Requiem for a Flip-Flopper

scottspiegel — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:14:13 -0400

Senator Arlen Specter was a registered Democrat in Pennsylvania from the age of 21 to 35. Like any sensible person, he became a Republican in his 30s, even though he switched parties not so much to suit his changing political philosophy as to be able to challenge an incumbent Democrat for the job of district attorney in Philadelphia in 1965.

A funny thing happened when Senator Specter turned 79 last year: he decided that his 21- to 35-year-old political self had been wiser than his 35- to 79-year-old self. (Given his voting record for most of his Senate career, it’s hard to quibble with this point.)

Arlen Spectacle (as Mark Levin calls him) categorically stated in March 2009, “To eliminate any doubt, I am a Republican, and I am running for reelection in 2010 as a Republican on the Republican ticket.” A month later, after genuine conservative Pat Toomey had thrown his hat into the ring for the Republican nomination, Specter announced that, to eliminate any doubt, he was a Democrat, and was running for reelection in 2010 as a Democrat on the Democratic ticket.

Specter inarguably changed parties to avoid a repeat of his close race in 2004 with Toomey, whom Specter beat with a measly 51% of the vote, despite the advantages of incumbency and overwhelming support from the national and state party establishments, including President George W. Bush and fellow Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. As early as April 2009, just three months into Obama’s presidency, Specter must have sensed that the burgeoning anti-incumbent mood would smother him by the time of the 2010 primaries, and so he deserted the GOP. read more »

Watching ‘New Conservative Republicans’ Transforming Party.

Skip MacLure — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 06:11:24 -0400

It’s still the Republican party… but it behaves with the energy of a movement… it has momentum and is self-aware. It hums and buzzes, stretches and grows with huge infusions of like-minded Patriotic Americans who are answering the summons. It’s freedom calling and once again Americans are reaching for and grasping their own part of this historical movement.

Sarah Palin at SRLC, New Orleans

There is a concerted effort out there in Marxville to discredit the Patriot Movements, trying to tie us to extremist groups. It’s the entire gamut of DeMarxist statist press with the usual low character of their reporting as their hallmark. There have also been some communications leaked, outlining intentions of infiltrating Conservative Tea Party groups for the purpose of disruption. It’s pretty much what I expected the Democrats to do. Remember all those Democrat crossover votes in open primaries that gave us John McCain as a candidate in 2008?

Watching this magnificent movement burgeon and grow has a sense of history to it. We have advocated new leadership and a clean stable in the Republican party. I’ve been gratified by seeing the sheer numbers of smart, sharp young guns making themselves heard out there in local, County and State government level. Starting soon, the attention will be focused like a laser on November and the Senate and House races. read more »

Tea Party versus Obama?

Drew McKissick — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:42:22 -0400

So who's closer to your own views on politics, the President of the United States (AKA "The One) or some anonymous member of the Tea Party movement?

For 48% of American voters the answer is the Tea Party. The One clocks in at 44%. That's according to the latest numbers from the Rasmussen poll.

On major issues, 48% of voters say that the average Tea Party member is closer to their views than President Barack Obama. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 44% hold the opposite view and believe the president’s views are closer to their own.

Not surprisingly, Republicans overwhelmingly feel closer to the Tea Party and most Democrats say that their views are more like Obama’s. Among voters not affiliated with either major political party, 50% say they’re closer to the Tea Party while 38% side with the President. ...

Keep in mind that this poll comes AFTER Obama, the Democrat leadership and the media have spent a great deal of time trying to portray the folks in the Tea Party movement as radicals, etremists, or (in some cases) "birthers" and/or outright racists.

And STILL, more Americans identify with them than Obama...which points to what should be a pretty good November for conservatives. read more »

Entitlement Addiction and Healthcare Taxation

Veronica Estrada — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:40:40 -0400

: Front-load benefits, back-ended taxation. Photo from Politico's John Shinkle.

Dems are wicked.

Can I say it again?

Gonna.

Dems are wicked.

And we're borderline stupid for not anticipating these sort of political shenanigans.

What they're doing is in the political playbook. It's simple: you read back, analyize and project the most awful, cruel, twisted, socialistic, sadistic outcome, then you try to trump evil and slavery.

