Category: liberalism

Nitpicking Megan McArdle a bit

Megan McArdle is a good writer that makes a whole bunch more money writing than I do.

She writes a very good blog entry about the President’s State of the Union address. In it, she writes the following, that I feel the need to comment about:

The harsh way to put it is that the speech was an extended whine about how all the rich bankers and George Bush have screwed everything up.  That was fine campaign rhetoric when he was a Senator.  But it’s pretty weak when he’s been in charge for most of a full term–two years of that with a majority in congress.

You see this is the entire problem; the Democrats lead by President Obama, continue to perpetuate the outright lie that the President George W. Bush and the cabal of rich bankers caused the Wall Street crisis and that drove our economy into the ground.  This is nothing more than outright historic revisionism.  The truth is the so-called “bankers” took advantage of the situation.  As I have written on this blog and my previous blog, in 1973, the Democrats passed the community reinvestment act.  In 1993, the Democrats added the subprime clause to that act, which created the ability for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack to sell high-risk, adjustable rate mortgages to those who, under normal circumstances could not even remotely be qualified to get them.

There was one thing that did exacerbate the situation, that was the removal by Congress and not by Bush; the regulation that was supposed to prevent predatory lending conditions.  Furthermore,  The Republicans in Congress at the time, can be blamed for backing off an investigation, when the then President of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac played the race card in response to a warning from the Bush White House that the housing market was about to crash.

Now the question as to the morality of the bankers is another story entirely.  However, the very idea that somehow a cabal of banks actually brought the economy down is weapons grade conspiracy theory nonsense.  The only thing that “The Bankers” and Wall Street did was take advantage of a situation created by the very socialists who are blaming the banks for the situation in the first place.

 

Videos: Pelosi “I know something about Newt” — Newt: “Spit it out!”

I find this to be mildly amusing; for the record, Pelosi did this about month ago and basically got told the same thing then, “Either put up or shut up.” So, this is just more of the saber-rattling from the left.

Here is Pelosi rattling her sabers: (Via TownHall – H/T HotAir.com)

…and here is Newt telling Pelosi, “Spit it out” (nice nuanced sexual metaphor there Newt! 🙄 ) (via Taegan Goddard – H/T HotAir.com)

Money Quote:

She lives in a San Francisco environment of very strange fantasies and very strange understandings of reality. I have no idea what’s in Nancy Pelosi’s head. If she knows something, I have a simple challenge: Spit it out.

Again, the nuanced sexual metaphor aside; I cannot honestly say that I really disagree with his assessment of Pelosi really. However, I do believe he just lost the San Francisco voters. Either way, I believe is Pelosi does actually have anything, that she should dish; because I would like to know what it truly is myself.

Also, Byron York reminds everyone that the IRS did investigate Newt and he came out looking rather nicely:

Nothing happened with the Justice Department and the FBI, but the IRS began an investigation that would stretch over three years.  Unlike many in Congress — and journalists, too — IRS investigators obtained tapes and transcripts of each session during the two years the course was taught at Kennesaw State College in Georgia, as well as videotapes of the third year of the course, taught at nearby Reinhardt College. IRS officials examined every word Gingrich spoke in every class; before investigating the financing and administration of the course, they first sought to determine whether it was in fact educational and whether it served to the political benefit of Gingrich, his political organization, GOPAC, or the Republican Party as a whole.  They then carefully examined the role of the Progress and Freedom Foundation and how it related to Gingrich’s political network.

In the end, in 1999, the IRS released a densely written, highly detailed 74-page report.  The course was, in fact, educational, the IRS said. “The overwhelming number of positions advocated in the course were very broad in nature and often more applicable to individual behavior or behavioral changes in society as a whole than to any ‘political’ action,” investigators wrote. “For example, the lecture on quality was much more directly applicable to individual behavior than political action and would be difficult to attempt to categorize in political terms. Another example is the lecture on personal strength where again the focus was on individual behavior. In fact, this lecture placed some focus on the personal strength of individual Democrats who likely would not agree with Mr. Gingrich on his political views expressed in forums outside his Renewing American Civilization course teaching. Even in the lectures that had a partial focus on broadly defined changes in political activity, such as less government and government regulation, there was also a strong emphasis on changes in personal behavior and non-political changes in society as a whole.”

