“Joel McNally is a racist”

No? Try this on for size which is no worse than some I”ve seen on the left including Mr. McNally.

“…in a democracy, the loudest bullies win no matter how extreme a fringe they represent or how nonsensical their arguments are.”

Obama won the last election.

Therefore Obama is a loud bully.

If you say anything negative about Obama, you’re a racist (see, for example, Ms. Dowd).

Therefore Joel McNally is a racist.

It’s really quite simple.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Politics , Barack Obama, Joel McNally, political debate, racism

Gee, I wonder why?

Politics – Senators found unwilling to share tax info

Most U.S. senators are unwilling to share the kind of personal tax information they demand to confirm Cabinet appointees, a survey indicated.

Even as such senators as Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, grilled Obama administration appointees on lapses in paying their taxes, they were among 55 senators who either failed to respond or gave generic answers to Politico’s survey asking all 99 senators whether they or the Internal Revenue Service have ever discovered an error on returns they’ve filed, and whether they’ve ever had to pay back taxes.

Let’s try something novel; hold every one to the same standards.

Filed under: Politics, US House, US Senate

Saturday Snippets

For your reading pleasure while I go to Mayfair Mall.

Boxer Urges Quick Handover of U.S. Power to UN

The UNCRC imposes on all treaty signatories power over laws concerning children and, by extension, families. The largest portion of laws concerning children and families in the U.S. are state statutes so this treaty would, in actual fact, eliminate all family laws in the various states and hand the power over this area of law to the U.N. as per the Supremacy Clause to the U.S. Constitution (Article V1) that states that treaties preempt state laws.

Boxer is eager to destroy the entire lot of family laws throughout the country supposedly to protect “the most vulnerable people of society.”

Maybe. Maybe not. Every so often we read something like this where some politician is going to give up US sovereignty for some UN mandate.

I’m still waiting. Watchful, but waiting.

A God-shaped hole? via THE Right Side of Wisconsin

The Man the Left Wants Hanged for Tax Cheating by Warner Todd_Huston

Tax troubles were all the rage for certain folks recently. ABC News screamed in a headline about one fellow that was, “America’s Overnight Sensation… Owes $1,200 in Taxes.” Huffintgon Post was all up in arms over the same story. The San Francisco Chronicle was tsking the fellow for being “concerned about increased taxes – but hasn’t paid his own income taxes.” The Chicago Tribune chided this figure for being “delinquent on his taxes.” It was a crime, they all said. An outrage. This is not to even mention the unhinged, screaming mimis of the left blogosphere that dug in like pitbulls to excoriate this notorious tax cheat.

No, you know how this works. You have to read the whole thing to find out who.

Gmail Labs: Ten Gmail Labs Features You Should Enable. Yes, I still use Gmail, with caution.

Gmail has been slowly but surely rolling out cool new features ever since they started Gmail Labs. If you haven’t taken advantage of the fruits of Labs, here’s a look at 10 Labs features you should enable.

25 Random Tips for the Busy Facebook User. Been hit with one of those lists requests, yet? You will be.

A Times analysis of 2.5 million lists (okay, maybe more like six or seven) yielded the following formula for the perfect list, which we offer in the interest of – well, which we offer, anyway, in case someone wants to read it.

Hot Air reports, Scandal for Steele? Do Republicans have scandal (again)?

Federal investigators have begun looking into claims that Steele diverted campaign funds from his 2006 Senatorial run in Maryland to family members, but the Post has found at least some support for Steele as well.

Palin’s Explanation Brings Out the Crazies via Lakeshore Laments. She always seems to. Amanda Carpenter has a take also.

Enjoy!

Filed under: Christianity, Conspiracy theories, Democrats, Ethics, Humorous, Money in politics, Politics, Republican, social networks , Barbara Boxer, campaign funds, Christianity, Facebook, Gmail Labs, humor, Michael Steele, Religion, Republican, Tax cheats, Taxes, United Nations, US sovereinty

“RiNO’s are NOT the Enemy”

John Brodigan has some good thoughts but the best is in the update,

Point of Fact, thirty-four people who voted against Tim Geithner include Sens. McCain, Specter, and Collins…three people that are frequently accused of being RiNO’s, and Specter is the one most holding up Eric Holder. The R’s who voted for him include Sens. Corker, Shelby, and Ensign…three cats we were singing the praises of for holding up Grand Theft Auto Bailout. It’s ain’t all black and white, folks. [Emphases mine]

Filed under: Politics, Republican , Republican Party, RINO

From the “You can’t win” department

From NYTimes.com [All emphases in the following quoted snippets is mine.]

It was not precisely lip-synching, but pretty close.

The somber, elegiac tones before President Obama’s oath of office at the inauguration on Tuesday came from the instruments of Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and two colleagues. But what the millions on the Mall and watching on television heard was in fact a recording, made two days earlier by the quartet and matched tone for tone by the musicians playing along.

Ah ha! Betrayal! Notice from Mary Katherine Ham at The Weekly Standard,

We were betrayed on Hope Day One. Following in the inauspicious footsteps of Milli Vanilli and Ashlee Simpson before them, the all-star chamber orchestra serenading Barack Obama Tuesday was caught in the act of instrumental lip-syncing.

So why would four supremely talented musicians imitate rock musicians? Why this debasement of honesty? At least the oath of office was not lip-synched. Or else conspiracy theorists would have another reason to question Obama’s legitimacy.

Back to the Times piece,

The players and the inauguration organizing committee said the arrangement was necessary because of the extreme cold and wind during Tuesday’s ceremony. The conditions raised the possibility of broken piano strings, cracked instruments and wacky intonation minutes before the president’s swearing in (which had problems of its own).

To be fair, Ms. Ham’s piece is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. But what would the hue and cry been if the music had sounded terrible? You know, like the poem?

