The word is that Kirk Dillard will quit soon because in his estimation there will not be sufficient votes to overcome the Bill Brady lead. He will pledge his support to Brady. As one hod carrier in the Republican party, I pledge to support and vote for Brady, too…although I’m not sure my help will be welcomed since in the past I zinged Brady somewhat—and politicians never forget. But in comparison to what we have as governor, he’d be a welcome and refreshing change and I’ll be helpful. It’s of no great moment to me if my help is welcomed or not since for the past 35 years I’ve been on the outs with every governor, Republican and Democrat.
The net gain will be for the Democrats in 2010 because they don’t have to run against Dillard who has more experience in the governorship than anyone else—and Democrats owe a huge debt of thanks to old Jim Ryan of DuPage who whether with their approval or not ran despite huge handicaps and enabled a 3-cushion shot to occur with McKenna’s negative advertising to torpedo both Dillard and Ryan plus himself (McKenna) and succeed in nominating by a hair’s breadth Bill Brady. Do I think Ryan wittingly helped this to occur: no. But his supreme ego played into their hands. Do I think the Democrats envisioned this happening? Yes—but originally they were counting on Bob Schillerstrom who flunked the test.
Their wish was McKenna to Schillerstrom to Dillard producing Brady. It ended up McKenna to Ryan to Dillard which produced Brady.
Limbaugh Blasts Brown (Why?).
I don’t exactly know where Rush Limbaugh was during the Massachusetts senate race but Scott Brown said over and over again that he would be “independent” and be in the mould of maverick John McCain. I pointed this out after he was elected but a chorus of readers told me shhhhhhh because I was spoiling the celebratory occasion. Didn’t Rush hear that or did he hear it and not believe it? Anyhow there the Oracle was yesterday bellowing that Brown is a traitor to conservatism because he voted to apply cloture to the Dems’ multi-billion-dollar jobs bill. Go figure. I would say that probably more criticism should go to Mitt Romney for endorsing McCain’s reelection. If Romney’s right that there is a grassroots conservative revolution out there, the guy he should plug is J. D. Hayworth.
Schlafly Says Palin’s Not Ready (Really?).
Arrogance doesn’t just reside with liberals. I don’t know whether Sarah Palin is ready to run for president or not. By the tone of her speech to the Tea Party convention that I heard and read she is. But now that Phyllis Schlafly has said she isn’t I guess all that remains is for Palin to fold her tent. Yes, ma’am. Phyllis did say that Palin’s husband is cute though. That’s reassuring, coming from Phyllis who will be 86.
Ron Paul Wins CPAC Straw Vote.
It’s revelatory that the winner of the straw poll for president of the United States at CPAC last week was the 74 year old libertarian Congressman Ron Paul who not long ago urged America to disband the CIA and its intelligence apparatus throughout the world. If he seeks the presidency again in 2012 he will be 76.
After reading Paul’s books Revolution and End the Fed I’d say his views on the economy are a refreshing antidote to what we’ve had in this country with bailouts etc. I’m in favor of cutting subsidies, returning to the gold standard and curtailing the Fed—not ending it because as Arthur Laffer told me not long ago without it would be like driving on a highway without traffic lights. But neo-pacifist isolationist Paul is a downright menace when he wants to dismantle the intelligence system of the country—and who has repeated what the frenetic Left maintains: that with 9/11 we had it coming…which is what he said in a full-dress 2008 debate with other presidential candidates.
What did the straw poll mean? It meant that a lot of university kids got into the hall and voted while the poll was largely ignored by most of the crowd in favor of listening to the speeches. The same type of kids who chanted for McGovern in `72 and Dean in 2000. Aristotle warned that undue influx of the young and over-idealistic in polity is sure to wreck society since they don’t have the maturity to understand nuance. They’ve sure wrecked the Democratic party. The great myth propagated by Paul-ites is that he is another Robert A. Taft. Not even remotely if they read Taft’s 1952 book A Foreign Policy for Americans which is in my library.
Dems Say House Has to Go First on Health Care.
The word is that Democrats want the House to go first on health care in order to get reconciliation because the rules say such effort should start with the House since that’s where appropriations come from. Yesterday in the most revelatory comment of all, Senator Kent Conrad when informed of it said “good because that’ll mean it’s dead.” Take that for what it’s worth.
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*: St. Tarasius [AD 800. Although a layman and chief secretary to the young (age 10) Emperor Constantine VI and Constantine’s mother Irene,, he was chosen Patriarch of Constantinople after being recommended by his predecessor who retired to a monastery. Tarasius came from a patrician family and led a life of almost monastic severity. Upon becoming patriarch Tarasius, the Council of Nicaea declared that contrary to some puritanical influence, holy portraits and statues were not forbidden in the Church but on the contrary can lead to holy thoughts, contemplation and prayer.
Tarasius restored holy images and labored strenuously to abolish simony (the practice of buying ecclesiastical offices). He lived an austere life, disallowed rich food at his table, allowed himself little sleep and spent all his leisure in prayer and reading. He banished fine clothes among the clergy and forbade entertainments; he took dishes from his own table and distributed them with his own hands to the poor; he visited charitable institutions and hospitals in Constantinople. His big test came years later when Constantine VI became a man and was forced by his tyrannical mother Irene to marry his wife, the Empress Mary. Constantine wanted to divorce Mary and marry one Theodota, a maid of honor to the Empress. He lobbied the Patriarch saying that he knew his wife as plotting to kill him.
Tarasius said sternly to him: “I will suffer death rather than consent to your design.” The Emperor flew into a rage and drove Tarasius from his presence. Then he turned Empress Mary out of the palace as well and forced her to take the veil. . He then prevailed on a weakling prelate…we know all about them today, don’t we?...named Abbot Joseph who “married” Constantine and his beloved Theodota. Thereupon, Patriarch Tarasius was persecuted without cease. But all bad things come to an end. The marriage of Constantine and Theodota ended the dowager mother, Irene’s influence. So Irene gained the support of officers of the court and army and staged an insurgency which deposed her son. Then Irene jailed her son and had his eyes put out (not a nice thing for a mother to do, eh?) Irene reigned for five years but her time came up, too and she was deposed by a general named Nicephorus who banished her to the Isle of Lesbos (a good question: as a resident of Lesbos could she be in fact called a Lesbian? But I jest).
Under Nicwphorus, Patriarch Tarasius served in peace and ruled his sea for 21 years.
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