This Just In ... Weekly World News says Obama gets the Alien Endorsement!

This just in from the "Too Many Recreational Drugs as a Youth" File . . .


Under the Headline "OK, This Election is Basically Over!" New York Mag breaks the story that the Space Alien has endorsed BHO and that former NY Mayor David Dinkens will endorse BHO in Denver this week.

Hey, we don't make this stuff up.

BTW, the rumor that I was abducted by aliens and that they conducted radical experiments on my brain is completely fabricated. All they wanted was some of our unique recipes for frozen blender drinks.

As if you needed another reason to elect Greg Zoeller ...

Check out this post from our pals at Frugal Hoosiers.

Quote of the Day from Greg Zoeller: “There won’t be any settlements … We don’t settle cases.”

Yeah, baby! Frivolous lawsuits need to be litigated for what they are and the shysters that bring these cases need to lose - and lose in a very big and very public way.

Greg Zoeller has the "right stuff" and he's got our vote.

"VeepStakes" Speculation intensifies around Bayh. Obama-Bayh ticket looks set.

Indiana Senator is either a really clever head-fake, or an announcement is set for Indianapolis on Saturday.

Hot Air reports that Obama-mama-mia has dispatched his minions to Indianapolis to prepare for an event on Saturday with his Veep choice. Source in Georgetown says that Mrs. Bayh has told their neighbors to prepare for an onslaught of media descending on their home.

Whew, What a Week!

So much for our poll. By a 4-1 margin respondents said they were going to vote in the GOP Primary, but the post election data shows that only two of the 92 counties in Indiana cast more GOPer ballots than Dem.

In looking at a couple of races there were significant under-votes on the down ballot contests which leads us to believe that a bunch of folks were just voting the POTUS race on Dem ballots and going on about their business. It will be interesting to see the academic analysis of the election both here in Indiana and overall nationwide as it gets published later in 2008 and '09.

There was a pretty spirited discussion of some of the races this weekend on the Hoosier Access podcast live from the VFW in Lawrence. (Shout-out to the good people at the VFW for being such gracious hosts.) Your humble correspondents tried to illuminate things in between Squidword's cut-ups and the three pizzas we had spread out between us. If you listen carefully, you can hear the clink of beer bottles getting passed around too.

More coming on the "Live Blog from ..." project. We had all the bugs worked out Saturday, but had connectivity problems and just could not get a signal on the old Sprint card. We are working on setting up a live blog/podcast from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this month. Hey, it's May in Indy, where else are you gonna be?

Stay tuned! Way more to come ...

Indiana in the Election News Again. Is this Our Year, or What?

SCOTUS Upholds IND VID Law

The Justices, in 6-3 decision, uphold the Indiana Voter ID law.

Reaction has been predictably partisan with the liberals blasting the decision, and the GOPers hailing it as common sense protection against voter fraud. IN SoS Todd Rokita said, "“This says to the voter you can have confidence again in the elections because we’re doing some of the things the guy at the video store does when you go and rent a video.”

Makes sense. You have to show ID to make a bank deposit/withdrawal, rent a car, to pick up your prescriptions, to get on an airplane, and as Todd points out, to rent a video - so why not to cast your ballot? I rather think that it protects your franchise rather than diminish it. I have worked in many campaigns and it seems to me that it is always easier to get a ballot thrown out than to get one counted. The Indiana law makes it much harder to challenge a ballot when election officials have verified the identity of the voter.

Case in point: One of the Plaintiffs in the suit was a woman who was registered to vote in two places (Indiana & Florida) proving, in my mind, that the Indiana law accomplishes what it is intended to do. I feel better knowing that my vote will not be diluted by someone else voting twice, thrice, or from Crown Hill Cemetery.

H/T Election Journal, SoS Todd Rokita

National News Breaking from Indiana ... GOP Official files Election Complaint Against Obama-mama-mia Campaign

Harrison County GOP Chairman, Scott Fluhr, files a complaint with the Indiana Election Commission alleging a violation of Indiana Code 3-14-2-1, wherein “payment of any property” of value in exchange for applying for an absentee ballot, casting an absentee ballot, registering to vote, or voting" is prohibited under state law. The issue arises out of the Obama campaign passing out "free tickets" to a Dave Matthews concert at Indiana University in Bloomington on April 6.

