The Saddest Video You'll Ever See

Oh, the humanity!

One Recrimination and Three Things to Watch

Now that the McCain campaign has lost, the long knives and finger pointing have begun. Ya know something? It's been less than 24 hours and I don't suspect that anyone really gives a rat's ass who is to blame. It doesn't change the result.

I am going to offer only one recrimination, because I think it speaks to the larger problem that Republicans have to overcome. John McCain made one absolutely crucial mistake in this campaign, which was this: he accepted the framing of the debate that the MSM and the Obama campaign offered and spent the entire election arguing on their terms.

A pertinent example of how this played out -- McCain and his handlers let people who didn't support Sarah Palin create the narrative for her portion of the campaign. Why, precisely, were the interviews with Charlie Gibson or Katie Couric so consequential? Because the McCain campaign let them be. We could see what was coming. We had every reason to know that the networks would edit Palin's responses in an unflattering manner. This is standard procedure. But instead of putting Palin out there more frequently, on local channels, or on cable interviews, or with talk radio broadcasters, they accepted the self-appointed role of the the MSM.

Another example -- since Obama didn't want to talk about Jeremiah Wright, and the MSM didn't either, McCain dutfully pulled it from the table. Well, considering the central role that Rev. Wright has played in the President-elect's life, it sure the heck seemed like it shouldn't have been off limits. I can only assume that McCain didn't want to be accused of doing something dishonorable or racist. Well, he faced those accusations anyway. Would this association have made a difference? We'll never know. Meanwhile, a 527 rushed out a Wright ad in the last week of the campaign, and I was treated last night to watching Tom Brokaw and David Axelrod discussing how dishonorable the McCain campaign was for running the ad, even though it hadn't. If you're going to get blamed anyway, there's no good reason to keep your powder dry.

The next Republican candidate will have options. And the option I'd recommend is to go over the heads of the MSM. Take your message directly to the people, whether it's over the internet, through alternative media outlets or on television spots. Your message may not get to the general audience unscathed, but you can reach the audiences who are receptive to your message and make sure they hear it without mediation.

Now, three quick things to watch in the coming days:

• The fate of Patrick Fitzgerald. I have written about this issue a number of times in the past and it still matters. I don't harbor any dreams that somehow Tony Rezko is going to turn state's evidence and send Obama to the federal pen. But cleaning up politics in Illinois matters greatly. Patrick Fitzgerald is working on getting the information needed to prosecute the corrupt governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich. He's also working on matters that could eventually point all the way back to the real power in Illinois, which is in the mayor's office. Obama could pretty easily protect his pals. He has pledged not to get rid of Fitzgerald. If he does, you'll learn something pretty ugly about the new Leader of the Free World.


• The early hires. The first pick out of the box is not a good one -- it's Rahm Emanuel, the former Clinton hand and current congressman/button man, for Obama's chief of staff. Not to put too fine a point on it, but this guy has the potential to be an H.R. Haldeman type. Obama needs an effective, cool-headed executive in this role. Bill Clinton to his credit chose Leon Panetta, who was exactly the right sort of guy. Obama doesn't need a hot-headed, take no prisoners partisan. But that is who he has hired. It doesn't send the right message. I'll be watching the next few choices closely. They will tell you a lot about how Obama will govern.


• Watch the lame duck session closely. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will certainly feel emboldened and they are likely to try to get a head start on the next four years in the upcoming lame duck session, with the first order of business being another "stimulus" package that will be a festival of pork. Obama could establish a healthy precedent by talking Pelosi and Reid out of this idea. I hope he will.

Something to tide you over. . .

. . .while I think of my own list of recriminations. The amazingly prolific Jennifer Rubin already has a list of 30 items. Interestingly, she doesn't have my top one on her list. More on that anon.

