Surrendie and his cousin Do! love this story, because it involves surrender of kids to public schools, creating the perfect Democrat voters!

More than twice as many Americans – 56 percent — know that Paula Abdul is a judge on “American Idol” as know that the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” comes from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (21 percent) — a phrase President-elect Barack Obama used in his election-night victory speech.

The average American is nearly illiterate when it comes to basic principles of American history, government and economics, according to a new report from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute – and politicians are even worse.

More than 2,000 people were administered a 33-question test this Spring on American history and our political and economic institutions. Of them, 71 percent — college and non-college educated alike – got a failing mark, ISI’s Josiah Bunting III said, presenting the study at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Thursday.

“It can truly be said that we are suffering from an epidemic of civic ignorance,” Bunting said. “The extent of failure is pervasive, cutting across every segment of the American population.

How bad was it?

• Less than half of Americans can name all three branches of government.
• Only 27 percent of Americans know that the Bill of Rights prohibits the government from establishing an official religion in the U.S.
• 54 percent do not know that the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, not the president.

Politicians scored even lower.

Darryl DeMarzio, an assistant professor in the education department at the University of Scranton, told CNSNews.com that many politically correct college campuses no longer teach “history” classes, as most people remember.

“One of the purposes of a history course now is not the acquisition of historical knowledge, but it’s a vague skill like ‘thinking historically,’ or something like that,” DeMarzio said.

The culprit is that teachers are steeped in a philosophy called “constructivism.”

“That’s the idea that knowledge is not something that teachers possess and give to students or teach students,” DeMarzio tolld CNSNews.com. “Rather, knowledge is a process in which students construct meaning for themselves.

So what we are talking about is more feel good socialization education, rather then practical reality.

Surrendie is highly amused this Friday. While he generally enjoys when Democrats surrender, it is almost as fun for him when those in the GOP lose their minds as well: 3 Successful Republicans Caution Against a Move to the Right

Senator Collins, Senator Alexander and Representative King were among Republicans who defied the odds in a terrible year for their colleagues. Their re-elections provide a possible road map for how the party can succeed in a challenging political environment. The answer, the three veteran politicians agreed, is not to become a more conservative, combative party focused on narrow partisan issues.

Right, because we wouldn’t want to do the same thing that the Democrats did, especially starting in 2001, and we wouldn’t want to actually stand for anything. Let’s just become the same as the Democrat Party.

“What doesn’t work is drawing a harsh ideological line in the sand,” said Ms. Collins, of Maine, who early in the year was a top Democratic target for defeat but ended up winning 61 percent of the vote while Senator Barack Obama received 58 percent in the presidential race in her state.

Worked for Democrats over the past 8 years. Oh, and it worked really, really well for that guy elected president in 1980.

“We make a mistake if we are going to make our entire appeal rural and outside the Northeast and outside the Rust Belt,” said Mr. King, of New York, who easily won re-election in a region shedding Republicans at a precipitous rate.

Well, if you stand for Conservative principles, shouldn’t be an issue.

“We can stand around and talk about our principles, but we have to put them into actions that most people agree with,” said Mr. Alexander, of Tennessee, a self-described conservative who was able to attract African-American voters.

That’s right, and the reason you lost was because you STOPPED BEING EVEN WISHY WASHY REPUBLICANS, much less Conservatives. It is a very simple proposition, spelled out millions of times by those in the base

• limited spending
• reducing the role of government in our personal and private lives
• increasing State’s Rights
• national security, which includes getting off your butts and securing the borders and making domestic energy production increases happen
• wise spending
• Constitutionality

That’s it. Simple. There are other issues out there, such as abortion on demand and gay marriage, that are very important to some Conservatives, but not for others. My personal opinion is that issues such as that should be left in the hands of the State’s and their voters. The Federal government has no place in legislating, except in terms of cross border. The morality push by the GOP is a loser issue.

But the GOP will not win by being Democrat Lite, but by having a coherent, adult, responsible, and simple policy stance. And the have to walk the talk.

