In The Midnight Hour
Minutes before the midnight deadline Thursday, President Obama approved a four-year extension of the government's Patriot Act powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists. (FoxNews.com, 5/27/11)
Kudos to President Obama. How do you know that this was the right thing to do? Simple, it was opposed by Bernie Sanders and the ACLU.
Unlucky In Love
The Fannie Mae executive who hired U.S. Rep. Barney Frank’s former lover was a campaign donor and once worked for the congressman — but denies the Newton Democrat’s recommendation played a role in the controversial 1991 hiring.
Gerald McMurray, a retired Fannie Mae senior vice president, told the Herald yesterday that Frank “didn’t have any influence” in the hiring of the congressman’s former companion, Herb Moses, to a position with the mortgage giant….
McMurray acknowledged Frank vouched for Moses but said Moses got the job because of his credentials. Moses was an economist for the Department of Agriculture and had just received a master’s degree in business from Dartmouth College….
McMurray said Moses mentioned Frank during their interview. (BostonHerald.com, 5/27/11)
As an openly gay liberal, Frank is part of a protected class when it comes to the media scrutiny that would be received by a conservative. Hence Frank gets a veritable pass for his transgressions while Sarah Palin is the subject of a three part investigative report to determine if she under tipped a bellhop. You’ll never see the appellation “scandal-ridden” or “ethically-challenged” next to Barney’s name. This despite a boyfriend running a male prostitution ring out of Barney’s basement, Barney’s claim that he did not realize that his boyfriend was growing dope in their summer home, and now this.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
RedStateVT Responds
Loyal reader Global View asks – in response to RedStateVT’s Health Care Questionnaire – how the average Joe can afford health insurance premiums. Thanks for the question…here is our response. The answer is actually found in the post itself. Position yourself in life – through the good choices you make – to be able to pay for the things you need. Focus on education, training, family, friends and church. Don’t have more wives or children than you can afford. Don’t be a slacker and then bemoan your status in life. You own it. In short, make good decisions.
RedStateVT believes that the answer to health care and health insurance is actually achieved through catastrophic insurance policies. With a higher annual deductible ($10,000 or higher) the average individual or family would be motivated to do the following: become a smarter consumer of medical services, focus on preventative care including diet and exercise and not live beyond their means (e.g. don’t buy the new pick-up truck, flat screen TV or Disney vacation before you have put aside money for health care.) Very high deductible policies are available and are affordable by anyone who lives responsibly.
RedStateVT believes that the answer to health care and health insurance is actually achieved through catastrophic insurance policies. With a higher annual deductible ($10,000 or higher) the average individual or family would be motivated to do the following: become a smarter consumer of medical services, focus on preventative care including diet and exercise and not live beyond their means (e.g. don’t buy the new pick-up truck, flat screen TV or Disney vacation before you have put aside money for health care.) Very high deductible policies are available and are affordable by anyone who lives responsibly.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
All in Good Time
Widespread Panic
That roster is causing a near panic among Washington Republicans. But really, it shouldn’t. That’s because the most likely Republican contenders have a lot more going for them than you would think from watching cable TV. For one thing, they’re all former governors, and governors generally make far more compelling presidential candidates than senators, who tend to speak like parchment scrolls, or, say, former big-city mayors who are used to getting their way all the time. (Not thinking of any Republican in particular here.) Governors tend to be pragmatic in a way that voters appreciate, and they can run as outsiders to Washington, which is the only way anyone can seem to become president anymore. (The Caucus, NYT, 5/25/11)
A moment of clarity.
Bibi the Magnificent
My friends, you don’t need to do nation building in Israel. We’re already built. You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve already got it. You don’t need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves. You’ve been very generous in giving us tools to do the job of defending Israel on our own. Thank you all, and thank you President Obama, for your steadfast commitment to Israel’s security. I know economic times are tough. I deeply appreciate this. (Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, 5/24/2011, full transcript at Newsbusters.org)
If you have not read the full transcript of Netanyahu’s speech, drop everything and do it now. It is a masterful work…and stunningly subtle in its rebuke to President Obama.
That roster is causing a near panic among Washington Republicans. But really, it shouldn’t. That’s because the most likely Republican contenders have a lot more going for them than you would think from watching cable TV. For one thing, they’re all former governors, and governors generally make far more compelling presidential candidates than senators, who tend to speak like parchment scrolls, or, say, former big-city mayors who are used to getting their way all the time. (Not thinking of any Republican in particular here.) Governors tend to be pragmatic in a way that voters appreciate, and they can run as outsiders to Washington, which is the only way anyone can seem to become president anymore. (The Caucus, NYT, 5/25/11)
A moment of clarity.
Bibi the Magnificent
My friends, you don’t need to do nation building in Israel. We’re already built. You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve already got it. You don’t need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves. You’ve been very generous in giving us tools to do the job of defending Israel on our own. Thank you all, and thank you President Obama, for your steadfast commitment to Israel’s security. I know economic times are tough. I deeply appreciate this. (Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, 5/24/2011, full transcript at Newsbusters.org)
If you have not read the full transcript of Netanyahu’s speech, drop everything and do it now. It is a masterful work…and stunningly subtle in its rebuke to President Obama.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Like A Sixties Weekend
Let the Sun Shine
From one of their first meetings, at the King David Hotel on July 23, 2008, when Mr. Obama, then the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, visited Israel, the two men have struck, at most, an intellectual bond. Mr. Netanyahu, as the leader of Israel’s conservative Likud Party, was far more comfortable with the Republican Party in the United States than with Mr. Obama, the son of a Muslim man from Kenya whose introduction to the Arab-Israeli conflict was initially framed by discussions with pro-Palestinian academics. (NYT, 5/19/2011)
Every once in a rare while a brief ray of journalistic clarity appears – like sunlight shining through a dark cloud. So if Obama was schooled by “pro-Palestinian academics” what other doctrines of liberal thought did he absorb?
