Kiss of Death
Mayor Bob Kiss is poised to name Scott Carr, the former director of the Amarillo, Texas, airport, as the new director of Burlington International Airport. Carr has left his two previous positions amid questions:
• His tenure at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport concluded in August with a confidentiality agreement, a hefty severance package and circumstances that Carr said Wednesday he is unable to discuss.
• Previously, his handling of invoices was the subject of an investigation by the Florida Department of Transportation's Inspector General at a time when Carr was director of the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Fla. Carr says he got "a bum rap" in that case.
In Burlington, Carr will take over management of an airport that had its credit rating slashed to junk bond level last fall by Moody's Investors Service. Last week, Fitch Ratings downgraded its rating one step to BBB and revised its outlook for the airport's finances from "stable" to "negative." Fitch, unlike Moody's, retained an investment-grade rating for the airport. (Burlington Free Press, 3/31/11)
Did you leave your last job under a cloud of suspicion? If so, Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss has work for you!
The Black Seam
The New Hampshire House voted Wednesday to end the state's participation in a cap-and-trade program aimed at reducing carbon emissions. (Burlington Free Press, 3/30/11)
Well, at least one state gets it.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Who Said It...and When?
Fortunately, initial coalition military operations have gone well. Unfortunately, it is the nature of war that they will not always go well.
A) The Wall Street Journal editorial page after Bush invaded Iraq
B) The New York Times editorial page after Obama bombed Libya
If you said B) you are today’s winner!
(New York Times editorial, 3/29/11)
RedStateVT: These are indeed tough times to be a Liberal!
A) The Wall Street Journal editorial page after Bush invaded Iraq
B) The New York Times editorial page after Obama bombed Libya
If you said B) you are today’s winner!
(New York Times editorial, 3/29/11)
RedStateVT: These are indeed tough times to be a Liberal!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
All Down the Line
RedStateVT Explains
On Libya, Obama has put himself and the dwindling Liberals who still like him in the unenviable position of explaining how this is not Iraq and how he is not George Bush. Their logic either ignores the very things they said about Bush or is so nuanced as to be laughable. Witness:
Obama’s speech Monday was a lesson in how presidencies are a matter of trial and error. A candidate who came into office partly on the strength of his opposition to the Iraq war has ended up committing more American troops on more battlefields. Yet he does it, each time reluctantly, delaying and debating before sending the military.
And then there are the outright lies:
America won’t act as the world’s policeman, in other words. But it’s ready to act as “police chief,” in organizing international peacekeeping operations. (David Ignatius, Washington Post, 3/29/11)
If RedStateVT remembers correctly (after all it was only a few days ago) it was French president Sarkozy who played “police chief” with Obama in the role of the beat cop.
Free Fall
Sen. Claire McCaskill might want to strap on a parachute: The airplane she co-owns keeps flying through rough air. After reimbursing taxpayers $88,000 for using government funds to pay for campaign travel on the personal aircraft, the Missouri Democrat on Monday pulled out her checkbook again, this time to pay $287,000 in back property taxes on it. The amount covers taxes from 2007 to 2010. (Politicsdaily.com, 3/28/11)
It finally dawned on RedStateVT why rich Democrats never complain about high taxes like rich Republicans do. They don’t pay them! First we had John Kerry hiding his boat in Rhode Island to evade taxes and now McCaskill pulls the old “I forgot” routine.
On Libya, Obama has put himself and the dwindling Liberals who still like him in the unenviable position of explaining how this is not Iraq and how he is not George Bush. Their logic either ignores the very things they said about Bush or is so nuanced as to be laughable. Witness:
Obama’s speech Monday was a lesson in how presidencies are a matter of trial and error. A candidate who came into office partly on the strength of his opposition to the Iraq war has ended up committing more American troops on more battlefields. Yet he does it, each time reluctantly, delaying and debating before sending the military.
And then there are the outright lies:
America won’t act as the world’s policeman, in other words. But it’s ready to act as “police chief,” in organizing international peacekeeping operations. (David Ignatius, Washington Post, 3/29/11)
If RedStateVT remembers correctly (after all it was only a few days ago) it was French president Sarkozy who played “police chief” with Obama in the role of the beat cop.
Free Fall
Sen. Claire McCaskill might want to strap on a parachute: The airplane she co-owns keeps flying through rough air. After reimbursing taxpayers $88,000 for using government funds to pay for campaign travel on the personal aircraft, the Missouri Democrat on Monday pulled out her checkbook again, this time to pay $287,000 in back property taxes on it. The amount covers taxes from 2007 to 2010. (Politicsdaily.com, 3/28/11)
It finally dawned on RedStateVT why rich Democrats never complain about high taxes like rich Republicans do. They don’t pay them! First we had John Kerry hiding his boat in Rhode Island to evade taxes and now McCaskill pulls the old “I forgot” routine.
Monday, March 28, 2011
La La Land
Closeted
The vice president's press secretary has apologized to a local political reporter after he was kept in a storage closet during a Florida fundraiser. (Foxnews.com, 3/27/11)
Add abuse of the press to the list of offenses of the Obama administration. Of course, if this had happened under Bush, school children would be studying the event today along with Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement.
