John Brennan says "We Need No Lectures". Oh, Really?

An op-ed by Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan in USAToday online attempts to defend the gross mishandling of terrorists by the Obama administration. In it, he states that those who oppose the way terrorism is now being handled are on the side of al Qaeda.

Politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering only serve the goals of al-Qaeda.

Mr. Brennan, I'm going to disagree with you. It's time for a lecture.

We have enemies. That's nothing new. Anti-Americanism is as old as our country. In the past, our enemies fought us the good old-fashioned way: with guns and bombs. All we had to do was build better guns and bombs and use them more effectively in order to win. Battlefields were clearly defined since wars were primarily fought over land and property.

Today, our enemies aren't using only guns and bombs against us. Today our enemies are using anything they can find against us. Have you forgotten that 3000 innocents were brutally killed on 9-11 without one shot being fired? And that the weapons they used were our own airplanes? Our enemies are cunning and patient, willing to use our own resources against us in a world-wide battlefield.

Another weapon that our enemies seek to use is that of psychology. They want us scared and fearful of them. They think that if they demonstrate enough barbarity, we'll cower before them and submit. They also seek to use our own institutions against us. They relish the idea of getting a platform in a courtroom where their sympathizers can defend them in the name of American justice. They have no respect for the rule of law and see your attempts to put them on trial as weakness. Make no mistake, Mr. Brennan, justice is not what they seek, only victory against The Great Satan.

Mr. Brennan, you, President Obama and Eric Holder seemingly have no idea what you're up against. Our enemies hold in their hearts a hatred that burns with the fire of a thousand suns. They want nothing less than to see you plead for your life before they saw your head off, and laugh while they record the act for YouTube. They've made the choice to hate and they mock your puny efforts to talk them out of their beliefs.

If you truly love your country, as you claim, you need to become more brutal than our enemies. You need to understand that there's nothing wrong with killing bad guys who want you dead. You need to instill fear in them. They should be afraid to be caught by the US. They should know that they'll be squeezed of every last ounce of actionable intelligence about any plans and then executed. You need not be concerned with our image before the rest of the world.

They certainly aren't.

If you truly wish to win this war, then start acting like it.

LA Times Article Gets It So Wrong: It's Not Youthful Rebellion, It's Maturity

Gregory Rodriguez, in this article for the L A Times, makes a rather feeble attempt to psychoanalyze America's growing discontent with the Obama administration. He claims we're too much like teenagers rebelling against parental authority to be governable, and he cites the Tea Party movement as the latest hissy fit of freedom.

... the American passion for absolute liberty isn't too far removed from heedless adolescent rebellion. The "tea party" faithful might as well be Marlon Brando in his black leather jacket in "The Wild One." "What are you rebelling against," a girl asks the smoldering Brando. "What've you got?" he replies.

Mr. Rodriguez, you couldn't be more wrong. I'll liken your description of the Tea Party to one of the blind men's description of the elephant: you're only holding one part of it and you don't realize it.

While this blog doesn't purport to speak for the national Tea Party Movement, it nevertheless thinks it has a better handle on it than you do.

Granted, rebellion is a part of the maturation process that we all go through. Well, almost all of us. When we reach maturity, we frequently find that our rebellion against our parents was unwarranted and unwise. This is evidenced by eventually turning to our parents for advice, once we're through rebelling, that is.

Our current national rebellion is against what is rightly and correctly seen as a form of tyranny. See, we were taught that our government was designed differently from other governments. Instead of a king or monarch who holds power, it's the people. So, when we see the politicians doing things that we don't want them to do, or even worse, doing things we specifically tell them not to do, we get a little, well, rebellious.

Take energy production, for instance. Poll after poll shows overwhelming public support for the development of our own oil and natural gas reserves. We understand that we're sending far too much of our money abroad to countries that don't like us for oil that we could be drilling for here in the States. But, does our government support that idea? Interior Secretary Ken Salazar certainly doesn't.

