Riehl World View

July 4, 1775: Duty, Honor, Country Before Its Time

Duty, Honor, Country before its time had come. Without these things this Holiday would not be possible. George Washington's General Orders, July 4, 1775. A quick read, some excerpts below. For the soldiers, smallpox, a funeral, don't drink or curse, go to church and be assured of your ration of hay to sleep on. Evidently a soft bed, let alone a home or health insurance wasn't yet seen as one of their civil rights!

It is required and expected that exact discipline be observed, and due Subordination prevail thro' the whole Army, as a Failure in these most essential points must necessarily produce extreme Hazard, Disorder and Confusion; and end in shameful disappointment and disgrace.

The General most earnestly requires, and expects, a due observance of those articles of war, established for the Government of the army, which forbid profane cursing, swearing and drunkeness; And in like manner requires and expects, of all Officers, and Soldiers, not engaged on actual duty, a punctual attendance on divine Service, to implore the blessings of heaven upon the means used for our safety and defence.

All Officers are required and expected to pay diligent Attention to keep their Men neat and clean; to visit them often at their quarters, and inculcate upon them the necessity of cleanliness, as essential to their health and service. They are particularly to see, that they have Straw to lay on, if to be had, and to make it known if they are destitute of this article. They are also to take care that Necessarys be provided in the Camps and frequently filled up to prevent their being offensive and unhealthy. Proper Notice will be taken of such Officers and Men, as distinguish themselves by their attention to these necessary duties.

The commanding Officer of each Regiment is to take particular care that not more than two Men of a Company be absent on furlough at the same time, unless in very extraordinary cases.

Col. Gardner36 is to be buried to morrow at 3, O'Clock, P.M. with the military Honors due to so brave and gallant an Officer, who fought, bled and died in the Cause of his country and mankind. His own Regiment, except the company at Malden, to attend on this mournful occasion. The places of those Companies in the Lines on Prospect Hill, to be supplied by Col. Glovers regiment till the funeral is over.

[Note 36: Col. Thomas Gardner. He was colonel of the Lexington Alarm and, later, of a Massachusetts regiment. He had been wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill and died July 3.]

No Person is to be allowed to go to Fresh-water pond37 a fishing or on any other occasion as there may be danger of introducing the small pox into the army.

How Palin Could Become President

My only concern in the Palin fiasco is that there's no genuine corruption story coming out, and that's because I'd hate to see a lot of people disappointed. Assuming there are no big secrets, Palin has a great path to the presidency, though perhaps not the patience to pursue it. And I don't think she quit over the kids, Trig, or otherwise. But, who knows.

She could raise a ton of money for Republicans in 2010 and do the same for the strongest horse on the GOP side in 2012, cutting a deal for Energy Secretary, without running herself. If they win, she can effect the kind of change she supports for both Alaska and America, develop a much stronger image and profile - and she'd only be 52 in 2016 and 56 in 2020. Win, or lose, she'd be in great position for a future run and more than young enough to do it.

Either way, that everyone is waiting for another shoe to drop, good or bad, is testament to her power to captivate people's attention. That's never a bad thing for a politician, despite her critics. Most every other prospective GOP nominee for 2012 has the opposite problem.

Barring some future scandal, her future remains her's to control.

More On Afghanistan

Via Hershel at Captain's Journal - one of the most insightful blogs when it comes to war and all things military.

We learn several things from this article. First we learn the limitations of Woodward’s reporting, or the editing at the Washington Post, or both. This report is monumental. Obama ran against the campaign in Iraq, unequivocally stating that the troops needed to be in Afghanistan. This was stated too many times to count, in too many different venues and publications to recite. It’s now clear that he will allow somewhat less than 70,000 U.S. troops to deploy to Afghanistan at any one time, regardless of what might have been advocated half a year earlier.

Liberals Never Learn: Trig Photoshopped At FDL

Update: Also see Richard Fernandez here.

Update: I guess they had to get their hate on for Palin today in case she disappears. HuffPo goes over the top. See headline here at Memeoradum. The Freepers claim they made them take it down.

Meanhile, Bill Jacobson says the Tbogg photoshop came from a Something Awful thread.

Photoshopped image of the Palin family at Tbogg/Fire Dog Lake. Note lower left portion of image.

Here's the original photo.

Update: A Palin round up via Fausta.

Also a round up of Leftist reax by Donald Douglas.

Palin Tweets: More Info To Come

Update 2: Via The Anchoress -- Talk about conflicting news.

Sources close to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin tell MSNBC that she is “out of politics for good.”

Update: The Fix headlines: Palin To Resign, Focus on Presidential Run

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will resign her office later this month, according to several sources familiar with her decision, freeing her to build a national political team and travel the country in support of an expected 2012 presidential bid. The first term governor is stepping down "so that she can take the fight for her issues elsewhere," according to a Palin aide.

h/t Michelle for this:

Hmmm: Sarah Palin on Twitter -- We'll soon attach info on decision to not seek re-election... this is in Alaska's best interest, my family's happy... it is good, stay tuned

Palin: Is It Over?

Jim Geraghty - and apparently Ace think it's over for her future. I think it's way to early to presume that, assuming she ever does plan on running. At her age, 45, she doesn't even have to be thinking 2012. Heck, she'd only be 56 in 2020, for heaven's sake. A Fox interview with her Brother shed some light on her reasoning. She was telling him off the record that it was eating up 80% of her and her staff's time fighting spurious ethics charges and national battles over media attacks. And it was costing Alaska a great deal of time and money.

She could spend the next eight years raising her kids, writing books, getting rich and developing any national GOP identity she wants. Bill Kristol, an obvious fan, thinks this is an opening shot for 2012. Could be, though she has a lot of work to do in a short time, if so. But she isn't going to lose a lot of core support over this. I don't think she sees politics the way most politicians do.

