Justin's Thursday Political News 07.19.07

Posted by Justin Baragona on 07.19.2007

The Secretary of the VA quits, the AP shows that Republican voters prefer 'None of the Above' and Michael Savage hates on Keith Ellison.

Welcome to another edition of Justin's Thursday Political News. I'm writing today from the sweltering confines of St. Louis, MO where the mercury topped 95. However, storms are on the horizon and the weekend should be quite pleasant, which is good as I have softball games both Saturday and Sunday and I feel like living another week. I don't think you checked this column out to hear about the weather or my personal life, so I better get on with the news.


Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) had this to say after it was revealed that Jim Nicholson was resigning from his post as Secretary of Veteran Affairs:


"The next VA secretary must have a record of being a strong and independent voice for veterans -- not someone being rewarded for political loyalty. Our veterans deserve to know that the head of the VA system can stand up to the White House and fight for the resources and benefits our veterans need."


Jim Nicholson announced that he would be leaving his position as secretary by October 1st on Tuesday. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Nicholson made some great strides in his tenure, by having soldiers returning from combat screened for brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Also, the department stated that he made upgrades to its information technology to make veterans' personal information safer. Of course, the department did not release a statement stating that Nicholson was secretary when it was revealed that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who received treatment at Walter Reed were dealing with substandard conditions. Nor did they mention that perhaps the reason why Nicholson ordered improvements in information technology was because somebody stole the records of 26.5 million veterans from the VA in 2006. The organization VoteVets.org applauded Nicholson's decision to resign, saying that Nicholson resigning was "the best thing to happen to our nation's veterans during the Bush Administration." What exactly were Nicholson's qualifications to head up the VA? He was the Republican National Committee chairman back in the late '90s and then he became the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.



A University of Iowa political scientist, David Redlawsk, commented about recent polls that show that Republican voters do not have a clear cut favorite for President:


"Democrats are reasonably comfortable with the range of choices. The Democratic attitude is that three or four of these guys would be fine. The Republicans don't have that; particularly among the conservatives there's a real split. They just don't see candidates who reflect their interests and who they also view as viable."


In the latest AP poll, 23% of Republicans stated that there is not a candidate that they will vote for yet. The poll also states that there is no real frontrunner for the Republicans yet. It shows that Rudy Giuliani has taken the biggest hit in support over the past few months, as he is sitting at 21% now as opposed to 35% back in March. This isn't really a surprise as he has done nothing but make himself look incompetent and lost over that time. Plus, the entry of Fred Thompson into the race has also taken away some of his support. Thompson has stayed steady at 19% since entering the mix while McCain has fallen back to 15% and is trying to revitalize his campaign with wholesale changes in key positions. Mitt Romney showed up with 11%.

This doesn't really surprise me that the Republican candidates, that nobody has taken a clear lead and that there are a large number of Republican voters disenchanted with who they have to choose from. One big reason, I think, is that the Christian evangelicals have nobody that they really want to support. Out of the top 4 candidates, only Romney does not have a divorce. However, Christians have a hard time getting behind him because he is a Mormon. Giuliani has been divorced three times and also has indicated that he supports gay rights and is not against abortion. Thompson and McCain have also been divorced once before. McCain, before his recent attempts to get cozier with the religious right, had been very critical of evangelical leaders in the past. Another reason is actually quite simple: it is still early! Primaries aren't for another 6 months. For some reason (read: dissatisfaction with Bush) people have been focusing on the '08 election a lot earlier than in election periods of the past. We still have to realize that nominations won't be for more than a year and the general election is still almost a year and a half away.

As for the Democrats, Hillary Clinton was still showing the most support at 36%, well above Barack Obama's 20% and John Edwards' 11%. The main cog in the wheel for the other candidates not named Hillary is the continued support that Al Gore is getting with Democrats. Even though he has stated repeatedly that he is not going to run in '08, he is still getting 15%, which places him third right now. He was actually higher not that long ago, and I'm sure if he announced he was running his popularity would shoot up. But, alas, he is not going to. While Obama does not have the support in the polls that Hillary has, he has outdistanced her in fundraising. However, she is showing more support among black Democrats, 46% to Obama's 33%. Now this is pure speculation, but I think her larger support has a lot to do with her husband, who was hugely popular with the black population during his presidency and is still loved by many Democrats, black and white.




On Monday on is radio program 'The Savage Nation', Michael Savage had this to say in response to Rep. Keith Ellison making a parallel comparison between the Bush Administration and the Nazi Party:


"Now what would a devout Muslim radical have in common with atheists? Answer: hatred of Christianity and hatred of Jews."



You have to love Michael Savage. The guy is constantly making disparaging remarks about minorities, gays and liberals, and has on more than one occasion compared Democrats and liberals directly to Nazis and Hitler. So, you just knew he was going to blow a fuse when a Muslim congressman, who happens to also be a Democrat, decided to make a comparison between the Bush Administration's actions following 9/11 and what the Nazi Party did after Reichstag. Here is what Keith Ellison said in a speech he gave to the Atheists for Human Rights:

"After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it, and it put the leader of that country in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted."

If you ask me, he isn't necessarily comparing Bush to Hitler as much as he is saying that information can be manipulated and used in such a way to allow an individual or organization to gain more power over a country. Of course, Ellison wanted to make a point, and it is always best to use some hyperbole when doing that. Using Hitler or the Nazis helps to drive home a point because it is a powerful image that is conjured up in a listener's mind. Savage knows this all too well because he uses it all the time. Now, this doesn't stop him from acting appalled when somebody doesn't use the comparison to denigrate homosexuals or liberals, but then again, that is Savage's shtick.

Savage only knows how to make grandiose inflammatory statements to try to make his 'points' in any kind of argument or debate. He does this for one sole reason: listeners. He knows that there are quite a few racist, bigoted people out there that need someone to speak out for them, to justify their prejudiced views. Savage is all too willing to oblige, if for no other reason than to make a buck. He gets a radio show and is able to churn out books that appeal to this lowest common denominator. He feigns disgust at Ellison for making the comparison of Bush and Hitler (which he really didn't do, but that's besides the point), but really only uses this as an opening to attack Muslims and atheists for the perceived hatred of Christians and Jews and just whip up his audience and to try to draw some more controversy. The sad thing: it works for him. He is the third most listened to radio show right now, behind only Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. This is what people apparently want to listen to: right-wing hacks spouting falsehoods and spewing hate. Makes me proud to be an American.



Well, that is going to do it for me this week. If you are looking for something else to read besides this fine informative column, I suggest checking out Greg's Paradigm Shift. As for me, I'm out of here and I'll be back next Thursday with more news in the realm of politics.