When asked by radio sidekick Bill Cunningham, Hannity left open the possibility of a run, saying "I've never made a decision in my life without – whatever destiny God has you've got to fulfill it." Not a single decision in his life. That must make lunch menu decisions rather difficult.
When the audience erupted in feverish excitement at the prospect after his statement, Hannity asked: "Would any of you really want me to run?"
Faced with shrinking popularity polls, many at the DNC were saying "oh yes, please." For hard-right Republicans, a Palin-Hannity ticket might be the best of all worlds since Palin would resign halfway through her term and conservatives could enjoy both a President Palin and a President Hannity — if their hearts could take it.
The Palin-Hannity cabinet has some obvious choices:
Secretary of Defense: God
Treasury: God
Transportation: God
Interior: God
Commerce: God
Justice: God
HUD: God
Labor: God
Of course, if the Almighty is too busy with the other decision's in Sean's life, there is John Yoo for Justice, Oliver North for Defense, Gov. Sanford for Transportation, Sen. David Vitter for Labor, Bernie Ebbers for Commerce, Jeff Skilling for Treasury (Ken Lay is no longer available), Joseph Hazelwood for Interior — and of course Glen Beck for White House Spokesman. The only danger would be that the hearts of some Republicans would literally burst out of their chests in spontaneous explosions of joy.
Possible slogans based on past campaigns:
"Palin-Hannity: In Your Heart, You Know They're [Far] Right."
"Palin-Hannity: Its the Antebellum in America again."
"Palin-Hannity: God-Chosen, Fox-Certified"
"Palin-Hannity: Because One Can Never Be Too Right."
"Palin-Hannity: No You Can't"
"Palin-Hannity: An Endangered Bird in Every Pot, a Humvee in every garage"
"Palin-Hannity: Stop Thinking About Tomorrow and Start Thinking About Yesterday."
"Palin-Hannity: Building a Bridge to the Eighteenth Century."
For the report, click here.
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Story here.
U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan "told President Obama's chief envoy to the region this weekend that they did not have enough troops to do their job, pushed past their limit by Taliban rebels who operate across borders." The possibility of more troops poses problems for Obama in dealing with an unpopular war, "compounded by new questions over the the credibility of the Afghan government."
###If you thought your representatives in Washington were going to spend their summer recess back home, hearing how you feel about the problems with American health care…well, you're a sucker. In fact, many of them will have been as far from your district as it's possible to be without space flight. Here's a rundown of where your senator or congressperson (and their spouses — well, not Lindsey Graham — and staff members) spent summer vacation.
Ireland, Switzerland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Canada
July 31 - Aug. 13
- Rep. and Mrs. John Boeher (R-Oh.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Dan Boren (D-Ok.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Jo Bonner (R-Mich.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Dave Camp (R-Iowa)
- Rep. and Mrs. Tom Latham (R-Or.)
- Paula Wowakowski, Chief of Staff to Rep. Boeher
- Amy Lozupone, Deputy Chief of Staff to Rep. Boeher
- Danielle Maurer, Director of Member Services for Rep. Boeher
- Jennifer Stewart, National Security Advisor to Rep. Boehner
- Dr. Rob Summerlee, Attending Physician
- James Gottshall, Diplomatic Security
- Col. David Furness, USMC Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
- Maj. Speros Koumparakis, USMC Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
- Sgt. Jennifer Evitts, USMC Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
United Kingdom, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Italy
Aug. 1 - 9
- Rep. and Mrs. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)
- Rep. and Mr. Susan Davis (D-Calif.)
- Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)
- Rep. and Mrs. John Carter (R-Tex.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Michael McCaul (R-Tex.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Charles Dent (R-Penn.)
- Debra Wade, House Armed Services Committee Personal Staff Member
- Lt. David Colbert, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
- Lt. Doug Robb, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
Germany, Bahrain, Korea, Canada
Aug. 6 - 13
- Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.)
- Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.)
- William Ebbs, House Armed Services Committee Personal Staff Member
- Jenness Simler, House Armed Services Committee Personal Staff Member
- Rear Adm. Mike Miller, USN Chief of Legislative Affairs
- Capt. Joe McClain, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
- Commander Shanti Sethi, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
Libya, Kuwait, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iceland
Aug. 13 - 20
- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
- Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.)
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
- Richard Fontaine, Deputy Minority Staff Director, Senate Armed Services Committee
- Brooke Buchanan, Communications Director for Sen. McCain
- Vance Serchuk, Foreign Policy Advisor to Sen. Lieberman
- Adam Brake, Military Legislative Assistant to Sen. Graham
- Capt. John Nowell, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
- Lt. Mitchell McGuffie, USA Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
Jordon, Afghanistan, Islamabad, Pakistan, Ireland
Aug. 17 - 25
- Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
- Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
- David McKean, Staff Director, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Frank Lowenstein, Chief Counsel, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Jonah Blank, Chief Policy Advisor, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Lt. Commander Greg Kausner, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
Germany, Italy, Spain
Aug. 26 - Sept. 9
- Rep. and Mrs. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.)
