Thin Crowd for Cleveland Campaign Rally

The thrill is gone.

CLEVELAND – President Obama wrapped up a weekend of last-minute campaigning here on Sunday, addressing Democrats in an indoor arena that, in a sign of the “enthusiasm gap” that the president is working so hard to close, was little more than half full.

About 8,000 people attended the Democratic National Committee’s “Moving America Forward’’ rally at Cleveland State University Wolstein Center, a hall that can seat 13,000. The rafters were largely empty.

Organizers noted the president was competing on a Sunday afternoon with church, football and Halloween. And Mr. Obama drew a huge crowd of about 35,000 when he was in nearby Columbus earlier this month. Still, the thin crowd was perhaps a foreboding sign in the waning days of the mid-term races, when Mr. Obama – who was joined Sunday by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. – considers getting Democrats to the polls his most important mission.

CNN Genenic Ballot Poll

Two days before the midterm elections, a new national poll indicates that Republicans have a 10-point lead over the Democrats in a crucial indicator in the battle for control of Congress.

The GOP's 10 point advantage in the "generic ballot" question in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national survey released Sunday is slightly larger than the seven point advantage Republican candidates had on the eve of the 1994 midterms, when the party last took control of Congress from the Democrats.

According to the poll, 52 percent of likely voters say they will vote for the generic Republican in their congressional district, with 42 percent saying they will vote for the generic Democrat, four percent saying neither and two percent undecided. The GOP's 10-point lead is up from a seven-point advantage in a CNN poll conducted in early October.

CNN does it's best to spin a potential monumental defeat of the Dems. Ten points is massive and btw who in their right mind would consider a 45% increase over 94 levels "slight"?

Real Clear Politics now has the Generic Poll average at Republicans +7.8%. That is a record spread.

Saturday Funny

Crime in Central Park grows by whopping 45% in 2010: NYPD

Heckuva job Bloomy...

Crime in Central Park has jumped by 45% this year, NYPD figures show.

The Manhattan greenspace's precinct recorded 90 major crimes as of Oct. 24, compared with 62 in the same period last year.

Grand larcenies led the uptick, rising to 56 in 2010, up from 35 a year earlier, according to the NYPD.

"It's always a big concern when there is crime in our public spaces," said Geoffrey Croft, head of NYC Park Advocates, which first reported the rise.

Clinton Asked Democrat to Quit Florida Senate Race

I know, Meek says it didn't happen, Clinton says it didn't happen, but does anybody really believe it didn't happen?

Former President Bill Clinton tried to persuade Florida Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek to drop out of his U.S. Senate race and support Gov. Charlie Crist's independent candidacy in hopes of of thwarting a victory by Republican Marco Rubio.People familiar with the matter said the former president and other top national Democrats worry a win by the charismatic Mr. Rubio, a 39-year-old Cuban-American, would make him a political phenomenon capable of boosting the GOP's chances with Hispanic voters. These people said the conversation occurred during Mr. Clinton's Florida visit on Oct. 19. Mr. Meek wavered for several days—suggesting to some that he could leave the race—but decided against it.

"They had a conversation about the fact that the prospects of him winning had passed him by and that the only way the Republican would be defeated is to jump on board with Crist," said a Florida Democrat familiar with the discussion.

I really don't have a huge issue with the fact that this occurred, politics ain't beanbag. What I do have a problem with is the self righteous, sanctimonous left playing hardball yet obstinately refusing to shoot straight and "TELL THE FREAKIN TRUTH!

U.S. Waiving Penalties for Use of Child Soldiers

WASHINGTON -- In a move criticized by human rights organizations, the Obama administration has decided to exempt Yemen and three other countries that use child soldiers from U.S. penalties under the 2008 Child Soldiers Prevention Act.

In a memorandum to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Barack Obama said he had determined that "it is in the national interest of the United States" to waive application of the law to Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Yemen. He instructed Clinton to submit the decision to the Congress with a written justification for the move.

So are a lot of other things that are unconscionable that we refuse to do. Certain things are just completely unjustifiable and this is one of them.

