Obama apologizes (sort-of) for Throwing CIA Under the Bus

CIA Don’t be discouraged!  The man he’s not so hard, to understand: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/us/politics/21intel.html?hp

Zero- “That is why I believe we will defeat our enemies, because we’re on the better side of history.”

While it is nice to actually see the President acknowledge that the United States is morally “better” than the terrorists, but does the fact that I would feel much better about the President if he could bring himself to say that personal and economic liberty and democratic governence is the “right side of history.”

It is OK to laugh at him!

See!

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/media_having_trouble_finding_right

The Definition of Narcissism…

…is naming your pet after your own initials.

Pew Research Explodes the Myth of the Age of Obama

The Big Zero’s partisans, and his teleprompter itself, have been making the claim for the last two years that his election would represent the beginning of a new, post-partisan era of American politics. I think that the latest Pew Research poll can put that idea safely to bed.

While the partisan divide in the poll is striking, the most important trend identified in this article is the similarity of the numbers of the three baby boomer presidents listed: Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama. This should not be surprising, as all three of these leaders employed an ideological approach to the Presidency early in their administration. However, it does suggest that the idea, promoted by authors like historian Sean Willentz and others, that Obama’s election represents the switch to a new era of politics is overstated. From these numbers, it appears rather that the election of Clinton inaugurated an era of hyper-partisanship, a trend which has been augmented by the rigid political approach of the Bush administration and the reflexive radicalism of the Obama administration.

That Republicans have turned on the Obama administration so rapidly should be no surprise. His administration has repeatedly renounced their principles as obsolete, he has refused to engage their ideas in any meaningful way, and he has declared economic war on all productive members of society with his budget. He has made it abundantly clear in his economic policy that he seeks to destroy economic liberty and replace it with patronage and dependency. He has made it equally clear in foreign policy that he seeks to cede the United State’s superpower status in the hope of appeasing America’s critics. Is it any surprise that this has won him the antipathy of Republicans?

Although Obama promised a post-partisan America during the election, it seems that this is less of a priority to the President than transforming the United States into a homogenized and docile society. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary for Obama to achieve political hegemony by promoting divisions, driving wedges, and spurring jealousy. Post-partisanship, a noble goal placed in the service of an ignoble cause, has been jettisoned.

Some day, likely after the baby boomers have passed (FINALLY) from positions of influence, we will return to a less ideological era of government. Unfortunately, this era will likely not come until American’s are forced to confront the inevitable crises that the Bush and Obama administrations’ irresponsible spending will have provoked. For now, we can only hope that enough of America is left after the partisan era to put our society together again.

This is How Insane Obama’s Budget is

This is a great posting from James Hudnall that I thought I should pass along. 

At Some Point, This Will Represent Your Children's Taxes as Well

Or how about comparing the Big Zero’s first ten years against Bush’s eight?

"Responsible" Obama deficits compared to irresponsible Bush deficits

Best of all is this one. 

One million dollars in $100 bills.

1 trillion dollars in $100 bills

You can find the whole graphic here.

Unemployment Accelerating Under Obama

The first full month of measurements of the effect of Barack Obama’s stimulus plan is in, and the numbers are not good.  Three quarters of a million Americans lost their jobs.  I guess those “shovel ready” projects we were told so much about are not having the impact that was promised. 

Our Greatest Diplomat Strikes Again

Our majestic ruler scores another diplomatic coup: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2009/04/01/barack_obamas_gift_for_the_queen_an_ipod_your_majesty

In addition, he confirms something that some of us have suspected all along- that if this was 1776, he would have been a Tory.  “There’s one last thing that I should mention that I love about Great Britain,” thundered the greatest man of this or any age,  “and that is the Queen.” 

After paying due accedence to her Britannic majesty, the Big Zero resumed berating our democratic allies for their failure to adopt authoritarian economic policies.

How to Make a Speech Like the Big Zero

 

 

After watching several Big Zero speeches over the last few weeks, I realized that they all are essentially the same.   Use this outline to make your own Barack Obama speech!

 

1) Identify the issue.

 

Example:  “If left on its current course, our industrial economy is environmentally and economically unsustainable.  Too many people are working, and too many of them are adversely impacting our planet.  In order to develop the economy of the future, we must take action now to eliminate this economy of the past.”

 

2) Provide a wildly inaccurate, meaningless, or patently false statistical anecdote to highlight the problem.

 

Example:  “During the 1930s, the wealthiest 10% of the population carried 90% of the federal tax burden.  Now, the wealthiest 5% of the population has accumulated 40% of the nation’s wealth, and controls 70% of it.  Living standards have relentlessly continued to rise.  This greed is unacceptible.”

 

2a) If possible, cite Ronald Reagan.

 

Example:  “Previous Presidents, including Ronald Reagan, recognized the threat that corporate greed represented.  This is why Reagan called Wall Street an ‘Evil Empire.’”

 

3) Claim that a broad consensus has emerged behind the crazy-assed solution you are proposing.