The IRS also checked out the evaluations written by students who completed the course. The overwhelming majority of students, according to the report, believed that Gingrich knew his material, was an interesting speaker, and was open to alternate points of view. None seemed to perceive a particular political message. “Most students,” the IRS noted, “said that they would apply the course material to improve their own lives in such areas as family, friendships, career, and citizenship.”

The IRS concluded the course simply was not political.  “The central problem in arguing that the Progress and Freedom Foundation provided more than incidental private benefit to Mr. Gingrich, GOPAC, and other Republican entities,” the IRS wrote, “was that the content of the ‘Renewing American Civilization’ course was educational…and not biased toward any of those who were supposed to be benefited.”

The bottom line: Gingrich acted properly and violated no laws.  There was no tax fraud scheme. Of course, by that time, Gingrich was out of office, widely presumed to be guilty of something, and his career in politics was (seemingly) over.

So, having said all of that; if Pelosi has something of moral or ethical interest, she should dish on it or otherwise, shut up.

 

John Kerry’s injury is symbolic of his party.

Ouch.

Alternative Headline: “Why old people should not play rough sports.” The real kicker or punchline here? Kerry was playing the position of “Right Wing.” Oof.

The Story:

WASHINGTON — The secret is out: John Kerry is a right winger.

The Globe uncovered the news after inquiring why Kerry was sporting two nasty black eyes today at a White House ceremony in which President Obama feted the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

It turns out he got whacked playing hockey. And his sporting position might come as a surprise to the constituents who elected the senior Democrat from Massachusetts to his fifth term in 2008.

Kerry’s office said the pair of shiners were the result of a busted nose that the 68-year-old politico sustained on the ice when he was smacked in the face with a hockey stick during a game with friends and family over the holidays.

“A broken nose, two black eyes,” his spokeswoman Whitney Smith confirmed in an e-mail.

Of course she couldn’t resist taking her own partisan slapshot in this highly competitive political season.

“He must feel like Mitt Romney after South Carolina,” she quipped, referring to the former Bay State governor and now-embattled GOP presidential contender.

via John Kerry, on the right wing, breaks nose – Political Intelligence – A national political and campaign blog from The Boston Globe – Boston.com

Poor man, I will refrain from the silly puns and such as  to the hockey position he was playing.  I have to tell you, I have been whacked in the nose before; and that stuff hurts like bloody blazes.  🙁 I never broke my nose; but I have come close to do doing so.  So, I feel for the man.  A note of personal disclosure: I voted for John Kerry in 2004.  Of course, that was back in the day when I still rooting for that team.  I have changed my views much since then.

Which brings me to my point, I always hear and read about people asking, “Where did Barack Obama come from?” and “Why did the Democrats put Obama out front?”  Well, to answer that question you have to know your history; and I happen to have a rather long memory.  President Obama was pushed out front, by the Democratic Party leadership —- because of what happened in 2004.  In 2004, the Democratic Party pushed out an out of touch, elitist, slightly aloof, and very rich white person and expected the grass-roots to fall in love with him.  In short: The dude was stiffer than a board.

The results were, of course, disastrous and Bush beat Kerry by a country mile.  At the time, I was heartbroken.  I remember thinking, “Four more years of Bush?”  Looking back on those four years, compared to what we have now in the White House; I would say those years were pretty darn good.  Sure, the economy was lousy; at least around here.  However, with President Bush, as a Nation, actually knew what kind of a President we actually had and we, always where he stood.  In other words, Bush was a leader.  This is more than I can say for that piss poor excuse for a President that we have now.  Just to put a finer point on it; I would rather have a neoconservative war hawk in the White House and know that he is a leader, than to have an internationalist Democrat who is afraid to even stand for America In addition, this has nothing to do with race, this has to do with leadership.  President Barack Obama has proven himself a lousy leader. Because of it, our nations standing in the world is greatly diminished —- and that my friends, is a problem.