Possible? Maybe. If they don't train away our right to vote.

Carrie Budoff Brown from Politico's Timing Right for Democrats's Midterm Election Hopes reports on "gain before pain":

Voters will get their first taste of the benefits of health care reform only a few short weeks before the November midterm elections. read more »

Government’s Stealth War On America – Live Free Or…

Skip MacLure — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:39:17 -0400

I feel like I’m living a mystery spy thriller. The more I learn the harder it is to wrap my brain around the fact that it is real and it is happening here in this country right now. There is a real sense of what I’m talking about around the country, as American Patriots band together in angry protest to what is now obviously not just the usual political high jinks from Washington that we have all become accustomed to. It has manifested itself in myriad alarming ways that have not gone unnoticed or unmarked, thanks to the new media allowing the American people to bypass the statist-controlled leftist press.

With his much haggled, much bribed, many times offered health care fiasco in dire straits, and all of Obama’s, Reid’s and Pelosi’s machinations notwithstanding, looking very anemic and close to being on life support, it’s time to start asking some questions about some other things that have been flying under the radar.

Balkanization. While we slept… Ka Lahui is the Hawaiian native separatist movement with sinister implications far beyond its mild-seeming kumbaya framework.

Neil Abercrombie

The House passed HR 2314 on Feb 23, 2010. The chief proponent of this bill was Democrat Representative Neil Abercrombie, and supported strongly by… who else? Barack Hussein Obama. This man favors any legislation which weakens this country, its Constitution or its people. The most obvious implication of this legislation, should it pass, opens the door for any disaffected group of people to set up what would be an independent and sovereign ‘group’, basically outside the laws of the country. Anyone for sharia? No wonder Obama favors it. read more »

Railroading Toyota

scottspiegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:16:39 -0500

According to the L.A. Times, federal officials report that there were 34 deaths in the past decade from Toyota vehicles suddenly and unintentionally accelerating.

Then again, federal officials also report that there were 34 deaths from people not having health insurance while you were reading the last sentence.

A sensationalistic crash that killed four occupants of a Lexus last year in San Diego resulted in nationwide media exposure regarding supposed Toyota design flaws. Toyota investigated and found that the car’s floor mat had become stuck to the accelerator, preventing it from operating properly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration backed up Toyota: as outlined in the inspection report, “The right clip was installed into the grommet of the carpeting but not installed into the mat. The left clip was… not clipped to either the carpet or the rubber mat… [T]he bottom edge of the accelerator pedal had melted to the upper right corner of the mat… [W]hile it was a Lexus brand mat, it was not the correct application for the vehicle.”

Nonetheless, the incident led to an accumulation of complaints about Toyota and high-profile recalls for problems ranging from Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) to brake problems to faulty steering. The federal government butted in by holding hearings last month in which they grilled Toyota executives about alleged glitches in their vehicles’ electronic throttles; they also demanded to know when Japanese execs would commit hara-kiri to atone for their sins.

As the Times noted, virtually all of the accident-related deaths reported this year took place before 2010, some as far back as 20 years. In other words, motorists are jumping on the bandwagon, contributing horror stories to a ravenous media, and helping perpetuate an urban legend. Or, as one agency spokeswoman diplomatically noted, “It is normal for NHTSA to receive an increase in consumer complaints after a recall is announced and the public learns of a safety defect.” read more »

Spotted on Biden's Palm: "Iraq War Bad, Afghanistan War Good"

scottspiegel — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:51:10 -0500

Recently the mainstream media was howling with derision over the fact that Sarah Palin had written a few words on the inside of her hand to remind herself of the key themes she wanted to address in her speech at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville last week.

Admittedly, one would have expected subjects such as Energy, Tax Cuts, and Lift American Spirits to be top-of-mind for Palin, who has consistently and admirably embodied these stances throughout her career, including her 2008 vice-presidential run.

What the MSM did not explain was how Obama’s ubiquitous reliance on his TelePrompTer, including at a recent pep talk with sixth-graders in Falls Church, Virginia, somehow reflected a greater skill at extemporizing or a more masterful command of facts on his part.

