Pleasure: 2010

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Happy Holidays, Wheels Readers

December 23, 2010, 6:03 pm

Whatever the mode of transport that conveys you to your destination, the editors and contributors at Wheels wish you safe and happy travels this holiday weekend. We’ll be taking a short break, returning to our regular coverage on Monday, Dec. 27.

Meantime, Mr. Hamilton has a special message for you:

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Friday, December 24, 2010

Canadians Prefer the Mustang Over the Home-Grown Camaro

OTTAWA — The decision by General Motors to manufacture the Camaro in Oshawa, Ontario, was widely hailed in Canada as a coup for the country’s auto industry. But it seems that patriotism matters for little in Canadian showrooms.

According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, Canadians have bought 3,974 Camaros this year as of the end of November, compared with 4,935 Mustangs, which are assembled in Michigan.

The situation is the reverse of the United States, where 75,685 Camaros were sold during the same period compared with 68,264 Mustangs, according to the manufacturers. (Sales of both vehicles account for a much smaller portion of the overall Canadian market, which is roughly one-tenth the size of the United States.)

It’s not entirely clear why Canadians are more fond of the imported muscle car.

Kerri Stoakley, a spokeswoman for the Ford Motor Company of Canada, argued that Canadians believed that Mustangs were better.

“The Ford Mustang is an icon, a vehicle that many Canadians consider their dream car,” she wrote in an e-mail.

David Caldwell, a General Motors spokesman in Detroit, suggested that two factors might be at play: a lack of price incentives on the Camaro and the unavailability of a convertible model.

While Canada might be a wintry land, about half of the Mustangs sold were convertibles. By comparison, they account for only 15 to 20 percent of American sales.

Because high-power, rear-wheel-drive sports cars are less than ideal winter vehicles, many of them spend the long Canadian winter in indoor storage and are used only during seasons when a convertible top is an asset.

The convertible Camaro now on its way may alter the Canadian sales war.

While G.M. has heavily promoted the Camaro’s sales lead in the United States, Mr. Caldwell seemed to take the car’s second place in the Canadian market in stride.

“Maybe this isn’t so unusual,” he wrote. “Mustang is no longer No. 1 in its country of origin either.”

View the original article here

Agency Upgrades Investigation of Another Ford Windstar Problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday upgraded its investigation into rusting engine cradles causing steering problems on about 550,000 Ford Windstars from the 1999-2003 model years.

That brings the troubled minivan a step closer to a second recall. After a government investigation this year, the automaker recalled about 621,000 Windstars from the 1998-2003 model years in the United States and Canada because the rear axle could corrode and break.

In July, the agency began investigating rusting on the front subframe, which is sometimes called an engine cradle. N.H.T.S.A. labeled this a Preliminary Evaluation.

But in a document filed Wednesday on its Web site, the agency said it had more than 300 complaints “alleging fracture, cracking and/or excessive corrosion.” That warranted intensifying the investigation to an Engineering Analysis.

The agency said it had three reports of accidents, with one resulting in injury. It added that most of the complaints had arisen in the so-called salt belt states. The rear-axle recall also emerged from the salt belt.

The opening of an Engineering Analysis is sometimes the trigger for a recall, as the automaker learns that the agency has enough proof of a problem to warrant the action.

“We are fully cooperating with the government on this investigation as we always do,” said Wesley Sherwood, a Ford spokesman, in an e-mail. Asked if Ford planned a recall, he wrote, “We cannot comment further during the investigation.”

Mary Ellen Heyde, who directed Ford’s minivan program before retiring about eight years ago, said in a telephone interview that she was not sure what caused the Windstar problems and was not familiar with what investigators had found.

“We have had cases in the past where there can be a supplier issue, but I am not aware of it,” she said.

Here are some other recent safety-related actions:

? Honda says it is recalling about 10,800 2011 Pilot sport utility vehicles and 2010–11 V-6 Accords because the front suspension could collapse. The automaker said a “programming error of the computer controlled machine” resulted in some bolts on Pilots not being properly tightened. In addition, on some Accord V-6 models and Pilots, the spindle nuts may not be tight enough. Honda told the agency it learned of a problem after receiving a complaint that the front suspension on a Pilot collapsed.

? After being told by N.H.T.S.A. to investigate, General Motors is recalling almost 96,000 2005–7 Cadillac CTS models because the passenger-side air bag might not deploy in a crash. The automaker said “the repeated flexing of the passenger sensing system mat in the front passenger seat may cause the mat to kink, bend or fold.” That could break the electrical connections and disable the bag. The agency asked G.M. to provide more information after the Office of Defect Investigations spotted a possible problem in an early warning report that automakers are required to file.

? General Motors is recalling 1,262 of its 2011 full-size pickups because the rear axle could lock and “the driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without prior warning,” the automaker told the agency.

The vehicles are the 2011 Cadillac Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado and GMC Sierra. The automaker said a rear axle cross pin was improperly heat treated and could break and “become displaced within the rear axle.”? That could cause the axle to lock. The automaker said the problem was discovered at an assembly plant.

? Triumph Motorcycles Limited is recalling 216 of its 2010 Sprint ST and Sprint GT models. The manufacturer said the oil filter plug/dipstick was not the correct length. That could lead the owner to put less oil than needed in the engine causing engine damage and a possible loss of control by the rider.

? About 1,143 school buses were being recalled by the Blue Bird Corporation for two different problems, the company told the safety agency. About 1,000 are 2010-11 Vision models on which the parking brake, when applied, might not prevent the vehicle from rolling. The company, in Fort Valley, Ga., told N.H.T.S.A. that “the hydraulic brake pedal may deform upon application, which may prevent the parking brake from fully applying.”

The remaining 143 buses are the 2011 All American D-3 models. Blue Bird said those models did not meet the government’s standard for “body joint strength.” Blue Bird said it had learned that the proper adhesive was not used to secure steel body panels on the outside of the vehicles.

? The Hankook Tire Company is also recalling about 17,700 passenger car tires because its testing has shown “less than expected sidewall performance when placed under extreme conditions.” The company told the agency that the affected model was the Dynapro AS in a P265/70R17 size.

For more information or to report a safety problem, visit safercar.gov.