Of course, I should be fair and point out that my personal political positions have changed greatly since I was rooting for people like John Kerry.  To be fair, I do not ever recall actually “rooting” for the man.  I just did what every other working class person around here did.  I pulled the level and went back to work.  Honestly, before my tenure as a blogger, which started in 2006 originally, my “involvement” in politics was going to vote on Election Day.  I did not even vote in the primaries.  I figured what was the point; the party was going to select whom they wanted anyhow.

My politics changed for the most part, because I came to realize that the Democratic Party was all about strife and resentment among the races and classes of people.  They proved that when Hillary and Obama had their little battle in 2007.  Furthermore, the Democrats wanted to blame Bush for everything.  Bad economy — blame Bush.  Kid got a cold, blame Bush.  In the democrat’s eyes, everything was Bush’s fault.  This at some point started sounding very ridiculous.

I hope that when the Democrats lose this time around, they will have learned their lesson.  That choosing race over common sense is not always a good idea.  I mean, I am quite happy that America finally elected a black President.  I am not happy that his polices that were supposed to put people like me, back to work — failed.  In addition, I am not saying that a white person could have not been any better either.  Hillary would have done some of the very same things and they too would have failed.  I tend to believe that Hillary would have straightened out the economy first and would have waited to see if it rebounded or not.  If not, she would have not pursued healthcare reform.  This is where Obama missed the ball; he pursued healthcare and did not do the economy first.  This is why we are in the place we are in now.  I hope that the Democrats will learn also that overreach does not work and because of it, you pay the price.  However, with this current crop of Democrats, I doubt that lesson will be learned at all.

In a sense, Kerry’s nose is a representation of his party.  As they have cut off their nose, in spite of their face.

 

Breaking News — Senator Rand Paul detained by TSA

Rand Paul has been detained by the TSA for refusing a pat-down, after a x-ray showed an anomaly”

The Daily Caller has the story:

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s press secretary Moira Bagley tweeted on Monday that Transportation Security Administration officials were detaining her boss in Nashville, Tenn.

“Just got a call from @senrandpaul,” Bagley tweeted at about 10 a.m. on Monday. “He’s currently being detained by TSA in Nashville.”

Texas Congressman and current Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul – Sen. Rand Paul’s father – placed a post on Facebook about the news as well. “My son Rand is currently being detained by the TSA at the Nashville Airport,” Ron Paul posted. “I’ll share more details as the situation unfolds.”

Ron Paul adds, via Twitter, that the TSA detained his son “for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner.”

Sen. Rand Paul’s Facebook page has a post about the incident too. “Senator Paul is being detained at the Nashville Airport by the TSA,” Sen. Rand Paul’s Facebook post reads. “We will update you as the situation develops.”

Sen. Rand Paul’s chief of staff Doug Stafford told The Daily Caller the Senator “was detained by the TSA after their scanner had an ‘anomaly’ on the first scan.”

via  The Daily Caller.

To my libertarian and Ron Paul fans, please, do not freak out over this; the TSA were simply doing their jobs, I believe Rand Paul was released, but they would not let him fly on the plane he did try to board.

My friend, Ed Morrissey, who I do trust, weighs in:

No one thinks a Senator should get different treatment than anyone else, but that proves that the security theater we experience at airports isn’t designed with flight security as its primary goal.  Besides, let’s not forget that TSA is already working on programs for clearing frequent travelers on an expedited basis who they know through prior investigation won’t pose a security risk on commercial flights.   Who in their right mind thinks that Senator Rand Paul represented any kind of real security risk on board an aircraft?  Anyone? Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?

Now, it might look like it was intentional, but I very much highly doubt that was even remotely intentional at all.  I simply believe that the TSA wanted to do their jobs and Rand Paul refused to let them, and for this, he was detained and released and not allowed to fly. Let us not forget why the TSA put these regulations in place, on Christmas Day in 2009, an idiot kid from Nigeria blow himself up on a plane from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan; which by the way is my hometown and the airport that this almost happened at, is less than 10 miles from my HOUSE!

