Wolf in sheep's clothing?

“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’ they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened. I no longer have to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party, the Democratic Party has adopted our platform.”

--Norman Matoon Thomas, 1944 (leading socialist, pacifist and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America in the 1930s and ’40s)

H/T to Sue

Al Franken is a big fat idiot

And before the liberals jump on me for the title of this post, let me remind them of Franken's book, Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot.

Franken, as liberal and as partisan as anyone, has publicly kept a lid on his temper and mouthiness since arriving in Congress ... but behind the scenes has been a different matter. The Hill reported that Franken has gone after GOP staffers:

Franken has surprised some of his colleagues behind the scenes by getting into heated tangles with GOP staffers.

One such exchange took place in Franken’s office during a recent meeting with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and his aides.

Franken invited Corker to his office to discuss an op-ed that Corker penned in a Tennessee newspaper opposing an amendment Franken offered to a defense bill. The measure gave the employees of defense contractors who suffer rape or sexual assault at the workplace the right to sue in court.

The meeting quickly deteriorated when Franken began berating one of Corker’s aides, according to GOP aides familiar with the incident. Franken’s sally was so harsh that Corker told Franken to lay off his aide and direct the comments at him instead.

Franken’s tough approach came as a surprise because Corker scheduled the meeting to mend fences after Franken confronted him about the op-ed during an angry exchange on the Senate floor.

Another GOP staffer, an aide to a Senate Republican leader, found herself at the sharp end of Franken’s wit at a recent reception in the Senate’s Mansfield Room. The tongue-lashing took place at an event to celebrate the swearing-in of GOP Sen. George LeMieux (Fla.).

After the conversation began ordinarily, Franken started to grill the aide about what he sees as the failings of the GOP. Franken demanded to know why it had become the "Party of No" and had exaggerated facts in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, according to another GOP leadership aide.

As I posted before, this is what happens when a partisan leftist liberal activist gets into Congress.

Lefty liberal activists invade Congress

A disrespectful snub by Al Franken, who went to Washington after months of recounting and is about as partisan as anyone can be, shows what happens when lefty liberal activists make their way into Congress:

While presiding over debate in the Senate on Thursday, Franken cut off Lieberman and then denied him an opportunity to finish his remarks.

A surprised Lieberman responded, "Really?"
...
The contentious remarks began when Franken interrupted, "The Senator has spoken for 10 minutes...In my capacity as the senator from Minnesota, I object." John McCain came to the defense of longtime friend: "I’ve been around for 20 some years, first time I’ve ever seen a member denied an extra minute or two to finish his remarks...I’ll tell you, I’ve never seen a member denied an extra minute or so, as the chair just did."

Mainstream media ignored the dust-up. Thankfully, Bias Alert covered it. As did Politico in this earlier exchange:

Republicans fumed last week when Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) revealed the contents of a private conversation with Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) in a fiercely critical speech on the floor.

Just as politics on Main Street became angrier with the advance of MoveOn.org, so Congress appears to now be morphing into the same.

Janet Napolitano should apologize or resign

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano should apologize ... or resign. Saying she stands by a controversial report suggesting veterans and other law-abiding Americans could be a terrorism risk, she has drawn fire from both sides of the aisle.

The Washington Times reported:

In her statement Wednesday, Ms. Napolitano defended the report, which says "rightwing extremism" may include groups opposed to abortion and immigration, as merely one among several threat assessments. But she agreed to meet with the head of the American Legion, who had expressed anger over the report, when she returns to Washington next week from a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border.

"The document on right-wing extremism sent last week by this department's Office of Intelligence and Analysis is one in an ongoing series of assessments to provide situational awareness to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies on the phenomenon and trends of violent radicalization in the United States," Ms. Napolitano said in her statement.

Because she stands by the document, Ms. Napolitano should apologize or resign.

Daily Kos & MoveOn.org manipulate Staunton poll to slam Goodlatte

The Staunton News Leader's latest online poll is being manipulated by Daily Kos and MoveOn.org. The poll, put up on October 19, 2007, asks:

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th, has again voted against extending the State Children's Health Insurance Program. If a challenge is mounted against Goodlatte in 2008, who will you vote for? Goodlatte or the challenger?

Less than 24 hours later there were over 5,000 votes at a newspaper that is lucky to get 300 votes in a poll.

An investigation began ... and it was discovered a tie with Daily Kos, the nationwide extremely liberal democrat blogging network, to spam or google bomb the News Leader poll by urging thousands of liberal bloggers to vote against Congressman Goodlatte.

Here is what was posted on Daily Kos:

The Daily Kos post says:

Now with CUTE PIC!!! SMURF this poll on Repub S-CHIP vote!!!
by condoleaser
Fri Oct 19, 2007 at 01:13:25 PM PDT

UPDATE: if you recommend this diary, and it gets on the recommended list, even for a short time - we'll have a decent chance to blow this poll away - and maybe encourage a Dem challenger to this R!!!

UPDATE 2: Recommended!!! Thanks! We will hand them their ass.

UPDATE 3: Ass-handing accomplished! As of 8 pm EDT, the forces of Good stand at 76.1%!

Please treat yourselves to something extra-nice tonight, with my compliments!

Here's an opportunity to spend a brief moment sending a message to Virginia's voters - and to Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th, who voted to sustain the pretzelnit's unconscionable veto.

Take this brief jump through hyperspace with me...

condoleaser's diary :: ::

if you go here, you'll find a poll from the NewsLeader, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.

Rep. Goodlatte, R-Rubberstamp, voted to prevent the S-CHIP program from being adequately funded.The poll asks, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th, has again voted against extending the State Children's Health Insurance Program. If a challenge is mounted against Goodlatte in 2008, who will you vote for? Goodlatte or the challenger?

Now, clearly, this poll is being "FReeped" by wingnuts, who vote, then clear the newsleader cookies from their browser, then vote again, over and over and over.

Don't any of you be seen doing something such as that, though.

As of 9:00 this morning there had been 5,620 votes cast. An hour later there were 6,195. By 1:00 this afternoon it was up to 6,811, and by 4:00 there were 7,830 votes.

Liberal bloggers from across the country -- who have nothing to do with Virginia politics -- are voting to try and influence the poll. It is MoveOn.org and Daily Kos manipulating politics in the Valley. They are going after Congressman Bob Goodlatte by verbally attacking him at Town Hall meetings, videotaping his appearances and then posting them online, making fun of his support of President Bush's Iraq policy by calling him "SurgeBob" complete with graphics, and now they are manipulating this online poll.

This poll is a reflection of the underhanded dirty tricks of the liberal leftist democrats and is not a true reflection of the way the people of the Shenandoah Valley area feel about Congressman Goodlatte.

The poll may be reading blue ... but the Valley is RED.