Let Their People Go
Conditions in California’s overcrowded prisons are so bad that they violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday, ordering the state to reduce its prison population by more than 30,000 inmates. …..The court’s more liberal members — Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan — joined Justice Kennedy’s opinion. (NYT, 5/19/2011)
Next up for the little darlings: the right to vote...for the same liberals who freed them! (Victims of their crimes could not be reached for comment.)
Found: The Global Warming Theory of Anything (and Everything)
Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week’s shots from Joplin, Mo, you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala, or the enormous outbreak a couple of weeks before that (which, together, comprised the most active April for tornadoes in U.S. history). No, that doesn’t mean a thing. (Bill McKibben, Washington Post, 5/23/2011)
Vermont’s own enviro-alarmist McKibben writes of the recent tornados which apparently were caused by global warming. (The piece is written tongue-in-cheek; hence he IS drawing the connection). Which is where the alarmists are now. It is no longer that global warming is making the planet warmer – they cannot explain what happens when it gets colder – it is that global warming can now explain ANY extreme weather! What a wonderful position to be in; you now have the long-awaited theory of everything. But wait, what is this?
This year is an extraordinary outlier," said Harold Brooks, research meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma…..But when scientists examine the most complete records available and adjust for changes in how tornadoes were reported over time, "we see no correlation between global or US national temperature and tornado occurrence," Brooks said. (The Vancouver Sun, 5/23/2011)
From one of their first meetings, at the King David Hotel on July 23, 2008, when Mr. Obama, then the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, visited Israel, the two men have struck, at most, an intellectual bond. Mr. Netanyahu, as the leader of Israel’s conservative Likud Party, was far more comfortable with the Republican Party in the United States than with Mr. Obama, the son of a Muslim man from Kenya whose introduction to the Arab-Israeli conflict was initially framed by discussions with pro-Palestinian academics. (NYT, 5/19/2011)
Every once in a rare while a brief ray of journalistic clarity appears – like sunlight shining through a dark cloud. So if Obama was schooled by “pro-Palestinian academics” what other doctrines of liberal thought did he absorb?
Let Their People Go
Conditions in California’s overcrowded prisons are so bad that they violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday, ordering the state to reduce its prison population by more than 30,000 inmates. …..The court’s more liberal members — Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan — joined Justice Kennedy’s opinion. (NYT, 5/19/2011)
Next up for the little darlings: the right to vote...for the same liberals who freed them! (Victims of their crimes could not be reached for comment.)
Found: The Global Warming Theory of Anything (and Everything)
Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week’s shots from Joplin, Mo, you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala, or the enormous outbreak a couple of weeks before that (which, together, comprised the most active April for tornadoes in U.S. history). No, that doesn’t mean a thing. (Bill McKibben, Washington Post, 5/23/2011)
Vermont’s own enviro-alarmist McKibben writes of the recent tornados which apparently were caused by global warming. (The piece is written tongue-in-cheek; hence he IS drawing the connection). Which is where the alarmists are now. It is no longer that global warming is making the planet warmer – they cannot explain what happens when it gets colder – it is that global warming can now explain ANY extreme weather! What a wonderful position to be in; you now have the long-awaited theory of everything. But wait, what is this?
This year is an extraordinary outlier," said Harold Brooks, research meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma…..But when scientists examine the most complete records available and adjust for changes in how tornadoes were reported over time, "we see no correlation between global or US national temperature and tornado occurrence," Brooks said. (The Vancouver Sun, 5/23/2011)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
A RedStateVT Health Insurance Questionnaire
You say that you cannot afford health insurance. Please answer the following questions:
Are you aware that many companies offer health insurance as an employee benefit? Have you tried getting a job with one of these companies? Are you willing to relocate to take a job with a company that offers a health insurance benefit? If not, why not?
Are you aware that you can purchase an individual health insurance policy directly from an insurance company? Would you be willing to forgo certain things in order to afford the premiums for such a policy? For example, would you be willing to use public transportation instead of your car? Would you be willing to forgo vacations? Would you be willing to cut back on certain other discretionary expenses (e.g. eating out, entertainment, etc.)? If not, why not?
If you are married and cannot afford health insurance for you and your spouse, did you consider the necessity for health insurance before you decided to get married? If not, why not?
If you have children and cannot afford health insurance, did you consider the necessity for health insurance before you decided to have children. If not, why not?
If you feel that you do not make enough money to afford health insurance, did you study as hard as you could in school in order to better yourself and improve your odds of getting a good job? What are you doing currently to improve yourself in order to be more successful in your career, make more money, and be able to afford health insurance? Please be specific.
Do you feel that other people should pay for your health insurance? If so, why?
Are you aware that many companies offer health insurance as an employee benefit? Have you tried getting a job with one of these companies? Are you willing to relocate to take a job with a company that offers a health insurance benefit? If not, why not?
Are you aware that you can purchase an individual health insurance policy directly from an insurance company? Would you be willing to forgo certain things in order to afford the premiums for such a policy? For example, would you be willing to use public transportation instead of your car? Would you be willing to forgo vacations? Would you be willing to cut back on certain other discretionary expenses (e.g. eating out, entertainment, etc.)? If not, why not?
If you are married and cannot afford health insurance for you and your spouse, did you consider the necessity for health insurance before you decided to get married? If not, why not?
