Friday, June 27, 2008

Karl's Weekend Reading



Garry Kasparov writes in the WSJ of the new documentary of Anna Paolitkovskaya, one of the 13+ murdered Russian journalists during Putin's presidency. The title of the film is "Letter to Anna". He also expands on the political climate in Russia. Specifically the "soft censorship" that exists to keep political opponents from becoming a threat to the Putin-Medvedev reign. Article title: How Putin Muzzled Russia's Press.

John fund of the WSJ reminds us that "only one Democrat since FDR has won more than 50.1% of the popular vote". Article: No, McCain Isn't Doomed.

There is evidence that fall campaigns, which tend to focus voters on big-picture issues, usually help Republicans. In 1976, Gerald Ford was seen as a goner during the summer but rallied to finish only two points behind Jimmy Carter. A dozen years later, Michael Dukakis led George H.W. Bush in June and July. He lost by eight points in the fall. In 1992, Bill Clinton had a 10-point lead around Labor Day. He won by only five and a half points. Even Bob Dole closed a 12-point Labor Day gap to only eight points by November 1996. If that history is a guide, a focused McCain campaign that clearly contrasts conservative and liberal approaches to the issues should have a good chance of winning.

After all, it isn't easy for Democrats to win in a two-person race for president. Since FDR's last victory in 1944, only one Democrat – Lyndon Johnson in 1964 – has won 50.1% or more of the popular vote. Both of Bill Clinton's victories were aided by Ross Perot's presence on the ballot.


Michelle Malkin recommends we "bone up" on ACORN, the lefty group that gets 40% of its annual budget from the taxpayers and spends some of that $$ on political activism. This is the group Obama worked for as a 'Community Organizer'. (We'd like to see the improvements to that community that can be attributed to Obama... Do ACORN community organizers file fraudulent voter registrations, or is that another part of ACORN?) Two paragraphs selected below. See her full Townhall article, The ACORN Obama Knows.

Last July, ACORN settled the largest case of voter fraud in the history of Washington State. Seven ACORN workers had submitted nearly 2,000 bogus voter registration forms. According to case records, they flipped through phone books for names to use on the forms, including "Leon Spinks," "Frekkie Magoal" and "Fruto Boy Crispila." Three ACORN election hoaxers pleaded guilty in October. A King County prosecutor called ACORN's criminal sabotage "an act of vandalism upon the voter rolls."
...
As the Consumer Rights League points out in its new expose, the ACORN Housing Corporation has worked to obtain mortgages for illegal aliens in partnership with Citibank. It relies on undocumented income, "under the table" money, which may not be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Moreover, the group's "financial justice" operations attack lenders for "exotic" loans, while recommending 10-year interest-only loans (which deny equity to the buyer) and risky reverse mortgages. Whistleblower documents reveal internal discussions among the group that blur the lines between its tax-exempt housing work and its aggressive electioneering activities. The group appears to shake down corporate interests with relentless PR attacks, and then enters "no lobby" agreements with targeted corporations after receiving payment.