Select Page

DNC to Dean: Show Us the Money

What happens when you put a lunatic like Howard Dean in charge of millions of dollars of donations to the Democratic National Committee?

He spends, and spends, and spends, but buys nothing.

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are privately bristling over Howard Dean’s management of the Democratic National Committee and have made those sentiments clear after new fundraising numbers showed he has spent nearly all the committee’s cash and has little left to support their efforts to gain seats this cycle, ROLL CALL reports.

Congressional leaders were furious last week when they learned the DNC has just $5.5 million in the bank, compared to the Republican National Committee’s $34 million.

Senate and House Minority Leaders Harry Reid (Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), along with the Senate and House campaign committee chairmen Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), have made their concerns — directly or indirectly — known to Dean, claims the paper.

Emanuel was particularly upset last week upon seeing the latest DNC numbers.

“A lot of people are scratching their heads as to what’s going on,” said one senior Democratic aide.

Another Democratic source familiar with the party fundraising apparatus said there is “obvious displeasure” among the leaders.

So, the DNC cupboards appear to be empty. Will there be an accounting for where the cash went? Will the MSM investigate DNC spending? Will Americans hear anything about this? No. Democrats up for reelection in 2006 will simply focus on raising their own cash, like they normally do, that is, if they have any hope in running sustainable campaigns.

If Republicans lose any seats this November, it will be entirely their own fault. A dysfunctional party is not a winning party, and it’s likely that the DNC’s woes will be GOP gains come November.

Al-Zawahri: Alive and Angry

Al-Qaida’s number two man showed up on video today a bit more animated than in the past. Why? Because we got close, perhaps a bit too close for Ayman’s comfort.

Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri said in a videotape aired Monday that President Bush was a “butcher” and a “failure” because of a deadly U.S. airstrike in Pakistan targeting the bin Laden deputy, and he threatened a new attack on the United States.

Al-Zawahri, shown in the video wearing white robes and a white turban, said a Jan. 13 airstrike in the eastern village of Damadola killed “innocents,” and he said the United States had ignored an offer from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden for a truce.

“Butcher of Washington, you are not only defeated and a liar, but also a failure. You are a curse on your own nation and you have brought and will bring them only catastrophes and tragedies,” he said, referring to Bush. “Bush, do you know where I am? I am among the Muslim masses.”

The airstrike hit a building in Damadola, killing four al-Qaida leaders. Thirteen villagers also were killed in the strike, angering many Pakistanis.

“The American planes raided in compliance with Musharraf the traitor and his security apparatus, the slave of the Crusaders and the Jews,” he said, referring to Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

“In seeking to kill my humble self and four of my brothers, the whole world has discovered the extent of America’s lies and failures and the extent of its savagery in fighting Islam and Muslims.”

No, you’re wrong Ayman. What the world has discovered is that the U.S. is getting closer to finding you and your ‘brothers’. Your days are numbered sir. If they weren’t, would you be hiding in caves?

Campaign Advice, Italian Style

Wanna win an election to political office? Keep it buttoned up.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is famous for his ambitious promises, but he is unlikely to be called to task if he breaks his latest pledge: not to have sex before the April 9 general election.

At a party rally in Sardinia on Saturday, the media tycoon received the blessing of television preacher Massimiliano Pusceddu, who thanked him for opposing gay marriage and defending family values.

“Thank you dear Father Massimiliano, I’ll try not to let you down and I promise you two and a half months of complete sexual abstinence until April 9,” Berlusconi replied, in comments reported on Sunday by the daily Il Giornale.

Immediately after making this statement, a simultaneous sigh of relief was expelled by Italian women throughout the country.

BiBi: Hamas Victory Like the Rise of Hitler

An apt comparison made by Benjamin Netanyahu.

While stumping in Netanya on Sunday, Likud Chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu compared Hamas’ victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections last week to the rise of the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s.

“A few days ago, a new foe arose,” Netanyahu said at a campaign stop at the Park Hotel. “When Hitler rose to power, it was said that ruling would moderate him, and it was also said in regards to the Ayatollahs regime and the Taliban. There are urgent warning signs that [scream] out a lust for murder and destruction.”

“The Likud will not continue transferring territory, [we] need to stop giving them money – neither ours nor the world’s – and [we] must prevent them from establishing an army any which way possible,” Netanyahu said, adding that the Likud will derail Hamas’ continuing ascent.

