Expert Opinion

If there was ever an expert on embarrassing gaffes and misstatements, it would be Robert Gibbs.

Gibbs: Romney in England was "Embarrassing for our Country"

Believe It When You See It

President Obama does not want the Keystone pipeline to go through.  He just doesn't want to be seen as not wanting it to go through.  He will continue to throw all kinds of roadblocks in its path, all in the name of "safety", while continuing to insist that he wants to see this happen, really he does, cross his heart.  It just needs to be done "the right way".  Which, in Obamaspeak, means it needs to not be done at all.

TransCanada Corp.: TransCanada Receives Final Key Gulf Coast Project Permit Construction Set to Begin This Summer

It's About Himself

You may agree with Dick Cheney about Sarah Palin, or you may not, but here's what he's really saying.  What he's really saying is that he, Dick Cheney, was ready to become president.  This is about Dick Chaney, not Sarah Palin.

Dick Cheney: Picking Sarah Palin for VP Was "a Mistake"

Another Unfortunate Coincidence

What is it with liberals hating conservative women?  I can't imagine the reverse situation.  I don't think even Rush Limbaugh would do this.  If he did, it would be an uproar that would last a month, and Rush doesn't even pretend to be unbiased.

Why do they do this?  The answer is obvious.  Because they can.

CNN Plays "Stupid Girls" Before Story About Sarah Palin Visiting Chick-fil-A

The Last Refuge of the Incompetent

When all else fails, cry racism.  It puts others on the defensive, and it saves you from having to deal with actual facts.

The Real Reason "You Didn't Build That" Works

Unpossible

It is not possible that a change at the top of CNN will result in "new thinking".  That would require liberals to admit they were wrong.  That is something a liberal will never, ever, ever do.

Breaking: CNN's Jim Walton Resigns

Not a Serious Question

At least I hope not, because the answer is obvious.  President Obama is lying in another ad because he thinks it will help him win re-election.  He couldn't care less whether it's true or not, and neither could anyone working for him.  Truth is irrelevant.  It's about winning.  Period.

Why Is Obama Airing Another Misleading Abortion Ad?

Uh-Oh: I Agree With Piers Morgan

Although I prefer to think of it as Piers Morgan agreeing with me.  Still, I'll try not to let it happen again.

Piers Morgan Defends Mitt Romney's Olympics Comments: "He Was Just Speaking the Truth"

Don't Hold Your Breath

I'm not talking about when the IG report on Fast and Furious comes out.  I'm talking about what it will actually say.  It will probably contain some mild criticism of the Justice Department, to avoid making it look like a total whitewash, but it won't have anything that hurts the administration much.  If it did, it wouldn't be released.  That's the way things work, at least in this administration.

IG Report on Fast & Furious Will Come In "Weeks and Not Months"

Mission Accomplished?

I suspect this one will get just a prominent place in Mitt Romney's ads as "you didn't build that".  I doubt that very many Americans look at the present state of the economy and think that President Obama's plan "worked."

Obama on the Economy: We Tried Our Plan, and It Worked

Going Positive

Let's be clear about what it means.  It does not mean to stop pointing out President Obama's record.  It does not mean to stop pointing out President Obama's anti-capitalist statements.  In short, it does not mean to stop telling the truth about who President Obama is.

What it means is letting people know what a President Romney will do once in office.  I don't think he needs to do that to move the polls.  I think he needs to do it so that, once he gets elected and does the things he says he will do, he can honestly say that people knew what they were getting when they voted for him, which is something President Obama cannot honestly say.

To Move Polls, Romney Needs to Go Positive

Checks and Balances

They remain important.  I'm not anti-fed, but everyone needs to be held accountable to someone.  Absolute power, etc.

Ron Paul Wins: House Votes to Audit the Federal Reserve

Never Mind the Constitution, Get a Dictionary

"Tolerance" does not mean "agree with me or else".  "Choice" does not mean "do what I tell you".

It's amazing that people who claim to support tolerance want to put those who disagree with them out of business, and people who claim to support choice don't want to let me choose where I buy a chicken sandwich.

Alderman to Chick-fil-A: No Deal

On the Road Again

There will be no more posting here for a few days.  I hope to do something or other over the weekend, but it could easily be Monday or Tuesday.  Sorry, but real life gets in the way sometimes.

