American Skeptic

From Santelli to Santorum, the Rise and Fall of the Tea Party

2012-02-14T09:50:00.001-06:00

Three years ago, almost to the day, Rick Santelli, on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange, called for a "Chicago Tea Party", in response to continued government bailouts. His rant captured the mood of the nation, and within weeks, Tea Party protests were occurring nationwide.

In the months that followed, the Tea Party grew in strength, culminating in the 2010 midterm elections. Tea Party-endorsed candidates defeated dozens of congressional opponents, including democrats as well as establishment republicans who were not friendly to the small-government agenda of the Tea Party. At the time of those 2010 midterms, conservatives were salivating at the thought of nominating a presidential candidate who would be aligned with the ideals of the Tea Party.

The focus of the movement, at the time, was one of fiscal responsibility, through the promotion of free enterprise, federal deficit reduction, national debt reduction, and a general reduction in the size and scope of the federal government through grounding of the government's role in the U.S. Constitution.

Today, 3 years after Rick Santelli's rant, a poll is released that claims that 42% of Tea Party Republican voters favor Rick Santorum, compared with just 23% who back Romney.

How did we get here from there? The Tea Party ~~stands~~ stood for fiscal conservatism. Social issues ~~are~~ were simply not part of the party platform. The Tea Party is was opposed to earmarks. The Tea Party is was for reducing the size of the federal government.

Rick Santorum? Rick Santorum is exactly the kind of candidate that the Tea Party of 2010 would have fought against. Hard. In fact, Santorum said, during the early days of the Tea Party, that he would "vocally and publicly oppose" the Tea Party movement.

Time remains, but if Rick Santorum is the Republican nominee for president in 2012, the Tea Party will have officially died.

Who Can Make the Moral Case for Capitalism?

2012-01-31T13:36:00.002-06:00

When challenged by Gingrich and others about his business success, Romney always comes across as apologetic and evasive. Conservatives today lose this argument over and over, by accepting the anti-free enterprise premise that the capitalism is equivalent to greed and that socialism, by way of government-provided welfare, is somehow a more moral alternative.

Where's Milton Friedman when you need him? Milton Friedman's provides an articulate advocacy in favor of capitalism, here:

and here:

What conservative, on today's political stage, can and will make the moral case for capitalism? Romney doesn't have the backbone to make the argument. Gingrich has disqualified himself from making that argument, based on his criticisms of Romney.

The answer may be Marco Rubio. Rubio makes the case for free enterprise that none of the current GOP candidates have the ability and credibility to make. From his speech at the Reagan Library:

"People are poor and people are left behind because they do not have access to the free enterprise system because something in their lives or in their community has denied them access to the free enterprise system. All over the world this truism is expressing itself every single day. Every nation on the Earth that embraces market economics and the free enterprise system is pulling millions of its people out of poverty. The free enterprise system creates prosperity, not denies it."

In the same speech Rubio makes the case that the growth of government-subidized welfare forced out private and community charity.

"... For those who met misfortune, that wasn’t our obligation to take care of them, that was the government’s job. And as government crowded out the institutions in our society that did these things traditionally, it weakened our people in a way that undermined our ability to maintain our prosperity."

Friedman makes the same argument here, and elsewhere.

"[The welfare system] has destroyed private charitable arrangements that are far more effective, far more compassionate, far more person-to-person in helping people who are really, for no fault of their own, in a disadvantaged situation.”

None of the Above?

2011-12-09T09:07:00.002-06:00

Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com suggests that "there is a small but nontrivial chance that the Republican nominee could be someone like Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan, Mitch Daniels, Tim Pawlenty or Chris Christie."

The theory is that a brokered convention may be necessary to gather support behind a single candidate, allowing for a Republican who is not currently in the race to enter and possibly win the nomination.

"But the odds of a dark-horse candidate or brokered convention will increase to the extent that any of the following conditions hold:

1a. Mr. Gingrich leads the delegate count, but does not have more than about 50 percent of delegates.
1b. Mr. Gingrich holds more than 50 percent of delegates but is involved in a significant gaffe or scandal at some point later in the campaign.
2a. Mr. Romney has performed poorly enough in the early states that he is no longer viable.
2b. Mr. Romney is viable but his unfavorability ratings have considerably increased to the point that he no longer qualifies as a consensus choice.
3. A factional candidate like Ron Paul holds 10 or 15 percent of the delegates.
All of these conditions seem plausible based on what we know right now, which is what leads me to believe that a brokered convention is plausible as well."

#Occupy Denver Elects Leader

2011-11-09T20:57:00.002-06:00

Defying the national 'Occupy' movement, Occupy Denver has elected a leader.

They elected the one among them with the fewest fleas, which seems like as good a criterion as any.

Barney Frank fires back at Newt Gingrich

2011-11-07T15:18:00.004-06:00

In a GOP debate last month, Newt Gingrich and other GOP candidates criticized the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law. Gingrich went as far as to suggest that the authors of the law be held accountable:

"If you want to put people in jail," he said, "you ought to start with Barney Frank and Chris Dodd and let's look at the politicians who created the environment, the politicians who profited from the environment, and the politicians who put this country in trouble."

Barney Frank fired back at Gingrich:

"Appawently, Newt Gingwich — who considoos himsewf one of the intewectual weaders of the fwee woold — is so embawassed by the fact that he is wunning behind Michewe Bachmann in Wepubwican polls that it has incweased his alweady well-devewoped pwopensity to utter outwandish things."

Occupy Portland: Head and Body Lice Outbreak

2011-11-07T12:52:00.002-06:00

I'm sure the irony is lost on this crowd, but the parasites are getting parasites ...

Occupy Wall Street Gaining Support

2011-10-30T09:57:00.023-05:00

The Occupy Wall Street movement has garnered another significant endorsement. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, made a speech in Kermanshah on Wednesday that was broadcast live on Iranian TV. In the speech, Khamenei sympathized with the Occupy Wall Street protestors and its anti-capitalism goals, and proclaimed that the movement, “will grow so that it will bring down the capitalist system and the West.” The message of Occupy Wall Street has been embraced by a number of other prominent figures, including:

1. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (link)

2. American Nazi Party (link)

3. Barack Obama (link)

4. Socialist Party USA (link)

5. New Black Panther Party (link)

The difference between the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall St. protesters?

2011-10-10T16:26:00.002-05:00

According to Ann Coulter:

"I am not the first to note the vast differences between the Wall Street protesters and the tea partiers. To name three: The tea partiers have jobs, showers and a point"

E=mc2? Maybe ... Until Al Gore says 'debate is over'

2011-09-27T14:45:00.004-05:00

The scientific method is defined as:

"noun -
a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data are gathered, a hypothesis is formulated from these data, and the hypothesis is empirically tested."

This applies to all scientific theories, except one - the theory of anthropogenic global warming. In this one field, consensus, rather than scientific method, is the primary criterion used to judge the viability of the theory.

In a recent illustration of this double-standard, CERN released findings claiming an exotic particle called a neutrino could possibly move faster than the speed of light.

