Rush To Judgment

In yet another un-teleprompted moment Barack Obama reportedly took a turn as Information Czar, telling top Republicans that "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done".

Three thoughts and a Big Finish:

First, an unexpected defense - if his point was that Republicans cannot listen to Rush exclusively but must consider other viewpoints as well, then fine.  I would certainly expect Republican leaders to be familiar with a range of arguments and positions, including those offered by the majority party and the President as well as those presented by cranks like me right-wing nut jobs important voices from the right.

Second, although he is long gone and nearly forgotten, for old times' sake let's play the "What if Bush had said that?" game.  If Bush had said "You can't just read Paul Krugman..." libs would be leaping from tall buildings and wailing about free speech, a free press and a crackdown on dissent all the way down.  Of course, if Bush had made the same comment about Keith Olbermann, evidently not one of the 25 Most Influential Media Liberals, no one would have noticed or cared.

Third, can Obama be foolish enough to cite Rush as Obama Enemy Number One and then try to revive the Fairness Doctrine?  Dumb, de dum dum.  If it is a bad idea to get in an argument with a person who buys ink by the barrel, how smart is it to get in a verbal contest with someone that sits behind a live mike three hours a day?

And the Big Finish - why shouldn't Republicans listen to Rush?  Consider the latest WaP/ABC poll with this buried gem:

19. Generally speaking, would you say you favor (smaller government with fewer services), or (larger government with more services)?

The answer, it turns out, is that even in the current environment, post-Katrina and in the midst of the worst economy since the last bad economy (OK, 1982), 53% of the respondents plumped for "smaller government with fewer services", in contrast with 43% backing expanded government.  Let's acknowledge a bit of momentum for the "Bigger Government" crowd: Small Government peaked at 63% in 1996, hit 62% in 2002 and has faded a bit; Ginormouser Government has swollen from 32% in 1996 all the way to 43% today.  So Obama's huge government stimulus package combined with a Federal take-over of the health care industry may not fully embrace the majority opinion in this country.  As Rush will no doubt point out.

Comments

[clarice]

Not very smart at all. Why don't we all contact Rush and enlist as guardians of his right to free speech? Soylent can draft the petision as he brings the appropriate sober tone to this task.

[clarice]

**petiTion*

[hit and run]

This is not directed toward anyone who does so, rather at the very idea that there are dozens of examples each day to which it applies, but I am soooo very sick of all the "...if Bush had done it..." comparisons.

Again, whether TM is saying it or anyone else isn't what rankles.

It's the fact that it can be said about just about everything the dems and libs do.

It's enough to make a man sink into the depths of cynicism.

[centralcal]

This is nothing new with Obama. Again, I repeat myself, but The One has skin so thin it is nearly transparent.

Remember all the references to Sean Hannity during the campaign? Or the attempted (and later relented) boycot of Fox News? Our Hero absolutely cannot bear to hear anything short of adulation without going all pouty, whiny, and snarky.

He is not cool, calm, and collected. He is also showing the world his Achilles heel in a revealing and potentially dangerous (to him) way.

[centralcal]

Hit - I agree with you.

We cannot change the MSM, but we can diminish them by no longer buying what they are selling.

[jorod]

The world is learning about the serious character flaws of Mr. Walk on Water..

[Danube of Thought]

The NRO piece on the Fairness Doctrine failed to mention that a unanimous Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in 1969 (Red Lion Broadcasting v. FCC). The rationale for that holding--scarcity of broadcast spectrum--is no longer applicable, but bearing in mind those Supremes who cherish stare decisis when it suits their purposes, this could be a tough fight.

[Danube of Thought]

Here's a summary of the Red Lion holding:

"In a unanimous decision, the Court held that the fairness doctrine was consistent with the First Amendment. Writing for the Court, Justice White argued that spectrum scarcity made it 'idle to posit an unabridgeable First Amendment right to broadcast comparable to the right of every individual to speak, write, or publish.' The Court held that the FCC's fairness doctrine regulations enhanced rather than infringed the freedoms of speech protected under the First Amendment. With respect to the regulation of personal attacks made in the context of public issue debates, the FCC's requirement that the subject of the attack be provided with a tape, transcript, or broadcast summary, as well as an opportunity to respond without having to prove an inability to pay for the 'air-time,' insured a balanced and open discussion of contested issues. The requirement that political editorializing be presented for and against both sides of the debated issues also contributed to the balanced discussion of public concerns."

Scary.

[boris]

Rather soon I expect to hear that Repubs are shirking their duties by "letting" Obama make serious blunders in foreign policy and anti-terorism.

Also expect to hear that small business owners are shirking their duties by not hiring more, paying more, and providing more benefits.

[Old Lurker]

"...in contrast with 43% backing..."

Do you notice how often that very number comes up in so many polling circumstances? Seems obvious our problems stem from really having about 43% who support without analysis just about any idea from the left. Thoughtful support from the other side often is just about that same number. So the result is a tyranny of the mushy headed middle. Since I naturally think conservative positions are more often than not thoughtful and fact based :-), and the other side based on "feelings" or selfishness (because that 43% - soon to be 53% I read - gets goodies but does not pay income taxes), then...

My theme for the week: "we are so screwed."

[Extraneus]

Even for a weak man it was a bad mistake, especially to give Rush the whole weekend before responding.

Of course you know one of Rush's comments will be: "If the Republicans had listened to me, you'd be sitting in Roland Burris's seat, Obama."