Cooperation

Just mention this the next time someone lectures you about how Republicans refuse to cooperate.  I'm not sure what's worse, how petty he is or how proud he is of his pettiness.

Democrat Leader Refuses to Correct Law-Altering Typo in GOP Bill

I Didn't Say What I Said

And I didn't mean it, either.  That seems to be a common refrain among Democrats lately.  It's President Obama's excuse on the "you didn't build that" remark.  And now it's Dianne Feinstein's excuse about leaks coming from the administration.

If you're going to say stuff like this, have the guts to stand behind it.  Otherwise, do us all a favor and just shut up.

Feinstein Statement on National Security Leaks

Challenging Assumptions

You may agree with this.  You may not.  But it's a way of thinking on gun control that we don't often hear, and I like seeing people think outside the box a bit.

The Missing Link on Gun Control

A Feature, Not a Bug

See, to liberals, this isn't bad news.  They want companies to drop health insurance coverage.  That way, more people will turn to the government to provide health care.  We'll be that much closer to a completely government-run health care plan, which was the plan from the beginning.

Nearly One in 10 Employers to Drop Health Coverage

2-for-2

There's really no reason to ever trust ABC news for anything again.  Not that there was much reason to trust them before, of course.

Alleged Colorado Gunman's Family Stands by Son

Tyranny

It's not when the government makes rules for every aspect of your behavior.  It's when the government can do whatever it pleases, whenever it please, for whatever reason (or no reason) it pleases, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Art's Sale Value? $0 The Tax Bill? $29M

We Didn't See What We Saw

Don't take this the wrong way.  I don't have any particular sympathy for either Penn State or Joe Paterno.  However, I don't understand the point of taking away all the wins from 1998-2011.  I get that they don't want Paterno to have the all-time wins record, but he does.  Those games were played.  His team won them.  There were real blocks, real tackles, and real touchdowns.  Sometimes, there were real injuries.  Pretending those games didn't happen, or pretending Joe Paterno's team didn't really win them, is denying reality.

Also, since those games didn't really happen, is the NCAA going to give back all the money they made from them?  Didn't think so.

NCAA Slams Penn State With Unprecedented Sanctions

Good Intentions

I'm not blaming President Obama for not fixing the problems in Haiti.  I'm not blaming anyone for the problems in Haiti.  People have given millions and millions of dollars, and spent thousands and thousands of hours, and nothing has changed.  I'm not faulting the effort, but the only way things are ever going to change is if the people of Haiti decide to make them change.

That sounds harsher than I mean it to sound.  I'm not saying it's as easy as saying the words, or that it's easy at all.  It's darned hard.  But it's still the only way it's ever going to happen.  We can't "rebuild" something that was never built in the first place.

U. S. Pledge to Rebuild Haiti Not Being Met

Seek and Ye Shall Find

We tend to find what we're looking for.  We tend to see what we want to see.  Thus, the press will see racism in Mitt Romney's ads whether there is any or not.  If there are no black people in the ads, that's racist.  If there's one or two black people in the ads, they're tokens, and it's racist.  If there are lots of black people in the ads, it's pandering, and it's racist.  It won't matter what Mitt Romney says or does.  He's racist, because he's a Republican.

Is a Pro-Romney Ad Racist? Five Questions to Ask Yourself

Blaming the Tea Party: A Compliation

This won't be news to anyone reading this.  Still, it's a handy reference guide if you're looking for quotes from the left blaming the Tea Party for things it had nothing to do with.

The Tea Party Did It

Yes and No

Yes, I think (absent some major event or disclosure) the vast majority of people have made up their minds about who they're going to vote for in the presidential election.  No, I don't think that means President Obama is going to win, or even that it's going to be all that close.  I think it means that you decide the winner by an election, not by a poll.

I stand by my prediction of a Romney landslide.

People's Minds Are Made Up, Unlikely to Change

When All You Have Is a Hammer

I obviously pay attention to politics, but I'm really glad I don't have to make a living in it.  I would never want to be the sort of person who sees a tragedy and immediately thinks "How can I turn this to my advantage?  How can I use this to help me and my election prospects?"  That would be a truly horrible way to live.

Bloomberg to Obama and Romney: Where Exactly Do You Stand on Gun Control?

