GUESS WHO PAYS?

Courtesy of Michael Ramirez (April 7).

WHERE ARE THE LOONS?

Ordinarily I use “Where are the clowns?” to caption tripe such as this, but “clown” just isn’t adequate to describe the darkness of this conspiracy theorist.

With the notoriously conservative Tea Party movement gaining steam, is it time to take the ‘United’ out of ‘United States’? ... Their arguments have the potential to divide the country along titanic lines not seen since the bloody days of the Civil War.

Oh, my. Would anyone care to remind this young gentleman of the protests of the Viet Nam era? By his side?

Think I’m exaggerating here? The Tea Party movement is an incredibly dangerous concept, fuelled by the usual gushes of sycophantic support from the conservative news media (here’s looking at you, Fox).

I get it: Conservatives bad. Liberals good.

Can you imagine the potential for chaos if some of these ‘protesters’ decide to exercise the Second Amendment and bring their weapons to these rallies? There’s a thin line between peaceful protest and bloodthirsty patriotic fervor, especially if those protesting are used to being on the side of the mighty status quo.

Of course. Jim Bob, Billy Joe, and Cooter are going to exercise their Second Amendment rights in camouflage and with assault weapons.

President Obama was elected democratically, according to the doctrines set forth by the Founding Fathers.

And of course former President Bush wasn’t elected democratically.

The Tea Party movement represents a real danger to the tenets of democracy Americans have embraced for centuries.

Uh, have you heard about the First Amendment? Freedom of speech and all that? Oh, it only applies to your side?

[The author] is an unabashed atheist who says he's doomed whether or not the world ends on December 21, 2012. But that doesn't stop him from taking a dark interest in all things apocalyptic. Join him as he explores the various signs that portend the End of Days.

Seems to me that he missed his mark by about 3 years and 11 months.

WHERE DID OUR STIMULUS MONEY GO?

Ask Google. On February 14, with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress shoveled $787 billion of stimulus money out the door. Now they're using Google to find out where it went.

[T]he Binghamton, New York Press & News-Bulletin ... reported that the small town of Union, New York would receive $578,661 from the [HUD’s Homeless Prevention] Fund, even though "Union did not request the money and does not currently have homeless programs in place in the town to administer such funds."

[T]he Altoona Mirror reported that the small central Pennsylvania town was going to receive $819,000 from the Fund even though Altoona officials "may not have enough of a homelessness problem to use it."

WHP-TV in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania saying the city would receive $855,478 from the Fund, but does not know what to do with it.

The bill's supporters stressed that it included strong oversight safeguards. So Google is a “strong oversight safeguard”?

SHUT UP?

No. Never.

IS IT MY IMAGINATION?

Or are we seeing more stories like this?

Their livelihood was being threatened, and they were tired of waiting for government help, so business owners and residents on Hawaii's Kauai island pulled together and completed a $4 million repair job to a state park -- for free.

"They [state of Hawaii parks department] said it would probably take two years. And with the way they are cutting funds, we felt like they'd never get the money to fix it."

So ... business owners and residents made the decision not to sit on their hands and wait for state money that many expected would never come. Instead, they pulled together machinery and manpower and hit the ground running March 23.

And after only eight days, all of the repairs were done.

Here’s another.

Do you have gaping potholes on your street and feel the city is not fixing them quickly enough? How about patching them yourself?

That's what a group of residents on Chicago's West Side did Wednesday. Members of the South Austin Coalition bought eight bags of a pavement mix for about $100 and used shovels, rakes and a 250-pound push roller to fill 15 holes on the 4800 block of West Van Buren Street.

"The city's not doing it, so residents need to take the matter into their own hands," said Elce Redmond, an organizer with the coalition.

I’ve posted about this before (here and here, among others), and it seems to me that ever since the Obama administration hit the ground stumbling and bumbling, I’ve seen more and more stories of states, financial institutions, businesses, and citizens ignoring government “help” and taking their affairs into their own hands.

Of course, government isn’t happy ....

For example, Chicago city officials don't think that's a good idea for citizens to fill potholes:

For starters, it's not safe for people to work in the street without taking safety measures like putting up orange cones to warn traffic, said Brian Steele, a spokesman for the Chicago Department of Transportation. Secondly, city crews are trained in the art of filling potholes ...

Well, maybe it’s time for us to tell government “We’re quite capable of taking care of our own affairs, thank you very much. Now go away.”

