CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Democrats "Stretched The Facts," Misled America

"We sort of stretched the facts...and people ate it up."

Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) has an honesty problem. He was publicly honest about the intentional dishonesty of Congressional Democrats (and Democrat candidates) in the run-up to the 2006 election -- particularly with regard to the War in Iraq:

Transcript:

"I'll tell you my impression. We really in this last election, when I say we...the Democrats, I think pushed it as far as we can to the end of the fleet, didn't say it, but we implied it. That if we won the Congressional elections, we could stop the war. Now anybody was a good student of Government would know that wasn't true. But you know, the temptation to want to win back the Congress, we sort of stretched the facts...and people ate it up."

My friend and esteemed RedState colleague Jeff Emanuel has more on the Democrats' fact stretching about the war.

Did Muslim Vote In Virginia Swing Senate Control?

The Detroit Free Press reports Muslims played a critical role in the November midterm elections.

Imam Mahdy Bray, Speaking at a Muslim American Society and Islamic Circle of North America convention in Dearborn, highlighted the effective effort to turn out Muslim voters in Virginia:

The effort was so organized that Muslim taxi drivers in northern Virginia took the day off to ferry Muslims to the polls, said Imam Mahdy Bray, a speaker at the convention. Volunteers also made phone calls to Muslims in Virginia to urge them to vote, he said.

As a result, Democrat James Webb ousted incumbent Republican George Allen by about 9,000 votes in a race in which 50,000 Muslims went to the polls -- 47,000 of them voting for Webb, Bray said.

For my money Senator Allen gets all the credit for running a losing campaign. Nevertheless, if 96 percent of Muslims are going to vote Democratic, that would make them a more reliable Democratic constituency than African Americans. Democrats consistently receive only about 90 percent of African American votes.

Al Qaeda's Message To Democrats

In the new tape from al Qaeda No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri, the al Qaeda leader tells the leaders of the Democratic party that the terrorists are responsible for the defeat of congressional Republicans:

"The first is that you aren't the ones who won the midterm elections, nor are the Republicans the ones who lost. Rather, the Mujahideen -- the Muslim Ummah's vanguard in Afghanistan and Iraq -- are the ones who won, and the American forces and their Crusader allies are the ones who lost," Zawahri said, according to a full transcript obtained by ABC News.

Zawahri calls on the Democrats to negotiate with him and Osama bin Laden, not others in the Islamic world who Zawahri says cannot help.

"And if you don't refrain from the foolish American policy of backing Israel, occupying the lands of Islam and stealing the treasures of the Muslims, then await the same fate," he said.

Lucky for the Democrats, now that John Kerry has traveled to Syria to speak with the leader of the terrorist state, they now have a ready and experienced negotiator.

Zawahri may be right, but the Democrats couldn't have done it without the help of the biased media wing of the Democratic Party.

It's not just RedStaters that perceive the Democrats as weak; our enemies do as well. I expect that the more left-leaning will say it is foolish to assert that the Democrats efforts to undermine the President for the last six years have played into the terrorists' hands. The problem is the terrorists believe it.

Thank goodness President Bush still has two more years.

Cadets Make Fun of John Kerry

At Free Republic, Doctor Raoul has posted a couple of great images of Cadets making fun of John Kerry at the Army Navy Game.

This is just more evidence that Kerry is wrong when he insists his latest case of hoof and mouth disease will not undermine a possible White House campaign in 2008.

Here is another YouTube video to further drive my point home:

Kerry will be haunted by this throughout any 2008 presidential campaign.

Don't Count Allen Out

Ed Lynch, chairman of the Roanoke County Republican Party, says it is too soon to give up on Senator George Allen as a possible 2008 contender:

Losing a single election does not necessarily mean permanent exile from presidential consideration.

There is no reason to assume Allen is definitively out of the 2008 race, although his task is formidable.