That's just one example of Washington openly defying the will of the country. There are others, such as closing Gitmo, trying KSM in a civilian court, giving the UndiBomber Miranda rights, killing the next generation of space rockets and the moon mission along with it. Given all that this administration is doing to subvert and defy the populace, we're being quite civil in our protests. You'll note, Mr. Rodriguez, the absence of broken windows, fires and overturned cars at Tea Paries.

 Perhaps not.

It's not a matter of left or right. In my mind the only difference between 1960s leftist radicals and new millennium right-wing refuseniks is the length of their hair. They both have showed a desperate need to work through their issues with old King George.

Sorry, Greg, it's not King George we take issue with, it's Prince Barack, The Clueless. He somehow thinks that because we were suffering from Bush Fatigue (brought on almost entirely by the MSM), his election gave him carte blanche to turn our country into Europe. He has broken so many of his campaign promises that we can no longer keep count. He focused on his Health Care bill while the country needed an economic boost. He wants our electricity bills to "skyrocket" through his Cap-and-Trade bill. He thinks his smooth talk will cause our enemies to disarm and be nice to us.
We could rebel just to rebel, like Brando. If we were immature kids, that is. No, this rebellion is for the right reasons: liberty, freedom, self-determination, and a return to common-sense government.

The things that grown-ups value.

Friday Bits of Tid, Super Bowl Edition

The winds are picking up, the boat's starting to move, by Jove! I think we're nearly out of the winter sports doldrums. Batten down the mizzen. Buckle the cleat. Drink the alcohol from the compass, full speed ahead!

This Sunday's Super Bowl looks to be a good one. The Indianapolis Colts are favored by 5 points over the upstart New Orleans Saints. While a first-ever victory by the Saints would give that city a great boost, this blog thinks that the experience of Peyton Manning and the Colts will be the determining factor. This blog predicts the Colts by a touchdown. Hopefully, it won't be a boring blowout. In which case, the focus of the game will become...

the commercials.

And the halftime show featuring the Who, but mostly the commercials.

One commercial already making a stir is the one starring Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. For a commercial that no one has seen yet, there seems to be a great deal of people angry at CBS, Tebow and Focus on the Family, sponsors of the ad.

Pro-abortion groups are up in arms, angry that CBS would air an ad that actually promotes families and family values. Never mind that the majority of Americans think families are such a good idea that we continue to produce them in record numbers. Their opposition is almost as ridiculous as those misguided souls who complain about Christmas. How can you possibly be opposed to babies?

Anywho, perhaps in a day not too far away, we'll recognize the proper place for politics and begin to exclude it from inappropriate places, like football games. And baseball games. And stock car races.  And basketball games. And soccer games...

Until that day, enjoy the game and may your favorite team win.

The Economic Illiteracy of Democrats

We're in for long, protracted struggle that need not be. The struggle is against those of us who want a robust economy and those who don't.

Those of us who recognize the benefits of economic growth understand there are but a few rules that need to be adhered to in order to sustain it. Really, there's only one principle when you get down to it: Keep government involvement in the private sector to an absolute minimum. This is the essence and the foundation of fiscal conservatism.

Our struggle is against those in Washington like House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) who is quoted as saying, referring to the government's role in a recovery,

"We've got to spend our way out of this recession."

Mr. Clyburn, nothing could be further from the truth. If it was, then we'd be well on our way to recovery, not sinking further into recession. By the way, guess what rose again, unexpectedly? That's right, unemployment figures. Do you truly think you and your fellow Democrats are succeeding when the evidence shows you aren't?

This blog would like to give you the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the economy. However, if we did, we'd come to no conclusion other than you were destroying our economy on purpose. Your administration has admitted that the bulk of the stimulus money wouldn't be distributed until late 2010, just in time for the economy to perk up prior to the elections in November, which would favor Democrats. Did you really think no one would notice?

