The Emperor Has No Clothes 

Things are changing! Five year ago, when Obama took office, any criticism of him brought screams of racism. Three years ago, the most benign criticism was treated as beyond the bounds of civil discourse. A year ago the Romney campaign, not wanting to personally criticize the president, tiptoed around on eggshells. (George W. Bush must have been wondering where these rules were when he was in office.)

But in the last 12 months there has been a sea change due to the accumulated weight of scandals and incompetence. The dam finally broke with the colossal failure of Obamacare. 

In last couple of months, we have seen late-night comedians regularly interspersing anti-Obama jokes into their routines. At last night's Country Music Awards, Obama hit the jackpot. He was treated like every previous president in the modern age. Watch this video and the audience's reaction. 

Obama's poll numbers are bad enough. But when he becomes the butt of jokes and stars feel free to mock him, it seems Americans are concluding that the emperor has no clothes -- and they have no insurance! 

2016 Race Started Yesterday 

A front page headline on today's Washington Post says it all: "Democrats Take Aim At Christie." 

The story isn't about Democrats in Trenton prepping for his second term. Rather it's about liberal operatives in Washington and around the country who are already planning their attack campaign against Christie in order to make him unelectable. 

Ready or not, the next presidential race is on! 

Coldwater On The Christie Boomlet 

This item is for all those in the D.C. establishment, the chattering classes, the consultants and advisors salivating at the results in New Jersey: PAY ATTENTION. As I just explained liberals have already started their effort to demonize Christie. 

But here's something I suspect most people don't know. Exit polls were taken in New Jersey Tuesday, and voters were asked how they would vote for president in 2016 if their choices were Hillary Clinton and Christie.

Keep in mind this is the same electorate that just voted for Christie for governor by a landslide in an off-year election. That electorate chose Hillary for president by a four-point margin. 

Should conservatives get excited about another "Blue state governor"? There is zero evidence Christie could deliver his own state or any other New England state. Moreover, he could have just as much trouble delivering other states like Ohio, Florida and Virginia. 

The Left's Priorities 

While many in the Beltway establishment refuse to engage the culture war, here's what the left is up to: 
 

• Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe announced yesterday that his first executive order will be to extend special rights to cross-dressing government employees in the state of Virginia. 
   
• The United States Senate today passed legislation putting private sexual behavior and cross dressing on par in federal employment law with race and religion. The bill passed after Senate liberalskilled an amendment to safeguard the rights of religious organizations and Christian businesses. The American people overwhelmingly assume that religious liberty is secure. They are wrong. 
   
• The Supreme Court yesterday heard arguments in a case brought by radical, intolerant secularists who want to ban Christian prayers at public meetings. From their questions, the justices did not seem inclined to agree to the secularists' demands -- for now.

Ken Cuccinelli's campaign was hobbled by the consultants and the business wing of the conservative moment telling him to stay away from values issues. "People don't want to hear about that," they said. 

But what happened during the election? Terry McAuliffe ran more than 5,000 commercials on abortion and values issues telling Virginians that Ken Cuccinelli was an extremist. And the first thing McAuliffe plans to do when he takes office is push homosexual rights. 

Fighting For Life 

Yesterday I was on Capitol Hill meeting with pro-life leaders and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to discuss his legislation to ban late-term abortions. Today Senator Graham formally introduced the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

This is not a controversial issue. A December 2012 Gallup poll found that only 14% of Americans support abortion performed in the last months of pregnancy. 

As Senator Graham said, "Science and technology have advanced tremendously since 1973. We now know that an unborn child at the twentieth week of pregnancy can feel pain. In fact, anesthesia is administered directly to unborn children in second trimester fetal surgery." 

Yet current law permits an abortionist to dismember an unborn child in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy. 

Similar legislation has already passed the House of Representatives. Senator Graham introduced his bill with 33 co-sponsors. Now Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid needs to be convinced to permit a vote so we can force this to Obama's desk. 

ACTION ITEM: Call your senators at 202-224-3121. Urge them to co-sponsor the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. If they have already done so, thank them for their leadership. If they have not, politely, but firmly, request that they do so.