Saturday, August 30, 2008

Potomac Watch - WSJ.com

Potomac Watch - WSJ.com

"Democrats Offer Stealth LiberalismAugust 29, 2008; Page A15DenverThe Reagan revolution is dead! Just don't expect us to bet this election on it!If there's a theme that's emerged from this week's Democratic National Convention here, this is it. To listen to liberal pundits and party leaders (and Bill Clinton on stage Wednesday night) modern conservatism has had its run and is now kaput. Americans -- burdened by "inequality," soaring doctor bills, falling home prices -- are ready for a new Great Society. We are all progressives now."

I'll tell you one thing: modern conservatism was dead the day Ronald Reagan was sworn into office.

Two 8-year runs of voodoo economics, resulting in two recessions, welfare for the wealthy, shrinking middle class incomes, a significant number of Americans without medical insurance or access to reasonable health care, etc., etc., etc., it should be obvious that it's time for a turn back to the center.

Friday, August 29, 2008

McCain/Palin

Yes, the end of the McCain candidacy.

A woman has run for the Vice Presidency before, and lost.

This will bring over as many as zero Hilary Clinton voters to the McCain ticket.

This woman has no experience or even exposure to national security or defense issues.

What qualifies her to be President? She'll be one "BOO" or melanoma away from the Oval Office, and it's irresponsible for McCain to ask her to join the ticket. He must have been turned down by quite a few qualified and experienced prospects.

As Gustav roars down on New Orleans Monday, the Republican convention will open in the Twin Cities with a wet whimper, and today's news adds nothing.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

McCain and Space Shuttle - Aging, Creaky, and Wrong

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/27/mccain_calls_for_shuttle_extension/

Presidential contender John McCain and two other bigshot Republican senators have written to George Bush urging that NASA keep the Space Shuttle fleet alive beyond 2010. The politicians are concerned about US reliance on Russia for manned space transport in the early years of the next decade.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Senators McCain, Hutchison (Texas) and Vitter (Louisiana) wrote to the President on Monday.

"At a minimum, we request that you direct NASA to take no action for at least one year from now that would preclude the extended use of the space shuttle beyond 2010," the three men stated.

At present, NASA's plan is that the shuttle fleet would not fly beyond 2010...


NASA's Space Shuttle program has been a success, and has benefitted our nation and our world far beyond the investment we as taxpayers have made.

It is time to put this dated program out to pasture. And put the dated candidate out there with it. His judgement and understanding of this issue is obviously flawed and motivated only by the pork barrel politics of federal programs used to prop up partisan state elections.

Friday, August 22, 2008

John McCain is an Out-of Touch Elitist II

John McCain spends approximately a quarter of a million dollars a year on household help.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Barack Obama - Right on Iraq, Right for America

Condoleezza Rice says Iraq troop deal is close - Times Online: "US and Iraqi negotiators have been locked in discussions on the content of the accord since March, with the issue growing increasingly sensitive as a number of Iraqi leaders express their desire for a timeline for the exit of the remaining 144,000 US troops from their country."

Iraq, the American people, and Barack Obama are all calling for US withdrawl from Iraq.

He's right, and we must cast our votes for him so this continued occupation of Iraq will be stopped.

-John McCain is an Out-of Touch Elitist

McCain unsure how many houses he owns - Jonathan Martin and Mike Allen - Politico.com: "Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.

'I think — I'll have my staff get to you,' McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. 'It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you.'

The correct answer is at least four, located in Arizona, California and Virginia,"

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Above My Pay Grade

Conservatives and Christians alike resoundingly have a new outlook on Barack Obama after his appearance at the Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA.

When asked by Pastor Rick Warren "At what point does a baby get human rights in your view?," Senator Obama replied: "whether you're looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is above my pay grade."

The deep love and respect for God shown by Senator Obama touched the hearts and souls of Christians nationwide.

