Random thoughts on politics, current events, popular culture, and whatever else interests me.
Obama Has Caused a Sharp Rightward Shift and a Growing Mutual Distrust
A couple of polls suggest that President Obama has caused quite a bit of change in America's attitude toward itself and toward government in general. This is bad news from the administration's perspective.
Study: Liberal Hollywood Still Suffers from Homophobia
Hollywood likes to think of itself as a liberal, tolerant community and certainly a lot of the product it produces reflects that belief. Leaving aside how it treats conservatives, another group believes it has been dissed by the film industry.
Has the IRS Scandals Made Obama Illegitimate?
Glenn Reynolds, a law professor and the purveyor of Instapundit, has an oped in USA Today that shines a light on how the IRS scandal, in which the tax agency targeted people and groups for their political beliefs, has caused distrust in government.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Exxon Mobil Grants Benefits to Same Sex Couples, a New Normal in Corporate America
The Associated Press reports that the oil giant, Exxon Mobil, is set to offer benefits to married employees, including those in same sex marriages, in states and countries where those are legal. It represents a milestone of sorts.
The Horror of the Kenyan Shopping Mall and Modern Day Wolf Heads
USA Today is reporting the full extent of what when on during the four day siege of the shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. It is a story out of a horror show, involving torture, rape, and mutilation of people without discrimination.
Republicans and Democrats Reach Impasse on Obamacare
The state of play for the battle over Obamacare, as of this writing, is thus: The Senate has passed to the House a "clean" continuing resolution that funds all of the government through November 15. The House has passed it right back with some conditions.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Darn Those Obamacare Abolitionist 'Tea Baggers'
One thing about the continuing debate over Obamacare has revealed is the propensity of its defenders to engage in hysterical rhetoric. A case in point, according to the National Journal, is Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
56 Percent of Top Health Care Professionals Oppose Obamacare
A survey was conducted of the top 200 health care professionals in the United States about Obamacare and, while a few positive aspects of the law were noted, 56 percent declared their opposition to the health care law, according to the Washington Examiner.
Why Obama Wants 'Peace in Our Time' with Iran
From a psychological standpoint it is understandable why President Obama felt the need to talk to President Rouhani of Iran, the alleged leader of one of the most murderous regimes on the planet. He sees an opportunity for his own greatness.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Another Dumb Remark by a CEO, Another Dumb Call for a Boycott
First it was fast food chicken. Then it was a science fiction space opera movie. Now it's pasta. It seems that Guido Barilla, the CEO of Barilla Pasta, said something a little dumb on Italian radio and so the boycott is on.
The Only Hope for Wendy Davis is If Greg Abbott Does a Todd Akin
An upstart Texas politician, a graduate of Harvard Law, who won national fame due to a filibuster, is likely to try to use that new won notoriety to run for higher office. Ted Cruz? No, it's State Sen. Wendy Davis, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Can Cute and Cuddly Animals Sell Obamacare?
Someone, no one will say who, is tweeting pictures of cute animals with catchy captions to sell Obamacare as the clock ticks remorselessly toward its implementation start date. If it a silly or a clever marketing ploy?
Thursday, September 26, 2013
The Northern California Secession Movement is About Resource Control
The latest secession movement has emerged in Northern California where two rural counties, Siskiyou and Madoc, have voted to separate from California and create its own state, to be called Jefferson, after the third president of the United States.
Ted Turner Says that Men Should Be Barred from Politics for 100 Years
Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and the font of many alarming ideas, suggested at an International Women's Earth and Climate Summit in New York City that men should be barred from political office for 100 years according to the Daily Caller.
How Obamacare is Crushing One Small Business
Kelly Gilreath, who has risen from being a cleaning lady to the owner of a small janitorial business in just 25 years, is seeing her dreams of further expansion being crushed by the regulatory demands of Obamacare.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Iranian President Rohani Spurns Offer from Obama for an 'Encounter'
President Obama has, somewhat unwisely, held out the diplomatic olive branch to the Islamic Republic if Iran, even going so far to suggest an "encounter" to the newly minted Iranian president, Hassan Rohani in New York.
Charlie Rangel Says If You Believe in Small Government, You're Going to Hell
The National Review reported that Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., delved into theology in a discussion on the role of government. In effect, the venerable congressman suggested the people who favor small government are going to hell.
