Sen. John Cornyn: GOP closing arguments

Texas Senator John Cornyn gives the Republican closing arguments in Politico:

President Barack Obama promised to cut the deficit in half. Yet the last two fiscal years had the two largest deficits in U.S. history — each more than one trillion dollars. Our national debt has increased by 29 percent since the beginning of the Obama administration. It’s now more than $13 trillion.

Obama promised that families making less than $250,000 would not see any kind of tax increase — “not one single dime.” Yet ObamaCare alone includes half-trillion dollars in higher taxes. And the majority in Congress has done nothing to stop the largest tax increase in history from further weakening our economy, beginning New Year’s Day.

Obama also promised to secure our border and fix our broken immigration system. But any Texan can tell you that our border is not secure. All of us who expected the president to lead on immigration reform have been sorely disappointed.

Obama has broken promises about his policies, and also about the kind of leader he would be. Instead of proposing practical solutions and building bipartisan consensus, Obama outsourced his entire domestic agenda to liberal power brokers in Congress. Instead of encouraging transparency and openness, he has signed bills negotiated in secret and passed before anyone had time to read them. Instead of providing leadership in these difficult times, the president is too often pointing fingers, dodging responsibility and lecturing the electorate.

About the impending Republican wave, Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart says "It is a rebuke to the last two years." As for those House Democrats who voted for ObamaCare, The Hill says they face "a grim Election Day."

Technorati tags: democrats Politics Obama Barack Obama Republican Senate John Cornyn universal health care health care reform obamacare

Ride the wave: Eight PPP Senate polls, six GOP leads

Let's not be over-confident, my Republican friends, but the Great Correction, the Great GOP wave, is arriving right on schedule. Public Policy Polling released the results of four new US Senate polls--and each of them show the GOP candidate leading.

First the crazy Alaska race. Sore loser Republican Lisa Murkowski's write-in effort has muddied the waters up there, but PPP has real Republican Joe Miller leading with 37 percent of the vote, Democrat Scott McAdams and Murkowski each have 30 percent.

Much narrower is the Colorado race, PPP lists GOP challenger Ken Buck leading incumbent Michael Bennet 49 percent to 48 percent. Remember, undecideds tend to go with the challenger.

In Washington state, Republican Dino Rossi also has a two point lead, 50 percent to 48 percent, over incumbent Patty Murray.

Nevada: This race has always been close--PPP's survey lists tea party favorite Sharron Angle edging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid 47 to 46 percent. Remember what I said about those undecideds.

Pat Toomey was viewed by the experts--and we know how little they know--as unelectable in a swing state such as Pennsylvania. He's on top of Joe Sestak, 51 percent to 46 percent.

And finally, Illinois, which may not be so blue anymore. Republican Mark Kirk has a 46 to 42 percent lead over failed Mob Banker Alexi Giannoulias. Undecideds and support for the Green Party candidate make up the rest. Kirk stumbled during the summer because of his military embellishments, but he's closing strong. In the governor's race, GOPer Bill Brady has a five point edge over incumbent Pat Quinn, Rod Blagojevich's former running mate.

West Virginia and California Senate polls show Democratic leads--but remember, PPP has ties to the Dems.

Catch a wave, folks.

Technorati tags: politics Illinois Election Democrats Alexi Giannoulias Blagojevich senate Chicago Mark Kirk Republican

Tea Party Express ends run with New England finale

Tea Party Express IV--Liberty at the Ballot Box ends today, the day before Election Day.

The first rally takes place at Waterbury Green in Waterbury, Connecticut at 11am.

The Republican Party has had a tough run of late in New England of late, which last year counted only two Senators, the Maine women, representing the GOP on Capitol Hill.
Presently there are no New England Republicans in the House of Representatives. Scott Brown, with significant help from the Tea Party Express, became the third Republican from New England.

Connecticut's 4th congressional district, where my brother lives, could flip to the GOP. Dan Debecilla is the Republican candidate there. RealClearPolitics lists this race as a "Toss-Up," as it does for the 5th, where Waterbury is. Sam Caligiuri carries the GOP banner there. In the US Senate race, Republican Linda McMahon is the conservative choice in the Constitution State.

Then it's up to the Massachusetts for a 2:30pm event at Worcester's Memorial Plaza at Lincoln Square.

Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, presided over the 2008 market collapse and the succeeding recession. He's a prime target of the TPX. Although Worcester is not in Frank's district, my guess is that you'll be hearing Frank's name a lot at the Bay State rally. Businessman and veteran Sean Bielat is the Frank's Republican opponent. RCP says this one "Leans Dem." Let's push Bielat over the top.

What a capitol idea--holding the final TPX rally in front of the New Hampshire capitol building in Concord. Which is why they're doing it--at 6:00pm. Perhaps it's a coincidence, but the Granite State is where the nation's first presidential primary will be held in 2012.

One door closes, another opens.

Frank Guinta is the Republican candidate in  New Hampshire's 1st District, RealClearPolitics lists this one as "Leans GOP." The 2nd is a "Leans Dem" district. Charlie Bass is the GOP hope there. Repulican Kelly Ayotte is the heavy favorite in the NH Senate race.

There were three TPX rallies on Halloween:  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Wilmington, Delaware, and Toms River, New Jersey. Dittos-Rush has video of Tea Party favorite and Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell speaking at the Wilmington rally, and our embed, Andrea Shea King reports on Toms River.

The Tea Party Express is known for surprises, so keep checking ThirdWaveDave's site for updates.

Click here to contribute to the Tea Party Express.

