In The News

Rumors are everywhere that it was the Romney campaign itself behind the anti Romney phone calls. While the blogosphere is abuzz the rumors come from one source, Mark Hemingway of the National Review.

News broke Thursday that voters in New Hampshire and Iowa had received phone calls from pollsters raising questions about aspects of Republican Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith. Who made the calls? Although the Romney campaign denies involvement, evidence points in its general direction.

I don't have much use for rumors and I know nothing about Hemingway so I won't say anything about their veracity. You can read all the links and decide for yourself. I will say that, if true, his campaign is through.

Michelle Malkin reports that Fran Townsend is resigning. Townsend is a top advisor at DHS and most political junkies will remember her from several Sunday Morning talk shows she has done over the years. I don't know much about her though Michelle asks,

If you’re saying to yourself “Fran who?,” don’t feel bad. And if you’re also saying to yourself, “She’s not the only one who should be resigning,” you’re not alone:

For all you libs that consider Michelle a Republican shill. She is a shill for legal immigration and takes out venom against anyone she sees that isn't aggressive enough in such areas.



In what can only be described as delicious political theater, Robert Novak is sticking by his story. What story is that? According to Novak, Clinton operatives are spreading rumors throughout Democratic circles and that

the Clinton campaign is spreading the word that it's holding back on dishing dirt on Barack Obama, and charged the Democratic frontrunner with playing "Nixon tricks."

This must be true and I believe it hook line and sinker, however that is only because Robert Novak is a graduate of my alma mater and spoke at my commencement ceremony. All right, that really isn't much of a reason, so stay tuned.

The New York Times, of all places, has word of continued drop in violence in Iraq. They make sure to mention that it hasn't been met with political reconciliation however anyone who has read these pages knows this is frankly old news. The admin may have boxed itsefl in regarding the scope and nature of the reconciliation, however the bottom line is that in Iraq the politicians are no less incompetent than they are here. Most of the reconciliation is happening on the grass roots level. We see Sunni and Shia Sheiks coming together to work on strategies to quell violence. The admin has made some token appearances as well with different sects.

The admin made certain things a model of reconciliation: an oil law, De Baathification, etc. Those things are likely NOT going to happen anytime soon, however to say that without them means failure in Iraq, is like saying the U.S. will fall apart without comprehensive immigration reform.



The situation in Pakistan remains dicey. Musharaff hand picked new supreme court judges after dismissing others, and then they took two hours to dismiss appeals to his victory in the last election. Musharaff is certainly acting like a dictator however in that part of the world the devil you know is much better than the devil you don't. With Iraq calming down, Pakistan may become the new focal point for the jihadis.