YouTube - "Mayor Steve Lonegan, Republican for Governor, Addresses CPAC"

YouTube - "Mayor Steve Lonegan, Republican for Governor, Addresses CPAC". Haven't finished watching, but from what I've seen he seems like a good man. In short, he has no chance of getting elected in NJ.

It's a tragedy. Over and over in NJ I watched as good men running for office were passed over for scoundrels. This man won't win either, and NJ deserves their fate.

Permalink | Comments? | Tags: Opinions/Politics | id 8738

23:47 (utc-5)
edited: 23:47 (utc-5)

 

Krauthammer: Deception at Core of Obama Plans

Krauthammer: Deception at Core of Obama Plans:

And yet with our financial house on fire, Obama makes clear both in his speech and his budget that the essence of his presidency will be the transformation of health care, education and energy. Four months after winning the election, six weeks after his swearing in, Obama has yet to unveil a plan to deal with the banking crisis.

What's going on? "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste," said Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. "This crisis provides the opportunity for us to do things that you could not do before."

Things. Now we know what they are. The markets' recent precipitous decline is a reaction not just to the absence of any plausible bank rescue plan, but also to the suspicion that Obama sees the continuing financial crisis as usefully creating the psychological conditions -- the sense of crisis bordering on fear-itself panic -- for enacting his "Big Bang" agenda to federalize and/or socialize health care, education and energy, the commanding heights of post-industrial society.

Clever politics, but intellectually dishonest to the core. Health, education and energy -- worthy and weighty as they may be -- are not the cause of our financial collapse. And they are not the cure. The fraudulent claim that they are both cause and cure is the rhetorical device by which an ambitious president intends to enact the most radical agenda of social transformation seen in our lifetime.

Also see David Brooks at the NY Times: A Moderate Manifesto (via LGF). How could anyone who's been paying attention think Obama was a moderate?

WSJ: Obama's Radicalism Is Killing the Dow:

It's hard not to see the continued sell-off on Wall Street and the growing fear on Main Street as a product, at least in part, of the realization that our new president's policies are designed to radically re-engineer the market-based U.S. economy, not just mitigate the recession and financial crisis.

The illusion that Barack Obama will lead from the economic center has quickly come to an end. Instead of combining the best policies of past Democratic presidents -- John Kennedy on taxes, Bill Clinton on welfare reform and a balanced budget, for instance -- President Obama is returning to Jimmy Carter's higher taxes and Mr. Clinton's draconian defense drawdown.

Mr. Obama's $3.6 trillion budget blueprint, by his own admission, redefines the role of government in our economy and society. The budget more than doubles the national debt held by the public, adding more to the debt than all previous presidents -- from George Washington to George W. Bush -- combined. It reduces defense spending to a level not sustained since the dangerous days before World War II, while increasing nondefense spending (relative to GDP) to the highest level in U.S. history. And it would raise taxes to historically high levels (again, relative to GDP). And all of this before addressing the impending explosion in Social Security and Medicare costs.

New and expanded refundable tax credits would raise the fraction of taxpayers paying no income taxes to almost 50% from 38%. This is potentially the most pernicious feature of the president's budget, because it would cement a permanent voting majority with no stake in controlling the cost of general government.

From the poorly designed stimulus bill and vague new financial rescue plan, to the enormous expansion of government spending, taxes and debt somehow permanently strengthening economic growth, the assumptions underlying the president's economic program seem bereft of rigorous analysis and a careful reading of history.

Permalink | Comments? | Tags: Barack Obama, Opinions/Politics | id 8736

13:19 (utc-6)
edited: 15:44 (utc-6)

 

CNBC host calls for new 'tea party'

Video: CNBC host calls for new 'tea party' (via). To watch later.

Edit: watched it. That guy for president!

Incidentally, I like the term "moral hazard".

Permalink | Comments? | Tags: Opinions/Politics | id 8727

14:20 (utc-6)
edited: 18:20 (utc-6)

 

Our government is a joke

DRUDGE REPORT: PELOSI: LET'S VOTE, I AM OFF TO ROME! 2009®:

Rep. John Culberson, TX claims the "stimulus" bill must be urgently voted on today -- because Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leaving at 6:00 PM for an 8 day trip to Europe!

Culberson made the charge on Houston's KSEV radio.

Pelosi is hoping to lead a delegation to Europe; there's a meeting with the Pope and an award from an Italian legislative group.

Calls to Pelosi's spokesman went unreturned.

In the rushing, Democrats have now broken their promise to have the public see the $790 billion bill for 48 hours before any vote.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) predicted that none of his Senate colleagues would 'have the chance' to read the entire final version of the 1,071-page bill before it comes up for a final vote.

Emphasis mine.

Update: Boehner: "Not one member has read this bill". How could someone possibly vote yes on something they haven't read in good conscience.

Permalink | 2 Comments | Tags: Opinions/Politics | id 8722

12:48 (utc-6)
edited: 15:50 (utc-6)

 

Calif. Supreme Court to take up gay marriage ban

My Way News - Calif. Supreme Court to take up gay marriage ban

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California's highest court has agreed to hear legal challenges to a new ban on gay marriage, but is refusing to allow gay couples to resume marrying until it rules.

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted three lawsuits seeking to overturn Proposition 8. The amendment passed this month with 52 percent of the vote. The court did not elaborate on its decision.

All three cases claim the ban abridges the civil rights of a vulnerable minority group. They argue that voters alone did not have the authority to enact such a significant constitutional change.

Disgusting. The people voted to amend their state constitution and the court would consider overturning it. So much for democracy.

As for whether the voters "have the authority" to amend their constitution, article 18 of the California state constitution states:

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 18 AMENDING AND REVISING THE CONSTITUTION


SEC. 3. The electors may amend the Constitution by initiative.



CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 18 AMENDING AND REVISING THE CONSTITUTION


SEC. 4. A proposed amendment or revision shall be submitted to the
electors and if approved by a majority of votes thereon takes effect
the day after the election unless the measure provides otherwise. If
provisions of 2 or more measures approved at the same election
conflict, those of the measure receiving the highest affirmative vote
shall prevail.

Permalink | 3 Comments | Tags: Opinions/Politics | id 8644

20:01 (utc-6)