The Countertop Chronicles

You want signs???

How’s this for a sign.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is challenging Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., for the chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. “I began making calls this morning to members and I informed Chairman Dingell that I am running for chairman,” Waxman told National Journal today. Waxman has long been the second-ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce panel, and is currently chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. His bid to topple Dingell, the longest-serving member of the House, marks an unexpected battle between senior Democrats for a powerful post overseeing major pieces of expected legislation on health care, global warming and renewable energy. Dingell chaired the Energy and Commerce Committee from 1980-1994, and regained the chairmanship when the Democrats took back a majority of the House two years ago.

PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ONE.

If Waxman succeeds, the overreach is on (as one Democrat friend of mine said). Waxman is the ultimate left wing pinko lunatic liberal. He’d repel the Democrats union base and the strength of Obama’s wins in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, etc.

If Waxman wins, expect serious heavy handed climate change legislation.

If Waxman wins, expect the Consumer Products Safety Commission to have jurisdiction over firearms. If Waxman wins, expect a gun show ban.

If Waxman wins, expect a gun control orgy.

Its the best sign you’ll get in these early days over how serious Barack was about governing from the middle . . . and how serious Nancy Pelosi is about keeping her majority.

And not looking good for John McCain. He can still win, but it would take a miracle.

I’m fine with that, and comforted that the Senate didn’t turn into the blow out Schumer expected.

And that, at this point at least, McCain and Obama are virtually neck and neck in all the battlegroiund states and despite polls showing HUGE popular vote victories for Obama, at 10:30 PM EST they are essentially tied (well, Obama is up by 1%) in the national popular vote.

That’s important folks. Cause we remain a center right country. Just one that is disgusted with the job Bush and the Republicans have done.
Obama is aware of the numbers. So is Durbin and so is Pelosi.
Those numbers, and the fact that gun control wasn’t a big issue (the extent that it was an issue - was how far from Brady Obama and the Dems could run) means I don’t suspect either of those three to allow much in the way of gun control pass.

And, if we play our cards right we can turn the 2nd Amendment into a Supreme Court litmus test, much like Roe v Wade is.

That would be fine with me.

Don’t worry. Life goes on.

And congrats to Obama.

Seriously.

Any place that forces tyrants to listen to the people can’t be all that bad.

After listening for nearly four and a half hours to emotional and at times harshly critical testimony from scores of residents, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed legislation at 1:55 p.m. Monday to extend New York City’s term limits law, allowing himself and a majority of the City Council to seek a third four-year term in 2009.

The mayor’s signature was pretty much a foregone conclusion; it was he who had urged the Council to extend the term limits, overturning the results of two public referendums, in 1993 and 1996, that had imposed a limit of two four-year terms. Nonetheless, city law requires that before signing any law adopted by the City Council, the mayor must first sit and listen to any witnesses who want to come forward and speak about it.

What a great law. Maybe we should force it on the President.

Best comment came from a 14 year old Rachel Trachtenberg

“I may not be able to vote yet but I know for a fact that what you are doing is wrong.” She added, “Quite frankly, Mayor Bloomberg, you are cheating, which does not make a good example for the youth of New York City and the whole world.”

Of course, one might point out that when you elect someone who has made undermining a basic tenet of the constitution his political goal, you shouldn’t be surprised to find he’s a liar and a cheater.

update

Her grandfather left a comment!!

Here’s the you tube of Rachel telling the Mayor where to stick it

And here is her webpage

Sometimes it pays to get the hell out of dodge.

Sitting in DC, no matter who I talk to, its just a constant barrage of bullshit. Leaving the city of talking points, therefor, is bound to be a refreshing change.

With that in mind, and considering this new moon is the start of this years rut, I decided to head south, to North Carolina and get an on the ground feel for what the election will bring (and with the hope of landing a buck Sarah Palin could be proud of).

Yesterday afternoon saw us outside the Eastern Carolina town of Keanansville where I learned the local bucks are mostly dog driven and just not too big.

Spend some time at the Keanansville bait and tackle as folks hauled in the first bucks of this falls big buck contest. Some nice bodied deer, but a little lacking in the rack department.

We headed out to greener pastures though, a 3,000 acre QDMA managed property with gated access (not high fence, simply gates at the driveway to prevent folks from coming in

They put me on a stand overlooking a river bottom and under some powerlines. Had about a 1500 view down in both directions and sat down around 5pm to watch the action.

And action it was. At a range of about 800 yards (too far for me to shoot) I witnessed 3 bucks in a battle royale on a grassy bluff overlooking the river. I was mesmerized, when I decided to look the other way and saw 5 medium sized does grazing.

All of a sudden a small 6 pointer, probab ly 2 year old, buck jumped out into the field. He had a nice rack for his age, and will certainly be a wall hanger, but not yet.