View the original article here

Afghan Civilian Casualties Rise

The Washington Post reports:

The number of civilians killed or wounded in the Afghan war increased by 20 percent during the first 10 months of this year, compared with the same period last year, according to a U.N. report issued this week.
The top U.N. envoy to Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, said as the world body released its latest quarterly report that insurgents are likely to stage high-profile attacks in the months ahead.
“Before it gets better, it may get worse,” he said.
The report concluded that the number of civilian casualties attributable to insurgents increased by 25 percent during the 10-month period. It said insurgent groups were responsible for killing or injuring 4,738 civilians during that period, while 742 were killed or wounded by Afghan and international troops – a drop of 18 percent.
In a statement Thursday on its Web site, the Taliban called the civilian casualty figures in the report “a propaganda stint aimed at concealing American brutalities.”
U.S. airstrikes, long controversial in Afghanistan because of the high incidence of civilian casualties associated with them, were the leading cause of civilian deaths by NATO forces, the report said. At least 162 civilians were killed in airstrikes and 120 were wounded during the 10-month period.
On Thursday, NATO said it was investigating reports that one of its units had mistakenly killed two Afghans in northwestern Faryab province.
The grim statistics come as U.S. military officials are claiming some success in their effort to halt the Taliban’s momentum as the war enters its 10th year.
De Mistura said insurgent groups are likely to try to undermine NATO’s sense of traction by staging spectacular attacks in the near future.

Click here to read more.

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UN Looks Into Manning’s Treatment

The Washington Post reports:

The United Nations’ top anti-torture envoy is looking into a complaint that the Army private suspected of giving classified documents to WikiLeaks has been mistreated in custody, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
The office of Manfred Nowak, special rapporteur on torture in Geneva, received a complaint from one of Pfc. Bradley Manning’s supporters alleging conditions in a Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Va., amount to torture, said spokesperson Xabier Celaya. Visitors say he spends at least 23 hours a day alone in a cell.
The U.N. could ask the United States to stop any violations it finds.
The Pentagon has denied mistreating Manning. A Marine Corps spokesman says the military is keeping Manning safe, secure and ready for trial.
Manning was charged in July with leaking classified material, including video posted by WikiLeaks of a 2007 U.S. Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed a Reuters news photographer and his driver. He is suspected of leaking troves of other material to the government secret-spilling site, which is in the process of posting more than 250,000 secret U.S. State Department cables.

Click here to read more.

View the original article here

FF Looks Back at 2010

2010: a difficult year for the country, a year of growth for the FrumForum site.

This was the year of Tea Party protest, of the passage of the Democratic health bill, and of big Republican gains in Congress. Oh – and the year I got axed at the American Enterprise Institute.

As of the 51 week mark in 2010, the FrumForum site had attracted a little over 1.89 million unique visitors, who together viewed 8.136 million pages of content.

What attracted all those people to this one site? FrumForum editors have looked backward over the year’s blogging to identify the articles that had the most resonance for you, our readers. Mr Producer, a drumroll please …

*? *? *

David Frum, Do Jews Hate Palin?

January 4, 2010

If Jews do in fact disapprove of Sarah Palin more than other people do it is because she often seems to divide her fellow-Americans into first class and second class citizens, real Americans and not-so-real Americans.

Danielle Crittenden, The Capital Snow Diaries

February 11, 2010

In the early days of Snowmageddon, people were positively balmy. ?The snow was falling all over the District and we made joyous plans.? Fires were set. ?Stew recipes exchanged. ?Wine poured. Who knew that five days later, many of us would still be housebound?

Tim Mak, Bowling with Mitt

February 18, 2010

Anyone who is anxious about the coming Mitt Romney candidacy can rest assured: At the very least, Romney is an excellent bowler.

Tim Mak, Hannitized is Sanitized

March 19, 2010

After Debbie Schlussel accused a charity that Sean Hannity is affiliated with of malfeasance and mismangement., FrumForum conducted an exhaustive investigation of the charity in question, Freedom Alliance, and found evidence to rebut her claims.

David Frum, Waterloo

March 21, 2010

By rejecting any deal with President Obama over health reform, conservatives and Republicans set the stage for their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.

Chris Currey, How the GOP Purged Me

April 5, 2010

How did the conservative movement and the Republican party go from William F. Buckley to Glenn Beck?? From Eisenhower and Nixon to Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann?

RD, A Gay Officer at War

April 10, 2010

When the people of California voted to strip the over 1,000 legal rights afforded married couples from gay Californians I decided I could no longer serve in the military. Why should I put my life at risk to defend the freedom of Americans who think so little of me and my relationships?

Jeb Golinkin, Maine’s Tea Party Coup

May 11, 2010

This weekend, tea party supporters attending the Maine Republican party convention voted “overwhelmingly” to rewrite much of the party platform to reflect their less than mainstream views.

Eli Lehrer, Why the Greek Crisis is Not America’s Future

May 11, 2010

If there’s a major debt-driven crisis in the U.S. within the next decade it’s going to look very different than the one now unfolding in Greece.

Jeb Golinkin, The New Gay Right

June 5, 2010

As gay rights issues have gained mainstream attention, gay Republicans have jumped back into the debate.

Jeb Golinkin, Strasburg: Another Sports Robot

June 8, 2010

Stephen Strasburg may well be the most talented pitcher to break into the majors in decades but don’t bother hanging around for his postgame interviews.? More and more, our public figures don’t have much to say.

Rachel Ryan, Spicing Up Washington’s Street Life

June 26, 2010

Zoning rules and street patterns deprive northwest Washington of the cute cafes, shops and street life that enliven cities like Paris.

Danielle Crittenden, Bristol and Levi’s Evite Invitation

July 14, 2010

FrumForum gets a look at the invitation from 2010’s biggest wedding (that didn’t happen).

Eugene Debs, What Kind of Socialist is Barack Obama? No Kind

July 29, 2010

In a four part series, FF contributor Eugene Debs debunks Stanley Kurtz’s claim that President Obama is pushing a socialist agenda.

Noah Kristula-Green, The Tea Party Embraces Ayn Rand

July 31, 2010

At least one part of the American economy has enjoyed a boom since the financial crisis: the estate of Ayn Rand and sales of her dystopic door-stopper novel, “Atlas Shrugged.”

David Frum, Is the 9/11 Mosque a Publicity Stunt?

August 10, 2010

The lower Manhattan mosque has provoked many doubts and suspicions. Here’s mine: the whole thing is a phony-baloney publicity stunt by a developer in search of project financing.

