Tuesday, October 31, 2006

The Irony-Challenged Wingnutz

“I can’t overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don’t study, if you aren’t smart, if you’re intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq.” - Senator John Kerry

Wingnuts are wetting themselves over John Kerry's botching of his joke yesterday (he left out the word "us"; the videos you see fail to show it was a series of jokes about the miserable failure in chief). “If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy." (Kerry Press Release)

From the Honorable Max Cleland:

John Kerry should apologize to no one for his criticism of the President and his broken policy in Iraq. George Bush is the one who owes our troops an apology. This is text book Republican campaign tactics.

Everybody knows it's not working this time around. If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they've got a partisan political agenda and that's the bottom line. We're not going to take it any more.

The local contemporaneous coverage tells us that Kerry,
charmed the crowd with tales of surfing at Mission Beach and got laughs for a series of one liners, including telling the crowd he had just returned from Texas, "Where the president used to live - now he lives in a state of denial." Kerry then told the students that if they were able to navigate the education system, they could get comfortable jobs - "If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq"
The wingnutz frenzy is more than a little ironic, given the President's ability to botch everything he says.

But it works to distract people, even if only for a moment, from the miserable failure that is this Administration, that is this senseless invasion of Iraq.



Here's the transcript of his statement and the press conference.

Oh, you wanted botched and stupid? Here:
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." —LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000 (Listen to audio clip)

"I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." —Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000(Listen to audio clip)

"I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." —second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004 (Listen to audio clip)

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." —Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000 (Listen to audio clip)

"You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." —to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005 (Listen to audio clip)

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004 (Watch video clip; listen to audio clip)

"They misunderestimated me." —Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

"Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?" —Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 (Watch video clip; listen to audio clip)

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Watch video clip; listen to audio clip)
Or, were you looking for inappropriate humor about sending boys and girls off to die? Well, how about this:

Rasmussen PA SEN Poll & More

The Rasmussen poll we told you about yesterday in Classless Santorum Claims Treason, was released today and you can spy it here. Our call, of 55% for Casey, 42% for Santorum, was correct (we have one fine birdie, there). Here's how the pollster sees it:
It doesn't look like Republican Senator Rick Santorum will be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat. This race remains in the Democrat's column for our Senate Balance of Power summary.

The incumbent gained five percentage points of voter support since our October 5 survey of the race, and a further point since October 16. But as undecided and other voters break for one of the major-party candidates, Democrat Bob Casey, Jr. has been gaining as well. Thus Casey still leads Santorum by the same thirteen-point margin, now 55% to 42%.

Santorum loses almost a fourth of the GOP base and a full 25% of conservatives to Casey, who shares the conservative opposition to abortion and gun control. If newly revived concerns about judicial activism and gay unions are helping struggling Republicans elsewhere, that's not the case in Pennsylvania.
Elsewhere, Rasmussen sees Lamont gaining on Lieberman and, a week shy of election day, sees it as Leiberman 48%, Lamont 40%, Sumrepub Guy 9%. Good run up for Lamont, but too little, too late.

Yesterday we mentioned the (as yet) unreleased Rasmussen on New Jersey, showing Democratic incumbent Menendez opening up a two-point lead over State Sen. Tom Kean, Jr. Today, Quinnipiac released it's THIRD New Jersey poll since September 20 (only ONE PA poll in that span), confirming the trend to the Dems in the Garden State. Quinnipiac puts it at 48% for Menendez and 44 points for the NJ favorite son's favorite son. Strategic Vision goes along, with the poll released today showing Menendez squeaking by with a one-point lead and a hearty 15% undecided. The New Jersey race has been even nastier than Santorum's swipes at Casey. The undecideds are not happy with that, but, I promise you, they will break for the Democrat on November 7. The CNN Poll is making it 51%-44% for Menendez among likelies and 50%-38% overall.

In Rick Santorum's home state, Rasmussen has released a second poll right on the heals of last week's survey,which had put Allen up a point. Rasmussen's latest poll in Virginia has the Democrat Webb leading Allen by 5 points when "leaners" are included. CNN has the Democrat ahead by 4 points among likely voters.

In Tennessee, CNN has the Republican Corker ahead of Ford, 52%-44% among likelies. Rasmussen will be releasing a poll there that puts Ford back two points.

In Missouri, CNN has Republican incumbent Jim Talent trailing Clair McCaskill 51%-43% overall, but dead even at 49% among likely voters. A Rasmussen poll due out soon will show the Democrat ahead one point, 48%-47%. This is a down trend for Talent.

Happy Halloween



(From Democratic Underground)

Scranton Paper Shills for Casey

Demonstrating, once again, that he and his capos at the Scranton Times ShamrockTimes-Tribune/Wilkes-Barre Citizen's Voice, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, Borys Don't-Spell-My-Name-Wrong Krawczeniuk has another missive direct from the Casey Campaign, posing as his "independent observations" -- what the STSTTWBCV laughingly calls a news report.

Today's STSTTWBCV contains another pandering piece by the Casey Campaign's chief press agent rising to the defense of their boy against the Santorum "aiding and abetting" terrorists claim. The article covers all the angles of the story, well, at least all the angles of Casey's rebuttal to Santorum. (And, not for nuthin', but Casey wouldn't need to rely on a shill if he was actually out on the campaign trail.) It is what the article doesn't say which is galling. Once again, as usual for this rag, and contrary to the practices of ethical journalists everywhere, nowhere is there any mention of the hundreds of thousands of dollars which the owners of the Scranton Times have shoved into Casey's pockets over the years.

It is unusual, to say the least, for owners and editors of newspapers to be so heavily invested in a political candidate which their papers is supposed to objectively cover. A search of the FEC database reveals zero contributions to political candidates from any of the other NEPA newspaper owners, editors and reporting staff. Besides handing over wads of cash, and never providing a disclaimer to their readers, the owners of the Scranton Times have also engaged in dubious advertising of their newspaper which featured falsified headlines touting Casey, which some have said were illegal campaign donations.