GEOENGINEERING CLIMATE CHANGE

“The president’s new science adviser said Wednesday that global warming is so dire, the Obama administration is discussing radical technologies to cool Earth’s air.”

One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun's rays.

Hmm. Aren’t we supposed to be against polluting the environment? And if this is so great, why not build lots of dirty coal-fired power plants and at least get the benefit of cheap electricity and energy independence?

Another geoengineering option ... mentioned was the use of so-called artificial trees to suck carbon dioxide—the chief human-caused greenhouse gas—out of the air and store it.

Real trees aren’t good enough?

via Instapundit.

[UPDATE] Hah! According to NASA:

Sulfates, which come primarily from the burning of coal and oil, scatter incoming solar radiation and have a net cooling effect on climate.

And

[W]ith China building sulphur-belching coal power stations and diesel vehicles at a furious rate in recent times ... it's at least possible that this has something to do with the fact that global temperatures have actually dipped slightly over the last couple of years.

AMERICA'S PROMISE

Not dependent on government. Via Day by Day.

JOE BIDEN WAS RIGHT

Not even pirates respect the U.S. flag.

Somali pirates on Wednesday hijacked a U.S.-flagged cargo ship with 20 American crew members aboard, FOX News has learned.

Will Obama apologise to them too?

[UPDATE] Never mind, Mr. President, you needn't apologise. The American crew on board took back the ship and captured at least one pirate.

FAIRNESS

CBO: Top 1% Earned 19% of Income, Paid 28% of All Taxes. And got 1% of the vote.

Via Instapundit.

RULES ARE FOR THEE; NOT FOR ME

Heard on WTOP radio this morning: Congresscritters can’t smoke in their cafeterias any more -- but they can still smoke in their offices ....

I can’t smoke in my office. Can you?

Question: is the Oval Office now a smoking area?
Answer: rules are for little people.

A RIGHT TO LISTEN?

The Fairness Doctrine and “localism regulation” may yet die.

During oral argument in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, Justice Scalia said, "Do you think that there's a possibility that the First Amendment interest is greater when what the government is trying to stifle is not just a speaker who wants to say something but also a hearer who wants to hear what the speaker has to say?"

Apparently listeners have rights, too.

AL QAEDA PRESS CONFERENCE

Two young Americans who left their homes to join an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group in Somalia held a rare “press conference” in southern Somalia on Sunday, saying they want to be killed "for the sake of God[.]"

I’m sure the U.S. Marines will be happy to assist.

MORE ON GM (GOVERNMENT MOTORS)

According to President Obama, Detroit can't focus on "trying to build more and more SUVs and counting on gas prices being low."

The administration is expected to announce plans to raise fuel efficiency standards to 30.2 mpg for the 2011 model year and pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, and minivans will need to reach 24.1 mpg.

Now from George Will, writing in the Washington Post:

Yet last week, in an unenthralled summary of GM's "viability" plan, Obama's administration said: "GM earns a large share of its profits from high-margin trucks and SUVs.

And:

The stunning shift in consumer preferences that should make the White House's freshly minted auto experts feel vulnerable has been reported under headlines such as ‘Like a Rock: Hybrid Car Sales Plummet’ (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 9) and ‘Hybrid Car Sales Go From 60 to 0 at Breakneck Speed’ (Los Angeles Times, March 17). Absent $4 gasoline, customers, those nuisances with their insufferable preferences, do not want the vehicles the politicians want them to want ....

So let me get this straight. (1) American auto manufacturers are nearly bankrupt. (2) The only automobiles they make that are profitable are light trucks and SUVs. (3) In order to get federal "bailout" money, they have to quit manufacturing them and only manufacture automobiles that American consumers don't want.

Huh?

Now back to Will:

Has the Car Designer in Chief, a.k.a. the president, considered the possibility that what he calls "the cars of tomorrow" will forever be that? ... His administration cannot be faulted for failing to do well what cannot be done well -- industrial policy, wherein the political class, with negligible experience in commerce, flounders. The administration can, however, be faulted for trying.

Yes.

A TRAGEDY OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Oliver North:

It was a remarkable performance, worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy. In the space of 48 hours, the president of the United States seized control of one of the world's largest manufacturing companies and fired its chief executive officer. He followed up by congratulating our representatives for creating the 14th-largest paid entity on the planet - a quarter of a million government-paid "volunteers." [Ed: the Serve America Act.] And then, he departed the capital to receive the cheers of adoring crowds - in Europe.

