Pelosi Next Under The Bus?

Written By D.

This story at Fox News belies any myth about Democrat unity. Would Congressman Jim Cooper be out there saying the O team encouraged him to defy Nancy on Stimulus unless they wanted it publicly known? http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,487632,00.html

Now the story seems to be that O team wanted a clean Stimulus bill but House gave them a messy bill. House Dems did not even read it? They were told to just sign it?

Well, if O Team wanted a clean bill why did they support the messy one? Why didn’t they ask that it be cleaned up? Why didn’t they urge Nancy to work with the GOP on it? Why weren’t members encouraged to read it?

Now that the pork in the bill has been exposed and it is rapidly losing favor with the voters, looks more to me like they want to find someone to blame for this terrible piece of legislation and for the failure of the bill to gain bipartisan support and Nancy drew the short straw. Of course she set herself up to be the whipping boy with her highly partisan behavior. But there is plenty of blame to go around between them.

Yet, the buck stops at the White House. Who wanted the bill in the first place? Who made the pork campaign promises? Who wanted it quickly? Who urged its passage? Who proclaimed “I won” and, while urging GOP compromise, offered none in return?

With Conservative Democrats in open rebellion, GOP criticism of her leadership and the White House calling her stimulus bill messy, Nancy may find she has few friends willing to go to bat for her. But there is plenty of blame to go around. So much for personal responsibility in “every man for himself” Washington.

Rush Radio Stimulus Plan?

Written By D.

Rush Limbaugh does not form my opinions for me. I form them for myself. While I do not listen to him all the time, I do on occasion tune in on my pocket radio while walking my dogs.

I think Rush is a man of hubris and I’m not much for a constant feed of hubris. But I guess he has earned the right through hard work and perseverance. He is a uniquely American success story.

I was very disturbed this morning when I saw an article on Fox News that said the Democrats had launched an online petition attacking him for his comments; http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/27/dems-launch-online-petition-rush-limbaugh/

I really don’t know what the Democrats hope to gain because I only see in their action anger aimed at Rush simply for expressing his views. Expressing views is a concept we call Free Speech and it is the right of all Americans, including Rush.

I don’t know if his views actually influence people, but I am sure the facts that he uses to support them probably do. Rush is not to blame for the facts. Rush is not to blame for the economic meltdown nor the consequences of Democrat bailout mania laced with pork. The facts are the facts. If Rush wants those policies to fail, he has the right to say it.

Now that Bush is no longer President, it seems the Democrats are in search of a polarizing figure to attack and Rush is a convenient target. Vilification of Conservatives is a way of life for Democrats. They always seem to have a whole list of adjectives at the ready to attack those that do not agree with them. This is just business as usual.

Of course you would think that these “important” Democrats would have something better to do with their time.

But the result they seek to achieve, which appears to be stifling the free speech of their opposition, is not going to endear them to anyone except their hardcore base. They have gone after Rush before to charge up their base, so this is not new. Democrats are not known for originality, I guess that’s why they are using the failed FDR plan to “stimulate” the economy.

Do they think they will separate Rush from his ditto followers? My guess is that he will gain more listeners and generate more advertising revenue. Maybe the Democrats attack on Rush should be called the “Rush Radio Stimulus Plan.”

Do they think that the GOP will turn their backs on Rush? I figure the GOP will just use Rush because as long as the Democrats focus on him as their big target, GOP legislators can use him for cover. They will probably say, “We don’t like what Rush is saying,” but I’d bet they hope he keeps saying it. Good cop, bad cop.

Is this "act" the Dems are putting on part of a plan to shut down talk radio and blame Rush for it? Well, estimates are that 23 million people listen to Rush. Do they really want to anger that many people, most all of whom are real taxpayers and are feeling a bit insecure right now?