Technorati tags: tea party news conservative freedom 2010 midterms andrea shea king delaware christine o'donnell delaware politics new jersey new jersey politics connecticut politics connecticut massachusetts massachusetts politics new hampshire politics new hampshire

KYSen: Paul pulls away in PPP poll

At the risk of looking like a Thomas E. Dewey campaign staffer in 1948, it might be time--in some races--to celebrate Republican victories. But get your butt out and vote on Tuesday as if your livelihood depended on it. Because it does.

The reason for my optimism? A Public Policy Polling survey on the Kentucky US Senate race that reads like a Philadelphia newspaper the day after the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals.

Rand Paul has expanded his lead in the Kentucky Senate race even further over the last week and is headed for a blowout win. His margin over Jack Conway is 55-40.

Kentucky is obviously a conservative state. Conway's ability to win was always going to depend on getting a lot of folks who supported John McCain in 2008 to vote Democratic for the Senate this time around. The most amazing finding on this final poll is that Rand Paul is actually picking up more Obama voters (15%) than Conway is McCain voters (9%). That's the formula for a landslide.

Over the last month of the campaign this went from being a relatively competitive race to a not so competitive one. That didn't have a ton to do with Rand Paul- his favorability in early September was 45/40 and now it's 48/43, basically unchanged. The shift is more a reflection of Jack Conway's image with Kentucky voters being shattered in the closing days. Seven weeks ago his favorability split evenly with 36% of voters rating him positively and negatively alike. Now he's very unpopular with only 34% of voters saying they like him and 52% expressing unfavorable opinions toward him.

The House appears to be a lock for the GOP, but as Doug Ross reports, the reliable Intrade market predictor forecasts an 8 seat GOP pick-up in the Senate. But 12 are still in reach.

Every vote accounts.

Vote!

Technorati tags: politics news democrats jack conway Senate Kentucky kentucky politics rand paul

Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Chinatown

Chinatown, near the end of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon course, is one of my favorite spots among the 26.2 miles of pavement. There's a break station, plenty of fans--not only is there plenty of parking in the area, there is a CTA el stop nearby--and lots of frivolity.

And photo opportunities.

Next: Spectators

UPDATE 10:00pm: The Marine Corps Marathon took place in Washington today, and Tania of Midnight Blue Says participated in the 10 kilometer race. View her slide show here.

Earlier posts:

• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Pilsen and sponges
• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: International runners
• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Cancer runners
• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: More charity runners
• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Charity runners
• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: I gotta pee
• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Politics
• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Boystown
• Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Saluting the troops
• Miss Black Illinois completes Chicago Marathon
• My 21st consecutive Chicago Marathon

New travel series: Iowa I Opener and Buffalo Bill

"Gentlemen, you intrigue me. I think I shall have to give Iowa a try."
Con-man Harold Hill, after being run out of Illinois, in The Music Man, 1962.

Time for another Marathon Pundit travel series. In August I traveled to Iowa--which will be the focal point of much of the nation when the 2012 presidential campaign begins. On Wednesday.

Iowa of course isn't that far from Morton Grove, just a two hourdrive west on Interstate 88, the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway.

I began my last travel series, Four Corners Furtherance, with a Buffalo Bill Cody post, I will do the same here.

The great showman, Indian Wars scout, buffalo hunter, and Pony Express rider was born in 1846 in a four-room log cabin near LeClaire, Iowa in Scott County, near the Quad Cities. The cabin no longer stands and the site is now a cornfield. I learned that in LeClaire's Buffalo Bill Museum, which is nicely situated in the center of town on the banks of the Mississippi. The museum also has exhibits dedicated to bridge engineer and Civil War ironclad builder James Buchanan Eads, as well as James Ryan, the inventor of the flight recorder. But the museum was a disappointment--there wasn't a lot of Buffalo Bill stuff there. Ryan was a native of LeClaire, I wasn't able to ascertain Eads' link to Iowa, other than members of his family lived in the Hawkeye State.

But I did get directions to the Cody Homestead, via the Cody Trail, at the museum. Buffalo Bill's father Isaac managed a 600 acre farm from there. The home, built with native limestone, still stands--albeit with significant alterations. Buffalo--what else?--graze nearby. I didn't pay the $2 entry fee to get inside--I was in a cheap mood after leaving LeClaire. Buffalo Bill and his sister Julia attended school in a log cabin, a shack really, near the limestone beauty. A reconstruction of the school stands nearby and is pictured on the lower right. The Codys also owned a frame house in LeClaire--the home still stands--but in Cody, Wyoming. It was moved there in 1933.

Like many pioneers, Cody's father was restless--he moved the family to Kansas Territory in 1854. It was in Grasshopper Falls where Isaac was stabbed after denouncing slavery in "Bleeding Kansas." Three years later the wound was listed as a factor in his death from pneumonia. Nine years later his mother, Martha, died of tuberculosis.

Shortly afterwards Buffalo Bill joined the Kansas 7th Calvary and fought in the Civil War. Greatness followed.

Next: Pike's Peak

Buffalo Bill posts:

• Buffalo Bill's gravesite
• Buffalo Bill's Scout's Rest Ranch 
• July 4, 1882: Buffalo Bill Cody and the birth of the rodeo

Related Civil War posts:

• The Battle of Tupelo
• Vicksburg Battlefield, Part Four, The USS Cairo

Travel series:

• My Kansas Kronikles
• My Mississippi Manifest Destiny
• Midwestern Presidential Pathway
• California Collision
• Upper Peninsula Upventure
• Four Corners Furtherance