ANKLE-BITING DEMOCRATS

From The Fix in the Washington Post.

"Rush is the bloated face and drug-addled voice of the Republican Party," said Paul Begala, a longtime Democratic strategist who rose to prominence during Bill Clinton's presidency. "Along with lots of others, I intend to continue to turn up the heat until every alleged Republican either endorses or renounces Rush's statement that he hopes our President fails."

Read what Limbaugh actually said:

This notion that I want the President to fail, folks, this shows you a sign of the problem we've got. That's nothing more than common sense and to not be able to say it, why in the world do I want what we just described, rampant government growth indebtedness, wealth that's not even being created yet that is being spent, what is in this? What possibly is in this that anybody of us wants to succeed?

So what is so strange about being honest to say that I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation? Why would I want that to succeed?

I was under the impression that the Democrats were the ones who were sophisticated and nuanced [And you believed them? – Ed. C’mon, Shadow, let it be.] but they seem to have trouble understanding the difference between wanting Obama to fail and wanting Obama’s agenda to fail.

On this one, I’m with Rush Limbaugh. I hope ... no, pray ... that President Obama fails to push his agenda through Congress.

The full text of Limbaugh’s CPAC address is here.

I AM AN AMERICAN. I WILL NOT GIVE UP MY LIBERTY.

IF THIS GOES ON ... PART II

This shows the closing values of the Dow Jones Industrial Average from September 2, 2008 through today's closing. It's divided into three sections; the last months of the Bush administration, the 2-1/2 month transition, and the first month of the Obama administration.



According to the data, the end of the world is now sometime in late September, up a bit from my first estimate.

Liberals, I suppose, can argue that Obama has delayed the end of the world by about 4 months, but the interesting part of the chart is the interim between election and inauguration.

I'm reminded of a Peter, Paul, and Mary concert I attended many, many years ago: Peter Yarrow came to center stage to announce "we're going to play a song ... you're really, really going to want to sing ... please, DON'T!"

That, I think, is what's going on here. Both administrations really, really want to meddle and the stock market is crying "Please, DON'T!"

There's a lesson here, if only the Government would take notice.

WHAT IS HE THINKING?

Colbert I. King has his panties in a twist.

In a commentary on WTOP radio yesterday, King urged a “NO” vote on the bill now in Congress to grant Washington DC a vote in the House of Representatives. Not because it is clearly unconstitutional, but because the Senate inserted a rider severely restricting DC gun laws.

King is concerned that (a) DC will no longer be able to ban “assault weapons” and (b) the police will be unable to use gun registration information to trace weapons used in criminal activities.

Uh, Colby, did someone forget to remind you that “assault weapons” are straight out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales? Repainted black, the Remington semi-automatic .22 from my youth would be considered an “assault weapon.”

And do you really, really, really believe that criminals are going to register their weapons? In DC, or anywhere for that matter?

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Obama pledges to slash wasteful spending.

Obama will say that his administration will stop outsourcing to private contractors many services that should be performed by government employees.

Oh, boy. Look, I’ve got no love for the Government’s contracting process. I lived with it for years as a defense contractor.

But.

I was active in the defense industry when outsourcing began, and guess what the rationale for outsourcing was? It was supposed to be “less expensive” for the Government.

Well, is it? Or isn’t it?

UPDATING SOME FAMOUS THINKERS

Updating William F. Buckley, Jr.: I’d rather be governed by the first 2000 callers to Rush Limbaugh’s show than by the faculty of Harvard.

Or perhaps it’s better to channel Pogo: We have met the enemy and he is us. [Well, America did vote for him. - Ed. Don't remind me, Shadow.]

READ ON THE WEB

Democrats want to ban Barbie in West Virginia.

Barbie is a lot smarter than Democrats, so this should be a one-sided fight.

SEEN IN THE ELEVATOR

A co-worker was seen in the elevator carrying the book Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations.

That’s a no-brainer. How many ways are there to say “zero”?

GOING JOHN GALT

Don Surber’s column is up:

Under the Obama administration, the people who played by the rules will reward the rule-breakers.

We get to pick up the tab.

This is the Leona Helmsley administration. She once said: "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes."

Which is why I’m going John Galt.

This administration serves the tax cheats and mortgage deadbeats first.

Which is why I’m going John Galt.

Oh, did I mention? I’m going John Galt.

SIGN OF THE TIMES?

At 10:13 am

DOW down 93.11 (1.35%)
Wal Mart up 2.03 (4.19%)

Noon update: DOW now down 3.3%; Wal Mart up 1.6%

2:30 PM update: DOW now down 3.9%; Wal Mart up 2.3%

Market close: DOW closes down 4.1% (281 pts); Wal Mart up 2.6% (1.2 pts)

LISTEN UP!

T. Coddington Van Voorhees VII speaks:

"We've tried, Mr. President," I explained. "But there are unsavory elements within the party who keep bringing them back in."

My reference, obviously, was to the self-styled luminaries of "populism" who hang like a millstone around the Republican neck -- the Sarah Palins, the Plumbing Joes, the Bobby Jindals, the Rush Limbaughs, the motley middlebrow state college pretenders to the conservative throne.

Will Republicans listen?

Via Iowahawk.

HOW 'BOUT THAT?

President Obama saved my job!

[Update and bumped] On the other hand - there's always an other hand - does President Obama get credit for creating a new job when a retiree has to go back to work in order to make ends meet?