Like her, or not - she does things her own way and this is another example of that. I've no idea what her future holds, not sure I even care that much about any of the so called 2012 GOP possibles. But I'd never under estimate her, either. I will say this. If Romney gets the nod in 2012, I expect his weak political instincts, inability to connect on the stump and tendency to look bad in debates could give us 4 more years of Obama. That would leave the door wide open for 2016 - we know Biden won't be the Democrat running, unless the Dems have decided they've had enough of the White House for a while.

Lastly, if she does want to run in 2012, yes, this is a big gamble. But it's far too early to simply assume she's lost.

UPDATE: David Schuster is offering a typical sneering tone, but it doesn't make it any less accurate: "If it's true that she's leaving the governorship before her first term is complete, her national political career is done."

A broken clock can be right twice a day, and Schuster is right here. If Sarah Palin wishes to someday be President of the United States, then she had to serve at least one full term in statewide office. (Yes, Obama had been in the Senate for about two years before running for president, but he had a lot of stars align for him at the right moment. Beyond that, at some point, "but Obama did it that way" isn't a persuasive argument.)

Updated: Palin Announcement: Resignation Effective In Two Weeks

Palin spokesperson saying she isn't running away, will continue to be out there, etc etc ....

Video via Gateway Pundit:

Donald Douglas adds his analysis: Too soon to tell about the future. Obviously, I agree.

Resignation effective in two weeks. AP story.

Just listened to the video. My take - she's not done and will look to go national in some way setting up for a possible 2012 run.

Took no questions. Feel's she can be more effective outside of government?? Said a lot of the national focus on her is costing Alaska money? A quote. "We know that we can effect change outside government. I've nevr believed that I or anyone else needs a title to do this. You are naive if you don't see an effort by the national press picking apart a good point guard."

It's official - she isn't running again - is resigning in a month.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Gov. Sarah Palin will resign her office in a few weeks, she said during a news conference at her Wasilla home Friday morning.

Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the Governor's Picnic at Pionner Park in Fairbanks on Saturday, July 25, Palin said.

There was no immediate word as to why she will resign, though speculation has been rampant that the former vice presidential candidate is gearing up for a run at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Palin made the announcement flanked by Parnell and most, if not all, of her cabinet.

Parnell ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Don Young in the Republican primary last year.

The stunning announcement by Palin opens the floodgates for the 2010 gubernatorial race. Speculation that Palin might not seek re-election had fueled further conjecture of who might run.

CNN is saying GOP sources say she's going to announce that she isn't running for re-election.

A Palin announcement from her home at 3 PM. Interesting, I guess. I wouldn't be surprised if she walked away from the whole thing.

But we'll see. Maybe she's pregnant. That would be priceless just to watch Andy's head explode. ; )

Of course, he'd then have something worthwhile to blog about for the next nine months!

July 4th Blog Round-up

A blogospheric July Fourth celebration, possibly incuding links to some blogs you haven't read before.

More On Health Care Reform

From Darleen Click at PW.

When Wal-Mart and its bitter antagonist, union SEIU, issued a joint letter supporting Washintgon D.C. controlled healthcare, it was welcomed by the Left but little surprised those who have watched Wal-Mart feed the crocodile these past years.

Obama's Foreign Foreign Policy

Foreign to America, that is. Suddenly we're the country that stands with dictators over small D democratic movements? The Honduras move is a disgrace. Just what we need in the WH, our own little Hugo Chavez. Everyday I trust this guy less and less.

With each passing day, the vapidness of the Obama administration's foreign policy becomes more clear.

Hey, Let's Cancel The Fourth Of July!

No, it isn't the end of the world, but how many Americans can still remember attending their city or town's fireworks display as a child, recalling what a wonderful celebration of America and freedom it can be? Not to mention sharing the partcular experience with family, friends, and even the commuity as a whole?

While no fan of government spending money needlessly, you would think Tucson could find plenty of ways to save $55,000 without canceling their Fourth of July festivities. I put some of the more ironic bits from a longer article in bold. Figures aren't given for all the other cities. While not as bad, the Middletown, CT decision to move them to Thursday is priceless - to cut back on city employee overtime. And Milwaukee's decision to up the fine for backyard fireworks to precisely $676 is an insult to the very day itself only a government bureaucrat should find funny.

In Joliet, IL, businesses were too strapped to make their usual donations to support the celebration. At least when it comes to tax policy, just who's to blame for that? And as is always the case, the government turned to individuals to make up the difference.

(CNN) -- What's a July Fourth celebration without fireworks? Many cities across the United States will find out Saturday.

As municipalities grope for ways to shore up budgets, expensive pyrotechnics displays are becoming the latest victims of the economic downturn.

"There's a lot of other things that I think could be cut, maybe changed, but for some reason they decided to cut the fireworks, and I think there's going to be a lot of people complaining about it," Tucson, Arizona, resident Terry Mertins told CNN affiliate KVOA-TV.

City officials say the cancellation will save Tucson about $55,000.

In Illinois, CNN affiliate WLS-TV reported that Harvey, Berwyn, Elgin, Gurnee and North Riverside had canceled their shows.

Middletown, Connecticut, also held its celebration early, on Thursday -- but for a different reason.

Holding the celebration on Saturday would have meant $20,000 in overtime pay for city workers,on top of the $65,000 bill for the actual show, Mayor Sebastian Giuliano told CNN affiliate WTNH-TV.

However, those who aren't mindful of the laws in their city could find the economic downturn taking an even greater toll. Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan told CNN affiliate WTMJ-TV that the city is serious about stopping backyard fireworks.

Because no one respected the ban last year, the city is "going to hit them in the pocketbook," he said. The fine for each citation? $676.

Blue Springs, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, also 86'ed the pyrotechnics to give the city "some immediate budget relief," city officials told CNN affiliate KCTV.

Joliet, Illinois, almost canceled its 63rd annual skyrocket display because businesses weren't able to send their customary donations.The show had a $23,000 price tag, but local businesses could muster only about $14,000, according to WGN.

