One thing I've noticed about the Left over the years is that they have trouble facing reality as it is. When someone, like yours truly, disagrees with the Left on any point, it threatens their version of reality, which makes them defensive. Then, they pull out anything they can from their bag of Alinsky-inspired tricks.
Take the TEA Parties. When they started last year, the Left ignored them at first. As they grew in popularity, the Left brought out their big guns and started mocking them. Now that many more Americans believe in the basic principles of the TEA Parties, the Left are resorting to slander, calling them racist and anti-government. Some on the left have gone so far as to compare the TEA Parties to the Ku Klux Klan and Timothy McVeigh. Of course, the truth is few, if any, arrests have been made at TEA Parties and the rhetoric that you'll find at these events are anything but racist and anti-government. (And I'm sure my Leftist counterpart will go out of his way to post pictures "proving" me "wrong," but there's a vast difference between being an advocate of smaller government and being anti-government.)
The TEA Parties aren't the only ones getting slimed by the Leftists. Financial institutions (Goldman Sachs), insurance companies (AIG), mortgage companies, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and countless others have been slandered and libeled by the Leftists, all because they disagree with the President. (Of course, when it was the Left disagreeing with George W. Bush, it was patriotic, according to Hillary Clinton and the Left...) The Left may think it's "speaking truth to power" by attacking Republicans and conservatives dishonestly, but I think there's another reason.
They're scared of losing everything they've built in the past few years.
Back in 2006, the Left used a series of carefully crafted lies to get back into power in Congress. Then, they went along and did everything they chastised Republicans for doing, but more of it. Then, in 2008, the Left ran a candidate who ripped everything George W. Bush did...and then copied a lot of it once he got into the Oval Office. Their political ascension of recent years has been based on lies, and people are starting to realize it. The more people who see through the Left's lies, the fewer people the Left can keep on their side. That makes them desperate.
That's when the Left turns to slander and libel to diminish the impact that their opponents have. In other words, the Left tries to protect its lies by lying even more. Yeah, that always works.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The Bass-Ackwards "Solution"
President Barack Obama has a lot of problems on his plate these days. From the economy to health care to foreign policy, it's amazing to consider everything Obama has to deal with on a daily basis. That requires a keen attention to detail and a solutions-oriented approach.
Unfortunately, Obama seems to lack both. If anything, Obama has shown a decided lack of these skills or at least a Bizarro World approach to problems.
Take the health care reform battle, for example. With unemployment skyrocketing, Obama decides health care is the most important issue because of the millions of people who aren't covered by health insurance. Okay, but how does that put people to work? Sure, you're creating a government bureaucracy, but that's not really helping the economy by creating jobs in the private sector. When you consider, though, that health insurance is included with a good number of jobs these days, a logical approach to the coverage issue might be...oh I don't know...getting people into jobs with health insurance. Not only would it get the uninsured the coverage Obama thinks they need, but it would also tackle the unemployment issue and go a long way towards improving the economy. Instead, Obama decided to attack a symptom instead of the disease.
In doing so, Obama has committed to working on the problem from the wrong end. Get people health insurance coverage and then worry about their ability to pay for it. Oh, and in a completely unrelated story, around half of American households pay no income tax as was reported recently. So guess who gets to pay for Obama's largess. That's right, the other half, who probably already have health insurance coverage. Yeah, that will sit well.
In foreign policy, Obama is no better. We have serious issues on the horizon with Iran developing nuclear technology. They say it's for power generation, but when you consider Iran is sitting on one of the largest oil deposits in the world, I'm thinking it's for other reasons than energy generation. Obama is committed to dealing with Iran, but recent talks about the Iranian nuclear program included a discussion about another country in that neck of the woods, Israel. Seems Obama wants Israel to stand down at the same time he wants Iran to stand down.
Okay, how many other people reading that had a WTF moment? Just checking.
