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Monday, November 30, 2009

Chris Matthews Mocked On Family Guy

Matthews showed this clip on tonight's episode of Hardball. The show used Matthews voice and dialogue from a previous episode of Hardball and created an exchange between Harry Reid and Matthews. Matthews comment after showing the clip, "am I really that bad?" Watch the clip and you will see why Matthews was not flattered by the portrayal, though he never seems to mind the attention:



Baghdad Bob Gibbs Ducks the Global Warming Email Question- The Science is Settled People

Baghdad Bob Gibbs was asked by Major Garrett of Fox News to comment on the hacked emails that undermine the global warming charade. Gibbs deflects the question and reiterates Energy Czar Carol Browner's statement on the subject.  Browner answered the question as follows:
"I'm sticking with the 2,500 scientists. These people have been studying this issue for a very long time and agree this problem is real," said Ms. Browner, who President Obama has tapped as his chief of policy on global warming.
Recently the MSM stopped burying the news that the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia destroyed the original data on which the global warming science is based.   Browner, of course, is no stranger to data dumps herself and must be feeling solidarity with the CRU.  That the entire global warming charade appears to be falling in around their ears seems not to have invaded their closely guarded reality yet.

Gibbs answer in the following clip gives the outline of how the global warming fraud was etched into the belief system of the gullible public and the line they will cling to as the fraud unravels around them.  Who can disagree with a thousand scientists?  The follow up question by Lester Kinsolving was the highlight here.  Of course Gibbs doesn't doubt the existence of a list of 30,000 scientists who dispute global warming, he just understand science better than scientists which is why he is the White House spokesman right?


Seven Deadly Stories



John Harris at Politico tells the tale of the seven stories the Obama administration don't want told, or worse, take hold as the Obama presidential narrative unfolds.  No one knows the importance of the narrative more than Barack Obama who won office creating a winning storyline that, "featured an almost mystically talented young idealist who stood for change in a disciplined and thoughtful way," according to Harris.  The truth, however, was found in the anti-Obama narrative Harris describes, "featuring an opportunistic Chicago pol with dubious relationships who was more liberal than he was letting on."

A year into his presidency, seven narratives the Obama administration would argue as unfair are gaining traction:

He thinks he’s playing with Monopoly money   Tale as old as time, Democrats can't grow government enough and tax and spend their way out of the majority every time.  The disciplined and thoughtful crew at the helm of the Good Ship Obama didn't want to waste the crisis and passed a trillion dollar "stimulus" package designed to fulfill every big government dream the Democrats ever dared to dream.  When unemployment continued to rise well past the predicted levels the stimulus was supposed to prevent, independents jumped ship in droves.  The House passed a wildly unpopular cap and trade bill that simmers in a pot in the Senate while the two bodies debate alternate versions of a  trillion dollar health care takeover.
Verdict:  This is already firmly rooted as evidenced by the VA & NJ elections as well as the flight of the Independents.

Too much Leonard Nimoy 
This story is currently a favorite of the Saturday Night Live and Chris Matthews crowd who would argue Obama's cool intellect creates a wall between his Ivy League educated mind and the idiocy of the masses who just need some warmth and empathy from their leader.  Harris argues the Spock associations of Maureen Dowd and Joel Achenbach is strong on Afghanistan:
The Spock imagery has been especially strong during the extended review Obama has undertaken of Afghanistan policy. He’ll announce the results on Tuesday. The speech’s success will be judged not only on the logic of the presentation but on whether Obama communicates in a more visceral way what progress looks like and why it is worth achieving. No soldier wants to take a bullet in the name of nuance.
Verdict:  Obama can rest easy on this one, most of his real world critics call this "dithering" and indecisiveness on a good day.

That’s the Chicago Way 

Here Obama is not nearly as fortunate as  he has been on the "he's just too darned smart," story.  Harris makes the point the administration has brought this on themselves but can't resist throwing the Republicans in the mix for a little blame as well:
It does not help that many West Wing aides seem to relish an image of themselves as shrewd, brass-knuckled political types. In a Washington Post story this month, White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, referring to most of Obama’s team, said, “We are all campaign hacks.”

The problem is that many voters took Obama seriously in 2008 when he talked about wanting to create a more reasoned, non-partisan style of governance in Washington. When Republicans showed scant interest in cooperating with Obama at the start, the Obama West Wing gladly reverted to campaign hack mode.
I think Snowe, Specter and Collins handed Obama that trillion dollar stimulus debacle which has left Specter looking for a party to love him ever since.  The party of no has not said no often enough which is part of the reason this crew is in the White House to begin with.

Harris carefully neglects the Valerie Jarrett's of this administration who never met a run down slum they didn't like or the revolving door of union thugs that regularly pay visits to the White House.  Consider this story sold in the minds of millions.

He’s a pushover 
Politico's version is a liberal fairy tale meant to rationalize Obama's failure to lead on the public option and gay marriage though on foreign policy they are getting warmer:
It seems a bit contradictory, to be sure. But it’s a perception that began when Obama several times laid down lines — then let people cross them with seeming impunity. Last summer he told Democrats they better not go home for recess until a critical health care vote but they blew him off. He told the Israeli government he wanted a freeze in settlements but no one took him seriously. Even Fox News — which his aides prominently said should not be treated like a real news organization — then got interview time for its White House correspondent.
It's entirely laughable Fox News gets tossed in this mix.  On foreign policy his no questions please press conference in China and bowing tour and a host of other mess ups may cause some to think he's a pushover but the next storyline may be closer to filling the bill.

He sees America as another pleasant country on the U.N. roll call, somewhere between Albania and Zimbabwe 
Harris resurrects a George H. W. Bush line used against Dukakis to masterful effect here and captures the criticism from the right with accuracy:
Politicians of both parties have embraced the idea that this country — because of its power and/or the hand of Providence — should be a singular force in the world. It would be hugely unwelcome for Obama if the perception took root that he is comfortable with a relative decline in U.S. influence or position in the world.

