Time's Person of the Year: Barack Obama

I cannot say that I am shocked or even surprised for that matter.

Now, I am sure that you are expecting me to say something rather nasty or even Ann Coulter’ish sounding about this.

Well, Surprise… 😀

I have absolutely no issue with Obama being named person of the year. I will explain to you why…

Barack Obama came out of nowhere and defeated the Clinton Machine. Because you and I both know, that knocking Hillary out of the captain’s chair is a feat in itself. You see, unlike some of my fellow Conservatives, I saw what Obama was doing and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I didn’t agree with some of the tactics that some of his surrogates were using, and still do not; however, I did admire the grace that Obama showed, especially under pressure from some of his worst and fiercest critics. One thing that I can say and any Conservative; of any stripe, would say, if they are being intellectually honest, that they never heard Obama make any sort of “Al Sharpton” sounding statement. I mean; yes, he did drop the occasional reminder that he was a black man. But there was never any of that, “I’m black and oppressed” nonsense that continually flows from the mouths of the race baiting ilk in New York.

Further, let it be known that it is not lost on me, that Obama has a far left progressive ideology. Although, I will say that judging from his cabinet selections so far, it may seem that Obama is going to try to run a White House from a centrist viewpoint and try and avoid some of the more far left politics of his campaign; much to the chagrin of those who are of that political mindset that voted for him. Personally, I think at the very least or at the very worst; Obama may want to raise taxes to pay for some of the debt that this Nation has incurred at the hands of a quasi-Conservative President. This could be more the case if both of the wars continue to drag on. Not to mention that if every Business in America gets a poorly named “Bail out.”

From a libertarian conservative viewpoint I simply say this; this election was not Obama’s to necessarily win, it was John McCain’s to lose. John McCain was having to follow and associate himself with a very unpopular President, who, in this writers opinion, was elected on the basis of pedigree. Further, John McCain just was not able to articulate Conservative positions without sounding like some old feeble grandfather who was telling a bedtime story. Not to mention, that the economy took a rather large nosedive in the middle of the election cycle. Adding to all this; McCain made some rather disastrous campaign decisions that in essence doomed his campaign to failure. I could sit here and list them all, but I believe anyone who has been following this election cycle as much as I have, knows what I am referring to.

So, in closing, this award, was one well deserved. I hope Obama enjoyes the romance with the media, because I have a sinking feeling it will not last forever.

The Obligatory Rahm Emanuel talked to Gov. Rod Blagojevich Posting

I say obligatory, because I think this story has got about the traction of a damned bald Goodyear tire in the winter. But I digress.

The sensational media rolls on, I suppose. One day in the tank, next minute throwing Obama in the tank. 🙄

Anyhow… here we go! 😀

The Chicago Tribune’s Political Blog, “The Swamp” Reports:

Rahm Emanuel, President-elect Barack Obama’s pick to be White House chief of staff, had conversations with Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration about who would replace Obama in the U.S. Senate, the Chicago Tribune has learned.
The revelation does not suggest Obama’s new gatekeeper was involved in any talk of dealmaking involving the seat. But it does help fill in the gaps surrounding a question that Obama was unable or unwilling to answer this week: Did anyone on his staff have contact with Blagojevich about his choice for the Senate seat?
Blagojevich and John Harris, his former chief of staff, face federal charges in an alleged shakedown involving the vacant Senate seat, which Illinois law grants the governor sole authority to fill.
Obama said Thursday he had never spoken to Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy and was “confident that no representatives” of his had engaged in any dealmaking over the seat with the governor or his team. He also pledged Thursday that in the “next few days” he would explain what contacts his staff may have had with the governor’s office about the Senate vacancy.
Emanuel, who has long been close to both Blagojevich and Obama, has refused to respond to questions about any involvement he may have had with the Blagojevich camp over the Senate pick. A spokeswoman for Emanuel also declined to comment Friday.
One source confirmed that communications between Emanuel and the Blagojevich administration were captured on court-approved wiretaps.
Another source said that contact between the Obama camp and the governor’s administration regarding the Senate seat began the Saturday before the Nov. 4 election, when Emanuel made a call to the cell phone of Harris. The conversation took place around the same time press reports surfaced about Emanuel being approached about taking the high-level White House post should Obama win.
Emanuel delivered a list of candidates who would be “acceptable” to Obama, the source said. On the list were Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, Illinois Veterans Affairs director Tammy Duckworth, state Comptroller Dan Hynes and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Chicago, the source said. All are Democrats.

