Romney Stuns In Straw Poll

In the first event of the 2008 presidential run for the GOP, Bill Frist won the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll as expected, with 36% of the vote going to the Tennessee native in Nashville. However, instead of supposed frontrunner John McCain or southern favorites George Allen or Mike Huckabee grabbing the second spot, Governor Mitt Romney of Massachussetts rolled in right behind Frist with 14%:

Frist won 36.9 percent of the 1,427 ballots cast here by delegates to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.

The shocker of the evening was that Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney placed second, besting far better-known rivals Arizona Sen. John McCain and Virginia Sen. George Allen. Romney finished with 14 percent of the vote.

Third place was shared by Allen and President Bush, each of whom won 10.3 percent of the ballots cast. Bush, who of course is not eligible to run again for president, was the write-in candidate that McCain was pushing through the weekend.

I am somewhat surprised that Frist did as well as he did, even with the home-turf advantage. He has not provided the kind of tough leadership that many expected when he took over for Trent Lott. The long delay in moving judicial nominees in 2005 allowed momentum to build for Harry Reid's obstructionism and McCain's defection on the solution to it. He has appeared weak and indecisive in battling Reid, and made the lightweight replacement for Tom Daschle look like a genius at times in comparison.

Let's not oversell this win for Frist, who alone of the contenders actively politicked for votes from the delegates. Of the 526 votes he won, all but 97 of them came from Tennessee delegates. He had no other home-state competition. He remains terribly popular in his own back yard, but even in this preliminary wind-tester, he doesn't have much legs anywhere else.

If Frist's finish surprises, then Romney's stuns. No one expected Mitt Romney to show up in GOP calculations, at least not at the SRLC. George Allen, who finished four points behind and tied with the solidarity write-in vote for George Bush for third place, should have done better than Romney. After all, this is the Southern straw poll, and it was expected to raise the profile of candidates below the Mason-Dixon Line. Allen should have benefitted from that. He has served as both governor and senator, has great name recognition, and has been more stalwart in support of the Bush administration than Bill Frist.

The big loser, of course, is John McCain. After sticking his finger into the Nashville wind, McCain realized that he couldn't win earlier this week. Having been built up by the media as the presumptive nominee for the Republicans -- in much the same way Hillary has for the Democrats -- McCain knew that he could not afford to get beaten badly. As I wrote on Friday, he engineered the Bush write-in vote to appear selfless and a party stalwart while hoping to make the entire event irrelevant.

McCain only succeeded in making himself irrelevant. He could only convince ten percent of the 1427 delegates to write in Bush's name. McCain himself only got 66 votes out of 1427, a stunning rebuke for a man who has had his face on TV more than Madonna since the 2004 election. It demonstrates a gaping weakness in the South, perhaps a fatal weakness, if he expects to win the nomination. It also shows that his efforts to suck up to conservatives and Bush supporters has largely failed. And lastly, his humiliation in Nashville rebukes the media players who had built McCain into a Republican juggernaut.

What's next? This straw poll will launch Romney into the top tier of Republican candidates and start attracting the most effective organizers to his campaign. His record in Massachussetts will get more scrutiny, but he will also get more media exposure. Romney holds a governor's seat, a better launching pad for presidential campaigns than a Senate seat. George Allen, who has held both, will need to explain his weak showing in his own neighborhood if he wants to push for the nomination, but don't be surprised if people start thinking about a Romney-Allen ticket. It would link two sections of the country and create a team of likeable conservatives for the 2008 campaign.

Let the games begin ...

ILLEGAL ALIENS PROTEST IN CHICAGO

By Michelle Malkin

Nothing like a true immigration enforcement bill to bring illegal alien activists out of the shadows. The crowd protesting the House GOP border security and interior enforcement bill H.R. 4437 in Chicago today was massive--estimated at 75,000:

Quotes from the march:

"What are Americans going to do without the Latin people? We do the jobs white people don't want to do." - Mario Leguizamo, 21, of suburban Cicero.

