As usual Rush Limbaugh gets it wrong, this time on the Emerson poll in Iowa and in New Hampshire

Here today:

There's an Emerson poll.  The Emerson poll has... What does the Emerson have?  Emerson poll has a shock. Find the Emerson poll.  Emerson poll.  Bush in second place and Rubio slipping to fourth, and everybody says, "Emerson poll? What the hell is the Emerson poll?"  It's a student poll.  Okay, so why does it matter?  Well, because they called Iowa.  Yeah.  Emerson was the only polling outfit that said Trump was not gonna win Iowa.  It had Trump and Cruz finishing in a tie.

No. And No.

Emerson had the Iowa race tightening to nearly even, but Trump was still +1 in the Emerson. Three major polls showed Trump reversing Cruz' lead, and all the polls after the first Emerson poll showed Trump winning. Even the Des Moines Register got it wrong. And of course Rush never mentions Cruz' cheating in Iowa against Carson and how the math involved mentioned by Karl Rove easily could have made the difference to Trump winning instead of Cruz.

And in New Hampshire, as we pointed out yesterday, Bush was second in the Emerson over a week ago but has DROPPED 2 points. Even Hannity is repeating similar drivel today about the Emerson poll. Bush in second according to the Emerson poll isn't news.

And there ends this episode of Dumb and Dumber.  

Iowa polling

Red Lobster joins the dark side

"We are absolutely delighted with what we saw over the weekend, particularly the consumer sentiment that we saw expressed," Kim Lopdrup, CEO of Red Lobster, told CNBC. "It's clear that Beyonce has helped create some Red Lobster fans, and we are very grateful to her for that."

From the lyrics to Beyonce's "Formation":

"When he &%$# me good I take his ass to Red Lobster, cause I slay"

RNC and Marco Rubio linked to law firm thought to be behind New Hampshire voter shaming letters

From the story here:

LawNewz.com dug through publically available records, and found the group is linked to a well-known DC lobbying/election law firm, which as recently as 2012 had ties to the Marco Rubio campaign.... Federal Election Commission records reveal that as recently as 2012, the Marco Rubio campaign paid this law firm for services. Bloomberg reports that in 2011-2013 election cycle, the Republican National Committee and Senator Marco Rubio’s campaign, spent $1.7 million for the firm’s services. LawNewz.com reached out to the Rubio campaign as well as the law firm for comment, but have yet to hear back. It is unclear if Rubio made any recent payments to the firm or any of their LLCs this election cycle.

The real polls are open in New Hampshire, but the pollsters were still furiously polling up to the last second

Trump was last +15.9 in the Real Clear Politics average, but rose to +16.3 last night and now +17.2 this morning.

Enough already!

as of 9PM Monday night

as of 9AM Tuesday morning

Jeb Bush is a total hypocrite about eminent domain, taking an old man's home from him in 2005 when he was Florida Governor

As Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush in 2005 used eminent domain to take 70 year old Jesse James Hardy's house and 160 acres he built and owned since 1976.

From the stories here and here:

It was harsh, unlovely land, miles from anything, with rocky ground, slash pines, swamp cabbage and sand gnat swarms so thick he had to hold his breath. No electricity or sewer or water. Hardy built a shed, then a house. Dug a well. For 30 years, nobody bothered him. Now they won't leave him alone. ... 

Hardy spits fire when he talks about having to move next month to his new $750,000 house that has just a few more amenities than the rustic cabin he built in the Everglades with his own sweat more than a quarter-century ago.

Here's Bush in last night's New Hampshire debate:

But what Donald Trump did was use eminent domain to try to take the property of an elderly woman on the strip in Atlantic City. That is not public purpose, that is down right wrong. And here's the problem with that. The problem was, it was to tear down -- it was to tear down -- it was to tear down the house...

If Drudge had paid attention to the Emerson poll he'd have known Bush has DROPPED in it

The story here from Emerson which Drudge links to reports Bush in second with 16%. The trouble is a week ago he was second in the Emerson poll at 18%, so he's fallen!

Actually Bush has dropped in the latest Emerson poll to 16%, tho still in 2nd

Bush was in second with 18% previously in the Emerson poll

With voting in New Hampshire to begin in just hours, Real Clear Politics has Trump winning by +15.9 points in the polling average

Trump claims he had just 20 tickets for his New Hampshire Debate audience: Is the RNC treating him fairly?

Here:

"I had supporters," Trump responded. "I had 20 tickets. They gave me 20. All of those people in that crowd, 90 percent of them, were people that gave to the various candidates, and mostly to Bush."

John Hart says the pro-legalization of illegals Sen. Ben Sasse is the real conservative, not Donald Trump

Of course, Hart never mentions Sasse is pro-legalization.

Here.

The last thing we need is another Rubio posing as a conservative.

Like pornography, Donald Trump may not be able to define conservatism, but he knows it when he sees it.

Do you think National Review's candidate is Marco Rubio or what?

