By Douglas V. Gibbs
After finally getting the chance to watch Obama's State of the Union, I realized that the time I took to watch it was a complete waste. This guy is unreal. Here are a few of my thoughts:
Obama said that by 2035 he wants all of our energy to be through clean energy. Fact is, the government can't make anything happen, nor should it. As with anything, the way to make things happen is not through government involvement, but to unleash the private sector.
Obama's mention of high speed rail made me chuckle. He included that with high speed rail there would be "no pat-downs." This statement shows how much of an idiot this man-boy in the White House truly is. There are no pat-downs at train stations because so few people ride the rails. If it was to become popular as he desires, terrorists would attack the trains too. Then, the idiot national security people, under the urgings of Obama, would be feeling people up at the train stations too. Problem is, high speed rail is expensive to build and maintain, and it remains quite unpopular. Is that really the right thing to do faced with such a huge budget deficit?
Obama seemed overly concerned about the spending cuts being recommended by the GOP, indicating that he did not want cuts to education. Fact is, we've been pumping money into education as per the liberal left's demands (and the demands of the teacher's unions), and what has it gotten us? Education keeps getting worse. Private school spend a third as much on education, and their students are more successful. Why? Could it be the curriculum? Could it be the discipline? Could it be the fact that private schools demand more from the students, rather than worry about their precious self-esteem?
Finally, it wan't a State of the Union speech. It was a campaign speech, with much of the elements of his past speeches. Obama tried to say a little something for everyone, while completely ignoring foreign policy, and continuing to emphasize more spending. . . in the name of investments.
All in all, the State of the Union was embarrassing, and Obama should be ashamed of himself.
-- Political Pistachio conservative News and Commentary
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Violence in Egypt Continues
By Douglas V. Gibbs
Fearing the violence could become an Islamic Revolution, the world watches Egypt with concern.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak issued a ban on protests, the violence continued, for a second day in a row.
Law enforcement moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse many of the protesters.
Gamal Mubarak, the son of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, is believed to have fled to London on a private plane
Security officials claims a total of 860 protesters have been rounded up nationwide since yesterday. Tens of thousands of protesters have turned out for the largest protests in years, inspired by the uprising in Tunisia.
They demanded president Mubarak's removal and a solution to grinding poverty, rising prices and high unemployment - a situation ripe for Islamists to move in and lay claim to the government.
This is nothing new, however. These riots are simply the latest in outbursts of political discontent in Egypt that have been growing more frequent and more intense over the past year.
Sectarian strife between Christians and Muslims has probably played a role in the unrest, as well.
The crackdown by authorities brought harsh words from European leaders.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Egyptian president's son 'flees to London with 100 pieces of luggage as country is rocked by second day of violence' - Daily Mail
Fearing the violence could become an Islamic Revolution, the world watches Egypt with concern.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak issued a ban on protests, the violence continued, for a second day in a row.
Law enforcement moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse many of the protesters.
Gamal Mubarak, the son of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, is believed to have fled to London on a private plane
Security officials claims a total of 860 protesters have been rounded up nationwide since yesterday. Tens of thousands of protesters have turned out for the largest protests in years, inspired by the uprising in Tunisia.
They demanded president Mubarak's removal and a solution to grinding poverty, rising prices and high unemployment - a situation ripe for Islamists to move in and lay claim to the government.
This is nothing new, however. These riots are simply the latest in outbursts of political discontent in Egypt that have been growing more frequent and more intense over the past year.
Sectarian strife between Christians and Muslims has probably played a role in the unrest, as well.
The crackdown by authorities brought harsh words from European leaders.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Egyptian president's son 'flees to London with 100 pieces of luggage as country is rocked by second day of violence' - Daily Mail
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
New Teen Christian Gives Store Owner $200 To Make Up For Years of Stealing
By Douglas V. Gibbs
When one accepts the Lord, we become a new creature. A part of salvation is repentance, which is the literal "turning away" from one's sinful nature. In the case of a teenager in Elk Grove, California, repentance to him required redemption, so he walked into a store and handed the store owner an envelope with $200, and a note, inside. The note said the cash was to make up for years of stealing.
The teen also left a letter explaining that he’s now a Christian and wants to clear his conscience.
The store owner says he has no plans to pursue charges against the teen.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Teen Gives Elk Grove Store Owner $200 To Make Up For Years Of Stealing - CBS Sacramento
When one accepts the Lord, we become a new creature. A part of salvation is repentance, which is the literal "turning away" from one's sinful nature. In the case of a teenager in Elk Grove, California, repentance to him required redemption, so he walked into a store and handed the store owner an envelope with $200, and a note, inside. The note said the cash was to make up for years of stealing.