So just in the past two days we've had the genius Schumer putting Gillabrand's back against the wall, virtually forcing her to stay pro-gun, and now Obama hands Rush Limbaugh a giant paddle and prepares to bend over.

Fun.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

...bearing in mind those Supremes who cherish stare decisis when it suits their purposes, this could be a tough fight.

Even tougher is that Clarence Thomas is a personal friend of Limbaugh, and would probably have to recuse himself. Though Ruth Buzzy Ginsburg might have to also.

[verner]

OL, I agree. We are screwed. It's a demographic issue. The poor huddled masses have voted themselves a raise. And with amnesty for illegals, who are almost universally uneducated, unskilled workers, Obama will be insuring that his Social Welfare State will be implimented and maintained for decades to come.

And who will bankroll it? That's the trillion dollar question. Ever hear the old tale about the goose that laid the golden egg?

The new prez can talk about "personal responsibility" til kingdom come, but you can't legislate it into existance. And his plan is the antithesis of his rhetoric. If you give people everything, they don't feel responsible for anything. Entitlements simply lead to an attitude of entitlement, and a vicious downward spiral of social decay. Just look what's happened to inner cities since the war on poverty began.

[boris]

would probably have to recuse himself ...

Doubt it. Whatever it IS called, it won't be called the Flush Rush Law. Be kinda difficult to ask Clarence to recuse without admitting who the target is. They won't.

[Barney Frank]

I agree. We are screwed.

Maybe, maybe not.
It's possible to underestimate the backlash that productive people can still generate when their production is stolen from them
Likewise it's easy to underestimate just how ticked off free people can get when their freedom is stolen from them.
I'm doubtful Barry, Nancy and Harry have the brains or idealogical restraint to not overreach.
The question is will there arise an effective opposition party, be it Republican or otherwise, which will present to the country the serious proposition that it is dedicated to rolling back the welfare state, not just temporarily slowing its growth, before it really is too late.

[MikeS]

...it won't be called the Flush Rush Law.

Won't be stand alone legislation at all. I suspect it will be attached to universal health care legislation as some kind of cure for the damage conservative ideas do to our souls.

[Old Lurker]

"The question is will there arise an effective opposition party, be it Republican or otherwise, which will present to the country the serious proposition that it is dedicated to rolling back the welfare state, not just temporarily slowing its growth, before it really is too late."

Exactly, Barney.

Unfortunately the frogs are swimming happily about in the pot, not recognizing the threat of that hand on the gas valve.

[Cecil Turner]

Dumb. Political personal attacks by a relatively unimportant figure on a more important one are generally profitable (because the public argument tends to level the playing field). That's one reason sniping at President Bush worked . . . it relied on the importance of the target, and his unwillingness to demean the office by slogging through the mud in response. And if folks like, say Wilson, looked like fabulists afterward, they still came out of it as heroes, because they managed to drag the great man down a bit.

Here the gravitas gradient is all Obama's. And if he wants to start a pig wrestling match, Rush's victory is assured before it even begins. Add in the obvious stuff cited above (that it pumps up ratings and makes a fairness doctrine approach problematic), and it's a win-win-win for Rush and a lose-lose-lose for the President.

But Rush won't take advantage of that. He won't.

[Old Dad]

Mr. Unity has gotten into a pissing contest with the wrong skunk. Not only has the One handed El Rushbo a few extra ratings points, he's given a wily Republican (if there are any) the perfect opening to rally Rush's base--think Newt Gingrich.

Rush has tons of right center listeners whom Obama could have courted, but it looks like he's trying to piss them off. Obama already has the Kos Kooks. He should be working to shore up his position with Reagan Democrats.

Ask Slick Willy how his run ins with Rush went back in the 90s.

Obama's worth millions to Rush. He'll become the new Hillary--maybe worse.

[matt]

There is a line one doesn't cross with the media, and which I think Obama may cross before he's through the first few months of his administration where the media suddenly realize the game is up. After that, they will turn on the president.

Obama is not the warm and fuzzy good old boy Clinton was, which was Bill's saving grace in many ways. He's cool, lawerly, and it seems very thin skinned. And he has no real positions apparent on many issues. However, he is defining himself rapidly as someone more left of center than most of the people who put him over the top are comfortable with.

If he is seen to lose his cool, and if he is not up to the terrible issues we face as a nation, then he's going to be thrown to the wolves very quickly. Unfortunately, that was one of my major concerns in reading up on him. It's a dangerous cocktail he's brewing.

Americans are a funny, ornery people and we don't suffer the appearance of weakness or condescension very well. He's got a very well developed agenda that goes against the grain of many of us. Socialized medicine, a hard left abortion rights stance, and now some poor decisions on personnel. Once he reveals his true self and more of the media get stirred up, I think you're going to see a lot more resistance to his policies.

He has 2 years to try and ram through some very controversial programs, and if voices like Limbaugh ratchet it up, you''ll see the moderate dems begin to run for cover first.States like New York and Illinois could come into play.

But the Republicans had better clean house and agree on a platform like Gingrich proposed, and the damned well stick to it. Gingrich did it because it made sense and achieved consensus. To be successful they had better begin right now.

No more earmarks for bogus projects. No more toleration of sleazeball legislators, and they had better start thinking about the limits of laissez faire policies. Some common sense regulation to protect widows and orphans and fools is necessary sometimes. And some common sense legislation that strengthens the core values of this country.

