Saturday, March 10, 2007

Politics As Sport

With the Presidential pre-season in full swing there comes war and rumors of war. Not Iraq, not the drug war, but instead a limited engagement on every conceivable front as the contenders work to make it to the playoffs (er I mean the primaries) and finally to the big bowl game itself. If the Democrats want to maintain control, and win the 08 elections... Here is some more free advice.

First and foremost they need to make sure that they are living the life that they talk about. They need to hammer ethics, ethics, ethics and more ethics until every American is talking about it. The rules need to be no nonsense, tough, and zero tolerance. Individually they need to build on the Leadership Traits and Leadership Principles. In other words, on a daily basis they need to make politics respectable.

By living the life, they must confess, atone, and improve. Newt knows this and has confessed. Look for him to begin some form of atonement. Emphasis/comment added is mine.



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former House speaker and potential presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has confessed, telling conservative Christian leader James Dobson that he was cheating on his wife at around the same time the House was impeaching President Bill Clinton over his White House affair with Monica Lewinsky.


But Gingrich said that didn't make him a hypocrite, because Clinton was impeached not for the affair, but for lying about it. Technically correct, but somehow not satisfying, kinda weak actually, almost like the definition of "is". Oh well, Pot, meet kettle.

"The president of the United States got in trouble for committing a felony in front of a sitting federal judge," the Georgia Republican told Dobson in an interview posted Friday on Dobson's Focus on the Family Web site. (Listen to Gingrich admit he had an affair )


Then, they must make a connection with "the people". Obama is going all out and appearing to be articulate and human. Hillary is shouting and shrill. IF she doesn't fix it, Obama will run away from her as long as the Clinton Mafia doesn't target him.

The best way to connect with the McUSA's is to give them something. Tax cuts spring to mind. Currently it's all the rage to be hypercritical of the rich and the taxes they do or don't pay. Look for a tax hike on the rich in 07 methinks. Look for buried legislation that will offset it as well. Doners understand how the game is played. So, point your browsers to Thomas and Yahoos Elected Officials to see what it turns out to be.

Watch for the judiciary to have a fight on it's hands over gun control. The USSC hasn't ruled on the second amendment in years. The recent ruling that shot down the handgun ban in DC may trigger a similar lawsuit/overturning in San Fransisco. It will be harder there however since the 9th circuit rules with an iron fist. Congress is going to have to watch closely lest they get tripped up. Why is this important? Because currently the Republicans are not well liked in the individual liberty issues. Making sure that rulings like this are supported is both the right thing and sound tactics.

At issue in the case was the wording of the Second Amendment, which is broken into two parts: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."


Washington had contended that the reference to "people" in the second part of the amendment should be considered as a collective right applicable only to the "militia" referred to in the first part.


But the judges in the majority held that the phrase "people" is well understood in constitutional law to refer to individuals -- and that the first clause was an explanation of the major purpose of the second clause, not a limitation on it. -- CNN


Another hot issue is immigration. If Congress can fix this, they win. Hands down. I haven't personally met an American that supports amnesty. I haven't personally met an American that supports illegal immigrants receiving any public assistance either. The first and most important thing to do is enforce the existing law until change is enacted. IF some wish to hold the white house accountable for violations of the law, they need to be consistent. From the LA Times (emphasis and commenting is mine):

"Every police chief since Daryl Gates has supported Special Order 40," Villaraigosa told reporters. "They have because they understand that in a city as under-policed as Los Angeles is, we need to focus on crime. We need to ensure that the victims of crime, the witnesses of crime come forward. We don't want them to believe we're going to report them to ICE when they do come forward and report a crime." Newsflash for the Mayor. The reason they are called "Illegal" immigrants is to highlight that they are committing a crime. IF the police chief is supporting an order to not enforce the law, then it is time for a new Chief of Police, and maybe a Mayor as well.

Officials with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund express similar concern. They say they do not oppose the deportation of convicted criminals by federal authorities but believe rescinding Special Order 40 would be a setback because without it some witnesses to gang crimes who are not legally in the country might be unwilling to cooperate with police.


That's it for now. Ethics, Civil Liberties, and Enforcing existing law. If they can do that then they will win.

Gingrich confession: Clearing the way for a 2008 run?
Court strikes down D.C. handgun law
Gang crackdown raises touchy issue


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