News Roundup for 10/29/10

They're back!

-Headline of the Day-
"Angle-Backers' Flyer To Retirees: 'Your Lifespan' Depends On Voting Against Reid."

Because of the DEATH PANELS!!. Except, Sharron doesn't call them that, she calls the "Benefit Panels," which really has none of the scary while retaining all of the stupid.

"These panels will decide if you get needed medical treatment, in part based on age, even if your doctor says it is medically necessary in order to save your life," her mailer warns. "If the panel decides no... that means your life will not be saved, just like in Canada, England, France, Denmark, etc."

Actually, it's more like America, where insurers routinely deny coverage for crazy reasons. People in Canada, England, France, and Denmark like their healthcare systems, which means they must not be all that worried about death panels stalking their every step. But hey, it's an election season, she's a Republican, so that means reality is out the door. If Sharron's scaremongering is a better representation of a status quo she supports, then we're just supposed to ignore that. (Talking Points Memo)


-That's not actually democracy-
OK, this gets a bit complicated, so stick with me here. Up in Alaska, incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski got primaried out and this lumberjack-looking guy got nominated by the GOP instead. But Lisa has decided not to go gently into that dark electoral night and has mounted a write-in campaign that's currently kicking this Miller guy's ass. But, to make sure that voters know she's running, she asked that a list of write-in candidates be available at the polls. If she's not on the ballot, at least some last-minute, low-information types will know she's running.

The Alaska Supreme Court decided to stay an injuction against the list, which is pretty much the same thing as saying, "Knock yourself out, list away." It's not a formal go ahead, but if they don't decide soon, it really might as well be.

Enter the tea party and Andrew Breitbart's Big Government site. See, they have one of the dummbest voter suppression schemes ever devised -- get like a bazillion people to sign up as write-in candidates and bury Murkowski's name under an avalanche of other names. So now Alaska has more than 100 write-in senate candidates and Murkowski's still on the list.

Why is this dumb? Math. Anyone interested enough in looking at a list of write-in candidates stands a good chance for voting for one of them, since they obviously still haven't made up their minds yet or can't remember how to spell "Murkowski." Breitbart and the teabaggers want Miller to win, but it's not very likely that this will make a damned bit of difference -- not for Miller, anyway. It may hurt Murkowski, but if it helps anyone, it's the Democrat Scott McAdams, who's leading right now as it is. See, if a vote goes from Murkowski, it'll most likely go to one of those other people on the list, not to Miller.

It may be that the Alaska Democratic Party will be sending Andrew Breitbart flowers. (Politico)


-Bonus HotD-
"Tancredo: It's 'Elitist' For 'People Who Get Elected' To Think Their 'One Purpose' Is 'To Make Laws.'"

Tom Tancredo has a weird definition of "lawmaker." (Think Progress, with video)