Wisconsin in the News

Wisconsin: Is it an attack on Unions?

THE FERMENT IN WISCONSIN IS NO WORKERS' UPRISING AGAINST THE RICH AND POWERFUL. It is instead political muscle-flexing by a well-funded special interest group, which is limbering up for President Obama's re-election bid. Obama's campaign, operating as Organizing for America, is bussing protesters to the state capitol and manning phone banks to apply pressure to state legislatures. Obama himself has called Gov. Scott Walker's bill curbing government-sector collective bargaining "an attack on unions."

While liberal writers wax romantic about a workers' uprising (former Labor Secretary Robert Reich wrote on Twitter "Wisconsin is spreading to Ohio -- America's microversion of Tunisia and Egypt. People are taking to the streets to get their rights"), WHAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING IS THE LABOR MOVEMENT ACTING AS A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

Liberals and the White House try to blur the issue by lumping together government unions and labor unions in general. OBAMA WRONGLY CALLS WALKER'S BILL "AN ATTACK ON UNIONS." It is, at its heart, a measure changing the way the state government procures labor -- WALKER WOULD END SINGLE-SOURCE CONTRACTS WITH A POLITICALLY CONNECTED SPECIAL INTERESTS.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/02/wisconsin-its-unions-vs-people-0#ixzz1EPs7UTo6


Wisconsin has been a huge story in the media the last three days. From disappearing Democratic Senators, to huge protests, to fake doctor notes, we are getting a preview of what an America that is like Europe would be like. The spoiled and pampered “civil servants” demanding that we continue to fund outrageous contracts.



Raging Wisconsin

….CALLING TO MIND A MANEUVER THAT DEMOCRATS IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE PULLED A FEW YEARS BACK, WISCONSIN’S DEMOCRATS HAVE FLED THE CAPITOL, and in some instances have fled the state, in order to subvert the very democratic process from which their irony-immune party derives its name. And the exquisitely temperate ladies and gentlemen who were just the day before yesterday lecturing us about the allegedly corrosive tone of conservative political discourse are parading through the mean streets of Madison WAVING PLACARDS BEARING THE NAME AND LIKENESS OF ADOLF HITLER, AND DENOUNCING GOVERNOR WALKER AS A NAZI.

ADOLF HITLER AND HIS NATIONAL SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT MURDERED SOME 6 MILLION JEWS and waged a bloodthirsty war for world domination under a “Thousand-Year Reich.” GOVERNOR WALKER HAS PROPOSED THAT GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN WISCONSIN PAY 12.6 PERCENT OF THE COST OF THEIR INSURANCE PREMIUMS, WHICH IN THE MINDS OF WISCONSIN DEMOCRATS APPARENTLY AMOUNTS TO MORE OR LESS THE SAME THING. President Obama, himself fresh off lecturing the nation about its tone, chimed in with a predictably tin-eared characterization of this modest initiative as an “assault.”….

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/260114/raging-wisconsin-editors


This is another lose/lose situation for the Democrats. After rhetorically moving to the middle, President Obama’s popularity moved up. After weighing in on Wisconsin, his popularity is tumbling. The Democrats seem to be the party of the people but only if you are the “special” people they rely on.



The NY TIMES take on Wisconsin

….But the legislative push by Wisconsin’s new governor, Scott Walker, a Republican, to slash the collective bargaining rights of his state’s public employees could prove a watershed for public-sector unions, perhaps signaling the beginning of a decline in their power — both at the bargaining table and in politics…..

….“These kinds of high-profile public-employee battles have enormous stakes,” said Benjamin Sachs, a professor of labor law at Harvard. “We’re still feeling the consequences of President Reagan confronting the union in the air controllers’ strike. For anyone interested in union rights, the fight in Wisconsin couldn’t be more important.” ….

…. To end that cycle, he wants to restrict the unions to bargaining over just one topic, base wages, while eliminating their ability to deal over health care, working hours and vacations…..

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/us/19union.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1298127672-GtGTWgP4vkqJdamhqlSUhQ


Why would the Governor Walker want to keep unions from bargaining about fringe benefits? It makes sense. Unions go after more and more fringe benefits which aren’t paid for right away and the politicians who give in to them will be long out of office when the bill comes due. If you want to bargain rationally with a politician, it must be about things the public can see right away.

How to bring the Democrats back to Madison


I found this in the comment section of a story on the Wisconsin Democrat senators being AWOL.

The Republicans do have recourse--THIS 20 SENATOR QUORUM RULE ONLY APPLIES TO BILLS INVOLVING STATE FINANCIAL CONCERNS, if I'm not mistaken. There are a whole slew of other non-finance issues too on the Republican agenda, LIKE VOTER ID AND CONCEALED CARRY. I THINK IF THE REPUBLICANS THREATENED TO START PASSING PET AGENDA ITEMS, THE SENATORS OF THE TRUANT PARTY MIGHT BE INCLINED TO HIGHTAIL THEIR LITTLE FANNIES BACK TO MADISON and what the taxpayers of this state are paying them to do.

I’m not sure this is correct, but if it is, the Republicans should start legislating right away.


Americans Say Reagan Is the Greatest U.S. President

Ahead of Presidents Day 2011, Americans are most likely to say Ronald Reagan was the nation's greatest president -- slightly ahead of Abraham Lincoln and Bill Clinton. Reagan, Lincoln, or John F. Kennedy has been at the top of this "greatest president" list each time this question has been asked in eight surveys over the last 12 years.

In the eight times Gallup has asked this same "greatest president" question over the last 12 years, one of three presidents -- Lincoln, Reagan, and Kennedy -- has topped the list each time. Reagan was the top vote getter in 2001, 2005, and now 2011. Lincoln won in 1999, in two 2003 surveys, and in 2007. Kennedy was on top in 2000, and tied with Lincoln in November 2003.



http://www.gallup.com/poll/146183/Americans-Say-Reagan-Greatest-President.aspx


This is just a bit of trivia. In the story they give the top 5 Presidents by party affiliation. Republicans foolishly list W as number 5 with 5% of the vote, but Democrats are even more foolish putting Obama 3rd with 11% of their vote. Doesn’t anyone study history any more?

Obamacare: Unconstitutional in 26 states and More on Egypt

Obamacare: What’s the current status?

….But in sharp contrast to this reading, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS IMPLIED THAT THE RULING HAS NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER. “Implementation will continue,” promised Stephanie Cutter, assistant to the president and a deputy senior adviser, in a White House blog post. She provided quotes from experts to support the administration’s position — all but one of which merely DISAGREED WITH THE RULING, RATHER THAN ASSERTING THAT IT DIDN’T HAVE THE FORCE OF LAW.

The CONSENSUS AMONG THE LEGAL SCHOLARS I spoke with is somewhere in between: THE RULING PREVENTS IMPLEMENTATION, BUT ONLY REGARDING THE PARTIES OF THE SUIT — 26 STATES, PLUS TWO INDIVIDUALS, AND THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES. “There is absolutely no doubt that we have obtained a binding judgment from a federal district court,” says David B. Rivkin Jr., a Baker Hostetler attorney and lead outside counsel to the plaintiffs. “Unless and until the federal government is able to obtain a stay . . . this absolutely precludes the government from implementing any provisions of the act — and this is important — with regard to the parties of the case.”

Kevin C. Walsh, an assistant professor at the University of Richmond Law School, says the main issue is THE DOCTRINE OF “PRECLUSION.” This doctrine holds that once two parties — in this case, the federal government and the plaintiffs — have litigated a matter in court, the matter is settled between them, AND THEY CANNOT RELITIGATE IT FROM THE BEGINNING (though the loser can appeal the decision to a higher court). BUT WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS THE DEFENDANT, PRECLUSION DOESN’T APPLY TO ENTITIES THAT WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THE SUIT. This means the federal government can implement the law with regard to everyone but the plaintiffs….

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/259033/obamacare-roadblock-robert-verbruggen


This is very interesting article and I recommend you read it. Of course it ends by saying this will be going to SCOTUS.

Can you be a democrat and be conservative?

For Democrats, Ashley Bell was the kind of comer that a party builds a future on: A YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN LAWYER, HE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA, ADVISED PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JOHN EDWARDS AND SPOKE AT THE 2004 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION IN BOSTON.

But after his party's midterm beat-down in November, Bell, a commissioner in northern Georgia's Hall County, jumped ship. HE JOINED THE REPUBLICANS.

Bell, 30, said he had serious issues with the healthcare law and believed that conservative "blue dog" Democrats in Congress who shared his values had been bullied into voting for it.

BELL'S DEFECTION IS ONE OF DOZENS BY STATE AND LOCAL DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS IN THE DEEP SOUTH in recent months that underscore Republicans' continued consolidation of power in the region — a process that started with presidential politics but increasingly affects government down to the level of dogcatcher.

"I THINK THE MIDTERMS SHOWED YOU REALLY CAN'T BE A CONSERVATIVE AND BE A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY," Bell said…..

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-democratic-defections-20110207,0,6236304.story


Another sign that the Democrats and the Obama Administration are badly out of step with the rest of the country.



Egypt: Here come the Marines

A senior member of the US Marine corps is telling people "multiple platoons" are deploying to Egypt, a source tells us.

THERE IS A SYSTEM WITHIN THE US MARINES THAT ALERTS THE IMMEDIATE FAMILIES OF HIGH-RANKING MARINES WHEN THEIR MARINE WILL SOON BE DEPLOYED to an emergency situation where they will not be able to talk to their spouses or families.

THAT ALERT JUST WENT OUT, SAYS OUR SOURCE…..