He too became a bit skittish, and I was hoping a dominant buck would appear, but none did. Instead a couple of more does wandered out.

Still, as the sun went down, I could hear deer fighting all around. Eventually, a nice sized doe materialized, and with shooting time down I decided to take her with a 185 yard shot to put food in the fridge. The 140 grain sierra game king powered by 54.5 grains of h4831 was just devastating, putting a small slit into her left side and blowing a good chunch of her heart and lungs out a softball sized hole on the right side. She was knocked down, then sprang up and ran about 20 yards leaving a river of blood behind.

Word to the wise, if your hunting in the afternoon, don’t forget a flashlight. And have a backup. Its tough to dress a deer in the dark.

My buddy final picked me up, and under the lights of his truck, I gutted her and then hung her over night.

Its now 6:15 am, and a brisk 31 degrees. I’m in a different stand, closer to where those bucks are and along a line of heavy scrapes and rubs between some food plots, a watering hole, and the nasty tangled brush the big boys love.

Can’t see anything, but can hear lots of deer. Shooting time starts in 20 minutes or so.

What does 8 years of corruption and mismanagement, topped by a sorry excuse for a presidential campaign get you??

Prepare for our new overlords.

Its going to be bad people.

Based upon my conversation with the Republican Senate Campaign Committee this morning - they are predicting that Barack’s Coattails and Ted Steven’s corruption (my word, not theirs) is going to hand the Democrats 10 easy Senate pick ups.

Amongst those going down?? Well, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been in the news, and may be the biggest fish. But to my mind, the looming loss of Saxby Chambliss in Georgia is even more shocking.

Its a new world folks. Better get used to it.

Here’s the entire list of expected losses as of this morning (ranked in order of my shock, surprise, or expected impact).

• Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) will lose to Jim Martin (D). Huge black turnout associated with Obama coattails and a libertarian candidate polling 2% will give this to Martin. Georgia voting Democrat is huge folks. Just huge.
• Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will lose to Bruce Lunsford (D). Obama coattails and blame for Senate dabacle and Ted Stevens are going to push this to Democrats.
• Roger Wicker (R-MS) is going to lose to Ronnie Musgrove (D). This was a poorly executed move relating back to Trent Lott’s sudden retirement. Everything under the sun is trending wrong for Wicker including Obama coattails amongst huge black population in Mississippi and concern over Trent Lott and Ted Stevens (not to mention the Scruggs law firm).
• The Udalls (Mark in Colorado and Tom in New Mexico) are going to easily win the seats left behind by retiring Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Wayne Allard (R-CO).
• Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) is toast. She did shit for the state and its citizens, is a horrid campaigner, and has lost support of her base and is facing the onslaught of the Obama Coattails. She’s gonna lose by 6 or 7 points to Kay Hagen (who I am going to meet later this week).
• Ted Stevens is done (R-AK). Mark Begich will win that seat (its too bad they can’t replace Steven’s with Sarah Palin).
• Norm Coleman (R-MN), a good guy if a bit of a RINO is going to lose. I don’t know who will win - whether its Al Franken (likely) or Independent candidate and former Senator (and Jesse Ventura associated) Dean Barkley (who is clearly hurting Coleman more than Franken but who might just be able to eek out a victory in a close 3 way race).
• Six years ago John Sununu (R-NH) barely beat popular former Governor Jeanne Shaheen. She’s going to crush him.
• Mark Warner will cruise to victory in Virginia.

One additional point here, Mary Landrieu (D-LA) who was seen as the most likely Democrat for Republican’s to take out will have no problem holding on to her seat.

What is the end result of all this??

As of 10 am this morning, the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee is predicting in the wake of Ted Steven’s conviction that

1. Democrats will likely increase their numbers in the Senate from 49 to 58 or 59 votes.
2. Republicans will decrease their numbers from 49 to 39.

How the independents vote will make a huge difference on all matters going forward.
Bernie Sanders (I-VT), is the former Socialist Workers Party mayor of Burlington. He will caucus with the Democrats.

If Dean Barkley wins in Minnesota, its unclear how he will caucus. At this juncture, if I were a business lobby like the Chamber of Commerce I’d consider bailing on Coleman and trying to get the Republicans to move all their votes to Barkley in a last ditch attempt to prevent a filibuster proof card check from going through. That won’t happen, of course.

Joe Lieberman is unlikely to become a Republican . . . and will be quickly marginalized by the Democrats. Sadly, Joe’s glory days are over. He’s up for re-election in 2012 and if he wants to retain any power between now and then will probably need to vote a straight line Democrat ticket nearly 100% of the time. The curve ball here, is that he could always retire (which he may find preferable to the purgatory he will face in the Senate) and then his seat would be appointed by Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell, a Republican.