All that is fine and, while giving tons of money to a politician is more than a little questionable from the standpoint of journalistic ethics, it is (presumably) legal. But for the Scranton Times to pretend to objectively cover the Senate Race without disclosing to their readers the stake that the ownership of the newspaper has in the outcome is journalistic fraud. They should be ashamed, except they are from NEPA, where we hear that such things are rather routine. So, we expect the owners of the paper to further disrespect their family heritage, give the finger to real journalists everywhere, and continue Trashing the First Amendment.

W

Because I have bandwidth to waste . . . From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia.

This page has been screened by FOXNews for authenticity and impartiality, and has "terror-proof" protection for her pleasure. While difficult to imagine, there is a miniscule segment of the population (mostly terrorists and liberals) who haven't fully embraced the wholesome, righteous, God-Fearing qualities of The Greatest President in Our History. Click on the following link for a first-hand look at this blasphemy: Biography of President George W. Bush as written by unwashed heathens.

George Walker "Texas Ranger" Bush
George Walker "Texas Ranger" Bush
Term of office: 2001
Preceded by: Slick Willie Blythe
Succeeded by: Dick Cheney
Date of birth: July 6, 1946
Place of birth: New Heaven, Connecticut
First Lady: Laura Welch Bush
Political party: Republican


George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States. He was sworn into office on January 20, 2001, re-elected by a landslide on November 2, 2004, and sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2005. His presidency is already being referred to as "America's Golden Presidency". Prior to his Presidency, President Bush served for 6 glorious years as the 46th Governor of the State of Texas, where he earned a reputation for bipartisanship and as a compassionate conservative who shaped public policy based on the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, strong families, and local control. There is now no Governor of Texas, as the US Senate unanimously voted to leave the position permanently open, believing that nobody could do a better job than George.

Contents

[hide]

Short Biography

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The great-great-great-great grand uncle of George W. Bush, Abraham Bush, showing that honesty runs in the family.
The great-great-great-great grand uncle of George W. Bush, Abraham Bush, showing that honesty runs in the family.

President Bush (Or "W", short for "wonderful" to his friends) was born on July 6, 1946, in New Heaven, Connecticut, and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. He received a master’s degree in history from Yale University in 1968, and then served as an F-102 fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard where he earned a Lone Star Medal of Honor, two Adjunct General's Individual Awards, and five purple hearts. President Bush received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1975. Following graduation, he moved back to Midland and began a profitable career in the energy business, demonstrating that hard work and a solid track record are what leads to corporate success in America, not family ties. After working on his father’s successful 1988 Presidential campaign, President Bush assembled the group of partners who purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989, for which he later masterminded a profit-turning sale. His selfless acts of heroism during these years are documented by Chuck Norris in the hit series Walker, Texas Ranger. On November 8, 1994, President Bush was elected as the final Governor of Texas.

President Bush is married to Laura Welch Bush, a former teacher and librarian who was the inspiration for June Cleaver on the popular television show "Leave It To Beaver". They have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna. The Bush family also includes two dogs, Barney and Miss Beazley, and a cat, Willie.

Notable Acts as President

Bush's National Guard service was often slandered during the 2004 campaign.  Perhaps some even accused him of faking this photo.
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Bush's National Guard service was often slandered during the 2004 campaign. Perhaps some even accused him of faking this photo.

Since becoming President of the United States in 2001, President Bush has worked with the Congress to create an ownership society and build a future of security, prosperity, and opportunity for all Americans.

Sympathetic to the tax burden on the common man, he signed into law tax relief that helps workers keep more of their hard-earned money, especially Enron CEOs. In a series of three separate tax cuts, Bush helped end economically disastrous taxation policies and move America to a more free-market economy, leading to a resounding surge in stock market prices across his presidency.

After the terrorist attacks in 2001, Bush introduced and later signed the USA Patriot Act. This patriotic act keeps America free. As of 2006, several unpatriotic members of congress have decided to oppose freedom and try to get parts of the act repealed. However, thanks to Bush's decisive leadership, it still protects America.

God hand-picks George W. Bush for President in 2000 when Florida is unable to make up its mind. (Dramatization)
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God hand-picks George W. Bush for President in 2000 when Florida is unable to make up its mind. (Dramatization)

He additionally drafted and signed most comprehensive education reforms in a generation, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This legislation is ushering in a new era of accountability, flexibility, local control, and more choices for parents, affirming our nation’s fundamental belief that no children should be left behind (and helping them make an educated decision on wacky theoretical subjects like evolution and algebra).

President Bush has also tirelessly worked to improve healthcare and modernize Medicare, providing the first-ever prescription drug benefit for seniors. Numerous TV news spots have touted the benefits of this bipartisan bill. If you have not yet had a chance to see them, please contact Karen Ryan at Home Front Communications co/PR Desk for your own copies.

Additional achievements of the president include increasing homeownership, especially among minorities, including special, first-of-its-kind protection for the white, middle class male minority; conserving our environment (fiscal and otherwise); and increasing military strength, pay, and benefits.

Because President Bush believes the strength of America lies in the hearts, souls, and wallets of our citizens, he has supported programs that encourage individuals to help their neighbors in need. The TIPS program reaffirms America's selflessness and trust of its fellow citizens, allowing everyone from the meter maid to the postman to help out in keeping each other safe from terrorists, who we are reminded could look just like everyone else.

The War on Terror

Bush on a recent humanitarian mission to Iraq.
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Bush on a recent humanitarian mission to Iraq.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the American Nation because they hate freedom. Since then, President Bush has taken unprecedented steps to protect not only America, but the whole of the world, and created a world free from terror. He is grateful for the service and sacrifice of the brave men and women in uniform and their families. Having honorably served in the armed forces, and taking decisive steps to help create America's proud amputee forces, has helped him bond with the troops under his command.

