My latest contribution to the Jaded Politics project courtesy of the Musings From Exile website{1} can be read HERE.
Note:
{1} "I link to the Musings From Exile website version so I do not trigger a trackback to it on the main page; thereby ensuring that I keep Rerum Novarum separate from that project." [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa April 8, 2017)]
Showing posts with label B. H. Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B. H. Obama. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 03, 2017
Miscellaneous Dyspeptic Mutterings on the Budget:
I have seen in more than one place some attempted apologetics by supporters of the Trump Administration for the budget deal that was passed and will be signed by the president. The rationale they use if summarized in a bullet point is as follows:
Seriously, the excuses need to end.
The Republicans passed a reconciliation bill in 2015 that Resident Obama vetoed. If they do not serve up that same bill for President Trump to sign, then we know they were engaging in a stunt before because they knew Obama would veto what they sent to his desk. There is no excuse now to not pass the exact same bill gutting Obamacare...unless...they were not serious before. And if that is the case, then why take them seriously now?
It is inexcusable to serve up a budget that could have been proposed by a Pelosi-Schumer-Clinton government and which Trump supporters would gripe about if they had. At some point a stand needs to be taken and with Republican control of government, what's the excuse now?
If capitulating across the board is supposed to show that Republicans can govern, then why bother turning out in 2018 or 2020? Seriously.
What will the excuse be when the GOP fails again to repeal Obamacare this week?
What will be the excuse when tax reform just nibbles the edges and does nothing of substance to really reform the system?
What will the excuse be in September when there is no shutdown and the GOP funds everything once again?
Why should voters in 2018 believe these folks when they make all the same promises again next year after failing to keep 2016's promises in 2017?
Inquiring minds want to know!
I have seen in more than one place some attempted apologetics by supporters of the Trump Administration for the budget deal that was passed and will be signed by the president. The rationale they use if summarized in a bullet point is as follows:
- Give them everything so there is no shutdown
Seriously, the excuses need to end.
The Republicans passed a reconciliation bill in 2015 that Resident Obama vetoed. If they do not serve up that same bill for President Trump to sign, then we know they were engaging in a stunt before because they knew Obama would veto what they sent to his desk. There is no excuse now to not pass the exact same bill gutting Obamacare...unless...they were not serious before. And if that is the case, then why take them seriously now?
It is inexcusable to serve up a budget that could have been proposed by a Pelosi-Schumer-Clinton government and which Trump supporters would gripe about if they had. At some point a stand needs to be taken and with Republican control of government, what's the excuse now?
If capitulating across the board is supposed to show that Republicans can govern, then why bother turning out in 2018 or 2020? Seriously.
What will the excuse be when the GOP fails again to repeal Obamacare this week?
What will be the excuse when tax reform just nibbles the edges and does nothing of substance to really reform the system?
What will the excuse be in September when there is no shutdown and the GOP funds everything once again?
Why should voters in 2018 believe these folks when they make all the same promises again next year after failing to keep 2016's promises in 2017?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
Miscellaneous Musings on Threads of Interest:
A few threads pertaining to the election which is 48 hours away{1} seem to be appropriate at the present time so here goes...
An ACORN Whistleblower Testifies in Court (John Fund)
Here is a bit from the above article...
The FBI is investigating its voter registration efforts in several states, amid allegations that almost a third of the 1.3 million cards it turned in are invalid. And yesterday, a former employee of Acorn testified in a Pennsylvania state court that the group's quality-control efforts were "minimal or nonexistent" and largely window dressing. Anita MonCrief also says that Acorn was given lists of potential donors by several Democratic presidential campaigns, including that of Barack Obama, to troll for contributions.
But remember folks, Sen. Obama has had no affiliation with ACORN. He told us so, remember ;-) Moving on we have this article on voting from someone who has not been mentioned on this weblog in a few years...
Don't Let the Polls Affect Your Vote (Karl Rove)
Here is a tidbit from the text to whet the appetite:
Polls can reveal underlying or emerging trends and help campaigns decide where to focus. The danger is that commentators use them to declare a race over before the votes are in. This can demoralize the underdog's supporters, depressing turnout. I know that from experience.
For our part, we at Rerum Novarum will be voting on Tuesday regardless of the so-called "lead" that the msm will assign to Sen. Obama.
Obama and the Politics of Crowds (Fouad Ajami)
Another article well worth reading -I will quote the summary to give an idea of what the article will cover:
The morning after the election, the disappointment will begin to settle upon the Obama crowd. Defeat -- by now unthinkable to the devotees -- will bring heartbreak. Victory will steadily deliver the sobering verdict that our troubles won't be solved by a leader's magic.
That my friends is something we all need to remember: if we place as some kind of integral source of our happiness weight on who the president is, who runs congress, etc., Ultimately happiness has to come from within because otherwise we would cede to others control over our own happiness which it is never wise nor prudent to do. Then there is this tidbit from the LA Times...
The Los Angeles Times’s Strange Notion of Journalistic Ethics
The title says it all as far as I am concerned, give the article a read to see another example of mainstream media double standards as far as this election is concerned. But it appears finally folks that we may have the "October Surprise" coming out in November and this could affect the outcome of the voting in several key states. Here is the story and some of the reactions from some of those states:
Hidden Audio: Obama Tells SF Chronicle He Will Bankrupt Coal Industry
Here is just a taste:
Imagine if John McCain had whispered somewhere that he was willing to bankrupt a major industry? Would this declaration not immediately be front page news? Well, Barack Obama actually flat out told the San Francisco Chronicle (SF Gate) that he was willing to see the coal industry go bankrupt in a January 17, 2008 interview. The result? Nothing. This audio interview has been hidden from the public...until now.
Here is the response from some of the states which would be affected by the Obama energy plan as it pertains to coal starting with West Virginia -a state with five electoral votes and where the GOP has had a weak lead up to now:
Coal official calls Obama comments 'unbelievable'
Here is one from Ohio which is a state that was tending towards Obama and which has 20 electoral votes:
Ohio Coal Association Says Obama Remarks Make It Clear: Obama Ticket Not Supportive of Coal
Other states where Obama is weakly leading which could be affected by this latest news include Pennsylvania (21 electoral votes) and Virginia (13 electoral votes). There is also Indiana (11 electoral votes) where McCain's hanging on by his fingernails which could be bolstered by this latest news not to mention North Carolina (15 electoral votes) where Obama has a very small lead who also has a coal industry.
Anyway, this may be the silver bullet we have been looking for in this election folks...we will only know for sure after tomorrow.
Note:
{1} Though for our part we at Rerum Novarum voted by mail the other day.
A few threads pertaining to the election which is 48 hours away{1} seem to be appropriate at the present time so here goes...
An ACORN Whistleblower Testifies in Court (John Fund)
Here is a bit from the above article...
The FBI is investigating its voter registration efforts in several states, amid allegations that almost a third of the 1.3 million cards it turned in are invalid. And yesterday, a former employee of Acorn testified in a Pennsylvania state court that the group's quality-control efforts were "minimal or nonexistent" and largely window dressing. Anita MonCrief also says that Acorn was given lists of potential donors by several Democratic presidential campaigns, including that of Barack Obama, to troll for contributions.
But remember folks, Sen. Obama has had no affiliation with ACORN. He told us so, remember ;-) Moving on we have this article on voting from someone who has not been mentioned on this weblog in a few years...
Don't Let the Polls Affect Your Vote (Karl Rove)
Here is a tidbit from the text to whet the appetite:
Polls can reveal underlying or emerging trends and help campaigns decide where to focus. The danger is that commentators use them to declare a race over before the votes are in. This can demoralize the underdog's supporters, depressing turnout. I know that from experience.
For our part, we at Rerum Novarum will be voting on Tuesday regardless of the so-called "lead" that the msm will assign to Sen. Obama.
Obama and the Politics of Crowds (Fouad Ajami)
Another article well worth reading -I will quote the summary to give an idea of what the article will cover:
The morning after the election, the disappointment will begin to settle upon the Obama crowd. Defeat -- by now unthinkable to the devotees -- will bring heartbreak. Victory will steadily deliver the sobering verdict that our troubles won't be solved by a leader's magic.
That my friends is something we all need to remember: if we place as some kind of integral source of our happiness weight on who the president is, who runs congress, etc., Ultimately happiness has to come from within because otherwise we would cede to others control over our own happiness which it is never wise nor prudent to do. Then there is this tidbit from the LA Times...
