How is it that the birthplace of the American Revolution is leading the way to the undoing of Constitution?

The Massachusetts Legislature has approved a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote.

“What we are submitting is the idea that the president should be selected by the majority of people in the United States of America,” Senator James B. Eldridge, an Acton Democrat, said before the Senate voted to enact the bill.

Under the new bill, he said, “Every vote will be of the same weight across the country.”

But Senate minority leader Richard Tisei said the state was meddling with a system that was “tried and true” since the founding of the country.

“We’ve had a lot of bad ideas come through this chamber over the years, but this is going to be one of the worst ideas that has surfaced and actually garnered some support,” said Tisei, who is also the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor.

The bill, which passed on a 28-to-9 vote, now heads to Democratic Governor Deval Patrick’s desk. The governor has said in the past that he supports the bill, said his spokeswoman Kim Haberlin.

Under the law, which was enacted by the House last week, all 12 of the state’s electoral votes would be awarded to the candidate who receives the most votes nationally.

I can’t even begin to quantify how stupid this idea is. Discuss.

There are lots of beliefs as to how many seats Republicans will pick up in November… 40+ in the House is a number I am hearing… the Senate appears now to be on the verge of switching too…

What are your thoughts? With both Houses of Congress switch hands? By how much?

And then explain why.

Excuse me, this just makes me so giddy…

Robert Gibbs, Barack Obama’s chief spokesman, got into hot water this week for daring to speak the truth – that the Democrats could lose control of the House of Representatives in November. But it could be even worse than that.

Contrary to pretty much every projection until now, Democratic control of the Senate is also starting to coming into question. While Mr Obama’s approval ratings have continued to fall, and now hover at dangerously close to 40 per cent according an ABC-Washington Post poll published on Tuesday, the fate of his former colleagues in the Senate looks even worse.

In the past few days polls have shown Republican challengers taking the lead over previously safe Democratic incumbents, such as Barbara Boxer in California and Russ Feingold in Wisconsin. Indeed, given the uniformly negative direction in the numbers, it is now quite possible the Republicans could win the Senate seats formerly held by both President Obama in Illinois, and Joe Biden, vice-president, in Delaware.

Everyday I get a little more excited about November. Many say that it took Jimmy Carter to get this country to elect Ronald Reagan… I think the Obama Mistake of 2008 will usher in a long era of Republican Rule.

While 80 percent of Democrats are still drinking the Obama Kool-Aid,  Independents are seeing the light fast and Obama’s approval from this key voting bloc is not only a problem for him in 2012, but for his party in 2010.

Thirty-eight percent of independents approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president, the first time independent approval of Obama has dropped below 40% in a Gallup Daily tracking weekly aggregate. Meanwhile, Obama maintains the support of 81% of Democrats, and his job approval among Republicans remains low, at 12%.

Over the past year, Obama has lost support among all party groups, though the decline has been steeper among independents than among Republicans or Democrats. Today’s 38% approval rating among independents is 18 percentage points lower than the 56% found July 6-12, 2009. During the same period, his support has fallen nine points among Democrats (from 90% to 81%) and eight points among Republicans (from 20% to 12%).

THis is just so encouraging. After the Big Mistake of ’08 I thought there was no way Obamaphoria would dwindle down enough before 2012, let alone before the 2010 elections. But look at what has happened: Obama’s regime turned out to be as extreme left-wing as we here said he’d be… and he was as incompetent (if not more) than we expected… This is buyer’s remorse at an unprecedented level.

Are there any of our readers here who voted for Obama that actually think he’s still doing a good job?

Today is President George W. Bush’s birthday. Feel free to become a fan of his on Facebook and wish him a happy birthday directly.

And, if you haven’t done so yet, you can give to the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

Is Google taking things too far? Their expansion is getting disturbing.

Google has been using its dominant position in online search to muscle its way into other Internet businesses, ultimately limiting consumer choice, Consumer Watchdog said today in a report written for its new Inside Google Website.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer group is sending the report to U.S. and European antitrust regulators.

[…]

The Inside Google study found that since adopting “Universal Search,” which favors Google’s properties with prominent listings in its results, traffic to Google’s sites has soared at the expense of competitors. The controversial search practice was launched in 2007.

“Google claims that its search is neutral,” said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the group. “This study shows that it’s not and demonstrates the damaging impact Google’s unfair practices have had on competitors.”