The teen also left a letter explaining that he’s now a Christian and wants to clear his conscience.
The store owner says he has no plans to pursue charges against the teen.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Teen Gives Elk Grove Store Owner $200 To Make Up For Years Of Stealing - CBS Sacramento
State of the Union 92% Approval? Unbelievable.
“Frankly, I can’t believe what he says anymore. It was really hard to take it seriously.” -- Senator Jim DeMint referring to Obama's 2011 State of the Union Speech
By Douglas V. Gibbs
A CBS Poll found that 92% of Americans approved of Obama's State of the Union Speech. I know the Left tweaks the polls, but this is absolutely over the top. They are now doing the ridiculous just so that they can put out the fire of unpopularity that rages around this man. Obama is one of the most unpopular presidents in American history, yet the liberal media and the Democrats have somehow kept the polls from showing that.
Last November the GOP won overwhelmingly, gaining control of the House of Representatives, while also making gains in the U.S. Senate, State governorships, and the State legislatures. That was a referendum on Obama's presidency.
People have been visibly angry over the underhanded tactics of the Left, Obama's lies, his mishandling of the economy, the insidious lame duck session, and Obama's incredibly irresponsible government spending.
The liberals, however, keep playing games, as if they really think they are fooling us.
"Government Spending" was changed to "stimulus," and now in the speech the word is "investments." An investment is when you get something back, like TARP under Bush (of which I was not too thrilled about) that, as flawed as it was, was designed to get the money back, and most of it has been paid back. Obama's "investments" are "deficit spending" without any intentions of gaining a return. There is no "investment" about it.
The word "investments" was not used because the Democrats have any intention of paying the taxpayers back. It is simply a change in verbiage so that people are more willing to accept the same old spending. Do they really believe the American People will fall for that garbage?
The media is saying that Obama was taking a page from Reagan (you know, the guy these people would otherwise hate) in his speech, speaking positively about the nation. Yet, watching Barry Sotero, you could see the contempt in his eyes. He did not believe what he was saying. Obama hates this country, and it was crystal clear in his delivery.
America is angry about Obama's, and the Democrat's, attack against the Right when a "communist manifesto" reading punk kid (Loughner) shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson. America has shown how angry they are with Obama from the ballot box to the Tea Party rallies, to the polls (which have been tweaked enough I still don't think they show his true disapproval numbers) - and yet we are supposed to somehow suspend our belief in reality, and accept that 92% of America just loved Obama's speech?
Who do these Leftist Jerks think we are?
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
By Douglas V. GibbsA CBS Poll found that 92% of Americans approved of Obama's State of the Union Speech. I know the Left tweaks the polls, but this is absolutely over the top. They are now doing the ridiculous just so that they can put out the fire of unpopularity that rages around this man. Obama is one of the most unpopular presidents in American history, yet the liberal media and the Democrats have somehow kept the polls from showing that.
Last November the GOP won overwhelmingly, gaining control of the House of Representatives, while also making gains in the U.S. Senate, State governorships, and the State legislatures. That was a referendum on Obama's presidency.
People have been visibly angry over the underhanded tactics of the Left, Obama's lies, his mishandling of the economy, the insidious lame duck session, and Obama's incredibly irresponsible government spending.
The liberals, however, keep playing games, as if they really think they are fooling us.
"Government Spending" was changed to "stimulus," and now in the speech the word is "investments." An investment is when you get something back, like TARP under Bush (of which I was not too thrilled about) that, as flawed as it was, was designed to get the money back, and most of it has been paid back. Obama's "investments" are "deficit spending" without any intentions of gaining a return. There is no "investment" about it.
The word "investments" was not used because the Democrats have any intention of paying the taxpayers back. It is simply a change in verbiage so that people are more willing to accept the same old spending. Do they really believe the American People will fall for that garbage?
The media is saying that Obama was taking a page from Reagan (you know, the guy these people would otherwise hate) in his speech, speaking positively about the nation. Yet, watching Barry Sotero, you could see the contempt in his eyes. He did not believe what he was saying. Obama hates this country, and it was crystal clear in his delivery.
America is angry about Obama's, and the Democrat's, attack against the Right when a "communist manifesto" reading punk kid (Loughner) shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson. America has shown how angry they are with Obama from the ballot box to the Tea Party rallies, to the polls (which have been tweaked enough I still don't think they show his true disapproval numbers) - and yet we are supposed to somehow suspend our belief in reality, and accept that 92% of America just loved Obama's speech?
Who do these Leftist Jerks think we are?