Thrice
For the third consecutive year, the tax deduction for charitable giving is in some policymakers’ sights – and nonprofit officials fear, given the belt-tightening mood in Washington, this time could be the charm….But with President Obama proposing once more to curtail the deduction, as he did in 2009 and 2010, and lawmakers indicating that very little is not on the table when it comes to deficit reduction and corporate tax reform, officials in the nonprofit sector feel more on the defensive than they have in previous years. (Thehill.com, 3/27/11)
RedStateVT does not know about you, but we are tired of the press endlessly harping on Obama’s plan to cut the tax deduction for charitable giving. Just kidding! The story has been ignored. Of course, if George Bush had proposed this, union activists and college students would be occupying the Capitol.
The vice president's press secretary has apologized to a local political reporter after he was kept in a storage closet during a Florida fundraiser. (Foxnews.com, 3/27/11)
Add abuse of the press to the list of offenses of the Obama administration. Of course, if this had happened under Bush, school children would be studying the event today along with Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement.
Thrice
For the third consecutive year, the tax deduction for charitable giving is in some policymakers’ sights – and nonprofit officials fear, given the belt-tightening mood in Washington, this time could be the charm….But with President Obama proposing once more to curtail the deduction, as he did in 2009 and 2010, and lawmakers indicating that very little is not on the table when it comes to deficit reduction and corporate tax reform, officials in the nonprofit sector feel more on the defensive than they have in previous years. (Thehill.com, 3/27/11)
RedStateVT does not know about you, but we are tired of the press endlessly harping on Obama’s plan to cut the tax deduction for charitable giving. Just kidding! The story has been ignored. Of course, if George Bush had proposed this, union activists and college students would be occupying the Capitol.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Shanghai Noodle Factory
Getting Religion
Vice President Joe Biden had a strong message for fellow Democrats on Friday: After Election Day, expect to keep a majority in Congress. "I'm here to tell you that on November 3, the day after this coming election, there will be in Washington, D.C., a Democratic majority in the House and a Democratic majority in the Senate," Biden said at the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. He joked, "and were it not illegal, I'd make book on it!" (CNN.com, 8/20/10)
Democrats are only four seats away from losing control of the Senate to Republicans in 2012, Vice President Biden warned supporters in a online appeal for donations Tuesday. (Politicsdaily.com, 3/22/11)
It is a good thing that RedStateVT remembers the things that politicians say!
Stranger to Himself
If President Barack Obama submits his intervention in Libya to Congress for its approval and he was still Senator Barack Obama, he would vote against his own use of force resolution. (DickMorris.com, 3/23/11)
RedStateVT says that he would either vote against it or would vote "present."
Vice President Joe Biden had a strong message for fellow Democrats on Friday: After Election Day, expect to keep a majority in Congress. "I'm here to tell you that on November 3, the day after this coming election, there will be in Washington, D.C., a Democratic majority in the House and a Democratic majority in the Senate," Biden said at the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. He joked, "and were it not illegal, I'd make book on it!" (CNN.com, 8/20/10)
Democrats are only four seats away from losing control of the Senate to Republicans in 2012, Vice President Biden warned supporters in a online appeal for donations Tuesday. (Politicsdaily.com, 3/22/11)
It is a good thing that RedStateVT remembers the things that politicians say!
Stranger to Himself
If President Barack Obama submits his intervention in Libya to Congress for its approval and he was still Senator Barack Obama, he would vote against his own use of force resolution. (DickMorris.com, 3/23/11)
RedStateVT says that he would either vote against it or would vote "present."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
More Than A Feeling
Déjà vu
Because the bombardment of Libya has begun and the no-fly zone is in place, there is no point now in arguing the case for or against intervention. We have intervened, and, for better or for worse, we will now be partly responsible for the outcome — and one of the ways in which we can promote a better outcome is to make sure we keep expectations low. (Anne Applebaum, Washington Post, 3/21/11)
This is exactly what Liberals were saying when Bush/Cheney attacked Afghanistan and Iraq. Just kidding!
Outside
Days after saying that President Obama’s authorization of U.S. intervention in Libya is an “impeachable offense,” Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is now using his criticism of the president in a fundraising appeal. Kucinich posted a video message on his campaign Web site Monday in which he asks supporters for campaign contributions and charges that the Obama administration’s decision to intervene in Libya was “outside the Constitution of the United States.” (Washington Post, 3/22/11)
Stories like this give RedStateVT reason to get up in the morning.
3% Solution
For instance, nearly 12,500 Americans have joined high-risk pools that were created to cover people who were rejected by insurance companies because of medical problems. The enrollment so far is about 3 percent of government forecasts.…Against that backdrop of public uncertainty, proponents are using this week to highlight what they call the legislation’s benefits. “I’ve really been able to see firsthand how the new law is already helping Americans get the treatment and medicine they need,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a conference call Tuesday with journalists and older Americans. (Washington Post, 3/22/11)
Who exactly is it that Sebelius sees? Is it the 3%?
Because the bombardment of Libya has begun and the no-fly zone is in place, there is no point now in arguing the case for or against intervention. We have intervened, and, for better or for worse, we will now be partly responsible for the outcome — and one of the ways in which we can promote a better outcome is to make sure we keep expectations low. (Anne Applebaum, Washington Post, 3/21/11)
This is exactly what Liberals were saying when Bush/Cheney attacked Afghanistan and Iraq. Just kidding!