It's good that Obama wants to address the Iranian situation, but why bring Israel into it? Iranian President Imadinnerjacket has said repeatedly that he wants to destroy Israel, so it would seem logical that Israel would want to defend itself through whatever means they have at their disposal, which includes...nuclear weapons. The likelihood that Iran will abide by the terms of any agreement is unlikely at best, but Israel has a track record of following our lead as best they can.
Whether Israel will go along with the Obama plan to scale down both Iran and Israel is up in the air yet, but it doesn't undercut one of the major issues behind it: Obama's wrongheaded approach to solving problems. It's one thing to come up with a solution that doesn't work and have to go back to the drawing board. It's another to make the same mistakes in different scenarios and never correct them.
At this point, Obama is clearly on the latter path. That can only have negative implications down the road.
Unfortunately, Obama seems to lack both. If anything, Obama has shown a decided lack of these skills or at least a Bizarro World approach to problems.
Take the health care reform battle, for example. With unemployment skyrocketing, Obama decides health care is the most important issue because of the millions of people who aren't covered by health insurance. Okay, but how does that put people to work? Sure, you're creating a government bureaucracy, but that's not really helping the economy by creating jobs in the private sector. When you consider, though, that health insurance is included with a good number of jobs these days, a logical approach to the coverage issue might be...oh I don't know...getting people into jobs with health insurance. Not only would it get the uninsured the coverage Obama thinks they need, but it would also tackle the unemployment issue and go a long way towards improving the economy. Instead, Obama decided to attack a symptom instead of the disease.
In doing so, Obama has committed to working on the problem from the wrong end. Get people health insurance coverage and then worry about their ability to pay for it. Oh, and in a completely unrelated story, around half of American households pay no income tax as was reported recently. So guess who gets to pay for Obama's largess. That's right, the other half, who probably already have health insurance coverage. Yeah, that will sit well.
In foreign policy, Obama is no better. We have serious issues on the horizon with Iran developing nuclear technology. They say it's for power generation, but when you consider Iran is sitting on one of the largest oil deposits in the world, I'm thinking it's for other reasons than energy generation. Obama is committed to dealing with Iran, but recent talks about the Iranian nuclear program included a discussion about another country in that neck of the woods, Israel. Seems Obama wants Israel to stand down at the same time he wants Iran to stand down.
Okay, how many other people reading that had a WTF moment? Just checking.
It's good that Obama wants to address the Iranian situation, but why bring Israel into it? Iranian President Imadinnerjacket has said repeatedly that he wants to destroy Israel, so it would seem logical that Israel would want to defend itself through whatever means they have at their disposal, which includes...nuclear weapons. The likelihood that Iran will abide by the terms of any agreement is unlikely at best, but Israel has a track record of following our lead as best they can.
Whether Israel will go along with the Obama plan to scale down both Iran and Israel is up in the air yet, but it doesn't undercut one of the major issues behind it: Obama's wrongheaded approach to solving problems. It's one thing to come up with a solution that doesn't work and have to go back to the drawing board. It's another to make the same mistakes in different scenarios and never correct them.
At this point, Obama is clearly on the latter path. That can only have negative implications down the road.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Damned If You Do...
With the health care reform bill back in Congress's hands, people are speculating whether it will pass or fail. At this point, it may not matter because it doesn't end well for the Left in either case.
If the reform bill passes... Democrats will own it, lock, stock, and barrel. Although this sounds like a good thing, it's actually not because the kind of health care "reform" being proposed has already been tried. And it's failed. For a President who needs a boost in the job performance area, Obama can't afford to fail, not even after winning an important vote on reform.
Furthermore, the length of time necessary to pass the health care reform bill has had a toll on the Left. Ideological rifts have been formed that have the potential of hamstringing President Obama's agenda worse than anything the Republicans could do, real or imagined. With enough progressive Representatives and Senators voting against a more moderate approach to any issue, the Republicans wouldn't need a majority to block the Obama agenda. That doesn't bode well for Obama or the Democrats in the short or the long term.