Fluhr cited several media reports and annecdotal evidence that the Obama-mama-mia campaign seemed to be clearly in violation of the statute by handing out the tickets in exchange for registering to vote and asked the Commission to conduct "A full investigation ... into the exact circumstances of this event and the distribution of tickets to it is clearly warranted and necessary to ascertain relevant facts regarding potential violations of this and other portions of the Indiana Code."

Fluhr notes that the two Democratic members of the IEC are closely tied to the state's junior Senator, Evan Bayh, and are therefore likely to be supportive of the Clinton campaign. Whether that plays into any decision of the commission is pure speculation, but it does seem to make for an interesting set of circumstances leading up to the state's May 6 Primary.

Stay tuned for more ...

See the original story here.

H/T Hoosier Pundit

UPDATED, Yet Again: FNC Calls VT for Obama, McCain! Continuing Updates All Night! Check Back Often!

Fellow flacks,

Here, for the historical record, is the constantly updated group live blog for election night. Enjoy.

------------- 7 PM

You heard it here first, unless you were listening to FNC ... We're cutting more friut for the Blender.

Update 2: McCain in Vermont ...

Update 3: Martha looks great tonight, don't you think?

Gonzo Update: Dude, we need more Oranges! Who got the Oranges?

Contrarian Update: DeRosa is back with the Cubs and "feeling great" according to Cubs.com

Update 4: FNC: Exit polls show tight races in TX, OH & RI ... is is possible that Gonzo is right?

FTNC Update: I'll bet the Luidhardt's are wishing they were there rather than here at IDPI conference... I know I am. What a yawner downtown. Plus, they can't spell b-l-e-n-d-e-r in Washington.

Update 5: FNC ready to call Ohio in 3 minutes, based on exit polls ...

Contrarian Update: MSNBC, you snooze, you lose.

Update 6: FNC calls OH for McCain... well, duh.

Contrarian Update: Conservatives still hanging in there for Huck in OH ... very interesting, don't you think? But, Huck takes Evangelicals by just 5%!

Gonzo Update: Oranges? Anyone?

FTNC Update: Shepard Smith, the ultimate Frat Boy? Inquiring Mind wants to know.

Interesting aside ... NOT AN UPDATE: Karl Rove, "Can we call this the 'Strategery Room'?" on FNC ... (luv ya, Karl!)

Update 7: CNN finally calls OH for McCain ... is there any reason to even listen to them anymore?

Gonzo Update: CNN. Are you kidding me, are they still on cable?

Contrarian Update: What does it mean that the evangelicals are actually voting for McCain? Could McCain be winning them over? Can the GOP begin to get behind the McCain effort? Interesting.

Also, is it any wonder that there is already a court challenge in Cleveland and Columbus from the Obamamaniacs ... what does that mean for Gonzo's prediction? Polls to remain open in Sandusky until 9 p.m. I love this game!

FTNC Update: Will the MSM be a victim of it's own sycophancy? Will Hillary get the sympathy vote because of soft treatment by Broadcast Media of Obama?

ChrisFaulkner Update: this notion of GOP voters crossing over and voting for Hillary is a bad idea. Giggles aside, we have primaries for a reason.

Update 8: OH Judge orders 15 polling sites in Cleveland to remain open until 9 pm. Let the games begin!

Update 9: Cuyahoga County must be the center of the political universe right now.

Update 10: McCain to be at WH and RNC on 3/5. Is the "fat lady" tuning up? Ummm, Yes.

Gonzo Update: Hillary is going to win. It's Kizmet, or Karma, or something like that.

FTNC Update: Anybody heard anything about RI? Polls close in 27 minutes.

Gonzo Update: Strategerizing with Contrarian and WPBC on how to fix the ice maker.

ChrisFaulkner Update: keeping the polls open for another hour after 12 hours of voting, 2 weeks of early voting and 3 weeks of absentee voting is just plain stupid.

Gonzo Update: This is fun to watch ... Five minutes to TX closing ... Courts in Chaos in OH ... This is better than an election in Marion County.

Update 11: Rhode Island and Texas to McCain, He's over the top, and wins GOPer nod. How anti-climatic can it get?