On this score, the reviews of Obama’s recent Asia trip were harsh.
His peculiar bow to the emperor of Japan was symbolic. But his lots-of-velvet, not-much-iron approach to China had substantive implications.
President Pelosi 
Behind every successful man there is a woman?  Harris' reasoning astounds me a bit here:
The great hazard for Obama is if Republicans or journalists conclude — as some already have — that Pelosi’s achievements are more impressive than Obama’s or come at his expense.

This conclusion seems premature, especially with the final chapter of the health care drama yet to be written.
Pelosi is masterful at whipping her blue dogs.  Still her ability to ram massively unpopular legislation through the House of Representatives isn't likely to have most consider her impressive.  Politico notes Obama has unwisely allowed Pelosi to become much more of an equal than many from both parties think advisable.  Her popularity is in the cellar.   Truthfully only next to a man who has absolutely no legislative accomplishments of his own or tangible executive skills for that matter can Pelosi look more impressive; it's not saying much.

He’s in love with the man in the mirror 

This is my personal favorite and perhaps the most dead on of the deadly seven stories.  Professor Jacobson found a recent picture that captures this problem in a nutshell.  The photo gets a mention by Politico as well:
It’s a common theme of Washington buzz that Obama is over-exposed. He gives interviews on his sports obsessions to ESPN, cracks wise with Leno and Letterman, discusses his fitness with Men’s Health, discusses his marriage in a joint interview with first lady Michelle Obama for The New York Times. A photo the other day caught him leaving the White House clutching a copy of GQ featuring himself.
" It's a gift," don't you know?  Frankly it was Obama's own grossly inflated ego that led him to run for the presidency without any legislative accomplishments or any executive experience.  The American people seemed quite taken with their own image as a nation who can elect an African American to the highest office in the land.  Unfortunately they chose the wrong one to prove the point, ignoring the most accurate storyline that was there all along for those who  chose to see:


H/T: Memeorandum
Jill at Pundit and Pundette has more
Peter Wehner at NRO catches Harris in a mistake I didn't catch.  Confession, I am not a Trekkie.

Food Stamps are all the Rage During Funemployment

Via Memeorandum

The New York Times reports there are so many people receiving "nutritional aid," (nee food stamps) the stigma once associated with being on the dole is fading fast.  Consider this the latest sign of hope and change during the Obama administration.   The program is so successful it is growing in leaps and bounds:

It has grown so rapidly in places so diverse that it is becoming nearly as ordinary as the groceries it buys. More than 36 million people use inconspicuous plastic cards for staples like milk, bread and cheese, swiping them at counters in blighted cities and in suburbs pocked with foreclosure signs.
Virtually all have incomes near or below the federal poverty line, but their eclectic ranks testify to the range of people struggling with basic needs. They include single mothers and married couples, the newly jobless and the chronically poor, longtime recipients of welfare checks and workers whose reduced hours or slender wages leave pantries bare.
The Times is quick to point out the effort to remove the stigma was a bipartisan one undertaken during the Bush administration.  Does anyone recall the Times pointing out anything positive during the Bush years?  I certainly don't.  There was nearly full employment during the Bush years too, but the liberal media was loathe to acknowledge it at the time.   The bipartisan effort to reduce the stigma led to a name change from food stamps to nutritional aid and changed the form of delivery to an inconspicuous card swiped when purchasing groceries.   These efforts cleared the path but the numbers have actually "soared" during the recession.   Hallelujah!

Mickey Kaus points out the Times front page piece goes out of its way to avoid informing the reader  how much the program has grown recently:
 (Amazingly, the Times never bothers to tell readers by what percentage the program has grown recently, though it barrages them with unassimilable stats from select counties and tedious anecdotes.) The paleoliberal undermessage of today's NYTpiece is basically: 'Hah, hah, you conservatives and 'values' Dems. When times are tough all your stigmatizing of welfare goes out the window.' Americans are learning to to love the dole.'
Interesting aside, Jonah Goldberg sees the same dynamic in the Democrats' strategy to institute nationalized health care:
The Democrats sincerely believe that nationalized health care, in one form or another, is the best thing for America, and that if they can get it passed, voters will fall in love with it. Politically, there is a real danger they’re right. Americans are loath to relinquish entitlements once they’ve secured them. That’s the Republicans’ gamble.
But Goldberg counters the Democrats gamble is that voters will revolt over exploding deficits, increased taxes.  Inevitably an explosion in growth of a cash-like welfare program such as food stamps will stress depleted federal, state and local budgets leading to increased taxes, decreased growth and ultimately voter revolt.  The Times, however, sees nothing but blue skies as do the federal officials involved in the program:
Although the program is growing at a record rate, the federal official who oversees it would like it to grow even faster.
“I think the response of the program has been tremendous,” said Kevin Concannon, an under secretary of agriculture, “but we’re mindful that there are another 15, 16 million who could benefit.”
One could well imagine a successful administration boasting that fewer people needed such assistance under their programs, here we see the opposite.  Of course, no one  wants to see anyone go hungry especially not in a land where so much food is wasted by nanny staters worried about trans fats.  In Pennsylvania helping low income families obtain more nutritious diets is listed as the chief purpose of the plan.  The application has an advisory for those who might qualify for immediate benefits and a completely confidential voter's registration form (pg 8):

Interestingly enough the Times makes no mention of migrant or seasonal farm workers in their article.  It's all folks just like you and me:
This is the first recession in which a majority of the poor in metropolitan areas live in the suburbs, giving food stamps new prominence there. Use has grown by half or more in dozens of suburban counties from Boston to Seattle, including such bulwarks of modern conservatism as California’s Orange County, where the rolls are up more than 50 percent.
Despite the efforts of the Times to create this impression, they include an interactive map showing increase in food stamp participation by county.  The table below the map shows the areas where as many as 49% of the population relies on food stamps.  Only four of the first 15 voted for McCain and often not in the overwhelming percentages as those counties that went for Obama.  Moreover, Many of these counties have high unemployment numbers and with the exception of areas heavily populated by Native Americans have seen little or any of those magically  "created or saved" jobs the administration loves to boast about.  I have researched this a bit and put together a table to illustrate:



Perhaps this administration should concentrate on taking the "un" out of unemployment so that fewer need to rely on food stamps and other forms of government entitlements.