For me, in the end, this is not about Rush, this is about Free Speech. I may not always agree with what others say, whether liberal or conservative, but I will defend their right to say it. I suggest that the Democrats could learn something from the children’s taunt; “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” If Democrats don’t like what Rush has to say about them, the solution is easy; ignore him and don’t listen to his radio program. It is that simple, unless they have something against Free Speech. And, if that is the case, they'll anger a lot more than 23 million people.

Score One for the Lobbyists

Written By D.

Looks like eliminating earmarks in Tax-A-Lot lasted about 30 seconds. Now there will be earmarks but we just won’t know about it? So, that’s how the new transparency works. The lobbyists will still get earmarks and life goes on in D.C.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090125/ap_on_go_co/the_influence_game_stimulus_lobbying

I keep forgetting that when Democrats put a name to something it means the opposite of what they call it. Example; Transparency means Non-Transparent; The Employee Free Choice Act means No Choice for Employees, etc.

So in Tax-A-Lot, "Read my lips" has a whole new meaning.

NY Politics … “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”

Written By D.

I LOVE NY – NY POLITICS that is … Here we go, liberal hysteria aimed at Paterson and his choice for Senate.

There are claims that Paterson split the Democrat party, enhanced with attacks on his work ethic, abilities and management style. The threats are coming fast and furious that Cuomo will challenge him in a primary for Governor and that a Lib Congresswoman will challenge Gillibrand for senate in a primary. But in reality isn’t it just a few disgruntled libs with an over inflated sense of self? http://www.nypost.com/seven/01242009/news/columnists/dave_dooms_self_to_lose_vs__andy_151642.htm
It’s a regular New York minute.

But if we cut through some in the left’s hysteria and hyperventilation over this appointment there is much to see, learn and question.

The Democrats were already badly split in NY. Accusing Paterson of splitting them up is a joke. Some who would gain from the accusation are trying to sell it and saying Paterson self-destructed with this appointment. I think not.

Does the following information sound like NY Democrat unity to you?

Many Clinton supporters wanted Gillibrand, why?

Remember Kennedy did not support Hillary for President. Although Cuomo endorsed Hillary for President and she endorsed him for NY Attorney General, Hillary didn’t endorse Cuomo when he ran for NY Governor in a primary against McCall and Cuomo eventually had to drop out of the race.

Paterson supported Hillary in her run for President. Who will the Clintons support for Governor? I’m guessing Paterson.

It is widely reported that the Kennedys and the Cuomos are not on friendly terms .Will the Kennedys support Cuomo in a primary bid against Paterson? My guess is they’ll stay out of it.

The President is said to be pleased with the appointment http://www.politickerny.com/1626/obama-gillibrand-wonderful-choice and apparently Caroline wished her well. But the Cuomo supporters attacked Paterson. Caroline is moving on, Cuomo is not, his supporters are vowing a gubernatorial primary fight against Paterson.

A Cuomo primary fight with Paterson would likely be all or nothing for Cuomo, does he want to take that chance against an incumbent who also happens to be the first African American Governor of NY? If Cuomo loses, chances are there won’t be any more comebacks. I believe Steve Kornacki gets it right in this New York Observer article; http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/why-gillibrand-makes-sense-and-cuomo-doesnt

Ever since Paterson was named Governor, certain liberals have been looking down their nose at him. If I were in his shoes, I would realize they were not going to support my candidacy for Governor no matter what I did to appease them, so why bother trying? What to do? Easy, form alliances with others and position himself for support from some of the most powerful people in politics.

Enter Alphonse D’Amato, former NY GOP Senator and now big time lobbyist and friend of Gillibrand’s REPUBLICAN father, also a big time lobbyist. D’Amato already held a fundraiser for Paterson. Gillibrand interned in D’Amato’s Senate office many years ago. Gillibrand will be able to raise big money for her campaign in 2010 and also for Paterson. http://www.nypost.com/seven/01242009/news/regionalnews/dem_red_alert_on_sen__kirsten_151645.htm

Somewhere out there is the real threat of Rudy Giuliani running for Governor of NY. Giuliani and D’Amato have an on again, off again relationship. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/us/politics/15damato.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

Giuliani has said he is endorsing Pete King for Senate http://www.politickerny.com/1631/giuliani-complements-kennedy-backs-king-senate

Looks like the battle lines are being drawn. (And what’s up with Giuliani’s complement to Caroline?)

