Book Recommendation: Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC
Readers of my blog will know that I read a lot of books. Because I choose carefully, I recommend about half of them to other folks. This is the best book I have read in at least a year, probably longer. It’s an autobiography, but because the General wisely selected two competent co-authors/researchers to assist, it has a much wider perspective than usual, and is free of the self-aggrandizement too common in memoirs. Marines, Vietnam vets, and military history buffs will be enthralled by the account of Captain Livingston leading his beloved Echo Company of 2/4 (the Magnificent Bastards) in a bayonet charge at the battle of Dai Do, a fight that arguably saved the Dong Ha Combat Base from being overrun, thus giving a great strategic and political victory to the Communists. His was one of two Medals of Honor earned in the battle. Anyone who thinks the fighting in Vietnam
Then-Captain Livingston was a self-admitted “hard ass,” insisting on physical training even in the field, and grooming standards and combat training when “resting” in “rear areas.” (Marines will understand why I put those things in quotes.) He is the kind of officer the troops grumble about until they have been in and survived combat. Then they respect and love him forever. The many interesting sidebars with comments from his troops, peers and commanding officers, which greatly add to the book, make it clear how respected and beloved General Livingston was and is by his brother Marines.
General Livingston gives full credit to his troops and superiors, a trait of modesty that seems to come with America Washington
The book has several additional value-added bonuses. General Livingston played a major role in the final evacuation of Saigon , interesting and bitter reading for any vet. He was involved in fighting the Communist insurgency in the Philippines New Orleans Washington
Marines like me, who were fortunate enough not to be assigned to rifle companies in Vietnam, will always wonder if we could have measured up to be one of Jim Livingston’s Marines. Perhaps, if he “kicked us in the ass” (his phrase) enough, but we will never know. The phony veterans who keep popping up, and the many who never darkened a recruiting office door to try to serve, they do know, and must, as Shakespeare said, “hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with” Livingston at Dai Do. Every Marine who reads this book will be proud to have worn the same uniform as General Livingston.
Collapse now has 11 reviews on Amazon
All five stars. I guess the President hasn’t read it.
Obama OKs Medal of Honor for living Marine
Excerpt: A Marine who repeatedly braved enemy fire in eastern Afghanistan
Heroism in ambush may yield top valor awards
No air or arty. Bastards. ~Bob. Excerpt: With no air or artillery support, the Marines of Embedded Training Team 2-8 were trapped deep in a kill zone in eastern Afghanistan
Break Glass In Case of War
Excerpt: Not being a combat arms Marine can make it a bit difficult to understand a 21 year old who conducts the hardest training, likes to sleep in the rain, copes with long separations from their family, doesn’t know the word fail, is dealt the toughest life but simply smiles back at it and continues to look shit hot in their dress blues without missing a beat. How I love them. (Me too Major Pain. Me too. MasterGuns)
'Anonymous' Hackers Claim to Breach NATO Security
Excerpt: A group of computer hackers claims to have breached NATO security and accessed hordes of restricted material. The group called Anonymous says it would be "irresponsible" to publish most of the material it stole from NATO but that it is sitting on about 1 gigabyte of data. Anonymous posted a PDF file Thursday, and broadcast a link to it from its Twitter page, showing what appeared to be a document headed "NATO Restricted."
Franco-German axis loses its wheels
The question is not if the EU will come apart. The question is when. ~Bob. Excerpt: French President Nicolas Sarkozy has swooped into Berlin Europe ’s Project, and leverage their combined power. But this time the chemistry is particularly sulphurous. The Chancellor has not disguised her irritation at being bounced into a summit that she never wanted, and which looks to many Germans like an attempt to ensnare the country in an EU fiscal union and limitless bail-outs. Germany is still transfering €60bn (£53bn) annually to East Germany
Anita Perry encourages husband to run for president
Excerpt: Gov. Rick Perry will need money, organization, staff and stamina if he runs for president. But he appears to already have the support that's most important for the race — his wife's. Following a brief meeting on state finances Tuesday, Perry talked expansively for the first time on what his wife, Anita, has been telling him about a White House run. “My wife was talking to me and saying: 'Listen... get out of your comfort zone. Yeah, being governor of Texas
How Spending Cuts—Not Higher Taxes—Saved Canada
Excerpt: When Jean Chretien became prime minister in 1993, Canada Canada Canada Canada now has faster economic growth than America (3.3% in 2010, compared to 2.9% in the U.S. ), a lower jobless rate (7.2% in June, when the U.S.
