Category: opinion/news

An honorable opinion

datechguy

I’m pretty hard on the left at this blog so when kudos need to be given they shouldn’t be neglected:

I’ve never cared for Tom Daschle, on substance or politics, but I know so little about health care that I have hesitated to discuss whether Daschle is a good choice for HHS. But in light of this news, why in heaven’s name should President Obama lift a finger for a guy who basically did not tell him the truth:

Kudos for talk left for not letting Daschle off the hook on his taxes. This is a huge mistake on Obama’s part. Believe me when people are in the process of paying their taxes (I’ll be doing mine today or tomorrow) its bad enough that you have a treasure secretary that didn’t pay his taxes how many more are we going to see?

The Sock Puppet deserves credit on this one too.

Scrappleface via Glenn Nails it:

In the month of January alone, Mr. Obama has forced Timothy Geithner, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to cough up $43,000 he owed the IRS, and former Sen. Tom Daschle to pay off his $128,000 tax obligation. Mr. Geithner will put his tax-paying experience to good use, overseeing the IRS as Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. Daschle hopes his recently-good behavior will garner Senate confirmation as the next Secretary of the Health and Human Services.

“With the IRS underfunded as it is,” said Mr. Gibbs, “this collection method is much more efficient than dispatching field agents. Arresting these men, or compelling them to pay penalties would take years, and make them feel bad about themselves. The president’s method not only gets more money to the government to help our economy, but provides a self-esteem boost by giving these wealthy men important-sounding titles.”

I think I’ll add a category called “honorable left” to give a thumbs up for situations like this.

I’m going to be a little unfair here…

datechguy

…to that paragon of the left George Soros. I want to quote something from Jay Nordlinger’s Davos Journal part 2:

Lunch is with George Soros. He speaks to a group of journalists in a Davos hotel. His subject is the financial crisis, and he is very good on it: sober and analytical. I must say, I like him better on economics and finance than I do on politics and foreign policy. Obviously, in this field—finance—he knows what he’s talking about. His authority is real.

He makes the observation that, last September, “the real economy fell off a cliff”—not just a paper economy (if I have interpreted him correctly). He also says that nationalization is “politically unacceptable at the moment”—words that strike me as ominous. (Soros sounds rueful.)

Something interesting, and entertaining, happens in the Q&A. A journo asks him, “Did you see this crisis coming, and have you profited from it?” Soros answers that he did not quite predict the crisis, but he came close to doing so—he predicted aspects of it. Certainly the “super-bubble,” as he termed it, had to burst. As to the second part of the journo’s question, Soros says, “I was able to protect my capital.”

I love that sentence: “I was able to protect my capital.” Wish all of us could say that!

Now it is the job of a capitalist to protest his capital and Soros shouldn’t be blamed for it, but shouldn’t it strike people on the left a bid odd that their patron took steps to protect himself while not alerting his friends on the left to help save their fortunes? Isn’t this what the left is all about? Note the outcry as the oil companies report record profits. No outcry from those guys about Soros protecting his capital.

Of course the fact that is capital is protected and others are not makes them more dependent on his funds and more receptive to his opinions. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Oh BTW Nordlinger reports from Davos every year. Part 3 of his series is here.

Yeah this will work

datechguy

CNN seems to think that democratic attack ads featuring Rush Limbaugh are going to scare republican Senators into voting with Obama:

The commercials blast House Republicans for refusing to vote for Obama’s stimulus proposal this week, claiming that the GOP lawmakers took marching orders from conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh not to support it.

The ad, paid for by the liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change, targets Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, and Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio. Specter is seeking re-election in 2010, while Voinovich is retiring when his term expires at the close of that year.

Very Silly. Nevada is not a liberal state, Harry Reid is in more danger of losing election than Ensign does. Voinovich is retiring so any kind of advocacy ad is useless.

Specter is seeking re-election but he had a tough primary battle last time, what do you think will happen in the primary’s if he goes along with Obama on this one when even McCain isn’t going for it?

