"The New Republican Paradigm"
It is said to be the "Hooked on Ebonics for Republicans".

The talk is it was to be called "How to stay ahead" in Dec. 2006. Soon after they realized the Republicans weren't ahead and it became the "New Republican paradigm". To keep it up to date it should be called "The New Republican Paralysis".

Here's an honest, independent review of Del Beccaro's "book"

http://halfwaytoconcord.com/?p=1198

It's amazing what Republicans will let be passed off as "leadership" and "thinking"

I saw a great bumper sticker today and I want one for my car, it said "TOO INFORMED TO VOTE REPUBLICAN".

Before you attend the event, be sure and ask the women who have served uder him how they liked working for him.

Well its great to see some bi-partisanship in Ventura County....

CATO Lives invited us to read an "honest, independent" review of Del Beccaro's book. Interestingly, the author of the "honest, independent" review has taken personal potshots at Del Beccaro's leadership of the County Central Committee within the past year. I don't believe that someone who has engaged in personal attack can hardly qualify as "honest" or "independent" in assessing anything.

To be clear, I have not read Del Beccaro's book and probably won't. I'm busy reading Thomas Sowell right now.
DT

David,
Could you read the book for us and give us a review? Perhaps it can only be understood through "republican red" rose colored glasses.

David ( or any local Republican),

If you read the book and write a short review I will post it on the front page.

What do you say?

Here's an interesting agreement between McCain & his MoneyMen that makes the taxpayer pay off McCain's loans if he drops out of the race...but pretends to continue to campaign.

Has anybody tried to get a beer at the Irish bar in the Reagan Library? Maybe the DEMS could have "mixer" there?

Recovering Republican:

Indeed I have.

However, as I was downing the Guiness, I noticed uncomfortable stares from so many Pachydermic-Pandjandrums up in the Air Force One Gallery. It's as if they each, one and all, considered themselves a modern-day Longshanks gazing down from the castle battlements and thinking to themselves, "..The Irish Democrats, use them up!.."

BTW: Recovering Republican, Bushmills is the best medicine I can think of to cure what ails ye! Sláinte!

NostrDEMUS

David, you are a thoughtful guy - I'd also like to know what you thought of the Thomas Sowell book.

Katie,
I am a Sowell fan. Not only does he have an impressive biography, he has a knack for writing about complex matters in a way that simple people like me can understand.

I am reading two of his books right now, "A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles," and "Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy." I have previousl read "Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality," and "Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One."

I wholeheartedly recommend Sowell to any serious student of politics, history, or economics. Needless to say, with the books I am currently reading, Del Beccaro's book is nowhere on my reading list at this time.
David T

I'll have to give Sowell a shot. I'm always looking for a good book to read. I alternate between non-fiction (mostly tall ships, Austrailia and WWII as of late) and fiction (the classics) but will add Sowell to the stack. He is supposed to be amazing.

Dave T.,

If Thomas Sowell's books are so good how come he hasn't been on Ophra? For some reason he can only get gigs with Faux News.

David,

You can also write a review of the mixer and include a few photos if you want.

So, your idea of great authors are people who appear on Opra? I don't even know how to respond to that. Perhaps it just speaks for itself.

Brian,
I won't be at the mixer. Perhaps another reader of your blog will be there and write a review.
David T

More on the GOP nominee-in-waiting financing screw-up!

McCain's agreement to use taxpayer campaign funds for collateral against his campaign loans isn't illegal but once he signed it he legally committed to accepting public funds and thus limit his spending through August to about $54M. That would mean McCain is now legally hamstrung with regards to financing and will probably be outspent by the Dem nominee 3-1.

As you know, McCain has not wanted to commit to public financing, especially now that he's in the lead and it would seem his too-smart-for-his-own-good financing slight-of-hand has put him in a serious position when it comes to competing against Dem dollars. But wait! Remember the Elections Commission, who's in charge of punishing all election financing wrong doings, is short two commissioners because of the hold up in the Senate and can't act on any election complaints? It turns out that McCain might not have to obey the law because there's no one to enforce it.

Since McCain's built much of his persona on trust and honesty will he deliberately violate the law or will he stay true to the "straight talk" he's been using to sell himself to the voters?

G.S. What do you think about the story that McCain was having an affair with a lobbyist? He has denied it, but so did Clinton. Why is it Republican's who automatically called Clinton a liar are not doing the same to McCain when McCain has provided no proof he was not having an affair?

I don't think there's any evidence of a romantic affair. I think McCain's trying to deflect interest in a financial arrangement that might look a lot like the Keating affair. Though McCain's probably done nothing illegal the scrutiny of such a matter may be enough to burst the Man-of-Character bubble with which he's used to insulate his career.

I don't think there's any evidence of a romantic affair. I think McCain's trying to deflect interest in a financial arrangement that might look a lot like the Keating affair. Though McCain's probably done nothing illegal the scrutiny of such a matter may be enough to burst the Man-of-Character bubble with which he's used to insulate his career.

