Gotta Love Cobb County

Why I love living in Cobb County GA
Maria Rivera sits in the Cobb County Jail, facing deportation after a traffic stop.
If the Mableton mother of three, who is here illegally from Mexico, had been pulled over in any other county in Georgia, she likely would have bailed out and gone on with her life.
But Cobb County's jail is at the forefront of local enforcement of immigration laws, going a step further than many states and further than a new Georgia law requires.
Cobb has trained some sheriff's deputies to determine the legal status of all foreign born inmates at the jail, no matter how minor the charge. Cobb jailers now can start deportation proceedings under what's known as a "287-G" agreement with federal immigration authorities.
"The computers are up and running," Cobb County Chief Deputy Sheriff Lynda Coker said. "They can run inquiries on a federal database."
A new state law effective July 1 requires jailers statewide to determine the legal status of inmates charged with felonies or DUI and report illegal immigrants to federal immigration officials, but they can leave it at that.
So take that 3rd Circuit, which recently struck down the laws passed in Hazelton, PA. Now this woman has been charged with: Expired tag; no license; no proof of insurance
So another unlicensed, uninsured motorists is taken off the streets. By the way GA requires proof of insurance to get a license and a tag, so how was she able to have a vehicle to start with?

And what do the “Let ‘em all in crowd” have to say. It is predictable
In the four weeks since the program began, Cobb jailers and ICE have interviewed 86 inmates, placed immigration holds on 68 and started deportation proceedings against 42, Coker said. Deportation paperwork done by sheriff's deputies must be reviewed by an immigration officer before it goes to a judge.
Although it's sheriff's deputies, and not Cobb County Police Department officers, who are now processing deportation paperwork, the program is sending a shiver through the immigrant community.
Fear destroys any rapport the community had with police, said Jerry Gonzalez, head of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.
"This is having a very negative effect on overall public safety," Gonzalez said.{ed.- If by negative effect you mean another unlicensed, uninsured motorist is taken off the streets, then yeah}
Muzaffar Chishti, director of the Migration Policy Institute's office at New York University Law School, agrees. The institute is a nonprofit Washington think tank that studies global migration patterns.
"People are reluctant to report crimes to the police, or be witnesses in criminal proceedings," Chishti said.
That is why we must actively pursue legal proceedings against illegals. Chew on this Mr Chishti.
Some Cobb inmates who have been flagged for immigration holds are charged with child molestation or drugs, weapons and alcohol-related offenses, Rocha said.

Now of course Maria has 3 children but guess what? It ain’t her first trip.
Rivera was flagged because she had been deported before, in March 2006, after crossing the Mexican border illegally, Rocha said.
Rivera crossed again last year and went to Chicago with her husband and three children, said Enrique Farias, her roommate. About six months ago she came to Mableton with her children, Farias said.
His sister cared for the three children a few weeks while their mother was in jail, he said, until an uncle from Chicago came last week took the children home with him.
Rivera was stopped by a Cobb County police officer July 11 on her way to work as a house cleaner, Farias said. She is charged with driving without a license, having no proof of insurance and an expired tag, according to jail records.
Cobb County police Chief George Hatfield said his officer had no choice but to enforce the law with Rivera.
"It's sad if she's got the three children and everything, but she should have thought about that before she got behind the wheel of a car," he said.
Full story is here.

ACLU Fighting for Illegal Aliens

I stumbled across these two stories today from my local rag the AJC and found it just a little curious. They were curious because in both instances they raise the specter of racial profiling in regards to a local police department and their enforcement of immigration laws and both are written by the same reporter.

The police department in question is Cobb County in Georgia and they are one of a handful of counties who are allowed to detain suspects until their immigration status can be determined. I have written about it before, because most citizens view the program as a success and even the reporter mentions some of the statistics.

As the Georgia county with the longest track record, Cobb’s program bears further examination. Since July 2007, 6,386 inmates suspected of being illegal immigrants have been detained for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to records provided by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

About of third of those inmates were jailed for traffic offenses such as driving without a license. Drunken driving was the next most common charge. Four murder suspects, 10 alleged rapists and 27 suspected child molesters were also among those detained for federal immigration officials.