[PeterUK]

This is what comes of getting opinions from the sinister side of the blogosphere,Obama comes over as a troll half wit.

"pouty, whiny, and snarky." His new trio?

[Terry Gain]

"Third, can Obama be foolish enough to cite Rush as Obama Enemy Number One and then try to revive the Fairness Doctrine?"

Yes bloody yes. At the risk of being banned from this website I’m going to say it for the gazillionth time. This is the genius who did everything in his power to persuade his country to concede oil-rich Iraq to America’s declared enemies Al Qaeda and Iraq. It doesn’t get any stupider than that.

Think of it this way: real intelligence quotient = native intelligence + arrogance + ego + uncritical absorption of leftist tripe.

In this case he’s operating at the same level as your typical MSM reporter, around 100.

[Danube of Thought]

Well said, Matt. And very soon we will see what happens when nuance is not an option. Either Obama will call a halt to the drone missions over Pakistan, or he won't. No amount of talk will avoid the question; it's a go-or-no-go issue.

As Henry Kissinger once said, we can talk forever without reaching a conclusion, but long before that we have to make a decision.

[verner]

Mr. Unity got elected strictly on style. He created a persona who was everything to everybody. In the end, no one will be happy with the result.

On substansive defense and foreign policy issues, he will not be able to differ much from Bush and Condi. Talk...er..diplomacy is cheap. Iran will get its nuke no matter what he promises them. The Palestinians won't negotiate, because they don't want anything short of the total destruction of Israel. Al Qaeda is living inside of a 7th century plagerized fairy tale. You can't reason with what is totally irrational. Maddie Albright gave NK the moon, and it didn't do any good. China will be emboldened, because they know he won't do anything to stop them. Ditto Russia.

Indeed, what makes him think that he, and the wicked witch at State will be able to do any better? We have no indication short of empty, clap trap rhetoric. In the end, he won't, and will likely do much worse with his "can't we get along" schtick.

And now we find that wiretapping stands as is, we will continue to bomb Pakistan, and although we will no longer "torture" prisoners, we reserve the right to do so, maybe, as the need arises.

It's just too funny for words.

Hypocrite thy name is democrat. They tried to destroy a decent man, and ripped this country apart for no good reason other than their own lust for political power. God help us all.

[Terry Gain]

Cecil Turner

I love your posts: knowledgeable and reasonable and adorned with a most appealing sense of humor.

“But Rush won't take advantage of that. He won't.”

[Terry Gain]

Obama's worth millions to Rush. He'll become the new Hillary--maybe worse. Posted by: Old Dad | January 24, 2009 at 02:34 PM
--

Don't you mean better? He sure makes commenting more fun. With each passing day I feel myself morphing into Jon Stewart. And who’s to say I’m not? I’m already showing signs of arrogance and while I think I’m funny, I’m not

[PD]

The new man and the new society envisioned by Castro and his regime are to be significantly different from the past and will require a change in the values and attitudes of many Cubans. ... Devotion to the cause of communism and love of the fatherland must prevail. ... The new man will consciously labor for the welfare of society, each working for all and all for one. "That is what is meant by revolution," explained Fidel, "that everyone shall benefit from the work of everyone else." Racial prejudices will be eliminated. Honesty and truthfulness will guide everyone's life. The young will be taught to respect and admire party leaders, especially Fidel, and to obey party discipline. Consciousness of social duty and intolerance of any violation of social interest will predominate.

Suchlicki, Cuba; From Columbus to Castro and Beyond, p197

Somehow, when I was reading that passage this morning, it made me think of our own leader and his outlook on social policy.

[Fried Turkey]

Obama is protecting our ports. None of that foreign spy stuff. Americans, jobs(aka back to work legislation).

The ONE LORD of the Rings(aka a hobo) caused the earthquake with that Gaea talk. We all know women are evil and the earth is a damned place with them reproducing.

[matt]

as long as they keep allowing The Who's songs to be played ion the radio, there's hope. My life was partly defined at an early age by "Won't get Fooled Again" and "Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss".

[Barbara]

Bravo, Verner!

[Danube of Thought]

PeterUK, I take it you approve of Maguire's spelling of "judgement."

[Jane]

PeterUK, I take it you approve of Maguire's spelling of "judgement.

I spelled it that way for years DOT - until spellcheck finally got invented. And it still looks perfectly fine to me.

[Cecil Turner]

. . . a most appealing sense of humor.

Thanks, Terry. I thought about providing an appropriate link, but decided that'd be a bit hamfisted.

[Steve]

Excellent post here!!

Would you like a Link Exchange with our new blog COMMON CENTS where we blog about the issues of the day??

http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com

[Captain Hate]

I can't wait 'til the maggots like NotSean start showing up per Axelrod to try and rescue Obeyme from sticking both feet in his mouth simultaneously. Oposeur didn't waste much time to start melting down; once all the parties were done it was time to actually work for a living; how unique. This might be fun if the stakes weren't so unfortunately high; for the country, not any partisan position. And race relations, with this extemely flawed excuse for a President.

[Extraneus]

And now we find that wiretapping stands as is, we will continue to bomb Pakistan, and although we will no longer "torture" prisoners, we reserve the right to do so, maybe, as the need arises.

Good post, verner. Obviously, these issues were just boob bait. None of them matter, and they'll be delegated to a pragmatist who'll handle them and others on purely political terms. The real objective is to remake the country -- to "change" it -- and that's where the focus will be.

