Surfing, and tripped upon C-Span's coverage of Southern Republican Leadership Conference.
Sarah Palin wowed them yesterday, and it was amusing to watch as Obama strode out to the Rose Garden to slowly, deliberately, slowly, slowly make his announcement, to keep the coverage on Himself, and away from 'That Woman!' holding forth in New Orleans.
Herman Cain, by contrast, thundered like the voice of Moses coming down from the mountain bearing the tablets.
Couldn't find today's speech, but this from 2009 should give you a hint. Don't worry, you'll get the gist of him about thirty seconds in. Hang on to your hats!
By contrast, Ron Paul rambled, drawing cheers and boos, and was rather incoherent, if passionate and well-meaning. GOP chair Michael Steele was met with a tepid response. He's toast.
OS does wonder what it would be like to see Mr. Cain run for President.
It would be amusing to see Obama's folks try to label him a racist!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Such A Loss, So Quickly Suffered: President Lech Kaczynski
Awaking to the news this a.m., it was a jolt. One plane crash, and a significant proportion of the leadership of Poland is lost.
Lech Kaczynski was not a name on most Western lips or minds. For most of us here in the US, eastern Europe is 'over there somewhere'.
In the sixty years he was granted, he wasted no time, and took great risks on behalf of the nation he loved; seeking to see it freed from Communism, and living as a stable and free nation.
He served as a key advisor to Solidarity, which was the first event in a process that finally kicked the legs out from under the Soviet Empire.
It is moving to see Poland mourn. Only a heart of stone does not grieve with them.
It is heartening to see what isn't happening. Troops in the barracks. No one is erecting barricades and beginning a riot. The crowds filing into the center of Warsaw bear flowers, not bricks.
Contrast these events with what occurs in other places in times of sudden change or stress. Greece comes to mind...or the USA...
We may have something to learn from Poland. How did they achieve this civic dignity, emerging from such a long, brutal twentieth century?
Lech Kaczynski was not a name on most Western lips or minds. For most of us here in the US, eastern Europe is 'over there somewhere'.
In the sixty years he was granted, he wasted no time, and took great risks on behalf of the nation he loved; seeking to see it freed from Communism, and living as a stable and free nation.
He served as a key advisor to Solidarity, which was the first event in a process that finally kicked the legs out from under the Soviet Empire.
It is moving to see Poland mourn. Only a heart of stone does not grieve with them.
It is heartening to see what isn't happening. Troops in the barracks. No one is erecting barricades and beginning a riot. The crowds filing into the center of Warsaw bear flowers, not bricks.
Contrast these events with what occurs in other places in times of sudden change or stress. Greece comes to mind...or the USA...
We may have something to learn from Poland. How did they achieve this civic dignity, emerging from such a long, brutal twentieth century?
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Beloved Leader's Contempt On Display: Obama on Sarah Palin
OS is not a huge Palin fan, in terms of seeing her in the White House. She is, however, someone who connects with and speaks on behalf of a lot of Americans--the ones Obama pledged to be a President to as well. Well, if his lips move at moments like that, he's likely prevaricating...
George Stephanapoulis with ABC News managed to induce The One to show his true colors, if only for twenty seconds or so, here at the end of this clip.
His contempt is obvious, and he does not even pretend to mask it.
A leader has any number of ways to gracefully respond to criticism, defend a position, without resorting to ad hominem attack. That's what classy people do. That's what Himself isn't, and he displayed that gracelessness on the world stage, for all time.
And, thereby, he has just fueled the opposition, and probably tipped some folks over who still were trying to give him a chance.
MSNBC and its 5,000 viewers will cheer. It's a high price for a smattering of applause today, and a world of pain in November.
George Stephanapoulis with ABC News managed to induce The One to show his true colors, if only for twenty seconds or so, here at the end of this clip.
His contempt is obvious, and he does not even pretend to mask it.
A leader has any number of ways to gracefully respond to criticism, defend a position, without resorting to ad hominem attack. That's what classy people do. That's what Himself isn't, and he displayed that gracelessness on the world stage, for all time.
And, thereby, he has just fueled the opposition, and probably tipped some folks over who still were trying to give him a chance.
MSNBC and its 5,000 viewers will cheer. It's a high price for a smattering of applause today, and a world of pain in November.
Bart Stupak, The Vote That Put ObamaCare Over The Top, Announces His Retirement
On one hand, no sympathy is felt, especially after he co-signed the letter 'inviting' the execs of Caterpillar, ATT and a few others to come to his committee and 'explain themselves', complete with an exhaustive surrender of records, down to emails. This because they obeyed the law, and restated their earnings in the wake of the passage of ObamaCare.
