The setting: Capitol Hill.
The occasion: Henry Waxman's House Committee on Un-Obama Activies.
The players: Henry Waxman and the CEO of Caterpillar.
Rep. Waxman, "Thank you for coming. As you know, I reqested this hearing in order to determine the nature of the statements by your company and others about the large charges that your company will take as a result of the passage of the glorious law which was recently signed by our Supre.., I mean President, that for the first time in history will enable every inhabitant of this great country to enjoy the rights that other bankru... uh, other countries, um, enjoy. I speak of President Obama's wonderful new Health Care Law.
I find the statements from you and other CEO's to be highly disturbing. It's important that we here in Washington who worked so hard to pass this bill be seen as the saviors that we are. Instead, your financial projections do not support this contention. In order to clear up what we consider to be outright lies on your part, I have asked you to appear before this august body to fully explain yourself and your effort to undermine what is the greatest accomplishment of our glorio... uh, president.
Did you bring the supporting documents that I requested?"
CEO of Caterpillar: " Yes, Mr. Chairman, I did"
Rep. Waxman: "I'd like them now."
CEO of Caterpillar: "As you may know, in my capacity as Chief Executive Officer, I'm contractually bound to uphold and enforce my company's policies, just as I am required by SEC regulations to report accurately to our shareholders any circumstances that will negatively affect stock prices. You may see our company confidential information as soon as you and anyone else who might see them sign these Non-Disclosure forms..."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Obama to Push for Offshore Drilling? Don't Be Fooled
President Obama announced today his plan to modify the moratorium on offshore drilling by allowing rigs within 50 miles of the coast of Virginia. While this sounds good on the surface, the article goes on to highlight other areas that are now closed to drilling, namely the West Coast and Alaska.
Net gain = not much.
Veteran political watchers will immediately recognize this move as the tossing of a bone to the right and a few independents since his approval numbers are descending rapidly among those groups. The headlines will make it sound as though Obama really cares about artifically high energy costs, but not everyone is as enthusiastic. John Boehner rightly finds this announcement lacking, as will most Americans once they find out the details.
So, how would we know that Obama, who admitted that his cap-and-trade bill would result in catastrophic increases in energy prices for Americans, is serious about reducing our dependency on foreign oil? He didn't call for any type of legislation to streamline the permitting process for oil exploration. There are no provisions to eliminate the frivolous lawsuits that radical environmental groups use to cripple our capacity to produce energy. He hasn't called for a moratorium on new environmental regulations. He hasn't done anything to increase our energy supply or reduce energy costs.
This announcement is basically a non-announcement.
We'll see if this statement has any teeth by the way the market responds with higher or lower gas pump prices. Many leading indicators say that we can expect another round of $4 per gallon gas this summer which will further harm an already wounded economy. As with the last one, grocery prices will rise first, followed by anything else that is transported by truck. The hyperinflation that we've been warned about could very well start in the energy sector, primarily due to ineffective and essentially meaningless policies such as this one. Once this begins, it will be very hard to stop, especially with the current crop of Congresscritters in Washington and their resistance to common sense and ignorance of economic laws.
Net gain = not much.
Veteran political watchers will immediately recognize this move as the tossing of a bone to the right and a few independents since his approval numbers are descending rapidly among those groups. The headlines will make it sound as though Obama really cares about artifically high energy costs, but not everyone is as enthusiastic. John Boehner rightly finds this announcement lacking, as will most Americans once they find out the details.
So, how would we know that Obama, who admitted that his cap-and-trade bill would result in catastrophic increases in energy prices for Americans, is serious about reducing our dependency on foreign oil? He didn't call for any type of legislation to streamline the permitting process for oil exploration. There are no provisions to eliminate the frivolous lawsuits that radical environmental groups use to cripple our capacity to produce energy. He hasn't called for a moratorium on new environmental regulations. He hasn't done anything to increase our energy supply or reduce energy costs.
This announcement is basically a non-announcement.
We'll see if this statement has any teeth by the way the market responds with higher or lower gas pump prices. Many leading indicators say that we can expect another round of $4 per gallon gas this summer which will further harm an already wounded economy. As with the last one, grocery prices will rise first, followed by anything else that is transported by truck. The hyperinflation that we've been warned about could very well start in the energy sector, primarily due to ineffective and essentially meaningless policies such as this one. Once this begins, it will be very hard to stop, especially with the current crop of Congresscritters in Washington and their resistance to common sense and ignorance of economic laws.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Decoding the Left: Mental Illness as a Political Movement
By now, you may have heard the newest item of the MSM's agenda: any opposition to the ObamaCare Law is the fault of evil, right-wing conservatives. Those who don't like the imposition of a massively expensive and intrusive government program to correct minor imperfections in the world's best medical system are bloodthirsty conservative radicals, unhinged and ready to kill someone, anyone in their blind lunatic rage against the nations's first black president.