Also, an unintended consequence will occur: higher unemployment. How many doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals will be willing to stay in their practice if the reform bill passes? Some will quit or retire because they oppose the "reform," while others will be forced out of practice. In either case, there will be more unemployed Americans at a time when the economy is tanking. That, in turn, will drive Obama's numbers down further as more and more Americans see that he doesn't have any answers on how to fix the economy.
Finally, if the reform bill passes, insurance companies will be demonized for their efforts. Sure, they helped to write the current "reform" bill on the table, but the Left has no loyalty to anyone but the cause. Insurance companies will continue to be made villains by the Left, and their reward for helping pass the reform bill will be an enraged populous screaming for their heads.
If the reform bill doesn't pass... it will be a major blow to the Obama Administration and the Congressional Democrats. They've spent a lot of political capital on this agenda item, and failure will mean they lose all of it in the early part of an election year. And it wasn't like they couldn't have pushed this if they really wanted to, either. This was a collective failure of leadership on the part of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid.
A failure to pass the reform bill will also benefit Republicans and conservative Democrats because it becomes harder and harder for the Democrats to paint the GOP as the "Party of No" if members of their own party break ranks with Pelosi and Reid. Of course, this will also further widen the gap between the conservative Democrats and the Leftist Democrats, which also helps the Republicans. Strategically, Republicans and conservatives are in a very good position right now.
Insurance companies will still get blamed if the bill fails, but they might be tempted to look elsewhere for candidates to support. You know, candidates who don't get bought and then turn on you. That's going to leave the DNC a bit more strapped for cash during an election year, something that should be giving them nightmares.
Finally, if the current reform bill doesn't pass, maybe we can finally go back to the drawing board and fix what is really wrong with the American health care system instead of putting Band Aids on a broken leg. If you're going to reform health care, then do it, but don't jerk us around with pie-in-the-sky promises with no grounds in reality.
In other words, the Dems are damned if they do...and damned if they don't.
If the reform bill passes... Democrats will own it, lock, stock, and barrel. Although this sounds like a good thing, it's actually not because the kind of health care "reform" being proposed has already been tried. And it's failed. For a President who needs a boost in the job performance area, Obama can't afford to fail, not even after winning an important vote on reform.
Furthermore, the length of time necessary to pass the health care reform bill has had a toll on the Left. Ideological rifts have been formed that have the potential of hamstringing President Obama's agenda worse than anything the Republicans could do, real or imagined. With enough progressive Representatives and Senators voting against a more moderate approach to any issue, the Republicans wouldn't need a majority to block the Obama agenda. That doesn't bode well for Obama or the Democrats in the short or the long term.
Also, an unintended consequence will occur: higher unemployment. How many doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals will be willing to stay in their practice if the reform bill passes? Some will quit or retire because they oppose the "reform," while others will be forced out of practice. In either case, there will be more unemployed Americans at a time when the economy is tanking. That, in turn, will drive Obama's numbers down further as more and more Americans see that he doesn't have any answers on how to fix the economy.
Finally, if the reform bill passes, insurance companies will be demonized for their efforts. Sure, they helped to write the current "reform" bill on the table, but the Left has no loyalty to anyone but the cause. Insurance companies will continue to be made villains by the Left, and their reward for helping pass the reform bill will be an enraged populous screaming for their heads.
If the reform bill doesn't pass... it will be a major blow to the Obama Administration and the Congressional Democrats. They've spent a lot of political capital on this agenda item, and failure will mean they lose all of it in the early part of an election year. And it wasn't like they couldn't have pushed this if they really wanted to, either. This was a collective failure of leadership on the part of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid.
A failure to pass the reform bill will also benefit Republicans and conservative Democrats because it becomes harder and harder for the Democrats to paint the GOP as the "Party of No" if members of their own party break ranks with Pelosi and Reid. Of course, this will also further widen the gap between the conservative Democrats and the Leftist Democrats, which also helps the Republicans. Strategically, Republicans and conservatives are in a very good position right now.
