Bush whacked

Powerline offers thoughts on the Washington Post report on troubles in the Jeb Bush camp.
Beyond the gaffes, the dynamic of the campaign does not favor Bush. As Haley Barbour complained to the Post, “[people] don’t know him yet, and you’ve got a right wing of the party that is almost determined not to get to know him.”
This leaves the center-right, which was sufficient to nominate Romney. But unlike Romney, Bush faces real competition for those votes. A little to the right of him is Marco Rubio, who has been a strong candidate so far. A little to the left is John Kasich, who has campaigned decently. Chris Christie, who does well in debates, is also in that mix.
Each of these competitors has been largely gaffe free. Each is unburdened by the Bush name.
Time to step aside.
His son, George P. Bush, stands a better chance in the future.

Playing catchup

Has Joe Biden waited too long?
Probably not.
Has Hillary Clinton slowed her slide?
Probably not.
In a normal year, Biden has waited too long.
This is not a normal year.

Walking for a cause

The NBC Nightly News ended Sunday with a story of a group from Baltimore walking to Philadelphia for Pope Francis' final mass in the United States.
The priest leading the group has done several hikes like this before.
And I knew him in college.
Pretty cool to see in on the national news.

Signs of a poor manager

Some defenses of John Boehner's time as the Speaker of the House provide a poor excuse for his departure.
They say some in Congress has expectations of Boehner that were impossible to meet.
With a Democratic president and Senate maneuvering, the items on the conservative wish list weren't going to be passed this term.
That is understood.
The conservative members wanted an attempt to change.
They wanted votes to make current Democrats nervous about their fate in a post-Obama United States.
Instead, frustration built.
A good manager would have found ways to relieve a bit of the pressure.
And provide hope for the future.
Boehner didn't provide the hope, and the frustration boiled over.
When the boss blames those he works with for failure, the people know where the blame belongs.
Even if his supporters don't.

Hillary the murder suspect

Listening to Hillary Clinton talk about her home email server, she continually talks about the things she did right after the initial decision - have email outside the government system.
She's like a murder suspect talking about how they obeyed the traffic laws after leaving the scene.
Her lawyers are talking to the police like they are supposed to.
But why, oh why, did you make the initial illegal decision?

Why's everybody always picking on me

Here's something to look forward to Sunday morning - Bill Clinton's take on Hillary's email trouble.
Just ignore the email stuff, people.
Hillary wants to help you.
You can trust her - even though she made the mistake that continues to hobble her campaign.

Needing new ideas for a new era

John Boehner came to the House in 1991, near the end of 40 years of Democratic control.
The elbows have gotten sharper since then.
The times changed and Boehner didn’t. When he first arrived in Washington in 1990, there was still a lingering sense of bipartisanship on some issues. And the personality of the House was different. Hardened ideologues were few and far between. If not friendliness, there was comity in the House and pragmatism ruled the day.
Boehner tried to be pragmatic. He tried to be reasonable. But these are alien concepts to many right wingers who saw insufficient fire in Boehner’s gut to go after Obama and a suspicious lack of animus directed toward Democrats. Add to the mix the fact that Boehner could never decide how hard to come down on the right-wing revolutionaries who bedeviled his speakership. He ended up earning neither their fear nor respect.

Just another pundit

John Podertz isn't impressed with Pope Francis' pronouncements at the U.N.
We’re told we must not view the pope’s expression of views on contemporary subjects through the lens of day-to-day issues — that we belittle him and ourselves by examining his words through an ideological filter.
Because of the awesome position he holds, and by dint of his own teachings and his life and teachings before he rose to service as the Vicar of Christ, Francis is said to be deeper and loftier than mere politics.
Sorry: When the pontiff sounds less like a theological leader and more like the
8 p.m. host on MSNBC or the editor of Mother Jones, what’s a guy to do?
DaTech Guy reminds us that the media's impression of the pope's visit doesn't change church beliefs.
While Andrew Cuomo’s “Companion” been prayed for & many people with all kinds of relationships greeted with smiles and waves, he has not changed the rules concerning adultery or fornication both remain mortal sins and a danger to the soul. In fact it’s worth noting that the Catholic he emphasized, Dorothy Day was adamant about sex belonging to marriage and furthermore…

She urged her readers to follow the entirely of the Church’s teachings on abortion, birth control, and divorce in a column published in the early 1970s—when the modern feminist movement was in full swing.

The pope will head home.
The media will remain confused at home.

You'll miss the lousy job he did

There was celebration in the coming departure of John Boehner.
And signs of warning.
The main obstacle to getting what they want is not the lack of leaders who are willing to fight; the main obstacle to getting what they want is that what they want is well outside the ZOPA. I’m not saying this to taunt my conservative friends; I agree with many of the things they want. But I recognize that there is a wide gap between what I (we) want, and what can be foisted upon the American public by its elected representatives. If I want outcomes closer to my preferences, then the primary problem is not the folks in office, but the preferences of the average American voter. Focusing your attention on politicians, instead of the hearts and minds of your fellow citizens, is like attempting to fix a faulty car engine by swapping out the dashboard gauges.
We'll see what zone the new speaker works in.

