Recalling Sanity

No Recall - NYTimes.com

The linked column gets it  mostly wrong, but the voters in WI got it right. Recalling a Governor over a matter of policy that was passed and implemented as required is anti-Democratic and would have been a strong message in the direction of even worse partisanship and gridlock. The real winner in WI was "Good Government" or "We the People". Self government can't work if the minority demands constant recalls when things don't go their way after losing regular elections.

There are a lot of "mirrored connections" between BOcare and Walker's Budget:

1. The opposition was energized -- Republicans followed the process and took over the House in 2010. Democrats and Unions in WI protested and did a bunch of recall elections. The politics of division and destruction is primarily a Democrat / MSM approach (look at all the war metaphors in the linked  column alone), it just gets reported as the reverse.
2. Walker's policies generally worked -- the WI budget is in surplus, the state economy is outdoing rival states and there has been no loss of services in the state. BO's policies have generally not worked -- we have massive deficits, a poor economy and healthcare costs continue to rise unabated. All of the claims of BOcare "saving money" to date have proven false. All the claims of "disaster" being caused by Walker's policies have also proven false. 
3. What is missing from the linked article and much of the left is Sanity/Reality. Democrats look at the "growing economy" of much of the post WWII era and believe it was due to "good government". In fact, it was due to "less government" -- less, but perpetually increasing. Like weight, spending, driving fast, gambling, drinking, etc, government is NOT a "universal good". Some is required, but more is definitely not always better.

We live in a looking glass media culture. Having our politics be less divisive is important when it means letting Democrats have the policy their way. But when Walker and enough Republicans are elected to act in WI to solve the budget crisis, suddenly the more divisive the better -- including legislators fleeing, threats of violence and endless recalls. 

 

BO The Fiscal Conservative

Obama Doubles Down on Lies About Spending and Debt | Power Line

Insanity reigns -- good take down of what ought to be so obvious to all that anyone putting forward this line of tripe would never be taken seriously again.

BO is as much of a budget hawk as Reagan was pro-commie!!!!

25 Years Since "Tear Down This Wall!"

Tear Down This Wall at 25 | Power Line

Virtually everyone in his own administration "knew better", and the press thought he was completely insane. Then they thought he was insane, now they think he was lucky. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.

I'm sad for those too young to have been alive to see Reagan stand strong for America and a brighter future. His faith was in God and the American Spirit, not Ronald Reagan, and thus his strength and accomplishments far outstripped the would be leaders that have followed him. Much like today, Americans had decided that "our best years were behind us" until the Gipper launched us on a 30 year "Morning in America" adventure.

We could REALLY use a leader like Ronald Reagan again!!

Knowing Left From Right

Socialist or Fascist - Thomas Sowell - Townhall Conservative Columnists - Page 1

An excellent column, please read it.

One of the most effective propaganda moves of the left was the abandoning of Fascism when it went bad in Nazi Germany and brilliantly morphing it into an ideology of the "Right".

Since left is "State Control" and right is libertarian anarchy", this never made any sense, but when you control the schools, universities and the press it is amazing what you can get people to believe!

If Thomas Sowell had been our first Black President, our nation would be MUCH  better off today!!

Building Discord

Obama Steps on Message, GOP Steps on Economy -- Daily Intel

The assertion in the article is that Mitt Romney not being castigated for making an off the cuff claim that reducing spending in his first year would be counterproductive "proves" that Republicans are trying to slow economic growth to gain power. Thus:

So Republicans in Congress are blocking Obama’s jobs plan, in the correct understanding that this will redound to their party’s advantage. When Obama attempts to explain this state of affairs, Romney can accuse him of making “excuses.” Obama can hammer home the point that Republicans are blocking his plan, but doing so has the side effect of making him appear partisan and ineffective.

Obama was arguing, correctly, that Republicans are the ones satisfied with slow private sector growth, and he is the one trying to boost it through economic stimulus. But his argument is complicated, and theirs is very simple.

So your average NY Magazine reader, already pretty certain of the thesis finds their suspicions confirmed -- it is always easy to confirm our suspicions.

However, is that really what the discussions have been about? No.

BO wants to INCREASE spending AND increase taxes on the "wealthy". So Mitt saying he is going to hold the line on spending and saying nothing about taxes is actually significantly different than the meaning reported, and likely far less nefarious. 