Local Heroes

UPDATE (6 a.m. Wednesday): Wow, is the Senate race close. 99.7% in, and Coleman leads by just over 1,000 votes. We are headed for a recount, without question. I remain confident that Al Franken has lost, but my goodness, this should not have been this close. That 11th hour attack from Texas hurt Norm more than seemed likely. Meanwhile, Erik Paulsen ends up winning comfortably and Michele Bachmann squeaks by. Actually, that's probably the best possible result. As much as I like Michele Bachmann, her propensity to shoot from the hip is something that she needs to curb. I hope she learns the right lessons from this near-death experience.

Meanwhile, closer to home. . . .

We may be up a while tonight on the Senate race, but as the numbers continue to come in, it's looking like Norm Coleman will narrowly win over the execrable Al Franken. As I write, 80% of the vote is in and Norm has maintained a lead. I'm not going to stay up all night, but I'm pretty confident based on the precincts that seem to be outstanding.

Meanwhile, it looks like Michele Bachmann and Erik Paulsen will be going to Washington. Their opponents, Elwyn Tinklenberg and Aswin Madia, are both as execrable as Al Franken. Both richly deserve the defeat that apparently is coming. I'm especially happy for Paulsen, who has been the victim of a highly dishonest campaign from Madia and his surrogates.

Our local candidates, Ed Matthews and Lori Grivna, did not win, either. Ed Matthews has a bright future -- he's a very talented guy and I really hope he stays in the mix. Lori ran a good and honorable campaign but she ended up getting swamped by outside money and an especially pernicious last-minute ad blitz that she could not counter. I'm not sure what Lori is going to do going forward, but I still believe that Kate Knuth can be beaten. Lori has a positive role to play in this community and I hope that she stays visible in the district, since things may look very different in 2010.

Sometimes You Lose

There will be time for recriminations later. But not much time. There is work to do.

First, you do have to congratulate Barack Obama for winning the election. The popular vote will be fairly close, but electorally this is shaping up to be a landslide. He has run an excellent campaign. It would be churlish to deny that.

Everyone is telling us that this is an historic moment. And of course it is. President-elect Obama is African-American. He did rise from modest circumstances and has managed to convince over 50% of the electorate that he is the right man to lead this nation. No matter how much I disagree with this sentiment, I have to accept it. And we all have to accept that this man has an extraordinarily difficult job in front of him. And he will need help.

What do conservatives have to do? We have to support President-elect Obama when he does the right thing, and we have to challenge him when he does the wrong thing. He will do some of both. We have to ensure that we are clear in our focus and our arguments. We have to accept that, however narrow the margin, the electorate has not chosen a conservative presidential candidate. As I said, we have work to do. And it will start soon.

Happy Election Day!

Get out there and vote. But watch this link first.

Dispatches at 11:59

At 11:59, some of the truth finally starts to come out.

Item: The Alaska State Personnel Board releases a report that exonerates Sarah Palin of any wrongdoing in the so-called Troopergate scandal. It won't help Palin tomorrow, but it will be useful for her future. And she has a future, no matter what happens tomorrow.

Item: An administrative law judge rules sets a hearing to determine if Al Franken violated Minnesota law by running a false ad. Again, it probably won't help Coleman tomorrow, but at least the truth will be known.

Item: The Bishop of Kansas City, Robert Finn, puts it on the line for Catholic voters considering Obama:

I would say, “Give consideration to your eternal salvation.” Because to vote for a person who has expressed a fanatical determination to not only support abortion as it exists now but to remove all limitations on it through the Freedom of Choice Act, and to extend it without any recourse, throwing out all of the efforts of citizens over the last 35 years to place reasonable limits on abortion, that voting for a person who has expressed his determination to do this to Planned Parenthood, to NARAL — that you make yourself a participant in the act of abortion. That’s gravely wrong, and you mustn’t do it because your eternal salvation is tied up in that important choice.