Obama Favors Middle East Oil Over Domestic Production
The Daily Caller noted that in his UN address President Obama promised to promote the free flow of oil from the Middle East, which would seem to be excellent policy were the year 1973 rather than 2013. He is catching some grief for that.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Seventh Grader May Be Expelled from School for Playing with a Toy Gun in His Own Yard
Proof that the past is another country comes from a story in the Blaze. A 13 year old boy named Khalid Caraballo and a friend named Aiden have been suspended from school in Virginia Beach, VA for playing with toy guns.
A Former Royal Marine Saves 100 People in Nairobi
One comforting, albeit controversial story surrounding the as of this writing ongoing horror going on at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi is that of an unnamed retired British Royal Marine who saved at least 100 people with his personal hand gun.
Lois Lerner Retires from the IRS, but Not from the Scandals
The Washington Examiner reports that Lois Lerner, the IRS official at the heart of the tea party harassment scandal, has retired, with full pension and benefits. Hot Air suggests that being a lobbyist is in her future.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Time for a Regulatory Improvement Commission
It is a truism in American government that the byzantine set of regulations that the federal government imposes is like a dead weight on the economy, often obsolete and counter-productive. But what to do about it?
Proposal for United Nations Intervention to Stop American Gun Violence
If one thought that the gun control lobby is a little bit hysterical in its quest for "common sense" gun control, one should direct ones attention to a recent piece in the UK Guardian. It's enough to stoke the paranoia of the most sober American.
Nancy Pelosi Shows Surreal Unseriousness on the Deficit
Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House and current House Minority Leader, is given to saying odd things. However it was on the subject of the deficit, according to Politico, that she made have topped herself.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
SpaceX's Offer to Share NASA's Pad 39A a Shrewd Political Move
In an adroit shift, SpaceX recently announced that it was backing off of its demands to have exclusive use of NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center that is being put out to bid for commercial use.
Mike Lee Proposes 'Family Fairness and Opportunity Tax Reform Act'
Sen. Mike Lee, R-UT, has proposed a tax reform package that may be as important, in its own way, as the Kemp Roth Tax proposal from the 1970s that eventually was passed into law under President Reagan in 1981.
UN International Panel on Climate Change: Global Warming Does Not Exist
Hot Air notes that there is consternation among governments around the world in advance of the latest report to be issued by the International Panel on Climate Change at the UN that will suggest that there has been no global warming since 1998.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
President Obama Unwilling to Negotiate with Republicans from Weakness
Larry Kudlow is scratching his head in puzzlement over President Obama's refusal to negotiate with Republicans over issues like the budget, the debt ceiling, and Obamacare. He is, after all, more than willing to sit down with rogue states like Syria and Iran.
Parents of Teenagers Who Trashed NFL Star's House Threaten Lawsuits
Permissive parenting has been a vexing problem probably since the 1960s. Former NFL player Brian Holloway is finding out just how bad a problem it is, thanks to having his house in New York trashed by 300 teenage hooligans, according to Hot Air.
California May, in Effect, Ban Hunting
Gun control advocates often claim that they are not going after hunting when they want to pass gun control restrictions. But one measure now awaiting California's Gov. Jerry Brown's signature suggests that is not entirely true, according to the Washington Times.
Friday, September 20, 2013
The Washington Navy Yard Massacre a Mental Health Scandal
Charles Krauthammer, with his usually ability to get at the core of the problem, points out that the real scandal of the Washington Navy Yard massacre was not that Aaron Alexis had fire arms. The scandal was that he lacked proper medical care.
Democrats Flee Before Bereaved Benghazi Parents at House Hearing
The optics, as they say, were terrible when Patricia Smith and Charles Woods, mother and father respectively of two of the dead of Benghazi, appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Tom Delay, Once Master of the House, is at Last Vindicated
Tom Delay, the former House Majority Leader who was so feared that he was called "the Hammer," has seen his conviction for money laundering overturned by a Texas appeals court. Legally and morally he has been vindicated.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
NASA's Plutonium Shortage Threatens Space Exploration
NASA faces a shortage of money and leadership, as well as squabbles over its direction. However, according to Wired, it also faces a shortage of plutonium 238, which is about to impact plans for deep space exploration.
Congressional Democrats Divorce President Obama
Michael Barone suggests, with his usually insight, that the bonds between President Obama and Congressional Democrats. The afterglow of the 2012 election, not to mention the heady days of 2009, might as well be ancient history.
House Republicans Propose 'American Health Care Reform Act'
When Republicans, one way or another, place Obamacare on the ash heap of history, it will be incumbent upon them to come up with some kind of alternative to reform the health care system. The Daily Caller reports on one such effort.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The Strange Case of Elizabeth O'Bagy
Hot Air relates the strange case of Elizabeth O'Bagy, a 26 year old woman who was once touted as an expert on the Syrian rebels and provided that main support for the notion that a large part of the resistance was not comprised of jihadis.
