And the winner is...not our children

Clinton Wins, Media Looses
McCain garners much needed victory

She's back and maybe stronger than ever. Hillary Clinton fooled us all, especially the media and bloggers like yours truly. I will be the first to admit it, I thought Obama and the media support he was getting was going to grant him an easy win last night. Most polls gave him near double digit leads and her performance in this past weekends debate showed a woman in decline and in unfamiliar territory. Nevertheless she prevailed and the media efforts to catapult Barack Obama to the White House has taken a big hit.

As expected and predicted by your brilliant blogger, John McCain garnished his first win and by a strong near 6 point margin. Romney had a OK showing, but was probably still looking to pull off a victory. Huckabee did as expected as well a Giuliani. Ron Paul actually had a somewhat disappointing showing with less than 8%. NH is a state that tends to welcome his Libertarian views, but that appears to not be the case after his 5Th place finish.

So where do we go from here?

The answer is Michigan, same time next week. Polls are showing a very tight race between Romney and Huckabee with McCain and Giuliani just outside the margin of error. I expect a rejuvenated McCain in Michigan and a Romney decline to take place. Michigan is much too close to call. Quick note: Time for Thompson to hang it up and Paul will no longer be a factor after Tuesday night.

I haven't seen any recent data on Michigan for the Democrats. Clinton has had an overwhelming lead up until November when the last real data was released. I expect after Tuesday night, she will prevail in Michigan. Quick note: Edwards needs to call it quits and Richardson should ask Kucinich for a job making those delicious fudge covered graham cracker.

Another winner Tuesday: Rudy Giuliani

How can I say Rudy won? Giuliani's strategy was to survive until Florida and Super Duper Tuesday on February 5Th. Every time a primary/caucus has a different winner, it means there isn't a newly deemed front runner. In ten days we will have South Carolina and Nevada. Giuliani is at the top of the Nevada polls and never had expectations regarding South Carolina which should go to Huckabee. Ten days later will be Florida which Giuliani has a 5 point lead in the polls. The big states follow on February 5Th such as California, New Jersey and Illinois, which Giuliani has a commanding lead. You have to like his chances and position, especially after 3 different winners in 3 different states (IA,WY,NH)

No Child Left Behind Turns Six
Celebrating failure in Chicago and America

Is Happy Birthday in order for the big government fiasco known as no child left behind? That depends on your perspective. If you are happy with government lowering educational standards so schools can meet the programs requirements to receive funding, then the answer is yes. If you are uncomfortable about being around that one uncle who served time in prison for a crime mommy and daddy don't talk about, but are obligated to call him on his birthday at the state sanctioned half-way house, then that is the type of happy birthday that is in order.

As the Chicago Sun Times has reported, "since the law's 2002 signing, Illinois lowered the passing mark on its eighth-grade math test and has given kids more time to take their annual exams." What was not reported is that Illinois Eight graders failing to meet minimum testing scores grew to 24% from 18% over the past year.

On a national level, reading scores continue to suffer, math has increased at a dismal rate and our overall academic performance continues to decline compared to most other industrialized nations. But don't take my word for it, check out a recent publishing by the CATO Institute.

I will continue to scream about it until I am blue in the face. We increase education spending in this country, but our return investment is mediocrity. The NEA who's power owns our elected officials continues to push for more funding for education, which is for higher salaries, but no reforms or teacher accountability are put in place. They own the public school system which is garbage.

Washington has increased education spending for fifty plus years, but our standards and achievements dwindle and we do nothing about it. In fact we simply throw money at this problem and hope it improves on it's own with no reforms. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

We must get government out of the classroom. Abolish the Department of Education and let parents choose how their tax money is spent to educate their children. Teachers should be held accountable and competition be put in place amongst schools. Yes, I am talking once again about school choice.


What to believe about Ron Paul
Racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic past revealed?

I don't want to believe this, but deep down in my gut I believe it to be true. The hate that has been revealed can only be described as sad and disturbing. I am talking about a new article published yesterday in The New Republic that sources decades of hate published by Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul.


Did you know that Dr. Martin Luther King was a gay pedophile or the Jews were responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing? Of course these claims are ludicrous, but apparently Ron Paul believes they are truths. Over the years Paul has published several newsletters with articles making disturbing hate oriented claims. One newsletter ridiculed black activists who wanted to rename New York City after Dr. King, suggesting that "Welfaria," "Zooville," "Rapetown," "Dirtburg," and "Lazyopolis" were better alternatives.


Praise for former Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, David Duke can be found in his publications including an article called "The Duke's Victory," which celebrated Duke's 44 percent showing in the 1990 Louisiana Republican Senate primary.


I have been critical of Paul's inept foreign policy positions and have raised concerns about his use of the term "neo-cons", which has become a code word for Jew. I have praised his devotion to limited government and free markets, but the latter doesn't excuse him for being a promoter of hate.


Paul's campaign is already trying to spin this that he was unaware of certain articles published in his name or in the letters that bare it. He will give his free speech rhetoric, but free speech is a public matter. He has the right and a responsibility to edit or reject any writings for his private newsletters. To see a condensed and well documentation of Paul's bigotry, check out "Ron Paul Bigotry Revolution," in Pajamas media.

Paul has released a statement denying that the hate writings are his. "When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publicly taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name."

So at very minimum he surrounds himself with Jew hating homophobic racists who he gave carte blanche to write whatever they want under his name. That doesn't make me feel much better. It also shows a horrible lack of judgement, which is evident in his understanding or lack there of regarding foreign policy and Islamic-extremism.

Paul and his supporters are calling this a "resurrected" story to coincide with the New Hampshire primary. The problem with this analogy is that publishing the article today does not harm his NH primary hopes. The article didn't even catch wind until after noon on primary day. TNR was actually very professional in not releasing the piece for Saturdays debate or Monday's non-stop primary reporting.

I find it hard to believe that he never knew what went out under his name. Even if that was the case, you know he would taken a bathroom break and read his own publication. The very first hate oriented article should have woken him up. It appears the bigotry went on for three decades and he didn't know... doctor please.

Paulie