….On Friday, the Pentagon announced it would move "U.S. WARSHIPS AND OTHER MILITARY ASSETS TO MAKE SURE IT IS PREPARED IN CASE EVACUATION OF U.S. CITIZENS FROM EGYPT BECOMES NECESSARY," according the the LA Times

.

http://www.businessinsider.com/senior-us-marine-says-multiple-platoons-are-headed-to-egypt-2011-2#ixzz1DH6xAbOD


Nothing unusual about this. It’s makes good sense to be prepared.



Stein on Egypt: it's not going to be good for America

There is a wonderful scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Ferris, played perfectly by Matthew Broderick, tells us that he's missing his class on European Socialism by taking a day off. But what does that matter? (as he asks). "I'm not a socialist. I'm not European. I don't plan to be European." (Paraphrasing here.)

I am reminded of John Hughes' deathless lines as I WATCH THE BREATHLESS, ENDLESS COVERAGE OF THE RECENT TURMOIL IN EGYPT ON TV. I don't doubt that it's terribly important. I just don't see the story the way it's being played on TV and here's why.

Let's take it point by point. No matter how this turns out, it's not going to be good for America. THE PEOPLE IN CAIRO, ALEXANDRIA, AND SUEZ DEMONSTRATING AGAINST MUBARAK ARE NOT JEFFERSON, MADISON, AND WASHINGTON. THEY ARE NOT LIBERAL DEMOCRATS AND BELIEVERS IN UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS. In the final analysis, they are not going to be pals of the United States or our only reliable friend in the area, Israel…..

….Yes, indeed, all of these demonstrations are a sign of a new dawn in the Mideast. But IT'S A LOT LIKE THE OLD DAWN, EXCEPT FOR A THICK HAZE OF IRANIAN SMOKE. Has no one noticed that in all of the recent political changes in the Arab states, power going to persons largely sympathetic to Iran is a constant? Has anyone noticed how MOHAMED ELBARADEI ENDLESSLY CARRIED WATER FOR IRAN ABOUT NUCLEAR ARMS WHEN HE WAS AT THE UN SUPPOSEDLY TRYING TO STOP NUKE PROLIFERATION? This is not going to end well for the U.S. ….

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/07/between-mubarak-and-a-hard-pla


In case you missed it, Mr. Stein doesn’t think the turmoil in Egypt is going to end well for the US.



More on Egypt—who’s winning?

As the veteran president regained some of the initiative lost during nearly a fortnight of street protests, the Brotherhood, Egypt's popular but banned opposition, dropped its opposition to talks.

MR MUBARAK WAS ALSO BOOSTED BY A RETURN TO RELATIVE NORMALITY IN THE CITY, WHICH WAS CLOGGED BY FAMILIAR TRAFFIC JAMS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DAYS.

Tens of thousands of protesters again thronged Cairo's Tahrir Square, but for the first time there WAS SERIOUS TENSION WITH THE ARMY, WHOSE ROLE IN TIGHTENING SECURITY IN THE CITY AND IN ARRESTING ACTIVISTS HAS DASHED HOPES THAT IT WAS TURNING AGAINST THE REGIME.

Omar Suleiman, the vice-president overseeing talks for the regime, offered leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition parties a string of often vague concessions…..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/8307210/Egypt-uprising-falters-as-negotiations-with-government-begin.html


Things seem to be calming down which is good for the USA and Israel. It appears Mubarak may be able to serve out his term in office.



U.S.-Egypt Relations Under Attack

We all want to see democracy succeed in Egypt, but there is good reason to believe that the CURRENT POLITICAL CRISIS IN THAT COUNTRY IS GEARED TOWARD BREAKING EGYPT'S CLOSE TIES WITH THE UNITED SATES, NOT TOWARD INSTALLING DEMOCRACY THERE. From my vantage point, I see this crisis as an updated version of the Kremlin's highly secret Cold War effort to turn the Islamic world into an enemy of the United States. In my other life as a top figure in the KGB intelligence community, I was involved in that effort, as I have described elsewhere ("Russian Footprints," National Review Online, August 24, 2006[1]).

It is noteworthy that the current Middle East rebellion is taking place only in Islamic countries that are pro-American and that the people demanding democracy there are burning the flag of the country symbolizing democracy for most of the world -- the United States. It is remarkable that these "mass uprisings" were so secretly planned that the entire U.S. intelligence community was taken completely by surprise -- President Obama admonished National Intelligence Director James Clapper for his "failure to predict the outbreak of these demonstrations" [2].

Even more significant is that the Hezb'allah representatives demonstrating on the first day of the Cairo uprising were carrying flags displaying the hammer and sickle. That was evidently a mistake caused by overzealousness -- my enthusiastic young subordinates in the Romanian foreign intelligence service (the DIE) sometimes used to make similar goofs. In Cairo, the error was quickly rectified, and now the hammer and sickle is nowhere to be seen.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/02/usegypt_relations_under_attack_1.html


Here's a bit of truth at least for some of the demonstrators. 



Republican foreign policy "wolf" shows her teeth

For years, REPRESENTATIVE ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN has been busy lecturing world leaders over human rights abuses.

Now that she is the NEW REPUBLICAN CHAIR OF THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, she has a chance to try to back up her muscular rhetoric with action.

Last month, Ros-Lehtinen was one of THE FIRST U.S. LAWMAKERS TO URGE EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK TO HOLD FREE ELECTIONS. Earlier in January, she told visiting CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO TO HIS FACE THAT HE SHOULD FREE JAILED DISSIDENT LIU XIAOBO, a Nobel peace prize winner.

Last year, the Florida Republican hand-delivered a letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev telling him Russia's human rights record was "deplorable."

A CUBAN-AMERICAN, ROS-LEHTINEN HAS CALLED FORMER CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO A "DINOSAUR" and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a "thugocrat." Sometimes she gets as good as she gives; CASTRO CALLS HER "THE FEROCIOUS SHE-WOLF" AND CHAVEZ HAS DUBBED HER AN "OUTLAW."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/07/us-usa-politics-foreign-idUSTRE7160TE20110207?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true


Well this should be interesting in the coming years. A congresswoman who actually acts on her principles.



HERITAGE FOUNDATION: "How Modern Liberals Think"

Here’s a very good presentation on how liberal think. Even Sayet is a comedian who is a 9/13 Republican. Raised a liberal and previously working for Bill Maher, Sayet has spent the last five years looking at what’s going on in the mind of the liberals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaE98w1KZ-c




Reagan: Looking back

REAGAN’S CRITICS CONSIDERED HIM GREGARIOUS, PERHAPS, BUT ULTIMATELY A MERE ACTOR WHO READ WHATEVER LINES HE WAS HANDED by such advisers as former White House counselor Ed Meese and the late media man Mike Deaver. The equally late Democratic eminence CLARK CLIFFORD FAMOUSLY DISMISSED REAGAN AS “AN AMIABLE DUNCE.”

THE ANDERSONS’ BOOK, REAGAN, IN HIS OWN HAND, DETONATED THIS MYTH. They discovered 670 scripts for commentaries that the former California governor aired on 236 radio stations from 1975 to 1979. Reagan offered his specific prescriptions on taxes, regulation, peace through strength, and even oceanic mineral content as it concerned the Law of the Sea Treaty. These scripts consisted of sheets of yellow legal paper brimming with Reagan’s own cursive handwriting.

Rather than a mere mouthpiece for his staff, REAGAN HIMSELF RESEARCHED AND ADDRESSED TOPICAL ISSUES WITH PHILOSOPHICAL CONSISTENCY AND CONCRETE EVIDENCE TO BOLSTER HIS OPINIONS.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/258888/reagan-revealed-deroy-murdock


It appears RR’s stature is going up and should be. The lefts premise seems to be all conservatives are fools and the MSM is a co-conspirator in putting that forward. In fact, when you look at how the lefts plans and programs never seem to work out, you might want to question their credibility in making these charges against their opponents.

Mubarak resists, Astroid Defense, and Superstorms

Prizing Status Quo, Mubarak Resists Pressure

He walks several yards to his office from his living quarters at the presidential palace every day, dressed in his trademark black business suit and tie. On Saturday, he conducted a meeting of his new government’s economic team. And on Sunday, he received an envoy from Oman, who delivered a letter from the sultan.

EGYPTIAN, ARAB AND WESTERN OFFICIALS WHO HAVE DEALT WITH PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK OF EGYPT SAY THAT FOR THE PAST WEEK, HE HAS VEERED BETWEEN ANGER, A SENSE OF BETRAYAL and stoicism. Known for a fierce conservatism that prizes stability above all else, Mr. Mubarak has reacted to the calls for his resignation — some from Western officials who he thought were, if not friends, at least allies — with his usual change-resistant manner. One Arab official called it “his reflex adherence to the status quo.” …..

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/world/middleeast/07mubarak.html?_r=1


He seems to be handling this better than President Obama has.

On Asteroid Defense and Constitutional Law

Mark Kleiman asks whether a “libertarian-leaning” reader could point him “to the specific provision of the Constitution under which the Federal government could spend money on asteroid destruction.” He further tells us that “[i]t’s not, properly speaking, defense, unless the asteroid was deliberately launched at us by the Klingons. THE ASTEROID ISN’T ‘IN COMMERCE’ AT ALL, SO IT CAN’T BE COVERED BY THE COMMERCE CLAUSE.”

As a libertarian-conservative, I am glad to help resolve this question. Of course, it should be noted from the outset that THE FRAMING OF THESE KINDS OF QUESTIONS IS A COMMON KLEIMANIAN TACTIC; he tosses out an appealing public policy approach, and then dares readers to conclude that the approach may not be constitutional. I certainly agree with Kleiman that asteroid defense cannot be covered by the Commerce Clause (thank goodness that there are some limits recognized by the Left on the reach and scope of the Clause), but I DON’T SEE WHY HE IS SO QUICK TO DISMISS ASTEROID DESTRUCTION AS A DEFENSE MEASURE MERELY BECAUSE THE ASTEROID WAS NOT “DELIBERATELY LAUNCHED AT US BY THE KLINGONS.”…..

http://www.chequerboard.org/2011/02/on-asteroid-defense-and-constitutional-law/


According to this, we could constitutionally shoot it down. Whew!