65% Favor Getting Rid of Entire Congress and Starting Over

Let’s face it: Most Americans don’t have much use for either of the major political parties and think it would be better to dump the entire Congress on Election Day.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters say if they had the option next week, they would vote to get rid of the entire Congress and start all over again. Only 20% would opt to keep the entire Congress instead. Fifteen percent (15%) aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Of course, the Political Class strongly disagrees. While 84% of Mainstream voters would opt to get rid of the entire Congress, 64% of the Political Class would vote instead to keep them all.

We all know the old political proverb that if all the wealth in this country was re-distributed equally to every person, within a decade the same people as present would be wealthy and the same people would be poor..... My suspicion is that Congress would look very much like it does now in half that time.

Quote of the Day

Legendary film Director David Zucker comments on his prior contribution to Boxer:

"In the debate with Carly Fiorina, the subject was brought up, but Boxer was quite adept at deflecting it — and still without an apology. Let this video be my apology. Every time I see the public record listing my campaign contribution to Boxer — I wince. I mean, we all have things we’ve done in the past that we’re embarrassed about, but I’d rather have my being restricted to 100 yards away from elementary schools be public knowledge than that $5,000 Boxer campaign contribution."

Dems exit rally as Clinton drones

Appears that Bubba isn't packing em in any better than Barry

Former President Bill Clinton’s ‘get out the vote’ rally for Democrats at a downtown Chicago hotel was the most unenthusiastic WLS veteran political reporter Bill Cameron has ever witnessed.

Clinton was an hour late for the Tuesday afternoon rally at the Palmer House and droned on for another hour, sending dozens of the few hundred Democrats in attendance for the exits.

“Well, all we’re really asking for is two more years, that’s a total of four, to get us out of the hole and get us into the future. That’s half as much time as you gave them to dig the hole. Seems fair to us,” Clinton said.

The state's most popular Democrat Lisa Madigan was conspicuously absent as were state party chairman Mike Madigan and Mayor Richard Daley.

Latest Polls

Nevada Senate: Angle 49%, Reid 45%.

Rand Paul has a solid seven point lead over Jack Conway (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 50% to 43%.

Wisconsin Senate: Ron Johnson 53%, Russ Feingold 46%.

Fox News Poll: Raese 48%, Manchin 46%.

New Polls Suggest Sizable GOP Landslide.

Funny how all the polls are finally beginning to reflect reality a week before the election.

Poll: Webster Beats Down 'Angry' Grayson

Yes Virginia, there most definately is a Santa Claus.

Holding a steady 7-point lead over a controversial and increasingly malodorous incumbent, Republican Daniel Webster is poised to knock out U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, a new Sunshine State News Poll shows.

Webster, a former state senator, leads Grayson, D-Orlando, 48-41. Florida TEA Party candidate Peg Dunmire garnered 4 percent, No Party Affiliation candidate George Metcalfe got 1 percent, and 5 percent of respondents were undecided.

In a previous poll, conducted Sept. 25, Webster led Grayson 43-36, an identical 7-point margin.

"Webster has to be the favorite here. Grayson has failed to turn his negative image around, and is still viewed in a negative light by a 55-38 margin," said Jim Lee, president of Voter Survey Service, which conducted both polls. "This means Grayson has very little if any room to grow."

While Webster's negatives climbed 12 points since the earlier poll, undoubtedly spurred by Grayson's relentlessly negative advertising, the Republican maintains a relatively healthy favorable/unfavorable rating of 47/33.

Quote of the Day

The New American:

"Does it occur to anyone that Williams has been victimized by a politically correct environment that he, as a decades-long supporter of the Left, is partially responsible for creating?"

Sunday Funny

Sean Bielat blasts Barney Frank for hypocritical cash grab

So typicial of the left, tell the truth when it's convenient, when not, fagettaboutit.

GOP challenger Sean Bielat slammed U.S. Rep. Barney Frank yesterday for grabbing more than $40,000 in campaign cash from banks that received federal bailouts — despite the congressman’s own pledge to refuse that dough.