And If We Ever Get Serious...

about reducing government spending--and yes, that's a huge "if"--defense spending has to be part of the equation.  I'm all for a strong military, but I'm quite sure there are things that could be cut without damaging our military preparedness if the people in charge of making those cuts are determined to do so.  Which--stop me if you've heard this before--is another huge "if".

House Approves $606B Defense Budget

Just the Beginning

If Republicans ever get serious about reducing the size of government--and yes, that's a huge "if"--this kind of overreaction will seem mild, even quaint, compared to the hysteria that will arise.  If Republicans ever get serious about reducing the size of government--and yes, that's a huge "if"--they'd better be prepared to defeat said hysteria.

Salazar: House Republican Budget a 'Death Knell' for Conservation Programs

Playing Offense

Sen. Johnson is exactly right.  It's always the case in politics that you're either playing offense or playing defense.  You can't score points when you're playing defense, no matter how good your defense is.  You can't even move forward.  The only time you can move forward, much less score, is when you're on offense.

Unfortunately, Congressional Republicans don't have a good track record of playing offense.  They're usually not inclined to do it, and even when they are, they don't seem to know how.  I hope they can do it this time, but I'm not terribly hopeful.

Sen. Johnson: It's Time for Republicans to Play Offense on Spending

Just a Coincidence

A man makes a donation to Mitt Romney, his name shows up on President Obama's enemies list, and he gets investigated by the IRS.  Why would anyone think those things were related?

Strassel: Obama's Enemies List--Part II

What In the World?

The Middle East is falling apart, the economy is breaking down, and we're arguing about whether Ann Romney said "you people"?  What difference on God's green earth does that make?

Ann Romney Says Enough Is Public About Mitt's Money

Nothing to See Here

I'll get excited when some Democrats say they're willing to fight the President.  Don't get me wrong--the Republicans should make an issue of this--but nothing will happen unless some Democrats join the fight.  Which they won't, at least not in sufficient numbers to do anything.

House and Senate Republicans Unveil Legislation Prohbiting Obama Administration from Unilaterally Weakening Welfare Work Requirements

Next Question

I thought the whole "next question" thing became a farce when sports agent Drew Rosenhaus did it a few years ago with Terrell Owens.  Apparently word hasn't gotten to Harry Reid yet, though.

Harry Reid Has Trouble Explaining Why Dems Didn't Raise Taxes When They Had the Chance

Amazing

Look, I know there's nothing in this story that you don't already know.  It's just that it struck me how absurd this is:  we're actually talking about who's going to be "hardest hit" by the President's economic plan.  Not who's going to be helped.  No one really thinks anyone will be helped.  Even liberals don't claim anyone will be helped.  That's why you hear arguments about "paying your fair share."  If liberals actually thought the economy would be helped by raising taxes on the rich, they'd make that argument.  They don't, because they can't.  So, instead of discussing who'll be helped by the President's plan, we're discussing who'll be hardest hit.  Amazing.

Obama's Tax Hikes Could Hit Blue States Hardest

This Is What We Mean

If there was a "Jim Holmes" on the website of a left-leaning organization, it would never have occurred to ABC to assume he'd be the one in the Colorado shooting.  In fact, it never would have occurred to them to look for a "Jim Holmes" there.  When it comes to the tea party, though, ABC just assumed there was probably a connection, then assumed they'd found it, and reported it without even bothering to check it out.

But there's no media bias.  Of course not.

ABC News, Brian Ross Apologize for Report Suggesting Shooting Suspect Tied to Tea Party

Above the Law

When the President doesn't like the law--a statute, a congressional directive, a subpoena, a court order--he simply ignores it.  If Mitt Romney is truly going to take the gloves off, this is an area with lots of potential for him.

TSA Fails to Comply with Year-Old 'Nude' Body-Scanner Court Order

It's Always Worked Before

Every time, when it's come right down to it, whenever the Democrats have forced a showdown on the budget, Republicans have caved.  They huff, and they puff, but then they give in.  They make themselves look worse than if they'd just given in to begin with, because they look like a bunch of phonies.

This is why appeasement doesn't work.  The one you appease always comes back for more.  They'll only stop when Republicans prove things are different now.  That'll be hard, but it's the only way anything will change.