Repubs were justified in calling Clinton a liar. Even before they had the proof before the public in a form that was undoubtable they were justified because it was well-known the guy was a serial adulterer.

What Clinton should have done was to confess, accept the consequences and put it behind him. Instead he put the country through a year of anxiety and the conservatives were able to exploit that anxiety to bring the Nation to its knees and stage a political coup, just so we can get to the screwed-up point we are today. Clinton deserves too much of the credit for making this all happen.

But guys like Gallegly, who announced their intention of setting aside the Constitution and the Rule of Law so he can sit in judgment, backed by his "moral conscience" (whatever the hell THAT is, other than to obey his political masters) are the other side of the same coin. Gallegly and the rest of the conservative hyenas were quick to put the Nation through whatever torture they had to to grab power. Them I will never forgive.

This McCain-lobbyist affair garbage is such a non-story, it's unbelievable. The NY Times published this trash as a way to attack and discredit McCain, since they could obviously find nothing within his campaign platform or anything else about his life of dedicated service to this country that they could spin into something negative.

Clinton, on the other hand, had a reputation that preceded him. So, the Lewinsky affair was just another in a string of indiscretions in his personal life that marred his career. No basis for comparison here, sorry!

I would be careful not to get Dan Rathered over the lobbyist scandal. This could easily be a Republican diversion tactic. McCain's advisors may have a plan to use this issue to control talking points; then spring seemingly strong evidence of innocence a week before the election.

Hillary or O'bama should not talk about McCain's Lobbyist scandal.
Leave it to the professionals.... The bloggers.

David T.,
How did you first become familiar with Thomas Sowell? Did you see him drive through Ventura County?

Bubba,
Next time I tell a joke I will dress up in a chicken suit so you will get it.

Based on your regular blog entries I assumed that you always wear your chicken suit.

Dear "nobody"
I know that Wiki is not an academic reference, but it is very accurate with regard to Thomas Sowell. So, for "nobody," you might be interested in who Thomas Sowell actually is. If your curriculum vitae can match his, and you have written a book, I might actually read it as well.

"Thomas Sowell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thomas Sowell (born June 30, 1930), is an American economist, political writer, and commentator. While often described as a "black conservative", he prefers not to be labeled, and considers himself more libertarian than conservative.[1] He often writes from an economically laissez-faire perspective. He is currently a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. In 1990, he won the Francis Boyer Award, presented by the American Enterprise Institute. In 2002 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal for prolific scholarship melding history, economics, and political science.

Sowell was born in North Carolina, where, he recounts, his encounters with white people were so limited that he didn't believe that "yellow" was a possible color for human hair (A Personal Odyssey). He later moved with his mother's sister (whom he thought to be his mother; his father died before he was born) and siblings to Harlem, New York City. He dropped out of high school when he moved out on his own at the age of 17 because of money problems and a deteriorating home environment.[2] Soon after, he served in the US Marine Corps.

After his service, Sowell passed a GED and enrolled at Howard University. His top-notch grades enabled him to transfer and completed a B.A. in Economics from Harvard College, magna cum laude, an M.A. in Economics from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago. He chose University of Chicago, he has said, because he wanted to study under George Stigler. Stigler's achievements were recognized when in 1982 he won the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Sowell has taught at prominent American universities including Howard University, Cornell University, Brandeis University, and UCLA. Since 1980 he has been a Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he holds the fellowship named after Rose and Milton Friedman."

Happy reading "nobody."
David T

I'll be there! I'll be there! Just call my naa-aame, and I'll be there!

Was this the illegal alien that came here and took away the job from a hard working Republican?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/21/MNQBV5RJR.DTL

Embarrassing that the GOP failed to check out his status and that the GOP couldn't find someone that was legally allowed to vote.

David T.,
Thomas Sowell sounds very interesting. How did you first hear about him?

A three term GOP Congressman from Arizona, Renzi, has been indicted on several felony counts!

That's nothing! McCain may get indicted for continuing to violate campaign spending limits (that doesnt even include McCain's possibly fraudulent attempt to get taxpayers to guarantee any losses his donors incur). The penalties could be up to five years but with the Federal Elections Commission short two commissioners it has no power to enforce the law. However, he can be cited and face a possible indictment somewhere down the line.

Hey Gary, you should go work for the NY Times. You would fit right in.

Yeah, it seems that Gary is the only one dumb enough to fall for the leftist agenda spewed by the NY Times day after day.

Looks like The Straight Talk Express is also a lobbying firm.

Bubba, does the article from The Washington Post trouble you at all? Are they just more leftists?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022101131_pf.html

Hey Babble Kidd,
Here is Faux News. Are they just more leftist?

More leftist than the NY Times? Hardly. I could explain the difference, but it is really self-evident so I won't waste my breath.