The President is confident that by helping build free and prosperous societies, America and its friends and allies will succeed in making every single country on Earth more secure, and more peaceful. This is known as the "Domino Theory", in that peace and freedom cascade, crashing across the land into a peaceful scattering of countries, much like fallen dominoes.

The War for the Liberation of Iraq

Due to the threat of weapons of mass destruction being used against the United States homeland, Bush bravely overcame world resistance against launching a war for the liberation of the Iraqi people. With US effort, Security Council resolution 1441 was passed, granting the US the authority to invade Iraq. With continued Iraqi belligerence, America was left with no option but to declare war on March 20th, 2003. Terrorist forces loyal to Saddam Hussein (both of them) were quickly overpowered. Presently, the country is on the road to a record-pace reconstruction despite the best efforts of the media to encourage violence.

While decisive leadership by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld led to an catastrophically successful victory, Saddam had already smuggled out all of the weapons of mass destruction from the country into Syria and Iran, which are presently preparing to use them against the United States homeland. Bush is currently working on bravely overcoming world resistance against launching wars for the liberation of the Iranian and Syrian people.

North Korea's bids for notoriety have only been reluctantly rewarded with diplomatic discussions.

{SNIP}

See Also



(h/t to Cicero's Songs)

Monday, October 30, 2006

Classless Santorum Claims Treason

Two weekend polls show two-term incumbent Senator Rick Santorum facing a double digit deficit eight days from the election. Unable to handle the strain of rejection, Virginia's third Senator has resorted to calling his opponent a traitor. First, the polls, then the insanity.

The latest Rasmussen survey (currently available only to premium members)[UPDATE 10/31/06 -- it's now available here] shows Virginia's third senator trailing his Democratic challenger by 16 13-points, with 42% support to Bob Casey's 55%. (Nothing to link to, yet, as the public report remains embargoed.) That's all the information my little bird passed on, but it really is enough at this point in the game, isn't it?

Reaching similar results is the October Temple/Inquirer Poll, which put the spread at 13 16-points, with Casey picking up the support of 54% of the respondents and Santorum the favorite of only 38%. That represents a drop of one point for the flailing incumbent, and a gain of 5 points for Pennsylvania's favorite son of a favorite son, from the Temple/Inky September results.

Santorum's six-year role as lapdog for the Bush Administration is hurting him -- 59% of Pennsylvania voters think Bush is doing a lousy job as decider. This is 5% more than last month in the Temple poll. Santorum's disapproval numbers went up 4 points -- 50% disapprove this month, against 46% last month. More significant, the numbers of Pennsylvanians approving of The Rick's job also fell -- 37% think he's just fine this month, compared to 41% last month. (This poll, last month, was one of the rare times over the last year that Santorum's approval numbers were above 40%.)

Santorum, a huge supporter of the Iraq invasion from the beginning, is also being hurt there, as 56% of Pennsylvanians believe that it was a mistake to go into Iraq in the first place. A full 60% think the invasion has made the United States more at risk from terrorist attack or has not made us safer. (Casey, supported the Iraq war in the beginning, and recently has equivocated his position.)

Both candidates are firmly in the minority of Pennsylvanians when it comes to abortions and guns, according to the Temple/Inky numbers. While Casey and Santorum want to own the uteri of woman across the country and criminalize abortion, 63% percent of Pennsylvanians think that either the laws should stay just as they are with no further restriction, or they should be changed to make it easier for women to control their own bodies. On gun control, 56% of respondents think there should be more restrictions on gun purchases than there are now. As with abortion, Casey and Santorum are on the wrong side of the fence from Casey's fellow Pennsylvanians here (we don't know where Santorum's fellow Virginians stand on this issue).

Now, further evidence that Santorum is not only wrongheaded when it comes to policy, but is insane and dangerous.

Over the last couple of weeks, the polls continued to confirm what we said in August -- Santorum will lose by double-digits. In response, Rick Santorum's insanity has shown itself with increasing frequency and obviousness. He's told us it is 1930's Germany All Over Again, lied about S-S-S-Stay the Course, had Nazi's on His Mind, and saddled up the Four Horseman of Calumny -- Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear. Now, he is playing the most grievous card in the Desperation Deck -- treachery.

Over the weekend, he stooped to claiming that his Democratic opponent gives aid and comfort to the enemy: According to reports, Santorum told the press on Sunday that “Bob Casey is aiding and abetting terrorism and genocide.”

It is time to ask not if the Senator has no shame -- we know he doesn't -- no, it is time to ask if he is sane. Has the prospect of being forced to take responsibility for his failed policies taken it's toll on the man? His comments over the last couple of weeks have been increasingly strident, absurd, and incongruent

Two years ago, Santorum, the third-ranked Republican in the Senate, purchased the url for his 2008 Presidential run. Now, even he has to realize that the relatively moderate electorate in Pennsylvania are absolutely, flat-out rejecting him and his damned policies. Even he must realize that if he cannot sell his perverted "morality" and scare politics to Pennsylvania, any hope of selling them on a national stage would be impossible. For a man who, I am certain, has practiced saying "My fellow Americans" into his bathroom mirror in the mornings, the prospect of so ignominiously being kicked from the national stage must weigh heavy on his little mind.

Senator, here in America, we do not lightly accuse our fellow citizens of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Further, we never even consider such charges when based on nothing more than they have severe disagreements with us on political issues. To do so is itself unAmerican, it is a sign of strain and inanity -- if not insanity. Spare us your hateful, cowardly smears. Take responsibility for your own actions and stop trying to blame your upcoming double-digit election loss on anyone not looking back in your mirror in the morning. Be a grown-up, it is much more attractive than the sniveling, immoral coward which you have shown us over the last few weeks.

Credit where it is due -- back in May, John Baer, of the Philadelphia Daily News, summed all of this up with the best description of Santorum this election cycle: "a hint of fear and just a touch of crazy".


[Ed. note - Haste making waste and all that . . . this morning I transposed the spreads in the Rasmussen and Temple surveys. They are corrected above.]