"As indigenous people, we are not immigrants. ... When we talk about homeland security, we really needed that in 1492." - Alma Montes, a member of an Aztec dancing group that performed near the rally.

Bloggers at Freedom Folks report on the march:

"Si, se puede!" was the cry of the crowd in Chicago today -- yes we can. Thousands upon thousands of illegal aliens and their supporters gathered in Union Park, then marched down Jackson Street to The Loop. Jamming the plaza, as well as the surrounding streets and sidewalks, they rallied to cheer on those who had come to speak.

They demanded legalization for all immigrants. They patted each other on the back for working hard and having dreams. They lauded politicians who devote themselves to representing "the people," which evidently, in their minds, includes "the people" who have come here illegally and don't get to vote. They demanded justice. They jeered HR4437, the House bill passed last December that would make coming here illegally a criminal offense, rather than a civil one, that calls for a fence on the border, and that would penalize anyone who hires and/or helps someone to come or stay here illegally.

Mayor Daley even got up to add his support, which made no sense:

"Don't let anyone tell you you're an immigrant," he shouted. "We're all immigrants!"

???

Next stop: The Gold Card Express.

AMERICAN HOSTAGE TOM FOX MURDERED

From an AP report filed 9:18pm EST:

An American who was among four Christian activists kidnapped last year in Iraq has been killed, a State Department spokesman said Friday.

The FBI verified that a body found in Iraq Friday morning was that of Tom Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., spokesman Noel Clay said. He said he had no information on the other three hostages.

Clay said additional forensics will be done in the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is investigating, he said. Fox's family has been notified, Clay said, and "our heartfelt condolences go out to them." "The State Department continues to call for the unconditional release of all other hostages" in Iraq, the spokesman said.

Fox was the one American among four Christian Peacemaker activists kidnapped last year in Iraq. On Tuesday, Al-Jazeera television aired footage of the three other activists purportedly appealing to their governments to secure their release. The hostages seen in the brief video dated Feb. 28 were Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32; and Briton Norman Kember, 74.

Allan Slater, a Canadian member of Christian Peacemaker Teams, said at the time that he was disturbed not to see Fox.

Christian Peacemaker Teams has posted a statement:

In grief we tremble before God who wraps us with compassion. The death of our beloved colleague and friend pierces us with pain. Tom Fox’s body was found in Baghdad yesterday.

Christian Peacemaker Teams extends our deep and heartfelt condolences to the family and community of Tom Fox, with whom we have traveled so closely in these days of crisis.

We mourn the loss of Tom Fox who combined a lightness of spirit, a firm opposition to all oppression, and the recognition of God in everyone.

TEACHING THE THREE T'S

By Michelle Malkin

Cox & Forkum, which you should be reading every day, has the cartoon of the week:

***

More letters to Yale from my mailbox:

From Yale alum Larry Levin to Yale president Richard Levin (no relation):

Dear Mr. Levin: I am a Yale graduate, class of 1975. I am deeply offended that Yale has chosen to admit a Taliban spokesman, not as some unfortunate oversight, but as a prize the University eagerly sought. If I have to explain to you what the Taliban stood for and the abhorrent practices it engaged in, then you are far too ignorant to hold your current position. When I was at Yale, there were banners which said, "For God, for country, and for Yale." Do those banners still exist? Can you possibly show more contempt for the United States and our values than to admit someone who has engaged in the brutal suppression of women, homosexuals, and anyone else who didn't agree with his depraved view of the world? Please instruct your large staff of solicitors never to ask for money from me again. Sincerely, Lawrence A. Levin Lexington, KY Class of 1975

And another:

On behalf of my deceased father, Russell R. Heyer, Yale '47, I heartily applaud your protest of Yale and it's pro-Taliban, anti-American military actions. This is not the beginning of these kind of activities. I still remember when my father received his "25th anniversary" call from Yale requesting an anniversary donation of $1,000. This was in 1972 when we were living in New Haven and my father was appalled at the actions of Yale with regard to the radical, far-left activities at the time (i.e., burning the ROTC and students attending their graduation ceremonies shirtless). Needless to say, they didn't get their $1,000. When they called him, I heard him say "I wouldn't send my dog to Yale." Very sad. Previous to this, he had been very proud of his Yale connection. If he were alive today, he would be livid.