Anyhow, again, this might look bad, but I seriously doubt it is anything but Senator Rand Paul grandstanding against something that he feels is against his rights as a citizen. I personally disagree with that; I believe that safety of those flying here in America and abroad, should come first. Then again, I have never flown, nor will I ever. Too many planes crashing for this old man. 😯

Related:

Others: Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit, Big Government, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Michelle Malkin, The Raw Story, Gothamist, LewRockwell.com Blog, Campaign 2012, National Review

Update: Now a huge Memeorandum thread.

Update #2: Smitty, who I consider to be a friend; makes some good points.

 

Mitt Romney fires a shot across Newt Gingrich’s bow

Looks like Mittens is feeling the heat, perhaps from the flip flops and/or because of the recent polls and is firing back.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Mitt Romney landed here Sunday with a simple message: Newt Gingrich is a failure and a fraud. And a disgrace. And a hapless showman.

Standing under a brilliant orange Florida sunset, Romney delivered his longest sustained critique of the South Carolina primary winner to date — ticking through a list as if he were reading off Gingrich’s Wikipedia page, and undercutting each item as he got to it.

“Speaker Gingrich has also been a leader,” the former Massachusetts governor said. “He was a leader for four years as speaker of the House. And at the end of four years, it was proven that he was a failed leader and he had to resign in disgrace. I don’t know whether you knew that, he actually resigned after four years, in disgrace.

Romney continued: “He was investigated over an ethics panel and had to make a payment associated with that and then his fellow Republicans, 88 percent of his Republicans voted to reprimand Speaker Gingrich. He has not had a record of successful leadership.”

Then Romney got into Gingrich’s post-congressional career.

“Over the last 15 years since he left the House, he talks about great bold movements and ideas,” he told the crowd of several hundred people gathered at a building materials company here. “Well, what’s he been doing for 15 years? He’s been working as a lobbyist, yeah, he’s been working as a lobbyist and selling influence around Washington.

via Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich is a ‘failed leader,’ ‘disgrace’ – Reid J. Epstein – POLITICO.com.

To be clear, Newt Gingrich is not a saint and as Geller put it, “He is a son-of-a-bitch, but he’s our Son-of-a-bitch.”  I know that personally I would rather vote for someone like Newt and hold my nose, than to vote for some idiot racist Mormon who worked for a Latin-American financed company that acted as corporate raiders. I am sorry, but that is simply Anti-American; the very idea that an American would sit at a table with Latin Americans to devise a plan to destroy American businesses is absolutely asinine and for this Mitt Romney should be held accountable.  However, because Fox News and others are in the tank for that creep, you will not hear a word about it and that my friends is the tragic thing about corporate media.

So, yes, you can put me in the “anyone but Mitt Romney” category.

Video: Miracle baby goes home

This video comes via “The Morning Spew” (H/T to Hotair.com)

…and to think, liberal Democrats believe that this little precious bundle of joy is annoyance and should have been terminated. Bastards they are, all of them. 😡

Zach Edwards loses his job

As he should….

Remember Zack Edwards, the guy arrested for scamming? Well, he’s unemployed.

Jeff Link, president of Link Strategies, confirmed Saturday that Edwards no longer works for the company.

“I am greatly disturbed by the charge brought against Zach, and understand the pending legal action will run its course,” Link said.

He added that within hours “of learning of this situation, I met with Zach and notified him he was no longer employed with Link Strategies effective immediately. After gathering further information it is clear the incident involved in the allegation was related to a personal action taken by Zach and unrelated to his work with Link Strategies. “

Link also said his firm “holds itself to a high bar of ethics and professionalism, and this type of activity is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”

via Political consultants quickly fire arrested man | The Des Moines Register | DesMoinesRegister.com.

Way I see it, anyone stupid enough to pull off a bone-headed stunt like this; should be unemployed and remain unemployed for a very long time. Hopefully, the justice system runs its course and the only kind of job this guy will be maintaining is the “pivot man” in a circle jerk. (Yeah, I know, it’s nasty, but I needed to make my point in a blunt way…)

Others: The Iowa Republican

Culture of Corruption: Former Obama Staffer Busted for Stealing Iowa Secretary of State’s Identity

I have not always agreed with Michelle Malkin; but when she wrote this book here, she had a very good point — and no I am not talking about the one on the top of her head either! 😉 :

Barack Obama’s 2008 Iowa New Media Director was arrested Friday for attempting to use the identities of Secretary of State Matt Schultz, and/or his brother Thomas, with the intent to falsely implicate the Secretary Schultz in illegal or unethical behavior. Zach Edwards, 29, of Des Moines, currently works for Link Strategies, a Democrat-affiliated organization with ties to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. Edwards is the Director of New Media for Link Strategies.

