Gitmo is Good

Looks like that Obama magic has sprinkled its pixie dust over Gitmo and taken it from BusHitler Bad to It-Must-Be-Good-Because-Obama-Said-So.

For the record, I never had a single second's doubt that Gitmo was the best solution for a bad situation. This Pentagon report Obama requested stating that Gitmo meets Geneva Conventions will not satify the Left at all, while giving the Right "I-told-you-do" and quiet snickering priveledges.

Again, it's all about that Hope and Change, isn't it?

Palin-Jindal, Jindal-Palin

I don't care how it works out but I'd rather have those two be our leaders than the jokers we've got now.

Especially now that Jindal has official announced that he will refuse money from the so-called stimulus bill. Gotta love that, a republican governor with a spine!

Go Jindal Go!

Go Klaus Go

I am a huge fan of Vaclav Klaus having read his book, heard him speak, and even met him once. So when Andrew Stuttaford put this up over at The Corner, I decided to copy and post it in full. Go Klaus Go! (And thank you Mr. Stuttaford)

Was It Something He Said?
by Andrew Stuttaford

Europe's last serving Thatcherite, Czech president Vaclav Klaus, made a speech to the EU's sham parliament on Thursday. It was a fine speech, in fact, so fine that it enraged the thugs, scolds, crooks, and placemen who make up so much of the world's least impressive deliberative body.

Daniel Hannan MEP reported what happened (or, even more pointedly, what didn't happen) here:

When anti-federalist MEPs held up placards calling for a referendum during a plenary session of the European Parliament, the big parties reacted with excruciating pomposity and hyperbole. Martin Shulz, the Socialist leader, said that our behaviour made him think of Adolf Hitler. Graham Watson, the Liberal leader, said that it "recalled the behaviour of the Communists in the Russian Diet [sic] and the National Socialists in the German Reichstag ". Several MEPs were issued with fines, on grounds that they had disgraced the assembly in the presence of a national leader (the Portuguese Prime Minister, José Socrates).

So, what action was taken against those Euro-integrationist MEPs who jeered, heckled and interrupted Václav Klaus yesterday? Their offence, surely, was the greater, Mr Klaus being a head of state. In insulting him, they insulted the Czech population. Have they been likened to Nazis? Will they be disciplined or fined?

I think we can all guess the answer...

The full text of Klaus's subtle and challenging speech (in which he shows himself by no means opposed to some forms of European integration) can be found here, but this, in particular, is well worth noting:

The present decision making system of the European Union is different from a classic parliamentary democracy, tested and proven by history. In a normal parliamentary system, part of the MPs support the government and part support the opposition. In the European parliament, this arrangement has been missing. Here, only one single alternative is being promoted and those who dare thinking about a different option are labelled as enemies of the European integration. Not so long ago, in our part of Europe we lived in a political system that permitted no alternatives and therefore also no parliamentary opposition. It was through this experience that we learned the bitter lesson that with no opposition, there is no freedom. That is why political alternatives must exist.

And not only that. The relationship between a citizen of one or another member state and a representative of the Union is not a standard relationship between a voter and a politician, representing him or her. There is also a great distance (not only in a geographical sense) between citizens and Union representatives, which is much greater than it is the case inside the member countries. This distance is often described as the democratic deficit, the loss of democratic accountability, the decision making of the unelected – but selected – ones, as bureaucratisation of decision making etc. The proposals to change the current state of affairs – included in the rejected European Constitution or in the not much different Lisbon Treaty – would make this defect even worse.

Since there is no European demos – and no European nation – this defect cannot be solved by strengthening the role of the European parliament either.

No wonder those clowns were angry.

Body Scanners in Tulsa

The TSA is running a test program of their full-body scanners in Tulsa.

Reactions are mostly postive but some have problems with the whole looking-under-your-clothes thing.

Here is what the images look like.

Here is the TSA website.

Ummm, Now I'm Scared

At first I thought this headline was either silly or paranoid but upon reading it and seeing the source, well, now I am scared.

Headline: "Experts Warn of 'Terminator'-Style Military-Robot Rebellion"

Source: "a hefty report funded by and prepared for the U.S. Navy's high-tech and secretive Office of Naval Research"

Link to read for yourself, then either hid under the covers or prepare for your Robot Overlord. I hope mine is Bender!