Green jobs in Obamaland

After receiving at least $43 million in aid from the state of Massachusetts, EVERGREEN SOLAR ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH THAT IT WOULD BE CLOSING ITS MANUFACTURING PLANT IN DEVENS, MASS., LAYING OFF ITS 800 WORKERS AND MOVING ITS MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS TO CHINA.

Warning: These are the "green jobs" that President Obama has touted as part of his "winning the future" agenda.

The problem isn't that Obama wants to direct federal dollars toward research for alternative energy. It is in the national interest to have affordable options when oil sources are depleted.

The problem is that OBAMA THINKS THAT GREEN JOBS ARE THE ANSWER TO THE ANEMIC ECONOMY RECOVERY. And he clings to that belief in the face of contrary evidence.

Last May, the president came to solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra in Fremont, Calif., to celebrate a new plant -- creating 3,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent workers. President Obama exclaimed, "The true engine of economic growth will always be companies like Solyndra."

Within months, Solyndra, which has yet to turn a profit, announced that it was canceling the expansion.

AT BEST, YOU CAN DESCRIBE OBAMALAND'S CHOICE OF VENUE AS BAD ADVANCE WORK…..

http://townhall.com/columnists/debrajsaunders/2011/02/06/green_jobs_are_not_evergreen_jobs/page/full/


In fact, green jobs are not any kind of an engine of recovery. Spain has shown that for every green job they created, they lost 2.2 jobs elsewhere.



State Dept. spokesman calls report on sharing U.K. nuke secrets 'bunk'

A STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN CALLED A BRITISH NEWSPAPER'S REPORT THAT THE U.S. OFFERED TO DISCLOSE BRITISH NUCLEAR SECRETS IN ORDER TO SECURE SUPPORT FOR THE NEW START TREATY "BUNK."

The Telegraph reported Saturday that WikiLeaks cables showed the administration agreed to give Russia information about every Trident missile the U.S. supplies to the United Kingdom.

The story claims that Russia used the talks over the treaty, which faced opposition from suspicious Republicans in the Senate before its 11th-hour lame-duck approval, to win agreement for more information about the missile supplies.

http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/142321-state-dept-spokesman-calls-report-on-sharing-uk-nuke-secrets-bunk


“Did so!” “Did not!” Sound familiar?

Sotomayor, Unplugged

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor drew attention to her racial politics this week during a speech at the University of Chicago Law School, where she took issue with the positions of some of her colleagues on the bench.

Since her confirmation hearings, in which she had to explain HER PREVIOUS ASSERTION THAT A WISE LATINA WOMAN "WOULD MORE OFTEN THAN NOT REACH A BETTER CONCLUSION" THAN A WHITE MAN IN THE SAME POSITION, Justice Sotomayor has typically been more guarded in her public comments. But at the student forum, she criticized Chief Justice John Roberts's position in a 2007 case about whether public school admissions could be race-conscious to achieve diversity (Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1).

Writing for the court, JUSTICE ROBERTS SAID THAT "THE WAY TO STOP DISCRIMINATING ON THE BASIS OF RACE IS TO STOP DISCRIMINATING ON THE BASIS OF RACE." Justice Sotomayor told U of C students that THAT FORMULA IS "TOO SIMPLE" FOR HER. "I don't borrow Chief Justice Roberts's description of what colorblindness is," she said. "OUR SOCIETY IS TOO COMPLEX TO USE THAT KIND OF ANALYSIS." She also told students that, contrary to fellow Justice Antonin Scalia, she was "not sure" whether determining the original intent of the Constitution was the most important consideration in deciding a case.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704709304576124502622737210.html


So our ‘wise Latina’ seems to have discovered that all discrimination is wrong, expect when it isn’t. I’m afraid that the left’s “it’s too complex” argument is little more than a ruse to do what they want and let the Constitution be damned. 


Stopping voter fraud

In the last presidential election, THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF ELECTORAL IRREGULARITIES, in particular of dubious actions believed to have been engaged in by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)…..


….Of course, voters had solid reasons for doubts for some time before the last two elections. In the state of Maryland, for example, the VOTER ROLLS DO NOT SEEM TO BE ROUTINELY PURGED AND IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK A VOTER FOR PROOF OF IDENTITY. Any attempt to add reliability to the system is resisted in Annapolis by the (lamentable and apparently permanent) Democratic majority. Resistance to reliable electoral reforms is widespread. However, rather than tackle this one state at a time, the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives offers a chance to reform federal elections nationwide. Article I, Section 4, cl. 1 of the Constitution reads as follows:


The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of choosing Senators.


First, as to voter identification, WE CAN CHOOSE A POLITICALLY CORRECT OPTION, I.E., THE ELECTION LAWS OF CANADA. After all, if we could copy their health care law, surely we can copy their election law. Here is what Canada requires in the way of voter identification, as published on the website of Elections Canada, an independent agency established by Parliament with responsibility for Canadian elections.


OPTION 1: Show one piece of identification with your photo, name and address. It must be issued by a government agency.

OPTION 2: Show two pieces of authorized identification. Both pieces must have your name and one must also have your address.

OPTION 3: Swear an oath and have an elector who knows you vouch for you. This person must have authorized identification and be from the same polling division as you. This person can only vouch for one person.

http://www.herald-mail.com/opinion/hm-safeguards-must-be-installed-to-prevent-voter-fraud-20110204,0,4036253,full.story


The normal debate is the Republicans say they have to produce a photo ID to cash a check and the Democrats say voter fraud isn’t a problem so people shouldn’t be inconvenienced by having to have a photo ID to vote. Who do you think gains by voter fraud?


Reagan’s Farewell Address

My fellow Americans:

This is the 34th time I’ll speak to you from the Oval Office -- and the last. We’ve been together for eight years now, and soon it’ll be time for me to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I’ve been saying for a long time.

IT’S BEEN THE HONOR OF MY LIFE TO BE YOUR PRESIDENT. So many of you have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much to you. Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to serve.

ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE PRESIDENCY IS THAT YOU’RE ALWAYS SOMEWHAT APART. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass -- the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn’t return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, and connect. WELL, MAYBE I CAN DO A LITTLE OF THAT TONIGHT.....

http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=732


Do you ever get the feeling that some of our presidents if they spoke from their hearts would tell us what an honor it’s been for us to have them as our President.



Magnetic Polar Shifts Causing Massive Global Superstorms

CONTRARY TO THE GLOBAL WARMING CROWD, THERE APPEARS TO BE A CLIMATE CHANGE OCCURRING THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MANKIND, CO2 OR GREENHOUSE GASES.

NASA has been warning about it…scientific papers have been written about it…geologists have seen its traces in rock strata and ice core samples…

NOW "IT" IS HERE: AN UNSTOPPABLE MAGNETIC POLE SHIFT that has sped up and is causing life-threatening havoc with the world's weather.

Forget about global warming—man-made or natural—what drives planetary weather patterns is the climate and what drives the climate is the sun's magnetosphere and its electromagnetic interaction with a planet's own magnetic field.

When the field shifts, when it fluctuates, when it goes into flux and begins to become unstable anything can happen. And what normally happens is that all hell breaks loose.

MAGNETIC POLAR SHIFTS HAVE OCCURRED MANY TIMES IN EARTH'S HISTORY. IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN NOW TO EVERY PLANET IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM INCLUDING EARTH.

The magnetic field drives weather to a significant degree and when that field starts migrating superstorms start erupting.

THE SUPERSTORMS HAVE ARRIVED

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/february042011/global-superstorms-ta.php


Frightening, but something that isn’t caused by man.  As the article mentions the movement of the North Pole has recently increased by 8 fold. 


Meanwhile back at the Krugman Ranch

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FOOD CRISIS GO FAR BEYOND ECONOMICS. After all, the big question about uprisings against corrupt and oppressive regimes in the Middle East isn’t so much why they’re happening as why they’re happening now. And there’s little question that sky-high food prices have been an important trigger for popular rage.

So what’s behind the price spike? American right-wingers (and the Chinese) blame easy-money policies at the Federal Reserve, with at least one commentator declaring that there is “blood on Bernanke’s hands.” Meanwhile, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France blames speculators, accusing them of “extortion and pillaging.”

But the evidence tells a different, much more ominous story. While several factors have contributed to soaring food prices, WHAT REALLY STANDS OUT IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS HAVE DISRUPTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. And these severe weather events are exactly THE KIND OF THING WE’D EXPECT TO SEE AS RISING CONCENTRATIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES CHANGE OUR CLIMATE — which means that the current food price surge may be just the beginning

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/opinion/07krugman.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


Krugman seems to be a one note player in this area. I guess he didn’t get the message that this hypothesis has expired and didn’t read the article right above this.  But once again Krugman has shown he is wrong, wrong and wrong. 

Abortion, Wikileaks, First Amendment, Cap and Tax, and Ronald Reagan

Lila Rose--adding headaches to the left

For Lila Rose, Planned Parenthood video 'sting' is about revolution

….PLANNED PARENTHOOD IS THE TARGET OF THE DAY. But the ultimate goal of this new generation of right-wing muckrakers is the OVERTHROW OF THE PERCEIVED LIBERAL-LEANING MAINSTREAM MEDIA NARRATIVE on touchstone political issues such as guns, racism, and abortion. Rose casts her work in light of the civil-rights movement of the 1960s, and her videos are the tinder for peaceful social insurrection.