With the appointment of Gillibrand, who do you think D’Amato will support for Governor, I’m guessing Paterson and there is gold in “them thar hills.”

2010 is not 2008 - No one who assumes the Liberals will still be in the same power position they are in now truly understands the fickleness of the electorate. Two years is a lifetime in politics especially in hard economic times. Paterson seems to understand that a turn to the right is a real possibility and that Gillibrand has the credentials and money backers to survive it. In the process Paterson seems to be gathering a rally of the moderate Democrats, RINOS and Independents around him so he too can survive it. If he succeeds, these few angry anti-Paterson liberals are about to find out they are a small insignificant group that live isolated, out of touch lives in NYC.

One more thing and maybe the most telling of all, the very liberal Chuck Schumer is also pleased with Gillibrand’s appointment; http://www.politickerny.com/Horowitz Apparently, he gets it. Paterson is the man with the plan.

Over the next two years, DINOS (Democrats in name only) may become the next big thing in politics. Democrats are good at surviving, if nothing else.

Anyone up for singing a political chorus of “I Will Survive”

The Census Circus Will Be Coming To Town

Written By D.

The 2010 U.S. Census will be upon us before we know it. What that means to politicians is; federal money and political power.

If you understand what is at stake you will see how important it is to pay attention to the Census. Here is a good explanation, long, but a good read; http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/98-404.ZS.html

The Census will be used for redistricting (redrawing) political lines of representation. Municipal Council Districts, County Board Reps, State Legislative and Congressional District Representation map lines will change.

In states that have lost population some elected officials at the Congressional level will lose their seats and in states that have gained population seats will be gained. Municipal, State and County Legislators will have their lines shifted based on equalizing representation through population. But make no mistake; these lines will be very creative interpretations of fairness for political purposes.

Each of the political parties wants the same thing; to make sure the lines are drawn in their favor. Dems and the GOP will hire people to draw them new maps based on gaining the redistricting advantage. These maps will be held close to the vest and played like a game of high stakes poker.

State legislators will become very important because they decide on how the Congressional maps will be drawn. Whatever party is in charge at the state level will pretty much get the district lines they want and if there is a loss of a Congressional seat, chances are great that it will be the party in the minority that loses it. Deals will be struck for political survival. If the new lines are too bizarre they will be challenged in court.

Since the last Census, people who were not happy with their state, mostly blue states, have been voting with their feet. It will be interesting to see the number of Congressional representatives they lose in redistricting. New York and California will definitely lose Congressional seats.
This will require that the Democrats put on a Census Circus in order to inflate the numbers of what they call “undercounted minorities.”

Court battles will probably renew a fight over “Imputation.”

The statistical question is; If you do not know how many people there are in the first place, how do you know that you under, or for that matter, over-counted them? It is just a statistical guess. While sampling cannot be used in the Census, imputation can be used. But I can see where there would be plenty of opportunity for Dems to abuse imputation in the count.

“It’s not fair to minorities.” will be the Dems mantra, barkering it under the "big tent" of the Census Circus. The msm will overdose on it. But it is really just about power and money, fairness has nothing to do with it. After all, it is not the population count per se that determines the fairness of representation within district lines; fairness is determined by the politicians who draw those lines.

Here is the real danger ahead; I believe the ultimate goal of the Dems will be to use imputation to their advantage. If this is allowed to happen it could be a political redistricting disaster.

I also believe the Dems will do all in their power to control the count. Imagine this; ACORN Census takers being paid to count “undercounted minorities.” Don’t think it cannot happen. Remember that much political power and federal funding to the states is at stake and I don’t have to tell you that Democrats are known to cheat.

