Conservative Songs, Part II

Ken AshfordPopular Culture, RepublicansLeave a Comment

The same idiot who came up with the list of the 50 best conservative songs . . . has come up with 50 more best conservative songs.  This list is even stupider than the first.  It contains (a) songs that nobody heard of; (b) songs that clearly have no political content in it whatsover (e.g., "Yackety Yak"), and (c) songs … Read More

Though They May Have Won All The Battles, We Had All The Good Songs….

Ken AshfordPopular Culture, RepublicansLeave a Comment

Speaking of political songs (as I did last night), the conservative National Review has posted what it touts as the "top 50 conservative rock songs".  I’ve put the whole list, along with National Review’s reasoning, below the fold. What’s clear is that in order to compile this list, the editors of NR often had to ignore the politics of the … Read More

GOP Crook To Teach “Nuts And Bolts” Campaign

Ken AshfordRepublicansLeave a Comment

Charles McGee, former Executive Director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, is sending out invitations for a “GOP Campaign School”, where attendees can learn the "nuts and bolts" about running GOP political campaigns. From the indictment, here’s what McGee did as Executive Director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee: In or about October 2002, Charles McGee, Executive Director … Read More

Unholy Alliance

Ken AshfordGodstuff, Republicans, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

Time magazine, June 1998: "The G.O.P. could lose its narrow 11-seat majority in the House if it didn’t find a way to galvanize its grass-roots activists, many of whom are Christian conservatives." New York Times, May 13, 2006: Some of President Bush’s most influential conservative Christian allies are becoming openly critical of the White House and Republicans in Congress, warning … Read More

Spend-Crazy Republicans

Ken AshfordCongress, Economy & Jobs & Deficit, RepublicansLeave a Comment

In March, the GOP-controlled Senate voted to increase the federal debt limit by $781 billion, bringing the debt ceiling to nearly $9 trillion. Neat trick.  If you find yourself outspending the legal limits, just change the legal limits. And now, two months later, GOP lawmakers decided to raise it again. A $2.7 trillion budget plan pending before the House would … Read More

Republican Priorities

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Congress, Republicans, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Josh Marshall notes that Sen. Elizabeth Dole has remarkable candor when it comes to expressing Republicans’ priorities lie this year : It all started earlier this evening when TPM Reader HH was on the receiving end of one of Dole’s blast emails begging contributions for the Republican senate committee. Says Dole, in her pitch: "If Democrats take control of the … Read More

Clever Bastards

Ken AshfordCongress, RepublicansLeave a Comment

With congressional approval poll numbers in freefall (it’s now 22%, down from 33% just one month ago), Senate Republicans have come up with a way to eke out a victory in upcoming elections: buying your vote.

How To Fail In Politics

Ken AshfordCongress, RepublicansLeave a Comment

Hey, I’m no politician, but it seems to me that if you want your political career to thrive: (1)  You shouldn’t speak at events sponsored by the Moonies ("Unification Church"). (2)  Assuming you are stupid and do #1, you shouldn’t call Rev. Moon "humanity’s Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent". (3)  Assuming you are really stupid and do both … Read More

Greenwald On Orrin Hatch

Ken AshfordConstitution, Republicans, Wiretapping & SurveillanceLeave a Comment

The whole post is worth a read, but I like Glenn Greenwald’s views about Sen. Orrin Hatch: This seems to be an accurate summary of the evolution of Sen. Hatch’s views of constitutional law: (1) The Congress has the right to restrict the President’s eavesdropping activities, and to make certain eavesdropping activities a criminal offense punishable by up to five … Read More

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Ken AshfordRepublicansLeave a Comment

This whole Kallogian/Downtown Baghdad photo thing just keeps getting funnier and funnier. Let’s recap: (1)  On his website several months ago, Candidate for Congress Howard Kallogian tells how he "just got back" from Iraq, and despite what the media says, it is very peaceful there.  To make his point, he posts a picture of a street in "downtown Baghdad", which … Read More

It’s Istanbul, Not Constantinople Iraq

Ken AshfordRepublicansLeave a Comment

Howard Kallogian, a Republican congressional candidate in California’s 50th District (to replace the now-indicted "Duke" Cunningham) goes to Baghdad, and reports how calm and peaceful it is.  Therefore, the press is making shit up.  To prove his point, Kallogian posts a picture (that he supposedly took) on his website.  Here’s the picture he posted: Wow, downtown Baghdad does look peaceful.  … Read More

Pollster’s Memo To GOP: Let’s Sink Together

Ken AshfordRepublicansLeave a Comment

Well, that’s the practical effect of what this GOP pollster is saying in this memo to GOP Poohbah Ken Mehlman, urging Republicans not to distance themselves from Bush: To: Ken MehlmanFrom: Jan van LohuizenDate: March 3, 2006Re: Bush — Congressional Republicans Per our conversation, we took another look at the way voters, Republicans specifically, link President Bush and Republicans in … Read More