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Representative Pence Pushes for Defunding Planned Parenthood
Wisconsin Representatives Sean Duffy, Reid Ribble, and Paul Ryan have all signed on as co-sponsors of Rep. Pence's bill to de-fund Planned Parenthood. This is a good thing. The federal government does not have the authority to be pumping money into murdering babies - nor did it have the authority to legalize abortion nationwide in the first place. Abortion is a state issue, and it is up to each individual state.
Yes, that means Roe v. Wade is unconstitutional. . . in so many ways.
Mike Pence Introduces Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood (Video) - Gateway Pundit
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Mike Pence Introduces Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood (Video) - Gateway Pundit
Jihad on Worldwide March
By Douglas V. Gibbs
What some would consider "moderate" Muslim nations are taking a cue from Tunisia, and violence is breaking out in favor of jihad. Protests are breaking out in a number of nations, "Tunisia-style" revolts, some are describing them as. Algeria, Yemen, Albania and Egypt are among those countries experiencing this wave of protests. Inspired by Tunisia's "Jasmine" revolution, it seems the drive for a worldwide caliphate has begun.
On 14 January, Tunisia initiated its "Jasmine Revolution," ousting authoritarian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after more than 23 years in power.
A week later, Algerian opposition supporters clashed with police in the country's capital. Several people were injured.
At the same time, hundreds of protesters marched on 23 January through Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, demanding the release of a prominent Yemeni human rights activist.
The Islamic faithful are essentially staging coups to seize power by force.
While overly concerned with Israel and Palestinian tensions, the rise of revolts in Muslim nations seems to not be a concern of the White House. The Obama administration is calling for restraint.
In Albania, so far, the protests have not turned to violence. The Socialists that have had a hold of Albania for decades, are responding with chess-move precision. The protests claim they desire a democratic Albania, but one must consider that as the Muslim population increases, an Islamic revolution may be around the corner.
With Albania being a NATO member, and a nation within the European region, European leaders are concerned.
Egypt's protests have taken a more violent turn, to the point that the government of Egypt has considered banning demonstrations, and are planning to begin detaining protesters. The protests in Egypt are against President Hosni Mubarak's rule.
The Egyptians taking to the streets hoping to end Mubarak's 30-year rule now have a yet another reason for their activism. They now protest to end Mubarak's rule because of the "Day of Wrath" where protests across Egypt resulted in three protesters and one policeman being killed.
The "Day of Wrath" occurred in Cairo, where police fired teargas and a water cannon in the early hours of Wednesday to disperse protesters who occupied the capital's central Tahrir Square into the night. By daybreak, calm had returned to Cairo and other cities, and police were deployed in large numbers around the square.
As cleaners swept the last stones and debris from Cairo's streets, the state newspaper Al-Masry al-Youm arrived at newsstands bearing a stark red front-page headline: "Warning."
"No provocative movements or protest gatherings or organisation of marches or demonstrations will be allowed, and immediate legal procedures will be taken and participants will be handed over to investigating authorities," the state news agency MENA cited the Interior Ministry as saying.
Some 20,000 demonstrators had turned out in cities across Egypt on Tuesday to demand that Mubarak step down.
The image being created is that the protesters in these Muslim nations are fighting for freedom, but it seems to be only happening in the more moderate Muslim nations.
Jihad is on the march, or at least will be once the Islamists realize their opportunity in these countries.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
'Jasmine' revolt wave reaches Albania - EurActive
Egypt's government forbids more protests - Reuters
What some would consider "moderate" Muslim nations are taking a cue from Tunisia, and violence is breaking out in favor of jihad. Protests are breaking out in a number of nations, "Tunisia-style" revolts, some are describing them as. Algeria, Yemen, Albania and Egypt are among those countries experiencing this wave of protests. Inspired by Tunisia's "Jasmine" revolution, it seems the drive for a worldwide caliphate has begun.
On 14 January, Tunisia initiated its "Jasmine Revolution," ousting authoritarian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after more than 23 years in power.
A week later, Algerian opposition supporters clashed with police in the country's capital. Several people were injured.
At the same time, hundreds of protesters marched on 23 January through Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, demanding the release of a prominent Yemeni human rights activist.
The Islamic faithful are essentially staging coups to seize power by force.
While overly concerned with Israel and Palestinian tensions, the rise of revolts in Muslim nations seems to not be a concern of the White House. The Obama administration is calling for restraint.
In Albania, so far, the protests have not turned to violence. The Socialists that have had a hold of Albania for decades, are responding with chess-move precision. The protests claim they desire a democratic Albania, but one must consider that as the Muslim population increases, an Islamic revolution may be around the corner.
