Bombshell: Pataki Considering 2012 Run

Clearly, this is what Americans are aching for.

Sources tell NY1 former Governor George Pataki is strongly considering entering the crowded race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Sources say Pataki, who left office in 2007, could make an announcement as early as next week.

If he were to run, Pataki would face several major obstacles including launching an operation with little campaign cash and facing several opponents who have been meeting voters in Iowa and New Hampshire for months.

Maybe he can fill the void left by the departed Tim Pawlenty.

H/T James Taranto.

Crestfallen Kos Kid: Weiner Can't Resign Because He Spoke Truth to Power or Something

Taste the delicious tears.

Yes, I know DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi both called for Anthony Weiner's resignation today. Democratic leaders have once again caved to the poutrage on the right by calling for his resignation. Did Anthony Weiner do something inappropriate and distasteful? Sure. Did he do anything illegal? It appears not. Are there plenty of other politicians who have done the same thing and remain in office? You bet your life there are. Should he resign from Congress? Hell No!

Poutrage? Who on the right is pouting over Weiner? We haven't had this much fun in years.

Then we get David Vitter, the rote response from fringe precincts and message boards. They just can't get over David Vitter, reelected in a landslide last year. Give it up, kids.

Right now, serving in the United States Senate is David Vitter. He became infamous when he appeared in the D.C. Madam's black book. Despite this, he was re-elected to the United States Senate last year after initially presenting himself as a typical 'family values conservative.' So while David Vitter gets to stay in the United States Senate, while no one seriously called for his resignation, people are now piling on to call for Anthony Weiner's resignation. Why? Because there are a few pictures? Please, spare us the poutrage.

Oof. Again with the poutrage.

Then we get to the heart of why the angry left is bitterly clinging to their Weiner.

Weiner has consistently spoken truth to power. During the health care debate he was out front calling for single-payer and the public option. Recently he's been the one out front calling for an investigation into Clarence Thomas' non-disclosure of his wife's work for political advocacy organizations. You name a liberal issue, and Anthony Weiner is out front advocating for it. Before this whole mess started, I was hoping that when they redrew the lines in New York I would be drawn into his district. Right now, I'm about a half-mile outside it.

Poor thing, left in a no-man's land. Does he move into Weiner's district now? Wait for redistricting? Hope rehab works? My goodness, the dilemmas facing the Koolaid drinkers.

Ed Schultz to Moonbat Guests: 'You People are in Denial!'

Comedy gold. When Ed Schultz, a guy who just slithered back to TV after calling Laura Ingraham a slut, sounds like the most sane person on the panel, the left has a huge problem on their hands.

Good News: Alvin Greene Running for Office Again

If at first you crash and burn, try, try again.

Alvin Greene, the unemployed Army veteran who suggested during his failed U.S. Senate bid that making action figures of himself would help create jobs, is running for office again.

Greene paid the $165 filing fee on Christmas Eve to run in a special election for a South Carolina House seat made vacant by the death this month of Rep. Cathy Harvin.

Cal Land, the chairman of the Clarendon County Democratic Party, said Greene entered the race five minutes after the filing period opened. A primary will be held Feb. 15 with the special election set for April 5.

I wonder how his legal problems are coming along?

During the midst of the campaign in August, Greene was indicted by a South Carolina jury for allegedly showing pornography to a college student. He declined to drop out of the race and one of his first campaign speeches lasted a mere 23 seconds.

Greene got into trouble again when a companion of his got into a restaurant altercation with officials from a local Democratic group, resulting in the ejection of Greene and his associates.

Heh: Dumbass Iranians Finally Realize Star of David Sits Atop Tehran Airport

It's a Zionist plot!

The six-pointed star was discovered by an eagle-eyed Google Earth user recently, over three decades after the building that houses the national airline of the Islamic Republic was constructed by Israeli engineers.

