Washington Post Opinion Writer Robert Kagan’s recent column extols five foreign policy victories for President Obama in the month of June. RedStateVT wondered why we hadn’t heard of any, so we read on. Here is number two:
The second success was the U.N. Security Council resolution on Iran. Yes, it was too mild, badly watered down by China and Russia. Yes, the administration oversold how much Russia acceded to American desires. But the administration did get a resolution, only a little later than planned, and passage kicked off additional sanctions by Europeans and others. Will this by itself stop Iran from getting a bomb? No. But it does increase the pressure on the Tehran regime, which may indirectly help those Iranians who dare to struggle for a new kind of government. Nor did Turkey and Brazil's votes against the resolution, following their pro-Iranian diplomacy, do more than discredit their leaders in decent world opinion -- imagine voting no even as China and Russia vote yes. (Robert Kagan, Washington Post, 6/29/10)
So to summarize, success according to Kagan is defined as a mild, badly watered down resolution that was oversold and late, that will not stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb and that was not supported by U.S. allies Turkey and Brazil! Talk about defining success down. We will not even share the other four “successes” with you. It is not surprising perhaps, as we learn that Kagan hails from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Works for Us
The Supreme Court’s ruling on the right to bear arms puts lives at risk. (New York Times, 6/29/10)
Yes, but the lives at risk are the criminals!
Uneven Bars
The death last year of Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts — who was second only to Mr. Byrd in length of Senate service — and his replacement in January by a Republican, Senator Scott Brown, forced Democrats into procedural gymnastics to enact the health care law. (New York Times, 6/29/10)
Wow! RedStateVT does not recall the New York Times referring this derisively to Democrat shenanigans to pass the health care bill at the time.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Two-fer
Reid raises more money from outside his state than any other senator. Vermont's Patrick J. Leahy (D) edges out Reid in the percentage he raises from out of state with 86 percent…. (Washington Post, 6/28/10)
This little ditty from the Washington Post is what we call a “two-fer.” We learn that Nevada Democrat Senator Harry Reid raises the most money from out-of-state special interests than ANY OTHER SENATOR, but Vermont Democrat Senator-for-Life Patrick Leahy gets the largest percentage of out-of-state special interest money than ANY OTHER SENATOR. Thick as thieves!
Supreme Madness
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Kagan had a "sterling reputation" and was "unquestionably qualified" to serve on the Supreme Court, calling her lack of judicial experience "refreshing." (FoxNews, 6/28/10)
In the same way that Barack Obama’s lack of experience is “refreshing!”
Leahy echoed that point, saying the charges against Kagan have been made in a "vacuum" because the nominee has not had a chance to answer. (FoxNews, 6/28/10)
Because Leahy would never make charges against a Republican Supreme Court nominee before they had a chance to answer!
Bad Humor Man
Vice President Biden called the manager of a custard shop outside of Milwaukee, Wis., a "smartass" after the man asked him to lower taxes. Biden made the comment Friday after the Kopp’s Frozen Custard shop manager told him that his dessert would be on the house if he lowered taxes. (FoxNews, 6/28/10)
President Obama had his brush with the common man in his Joe the Plumber encounter. Now Vice-President Biden follows with his Joe the Custard Man moment.
This little ditty from the Washington Post is what we call a “two-fer.” We learn that Nevada Democrat Senator Harry Reid raises the most money from out-of-state special interests than ANY OTHER SENATOR, but Vermont Democrat Senator-for-Life Patrick Leahy gets the largest percentage of out-of-state special interest money than ANY OTHER SENATOR. Thick as thieves!
Supreme Madness
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Kagan had a "sterling reputation" and was "unquestionably qualified" to serve on the Supreme Court, calling her lack of judicial experience "refreshing." (FoxNews, 6/28/10)
In the same way that Barack Obama’s lack of experience is “refreshing!”
Leahy echoed that point, saying the charges against Kagan have been made in a "vacuum" because the nominee has not had a chance to answer. (FoxNews, 6/28/10)
Because Leahy would never make charges against a Republican Supreme Court nominee before they had a chance to answer!
Bad Humor Man
Vice President Biden called the manager of a custard shop outside of Milwaukee, Wis., a "smartass" after the man asked him to lower taxes. Biden made the comment Friday after the Kopp’s Frozen Custard shop manager told him that his dessert would be on the house if he lowered taxes. (FoxNews, 6/28/10)
President Obama had his brush with the common man in his Joe the Plumber encounter. Now Vice-President Biden follows with his Joe the Custard Man moment.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Let's (Not) Hear It For The Boys
Joke Boy
The time has come, Franken said in an interview, for progressives to recognize that Roe v. Wade has distracted attention from what is now at the heart of the judicial controversy: the ability of individuals to assert their rights against corporations. (E.J. Dionne, Jr., Washington Post, 6/28/10)
Funny, the Supreme Court confirmation hearings that we recall have been characterized by incessant questioning – even badgering – by liberals of the potential nominee. And what has the topic been? Why it was Roe v. Wade!
Mortgage Boys
The bill represents the triumph of the very regulators and Congressmen who did so much to foment the financial panic, giving them vast new discretion over every corner of American financial markets.
Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, those Fannie Mae cheerleaders, played the largest role in writing the bill. Congressman Paul Kanjorski even offered a motion to memorialize it as the Dodd-Frank Act. It's as if Tony Hayward of BP were allowed to write new rules on deep water drilling. (WSJ, 6/28/10)
In a just world, Dodd and Frank would be serving time.
Today's Quote
The original sin—and it was nearly global—was to revive the Keynesian economic model that had last cracked up in the 1970s, while forgetting the lessons of the long prosperity from 1982 through 2007. The Reagan and Clinton-Gingrich booms were fostered by a policy environment for most of that era of lower taxes, spending restraint and sound money. The spending restraint began to end in the late 1990s, sound money vanished earlier this decade, and now Democrats are promising a series of enormous tax increases. (WSJ, 6/27/10)
The answer for Democrats is always the same: more taxes.
The time has come, Franken said in an interview, for progressives to recognize that Roe v. Wade has distracted attention from what is now at the heart of the judicial controversy: the ability of individuals to assert their rights against corporations. (E.J. Dionne, Jr., Washington Post, 6/28/10)
Funny, the Supreme Court confirmation hearings that we recall have been characterized by incessant questioning – even badgering – by liberals of the potential nominee. And what has the topic been? Why it was Roe v. Wade!
Mortgage Boys
The bill represents the triumph of the very regulators and Congressmen who did so much to foment the financial panic, giving them vast new discretion over every corner of American financial markets.
Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, those Fannie Mae cheerleaders, played the largest role in writing the bill. Congressman Paul Kanjorski even offered a motion to memorialize it as the Dodd-Frank Act. It's as if Tony Hayward of BP were allowed to write new rules on deep water drilling. (WSJ, 6/28/10)
In a just world, Dodd and Frank would be serving time.
Today's Quote
The original sin—and it was nearly global—was to revive the Keynesian economic model that had last cracked up in the 1970s, while forgetting the lessons of the long prosperity from 1982 through 2007. The Reagan and Clinton-Gingrich booms were fostered by a policy environment for most of that era of lower taxes, spending restraint and sound money. The spending restraint began to end in the late 1990s, sound money vanished earlier this decade, and now Democrats are promising a series of enormous tax increases. (WSJ, 6/27/10)
The answer for Democrats is always the same: more taxes.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
More
More Democrat Transparency
The agreements were reached after hours of negotiations, most of it behind closed doors and outside the public forum of the conference committee discussions. The approvals cleared the way for both houses of Congress to vote on the full financial regulatory bill next week. (NYT, 6/25/10)
Another broken promise.