If true, this contradicts none other than Einstein's theory of special relativity and could upend our understanding of physics. So -- as happens with the scientific method -- a healthy skepticism has followed the claims. The findings were published to allow for the physics community to scrutinize the results and to either find flaws with the study or to verify the findings with their own experiments. That's how science works.

"We wanted to find all possible explanations for this. We wanted to find a mistake, but we didn't," said physicist Antonio Ereditato, spokesman for the so-called OPERA experiment, in an interview with the BBC on Thursday.

Because it was such 'a crazy result', the team was releasing its data, based on three years of measurements, so that others in the scientific community could confirm or refute the findings, he added."

So what does this mean? It means that the physics community is having an open, honest debate about Einstein's theory of special relativity, a theory which has been experimentally verified in a variety of fields for over 100 years. In other words, even E=mc² can, in good faith, be questioned.

Returning to the topic of the scientific method,

"Scientific inquiry is generally intended to be as objective as possible, to reduce biased interpretations of results. Another basic expectation is to document, archive and share all data and methodology so they are available for careful scrutiny by other scientists, giving them the opportunity to verify results by attempting to reproduce them ..."

This scientific method of inquiry does not apply when it comes to the debate on global warming.

Those who question this 'consensus theory' of AGW are branded racists, traitors, blasphemers, and as immoral. AGW believers have called for prosecution, incarceration, and professional decertification of climate change skeptics.

- Data is falsified or suppressed.

- Research is blocked.

- Skeptical scientists are silenced, or targeted for professional excommunication.
- FOIA requests for climate data are blocked or obstructed.

Mr. Gore repeatedly claims that the "debate is over". Mr. Gore, methinks thou dost protest too much ... If you have to declare that the "debate is over" (over and over and over again), then - well, maybe the debate isn't really over.

After all, if a group of scientists can question whether or not E=mc², then maybe there is some room for debate left on the topic of anthropogenic global warming.

Bill Whittle sets the record straight

2011-09-26T13:32:00.001-05:00

In this 'Firewall' episode, the always eloquent Bill Whittle corrects some of the revisionist history that has taken place regarding Bin Laden and the war on terror.

If he only had more hands ...

2011-09-22T10:05:00.003-05:00

How the picture would have looked, if only Obama had more hands ...

(Click image for full-size view.)

Climate Reality Project

2011-09-15T10:11:00.001-05:00

Visit Watts Up With That today, as they pull back the curtain on Al Gore and his 24-hour Climate Reality Project.

They are providing hour-by-hour response and rebuttal to each segment of Gore's CRP.

The Gore Effect ...

2011-09-15T09:38:00.005-05:00

via Watts Up With That ...

Al Gore’s 24 hour Climate Reality Project got started last night, just as low temperatures swept across the US.

The Urban dictionary defines the 'Gore Effect' as:

"The phenomenon that leads to unseasonably cold temperatures, driving rain, hail, or snow whenever Al Gore visits an area to discuss global warming."

Here's the map for today ...

Perry's debate flub

2011-09-13T09:07:00.002-05:00

Perry, as the front-runner, was piled on in yesterday's debate on government mandated vaccinations.

He acknowledged that he shouldn't have used an executive order, but defended the policy with this line:

"We made decisions in Texas to put a $3 billion effort to find [a] cure for cancer. Texas protects life."

We have enough problems with Democrats who don't understand the proper role of government. But, that a Republican - at a "tea party" debate - would claim that government has a role in finding the 'cure for cancer' is remarkable.

Perry lost points in my book on that one. We need a candidate with small government instincts. It doesn't matter whether 'his heart was in the right place'. That's the liberal's excuse. Perry isn't allowed to use it.

Hitler on Climate (Behind the Scenes)

2011-09-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

Socialist Surrealism

2011-08-19T17:17:00.011-05:00

... in the same way that ...

Department of "Innovation"

2011-08-08T13:48:00.002-05:00

Inspired by Obama's 'Sputnik Moment' speech, the Smithsonian Institute has launched a new blog called the "Department of Innovation".

The purpose of the blog is to:

"... track all things innovative, not just in science and technology, but also in how we live, how we learn, how we entertain ourselves. The Department of Innovation is about people and ideas that likely will shape the way we will live one day."

Sounds very exciting. Check out the logo:

I'm not suggesting that a logo needs to be technically perfect, but obviously 3 interlocking gears aren't going to move. And, are gear wheels really a sign of 'innovation' these days? Given that sophisticated machines using gear wheels were in use circa 100 B.C. or earlier.

That said, the logo is a perfect representation what 'federalized innovation' would look like ...

[UPDATE: The logo has now been changed to a slightly less technically impossible version.]

Fighting unemployment with ... unemployment?

2011-08-05T16:13:00.001-05:00

Here it is ... the Democrat plan for job creation ..

Barack Obama

"So, when Congress gets back in September I want to move quickly on things that will help the economy create jobs right now ... Extending unemployment insurance to help people get back on their feet..."

Nancy Pelosi

"[unemployment insurance] injects demand into the economy and is job creating. It creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name. Because again it is money that is needed for families to survive and it is spent."

Keith Olbermann

"The unemployed - unlike the rich whom this President has just bowed to - are, in fact, the job creators. They do not have investment portfolios to expand. They do not have vast savings into which to stuff the government checks. They have to spend the money.

Breaking News: Chris Matthews is "pro-Obama" !

2011-08-05T10:13:00.004-05:00

Chris Matthews on Hardball ... "You know I'm pretty pro-Obama in many ways."

Tell us something we didn't already know, tingle-pants. But, you'd think Matthews could come up with a better justification for his fan-boy status than this ...

"I sort of like the spirit of his administration. I like the whole direction its taken in terms of responsibility and what it stands for in our country's history."

Really? Responsibility?

After 3-1/2 years of blaming Bush and starting every public utterance with a reference to 'inherited problems' ... I can think of a lot of words to describe this administration. 'Responsible' is not one of them.

Debt Ceiling Myths

2011-07-16T01:49:00.000-05:00

John Lott: 7 myths about the debt ceiling ...

Friedman on the proper role of government

2011-07-14T12:59:00.004-05:00

This is circa 1999, but it is an interesting interview of Milton Friedman by Peter Robinson. The full 'Uncommon Knowledge' interview is here.

In part 5 of the 5-part interview (link), Friedman provides his definition of the proper role of government (federal and local):

            1. Preserve the peace / defend the country
            2. Provide a mechanism whereby individuals can adjudicate their disputes
            3. Prevent individuals from being coerced by other individuals

Robinson then provides a checklist of 14 federal government cabinet departments and Friedman says which should stay and which should go away:

Agriculture: Eliminate
Commerce: Eliminate
Defense: Keep
Education: Eliminate
Energy: Eliminate
Health & Human Services: Cut by 1/2
Housing &Urban Development: Eliminate
Interior: Eliminate
Justice: Keep
Labor: Eliminate
State: Keep
Transportation: Eliminate
Treasury: Keep
Veterans Affairs: Eliminate(* replace core functions)

Debt Ceiling Scaremongering

2011-07-13T12:14:00.005-05:00

We have posted on this topic a while ago, here and here.