Sunday, November 29, 2009

Multitasking

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner, delivering your new grandchild while making sure the turkey does not burn gives new meaning to the term multitasking.  Fortunately everyone is fine and this little girl will always have a story to tell about the day she was born.




Saturday, November 28, 2009

Bountiful Blessings from the Blogosphere

While the USA stops to give thanks for the blessings of this nation, conservative bloggers continue to update their blogs with the latest items of news and political intrigue.  In the four months I have been blogging, I have come to appreciate the amount of preparation and dedication goes into maintaining a blog.  As a group conservative bloggers the kindest, most helpful group anyone new to this experience could possibly hope for.  Believe me, I certainly counted each one in my list of blessings this year.  Here is a sample of their hard work in a "Full Metal Jacket - Cornucopia Edition."

American Power has a great Ramirez cartoon along with a post titled, "More on Climaquiddick: Eric S. Raymond on CRU's Global Warming Fraud."  I love that term, "Climaquiddick."

Pat Austin took time from her Thanksgiving prep to blog, "Thomas Wilner's Weak Argument for Civilian Trials."  The decision to try KSM in New York is most likely indefensible, still the media rallies to the aid of the man they elected.  Pat destroys Wilner's argument.

Another Black Conservative  covered the conclusion of the investigation into the death of Bill Sparkman.  Left-wingers were quick to point to conservatives as the culprits as the word "Fed" was scrawled on his chest.  As you may recall, The Other McCain wrote an investigative piece on the Sparkman death published in the "Green Room," at Hot Air.

Smitty wrote an excellent piece pointing out the Obama band of rookies is mostly a red herring.  There is no middle ground with this administration.  This is something that continues to astound me about this group, the progressive agenda will choke them out of power yet they cling to it.

Backyard Conservative  is back from a break and astounded by three cherry-picked trees in Siberia.  Who can blame her?

Bride of Rove is one of four girls just as I am.  Her post on lunch with her oldest sister naturally intrigued me.  Normally we eldest of the bunch are the wisest ;) and of course her sister is literally genius.  Still they have quite different takes on the current administration.  It was a thought provoking lunch.

Carol's Closet has not an ounce of pity for the poor  perverted Roman Polanski.  She cuts to the quick some demented soul who decries the injustice of throwing the child rapist in jail.

Fishersville Mike finds something to be grateful for in the headline from Kim Strassel's latest article.  Ding Dong, cap and trade is dead.

Professor Jacobson assures us our legal records will be absolutely safe once they are in the hands of the federal government.  Something about that post tells me he is being just a tad ironic.

Carol at No Sheeples Here seems to be in cahoots with The Other McCain in a brewing blog war against the evil Daley Gator.  Oh no, there's going to be a duel in Atlanta or maybe it's a football game.  It's kind of hard to tell from all the nasty barbs being tossed back and forth.   It could be a long week folks.

Lookie Lookie Obi's Sister dismantles a hockey stick.

Two entries  from Paco Enterprises for the next "Ruby Slipper Top Ten List of  Best Conservative Humor."  I better get moving on that list before Paco has all 10 spots.

Jill at Pundit and Pundette located the source of the Christmas decorations that cover my next door neighbor's lawn every year.  If I have to look at that Zebra till February this year, I am going to need medication.

I am tempted to link this post over at the Evil Daley Gator hideout but it is a tad NSFW.  Instead I will link to a post on the discovery of the world's biggest turkey.  It's a tough call which makes my jaw drop the most though I think I am leaning a bit to the first.

Jimmie Bise has some laughs at the expense of that  "Guy You Alert the Flight Attendant About".  Something tells me there are a lot of teenage girls who would disagree.

Chris at Wyblog has the perfect story to prove limousine liberals should not be allowed anywhere near a soup kitchen.  If we perfect keeping them out of soup kitchens we can work on keeping them out of the White House.

The Gold Medal for Stupidity is Awarded to .....

Kudos to Newsbusters for catching what has to be Joy Behar's gold medal moment in stupidity - Even the Russian judge agreed on this one.  In a pre taped episode for "Black Friday,"  the High Priestess of Political Correctness questions Whoopi Goldberg whether the name "Black Friday" is racist.  Behar makes approximately $1.8 million a year from the View alone proving there is no intelligence requirement to amassing a fortune in television.

The entire exchange is very brief and takes place in the first minute of the following clip.  From there Whoopi goes on to tell a TMI story about underwear just in case you might be interested:




Yid with Lid sums it up, "this is the lady who calls Sarah Palin and Airhead?" Yes, indeed she does, every chance she gets. For more see Another Black Conservative's post, "Silly Ramblings from a White Liberal: Joy Behar on Black Friday." Clifton writes:
If white people don’t get all bent out of shape over the phrase “White Sale”, then I think us black folk should be cool with the phrase “Black Friday”. There is a huge chasm between racial sensitivity and utter foolishness and Joy clearly crosses that chasm here.
Hey, what did he mean by "White Sale?"

H/T: Memeorandum

Friday, November 27, 2009

Health Care Hocus Pocus


John Stossel nails the lies and deceptions used by politicians to sell the health care debacle:
The key to magic is misdirection, fooling the audience into looking in the wrong direction.