The Secretary of State’s office discovered the alleged crime and reported it to authorities. Edwards turned himself in to the Iowa DCI agents Friday afternoon. He was charged with identity theft, a misdemeanor, and booked into the Polk County jail. Edwards posted $2,000 bail and was released later on Friday. He faces up to two years in prison.

Zach Edwards’ bio on Link Strategies website says he joined the Obama campaign in early 2007 as an intern in Nevada. He eventually joined the New Media department and directed their operations in five other primary states. He was the Iowa Director of New Media for Barack Obama’s general election campaign. After the election, Edwards joined Link Strategies, “where he provides innovative web-based research tools, video analysis and production, and web-based communication tools to assist our clients,” according to the bio.

Those clients include Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. On the Link Strategies testimonial page, Harkin credits the political consultant group for his electoral success. “The folks at Link Strategies have been helping me win campaigns since 1996. Whether it is managing campaigns or handling research, their specialty is doing quality work while finding smart, creative solutions to problems. In a tough fight, there is no question that I want Link Strategies in my corner.”

Jeff Link, the founder of Link Strategies, ran the Gore-Lieberman presidential campaign in Iowa in 2000. He managed Tom Harkin’s 2002 and 2008 reelection campaigns. Link also served as a media consultant for Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.

via Former Obama Staffer Busted for Stealing Iowa Secretary of State’s Identity | The Iowa Republican.

Charming fellow. 🙄

Others: Iowa Grounds, Power Line, Hot Air, Des Moines Register, RedState and The Gateway Pundit

Fed official in AZ to plead fifth on “furious”

This ought to be really interesting, as this plays out.

Via Fox News:

The chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona is refusing to testify before Congress regarding Operation Fast and Furious, the federal gun-running scandal that sent U.S. weapons to Mexico.

Patrick J. Cunningham informed the House Oversight Committee late Thursday through his attorney that he will use the Fifth Amendment protection.

The real interesting part of this story, is right here:

The letter from Cunningham’s Washington DC attorney stunned congressional staff. Last week, Cunningham, the second highest ranking U.S. Attorney in Arizona, was scheduled to appear before Issa‘s committee voluntarily. Then, he declined and Issa issued a subpoena.

Cunningham is represented by Tobin Romero of Williams and Connolly who is a specialist in white collar crime. In the letter, he suggests witnesses from the Department of Justice in Washington, who have spoken in support of Attorney General Eric Holder, are wrong or lying.

“Department of Justice officials have reported to the Committee that my client relayed inaccurate information to the Department upon which it relied in preparing its initial response to Congress. If, as you claim, Department officials have blamed my client, they have blamed him unfairly,” the letter to Issa says.

Romero claims Cunningham did nothing wrong and acted in good faith, but the Department of Justice in Washington is making him the fall guy, claiming he failed to accurately provide the Oversight Committee with information on the execution of Fast and Furious.

“To avoid needless preparation by the Committee and its staff for a deposition next week, I am writing to advise you that my client is going to assert his constitutional privilege not to be compelled to be a witness against himself.” Romero told Issa.

Hmmmmmmmmm….. Thinking Obviously, this guy is trying to cover his own backside; and it could be that Holder and his cohorts are looking for a fall guy, and this guy is not interested in being that fall guy.

As I wrote last night; this is not what Obama’s supporters voted for in 2008. I am hoping that they do see what they were sold, and what they ultimately ended up with, this, was not what Obama campaigned for, that is for sure; this continuing story is proof of that. However, as long as the media and the Democratic Party professional liars continue to spin and cover; this is what you will get — corruption.  It is the Chicago way. Big Grin

Update: Ed Morrissey, of whom I tipped off to this story, but didn’t get credit 🙄 — has some very interesting analysis on this story too and adds:

One point is pretty clear, though.  Officials at the DoJ involved in this operation are fearing criminal prosecution, which means that this scandal just went prime time.

