I bet this story would be much different in New Orleans

By now everybody is aware of the severe weather we have been having across the south this weekend, but most of the coverage has been limited to Atlanta, but they are not the only ones who have been hard hit. Savannah is a nice town on the east coast of Georgia and widely renowned for it's St Patrick's Day celebration. The storms we experienced in the Atlanta area didn't just die out, they continued their eastward trek and eventually hit Savannah hitting the main power station and destroying the transmission lines and plunged the city into darkness. This is a double blow since this time of the year is also one of the most profitable for the city because of the visitors who come down to celebrate St Patrick's Day in this quaint southern city with it's stately southern mansion and moss lined trees decorating the downtown area. So the lights go out, cops are preoccupied and rampant looting breaks out. Right?? Uh not exactly.

A few nightspots kept pouring drinks, with bartenders tallying customer's bar tabs with flashlights, as patrons huddled around tables lit by candles. Smith managed to buy a cold beer for $2.50 at one darkened watering hole.

Police closed the riverfront bars by 11:30 p.m. and the lingering street party began dispersing an hour later as it began to rain. Savannah Fire Capt. Matthew Stanley said a couple of street robberies were reported downtown, but no major incidents.

Is there any doubt that if this story is repeated in New Orleans the story would be much different. Heck they have worse crime now and they are supposedly a functioning city.
On the other hand enough is enough. Messing with St Paddy's Day party is going too far.

Happy 2008!

It's old news already Down Under.

Bloomberg Wants to Buy Presidency

I can't be the only one turned off by the idea of Michael Bloomberg possibly spending $1 billion to try and buy the presidency. We suffered enough with the gadfly Ross Perot helping elect Bill Clinton with 42.8% of the vote in 1992.

"Bloomberg is H. Ross Perot on steroids," said former Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner. "He could turn the political landscape of this election upside down, spend as much money as he wanted and proceed directly to the general election. He would have resources to hire an army of petition-gatherers in those states where thousands of petitions are required to qualify a third-party presidential candidate to be on the ballot."

Senior Republican officials -- including those supporting declared Republican presidential nomination contenders -- and several top Democrats told The Times they take the possibility of a Bloomberg candidacy as a serious threat in November 2008.

The Bloomberg team is studying the strategies of Mr. Perot, the Texas billionaire whose 1992 presidential campaign helped President Clinton to win the White House with 43 percent of the popular vote.

"Mike has been meeting with Ross Perot's most senior people about how they did an independent run in 1992," the Bloomberg business adviser said on condition of anonymity so as to avoid appearing to speak for Mr. Bloomberg.

Bloomberg's style might play well in New York City, but I just don't believe he's an attractive enough candidate nationwide. The media saturation of spending $1 billion is sure to turn people off. Hanging around Chuck Hagel sure isn't going to attract many Republicans into his camp.

Bloomberg needs to get off the ego trip. If he wants to move on to higher office, he certainly could topple inept New York Governor Eliot Spitzer in 2010.

2008 Myths and Blogs

Interesting piece by Barry Casselman in the Washington Times discusses the role of blogs in the 2008 elections.

His assessment notes while blogs may help generate support for some lesser-known candidates and help raise funds, in the end, their influence isn't as great as they think.

Think Ned Lamont.

On the upside, he notes that former comedian and fulltime moron Al Franken has been totally exposed by a Minnestoa blog.

because it is read primarily by activists in both parties. While most attention has been given to leftist blogs, some significant conservative blogs have grown and prospered, including Power Line in Minnesota. While Power Line is national in its focus, another partisan political blog in that state,Minnesota Democrats Exposed, has emerged as the most powerful political internet presence there. Its carefully researched campaign against comedian Al Franken's putative effort to win a Senate seat there in 2008 has devastated Mr. Franken's public image almost before he began to run for the seat, and has seemingly cemented the idea that the entertainer is an angry, foul-mouthed parvenu instead of a serious-minded candidate. This blog is Mr. Franken's worst nightmare, and it has provoked many Democratic strategists to try to find another candidate against popular incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

Read the whole thing.

WaPo Hypes Bloomberg Candidacy

Every few months, the third-party candidacy of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is touted and today the Washington Post revives it once again, using racial arsonist Al Sharpton to boost him up.

"He would be a very compelling candidate," said civil rights activist Al Sharpton, himself a once and potentially future presidential hopeful from the Big Apple, and a friend of the mayor's. Sharpton called Bloomberg "Ross Perot with a resume" and predicted that "if he operates as he's done in other parts of his life, he will put both feet in."

This is all simply feeding Bloomberg's ego and he has absolutely no chance at being President. Still, once the media realizes one of their leftwing darlings, being it Obama or The Pantsuit, is trailing in head-to-head polls come next spring or summer, look for them to relentlessly promote independent candidates in order to siphon away GOP votes.

More from Michelle Malkin.

Romney in 2008 Race

I doubt this announcement will cause as many media Obasms as we saw this past weekend, but at least this guy has substance and a proven track record as a leader.

Of course, the media will relentlessly harp on the fact he's a Mormon, as if they're some other-worldy beings brought forth for our amusement. I could care less what his religion is, so long as he doesn't worship at the altar of liberalism. Though I will note the AP somehow managed to avoid mentioning his religion until the ninth paragraph.

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - Mitt Romney officially entered the 2008 presidential race Tuesday, a former one-term Republican governor of Massachusetts suggesting that his record of leadership inside and outside government uniquely positions him to tackle the country's challenges.

"I do not believe Washington can be transformed from within by lifetime politicians," Romney said, seeking to turn a potential liability, his limited political experience, into an asset. "There have been too many deals, too many favors, too many entanglements - and too little real world experience managing, guiding, leading."

The comment was a veiled swipe at his top rival for the GOP nomination, four-term Sen. John McCain of Arizona. In elective office only four years, Romney is not nearly as well known nationally as McCain and former two-term New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, political celebrities who consistently lead popularity polls.

A serious contender even though he is little more than a blip in such surveys, Romney is seeking to convince Republican primary voters that his record of success in the private, public and voluntary sectors proves he has the know-how to lead a country at a crossroads