Again, it might be too late, but at least it's been said. Catholics who vote tomorrow need to be mindful of Church teaching regarding the sanctity of life. Ask yourself how you square a vote for the Democratic candidate with the clear teaching of the Church regarding life issues.

If Obama Wins. . . .

Be sure to watch what happens to Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. Attorney who has been in the midst of cleaning the swamps in Chicago. Obama has promised to keep Fitzgerald on the job. He'd better. As the indispensable John Kass points out:

Will the next president keep Patrick Fitzgerald as the U.S. attorney in Chicago?

I really can't say. What are political promises worth from politicians with debts to pay?

But here's what I do know. There is no story more important to the people of Chicago and of Illinois than the future of Fitzgerald, who has systematically hunted down the corruption.

Corruption the Chicago Way doesn't only waste money and burden taxpayers. This isn't only about isolated instances of graft and amusing, earthy rapscallions. That is a cartoon. The reality is that Illinois political corruption is an infection that spreads. The people either are numbed and deny it, or they feel pressured to suck up to their overlords. That's not American. That's positively Medieval.

Emphasis mine. Read the whole thing.

The Big Shoulders

I've been babysitting my friend Gino's blog while he recuperates from surgery. In one of our conversations prior to his surgery, we talked about Chicago. Gino grew up in California but was born in Chicago and his family has basically shuttled between Chicago and the old country (Italy). As it happens, I was born in Chicago, too, but my family moved to Wisconsin when I was a baby. Given the excellent possibility that a Chicagoan may soon be Leader of the Free World, it seems like a good time to talk about The City of the Big Shoulders. It's feeling like this may be a series of posts -- fair warning.

Chicago is a lot of things, but most of all it's a magnet. It attracts people. The talented, the dreamers, the reprobates -- they all come to Chicago. They come to perform in its venues, work in its offices, drink in its saloons. It's a place of dazzling architecture, amazing physical beauty and unspeakable cruelty. But mostly it's a place where normal people live and work and endure. And what they endure a lot of is corrupt government.

And one of the things that is most interesting about the saga of Barack Obama is that he was attracted to Chicago. As it happens, Obama and I moved to Chicago about the same time, for very different reasons. I was just looking for a job where I could write. Never did find one, exactly, but I did end up working for a large corporate law firm in Chicago. Since I wasn't a lawyer, I ended up doing mostly administrative work and never wrote much more than memoranda.

The intersection of law and politics is a strong one no matter you go, but it's especially important in Chicago. The largest law firms were completely wired into City Hall and people with political connections were highly valued, especially as rainmakers. The firm I worked at hired a longtime Chicago politician and judge, Seymour Simon, mostly to have his name on the letterhead. We also had a one-time federal prosecutor named Joseph Hartzler, who eventually returned to the Justice Department and served as lead prosecutor in the Timothy McVeigh trial. The big law firms in Chicago have always had talented, powerful people. And without question, there was more than a little glamor there, even for those of us who were simply hired help.

Barack Obama spent time in this environment, too -- he served as a summer associate for one of the largest firms in Chicago, Sidley & Austin. He met his wife Michelle there. He met Bernardine Dohrn there as well, but that's another post. He could have pursued a safe corporate litigation career and lived a comfortable life in some fashionable Chicago enclave. Instead, he pursued a political career and now may be moving to the most famous address in the world.

What always struck me about working there was that, more than anything else, it was a very mercernary business. Our attorneys worked on huge, complicated transactions -- I recall working for several days at a closing for the sale of a large regional shopping mall, notarizing documents and helping to assemble closing books that looked like unabridged dictionaries. Often attorneys represented the other side of the transaction would be there as well and there would be an elaborate minuet going on, with cellphones and faxes. One New York firm that often came would outfit all of their attorneys in blue shirts -- it was apparently some sort of trademark thing. The sums that our firm would charge were amazing -- I would be working on a project until 10 or 11 at night and they would pay for a cab to take me home (the El was pretty dicey after about 9 p.m. in those days) and charge it to the client. What I also sensed is that a lot of the work I had to do was strictly because of the need to comply with strange regulations. This was especially true of transactions involving properties in Chicago itself. No one seemed to sweat the costs much, but I knew that the costs involved were enormous because I sometimes saw the bills.