Outside
Days after saying that President Obama’s authorization of U.S. intervention in Libya is an “impeachable offense,” Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is now using his criticism of the president in a fundraising appeal. Kucinich posted a video message on his campaign Web site Monday in which he asks supporters for campaign contributions and charges that the Obama administration’s decision to intervene in Libya was “outside the Constitution of the United States.” (Washington Post, 3/22/11)
Stories like this give RedStateVT reason to get up in the morning.
3% Solution
For instance, nearly 12,500 Americans have joined high-risk pools that were created to cover people who were rejected by insurance companies because of medical problems. The enrollment so far is about 3 percent of government forecasts.…Against that backdrop of public uncertainty, proponents are using this week to highlight what they call the legislation’s benefits. “I’ve really been able to see firsthand how the new law is already helping Americans get the treatment and medicine they need,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a conference call Tuesday with journalists and older Americans. (Washington Post, 3/22/11)
Who exactly is it that Sebelius sees? Is it the 3%?
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Who Said It?
The change that Obama promised has settled on us all like an irritating drizzle. His ideas were untested by either age or experience. It is one thing to decry American unilateralism and quite another to await international action when time is of the essence. It is not necessary for America
a) Rush Limbaugh
b) George Will
c) James Taranto
d) Liberal Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen
Monday, March 21, 2011
Salsa Time
Graphic photos showing U.S. troops and dead Afghans that the Army was keeping under wraps for a war crimes probe were carried by a German news organization Monday, with one showing a soldier smiling as he posed with a bloodied and partially clothed corpse. (AOLNews.com, 3/21/11)
Hats off to Boston columnist and radio talk show host Howie Carr for pointing out the latest example of media hypocrisy. Recall that Bush was excoriated for Abu Ghraib while Obama is given a free pass.
A hard-core group of liberal House Democrats is questioning the constitutionality of U.S. missile strikes against Libya, with one lawmaker raising the prospect of impeachment during a Democratic Caucus conference call on Saturday. (Politico.com, 3/19/11)
Also calling for impeachment of Obama is Ralph Nader. Only thing left is a Code Pink protest.
Hats off to Boston columnist and radio talk show host Howie Carr for pointing out the latest example of media hypocrisy. Recall that Bush was excoriated for Abu Ghraib while Obama is given a free pass.
A hard-core group of liberal House Democrats is questioning the constitutionality of U.S. missile strikes against Libya, with one lawmaker raising the prospect of impeachment during a Democratic Caucus conference call on Saturday. (Politico.com, 3/19/11)
Also calling for impeachment of Obama is Ralph Nader. Only thing left is a Code Pink protest.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Big Light
Waived
Administration officials, labor unions and consumer advocates plan to celebrate the first anniversary with a week of events highlighting benefits of the law to consumers. But Senator Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming, the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, asked, “If the law is so good, why are so many waivers needed?” (NYT, 3/20/11)
Just another one of those questions that never gets answered.
Short Read
Governor Cuomo has vowed to make the tough decisions and not to be swayed by special-interest pleadings. But he is refusing to impose any new taxes or even continue a current surcharge on New York’s wealthiest and least vulnerable citizens. (NYT, 3/20)
Taking a page from Bernie Sanders’s playbook, the New York Times goes after fellow Dem Cuomo on his failure to tax the rich. (Note that Bernie’s playbook has two pages: page one – blame Bush; page two – tax the rich. This is the sum total of his contribution to the political dialog.)
That’s With a T
A new assessment of President Barack Obama's budget released Friday says the White House underestimates future budget deficits by more than $2 trillion over the upcoming decade. The estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that if Obama's February budget submission is enacted into law it would produce deficits totaling $9.5 trillion over 10 years—an average of almost $1 trillion a year. (Breitbart.com, 3/18/11)
Obama and the Dems basically gamed the CBO during the healthcare debate. It is basically a garbage in – garbage out exercise. They fed the CBO ten years of revenue and seven years of expenses and got the result they wanted. Apparently he thinks that no one noticed and so tries it again with his budget.
Administration officials, labor unions and consumer advocates plan to celebrate the first anniversary with a week of events highlighting benefits of the law to consumers. But Senator Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming, the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, asked, “If the law is so good, why are so many waivers needed?” (NYT, 3/20/11)
Just another one of those questions that never gets answered.
Short Read
Governor Cuomo has vowed to make the tough decisions and not to be swayed by special-interest pleadings. But he is refusing to impose any new taxes or even continue a current surcharge on New York’s wealthiest and least vulnerable citizens. (NYT, 3/20)
Taking a page from Bernie Sanders’s playbook, the New York Times goes after fellow Dem Cuomo on his failure to tax the rich. (Note that Bernie’s playbook has two pages: page one – blame Bush; page two – tax the rich. This is the sum total of his contribution to the political dialog.)
