The Telegraph:

Islamic sharia law is gaining an increasing foothold in parts of Britain, a report claims.

Sharia, derived from several sources including the Koran, is applied to varying degrees in predominantly Muslim countries but it has no binding status in Britain.

However, the BBC Radio 4 programme Law in Action produced evidence yesterday that it was being used by some Muslims as an alternative to English criminal law. Aydarus Yusuf, 29, a youth worker from Somalia, recalled a stabbing case that was decided by an unofficial Somali "court" sitting in Woolwich, south-east London.

Mr Yusuf said a group of Somali youths were arrested on suspicion of stabbing another Somali teenager. The victim's family told the police it would be settled out of court and the suspects were released on bail.

Posted by Ryan S. at 8:12 AM | Permalink | |

His problem is that he doesn't have one. Well, any one that can be defined using modern conventions, as I've noted before. Matt Welch at the LA Times has more:

YOU CAN READ 1,000 profiles of GOP presidential front-runner John McCain without encountering a single paragraph examining his core ideological philosophy. His career is filled with such distracting drama — torture at the Hanoi Hilton, noisy conversion to the campaign-finance-reform faith, political suicide on the Straight Talk Express — that by the time you're done with the highlights, and perhaps a few "maverick" anecdotes, time's up.

People are forever filling in the blanks with their own political fantasies. Third party candidate! John Kerry running mate! Far-right warmonger! Republican In Name Only! But with the announcement that the popular Arizona senator has formed his presidential exploratory committee, it's time for our long national guessing game to end.

Sifting through McCain's four bestselling books and nearly three decades of work on Capitol Hill, a distinct approach toward governance begins to emerge. And it's one that the electorate ought to be particularly worried about right now. McCain, it turns out, wants to restore your faith in the U.S. government by any means necessary, even if that requires thousands of more military deaths, national service for civilians and federal micromanaging of innumerable private transactions. He'll kick down the doors of boardroom and bedroom, mixing Democrats' nanny-state regulations with the GOP's red-meat paternalism in a dangerous brew of government activism. And he's trying to accomplish this, in part, for reasons of self-realization.

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:49 PM | Permalink | |

I'm taking a Thanksgiving break. Probably no posts until Sunday or Monday.

Posted by Ryan S. at 4:35 PM | Permalink | |

Ralph Kinney Bennett pontificates on the highway system on its 50th anniversary:

As you prepare to head out to join with family and friends for that Thanksgiving turkey, give thanks right now for one of the most magnificent engineering feats of all time.

The Interstate.

Or, as it is more formally known, The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways.

It's 50 years old this year. And it was in this very month, November, 1956, that the first eight-mile stretch of what would eventually be more than 42,000 miles of limited access highway lacing the states together was opened in Topeka, Kansas.

Give thanks because the Interstate is going to make your holiday trip, this week, and at Christmas, immeasurably faster and easier than it used to be. Only those who drove or rode as children in automobiles in the '30s, '40s and '50s can fully appreciate how much faster and how much easier.

Long distance auto trips back then meant stop and go driving through a maze of dangerous intersections with and without traffic lights; through railroad crossings, perilous curves and steep grades on which motorists too often found themselves crawling along behind heavy trucks. Most main routes led directly through cities and towns and there were few by-passes. For every charming little roadside restaurant now remembered through the haze of nostalgia, there were scores of dirty joints of decidedly uneven quality. If you were lucky you might find a good motel, but often you were left with a grim, run-down tourist cabin.

Posted by Ryan S. at 2:29 PM | Permalink | |

Despite the wishes of most rational Republicans, and despite the creation of a minority under their leadership, those in charge who aren't Dennis Hastert all got promoted!

James Taranto:

House Republicans have elected their leaders for the 110th Congress. Majority Leader John Boehner beat Rep. Mike Pence to become minority leader, and Majority Whip Roy Blunt defeated Rep. John Shadegg for the post of minority whip. Neither race was even close: Boehner prevailed 168-27, with a single vote going to Rep. Joe Barton, and Blunt's margin was a closer but still-comfy 147-57.
Some argued that the GOP would have been better off dumping the Boehner-Blunt "old guard" in favor of the "reformists" Pence and Shadegg. But hey, who better to lead the GOP minority than the men who helped create it?