Gonzo Update: Who cares about McCain. Molly is looking just stunning in that red leather jacket. I'm in desperate need of a refill.

FTNC Update: Gonzo, it's true. You are a freak of nature.

Update 12: FNC reports Huckster will concede tonight. Why not? When you're down 21 runs in the bottom of the ninth, you don't bring in the designated hitter.

Update 13: Huckster uses the baseball metaphor, and we didn't even get through to his campaign before he went on stage!

Contrarian Update: Should have used a Cubs metaphor. It wold have been more apropos.

Gonzo Update: Hillary wins RI according to Politico.com ... Can I just say ... Told you so!

KrisLuidhardt Update: Huckabee giving a remarkable speech. There is definitely a place for this charismatic communicator.

ChrisFaulkner Update: Very Classy Speech.

Update 14: McCain: Lame speech, but he's our Lame Speecher.

Update 15: Who appointed the Judge in Cuyahoga County? Bush 43, Clinton, Bush 41 or Reagan? What's the implication there?

Gonzo Update: We are out of limes. Who's making the Marsh run?

FTNC Update: MI & FL are looming larger and larger on the horizon. What will those crazy Dems do?

Gonzo Update: Hil up 57-41% over Obamamama ... I feel vindication in the air ... can you smell it?

Contrarian says: Gonzo, it's the buffalo wings you smell. Vindication is intangible. It has no odor, form, or presence. Relax.

Update 16: The FNC crew is getting punchy. They're having a real hard time trying to keep this interesting while we wait until the wee hours to get this thing over with.

Gonzo says: We need to get them a blender.

Gonzo Update: 10:56 PM, FNC says Hil wins OH. That's two. I'm feeling randy at 58% ... yeah, baby.

----------- 11 PM

Contrarian says: Oh god. He's going to be insufferable for the rest of the night.

FTNC says: Die, you gravy sucking pig.

ChrisFaulkner Update: So if she wins TX and OH did HRC pull a "McCain"?

Contrarian Update: Has anybody else noticed that the CNN alerts are coming about 10 minutes later than everybody else?

Gonzo Update: Does it scare you all that there are like a thousand AFSCME signs at the Hil-sters victory rally in Ohio? I'm thinkin' we are goin' all the way to the convention ... is this great or what? FTNC was right, MI and FL are going to change this whole thing, especially if the Hil-ster does a City of Brotherly love Smack-down ... PA's in play.

FTNC says: You're still a gravy sucking pig.

Contrarian says: Wake me when it's over.

Gonzo Update: May I point out the following post:
http://whenthegoinggetsweirdthetoughturnpro.blogspot.com/2008/03/obama-mania-may-have-stumbled-in-tx-oh.html
Need I say more?

WPBC Update: Well, she looks forward to "continuing the dialogue" with the Obamamama. That means we are going to have to listen to Gonzo for another seven weeks. The Dems are not the only one's who will need a trainload of aspirin.

FTNC says: Don't remind me.

Contrarian Update: Is it me? Or, does Obama look really pissed off right now?

FTNC says: "Eloquent but Empty", could he have described himself any better?

Gonzo Update: The wings are gone. We are out of limes, and I can't take any more of this speech. I haven't heard this many one liners since Henny Youngman.

Contrarian Update: Rove is brilliant, even at midnight.

Update 17: Absolutely nothing new to actually update. But we felt the need to do an update just to stay awake.

Update 18: Cinton up 50-48% in TX ... Still to close to call. Painful.

Update 19: FNC thinks they can call TX shortly.

FTNC Update: Check out http://www.hillaryclinton.com/ ... talk about trying to take advantage of an opportunity ... it's one giant "donate your money to me" form. Perhaps "give me your tired twenties, your huddled tens, and your lonely ones, yearning to be collected up by my fundraisers" might be a good inscription for the statute of Hillary? This gives new meaning to the phrase: "Strike while the iron's hot." This is one really well coordinated operation. This thing went up within minutes of the OH call.

Update 20: FNC projects that Clinton wins Texas, and we will not be able to live with Gonzo for the next seven weeks.

Gonzo Update: I shall be magnanimous in victory and not bend to the temptation to say, "I told you so."

FTNC Update: Good night, and good luck.

Contrarian says: Congratulations Gonzo. Even a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut.