“The rules never apply to Barney — even Barney’s own rules,” said Bielat, whose surging campaign prompted Frank to pump $200,000 of his own cash into his run.

The Herald reported yesterday that Frank accepted $40,000 from bank executives and other special interests that cashed in on the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

Quote of the Day

Juan Williams commenting to ABC news on his recent firing:

Williams – who just got a $2 million deal for three years with Fox News – said it is making him rethink his previous beliefs about the left wing.

“I’ve always thought the right wing were ones that were inflexible and intolerant and now I’m coming to realize that the orthodoxy at NPR, its representing the left,”

Welcome back to reality Juan, things look a bit clearer now?

Teleprompter to make a debut in Parliament when Obama speaks

Another historic milestone for our beloved TOTUS.

A teleprompter will be in use for the first time in the Central Hall of Parliament when US President Barack Obama addresses MPs on November eight.

As per the tentative programme being worked out, the address by Obama, who once said that "America has its roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi", would not be for more than 20 minutes.

The president's programme in Parliament House complex itself will be less than an hour long, Parliament sources said today. It is scheduled to start at 5pm.

The programme will feature a welcome speech by vice-president Hamid Ansari and a vote of thanks by Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar. The US president would also sign the Golden Book, the visitors’ diary of Parliament.

Chinese woman forced to abort 8-month-old fetus

Does anyone think the far left in this country wouldn't support this law?

BEIJING, China -- A pregnant woman in south China was detained, beaten and forced to have an abortion just a month before her due date because the baby would have violated the country's one-child limit, her husband said Thursday.

Construction worker Luo Yanquan said his wife was taken kicking and screaming from their home by more than a dozen people on Oct. 10 and detained in a clinic for three days by family planning officials, then taken to a hospital and injected with a drug that killed her baby.

Family planning officials told the couple they weren't allowed to have the child because they already have a 9-year-old daughter, Luo said.

For the last 30 years, China has limited most urban couples to just one child in a bid to curb population growth and conserve its limited resources. China has the world's largest population, with more than 1.3 billion people. Couples that flout the rules face hefty fines, seizure of their property and loss of their jobs.

Oldest Object In Universe Found

Ooops, sorry, posted wrong picture, or did I...

Homing in on an object found during the Hubble Space Telescope's long, deep stare into the distant past, astronomers have fished out a galaxy whose light has traveled more than 13 billion light-years to get here, making it the oldest astronomical object found so far.

The universe's most senior citizen is called UDFy-38135539, but scientists suspect its title as record-holder -- previously held by a gamma-ray burst -- will not last.

"I don't think this is the limit, perhaps not even that close to it," lead researcher Matthew Lehnert, with France's Observatoire de Paris, told Discovery News.

Democrats suffer from Americans' unwillingness to accept economic reality

A real barfer from WAPO.

The simple truth is that Obama and the Democratic Congress were dealt a lousy economic hand, and they've played it about as well as anyone could. Along with their predecessors and the holdovers at the Federal Reserve, they prevented a collapse of the global financial system and a 1930s-like depression. But given the magnitude of the financial crisis and the global imbalances that gave rise to it, a prolonged period of slow growth and high unemployment was almost inevitable.

The political reality, however, is that voters are unwilling to accept that economic reality. They want to believe that government has the power to control the economy and fix it quickly when it breaks down. They are encouraged in that belief by politicians and special interest groups, by the media and by too many economists.

After reading this article just remember who’s been promoting the idea that “government” can and should do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.

Wall Street Journal: Some GOP House Leaders Push Compromise

They haven't even won the election and they're already talking compromise?

PORTLAND, Ore.—Republicans on the campaign trail are bashing the president and his agenda and some are vowing to shut down Washington if they don't get their way. Behind the scenes, key party members are talking a different game.

A number of House Republicans, including some who are likely to be in the leadership, are pushing a post-election strategy aimed at securing concrete legislation, with the goal of showing they can translate general principles into specific action.

Among the ideas is to bring a series of bills to the floor, as often as once a week, designed to cut spending in some way. Longer term, GOP leaders say they recognize they may have to compromise with Democrats in tackling broader problems.