When asked the same question, Senator John McCain answered: "At the moment of conception." His answer was perceived by most at the event as short, to the point, and not supported by Science or the Christian Bible.

Neither the written Word of God in the Old Testament nor the words of Jesus Christ or his Apostles show any direct answer to this question.

The audience at Saddleback and watching on television and the Internet heard a question from Pastor Warren that was coded. The code translates to "if you support human life, and if you avow support to human rights, you have to support the total ban on abortion."

The informed members of this audience know that abortions have fallen worldwide since 1990, and in the U. S. at a slower rate since 2000 than for the previous decade. This rate of abortion has fallen worldwide, equally in places where it is legal and where it is illegal. They agree with Senator Obama that women don't make the decision to abort "casually," that they "wrestle" with it.

Obama's one mistake with this answer was not answering on a political and ethical level. On that level, his answer would be "At birth. Before birth, the baby is part of the mother and the mother's human rights to carry the child to full term or not must be respected and supported."

Faced with his perception of this question as softball, John McCain answered with a simplisttic, irrelevant war cry.

Faced with the politcally conservative encoding of the question, his interpretation and answer were thoughtful and reflective.

Democrats and Drilling - WSJ.com

Democrats and Drilling - WSJ.com

the anticarbon Speaker lampooned drilling as "a hoax on the American people," while Barack Obama called it "another Washington gimmick." Now the Democratic Presidential candidate has also said he might be willing to change his mind and tolerate the exploitation of domestic energy resources. The good news for converts like Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Obama is that they have immediate opportunities to quiet Republicans and other skeptics and prove their new pro-drilling bona fides.
...

the Democratic choice is between sticking with an anticarbon theology that opposes all new drilling, or siding with American consumers who want more energy supplies so they don't have to pay $4 for gas and blow their family budget to keep the lights on


How can such a respected newspaper print such baldfaced lies an obfuscation disguised as journalism?

I'll keep this simple.

The oil industry makes money when the price of oil goes up, and when the price of oil goes down. This is shown as these companys' profits hit new records each quarter (nothing wrong with turning a profit).

The Department of Energy, today and when describing George H. W. Bush's Executive Ban on Offshore Drilling in 1990 project that approximately 75-80 billion barrels of oil could be recovered from offshore and Alaskan resources.

The areas banned by this order contain between 1% and 7% of oil recoverable in U. S. waters. That leaves a lot of area already leased by the oil companies that has not been developed, even as we give huge tax credits and incentives on the federal level for them to explore for new oil.

Let's see the oil companies exploit their current leases first. Let's see them do so in a safe and clean manner. Then, let's consider less Federal regulation.

80 billion barrels of oil pumped here do not go directly into U. S. refineries to be sold to U. S. gas stations, increasing supply to lower cost. This crude oil goes into the worldwide market - this much extra supply would reduce the price of crude oil today by about fifty cents a day. Half a dollar.

Its effect on the price of crude in the 12-14 years before these new offshore/ANWAR wells can start delivering can't be predicted. It's effect on the price of gasoline at the pump would be minimal today, a few cents per gallon, and future price can't be predicted.

This ban was put in place by Republican President Bush in 1990 because the potential environmental costs far outweigh the negligible effect on gasoline prices, then and now. Congress, in 1982 under Republican President Reagan placed into the Department of Energy's appropriations the same ban on offshore drilling, for the same reasons. Current President Bush recinded his father's ban, but Congress rightly has left their ban on the books.

When John McCain takes a breath and spews "Drill Here and Drill Now," he gets a reaction from an ignorant faction of the public. Let's be smarter. Let's not be fooled.

Whether Congress recinds, partially or wholly, the Federal restrictions, State and Local governments will have much say in this. The potentially devestating effects on the local environment and economy of accidents and ongoing use of offshore drilling and pumping can be far too costly for any local governemnt to afford.

For this reason, the Federal government has every right and obligation to have the final say on reasonable restrictions. All else is short-term political pandering.