MSNBC To GOP Congressman: "Do You Have A Degree In Economics?"
Excerpt: Today, Contessa "educated" a conservative Representative that without the bailout, the country would be in "a depression." Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) said he disagreed which prompted the MSNBC host to ask him if he had a degree in economics. "Yes ma'am, I do. Highest honors," Rep. Brooks responded. (why is a reporter “educating” a Congressman? She’s not the brightest bulb on the tree, even for MSNBC. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: A southern Arizona student and father expecting his first child has been found dead in Nogales , Mexico Nogales , Ariz.
Shabaab Essay Boasts of Western Recruits
An al-Shabaab fighter has revealed new details about Americans and foreigners fighting for the Somali terrorist organization. A recently released essay shows that the group's idealistic self-image hasn't just attracted young Americans, but has crossed the boundaries of nationality and age. "Some of the members in our battalion migrated from as far as Australia , while others left the comfort lives of London and Minneapolis
Sounds like they are sounding retreat to me. ~Bob. Excerpt: France 's foreign minister suggested Wednesday that a possible way out of Libya
Reid slams House for taking weekend off
Excerpt: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) criticized the House of Representatives for taking the weekend off, saying it painted a "very bad picture" for debt negotiations. "Let me get this off my chest," he said on the Senate floor Thursday morning. "I just heard there is an announcement in the House of Representatives that they are taking the weekend off." "I think this is a very bad picture to have the House out this weekend when we have to likely wait for them to send us something, because as I understand the negotiations taking place deal with revenues which constitutionally have to start in the House,” said Reid. “I think it is just untoward,” continued Reid. “That’s the kindest work I can say… What a bad picture.” (Note to Harry Reid, who voted against raising the debt limit in 2006. The House has passed a budget. It has passed a debt limit increase with a balanced budget amendment and real cuts in spending. What the hell has the senate passed in the fiscal area under your leadership except more ruinous spending? ~Bob.
Election 2012: Romney 43% Obama 42%
Excerpt: In a very early look at Election 2012, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are essentially even. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows Romney attracting 43% of the vote while Obama earns support from 42%. In April, Obama held a five-point edge over Romney. (To see survey question wording, click here.) President Obama currently trails a Generic Republican by six points, 47% to 41%. In match-ups against individual Republicans, the president picks up between 41% and 49% of the vote no matter which Republican is presented as a potential opponent. (I would vote for him over Obama, of course, but based on past performance, I don’t see Romney having the spine to turn the country around. ~Bob.)
Poll: Romney still ahead, but with big vulnerabilities in quest for GOP nod
Excerpt: Mitt Romney leads the wide-open contest for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. But a new Washington Post-ABC News poll underscores his vulnerabilities as a front-runner, as well as Sarah Palin’s lingering power to shake up the race if she decides to run. The former Massachusetts governor again tops the field, with Palin second and Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn. Tex.
The Future of Private Health Plans under Health Reform
Excerpt: The new health reform law creates incentives for state and federal politicians and bureaucrats to exert direct control over the premiums of health plans. However, because health plans largely pass through costs from medical providers, artificially limiting increases in premiums cannot actually result in lower health costs. Instead, it results in reduced access to care and threatens the solvency of health plans, says John R. Graham, director of health care studies at the Pacific Research Institute. The health reform law also introduces at least five critical uncertainties that make it difficult to estimate future medical costs accurately, and suggest that the reform law will be much more disruptive to health insurance than the Obama administration has advertised: It encourages the establishment of so-called Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). ACOs will lead to consolidation and cartelization of medical providers, thereby increasing medical costs more than anticipated. Health plans must offer policies designed on a standard health plan that offers government-approved benefits. They can vary their offerings only by how much of the actuarial value of the policy is indemnified by the health plan. Even expert actuaries cannot yet agree on the actuarial value of the policy. The law anticipates that some Americans will receive coverage through Health Benefits Exchanges. Independent analyses, however, conclude that many millions more will be enrolled in exchanges than the federal government anticipates. The health reform law imposes federal control over an accounting calculation called the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR), which equals the proportion of premium that is spent on medical costs. However, there is no evidence that individuals or groups choosing health plans believe the MLR is important. The law, which purports to maintain a significant role for private health plans, is not the desired end-state of many of its proponents. Many proponents would prefer a so-called "single payer" government monopoly health system. It is reasonable to anticipate that as the reform law fails, these politicians will seek to shift blame and liability to the private health plans, in order to minimize their role and continue progress towards this final goal.