NJ Breaking Dem

According to today's Rasmussen poll (unreleased to public as of right now), Democratic incumbent Robert Menendez has opened a five-point lead over Republican challenger, state Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. According to my little bird, the Rasmussen survey gives Menezdez a 49%-44% lead over Kean. Rasmussen's last poll, a week ago, had the race even at 45%. This is significant be cause New Jersey recently became the Republican's only hope of wresting a Democratic Senate seat. It is looking more like NJ is returning to the anti-Republican fold this mid-term.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Santorum and the Four Horsemen of Calumny

Times are tough for Senator Santorum. His losing campaign, watched by the entire nation, must naturally be a source of great strain. And, under that strain, he has cracked.

Over the last couple of weeks, he has told the handfuls of audiences which he now attracts, that his opponent is unworthy to serve, that a vote for his opponent is equal to supporting Hitler in the late 1930s, that a Democratic victory would be a disaster for the Nation and for the World.

He needs do this, one supposes from the evidence, because he lacks any acceptable substantive record. He charges that his opponent is hiding from the issues. In truth, it is the Senator who will not talk of the real issues. He instead relies on a worn old tactic -- scaring out the vote.

Whether it is the scare of brown people risking their life and limb for a few extra dollars to send home or the scare of an imagined gathering storm of riders on horseback bearing curved swords looking queerly at us, he is relying on a scared electorate to rally and send him back to the Senate.

He has served for two terms. In this campaign he does not defend his service, point to his accomplishments, sell his proved worth to his electorate. Instead, he requests -- no he DEMANDS -- another six years based on the most dangerous-sounding future his mind can invent.

Even so, Rick Santorum does not content himself with presenting a world view and debating it, like good citizens in a freedom-loving, democratic America. He invites no debate, allows for no disagreement, recognizes no question. No, he will tell you, disagree with me -- worse yet, elect someone who disagrees with me -- and you invite another Nazi disaster, you threaten your very lives and the safety of your children. In this way, Santorum not only stifles dissent, he makes it unpatriotic to disagree with him, he says it is dangerous to disagree. He says that those who disagree are unworthy to serve, are the bedfellows of terrorists, are the moral equivalent of Nazi appeasers.

We've seen this kind of tactic before, and not only in the last two elections.

June 1, 1950. Margaret Chase Smith, Republican Senator of Maine, speaking on the Senate floor about the then-popular foreign enemy compelling a return of Republicans to power. Re-reading her complete speech this morning made me sad to realize that it was not so very long ago we did, in fact, have true statesmen on the floor of Congress. Here is a portion of what she had to say:
I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition. It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of everything that we Americans hold dear. It is a condition that comes from the lack of effective leadership in either the Legislative Branch or the Executive Branch of our Government.

That leadership is so lacking that serious and responsible proposals are being made that national advisory commissions be appointed to provide such critically needed leadership.

I speak as briefly as possible because too much harm has already been done with irresponsible words of bitterness and selfish political opportunism. I speak as simply as possible because the issue is too great to be obscured by eloquence. I speak simply and briefly in the hope that my words will be taken to heart. I speak as a Republican. I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an American. . . .

I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation. . . .

Those of us who shout the loudest . . . are all too frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism:

The right to criticize;

The right to hold unpopular beliefs;

The right to protest;

The right of independent thought.

The exercise of these rights should not cost one single American citizen his reputation or his right to a livelihood nor should he be in danger of losing his reputation or livelihood merely because he happens to know someone who holds unpopular beliefs. Who of us doesn't? Otherwise none of us could call our souls our own. Otherwise thought control would have set in.

The American people are sick and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be politically smeared . . . . Freedom of speech is not what it used to be in America. It has been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others. . . .

Surely [there] are sufficient reasons to make it clear to the American people that . . . a Republican victory is necessary . . . .Yet to displace [Democrats] with a Republican regime embracing a philosophy that lacks political integrity or intellectual honesty would prove equally disastrous to this nation.

The nation sorely needs a Republican victory. But I don't want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny---Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.

I doubt if the Republican Party could---simply because I don't believe the American people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest. Surely we Republicans aren't that desperate for victory.

I don't want to see the Republican party win that way. While it might be a fleeting victory for the Republican Party, it would be a more lasting defeat for the American people. Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the Republican Party and the two-party system that has protected our American liberties from the dictatorship of a one-party system.

(The cartoon is by the great Herb Block.)

Senate Races Outside Pennsylvania

{UPDATED 10/27/06}This began life as an update to this morning's bit on the Senate in Play, but I decided it deserved to run loose on it's own:

Rasmussen's latest on the NJ race (not released except to Premium Members yet) has the race dead even at 45-45. Pollster.com has now moved the NJ race into the toss-up category. Menendez has been a disappointment. NJ should not have been in play. {UPDATE 10/27/06} Unreleased Dem internal, puts Menendez up 9 -- 45%-36%.

In Missouri, Rasmussen's (again, not public yet) latest poll gives Talent a 2-point advantage, 50-48%.

Virginia incumbent George Allen is a toenail ahead of Webb in Virginia, 49%-48% (again, an unreleased Rasmussen survey). {UPDATE 10/27/06} Rasmussen Virginia survey released.

In Ohio, SurveyUSA today released a death-blow poll for Mike DeWine (who is all in all not horrible as Rs go), giving Brown a 20-point lead, 57-37. {UPDATE 20/27/06} Unreleased Rasmussen poll has it 54%-43% for Brown (D).

Harold Ford is 2-points ahead of Republican Corker, 47-45, according to an unreleased internal DSCC poll.

{UPDATE 10/27/06} Latest Rasmussen has the Tennessee race a nail biter -- Corker 47%; Ford 46%.

Cleland Returns to Campaign with Carney

Max Cleland will be in Northeast Pennsylvania again, the first Weekend in November, to support the campaign of Chris Carney (D). Carney is on his way to oust Don ("sumtimes I just wanna strangle the bitch") Sherwood as the US Rep for Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District. Sherwood deserves to be retired, for more reasons than having engaged in an (allegedly) abusive (admitted) extra-marital affair.