City residents were not content to go without fireworks Saturday.

"It's a tradition in Joliet. It's an American tradition. You can't give up on that," said Robert Svarz, who has been attending fireworks shows in Joliet for 50 years, according to WLS.

Residents scraped together the remaining $9,000 to make sure the city staged its show, which draws thousands to Joliet Memorial Stadium and the surrounding parking lots each year.

"Not only did they send in contributions, but they all sent notes on how important it was to keep this thing alive," Russ Slinkard, CEO of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce, told WLS.

Who Wouldn't Believe Chris Dodd?

Given Chris Dodd's existing problems, you really have to wonder how smart it is to have him release the news of yet another could be health care plan said to cost much less than previous estimates at $610 billion over ten years. In another item below, it took the Washington Post less than 24 hours to throw water on the news and reveal even more troubling problems for the Obama administration as regards health care reform.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Kennedy’s chief deputy on health reform, today announced that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has rescored the Affordable Health Choices Act. CBO’s new score of the bill - which would reduce health costs, allow Americans to keep the coverage they have if they want it, and make health insurance affordable to those who do not have it today - would be $611 billion over 10 years, a significant reduction from earlier, incomplete estimates. The new estimate includes a provision on employer responsibility and a strong, national public option, the Community Health Insurance Option.

The $611 billion figure doesn't include hundreds of billions of increased Medicaid costs, or account for how to pay for the complete plan. There's also a $750 penalty for firms employing over 25 people, which amounts to a new tax during an economic downturn. And the news for head of the White House Office of Health Reform, Nancy-Ann DeParle is even worse. Read the last four graphs below. She may not be one of the individual Americans will want to trust when it comes to determining the future of their health care options. But then, I'm not convinced most Americans really want to turn that decision over to anyone, especially anyone in government right now.

The Finance Committee bill has not been released and aides would not discuss what provisions may be in the final plan. Outside experts say a Medicaid expansion could add hundreds of billions of dollars to the cost.

"The figures presented in this letter do not represent a formal or complete cost estimate for the draft legislation," CBO Director Douglas W. Elmendorf wrote. The draft legislation does not include details on how to pay for expanded coverage or administrative fees.

Also yesterday, msnbc.com and a reporting group based at American University published an article examining connections between several health-industry firms and Nancy-Ann DeParle, head of the White House Office of Health Reform. The Investigative Reporting Workshop concluded that DeParle served on the board of several companies "that faced scores of federal investigations, whistleblower lawsuits and other regulatory actions."

The story said that five of the firms paid more than $500 million over a five-year period to resolve fraud or product-liability suits and four signed "corporate integrity agreements" promising to improve internal oversight of billing practices.

The reporting unit is run by Charles Lewis, the founder of the Center for Public Integrity, a journalism group.

In the 18 months prior to joining the administration, DeParle earned more than $2.3 million from several health-related firms and a private equity firm with holdings in the industry, according to her financial disclosure filing.

Obama's Right Track Wrong Track Numbers

After reading Ed's post on the new Rasmussen poll, I clicked through to the poll item. This is interesting in light of an April CBS item.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) say the country is heading in the right direction.

Now, back to April via CBS. It would appear the honeymoon is over and people have begun to move below the superficial, pegging Obama's policies to his popularity. He was able to escape that only so long as he didn't really have much in the way of policy, relying more on rhetoric to sustain his numbers. I guess talk is cheap after all.

WASHINGTON (CBS) ― For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future.

Nobody knows how long the honeymoon will last, but Mr. Obama has clearly transformed the yes-we-can spirit of his candidacy into a tool of governance. His ability to inspire confidence - Mr. Obama's second book is titled "The Audacity of Hope" - has thus far buffered the president against the harsh political realities of two wars, a global economic meltdown and countless domestic challenges.

The Public Option

Fred Bauer takes a look at a recent poll on a public option for health care.

NJ Tea Party Schedule

This below from World Net Daily's list by state. Note the Summit gathering is tomorrow from 3 - 6 pm. There's a mention of the Margate party herethat suggests a time on the 4th. Say hello to Lucy if you hit the Margate beach! Also, there are 11 various NJ event scheduled, not all of them Tea Partyies, according to this. It includes upcoming protests of Chris Smith and Jon Corzine.

Margate – Saturday, July 4, time to be announced, Washington and Amherst Avenue

Jackson – Saturday, July 4, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., John F. Johnson Park, Kierych Memorial Drive, just south of S. Cooks Br. Rd.

Morristown – Saturday, July 4, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Green, 10 Park Place

Summit – Friday, July 3, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., The Village Green

Appel Explains Andrew's Obsession

Writing at The Dish, Patrick Appel attempts to rationalize Andrew Sullivan's obsession over Trig Palin's birth. But there is a problem with this rationale.

I suspect With few writers around to counter Andrew's analysis, he wasn't cut short and forcefully rebuked before things got out of control, and he was therefore free to construct his own narrative.

For that to be true, one would have to assume that reality doesn't exist. Just because Andrew has lost touch with it doesn't make it go away when cobbling together a narrative of observable events. And I'm not convinced Heisenberg really applies in this case.

Access: WaPo Selling Its Assets

Update: Obama's Lewinski?? ha!

Whatever it takes in a bad economy while your business model is tanking?

For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few": Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — even the paper’s own reporters and editors.

Politics Daily has word on an internal WaPo memo in response. Without the newsroom, much of the value is lost. I guess WaPo wasn't planning on covering it?? ha What a sad joke.

The paper's editor, Marcus Brauchli, responded by sending a memo to all Post employees saying that the language in the flyer advertising the pay-for-play event precluded participation by anyone in the newsroom. (Duh.):

Colleagues,

A flyer was distributed this week offering an "underwriting opportunity" for a dinner on health-care reform, in which the news department had been asked to participate.

The language in the flyer and the description of the event preclude our participation.