As for the other batch mentioned Maine and New Hampshire have become more socially liberal as Massachusetts residents migrate north, but people who have relocated due to stupid tax policies are unlikely to be supportive of Obama’s economic plan. In Alaska Palin’s popularity is still large and I suspect Murkowski isn’t anxious to appear on the side of fiscal indiscipline.

As for Iowa, I must confess I have absolutely no idea, but hey spend the dough Soros has plenty.

I wonder if they protest chemical engineers?

datechguy

You know every now and then you read something that is so mindbogglingly absurd that you can’t believe it is real.

Major PSH from a group that is, and I am not making this up, protesting that ROTC offers arms training. Two things leap out at me here. One is that they really think military training is equal to criminal activity. And two that they don’t seem to think learning about arms is educational. Familiarity with arms is a skill that can save lives, in more ways than one.

Via Glenn. I wonder if these guys protest professers who teach chemical engineers since they teach kids about dangerous chemicals or civil engineers since they build thing like oil rigs that polute, or mechanical engineers who might get you a job in a defense plant etc etc etc.

I think that Don in comments has a fine idea:

Let’s take a page from their book. Download the word doc from the link just below “WRITE, PHONE, FAX THE SCHOOL BOARD BEFORE FEB. 10″; it’s all of 2 pages. It gives the names and addresses of the Board on the first page. Write the Board and tell them you support the weapons training program within JROTC.

Even though they say email is less effective, perhaps flooding email with support will be a good thing. In fact, here’s the email addr: board@sandi.net .

Do take note that it is a group and not the city itself that is advocating this, so e-mail should be sent accordingly.

They’re just on the other side

datechguy

Pat Dollard express’ outrage and some disbelief at vandalism and disrespect for religion and free speech rights by the “tolerant” left.

The College Republicans were in possession of a number of crucifixes used in a University-sanctioned Right To Life display. When the display was taken down, they were stored in the College Repulicans’ side of their shared but divided office space with the College Democrats. When the last College Republican members left the offices this last Friday, January 23, the crucifixes were safely stored on their side of the suite.

This Monday afternoon, January 27, when the first College Republicans to re-enter the offices did so, they discovered some of the horrifically desecrated crucifixes, stolen from the private property confines of their storage containers, and proudly displayed on the College Democrats’ bulletin board, and other areas, including a bowl, laid out as if they were candy for any member of the public who visited the office to take home and enjoy. One crucifix featured the College Democrats’ version of Christ: a large penis with an actual condom pulled over the top, in lieu of His crown of thorns.

Via The other McCain.

In one respect the college has to be called on this to enforce their own rules and the laws of the community. If you don’t demand your rights they will not be forthcoming.

On the other hand this has to be expected. No Christian worth his salt should be surprised at anything like this, remember these words:

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; but as it is they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me also hates my Father. John 15:18-23

A Christian in general and a Catholic in particular needs to know and expect this kind of thing. It’s part of the job description. The Church will always have enemies because it is on one of two sides and the enemy will always have servants and or dupes willing to help.

How soon they forget

datechguy

John McCain is a great American but has a liberal streak that drives many conservatives nuts. He is however rock solid on two important issues.

#1 The War. His support for the war particularly when everyone else was running away is the 2nd of two debts that this country can never repay to him.

#2 Earmarks. When it comes to Pork McCain is very serious and not shy about his hatred of it.

This being the case why are people on the right surprised by this:

Too good to check? Maybe, but I don’t think Maverick’s bluffing this time. So craptastic is this crap sandwich that Democrat Ben Nelson felt obliged to warn The One this morning that he can’t count on a straight party-line yes from his own side, hint hint.

McCain is like Bush in one respect. When he thinks he is right no power on earth will move him elsewhere. He believes earmarks and wasteful spending are a curse on the country no amount of Obama worship is going to change him on it any more than the One is going to change him on the war.

There are many issues that the left will love him on but this isn’t one of them.

Who you gonna call? Rush Limbaugh!

datechguy

If you are looking to find out how to create jobs why not listen to a person who single handedly turned AM radio from something that generated small scale revenue to the powerhouse it is now. The person who made talk radio and is currently the highest payed media person out there. The person who draws a larger audience than any news program on any network.