However we do learn, from MSDNC.com

The Marine Band, the youth choruses and the Navy Band Sea Chanters performed live, Florman said, although Aretha Franklin was accompanied by taped music and voices.

It appears that everyone else performed live and survived.

The temperature hovered around 30 for the ceremony on the Capitol steps, too cold for McGill’s clarinet, Ma’s cello or Perlman’s violin to offer true pitch. But the cold played havoc with the piano, which can’t hold tune below 55 degrees for more than two hours, Florman said. The group played at 11:43 a.m., and guests seated near them could hear them as well as the tape made two days earlier.

But again, you can’t win. And I think this type of thing is what Andy Levy was cautioning the right about.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Politics , Barack Obama, political criticism, Politics

“Twenty-six file for Emanuel seat”

From TheHill.com

Fifteen Democrats, six Republicans and five Green Party candidates will compete in a March 3 primary, with the winners facing off in an April 7 general election.

The Democrat who wins the primary will be heavily favored in the district, which stretches from the shores of Lake Michigan to the suburbs around O’Hare Airport. Barack Obama won nearly three in four votes in the district.

Democrats with an early head start include state Reps. Sara Feigenholtz and John Fritchey, Chicago Alderman Patrick O’Connor and Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley. Some expect attorney Tom Geoghegan to compete seriously for the seat.

Twenty-six! Wow.

Filed under: Politics , Illinois 5th congressional district, Rahn Emanuel

Like husband, like wife?

Yes, the old saying is different, but Jill Biden seems to act like her husband.

Jill Biden told Oprah Winfrey that Barack Obama had offered her husband a choice between two positions – secretary of state or vice president.

She drew a swift “Shhh” from Joe Biden and a statement from his office three hours later clarifying her remarks.

How do you “clarify” something like that? From Biden’s spokeswoman,

“Like anyone who followed the presidential campaign this summer, Dr. Jill Biden knew there was a chance that President-elect Obama might ask her husband to serve in some capacity and that, given his background, the positions of Vice President and Secretary of State were possibilities,” the statement said. “Dr. Biden’s point to Oprah today was that being Vice President would be a better fit for the family because they would get to see him more and get to participate in serving more.”

Right.

It’s gonna be a fun four years.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Politics

“Obama says he always thought Bush was a ‘good guy’ “

I guess people can afford to be magnanimous when they’re about to be inaugurated president.

During the election season, Obama frequently campaigned against what he called Bush’s “failed policies” and promised a “clean break” from the past eight years.

Asked if there was anything he wanted to take back, now that he has spent more time with the president, Obama praised Bush’s team for helping with a smooth transition and said part of what America is about is being able to have “disagreements politically and yet treat each other civilly.”

Obama also said he thought Bush made “the best decisions that he could at times under some very difficult circumstances.”

The question for me is, did he mean it? Does Obama believe that Bush made “the best decisions that he could at times under some very difficult circumstances?”

Filed under: Barack Obama, Politics , Barack Obama, George W. Bush

Holding Obama accountable

PolitiFact.com has counted Obama’s campaign promises and categorized them,

Barack Obama made 510 promises when he was running for president, a list that is stunning in its scope and leaves almost no part of the executive branch untouched, according to a new analysis by PolitiFact. [Emphasis mine.]

So what are they going to do with this list? Introducing the Obameter. Yes that’s what they call it.

“I want you to hold our government accountable,” Obama said. “I want you to hold me accountable.”

Okay, we will.

PolitiFact is launching an unprecedented journalistic effort to track Obama’s campaign promises and measure the progress of his presidency. Using our new Obameter, we will track each promise — we’ve identified 510 of them — and rate whether it was kept, broken or compromised. Those ratings will be tallied on our Web site, creating an up-to-the-minute report card on the Obama White House. [Emphasis mine.]

Here’s the home page for the Obamameter (a sub-head to their Truth-Meter). Two have already been kept before he even takes office!

You may get weary of seeing the same Obama face, so here’s a couple of suggestions for PoliFact. For the promises kept, get a video of Obama dancing with Ellen. Find another appropriate video for “In the works.” I’d think of more, but do I have to do all their work for them?

Although, with Obama backing off campaign promises already, one wonders if PoliFact will have anything to do.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Democrats, Politics , Barack Obama, campaign promises, PoliFact.com, political fact checking

Scott Walker, malfeasant?

Capper tries to convince of a recall by asking, “Is Walker malfeasant?” and devoting the rest of his post to citing actions by Walker that show that he is.

He was responding to a post by the Journal Sentinel editorial board against capper’s call to recall.

While we disagree with Walker’s stand this week that he’s not going to ask for federal stimulus money – and have disagreed with him on some other issues – disagreement is not a reason to have someone recalled. That’s what elections are for.

I can understand why capper and his friends dislike Walker. And I really have no horse in this race except Walker’s conservatism, since I live in Waukesha county. And they are certainly free to seek a recall.

But I just wonder if they could exert their influences in a better direction.

First of all, Walker has been re-elected twice. I’m sure liberals wonder why, but obviously his politics resonate with Milwaukee voters. Unless they can show real malfeasance, the recallers are doomed to failure.

Secondly, if the items capper listed are the best they can come up with, I don’t think they’ve proven their case for malfeasance, even by the definition capper linked to. Malfeasance to me means wrongdoing or gross negligence. I don’t think these items would show that. Oh, to the recall enthusiasts they do, but not John Public.

As the MJS said, disagreement is not a reason to have someone recalled.

But, hey, knock yourselves out. You won’t have Bush to kick around anymore.

Filed under: Milwaukee, Politics, Wisconsin , Milwaukee County Executive, Milwaukee County politics, recall elections, Scott Walker