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The President and the Teleprompter

26 Thursday Mar 2009

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A recurring theme among the detractors of President Obama has been his reliance on a teleprompter. Anyone who spends time on the internet has seen it on an almost daily basis.

In the minds of some this apparently is an indicator of a lack of intelligence, as ridiculous as that is when speaking about a Harvard graduate, editor of The Law Review, and author of 2 books.

One of the bloggers on the far-right, John Hinderaker, who writes for Power Line, said this about a recent speech by President Obama in which he mis-pronounced the word “Orion.”

“Everyone knows that Barack Obama is lost without his teleprompter, but his latest blunder, courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, via the Corner, suggests that the teleprompter may not be enough unless it includes phonetic spellings.

So evidently we have to add astronomy to history and economics as subjects of which Obama is remarkably ignorant. I’m beginning to fear that our President has below-average knowledge of the world. Not for a President, but for a middle-aged American.”

 

Just as a point of reference, this is the same Mr. Hinderaker who wrote this shortly after last year’s election:

“Obama thinks he is a good talker, but he is often undisciplined when he speaks. He needs to understand that as President, his words will be scrutinized and will have impact whether he intends it or not. In this regard, President Bush is an excellent model; Obama should take a lesson from his example. Bush never gets sloppy when he is speaking publicly. He chooses his words with care and precision, which is why his style sometimes seems halting. In the eight years he has been President, it is remarkable how few gaffes or verbal blunders he has committed. If Obama doesn’t raise his standards, he will exceed Bush’s total before he is inaugurated.”

 

But you know, the more I think about it, the more I tend to agree with Hinderaker and others. Only a complete idiot would have to rely on a teleprompter when speaking to the country. Right, Senator McCain?

 mccaitele

 

Right, Governor Palin?

 palintele

 

Right, Sean?

hannitytele 

 

Oh no, say it ain’t so.

 reaganteleprompter

 

Oh well, I guess it’s back to the birth certificate nonsense.

Brevity Is The Soul of Wit

24 Saturday Jan 2009

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“Brevity is the soul of wit.”

President Obama yesterday confirmed these words, spoken by Lord Polonius in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in this two word retort to would-be Republican obstructionists and heel-draggers who are question the size and scope of his proposed economic stimulus package.

“I won.”

From Politico:

“President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders Friday morning – but he also left no doubt about who’s in charge of these negotiations. “I won,” Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation.

The exchange arose as top House and Senate Republicans expressed concern to the president about the amount of spending in the package.”

More from the New York Post:

“Not that Obama was gloating. He was just explaining that he aims to get his way on stimulus package and all other legislation, sources said, noting his unrivaled one-party control of both congressional chambers.

“We are experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis that has to be dealt with and dealt with rapidly,” Obama said during the meeting.”

But the Republicans, whose symbol of an elephant needs to be replaced by an ostrich, apparently don’t think economic stimulus is necessary. According to the National Republican Congressional Committee web site:

“Thanks to Republican economic policies, the U.S. economy is robust and job creation is strong.”

As someone commented here earlier this week, I wonder what color the sky is in the Republican’s world.

But President Obama wasn’t finished with Republicans, adding this:

“You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done,” he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been sleeping better at night since January 20th. My country is once again in good hands.

Right-Wing Whackos, Pt. 2

22 Thursday Jan 2009

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Speaking of right-wing whackos, here’s a couple more. Glenn Beck said this about the Reverend Joseph Lowery’s benediction at President Obama’s inauguration on Tuesday;

“America is with you today, Mr. President. And you’re right, we are all tired of the partisan bickering, the racial divides, the greed and the corruption. There are many people in this country who didn’t vote for you, myself included, that actually want you to succeed. My family has been down on our knees for the last month praying for you and your family and your safety. You may be fascinated to learn that many of us don’t hate minorities. That we don’t want to starve the poor. And we’re perfectly fine with brown sticking around.”

Tired of the racial divides? Don’t hate minorities? No problem with Latinos? Mr. Beck’s memory is a short one.

“Every undocumented worker is an illegal immigrant, a criminal and a drain on our dwindling resources.”

“I’ve got a quick message for illegal aliens if you happen to be watching. You better start packing your bags. And to the politicians in Washington who are soft on illegal immigration, start packing up your office, because when the terrorists strike, which they will, and we find out that they’re here illegally from some other country, we will be telling all of you to get the hell out.”

“Somebody comes across the border in the middle of the night, why are they doing that? Really, three reasons: One, they’re terrorists; two, they’re escaping the law; or three, they’re hungry. They can’t make a living in their own dirtbag country.”

But not to be outdone, the Grand Poobah of the Organization of Big Mouth Blowhards, Rush Limbaugh spewed this about his hopes and dreams for the Obama administration:

Somebody say something about the Republican Party reaching out to minorities? Pistol-packin’ mama?

