Pres. Obama

This article is just one reason to read Victor Davis Hanson every time. He always writes great stuff, but this is fantastic. I do not think anyone has explained Pres. Obama's behavior better.

Politicians

This article from Mark Steyn is a great example of two things: one is why anyone should read as much Mark Steyn as possible, and two is the support for my latest idea regarding politicians - you get what you vote for. Mr. Steyn's article about the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy is very good. He is correct that we are complicit in the career of Sen. Kennedy. Similarly, many are complicit in the career of Sen. Harry Reid. That is how it works with all politicians. You vote for them and you endorse them, mostly politically, but to some degree personally as well. I do not think that says much about the average American voter. We seem to keep putting up with tremendous crap. Why? Is it because a given politician has valuable "experience" or some other such nonsense. We need to identify ideals and principles that we want our politicians to strive for and then hold them accountable by getting rid of them when they do not uphold those ideals. There is no other way. I am not saying they need to be perfect, but there has to be some line they cannot cross, some act or non-act they cannot get away with.

Waking Up

Glenn Beck has put together some audio of Ronald Reagan warning us about socialism. It is a must to listen to this. I am not a huge fan of Glenn Beck. I think he can be a bit over the top at times, but there is no denying that we are headed toward giving away (and I do mean giving away) our freedoms in this country. It is a great fear of mine that I will wake up one day and has to admit that I live in a completely socialist country. Of course, we are getting there by degrees, meaning we already have too many socialist aspects to this country and we are getting more every day. We have to find a way to stop it. I do not want to try and explain to my kids one day what it was like to live in a free country.

Health Care

This seemed like a great opportunity to jump into the debate on health care. The National Center for Public Policy Research has published a book, and when I say published I mean that in the broadest sense of the term. They have apparently waived the copyright and want everyone to have access to this book for free. The book is called Shattered Lives: 100 Victims of Government Health Care. It contains stories from countries that currently use the "government option" about the health care received. Just reading the Table of Contents and Mark Levin's introduction will give you a really good idea of what the book is about.

Vacation Over

I have been on a bit of a "vacation" lately, but I feel it is time to get back to posting some of my thoughts on a more regular basis. The reason is simple: I have a fan. I may have only one fan, but it is my mom and she is definitely my biggest fan. Also, she requested that I do this again. Moms are the best.

Loose End

This article in the Wall Street Journal by Janet Adamy is simply amazing. It really exposes the undeniable leap in logic that liberals seem to have when it comes to taxes. First, the article talks about how some people want to help pay for Pres. Obama's new health care system by imposing a tax on soda. Then, the article talks about how taxing soda (a very unhealthy beverage) will improve people's health because they will consume less of it. Somehow, no one seems to put these two ideas together and ask or answer the obvious question: If you are taxing soda to pay for health care and the tax results in less people drinking soda, how are you going to pay for the health care? The money you think you will get from taxing soda will go down as people stop drinking soda, so you will not get as much money to pay for health care as you project. Where is the money supposed to come from? On a related note, everyone seems to understand that if you tax soda, people will end up drinking less soda. So why do people not seem to understand that if you tax prosperity, there will be less prosperity? Taxing something is how you destroy it.

Elections Matter

Dr. Paul Kengor has a very interesting article that explains why elections matter. I know that during the most recent presidential campaign there were many people talking about the fact that the next president would pick a number of Supreme Court justices. I seriously doubt the implications of that were considered by many voters. If these implications were considered, I wonder if they are enjoying the consequences.

100 Days

I thought this article by Laura Hollis about Pres. Obama's first 100 days in office was very interesting. Basically, 100 mistakes in 100 days, including links to back up every asserted mistake. This article reminds me of the saying (I believe by Winston Churchill) that facts are stubborn things.

Catalog of Errors

Oliver North provides a nice catalog of the foreign policy errors made by Pres. Obama. Remember, these are just the foreign policy blunders.

Criminalizing Politics

Pres. Obama has again opened his mouth and caused more problems than he could ever solve, and the unintended consequences are sure to haunt him for quite a while. This article from the Wall Street Journal discusses very clearly the real problems behind the President's announcement that certain officials from the previous administration may be prosecuted for crimes. The unfairness of applying current standards to previous behavior is manifestly wrong, and the consequences will make this country less safe.