More Democrat Hypocrisy
Mr. Obama set the stage for the debate when, shortly before nominating Ms. Kagan, he accused the Roberts court of a brand of conservative judicial activism. Democrats are echoing that language; Mr. Leahy, for instance, complained of a “conservative activist majority” in the court when he previewed the hearings for reporters last week. (NYT, 6/26/10)
Vermont’s Senator-for-Life Patrick Leahy is a hypocrite, and a shallow one at that. Does anyone think for one minute that he would complain about a “liberal activist majority” on the Supreme Court? Of course not. That is his dream.
More Democrat Taxes
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has introduced a bill that would restore the estate tax of 45 percent for those with an estate valued at between $3.5 million and $10 million, his office said in a statement Thursday.Sanders said the legislation could raise $264 billion over the course of a decade. (BFP, 6/26/10)
And then there is Colonel Sanders. It is not enough that we are taxed when we earn money and then again when we invest that money. The Colonel wants to tax it again – hard – when you die. He has to get the money to pay for his glorious social welfare programs from somewhere.
The agreements were reached after hours of negotiations, most of it behind closed doors and outside the public forum of the conference committee discussions. The approvals cleared the way for both houses of Congress to vote on the full financial regulatory bill next week. (NYT, 6/25/10)
Another broken promise.
More Democrat Hypocrisy
Mr. Obama set the stage for the debate when, shortly before nominating Ms. Kagan, he accused the Roberts court of a brand of conservative judicial activism. Democrats are echoing that language; Mr. Leahy, for instance, complained of a “conservative activist majority” in the court when he previewed the hearings for reporters last week. (NYT, 6/26/10)
Vermont’s Senator-for-Life Patrick Leahy is a hypocrite, and a shallow one at that. Does anyone think for one minute that he would complain about a “liberal activist majority” on the Supreme Court? Of course not. That is his dream.
More Democrat Taxes
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has introduced a bill that would restore the estate tax of 45 percent for those with an estate valued at between $3.5 million and $10 million, his office said in a statement Thursday.Sanders said the legislation could raise $264 billion over the course of a decade. (BFP, 6/26/10)
And then there is Colonel Sanders. It is not enough that we are taxed when we earn money and then again when we invest that money. The Colonel wants to tax it again – hard – when you die. He has to get the money to pay for his glorious social welfare programs from somewhere.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Business as Usual
There are no Secret Service agents posted next to the barista and no presidential seal on the ceiling, but the Caribou Coffee across the street from the White House has become a favorite meeting spot to conduct Obama administration business. Here at the Caribou on Pennsylvania Avenue, and a few other nearby coffee shops, White House officials have met hundreds of times over the last 18 months with prominent K Street lobbyists — members of the same industry that President Obama has derided for what he calls its “outsized influence” in the capital.
On the agenda over espressos and lattes, according to more than a dozen lobbyists and political operatives who have taken part in the sessions, have been front-burner issues like Wall Street regulation, health care rules, federal stimulus money, energy policy and climate control — and their impact on the lobbyists’ corporate clients.
But because the discussions are not taking place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they are not subject to disclosure on the visitors’ log that the White House releases as part of its pledge to be the “most transparent presidential administration in history.”
The off-site meetings, lobbyists say, reveal a disconnect between the Obama administration’s public rhetoric — with Mr. Obama himself frequently thrashing big industries’ “battalions” of lobbyists as enemies of reform — and the administration’s continuing, private dealings with them. (NYT, 6/25/10)
Remember the endless caterwauling by President Obama about the pernicious effects of lobbyists? Along with the sanctimonious declarations that he would change the way business gets done in Washington? Chalk it up to another Obama failed promise.
Quite frankly, RedStateVT has never had a problem with lobbyists. For heaven’s sake, that is what a representative government is all about. You get access to plead your case. We don’t see that happening in Cuba, Iran or North Korea to name a few places. All we would ask is that there be disclosure about who is getting the access and writing the checks. Just to take a random example, we know that both BP and Goldman Sachs made significant financial contributions to……President Obama!
On the agenda over espressos and lattes, according to more than a dozen lobbyists and political operatives who have taken part in the sessions, have been front-burner issues like Wall Street regulation, health care rules, federal stimulus money, energy policy and climate control — and their impact on the lobbyists’ corporate clients.
But because the discussions are not taking place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they are not subject to disclosure on the visitors’ log that the White House releases as part of its pledge to be the “most transparent presidential administration in history.”
The off-site meetings, lobbyists say, reveal a disconnect between the Obama administration’s public rhetoric — with Mr. Obama himself frequently thrashing big industries’ “battalions” of lobbyists as enemies of reform — and the administration’s continuing, private dealings with them. (NYT, 6/25/10)
Remember the endless caterwauling by President Obama about the pernicious effects of lobbyists? Along with the sanctimonious declarations that he would change the way business gets done in Washington? Chalk it up to another Obama failed promise.
Quite frankly, RedStateVT has never had a problem with lobbyists. For heaven’s sake, that is what a representative government is all about. You get access to plead your case. We don’t see that happening in Cuba, Iran or North Korea to name a few places. All we would ask is that there be disclosure about who is getting the access and writing the checks. Just to take a random example, we know that both BP and Goldman Sachs made significant financial contributions to……President Obama!
Friday, June 25, 2010
All Worked Up
Nice Try
For Obama, then, the crisis created by McChrystal's baffling -- at best -- comments in a Rolling Stone profile actually affords something of an opportunity to bend public perception back in his favor. (Chris Cillizza, Washington Post, 6/24/10)
Obama fires an insubordinate general who he hand-picked and who voted for him and this is going to make us forget the backroom health care deals, high unemployment, appeasement of the country’s enemies, the oil spill, etc. What do you think?
Maybe now we can stop talking about Joe Barton!
A Democratic congressman has found himself the target of conservative criticism after an inartful description of who will be helped by the financial reform bill currently working its way through Congress. The conservative website Human Events reported that Rep. Paul Kanjorski's (D-Pa.) appeared to say during Wednesday's financial reform conference committee meeting that the financial overhaul will help "average, good American people" -- but not minorities or "the defective." (Washington Post, 6/24/10)
Isn’t it amazing how the Washington Post’s description of the Barton and Kanjorski blunders are eerily similar?
“A Republican congressman found himself the target of liberal criticism after inartfully apologizing to the chairman of BP. The liberal Washington Post reported.....”
Just kidding! The Washington Post would never use the term “liberal criticism” as all criticism of Republicans is mainstream and unbiased.
Whatever
Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said legislators were still uncertain how the bill will work until it is in place. “But we believe we’ve done something that has been needed for a long time,” he said. (NYT, 6/25/10)
Kind of reminds RedStateVT of Nancy Pelosi’s comment that the health care bill has to be passed in order to find out what is in it. Here we have Christopher Dodd saying of the financial reform bill that he doesn’t know what the impact of the bill will be. What is it with these Democrats?
For Obama, then, the crisis created by McChrystal's baffling -- at best -- comments in a Rolling Stone profile actually affords something of an opportunity to bend public perception back in his favor. (Chris Cillizza, Washington Post, 6/24/10)
Obama fires an insubordinate general who he hand-picked and who voted for him and this is going to make us forget the backroom health care deals, high unemployment, appeasement of the country’s enemies, the oil spill, etc. What do you think?
Maybe now we can stop talking about Joe Barton!
