Qualitative Easing

Sentiments
But anyone tempted to get sentimental should remember the actual record of the man who called himself The Decider. Begin with the indelible stain that one of his worst decisions left on our country’s honor: torture. (Eugene Robinson, Washington Post, 4/25/2013)

He created the entire anti-terror infrastructure that continues to keep us safe. That homage was paid, wordlessly, by Barack Obama, who vilified Bush’s anti-terror policies as a candidate, then continued them as president: indefinite detention, rendition, warrantless wiretaps, special forces and drone warfare, and, most notoriously, Guantanamo, which Obama so ostentatiously denounced — until he found it indispensable. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 4/25/2013)

The columns of Robinson and Krauthammer deserve to be read side-by-side to show how Liberals and Conservatives can see the world in such entirely different ways. What is so utterly frustrating to Conservatives is the disingenuousness of Liberals who will disparage Bush while never admitting that many of them voted for the same policies or, in Obama's case, adopted them wholesale. 

Of course for those at the fringe like Robinson it is all about TORTURE. Yes, the U.S. waterboarded what...two people, maybe three. And it is said, received actionable intelligence that likely saved American lives. Robinson is old school perhaps. He likes the old good cop-bad cop method of interrogation.


Strictly
Arms manufacturers in at least two states with strict new gun laws are making good on their promise to move their operations -- along with thousands of jobs and millions in tax revenues  -- to locales they deem friendlier to the industry. (Foxnews.com, 4/29/2013)

Capitalism in action! Business migrates to friendlier climes.


Course Correction
According to a new report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Institute (GAI), President Barack Obama has spent over twice as many hours on vacation and golf (976 hours) as he has in economic meetings of any kind (474.4 hours).  The report, “Presidential Calendar: A Time-Based Analysis,” used the official White House calendar, Politico’s comprehensive presidential calendar, and media reports through March 31, 2013 to calculate its results. (Breitbart.com, 4/28/2013)

Bad news: the economy is still limping along. Good news: Obama has sharpened up his short game.


Mysterioso
In September 2009, Mr. Grassley thought he had succeeded in doing the same for health care when the Senate Finance Committee approved his amendment to require Members of Congress and staff to obtain insurance via the new ObamaCare exchanges. But when Mr. Reid brought the bill to the floor that December, its language had mysteriously changed to exempt those Congressional aides who work for committees and party leaders.

In March 2010 Mr. Grassley tried again to apply the law to all Congressional personnel and to White House officials. His amendment received every Republican vote but it was defeated with 55 Democrats (plus Socialist Bernie Sanders) voting no. However, thanks to Mr. Grassley's earlier success, the law still covered Members of Congress and some of their aides—hence their latest effort to wiggle out of the ObamaCare mandates. (WSJ, 4/28/2013)

So the next time that you see Colonel Bernie Sanders, ask him why - if Obamacare is so wonderful - he voted himself out of it. 


Reliance
On Syria, he (Obama) wants a comprehensive U.N. investigation, relying on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the World Health Organization—which have as much chance of conducting a thorough inspection inside Syria as the Israeli national symphony. No doubt we will soon hear calls for International Criminal Court indictments of Assad and his henchmen for crimes against humanity. That, in State Department parlance, would be a "strong signal," probably followed by a "stiff note" to Assad's friends in the Kremlin. How they will tremble in Damascus. (John Bolton, WSJ, 4/28/2013)


We are big fans of Bush U.N. ambassador John Bolton. In our view, he gets it - the world is a dangerous place full of corrupt and dishonest people who resent the U.S.  It is the exact opposite of the Obama worldview that the U.S. needs to apologize to the rest of the world for our wealth, success and various historical wrongdoings. 

It will be interesting to see how Obama wiggles out of the Syria issue. In theory he drew a line in the sand over chemical weapons. Now what?