Like the Rest of the Media, We are in Love with Obama.

Since the "Weather outside is frightful, and the fire's so delightful" ... let's fire up the blender and break out the fruit! (We might as well get ready for the election results a little early.)

I have noticed that my colleagues have been doing an awful lot of posts on Obama-mama-mia lately. Ten, in fact, and one of those was from me!

I think we have finally succumbed to all those recreational, er, experimental drugs that the CIA has been secretly slipping into the blender and injecting into the fruit in an effort to do mind control experiments on your humble Internet bloggers, political hacks, flacks, and assorted dumpster divers, in an evil, twisted, plot to silence us ... or at least get us shilling for their side.

[[[ Adam, can you make me one of those tin hats? Preferably in black (so the helicopters can't see me) and could you maybe make it with a feather, like Robin Hood. ]]]

So, I want to go on the record before the polls close in Ohio ... and the Sooper Two's Day Texas Two Step starts ... Hillary wins OH, TX, and RI tonight.

I will take whatever slings and arrows come my way from my colleagues and our throngs of devoted readers, but I just have this gut feeling that the Clinton Machine will pull this thing out of their "heiner" in the eleventh hour. In any event, it's going to be a huge night for the WP team. And we are ready... another lime, please.

Change. Be Careful What You Ask For.

Coked-up as a youth. (He changes to what, Scotch ... G&Ts?).
Doing backroom deals on NAFTA. (He was for it, sort of, before he was against it, kind of ... oh who cares ... next?)
The whole Tony Rezko thing in Chicago. (Hey, I grew up in Chicago and actually remeber how the Dem Ward Machine works. Can you say "yo', Tony, can we make a deal, 'ere?" Barak may well need a good lawyer ... )

Yes sir, now there's some real change for you.

(BTW, What is it about liberals and recreational drugs anyway? Reality isn't weird enough for them?)

I am wondering out loud what's next on the Obamamamamania hit parade, and whether it comes out in/on the MSM before the polls close today? Our friends in neighboring Ohio, down in Texas, and, lest we forget,our east coast bretheren in Vermont and Rhode Island, all get their "15 minutes" today.

I sense a little upset coming ...

Obama-mania may have "Super Twos-day" stumble in TX, OH

Story from Yahoo!News can be seen here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080303/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_nafta;_ylt=AmOAZqRmE7p2OdZDMKPltAGs0NUE

You must have a feeling of shear terror if your candidate gets his thingy in the ringy like Obama has appaerntly done. Check out the link above to the story on Yahoo!News. This suggests that Obama is not as pure as the driven snow on the NAFTA issue. You remember NAFTA, the issue that Barack has been flogging the Clinton campaign with?

Wondering how this is going to play in Texas? I think we all know how it's going to play in union-heavy Ohio. This could maybe make things really interesting tomorrow ...

McCain-Romney/Clinton-Obama and California ... proportional pledged delegates and reality of perception.

Even if you win you potentially lose. One or the other GOP POTUS hopefuls will "win" Cali's big dance tomorrow, but the number of Congressional Districts that have very small numbers of GOP voters could be potential gold for the down tier (read: Huck and the Paulster) candidates. Plus with 21 other states and territories all playing our game tomorrow, the numbers could end up anywhere. (Remember, New Hampshire?)

Not that we here on this blog care who wins, but the reality is that nobody's going to win big enough tomorrow that everybody won't have something positive to spin on Wednesday morning. California may be the big prize, but there's Georgia and the Midwest, the "wild" west and let's not forget some other notable states that will be following along a bit later... like Pennsylvania. Needless to say, it will be entertaining to watch FNC's stable of former supermodels and Miss Americas (oh, and the Brown-haired Guy that ain't Steve) on Wednesday. They will have a lot to keep up with as the camps and candidates flack their way through the infomercials that are cable news morning shows (after they finish shilling their own books). You can bet that we'll have three or four TVs on to monitor the madness and look for the really good stuff to share with you.

Note to the night-owls:
We may be blogging live from Faulkner Strategies' little shin-dig at the Claddaugh on South Meridian Street in downtown Indianapolis tomorrow night. Look for reports at least until our intrepid reporters and insider flacks out there have had a couple of drinks. After that, all bets are off.