- Rep. and Mrs. John Duncan (R-Tenn.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Harold Rogers (R-Ken.)
- Rep. Soloman Ortiz (D-Tex.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Tim Holden (D-Penn.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Henry Brown (R-S.C.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.)
- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.)
- Rep. and Mrs. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.)
- Christa Fornarotto, Department of Transportation
- Kay King, Director, House Office of Interparliamentary Affairs
- Jimmy Miller, Personal Staff Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Holly Woodruff Lyons, Personal Staff Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Jennifer Hall, Personal Staff Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Sarah Blackwood, Personal Staff Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Dr. Deborah Omori, Physician
- Lt. Lauren Baker, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
Tunisia, Libya, Kenya, Rwanda
Aug. 27 - Sept. 4
- Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)
- Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)
- Rep. Melvin Watt (D-N.C.)
- Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)
- Rep. Henry Johnson Jr. (D-Ga.)
- Capt. Joe McClain, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
- Lt. Ron Valencia, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
United Kingdom
Sept. 1 - 6
- Sen. and Mrs. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
- Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
- Sen. and Mrs. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.)
- Sen. and Mrs. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
- Kevin McDonald, Scheduler for Sen. Leahy
- Charles Ross, State Director for Sen. Leahy
- Sally Walsh, Director, IPS
- Kay Weber, Executive Assistant to Sen. Cochran
- Rear Adm. Brian Monahan, Attending Physician
- Col. Philip Skuta, USMC OLA Escort
- Sgt. Megan Cavanaugh, USMC Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
- John Daly, Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
Pakistan, Afghanistan
Sept. 3 - 8
- Sen. Adam Smith (D-Wash.)
- Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.)
- Sen. Bill Shuster (R-Penn.)
- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.)
- Timothy McClees, House Armed Services Committee Personal Staff Member
- Alexander Kugajevsky,House Armed Services Committee Personal Staff Member
- Lt. Comm. Brian Elkowitz, USN Office of Legislative Affairs Escort
- Lt. Comm. Brian Drechsler, USN Special Operations Command Escort
These travel junkets make the Obamas' trip to Massachusetts seem downright utilitarian.
###
Reduced checks for seniors will not go over well with this large voting block. Anyone who thinks seniors are not paying attention to the shocking pay increases on Wall Street following the massive bailout is kidding themselves. People can tolerate a few less bucks but not while they are having their noses rubbed in the extravagance of Wall Street. Especially when their own retirement investments are years away from recovering.
I can't believe I'm agreeing completely with Ross Douthat:
If the Congressional Democrats can't get a health care package through, it won't prove that President Obama is a sellout or an incompetent. It will prove that Congress's liberal leaders are lousy tacticians, and that its centrist deal-makers are deal-makers first, poll watchers second and loyal Democrats a distant third. And it will prove that the Democratic Party is institutionally incapable of delivering on its most significant promises.
You have to assume that on some level Congress understands this — which is why you also have to assume that some kind of legislation will eventually pass.
If it doesn't, President Obama will have been defeated. But it's the party, not the president, that will have failed.
###
Is former Senator Tom Daschle, who is advising both President Obama and the health insurance companies/big pharma at the same time (and probably pulling down millions of dollars to do it), possibly breaking the law?
Some of the health overhaul bills would make deep cuts in Medicare payments for home health services, but Mr. Daschle has instead argued for an increase. And though he does not lobby, he took that message to Capitol Hill last month, giving a paid speech at a meeting for Congressional staff convened by a group of home health care equipment concerns.
Making a case for something to congressional staffers is lobbying. "Lobbying" is not just talking to congresscritters, it is trying to persuade any government official to see things your way. The "oh, he only gave a speech" is a legal fiction. David Kirkpatrick and his editors at the NY Times ought to be pelted with rotten fruit for buying into it.
###
Message to president Obama: It's time to call for a mulligan on health finance reform http://distributorcapny.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-time-for-mulligan.html
###
The Department of Justice's ethics office would like to see the AG re-open several cases of detainee abuse in which interrogators went beyond the torture allowed by protocol and did their own "illegal" torturing. Which is good, except that it will criminalize only the people at the bottom and not the jackals who created the policy, etc. [AP]
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During a discussion on the future of newspapers and journalism on the Chris Matthews Show yesterday, Time's Joe Klein said that "on complicated stories, you can do this stuff on the internet." Matthews responded by asking "who's going to fact check?" As CNN's Gloria Bolger began to answer that online editors would, Matthews interjected, "the bloggers don't fact check." "Nobody fact checks" online, added Klein.
It's ironic that a cable news host such as Chris Matthews would attack bloggers for supposedly not checking their facts, considering the amount of falsehoods and factually inaccurate statements he regularly utters on the air — which have all been fact-checked by bloggers.
###
On the heels of the news that the CIA used power drills and "mock executions" on prisoners, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) says Obama will be "violating the law" if his administration declines to investigate Bush officials for their role in torturing detainees:
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/08/24/obama-violating-law-prosecuting-bush-officials/
Meanwhile, Obama is busy assembling new teams of interrogators that will supposedly play by the rules.
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