A Democratic congressman has found himself the target of conservative criticism after an inartful description of who will be helped by the financial reform bill currently working its way through Congress. The conservative website Human Events reported that Rep. Paul Kanjorski's (D-Pa.) appeared to say during Wednesday's financial reform conference committee meeting that the financial overhaul will help "average, good American people" -- but not minorities or "the defective." (Washington Post, 6/24/10)
Isn’t it amazing how the Washington Post’s description of the Barton and Kanjorski blunders are eerily similar?
“A Republican congressman found himself the target of liberal criticism after inartfully apologizing to the chairman of BP. The liberal Washington Post reported.....”
Just kidding! The Washington Post would never use the term “liberal criticism” as all criticism of Republicans is mainstream and unbiased.
Whatever
Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said legislators were still uncertain how the bill will work until it is in place. “But we believe we’ve done something that has been needed for a long time,” he said. (NYT, 6/25/10)
Kind of reminds RedStateVT of Nancy Pelosi’s comment that the health care bill has to be passed in order to find out what is in it. Here we have Christopher Dodd saying of the financial reform bill that he doesn’t know what the impact of the bill will be. What is it with these Democrats?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sound Bites
RedStateVT agrees that General Stanley McChrystal had to go. His lack of judgment is frankly, unfathomable. President Obama handled the situation well. Yes, you read that correctly.
When things go wrong, they often go really wrong. First Al Gore’s global warming agenda gets derailed by Climategate. Then his marriage ends. And now he is accused of lascivious behavior. We wish him no ill will. Except on the global warming thing.
“Virtue was the way that free people used to deal with their necessities. It took industry, frugality, and responsibility, for example, to go to work every morning to provide for your family. It took courage to handle the fears that inevitably come with life, especially in old age. But the new social and economic rights tended to undercut such virtues, subtly encouraging men and women to look to the government to provide for their needs and then to celebrate that dependency as if it were true freedom.” (Charles R. Kesler, Imprimis, May/June 2010)
When things go wrong, they often go really wrong. First Al Gore’s global warming agenda gets derailed by Climategate. Then his marriage ends. And now he is accused of lascivious behavior. We wish him no ill will. Except on the global warming thing.
“Virtue was the way that free people used to deal with their necessities. It took industry, frugality, and responsibility, for example, to go to work every morning to provide for your family. It took courage to handle the fears that inevitably come with life, especially in old age. But the new social and economic rights tended to undercut such virtues, subtly encouraging men and women to look to the government to provide for their needs and then to celebrate that dependency as if it were true freedom.” (Charles R. Kesler, Imprimis, May/June 2010)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Bogey Golf
President Obama has reportedly played golf nine times since the start of the gulf oil spill. Do not count RedStateVT among those critical of the President. It is a 24 hour job and any president is entitled to downtime. As we would wish for any president, we hope his time away from the Oval Office makes him a better president.
Our judgment is subject to one condition: ever single journalist who ever criticized President George Bush for clearing the scrub at his ranch in Crawford, Texas must apologize. Fair is fair.
Friends and Foes
This, of course, is the Obama enigma: Who is this guy? What are his core beliefs? The president himself is no help on this score. When it comes to his own image, he has a tin ear. (Richard Cohen, Washington Post, 6/22/10)
For months now, Jeb Bush has been listening as President Obama blasts his older brother’s administration for the battered economy, budget deficits and even the lax oversight of oil wells. “It’s kind of like a kid coming to school saying, ‘The dog ate my homework,’ ” Mr. Bush, this state’s former governor, said over lunch last week at the Biltmore Hotel. “It’s childish. This is what children do until they mature. They don’t accept responsibility.” (NYT, 6/22/10)
Friends and Foes
This, of course, is the Obama enigma: Who is this guy? What are his core beliefs? The president himself is no help on this score. When it comes to his own image, he has a tin ear. (Richard Cohen, Washington Post, 6/22/10)
For months now, Jeb Bush has been listening as President Obama blasts his older brother’s administration for the battered economy, budget deficits and even the lax oversight of oil wells. “It’s kind of like a kid coming to school saying, ‘The dog ate my homework,’ ” Mr. Bush, this state’s former governor, said over lunch last week at the Biltmore Hotel. “It’s childish. This is what children do until they mature. They don’t accept responsibility.” (NYT, 6/22/10)
Monday, June 21, 2010
They Say
Recent polling shows record levels of mistrust in the president. His approval rating has fallen as low as 45% nationally in recent Gallup polling, and dipped to as low as 40% in a NPR survey of 1,200 likely voters in 70 battleground districts conducted earlier this month. (Douglas E. Schoen and Patrick H. Caddell, WSJ, 6/17/10)
This is what the people are saying about him!
On the other side stands Obama — solid and sober, rooted in the belief that his way is the right way and in no need of alteration. He’s the emotionally maimed type who lights up when he’s stroked and adored but shuts down in the face of acrimony. Other people’s anxieties are dismissed as irrational and unworthy of engagement or empathy. He seems quite comfortable with this aspect of his personality, even if few others are, and shows little desire to change it. It’s the height of irony: the presumed transformative president is stymied by his own unwillingness to be transformed. He would rather sacrifice the relationship than be altered by it. (NYT, 6/19/10)
This is what his supporters are saying about him!
Black Gold
There's a reason petroleum is such a durable fuel. It's not, as Obama fatuously suggested, because of oil company lobbying but because it is very portable, energy-dense and easy to use. But this doesn't stop Obama from thinking that he can mandate into being a superior substitute. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 6/18/10)
This is what the people are saying about him!
On the other side stands Obama — solid and sober, rooted in the belief that his way is the right way and in no need of alteration. He’s the emotionally maimed type who lights up when he’s stroked and adored but shuts down in the face of acrimony. Other people’s anxieties are dismissed as irrational and unworthy of engagement or empathy. He seems quite comfortable with this aspect of his personality, even if few others are, and shows little desire to change it. It’s the height of irony: the presumed transformative president is stymied by his own unwillingness to be transformed. He would rather sacrifice the relationship than be altered by it. (NYT, 6/19/10)
This is what his supporters are saying about him!
Black Gold
There's a reason petroleum is such a durable fuel. It's not, as Obama fatuously suggested, because of oil company lobbying but because it is very portable, energy-dense and easy to use. But this doesn't stop Obama from thinking that he can mandate into being a superior substitute. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 6/18/10)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Not-So-Mighty Quinn
In a bizarre column in the Washington Post (6/18/10), Sally Quinn makes the suggestion that Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden trade jobs. Of course, Quinn is queuing up Hillary for another run at the presidency either after or instead of Obama. Among the gems that Quinn offers up are these:
Clinton has done an incredible job as secretary of state.
Well, last time we looked the Iranians were still developing nukes, the North Koreans sank a South Korean boat, Hugo Chavez had not been deposed by a CIA-backed coup, and both the Turks and the Israelis were mad at us. This qualifies as “an incredible job.”
Most notable, though, is that Bill Clinton has not been the problem that so many anticipated. He has been supportive of her and of Obama, and he has stayed out of the limelight and been discreet about his own life.
So we guess another reason that Hillary deserves the VP job is because Bill has not been caught in another sex scandal.
And based on experience alone, Hillary is far more qualified to be president than any of the Republicans being considered today, including Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty and Palin.
Romney, Jindal, Pawlenty and Palin either are serving or have served in executive roles as governors, but somehow Hillary who had a short stint as a senator and an even briefer tenure in her current role is “far more qualified.”
True, Joe Biden has been rehabilitated. A recent profile in The Post portrayed him as a successful and intelligent man whose foreign policy advice is valued by the president. The gaffe-prone former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee seems to have worked out the kinks.
