ONCE MORE INTO THE BREACH DEAR FRIENDS... - Nov. 02, 2009

Hello Again… It’s a nice Monday.

Which will be followed by a busy Tuesday as some states have important elections in what’s called the “off-year.”

New York has possibly the most interesting one in its upstate 23^rd Congressional District. The sitting Congressman Rep. McHugh, was picked by the Obama Administration to be Secy. of the Army – a sort of slightly sub-cabinet position that came about when the Defense Department came into existence and subordinated the Army, Navy and Air Force…

Anyway… ten GOP committee chairmen in the NY GOP are assigned by the party in such a situation to pick a candidate to run for that seat… but it’s not like a Primary election – which most States would use. Possibly some of you remember the Democrat party in SC picked the Senate candidate when Sen. Burnet Maybank died between the primary election and the general election back in the 50’s. Strom Thurmond thought that was not a good ‘democratic’ rule to follow…to let a committee pick what was tantamount to the Senator who would serve the next six years in office. Being unsuccessful in getting his own party people to re-consider and have an election. He did the next best thing – decided to run for the office as a write-in candidate.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the other living Senator Olin D. Johnson, made the remark in the hearing of a Washington news reporter, that it wouldn’t make much difference anyway since not that many people in SC knew how to read and write. That didn’t go over so well when repeated in the Palmetto State…. So when election time came around… history was made and the first write in candidate to be elected to the Senate was Senator Thurmond – who, set a record (since broken by Sen. Byrd of W. Va) as the longest-serving Senator. The rest is in the history books.

Back to New York… Ms “Dede” Scozzafava, who has served as a mayor in that area and has an 85% GOP liberal voting record in the New York Legislature, was tapped to run by the committee chairmen mentioned above. The reaction was immediate… Several prominent Republicans thought it a bad move… and several nationally known ones backed Ms. Scozzafava, as the party run operation did.

I won’t rehash all that’s gone on – but Newt Gingrich and Michael Steele backed the Party’s position – while Sarah Palin, Dick Army, Tim Pawlenty (MN Gov.) and Fred Thompson thought it was a lousy “politics as usual” deal which Ms. Palin had fought against strenuously in Alaska. Tuesday night will tell how many agree with her and her band of friends.

Some think the Tea Party – party (TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY) is a dangerous thing; others think it’s time for the GOP to do some serious re-inventing. [full disclosure – I’m in the latter group myself]. But I suppose we’ll see Tuesday if the GOP will turn back to its roots…. Or follow the “modern” group.

Stay tuned….

Cordially, IN HIM

JACK

PS – For any who wonder… the headline on today’s program is just Wm. Shakespeare showing off his writing skills as King Henry V encourages his troops before the battle of Harfleur. (I think – jeb)

http://www.jebcovoice.net/audio/jama11-02-09.mp3

http://www.jebcovoice.net/scripts/jamt11-02-09.doc

If the links don’t work please try copying to your browser.

“JUST A MINUTE”

ONCE MORE INTO THE BREACH, DEAR FRIENDS…

Just A Minute – They say of New York’s 23^rd District -- “the last non Republican elected there “was a “Whig.”

Thus, Dede Scozzafava, with an 85 percent liberal record in New York’s Legislature – got the nod from ten GOP party chairmen to hold the seat. She was immediately endorsed, pro-forma, by ex-House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, and RNC chairman, Michael Steele.

Well that kicked the can for the Tax-Payer’s tea-party people: It galvanized Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Pawlenty; Mike Huckabee; Fred Thompson; Dick Army; and former Gov. Sarah Palin -- all fed up with “politics as usual.”

Their outcry opposing Ms. Scozzafava, who is pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, and an unquestioned liberal – caused her Saturday night to release her backers and abandon without endorsing anyone what was headed for an embarrassing third-party finish.

So there’ll be a LOT of pontificating Tuesday night as the TV news people try to explain what the New York, New Jersey and Virginia hot-shot elections reveal. Possibly even a crumbling Presidency now, or in 2012.

<> I’m Jack Buttram

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