Surrendie is having a good chuckle today. First, he got to witness the most inexperience presidential candidate win, a guy who was voted in by people who had not a clue who the guy was, and, now, moonbats going moonbat over something or other looking wonky in Alaska

STOLEN ELECTION IN ALASKA? (Also cross posted here)

Something stinks. Not just an ordinary low tide smell. Not like something you’d blame on the dog. It smells like an infection. For me to plug my nose, I’d have to overlook some curious facts.

In Alaska, more people voted for George W. Bush in 2004 than for Sarah Palin on Tuesday despite an identical 61-36 margin of victory. Yes. Only four years ago 54,304 Alaskansgot off their sofas and voted for Bush, but decided to sit home and not vote for Palin in 2008. In turn, I have to ignore the 30,520 Alaskans who felt progressive enough in 2004 to vote for John Kerry, but weren’t inspired to vote for Barack Obama. I would have to glance past the 1,700% increase in the Democratic caucus in February, the 20,991 newly registered voters, and the three largest political rallies in Alaska’s history. I would also have to forget the people I stood in a long line with to early vote. It would be helpful not to know every other presidential election since Alaska began keeping records has had a larger turn out than the one we just had with our own Governor on the ticket. Try not to remember 12.4% more Alaskans showed up for the August primary as compared to four years ago, before the Palin nomination. Don’t think about the Lower 49’s record voter turn out this year either. Try to delete the memory file, though difficult, that 80% of us approved of Sarah Palin just two months ago.

Something stinks. You don’t care? Obama won. Yes. He. Did! Free at Last! Wait. Democracy demands all of the votes be counted…if you can find them.

So, reading this rambling, convoluted, hysterical article (and I mean hysterical in both ways), I get the feeling that Shannyn Moore thinks that 2004 and 2008 were stolen in Alaska. But, hey, why don’t we all go over and ask her if she thinks all the votes from the overseas military folks who are residents of Virginia should be counted. I asked, she never bothered to answer. Sure, it won’t make a difference, but, count every vote, right?

And even the Washington Postgoes barking moonbat on this.

There’s also a bit of whining about Ted Stevens and his close race. Notice that those on the left are not concerned about Cold Cash Jefferson, who is still under indictment, and won his District Primary, and will face a general election on December 6th.

These are the same people who worried not about ACORN and their election fraud. The same people who cared not about the people who were voting multiple times. And they just can’t move on. Take victory graciously.

When Surrendie first heard this story late Thursday, he said “Mine! Mine! Mine!” And, since I usually avoid arguments with poo flingers, I said, “sure.” Raleigh N&O

Kay Hagan has filed a lawsuit against Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

The Democratic Senate candidate announced this afternoon that she will sue her Republican opponent and the Elizabeth Dole Committee over a television ad that criticizes her for attending a fundraiser hosted by the founder of an atheist group.

“In filing this suit, we’ve made clear that these kind of despicable tactics will not be tolerated, and our campaign is moving forward with the most important task at hand: defeating Elizabeth Dole, and giving North Carolina’s families a voice in the U.S. Senate that they’ve been sorely missing,” said Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan.

Surrendie is thrilled by how cool that is. Hagan has surrendered to the Barry way of doing things. Smear your opponents, lie about your own positions, then, if someone fights back, let your visceral response to be to investigate the lights out of them, and, file a lawsuit.

Now, to be clear, I do not think much of the Dole ad (below the fold), which, whether it is factual, stretches the truth, is false, is a waste of time and money, in my opinion. The whole atheism thing shouldn’t cause any contretemps for Hagan. People can be atheists, and shouldn’t be denigrated for that. It is their choice in our land of freedom. On the flip side, this has exposed not only this tremulous, friable Democrat candidate for high office, but, is a continuation of the Democrat playbook, and should give a big heads up over what the Obama presidency years will look like. And they will also be listening to the atheists would will force their agenda on others, rather then just live and let live.

Anyhow, Dole and her campaign say the ad is truthful. You decide.

