Mid Atlantic Review--Governor's races heat up

The Region is percolating with intrigue.

NJ-- The Hudson County Democrats are still reeling as some are admitting to the charges brought. If things were not bad enough Essex County Democrats are facing an absentee ballot rigging investigation. Democrat Governor Corzine's response is to accuse Republican U. S. Attorney Christie of ties to corruption. It doesn't matter that everyone who pays attention knows that Christie and his running mate are actually the ones who started the clean up.

Corzine has developed a three fold attack to comeback from his 14 point deficit. Lies, try to claim the property tax mantle, and attack Christie on guns. I predict that by November he will close the gap to 7 points as some undecided Democrats come home. He will lose. Fearing that two Democrats are preparing to replace Gov. Corzine on the ballot. Congressman Palvone is publicly volunteeringm which has to be a perfect GOP ad. (Are you reading this powers that be?) Newark Mayor Booker, who is one of few clean local officials is being mentioned. He said he would like the job, but he supports Corzine. What an endorsement! How serious is this? Democrats are doing polling on it behind the Governor's back. At this stage they cannot replace someone who won the primary unless he steps aside. Unlike scandal-plagued Sen. Robert Torricelli he is self funded. He won't go anywhere. Another Democrat wouldn't win anyway.

Lastly for NJ, the NJESA (teacher's union) put out it's endorsements of 47 Democrats and 24 Republicans (almost all Republicans were in safe districts) in assembly races. It endorsed Governor Corzine. Chris Christie did not even seek the endorsement.

VA- Virginia also has an election this year. As you know from Tuesday's post, AG Bob McDonnell has taken a commanding 14 point lead over Sen. Deeds in the race for governor. Even a poll for Daily Kos confirmed the change. This 10 point jump came after the first televised debate but some Washinton pundits wonder if it relates to the President's falling numbers in VA. Deeds came back from as bad a position to win the primary. His comeback seems to based upon playing in rural turf and touting his farming background. Rural VA is republican turf and Northern VA (NoVA) is better for Democrats. The problem for Deeds, who is from rural VA is that McDonnell grew up in NoVA and launched his political career in Tidewater (SE VA). In the debate on agricultural issues, Deeds focused on his background while McDonnell focused on specific proposals and shared values.

MD- Governor O'Malley's (D) reward for not dealing with spending this year but adding slots and using stimulus money to keep the state afloat is--- a $700 million dollar shortfall in an election year. He is taking suggestions until August 10 so go to that Website and help your governor. Then ask him for part of his salary if you solve the problem.

The Governor just couldn't avoid controversy this week. His light rail program for D. C. and Baltimore has found opposition not only from residents but the University of Maryland. Nonetheless he submitted them to the federal government.

PA- One would think the election for U. S. Senate was this year. Polls are about even now between Congressman Toomey and Senator Specter. The Senator also has an opponent in the primary who he christened no show Joe. Joe Sestak has one of the worse records for missing votes in the Congress. 105 so far this year.

The Congressman is all in because the line to fill his seat is long. It may be a Republican pick up with U. S. Attorney of Pat Meehan (of Vince Fumo and Corey Kemp prosecution fame). An entrepreneur Steve Welch is also filing on the GOP side. On the Democrat side, two state representatives Vitali and Lentz are battling it out so far. Considering how tight the state house is that can't make the Democratic powers that be sleep well at night.

The state budget is still a mess. The Governor line itemed out all but 11 billion of the state budget of 27 billion. He turned the bill into a bridge budget. He kept everything to do with payroll and essential public safety. The rest was tossed back to the legislature.

NY- PA is getting more of a senate race while New York has less of one. Senator Gillibrand (D)no longer has a primary challenge from her left and is currently unopposed within the party.

Governor Open Marriage Patterson made an exception to the hiring freeze to hire his party partner to an $88,000 deputy of federal and state affairs position.

NYC had to raise taxes they said now the mayor and council are giving significant raises to staffers.

Delaware of course seems tame in comparison. The Republicans just won a special election for the senate seat formerly held by the late President Pro Tem Thurman Adams (D). Now there is a special election to fill the seat of victorious 37th Rep. Republican Joe Booth. Delaware also got a green light this week to start sports betting in September. It is the only state East of the Rookies allowed to do so under federal law.