Yes, Joe has certainly “worked out the kinks.” Why it seems like ages ago that in front of an open microphone he described the health care bill as “a big f***** deal.”
This is journalistic malpractice.
Clinton has done an incredible job as secretary of state.
Well, last time we looked the Iranians were still developing nukes, the North Koreans sank a South Korean boat, Hugo Chavez had not been deposed by a CIA-backed coup, and both the Turks and the Israelis were mad at us. This qualifies as “an incredible job.”
Most notable, though, is that Bill Clinton has not been the problem that so many anticipated. He has been supportive of her and of Obama, and he has stayed out of the limelight and been discreet about his own life.
So we guess another reason that Hillary deserves the VP job is because Bill has not been caught in another sex scandal.
And based on experience alone, Hillary is far more qualified to be president than any of the Republicans being considered today, including Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty and Palin.
Romney, Jindal, Pawlenty and Palin either are serving or have served in executive roles as governors, but somehow Hillary who had a short stint as a senator and an even briefer tenure in her current role is “far more qualified.”
True, Joe Biden has been rehabilitated. A recent profile in The Post portrayed him as a successful and intelligent man whose foreign policy advice is valued by the president. The gaffe-prone former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee seems to have worked out the kinks.
Yes, Joe has certainly “worked out the kinks.” Why it seems like ages ago that in front of an open microphone he described the health care bill as “a big f***** deal.”
This is journalistic malpractice.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Finding New Victims
What she knew was that she could no longer manage even the monthly payments on her roughly $23,000 in credit card debt. (NYT, 6/19/10)
In an article this morning, the New York Times has identified a new class of victims: those who are being ripped off by debt relief companies. Like this poor woman, whose credit card debt somehow magically ballooned. This is a win-win-win for liberal politicians. They will get to 1) bail out these people (with our tax dollars) who will then vote to keep them in office, 2) vilify business, and 3) create a new pool of clients for their trial lawyer constituency.
When the suspect in the Times Square bombing plot appeared in a packed courtroom last month, the government’s table was full: three prosecutors and an F.B.I. agent sat side by side. At the defense table, the suspect, Faisal Shahzad, sat next to a single federal public defender, Julia L. Gatto. They seemed badly outnumbered.
(NYT,6/19/10)
Poor Faisal Shahzad! First his bomb doesn’t go off and then he gets only one lawyer. Another victim!
The panel announced by Israel to investigate the deadly assault on a flotilla seeking to run the Gaza blockade lacks adequate international weight to make the panel credible, the United Nations secretary general said Friday. (NYT, 6/19/10)
And then there are the poor “activists” who were killed when they assaulted Israeli troops with knives and lead pipes. Victims as well!
In an article this morning, the New York Times has identified a new class of victims: those who are being ripped off by debt relief companies. Like this poor woman, whose credit card debt somehow magically ballooned. This is a win-win-win for liberal politicians. They will get to 1) bail out these people (with our tax dollars) who will then vote to keep them in office, 2) vilify business, and 3) create a new pool of clients for their trial lawyer constituency.
When the suspect in the Times Square bombing plot appeared in a packed courtroom last month, the government’s table was full: three prosecutors and an F.B.I. agent sat side by side. At the defense table, the suspect, Faisal Shahzad, sat next to a single federal public defender, Julia L. Gatto. They seemed badly outnumbered.
(NYT,6/19/10)
Poor Faisal Shahzad! First his bomb doesn’t go off and then he gets only one lawyer. Another victim!
The panel announced by Israel to investigate the deadly assault on a flotilla seeking to run the Gaza blockade lacks adequate international weight to make the panel credible, the United Nations secretary general said Friday. (NYT, 6/19/10)
And then there are the poor “activists” who were killed when they assaulted Israeli troops with knives and lead pipes. Victims as well!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Give the People What They Want
The American people are looking for candidates and parties that champion fiscal discipline, limited government, deficit reduction and a free market, pro-growth agenda. The tea party movement grew as a result of this desire, and its support is a reflection of a broad-based desire to elect candidates who are fiscally conservative and not tied to current policies. (Douglas E. Schoen and Patrick H. Caddell, WSJ, 6/17/10)
Once again Democrat pollsters Schoen and Caddell get it right.
Apology Not Accepted
Last I heard, the Chinese communist government has not said a word about the killing of millions of its own, or about past fighting with many of its neighbors. Russia does not apologize for its bloodletting in Chechnya -- or for any of the other countries it has invaded and crushed. Only Obama's America offers atonement, as if apologies will singularly achieve our new goal of being liked above all else. (Victor Davis Hanson, Townhall.com, 6/17/10)
Once again Hanson gets it right.
Shocker!
Most Americans support the new, controversial Arizona Law that gives police there the power to check the residency status of suspected illegal immigrants. (Washington Post, 6/17/10)
Given opposition to the law by Shakira and the hysterical media coverage you would have thought that Americans were united in their opposition. Count RedStateVT as shocked by this stunning revelation!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Boxer
On the floor, she (California Senator Barbara Boxer) warned that climate change would have far-reaching consequences in the not-so-distant future. "I'm going to put in the record ... a host of quotes from our national security experts who tell us that carbon pollution leading to climate change will be over the next 20 years the leading cause of conflict, putting our troops in harm's way," Boxer said. "And that's why we have so many returning veterans who want us to move forward and address this issue." (FoxNews.com, 6/16/10)
RedStateVT is going to take a different tack and suggest that the biggest threat facing the nation – now and in the future – is radical Islamic fundamentalism. We know that is a controversial position to take, notwithstanding the tremendous impact of the group “Iraqi War Veterans for a Clean Energy Future.”
And Cure Cancer, Too!
At the same time, progressives have come to a realization. What we see, some 500 days into the Obama administration, is a president obstructed by a partisan Republican opposition, powerful entrenched corporate interests, and a minority of corrupt or conservative Democrats. The thinking is that if progressives organize independently and forge smart coalitions, building a mass movement for reform with a moral compass that can transcend left-right divisions, we may be able to push Obama beyond the limits of his own politics, overcome the timid incrementalism of the establishment Democratic Party and counter the forces of money and power that are true obstacles to change. (Katrina vanden Heuvel, Washington Post, 6/14/10)
Moonbat Alert! So Obama (with his Democrat majorities) is obstructed by partisan Republicans, is thwarted by the powerful entrenched corporate industries (like the health insurance, financial services industries he has vilified and/or brought charges against) and is hamstrung by corrupt or conservative Democrats (including the conservative Dems who did his bidding on his health reform fiasco, although we will concede the “corrupt” charge). What strange universe does someone like vanden Heuvel inhabit?
Countdown…to Insanity
RedStateVT watched a five minute segment of Keith Olbermann’s show last night which included an appearance by former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Believe us, five minutes was all we needed. The topic was Obama’s oval office address on the oil spill. Reich and Krazy Keith bemoaned the fact that Obama did not use the occasion to call for a carbon tax. Yes, you read that correctly. Because – obviously – what we need in this country is more taxes.
RedStateVT is going to take a different tack and suggest that the biggest threat facing the nation – now and in the future – is radical Islamic fundamentalism. We know that is a controversial position to take, notwithstanding the tremendous impact of the group “Iraqi War Veterans for a Clean Energy Future.”
And Cure Cancer, Too!