Carol Heyer Tumser

***

Slapstick Politics has the latest updates on tirade-spewer Jay Bennish, who expects to be back in class on Monday.

***

And the latest on the Tar Heel Terrorist: The FBI spent the day collecting evidence in Charlotte in connection with the campus attack at UNC Chapel Hill. According to local TV station ABC 11 in Raleigh, "Eyewitnesses tell us a dozen FBI agents spent five hours at a home in Indian Trail outside Charlotte. The house belongs to Mohammed Taheri-azar's parents. Agents left the house today with evidence."

Breaking Port News

BREAKING PORT NEWS: DUBAI YIELDS

By Michelle Malkin · March 09, 2006 01:57 PM

***scroll for updates...230pm EST Dem Senators Schumer, Clinton, Reid scrambling to organize press conference...248pm EST. Harry Reid looks irked at being outmaneuvered: "We want an up-and-down vote...the devil is in the details." Fox News cuts away to President Bush signing renewal of Patriot Act. Bush (after thanking Cabinet officials, law enforcement, and GOP leaders, including port opponent NY GOP Rep. Peter King): "America remains a nation at war..."***

Ross K. reports:

CNBC is reporting that Dubai Ports World will transfer the ports that they would have run as part of their takeover of P&O to a US Entity.

Big Lizards recommended this option Feb. 21.

Reader Marty M. writes: "Please, please, please let Halliburton get the ports contract. Sure, they have no experience at running ports--I just want to see moonbat heads explode."

CNN has more details:

A United Arab Emirates-owned company has agreed to turn over all of its operations at U.S. ports to an American entity, Sen. John Warner said Thursday.

Reading a statement from DP World on the Senate floor, Warner, a Virginia Republican, said the reason is "to preserve" the strong relationship between the UAE and United States.

The announcement comes after congressional leaders reportedly told President Bush that the deal for DP World to assume some operations at six U.S. ports appeared dead on Capitol Hill.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, delivered the news to Bush during a meeting Thursday at the White House, two Republican sources said.

Fox News:

After Republican leaders warned President Bush that the House and Senate appeared ready to block Dubai Ports World from taking over some U.S. port terminal operations, the company said it would give up its management stake in the deal.

The Thursday announcement was a blow for Democrats, who were pushing for a Senate vote on an amendment that would halt the deal. If they succeeded in that vote, Democrats could then claim a big election year win in the area of national security — an area Republicans generally have a stronger track record on.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., read a statement from DP World executives on the Senate floor Thursday, announcing the concession.

"Because of the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and to preserve that relationship, DP World has decided to transfer fully the U.S. operation of P&O Operations North America to a United States entity," DP World's chief operating officer, Edward H. Bilkey, said in the statement.

With the latest DP World news, many members of Congress who thus far have been critical of the deal may be much more positive toward it.

Reuters:

State-owned Arab company Dubai Ports World confirmed on Thursday an announcement by U.S. Sen. John Warner that it would transfer operation of U.S. ports it has acquired from the British company P & O.

"Sen. Warner has made our statement for us. His announcements says everything we have to say at this point," a spokesman said.

Breitbart/AP:

Sen. John Warner, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, took the Senate floor to read to colleagues a company press release disclosing its new stance. "Because of the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and to preserve that relationship, DP World has decided to transfer fully the U.S. operation of P&O Operations North America to a United States entity," DP World's chief operating officer, Edward H. Bilkey, said in the statement that Warner relayed to other senators. The announcement did not specify which American company would be involved.

The move came as the White House, facing a Republican rebellion in Congress, played down President Bush's veto threat and said he was trying to find a compromise to resolve the uproar over the company's plan to take over significant operations at several U.S. sea ports.

