This Blast e-mail contains both information gleaned from the Internet and contributions from others;

it also provides a compilation of all prior news meta-analyses. It addresses international affairs [focused
on Kurdistan], national affairs [focused on the midterms], and statewide affairs [focused on Corbett].
{Also, know that a STUDY linked Drinking Sweetened [not diet] soda with Premature Aging, Disease, and
Early Death, but also know that use of a Soda Stream for myriad diet-sodas [e.g., Cherry-Coke] is OK; in
addition, it seems Nicolas Cage Does Not Want You to See His New Movie, an unprecedented posture,
and I concur with Rex Reed that in The Judge, Duvall and Downey Are Unforgettable as a Complex
Father-Son Pair.}

The backlog of Blast e-mails composed since Memorial Day, 2013 has been compiled
in three sets: Anti-BHO e-mails [I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV]
remitted during the first half-year [focused on BHOs Scandal-Sheet and the effort to
defund ObamaDontCare (spotlighting Cruz)], and Action-Items e-mails [I, II, III, IV, V,
VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV,
XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX and XXX] remitted since December [focused initially on Guzzardi
and morphed into focus on myriad other issues related to BHOs overall efforts
domestic and globalto destroy American Exceptionalism]. Also, the first set of
Thoughts *I-XVII] was uploaded and, as soon as the size of the currently-accumulating
file hits 2 megs, it will be uploaded, as well; anyone who is a glutton-for-punishment
may request a copy of any document [composed in Microsoft WORD]. {Graphics and
topical-levity have been invoked sparingly, with visuals that match topics covered.}

Topics covered addressed Foreign Policy [Kurdistan, Israel, Ukraine],
Politics *GOPs Civil-War, Midterms, Corbett], Medicine
*ObamaDontCare, E-Cigs, Ebola], Education [Common Core, Holocaust
mandate in PA], Culture Wars [Gun-Laws, Gay-Marriage, Abortion],
BHOs Scandal-Sheet [BenghaziGate, IRS, NSA], Big Government
[Income-Redistribution, Illegals, Constitution]. {These topic-triads are
not comprehensive, but constitute the major concerns scrutinized.}

They have been provided without risking spamming *including the finis pledge to
become a bit less comprehensive]; they can be searched for key-words. More than
3700-pages have been composed thus far [1051 + 2485 + 175], and the reader is invited
to ID any internal contradiction *for there arent any!+, inasmuch as the secondary-goal
has been consensus-development.

Battles continue to rage in Kurdistan and in other regions in Iraq/Syria; Col. Oliver North suspects the
former may have been promulgated as a distraction while Baghdad has become targeted [per last
nights interview by Greta on FNC+ but, regardless, the Kurds remain in dire-straits; for example,
although Turkey is Allowing Iraqi Kurds To Join Fight Against ISIS In Kobane, it is blocking delivery of
sorely-needed heavy arms because it opposes US arms transfers to Kurds who, it claims, are terrorists.
There has been some CONFUSION, manifest when US Humanitarian Aid is given to the Islamic State [?];
Churches in Mosul have been destroyed by the Islamic State, Car Bombings Killed 16 People in Karbala,
Militants launched 15 near-simultaneous attacks, and New Islamic State Atrocities abounded [Chemical
Attacks, Hacking Limbs, Beheading Boy with Down Syndrome]. Beggars cant be choosers, but it seems
anti-climactic that a US-Led Strike Killed 8 in ISIS-Held Syria Town; even Colin Powell's former Chief Of
Staff [Col. Lawrence B. Wilkerson, who harshly criticized Bush-43 and his team+ has opined on How To
'Knock [the Islamic State] The Heck Out.' Finally, disinformation has been generated [An independent
Kurdistan? Be careful what you wish for] that is replete with deceit [such as suggesting such an entity
would be communist, absent any rationale for making such an absurd claim]. {A must-read is this
analysis of two Chemical Weapons Revelations in the Middle East.}

Summaries of the Past Two Days, c/o Foreign Policy

Along with continued coalition airstrikes, the U.S. military has airdropped supplies to
Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants in the Syrian town of Koban (Ayn al-
Arab). Three U.S. transport planes dropped 27 bundles of supplies, provided by Iraqi
Kurdish authorities, including ammunition, small arms, and medical supplies. The move
has come amid intensified fighting in the town, near the border with Turkey. According
to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Islamic State militants fired
44 mortars at Kurdish controlled areas of the town on Saturday. On Monday, in a shift,
Turkey said it would allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters to cross the Syrian border to reinforce
Kurdish forces defending Kobani. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey was
facilitating the passage of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces across its territory into Syria.