"REAL SOCIAL REVOLUTIONS ARE BASICALLY MEDIA REVOLUTIONS ... AND THIS IS A MEDIA REVOLUTION," says Brian Anse Patrick, author of "Rise of the Anti-Media" and a communications professor at the University of Toledo in Ohio. "There's a battle going on between orthodoxies. What was unthinkable or not discussed – well, here we are, we're talking about it."

Who is Lila Rose?

ROSE, A DEVOUT CATHOLIC AND ASPIRING ACTRESS, founded Live Action as a 15-year-old, and started making films three years later. Since then, she has BECOME A LEADING LIGHT OF THE ANTIABORTION MOVEMENT, frequently giving speeches and appearing on cable news shows.

"We take the video cameras, and we use them because in a way they're a weapon. THEY CAN REVEAL TRUTH AND SHOW WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING, SAY, INSIDE AN ABORTION CLINIC," Rose, a soft-spoken California native, said in a CNN profile.

In her work, Rose has focused on issues like the high abortion rate in the black community – AN EFFORT SUPPORTED BY ALVEDA KING, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S NIECE. Rose recently quoted King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail and his exhortation for activists to use "creative extremism" to fight for civil rights. …

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2011/0204/For-Lila-Rose-Planned-Parenthood-video-sting-is-about-revolution


This is an interesting article about a new breed of conservative. Young, hip and dedicated, Lila Rose seems to be a thorn in the side of the liberal establishment.



Politico Does Planned Parenthood’s Dirty Work

Well… not THAT dirty work, but pretty close.

In an article released in today’s Politico, reporter Kate Nocera excitedly declared to her readers that she had “exclusively obtained” a letter signed by 27 liberal groups addressed to Congress calling on lawmakers to continue the federal financial support for Planned Parenthood in the wake of the undercover investigation conducted by Live Action.

Ms. Nocera’s article is peppered with quotes from the exclusively obtained letter, from Media Matters and from People for the American Way. Missing is a quote from Live Action, the target of the smear campaign which Big Journalism has learned was orchestrated by Media Matters on a conference call yesterday afternoon. That’s right, in her one-sided article that reads almost like a press release from Planned Parenthood, Ms. Nocera didn’t bother to get a reaction from Lila Rose or Live Action.

http://bigjournalism.com/sright/2011/02/05/politico-does-planned-parenthoods-dirty-work/

This issue still divides the country.  Both sides are absolutely convinced of the righteousness of their position and it shows in the stories being written.
WikiLeaks cables: US agrees to tell Russia Britain's nuclear secrets

INFORMATION ABOUT EVERY TRIDENT MISSILE THE US SUPPLIES TO BRITAIN WILL BE GIVEN TO RUSSIA AS PART OF AN ARMS CONTROL DEAL SIGNED BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA NEXT WEEK.


Defence analysts claim the agreement risks undermining Britain’s policy of refusing to confirm the exact size of its nuclear arsenal.

The fact that the AMERICANS USED BRITISH NUCLEAR SECRETS AS A BARGAINING CHIP also sheds new light on the so-called “special relationship”, which is shown often to be a one-sided affair by US diplomatic communications obtained by the WikiLeaks website.

Details of the behind-the-scenes talks are contained in more than 1,400 US embassy cables published to date by the Telegraph, including almost 800 sent from the London Embassy, which are published online today. The documents also show that:……

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8304654/WikiLeaks-cables-US-agrees-to-tell-Russia-Britains-nuclear-secrets.html#


It appears with the Obama Administration in power, you are probably better of being an adversary rather than a friend to the United States.

Why the NY TIMES editorials are never “wrong”

…“OUR POLICY IS THAT IF WE GET A LETTER ASSERTING THAT WE MADE A FACTUAL ERROR, WE CHECK to see if that is the case,” she told The Daily Caller via e-mail. “IF WE WERE IN ERROR, WE PUBLISH A CORRECTION. If not, then we don’t. It is of no value to our readers to have someone say “this fact is wrong” in a letter without telling them whether that is indeed the case.”…

…AN EDITORIAL IS, AT ITS CORE, THE OPINION OF OUR EDITORIAL PAGE, so it’s difficult to call an editorial wrong,” Murphy countered. “YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH IT, BUT THAT’S DIFFERENT THAN SOMETHING BEING WRONG.”…

http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/04/york-times-wrong/#ixzz1D6YGUymb


I think the NY TIMES is (wrong, mistaken, incorrect), about this. Hey that policy works really well if you want to hamstring your critics.

It appears NBC doesn’t honor the First Amendment

If this is true, it’s very sad. Last week, an amazing video from 1994 was posted online showing Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel sitting on the Today set and TRYING TO WRAP THEIR HEADS AROUND THIS WHOLE “INTERNET” THING. The video instantly went viral and was posted on countless websites (including Mediaite). WELL, NOW IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE GUY WHO POSTED IT HAS BEEN FIRED BY NBC FOR LEAKING IT.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/the-guy-who-posted-the-hilarious-today-show-what-is-the-internet-reportedly-fired-by-nbc/


It appears Katie was having a Sarah Palin moment. Watch the video, it’s pretty funny.

Judge stops implementation of California’s cap and tax

A challenge to the law, based on other environmental laws, specifically CEQA, (the California Environmental Quality Act), FINALLY PROMPTED A JUDGE TO HALT THE LAW’S IMPLEMENTATION. CEQA says that legislation that has an impact on the economy or the environment has to be analyzed for less destructive alternatives. Such an analysis was not adequately done according to the judge. CEQA was signed by then Governor Ronald Reagan. (May he rest in peace.)

Ironically, the group that brought the legal challenge to the law was not the coalition of businesses that would be directly affected. IT WAS A GROUP OF RACIST, ENVIRO-WHACKOS CALLING THEMSELVES, THE CENTER ON RACE, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, ABBREVIATED CRAP. This group claims to defend minorities from the ravages of the environment. THE REASON THAT CRAP FILED THE LAWSUIT IS THAT THEY THOUGHT THE LEGISLATION WAS TOO BUSINESS FRIENDLY! ….

http://biggovernment.com/asparks/2011/02/05/judge-halts-implementation-of-california-cap-and-tax/


Once again someone with common sense it keeping liberals from committing hari-kari and taking us all with them.

EGYPT: The more you know….

NINE OUT OF TEN EGYPTIAN WOMEN SUFFER GENITAL MUTILATION. US President Barack Obama said Jan. 29, “The right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech, and the ability to determine their own destiny … are human rights. And the United States will stand up for them everywhere.” DOES OBAMA THINK THAT GENITAL MUTILATION IS A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION? To expect Egypt to leap from the intimate violence of traditional society to the full rights of a modern democracy seems whimsical.

IN FACT, THE VAST MAJORITY OF EGYPTIANS HAS PRACTICED CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AGAINST THE MUBARAK REGIME FOR YEARS. The Mubarak government announced a “complete” ban on genital mutilation in 2007, the second time it has done so – without success, for THE EGYPTIAN POPULATION IGNORED THE ENLIGHTENED PRONOUNCEMENTS OF ITS GOVERNMENT. DO WESTERN LIBERALS CHEER AT THIS QUIET REVOLT AGAINST MUBARAK’S AUTHORITY?

Suzanne Mubarak, Egypt’s First Lady, continues to campaign against the practice, which she has denounced as “physical and psychological violence against children.” Last May 1, she appeared at Aswan City alongside the provincial governor and other local officials to declare the province free of it. And on October 28, Mrs Mubarak inaugurated an African conference on stopping genital mutilation.

The most authoritative Egyptian Muslim scholars continue to recommend genital mutilation.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MB02Ak01.html

Egypt is a tough situation to get your hands around. However, the comment: “To expect Egypt to leap from the intimate violence of traditional society to the full rights of a modern democracy seems whimsical” seems on target except I would substitute “irrational” for “whimsical.”

Left does right about

THE ONLY GOOD CONSERVATIVE IS A DEAD CONSERVATIVE. That, in a nutshell, describes the age-old tradition of liberals suddenly discovering that once-reviled conservatives were OK after all. IT’S JUST WE-THE-LIVING WHO ARE HATEFUL OGRES, TROGLODYTES AND MOPERERS.

Over the last decade or so, as the giants of the founding generation of modern American conservatism have died, each has been rehabilitated into a gentleman-statesman of a bygone era of conservative decency and open-mindedness….

…..But it’s Ronald Reagan who really stands out. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, THE GIPPER IS ENJOYING YET ANOTHER STATUS UPGRADE AMONG LIBERALS.

Barack Obama took a Reagan biography with him on his vacation. A slew of liberals and mainstream journalists (but I repeat myself) complimented Obama’s State of the Union address as “Reaganesque.” Time magazine recently featured the cover story “Why Obama (Hearts) Reagan.” Meanwhile, THE USUAL SUSPECTS ARE REWRITING THE SAME COLUMNS ABOUT HOW REAGAN WAS A PRAGMATIST WHO COULDN’T RUN FOR PRESIDENT TODAY BECAUSE HE WAS TOO NICE, TOO REASONABLE, TOO (SHUDDER) LIBERAL FOR TODAY’S REPUBLICAN PARTY.

On one hand, there’s something wonderful about the overflowing of love for Reagan. When presidents leave office or die, their partisan affiliation fades and, for the great ones, eventually withers away. Reagan was a truly great president, one of the greatest according to even liberal historians

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view/2011_0205left_does_rightabout/


When I read how liberals are declaring that Reagan couldn’t run for President today, I’m reminded of Winston Churchill’s comment, “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” Happy 100th birthday to Ronald Reagan. 

