ACLU, Heritage Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security

I’m sure some would be shocked to see the Heritage Foundation and the ACLU in agreement, but the two groups have a whole lot more overlap than you might think at first glance when looking at the big picture.

I like to remind people I support the actions of the ACLU and the NRA. And I think there’s something to like on both sides of the current US political spectrum. Plenty not to like on both sides, too.

That’s why I vote the candidate, not the party. Always have, expect to always will. I read somewhere today that there’s no such thing as an independent voter because of low information or something. Can’t remember where I read that, but I think they used the wrong word.

“Undecided” voters are low-information and to that end aren’t really a key part of the electorate in major races (totally different dynamic in low-key local races where the decision may well be made on a whim in the booth.)

“Independent” voters are very likely to be very high information and making decisions as I do — voting the person and issues of the race at hand, not pulling a straight party ticket because of something dumb like, “I like old so-and-so, but can’t vote for him because he’s a dirty Republican and I’m a Democrat.”

Straight party voters are pretty much no-information voters because any information makes no difference in the selection.

At any rate this is from the link way up there in the first sentence:

This morning, NPR did a segment with Tim Sparapani of our Washington Legislative Office and our frenemies at the Heritage Foundation. They discussed ways that the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration could endeavor to do better by the country. First, Tim suggested making the watchlists, you know, work:

Any terrorist worth his or her salt can go out and get a fake ID in about 20 minutes, or they can show up under their own name if they’re not a name of somebody that we’ve been monitoring abroad[…] And there are lots of people, unfortunately, who have been willing to be recruited whom we would never know about until the moment they actually commit an attack.

So while the TSA is busy stopping all the Robert Johnsons of the world, potential terrorists might be slipping by.

 

Now, Heritage’s take:

…[The Heritage Foundation] says the government’s multi-billion dollar investment in what’s often referred to as “guns, guards and gates” is the wrong way to go — that it’s futile to try to protect everything in a country that has a seemingly endless number of potential targets.

We couldn’t agree more, Heritage!

Looks like Ted Stevens will lose

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, the convicted seven-time felon for corruption who announced on his arrival in Alaska after the recent trial he “wasn’t convicted of anything,” will likely lose his seat to Democrat Mark Begich.

Counting votes is taking a while up north, but what was originally considered some voting irregularities seems to be sorting out as all the ballots are counted. This result will throw a new monkey wrench in some of that governor up there, what’s her name? I can’t remember also.

Although Alaskan law was changed to prevent governors from appointing themselves to open Senate seats (in case the Senate kicked the felon out once in session) Palin (oh yeah, that’s it you betcha) could step down and her successor could appoint her to the seat, or she could appoint a placeholder who promised not to run for reelection and then take a shot at the open seat when available.

From the link:

The Alaska Board of Elections has finally updated (pdf).With 17,728 votes counted since the previous update, Democrat Mark Begich has the lead over Republican Ted Stevens, 132,196 to 131,382.

More votes to be counted tomorrow and possibly Friday.

As we’ve pointed out and has been pointed out elsewhere,the remaining votes come from Begich-friendly districts. Mark Begich is now an overwhelming favorite to win the Alaska Senate seat.

Update 11/18 — The Associated Press called the race for Begich today.

From the Daily Kos link:

Looks like Mark Begich will be setting up a new office in DC after all…..MSNBC is reporting the race in Alaska has been called for Mark Begich.

WASHINGTON – Convicted Sen. Ted Stevens lost his re-election bid to Democrat Mark Begich after the last large batch of votes was counted Tuesday.

The longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate trailed Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 3,724 votes after Tuesday’s count.

That’s an insurmountable lead with only about 2,500 overseas ballots left to be counted.

Per Lawrence O’Donnell and Dan Abrams on MSNBC, the vote difference is great enough Stevens would have to pay for a recount if he wanted one. And with a 3,724 vote lead, a recount is unlikely.

Palin voted for … ???

Watching CNN from a hospital room earlier today I caught the interview with Sarah Palin where she refused to say who she voted for citing her “right to privacy.”

Who wants to bet she wrote herself in as president and had to cover after getting called on the move. She’s dumb enough to do it and certainly dumb (and sheltered enough) to not think someone might ask who she voted for. And to be fair, too principled in grade-school ethics to not do the smart thing and just lie.

Update — The dangers of blogging from memory and from a low concentration situation. She was referring to whether she voted for Ted Stevens, or not. I like my version, and the version in the comments, much better. But hey, I’m only adding one little lie to her entire litany of demonstrable falsehoods.

Heh. If she’s the future of the GOP, the GOP is more doomed than even I could have imagined. Palin the anti-intellectual may become Bush 43’s spiritual heir. The “big L” Libertarian party is just too kooky, but a third-way that combines fiscal conservatism with social moderation and a powerful sense of civil liberties could resign the possibly coming GOP of religious nuts and fiscal idiots to the sidelines forever.

Maybe Gimp Outta Power could be new expansion of the acronym.

Advice to all vote-eligible US citizens

Get out there and make your vote count today!

Get Out The Vote

If you are a voting-eligible US citizen — and you haven’t already taken advantage of the many early voting opportunities in various states — be sure to hit your local polling station in two days on Tuesday, November 4.

Take advantage of your civic privilege to contribute your opinion to our collective democracy. I’d suggest you get informed on the races you’ll be voting on (one good place is a voting guide likely published by your local paper) and vote for the president on down. But if nothing else, at least go vote “Doug the Dogcatcher” back into/straight outta office.

Get Out The Vote and let your voice be heard.