I happily suspend disbelief when a magician says he'll saw a woman in half. That's entertainment. But when Harry Reid says he'll give 30 million additional people health coverage while cutting the deficit, improving health care and reducing its cost, it's not entertaining. It's incredible.

The politicians have a hat full of tricks to make their schemes look cheaper than they are. The new revenues will pour in during Year One, but health care spending won't begin until Year Three or Four. To this the Cato Institute's Michael Tanner asks, "Wouldn't it be great if you could count a whole month's income, but only two weeks' expenditures in your household budget?" (H/T: Instapundit )
Charles Krauthammer thinks "the bill is irredeemable. It should not only be defeated. It should be immolated, its ashes scattered over the Senate swimming pool."  Pat Austin wonders if there is a Senate swimming pool.  Of course there must be nothing is too good for those we pay to shred the US health care system then lie about what a wonder it will be.  Presto Changeo, the "result is an overregulated, overbureaucratized system of surpassing arbitrariness and inefficiency," according to Krauthammer, who suggests we can throw a dart at the 2000 page tome and find a problem:

You’ll find mandates with financial penalties — the amounts picked out of a hat.
 
You’ll find insurance companies (who live and die by their actuarial skills) told exactly what weight to give risk factors, such as age. Currently, insurance premiums for 20-somethings are about one-sixth the premiums for 60-somethings. The House bill dictates the young shall now pay at minimum one-half; the Senate bill, one-third — numbers picked out of a hat.

You’ll find sliding scales for health-insurance subsidies — percentages picked out of a hat — that will radically raise marginal income tax rates for middle-class recipients, among other crazy unintended consequences. 


Of course we can throw darts all day but the only solution to this bill is to throw a knife and end the misery.  Howard Dean admits the "Republicans are right about the rhetoric of this bill," though Dean seems to be hitching himself to the liberal wing of the party.  Dean's devotion to the public option aside, it is hard to ignore his point the health care bill is a giant bailout that will have negative consequences if enacted.  Hot Air has a transcript for the video below:


Ed Morrissey wonders:
Dean — who was a successful chair of the DNC and supposedly represented the mainstream of the Democratic Party — has now hitched himself to Socialist Bernie Sanders and the progressive wing of the party. Is Dean thinking about a 2012 run predicated on a politically wounded Obama who failed to pass health-care reform?
Now that would be entertaining, imagine sawing the Democratic party in two with a primary.

It's Not Easy to be a Reality Show Star these Days

UPDATED: Donald Douglas linked my post in a follow up post titled "Did Hollywood Today Plagiarize American Power on Tareq Salahi's Palestinian Ties?" There is another follow up that contains response from Hollywood Today: "Jeffrey Jolson, Publisher and Editor-in-chief at Hollywood Today, Responds to Absence of Source Attributions at Tareq Salahi ATFB Story"

Donald Douglas at American Power predicted there would be a major effort to downplay the security breach that permitted the reality TV wannabes Michaele and Tareq Salahi to crash the White House state dinner Tuesday night.  American Power has a report on Salahi's interesting  political ties that will no doubt be completely ignored in the press as well:
In addition, and ominously, it turns out that Tareq Salahi, the polo-playing intruder, is a Palestinian nationalist with ties to the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) , a pro-Palestine lobby demanding the "right of return" for all Palestinian refugees and their descendants. The "right of return" has long been considered the backdoor to Israel's destruction. But not only that: ATFP President Ziad Asali is an America-basher who blamed 9/11 on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Asali was a lead U.S. official to PLO terrorist Yassir Arafat's funeral in 2004. And in a position paper in 2007, the ATFP called for a power-sharing agreement at the Palestinian Authority, which would have included the State Department's designated-terrorist group, Hamas.
Michaele Salahi couldn't resist posting her photos from the event on her fanpage on Facebook revealing how alarmingly close the intruders got to certain Obama administration  officials and foreign dignitaries.  The New York Times points out though, the competition is really fierce these days to get on a reality show.  Hey, these folks really needed a chance to stand out.  Stand out they did:

Here's a photo of the crashers with the guest of honor:

As Rep. Peter King (R) notes someone dropped the ball:

“Obviously, somebody dropped the ball,” said Mr. King, of New York. “I mean, you’re talking about the president of the United States and the vice president and a powerful world leader, the prime minister of India.” The prime minister, Manmohan Singh, was the guest of honor.
Mr. King said he had seen people turned away from similar White House events, including a congressman who brought his daughter instead of his wife, whose name was on the list. He also raised concerns about the Secret Service’s assertion that Mr. Obama was safe because all guests passed through metal detectors."

King is calling for an investigation while the Salahi's get the fame they sought through the event:

Whether or not they wind up on “Housewives,” the couple have certainly acted as if they were stars. They are now scheduled to be on “Larry King Live” on Monday.
On her celebrity-minded Facebook page, Mrs. Salahi telegraphed her television aspirations, writing, “Get Ready Kelly Ripa — Don’t you want a friend to tag team Regis!” She also suggested herself as a co-host for NBC’s “Today” show. On Facebook, she has more than 4,000 friends.
Actually the facebook page now shows more than 7000 fans and there is quite a bit of heckling in comments on various pictures and notes on Michaele Salahi's page.  Salahi couldn't resist posing for a photo with a former "Today" show  host while she had the opportunity:

Michael Hirschorn, former VP at VH1 admits that aggressive lobbying and "self producing" is the name of the game in the competitive arena of reality show appearances:

Mr. Hirschorn said prospective reality stars were becoming smarter about “self-producing,” knowing they had to inject drama into the shows.
“At this point,” he said, “there must be what, a thousand reality personalities on TV at any one time? So they know they have to stand out.”
Even so, Mr. Hirschorn added, this “would seem extreme to me.”
Gee, d'ya think?  Reality-show wannabes weren't the only undesirable folks at the party however.   Michelle Malkin has a list of the cronies, czars and corruptocrats that didn't need to crash the party; they were invited.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

My Favorite Holiday Recipes


This is simply the best recipe for cranberry relish I have ever tasted.  As a bonus, it is also the simplest.  The recipe comes fom Georges Perrier Le Bec fin Recipes.  
2 Cups Fresh Cranberries
Grated zest and juice from 2 oranges
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Grand Marnier
Put all ingredients in a food processor. Finely chop. Chill overnight.