The Democrats need to be called out on this (from James Pethokoukis) ... This cash flow diagram illustrates the disingenuous scaremongering strategy the Democrats have decided to go with.

"As is clearly shown, there is enough cumulative money coming to pay interest, SS, Medicare and defense ... "

While the short-term scenario is less dire than the Democrats claim, the situation is indeed unsustainable over the long term, as government spending is currently 1.6 times income.

Drill, Baby, Drill!

2011-06-02T18:00:00.001-05:00

This article appeared, surprisingly, in Salon.

To summarize ...

"The arguments for converting the U.S. economy to wind, solar and biomass energy have collapsed. The date of depletion of fossil fuels has been pushed back into the future by centuries -- or millennia. The abundance and geographic diversity of fossil fuels made possible by technology in time will reduce the dependence of the U.S. on particular foreign energy exporters, eliminating the national security argument for renewable energy."

Channeling Netanyahu

2011-05-30T21:00:00.003-05:00

Obama gets shredded whenever he roams off-the-prompter in any sort of substantive, face-to-face debate.

Netanyahu did it. Paul Ryan did it. Joe the Plumber did it.

Whoever can channel these performances can run with the GOP nomination and beat Obama in 2012.

... to the Queen

2011-05-25T12:57:00.018-05:00

Watching this video, is it any wonder why Obama relies so much on his teleprompter (TPOTUS)? The great orator of our time, Obama, had to consult his paper-prompter no less than 9 times for a one-sentence toast.

Either the band started too soon, or Obama missed his cue to shut up. Either way, awkward hilarity ensues ...

Lecturing the Professor ...

2011-05-25T11:11:00.003-05:00

... err, I mean Lecturing the "Senior Lecturer" ...

This photo op turned into a complete schooling of President Obama by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on why the '67 borders are a non-starter in peace negotiations. A clearly uncomfortable Obama squirmed through the entire lecture.

Illegal Immigration

2011-05-09T15:00:00.006-05:00

A sparring match on immigration and border policy between Mark Krikorian and Angelo Codevilla is underway on the Corner at National Review, here and here.

In his response to Krikorian's critique, Codevilla makes this point...

"Whereas within living memory Americans did their own society’s rough, dirty work, the social changes that began in the 1960s created an underclass that is basically unemployable — and, more important, made physical labor seem dishonorable to the middle class. I pointed out that even John C. Calhoun, slavery’s most eloquent defender, was proud to do the plowing on his plantation. Today, swarms of youths in malls and campuses are no more physically or psychologically able to help with the harvest than they are of helping to care for their grandmothers. And so, yes, what would we do without Mexicans?"

Codevilla dusts off the old canard that illegal aliens do jobs that Americans won’t do ... Actually, he goes further than that, implying that these are jobs that Americans *can't* do, rather than won't, but let's ignore that detail for a moment.

A corrupt business owner can pay an illegal 50 cents on the dollar that he'd have to pay for a legal American worker. If Codevilla's point is that an American won't work for the same wage that an illegal alien works for, then he's probably right. A legal worker is not willing to work for illegal wages. Codevilla is comparing apples to oranges.

Take away the supply of illegal labor, and you'll increase the demand for legal labor. Force the business to pay a legal wage, and you'll find the American workers willing to do it.

In the words of the Rolling Stones ...

2011-05-09T11:54:00.005-05:00

"You Can't Always Get What You Want".

When conservatives talk about who they'd like to see opposing Obama in 2012, the favored candidates are always the ones who haven't said they're running or have specifically said that they aren't running.

The GOP is waiting to be rescued ...

Who could rescue the GOP in 2012?

Update: Ace of Spaces on the same topic:

"Right now the field as constructed is heavy on people who can really energize small segments of the party (Santorum, Paul and yes, Herman Cain) or are likely to be viewed as "serious" candidates but don't get too many people really excited (Romney, Pawlenty and maybe Daniels). I'd put Palin in Huckabeee in another group...at this point they are polarizing figures that have more support than the first group but face a challenge in growing beyond their current support."

Obama administration floats plan to tax cars by the mile

2011-05-05T12:07:00.002-05:00

This article describes the plan:

"The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive. "

As others have pointed out, there already IS a such a tax. The US federal excise tax on gasoline is currently 18.4 cents per gallon (more for diesel). Adding in other local/state taxes and the national average of taxes per gallon is 48.1 cents per gallon (more for diesel).

Using 22.6 miles per gallon as a rough estimate for the average fuel efficiency of a passenger car in the US, we see that for every 100 miles driven:

- about $2.12 is paid to local/state/federal governments.

- about $0.81 of that figure goes to the federal excise tax.

Apparently Obama feels the government deserves more.

Understanding the debt ceiling

2011-05-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

We commented on this topic a while ago, here. But, this video does a great job explaining the debt ceiling.

"... Act like you been there before."

2011-05-05T10:17:00.004-05:00

via Ace ...

"As they say: If you get to the endzone, act like you been there before.

Instead of just drinking from the cup of captured intelligence, this Administration has to parade it around and show it off for their media friends."

One would think that, given the planning that must have gone into the operation to get Bin Laden, the Administration would have had some game plan for what happened next, whether it was successful or not. It's as if it didn't occur to them that these questions would be asked afterward ...

- Will you release pictures of the body?

- Will you release video of the burial at sea?

- Will you have a consistent story of events as relayed by administration officials before they speak publicly?

Instead, we witness the administration fumbling for days after the operation, not sure how to address questions that they should have had the answer for *in advance*.

Osama Bin Laden's death

2011-05-04T11:54:00.002-05:00

If Obama really wanted Bin Laden's death to be according to Islamic tradition ... this would have worked:

Which is it Pakistan?

2011-05-03T14:37:00.006-05:00

Currently on Drudge there are 2 headlines near to, but not quite adjacent to each other ...

Pakistan: It was a 'joint operation'

and

Pakistan condemns 'unauthorized unilateral action' ...

Which is it Pakistan? It's safe to say the latter headline is closer to the truth, in that surely Pakistan was not informed of the raid.

Was bin Laden hiding under there noses or under their protection? Again, the latter is infinitely more likely.

Obama deserves at least some credit for the boldness and secrecy of the operation. It is clear that informing Pakistan of our military operations on Pakistani soil inherently compromises the operation. It's also clear now, thankfully, that the US is willing to operate in Pakistan without Islamabad's consent or knowledge.

So, this begs the question:
If we can't trust Pakistan to tell us what it knows,and we can't trust Pakistan to tell it what we know ...
... then what value do we get from the tens of billions of dollars that the US provides to Pakistan in the form of foreign aid?

According to this site,

"between 2002-2010, Pakistan received approximately 18 billionin military and economic aid from the United States. In February 2010, the Obama administration requested an additional 3 billion in aid, for a total of 20.7 billion."

Why?

