Apparently Rudy and Al do the same thing on Tuesday mornings. They wake up and start putting together a meme for the world. Either that, or they've hire the same PR or whatever consultant that says it's cool or looks urgent and powerful when you date your missive with just ' Tuesday Morning '. It was Tuesday morning when I received it.
Just getting to read it during lunch today . . .
As if by magic, the National Republican Congressional Committee had a survey in my box this morning. Entitled the 2007 Republican Critical Agenda Survey, it seems a little less rapid than the recently critiqued Democratic version last week, no less ridiculous however. It takes almost three quarters of the first page before they start mentioning the enemy. Even so, it's hardly attack dog stuff. 
Now more than ever before, especially with the Democrats in control of Congress, we must . . . blah blah blah blah blah.
But that's it until the third page. The primary examples seem to revolve around illegal immigration, spending, tax reform, Social Security and Homeland Security. Instead of spouting some Tancredo inspired rant about immigrants, they even ask the reader ' How do we best address the growing illegal immigration problem ?' It's rare to even see 'spending' mentioned as a topic. They're on board with SS still and of course the whole terror thing still plays big. There's a whiff that they know what's coming. Of course by the third page a meltdown about liberals, tying the President's hands, the radical Pelosi, the evils of Big Labor and all the ultra-liberal folk like Hillary & Obama who would do anything once they achieve power starts to ensue.
The chopped up survey after the hop . . .
The DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) has a new Democratic Presidential Strategy Survey out. The contribution and evil Bush pitch are standard enough. It's definitely committee written so any dissecting reactions and comments are more difficult to levy in an entertaining manner like the candidates themselves produce with their genius level help. 
And the still powerful Republican House Minority is using every dirty trick in the book to sabotage our agenda for change that Americans overwhelming voted for in 2006.
Hmmmm . . . once they get the Presidency, will they still have wiggle room to point fingers ? The Survey contents and comment after the jump. Some clipping of language occurred in this hatchet job of an entry.
A recent email amongst family members on both coasts lead from an article by Michelle Malkin about Sally Field to the role of 'evil' in foreign policy. For me it's hard to justify any sane policy in terms of combating 'evil'. Realism seems the best course if you have to have a government and deal with the rest of the world. 
Here's a comment and question from the exchange. My response after the jump.
Favorite Aunt 1:
And, what is really, really weird is when you ask these people point blank what they would do about the evil in the world, they are silent or just give a blank stare.
Favorite Aunt 2:
Does anyone out there want to take the challenge and give an explanation for evil? How in the world did man get so greedy, corrupt, selfish, etc? Christians know the source of evil but I would love to hear a concrete explanation from someone who thinks there is no God.
The latest from Hillary is an emotional plea meant to counterbalance the hard ambitious ( in the bard's Mark Antony sense) image of the Senator from New York.
When I was contemplating whether or not to run for the Senate, I found myself swinging back and forth. One moment it was a good idea. The next, it seemed crazy. So I kept pondering what to do, waiting for lightning to strike.
Apparently while promoting a film about women sports, the captain of the basketball team leaned over and whispered " Mrs. Clinton, dare to compete." Suddenly it dawns on the First Lady that she might be afraid of something that she had urged countless other women to do. I thought it might be the Moynihan endorsement for the pitiable figure who emerged looking like a fool after her husband's humiliation of impeachment over what seemed like a messy hummer.
I knew there was a reason I gave up on Time magazine a few years ago. With voluntarism at all time highs based on frustration with Government and it's unresponsiveness, some writer's at Time would tie the future of the Republic to the sentimental journey of national service often cited by crotchety callers on talk radio. While claiming that no compulsory element would exist in their grandiose outline, one can't help but look even farther out into the Empire's grip on the Century and wonder whether the Draft would be next. 
Poised as a future benefit to young Americans, the current liability beyond the trillions already created by war and entitlement theory would be just another 20 billion a year. When couched against the current rate of spending on Iraq, it seems like a bargain. The founders of the Republic expected individual rights and prosperity to be protected from king like ambitions of politicians and partisans. Perhaps if they didn't make the Electoral College so republic like, we'd be in better shape. So for every one of you who ever was a volunteer fireman, attended PTA meetings, or otherwise contributed to your community or country, the folks at Time would have you additionally taxed and stuck with another bureaucracy that would ruin what seems to be a good thing.