As fresh clashes broke out in the town of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) Monday, Britain
announced it was authorizing spy planes and armed drones to conduct surveillance
missions over Syria. British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the aircraft would fly
over Syria to "gather intelligence as part of our efforts to protect our national security."
He noted, however, that the aircraft would not fire weapons and that armed operations
in Syria would require "further permission." The British parliament approved conducting
airstrikes in Iraq in September. Islamic State militants launched several attacks against
Kurdish forces in northern Iraq Monday, including a truck bombing near the Mosul Dam
and clashes close to the town of Qarah Tapah. Additionally, leaders from the Yazidi
minority reported Islamic State militants have seized two villages in an advance on
Mount Sinjar. An assault by the militant group in August forced an estimated 40,000
Yazidis to flee the area. Meanwhile, as attention has focused on Islamic State advances
in Iraq and Syria, opposition activists and monitoring groups, including the Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, claim the Syrian government has increased its
use of chemical weapons, particularly since August.

Battles continue to rage in Israel, both physical and philosophical; this includes the battle for control of
the Temple Mount with Palestinian President Abbas Calling Jews Visiting Temple Mount 'Herd of Cattle';
worriment that Hamas is already Rebuilding Gaza Terror Tunnels; absurd elaboration by WaPos Richard
Cohen On His Claim That Israel Was A Mistake; and a huffington-post article (by an 18-year-old Israeli,
US Department of State International Exchange alumnus, public diplomacy and peace activist) allegedly
presenting Israel's True Face but actually reflecting the typical lib-philosophy favoring a 2-state
solution, absent recognition that the Palestinian Arabs resolutely reject this approach. [I still feel rioters
should be dispatched to Gaza.]

In other international news, NYT: Obama Wants Iran Deal that Avoids Congress (raising
concern that his plan is to swap a real-deal for transient support against the Islamic
State), Dutch battled a surge of desperate, violent Muslim refugees (infesting Europe),
Australia Reversed Hijab Ban (reflecting another manifestation of politically-correct
behavior), and Philippine Islamists Freed Two German Hostages (reflecting the global
nature of this struggle). {Also know that North and South Korea Exchanged Gunfire
Along Border.}

Battles continue to rage in America regarding The Death of Klinghoffer which opened yesterday at the
Metropolitan Opera amidst Pro-Israel Protesters, some of whom Disrupted what they viewed as an Anti-
Semitic Met Opera; the aforementioned piece [printed twice by the NY-Times] referred to this work as a
masterpiece.*and observed that+ while the terrorists do sing and poetize in a mode similar to that of
the other characters, they dont come across exactly as humanized, or even as human. Not surprisingly,
Major Jewish donors stood by the Met [Michael Bloomberg, L.P., The Annenberg Foundation, The
Neubauer Family Foundation, and Toll Brothers Foundation], while others considered its being
performed as a Betrayal; the NY-Daily News was also highly critical [The right chorus to hear].

The latest on gun-law concerns is that AG-Holder feels Failure to Pass Gun Control Is
My Biggest Failure; meanwhile, an Armed Citizen Took Keys Out Of Getaway Car prior
to Shooting and And Killing Armed Bank Robber and Two were Killed and Nine were
Wounded in Chicago weekend Violence and a Mexican Community Activist was Gunned
Down During Radio Show.

That BHO continues to trash America motivates continue dissemination of information that may not
otherwise have been noticed; this applies to his plan to grant executive-amnesty to Hispanics [Obama
Admin Quietly Prepares 'Surge' Of New Immigrant IDs, Up to 34 MILLION green cards and work permits,
Obama Admin: We May Need 'Surge' Of Millions Of Immigrant Ids 'For Any Number Of Reasons'; and
House Judiciary Committee Demands Briefing on New Immigrant ID 'Surge'], to Haitians [Obama to
Allow 100,000 Haitians into America Without a Visa; DHS Opens Door to New Immigrants from Haiti,
Extends Special Protections For Honduran, Nicaraguan Immigrants; and Grassley: DHS' New Haitian
Immigrant Program 'Irresponsible Overreach of the Executive Branch's Authority'], and to West Africans
[Senate Judiciary Republicans to Obama: Stop Issuing Visas to Ebola-Stricken Countries Now; and
Customs: Over 2,000 Entering USA from West Africa without Screening]. He is delaying these efforts
until after all elections (including run-offs, if necessary) lest there be a backlash; indeed, it has been
asserted by Jeff Sessions that Obama's Immigration Policies Hammer Black Workers preferentially.