Republicans just believe that the private sector tends to allocate capital better than the public. 

It is an article of faith for Democrats that GOVERNMENT spending is positive for the economy, but also that high taxes on the WEALTHY are beneficial. Having Bill Gates sell a billion worth of MS Stock so that BO can send $500 M to some Solyndra, and 500m to various folks so they can spend it as they see fit is a FAR better investment than leaving the money in MS stock. ]

A Warm Uniter vs a Cold Narcisist

How to praise your predecessor with class | Power Line

Just read it, it really doesn't get more plain. Putting up a portrait of your predecessor is not a time for political points or self aggrandizement -- it is about them.

BO is incapable of even the most rudimentary understanding of respect for others, of occasions not being about him, or of things being far bigger than him.

He needs to be shown the door.

Shut Up and Give Us Your Money

Wisconsin’s lessons for the left and the right - The Washington Post

EJ Dionne says it pretty straight. The problem with Citizens United is that only the left is really supposed to have Free Speech. As for the 1%, they are supposed to only have a right to shut up and let the lefties take their money to squander as they see fit.

The Golden Goose needs to learn how to not be honking as it is killed for those golden eggs -- the left doesn't cotton to any noise!

Of course EJ HOPES that the the right will be "arrogant" -- such would be funny if it was not so sad. I'm sure that the left is just about to foreswear the use of Hollywood stars for massive fundraising.

This is a huge problem for democracy in a post-Citizens United world. A few billionaires can amplify their voices far above those of other citizens.

Walker's Policies Work. Recall Him??

How much should you pay for how much government? - chicagotribune.com

We have the clearest test that could possibly be had coming up in WI on Tuesday. As this article outlines -- Walker's policies have worked to save the WI taxpayers money without cutting services. He has turned a projected deficit into an actual surplus, and business is migrating to WI from neighboring states.

Meanwhile, while outraged, the union folks are paying less for their better benefits than comparable folks in the private sector. What's more, freed from the State acting as bagman for the union and collecting dues, union membership is down significantly. When people are given a choice on paying for the services of the union, most opt out.

Will people support Walker and give us a little bit better chance to avoid the path of Greece, Italy, Spain  and California? or will they remove him from office and turn WI back to the path of union control and runaway spending?

Tuesday is a critical day for both WI and America.

BO: Drone Warrior

Barack Obama: Drone Warrior - The Washington Post

Excellent article from Charles, I heard a segment on this from NPR. We all have our biases, but there is something about the completely different reaction here that is just chilling.

 BO is completely aware that he can get POSITIVE press out of his "toughness" as he plays judge and jury to remote assassination. W weighs options, consults congress (even though some, like Pelosi try to weasel out of that), has specific legal findings on the line between "torture" and "enhanced interrogation", and is called a "war criminal" by the same folks that now have positive words to say about remote assassination.

The old question used to be "how would YOU like to be Waterboarded" ? Of course, our own SEALs are all Waterboarded during their training -- which is part of the reason it was not considered torture. There are A LOT of parts of SEAL training that are pretty much "torture".

OK, how would you like to have you and possibly your family slaughtered  by a remote drone? How would you compare THAT to you being captured and waterboarded for information -- of course with the chance that maybe you AREN'T a terrorist?

I don't have a problem with BO as president making decisions for SOME assassinations, but I do have a big problem with bypassing information and possibly killing innocents because of a primarily politically driven "we don't "torture"" policy. We don't "torture", but we do execute without any interrogation, process, etc??

I also don't understand how to really deal "civilly" with liberals on this issue when it seems that their positions are completely politically rather than good good of the country / national security based.

If liberals have some "strong humanitarian sense" that had them out protesting and screaming obscenities about W, where has that "sense" gone now that BO is in the WH if it is just not thinly veiled partisan politics??

Another Wreckovery Summer?

Q1 GDP revised downward to 1.9% « Hot Air

Seems like back in '04, the economic numbers would always come in "worse than expected" with a lot of heavy commentary, then quietly get "revised upward". Now the disappointing numbers slink in with little comment and the downward revisions are darned near state secrets.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/30/news/economy/gdp/index.htm there is a link to a decent example -- 4th qtr DOWN to 4.2% from 8.1% ...but just really not that good, with Democrats complaining about lack of jobs. Wow, they and the MSM seem A LOT more sanguine about some actually rotten economic numbers right now.