Hopefully this isn't the last we hear from Mike Pence.

(My thoughts on who the leadership should be)

Posted by Ryan S. at 10:44 AM | Permalink | |

Shocking:

In the book, he cites extensive data analysis to demonstrate that values advocated by conservatives -- from church attendance and two-parent families to the Protestant work ethic and a distaste for government-funded social services -- make conservatives more generous than liberals.

The book, titled "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism" (Basic Books, $26), is due for release Nov. 24.

When it comes to helping the needy, Brooks writes: "For too long, liberals have been claiming they are the most virtuous members of American society. Although they usually give less to charity, they have nevertheless lambasted conservatives for their callousness in the face of social injustice."

Posted by Ryan S. at 12:47 PM | Permalink | |

My hero this week is recently deceased economist Milton Friedman. Whether you agree with his theories and arguments or not, there is little doubt he was a brilliant man.

Instapundit has a great roundup of links, and the Washington Times has an editorial today proclaiming him 'The Economist of the Century' (though I think they mean the 20th Century).

My hack this week is O.J. Simpson. He has a new book coming out called "If I Did It," detailing how he would have committed the murders:

Some customers are calling it "shameful," "disgusting" or "repulsive," and call for a boycott, but O.J. Simpson's book in which he "imagines" killing his ex-wife and her friend is also a big seller two weeks before it even hits the shelves.

The book, "If I Did It," has been climbing steadily on the best-seller list of Amazon.com Inc., with advance orders pushing it to No. 25 early Friday. It goes on sale Nov. 30, and has already generated hundreds of comments from the online retailer's users, as well as a growing debate on blogs and in mainstream publications.

The book is being published by ReganBooks, an imprint of News Corp.'s HarperCollins Publishers. Fox television, which like Harper Collins is owned by News Corp., plans to air a two-part TV interview of Simpson by publisher Judith Regan, on Nov. 27 and 29.

Regan told the Associated Press on Wednesday she considers the book "his confession," and wrote a full-page editorial that appears in the Friday edition of News Corp.'s New York Post that maintains she was motivated to publicize it by her own history of domestic abuse.

Not only do I find it offensive, I think it is a downright stupid move. Besides, everyone thinks he did it anyway.

Posted by Ryan S. at 9:41 AM | Permalink | |

The Republican Party is scrambling to choose it's leaders, and I thought I'd share my thoughts on the subject.

First, the Senate:
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is an exemplary example of what it means to be a conservative leader. He has a stellar record, and I can't imagine having a better person in charge of the Senate Republicans. A+

Minority Whip Tent Lott that's a blast from the past. The Mississippian was a previous senate leader, but was ousted for comments some deemed racially insensitive. That isn't what has me up in arms over his reappearance in leadership, however. Trent Lott is a very competent Senator, but he's very pro-pork. I would have much preferred John Kyl, or even Lamar Alexander, Lott's contender for the position. D-

The House is still up in the air, so I'll talk briefly about who I'd like to see:
Minority Leader Mike Pence seems to be a very competent choice. When i heard his name tossed around initially, I was skeptical because of his pro-amnesty stance, but apparently, that's been resolved:

Some Republicans have expressed reluctance to return Mr. Boehner to leadership after last week's disastrous elections, and some are opposed to Mr. Pence for forging a compromise on immigration that critics dismissed as "amnesty." Yesterday, Mr. Pence renounced those efforts.
"All those debates about compromise are a thing of the past," he said in an interview with talk-radio host Laura Ingraham.
"I reject any form of amnesty, even if we've got border security," he said. "I really reject the idea that people whose first act in this country was a violation of the law ought to be able to get right with the law without leaving the country."

