Embarrassing

OK, if you are a professional race baiter, a community organizer, union boss, felon or univ “genders study” prof, we can understand the Democrat party registration. Why would anyone else bother? It’s a wonder.

If subjected to scrutiny, how can these types define themselves as patriots? By reverting to the “old party” values, those of Truman and Kennedy? Sorry. No such party or values exist any longer, at least not in the national organization of the party.

Do you even know my good lefty friends anything whatsoever about what your party has become? We doubt it.

American Muslims have been fairly criticized for their lack of zeal in looking to cast out those members who profess violence. Why have not American Democrats been taken to task for their lack of zeal in looking to exile the extremists of their party; that is, the group now in control? Are these folk content, or just embarrassed?

Where do we begin? Embarrassing is it not that so many still look, zombie-like, to blame Bush when Bush is long gone. Did Bush force BO to borrow $3 trillion? Did Bush force BO to nationalize health care? Did Bush force BO to scare the daylights out of every employer with talk of burden after burden - income, FICA, health tax increases, all the rest? Did Bush force BO to protect those responsible for the crash? As Vic Hansen reminds us, Bush did not daily blame Clinton for Clinton’s appeasing of radical Islam, as Bush went about his business of taking on the Taliban and passing the Patriot Act after 9-11.

This applies to our lefty pals in Marin as it does to BO - “Nothing so diminished a president as the trait of scapegoating a predecessor, nothing so erodes his stature as the teen-age habit of blaming someone else for one’s self-inflicted problems,” notes Hansen.

Embarrassing to Democrats is it not that the party with a dark racial past lays blame of racism on that party founded on anti-slavery, when in fact the left craftily lever the black community by convincing the same of a handicap? Embarrassing is it not, the slanderous claim that a protestor called John Lewis the N-word 15 times turns out to be a lie, “but is promoted endlessly by teary-eyed reporters, most of whom cannot count to 15,” as Ann Coulter notes.

Obama plays right along. Two big-time lefties (but both honorable gents, rare) note that, “Obama's divisive approach to governance has weakened us as a people and paralyzed our political culture.” Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen, pollsters for Carter and Clinton respectively, continue: “Obama has also cynically divided the country on class lines. He has taken to playing the populist card time and time again. He bashes Wall Street and insurance companies whenever convenient to advance his programs, yet he has been eager to accept campaign contributions and negotiate with these very same banks and corporations behind closed doors in order to advance his political agenda.”

This is embarrassing stuff for any Democrat, even our nursery pals.

Embarrassing is it not that violence resides primarily with the left, the left’s proclivity for the same documented in the form of mountains of arrest records. “Liberal protesters at the 2008 Republican National Convention were arrested for smashing police cars, slashing tires, breaking store windows, and for possessing Molotov cocktails, napalm bombs and assorted firearms. (If only they could muster up that kind of fighting spirit on foreign battlefields.) There
were no arrests of conservatives at Democratic conventions,” notes Coulter.

Embarrassing is in not that in the fall of 2008 Obama supporters mace'd elderly volunteers in a McCain campaign office in Galax, Va. In separate attacks, a half-dozen liberals threw Molotov cocktails at McCain signs on families' front yards in and around Portland, Ore. One Obama supporter broke a McCain sign being held by a small middle-aged woman in midtown Manhattan before hitting her in the face with the stick.

Do you party types identify with this stuff?

On a broader scope, embarrassing is it not that most registered Democrats are ignorant of history. Not just a tad unaware. Ignorant. And that they still believe in, or go along with central planning when most of us know it can only lead to dictatorship (because it always has)? As our friend Thomas Sowell notes, “What is remarkable is that, after a few decades of experience with central planning in some countries, or a few generations in others, even Communists and socialists began to repudiate this approach. As liberals replaced central planning with more reliance on markets, their countries’ economic-growth rates almost invariably increased, often dramatically. In the largest and most recent examples — China and India — people by the millions have risen above these countries’ official poverty rates, after they freed their economies from many of their suffocating government controls.”

We’re tired and going to bed. It’s endless.

Robert Craven

Disconnect

Many of us ponder the disconnect between the left’s predictions/policy, and reality ahead. The two rarely match; things rarely work out for them but this never presents a problem to these folk. They're not bothered by it. Result is almost irrelevant, it is only rhetoric that counts, noise and emotion. They continue to roll ahead, untethered, children at the dinner table. We all suffer for it.