DP World said it will transfer all interest in U.S. port operations to an American-based company, but it was unclear immediately how DP World would manage the divestiture. The company indicated that details of the surprise deal were still being worked out.

Warner said that Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, "advised the company ... that this action is the appropriate course to take." Dubai is in the emirates. Just after Warner's announcement, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a chief critic of the deal was cautious.

"This is obviously a promising development, but the devil's in the details," Schumer said. "Those of us who feel strongly about this issue believe that the U.S. part of the British company should have no connection to the United Arab Emirates or DP World."

Republican congressional leaders had told Bush at a White House meeting earlier Thursday that both the House and Senate appear ready to block the takeover, GOP officials said. In softening the White House's previous stand, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said, "Our emphasis is not on trying to draw lines or issue veto threats. It's on how we can work together and move forward."

Mark Levin at NRO:

Thanks goes to the House Republicans. The Appropriations Committee vote was so overwhelming, that the UAE got the message and is now pulling the ports deal. Hence, there will be no confrontation with the president, or embarrassing veto override. And the reaction from Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, and the appeasement wing of the Senate is hilarious...

Statement just in from House Majority Leader Rep. John Boehner:

"The American people raised serious and genuine concerns about this proposed transaction. When it comes to the operation of our nation's ports and borders, our national security is our first and foremost concern. Americans have the right to feel confident and comfortable with the security arrangements their government sets for them, and House Republicans were obligated to take action to respond to the concerns Americans have expressed about the proposed deal."

Video of whining Dems over at The Political Pit Bull.

Tom Bevan at Real Clear Politics:

Will this be the end of it? I suspect so. Bush saves face and doesn't have to make good on a veto threat. A Republican-led Congrees looks good to its constituents (and feels good about itself) for flexing its muscle and derailing the deal. DPW loses, at least for the moment (The statement was notably vague, so we'll have to wait and see if a restructured deal, of which they may have some connection, emerges at some point after the election).

As with the Harriet Miers nomination, in a few weeks the DPW deal will probably be reduced to a footnote. The question is whether Bush's standing will rebound fully or whether the Dubai Rebellion will take a further chip out of the President's credibility with the Republican base that he won't ever be able to recover.

Washington Post:

The United Arab Emirates company that was attempting to take over management operations at six U.S. ports announced today that it will divest itself of all American interests.

The announcement appears to head off a major confrontation that was brewing between Congress and the Bush administration over the controversial deal...It was not immediately clear how the divesture would be handled or what U.S. company would take over the operation...

It's About Time

It's about time.

By: Mark Kilmer · Section: Election 2006

Some charges are offensive.

For starters this morning, in the Opinion Section of the Philadelphia Daily News online, a letter by Jack Horan of Towamencin Township (Montgomery County, southwester PA) tells us that the GOP is "pulling a fast one" with Lynn Swann's candidacy. Swann, he argues, is a token, a "cardboard cutout," an empty black suit being paraded around by the Party of Whitey to put a black face on the operation.

Giving the party's nomination to a cardboard cutout with no experience and virtually no ideas on how to improve state government might allow the party to feel good about themselves, but it will not produce a victory nor absolution for their decades of neglect for black Americans. All races are not fooled that Mr. Swann is nothing more than a rich country club conservative.

I'm not sure what he means by his charge – "decades of neglect," by state government or by the GOP? – but I do know that the letter was printed also on the online site of the Centre Daily Times. And that the letter's writer, perhaps an African American himself, repeats former Bill Scranton campaign manager Jim Seif's accusation without the overt racial charge: Swann is a "rich country club conservative," suggesting an old wealth into which Lynn Swann was not born.

I am offended. My support for Lynn Swann has nothing to do with his race, although I think this aspect of Mr. Swann can be a positive thing politically and more important, is special to me personally. I would love to be a part of an electorate which proves that a qualified black man can be elected governor. I'm sick of the old manmade limits born of naught but pure prejudice.

Lynn Swann ought to be governor. It's about time.