Indeed.

Update #2 Others: Power Line, Big Government, Wake up America, PJ Media, The Volokh Conspiracy and The Lonely Conservative

A simple question for Democrats

For my final entry tonight, here is something I just noticed over at Drudge’s site.

To all those who all of those who are Democratic Party voters; I have a simple question for you —- Tell me, which President did you vote for?  No, seriously —– this is an honest question from someone who used to be in your Party and voted for Democrats until 2008.  Again, I ask you; for what kind of Democratic Party President did you vote?

I seem to remember a President who ran on a huge platform of openness and transparency.  I seem to remember a President that said he would be very different from the last President that ran this Country.  I seem to remember this President saying that there would be change in this Country.  I seem to remember a President who promised that he would be a reason to hope again for the many in this Country that had no hope in the Government and those who served in it.

If that is the case, then why is stuff like this here happening to members of the media, in San Francisco no less?

Richman reported he was ushered out of the fundraiser after Biden started taking a few questions from the audience of about 110 campaign contributors.  “The event raised somewhere between $275,000 and $1.1 million,” according to his report.  —via Biden’s oops moment in SF: “Giants on their way to Super Bowl” | Politics Blog | an SFGate.com blog.

I am sorry, but even I as a former Democratic Party voter, someone who simple decided to vote differently, than I had voted in the prior elections cannot help but think that this here is nothing more than good old fashioned political corruption at its finest.  Why would a Vice-President, who is serving in one of the supposedly most open administrations in the history of the office of the President, allow a member of the media to be hustled out of a fundraiser?

In case the members of the Barack Obama administration have forgotten, San Francisco is your base block of people who voted for you.  If it were not for the voters of that city and many more like it, ol’ Barry would be cooling his heels in Chicago right about now.  I believe that Independent Liberals need to really look hard at this man’s record; they need to look at stuff like this and honestly decide if this man is worth of four more years in the White House.  I mean, look at this SOPA act, that was a Democrat bill, not a Republican one. I can assure you that four more years of this man would bring more laws like this one.  I know that Barack Obama came out against it; yes, after all of the fuss was made about it!

The question is this; do you really feel like you can trust this President again?  Are you better off today than you were 3-4 years ago?  Do you have the same amount of money?  Do you have the same job?  Is your business that you run making the same amount of money as it did 3 or 4 year ago?  Do you feel like anything really honestly changed in this Country at all?

We all as Americans must ask these questions to ourselves in the coming months.  I am not believe me when I tell you this; asking this question in a sarcastic manner, nor am I saying that the Republican field is any better than what is there now.  However, I think that everyone, independents, and centrists — everyone needs to really ask themselves, “Is this really what I want my Country to be like for four more years?”  Look, we tried “hope and change” and it failed.  Do we want to try it again, with a new slogan?  I mean, aside from a few noticeable exceptions, I have not seen any fruits of anything that this current President has even done; at least nothing that honestly affected me at all here in the Detroit area.

President Barack Obama promised jobs and a big economy.  Only big thing we got out of it was high unemployment and a whole bunch of debt, which you and I and our kids and grandkids will be paying off for a long time.  Am I saying Republicans will do any better?  I would like to think that the debt might slow down a bunch; but I do not trust Romney at all.  However, I think the attitude of “Business as usual in D.C.” is not going to work anymore, with the crash of the market and the rise of Tea Party movement.  I believe the Republican Party knows this and so does Mitt Romney.  However, I do not trust him at all.

You see, this right here is why I did not, when the Iraq War ended, I just did not say, “Okay, bye!  The Iraq is over; I’m leaving and going back to watching TV and ignoring the World!”  Believe me I wanted to!  I am tired of sitting here hunched over a keyboard and writing for hours.  It sometimes gets very old.  I get tired of fussing with servers and fussing with software and so forth.  However, I am plugged into what is happening in this Country and I just cannot walk off like that.  I would feel as if I were abandoning the cause.

I end this rather long missive by simply saying to everyone who reads this — think.