The Los Angeles Times’s Strange Notion of Journalistic Ethics
The title says it all as far as I am concerned, give the article a read to see another example of mainstream media double standards as far as this election is concerned. But it appears finally folks that we may have the "October Surprise" coming out in November and this could affect the outcome of the voting in several key states. Here is the story and some of the reactions from some of those states:
Hidden Audio: Obama Tells SF Chronicle He Will Bankrupt Coal Industry
Here is just a taste:
Imagine if John McCain had whispered somewhere that he was willing to bankrupt a major industry? Would this declaration not immediately be front page news? Well, Barack Obama actually flat out told the San Francisco Chronicle (SF Gate) that he was willing to see the coal industry go bankrupt in a January 17, 2008 interview. The result? Nothing. This audio interview has been hidden from the public...until now.
Here is the response from some of the states which would be affected by the Obama energy plan as it pertains to coal starting with West Virginia -a state with five electoral votes and where the GOP has had a weak lead up to now:
Coal official calls Obama comments 'unbelievable'
Here is one from Ohio which is a state that was tending towards Obama and which has 20 electoral votes:
Ohio Coal Association Says Obama Remarks Make It Clear: Obama Ticket Not Supportive of Coal
Other states where Obama is weakly leading which could be affected by this latest news include Pennsylvania (21 electoral votes) and Virginia (13 electoral votes). There is also Indiana (11 electoral votes) where McCain's hanging on by his fingernails which could be bolstered by this latest news not to mention North Carolina (15 electoral votes) where Obama has a very small lead who also has a coal industry.
Anyway, this may be the silver bullet we have been looking for in this election folks...we will only know for sure after tomorrow.
Note:
{1} Though for our part we at Rerum Novarum voted by mail the other day.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Some Final Week Election Strategery:
(Musings of your humble servant at Rerum Novarum)
I wrote and posted a similar text as this to another forum back on Monday. Without further ado...
Based on a lesson of "wealth redistribution" that I have noted before (and want to reiterate anew at this time) it gave me a good idea for a final election week strategery to drive home to people in ways they can feel the seriousness of Obama's "income redistribution" plans should he become president with a Democratic Congress. First let us recap the lesson before outlining the plan. I got the idea from someone called "AzVet" back on October 24th and Chris Blosser reminded me of it today with another source who had the same concept outlined. Here is "AzVet's" version of things to refresh the mind of the readers:
Redistribution experiment. On my way to lunch today, a homeless man was sitting on the sidewalk holding a sign, "vote for Obama...I need the money!" The waiter had a "Vote for Obama" tie. After lunch, the waiting handed me the bill. I told [him] that he was not getting a tip because I am doing an experiment of redistribution of wealth. I told him that I am going to give his tip the homeless man. He turned abruptly and left in a huff. I gave the homeless man $10.00 for which he did not earn. I told him to thank the waiter in the restaurant because he's the one that actually earned it. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa October 24, 2008)]
Basically folks, we should all do this before the election. Go out to eat a few times to the extent it is in your budget{1}, get a waiter to serve you, and ask them whom they are voting for in the election.{2} If the waiter says they are voting for Obama, then merely say "ok" or some neutral response not indicating intent, eat up, have them work to serve you, and then when the bill comes invite the waiter over and pay the bill. Tell them that you had a nice tip for them but since they support Obama who wants to redistribute your wealth to people who did not work for it that you will give their tip to a homeless person{3} or to someone else who did not earn it so they can better "share" in the economic plan that Sen. Obama has in mind as president. But that is not all.
If they say McCain, try to find out why they would vote for McCain to see if they are telling you the truth or not. If you think they are, give them a slightly larger tip and tell them that you too believe in rewarding those who actually earn their money rather than taking from those who work and giving it to those who did not earn it. That way, even if they lied to you about their intentions you may well give them something to think about before they go into the voting booth.
Remember, the best education quite often comes from real life experiences as opposed to from books so with those who in the abstract think Sen. Obama would be a "cool president", give them something that they can relate to and in the case of people in restaurant industry, that is their tip money which if they are good can constitute a good chunk of their income.
Anyway, that is my idea for last week campaign influencing the service/hospitality people to reassess a preference for Sen. Obama with a recommended plan of action for implementing the "redistribution experiment" of the aforementioned "AzVet."
Notes:
{1} Because in an Obama presidency it will not likely be as frequent you will be able to do this.
{2} This works better the younger you are by the way as the really youthful demographic is the one most heavily skewed towards Sen. Obama but everyone should try this nonetheless.
{3} I rarely advocate giving money to homeless people though admittedly I do at times nonetheless. However, my usual modus opperandi over the years when downtown is to offer those who ask for money to buy them food instead -usually a breakfast sandwich from McDonalds, a couple items from their "value menu" or whatever depending on the time of day. Those who accept the offer and actually eat the food I view as being potentially in need whereas those who throw the food away or otherwise do not eat it (after claiming they wanted the money for food: and yes I have seen this at times), I chalk up as charletans who would have used the money for something other than food.
(Musings of your humble servant at Rerum Novarum)
I wrote and posted a similar text as this to another forum back on Monday. Without further ado...
Based on a lesson of "wealth redistribution" that I have noted before (and want to reiterate anew at this time) it gave me a good idea for a final election week strategery to drive home to people in ways they can feel the seriousness of Obama's "income redistribution" plans should he become president with a Democratic Congress. First let us recap the lesson before outlining the plan. I got the idea from someone called "AzVet" back on October 24th and Chris Blosser reminded me of it today with another source who had the same concept outlined. Here is "AzVet's" version of things to refresh the mind of the readers:
Redistribution experiment. On my way to lunch today, a homeless man was sitting on the sidewalk holding a sign, "vote for Obama...I need the money!" The waiter had a "Vote for Obama" tie. After lunch, the waiting handed me the bill. I told [him] that he was not getting a tip because I am doing an experiment of redistribution of wealth. I told him that I am going to give his tip the homeless man. He turned abruptly and left in a huff. I gave the homeless man $10.00 for which he did not earn. I told him to thank the waiter in the restaurant because he's the one that actually earned it. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa October 24, 2008)]
Basically folks, we should all do this before the election. Go out to eat a few times to the extent it is in your budget{1}, get a waiter to serve you, and ask them whom they are voting for in the election.{2} If the waiter says they are voting for Obama, then merely say "ok" or some neutral response not indicating intent, eat up, have them work to serve you, and then when the bill comes invite the waiter over and pay the bill. Tell them that you had a nice tip for them but since they support Obama who wants to redistribute your wealth to people who did not work for it that you will give their tip to a homeless person{3} or to someone else who did not earn it so they can better "share" in the economic plan that Sen. Obama has in mind as president. But that is not all.
If they say McCain, try to find out why they would vote for McCain to see if they are telling you the truth or not. If you think they are, give them a slightly larger tip and tell them that you too believe in rewarding those who actually earn their money rather than taking from those who work and giving it to those who did not earn it. That way, even if they lied to you about their intentions you may well give them something to think about before they go into the voting booth.
Remember, the best education quite often comes from real life experiences as opposed to from books so with those who in the abstract think Sen. Obama would be a "cool president", give them something that they can relate to and in the case of people in restaurant industry, that is their tip money which if they are good can constitute a good chunk of their income.
Anyway, that is my idea for last week campaign influencing the service/hospitality people to reassess a preference for Sen. Obama with a recommended plan of action for implementing the "redistribution experiment" of the aforementioned "AzVet."
Notes:
{1} Because in an Obama presidency it will not likely be as frequent you will be able to do this.
{2} This works better the younger you are by the way as the really youthful demographic is the one most heavily skewed towards Sen. Obama but everyone should try this nonetheless.
{3} I rarely advocate giving money to homeless people though admittedly I do at times nonetheless. However, my usual modus opperandi over the years when downtown is to offer those who ask for money to buy them food instead -usually a breakfast sandwich from McDonalds, a couple items from their "value menu" or whatever depending on the time of day. Those who accept the offer and actually eat the food I view as being potentially in need whereas those who throw the food away or otherwise do not eat it (after claiming they wanted the money for food: and yes I have seen this at times), I chalk up as charletans who would have used the money for something other than food.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
"Down on the Corner" Dept.
(A Rerum Novarum Four Thread NRO Commentary)
A few musings on these threads from recent days...
Did W Backfire? (NRO)
Interesting hypothesis by Tom Hoopes -here is the gist of what the article is about in its own words:
Reviewers keep remarking on the strange phenomenon. They hated Bush going in — and kind of liked the guy when they came out.