Cost to Taxpayers for Federal Bureaucrats Paid to Not Work: $775 Million.

Dems in danger over Ebola, as per a POLITICO survey for any number of reasons [Obama Repeats: You
Can't Get Ebola on Bus -- Day After Bus Quarantined; The CDC was slow to understand the depth of the
Ebola crisis; CDC Revised Ebola Protocol; and EBOLA CZAR WON'T ATTEND HOUSE HEARING]. As a result,
even as the WHO declared Nigeria's Ebola Outbreak to be Officially Over, Liberal/Dem critics were
unforgiving [Andrea Mitchell: When Is the Ebola Czar Going to Start Working?; Liberal Al Hunt said the
choice of Ron Klain for Ebola czar is a bad choice that will not stop the Democrats' political problems on
this issue; and Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) called on Obama to impose a temporary travel ban on non-U.S.
citizens from countries in West Africa that have been affected by the Ebola virus, urging the
administration to take action "immediately."]. One lib attempted to mount a defense [Janet Napolitano
said Congressional Hearing On Ebola Was Shameful'] and, of course, a CNN Host Grilled Cruz About
Ebola And GOP Opposition To Surgeon General. Thats why its the Ebola incompetence, stupid; Theres
no Ebola panic, but the publics measured judgment of Obamas bungling. After an Obama
administration health official explained why U.S. protocols on Ebola failed [they originally were intended
for African field hospitals], the White House came under another round of attacks for its refusal to
restrict travel from nations suffering epidemic outbreaks. Obama did show he could cave to public-
pressure for he had, for close to a fortnight, resisted calls for an Ebola czar [insisting the CDC should
lead the administrations response] and, as recently as Wednesday, prompted his top spokesman to
stress that the White House was doing fine without designating one high-level official to focus solely on
the issue. {Also, Rubio filed a bill that would temporarily ban visas for people from Liberia, Guinea and
Sierra Leone.}

Jim Geraghty noted that Ebola is prompting Reality to Intrude Upon Dems Party Loyalty

The Washington Post notices the obvious:

Democrats are beginning to sound more like Republicans when they talk about Ebola.
And Republicans are moving into overdrive with their criticism of the government's
handling of the deadly virus.

The sharpened rhetoric, strategists say, suggests Democrats fear
President Obama's response to Ebola in the United States could become
a political liability in the midterm election and Republicans see an
opportunity to tie increasing concerns about the disease to the public's
broader worries about Obama's leadership.

Here comes a golden quote:

"This is feeding into the Republican narrative that Democrats don't
know how to govern and government is too large," said Jim Manley, a
former aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).
Democrats, Manley said, "are desperate to try to demonstrate that they
have tough ideas to respond to the crisis."

You know, it may not just be a narrative. It may be whats actually happening. Run
down the list of problems Ebola, the Islamic State, the kids coming over the border,
vets dying while waiting for care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Obamacare,
the persistent economic gloom, Russia on the move and its not that unreasonable
for people to conclude that Democrats dont know how to govern, that the government
is too large and lethargic in its response to problems.

Picking up a few paragraphs later:

Even Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), a liberal Democrat who is not in any
danger of losing reelection, called on Obama to "immediately suspend
commercial flights from the West African nations into the United States,
as well as suspend visas for their passport holders, until we can ensure
that our health facilities are adequately prepared."

When a Democrat, in no particular danger of losing her seat, publicly opposes Obama, it
means this is what she really thinks; she thinks allowing flights from the West African
nations increases the risk of another Ebola patient from there ending up in the United
States. JFK said, Sometimes party loyalty asks too much. If your party asking you to
tolerate a possibility that raises the risk of Americans dying from having their internal
organs liquefied, its probably asking too much.