That isn't what got my attention though. The above information was included in the first report posted this morning just before 10 o'clock under the title Cobb policy: Law enforcement or racial profiling?
In the second story posted a little before 2 o'clock she has this headline. ACLU: Report documents racial profiling in Cobb

In it she includes a story that can only be classified as anecdotal at best, about an unnamed individual who was supposedly detained for driving without a license and spent 18 days in jail. I say anecdotal since they use a pseudonym for a name and then do not provide anymore information about how his situation is related to his immigration status. It does mention that he has been pulled over before, therefore reading between the lines I would assume he is in the country legally.

According to one account, "Federico" was stopped for having a malfunctioning brake light on a Saturday afternoon while driving home with his family from a trip to the park. He was arrested for driving without a license and spent 18 days in jail. The report doesn't state which police department made the arrest.

Federico stated he had been stopped many times while driving in Cobb County. He said he was aware of many other Latinos that also had been pulled over "for no good reason."

I particularly love the part about being pulled over "for no good reason". Quick show of hands. How many of us have said the exact same thing when telling our friends about the BS ticket we just got?

Okay, put your hands down.

I am not saying the reporter has a certain angle in mind when writing these stories, and maybe she was just on a roll with the racism thing or under pressure from an editor. But whatever the case is, I would think that in at least the second story her editor would have made her back up the story with some sort of proof the "Federico" existed and some way to confirm his story and conveyed that information to the reader. As it is, it's just another fairy tale that makes a good human interest story, just like the part about that he was driving home from the park. They could have stopped the sentence right after writing driving home.

Anyway, kudos the the Cobb County sheriff's department. Keep up the good work, because one thing that isn't in dispute is the FACTS contained in the first story.

Four murder suspects, 10 alleged rapists and 27 suspected child molesters were also among those detained for federal immigration officials.

Oh and the ACLU might want to pay attention to what the first letter in their organization name stands for.

For One County There Is No 'Race To The Top'

Because Cobb County Georgia is already at the top.
I live in the best county in America. No, really. The latest example of this is the refusal of school board to participate in a program to fleece taxpayers out of even more money in a federal program called "Race To The Top". Georgia did 'win' $400 million dollars in this, what do you call it, competition.
The basic concept behind it is your school system has to be such an abject failure that the only solution of course is to pour more money at the problem. Cobb County decided not to participate and the reasoning given when the subject came up way back when is sound.

"No. With federal dollars, you know there are long, strong strings attached and at what cost," Sweeney said. "You give up what makes this community so special; local control. ... We have the capacity and the intelligence to do what it takes to improve student achievement while reducing federal government interference. Besides, local control isn't the only expense. Federal programs are usually proven to be very inefficient. The costs for Race To The Top funds from a dollar, resource, administrative and time perspective are likely to outweigh the proposed program cost benefits."

Of course it doesn't hurt that the school system doesn't suck and therefore probably wouldn't have gotten any of the money anyway as evidenced by the largest city school system in the county.

In fact, Marietta City Schools was never eligible for the federal funds, intended to support new approaches to improve schools, because they do not meet the criteria of "low performing" set by federal education officials. To be eligible for RTTT money, a school system must have an overall graduation rate below 60 percent, and Marietta High School has a graduation rate of 83.7 percent.

It is just more proof of how poor performance gets rewarded all in the name of making it 'fair' or 'equal'. I have heard it said many times, and the view is correct, you will get more of the behavior you reward and less of the behavior you punish. At this time in America anybody who succeeds is to be punished and unless the trend is reversed then you are going to get exactly what you have rewarded.

The other reasons this is the best county in America? Our law enforcement is allowed to check the immigration status of anybody they detain for another law violation. Glock was just approved for a building permit to expand their handgun manufacturing facility and another business which sells guns was approved for an indoor shooting range. And the number one reason it is the best, our budget is not in the red. Yet.

No, most of that millions of taxpayer dollars will go to school districts, to line the pockets of the administrators, like Clayton and Dekalb county which are such total and complete failures that they constantly stay on the black list with the school accreditation committees. For more on Clayton county schools check here.

Chow time

Another metro Atlanta county gets aboard the illegal immigration bandwagon.

This time it is Gwinett county. Previously Cobb county had begun a rigid enforcement of identifying and making available for deportation illegals that they detained. Gwinett now wants to be able to do the same thing.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (Map, News) - The Gwinnett County Commission chairman wants the sheriff's department to begin enforcing federal immigration laws.
Chairman Charles Bannister is calling for Sheriff Butch Conway to sign up for a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that trains deputies to start deportation proceedings for illegal immigrants booked into the jail.
In 2007, Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren became the first sheriff in Georgia to initiate the ICE program. A spokeswoman for ICE, Pat Reilly, says Whitfield County in north Georgia will begin training deputies this month.