One thing that stands out in this article, is this right here:

The revelation does not suggest Obama’s new gatekeeper was involved in any talk of dealmaking involving the seat. But it does help fill in the gaps surrounding a question that Obama was unable or unwilling to answer this week: Did anyone on his staff have contact with Blagojevich about his choice for the Senate seat?

However, to read some of the Republican/Conservative/Neo-Conservative Blogs, you would think that Obama offered to help finance the operation or something. Which I think is outright silly and blatantly asinine. There’s no proof of that at all, and I am inclined to believe the President-Elect, if he says he had no contact with the man. Sorry, you cannot count me amongst the group of people who believe he’s some sort of undercover Muslim or anything of that nature, I don’t run with that crowd at all. Most of that nonsense is of the Alex Jones flavor, and I deal with facts and reality, not conspiracy theories and lunacy. Oh, sure, I’ve written things on here, mostly in jest and trying to be snarky… and once, because I was pissed at the race baiting of the far lefty Liberals, during the election, but Obama is going to be the new President, and I’m fine with that. But I will write and speak out against what I feel to be wrong, and likewise, I will defend the man, when I feel that it is due.

Anyway, got way off track there! 😮

As for the current situation at hand here, my advice to the President-Elect is, dump Rahm Emanuel now. Because as long as Emanuel is on the Obama team, the Conservative/Neo-Conservative/Republican talking heads and some of the more main stream media are going to continue to hound you over this. I know, it is a bit silly, but that is what the Conservatives do, they did it Bill Clinton, almost to the point of lunacy and as long as this guy is on your staff, you will have to contend with the questions, and with the insinuation that you are connected with this scandal. In other words, Ann Coulter will have something to talk about for the next four years. God knows, we have heard enough of that feckless bitch for the last eight years.

I hope that the President-Elect figures this out and gives Rahm Emanuel the ol’ Heave Ho and gets someone else in there. Otherwise, it will be a circular firing squad on this Blog for the next four years.

More Commentary Here

The Automotive Bailouts: The Other Side of the Story

I have been sitting here, trying to keep out of this. But I have sat and looked at the Republican and Neo–Conservative Spin on this Story and I’m sick of it. 😡

So, I am giving you, the other side of the story, from the horses mouth; without commentary from me.

I did not ask that you agree, I simply ask that you listen and hear this man out. Now I am almost sure, that the Blogs, that I have linked to, will remove my trackback, like the Neo-Con Fascists that they are. I mean, it is all about controlling the message with those guys. 🙄

Here we go:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Media Q & A:

Media Q & A Part 2:

Media Q & A Part 3:

There you have it. The other side of the story. You decide.

(Source UAW.ORG)

Guest Voice: Jack Hunter Says "Libertarian or Authoritarian: Which Way GOP?"

Video: (Via Taki’s Magazine)

Transcript: (via Charleston City Paper)

Amongst the many conversations from many quarters about who might lead the Republican Party, I keep hearing one name time and time again – Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. As with Sarah Palin, I intended to keep an open mind about any possibilities in the hopes that a post – Bush presidency, post – McCain campaign GOP might produce leaders who learned the right lessons the last eight years, and yet it seems those singing Jindal’s praises the most are the same Republicans who still defend the indefensible Bush and who campaigned the hardest for the unconservative McCain.

So what’s so special about Jindal? While he’s conservative on gun rights, illegal immigration and social issues, none of this really sets Jindal apart from other Republican leaders. What does set the Louisiana governor apart is that he is a racial minority, and is even being called by some the “Republican Obama,” due to his youth and Indian ancestry. The neoconservatives have been keen on Jindal as well, which is never a good sign, and as with Joe Lieberman and now Hillary Clinton, neocons will support any candidate they see as sufficiently interventionist on foreign policy and who is comfortable with wartime government expansion. And sure enough, Jindal remains a steadfast supporter of the war in Iraq, probably wouldn’t mind invading Iran or sending troops to Georgia, and as a congressman he voted both to make the Patriot Act permanent and for the REAL ID act, an Orwellian scheme so intrusive that it was overwhelmingly opposed by South Carolina Republicans. Well, except Lindsey Graham.