Insurance companies will still get blamed if the bill fails, but they might be tempted to look elsewhere for candidates to support. You know, candidates who don't get bought and then turn on you. That's going to leave the DNC a bit more strapped for cash during an election year, something that should be giving them nightmares.
Finally, if the current reform bill doesn't pass, maybe we can finally go back to the drawing board and fix what is really wrong with the American health care system instead of putting Band Aids on a broken leg. If you're going to reform health care, then do it, but don't jerk us around with pie-in-the-sky promises with no grounds in reality.
In other words, the Dems are damned if they do...and damned if they don't.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Quick Hits
I know I haven't been doing my blogging duty lately, but here goes....
- Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee Charlie Rangel is temporarily stepping aside as chair while the House Ethics Committee looks into charges lodged against the 20-term Representative. First off, I'm going to wait for the investigation to complete before I start calling for his impeachment, mainly because his ilk rarely affords the same consideration to Republicans who get in trouble, legal or otherwise. When a Republican gets in trouble, the Left resorts to the "severity of the charges" line to try to shame the Republican into resigning. No such calls from me on this one. Let Rangel deal with the Ethics Committee. Second, Rangel is a 20-term Representative...and Harlem is still like Beirut with more McDonalds franchises? Folks, at some point, you're going to have to let him go because he's not doing anything for Harlem.
- Rangel isn't the only Democrat involved in a scandal, though. More and more Democrats are finding themselves in legal or moral trouble these days, and it reminds me of 2006 when Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts were talking about the Republican "culture of corruption." Well, that perfect scandal storm has swung its way back around and is hitting the party in power. That's the funny thing about politics. No matter what, the pendulum always swings back the other way and will probably whack somebody upside the head.
- With Sarah Palin talking to Mark Burnett about a reality show, I think it's safe to say she's officially jumped the shark.
- Mitt Romney is starting to fire up his Presidential aspirations by attacking the President. It's all well and good, except when you consider his health care reform proposal in Massachusetts isn't too far removed from Obamacare. To the Republicans reading this, are you sure this is a guy you want running the country?
- Speaking of Obamacare, have you noticed that most of the talk surrounding it has been focused on the Senate? Talk of the "nuclear option" and reconciliation has dominated the coverage with only an occasional story coming out of the House talking about how the House will pass health care reform. I'm of a different opinion. I think the reason there isn't much coverage about the impending House vote is because Obamacare isn't going to pass the House in its current form. There are too many differences between the House and Senate versions that will kill it in one house or the other, but I'm leaning towards it being the House that sends Odumbacare to pasture because of how close the first vote on it was. Three votes in the other direction and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, and I don't think Pelosi or the Obama White House has the political capital left to ensure victory.
- President Obama has been talking up his stimulus package as a measure that saved us from the brink of economic ruin. Obama has set up the seemingly irrefutable argument since no one can say what would have happened if the stimulus package hadn't been passed. However, it's in that uncertainty that an argument can be made that the stimulus package had no impact on the economy. All it takes is someone smart enough to make that argument...oh wait. Someone smart enough just did.
Finally...
- John McCain's campaign fired back at challenger J. D. Hayworth's latest ad with McCain in face paint. McCain's campaign manager demanded Hayworth apologize for possibly offending Native Americans because of the face paint. Of course, it might actually be a valid criticism...if it wasn't a play on the popular movie "Avatar." Even I knew that, and I've never seen "Avatar." Then again, when you're as out of touch as McCain is, it's not surprising that he'd pick staff equally as clueless.
- Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee Charlie Rangel is temporarily stepping aside as chair while the House Ethics Committee looks into charges lodged against the 20-term Representative. First off, I'm going to wait for the investigation to complete before I start calling for his impeachment, mainly because his ilk rarely affords the same consideration to Republicans who get in trouble, legal or otherwise. When a Republican gets in trouble, the Left resorts to the "severity of the charges" line to try to shame the Republican into resigning. No such calls from me on this one. Let Rangel deal with the Ethics Committee. Second, Rangel is a 20-term Representative...and Harlem is still like Beirut with more McDonalds franchises? Folks, at some point, you're going to have to let him go because he's not doing anything for Harlem.