If that is the case, it may not bode well for Sen. Barack Hussein Obama in the election next week. Moving on we get to an article on the msm:
An Instructive Candidacy (Victor Davis Hanson)
The unethical double standards of the msm with regards to Sen. Obama and Gov. Palin could not be more educational as we wind down in this election season. As Hanson notes so well in the article there turns out to be no standard of objectivity in contemporary journalism. Gee folks, who has been saying that for years??? The first footnote of this posting will give you a hint{1} and that is all we will say on the matter for now. And finally...
Point of No Return (Mark Steyn)
No, this is not a reference to the 1977 concept album by Kansas{2} however preferable such a reference may be. No, this is to how potentially transformative for the worse this upcoming election could be if Sen. Obama wins and there is not at least a super majority-proof Republican minority in the Senate. Or as Steyn succinctly puts it:
[T]he only reason why Belgium has gotten away with being Belgium and Sweden Sweden and Germany Germany this long is because America’s America. The soft comfortable cocoon in which western Europe has dozed this last half-century is girded by cold hard American power. What happens when the last serious western nation votes for the same soothing beguiling siren song as its enervated allies?
I explained the problem last year in the context of the subject of the Crusades as the enemy we are facing now is in many ways not much different and I stand by that assessment now which will be linked to in a footnote on this posting for those who may not remember it.{3}
Right now we are demonstrating a willingness to take stands unpopular to the Euroweenie contingent but it is because of those stands that they have been able to get away with being Euroweenies. Peace cannot be achieved with enemies such as those we are facing except through either a profound spiritual metanoia on their part (which is alien to the genesis and expansion of Islam historically) or the west showing resolve to not be pushed around by these kinds of thugs.
For it is easy to take stands like "why can't we be friends???"{4} and make grandiose advocacy of "unconditional dialogue" when there is someone there willing to do the heavy lifting of the sort that you are not willing to do. But what happens in this geopolitical world of "recess" when you cannot run to the adult on duty for protection from those who would seek to do you harm??? You do one of two things, you either run scared and goad those sorts to continue to try and inflict harm on you or you take it upon yourself to build yourself up, develop a mean streak, and knock their blocks off so they will leave you alone.{5}
It may sound simple to many readers but workable solutions are rarely complicated when the dynamics of what prompts people to act a certain way are known. And those who prey on weaker people{6} regardless of the context in which it is done{7} do so usually as a result of two factors; namely (i) their own insecurities about things they have no control over and (ii) their seeing in the perceived weaker person or group a source with which they can exercise control over as a way of masking the aforementioned insecurities. This is why bullies often back down when confronted by someone who refuses to be bullied and will oppose them with force to prevent it. Usually it is in their best interests for such bullies to either cease such things or to find other targets who will roll over for them.
Whatever one wants to say about Sen. John McCain as president, I do not have anxiety about him in the area of national security and presenting the required projection of America as a bulwark against these kinds of threats. I cannot say the same thing about someone like Sen. Barack Obama who has taken no positions of principle that went against the grain -either in the Illinois State Senate or in the United States Senate where he constantly voted present in the former and nearly 100% on the side of liberal Democrats in the latter. In fact, that is the subject of this article by Rich Lowry:
Barack Obama, False Moderate
The article is worth a read but here is the summary which is worth reflecting upon:
When has Obama stood up to liberals and fought for a principled centrism? Never. This is why part of McCain’s closing argument must be that he’d be a better check on Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid than the moderate poseur.
Indeed, I do not see someone with such a track record of placating political machines as being sufficiently independent minded to truly give pause to our enemies. And that is why I cannot in conscience vote for him -his quasi-marxist economy destroying tax and income redistribution policies{8} notwithstanding. Like Charles Krauthammer{9} I take a stand not popular but one that on principle I must take even if it means going down with the ship figuratively speaking.
Notes:
{1} A Dialogue on the State of Journalism With Joseph D'Hippolito (circa October 17, 2008)
{2} Which I have on vinyl by the way.
{3} On the Crusades and Learning From History (circa April 13, 2007)
{4} This is not a reference to the song by War of that name.
{5} This is an area of which I was not unfamiliar in school and thus I speak from experience on both fronts. (Being bullied and later after preparation and getting stronger smacking around many of those same bullies who were still around who then left me alone.)
{6} And these terrorist sorts see in the west a people weakened by decadence: make no mistake about that.
{7} Either individually or collectively, physically, psychologically, economically, or in other ways. (Bullying can take many forms after all.)
{8} Another significant reason for opposing Sen. Obama but that is subject I am not going to touch on now but instead mention only in passing due to lack of time and desire to talk about it now.
{9} McCain Gets My Vote (Charles Krauthammer)
(A Rerum Novarum Four Thread NRO Commentary)
A few musings on these threads from recent days...
Did W Backfire? (NRO)
Interesting hypothesis by Tom Hoopes -here is the gist of what the article is about in its own words:
Reviewers keep remarking on the strange phenomenon. They hated Bush going in — and kind of liked the guy when they came out.
If that is the case, it may not bode well for Sen. Barack Hussein Obama in the election next week. Moving on we get to an article on the msm:
An Instructive Candidacy (Victor Davis Hanson)
The unethical double standards of the msm with regards to Sen. Obama and Gov. Palin could not be more educational as we wind down in this election season. As Hanson notes so well in the article there turns out to be no standard of objectivity in contemporary journalism. Gee folks, who has been saying that for years??? The first footnote of this posting will give you a hint{1} and that is all we will say on the matter for now. And finally...
Point of No Return (Mark Steyn)
No, this is not a reference to the 1977 concept album by Kansas{2} however preferable such a reference may be. No, this is to how potentially transformative for the worse this upcoming election could be if Sen. Obama wins and there is not at least a super majority-proof Republican minority in the Senate. Or as Steyn succinctly puts it:
[T]he only reason why Belgium has gotten away with being Belgium and Sweden Sweden and Germany Germany this long is because America’s America. The soft comfortable cocoon in which western Europe has dozed this last half-century is girded by cold hard American power. What happens when the last serious western nation votes for the same soothing beguiling siren song as its enervated allies?
I explained the problem last year in the context of the subject of the Crusades as the enemy we are facing now is in many ways not much different and I stand by that assessment now which will be linked to in a footnote on this posting for those who may not remember it.{3}
Right now we are demonstrating a willingness to take stands unpopular to the Euroweenie contingent but it is because of those stands that they have been able to get away with being Euroweenies. Peace cannot be achieved with enemies such as those we are facing except through either a profound spiritual metanoia on their part (which is alien to the genesis and expansion of Islam historically) or the west showing resolve to not be pushed around by these kinds of thugs.
For it is easy to take stands like "why can't we be friends???"{4} and make grandiose advocacy of "unconditional dialogue" when there is someone there willing to do the heavy lifting of the sort that you are not willing to do. But what happens in this geopolitical world of "recess" when you cannot run to the adult on duty for protection from those who would seek to do you harm??? You do one of two things, you either run scared and goad those sorts to continue to try and inflict harm on you or you take it upon yourself to build yourself up, develop a mean streak, and knock their blocks off so they will leave you alone.{5}
It may sound simple to many readers but workable solutions are rarely complicated when the dynamics of what prompts people to act a certain way are known. And those who prey on weaker people{6} regardless of the context in which it is done{7} do so usually as a result of two factors; namely (i) their own insecurities about things they have no control over and (ii) their seeing in the perceived weaker person or group a source with which they can exercise control over as a way of masking the aforementioned insecurities. This is why bullies often back down when confronted by someone who refuses to be bullied and will oppose them with force to prevent it. Usually it is in their best interests for such bullies to either cease such things or to find other targets who will roll over for them.
Whatever one wants to say about Sen. John McCain as president, I do not have anxiety about him in the area of national security and presenting the required projection of America as a bulwark against these kinds of threats. I cannot say the same thing about someone like Sen. Barack Obama who has taken no positions of principle that went against the grain -either in the Illinois State Senate or in the United States Senate where he constantly voted present in the former and nearly 100% on the side of liberal Democrats in the latter. In fact, that is the subject of this article by Rich Lowry:
Barack Obama, False Moderate
The article is worth a read but here is the summary which is worth reflecting upon:
When has Obama stood up to liberals and fought for a principled centrism? Never. This is why part of McCain’s closing argument must be that he’d be a better check on Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid than the moderate poseur.