Israel and the Shah’s Iran maintained good ties until the Islamic Revolution of 1979 ended the relationship. Before 1979, Israel brokered arms deals with Iran, and there were regular flights between Teheran and Tel Aviv.

Once the existence of the Star of David was reported in Iranian media, government officials called for the immediate removal of the apparently offensive Jewish symbol.

The discovery of the symbol came three months after the Iranian public learned of the existence of a Star of David on the roof of a building in Teheran’s Revolution Square.

Surprise: Strife on the Set of Ill-Fated 'Parker Spitzer' Debacle

Gee, who'd ever expect problems on a show that features a disgraced Democrat and a faux conservative on a network with zero ratings? Ironically, the supposed conservative is upset her megalomaniac co-host is hogging the spotlight. Check your ego at the door, honey.

Eliot Spitzer's TV sidekick is so fed up with playing second fiddle to the hooker-loving ex-gov that she's threatening to walk, sources told The Post yesterday.

Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker actually stormed off the set of the "Parker Spitzer" show during a pre-taping a few weeks ago -- furious that her co-host is continually allowed to take charge of their nightly CNN chat-fest, the insiders said.

Although still fuming, Parker did return to wrap up the segment, they said.

But she's angry that the show's producers are allegedly doing nothing to play up her strengths on the ailing show, the sources said.

Some staffers said Spitzer -- the hard-charging, former state attorney general who resigned as governor in 2008 after admitting to patronizing prostitutes -- thrust himself up front and center right out of the gate, leaving Parker without a chance.

But other insiders said the Pulitzer Prize-winning Parker has only herself to blame.

While Parker -- a conservative, nationally syndicated newspaper journalist -- is widely respected, she's no TV personality, critics said.

"Her weaknesses are felt internally," a source said.

Meanwhile, Spitzer is exceeding everyone's expectations, a source said.

"He's smart, tenacious -- he turned out better than they thought," the source said.

Incensed over her lesser position on the one-hour show, Parker has now been privately grumbling that the show's executive producer, Liza McGuirk, isn't making the changes needed to boost Parker's image, the sources said.

Someone could soon be shown the door over the behind-the-scenes battling -- and over the fact that show has done so poorly in the all-important Nielsen ratings, the sources said.

Maybe Parker ought to get back to bashing Sarah Palin every night.

Young Democrats Getting Cranky

How would you feel if your leadership was already eligible for Social Security, has run your party into the ground and still won't let go and gracefully move on? Well, get ready for some major grumbling from some younger Democrats who realize what a bleak future they have once the current leadership is deposed. Can you imagine them taking another beating in 2012 and still having Nancy Pelosi try and cling on?

A younger generation of Democrats is chafing at being asked to stand aside and let a triumvirate of elders keep their leadership positions in the wake of a catastrophic midterm election result.

Barring an unexpected shake-up, House Democrats next year will be led by a combination of Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), Steny Hoyer (Md.) and James Clyburn (S.C.) — lawmakers who are 70 or older and have served in Congress for decades.

Most rank-and-file Democrats would have been happy with these leaders had their party retained its majority in the 112th Congress, but the loss of the House and at least 60 seats led many to anticipate a changing of the guard.

“It is inescapable that the message that was sent by the American people is they want a change in direction. And a change in direction means a change in leadership,” Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) said on Fox News last week.

Democratic Reps. Xavier Becerra (Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Joseph Crowley (N.Y.) and Diana DeGette (Colo.), among others, were all seen as top contenders to move up but have found themselves in limbo as Pelosi locks down the minority-leader post and Hoyer and Clyburn vie for whip. Becerra is trying to hold on to the vice chairmanship of the caucus, while Van Hollen, the campaign chief appointed by Pelosi as assistant to the Speaker, is for now on the outside looking in.

None of those lawmakers has complained publicly about being shut out, but other Democrats have warned that the party risks ignoring a message from voters if they keep the same leaders in place.

