The President Meets Wile E. Coyote

In the classic Warner Brothers cartoons, the Road Runner (and now and then Bugs Bunny) had to deal with a clever foe called the Coyote. He frequently introduced himself as Wile E. Coyote, genius. He even had it printed on his business card. Once in a while he called himself a "super genius." Of course his self-assesment left something to be desired on the accuracy front, but it made for a good joke.

We were repeatedly told during the campaign (and doesn't it feel like the President is still running for office instead of governing in it?) how brilliant Mr. Obama was. Hmmm. Not so sure about that one. The announcement this week of new recommendations by a government panel for the detection of breast cancer seems to me to be the kind of thing ole Wile E. would do. It's certainly a self-inflicted wound.

I think they figured it out pretty quick because they trotted out HHS Secretary Sebelius to calm fears by pointing out that this was a non-binding recommendation. (Of course she neglected to mention that under Obama's Health Care plan such recommendations would be binding, but that's probably to be expected.) This not only confirms Sarah Palin's assertion that "death panels" will be making your health care choices for you in the future, but it undermines the support of the key remaining constituency that has been supporting health care reform--women. In a single stroke, they managed to give ammunition to their critics by proving the most pointed accusations true AND hack off their biggest supporters by undermining their future health care and even their lives.

Yep, super genius...or maybe it's more like the Coyote's confession at the end of Operation: Rabbit, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is MUD!" To which Bugs replied: "And remember, Mud spelled backward is Dum!"

Elections Have Consequences

The fallout from the off year elections is always subject to debate. Obama's staffers blamed Creigh Deeds' loss in Virginia on his failure to join himself to the President closely enough. Republicans countered by noting Jon Corzine's loss in New Jersey despite his repeated efforts to do just that. One of the biggest questions going forward is the impact of these results on the health care debate in Congress.

The House of Representatives passed "reform" on a 220-215 vote, despite a huge Democratic advantage. That certainly does not bode well for the coming debate in the Senate where the GOP needs just one defector (and Lieberman has already declared he will oppose the public option) to sustain a filibuster. The question seems to come down to this--will their losses in the off year elections make the Democrats more afraid to push the issue or more desperate to do so?

There's little question that the window on this monstrosity is going to close soon...the real question seems to be which side of it the American people will be on when it closes. My hope is that the self preservation instinct will kick in and the incumbent donkeys will find a way to abort (they do believe in abortion don't they?) this thing before it completes the ruination of the ecnomy that has already been started with the "stimulus" bill. With unemployment north of 10% you would think the margin for action on a hugely expensive piece of legislation like this that will make employers much more reluctant to hire workers wouldn't even merit discussion...but when you consider the collective IQs of Pelosi, Reid, Biden and company, perhaps it isn't that surprising that they're pushing full speed ahead.

The Dirtiest Team I've Seen This Year

Watching the Bama-Mississippi State game on ESPN. The MSU Bulldogs are the dirtiest team I've seen all year...in fact in several years. They take cheap shots, rip off helmets, and clothesline tackle. I hope we beat them by 40.

Tennessee Vols Unveil New Helmet Design

Lame Kitten has been working to build his "street cred" and establish a thug program. Reckon in that at least he is succeeding.

Armistice Day

The guns fell silent on this date in 1918, marking the end of the "Great War" and restoring peace, at least for a little while. The day became an anniversary of peace and then a day to honor veterans. And they deserve all of the honor, respect, appreciation and thanks they receive...and then some. All of the things we enjoy and too often take for granted are the direct result of their sacrifice.

So on this day, I would like to express a special word of appreciation to Sgt. James Alvin Byers of the 45 Infantry Thunderbirds who answered the call of his country and went to the cold mountains of Korea. Thank you for serving and especially thanks for coming home. I'm glad you're still here to thank!

Next Week We'll Know More

There are four major elections coming up next week as the "off year" cycle mercifully winds it way toward a conclusion. (If you share my misfortune of living in a media market with an election, you're probably as sick of polictical ads as I am, and I doubt if any of us "normal" people approve those messages.) The reasons these elections are so important goes far beyond a couple of governorships and a couple of House seats. Here's why:

1) Off year elections can be a harbinger of change. The GOP's success in 1993 proved to be prophetic as the Contract with America swept the Republicans into power in 1994. Conversely the Dems' success in 2006 was the herald of bigger things to come in last year's cycle. If the Democrats lose the governorships (VA and NJ), both currently held by Democrats, it will go a long way to answering those who suggest the Republicans are in permanent retreat. Polls suggest a squeaker in NJ (and it's never a good idea to get involved in a close race with the Dems in a state like that) and a GOP blowout in Virginia. President Obama carried both states...so it's at least something of a test for the transferability of his aura as well.

2) The NY-23 House race is a fascinating case study. It revealed the gaping fault lines within the Republican Party. It's a test of the power of the Internet, Sarah Palin, the GOP establishment and the Democrats ability to take a GOP seat when the other party is divided. I frankly have no idea what's going to happen. If Democrat Bill Owens wins, the GOP may well be looking at a civil war. Each side will blame the other for the loss. Can that particular Humpty be reassembled? Don't know. If the RINO wins, business as usual will have prevailed and disheartened conservatives will mutter again about being ignored and taken for granted. If Hoffman pulls off the improbable upset, Palin's stock will soar. The only possible path to the White House for her is to build a power base across the country during the 2010 elections, and this is an early test of the strategy. She doesn't have to have Hoffman win, but it would sure help.

3) The CA-10 race has gotten almost no attention. The district is D+11 or D+18 depending whose numbers you use, and the Democratics are running the Lt. Governor of California. The only question here is the depth of discontent California voters might be feeling with the malaise of the economy and their state's crushing deficits. Electing one of the chief architects of higher spending and taxes is like steers voting for meatpackers...yet the people of California continue to do so. If there's going to truly be a full-scale "throw the rascals out" election next year, a GOP upset here might be an early sign.

If there's an election where you are, vote. It is both your privilege and your duty to do so.

God's in His Heaven; All's Right with the World

Phat Phil is gone. Lame Kitten has come. And though the creamsicle hillbillies deserve their due for a hard-fought game, there are no moral victories in football (though there certainly is crying in Knoxville tonight) and the forces of good and light triumphed over the forces of evil. In the end, Mt. Cody was too high for the Viles to climb and they go home defeated again. That's three in a row for those of you keeping score at home.

ROLL TIDE!