So is a candidate who combines multicultural appeal and Bush Republicanism a winning recipe for the GOP? In playing minority identity politics, the Republican Party will have proven itself no better than voters who pulled the lever for Obama simply because he was black. And in embracing another neoconservative, the Republican Party could further alienate voters who pulled the lever for Obama simply because he wasn’t Bush or a reasonable facsimile.

There is a better path. Instead of rallying behind a governor who really would amount to nothing more than an affirmative action hire, how about a governor whose limited government record would make even Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan blush? South Carolina’s Mark Sanford has long made plenty of enemies amongst Republicans by refusing to deliver politics as usual, and has been getting a lot of press as of late for much the same reason. As many Republicans join Democrats in pressing for more bailouts and begging for money, Sanford continues to chastise his own party for spending the money, will not take money for his own state and refuses to put further in debt, his own country. Unlike many Republicans, Sanford recognizes the failures of the last eight years, even recently dismissing Bush’s big government “compassionate conservatism” as a “disaster.” When asked what the Republican Party should stand for, Sanford repeatedly harkens back to the conservative bedrock principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility. “Our niche is maximizing individual liberty” said Sanford of his Republican Party. And the governor’s libertarian approach is undoubtedly what led him to oppose, unlike Jindal, the implementation of the REAL ID Act.

The two roads that lie before the Republican Party are not the “more conservative vs. more moderate” choice that so many pundits seem obsessed with. For Beltway talking heads, when Republicans win they should become more moderate to stay in power and when they lose they must become more moderate to win elections. They always want “more moderate.” And they’re always wrong.

Obama won the election because he appealed to voters across political, party, generational and racial lines. The only Republican running for president this year who had a similar appeal to such a broad section of voters, and particularly the young voters who energized Obama’s campaign and were invisible in McCain’s, was Texas Congressman Ron Paul. The difference is whereas Obama appealed to so many based mostly on his race and charm, the white, uncharismatic and not-particularly eloquent Paul attracted a diverse base who were in love with his ideas.

As a matter of practical politics, the libertarian, small government conservatism of a Paul or Sanford promises to be a more winning strategy than the authoritarian, big government Republicanism of a Bush or Jindal. Reagan was not off-base when he once said “the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.” And the GOP would do well to champion leaders who actually consider the massive costs of more wars, bigger government and less liberty, instead of another round of Republicans whose enthusiasm for more wars, bigger government and less liberty is always worth any cost.

The Southern Avenger’s Blog

Neo-Conservative Blogger Don Surber Talks out his Anal Orifice.

It never ceases to amaze me how these idiotic Neo-Conservatives seem to love to lie out their rather large anal orifices.

One of the Neo-Conservative Cheerleaders Don Surber posted a rather idiotic Blog posting tonight attacking MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann for supposedly not talking about the latest controversy in Chicago Ill.

And I quote:

Rod Blagojevich? What’s that?
I just flipped on MSNBC. Keith Olbermann had his worst persons in the world segment on. The winner was his competitor, Bill O’Reilly.
Apparently, Olberboy is so obsessed with O’Reilly — unrequited love — that Olberboy overlooked the biggest story of the day in compiling his list. The planet will survive — somehow.

When I tried to comment on his rather lame ass looking Blog. He deletes my comment and accuses me of leaving troll comments on his Blog:

REPLY: I reserve the right to erase troll comments. This is a blog, a diary of my thoughts. You don’t like it, start your own blog. But I notice it took you 12 minutes to defend him.

What’s a matter Donny Boy? You cannot handle a little chiding? Could it be the fact that you are spouting out your bazoo, when you do not know what it is that your are talking about?

