Getting rid of the Klansman ranks second only to the Chappaquidick Lush.

Greg, where did Daschle rank? :)

Later,
bbeck

I was born and raised in West Virginia (which, of course, doesn't mean I'm an expert, but don't we all like to think of ourselves as experts?), and despite the poll numbers, I'd call this wishful thinking.

I guess it could happen. I would note that Moore Capito isn't really "obscure" for two reasons:

1) It's a small state, so all the representatives are relatively well-known.
2) She kept the name "Moore" for a reason. Her dad was Arch Moore, the famous 3-time Republican governor of the state.

The numbers are encouraging, and a Republican dark horse unseated an allegedly unbeatable Supreme Court justice in '04, but I'm not sure the state Republican Party has the organization necessary to unseat Sheets.

...unseat Sheets.

Say that 5 times fast.

Later,
bbeck

Maybe he'll drop dead first and we won't have to worry about this.

Well, the Repubs are going to half to do better at backing up their new Senators outside Jesus-Land. The DOD appointees of Bush just royally screwed Sen. Thune with the eradication of the B-1 bomber base there - his state's 2nd biggest employer, and raped Sen Lieberman, Reps Shays, Simmons, and Johnson of CT, as well as Collins, Snowe, and Trent Lott with base closures while transferring the assets to Texas, Georgia, and Florida.

Thune just announced Bolton has lost his vote.

Aren't Senatorial "signals" of displeasure over being anally violated neat??

As for W Virginia, the big question will be "can she bring home the pork like Bobby??" Meaning not have it shoved up her butt, like the Bushies just did to several Republicans..and one earstwhile ally Democrat.

I don't believe in welfare programs. I also don't believe in welfare programs disguised as Air Force Bases. In addition, take a look at all the bases being closed in Texas.

www.brac.gov

Texas had 291,736 DOD personnel in 1987. It now has 241, 858 if BRAC 2005 goes through. Texas Reps and Texas military brass did a great job retaining 81.8% of its Federal defense infrastructure and staff.

In contrast, New England is gutted of 95% of it's 1987 level, the Mid-west 55%, California lost 43%. The average southern region state lost 15% as the military downsized over the last ~20 years. Texas, at 81.8% retention actually lags most other Southern states. Voting Republican is tied to national security and smiles at the Pentagon, doncha know!

Do you know how the hell BRAC functions cedardouche? DoD makes recommendations, the presidentially apointed BRAC commision alters it- then it goes to congress.
If Thune, et al want to keep the bases open they VOTE FUNDING FOR THEM.
Like congress is authorised to do.
BRAC came about because bases needed closing but nobody wanted to take the fall in their home state, so the pussies in congress created an "independant" commision to do the work for them, rubber stamp it, and tell the voters that it somebody elses fault the pork ran out.

Or I suppose you could blame it all on the joooos as usual.

oooops! he gets caught trying to blow smoke up our collective asses once again!

The fact that the military is pushing for these base closings tells me that they are necessary part of streamlining our government. I think the base closing commission is great, because it removes most of the politics of deciding which bases must close.

In fact, I think similar commissions should make recommedations for (1) Social Security and (2) eliminating government programs with questionable value. Since the findings must be voted either up or down by Congress, without modifications, it will increase the changes of true reform actually happening.

HowardDevore -

Blame it all on the Jooooooos? Wrong, Jew-boy, that's your line just to deflect the truth. Spewie likes it though..You have no idea how Brac functions. It was set up to remove Congress from protecting pork, by forcing all or nothing votes. What wasn't factored in though was military brass with strong southern affinity protecting most of the Southern base structure while gutting the rest of the country.

As for Congress voting - as long as the Congressional South is happy, Bush is happy, and neither group will halt the shutdown of more NE or Midwest bases. Besides, we do need to cut military equipment and staff to help pay for the 200 billion so far we spent on the Iraqi WMD hunt and now...the Spread of Democracy to the Noble Iraqis...The 2 billion in savings a year that start 3 years from now after we go in the red another 11 billion to pay for Brac, pre-2008, will sure help a bit if we are still in Iraq or some other Project Democracy military occupation spending 1-2 billion a week for "liberating the freedom-loving folks".