TaxPayer Revolt!

Michelle Malkin is organizing (with LOTS of help) Taxpayer Revolts across the country in reaction to the ghastly so-called stimulus bill.

Perhaps I will see you there! Go Michelle Go!

Investor's Business Daily is also covering the taxpayer's revolt in this article!

And here's The Conservative Revolution's How To Organize Your Own "Tea Party" Protest!

Honeymoon Downgraded

Obama's "honeymoon" has been downgraded to "smashing plates".

There was a honeymoon?!?

Dow Jones since Obama's inauguration. Ouch!

For a Harvard graduate, Obama isn't getting good grades (not that we know what his Harvard grades were). Wall Street Weekly Financial Columnist Liz Peek states that Wall Street is giving Obama an F for his mis-handling of the economy.

And you know Liz Peek is probably right when investors are running to that ages-old standby, Gold, for cover. Gold tops $1,000 an ounce. Ouch Again!

All this financial mishandling shouldn't be unexpected from a man who doesn't pay his bills - Obama still owes Chicago $1.7 million for his little victory bash. It's always so inspiring when your leader breaks every promise and obligation he has.

Of course, Obama isn't the only jerkweed politician breaking promises and living high on the hog. Apparently the fundraising for 2010 (really?!?) has begun for some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and throwing lavish parties to raise money while the country is suffering doesn't really make me want to vote for you. Throw each and every one of the scumbags out!

Where are these idiot's heads or have I just answered my own question?

What's Soros Trying To Do?

DailyPundit (the guy who named the blogosphere) is wondering if Soros is talking down the economy because he's shorting the stock market.

George Soros is the scum of the underbelly of sludge, so it wouldn't surprise me if DailyPundit is right to wonder what Soros is up too....

By the way, scroll down and read the first few comments - very educational. Nice readership you've got there DailyPundit!

At Least They Admitted It

Global Warming Scientist spun out on some ice when they had to announce that thanks to "drift" in the satellite data, they had underestimated the amount of sea ice in the artic.

A glitch in satellite sensors caused scientists to underestimate the extent of Arctic sea ice by 500,000 square kilometers (193,000 square miles), a California- size area, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center said.

The error, due to a problem called “sensor drift,” began in early January and caused a slowly growing underestimation of sea ice extent until mid-February. That’s when “puzzled readers” alerted the NSIDC about data showing ice-covered areas as stretches of open ocean, the Boulder, Colorado-based group said on its Web site.

The IPCC has stated that it has gotten colder since 1998 and just a while ago, the global warming alarmists were waving around this sea ice data to justify their existance. Now, it was all a glitch.

BWAHAHAHAH!

Socks-the-Cat has Died

I'm actually a little sad about this - especially since we have a tuxedo cat now too.

May kitty angels sing Socks to his rest (yes, I know but it makes me feel better).

Can't Spend Your Way Out of This

Or talk your way out of it apparently.

AP has an analysis of the Obama plan and just how sucky it is as well as how badly Obama's dismal strategy of doom and gloom talk is effecting the economy.

Hope and change has morphed into dismay and repetitiveness. So much for the new New Deal.

Shocked, Shocked!

Amnesty International and a pro-Tibet group who expected Obama to press China on Human Rights announced that they were "shocked and extremely disappointed" by Clinton's saying, "our pressing on those issues can't interfere on the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis."

Really? Even now, you are "shocked" that Obama isn't keeping any of his promises? I can tell you I am "extremely disappointed" but not by Obama - his behavior is exactly what expected, if perhaps only a little worse.

I am all for human rights. I do not always agree with all of Amnesty International's positions or tactics but I abhor the continued oppression and enslavement of human beings.

But Obama isn't out there to help others. He and his administration are only interested in the power grab for themselves. Mark my words, this will be an "I told you so" posting.

Good Sportsmanship for a Grieving Son

This story of good sportsmanship, kindness, and support made me cry. This story rightly deserves to be celebrated and my condonlences go out to the son who lost his mother. Our prayers are with you because I am certain your mother is looking down on you with pride and with gratitude to the demonstrations of support you have received.

Re: Who Needs Congress?

