PunditGuy

Byron York says it best.

All across Washington today, Republican frustration has shot off the scale after the successful filibuster in the Senate of the extension of the Patriot Act. First, Republicans I have talked to are angry at the four GOP senators who voted with Democrats to filibuster the Act — John Sununu, Larry Craig, Lisa Murkowski, and Chuck Hagel. “Disgusting,” said one Hill Republican. “Just disgusting.”

More substantively, pro-Patriot Act Republicans are angry because they believe that if the Act is allowed to expire, key weapons in the war on terror will be lost. But Republicans are angry about more than just the Patriot Act. When the filibuster is viewed in context with some other recent developments — the Bush surrender on the treatment of terrorist detainees, today’s New York Times story on “secret” National Security Agency surveillance, and the Democrats’ continuing “Bush lied and people died” campaign against the administration’s conduct of the war on terror — a number of Republicans believe they are in a titanic struggle, not just against global terrorism, but against those in the United States who oppose the administration’s policies in the fight against global terrorism.

And all of it comes against the backdrop of a stunning success in the Iraqi elections, in which pro-democratic forces were able to attract the participation of large numbers of Sunnis. Put it together, and today has been a day of great success and bitter anger for supporters of the Bush administration.

Exactly.

Howard closed up his terrestrial shop today. The new era begins on January 9, 2006.

OK, this is completely bizarre.

Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives said yesterday that the Democrats will offer no unified position on Iraq in 2006. Despite claims by Democrats and the media that the Bush administration has no plan, Pelosi said that differing opinions within her party regarding Iraq are “a sign of strength.”

“There is no one Democratic voice . . . and there is no one Democratic position,” Pelosi said in an interview with Washington Post reporters and editors.

What!?!?

Having no position doesn’t win you an election. Why should anyone vote for a Democrat over a Republican when they don’t know what they’re getting?

A year in review, from JibJab.

Oscar winning actor Morgan Freeman, expressing his thoughts to Mike Wallace.

Warning: Listening to this just might bring a tear to your eye.

Silent Night, as it should be sung – Wookie style.

God Bless Us, Everyone.

(h/t Ace)

Last night, John Kerry suggested that if Democrats retake the House in 2006, there’s a “solid case” to bring “articles of impeachment” against President Bush.

Kerry’s off his rocker.

Apparently his staff wasn’t so excited to follow up with any “Impeach Bush” talking points.

Kerry Comm. Dir. David Wade, in an email, said his boss was joking.

Wade: “Is it really a story that, with a smile on his face and to ensuing laughter, at a Christmas party for his hardest working troops who are still working to win in 2006, a Democrat joked about why these diehard Democrats needed to keep dreaming of a Democratic Congress? Impeachment jokes in Washington are as old as Don Rumsfeld and as funny as Dick Cheney is gruff. Only the truly humorless would say bah humbug to the rarest of partisan red meat.”

Wade said Kerry often asks this question: “How are the same Republicans who tried to impeach a President over whether he misled a nation about an affair going to pretend it does not matter if the Administration intentionally misled the country into war?”

Wade – “Good luck finding a Democrat in America who disagrees…”

But, it seems that many who attended the event where Kerry spoke said the comment made them uncomfortable.

In keeping with Kerry’s wishes, several attendees, while acknowledging what he said, declined to comment when asked about the remarks.

Dem strategists know that many in their base might favor impeachment. But they do not want the party to appear hyper-partisan, especially when Cong. approval ratings struggle to reach 30 percent. Most Dem strategists believe that Americans would not stomach a second drawn-out, polarizing impeachment trial in the span of ten years. Others do not believe Bush deserves to be impeached. Dem leaders have cautioned colleagues not to use the word “impeachment” when speaking to base crowds.

I think a lot of Democrats are counting chickens that haven’t been hatched, or have even formed into embryos. They need to work on a message, ANY message that shows leadership. Democrats must prove to Americans that the country is safe under their management.

At least for now, the jury is out on that decision.

From what I’ve heard and read, there was great voter turnout in Iraq. That’s good news. Jim over at Gateway Pundit has coverage, as does Omar, Michelle, and Bill Roggio.

You know how the scene goes, be it a motion picture or a Road Runner cartoon. The camera focuses on a long line of gun powder which snakes right and left around different obstacles until it reaches its destination – 10 tons of TNT.

Well, Moxie lit the match and touched the powder. Now there’s no stoppin it.

Trying to find the perfect gift for your honey? Well, look no further.

UPDATE: OK, that’s a drag. The link is dead now. I hate when that happens.

EVEN MORE: The dead link was caused by a problem with Typepad, which hasn’t been righted yet. All Typepad blogs have been dark since yesterday evening.

MORE, MORE: The link is back up.