Shawn Summers, Thank God for Hitchens

August 21, 2010

Hitchens has always held an antipathy for totalitarianism, especially in religious form. Now fighting cancer, he has thankfully not lost his voice.

John Guardiano, The Right’s Anti-Islam Extremists

August 23, 2010

Conservatives should take care to not recast the war against radical Islam as a war against all Islam.

Paul Craft, The J.D. Hayworth Revolution Fizzles Out

August 25, 2010

Situated in the ballroom of a northern Scottsdale resort, J.D. Hayworth’s election party was not the passionate populist uprising the campaign may have wished for.

David Frum, Gingrich: Obama Wants Whitey’s Money

September 13, 2010

Following Dinesh D’Souza’s Forbes article, Newt Gingrich has now stepped up to suggest that President Obama’s policies are motivated by anti-white racial revenge.

Tim Mak, Meghan McCain’s Not So Dirty Sexy Politics

September 17, 2010

As every unmarried male reviewer of “Dirty Sexy Politics” must do, I considered the effect a bad review would have on my chances of ever taking Meghan McCain out to dinner.

Shawn Summers, Our Kind of Tea Partier

October 24, 2010

British MEP Dan Hannan’s new book warns America away from copying European style social democracy, but with evidence and reason not vitriol.

Nils August Andresen, Smart Youth Voters Shunned GOP in Midterms

November 8, 2010

Republicans had a good election across most of the country, yet still lost heavily amongst young, highly educated voters. What went wrong?

Tim Mak, RNC’s Political Director: Steele Neglecting Donor Base

November 16, 2010

FF gets the RNC’s response to resigning political director Gentry Collins’ criticisms of Michael Steele’s tenure as chairman.

Noah Kristula-Green, What Would Fed Critics Do Instead?

November 17, 2010

FF contacted co-signers of the letter opposing the Fed’s $600 billion stimulus to see what policies they would propose instead.

Danielle Crittenden, Let Them Eat Twinkies

November 28, 2010

It’s bad enough Obama is nationalizing our healthcare, but now according to the latest paranoid fantasy on the right: he’s going to start telling you what to eat too.

Noah Kristula-Green, We Watch “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” So You Don’t Have To

November 28, 2010

FF liveblogs each episode of Sarah Palin’s new reality show.? Follow Sarah hunting caribou, going fishing, and prospecting for gold.

Tim Mak, Why Toppling Steele is Harder Than It Looks

November 30, 2010

A new PPP poll has 47% of Republicans wanting RNC chair Michael Steele replaced. But beating him might not be as easy as his opponents think.

Richard Ramsey, Food Fight Becomes Open Class Warfare

December 7, 2010

Why is the South – the most culturally conservative part of the country, in most respects – so thoughtlessly permissive about eating?

Richard Ramsey, Freedom’s Just Another Word for 50 Pounds to Lose

December 14, 2010

There are financial and national security benefits to eating better as a nation. Yet, many conservatives still oppose attempts to better the diets of school kids.

Tim Mak, RNC Candidate’s Firm Got Clients Stimulus Funds

December 15, 2010

FF has learned that RNC Chair candidate Reince Priebus’ firm lists him as a lawyer on a team which helps clients secure federal stimulus funds.

Tim Mak, Don’t Diss the RNC

December 15, 2010

In 2010, third party groups stepped in to assist with GOP fundraising and campaigns. But don’t write off the RNC as irrelevant just yet.

View the original article here

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Specter Blasts GOP for “Cannibalism”

senator arlen specter2 Specter Blasts GOP for Cannibalism The AP reports:

WASHINGTON — Departing Republican-turned-Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday said conservative Republicans who backed tea party challengers against establishment candidates in the recent elections engaged in political cannibalism.
In his final floor speech, Specter complained there’s scant room for centrists like himself in a polarized Senate where civility is in short supply.
“In some quarters, compromise has become a dirty word,” said Pennsylvania’s longest-serving senator, who lost his re-election bid after three decades in the Senate.
Specter complained that some GOP senators had helped tea party challengers beat incumbent Republicans like Utah Sen. Bob Bennett and Rep. Mike Castle in his Delaware Senate primary.
“Eating or defeating your own is a form of sophisticated cannibalism,” he said.
Specter said the re-election of Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski on a write-in vote against the tea party challenger who toppled her in the primary may show the way to “counter right-wing extremists.”

View the original article here

'ABC World News' Plans Report on Ford Windstar Recall

December 21, 2010, 2:21 pm

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Christopher Jensen, a Wheels blog contributor who often writes about recalls and safety issues, is to appear Tuesday night on “ABC World News With Diane Sawyer” in a segment about axle failures on Ford Windstar minivans. The report is expected to be broadcast again Wednesday morning on “Good Morning America.”

On May 5, Mr. Jensen reported in Wheels that although some 200 owners of 1999-2003 Ford Windstar minivans had filed complaints about broken rear axles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration never opened a safety investigation. Nine days later, the safety agency did begin an inquiry, saying it had received 234 complaints and reports of two accidents. The axle failures were linked to corrosion damage primarily in snow belt states where roads are salted in winter.

In late August, Ford issued a recall of 612,000 Windstar vans from the 1998-2003 model years in the United States and Canada, and in November the safety agency issued an unusual warning to Windstar owners: get rusty rear axles fixed quickly before they break.

Last week, a spokeswoman for the agency, Karen Aldana, said the warning was prompted in part by the death of a Massachusetts man, Sean Bowman, who was 28. His wife, Justine, said experts she hired told her that the failure of the rear axle on their 2001 Windstar caused the crash. Ms. Aldana said Ford had not acted quickly enough to notify owners; the recall notice to Mr. Bowman was postmarked three days after he died.

Investigators for the agency inspected the Bowmans’ vehicle and then decided to issue the warning.

Ford had originally denied there was any danger involved should a rear axle break.

View the original article here

Toronto-Dominion Clinches Deal for Chrysler Financial

December 21, 2010, 10:35 am

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

From our colleagues at DealBook:

Toronto-Dominion Bank on Tuesday agreed to buy Chrysler Financial from the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management for $6.3 billion.

The deal comprises “net assets of $5.9 billion and approximately $400 million in goodwill.”

TD Bank, Toronto-Dominion’s United States subsidiary, will acquire Chrysler Financial in the United States, and Toronto-Dominion will acquire Chrysler Financial in Canada.