I have been making this delicious recipe for Potato Gratin with Mustard and Cheddar Cheese ever since I saw it in the November 1995 issue of "Bon Appetit".  My copy of that magazine is so worn and tattered, I am grateful it is now listed on epicurious.  This is a bit more involved than the cranberry relish recipe but certainly not more difficult than most casserole recipes.  I make this every year at Christmas too. ( recipe below the jump)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

DCCC Fuel For the Turkey Day Food Fight


As you head out over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house for a fine Thanksgiving turkey, consider yourself forewarned that cousin Cathy and Aunt Alice, the family flaming libs, have been armed with Democrat talking points to stoke the fire in the annual Thanksgiving political brawl.   Control issues much?  The downloadable cheat sheet gives a list of potential myths the family conservatives might trot out and supplies the family liberals with "facts" for effective "myth-busting."


 First off, the term myths, as used by liberals, requires an Inigo Montoya retort: " You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."  The cheat sheet begins with the "myth" "Democrats haven't done anything this year."  The DCCC provides the following facts to prove "House Democrats and President Obama have delivered more progress for America this year than George Bush and the Republicans did in the last eight."  For your convenience I have included a sample snarky response, in red of course,  in case someone in the family comes bearing a  DCCC cheat sheet:

On The Menu

On the menu at Obama's oh-so-stylish state dinner: typos.


H/T: Memeorandum  Photo: Lynn Sweet

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Without Their Support

William Warren via Net Right Nation




Obama Approval Hits New Lows

Rasmussen reports approval for Obama's job performance has fallen to 45% among likely voters while disapproval reaches a new high of 54%. The passion index, meaning the difference between those who strongly approve (27%) and those who strongly disapprove (42%) is a negative 15. Obama's approval among unaffiliated voters is tanking:
Fifty-two percent (52%) of Democrats Strongly Approve while 68% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove. Among those not affiliated with either major political party, just 16% Strongly Approve and 51% Strongly Disapprove[.]
As Ed Morrissey notes at Hot Air, this should sound the alarm bells for Congressional Democrats facing reelection in 2010:
A 45/54 split in the first year in office isn’t exactly the “hope and change” Obama had in mind. The intensity of his opposition has long eclipsed the intensity of his support, but the number among independents should be alarming for Capitol Hill Democrats facing the voters in 2010. A solid majority of independents now stronglydisapprove of Obama, and only a sixth of them strongly approve. Democrats know what that means for a midterm that will serve as a referendum on the President and their legislative agenda.
Approval for Obama continues to remain strong only among young voters according to Rasmussen.  Unfortunately  for Democrats these are not voters who make a strong showing in midterm elections.  


Finally a Decision on Afghanistan, sort of

McClatchy  reports Obama met with his national security team on Monday night and has decided to commit 34,000 troops to Afghanistan.  Of course, Obama is not one to be rushed on such matters so he will wait a week to make the announcement:

Obama is expected to announce his long-awaited decision on Dec. 1, followed by meetings on Capitol Hill aimed at winning congressional support amid opposition by some Democrats who are worried about the strain on the U.S. Treasury and whether Afghanistan has become a quagmire, the officials said.
The U.S. officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the issue publicly and because, one official said, the White House is incensed by leaks on its Afghanistan policy that didn't originate in the White House.
Is it me, or is that last portion quoted the strangest comment on leaks, well this week anyway.  How many articles on important issues and policy from this administration have not a single named source, there seems to be a leak epidemic.

The leaker continues to report that General McChrystal could arrive in  Washington as early as Sunday to help roll out the plan as well as appear before congressional committees toward the end of the week.   After months of dithering on McChrystal's request, Obama has agreed to the additional troops but has given a 6 month timeframe to demonstrate improvement:
 The administration's plan contains "off-ramps," points starting next June at which Obama could decide to continue the flow of troops, halt the deployments and adopt a more limited strategy or "begin looking very quickly at exiting" the country, depending on political and military progress, one defense official said.

"We have to start showing progress within six months on the political side or military side or that's it," the U.S. defense official said.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if presidential elections came with "off-ramps"?   I would have begun looking at an exit strategy before the inauguration but I suspect Independent voters crossed that point just this past summer.  Obama was wise to follow McChrystal's request but looking after 6 months for a very quick exit seems to suggest the full commitment of the administration is lacking a bit.  Still, Obama seems to have had something of a wake up call upon his return from Asia.  No doubt falling poll numbers and increased criticism were the stick that whipped the administration into motion.  Unfortunately the same stick doesn't appear to matter much on health care.  His priorities are astounding as usual.

H/T: Memeorandum

Monday, November 23, 2009

Rasmussen: Support for Health Care Reform Hits New Low

Rasmussen reports the latest in its ongoing tracking of support for the Democrats' health care reform.  Just two days after the Senate voted under the cover of darkness to open debate for the massive expansion of government contained in the Senate health care bill, support for the reform has reached its lowest levels yet.  A mere 38% support the reform while 56% oppose.  I think we can expect support to continue to drop:

Half the survey was conducted before the Senate voted late Saturday to begin debate on its version of the legislation. Support for the plan was slightly lower in the half of the survey conducted after the Senate vote.
Prior to this, support for the plan had never fallen below 41%. Last week, support for the plan was at 47%. Two weeks ago, the effort was supported by 45% of voters.
It seems to me the people are trying to tell this Democratic congress to put the brakes on this reform.  Congress does not appear to be listening.  

