This changes everything
"I didn't mind when the President came here and criticized me ... but when he started to criticize my truck, that's where I draw the line. Throughout this race, we had the machine scared and scrambling and for them it's just the beginning of an election year filled with many surprises." -- Scott Brown, R-Massachusetts.
The Tea Party came home to Boston, ground zero of liberal statism. Wellspring of the metastasizing government. Hometown of the great redistributionists. In a state with a 3.5 to 1 Democrat to Republican registration advantage. Now dare the Rachel Maddows of the world now smirk at town hall protesters?
I'm calling him "H. Scott Brown." The man and the message. Pitch perfect. From 30 points behind. On no one's radar screen. Driving that pickup truck that Barack Obama so infamously ridiculed in a last-ditch attempt Sunday to rally Martha Croak-ley's dispirited troops.
Scott Brown said it on election night when a 52-47 percent victory was in hand.
"It all started with me and my truck and a small amount of dedicated volunteers. It ended with Air Force One making an emergency run to Logan (International Airport)."
One year to this day after "The One" was inaugurated as our President. After ousting Democrat(ic) governors in New Jersey and Virginia. How time does fly. How the worm does turn.
This was a national referendum. I got an e-mail from Sen. McCain asking if I would make telephone calls from home for Scott Brown. The people are tired of the back room deals, the "Cornhusker kickback," the "Louisiana Purchase," 2,500-page bills that no one has read, Big Labor being bought off while everyone else gets penalized for "Cadillac" health care coverage. Cuts to Medicare. Fines for non-compliance. The pure hubris of Washington running a seventh of the nation's economy when it can't intercept a known jihadist with no luggage and ratted out by his own father.
The Obamacrats in one year have piled the national debt to levels George W. Bush never dreamed of. Financial experts say we have five years before a last reckoning with our creditors in China. We're in a jobless recovery. Unemployment is in double-digits.
This is America. We are a center-right nation. People who identify themselves as conservatives outnumber liberals 34 to 21 percent (Wall Street Journal/NBC poll). We do not want the nanny state. Give people a hand up; don't redistribute what we've worked for.
Gas up the truck!
Tuesday's impact registers at least a 7 on the Richter Scale. The Democrats house of cards has come a-tumbling down.
If it can happen in Massachusetts can it happen in Wisconsin? Tammy Baldwin challenger Chad Lee pumped out a press release this morning: "If Brown can take Massachusetts , Chad Lee Can Take Wisconsin's 2nd District."
I'm guessing that Russ Feingold is scheduling some high-level strategy sessions soon. I've connected to web links showing Feingold getting told what-for in a town hall meeting in Green Bay. I could have linked to others, including Pewaukee. At least he's having them. More than Tammy Baldwin or Dave Obey can say.
I like Russ personally. We know each other a little. But his signature McCain-Feingold campaign finance "reform" dampens political free speech. The Supreme Court will continue to eviscerate it. He's wedded to Obamacare. He does not understand working people.
Owen Robinson details Feingold's travails on the hustings .
NBC's Chuck Todd mentioned Feingold as a possible casualty on the air Tuesday night.
As it happens, Terence Wall formally announced his candidacy for Senate on Tuesday. Knew nothing about it. My inquiry as to why and previous queries have not been answered. I cannot be taken for granted. Then there's a nutcase who is selling T-shirts to fund his campaign. These are the Republicans?
It now appears highly likely that Wisconsin Republicans are reviewing their A list. Calling Tommy G. Thompson, a man who remains beloved in his state, has made some money for his family, has one more race in him, and who knows Washington and its ills as well as anyone. Or how about Scott Klug? Tanned, rested and ready? Mark Green, who acquitted himself well in the last governor's race?
Dave Obey and Steve Kagen are in trouble. Scott Walker is looking even better.
The worst person in the world
But oh the Democrats love their tricks. Chris Matthews on MSNBC longed for the good old days when Democrat(ic) party wardheelers ginned up Democrat turnout with "a llitle street money."
When John Kerry ran for president in 2004, Massachusetts Democrats stripped the sitting governor of the power to name a replacement. Of course, the governor was Republican Mitt Romney then (whose stage time with H. Scott Brown last night in Boston was worth a month's worth of TV campaign ads). With a Democrat in the governor's mansion, Democrats restored the power of interim appointment.
In the run-up to Tuesday, Massachusetts Dems were considering changing the rules again to delay as long as possible swearing in the senator-elect. John McCain is asking us to sign this petition demanding Seat Him Now!
Before your BlaskaBlogger joined his fans at the Coliseum Bar, the telly at the Stately Manor was tuned to MSNBC and Keith Olbermann, the worst man in the world. I wanted to share his pain. For, on Monday's "Countdown," Keith Olbermann told viewers that in Brown,
"We have an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex-nude model, tea-bagging supporter of violence against women and against politicians with whom he disagrees. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is close to sending this bad joke to the Senate of the United States."
The joke is on you, Olbermann.
Meanwhile Ed Garvey (D-Teachers Union) is among those urging the Democrats to step on the gas and take the car over the edge a la Thelma and Louise. William Greider offers a more "nuanced" read (as the libs like to say) in, of all places, The Nation.
Obama lost his innocence as the valiant young president and also lost his sixty-vote majority in the Senate. ... Obama is widely seen as collaborating with two popular villains: the me-first bankers and over-educated policy technocrats of the permanent governing elite. Obama made nice with the bankers and loaded up his administration with Harvard policy wonks who really don't know the country.
Sort of like calling pitcher Curt Schillling, hero of the 2006 World Series, a "Yankee fan." Right, Martha?
Today's Chuckle
How about RNC chairman Michael Steele and Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner make this offer on national television: amnesty for Democrats.
Give the Dems 30 days to get right with the Lord, no recriminations. Past transgressions forgiven. But after 30 days, we're coming to get you.
I can see Jim Webb and Ben Nelson going over to the other side or, like Joe Lieberman, calling themselves Independent and caucusing with whomever makes the most sense at the time.
The most useless machine in the world
Must have it!