Headlines about Marco so far today at The Corner are 50% of the fourteen since the debate began last night at 8:00 PM (the other 50% are mostly about Hillary):

"Rubio Better Buckle His Chin Strap" 

"Rubio vs. Christie and Bush on Life" 

"Rubio's Tough Night"

"On Marco Rubio and Chris Christie's Brutal Exchange" 

"Christie Bests Rubio in GOP debate while Cruz and Trump Coast" 

"How Much of a Stumble?" 

"What a Bad Debate Night Means for Marco Rubio". 

Don't blame the Flint River for Flint's water problems

So says the Flint River Watershed Coalition, here:

"It was improper treatment of the water, rather than the health of the river itself, that sparked the suite of issues with Flint’s drinking water."

For more photos see "The Flint River isn't what you think it is, and here's why you should check it out".

clear waters

diverse habitat

thriving wildlife

Jeb Bush resurrects Bush Doctrine: "if a preemptive strike is necessary to keep us safe, then we should do it"

Video here.

Jeb Bush is just like his brother in this respect.

"Michigan Man" (aka "Not the face of Islam") arrested in terror plot against Christian church

Mlive reports here:

A 21-year-old man charged in federal court with illegal firearm and drug possession is also accused of making threats and planning a terrorist attack on a church congregation.

Khalil Abu-Rayyan has not been charged with crimes directly related terrorism, but the complaint filed against him in Detroit federal court includes allegations of threats made to a Detroit church and a Dearborn police officer.

The FBI has been watching Abu-Rayyan, of Dearborn Heights, since May 2015, because of what federal agents called "increasingly violent threats he has made to others about committing acts of terror and martyrdom -- including brutal acts against police officers, churchgoers and others -- on behalf of the foreign terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Levant."

Marco Rubio was in the tank for illegal immigrants before he became the junior senator from Florida

From a Politico story in March 2010 here which should have put off Republicans on his candidacy but didn't:

A leader for a progressive group that used to heap praise on Rubio says there’s been a clear change in his approach to complex issues. Arturo Vargas, the executive director for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, said Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles born in Miami, blocked “scorched-earth” legislation that sought to clamp down on illegal immigration. “He, as speaker, kept many of those from coming up to a vote,” Vargas said. “We were very proud of his work as speaker of the House.” In 2006, Rubio even voted for a bill that would have allowed the children of illegal immigrants to pay the same tuition rates at Florida colleges as residents.

Vargas now says Rubio, the candidate, takes a more pointed, less nuanced tone as he stresses border enforcement and his opposition to amnesty. “He’s become your typical candidate in terms of playing to his primary election base,” Vargas said, acknowledging he’s more disappointed than surprised.

Bobby Jindal endorses the anchor baby

Here:

“Marco can unify our party. His optimistic message is bringing voters from across the party lines, from across different demographic groups. He can unify our party, he can win this election in November,” Jindal said.

Phyllis Schlafly slams Marco Rubio as an agent of the Republican establishment who has wanted amnesty all along

Here:

“When Marco Rubio ran for the Senate in Florida, I think I was the first one to endorse him."

“I made a trip down to Florida in 2009 just for the purpose of helping him.”

“Once he got elected, he betrayed us all."

“He said he was against amnesty and against the establishment. And once he got in, right away, he became an agent of the establishment. And now, of course, he’s big for amnesty and letting all the illegal immigrants in. He betrayed us a number of times on that issue.”

“Immigration right now is the biggest issue. All you need to do is look at Europe, and you can see that."

“But there are other issues like trade where Rubio has aligned with the establishment against the American worker.”

"Trade is a big issue."

"The whole thing with how they are pushing these trade agreements and mass immigration is a cheat and a lie to the American people. And Rubio has joined the group that is pushing it."

Ben Domenech says Trump and Cruz stole Rand Paul's libertarian foreign policy

Here for The Federalist.

But Domenech never mentions how Trump stole something else: attracting hordes of people to his appearances who come from all walks of life, but especially blue collar independents and Democrats.

That's what Rand Paul hoped to do all along, recreating the Republican brand.

Trump is succeeding at what elite libertarians have only been able to dream of politically, but now that they've got what they wished for they want nothing to do with it because Trump is uniting people through a conservative value: patriotic American nationalism.

Rand Paul doesn't get it, and neither does Domenech: Americans are conservative much more than they are libertarian.

As usual, Republicans carry the liberal water for Democrats on social issues

FOX's Frank Luntz was paid over $345,000 by Florida's Republican Party when Marco Rubio was Speaker of the Florida House

Story here, questioning Luntz's objectivity in his current role praising Rubio in the debates.

Luntz was caught in an audio recording in 2013 complaining that conservative radio talkers Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin were destroying Rubio over the Gang of Eight immigration amnesty bill which Rubio co-sponsored.

It's safe to say that Luntz has been loyal to Rubio for a long time for a reason.

Will the Texas cross be big enough to crucify Donald Trump?

After all, it will be only 210 feet tall.

Story here.