Many of us have noticed. Some, like Marco Rubio, are running for office in an effort to stop your destructive agenda.

Common sense would dictate that someone in a position to affect the economy wouldn't be critical of it, but recent quotes by President Obama and Vice-President Biden demonstrate their lack of money moxie. Obama says not to blow your money in Vegas and Biden still thinks he inherited the deficit. Instead of talking it down, as you accused George Bush of doing, try encouraging the country. It couldn't hurt.

Even better, try these ideas: enact tax cuts for businesses, develop our own natural resources for energy, roll back environmental regulations, abandon Card Check legislation, for starters.

Above all, stop working against the best interests of America.

The Coming Sea Change in American Politics

Just as this blog was about to pontificate on the change in attitude of American voters, up pops this article citing Judicial Watch’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2009.

I swear this Internet thingy can read my mind. It’s like it has ESPN or something.

Let’s take a quick look at who’s on this list. Chris Dodd, John Ensign, Barney Frank, Tim Geithner, Eric Holder, a tie between Jessie Jackson Jr. and Roland Burris, Charlie Rangel, Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha and last but not least, Barack Obama. Five Representatives, three Senators, one Treasury Secretary, one Attorney General, one Speaker of the House and one President. All still currently “serving”, as though they can be corrupt and still consider themselves public servants.

And yes, this blog is aware that totals up to twelve. One tie and one Representative is also the House Speaker.

Ask yourself: Is this what you voted for?

When you entered the voting booth to pick someone to act in your place in Washington, did you knowingly pick someone who wouldn’t abide by the rules? Who would listen and act, not according to your wishes, but those of special interests and organizations who act in direct opposition to your values? If you knew then what you know now, would you still vote the same way?

Corrupt politicians have been around as long a politics itself. One of our failings as humans is a desire to skirt the rules, much like a child raiding the cookie jar. We know we shouldn’t do it, but if feels so delicious sometimes we just can’t help ourselves. However, this practice becomes a serious crime when money is involved. Politicians who trade money for political favors are among the lowest form of vertebrates.

A lesser form of corruption, one which has become particularly prominent in today’s politics, is a lack of response to the will of the people. The health care bill currently stalled in Congress is a prime example. Poll after poll has shown increasing public resistance to this bill in its current form, yet Democrats haven’t altered the bill in response. They continue to force this unpopular bill down the throats of an America they see as just too dumb to understand a bill that they themselves haven't read. As time passes and more of the populace discovers the details of this monumentally misguided piece of legislation, the more we don’t want it.

This action is so commonplace that we’ve somehow come to accept it. We know it’s wrong, it’s unfair, it’s a betrayal of the public trust necessary for a free society to function effectively, yet we still have a strange tolerance for it.

Or at least we did.

Future candidates need to understand that they will be scrutinized as never before. An informed electorate will be able to have a much better idea of who they are voting into office, and once there, they will be under the electronic microscope of the Internet. No longer will deals be done in smokey back rooms with shady characters. Expect someone with a camera or video recorder to be nearby asking questions and demanding straight answers.

The era of truly open government has begun.

Our Disconnected President Reveals His Fantastic Budget

It's becoming an effort just to keep up with the daily barrage of news coming from Washington. Perhaps it wouldn't be so difficult if what we heard every day didn't fly in the face of logic and common sense.

Obama's budget is today's example. $3,800,000,000,000.00. For a moment, allow the awe of seeing so many zeros in a row wash over you. Marvel at them. Seemingly empty and full at the same time.

Empty of restraint, of responsibility, of concern for the effects such a large number has on an already struggling country in the midst of an economic crisis. Full of hubris, of largess, of misguided priorities about the role of government in the lives of a free people.