Healthcare law may leave families with high insurance costs
ObamaCare—the gift that goes on giving. ~Bob. Excerpt: A major provision of the healthcare reform law designed to prevent businesses from dropping coverage for their workers could inadvertently leave families without access to subsidized health insurance. The problem is a huge headache for the Obama administration and congressional Democrats, because it could leave families unable to buy affordable health insurance when the healthcare law requires that everyone be insured starting in 2014. Some of the administration’s closest allies on healthcare reform warn this could dramatically undercut support for the law, which already is unpopular with many voters and contributed to Democrats losing the House in the 2010 midterm elections. “It’s going to be a massive problem if it comes out that families have to buy really expensive employer-based coverage,” said Jocelyn Guyer, deputy executive director at Georgetown University
Some federal workers more likely to die than lose jobs
Excerpt: Federal employees' job security is so great that workers in many agencies are more likely to die of natural causes than get laid off or fired, a USA
The Costs and Benefits of U.S.
Doesn’t factor in the political benefit to politicians, especially with Iowa
Pain at the Pump: How Illinois
democrats screwing the poor to buy union votes. What else is new? ~Bob. Excerpt: As families make their Fourth of July travel plans, motorists in Illinois
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee -- And the Race Card
Excerpt: For those who voted for President Barack Obama expecting him to bridge America
Excerpt: The Obama administration has criticized the Iranian regime and its policies while the United States and other countries have put tough sanctions on Iran America USA ) used exactly this kind of pressure to cause the USSR
Space shuttle on verge of final landing
Excerpt: Space shuttle Atlantis zoomed back toward Earth on Thursday to make the very last landing of the 30-year program. Atlantis' crew of four fired the braking rockets in the wee hours of the morning. That set them on a course toward an on-time touchdown just before dawn at 5:56 a.m., one last shuttle touchdown for the history books. (…) The space station's international partners — Russia , Europe and Japan Europe is essentially broke from having to deal with the PIIGS problems. Japan China , India , and Brazil
FEC rules that John Edwards presidential campaign must repay $2 million in matching funds
John Kerry’s choice for VP. And they complain about Palin. ~Bob. Excerpt: The Federal Election Commission says former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign should repay the treasury $2.3 million. The commission on Thursday decided to order the repayment. Federal auditors said all but about $200,000 of the total came from federal matching funds the Edwards campaign received. The campaign got nearly $13 million in matching funds. Edwards dropped out of the race Jan. 30, 2008.
Republicans feuding over spending cuts in $1.5 trillion stopgap debt-ceiling plan
Excerpt: A package of spending cuts totaling $1.5 trillion has become a political football in the battle between the House and Senate over raising the debt limit.
The cuts have triggered something of a tug-of-war between Republicans on Capitol Hill, who still are not on the same page on the controversial issue.
Sides edging toward short-term debt deal
Kick the Can—Washington U.S.
Michele Bachmann releases physician’s note on migraines
Excerpt: Rep. Michele Bachmann moved quickly to address concerns about her health Wednesday, releasing a note from a physician declaring her in “overall good health” despite suffering from migraines that must be controlled with medication. Brian P. Monahan, the House’s attending physician, wrote that he and a neurologist had evaluated Bachmann (R-Minn.) and found that the headaches were “infrequent” and well controlled. (Yes, but the sexist leftist hit job will linger in some minds. ~Bob.)
Important: European leaders meet at Brussels
Excerpt: Top European leaders convened crisis talks in Brussels on Thursday to try to put together a more durable financing plan for Greece California , Illinois or Detroit
Public input sought on healthcare reform law
Excerpt: A body of experts on Wednesday began seeking public input on the type of research that should be conducted under the auspices of the healthcare reform law. The law created an independent nonprofit — known as the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, or PCORI — tasked with conducting "patient-centered outcomes research." The institute is now asking the public to help determine what exactly that means. "There are different opinions about what patient-centered outcomes research includes," PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby said in a statement. "A work group within our Methodology Committee has created a working definition, so that we can have a shared understanding to guide our work. Now we’re seeking input from the public to make sure we have it right."
