Audio at Johnny Dollar's Place.

Peggy Noonan:

[Conservatives] would normally look at the Bush Administration, they would've looked at it five years ago and said "This is TERRIBLE!"

But one huge and important and key thing happened.

It was 9-11.

And conservatives and Republicans and Democrats and moderates were so eager to give the President as much room as he needed, as many breaks as possible, to understand everything that he did, but they supported him in a way that, at the end of the day, I can't help but believe that the White House took advantage of, well-meaning people trying to back their President, trying to be really good with him, really supportive of him, and trying to show the world: "Hey, America's here, and we're backing our guy."...

I can't help but think that those good and decent impulses on the part of regular, on the ground people were somewhat taken advantage of while these people went off on their own ideological...tour.

Posted by: Ragnar at 01:05 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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You may be hearing here and there about the 'FredHeads.' It looks like you're going to be hearing a lot more about them in the coming days and weeks. Mary Matalin has started to take notice:

Tim Russert : "Mary Matalin, has Fred Thompson waited too long?"

Mary Matalin : "No, he's not waited too long, and this organization is just building around him. Last night at that event, just in passing, a young person came up to him and said, well, 'We have captains in every county in the state for you. We have volunteers all over the state.' Everywhere we go there are 'FredHeads.'"

My source in the FredHeads tells me that the FredHeads now have a presence in a majority of states.

In some states, they have operatives in every county, and some are now organizing at the precinct level.

If all this is true, I've never seen anything like this.

UPDATE : the offical FredHeads site is here and here.

Posted by: Ragnar at 09:13 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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Somebody had to do it.

Dean Barnett has already staked out August 31.

I've been predicting McCain in the single-digits within "weeks"--which is, like most of our good senators' recent statements on the immigration bill, sufficiently vague to give me a whole bunch of wiggle room. As it's going, the real risk may be that McCain's numbers will crash into the single-digits within ONE week, thereby still making a liar out of me.

Posted by: Ragnar at 03:03 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Yep, even Fred!

Posted by: Ragnar at 11:07 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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"Shrinkified" for Jawa compatibility:

Yes, I know this is just an internet straw poll, which makes it suspect, and Iknow I've been predicting a crater in support for John McCain, but still, I found the fact that repondents consider John McCain and Ron Paul equally unacceptable a bit surprising.

This might reflect an increasing understanding that a "President John McCain" would be an awful lot like "President George Bush," an option a whole lot of consiervatives consider unacceptable.

Posted by: Ragnar at 05:27 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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Posted at Fred2008.org:

GOP gun owners are much more likely to support Fred than non-gun owners.

The Washington Post has named Fred's campaign manager.

Fred dominated last week's Pajamas Media Poll.

Fred predicts failure for the amnesty bill, and warns the U.S. on the emergence of China.

Fred smacks down the U.N.

Posted by: Ragnar at 10:41 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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From Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson:

"I can tell you that Thompson will be making an announcement NLT the first of July. I have had one phone conversation with Thompson and I'm convinced he is getting in the race. Others who have talked to him are also convinced."

Posted by: Ragnar at 04:26 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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This is how many conservatives (including some of the Jawas) are reacting to the (awful) immigration "reform" bill in the Senate:

Unfortunately, too many of them think that actually pulling the trigger won't cause any lasting harm. Ironically, they pulled the trigger last November and produced a Congress more likely to grant amnesty to illegals. And more likely to betray our troops in Iraq, of course.

That's the problem with cutting off your nose to spite your face: you get marginalized.

Posted by: Bluto at 11:19 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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Posted at PJM Hollywood;

To PJM and Friends
By Fred Thompson

So, I hear you all have been talking about me.

It seems that I ought to respond, at least briefly, to all those who have expressed confidence in me — both here and in other forums. I do not take that confidence lightly.

The Pajamas Media poll is certainly good news, especially when, for a lot of politicians, encouragement to run from three relatives and an unemployed campaign consultant is considered an unstoppable groundswell. When people are saying nice things about me, I try to remember the proverb that compares flattery to a net at your feet. To be sure, the Pajamas poll results are very flattering, so let me return the favor and throw a net at your feet...

Sowell asks us, “In this day and time, can’t we have a responsible adult discussion of issues while the nation’s fate hangs in the balance in its most dangerous hour?”

That’s the question. If the answer is going to be “yes,” it will be due in large part to sites like this one. So thank you for all you’ve done here and for all the encouragement you’ve given me. Hopefully, we’ll continue this conversation.

For my fellow Fredheads, there's a good column on Fred over here.

Posted by: Ragnar at 09:59 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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"People who argue that we lost because we weren't true to our base, that's just wrong."

Just so you understand, this is the guy at the GOP whose job it is to win House seats.

