Where We Are Right Now

Mike Barone's 5am take on matters is worth reading. His speculation that Democrats may have slammed the exit pollsters seems a bit weird, but who knows?

A Narrow Escape

Is still a win! The most fun was watching the collective broadcast news mood crumble as the night wore on. They had started the day with the certainty that only bad exit polling can bring. Kerry was in! By the time they all finally signed off, the GOP had again run the table; more control of the House, more control of the Senate and four more years of George W. Bush.

Secretary of State Joe Biden

Senator John Kerry has begun the process of naming his cabinet. Advantage: Boston and the old boyo network! Tommy V, Billy D! You go guys! Of course, the timing was a little unfortunate, what with the election next Tuesday and all. But hey, never too early to let the New York crowd know where they stand in the scheme of things. Thanks for the money, there's the end of the line.

An October Surprise.

I, for one, never imagined it possible. Not after they fell behind 3-0 to the Yanks in the ALCS. They ran the table after that, winning eight of their last eight games. If they were unnervingly inept regarding the fundamentals of the game, they were also all heart and mental toughness.

The stars were Ramirez and Ortiz, but the soul of the team was Varitek. A pro's pro and a great champion. He was no surprise.

Bush for President

Someone asked me the other day why I supported President Bush, "aside from the family thing" as he put it. I said I was supporting him because I thought he understood The Issue at stake better than anyone alive. And because he cared about that issue completely. And that he was on the right side of that issue from day one and every day thereafter. And that he was devoted to committing this nation to a course of offensive engagement with the terror apparatus that might, just might, save us all here in the United States. The issue, of course, is the fight against Al Qaeda, its associates, enablers and like-mindeds.

The President Bush I read about in the papers and the newsweeklies and the blogs bears almost no resemblance to the President Bush I know and visit with from time to time. (I've never seen media as blatantly dishonest and biased as we have all seen this year.) The man I know is smart, extraordinarily disciplined, enormously hard-working, open to new ideas and approaches, decisive, shrewd and gifted with a keen sense of the possible. He is decent and honest and true, which cannot be said of many of his critics.

Has he made mistakes? Yes he has. Do they warrant his retirement. I don't think so. Because over-riding everything is the issue and on this issue President Bush has been steadfast and strong and right as rain, while his opponent has rambled and waffled and weaseled every which way.

Our enemies will brace for four more years of hell if Bush is re-elected. They will celebrate if Senator Kerry wins.

Here's to four more years of hell.

Who's Your Daddy?

I believe it just might be this gentleman here.

For anyone who has ever rooted for this team, known its crushing disappointments, shared its terrible kharma, my-oh-my what an October night it was.

Words of Thanks


From an event in DC on Oct 15, honouring Fran O'Brian's Steakhouse' s owners with an award for having served free Friday night dinners to wounded soldiers for the last year:

It was, however, the words of Humaila Akrawy, an Iraqi citizen, that were perhaps the most poignant of the evening. Her sister was killed for working with Americans, her brother was killed by Saddam Hussein's secret police, and another sister was targeted by Uday Hussein and had to be smuggled out of the country.

She spoke of the Iraq's gratitude to America and the troops who helped to free the country and its people from the terrorism of Saddam Hussein. She said the troops are, indeed, winning the war, because if they weren't, the insurgents would ignore them.

"I can never tell you how grateful I am and how grateful my people are for your sacrifice. You left your homes … to fight for a people you have never known," Akrawy said. "When the sun sets over the deserts and mountains of Iraq, the good people of Iraq look at the West and are happy to know that the sun is rising to the people who rescued us from the darkness and evil of Saddam.

"Never think that your work in Iraq was wasted," she continued. "Never let anybody to say that you shed your blood in vain. You have given the people of Iraq, of Afghanistan, the chance to be free."

How Would You End This Paragraph?

It's a quiz! Here's a paragraph from today's Washington Post article about John Kerry the "manager:"

Kerry has a history of drilling into small matters, as well. In 1996, when he and his Republican opponent for U.S. Senate, then-Massachusetts Gov. William F. Weld, agreed to limit spending on advertising, and lawyers presented them with a draft agreement, "Weld decided to sign in an hour," said Chris Gregory, Kerry's political director at the time. "Two weeks later, Kerry is still finding problems: 'This word is wrong. They dropped a comma. We can't sign this.' " Ultimately, he signed. He also won the election.

So the question is this: Do you end it as the Post did ("He also won the election.")? Or do you end it: "Within a month, he broke the deal."

You make the call!

The Perfect Halloween Book

My friend and neighbor Dave Elliott has just published the first of his planned "Field Guide" books. It's called "A Field Guide to Monsters." It's a great book for young kids. And since Dave is such a great guy, you should probably buy 10 extra copies. Just because.

Attention All Second Grade Parents in San Pablo!


Correspondent SK emails in with a winner:

Dear Mr. Ellis,

Our local paper carries today a story of Lech Walesa visiting the Bay Area. It ends with a lovely bit --- I render for your personal enjoyment. "Peaches Torassa, 50, who teaches second-graders in San Pablo, remembered hearing of Walesa during the 1970's.

'He put his life on the line,' said Torassa .... 'To me it's like meeting Fidel Castro.'"

It really made my morning oatmeal.