Saturday song

Time for some older guys singing a song from their youth - Young Blood.

Facebook quote of the week

The Holy Spirit truly works within Pope Francis. He comes to Washington for the first time and, voila, the FBI finds Hillary's deleted e-mails. A MIRACLE! Now that's what I call, "The Francis Effect"!

Hope in change

Ace notes the important next step for House Republicans - real change at the top.
One of the things that political movements offer its adherents, similar to religious movements, is hope.
The fecklessness, failures, and flat-out betrayals of the current GOP leadership has destroyed all hope in the GOP. And a political movement without hope is not a political movement at all; it is simply an advocacy organization for getting a very small number of people cush jobs in the federal government.
If there is to be any hope permitted to the rank and file of the Republican Party, then we need big changes that permit us the illusion and fantasy of hope, without which we are nothing at all, just dejected former Republican voters.

Bye Bye Boehner

Legal Insurrection has some tweets with reaction to John Boehner's resignation as Speaker of the House.
Individual members change but the institution rolls on.
The people are speaking.
It's the people's house, not the house for people who hang around for many, many years.

Weekend watchdog

The 30 best golfers in the country want to end the season on a high note - at the Tour Championship this weekend.
Jason Day leads the chase for the $10 million first prize for the season-long title, with Justin Speith close behind.
NBC has coverage Saturday at noon and Sunday starting at 1:30 p.m.
With postseason hopes shrinking but not totally gone yet, the Orioles visit Boston for the weekend on MASN, while the Nationals take on the Phillies on MASN2.
ESPN2 has a Friday night baseball special with the Astros taking on the Rangers at 8 p.m.
The Cubs and Pirates appear headed for a NL wild-card matchup, and meet Saturday at 1 p.m. on Fox and Sunday night on ESPN. Fox also shows the AL West battle between the Astros and Rangers, with Sunday's finale on TBS at 2 p.m.
The Cardinals clinched a postseason spot last week, and host the Brewers Saturday at 7 p.m. on FoxSports1.
The Ravens head home Sunday at 1 p.m., looking to knock off the Bengals on CBS. The Bears visit Seattle in the second part of the doubleheader. Fox has the battle of unbeaten - Falcons and Cowboys - at 1 p.m.
AFC West meets NFC North in primetime, with Broncos-Lions on NBC Sunday and the Chiefs taking on the Packers Monday on ESPN.
The college football weekend continues Friday as Virginia hosts Boise State Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN and FoxSports1 offers the Pac-12 battle between Stanford and Oregon State at 10 p.m.
Michigan faces BYU at noon Saturday on ABC. Virginia Tech travels to East Carolina at 3:30 p.m., with other areas catching Ohio State-Western Michigan. In primetime, UCLA heads to Arizona.
CBS visits the Swamp for Florida-Tennessee at 3:30 p.m., while NBC offers Notre Dame against Massachusetts. Texas Tech takes on TCU on Fox at 4:45 p.m.
Indiana heads to Wake Forest at 12:30 p.m. for the ACC game of the week.
ESPN starts its day at noon with LSU-Syracuse. Texas tangles with Oklahoma State at 3:30 p.m., then it's Texas A&M-Arkansas at 7 p.m. Southern Cal-Arizona State caps the night at 10:30 p.m.
Duke takes on Georgia Tech at noon on ESPN2, and at 3:30 p.m. it's the game not shown on ABC. Auburn battles Mississippi State at 7:30 p.m.
Delaware travels to North Carolina at noon on Comcast, and Stony Brook faces William & Mary at 7:30 p.m.
MASN2 offers Rice against Baylor at 9 p.m.
Maryland meets West Virginia on FoxSports1 at 3 p.m.
NASCAR heads to New Hampshire Sunday at 2 p.m. on NBC Sports network, with qualifying Friday at 4:30 p.m. The Xfinity series will be in Kentucky Saturday at 8 p.m. after qualifying at 4:30 p.m. The Truck race will be on FoxSports1 Saturday at 1 p.m.
NBC Sports network has the Japanese Grand Prix Sunday at 12:30 a.m. There's qualifying Saturday at 2 a.m.
D.C. United takes on Montreal at 5 p.m. Saturday on Comcast. Sporting Kansas City takes on Seattle on ESPN Sunday at 5 p.m. followed by a pair of matches on FoxSports1 - Real Salt Lake-San Jose at 7 p.m. and Dallas taking on the Galaxy at 9:30 p.m.
Phoenix faces Minnesota in the second game of the WNBA Western Conference finals Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN. New York and Indiana have the second game of their series Sunday at 1 p.m.
Tottenham Hotspur takes on Manchester City Saturday at 7:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network. It's Newcastle United-Chelsea at 12:30 p.m. and Watford clashes with Crystal Palace Sunday at 11 a.m.

Lightweight from Vermont

Don Surber looks at Bernie Sanders' political experience - and does not seem impressed.
So what is in the resume of Bernie Sanders that makes him qualified to be even White House butler. Oh sure, he's been in Congress for 24 years, but what has he ever done?
Nothing. There is no Sanders Act. His fellow senators know him well and have never entrusted him with any position of authority. Oh and he was mayor of Burlington, Vermont for eight years -- population 42,000.