Got that?
It's all part of the psychological war being waged upon average Americans by a minority of elites who want nothing less than full control over you, your thoughts and actions, your family and your country. Make no mistake, what you see and hear on CNN, MSNBC and the Big Three is another carefully crafted effort to manipulate your emotions and make you question your instincts.
What we have here is mental instability acting like a political movement. There's just no other way to describe it.
Here's the baseline: a normal, well-adjusted adult has no urge to control another normal, well-adjusted adult. It just doesn't exist. The need isn't there. A normal, well-adjusted adult has a firm grip on reality and conducts his or her life in a responsible manner. This person has a sort of inner compass, informing him/her of the proper way to live and separating truth from fiction, lies from deceit. In fact, in a perfect world, everyone would be self-contained and whole within themselves, thus eliminating the need for laws. Peace would reign, supreme. I feel confident that this mental attitude is what's referred to in the Bible as "Heaven on Earth".
Having established a baseline, we can see just how far we've fallen away from it. The distance from it is measured in the unit called a "progressive".
The roots of this mental illness remain a mystery. The symptoms, however, are on display daily and most often shown by politicians, particularly Democrats, who have become brazen and open in their efforts to dismiss the opinion and will of the people they're supposed to represent. Well-reasoned argument is avoided,with one representative reducing the oppostions' argument to the immature phrase of "die quickly", complete with placards printed with large lettering, lest we illiterates on the right miss the verbal messsage.
Fortunately, this blog isn't alone in its quest to understand this illness. Dr. Pat Santy, whose blog is a regular stop for me, regularly engages in this exploration of the mind. Her recent post on self-esteem is a classic treatise on the immaturity of leftists. Se sure to check out Encouraging a Culture of Narcissism.
In it, she quotes Dr. Theodore Dalrymple:
Again, this is merely a symptom of a disease. Oversimplified, it is a God complex where the victim decides that he or she knows everything. Of and by itself, that attitude is merely humorous, and can be endearing in certain cases. However, that attitude in a position of power is very dangerous, as we are slowly seeing with the Obama administration, aided by Reid and Pelosi. It's just one of the many reasons why politicians should be rigorously examined by the public in any race, local or national, and those infected by this disease rejected.
Got that?
It's all part of the psychological war being waged upon average Americans by a minority of elites who want nothing less than full control over you, your thoughts and actions, your family and your country. Make no mistake, what you see and hear on CNN, MSNBC and the Big Three is another carefully crafted effort to manipulate your emotions and make you question your instincts.
What we have here is mental instability acting like a political movement. There's just no other way to describe it.
Here's the baseline: a normal, well-adjusted adult has no urge to control another normal, well-adjusted adult. It just doesn't exist. The need isn't there. A normal, well-adjusted adult has a firm grip on reality and conducts his or her life in a responsible manner. This person has a sort of inner compass, informing him/her of the proper way to live and separating truth from fiction, lies from deceit. In fact, in a perfect world, everyone would be self-contained and whole within themselves, thus eliminating the need for laws. Peace would reign, supreme. I feel confident that this mental attitude is what's referred to in the Bible as "Heaven on Earth".
Having established a baseline, we can see just how far we've fallen away from it. The distance from it is measured in the unit called a "progressive".
The roots of this mental illness remain a mystery. The symptoms, however, are on display daily and most often shown by politicians, particularly Democrats, who have become brazen and open in their efforts to dismiss the opinion and will of the people they're supposed to represent. Well-reasoned argument is avoided,with one representative reducing the oppostions' argument to the immature phrase of "die quickly", complete with placards printed with large lettering, lest we illiterates on the right miss the verbal messsage.
Fortunately, this blog isn't alone in its quest to understand this illness. Dr. Pat Santy, whose blog is a regular stop for me, regularly engages in this exploration of the mind. Her recent post on self-esteem is a classic treatise on the immaturity of leftists. Se sure to check out Encouraging a Culture of Narcissism.