We will not participate in events where promises are made that in exchange for money The Post will offer access to newsroom personnel or will refrain from confrontational questioning. Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable.

There is a long tradition of news organizations hosting conferences and events, and we believe The Post, including the newsroom, can do these things in ways that are consistent with our values.

Marcus

One For The Record Book

Regarding the AmConwhateveritis v Levin kerfuffle, it occurs to me that much of the issue has to do with their general immaturity - not as individuals, so much, but simply because of their age. If anything really bothers me about it, it's their apparent desire to tear down some of those who came before them, as opposed to standing upon their shoulders. Hopefully that might change as they mature, though I doubt they'll enjoy hearing it and might disagree.

Heck, I was nearly a stone cold liberal at 19.

To constantly harp on some humorous aspects of a Levin, or even a Limbaugh radio personality they don't particularly like (keyword radio), while giving short shrift to both of their significant contributions to the conservative movement over many years, may be a folly of youth. Nevertheless, folly it is and I don't mind pointing it out, however I choose to do so. I like to retain a certain amount of immaturity myself. It's good for the soul.

In an all too wordy and self-indulgent response to me, this Nathan Origer linked my post linking to his Facebook page. It now has a bad photo of me from, I believe, a CNN appearance. Good heavens, I didn't alter anything as regards Nathan, I simply linked his own Facebook page. That's hardly the type of juvenile game Nathan felt compelled to play. Yet, he's happy to drone on and on telling us how mature and intellectual he is. zzzzz What a bore.

At their age I was writing editorials for a college newspaper that mostly no one read. And I'm not suggesting some of them haven't had similar experiences, as well. But new media does seem to be giving many young folks the potential for a broader voice before they are actually ready to use it. Conor is another example of that. But that is what it is.

The choice for me, and I assume Mark, is to either engage them, giving them broader exposure - or ignore them completely. I think poking them with a sharp stick once in a while is actually the more kind and generous response.

At best, it may become part of their on going maturity and education. And at worst, it's just harmless fun. They might want to consider not taking themselves so seriously, a lesson as valuable for the old, as it is the young. But I expect that, like many things, is a lesson always to be mostly lost on the young. After all, it's just a part of what being young is.

As a group, they simply aren't that wise, yet. Hopefully over time that will change.

State Budgets: Devil In The Details

Two particularly interesting bits from this story on state budget failures around the country.

Arnold's argument that California isn't the only state that can't "manage the budget" is hardly a sound defense. And the stimulus money mentioned in the second graph below. Weren't critics of the stimulus plan saying the money would be used to fill in existing state budgets, as opposed to creating jobs? And wasn't the response a firm No?

If it's being used to fill existing budget gaps, it would seem the critics were correct and a part of it was just a giveaway to the states.

Also in the article, I can't wait to watch the PA elections if they raise taxes by the 16% the governor is proposing.

"I'm proud of California, even though we have our crisis," the governor said. "No one can point fingers, because as you can see, there are 30 states right now that have their fiscal year starting today that also don't have a budget, so I mean let's not get carried away and just look at California as we are the only state that cannot manage the budget."

The recession has taken a devastating toll on tax revenues and state finances. States had a cumulative $121 billion budget gap in crafting this year's budgets — and the gap would be even bigger without federal stimulus money, said Todd Haggerty, a research analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

But the pain extends far beyond the West Coast. The governor of Pennsylvania is proposing a 16 percent tax increase. A budget veto by the Illinois governor left the state with no spending plan at all. Indiana barely avoided a shutdown.

SPLC: You Are The Terrorists

No agenda here, of course. Perhaps I'm missing it, but using their site search feature for Philadelphia, the SPLC seems to have remained silent on the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case in Philadelphia Obama's Justice Department dropped. Of course, HuffPo is on this, as well.

Terror from the Right 75 plots, conspiracies and racist rampages since Oklahoma City

What follows is a detailed listing of major terrorist plots and racist rampages that have emerged from the American radical right in the years since Oklahoma City. These have included plans to bomb government buildings, banks, refineries, utilities, clinics, synagogues, mosques, memorials and bridges; to assassinate police officers, judges, politicians, civil rights figures and others; to rob banks, armored cars and other criminals; and to amass illegal machine guns, missiles, explosives and biological and chemical weapons. Each of these plots aimed to make changes in America through the use of political violence. Most contemplated the deaths of large numbers of people — in one case, as many as 30,000, or 10 times the number murdered on Sept. 11, 2001.

Indian Court Decriminalizes Gay Sex

This particular ruling isn't binding outside Delhi. It was a two judge panel. So there's still some dispute as to when, or how the issue might be resolved across the nation. There's a new government in place, so it'll be interesting to watch how the issue plays out. The previous government was against decriminalization. No mention of a reaction by fundamentalist Muslim clergy. The criminalization is actually attributed to British Colonialism, as that's when the law went into effect - 1860. As they say, the wheels of justice grind slow. 

An Indian court has ruled for the first time that consensual gay sex is not a crime, signalling an historic breakthrough for the country’s largely closet homosexual community, as well as anti-HIV/Aids campaigners.

Under a British colonial law, introduced by Lord Macaulay in 1860, homosexual intercourse is ranked alongside paedophilia and bestiality as “sex against nature” and punishable by up to ten years in prison.

India is one of the few democracies in the world to still have such a law.

But the Delhi High Court ruled today that applying the law - known as Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code - to consenting adults violated the Constitution and international human rights conventions.

Taliban Capture US Soldier

Let's hope this doesn't end as badly as it might. The soldier was not involved in the major offensive in the South. It's unclear if this is in response to it, or the Taliban just taking advantage of an opportunity. An AP video report on the offensive below.

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier has been captured by militants in Afghanistan, the U.S. military and the Taliban said Thursday.

A soldier mans a weapon at the rear of a U.S. Army helicopter over Afghanistan in May.

