of critical importance [to increased hospital leverage] was employer resistance to choice-limiting networks with few providers,” write the Health Affairs authors. We’ve gotten to the point that nearly 60% of those under 65 receive their health insurance from their employer. It’s terrible enough that we have all this third-party money – from overused insurance to Medicare, Medicaid, and SChip – shielding consumers from the costs and distorting the natural market for healthcare. Fourth-party coverage, as Mr. Roy place it, is even worse. This system is unsustainable and must be reformed. Instead of contemplating retaining some of the worst mandates under Obamacare in order to help the uninsured, Republicans should go to rectify the market-distortions made by government intervention. There are obviously many different ways to inject more market forces into the system, but the lowest hanging fruit is the bias towards employer-based insurance. The least we can do is end government’s bias towards fourth-party payer healthcare and then work on the third-party elements (including Medicare and Medicaid) at a later date. This can be accomplished by either eliminating the tax preference for employer-provided health insurance or offering it to individuals as well, along with expansion of HSAs to include any insurance plot. Obviously, before we enact any new reforms, we must kill Obamacare to prevent employers from being further incentivized to dump people into the Obamacare exchanges. It will take years and numerous reforms to restore the free market in healthcare from government control, but the least we can do is place an end to the special treatment of employer-based tax coverage. Cross-posted from The Madison Project

Blogger Gets Ripped Off by Newspaper, Gets Satisfaction on Video

2012-05-18T21:00:19Z

Duane Lester of AllAmericanBlogger recently wrote an brilliant expose about some financial troubles in the Holt County, Missouri Sheriff’s office. It was so well received that the Oregon Observer, a small paper in Missouri, wanted to cover the tale, too. So, what did the paper do…? Why the paper stole Duane’s entire post and printed it in its paper, grammatical errors and all. Worse, they never bothered to mention where the article came from or who wrote it. That’s right, the Oregon Observer just stole the whole thing neither paying Duane for …

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Blogger Gets Ripped Off by Newspaper, Gets Satisfaction on Video

An Environmentalist Comes Clean

2012-05-18T20:00:50Z

Well, well, well. We now know that even Captain Planet lives his life in an ethically compromised trade space*. It turns out that Van Jones and other leading environmentalists kept silent during the BP Oil Well Fiasco of 2010 because they didn’t want to hurt the Obama Presidency. They cared more about their human friends than the cuddly polar bears. I’m sure Artemis, The Hunt-Goddess is saddling up the hounds of ill-omen. Yet Van Jones elected to be a team player and let his commitment to the wild, untamed places die in a petrochemical bonfire. His small-lived, official position as a Green Jobs Czar makes the whole sell-out thing even more laughable. Nothing is worse than an environmentalist that bites the hand feeding him someone else’s money. Van Jones sycophants (all six of them) claim he has higher motives than just finding a powerful government patron. Greendig.com offers us the following lush, verdant agitprop. For Van, the green economy is really about the convergence of the social justice and environmental movements, allowing “all boats to be lifted” as we start the transition out of a dirty, carbon-based economy . Van Jones' Ethics Up In Chemical Smoke Yet when the slick, black Fluid of All Modern Iniquity coated the surface of The Gulf of Mexico, Van Jones and his Merry Pranksters** found other ways to spend their enriching and precious hours on Blessed Gaia. He describes his profound commitment to cleaner oceans below. You’ve never seen the environmental movement more silent during an oil spill. I guarantee you, if John McCain had been President, with that oil spill, or George Bush had been President with that oil spill, I’d have been out there with a sign protesting. I didn’t, because of who the President was. Just as Iraq and Afghanistan magically stopped being wars after Democrats took over Congress in January 2007, gushers of crude oil aren’t pollution when a Democrat occupies the White House. They are merely curiously large concentrations of naturally occurring hydrocarbons once that Democrat has place enough well-connect Green Activists on the Federal Gravy-Train. I guess a excellent Community Organizer has a duty to always support The Man. You know, just like Shaft.*** *-This is Van Jones talking, so I’m certain it’s a Honest Trade Space. **- Ken Kesey flew one last time over the Cuckoo’s Nest a decade ago. ***- Oops, that was sticking it to The Man. Poor Van, he gets confused some days.

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An Environmentalist Comes Clean

15 Facts That Even Obama’s Biggest Supporters Should Be Able To Admit Are True

2012-05-18T20:00:12Z

My latest Townhall column is called, 15 Facts That Even Obama’s Largest Supporters Should Be Able To Admit Are Right. Here’s an excerpt from the column. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.” — Daniel Patrick Moynihan Conservatives and liberals may disagree on reasons, motivations, and excuses for Barack Obama’s performance, but the facts are still facts. There may be many reasons that a pro football coach goes 1-15, but everyone can agree that his record is still 1-15, right? Well, here are …

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15 Facts That Even Obama’s Largest Supporters Should Be Able To Admit Are Right