We are so fucked.

Posted by: Ragnar at 09:45 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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I've said this before, and I continue to believe it: the root of what currently ails the Republican Party is found in the White House. George W. Bush has been an almost complete disaster for the Party. This amnesty disaster is just the latest example of George W. Bush's lack of fidelity to any principles that can reasonably be called "conservative."

I say this as someone who spent my vacations campaigning for Bush in Florida both in 2000 and in 2004. I gave time and money to Bush in 2000 even though I knew he hadn't been a conservative as governor of Texas and likely wouldn't be as President. I supported Bush for one reason: because I didn't want the ACLU and People for the American Way selecting our nation's federal judges. I gave time and money to Bush again in 2004 even though he'd continued to build a lackluster track record in his four years as President. I did this for the same reason--the judges.

Posted by: Ragnar at 04:57 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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This is the real story from the latest Gallup poll measuring Americans' approval of the Democrat-controlled Congress: independents rate Congress equally as low as do Republicans (the 1% difference is statistically insignificant)

Even though Democrats now control both houses of Congress, the poll shows that only 37% of Democrats approve of the job Congress is doing right now. These marks are, however, significantly better than those given to Congress by independents (24%) and Republicans (25%).

Previous post by Good Lt..

Posted by: Bluto at 11:07 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Tom Macguire thinks so, and he raises some interesting points:

And since torture works, sometimes, this is a real issue - I would love to see the Dem candidates tackle this at one of their debates (as if!). Would they ever contemplate torturing a terrorist, presumably after first reading him his rights and apologizing for the many indignities the United States has heaped upon his country and the world? Imagine my suspense.

I can see the ad now... The GOP nominee (who will, of course, be Fred Thompson) explains the interrogation of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in substantial detail. He elaborates on the intel gathered and the lives saved by that intel. Then looks straight into the camera and says something along the lines of: "Friends, a free nation doesn't torture people--but what we did to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed wasn't "torture" to anyone but hyperactive left-wing ACLU lawyers. I'm gonna tell you right now that none of the techniques we used on this thug should ever be off the table when American lives are at stake. And under my administration, they won't be."

Don't try to tell me that won't sell like hotcakes in Ohio.

h/t : Glenn

Posted by: Ragnar at 08:42 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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With Republicans forcing Democrats to go on record voting for tax increases through Motions to Recommit, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is threatening to change the House rules to deny Republicans the floor. From Representative Eric Cantor's website:

House Republicans are shutting down the floor, because the Democrats are threatening to change a rule and deny Republicans any opportunity to offer a motion to recommit on the "paygo" provisions of their legislation. That’s a lot of wonky talk; bottom line - the Democrats are preventing their Members from having to vote on the tax increases that they are trying to impose on the American People.

It is simply stunning that House Democrats want to change the germanenss rule on motions to recommit; this would be the first change to the germaneness rule since 1822.

Check back for updates. We will be updating on this showdown as it unfolds.

UPDATE: Rep. Westmoreland just moved for a recorded quorum call, then a motion that the committee will rise. Expect to see more of these…

Posted by: Bluto at 03:39 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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This guy 'gets it':

In the old days, Yasser Arafat could condemn terrorism in English and promise more attacks in Arabic -- and almost no one would hear about it. In this new age, one subtitled video posted to the Web can get the world's attention and trigger international repercussions.

That's a good thing but, of course, the same technology can also be used for evil. According to press reports, the six New Jersey terror plotters were immersed in extremist videos and propaganda from pro-jihad Websites. Their message of hatred is so powerful and widespread that it persuaded grown men, living in the United States, to give up their own lives to murder Americans.

Think how much more effective this type of propaganda must be when it is aimed at children. Now think about an entire generation of Palestinians, Pakistanis, Iranians and others -- saturated with this message their whole lives. That's the real message we should take from that Mickey Mouse video.

More Fred at Fred2008.org

Posted by: Ragnar at 10:45 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Ron Paul has got some ideas about the Constitution that might surprise some of our Founding Fathers, but that's fine. We could use more politicians with a restrictive view of the legitimate scope of Federal power.

He wants to pull American power back to American borders and essentially let the world fend for itself. He's convinced that Americans brought the 9/11 attacks on themselves, and suspects that the U.S. government itself may have orchestrated the attacks. Everyone's entitled to his opinion.

Well now he's decided to run for President again, and that's his right.

He's been garnering a significant level of support amongst certain grassroots Republicans--especially on the internet. Like Dennis Kucinich, Ron Paul seems to attract some of the most hardcore, no-compromise activists in politics.

Now, Paul's candidacy is something of a double-edged sword for the GOP. On the one hand, Paul's campaign may draw self-described "constitutionalist" voters back into the GOP fold who would otherwise stay home. On the other hand, these types of supporters tend to react quite negatively when they don't get the candidate they've got their heart set on.