That’s With a T
A new assessment of President Barack Obama's budget released Friday says the White House underestimates future budget deficits by more than $2 trillion over the upcoming decade. The estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that if Obama's February budget submission is enacted into law it would produce deficits totaling $9.5 trillion over 10 years—an average of almost $1 trillion a year. (Breitbart.com, 3/18/11)
Obama and the Dems basically gamed the CBO during the healthcare debate. It is basically a garbage in – garbage out exercise. They fed the CBO ten years of revenue and seven years of expenses and got the result they wanted. Apparently he thinks that no one noticed and so tries it again with his budget.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Cripple Creek
For Want of a Nail
Yet despite a requirement in state law for municipalities to provide certified results of charter change votes to the Secretary of State within 10 days, Burlington hasn’t forwarded the Leopold-related charter change. “We’ve not received the proposed charter changes from Burlington as of yet,” State Archivist Gregory Sanford said Wednesday. Burlington Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Scott Schrader said the delay stems from the failure of city officials to type up the minutes of relevant City Council meetings that occurred as long as five months ago. (Burlington Free Press, 3/17/11)
The mind-boggling incompetence that is Burlington government continues.
Meet the New Phase (Same as the Old Phase)
This was the second time in 72 hours that Mr. Obama has spent an evening in Washington asking for campaign cash, and an indication that he has entered a new phase in his presidency. And he has recently restarted his out-of-town fund-raising efforts as well. (NYT, 3/16/11)
Glad to see that the president has his priorities in order: golf, NCAA picks, and now fund-raising. Meanwhile, in the Middle East and Japan….
Money March
The top contributors to President Obama’s re-election campaign were given an ambitious set of marching orders on Thursday, with an elite group of 450 donors each asked to raise $350,000 this year to help finance what is likely to be the most expensive political race in the nation’s history. (NYT, 3/17/11)
Party of the rich, fat cats, millionaires, Wall Street……
Yet despite a requirement in state law for municipalities to provide certified results of charter change votes to the Secretary of State within 10 days, Burlington hasn’t forwarded the Leopold-related charter change. “We’ve not received the proposed charter changes from Burlington as of yet,” State Archivist Gregory Sanford said Wednesday. Burlington Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Scott Schrader said the delay stems from the failure of city officials to type up the minutes of relevant City Council meetings that occurred as long as five months ago. (Burlington Free Press, 3/17/11)
The mind-boggling incompetence that is Burlington government continues.
Meet the New Phase (Same as the Old Phase)
This was the second time in 72 hours that Mr. Obama has spent an evening in Washington asking for campaign cash, and an indication that he has entered a new phase in his presidency. And he has recently restarted his out-of-town fund-raising efforts as well. (NYT, 3/16/11)
Glad to see that the president has his priorities in order: golf, NCAA picks, and now fund-raising. Meanwhile, in the Middle East and Japan….
Money March
The top contributors to President Obama’s re-election campaign were given an ambitious set of marching orders on Thursday, with an elite group of 450 donors each asked to raise $350,000 this year to help finance what is likely to be the most expensive political race in the nation’s history. (NYT, 3/17/11)
Party of the rich, fat cats, millionaires, Wall Street……
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Get Behind the Mule
Bayh Bayh Old Media
Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, an influential voice for moderation during his 12 years in the U.S. Senate, has signed on as a political commentator with Fox News. (PoliticsDaily.com, 3/16/11)
In a related story, NBC News has hired Ann Coulter as a commentator in an effort to give an opposing viewpoint to their reporting of the news. Just kidding!
Down in the Hold
Rows of boxes, crates and containers filled with weapons stretched out on a dock Wednesday alongside a ship commandeered by Israel's navy, a display of what Israel said was a shipment of arms, some sophisticated, to Palestinian militants in Gaza. (AOLNews, 3/16/11)
Remember that story from a while back about the terrible Israelis instituting a blockage of “humanitarian” supplies to the people of the Gaza Strip? Those peace loving Palestinians….
Old joke: How do you know that Hamas is lying? They open their mouths.
Truth to Power
Contrary to what the Obama administration would lead you to believe, most employees of the federal government do not have collective bargaining for wages and benefits. That means the budget reform plan we signed into law in Wisconsin on Friday is more generous than what President Obama offers federal employees. (Governor Scott Walker, Washington Post, 3/16/11)
Governor Walker is forced to write an Op-ed piece to tell you what the Post, Times and MSNBC will not tell you.
Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, an influential voice for moderation during his 12 years in the U.S. Senate, has signed on as a political commentator with Fox News. (PoliticsDaily.com, 3/16/11)
In a related story, NBC News has hired Ann Coulter as a commentator in an effort to give an opposing viewpoint to their reporting of the news. Just kidding!
Down in the Hold
Rows of boxes, crates and containers filled with weapons stretched out on a dock Wednesday alongside a ship commandeered by Israel's navy, a display of what Israel said was a shipment of arms, some sophisticated, to Palestinian militants in Gaza. (AOLNews, 3/16/11)
Remember that story from a while back about the terrible Israelis instituting a blockage of “humanitarian” supplies to the people of the Gaza Strip? Those peace loving Palestinians….
Old joke: How do you know that Hamas is lying? They open their mouths.