If you have children and cannot afford health insurance, did you consider the necessity for health insurance before you decided to have children. If not, why not?
If you feel that you do not make enough money to afford health insurance, did you study as hard as you could in school in order to better yourself and improve your odds of getting a good job? What are you doing currently to improve yourself in order to be more successful in your career, make more money, and be able to afford health insurance? Please be specific.
Do you feel that other people should pay for your health insurance? If so, why?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Well All Right
Ripped
While Democrats rip into oil and gas companies for failing to pay their "fair share" because of tax breaks Congress gave them, another special interest break they're not talking about is the billions of dollars worth of gold, silver, uranium and other minerals that mining companies take off federal lands for which they pay nothing. (Foxnews.com, 5/18/11)
Article goes on to explain that Nevada Senator Harry Reid is the chief protector of the mining companies. Which begs the question of whether Bernie Sanders will call for the companies to pay their fair share of taxes. We’ll wait, but we won’t hold our breath.
Fumed
On Tuesday, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and 16 members of the state’s Congressional delegation sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and other regulators expressing concern that proposed Dodd-Frank rules governing derivative contracts could put U.S. banks at a competitive disadvantage to their foreign competitors …..Many Wall Street lobbyists fumed during the Dodd-Frank conference that members of their home state delegation were not fighting against proposals the lobbyists said would badly hurt U.S. banks. And the GOP staff members suggested the letter was now an attempt to woo back financial industry support after the fact. (Politico.com, 5/18/11)
Financial services….another industry that the Dems beat up on as the embodiment of all things evil. Until that is, they realized that the campaign contributions from these companies were going to dry up!
While Democrats rip into oil and gas companies for failing to pay their "fair share" because of tax breaks Congress gave them, another special interest break they're not talking about is the billions of dollars worth of gold, silver, uranium and other minerals that mining companies take off federal lands for which they pay nothing. (Foxnews.com, 5/18/11)
Article goes on to explain that Nevada Senator Harry Reid is the chief protector of the mining companies. Which begs the question of whether Bernie Sanders will call for the companies to pay their fair share of taxes. We’ll wait, but we won’t hold our breath.
Fumed
On Tuesday, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and 16 members of the state’s Congressional delegation sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and other regulators expressing concern that proposed Dodd-Frank rules governing derivative contracts could put U.S. banks at a competitive disadvantage to their foreign competitors …..Many Wall Street lobbyists fumed during the Dodd-Frank conference that members of their home state delegation were not fighting against proposals the lobbyists said would badly hurt U.S. banks. And the GOP staff members suggested the letter was now an attempt to woo back financial industry support after the fact. (Politico.com, 5/18/11)
Financial services….another industry that the Dems beat up on as the embodiment of all things evil. Until that is, they realized that the campaign contributions from these companies were going to dry up!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Paint By Numbers
Barrel Roll
The nation’s major health insurers are barreling into a third year of record profits, enriched in recent months by a lingering recessionary mind-set among Americans who are postponing or forgoing medical care. (NYT, 5/13/11)
There is nothing the Times hates more than companies making money…….
To Recant or Not to Recant
To win a Republican nomination, a candidate has to move right, recant absolutely any past position that violates the current conservative catechism and never dare to speak the truth that solving our deficit problem will require new revenue — a.k.a. taxes. (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post, 5/15/11)
Dionne excoriates Republican candidates for hewing to party-line views. Democratic candidates never do this which is why John Kerry did not say that he was for the war before he was against it and why Hillary Clinton did not repudiate her previous pro-war position. Just kidding!
The nation’s major health insurers are barreling into a third year of record profits, enriched in recent months by a lingering recessionary mind-set among Americans who are postponing or forgoing medical care. (NYT, 5/13/11)
There is nothing the Times hates more than companies making money…….
To Recant or Not to Recant
To win a Republican nomination, a candidate has to move right, recant absolutely any past position that violates the current conservative catechism and never dare to speak the truth that solving our deficit problem will require new revenue — a.k.a. taxes. (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post, 5/15/11)
Dionne excoriates Republican candidates for hewing to party-line views. Democratic candidates never do this which is why John Kerry did not say that he was for the war before he was against it and why Hillary Clinton did not repudiate her previous pro-war position. Just kidding!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Road to Damascus
Drill, Baby, Drill
President Obama, facing voter anger over high gasoline prices and complaints from Republicans and business leaders that his policies are restricting the development of domestic energy resources, announced Saturday that he was taking several steps to speed oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters. (NYT, 5/14/11)
We smell a classic Obama head fake wherein he announces support for a groundswell issue (which contradicts his stated beliefs) and then fails to put any muscle behind it. But for now, we’ll say: good job.
All Relative
With a relatively weak field of (Republican) presidential contenders, focus is turning to the Senate as a way to increase power. (5/15/11)
If we count Romney, Pawlenty and Gingrich for starters, that “relatively weak” field of Repubs would include two governors and a former Speaker of the House. Contrast that line-up to the “strong” field the Dems have run in recent times including a junior Senator who skipped most of the Congressional votes, the wife of a former President, a UFO theorist and a charlatan preacher.
What The Kids Are Up To
RedStateVT just picked up the campus newspaper at one of our distinguished institutions of higher learning. The lead article described a recent rally in Washington all about “Climate Justice.” We learned that the little darlings are “inspired” and “united” and experienced “strange energy” all in the name of justice for the climate….or something like that. How could they not be moved? Among the speakers was “Ethanol Al” Gore who likely flew in on his Gulfstream jet from one of his many homes. One of the best comments was from a student who opined that the people were oppressed by the government. We wonder what President Obama would say?