Next ...

2011-05-03T14:07:00.001-05:00

Ayman al-Zawahri, you're next.

Obamalaise?

2011-04-20T17:39:00.003-05:00

Gas prices at $5

Unemployment 9.2%

S&P downgrades outlook on U.S. debt

Value of dollar sinking

Obama's job approval at all-time low

Anyone else getting a general feeling of Obamalaise lately?

I sure feel it.

What Happens if Trump Doesn't Win the GOP Nomination?

2011-04-12T21:57:00.001-05:00

Likely, Trump would run as an independent if he loses the GOP nomination.

If that were to happen, that would be bad news for the GOP in 2012.

1992 anyone?

Obama Fiddling While the World Burns ...

2011-03-17T01:10:00.001-05:00

Nuclear crisis in Japan, political crisis in Lybia, economic crisis at home ...

Question: Where is Obama?

Answer: Fiddling with NCAA basketball picks and attending fund-raising dinners.

In this NY Post article, John Podhoretz calls him "Obama the Invisible".

"It is not merely that he isn't rising to the challenge. He is avoiding the challenge."

Bill Whittle: The End of the Beginning

2011-03-08T01:58:00.000-06:00

In his 'Afterburner' piece, Bill Whittle examines the three great waves of human civilization. He also discusses how political structures necessarily evolve to reflect the economic system of the times.

Roger Kimball on the menace of mercy..

2011-02-01T15:08:00.000-06:00

http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/Liberty-vs--benevolence-6927

Why the repeal of obamacare is not an exercise in futility

2011-01-28T14:08:00.001-06:00

The MSM is pushing the liberal message that the fight against Obamacare is a purely symbolic gesture. In my opinion, they are significantly underestimating the seriousness of the battle against the new health care entitlement.

Of course, it's certain that the current Senate and President wouldn't allow the repeal to pass. Still, the successful repeal of the bill in the House does matter. John Yoo, in an interview on Peter Robinson's Uncommon Knowledge, makes a compelling point about the relevance of the legislative repeal of Obamacare.

"The Supreme Court doesn't like to strike something down and be extremely unpopular, and have every other branch of government angry at it. I wish they didn't think this way, but I think there is some evidence that they do think this way. If they see a Congress trying to vote to overturn Obamacare and it is just being vetoed by the President, that gives them a lot of political cover to strike down Obamacare in the courts."

Here is the full interview. This is #2 in a 5 part series of interviews with John Yoo and Richard Epstein.

State of the Union Address: "Winning the Future" ... (wtf)

2011-01-26T10:01:00.001-06:00

President Obama titled his 2011 State of the Union Address: "Winning the Future", or more briefly ... 'WTF'.

Some nuggets from Obama's speech:

"At stake right now is not who wins the next election. After all, we just had an election."

WTF ... Of course the next election is at stake. I'm sure that the President wishes the next election wasn't at stake, but that doesn't make it true. The elections of 2010 were a giant mandate for limited government and the President is the enemy of limited government.

"We're the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices, the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers, of Google and Facebook."

WTF ... Facebook? Really? Facebook is the technological beacon of America? Seriously, that's the best you could come up with?

"So tonight, I am proposing that, starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years..."

WTF ... Apparently, the discretionary 'spending' freeze must exclude all the discretionary 'investment' programs that he announced immediately after proposing the freeze ... like high-speed monorails, high-speed internet, electric cars, biomedical research, clean-energy research, etc. The problem is not that those are necessarily bad ideas. The problem is that they should be pursued by private enterprise not by the government. If the country needs a monorail, the market will bear that out.

"... Now, this would reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade"

WTF ... Let's ignore Obama's obvious contradiction regarding discretionary spending. 400 billion over a decade? That this is a triviality relative to the deficit he is proposing to reduce. Even if we take Obama at his word on this claim, ~40 billion per year in deficit reduction compared to a 1.29 trillion dollar 2010 deficit is barely 3%. A drop in the bucket.

"... the only way to tackle our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it – in domestic spending, defense spending, health care spending, and spending through tax breaks and loopholes."

WTF ... 'spending through tax breaks'? This short phrase provides a dramatic insight into the world view of the President. He considers tax breaks to be government spending. In other words, your money belongs to the government, and Obama wants to cut back on your allowance. While it's humorous to consider that Obama would actually cut spending in domestic programs or in health care, I do take him at his word when he says he will cut defense spending and increase taxes.

To summarize Obama's new language:

A tax increase is now a "spending reduction"
A spending increase is now an "investment"

So, buckle up. Obama is planning a lot of "spending reductions" along with increased "investments". Gee, it sounds so reasonable when put that way. Doublespeak is so fun, isn't it Mr. President?

"We do big things"

I actually believe Obama on this one. Unfortunately, by 'we', Obama is referring to the American government rather than the American people.

Why Call It a "Ceiling" ...

2011-01-05T10:12:00.004-06:00

... if you just keep moving it up whenever you feel like it?

ceil·ing [see-ling]

3. An upper limit, especially as set by regulation

Obama, for once, had it right in 2006, when he argued against the debt ceiling:

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."

It would be a mistake for the Republicans in the House to pretend to draw a line in the sand on this issue, only to cave later. That would give Obama the ability to claim a political victory on the issue as he did with START. So, hopefully they are serious about it if they choose to pick this fight.

It's worth considering what would happen if the debt ceiling is NOT raised. The debt ceiling is currently at 14.3 trillion. The actual US debt is currently at nearly $13.9 trillion and growing (quickly).

Would the the US default on it's debts? While this is the doomsday scenario that the Democrats are focusing on, it seems very unlikely. The debt ceiling wouldn't be set to $0, it just wouldn't be increased over the $14 trillion it is already at. Presumably, US creditors get paid first, and either discretionary programs are de-funded, or the government just continues to borrow money from itself (the Fed).

Given past behavior by the Fed during this administration, the latter seems most likely.

American Exceptionalism

2010-12-23T08:54:00.008-06:00

This new Gallup poll shows that a large majority of American's agree that "that the United States has a unique character because of its history and Constitution that sets it apart from other nations as the greatest in the world." The same poll shows that just 58% believe that President Obama agrees with the sentiment.

In 2009, President Obama was asked if he believed in American exceptionalism. He replied,

"I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."

In fairness, Obama does go on, in the same reply, to state that he is "proud of my country and its role and history in the world." The quote continues with nuanced language about partnerships and compromise and how the other nations of the world are also wonderful, etc. He doesn't seem to understand what American exceptionalism is actually referring to.

Many, mostly on the left, conflate American exceptionalism with nationalism. American exceptionalism is not based on national pride, but rather refers to the opinion that America was uniquely founded upon an idea. It was designed by the founding fathers as a nation of laws, based on liberty and individualism.

Obama's relativism regarding American exceptionalism can be summed up with a quote from the movie "The Incredibles":

Helen: Everyone's special, Dash.
Dash: Which is another way of saying no one is.

Does unemployment stimulate the economy?