“This transaction represents a unique opportunity to purchase a great organic growth platform at an attractive price,” said Ed Clark, chief executive of Toronto-Dominion. “This acquisition will allow us to leverage our lending expertise and financial strength to expand our presence in a large North American market with tremendous potential upside.”

Lake: Senate Prepares to Ratify START Treaty

senate Lake: Senate Prepares to Ratify START Treaty Eli Lake reports:

The Senate voted Tuesday to limit debate on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), paving the way for final ratification of the arms-control pact as key Republicans defied their party leadership and announced support for the accord.
The move to invoke cloture passed by a 67-28 vote after several days of debate and unsuccessful Republican attempts to add amendments to the U.S.-Russia arms agreement.
The Senate could take a final vote to formally ratify the treaty as early as Wednesday.
Democrats need the votes of nine Republicans to reach a two-thirds majority of 67 to ratify the agreement, if all Democrats vote in favor.
Still, it appears the treaty will garner significantly fewer votes than past arms-control treaties that were approved by the Senate with large, bipartisan majorities of 90 votes for more.
“Today’s bipartisan vote clears a significant hurdle in the Senate,” said Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of theSenate Foreign Relations Committee. “We are on the brink of writing the next chapter in the 40-year history of wrestling with the threat of nuclear weapons. We’ve spent months building toward this moment.”
If the treaty passes, it will be a victory for the White House in a year of political setbacks. President Obama has made passage of New START during the postelection lame-duck session of Congress a top priority, even though he also needed to negotiate a deal on the budget and tax-cut extensions.
Mr. Obama also made the treaty, which limits Russian and U.S.strategic nuclear arsenals to 1,550 warheads for each side, a central focus of U.S. efforts to reset relations with Russia.
Additionally, the White House has said the treaty is important for Mr. Obama’s program to curb the spread of nuclear arms as part of a plan to ultimately rid the world completely of nuclear weapons. Further arms talks are planned for limits on tactical or battlefield nuclear missiles, limits on the production of fissile material, and cooperation on missile defenses.

View the original article here

Polls Shows Fewer Moderates in GOP Base

tea party Polls Shows Fewer Moderates in GOP Base Public Policy Polling reports:

Yesterday we wrote about part of Mitt Romney’s problem with conservatives- they simply don’t like him nearly as much as they do any of the other top Republican candidates for President. Today we’re going to tackle the other part of Romney’s- and any other Republican perceived to be a moderate’s- problem with conservatives. They’re likely to make up a much larger share of primary voters in 2012 than they did in 2008.
Over the last six weeks we’ve polled folks who identify themselves as likely Republican voters in six states that also had an exit poll for their Republican primaries in 2008. Comparing the numbers by ideology on our recent polls with what they were for the last election makes it clear that a Republican electorate already dominated by conservatives has become even more so over the last few years.
The six states we’re dealing with in this analysis are Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Florida. Here are the facts:
-2008 exit polls showed that conservatives accounted for anywhere from 56 to 68% of the primary voters in these states. Our polls for 2012 find that range to be from 70% to 77%. The percentage of likely primary voters self identifying as conservatives is up at least 7% in every individual state, and that increase goes as high as 16% in the case of Wisconsin.
-Liberals have become completely extinct in the Republican Party. This may seem obvious but 9% of primary voters in these six states still identified themselves as liberals even in 2008. That figure is all the way down to 2.5% on these polls. Whatever liberals remained in the GOP as recently as three years ago have left the ranch now.
-On average the percentage of GOP primary voters identifying themselves as conservatives in these states in 2008 was 63%. Now it’s 73%. And not surprisingly in addition to the decline of liberals as an influential force in the GOP moderates are on the way down too- from an average of 29% of the primary electorate in 2008 to now 24%.

View the original article here

Insurance Institute Names Top Safety Picks for 2011

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety revealed on Wednesday its picks for the safest vehicles of 2011.

Sixty-six models — including 40 cars, 25 sport utility vehicles and one minivan — earned the Top Safety Pick award. Only 27 vehicles received that distinction last year after the Insurance Institute added a roof-strength parameter to its test criteria.

As 2010 progressed, 58 vehicles were ultimately named Top Safety Picks. Owing to automakers’ efforts to strengthen roofs and make changes to air bags, 2011 begins with a much larger list.

Hyundai (including Kia) and Volkswagen (including Audi) are the most heavily represented brands, with nine awards each. General Motors (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC); Ford (including Lincoln) and Toyota (including Lexus and Scion) each have eight winners. Subaru, with five awards, is the only automaker with a winner in each of the categories in which it competed.

The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting passengers in the institute’s crash testing. These are vehicles that earn the highest rating of Good (on a scale of Good, Fair, Marginal, Poor) in the institute’s front, side, rollover — which measures roof strength — and rear-impact tests. They also must be equipped with or offer electronic stability control as an option.

In 2009 more than 12,000 people in the United States died in frontal crashes, more than 6,000 in side impacts and more than 8,000 in rollovers, according to the institute.

Hyundai and Chrysler made marked rating strides following the redesigns of some popular models.

The Hyundai Tucson and its twin, the Kia Sportage, earned the Poor rating for roof strength in 2009, but their redesign helped them become Top Safety Picks for 2011.

The previous-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, though equipped with head side-curtain air bags, was rated Marginal for side-impact protection, but the 2011 model, now with torso air bags, earned a Good rating and is a 2011 Top Safety Pick.

“The good news for consumers is how quickly automakers are responding to new information about how to make vehicles safer,” said Adrian Lund, the institute’s president.

“We are very pleased with the progress that is being made, especially this latest round with roof strength,” he continued. “The stronger you make the package, the easier it is to protect the fragile contents inside of it.”

For a complete list of the institute’s 2011 Top Safety Picks, visit iihs.org.

View the original article here

Monday, December 20, 2010

Data Suggests Fed Stimulus is Working

bernanke Data Suggests Fed Stimulus is Working Bloomberg reports:

Government bonds are falling the most in a year as the gap between yields on longer-term Treasuries show that the Federal Reserve’s second round of quantitative easing may be its last.
The difference between 10- and 30-year yields shrank to 1.05 percentage points, or 105 basis points, on Dec. 15 from a record 1.60 points on Nov. 10, the fastest contraction since the 1980s, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The shift in the so-called yield curve is taking place as Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data show U.S. bonds due in 10 years or more lost 4.64 percent this month, trimming 2010’s gain to 8.37 percent.
Flattening usually foreshadows the end of Fed interest-rate cuts aimed at stimulating growth. U.S. reports this month showed rising retail sales, higher consumer confidence and a jump in industrial production after the central bank expanded itsbalance sheet to an unprecedented $2.39 trillion, pumping money into the financial system. It’s adding $600 billion more purchasing Treasuries through so-called quantitative easing to keep the economy from deflating.
“A peak in the yield spread between 10s and 30s signals the end of an easing cycle,” said Steven Wieting, managing director of economic and market analysis at Citigroup Inc. “It’s part of a recovery and improved growth expectations. If the outlook is for a stronger recovery, then QE would be limited and they may not expand beyond it.”