[Originially posted at The Corner by my husband]

Jerry, it is instructive to note that in the UK, the powers the executive gets via delegation from the legislature are called "Henry VIII Powers," after the monarch who strong-armed Parliament into starting off this practice. I suspect it is one of those practices the Founding Fathers found so abhorrent that they saw no need to prohibit it in the Constitution, as no self-respecting American legislature would do it. Unfortunately, now when we need it spelled out constitutionally it is exactly the time when such an amendment would have no chance of success, so useful does Congress find the practice.

It's nice to see Obama abusing our Constitution so early into his reign.

Futile Foreclosure Plan

[Originially posted at The Corner by my husband]

One of the most important things to note about the new Obama forclosure plan is that we know it won't work as advertised. As John Berlau points out here, people who have their loans modified to help them out actually redefault for the most part. The latest figures indicate that 36% redefault after just three months, and by eight months it's almost 60%. There is no evidence to suggest that this new mortgage restructuring plan will be any more successful. In that respect, Obama is doing just what he said he wouldn't do, throwing good money after bad. Moreover, by delaying the "clean break" that foreclosure actually represents, the plan actually subsidizes harm with taxpayer money. For those who will redefault, that is a bad thing.

Durban II - Conference of Racists

America walked out of the first Durban conference because of its overt anti-Semitism.

Obama has foolishly sent an American delegation to the Durban II conference and the delegates sat quietly while anti-Semitism and other racist vices were enshrined in a so-called human rights document.

Countenancing anti-Semetism is disgusting and I am disgusted with Obama that he allowed the delegates to do so.

SHAME on Obama and the US Durban II Delegates.

Go Rick Go!

He's got my vote!!!



Here's an interview with National Review and Rick done later today.

Shame is Good

While I do deeply believe in positive re-enforcement, shame is also good.

Megan Mcardle agrees with me in this post here.

Let's face it, all carrot, no stick is pretty pointless and only seems to create a grossly inflated sense of entitlement. No carrot, all stick would be awful as well. But that's not the point of embracing shame.

A well-balanced mix of shame and praise helps people remain positively socially connected. Being free to act without shame leads to sociopathic behavior. Believing you deserve a constant diet of praise creates narcessistic tendencies.

But a clear understanding of where the praise stops and shame slowly builds keeps all of us from straying out of bounds. That is why Shame is good.

Burris Cover-Up?

RightWing NutHouse (gotta love the honesty of that blog name) has laid out a very thoughtful argument that in order to pass the so-called stimulus bill, certain democrats sat on the Burris Affidavit exposing his links to Blago.

Hmmmm.

Cry for Liberty In Britian

Dr. Sean Gabb of Libertarian Alliance gave a speech in the UK recently as reported by The Volokh Conspiracy. Apparently it was good. Real good.

The text of the speech is here and it is well worth a read.

I especially like his position that liberals (in UK they are socialists, here they are "liberals") are the Establishment and must be "torn down". I love this man!

Defending Milton Friedman

Reason does a good job here. This is the man who stood on the idea of "who will spend your money better, you or the government?" As true then as it is today.

The post has a whole episode of "Open Mind" from PBS featuring an interview with Milton Friedman. Sweet! It is 28+ minutes long but I found it very edifying so I embeded it below. Enjoy!

Good God Above!

When NPR turns on the liberals and points out all of their corruption, you just know it has got to be bad! Yikes!

I Liked Down Periscope

Read the accompanying article too. I love Kelsey Grammer. He is always terrific.

Read the 1st Comment

The Daily News has a strong piece about Christopher Dodd and how his Senate career may be winding down.

Dodd has done a lot of damage to this country and I think the first in the comments section is right on.

I Wish I Were Texan

This declaration is so good, I am copying it in full and now wish I had some birth or home connection to Texas since clearly those Texans are so very sensible.

Perhaps all 50 state congresses should pass such legislation - Let's start lobbying them now.

By:A A Creighton H.C.R.A No.A50
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people";and

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and

WHEREAS, The scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and

WHEREAS, Today, in 2009, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, Many federal laws are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment assures that we, the people of the United States of America and each sovereign state in the Union of States, now have, and have always had, rights the federal government may not usurp; and

WHEREAS, Section 4, Article IV, of the Constitution says, "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government," and the Ninth Amendment states that "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people"; and

WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and

WHEREAS, A number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States;

now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas hereby claim sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That this serve as notice and demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That all compulsory federal legislation that directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or that requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.

H.C.R.A No.A50