- Rangel isn't the only Democrat involved in a scandal, though. More and more Democrats are finding themselves in legal or moral trouble these days, and it reminds me of 2006 when Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts were talking about the Republican "culture of corruption." Well, that perfect scandal storm has swung its way back around and is hitting the party in power. That's the funny thing about politics. No matter what, the pendulum always swings back the other way and will probably whack somebody upside the head.
- With Sarah Palin talking to Mark Burnett about a reality show, I think it's safe to say she's officially jumped the shark.
- Mitt Romney is starting to fire up his Presidential aspirations by attacking the President. It's all well and good, except when you consider his health care reform proposal in Massachusetts isn't too far removed from Obamacare. To the Republicans reading this, are you sure this is a guy you want running the country?
- Speaking of Obamacare, have you noticed that most of the talk surrounding it has been focused on the Senate? Talk of the "nuclear option" and reconciliation has dominated the coverage with only an occasional story coming out of the House talking about how the House will pass health care reform. I'm of a different opinion. I think the reason there isn't much coverage about the impending House vote is because Obamacare isn't going to pass the House in its current form. There are too many differences between the House and Senate versions that will kill it in one house or the other, but I'm leaning towards it being the House that sends Odumbacare to pasture because of how close the first vote on it was. Three votes in the other direction and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, and I don't think Pelosi or the Obama White House has the political capital left to ensure victory.
- President Obama has been talking up his stimulus package as a measure that saved us from the brink of economic ruin. Obama has set up the seemingly irrefutable argument since no one can say what would have happened if the stimulus package hadn't been passed. However, it's in that uncertainty that an argument can be made that the stimulus package had no impact on the economy. All it takes is someone smart enough to make that argument...oh wait. Someone smart enough just did.
Finally...
- John McCain's campaign fired back at challenger J. D. Hayworth's latest ad with McCain in face paint. McCain's campaign manager demanded Hayworth apologize for possibly offending Native Americans because of the face paint. Of course, it might actually be a valid criticism...if it wasn't a play on the popular movie "Avatar." Even I knew that, and I've never seen "Avatar." Then again, when you're as out of touch as McCain is, it's not surprising that he'd pick staff equally as clueless.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Quick Hits
Yeah, I know I just did one of these, but a few things have happened since the last one, so...
- Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning the Super Bowl this year. The Saints and the Indianapolis Colts are both great teams, but for the Saints to win it all is a great testament to not just the team's athletic prowess, but to their commitment to the city. Now, I want to see the city match the Saints' commitment by getting committed to improving their conditions.
- In an op-ed piece in USA Today, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan wrote, "Politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering only serve the goals of al-Qaeda." Hmmm...when the Bush Administration said the same thing, didn't the Left scream about dissent being patriotic?
- More fallout from Climategate has the eco-Left digging in and going on the offensive. Instead of defending their misdeeds (which are indefensible, given the depths they've sunk to in order to keep up the myth that AGW is settled science), they've decided to attack those who are raising legitimate doubts. So much for the science being on their side...
- Meghan McCain has announced that she's a progressive Republican. I know. I was shocked, too. Anyway, it explains a lot about her advice for Republicans on how to win the youth vote in upcoming elections. What it explains: she is the last person the GOP needs to consult for advice on winning elections. Her father's approach has been tried and it has failed in two straight elections. Putting a new face on a failed strategy doesn't make it any better.
- Sarah Palin has caught a lot of heat from Leftists for notes she wrote on her hand prior to a speech she gave recently. As a public speaker, I understand the importance of notes to delivering a good speech, so I don't criticize Palin too much for it. Notecards would have been better, but sometimes you have to go with what you have handy, if you'll pardon the pun. Having said that, seeing how sparse her notes were makes me think the Left's criticism of Palin in this case is much ado about nothing. Seriously, you're getting on Palin's case for a few words written on her hand? If that doesn't scream "Palin owns us," I don't know what does.
