Wednesday Night News & Notes

The new job is challenging and whipping my ass but I'm making headway. The Phillies traded for last year's AL Cy Young Award winner and Shane Victorino (pictured) is hitting out of his mind so on balance it's a good day.

Here's what's news.

-The Gates Affair continues unabated. I thought race didn't matter anymore in this post-racial Obamanation. Take the race card away from libs and they would have nothing to hold but their collective units.

-Just your typical, neighborhood goat-slaughtering jihadist. But he's a nice man.

-Obama's health care bill dying a slow, slow death. Nice.

-Rest in peace Mrs. Hoft. Prayers to you and your family, Jim.

-Lou Dobbs seems to be taking this whole "birther" thing a bit too far.

-Dude, people in DC are not as hot as I thought.

Even NPR Finds Obama Tanking

When tax-supported NPR publishes a poll that shows Obama ebbing, you know it's true. Here's the gist:

Those are the chief findings of the latest NPR poll of 850 registered voters conducted nationwide Wednesday through Sunday by a bipartisan team. The pollsters found 53 percent approving of the president's handling of his job, while 42 percent disapproved — the narrowest gap of the Obama presidency to date. Most of the approving group said they approved strongly, and an even greater majority of the disapproving group said they disapproved strongly.

That has Obama 4% higher than the left-leaning Zogby and more than that when compared to the polling firm that has been called right-wing; Rasmussen.

This is the critical element of this though:

16% still feel we are on the wrong track and that's not good after a barrage of appearances by The One. That ain't good for our hero now is it?

Plain and simply, his policies aren't working. We are still mired in a deep recession with only a few shoots of growth poking through that have to be looked at with a skewed eye to even consider them good news.

I guess we can be be happy that we can finally put the liberal dogma of massive deficits and higher taxes to bed for awhile.

The Stimulus & Green Jobs Myth

In the lead up to the stimulus signing, Obama talked of pumping money into environmental causes and "green" jobs. It seems as though he talked the talk but doesn't quite walk the walk.

This from the EPA website where $7.2-billion was set aside for the EPA to implement these vague programs, we have an interactive map that shows state-by-state allocations and how much they've spent thus far.

Let's look at a few states:

New Jersey has $8,177,256 allocated. They've spent $7,589 or a measly or 0.092%.

Hmmm, that's a small amount. But wait, what about a state that really needs increased spending like Ohio where they are losing jobs like no other place. Surely they have had a massive amount of money spent on these mythical "green" jobs to replace the dwindling car industry and other positions. Let's see:

Allocated: $297,223,862, spent: $21,962 or 0.007%.

Wow, thank goodness they supported Obama, huh?

OK, the greenest state of all, the Golden State has to be spending money hand over fist to get their folks back to work and help close that huge deficit they have. How much?

Er...They've spent $5,827,399, an absolute fortune when compared to the other states but what percentage is that? Uh, how about 1.195%.

So the stimulus was so important that to go against Obama was akin to being not only un-American but to be be a blasphemer has released a piddling amount of money for the projects he championed the most.

About the way we expected things to happen on the right side of the blogosphere.

Obama's Really Bad Week

It happens with all presidents eventually but usually not in so stunning a fashion.

President Obama got hit with a barrage of bad news this week, some of his own making. Let's review, shall we?

Henry Louis Gates Jr., historian and Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University was locked out of his house so he did what most of us would do, he tried to get in by pushing on the door or other means. Unfortunately for him, a neighbor called police suspecting a break-in. Police arrived and did what police are supposed to do, ask questions to try to assert the facts. Professor Gates got belligerent and was subsequently arrested for disorderly conduct, the charges were dropped.

Now had this been a simple case of a mistaken arrest, it would have been written up in the back pages of the local papers but Gates is a friend of Obama. During Obama's press conference earlier in the week, he was asked about the issue and said:

"I don’t know – not having been there and not seeing all the facts – what role race played in that, but I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two that he Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home,"

Prefacing it by saying he didn't have the facts and then judging that the police acted "stupidly" showed Obama reverting back to his community organizer days where every thing that happens in a neighborhood is the fault of the police. They are always wrong until proven right and even then they are blamed.

Unfortunately for Obama, most Americans either know cops, have one in their family or have generally good feelings toward them. Add to that the cop in question has a sterling record including teaching a course on racial profiling. Add to that that his colleagues, peers and bosses all supported him without question and you have a full-blown case of racial politics writ large that engulfed the administrations message on health care that the presser was supposed to address. The alleged post-racial world is not so much as this issued showed quite with crystal clarity.

Obama also saw his approval drop under 50% this week for the first time. His mealy-mouthed words on the stimulus and the economy have come back to haunt him as people are hurting and not seeing the fruits of Obama's spending.

Finally, we have Afghanistan. The war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda is ratcheting up and more troops have been injured or killed of late. Obama hasn't said word one about the ongoing war, a war he owns after using it to pummel Bush for going to Iraq. He's not said good, bad or indifferent. He's said absolutely nothing of consequence and by doing so has pushed our men and women in uniform to the back burner. An egregious action by a sitting president.

Blog Notes

Started a new job this week and had to give my undivided attention. Posting to resume on a more regular basis shortly.

A Friday Night Gem

Wow. A nice You Tube find here.

For my GD brethren, this is well worth the listen:

Friday Night Videos--All Stones Edition

The Rolling Stones are a band that did more for rock than any other band before or since. The Beatles were singing about yellow submarines and the Stones were singing about the dark underbelly of life with Paint It Black and Mother's Little Helper.

They are a great studio band that, to me, never achieved that electricity live after the 70's.

Here's some Stones classics:

Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker), a song that showed just how tuned into the dark side the Stones were:



Next the epic Gimme Shelter where Mick and the boys showed just how good they could be live:



Next we have a great moment at the Concert for NYC in the aftermath of 9/11 where Mick and Keith sang Salt of the Earth for the Police, Firefighters and other emergency responders:



And finally we have the classic Angie with Mick sounding excellent:

The Best Case For the 2nd Amendment Yet

California is in dire financial straits with a huge deficit and the Governator's apparent distaste for tackling the real problems like illegal aliens and a fat state government. So what does he decide? Setting free 27,000 prison inmates:

Reporting from Sacramento -- The state budget deal negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders would reduce the population of California prisons by nearly 27,000 inmates in the current fiscal year.

That would be done with a combination of new measures, including allowing some inmates to finish their sentences on home detention, creating new incentives for completion of rehabilitation programs and scaling back parole supervision for the least serious offenders.

So there you go, instead of cutting loose 27,000 state workers who, to be honest, wouldn't be missed. Arnold is cutting loose 27,000 criminals who will--if recidivism rates are to be believed--mostly turn back to crime; especially in this economic climate. Happily for liberals, they won't be returned to prison because there won't be any room. That is until the liberals get mugged and become conservatives.

So we'll get a chance to see just how the repressive gun laws in California jibe with thousands of newly released criminals. It should be quite a spectacle.

Liberals Shocked Republicans Attempting to Stop Health Care

Liberals and Democrats are chagrined to discover that the RNC is working to stop the single-most expensive bill in American history and one that will destroy not only our economy but the best health care system the world has ever seen.

Reported breathlessly by the HuffPo:

A private memo distributed by the Republican National Committee calls for like-minded advocates to help defeat President Barack Obama's health care proposals by delaying its consideration.

The memo, which was obtained by the Huffington Post from a Democratic source, provides the clearest illustration to date of the political playbook being used to stop Democratic attempts at a health care overhaul. Much of the material mirrors the speeches and presentations made by conservatives both inside and out of elected office to date. Obama's plan for health care is deemed an "experiment" and a "risk" that could bankrupt the country and dangerously change the doctor-patient relationship.