We've learned a great deal about the vaporous man who now inhabits our White House, and in turn, a great deal about the people we trusted to run America in our stead, most of it bad. Taken alone, would you expect such a large budget from someone who says this:

We simply cannot continue to spend as if deficits don’t have consequences. As if waste doesn’t matter. As if the hard earned tax dollars of the American people can be treated like Monopoly money.

You'd also expect that same person to be grounded in fiscal reality when he proposes a spending freeze instead of this:

h/t Flopping Aces

Given just these two examples, you can't help but wonder at the chasm that separates Obama's words from his actions. Sure, he sounds concerned, but his actions and results show a disturbing disconnect with reality.

In politics, there is an axiom that "Perception is reality." Many Americans rightfully percieve that those running our country, those that we entrust to operate our country in a responsible and adult fashion, have no idea what they're doing.

Son of Friday Bits of Tid

What a sad time of year this is, the official Sports Doldrums. The college football season is over (Roll Tide!), there's only one more Pro Game, (and no, this blog doesn't count the Pro Bowl), The Daytona 500 is still weeks away, the PGA season is beginning, although there's no Tiger yet (hurry up, get well soon). Our Orlando Magic managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat last night against the Boston Celtics in one of the better games they've played this season.

So, in the spirit of um, uh, Friday, that's it, Friday! this blog gives you a few things to liven up your weekend.

In the "You Don't Get Out Enough" department, Usama bin Laden goes green. Dude, srsly, you haven't heard about ClimateGate?

President Obama gave a speech the other night. Sarah Palin, along with most Americans, was not impressed.

Rush Limbaugh gives President Obama some fatherly advice. I hope he heeds it, but I won't hold my breath.

From Our Cousins Across the Pond comes this handy, dandy reference on how to report the news. Lesson 1. It isn't rocket surgery. 2. Maybe, just maybe, the news should have some bearing upon your life in order to qualify as news. Jus' sayin...



Also from Our Cousins Across the Pond, if you don't visit David Thompson's site every Friday, you really owe yourself a click. His Friday Ephemera always contains something amusing and interesting. Warning for dry British wit, extreme wordsmithing and references that Yanks won't get, but don't let that stop you.

As they used to say back home in Alabama, "Y'all have a good'un."

President Obama's SOTU, The Great Disconnect

Watching President Obama's State of the Union speech last night, this blog was struck by how distant, aloof and separated from reality he seems to be. But the most disturbing aspect was his obvious disconnection and indifference to the real state of our nation.

The state of our union, for those of us outside the Beltway, isn't good. We've had two years of Democrat rule in Congress and a year of one party Democrat rule in Washington. We were promised change, and that we have received, good and hard.

Economically, change has been for the worse: double-digit unemployment numbers, government takeovers of banks and auto companies, a stimulus bill that has yet to deliver on the promise of truly stimulating our economy, a focus not on the creation of jobs, but on a massively expensive government takeover of the healthcare system that the people see as unnecessary.

Forign policy has been a similar failure. Instead of confronting a dangerous world with strength and power, Obama has offered up appeasement and weakness, emboldening our enemies. For example, his UN speech on nuclear arms sounded more like a middle-schoolers' naive opinion that we should rid the world of nuclear weapons. The middle east situation is still a quagmire, only now, Israel can no longer count on the US being a staunch ally. Palestinian schoolchildren are still being indoctrinated into a culture of death daily on televison while human rights groups silently approve.

On the domestic terror front, Obama's shift to a pre-9-11 approach to terrorism is being roundly rejected by the people who understand that treating an illegal foreign combatant like a citizen is a mistake and allows our enemies to use our court system against us. Attorney General Eric Holder's judgement is called into question on many prominent cases, as he seems much more interested in bestowing rights to our enemies instead of defeating them.

Perhaps, this is what he should've said. It would've been much more honest, and could have stopped the downward trend in his approval numbers.

And it would've shown the American people that he is capabable of change.

