She is losing what should have been a sure thing for a Democrat in a deep blue state. As Scott Brown turned out to be a very strong and appealing a candidate, Martha Coakley has turned out to be the opposite, inspiring long time Democrats to vote Republican for the first times in their lives.
What is causing her downfall?
Michelle Malkin thinks her tongue has been her worst enemy, and Powerline lists some of her most quotable quotes.
Truly, this past week has been a grievous one for Ms. Coakley in terms of gaffes. I was wondering which one harmed her candidacy the most:
Hillbuzz, is taking a page out of Alinsky’s book, rule #5 to be exact:
Rule 5: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.
The very best of these need to be printed out by the thousands and plastered all over Massachusetts. Or “Massachusettes”, as Coakley spells it. Just like the Joker posters that blanketed Nebraska and Missouri ridiculing the fools Ben Nelson and Claire McCaskill. If you are in Massachusetts, an effort should be made to get sympathetic printers to run these off so people can put them all over the place in major media markets…or take them to famous Massachusetts locations and then take photos of them hanging there, with landmarks in the background, showing these things all over the Bay State.
Bill Whittle went to Washington, DC to investigate radical Islam’s influence over the U.S. government and access to our national security secrets. Two whistle-blowers have the chilling details.
In Part one Whittle interviews a former State Dept Analyst who was given an assignment by the Joint Chiefs of analyzing Jihadi ideology and operational methods. He discovered to his surprise that the Jihadi view was the one supported by Islamic law. The reaction to the facts? You won’t be surprised. It gets worse…Find out how badly infiltrated the the United States government is in part one, here.
How has the election of Barack Obama effected the morality of the intelligence community? How has it effected the morale of our enemies? Why have attempted and successful terror attacks surged under Obama? Part two is here.
I’ve covered the Islamic paramilitary compound, Islamberg (one of several such compounds in the U.S) on many occasions, (click here and scroll down).
Here’s the FBI, as clueless as ever, picnicing with members of the compound several years ago:
FBI Agent Phillip Irizarry and other law enforcement officials at the Islamberg picnic
Several years ago, federal and state law enforcement officials finally did descend upon the remote compound but they made the visit neither to make arrests nor to investigate the reports of gunfire and explosions. They rather traveled to the compound to partake of halal hotdogs and Pepsi Cola at a communal picnic and to greet Islamberg’s newly elected mayor.
Tragically, It appears they haven’t wised up since then. Political correctness is going to kill us all.
Haitians set up impromtu tent cities thorough the capital after the earthquake
Really, I think there are no adequate words to describe the damage to this already poor and beleaguered country. But I think biblical in proportion comes closest. It’s a hard thing to fathom:
The full horror of the disaster was only beginning to emerge today – with scenes of utter devastation in the densely-populated city.
Bodies pulled from collapsed homes were laid at the side of the road and covered with sheets, with passers-by lifting the covering to discover if loved ones were underneath.
Helpless: A woman waits to be freed from rubble
Obama pledged swift, coordinated support to help save lives. The Pentagon was sending an aircraft carrier and three amphibious ships, including one that can carry up to 2,000 Marines.
The US, China and European states were sending reconnaissance and rescue teams, some with search dogs and heavy equipment, while other governments and aid groups offered tents, water purification units, food and telecoms teams
US airlines suspended commercial flights to Haiti. The quake knocked out the Port-au-Prince airport control tower. The US Air Force sent a team to restore air traffic control to allow flights to evacuate the injured and bring in supplies.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, UN special envoy to Haiti, said more rescue teams and heavy equipment were needed.
‘We need more helicopters,’ Clinton told CNN. ‘The most important thing is to get people into the (collapsed) buildings and find as many alive as possible.’
McCormack, says he was pushed into the metal railing by Coakley staffer, Michael Meehan, (who heads up a firm called Blue Line Strategic Communications). In McCormack’s view, he was feigning concern as he helped him up off the ground, as evidenced by Meehan’s aggressive behavior immediately afterward.
I think we have done what we are going to be able to do in Afghanistan. I think that we should plan an exit strategy. Yes. I’m not sure there is a way to succeed. If the goal was and the mission in Afghanistan was to go in because we believed that the Taliban was giving harbor to terrorists. We supported that. I supported that. They’re gone. They’re not there anymore.