 The unidentified soldier has been missing since Tuesday. U.S. forces are exhausting all resources to find the soldier, the military said.

"We are not providing any further details at this time, in order to protect the welfare of the soldier," a military statement said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the abduction. The U.S. soldier was kidnapped along with three Afghan soldiers, Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said.

Commander In Bleep?

Via Jules Crittenden.

Woodward reports that the mantra is security, economic development and reconstruction. Killing the enemy is secondary. They may think they need up to 32,000 more troops in addition to the 68,000 already authorized, but … WTF? Jones tells jarhead commanders in Afghanistan: “The piece of the strategy that has to work in the next year is economic development.”

Railroading Amtrak's IG

Michelle's column today deals with the on going Amtrak IG shenanigans.

So, who is behind the railroading of the Amtrak inspector general? As with the story of the AmeriCorps firing, which has First Lady Michelle Obama’s fingerprints on it, the Amtrak case smells like cronyism. Investigative journalist Robert Stacy McCain, who has watch-dogged the watchdog stories, noted last week that Amtrak’s vice president and general counsel is Eleanor Acheson.

Joe Who?

Dang. You'd think people would have showed up for Biden just to catch whatever the next gaffe might be! I guess not.

Wattsburg, Pa. — Vice President Joe Biden visited a small town on the outskirts of Erie today to talk to rural folks about federal stimulus money that can be used to expand broadband access to the Internet for rural areas that typically have poor connections.

Apparently stimulus money and broadband are not all that interesting to the local folk here: Only around 100 or so people have showed up so far to hear Biden talk at noon at Seneca High School off Route 8 in Wattsburg.

The room looked so sparse that about 30 or so chairs were removed by volunteers to give the illusion of a full house.

The effect didn't exactly work.

Debby Smith

Update 4: And they wonder why even Helen Thomas is asking questions? At the very least, she's been working with the administration for months. They let her go all this time without help? It had to fall to Obama today? That's nuts!

Update 3: Apparently she was moderating events in December of 2008:

Published: December 23, 2008 In line with President Obama’s health-care campaign and the new administration, he has directed Senator Tom Daschle to form a committee to report on health care issues important to those in Virginia. Debby Smith will be moderating the Southwest Virginia town-hall discussion in Appalachia at Town Hall on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. According to Smith, the information from the meeting will be reported back to Daschle to be included in his report to the President. Congressman Rich Boucher and Daschle are scheduled to attend the meeting as well, barring schedule changes. News Channel 11 will be on the scene Tuesday night, look to tricities.com for more coverage.

Update2: Can't access the full article: scroll down.

There will be a community discussion on health care issues tonight at Appalachia Town Hall. The open forum begins at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by Debby Smith. According to Smith, information from the meeting will be reported back to Sen. Tom Daschle, who has been directed by President Elect Barack Obama to form a committee to report on health care issues.

Update: The article is from April, so this was no surprise.

Debby Smith is the Cancer patient Obama hugged today at his health care town hall. It at least appears that she would currently qualify for assistance but doesn't want it. That's assuming her income doesn't preclude it.

ABINGDON, Va. -- Debby Smith spent four years serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and 25 years working as an accountant before she found out she had cancer -- and now she can't get health insurance.

"Since ... I can't work, of course, I don't have health insurance, which means I have to pay out of pocket for ... all my prescriptions and all my doctor visits and everything, and if you don't work it's hard to do that," said Smith, 51, of Appalachia, Va.

"A lot of people, they think that people are just sitting around not doing any work just getting government assistance ... and don't try to do anything for themselves and ask the government to pay for everything," she said. "I'm not one of those people. ... I'd rather be working and doing my job and making a decent wage, but I'm not able to do that."

With 12 years to wait for age-related Social Security benefits, she relies on a hospital charity fund for twice-yearly cat scans; a pharmaceutical company's patient assistance program for help with her cancer drugs and her fiance, who pays $515 a month for her remaining medication and regular doctor visits.

She says she's lucky; those like her who have no loved ones to help can't get the care they need -- and, ultimately, they die.

Her horror at what she calls a broken health care system is what drove her to get involved in a growing regional and national effort to mobilize people on the need for comprehensive health care reform.

Sanford: Just Go, Already

What on earth is he waiting for? Geesh! Just go, already!

Military Kids Blog

Familes United has launched a Military Kids blog.

I Thought Obama Fixed This?

Remember Obama's bold initiative with the Chicago Public Schools? Epic fail (pdf). Go to page 2 for the key findings. Most students drop out, or fail. The improvement claimed over the past ten years isn't there. They just made the evaluation tests easier.

On page 16 you'll find that newer Charter Schools are doing much better on average.

Re-Branding The GOP

From email: What should the Republican Party stand for?

I was involved with a brief RNC effort along these lines recently in a conference call. You'll find much agreement on smaller government, a prudently low tax structure and less regulation. But there are some issue to discuss within the mix, as well. Let them know what you think.

Patrick J. Ford: Newest Idiot In The Crib

Oh Patsy, have I offended you? Folks - look at the full url. This mature moron initially entitled his alleged intellectual post: http://www.amconmag.com/postright/2009/07/01/mark-levin-a-loud-mouthed-retard/

What a shining light of civility and latest dim bulb of the Right blogosphere to jump on the anti-Levin bandwagon is our boy, Patrick. Not only does he insult his Father, I doubt he even completely understands the term neo-conservative, as neither Mark, nor I are one. And his post continues on in the same ignorant drone of the rest of them there. Is this site a Web-zine, or a day care center? I understand the print edition stinks.

Ah, now I get it, he seems to still be in high school, perhaps one of his favorite films explains his problem: Arrested Development: The Movie.They really do have a bunch of pretty clueless pups at this AmConwhateveritis. Their favorite past time seems to divide between giving group hugs and having group cries. Why they seem to insist upon playing with the adults by linking them is beyond comprehension.