At the same time, progressives have come to a realization. What we see, some 500 days into the Obama administration, is a president obstructed by a partisan Republican opposition, powerful entrenched corporate interests, and a minority of corrupt or conservative Democrats. The thinking is that if progressives organize independently and forge smart coalitions, building a mass movement for reform with a moral compass that can transcend left-right divisions, we may be able to push Obama beyond the limits of his own politics, overcome the timid incrementalism of the establishment Democratic Party and counter the forces of money and power that are true obstacles to change. (Katrina vanden Heuvel, Washington Post, 6/14/10)
Moonbat Alert! So Obama (with his Democrat majorities) is obstructed by partisan Republicans, is thwarted by the powerful entrenched corporate industries (like the health insurance, financial services industries he has vilified and/or brought charges against) and is hamstrung by corrupt or conservative Democrats (including the conservative Dems who did his bidding on his health reform fiasco, although we will concede the “corrupt” charge). What strange universe does someone like vanden Heuvel inhabit?
Countdown…to Insanity
RedStateVT watched a five minute segment of Keith Olbermann’s show last night which included an appearance by former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Believe us, five minutes was all we needed. The topic was Obama’s oval office address on the oil spill. Reich and Krazy Keith bemoaned the fact that Obama did not use the occasion to call for a carbon tax. Yes, you read that correctly. Because – obviously – what we need in this country is more taxes.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Exploiting Tragedy
Fifty-six days, millions of gallons of oil and countless hours of cable television second-guessing later, President Obama finally addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Tuesday night to declare war.
His enemies were oil industry lobbyists and corrupt regulators, foreign energy suppliers and conservative policy makers, and a stubborn gushing well at the bottom of the sea. And ultimately, he was fighting his own powerlessness, as a president castigated for failing to stop the nation’s worst-ever oil spill tried to turn disaster into opportunity. (NYT, 6/16/10)
What a refreshing change it would have been for President Obama to say: “Now is not the time for pointing fingers, for politics or for grandstanding. Now is the time to cap the well and now is the time to support the people of the gulf. Here’s what we are doing….”
Instead we get the usual from Obama: castigation of corporate villains and political foes and calls to pass his energy agenda. Another missed opportunity.
Haven’t Read It, But Still Don’t Like It
America's mayors on Monday went on record in opposition to Arizona's immigration law, voting for a pair of resolutions that would amount to one of the broadest condemnations to date of the policy. (FoxNews.com, 6/14/10)
Wonder how many of them actually read the law!
His enemies were oil industry lobbyists and corrupt regulators, foreign energy suppliers and conservative policy makers, and a stubborn gushing well at the bottom of the sea. And ultimately, he was fighting his own powerlessness, as a president castigated for failing to stop the nation’s worst-ever oil spill tried to turn disaster into opportunity. (NYT, 6/16/10)
What a refreshing change it would have been for President Obama to say: “Now is not the time for pointing fingers, for politics or for grandstanding. Now is the time to cap the well and now is the time to support the people of the gulf. Here’s what we are doing….”
Instead we get the usual from Obama: castigation of corporate villains and political foes and calls to pass his energy agenda. Another missed opportunity.
Haven’t Read It, But Still Don’t Like It
America's mayors on Monday went on record in opposition to Arizona's immigration law, voting for a pair of resolutions that would amount to one of the broadest condemnations to date of the policy. (FoxNews.com, 6/14/10)
Wonder how many of them actually read the law!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Who Said It?
"The former constitutional lawyer now in the White House understands that the press has a role in the democracy. But he is an elitist, too, as well as thin-skinned and controlling."
A) Rush Limbaugh
B) Michelle Malkin
C) Glen Beck
D) RedStateVT
E) Maureen Dowd
If you guessed E) Maureen Dowd you are today’s winner!
*(Maureen Dowd, NYT, June 11, 2010)
A) Rush Limbaugh
B) Michelle Malkin
C) Glen Beck
D) RedStateVT
E) Maureen Dowd
If you guessed E) Maureen Dowd you are today’s winner!
*(Maureen Dowd, NYT, June 11, 2010)
Monday, June 14, 2010
Seeing Red
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip violates the Geneva Conventions and called for its lifting. (NYT, 6/13/10)
In related news, the world continues to await the final ruling by the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRRC) as to whether the use of children as suicide bombers by Hamas violates the Geneva Conventions.
Attention Deficit
Voters are anxious about the deficit. But the president needs to tell them the truth — that without more spending the economy could remain weak for a very long time. (NYT, 6/13/10)
As any imbecile knows, if you are hopelessly in debt the best solution – indeed the only solution – is to spend more. Thanks for reminding us New York Times!
In related news, the world continues to await the final ruling by the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRRC) as to whether the use of children as suicide bombers by Hamas violates the Geneva Conventions.
Attention Deficit
Voters are anxious about the deficit. But the president needs to tell them the truth — that without more spending the economy could remain weak for a very long time. (NYT, 6/13/10)
As any imbecile knows, if you are hopelessly in debt the best solution – indeed the only solution – is to spend more. Thanks for reminding us New York Times!
Friday, June 11, 2010
You Need to Know
Now They Tell Us
Obama, it turns out, is not Superman. (Paul Starobin, Washington Post, 6/11/10)
Count On It
Last year's stimulus having failed to hold unemployment below 8 percent as predicted, Barack Obama might advocate another stimulus – amending Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, which mandates a census every 10 years. If it were every year, he could take credit for creating 564,000 -- the current number of census takers -- permanent jobs. (George Will, Washington Post, 6/10/10)
New ‘Strategery’ Needed
From the beginning, the Obama strategy toward Iran and other rogue states had been to offer goodwill and concessions on the premise that this would lead to one of two outcomes: (a) the other side changes policy, or (b) if not, the world isolates the offending state and rallies around us -- now that we have demonstrated last-mile good intentions. Hence, nearly a year and a half of peace overtures, negotiation, concessions, two New Year's messages to the Iranian people, a bit of groveling about U. S. involvement in the 1953 coup and a disgraceful silence when the regime's very stability was threatened by peaceful demonstrators. Iran's response? Defiance, contempt and an acceleration of its nuclear program. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 6/11/10))
Obama, it turns out, is not Superman. (Paul Starobin, Washington Post, 6/11/10)
Count On It
Last year's stimulus having failed to hold unemployment below 8 percent as predicted, Barack Obama might advocate another stimulus – amending Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, which mandates a census every 10 years. If it were every year, he could take credit for creating 564,000 -- the current number of census takers -- permanent jobs. (George Will, Washington Post, 6/10/10)
New ‘Strategery’ Needed
From the beginning, the Obama strategy toward Iran and other rogue states had been to offer goodwill and concessions on the premise that this would lead to one of two outcomes: (a) the other side changes policy, or (b) if not, the world isolates the offending state and rallies around us -- now that we have demonstrated last-mile good intentions. Hence, nearly a year and a half of peace overtures, negotiation, concessions, two New Year's messages to the Iranian people, a bit of groveling about U. S. involvement in the 1953 coup and a disgraceful silence when the regime's very stability was threatened by peaceful demonstrators. Iran's response? Defiance, contempt and an acceleration of its nuclear program. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 6/11/10))
Thursday, June 10, 2010
I Am Woman
The liberal media is abuzz with thoughtful analysis of the recent election results and, in particular, the success of a number of Republican women (e.g. Fiorina, Whitman, Angle).
Just kidding!
Obsessed with gender and race when it comes to the Democrat Party, the response from the left when someone like Sarah Palin or Condaleeza Rice comes along is typically to accuse them either of being dumb or being a traitor. Let’s see what happens next to this year’s crop of GOP women.