GOP Must Prevent a Lame-Duck Looting Session

Be Careful

I have no problem with Mitt Romney attacking President Obama for specific things he's said and done.  If it starts becoming too generalized, however, the media narrative will become "How dare you say that about the President of the United States?!!!"  At that point, it won't matter what Romney's defense is.  It won't even matter whether the things Romney's saying are true.  It will be a distraction, it will get sympathy for the President, and it will keep us from talking about the economy.  So, if Romney's going to take the gloves off, he needs to be careful about it.

How the Romney Campaign Decided to Take the Gloves Off

Just So He Means It

I have no problem with Mitt Romney not releasing any more tax returns.  There is no amount of documents that he can release that will make his critics shut up.  If he tries to appease them, it will work about as well as appeasement always works, which is to say not at all.  Each document he releases will be said to "raise new questions" and lead to a demand for more, all the while hinting that Romney "has something to hide".  He might as well make his stand here.

Just so he really does make his stand here.  The demands won't go away.  He needs to stand firm, so that the above appeasement scenario does not play out later.

Romney Digs In, Refuses to Release More Tax Returns

How Much Is Enough?

I'd like someone to ask President Obama if he thinks it is possible for there to be a solution to an economic problem that does not involve massive increases in government spending.  I'd also like them to ask him if he can envision a situation in which government spending would fail to solve an economic problem.

Because, obviously, he thinks our economic problems stem from the fact that government still hasn't spent enough.

Obama: My Vision For 2nd Term Is to Spend, Spend, Spend

Irony

One example of it would be "Harry Reid complaining about angry old white men."

Reid: "Angry Old White Men" Trying to Buy Elections

You're Not Responsible

Technically, of course, President Obama's "you didn't build that" quote is correct. People don't live in vacuums.  We all were helped by somebody, sometime, in some way.

Here's the point, though.  What President Obama is saying is that successful people are not responsible for their success.  That's his excuse, of course, for raising taxes on them.  It's deeper than that, though.  If you're not responsible for your success, you're not responsible for your failure, either.  Successful people are not smarter, did not worker harder, did not see an opportunity others did not see.  They just got lucky, while unsuccessful people were unlucky.

It doesn't stop with economic success, though.  You're not responsible for anything that happens in your life. If your life didn't turn out so well, it's not because you made some bad choices and now have to deal with the consequences of them.  You just got unlucky, while people whose lives turned out well got lucky.  You're not responsible for who you are.  You're not responsible for what you've done.  It's all a matter of luck.

Therefore, government needs to take care of everyone.  Because no one is responsible for themselves.

Obama: If You've Been Successful, You Didn't Get There On Your Own

No Surprise

No offense to Sarah Palin, but what exactly would be the benefit to Mitt Romney to having her speak the convention.  Yes, she'd fire up the base, but the base already seems fired up, if not at the prospect of electing Romney then at the prospect of defeating President Obama.  She would be a distraction, and the President's people (which includes the media, of course) are already doing his best to provide distractions.  Romney doesn't need to help them.

Romney's Palin Problem: Where's Her Convention Invite?

No Abandonment Issues

I have no intention of abandoning this blog.  If that ever changes, I'll let you know.  I just have been really busy with work and family issues lately.  Posting may be a bit spotty for the next week or two, but I hope to get back to regular posting after that.

Thanks for your understanding.

Stability

I have to admit, the president did tell the truth here.  A flat line is stable.

Obama: Top Achievement Was Stabilizing the Economy

Even CNN Knows Who Obama Is

They won't keep telling the rest of us, of course.  When the president needs them, they'll be there for him.  But when President Obama goes to far even for CNN, he needs to look at himself in the mirror.

CNN Accuses Obama of "Swiftboating" Romney

Obama Winning Dead Dog Demographic

But don't worry, folks.  There's no such thing as vote fraud in this country.  Just ask the Obama Administration.

Dogs, Dead People Get Election Docs From Nonprofit

Liars Lie

I'm struggling a little with how many of this type of post I should do.  Because it's really not news when President Obama or his people lie.  They're liars.  That's what liars do.