With Albania being a NATO member, and a nation within the European region, European leaders are concerned.
Egypt's protests have taken a more violent turn, to the point that the government of Egypt has considered banning demonstrations, and are planning to begin detaining protesters. The protests in Egypt are against President Hosni Mubarak's rule.
The Egyptians taking to the streets hoping to end Mubarak's 30-year rule now have a yet another reason for their activism. They now protest to end Mubarak's rule because of the "Day of Wrath" where protests across Egypt resulted in three protesters and one policeman being killed.
The "Day of Wrath" occurred in Cairo, where police fired teargas and a water cannon in the early hours of Wednesday to disperse protesters who occupied the capital's central Tahrir Square into the night. By daybreak, calm had returned to Cairo and other cities, and police were deployed in large numbers around the square.
As cleaners swept the last stones and debris from Cairo's streets, the state newspaper Al-Masry al-Youm arrived at newsstands bearing a stark red front-page headline: "Warning."
"No provocative movements or protest gatherings or organisation of marches or demonstrations will be allowed, and immediate legal procedures will be taken and participants will be handed over to investigating authorities," the state news agency MENA cited the Interior Ministry as saying.
Some 20,000 demonstrators had turned out in cities across Egypt on Tuesday to demand that Mubarak step down.
The image being created is that the protesters in these Muslim nations are fighting for freedom, but it seems to be only happening in the more moderate Muslim nations.
Jihad is on the march, or at least will be once the Islamists realize their opportunity in these countries.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
'Jasmine' revolt wave reaches Albania - EurActive
Egypt's government forbids more protests - Reuters
Civil Vultures
Kinda gets ya right HERE, doesn't it?:
Behind closed doors, California Democratic Representative Loretta [Brixie] has proposed removing Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords from the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) until she recovers from injuries sustained after being shot in the head on January 8 in Tucson, the Daily Caller has learned.
The proposal sparked an outrage, according to those in the room — including from those in Sanchez’s own party.
“It’s not appropriate,” Texas Democratic Representative Silvestre Reyes told the Daily Caller, adding that there was outrage among some members in the room when Sanchez made the suggestion. “It’s bad for morale during her recovery period.”
Nice to know you have the unqualified support of your partisan fellows, ain't it, Gabby? And once you returned to Capitol Hill to resume your legislative duties, I'm sure your "temporary" replacement on Armed Services would swiftly make way for you at Loretta's profuse behest. Yep, I'm downright positive.
And the point of this ghoulish gesture was....what, exactly? Dems are far in the minority, which means one vote on any committee won't make any difference. Which means, in turn, that dicking Giffords out of her HASC slot would serve no partisan purpose even in a ruthless "ends justify the means" sense. It's nothing but cruel, naked opportunism. Or, of course, something worthy of a.....Republican, at least in the demented craniums of hard-left jackals like Loretta Brixie.
Oh, wait, Giffords is a "moderate," right? Perhaps that explains it. Congresscreature Brixie's mea culpa sure as shinola didn't:
“Gabby has always been one of the most active members on the Armed Services Committee, and Representative [Brixie] wants to make sure HASC Democrats preserve her voice until the congresswoman has returned,” [Brixie]’s Press Secretary Caroline Hogan told the DC. “Representative [Brixie] simply inquired whether a proxy could represent the Congresswoman on the Committee at Representative Giffords’ request. That way, Gabby’s legislative priorities and seniority would be preserved until her return. Any other interpretation of her question is ludicrous.”
Sure. Ludicrous. As is the assertion that the twenty-six other Dems on House Armed Services will be rendered helpless by Gabrielle Giffords' absence, rather than the fact that they're outnumbered by eight seats.
But, hey, Loretta was SOOOO civil about it, right?
Cross-Posted @ Hard Starboard
The Only Speech That Mattered
....and didn't require wiping, flushing, and ear sanitizing afterwards. Or is the Obamarreah done yet?
Two men spoke on America's future last night. One of them leveled honestly with the nation about the state of the union and what it will take to rescue it. The other's remarks are covered in full below the fold.
Me, I had even more crucial priorities than live-blogging the messianic prebuttal: my little girl's last band concert, men's bible study, hair-washing....and even then I got a little bit on me.
Cross-posted @ Hard Starboard
Rush Limbaugh Regarding A Common Enemy Among The Politicians at State of the Union
“If there is a common enemy among those who will sit together tonight, it is the Tea Party. The Democrats don’t like the Tea Party because it engineered their defeat. Some Republicans don’t like it because it illustrates what they have to do to win and they’re not really comfortable with that.” -Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh also compared the mixed seating at the State of the Union Speech to a comb-over: It looks odd, and fools nobody. He sees the idea of mixed seating as a trick to hide the GOP's majority.
