Showing posts with label Republican. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Republican. Show all posts

Thursday, September 23, 2010

41 Days, but who's counting?


More CEOs Seeing Obama As Bad Hire


More news that really isn’t news.


The Presidency: He doesn't look or sound radical. President Obama, in
fact, is so calm, almost regal, he makes government takeovers and redistribution
schemes seem almost reasonable. But the facade is wearing thin.


Fortune 500 leaders who believed Obama's moderate rhetoric, and
even raised cash and voted for him, have soured on him. They now believe he's
bad for business and hostile to the American free enterprise
system.

Even die-hard Obama fan Tom Wilson, head of Allstate, says the
president could have used some executive experience on his all-academic
economics team. Not a single former corporate executive is in Obama's Cabinet or
among his top economic advisers. "I think it was a hiring mistake for the
administration," Wilson told CNN last week.


http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/548002/201009211903/More-CEOs-Seeing-Obama-As-Bad-Hire.htm


Obama is losing the environmentalists vote


So what to do? As enthralled as environmentalists and progressives once were
about Obama’s promise, we cannot ignore that for all his fine rhetoric, his
accomodationism and reserve are allowing the planetary crisis to deteriorate and
leaving America behind in the race for a clean energy economy. It pains
me to say it, but success will require a new presi
dent -- and that
means that after the midterm elections, we need to start
looking for a primary challenger
who has the heart and soul
required to save the planet from catastrophe and rescue American from its
economic morass -- even as we throw ourselves into grassroots action to do what
we can to save the planet despite the president’s interference.


http://www.grist.org/article/environmentalists-need-a-new-president

Obama’s illegal aunt speaks out


Jimmy Carter had his brother Billy, Reagan had his son and daughter “Ron and Patty” and Clinton had Hugh Rodham who embarrassed them. Here’s Obama’s crazy old aunt in the attic.


“It’s a great country,” she said. “It’s nice to live here. You can do
whatever you want when you live here.”

Despite what’s she’s been given, Zeituni Onyango said flatly that she owes this country nothing in return. “But, it’s given you so much?” Elias
asked. “So? It’s a free country under God,” was her terse response.

When asked why the taxpayers should be burdened with her needs,
the feisty Zeituni said, “This country is owned by almighty God. You people who
preach Jesus Christ almighty God and the rest of it, you are here to help
people, help the poor, help other countries and help women. That’s what
the United States is supposed to do? And you have to give me my right
light, every person’s right.”

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/247345/auntie-zeituni-gift-keeps-giving-mark-krikorian

It never ceases to amaze me how those who are given so much in tolerance, support, etc. seem to be the least grateful.

Senate deals blow to proposed 'Don't ask, don't tell' repeal in 56-43 vote

Sometimes the remarks I make write themselves, but don’t ask and don’t tell what they are.
The Senate on Tuesday dealt a significant blow to the Obama administration’s efforts to repeal the ban on openly gay people serving in the military. This also confirms what I said would happen. Waiting so long for DADT legislation hurts Obama and the Democrats. Those who are invested in this rather than being fired up are likely to not bother to vote.


In a 56-43 vote, Senate Democratic leaders fell short of the 60 votes they
needed to proceed to the 2011 defense authorization bill, which included
language to repeal the Clinton-era “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law. Every Senate
Republican present and three Democrats voted to block debate on the bill.

http://thehill.com/news-by-subject/defense-homeland-security/120029-dadtnosenate-deals-blow-to-dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal


The Next Two Years

Here’s an interesting op-ed on Progressivism and how they have attempted to rule (not govern). It concludes as below.

This is one American who has no interest in finding a middle ground
with such people in whatever arena they operate. If Republicans win big in
November they might consider that such a victory--so shortly removed from the
America left's predictions of multi-generational progressive ascendancy--is
indicative of the electorate's desire to obliterate progressivism, not
accommodate it. If they need courage, they might want to ponder how often
Democrats accommodated them in the last four years. It might even be useful to
remember what president Obama himself said about accommodating the wishes of the opposition, which can be summed up in two words:


"I won."