Send out the enforcers--Democrat attempts to muscle out healthcare opponents

A town hall meeting turned nasty leaving one person with minor injuries in Tampa, FL. What you hardly notice in the story is that the SEIU organizers injured the opponent of the President's reform. The President called for his people to show up to the meetings to counter the opponents. In St. Louis and Tampa they did though in smaller numbers.

In Tampa they tried to shut many of the opponents out of the meeting injuring one man who is contemplating filing charges. If you read the first third and bottom of the story, you would get the impression that it was that rowdy 9-12 project's fault. If you read carefully, you will see that it was the President's Organizing America and the SEIU took the early seats and tried to muscle the doors closed on the regular people.

The meeting was organized by Reed plus the Service Employees International Union, other unions and Organizing for America, a liberal group that grew out of the Obama presidential campaign.

Some opponents accused the organizers of trying to stack the crowd by allowing early admission to those on their side. Reed denied that, saying those admitted early were organizers setting up the room.

In St Louis, the President's supporters put a conservative activist in the hospital. There were 4 arrests plus 2 others in related incidents.

A technique of authoritarian regimes is to create an incident, cause problems, and then blame the other side for what they did. Why are we seeing that in America? First the Democratic National Committee (DNC) sets it up with its Mob ad. The President calls out the muscle. The media is predisposed to look for angry conservative mobs. The muscle then creates an incident. The propaganda machine dutifully repeats the message. People are urged to spy on and turn in the dangerous dissenters. The step that we haven't seen is the left trying to use the pretext of law and order to put down the dissent. Preventing that outcome is why I am speaking out.

DNC, SEIU, Organizing America, and whomever else stop it. This is still the USA not your authoritarian paradise. We have rights and we will not be intimidated. Let them speak.

Democrats despise first amendment in ad

The Democrats are losing ground according to the polls and evidenced by the disquiet at town halls from Oregon to New York to Texas to Delaware. They have decided not to address the issues the people have passionately brought up. They have decided to characterize people who differ with them as a staged mob. This is so outrageous that it is beyond the pail.

Since when are people not suppose to express their agreement with a speaker by cheering? Are they not allowed to express their collective disagreement with a proposal with a collective response to a question by saying just say no? When did peaceful seated people giving support to one another become a mob? Funny Democrats did the same thing back in the Civil Rights Movement and they did the same thing in the 1990's to the peaceful rescue movement.

If we let them get away with declaring legitimate reasoned petitioning of the government as as a mob, our liberty will go down the proverbial toilet. They are attacking our freedom of assembly, right to petition government for redress of our grievances, and our freedom of speech, while mocking religion in the same ad (poking fun of the person who was quietly holding a Bible while standing outside of a meeting). Let's just shred the first amendment completely. Oh, and they attacked freedom of the press by tossing in Rush Limbaugh as an inciter. I never complained about their expressing disagreement with him, but I will say enough when they want to accuse him of inciting mobs that never existed. This is the same tactic used by a President in South America whose name rhymes with Chavez.

Here is my email to the DNC. I encourage you to contact them.

What are you guys doing? This latest ad sends chills down my spine. The idea that peaceful seated people cheering a speaker is now a mob in your eyes is an affront to freedom of speech and the right of the people to assemble and seek redress from their government of grievences. I protest your attack on the First Amendment and respectfully request that you stand down.

Let's Trade In This Clunker --> Congress

by William Warren:

Cartoon -- Couple Discusses Using Cash for Clunker Program:

"It's inefficient, drains our budget, and doesn't work well at all. We should trade it in!
So how much can we get for this clunker?" - - -> Pointing to the US Congress

by Ozark Guru: Well, in 2010, we (the people) have an opportunity to trade in a large part of Congress. Get involved and work to turn America back from the rampant socialist spending and the destruction of American businesses, jobs and the economy and our health care and our WORKING class. Yes, the working class; those who work! Those who have lived free and choose not to surrender their freedom for a few empty promises that in reality strip away everything they have and make them part of welfare class needing the government to decide when, where and how to take care of them.

Card Checked! - The Game

[H/T ARRA News Service]