One of the reasons that I ultimately left Chicago is that it always felt needlessly complicated. It became clear that much of the complication came from not only the regulations, but the arbitrary ways they were enforced. There are many reasons why having a Chicago politician in the White House concern me, but this sense of complication is one of the strongest. I don't sense that a lot of voters really understand what they might be voting for. I worry that the reality is going to be pretty complicated indeed. More on this in the coming days.

Sunday Papers

We get the Sunday papers mostly because of the ad circulars these days. If you want news and commentary that tells you something, you need to go online. I'd like to commend these two items to your attention:

• I am often instructed by my betters to be less provincial and to pay more attention to the views of "the world." Okay. Here's an essay from Australian blogger Currency Lad with some excellent insights.


• Yesterday we talked about Sen. Obama's notion of the government sending price signals. Well, watch this video. You tell me -- why the hell should anyone in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia or Colorado vote for Barack Obama? And on a local level, for those of you entranced by Kate Knuth and her "cap and trade" ideas, have you really thought that through?

(HT: Captain Ed)

Reverse Auction

Just a reminder on those vaunted Obama tax cuts -- the number is moving. Where will it get by January 20? We can find out, or try this suggestion -- make the reverse auction moot with a vote for John McCain on November 4.

Obama's Left-Turn Signal

It won't last, but for now I'm really enjoying the gas prices. If you click on that link, it shows that gas is $1.97/gallon at 3 gas stations in the Roseville/New Brighton area. As it happens, those are the three gas stations in the Twin Cities that are closest to my house. The sign I've posted here is from the SuperAmerica by my house. It's a lovely, lovely image.

But it won't last. And if you want to know one reason why, consider this. Barack Obama believes that the government needs to be sending price signals. From an interview with Iowa public television:

Q: How do you convince people to change their lifestyles, to live differently, or to turn the question on its ear, are voters ahead of the politicians on this stuff? Do they get it, and maybe the politicians don’t?

A: Well, I think, uh, I think voters do understand it. I think it is important for us to send some price signals to change behavior.

And why shouldn't the government do it? They do such a good job of it, right?

How does a government send "price signals?" Typically, what they can do is impose taxes or tariffs. In other words, they put their thumb on the scale. And the costs to businesses are inevitably passed on to consumers. Whether you know it our not, you have certainly paid a "fuel surcharge" on something you've purchased this year. Chances are, you can't pass your added costs on to someone else. Go ahead, demand a fuel surcharge from your employer and see how far it gets you.

Obama and his pals in Congress have a lot of big ideas in store for the electorate. While there's little doubt that a lot of people have convinced themselves that they need to punish the Republicans for sins real and imagined, it's not clear that people really want a return to the Great Society. That's what is coming if Obama wins and has coattails. It's not too late to send a ballot signal, folks.

Random Crap from the 70s - More Odd Kid Shows

It's Friday night and it's Halloween. So let's remember how scary things were for some of us when we were growing up.

I didn't watch this first show that much, but it was always especially strange the few times I watched it. It was our favorite secret agent:

Lancelot Link

So do you suppose that PETA would let something like this go by nowadays? You also have to love the stereotypes -- nothing like putting a Fu Manchu mustache on a chimpanzee.

I hate to admit this, but one year I carried this lunch box. Mercifully, it was only for a year and only because I had broken an infinitely cooler one. But I do remember watching the show in question, a bizarre cross between Scooby Doo and Yogi Bear. Help, help! Here come the bears

The Hair Bear Bunch

A few years on, we were treated to the "U.S. of Archie," where for reasons that are hard to understand at this point, someone decided to use the durable teenagers as instruments of learning. Only in the 70s could you have something like this, as the Archies celebrate Thomas Edison with an odd, dirgy song.