Mr. Gore Visits Salt Lake

This article in the Salt Lake Tribune by Judy Fahys about Mr. Gore's visit with LDS church officials seems unusual to me for several reasons. For starters, the church's participation in "Earth Hour" and the counsel to use resources wisely seems a far cry from the draconian measures and fear mongering generally associated with Mr. Gore and his message. Next, Mr. Byron Daynes from BYU does not seem to understand the church very well. The church and its leaders are not "in charge of 13 million people." The church may provide counsel, but it is not "in charge" of anyone. I find this particularly offensive in light of the fact that individual agency is one of those things safeguarded by the Lord, and all too often forgotten in the church. Church members are supposed to think and act for themselves. While I would agree with the church about the wise use of any resources, I would never agree with the premise that CO2 emissions by man are near the problem global warming activists claim, as discussed more here and here. The only CO2 emissions I am worried about as being toxic are those coming from Mr. Gore. Next, I listened to all sessions of the most recent LDS General Conference and I do not remember anything remotely related to global warming (unless you count the snow in Salt Lake on Saturday), so Mr. Gore must not have made that big an impression. Finally, I will comment on Ms. Fahys's assertion that "many Christians have begun treating global warming as a moral issue." While that may be true, and is most assuredly true of global warming adherents, I will be very surprised if the LDS Church starts treating this as a moral, religious issue to the extent Mr. Gore would appreciate. The last thing we need is another "political" or "ideological" idea seemingly endorsed by, or carrying the authority of, gospel truth. Especially since the generally accepted idea of global warming is far from truth, let alone gospel.

Great Choice for GM Board

This article by Hugh Hewitt is a classic example of why he is so good at what he does. Make a great point. No need to be offensive. Add a little humor.

Pres. Obama and the Warranty

Charles Krauthammer has a great piece about what Pres. Obama's real intentions are. Pres. Obama is a statist (for definition, see Mark Levin's "Liberty and Tyranny"). Trying to "level" everything and make it "fair" simply will not work for Pres. Obama. Despite all the comparisons to incredible people, including the Lord, Pres. Obama does not have the power or charisma to accomplish his goals. Rush Limbaugh does not have to hope Pres. Obama will fail. He will. The only question is how long and rough the road will be until enough people realize it, and how many failed policy and program attempts we will have to endure before enough people say "Enough."

An Episcopal minister becomes a Muslim, and then wonders why she cannot be an Episcopal minister anymore? The sad truth is that this woman probably does not have any faith.

Hugh Hewitt has a great article about how important it is for conservatives to maintain clarity and objectivity. This is not the first time I have heard this, which is great because this is very important. I did read a separate article earlier that mentioned Obama Derangement Syndrome (obviously similar to Bush Derangement Syndrome) and how it needs to be stopped now. I would completely agree. There are so many important issues that need to be dealt with that we do not have time to argue about Pres. Obama's every little move. Cut the man some slack, especially on those things that are not that important.

Having said that, those people who want to declare everything Pres. Obama does as greatness also need to tone it down. Marvin Olasky has a great article explaining the dangers of comparing Pres. Obama to every other "great" president you can think of. Pres. Obama simply has not been in office long enough to determine much at all. I would certainly say there are some policy decisions that I do not agree with, but the final determination is a long way off.

Pres. Obama and the Teleprompter

Michael Gerson has an interesting article at townhall.com arguing that the use of the teleprompter by Pres. Obama is not a bad thing. The teleprompter is just a tool. The point is that really great writing is really great writing no matter whether delivered from memory or a teleprompter. Mr. Gerson even uses two of my favorite speakers as examples, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, both of whom were known to edit and re-edit their speeches, even to the point of near-memorization.

I would agree with Mr. Gerson's premise. I would agree that a great speech would be a great speech with or without a teleprompter. I dare say Lincoln and Churchill would have been great speakers in any age because they certainly could construct and convey ideas, ideals and principles in truly wonderful and inspiring ways. They took the time to craft their speeches. I would also say that great speeches are given in these modern times, and aided by a teleprompter. As those who read this blog regularly will know (thanks Mom) I am LDS, Latter-Day Saint or "Mormon." The LDS General Conference is coming up soon and the speakers will all use a teleprompter. They will also deliver some wonderful and inspiring words.