Can’t Get Enough
But the sudden fierce enthusiasm for fiscal austerity, especially among stronger economies, is likely to backfire, condemning Europe to years of stagnation or worse. The United States is running the same very high risk. Democrats have soured on job creation and economic stimulus in favor of antideficit rhetoric, which Republicans have long seen as the easy road to discontented voters in a confusing election year. (NYT, 6/10/10)
So after an $800 billion stimulus package the New York Times editorial board is concerned that some Democrats may join with Republicans to support reducing the deficit in a cynical political move.
Outlaw Sanctions
The Security Council approved a fourth round of sanctions in as many years on Wednesday, but Iran said it would go ahead with uranium enrichment and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the U.N. resolution should be thrown "in the waste bin." The 15-nation council passed a resolution that was the product of five months of talks between the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia. With 12 votes in favor, it received the least support of the four sanctions resolutions adopted since 2006. (Reuters, 6/10/10)
So after months and months of debate, the UN agrees to watered-down sanctions against some rogue state which promptly rejects them outright and continues doing whatever it was previously doing. Haven’t we been down this road many times? Time to outlaw sanctions and send in the troops.
Just kidding!
Obsessed with gender and race when it comes to the Democrat Party, the response from the left when someone like Sarah Palin or Condaleeza Rice comes along is typically to accuse them either of being dumb or being a traitor. Let’s see what happens next to this year’s crop of GOP women.
Can’t Get Enough
But the sudden fierce enthusiasm for fiscal austerity, especially among stronger economies, is likely to backfire, condemning Europe to years of stagnation or worse. The United States is running the same very high risk. Democrats have soured on job creation and economic stimulus in favor of antideficit rhetoric, which Republicans have long seen as the easy road to discontented voters in a confusing election year. (NYT, 6/10/10)
So after an $800 billion stimulus package the New York Times editorial board is concerned that some Democrats may join with Republicans to support reducing the deficit in a cynical political move.
Outlaw Sanctions
The Security Council approved a fourth round of sanctions in as many years on Wednesday, but Iran said it would go ahead with uranium enrichment and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the U.N. resolution should be thrown "in the waste bin." The 15-nation council passed a resolution that was the product of five months of talks between the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia. With 12 votes in favor, it received the least support of the four sanctions resolutions adopted since 2006. (Reuters, 6/10/10)
So after months and months of debate, the UN agrees to watered-down sanctions against some rogue state which promptly rejects them outright and continues doing whatever it was previously doing. Haven’t we been down this road many times? Time to outlaw sanctions and send in the troops.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Goin' Gangsta
‘Barack Obama has no Negro dialect unless he wants to.’
(Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid)
"I don't sit around talking to experts because this is a college seminar. We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick."
(President Barack Obama)
‘Barack Obama has no gangsta dialect unless he wants to.’
(RedStateVT)
Unconventional
It is a measure of the mood that Mr. Obama on Tuesday hailed an initiative by his administration to cut the budgets of most major government agencies by 5 percent, at a time when conventional theory would call for more government spending to lift the economy. (NYT, 6/9/10)
Oh really?
Obsession
“Here in the Senate, jobs will remain priority No. 1,” Senator Charles E. Schumer, a Democrat of New York, said Tuesday. “It’ll be almost an obsession to us.”
Oh, really?
Cropped
The British-based Reuters news agency has been stung for the second time by charges that it edited politically sensitive photos in a way that casts Israel in a bad light. But this time Reuters claims it wasn’t at fault. (FoxNews, 6/9/10)
Oh, really?
(Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid)
"I don't sit around talking to experts because this is a college seminar. We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick."
(President Barack Obama)
‘Barack Obama has no gangsta dialect unless he wants to.’
(RedStateVT)
Unconventional
It is a measure of the mood that Mr. Obama on Tuesday hailed an initiative by his administration to cut the budgets of most major government agencies by 5 percent, at a time when conventional theory would call for more government spending to lift the economy. (NYT, 6/9/10)
Oh really?
Obsession
“Here in the Senate, jobs will remain priority No. 1,” Senator Charles E. Schumer, a Democrat of New York, said Tuesday. “It’ll be almost an obsession to us.”
Oh, really?
Cropped
The British-based Reuters news agency has been stung for the second time by charges that it edited politically sensitive photos in a way that casts Israel in a bad light. But this time Reuters claims it wasn’t at fault. (FoxNews, 6/9/10)
Oh, really?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Communication Breakdown
White House aides admit that they mishandled the public side of the event even as they insist that from the moment the oil rig exploded, President Obama was deploying resources on a large scale and preparing for the worst. They say they got the statecraft right but the stagecraft wrong.
"Nobody can look at the response and say we were slow in doing what we were doing," senior adviser David Axelrod said in an interview. He pointed to a "whole range of steps" Obama "took right from the beginning." But he added: "We didn't communicate it well." (Washington Post, 6/7/10)
This has become the Obama administration’s standard response anytime that they screw up: “It wasn’t a bad policy or a bad bill or a bad decision. It was that we just didn’t communicate effectively.”
Circumvention
There are howls of outrage coming from the liberal community in Alberta, Canada. It seems that some doctors, desperate to protect their patients from the overcrowded and failing socialized medical system in their country, have set up private clinics to treat them. To circumvent Canadian laws, which prohibit charging for medical care, they have set up private, membership clinics where, for $2,000 a year, patients can access well staffed and equipped clinics and avoid the long waits and compromised care of the public system. (Dick Morris, 6/7/10)
RedStateVT applauds the entrepreneurial spirit that always arises in the face of government tyranny…and stupidity.
Not Liberal Enough
From the capital to Arkansas, liberals plan to spend this week aiming some not-so-friendly fire at President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Up to 2,000 liberal activists began assembling here on Monday for a conference to press the White House and Congress to fight harder for an ambitious progressive agenda, including a generous jobs bill, even as Democrats returned from a holiday recess to resume talks on further shrinking the proposed legislation to satisfy deficit-conscious colleagues. (NYT, 6/7/10)
Glad to see the media stop talking about the Tea Party!
"Nobody can look at the response and say we were slow in doing what we were doing," senior adviser David Axelrod said in an interview. He pointed to a "whole range of steps" Obama "took right from the beginning." But he added: "We didn't communicate it well." (Washington Post, 6/7/10)
This has become the Obama administration’s standard response anytime that they screw up: “It wasn’t a bad policy or a bad bill or a bad decision. It was that we just didn’t communicate effectively.”
Circumvention
There are howls of outrage coming from the liberal community in Alberta, Canada. It seems that some doctors, desperate to protect their patients from the overcrowded and failing socialized medical system in their country, have set up private clinics to treat them. To circumvent Canadian laws, which prohibit charging for medical care, they have set up private, membership clinics where, for $2,000 a year, patients can access well staffed and equipped clinics and avoid the long waits and compromised care of the public system. (Dick Morris, 6/7/10)
RedStateVT applauds the entrepreneurial spirit that always arises in the face of government tyranny…and stupidity.
Not Liberal Enough
From the capital to Arkansas, liberals plan to spend this week aiming some not-so-friendly fire at President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Up to 2,000 liberal activists began assembling here on Monday for a conference to press the White House and Congress to fight harder for an ambitious progressive agenda, including a generous jobs bill, even as Democrats returned from a holiday recess to resume talks on further shrinking the proposed legislation to satisfy deficit-conscious colleagues. (NYT, 6/7/10)
Glad to see the media stop talking about the Tea Party!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Levant Laments
Israel’s ambassador to Washington said Sunday that his country would reject an international inquiry into last week’s deadly raid on a Turkish ship…. (NYT, 6/7/10)
President Obama – ever concerned about what the rest of the world thinks - could take a cue from Israel. They know that they will be condemned no what they do, so they do what they have to do.