State’s Evidence:

and

So, you see, not only was it the number 5 story, it was the number 4 story on Keith’s show. Now Don, I know that you will not approve this trackback, because of the little cowardly little Neo-Con that you are. After all, it is all about Controlling this message. You Zionist pigs are like that, I realize that. But can you at least get the story right? You really make yourself look like a total idiot when you pontificate before you really have the facts.

I’m not trying to defend Kieth, not at all, someone of his far lefty nonsense even makes me cringe. But you use a Blog to engage in intellectual dishonesty, you make the Conservative movement look horribly bad.

This is the difference between we Paleo-Conservatives and the Zionist Controlled Neo-Cons, at least, when we’re wrong, we admit it. The Neo-Con’s simply spin and Deny. Kind of like their Leaders, George W. Bush, Neil Podhoretz and Bill Kristol.

Quite frankly, No wonder the Republican Party lost this year.

Joe The Plumber Turns on McCain

Looks like John McCain’s Prop “Joe The Plumber” was not the gleaming John McCain supporter as was originally thought. He made an appearence on Glenn Beck’s Show

Listen:

WURZELBACHER: When I was on the bus with him, I asked him a lot of questions about the bailout because most Americans did not want that to happen. Yet he voted for it. … And I asked him some pretty direct questions. Some of the answers you guys are gonna receive — they appalled me, absolutely. I was angry. In fact I wanted to get off the bus after I talked to him.
BECK: Really? Now why didn’t you get off the bus?
WURZELBACHER: Um, you know, honestly, because the thought of Barack Obama as president scares me even more.

Hmmmm….. Ingrate? Brutal Honesty?

Interesting…

Notice how he defends the MILF Sarah Palin.

(Via Think Progress)

Corrupt Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich in FBI Custody

Seems the Democrat Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is in trouble with the FBI.

MSNBC Reports:

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on federal charges that accuse him of trying to benefit from his ability to appoint President-elect Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate.
A 76-page FBI affidavit says the 51-year-old Democrat was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.
The affidavit contends Blagojevich discussed getting a substantial salary for himself at a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions. It also says Blagojevich talked about getting his wife placed on corporate boards where she might get $150,000 a year in director’s fees.
The affidavit also quotes Blagojevich as saying “I want to make money” in one conversation.
John Harris, the governor’s chief of staff, was also charged, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Now, because I don’t like to pile on, let me simply say this. Corruption is wrong, Democrats AND Republicans have done it. Recently Ted Stevens was indicted on corruption charges. As well as Democrat congressman William Jefferson. So, there’s equal amounts on both sides of the aisle.

Let’s hope this slimeball gets what’s coming to him.

Would not it be funny if this guy talked and said that Obama ordered it to happen? Would not it be neat of the Electoral College voted to not to seat Obama as President, because of the corruption charges?

A Man can dream. 😀

Update: Here’s the U.S. Attorney General talking about the charges: (Thanks Andrew)

Others: protein wisdom, Don Surber, Gateway Pundit,Capitol Annex, Vodkapundit, Sister Toldjah, Outside The Beltway, Fausta’s Blog, Townhall.com,

(Thanks to Musing Minds for correcting me on my slight mistake.. ooops! 😛 )

Liberals not to keen on Obama anymore

So says a report from The Politico:

Liberals are growing increasingly nervous – and some just flat-out angry – that President-elect Barack Obama seems to be stiffing them on Cabinet jobs and policy choices.
Obama has reversed pledges to immediately repeal tax cuts for the wealthy and take on Big Oil. He’s hedged his call for a quick drawdown in Iraq. And he’s stocking his White House with anything but stalwarts of the left.
Now some are shedding a reluctance to puncture the liberal euphoria at being rid of President George W. Bush to say, in effect, that the new boss looks like the old boss.

I’ve blogged about this before, Obama; once the inevitable was about to happen and he was about to be elected, choose to run a more moderate campaign. Now that he is elected, is choosing to run his campaign as a centrist or a pragmatist. Well, this has some on the far left, a bit upset.