My readers, of course, want to know what this means for their guns. More on that later . . . but I’ve been keeping in close contact with Democrats on the issue and have some thoughts on what we will be facing.

As the underdog forces of good meet evil on the ultimate battlefield over the next few days, I think all red blooded, nose to the ground, All VOLUNTEER Army loving, American’s can agree

Go Vols! Beat ‘Bama!!

STOP THE PRESSES

BREAKING NEWS

MUST CREDIT COUNTERTOPCHRONICLES.COM

In a shocking campaign development, the fact checkers at the Countertop Chronicles have exposed blatant misrepresentations in the media campaign launched by the NRA against President-in-Waiting Barack Amerika Obama. Rather than being the enemy of gun owners, and an all but certain roadblock to increased gun ownership, the truth is now emerging in the waning days of October 2008.

Over the last 3 days, editors at the Countertop Chronicles have been approached by increasing numbers of Virginia voters MOTIVATED by the lofty glowing Pol Pot inspired rhetoric of The One and his classy, compassionate, peaceful supporters to not only purchase firearms but to become concealed carry permit holders. In fact, this correspondent assisted 3 residents of the exclusive, Obama leaning, Northern Virginia County of Fairfax in filing for a concealed carry permit this week. Demand and interest in both training and instruction and advice on the purchase of firearms has been so great, in fact, that in true Obama fashion campaigning will be halted this weekend as 3 will visit the Virginia Arms store in Manassas, Virginia to purchase handguns and other defensive weapons while at least 2 other residents will engage in live fire training (with another 3 inquiring about scheduling opportunities).

A Blooming Idiot

Andrew “I live in D.C. and Cape Code, don’t own a car, but yet understand America” Sullivan

Watching this for the first time, as opposed to reading it, it’s very clear that Palin has never heard of the Bush doctrine on pre-emption, perhaps the most significant element of his disastrous legacy in foreign policy: She is clearly out of her depth.

And his Quote of the Day (which he adopts as his own)

Forget about Trooper-gate and creationism. Forget about the truly low, cynical people who think that being the target of “liberal ridicule” necessarily means you’re qualified to lead the country. Forget about moose-hunting and pipelines. You simply can’t be a credible VP nominee and have no idea what the Bush doctrine is. Watch this clip. And then think about the people who say Andrew has lost his mind over Palin’s nomination. I admit, for a while I wondered why he was going so hard. Now I know. And now I know who, truly, must be out their minds,

And then there is Charles Krauthammer - who incidently coined the term The Bush Doctrine. He ought to know about it, right??

Presidential doctrines are inherently malleable and difficult to define. The only fixed “doctrines” in American history are the Monroe and the Truman doctrines which come out of single presidential statements during administrations where there were few other contradictory or conflicting foreign policy crosscurrents.

Such is not the case with the Bush doctrine.

Yes, Sarah Palin didn’t know what it is. But neither does Charlie Gibson. And at least she didn’t pretend to know — while he looked down his nose and over his glasses with weary disdain, sighing and “sounding like an impatient teacher,” as the Times noted. In doing so, he captured perfectly the establishment snobbery and intellectual condescension that has characterized the chattering classes’ reaction to the mother of five who presumes to play on their stage.

Read his whole piece. Its worth starting a countdown - of every day - until Andrew Sullivan either admits that when it comes to the Bush Doctrine, he’s actually less intelligent than Sarah Palin, or he decides to go back to Europe. I suspect this ones going to go on for some time.

:

Smack dab in today’s NY Times

To the Editor:

My message to William Kristol: Actually, a “Wasilla Wal-Mart Mom a heartbeat away” from the presidency is horrifying to me.

Leading the most powerful nation in the world is not supposed to be a game of chance. Our leader should be the most highly educated, principled, cultured, traveled and respected figure we can find.

My message to voters: For all our sakes, remember that the world is bigger than you!

Tracy Taub
Princeton, N.J., Sept. 8, 2008

This will certainly help win over blue collar union voters.

And on that point, David Brooks is right on point

If I were advising the candidates, I’d tell them to double down on weirdness. Obama needs to occasionally criticize his own side. If he can’t take on his own party hacks, he’ll never reclaim the mantle of systemic change. Specifically, he needs to attack the snobs who are savaging Sarah Palin’s faith and family. Many liberals claim to love working-class families, but the moment they glimpse a hunter with an uneven college record, they hop on chairs and call for disinfectant. Obama needs to attack Bill Maher for calling her a stewardess and the rest of the coastal condescenders.

Not to be confused with the Andrew Sullivan Award for moral equivalency, this one is given out to examples of self serving dishonest bullshit taken to levels only a member of the media could reach.