Arizonas' new Employer Sanction Law, which is now in effect is having the desired effect.

No anchor baby for you. Adios!

Army retiree fights to go back to Iraq or Afghanistan.

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio man who was forced to retire from the Army when he turned 60 wants back in for another tour in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Former Master Sergeant Austin Asher left the service in 2007 after 31 years in the Army, National Guard and Army Reserves, including two tours of Iraq.

Illinois adopts quitting smoking for a New Years resolution. Whether you want it or not.

Minnesota is debating whether to leave some children behind. But I thought they were all about the touchy feely liberal feel good stuff.

How Many Illegals Are In Your College?

Hey, La Raza, lookee here.

I have been following this story with interest in light of all the heat the state of Arizona has been taking over their recent passage of legislation to allow them to verify the status of people they catch in the act of committing an unrelated illegal act.


You see, in Cobb County, Georgia they have been able to do this for over a year, after the sheriff's department underwent training from ICE. The program is called Federal Program 287(g). Yes, there actually is a federal law which Arizona merely mirrored. In Cobb County, they have put it into practice with good effect.

This story revolves around a young lady who is a student a Kennesaw State University and was pulled over recently for a traffic violation. She was unable to produce a driver's license. She did have an expired Mexican passport and for that reason she was detained until her status could be determined. It was discovered that she was indeed in the country illegally, but a judge gave her a one year reprieve on deportation so she could finish her college education.

What a deal. Well, now the police want her back for lying to them in interviews and supplying false information on forms. The young lady has gone missing now, shortly after this report was filed.

There is strong suspicion that the president of the university is aiding in hiding her. If those suspicions turn into reality I hope he learns a hard lesson in how nobody is above the law.

University officials said she was admitted to KSU as a state resident because she had graduated from a Georgia high school. Undocumented aliens can attend Georgia colleges but they must pay out-of-state tuition, officials said.

Friends said Colotl had two semesters remaining before she receives a degree in political science. Colotl worked at night to earn money for college, according to friends. She was planning to study law after finishing at KSU.

Papp [ed.- the KSU President] advocated for Colotl based on her involvement at KSU. He asked ICE to put off deporting her.

Papp has said, however, that Colotl will now be billed as an out-of-state student.

You caught that didn't you? Illegal aliens are allowed to attend universities in Georgia provided they pay the out of state tuition. Admit it, Big Education, you are all about the money.

Chancellor Erroll Davis said the University System of Georgia follows the law as it pertains to undocumented students: Students are required to indicate on admissions applications whether or not they are citizens. Undocumented students may still enroll but must pay out-of-state tuition, which can be three times as much as in-state. Colotl was admitted before this law was in place, Davis said.

So people admit to being in the country illegally, in violation of the laws of this nation, and the university system simply ignores it so that they can charge the higher tuition fees?

A lot of attention is given to employers who hire illegals; well, what about looking at our schools? There are different degrees of illegal activity, but illegal is illegal. Obviously somebody who shoplifts a pack of gum should be punished differently then someone who shoplifts thousand dollar gowns, but both deserve prosecution and they both violated the same law.

How many American citizens could be allowed the chance to attend college if the seats were not taken by illegals? Academia for too long has felt like they were above the law, while at the same time imposing some of the most idiotic punishments under the guise of their Zero Tolerance policies. Nice to see which acts they pursue ruthlessly, like wearing clothing with the American flag on it, and which ones they simply ignore.

What they want to do in Arizona is no different then what this program is. It doesn't allow the police to just randomly walk up to people and ask for their papers. Arizona is simply trying to obey federal law and for that we have limp-wristed panty-waists all over the country wetting themselves and working themselves into a froth, with the latest being a high school in Chicago canceling a trip for their girl's basketball team to Arizona.

For those in academia, there is a backlash coming and you are going to reap the whirlwind you have created.

Updated with an exit question. Dear Mr. University Guy, since when has it ever been okay to be in this country illegally? Trying to obfuscate by saying they must declare whether they are a citizen or not with the term undocumented doesn't fly. Even people in this country who are not citizens have documents to prove their status. For Mr. Davis to be head of the University System he sure seems less then bright when it comes to telling the difference.

