Bob’s Political Digest July 7, 2009

Robert McNamara, Architect of Vietnam War, Dies at 93
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070601197.html?hpid=topnews
Evil SOB said in his memoirs he knew the war was hopeless. But he continued to serve and send the boys anyway. Not like he couldn’t resign in protest, because he needed the money to support a starving family. It was married LCpls who’s families were starving. Actually, recent history based on now open North Vietnamese sources say the war was very winnable. Was lost because the anti-war movement convinced a spineless Democrat Congress to abandon our allies.

A Free-Market Approach to Health Care Reform
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18167
Free Market? “Free” is only popular in Washington when it means someone else pays for it, not when it means freedom to choose.

When the Government Runs Health Insurance
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Columns/2009/July/070109RanthumCapretta.aspx
It amazes me that people who complain constantly about the cost overruns at the Pentagon, the terrible customer service at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the inefficiency of the US Postal Service want the same kind of government bureaucrats making decisions about their health care.

Weary Palin Sought to Regain Control
Unease in Spotlight, Family Concerns Sparked Decision
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/04/AR2009070402761.html?wpisrc=newsletter
My advice to Gov. Palin back in November (see blog post of predictions) was to forget about 2012. She had, in my view, two ways forward. One was to finish her term and wait for a chance to run for the US Senate. If she built a national reputation for both competency and helping Republican candidates she might have a shot in 2016 or 2020—she’s still young enough. The other option was to do the Huckabee thing and make herself a conservative TV/radio/publishing star.

What Did Rep. Conyers Know?
Wife's Bribery Plea Raises Questions About Michigan Democrat
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/04/AR2009070401016.html?wpisrc=newsletter
More of that Republican “Culture of Corruption” Queen Nancy told us about back in ’06. What? He’s a Democrat & a member of the Black caucus? Oh, never mind.

Hot Dogs and Fireworks, or Unalienable Rights?
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/tsegel/2009/ts_07061.shtml
From a Marine buddy: This short essay (825 words) is just a wonder in itself, and deserves to be read by every American with an IQ over 90. It is a very mild (perhaps too mild) call to arms, to waken people just as Thomas Paine did before the Revolution. I have highlighted (the Cap & Trade) paragraph which should serve as a loud trumpet call all by itself. But it's not the only point of interest. Nobody in the media seems to want to point out that appointing 20+ "czars" to directly oversee various government functions is an enormous power grab by the White House, a real revamping of how the government is supposed to work that really amounts to a violation of the separation of powers the Founders focused on so closely.

Anybody who doesn't at least have some discomfort with the way this is going has indeed drunk the Kool-Aid and will be shocked beyond belief if this junk is allowed to pass and the consequences hit us all like a freight train in the not-so-distant future.

If you don't have the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mails of your congressional representatives, you really need to get them soon, and start contacting these people on a regular basis to tell them they will not be in office again if they don't stand up now and start really representing our interests, not just their own or those of their Party's leadership. –Del

Ol' Stupid begins to notice things
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/03/ol-stupid-begins-to-notice-things/?feat=home_headlines
Ya think? Nah, they’re still blaming Hoover for a depression that started in Europe, and which FDR’s policies lengthened.

US-Russian Arms Negotiators "Under the Gun," Might Temporarily Bypass Senate Ratification for Treaty
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/03/ol-stupid-begins-to-notice-things/?feat=home_headlines
Senate? Constitution? We don’t need no stinkin’ constitution…..

Will Government Health Care Bring Down Costs?
http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/social-cost/#more-4116
Hint: Is anything the government does less expensive than when done privately?

Fed money may benefit Russian-backed firm
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/05/us-tax-dollars-may-aid-russian-earmark-eyed/?source=newsletter_must-read-stories-today_photo_feature
Bi-partisan BS

Stop dumping money into a large hole
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_should_the_government
Satire—though it’s hard to tell the difference today

Obama’s WTF war
http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/11885-Obamas-WTF-War!.html
No surprises here.

70-Year-Old Reservist, Surgeon Returns To Iraq
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106214966
Terrific Story

Obama's spending blitz worries Powell
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/04/spending-blitz-worries-powell/?source=newsletter_must-read-stories-today_headlines
Better late than never, I guess.

Muslim youths shout abuse, throw rocks at gay man in...Minneapolis
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026832.php
Confusing for the politically correct—to be Islamophobic or homophobic. They’ll have to just pretend it didn’t happen. Better than Iran, where they hang Gays.

After an increase of "wife-killings... on the pretext of adultery," Syria allows for tougher penalties for honor killings -- two years in prison!
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026823.php
Boy, they are really cracking down! What would the Prophet think?

Obama II vs. Obama I
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTZhMDZjYjNiMGZiZWE3NTkxNDNjYzQwYmQxZWM5MGE=
The campaign meets the reality

A Family's Valor, a Nation's Freedom
Why would a 61-year-old civilian (orthopaedic) surgeon volunteer for Iraq?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124649175841883047.html

Endorsing Palestinian apartheid
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3739588,00.html
Maybe because Hitler, being for big government, wasn’t so bad in the left’s view.

A Thug’s Primer
How to win liberal friends and oppress your people.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjE1ZmZiZGYyNjhmNzYyN2EwNWQwNjE4MTk2NDZmMGI
This would be funny if it wasn’t so true.

Quote:
When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators. - O'Rourke, P. J.