In it, she quotes Dr. Theodore Dalrymple:
When people speak of their low self-esteem, they imply two things: first, that it is a physiological fact, rather like low hemoglobin, and second, that they have a right to more of it. What they seek, if you like, is a transfusion of self-esteem, given (curiously enough) by others; and once they have it, the quality of their lives will improve as the night succeeds the day. For the record, I never had a patient who complained of having too much self-esteem, and who therefore asked for a reduction. Self-esteem, it appears, is like money or health: you can't have too much of it.
Again, this is merely a symptom of a disease. Oversimplified, it is a God complex where the victim decides that he or she knows everything. Of and by itself, that attitude is merely humorous, and can be endearing in certain cases. However, that attitude in a position of power is very dangerous, as we are slowly seeing with the Obama administration, aided by Reid and Pelosi. It's just one of the many reasons why politicians should be rigorously examined by the public in any race, local or national, and those infected by this disease rejected.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday Bits of Tid, Health Care Propaganda Edition
Wheee! It's Friday!
In the wake (and this blog means that in the funereal way) of the passage of the ObamaCare bill on Sunday, a carefully orchestrated series of news stories are currently being run in an attempt by the neo-Marxists in Washington to discredit any and all opposition to this takeover of one-sixth of the economy. Teary-eyed Democrats, shaking with raw emotion, are fearfully recounting incidents of people shouting at them and giving them mean looks.
The horror.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't recall them having much to say against these protests.
Andrew Breitbart has issued a challenge to the Congressional Black Caucus. He's offering a $10,000 donation to the United Negro College Fund for anyone who can prove that any of their members was spat upon by anyone in the crowd last weekend in Washington. He accurately points out that with all of the personal electronics present, no one seems to be able to confirm the accustions. Funny, that.
Here's where this blog makes an absurd point: One could say that the sky is brown with green poka-dots. You could say it. You have every right to say it. We have laws defending your right to say it.
But that doesn't make it true.
Here's another tidbit to brighten up your Friday. If you had any doubts that the Obama administration is working directly against your interests, wonder no more. Personal incomes are dropping across the country.
In closing, I present this for your consideration. I think it's a conspriracy. The USPS has been running in the red for a while and they need to increase the number of letters you mail.
Behold the Bacon Flavored Envelope.
Bastages, all.
In the wake (and this blog means that in the funereal way) of the passage of the ObamaCare bill on Sunday, a carefully orchestrated series of news stories are currently being run in an attempt by the neo-Marxists in Washington to discredit any and all opposition to this takeover of one-sixth of the economy. Teary-eyed Democrats, shaking with raw emotion, are fearfully recounting incidents of people shouting at them and giving them mean looks.
The horror.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't recall them having much to say against these protests.
Andrew Breitbart has issued a challenge to the Congressional Black Caucus. He's offering a $10,000 donation to the United Negro College Fund for anyone who can prove that any of their members was spat upon by anyone in the crowd last weekend in Washington. He accurately points out that with all of the personal electronics present, no one seems to be able to confirm the accustions. Funny, that.
Here's where this blog makes an absurd point: One could say that the sky is brown with green poka-dots. You could say it. You have every right to say it. We have laws defending your right to say it.
But that doesn't make it true.
Here's another tidbit to brighten up your Friday. If you had any doubts that the Obama administration is working directly against your interests, wonder no more. Personal incomes are dropping across the country.
In closing, I present this for your consideration. I think it's a conspriracy. The USPS has been running in the red for a while and they need to increase the number of letters you mail.
Behold the Bacon Flavored Envelope.
Bastages, all.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Just a Reminder of What We Could Be Doing
Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.
John KennedyWhile this blog considers itself to be grounded in reality, occasionally flights of fancy take off. Today is one of those times.
We could have people in Washington who genuinely cared about their fellow citizens. They would want the same things for us that we want for ourselves and our families. Things like a strong economy so we could realize the American Dream, good wages, real diversity in the job market so that those of us who enjoy working with our hands can have a future as fullfilling as anyone with a college degree.
We could have people in Washington who realize that our country is not the source of evil in the world, as so many of them seem to think. To them I say, "Show me this perfect society that you compare us to. When did it flourish and where was it located, what did it do for it's people that we aren't doing? Who were its' people and what were their contributions to mankind? Was everyone in this land prosperous and healthy, wanting nothing?" If there were such a place, why have we never heard of it?