- A new billboard of George W. Bush and the slogan "Miss Me Yet?" appeared near Wyoming, Minnesota, recently. It even got the attention of National Public Radio, who initiated an investigation into whether it was real and who put it up. Wow. With all of the stuff that could and really should be investigated (you know, like ACORN and government fraud under the guise of "stimulus money"?), it's nice to see NPR take the lead on something so insignificant. Then again, if the media did their jobs, we might not have had Obama in the White House...
And finally...
- A strip club in Ohio hosted an event called Lap Dances for Haiti. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to book a flight to Ohio to support this good cause because, dang it, I CARE!
- Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning the Super Bowl this year. The Saints and the Indianapolis Colts are both great teams, but for the Saints to win it all is a great testament to not just the team's athletic prowess, but to their commitment to the city. Now, I want to see the city match the Saints' commitment by getting committed to improving their conditions.
- In an op-ed piece in USA Today, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan wrote, "Politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering only serve the goals of al-Qaeda." Hmmm...when the Bush Administration said the same thing, didn't the Left scream about dissent being patriotic?
- More fallout from Climategate has the eco-Left digging in and going on the offensive. Instead of defending their misdeeds (which are indefensible, given the depths they've sunk to in order to keep up the myth that AGW is settled science), they've decided to attack those who are raising legitimate doubts. So much for the science being on their side...
- Meghan McCain has announced that she's a progressive Republican. I know. I was shocked, too. Anyway, it explains a lot about her advice for Republicans on how to win the youth vote in upcoming elections. What it explains: she is the last person the GOP needs to consult for advice on winning elections. Her father's approach has been tried and it has failed in two straight elections. Putting a new face on a failed strategy doesn't make it any better.
- Sarah Palin has caught a lot of heat from Leftists for notes she wrote on her hand prior to a speech she gave recently. As a public speaker, I understand the importance of notes to delivering a good speech, so I don't criticize Palin too much for it. Notecards would have been better, but sometimes you have to go with what you have handy, if you'll pardon the pun. Having said that, seeing how sparse her notes were makes me think the Left's criticism of Palin in this case is much ado about nothing. Seriously, you're getting on Palin's case for a few words written on her hand? If that doesn't scream "Palin owns us," I don't know what does.
- A new billboard of George W. Bush and the slogan "Miss Me Yet?" appeared near Wyoming, Minnesota, recently. It even got the attention of National Public Radio, who initiated an investigation into whether it was real and who put it up. Wow. With all of the stuff that could and really should be investigated (you know, like ACORN and government fraud under the guise of "stimulus money"?), it's nice to see NPR take the lead on something so insignificant. Then again, if the media did their jobs, we might not have had Obama in the White House...
And finally...
- A strip club in Ohio hosted an event called Lap Dances for Haiti. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to book a flight to Ohio to support this good cause because, dang it, I CARE!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Quick Hits
I figure there's been a few things in the news that I haven't talked about yet, so let me rectify that.
- President Barack Obama promised that he would enact a spending freeze effective with the 2011 budget that would keep spending at the 2010 budget levels for 3 years. Maybe he slept in when this was covered at Harvard Law, but there’s this thing called the separation of powers that prevents one branch of the government from intruding too much on another. And according to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, federal spending falls under the duties of…the Legislative Branch. Funny that a Constitutional law professor missed that part of the Constitution, huh?
- Nancy Pelosi stated that she would do everything in her power to get the health care reform bill passed. Considering she essentially passed the House version of this bill by 3 votes the first time around, and there’s still a matter of reconciliation to address, I’m not sure she should be so confident of the outcome because conditions have changed since December. Failure by the Congressional Democrats to see this will result in the health care reform bill being watered down or defeated outright.
- Newly elected Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown was sworn in yesterday after a longer-than-necessary delay. When similar situation occurred in NY-23, the Democrat was sworn in immediately to vote for the health care reform bill in the House. Wouldn’t have anything to do with Brown being a Republican, would it?