View the original article here

Dems Prepare Votes on START Treaty

missile silo2 Dems Prepare Votes on START Treaty Politico reports:

Senate Democrats appear to have enough votes to overcome a Republican filibuster on the new START arms-control treaty, though it’s unclear if they will have the 67 votes needed for ratification.
At least four Republicans have committed to supporting the U.S.-Russia treaty or are leaning that way, including two who say they will vote for cloture. If Democrats can hold their 58-member caucus together, that would likely put them at or over the 60-vote threshold required to end debate on the treaty and move forward.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid?(D-Nev.) filed a cloture motion Sunday night that would set up a cloture vote Tuesday and a final vote for ratification Wednesday.
“As we move ahead, I look forward to continuing to debate amendments. But soon this will come down to a simple choice: you either want to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists, or you don’t,” Reid said.
Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who has been urging START ratification in the lame-duck session, is expected to vote for cloture. So will Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).
“I’ve said that I’ve supported START and a vote for cloture to proceed to the consideration of it, because I do think it is critical to always engage in reducing our respective arsenals,” Snowe told reporters Sunday at the Capitol. “Wherever we can engage in that with Russia, it is absolutely essential that we do so.”
But she said it’s crucial that her GOP colleagues have the ability to offer amendments. “If we work this process through, we may come to an ultimate conclusion,” Snowe said.

View the original article here

Cameron Enters EU Budget Freeze Pact

Cameron Austerity Cameron Enters EU Budget Freeze Pact The Guardian reports:

David Cameron today announced he had joined forces with France andGermany to demand a real-terms freeze in the EU budget until the end of the decade.
The prime minister will tomorrow publish a joint text with Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and other European leaders setting out their demand for restraint in EU spending.
They will insist that the union’s budget should rise by no more than the rate of inflation over the period 2014-20.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of the European council summit in Brussels, Cameron said the text would put down “a firm marker” of their determination not to allow the budget to swell.
The prime minister confirmed he had secured a “clear and unanimous agreement” that Britain would not be “dragged into bailing out the eurozone”, as part of a new stability mechanism to be introduced in 2013.
The UK would be part of the existing emergency mechanism until then, but because that was a commitment entered into by the former Labour government “we have to live with it”, he added.
Cameron said tomorrow’s text would cover negotiations on the EU budgets for 2012 and 2013, as well as the longer-term perspective for 2014-20. “What I am doing, together with our key partners in Europe, is putting down a firm marker for these negotiations,” he said. “All around Europe, countries are tightening their belts to deal with their deficits. Europe can’t be immune from that.
“We want to see real budgetary restraint for 2014-20 – the time of the next financial perspective. That is why the text we will publish talks about at least a real-term freeze in the budget for that period.”
He described the agreement between Britain, France and Germany as “incredibly significant” and a “huge achievement”.

View the original article here

The Perils of Crossing the Country in a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado

In this Sunday’s Automobiles section, I wrote about a cross-country trip I took with a friend in my 1958 Cadillac Eldorado, and of all of the joys and jolts that attend travel in a car from the days before cruise control, satellite radio, before even cup holders.

And before the experience of near-absolute automotive reliability that most drivers experience today. For among the many ways the trip reminded me of my teenage years (which were spent begging my father to please move beyond Oldsmobile station wagons), the trip also recalled what was once a fairly common experience for drivers back then: the car that wouldn’t start, or stalled, or lost pieces of metal along the way.

When I was in college, for example, I tended to favor parking spots on hills, and readers of my generation –- this was the late 1960s –- will know exactly where I’m going: hills were my answer to a gimpy starter because a rolling jump start was far more reassuring to girls than hammering on the starter in hopes of getting the brushes to set.

The Eldorado had a new motor and all the trimmings, so it never left us stranded. But as the story discloses, it still managed to remind us that we had stepped back in time: the driveshaft came loose, the motor stumbled, at one point in late-summer Nebraska it was so hot under the hood the gas in the glass sediment bowl boiled, and a nice half-hour vapor-lock ensued.

But let’s get back those starter brushes. Few drivers today have to know how a starter works, or what it is like to drive a car whose mechanics are open to fiddling, with set screws, adjustments and tinkering. Cars today are so reliable that Click and Clack, the hosts of “Car Talk” on NPR, spend most of their air time settling pointless arguments between wives and their silent husbands. Besides, many modern motors are all but sealed behind plastic shields.

The old Caddy may have been frail, like others cars of that generation, but it was at least open to adjustment. Open up the idle speed to overcome a tendency to stall, clip clothespins on vapor locked gas lines, cover the carburetor with your hand to choke it. Get out and get under, as the song goes, and, if you’re not parked on a hill, bang on the starter.

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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Reviewing the Ford Explorer

December 17, 2010, 3:01 pm

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

In Sunday’s Automobiles section, Christopher Jensen evaluates the new Ford Explorer, which offers greater comfort for passengers and somewhat diminished off-road capability, Mr. Jensen writes:

What consumers will find is a radically changed Explorer with an emphasis on ride and handling, better fuel economy and some new features that will, Ford says, improve safety. Buyers will also find lower towing limits and less off-road ability.
The least expensive model, the plain Explorer with front-wheel drive, is $28,995. Up a step is the XLT at $31,995 and then the Limited at $37,995. All-wheel drive is offered on all trim levels for an additional $2,000.

Read the whole review, check out the slide show and let us know what you think in the comments, below.

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In DADT’s Wake: A New Chance To Serve

Now that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is on the path to repeal, perhaps I will re-enlist. I do this knowing I will deploy to a combat zone again and it doesn’t concern me.? When in uniform my job is to be a professional, not to be “gay” or “straight”. I suspect most gay and lesbian solders feel the same way. There will be no rush to “out” ourselves to our fellow servicemembers; but we will be free to no longer live in fear of being unemployed for simply being ourselves on our off time. We will be able to be honest with our physician for the first time, and no longer feel the need to feign interest in the opposite sex.