The problem I have with Mr. Gerson's article is not the premise, it is the conclusion. Pres. Obama is not a great speaker. He sounds polished and can deliver a speech well, but he has no substance. The "great speeches" he has delivered have not provided anything but great theatre. The only ideas I associate with Pres. Obama (after all his "great speeches") are hope and change, and his first months in office have soured those ideas. The teleprompter is a symptom of the real problem. The real problem is that Pres. Obama's speeches are flowery and vacuous. The great speeches of Lincoln and Churchill, the ones they tenderly and tenaciously crafted, contained great ideas and great substance. I cannot help but get the impression that Pres. Obama does use the teleprompter as a "crutch," not to avoid having to memorize the entire speech but to avoid having to spend too much time preparing it. I get the impression Pres. Obama thinks he could read the phone book off the teleprompter and his audience would be enraptured (which is probably, unfortunately true). At least Mr. Gerson and I agree on one thing: use of the teleprompter is not Pres. Obama's weakness.

From all the stuff I have seen and heard, I am very interested in getting Mark Levin's new book, "Liberty & Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto." I read Mark Levin's "Men In Black" and it was a great book. I am sure this new one will be just as good.

Pres. Obama and Darfur

Pres. Obama has a big test in front of him, as Michael Gerson explains the situation in Darfur. I will be very interested to see how Pres. Obama will deal with this possible, or likely, genocide. Mr. Gerson seems to believe that Pres. Obama has some "diplomatic capital" that can be used to help this situation. I am not so sure. I hope Pres. Obama is up for this task, for the sake of the people in Darfur. I am sure of what Pres. Obama's first step will be: blame Pres. Bush for leaving the situation in such a mess.

That Hurts

As usual, Prof. Hugh Hewitt delivers a great post about Pres. Obama's initial efforts in the office of POTUS. It is well worth the read, as are the links Prof. Hewitt provides. On the bright side for Pres. Obama, I thought he looked really good on the Tonight Show. That was a great suit.

Media Cover

I watched Pres. Obama on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night. First of all, I must say that I think it is a little weird to see the POTUS on a talk show promoting his administration in the same way a second-rate actor would be on a talk show promoting their latest movie. Plus, Pres. Obama is not really funny. The other thing I found weird about the interview was that the audience was so eager to laugh and applaud that they laughed at just about anything that came out of Pres. Obama's mouth. I do not mind that the POTUS is not a great comedian, it is just weird that so many people would respond that way. I think the President knows he has that ability because there were numerous times the President would say something like "I think the American people know..." and it was almost like the audience would listen and respond, "Yes, that is what I think." Luckily, there are a lot of people that do not let a charismatic President tell them what they think. And finally, even when Pres. Obama makes a mistake, the media is right there to cover for him. Pres. Obama's apology for the "Special Olympics" remark is nice and I believe sincere, but it is just one more example of the media bias. If Pres. Bush had made a comment like that, the media would have savaged him to no end, apology or not. And I think the sad thing is that since these two Presidents get such different treatment, there are opportunities we miss out on. For example, I would actually be curious to know what Pres. Bush's thoughts would be about the fun and "coolness" of being President. However, the media would have trivialized and complained if Pres. Bush had lowered himself to such inane reflections, especially during a financial crisis, but Pres. Obama is celebrated for his inane comments and glossy answers.

Which brings me to my last point: I think Jay Leno is a conservative in hiding. Since no one reads this blog (except my mom), I am not worried about "outing" Mr. Leno, but he asked some very interesting questions that I think betray some real common sense, conservative beliefs. For example, Mr. Leno's question about Congress passing a law to tax certain individuals they do not like is clearly directed at an obvious abuse of power. Also, Mr. Leno quipped about the country being 1 trillion dollars in debt, but the funny thing was that Pres. Obama did not even blink at that comment. Incidentally, Pres. Obama did not really respond to Mr. Leno's concern about Congress abusing the tax power. Maybe he intends to sign the bill from Congress.

Waiting to Strike Socialism

The interesting thing to me is that it took me a minute to find this story today. I did not see it prominently displayed among my usual news sources, although I did see that Pres. Obama will be appearing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight. Pres. Obama has announced his socialist ideals in that he wants the government to "seize troubled companies," as the Associated Press describes it. I guess Pres. Obama has decided that the outrage over the AIG bonuses is the right time to declare that the government can run these companies better, despite the fact that the government has not demonstrated the ability to run the government.

Pres. Obama's Bracket

The Associated Press reports on Pres. Obama's picks for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, including the indication that the POTUS will likely be watching a lot of the tournament. I have to admit that at first this article irritated me. What is the President doing picking a bracket and watching the tournament in the depths of an economic crisis? Then I realized that I was not upset that the President was watching the tournament, partly because I hope to be able to do some of the same myself, but I was upset about the incredible bias of the media. Pres. Obama makes bracket picks and it is a fun piece. If this had been Pres. Bush, the media would have savaged him for not working on the current crisis, for being lazy, and my personal favorite, for being stupid. I will have to root for someone other than North Carolina because I do not want to see the headlines that claim the Tarheels were inspired to win the tournament based on Pres. Obama's confidence in them.