- Senator Al Franken lambasted the Obama Administration for a lack of leadership on the health care reform bill. He cited how they failed to give Senate Democrats direction on how to proceed. Although I agree with Franken, I have to question the reason for his objection. After all, doesn’t he work for the people, not the White House?
- A recent report regarding the whereabouts of the funds from the Pork-A-Palooza bill shows that money was sent to Congressional districts…that don’t exist. Maybe that’s why the Obama Administration has taken the position that only some of the money is being misspent: because compared to the funds going to districts that don’t exist, the money being misspent is a drop in the bucket.
- In response to the recent controversy surrounding a pro-life television ad airing during the Super Bowl, “The View” co-host Joy Behar said that it was just as likely that Florida quarterback Tim Teboe could have been born a "pedophile rapist." Yeah, it’s possible that Teboe could have wound up as someone far less savory than what he has become. You know, like an unfunny talk show hack stinking up the airwaves on two different TV shows?
And finally...
- With the Super Bowl this Sunday, I’m torn as to who to root for. On the one hand, the Indianapolis Colts have proven to be an exceptional team on the field. Then again, the New Orleans Saints have proven to be an exceptional team off the field. Regardless of the score, I’m going to be happy for both teams because they’ve shown that they can do things right where it counts.
- President Barack Obama promised that he would enact a spending freeze effective with the 2011 budget that would keep spending at the 2010 budget levels for 3 years. Maybe he slept in when this was covered at Harvard Law, but there’s this thing called the separation of powers that prevents one branch of the government from intruding too much on another. And according to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, federal spending falls under the duties of…the Legislative Branch. Funny that a Constitutional law professor missed that part of the Constitution, huh?
- Nancy Pelosi stated that she would do everything in her power to get the health care reform bill passed. Considering she essentially passed the House version of this bill by 3 votes the first time around, and there’s still a matter of reconciliation to address, I’m not sure she should be so confident of the outcome because conditions have changed since December. Failure by the Congressional Democrats to see this will result in the health care reform bill being watered down or defeated outright.
- Newly elected Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown was sworn in yesterday after a longer-than-necessary delay. When similar situation occurred in NY-23, the Democrat was sworn in immediately to vote for the health care reform bill in the House. Wouldn’t have anything to do with Brown being a Republican, would it?
- Senator Al Franken lambasted the Obama Administration for a lack of leadership on the health care reform bill. He cited how they failed to give Senate Democrats direction on how to proceed. Although I agree with Franken, I have to question the reason for his objection. After all, doesn’t he work for the people, not the White House?
- A recent report regarding the whereabouts of the funds from the Pork-A-Palooza bill shows that money was sent to Congressional districts…that don’t exist. Maybe that’s why the Obama Administration has taken the position that only some of the money is being misspent: because compared to the funds going to districts that don’t exist, the money being misspent is a drop in the bucket.
- In response to the recent controversy surrounding a pro-life television ad airing during the Super Bowl, “The View” co-host Joy Behar said that it was just as likely that Florida quarterback Tim Teboe could have been born a "pedophile rapist." Yeah, it’s possible that Teboe could have wound up as someone far less savory than what he has become. You know, like an unfunny talk show hack stinking up the airwaves on two different TV shows?
And finally...
- With the Super Bowl this Sunday, I’m torn as to who to root for. On the one hand, the Indianapolis Colts have proven to be an exceptional team on the field. Then again, the New Orleans Saints have proven to be an exceptional team off the field. Regardless of the score, I’m going to be happy for both teams because they’ve shown that they can do things right where it counts.
Monday, February 1, 2010
The War Against Glenn Beck
Arianna Huffington seems to have it in for Glenn Beck, if her recent comments about Beck are any indication. Huffington's point is that Beck is dangerous for America because he "incites violence." (Of course, she can't seem to point to any real evidence of Beck-inspired violence, nor has she attempted to explain away Beck's comments advocating non-violent protests, but I'm sure she'll address that any day now.)