We will also no longer be subject to potential blackmail if our orientation is discovered.

The vote in the Senate, after all the inflated rhetoric of the last few years, seemed oddly anticlimactic, as if it were just an afterthought.? Perhaps this is because the American public has been ahead of the politicians on this issue for some time; we were just waiting for Washington to catch up. On my 2009 deployment I was amazed at how socially liberal and accepting the young infantry soldiers were that I served with. They seemed to be unconcerned about skin color, about gender, and even sexual orientation. This appears to be a generational change and it made me very proud to serve with such accepting and supportive soldiers.

One thing I learned on my last deployment was how incredibly professional our soldiers are. Our troops are focused on the mission and everything else becomes unimportant. A common Army saying about race and skin color is “There is no black or white in the Army, only green” — the color of our uniforms.? By design, differences are downplayed.

At Combat Outpost Lowell I saw young U.S. soldiers with Mexican, African, and Confederate flags hanging next to their bunk fighting side by side when under fire. They would have given their lives for one another. When asked about this, one soldier replied “We’ve learned to celebrate our differences without letting our differences divide us”.

Such amazing maturity in such young troops.

I have never been disappointed by the professionalism of our solders or by their dedication to duty. I have no reason to be concerned about how they will accept the presence of gays in their units.? For one thing, gays are already in their unit — we just won’t have to lie anymore.

When Canada, Great Britain and our other NATO allies removed bans on gays openly serving there was no negative impact on their militaries and the change was essentially a non-event.? With the professionalism of our troops here, open integration will be a non-event for Americans as well.

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Israeli Outsourcing to Palestinians Booms

That Israel is a world leader in high-tech is well known, but a story you’re unlikely to see much coverage about – Israeli companies outsourcing IT work to Palestinians. Proof that in the 21^st century, IT is a language that transcends all cultural, economic and political barriers.

Although peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian politicians may have reached an unfortunate impasse, AP reports that an increasing number of Israeli high-tech companies are doing work with their Palestinian counterparts in the West Bank.

For some Israelis, this is their own small way of making a positive contribution to an otherwise troubled part of the world. To others, it’s “because it simply makes good business sense.”

Traditionally, many Israeli high tech firms sent their work offshore to Eastern Europe, India or China. However, in the last 3 years, they have increasingly turned to their Palestinian neighbors and have found that not only are they smart, ambitious and hard working, but “the cultural gap is much smaller than we would think,” said Gai Anbar, chief executive of Comply, an Israeli start-up that develops software for global pharmaceutical companies like Merck and Teva.

And here’s the thing – many Palestinians have also warmed to the idea. “I doubt you would find a company who says, ‘I am closed for business‘” to Israelis, said Ala Alaeddin, chairman of the Palestinian Information Technology Association.

Although the Palestinian workers cost less to the Israeli companies than do Israelis, they still earn on average more than say their Indian or Chinese counterparts, and more importantly – than the average Palestinian salary in the West Bank (and certainly more than in Gaza, where such ‘collaboration’ would be tantamount to treason in the eyes of the ruling Hamas). It is an opportunity for them not just to put food on the table for their families, but like their Israeli counterparts, also a chance to make a positive contribution to peace between the two people.

So here’s the thing – next time you think about boycotting, divesting from or sanctioning Israeli companies, remember this – you’re not only hurting Israelis, but you’re hurting the Palestinians and hopes for peace even more.

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Manchin Skipped Senate Votes For Christmas Party

Joe Manchin WV Gov Manchin Skipped Senate Votes For Christmas Party Talking Points Memo reports:

After the Senate broke a GOP filibuster on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell earlier today, Sen. Joe Manchinreleased a statement saying he had concerns about the “timing” and “implementation” of a repeal.
But it seems he took even more issue with the timing of the vote itself, seeing as he skipped the vote altogether to attend a Christmas party.
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told reporters at a press conference that Manchin said he had an out-of-town “family thing” and wouldn’t make the votes, according to the?Washington Post.
Manchin spokesman Sara Payne Scarbro elaborated to the Charleston Gazette in an email, saying that he and his wife “planned a holiday gathering over a year ago with all their children and grandchildren as they will not all be together on Christmas Day.”
“While he regrets missing the votes, it was a family obligation that he just could not break,” Scarbro said. “However, he has been clear on where he stands on the issues.”

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In New York, for One Night Only, Nissan Drops Top on Murano

December 17, 2010, 1:45 pm

By JONATHAN SCHULTZ

The one-bite steak au poivre and microburgers were circulated at Chelsea’s Skylight West Studios in Manhattan on Thursday evening, as Nissan North America showcased its 2011 Murano CrossCabriolet to a handful of journalists. Keeping company with the new crossover convertible were the 2011 Quest minivan and Ellure concept, all of which bowed at November’s Los Angeles auto show.

In fact, the Murano in New York was the same vehicle that was in Los Angeles, down to its Caribbean blue-metallic paint and cashmere-colored leather appointments — this color being one of the very few interior options available, at $550. Spotlit from the gallery rafters, the all-wheel-drive droptop sparkled like the slice of Marina-del-Rey-on-Hudson it was.

While photos of the CrossCabriolet serve to emphasize its otherness — or, less charitably, its awkwardness — beholding the vehicle in person places it in an identifiable context: that of somewhat bulbous boulevard cruisers like the Lexus SC 430 and Volvo C70.

Adam O’Shaughnessy, a marketing manager for Nissan North America, said that the brand’s idealized customer would cross-shop the $46,390 CrossCabriolet against those two models, as well as the BMW 328i convertible. The Nissan’s all-wheel-drive system and high ground clearance would offer points of differentiation.

Amid that company, the CrossCabriolet would still be a dark horse. But with Caribbean paint and proper lighting, at least it might be the most lustrous.

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Friday, December 17, 2010

New Car Smell Blamed in Hit-and-Run

December 15, 2010, 4:44 pm

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

From our colleagues at the Green blog:

Many drivers enjoy the so-called “new car smell,” a mix of volatile organic compounds that rise from the plastic, leather, cloth, wood and other interior components of cars fresh off the assembly line. The aroma is so popular that some companies even sell new car smell air fresheners.

But does new car smell have a dark side? More specifically, is it intoxicating?