Obama's Startling Lack of Vision: "We Certainly Don't Need to Go Back to the Moon"

Progress - noun - 1. Positive development. development, usually of a gradual kind, toward achieving a goal or reaching a higher standard.

2. Advancement of human society. the general advance of human society and industry over time toward a state of greater civilization.

3. A concept that the Obama administration cannot grasp.

If you wondered, even for a moment, that all of the wrong-headed decisions made in just one year by our rookie president were at all the result of inexperience, wonder no more. The Obama administration announced that it plans to drastically reduce the technological edge in space that America has worked so hard to achieve over the last half-century by killing the Constellation program, the Ares cargo rocket, and cancelling plans to return to the Moon.

Dr. Werner Von Braun once said that research and development was the steam that made our economic engine move. While that quote sounds quaint in today's world, his point remains a salient one. Presidents from Eisenhower forward have appreciated the unique role of America's space program in society. The innovation and scientific advancements fuel our free market system and generate new jobs. New products generate new sources of tax revenue, offsetting their initial cost to the taxpayers. Thus, NASA is one of the few, if not the only, government program that shows a return to the investor/taxpayer.

Space exploration has other intangible benefits in addition to an economic boost. Countless youngsters have been captivated by the idea of exploring the heavens. The unleashing of curiousity in a young mind has great potential for good. Who knows what great discoveries lie ahead for a child watching his or her first live Shuttle launch?

Obama has stripped young Americans of a very big dream. He’s done a disservice to every science teacher in the country. He’s robbed the Treasury of untold mountains of tax revenue. He is single-handedly responsible for the loss of thousands more jobs in the middle of the worst recession the country has seen in decades. In one fell swoop, Obama has proven that he’s of a small mind, void of vision. He is determined to bring America down as the worlds’ innovator, reducing our technological edge over other countries at a time when we need to be more competitive in the global marketplace.

Progress. I don't think the word means what you think it means, Mr. Obama.

A Drop in a Bucket, or Obama's Tiny Scalpel

Politics is great theatre. The entire range of the human condition is on stage, enhanced for a large audience. Drama, comedy, satire, it's all there.

Occasionally, political theatre becomes a farce. The upcoming Presidential State of the Union Address is a prime example. The buzz on Capitol Hill has President Obama proposing a spending freeze to combat his record federal deficit.

Obama used the financial crisis as the main excuse for a massive increase in spending, resulting in a correspondingly massive deficit. So, in theory, there should be a lot to cut. A lot. Lots and lots. Whole bunches of cuts. As-far-as-the-eye-can-see cuts. Right? RIGHT??

President Obama and the Democrats in Congress have increased the deficit from $161 billion to $1.75 trillion in two years! The "cut" is to $1.17 trillion in 2010. The panic of 2008-2009 required one-time expenditures to arrest the fear, but the Democrats used the crisis as an excuse to print billions and billions of dollars. And they refuse to stop.

Hmmm, that's not much of a cut, is it? $1.75T down to a paltry $1.17T. Up from $161B. You'd have to add up George Bush's final-year deficit over ten times just to get to Obama's starting figure.

Does that sound like a sane fiscal policy to you? Would you suddenly start spending ten times what you make without a corresponding increase in income? Could you? Possibly, but not for very long.

If you think that massive federal spending has no effect on the economic climate of the country, you're pretty much alone in your delusion. Many people, some with access to calculators, don't think it's a good thing. Our own Congressional Budget Office predicts sluggish growth due to the imbalance between GDP and the debt.

The farcical aspect of this is that Obama thinks this is the way to operate a country and that everything is hunky-dory. He's also not alone. He's been aided by economic illiterates in Congress who have proposed their own little spending agendas over and above Obama's. It's like a play where the King of a once-prosperous country decides to take a vacation to a distant land for several months and allows the court jester to run it, just for giggles. A court jester with third-stage syphillis, where large parts of the brain just aren't there any more.

It would be a laugh riot on stage, where it belongs. In real life, not so much.