We could be using our natural resources to continue to improve not only our lives, but those of the whole world. We could have cheap gasoline and natural gas, coal and nuclear power. But we've allowed ourselves to be lied to by people who don't like us. They want us to believe we're doing real harm to a planet that's many billions of years old. As a result, we face increased prices for things that should be getting cheaper, causing scarcity where there need not be. We're tired of the drone that we consume so much of the Earth's resources, with it's implication that we're somehow wasting them. Nothing could be further from the truth, and most people know it. We need politicians who know it and will stop the insanity of radical environmentalism before we all revert back to living in caves.
We could have leadership in Washington that's in tune with the majority of honest, hard-working Americans and would work to insure that our values were reinforced.
We have instead the Obama administration.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Some Early Fallout From The Health Care Takeover Bill
It doesn't look good for president Obama, Harry Pelosi or Nancy Reid.
A CNN poll over the weekend show just how unpopular this takeover is with America.
Congresscritters who voted against the will of their constituents are already feeling the heat just one day later.
Michelle Malkin has a list of more opposition to this travesty of justice.
And now for the cherry on top: Reid and Pelosi's popularity numbers are right down there with that bastion of Venezuelan freedom, Hugo Chavez.
And that's just today.
Make no mistake, the anti-American Marxists and progressives who've infested Washington have overreached in a big way. Their determination to defy the will of the country in the face of growing public opposition to the health care bill has pushed them over the edge. As conditions in our country continue to deteriorate, look for more people to awaken to the hostile takeover, and begin to actively resist the effort to turn us into a banana republic.
This is only the beginning...
A CNN poll over the weekend show just how unpopular this takeover is with America.
59% oppose the Democrats’ health care bill, while only 39% favor it.
70% say the federal budget deficit will go up under the Democrats’ health care bill; only 12% believe it will go down.
47% say they and their families will be worse off under the Democrats’ health care bill; 33% say things will be about the same, and only 19% think they’ll be better off.Click here for the PDF of the poll results.
Congresscritters who voted against the will of their constituents are already feeling the heat just one day later.
Michelle Malkin has a list of more opposition to this travesty of justice.
And now for the cherry on top: Reid and Pelosi's popularity numbers are right down there with that bastion of Venezuelan freedom, Hugo Chavez.
And that's just today.
Make no mistake, the anti-American Marxists and progressives who've infested Washington have overreached in a big way. Their determination to defy the will of the country in the face of growing public opposition to the health care bill has pushed them over the edge. As conditions in our country continue to deteriorate, look for more people to awaken to the hostile takeover, and begin to actively resist the effort to turn us into a banana republic.
This is only the beginning...
Monday, March 22, 2010
So this is what disenfranchisement feels like.
How do you feel today?
Do you feel like your voice has been heard in Washington? Do you feel like a vital and necessary part of your country, that your input is well-recieved? That your opinion concerning the direction your country should take is being considered thoughtfully by those whom you trusted enough to send to Washington?
If not, then welcome to Change.
Yesterday's vote for Obamacare in the House was truly historic, but for the wrong reasons. Granted, our health care system could use some improvement. You could accurately say that about nearly facet of our society. Polls have shown that most Americans do indeed want some kind of health care reform.
Just not what we got yesterday.
We Americans are a practical lot. We tend towards the best and most effective solution to a problem. Such is the case with health care reform. However, logical solutions seem lost on our current leadership. For instance, one solution to the rising cost of health care would be to place limits on frivolous lawsuits. As has been well documented, these lawsuits are the prime cause of skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates. The actions of a few greedy lawyers have a direct impact on the price of health care for everyone, but due to the money and influence of the trial lawyers' lobby in Washington, this solution (a provision to reduce or restrict lawsuits) is not considered viable. We were told early on that this was not to be an option, for the very reasons I just outlined. Over. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
Score: Trial Lawyers 1, American public 0.
Another common sense solution that was disregarded was to use the free market to reduce costs by allowing interstate competition between insurance companies. We've seen this work quite well for the auto insurance companies, so it's not like this is some pie-in-the-sky fantasy. Again, this idea never gained any traction as a method of cost containment.
Score: Pelosi 1, Common Sense 0
As more details were discovered about this healt care bills' provisions, the more public sentiment turned against this bill, but not the notion of reform itself. America told Washington to slow down and take a good look at the alternatives to a massive government takeover of one-sixth of our economy. Then we said, stop altogether, this is getting out of control. Finally, when protestors took to the Capitol steps to register their discontent, they were totally ignored.