On the other hand--he is an Obama casualty, by his own hand. He bravely held the line against ObamaCare, knowing that it was morally flawed, and let himself get suckered in with the promise of an executive order (that has no force of law). What was he promised? With what was he threatened by the masters of The Chicago Way?
And, then there was that 700K of airport improvements dropped out of the federal helicopter just before his vote. Those funds had been competitively applied for some months ago, and their granting was most likely unrelated to his vote. But, the timing of the announcement certainly emitted a terrible odor.
He was hounded by the left for standing up for life, but his caving in only began the negative reaction. He would stand for re-election totally stripped of any semblance of integrity, in a rural upper Michigan district that is only barely Democrat. If you don't live in a place like that, be assured that rural folk in those environs view this behavior with hostility. When he went home, reports are that the reception was pretty unfriendly. Conservatives around the country were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to donate to, and work for, his Republican challenger.
OS predicts:
1. The right will be blamed, at least for a couple of days. MSNBC will become all-Stupak-all-the-time, and he'll be a regular guest face for Chris Matthews and company. He won't just slink away, with talking points to score.
2. Bart will be owned by Obama for the days that remain, having been pimped. He will discover his Inner Leftist, and the joys of politburo life. He'll be an honored guest at some very nice fund-raiser parties, the poster-child for ObamaCare.
3. After he leaves office next January, he will be quietly moved into a comfortable government or think-tank job, where he can continue to do The Beloved Leader's bidding, at least for a couple of years. That will give him and his bride (who suffered greatly from the experience) time to reassemble their lives, decide where and how they wish to live in retirement. He'll be cast as martyr for the leftist cause, write a book, hit the college lecture circuit, cheer-lead the faithful for 2012. He'll make a bunch of money, land in some poly-sci academic job, and disappear, with his pension and Congressional health-care package.
4. Ten years from now, he will be a footnote or a question on a trivia quiz. In the interim, he will discover that Obama and company cared not a moment for the pains he endured. The other eleven Democrats he took over the cliff with him will be completely unremembered, as they enter private life much less well-cared-for.
The problem with ObamaCare is not just the end product, but the horrific process used to produce it. Stupak is just one example. Most of the last bits of goodwill from Obama's inaguration have now melted away, and it will be a difficult matter to restore it. By June of 2007 G.W. Bush had managed to destroy the Republican party base that propelled him into office in 2000 and 2004. Obama risks doing the same to his faithful followers, less than eighteen months into a first term. What replaces two decimated parties of long standing is anyone's guess.
The Greek Reverse Swan-Dive: Interest Rates Spiking On Greek Debt
Well, the fabulous graph posted on Calculated Risk won't come visit his page, but OS did find an image in the files that evokes the situation. The little 'There, I Fixed It' mark in the corner makes it all the better.
Now, ThePeopleInChargeOfSuchThings assure us there is no need for alarm. And, therefore, it must follow that we should all relax and feel assured.
After all, a couple of years ago, Hank Paulson asked for authority to bail out Fannie and Freddie, but he was sure he'd never actually have to do anything radical like that. That turned out ok, didn't it?.....Didn't it?
OS wonders if they are all so unruffled because they know the taxpayers in places like Athens, Georgia; and Athens, Alabama; and Nashville('The Athens of the South') Tennessee; and Athens, Ohio; and even Athens, Indiana, have already been placed on the hook for Athens, Greece.
ThePeopleInChargeOfSuchThings have just been too occupied keeping everyone else calm, and haven't gotten around to telling them...
Pshaw--they won't mind sending the Greeks a spare fifty billion, just to keep their welfare state in operation one more year. It'll all work out....won't it?
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Three Ugly Options: Greece, Europe, And Folks Here In The USA
This thing in Greece just won't go away.
Simon Johnson at Baseline Scenario weighs in. OS takes him seriously, given the man's resume, including time at the helm of the World Bank. Not another angry guy living in the basement of mom's house, definitely.
Long story short:
1. Nobody does anything, and Europe comes unwound.
2. The US rides to the rescue on the backs of its taxpayers, and does stuff that makes the TARP look like small potatoes.
3. The politicians in Greece actually man up, slash the spending, and do the right thing. It's really ugly for a while, but everyone survives, perhaps wiser for the experience.
Well, number 3 is not in the cards. The clowns who created the problem are still in charge. Courage is not their strong suit.
Number 1 is unacceptable, since the last time Europe came unwound, we all ended up with Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. That turned out well!