The Associated Press chided Palin for relying on a memory aid after having mocked Obama’s use of his TelePrompTer. It’s true: Palin did jot down a few notes to help her stay focused during her 40-minute Tea Party Convention keynote address, the second-most important speech of her career. Was Obama’s five-minute chat with 11-year-olds at Graham Road Elementary School so important to his legacy that it required twin, six-foot-tall TelePrompTer monitors to help him get every word right?

Meanwhile, Joe “Gaffe-tastic” Biden has continued to demonstrate his propensity for committing more blunders in any given week than Palin has made in her entire life. Appearing on Larry King last week, Biden stated that the Iraq War “could be one of the great achievements of this administration.” read more »

More Clown College Antics.

Skip MacLure — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:23:08 -0500

If it weren’t so comi-tragic in these days of the constant threat of terrorist penetration of our vaunted ‘national security’ apparatus, it would make a great sit-com… or a third-ring, floppy-shoe, fright-wig clown act.

We have a Justice Department trying to be the CIA, FBI and NSA all in one delightful package, under our intrepid and totally inept Attorney General Eric Holder. It’s one grandstand play after another, trying to set up MASSIVE show trials on American shores in order to give sterling individuals, like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a year long showboat opportunity to spiel his vitriol in front of the cameras for all of this country’s avowed enemies to see.

Obama And Eric Holder

Now, Obama’s ever-dense administration has finally gotten the message from the American people that we don’t want these people tried in civil courts and we REALLY don’t want terrorists Mirandized so that they can clam up, holding vital information that conceivably could reveal attacks pending against US citizens and interests. The “Christmas Bomber” was only unsuccessful by accident and ineptitude, otherwise another 290 passengers and crew would be dead. read more »

Congressional Quail Break For Cover – Conservative Bird Hunt.

Skip MacLure — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:36:05 -0500

IT’S MAGIC! Congressional leftists are finding all sorts of mainstream centrist and even (gasp) right of center issues to take up… as they scatter in all directions trying to distance themselves from a President and a Democratic party leadership who they see as leading them down a rocky road to destruction.

This magic transformation has come about, as predicted by yours truly, by the turn of the new year and the sudden recognition by some REALLY arrogant Democratic Congress critters who have had a really rude awakening, something else I predicted was on the way. Before anyone gets the idea that I’m making claims towards prescience, I’m not and it wasn’t really all that hard. Following the mood of the American people through news research you can get a pretty good idea of how things may go. Once the Virginia and New Jersey races were improbably won by Republicans in predominantly Democratically dominated areas the change in the temper of the electorate started to make itself known loud and clear. Then came Massachusetts and the Democrats were rocked to their core.

Tea Partiers Make Themselves Heard.

The Democrat leadership began to lose their iron grip on the membership, with Senators and Representatives being incessantly hammered by their constituents and any number of the millions of patriots who have been making themselves heard in no uncertain terms. The Obama, Reid and Pelosi brand of hope and change is not what we want and as AMERICANS we really resent having something crammed down our throats or sneaked behind our backs. We pushed back. We stopped the Obama juggernaut in its tracks, super majority not withstanding. We stopped the illegal and unconstitutional theft of our health care, though that battle isn’t over yet. There are other battles yet to fight, but as Conservative challenges have sprung up all over the nation the momentum has begun to change. read more »

More budget smoke and mirrors

acmaurer — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:36:29 -0500

Obama's attempt this week to recast himself as some kind of budget-cutter is laughable if it weren't so cynical and calculated to fool people who are not paying attention. I could try to analyze it, but Cato has done it well already. Although I recommend reading the whole article in full, here's a good bit:

it’s only down in the fifth paragraph where the [New York] Times notes that “The estimated $250 billion in savings over 10 years would be less than 3 percent of the roughly $9 trillion in additional deficits the government is expected to accumulate over that time.”

The way this stuff is reported is downright criminal. Author Jason Kuznicki points out:

Spending increases that were planned all along aren’t considered increases at all and do not make the news. Unplanned increases, those over and above the planned ones, are reported as though only the unplanned parts were increases. Large spending increases get extra praise for boldness. Reductions in the rate of spending growth are called “spending cuts.” Real though tiny cuts are described as draconian measures. read more »

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