Where do you want to live?

From time to time I post about local issues here in the metro Atlanta area, but I think this set of headlines from todays AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) pretty sums it up. The county I live in is Cobb a Republican stronghold and the people that brought you Newt Gingrich. Dekalb is festering cesspool of liberal democrats that used to be home to one Cynthia McKinney. Clayton is located on the south west side and is also a strong Democrat hangout.

cobb

* Trail-blazing chief moves on
* Georgia 'cheapskate' is millionaire author at 28
* Kennesaw researchers discover ancient chocolate use
* Mableton 4th-grader wins laptop, national prize for school
* King celebration in Cobb scheduled

dekalb

* Assistant principal stabbed to death
* Fallen tree causes Decatur power outage
* DeKalb court puts focus on mental health
* Police seek shooter of restaurant manager
* Gunmen at large after deadly robbery
* Jailbreak try by man charged in restaurateur's murder

clayton

* Box of cereal, not bomb, prompted Clayton Courthouse evacuation
* One killed, two injured in Clayton wreck
* Alpharetta man shot outside Riverdale pizzeria
* Clayton school board struggle flares again


So Cobb county is lauding a woman fire chief who is retiring after 30 years, a self made millionaire at the age of 28, and a young girl who helped to win some money for her school as well as winning a laptop for herself. Oh yeah did I mention she is the child of Russian immigrants. Meanwhile Dekalb and Clayton is just a police blotter report.
If you want to see the difference between Democrat and Republican policies in action in microcosm the metro Atlanta area is a great test lab.

A Mother's Day Candidate Profile

Today's candidate profile is a woman running on the Republican ticket to unseat the current Democrat representative for my district in Georgia.

Her name is Deborah Honeycutt. To find out about the incumbent click on the tags at the bottom of the post, but this post is all about Mrs Honeycutt.

She is a doctor and this not her first challenge to the current corrupt politician who is holding the seat right now. A word of advice to Mrs. Honeycutt, don't ignore that sliver of Cobb County that is in the district you want to represent like you did last time. The district in question is 13th and it encompasses much of the southern and western portions of the metro Atlanta including Cobb, Fulton, Clayton, and Fayette. Clayton County is the county that is in danger of losing the accreditation for its schools that I have written about a lot, and one which once again is predominately an African American area and just can't or won't leave the Democrat plantation. That is what makes it such an uphill climb for Deborah Honeycutt. Even thought she is a successful African American woman she has that dreaded (R) after her name and to too many people they simply can't see beyond that.

In 2004 Dr. Honeycutt was President of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians and in 2005 served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. On the national level she has served on the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Commission on Education. She was twice elected the nationally elected Minority Constituency Delegate and is now the Georgia State Delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

In 2005 she became Medical Director of Good Shepherd Clinic, the free clinic in Morrow, Georgia. She served as medical director there until her decision to run for U.S. Congress in Georgia District 13. Dr. Honeycutt, despite her campaign schedule in 2006, continued to serve free clinic patients as a volunteer physician.

I don't think even the esteemed Dr Howard Dean can boast of such a record. Here is some more information on her stance in regards to small businesses.

Since her website is just starting up it is kind of sparse, but I hope she fills it up and I hope the RNC will see fit to send some money her way to get this corrupt Democrat out of office.

Those Poor, Poor Illegal Immigrant Students

A lot of attention has been given lately to the plight of students who are the offspring of illegal aliens, therefore making them illegal aliens also, and I ain't talking about those anchor baby cases. Well, here we have a case of one of those nice law abiding illegals taking up a class seat, and now a jail cell, that real Americans I guess don't want.

The suspect in this case thought it would fun to throw a bleach filled balloon at another kid walking down the street from a moving vehicle.

The result is the balloon hit the kid in the face and blinded him.

But Juan Carlos Flores remains in jail due to a possible immigration violation, according to jail records.

Flores, a Meadowcreek High School student, has been charged with aggravated battery for throwing the balloon at 14-year-old Miguel Mesa on the last day of school. Flores was one of four students in a van when the incident took place, but he is the only one being charged as an adult, due to his age.

Ever since the story first broke I have been keeping an eye out on the coverage because of the people involved. Yeah, yeah, call it racial profiling. Whatever. I was not disappointed, however.