Obama Says People Who Watch Fox News Are "Stubborn"

Typical

First, you throw out a completely baseless but incendiary charge.  Then, when you're challenged to come out with some evidence that the charge might be true, you say you don't have any, but that "a lot of people" are talking about this, so it's up to your opponent to "come clean" and disprove the allegation.  Since it's very hard to prove a negative, he probably can't.  Then, you don't apologize, but you quietly back away from the charge, still hinting that your opponent must have something to hide but saying you're "going to take the high road" and not pursue the matter farther.  By then, of course, some of the mud you've thrown will have stuck, despite the fact that you know very well there's nothing to the charge and never was.

If you have any scruples, you won't follow this strategy, but we're talking about President Obama.

Obama Spokesperson: Er, Yeah, Maybe Jumping on That "Felony" Thing Was a Little Hasty

None At All

That's how much posting I'm likely to do here until about Tuesday of next week.  I don't like doing that, and it's certainly no way to build readership, but real life is getting in the way for a few days.  Sorry.

So?

I would guess that nearly all of these people are people who wouldn't vote for Mitt Romney anyway.  Besides, what's he supposed to do about it?  Give all his money away?

Actually, this shows that President Obama's attacks aren't working.  A vast majority of voters know Mitt Romney is extremely rich, and they don't care.

Mitt Romney's Wealth Costs Him With One in Five Voters

Romney Refuses to Pander

At least in this case.  I'm not saying he never does, but give him credit in this case.  You can argue that blacks aren't going to vote for him anyway, and you may be right.  Even so, the instinct of a politician to tell people what they want to hear is very strong.  I give Mitt Romney credit for not doing it here.  A consistent, principled message beats a wishy-washy pander every day of the week.

Besides, at least Romney didn't claim they were saying "Youk".

NAACP Crowd Boos Romney's Promise to Repeal Obamacare

Will They Do It If It Counts?

These House votes to repeal ObamaCare are nice, but they're also symbolic.  Everyone knows they won't pass the Senate, and if by some miracle one did President Obama would veto it.  I'm glad they're doing it, but we all know repeal is not going to happen right now.

The big question is whether the Republicans will continue to vote this way if they have control of the Congress and the White House.  That's a big if, obviously, but if they get that kind of control and don't follow through, no one will ever trust them again.

By the way, that's a ridiculous headline.  The house couldn't "repeal healthcare" even if it wanted to.

House Votes 244-185 to Repeal Healthcare

The Best Strategy is to Go Positive

I don't mean Mitt Romney should stop criticizing President Obama.  What I mean is that he should put a simple, easy-to-understand plan out there.  I think Romney can win by being not-Obama, but if he actually wants to lead, people need to know what he's going to do before they vote for him.

That, after all, is what Ronald Reagan did.  People liked him or hated him, but they knew what he was going to do when he won.  That way, when he did it, he could honestly claim that the American people were behind him, which is the only way he got his program implemented.  It would work for Romney, too, if he just had the courage to do it.

Who's the Dope in Mitt Romney's 'Rope-a-Dope' Strategy?

Allen West, Honey Badger

Because he just don't care.  At least not about what his opponents think of him.

Real Talk: Allen West Will Not Be Bullied, Thank You Very Much

Jesus May Return Soon

Well, if we're going to run major articles about what may happen, why not?  Space aliens may make contact with earth tomorrow.  I may be elected the next pope.  The Vikings may win the Super Bowl this year.  Well, that last one's a stretch, but as long as we're talking about what may happen, anything that isn't literally impossible is fair game.

Romney May Name Running Mate Early in Election Race

Emotions v. Facts

You can only win an argument with facts if the person you're arguing with is interested in facts.  If they're just arguing based on emotion, the facts won't matter.  They just know they're right, and no facts you point out will matter.

That's why, if you're talking to someone who's convinced we need to raise taxes on the rich, an article like this won't matter to them.  They just know the rich should be paying more.  No facts you point out will matter.

CBO: The Wealthy Pay 70 Percent of Taxes

Gasp!

That'll be the reaction in the mainstream media if Mitt Romney actually does use the word "liar" to describe President Obama.  How dare you say such a thing about the president?  This is an extreme, negative, personal attack!  Have you no shame, sir?

None of them will claim that President Obama is not a liar, of course.  They'll just be outrageously outraged that Mitt Romney accurately called him one.

Romney Set to Counterattack on Bain

We're Winning, Folks

If we weren't, the Democrats wouldn't be doing stuff like this.  They see they're power slipping away, and they're desperate to hold on to it.  Desperate people do desperate things.  Like stalking.