Cleland is a true hero, having suffered grevious wounds in Vietnam, he returned to serve in the Georgia Senate, then as head of the Veteran's Administration in the Carter Administration. In 1996, Cleland won Sam Nunn's Senate seat when Nunn retired. Many of us were none-too-pleased that Cleland supported the odious Bush tax cuts in 2001 and the following year when he voted to authorize the Iraq war. His reward for supporting the President on these two measures was to be smeared as soft on terrorism by Republican ads linking him with bin Laden and Saddam. He lost his seat in what some would say was a questionable vote count (the day before the election a newspaper poll put him at + 3 or 4 points and he lost by a near landslide).

An early supporter of the Iraq war, he was appointed to the 9-11 Commission but resigned over the Administration's stonewalling of Commission requests. He is now a fierce opponent of the war and bluntly says that the adminsitration "duped" us into the war.

The Carney Campaign has a busy weekend:

Saturday, November 4, 2006

10:30 am Dickson City: Disabled American Veterans Hall, 516 Storrs Street

12 noon Honesdale: Honesdale Central Park

1:45 pm Milford: Hotel Fauchere, 401 Broad Street

4:00 pm Tunkhannock: Wyoming County Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Square

5:45 pm Dushore: Pam's Restaurant, 123 E. Main Street

7:00 pm Towanda: The Weigh Station Cafe, 1 Washington Street

Sunday, November 5, 2006 *with special guest The Honorable Max Cleland

9:00 am Montrose: Downtown Grounds Cafe, 42 Church Street

11:30 am Harvey's Lake: American Legion Harvey's Lake, Route 415 & Annabelle Avenue

1:30 pm* Lewisburg: Hufnagel Park, 551 Market Street

2:45 pm* Selinsgrove: BJ's Barbecue & Pub, 17 N. Market Street

4:00 pm* Sunbury: Cameron Park, Downtown Sunbury

5:15 pm* Danville: American Legion, Route 11 South

6:45 pm* Williamsport: American Legion Banquet Hall, 10 E. 3rd Street


Thursday, October 26, 2006

The Senate in Play

In June, I began preparing a piece about how there were 8 Democratic and 6 Republican seats "in play", with the Democrats having to run the table on all 14 contests to retake the Senate.

My working theses were the futility of any Democratic hope to retake control of the Senate and the foolishness of the (so-called) liberal netroots leaders in messing with a safe D seat in Connecticut. Here was the draft lead:
The Democrats say that they believe that this year represents their best chance in many election cycles to take back control of Congress. In the Senate, the Democrats need a net gain of 6 seats to wrest control of the upper Chamber. Casey defeating Santorum is key to that hope. Taking a look at the other contests, it may be close but the likelihood of the Democrats to taking over leadership in the Senate seems a little remote right now

There are 33 Senate seats up for grabs on November 7, 2006. The Republicans have been in the majority since 2003 (I know, it DOES seem longer than that.) Right now, the Senate has 55 Rs, 44 Dems and Jim Jeffords (VT), who is retiring. Seventeen Democratic seats are up in 2006, fifteen Republican, and Jeffords' seat in Vermont is also up this year.

Of the 33 seats up for grabs, there are nine which I see as completely safe Democrats running for reelection -- Byrd (WVa), Bingaman (NMex), Lieberman (CT), Akaka (HI), Conrad (NDak), Feinstein (CA), Clinton (NY), Carper (DE), and Kennedy (MA). I am going to give the Republicans nine successful contests -- Snow (ME), Hatch (Utah), Hutchinson (TX), Lott (Miss), Lugar (IN), Thomas (WY), WebbAllen (VA), Ensign (NV), and Kyl (AZ).

If you're playing along, you already know that leaves eight contested Democratic seats and six Republican seats "in play".

In order to regain the Senate, the Dems need to run the table on all fourteen contests.
The draft was never completed, not proofed, and never ran, in part because I just didn't get the time needed to complete the research I wanted on local issues and polling in each state. Lucky me. Since June, some of you may have noticed, "stuff happened". (In Virginia, for example, back in June, a SurveyUSA poll put Republican Incumbent Allen up 19 points. In Connecticut, Lieberman will win. Thanks to the netroots-endorsed Lamont challenge, he will re-enter the Senate with lessened enthusiasm and obligation to vote for Democratic causes for which he might lack personal conviction. Curiously, the same netroots enthusiastically supported Democratic primary candidates to the right of Lieberman (e.g., Casey in Pennsylvania). )

This year the mid-terms are not about the "traditional" battleground states, like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Contrary to my pre-empted June review, Casey winning in Pennsylvania is no longer the "key" to the Democratic chances in the Senate -- the Republicans have given up hope there.

Instead, we are looking at contests in the border states as the new "keys". In Virginia, where no sane person thought there was a chance of upsetting Allen; In Missouri, where sane Democrats didn't see themselves as welcome; and in Tennessee, where Bill Frist's seat was widely seen as a safe "R" not too long ago. Howard Dean isn't getting the credit he deserves, yet. Remember when he was laughed at for the 50-state strategy? Not so funny, now, is it? At least not if you are a Republican.

Today, the Wall Street Journal sees the Senate race coming down to the results in Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia. Rasmussen's most recent (October 20) "Balance of Power" report sees the toss-up states as Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia. Pollster.com and The Washington Post agree that it is all riding on three states: Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia. (I am currently inclined to believe that Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, and Rhode Island will end up in the Dem column, along with Pennsylvania, which I called a long time ago.)

Eight, four, or three -- it doesn't matter. Simply talking about the Democratic chances of retaking the Senate in realistic terms seemed fantasy just a few months ago.

The WSJ list has some good summaries of the races in those key states, with links to solid sources of information and Pollster.com has all the polling data you could ever want.