Holder's goal in Fast & Furious investigation: Protect political appointees
http://www.examiner.com/law-enforcement-in-national/holder-s-goal-fast-furious-investigation-protect-political-appointees
http://www.examiner.com/law-enforcement-in-national/holder-s-goal-fast-furious-investigation-protect-political-appointees
Excerpt: Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa and Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Sen. Chuck Grassley, both Republicans, On Monday pressed Attorney General Eric Holder about the Justice Department's unsatisfactory responses and lack of cooperation with an investigation into the highly controversial Operation Fast and Furious. A letter sent by the two lead investigators highlighted testimony indicating internal disputes within the Justice Department and a statement from the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that the Justice Department is attempting to protect its political appointees. "It was very frustrating to all of us, and it appears thoroughly to us that the Department is really trying to figure out a way to push the information away from their political appointees at the Department," ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson said of his frustration with the Justice Department's response to the investigation in a transcribed interview.
Excerpt: I don’t usually post twice in one day, but there is a story which requires our immediate attention (hat tip, Mish). This post’s title is riff on Arthur Fullerton’s Only poor people can be allowed to fail. His story is short & sweet. I believe it speaks for itself. (If a bank or other business can’t fail, there is no disincentive to taking wild risks. If I couldn’t fail, I’d gather up every penny in my retirement fund, go over to the new casino across from our work, and put it all on red. If red came up, I’d spend the winnings, then do it again. Whenever black came up, the government would tax you to replace my losses. Oh, to be “too big to fail.” Maybe a few more beers will do it. ~Bob.)
Dodd-Frank Law Turns 1: An Albatross Of New Regs
Excerpt: One year ago, President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Act into law, setting the U.S. U.S.
Casual Hate: The Subtle Side of Christian Persecution
Excerpt: Thus one Coptic businessman complaining about how he lost a legal case in Egypt, though he was clearly in the right, was quickly interrupted by the grinning fellow across him, who asked whether his opponent was Muslim or Christian; when the businessman, rather coyly, said Muslim, everyone laughed knowingly, some even suggesting he was a fool for even going to court. A women discussing her baby's erratic sleeping habits revealed why: the mosque next door, which always blasts Koranic verses on the megaphone around 4 a.m., constantly wakes him up in terror and tears; and though the baby does not understand the words, the mother does, pointing out that most of the verses being blared are especially hostile to Christians, like 5: 17, 5:51, and 9:29. Any number of Copts looked at me incredulously when I inquired why a well qualified Copt did not bother applying to an important post in Egypt
Upcoming Weather Underground Movie to Show ‘Real Americans Who Stood for Their Beliefs’
Let’s hope it flops. The 60s leftists and radicals put American culture on the path to destruction, leading to today’s ills. ~Bob. Excerpt: Deadline is reporting that Robert Redford and Shia LaBeouf have been cast to star in the political thriller, “The Company You Keep,” based on the Neil Gordon novel about the domestic terrorist group called the Weather Underground. “The Company You Keep” tells the story of a 30 year long FBI manhunt for a Weather Underground terrorist, to be played by Redford , who must evade law enforcement after his identity is outed by an ambitious reporter (LaBeouf). The producers may have already given a peek at the politics behind the film. Voltage producer Nicolas Chartier, who has teamed up with Redford’s Wildwood Enterprises production company for the project, said of the movie that: “This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller about real Americans who stood for their beliefs, thinking they were patriots and defending their country’s ideals against their government.” But does the Weather Underground really represent “real Americans” who thought they were patriots?
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"Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself." --- Morris Mandel
Why Bashar al-Assad matters to the West--- and what the Obama administration still doesn't grasp
Excerpt: The Great Alawite Hope's ouster would be consequential. So, too, his survival. Syria does not sit atop an ocean of oil, as does Saudi Arabia Egypt Turkey Syria has been the primary agent of Iran Lebanon Israel
Worth Reading : Nigeria
Excerpt: Initially the government denied the role of Islam in the violence. Apologists said that the ranks of the BH were drawn largely from disaffected youth, drug addicts, hooligans, and common criminals who used Islamic extremism as a front for criminal activities. But the influence of jihadist Muslim ideology and Arab Islamic terror organizations is clear. The BH refer to themselves as the “Nigerian Taliban,” apparently inspired by the success of al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001. “Afghanistan ” is the name of their base in northern Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria
Excerpt: I have long considered Empower Texans to be the most important and effective state level conservative grassroots organization in the country. These people are not just respected in Texas Austin
Allen West on not apologizingg: Don’t poke me in the chest!
Excerpt: Allen West says that there is no way he is apologizing for the email he sent to DWS or for the language he used in the email. He said the reason for his email was to say “don’t poke me in the chest” and that message stands. This is exactly what I wanted to hear. When I heard the rumors yesterday that he had apologized, I was hoping it wasn’t true. Turns out he is standing by his words. Go West!