The fallout over veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas' controversial comments about Jews continued to build as a Washington-area high school abruptly canceled a graduation speech she was scheduled to deliver… Thomas, known as the dean of the White House press corps, has long been critical of Israel but remarks caught last month on video by a New York rabbi led several former White House officials to call for her to be fired or at least have her credentials reconsidered. In the video, Thomas said Jews should "get the hell out of Palestine" and suggested they go instead to Germany, Poland or the United States. (FoxNews, 6/7/10)
The champion of the liberal media when she was accusing George Bush of war crimes, turns out Thomas is just another bigot.
Avoidance Response
If the time-honored tradition of the political meeting is not quite dead, it seems to be teetering closer to extinction. Of the 255 Democrats who make up the majority in the House, only a handful held town-hall-style forums as legislators spent last week at home in their districts….With images of overheated, finger-waving crowds still seared into their minds from the discontent of last August, many Democrats heeded the advice of party leaders and tried to avoid unscripted question-and-answer sessions. (NYT, 6/7/10)
So the elected representatives of the people don’t want to talk to the people. Time to elect new representatives.
Landmark Skeptics
President Obama and his allies, concerned about deep skepticism over his landmark health care overhaul, are orchestrating an elaborate campaign to sell the public on the law, including a new tax-exempt group that will spend millions of dollars on advertising to beat back attacks on the measure and Democrats who voted for it. (NYT, 6/7/10)
It seems almost silly to ask the question, but if this bill is so great why does the administration need to spend millions to convince the country?
President Obama – ever concerned about what the rest of the world thinks - could take a cue from Israel. They know that they will be condemned no what they do, so they do what they have to do.
The fallout over veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas' controversial comments about Jews continued to build as a Washington-area high school abruptly canceled a graduation speech she was scheduled to deliver… Thomas, known as the dean of the White House press corps, has long been critical of Israel but remarks caught last month on video by a New York rabbi led several former White House officials to call for her to be fired or at least have her credentials reconsidered. In the video, Thomas said Jews should "get the hell out of Palestine" and suggested they go instead to Germany, Poland or the United States. (FoxNews, 6/7/10)
The champion of the liberal media when she was accusing George Bush of war crimes, turns out Thomas is just another bigot.
Avoidance Response
If the time-honored tradition of the political meeting is not quite dead, it seems to be teetering closer to extinction. Of the 255 Democrats who make up the majority in the House, only a handful held town-hall-style forums as legislators spent last week at home in their districts….With images of overheated, finger-waving crowds still seared into their minds from the discontent of last August, many Democrats heeded the advice of party leaders and tried to avoid unscripted question-and-answer sessions. (NYT, 6/7/10)
So the elected representatives of the people don’t want to talk to the people. Time to elect new representatives.
Landmark Skeptics
President Obama and his allies, concerned about deep skepticism over his landmark health care overhaul, are orchestrating an elaborate campaign to sell the public on the law, including a new tax-exempt group that will spend millions of dollars on advertising to beat back attacks on the measure and Democrats who voted for it. (NYT, 6/7/10)
It seems almost silly to ask the question, but if this bill is so great why does the administration need to spend millions to convince the country?
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Blame Game
"What we can't do is go back -- now that we're starting to climb out of this hole that was dug for us, we can't go back to the very same policies that failed us in the last decade; the same policies that led us into that hole." (President Obama, 6/4/10)
And the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls over 300 points….and did he mention that it is all Bush’s fault?
“…and if there is a criticism that I would make of the president that he was not quick enough and strong enough to undo the Bush philosophy of deregulation, and it’s tough because you got so many agencies out there that were essentially told by Bush business can do whatever it wants.” (Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 6/5/10)
We recall well Bush’s directive to businesses to “do whatever they want.”
Coulter on Bribegate
Incidentally, why do so many Bill Clinton stories end with the words "nothing improper happened"? (Ann Coulter, 6/4/10)
And the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls over 300 points….and did he mention that it is all Bush’s fault?
“…and if there is a criticism that I would make of the president that he was not quick enough and strong enough to undo the Bush philosophy of deregulation, and it’s tough because you got so many agencies out there that were essentially told by Bush business can do whatever it wants.” (Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 6/5/10)
We recall well Bush’s directive to businesses to “do whatever they want.”
Coulter on Bribegate
Incidentally, why do so many Bill Clinton stories end with the words "nothing improper happened"? (Ann Coulter, 6/4/10)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
By Any Other Name
As President Obama heads to the Gulf Friday for his third oil-spill visit, his most ardent critics back in Washington will be stirring up trouble. From their perch in Congress, members of the opposing party have seized on the oil spill crisis as a way to hammer Obama politically, moving aggressively to question the president's response to the environmental disaster. (Washington Post, 6/4/10)
As President Bush heads to the Gulf Friday for his third Katrina visit, his most ardent critics back in Washington will be stirring up trouble. From their perch in Congress, members of the opposing party have seized on the hurricane crisis as a way to hammer Bush politically, moving aggressively to question the president's response to the environmental disaster. (RedStateVT, 9/4/05)
Automatics
But Issa (California Republican Representative Darrell Issa) is regarded in Washington as an automatic anti-Obama quote, and the fact that the documents come from him could undermine their impact. (Washington Post, 6/4/10)
Think hard now, anyone out there ever hear Nancy Pelosi blithely dismissed as “an automatic anti-Bush” quote? We thought not!
Man of Many Moods
President Obama told CNN's Larry King Wednesday that he is "furious at this entire situation" in the Gulf of Mexico because "somebody didn't think through the consequences of their actions," according to advance excerpts of the interview, which is set to air Thursday night at 9 p.m.
But the president, who seemed calm as ever, also emphasized that his emotions were secondary to his actions.
"I would love to just spend a lot of my time just venting and yelling at people. But that's not the job I was hired to do. My job is to solve this problem. And, ultimately this isn't about me and how angry I am. (Washington Post, 6/3/10)
So which is he....furious, calm or angry?
As President Bush heads to the Gulf Friday for his third Katrina visit, his most ardent critics back in Washington will be stirring up trouble. From their perch in Congress, members of the opposing party have seized on the hurricane crisis as a way to hammer Bush politically, moving aggressively to question the president's response to the environmental disaster. (RedStateVT, 9/4/05)
Automatics
But Issa (California Republican Representative Darrell Issa) is regarded in Washington as an automatic anti-Obama quote, and the fact that the documents come from him could undermine their impact. (Washington Post, 6/4/10)
Think hard now, anyone out there ever hear Nancy Pelosi blithely dismissed as “an automatic anti-Bush” quote? We thought not!
Man of Many Moods
President Obama told CNN's Larry King Wednesday that he is "furious at this entire situation" in the Gulf of Mexico because "somebody didn't think through the consequences of their actions," according to advance excerpts of the interview, which is set to air Thursday night at 9 p.m.
But the president, who seemed calm as ever, also emphasized that his emotions were secondary to his actions.
"I would love to just spend a lot of my time just venting and yelling at people. But that's not the job I was hired to do. My job is to solve this problem. And, ultimately this isn't about me and how angry I am. (Washington Post, 6/3/10)
So which is he....furious, calm or angry?
Friday, June 4, 2010
Government is the Problem
Government regulations limit health care companies from competing across state lines and mandate that they cover “sex reassignment” expenses. The Obama crowd accuses them of price gouging. Barney Frank decides that everyone should own a home and so browbeats mortgage lenders to finance sub-prime borrowers precipitating a massive financial crisis. The Obama crowd accuses them of greed and malfeasance. Government regulations prohibit drilling for oil in places where oil is easy to get, forcing drilling in deep water sites where it is risky to get. The Obama crowd calls for them to be prosecuted.
