Dennis Prager on the U.N. Electing Iran to its Commission on Women’s Rights

I edited Dennis’s comments from the show today into three parts.

From Prager:

“If Iran is on a Commission of Women’s Rights, then “women’s rights” is a meaningless term.”

Tim Burns Expands Lead in PA-12 Race

From Politico:

Weighed down in his district by low presidential favorability ratings and a health care law that’s unpopular there, Pennsylvania Democrat Mark Critz now trails by 6 percentage points in next month’s special election for the seat of the late Rep. John Murtha, according to a Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll released Friday.

Critz, who served on Murtha’s staff before the congressman’s death, takes 40 percent of the vote in the poll compared with 46 percent for Republican businessman Tim Burns.

[…]

The congressional district has a decided Democratic registration advantage, but it was the only one in the country to support the Republican presidential ticket in 2008 after breaking for the Democrats in the previous presidential race.

The Cook Political Report recently moved this race from ‘Toss-Up’ to ‘Lean Republican’.

Here’s an excerpt of their report:

Republicans have no excuse to lose this race. The fundamentals of this district, including voters’ attitudes towards Obama and Pelosi, are awful for Democrats. And Democratic party registration advantages here are just as obsolete as GOP’s advantages in Upstate New York were last year.

And their conclusion:

At the moment, the dynamics of this race are in the GOP’s favor, and for now, we are cautiously moving it to the Lean Republican column. But if Republicans are unable to stick to an anti-Washington message or get off script, it could find its way back into the Toss Up column before Election Day.

The Early Returns Blog at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the full Cook report.

Rubio: ‘I am not a grudge-holding person’

From Robert Costa at NRO:

Marco Rubio, the presumptive GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in Florida, says he holds no bitterness toward the national Republican party apparatus that previously supported Gov. Charlie Crist. “I am not a grudge-holding person,” he says.

He tells us that Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, along with RNC chairman Michael Steele, called him yesterday to offer their support. They left messages, since yesterday was a “whirlwind.” “I will call them back,” he pledges. “I know they have the best interests of the party at heart and I look forward to working with them.”

Rubio’s a good man.

Consensus: Crist Has No Shot

Based on everything I’ve read in the last 24 hours, the broad consensus is that Charlie Crist has no shot to win the U.S. Senate election in Florida. Why? The main reason is because the voters in Florida now know (if they didn’t before) that Crist is only in politics to serve himself, and they won’t vote for a man who so obviously lacks principles.

This news certainly won’t help Crist either. From CNN:

Crist’s name to be buried on Florida ballot

Gov. Charlie Crist’s decision announcement Thursday that he will run for Senate as an unaffiliated candidate means that his name will be placed beneath at least eight others on Florida’s general election ballot in November.

According to the Florida Secretary of State’s office, the order that candidates are listed on the state’s ballot is predetermined by law. The winner of the Republican primary will receive top billing, followed by the winner of the Democratic primary and then any candidates who have qualified to run as members of Florida’s more than 30 registered “minor parties.” These candidates are listed in the order in which they qualified for the ballot.

UN Elects Iran to Women’s Rights Commission

No, that’s not a typo.

I don’t even know what to say. I’m just disgusted.

From Fox News:

Without fanfare, the United Nations this week elected Iran to its Commission on the Status of Women, handing a four-year seat on the influential human rights body to a theocratic state in which stoning is enshrined in law and lashings are required for women judged “immodest.”

Just days after Iran abandoned a high-profile bid for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, it began a covert campaign to claim a seat on the Commission on the Status of Women, which is “dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women,” according to its website.

From Allahpundit at HotAir:

Go have a look at what the newest defender of international women’s rights is up to these days.

Gordon Brown Sinks Labour

This story has received nonstop coverage in the UK, and for good reason. It reveals a lot about the kind of person Gordon Brown is.

Here was Duffy’s full reaction when she heard what Brown said about her:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Here’s more of Brown’s reaction when his words are played back for him over the radio.

The image of Brown burying his head in his hands will surely be the defining image of the election, and may go on to be one of the most famous electoral pictures of all time.

Finally, here are the headlines from the morning papers.

The Times:

The Guardian:

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie…

This was put out by the Rubio camp yesterday:

Quote of the Day

“Now, what we’re doing — I want to be clear, we’re not trying to push financial reform because we begrudge success that’s fairly earned. I mean, I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money. But part of the American way is you can just keep on making it if you’re providing a good product or you’re providing a good service. We don’t want people to stop fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow the economy.”

– President Obama, talking about Wall St.

Inevitable: Charlie Crist to run as Independent

Anyone surprised by this? Yeah, me neither.

From Fox News:

Crist to Run as Independent in FL Sen Race

Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist has decided he will run as an independent in the race to fill the Florida U.S. Senate seat, Crist allies tell Fox News. The official announcement is scheduled for Thursday at 5pm ET in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Senate campaign has been rough and tumble for Crist, he was once the front-runner — but in recent months began trailing his GOP opponent, Florida State Speaker Marco Rubio.

Crist has said that under no circumstance would he drop out of the race, saying he will do what is best for the voters of Florida. The governor says Republicans in Washington want him to stay in the Republican party but voters in Florida have told him they want him to run as an independent.

His campaign and the governor’s office have not officially confirmed anything, however this move by Crist has made internal communications difficult because some staff are unlikely to continue to work with Crist as an independent candidate.

This is why people hate politicians. Promises mean nothing. Charlie Crist isn’t doing this for the people of Florida. He’s doing this so he can stay in a position of power in politics.

Cook Moves Illinois Senate Race From ‘Toss-Up’ to ‘Lean Republican’

The summary from Jennifer Duffy at the Cook Political Report:

As expected, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation seized control Friday of Broadway Bank, the community bank owned by the family of Democratic Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias.

The bank’s financial problems and its business relationships with people associated with corruption and organized crime have dogged Giannoulias’ campaign since early February when he became the nominee. Broadway’s failure will have an enormous impact on Giannoulias’ campaign, and it is entirely possible that the fallout could force him from the race. As such, the race is moving from the Toss Up to the Lean Republican column.

More:

Given recent events, it’s impossible to justify keeping the race in the Toss Up column. While current circumstances would seem to lend themselves to a rating of Likely Republican, we know that it’s entirely possible that we could well be dealt a different hand – and a very different race – a month or two from now. As such, the race moves to the Lean Republican column.

(HT: David Freddoso)

Mark Kirk