Obamacare and Egypt put Democrats in Denial

Second Judge declares Obamacare Unconstitutional

A FEDERAL JUDGE IN FLORIDA STRUCK DOWN PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S LANDMARK HEALTHCARE OVERHAUL AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL on Monday in the biggest legal challenge yet to federal authority to enact the law.

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled that the reform law's so-called individual mandate went too far in requiring that Americans start buying health insurance in 2014 or pay a penalty.

"BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND NOT SEVERABLE, THE ENTIRE ACT MUST BE DECLARED VOID," he wrote, "This has been a difficult decision to reach and I am aware that it will have indeterminable implications."

Referring to a key provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Vinson sided with governors and attorneys general from 26 U.S. states, almost all of whom are Republicans, in declaring the Obama healthcare reform unconstitutional…..

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/us-usa-healthcare-ruling-idUSTRE70U6RY20110131?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews


This is a big deal. For the second time a federal judge has declared the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and specifically the individual mandate unconstitutional.

Judge cites Obama’s own words in striking down the law

“I note that IN 2008, THEN-SENATOR OBAMA SUPPORTED A HEALTH CARE REFORM PROPOSAL THAT DID NOT INCLUDE AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE BECAUSE HE WAS AT THAT TIME STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THE IDEA, stating that, ‘If a mandate was the solution, we can try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody to buy a house,’” Judge Vinson wrote in a footnote toward the end of his 78-page ruling Monday.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/31/judge-uses-obamas-words-against-him/

Actually I’m surprised Obama hasn’t thought again of this. With housing pulling down the economy, requiring the homeless to buy a house would give the economy a big boost.



The Media, Reagan and Obama

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, he has been in the news once again. One way he has been used is to boost the image of Barack Obama.

Some presidents have been used to degrade the image of others. Herbert Hoover was a convenient whipping boy to tar various Republicans through the years. Nixon was the epitome of evil in the White House. The fate of Ronald Reagan has been a curious one. The punditry that savaged him before, during, and after his years in office are now trying to burnish Barack Obama's image by comparing the two Presidents.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/01/the_media_reagan_and_obama.html


A good article on Ronald Reagan reviewing the left’s savaging of him (with quotes) and what Reagan actually did. The irony is the person who was compared to FDR is now being touted by the left wing media as a new Ronald Reagan, the man who reversed the course set by FDR.



Everybody Loves Reagan

The arrival of Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday will be accompanied by a chorus of fond reminiscences and misty-eyed appreciations.

In fact, THE TRIBUTES ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY. And, they are not just coming from Dutch's ideological descendants. President Barack Obama, writing in USA Today, gushed about the 40th president's fondness for change and compromise.

There was a time when a love letter from a liberal leader to Reagan would be surprising. No longer. DEATH, THE HINDSIGHT OF HISTORY, A SYMPATHETIC PUBLIC, AND A HANDFUL OF DEDICATED HISTORIANS AND OPPORTUNISTIC POLITICIANS HAVE TURNED THIS ONCE DIVISIVE AND CONTROVERSIAL LEADER INTO A BIPARTISAN REMINDER OF OUR BETTER ANGELS.

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/01/31/everybody-loves-reagan


This has to just chaff the true believers of the left. Reagan did so much damage to them and their dreams of political dominance. Even today, 42% of the population identifies themselves as conservative while only 20% identify themselves as liberals.



What the numbers say about 2012

....FINALLY, WHAT ABOUT THE PORTENTS FOR THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL RACE? Well, start off with the fact that Democrats won the House popular vote in only two of the 17 states that do not have Senate elections next cycle. The other 15 went Republican.

Overall, DEMOCRATS CARRIED THE POPULAR VOTE FOR THE HOUSE IN 15 STATES WITH 182 ELECTORAL VOTES in 2012; add three more for the District of Columbia. DEMOCRATS WERE WITHIN 5 PERCENT OF REPUBLICANS IN HOUSE ELECTIONS IN FIVE MORE STATES WITH 52 ELECTORAL VOTES.

THAT GETS DEMOCRATS UP TO 237 ELECTORAL VOTES, 33 VOTES SHY OF THE 270-VOTE MAJORITY and 128 short of the 365 electoral votes Obama won in 2008.

Opinion can change, as it did in 2009 and 2010. But these are not favorable numbers for Obama or his party.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_michael_barone/politics_by_the_numbers_good_omens_for_the_gop_in_2012

This is a must read article. There are people who are saying Obama will be reelected and those who say he’s toast. But this is looking at what the numbers from 2010 say, and it doesn’t look good for BHO.



Laughter in Liberal land

THE NEW TONE OF CIVILITY THE LIBERALS ARE PURSUING APPARENTLY INCLUDES WISHING VIOLENT DEATH ON SARAH PALIN. Recently in Missoula, Montana, an otherwise high quality performance OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN'S MIKADO BY THE MISSOULA CHILDREN'S THEATER HAD THE SCRIPT ALTERED WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MCT DIRECTOR CURT OLDS TO CALL FOR THE BEHEADING OF SARAH PALIN in the tune "As some Day it May Happen (I've Got a Little List)" and thus singing about her "not being missed," as the Wall St. Journal informs us.

The source of this news was an attendee at the play named Rory Page who poignantly states in a letter to the theater director:

"As a professional you should be ashamed of yourself, the audience should be ashamed of themselves and I AM ASHAMED OF MYSELF FOR NOT STANDING UP AND LEAVING AT THAT VERY MOMENT. I would like to see an apology from you not because I want to hinder free-speech but for the hypocrisy this so clearly shows."

Apparently this is what our Bill Ayers-influenced children's educators now believe is the proper subject to teach youngsters to sing along to, not the contemplation of the beheading of some nineteenth century caricatures, but a very real twenty-first century conservative politician. Until Mr. Page took offense, the performance evidently was acceptable in the liberal enclave of Missoula. All this days after the Tucson massacre and not that long after the Virginia Tech shootings -- or the Columbine shootings, for that matter

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/01/laughing_your_head_off_in_libe.html

Perhaps Curt Olds should pursue his livelihood somewhere else.



What’s triggering the unrest in Egypt?

THE SURGE IN GLOBAL FOOD PRICES SINCE THE SUMMER – SINCE BEN BERNANKE SIGNALLED A FRESH DOLLAR BLITZ, AS IT HAPPENS – is not the underlying cause of Arab revolt, any more than bad harvests in 1788 were the cause of the French Revolution. Yet THEY ARE THE TRIGGER, AND HAVE SET OFF A VICIOUS CIRCLE. Vulnerable governments are scrambling to lock up world supplies of grain while they can. Algeria bought 800,000 tonnes of wheat last week, and Indonesia has ordered 800,000 tonnes of rice, both greatly exceeding their normal pace of purchases. Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Bangladesh, are trying to secure extra grain supplies.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said ITS GLOBAL FOOD INDEX HAS SURPASSED THE ALL-TIME HIGH OF 2008, both in nominal and real terms. The cereals index has risen 39pc in the last year, the oil and fats index 55pc. The FAO implored goverments to avoid panic responses that “aggravate the situation”. If you are Hosni Mubarak hanging on in Cairo’s presidential palace, do care about such niceties?

France’s Nicolas Sarkozy blames the commodity spike on hedge funds, speculators, and the derivatives market (largely in London). He vowed to use his G20 presidency to smash the racket, but then Mr Sarkozy has a penchant for witchhunts against easy targets.

The European Commission has been hunting for proof to support his claims, without success. Its draft report – to be released last Wednesday, but withdrawn under pressure from Paris – reached exactly the same conclusion as investigators from the IMF, and US and British regulators

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8291470/Egypt-and-Tunisia-usher-in-the-new-era-of-global-food-revolutions.html

The law of unintended consequences strikes again. It is time to abandon bio-fuels and let those products on the world markets to ease the inflation in food prices.



School Choice

….“Our current system is wrong. Competition is the bedrock of America, and it’s time that education reaches the market economy,” Hastert asserted, prompting nods of agreement from his co-panelists. “It come down to a core American value: equal opportunity,” Medved added. “Conservatives don’t believe in equal outcomes. BUT FROM THE TIME OF FOUNDING, PART OF WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS ABOUT IS EVERYBODY GETS A SHOT. That’s what we’re affirming here tonight,” he said. Morris suggested that by injecting greater competition into the system, individual schools and districts could serve as educational laboratories. “We’ve tried testing, standards, and funding increases. The only remaining option is opening up the status quo to experiments,” he said, arguing that outcomes should dictate future priorities. “LET’S FIND OUT WHAT WORKS, AND LET THE MONEY GO WITH THE KIDS. AT THAT POINT, WHEN PEOPLE ASK WHICH SCHOOLS TO CLOSE, THE ANSWER IS THE EMPTY ONES.”

During the wide-ranging discussion, the panel explored a number of potential experimental programs, from inner city public boarding schools, to significantly shortening summer break, to reinstituting trade schools as a viable and respected option for students…..

http://townhall.com/columnists/GuyBenson/2011/01/31/school_reform_advocates_champion_choice


This is one of those issues where the left is the one that fights tooth and nail against change and the right is looking to try new things.



Guantanamo: Ben Wittes’ “Detention and Denial”

……But one striking thing to my mind about the somewhat sidelined debate over Guantanamo and detention policy is the extent to which it FEELS LIKE THE DEBATE IS LESS ABOUT FIGURING OUT WHAT, REALISTICALLY, TO DO GOING FORWARD, THAN PEOPLE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE ADMINISTRATION LOOKING TO “POSITION” THEMSELVES — what they said before and the policies they are responsible for now, what they said about the Bush administration and what they say about the Obama administration, and how to avoid charges of inconsistency if not hypocrisy.