I could name a lot of things that aren’t fair but a true count of the census is not one of them. I urge people who want a fair count to pay close attention to information reported about the Census and you may want to volunteer to become a Census taker, especially if you live in a city. If possible, also try to get involved in the redistricting process.

Musings

Written By D.

1. I woke up this morning, looked out the window and no new car was in my driveway. My refrigerator had not been filled with food and I still had to write the checks to pay my bills because they did not disappear. My investments were worth less due to yesterday’s post speech stock plunge and I’m sure my share of the national debt increased. So I asked myself the “Reagan question” only modified; "Are you better off today than you were yesterday?" Nope.

2. The big question will be whether or not we will all be better off four years from now? I’m guessing not.

3. A “stay classy” moment, much to my amusement. Hot Air, bless their hearts, posted this video clip from ABC on their website; http://tinyurl.com/8nf49t of the Carters and Clintons apparently snubbing each other at the inaugural. It was hard to tell who seemed to snub who and I give it a -5 on the Presidential greatness charts. Hey maybe it just needs a peace process. O could bring them both to Camp David and shuttle between cabins, replicating Carter’s “All you need is love theme” holding hands with them until there is a breakthrough. There could be a Noble Peace prize in it. Of course the Carter Love In didn’t work out real well over the long term, especially for Sadat.

4. The msm is having an “adjective overdose moment.”Unfortunately, it is not going to go away. They are all beginning to sound like society page writers due to the apparent lack of journalistic integrity. Be prepared for; Grace, Humor, Wit, Style, Class … and all sorts of gush … just don’t expect any serious reporting, we are on our own for that kind of news.

Nothing But Blue Skies Ahead

Written By D.

No, the world won’t be singing in perfect harmony. The doves of peace won’t make any more inroads than they have before.

BUT … it will seem that way.

Now that a Liberal Democrat is becoming President, the msm will make it sound as if all our worldly troubles have disappeared.

And these are the times that will try the minds of petty dictators. In their endless quest for msm attention all they had to do to get attention was criticize Bush and blame our Democratic/Capitalistic system for their personal failures and the msm would hang on their every word. Socialist movie stars would flock to their side in support and there was no end to the attentions paid them.

If they think low oil prices are ruining them politically, these petty dictators are about to fall on really hard times. It has already started. The effigy burnings in Iran of the Pres-Elect were not widely reported. Chavez’s paranoid criticism of the Pres-Elect was also not widely reported.
These same dictators were huge supporters of the Pres-Elect during the campaign and were deliriously happy when he was elected. I guess they should have been more careful of what they wished for, because now the msm has a vested interest in running cover for any of their negative or critical comments aimed at the Pres-Elect.

The petty dictators are going to find it much harder to get any public attention when criticizing U.S. policy. They will have to rely on European news outlets to get the story out and let’s face it most Americans don’t read Euro news. So they will remain blissfully ignorant of the latest info coming from the petty dictator information super highway. It is akin to; “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” well; “If a petty dictator goes on an anti-American rant and the msm doesn’t print it, does it count?” Heaven only knows what dangerous stunts they will try to pull to feed their U.S. media attention seeking egos.

Suddenly the msm is going to make the world seem like a much more peaceful place. But in reality it will be the same old war weary place with the same divisions and hatreds. The petty dictators will still be spewing their lies and blaming our country for their own failures. The only difference is we just won’t be told about it or the story will be buried on the back pages. And whereas the msm blamed every woe in the world on Bush, now all woes will be directed away from the new administration. Any military action taken by the Pres-Elect will become noble and necessary, free of anti-war protests.

Consider it a “bad news blackout” for the next four years. No famine, No disease, No poverty, No petty dictators, No world tensions, No U.S. bashing, No nuclear threats, No protests, No environmental crisis, No criticism of the U.S. from Socialist movie stars …

Just blue skies ahead in Liberal La La Land.