In particular, the 12-page memo makes the case that it is a Republican priority to slow down the consideration of health care reform before it can become codified.

Wow, the GOP is stooping so low as to block the worst idea the Democrats have ever had; I for one am flabbergasted they would take such a ruthless tack. I mean, the Dems would never go so low as something like this. They never would have said that the Iraq war was lost to derail (and alienate the troops) or lie about their support for the same war. They'd never try to halt something as important as social security reform or tax cuts either.

Those people in the GOP are just plain mean and have no concept of just how big this is and just how important The One is in the annals of the American story.

I guess the Dems support of healthcare now puts them and Obama in the minority (minority? What are you racist? I guess so--ed)

Bailouts May Cost $23-Trillion

Yes, with a "T":

A series of bailouts, bank rescues and other economic lifelines could end up costing the federal government as much as $23 trillion, the U.S. government’s watchdog over the effort says – a staggering amount that is nearly double the nation’s entire economic output for a year.

If the feds end up spending that amount, it could be more than the federal government has spent on any single effort in American history.

For the government to be on the hook for the total amount, worst-case scenarios would have to come to pass in a variety of federal programs, which is unlikely, says Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the government’s financial bailout programs, in testimony prepared for delivery to the House oversight committee Tuesday.

I'll leave you to digest that number while I go puke and then watch the Phillies smack the Cubbies all over Citizen's Bank Park.

Monday Night News and Notes

My son's team took third in the USSSA World Series. They played ten games with ten kids and flat ran out of pitching. Good job boys.

Here's what's happening in the world:

-The blood on Walter Cronkite's hands.

-The noose is tightening on Rep. Murtha. Pelosi will continue to back him until it's no longer politically expedient and then she'll pull an Obama and throw his old ass under the bus.

-So much for stimulus and TARP transparency.

-Obama is stammering on the $100-million in budget cuts he promised. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you.

-Jimmy Carter cozies up to Muslims who perform clitorectomies and forced marriages involving teenagers but he just can't abide those women-hatin' Baptist's.

Obama Ranks 10th Out of Last 12 Presidents in Poll

The party is over.

My apologies to Journey:

In the survey, taken Friday through Sunday, Americans by 49%-47% disapprove of his handling of the economy, and by 44%-50% disapprove of his handling of health care.

His overall approval rating was 55%, the lowest of his young presidency. That puts Obama 10th among the 12 post-World War II presidents at this point in their tenures. When he took office, he ranked 7th.

"His ratings have certainly come back to earth in a very short time," says Republican pollster Whit Ayre.

I can hear liberals now: "but, but he has a mandate!" Er, no he sure as hell doesn't.

Obama has done more to damage this country in six-months than liberals thought Bush did in eight-years. People are hurting and he's tried to help them by passing a stimulus that helps his cronies, bolsters unions and raises costs for small business who employ the majority of the people in this country.

The GOP better sure as hell hear this loud and clear and push back against cap and trade and health care reform harder than they've been thus far. Their anemic effort was caused in part by the fact that they perceived The One as invulnerable. That's not the case.

Take it to him with one voice and offer an alternative or just point out the folly and cost of both bills. Easy money now that the one is on a steady decline.

Obama Officially Tanking

Liberals bashed Rasmussen when they showed Obama's numbers falling. Now the official house organ for the administration--ABC--is seeing the same thing:

Heading into a critical period in the debate over health-care reform, public approval of President Obama's stewardship on the issue has dropped below the 50 percent threshold for the first time, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Obama's approval ratings on other front-burner issues, such as the economy and the federal budget deficit, have also slipped over the summer, as rising concern about spending and continuing worries about the economy combine to challenge his administration. Barely more than half approve of the way he is handling unemployment, which now tops 10 percent in 15 states and the District.

The president's overall approval rating remains higher than his marks on particular domestic issues, with 59 percent giving him positive reviews and 37 percent disapproving. But this is the first time in his presidency that Obama has fallen under 60 percent in Post-ABC polling, and the rating is six percentage points lower than it was a month ago.

Six points in one month is huge and they will go down this month as well. The health care issue will be a drag as people become more aware of just what it will mean to them as a tax payer and a consumer.

The honeymoon is over and the hand-wringing will begin. Look to see The One and his tele-prompter all over the TV in the coming weeks as he tries to make his case to he country. The roblem is that we're all sick of seeing him.

The Real Cost of Global Warming & Deficits

It's all out in the open now. Obama's Treasury Secretary has now let the cat out of the bag with regard to the administration's thinking on China, global warming and what responsibility they believe the American people have in the alleged environmental ailments our planet is suffering:

But yesterday, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said something amazing—U.S. consumers should pay for part of Chinese greenhouse-gas emissions. From Reuters:

“It’s important that those who consume the products being made all around the world to the benefit of America — and it’s our own consumption activity that’s causing the emission of greenhouse gases, then quite frankly Americans need to pay for that,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke told the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

And there it is; America is a huge consumer of energy and thus a major polluter in their eyes. That means we have to pay to help clean up the nations we import products from. Forget the fact that China would be an oozing cesspool of chemical and biological waste even if we didn't import a single product from them. Just as the former Soviet Union raped and pillaged the planet from the former Czechoslavakia to the Ukraine, the Chinese are doing the same. Communism and environmentalism are not compatible in the least.

But the real key here is that China holds enormous amounts of our debt. Obama knows that they and the rest of the world are a bit edgy about the state of our economy and we needed to assuage some of their weariness. What better way then to say we'd pay for their pollution? It's a win-win for the Peoples Republic. But truth be told, Obama knows that we will need China to but our paper to pay for socialized medicine and he is flat out bribing them by taking this tack.

The idea that rich-country consumers should pick up the tab for some of China’s industrial emissions has been gaining currency lately—but not from within the Obama administration. The argument is that many of China’s factories churn out cheap stuff for the West, not for domestic consumption, so those consumers are actually responsible for the emissions. China, of course, loves the idea.

When is the Obama administration going to get it? China is a rich country and they got rich by industrial production. They made their own mess and now we're offering to clean it up for them.

I have a shirt made in Vietnam, pants made in El Salvador and numerous product made in Taiwan; are we going to pay for their emissions as well?

This could just be another area for trade tensions with China over the environment. The House climate bill includes a provision for mandatory “carbon tariffs” on dirty imports from countries such as China, which might be illegal under international trade law and which have riled up Beijing. President Obama and Senate leaders have frowned on hardline trade measures.

Of course they have, why should we pressure China to clean up their own mess when the decreasingly affluent Americans can do it for them.

Watch how quickly this sputters out as Obama puts pressure on Nancy Pelosi to strike the provision and essentially gives China the right to pollute at will. The American public has reached a breaking point with Obama and this would be enough to put us over the edge. The Chinese want more latitude in the region and want to control the area from their northern border to Singapore. They have built up their naval forces to do just that and our leadership is cow-towing to them at every turn.

Obama's deficits are going to cost us more than we ever imagined. We need China to support his agenda and if we have to pay for their emissions, it's but a small price in the long run to implement his policies and plans.

Welcome to the new America, welcome to Obamanation.

More here.

Sunday Morning News and Notes

My son is still playing in the USSSA World Series having played four games in less than sixteen hours yesterday. A win this morning puts them in the championship later today.

Here's what's news:

-The New Jersey gubernatorial race is heating up and Republican Chris Christie has a commanding lead in every poll over incumbent Jon Corzine. This may be an outlier for the 2010 congressional and Senate elections.