I understand that and certainly would be doing it myself if in a position in which anyone cared what I thought then or now. Reputation and consistency matter, partly for oneself, but also for the important reason that administrations change, and at some point there might well be a Republican administration that also has to deal with Guantanamo and detention. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HOLD PEOPLE TO CONSISTENT POSITIONS IF ONLY SO THAT POLICIES ACCEPTED TODAY BECAUSE IT IS OBAMA DO NOT SOMEHOW TRANSMUTE INTO GROUNDS FOR EXCORIATION WHEN IT IS THE PRESIDENT ANDERSON (Republican, frmr gov. State of Vulcan) administration. The positioning is part of that, and it has an important purpose. As in so many areas of the war on terror since 9/11 — detention and Guantanamo, targeted killing and drone warfare, etc. — WE STAND IN DEEP NEED OF “INSTITUTIONAL SETTLEMENT.” Sauce for the goose is a vital part of that. Also, I should add, I don’t mean by this that people can’t or shouldn’t change their minds: of course they should as they think correct. It’s that if one does, one has to admit to it and, to the extent one can, explain why.

But preoccupation with positioning onself in relation to one’s views in other times and settings is only one issue. Too much attention to it makes it hard to look pragmatically at forward looking institutional settlement. This is the vital role played by Ben Wittes, in his institutional work at Brookings and especially the deep databases of information on Guantanamo that his office has developed over the last couple of years, but also in his several books on the topic. THE CENTRAL THEME OF ALL THAT WORK IS CENTRIST AND PRAGMATIC: FIRST, THAT THE ISSUES OF DETENTION ARE NOT GOING AWAY, because there are people in US government hands that will not be released, nor will they be (successfully) tried. We would have more of them, but because their intelligence value is now outweighed by the problems of holding and interrogating them, we have instead chosen against detaining people any more. That is not quite the same as saying that we have a policy preference for targeted killing; the accurate statement is to say that we have a policy against detention.

SECOND, INSTITUTIONAL SETTLEMENT LOOKING FOWARD HAS TO INVOLVE CONGRESS AND THE EXECUTIVE, AS THE TWO POLITICAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT, COMING TOGETHER. This is a constant theme for Ben, Jack Goldsmith, Bobby Chesney, and lots of other people (including me, in a short New York Times magazine piece in 2006, “It’s Congress’s War, Too,” which says it all). One of Ben’s lessons is that the current situation looks stable, but it’s not. IT’S JUST A STALEMATE. A stalemate in which there is not enough at stake for players in the administration or Congress to spend political capital dealing with things. THINGS APPARENTLY SIT; IT IS MORE ACCURATE TO SAY THAT THEY DRIFT….

http://volokh.com/2011/01/28/ben-wittes-detention-and-denial/


This is one article you will want to read and then read the comments. I’m sure one will be where you are coming from.

Why Is Jim Wallis Polishing the Windows on His Glass House?

Jim Wallis of Sojourners co-wrote, with Charles Colson, a piece in Christianity Today titled “Conviction and Civility.” According to Wallis and Colson, “when we disagree, especially when we strongly disagree, WE SHOULD HAVE ROBUST DEBATE BUT NOT RESORT TO PERSONAL ATTACK, FALSELY IMPUGNING OTHERS’ MOTIVES, ASSAULTING THEIR CHARACTER, questioning their faith, or doubting their patriotism.”

“DEMONIZING OUR OPPONENTS POISONS THE PUBLIC SQUARE,” the twosome inform us.

Agreed. But what is worth noting, I think, is that Wallis (as opposed to Colson) has repeatedly violated his commitment to civility. …..

…More recently, WALLIS STRONGLY IMPLIED THAT THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT WAS ANIMATED BY RACISM. Is this the kind of thing Wallis has in mind when he cautions us against “demonizing our opponents,” which in turn “poisons the public square”?

These episodes are not isolated ones. Wallis recently accused World magazine’s Marvin Olasky of being a liar — a claim Wallis had to retract after Olasky provided indisputable evidence that it was Olasky, not Wallis, who was telling the truth…..

…..Perhaps the deeper thing to take away from this is that CIVILITY IS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE UNLESS WE GAIN SOME MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DISTANCE FROM POLITICAL DISPUTES. People on both sides of the divide employ double standards to advance their cause. WHAT A REASONABLE PERSON WOULD CONSIDER AN AD HOMINEM ATTACK IS, FOR AN IDEOLOGUE, CONSIDERED A SELF-EVIDENT TRUTH. IF YOU’RE A PERSON ON THE HARD LEFT, AS WALLIS IS, ACCUSING RUMSFELD, CHENEY, A CONSERVATIVE JOURNALIST AND THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT OF BEING LIARS, CORRUPT, WAR CRIMINALS, AND RACISTS IS GIVING EXPRESSION TO WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE A SELF-EVIDENT TRUTH. Wallis even goes so far as to portray himself as a force moving us to a “kinder and gentler public square.” This is self-deception of a high order….

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/wehner/388511

I thought the last paragraph that I’ve posted is very telling. I find that frequently ideologues will accuse the other side of sins they are committing. Recently I saw an exchange regarding gay marriage where the proponents of it were calling those opposed to it ‘bigots.’ As I wrote if you check the definition of bigot in the dictionary you find it is someone who “is intolerant of ANY opinions differing from his own.” The  person who accused those against gay marriage they were bigoted then responded that being bigoted against bigotry isn’t bigotry.



Global Warming latest lies: The warmest year ever

BOTH NOAA AND NASA THIS MONTH ANNOUNCED THAT 2010 WAS TIED FOR THE WARMEST YEAR. The UK Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University proclaimed 2010 the second warmest year since 1850.

But after the incredibly cold and snowy winters in 2008/09 and 2009/10 and so far in 2010/11, THOSE CLAIMS ARE FALLING ON INCREASINGLY DEAF EARS. The public doubt about global warming has been increasing given the CLIMATEGATE DISCLOSURES SUGGESTING SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN ‘COOKING THE BOOKS’, ESPECIALLY WHEN EARLIER PROMISES OF WARM, SNOWLESS MID-LATITUDE WINTERS FAILED MISERABLY.

BACK ON MARCH 20, 2000, The Independent, a British newspaper, reported DR. DAVID VINER’S OF THE UK'S CLIMATE RESEARCH UNIT WARNING THAT WITHIN A FEW YEARS SNOWFALL WILL BECOME “A VERY RARE AND EXCITING EVENT.” Indeed, Viner opined, “Children just aren’t going to know what snow is.”

Similarly, David Parker, at the UK’s Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, said that eventually British children could have only “virtual” experience of snow via movies and the Internet.

THE LAST THREE WINTERS IN THE UK WERE FORECAST BY THE UK MET OFFICE TO BE MILD AND SNOWLESS. Instead, brutal cold and snow in the UK has the UK Met Office on their heels. Indeed THE COLD AND SNOW WAS A THROWBACK TO THE AGE OF DICKENS in the early 1800s. UK MPs called for Official Parliamentary Probe into whether the UKMO reliance on their ideology and CO2 models had biased their predictions.

In the United States, NOAA ECHOING THE UN IPCC, CLAIMED SNOW WOULD RETREAT NORTH WITH THE STORM TRACKS AND MAJOR CITIES WOULD GET MORE RAIN AND MILD WINTERS. The UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS SAID IN 2004 SCIENTISTS CLAIM WINTERS WERE BECOMING WARMER AND LESS SNOWY. In 2008, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bemoaned that children would be robbed of the childhood joys of sledding and skiing in the DC area due to global warming. A year later, the area set a new seasonal snowfall record with 5 to 6 feet of snow and sleds and skis were the only way to get around.

THE WINTER OF 2009/10 WAS THE COLDEST EVER IN PARTS OF THE SOUTHEAST, and in parts of Siberia and the coldest since 1977/78 or 1962/63 in many parts of the United States, Europe and Asia……

Reluctantly, alarmists and their cheerleaders in the media changed their tune and THE PROMISE OF WARM AND SNOWLESS WINTERS WITH ‘GLOBAL WARMING’ MORPHED INTO GLOBAL WARMING MEANS COLD AND SNOWY Winters. ABC News even said cold and snowy winters would be the new norm because of global warming. Non sequiturs like that have sadly become ‘the new norm’ in the wacky world of the mainstream media.

In fact environmentalists and alarmist scientists have reinvented global warming and now attribute all weather to global warming – cold, warm, drought and flood. They call it ‘climate disruption’…..

http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm/6440/Is-It-Really-The-Warmest-Ever


The mark of a solid scientific theory is that it can predict what will happen. Global Warming has warped into something that predicts everything. As such, it has become a laughing stock.

Meanwhile Argo shows Ocean’s are cooling

The 'Argo' ocean buoy real-time reporting system is the most advanced technology that scientists possess for measuring ocean temperatures at varying levels. Recently, NASA SCIENTISTS AT ITS JET PROPULSION LAB REPORTED THAT THE ARGO DATA WAS SHOWING A SLIGHT OCEAN COOLING TREND SINCE 2003, which was recently confirmed by another peer-reviewed paper.

This ocean cooling has proven to be a major source of embarrassment to AGW scientists as it is THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY AND THE IPCC CLIMATE MODELS PREDICTED.

http://www.c3headlines.com/2011/01/the-internationally-operated-argo-ocean-measurement-system-confirms-major-ocean-areas-significantly-.html

To paraphrase an old Wendy’s commercial, “Where’s the Heat?”