Squirrely Fiscal Strategy


New York Times A wave of debt payments about to hit the United States can be likened to those bus drivers who bought $800,000 homes only to find themselves unable to make the payments as the interest crept higher and higher. What would a responsible government do?
What a good country or a good squirrel should be doing is stashing away nuts for the winter,” said William H. Gross, managing director of the Pimco Group, the giant bond-management firm. “The United States is not only not saving nuts, it’s eating the ones left over from the last winter.”
The end result according to the Treasury Borrowing Advisory:
This month, the Treasury Department’s private-sector advisory committee on debt management warned of the risks ahead.
“Inflation, higher interest rate and rollover risk should be the primary concerns,” declared the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee, a group of market experts that provide guidance to the government, on Nov. 4.
“Clever debt management strategy,” the group said, “can’t completely substitute for prudent fiscal policy.” 
Prudent fiscal policy under the current administration amounts to spending trillions here and there and everywhere.  Do you think that's what the advisory has in mind?  

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Saturday Night Live Openers - Jintao Wants a Kiss First & President Sarah Palin

Here is the joint press conference skit with Jintao thinks he is entitled to at least a kiss, a movie and dinner before Obama "does sex to him". This is begging for a CNN fact check. Fred Armisen's impression is not improving much but this openers is still pretty funny:




The buzz of the episode last night was the parody of 2012 movie featuring the end of the world in liberal terms, President Sarah Palin. Guess who her Vice President is?


Thanksgiving Traditions: Black Friday Sales Ads and Turkey Call Rap

Evidently there is a psychology to Black Friday Frenzy, who knew? I must have missed that course in grad school:
Retailers are doing all they can to tap the potential of the season. Black Friday-type promotions with door buster come-ons have been going on all month. The usual hype over leaked Black Friday ads is underway.
There's a lot of consumer psychology that goes into Black Friday. Retailers, of course, are expert at creating a shopping frenzy. The most popular toys are in short supply. Appliances are put on sale for $3 at the opening hour. Unheard of bargains are advertised, limit one to a customer.

Shoppers eagerly go along. It's some people's version of fantasy football. They compare newspaper circulars, scope out the best bargains, and craft a game plan for the big day.

There are going to be some amazing Black Friday deals on computers this year at Best Buy according to BlackFriday.info:

Add Golf to the List of Things Obama Doesn't Do Very Well ( Hint: He Sucks)

I had to ask my resident golf experts whether the photographers' commentary in this video was accurate. The verdict was grim. My son, who has a photo of Reagan in his room, agreed Obama sucks at golf. My husband, who is a squishy middle kind of guy (gasp, why do you think I have a blog?) wouldn't confirm or deny, but had a smirk that confirmed my son's assessment. A wife learns to read these smirks after 25 years of marriage. Any golf enthusiasts out there want to weigh in with their assessment?



H/T: Free Republic

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Live Stream Senate Health Care Debate

Via Memeorandum The Hill reports Harry Reid can't understand why anyone would be opposed to a vote opening the debate, in fact he thinks that is positively Orwellian:
"Now he said, anyone who votes for this is going to have a lot of explaining to do," Reid said during his floor speech today. "Now that is really Orwellian. That is Orwellian. Have a lot of explaing to do if they allow a debate to continue?"

Reid urged senators to support the motion to proceed scheduled for 8 p.m., saying that is only a motion to continue debate, not a vote for the legislation itself.
"All were asking today is to have a debate on it. I mean, why would anyone be afraid in supposedly the greatest debating society in the world to debate healthcare," he said. "What are they afraid of?"
They're afraid of the shark infested waters after they walk the plank Harry.  The people to watch according to  Politico:
 things were looking good at daybreak, as Reid can be reasonably confident of 59 votes, with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) a yes vote and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) leaning yes. The holdout: Sen.Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), who has been a fan of reform generally but faces a tough 2010 re-election fight.
We'll likely see a number of Republican television ads in the making as this vote will surely be fodder in the coming midterms.  Here is the live stream of the Senate debate for those who want to follow along:

Free TV : Ustream


Senator Byron Dorgon: Is he Prepared to Walk the Health Care Plank?

Zogby shows what is at stake with his health care vote for Senator Byron Dorgon who already trails Republican Governor John Hoeven in the poll for reelection 56% to 36% but has a lead on another potential challenger Duane Sand 60% to 28%. 62% of those polled either strongly or somewhat oppose the health care legislation making its way through Congress. Independents oppose the legislation by a similar margin.
When asked how a vote by Senator Dorgan in support of the healthcare bill would impact their potential vote for the Senator in the 2010 election, 12% of likely voters say they would be more likely to vote for Senator Dorgan as a result, while 40% would be less likely. Forty-six percent say Senator Dorgan's vote on health care makes no difference, including 62% of likely-Dorgan voters.
Voting for health care legislation does nothing to improve Dorgan's chances for reelection.  In fact quite the opposite, the key here being the Independent opposition:



Will Dorgan walk the plank?
H/T: Memeorandum

Gault on the Stimulus



New Consensus Sees Stimulus as Worthy Step 
“It was worth doing — it’s made a difference,” said Nigel Gault, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, a financial forecasting and analysis group based in Lexington, Mass.
Mr. Gault added: “I don’t think it’s right to look at it by saying, ‘Well, the economy is still doing extremely badly, therefore the stimulus didn’t work.’ I’m afraid the answer is, yes, we did badly but we would have done even worse without the stimulus.”
Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit. 

H/T: Memeorandum

Mean Queens and Wannabes

Verum Serum has an interesting piece that shows how Nasty Norah O'Donnell ambushed the young girl shown in this MSNBC clip. Nasty Norah and her Queen of Mean cohort Andrea Mitchell have been stalking Sarah Palin and her supporters at each stop on the Rogue book tour.