I was hoping to stay out of the Mark Levin discussion, but a particularly anti-intellectual and incendiary piece of online garbage has motivated me to make a few simple points.

To start, I have listened to hours and hours of Mark Levin’s show. My father is, I’m sorry to say, an avid fan of his and when i was a politically-immature New Right neocon (in high school) I enjoyed his show in particular.

At any rate, I’ll take Nathan Origer, a self-admitted nobody who has never advised White House staff and never appeared on the bestseller list, over Levin any day.

EDIT: I replaced the original title of the post–Mark Levin, a Loud-Mouthed Retard–because it was correctly pointed out to me that it would be misinterpreted. I think without it the point still stands up.

More From California: "We control our 'means!'"

Give CA Democrat Noreen Evans credit for honesty. For government to live within it's means means nothing. They control their means! h/t Twitter.

SEIU: Tax Everybody

Just got this in email from Josh Trevino. He requested a link to Chuck Devore, who is taking on Boxer, in exchange for using it. ha

The smaller square placard in the middle of the photo (click it to enlarge) is an SEIU worker in California demonstrating against budget cuts at the State Capitol: "I Can't Make It - Tax Everybody". Call it, the politics of personal wealth destruction!

I'm standing on the west steps of the CA State Capitol right now, and there's a huge SEIU rally underway, opposing the budget cuts that will make SEIU a neutered force in politics -- and none too soon. There are literally thousands of purple-clad "workers" here.

Update: From comments - the SEIU out in force in Illinois, too. With video: Yes We Can!

Noted Ob-Gyn Makes Levin's List

As if Sullivan isn't deranged.

The American Perversative, Nathan P. Mental Case

The American Perversative - John Schmuckler

ANDREW SULLIVAN - THE DAILY SQUISH

CONOR FRIEDERSDORK - THE AMERICAN OBSCENE

Patrick Hynes On Sarah Palin

Patrick worked for McCain. He's posted on the Palin bashing issue. Scarborough is an irrelevant goof who can't give away his new book. The guy's a genuine buffoon.

Take a look at this Wednesday Morning Joe exchange between Willy Geist, Joe Scarborough and Mike Allen of the Politico. You’ve got the full range of Sarah Palin two minutes hate in this one. Mike Allen calls her a “circus act.” Joe calls her a “joke” and compares her to Dan Quayle. Allen proceeds to advise her to go back to Alaska. Willie says she needs to study the issues and then informs viewers that they haven’t written her off yet.

And what did the lovely Governor of Alaska do to deserve this morning thrashing? Um … she had the gall to be the subject of a Vanity Fair hit piece by Todd Purdum.

Free Our Health Care Now

Via email, an online petition to keep the governemnt from intruding further into the health care industry.

Timothy Burns v Murtha

Timothy Burns is taking on Murtha in PA.

Times Square Tea Party

Won't be as much fun as one in the old Times Square! But if you're in NYC.

If you're in Manhattan later today, you may be interested to know a Taxpayer Tea Party will be held in Times Square at 6:30 pm. New York always draws an interesting crowd and it will be curious to see how many folks show up in support here in the bluest of blue states.

h/t Instapundit

I have an appointment this AM. But if you want to check the news, try Glenn and Memeorandum - which looks like mostly bad news right now.

Oh, and the NorKor ship turned around.

 

Do You Like This Ad?

The Our Country Deserves Better PAC has put together a new anti-Obama ad. I imagine they're looking to raise money to air it. The thing that struck me was that, because you know where something labeled an anti-Obama ad is eventually going, it sort of makes you cringe early on. You'll likely pick-up the cringe-inducing reference if you listen to it. It's in a reference to a Congressman's warning.

But then a second problem sets in for me. Nothing in the ad is untruthful.

What do you think, over the top? I suspect it will play well to a portion of the base.

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As If McCain And Crew Didn't Do Enough Damage Already

Do political operatives think we have no memory at all? The Vanity Fair piece everyone is linking, but I won't, is as much about rehabilitating John McCain and his political operatives, as it is trying to sacrifice Palin in the cause. John McCain himself blew any chance he had of becoming President when he collapsed around the economic stimulus package. That's when his numbers went down through the floor. You do remember that fiasco of his own making, I trust? And Palin more than held her own versus Biden in the debates, while McCain was repeatedly hung out to dry by Obama.

In the town-hall setting, Obama understood that the television audience was the real audience. He mostly stayed at his stool and looked into the camera. McCain wandered about the stage looking down at the crowd and gave every appearance to the home audience of being lost. In the final debate, Obama savaged McCain on economics and McCain didn't even respond. Now these are the same people who let it out that McCain was uncomfortable discussing economics in the middle of a financial collapse, yet it's Sarah Palin's fault that he lost? What a bunch of nonsense.

Finally, VP nominees don't win, or lose races. That advice is as old as presidential politics itself. And the worst kind of politics is all the Vanity Fair item can possibly be. Evidently McCain, or at least his closest advisers, don't want people remembering 2008 for what it was - a complete failure as a presidential candidate on the part of John McCain.

I spotted a revealing bit of wisdom from the Vanity Fair article on Palin at Hotline On Call. See below.

Apparently there's a 10,000 word opus on Sarah Palin in Vanity Fair. I didn't read it and am not going to bother. I saw McCain's people mentioned via Memeorandum. What? They didn't do enough damage to the GOP with that crummy campaign they strung together?

Read Geraghty and, or Kristol, or someone else. As for this below - even if it were accurate, we're honestly supposed to believe Biden is executive material? What would these same people be writing if they had him on a ticket and lost? Palin did more to help McCain with money, enthusiasm and crowds, despite his not even allowing her to assume the traditional attack dog role that is the task of every VP nominee. John McCain blew any chance he had himself and wouldn't let anyone attack his challenger, even when they had every right to do so, as with Reverend Wright. Evidently those closest to McCain need someone besides McCain, or themselves to blame. It's pathetic and sad.

