This Administration is Hard to Believe!

"Department of Re-Education"

ABC News tells us of the Obama administration's latest triumph of political oratory:

'With a number of polls showing a sustained level of opposition to the Democrats' health care reform efforts more than five months after passage, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the Obama administration has "a lot of reeducation to do" heading into the midterms.'

Great, so we'll get death panels and re-education camps! Meanwhile, the Washington Examiner reports that Education Secretary Arne Duncan "urged government employees to attend a rally that the Rev. Al Sharpton organized to counter a larger conservative event on the Mall":

"ED staff are invited to join Secretary Arne Duncan, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and other leaders on Saturday, Aug. 28, for the 'Reclaim the Dream' rally and march," began an internal e-mail sent to more than 4,000 employees of the Department of Education on Wednesday. . . .
Although the e-mail does not violate the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from participating in political campaigns, Education Department workers should feel uneasy, said David Boaz, executive vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute. . . .

Education Department spokeswoman Sandra Abrevaya defended Duncan's decision. "This was a back-to-school event," she said.

At least "a back-to-school event" doesn't sound as creepy as "re-education.""


UNBELIEVABLE!!!


H/T: WSJ Best of the Web Today, 8/31/2010

THE PROBLEM CLEARLY STATED!

Hugh Hewitt explains the meaning of the Beck rally last Saturday in Washington D.C. and the problem Obama and his cohorts are facing: a November disaster!

He references Arthur Brooks description of the American population and the current problem:

"The American Enterprise Institute's Arthur Brooks has quite accurately described America as a 70/30 nation, with the 70 percent presently massively underrepresented the federal government, the Manhattan-Beltway media elite and academia."


That is clearly the problem! The left cannot see it - so their efforts will end for decades! The paragraph below describes perfectly the near two years under Obama:



"Two years into what had been sold as a new politics and a new approach, the 70 percent are fully aware that they have been conned, suckered, and taken to the cleaners by a hyper-ideological amalgam of leftist public intellectuals, snarling bloggers, career politicians with limited abilities who are often corrupt, and a president wholly inexperienced in the management of complex problems who is in way over his head and prisoner to slogans and schemes that make for great campus debates -- but for disaster in the real world."


Couldn't have said it better myself!

An Interesting Perspective on the U.S.

Conrad Black, the wealthy and controversial newspaper mogul recently released from jail, is a fine writer who summarizes his thoughts on the present state of the U.S. in a National Review Online column titled "Decline, but Not Inevitable Decline" - "The U.S. is in deep but not irreversible trouble."

His optimism for our country - based on what I feel is an accurate analysis of the true meaning of what we have done to ourselves over the last 60+ years - is one that effects positively my view of where we are.

I recommend reading the article for another perspective, whether you agree or not. The first two paragraphs are worth sharing below, just in case you don't use the above link:



"For decades, I have been a militant anti-declinist in terms of America’s place in the world. The United States is a proud, determined, hard-working, talented, patriotic nation and people, and it is not over-extended in the manner of empires of the past that took over the lands of others and eventually collapsed under the weight of the over-ambitious hegemon. Thus came the twilight of all previous empires, from the Persian to the Russian, including several versions of the Chinese, and even the astounding nautical and commercial empire of Holland, built on the acumen and enterprise in the 17th century of scarcely a million avaricious and seafaring Dutch.

But the United States merely uprooted the native Americans (to make way for imported slaves, initially) and then swamped, thinned, or drove them into Canada before the riptide of settlers moving west. It had no interest in hanging on to Cuba, unfortunately for the Cubans, or the Philippines; President Cleveland was opposed even to accepting Hawaii as a territory; and the acquisition of Alaska by Pres. Andrew Johnson was seen as a “folly” for decades. There is no immutable or irresistible force of history ringing down the curtain on America. Yet the country is in decline. It is not logical and is certainly not irreversible, but that is not entirely relevant, because it is happening anyway."

Any Day You Learn Something Is A Good Day! Do You Know This Word: OIKOPHOBIA

James Taranto of the WSJ Best of the Web Today addresses the pro-mosque crowd:



"The Ground Zero mosque is an affront to the sensibilities of ordinary Americans. "The center's association with 9/11 is intentional and its location is no geographic coincidence," as the Associated Press has reported. That Americans would find this offensive is a matter of simple common sense. The liberal elites cannot comprehend common sense, and, incredibly, they think that's a virtue. After all, common sense is so common.

The British philosopher Roger Scruton has coined a term to describe this attitude: oikophobia. Xenophobia is fear of the alien; oikophobia is fear of the familiar: "the disposition, in any conflict, to side with 'them' against 'us', and the felt need to denigrate the customs, culture and institutions that are identifiably 'ours.' " What a perfect description of the pro-mosque left"


OK all you lefty OIKOPHOBICS out there - change your ways! You should not fear this great country or its systems. Learn to appreciate what they have accomplished in 200+ years! Everything has faults - the alternative you are pursuing has MANY MORE!