[verner]

Thanks, Barbara, although, I almost felt silly writing it. It is sooo obvious to anyone who has half a brain.

Dana Priest Goodfellow has declared an end to the War on Terror. Why? Because Obama issued two executive orders, each which, when you read the fine print, are so filled with weezle grease, that they are absolutely meaningless.

Does anyone really really think that if GWB could have figured out a way to safely close Gitmo, that he wouldn't have done so ages ago? Does anyone think he wanted to waterboard those six guys (and by the way, I don't give a crap what anybody says, they did it because it worked, and saved who knows how many innocent American lives--Tenet said so, and no one has shown us any factual information to the contrary.)

Do we really think that if push comes to shove, and the CIA calls Barry and tells him "look, we have this guy, the signs are pointing to a dirty bomb in NYC in the next 48 hours, we think he knows who and when...but he won't talk." the CIC is going to say "No sonny, no water up his nose!!!"

COME ON. What fairy tale are these people living in!

How do they not choke on their own bullshit.

[glasater]

"judgment" and "judgement" both were accepted by my spell checker.

[verner]

The ONE LORD of the Rings(aka a hobo) caused the earthquake with that Gaea talk. We all know women are evil and the earth is a damned place with them reproducing.

Posted by: Fried Turkey | January 24, 2009 at 03:20

Geez, is Andrew Sullivan posting here?

[BobS]

thanks for this post, tm....and i hope this obama gaff gets out there.....what a childish thing to say to republican members of congress.....what a example of simplemindedness......what a frightening thing to contemplete that this man might be revealing himself to be so shallow

[PeterUK]

DoT,
Dunno,always used to spell it "jujment" until I came here.It seems the "e" became redundant with Noah Webster,but he went out with the ark.

[Jane]

Has anyone posted Rush's response? LUN

A taste:

To make the argument about me instead of his plan makes sense from his perspective. Obama’s plan would buy votes for the Democrat Party, in the same way FDR’s New Deal established majority power for 50 years of Democrat rule, and it would also simultaneously seriously damage any hope of future tax cuts. It would allow a majority of American voters to guarantee no taxes for themselves going forward. It would burden the private sector and put the public sector in permanent and firm control of the economy. Put simply, I believe his stimulus is aimed at re-establishing “eternal” power for the Democrat Party rather than stimulating the economy because anyone with a brain knows this is NOT how you stimulate the economy. If I can be made to serve as a distraction, then there is that much less time debating the merits of this TRILLION dollar debacle.

[Jane]

Actually the last part is even tastier:

One more thing, Byron. Your publication and website have
documented Obama's ties to the teachings of Saul Alinksy while he was
community organizing in Chicago. Here is Rule 13 of Alinksy's Rules
for Radicals:

"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."

[Danube of Thought]

PeterUK, Glasater, Jane:

I've always understood that the Brits prefer the extra "e" and it's generally omitted over here, but both options are OK in either place.

The only objection I have ever really had on this one is when Gerald Ford et al. pronounce it as a three-syllable word, as in "it's my judgament that..."

[clarice]

Amazing--is TP doing something? I clicked on DoT's name on the right hand of the page and as in olden days landed right at his post.

[clarice]

Didn't work when I clicked on PD's post on another thread, and now my post on this one has vanished.
Damn you, type pad!

[PeterUK]

"It would burden the private sector and put the public sector in permanent and firm control of the economy. Put simply, I believe his stimulus is aimed at re-establishing “eternal” power for the Democrat Party".

Which is exactly what the Labour party has done in the UK,with disastrous results.
Anyone who wants "eternal power" simply isn't a democrat.

[Porchlight]

landed right at his post

That has happened every once in awhile to me, too, Clarice. But then it won't work the next time so I wonder if I'm dreaming.

[Elliott]

The permalinks for the comments work only when the comment is on the first page.

[Terry Gain]

ditto

[verner]

Thanks Jane, and boy is he spot on!

Hey youth vote--go look at what you elected!

Viva la France!!!

Say hello to entrenched 10% unemployment!!!

The only jobs available--mind numbing guvment pencil pushing borefests with no future in sight.

But at least you'll have job security.

The American Dream! Kaput for you jokers.

Kiss those dreamed for six figures goodbye!! And even if you make it to that level, Uncle Barry will be there to take the poor folks share--never mind that they didn't earn it working 12 hour days.

And you little schmucks deserve it. Every last one of you.

[Barney Frank]

One of the tests for pathology is grandiosity.
On top of zero possums, the Barackopolis and his speech to the Reichstag, er sorry the Victory column, we now have his flabbergasting Lincoln parroting. In addition to his little train trip, he apparently told that supreme dolt DK Goodwin he expected to be a pres in the ranks of old Abe and told his staff he expects some of his words to be chiselled in marble.
Grandiosity in a leader almost never has a happy ending, because it means they're not just ambitious but also not particularly well balanced.

[Greg Toombs]

The Dali'Bama vs. El Rushbo.

The prospect of escalation brings to mind a quote from Flounder:

'This is gonna be great!'

[verner]

"In addition to his little train trip, he apparently told that supreme dolt DK Goodwin he expected to be a pres in the ranks of old Abe and told his staff he expects some of his words to be chiselled in marble."

Oh my goodness. Please tell me you're joking. Really, ego is one thing, but that type of megalomania is Hitler/Stalin kind of stuff.

Seriously, do you have a source on that?