Another article described a day dedicated to supporting the LBGT folks. We are not sure what all the letters mean, but believe it refers to alternate lifestyles. That’s fine with us, but with representation in all walks of life (entertainment, politics, entertainment, business, entertainment, sports, etc.) we wonder whether these alternate lifestyles are now already part of the culture. Do they really need their own day?
President Obama, facing voter anger over high gasoline prices and complaints from Republicans and business leaders that his policies are restricting the development of domestic energy resources, announced Saturday that he was taking several steps to speed oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters. (NYT, 5/14/11)
We smell a classic Obama head fake wherein he announces support for a groundswell issue (which contradicts his stated beliefs) and then fails to put any muscle behind it. But for now, we’ll say: good job.
All Relative
With a relatively weak field of (Republican) presidential contenders, focus is turning to the Senate as a way to increase power. (5/15/11)
If we count Romney, Pawlenty and Gingrich for starters, that “relatively weak” field of Repubs would include two governors and a former Speaker of the House. Contrast that line-up to the “strong” field the Dems have run in recent times including a junior Senator who skipped most of the Congressional votes, the wife of a former President, a UFO theorist and a charlatan preacher.
What The Kids Are Up To
RedStateVT just picked up the campus newspaper at one of our distinguished institutions of higher learning. The lead article described a recent rally in Washington all about “Climate Justice.” We learned that the little darlings are “inspired” and “united” and experienced “strange energy” all in the name of justice for the climate….or something like that. How could they not be moved? Among the speakers was “Ethanol Al” Gore who likely flew in on his Gulfstream jet from one of his many homes. One of the best comments was from a student who opined that the people were oppressed by the government. We wonder what President Obama would say?
Another article described a day dedicated to supporting the LBGT folks. We are not sure what all the letters mean, but believe it refers to alternate lifestyles. That’s fine with us, but with representation in all walks of life (entertainment, politics, entertainment, business, entertainment, sports, etc.) we wonder whether these alternate lifestyles are now already part of the culture. Do they really need their own day?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Onomatopoeia
Taxed Out
Between an aging population and rising health costs, then, preserving anything like the programs for seniors we now have will require a significant increase in spending on these programs as a percentage of G.D.P. And unless we offset that rise with drastic cuts in defense spending — which Republicans, needless to say, oppose — this means a substantial rise in overall spending, which we can afford only if taxes rise. (Thomas Friedman, NYT, 5/12/11)
Friedman’s latest column takes Republicans to task for threatening spending cuts that would put Granny out on the street. Typical of his writing, it is blatantly dishonest. Friedman admits that Social Security and Medicare spending is huge and growing. His answer: raise taxes. The Republican answer is to redesign the programs. RedStateVT has NEVER heard any legitimate Repub suggest that anyone currently receiving benefits should have those benefits cut. All proposals are to adjust the benefits going forward (yes, reduce and push out the eligibility) in order to make them sustainable in the long run. Making the changes now for those not yet receiving benefits will allow these future recipients the time to prepare (yes, save more). Following Friedman’s logic, taxes should just continue to rise in perpetuity to fund the programs. And notwithstanding his comment, Repubs HAVE said that cuts in defense spending should be considered.
Meet the New Ground (Same as the Old Ground)
The El Paso speech is notable not for breaking any new ground on immigration but for perfectly illustrating Obama’s political style: the professorial, almost therapeutic, invitation to civil discourse, wrapped around the basest of rhetorical devices — charges of malice compounded with accusations of bad faith. “They’ll never be satisfied,” said Obama about border control. “And I understand that. That’s politics.”
How understanding. The other side plays “politics,” Obama acts in the public interest. Their eyes are on poll numbers, political power, the next election; Obama’s rest fixedly on the little children. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 5/13/11)
Good capture of the essence of Obama.
Lawful Wars
President Obama and his legal advisers are deliberating about how the United States military may lawfully continue participating in NATO’s’s bombing campaign in Libya after next week, when the air war will reach a legal deadline for terminating combat operations that have not been authorized by Congress. (NYT, 5/13/11)
Like feminists who only object when a Republican acts in a sexist way, the anti-war Left is strangely silent.
Between an aging population and rising health costs, then, preserving anything like the programs for seniors we now have will require a significant increase in spending on these programs as a percentage of G.D.P. And unless we offset that rise with drastic cuts in defense spending — which Republicans, needless to say, oppose — this means a substantial rise in overall spending, which we can afford only if taxes rise. (Thomas Friedman, NYT, 5/12/11)
Friedman’s latest column takes Republicans to task for threatening spending cuts that would put Granny out on the street. Typical of his writing, it is blatantly dishonest. Friedman admits that Social Security and Medicare spending is huge and growing. His answer: raise taxes. The Republican answer is to redesign the programs. RedStateVT has NEVER heard any legitimate Repub suggest that anyone currently receiving benefits should have those benefits cut. All proposals are to adjust the benefits going forward (yes, reduce and push out the eligibility) in order to make them sustainable in the long run. Making the changes now for those not yet receiving benefits will allow these future recipients the time to prepare (yes, save more). Following Friedman’s logic, taxes should just continue to rise in perpetuity to fund the programs. And notwithstanding his comment, Repubs HAVE said that cuts in defense spending should be considered.
Meet the New Ground (Same as the Old Ground)
The El Paso speech is notable not for breaking any new ground on immigration but for perfectly illustrating Obama’s political style: the professorial, almost therapeutic, invitation to civil discourse, wrapped around the basest of rhetorical devices — charges of malice compounded with accusations of bad faith. “They’ll never be satisfied,” said Obama about border control. “And I understand that. That’s politics.”
