Republican Josh Wander is not likely to be the next mayor of Pittsburgh.  But he’s running to prove a point in a town run by the other party for nine straight decades.

According to his website bio:

Josh Wander, a newcomer on the political scene, was drawn to run for the Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh because, rather than watch his beloved city continue in decline, he has decided to be part of the solution. You won’t see Josh running off to a resort while our streets are covered with snow and the city is in lock down. You WILL see him lead and take proactive action to fill those potholes that continue to appear and remain on city streets. You WILL see him plan ahead to insure that our “city-zens” have safe access to our roads and that our city money is being spend with YOU in mind.

That is, of course, if Josh ever gets elected.

The name “Wander” may be a little on the nose for a candidate running such a mightily uphill race.  In Allegheny County, Democrats outnumber Republicans by roughly 2:1 (502k to 227k active voters).  Within the city limits, the story is even more stark.  The Tribune Review reports, “There are 164,741 registered Democrats in the city, compared with 30,502 Republicans.”

Ouch! But that statistic alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

Area Trending Republican

Most of Western Pennsylvania has slipped from the grip of Democrats and the red tide has left only Allegheny and Erie counties with a blue tilt.  Even in Allegheny county however, Democrats are holding on to a narrowing advantage.  Five Thirty Eight’s Micah Cohen describes the area like this:

Western Pennsylvania is culturally Midwestern, more socially conservative, and has moved toward the Republican Party. Politically, it looks like Ohio, with a solidly but not overwhelmingly Democratic city, Pittsburgh, surrounded by heavily Republican suburbs in Westmoreland and Butler Counties.

The entire city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny county remain the blue bulls eye of Western PA, but even here Democrat wins aren’t necessarily assured.  In 2010, Republican Tom Corbett edged out his Democratic challenger by 649 votes in Allegheny County.  In 2012, Mitt Romney slightly outperformed John McCain in Allegheny and drastically over performed in the surrounding counties. Republicans also turned out in greater numbers than Democrats according to the Post-Gazette.

Mr. Wander faced no challenger in this week’s Primary and will face Democrat Bill Peduto on November 5th.  The candidate himself recently joked, “My only chance of actually winning is the race is if the Democratic nominee drops dead, but then there’s a possibility I’ll still lose because there’s a demographic of dead voters out there that still may vote him in.”

Follow Josh Wander at www.votewander.com and @VoteWander

Florida Governor Rick Scott deserves kudos for vetoing the mother of all turkeys in our recent budget, a $1 million effort in Palm Beach County to get neighbors to spy on each other.

From the not-exactly-right-wing Sun-Sentinel:

Under Sheriff Ric Bradshaw’s plan, the office would establish a 24-hour hot line and a specialized mental health unit of deputies and therapists. Residents could report suspicious activity in an effort to thwart tragedies like at Sandy Hook Elementary and Aurora, Colo., whose perpetrators may have benefited from mental-health services.

Then in April, The Palm Beach Post quoted Bradshaw saying, “We want people to call us if the guy down the street says he hates the government, hates the mayor…” He meant that such a person might need mental-health services and should be put on a law-enforcement “radar” for threatening a public figure, a Sheriff’s Office lobbyist later clarified.

But many saw this as an attempt by Bradshaw, a Democrat, to stifle government dissent. Conservatives across the state dashed off hundreds of emails to Scott, a Republican. They compared it to Big Brother and the KGB.

 

Shockingly, people got a little pissed off about being spied on.

Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradsaw’s office claims that the idea came as a well-intended response to such incidents as Sandy Hook, but even a casual observer may note flashbacks to another campaign urging citizens to report their neighbors for heinous, insidious acts like speaking one’s mind.

Not long ago, President Obama’s campaign arm Obama For America swept in to save the president from attacks on his dismal record by launching the now infamous Attack Watch website, which was ridiculed first by the right, then by all of America for turning whole neighborhoods into spy rings.  By the way, seriously, if you think that the analogy is overblown, follow the link and take a gander at the categorical options for reporting your neighbor.  Was he spreading “rumors” about the president?!  Oooohhh, boogedy-boogedy!

For this writer’s own sake, I’d better report myself as running a website unflattering of President Obama.  Report me here!

In the case of Sheriff Bradshaw and other big, intrusive government advocates that invariably spring up as an over-reach following a tragedy, let me say this:  Save the taxpayers the entirety of the $3.2 million price tag.  If Palm Beach County residents see something truly suspicious, they should of course report it by contacting PBSO for free at (561) 688-3000.

