Most people savvy about political matters will know that the leftists will be protesting outside of both conventions this year, as they always do. There will be tear gas, mass arrests, and—as always—there won't be any conservatives involved. We will be keeping a tally of major riot/protest events each day. The MSM will make it difficult, of course, as they have to do their best to shield the Democrats from a 1968 effect.

Day 3 . . .

Hillary releases her hounds; Update: RNC hosts Hillary Happy Hour

Democrats struggling to create unity in Denver

Tensions boil across Obama-Clinton camps

Wow! This is great! I smell a campaign commercial coming . . .

November 5th headline: Biden delivers the great state of Delaware to Obama, McCain wins the rest!

What does this pick do for Obama?

It does nothing specific on the electoral map. It gets him someone from a state he was going to win anyways...

Time to bust out more popcorn; they're at it again! Gosh, this sure is fun . . .

We've heard it said that you're nobody until someone wants you dead, says you're gay . . . or hacks your website. Well, we've arrived. We got hacked last night.

Consequently, we are unable to update this home page with new posts at the moment. However, the blog is up and running, so feel free to check there. We do not currently have an estimated time for repair, because we do not yet know the extent of the damage. Please be patient with us. Thanks!

LA Times/Bloomberg has Obama up by only two (a ten point shift).

And uh oh, Reuters/Zogby has McCain up by five!

People are catching on and realizing that Obama is, at best, an empty suit . . .

No, not our individual parents. Our national parents: Britain.

First, they are very likely to surrender (at least a portion of) their sovereignty to become a part of the European Union. In fact, according to Brits at Their Best, the Queen will be violating her coronation oath . . .

Of course, the left is likely to see this as a provocation. Let's don't anger the bully. Don't stand up to him. Let him beat up on others at recess, but don't challenge him, or he'll come after you too . . .

Truly, this should not come as a surprise at all. What will be the surprise, either pleasant or unpleasant, depending on one's outlook, will be how America and the West decide to act.

Barone puts it well, when discussing the similarities in appearance and larger purpose between our aid . .

In many ways, the West has tried to make nice with Russia since 1991. Not in ALL ways, and understandably so, but in many. Membership in international economic bodies, a seat at the table in a number of places to which the West was under no obligation to admit Russia. Much of that make-nice is probably going to . . .

"The days of satellite states and spheres of influence are behind us."

What the President would like to say, but cannot yet, is that the days of satellite states and spheres of influence ought to be behind us. Saying that now would acknowledge that there's no hope of a return to pre-August 6...

Russia has no intention of giving back Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Not a surprise—they've been...

Unless the West acts in concert and with resolution, Russia will not stop.

From FOX News:

Senior Al Qaeda commander Abu Saeed al-Masri has been killed in recent clashes with Pakistani forces in a Pakistani region near the Afghan border, a security official told Reuters on Tuesday.

"He was believed to be among the top leadership of Al Qaeda," the senior security official told the news agency on condition of anonymity.

Telling the president of a country you've just invaded to resign does not sound like "halting" much of anything.

They may be taking a breath or trying to appear "reasonable" to the ever-gullible West. But are things . . .

If this catches fire, it could change the entire dynamic of the race. However, it is starved for media oxygen, and unless more people find out about it, it will fizzle.

Call the capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask to speak with your congressman.

If he/she is a Republican, thank him/her for what they are doing. Ask them to keep it up, and suggest....

Georgian troops have now pulled out of South Ossetia after Russia hit targets in Tblisi. The Russians also hit a town called Gori, killing a lot of civilians in the process (whether intentionally or collaterally is unclear).

This is big news, and both old and new media are discussing it at length (hopefully even more than they're discussing Edwards' affair). What caught my eye, however, was a point made by Ed Morrissey at Hot Air...

When it was announced by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) that China was getting the games, I remember saying to my wife, "well, it should be just a couple years after 2008 that the world ends up in a war with China."

It was, of course, a derisive comment directed at the IOC. I was hearkening back to the foolish decision to give the games to Germany in 1936. And the IOC has made plenty of other foolish decision, naive decisions...

Russia and Georgia now on the brink of war:

Parts of Russia's 58th Army — including 150 tanks and armored vehicles — reportedly were moving Friday on the capital of South Ossetia after Georgian troops entered the city in an attempt to crush separatist forces seeking to control the breakaway province...

Pundits who are fixated on a particular subject can start to sound cranky. Often, though, the fixation is a correct one: Our world is so complicated, and many of these issues deserve far more attention than most of us are able to give. None of us is able to devote ourselves adequately to every subject that deserves devotion. Thus, those among us who focus on these issues do us a great service. Islamist terrorism, entitlement reform, gun control . . . whatever the issue is, we know we can count on these pundits to get us the latest.

Those whose focus is on the left as a political movement are up against a challenge: use the word....

Maybe there was a reason why so many of the world's intelligence agencies agreed that Saddam . . .

Rasmussen: McCain 47, Obama 46

Zogby: McCain 42, Obama 41

Getting to know Obama,
Getting to know all about Obama...

A guest post from a friend...

Remember the book signing by Cindy Sheehan where no one showed up? And the media cropped the...

If this is only a one-day thing, no one will remember it. They have to keep going. Throw some tea into the harbor, for goodness' sake!

MSM may be trying to black it out, and MSM-dependent new media may be struggling for links, but Michelle Malkin—God bless her!—has the scoop on the GOP revolt in the House.

Call the Capitol switchboard—(202)224-3121—and thank your member of the House (assuming s/he is GOP and stuck around). Ask that s/he remain as long as it takes. Ask them to hold sessions on the Mall for all the tourists and cameras to see. If your Representative is GOP but isn't there, ask that s/he go. Call the RNC 202-863-8889 and NRCC (202) 479-7000 and tell them basically the same thing.

Here are Michelle's posts...

Fantastic news!

BAGHDAD, July 31 -- Five American troops died in July as a result of combat in Iraq, by far the lowest monthly U.S. death toll of the five-year war.

The number of Iraq-related American troop fatalities in July -- a total of 13 when noncombat deaths and the discovered bodies of two missing soldiers are included -- is a dramatic drop from just....