Regarding the midterms, recent events continue to favor the GOP [Supreme Court Decision Upholding
Photo ID Has Far Reaching Implications; Tea Party Launched Minority Outreach Effort; Dems Desperately
Seeking Women and Dems Losing Mid-Term War for Women], while a Politico Poll revealed 64% of
voters in the most competitive 2014 elections say it feels as if events in the United States are out of
control and expressed mounting alarm about terrorism, anxiety about Ebola and harsh skepticism of
both political parties only three weeks before the Nov. 4 midterms.

When Obama made a rare campaign trail appearance, people left early; in response, a
Bitter Obama said, regarding the GOP, If I Said Apple Pie Is Great, They'd Say No.
Heres Politicos follow-up:

HERE'S A FREE SOUNDBITE FOR YOUR AD -- Signed, President Barack
Obama: "Make no mistake: Democrats running from President Barack
Obama aren't actually all that distant from him. That's the message that
Obama himself delivered Monday, speaking on Rev. Al Sharpton's radio
show ... 'The bottom line is, though, these are all folks who vote with
me ... They have supported my agenda in Congress ... This isn't about
my feelings being hurt. These are folks who are strong allies and
supporters of me.'" Edward-Isaac Dovere:

Adding up -- This comes on the heels, of course, of this line from the
president: "I am not on the ballot this fall ... But make no mistake: These
policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them." I asked La. GOP
candidate Bill Cassidy if Obama was giving the GOP gifts with comments
like these. His answer: "The president put it well. His agenda, his
policies, every single one of them, is on the ballot ... he crystallized [it],
but people already understood it."

Additional signs of Dem-Desperation: the Dems published a handout essentially
claiming that If You Vote Republican, The Confederacy Wins (Or Something LIke That);
Elizabeth Warren said, "The Republicans rigged the game"; Justice Department Expert
Witness said Blacks 'Less Sophisticated Voters'; Wendy Davis Suggested Abbott Opposes
His Own Interracial Marriage [as Many of her supporters seemed resigned to Davis
losing because she revealed she is a Truly Horrible Person].

Specific Senate races also seem to be leaning towards the GOP [GAWKER HIT PIECE ON REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE PROVEN FALSE, in COLORADO and Dem Sen. Udall Joked About Being Brain Dead in Super
Awkward Interview; Mark Begich Running Out of Gas in Alaska; New Poll Showed Grimes Hurt by Recent
Gaffes as McConnell Leads by 8 in Kentucky and, in Kentucky, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell leads
Alison Lundergan Grimes, 44-43, while, by a margin of 47 percent to 42 percent, Kentuckians would
prefer Republicans take over the U.S. Senate; Tillis was all confidence in North Carolina; and Georgia
Senate Democratic candidate Michelle Nunn released a statement on Friday altering her position on the
current Ebola crisis. Nunn originally said she would defer to "the CDC and other scientists and public
health practitioners" on how the administration should respond. However, after members of Congress
had grilled CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden on Thursday at a hearing, she changed her stance and called
for "temporary" travel restrictions for everyone except military and aid workers]. On the other hand,
concern was raised that the GOP could lose Georgia and/or South Dakota.

One article wondered whether the National Republican Congressional Committee was
ignoring young, smart, handsome, savvy, and quick with a sharp sound bite, Dan
Bongino, presumably everything the Republican Party purports to look for in a
candidate. Even with the most creative drawing of the district lines, the District is only a
D+4, meaning that it leans Democrat but can be won by a Republican in an election
cycle that favors the GOP, such as this one; mobilized voters in the highly conservative
western Maryland part of the district could overwhelm the disenchanted and
demoralized Dems in the D.C. suburban part of the District. Bongino has nationalized
the election, having both Senator Rand Paul and Mike Lee into the District to rally the
base, along with other conservative superstars like Col. Allen West. On the fundraising
front, Bongino continues to raise more money than his Democrat incumbent opponent,
another touchstone for legitimacy. Perhaps this lack of enthusiasm is because he is a
constitutional conservative who has a libertarian streak.