The Surrender Monkey is really ready to get his groove on today. Surrendie loves all things surrender, but, he particularly enjoys when a supposedly conservative pundit goes catty moonbat, especially at a conservative website

My husband called it first. Then, a brilliant, 75-year-old scholar and raconteur confessed to me over wine: “I’m sexually attracted to her. I don’t care that she knows nothing.”

Finally, writer Robert Draper closed the file on the Sarah Palin mystery with a devastating article in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine: “The Making (and Remaking) of McCain.”

McCain didn’t know her. He didn’t vet her. His campaign team had barely an impression. In a bar one night, Draper asked one of McCain’s senior advisers: “Leaving aside her actual experience, do you know how informed Governor Palin is about the issues of the day?”

The adviser thought a moment and replied: “No, I don’t know.”

Thanks, Kathy. I could swear I was reading something on the Huffington Post, Daily Kos, or Think Progress. Of course, she is certainly entitled to her opinion, but, like several other of the “elite” conservatives, she seems to have a bit of Palin Derangement Syndrome going on, and seems to expect some sort of Messiah like Conservative to spring forth and save the Party, rather then backing our own candidates.

Now, yes, there are some things about Palin and McCain’s policies I do not care for, such as their illegal immigration stances. But, those are policy disagreements. Conservative “elites” are more interestedin making it personal. Jack M at Ace of Spades HQ paraphrase the gist of the article as “John McCain picked Sarah Palin with his dick,” and he is correct.

Does she have to agree with other conservatives? No. But, it would be a nice if she could stop tearing down the conservative movement and becoming the latest Excitable Andy clone. Particularly considering her columns have been blasted by the readers and given poor marks since Sept. 19. She seems to delight more in attacks on Palin and McCain, rather then the guy who would like to silence her, raise her taxes, surrender to Islamic extremists, etc, and so on. You know the deal.

On one hand, the Surrender Monkey is not amused. It really does not help the cause of the Defeatocrats to talk about The Surge having worked in The Paper Of Record. On the flip side, there is nothing Surrendie loves more then a surrender to the inevitable

Market by market, square by square, the walls are beginning to come down. The miles of hulking blast walls, ugly but effective, were installed as a central feature of the surge of American troops to stop neighbors from killing one another.

“They protected against car bombs and drive-by attacks,” said Adnan, 39, a vegetable seller in the once violent neighborhood of Dora, who argues that the walls now block the markets and the commerce that Baghdad needs to thrive. “Now it is safe.”

The slow dismantling of the concrete walls is the most visible sign of a fundamental change here in the Iraqi capital. The American surge strategy, which increased the number of United States troops and contributed to stability here, is drawing to a close. And a transition is under way to the almost inevitable American drawdown in 2009.

Huh? The Surge has worked? Maybe someone should tell That One, who still thinks that The Surge was a failure, and has created any and all talking points to force an artificial redeployment out of Iraq, even saying he would send the troops to Afghanistan. Anyone who believes that he would really do that is basically Andrew Sullivan insane.

“The Iraqi security forces are now able to protect Iraq,” said Joaidi Nahim Mahmoud Arif, a National Police sergeant in Dora, in southern Baghdad. “They will depend on themselves above all.”

I’ll grant that the Coalition top leadership really blew it once the initial war was over, but, now, as we move the troops our of Iraq responsibly, the possibility of a free and democratic Iraq is bearing fruit. Do the Dems still want to lose it?

Surrendie didn’t know if he should be sad because Saracuda did so well last night, or happy because so many in the Liberal media were so flumoxed by her performance that they were forced to surrender and say “She done good!” But, Surrendie loves how they have done it. Consider an Internet front page story at the Washington Post

Sarah Palin looked as though she had prepared for her appearance at the vice presidential debate last night by studying Tina Fey’s impressions of her on “Saturday Night Live.” She twinkled and winked and piled on the perkiness, a “darn right” here and an “I’ll betcha” there.

At the same time, Palin seemed determined to banish thoughts of her as airheaded and inexperienced; she was really debating her own public image rather than Sen. Joe Biden. She subverted the whole purpose of the exercise by merely repeating the key points of her running mate, Sen. John McCain, and ignoring questions that called for more specific answers.