Sad But True

Dwayne Horner writes a great article that expresses an idea I have been trying to articulate for a while. Hat tip to Mr. Horner for getting it done, and done well. The point is simple but sad. We as a people are all too willing to give up our freedoms, or exchange our personal responsibilities, for more government and the promise that the government will take care of us. We simply want to out-source management of our lives to something or someone else. And there are those individuals who are all too willing to accept (and abuse) the power given to them. I am not much for doomsayers and Chicken Littles, but I will say that I think we need to really clean house in government. What could possibly be so bad about throwing out every politician we currently have and starting over with someone new and different? The established corruption simply runs too deep. Both parties practice it and they protect each other in practicing it. The bottom line is that I am sick of both Republicans and Democrats. I want government to leave me alone, or at least be reigned back in to the level of power intended by the Founders.

I was very pleased to see this article by Nathan Tabor because at least someone in Washington is still praying. I really appreciated the reference to Abraham Lincoln and the "sweet comfort" that Pres. Lincoln received upon realizing that God was mindful and involved. For all the comparisons between Pres. Obama and Pres. Lincoln that are being made, a penchant for prayer is one I have not read.

This article by Lorie Byrd provides a great summary of Pres. Obama's "accomplishments" thus far in office. I do think that history will show that Pres. Obama had one of the worst starts as president in the history of this great nation. I am not sure why I see any headlines right now with respect to Pres. Obama that do not mention the economy. The economy simply has to be Pres. Obama's focus right now, yet I seem to see him trying to accomplish everything at once.

Government Solutions

This article in today's Wall Street Journal demonstrates what happens when Congress tries to "fix" the problem of toxins in children's items. Remember, now Congress and Pres. Obama want to "fix" the health care industry.

More Politics of Fear

I do not understand why Pres. Obama would need to "fix" the health care system right now. (HT: Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar) The Obama administration has demonstrated absolutely no ability to fix anything, in fact, just the opposite. (HT: Hugh Hewitt) I would agree with Hugh Hewitt that if Congress can pass one simple law like CPSIA, the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, and blindly walk into the sea of unintended consequences that resulted, how quickly and extensively could Congress destroy the health care industry in this country? And why would Pres. Obama need to do this now? Could it be that Pres. Obama already feels his political capital slipping away?

The Emperor Has No Clothes

This is a great article by Michael Medved talking about the contradictions in recent polls. Everyone thinks Pres. Obama is a great man and do not want to criticize him personally, but few people really agree he is leading the country in the right direction. It is very interesting to see this and I hope the confusion leaves soon. I dare say it will, but still not soon enough.

There Is No Recession

I do not believe there is a recession, and we are certainly not getting close to a Great Depression. I do not believe we have serious economic difficulties because I do not want to believe that our Congress, from top to bottom, would push through so many earmarks and payouts not related to stimulus at a time when the economy was in trouble. I read stories about the amazing amount of earmarks in Congress' latest bill here and here, and how Pres. Obama is going to break a campaign promise and sign a bill full of earmarks, and I just cannot believe that Congress would be so incredibly irresponsible in the midst of a crisis. This is like kicking us when we are down. This is like a professional team running up the score on a JV high school team.

Now that I think about it, I can believe that Congress would do such a thing. Congress is full of a bunch of self-important entitlement idiots (minus a few notable exceptions like Sen. Feingold and Sen. McCain as mentioned in the news reports). I think there is one clear answer: any member of Congress, or the Obama administration, that would insert an earmark into a "stimulus" bill at a time of economic crisis should lose their job as a representative of the people at the very first opportunity. They should be impeached or otherwise removed, or they should be voted out of office. Of course, I will believe that people are actually concerned about this enough to vote them out of office when I see that happen. I will not be holding my breath.

Must Read

John Hinderaker at PowerLine has posted an amazing article that should be read by everyone concerned at all about Pres. Obama's current budget, including the two people who read this blog. (HT: Hugh Hewitt) This is truly an example of fantastic analysis and reporting. This is the kind of writing that makes it clear why it is hard to argue with facts. Not to mention, it clearly exposes the incredible bias the mainstream media has for Pres. Obama. The facts simply support no other conclusion.