In fact, the context of Coakley’s comments makes clear that she was talking about Al Qaeda, not the Taliban; indeed, military experts, including Gen. David Petraeus and national security adviser James Jones, have stated that Al Qaeda’s presence is diminished in Afghanistan, and intelligence officials reportedly estimate that there are fewer than 100 Al Qaeda members there.
WEAK!!!!
Whether she meant, Taliban, or terrorists….she’s wrong on both counts. They’re both there, by Media Matters’ own admission. And the terrorists, however small in number are causing massive problems, and are indeed at war with the US, as evidenced by the recent attack on the CIA headquarters which killed eight CIA officers.
Apparently, reporters who aren’t friendly Dems, and who have the impertinence to be persistent, and ask tough questions are what we call “stalkers” in American politics, today.
Bay State Attorney General Martha Coakley blamed GOP “stalkers” today for triggering tensions outside a Washington, D.C., fund-raiser last night where a Weekly Standard reporter said he was roughed up by a Coakley campaign worker.
Coakley, a Democrat, is in a red-hot race for U.S. Senate against GOP rival Scott Brown, where a poll out today places the two only 2 points apart closing in on the Jan. 19 special election. The post-fundraiser fury has now sent both camps scrambling.
Coakley said she is not “privy” to the facts surrounding the incident involving reporter John McCormack last night, who wrote about the episode outside the Sonoma restaurant in an online dispatch titled: “We Report, We , Get Pushed.” McCormack wrote he was pushed to the ground by a man he says is linked to Coakley’s campaign while he was asking her questions.
I know there were people following, including two from the Brown campaign who have been very aggressive in their stalking,” Coakley told reporters during an appearance at Kit Clark Senior Services in Dorchester. “I’m not sure what happened. I know something occurred, but I’m not privy to the facts. I’m sure it will come out, but I’m not aware of that.”
Here she is staring at what she’s not sure happened:
Good grief, she was right there… How can she claim to not know what happened? This woman is the MA Attorney General, and a man can be assaulted right in front of her, and she says she’s not “privy to the facts”?
The message to conservative reporters being…Do not ask tough questions.
If this story has a deja vu quality to it, for you, it’s because this same reporter, John McCormack had the cops called on him for asking Dede Scozzavava some tough questions after a campaign event during the New York 23 race, last October.
Perhaps trying to fill the void Lou Dobbs left when he left CNN , Cafferty sounds almost Milleresque as he slammed Pelosi, calling her an “awful woman” for leading a 20+ member expensive junket to Copenhagen, last month, on the taxpayer’s dime, during a recession:
They were joined by 17 colleagues: Democrats: Waxman, Miller, Markey, Gordon, Levin, Blumenauer, DeGette, Inslee, Ryan, Butterfield, Cleaver, Giffords, and Republicans: Barton, Upton, Moore Capito, Sullivan, Blackburn and Sensenbrenner.
That’s not the half of it. But finding out more was a bit like trying to get the keys to Ft. Knox. Many referred us to Speaker Pelosi who wouldn’t agree to an interview. Her office said it “will comply with disclosure requirements” but wouldn’t give us cost estimates or even tell us where they all stayed.
Senator Inhofe (R-OK) is one of the few who provided us any detail. He attended the summit on his own for just a few hours, to give an “opposing view.”
“They’re going because it’s the biggest party of the year,” Sen. Inhofe said. “The worst thing that happened there is they ran out of caviar.”
***
Until required filings are made in the coming weeks, we can only figure bits and pieces of the cost to you.
Three military jets at $9,900 per hour – $168,000 just in flight time.
Dozens flew commercial at up to $2,000 each.
(CBS)
321 hotel nights booked – the bulk at Copenhagen’s five-star Marriott.
This has to be the scariest thing I have read in a very long time. The Rand Corporation was asked by the US Army to prepare a report recommending whether or not the US Needed a National Stability Police force. Basically a call for American “Brown Shirts” Rand’s answer was a resounding yes.
Our analysis clearly indicates that the United States needs an SPF or some other way to accomplish the SPF mission. Stability operations have become an inescapable reality of U.S. foreign policy. Establishing security with soldiers and police is critical because it is difficult to achieve other objectives—such as rebuilding political and economic systems—without it.