The fact that Huffington's comments are echoed by a number of Leftists isn't surprising. The fact that Huffington's comments are so at odds with reality isn't surprising, either. What is surprising is how ineffectual such comments have been. Most people who watch or listen to Beck are the type who pay little attention to the Huffington crowd, and those who may be lukewarm towards Beck, but are aware of the facts, may not agree with Huffington's assertions. That leaves those who are predisposed to agree with Huffington, and that group is pretty small, comparatively speaking.
At the heart of Huffington's anti-Beck comments is an attempt to marginalize Beck using the classic Saul Alinsky method. Beck has been open with his flaws, which the Left has taken to paint him as a drunk, drug abuser, divorced, college dropout and, thus, not a credible source of information. Others have taken it a step further, accusing Beck of rape, tax evasion, and murder using facts even more tenuous than Huffington's. Why is the Left spending so much time, money, and energy to simultaneously dismiss and slander Glenn Beck?
Because he's effective.
The Left operates on a principle of keeping people ignorant and, thus, easily controllable. As much as the Left says that's Beck's shtick, Beck and his staff do their homework before they go public with anything. His recent documentary about the rise of progressivism was well-received by many people, except for the Left in academia who claimed Beck was factually inaccurate. Beck did clarify one of his statements and apologized for it, but as yet the people accusing him of being factually inaccurate have been at a loss for words when asked to show what Beck got wrong. But it's not about Beck being wrong; it's about Beck being right.
What makes Beck so effective is that he's really not driven by the same two-party fervor as other talk radio show hosts. He is concerned about finding the truth, no matter whose ox gets gored in the process. On the other hand, Huffington and her ilk have a purely ideological purpose for trying to destroy Glenn Beck: to preserve the Leftist status quo. To them, it's a battle for survival against the biggest threat they've ever experienced. To Beck, it's a battle for the survival of the country he loves.
I'm not usually a betting man, but in this case, I'll go all in for Beck winning this one.
The fact that Huffington's comments are echoed by a number of Leftists isn't surprising. The fact that Huffington's comments are so at odds with reality isn't surprising, either. What is surprising is how ineffectual such comments have been. Most people who watch or listen to Beck are the type who pay little attention to the Huffington crowd, and those who may be lukewarm towards Beck, but are aware of the facts, may not agree with Huffington's assertions. That leaves those who are predisposed to agree with Huffington, and that group is pretty small, comparatively speaking.
At the heart of Huffington's anti-Beck comments is an attempt to marginalize Beck using the classic Saul Alinsky method. Beck has been open with his flaws, which the Left has taken to paint him as a drunk, drug abuser, divorced, college dropout and, thus, not a credible source of information. Others have taken it a step further, accusing Beck of rape, tax evasion, and murder using facts even more tenuous than Huffington's. Why is the Left spending so much time, money, and energy to simultaneously dismiss and slander Glenn Beck?
Because he's effective.
The Left operates on a principle of keeping people ignorant and, thus, easily controllable. As much as the Left says that's Beck's shtick, Beck and his staff do their homework before they go public with anything. His recent documentary about the rise of progressivism was well-received by many people, except for the Left in academia who claimed Beck was factually inaccurate. Beck did clarify one of his statements and apologized for it, but as yet the people accusing him of being factually inaccurate have been at a loss for words when asked to show what Beck got wrong. But it's not about Beck being wrong; it's about Beck being right.
What makes Beck so effective is that he's really not driven by the same two-party fervor as other talk radio show hosts. He is concerned about finding the truth, no matter whose ox gets gored in the process. On the other hand, Huffington and her ilk have a purely ideological purpose for trying to destroy Glenn Beck: to preserve the Leftist status quo. To them, it's a battle for survival against the biggest threat they've ever experienced. To Beck, it's a battle for the survival of the country he loves.
I'm not usually a betting man, but in this case, I'll go all in for Beck winning this one.
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