Indeed, I do not see someone with such a track record of placating political machines as being sufficiently independent minded to truly give pause to our enemies. And that is why I cannot in conscience vote for him -his quasi-marxist economy destroying tax and income redistribution policies{8} notwithstanding. Like Charles Krauthammer{9} I take a stand not popular but one that on principle I must take even if it means going down with the ship figuratively speaking.
Notes:
{1} A Dialogue on the State of Journalism With Joseph D'Hippolito (circa October 17, 2008)
{2} Which I have on vinyl by the way.
{3} On the Crusades and Learning From History (circa April 13, 2007)
{4} This is not a reference to the song by War of that name.
{5} This is an area of which I was not unfamiliar in school and thus I speak from experience on both fronts. (Being bullied and later after preparation and getting stronger smacking around many of those same bullies who were still around who then left me alone.)
{6} And these terrorist sorts see in the west a people weakened by decadence: make no mistake about that.
{7} Either individually or collectively, physically, psychologically, economically, or in other ways. (Bullying can take many forms after all.)
{8} Another significant reason for opposing Sen. Obama but that is subject I am not going to touch on now but instead mention only in passing due to lack of time and desire to talk about it now.
{9} McCain Gets My Vote (Charles Krauthammer)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Points to Ponder:
(On Fundamentals of Income Redistribution)
Redistribution experiment. On my way to lunch today, a homeless man was sitting on the sidewalk holding a sign, "vote for Obama...I need the money!" The waiter had a "Vote for Obama" tie. After lunch, the waiting handed me the bill. I told [him] that he was not getting a tip because I am doing an experiment of redistribution of wealth. I told him that I am going to give his tip the homeless man. He turned abruptly and left in a huff. I gave the homeless man $10.00 for which he did not earn. I told him to thank the waiter in the restaurant because he's the one that actually earned it. ["AzVet" (circa October 24, 2008)]
(On Fundamentals of Income Redistribution)
Redistribution experiment. On my way to lunch today, a homeless man was sitting on the sidewalk holding a sign, "vote for Obama...I need the money!" The waiter had a "Vote for Obama" tie. After lunch, the waiting handed me the bill. I told [him] that he was not getting a tip because I am doing an experiment of redistribution of wealth. I told him that I am going to give his tip the homeless man. He turned abruptly and left in a huff. I gave the homeless man $10.00 for which he did not earn. I told him to thank the waiter in the restaurant because he's the one that actually earned it. ["AzVet" (circa October 24, 2008)]
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Okay, I will admit that I said yesterday that I intended to post something today on some of the thoughts I have had pertaining to what the msm is trying to do with regards to the subjects of the 2008 election in general{1} and Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Hussein Obama{2} in particular.{3} But that posting is not done and I have no motivation to work on it today after having the best birthday I have had since 2004. Prior to that I would have to go back to 1999 or 2000 to find a birthday comparable to today's. But that point aside, the originally planned posting will be done soon -though I may lead off tomorrow's new blogging cycle with the oft-mentioned posting on the needed third way in politics.
I am not sure right now how I plan to do that and will basically decide on a whim tomorrow depending on if I am motivated to finish the aforementioned material into a bloggable piece or not at that time or thereabouts. But in the meantime, that is all I want to say on the matter except to direct readers to a link I found which substantially outlines many of my views on this matter:
Mr. Dodger's Neighborhood (NetRight Nation)
As many would characterize me as someone of the so-called "right wing", it seems appropriate to remind readers of part of the longstanding weblog disclaimer which has adorned the side margin for years; namely this part:
My approval of a website, weblog, or essay is to be properly understood as approval of a macro nature and not necessarily a micro one and the macro approval pertains to the general theme so categorized not necessarily to micro elements not pertaining to said theme thereof. [Part of the Rerum Novarum Weblog Disclaimer]
Having reiterated that point, I will deal with the rest of the matters pertaining to the general subjects noted in the beginning of this posting in the previously mentioned list of skeletal pointers when I get to it.
Notes:
{1} I am putting together some skeletal bits for musing tomorrow on the issue of the msm and the election coverage as well as certain things that I and others are being asked to presume in this election concerning the candidates. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa October 20, 2008)]
{2} Particularly Sen. Obama.
{3} Along with to some extent Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden though this was touched on yesterday as well.
I am not sure right now how I plan to do that and will basically decide on a whim tomorrow depending on if I am motivated to finish the aforementioned material into a bloggable piece or not at that time or thereabouts. But in the meantime, that is all I want to say on the matter except to direct readers to a link I found which substantially outlines many of my views on this matter:
Mr. Dodger's Neighborhood (NetRight Nation)
As many would characterize me as someone of the so-called "right wing", it seems appropriate to remind readers of part of the longstanding weblog disclaimer which has adorned the side margin for years; namely this part:
My approval of a website, weblog, or essay is to be properly understood as approval of a macro nature and not necessarily a micro one and the macro approval pertains to the general theme so categorized not necessarily to micro elements not pertaining to said theme thereof. [Part of the Rerum Novarum Weblog Disclaimer]
Having reiterated that point, I will deal with the rest of the matters pertaining to the general subjects noted in the beginning of this posting in the previously mentioned list of skeletal pointers when I get to it.
Notes:
{1} I am putting together some skeletal bits for musing tomorrow on the issue of the msm and the election coverage as well as certain things that I and others are being asked to presume in this election concerning the candidates. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa October 20, 2008)]
{2} Particularly Sen. Obama.
{3} Along with to some extent Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden though this was touched on yesterday as well.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Palin Becomes Increasingly Accessible To The National Media (CBS News)
Meanwhile, it would seem that Sen. Joe Biden is MIA for some reason...my guess is that they do not want him saying anything stupid to get in the way of the presumed "coronation" of the Obamessiah. I am putting together some skeletal bits for musing tomorrow on the issue of the msm and the election coverage as well as certain things that I and others are being asked to presume in this election concerning the candidates{1} so that is all I will say on the matter for now except to note that Sen. McCain was being criticized for "hiding Gov. Palin" two weeks ago whereas nothing of a similar nature is being said about the Obama campaign and the absence of Sen. Biden.
Note:
{1} Not to mention other persons involved to varying degrees in this election season.
Meanwhile, it would seem that Sen. Joe Biden is MIA for some reason...my guess is that they do not want him saying anything stupid to get in the way of the presumed "coronation" of the Obamessiah. I am putting together some skeletal bits for musing tomorrow on the issue of the msm and the election coverage as well as certain things that I and others are being asked to presume in this election concerning the candidates{1} so that is all I will say on the matter for now except to note that Sen. McCain was being criticized for "hiding Gov. Palin" two weeks ago whereas nothing of a similar nature is being said about the Obama campaign and the absence of Sen. Biden.
Note:
{1} Not to mention other persons involved to varying degrees in this election season.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Miscellaneous Musings on Threads of Interest:
I intended to post this a few days ago but did not have time to finish it. Nonetheless...
CNN: Obama’s lying about William Ayers (Hot Air)
Here is a bit from the thread:
Obama has lied repeatedly about his relationship with the unrepentant domestic terrorist. He spent years working for Ayers, promoting Ayers’ causes. Even CNN won’t buy the Obama line any longer. Expect John McCain to raise this point tonight in the debate.
Well let us hope so. As I said recently in a chat with a good friend:
McCain had a "Vietnam" kind of debate the first time basically winning on all the points but being perceived as losing he needs to do a lot better this time around and he can start by looking at Obama at times when talking to or about him. [Excerpt from an Email Correspondence (circa October 6, 2008)]
Now I have to admit that I am so not thrilled with this election selection that I did not watch the second debate. But my friend Kevin Tierney did; ergo I quote from a chat we had on the matter to give his take:
me: [I] wanted to see if you saw the debate the other night or not I am getting the impression that it was another "Vietnam debate" for Sen. McCain or is it simply the media insisting no matter what that Obama wins? what are your Spidey senses telling you?
Kevin: McCain won on points, but he needs a real knockout...which he isn't getting.
me: so he won another match on points but the unwashed masses think he lost? or is it tricky polling by various places? I mean we know the msm is so in bed with Obama's campaign that he should pay them money for their services. I guess I am starting to get into the mindset that the public at large is stupid and we are about to be snowed. [An] Irish defense mechanism to prepare for the letdown perhaps.
Kevin: well winning on points isn't enough right now he needs to win bigtime. [Excerpt from a Chat With Kevin Tierney (circa October 8, 2008)]
I do not want the reader to think I am somehow being fatalistic about the election situation though on the night I chatted with Kevin I was not feeling too optimistic admittedly. One reason is if the public is so stupid that they think the Fannie and Freddie mess is the fault of President Bush and "the last eight years" then we are in for a snow job worthy of any Alaska blizzard because that is what it would involve. I have gone over this before but right now will relegate those threads to a footnote{1} so I do not get sidetracked and move onto the next thread for this posting.
