In the week or so since the ACORN scandal broke, the Census Bureau has cut ties with ACORN; the IRS has been urged to follow; the Senate has refused to further fund ACORN by a vote of 83-7; and Minority Leader John Boehner (and 114 co-sponsers) have introduced HR 3571 (the Defund ACORN Act) in the House of Representatives.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is clueless, which I wouldn’t have believed possible.
As Glenn Reynolds usually puts it, ”The country’s in the very best of hands.”
Thursday, September 17, 2009
IT’S AUTUMN AND THE ACORNS ARE FALLING
In their undercover videos (here and here, among others), James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles have set off an avalanche of criticism against the liberal nonprofit ACORN, which has long been accused by conservatives of misusing federal funds and falsifying voter registration forms.
Jon Stewart (skip to 05:00) wondered where the media was; and (finally) a major newspaper has taken a (squishy) stand, rebuking ACORN while decrying O’Keefe’s and Giles’ method as “distasteful.”
Commenter The Grey Man gets the last word: “Why are these methods “distasteful”? And why is ... [the MSM] ... being so elitist? O’Keefe and [his] partner are merely poor, undocumented journalists doing the work that regular American journalists do not want to do. I think Congress should enact legislation to give ... undocumented [journalists] amnesty, or at least a pathway to full journalism.”
Jon Stewart (skip to 05:00) wondered where the media was; and (finally) a major newspaper has taken a (squishy) stand, rebuking ACORN while decrying O’Keefe’s and Giles’ method as “distasteful.”
Commenter The Grey Man gets the last word: “Why are these methods “distasteful”? And why is ... [the MSM] ... being so elitist? O’Keefe and [his] partner are merely poor, undocumented journalists doing the work that regular American journalists do not want to do. I think Congress should enact legislation to give ... undocumented [journalists] amnesty, or at least a pathway to full journalism.”
TWELVE STEPS TO SANITY
From an email that has been circulating recently. I’ve edited it for brevity.
“I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me.”
“Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back..”
Well said.
“I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me.”
One, illegal immigration. [S]top coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders.
Two, the TARP bill. Freeze, repeal.
Three, Czars. Fire the czars.
Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over.
Five, universal healthcare. Slow down. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night.
Six, growing government control. Shrink it down. I want less government, not more.
Seven, ACORN. I want them investigated.
Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine.
Nine, charitable contributions. Charity belongs in our local communities. Butt out.
Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. [Let them} sink or swim like the rest of us.
Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? [G]ive the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk.
Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
“Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back..”
Well said.
SCRAP THE EUROPEAN MISSILE SHIELD
According to Fox News, President Obama will scrap the ballistic missile defense shield in Europe.
European reaction is mixed. Russia applauds the policy change; Poland and the Czech Republic are relieved not to be targets, but have based much of their future security policy on getting the missile defenses from the United States.
The immediate reaction in the US from the left is that the change "makes strategic sense;" from the right, the reaction appears to be that “[t]his represents a complete capitulation to Russia's Vladimir Putin, who had demanded that the proposed deployments be halted as a price for improved relations.” Instapundit put it this way: ”It really is like Jimmy Carter all over again. Well, actually that’s looking like a best-case scenario these days.”
I doubt it’s as bad as the right's position makes it to be, since the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) is in fact still a developmental system, but the “sell-out” image does leave a bad taste.
European reaction is mixed. Russia applauds the policy change; Poland and the Czech Republic are relieved not to be targets, but have based much of their future security policy on getting the missile defenses from the United States.
The immediate reaction in the US from the left is that the change "makes strategic sense;" from the right, the reaction appears to be that “[t]his represents a complete capitulation to Russia's Vladimir Putin, who had demanded that the proposed deployments be halted as a price for improved relations.” Instapundit put it this way: ”It really is like Jimmy Carter all over again. Well, actually that’s looking like a best-case scenario these days.”
I doubt it’s as bad as the right's position makes it to be, since the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) is in fact still a developmental system, but the “sell-out” image does leave a bad taste.
JOHN GALT, M.D.
“Two of every three practicing physicians oppose the medical overhaul plan under consideration in Washington, and hundreds of thousands would think about shutting down their practices or retiring early if it were adopted, a new IBD/TIPP Poll has found.”