-Via Jersey Nut, we have this CNN host looking somewhat dumbfounded that the light of The One does not outshine that of the redneck cowboy living in Crawford, TX:



-Obama heading down the Carter highway? When the WaPo asks, it's time to reassess your policies.

-We all knew it and the Paulistinians voraciously denied it but Ron Paul is a Truther.

-Destroying the economy to save it.

Cowboy Diplomacy Vs. Community Organizer Diplomacy

I couldn't go more than one post without reverting back to rebutting the Inquirer.

Today the editorial board tries to explain to us how much better a world we live in with Obama's diplomatic efforts versus Bush's "cowboy diplomacy". They fail miserably:

While the rest of the world is enjoying the refreshing return of diplomacy as the preferred tool for U.S. foreign policy, partisan snipers back at the ranch are pouting for a return to the dangerous cowboyism of the past administration.

If by "rest of the world" they mean Kim Jung-Il, Hugo Chavez and Ahmadinejad, yes, they would correct in that assertion.

President Obama is naïve, they say, for not pointing a judgmental finger in the face of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin when they met two weeks ago. Those critics must have forgotten that it was the previous president who, like a charmed schoolgirl, said he looked into Putin's eyes and got a sense of his soul.

While that was truly embarrassing for Bush, it pales next to Obama's abasement in front of the Saudi king and his backing of an ousted dictator trying to spread communism throughout South America.

Too bad President George W. Bush didn't see the manipulative nature of the former KGB operative whose Stalinist tendencies are increasingly in evidence. Putin technically plays second fiddle to President Dmitry Medvedev. But he handpicked Medvedev, and Putin is believed to be preparing to reassume the presidency in the next election.

There was no naïveté by Obama in Russia. He neither idolized Putin or treated him with disdain. Obama was pragmatic, forging an agreement where one was possible, on nuclear proliferation, while stating clearly his different views on a U.S. missile shield in Europe and Russia's harsh treatment of Ukraine and Georgia.

Pragmatic? He sold out Poland and it's leaders who expended much political capital to push through the missile shield plan. Is Russia now leaving Ukraine and Georgia alone due to the mere words of The One?

A cowboy might have drawn his six-shooter, at least rhetorically, when two American journalists were jailed in March for entering secretive, repressive North Korea. Obama has instead tried to maintain perspective, working to secure the women's release, while keeping open the possibility of future nuclear talks with the wildly unpredictable Kim regime.

The two women are still languishing in a hellish prison for a crime they didn't commit. The Inquirer cites this as proof that Obama's brand of diplomacy is superior. Think about that for a second. Kim Jung-Il will not listen to diplomacy, he laughs at us when we try. He understand one thing: power and the ability to project it. He's a rogue with nukes and one who is playing Obama like a fiddle much as he did Jimmy Carter and Madeline Albright in the 90's.

But wait, the next example is even more telling:

This practical approach to foreign policy was also seen in Obama's restraint in the aftermath of the disputed Iranian election.

The cowboys were screaming for Obama to encourage a rebellion even though the American people, already eager to quit Iraq, would be loath to support Iranian rebels with more than lip service. Obama instead criticized the way President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected, but left open the possibility of U.S. diplomats one day sitting down with Iran's to discuss its nuclear ambitions.

Obama didn't even offer lip service until he saw that the nation wanted him to say something...anything. This is a bit of revisionism by the Inquirer as anyone paying attention when the events were happening saw Obama as weak and wavering. All that was needed was a word of support and perhaps some basic guidance covertly to opposition organizers to open the floodgates of freedom. Obama likes the status quo because he'd rather deal with an entity that is evil but known than a newly freed nation that may require some American assistance. Freedom is far less important than diplomacy in Obamanation.

Obama's pragmatism was again on display when his administration symbolically assumed the mantle of broker for Middle East peace. In his groundbreaking speech in Cairo last month, Obama argued that the Palestinians should eschew terrorism and follow the nonviolent example of the U.S. civil-rights movement. But he also criticized Israel for continuing to expand settlements.

And that speech possibly was read by the Iranian opposition as a clarion call to uprise. They felt empowered by his speech and he left them at the altar of more freedom. As for the Israel-Palestinian situation, I've not seen one report that would make me believe the situation has improved.

Obama must now let pragmatism take the reins with the very complex situation in Honduras. He, along with the United Nations, and the Organization of American States, quickly decried the June 28 ouster of democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya. But there should be a limit to support for Zelaya, a power-hungry protégé of U.S.-hating Venezuela President Hugo Chavez.

In fact, Honduras illustrates the fallacy in touting democracy as the best gauge of a nation's freedom. Giving people the right to vote must be the goal, but the world has seen too many democratically chosen despots to say that alone is enough. Even Hitler was democratically elected.

"Pragmatism" is another way of voting present. Any tough situation can be solved by taking the easiest rout and calling it pragmatism. You have to be nuanced in diplomatic affairs you see and Obama is the king of nuance.

With regard to Zelaya, the man was attempting to change the constitution of that nation for his benefit ala Chavez. The army may have acted roughly but were well within the constitution to remove him when they did. (Update: Is this the kind of democracy the Inquirer likes?)

As for Hitler being democratically elected, so was Ahmadinejad (according to liberals who feared rebellion) and Chavez. Hell, Saddam got 100% of the vote prior to his untimely removal and subsequent demise.

So in closing it's imperative to note that this is exactly the type of diplomacy liberals love. It's diplomacy in which nothing really ever happens. Nothing except for our enemies growing stronger, more emboldened and feeling no constraints when spreading weapons and ideology.

Compassionate Conservatism In Action

It's not often you read of the good works of George W. Bush in the Inquirer. That said, it's probably a first that he was mentioned in a nice tone in the Arts and Entertainment section. The arts community has generally hated Bush for his politics, policies and the fact that it was a prerequisite to suffer from BDS to be accepted among ones peers in that chosen vocation.

Now that he's gone, we're starting to hear of the good he did in the world including his phenomenal effort to rid the African continent of HIV and, now, his support in releasing a rapper--John Forte--from federal prison:

His reemergence - which continues with shows tomorrow at World Cafe Live and Friday at the XPoNential Music Festival in Camden - came through the efforts of two unlikely champions: singer Carly Simon, who is Taylor's mother, and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R., Utah).

But if Hatch, who has called Forté "a genius," and Simon, who says that working for the reduction of the musician's sentence "became my calling," were the midwives at Forté's rebirth, the delivery-room doctor was even more improbable.

In one of his final acts as president, George W. Bush on Nov. 24, 2008, commuted Forté's sentence. A little less than a month later, Forté walked out of the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix a free man.

...For a good part of his life, he wasn't. He spent seven years and eight months "away" - first in a federal prison in Texas, then in Loretto, in western Pennsylvania, and finally in Fort Dix. He was moved there in 2004, thanks to Hatch, not only a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee but also a songwriter. Simon, a Democratic fund-raiser, says she turned to Hatch in frustration after getting little assistance from the other side of the aisle.

In a 2006 letter obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune, Hatch did not deny that Forté was guilty of a crime, but argued that the artist should be freed in part because "he was no risk to society, because he was not a drug-user. And frankly, he's a genius." Hatch, who could not be reached for comment for this story, obtained privileges for Forté to have a guitar, which he taught himself to play in prison. Forté has called Hatch a "superhero of a mentor to me."

Emphasis mine.

Note that no Democrat would aid Simon nor Hatch in getting this man released from prison. I suspect it was simply because they feared being called soft on drugs while ignoring the fact that our drug laws are draconian. Sen. Hatch and President Bush had no such qualms. They had the personal and political guts to see the right thing done and damn the consequences.