Bill comes due

Hillary has been struggling.
Who can rescue her?
Bill?
Pass the popcorn.

By his fruit you will know him

DaTech Guy sorts through the noise about President Obama - Christian or something else.
Put simply, the media would not have to constantly proclaim the President’s Christianity if his action proclaimed it.

So, two points, every time the Media promotes the President’s christianity it highlights his lack of the fruits of christianity, but while this is true, rather than worrying about the president’s Christianity and he fruit he bears the first job of a Christian is to bear fruit of its own.

Who let the dogs out

Political Clown Parade enjoys the story about Hillary Clinton storming into the Oval Office.
Clinton requested a meeting with the president, against the advice of hubby Billy Jeff, believing “she was being persecuted for minor, meaningless violations,” Klein writes.
Clinton initially took a friendly approach during the meeting and Obama reacted as if he didn’t know what she was talking about. “He was almost being deliberately dense,” a Clinton source said. “It really angered her.”Her team says it isn't true.
But it sounds so good to hear.

The real debate

Powerline shares the real debate on the Democratic side - what do they do about Hillary?

Support the rebel Alliance

DaTech Guy thinks the end of Scott Walker's candidacy may help New Hampshire's 603 Alliance, which seeks to boost a true conservative for the first in the nation primary in 2016.
I don’t want a single one of those moderates going anywhere until we’re past the Florida primary to keep splitting that vote but I’d like to see that conservative list down to 2 or 3 at the most before the Iowa caucus.
The only way we are going to change the culture of Washington is to get strong conservative as our nominee and then as our president, So the less that vote is split the better I like it.

That's entertainment

The Huffington Post wants to post coverage of Donald Trump in entertainment instead of politics.
So the HuPo reporter didn't get a media credential for a Trump event in Iowa.
You have to buy a ticket to watch the entertainment.

Fall in

It's fall.
Time for football.
Almost time for ice hockey.
A new season of Big Bang Theory episodes to put in the rotation on TBS.

Next?

Rick Perry and Scott Walker have given up their presidential hopes.
Which Republican will drop out next?
Who will be the next to go in our game of “Republican Candidate Survivor?”  (Readers  are free to leave their guesses in the comments.) My wife thinks it’s going to be Bobby Jindal.  After all, he does have a day job, unlike Santorum or Pataki.  Graham and Paul also have day jobs (kind of, sort of).  Santorum has nothing much to do but run for office and appear on On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, so look for him to hang in for a bit. Actually, I would be sad to see Graham go because his perorations on foreign policy have been pretty good and probably edifying to some people who need to hear them.  But he’s going sooner or later.

Undefeated teams watch

With two weeks of play done, nine NFL teams remain undefeated.
In week 3, the 2-0 Cowboys play the 2-0 Falcons.
Will there be another matchup between undefeated teams in 2015?
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are watching.

Fear the soon-to-be-dead

Four of the first six episodes of "Fear the Walking Dead" have aired.
Do these people have a chance to be survivors?
We will see where FTWD goes – already the show is turning on the military characters, the only characters who seem capable of exercising common sense, for their lack of sensitivity and feelings. There are a lot of feelings in FTWD – we in the audience always know exactly what the characters are feeling because they can’t shut up about it. But it’s clear that the focus of the show remains on the characters’ maintaining their “humanity” in the face of chaos, but what the writers really mean is maintaining the characters’ urban liberal illusions.

Sad to see him go

Scott Walker decided to drop out of the presidential race today.
So sad.
He took such heat in Wisconsin, and showed the way to curtail the power of liberal state unions.
But in the summer of Trump, he didn't excite the money guys.
Hopefully, he has a future in national politics.
His ideas definitely do.

Just answer the question

Althouse reviewed Hillary Clinton's Sunday appearance and has straight forward advise.
I feel as though I should pick something specific out, but I mostly have a general observation, which is that it's exasperating to listen to her because she follows a pattern of beginning with a short, perhaps inadequate answer to the question asked, and then she dumps paragraphs of material as if the goal is to make you forget the question or at least lose interest in whether an answer will ever arrive. She'd be a lot more appealing to me if she gave a short, clear answer and then just stopped.

Can we talk?

Republicans have already had two debates, and people can't wait for the next - "What will Trump say tonight."
Democrats have six planned for the season - the first October 13.
Looking at the publicity that Republicans have gained, some Democrats want more talk.
Terry McAuliffe doesn't join them.
I agree.
Why hear more of Hillary than you need to?

Let Biden call Trey Gowdy

Joe Biden continues to consider a bid for the presidency.
He's talking to Democratic insiders, to see if there's room for him in the field.
Can he undertake Hillary Clinton's early lead?
For the answer to that question, he needs to talk with Trey Gowdy.
He knows more about Hillary's future than any Democrat now.

Enjoy the time

Something brought to mind this clip of Billy Crystal from "City Slickers."
And when did the music get so loud?