Couldn’t Help But Comment (082008)

Byron York at National Review points out that one of the presidential candidates had an unfair advantage at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Summit — and, contrary to lefty claims, it wasn’t the presidential candidate I refer to as “JS3M3″ (John Sidney the Mad Maverick McCain III):

In addition, according to Ross, Obama knew a third specific question that Warren would ask — the one about a “president’s emergency plan for adoption.” “[Warren] felt that since that was basically asking for a commitment, he felt that it was fair to tell them in advance that he was going to ask them that,” Ross told me. So Warren told Obama, and planned to tell McCain when McCain arrived at Saddleback, but wasn’t able to because of other distractions. So according to what Ross told me, Obama actually knew one more question in advance than did McCain.

Despite this clearly unfair advantage, “The One” I refer to as “Mr. BOOHOO-OUCH” (Barack O-bomba Overseas Hussein “Obambi” Obama – Objectively Unfit Coddler of Haters) still got his posterior pommeled.

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Speaking of Saddleback, I’m seeing e-mail exchanges from some who say that it was a big disappointment because this or that issue wasn’t covered exactly as wished. Zheesh, nothing’s perfect.

But compared to previous election campaigns, the addition of a pre-convention forum which demanded that the candidates speak to fundamental religious issues and beliefs is extremely valuable.

Is there any other venue between now and November where when life begins would have been brought up? Thanks to Warren, the issue has moved to the forefront, where it should be.

I’d like to see it become a permanent fixture, though I hope Warren rethinks his questioning approach (he told Hannity Monday that he made a conscious decision to avoid asking follow-up questions, which I believe are occasionally absolutely necessary, even in a tight time frame).

My wish is probably for naught. Now that the Dems have seen what happens when one of theirs, even their Messiah, has to actually come up with something of substance, I believe they will mightily resist future involvement.

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Pushback — On the evolving excuse-making by Team Obama, and the candidate’s claims that those who dug and found the truth were “lying” about his Illinois Born Alive Infant Protection Act votes — “Meanwhile we await the apologies for being called liars.”

This call for an apology should be a daily exercise for the next 76 days.

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From FiveThirtyEight notes that Ohio is leaning to McCain –

….. with Ohio now trailing behind Obama’s numbers nationally — we regard Obama as a 1.0-point favorite in the national popular vote, but McCain an 0.6-point favorite in Ohio — McCain now rates as slightly more likely to win the electoral college than the popular vote, a reversal of the trend apparent for most of the past couple of months.

The Gallup trend is a narrowing of Obama’s national lead to near-nothingness — and that’s of registered, not likely, voters.

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Good sign — Orrin Hatch is saying something sensible (update: for once):

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today blasted extremists and their Democratic allies in Congress whose policies against boosting domestic oil production are hurting the nation’s poor.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Hatch said the Majority leadership is trying to deflect attention from their anti-oil agenda and its impact on the poor by introducing sham bills to make it appear as if they are really doing something.

“Unfortunately for the Democrat party, the poor are beginning to wake up that the liberals they have always looked to are behind the War on the Poor,” Hatch said. “By War on the Poor, I refer to the movement by the anti-oil extremists to close off every good domestic oil resource, which is a direct cause of the high energy prices Americans face.”

My only problem is that Hatch’s reference to “extremists and their Democratic allies in Congress” is redundant.

UPDATE, 10 a.m.: Brian in the comments takes me to task for saying something complimentary about Hatch. I didn’t make clear my belief that Mr. Hatch saying something sensible is the exception rather than the rule. Accordingly, I added “for once” above.