“We can’t let them sit on the bench for too much longer,” one Democratic aide said, referring to the party’s younger lawmakers. “There’s a push to add in some new ideas and new faces and new energy.”

Another aide said the old guard’s stranglehold on the Democratic upper ranks has caused grumbling among younger members.

Add to the fun we also have the ominous hints of racial overtones as Hoyer and Clyburn do battle.

This is great. Here we have a party that for decades has played old against young, black against white and now it's consuming them. Now that's what we like to call social justice.

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Slow News Day: Pataki Mulls Presidential Run

He might have stood a puncher's chance if he ran for the Senate this year in New York, but c'mon, George, you can't possibly think you're presidential material. Can you?

Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) is weighing a bid for president in 2012, he said in an interview on ABC's "Top Line" on Monday.

The former governor, known as a centrist Republican, served three terms in New York and was governor at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Pataki said Monday that he plans on taking a hard look at how the field of Republican hopefuls develops over the next year and that if he doesn't see the right candidate emerging, he could jump into the race.

“What I'm going to be looking at is, do we have the right people out there who have that experience, who have experienced leadership, who have been challenged and who can bring people together — not just Republicans and conservatives, but conservatives [and] Democrats," Pataki said. "And make a decision on who else is out there, and whether or not they have those characteristics we need to be able to win this election and govern successfully.”

Pataki was a rumored presidential contender in 2008, but decided against getting into the race.

I believe he was the one spreading those rumors.

The tedious stories about Chris Christie every day are one thing (have you heard he's not running?), but between Pataki and Michael Bloomberg playing cute about 2012, it's going to be a long couple of years.

More here.

Pataki, like Palin, was a mayor before he was governor.

“It was a challenging job, mayor of Peekskill, let me assure you. Twice the size of Wasilla,” Pataki said.

Pataki said he would support Palin, R-Alaska, should she become the Republican nominee for president, citing his reluctant support for tea party gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, R-N.Y., in his home state as evidence that he would fall into line behind her.

W's Revenge: 'Bush Donor Takeover' of MSNBC Leads to Olbermann Suspension

Friday's suspension of MSNBC anger management counselor Keith Olbermann has sent the left reeling, flailing and thrashing about wildly looking to claim other scalps while comically badgering Phil Griffin with emails and phone calls. But finally the super-sleuths at the George Soros "think tank" Think Progress have uncovered the dark forces behind the scenes--Bush donors!

Late last year, Comcast — the nation’s largest cable provider and second largest Internet service provider — inked a deal taking over NBC Universal, the parent company of MSNBC. Comcast moved swiftly to reshuffle MSNBC’s top staff. On September 26th of this year, Comcast announced perhaps the most dramatic shift, replacing longtime MSNBC chief Jeff Zucker with Comcast executive Steve Burke. Burke has given generous amounts to both parties — providing cash to outgoing Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) as well as to Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and other top Republicans. But as Public Citizen has noted, Burke has deep ties to the Republican Party. Public Citizen’s report reveals that Burke served as a key fundraiser to President George Bush, and even served on Bush’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology

So he's given to both parties, but somehow his connection to the evil Bush make for great copy.

Just one little teensy-weensy problem here. Comcast doesn't formally own MSNBC yet.

The dope who authored this nonsense revised that last paragraph to add this does of reality:

[Updated: The shift from Zucker to Burke has not taken place yet -- Burke will preside over MSNBC once the Comcast merger is complete. We have been informed that no Comcast officials are currently involved in the decisions of NBC or MSNBC.].

Oopsy! Oh well, it made a a great conspiracy while it lasted. Yes, it gets sillier.

Olbermann has been a strong voice in favor of a free and open Internet. Republicans, on the other hand, have supported the telecommunication industry’s push to radically change the Internet so corporate content producers have the upper hand over start-ups like blogs, independent media, small businesses, etc. As Reuters has reported, the incoming Republican Congress has signaled that it will vigorously side with companies like Comcast against an open Internet.