Score: Radical Marxists 1, America 0
Do you feel disenfranchised yet? If not, you should. Your wishes have been roundly and blatantly ignored by President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
You are now a subject, not a citizen. You have no voice against the power of elites in Washington who are now empowered to do your thinking for you. You ideas are considered irrelevant, your opinion worthless.
When your opnion is worthless, so is your citizenship.
Do you feel like your voice has been heard in Washington? Do you feel like a vital and necessary part of your country, that your input is well-recieved? That your opinion concerning the direction your country should take is being considered thoughtfully by those whom you trusted enough to send to Washington?
If not, then welcome to Change.
Yesterday's vote for Obamacare in the House was truly historic, but for the wrong reasons. Granted, our health care system could use some improvement. You could accurately say that about nearly facet of our society. Polls have shown that most Americans do indeed want some kind of health care reform.
Just not what we got yesterday.
We Americans are a practical lot. We tend towards the best and most effective solution to a problem. Such is the case with health care reform. However, logical solutions seem lost on our current leadership. For instance, one solution to the rising cost of health care would be to place limits on frivolous lawsuits. As has been well documented, these lawsuits are the prime cause of skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates. The actions of a few greedy lawyers have a direct impact on the price of health care for everyone, but due to the money and influence of the trial lawyers' lobby in Washington, this solution (a provision to reduce or restrict lawsuits) is not considered viable. We were told early on that this was not to be an option, for the very reasons I just outlined. Over. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
Score: Trial Lawyers 1, American public 0.
Another common sense solution that was disregarded was to use the free market to reduce costs by allowing interstate competition between insurance companies. We've seen this work quite well for the auto insurance companies, so it's not like this is some pie-in-the-sky fantasy. Again, this idea never gained any traction as a method of cost containment.
Score: Pelosi 1, Common Sense 0
As more details were discovered about this healt care bills' provisions, the more public sentiment turned against this bill, but not the notion of reform itself. America told Washington to slow down and take a good look at the alternatives to a massive government takeover of one-sixth of our economy. Then we said, stop altogether, this is getting out of control. Finally, when protestors took to the Capitol steps to register their discontent, they were totally ignored.
Score: Radical Marxists 1, America 0
Do you feel disenfranchised yet? If not, you should. Your wishes have been roundly and blatantly ignored by President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
You are now a subject, not a citizen. You have no voice against the power of elites in Washington who are now empowered to do your thinking for you. You ideas are considered irrelevant, your opinion worthless.
When your opnion is worthless, so is your citizenship.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday Bits of Tid, NCAA Edition
...wherein this blog mentions that it hasn't had the time to watch many games in the first round. For this, I humbly beseech you not to permanently revoke my Man Card.
It's just that I'm far more focused on the Constitutional crisis currently going on in Washington. Yesterday's vote to proceed with the Slaughter rule has opened a dangerous door. This means that the Constitution will have been rendered essentially meaningless and will brand each and every member of Congress who voted for this manuever as a traior, and rightly so. This is dangerous territory for the progressives as the country awakens from its slumber to discover, in horror, that Washington no longer cares for the will of the people. Some are already calling for impeachment, as is our right to do. It's just not whom you'd suspect. It's the Washington Times.
Even Howard Stern, not known as a particularly prescient political thinker, is extremely pissed. He's not alone.
Folks, I don't normally do this sort of thing here, but I believe that we're in a time and situation that calls for Divine Intervention if we are to save our country and our way of life. We need help and we need it badly.
Pray.
Fervently, with humility and hope that we can recapture the spirit of freedom enshrined in our Constitution and purge our enemies from power in a peaceful way that meets His approval.
It's just that I'm far more focused on the Constitutional crisis currently going on in Washington. Yesterday's vote to proceed with the Slaughter rule has opened a dangerous door. This means that the Constitution will have been rendered essentially meaningless and will brand each and every member of Congress who voted for this manuever as a traior, and rightly so. This is dangerous territory for the progressives as the country awakens from its slumber to discover, in horror, that Washington no longer cares for the will of the people. Some are already calling for impeachment, as is our right to do. It's just not whom you'd suspect. It's the Washington Times.
Even Howard Stern, not known as a particularly prescient political thinker, is extremely pissed. He's not alone.
Folks, I don't normally do this sort of thing here, but I believe that we're in a time and situation that calls for Divine Intervention if we are to save our country and our way of life. We need help and we need it badly.
Pray.