That’s literally a $3.2 million rebate in your pocket for the same service.  You’re welcome.

In the waning heat of a presidential primary, President Obama prepares to take on his apparent fall rival, Mitt Romney.  A rich businessman and prolific fundraiser, Romney will surely bring in enough money for a competitive campaign.  Conservative organizers, tired of Washington liberals, are eager to help.  Thousands of Tea Party and conservative groups spring up in advance of the November election.

Meanwhile in the Obama Treasury Department receives a letter from The Landmark Legal Foundation demanding an investigation of IRS targeting of conservative groups.  News outlets pick up the story, though many laugh it off as right wing conspiracy theory.

More than a year later, this news is being taken more seriously. The abuses are real, and they are political.

With revelations late last week that the IRS did indeed target conservative groups for undue scrutiny, the Obama White House has been quick to cry foul and distance the President from any impropriety.  But that hasn’t stopped left wing minions like Nancy Pelosi from turning this clear violation into a hyper-partisan political fight.

Internal Revenue Service abuses of power for political purposes are wrong, period.  Heads should roll. But the big takeaway from this scandal is more abstract.  We now have concrete evidence of big, intrusive government abusing its power to push its citizens around.

Maine Senator Susan Collins landed the takeaway beautifully on CNN’s State of the Union:

“This is truly outrageous and it contributes to the profound distrust that the American people  have in government.  It is absolutely chilling … The president needs to make crystal clear that this is totally unacceptable in America.”

America, you have the government you asked for. Remember next November.

The Lady who was “Not for Turning” frequently made the case for eschewing political popularity in the short run in favor of the the long tail of history.  On this Earth Day, it seems especially on point to link readers to her 1982 speech to the Conservative Party Conference:

In the 60s and 70s the fashion was to say that the long term does not matter very much because, as Maynard Keynes put it, “In the long run we are all dead.” [laughter] Anyone who thought like that would never plant a tree. [applause]

We are in the business of planting trees, for our children and grandchildren, or we have no business to be in politics at all. [applause] We are not a one generation party. We do not intend to let Britain become a one generation society. Let us not forget the lesson of history. The long term always starts today.

Mind you, this anecdote was more figurative than literal.  But the geopolitical legacy of Margaret Thatcher planted the seeds of freedom and entrepreneurship that grew the trees of prosperity for generations of westerner children, now busy growing trees for their own families worldwide.

Happy Earth Day, Conservatives and conservatives alike.  And remember to thank God for Margaret Thatcher today!

Does anybody seriously think that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did or said anything stupid in his supposed “gaffe” revealed this week?

In case there is any question about how proud Dems are of themselves over this supposed “gotcha moment”, their brass has hastened to distance themselves from the insurgency and been reluctant to criticize McConnell for his statement. Via WashPo:

The tape was not made by bugging the Republican senator’s office but by standing in the hallway while the conversation occurred, Jacob Conway, a member of the executive committee of the Louisville/Jefferson County

Democratic Party, told news organization.
Conway told Louisville NPR affiliate WFPL that Shawn Reilly, Progress Kentucky’s executive director, and Curtis Morrison, a former spokesman for the group, had boasted to him about making the tape.

According to Conway’s account, the recording was made in early February, when McConnell held an open house, with media included, to unveil his reelection campaign headquarters in Louisville. Reilly and Morrison were not at the open house, Conway said, but they arrived afterward and heard and taped the private conversation from the hall. The recording was published by Mother Jones, a liberal magazine.

None other than the New York Times bears out McConnell’s case:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was looking into allegations by Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky that political opponents bugged his campaign headquarters.

Mr. McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, blamed the “political left” for an anonymous recording of a meeting at his campaign headquarters that appeared on the Web site of Mother Jones, a liberal magazine, on Tuesday morning. The recording captures Mr. McConnell and his aides outlining possible attacks on potential opponents, especially the actress Ashley Judd.

“They were bugging our headquarters, quite a Nixonian move,” Mr. McConnell said Tuesday at a news conference. “This is what you get from the political left in America these days.”

“This is the Whac-A-Mole period of the campaign,” Mr. McConnell said on the tape. “When anybody sticks their head up, do them out.”

There may be a better, more polite way to phrase this reaction.  But I’ll stick with DUHHHH!