How understanding. The other side plays “politics,” Obama acts in the public interest. Their eyes are on poll numbers, political power, the next election; Obama’s rest fixedly on the little children. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 5/13/11)
Good capture of the essence of Obama.
Lawful Wars
President Obama and his legal advisers are deliberating about how the United States military may lawfully continue participating in NATO’s’s bombing campaign in Libya after next week, when the air war will reach a legal deadline for terminating combat operations that have not been authorized by Congress. (NYT, 5/13/11)
Like feminists who only object when a Republican acts in a sexist way, the anti-war Left is strangely silent.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Testify
Paralyzed
White House officials had weighed a speech in which the president would link the upheaval to the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations — a process that seems, if anything, even more paralyzed after the recent agreement between the Palestinian Authority and the militant group Hamas. (NYT, 5/12/11)
Readers will recall that just a few days ago, former failed President Jimmy Carter was touting this alliance as the new path forward to peace. How can one man be so consistently wrong?
Kiss Off
….some Burlingtonians were livid when Mayor Bob Kiss announced a partnership late last year with Lockheed Martin, the military contractor, to work on clean-energy projects. (NYT, 5/12/11)
RedStateVT has been critical of Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss in the past, but in this instance we certainly feel his pain. So Lockheed Martin wants to work with the city on some silly green project. But the reflexology of the loony Left in Vermont thinks that is a bad thing, what with L-M being a military contractor and all. (Or as RedStateVT sees it, being a company that provides the tools to keep America safe.) Demonstrating once again – for the millionth, millionth time – the folks on the Left are about the most closed-minded you will ever find.
White House officials had weighed a speech in which the president would link the upheaval to the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations — a process that seems, if anything, even more paralyzed after the recent agreement between the Palestinian Authority and the militant group Hamas. (NYT, 5/12/11)
Readers will recall that just a few days ago, former failed President Jimmy Carter was touting this alliance as the new path forward to peace. How can one man be so consistently wrong?
Kiss Off
….some Burlingtonians were livid when Mayor Bob Kiss announced a partnership late last year with Lockheed Martin, the military contractor, to work on clean-energy projects. (NYT, 5/12/11)
RedStateVT has been critical of Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss in the past, but in this instance we certainly feel his pain. So Lockheed Martin wants to work with the city on some silly green project. But the reflexology of the loony Left in Vermont thinks that is a bad thing, what with L-M being a military contractor and all. (Or as RedStateVT sees it, being a company that provides the tools to keep America safe.) Demonstrating once again – for the millionth, millionth time – the folks on the Left are about the most closed-minded you will ever find.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Hawks and Doves
Newt for President
Newt Gingrich is in. After flirting for years with running for president, the former speaker of the House officially declared on Wednesday that he is a candidate for the Republican nomination, claiming the mantle of Ronald Reagan and urging Americans to “talk together, work together and find solutions together.” (NYT, 5/11/11)
Years ago RedStateVT was talking to the Master and Newt Gingrich’s name came up. RedStateVT was dismissive of Gingrich only to be counseled by the Master. “Forget everything you have heard about Newt and listen closely to him the next time he speaks.” The Master - who knew Newt well - was right and RedStateVT has been an admirer of Gingrich since that time. Interestingly, the Left is very negative about Gingrich because of issues in his personal life. Similar issues with Bill Clinton, however, were not a problem for the Left. Clinton, who cheated before and during his presidency is not judged, but Gingrich who confessed his sins, asked for forgiveness and converted to Catholicism is condemned.
Piece
WikiLeaks' Australian founder Julian Assange, who enraged Washington by publishing thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, was given a peace award on Tuesday for "exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights." (Reuters, 5/11/11)
Those whose lives were put in jeopardy by alleged rapist Assange could not be reached for comment.
Putting Out the Fire with Gasoline
With gas over $4/gallon and unable to blame Bush, Obama and the Dems are running scared. The Republican solution is easy, start drilling. Dems, claiming the mantle of environmental purity, forbid drilling anywhere in the U.S. (Apparently they don’t object to drilling in the Middle East, Mexico, South America or Canada because they never seem to raise any objections.) Using the type of reasoning by which great powers become also-rans, Dems say that we shouldn’t start drilling because it would have no immediate effect on the price of oil. Maybe they are on to something, what with the imminent arrival of the solar-powered automobile……….
Newt Gingrich is in. After flirting for years with running for president, the former speaker of the House officially declared on Wednesday that he is a candidate for the Republican nomination, claiming the mantle of Ronald Reagan and urging Americans to “talk together, work together and find solutions together.” (NYT, 5/11/11)
Years ago RedStateVT was talking to the Master and Newt Gingrich’s name came up. RedStateVT was dismissive of Gingrich only to be counseled by the Master. “Forget everything you have heard about Newt and listen closely to him the next time he speaks.” The Master - who knew Newt well - was right and RedStateVT has been an admirer of Gingrich since that time. Interestingly, the Left is very negative about Gingrich because of issues in his personal life. Similar issues with Bill Clinton, however, were not a problem for the Left. Clinton, who cheated before and during his presidency is not judged, but Gingrich who confessed his sins, asked for forgiveness and converted to Catholicism is condemned.
Piece
WikiLeaks' Australian founder Julian Assange, who enraged Washington by publishing thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, was given a peace award on Tuesday for "exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights." (Reuters, 5/11/11)
Those whose lives were put in jeopardy by alleged rapist Assange could not be reached for comment.