While anything can happen in a close election, over the three weeks just past, it seems that everything has been breaking the Democrat's way. It is a well-polished axiom that incumbents faced with a close race often lose ground in the last three to five days of the contest, as unenthusiastic registered voters, independents, and undecideds (the great "tepid class") tend to break towards change.

This year that will hold again, with a slight but very significant difference -- ALL Republicans are "conceptual incumbents". For the "tepid class", this time around change will mean a vote for the Democrat, regardless which party holds the seat.

Tip O'Neill's observation about all politics being local isn't holding the day, at least in many of the Senate races we are watching. The Republicans may not like it -- and for certain there are local issues and concerns impacting some races -- but this midterm, more than any other in recent memory, is a direct referendum on President Bush and the Republican control of Washington. Neither are doing too well and there is scant time left to turn that around.

The Democrats might be down two, one out, in the bottom of the ninth, with Aaron Boone on deck. But, I like their chances right now.

{UPDATE} Rasmussen's latest on the NJ race (not released except to Premium Members yet) has the race dead even at 45-45. Pollster.com has now moved the NJ race into the toss-up category. Menendez has been a disappointment. NJ should not have been in play.

In Missouri, Rasmussen's (again, not public yet) latest poll gives Talent a 2-point advantage, 50-48%.

Virginia incumbent George Allen is a toenail ahead of Webb in Tennessee, 49%-48% (again, an unreleased Rasmussen survey).

In Ohio, SurveyUSA today released a death-blow poll for Mike DeWine (who is all in all not horrible as Rs go), giving Brown a 20-point lead, 57-37.

Harold Ford is 2-points ahead of Republican Corker, 47-45, according to an unreleased internal DSCC poll.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

New PA Election Blog

The good folks at PennLive has debuted a new Election2006 blog. Their first post, yesterday, explains their intent:

Patriot-News reporters Chris Courogen and Dan Victor will keep you up to date with news from the races for the U.S. Senate and the Pennsylvania governorship.

Victor will concentrate on the race between Rick Santorum and Bob Casey, while Courogen chronicles the Lynn Swann-Ed Rendell contest.

Welcome to the circus.

Aww, Shucks

Lookit what I did.

This week, the great, insightful, admirable, thoughtful, talented, attractive, worthy people at Penn Live and the Wall Street Journal are featuring Yours Truly as a blog of choice on the Pennsylvania Senate Race. Way kewl. Thanks, a bunch.

Santorum: 'It's 1930's Germany All Over Again'!

I thought it was a joke at first, but, sadly, it is not.

Monday evening, Rick Santorum warned that the 2006 elections were the "equivalent of the late 1930s" in Germany:
Santorum issues GOP call to arms
By BRAD RHEN
Staff Writer
Lebanon Daily News
MYERSTOWN — Likening the times to the late 1930s as Nazi Germany was rising to power, Sen. Rick Santorum said last night that if he loses his re-election bid, it could set the stage for terrorism to become more of a threat than the Nazis ever were.

“If we are not successful here and things don’t go right in the election, there’s a good chance that the course of our country could change,” he said. “We are in the equivalent of the late 1930s . . . ."
Speaking before the Lebanon County republicans, Santorum warned that electing Democrats would be the equivalent of appeasing Hitler. Telling voters that a vote for your opponent is a vote for the terrorists is not only a sign of desperation, it is a sick, demented and cynical ploy.

Rick Santorum should actually read the history to which he so frequently refers. He should read it and reflect on the lessons of Hitler's rise to power in Germany.

Germany's president appointed Hitler Chancellor in January, 1933, the result of political maneuvering in an attempt to hold together a minority coalition government. New elections were set for March.

In a "February surprise", a few weeks before the elections, the German Parliament was set afire. A foreigner, and a communist, was accused of the arson.

That was all Hitler needed. The Nazis quickly pushed through anti-immigration bills and, claiming necessity resulting from foreign threats, the suspense of habeas corpus.

Hitler and the Nazi party then set the government resources to work promoting the Nazi cause in the March elections -- the military was used to underscore the supposed outside threats to Germans, anti-immigration hysteria was inflamed, and the Government rolled out propaganda effectively promoting a Nazi vote as the only rational alternative for the loyal, nationalistic German.

So it was. Hitler came to power after parlaying a supposed foreign enemy into an excuse to ramp up anti-immigration fears, suspend basic civil rights, and scare out the vote with false government propaganda. Hitler and the Nazi Party succeeded in convincing German voters that their future, the safety of their children, and their economic security, all depended on voting Nazi in the March 1933 elections. German voters were told, and believed, that any other vote was a vote for appeasement of the foreign evil-doers with designs on the well-being of Germany.

And now Rick Santorum wants to stand before us and tell us that a vote for Bob Casey is the equivalent of appeasing Hitler? He wants me to vote for him because any other vote increases the threat of terrorism? He wants America to send the Republicans back to power because the only alternative is the appeasing, terrorist-loving Democrats?

Rick Santorum is insane and dangerous.

Senator, in my America, dissent is not the equivalent of anything but liberty. When I reject your policies, when I demand that you explain yourself, when I want you to account for the disaster you have wrought on my country, on innocents abroad, for the trashing of our good name around the world, I am not appeasing anyone other than our founders who insisted that vigilance was the only effective protector of liberty. For you to suggest otherwise, to imply to the contrary, to threaten us with disaster if we do not agree with you, if we do not want you to raise your voice as our representative any longer, is not merely insane and dangerous -- it is treachery. You demean me when you stoop to such low tactics, you piss on the liberty for which so many have willingly shed their blood, and you expose yourself as a sniveling, immoral coward.

Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.


(Thanks to Strike the Root for the image.)

S-S-S-Stay the Course

It makes sense, Rick Santorum has supported everything else that Bush wanted. So, now that Bush wants to rewrite the facts and deny that he has ever been stay the course, Santorum joins in the lie. Tuesday, on Hardball, Santorum said "well, it's never been my policy" and "I don't know whether its been the administration's policy or not". (2 Political Junkies has more coverage.)