I've seen Pence speak in person several times, and have been duly impressed each time, and he also has the right ideas about reforming and rebuilding the party. A

Minority Whip is more difficult to call. Roy Blunt wants to retain his position, but I think he should be purged in favor of bringing fresh ideas to the party, for better reform purposes. He's got ties to DeLay, and that is not what the party needs now. A Minority Whip needs to be charismatic and inspiring, and on paper I like John Shadegg, but some have called him "uninspiring and aloof." Shadegg would be a better choice than Blunt by any measure, but there seems to be growing buzz around Eric Cantor, who is currently chief deputy whip, but refuses to make a move as long as Blunt is in the picture for loyalty's sake:

Indeed, Mr. Cantor declined to comment on the growing "draft Cantor" movement, except to say he's not running and supports Mr. Blunt.
"The fact that Cantor won't go back on his word to Blunt is exactly why he should be in leadership," said a frustrated Republican aide. "For the future of this party, Blunt should step aside."

It will be interesting to see how the House Leadership plays out, but if they stay with Boehner and Blunt, as well as brining Lott back will be signs that the Congressional Republicans are not interested about changing the party for the better.

Posted by Ryan S. at 2:22 PM | Permalink | |

The Politically Incorrect Guides series is a fun and educational look at different subjects that have been whitewashed into PC-nothingness at high schools and colleges across the country. The latest installment is English and American Literature, and it sets out to prove to its readers that, among other things, "Most great literature was, in fact, written by dead white males," Jane Austen was a fan of "the patriarchy," not oppressed by it, and "most great writers have been conservatives, if not reactionaries."

The book is divided into three major sections, "What They Don't Want You to Learn...," which goes through English and American Lit in chronological fashion, "Why They Don't Want You to Learn...," which details how bad most English Departments at universities really are, and "How You Can Teach Yourself..." which has a short guide to basic, "theory-free" lit analysis.

I very much enjoyed the book, and definitely have some books to add to my wish list. The book points out some interesting things about various authors, like that Charles Dickens was lampooning bleeding-hearts and their methods as much as the oppressors of children.

I especially enjoyed the sections on the Romantics, and the 'Moderns,' which includes a passage detailing how many of Oscar Wilde's confederates later found religion, and another one on T.S. Eliot pre- and post-Christian conversion. That is the real strength of the book, putting literature in the context of its times and its author.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves books and reading, especially anyone who wants to learn more about works in the "Pantheon" of great English language lit.

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:18 AM | Permalink | |

WaPo:

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), a close White House ally and a Cuban American, has agreed to become the next general chairman of the Republican National Committee, GOP officials said, an appointment that comes in the wake of an election that yielded shrinking GOP support from Hispanic voters.

Martinez, a first-term senator, will remain in office and serve as the party's chief spokesman and fundraiser heading into the 2008 elections. Mike Duncan, the RNC's current general counsel and a former party treasurer, will manage day-to-day operations and be elected chairman in January, Republican aides said.
. . .
Mehlman said in an interview last week that he is concerned about where the party stands with Hispanics. Hispanics are not single-issue voters, but GOP officials said the tone of the immigration debate hurt the party with the fastest-growing minority group...Martinez is a leading advocate of a Bush-style solution to the nation's immigration problems.

I will not support a party that is majority pro-amnesty. This, like spending, where Bush and his cohorts at the GOP have stabbed conservatives in the back, pushing their own neocon agenda above principles and philosophy. This cannot stand.

Tancredo '08!

UPDATE (11/18/06 5:52PM): Tancredo's weighed in:

Another leading critic of Bush's stance on immigration, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, offered tepid support for Martinez.

Tancredo called the senator a "competent spokesman for our party," but added that if he "rejects the will of rank-and-file Republicans and uses the position to advocate for things like the president's amnesty proposal, then I believe the party could be headed for another shellacking at the polls in 2008."

Posted by Ryan S. at 10:10 PM | Permalink | |

Instapundit:

RUDY GIULIANI IS OFFICIALLY THINKING ABOUT RUNNING: "Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, a moderate Republican best known for his stewardship of the city after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has taken the first step in a 2008 presidential bid, GOP officials said Monday. The former mayor filed papers to create the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee, Inc., creating a panel that would allow him to raise money for a White House run and travel the country."

I find Rudy to be the most agreeable "moderate" Republican whose name has been tossed around for 2008 simply because, well, he's Rudy Giuliani. Though I would much rather support Tancredo, if it came down to McCain or Giuliani, I might have to throw in with the Giuiliani camp, unless they're a viable conservative/Jacksonian populist third party candidate.