It has been a good day!

Any Day You Learn Something Is A Good Day! Do You Know This Word:

Public Pensions: We should all be ashamed!!

Arnold Schwarzenegger explains the DISASTER we have all allowed in California by letting the legislature pander to the public employees while thepublic employees simply let it happen and enjoy the "egg" while they are "killing the golden goose."

This "egg" will be a lot worse than the current salmonella scare - it will destroy our State for our children! All Government should be proud!!!

Note that in the current downturn NO California State Government jobs have been lost while over 1 million private sector jobs have been lost. That means they can't pay taxes to support the working state employees! Don't you think they should automatically cut back in the same ratio? Or is that too rational for Government.

Disgusting!

WISDOM FROM CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: The Last Refuge of a Liberal

Mr. Krauthammer summarizes the Dems silliness in opposing the majority of the population in most all arenas. What happened to our republican system that requires the consent of the majority?

I am pleased that their inability to understand this will send them to the hinterlands for two or three decades again, but the damage they have done this time will be difficult to correct!

Read the column: it is important - particularly for my lefty friends!

A sample on the swirl of current issues the Dems insist on promoting:


"Note what connects these issues. In every one, liberals have lost the argument in the court of public opinion. Majorities -- often lopsided majorities -- oppose President Obama's social-democratic agenda (e.g., the stimulus, Obamacare), support the Arizona law, oppose gay marriage and reject a mosque near Ground Zero.

What's a liberal to do? Pull out the bigotry charge, the trump that preempts debate and gives no credit to the seriousness and substance of the contrary argument. The most venerable of these trumps is, of course, the race card."



He nails the problem and confirms November electoral revolution!

The Administrations Waste on Education

Read the Heritage Foundations Morning Bell on Arnie Duncan's RttT - Race to the Top - program and the comments of New Jersey's Governor Christie's comments on the blind implementation - wasting all of our dollars!

"Citizen United aftershocks" - more lefty/WaPo Silliness!

Katrina vanden Heuvel - editor and publisher of The Nation - writes a column today in the WaPo bashing the Citizens United SCOTUS decision.

The problem is she is "blind" to the monies spent on political campaigns by UNIONS - industrial, service, public employee and teacher - that have for decades given the left a great advantage. She doesn't mention this at all - a nice "neutral" analysis!

I suggest the following: read her column and substitute the word UNIONS wherever she mentions CORPORATIONS. It reads just the same and is just as true!

So my analysis says Citizens United is the perfect balance to an imbalance that the left has enjoyed for a long time!

THE MOSQUE

James Taranto in WSJ's Best of the Web Today points out the real problem showing itself with the mosque controversy:


"For a project that is supposed to encourage reconciliation, though, the Ground Zero mosque is certainly stirring up a lot of hatred--among its supporters. Here's Richard Cohen in today's Washington Post:

Appearing on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour," Daisy Khan, a founder of the mosque (and the wife of the imam), rejected any compromise. She was right to do so because to compromise is to accede, even a bit, to the arguments of bigots, demagogues or the merely uninformed. This is no longer her fight. The fight is now all of ours.

And here's a passage from an NPR "Morning Edition" report today, titled "Rancor Over Mosque Could Fuel Islamic Extremists":

"This, unfortunately, is playing right into their hands," said Evan F. Kohlmann, who tracks these kinds of websites and chat rooms for Flashpoint Global partners, a New York-based security firm. "Extremists are encouraging all this, with glee.

"It is their sense that by doing this that Americans are going to alienate American Muslims to the point where even relatively moderate Muslims are going to be pushed into joining extremist movements like al-Qaida. They couldn't be happier."

To Cohen, two-thirds of Americans are "bigots, demagogues or the merely uninformed." To Kohlmann, even moderate Muslims are inclined toward mass murder if they don't get their way. Both these statements are not merely bigoted but downright unhinged.

Something about this mosque project is causing--or bringing to the surface--the utter derangement of its supporters. It is ugly and disturbing to watch, and all the more reason to think the idea is a bad one."

OBAMA AND ISRAEL

George Will - again in the WaPo (what's happening to the MSM: could it be they can't take it either!) - puts a little sanity into Hillary and Baracks SILLINESS with the Israeli's and Palestinians.

Please explain how you can "negotiate" with an opponent who will not allow you to exist?

OBAMA AND IRAQ

Later this week speculation is that Obama will take credit for ending the Iraq War. Before you listen to that you should read Kenneth M. Pollack in the WaPo - a paper I don't see insightful articles in very often - and his analysis of the real situation in Iraq at this time.

Name changing is not removal of all combat soldiers! Only if you're Obama!

AN INTERESTING PIECE OF HISTORY FROM DER SPIEGAL

Churchill and Hitler never met - but they almost did a couple of times! If you're interested in History - particularly World War II - this is a very good description of one of the great men of the last century - Churchill! Read it here.

Enjoy!