Consumer Watchdog will give the Inside Google study, “Traffic Report: How Google is Squeezing out Competitors and Muscling Into New Markets,” to U.S. Justice Department and European Commission antitrust officials.

The study of Internet traffic data for more than 100 popular websites since 2007 revealed Google’s dramatic gains. In the most comprehensive study of its kind to date, Inside Google obtained three years of Internet traffic data from the respected web metrics firm Experian Hitwise. The data allowed an analysis of Google’s business practices and performance that is unprecedented in scope.

What do you think?

…might have the power to kill the internet for all of us?

Obama will be handed the power to shut down the Internet for at least four months without Congressional oversight if the Senate votes for the infamous Internet ‘kill switch’ bill, which was approved by a key Senate committee yesterday and now moves to the floor.

The Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act, which is being pushed hard by Senator Joe Lieberman, would hand absolute power to the federal government to close down networks, and block incoming Internet traffic from certain countries under a declared national emergency.

Despite the Center for Democracy and Technology and 23 other privacy and technology organizations sending letters to Lieberman and other backers of the bill expressing concerns that the legislation could be used to stifle free speech, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed in the bill in advance of a vote on the Senate floor.

So, what are your thoughts?

Rod Blagojevich’s chief-of-staff testified that he believed Obama “knew of Blagojevich’s plot to win himself a presidential Cabinet post in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the U.S. Senate.”

John Harris, Blagojevich’s former chief of staff, testified Wednesday in the former governor’s corruption trial that three days after the Nov. 4, 2008, presidential election, the ex-governor told Harris he felt confident Obama knew he wanted to swap perks.

“The president understands that the governor would be willing to make the appointment of Valerie Jarrett as long as he gets what he’s asked for. . . . The governor gets the Cabinet appointment he’s asked for,” Harris said, explaining a recorded call.

With all the bribes and shady deals going on in this administration, I have to say to those who voted for Obama, “We told you so.”

I mean, seriously,  it’s hard to imagine that anyone who thought Obama was the bee’s knees can still possibly think so now. Aside from this story, and other examples of corruption we’ve learned about, the incompetence is just as bad. The government response to the BP oil spill has been a disaster. Obama’s inaction has resulted in unneccessary delays in cleanup and assistance. The McChrystal situation has shown once again how thin skinned Obama is by making a public spectacle of the outspoken General’s resignation/firing, which can only hurt our efforts abroad.

All things things together make me wonder if Obama will even survive politically to November 2012.

By now, you have probably formed an opinion on the Obama/McChrystal sitiuation unfolding. Here are wy thoughts…

First, I agree that a General ought keep his personal views private.

Second, so far, everything I have heard that McChrystal or one of his aides has said that has been made public are accurate assessments of the Obama administration.  THe plain fact of the matter is that if Obama weren’t so incompetent McChrystal would have never had to make such comments.

Next, if McChrystal feels that certain restrictions and ROE placed upon him are hurting the mission, then those views must be expressed (though not publicly) and if they are not addressed and resolved he ought to resign.

Obama has to realize that even though he doesn’t want to fight a war on terror that that is exactly what we are engaged in. He needs to let those who know a lot more than he does do what they are supposed to do how they want to do it.

Obama summoning McChrystal to the White House was a display of ego-driven pettiness. This would have been better done via remote and out of publicly eye. Obama desire to show dominance once again makes us look weak.

But then again, most things Obama does makes us look weak. I am just surprised that Obama is gonna meet McChrystal at all, since I am sure he has a few tee times set up.

UPDATE, by Mark Noonan: And, of course, back when Bush was President, the MSM urged military criticism of the President. What a difference a Democrat in office can make, huh?

Okay, I certainly have my own beef with Google, but without that, one can’t help feeling a bit… disturbed (perhaps that is the right word) at what Google is doing to the people of this country.

Google Inc.’s collection of data via Wi-Fi networks was the subject of a conference call among law enforcement officials from 30 U.S. states, according to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

“We’re looking to establish where, when, why, for how long and for what purpose there was this collection of information on wireless networks,” Blumenthal said yesterday in an interview. The call included representatives of the states’ attorneys general.

The discussion reflects widening concern among law enforcement over the way Google handles user information. The company said last month it mistakenly gathered data from open wireless networks while it was capturing images of streets and houses for its Street View service, a product that lets users view photographs of an area online.

So are you concern that Google might be collecting-storing information about you?