Lynch lists three reasons to support the argument that Allen should still be considered one of the potential 2008 presidential candidates. First, how hard the national Democratic Party worked to destroy Allen. Second, Allen only lost by only about 9,000 votes, out of more than 2.3 million cast. Third, Republican activists are still looking at Allen:

One Iowa GOP county chair recently called me to ask about Allen. He began by saying, "Lots of us are looking for someone we can really get behind," and he finished our conversation by asking, "So how do I get aboard this train?"

Lynch reminds us that Allen's political obituary has been written before:

In 1979, after he lost his first political race, pundits in Charlottesville wrote him off.

In 1993, after a poor performance at a debate, no less an authority than the then-head of the Republican Party of Virginia gave up on Allen.

I need more convincing. Allen's loss was the direct result of Webb's campaign making the most of Allen's mistakes. I don't write off any political future for Allen, but I can't conceive of supporting him for 2008.

I will continue to include him among the potential 2008 candidates until Allen says we shouldn't.

The Party Of One

John Orman, a political science professor at Fairfield University, and critic of Senator Lieberman, is the new chairman and the only member of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party.

Lieberman formed the political party after he lost the Democratic primary to Lamont.

After Lieberman won the November election, Orman contacted the secretary of the state, learned the Connecticut for Lieberman Party had no registered members, switched his registered affiliation from Democrat to Connecticut for Lieberman:

"Then I went home and called a meeting of all registered Connecticut for Lieberman members to reflect on our party's victory in the U.S. Senate race (and) organize and submit rules to the secretary of the state," Orman said.

He nominated himself chairman, seconded the nomination, cast his vote for himself and proceeded to establish party rules.

Orman said the "party" is upset that Lieberman has abandoned it and says he is an "Independent Democrat."

"I want to organize it as a group that will keep (Lieberman) accountable," Orman said. "It will be dedicated to critics, opponents, bloggers. . . . I'm just trying to carry it to the next step."

There is a serious side to this. Orman is continuing to challenge the legitimacy of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party. Perhaps the professor has made his point. Still, it is a good thing that anyone who can get enough valid signatures is able to get on the ballot in Connecticut.

Gingrich Blames Four "C's"

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich blames four "C's" for the midterm bluenami that returned control of Congress to the Democrats:

• An absence of competence in Republican performance
• an absence of candor
• corruption
• bad advice of consultants

Gingrich is one of the 26 potential 2008 presidential candidates, but he may not have the support he use to have in Georgia.

What Next For Santorum

The Philadelphia Inquirer examines what is next for Rick Santorum after losing reelection by 18 percentage points

The available options include becoming a spokesman for national conservative causes, taking a role in the Bush administration, positioning himself to run for statewide office in Pennsylvania in 2010, running for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, or a 2008 vice-presidential choice.

William J. Bennett, the former U.S. secretary of education and national drug czar, was among those who suggested the presidential option:

"You have to look at the frontrunners - John McCain and Rudy Giuliani," Bennett added. "These are not social conservatives. The conservatives are strong in this party. They will want a champion. He's very articulate, very experienced."

Santorum should stay in the fight. He is a very articulate spokesman for social conservatives. Santorum’s voice would be valuable on the speakers' circuit, and as a radio and television talking-head.

Bluenami

The Kansas City Star's Buzz Blog asked bloggers to come up with a catchy name for the midterm thumpin', a la the “Republican Revolution” of 1994.

Bluenami prevailed over other suggestions, including Purple Rain, Democratic Demolition, Blue Bounce, Bushwhacked, and The Demo Fix of ’06.

U.S. Election A Victory For

It's not just Democrats who are happy about the U.S. election results. 's Supreme Leader is also thrilled.

's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the U.S. election results are a victory for .

Since Washington's hostile and hawkish policies have always been against the ian nation, this defeat is actually an obvious victory for the ian nation.

Khamenei doesn't get it. We are not "against the ian nation." We are againt the ian mullahocracy's support of terrorism and its quest for a nuclear weapon.