That appears likely to be an element of the defense of a Colorado driver charged in a nighttime hit-and-run accident, according to court documents filed this week, The Vail Daily News reports. The driver, Martin Joel Erzinger, a financial manager, allegedly fled the scene of a crash with a cyclist in July.

The new car smell from a month-old Mercedes-Benz may have contributed to Mr. Erzinger’s losing consciousness before the accident, his lawyers say.

The seemingly novel defense has been raised by an accident reconstructionist hired by Mr. Erzinger’s attorneys. They contend that Mr. Erzinger suffered from sleep apnea and dozed off at the wheel before driving off the road and striking the cyclist.

“Harmful and noxious gases emitted from the upholstery can infiltrate the driver’s compartment and potentially alter the driver,” the investigator wrote.

At least one study has found that fumes from new car interiors can pose a health hazard, particularly on a hot day when the windows are closed. Volatile organic compounds like those found in new car fumes have been linked to a variety of health problems in humans, from throat irritation to cancer.

Snowe Pledges Repeal of DADT

olympia snowe1 Snowe Pledges Repeal of DADT The Portland Press Herald reports:

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe said Wednesday she would support the repeal of the military policy that prevents gays from serving openly.
The announcement came as the U.S. House of Representatives voted on repealing the policy, known as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’
“After careful analysis of the comprehensive report compiled by the Department of Defense and thorough consideration of the testimony provided by the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the service chiefs, I support repeal of the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law,” Snowe said in a statement.

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Speaking of Henry Ford

December 15, 2010, 4:30 pm

By DANIEL MCDERMON

Over at Jalopnik, Justin Hyde takes note of an article by Henry Ford that ran in The New York Times in 1931. To observe the newspaper’s 80 years of publishing, the editors sought views of the next 80 years from several notable people, including William James Mayo, a founder of the Mayo Clinic.

Mr. Hyde notes that Ford avoided making specific predictions about 2011:

What he seemed most worried about was wealth corroding character, something on many minds following the 1929 stock market crash. “Material increase,” Ford wrote, “is definitely checked by moral decrease.”

A pdf version of Ford’s article is here.

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Limbaugh Calls for Government Shut Down

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Drone Kills British Muslim Converts

Drone Kills British Muslim Converts The Telegraph reports:

The men, one of whom was apparently called Steve, died five days ago when a Hellfire missile was fired from a remote controlled American drone in the town of Datta Khel. If confirmed, they would be the first white British converts to have been killed in the area. The militants, who were aged 48 and 25 and using the pseudonyms Abu Bakr and Mansoor Ahmed, were in a vehicle with two other fighters.
They had entered the country last year and travelled to the town in North Waziristan in the lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, to join al-Qaeda, the report on Channel Four News said.
In September another British militant called Abdul Jabber, who was of Asian descent, died in a drone attack in the same area.

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BMW and Subaru Have Best Resale Value, Says Kelley Blue Book

BMW and Subaru are the 2011 model-year winners of the Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards, which is based on the publication’s projection of how well new models are expected to retain their original list price after five years of ownership.

The average vehicle, regardless of brand, is expected to retain only about 34 percent of its original value after five years. Consequently, a new car costing $50,000 today will be worth only about $17,000 after five years. It is a calculation that can take all the romance out of buying a new car.

The average 2011 Subaru, however, would retain 39 percent of its original value, while a BMW would hold 37.1 percent.

According to Kelley Blue Book’s editors, this year’s race was very close, with last year’s winners, Toyota and Lexus, barely missing the podium. “Subaru and BMW just nosed them out,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for the service’s Web site.

“One of the reasons Subaru has done well and just squeaked by Toyota this year is the fact that they’ve got a nice balance between supply and demand,” Mr. Bell said. “Their dealers are clamoring for more product because they know they can sell more. But the flip side of that is that they are able to sell the product that they do have at or near full M.S.R.P., and that has a huge factor in resale value as well.”

In addition to the brand’s management of supply and demand, much of a vehicle’s resale value is, according to Kelley Blue Book, also based on current and projected future market conditions. However, vehicles that best maintain their value are those that are never heavily discounted.

“Vehicle depreciation is important because it can be one of the biggest expenses during the first five years of ownership if you do not choose wisely,” Mr. Bell said. “And it is something that most people don’t consider when they are looking at cost of ownership, because buying a new vehicle is a pretty romantic and exciting thing to do.”

But, if you consider a vehicle with a high resale value, you might be able to buy one that was a little nicer and more expensive than you thought your budget could accommodate because you would be paid back at trade-in time, he said.

Winners by vehicle category with the best resale value are:

? Honda Fit (subcompact)
? Mini Cooper (compact)
? Honda Accord (midsize)
? Ford Taurus (full-size)
? Lexus IS (near-luxury)
? Audi A5 (luxury)
? Subaru Impreza WRX (sports car)
? Ford Mustang GT (high-performance)
? Volkswagen Golf TDI (hybrid/alternative energy)
? Honda CR-V (compact utility vehicle)
? Toyota FJ Cruiser (midsize utility)
? GMC Acadia (full-size utility)
? BMW X5 (luxury utility)
? BMW X5 XDrive 35d (hybrid/alternative energy utility)
? Toyota Tacoma (midsize pickup)
? Ford F-Series Super Duty (full-size pickup)
? Toyota Sienna (van)
? Subaru Outback (wagon)

Among this group, the vehicle with the highest resale value is the Honda CR-V at 46.8 percent, and the vehicle with the lowest resale value in the group is the Ford Taurus at 32.3 percent.

In dollars and cents this means that a base model 2011 Honda CR-V, which has a list price of $22,475, will have a resale value of $10,518.30 after five years. A 2011 Ford Taurus base model, which starts at $25,995, is projected to have a resale value of $8,396.39.

Residual values reflect projected future auction values for vehicles in average condition with 75,000 miles at the end of a five-year lease or ownership period. Low-volume vehicles or vehicles with a list price of more than $60,000 are excluded from consideration for the awards, except in the luxury and high-performance categories.

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BMW Names New Head of Exterior Design

December 14, 2010, 3:00 pm

By PHIL PATTON

Karim Habib, the designer behind the BMW 7 Series and 2007 Concept CS, is returning to the brand after defecting in March 2009 to Mercedes-Benz. Mr. Habib, 39, will become head of exterior design, succeeding Anders Warming, who left to lead design efforts at Mini.