2010-12-14T11:48:00.011-06:00

Does unemployment stimulate the economy? It seems, on it's face, like an absurd economic strategy. But, upon further analysis - yes, it is absurd.

Keith Olbermann, Nancy Pelosi and other Keynesian Democrats would like to believe that is true. It's simply wrong (and dangerous).

Olbermann's claim:

"The unemployed, unlike the rich ... are, in fact, the job creators"

A panel on PJTV, including Yaron Brooks and Terry Jones, dissects Olbermann's theory here:

UPDATE: Trickle-up economics via xtranormal.

Curtis Got Slapped ...

2010-12-04T14:27:00.003-06:00

A child named Curtis Bowen © was allegedly slapped by his teacher at Martin Luther King Jr., Elementary School. In response, his mother, Lisa Henry Bowen © wrote a racially charged 40-page letter of demands for reparations.

This site shows most of the 40-page letter.

To start things off, Ms. Bowen © presents a bill, payable by money order or silver coinage, for $250,000. She uses some basic math to arrive at that figure.

"Curtis Bowen © has a million dollar face, and I've always told him so. Curtis Bowen © is my sovereign property and belongs to me, according to God's laws, the Common Law ... Curtis Bowen © demonstrated for me how Ms. Curry slapped him and it appears, by his demonstration, she slapped 1/4 of his face."

The 14 page list of demands that follows ranges from merely ridiculous ...

- Annual trips to Disneyland

- An audience with the President

- A $15,000 per month consulting job for Ms. Bowen ©

... to entirely insane:

- No H.A.A.R.P. signals used to "... make us confused, crazy, stupid ... "

- No "mind control tactics ... "

- No "... "mysterious deaths" in an effort to avoid paying us"

You have to read the whole thing to fully appreciate the magnitude of the madness required to write this manifesto.

... Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happy Meals

2010-11-04T08:53:00.008-05:00

San Francisco's board of supervisors has voted, by a veto-proof margin, to ban most of McDonald's Happy Meals as they are currently being served in the restaurants. The measure is intended to force fast-food chains to either make their children's meals healthier or stop selling them with toys. View the full story here.

The measure will make San Francisco the first major city in the country to forbid restaurants from offering a free toy with meals that contain more than set levels of calories, sugar and fat.

The ordinance would also require restaurants to provide fruits and vegetables with all meals for children that come with toys.

The money quote in the article is this:

"We're part of a movement that is moving forward an agenda of food justice," said Supervisor Eric Mar, who sponsored the measure.

Who needs to parent when there are nanny-state politicians ready to legislate parenthood instead?

The Victory Speeches of Barney Frank and Marco Rubio.

2010-11-03T10:19:00.003-05:00

Compare and contrast the following victory speeches.

Barney Frank: arrogant, bitter, petty, angry.

Marco Rubio: humble, gracious, dignified, inspiring.

first blood in the arizona immigration fight

2010-07-28T19:22:00.000-05:00

is drawn by a clinton-appointed federal district judge. one of the arguments she makes is that

"The number of requests that will emanate from Arizona as a result of determining the status of every arrestee is likely to impermissibly burden federal resources and redirect federal agencies away from the priorities they have established..."

so, in essence, democrats find themselves cheering the proposition that we won't bother enforcing laws if enforcement would be onerous.

i wonder whether they would support the proposition in other contexts. my guess is that no effort would be spared if they could legally jail, say, tea-partiers.

what the media doesn't cover

2010-07-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

ought to embarrass any self-respecting journalist. it should be interesting to see what coverage, if any, develops of this story about quotas in the financial bill. Drudge could force the issue, and he's already got a link. No siren, though.

scott johnson at powerline posted earlier about this phenomenon.

'All of the Above'

2010-07-01T23:32:00.002-05:00

Bill Whittle on Obama.

"Is Barack Obama:
A. A Muslim-sympathizing, neo-marxist true-believer, who sees America and capitalism as the principal barrier to fairness and world peace, or;
B. Is he merely an empty suit, an unwitting pawn of much larger hidden forces, or:
C. Simply a self-obsessed, incompetent, narcicist who happened to be at the right place at the right time.

... I've given this a lot of careful thought, and I think the real answer is ... 'Yes'."

Here is the link to the whole thing.

Media Says 'Jump'; Obama Asks, 'How High?'

2010-06-16T15:55:00.000-05:00

Obama, relying on daily polls and media advice, is clearly in reaction mode and constantly finding himself one step behind where he ought to be.

Barack Obama, political weathervane.

via Byron York.

DeMint's South Carolina Senate Seat Appears Safe.

2010-06-16T13:10:00.008-05:00

Incumbent S.C. Senator Jim DeMint is facing the winner of the Democratic party primary, Alvin Greene. Greene is such a terrible candidate that Dems are claiming he's a Republican plant. That seems unlikely, as presumably the Republicans wouldn't have planted a candidate this bad. Firstly, they didn't need to, as DeMint is expected to trounce whoever the Dems put up against him. Secondly, they wouldn't have expected this character to make it through the primary.

Republicans, when planting candidates in a Democratic primary, usually don't go for an unemployed, barely literate candidate who is facing felony obscenity charges.

Greene has given several completely bizarre interviews, including this one with Keith Olbermann:

Obama's blame game

2010-06-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

CHRIS STIREWALT: Obama Falls Headfirst Into The Hypocrisy Trap.

(via Instapundit)

Why Won’t Obama Meet With the CEO of BP?

2010-06-09T10:31:00.004-05:00

via Michelle Malkin:

Presidential candidate Obama, would you be willing to meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez and and Kim Jong Il?

“I would.”

*****
President Obama, have you spoken with the CEO of BP to discuss the oil spill in the Gulf?

“No… when you talk to a guy like the BP CEO, he’s going to say all the right things to me. I’m not interested in words. I’m interested in actions.”

*****

Helen Thomas apologizes for having said it out loud.

2010-06-07T15:06:00.003-05:00

Helen Thomas issued a non-apology apology for her remarks about the need for Jews to "get the hell out of Palestine" and return to Poland and Germany.

The "apology" is paraphrased below:

“I deeply regret [that the] comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians [were spoken out loud]. They ~~do not~~ [accurately] reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when ~~all parties~~ [Israel] recognize[s] the need for ~~mutual respect and tolerance~~ [Hezbollah]. May ~~that day come~~ [Israel be destroyed] soon.”

Update: Thomas has resigned. I'm not sure she could do worse than she has already, but apparently there is more Thomas video on the way.

Study finds increased gov’t spending results in unemployment.

2010-05-27T13:43:00.001-05:00

Not exactly man bites dog stuff, but the results surprised the researchers anyway...

via HotAir: Study finds increased gov’t spending results in unemployment.

"Our findings suggest that they [policy makers] should revisit their belief that federal spending can stimulate private economic development. It is important to note that our research ignores all costs associated with paying for the spending such as higher taxes or increased borrowing. From the perspective of the target state, the funds are essentially free, but clearly at the national level someone has to pay for stimulus spending. And in the absence of a positive private-sector response, it seems even more difficult to justify federal spending than otherwise."