GOP Unnerved By Democrats' Candid Camera Techniques

Sure Glad Obama Solved Egypt

That may seem unfair, but after all, it was his bright idea to help push the leader of Egypt out without giving any thought to who or what might replace him.  When you sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind.

Egypt Supreme Court Rejects Mohammed Morsi Power Grab

Good News

At least, if this poll can be believed.  The good news is not that a majority thinks Eric Holder should be held in contempt, although I'm glad to hear that, too.  The good news is that a substantial majority at least knows enough about Fast and Furious to offer an opinion.  Maybe the news about this is going to make it through the media shield after all.

And yes, of course I see the bias in the headline.  It's CNN.  What do you expect?

CNN Poll: Was Politics Behind Holder Contempt Vote?

The Price of Betrayal

Your old friends hate you and your new friends don't trust you.  Why should they?  You betrayed your old friends; why wouldn't you betray them?

Discord At Supreme Court is Deep, and Personal

Judge Posner Makes Decisions to Become Popular

He'd never admit that, of course, but what other conclusion is there?  He essentially says he and Justice Roberts make their decisions based on what they believe people will think of them, rather than based on what they actually believe the law says.  He blames the "radical right-wing", of course, which is what all conservatives do to excuse themselves from having the guts to stand up to criticism.

I'm starting to wonder.  Is there one conservative in a position of power who has the courage of his convictions?

Federal Judge Richard Posner: The GOP Has Made Me Less Conservative

Only 76 Percent?

I'd have thought a hundred percent of President Obama's ads would be negative.  After all, what positive things does he have to say?

$10 M Checks, Obama Complains--Yet Look Who's Gone Negative

John Boehner, Won't You Please Shut Up?

Someone with more time and talent than I have needs to write a parody song with that title, to the tune of "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home".  Yes, I know that's a very old song, but that's not the point.  The point is that for someone who claims to be conservative and presumably wants to win, John Boehner has been saying some very strange things.  First, he says we probably won't be able to repeal ObamaCare.  Now, he says most people probably don't care for Mitt Romney much, and we just have to hope they'll vote for him because he's not Barack Obama.

Speaker Boehner, there's no requirement that you express every thought that comes into your head.  If you can't say something useful, please keep your mouth shut.

John Boehner: Voters Need Not Love Mitt Romney

A New Slogan

Last time, it was "Yes, We Can!"  This time, apparently, it's "Well, I Tried".  I'm not sure that's going to play quite as well.

And by the way, the Great Orator made a grammatical error in that sentence.

Obama: Most People "Would Acknowledge That I've Tried Real Hard"

This Is Who They Are

President Obama has expressed similar sentiments to those of Transportation Secretary LaHoud here.  Both envy the efficiency of the Communist Chinese government.  They don't have to worry about what their citizens think.  They can just do things.

The people in the Obama administration really do want to be dictators.  They'd be benevolent dictators, of course.  They don't want power for the sake of power.  Oh, no.  They want power because they know more about what's best for us than we do.  It's for our own good.  If only we were smarter, we'd realize that.

Obama's Transportation Secretary Hails Chinese Infrastructure

The End of Private Mortgages

Why would any bank give someone a mortgage if the government can come in, take the mortgage from them, and pay whatever the government feels like paying for it?  They wouldn't.  That means that the government will become the only mortgage lender around.  Which is probably the plan.

Cities Consider Seizing Mortgages

A Prediction

Starting next month, we're going to start hearing report after report from the government about how the economy is improving.  I won't believe those reports, and maybe you won't either, but they'll be there.  The Obama Recovery will officially be underway.

After all, we know the Clinton Administration faked the economic numbers during the end of its term.  Do you really think President Obama wouldn't?

Economic News Release

What's Next? Hoover or Hitler?

Because once you've compared Romney to Nixon, there aren't very many other places to go.

Again, this is why I think Romney's going to win in a landslide.  We're still four months to the election, and this is the best they've got.

David Axelrod: Romney 'Most Secretive Candidate' Since Nixon

Jesus Probably Wouldn't Have Been a Talk Show Host, Either

So if the best you can do, Cenk Uygur, is to say "Jesus wouldn't have done that," you should probably just, you know, keep quiet.  Better to be silent and let people think you're a fool, etc.