It’s possible that the Hamas win will swing people back to the Likud Party. Israel will need to adopt a more hardline position due to the power shift, and BiBi brings the right stuff.

Crawford Ready to Roll Out the Red Carpet

She’s God’s gift to the Republican Party. Cindy’s coming back to Crawford, Texas!

Cindy Sheehan, the peace activist who just announced that she is weighing a run for Senate, plans to protest again outside President Bush’s Texas ranch, Venezuela’s president said Sunday with Sheehan by his side. Hugo Chavez, his arm around Sheehan’s shoulders, told a group of activists that Sheehan had told him that during Holy Week, in April, “she is going to put up her tent again in front of Mr. Danger’s ranch.” “She invited me to put up a tent. Maybe I’ll put up my tent also,” Chavez said, to applause from activists invited to his weekly broadcast on the final day of the leftist World Social Forum.

That is, of course, dependent on whether or not the U.S. allows Ms. Sheehan to reenter the country.

Hint, hint.

UPDATE: Heh.

War Arena No Place for Anchormen

ABC News’ Bob Woodruff and his cameraman remain in serious condition with head and upper torso injuries after the convoy they were traveling in was hit by a bomb.

Both Woodruff and Vogt suffered head injuries. Woodruff also suffered wounds to his upper body. Their four-man team was traveling in a convoy with Iraqi security forces in Taji, Iraq. They had been embedded with the 4th Infantry Division and were in a mechanized vehicle on a combined operation with Iraqi Army and Coalition forces when the explosive went off. The explosion was followed by small arms fire.

Woodruff and his crew had been traveling in a U.S. armored humvee, but then transferred into an Iraqi vehicle — which was believed to be a much softer target for attacks.

“If you’re going to cover the Iraqi military forces, you have to be with them,” White House correspondent Martha Raddatz said. “You have to see how they live. I will tell you one thing, a few months ago when I was there and we wanted to get into an Iraqi pickup truck, one of the American soldiers said, you can’t do that. It’s way too dangerous.”

That last remark is important, because it reveals the possibility that Woodruff and his cameraman had either received permission to ride in a vehicle that exposed them to greater danger, or worse, that as reporters, the story got in the way of safety, and the two somehow pressured their soldier escorts into letting them tag along.

The fact remains that the war arena is a dangerous place for trained soldiers, and no place for untrained reporters who, in the race to get ratings, put themselves and the troops they cover at risk of serious injury, or worse, death. The ‘story’ must be captured, yes. But not at the risk of one’s life.

Ah, Fagetaboutit

I had a big ‘ol long post written about the WaPo / Lefty blogger story today, plus a number of other items, and then MarsEdit crapped out on me and I lost the whole frickin thing.

So that’s it. I’ll consider it a sign that I’m not suppose to be blogging anything today. I’m probably better off just keeping my mouth shut anyway.

One important thing to note. Today is the 20th anniversary of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. Dr. Sanity has a good piece on this.

challenger_20crew_small.jpg

Hope you had a good Saturday.

Sheehan Threatens Feinstein

This is too good.

Anti-war activist and moonbat-to-the-extreme Cindy Sheehan has informed Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA.) that she will run against her in the upcoming election unless Feinstein filibusters Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

Sheehan, who was in Caracas, Venezuela Friday attending the World Social Forum, heard that several Democrats planned to filibuster Alito but that Feinstein, who is up for re-election in November, announced that she will vote against Alito but would not filibuster the nomination.

“I’m appalled that Diane Feinstein wouldn’t recognize how dangerous Alito’s nomination is to upholding the values of our constitution and restricting the usurpation of presidential powers, for which I’ve already paid the ultimate price,” Sheehan said in a statement.

There are reports out from Fox News which claim that Feinstein’s ‘people’ are now saying that Diane is calling for the filibuster, but that Sheehan had nothing to do with Di-Fi doing the flip-flop. Just a few days ago Feinstein said she would not filibuster Alito’s nomination.

Pardon me for a moment while I fall on the floor laughing.

If the Democrats can’t stand up the the Leftist Moonbats in their party, how can they stand up to the global socialists, communists, dictators, and terrorist thugs of the world?

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Reno Style

This is painful to watch.

Janet Reno, former U.S. Attorney General under President Bill Clinton, singing Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’. (VIDEO)

6501092_400X300

At the conclusion of this performance, those in attendance reportedly saw Ms. Reno leave the event by climbing aboard a short yellow bus containing other ‘special’ kids.

h/t Local10.com