Cohen and the climate of hate

Cohen comments: How the rest of the world see them

IN WHAT HAS TO BE A LEADING CANDIDATE FOR THE MOST INFLAMMATORY, IGNORANT AND DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE POLITICAL STATEMENT OF THE YEAR, CONGRESSMAN STEVE COHEN (D-TN) compared Republican opposition to President Obama’s health care reforms to the tactics of Adolf Hitler’s henchman Joseph Goebbels and the genocidal regime in Nazi Germany. In A DEEPLY INSENSITIVE AND TASTELESS MANNER he also invoked the Holocaust to hammer home his point, in a speech to an almost empty House of Representatives on Tuesday evening, comments which have already drawn a sharp rebuke from the National Jewish Democratic Council. The video of the Congressman’s bizarre rant can be viewed here. CBS News Political Hotsheet has transcribed some of his remarks :

“They don’t like the truth so they summarily dismiss it. They say it’s a government takeover of health care, a big lie just like [Nazi propagandist Joseph] Goebbels. You say it enough, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, and eventually, people believe it. Like blood libel. That’s the same kind of thing.”

… “The Germans said enough about the Jews and the people believed it and you had the Holocaust. You tell a lie over and over again. And we’ve heard it on this floor: Government takeover of health care.”

There can be no doubt that IF A BRITISH POLITICIAN MADE THESE KINDS OF CHARGES in a similar context in the House of Commons THERE WOULD BE WIDESPREAD PUBLIC REVULSION OVER THE REMARKS AND IMMEDIATE CONDEMNATION FROM LEADERS ON ALL SIDES OF THE POLITICAL AISLE, AS WELL AS FROM THE PRESS. Yet the story has barely featured as a major news item in the US mainstream media with a couple of notable online exceptions, and ignored completely by pillars of the liberal establishment such as The New York Times. And as for the White House and the Democratic leadership, which has had a full day to respond to the comments, there has been complete silence.

…THE EXTREME REMARKS MADE BY ONE HIS OWN SUPPORTERS, WHOM NANCY PELOSI IRONICALLY DESCRIBED AS THE “CONSCIENCE OF THE FRESHMAN CLASS” BACK IN 2008. Congressman Cohen’s hate-filled statements represent a new low for American political discourse, and so far America’s liberal elites have been strikingly reticent in denouncing them

.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100072674/democratic-congressman%E2%80%99s-comparison-of-republicans-with-nazis-is-met-with-thunderous-silence-from-president-obama-and-americas-liberal-elites/


Conscience of the Democrat’s freshman class? No wonder they lost so many seats.

Cohen denies comparing GOP to Nazis

DEMOCRATIC REP. STEVE COHEN (TENN.) CLAIMED WEDNESDAY THAT HE DID NOT COMPARE REPUBLICANS TO NAZIS during a floor speech this week, BUT REITERATED MANY OF THE SAME POINTS HE MADE IN THAT SPEECH.

In his first television interview since his Tuesday-night speech, Cohen said he does not think most "reasonable people" would construe his words as a direct comparison between Nazis and the GOP.

But HE MAINTAINED THAT REPUBLICAN RHETORICAL TACTICS DURING THE HEALTHCARE DEBATE HAVE RESEMBLED NAZI PROPAGANDA.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/139007-democratic-lawmaker-i-did-not-compare-republicans-to-nazis


This reminds me of the old saying, "I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but what you heard is not what I meant." The other saying that comes to mind is “Are you going to believe me (Cohen) or your lying ears (normally eyes).”

Was Obama only kidding about civility?

REP. STEVE COHEN (D-TENN) IS REFUSING TO APOLOGIZE FOR HIS WORDS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR likening GOP opponents of ObamaCare to Geobbels, and invoking the Holocaust. So far, NEITHER ROBERT GIBBS NOR PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS COMMENTED ON THIS OBVIOUS SLAP IN THE FACE TO THE PRESIDENT'S CALL FOR CIVILITY. This would seem to be an obvious opportunity for the President to triangulate and win over independents - a Sistah Souljah moment. But is he willing to antagonize an ObamaCare supporter?

Meanwhile, even liberal Jewish groups that support Obama are condemning Cohen's words. JTA reports:

"THE NATIONAL JEWISH DEMOCRATIC COUNCIL CRITICIZES THE COMMENTS OF REPRESENTATIVE STEVE COHEN (D-Tenn.), which compared Republicans to the Nazis and unfortunately reintroduced the Holocaust into the health care debate," said the umbrella body for Jewish Democrats. "As we have said repeatedly, INVOKING THE HOLOCAUST TO MAKE A POLITICAL POINT IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE -- on either side of the aisle."

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/01/was_obama_just_kidding_about_c.html

Let’s see, Palin was wrong to have targeted Gabrielle Giffords’ district and even worse she defended herself. Now we have a Democrat making charges against the Republicans and evoking Goebbels and the Nazis and he sees no problem with it. We are getting dangerously close to hypocrisy.



Anderson Cooper takes Steve Cohen to the woodshed over Nazis/Goebbels remarks

He’s not going to be giving the keynote speech at a Tea Party convention anytime soon. But he DID GO TO BAT FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AT A TIME WHEN A LOT OF MEDIA PERSONALITIES ARE CALLING FOR LOWER-VOLUME POLITICAL DISCOURSE.

On Wednesday night during his “KEEPING THEM HONEST” SEGMENT, CNN “AC360” anchor Anderson Cooper TOOK ON TENNESSEE DEMOCRATIC REP. STEVE COHEN, who had compared Republicans to Nazis in a debate about the repeal of Obamacare on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Cooper offered his thoughts and fired these questions at Cohen:

• Representative Cohen, how can you think that it’s appropriate for a member of Congress on the floor of the House to COMPARE THE STATEMENTS MADE BY REPUBLICANS ABOUT HEALTH CARE TO LIES ABOUT JEWS TOLD BY JOSEPH GOEBBELS AND OTHER NAZIS? HOW IS IT APPROPRIATE?

• IF YOU WEREN’T TRYING TO COMPARE THEM TO NAZIS, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE MENTIONED NAZIS. I mean, you said their statements on health care are the same kind of lies that Nazis told….

http://dailycaller.com/2011/01/20/keeping-the-honest-anderson-cooper-takes-steve-cohen-to-the-woodshed-over-nazisgoebbels-remarks/#ixzz1BbUyJ5Yk

This Cohen thing is a big deal. The President asks to tone things down and a star from the Democrats libel Republicans by calling them Nazis.

Report Card on Obama's First Two Years

Two years ago today, Barack Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States. ARE YOU BETTER OFF TODAY THAN YOU WERE TWO YEARS AGO?

And interesting collection of statistics. The ones I found most revealing are:


The number of unemployed Up 24.7%


The number on food stamps Up 35.1%


The National Debt Up 32.1%


The last one is unbelievable. In only two years Obama has increase the debt by almost a third.


Todd: Obama’s approval soaring

Five days ahead of his State of the Union address, President Obama has rising support, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. The President’s approval ratings is now at 53 percent, an eight point jump in one month and the highest ratings for the president since July 2009.

NBC News’ Chuck Todd says President Obama is getting a boost from several factors, including a general sense of optimism among Americans. The poll asked “Will the Economy Get Better or Worse in the Next Year?” 40 percent said better, 17 percent said worse. The “better” answer jumping from just 32 percent in December.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/nbc-news-marks-obamas-first-two-years-in-office-with-soaring-approval-ratings/

This is one of those facts that must be greeted with AMBIVALENCE BY THE LEFT. Obama’s approval has certainly gone up, but only after he started to sound conciliatory and made a deal to extend the Bush tax cuts. It’s kind of like the mixed emotions the guy who watched his mother in law drive over a cliff in his brand new Cadillac.



To the Rescue: Spending cuts from the GOP

A number of the House GOP’s leading conservative members on Thursday will announce legislation that WOULD CUT $2.5 TRILLION OVER 10 YEARS, which will be by far the most ambitious and far-reaching proposal by the new majority to cut federal government spending.

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, will unveil the bill in a speech at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday morning.

Jordan’s bill, which will have a companion bill introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, would IMPOSE DEEP AND BROAD CUTS ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. IT INCLUDES BOTH BUDGET-WIDE CUTS ON NON-DEFENSE DISCRETIONARY SPENDING BACK TO 2006 LEVELS and proposes the elimination or drastic reduction of more than 50 government programs.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/01/20/house-gop-conservatives-set-to-unveil-2-5-trillion-in-deep-spending-cuts/#ixzz1Ba4VV373


At last, we are seeing some sanity in Washington. After a four year orgy of spending by the Democrats, the Republicans appear to be looking to give us “real change we can believe in.”



Hubris heading for a fall

It takes a worried man to sing a worried song, and in a recent speech that seemed like Larry Summers's swan song, the president's now-departed economic adviser WARNED THAT AMERICA IS "AT RISK OF A PROFOUND DEMORALIZATION WITH RESPECT TO GOVERNMENT." He fears a future in which "AN INADEQUATELY RESOURCED GOVERNMENT PERFORMS BADLY, LEADING TO FURTHER DEMANDS THAT IT BE CUT BACK, EXACERBATING PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS, DEEPENING THE BACKLASH, AND CREATING A VICIOUS CYCLE."

The idea that America's problem of governance is one of inadequate resources misses this lesson of the last half-century: NO AMOUNT OF RESOURCES CAN PREVENT GOVERNMENT FROM PERFORMING POORLY when it tries to perform too many tasks, or particular tasks for which it is inherently unsuited.

Actually, GOVERNMENT IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY DEMORALIZED. The hubris that is the occupational hazard and defining trait of the POLITICAL CLASS CONTINUES TO CAUSE GOVERNMENT TO OVERPROMISE AND UNDERPERFORM. This class blithely considers itself exempt from the tyranny of the bell-shaped curve - the fact that in most occupations a few people are excellent, a few are awful, and most are average.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011905000.html

I love this column. Will hits the nail on the head with this one.