And one thing more to remember. . . Nancy Pelosi wouldn't even meet with Republicans when the Democrats had the majority.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Political Pistachio in the News: Berkley Expects Taxpayers to pay for Sex Change Operations
A city in California is considering using taxpayer money to fund sex-change operations for city employees.
At a time when many cities are cutting back costs, Douglas V. Gibbs of Political Pistachio contends Berkeley is not considering the moral convictions and the pocketbooks of taxpayers in light of the proposal.
READ THE REST AT ONE NEWS NOW
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Political Pistachio In The News: Esteban Nunez Sentence Commuted by California Governor
Following Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) decision to reduce the manslaughter sentence of Esteban Nunez, the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, the victim's family announced its plans to file suit against the former governor. Schwarzenegger's action sparked outrage from the father of the murder victim, who was not informed of the decision. But writer and radio host Douglas V. Gibbs of Political Pistachio says the case may have difficulty holding up in court.
READ THE REST AT ONE NEWS NOW
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
George Washington: Government Should Avoid Accumulation of Debt
"As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible: avoiding occasions of expence by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expence, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burthen which we ourselves ought to bear." --George Washington, Farewell Address
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Spending Cuts Have to Start Somewhere
By Bill Wilson
On January 20th, Representatives Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Scott Garrett (R-NJ) were joined by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) to introduce the “Spending Reduction Act,” legislation that promises to cut $2.5 trillion out of the budget over the next ten years. Call it a good start.
“This bill represents the first step in the process, not the last,” said Rep. Garrett. That’s good, because, with an average savings of $250 billion every year, even if it were passed, the annual budget deficit would still amount to about $1 trillion. The bill would rein in the non-defense discretionary budget by $80 billion for the remainder of FY 2011, and then cut another $93 billion out of it for FY 2012, reducing it from $670 billion to $496.7 billion through 2021.
Several programs would be eliminated, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ($445 million), the Legal Services Corporation ($420 million), the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities ($335 million), and the Community Development Fund ($4.5 billion). Amtrak subsidies would end, saving $1.565 billion, and $150 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority would be cut. The $14 million USDA sugar program would be discontinued.
Importantly, the administration of ObamaCare would be defunded, saving $900 million — and loosening the regulatory stranglehold the government takeover of health care will impose on the American economy.
Automatic pay increases for civilian federal employees would stop for five years, and the total civilian workforce would be reduced by 15 percent as Baby Boomers retire. It would cut the remaining “stimulus” of $45 billion and end government control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saving another $30 billion. A previous increase of federal Medicaid spending would be rolled back for another $16.1 billion.
Lawmakers looking for programs to cut should take a close look at this proposal — before it’s too late. Rep. Jordan, who chairs the House Republican Study Committee, noted that the out-of-control national debt has grown “from $8.6 trillion four years ago to more than $14 trillion today.”
“This mountain of debt, nearly the size of our entire economy, threatens to create a whole new financial crisis,” Jordan warned. “Every day we refuse to change course and instill some fiscal responsibility, the problem grows even larger. Unless Washington acts soon to cut spending, massive tax hikes, economic stagnation, and national bankruptcy will rob our children of the opportunity to reach for the American Dream.”
Senator DeMint agreed, saying, “Our nation stands on the edge of a fiscal cliff and we face a stark choice: go over the edge into bankruptcy and declining freedom or choose to make the hard decisions today to save our country for our children and grandchildren.”
“Congress must take the steps now to balance the budget, pay off our debt, and preserve freedom for future generations,” DeMint added.
That means now is the time to act. By far, the “Spending Reduction Act” is the most far-reaching proposal thus far to cut non-defense discretionary spending. If the House attached the bill to the must-pass FY 2011 continuing resolution that expires on March 4th, it would force the Senate and White House to accept the cuts, or to reject them, resulting in a government shutdown.
Senate Republicans could do their part by refusing to invoke cloture on any continuing resolution that did not include the DeMint-Jordan-Garrett legislation. If Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could keep 41 out of his 47 member conference together, he would help win this battle, the same way the $1 trillion omnibus bill was defeated in December.
But it will only work if Republicans use these two leverage points: 1) attaching the spending cuts to the continuing resolution in the House and 2) refusing to invoke cloture on anything in the Senate but the House resolution.
Harry Reid and Barack Obama would be forced to accept the terms of the American people, who in November overwhelmingly voted to cut spending. But, as Rep. Garrett noted, more must be done. Non-defense discretionary spending only accounts for 19 percent of the budget.