Pelosi's prolific absurdity

2010-05-23T17:59:00.006-05:00

Pelosi recently referred to the health care bill as "entrepreneurial"...

"...We see it as an entrepreneurial bill, a bill that says to someone, if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, you can leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations because you will have health care."

Question: In what alternate universe does quitting your job translate to entrepreneurial?

Answer: California’s 8^th District

Here is the clip ...

B+ Obama unable to help Specter

2010-05-19T01:34:00.002-05:00

Does Obama ever back the winning horse? Specter loses, despite Obama's best efforts.

Following his party switch last spring, Specter was seen as a strong favorite in his primary fight against Sestak. President Barack Obama did quite a bit for Specter -- appearing at a rally with the incumbent and appearing in radio and television ads for him in the Philadelphia area in the final weeks of the campaign.

These results are very familiar for "B+" Obama. You'd think that even a blind squirrel would find a nut now and then.

Krauthammer on Obama's defense of stimulus spending

2010-05-17T09:53:00.003-05:00

Obama defends his economic agenda, touting the April unemployment report as evidence of the effect his policies have had on job growth and the economy.

Krauthammer's reaction:

"Look, I don't blame the president for not lowering unemployment. A president doesn't have the power to do that.

But I do blame him for spending $1 trillion and giving the appearance of doing it [lowering unemployment] and pretending it's had any effect. It hasn't. All it has done is saddle us with $1 trillion worth of extra debt, which will be a drag on the economy in the future.

Presidents could possibly make an effect on unemployment by one thing. If you want to use shock and awe and throw in $1 trillion, what he might have done is do a radical lowering of the payroll tax, because if you want to encourage something, you either subsidize it or lower the tax on it, and the payroll tax is a tax on employment and a tax on work. It might have helped.

Nonetheless, it's always an exaggeration. If the Clinton administration says we created eight million jobs, that's rubbish. It was Steve Jobs who did that, it was Bill Gates, it was the Internet, a lot of other stuff. A president presides over the economy; he doesn't drive it."

'Los Suns' Protest Arizona Law

2010-05-07T16:00:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday (Cinco de Mayo), The Phoenix Suns basketball team wore their "Los Suns" jerseys during Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals to show solidarity with Latinos protesting Arizona's new immigration law.

Suns General Manager Steve Kerr went so far as to play the Nazi card ...

“It’s hard to imagine in this country that we have to produce papers, It rings up images of Nazi Germany.”

Presumably, "Los Suns" allowed fans to attend the game without tickets. After all, it would have been insensitive to request to see the tickets of any fans. So, these "undocumented ticket-holders" must have been allowed into the game, provided with free drink, food and seats, paid for by the "documented ticket-holders".

Vacationing is a human right, EU chief says

2010-04-20T09:22:00.001-05:00

It reads like a headline from the Onion. Alas, it's real.

"The European Union has declared travelling a human right, and is launching a scheme to subsidize vacations with taxpayers' dollars for those too poor to afford their own trips. "

Fortunately, such European-style social policies would never happen in America ... er, wait.

Victor Davis Hanson: "How Could We Be So Stupid?..."

2010-04-18T14:09:00.004-05:00

"... Let us count the ways."

VDH presents "seven alternative reasons ... why the present government is hell-bent on doubling the national debt in eight years."

Obama Bans terms Islam, Jihad From National Security Strategy Document

2010-04-09T10:48:00.009-05:00

Obama is cleansing national strategy documents of any reference to terms that might offend terrorists. Does he think that by not uttering the term Jihad, then it will cease to exist? He's like a small child who covers his eyes and assumes he is invisible.

From dictionary.com:

Main Entry: willful blind·ness
Function: noun: deliberate failure to make a reasonable inquiry of wrongdoing ... despite suspicion or an awareness of the high probability of its existence

Bill Whittle on PJTV provides a compelling illustration of how dramatically Obama's 'willful blindness' has already impacted America's counter-terrorism strategy.

Ronald Reagan on Socialized Medicine

2010-03-22T19:59:00.007-05:00

Ronald Reagan, circa 1961, speaks about socialized medicine. His words, unfortunately, ring as true today as when they were spoken.

"Back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people will adopt every fragment of the socialist program..."

Listen to the whole thing.

The United States of Greece?

2010-03-22T10:43:00.010-05:00

The "health care" bill passed by the house yesterday was in fact, not a health care bill after all. It was, instead, the largest redistricting bill in recorded history. I present you with, the United States of ~~America~~ Greece.

Update: After some backroom dealing, Nebraska negotiated itself some prime waterfront in the new plan.

Thanks Obama!

US Rep. Paul Ryan on the role of government.

2010-03-22T02:52:00.004-05:00

US Rep. Paul Ryan reacts to the health care abomination just passed by the House, and more specifically about the role of government in the lives of the American people. At least someone is asking the right questions.

"Do we believe that the goal of government is to promote equal opportunity for all Americans to make the most of their lives; or do we now believe that government's role is to equalize the results of people's lives?"

Paul Ryan 2012.

"... from the consent of the governed"?

2010-03-22T01:57:00.002-05:00

March 21, 2010 - Black Sunday.

The health care bill passed. The only question remaining is, 'Can this be undone?'...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

"... from the consent of the governed?" November, 2010 and subsequently 2012, will answer that question definitively.

"... wait until you see what it costs when it's free."

2010-03-19T12:28:00.004-05:00

"If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free." - P.J. O'Rourke

While it appears that Obama's health care monstrosity could be on the verge of passing, it's worth looking at where America's health care system may be headed.

Dr. Paul Hsieh describes describes what the Canadian health care system really is like in this 2007 article. Read the whole thing.

"To guarantee "free" health care, a government must force the individual to pay for everyone else's medical care and limit his freedom to pay voluntarily for his own. With bureaucrats deciding who receives what, the individual is therefore forbidden from spending his money according to his own rational judgment (and the advice of his doctors) as to what's best for his health. When a government forces people to act against their own interests, it's no surprise that the results are misery and death."

And (to borrow a phrase) ... Let me be clear, the Democrats ultimate goal is a Canada-like, government-run, single payer health care system. Don't take my word for it, take Obama's ...

Pelosi: "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it."

2010-03-09T17:04:00.010-06:00

This video was linked on Drudge.

Out of context? Apparently not ... Here is a link to the full speech. Below are the remarks from the speech before and after that comment.

"You've heard about the controversies within the bill, the process about the bill, one or the other. But I don't know if you have heard that it is legislation for the future, not just about health care for America, but about a healthier America, where preventive care is not something that you have to pay a deductible for or out of pocket. Prevention, prevention, prevention -- it's about diet, not diabetes. It's going to be very, very exciting.

"But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy. Furthermore, we believe that health care reform, again I said at the beginning of my remarks, that we sent the three pillars that the President's economic stabilization and job creation initiatives were education and innovation -- innovation begins in the classroom -- clean energy and climate, addressing the climate issues in an innovative way to keep us number one and competitive in the world with the new technology, and the third, first among equals I may say, is health care, health insurance reform"

Pelosi wasn't taken out of context, she is just out of touch.