I suspect we'll see more stories like this in the future as the good Bush did was overshadowed in the venomous world of partisan politics and the media's constant barrage of ridiculous charges and downright hatred has finally subsided.

Exit question: If it had been Ted Kennedy or John Kerry championing the release of this man, would he be a household name now?

CSNY Palate Cleanser

Neil Young surprises his old bandmates and they don't quite know the words. A little fun when the world is crashing around us:

Obama Is Lying Through His Teeth

Anyone with even the most rudimentary economic skills can tell you that you can't spend $1-trillion and not incur deficits unless you do one of two things: cut spending in other areas or raise taxes. Being that Obama is the uber-liberal, there's no way in hell that he's cutting spending unless it's further cuts in the military sector leaving our men and women fighting with sling shots and crossbows. Or he chooses the other direction, which will levy taxes on the so-called wealthy to such heights that they will flee America in droves.

Which tack will he use? This gives us some idea:

WASHINGTON - President Obama, facing a revolt by centrist Democrats in Congress over the cost of overhauling the health-care system, warned yesterday that "now is not the time to slow down."

He also sought to reassure doubters that he will make sure the plan, which could cost roughly $1 trillion over a decade, won't add to the federal deficit - twice saying, "I mean it."

That's political suicide if it does not live up to it. Either that or he spins it once again where he says he didn't say what he actually said, which has become the trend with this administration. Still, "I mean it" may well become to Obama what "read my lips, no new taxes" was to George H.W. Bush with the only exception being that the MSM will cover for Obama where they dud not for Bush.

Where is the resistance coming from within the Democratic party? The Blue Dogs who come from affluent, generally conservative areas and will have to answer to their constituents come next election cycle:

In addition, 22 mostly freshman Democrats in the House wrote to Speaker Nancy Pelosi voicing concerns about the House plan to raise taxes on the wealthy and some small businesses to help pay for more health-care coverage.

So Obama reverts to form and will make his case to the American people...again:

Perhaps anticipating growing resistance, the president also scheduled a prime-time news conference for Wednesday night.

Obama has been pushing for House and Senate votes on a health-care overhaul before Congress' August recess. The strategy aims to enter the August recess with a burst of momentum behind the legislation, then to thrash out the final details in a House-Senate conference this fall. House or Senate failure to pass initial versions of the measure before the recess could sap momentum from the effort and leave it more vulnerable to opposition.

News conference should be in scare quote because The One has had a history of picking those who will ask questions hand-picked beforehand. Add to that the fact that Americans are plain sick of seeing the due on TV. Turn on the TV, he's there. Watch the All Star game, he's there (throwing like a girl). He's worn out his initial welcome like a house guest who stays well passed the time that you would have liked. We like our presidents to be, well, presidential and Obama is still acting the candidate.

Of course, Speaker Pelosi couldn't allow Obama to take all the credit and she had to get her (botoxed) mug on TV saying:

"Congress has made historic progress on health-insurance reform that will put patients and doctors back in charge," Pelosi said.

"Patients and doctors back in charge" is nothing but buzzwords and rhetoric. Patients and doctors are in charge now and under the health care plan the government would be in charge as never before and would make the British system look like a finely-tuned machine.

Let's see where this goes but the blogosphere is watching.

Friday Morning News & Notes

A ton of things to do today so here's the must-reads:

-Bob at Black & Right is starting a nice new gig next month. Good for him and keep fighting the good fight. On a personal note, I am also starting with a new employer on Monday. It's a nice step for me but posting will most-likely be at different times and possibly less frequently.

-The health care debate rages on. The WaPo and CBO threw about twenty gallons of gasoline onto the fire yesterday. Read the links as the spin is making the liberals look like dervishes.

-I'm sensing a serious tax revolt in the next year and looking at these numbers we'd be highly justified. Pelosi and Reid are not the leaders to stop the coming backlash.

-The Blue Dogs bare their collective teeth.

-California is not holding back on any means of bumping up revenue to balance the budget. This was bound to happen.

-Prominent business men were among those killed and wounded in the Jakarta terror attack. The War on Terror continues unabated even if Obama is sticking his fingers in his ears and yelling "I'm not listening..."

Spending Our Way Into Oblivion

Those of us who were paying attention knew that an Obama win would equate to massive increases in spending and huge deficits and that was based on the watered down promises he made on the campaign stump. But none of us in our wildest nightmares foresaw what has actually transpired to date and what is now on the verge of being passed.

We have a record deficit of $1-trillion and haven't even taken into account the massive increases in social security yet to come. The stimulus was a sop to Obama's cronies and has decreased jobs since it was passed while the administration is floating the trial balloon of Stimulus: The Sequel. How bad are things? Worse than this graph shows as it's based on things returning to some semblance of normal with regard to the job and housing markets; a not altogether sure thing:


Add to that that there has been no effective decrease in spending elsewhere (with the exception of the military) and you're looking at an IOU that is frighteningly enormous in scope. In just six-months The One has spent us into a hole we'll never get out of. With health care on the horizon and Cap and Tax being rammed through, we haven't seen the end of just what a liberal leader with a perceived mandate can do when he has a compliant Congress and adoring media.

Congressional liberals were mostly held in check under Bush and even Clinton but now they are acting like a scorned wife who has gotten hold of her husbands Visa, Mastercard, Amex and every other card and is spending like crazy and leaving him with the debt load. Every agency has the go-ahead to spend and spend and don't worry, the American people will pay for it whether they want to or not.

Thankfully we're seeing signs the American people are paying attention and saying "enough" even though they've bought into the class warfare rhetoric espoused by the Dems.. Obama's poll numbers are in free-fall and the nation trusts the GOP with the purse strings more than the Dems at this point, a major turn-around (not that the GOP deserves any trust as they were quite reckless themselves when they controlled the cash)

The only way out is taxes and not just soaking the "rich" but taxes on every single American are coming. It may be stealth like increases in gasoline, food or energy but they are definitely coming. That's when the opportunity to expose this massive spending will arise.

The problem is that there's no Republican who has stood up and stated these concerns in a clear, concise manner that will appeal to the fickle middle. Palin may be that person in a few months when Obama's numbers really plummet while the unemployment rate goes up. She can be the neo-Reagan fighting the battles from the far right and exposing every single proposal for the expensive boondoggle it is. Other then her, we don't have anyone with the charisma to hammer the Dems and get the people to not on hear hear her but listen as well.

Thursday Night News and Notes

Back from Florida. My son continues to play and play well. He threw a kid out stealing second today and his dad is a proud man.

Here's what else is happening:

-Sen. Barbara Boxer played racial politics and then got creamed by the head of the Black Chamber of Commerce for doing so.

-Joe Biden is the gift that keeps on giving. According to Joe, we need to become bankrupt to keep from becoming bankrupt. Gaffetastic:

“We’re going to go bankrupt as a nation,” Biden said.

“Now, people when I say that look at me and say, ‘What are you talking about, Joe? You’re telling me we have to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt?’” Biden said. “The answer is yes, that's what I’m telling you.”

-The One is losing his cool with his core constituency, which would be the media.

-Nancy Pelosi's Congress was supposed to be the most ethical, bi-partisan and open ever. Ethics? Well, Murtha has made Randy Cunningham look like an amateur. Bi-partisan? Er, no.

-Jackie Mason on Sarah Palin:

Media Starting to Question Global Warming "Science"

The USA Today has gone off the media reservation and actually dares to look at the veracity of those who push the global warming issue without taking into account the science that says it may not be carbon that's causing it or that it may not be happening at all:

Could the best climate models -- the ones used to predict global warming -- all be wrong?