[PeterUK]

" In addition to his little train trip, he apparently told that supreme dolt DK Goodwin he expected to be a pres in the ranks of old Abe and told his staff he expects some of his words to be chiselled in marble."

'My name is Ozybamias, King of Kings;
Look on my works. Ye Mighty, and despair!'

Either that or the headstone.

[PeterUK]

(Obama) "told his staff he expects some of his words to be chiselled in marble."

Or he could be a cheap chiseler.

[Captain Hate]

'My name is Ozybamias, King of Kings;
Look on my works. Ye Mighty, and despair!'

DKG is such a plagiarizing dumbbell she'd think it's original.

[Chris]

Well, Rush is all set for the next year at least. Perhaps Graham and McCain, to name just a couple, will wake up and see just what it is they're enabling. Nah. Not gonna happen, unfortunately.

I agree with the sentiments expressed above re: the media eventually getting a clue as to how thoroughly they were bamboozled. Probably take them another six months, but when they turn, look out. They aren't too bright but they are persistent.

[boris]

that type of megalomania ...

The left really is quite sure that the only reason their ideas haven't already been a smashing success is because they haven't had a fair chance. Now they expect to finally show what they can really do and it will be simple and easy.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

"The question is will there arise an effective opposition party, be it Republican or otherwise, which will present to the country the serious proposition that it is dedicated to rolling back the welfare state, not just temporarily slowing its growth, before it really is too late."

Republicans/conservatives/the Right need to stop apologizing and/or putting disclaimers into everything they say and write. It seems every opinion piece feels compelled to start off with something on the lines of "although I didn't agree with the Bush policy of..." and then goes on to try to make a point. This just alerts the other side to the areas in which they can strike a blow. It is wishy washy and something the left never or rarely does. They pick a position and pound it. No questions, no over thinking or over explaining.

I don't know why the Right does this so much other than they think it makes them sound more tolerant or open to the other side and less apt to get epithets thrown at them. To me, all it does is make us sound weak and unsure of our core values.

Frankly, I see no reason to play "get along" for any reason if the policy violates good sense. Say what you think and mean what you say.

But it won't happen, IMHO. Conservatives want purity which they'll never get and get power too. Moderate Republicans think the far right is as wacky as the far left and really don't want to be associated with the kooks. And all of them are so afraid someone somewhere won't like them, like that is sooooooo important. Who cares if you are liked. What is important is to be respected and you get respect by setting your goal, sticking to it, and working to make it happen without apology.

Rush is lovin' life right now. Obama just handed him the next 4 years. Obama wants to be seen as the 2nd coming of Lincoln, well I'll designate him an emancipator and hereby anoint him as "Terrorist Emancipator-in-Chief." The stimulus package sucks and is nothing but a pork bill for dems. Do they apologize for this? No, they make it sound like you'll love them for fixing your life, despite the bigger picture of socialism. But, Americans don't want to hear about how the fix is made, it makes eyes glaze over and ears tune out. But, they do want to know that the government will keep them safe. Hit 'em hard on the one issue we know the Right has the high ground on, pound it in, no apologies, no concessions, no compromises. Even if it seems useless in the short run, Americans will remember and the goal should be 2010 and 2012. We MUST get the Senate back and then go after the House and the WH will fall into place.

[Barney Frank]

verner,

Here is the link to DK Goodwin and other notable morons. Tall, sturdy Wellingtons, or perhaps even chest waders, recommended.

And here's another link to an interesting story on Putin's crumbling Russia at Front Page Mag.

[Jane]

The right needs to grow a spine. At this point they have none.

that type of megalomania ...

Boy it is going to be a really long hard fall...

[PeterUK]

Obama is already inspiring satirical cartoons. The gilt has gone off the gingerbread in record time !

[verner]

One thing about the Brit press PUK--they love nothing more than pricking an overinflated baloon.

Oh sweet.

Once they smell blood in the water--and we're already seeing quite a few self-inflicted nicks--they'll be stepping all over each other to see who can knock off the halo. Reputations are waiting to be made. Nobody wants to be a pet poney, jumping through the rings for a loser.

[Rick Ballard]

Barney,

That Front Page interview was pretty interesting. It appears that Russia is in the same shape as Venezuela if oil stays down.

What a shame.

For those who would like to peruse the Democrat Voter Purchase Act, here's Read the Stimulus with a very good Googl spreadsheet synopsis. There's ham and bacon and pork loin and pigs feet and chitlins for everybody (who promises to vote Dem for the opportunity of getting their trotters in the trough)!

[verner]

Barney, money quote from Doris:

"You know, I go by these pictures of these presidents – Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan – I don’t want just to be one of them. I’m not just getting this because I want the office. I want to do things that will be remembered, so that somebody will remember me years later." We haven’t had that kind of a person – that spacious – and it was, "Uh!"

Uh indeed.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

The only people more thin-skinned than Obama are the media. They can not take criticism of any kind. So, one goal should be to mock them all, media and Obama alike. Make fun of them. Tell them they are embarrassing themselves and laugh in their collective faces every time they go all gooey. Make them feel silly and look stupid. It won't take long. Americans do not back buffoons, they like winners. And they won't put up with this adulation for long, especially if they constantly read things that make fun of them all.

[PD]

don't know why the Right does this so much other than they think it makes them sound more tolerant or open to the other side and less apt to get epithets thrown at them. To me, all it does is make us sound weak and unsure of our core values.

