"Bell Boy" - The Who
- I haven't had a chance to comment on the federal judge in Montana circulating the racist email about Obama. Those of you who read the blog regularly know that I have a generally pretty high opinion of the federal judiciary. I have to admit I was shocked by this one -- not only by how manifestly inappropriate it was, but also by how low class such an activity is. This is the kind of thing that the uncle you hate to be cornered by at a Fourth of July picnic does, not a guy who is the chief judge of a federal district court. I think that if he does not resign there should be an investigation of this by the Senate Judiciary Committee. I don't know how anyone can feel that Judge Cebull is someone who is capable of administering justice on an even-handed basis after seeing something like this.
- I am enjoying the Rush Limbaugh debacle for the GOP as much as I have enjoyed any political story in a while. This guy has been an unacceptable racist, sexist pig forever, but has largely gotten away with it. Republicans are so afraid of him and his audience that most of them seem unable to do the clearly right thing here and condemn his remarks unequivocally. (Scott Brown at least had the good sense to do this.)
- Brown, however, did not have the good sense to vote against the Blunt amendment. I think he misread the tea leaves on this, which is uncharacteristic for him. Brown has been pretty adept at knowing when he can push the Republican agenda and when he needs to part company with the leadership. Massachusetts has a hugely liberal female electorate, one which went for Obama by a 68-30 margin in 2008. (Men, by contrast, went for Obama by a margin of 56-42 in Massachusetts.) Obama also won the under thirty vote in Massachusetts by a margin of 78 - 20! I just cannot imagine that this vote is going to play with either of these constituencies, groups that will turn out in force in a way that they did not in the special election in which Brown won. This should really play to Elizabeth Warren's strengths.
- I am really pulling for Santorum to take Ohio tomorrow, along with Tennessee and Oklahoma. Beating Romney in those places while losing to him in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Virginia (where he didn't get on the ballot) sets up a narrative where Romney can only win in states he can't win in November or, in the case of Virginia, where he is not subject to a fair fight. It is unfortunate for Santorum that Gingrich has remained in the race. If he could have added Georgia to his list, he might have really bloodied Romney. Of course, Santorum's failure to get a full slate of delegate in Ohio is likely to cost him dearly, as will getting shut out in Virginia. Nate Silver is predicting that Romney will get half of the delegates tomorrow as a result of this and will probably be very difficult to stop as a result. Still, he continues to look weak in the Republican heartland.
What's on your minds?
Update: Oh my God, lately I am getting so many laughs out of politics, I can't quite believe it. To continue on one of my favorite themes, this latest Fox News poll on Latino voter sentiment in the presidential election is making me chortle. It shows Obama beating the best of the GOP hopefuls by a margin of 84-14. Forty percent of Latinos who voted for John McCain (who got only 31% of the Latino vote) indicated a preference for Obama among the presidential candidates.
If these numbers hold, it will be the most significant political occurrence in a very long time. (h/t Daily Kos)