Maybe so, says a new study published online today in the journal Nature Geoscience. The report found that only about half of the warming that occurred during a natural climate change 55 million years ago can be explained by excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What caused the remainder of the warming is a mystery.

"In a nutshell, theoretical models cannot explain what we observe in the geological record," says oceanographer Gerald Dickens, study co-author and professor of Earth Science at Rice University in Houston. "There appears to be something fundamentally wrong with the way temperature and carbon are linked in climate models."

This is blasphemy on a grand scale and while Gaia might not strike down author Doyle Rice, he'll be a target for Saint Al Gore who will not let anything that endangers his empire built on lies go unanswered upon.

The global warming swindler's--enabled by a compliant media--have been ramming carbon/warming data down our throats for a decade now and have effectively silenced any opposing viewpoints. The facade is starting to crumble now as people are experiencing colder springs and summers and not seeing rising oceans and environmental catastrophe that was supposed to happen 2-months, 2-years or 2-decades out.

Yes, I know weather is not climate but when it happens over a course of years it becomes a trend.

Breaking News: Reported Shooting on Capitol Hill

The House and Senate are on lockdown at this moment with a reported "8-10 shots" reports Fox News. Breaking...

Update: It appears it was a robbery at Union Station and a car chase ended on Capitol Hill with shots fired.

More Great Moments in Socialized Medicine

I was talking with a guy this morning and something came on the news about health care and the Obamacare plan. He said it would be a good idea to have "free" health care. "Free" I said, "it's definitely not going to be free". It occurred to me that a good sized amount of people in this nation are not even remotely tuned into what Obamacare would entail, how it would reduce the standard of care and how much it will actually cost them. It got me thinking that Obama may be able to pull this off with a compliant media abetting him.

We have to make sure that the average citizen understand what he or she would be in store for with socialized medicine. Here's another example of why we have to beat this thing down, burn the bill, piss on the ashes and flush them down the toilet:

Thousands of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers face a lifetime of agony because they are not being treated quickly enough, a report says.

Guidelines state that patients should receive treatment within three months of the first symptoms appearing.

But the average wait is nine months - and GPs are not trained well enough to know what help to offer.

The average wait is three times longer than is recommended. The three month number is insane and with shock Americans who have grown accustomed to calling a doctor and getting in the same day.

Just another preview of Obamacare.

As an aside, the GOP is finally starting to explain just what Obama plans on doing and it ain't pretty.

Update: Here's some of the side effects Obamacare would bring about.

Wednesday Afternoon News & Notes

Still in Pensacola, FL with my son who's playing in the USSSA World Series in Pace. Won today 3-0 and my son caught a good game while the starting pitcher pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout. The pic at right is the view from the house me and other families are renting for the week. Nice and the fishing is excellent. I pulled up some catfish, several sting rays and my boy caught a huge redfish.

Here's what's new in the world:

-We all knew that global warming swindlers had the ultimate goal of destroying wealth and wealth redistribution. They have actually let it slip out this time.

-Obama and the Dems are going to soak the steadily declining "rich". But hey, why stop at the "rich" when you can destroy the leading sector for jobs creation as well.

-Furthermore, why stop at the "rich" and small business when you can go after families as well. These people want to control everything in a Big Brotheresque way.

-Smokes don't actually cost 23 quadrillion dollars, they just seem that way.

-Yasir Arafat is still dead. How much did Mahmoud Abbas have to do with it? Politics as bloodsport.

-The Obama administration says "please, please pretty please give up your nuclear intentions, Iran" while threatening a stern scolding and a timeout if they don't comply. Unleash the Israeli Air Force for crying out loud. Then denounce them for taking action so you don't lose any cred on the "Arab street".

-The soldier who claims he doesn't have to go to Afghanistan because Obama was not born in the US so doesn't have the authority has won his case. I still think the guy is a puss for not going just as I believe a conscientious objector is as well but he scores points for originality.

-Cap and Tax Trade would probably be a boon for Timmy Geithner's and Jon Corzine's cronies at Goldman-Sachs.

Obama and Baseball: Keep Your Day Job, Kid

The Chief Executive walked to the mound, toed the rubber and with the world watching...threw like a girl:



Note the boos as well.

Now, I'm not a major league vet but for crying out loud, the dude has a tall, lanky pitchers body and he's a lefty--the perfect combo for a pitcher. And he can't throw more than a forty MPH arcing pitch in the dirt. North Korea is laughing at us. Iran is laughing at us. Now we have the baseball-crazy Latin American world laughing at us. Dude, when the leader of the Dominican Republic has reason to chuckle at us, we're in trouble.

Here's George W. Bush showing how it's done by a man who's actually played between the lines:



A friggin' strike right down the middle.

To add to that, he's a faux baseball fan as he referred to Comiskey Park as "Cominskey". Anyone who has followed the club for, oh, the last century knows it's Comiskey named after a former owner and since renamed US Cellular Field. Some fan.

More at GWP.

Update: The media fawns all over The One throwin' the old 59-footer. Too bad the mound is 60' 6" from the plate.

Ayn Rand, Friedrich von Hayek and Glenn Reynolds

Retired Inquirer book reviewer Frank Wilson takes a stab at explaining the resurgence of book sales for Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Hayek's The Road to Serfdom. He gets the reasoning exactly wrong:

To attribute the surge in popularity of these books to "conservatives" seeking solace after a defeat at the polls is both tempting and easy. But it almost certainly has less to do with partisan politics than with fundamental principles.

While Glenn Reynolds, who is mentioned at the outset of the piece has had a great deal to do with the resurgence of Atlas Shrugged, he, nor any other person I've read has said it was because of "conservatives". Hell, Reynolds has a more libertarian streak then a conservative one. In my opinion, most essayists on the "right" tend to be more libertarian with a conservative tinge than outright conservative as historically described.

Some years after The Road to Serfdom, Hayek wrote an essay called "Why I Am Not a Conservative." In it, he describes "as liberal the position which I hold and which I believe differs as much from true conservatism as from socialism," and he proceeds to argue that "the liberal today must more positively oppose some of the basic conceptions which most conservatives share with the socialists." Of course, Hayek uses liberal in its classic sense, referring to someone whose aim is "to free the process of spontaneous growth from the obstacles and encumbrances that human folly has erected." (John Galt couldn't have put it better.)

Those encumbrances are the government and government policies and programs. We have seen more encumbrances in the last six-months put in our way than the fifty-years previous. Today's "liberal" is as far removed from classic sense as can be possible.

Moreover, what Hayek says about conservatives applies equally well to many who today call themselves progressives:

"Conservatives are inclined to use the powers of government to prevent change or to limit its rate. . . . They lack the faith in the spontaneous forces of adjustment. . . . The conservative feels safe and content only if he is assured that some higher wisdom watches and supervises change, only if he knows that some authority is charged with keeping the change 'orderly.' "

We on the right believe in reduced government and don't feel we need any authority to induce order. We want a president and a congress who enact legislation to deal with inherently governmental function including national security, a strong military, the progression of rights and liberty and after that, just get the hell out of the way.

Conservatives of today are not what they were even twenty five years ago. We are not against change and in fact champion it in many cases. We push for the freedom whereby businesses can thrive and create new and better products that make our lives easier. We wish for the meddling fingers of the government to be reduced to the lowest level possible. The idea that we fell safer with the thought of a "higher wisdom" is ludicrous and shows that Mr. Wilson's view of who and what the modern conservative is taken right out of The Nation and is so far from what the movement has become as to be inane. The modern Conservative is one who does not necessarily need anyone but himself and his wits to get ahead.