MORE MAMET

I am re-reading "Theatre" - it is a very short book - and will share some of it:


Chapter: HUNTING INSTINCTS

"Man is never happier than when he is going hunting." - Jose Ortega y Gasset

Man is a predator. We know this because our eyes are in the front of our heads. The same conclusion may be reached by reading the newspapers.


A bit cynical, but so true!

BHO's Friday Nights....

are sure busy announcing his decisions that go directly against the will of the American people. He obviously reads the polls in some detail or we might get a decision of his on some other day!

What is he and his administration thinking?

David Mamet

I am reading a new book by David Mamet - "Theatre" - in which he shares his knowledge and opinion of the problems with our elite theatre arts and what he feels is important to propogate the theatre as it was and should be.

You might guess he includes some politial thought to make his points, and I thought this excerpt from the chapter titled "Politically Correct" was dead on and stated the problem as clearly as possible. Read this and think about it - then buy the book!



"The essence of democracy is this: that the individual is free to embrace or reject, praise or abominate, any political position - that in this he is accountable to no one and need never, in fact, articulate his reasons or defend his choice.

That any political act could possibly be termed correct posits a universal, incontrovertible, superdemocratic authority - that is, a dictatorship.

Political correctness can exist only in (as it is the particular tool of) totalitarian oppression. The actual meaning of the phrase is "ideological orthodoxy."

Many of us have "good ideas," but those with a day job - in contradistinction to the idealogues - are impeded from inflicting them upon our fellow human beings."



I can't find any faults in his logic! And he does apply this to problems in the "Theatre."

RACISM: we can't seem to get away from it!!

James Taranto at WSJ's Best of the Web Today takes on Joe Conason and the set of race consumed lefties who ssstttretcccchhhh the comments of conservative righties to keep the racist pot boiling.

Why don't some of you lefties contact Conason and ask him to shape up?

Read the analysis and you'll better understand our being consumed with racism, when we have serious problems!

More analysis of "racism" - and I thought BHO was the end of it!!

Jonah Goldberg skewers Rangel, Waters, the Congressional Black Caucus and all the "racial hucksters" who are creating and then living off of the weak in our society!

Rangel and Waters are going to take down the Dems and BHO's ability to legislate if they are not "let off the hook". A position between "a rock and a hard place" for the Dems!!

WISDOM FROM THOMAS SOWELL

Thomas Sowell sheds light on "racism" with a logical explanation of differences in groups that even the silly left should get! An interesting read.

"Summer of Bailouts"

The Heritage Foundation gets it right about yesterdays $26 billion bailout of teachers unions and others.

"Under OBAMANOMICS, Government Workers Win, You Lose"

The Heritage Foundation documents what BHO is doing to our economy. A column worth reading to put this weeks bailout in perspective. The last sentence:

"At 9.5% unemployment, every private sector worker must be worried about their job under the Obama regime. But not government workers. President Obama will always have a bailout ready to protect their jobs."

Obama's world is upside down!!

VDH Explains who our next President will be. No kidding!

Victor Davis Hanson critiques BHO and sets the criteria for the 2012 election. His closing paragraph:




"In the end, if we are lucky, we will end up with a workmanlike candidate similar to the Ernest of Hawthorne’s short story, someone nondescript from the community, someone like the rest of America, who through humility and competence avoids the vanity of high office, balances budgets, wins wars, cuts spending, restores American confidence, finesses the partisan rancor, and restores our global stature and competitiveness — and slowly grows to resemble the visage on the side of the mountain."


Read the column and imagine who that person might be. I don't see him now. Do you?

THIS IS THE PROBLEM!!!

I just heard on John Gibson's radio show the following:

1/3 of the Los Angeles City Operating Budget goes to public employee's PENSIONS!

1/3!!!!!

WAKE UP! They buy the politicians with their dues! Time to eliminate PUBLIC UNIONS!

NEWSWEEK AND OBAMA

Mark Alexander at The Patriot Post comments on the fate of news magazine Newsweek and what may be the fate of our country under BHO's policies. An interesting read!

"At stake: Teaching vs. teachers unions"

Leonard Pitts writes the best column I have read on the problem of teaching in this country. I am not familiar with Mr. Pitts, but will become so with this display of wisdom on a critical problem in our society

Chris Christie on Teachers

The Governor of New Jersey, who has just finished balancing their budget with no tax increases, explains the problem with teachers and their exorbitant union contracts:


"On public schools: Teachers complain when they’re getting “4% and 5% salary increases a year in a 0% inflation world. They get free health benefits from the day they’re hired for their entire family until the day they die. They believe they are entitled to this shelter from the recession when the people who are paying for that shelter are the people who have been laid off, who’ve lost their homes, had their hours cut back. And all we ask them to do is freeze their salary for one year and pay 1.5% of their salary for their health benefits. . . . As much as I love teachers, everyone’s got to be a part of the sacrifice.”


California had better learn soon!

H/T: Peggy Noonan