Monday Funny

Dems take in twice as much “foreign” money as Republicans

Well what'a you know.

Democratic leaders in the House and Senate criticizing GOP groups for allegedly funneling foreign money into campaign ads have seen their party raise more than $1 million from political action committees affiliated with foreign companies.

House and Senate Democrats have received approximately $1.02 million this cycle from such PACs, according to an analysis compiled for The Hill by the Center for Responsive Politics. House and Senate GOP leaders have taken almost $510,000 from PACs on the same list.

Obama: Dems are in trouble because Americans aren't thinking clearly

I'm alright, it's everone else who's insane.

At a Saturday-evening fundraiser held in the home of a wealthy Massachusetts hospital executive, President Obama suggested Democrats are having difficulties in midterm campaigning because Americans simply aren't thinking clearly. Seeking to explain his party's troubles, the president focused not on controversial legislation like national health care and the stimulus but on evolutionary psychology. "Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument do not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we're hard-wired not to always think clearly when we're scared," Obama told the assembled Democrats, who had paid $15,200 a person to attend. "And the country is scared."

To "break through the fear and the frustration that people are feeling right now," Obama told the crowd, will require high-end donors not just to "write checks" but also to "lift up people's spirits and make sure that they're not reacting just to fear."

It's not the first time Obama has ventured into psychology to explain the public's resistance to Democratic policies. In a now-infamous April 2008 speech to a similarly posh fundraiser in San Francisco, Obama discussed Pennsylvanians who had seen their standard of living decline in recent years by saying: "It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." In the ensuing controversy over his remarks, Obama did not apologize or back down from his position but conceded he had made "poor word choices."

Sunday Funny

Arctic Ice Rebound Predicted

Man is not the primary cause of change in the Arctic says book by Russian scientists.

Article HERE.

Saturday Funny

Obama Administration Set to Announce Second Year of $1.3 Trillion Deficit

Unexpected?

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration will announce it has exceeded the $1 trillion mark in the federal deficit -- predicted by Congress' research arm last week as $1.29 trillion -- for the second straight year as it projects an even larger gap between revenues and spending for fiscal year 2011.

The Congressional Budget Office last week announced the deficit for the 2010 budget year that ended Sept. 30 was $1.29 trillion. That's down by $125 billion from the $1.4 trillion in 2009 -- the highest deficit on record. It attributed money recovered from the Troubled Asset Relief Program for the decrease.

The Obama administration is also projecting that the deficit for the 2011 budget year, which began on Oct. 1, will climb to $1.4 trillion. Over the next decade, it will total $8.47 trillion.

Deficits of that size will constrain the administration's agenda over the next two years and will certainly be an issue in the 2012 presidential race.

Photoshop of the Day

FIRST LADY CAMPAIGNED INSIDE POLLING PLACE

Is she fair game now???

First lady Michelle Obama appears to have violated Illinois law -- when she engaged in political discussion at a polling place!

The drama began after Mrs. Obama stopped off at the Martin Luther King Center on the south side of Chicago to cast an early vote.

After finishing at the machine, Obama went back to the desk and handed in her voting key.

She let voters including electrician Dennis Campbell, 56, take some photos.

"She was telling me how important it was to vote to keep her husband's agenda going," Campbell said.

I happen to agree with the long held and generally adhered to concept of leaving the First Lady alone. However, when the aforementioned engages in blatant electioneering, Katie bar the door. I personally believe that this is planned and choreographed. Her positives are far higher than Zero so the powers send her out and about and if anyone might possibly raise an issue, they can rely on the ole "leave her alone , she's our First Lady" defense.

Jobless Claims/Inflation/Trade Deficit All Up

More great economic news from Obamaville.

Weekly jobless claims, headline inflation and the US trade deficit all moved higher, according to data released Thursday that posed more questions for the economic recovery.

The number of people filing new claims for unemployment insurance rose to a higher-than-expected 462,000 in the latest week, the Labor Department said on Thursday, while the number of people still collecting jobless benefits fell to an almost two-year low.