It is today's liberals who need a leader to keep thing "orderly" and by orderly they mean oppressive. They want the government controlling everything and that is not exclusive to Democrats. Republicans have strayed into that territory, most notably after taking over the Legislative branch and having total control.

In this view, neither today's "progressives" nor today's "conservatives" are liberal, which is to say committed, in Hayek's words, to the "set of ideals that has consistently opposed all arbitrary power."

Wilson opts to lump conservatives and "progressives" into one group when they are mutually exclusive ideologies. Conservatives of the libertarian bent tend to abhor government except for that government that is absolutely necessary to maintain civil order and national security. Modern Liberals loathe individual freedom and free thought, they want the government to tell us what to do.

Wilson is a liberal and one who tries to explain away the new-found success of these two books. He knows that an electorate that thinks like Hayek or Rand would be bad for the modern liberal movement and feels he has to quash any idea that these books are gaining in popularity because of the policies being thrust upon us on a daily basis. Hayek and Rand are the anti-liberals and in that respect make their ideas the enemies of current political hierarchy.

Saturday Morning News & Notes

Off to Pace, Florida for the USSSA Baseball World Series with my boy. Exciting times for a 13-year old.

Here's what's new.

-Comparing the cowboy code to the left code. I'll take the cowboy code every single time.

-The Russians aren't too happy about the South Park portrayal of Vlad Putin. Lighten up, Vladimir.

-NY Times writer David Brooks says a GOP senator had "his hand on my inner thigh" during a "whole" dinner party. Er, David, why would you let him leave it there unless of course you liked it, which would make the question moot.

-We are if desperate of another Reagan while the Brits could surely use another Thatcher. Unfortunately, on the US side of the pond we are in short supply of Conservatives save Rick Perry and Sarah Palin.

-DHS sneaking toward open borders. Amnesty and decreased regulatory authority are on the way.

-Obama set to give the "rich" a good soaking. Socialism lives in the US.

-Government Motors making life miserable for private, non-government-owned entities. The administration is seeking to destroy all industry in one way or another.

-Update: It seems as though I'm sensing more buyers remorse than previously. Kilroy seems to be experiencing it but more importantly, he joins the numerous Obama supporters who are realizing the stimulus was a bad idea the way it was constructed.

The Death of the Golden State

Those who've read this blog for awhile know that I was a Californian for a decade. I lived in the most beautiful city in America--San Diego--and would not hesitate to return if I could. I love the state, it's people and the ability to do everything from ski to hike in the desert to swim in the Pacific Ocean all in one day.

That said, my former home state is dying a slow but predictable death.

Onerous government regulation has driven even the most loyal businesses out of state in a migration that has nearby states like Arizona, Oregon and Nevada reaping the benefits. Mexico has also seen a nice influx of exasperated business owners taking their wares to less oppressive climes.

From strict environmental regulation to insane tax laws, the reasons are myriad. Businesses want to stay and have developed deep roots in the state but in this economy are making the decision to pick up and go. We may be seeing another example soon:

Everything was fine until the city started running out of money in 2007. Suddenly, the city announced that it was going to ignore its own ruling and reclassify us in the higher tax category. Even more incredible is the fact that the new classification was to be imposed retroactively to 2004 with interest and penalties. No explanation was given for the new classification, or for the city's decision to ignore its 1994 ruling.

Their official position is that the city is not bound by past rulings -- only taxpayers are. This is why we have been forced to file a lawsuit. We will let the courts decide whether it is legal for adverse rulings to apply only to taxpayers and not to the city.

We work with hundreds of outside agents, consultants, independent contractors and support services -- many of whom pay taxes to the city of Los Angeles. This spurs a job-creating ripple effect on the city's economy. Yet I suspect many companies like ours already have quietly left town in the face of the city's taxes and regulations. This would help explain the erosion of jobs.

Regardless of the outcome of our case, the arbitrary and capricious behavior of some bureaucrats is creating a lose-lose situation for everyone involved. If we win in court, the taxpayers of Los Angeles will have lost because all those tax dollars will have been wasted on needless litigation.

If we lose in court, the remaining taxpayers in Los Angeles will have lost because their burden will continue to swell as yet another business moves its jobs -- and taxpayers -- to another city.

The Governator has mired the state in the worst recession seen in decades by his own policies. Instead of being pro-business or at least semi pro-business, he's taken the liberal Republican route and increased environmental regulation. He's done nothing to tackle the immigration problem and has instituted a tax policy that is so regressive as to make it socialistic.

Californians have watched home prices decline to one-half the level they once were and taxes have increased on even the smallest products. From San Francisco down to San Ysidro, inane regulations coupled with massive job losses have placed a burden on the state that will take years to get out from under.

Were a smarter approach of massive tax cuts in concert with healthy government layoffs implemented, the state would be in a much better financial situation and would still be the economic engine that drives the country. Instead it's now a third-rate state with a horrible credit rating and a really nice environmental record.

Congratulations.

Job Market a Mess Despite Media Sugarcoating

The job market is a gauge as to how we are progressing in this recession. By the looks of it, it's still a regression:

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, initial claims were 577,506.

“The improvement in first week of July was exaggerated by the timing of plant closures,” Vitner said. “This is something we’re going to be dealing with throughout the month.”

Meanwhile, the number of people requesting continued jobless benefits rose to a record high, indicating that the labor market remains weak.

The government said continuing claims rose to 6,883,000 in the week ended June 27, the most recent data available.

That’s an increase of 159,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 6,724,000 and was the highest reading since the Labor Department began keeping records in 1967.

Since 1967? That includes the recessions of the seventies, early 80's and the nineties. Things are bad and this is the single most striking example that the stimulus bill was a sham (a sham wholly-owned by the Democrats)and nothing more than a sop to Democratic politicians to give to there constituencies and for state governors to use to pay debt. It created no significant jobs in any area with the possible exception of government.

The money should have been targeted for infrastructure as Obama claimed it would and also used to cut taxes to spur growth as Reagan did. Instead we have the NEA meting out $10K here and there that accomplishes nothing more than putting a few pennies in the wallet of a sixth-rate artist in Chicago.

So how did CNN headline this story of utter failure? About how you'd expect them to:

Fewer than expected file for unemployment

This is spin on a grand scale but sadly expected from a once-proud news organization that is mired in last place at all time slots.

Things are bad and Obama is paying for it on a daily basis. His popularity will continue to wane as people see their life savings dwindle and the price of their house head into a ditch. "Sorry junior, I know you wanted to go to Notre Dame but we can only afford community college right now (unless we send you to the U of Michigan where there are quotas)" is a new refrain being heard throughout the nation.

This is Obama's recession now and any economist with any shred of dignity (Paul Krugman should be removed from all discussions on the economy for the next forty years) will have to finally admit that spending during a recession is not only poor fiscal policy but is poor political policy as well. At the end of his first term, Obama may well supplant Jimmy Carter as the worst president of the last fifty years.

TelePrompter-less Obama Makes Bush Sound Like Tony Blair

In the latest installment of the What Would the Media Have Said Were It Bush section, we have The One stumbling and mumbling through a day in Moscow:

Mr. Obama has seemed tired here, several times fumbling the pronunciation of Mr. Medvedev’s name and Mr. Putin’s title. Beginning a speech here, he mistakenly said he first met his wife in school instead of at the law firm where they actually met. And he misstated his younger daughter’s age.

He was quick on his feet, however, while addressing graduates of the New Economic School. In praising Russian culture, Mr. Obama cited painters, composers, dancers — and a hockey player, The Associated Press reported.