No mention from Tom Shales about the lies of Joe Biden. Who is Tom Shales? He is a Style writer for the Washington Post. Nice to know the Post apparently has no political writers sober enough after Palin’s performance (and, to be honest, let’s not forget that Biden did do very well himself, certainly better then either McCain or Obama) to write a decent article. Shales’ article is considered “top news,” if you look at that link.

Despite the even toned article at the LA Times, one which tends to avoid the zingers by Palin, their headline says it all for those searching for some medical mary jane in the newsroom

Palin and Biden spar in VP debate but neither deals a knockout

And, how can we ignore the Grey Lady?

Gov. Sarah Palin made it through the vice-presidential debate on Thursday without doing any obvious damage to the Republican presidential ticket. By surviving her encounter with Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. and quelling some of the talk about her basic qualifications for high office, she may even have done Senator John McCain a bit of good, freeing him to focus on the other troubles shadowing his campaign.

It was not a tipping point for the embattled Republican presidential ticket, the bad night that many Republicans had feared. But neither did it constitute the turning point the McCain campaign was looking for after a stretch of several weeks in which Senator Barack Obama seemed to be gaining the upper hand in the race. Even if he no longer has to be on the defensive about Ms. Palin, Mr. McCain still faces a tough environment with barely a month until the election, as he acknowledged hours before the debate by effectively pulling his campaign out of Michigan, a Democratic state where Mr. McCain’s advisers had once been optimistic of victory.

So, she did fantastic, but, it don’t mean nuttin’.

Exit question: other then perhaps at Fox News, the Washington Times, and a few other media outlets, are there any in the Credentialed Media who do not have hangovers like Cuba just won the World Cup?

Of course, the New York Times doesn’t quite label Barry a liar, but, even Surrendie can read between the lines of a jilted Grey Lady, who has been carrying Barry’s water, and is not amused when he makes her out to be a fool: Dubious Claims in Obama’s Ads Against McCain, Despite Vow of Truth

Two weeks ago, Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign gleefully publicized a spate of news reports about misleading and untruthful statements in the advertisements of his rival, Senator John McCain. Asked by a voter in New Hampshire if he would respond in kind, Mr. Obama said, “I just have a different philosophy, I’m going to respond with the truth,” adding, “I’m not going to start making up lies about John McCain.”

Yet as Mr. McCain’s misleading advertisements became fodder on shows like “The View” and “Saturday Night Live,” Mr. Obama began his own run of advertisements on radio and television that have matched the dubious nature of Mr. McCain’s more questionable spots.

A radio advertisement running in Wisconsin and other contested states misleadingly reports that Mr. McCain “has stood in the way of” federal financing for stem cell research; Mr. McCain did once oppose such federally supported research but broke with President Bush to consistently support it starting in 2001 (his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, does not support it). (snip)

In all, Mr. Obama has released at least five commercials that have been criticized as misleading or untruthful against Mr. McCain’s positions in the past two weeks. Mr. Obama drew complaints from many of the independent fact-checking groups and editorial writers who just two weeks ago were criticizing Mr. McCain for producing a large share of this year’s untruthful spots (“Pants on Fire,” the fact-checking Web site PolitiFact.com wrote of Mr. Obama’s advertisement invoking Mr. Limbaugh; “False!” FactCheck.org said of his commercial on Social Security.)

So much for Hope and Change and a New Way Of Politics. Maybe Obama should change his campaign slogan to Truthiness.

Just for clarification, ads that stretch the truth do not bother either myself of The Surrender Monkey, nor does negative advertising, or mud slinging. That is just politics, as it goes back to when Og challenged Grag for leadership of the stoneage village. But, like the Times is working the edges around, you can’t sit there and say you are against all the normal politics, and then go and do them.

The Surrender Monkey is simply thrilled by news that came out Thursday, and demanded that he be allowed to cover it

The Democratic-controlled Congress, acknowledging that it isn’t equipped to lead the way to a solution for the financial crisis and can’t agree on a path to follow, is likely to just get out of the way.