Anybody worth their weight in paper clips knows that a politician expects a challenge, expects it from certain contenders, and prepares themselves for that challenge by assembling any and all data available — including dirty laundry.  The left does it to the right, the right does it to the left.  Incumbents find themselves in a particularly defensive crouch for their seats, because long shot outsiders tend to eschew their own political baggage as they rise in opposition to “the man”.

I suggest it would be bo

th newsworthy and political m
alfeasance if Senator McConnell had not assembled an opposition research file on potential challengers to, as he says, play whack-a-mole with on-comers.

The political left may call it journalism to assemble dirt on Mitch McConnell.  For the team equally busy protecting him, I’d call it their job.  And that’s neither newsworthy nor sinister.

Admiral Ackbar in 2016

First seen in Return of the Jedi, the character of Admiral Ackbar became known for two things. One was for being a giant squid head (Lucas, employing all his renowned creativity, said he was from the race of Calimarians). The other thing he’s known for is being able to astutely observe the Rebellion’s offensive on the heart of the Empire was doomed to be ensnared in deceit. “Take evasive action. IT’S A TRAP!” is the character’s most famous line.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dddAi8FF3F4

Admiral Ackbar’s ability to recognize the signs of entrapment and take decisive action rather than continuing to plunge headlong into annihilation could prove useful for today’s Republican party.

Unbeknownst to many, this is about how the interaction with the media goes today…

Young(ish) Republican legislator: “We’re spending trillions of dollars we don’t have, borrowing it from countries that hate us, ruining the strength of the dollar and rapidly approaching the point where our government won’t even be able to provide basic services. We see in Europe the examples of countries that are rioting in the streets and going into default. It’s time for a grown-up conversation about this.”

TV news hack: “Uh huh. Say, this guy here said gay marriage should be legal. What do you say to that?”

Admiral Ackbar knows what to make of this. “IT’S A TRAP!”

The media (and the “well personally I’m probably a bit left-of-center” talking heads) rush to wedge issues the way us fanboys rush out to get the latest limited special edition director’s extended cut with 11 extra seconds of new footage. Whether they’re using it as a sword or as a crutch, the thought process is “this guy’s talking about economic reform. Yawners. How can I get him on something that will get the attention of someone whose appointment television is Real Housewives of Okahumpka?”

The latest Gallup poll asks people what the most important problem facing this country today is. 24% said the economy, 20% said dissatisfaction with government, 16% unemployment/jobs and 13% the federal deficit and debt (source: http://www.gallup.com/poll/161342/fewer-mention-economic-issues-top-problem.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndication).

These are all issues Republicans could lead with. This is where our Rebel Alliance could really kick some ass. Leave aside the high school debate issues like whether there should be a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning or whether federal tax forms should be available in other languages besides English. Stay focused on the whole “everybody’s biggest priority” thing.

If only we had a leader with the foresight…thanks to his big squid eyes… to know when to say “It’s a trap!”

Plus, ya know… he’s a veteran. Which was a huge advantage according to the media when Kerry ran. For McCain, not so much.

Course, then the birthers would get pissy. But they’re kinda Jar Jar Binks anyway.

by Nick Stone and Ryan Reiter 

No governor is going to please everyone. But does Governor Scott really have to make it quite so impossible for us to defend him at the grassroots?

For Young Republican activists, you bet that electing a Republican governor is a top priority.  But what is the point of holding the Governor’s Mansion anyway if the man who occupies it doesn’t fight for the things we believe in?

Mr. Scott has flaked on Republican priorities several times now. Having already made a big mistake by backtracking on early voting changes, he made a worse infraction by giving President Obama his goody bag of Medicaid expansion in the Sunshine State.

This isn’t just a partisan concern. According to the Cato Institute, dumping more people into Medicaid will add 3 million Floridians to government rolls at a cost of $20 billion to Florida taxpayers.  But we’re supposed to feel better because he promises not to implement a state insurance exchange?

That’s not going to cut it, Governor.

The last time the base was this irritated with a sitting Republican governor, it was when Charlie Crist picked teachers unions over students by vetoing Jeff Atwater’s education reform bill. Kowtowing to liberal special interests, he nearly crippled a delicate bipartisan legacy of improving education in our state.

This governor, who got his feet wet in Florida politics by standing against Obamacare, has apparently decided that selling our state and Party down river is an acceptable price to protect his own political future. Having consistently been the country’s least popular governor throughout his tenure, Scott has clearly decided to do or say anything he thinks people want to hear to save his own hide.