BLAME BARACK FOR ME$$: MAC (New York Post)
Here is a bit from the thread:
I intended to post this a few days ago but did not have time to finish it. Nonetheless...
CNN: Obama’s lying about William Ayers (Hot Air)
Here is a bit from the thread:
Obama has lied repeatedly about his relationship with the unrepentant domestic terrorist. He spent years working for Ayers, promoting Ayers’ causes. Even CNN won’t buy the Obama line any longer. Expect John McCain to raise this point tonight in the debate.
Well let us hope so. As I said recently in a chat with a good friend:
McCain had a "Vietnam" kind of debate the first time basically winning on all the points but being perceived as losing he needs to do a lot better this time around and he can start by looking at Obama at times when talking to or about him. [Excerpt from an Email Correspondence (circa October 6, 2008)]
Now I have to admit that I am so not thrilled with this election selection that I did not watch the second debate. But my friend Kevin Tierney did; ergo I quote from a chat we had on the matter to give his take:
me: [I] wanted to see if you saw the debate the other night or not I am getting the impression that it was another "Vietnam debate" for Sen. McCain or is it simply the media insisting no matter what that Obama wins? what are your Spidey senses telling you?
Kevin: McCain won on points, but he needs a real knockout...which he isn't getting.
me: so he won another match on points but the unwashed masses think he lost? or is it tricky polling by various places? I mean we know the msm is so in bed with Obama's campaign that he should pay them money for their services. I guess I am starting to get into the mindset that the public at large is stupid and we are about to be snowed. [An] Irish defense mechanism to prepare for the letdown perhaps.
Kevin: well winning on points isn't enough right now he needs to win bigtime. [Excerpt from a Chat With Kevin Tierney (circa October 8, 2008)]
I do not want the reader to think I am somehow being fatalistic about the election situation though on the night I chatted with Kevin I was not feeling too optimistic admittedly. One reason is if the public is so stupid that they think the Fannie and Freddie mess is the fault of President Bush and "the last eight years" then we are in for a snow job worthy of any Alaska blizzard because that is what it would involve. I have gone over this before but right now will relegate those threads to a footnote{1} so I do not get sidetracked and move onto the next thread for this posting.
BLAME BARACK FOR ME$$: MAC (New York Post)
Here is a bit from the thread:
"Whatever the question, whatever the issues, there's always a back story with Senator Obama... Our current economic crisis is a good case in point. The crisis started in our housing market in the form of subprime loans that were pushed on people who could not afford them.
"Bad mortgages were being backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and it was only a matter of time before a contagion of unsustainable debt began to spread," McCain said during an event in Albuquerque, NM.
"This corruption was encouraged by Democrats in Congress, and abetted by Senator Obama."
Whatever one wants to say about both Sen. John McCain and President George W. Bush{2}, they were stumping for reform of Fannie and Freddie for years before the meltdown -unlike Sen. Obama and the leaders of the current Congressional majority. And that is the bottom line really.
Notes:
{1} To note two recent threads in order from oldest to newest:
Briefly on the Current Real Estate Situation (circa July 26, 2008)
More Brief Bits on the "Bailout" (circa October 5, 2008)
{2} And Lord knows I have said plenty about both over the years -particularly President Bush. (See the tags "Pres. Bush" and "John McCain" for more information on this if you are so inclined.)
Friday, October 03, 2008
ACORN, Obama, and the Mortgage Mess (By Mona Charin)
I tip the hat tip to Contra Pauli for alerting me to this thread.
I tip the hat tip to Contra Pauli for alerting me to this thread.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Briefly on the Proposed "Bailout":
This is a text written a few days ago in response to a discussion thread from September 24, 2008 pertaining to the subject in question.
XXXX and Kevin [Tierney] are both correct on this in part. They forgot about the Justice Department under Clinton threatening banks with federal lawsuits for "redlining" if the banks did not make a certain percentage of loans available for those who were very high credit risks. The program was put in place by the Carter administration in 1977 but it was not until 1994 that the Clinton administration started really giving it teeth via that scumbag Deval Patrick at the helm of the Justice Department.{1}
The problem with the Bush administration is that they basically went along with what was in place already when they should not have. Both Bush and the post 2001 Republican congresses are equally at blame for this as far as I am concerned -the 2007-present Democratic congresses for recessing and leaving the mess as it is for political advantage should be taken outside and shot every last one of them for wasting time on stupid "impeachment" crap and other attempts to obstruct the Bush administration instead of focusing on this problem which they knew very well was coming.
I am no congressperson but this problem was one I knew would happen at some point and indeed some such as Sen. McCain warned of it back in 2005 and 2006 when Sen. Obama was supping at the trough of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as one of their three most financed lobbyists.{2}
The solution is not federalizing things as that always has historically made things worse. (Such as the New Deal prolonging the Depression which we only went out of by going to war and ramping up military production.) The solution is letting the market work and not trying to coerce it -including not trying to force banks to lend to people who are high credit risks at the risk of federal lawsuits. That is after all how we got into this mess to begin with.
Notes:
{1} Briefly on the Current Real Estate Situation (circa July 26, 2008)
{2} I meant to say "contributed to politicians" but wrote that text in a hurry without giving it the customary final review before sending it.
This is a text written a few days ago in response to a discussion thread from September 24, 2008 pertaining to the subject in question.
XXXX and Kevin [Tierney] are both correct on this in part. They forgot about the Justice Department under Clinton threatening banks with federal lawsuits for "redlining" if the banks did not make a certain percentage of loans available for those who were very high credit risks. The program was put in place by the Carter administration in 1977 but it was not until 1994 that the Clinton administration started really giving it teeth via that scumbag Deval Patrick at the helm of the Justice Department.{1}
The problem with the Bush administration is that they basically went along with what was in place already when they should not have. Both Bush and the post 2001 Republican congresses are equally at blame for this as far as I am concerned -the 2007-present Democratic congresses for recessing and leaving the mess as it is for political advantage should be taken outside and shot every last one of them for wasting time on stupid "impeachment" crap and other attempts to obstruct the Bush administration instead of focusing on this problem which they knew very well was coming.
I am no congressperson but this problem was one I knew would happen at some point and indeed some such as Sen. McCain warned of it back in 2005 and 2006 when Sen. Obama was supping at the trough of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as one of their three most financed lobbyists.{2}
The solution is not federalizing things as that always has historically made things worse. (Such as the New Deal prolonging the Depression which we only went out of by going to war and ramping up military production.) The solution is letting the market work and not trying to coerce it -including not trying to force banks to lend to people who are high credit risks at the risk of federal lawsuits. That is after all how we got into this mess to begin with.
Notes:
{1} Briefly on the Current Real Estate Situation (circa July 26, 2008)
{2} I meant to say "contributed to politicians" but wrote that text in a hurry without giving it the customary final review before sending it.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Miscellaneous Musings on Threads of Interest:
Two quick subjects for the time being...
The First Presidential Debate Comments Via Little Green Footballs
I watched the debate after the fact on reruns and probably saw about 70% of it. But what I saw was adequate and it really shows that Sen. Obama could practice for days while Sen. McCain was in Washington only to be badly outclassed by Sen. McCain when at the last minute the debate was on again. My view is closely aligned with that of message #346 in the thread above so much so that I could have written most of that comment myself.{1}
Hopefully for round two Sen. McCain will not pull so many punches as he did in the first debate -it is obvious that Sen. Obama without a teleprompter is no better than President Bush oratorically. And his lack of experience was glaringly apparent in the first debate though Sen. McCain would have done better to actually look at Sen. Obama from time to time. Moving on, we come to something else that was pleasing to our eyes and it is trouble for a representative of congress who deserves to be in trouble...
Murtha sued over remarks
It is not the first time this has happened and hopefully it will not be the last time. Whatever you think about the military involvement in Iraq, to ruin someone's good name{2} for attempted political gain is disgusting. Rep. Murtha deserves a heavy financial penalty as well as jail time for what he did (at a minimum). I could say more but that is all I intend to at this time on that matter.
Notes:
{1} Though I did not of course.
{2} I will not go into the theological aspects of the matter at this time.
Two quick subjects for the time being...