Back in the dim dark ages of '04, 250K+ jobs being added a month was a "jobless recovery" -- now there is a term one really doesn't hear much of in the MSM these days. Maybe that is because it is really tough to call it a "recovery" with a straight face even if you are staunchly in the tank for BO.

Oh, and GREAT NEWS!!! Before tax corporate profits are UP, but after tax they are DOWN!! Now there is something that the left really ought to be cheering about -- more money in the Feds coffers and less in the pockets of evil business and investors! That ought to teach them. Marvelous!

Our National Adolesence

Peter Pan vs. Wendy - HUMAN EVENTS

Very worth the read, good imagery.

One is reminded of "If you aren't a Democrat at 20, you don't have a heart. If you are not a Republican by 40, you don't have a brain".

 More to the point, you are still "wishing and hoping" if you are a Democrat ... or maybe "blaming and throwing a tantrum". Either way, there is "reality" -- we are born, we work hard, then we die, or there is "fantasy" -- life is one big joyful bowl of cherries completely taken care of by somebody else with nothing but never ending irresponsible "fun" for us.

Those that have moved to reality realize that actually we are created to find joy in reality, even (especially?) a reality that includes physical death and spiritual eternity. Fantasy? Well, it has the danger of going the way of Jim Morrison, John Belushi, etc ... "nothing really matters anymore". Rewards for actual success are really fun.  The fake world where "we are all special" turns out to be so fake that the prime objective of a lot of "fun" is merely escape.

Go Wendy!!

A BO Defector Profile in Courage

One of Obama’s Earliest Supporters Defects | Power Line

I hope Artur Davis has a Kevlar character -- mostly the MSM will try to ignore him,  but if he sticks his head up too much, they are going to do their best to DESTROY him. Can't have a former Democrat rising start, black man leaving the Democrat Plantation on BO!!

This guy has COURAGE!!

Mittens is a Unicorn

Prove Mitt's not a unicorn, group says in satirizing 'birthers' - CNN.com

Ok, I think the unicorn theory is a bit less likely than the not born in Hawaii theory -- since even BO's official bio for his first book said he was  born in Kenya http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/05/18/Media-Refuses-Coverage-Obama-Kenya-Lit-Agency but at least both being a unicorn and not being a US citizen are dis-qualifiers for being president. Unlike the views of a commanding officer on your pilot skills 35 years earlier.

The MSM finds the idea that some group would keep pushing on a story about BO to be "completely ridiculous", however even when Dan Rather lost his job over forged documents relative to W's time as a pilot in the TX Air National Guard, the MSM took a decent shot at "fake but true". However, the constitution doesn't say that your commanding officer had to like your work in order to be president.

I realize that the MSM has the power to hammer on a story about W's guard service day in and day out and since it was almost certain to be a close election, they may well have been able to swing the tide had they found some true smoking gun of a story. It is certainly clear that they were trying hard.

Now in the case of BO, they could care less if he was born in Kenya, was a Muslim, dealt coke, pot or whatever, went to Columbia or not -- whatever. They LIKE BO ... so since he is their guy, they think anyone questioning him in any way is "silly".

This is easy to understand, I'm just surprised that more people don't.

Harvard Business vs Harvard Law

Niall Ferguson: Why Wall Street Should Win the Battle With Obama - The Daily Beast

Worth the read.

 If it wasn't for business, the Lawyers and Politicians starve just like the rest of it. FOOD is a profit!! Whining over how to divide it up at $1K an hour is law/politics.

The Moon Landing Was a Hoax!

Barack Obama, Fiscal Conservative! | Power Line:

and BO is a fiscal conservative.

Sadly, this needs to be read and understood because there are people foolish enough to believe it or to just repeat it in an attempt to muddy the extremely clear.

At the core of this idiocy lies the misconception that the president sets the budget, which is of course completely untrue -- CONGRESS sets the budget, always has and always will at least until the left fully succeeds in destroying the Constitution.

Understand this fact, and both the "Reagan deficits" and the "Clinton Surpluses" become much more understandable.

The insanity of "BO as a fiscal conservative" is also fully exposed.

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