You see, Gwinnett County is one of four counties in Georgia who have the ability to ask for and determine the immigration status of people they arrest. You know, just like Arizona wants to do.

The other is Cobb County, which, of course, brought to light the case of the college student who once pulled over for a traffic violation it was determined that she too was in the country illegally.

Funny how these work out. Not funny ha-ha, but funny in that way that only leads one to suspect the motives of those who are so adamantly against enforcement of our immigration laws.

I wonder if our upstanding U.S. Attorney General is going to rush to the defense of these people with the same zeal that he is pursuing lawsuits against Arizona. Note to Mr. Holder: Cobb and Gwinnett counties are merely enforcing existing federal law.

Look it up.

On a related note arrests for driving without a license have plummeted in certain counties. See if you can guess which ones before clicking the link and read what law enforcement says could be a contributing factor.

Hang Tough Arizona. The Liberals Will Move On

I have been watching the whole kerfuffle, expressions of angst, and liberal hand wringing over the recent legislation signed into law in Arizona granting their law enforcement wider authority to determine the immigration status of people they detain. Everybody knew what the reaction of those cry babies on the left would be, but what amused me the most is that Arizona is simply doing on a statewide level what a couple of counties in Georgia have been doing for some time to good effect.

For all of the screaming about jack booted thugs dragging people out of homes in the dead of night, to the best of my knowledge not a single case in Georgia has risen to this level. In other words, Americans need to put a little confidence in their fellow Americans to not abuse the power they are given.

If the only effect of the law is to relocate the illegals from Arizona to the neighboring states it will relieve the taxpayers of Arizona of big burden and then we will see how long it takes for the other states to take action. That has been the experience in Georgia. Cobb county was the first to take the tough stance and it wasn't long before the neighboring county of Gwinnett followed suit. Arguably two areas of the metro Atlanta area viewed as conservative, and now that the financially crippled and non functioning liberal counties of Dekalb and Clayton have absorbed the fugitives from the law, and refuse to do anything, they are suffering the expected consequences.

Metro Atlanta is the story of two sides, and makes a great lab for viewing the effects of conservative versus liberal policies. On the one side is schools which are the envy of the state, with local governments, which while not immune from the recent economic downturn, are weathering the storm as best as can be expected, while on the other side are counties which have school systems losing accreditation, the highest foreclosure rates in the state, and in some cases the nation, higher then average unemployment, and crime rates which make the people living there virtual prisoners in their own homes.

So kudos to Arizona for taking the steps necessary to look out for it's citizens and please don't buckle. LIberal outrage burns hot but their attention span is that of gnat. Weather the initial firestorm and soon they will be on to something else to vent their rage on. No doubt the latest posting from Sarah Palin on Facebook or Karl Rove book signing.

Now if Georgia could just make statewide what they are doing in a few counties we might be able to take the lead for a change instead of waiting to see how the wind blows and then jumping on a bandwagon.

Guns Are Bad but Dems Are Cool With Knives

You have to go all the way to the end of the article to find out any clues as to the identity of the perpetrator.

When Cobb County police arrived, the man was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and felony theft. Officers told Cavitt he ranted anti-Republican rhetoric throughout the process.

If the Dems are this out of control in what is essentially a local state election I can't wait for the news once they fully come to grips with the tsunami that is expected today.

For the record Craig Prewett is the Republican in this race and Steve Thompson is the Democrat incumbent.

Lamour walked out of his front doors and confronted the man, who replied, “You shouldn’t be voting for this Craig Prewett fellow, you should vote for Steve Thompson,” said Prewett’s spokesman John Harris. Lamour said he followed the man across the street, where the man began pulling signs out of Prewett’s front yard.

Lamour told Channel 2’s Ross Cavitt that when he told the man to stop, the man pulled out a knife and “lunged at him.” Lamour said he screamed, and his brother, Edgar Lamour, and Prewett rushed to help him.

Just remember folks, you need to keep an eye out for those Tea Party members with their Gadsen flags and American flag shirts. Black Panthers with billy clubs and crazed supporters engaging in knife attacks and tearing up campaign signs are simply thinking of the children. Or maybe not.

The three got into a car and chased the accused attacker, who had sped off in a pickup truck, Lamour said. They followed him through residential areas, and the man nearly hit someone at Powder Springs Elementary School, where a bus driver called the police, Harris said.