Truth to Power
Contrary to what the Obama administration would lead you to believe, most employees of the federal government do not have collective bargaining for wages and benefits. That means the budget reform plan we signed into law in Wisconsin on Friday is more generous than what President Obama offers federal employees. (Governor Scott Walker, Washington Post, 3/16/11)
Governor Walker is forced to write an Op-ed piece to tell you what the Post, Times and MSNBC will not tell you.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Cri de Coeur
The weekend decision (Arab League call for a Libyan no-fly zone) confirmed what we've heard privately from Arab leaders for years about America's continued engagement in the Middle East. The only people who suffer from an "Iraq syndrome" are American liberals and the Western European chattering classes. The pro-Western Gulf or North African allied states have nothing to gain in seeing American influence or military power devalued in their region—either by others, or as is the current fad in Washington, through American self-abnegation. (WSJ, 3/16/11)
Great comment which raises two interesting follow-up questions:
Why is so much heed paid to “American liberals and Western European chattering classes?”
Where are the Arab leaders who will stand up and publicly pronounce what they admit privately?
Great comment which raises two interesting follow-up questions:
Why is so much heed paid to “American liberals and Western European chattering classes?”
Where are the Arab leaders who will stand up and publicly pronounce what they admit privately?
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Who Said It?
The trouble, of course, is that if (alleged traitor Bradley) Manning did what he is accused of doing, he has almost certainly done more harm than good to the cause of government openness.
a) Michelle Malkin
b) Glen Beck
c) Charles Krauthammer
d) Liberal Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank
e) Rush Limbaugh
If you guessed d) you are today’s winner!
Washington Post, 3/14/11
a) Michelle Malkin
b) Glen Beck
c) Charles Krauthammer
d) Liberal Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank
e) Rush Limbaugh
If you guessed d) you are today’s winner!
Washington Post, 3/14/11
Monday, March 14, 2011
Mud Season
One Year After Obamacare (Part 6)
The former director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, says that the costs of ObamaCare are set to explode when employers opt to drop coverage and send their workers to the new, federally subsidized health exchanges for coverage. He estimates that this will drive up the cost of the law by $1 trillion or more in the first 10 years. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
One Better
(Maryland) lawmakers are addressing the reality that the undocumented are here to stay, and pushing for measures that will make them more productive members of society. There are few more compelling examples of the wisdom of that approach than helping undocumented high school graduates go to college. Giving such students a leg up by granting them reduced, in-state tuition rates could give them a brighter, more affluent future, benefiting their communities, their states and the nation. (Washington Post, 3/14/11)
RedStateVT notes that those illegals getting reduced college tuition are going to need housing, food and transportation. As such, we recommend additional subsidies to cover these costs….in a display of (even more) compelling wisdom.
And what about those families working two or three jobs to pay for their children's college and those students who take out loans to finance their education? Surely they will see the compelling wisdom of what these intrepid lawmakers are proposing.
The former director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, says that the costs of ObamaCare are set to explode when employers opt to drop coverage and send their workers to the new, federally subsidized health exchanges for coverage. He estimates that this will drive up the cost of the law by $1 trillion or more in the first 10 years. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
One Better
(Maryland) lawmakers are addressing the reality that the undocumented are here to stay, and pushing for measures that will make them more productive members of society. There are few more compelling examples of the wisdom of that approach than helping undocumented high school graduates go to college. Giving such students a leg up by granting them reduced, in-state tuition rates could give them a brighter, more affluent future, benefiting their communities, their states and the nation. (Washington Post, 3/14/11)
RedStateVT notes that those illegals getting reduced college tuition are going to need housing, food and transportation. As such, we recommend additional subsidies to cover these costs….in a display of (even more) compelling wisdom.
And what about those families working two or three jobs to pay for their children's college and those students who take out loans to finance their education? Surely they will see the compelling wisdom of what these intrepid lawmakers are proposing.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Lost Hour
One Year After Obamacare (Part 5)
Many thousands of people are already losing the health insurance they have now as companies are exiting markets for individual, small group and Medicare Advantage coverage. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
Shilling for Obama
The Middle East is aflame and gas prices are through the roof. How does the New York Times respond? It’s all George Bush’s fault. Roll the clock forward. The Middle East is aflame and gas prices are through the roof. How does the New York Times respond?
--Obama Seeks a Course of Pragmatism in the Middle East (NYT, 3/10/11)
--U.S. Economy Is Better Prepared for Rising Gas Costs (NYT, 3/9/11)
Great News!
…the president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy told the hearing that the radicalization of Muslim Americans is a "significant" problem that only the Muslim community can resolve, instead of claiming victimization when concerns are raised. "We can close our eyes and pretend it doesn't exist," said Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, who is Muslim. "You're not going to solve the problem and the problem is increasing exponentially." Jasser called radicalization "a moral corruption within a certain segment" that is using the Islamic religion to spread its message. Countering such efforts would require teaching Muslim Americans about American principles of liberty and "separation of mosque and state," he said, with a goal of allowing true Muslim reformists to gain a voice in the debate, instead of what he called Islamic revivalists clinging to traditional models that mix religion and government. Noting the controversy over addressing the issue, Jasser said "I hope that you develop the political will to deal with this problem." (CNN.com, 3/12/11)
Moderate Muslims have been found…and they recognize the danger of radical Islam. Let’s hope the Democrats were listening.