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0910/ahlert.php3

Is any Democrat safe?

Here’s two different polls, but it makes you ask the question, “Is any democrat safe this election cycle?”


Flame-throwing Republican Carl Paladino is within striking distance of
overtaking longtime gubernatorial frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, a shocking new poll finds. Among likely voters, the Democrat Cuomo has a paltry 49% to 43% lead over Paladino, the blowhard Buffalo businessman who won a shocking and decisive victory last week in the GOP primary, the Quinnipiac University poll finds.
Quinnipiac's findings are in stark contrast to a Rasmussen Reports poll released
Monday that showed Cuomo with a more robust 54% to 38% lead.

http://jammiewearingfool.blogspot.com/2010/09/oof-paladino-within-six-points-of-cuomo.html


Pelosi, again, insisted the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't an oncoming train.

I’m not sure if this is part of keeping a positive attitude or being delusional.


ROBERT: If your party does lose the House would you step aside as
leader?


PELOSI: First of all , I don't accept that premise in any way shape
or form. The momentum is with us. We are out there to dispel many of the
misrepresentations that have been going out there for nearly two years by the
Republicans and the special interests, the oil industry, the health insurance
industry, the banks and their allies.


We're out there. Our members are great articulate spokespersons for
their point of view into their districts. And district by district we feel very
confident about the election. And we believe that six weeks from today, six weeks from Wednesday of this week we will have no regrets but instead we will
have a great Democratic victory


http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2010/09/21/130027010/nancy-pelosi-momentum-is-with-us


Healthcare in the courts.

The fate of the new healthcare law in the courts is of enormous importance. If it is found constitutional, we will have precedent that says the congress of the United States has unlimited power over its citizens and will in effect nullify the Tenth Amendment


The lawsuits—more than 15 so far—argue that Congress has no such power. Last
month, federal district Judge Henry Hudson, of Richmond, Va., rejected a Justice
Department motion to dismiss a similar suit by Virginia's attorney general. But
some leading legal experts, especially defenders of the new law, confidently
predict that if any federal appeals court strikes it down, the Supreme Court
will step in to uphold it, with some predicting a margin as lopsided as 8 to
1. Critics of the law's constitutionality scoff at such predictions. They're
confident that they'll get at least the four conservative justices' votes and
that they have a good shot at swing-voting Justice Anthony Kennedy. Nobody seems to doubt that the four more liberal justices will support the new law. They
appear to see Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce as virtually
unlimited, except by the Bill of Rights and other specific constitutional
amendments.


Poll Watch - Hope for the Dems?

Both the Real Clear Politics Congressional Generic average and the new Gallup
track
show similar national trend lines - Dems gaining ground, GOP
dropping. Similarly, the
Gallup track has Obama's approval rating improving by 10 net percentage points in the past month, from 42/51 to 47/46 (RCP has shown movement despite 2 clear outlier Rasmussen and AP polls).

http://ndn.org/blog/2010/09/poll-watch-hope-dems

This may or may not mean something. It is impossible to plot a trend from a single point as this article seems to want to do. We need to watch to see what happens in the next few weeks to see if there is anything to this.


Electoral College
And so the dominoes continue to fall. The D.C. Council yesterday approved
the National Popular Vote plan that has been pending before several state
legislatures. D.C.’s approval comes less than two months after Massachusetts
approved the plan.

Two procedural steps remain before NPV is officially enacted in D.C.: The mayor must sign the legislation and Congress has 30 days to review it. If these two hurdles are overcome, then D.C.’s approval will bring the total number of entities supporting the bill to seven: Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington. These six states and D.C. together hold 76 electoral votes. NPV goes into effect when states holding 270 electoral votes are committed to the pact.

I posted this because it appears to me to be another bad idea by the Democrats that most likely will come back to bite them on the butt in the future. Much like independent prosecutors this is a law they like because it would have given them the presidency in 2000, but they will hate it if and when it adversely affects them. Small states would do well to avoid approving this since the Electoral College gives them better representation.



Here is an excellent look at what will happen if we continue with the economic course the Democrats have put us on.