First-time jobless claims rose 13,000 in the week ended Oct. 9 from the prior week's upwardly revised 449,000 seasonally adjusted claims. The four-week average of first-time jobless benefits, which economists prefer because it smoothes out weekly fluctuations, rose 2,250 to 459,000.

Military ballots may not count in Illinois

Again, the citizens who's vote ought to be counted first may be counted last or maybe not at all...

CHICAGO (WLS) - The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether the state of Illinois missed the deadline for mailing absentee ballots to members of the military and other overseas American voters as part of a new federal overseas voting law.

Cris Cray, Director of Legislation at the Illinois State Board of Elections, says not all of Illinois' 110 jurisdictions were compliant with the 2009 Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE).

The law requires every state to mail their absentee ballots 45 days prior to Election Day to overseas troops, government employees and other Americans who want to vote from abroad.

Cray says she is currently compiling data from each of Illinois' jurisdictions to determine which were compliant and which were delinquent. Cray said it's possible the ballots may not be counted because the state was tardy in sending them out.

Report: Transgender woman sues LPGA for birth rule

"Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies, rivers and seas boiling
forty years of darkness, aarthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave!
human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!"

A transgender woman is suing the LPGA over a requirement which states all competitors must be "female at birth."

The New York Times is reporting Wednesday that Lana Lawless, a 57-year-old who underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2005, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco claiming the policy violates California civil rights laws.

Lawless won the women's world championship in long-drive golf in 2008, but was barred from competing this year because Long Drivers of America — which oversees the event — had changed its policy to mirror that of the LPGA.

Read of the Day

If you read nothing else today, read this.

In only the last several years, you have no doubt heard more about the unemployment rate than you want to for the rest of your life. The talking heads and pundits tell you that it peaked out at 10.2 percent back in October of 2009.

They attempt to convince you that this followed from the low rate at the beginning of the Great Recession of 4.4% in March of 2007.

The official statistics tell you that it rose to 6.2% in August of 2008, 8.1% by February of 2009, 9.4% only three months afterward, and then reaching the previously mentioned high of 10.2% in October.

It may surprise you to learn that these are not the actual unemployment numbers though. In fact, when unemployment is measured according to the formula that was used when President Bill Clinton took office, it is actually around 20%. In the following text, you will see how this great disguise of actual unemployment came to be.

The Official Present Rate of Record Unemployment The currently used official unemployment number paints a picture of unemployment that is the highest that it has been since the 1983 recession. Back then, it peaked above 10% for a long ten months. Again though, these previous numbers were figured according to a different unemployment rate formula.

The Measure of Unemployment Used Today Today’s formula only counts a narrow segment of the non working population as unemployed. The people who are counted as unemployed do not currently have a job and have seriously attempted to find work over the last four weeks. They are all presently ready and willing to start work. This is called the U3 unemployment rate. It is also defined as the ratio of the civilian labor force that is aggressively seeking work but is still unemployed.

Feds to Sue New York Board Over Military Voting Violations, State Official Says

I'll believe it when I see it.

The New York State Board of Elections expects to get hit as early as Tuesday with a court order from the U.S. Department of Justice targeting counties violating a federal law that protects military voters, the state board’s chairman told FoxNews.com.

The legal action would mark the most aggressive federal intervention yet amid an ongoing debate over how to enforce compliance with the 2009 Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act , known as the MOVE Act. The Department of Justice is expected to intervene in several New York counties that missed deadlines intended to ensure that overseas ballots are sent, received and counted on time.

California monthly jobless claims hit 600,000, 208,000 drop from rolls

How any Californian could vote for a Democrat for high office is beyoud comprehension.

Laid-off workers continue to file claims in record numbers even though nearly 208,000Californians have exhausted almost two years of unemployment benefits, the state Employment Development Department reports.

In August, EDD processed 677,881 claims for unemployment. Those included regular claims for the first 26 weeks of state-funded benefits as well as extended benefits funded partially or totally by the federal government.