Many thousands of people are already losing the health insurance they have now as companies are exiting markets for individual, small group and Medicare Advantage coverage. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
Shilling for Obama
The Middle East is aflame and gas prices are through the roof. How does the New York Times respond? It’s all George Bush’s fault. Roll the clock forward. The Middle East is aflame and gas prices are through the roof. How does the New York Times respond?
--Obama Seeks a Course of Pragmatism in the Middle East (NYT, 3/10/11)
--U.S. Economy Is Better Prepared for Rising Gas Costs (NYT, 3/9/11)
Great News!
…the president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy told the hearing that the radicalization of Muslim Americans is a "significant" problem that only the Muslim community can resolve, instead of claiming victimization when concerns are raised. "We can close our eyes and pretend it doesn't exist," said Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, who is Muslim. "You're not going to solve the problem and the problem is increasing exponentially." Jasser called radicalization "a moral corruption within a certain segment" that is using the Islamic religion to spread its message. Countering such efforts would require teaching Muslim Americans about American principles of liberty and "separation of mosque and state," he said, with a goal of allowing true Muslim reformists to gain a voice in the debate, instead of what he called Islamic revivalists clinging to traditional models that mix religion and government. Noting the controversy over addressing the issue, Jasser said "I hope that you develop the political will to deal with this problem." (CNN.com, 3/12/11)
Moderate Muslims have been found…and they recognize the danger of radical Islam. Let’s hope the Democrats were listening.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Shake it to the Left, Shake it to the Right
One Year After Obamacare (Part 4)
Seniors are at risk of losing access to physicians and medical care. Medicare actuaries say that the cuts built into the law will force as many as 40% of providers to eventually stop seeing Medicare patients or go bankrupt. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
Matt the Hoople
First, we'd reduce our dependence on oil. Second, we'd create market incentives to invest in clean energy. And third, we'd raise much-needed revenue to shrink our budget deficit. As a bonus, we might eventually stop sending young Americans to die for oil in the Persian Gulf, too! (Matt Miller, Washington Post, 3/10/11)
Moonbat Matt wants higher gasoline taxes. RedStateVT responds: First, start drilling in the U.S., there is plenty of oil here. Second, there are already plenty of incentives (and subsidies) for clean energy. Third, higher taxes on gasoline will hit the working class hardest – these are the people that Matt claims to love. Fourth, American soldiers aren’t in the Middle East to steal the oil you silly man. They are there to stop the Muslims from coming to America to kill us.
The (Continuing) Education of Barack Obama
Mr. Gates made clear that the initial American troop withdrawals ordered for July by President Obama would be limited, perhaps to no more than several thousand troops. Pointedly, he told NATO that “we will not sacrifice the significant gains made to date, or the lives lost, for a political gesture.” (NYT, 3/11/11)
Barack Obama is……George Bush and Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld.
Seniors are at risk of losing access to physicians and medical care. Medicare actuaries say that the cuts built into the law will force as many as 40% of providers to eventually stop seeing Medicare patients or go bankrupt. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
Matt the Hoople
First, we'd reduce our dependence on oil. Second, we'd create market incentives to invest in clean energy. And third, we'd raise much-needed revenue to shrink our budget deficit. As a bonus, we might eventually stop sending young Americans to die for oil in the Persian Gulf, too! (Matt Miller, Washington Post, 3/10/11)
Moonbat Matt wants higher gasoline taxes. RedStateVT responds: First, start drilling in the U.S., there is plenty of oil here. Second, there are already plenty of incentives (and subsidies) for clean energy. Third, higher taxes on gasoline will hit the working class hardest – these are the people that Matt claims to love. Fourth, American soldiers aren’t in the Middle East to steal the oil you silly man. They are there to stop the Muslims from coming to America to kill us.
The (Continuing) Education of Barack Obama
Mr. Gates made clear that the initial American troop withdrawals ordered for July by President Obama would be limited, perhaps to no more than several thousand troops. Pointedly, he told NATO that “we will not sacrifice the significant gains made to date, or the lives lost, for a political gesture.” (NYT, 3/11/11)
Barack Obama is……George Bush and Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Who Said It?
To ignore the religious nature of the terrorist threat is to succumb to politically correct delusion. To ignore the homegrown religious nature of the terrorist threat is to succumb even further.
a) Liberal Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus
b) Donald Rumsfeld
c) Dick Cheney
d) George Will
e) Dick Morris
If you guessed a) you are today’s winner!
Washington Post, 3/9/11)
a) Liberal Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus
b) Donald Rumsfeld
c) Dick Cheney
d) George Will
e) Dick Morris
If you guessed a) you are today’s winner!
Washington Post, 3/9/11)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Howling at the Moon
One Year After Obamacare (Part 3)
Independent experts have shown that the cost of health insurance will rise faster than it would have without the law. The Congressional Budget Office expects the price of a family policy in the individual market to be $2,100 higher by 2016 than it would have been had the law not passed. In at least 20 states, it's now impossible to buy child-only health insurance because of Ms. Sebelius's onerous new rules. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
There’s Reality and Then There’s……
In reality, state employees have paid 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health insurance since 2007, in addition to co-payments and deductibles, and since last spring, many local government workers, including teachers, do as well. (NYT, 3/10/11)
The Republican smear piece in the New York Times today focuses on inaccuracies in the statements of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie apparently has said that state workers pay nothing for health insurance. Those crusading journalists at the Times have uncovered the shocker that, in fact, they pay 1.5%! Never mind that most private sector workers would consider 1.5% to be “nothing.” This is Pulitzer Prize territory for sure.