There would be domestic applications for this force, as well:
The ability of SPF personnel to act in a law –– enforcement capacity while in the United States. One important aspect of the return on investment from an SPF option is what SPF personnel do when not deployed. Given that an SPF will be deployed one out of every three years at most for active duty options and one out of six for reserve options, whether its members can perform law enforcement functions and so contribute to domestic tranquility and homeland defense when not deployed will have a major impact on whether an option is cost-effective. Two categories of options—military units and contractors—cannot do so under current statutes and regulations.
In particular, for the MP option to be as cost-effective as possible, relief from the Posse Comitatus Act [which forbids the US Army from being used in law enforcement in the United States] would be required to permit its members to perform domestic law enforcement functions. The issue of contractors performing law enforcement functions is moot (our only “contracting” option does not consider a standing contract force, but rather one hired as needed) and would probably be insurmountable if it was not. Furthermore, as noted in our DOTMLPF discussion, working as police officers would greatly contribute to the state of training and readiness of SPF personnel. MPs can do this on military installations, but contract personnel would not so act at all.
The report goes on to say that this Stability Police Force should be placed under the US Marshal Service because that will make it easier for it to have domestic US responsiblities.
The full report plus the embedded document can be read at Yid With Lid’s. I have to wonder why the US Army would ask a left of center think tank for such a report…
Obama Monday established a panel of state governors to collaborate with Washington on a variety of potential emergencies, the White House said.
Obama signed an executive order establishing a panel to be known as the Council of Governors, which will be made up of 10 state governors, to be selected by the president to serve two-year terms. Members will review matters involving the National Guard; homeland defense; civil support; and synchronization and integration of state and federal military activities in the United States, the White House said in a statement.
The statement said the White House would seek input from governors and governors’ association in deciding which governors to appoint to the council, which will have no more than five governors from the same party.
Like the 30-plus czars running America with neither the people’s nor the congress’s blessings, the Council of Governors is already a done deal.
“Is this a first step towards Martial Law, or a tie to the InterPol, RAND National Police Force stuff we’ve been hearing about,” asked a Texas patriot who tipped off Canada Free Press (CFP) after finding news of the new Council of Governors on Twitter. “Is this a sort of Homeland Security Politburo?
“I do know it’s another sleuth order executed without any announcement, OR EXPLANATION to the People.”
UPDATE:
Under the radar…
The Rand report came out over a month ago, Blogger Soylent Green did a story on it Dec. 10. It’s now getting some attention from a few bloggers, but no major coverage, yet.
Martha Coakley was Martha Coakley — a lawyer who looked and sounded like a teacher. As always she was calm, measured and unemotional, but unlike always, she sometimes seemed tentative, even taken aback.
It was Scott Brown who made her that way. Brown knew what he wanted to say and said it. He was confident and personable. He was aggressive, but not so aggressive that he crossed any gender line.
Joe Kennedy had a strong debate performance, too. He got out his message that he’s the candidate of smaller government and less spending. He never looked uncomfortable, and he even had a sense of humor.
I’m sure this won’t be unanimous, but Scott Brown was my clear choice as the winner of this debate. He blended a soft delivery with hard attacks. Most important, watching him, you could imagine him in the U.S. Senate, not the State Senate
I’ll be the first to say it. Watching him, I could even imagine him as President. …He’s clean, articulate, and in 2012 he’ll have two whole years in the US Senate under his belt, (like someone else we all know)…
Moreover, an unfortunately timed “African Americans for Harry Reid” event will go on as scheduled this week, as Reid “seeks to weather a political firestorm sparked by his racially insensitive remarks about President Barack Obama”.
The timing of the launch of the “African Americans for Harry Reid” campaign group, which is scheduled for Thursday in Las Vegas, is coincidental. The luncheon had been scheduled for weeks.
Obama says “he’s always been on the right side of the issues”, signaling that nothing Reid has said should be taken by blacks to be in the least bit objectionable, as would most certainly be the case if he was someone on the “wrong side of the issues”.
Related:
Yid With Lid Dingy’s race-baiting past has finally bit him in the a**.
UPDATE:
Rush is wrong!
(Kathleen McKinley got mentioned on Rush, yesterday, for saying he was right. I wonder if I’ll get mentioned for saying he was wrong)…
Probably not, but he just reported the old numbers from last night, 5 Facebook friends, 4 of them white.