Putting Out the Fire with Gasoline
With gas over $4/gallon and unable to blame Bush, Obama and the Dems are running scared. The Republican solution is easy, start drilling. Dems, claiming the mantle of environmental purity, forbid drilling anywhere in the U.S. (Apparently they don’t object to drilling in the Middle East, Mexico, South America or Canada because they never seem to raise any objections.) Using the type of reasoning by which great powers become also-rans, Dems say that we shouldn’t start drilling because it would have no immediate effect on the price of oil. Maybe they are on to something, what with the imminent arrival of the solar-powered automobile……….
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The Day of the Expanding Man
Shakespearean
Thanks to a pending law, next January Florida will become the stingiest state in America when it comes to unemployment insurance benefits. A bill awaiting Republican Gov. Rick Scott's signature will cut unemployment taxes on businesses by reducing the maximum benefits for people laid off through no fault of their own to 23 weeks. That's three fewer weeks than the standard 26 weeks provided by nearly every state for the past 50 years. (Huffington Post.com, 5/10/11)
Oh those mean old Republicans! Denying rightful benefits to those “laid off through no fault of their own.” (Do you love that phrase or what?) Apparently paying benefits for 23 weeks instead of 26 weeks qualifies as stingy. But we read further and learn this….
Florida is one of 25 states where the jobless are eligible for 99 weeks of unemployment benefits thanks to 73 weeks worth of federal extensions put in place to fight the recession.
Oh jobless benefits, where is thy sting(y)?
What Omar Wants
The statement, attributed to Omar bin Laden, bin Laden's fourth eldest son, said the al Qaeda chief's children reserved the right to take legal action in the United States and internationally to "determine the true fate of our vanished father," the SITE Intelligence Group said.
The letter said, in part: "We hold the American President (Barack) Obama legally responsible to clarify the fate of our father, Osama bin Laden, for it is unacceptable, humanely and religiously, to dispose of a person with such importance and status among his people, by throwing his body into the sea in that way, which demeans and humiliates his family and his supporters and which challenges religious provisions and feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims." (Huffington Post.com, 5/10/11)
Sounds to RedStateVT as though Omar is giving President Obama the green light to release the photos showing bin Laden with the extra ventilation provided courtesy of our brave Navy SEALs.
Mal Tiempo
Mr. Obama did not push such legislation in his first two years, when Democrats controlled Congress, and it has virtually no chance of passage now that Republicans have a House majority. That leaves pro-immigration groups pushing for Mr. Obama to take executive actions at least….Yet Mr. Obama does not plan to introduce legislation. (NYT, 5/10/11)
So Obama did not push the issue when he had the chance and will not do so now and yet he still wants the Hispanic vote. And, of course, there is outrage that he may bypass the Congress and issue an executive order. Just kidding about that last one!
Hurt Feelings
The anger and hurt within the Pakistani military and intelligence service over America’s unilateral action against Bin Laden will leave cooperation bumpy for some time, foreign diplomats and analysts predicted. (NYT, 5/10/11)
Also leaving “cooperation bumpy for some time” is the harboring of bin Laden for five years by the Pakistanis just down the street from their version of West Point, RedStateVt predicted.
Thanks to a pending law, next January Florida will become the stingiest state in America when it comes to unemployment insurance benefits. A bill awaiting Republican Gov. Rick Scott's signature will cut unemployment taxes on businesses by reducing the maximum benefits for people laid off through no fault of their own to 23 weeks. That's three fewer weeks than the standard 26 weeks provided by nearly every state for the past 50 years. (Huffington Post.com, 5/10/11)
Oh those mean old Republicans! Denying rightful benefits to those “laid off through no fault of their own.” (Do you love that phrase or what?) Apparently paying benefits for 23 weeks instead of 26 weeks qualifies as stingy. But we read further and learn this….
Florida is one of 25 states where the jobless are eligible for 99 weeks of unemployment benefits thanks to 73 weeks worth of federal extensions put in place to fight the recession.
Oh jobless benefits, where is thy sting(y)?
What Omar Wants
The statement, attributed to Omar bin Laden, bin Laden's fourth eldest son, said the al Qaeda chief's children reserved the right to take legal action in the United States and internationally to "determine the true fate of our vanished father," the SITE Intelligence Group said.
The letter said, in part: "We hold the American President (Barack) Obama legally responsible to clarify the fate of our father, Osama bin Laden, for it is unacceptable, humanely and religiously, to dispose of a person with such importance and status among his people, by throwing his body into the sea in that way, which demeans and humiliates his family and his supporters and which challenges religious provisions and feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims." (Huffington Post.com, 5/10/11)
Sounds to RedStateVT as though Omar is giving President Obama the green light to release the photos showing bin Laden with the extra ventilation provided courtesy of our brave Navy SEALs.
Mal Tiempo
Mr. Obama did not push such legislation in his first two years, when Democrats controlled Congress, and it has virtually no chance of passage now that Republicans have a House majority. That leaves pro-immigration groups pushing for Mr. Obama to take executive actions at least….Yet Mr. Obama does not plan to introduce legislation. (NYT, 5/10/11)
So Obama did not push the issue when he had the chance and will not do so now and yet he still wants the Hispanic vote. And, of course, there is outrage that he may bypass the Congress and issue an executive order. Just kidding about that last one!