Poll: Most Favor Government Shutdown to Force Obamacare Spending Cuts
The National Review is reporting that the House Republicans are not so much marching toward but staggering into passing a continuing resolution that defunds Obamacare, fulfilling the hopes of conservatives and the fears of everyone else.
IRS Targeted Groups for 'Anti-Obama Rhetoric'
USA Today is reporting that newly unearthed documents indicate that one way a group seeking tax exempt status got extra attention from the IRS is if their literature contained "anti-Obama" rhetoric.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Fracking Doesn't Release a Lot of Methane After All
Hot Air notes that a recent study on fracking has concluded that the process of extracting oil and natural gas from shale formations does not emit as much methane, thought to be a greenhouse gas, as previously thought.
Washington Naval Yard Massacre Sparks More Gun Control Demands
The smoke has barely cleared from the Washington Naval Yard massacre and, as with previous mass shootings, the inevitable demands for gun control are beginning to waft up into the ether, Politico reports.
His Manhood Damaged in Syria, Obama Declares War on Republicans
While the dead at the Washington Naval Yard had not yet turned cold, President Obama went ahead with an event at the White House in which he tore into Congressional Republicans accusing them of trying to sabotage the economy.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Under Obamacare, the Government Demands Sexual History of Americans
The New York Post is reporting yet another aspect of Obamacare that Nancy Pelosi so famously said we had to find out by passing the law. Now every American has to tell the government about his or her sex life.
Bill Maher Compares Barack Obama to George Zimmerman
Bill Maher's HBO rant show had its first episode since the summer break and, true to form; its host said something outrageous and off the wall. He basically compared Barack Obama to George Zimmerman, a stretch as it turns out.
Rand Paul Steps in it with Attack on Pro Israel Christians
The Washington Free Beacon reports that Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, has stepped in it just a little bit when he criticized Christian conservatives who support the State of Israel. Paul is often mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for 2016.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Student Radicals Insult Native Americans by Desecrating 9/11 Memorial
Students, both from the College Republicans and College Democrats, placed 2,977 flags as part of a 9/11 memorial at Middlebury College in Vermont. The flags, each representing a victim of the attacks, were uprooted by five protestors, according to the Daily Caller.
Will the Obama Administration Force Movie Theaters to Close for the Blind and Deaf?
The Hill is reporting that the Obama administration is preparing regulations that will force movie theaters to install close captioning devices and audio narration equipment to make films more accessible to the hearing and visual impaired.
Paula Deen Gets a Standing Ovation in Houston
Paula Deen made her first appearance in public since she admitted once saying the one word that no one should ever say ever at a cooking show in Houston and, instead of protests, got a standing ovation from 1,500 people according to the Houston Chronicle.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Mixed Feelings About John McCain's Possible Retirement
The Hill is reporting that John McCain, the senator from Arizona, is thinking of retirement and may not run for a new term when his current one is up in 2016. One has decidedly mixed feelings about that.
White House to Big Labor: Live with Disappointment Concerning Obamacare
Richard Trumka, boss of the AFL-CIO, was one of the most fervent supporters of Obamacare and is now even more fervent in his desire that unions be exempt from its strictures. The Associated Press suggests that he will have to live with disappointment.
With an Eye to 2016 Texas Gov. Rick Perry Rustles Businesses in Maryland
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is headed for Maryland on his latest rustling expedition to lure businesses and jobs out of a deep blue state and invite them to come to the Lone Star State. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is not amused.
Friday, September 13, 2013
NASA Official Proposed 'Break-Dancing' Asteroid Mission
Struggling to sell President Obama's latest scheme to snatch a small asteroid and convey it to lunar orbit to be visited by astronauts, a NASA official attempted to wax enthusiastic. The result was very bizarre and unsettling, according to the Los Angeles Times.
House Republicans Plot to Offer Democrats Obamacare Choice
The Hill is reporting that the latest strategy being developed in the House to deal with the oncoming Obamacare train wreck is to craft a bill that will give Democrats a very stark choice, an offer they would like to but maybe can't refuse.