And what is this with the guy getting in a pick up truck? I thought only racist Republicans owned pick up trucks.

Stop With the Good News Already!

"What's good news for America is bad news for Democrats" has never been more relevant than with the recent news of things going much better in Iraq. Since the Democrats have invested so heavily in our defeat, they face a major credibility problem when we win, so they are pulling out all stops to help ensure our defeat.

Wes Pruden rips them apart in the Washington Times today. Some parts hilarious, some infuriating, but a good read nonetheless.

When Good News is Awful News

It's not easy to pimp surrender, but some of our congressional and media worthies are giving it their best shot.

It won't be easy. Nobody but the loons think quitters, fakers, surrender monkeys and pessimists of various stripes are good custodians of the national interests, and the men and women who read the newspapers and magazines and watch the television newscasts are smarter than the men and women who write and preen for them. Americans are fed up with the Iraq war not because they think resisting jihad is wrong, but because they think the leaders at the top may not necessarily be serious about winning without apology. Anthony McAuliffe, who answered the German demand for surrender at Bastogne with "nuts" (if not something a little saltier), is the kind of general Americans admire most.

The risks for Democratic doom-criers are becoming evident. The accumulating evidence of progress, little by little, is changing public opinion. Media opinion will follow, slowly as always, and the sluggard notabilities of press and screen will be tugged -- "kicking and screaming," as the liberals once said of conservatives -- into reality. The Democrats in Congress, like the embittered losers on the left, will be left behind on the other side of the famous bridge to the 21st century.

Still, no amount of evidence will change their minds, so expect in the next month for our enemies both domestic and abroad to step up their efforts. Otherwise, we'll be seeing fear and loathing from the likes of Nancy Boyda and Jim Clyburn.

Nevertheless and grudging or not, things are reported to be better than they used to be, and seem to be getting a little better every day. It's enough to make a partisan Democrat weep. Some are. Nancy Boyda of Kansas, a freshman in the House, was so unnerved by good news from the front that she stalked out of a committee hearing when a retired general described developments in Iraq as encouraging. ood news like that, she said, only "further divides the country."G Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the Democratic majority House whip, was even more revealing: If things improve in Iraq, that would be "a real problem for us."

Read the whole thing.

Meanwhile, speaking of doom and gloom, I've always been a great admirer of New Gingrich, but lately he's been getting on my nerves. Maybe he understands he has no chance at ever being President (for reasons that should be obvious to most) and is just lashing out in frustration. But for the longest time he's rubbed me the wrong way by fawning over Mrs. Bill Clinton, and this goes back a decade.

Now, 15 months from the 2008 election, he's telling us to get used to the idea that this abomination is going to be President, and we should just get used to it.

Way to rally the troops, Newt. Nothing like sending the message of defeat and helping depress turnout. Someone as astute a political observer such as yourself should realize 15 months can be a lifetime in politics, so how about helping the cause by pointing out her many deficiencies and helping out the team by throwing your support behind the GOP candidates who have a shot? Is that too much to ask for?

Says Newt: "Odds are significant" the Democrats win the White House

If you're a betting man, you have to like Democrats' chances of taking over the White House next year, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said early this morning.

"The odds are fairly significant that that the left will win next year. My personal bet is that it'll be a Clinton-Obama ticket. I think they have a very high likelihood of winning," Gingrich told business leaders at a gathering of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

Great, a ready-made commercial for the Democrats.

This from a fellow who, just three months ago, was fending off scores of when-will-you-announce questions about his own presidential aspirations. Gingrich didn't address the question directly on Monday.

But politicians chomping at the bit to run have three things in common: A slimmed-down figure, a tan suitable for TV cameras, and well-coiffed hair. Maybe not John Edwards-style hair, but well-barbered nonetheless.

Perhaps it was the 7 a.m. hour, but Gingrich had none of these. He was, however, very sober when it came to the GOP dilemma

Read the rest. He does quantify things by appropriately noting the gap between now and November 2008, but please, let's be a little more positive.

Now I'm not saying we should be blindly optimistic and set ourselves up for defeat, but when I look at the Democrat candidates, there really is nobody there who so greatly inspires the masses. I understand that 99% of the media is carrying water for them and for that reason alon the GOP faces an uphill battle.

But if you want to be helpful to the party, Newt, why don't you come out and scrutinize them more than you do the GOP?