Continuing:

Short of war, the unintended consequences of government intervention are often [Ed: often? Try always.] far worse than the problem it was supposed to solve. As the U.S. Senate was voting to spend a billion dollars a year to put a quarter-million civilian "volunteers" on the government payroll, Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, rose to ask his colleagues a salient question that applies as much to the takeover of the auto industry as it does to destroying community volunteerism: "Do you see anything in the history of our federal government that shows we have the ability to effectively manage something like that?"

One question, three answers: No, no, and no.

A SMALL STEP IN “GETTING IT”

Andrew Alexander, the new Ombudsman at the Washington Post, may be on to something.

Newspapers demand accountability and transparency from the institutions they cover. But when it comes to The Post, one of the world's best-known media institutions, the attitude seems to be: Good for thee, but not for me.

Seems rather obvious to anyone who reads beyond the comics. [Shadow: You rarely do any more. Me: yes – too painful.]

A separate question is whether The Post adheres to the [ethical and journalistic] policies in place. In my first two months as ombudsman, I've found a disturbing lack of attention to the standards and ethics rules.

Gee, ya think?

[A] surprising number of staffers told me it's been years since they reviewed them. And several said they simply don't adhere to some of the policies ...."

Policies? We’re the Washington Post! We don’t need no stinkin’ policies.

SMOKE! IT’S FOR THE CHILDREN

Early in February, the president signed a law to triple the federal excise tax on cigarettes -- which will jump from 39 cents per pack to $1.01 today. His administration projects this tax hike will bring in at least $38 billion over the next five years.

The tobacco tax hikes will be used to finance an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP. The expansion, which will cost $35 million over five years, is expected to secure federally funded health care for an additional 4 million children.

Hmm. Let’s see now; the tax hike is projected to bring in $38 billion over five years; SCHIP will get $35 million over 5 years.

I wonder where the remaining $37.965 billion will go?

Obama promised repeatedly that 95% of American families would get a tax cut. So it's especially fitting that he chose April Fools Day to implement his first tax increase -- which will fall mostly on individuals and families who do not make anywhere near $250,000 per year.

Who’s the April fool? Three guesses; the first two don’t count.

POLITICAL PULLBACK FOR THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT?

Kathleen Parker has an interesting commentary on the “demise” of the Christian right is modern politics.

My takeaway: instead of struggling to “get religion out of government,” we should adopt a different strategy - get government out of religion.

Read it all.

BUY GM - IT’S PATRIOTIC

Another example of “do as I say, not as I do” Obama administration hypocrisy. Case in point:

Politico took a look at the rides of the people who are now in control of the destinies of GM and Chrysler. While the Obamas have a Ford Escape Hybrid sitting in the garage back in Chicago (and before that they drove a Chrysler), many key administration officials park imports in the White House employee lot every day.

According to Politico, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner drives an Acura, Larry Summers drives a Mazda, Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee has a Toyota, and OMB director Peter R. Orszag and vice presidential economic adviser Jaret Bernstein both have Honda Odyssey minivans. (Car czar Steve Rattner, for the record, was not mentioned in the Politico piece. But according to the Detroit News, he has three imports and one domestic vehicle.)

My predictions?

One: by the end of 2009, the administration will tell us that it is “patriotic” to buy a Government Motors (GM) automobile.

Two: before the next presidential election, it will be a Government requirement (“fleet modernization”) to trade in your 4-year old (or older) car and buy a new “environmentally friendly” GM car.

GUN CONTROL MEANS BIGGER WARNING SIGNS

On the Binghamton (NY) shootings, WCBS television reported that “[p]olice said Voong had two registered guns, but could not confirm if they were the two recovered at the scene: a 9 mm with an extended clip of ammo, and a .45 caliber.”

Over at Don Surber’s place, Tregonsee commented: “What are the chances that the American Civic Association proudly proclaims itself as a ‘gun free area?’ .... Whether the ACA indeed has one [a sign], I bet there are several places learning the lesson from this and putting up bigger signs.”

Or posting them in multiple languages ....

ANOTHER TEA PARTY

Santa Barbara had a tea party today. More are scheduled, with most on Tax Day, April 15th. Go. Join in. Make yourself heard.

Better yet, join the PJTV citizen reporter corps for April 15th.

Here’s a map of tea parties scheduled throughout the US. Surely there’s one near you.