Hurt Feelings
The anger and hurt within the Pakistani military and intelligence service over America’s unilateral action against Bin Laden will leave cooperation bumpy for some time, foreign diplomats and analysts predicted. (NYT, 5/10/11)
Also leaving “cooperation bumpy for some time” is the harboring of bin Laden for five years by the Pakistanis just down the street from their version of West Point, RedStateVt predicted.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
To The Mountaintop
Loyal readers will recall that RedStateVT makes a periodic pilgrimage to the mountaintop to meet with its political mentor – a sage we refer to as The Master. The Master generously shares his vast knowledge with RedStateVT on all aspects of the political debate.
We asked The Master about the 2012 election. Here are his preliminary thoughts. First, he is extremely concerned about the implications of a second Obama term. Unconstrained by the prospect of having to run again, The Master feels that Obama could do serious damage.
And what of the Republican field? The Master feels that it is really too early to speculate, but he likes what he sees of Mitch Daniels and would like to hear more from Tim Pawlenty before stating an opinion.
What about Michelle Bachmann? The Master’s eyes light up and his face breaks into a broad smile. “She is outstanding….tough as nails,” he proclaims.
We asked The Master about the 2012 election. Here are his preliminary thoughts. First, he is extremely concerned about the implications of a second Obama term. Unconstrained by the prospect of having to run again, The Master feels that Obama could do serious damage.
And what of the Republican field? The Master feels that it is really too early to speculate, but he likes what he sees of Mitch Daniels and would like to hear more from Tim Pawlenty before stating an opinion.
What about Michelle Bachmann? The Master’s eyes light up and his face breaks into a broad smile. “She is outstanding….tough as nails,” he proclaims.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Slap and Tickle
Optics
Former President George W. Bush has opted against joining President Obama on Thursday at Ground Zero in New York City for an event to mark the death of Osama bin Laden. (Washington Post, 5/4/11)
If anyone deserves to be at Ground Zero it is George Bush. Kudos to President Obama for inviting him. In declining the gracious invitation, Bush follows in the footsteps of his father and Ronald Reagan in conducting themselves with grace and dignity – and staying out of the spotlight – in their retirements. Now let’s contrast that with Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Does anyone doubt for even a nanosecond that those two publicity hounds would rush to the scene if invited? Clinton would grab the microphone and talk for hours and Carter would find a way to blame America.
And So It Continues
Q: But we are a society of laws. What was the legal basis for going into another country and assassinating a person? (Question asked on a Washington Post blog)
Presumably the person asking the question prefers that the U.S. had gone to the United Nations....where it would have been debated for 14 months......and eventually a resolution would be passed condemning the U.S. for acts of aggression against the Muslim world....and bin Laden would have died of old age.
Peanuts
This is a decisive moment. Under the auspices of the Egyptian government, Palestine’s two major political movements — Fatah and Hamas — are signing a reconciliation agreement on Wednesday that will permit both to contest elections for the presidency and legislature within a year….. This accord should be viewed as a Palestinian contribution to the “Arab awakening,” as well as a deep wish to heal internal divisions. (Jimmy Carter, Washington Post, 5/3/11)
Speaking of the former president/ peanut farmer, check this out. Carter equates the possible reconciliation between the two main Palestinian terror groups with the “Arab awakening” where every day Arabs are taking to the streets to protest their dictatorial governments. He urges the U.S. to throw its support behind this effort. Is there anyone in the world more clueless than Jimmy Carter?
Former President George W. Bush has opted against joining President Obama on Thursday at Ground Zero in New York City for an event to mark the death of Osama bin Laden. (Washington Post, 5/4/11)
If anyone deserves to be at Ground Zero it is George Bush. Kudos to President Obama for inviting him. In declining the gracious invitation, Bush follows in the footsteps of his father and Ronald Reagan in conducting themselves with grace and dignity – and staying out of the spotlight – in their retirements. Now let’s contrast that with Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Does anyone doubt for even a nanosecond that those two publicity hounds would rush to the scene if invited? Clinton would grab the microphone and talk for hours and Carter would find a way to blame America.
And So It Continues
Q: But we are a society of laws. What was the legal basis for going into another country and assassinating a person? (Question asked on a Washington Post blog)
Presumably the person asking the question prefers that the U.S. had gone to the United Nations....where it would have been debated for 14 months......and eventually a resolution would be passed condemning the U.S. for acts of aggression against the Muslim world....and bin Laden would have died of old age.
Peanuts
This is a decisive moment. Under the auspices of the Egyptian government, Palestine’s two major political movements — Fatah and Hamas — are signing a reconciliation agreement on Wednesday that will permit both to contest elections for the presidency and legislature within a year….. This accord should be viewed as a Palestinian contribution to the “Arab awakening,” as well as a deep wish to heal internal divisions. (Jimmy Carter, Washington Post, 5/3/11)
Speaking of the former president/ peanut farmer, check this out. Carter equates the possible reconciliation between the two main Palestinian terror groups with the “Arab awakening” where every day Arabs are taking to the streets to protest their dictatorial governments. He urges the U.S. to throw its support behind this effort. Is there anyone in the world more clueless than Jimmy Carter?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Post Haste
They Got Questions
At the United Nations, questions arose about the killing. The organization’s senior human rights official, Navi Pillay, called for more details. While noting that Bin Laden was a dangerous man, she said any operation against him should have been done legally. (NYT, 5/4/11)
And so it begins.
All Night, They Want the Young Americans
Young Americans, like many others, had a variety of reactions to the death of Osama bin Laden — sadness and anger at the lives he had destroyed, questions about how much safer his death made the United States. But their response, in some notable instances, was punctuated by jubilant, if not jingoistic, celebrations. (NYT, 5/4/11)
How long, RedStateVT wonders, before the professors of these young Americans begin lecturing them about the “moral ambiguity” of the U.S. action against bin Laden? (We hope it doesn’t happen.)
