PRESIDENT OBAMA MEETS TOTUS
THE TELEPROMPTER OF THE UNITED STATES
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
More AIG Angst
Yes, everyone everywhere is a twitter (literally in some cases) over this latest outpouring of greed. The more pertinent issue might be bad business judgment, but that’s another post.
The US government bought this pig in a poke over a weekend without doing any due diligence. The contracts were in place then, and enforceable now. The time to negotiate is now over. Even the NYT thinks so.
And to the good Senator from Connecticut who thinks we should draft legislation to tax the bonuses at 98% to get the money back in the government coffers: there is this pesky aspect to the US Constitution (you do remember the constitution don’t you, Senator Dodd?):
Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3: “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed.”
“Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation. ... The sober people of America are weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public councils. They have seen with regret and indignation that sudden changes and legislative interferences, in cases affecting personal rights, become jobs in the hands of enterprising and influential speculators, and snares to the more-industrious and less-informed part of the community.” James Madison, Federalist Number 44, 1788.
For the time being we are still a nation of law. Sheeze, what do they teach in Civics class these days?
Monday, March 16, 2009
…So Sorry
I would add something to Ed Morrissey’s Hot Air item, but alas, I think he’s pretty much nailed it:
Even Obama supporters worried about White House incompetence
posted at 9:37 am on March 16, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
I guess we can officially say that the honeymoon’s over. The New York Daily News, not exactly a pillar of conservative thought, finds itself wondering aloud about whether Barack Obama and his team have the competence to lead the nation. The whispers have grown into a chorus:
Not long ago, after a string of especially bad days for the Obama administration, a veteran Democratic pol approached me with a pained look on his face and asked, “Do you think they know what they’re doing?”
The question caught me off guard because the man is a well-known Obama supporter. As we talked, I quickly realized his asking suggested his own considerable doubts.
Yes, it’s early, but an eerily familiar feeling is spreading across party lines and seeping into the national conversation. It’s a nagging doubt about the competency of the White House.
Well, what did people expect? For the first time in decades and perhaps ever, America chose a President without executive experience in the public or private sectors, and without military command experience. If people expected smooth performance and cool competence from that kind of resume, then the best that can be said about them is that they indulged in self-delusion on a massive scale.
For the rest of us, this comes as no surprise at all. The failed appointments have managed to be less embarrassing than the ones that “succeeded”, such as Tim Geithner and Vivek Kundra. The administration keeps promising plans that never get delivered, and Obama all but abdicated to Nancy Pelosi during the Porkulus debacle. And that doesn’t even begin to cover Obama’s embarrassing performance during Gordon Brown’s visit, and Hillary Clinton’s shameful “I don’t understand multiparty democracy” tour at the EU.
Obama is in over his head, and so are his closest aides, such as Geithner, Hillary, and the entire team. The best we can hope is that on-the-job training can work quickly.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Social O
For those of you in denial, as well as for those still debating the issue, here’s James Lewis’ definitive call: "Of Course He's a Socialist".
Really, what was that NYT reporter thinking? Asking the O if he was a socialist? The O was so astounded that, after thinking about it, he felt compelled to call the reporter back to reiterate his plausible denial… and to point out that it was the evil Republican administration before him that started this whole bailout give away.
Maybe so O, but damn, I just love what you’ve done with it!
Pick your “ism” of choice – Progressivism, Socialism, Marxism, Communism – they all place you firmly in the the embrace of Nancy Pelosi’s bosom. If that doesn’t make you squirm, you might be a socialist.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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