Got all that? To summarize: Republicans want to silence dissent, Olbermann is all for free speech. Well, except if it's Andrew Breitbart appearing on ABC News' election night coverage. Can't have that. Yes, these folks are all for free speech, as long as it's theirs. Think Progress and the goons from Media Matters will go to the ends of the earth to stifle dissent, yet we're supposed to believe it's Republicans and not these stormtroopers who want to silence people.

Wait, it gets even better. Who does the author next cite as a source? Why, Media Matters! You can't make this up.

Heh: Biden Sought Advice on Controlling Anger ... From Keith Olbermann

Hey, why not seek advice from a guy who's so in control of his emotions he tells people to go kill themselves? This is like seeking diet tips from Oliver Willis. Yet here you have the Vice President of the United States asking an unhinged cable babblehead for advice. We're really in the best of hands.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, suspended indefinitely Friday for donating to Democratic candidates for office, said in an interview two days before his suspension that Vice President Joe Biden once sought his advice.

“I once had a conversation with the man who is now the vice president when he was still in the Senate, who asked me for advice about how to turn anger into righteous inspiration,” Olbermann said in an interview with the New York Times Magazine.

Olbermann added, “He [Biden] said, ‘I just come across like I’m angry and out of control, and you seem to focus it and make it look useful and expressive.’’’

Of course in Olbermann's case it's all an act.

'John is a Tyrant, Freaking Out Over Stories and Guests, and Kiran is Dumb as a Rock'

Fun times over at the Most Trusted Name in News. So much fun they can't even trust their own people to not leak stories to the media.

CNN anchor Kyra Phillips' pregnancy with John Roberts could bring big changes at "American Morning," insiders say. Roberts, who broadcasts from New York, is likely to move to Atlanta to be with his fiancée, who's expecting twins. Since CNN ex-president Jon Klein recently rebuilt the prime-time lineup, insiders say his replacement, Ken Jautz, will focus on daytime, and his first step will be to dismantle "American Morning," the lowest-rated cable morning show. We hear the staff is frustrated with co-anchors Roberts and Kiran Chetry. "John is a tyrant, freaking out over stories and guests, and Kiran is dumb as a rock," a staffer said. "He has a chip on his shoulder because he was considered the heir apparent to Dan Rather at CBS." During an interview with David Axelrod last month, Roberts snapped at Chetry on-air for typing too loud. Chetry could be the first go.

Maybe Roberts could be the heir-apparent to Rather at the obscure HDNet.

Red-Faced Democrat

If Bill Clinton's goal was to sabotage the Democrats things couldn't have worked out any better.

Palin Announces Future Obama Reality Series

Let's face it, she knows how to throw a nice jab.

Sarah Palin is beginning to work a new message into her political speeches -- "Watch my TV show."

The former Alaska governor, who is on the stump these days backing Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections, surprised a Florida rally over the weekend when she plugged her new reality TV show, "Sarah Palin's Alaska," which will debut next month.

"You're lucky," she told a Republican rally in Orlando. "You're going to get to learn a little bit more about my state here in the coming weeks."

Then she went on to joke about President Obama joining her in the ranks of reality-TV stardom -- after losing the next presidential election.

She predicted he would have his own series called "Barack Obama's Golf Courses," which she said would debut "sometime November 2012."

Of course by then Obama may have to develop some game. Since nobody ever tells us his score we have to figure he's really terrible.

If they don't go with Palin's suggestion, I still like Spender in the Grass.

Befuddled Pelosi Has 'Every Anticipation' She'll Be House Speaker Come January

Imagine if Sarah Palin had blurted out such an incoherent statement. Our intellectual superiors on the left would be howling derisively. It seems not only is Nancy Pelosi delusional, but rather tongue-tied.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday evening that that she has "every anticipation" she'll remain in that position come next year.