Excerpt: Here is where I salute Colonel West. It’s in his instinctual desire to push back when so few have pushed back before. And that is why he’s garnered the respect of so many in the Tea Party Movement.
Egyptian agriculture minister blamed Israel for contaminated fenugreek seeds from Egypt that killed dozens in Europe
Excerpt: You've got to hand it to them: those hidden Zionist conspirators are thorough. Not even the fenugreek is safe from their wiles. Somewhere in the Grand Conspiracy Headquarters is a Fenugreek File on someone's desk with all the nefarious plans. Once again, conspiracy theories are handy for Islamic governments and societies, where they tend to thrive, because they deflect responsibility, and they don't have to make sense as long as they pin the blame on one scapegoat or another and reinforce a sense of righteous victim-hood to at once distract and unite the populace. "In new Egypt, old conspiracies live on," by David E. Miller for The Media Line, July 20: When a European laboratory announced two weeks ago that an infected shipment of Egyptian fenugreek seeds was the source of an E. coli epidemic that killed 48 Germans and a Swede, the Egyptian agriculture minister didn’t apologize, nor did he call for an investigation into the matter. The problem had nothing to do with Egypt Israel Israel America
Seem, while we are dealing with little stuff like the deficit and the debt, our Saudi allies are fighting real problems! (There are wolves in SA? Who knew.) ~Bob. Excerpt: When the severed head of a wolf wrapped in women's lingerie turned up near the city of Tabouk in northern Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
Dozens of Bombs Found in Indonesian Boarding School
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/dozens-of-bombs-found-in-indonesian-boarding-school/453952
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/dozens-of-bombs-found-in-indonesian-boarding-school/453952
Excerpt: Police found more than two dozen home-made bombs in eastern Indonesia
Al-Qaida plans cartoon recruiting film for kids
Kids—they blow up so soon. ~Bob. Excerpt: An al-Qaida affiliate says it plans to roll out what some have called a Disney-like animated cartoon aimed at recruiting children to the terror network. Scenes from the proposed short film show young boys dressed in battle fatigues and participating in raids, killings and terror plots. It is the latest attempt by the terror organization to use multimedia to draw in potential recruits. Recently, a Yemen-based extremist group released an online women's magazine with makeup and chastity tips.
Somali children recruited for combat by Islamists: Amnesty
Excerpt: Children in drought-struck Somalia Somalia Somalia Somalia , you risk death all the time," said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty's deputy director for Africa . Children are punished by Shebab if they are caught listening to music or even for just wearing the "wrong clothes," Kagari added.
Exiled Islamists Watch Rebellion Unfold at Home
Excerpt: American, European and Arab intelligence services acknowledge that they are worried about the influence that the former group’s members might exert over Libya Iraq or Afghanistan , was part of the social fabric of eastern Libya Benghazi , the wellhead of opposition to the government in Tripoli Tripoli Pakistan United States
How to handle Islamic supremacists with Western citizenship
Excerpt: It was without any doubt a catastrophic mistake to invite millions of followers of a religion that has a strong negative attitude towards us non-believers and our democratic values to the West. Now they are here; their many children and grandchildren are here, and they all have Western citizenship. When we ask them to integrate and change their views of us and our values, their answer is: "Why should we? We were born here; this is also our country." We can't send them home, and they refuse to integrate. So what to do? We make them an offer they can't refuse. (It’s going to take a lot more American blood before a sensible, no-PC plan like this could be adopted. ~Bob.)
Campus Ministry Drops 'Christ' From Name
One of the nation’s most prominent Christian Ministries has decided to take Christ out of its name – a move that has generated cries of political correctness from within the evangelical community. Campus Crusade for Christ International announced this week that it will change the name of its U.S. Operations to “Cru” in early 2012. (Campus Crusade for Barack? Still okay. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: That debt explosion—which will be at the heart of our politics in the coming years—is different and unprecedented, and we have seen in recent months that the Left is completely unprepared to understand it, and the Right (with much help from the indispensable Paul Ryan) is only starting to grasp it. Simply put, that debate is all about health-care entitlements. And I mean all. Last month, the Congressional Budget Office released its most recent long-term outlook document (from which the chart above is taken), and with it they released the underlying data tables they used to produce their projections (which you can find here). Here’s a quick chart based on those tables, showing the components of federal spending over the coming decades: The red line consists of the health-care entitlements: Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and the new Obamacare entitlements. The blue line consists of everything else combined—including Social Security, defense, domestic discretionary spending; everything but interest on the debt.