Meanwhile, Sid and Marty Krofft continued to pursue their empire of oddness with the Krofft Supershow. This clip brings back a lot of very bad memories. They're all here -- Captain Kool and the Kongs, Superbug, Doctor Shrinker and of course, the delight of any number of boys approaching puberty with some trepidation -- it's

ElectraWoman and DynaGirl

And they're electra-annoying! But they were a stopgap between this (which had a few subtexts that I didn't get at the time) and this (which was to arrive soon thereafter). They did have some happening theme music in the 70s, too.

And it's worth remembering that as weird as the shows were, the ads were perhaps even stranger. Besides the perfidy of Mr. Owl, let's consider this interlude between Big Jim and Big Josh. What was Mattel selling here, really? At least it wasn't as odd as this ad for Calgon, which I swear ran for 20 years. But it could have been worse -- you could have spent $4.99 for this "20 Top Hits" record, with fake versions of bad songs. "Because of low royalties, we can't reveal the artists," but they were pretty good ones, like Ringo Sturr, Kat Stephens and Gladys Night and the Peps. Don't forget, order before midnight tomorrow.

I Feel Better About Obama Now. . . .

You will, too, once you've seen this report from America's Finest News Source. And if you need any further convincing, I'm guessing this dispatch should also ease your troubled mind.

Fearless Dilettante Football Predictions - Playoff Feevah Edition

We've lost a few favorites in the past week, but we still have games to pick as high school football feevah continues. Cowbell is not yet indicated.

Kimberly Papermakers 40, Oshkosh North Spartans 17. Stinger's beloved wasp-like fellows should have no trouble with North, which they defeated rather handily earlier in the season. And that wasp looks nasty, don't he?

Mounds View Mustangs 28, Roseville Raiders 20. Roseville has been a big surprise, knocking off our beloved Irondale squad and White Bear Lake (Go Bears) in successive games. The run ends here as the Mustangs will prevail. But it won't be easy.

St. Norbert Green Knights 34, Beloit Bucs 17. Beloit doesn't beat St. Norbert much. And while they've really improved this year, they won't win on Saturday. The day may be arriving, though.

Michigan State Spartans 34, Wisconsin Badgers 27. I had figured this one for a tough game even before the Badgers went into their tailspin. While beating the Illini was a positive sign, I don't see them stopping Javon Ringer, especially in East Lansing.

Minnesota Golden Gophers 34, Northwestern Wildcats 20. Yes, the Gophers could be playing on New Year's Day. Northwestern started out well but has been fading of late, while the Gophers are not fading.

Tennessee Tuxedos 21, Green Bay Packers 17. I'm hoping to be wrong on this one. I still think there's reason to believe that the Packers are the best team in the division, but this is probably the toughest assignment left on the schedule. I think those powder blue unis that the Titans sport throw people off.

Houston Texans 31, Purple Helmeted Love Warriors 27. Everyone is worried about the Viking defense losing the Williamses. They should. But this week they need to worry more about Andre Johnson blowing by the aging Vikings secondary.

How Bad are The One's Numbers?

Even CBS has noticed. It's getting so bad that there's a pending report over there on the Tiffany Network that Obama was AWOL from the Texas Air National Guard.

Developing. . . .

Moonlighting at Gino's

I'm going to be splitting time between here and my friend Gino's blog for the next week or so. It may mean that things here are a little slow for a few days, but I'll try to post at least something each day here. I would expect that many of you are already readers of Gino's blog. If you aren't, you really should be, because Gino is one of the most honest and fearless bloggers I know.

If you don't know, Gino is undergoing surgery tomorrow to remove a carotid tumor. His prognosis is excellent, but he's going to be in the hospital for probably a week. I'm deeply honored that he has asked me to keep the lights on over at his place. I will keep his readers posted on Gino's progress and probably do a few things over there to tweak him just a bit. Not gonna tip my hand on just how, though....