We worked for a high school in Marin for a bit. That experience provided a major leg up in understanding the left. Talk in the faculty room is completely in the abstract; it is detached from any proven norm; the notion of a historical track record is omitted. It’s all feel good stuff. Historical precedence? Are you kidding? The Founders’ intent? Who are they? Certainly this is Obama’s background (simply at a more elevated level). He’s taken these notions picked up in the lounge and tried to make application. But most working Americans don’t think like this, hence the tanking of his ratings.

Why then do academics think like this? Easy, 1) it feels good and 2 they can get away with it. They live in a cacoon and are almost completely protected from their actions. There are zero repercussions, even when applied in the classroom. In their business their clients are young, pliable and naive - just kids - compliant and agreeable. Unlike most of us these academic types are individuals who are rarely held accountable, thanks party to their powerful unions, partly to the culture at these schools - high school, university, whatever. What do you think it takes to get fired from a teacher’s job? You need a Gatling gun to get that done; taking out the whole Eng dept would do it (taking out the business or math dept, not likely).

So Stalin’s useful idiots continue to roll ahead, oblivious to result. This explains Obama (as a sidelight, it also explains the poisoning of our kids).

Robert Craven

Happy To Help Out

Plenty of folk honestly thought Obama was on to something when it came to health. When we noted that he was up to no good, we were ignored.

Recall when BO told us that if we made under $250M / yr we would not see a tax increase to pay for this thing? He said Sep/9/09 that, “The middle class will realize greater security, not higher taxes,” when referring to his health plan.

Guess what? That was a ruse. Even our progressive pals have figured it out. From the Heritage Foundation: “Yale Law School professor Jack Balkin told a meeting of progressive activists last month that, ‘Obama has not been honest with the American people about the nature of this bill. This bill is a tax.’” BO has all kinds of new taxes in mind, but as Heritage continues, “None of these taxes touches the lives of every American as closely as the individual mandate to purchase health insurance. For the first time in American history, Obamacare forces all Americans to purchase a product or face sanction from the Internal Revenue Service. This is clearly a tax, as pointed out by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos during a September 20th interview with the President himself.” Thank you George (and nice hair by the way).

But wait. There’s more. Really. See in the act, Title IX, subtitle A - Revenue Offset Provisions, Sec 9002. It seems that starting 2011 your W-2 will be increased by the value of the health ins you are given, even if you are retired. You’re a teacher and a big BO fan? Add $15,000 or $20,000 to your tax bill. Maybe now you’re in a higher bracket. Still like the guy? Sure you do. This is how BO will pay for the tiny fraction in the US who are uninsured, half of whom don’t care. You’re happy to make the sacrifice for these folk.

Robert Craven

Insight - It's free

We don’t own a TV. That’s proved to be an assist over the past few years.

This weekend I happened to view a bit of what is offered by the way of that venue. Where in the world are Ozzie & Harriet, Jack Benny, the Honeymooners, Gun Smoke, Paladin? Replaced by garbage. OK. But where is the news? After a glimpse at CNN it’s easy to understand why this outfit resides in the cellar. Fox is better, but even there a lot of noise, a lot of words, a lot of entertainment. Ok, sure, the $ dictates the menu. But it’s not enough.

So for those of us who may be serious about our citizenship something more is required. Thirty years ago - that meant trips to the library. Now it means the keyboard. It’s all there folks.

Example: Our blogs have been prescient, past years, months. We have predicted public reaction to 1) Obama, 2) health care, 3) “stimulus” and 4) business reaction to this new environment. We don’t have a crystal ball, only a curiosity.

We don’t know any insiders, at least not anymore. But we knew Obama was not one of us before it became the catch phrase in conservative journalism. We knew that Obama was simply a savvy (and gutless) politician disguised as a messiah, that earlier he was a detached academic who believed in abstract notions he'd picked up in the faculty lounge, none of these American and all devoid of pride of ownership.

It’s easy to criticize after the fact. Better to get there early.

Want insight? It’s free.

Robert Craven

Litmus Paper From The Left

We have three friends who vote the lefty line without fail. One is a nurseryman, one is a plastic surgeon and one is a trial lawyer. Our trial lawyer pal is ok, the current recession having little impact on his bottom line. (He goes about his business of defending the “victims” of our society, strafing those who may look to uphold the law.) Our plastic surgeon buddy is hurting, naturally, his business being almost completely discretionary - save the new boobs for a happier time. Our nurseryman pal just reported that his semi-annual sale, well hyped, was mediocre, nothing special. New plants can wait.