Which prompted an former Obama staffer to fire off a article about it:

This is not a time for the left wing of our Party to draw conclusions about the Cabinet and White House appointments that President-Elect Obama is making. Some believe the appointments generally aren’t progressive enough. Having worked with former Senator Obama for the last two years, I can tell you, that isn’t the way he thinks and it’s not likely the way he will lead. The problems I mentioned above and the many I didn’t, suggest that our president surround himself with the most qualified people to address these challenges. After all, he was elected to be the president of all the people – not just those on the left.

Well, the far left is having none of that:

People on the left are not looking at Obama’s appointments with a jaundiced eye because they think he needs to apply some liberal orthodoxy litmus test. They have legitimate concerns that people like Geitner, Summers and other Rubin acolytes created this mess, and it’s reasonable to ask why they’re being appointed to get us out of it. While some of us want to give Obama a chance to fulfill the promises he campaigned on and work with the staff of his choice in order to do so, we’d have to be a bunch of intellectually dishonest kool-aid swilling freaks to pretend his economics team didn’t have some troublesome baggage.
[…]
And after the past eight years, it’s a bit much to stomach someone saying “just shut up and trust me, because I know better.”
There is a lot of speculation right now about what will happen with the 13 million member email list the Obama campaign built, and there is some talk of Hildebrand running an organization that manages it.
I wonder how long those membership numbers will hold up when any criticism of Obama is greeted with patronizing lectures and sneering condescension for its liberals?

I think the biggest problem is that the far left thought that Obama was going to serve their purposes. The problem with that is, The President of the United States serves everyone, not just the far Liberal left. He also serves the people that did not vote for him.

The problem with this issue is this. The Democratic Party, lead by those of the far left attempted to make Barack Obama into a Messianic figure, who would be perfect, who would serve their proposes and further the progressive agenda. Turns out, they were quite frightfully wrong. It is nothing new, the Democrats have been overreaching and dong this sort of stuff for years. It is, quite frankly, nothing new at all.

(Hat Tip to Q&O for guidance and Memeorandum for Lead)

Good Time for a Missile Strike!

Video: (Via Breit Bart)

AP has the Details.

If you have a problem with what I just wrote. I encourage you to take a look at the ISLAM section of my Bookstore. Especially this title HERE. Perhaps you should also check out the section on 9/11. Maybe you’ll have a dfferent view after you buy some books telling of the horrible carnage and death that took place that fateful day. Yet, we have bastard Liberals, like “The One” who want to try and talk with these monsters. Perhaps it is because he’s one of them.

So, Bush, you’re already the lame duck, you know where most of the money came from anyhow. Why not just authorize a missile strike and wipe out all of ISLAM in one great swoop? A missile attack, and the President’s outlawing the Pratice of Islam in this Country, would be the ultimate act of justice to all of those who died on September 11, 2001.

NYT's Timothy Egan takes Joe Wurzelbacher to the woodshed

First off, let me just say that I agree with the premise of this article. However, the way it was written and tone of the article, comes off sounding very high brow and elitist sounding. I am, of course, referring to the article written by NYT guest columnist Timothy Egan, who’s filling in for Moreen Dowd. I was going to quote some of that here. But I think I’ll just let you click the link on his name there and let you go read what was written. Here is my take on what was written:

While some of what was said was actually factually correct, Joe was not a licensed Journeyman Plumber in Ohio. He was, in fact, an apprentice. He never intended to buy the shop he worked for, because it was not even for sale. The information about the supposed tax violations, even if all that is true. How this information was gained, is what burns me. How is it, that the Liberals who have been whining and crying about the FISA Bill, are all too eager to dig up information about someone who happened to challenge Barack Obama on one of his polices.

In fact, I will make a direct accusation on this Blog. I believe, personally, that Barack Hussein Obama personally asked that political operatives within the Democratic Party, working in Governmental positions in Ohio to dig up information on “Joe The Plumber” in order to discredit him. I realize that this can never be proven, because nobody within the Democratic Party is going to go against “The One”.

So, the next time, some idiotic Liberal tries to tell you about Nixon and how evil he was, just tell them, Barack Obama did basically the same thing. Only difference is, he did not get caught.

Others: NewsBusters.org, Tim Blair and Flopping Aces