{UPDATE}Here's a Press Release on the Senator's website:
Continue to Back Our Troops
August 30, 2005
For Immediate Release August 26, 2005
Contact: Tim Pearson (202) 224-0610 (818 words)

Since the commencement of Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, thousands of American men and women have bravely taken on the challenge of defeating tyranny, promoting democracy, and strengthening our nation. In the nearly five years our troops have been engaged in conflict in the Middle East, our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines have given a total effort in order to make our world a safer place. The road has not been easy--America has lost many fine military personnel--but it is critical that we stay the course and give our people the support and recognition to enable them to spread democracy around the world.
Then there's this one, also from the Senator's own website:
Senator Santorum Comments on Progress in Iraq and the War on Terror
December 19, 2005
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today issued the following statement regarding President Bush's December 18th speech and December 19th press conference:

"I am pleased with the President’s recent efforts to convey the story of success that is being written in Iraq. Widespread elections with high participation and few acts of violence prove that the Iraqi people are moving toward a new, brighter future that’s been hard-fought by the people of Iraq with the assistance of American and Coalition forces.

"We are fighting an elusive enemy, but as a testament to our vigilance and preparedness, we have not seen another attack on our homeland since September 11, 2001. The President has been clear, we will stay the course in Iraq to send a message to those who seek to destroy democracy and hurt innocent people. We are a country of resolve and determination and we cannot waiver in our mission to secure democracy in Iraq; it is essential to safeguarding democracy and peace around the world."
Bush lies and Santorum swears to it.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Santorum: 'Nazis on My Mind'

"Senator Byrd's inappropriate remarks comparing his Republican colleagues with Nazis are inexcusable. . . . These comments lessen the credibility of the senator and the decorum of the Senate. He should retract his statement and ask for pardon."
--Sen. Rick Santorum, March 2, 2005, on the Senate Floor.

"The audacity of some members to stand up and say 'How dare you break this rule' . . . . It's the equivalent of Adolf Hitler in 1942 saying, 'I'm in Paris. How dare you invade me. How dare you bomb my city? It's mine.' "
--Sen. Rick Santorum, May 19, 2005, on the Senate Floor.

"Sen. Rick Santorum said last night that if he loses his re-election bid, it could set the stage for terrorism to become more of a threat than the Nazis ever were. 'If we are not successful here and things don’t go right in the election, there’s a good chance that the course of our country could change,' he said, 'We are in the equivalent of the late 1930s' . . . ."
-- Lebanon Daily News, October 24, 2006.

Rick at Bottom, Again

The latest SurveyUSA Approval Ratings for All US Senators are out. Rick Santorum is tied for the worst in the nation, with a 38% approval rating.

After all that money, all that sound, and all that fury to which he has subjected Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum still has nearly the lowest approval rating of his entire stinking Senate career. At 38% he was only lower in May and June, when he hit rock bottom, as opposed to plain old bottom, at 36%.

Heckuva job, Rickie. Makes you tingly-proud, doesn't it?

It's Raining, George

"[T]he President is determined to stay the course"
-- Tony Snow, August 16, 2006

"We will stay the course"
-- President Bush, August 30, 2006

"I say exactly what the President says, that we need to stay the course"
-- Laura Bush, September 18, 2006

"We’ve never been stay the course, George."
-- President Bush, October 22, 2006.
A search of Whitehouse.gov reveals over 100 official documents and transcripts containing the phrase "stay the course" since the American invasion of Iraq in March, 2003. But, Bush unblinkingly insists, we've never been stay the course. Well, who you gonna believe, Bush or your own lying eyes?

President Bush lied on October 22, 2006. That's nothing new, for him.

But what is shocking, or what should be shocking, is that he believes that he can get away with these lies, again.

In Shrub, Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose detail how Governor Bush repeatedly opposed policy initiatives and, when adopted over his objections, then claimed credit for them. He did the same though most of his six years as President. It is only recently that the press and public are calling him out on his lies. Now, growing numbers are finally willing to talk about having this failure impeached.

I am satisfied with making him irrelevant. Unfortunately, I have to vote for Bob Casey to do it.

(h/t to Bush is Shameless for the image.)

Another New Poll - Santorum Down 12

If the election were held today, the flailing reelection campaign of Senator Rick Santorum would come crashing to an end with the incumbent losing to his Democratic challenger Bobby Casey Junior by 12-points (corrected). That is the conclusion of a new poll released today. The McClatchy/MSNBC Poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research gives Casey 51% and Santorum 39%, with ten percent unsure/other. This is a three-point increase over the 9-point deficit Santorum had in this poll's prior release in early October.

Poll respondents, surveyed by telephone between October 18 and 21, gave two-term Senator Rick Santorum a favorable rating of only 33%. His opponent, perennial campaigner and son of a dead governor, received an approval rating of only 44%. Casey's 28% unfavorable rating was far less than Santorum's 48% -- which summarizes why there is no room for Santorum to turn this around in the last two weeks. According to these numbers, nearly ten percent of respondents are voting for Santorum despite their negative feelings towrds him.

While Santorum is going to lose this election, the polling throughout the campaign clearly show that Casey Junior is not winning it -- he's merely the beneficiary of a widespread abandonment of Santorum and the failed Republican policies which he has enthusiastically supported over his two terms as Senator. According to this poll, 32% of the respondents are voting AGAINST someone in the Senatorial race. Unfortunately, the numbers released today do not break those responses down between Casey and Santorum supporters.

Over on the Gubernatorial side, Ed Rendell parlays his robust 57% favorable rating into a 21-point lead over ex-jock Lynn Swann. Fifty-six percent of poll respondents said that they would vote for the incumbent Governor, against only 35% support for Lynn Swann.