Frightening If True
The problem with Mr. Obama isn't that he functions far outside the Democratic mainstream. The real problem is that mainstream itself, a toxic stew of dysfunctional and discredited notions that have flopped reliably whenever they've been employed. (Michael Medved, WSJ, 3/9/11)
Thought-provoking piece by Medved. Obama is not a radical. He fits perfectly within the framework of the modern Democrat party. Now that’s scary!
Read Carefully
The bill makes significant changes to most public-sector union rules, limiting collective bargaining to matters of wages and limiting raises to changes in the Consumer Price Index unless the public approves higher raises in a referendum. It requires most unions to hold votes annually to determine whether most workers still wish to be members. And it ends the state’s collection of union dues from paychecks. (NYT, 3/10/11)
Read carefully and then re-read. This is what the Left is howling about in Wisconsin. Are they kidding?
Independent experts have shown that the cost of health insurance will rise faster than it would have without the law. The Congressional Budget Office expects the price of a family policy in the individual market to be $2,100 higher by 2016 than it would have been had the law not passed. In at least 20 states, it's now impossible to buy child-only health insurance because of Ms. Sebelius's onerous new rules. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
There’s Reality and Then There’s……
In reality, state employees have paid 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health insurance since 2007, in addition to co-payments and deductibles, and since last spring, many local government workers, including teachers, do as well. (NYT, 3/10/11)
The Republican smear piece in the New York Times today focuses on inaccuracies in the statements of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie apparently has said that state workers pay nothing for health insurance. Those crusading journalists at the Times have uncovered the shocker that, in fact, they pay 1.5%! Never mind that most private sector workers would consider 1.5% to be “nothing.” This is Pulitzer Prize territory for sure.
Frightening If True
The problem with Mr. Obama isn't that he functions far outside the Democratic mainstream. The real problem is that mainstream itself, a toxic stew of dysfunctional and discredited notions that have flopped reliably whenever they've been employed. (Michael Medved, WSJ, 3/9/11)
Thought-provoking piece by Medved. Obama is not a radical. He fits perfectly within the framework of the modern Democrat party. Now that’s scary!
Read Carefully
The bill makes significant changes to most public-sector union rules, limiting collective bargaining to matters of wages and limiting raises to changes in the Consumer Price Index unless the public approves higher raises in a referendum. It requires most unions to hold votes annually to determine whether most workers still wish to be members. And it ends the state’s collection of union dues from paychecks. (NYT, 3/10/11)
Read carefully and then re-read. This is what the Left is howling about in Wisconsin. Are they kidding?
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Who Said It?
It was another important moment in the education of Barack Obama. He began his presidency with a pledge to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay within a year. Within months, he realized that was impossible. And now he has essentially formalized George W. Bush's detention policy.
a) George Will
b) Sean Hannity
c) Ann Coulter
d) Michelle Malkin
e) Liberal Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank
If you guessed e) you are today’s winner!
Washington Post, 3/8/11
a) George Will
b) Sean Hannity
c) Ann Coulter
d) Michelle Malkin
e) Liberal Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank
If you guessed e) you are today’s winner!
Washington Post, 3/8/11
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
When the Wind Blows
One Year After Obamacare (Part 2)
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has handed out nearly 1,000 waivers to allow select companies, unions and states to escape, at least temporarily, some of the burdensome new insurance rules she has created. This is a continuation of the trend of the "Cornhusker Kickback" and the "Louisiana Purchase" that Senate Democrats used to get the law passed in the first place, and that so disgusted the American people. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
Radical Thought
Notice that the hearing is solely about Muslims. It might be perfectly legitimate for the Homeland Security Committee to investigate violent radicalism in America among a wide variety of groups, but that doesn’t seem to be Mr. King’s real interest. (NYT, 3/8/11)
RedStateVT recommends that – in fairness - Representative Peter King expand his investigation of radical religious groups to include, say, radical Methodists. You know, the Methodists who are hijacking planes and killing Americans.
By the way, the New York Times today had three pieces – three! – on the demonization of Muslims.
Explicit Failure
President Obama on Monday reversed his two-year-old order halting new military charges against detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, permitting military trials to resume with revamped procedures but implicitly admitting the failure of his pledge to close the prison camp. (NYT, 3/8/11)
The President also issued an apology to former President Bush and Vice-President Cheney for his mischaracterization of their actions with respect to Guantanamo Bay during the 2008 elections. Just kidding!
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has handed out nearly 1,000 waivers to allow select companies, unions and states to escape, at least temporarily, some of the burdensome new insurance rules she has created. This is a continuation of the trend of the "Cornhusker Kickback" and the "Louisiana Purchase" that Senate Democrats used to get the law passed in the first place, and that so disgusted the American people. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
Radical Thought
Notice that the hearing is solely about Muslims. It might be perfectly legitimate for the Homeland Security Committee to investigate violent radicalism in America among a wide variety of groups, but that doesn’t seem to be Mr. King’s real interest. (NYT, 3/8/11)
RedStateVT recommends that – in fairness - Representative Peter King expand his investigation of radical religious groups to include, say, radical Methodists. You know, the Methodists who are hijacking planes and killing Americans.