Maybe because those of the Right who do this are weak and unsure of their core values?

BTW, I don't think it's those conservatives you lambasted earlier who are doing this. It's the moderate Republicans.

Frankly, I see no reason to play "get along" for any reason if the policy violates good sense. Say what you think and mean what you say.

Wow. Sara, you're on a tear. You sound sorta like those Conservatives who want ideological purity. :-)

Actuall, ":-)" aside, I had a hard time distinguishing the content of your comment from what I would expect out of the Conservatives you were criticizing earlier. What happened?

[hit and run]

Rick:
There's ham and bacon and pork loin and pigs feet and chitlins for everybody

The Era of Big Government Charcuterie is Over Just Beginning

[verner]

Great Interview Barney! Let's remember, it is very expensive for the Russians to pump their oil if memory serves me. I think the break even point is something like $20 a barrell. The only thing that worries me is that a cornered rat is a dangerous one...

Here's a taste--I encourage everyone to go to FPM and have a read:

Instead, Putin’s Russia had become a quintessential banana republic with oil and gas and a few other things it could dredge from the ground. It had an incredible run of luck for eight years as oil and gas prices went into the stratosphere and allowed Putin to bribe the Russian populace by raising salaries and pensions 200%, while building an impressive $600 billion monetary reserve at the same time. But the Kremlin did nothing to use its good fortune and bulging state coffers to wean itself from the banana republic’s predicament of being dependent on prices it couldn’t control. Nothing was done to repair the dilapidated Russian infrastructure, restructure the moribund communist-era industry or reform the dismal health and education systems. It also did everything possible to prevent the normal functioning of a free market system by installing a corrupt and ultimately dysfunctional symbiosis of personalized power and crony capitalism. As a result, when the price of bananas collapsed, as they inevitably do now and again, Putin’s house of cards also collapsed.

[RichatUF]

Sara-

Good comment, but I'm going to disagree with 2 parts.

Conservatives want purity which they'll never get and get power too. Moderate Republicans think the far right is as wacky as the far left and really don't want to be associated with the kooks.

I think that it is the moderate republicans who expect conservatives to always compromise not the other way around. The "Moderate Republican" pursues purity through "non-partisianship"*. However a moderate republican against a "blue dog" democrat has shown to be a loser every time because they'll always lose the bidding war. (*Sen. Graham has helped the dems with his legalisms regarding the Gitmo detainees. He did it in the "spirit of non-partianship" but now, after the Dems and their terrorist allies pounded away at the topic using Graham as cover, the US just looks weak and foolish.)

2008 should have taught us that if we want to win, we should probably not sound like the opposition. Another problem is that "Moderate Republican" sound a lot like the Tories in Britian (or Kadima in Israel) and the Tories program is virtually indistinguishable from Labour from health, education, to energy. In the US it was conservatives who were right on the welfare and crime debates not "moderates" who were willing to cut a deal with dems, call it reform, and change nothing.

Do they apologize for this? No, they make it sound like you'll love them for fixing your life, despite the bigger picture of socialism. But, Americans don't want to hear about how the fix is made, it makes eyes glaze over and ears tune out.

I think Americans do want to hear "how the fix is made". Or they should be exposed to it-maybe seeing the sausage made might make Americans want less government, not more.

The bigger problem is that people can't be argued out of a position they have taken up on faith. It is faith that people have that education can be "fixed" with more federal government interference. It is faith that people have that health care can be "fixed" with more federal government. The problem is self-reliance and the reinforced dependency narrative from education and media.

[clarice]

It was the final Bush strategery--let our economy sink so that China and Russia, Venezuela, Cuba and the Saudis would all be under water.
*ducking for cover*

[bad]

Blago is on The Spew, Monday.

What fun!!

I'd liveblog but am unavailable.

[Extraneus]

What do you want to bet Obama tries some sort of phony reach-out to Rush? He can't leave it out there that he's the attacker, rattled by the bad boys on the radio. And if anyone listened yesterday, Rush's line was that he supports Obama, while opposing his policies. Or mission, as it were.

[Danube of Thought]

I think the problem for conservatives is that we are probably a permanent and shrinking minority in this country. We seem to be past the tipping point where an electoral majority simply doesn't believe the things we believe, and instead believes in a system where half the people pay no income taxes at all and the taxes on the other hand must either remain steady or increase, but should never go down. They are predisposed to think ill of the use of American military power, and are disconnected from those who serve.

I think they lack the education and the upbringing to understand that such beliefs can't flourish, or even survive, in the long term, and in any event the notion of a long term is foreign to them.

And if you think such folks aren't in the majority now, wait until they get roughly 11 million new recruits during this administration's reign.

It's not written in stone anywhere that the ideas of self-respecting free people will always allow them to provide for sensible governance. Quite the contrary.

[Danube of Thought]

*on the other HALF*

[RichatUF]

Good find with the Russia article Barney.

[Extraneus]

Great post, DoT.

[PaulL]

Extraneus,

Rush was having fun with that line, as he always pointed out how idiotic the "I support the troops, but not their mission" stance was.

[verner]

It was the final Bush strategery--let our economy sink so that China and Russia, Venezuela, Cuba and the Saudis would all be under water.
*ducking for cover*

Tee Hee Clarice. Kind of like a James Bond movie, where OO7 jumps into the river wrestling the bad guy, holds his breath for three minutes until the villan passes out, then weakly makes it to the surface, gulping for air--and living to fight another day.