So, that leaves us contemplating Door Number Two, to quote the old TV game show...
OS scratches his gray head and wonders: Since we're now spending money like Greece has been for years, who rides to our rescue in 2022? A grateful Europe?
Simon Johnson at Baseline Scenario weighs in. OS takes him seriously, given the man's resume, including time at the helm of the World Bank. Not another angry guy living in the basement of mom's house, definitely.
Long story short:
1. Nobody does anything, and Europe comes unwound.
2. The US rides to the rescue on the backs of its taxpayers, and does stuff that makes the TARP look like small potatoes.
3. The politicians in Greece actually man up, slash the spending, and do the right thing. It's really ugly for a while, but everyone survives, perhaps wiser for the experience.
Well, number 3 is not in the cards. The clowns who created the problem are still in charge. Courage is not their strong suit.
Number 1 is unacceptable, since the last time Europe came unwound, we all ended up with Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. That turned out well!
So, that leaves us contemplating Door Number Two, to quote the old TV game show...
OS scratches his gray head and wonders: Since we're now spending money like Greece has been for years, who rides to our rescue in 2022? A grateful Europe?
Sometimes, The Less Said, The Better: That Creepy Tiger Woods Ad
Perhaps one of the worst ideas for an ad in the history of the world:
In the few public statements and appearances young Mr. Woods has made since the Great Tiger Woods Turkey-Day Beat-Down, the message has been: Leave my family out of it! That part's private! I'm not going to talk about it, and if you do, you're a tasteless dolt.
It can be argued that the legs have just been kicked out from under that approach, by intoning the voice of Earl Woods, The-World's-Most-Famous-Dad, voiced over the mournful visage of his son.
And, to be fair, the 'this was my failure, leave my family alone' approach was actually a good one. His aging mother (who did at least as much as Earl, just less publicly), and his infant children don't need to be the object of the public's appetites. His wife needs space and time to decide what the rest of her life might look like, because it was forever altered by young Mr. Woods entering her world. She has two children to raise.
All gone.
The narcissism that fueled the self-destructive behavior is very much alive and well at TW Inc.
One of the great things about golf is that the actions of the game are played in silence. Even when words are spoken between the ropes, voices are low. It's a great life lesson.
Sometimes, the less said, the better.
In the few public statements and appearances young Mr. Woods has made since the Great Tiger Woods Turkey-Day Beat-Down, the message has been: Leave my family out of it! That part's private! I'm not going to talk about it, and if you do, you're a tasteless dolt.
It can be argued that the legs have just been kicked out from under that approach, by intoning the voice of Earl Woods, The-World's-Most-Famous-Dad, voiced over the mournful visage of his son.
And, to be fair, the 'this was my failure, leave my family alone' approach was actually a good one. His aging mother (who did at least as much as Earl, just less publicly), and his infant children don't need to be the object of the public's appetites. His wife needs space and time to decide what the rest of her life might look like, because it was forever altered by young Mr. Woods entering her world. She has two children to raise.
All gone.
The narcissism that fueled the self-destructive behavior is very much alive and well at TW Inc.
One of the great things about golf is that the actions of the game are played in silence. Even when words are spoken between the ropes, voices are low. It's a great life lesson.
Sometimes, the less said, the better.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
ObamaCare Isn't The Solution, But A Solution IS Needed
Easter lunch was enjoyed with neighbors this year. The lady of the house is a legendary cook, so an invitation to her table is always a delight, and gratefully accepted.
It has been a rough 2010 at their house. The man of the house, Billy, has spent at least as much time in the hospital as out since January 1, at death's door more than once, suffering a series of bizarre ailments, with multiple surgeries needed to save him. And, these aren't the garden-variety avoidable ailments, like AIDS or cirrhosis or lung cancer, linked to stupid lifestyle choices.
Billy's about sixty years of age, a vital man of business who designed and built the better part of his own very attractive house. A lot to live for, and given the spry health of his ninety-two year old mother, a long time yet to live, if he survives this crisis.
Problem is, he's uninsured, because as a cancer survivor from some years back, he is uninsurable. Even if he were insured, the treatment keeping him alive costs USD 9,000 weekly, and is considered 'experimental', therefore not covered by insurance.
That's apart from the hospital and doctor bills he also faces. He's facing bankruptcy, and negotiating with the hospitals and providers to cut deals for cash.
He entered 2010 with a cushion of cash on hand, now almost depleted...
Billy's no freeloader, and has not yet turned to the state for help. He's grateful to be alive, but apprehensive about what lies ahead.