Congress must also address the out-of-control growth of so-called “mandatory” spending in future efforts, which currently amounts to $2.18 trillion, or 62 percent of the $3.5 trillion budget. Americans for Limited Government has proposed about $460 billion in cuts to this area, which if combined with the DeMint-Jordan-Garrett proposal, would save about $710 billion every year.
Overall, with a $1.3 trillion annual budget deficit, if Congress cannot find significant spending cuts to make, it will be impossible to restore order to the nation’s finances. Republican leadership should offer their support for the “Spending Reduction Act”, and then use their leverage to make sure it becomes law. They’ve got to start somewhere.
Bill Wilson is the President of Americans for Limited Government.
Messiah Non Grata
Well, after all, gods don't answer to anybody or have to keep any but their own counsel, right?
I've said it before, and I'll continue to say it: Can anybody truly, honestly be surprised by this? That the purportedly "post-partisan" president didn't bother to actually meet even once with the Republican Leader of the United States Senate for a year and a half until it began to dawn on him that the GOP might just become relevant again in his very near future? That the bulk of the Cabinet he assembled was essentially window dressing while his tiny, corrupt, extremist palace guard ran the show "the Chicago way"? That, yes, he really did drown in his own 2007-2008 "light-bringer" hype and is incapable of waking up from the delusion?
This is (another) reason why I have no interest in the SOTU show tonight. Because we know what he's going to say and how he's going to say it, and that it'll be chock full of the same self-reverential statist twaddle in which he blindly and zealously believes. And nobody will EVER talk him out of it.
He's a one-trick pony, my friends. Of historic proportions.
And that's just the way he's going to keep it.
Cross-posted @ Hard Starboard
If Obama wants a successful State of the Union Address
By Kevin Price
Barack Obama is giving his State of the Union address after one of the most humiliating off year elections for a president in modern history. The number of seats the Democratic Party lost in November is the most any party had seen since the 1930s. The President should be aware that it is no longer "business as usual." However, Obama should have received that lesson during the special election in Massachusetts, which had a Republican take a seat that was held by the Democrats for half of a century. Furthermore, Scott Brown beat a Democrat in a state where there was a 3 to 1 disadvantage in the party affiliation. However, there was no such lesson learned and I have every reason to believe that will be the case going in to the 112th Congress. Barack Obama believes he is above the will of the people and of the Congress that was elected by the people to keep him in check.
Obama could learn a lesson from the last Democrat to hold the Oval Office -- Bill Clinton. In the elections of 1994 the Democrats held a majority in the House of Representatives. That November the political world was shocked to see the GOP win and take back the House for the first time in decades. Newt Gingrich became the GOP leader and Bill Clinton knew things were going to be different. He knew that if he was going to get things accomplished with this Congress, he would have to recognize that the people were not happy with the direction the nation was heading.
Clinton began his State of the Union address following the Republican victory by rightly stating that "If we agree on nothing else tonight, we must agree that the American people certainly voted for change in 1992 and in 1994. And as I look out at you, I know how some of you must have felt in 1992...I must say that in both years we didn't hear America singing, we heard America shouting. And now all of us, Republicans and Democrats alike, must say: We hear you. We will work together to earn the jobs you have given us. For we are the keepers of the sacred trust, and we must be faithful to it in this new and very demanding era."
Clinton understood that the American people thought that his agenda of socialized medicine went too far and they were expecting an adjustment towards less government and not more of it. About this time he made it clear that he thought that the "era of big government was over." That may be a bit too optimistic, but he was right about one thing, if he was going to leave a lasting legacy with the Congress he had to work with, it would be pursuing less government and not more. The policy area he decided to focus on was welfare reform:
"I worked on this problem for a long time, nearly 15 years now. As a governor I had the honor of working with the Reagan administration to write the last welfare reform bill back in 1988. In the last two years we made a good start in continuing the work of welfare reform. Our administration gave two dozen states the right to slash through federal rules and regulations to reform their own welfare systems, and to try to promote work and responsibility over welfare and dependency. "
He goes on to state that "Last year I introduced the most sweeping welfare reform plan ever presented by an administration. We have to make welfare what it was meant to be -- a second chance, not a way of life. We have to help those on welfare move to work as quickly as possible, to provide child care and teach them skills if that's what they need for up to two years. And after that, there ought to be a simple hard rule: anyone who can work must go to work. If a parent isn't paying child support, they should be forced to pay. We should suspend drivers' licenses, track them across state lines, make them work off what they owe. That is what we should do. Governments do not raise children, people do. And the parents must take responsibility for the children they bring into this world. "
Clinton, with the help of a Republican Congress achieved just that and the results of his reforms was a drop in the number of people below poverty level and a weakening of multi-generational welfare dependence. This was the crowning achievement of Clinton and one of the most significant ones of any President over the last 50 years. With 63 Democrats defeated in the 2010 elections it is clear that millions of Americans are hoping that Obama chooses to pursue lasting change that includes less government.