Michael Moore as White House Chief of Staff?

2010-03-09T16:11:00.030-06:00

In an open letter to President Obama, filmmaker Michael Moore blamed Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel for the dismal outlook Democrats are facing in the 2010 elections. Moore offered to replace Emanuel for just $1 a year. He promised that he and Obama would be ...:

"... up at 5 in the morning, 7 days a week ... Each morning you and I will do 100 jumping jacks and you will repeat after me: : THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ELECTED ME, NOT THE REPUBLICANS, TO RUN THE COUNTRY!..."

Michael Moore? 100 jumping jacks? I'll take the under.

Ace of Spades on Obama

2010-03-05T09:41:00.013-06:00

In response to Obama's apparent flip-flop on the use of military tribunals to try KSM, Ace of Spades presents an itemized list of Obama failures, adding:

"Let's just stipulate that Obama is the greatest Democratic failure on the national stage since Carter. He will go down in history as a placeholder between the Bush 9/11 years and the transformative economic and foreign policies of the 45th president, a Republican."

"A good, solid B+" indeed.

Regarding KSM though, you can be sure that Obama's change in position is a political maneuver, and does not represent any genuine policy shift.

On the constitutionality of Chicago's gun ban ...

2010-03-04T00:45:00.005-06:00

The US Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in a case that challenges Chicago's handgun ban as unconstitutional. Mayor Daley and other Illinois politicians are positioned firmly against the 2nd amendment. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) on the gun problem in Chicago ...

"Many of my friends talk about the fact that they hunt in their state and I will tell them that many of the people who are hunting in Chicago are not hunting wild game -- they are hunting each other."

It's mind-boggling that Daley, Davis, et. al, actually believe that criminals who are willing to commit murder would be dissuaded by a gun ban. Exactly who in Chicago benefits from the repeal of the 2nd amendment?

Some statistics on the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of hand gun bans in Chicago and elsewhere here ...

"What the crime data show is that gun laws primarily disarm law-abiding citizens, they do not make them safer.

Lockerbie bomber keeps on ticking.

2010-02-27T23:48:00.003-06:00

Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, convicted of murdering 270 people by blowing up Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, was released last August on "compassionate grounds". It was claimed that he had just 3 months to live. Unsurprising to some, 6 months later he's alive and well, living in the lap of luxury.

American media on Climategate

2010-02-16T09:07:00.009-06:00

After Climategate, Glaciergate, Africagate, Amazongate, Hurricanegate, the mainstream media in America finally weigh in on the matter:

am crickets 01 hpx sound bite natural sound bites

democrats in Disarray

2010-02-15T20:23:00.000-06:00

Wow.

Obama, the "post-pettiness" president?

2010-02-12T13:11:00.009-06:00

Obama, while calling for bipartisanship and political cooperation, had this to say:

"...At this critical time in our country, the people who sent us here expect a seriousness of purpose that transcends petty politics."

Ironically, on the very same day, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs illustrated 'first-hand' how the Obama administration is transcending 'petty politics' by mocking Sarah Palin's note-taking with notes scribbled on his own hand. If that doesn't qualify as petty, I'm not sure what does. The President of the United States should be above such behavior. It's embarrassing and unpresidential.

See here or here for other examples of Obama's ability to 'transcend' petty politics.

Obama, done in by greed

2010-02-12T12:58:00.005-06:00

Obama and his fellow democrats are bemoaning Republican 'obstruction', and are suddenly calling for bipartisanship.

"When a sitting president calls for bipartisanship by the opposition – he really means surrender. And if they block his proposals, its "obstinacy" and not political views they hold as strongly as he holds his. "

For the first year of Obama's presidency he enjoyed a supermajority in the Senate and a majority in the House. For an entire year, the Democrats had no need for, or interest in, bipartisanship. They could have passed virtually anything they pleased without a single Republican vote, and without risk of a filibuster.

While accomplishing very little of his agenda in his first year, I expect Obama himself wonders:
- How much time was wasted negotiating the 'Cornhusker kickback'?
- How much time was wated negotiating the 'Louisiana Purchase II'?
- How much time was wasted on back-room deals with the unions?

The Democrats had every opportunity to pass some version of their horrendous health care bill before Christmas -- again, with no need for a single Republican vote. So, not only did the grotesque back-room deals and pork-barrel politicking contribute directly to the loss of their supermajority, they also served to delay the legislative process to the point where the Massachusetts election result actually mattered.

Obama was done in by the greed of his own party members.

Deficit of Trust

2010-02-01T10:45:00.011-06:00

Just three words from Obama's State of the Union sum up all one needs to know about the ambitions of the current administration. Obama's complaint about the 'deficit of trust' clearly illustrate his worldview in which people should trust a government that clearly does not trust them.

This point is articulated very well here.

"It’s madness to entertain complaints about your lack of trust from someone who believes the citizens of America have too much control over their lives and fortunes. A just government respects the deficit of trust between free men and the politicians they grudgingly empower to maintain order."

Conservatives should be picking up on this theme and using it to shine a light on Obama's view of the proper role of government in the lives of people. I expect (or at least hope) that the 'deficit of trust' becomes a major theme of the 2010 election season.

The phrase is reminiscent of Obama's 'spread the wealth around' comments to Joe the plumber during the 2008 campaign. In both cases, Obama unwittingly reveals his 'true self'. He's not the centrist that the mainstream media pretend him to be.

Flashback: The Pelosi Blink Count

2010-01-28T13:21:00.007-06:00

Watching Nancy Pelosi clap like a seal throughout the State of the Union last night reminded me of this:

Cheney v. Pelosi: The Blink Count

White House on American Anger and Frustration ...

2010-01-27T23:18:00.015-06:00

Gibbs: Obama to explain in his SOTU address why "... the American people are angry and frustrated." (video)

I'm quite certain that Americans don't need Gibbs or Obama to tell them why they are "angry and frustrated". The spin from the White House is summed up succinctly by Obama's comments last week after the stunning Scott Brown victory in Massachusetts ...

"People are angry and they're frustrated. Not just because of what's happened in the last year or two years, but what's happened over the last eight years."

Translation, of course, "Blame Bush".

From the White House spin, to Howard Dean's polling data, to Obama's remarkable ego, they really don't get it. Obama and his team actually believe that they are the solution to the aforementioned "anger and frustration" rather than the cause of it.

VDH: Obama in Free Fall

2010-01-25T22:54:00.003-06:00

Victor Davis Hanson on "B+" Obama:

"On every issue — more bailouts, more stimuli, more deficits, higher taxes, statist health care, cap and trade, diplomatic apologetics, the shunning of natural gas, oil, and nuclear in favor of "millions of green jobs" subsidized by billions in federal "stimulus" — the Obama position polls 5-15 points below 50 percent."