Dress for Success?

Written By D.

Replicating Lincoln’s inauguration is not what I would have chosen as a “theme” party. Nostalgia and history are two different things. The Democrats have adopted Lincoln as one of their own. First they replicated his funeral for JFK and now his inaugural. You would think they could come up with Democrats FDR or Wilson for their reenactments of history.

I guess that is because the Democrats are much like the Whig Party that Lincoln was a long time member of before it fell apart and he became a Republican. But he never stopped being a Whig. Besides, usurping the other Party’s guy is so much more Machiavellian.

I really wouldn’t want our country to emulate, over the next term of office, years of civil war, the suspended writ of habeas corpus, destruction of vast amounts of property, inflation, shortages, forced impressments, church burnings, hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths, family turned against family, trampling on state rights, rape and pillage and thousands of imprisonments for merely being critical of the government.

Although a re-enactment of Lincoln shutting down the msm for the slightest of criticism would be an interesting and ironic turn of events, I would be against it in any form.

At the time of Lincoln’s election with less than 40% of the popular vote, he was so despised there were plots against his life. He actually had to sneak into Washington for his inaugural dressed as a woman. He succeeded in getting into town, disguised as an old woman, complete with hunched over walk. Talk about dress for success.

I’m sure glad they decided to skip re-enacting that part of the story.

The Six Degrees of “Democrat” Separation

Written By D.

Yep, I was out hunting for the degrees of separation of party affiliation in this AP article entitled;

“Baltimore mayor indicted on theft, perjury charges” http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090109/ap_on_re_us/baltimore_mayor_probe_4

Of course, it was in Baltimore (first degree of separation,) so I strongly suspected it had to be a Democrat Mayor who was indicted on theft (second degree of separation) and perjury (third degree of separation) charges. The real “Democrat” affiliation tip off for me was the flattering photo (fourth degree of separation) and the quote by Mayor Dixon in paragraph four; “I am being unfairly accused.”(fifth degree of separation) Then I knew it was a Democrat for sure, but I hung in there until I reached the final degree of separation and the Mayor's Democrat party affiliation was finally revealed to me in the sixth paragraph.

Now if it had been a Republican, party affiliation as well as the politician’s name would probably have been in the headline and it would have probably also been accompanied by the most awful photo they could find. Zero degrees of separation!

Pres-Elect Appoints Spending “Watchdog”

Written By D.

News flash from Tax-A-Lot … reform of government spending coming to an entitlement program near you. Social Security and Medicare are on the table for spending “reform.” Remember when Republicans tried to reform those programs and Democrats told Senior Citizens that the “Mean-Spirited GOP” wanted to take away their Social Security? My, how times have changed.

Not surprising that “few details” of the reforms were provided, don’t want to anger the Senior Citizens and Baby Boomers who are about to retire before you find a way to blame the GOP for the “reform.”

According to AP; http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090107/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_15

“President-elect Barack Obama said Wednesday that reforming massive
government entitlement programs — such as Social Security and Medicare — would
be "a central part" of his effort to control federal spending.

Obama made the pledge but provided few details as he named Nancy
Killefer as his administration's chief performance officer, creating a new White
House position aimed at eliminating government waste and improving
efficiency.”

With all the bailouts and wild deficit spending that is going on, plus the new spending that is being proposed, excuse me if I doubt the sincerity of this new found fiscal responsibility.

At least the “news light’ folks of the msm can spend endless hours speculating on what breed of dog this watchdog should be … my guess is it will turn out to be a toothless Chihuahua.

Who is going to break the bad news to all those House and Senate Democrats who have built their long careers on entitlement programs and pork spending? Of course they may not notice since, at the moment, they are in a spending feeding frenzy.

In case you didn’t know how broke these programs are;

“projected expenditures for Medicare and Social Security programs exceed tax
revenues by over $40 trillion over the next 75 years. “

Source; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt