Perhaps it's a little OT, but I'd like to wish everyone a happy Guy Fawkes Day. It seems appropriate that this year it comes on the very day that we are "celebrating" the complete capture of the US government by the hard left.

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November . . ."

Related to Laird's comment, this picture tickled me:
http://lpuk.blogspot.com/2008/11/seen-in-paliament-square-this-morning.html

I am soon off to help with the Wicksteed Park fireworks display - but I hope I have time for a comment or so.

Already Fred Barnes ("Weekly Standard" person) is demanding that Republicans "reach out to the moderates". As if wild spending Bush and then bypartisan John McCain was not doing exactly that.

Let us face some hard facts:

The mainstream media will deounce any Republican as both stupid and extreme - so it is insane to try and work with the mainstream media, for example allowing them big interviews without "no editing" agreements. The mainstream media are part of the ENEMY - period.

But there is also another hard fact:

Contrary to many (especially on Fox News) the mainstream media were actually correct about George Walker Bush - not about his being "extreme" of course, but about him being unfit for the office of President of the United States.

I do not care that he has very high SAT scores or that he has degrees from both Yale and Harvard - the man is an idiot.

His policies have been a farce and, as Tom Tancredo and others noted at the time, have been so right from January 20th 2001.

Endless wild domestic spending, and no effort to really gain control of the Executive Branch.

Whatever one thinks of the neocon policy of war to spread democracy to the Muslims, trying such a policy without even first gaining control of the C.I.A. was daft.

A President must first have control of the Executive Branch (of the administrators of the various departments) if he is to a real chance of putting policy into effect.

Watch Comrade Obama - he will not allow "Civil Service rules", or whatever, to stand in his way.

Both the policies and the lack of grip of President Bush must be rejected - if there is to be any chance of recovery (especially in the face of what Comrade Barack Obama is going to do).

In short the "Weekly Standard" should be used for toilet paper.

Quick test to judge a Republican politician or "conservative" writer by.

"Did they oppose the bailout?"

Perhaps Sarah Palin should be given a pass - as the lady was on the ticket with John McCain who had already decided to support the bailout.

But any other Republican (including John McCain who supported the bailout against both his record and his instincts) who supported the bailout should be discredited.

As should any "conservative" writer who supported the bailout.

If someone can not say "no" to more than 700 billion Dollars of Corporate Welfare they are not worth hearing from.

I'll buy that Paul.

Anyone who hadn't the principles to fight the bailout should be cast out forever. And no, that's not sarcasm.

Sadly, Palin's tainted, and I wish it weren't so. This shouldn't be seen as an ideological purge, it's just good sense. If the conservative arm of the Republican party can't claim to have completely clean or principled hands going into the election, they'll lose the battle.

"reach out to the moderates"

Why is "moderate" always assumed to be the majority opinion? Bailing out failed businesses to the tune of several billion dollars isn't "moderate". Voluntarily handing Britain's sovereignty to a continental bureaucracy isn't "moderate". A tax burden of over 40pc certainly isn't "moderate".

Sometimes it's the conventional wisdom that's extreme.

Great photo, Rob Fisher; thanks for posting it. I'm saving it into my personal archives.

"The moderates can be the minority" quite so, the pro bailout crowd are not only economically wrong, they are also politically wrong.

As I said the Weekly Standard should be used as toilet paper.