Lawmakers say they are unlikely to take action before, or to delay, their planned adjournments — Sept. 26 for the House of Representatives, a week later for the Senate. While they haven’t ruled out returning after the Nov. 4 elections, they would rather wait until next year unless Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, who are leading efforts to contain the crisis, call for help.

One reason, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said yesterday, is that “no one knows what to do” at the moment.

So, we have major financial turmoil in the markets, problems with housing, particularly Freddie and Fannie, and what does, the Democrat controlled congress do? Punt. On first down. To President Bush. The guy they have been maligning for days over the latest financial problems (not to mention since 1/21/2001.)

Queen Nancy and Dingy Harry say “Save us, Dubya, save us!” Glad to know we are getting value for the money Congress appropriates to itself.

Captain Ed

First Pelosi adjourns the House in the middle of an energy supply crisis that hammered the working class with sharp hikes in fuel and food costs. Now both Pelosi and Reid want to adjourn both chambers of Congress rather than deal with the credit crisis that Washington created with its heavy-handed mandates to issue credit to marginally qualified borrowers and lack of oversight over government-guaranteed entities. Given their ineptitude, we probably should be grateful — as Bloomberg notes. But considering their rhetoric over the last few days, their retreat may be one of the most cowardly acts in domestic policy seen in a very long time.

He dubs the Congress the Brave Sir Robin Congress. That character is Surrendie’s favorite from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The Surrender Monkey is exhilarated by the Washington Post this morning. Any time he sees one of the major mainstream media outlets completely distort and dive in to Weekly World News territory, he gets a thrilling up his leg.

Surrendie wants to start with the sleaze: A Tangled Story of Addiction - Consequences of Cindy McCain’s Drug Abuse Were More Complex Than She Has Portrayed

When Cindy McCain is asked what issues she would champion as first lady, she often cites one of the most difficult periods of her life: her battle with — and ultimate victory over — prescription painkillers. Her struggle, she has said repeatedly, taught her valuable lessons about drug abuse that she would pass on to the nation.

While McCain’s accounts have captured the pain of her addiction, her journey through this personal crisis is a more complicated story than she has described, and it had more consequences for her and those around her than she has acknowledged.

Her misuse of painkillers prompted an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and local prosecutors that put her in legal jeopardy. A doctor with McCain’s medical charity who supplied her with prescriptions for the drugs lost his license and never practiced again. The charity, the American Voluntary Medical Team, eventually had to be closed in the wake of the controversy. Her husband was forced to admit publicly that he was absent much of the time she was having problems and was not aware of them.

Folks, what in the hell is the point of this very, very, very long story? How many times have you seen a 5 web-page hit piece on anyone else? And it is a hit piece. Is Cindy McCain running for President? Will we see anything similar about Michelle Obama? Hell, will we see anything similar about the guy running for president on the Democrat side? This is just sleaze journalism, and show how far in the tank the Washington Post is for Obama.

Next up, the Post uses its willful ignorance to say that Sarah Palin linked Iraq to 9/11 (apparently the WP has changed its headline since it went up on Memeorandum)

Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would “defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans.”

The idea that the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaeda plan the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a view once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself. But it is widely agreed that militants allied with al-Qaeda have taken root in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion.

As Confederate Yankee points out

When Palin referenced “…the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans,” is was an obvious reference to al Qaeda in Iraq, an offshoot of the parent al Qaeda organization that plotted and executed the 9/11 attacks, and while still funds and loosely controls the failing Iraqi branch.

Perhaps the writer, Ann Kornblut, should go and do the style pages, because her grasp of the facts, not to mention that she calls stone cold Islamic terrorists “militants,” is sorely missing. But, she does a great job of supporting Democrat talking points.

Dan Riehl writes:

So much for all those layers of editors. Geesh! The soldiers are not shipping out to fight the Iraqi government under the control of Saddam or anyone else. They are shipping out to fight the remnants of al Qaeda still in Iraq and any other nefarious individuals terrorizing the people and the current freely-elected government.

At least if I was reading the National Enquirer, I would know if they were being stupid or malicious on purpose.