Got that? He screwed up the name of the Russian leader, obliterated the title of the new-age czar, forgot where he met his wife and got the age of his own daughter wrong. Taken alone each would be a case of misspeaking oneself but put together and we have the continuation of a trend. You take the Most Eloquent President Ever away from prepared text and he's almost as prone to verbal gaffes as his Vice President.

If this were Bush, we'd be subjected to an endless loop of the errors on MSNBC and it would be front-page news in the Washington Post and NY Times instead of a blurb in the middle of a story, which tells us it was because he was tired. I guess Bush wasn't allowed to get tired. Besides, citing painters, composers and dancers is something that Bush never would have done because he was an uncultured redneck from Texas so there.

Not to mention the fact that he's now dissed two leaders of major European nations.

He's now off to Rome where he will get the names of the Japanese and Chinese leaders wrong while the media chalks it up to jetlag. He may want to spell Berlusconi's name out phonetically on the inside of his hand since the electrical outlets in Rome are different and the teleprompter may not work there either.

About Those Peter King Comments

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) had some intriguing comments about the absolute media meltdown over the death of Michael Jackson:

A New York congressman says Michael Jackson was a "pervert" and calls on society to stop "glorifying" the late entertainer in a YouTube video.

Rep. Peter King said Jackson -- whom he called a "low-life" -- is being glorified in the days after his death while society ignores the efforts, of teachers, police officers, firefighters and veterans. In the two-minute video, King claims the "day in and day out" coverage of Jackson's death is "too politically correct."

"Let's knock out the psychobabble," King said in the video taped outside an American Legion Hall on New York's Long Island. "He was a pervert, a child molester; he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we're too politically correct."

Yesterday we were force-fed coverage of Michael Jackson's memorial service. We couldn't avoid Al Sharpton eulogizing Jackson or the medias fawning tribute.

Let's be honest here; the man was a freak. He was a talented black man who opted to become a white man through surgery. He had a strange habit of taking in families with young kids and sleeping with those kids. It was never proven that anything untoward happened and even if nothing did, that's just plain weird.

King was on the mark with his comments IMHO and it's about time America gets our priorities straight. Seven young men died in a war that even Obama considers just. They died defending freedom and fighting those who attacked us. Jackson died from an apparent drug overdose after living a life of insane luxury in which he practiced some very odd habits.

We, as a culture, glorify those who least deserve it. Jackson had talent but he also did things that, were he not famous, would have been immoral at best and illegal at worst. Imagine if the dude down the street asked for a sleepover with your kids. Now imagine if he looked like Michael Jackson.

I support those who deserve my support. The firemen, cops and and military men and women who protect the freedoms that allow a man like Michael Jackson to live his life and die as he did. They've earned my support and Rep. King was stating was should be crystal clear to anyone who gets their news from a source other than MTV or TMZ. Even the grief of a mother gets downplayed to focus on Jackson coverage.

Video below:

Obama, Palin and Ethics

The left has had a field day labeling Sarah Palin a "quitter" and other choice words in the midst of her recent press conference saying she would step down from office. It was the icing on top of a seven=tier cake filled with unceasing attacks or her and her children. Attacks that, has they been aimed at a Democrat woman, would be discredited in every op-ed page in the nation.

Anyone who watched and more importantly, listenened would have seen that she had other reasons and they weren't purely political. How could anyone stand the withering garbage sent her way daily by a legion of scumbag bloggers who threw everything out and didn't care if it had one iota of credence. This raging horde was led by a once-respectable writer--Andrew Sullivan--who has obsessed over the birth of one of Palin's children to the point of insanity.

The WSJ breaks down the real reason for Palin's leaving:

Contrary to most reports, her decision had been in the works for months, accelerating recently as it became clear that controversies and endless ethics investigations were threatening to overshadow her legislative agenda. "Attacks inside Alaska and largely invisible to the national media had paralyzed her administration," someone close to the governor told me. "She was fully aware she would be branded a 'quitter.' She did not want to disappoint her constituents, but she was no longer able to do the job she had been elected to do. Essentially, the taxpayers were paying for Sarah to go to work every day and defend herself."

This situation developed because Alaska's transparency laws allow anyone to file Freedom of Information Act requests. While normally useful, in the hands of political opponents FOIA requests can become a means to bog down a target in a bureaucratic quagmire, thanks to the need to comb through records and respond by a strict timetable. Similarly, ethics investigations are easily triggered and can drag on for months even if the initial complaint is flimsy. Since Ms. Palin returned to Alaska after the 2008 campaign, some 150 FOIA requests have been filed and her office has been targeted for investigation by everyone from the FBI to the Alaska legislature. Most have centered on Ms. Palin's use of government resources, and to date have turned up little save for a few state trips that she agreed to reimburse the state for because her children had accompanied her. In the process, though, she accumulated $500,000 in legal fees in just the last nine months, and knew the bill would grow ever larger in the future.

"The Alaska ethics elves had painted such a target on Sarah's forehead that she had begun turning down pretty much every invitation she got -- even though they were pouring in every day by the dozens," a confidant of the governor's told me. "It is not throwing in the towel. It is deciding that she was ineffective in fighting for her principles and could do more in another role."

About what I thought when I first heard the news--she stepped down to ensure her legislative agenda would move forward and her Lt. Gov. would be in a position to win and push for the changes that she now cannot.

Her political adversaries used the laws of the state in ways that weren't imagined previously and were backed by the heft of the Democratic party. They set out not to weaken her but to destroy her and piss on the corpse.

On another note, the part above I emphasised is amusing when juxtaposed with this:

Both Obama daughters are along for the ride this time around because school is out of session back in the Washington, D.C., area, allowing them to travel overseas on weekdays without missing classes. On an earlier presidential visit to France, Sasha and Malia showed up in Paris on a weekend after school was done for the week.

Asked if having his daughters joining his wife on a high-profile trip helps take the edge off the tough diplomatic negotiations, Obama told CNN it's fantastic to have his girls "being able to see the world and then report back to us on what they are seeing" on the trip, which included the daughters getting to check out the Kremlin.

"You know it makes a huge difference," said the president. "The girls are just a joy. And then Michelle just, she's always — she's a star at home and abroad."

This is a business trip paid for by the American people and the man has taken his family again. What about reimbursement for them?

This is the fifth foreign trip. He's been in office a little over 5 months. Not even mentioning the overnights to NYC to see a play or the frequent trips around the nation, the guy is spending huge amounts of money to prance around a stage. I'm guessing his teleprompter alone has enough frequent flier miles to go to the moon and back. The media just eat it up led by the once-great CNN.

Anyway, Palin is not gone but has shifted to a position where she can do more for the party. She left Alaska better than she got it and will be a strategic part of the GOP for the foreseeable future.

Let's finish with this incredibly idiotic letter from a typical Dem:

Gov. Sarah Palin gave Alaskans the best present possible this July Fourth weekend by proclaiming her intention to resign later this month. It's obvious Palin should never have been governor in the first place.

One hopes that some of the ground lost by our nation's largest state can now be regained; that Palin can have plenty of time to devote to her family; and that all of those who shivered when Sen. John McCain tapped her to be his vice presidential running mate can continue marveling at how history has played out.

Good riddance.

Susan Kross

Ellenville, N.Y.

sbkross@hotmail.com

Should never have been governor in the first place? She was elected by a decent margin and forced out machine politicians. She pushed through a pipeline that had been stagnant for years and cut taxes leaving the state financially ready to deal with the Obama recession. Look at the other states--including New York Ms. Kross--and tell me that the liberal stronghold on that state has been a boon or that Paterson or Spitzer had one-third the impact that Palin has in making their state better.

