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.

D.’s Tax-A-Lot Stimulus Package

Written By D.

Yep, you guessed it, more Tax-A-Lot tongue in cheek.


Stimulus Plans …The Dems have one, The GOP has one, Rush has one, so hey, why not me? I’m a citizen and taxpayer too ya know.

Here is my proposal; BAILOUT EVERYBODY.

As you can see, I prefer simple plans, so here’s how it works;

We mail special ATM Stimulus cards to everyone in Tax-A-Lot. Whenever anyone needs money they simply go to the closest Tax-A-Lot ATM machine punch in their SSN – “Stimulus Security Number” (formerly known as Social Security Number) enter the amount they need and presto the money machine comes alive!

Think of it, no more poverty … everyone will be wealthy. There will be no need for socialized medicine because everyone will be able to afford healthcare. No need for Social Security, Welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, Subsidized Loans for College and no one will need a mortgage so bye, bye Fannie and Freddie. We won’t even need banks. Think what it will do to lower the crime rate. We will all live in mansions, have big screen HDTV, drive Lamborghini’s and eat Caviar whenever we feel like it. Just one long bailout bash.

Now I know it will be hard for the government to print money as fast as we withdrawal it, so I propose the new ATM machines be equipped to print it on the fly. Problem solved!

O.K. - There is a downside to my plan, but there is always a downside in every plan. Since no one will have to work in Tax-A-Lot a few problems might arise; there will be no taxpayers to pick up the tab and it will be impossible to find a plumber, but it's impossible to find one now so nothing will change much. I don't want to get defensive but the Dems came up with their flawed plan in ten minutes and why should I spend more time on my plan they did on theirs? And, just like them, I'll work out the problems later.

You know, the truth is, we can’t afford any of the other plans either but at least my plan really spreads the wealth around.

So, isn’t it just the greatest plan ever?

Gulag Days?

Written By D.

Guess these three Putin protesters never heard the old saying, "Don't spit into the wind." They have been “detained” by police but they are sure their grievances will be heard? Right, bet they never read Solzhenitsyn ‘s “Gulag Archipelago.” I figure if Putin’s got ‘em in custody, they’ll have plenty of time to catch up on their reading now. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090129/wl_nm/us_financial_russia_protest_1

Bastille Day Re-Enactment Basically a Bust?

Written By D.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090129/wl_nm/us_france_strike_5 Labor Unions in France protest but it did not result in Bastille Day. The economy in France is 6 feet under and they’re basically protesting about union gripes, so much for French patriotism.

And now a moment of pause to quote from a classic;

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the
age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief. It was
the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of
Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to
Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far
like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its
being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison
only.” Charles Dickens, “A Tale of Two Cities.”

Hey, that could apply to France in 2009. Come to think of it, that could apply to the entire world right now. Well, I already read the book so I know how it ends.

Hollywood is probably already preparing for another endless remake movie. Do you think Angelina should play the “Madame Lafarge” character? I wonder if she knows how to knit.

When they storm the Bastille, give me a call.

Pelosi Could Learn From Lyndon Johnson

Written By D.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked if Pelosi had failed the President; http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_economy

“When asked whether Pelosi had failed the president by crafting a bill that that
Republicans saw as too partisan to support, Gibbs replied: "This bill went
through Congress, through its procedures. If people stop looking through the
partisan lens and through the economic lens, they'll see it was put together
with Democrats and Republicans and economists who supported us. Because it not
only puts money in people's pockets, but it also creates jobs."

Notice anything? There is no defense of Pelosi in that reply. In politics, if someone is asking that kind of question about you, then you usually have a problem.

It is tough defending defeat and make no mistake Pelosi’s failure to get a single GOP vote added to eleven Democrat defections on the Stimulus Package is a leadership defeat. I suspect that Pelosi is hiding her spectacular leadership failure behind that terse looking smile (the sharks are probably already circling.) It seems she is blinded by her partisanship. It also seems that every time Pelosi opens her mouth she polarizes people. Now that’s a special talent.

Powerful titles merely assign someone the ability to become a successful mover and shaker, what you do with that power really defines your success or failure.

Former President Lyndon Johnson, while serving in the House and later as Senate Majority Leader, understood power and how to use it better than most. He was a practical, pragmatic politician who knew how to compromise to get what he wanted.

On Page 15 of Robert A. Caro’s excellent book “The Years of Lyndon Johnson Means of Ascent” Caro provides some insight into Johnson’s leadership style;

“He ridiculed—intensely and harshly—politicians who fought for ideals and
principles”

Caro also quotes former Congresswoman Helen G. Douglas as saying this about
Johnson; “He made fun of those who refused to bend. . .”

What would Lyndon think of Pelosi’s leadership? I strongly suspect he wouldn’t think much of it. The Stimulus vote was a message about the need for political compromise and inclusion, but who knows if the message was received.

Support Freedom of Speech

Smart Girl Politics has a petition supporting Freedom of Speech for everyone, including Rush Limbaugh. Freedom of Speech is not just for Democrats and any attempts to stifle opposition is something we should all be concerned about. Please take a moment of your time to sign the petition at; http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/smartgirlpolitics/

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.