The First Presidential Debate Comments Via Little Green Footballs
I watched the debate after the fact on reruns and probably saw about 70% of it. But what I saw was adequate and it really shows that Sen. Obama could practice for days while Sen. McCain was in Washington only to be badly outclassed by Sen. McCain when at the last minute the debate was on again. My view is closely aligned with that of message #346 in the thread above so much so that I could have written most of that comment myself.{1}
Hopefully for round two Sen. McCain will not pull so many punches as he did in the first debate -it is obvious that Sen. Obama without a teleprompter is no better than President Bush oratorically. And his lack of experience was glaringly apparent in the first debate though Sen. McCain would have done better to actually look at Sen. Obama from time to time. Moving on, we come to something else that was pleasing to our eyes and it is trouble for a representative of congress who deserves to be in trouble...
Murtha sued over remarks
It is not the first time this has happened and hopefully it will not be the last time. Whatever you think about the military involvement in Iraq, to ruin someone's good name{2} for attempted political gain is disgusting. Rep. Murtha deserves a heavy financial penalty as well as jail time for what he did (at a minimum). I could say more but that is all I intend to at this time on that matter.
Notes:
{1} Though I did not of course.
{2} I will not go into the theological aspects of the matter at this time.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Super Briefly on the McCain Campaign Suspension Issue:
I could post articles on Sen. McCain suspending his campaign and then agreeing now to the debate even though there is not an agreed-upon "bailout package" but in substance, I see Sen. McCain's attempt to provide executive style leadership on this matter as a good thing and Sen. Obama's unwillingness to join with Sen. McCain and pursue a genuinely non-partisan solution to this problem to be another example of Sen. Obama not wanting to do anything that does not emphasize him personally rather than placing the common good above personal accolades.
That said, I hope Sen. McCain after showing a willingness to put the good of the economy over his own personal whims really cleans Sen. Obama's clock in tonight's debate.
I could post articles on Sen. McCain suspending his campaign and then agreeing now to the debate even though there is not an agreed-upon "bailout package" but in substance, I see Sen. McCain's attempt to provide executive style leadership on this matter as a good thing and Sen. Obama's unwillingness to join with Sen. McCain and pursue a genuinely non-partisan solution to this problem to be another example of Sen. Obama not wanting to do anything that does not emphasize him personally rather than placing the common good above personal accolades.
That said, I hope Sen. McCain after showing a willingness to put the good of the economy over his own personal whims really cleans Sen. Obama's clock in tonight's debate.
Miscellaneous Musings on Threads of Interest:
Just a few bits as time allows for it...
Popular anger puts fat cat CEOs on the run (Breitbart.com)
Well let me give a hearty "amen" to that!!! I have said already in places other than this blog{1} that those who are responsible for this mess deserve not financial recompense but jail time. Moving on we come to this tidbit...
Obama campaign cracks down on misleading TV ads
Let me get this straight, the Obama campaign can dish it out but not take it??? This talk of a "Truth Squad" sounds a lot to me like the "Ministry of Truth" from Orwell's 1984. Nice to know "Chancellor Obama" susbscribes to an "all are entitled to free speech but some are more entitled to it than others" outlook. For all the talk of moonbat leftists about so-called "right wing fascism"{2} they sure love to implement such tactics themselves without concern for the blatant hypocrisy involved.
Notes:
{1} I will probably blog some of that stuff in the coming days.
{2} On the Logical Fallacy of the "Communist/Fascist" So-Called "Ideological Spectrum" (circa July 16, 2004)
Just a few bits as time allows for it...
Popular anger puts fat cat CEOs on the run (Breitbart.com)
Well let me give a hearty "amen" to that!!! I have said already in places other than this blog{1} that those who are responsible for this mess deserve not financial recompense but jail time. Moving on we come to this tidbit...
Obama campaign cracks down on misleading TV ads
Let me get this straight, the Obama campaign can dish it out but not take it??? This talk of a "Truth Squad" sounds a lot to me like the "Ministry of Truth" from Orwell's 1984. Nice to know "Chancellor Obama" susbscribes to an "all are entitled to free speech but some are more entitled to it than others" outlook. For all the talk of moonbat leftists about so-called "right wing fascism"{2} they sure love to implement such tactics themselves without concern for the blatant hypocrisy involved.
Notes:
{1} I will probably blog some of that stuff in the coming days.
{2} On the Logical Fallacy of the "Communist/Fascist" So-Called "Ideological Spectrum" (circa July 16, 2004)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Miscellaneous Musings on Threads of Interest:
To touch on a few brief bits on stuff from news stories in recent days...
McCain slams Obama 'lack of leadership' on finance, Iraq
Here is a taste...
"Whether it's a reversal in war, or an economic emergency, he reacts as a politician and not as a leader, seeking an advantage for himself instead of a solution for his country," McCain said.
I wish I could say this assessment appeared to be wrong but unfortunately I cannot. It seems to me -and in spite of problems I have with some of his views as enunciated on this weblog over the years{1}- that the only one of the two presidential candidates who is focusing on something bigger than themselves is Sen. McCain. And this next thread gives even more evidence of this -fresh off the presses as of today:
McCain Suspends Campaign To Focus on Economy; Wants Debate Delay
Here is the text of that link:
America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system. We must pass legislation to address this crisis. If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy. People will no longer be able to buy homes and their life savings will be at stake. Businesses will not have enough money to pay their employees. If we do not act, ever corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen.
Last Friday, I laid out my proposal and I have since discussed my priorities and concerns with the bill the Administration has put forward. Senator Obama has expressed his priorities and concerns.This morning, I met with a group of economic advisers to talk about the proposal on the table and the steps that we should take going forward.I have also spoken with members of Congress to hear their perspective.
It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the Administration' proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.
Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.
I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.
We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved.I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.
I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so.
Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now. Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country.
If Sen. Obama is willing to join Sen. McCain on this then I would be willing to reassess my view of him as noted in the previous part of this thread at least somewhat. I would only hope that there are caps of some sort put on executive packages because though I am not begrudging anyone their ability to make money, those who screwed this up do not deserve to go unscathed lest they fail to learn from what happened.{2}
Moving from a presidential candidate to a vice presidential candidate story we have this one:
Did NBC Go Too Far With Todd Palin Incest Jokes
In a word, yes because not only is this beyond tasteless but because if the shoe was on the other foot, NBC would not have done this.{3} What part of leaving the families out of this do many not understand???
Biden Calls Obama Ad Attacking McCain "Terrible"
Having made our views noted on the selection of Sen. Joe Biden already{4}, it would be remiss on our part to not recognize Sen. Biden's initial (and laudable) revulsion with regards to one of the Obama campaign's ads. Or as we noted in a recent blog posting on (among other things) the subject of that ad:
McCain is a war hero. PERIOD. That war wounds prevent him due to injuries from doing some things all that well is a given but to mock that is disgusting. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa September 15, 2008)]
But then as deserving of thumbs up for that stance as Sen. Biden earned initially, he ruined it by changing his mind and proving that politics trumps conscience in his universe which is one more example of why so many people are sick of this kind of politicing.
Moving on to a much more substantive issue, there is also the subject of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac campaign contributions and an attempt by The New York Times to claim that members of Sen. McCain's campaign were receiving such contributions. As the McCain campaign has responded to these assertions, I direct you to their link below in what would appear to be a very thorough debunking{5}:
A Partisan Paper of Record (www.JohnMcCain.com)
Here is some of that response:
The New York Times charges that McCain-Palin 2008 campaign manager Rick Davis was paid by Freddie Mac until last month, contrary to previous reporting, as well as statements by this campaign and by Mr. Davis himself.
In fact, the allegation is demonstrably false. As has been previously reported, Mr. Davis separated from his consulting firm, Davis Manafort, in 2006. As has been previously reported, Mr. Davis has seen no income from Davis Manafort since 2006. Zero. Mr. Davis has received no salary or compensation since 2006. Mr. Davis has received no profit or partner distributions from that firm on any basis -- weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual -- since 2006. Again, zero. Neither has Mr. Davis received any equity in the firm based on profits derived since his financial separation from Davis Manafort in 2006.
Further, and missing from the Times' reporting, Mr. Davis has never -- never -- been a lobbyist for either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Mr. Davis has not served as a registered lobbyist since 2005.
And of course The New York Times does not seem interested in telling people that Sen. Barack Obama has been the recipient of the third highest amount of campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 1989!!! If any more evidence was needed that there is partisanship and not quality journalism taking place at The New York Times then this supplies yet another example in the long scroll of what could be noted if not for lack of time and concern for sanity on our part.
Moving on we come to a piece that I referenced part of a few days ago on the weblog{6} but with more context. For those who were unaware, Ed Morrissey, former captain of Captain's Quarters now writes for the Hot Air site since (I believe) Bryan Preston went to do producing for The Laura Ingraham Show.{7} Nonetheless, he covered something recently which I want to reference at this time; namely the position of Sen. McCain on reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and how he was on board this idea from an early point in time.{8} Here is some of a Senate speech given by Sen. McCain over two years ago:
Mr. President, this week Fannie Mae’s regulator reported that the company’s quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were “illusions deliberately and systematically created” by the company’s senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal.
The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight’s report goes on to say that Fannie Mae employees deliberately and intentionally manipulated financial reports to hit earnings targets in order to trigger bonuses for senior executives. In the case of Franklin Raines, Fannie Mae’s former chief executive officer, OFHEO’s report shows that over half of Mr. Raines’ compensation for the 6 years through 2003 was directly tied to meeting earnings targets. The report of financial misconduct at Fannie Mae echoes the deeply troubling $5 billion profit restatement at Freddie Mac.
The OFHEO report also states that Fannie Mae used its political power to lobby Congress in an effort to interfere with the regulator’s examination of the company’s accounting problems. This report comes some weeks after Freddie Mac paid a record $3.8 million fine in a settlement with the Federal Election Commission and restated lobbying disclosure reports from 2004 to 2005. These are entities that have demonstrated over and over again that they are deeply in need of reform.
For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac–known as Government-sponsored entities or GSEs–and the sheer magnitude of these companies and the role they play in the housing market. OFHEO’s report this week does nothing to ease these concerns. In fact, the report does quite the contrary. OFHEO’s report solidifies my view that the GSEs need to be reformed without delay.
I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.
I urge my colleagues to support swift action on this GSE reform legislation. [Sen. John McCain (circa May 25, 2006)]
We at Rerum Novarum are unaware of any similarly pro-active attempts by Sen. Obama to do anything about this problem before the pot boiled over; ergo we wonder how anyone could somehow trust that Sen. Obama who was asleep at the switch on this issue back then can be trusted to be put in a position to try and fix the problem.
Notes:
{1} Heck, the post tag reading "John McCain" on this posting will take the reader to the ones that have been noted on this weblog.
{2} When I blog some of my comments from a previous discussion on these matters it will spell things out a bit more but the bottom line is this: country before politics as far as I am concerned.
{3} Not that a joke about Obama or his family in a similar vein would be acceptable of course. (It would not.)
{4} On Senator Barack Obama's Choice of Joseph Biden For Running Mate (circa August 30, 2008)
{5} The New York Times article is linked to in the McCain response. Since it does not appear that they did much in the way of even elementary research on their article, I do not view them as deserving the credibility of a live link directly.
{6} Points to Ponder (circa September 20, 2008)
{7} It is with regret that I announce that Bryan Preston has left the company. He has chosen to take a position as a producer with the Laura Ingraham radio show. We thank him for all the time and talent he devoted to making Hot Air a success. Please wish him all the best in his new endeavors...
We’ll be announcing an exciting new addition to Hot Air tomorrow morning. Stay tuned. [Excerpt from HotAir (circa February 24, 2008)]
{8} Not that this is the earliest point in time to which Sen. McCain can be shown to have been informed about as well as concerned about the problem of course.
To touch on a few brief bits on stuff from news stories in recent days...
McCain slams Obama 'lack of leadership' on finance, Iraq
Here is a taste...
"Whether it's a reversal in war, or an economic emergency, he reacts as a politician and not as a leader, seeking an advantage for himself instead of a solution for his country," McCain said.
I wish I could say this assessment appeared to be wrong but unfortunately I cannot. It seems to me -and in spite of problems I have with some of his views as enunciated on this weblog over the years{1}- that the only one of the two presidential candidates who is focusing on something bigger than themselves is Sen. McCain. And this next thread gives even more evidence of this -fresh off the presses as of today:
McCain Suspends Campaign To Focus on Economy; Wants Debate Delay
Here is the text of that link:
America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system. We must pass legislation to address this crisis. If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy. People will no longer be able to buy homes and their life savings will be at stake. Businesses will not have enough money to pay their employees. If we do not act, ever corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen.
Last Friday, I laid out my proposal and I have since discussed my priorities and concerns with the bill the Administration has put forward. Senator Obama has expressed his priorities and concerns.This morning, I met with a group of economic advisers to talk about the proposal on the table and the steps that we should take going forward.I have also spoken with members of Congress to hear their perspective.
It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the Administration' proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.
Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.
I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.
We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved.I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.
I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so.
Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now. Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country.
If Sen. Obama is willing to join Sen. McCain on this then I would be willing to reassess my view of him as noted in the previous part of this thread at least somewhat. I would only hope that there are caps of some sort put on executive packages because though I am not begrudging anyone their ability to make money, those who screwed this up do not deserve to go unscathed lest they fail to learn from what happened.{2}
Moving from a presidential candidate to a vice presidential candidate story we have this one:
Did NBC Go Too Far With Todd Palin Incest Jokes
In a word, yes because not only is this beyond tasteless but because if the shoe was on the other foot, NBC would not have done this.{3} What part of leaving the families out of this do many not understand???
Biden Calls Obama Ad Attacking McCain "Terrible"
Having made our views noted on the selection of Sen. Joe Biden already{4}, it would be remiss on our part to not recognize Sen. Biden's initial (and laudable) revulsion with regards to one of the Obama campaign's ads. Or as we noted in a recent blog posting on (among other things) the subject of that ad:
McCain is a war hero. PERIOD. That war wounds prevent him due to injuries from doing some things all that well is a given but to mock that is disgusting. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa September 15, 2008)]
But then as deserving of thumbs up for that stance as Sen. Biden earned initially, he ruined it by changing his mind and proving that politics trumps conscience in his universe which is one more example of why so many people are sick of this kind of politicing.
Moving on to a much more substantive issue, there is also the subject of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac campaign contributions and an attempt by The New York Times to claim that members of Sen. McCain's campaign were receiving such contributions. As the McCain campaign has responded to these assertions, I direct you to their link below in what would appear to be a very thorough debunking{5}:
A Partisan Paper of Record (www.JohnMcCain.com)
Here is some of that response:
The New York Times charges that McCain-Palin 2008 campaign manager Rick Davis was paid by Freddie Mac until last month, contrary to previous reporting, as well as statements by this campaign and by Mr. Davis himself.
In fact, the allegation is demonstrably false. As has been previously reported, Mr. Davis separated from his consulting firm, Davis Manafort, in 2006. As has been previously reported, Mr. Davis has seen no income from Davis Manafort since 2006. Zero. Mr. Davis has received no salary or compensation since 2006. Mr. Davis has received no profit or partner distributions from that firm on any basis -- weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual -- since 2006. Again, zero. Neither has Mr. Davis received any equity in the firm based on profits derived since his financial separation from Davis Manafort in 2006.
Further, and missing from the Times' reporting, Mr. Davis has never -- never -- been a lobbyist for either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Mr. Davis has not served as a registered lobbyist since 2005.
And of course The New York Times does not seem interested in telling people that Sen. Barack Obama has been the recipient of the third highest amount of campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 1989!!! If any more evidence was needed that there is partisanship and not quality journalism taking place at The New York Times then this supplies yet another example in the long scroll of what could be noted if not for lack of time and concern for sanity on our part.
Moving on we come to a piece that I referenced part of a few days ago on the weblog{6} but with more context. For those who were unaware, Ed Morrissey, former captain of Captain's Quarters now writes for the Hot Air site since (I believe) Bryan Preston went to do producing for The Laura Ingraham Show.{7} Nonetheless, he covered something recently which I want to reference at this time; namely the position of Sen. McCain on reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and how he was on board this idea from an early point in time.{8} Here is some of a Senate speech given by Sen. McCain over two years ago:
Mr. President, this week Fannie Mae’s regulator reported that the company’s quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were “illusions deliberately and systematically created” by the company’s senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal.
The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight’s report goes on to say that Fannie Mae employees deliberately and intentionally manipulated financial reports to hit earnings targets in order to trigger bonuses for senior executives. In the case of Franklin Raines, Fannie Mae’s former chief executive officer, OFHEO’s report shows that over half of Mr. Raines’ compensation for the 6 years through 2003 was directly tied to meeting earnings targets. The report of financial misconduct at Fannie Mae echoes the deeply troubling $5 billion profit restatement at Freddie Mac.
The OFHEO report also states that Fannie Mae used its political power to lobby Congress in an effort to interfere with the regulator’s examination of the company’s accounting problems. This report comes some weeks after Freddie Mac paid a record $3.8 million fine in a settlement with the Federal Election Commission and restated lobbying disclosure reports from 2004 to 2005. These are entities that have demonstrated over and over again that they are deeply in need of reform.
For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac–known as Government-sponsored entities or GSEs–and the sheer magnitude of these companies and the role they play in the housing market. OFHEO’s report this week does nothing to ease these concerns. In fact, the report does quite the contrary. OFHEO’s report solidifies my view that the GSEs need to be reformed without delay.
I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.
I urge my colleagues to support swift action on this GSE reform legislation. [Sen. John McCain (circa May 25, 2006)]
We at Rerum Novarum are unaware of any similarly pro-active attempts by Sen. Obama to do anything about this problem before the pot boiled over; ergo we wonder how anyone could somehow trust that Sen. Obama who was asleep at the switch on this issue back then can be trusted to be put in a position to try and fix the problem.
Notes:
{1} Heck, the post tag reading "John McCain" on this posting will take the reader to the ones that have been noted on this weblog.
{2} When I blog some of my comments from a previous discussion on these matters it will spell things out a bit more but the bottom line is this: country before politics as far as I am concerned.
{3} Not that a joke about Obama or his family in a similar vein would be acceptable of course. (It would not.)
{4} On Senator Barack Obama's Choice of Joseph Biden For Running Mate (circa August 30, 2008)
{5} The New York Times article is linked to in the McCain response. Since it does not appear that they did much in the way of even elementary research on their article, I do not view them as deserving the credibility of a live link directly.
{6} Points to Ponder (circa September 20, 2008)
{7} It is with regret that I announce that Bryan Preston has left the company. He has chosen to take a position as a producer with the Laura Ingraham radio show. We thank him for all the time and talent he devoted to making Hot Air a success. Please wish him all the best in his new endeavors...
We’ll be announcing an exciting new addition to Hot Air tomorrow morning. Stay tuned. [Excerpt from HotAir (circa February 24, 2008)]
{8} Not that this is the earliest point in time to which Sen. McCain can be shown to have been informed about as well as concerned about the problem of course.
Another Thread on the Upcoming Election:
This is a continuation of sorts from a series of previous threads viewable in a footnote below.{1} It constitutes an email I sent to some friends privately. My words from the note will be in dark blue font.
Obama leads from 0-6 points now depending on which poll you look at...
...probably because of the week's economic news for the most part. I do not expect that to hold. (Would be curious to know how Mason-Dixon Polling has the race but I digress.) Here are the numbers as of yesterday via Real Clear Politics:
Meanwhile, the McCain camp is starting to focus on foreign policy stuff such as this ad about someone Obama would agree to "meet with no conditions." My Chavez loving [relative] would find that reassuring but I cannot imagine most Americans who are on the fence would.
But it all does not matter because if Obama loses, it is not cause of his quasi-marxism but instead we are racists guys, that has already been decreed. If that proclamation from the msm does not tell you that they are panicking in moonbatville, nothing else will.
Note:
{1} Namely, these threads:
Dialogue on Sen. Obama, Sen. McCain, Basic Economics, and the Upcoming Election With Kevin Tierney (circa September 15, 2008)
On Sen. Hillary Clinton and Her Being "On Board" for Sen. Obama (circa September 14, 2008)
This is a continuation of sorts from a series of previous threads viewable in a footnote below.{1} It constitutes an email I sent to some friends privately. My words from the note will be in dark blue font.
Obama leads from 0-6 points now depending on which poll you look at...
...probably because of the week's economic news for the most part. I do not expect that to hold. (Would be curious to know how Mason-Dixon Polling has the race but I digress.) Here are the numbers as of yesterday via Real Clear Politics:
| RCP Average | 09/09 - 09/19 | -- | 47.6 | 45.3 | Obama +2.3 |
| Gallup Tracking | 09/17 - 09/19 | 2756 RV | 50 | 44 | Obama +6 |
| Rasmussen Tracking | 09/17 - 09/19 | 3000 LV | 48 | 47 | Obama +1 |
| Hotline/FD Tracking | 09/17 - 09/19 | 922 RV | 45 | 44 | Obama +1 |
| Battleground Tracking | 09/11 - 09/18 | 800 LV | 47 | 47 | Tie |
| CBS News/NY Times | 09/12 - 09/16 | LV | 49 | 44 | Obama +5 |
| Quinnipiac | 09/11 - 09/16 | 987 LV | 49 | 45 | Obama +4 |
| Pew Research | 09/09 - 09/14 | 2307 LV | 46 | 46 | Tie |
| Reuters/Zogby | 09/11 - 09/13 | 1008 LV | 47 | 45 | Obama +2 |
See All General Election: McCain vs. Obama Polling Data
The average of the above polls is Obama by 2.3 points which is not much. It is certainly not boding well for The One if McCain somehow pulls into a tie or slightly leads going into the first debate.Meanwhile, the McCain camp is starting to focus on foreign policy stuff such as this ad about someone Obama would agree to "meet with no conditions." My Chavez loving [relative] would find that reassuring but I cannot imagine most Americans who are on the fence would.
But it all does not matter because if Obama loses, it is not cause of his quasi-marxism but instead we are racists guys, that has already been decreed. If that proclamation from the msm does not tell you that they are panicking in moonbatville, nothing else will.
Note:
{1} Namely, these threads:
Dialogue on Sen. Obama, Sen. McCain, Basic Economics, and the Upcoming Election With Kevin Tierney (circa September 15, 2008)
On Sen. Hillary Clinton and Her Being "On Board" for Sen. Obama (circa September 14, 2008)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Miscellaneous Musings on Threads of Interest:
Briefly on some stuff of an economic and political nature...
Stubborn Ignorance (Dr. Walter E. Williams)
Some of the common stupidity of political pundits with regards to basic Constitutional budgetary matters is dealt with by Dr. Williams in his usual concise fashion.
McCain aides: Obama 'cheerleading' market crisis
Sen. Obama cannot win with good economic news much as he cannot win with the war in Iraq or Afghanistan not going badly. Things are good in Iraq, mixed in Afghanistan, and the economy has been taking some hits. But Sen. McCain's comment about the "fundamentals of the economy" being "strong" is correct. That the economy has continued to grow despite the problems of the past ten months and we have not have a quarter of negative growth yet{1} points to strong fundamentals indeed.
Furthermore, the way Sen. Obama has tried to disingenuously pin the mess solely on the last eight years shows he is unfit to be president since he does not realize where the root of this problem really lies and which administration deserves a good chunk of the blame for what we are seeing. I will relegate some brief musings I have made on this to a footnote for those who are interested{2} and that is all I will say on this at the moment.
Notes:
{1} Briefly on the Second Quarter Economic Figures and Why We Are Not Yet In A Recession (circa September 9, 2008)
Briefly on the First Quarter Economic Figures and Why We Are Not Yet In A Recession (circa May 1, 2008)
{2} Briefly on the Current Real Estate Situation (circa July 26, 2008)
Briefly on some stuff of an economic and political nature...
Stubborn Ignorance (Dr. Walter E. Williams)
Some of the common stupidity of political pundits with regards to basic Constitutional budgetary matters is dealt with by Dr. Williams in his usual concise fashion.
McCain aides: Obama 'cheerleading' market crisis
Sen. Obama cannot win with good economic news much as he cannot win with the war in Iraq or Afghanistan not going badly. Things are good in Iraq, mixed in Afghanistan, and the economy has been taking some hits. But Sen. McCain's comment about the "fundamentals of the economy" being "strong" is correct. That the economy has continued to grow despite the problems of the past ten months and we have not have a quarter of negative growth yet{1} points to strong fundamentals indeed.
Furthermore, the way Sen. Obama has tried to disingenuously pin the mess solely on the last eight years shows he is unfit to be president since he does not realize where the root of this problem really lies and which administration deserves a good chunk of the blame for what we are seeing. I will relegate some brief musings I have made on this to a footnote for those who are interested{2} and that is all I will say on this at the moment.
Notes:
{1} Briefly on the Second Quarter Economic Figures and Why We Are Not Yet In A Recession (circa September 9, 2008)
Briefly on the First Quarter Economic Figures and Why We Are Not Yet In A Recession (circa May 1, 2008)
{2} Briefly on the Current Real Estate Situation (circa July 26, 2008)
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