Mr. Habib had been head of advanced design at Mercedes, working under the design chief Gorden Wagener. Previously, he was team leader for advanced design at BMW.

Born in Beirut, Mr. Habib lived in France, Greece and Iran before his family settled in Montreal. There he attended McGill University and earned a degree in mechanical engineering before moving to the European campus of the Art Center College of Design in Switzerland. He later completed his degree in transportation design at Art Center’s main campus in Pasadena, Calif., then joined BMW.

Mr. Habib was a protégé of the former BMW design chief Christopher Bangle, who sent him to Italy to work with a veteran clay modeler during development of the 7 Series. Mr. Bangle wanted Mr. Habib to balance his sense of engineering by learning the attention to detail, surface and form that characterized the classic tradition of carrozzerie, or Italian coach builders. Mr. Habib has said that he was inspired by Munich’s architecture, from its palaces to the soccer stadium of Herzog and de Meuron.

For the 7 Series, he told interviewers that he sought a combination of presence, elegance and sport. The Concept CS, shown in Shanghai in 2007, was widely regarded as a preview of BMW’s future design language.

“I’m really delighted about coming back to the BMW brand and being given the opportunity to help shape the future of BMW as part of an outstanding team,” Mr. Habib said in a press release. Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW’s group design director, added, “Karim Habib is an excellent designer who has already made a major contribution to the BMW design with the current BMW 7 Series. I look forward to resuming our collaboration.”

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Omnibus Bill Includes Earmarks from McConnell

Mitch McConnell Omnibus Bill Includes Earmarks from McConnell Politico reports:

Three hundred fifty thousand dollars for cool-season legume research in Idaho, North Dakota and Washington. A half million dollars for road roundabouts in Mississippi. And $1 million for arthropod damage in Nevada.
They’re just a few of the 6,600 pet projects lawmakers from both parties – and both chambers – stuck inside an enormous spending bill unveiled by Senate Democrats on Tuesday, according to government watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense. The release of the $1.1 trillion dollar omnibus bill, including $8 billion in earmarks, quickly reignited the fight over pork-barrel spending in the final days of the lame-duck session.
Shortly after the Nov. 2 election, Senate Republicans united their caucus and passed a two-year ban on congressional pork. Their colleagues in the House extended their moratorium a couple days later.
But the spending plan contains hundreds of millions of dollars worth of earmarks requested by Republicans, including from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) himself.
Earlier this year, McConnell asked for $4 million for marijuana eradication efforts by the Kentucky National Guard; $1 million for construction of the Kentucky Blood Center Building; and $650,000 for Advanced Genetic Technologies, a DNA research center at the University of Kentucky.
When reporters asked about his earmark requests Tuesday, McConnell said he was “actively working to defeat” the massive omnibus bill since the Senate never had a chance to take up individual appropriations bills.

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Who’s the Front-Runner for RNC Chair?

Who will win the race for RNC Chairman? After all, that is the $400 million dollar question – the amount that ?chair candidate and former RNC political director Gentry Collins has estimated the RNC will need to raise in the 2012 cycle.

Let me handicap the race a little:

Conventional wisdom has it that former Steele general counsel and Wisconsin state chair Reince Priebus and former RNC co-chair Ann Wagner are the front-runners, and by my estimation, the conventional wisdom is right.

As a former ally to incumbent chair Michael Steele, Reince Priebus can count on the votes of those who once supported Steele but have since become disaffected. Yes, Priebus will have to deal with the notion that he turned his back on Steele – but he’s got a certain wonky affability about him, and his personal friendships with key RNC members are good. He’s also got momentum on his side:

Ann Wagner will count on her time on the RNC – she was the co-chair from 1999-2005 – and the personal relationships she developed then. She met TN National Committeeman John Ryder during this time, and he’s gone on to become an important first supporter.

She estimates that 25-30% of the current RNC were members during her tenure, which is a crucial head start in a race that basically mimics a high school student council election: so much of it has to do with whether the members like you enough.

But this is of course not to discount some other candidates in the race: Michigan National Committeeman Saul Anuzis, former RNC deputy chairwoman Maria Cino, and former RNC Political Director Gentry Collins.

Maria Cino is perhaps the candidate with the best argument for being a ‘nuts and bolts’ chairman. With an extensive resume that includes work at the RNC and the NRCC, as well as having organized the 2008 Republican National Convention. Her fundraiser last week with Dick Cheney and Ed Gillespie was meant to show she had the fundraising chops to lead the RNC.

Veteran political operative Gentry Collins, on the other hand, knows the electoral battle field probably better than any of the other candidates, and enjoys a lot of support amongst Republican political operatives, among whom he is well-liked. If Collins doesn’t win the RNC chairmanship, he may well join a presidential campaign looking for a key Iowa operative.

As for Saul Anuzis, he’s currently leading the pack in terms of endorsements, and will make a strong showing on the first ballots. He’s shown he’s a decent guy – the only Steele opponent in 2009 who offered to work on his transition team for the sake of the party. Who is to say he can’t emerge as a consensus candidate if Steele drops out and endorses him?

And finally, we come to incumbent chairman Michael Steele, who looks unlikely to win reelection after a controversial tenure, but he retains a substantial amount of support on the Republican National Committee. This is contrary to popular perception, as evidenced by a piece written Tuesday morning by the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin:

Steele is a non-factor in the race. His own former general counsel is running to replace him. I’ve yet to find a single elected official, pundit, or committee member who supports him or is even willing to defend his tenure — which was distinguished by gaffes, scandals and debt.

Rubin gets this half right – Steele’s tenure has indeed been marred by serious missteps. But he’s kept promises to some of his key supporters, and they’re loyal to him. Despite his mistakes, he knows how to work a room, and he’s actually pretty funny in person. And these are the attributes that actually matter most in a race like this.

As opposed to what Rubin says, after Steele’s announcement Monday evening, I received a half dozen emails from RNC members expressing their support for Steele. This is not even counting Steele’s strongest supporters: Norm Semanko of Idaho; Holly Hughes of Michigan; Shawn Steel of California; and Pat Rogers of New Mexico. And this doesn’t even include his support from the island territories: Guam, the Northern Marianas Islands, American Samoa and the Virgin Islands – all of which have three votes (Hotline on Call has reported Puerto Rico’s delegates will not support Steele).

I wouldn’t bet on Steele to win, but don’t count out his influence in the student council elections that are the RNC Chair race.

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