Green, Shovel-Ready Stimulus — 100 Years Ago http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/272325/green-shovel-ready-stimulus-100-years-ago-victor-davis-hanson
Excerpt: Our politicians love soaring platitudes followed by little, if any, action. The more Americans are promised shovel-ready stimulus projects, new sources of power, and other fantasies, the more we accept that bureaucracy, regulations, lawsuits, and impact statements will prevent much from ever being done. The president himself, after demanding nearly a trillion dollars in borrowed money for his budget, confessed that his “shovel-ready” projects had proved not so shovel-ready after all. Much of the vast sum of borrowed money instead went to subsidize nearly insolvent pension funds, entitlements, and bloated state budgets. Unemployment is still at 9.2 percent, with nearly 50 million people on government-subsidized food stamps — even as American infrastructure is crumbling, the private sector is moribund, and national timidity prevents any new large, visionary construction. Prior generations gave us space projects; ours ends them. Boeing once ruled the skies; now the government sues to stop Boeing from opening a new plant.
A Pro-Growth Plan from the Gang of Six: It’s a stunning reversal of the Obama Democrats’ class-warfare campaign.
Excerpt: U.S.
Excerpt: One of the depressing features of the Republican party is the way they get suckered time and again into playing on Democrats’ terms. The pathetic spectacle of grown men and women sitting around in meetings trying to agree on “grand bargains” to save $43.7 bazillion in federal spending by 2023 before an allegedly looming deadline of August 2nd is almost too perfect a snapshot of Washington U.S. U.S.
Former KGB Agent Explains the Brainwashing of America
A Sign of Sanity Amid the Budget Banter
Excerpt: Obama is pushing all the right constituent panic buttons: "I cannot guarantee that Social Security checks will go out" if the debt ceiling is not raised. But the fact is, 60 percent of government expenditures do not depend on borrowed funding (read: "borrowed time"), but are covered by tax revenues. The real problem for the Left is that if the debt ceiling is not raised, they will actually have to prioritize what bills will be paid. I can assure you Democrats will be sending Social Security checks and paying military salaries rather than funding Obama's boondoggle "stimulus" projects. (The Balanced Budget Amendment, like every other tool, will be no cure-all. Like all tools, it can be either a useful or destructive instrument depending on the goal of the user(s). I’m certain anyone really trying in the future will be able to find a way to pervert it far beyond whatever meaning we give it today. Although I like most of Mark Alexander’s essays, and often agree with them, I think he’s exactly 180 degrees wrong in believing the Administration will prioritize expenditures to fully fund transfer payments. I believe they will suspend, delay or reduce ALL transfer payments as a first step to maximize the public’s pain. They think the American public will blame it all on the evil Republicans, just like they did in the 90s. With the media helping them, why shouldn’t they believe it will work out to their advantage? They may well see this as a way to break the back of small government conservatism for all time. I’m now retired and “dependant” on Social Security for most of my income. I’ve prepared by putting aside several month’s worth, just in case it becomes necessary. Ron P. I was thinking of going into crime for my retirement, but I live in the Chicago
Young Hispanics skeptical of big government
Excerpt: An outfit called Generation Opportunity (which boasts 842,000 friends on its “Being American” Facebook page) commissioned an online poll of adults age 18 to 29 in April from the Polling Company/Woman Trend Inc. The most interesting results are from young Hispanics. They preferred “reducing federal spending” to “raising taxes on individuals” in order to “balance the federal budget” by 1 69%-27% margin. Of these young Hispanics, 57% agreed that “if taxes on business profits were reduced, companies would be more likely to hire” and 56% agreed that “the economy grows best when individuals are allowed to create businesses without government interference.”
Obama's sleight of hand on lobbyist contributions
Excerpt: The Obama campaign is trying to portray its fundraising juggernaut as an expression of grass-roots enthusiasm, an effort that requires shameless sophistry about lobbyists and "special interests." "We did this from the bottom up," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina Washington Washington
Obama’s Ministers of Culture and Agitprop
I wouldn’t spend one penny of taxpayer money on “the Arts.” One person’s art is another person’s crap. ~Bob. Excerpt: Immediately after President Obama took office, his Hollywood benefactors clamored for the creation of a "Secretary of Culture." Tinseltown was disappointed with the administration's crony arts czar choice (Chicago
Instead of one government-supported arts czar, the White House has designated an entire herd of them. On Tuesday, as part of Obama's "Winning the Future" initiative, the president designated members of the liberal activist group Creative Coalition as official "America
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