Fervently, with humility and hope that we can recapture the spirit of freedom enshrined in our Constitution and purge our enemies from power in a peaceful way that meets His approval.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
A President Revealed
Sporting a green striped tie for St. Patrick's Day, President Obama sat down with Fox News Anchor Bret Baier for an interview in the historic oval Blue Room in the White House. A memorable exchange followed, allowing the American public to see and hear the President in a more relaxed, informal, and less scripted setting.
Baier came well-equipped with facts and figures concerning the transformative healthcare bill currently limping its way through Congress. Obama arrived with considerably less.
Baier wasted no time, asking Obama if he was comfortable with the heretofore unheard of parliamentary manuever called "The Slaughter Rule". Obama waved off the question as essentially irrelevant, saying
Bret next asked a question posed by the general public. Citing two names, the question was "If this bill is so good, why all the deals and arm twisting?"
Obama shot back that he could produce 40,000 letters asking why he hasn't done enough, displaying more dismissiveness of the American public.
Baier's next question quoted Nancy Pelosi's approval for the Slaughter Rule after the President had said that America deserved an up or down vote on the measure.
Obama replied by noting the controversial "Cornhusker Kickback", a provision in the bill exempting Kansas from the financial costs of the bill, a perk not offered to any other state. This was followed by an explanation that was random and bordering on incoherent.
Continuing on the subject of which special deals were contained in the bill, Baier asked if certain provisions were in or out of the bill.
Hilarity ensued in the form of this, uh, um, whatever this is:
Baier then asked if the Conneticut deal was in the bill. Obama replied with his approval of the "Lousiana Purchase" citing a provision that evaded the issue of the 100 million dollar gift to the state and instead focused on the bill's other goal of providing federal aid to states hit by natural disasters. Remind me again, Mr. President, which state hasn't recieved federal help after a natural disaster?
When pressed as to the presence of other payoffs and special deals in the healthcare bill (which he could not answer), a visibly upset President said something that should be of great concern to everyone.
The second point is that the bill is so sweeping in its scope, the size alone is scary and I'm not sure I want you to have that much power.
Bret was able to corner the president with this:
Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark.
Obama answered incoherently:
That's OK, Sir. You can stop right there. No, really Sir, it's not necessary to keep going. Honestly...
It's at this point that the interview degrades into a display by the President of dismissiveness, evasion, irritation, obfuscation and outright confusion. More questions about specific provisions in the bill were met with non-answers. At the end, Obama played the only card he had left to play: blaming his predecessor.
Again.
My general impression of the interview was that President Obama was outmatched. Bret Baier was much better prepared to ask substantive questions about the healthcare bill, questions that Obama clearly could not answer. There weren't many "gotcha" questions, at least no more than Sarah Palin got in her interviews on the campaign trail. On the few that were asked, Baier coached him, giving him short details, not wanting to be seen as ambushing him.
We saw nothing inspiring. We saw a man clearly not up to the rigors of the task of being President. We saw a man seemingly unable to think on his feet, wholly dependent on handlers and teleprompters and prepared speeches. We saw a man who holds no foundation of belief in any institution save himself. We saw a self-obsessed, vain and shallow man, far different from the one that was presented during the campaign.
We did not see a genuine President.
We saw a crude charicature instead.
Baier came well-equipped with facts and figures concerning the transformative healthcare bill currently limping its way through Congress. Obama arrived with considerably less.
Baier wasted no time, asking Obama if he was comfortable with the heretofore unheard of parliamentary manuever called "The Slaughter Rule". Obama waved off the question as essentially irrelevant, saying
"I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are in the House or the Senate."Well, Mr. President, neither do we. We trust the people we send to Washington to stick to the rules. However, not many of us have heard of this one, so pardon us if we have a question or two. Perhaps you could, oh, I don't know, maybe educate the public about it, seeing as how you used to be a Constitutional professor and all. I'm sure we'd all like to know a bit of the history and use of this rule.
Bret next asked a question posed by the general public. Citing two names, the question was "If this bill is so good, why all the deals and arm twisting?"
Obama shot back that he could produce 40,000 letters asking why he hasn't done enough, displaying more dismissiveness of the American public.
Baier's next question quoted Nancy Pelosi's approval for the Slaughter Rule after the President had said that America deserved an up or down vote on the measure.
Obama replied by noting the controversial "Cornhusker Kickback", a provision in the bill exempting Kansas from the financial costs of the bill, a perk not offered to any other state. This was followed by an explanation that was random and bordering on incoherent.