In the world of polling, The Daily Beast posited that Nate Silver is Afraid of Sam Wang because the latter
predicts the Dems will hold the Senate although, in the text, it noted he has articulated specific polling-
based rationales, as well. Also, the Alan Grayson's Divorce Drama Continued after his Wife Said He Is A
Slumlord; [fortunately,] neither Abortion nor gay marriage never became a midterm issue . {Also, note
that Hillary Raised Record $2.1M At Katzenberg Fundraiser.}

Watch This Slam Dunk by Committee Chairman Reince Priebus [per Jim Geraghty]

Debbie Wasserman Schultz has a really tough job in spinning these upcoming midterms
as a vote of confidence in Dems and Obama. Shes not the least bit convincing when she
does that job, but that doesnt mean the job isnt difficult. Heres how it went Sunday:

Were going to hold the Senate because over the next couple of weeks
and leading up to even today [sic], the one issue voters are going to ask
themselves, Chris, is Who has my back? Wasserman Schultz, head of
the Democratic National Committee, told Fox News Sunday host Chris
Wallace.

Watch Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebuss response:

You guys are losing everywhere, and the president hasnt had
anybodys back. He hasnt even had your back, Priebus said, in an
apparent reference to reports that Obama and the Democrats have
soured on Wasserman Schultzs leadership of the DNC.

That report:

Obama and Wasserman Schultz have rarely even talked since 2011.
They dont meet about strategy or messaging. They dont talk much on
the phone. Instead, the DNC chairwoman stakes out the president of
the United States at the end of photo lines at events and fundraisers.
You need another picture, Debbie? Obama tends to say, according to
people whove been there for the encounters.

Regarding the PA-gubernatorial race, Reader Poll conducted by PoliticsPA found that Corbett Won the
Third Gubernatorial Debate. Also, after PA Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery was justifiably
Suspended, I wrote the following in response to a comment that was adverse to this action: You have
again demonstrated how out-of-touch you are, perhaps motivated (like BHO) by ideology more than
practicality; inasmuch as NO ONE will credibly adopt your reaction to Castilles emergency effort to
protect justice (based upon McCaffrey's own statements, inter alia), it is notable that the dissenting
opinion in this case was composed by a fellow-Dem.Todd never confirmed that the absence of a
criminal conviction precluded this action, and it cannot be claimed that it was based solely on whatever
Castille did; therefore, the Board acted on all available evidence expeditiously as is its responsibility,
thereby triggering mechanisms that will honor all the rights and privileges of the individual who was
targeted.

In follow-up of a discussion regarding myriad electoral issues *including Guzzardis effort
to be on the gubernatorial ballot], I wrote:

You have destroyed your credibility on multiple levels, for you have not matched my
level of documentation [discounting your wild assertions] with any of your own; for
example, you conjure the theory that another judge would have ruled differently when
analyzing Guzzardis signatures and you fail to rectify your prior claim that Id written
that ALL had been OK.

As I have painstakingly explained, I pulled an all-nighter after the Corbett filing had
been IDed and, based solely on publicly-available data, had vetted the four challenged
counties; of course, some were classified as requiring more analysis [such as
husband/wife handwriting-linkage so, therefore, your incorrect claim was disproven
contemporaneously.

You also claim that even Guzzardi considered his effort unserious when, in actuality, he
traveled all over the Commonwealth [and was interviewed by the media] as he
explained his rationale; your elitism is evinced when you persist in adopting a dismissive
attitude wheneven nowpeople write on PoliticsPA that they plan to vote for him
[for whatever reason(s)].

You also adhere to the claim that Bob is a racist, dropping the charge that Im a racist
as well, recalling that you had initially claimed EVERYONE challenging your viewpoint
was a racist; this cannot be viewed merely as a gratuitous bow to present-company-
excluded-thinking, because you still havent quoted anything he wrote as justifying his
being subject to your [dog-whistle] racism claim.

Another classic approach you adopted was to claim that you dont want to defend AG-
Holder because the relevant page is no longer on the PoliticsPA front-page; to the
contrary, once you click on the Governor entries, you will find it still appears on the
front-page and, therefore, this effort to procrastinate [classically Obama-esque] fails.

Presumably, the Magellan analysis took into account your newly-introduced criterion
related to the potential for Stack to drive Philly turnout [as if anything were needed in
addition to what can be anticipated]; thus, you have failed to dispute my claim that it
represents a legitimate dataset.

I do not dispute my right-wing conservative leanings, just as you undoubtedly would
accept the appellation of being a left-wing liberal; nevertheless, there is no doubt that
BHO/Wolf share comparable socialist stances [starting with avid support for public
unions, ending with fervent desire to destroy fracking+, and you cant invoke entities
that call themselves socialist because, these days, those organizations are thinly-veiled
communist entities.