The top House Democrat expressed confidence that not only would Democrats retain control of the House, but also that the Democratic caucus would re-elect her as Speaker of the House next year.

"I have every anticipation that we'll come together in a similar format as we are now, with me as speaker of the House," Pelosi said on the "Charlie Rose Show," looking ahead to next year.

I can't wait for her memoirs, with the working title Great Anticipations.

'Rich Whitey' Running for Governor of Illinois

Oddly enough, Rich Whitey is the Green candidate.

The last name of Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney is misspelled as "Whitey" on electronic-voting machines in nearly two dozen wards -- about half in predominantly African-American areas -- and election officials said Wednesday the problem cannot be corrected by Election Day.

The misspelling turned up on touch-screen machines in 23 wards overall. Whitney's name is spelled correctly on the machines' initial screens showing all of the candidates' names, but it is misspelled on review screens that later show a voter his or her choices, said Jim Allen, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections.

"This is a difficult situation. We'll make the best of it. But the important thing is the name is spelled correctly where it counts, and that's where people are making the selection," Allen said.

The very white Whitney doesn't want to be known as Rich Whitey.

The snafu, however, has Whitney contemplating legal action to force a fix.

"I don't want to be identified as 'Whitey.' If this is happening in primarily African-American wards, that's an even bigger concern," Whitney told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I don't know if this is machine politics at play or why this happened."

This "Green" candidate was actually once quite red.

He is a civil rights attorney with degrees from Michigan State University and Southern Illinois University's School of Law. He was a member of the Socialist Labor Party from 1975-1993 and at one point edited "The People," the party's national newspaper.

Heh: Obama and Biden Campaign for Sestak, Toomey's Lead Grows

Looks like the Obama kiss of death is still in full effect. At this rate I hope he campaigns across the country every day between now and November 2. When the clown show rolled in Pennsylvania Sunday Pat Toomey's average margin in the RCP polling was 6.6 points.

Today Toomey has a 10-point lead.

Republican Pat Toomey now holds a 10-point lead over Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak, the widest gap between the candidates since early April in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Pennsylvania shows Toomey earning 49% of the vote, while Sestak picks up 39% support. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, but a sizable 10% remain undecided less than three weeks before Election Day.

The race now moves from Leans GOP to Solid GOP.

Heckuva job, Baracky.

Some irrelevant blogger spits into the wind.

The NRSC has been spending millions elsewhere for weeks, and had clearly hoped to skip Pennsylvania for other pickup opportunities. Didn't happen.

Our numbers are improving, and we have a real goal in reach -- stemming the losses and protecting our best Democrats. If we lose 30 Blue Dogs? Who cares! If we lose good Democrats like Alan Grayson, that's a huge problem.

They're happy if they lose 30 Blue Dogs so long as the psychopath Grayson wins. Excellent strategy. Following this logic, within a few we could have 430 Republicans and five mental patients in Congress.

Oops: Chafee Campaign Failed to Pay Taxes

Just an honest misunderstanding or something. Stuff like this can be problematic leading up to an election.

Independent Rhode Island gubernatorial Lincoln Chafee's old Senate campaign committee failed to pay federal and state taxes for five years and owes an estimated $18,400 in taxes and penalties, a campaign aide told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Mike Trainor, deputy campaign manager for Chafee's gubernatorial campaign, said the Senate committee failed to pay taxes on approximately $64,400 of investment income from 2004 through 2008. The failure came to light after an inquiry by the AP.

Chafee in a written statement called it an honest misunderstanding. Trainor said it happened because two Chafee campaign treasurers did not understand Internal Revenue Service regulations for campaigns.

"I sincerely regret that the error was made," Chafee said. "I stand accountable and will take full and personal responsibility for paying all monies owed to the Internal Revenue Service and the Rhode Island Division of Taxation.

Trainor said the campaign planned to notify the IRS Friday. He said the IRS would determine how much interest was owed on the federal taxes and penalties, which amount to an estimated $15,900. The state tax owed was $2,500 for the period, or $500 per year, Trainor said.