 

Example:  “Look, paleontologists have known for a long time that mortgage-backed securities pose a perpetual risk to the stability of the financial sector.  There is no dispute about this.  That is why we must take firm action now against the kulaks.”

 

4) Contrast your reflexive ideological response to the problem against a previously unheard-of straw man, then attribute this view to unseen enemies.

 

Example: “Some people believe that the solution to the financial crisis is to kill the first born male child in every household. I reject this.”

 

5) Conclude that only solution to any problem is to do as you command, as the only other alternative is to “do nothing.” 

 

6) Cock head back and preen like Mussolini.

 

 

In Defense of John Dingell

Say what you will about John Dingell, but the man knows his constituency and represents their interests.  John Dingell has been representing his predominantly blue-collar, union constituency for over 50 years.   During my lifetime, he has never encountered a serious challenge to his seat that I can remember.  Everyone knows him, most everyone has met him.  He knows many of his constituents personally, and always represents their interests.  While you might not agree with the man, he clearly takes his role as a representative of his people very seriously. 

 

So why have the Obama Democrats purged this man from his Chairmanship in the House?  Has he changed?  Not really.  He is the same guy he has always been- the House’s great lion of the working class.  Have his voters changed?  Not really.  They are poorer now, sure, victims of the incompetence of the Big Three and the ideological rigidity, arrogance and ineptitude of Jennifer Granholm.  But overall, they are the same hard-working, honest, friendly and family-minded folks they have always been.  So why the change?  Why now?

 

It’s simple.  John Dingell, and more importantly John Dingell’s voters, no longer matter to the Democratic Party in the Age of the Big Zero.  Dingell supported Hillary Clinton.  His voters supported Hillary Clinton.  The Big Zero sees all.  The Big Zero never forgets.  And the Big Zero frankly does not like Dingell’s voters and their ilk.  They ate like those clingy Pennsylvanians.  The Big Zero is much more interested in other voters.  Voters who privilege the environment over employment.  Voters who elect people like Henry Waxman. 

 

It will always be a mystery to me why Michiganders vote the way they do.  Some lucky Michiganders can trace a solid line of criminally incompetent leaders from their mayors (Kwame Kilpatrick, until recently) through the House (too many to list here, Kwame’s mommy or little Levin are good examples) to the Senate (Levin or Stabenow, take your pick) to Granholm (“Our Governor is so crappy, we had to go to Canada to find her!”).  Yet the worse things get, the more willing Michiganders are to give the same folks more power.  In Barack Obama, Michigan might have found a way to inflict Michigan-style government on the rest of the country.  The performance of Michigan’s elected officials is the only thing that makes the Lions look good.  Michiganders have a high tolerance for pain.

 

Naturally, then, the response of Michigan to this latest Obama attack on the state is to sit back and take it.  First, Obama refuses to count Michigan’s vote.  Then, he refuses to campaign there.  Then, he sends his surrogates out to denounce the state and its voters. Then, he shows up for a couple of weeks when McCain starts campaigning there.  As soon as McCain leaves, he never appears again.  No word on the automaker crisis.  Obama’s only interest in Michigan came when it appeared that it would go to McCain, since then he couldn’t care less. 

 

John Dingell was one of the few Michigan politicians who could point to an actual record of achievement in government.  John Dingell was one of the few American politician who a majority of his constituents have probably seen or even met.  John Dingell has the humility to understand his constituents, and the courage to stand up for them. 

 

In the Age of the Big Zero, that means one thing.  John Dingell had to go. 

Obama Should Respect Law Enforcement and Stop Gutierrez Appointment

One of the people being rumored to replace Barack Obama in the Senate is Illinois Representative and former Obama surrogate Luis Gutierrez.  Gutierrez is the same Democratic Representative who said called federal law enforcement agents the “Gestapo” in an interview with the Politico.  Here is a cut from my posting at the time: 

“Decrying the Bush administration’s unwillingness to suspend the enforcement of immigration laws, Gutierrez blames the influence of the law enforcement community.  “You know who is in charge now? Gutierrez declared, “The Gestapo agents at …Homeland Security. They are in charge.”

 

Who is Gutierrez? He is a Chicago Democrat closely aligned with Barack Obama.  How close?  Gutierrez has “direct access” to Obama.  Obama and Gutierrez have co-sponsored legislation.  Gutierrez has been touted as a potential successor to Obama’s Senate seat.  He has even appeared as a surrogate for Obama in a campaign commercial.“

To my knowledge, neither Gutierrez nor Obama has apologized for the comment, nor recognized the profound risks and challenges of the members of the law enforcement community who put their survival on the line every hour of every day of their working lives to enforce the laws that Congress has passed.  If Obama were to allow the appointment of Luis Gutierrez to his former seat, it would be a grave and unforgivable insult to every individual in the Department of Homeland Security and the law enforcement profession of the United States.  

The election is over, President-elect Obama.  Luis Gutierrez is your ally, your surrogate, and your party member. It is time to show some backbone and professional decensy to America’s law enforcement professionals by calling Representative Gutierrez to account for his abusive attitude toward your hard-working and dedicated employees.