I appreciate Senator Casey’s effort to contrast my invitation for solutions
with his non-solution to exacerbate our uncontrolled fiscal trajectory, standing
idle with icy indifference as the social safety net implodes. Senator
Casey’s “do-nothing but demagogue” plan will result in painful austerity:
job-killing tax hikes; deep cuts to current seniors; and a debt-driven economic
crisis. I put forward a plan for prosperity — a proposal that makes no
changes for Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries in and near retirement,
and offers future retirees — those now 54 and younger — the same health and
retirement security options that he himself enjoys as a Member of Congress.
My Roadmap protects and strengthens these critical programs for
current and future retirees, lifts our crushing burden of debt, and restarts the
engine of economic growth and job creation. I will continue to call upon
my colleagues — including Senator Casey — to accept the invitation to offer
solutions of their own so we can get on with the business of meeting our most
pressing fiscal and economic challenges.

Here’s what happens when liberals need more of your money


The UK's tax collection agency is putting forth a proposal that all
employers send employee paychecks to the government, after which the government would deduct what it deems as the appropriate tax and pay the employees by bank transfer.

That sounds pretty farfetched, but 30 years ago gay marriage, cap and trade, amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants, etc. also would have sounded crazy.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Targeting the Democrats


Democrats unveil new logo: It’s a target.

I remember a Far Side cartoon in which two deer were talking. One had a target on its chest and the other said, “Bummer of a birthmark.” Well the Democrats appear to be looking for someone to put them out of their misery.


Democrats were able to take their share of the news cycle not merely by
nominating scandal-plagued Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., to run for reelection,
but by picking perhaps the absolute most appropriate image they could in this
political climate: a target


Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/democrats-unveil-new-logo-its-a-target-102996509.html#ixzz0ze8AlCRU

Young Guns bring a glimmer of hope

People keep asking what will the Republicans do to reign in the reign of prolific spending by Obama and the Democrats when they gain control? Here’s a good piece on the problems and possible solutions


I have been, and remain, skeptical of congressional Republicans’ ability to
head off Fiscal Armageddon; the political incentives are all wrong, and it
probably will take a major economic crisis to realign those incentives. But I am
a little less skeptical today than I was yesterday — maybe 5 percent less. I
think there is a non-trivial chance that non-entitlement spending could be
scaled back to 2008 levels — not exactly raging austerity, but a start; combined
with sane entitlement reform and tax reform, that could get us several steps
back from the ledge we’re on. Something good seems to be afoot among
Republicans.

http://www.nationalreview.com/exchequer/246567/young-guns-vs-deficit

Yes, They Are Electable

The latest meme from the Democrats are the TEA Party candidates aren't "electable." I would ask Scott Brown about that.


Tuesday night was absolutely a precursor to November. It was absolutely a
continuation of what we’ve been seeing since Scott Brown was elected to “Ted
Kennedy’s seat” in Massachusetts. It’s a confirmation that voters are in an
anti-establishment mood.

But it’s more than simply being anti-establishment. It’s a vote against the current liberal rule in Washington. In that way, it is a vote for authenticity in philosophy. And it is a warning to moderate Republicans.

Senator Olympia Snowe, the Maine Republican, may
have a more conservative voting record this session because of it. ……..

It may explain why Harry Reid can’t break 50. It may explain why Nancy
Pelosi is working overtime trying to convince her caucus and the rest of us that
it ain’t over. It may explain why Barack Obama has lowered the office of the
presidency to campaigning against the House Minority Leader.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/09/15/can-the-tea-party-win-in-november/yes-the-tea-party-candidates-are-electable

Why things look so good if you are a Republican.

Things keep going from good to even better for the Republicans


Back then:

-The unemployment rate was 9.7 percent; it's 9.6 now.
-Half of the country said in January that the country was on the wrong
track; 57 percent say that now in the new AP-GfK poll.
-About 42 percent of
the country disapproved of Obama's job performance; half does now.
-Democrats had a 49 percent to 37 percent advantage over Republicans on the
party that voters want to see control Congress; the GOP now enjoys a 55-39 lead
among likely voters.
The last one is the big one. Six months ago, the
country preferred a Democrat congress over a Republican on by 12%. Today that
number is a Republican advantage of 16% a 28% turnaround.