As Palin has piled misstep on top of misstep, the senior members of McCain's campaign team have undergone a painful odyssey of their own. In recent rounds of long conversations, most made it clear that they suffer a kind of survivor's guilt: they can't quite believe that for two frantic months last fall, caught in a Bermuda Triangle of a campaign, they worked their tails off to try to elect as vice president of the United States someone who, by mid-October, they believed for certain was nowhere near ready for the job, and might never be. They quietly ponder the nightmare they lived through. Do they ever ask, What were we thinking? "Oh, yeah, oh, yeah," one longtime McCain friend told me with a rueful chuckle. "You nailed it." Another key McCain aide summed up his attitude this way: "I guess it's sort of shifted," he said. "I always wanted to tell myself the best-case story about her." Even now, he said, "I don't want to get too negative." Then he added, "I think, as I've evaluated it, I think some of my worst fears ... the after-election events have confirmed that her more negative aspects may have been there ... " His voice trailed off. "I saw her as a raw talent. Raw, but a talent. I hoped she could become better."

Better? What, the next John McCain? No thanks. I'll pass. We've seen more than enough of him already over his years as a politician.

The New LSD

How anyone could be stupid enough to actually post this, especially at a site that calls itself The American Conservative, is beyond comprehension. Add that to the type of character who becomes "obsessed" with that which he claims to loathe and a truly unpleasant picture of this apparent moron, Nathan P. Origer, begins to appear.

Oh geez, he owns a cowboy hat and wears polo shirts my Mother made me wear in 1967 and postures for pictures. That explains a lot. The dude's a cross between Bad Bart and Dennis the Menace, I guess. I think I've seen this show: Wyatt Earp with a cap gun fashions himself as the new sheriff in town. ::yawn::

A grad student all of 26 years old, versus Mark Levin's significant accomplishments in multiple fields - from Reagan's White House to the bestseller's list ... but Mr. Wilson's nemesis Dennis passes judgment without ever having listened to Mark's show??? Spare me, please. At least the guy is honest enough to tell us just how utterly stupid he is right upfront with that revealing bit of idiocy.

And these are people who expect to be taken seriously? Must be that new LSD - the Levin Syndrome of Derangement - currently making its way through the post-moronist movement on the Right. Don't take the Brown Acid Nathan, otherwise enjoy your trip to obscurity and be sure to send us a post-card when you get there. Your Momma would be proud. 

I concede that, just maybe, I have become a little too obsessed with Mark Levin and his antics, the wickedness of that is Happy Meal conservatism, and the entire kerfuffle that led to the coining of the term “prefabricon”, to the point that I now occasionally peruse Levin’s Website, looking to see what sort of silliness I may find and reading summaries of each day’s show. (I have yet, I admit, to subject myself to the intellectual-aural persecution that is listening to the program.)

Tapscott On "Traitors"

Mark Tapscott seems upset that some are referring to the eight-Republicans who supported Cap and Trade legislation as traitors. I don't know that I've invoked the word and even went so far as to spell out a potential rationale for the votes, though I might not like it, or them for doing it. But the General Betrayus comparison leaves me cold. It's purely political rhetoric, however angry - and until he runs for something, comparing General Petraeus to a politician, even to the extent he might be one as a General, strikes me as more of an insult than calling any politician a traitor.

But isn't "cap and traitor" simply an acceptable rhetorical device whereas "General Betrayus" is self-evidently character assassination? "Rules for Radicals" author Saul Alinsky, President Obama's inspiration, would see both terms as illustrations of his principle of isolating opponents, discrediting them and making them objects of disgust, hatred and villification.

Re-visiting The Tea Party Movement

Hopefully we'll be seeing even more Tea Party posts this week as we near July 4th. After seeing this relevant item from Instapundit today, I went to Google Blog Search and found over a million references, with new posts rolling in by the hour. There are over 250 references picked up just within the last twenty-four.

I noted yesterday how any real change in politics must come from the ground up; the Tea Party movement is exactly that type of effort. And America hasn't seen one that wasn't primarily candidate driven in decades.

The dissatisfaction with the direction of our government goes well beyond the mostly partisan variety we see everyday across Right-leaning blogs.

It's important to note, while these demonstrations are significant in and of themselves, they all but definitely represent a deeper dissatisfaction than we are seeing in the streets. It's a tip of the iceberg phenomenon if you will.

While the protests do involve average citizens, it's still comprised of those most willing and able to become directly involved and take to the streets. There are a large number of Americans to still be motivated and engaged. You might call it the Honking Horn effect. As with any street-based protests, you'll always find an even larger number of people who drive, or pass by and demonstrate their support. A continuing effort will eventually bring more and more of them both into the street and eventually to the voting both when that time comes.

Americans are notoriously politically disengaged both between elections and even during elections to a great extent. It depends on how positive, or especially, negative they might feel about a current political trend.

So, as large as the on going Tea Party protests have been and remain, rest assured they are indicative of a much broader trend. Moving through political seasons and on to 2010 and 2012, the Tea Party movement represents We The People's best chance of taking back control of the nation's political direction and processes we have. Americans haven't seen anything quite like it since the Vietnam War.

Topped off by the right candidates in the next one or two election cycles, this is a significant movement with the potential to surprise everyone if we all get involved and play any part we can.

Pre-fab Isn't An Insult

Donald Douglas brings my attention to some folks criticizing more traditional conservatives as pre-fab conservatives. While Donald takes the notion on in depth, the language really is fundamentally flawed. New ideas represented by sloppy language rarely catch on in the minds of serious people.

Pre-fabrication is not cheap, superficial, or un-thoughtful. If anything, it's the opposite, generally delivering more value in a different way. For lack of a better word, one might say the opposite of pre-fabricated, is customized. From showers and tubs, to steel and concrete homes and computers, pre-fabrication requires a good deal of planning and careful thought. One often pays a higher price for the base materials, as labor costs versus production costs are so much lower. There's nothing dumb, or un-serious about that. It's actually fairly smart.