THEREFORE, you can choose either to conjure a rejoinder [documented with
specificity] to this reformulation of your entry, or you can [perhaps wisely] choose to
stop digging and acknowledge that you cannot support your assertions!

In case you forgot, this is the URL to the page where you have yet to back-up your
rudimentary defense of AG-Holder [regarding Fast & Furious and the James Rosen
Affidavit] is again provided:

Addendum: I break-up the URLs because their presence otherwise has caused delayed
uploading on this website.

Here is another political commentary:

Morning Jolt - . . . with Jim Geraghty

October 21, 2014

NRSC to Senate Democrats: Just Try to Defend Picking Klain for Ebola Czar!

This morning the National Republican Senatorial Committee is hitting this years crop of
vulnerable Democrat incumbents for meekly acquiescing to President Obama naming
Ron Klain as Andy McCarthy summarizes, a sharp-elbowed Democratic political
operative with no medical expertise as the Ebola czar.

Heres the Mark Begich version:

Unfortunately, Mark Begich (D-AK) not only refuses to hold the Obama
Administration accountable for the slow response to Ebola entering our
borders, but it appears that he has taken his marching orders from the White
House on a serious matter of public health. Instead, Begich's Washington allies
have resorted to spreading false and debunked claims, blaming others for the
Administration's failures. President Obama's choice of Ron Klain as Ebola Czar is
indefensible, yet Mark Begich once again refuses to hold the White House
accountable.

"It is absurd that President Obama believes that a partisan lobbyist with zero
medical experience should lead the national response to the Ebola epidemic, but
Mark Begich is nowhere to be found," said NRSC Press Secretary Brook
Hougesen. "Mark Begich apparently believes that a partisan Washington
lobbyist like Ron Klain is an appropriate choice for this position, which speaks to
his lack of judgment and his refusal to stand up to President Obamas poor
decisions even on matters of public health and safety."

Will this make a big difference in the coming midterm elections? If nothing else, we may
get some amusing moments of watching these Democratic senators trying to explain
why Ron Klain is such a terrific guy for this job.

We know Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas greets questions about Ebola with a lengthy
uhhhhhhhhh, and Senator Mark Udall of Colorado is having a tough enough time with
any questions as is these days.

Another Uncharismatic, Underachieving Partisan Democrat Coasts to Reelection

I know what you want to hear. You want to hear that Republican Monica Wehby has a
shot at winning Oregons Senate race. Shes trailing most polls by 10 to 20 points, so . . .
sorry, no good news here.

You may ask, Whats wrong with Oregonians? Maybe a fair question is, Whats wrong
with Oregon Republicans?

A pediatric neurosurgeon and mother of four, she appealed to
moderate Republicans fed up with Obamacare and big government. But
polls now put Wehby behind by 10 to 15 percentage points. A poll
released last week showed only 52 percent of Republicans plan to vote
for Wehby, while 22 percent said they're still undecided.

The talk of a potential GOP upset here in Oregon earlier in the year wasnt just hype;
incumbent Democratic senator Jeff Merkley has genuinely blah numbers for a guy
asking for another term. The percentage of Oregon voters who approve of the job hes
doing is usually in the low 40s, and the percentage who disapprove is in the mid-30s. He
has mind-bogglingly low name ID for an incumbent U.S. Senator; as noted yesterday,
Senator Merkley was recognized by 46 percent as his partys candidate. Its as if hes
been in the Witness Protection Program.

Merkley is not a whirling dervish of raw political charisma, nor an unstoppable vote-
accumulating machine. In 2008, Barack Obama received 1,037,291 votes in Oregon
56.7 percent of the vote. That year, in his first statewide bid, Merkley won 864,392
votes, or 48.9 percent of the vote 3.4 percent more than the incumbent Republican
Senator he beat, Gordon Smith. He underperformed the margin projected in most of the
final polls.

Back in July, George Will wrote a column that made Republicans hearts skip a beat,
declaring, Senator Tom Coburn is retiring, but another doctor may be coming, straight
from the operating room to her first elected office.

The editorial board of the Oregonian, the states largest newspaper, chose to not
endorse a candidate this year. They concluded Merkley was a shameless partisan hack,
and then detailed the personal scandals in Wehbys past years that made them deem
her unworthy of support:

The collapse of Wehby's campaign has been almost painful to watch.
First was the late-breaking revelation this spring of a 911 call made in
2013 by estranged boyfriend Andrew Miller, who reached for the phone
as Wehby entered his house without permission. He accused her of
stalking him. Shortly thereafter, Oregonians learned that Wehby's ex-
husband had called the cops on her in 2009. According to a police report
filed two years earlier, her ex accused her of "ongoing harassment."