The Administration of Oz

I have to admit that when I first started reading this article by Bob Burney I thought the start was stupid. Then I thought about it for a moment and realized Mr. Burney was making some great points. His analogy was very insightful. We have been thrust into the land of Oz. I really enjoyed his article and I hope he is right. I would even carry his analogy one step further by saying that the problems everyone wanted solved by the Wizard were actually solved by themselves, their own independent perseverance and determination, as they went through the various trials on the way to see the Wizard. I do think there is a good lesson in there for all of us.

Pork Plant Workers

I was hoping this headline referred to Congress. I am glad these pork plant workers are feeling a little better, but it appears there is no hope in sight for Congress.

Pres. Obama's Surge

It has not received must press attention at all, but Pres. Obama has authorized and called for a surge of troops into Afghanistan. I wanted to find a "big name" source to link to for this story, and there may be one somewhere, but it simply was not easy to find. Instead, I have a nice link to a Rockford, Illinois news station story that mentions the surge. The good news is that I also have a commentary on the story by Oliver North. You can read both and decide for yourself which story actually contains some useful information, analysis and reporting.

I cannot help but wonder what all the liberals who were so happy to vote for Pres. Obama think about this surge, or closing Guantanamo (maybe, in a year), or all the other far-left promises made by Pres. Obama that have not come to pass. The liberals I know are incredibly quick to blame Bush for all war-related casualties and problems. They were also very happy Pres. Obama would of course bring an end to war. Now that Pres. Obama is actually increasing U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, I wonder if they are still happy. The press and my liberal friends are relatively silent on this matter.

Un B Lievable

This article from the Washington Post is just too much to take. The praise heaped on Pres. Obama and his "leadership" to get the stimulus bill passed is just amazing. Not only does the article declare the passage of the bill one of the greatest victories for any president, let alone a president in office a mere three weeks, but it also explains why Pres. Obama has made such mistakes picking cabinet members and staff - he is just so focused on this stimulus bill. Passage of the stimulus bill is apparently already enough to declare that, according to Speaker Pelosi, "The American people know, and historians are judging, that this is one remarkable president." Really? Passage of the biggest spending bill in the history of the U.S., which other news sources are declaring a disaster that could also spark a trade war, is already enough for history to declare this one of the greatest presidential victories ever? And what was the achievement? Pres. Obama convinced an overwhelming majority of Democrats in both houses of Congress, and a trio of "Republicans," to spend incredible amounts of money? That sounds like convincing Michael Moore he wants to eat another dozen donuts.

I am not sure I can stomach four years of this adoration, even worship.

Obama's Surge

It appears Pres. Obama is going to send as many as 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The final decision, including the number of troops sent, is a few days away. However, I am willing to bet that this "surge" will be really popular and a huge success right from the start. One thing I must say is that at least Pres. Obama seems willing to learn from some of Pres. Bush's experiences.

Regretfully Agree

I think Ann Coulter can have a good idea and a good message, but I also think she usually tries to make her point too aggressively, and sometimes just rude. I understand that though because she wants to sell books and articles and I understand that right now, snarky comments and mild insults seem to sell really well on both sides of the political spectrum. However, I do not discount the content of a good message when it is there. Ms. Coulter is correct that we have now become more of a socialist society than any other time previously. I hate to admit it, but I think the term "socialist-democracy" would fit all too well with America right now. I simply do not understand why there are so many people that purposefully want to relinquish their personal responsibilities, and accordingly their person freedoms, to the government. What makes them think, or believe (if I may use that "religious" term, especially in connection with the current administration), that the government can and will do a better job of taking care of their needs and wants than they will. I am afraid we will now pay the price for having the larger portion of voting Americans fit that description.

Conspiracy Theory

I am not much for conspiracy theories, but I have to admit that this article by Diana West has some interesting questions. If the economy was "attacked" in some way, I would certainly like to know about it. Maybe there is a way to put an earlier safeguard that will prevent things from getting as far as they did. Then again, maybe there is not much to this article. Hopefully, time will tell.

The So-Called Stimulus Plan

"We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we ever
spent before and it does not work."
-Henry Morganthau, Treasury Secretary of the U.S., May 1939

I think this quote says about everything there is to say about Congress', or the Democrats' "stimulus" plan. The only thing this plan is going to stimulate is a bunch of Democratic supporters. Not a single Republican in the House voted for this bill and I am glad to hear that. I hope the Senate will at least follow suit.