The Tricky Thing About Compromise...

Is that it takes two parties.

President Obama called for compromise in the wake of Tuesday's elections, then refused to bend in his opposition to extending the Bush-era tax cuts to all taxpayers.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. So the President won't compromise on tax cuts...Nancy Pelosi wants to be minority leader...folks are fighting to get Keith Olbermann back on the air...and the President will continue to try to implement the health care bill.

2012 is on its way.

Suffering Political Withdrawal?

CNN does an utter useless 2012 presidential poll...and the Associated Press has withdrawn its call in the race for Governor of Connecticut.

Christmas In Washington DC

A ticket lottery is being held online for the annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington DC.

I attended a lighting a few years ago. While it was ironic to see then President Clinton speak of "peace on earth" while behind a giant wall of bullet-proof glass, I understood the need for security. At the same ceremony, Willard Scott played Santa while LeeAnn Rimes and Mannheim Steamroller performed. It's a big deal.

I've also toured the east wing of the White House after it's been decorated for the holidays. It's breath-taking.

Put it on your "bucket list" to tour the White House and see Washington DC over the holidays.

"My son is gay. Or he's not. I don't care."

Every parent should read this. And then think twice before you express "concern" about your child or someone else's playing dress-up, or dating a person of a different race, or wanting to jump out of airplanes, or doing anything "different" or "dangerous."

My Collection Of Post-Election Thoughts

Republicans are exercising good message discipline in the aftermath of the election results. Marco Rubio sets the tone by saying that the results are not an embrace of Republicans but a "second chance." Others being interviewed stick to the mantra that the upcoming agenda will be about job growth and controlling government spending.

Christine O'Donnell is about to be unleashed and wants to be a tea party leader in the Sarah Palin mold. She'll challenge the establishment in her own state, release a book, then go on a tour to raise funds for tea party candidates.

Finally, Republicans were so focused on national results that they're just beginning to grasp the historic wave that took place in the states.

New winning strategy for Democrats?

Let Sarah Palin pick the Republican candidates. As Josh Marshall points out, there's a cogent argument that she's to be thanked for keeping the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.

This post is not about voting.

It's about Elvis. Specifically, it's about how unbelievably gorgeous Elvis was when he was young. Check out these photos, from the New Yorker. All were taken by Alfred Wertheimer during 1956. Photo #4 is my favorite.

Top 10 Catch Phrases Of The 2010 Campaign

Some may have staying power, like "mama grizzlies" or "hippie-punching," but it's hard to imagine future "cheddarbombs."

And "man up" existed long before candidates had set their sites on November 2nd.

I'll Be On KMA Radio Tonight

I will be providing GOP election analysis tonight on KMA Radio in Shenandoah, Iowa. Listen here beginning at 8:30 PM CST.

Demi Lovato Enters Treatment

On my twitter feed over the weekend, I started noticing a number of tweets exhorting me to "pray for Demi Lovato."

Today comes word that the Disney star has quit her tour and entered treatment for unspecified reasons. She's previously dealt with eating disorders and cutting.

Lovato is an 18-year-old girl who is much admired by other teen girls. I am hoping that she can come through this experience and become a positive influence those fans. If a girl who has money and fame can talk openly about her emotional struggles, she'll probably inspire a number of girls with troubled lives to seek help as well.

People Vote For Self-Governance, Not A Party

My prediction for Tuesday: Republicans win 62 seats in the US House, and achieve a tie in the US Senate...leading to post-election day speculation that Joe Lieberman will now caucus with the Republicans. That scenario also means that VP Joe Biden is the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, which this Republican believes will lead to two years of awesome hilarity.

Although I am a Republican, I am willing to note that people are voting against Democrats, rather than for Republicans. The approval rating for Republicans in general remains low--and the GOP needs to take this opportunity to align itself with the wishes of the majority of American voters.

Pollster Scott Rasmussen sums the situation up:

Elected politicians also should leave their ideological baggage behind because voters don't want to be governed from the left, the right, or even the center. They want someone in Washington who understands that the American people want to govern themselves.

The "self-governing" philosophy is best exemplified by the rise of the tea party. The party that grasps this concept first, will be allowed to govern the longest.

In my home state of Iowa, I would not be surprised to see the federal Democratic incumbents survive the wave, due to an excellent get-out-the-vote effort honed during previous Iowa caucuses. But the Iowa House majority will be reclaimed by the Republicans, the GOP will also make gains in the Senate, and Terry Branstad will return to the Governor's mansion. There will be some turnover to the GOP in the statewide offices, as I believe that the Iowa Poll reporting a 12-point lead for Branstad and a 21-point lead for Senator Charles Grassley will depress Democratic turn-out on Election Day.

Predictions made on the Internet are scary, because if you are wrong, it's out there forever! But this blog was the first in Iowa to predict a caucus win for Barack Obama, so I feel an obligation to put myself out there.

I'll be on KMA Radio in Shenandoah on Tuesday night to provide GOP election analysis. Coverage will begin around 8:30 pm, and you can hear it here.