Thursday's links and comments

I have remarked kiddingly that since Barack Obama already has the black vote sewn up he could nail down another demographic group by putting an apostrophe after the "O" in his last name. Turns out he actually is part Irish on his mothers side.

So it turns out, the Daily Telegraph reports from Dublin, that Barack Obama's great-great-great-great grandfather was " Joseph Kearney, a well-to-do shoemaker from Moneygall, County Offaly, Ireland, who lived from 1794 to 1861." Reports the Telegraph, "The presidential candidate comes from an Irish Anglican family, many of whom emigrated to the New World around the time of the famine and Ireland's decimated potato crop in the 1840s."

Speaking of the senator from Illinois, someone must feel his campaign has a chance. Obama Gets Secret Service Detail.

Michael Graham of the Boston Herald has some less than flattering words for George Tenet and his new book in an article titled - Tenet’s tell-all simply untenable.

Here is some proof we aren't the only North American country with nutty politicians.

Bigfoot, the legendary hairy man-like beast said to roam the wildernesses of North America, is not shy, merely so rare it risks extinction and should be protected as an endangered species. So says Canadian MP Mike Lake who has called for Bigfoot to be protected under Canada's species at risk act, alongside Whooping Cranes, Blue Whales, and Red Mulberry trees.

Earlier I mentioned the Republican primary debate tonight. I switched channels and caught some of it.
Winners:
Mitt Romney - Seemed most polished and prepared of the group. Came across as presidential.
Mike Huckabee - Might have just been a case of exceeding low expectations, but Huckabee did much better than I thought he would. Because of some of his nanny state positions I really did NOT want to like him, but came away impressed.

Losers:
MSNBC's Chris Matthews - Seemed completely out of his league with amateurish questions like asking Mitt Romney, who isn't Catholic, "Should Catholic Cardinals deny communion to Catholic politicians in favor of killing children (Not a direct quote)?" For the record Romney correctly answered that it's none of his business.
Giuliani - Once you get past "I was mayor of NY on 9/11," he ends up just in the crowd or candidates.
John McCain - Seemed to stumble at times and was overly aggressive at other times.
Ron Paul - Came across as the token weird guy or maybe more as the crotchety old uncle who would always take a contrary position just to irritate everyone else.
Tom Tancredo - Obviously running on just one issue (illegal immigration).
Thommy Thompson - Didn't come across very well. Only saw him answer a couple times (part of problem of too many candidates on one stage) and it seemed like he was never facing the camera.

Really just there to have a chance at VP:
Jim Gilmore - If anyone was watching this debate, Gilmore actually did fairly well. I lived in Virginia when Gilmore was governor and have been impressed with him for a while. He succeeded George Allen and while I liked Allen, Gilmore seemed like more of a serious politician.
Duncan Hunter - He could be the mature steady hand at VP if a DC outsider (Romney/Huckabee) gets the nomination.
Sam Brownback - If Giuliani recovers, Brownback could balance the ticket and give Rudy some cover with the more socially conservative Republicans.

Bottom line: Too many for a debate format. Split them into two groups for the first few debates.

Some other reactions:
Michelle Malkin
Peggy Noonan
Captain's Quarters