The 'New New Left' Turns on Barack Obama
If a new article in Politico is correct, it looks like that the left is turning on Barack Obama. This may seem odd for anyone on the center-right part of the political spectrum, but it does illustrate the utopian aspect of modern liberal thought.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Lois Lerner's Emails Are the Secret Tapes of the IRS Scandal
Lois Lerner, the IRS official who is at the heart of the tea party harassment scandal and who famously tried to plead the Fifth before Congress, may be about to learn that emails are the modern version of secret tapes.
Wendy Davis' Gun Control Views Doom Her Texas Political Ambitions
The one lesson that Democrats should take from two pro gun control state senators being given the royal order of the boot by their constituents in Colorado is that perhaps they should dial back their desire to restrict 2nd Amendment rights.
Vladimir Putin Twists the Knife on Barack Obama's Back
It is oddly appropriate that Russia's Vladimir Putin choose the pages of the New York Times to twist the knife that he so adroitly shoved into the back of President Barack Obama or that the Gray Lady eagerly cooperated in the same.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
The Rise of Vladimir Putin and the Decline of Barack Obama as Middle East Players
If President Obama's long term goal was to diminish American influence in the Middle East, he seems to have succeeded brilliantly. At the same time, as power abhors a vacuum, Russian under Vladimir Putin has rushed in to fill the gap.
Meanwhile the Obamacare Fight Still Rages
The Washington Free Beacon reminds us that despite the current controversy over Syria, the Obamacare question is not going away. The tea party held a rally before the U.S. Capitol demanding that the health care law be defunded.
Elections in New York, Colorado Show Limits to Personal, Political Behavior
A number of elections, in New York City and in Colorado, demonstrated that it is possible for politicians to try the patience of the voters too much, both in the personal and in the political realms.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
First New Episode of 'Crossfire' Too Civilized
CNN's "Crossfire" returned to the airwaves with conservative host Newt Gingrich and liberal host Stephanie Cutter bantering with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, about the Syria crisis.
Sarah Palin, who had gotten in trouble a few years ago for a crosshairs map that depicted certain congressional districts to be targeted which some claimed to have led to the shooting of then Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, is at it again.
Addendum: Sure enough, Mark Kelly deplores "violent rhetoric."
Putin Humliates Obama with Syria Peace Gambit
President Obama's Syria crisis took a bizarre turn, thanks to an offhand remark by Secretary of State John Kerry in response to a reporter's question in London that was immediately exploited by Russia and Syria.
Monday, September 09, 2013
Fight Over NASA Launch Pad Could Have Long Term Consequence for Space Exploration
A fight between two entrepreneurial rocket companies over NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center may have long lasting effects on the space agency's ability to conduct deep space exploration starting in the next decade.
Arctic Ice Cap Expansion, Lack of Hurricanes Has Global Warmists Puzzled
The latest development that has global warming alarmists scratching their heads is the sudden expansion of ice covering the North Pole, growing 60 percent in just the past year, according to the UK Daily Mail.
Syria is Being Fought Out in the Shadow of Benghazi
Lost in the noise over the controversy over whether or not to attack Syria is the still festering scandal of Benghazi. Gregory Hicks, the former chief deputy of mission in Libya, was on "This Week" to remind us.
Sunday, September 08, 2013
Moon Express Aims to Make the Moon the Final Commercial Frontier
With NASA's LADEE moon probe on its way and the Chinese planning to attempt its first lunar landing before the end of 2013 with the Chang'e 3, the question arises, what comes next for the exploration of Earth's nearest neighbor?
The Brief Against a Hillary Clinton/Chris Christie 2016 Election Contest
Somewhat bemused that he is even writing about 2016 in 2013, the venerable George Will lays out the case against the presumed Democratic and Republican frontrunners for the next presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie.
What the Center-Right Liberal Party Victory in Australia Means to the United States
Little noticed on this side of the Pacific, Australia has just had an election that constituted something of a political tsunami, sweeping out of power the left wing Labour Party and sweeping in the center-right Liberal Party.
Saturday, September 07, 2013
Departing from NASA, Lori Garver Takes a Shot at the Space Launch System
Outgoing NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver took the opportunity of her departure from the space agency to take a shot at NASA's heavy lift Space Launch System, which she claims is facing a one to two year delay due to a budget shortfall.
Marco Rubio Stumbles Due to Immigration Reform Stance
The bad news for Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fl is that his stance on immigration reform has hurt his presidential prospects, as noted by his collapse in a poll in New Hampshire. The good news is that he has over two years to recover.
Report: Obama Nixed Israeli Strike Against Iran's Nuclear Program in 2012
The Washington Free Beacon has published a report in Israeli media that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had wanted to launch a military strike against Iran's nuclear bomb program in 2012 but was pressured not to do so by President Obama.