The clash between the left and the right

There was once a time in this country when you could make a movie, or write a book or any essay, DEPICTING YOUR CULTURAL AND POLITICAL ENEMIES AS SUBHUMAN AND WORTHY OF DESTRUCTION. And this was a very healthy thing. Such works of art could provide a catharsis for the audience, letting them express their revulsion at their enemy vicariously. CATHARSIS is a basic idea that goes back at least to the Greeks, and our post-Tucson attempts TO CENSOR OURSELVES WILL ONLY CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS. Because let’s face it: LIBERALS THINK THAT CONSERVATIVES ARE SUBHUMAN, AND CONSERVATIVES THINK THAT LIBERALS ARE UTOPIAN, BABY-KILLING DESPOTS. Pretending otherwise will just prolong the inevitable clash that can only be resolved with one side winning the debate. And part of that debate means giving vent to just how much the two sides hate each other. THIS CAN BE DONE CRUDELY — I.E. KEITH OLBERMANN’S TANTRUMS — or artistically, with fictionalized characters and dramatic panache. But pretending the hate is not there, and that catharsis cannot help us deal with it, is like treating a boil with a band-aid.

 

http://dailycaller.com/2011/01/19/chris-matthews-marked-for-death/#ixzz1Ba8HrW5f


A very interesting point of view with so many deploring the vitriol in politics today. Most of the people who condemn the level of vitriol don’t have a very good grasp of history. What makes America so great is that we argue our differences freely and then use the ballot to settle them. The argument right now by those on the left is they fear the vitriol will lead to violence. The fact that it hasn’t happened doesn’t seem to stop their missive, “what if?” And once again the solution they seem to be pointing to is more likely to cause problem than to calm things down. The law of unintended consequences it alive and well, but the left fails to recognize that it even exists.

Senate map shrinks for Democrats in 2012

North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad's retirement plans underscore a big problem for Democrats in 2012 and beyond. Farm Belt and Southern voters who prefer a Republican president but have often backed moderate Democrats for Congress seem increasingly inclined to vote GOP in all federal races.

Republicans rejoiced at Conrad's announcement this week, convinced they can win the open seat in 2012 and hold it for years to come. They see it as a replay of last fall's North Dakota election, in which Republican John Hoeven easily won the Senate seat vacated after 18 years by Democrat Byron Dorgan.

They also point to neighboring South Dakota. After Republican John Thune narrowly defeated Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle in 2004, Democrats didn't even bother last year to oppose Thune's re-election. Republicans feel they can hold the seat for many years, and they are eyeing South Dakota's other Senate seat, now held by Democrat Tim Johnson.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_farm_belt_replay

Not good news in a year the Democrats will have 23 seats up for grabs while the Republicans will have 10. And the Republicans need to win only 14 of the 33 seats (42%) to take control of the Senate. If they win 50% they will have 53 seats and if they win 62% like they did this year, they will hold 57 seats in the Senate.


Here’s a brief article on the current state of the 23 democrats and 10 republican seats that are up for grabs in 2012. The Republicans have only 10 seats up of which 2 are vulnerable (20%). The Democrats have 23 seats up for grabs of which 13 are vulnerable (57%).

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/01/20/assessing_the_2012_senate_battlefield_108599.html


Disparaging the intellect of Conservatives: The 30th anniversary

On the 30th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s inaugural address, David Davis, a Tory member of Parliament, praises the Gipper in the Wall Street Journal‘s European edition:

When the 69-year-old Reagan became president, he encountered A BARRAGE OF INTELLECTUAL SNOBBERY FROM THE EUROPEAN AND EAST COAST ESTABLISHMENTS. The then British ambassador to the U.S., Sir Nicholas Henderson, opined that “Reagan believes there are simple answers to complex problems. THE MAIN WORRY IS NOT JUST AGE, BUT WHETHER HE POSSESSES THE MENTAL VITALITY AND POLITICAL VISION NECESSARY.”

BUT REAGAN PROVED THEM ALL WRONG. He became the first Cold War president to serve two terms without becoming involved in a major armed conflict, despite it being an extraordinarily unstable and volatile period in world history.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/257563/across-pond-robert-costa


And his leadership led to the longest period of peacetime economic expansion up til then, the fall of Communism, and a tax reform making the tax code simpler and better. Up until his presidency, inflation was the government’s friend as everyone was being put in higher brackets due to inflation. Reagan remedied that. But the Democrats seem to be caught in their 1980s playbook. Disparage the intelligence of any Republican who runs against any Democrat.

Palinphobia: Why Sarah Palin Drives Them Wild

If she grants interviews to Oprah or Barbara Walters, she’s accused of wanting to be a celebrity. If she denies those interviews, she’s labeled a coward.

If she’s quiet when viciously attacked, she’s accused of hiding. If she speaks up, she’s described as injecting herself into the story.

If she addresses health care reform, bailouts, and QE2 via columns, Facebook, and Twitter, she’s accused of not engaging in unscripted conversations. In 2008, she was criticized by many for calling it like she saw it and going off script at campaign events.


When she resigned as Governor, she was labeled a quitter. I assure you that if she hadn’t resigned, she would have been painted by many as a self-centered hypocrite who didn’t care about Alaska. They would have argued that she prioritized the preservation of her political future over the fact that frivolous ethics charges against her were draining the resources of the governor’s office.


The truth? MANY ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT ARE READY AND WILLING TO POUNCE ON SARAH PALIN’S EVERY MOVE. The question is why. And the answer is simple.


She’s just a regular person like you and me. But she’s a regular person who has managed to pack convention halls and book signings, to release two bestselling books, to launch a successful and unconventional television series, to boost the ratings of every television show she has appeared on – and SHE HAS DONE IT ALL JUST BY BEING HERSELF. NO HELP FROM THE GOP ESTABLISHMENT, NO HELP FROM THE MEDIA ELITE, and no help from any you-do-for-me-I-do-for-you deals with big shots. TO TOP IT ALL OFF, SHE’S – HEAVEN FORBID – HAPPY.


The worst part for the elites? While running a city and a state, SHE MANAGED TO KEEP HER VALUES INTACT. She sustained a successful marriage and prioritized her children. She kept smiling and loving life. She even made time for those 5 a.m. runs.


TO THE BUSINESS-AS-USUAL POLITICIAN AND/OR MEDIA HACK, SHE’S SIMPLY MADDENING. So, they respond by saying SHE’S NOT SMART ENOUGH. (TRANSLATION: SHE DOESN’T SPEAK OUR PRETENTIOUS LANGUAGE.) Or they claim she’s too controversial. (Translation: She stands by principle, even when it’s unpopular.) Or they declare she’s not presidential. (Translation: She doesn’t play by our rules, and that scares the crap out of us.) Or they insist that her TV series proves she’s not a serious politician. (Translation: If she pulls a Reagan, we’re screwed. And why didn’t I get offered a TLC show?)


PALIN’S WORK ETHIC, RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT, AND COMMITMENT TO PRINCIPLE INSPIRE MANY AMBITIOUS AMERICANS. Because they get that she’s not a superhero, but a hard worker. And if she can do it, so can they.


But to the insecure, to those who feel the need to tear you down in order to lift themselves up, Palin is an absolute nightmare….

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=41284


An excellent article. I especially like the part about her not being smart enough and the translation. As I’ve said many time, she scares the devil out of the left and the establishment right. I like her.



Why is this story a bunch of junk?

2010 was the warmest year since global temperature records began in 1850 - although margins of uncertainty make it a statistical tie with 1998 and 2005.

The WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (WMO) CONCLUDES 2010 WAS 0.53C WARMER THAN THE AVERAGE FOR THE PERIOD 1961-90 - A PERIOD COMMONLY USED AS A BASELINE.

The 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1998, it notes.

The WMO analysis combines data from three leading research agencies, and is regarded as the most authoritative.

The three records are maintained by the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) and National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), and jointly in the UK by the Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12241692


Here’s the answer as to why this story is a bunch of junk. Suppose you were a school teacher who figure out that the current class you have has the best average grades ever. But then you find out someone hacked into the school computer and lowered the grades of previous classes and raised the lowest grades in this class giving them the average of the C students. That’s basically what’s been going on. GISS has been lowering earlier temperatures even while they’ve taken out the temperatures at the poles and substituted temperatures from as far as 800 miles away (warmer). And even with all these adjustments we are talking about 2010 being .018 degree on average warmer. This isn’t just nonsense, it borders on fraud.




Democrats try to curb Cuccinelli's powers

DEMOCRATS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ARE TRYING TO CURB THE POWER OF THE STATE'S ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SUBPOENA PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN AN EFFORT INTENDED TO LIMIT INQUIRIES like the one Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II is conducting at the University of Virginia.

Under a 2002 statute designed to catch government employees defrauding the public of tax dollars, Cuccinelli (R) has demanded that the university turn over documents and e-mails related to the work of Michael Mann, a former university climate scientist whose research showed that the Earth has been warming.

Cuccinelli has said he wants the documents, including grant applications and e-mails exchanged between Mann and 39 other scientists and university staffers, TO HELP DETERMINE WHETHER MANN COMMITTED FRAUD BY KNOWINGLY SKEWING DATA AS HE SOUGHT PUBLICLY FUNDED GRANTS FOR HIS RESEARCH.

Cuccinelli's demand has pleased conservatives, who say that global warming is a hoax, but has OUTRAGED MANY ACADEMICS, WHO SAY HE IS SMEARING AN HONEST RESEARCHER BECAUSE HE DOES NOT APPROVE OF HIS FINDINGS.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/18/AR2011011806201.html

Now if this was just an attempt to smear an honest researcher, wouldn’t the best way to overcome it to simply give Cuccinelli the documents and prove him wrong?