The only problem in this movie is that when Bond surfaces, Gold finger, Octopussy and Dr. No are going to be there ready to wrap a trillion dollar chain around his neck.

[Danube of Thought]

Thanks, Ext--sorry for the downer.

Michael Isikoff reports that additional reality about Gitmo is about to hit Obama upside the head. LUN

[Captain Hate]

The right needs to grow a spine. At this point they have none.

We're still recovering from the shivs that McVain stuck between many vertebrae.

[PaulL]

Rush's statement, given to York, is brilliant. There is not a trace of "Please feel sorry for me" or "Fight the fairness doctrine!" It shoves Obama's m.o. of "this is just a distraction" right back in his face, saying that he, Rush, is just a distraction in order to take the public's attention away from Obama's trillion dollar debacle plan to buy Democrat votes.

[Neo]

I was out driving around the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania and passed a couple of those electronic billboards sporting the image of Obama with “Hope”.

Frankly, I got a creepy feeling that I hadn’t had since I first watched the older version of “1984″ decades ago.

Exactly who is paying for these signs ? I mean, isn't the election over ?

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

PD, RichatUF, aren't you making my point?

I'm a conservative/libertarian. Most of my core values are conservative. But, I'm also a pragmatist and an experienced political operative and attacking me is the perfect example of misplaced priorities. But go ahead and be obtuse, that has worked out so well for the past two election cycles.

All I've been saying is stop eating your own and concentrate on the opposition. If you aren't 100% onboard with a moderate Republican, shut up and think before taking them down in the interest of conservative purity and think of the larger goal -- getting power back so you can get some of your initiatives, at least, on the agenda. Keep your eye on the ball which is the empty suit in the White House and the Dems in Congress.

At this point, I have no idea what conservatives really want. They trashed Bush over immigration and really dealt him a PR blow he never recovered from (inexcusable IMO to do to a president of your own party) and yet I never once saw them advance an alternative. All I saw was the Bush Plan rearranged as to order of implementation. How stupid was that? They trashed Mitt Romney, a wonderful family man with strong religious values and a genius to boot because he wasn't their type of Christian or worse, Fred Thompson.

It drives me crazy to see my side (our side) trashing its own because they don't meet some kind of impossible purity standard of conservatism, that no one really can define.

Reagan made it quite plain, never speak ill of another Republican. Words to live by or you get the alternative, which as we can see is not a happy place to be.

And remember, even though McCain might not have been what was the perfect, had he gotten full Republican support we wouldn't be calling Pelosi, Speaker of the House, we wouldn't have Rangel, Dodd, Schumer, etc, as Committee Chairs. We wouldn't have to be worrying about Holder as AG, or Hillary at State.

[Captain Hate]

was out driving around the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania and passed a couple of those electronic billboards sporting the image of Obama with “Hope”.

Frankly, I got a creepy feeling that I hadn’t had since I first watched the older version of “1984″ decades ago.

Or the scene in "Burnt By the Sun" when the giant banner of Stalin's ugly mug is lifted into the sky.

[verner]

Here we go Danube:

"Still, a few top Obama administration officials have privately acknowledged that the problem of still dangerous detainees at Guantanamo is more worrisome than some of president's campaign statements might suggest. In May 2008, when the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) last prepared a report on released Gitmo detainees who had returned to terrorist activities, it counted the number of recidivists at 37. Among the examples: Mohammed Ismail, one of the "juveniles" at Guantanamo who, upon his release in 2004, had praised his treatment by Americans, saying at a press conference, "They gave me a good time at Cuba." He was recaptured four months later, participating in an attack on U.S. forces near Kandahar, Afghanistan."

Oh Barry, you've stepped in it. And don't try to pretend you "didn't know." Liar. You spout all that junk about our security and values, and you don't mean a single word of it. You dragged Bush through the mud, and you have never intended to do one blessed thing any differently than he did. Why? Because if one of those harmless little detainees killed American citizens, you would never have the guts to say "well, our people are dead, but our values are intact!"

Pathetic. Nothing but flimflam for the nutroots.

[Captain Hate]

And remember, even though McCain might not have been what was the perfect, had he gotten full Republican support

Do we have to go through this again? McCain was a terrible candidate period. He ran a horrible campaign once the convention was over. I expected him to make Barry look like a bumbling nincompoop in the debates but he didn't; either because he's a doddering fool himself or he decided to stick it to us conservatives one last time. For all I know he tanked the election because he got it in his "Maverick" excuse for a mind that having a black President would be a great thing for the country. And we've known in the past, whether it's campaign reform or immigration policy, that McBlame does whatever his unique view of the country's needs dictates no matter how poorly it adheres to reality.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Here you go, someone who is thinking and shoving it right back in their faces:

Talk of a return of the Fairness Doctrine (or something similar) continues, as we see in these exchanges with attorney general nominee Eric Holder. One wonders: should the whitehouse.gov site be required to offer space for alternative viewpoints? I would argue that of all communications venues in this country, whitehouse.gov would be the most applicable to the concept of equal time.

The original imposition of the Fairness Doctrine was based on the use of public airwaves in disseminating news and opinion. Internet sites are often consumed over those same public airwaves.

For example, we have the current 3G networks, upcoming networks built on newly-licensed spectrum, and, if the "stimulus" bill passes, new wireless deployments that are publicly subsidized. The federally-mandated DTV transition will also create federally sanctioned “white spaces” to be used for broadband.