Now, a lot of the members of the House legitimately say, we want to vote on a package, as the president has proposed, that has those fixes embedded in it. Now that may mean they have to sequence the votes. But the ultimate vote they're taking is on whether or not they believe in the proposal that I put forward, to make sure that insurance reform is fixed, to make sure the deficits are reduced, and premiums go down, and small businesses are helped. That's what they're concerned about.Thank you for that insight, Sir.
Continuing on the subject of which special deals were contained in the bill, Baier asked if certain provisions were in or out of the bill.
Hilarity ensued in the form of this, uh, um, whatever this is:
I am certain that we've made sure, for example, that any burdens on states are alleviated, when it comes to what they're going to have to chip in to make sure that we're giving subsidies to small businesses, and subsidies to individuals, for example.
Baier then asked if the Conneticut deal was in the bill. Obama replied with his approval of the "Lousiana Purchase" citing a provision that evaded the issue of the 100 million dollar gift to the state and instead focused on the bill's other goal of providing federal aid to states hit by natural disasters. Remind me again, Mr. President, which state hasn't recieved federal help after a natural disaster?
When pressed as to the presence of other payoffs and special deals in the healthcare bill (which he could not answer), a visibly upset President said something that should be of great concern to everyone.
Bret, the core of this bill is going to be affecting every American family.Two points: You can't answer simple questions about the content of this bill after having spent the past 14 months working on it? Believe me, Sir, if you came into my office as my employee and could not tell me what you've been working on for the past year, I would fire you.
The second point is that the bill is so sweeping in its scope, the size alone is scary and I'm not sure I want you to have that much power.
Bret was able to corner the president with this:
You said a few times as Senator Obama that if a president has to eke out a victory of 50 plus one, that on something as important as health care, "you can't govern." But now you're embracing a 50 plus one reconciliation process in the Senate, so do you feel like you can govern after this?
Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark.
Obama answered incoherently:
Well, Bret, the — I think what we've seen during the course of this year is that we have come up with a bill that basically tracks the recommendations of Tom Daschle, former Democratic senator and leader, but also Bob Dole, former Republican leader, Howard Baker, former Republican leader. The ideas embodied in this legislation are not left, they're not right, they are — they are —
That's OK, Sir. You can stop right there. No, really Sir, it's not necessary to keep going. Honestly...
It's at this point that the interview degrades into a display by the President of dismissiveness, evasion, irritation, obfuscation and outright confusion. More questions about specific provisions in the bill were met with non-answers. At the end, Obama played the only card he had left to play: blaming his predecessor.
Again.
My general impression of the interview was that President Obama was outmatched. Bret Baier was much better prepared to ask substantive questions about the healthcare bill, questions that Obama clearly could not answer. There weren't many "gotcha" questions, at least no more than Sarah Palin got in her interviews on the campaign trail. On the few that were asked, Baier coached him, giving him short details, not wanting to be seen as ambushing him.
We saw nothing inspiring. We saw a man clearly not up to the rigors of the task of being President. We saw a man seemingly unable to think on his feet, wholly dependent on handlers and teleprompters and prepared speeches. We saw a man who holds no foundation of belief in any institution save himself. We saw a self-obsessed, vain and shallow man, far different from the one that was presented during the campaign.
We did not see a genuine President.
We saw a crude charicature instead.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Poision of Progressivism
It began with hope and a promise of change. No longer would our country be shackled by "politics as usual". Openess and honesty were to be the standing orders of the day. A bright new sun would rise, replacing the darkness of the previous administration whose policies were dragging down the great potential contained in the United States.
Anyone who still believes that in light of the disaster of the past 14 months of the Obama administration needs a serious and thorough psychiatric evaluation followed by heavy doses of medication because you have lost your mind.
The events of the past year have truly been breathtaking in their audacity. The list is growing too large to be remembered conveniently - what is left is the uncomfortable feeling that our country has been taken away from us by the very people we trusted enough to vote into office.
It's in our nature as Americans to give our fellow citizens the benefit of the doubt. We extended that courtesy to the new administration and gave it time to acclimate itself to the rigors of leadership. What were seen as obvious missteps were forgiven as rookie mistakes that were sure to be corrected in short order. After all, Democrats had been out of power for a while and might be a bit rusty. Time and experience would serve as self-correction. We believed that we were making history with the election of the country's first black President, which we did, and that our newfound racial harmony would absolve us of the stain of segregation. This new administration would be merely a liberal twist on standard American values, not unlike previous Democrat administrations.