Supporters of health reform said it would never happen. Maybe they got
caught up in their own rhetoric. Maybe they just didn't want to believe it was
possible. But rationing in America has started.

This week, the Food and
Drug Administration is expected to revoke approval of the drug Avastin for the
treatment of advanced breast cancer. Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter has
described the anticipated move as "the beginning of a slippery slope leading to
more and more rationing under the government takeover of health care."

It seems that even loyal Democrats have noticed the Obama
administration's not-so-subtle policy shift toward rationing. According to
Politico, many of the 34 House Democrats who voted against the health reform
bill are aggressively touting their "no" votes in campaign ads.



http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=547365

The Obama Bubble

The meteoric rise of Barack Hussein Obama has only been matched by the
rapid crash of his popularity. So what happened?


Fast forward to 2010. The Obama bubble has burst. Political moderates
have fled. His speeches are met with indifference and disdain. His
dependence on the teleprompter has become a national joke. His policies have
exacerbated our problems, not solved them. His endorsements guarantee
electoral defeat. The “I” word — incompetent — is heard with increasing
frequency. Even some media personages are critical.

How did this happen? Quite simply, the Obama bubble, like all
bubbles, was unsustainable. A bubble is not, by nature, a long-term affair.
It always consumes itself, sooner rather than later. So it is with Obama. He
promised so much, too much to possibly deliver. The hype produced the pop.
Did anyone really believe he could slow the rise of the oceans and cool the
planet?




http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/sep/15/donna-joyce-latest-bubble-has-burst-the-one-as/

Primaries push more women into general elections, but most fresh faces now belong to Republican Party


Democrats used to own the field of women running for higher office. Not
anymore.


Nearly two years after an anticipated gender bounce - with
predictions that women in both parties would rush into politics inspired by both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin
- it turns out that the momentum is on the Republican side.



If there is a Palin effect, it is not being matched by any Clinton effect at the
other end of the ideological spectrum.




http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/15/AR2010091506408.html

I guess my question is if you are a Democrat and don’t vote for a woman Republican, doesn’t that mean you are sexist?

Friday, February 12, 2010

Throw The Bums Out




"A stunning 8 percent of Americans believe members of Congress should be reelected, a staggering indictment of the legislative branch as Democrats prepare to defend their majority in the midterm elections."

This is earth shattering. Many people have speculated that the electorate is fed up with congress and it appears they are correct.

Typical of news like this, the response from the Democrats and Republicans is different. "Republicans see it as a reason to throw Democrats out of Congress, while Democrats want to blame Republican obstruction for the overwhelmingly negative feelings reflected in the poll."

Of the two explanations, the Democrats have a tougher sell. The Republicans have not been in a position to obstruct the Democrat agenda. The Democrats have a 79 seat majority in the House and up until Scott Brown's election a 60 vote filibuster proof majority in the Senate.

32 members of the House and 6 members of the Senate have announced they will not run. Normally that bodes ill for the party of the people retiring, but in this climate it may be an advantage.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32893.html#ixzz0fLr9EXWZ

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Bring it on!

Back in July of 2003, President Bush "taunted the Iraqi groups waging a guerrilla war against US and British troops, saying "bring them on" and vowing that the coalition would not be forced into an early departure."

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0703-01.htm

On Groundhog Day in New Hampshire at a high school President Obama told the GOP to “bring it on." He taunted the GOP "I’ve said to the Republicans, ‘Show me what you’ve got. You’ve been sitting on the sidelines criticizing what we’re proposing; I’m happy to defend insurance reforms,’” he said. “‘I’m happy to have these debates; I just want to see what else you’ve got.’”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32426.html#ixzz0eZVBFdNU

I see a lot of Democrats talk about how Obama has tried to change the tone in Washington. It appears his definition of change and what the electorate thought he was going to do is vastly different.

And did you notice we no longer have Healthcare reform. We now have "insurance reform?"