And if network neutrality legislation is forthcoming, one can reasonably say that news and opinion are flowing over government-managed networks and thus should be subject to Fairness Doctrine constraints.

Whitehouse.gov is a primary means of communication from the federal government to citizens, and is a tax-funded resource. Of all places that should be subject to federal speech requirements, shouldn't it be at the top of the list?

Link

[PeterUK]

The problem isn't Gitmo,the problem is Bagram in Afghanistan where they have AQ,Taleban and all kinds of shit you ain't never heard of.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Do we have to go through this again?

Nah, you got what you wanted, didn't you? Obama in the WH and Dems in full unstoppable control of Congress. Thanks for nothing. You obviously don't get it. It isn't about the man, it is about which PARTY gets to make the appointments and run the show.

[narciso]

Good evening all, I haven't been lurking, one could say we were conducting our own' economic stimulus', at the local bulk shops, Costco to be precise. So Barry's ill tempered jibes, didn't win hosannas didn't it. Really why tick off twenty to forty million people, if you don't need to. Same for Sarah except the numbers are probably twice that. I'm sorry for having succumbed to Chamberian or Burnhamsian despair yesterday; it was an unwarranted projection of past trends onto current events. In so far as he permits predator drones to hit their target, that will be fine; it will disabuse the jihadists of the vain hopes they placed in him, at the very least they'll ask for their contributions back.
I doubt that he really had much to do with
the Friday strike in Waziristan; Ispeculated
on what the real chain of command is like
on such an operation. Any news on who was the high or medium level target in this case.

[Mel]

DoT-

I understand your frustration, but the majority of the population is right of center. The economic proof is in what was failing before the deleveraging trade, and what continues to fail. Mainstream media. They have finally gotten their comeuppance from a myriad of competitive venues and they can't cut it. People won't buy what they don't want to hear. It's dying. Pinch's personal bailout scheme by Carlos Slim is just 8% short of running a business on credit cards. The "Newspaper of Record" has developed an impassable "skip" and cannot survive trying to pay 14% a year. All the left leaning newspapers are in the same boat, or are up for sale. Their product doesn't sell. The people have moved past, and are finding their own sources of news. The Wall Street Journal had the only positive subscription growth rate for a large print paper, despite the leftish leanings of the front of the paper (true, can't remember the source right now), antagonizing the op-ed editors.

The potential stifling of the web is the twist I'm worrying about with the "New And Improved!!" Fairness Doctrine.

At some point, people will realize that they're not being "taxed" but being mugged. In the meantime, I remain armed.

[Captain Hate]

Nah, you got what you wanted, didn't you?

No I didn't; I sucked it up and voted for loser McCain over loser Dunham. But I wasn't happy about it.

And I'm the one that doesn't get it? I've certainly seen the Maverick looking quite content with matters as they currently are, smiling with Barry like everything is just peachy-keen. Maybe you should direct your ire at that POS that seems to have filled your head with Republican unicorns and rainbows.

[sbwaters]

I am bound to admit that while I have heard the occasional clip, I have never actually listened to Rush and never felt any inclination to do so.

[RichatUF]

But go ahead and be obtuse, that has worked out so well for the past two election cycles.

Didn't think I was being obtuse and running the moderate's moderate gave us an ass kicking. And let's not forget the Dems, they've put together one hell of an operation.

[MikeS]

In the meantime, I remain armed.

Throughout my life I've owned assorted rifles, pistols, and shotguns. In the last few years I got rid of all of them except for an old pump action shotgun that belonged to my grand dad.

I was cleaning that old pump in the backyard this morning when I realized, "Hell I've got room for one of those Gitmo guys right here!"

[Danube of Thought]

Thank you, Mel. I don't feel frustrated at all; I'm simply not optimistic. And I remain armed to the teeth (more guns than I need, but not as many as I want).

The left's response--thus far--to the grim news about some of the guys released from Gitmo is that their rate of recidivism is only 12%, which is much lower than the rate for the US prison system as a whole. By God I hope they trumpet that one far and wide.

Sara, I think we should also keep in mind that at the time of the Red Lion Broadcasting decision (1969, upholding the Fairness Doctrine on the grounds of spectrum scarcity) neither communications satellites nor cable television existed. All TV came over the air, and most people got three or four stations (if they had good rabbit ears). But on the other hand, think what Souter and the rest had to say about free speech in the decision upholding McCain-Feingold, and there's real reason for concern.

[C.R.]

Sara,
Clearly the GOP is in a mess. Perhaps more pragmatism is called for. However, didn't we do as you are suggesting with our Schwarzenegger experiment in California? I don't believe things could be any worse had Gov. Davis been allowed to serve out his term.

[Rick Ballard]

"but the majority of the population is right of center."

Hardly. "Right of center" accounts for 30% to 38% when things are going well. Knock off 5% when the going gets tough. The Great Muddle blows with the breeze and the dipstick left hangs around 18%-22% depending on the credibility of dupes at any moment.

The Muddle is always fickle and subject to movement through superficial "analysis" of whatever trend is occurring at the moment. I believe that they can be manipulated by a constant focus on the fact that the Dems took power in '06 through the promise of a NewD irection for America - and America is now feeling much like an aging roué limping out of Barney Frank's brothel as a result.

"America voted for a NewD irection and boy did the Dems give it to 'em." is too long for a bumper sticker but not a bad theme. Maybe accompanied by a chart of the Dow with the '06 election as a start date.