Well, so much for those ideas.
If you question wheter what you're witnessing in Washington is the result of incompetance or a deliberate assault on the country, wonder no more. Believe your own eyes and trust what you hear: your country has been taken away from you.
It is essential for you to understand that the politicians who now inhabit the area inside the Beltway are not like you or me. They do not share your values. They are not interested in your welfare. They do not want you to be successful in life, they don't care if your family has a secure future and they most definitely do not embrace the values that made America the beacon of hope and freedom for the world.
In fact, for some inexplicable reason, they hold you in contempt. They look down upon you and your beliefs as one might look upon a small child. Your opinions don't matter. Your arguments are dismissed. They are the ultimate arbiters of your life, not you.
This attitude is now on naked display in the battle over ObamaCare currently raging on Capitol Hill. In the face of overwhelming evidence that shows America wants nothing to do with a government takeover of the healthcare industry, progressives in both houses of Congress persist in forcing their grand vision of socialism down your throat.
This issue has become so toxic to the nation that we are now faced with a true Constitutional crisis in the form of the "Slaughter rule". Make no mistake, this is being done on purpose in a deliberate attempt to circumvent the will of America. Any attempt to do an "end around" any vote should be considered a slap in your face.
This crisis didn't just appear out of thin air, my friends. It came about as part of a well-planned and orchestrated effort to bypass our Constituion and to fundamentally change our country. And this is just the beginning.
There was a time when the word "communist" invoked an image of people who hated you because you were American. Communists and communism were seen as a threat to the country, and rightly so. It was their stated goal: "We will bury you".
It's time to consider the word "progressive" to be equally evil. The goal of "progressives" is the same: to abolish the pillars of self-rule by the people and replace it with a government that is openly hostile to you. your family, and your future.
Anyone who still believes that in light of the disaster of the past 14 months of the Obama administration needs a serious and thorough psychiatric evaluation followed by heavy doses of medication because you have lost your mind.
The events of the past year have truly been breathtaking in their audacity. The list is growing too large to be remembered conveniently - what is left is the uncomfortable feeling that our country has been taken away from us by the very people we trusted enough to vote into office.
It's in our nature as Americans to give our fellow citizens the benefit of the doubt. We extended that courtesy to the new administration and gave it time to acclimate itself to the rigors of leadership. What were seen as obvious missteps were forgiven as rookie mistakes that were sure to be corrected in short order. After all, Democrats had been out of power for a while and might be a bit rusty. Time and experience would serve as self-correction. We believed that we were making history with the election of the country's first black President, which we did, and that our newfound racial harmony would absolve us of the stain of segregation. This new administration would be merely a liberal twist on standard American values, not unlike previous Democrat administrations.
Well, so much for those ideas.
If you question wheter what you're witnessing in Washington is the result of incompetance or a deliberate assault on the country, wonder no more. Believe your own eyes and trust what you hear: your country has been taken away from you.
It is essential for you to understand that the politicians who now inhabit the area inside the Beltway are not like you or me. They do not share your values. They are not interested in your welfare. They do not want you to be successful in life, they don't care if your family has a secure future and they most definitely do not embrace the values that made America the beacon of hope and freedom for the world.
In fact, for some inexplicable reason, they hold you in contempt. They look down upon you and your beliefs as one might look upon a small child. Your opinions don't matter. Your arguments are dismissed. They are the ultimate arbiters of your life, not you.
This attitude is now on naked display in the battle over ObamaCare currently raging on Capitol Hill. In the face of overwhelming evidence that shows America wants nothing to do with a government takeover of the healthcare industry, progressives in both houses of Congress persist in forcing their grand vision of socialism down your throat.
This issue has become so toxic to the nation that we are now faced with a true Constitutional crisis in the form of the "Slaughter rule". Make no mistake, this is being done on purpose in a deliberate attempt to circumvent the will of America. Any attempt to do an "end around" any vote should be considered a slap in your face.
This crisis didn't just appear out of thin air, my friends. It came about as part of a well-planned and orchestrated effort to bypass our Constituion and to fundamentally change our country. And this is just the beginning.
There was a time when the word "communist" invoked an image of people who hated you because you were American. Communists and communism were seen as a threat to the country, and rightly so. It was their stated goal: "We will bury you".
It's time to consider the word "progressive" to be equally evil. The goal of "progressives" is the same: to abolish the pillars of self-rule by the people and replace it with a government that is openly hostile to you. your family, and your future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)