“The poll contradicts the claims of not only the White House, but also doctors' own lobby — the powerful American Medical Association — both of which suggest the medical profession is behind the proposed overhaul.”
The article is here.
Thanks to Instapundit for the title.
“The poll contradicts the claims of not only the White House, but also doctors' own lobby — the powerful American Medical Association — both of which suggest the medical profession is behind the proposed overhaul.”
The article is here.
Thanks to Instapundit for the title.
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION EXPLAINED
Victor Davis Hanson explains the Obama administration's positions.
On healthcare:
“[W]ould you want an autonomous family practitioner, entrepreneurial, keen to adopt to patient needs and tastes, juggling 10 employees and a 2-million-dollar family practice budget, grossing $400,000 a year in profits, highly opinionated and self-reliant, using his profits once in a while to ski or buy a BMW—or have him transmogrified into a GS-something, at $100,000 a year, with government benefits, unionized, docile, and waiting to go home when his shift at the dreary government clinic ends, wearing his doctor union T-shirt to work and eager to vote in politicians who ensure him lifetime tenure, generous retirement packages, and guaranteed pay raises?”
On wealth:
“[B]y April 16 of each year we will all make about the same: those who make “too much” will return their stolen goods; those who were fleeced and ‘make too little’ will receive it back through recycled entitlements, with the proper amount skimmed off at the top by the technocracy, immune from the very statutes they craft.”
On the environment:
“[T]he rambunctious ignorant American should put away his energy-stealing boat, SUV, and snowmobile, and instead live in accordance to the green dictates of an Al Gore, John Kerry, Tom Friedman and others, all once again, properly exempt from the effects of their own ‘small earth’ advocacies.”
On racism:
“I fear that this is the most polarizing administration we have seen in matters of race since the 1920s. If those around Obama, and his supporters in Congress, had just substituted the word ‘black’ each time they have angrily invoked the word ‘white’, they would have been branded abject racists.”
On healthcare:
“[W]ould you want an autonomous family practitioner, entrepreneurial, keen to adopt to patient needs and tastes, juggling 10 employees and a 2-million-dollar family practice budget, grossing $400,000 a year in profits, highly opinionated and self-reliant, using his profits once in a while to ski or buy a BMW—or have him transmogrified into a GS-something, at $100,000 a year, with government benefits, unionized, docile, and waiting to go home when his shift at the dreary government clinic ends, wearing his doctor union T-shirt to work and eager to vote in politicians who ensure him lifetime tenure, generous retirement packages, and guaranteed pay raises?”
On wealth:
“[B]y April 16 of each year we will all make about the same: those who make “too much” will return their stolen goods; those who were fleeced and ‘make too little’ will receive it back through recycled entitlements, with the proper amount skimmed off at the top by the technocracy, immune from the very statutes they craft.”
On the environment:
“[T]he rambunctious ignorant American should put away his energy-stealing boat, SUV, and snowmobile, and instead live in accordance to the green dictates of an Al Gore, John Kerry, Tom Friedman and others, all once again, properly exempt from the effects of their own ‘small earth’ advocacies.”
On racism:
“I fear that this is the most polarizing administration we have seen in matters of race since the 1920s. If those around Obama, and his supporters in Congress, had just substituted the word ‘black’ each time they have angrily invoked the word ‘white’, they would have been branded abject racists.”
SIGN THE PETITION
Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt).
Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his website and sign his petition.
I did, and why not? It can't hurt; it may help.
Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his website and sign his petition.
I did, and why not? It can't hurt; it may help.
THE NEXT GREATEST GENERATION
"Wait 'til all the young people who championed Obama find out that they are the ones who'll be funding health care reform."
Thanks, kids. You're already picking up the tab for my retirement. It's really, really nice of you to agree to pay for my healthcare too.
Love,
Dad
Thanks, kids. You're already picking up the tab for my retirement. It's really, really nice of you to agree to pay for my healthcare too.
Love,
Dad
MARY TRAVERS HAS DIED
At 72. Of leukemia. Vocalist for the folk-singing trio Peter, Paul, and Mary, I saw her at New Mexico State University in the early 60's. I don't care for her politics, but damn, she could sing!
My condolences.
My condolences.
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