So, as much as some of us might feel our head getting ready to explode when Rep. Paul tells us everything would be hunky-dorey if we'd just leave the Islamists alone, it may be a good idea to at least try to be civil to Ron Paul and his supporters.

That said, I can't deny that I got a charge out of Rudy's smackdown of Rep. Paul at the debate. Rudy said it came from the heart, and I believe him.

Posted by: Ragnar at 02:59 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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Over at Fred2008, we've posted an analysis of the Iowa numbers (complete with pretty graphs & everything):

Enthusiasm for Rudy's been dropping as of late, while McCain saw early losses, but may be starting a recovery. At this point, the race in Iowa appears fairly even between those two, but if Giuliani continues his slide, that won't be the case for much longer. Both Thompson and Romney are trending up, but support for Thompson has risen more quickly, such that Thompson has caught up with Romney despite coming "on the scene" later in time.

We've also got Fred Thompson on first principles, on why strength is necessary and on Competence--what our government's missing.

Posted by: Ragnar at 11:42 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The bill was defeated by loud opposition from varying groups. But the Democrat congress was not deterred. They are offering the same gag on free speech as the Meehan Amendment to H.R. 2093.

AFA: I wrote to you in January about legislation in the U.S. Senate that could have silenced grassroots communication from groups like American Family Association. Thankfully, that part of the legislation was defeated after you and other concerned citizens let your voices be heard.

Unfortunately, the House Judiciary Committee is expected to reconsider the “grassroots gag order” when the Meehan Amendment (H.R. 2093) will be offered on Tuesday, May 15, during debate on a broader "lobbying reform" bill. This amendment, sponsored by Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.), would establish, for the first time, federal regulatory authority over efforts aimed at motivating citizens to communicate with their representatives about bills moving in Congress.

This threat is so serious that American Family Association has joined with other pro-family groups, as well as organizations from the left of the political spectrum, including the ACLU, to oppose the bill.

Don't let up, the Dhimmicraps will probably try and sneak another fast one by us if this amendment is defeated yet again. Probably hold war funding hostage over it or something.

Posted by: Howie at 04:26 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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The full story is posted at RedState.

Posted by: Ragnar at 10:12 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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Curious as to what life might be like under an Obama administration? Well, if you're a gun owner, you might like to know that Obama has endorsed a ban on the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic firearms. From Project Vote Smart:

Gun Issues

(Back to top) Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

X a)

Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.

X b)

Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.

Some strategists consider Obama dangerous in the general election. Yes, he's smooth and charismatic. On the other hand, he's a left-winger, and his positions just aren't going to play well in the general. Mark my words, folks : nominee B. Hussein Obama would be a godsend to the Republicans--and I'm pretty sure the grown-ups in the Democrat Party know this. He may not be quite as magical, but Bill Richardson (who holds an "A" rating from the NRA) would be a whole lot easier sell on Main Street. Hillary, for all her high negatives, can at least SEE the middle of the road from where she's standing. Obama? Not so much. Whether the game's ultimately decided by the grown-ups or the nutroots remains to be seen.

Posted by: Ragnar at 09:05 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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In his latest podcasts, Fred opines on the correct interpretation of the Second Amendment and presents A Tribute to Monsieur Sarkozy.

Over at Fred2008.org, we've opined on Thompson's name recognition and noted Fred's dominance of April's Online GOP Straw Poll.

Last but not least, we have new Fred 2008 goodies available.

Enjoy!

Posted by: Ragnar at 10:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Oh, funny.

Posted by: Ragnar at 11:37 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I've posted a rough analysis of GOP primary poll numbers over the October-May time frame here.

Short version (with caveats) : McCain and Fred Thompson are trending up lately, Romney's (maybe) slipping a bit, and Giuliani's (definitely) been slipping a lot.

Part of the reason Fred's numbers are trending up is his willingness to speak candidly about things like America's long history with Islamic terrorism.

Posted by: Ragnar at 06:01 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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A gift from Allah (pundit):

At least six times, maybe more, according to copies of his tax returns provided to Politico “by aides to a rival campaign, who insisted on not being identified.” The obvious (if unpersuasive) spin would be to insist that the money was meant for lobbying, to defend the right of privacy, not for the actual performance of abortions, which of course Rudy deeply, personally opposes. Instead his camp offered [a] non-answer...

Stay tuned...

Posted by: Ragnar at 09:52 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Posted at Fred2008.org:

The Fred 2008 Blogroll

Fred Thompson : "A Fearless Senator"

Video : Thompson at the Lincoln Club

Video : Fred Interviewed on Breitbart TV

Posted by: Ragnar at 10:27 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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