What was on television tonight?

I guess The One took over the airwaves tonight for a half hour. I missed the broadcast for an excellent reason -- I was at church doing my weekly duties as a Faith Formation teacher. With All Saint's Day nigh, we spent the night discussing why the lives of saints are worth studying.

I don't know about you, but my suspicion is that there is far greater value in learning about St. Francis, or St. Joan of Arc, or St. Thomas Aquinas, or St. Peter Claver, than spending a half hour listening to a messianic politician.

Political Differences Destroy Yet Another Family

As we all know this has been an especially contentious election cycle and the strains have been evident in many families. Voters in House District 50B may not have been aware of the tragedy unfolding within their midst, but we need to be mindful of, and sympathetic to, those families who have fallen victim to the raw partisan anger that has been on display.

We received what can only be categorized as a cry for help in the mail yesterday. The mailing was sent under the auspices of the ever-caring Minnesota DFL State Committee. This is an organization with a well-earned reputation for honesty and for the well-documented assertions that it makes concerning the passing scene. Because of the gentle nature of this organization, I was somewhat taken aback by the ferocious illustration on the cover of the brochure, which features feral lobbyists caged behind a glass door. It's a disturbing, alarming image.

Upon opening the brochure, I learned that it concerned the corrosive nature of lobbyists in St. Paul and the courageous efforts of certain local legislators to stem the tide of corruption that emanates from these jackals in Ferragamo shoes. I was alarmed to learn that a candidate for whom I offered support, Lori Grivna, apparently registered as a lobbyist. While it would have been easy to feel as betrayed, it seemed prudent to find out what evils she had perpetrated. As it turns out, she had indeed spoken with a number of legislators in 2007 on behalf of the Mounds View School Board. Once Lori's work was done at the end of the 2007 session, she ceased this activity.

I read on. The DFL brochure assured me that Grivna's opponent, Representative Kate Knuth, "stands up to the special interests." I learned from the brochure that Rep. Knuth "locked the lobbyists' revolving door," and that her commitment included refusing meals and gifts from lobbyists, and that, further, she was "putting solutions for our families ahead of lobbyists."

It all sounds noble, but there's a sad undercurrent to the tale. Since we know the DFL's reputation for probity, it is clear from the brochure that Rep. Knuth will have nothing to do with lobbyists. Unfortunately, that means that she has had to break openly with her own family. You see, her father is a lobbyist. Among his other clients, Dan Knuth has lobbied for Fresh Energy, an organization that has lobbied at the Capitol for years. As it turns out, Rep. Knuth introduced legislation establishing an environmental cap and trade policy that would directly benefit Fresh Energy. Imagine the betrayal Rep. Knuth must have felt when she learned that the policies that she was offering would benefit not only a lobbyist, but her own father.

The rift is so serious that one must assume that Rep. Knuth won't even eat at her father's house any more, because the DFL State Committee assures us that she eschews meals with lobbyists. One can imagine an unwrapped birthday gift sitting in a forlorn corner of her parent's house, gathering dust because their daughter would never accept any gifts from a lobbyist. Principled behavior is a lonely thing.

It's a cautionary tale and a reminder that politics are an ugly business. One can only hope that some day, once Rep. Knuth leaves the legislature, there will be a chance for this fractured family to heal.

Cross-posted at True North

Barnum Obama

I can only assume that Obama thinks he has it in the bag. How else do you parse this?

What we’re saying is that $87 billion tax break doesn’t need to go to people making an average of 1.4 million, it should go like it used to. It should go to middle class people — people making under $150,000 a year.”

That's what Joe Biden said yesterday. Haven't we been hearing incessantly that the threshold for Obama's tax manipulations would be $250,000?

Any bets that the number will change again after November 5?