Didn’t Florida just get rid of a governor like that?!

We would like to know which parties were involved in this discussion and how the final decision came about.  Who thinks this is a good idea for Florida? In a political climate ripe with disgust that politicians are ignoring the will of their constituents, it would be nice to feel that the governor is listening to the voters and not just the Obama goon squad.

War is young men dying and old men talking. Governor Scott, who has served in our nation’s Navy, is steering this ship full speed ahead into rough waters with a skewed political compass. Don’t be surprised if you see lifeboats hit the waters before he runs aground.

Surely we will continue to support our sitting Republican governor, but nobody had better ask us to defend his mindboggling recent moves. We will have a terribly hard time defending Governor Scott if he puts his own political future first at the expense of the rest of the Party, not to mention the taxpayers.  We do, after all, have the rest of the cabinet and Republican legislators to re-elect too.

Governor, it’s time to come back to the reservation very swiftly.  Otherwise, don’t expect us to move mountains for you in 2014.  Not even $100 million could buy our loyalty in exchange for our principles.

Just ask Charlie Crist.

Senator Marco Rubio’s GOP Response:

“This opportunity – to make it to the middle class or beyond no matter where you start out in life – it isn’t bestowed on us from Washington. It comes from a vibrant free economy where people can risk their own money to open a business. And when they succeed, they hire more people, who in turn invest or spend the money they make, helping others start a business and create jobs. Presidents in both parties – from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan – have known that our free enterprise economy is the source of our middle class prosperity. But President Obama? He believes it’s the cause of our problems.”

…

“Economic growth is the best way to help the middle class. Unfortunately, our economy actually shrank during the last three months of 2012. But if we can get the economy to grow at just 4 percent a year, it would create millions of middle class jobs. And it could reduce our deficits by almost $4 trillion dollars over the next decade. Tax increases can’t do this. Raising taxes won’t create private sector jobs. And there’s no realistic tax increase that could lower our deficits by almost $4 trillion. That’s why I hope the President will abandon his obsession with raising taxes and instead work with us to achieve real growth in our economy.”

Senator Rand Paul’s Tea Party Response:

“What the President fails to grasp is that the American system that rewards hard work is what made America so prosperous.

What America needs is not Robin Hood but Adam Smith. In the year we won our independence, Adam Smith described what creates the Wealth of Nations.

He described a limited government that largely did not interfere with individuals and their pursuit of happiness.

All that we are, all that we wish to be is now threatened by the notion that you can have something for nothing, that you can have your cake and eat it too, that you can spend a trillion dollars every year that you don’t have.”

Is President Obama using drones in order to avoid putting new detainees in Guantanamo Bay?

Dick Cheney on Charlie Rose Show Wednesday mentioned a very interesting proposition on the use of drones in this White House.  While mentioning that he does not fundamentally disagree with the Obama administration drone program, he mentioned a key weakness in the program – the inability to detain (capture) targets (enemy combatants) and retrieve them for questioning.

This key point raises a question. Is President Obama purposely avoiding capturing combatants for fear he would have no option but to stash them in Gitmo?

Clearly this alternative would be politically problematic for the president for two reasons.  First, he campaigned on closing Guantanamo but has failed badly in delivering on that promise. Second, he would have no choice but to admit that the Bush administration had  it right on Gitmo in the first place.

That’s the whole point, isn’t it?  Of course nobody loves the optical nightmare of Guantanamo, but what other choice is there? If we are to capture and question our enemies to gather information, it is a keystone in our defense.  Period.

Will the president get his left wing base to swallow their displeasure over drones on the premise that the program will allow the slow closure of Guantanamo through attrition?  Or does he fundamentally disbelieve in the capture and question history of our intelligence gathering services?

Either way, it appears that the president is playing politics with our national security.  I’m glad Dick Cheney put his finger on it.

Bad news for President Obama — and I don’t just mean on the economy, either.

Millions of fellow political nerds junkies like myself participated in an online audience reaction in addition to live tweeting as the president spoke.  While Mr. Obama pontificated on higher taxes to pay for more spending, bigger government programs and a stern finger wagging at business owners and the successful, we gave a live reaction.

The results weren’t too great for the president, who struggled to reach 50% approval even among viewers of his own Party.

Despite the collective yawn from his audience, President Obama still did manage to win praise from his media cheerleaders.  Maybe they can convince Americans to love the speech as much as they did?  From the looks of it, their work is cut out for them.