Respondents, by a wide margin, disapprove of the manner in which the Republicans have been running things. The President gets a 56% DISapproval rating from Pennsylvania voters, which includes a 46% STRONGLY disapprove number. Congress does even worse -- 63% disapprove of how the Republican-controlled Congress is doing it's job. Remarkably, only 1% strongly approve of Congressional performance. That's ALOT of Republican voters holding noses this midterm.

In the more-bad-news-for-Santorum department . . . .
+ Voters rank Iraq & Health Care as the top issues for them. Santorum's scare-out-the-vote message on immigration isn't exciting anyone, at 6% it ranks below "Other" as an issue of concern.

+ The Bush/Santorum Iraq policies are rejected by 60% of Pennsylvania voters. Even more -- 66% -- say that the Bush/Santorum economic policies have them worried.

+ Still MORE -- 69% -- aren't buying that the Bush/Santorum policies are making us safer -- they expect another successful terrorist attack in the United States.
Throughout the campaign, Santorum has blamed the media for his impending retirement from Government work. What this and all other polls from this past year demonstrate is that the fault lie not in the media, but in Santorum.

The Republicans control it all -- the failures of this Government are theirs. As the third-ranked Republican in Congress, Santorum, more than most, has direct personal responsbility for those failures. Now, he is being held to account for creating, supporting, and engineering failure.

Gee, Senator, I guess buying that "santorum2008" domain name (in 2004) was a mite premature, huh?

New SV Poll, Santorum Down 7

In the new Strategic Vision poll out today, incumbent Senator Rick Santorum trails his challenger by seven points. While other polls have shown the undecideds moving to a candidate, this SV poll has the dunnos at 9% -- only a point less than last month's 10%. The SV poll was conducted by telephone between October 20 and 23. Last month the same poll put the difference at 10% and in August, it had the Senator down by 7.

In the Gubernatorial contest, SV gives the Governor at comfortable 20-point margin over his challenger, football player Lynn Swann. This is a two-point gain over last month and double the difference from August.

The respondents gave Bush low marks, with 60% disapproving of his over all job performance.

The poll has a solid respondent base of wackjobs, with almost one in five saying that the Foley scandal makes them more likely to vote for Republicans this year. On the same topic, only 12% thought the Republicans handled the Foley matter correctly and 58% think Hastert should step down over the affair.

The Skinny on Republican Candidates

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
--AZ-01: Rick Renzi
--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
--CA-04: John Doolittle
--CA-11: Richard Pombo
--CA-50: Brian Bilbray
--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
--CO-05: Doug Lamborn
--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell
--CT-04: Christopher Shays
--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
--FL-16: Joe Negron
--FL-22: Clay Shaw
--ID-01: Bill Sali
--IL-06: Peter Roskam
--IL-10: Mark Kirk
--IL-14: Dennis Hastert
--IN-02: Chris Chocola
--IN-08: John Hostettler
--IA-01: Mike Whalen
--KS-02: Jim Ryun
--KY-03: Anne Northup
--KY-04: Geoff Davis
--MD-Sen: Michael Steele
--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht
--MN-06: Michele Bachmann
--MO-Sen: Jim Talent
--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns
--NV-03: Jon Porter
--NH-02: Charlie Bass
--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson
--NM-01: Heather Wilson
--NY-03: Peter King
--NY-20: John Sweeney
--NY-26: Tom Reynolds
--NY-29: Randy Kuhl
--NC-08: Robin Hayes
--NC-11: Charles Taylor
--OH-01: Steve Chabot
--OH-02: Jean Schmidt
--OH-15: Deborah Pryce
--OH-18: Joy Padgett
--PA-04: Melissa Hart
--PA-07: Curt Weldon
--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick
--PA-10: Don Sherwood
--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee
--TN-Sen: Bob Corker
--VA-Sen: George Allen
--VA-10: Frank Wolf
--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick
--WA-08: Dave Reichert

(h/t to PSoTD & MyDD)

Monday, October 23, 2006

Good Luck, Terry

Terry Jones, one funny dude, is recovering today from "routine surgery in a London private hospital" for colon cancer ("routine"?!).

Terry is, of course, known for his work with Monty Python, in its various incarnations.

Less known here in the US are his political commentaries for The Guardian. Columns, like this classic from 2003, demonstrating how the Bush Iraq policy can be made to work even in your own neighborhood:
I'm really excited by George Bush's latest reason for bombing Iraq: he's running out of patience. And so am I!

For some time now I've been really pissed off with Mr Johnson, who lives a couple of doors down the street. Well, him and Mr Patel, who runs the health food shop. They both give me queer looks, and I'm sure Mr Johnson is planning something nasty for me, but so far I haven't been able to discover what. I've been round to his place a few times to see what he's up to, but he's got everything well hidden. That's how devious he is. As for Mr Patel, don't ask me how I know, I just know - from very good sources - that he is, in reality, a Mass Murderer. I have leafleted the street telling them that if we don't act first, he'll pick us off one by one. . . .

Since I'm the only one in the street with a decent range of automatic firearms, I reckon it's up to me to keep the peace. But until recently that's been a little difficult.
Now, however, George W. Bush has made it clear that all I need to do is run out of patience, and then I can wade in and do whatever I want!

And let's face it, Mr Bush's carefully thought-out policy towards Iraq is the only way to bring about international peace and security. The one certain way to stop Muslim fundamentalist suicide bombers targeting the US or the UK is to bomb a few Muslim countries that have never threatened us.

That's why I want to blow up Mr Johnson's garage and kill his wife and children. Strike first! That'll teach him a lesson. Then he'll leave us in peace and stop peering at me in that totally unacceptable way. . . . My wife says I might be going too far but I tell her I'm simply using the same logic as the President of the United States. That shuts her up.

Like Mr Bush, I've run out of patience, and if that's a good enough reason for the President, it's good enough for me.
And, before Python, he was involved as a writer and performer on a number of projects, many including his future Python comrades, like "Do Not Adjust Your Set":

Reports are that the cancer was caught early and Terry is expected to make a full recovery.

Good luck, mate.