What makes the language really imprecise is the topic at hand: political ideology. When it comes to espousing any political ideology to the masses, it's actually the best method, though that shouldn't be taken as representative of how it was derived.

If one is espousing a political ideology that's all over the place through individual customization, one isn't really selling anything. More likely, they are simply advancing a political argument and unaware of the distinction between what they're saying versus what they are advocating.

The prefab conservative, or prefab-con, brings the same attitude to political discourse: rather than using reason and critical thinking to craft arguments that fit the real world, he trots out prefabricated memes, arguments and conclusions that are passably functional at best.

What is actually being advocated is a catch as catch can approach to developing one's political ideology. This is popular now, so that's my ideology today. And if the polls change, I'll let you know what it is tomorrow.

That's not nearly as deeply, or well thought out as it is fad-ish, or perhaps synthetic as an ideology is the better word. I'll stop short of calling it fake, phony, or even fraudulent, though there may be an argument to be made. If one looks at the definition of ideology, you'll see that it doesn't serve well at all. 

A set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system.

But then, ideas are pretty much like opinions. But let's not go there lest someone feel as though they are being purged. For more discussion, see Donald's post at American Power here.

Home Buyers As Victims: Spare Me, Please

Via The New York Times and Clusterstock picks up on the victimization meme. What seems to be lost is that no one "pulled their teeth" to get the homeowners to sign deals they probably never should have signed in the first place ... if they had the brains God gave your average Termite. In my experience, you can't buy a home today without knowing every detail of the deal you signed, such are the disclosure laws already on the books. In one way or another, these people gambled - now they've lost. But the big bad bank should now take it on the chin?

And spare me the sob stories, please. Unless one is born to serious wealth, if you live long enough, you're likely going to have some tight times, often by choice when you first marry, or start having kids. How about a little more responsibility on the consumer end for a "change." That's the way America once worked. And, frankly, it tended to work pretty well.

In the end, all they're doing is transferring the costs to other consumers and taxpayers who pay their bills or use common sense when making them. Just who's going to fund all these compassionate customer service mechanisms people are whining about? You are, that's who.

The NYT reports on how cumbersome and difficult it is for a homeowners -- even with someone working on their behalf -- to talk to their bank about getting a loan modification. Pulling teeth is not an apt comparison. A better one might be: dealing with a health insurance company.

Careful What You Wish For

Via Michelle, Stacy McCain says not one more cent for the NRCC because of eight turncoat Republicans. That's fine. But you'll only make the problem worse. I think people misunderstood my previous post on this issue.

That isn't where the bulk of party money is going. And whatever does get there is watered dow by expensive media markets. That's, in essence, the problem. The GOP strategy and the DNC strategy, until recently, have been to aggressively go after only the more winnable seats. Two things have to happen. But cutting off the money won't make it so.

First, you need leadership that seriously believes a lower tax, smaller government, less government regulation platform can win anywhere. Because it can. Then you'll actually need more money to support it nationally, not less.

Without pushing the first issue and only advocating the second, no more money will only ensure that even less money gets spent in the Northeast. And that means you may as well start swearing in even more liberal Democrats and Republicans.

Any real change has to start from the ground up. Ranting about witholding money might make you feel good. And there's nothing wrong with doing it, provided you're sending the right message as to what will be required to motivate you to support the GOP, again.

You'd actually be better off to raise money yourself and give it to more conservative candidates, just as the Left did to some degree with politicians they liked. I believe RedState already has that type of initiative. They're even raising money specifically for a more conservative candidate to take on Boxer - Chuck Devore. That's the way to get what you want by channeling money, not simply withholding it because one is angry.

There is a rumor in Washington that Senator John Cornyn is desperately trying to get Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner to jump into the California Senate race against Chuck Devore in the GOP Primary. Poizner is running for Governor currently.

Video From Iran

This is the type of regime with which Obama wants to negotiate. Yes, I realize he's backed away from that somewhat for now. But the emphasis should be on "for now".

There were no real surprises in what this regime is like. And let's not forget their efforts in Iraq that targeted the American military. Can you imagine that? Obama is such a liberal ideologue that negotiating with a state actively engaged in covert operations against America was not a problem. Putin must be drawing up new street maps of Georgia and the Ukraine now, so he's prepared.

Obama's tepid change on Iran is born of political necessity, not a change of heart, or an awareness of how evil they are.

Regime thugs shoot down at democracy protesters on the street from a rooftop in Tehran.

Honduras: This Is Not A Coup?

It would seem the ouster of Honduras' President is not a coup according to their High Court. Via Fausta, who has more.

Please read the 1:50PM update. The Honduran Supreme Court of Justice has confirmed that Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was detained this morning by the military in compliance with an order of the courts of law.

Sotomayor: Wrong For Today's Court?

Sotomayor was wrong, according to toda's Court. Unfortunately, the four libs came down on her side. SO this won't be the disqualifier some might like to have. Be sure to wish Kennedy a long and happy life in your prayers today.

In a 5-4 ruling authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the U.S. Supreme Court has reversed the ruling by Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor and two other Court of Appeals judges in the case of Ricci v. DeStefano. [Full opinion and analysis below]

In Ricci, white New Haven firefighters claimed that they were the victims of discrimination. The City of New Haven had utilized a racially-neutral officer qualifying exam, prepared by a company which specializes in firefighting tests, specifically designed to avoid inherent or implicit biases which might discriminate against minorities.

Light Blogging

Had a bit of a relocation this weekend, that's why the light blogging. Moving sure is a pain in the butt - and all I did was relo my office and bedroom in the same damn house! lol

Just got re-connected and now it's off to deal with the rest of the stuff. I'll be back to regular posting tomorrow, if not late tonight.

Just letting folks know, though summer is usually light blogging and readers, anyway.

See ya then.