The rise of Rush Limbaugh has created more jobs and more profit for more people than anything Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid or President Obama has done or likely will do. He has generated profit not only for himself but tens of thousands of others who profit off his show and not one of those jobs were depended on the government for money.

If that’s not the person who is going to know about making jobs I’d like to know who is?

Update: Hotair and Politico explain why he is a target.

It hasn’t happened yet

datechguy

My assertion that the press will start acting like real reporters can’t come soon enough for the Anchoress:

They’re not asking “the tough questions.” The thing is Obama’s baby so it must be brilliant and right and they are promoting it with all their might, unquestioningly. Just as they promoted Al Gore’s Global Warming Traveling Salvation Show without asking a single hard question, without wondering about a “rush to toxic lightbulbs,” the press is now pushing an extremely dubious nationalization bill disguised as healing medicine, without asking a single difficult question, without wondering about a “rush to more.”

The press is enabling a new act; “Brother Love & Sister Speak’s Dream-a-licious Economic Health Tonic” (only $200,000 a bottle!) and telling us we must lap it up or we will die from our lack of patriotism.

Sorry, no sale, here. I still remember 1976 to 1982, no matter how much you tell me that I don’t.

If you look at her post however I think we can determine where it will first start moving.

The press will not want to lay things at the feet of the president. The thought of going after the first black president would be too much for them too soon, but Nancy Pelosi is a vet of a congress who’s approval ratings have been dead low for a long time. And Harry Reid has never been all that popular with these guys.

You will find that when the press wants to hit something but doesn’t want to go after Obama then Reid and Pelosi will be the ones. Already we have seen some of the republican lite commentators start this will be the signs of the crack.

Jenin: Haditha: Gaza School, lie, deny ignore repeat

datechguy

The pattern of how news is reported by our media when it comes to either Israel or the west seems to have been established. Report an atrocity, Condemn it, organize protests, demand concessions and then the actual facts come out:

There was just one problem: The story, as etched in people’s minds, was not quite accurate.

Physical evidence and interviews with several eyewitnesses, including a teacher who was in the schoolyard at the time of the shelling, make it clear: While a few people were injured from shrapnel landing inside the white-and-blue-walled UNRWA compound, no one in the compound was killed. The 43 people who died in the incident were all outside, on the street, where all three mortar shells landed.

Stories of one or more shells landing inside the schoolyard were inaccurate.

And then of course comes the yeah buts… How people still fall for it is beyond me.

For what is actually happening go to Israellycool and the Muqata

Idiocy on a more local scale

datechguy

At the same time that the federal government is making a dumb move here in Massachusetts Gov Patrick, (David Axelrod’s dry run for President Obama) is doing it as well on a smaller scale:

The good news is that Deval Patrick has been declared “America’s Best Governor” by the state’s taxpayers and small business owners.

The bad news? That state is New Hampshire.

If you own a convenience store, restaurant or packie north of Massachusetts, you’ve got to have a man crush on Patrick. Just months after packing your store with Bay State smokers saving $20 a carton on cigs, Patrick wants higher state taxes on beer, booze, candy bars and soda, too. Not to mention meals and hotel rooms.

Now Massachusetts is a small state physically. No part of it is more than 40 min from the border of another state, and no part of it is more than 90 minutes from New Hampshire.

But lets say you don’t smoke or drink very little as I do. I’m not likely to take a 20 min drive to save 4 bucks on a fill-up. So instead lets make a day of it:

After Mass we’ll stop at Parker’s Maple Barn (they re-open Feb 11th) and have a big breakfast, maybe pick up a Yankee Candle or a hat at the shop there. Once done we can hit a mall and the wife can do some shopping. My boys are into Comics, games and Doctor Who. There are some really good hobby shops in Nashua, we can catch a movie once we are done or in warmer weather play some mini golf and perhaps we’ll even hit a restaurant before filling up the tank and heading home.

Now instead of just the gas station , coffee shop, the local mall, comic store, movie theater and maybe the restaurant have all lost my business. Multiply this by hundreds and it adds up.

Well they never learn?