You, Ms. Kross, are a typical liberal. Misogyny and sexism are abhorrent when aimed at a liberal woman but the barrage aimed at Palin is okay because it's for the greater socialist good. You are a hypocrite and incredibly wrong and should ridiculed for such an inane and infantile stance.

One day history will take a clearer view on Palin and what was done to her through the concerted efforts of the Democrats and media. One suspects that Palin will be revealed as an even bigger victim than we know now. I would hope that those who are perpetrating these acts against her and her family would feel some shame but I further suspect that people like you, Ms. Kross, have none.

Monday Evening News and Notes

Posting light over the weekend as I was in Virginia with my son in a baseball tournament. Nothing more American than that. His team didn't do so well but I assistant-coached a 14U team that took the championship over a team from Harrisburg. I was proud of kids who I just met this weekend and bonded with pretty quick.

Anyway, here's the news:

--A good piece on global warming alarmism from AJ Fluerh. This from DC Writeup where you can read opinion on just about anything.

--On a similar note, the green police are coming after you if you reside in merrie olde England.

--Bush library to display the pistol Saddam Hussein's was carrying when we smoked him out of the spider hole. He won't be needing it anymore so I see no problems with it.

--About what I expected; the American public is steering a wide path away from GM and Chrysler--both now essentially owned and operated by the government and unions--and heading to non-government owned Ford.

--Why do I have a sinking feeling that Obama's going to get hoodwinked by Medvedev? Our guy was schooled in the fine art of diplomacy and leadership by the likes of ACORN while theirs was schooled by the former head of the KGB.

--Obama runs for office on the governments dime and no one says anything. Sarah Palin decides to do the right thing and not make the state pay for her political ambition and it's the top story for days. The left hates Palin even more than Bush at this point and sure as hell don't say that lightly.

--Reuters is up to their old tricks again. Why do these MSM idiots still believe they can get away with this kind of bullshit?

Sarah Palin to Resign Governorship July 26

A stunner in some respects. She's banking on a national run and will need to revamp her image and start raising money to even think of competing:

WASILLA, Alaska -- In a stunning announcement, Gov. Sarah Palin said Friday morning she will resign her office in a few weeks.

Speculation has swirled for weeks, perhaps months that Palin would not seek re-election in 2010 as she pursues a political career on the national stage. The former vice presidential candidate has long been rumored to be considering a run at the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

Palin did not address those rumors at the press conference at her Wasilla home, during which she did not take questions from reporters.

She implied that her real decision was not to seek re-election, and that the resignation was a natural step after that in order to avoid a lame-duck final 18 months of her term.

"With this announcement that I'm not seeking re-election, I've determined it's best to transfer the authority of governor to Lieutenant Governor (Sean) Parnell," Palin said. "I'm determined to take the right path for Alaska, even though it is unconventional and is not so comfortable.

"And I am willing to do this so this administration, with its positive agenda and its accomplishments and its successful road to an incredible future for Alaska, so that it can continue without interruption and with great administrative and legislative success."

It does make her seem that she cares for the state first and her aspirations second. Plus it will give the Lt. Gov. a leg up and some critical executive time in office.

I don't know about her chances but it should be fun watching her batle the Dems and her GOP enemies on a daily basis for a while.

Celebrating Independence Day

Tomorrow we celebrate that most American of holidays. It was 233-years ago that forward-thinking men threw off the shackles of tyranny and declared themselves and our new nation free. A few more years of war would settle the deal but this was a shot in the arm for the colonial army at a time it needed it. The Declaration of Independence solidified our reasoning and put us on a path of no return.

It was great men who fought for our freedom; George Washington being the most famous. But other men deserve recognition and I wish to provide that this morning.

Daniel Morgan:
Born in New Jersey and raised in Virginia, Morgan was a frontiersman and lifelong warrior. He gained some measure of renown in the French & Indian War before showing how good of a commander he was during the revolutionary war. He saved "Granny" Gates at the 2nd Battle of Saratoga and forced a surrender by British leader Burgoyne.

He showed his true ability to lead an army at the battle at Cowpens. He implemented a battle strategy so brilliant he beat the hated British Lt. Col. Tarleton. The battle was won and the course of the war was changed forever.

Nathaneal Greene:
Greene was a self-taught military man and effective leader. He knew who to promote, who to trust and how to keep British General Cornwallis chasing shadows throughout the South.

It was a bold move for Washington to promote and give Greene the responsibilities he did. He was repaid with a good General and an even better confidante.

Henry Knox:
Knox, from Boston scored the single-greatest coup in my opinion of the war. He led a group of men to Fort Ticonderoga and slogged through rough weather and tough paths to Boston with an arsenal of British weapons that the continentals had captured. This move forced the Brits to quit Boston and gave the city back to the Americans--a significant victory and one that bolstered early hopes.

I recommend several books if you want to read more about these great men and others who fought for the cause.

-Jeff Shaara's The Glorious Cause is my favorite and well worth your time this summer.


-David McCullough's 1776 id another good read although I was more intrigued by Shaara's character development.

-A Short History of the American Revolution by James Stokebury is an excellent book that covers the important events in a terse yet surprisingly entertaining manner.

Text of the Declaration of Independence can be found here along with names and states of those who had the guts to sign it.


Enjoy the holiday.

Marines in "Hell of a Fight" in Afghanistan

4,000 Marines are taking it to the Taliban in Helmand Province and are expected to have a tough go. Obama--and by extension the media--haven't talked at all about the war against the Taliban and the fight to wrest control of areas causing problems because they have more important issues to cover like Michael Jackson and faux town hall meetings.

Anyway, our warriors are taking it to the radical Islamic groups in what could be a critical battle. Here's the gist from AFP:

GARMSIR, Afghanistan (AFP) — US Marines are in a "hell of a fight" as they storm into Taliban strongholds in a major assault in Afghanistan, their commanding officer said on Friday.

Nearly 4,000 Marines launched the operation Thursday in parts of the southern province of Helmand, suffering their first fatality in a pivotal test of President Barack Obama's aggressive new strategy against the Taliban.

The 1/5 Infantry Battalion met only light resistance in their push south and had already been able to meet locals at shuras (councils), Brigadier General Larry Nicholson said, speaking to a convoy with which AFP was travelling.

But "for 2/8 there is a hell of a fight going on in the southern quarter of the sector," the top Marine said on arrival at Garmsir, a town along the Helmand River that was a key objective for the offensive.

"2/8 are going to face some challenges," he said. The Marines were in an area called Toshtay about 25 kilometres (16 miles) south of Garmsir.

This is a crucial area as the Taliban (and Iran?) are running weapons through the Pakistan border into the province. It's proximity to Quetta makes it a hard slog but it should be a target rich environment. Progress seems to be good:

Nicholson later told AFP separately: "Garmsir is three-quarters quiet but there is fighting in Toshtay. We intend to clear that up today. This doesn't mean it is over. The enemy may be reassessing the situation."

On the launch of Operation Khanjar before dawn on Thursday, Nicholson told his group that 4,000 Marines had been inserted in nearly eight hours, about half of them by helicopter.

Helmand Governor Gulab Mangal was "giggling with excitement" at the progress, Nicholson said. "I know the governor and I have never seen him like this."

No word on the name or rank of the Marine who was KIA. My prayers go out to his family and for him I can only say thanks for giving everything in the pursuit of freedom for the oppressed. No word on the soldier captured yesterday either.

Google map of the area here. AFP map of the operation below:

Update: The word is they are not meeting as much resistance as they thought they would. Good news.