Semper Fidelis

2010-01-23T20:41:00.014-06:00

US Marine Corps completes mission in Iraq:

"The few thousand who remain — except for U.S. Embassy guards and advisers in Baghdad — are expected to ship out in a matter of weeks."

But the war in Iraq must be ending in defeat, right Harry Reid?

... no, not exactly.

But the surge in Iraq couldn't have succeeded, right Obama?

... no, not exactly.

But surely, the evil, imperialist Americans plundered Iraq's oil, right?
... no, not exactly.

Dow loses 500+ in 3 Day Span

2010-01-23T20:00:00.002-06:00

Thanks Obama!

... and on a related note.

Air America Off the Air

2010-01-21T22:46:00.003-06:00

If a radio station falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Not anymore ...

Is Obama Already a Political Liability?

2010-01-19T22:51:00.010-06:00

Again and again, Obama has presumed that he could accomplish his goals on the power of pure charisma. Eh, not so much...

- Copenhagen, supporting Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid (fail)

- New Jersey, supporting gubernatorial candidate Jon Corzine (fail)

- Virginia, supporting gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds (fail)

- Massachusetts, supporting Senate candidate Martha Coakley (epic fail)

My, how quickly "B+" Obama's glow has faded.

Marthaquiddick

2010-01-19T09:18:00.007-06:00

Martha "Marcia" Coakley is drowning and Ted Kennedy has left the scene ...

Here are the latest polls.

VDH on Unspoken Truths

2010-01-15T08:59:00.002-06:00

Victor David Hanson covers a range of topics in 'Truths We Dare Not Speak', including "five propositions that simply have become taboo"...

Massachussetts Senate Race

2010-01-12T10:17:00.006-06:00

It would be deliciously ironic if, after calls to name this health care bill after Ted Kennedy, the Democrats lost their super-majority by losing Kennedy's former Senate seat. The seat is apparently (and quite remarkably) up for grabs in the special election to be held January 19. Losing that seat could potentially cost the Democrats their bill.

Republican Scott Brown, who trailed Democrat Coakley by over 30 points as recently as November, has steadily cut into that number. One recent poll showed Brown up by 1 point last week, though that poll seems to be the outlier. Brown still has to be considered a long shot.

There should be little doubt though, that even if Brown wins, the Democrats will tie up his confirmation with recounts and other legal delays to give them time to ram through the health care bill with the current majority.

Update: Seating Mass. Senate winner could be delayed. Secretary of State William Galvin in the past made a very specific exception to accelerate the seating of a Democrat in time to override a Bush veto. That isn't going to happen this time around - assuming, of course, that the outcome of the election is unfavorable to the Democrats.

"Massachusetts's top election official [Galvin] says it could take weeks to certify the results of the upcoming U.S. Senate special election."

Stossel on Rand

2010-01-11T12:57:00.008-06:00

John Stossel discusses Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" in the context of the current political environment:

Stossel - Atlas Shrugged (part 1 of 6)

Hot Air poll ... tough choices.

2009-12-31T08:09:00.009-06:00

Hot Air has a poll up for voting on Obama's most embarrassing moment of the year. It's quite a list of choices ...

Hot Air: Choose the Obamateurism of 2010

Obama, seemingly unfazed by these (and other) missteps, still saw fit to give himself a "A good solid B plus" for 2009, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Comically, the only reason he didn't give himself an 'A' grade was because his administration had "inherited the biggest set of challenges of any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt".

Why there was (almost) a 'man-caused disaster' on Christmas Day

2009-12-29T19:51:00.004-06:00

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano is coming under fire for the failures that allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to smuggle explosive material onto a Christmas Day flight. Specifically, warnings from Abdulmutallab's father to the US some months earlier, that his son might be dangerous, were apparently ignored.

Unfortunately, the terrorist's father chose the ignominious career path of 'Nigerian Banker'. Napolitano had simply fallen for that old Nigerian Banker email scam one too many times. She had to draw the line somewhere. ;-)

Gore: 'Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain...'

2009-11-24T11:07:00.019-06:00

Ooops.

Hackers recently acquired and published over 100MB of e-mail correspondence from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia. The CRU describes itself as being "widely recognized as one of the world's leading institutions concerned with the study of natural and anthropogenic climate change".

The hacked emails span from 1996 to 2009 and contain correspondence between leading scientists in the climate change debate. The hacked data has been confirmed as genuine, and needless to say, it provides damning evidence about the junk science being used to hype global warming.

This is Al Gore's 'Wizard of Oz' moment... "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"

Certainly, many in the media will gladly oblige, and ignore the scandal.

Hopefully the following proves to be true:

"... these revelations of fudged science should have a cooling effect on global-warming hysteria and the panicked policies that are being pushed forward to address the unproven theory."

Update: More on Climategate here.

When ideology trumps common sense ...

2009-11-19T09:43:00.002-06:00

Powerline, regarding Obama's job creation strategy...

"Here as in other areas, the Obama administration will dither because its ideological blinders won't allow it to consider what most people know is the most effective course of action."

krauthammer on the ...

2009-11-17T08:38:00.000-06:00

baby jesus.

Krauthammer on Fort Hood massacre

2009-11-13T09:52:00.003-06:00

Obama, Newsweek, Time, ABC, (the list goes on ...) lack any ability to acknowledge reality, as it relates to Hasan's motives in the Fort Hood murders.

Krauthammer sees through their politically correct sensibilities...

"Have we totally lost our moral bearings? Nidal Hasan (allegedly) cold-bloodedly killed 13 innocent people. In such cases, political correctness is not just an abomination. It’s a danger, clear and present."

Read the whole thing.

US seeks to seize Iran's US assets

2009-11-13T08:51:00.001-06:00

I'm wagering that the DoJ under Obama will not have the stomach to see this through. Certainly the investigation pre-dates Obama, but it will go away (quietly).

Obama grants rare interview to communications arm of the Republican Party.

2009-11-11T16:56:00.006-06:00

President Obama graciously grants interview to Major Garrett (first reported by Drudge).

remember when...

2009-11-10T22:52:00.002-06:00

whistle-blowers were heroes?

... and Chicago Mayor Daley blames America's love of guns

2009-11-10T15:00:00.010-06:00

Daley on Ft. Hood massacre:

“Unfortunately, America loves Guns ... You don’t blame a group.”

So, while Daley refuses to blame the slaughter on a group (read Islam), he then proceeds to ... [drumroll] ... blame a group (read gun-loving Americans).

And what is Daley lobbying for here, anyway? Increased gun control at US Army bases? Really? Again, like Obama earlier, this is a case of tortured logic simply to avoid mention of Islam.

Obama blames Fort Hood massacre on 'stress'.

2009-11-10T14:32:00.007-06:00

Obama: Hasan May Have Cracked Under Stress

"...in a country of 300 million people, there are going to be acts of violence that are inexplicable..."

... as if Hasan's actions were some random drugstore hold-up gone wrong.

Is Obama really so completely disconnected with reality that he thinks this massacre actually is "inexplicable"??

This is simply Obama's way to avoid any mention of Islam in the same sentence as Fort Hood...