The incidents raise obvious questions about judgment and self-control,
but just as significant are questions about anticipation. Did Wehby and
her campaign really think these episodes wouldn't come to light? If so,
they were shockingly nave.

Oregonians dont expect such shocking and unnerving revelations from a potential
senator. They expect it from their states first lady.

A lesson: In the lazy Democrat medias template, every Republican is either dumb, evil,
or old. Because they cant portray a pediatric neurosurgeon as dumb, theyll paint her as
evil or a variant of it, crazy. Because we all know how ruthless and black-hearted those
pediatric neurosurgeons are, right?

So what should we expect in November? Recent history suggests flawed Democratic
candidates can coast along, relying on the Oregonians voting habits being set on
autopilot particularly in the states most populous counties.

Yesterday we discussed how its difficult, and perhaps impossible, for a Republican to
win statewide in Oregon when theyre getting blown out in the states largest city,
Portland. Its not that Republicans need to win the land of microbrews, mustaches, fig
and gorgonzola pastries, and a general hipster culture thats convinced its still the
counterculture no matter how widespread and popular it gets. But a winning GOP
candidate would need to keep the margin manageable so the Republican margins in the
rest of the heavily-rural state could put him or her over the top.

Four years ago, in the previous midterm of the Obama era, longtime incumbent Ron
Wyden ran for reelection. He was challenged by Jim Huffman, law professor at Lewis &
Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. While his fellow Republican Chris Dudley came
within 1.5 percent in the governors race, Huffman lost by 18 percentage points.

In 2010, Democrat John Kitzhaber won 198,157 votes here to Dudleys 76,915 in
Multnomah County, which includes Portland. That year, Wyden won 212,371 votes to
Huffmans 56,513 an even more lopsided 76 percent to 20 percent margin. (And
Huffman lived and worked in Portland!)

Look Whos Paying Minimum Wage in Kentucky!

You know, Alison Lundergan Grimes youre not necessarily a terrible person, but you
seem like one when you give an answer like this:

In her race to defeat Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Alison
Lundergan Grimes has barnstormed Kentucky, talking up her support for
raising the minimum wage and criticizing the GOP's so-called war on
women.

But the restaurant owned by Grimes' family doesn't always practice
what she preaches, and Kentucky Republicans have been happy to point
that out.

On the campaign trail, Grimes said recently, "I'm fighting for all
Kentuckians, all working Americans across this nation. I don't believe
$7.25 an hour raises a family of four above the poverty level."

We caught up with Grimes in Kentucky and asked how she can advocate
for raising the minimum wage, when that's all her family's restaurant
pays some workers.

"Listen, my family is not in this race. I'm on the ballot. And as much as
Mitch McConnell wants to attack my family, he has from the beginning,
I'm going to stay focused on the issues," she told CNN. "And for me, it's
about making sure that hard working Kentuckians have a bright future.
And that future includes having not just a minimum wage, but a living
wage."

Of course, servers can often make more than minimum wage after tips.
And while Grimes doesn't own the restaurant, she did do legal work for
the business, signing incorporation documents and representing it in a
lawsuit.

She could have said, I believe everyone should make a higher minimum wage, and Ive
said as much to my family, but I dont run the business. Sure, it might cause a little
heartburn around the Grimes dinner table at Thanksgiving, but its embarrassingly
disingenuous for her to claim that a CNN reporter asking about wages at her familys
restaurant and their failure to pay what she considers a living wage! constitutes
Mitch McConnell attacking her family.

But instead, Grimes non-answer illustrates what the cynics suspect Democrats dont
really care about whether someone is paid the minimum wage. They just want to
campaign on the issue and use it to make their opponents look harsh, selfish, and cruel.

As noted earlier this year:

The Nation, which pays its interns the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour,
wrote an open letter to Walmart demanding that it pay its workers at
least $12 per hour. The American Prospect, which frequently demands a
hike in the minimum wage, offers a $100 weekly stipend for a full-time
internship.

Some unions may pay you a bit more than that, namely $8.50 per hour,
to protest and chant outside worksites where contractors are not using
union labor.