Posted by Ryan S. at 8:51 PM | Permalink | |

When I heard about the first book in this Gingrich/Forstchen trilogy, I was intrigued. I picked up their previous alternative history effort, 1945, used somewhere a couple years ago, began to read it, and then learned that they had never written the two planned follow-ups. By the time I was ready to read Gettysberg, Grant Comes East was about to be published, so I decided to wait and read all three books back-to-back-to-back.

There are many reasons for writing an alternate history story. There is the basic "What If?" scenario, the "How would historical figures react to this?" among others. I believe Gingrich took a different approach, because this trilogy debunks a lot of other Civil War alternative histories which detail a victorious Confederacy at Gettysburg, which then goes on to win the war. Not only does Gingrich have Lee victorious at Gettysburg in a scenario I don't think I've heard of before, but he then goes on to demonstrate how, at that point, Southern victory would have been impossible.

This is really the strength of the trilogy. Gingrich amazingly shows off the raw industrial might of the Union, and features Herman Haupt in a starring role, demonstrating that the power of the North lay not in its conviction to the cause, but in raw industrial strength.

I don't want to spoil much of the books, but I disagree with the characterization of Lincoln, especially in his treatment towards the White House servants, one of which comes to play a large role in the books. It is well-documented that Lincoln was a racist, and for him treat the black servant with such respect, even deference, makes little sense.

Overall, I would recommend the trilogy, especially to alt history fans and Civil War "buffs."

Posted by Ryan S. at 4:45 PM | Permalink | |

My hero this week is George Allen. He is my hero this week because he conceded. He probably could have made the process drag on via lawsuits, obstruction, and various other methods (see Gore 2000). However, he did the right thing by acknowledging defeat, and allowing Virginia to move forward.






My hack this week is another soon-to-be-out-of-work Senator, Lincoln Chafee. He is the one reason why one of the brightest and most intelligent Bush appointees will also be out of work soon, John Bolton. FoxNews:

WASHINGTON — U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton won't get a hearing before the 109th Congress adjourns, effectively killing any chance he would have of being confirmed for his post.

Members of the current Senate are coming together next week in a lame duck session to vote on remaining spending bills left unfinished before the October campaign season, but they are not going to vote on Bolton, staff members for Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told FOX News on Thursday.

Part of Bolton's inability to get through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is the result of opposition from Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee.

Chafee, who lost his re-election and is considering whether to leave the GOP altogether, said he has not changed his reservations about Bolton nor does he think now is the time for a fight.

"The American people have spoken out against the president's agenda on a number of fronts, and presumably one of those is on foreign policy," Chafee said. "And at this late stage in my term, I'm not going to endorse something the American people have spoke out against."

Posted by Ryan S. at 9:32 AM | Permalink | |

WASHINGTON — Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, whose party lost both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, will step down from his post when his two-year term ends in January, GOP officials said Thursday.

Thank God. Hopefully they put a good mind in there, though I think Mehlman resigning is symbolic, due to 2008 now looming ominously on the horizon.

UPDATE (11/10 1:50AM): Michael Steele has been offered the position, according to the Washington Times.

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:30 PM | Permalink | |

So, my predictions were mostly way off, but I am going to move forward and do some election analysis finally.

First, why the Republicans did so bad. I think that Congressman Mike Pence and Senator Tom Coburn have it correct. This is a direct result of the Republican Party straying away from conservative values and towards power politics. In 1994, the Republicans swept into Congress promising to rid the institution of corruption. Twelve years later, a scandal-ridden Republican Congress was swept out of power. If you can't do the job you were sent to do, time to go home. It is a shame that good Republicans, such as Rick Santorum, and my Congressman, Mike Fitzpatrick, were hurt due to the actions of DeLay, Abramoff, Foley, and Hastert.

Senator Tom Coburn, a shining beacon of light in the Washington darkness:

“The overriding theme of this election, however, is that voters are more interested in changing the culture in Washington than changing course in Washington, D.C. This election was not a rejection of conservative principles per se, but a rejection of corrupt, complacent and incompetent government.