A year ago, just over a half million claims were filed in August and two years ago it was 310,000.

Graphic of the Day

Nonfarm payroll employment falls 95,000

"Obamaville".

(RTTNews) - With another significant decrease in government employment offsetting continued job growth in the private sector, the Labor Department released a report on Friday showing that total employment saw a notable decrease in the month of September.

The report showed that non-farm payroll employment fell by 95,000 jobs in September following a revised decrease of 57,000 jobs in August. Economists had expected employment to come in flat compared to the loss of 54,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.

BTW the U-6 unemployment measure jumped from 16.7% to 17.1%

West Viginia Senate

I cannot emphasize enough how significant this is.

Republican John Raese now holds a six-point lead on Democratic Governor Joe Manchin in West Virginia’s shockingly competitive U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in West Virginia finds Raese with 50% support, while the state’s highly popular governor earns just 44% of the vote. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

These findings now move this race from a Toss-Up to Leans GOP in the Rasmussen Reports Election Senate Balance of Power rankings.

More Lost Jobs

Wonder how the MSM will spin this as a positive.

U.S. Sept. ADP employment down 39,000. WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Companies in the U.S. private sector shed 39,000 jobs in September, according to the ADP employment report released Wednesday. The reading was below than economist's expectations of a 20,000 gain. This is the first decline in the ADP report since January. In August, companies added a revised 10,000 jobs, up from the initial estimate of a drop of 10,000. According to ADP, the goods-producing sector lost 45,000 jobs in September, including 17,000 in manufacturing. The service sector added 6,000 jobs. On Friday, the Labor Department will release its monthly employment report. Economists expect nonfarm payroll fell 8,000 in September after falling 54,000 in August. The unemployment rate is expected to inch higher to 9.7%. The private sector is expected to add 85,000 jobs, up from 67,000 in the prior month.

Latest Nevada Senate Poll

And the beat goes on...

In the latest polling available Senate candidate Sharon Angle has pulled ahead of Harry Reid in the race for this highly publicized Senate seat.

Latest polls show Angle pulling ahead of Reid with a 49% approval rating. Reid came in three points short with 46%.

On Sunday the Las Vegas Review- Journal, Nevada’s largest newspaper endorsed Angle over Reid.

Conyers Has Driver's License Suspended After Bounced Check

How ironic that one of the most powerful people in the House can't keep his personal fiscal "house" in order.

Rep. John Conyers, the powerful chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, had his driver's license suspended for a month this summer when a check he used to pay the renewal fee bounced, according to Michigan driving records obtained by The Associated Press.

The 81-year-old Detroit Democrat tried to renew his license at a secretary of state branch office on Feb. 2, the records show. Months later, state officials determined the bank account tied to the check had insufficient funds, and his license was suspended on June 30.

Conyers eventually paid the fee, and his suspension was lifted July 26.

Asked for an explanation, Conyers' Detroit district office responded with a written statement that said "a check was inadvertently written to renew the chairman's driver's license from an account that had been recently closed.

Sunday Funny

C-SPAN Uses 8/28 Crowd Shot for ‘One Nation’ Promo

Story Here. Now the actual scenes
Theses photos were both taken at approx. 12:00 noon. Bet you can figure out which rally is which.

High School football player with Down syndrome scores

Guess I’m a heart hearted SOB but when the details of this story became apparent, the thrill was gone.

The other team let him run unimpeded so he could score. Whatever the situation, when in competition when something is given rather than earned, is it truely worth anything?

Video HERE, you decide.

Fox News Poll

The 2012 presidential race begins in earnest on Nov. 3 -- the day after the upcoming midterm elections -- and President Obama looks to be in trouble at the starting gate.

A Fox News poll released Friday shows that 54 percent of voters say they would vote for someone else rather than re-electing Obama if the presidential election were held today. That’s up from 47 percent in a January poll and 31 percent in April 2009.

Thirty-nine percent would vote to re-elect the president now, down from 43 percent in January. That's a dramatic drop from the 52 percent who felt that way in April, at his term's 100-day mark.

OUCH!