By the way, the New York Times today had three pieces – three! – on the demonization of Muslims.
Explicit Failure
President Obama on Monday reversed his two-year-old order halting new military charges against detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, permitting military trials to resume with revamped procedures but implicitly admitting the failure of his pledge to close the prison camp. (NYT, 3/8/11)
The President also issued an apology to former President Bush and Vice-President Cheney for his mischaracterization of their actions with respect to Guantanamo Bay during the 2008 elections. Just kidding!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Get Yer Ya-Yas Out!
One Year After Obamacare (Part 1)
More than half the states—28 and counting—are challenging the law in court, saying that it violates the constitutional rights of their citizens and the sovereignty of the states. A new study from the Senate Finance and House Energy and Commerce Committees found that as a result of ObamaCare, budget-strapped states face at least $118 billion in unfunded mandates during the first 10 years after the law takes effect. (Grace-Marie Turner, Alex Cortes and Heather R. Higgins, WSJ, 3/7/11)
Standouts
Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty? Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels? Each would have to find a way to stand out from the crowd - and neither, frankly, has political gifts that approach Obama's. (Eugene Robinson, Washington Post, 2/28/11)
And pray tell, what might the “political gifts” of Obama actually be?
False Bargain
When governors negotiate with unions, it's not collective bargaining, it's more like collusion. Someone said last week the taxpayers aren't at the table. The taxpayers aren't even in the room. (Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 3/4/11)
Great column from Noonan.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Where's Waldo?
According to WCAX news: "Two months into his first term, Gov. Peter Shumlin, D-Vermont, is taking a vacation. His press secretary, Bianca Slota, said Shumlin left Thursday morning and is out of state until Tuesday night. Slota says she does not know where the Governor is vacationing." WCAX also reported that Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding does not know the Governor's whereabouts either, but said he can be reached by cell phone. (VTGOP.com, 3/5/11)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
March Madness
The Bush Legacy
Voices around the world, from Europe to America to Libya, are calling for U.S. intervention to help bring down Moammar Gaddafi. Yet for bringing down Saddam Hussein, the United States has been denounced variously for aggression, deception, arrogance and imperialism. (Charles Krauthammer, 3/4/11)
Suggestion. Obama gives his Nobel Peace Prize to George Bush.
Lack of Nuance
The clear and present danger to recovery, however, comes from politics — specifically, the demand from House Republicans that the government immediately slash spending on infant nutrition, disease control, clean water and more. (Paul Krugman, NYT, 3/4/11)
Discredited columnist Krugman pulls out a Democrat favorite: Evil Republicans out to harm children, women and the environment!
Good News Front
On Wednesday, the Army announced 22 additional charges against Private Manning, including “aiding the enemy.” (NYT, 3/4/11)
Voices around the world, from Europe to America to Libya, are calling for U.S. intervention to help bring down Moammar Gaddafi. Yet for bringing down Saddam Hussein, the United States has been denounced variously for aggression, deception, arrogance and imperialism. (Charles Krauthammer, 3/4/11)
Suggestion. Obama gives his Nobel Peace Prize to George Bush.
Lack of Nuance
The clear and present danger to recovery, however, comes from politics — specifically, the demand from House Republicans that the government immediately slash spending on infant nutrition, disease control, clean water and more. (Paul Krugman, NYT, 3/4/11)
Discredited columnist Krugman pulls out a Democrat favorite: Evil Republicans out to harm children, women and the environment!
Good News Front
On Wednesday, the Army announced 22 additional charges against Private Manning, including “aiding the enemy.” (NYT, 3/4/11)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Who Said It?
For a man who won office talking about change we can believe in, Barack Obama can be a strangely passive president. There are a startling number of occasions in which the president has been missing in action - unwilling, reluctant or late to weigh in on the issue of the moment. He is, too often, more reactive than inspirational, more cautious than forceful.
A) Tim Pawlenty
B) Ruth Marcus, liberal Washington Post columnist
C) Charles Krauthammer
D) Glen Beck
E) Mark Steyn
If you guessed B) you are today’s winner!
* Washington Post, 3/2/11
A) Tim Pawlenty
B) Ruth Marcus, liberal Washington Post columnist
C) Charles Krauthammer
D) Glen Beck
E) Mark Steyn
If you guessed B) you are today’s winner!
* Washington Post, 3/2/11
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Fellow Travelers Welcome
Ignoring entreaties from Mayor Bob Kiss, Burlington voters on Tuesday emphatically turned down a proposed city tax increase…..Kiss urged voters to support a general city tax increase of up to four cents — the first increase in his five years in office — to close a budget gap of $1.4 million. That question failed 4,047 to 1,849, with 68 percent voting against the increase. (Burlington Free Press, 3/2/11)
So it turns out that liberals don’t like tax increases either! Well done brothers!
So it turns out that liberals don’t like tax increases either! Well done brothers!
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