Barack Obama is giving his State of the Union address after one of the most humiliating off year elections for a president in modern history. The number of seats the Democratic Party lost in November is the most any party had seen since the 1930s. The President should be aware that it is no longer "business as usual." However, Obama should have received that lesson during the special election in Massachusetts, which had a Republican take a seat that was held by the Democrats for half of a century. Furthermore, Scott Brown beat a Democrat in a state where there was a 3 to 1 disadvantage in the party affiliation. However, there was no such lesson learned and I have every reason to believe that will be the case going in to the 112th Congress. Barack Obama believes he is above the will of the people and of the Congress that was elected by the people to keep him in check.
Obama could learn a lesson from the last Democrat to hold the Oval Office -- Bill Clinton. In the elections of 1994 the Democrats held a majority in the House of Representatives. That November the political world was shocked to see the GOP win and take back the House for the first time in decades. Newt Gingrich became the GOP leader and Bill Clinton knew things were going to be different. He knew that if he was going to get things accomplished with this Congress, he would have to recognize that the people were not happy with the direction the nation was heading.
Clinton began his State of the Union address following the Republican victory by rightly stating that "If we agree on nothing else tonight, we must agree that the American people certainly voted for change in 1992 and in 1994. And as I look out at you, I know how some of you must have felt in 1992...I must say that in both years we didn't hear America singing, we heard America shouting. And now all of us, Republicans and Democrats alike, must say: We hear you. We will work together to earn the jobs you have given us. For we are the keepers of the sacred trust, and we must be faithful to it in this new and very demanding era."
Clinton understood that the American people thought that his agenda of socialized medicine went too far and they were expecting an adjustment towards less government and not more of it. About this time he made it clear that he thought that the "era of big government was over." That may be a bit too optimistic, but he was right about one thing, if he was going to leave a lasting legacy with the Congress he had to work with, it would be pursuing less government and not more. The policy area he decided to focus on was welfare reform:
"I worked on this problem for a long time, nearly 15 years now. As a governor I had the honor of working with the Reagan administration to write the last welfare reform bill back in 1988. In the last two years we made a good start in continuing the work of welfare reform. Our administration gave two dozen states the right to slash through federal rules and regulations to reform their own welfare systems, and to try to promote work and responsibility over welfare and dependency. "
He goes on to state that "Last year I introduced the most sweeping welfare reform plan ever presented by an administration. We have to make welfare what it was meant to be -- a second chance, not a way of life. We have to help those on welfare move to work as quickly as possible, to provide child care and teach them skills if that's what they need for up to two years. And after that, there ought to be a simple hard rule: anyone who can work must go to work. If a parent isn't paying child support, they should be forced to pay. We should suspend drivers' licenses, track them across state lines, make them work off what they owe. That is what we should do. Governments do not raise children, people do. And the parents must take responsibility for the children they bring into this world. "
Clinton, with the help of a Republican Congress achieved just that and the results of his reforms was a drop in the number of people below poverty level and a weakening of multi-generational welfare dependence. This was the crowning achievement of Clinton and one of the most significant ones of any President over the last 50 years. With 63 Democrats defeated in the 2010 elections it is clear that millions of Americans are hoping that Obama chooses to pursue lasting change that includes less government.
--
Kevin Price
Host, Price of Business, M-F at 11 am on CBS Radio News
Frequently found on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com
Syndicated columnist whose articles appear on a variety of media outlets.
His http://BizPlusBlog.com/ is ranked in the top 1 percent of all blogs by Technorati.
Kevin Price's Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/PriceofBusiness
Kevin Price
Host, Price of Business, M-F at 11 am on CBS Radio News
Frequently found on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com
Syndicated columnist whose articles appear on a variety of media outlets.
His http://BizPlusBlog.com/ is ranked in the top 1 percent of all blogs by Technorati.
Kevin Price's Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/PriceofBusiness
Cause & Effect
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Or, in this case, Senator Inhofe's SOTU prebuttal or Obamunist greenshirt Carol Browner's new "on the lam" status?:
Carol Browner is leaving her position as White House "energy czar," and a staff shake-up is likely to eliminate her post altogether, according to Democrats familiar with events...