All of this is nothing if not litmus paper for the blood swell of our economy. There is none. Why? Look to our - “US Economy - A Snapshot,” or, put two and two together. Is there plenty of blame to go around? No there is not. Every fool who voted Democratic yet finds his business in the tank, knows who’s to blame.

Robert Craven

Open Season On Obama

In The Nation on Thursday, journalist Eric Alterman calls the Obama presidency “a big disappointment” for progressives. Now folks, how this bunch ever acquired the handle “progressives” eludes us. “Retrograde” works. No matter, these far left types are upset with their once-upon-a-time cult figure. Let’s take a look.

We know now that most moderates - those who do not share the progressive agenda - yet who voted for bo, simply failed to hit the books. They took a blind shot, the easy way. It didn’t work out for them or us. Obama remains Obama. But that excuse does not apply to faculty lounge types, phony intellectuals, all the rest of the progressive bunch (who despise moderate Democrats almost as much as they do Republicans). They did indeed do their homework. Obama was the most partisan in the Senate and they knew it. He was half black. He was slick. He palled around with those who instinctively kick the US - a credential for this bunch if there ever was one - and they knew it.

So they should have liked all of that, and they did. But wait! “It’s open season on Obama, whom so many hoped would lead us out of the neoliberal wilderness,”according to progressive blogger Les Leopold. “He was a community organizer and ought to know how working people have suffered through a generation of tax breaks for the rich, Wall Street deregulation and unfair competition. When the economy crashed, he was in the perfect position to limit the unjustified pay levels on Wall Street,” but did nothing to address the progressive agenda, claims Leopold.

What did these types miss? Easy, although they can be idealists (profoundly naive, but idealists anyway) and actually believe in this stuff, BO never was and never did. He is pure Chicago-bred politician, looking out for his own interest and knowing the machine well enough to secure that end. There is no idealist there for goodness sake. He knew how to lever his blackness, and to say what he needed to say. He isn’t going to fight any of their battles now. What fools.

Robert Craven

OVERLOAD

We sat down to highlight the Gulf “clean up” and the implications for those who may still believe that Obama is not just a typical, Chicago-bred pol. Sure he is. He’s what he always was. For example, why has BO refused to do much of anything to clean up? Most of us know the answer - he has higher interests than protecting the Gulf. Labor unions (to which the Dem’s are in hock) and the Jones Act come to mind, so does the offshore drilling conspiracy, this crisis a useful lever to those types.

But no, just as soon as our fingers hit the key board for a little fun Obama decides it's best if NASA handles the free world’s relationship with the Muslims; he wants them - the Muslims - to “feel good” about their past. Oh, well sure, that makes sense. Forget space. NASA-applied group therapy is just what these troglodytes need. Sure it’ll cure ‘em.

But wait, why delve into that one even? In the next 20 minutes or so, BO will deliver yet another classic reflecting 1) his chronic lack of judgement in domestic affairs and 2) his ongoing application of adolescent diplomacy in matters offshore.

Is this fun or what?

Robert Craven

US Economy - A Snapshot

We concluded our last blog as follows: Instead, BO artfully exploited the groundless fears of capitalism and the instinct of many to look to government for a fix. He understands the indolent nature of a good portion of our population, those whose library is stuffed with past issues of People and Newsweek but never an Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Buchanan, Stigler, Hayek or Friedman.

That above of course was taken in the context of bo’s hijacking of the health sector. But the statist agenda so thoroughly woven through Obama’s fabric and that of his kind - never waste a crisis - makes this response all but a sure thing in reaction to today’s key June payroll release. Don’t believe us? Hold on a day or two.

Today's weakness was about as expected; much of the loss was due to known layoffs at the census bureau. No matter. Obama will highlight this report as reason for more stimulus. Anyone who has done a little homework or consulted those who have understands that gov’t plans to spark the economy are at best a wash, at worst a retardant.

Kennedy and Reagan understood just how to recover from a slowdown. All of us know that. So does BO. He is not entirely stupid. His problem - for us - is that he is a fanatic. Thus, a Kennedy or Reagan extraction would offend his elitist, faculty-lounging-propeller-headed buddies whose track record is zip but whose sweet and easy ways never fail to provide an attractant to the chatterers. It’s that easy my friends.

Robert Craven