Current TV's Cenk Uygur Slams Fox News Over Stossel's Poverty Experiment: "Is That What Jesus Christ Would Have Done?"

Arbitrary

The author labels his proposal as facetious, but why not?  Where's the flaw in the reasoning?  If soda pop can be restricted, why not alcohol?

This is one of the biggest problems with big government--the sheer arbitrariness of it.  There's no logical reason why some behaviors are allowed and encouraged, while others are banned and condemned.  It's all just up to the feelings of whoever is making the laws and regulations.

Hey Mayor Mike, Why Not Ban Beer?

What Did People Expect?

Seriously.  Did anyone think you could have the kind of expansion of government that ObamaCare brings without lots more bureaucrats and lots more regulation?  Well, maybe they did.  After all, they thought you could have it without having to get the money from anywhere.

Efforts to Implement ObamaCare Law Raise Concerns of Massive Government Expansion

At Least One More

I speculated a few days ago that we were probably about done hearing about taxpayer money wasted on green energy projects, because they'd already all gone bankrupt.  Well, not all.  There's at least one more--how many are there left?

Lights Go Dim on Another Energy Project

Forfeit

Nothing like admitting defeat before the game has even started.  Sen. McConnell says he'll do everything he can to repeal ObamaCare, really he will, he promises.  But the odds are against it happening.

How's that for an inspirational locker-room speech?  "Men, I want you to go out there and do everything you can to win this game.  It probably won't work.  We'll probably lose.  In fact, it may not even be a good game.  But go out there and give it all you've got, even though it's a lost cause!"

And I'm supposed to trust this guy as a leader?

McConnell: Odds Against Health Care Repeal

Who Cares?

That's really all I have to say about this.

Anderson Cooper: The Fact Is, I'm Gay

Good Luck With That

People have been complaining for years about Congress passing bills that no one has read.  They've been complaining, but no one has done anything.  And no one will continue to do anything.  This is the way twenty-first century government is.  The solution to passing two thousand page bills that no one has read is not to force people to read them.  It's to have a government small enough that no one ever thinks to propose two thousand page bills.

Good luck with that, too.

Rand Paul Puts Forward Measure That Would Force the Senate to Read Bills

How Magnanimous Of Him

Mayor Bloomberg, well-known nutrition policeman, says it's okay for us to "splurge" once in a while.  Oh, thank you, Mayor, for being so understanding and compassionate.

Look for thousands of pages of regulations defining what "splurging" means and how often we'll be allowed to do it.

Hot Dog! Speed Eaters Weigh In for Coney Contest

Have a Blessed Independence Day

There will be no further posting today or tomorrow.  Unless something unexpected happens, we will be back July 5.  I suggest you take some time away from politics.  Watch a ball game, play with your kids, pet a cat or dog, go to the beach, watch some fireworks.  Also, spend a little time thinking about all the people who have risked their lives so you can do that, and say a prayer of thanks to God for living in what is still the best country in the world.  Have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July.

It Works

I went on the Atkins diet about two years ago and lost twenty-five pounds.  I've gained a few of them back, but not many, and it's mostly because I'm not as strict about the Atkins diet as I used to be.

I'm not a doctor, and have no more medical knowledge than anyone else.  If you have some sort of special medical condition, of course, consult a doctor before you do anything.  All I can tell you is that if you want to lose weight, the Atkins diet works.

What Really Makes Us Fat

What Difference Does It Make?

There have been all kinds of articles speculating about why Justice Roberts did what he did and whether he changed his vote at some point.  Folks, none of it matters.  Why he did it is irrelevant.  All that matters is that he did it.

That said, this vote has all the earmarks of someone who's more concerned about his "legacy" than about doing the right thing.  And you know what?  One of the truths of life is that when we do things to impress others, rather than because we think they're right, it almost never goes well.

Roberts Switched Views to Uphold Health Care Law

You Can't Win By Losing

Look, I'm all for trying to find the bright side.  If you want to make the argument that the ObamaCare decision could've been worse, well, you're probably right.  One of the rules of life is that things could always be worse.  If you're trying to tell me that the decision was somehow a victory for conservatives, though, you're only fooling yourself.  And maybe you're not even doing that.

Why Roberts Did It