Politics Blog

John Kerry still has millions of dollars left over from his presidential run.

I doubt any of those Kos-ian donors will be getting a refund check in the mail.

— Jayson

One of this blog’s thread barons, Elisa, has started up a new blog: Boxer Watch.

And, in light of Babs’ recent actions – “decertify the results,” the tears, the hair style from Planet Egg Beater – who can blame her for doing so?

Additionally, Elisa is looking for bloggers to help with the site. So, if you’ve got some extra time on your hands, and would like to keep track of California’s wackiest politician (and that’s saying a mouthful, eh?), please go to the site, let Elisa know you’re interested in blogging on it, and I’m sure she’ll take care of the rest.

— Jayson

OK, here it is: George “Father of Our Country” Washington versus Ronald “Won the Cold War” Reagan.

The run-up has been great fun for everyone, and here is the title match, football style. The voting begins right now, and will run through Sunday night. Only one vote per person, e-mail address, or I.P. address. There was a problem a few people trying to punch in extra votes the last couple rounds, so now there’s a penalty - any IP address which votes more than once will have all of its submissions disqualified.

Remember also, this is about learning History, so if you can, be sure to include any interesting historical points, especially ones which would be relevant in a comparison between Washington and Reagan.

Also, in case your particular favorite President didn’t do that well in the Football-style matchups, don’t forget we’ll be running all 42 in a March Madness Tourney (the scores will likely be more appopriate to a basketball setting anyway). I’m opening the floor to a discussion on how we’ll seed the 42 (with such a number, there will be likely 20 1st-round matchups, with 22 getting a 1st-round bye). Suggestions with merit so far have included giving precedence to 2-termers, and allowing reader votes to decide rankings.

But for now, choose your captains for the coin toss, and call it in the air!

— DJ Drummond

Bush cast in bronze? Now that would really drive some people crazy. (Link via Drudge)

— Lorie Byrd

I remember hearing a report yesterday about an individual thought to have Down’s Syndrome being somehow related to one of the bombings in Iraq, but heard nothing else about it until Polipundit reader, Jill, emailed me the link to this story.

— Lorie Byrd

Fox News reports that Hillary Clinton is hospitalized after collapsing during a speech. There are no details available at the time of this posting.

UPDATE: The report above was updated and corrected to say that Senator Clinton declined to go to the hospital and plans on keeping her scheduled speech planned for later today.

— Lorie Byrd

Lifelike Pundits has a list of new reasons to “dis” Iraq. The last one is my favorite. While there, check out the site. (Warning: there are some goofy John Kerry pictures posted. And, yes, I know that most John Kerry pictures are goofy.)

— Lorie Byrd

As usual, Bill Roggio writes eloquently. This time about the Iraqi elections and the underwhelming succes of the bad guys in disrupting them.

— Lorie Byrd

Today, Social Security is strong. But by 2013, payroll taxes will no longer be sufficient to cover monthly payments. And by 2032, the trust fund will be exhausted,and Social Security will be unable to pay out the full benefits older Americans have been promised.

The best way to keep Social Security a rock-solid guarantee is not to make drastic cuts in benefits; not to raise payroll tax rates; and not to drain resources from Social Security in the name of saving it.

* * *

Specifically, I propose that we commit 60 percent of the budget surplus for the next 15 years to Social Security, investing a small portion in the private sector just as any private or state government pension would do. This will earn a higher return and keep Social Security sound for 55 years.

– President . . . William Jefferson Clinton, January 19, 1999. (Emphasis added.)

— Jayson

I have a friend who doesn’t follow politics, but she watches the news some. Yesterday she told me she hoped that Saddam Hussein’s jail cell had a television in it and that he was forced to watch the people of his country vote all day. If he had he would have listened to voters compare the bogus election he gave them to the one they just participated in, and he would have heard stories about family members that he had tortured and murdered, and he would have seen the joy and vitality the people of his country could have been enjoying for decades if not for him.

Freedom isn’t easy and it sure isn’t cheap, but it is worth the cost. Our troops and their families and the Iraqi people will continue to pay the price for some time to come, and unfortunately there will be more deaths at the hands of madmen. But yesterday was a big step toward a day when elections in Iraq are commonplace and polling places don’t have to be guarded like Fort Knox. It was a great day for the Iraqi people and a bad day for Saddam Hussein and the terrorists and no amount of spinning can change that fact.

Gateway Pundit captures the day in a poem.

— Lorie Byrd