Only the Brac Commission can stop the "transforming" vision of Rumsfeld. Which, thank god, retired military and some within are really speaking out against with the rise of the Chinese Air Force and Naval Fleet. They don't like Rummy's vision of a future where we have 1/3rd the fighter jets and half the Naval Fleet Clinton gave Bush.

Cedarford,

Last warning. One more Jew-boy and you're out of here.

Hubris,

Thanks for the correction. I guess I meant "obscure" in the sense that I never heard of her.

Ummm... does that work?

Please, please, Ace, no more warnings. God help you if this is your style of parenting. Just do it.

I know I have little to no standing or street cred here, but it's getting unseemly.

Do it ... do it ... do it .

Look Ace, I don't just fly off with ethnic or religous taunts. It takes someone initially accusing me of being a Nazi or "It's Alllll about the JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS! for you..."

To make me respond in kind with personal remarks. I never start personal attacks here on another poster, but I do reciprocate.

My critiques are accurate. Those critiques, said obliquely, or as part of a big picture like why the neos want us to invade Syria and Iran soon, are not challenged.

Only ad-hominem'd by those who those who try and stifle and say that the USA, or any other nation may be questioned, but not The One....any group may be criticized - the French, the Muslims, the Chinese, the Evangelicals....But Not Those Who Must Never Be Challenged...Even if their influence moves America into dangerous, counterproductive wars or domestic mistakes...

As America transforms though, the idea that only one people or one country must Never Be Criticized while Americans are free to criticize all others is a sick notion, and the HowardDevores and Spewies count on well-meaning people like you to enforce the idea that only one people or nation is above negative comment, or scrutiny.

For the last 30 years, as this stifling has been generally or rigorously enforced in the MSM - support for Zionist expansion and 3-5 billion a year from the US taxpayer to Israel - has waned.

Now finally, fair, balanced, critiques are being offered in academia and in the media and the cry "anti-semitism" or "Joooooooooo - Hater!" no longer works - it was just another affirmative action preference/special victim group proclaimation that was played too much by folks crying "wolf".

Cedarford,

I don't give a shit. The fact that you respond to people baiting you about your anti-semitism -- and you ARE anti-semitic -- with a "Jew-boy" slur just proves the initial baiting was accurate.

Clean it up or go elsewhere.

And how was I wrong when you ADMIT my central thesis- BRAC, the DoD & POTUS do not close bases, only recomends which ones are closed.

Congress (that august body to which Sen. Thune belongs) is the ONLY one that can close bases.

If Thune doesn't like it, he can vote against the BRAC list, or even repeal the BRAC law.

Oh wait, I forgot, Judges pass laws in this brave new world.

Harrison said:
>Maybe he'll drop dead first and we won't
>have to worry about this.

WV has a Democrat governor, and his term doesn't end until 2008, so I wouldn't be surprised if Byrd runs for reelection with the intention of retiring before 2008 so that he is replaced by a Democrat who will have enough of a term left that he can credibly reun for reelection as an incumbent.

Congress doesn't close the bases on the BRAC list. Here's the timeline:

1) DOD makes its recommendations as to what bases should be closed. (already done)

2) BRAC hold hearings, travels to the high-profile bases, and working off the DOD recommendations, puts together its list of base closings and sends it to the President.

3) The President either accepts or rejects BRAC's list in toto.

3a) BRAC has one opportunity to send the President a revised list which he then must accept or reject in toto.

4) The President sends the list to Congress which has 45 legislative days (about 12-20 weeks depending on when adjournment happens) to pass a joint resolution of disapproval to reject the list in toto. Congress would have to pass this resolution by a 2/3 vote in both houses since the President would almost certainly veto such a resolution.

Ellsworth is in trouble because it only has bombers there - the missiles were removed in the 90s pursuant when GHW Bush deactivated the Minuteman IIs- whereas Minot in Grand Forks ND has both missiles and bombers.

Thune has to convince the President to reject any list that contains Ellsworth.

Simon makes some good points. Ellsworth should have been closed a long time ago, but it likely was kept alive because Tom Dacshle's considerable influence was there to protect it. Well, he's not there anymore, and Thune just doesn't have the clout to do what Daschle arguably should not have been doing all this time.

The only real downside is the political fallout from the closing. South Dakota is full of conservative Democrats who will likely hold this against the Republicans.

Later,
bbeck