Look: I’m gifted at outrage but this current Republican crew is more gifted at provoking it. I’ve aired many defenses of Palin on this blog and made a point of reminding readers that many sources in Alaska have longstanding enmity for her. But I think her record is very underwhelming when you look at it, and the record is now clear that she has lied - even being forced to admit it - in public office. I also think it is simply insane that a person who could be president next January and is a total unknown to the world should somehow require being shielded from a press conference. I mean a capable candidate would be begging for an hour alone on Meet The Press, not running to ground in Alaska and taking no questions for three weeks in September before an election.

John McCain just told Bob Schiffer on Face the Nation that Sarah Palin would be out campaigning on her own in a couple of days and she would start with her first major media appearance on Face The Nation.

Or maybe not

Advisers to Mrs. Clinton, who has been on vacation this week, said that she stands ready to help the Obama-Biden ticket, but they urged not to overestimate the effect she could have, noting that she had other commitments this fall, like campaigning and raising money for Senate candidates.

Victor David Hanson

When Palin talks about her present life it sounds as authentic as Biden’s showy populism came off as false. Enraged feminists are apparently the gatekeepers for less well-educated American women, who are supposed to have 0-1.5 children not 5! Their husbands must be professors, lawyers, CEOs, editors—not snowmobile champions, union members, oil workers, and fishermen—or, worse, all in one! And unlike a Pelosi, Quinn, or Clinton, Palin, God forbid, did not rely on a powerful, wealthy husband or father to energize her career. Worse still, she took no women’s studies class, never attended the Ivy League, and shoots moose. The danger is not just that Sarah Palin could win McCain the election, but she could expose the entire flimsy structure of doctrinaire liberalism as the hypocrisy—and chauvinism—it has become.

Last nights thoughts:

Worse than a dress rehearsal. Like the first run through. Just no energy.

Tonight:

Huckabee was brilliant. Guiliani is killing. I can’t wait to see how our girl does!!

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Guliani is hitting it out of the park:

maybe they cling to religion there!
on her first day, she had more experience than the Democratic ticket combined!

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Jay G is liveblogging!

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Here she comes!!!

And she’s SMOKING!!!!!

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I think both her parents and in laws are there. but its not clear. Is her son in the military there?

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They are hitting back the Dems hard.
Frankly, I don’t know what the Kossacks and Andrew Sullivan thought they would accomplish. To run her out??? She’s eating them for lunch!!!!

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BTW, if you check in with that petty little whiny queen Andrew Sullivan - you’ll see he’s having a coniption fit at the realization that he is mostly responsible for launching the downfall of Obama (mostly, because he’s the conduit to promoting the shit that Daily Kos was pumping - a complete shill for the Democrats. I know, I get their talking points - as anyone with any connections in DC does. He’s reciting them almost verbatim)

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Andrew Sullivan is clueless

11.03 pm. However admirable it is to be a mayor, is it really necessary to drip contempt for people who work as community organizers? It seems to me that Palin doesn’t quite have the stature to be puttng down someone who has won millions of people’s votes. This is a much more partisan speech than I was expecting.

Not that Obama and his people have spent ever second since noon Friday belittling her experience.
Geeze

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And of course, some Huffington Post blogger is on Headline news talking about babies. As is that cock sucker Andrew Sullivan

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Honest statement of the day:

Chris Mathews “I think it will sell in Scanton”

Andrew Sullivan has to be wetting his prissy little panties.

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Andrew Sullivan is off his rocker.

Here’s something to remember (and I do have to give him credit for actually running this) - but he doesn’t allow comments so its the least he could do. It was posted on August 29. Before he hit the deep end with the Palin Isn’t Fit/Qualified/Whatever shit.

Regrettably, you are not just biased, you have become Olbermann-esque. Which is of course your prerogative, but it is irrational. This was 40-year old Democratic boilerplate, and saying he owned the national security issue is as short-sighted as failing to acknowledge that the vaunted middle class tax cut was Bill Clinton’s in 1992 (not done, of course, as this one will not be).

There is nothing new here except the man, and you should be immune by now to the allure of a lone man spouting what all those who came before him have spouted, with his achievement being his face. I could have voted for Obama; still may. But because I respect your intelligence, I regret that your arguments push me the other way, because they are now abysmally one-sided and anti-intellectual. And to those of your readers who think McCain is cooked, all I will say is be prepared for disappointment, and let them polish their accusations of subliminal racism.

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That Obama Shill Paul Begala just said he was from a Small Town and this wouldn’t play there.

According to Wikipedia:

Begala was born in New Jersey and raised in Missouri City, Texas.

Again, according to Wikipedia, Missouri City, Texas has 65, 000 people and is part of Houston, sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States with a population of 5.6 million.

Some small town, typical Democrat reliability.