Friday, September 06, 2013
Mitt Romney was Right About (Almost) Everything
Buzzfeed notes that Mitt Romney, the losing Republican candidate in the 2012 election, was pretty much right about everything, from Russia as an enemy to the bankruptcy of Detroit to the increasing unpopularity of Obamacare.
Obamacare's War Against Artists, Writers, and Performers
The Weekly Standard notes that one of the many unintended consequences of Obamacare is that freelance artists, writers, and performers will lose their existing health care plans and will be forced on more expensive health care exchanges.
Nancy Pelosi Unsure of House Democrat Support for Syria War
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Ca, has some bad news for President Obama. She thinks that there may not be enough House Democrats to make up for Republican opponents of the Syrian military strike to pass a resolution supporting the same.
Thursday, September 05, 2013
House Republicans: In Exchange for Syria Authorization Restore Military Funding
The Washington Free Beacon notes that there are a lot of House Republicans who might be persuaded to vote to authorize military action against Syria. The price will be cancelling the sequestration cuts to military spending.
If the Oil Sheiks Want to Pay for the Syria Operation, Let's Charge Them Through the Nose
Real Clear Politics notes that when asked about Middle Eastern support for President Obama's proposal to drop the hammer on Syria for using chemical weapons, Secretary of State John Kerry replied that there are offers to pay for the operation.
Ballot Initiative Proposal: Defund California's High Speed Rail and Fund the Hyperloop
When celebrity entrepreneur Elon Musk first proposed his high speed hyperloop transportation system between Los Angeles and San Francisco, some noted how much less it would cost that California's high speed rail system, not the least Musk himself.
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
Just when All Hope Seemed Lost, Jon Stewart Returns from the Desert
Just in time for the upcoming "not war in the classical sense" in Syria, not to mention upcoming clashes over the budget, the debt ceiling, and Obamacare, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart returned from the desert like Moses from the Sinai.
John Kerry's Bizarre Senate Syria 'Not War in the Classical Sense' Testimony
Secretary of State John Kerry's testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee concerning the proposal by the Obama administration for a limited military strike on Syria had a number of bizarre moments.
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Ordinary Israelis Bringing Aid to Syrian Refugees as a Regional War Looms
Tom Gross, a Middle East analyst, offers a remarkable report, with an embedded video from an Israeli TV news station, of a largely unknown outside of the region clandestine operation being conducted by ordinary Israelis to help Syrian refugees.
Why Republicans Are Against Military Action in Syria
One of the interesting aspects of the Syria crisis is the reversal of the usual roles that has characterized controversies in which war and peace are concerned. A liberal president is demanding military action and conservatives are against it.
Proposed Bipartisan Medicare Reform Could Help Replace Obamacare
While the debate still rages on the implementation of Obamacare and the ill effects it is having on the American health care system, two House committees have quietly released a report that proposes some reforms for Medicare, according to the Free Beacon.
Monday, September 02, 2013
Sunday, September 01, 2013
Ron Paul Reacts to the Syria Crisis About as Expected
With controversy raging over President Obama's proposed military strike against Syria in retaliation against that country's use of chemical weapons against his own people, one can only wonder what Ron Paul thinks of all of that.
How David Frost Accidentally Made Bill O'Reilly's Career
David Frost, recently dead of a heart attack while on a cruise, is most famous for his interviews of Richard Nixon in the 1970s, celebrated by a stage play and a film by Ron Howard. But he was inadvertently famous for another reason.
Let's Replace Labor Day with Entrepreneur’s Day
Labor Day, as the now 100 year old Department of Labor reminds us, was born of the union movement in the late 19th Century as a special holiday to celebrate the sons (and later daughters) of toil and sweat.
Great Britain Struggles with Eliminating Coal and Whether or Not to Frack
Hot Air is reporting that there is some good news and some bad news in Great Britain concerning coal, an evil greenhouse gas causing pollutant. It provides a warning for the United States.
A Bizarre Plea to Decriminalize Statutory Rape
One of the most bizarre and frankly disturbing opeds the Washington Post has published in a long time was one by Betsy Karasik who suggested that statutory rape be decriminalized, at least when it occurs between a teacher and a student.
Obama Punts to Congress Over Military Action in Syria
President Obama's abrupt decision to ask Congress for authorization to strike at Iraq has elicited a number of different reaction, from exaltation in Syria, confusion in Israel, relief and anger in Congress, and derision from the media.