Although Outpost contributor Skip MacLure already posted some thoughts on this, but it's too good a topic to pass up.

As noted, Gallup's new poll has Obama's job approval among self identified independents down to a new low of just 38%, (down from 56% a year ago).  And given that the Democrats running for Congress this fall have the same (D) by their names...and have been an integral part of implementing the policies that helped create that job "approval", they're heading for trouble in November.

Of course, at least in public, the Obamanots will excuse themselves, rationalize away, and pretty much blame anything or anyone but themselves.

White House senior adviser David Axelrod said that the criticism of Obama as a big-spending liberal grows out of decisions the president felt he had to make to prevent a depression. "We were forced to do things from the start to deal with this economic crisis that helped create a false narrative about spending and deficits that's had some impact on independent voters," Axelrod said. "And that's something we have to work on."...

So it's not that their policies are bad and caused anything that any rationale or understanding voter would have a problem with. It doesn't have anything at all to do with the fact that this is a center-right country where conservatives make up a solid plurality of all voters...even among independents.  No, it's just a perception problem.  Yeah, keep whistling past that graveyard buddy.  read more »

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The reformers are at it again with yet another attempt to criminalize political speech and campaign activity.

From the government’s Department of Perverse Acronyms comes the “DISCLOSE Act”, which stands for “Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections”.  How clever.  And how disingenuous.

It’s being championed by New York Democrat Chuck Schumer in an attempt to get around this year’s Supreme Court decision which threw out restrictions on freedom of speech for unions and corporations in political campaigns.

The claim is that large amounts of money spent by corporations on political speech somehow corrupts the system, but it should be noted that Schumer’s bill would reinstate no restrictions on unions, just corporations and average citizens.  In other words, he only seems to want to cast light on “some” spending.  read more »

Poor Alvin Greene.

He pays ten thousand of his own money to run for his party's nomination to the US Senate, wins by almost two to one, and now his party is trying to blame the machines for his victory and overturn the results of the election.

Incredible.

Here's the latest from the Jim Clyburn conspiracy factory:

"Something went wrong with these machines," Clyburn said. "They were very unreliable," he added.

"All you need is a magnet" to compromise the machines, Rep. Clyburn said.

Who would have a motive? "The motive could very well be to embarrass the Democratic party. This could be embarrassing if we do not get it worked out. Or this could be someone who wanted to ensure a victory [for incumbent Sen. Jim DeMint]," Clyburn said.

Uh-huh.  Why not blame gremlins?

All the complaints, protests and proposed investigations are a smoke screen by SC Democrats to divert you from looking at more obvious issues.

Here's a few points to ponder:

1) Theories that the GOP somehow "gamed" this thing by planting Greene as a candidate AND getting him the nomination are absolutely insane.  Don't forget, we had a barn-burner gubernatorial primary going on...our voters were a little too preoccupied to organize a raid on the Dems primary.  read more »

Sometimes people do things that are just so stupid, they deserve to be pointed at and made fun of just on principle.  That goes doubly true for elected officials.

With that, we give you NORTH Carolina Democrat Representative Bob Etheridge, and his encounter with some college kids with camcorders on the streets of Washington, DC...

So what set him off?  Being asked whether or not he "supports the Obama agenda"...which says something about how comfortable he is with the subject.

Well, well. The party that took control in 2006 claiming they would have the "most ethical Congress ever" has decided that this ethics stuff is fine, if you don't take it too seriously that is.

The effort to "re-loosen" the rules is being led by the Congressional Black Caucus, although some members of both parties seem to be sympathetic.

Via Politico:

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have led the charge, airing complaints about the aggressive, independent panel in a private session with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last month, and they’ve drafted a resolution that, if approved, would severely curtail the panel’s power.

But there’s hot competition between the CBC and the official House ethics committee over who has less regard for the Office of Congressional Ethics, also known as the OCE. And the rest of the House doesn’t appear to be far behind in its disdain. Privately, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and even some congressional leaders, acknowledge that there’s a strong sentiment to change rules that empower the office to publicize investigations and wreak havoc on lawmakers’ political lives. ...

As hard (or not) as it may be to believe, the Democrats in Congress are working on yet another bailout.  Given how the American people seem to be growing more and more upset with the level of federal spending, you might find that a little surprise, especially since we're getting closer and closer to a mid-term election where recent polls continue to show the Dems in big trouble.

But you probably wouldn't be surprised when you consider just "who" the bailout is for.  That's because this big early Christmas present is for the labor unions.  You know, those guys who spent over 100 million (that they admit to) helping Obama get in the White House...and the same guys that the Democrats desperately need to be in high gear for them come November.

In other words, it's payback time (again) for the unions.

(Via FOX News)

A Democratic senator is introducing legislation for a bailout of troubled union pension funds.  If passed, the bill could put another $165 billion in liabilities on the shoulders of American taxpayers.

The bill, which would put the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation behind struggling pensions for union workers, is being introduced by Senator Bob Casey, (D-Pa.), who says it will save jobs and help people.

As FOX Business Network’s Gerri Willis reported Monday, these pensions are in bad shape; as of 2006, well before the market dropped and recession began, only 6% of these funds were doing well.

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Now that Justice Stevens has made it official that he will be resigning at the end of the current term, Barack Obama gets his second opportunity to make a lifetime appointment to the US Supreme Court.  As usual, the speculation is as rampant as the implications are huge.

The bulk of the speculation centers on what direction Obama will take.  Does he try to capture some of the political middle ground he’s lost in the eyes of the public over the past year, or does he go with his heart and pick someone as liberal as he is?

Of course the timing couldn't be worse for Senate Democrats.  They are already weary of political combat due to the battle over ObamaCare, which came in the aftermath of the fight over the stimulus, etc.  As a result, the Democrats in red/purple states that are up for re-election this year aren't too keen on having Obama pick anyone who might be deemed too radical.  They’ve seen the polls and would rather not add one more log to the growing fire of conservative activism in an election year.  read more »

There’s a lot going on over in the Congress, and not much of it is good news for the DeMarxists and the Obama regime’s headlong rush to destroy this country using the economy. It seems that resistance to the administration’s policies is reaching new heights.

Many Democrat lawmakers from both Houses are looking at the calendar, and then for which of the bright, young and fresh Conservative challengers is zeroing in on them. What looked like a pretty good year for the Republicans not too long ago, has begun to show indications of being a game changer of historic proportions.

Seems like the RNC in a bunch of states is getting wise in looking for, and recruiting, fresh strongly conservative candidates. All across the country, wherever there is a special election the Democrats are in crisis mode. The mood of the country is ugly and getting uglier. Where there’s no special election, there’s no less trepidation given the ever decreasing time between now and November. There’s an awful lot of what were solid Democrat seats out there that are now not nearly so safe, and many are in dire peril from aggressive Conservative challenges.

What’s the difference? It’s not the RNC, though they jumped aboard the Patriot express and thus far have handled themselves well. The Patriot movement insisted that smaller government, national defense, adherence to the rule of law and the Constitution be the banner that the Conservatives carry into the elections.  read more »