Just because ObamaCare isn't the solution, the problem is nonetheless genuine.
It has been a rough 2010 at their house. The man of the house, Billy, has spent at least as much time in the hospital as out since January 1, at death's door more than once, suffering a series of bizarre ailments, with multiple surgeries needed to save him. And, these aren't the garden-variety avoidable ailments, like AIDS or cirrhosis or lung cancer, linked to stupid lifestyle choices.
Billy's about sixty years of age, a vital man of business who designed and built the better part of his own very attractive house. A lot to live for, and given the spry health of his ninety-two year old mother, a long time yet to live, if he survives this crisis.
Problem is, he's uninsured, because as a cancer survivor from some years back, he is uninsurable. Even if he were insured, the treatment keeping him alive costs USD 9,000 weekly, and is considered 'experimental', therefore not covered by insurance.
That's apart from the hospital and doctor bills he also faces. He's facing bankruptcy, and negotiating with the hospitals and providers to cut deals for cash.
He entered 2010 with a cushion of cash on hand, now almost depleted...
Billy's no freeloader, and has not yet turned to the state for help. He's grateful to be alive, but apprehensive about what lies ahead.
Just because ObamaCare isn't the solution, the problem is nonetheless genuine.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Well, There's A Fine How-D'ya-Do
Harmid Karzai appears to be unhappy with his protectors (that would be our military), and threatens to align with the Taliban.
Sot of makes ya' warm and fuzzy all over, thinking about how Our Beloved Leader booked it over to Kabul on Air Force One just after passage of his health care bill, to have a pow-wow with the President of Afghanistan. Not much mentioned about what they talked about, but it appears to not have gone well. Oh, well, there's that couple of million melted away, what with flying the Presidential plane, all the military escorts that fly along, the mid-air refuels of one and all, etc. etc.
In the meantime, Bibi Netanyahu, the president of the one real friend we have on that side of the world, gets publicly dissed when he shows up to meet with The One.
Hmmm...lessee...
How many lives have we lost, US, UK, Canadian, NATO in Afghanistan? How much money have we spent? We've spent a bunch of cash on Israel, too, but at least they do their own soldiering, and know which end of the rifle to point at the bad people.
Girls, put down those school-books, and pull out them burkhas! Turn that damn music off! The Taliban is back in business.
No worries, just smile along with the Beloved Leader, and repeat after him:
Yes, we can!
Yes, we can!
Yes, we can!
Doesn't that feel better now, dearies?
Sot of makes ya' warm and fuzzy all over, thinking about how Our Beloved Leader booked it over to Kabul on Air Force One just after passage of his health care bill, to have a pow-wow with the President of Afghanistan. Not much mentioned about what they talked about, but it appears to not have gone well. Oh, well, there's that couple of million melted away, what with flying the Presidential plane, all the military escorts that fly along, the mid-air refuels of one and all, etc. etc.
In the meantime, Bibi Netanyahu, the president of the one real friend we have on that side of the world, gets publicly dissed when he shows up to meet with The One.
Hmmm...lessee...
How many lives have we lost, US, UK, Canadian, NATO in Afghanistan? How much money have we spent? We've spent a bunch of cash on Israel, too, but at least they do their own soldiering, and know which end of the rifle to point at the bad people.
Girls, put down those school-books, and pull out them burkhas! Turn that damn music off! The Taliban is back in business.
No worries, just smile along with the Beloved Leader, and repeat after him:
Yes, we can!
Yes, we can!
Yes, we can!
Doesn't that feel better now, dearies?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Easter: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?
Before driving off to church, a thought or two:
That Nazarene rabbi, so shamefully murdered on Friday by the PowersThatBe of his day, walked out of the tomb on Sunday morning, alive.
That changed, and changes everything.
If we can remember that one fact as we face each day, the world looks different, and our place in it takes on a cheerful significance. Anything is possible, and evil cannot overcome love. Love has already won. We need not fear, even though we do.
Paul embraced this idea, never backed down, even in the face of Nero and his crew:
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?....Therefore, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Happy Easter.
That Nazarene rabbi, so shamefully murdered on Friday by the PowersThatBe of his day, walked out of the tomb on Sunday morning, alive.
That changed, and changes everything.
If we can remember that one fact as we face each day, the world looks different, and our place in it takes on a cheerful significance. Anything is possible, and evil cannot overcome love. Love has already won. We need not fear, even though we do.
Paul embraced this idea, never backed down, even in the face of Nero and his crew:
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?....Therefore, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Happy Easter.
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