There are now 51 friends on the African Americans For Harry Reid Facebook page -all but 2 white.
The second and final debate took place tonight between all three candidates in the MA Senate race, Scott Brown R, Martha Coakley D, and Joseph L. Kennedy (no relation). Brown and Coakley jousted intensely throughout the debate:
Brown promised to be the 41st vote against the health care reform bill pending in Washington, saying the proposed legislation was “broken” and “we need to start over.”
But Coakley said, “I’d be proud to be the 60th vote to make sure we get health care reform that we so badly need. ... The status quo is simply unsustainable.”
They should have ended the debate, right there…that’s all people need to know.
The debate comes as the race is beginning to draw national attention, with some polls showing Brown drawing unexpectedly close to Coakley in a race for a seat long held by a Democratic icon, the late Edward M. Kennedy, in a Democratic-leaning state.
The fireworks in the debate came between Coakley and Brown, while independent candidate Joseph L. Kennedy, who is not related to the legendary Massachusetts political family, remained on the sidelines.
Some of the sharpest exchanges occurred between the two candidates when they were allowed to ask each other questions, with Brown at one point telling the veteran prosecutor as she pressed a question, “I am not in your courtroom. I’m not a defendant.”
Brown called some of Coakley’s statements “outrageous,” while Coakley told Brown, “You cant distort my record and not be accurate about your own.”
Coakley criticized Brown for supporting Bush-era tax cuts for higher-income people, saying, “He wants to go back to those Bush-Cheney policies that provide for the very wealthiest.”
Brown retorted, “You can run against Bush-Cheney, but I’m Scott Brown. I live in Wrentham. I drive a truck. And, yes, it’s 200,000 miles on it now. You’re not running against them. You’re running against me.”
He reiterated his previous claim that Coakley’s support for health care reform, among other positions, meant she would saddle taxpayers with tax increases of $2.1 trilllion.
But Coakley shot back, “It doesn’t matter how many times you say ‘$2.1 trillion,’ it doesn’t make it accurate, or even close to being accurate.”
“What I support are, in fact, relief for the middle class, a health care plan that will be self-supporting,” she said.
The two candidates also disagreed on how to fight terrorists and President Obama’s recent decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. Brown said he supported the decision.
“I agree with the president,” the Republican said. “I support his effort to finish the job in Afghanistan.”
But Coakley said she felt the United States should “plan an exit strategy” because terrorists are no longer in the country and the US should focus on getting “appropriate” intelligence information and using the “force necessary” to go after terrorists.
Brown said he felt it was “naive” not to address the “very real concern” of terrorists in Afghanistan.
But Coakley said, “I think it’s naive to think that we have the troops to send everywhere and they are the best way to go after people who are terrorists who disappear into the night who do trainings and who get on planes, frankly, with bombs in their shoes and other pieces of clothing.”
I’m waiting for tonight’s debate to appear on YouTube. In the mean time, you can watch Friday night’s debate, here.
The Money Bomb fundraising campaign is still ongoing until midnight. They reached their goal of $500,000 early on, have surpassed $750,000, and are now going for a cool mil. You can help them reach that goal, here.
local coverage of the campaigns prepping for tonight’s debate:
William A. Jacobson of Legal Insurrection spent some time at the Wrentham (Brown’s hometown) local campaign “office”, and has an encouraging report based on first hand observations.
Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has signed on as a contributor to the Fox News Channel.
The network confirmed that Ms. Palin will appear on the network’s programming on a regular basis as part of a multi-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Ms. Palin will not have her own regular program, one person familiar with the deal said, though she will host an occasional series that will run on the network from time to time.
This was bound to happen sooner or later, I was counting on it. Who could be a better fit for Fox News? She’s got the looks for t.v., and conservatives love her. I’ve said for awhile that I think Sarah is finished as a candidate for high office. But I do think she’s been, and will continue to be extremely effective as a pundit.
UPDATE:
Oh noes! Someone had to do it…
See Doug Ross for re-ax from the leftwing blogosphere. Two words - not. pretty!:
Palin’s shock and awe campaign left the liberal pundits shrieking in rage. Most were forced to lay down tarpaulins under their recliners due to sudden soilage. And many a tofu-and-pine nut salad went uneaten as intestinal distress became the order of the day.