At the United Nations, questions arose about the killing. The organization’s senior human rights official, Navi Pillay, called for more details. While noting that Bin Laden was a dangerous man, she said any operation against him should have been done legally. (NYT, 5/4/11)
And so it begins.
All Night, They Want the Young Americans
Young Americans, like many others, had a variety of reactions to the death of Osama bin Laden — sadness and anger at the lives he had destroyed, questions about how much safer his death made the United States. But their response, in some notable instances, was punctuated by jubilant, if not jingoistic, celebrations. (NYT, 5/4/11)
How long, RedStateVT wonders, before the professors of these young Americans begin lecturing them about the “moral ambiguity” of the U.S. action against bin Laden? (We hope it doesn’t happen.)
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Let Englishmen Fight English Wars
Ground Work
By 2005, many inside the C.I.A. had reached the conclusion that the Bin Laden hunt had grown cold, and the agency’s top clandestine officer ordered an overhaul of the agency’s counterterrorism operations. The result was Operation Cannonball, a bureaucratic reshuffling that placed more C.I.A. case officers on the ground in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (NYT, 5/3/11)
RedStateVT is more than happy to credit the Obama administration with the bin Laden trophy. What we will not countenance is the narrative that Bush abandoned the search. As the date above clearly shows, his administration did not.
So Long, So Wrong
For too long now the Obama administration has shown a touching but sometimes counterproductive sensitivity for the sensitivities of the Muslim world. It has proceeded as if it was more important to be liked than feared and as if some differences were not fundamental but always a product of misunderstanding. This, though, is not the case. The United States can do little to mollify Islamists and others who seek the obliteration of Israel and the return of holy Jerusalem to the Muslim fold. It can do little with bigots who loathe America’s culture of tolerance — for all religions, for gays, for lesbians and, of course, for women. (Richard Cohen, Washington Post, 5/3/11)
Count us baffled. Cohen is a pretty reliable Obama cheerleader…..and then he writes this which could just as easily come from the pen of Charles Krauthammer.
Enhancements
Some of the detainees who confirmed the courier’s nickname were subjected to “enhanced interrogation techniques,” the CIA’s formal name for what is now widely viewed as torture. This adds a moral ambiguity to a story that is otherwise one of triumphal retribution and justice. (David Ignatius, Washington Post, 5/2/11)
Key phrase above – of course – is “moral ambiguity.” Fortunately it is a disease that only the Left suffers from in this case.
By 2005, many inside the C.I.A. had reached the conclusion that the Bin Laden hunt had grown cold, and the agency’s top clandestine officer ordered an overhaul of the agency’s counterterrorism operations. The result was Operation Cannonball, a bureaucratic reshuffling that placed more C.I.A. case officers on the ground in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (NYT, 5/3/11)
RedStateVT is more than happy to credit the Obama administration with the bin Laden trophy. What we will not countenance is the narrative that Bush abandoned the search. As the date above clearly shows, his administration did not.
So Long, So Wrong
For too long now the Obama administration has shown a touching but sometimes counterproductive sensitivity for the sensitivities of the Muslim world. It has proceeded as if it was more important to be liked than feared and as if some differences were not fundamental but always a product of misunderstanding. This, though, is not the case. The United States can do little to mollify Islamists and others who seek the obliteration of Israel and the return of holy Jerusalem to the Muslim fold. It can do little with bigots who loathe America’s culture of tolerance — for all religions, for gays, for lesbians and, of course, for women. (Richard Cohen, Washington Post, 5/3/11)
Count us baffled. Cohen is a pretty reliable Obama cheerleader…..and then he writes this which could just as easily come from the pen of Charles Krauthammer.
Enhancements
Some of the detainees who confirmed the courier’s nickname were subjected to “enhanced interrogation techniques,” the CIA’s formal name for what is now widely viewed as torture. This adds a moral ambiguity to a story that is otherwise one of triumphal retribution and justice. (David Ignatius, Washington Post, 5/2/11)
Key phrase above – of course – is “moral ambiguity.” Fortunately it is a disease that only the Left suffers from in this case.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Dancing in the Streets
RedStateVT has been besieged with requests for our analysis of the death of Osama bin Laden. Some preliminary thoughts:- A great day for America as one family member described it.
- Thumbs up to Dem Carl Levin who – channeling his Ricky Ricardo said – Pakistan got some ‘splaining to do. The U.S. would do well to distrust the Pakistanis who had bin Laden next door to their military academy and “didn’t know it.” They are either corrupt or incompetent and it really doesn’t matter which.
- Best comment: Mike Huckabee’s “welcome to hell” remark.
- Thumbs down to bin Laden who could have been the Muslim Mahatma Gandhi and chose instead to be the Muslim Adolph Hitler.
- Thumbs up to Obama: if he indeed made getting bin Laden a top priority – and we take him at his word – then good on him. We thought his speech last night was fine, although we would have liked him to have also said: “To the other terrorists out there, be warned. We are coming for you and we will get you.”
- Thumbs down to Hamas who whined about Americans celebrating bin Laden’s death. Remind us, on 9/11 who was it that was dancing in the streets? The Israelis should forget about negotiating anything with these losers.
- Keep an eye on: NPR. We listened a bit this morning and heard one commentator start to go down the road about the U.S. infringing on Pakistani sovereignty. Don’t go there.
- Reports of celebrations in the streets of the U.S. have described the crowds as “young people.” If so, maybe there is hope for this generation. Maybe patriotism is alive and well.
- Recommendation: Stephen Coll's book: "The bin Ladens." Excellent account of the bin Laden family history.
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