Trainor said he was not aware of any tax problems with Chafee's gubernatorial campaign, but the campaign was checking following the AP's inquiry.

Chafee is a former Republican U.S. senator who lost re-election in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. Trainor said most of the interest was earned in the period leading up to the 2006 Senate race, when Chafee had stockpiled millions of dollars in preparation for the campaign.

His main opponent in the governor's race, Democratic General Treasurer Frank Caprio, has paid both state and federal taxes since the 2005 tax year, according to filings his campaign made with the state Board of Elections. The campaigns of his other opponents, Republican John Robitaille and Moderate Ken Block, said their money is kept in interest-free accounts, and therefore they do not have to pay taxes.

One Nation Avoiding Washington Together

Judging the this livestream at CNN, nobody has showed up for the kook left rally in Washington. How sad.

While Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin's rally drew hundreds of thousands, the media's avoiding even mentioning figures, that how embarrassing this is.

"We are together. This march is about the power to the people," said MSNBC host Ed Schultz. "It is about the people standing up to the corporations. Are you ready to fight back?"

In a fiery speech that opened the "One Nation Working Together" rally on the National Mall, Schultz blamed Republicans for shipping jobs overseas and curtailing freedoms. He borrowed some of conservative commentator Glenn Beck's rhetoric and promised to "take back our country."

"This is a defining moment in America. Are you American?" Schultz told the raucous crowd of thousands. "This is no time to back down. This is time to fight for America."

Raucous crowd? Huh?

The typical, manufactured signs were present at this sparse gathering.

Rally signs range from benign to fiery. They include: "The Left is What's Right," "Stop Racism Now," We March for Hope Not Hate," "Proud to be a Democrat," "Stand with Obama," "Silence GOP Lies,""No Cuts to Social Security" and "Axis of Ignorance - Tea Party, Republicans, Fox News."

William Teach surmises we won't be seeing many, if any, overhead shots. Don't want to humiliate this diverse coalition of Democrat-leaning groups too much, I guess.

More: Jim Hoft has video of cranky Castro-lover Harry Belafonte. I flipped on Fox to see if they were covering it and they're have a Beck rereun on. Heh. Schultz's own station, the low-rated MSNBC, has taped programming. Ouch.

Around this time on the day of Beck's rally, the blogosphere was buzzing. Today not so much. Oh well, at least with so few people there they won't leave as big a mess as they normally do.

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Heh: Pelosi as Unpopular as BP

Well, she is oily enough.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's negative ratings have hit an all-time high in the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. A full 50 percent of those surveyed have a somewhat or very negative impression of Pelosi, while just 22 percent have a somewhat or very positive impression of her.

Pelosi's negative rating is precisely the same as oil giant BP, which has taken a public relations beating in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill. While 50 percent of those surveyed view BP negatively, just 12 percent view the company favorably -- a rating even lower than Pelosi's.

Pelosi is less popular than her Republican predecessor in the speaker's chair, Newt Gingrich. The poll finds that 35 percent of those surveyed have a negative impression of Gingrich, while 24 percent view him positively.

Pelosi is also less popular than 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who is viewed negatively by 48 percent of those surveyed, and positively by 30 percent.

Pelosi is still living in denial, believing she'll still be House Speaker in five weeks. Technically that's true, but come January she'll be lucky to even be minority leader.

Let's Hope She Hyphenates Her Name

What's in a name? Uh, ask these two.

Tara Wang and Austin DeCock, Detroit Lakes, Minn., announce their engagement.

Parents are Delano and Arlene Wang, Moorhead; and Francis and Erlene DeCock, Rochert, Minn.

Tara graduated in 1997 from Moorhead High School and in 2006 graduated from Aakers College, Fargo, with an associate’s degree in medical information. She is a unit clerk at Sanford Hospital, Fargo.