“A recent CNN poll found that 54 percent of Americans believe government is doing too much while only 37 percent want government to do more. The results of this election reflect that attitude. Among the Republicans who lost their re-election bids a surprising number were political moderates who advocated a more activist government. Several Republican members of the appropriations committees, which have been on a spending binge, also were not re-elected. On the other hand, the two Republican senators who pulled off the most impressive victories were unapologetic conservatives, Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and John Ensign (R-NV). It is also notable that the Democrats who won or who ran competitive races sounded more like Ronald Reagan than Lyndon Johnson.

“This election does not show that voters have abandoned their belief in limited government; it shows that the Republican Party has abandoned them. In fact, these results represent the total failure of big government Republicanism."

Senator Coburn is 100% correct. The Republican Party needs to go back to its conservative base and reemerge. Some time in the minority will give them time to do so. Hastert should resign from his Speaker position, and Ken Mehlman should see his way out.

The other piece to the puzzle is libertarians. The very policies they vote on, smaller government, less spending, are the ones Republicans abandoned. They were certainly the part of the conservative coalition that held the GOP in power. If Republicans want to be a factor in Congressional politics in the near future, they need to hold the Libertarian bloc. For example:

Did anyone else notice that the Libertarian Party in Montana (Stan Jones, who received 3%) provided far more than the margin of victory between Tester and Burns? Assuming that the LP candidate drew more from Burns than Tester, this means that the LP essentially played a kingmaker role in creating a Democratic Senate.

I am most disappointed that Ferris Wharton and Mike Ramone suffered because of the shortcomings of the national party. Ferris Wharton was the right candidate for the job, and one of the least political men I have met while being involved in politics. It is a shame that someone is able to get into office based on their name and money alone. I do not blame the campaign for the loss, I blame the current political atmosphere, and the help that Democrats got from labor unions on election day.

The Wharton team did everything they could within their means to try to win. There is no doubt about that. Even Castle's margin was significantly smaller than expected, so I don't think that the campaign team or the state office holds a large responsibility for the loss.

I am not quite sure what to expect out of the Democratic Congress, because most of it depends on how President Bush works with them. I now pray for the health of every Supreme Court Justice and the cloning of John Roberts.

Posted by Ryan S. at 7:43 PM | Permalink | |

Bush nominates Bob Gates to replace him.


Why wasn't this done earlier? Like June...2005?

Posted by Ryan S. at 1:14 PM | Permalink | |

UPDATE (11/8/2006 10:30AM): I am commenting on my own predictions. Full election analysis, state and federal, will be up tomorrow at the latest. I need more sleep, and I have to catch up on all of my schoolwork.

Right now, it is shortly before 2:00AM. I'm at DE GOP Headquarters in Wilmington, having volunteered all weekend, and today since 8:00AM. Sleep, however, is for the weak. There are signs to put up and things to prepare. I'll be running around all day tomorrow, and then heading over to the GOP official victory party tonight.


Here are my Election Day predictions:

• The GOP will retain control of both Chambers of Congress. Either way, both the House and the Senate will be within a three seat margin.
• Rick Santorum will win, or lose by less than 3%.
• Ferris Wharton will be the next Attorney General of Delaware
• Tom Carper will serve another term in the U.S. Senate; Christine O'Donnell will get 5-10% of the vote, not clearly coming from either Carper or Ting.
  
• Mike Ramone will win his State Senate race
• Ulysses S. Grant will go from an upset win in the primary to the General Assembly. (Lost by about 90 votes)
  
• George Allen (recount), Bob Corker, Michael Steele, Bob Erlich, Conrad Burns (recount), Joe Lieberman, and Lincoln Chafee will all win.
• At least one Senate race will not be decided by the time the papers hit Wednesday morning.

Well, my optimism for the GOP was squashed flat, and I guess I underestimated the Democratic GOTV efforts, among other things. Like I said above, more later.

