Nightly Ramble: The Sporting Goods Edition

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the ‘sphere…The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble.

This is the Sporting Goods Edition

• Letterman smear? Of a 14 year old, no less? And of course it’s OK if they’re conservative.  Joyner adds his two cents. Think the attack on Palin isn’t full-tilt-bozo? They’re even after Palin’s toenails, if you’re ready for that. How vacuous need one be?  Smacks to me of desperation on the part of the left.
• More leftie respect for women: Melissa Clouthier notes yet another example of how leftists ‘respect’ women.  Hawkins, you got a hell of a deal when you got Melissa to blog for you.
• Bye Bye, Analog TV: Only two more days! Full -power Analog TV officially goes away on Friday. Buddy Scott Fybush lists some of the activity in the Northeast. Lots of transmitters that have been on the air for decades will go silent for the last time, if they’ve not already.
• Yes, Virginia, there is a GOP:  Terry McCauliffe lost the primary to Deeds in Virginia,  which means, in my view we have a very good situation there. Every polling data I’ve seen shows Bob McDonnell, the GOP candidate, leading handily in ever poll taken this year.  McDonnell has a huge lead in cash raised, too.. by 10 to 1. 
•  The Dropping Ratings: Drudge ran headlines yesterday about how Kaite Couric’s ratings are less than perky.  Hot Air pipes up on that one.  Good, because I didn’t get the chance to attend to that one yesterday.  In fairness, all of the news outlets are dropping ratings. All except one, that is.  Guess which one?
• Billy Beck on Health care:  Billy nails it here, and in more than just health care.
  

  

  Billy Beck

  Pay attention where Klein cannot: when a government can steal everyone’s productivity in order to (in this twit’s parlance) “purchase” the entire product of a given business, it doesn’t need to “own” anything else about that business. It has already claimed everything at the root. It doesn’t have to “own” MRI machines, etc., because it owns you.The principles are the things that the socialists do not want you to identify. That’s why you will, if you look around, find endless, sterile and completely pathetic “debates” over whether fascism is socialism. And while you’re out there kicking that rusty can around, this government has its way with you.

  I submit, Billy,  that the thing is already feit accompli, given the level of regulation already in place. This just closes the lid on it. Mona Charen adds her thoughts here.  And if you think health care is the only place where the Democrats are imposing this stuff consider the Banks, and  consider the car you drive.   Are you getting the idea, yet?

• Deadly CAFE: Speaking of that I’m currently working on a piece examining the increased CAFE standards and their effect on your continued existence.  It’ll be ready in a few days, I think.
• Anon: Speaking of Beck, he says today, regarding the “Publius” nonsense:
  

  “….  There was never a “convention” that allowed anonymity irresponsibility.”

  Just so, Billy. I took part in the takedown of two Usenet idiots who were operating in the same territory “Publius” operated in for years, and given the same conditons I’ll do it again. And Dan, again, Let’s be kind, and just say I disagree… something I rarely do with you.  I point you to my comment of yesterday:

  Because of the increased amount of damage that one can do while so cloaked in anonymity, writing anonymously about someone else, as was being done by “Publius” here, requires an increased caution… even while allowing such a person to toss caution to the winds, since they are then disconnected from the direct consequences of their comments. 

• So, why are you there? The government installed GM chair, claims he knows nothing about cars. Yeah, that’s gonna work, huh?
• Forget the rest of the Stimulus: That’s what about 45% of those polled are saying. Clearly the message has gone out, and the message is, this crap ain’t working, Barry. Just how bad is it? This bad:
• As we watch UK’s Labor party falling….  Just remember, Gang, Obama’s got us headed down the same path.  Over at Forbes, Paul Johnson examines the situation in the UK:
  

  Both ministers and MPs have become careless and insensitive to the way in which they handle the taxpayers’ money.

  

  Paul Johnson with a freind

  However, during the last year the public has become aware of just how fundamentally things have changed. Newspaper investigations and the publication of MPs’ expenses, along with provisions for “second homes” (made “necessary” by the distances between their constituencies and Parliament), have told a sorry tale of fiddling, extravagance and downright fraud. There have also been instances of peers who have brazenly used their position to promote their business interests.The public is outraged, and politicians, as a class, have become unpopular, even hated. If an election were held today New Labour would be reduced to a small minority. But there’s a year to go before an election becomes mandatory, and more revelations of political corruption are expected.It’s fortunate that the far right in Britain lacks a charismatic figure capable of campaigning on an anti-Parliamentary platform. Even so, the outlook is bleak, and admirers of the British constitution and way of doing things are in despair.

  The similarity between what Johnson describes there and what’s happening stateside is remarkable., and the outcome in each case is obvious.

• Air France a terror strike after all?  Seems a reasonable question given some of the names that have been popping up there.
• New Orleans Mayor finally initiates evacuation plan:  Ray Nagin has been released by Chinese authorities. And look….The man’s got a wasteland for a city, with crime skyrocketing… and he goes to China?