Stop the ACLU has a report on a comment made by Claire McCaskill comparing the length of the health care bill to Sarah Palin's book and writes:
Seriously, for someone the Left says is an empty suit and not a serious political player, they sure spend quite a bit of time talking about Sarah Palin.
Amen.

Time to be Heard

Last Friday I mentioned the Friday the 13th episode of Glenn Beck's show that was to feature a few prominent conservative bloggers. I was under the impression the bad luck of the day had prevailed and to some degree, perhaps it did. Adrienne Ross at Motivation Truth gives a behind the scenes accounting of some of the frustration experienced at not being able to express her thoughts and opinions in a forum that was held out to as a "Time to be Heard." Some of this was a logistical problem as the group was seated away from the mic. The show seems to have wasted some time covering issues Adrienne didn't find of great import as well. Much was later edited out so indeed it was a waste. Still she seemed hopeful that she would have another opportunity to address her points should Beck devote another show to the unique experiences of black conservatives. I am glad she wrote what she would have said and the behind the scenes info was really interesting.

Robin Martin who blogs at Conservative Black Woman had her moment in the sun and she was just amazing. Here is the clip where she appears on the stage with Beck and two other guests. She starts to speak just a minute and 10 seconds into the clip and dominates the discussion right up until the break at about 5 min 30 seconds into the clip. I thought she handled that mic and the spotlight like a pro. Beck picks up in the next segment by saying that he hope the group can come back for another show so hopefully we will get a chance to hear from those who were frustrated by their inability to speak on camera. In the mean time here's Robin's time to shine:


Friday, November 20, 2009

Levi "Ricky Hollywood" Johnston Shunned at GQ "Man of the Year" Party

From the Post, Levi Johnston was spotted Tuesday at JFK airport where he refused to stand in line with the "regular" people. Levi, who goes by the name "Ricky Hollywood" these days, made quite a show of his boarding the flight headed for the left coast:
A spy on his American Airlines flight told Page Six: "He then made a big show of getting on first. He was seated in the front row of first class, looking like he was born to be there and waiting for some recognition. Jason Alexander was quietly sitting behind him." We wish Levi would just zip it up and head back to the Alaskan oil fields.
Don't we all wish he'd zip it.  Well maybe not all, the porn community treated him like royalty as he received his award for crossing over from mainstream to porn as seen here in the video:



Oh the irony, his second town?  Unfortunately for poor Ricky Hollywood, his porn credentials don't give him any status among the Hollywood celebs. HuffPo reports Levi was shunned at the GQ "Men of the Year" party at Chateau Marmont Wednesday night.
Levi, who had on a vest, yellow pocket square and what appeared to be pancake makeup, wandered around the party with both his manager Tank (wearing a diamond earring) and a second beefy gentleman (wearing an earpiece).

And no one cared.

Levi was largely ignored by other guests as he wandered to get a soda (he's underage) and he checked his Blackberry while Tank hit up the buffet. An hour later, they were gone.

Meanwhile the other guests, like Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Sarah Silverman, Quentin Tarantino, Olivia Wilde, Rainn Wilson, January Jones, Kobe Bryant, Lindsay Lohan and dozens more stayed to party.
Why on earth would this buffoon wear pancake makeup? Mary Katherine Ham thinks maybe it set off his pink lip gloss:

The color does really work for him though.  I hate to jinx it but can this possibly be the last second of his 15 minutes?  It's about time someone put a pin to his massive ego and brought him back down with the "regular people."

Chris Matthews is Not Feeling the Tingle This Week

The entire segment from tonight's Hardball has Chris Matthews analyzing what's going wrong with the Obama administration. He hits on several points including the decision to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed in New York, the group is too intellectual (too much Ivy League) and my personal favorite, he's missing the magical touch as witnessed by his bow to the Emperor in Japan. If you don't have time to watch the whole clip skip to 4:15 to pick up on Matthews rant about the bow, but he's surprisingly on target for the most part on where Obama is failing:


Obama Approval Below 50% For First Time in Gallup Poll: Blame Sarah Palin

Gallup shows Obama's approval dipping below 50% for the first time making his fall the fourth fastest drop below majority among post World War II presidents.


But Gallup doesn't want the devoted Obama flock to worry:
Thus, Obama's descent below 50% is an important symbolic milestone in his presidency, but history suggests the odds of his regaining majority approval are high, and he could do so relatively soon, particularly since the individual nightly numbers for him in recent days have been right around the 50% mark. History would suggest his current loss of majority approval bears little relation to his chances of being elected to a second term in 2012.
Nor does Politico:
 UPDATE: The Gallup data is now online. Gallup notes that Obama fell below 50% at almost the exact same mark in his presidency that Reagan did, and attributes the drop -- most of which took place over the summer -- to the economy and to the health care debate.
See it is all going to work out just as it did with Reagan.  Here's a hitch, in my opinion, Reagan's policies worked and the economy rebounded.  I personally don't see Obama's policies working nor does the  growing majority of Independents who seem to like Obama better than his policies.  Whether he regains a majority approval will depend entirely on whether his policies are perceived as improving things rather than making them worse.  Thus far, he is clearly losing that battle.