Posted by Ryan S. at 2:00 AM | Permalink | |

Delaware:
Jan Ting (R) - U.S. Senate
No one - U.S. House
Ferris Wharton (R) - Attorney General
Mike Ramone (R) - 8th Senate
John Jaremchuk (R) - 13th House

Pennsylvania:
Rick Santorum (R) - U.S. Senate
Lynn Swann (R) - Governor
Mike Fitzpatrick (R) - 8th U.S. House
Diana Irey (R) - 12th U.S. House
Dennis O'Brein (R) - PA State House District 169
George T. Kenney (R) - PA State House District 170
Mark Harris (R) - PA State House District 42

Virginia
No One - U.S. Senate

Connecticut
Alan Schlesinger (R) - U.S. Senate

Colorado
Tom Tancredo (R) - U.S. House 6th District*

Ohio
Ken Blackwell (R) - Governor

Minnesota
Mark Kennedy (R) - U.S. Senate
Rod Grams (R) - U.S. House 8th District

Maryland
Michael Steele (R) - U.S. Senate
Bob Ehrlich (R) - Governor

Tennessee
Bob Corker (R) - U.S. Senate


______________________
*Full Disclosure, I have donated money to these campaigns

Posted by Ryan S. at 6:30 PM | Permalink | |

My hero this week is none other than John Jaremchuk, candidate for Delaware's House of Representatives in the 13th District. Jaremchuk has been running a top-notch campaign, focusing on the issue of illegal immigration, which permeates into many other issues of the day (education, healthcare, security, etc.). What makes him my hero for this week is his ability to stay on message. Staying on message is difficult to do, especially as Election Day draws near. Jaremchuk and his great team have done just that, and hopefully they are rewarded with victory on Tuesday.

My hack this week is Beau Biden and his campaign. He's been campaigning so dirty and untruthfully, even the News-Journal has taken notice:

Attorney general candidate Beau Biden's latest attack ad against Ferris Wharton does not come close to passing the truthiness test.

Mr. Biden's campaign -- presumably with the candidate's approval -- has taken a News Journal investigative article from last Saturday and spun it into a campaign advertisement that blames Mr. Wharton for not addressing hundreds of unaccounted sex offenders in the state. It's a bogus charge.

The Delaware State Police, whose colonel comes under the governor's office, and the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, whose chief is in the governor's cabinet, have both acknowledged their responsibility. The attorney general, who is elected independently from the governor, has no jurisdiction over operation of the state's sex offender registry.

I'll be doing a lot of campaigning this weekend, though I may have posts intermittently throughout.

Posted by Ryan S. at 5:19 PM | Permalink | |

WorldNetDaily:

Muhammad Saadi, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, said the Democrats' talk of withdrawal from Iraq makes him feel "proud."

"As Arabs and Muslims we feel proud of this talk," he told WND. "Very proud from the great successes of the Iraqi resistance. This success that brought the big superpower of the world to discuss a possible withdrawal."

Posted by Ryan S. at 3:59 PM | Permalink | |

Someone sent this to me via e-mail. Enjoy!

Posted by Ryan S. at 12:35 AM | Permalink | |

Keith Olbermann is saying we all misunderstood Senator Kerry's comments yesterday. From the Countdown Preview e-mail I just received:

The Senator, in essence, called Mr. Bush stupid. The context was unmistakable: Texas, the state of denial, stuck in Iraq. No interpretation required.
And Mr. Bush and his minions responded, by appearing to be too stupid to realize that they had been called stupid.

That's a stretch. These Bush 'minions' are calling for Kerry to apologize:

Rep. Harold Ford

"He needs to apologize to our troops"

Sen. Hillary Clinton

“What Sen. Kerry said was inappropriate”

Gov. Janet Napolitano

“It's just wrong"

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez

“I think his comments were inappropriate”

New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey

“I think it's offensive”

Senate candidate Jon Tester

“Senator Kerry's remarks were poorly worded and just plain stupid”

North Carolina State Democratic Party chairman Jerry Meek

“John Kerry's botched joke was wrong and he should apologize”

Congressional candidate Bruce Braley

"I believe that Senator Kerry's brief statement was inappropriate”

Congressional candidate John Pavich

“I believe he should apologize to the brave men and women in service.”

Posted by Ryan S. at 5:00 PM | Permalink | |