It's not like she had much of a career path left to her - or was of any further use to The One - from her current non-post. At least for now, anyway; I'm sure that Red Barry foresees bringing her back, maybe in her old post as EPA Oberfuehrer, in his second term. After all, from his point of view, she'd be soooooooo good at it:
An increasing number of Democrats have raised their voices against Browner’s War on Carbon.
She infamously bullied auto execs to never put down anything in writing ever.
Obama’s own oil spill commission singled out Browner for misleading the public and “contributing to the perception that the government’s findings were more exact than they actually were.”
And her BP data doctoring was under fire by both Senate and House Republicans.
Again, don't think for a moment that this parting is for good, or anything more than a two-year time-out during which we can count on the L'il President using all his faux-divine powers to keep the dream of ecofascism alive:
President Obama is likely to announce “major initiatives” on energy and climate change in his State of the Union address, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) said Monday.
Kerry, the informal leader of the Senate effort to pass legislation to rein in global warming, encouraged the president to announce ambitious plans on energy and climate policy during Tuesday’s speech, and said he expected Obama to do so.
“I hope that the president tomorrow, in his SOTU address, will embrace major initiatives — I expect him to,” Kerry said on WBUR radio in reference to energy and climate legislation.
Which brings us back full circle to Senator Inhofe's rheotircal cutoff of Barry's anti-energy pass, and the GOP's opportunity for economy-saving permanentizing of his environmentalist jihad. Think of Obama as Napoleon, and cap & trade as Moscow.
All it will take is the follow-through.
Cross-Posted @ Hard Starboard
Bozo of the Week: ALG Discusses Republican Supporting Obamacare And Making Some Money For It!
Frist was once a powerful Republican Senate Leader, now he is siding with Democratic leaders and supporting Government health care. Americans For Limited Government's Don Todd explains why he's doing this.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
James Madison: General Welfare Clause Misused
"If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions." --James Madison
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Phrase That Was Always Meant To Be
.....Senator Olbermann:
Started by DailyKos contributor who goes by the moniker “Stranded Wind,” the movement is still very much in its infancy, and is likely to be seen as delusional by its detractors. Still, its a rather impressive reaction that says more about the loyal following that Olbermann engendered from the DailyKos, even if detractors are certain to portray this as a joke, or if there is realistically very little chance for a potential senate run.
The thinking is summed up “He is, however, just old enough, smart enough, polished enough, and has all of the other attributes that would make him a darned good Senator for the state of Connecticut,” adding “So we decided we’d draft him to replace Joe Lieberman.” There are some concerns for NOT doing this, but those get addressed as well…
So far the “movement” has set up a Facebook page (that has roughly 430 fans at this point), a Twitter feed called @DraftOlbermann and plans to launch a website early this week.
It makes quite a bit of sense, actually:
(1) Given Olby's ego, the king's ransom severence package he shook down from MSNBCCCP, and the fact that he's such a tool that he'd never get another talk show anywhere else, the United States Senate is likely the least lofty post for which he would settle.
(2) As Eeyore helpfully points out, "Senator Franken" was a beyond-the-pale absurdity as well, until it happened. And it could be the start of a Senate Celebrity Lefthole Caucus.
(3) With Joe Lieberman retiring, Connecticutters sending an ogre like "Hanoi Dick" Blumenthal to the upper chamber, and given Nutmeg Dems' ousting Liebs in '06 in favor of Kos-hack Ned Lamont, just exactly what reason is there to suppose that Olby can't win?
(4) He and Dirty Harry are already such soulmates of nastiness that a protege type relationship is all but a fait accompli. I'd call it even money that Olby would be on the instant fast-track toward being Reid's heir apparent as Senate Donk Leader.
Then we can move on to contemplating the next step: "President Olbermann".
Hey, Red Barry's gotta step down some day.
Cross-Posted @ Hard Starboard
The Smartest Monkey In The Room
So Red Barry wants use his third SOTU show to reach out to Republicans seeking massive spending cuts with an invitations to vote for what amounts to another Hogzilla-esque "investment" (i.e. "stimulus") package? This is a man far too submerged in his own unfounded egotism to realize just how confused he really is.
I'd only make one edit in this vid - have the gorilla remove its head to reveal a giant Sarah Palin, and then have her bite The One's ears off. It'd make a great promo for her TLC show.
Cross-posted @ Hard Starboard
Jared Loughner Pleads Not Guilty
Court enters not guilty plea on all three counts for Jared Loughner in fatal Tucson shooting.
--Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Jared Loughner, Ariz. shooting suspect, appears in court; not guilty plea entered - Washington Post
--Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Jared Loughner, Ariz. shooting suspect, appears in court; not guilty plea entered - Washington Post
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