In the mean time, another star appears to be shining brighter than Obama.  Conservatives 4 Palin predicted that Obama's approval would dip below 50 when Palin began her book tour:
I seem to recall a bunch of folks in the media and the Republican party establishment insinuating that Governor Palin becoming more visible would distract from efforts to politically damage Obama. Well, what are they going to say now that Obama's worst week of polling since his inauguration coincides with Palin's increased visibility?
Ironically, Ann Althouse who is by her own admission not the strongest Palin advocate, made a similar point in a divalog debate with Michelle Goldberg yesterday.   Her point was the Palin star power has sucked all the oxygen out of the political room this week leaving Obama in touring China and Asia with very few paying attention.  Historically trips like this might have given Obama a bit of a bump in the polls, instead he has a slide.  Certainly his efforts to hightail it out of town while Eric Holder announced the decision to criminalize the war on terror did nothing to help his fading star power.  He has to be a bit miffed that the media, for better or worse, is paying more attention to Palin than the young president's trip to Asia.  I am sure he loved being asked whether he would read her book too.

Ed Morrissey points out "Organizing for America" admits the book tour is "dangerous"  and is asking supporters to help raise $500,000 to "push back against Sarah Palin and her allies:"

Remember, this is the person who coined the term 'Death Panels' -- and opened the flood gates for months of false attacks by special interests and partisan extremists.
"Whatever lie comes next will be widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform."

Now when exactly did Obama's poll numbers start to take their big tumble?  If you look at the Gallup chart above, the heated health care debates of the summer were the catalyst.  Sarah Palin made the death panel statement on August 7, 2009.  Interesting coincidence?  It doesn't seem that Organizing for America thinks it is.
Hat Tip:  Memeorandum


Say Hello to my Little Fed - UPDATE

UPDATE: Ed Morrissey reports the vote to proceed is on for Saturday. Rush reports 97% of bills that succeed in this vote become law.  Call your Senator; tell them to start over.  


Another Saturday health care vote appears to be in the works, this time in the Senate. While the Senate may be may be taking its cue from the "success" of the House in its' Saturday vote, there are a few differences between the two bills that could push any resolution of the health care debate well into next year. Still conventional wisdom has it that if Reid is able to pull together the 60 votes he needs in this important opening vote, some 2000 page piece of legislation will eventually make its'way to the President's desk. Holdouts can be bought and the sky's the limit as far as Democrats are concerned to guarantee passage of their behemoth health care takeover.

Mickey Kaus may have uncovered what may well be the equivalent of the 11th hour reprieve after actually reading a key portion of the monster legislation that threatens to divide the House and Senate before all is said and done.  The Times buried this point of disagreement way at the bottom of their report:
The two chambers also disagree on whether to create an independent commission to help cut the growth of Medicare. Senate Democrats say such a commission could make politically unpopular decisions needed to put Medicare on a sound financial footing. But House leaders say it is the duty of Congress to make such tough decisions.
Kaus wondered whether the Senate bill, which was purported to actually go further than the House bill to contain costs had followed a "Fed" model detailed by Leonhardt in the Times:

A FED FOR HEALTH Twice a year, an outside advisory board sends Congress a list of suggestions for Medicare payment rates, based on the available evidence. Congress generally ignores them, in deference to the various industry groups that oppose any cuts to their payments.
We already have a wonderful model for how to avoid such interference. It’s called theFederal Reserve. The Fed is charged with setting interest rates based on economic conditions, not politics. The Senate bill would create such a commission for Medicare. Unfortunately, it initially applies to doctors and home health care providers but not hospitals, thanks to a deal between the hospitals and the White House. It expands to include everyone in 2019. The House bill has no such commission.
Whether one ends up in the final bill will be a good test of Mr. Obama’s endgame leadership.
Kaus had assumed the  IMAB,  short for Independent Medical Advisory Board, created in the Senate had been less powerful and threatening after reading Ezra Klein's analysis:
The idea isn't simply that a panel of experts gets to dream up interesting reforms to try out in Medicare. It's that they are charged with making sure that Medicare hits certain growth targets, and their package of reforms has to achieve that goal. Those reforms are then sent to Congress, where Senate debate is limited to 30 hours, and amendments must be both budget neutral and "germane." This report, in other words, is exempt from the filibuster. So far as anything is ever easy to pass, this is easy to pass.
Then he read the bill, or at least the relevant portion found on pages 1000-1053.  Here are the keypoints Kaus found:

--The new 15 member "IMAB" board makes cost-cutting recommendations if Medicare spending exceeds specific targets.
--Congress can disapprove these changes by passing a bill. But like other legislation, the president can veto that bill (and his veto can be overridden).
--The "fast tracking" provisions Klein discusses apply to the bill disapprovingthe changes. That is, they make it easier for opponents of the changes to block them without, say, being filibustered in the Senate. But they also sharply restrict what a "fast-tracked" disapproval can do--for example, it can't block spending cuts if that causes cost-reduction targets to be missed. To this extent it's an "up or down" vote, like a base-closing resolution
--Key point: If Congress doesn't pass the fast-tracked bill, the Secretary of HHS must implement the IMAB panel's recommendations
--And Congress loses even its fast-track disapproval power after 2020, unless, by a 60% supermajority, during a specific window in the first half of 2017, while standing on one leg and humming Battle Hymn of the Republic, it passes a joint resolution discontinuing the whole process. Correction: The part about standing on one leg and humming doesn't seem to be in the final bill.
Though its pretty complicated it looks as though the legislation empowers an unelected body as powerful as the Fed to do some of the dirty work cutting benefits etc that Congress is notoriously reluctant to make. It also makes it much more difficult for Congress to overrule the panel recommendations. Now wipe those two dirty words "death panels" from your mind, we all know how crazy that argument was right?

Still, Kaus wonders what Congress might do if the IMAB decided that the federal government won't pay for mammograms for women under 40? Could they stop it? What if government, as is often the case, is divided? It seems the power is on the side of the "Med" instead of Congress. Yes, there may be means for the Congress to pass a law overthrowing the panel recommendations or eliminating the board altogether. In reality, it is always much more difficult to eliminate or even "audit" such a powerful group once they have been put in action. While we already have one unelected board with power over our money, the Senate bill gives another unelected board power over our health and 1/6th of the economy. What could possibly go wrong?
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