Of Ethics and Competence
While millions of Americans are out of work and millions more have even given up looking despite a gazillion dollars of so-called stimulus spending, the ongoing spectacle of aides and Democratic pals of President Barack Obama offering taxpayer-funded jobs to fellow Democrats not to do something has raised the eyebrows of even the most obsequious members of his following. (AOLNews, 6/4/10)
Lack of Progress
Progressivism's promise is a program for every problem, and progressivism's premise is that every unfulfilled desire is a problem. (George Will, Washington Post, 6/3/10)
Of Ethics and Competence
While millions of Americans are out of work and millions more have even given up looking despite a gazillion dollars of so-called stimulus spending, the ongoing spectacle of aides and Democratic pals of President Barack Obama offering taxpayer-funded jobs to fellow Democrats not to do something has raised the eyebrows of even the most obsequious members of his following. (AOLNews, 6/4/10)
Lack of Progress
Progressivism's promise is a program for every problem, and progressivism's premise is that every unfulfilled desire is a problem. (George Will, Washington Post, 6/3/10)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Year of Living Corruptly
Bad to Worse
“In a year that’s already bad for the Democrats, this will make it worse,” said David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “There will be a Blagojevich odor in the air, and it will be with us day after day, like political Muzak.” (NYT, 6/3/10)
Bribegate II
The White House confirmed on Thursday that it had explored the possibility of an administration job for a Democratic politician in Colorado to sidetrack his primary challenge to Senator Michael Bennet, much as it did in a Pennsylvania primary….Mr. Romanoff said on Wednesday that the White House had suggested several possible jobs with the administration in an effort to get him to drop out of the race. (NYT, 6/3/10)
Ooops!
In selling the health care overhaul to Congress, the Obama administration cited a once obscure research group at Dartmouth College to claim that it could not only cut billions in wasteful health care spending but make people healthier by doing so…But while the research compiled in the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care has been widely interpreted as showing the country’s best and worst care, the Dartmouth researchers themselves acknowledged in interviews that in fact it mainly shows the varying costs of care in the government’s Medicare program. Measures of the quality of care are not part of the formula. (NYT, 6/3/10)
“In a year that’s already bad for the Democrats, this will make it worse,” said David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “There will be a Blagojevich odor in the air, and it will be with us day after day, like political Muzak.” (NYT, 6/3/10)
Bribegate II
The White House confirmed on Thursday that it had explored the possibility of an administration job for a Democratic politician in Colorado to sidetrack his primary challenge to Senator Michael Bennet, much as it did in a Pennsylvania primary….Mr. Romanoff said on Wednesday that the White House had suggested several possible jobs with the administration in an effort to get him to drop out of the race. (NYT, 6/3/10)
Ooops!
In selling the health care overhaul to Congress, the Obama administration cited a once obscure research group at Dartmouth College to claim that it could not only cut billions in wasteful health care spending but make people healthier by doing so…But while the research compiled in the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care has been widely interpreted as showing the country’s best and worst care, the Dartmouth researchers themselves acknowledged in interviews that in fact it mainly shows the varying costs of care in the government’s Medicare program. Measures of the quality of care are not part of the formula. (NYT, 6/3/10)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Follow the Money
Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that federal authorities have opened criminal and civil investigations into America's worst oil spill, and BP lost billions in market value when shares dropped in the first trading day since the company failed yet again to plug the gusher. (FoxNews.com, 6/1/10)
RedStateVT is investigating reports that Holder intends to subpoena President Barack Hussein Obama. As has been widely reported, Obama received millions in campaign contributions from BP.
Slip Sliding Away
Barack Obama -- a man who was as unprepared to be president as any man in our lifetime -- has over the last 16 months shown that he is overmatched by events. His poll numbers continue to drop, his health care proposal is becoming less rather than more popular, the oil spill in the Gulf is badly eroding his image for leadership and competence, and his party has been battered in election after election since November. We have now reached the point where Democrats are running against Obama and his agenda in order to survive (witness Mark Critz in Pennsylvania). (Peter Wehner, Politicsdaily.com, 5/28/10)
Tale of Two Peoples
Two peoples living side-by-side. One wants to live in peace, the second vows to annihilate the other. One is ruled by a democratically elected government, the other by armed militants. One has a thriving economy, the second has the economy of a third world country despite having received billions of dollars in aid from sympathizers over decades. One sends their children to school, the second straps bombs to their kids. What is there to discuss?
RedStateVT is investigating reports that Holder intends to subpoena President Barack Hussein Obama. As has been widely reported, Obama received millions in campaign contributions from BP.
Slip Sliding Away
Barack Obama -- a man who was as unprepared to be president as any man in our lifetime -- has over the last 16 months shown that he is overmatched by events. His poll numbers continue to drop, his health care proposal is becoming less rather than more popular, the oil spill in the Gulf is badly eroding his image for leadership and competence, and his party has been battered in election after election since November. We have now reached the point where Democrats are running against Obama and his agenda in order to survive (witness Mark Critz in Pennsylvania). (Peter Wehner, Politicsdaily.com, 5/28/10)
Tale of Two Peoples
Two peoples living side-by-side. One wants to live in peace, the second vows to annihilate the other. One is ruled by a democratically elected government, the other by armed militants. One has a thriving economy, the second has the economy of a third world country despite having received billions of dollars in aid from sympathizers over decades. One sends their children to school, the second straps bombs to their kids. What is there to discuss?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Aggrieved One
Obama is among the most thin-skinned presidents we have had, and we see evidence of it in every possible venue imaginable, from one-on-one interviews to press conferences, from extemporaneous remarks to set speeches.
The president is constantly complaining about what others are saying about him. He is upset at Fox News, and conservative talk radio, and Republicans, and people carrying unflattering posters of him. He gets upset when his avalanche of faulty facts are challenged, like on health care. He gets upset when he is called on his hypocrisy, on everything from breaking his promise not to hire lobbyists in the White House to broadcasting health care meetings on C-SPAN to not curtailing earmarks to failing in his promises of transparency and bipartisanship.
In Obama's eyes, he is always the aggrieved, always the violated, always the victim of some injustice. He is America's virtuous and valorous hero, a man of unusually pure motives and uncommon wisdom, under assault by the forces of darkness.
It is all so darn unfair. (Peter Wehner, Politicsdaily.com, 5/28/10)
Onward to Priority #1!
RedStateVT received a mailer from a Democrat congressman this past week. The title: “A job creation update.” We guess with healthcare passed, Dems are now moving on to Priority #1. On the cover? A couple of workers installing solar panels. Priceless!
The president is constantly complaining about what others are saying about him. He is upset at Fox News, and conservative talk radio, and Republicans, and people carrying unflattering posters of him. He gets upset when his avalanche of faulty facts are challenged, like on health care. He gets upset when he is called on his hypocrisy, on everything from breaking his promise not to hire lobbyists in the White House to broadcasting health care meetings on C-SPAN to not curtailing earmarks to failing in his promises of transparency and bipartisanship.
In Obama's eyes, he is always the aggrieved, always the violated, always the victim of some injustice. He is America's virtuous and valorous hero, a man of unusually pure motives and uncommon wisdom, under assault by the forces of darkness.
It is all so darn unfair. (Peter Wehner, Politicsdaily.com, 5/28/10)
Onward to Priority #1!
RedStateVT received a mailer from a Democrat congressman this past week. The title: “A job creation update.” We guess with healthcare passed, Dems are now moving on to Priority #1. On the cover? A couple of workers installing solar panels. Priceless!
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