Joe The Plumber/War Correspondent

12 Monday Jan 2009

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For those who weren’t aware, Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the lying, tax-evading, publicity seeking, camera hound, is now a war correspondent, covering the ongoing conflict in Gaza for that esteemed institution of journalism known as Pajamas TV.

Yesterday, in the Israeli town of Sderot, these pearls of wisdom were harvested from the oyster shell that is the mind of Mr. Wurzelbacher:

“I’ll be honest with you. I don’t think journalists should be anywhere allowed war. I mean, you guys report where our troops are at. You report what’s happening day to day. You make a big deal out of it. I-I think it’s asinine. You know, I liked back in World War I and World War II when you’d go to the theater and you’d see your troops on, you know, the screen and everyone would be real excited and happy for’em.”

Speaking of World War II and journalists Joe, ever heard the name Ernie Pyle? And no, before you ask, he’s no relation to Gomer.

But Joe wasn’t finished yet:

“I think media should be abolished from, uh, you know, reporting. You know, war is hell. And if you’re gonna sit there and say, ‘Well look at this atrocity,’ well you don’t know the whole story behind it half the time, so I think the media should have no business in it.”

I know what you’re thinking, nobody can be this stupid, right? These words must be taken out of context. Nope, here it is:

 

 

I can see it now, Palin/Wurzelbacher, the Republican ticket in 2012.

Memo to Democrats: No Guts, No Glory

05 Monday Jan 2009

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The details of President-elect Barack Obama’s proposed economic stimulus package are starting to emerge, and to be frank, I am less than impressed by what I have seen so far. From the New York Times:

“President-elect Barack Obama plans to include about $300 billion in tax cuts for workers and businesses in his economic recovery program, advisers said Sunday, as his team seeks to win over Congressional skeptics worried that he was too focused on government spending.

The legislation Mr. Obama is developing with Congressional Democrats will devote about 40 percent of the cost to tax cuts, including his centerpiece campaign promise to provide credits up to $500 for most workers, costing roughly $150 billion. The package will also include more than $100 billion in tax incentives for businesses to create jobs and invest in equipment or factories.”

I understand the need to fulfill the campaign promise of a middle-class tax cut, and giving businesses incentives for creating jobs, but it seems to me that devoting 40% of the stimulus package to tax cuts is too much.

Here’s a chart from Moody’s that shows “bang for the buck” when it comes to tax cuts vs. government spending. The figures are dollars added to the GDP in relation to dollars spent.

bang-for-the-buck

As you can see, the greater boost to the GDP comes from the last four spending increases rather than tax cuts or rebates.

But the thing that bothers me most about the proposed package is the reason for making tax cuts such a large part. From the Wall Street Journal:

“The size of the proposed tax cuts — which would account for about 40% of a stimulus package that could reach $775 billion over two years — is greater than many on both sides of the aisle in Congress had anticipated. It may make it easier to win over Republicans who have stressed that any initiative should rely more heavily on tax cuts rather than spending.”

I respect President-elect Obama’s desire for bi-partisanship, but isn’t it the suddenly fiscally conservative Republicans, whose policies of big tax cuts, un-regulated markets, and laissez-faire capitalism, have put us into the economic ditch in which we now find ourselves?

Also, the President-elect, and virtually every economist worthy of the title has said that our current economic predicament calls for unprecedented, bold actions. I don’t see kowtowing to Republicans as either unprecedented or bold. It reeks of same old, same old to me.

I realize that Democrats passing a stimulus package by a straight party line vote in the House, and by picking off one or two moderate Republicans in the Senate, is a big gamble. If it works, Democrats get all the credit, if it doesn’t they get all the blame.

But to bring it down to simple terms that I can understand, every gym that I have ever walked into in my 52 years has a sign with some variation of the theme, “No guts, no glory.” I think that’s what the majority of us voted for in November, and that’s what we expect, a different way of how business is done in D.C. Isn’t that what “change” is all about?

Corrupt. Arrogant. Stupid. Blagojevich Is Three for Three

10 Wednesday Dec 2008

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Corrupt politicians are nothing new to Americans, and are as familiar as an old pair of shoes to the people of the state of Illinois when it comes to their governors. Consider Rod Blagojevich’s four immediate predecessors.

George Ryan (1999-2003) was convicted of 16 charges of conspiracy, fraud, and lying under oath, and now makes his home in federal prison. By the way, the prosecutor who put Ryan in the crossbar hotel was none other than Patrick Fitzgerald. Does that name ring a bell, Blago?

James Edgar (1991-1999) was indicted, but not charged, with giving a sweetheart deal to a major campaign contributor.

James Thompson (1977-1991) appears to be the cleanest of the recent lot. He never had any legal problems, but his law firm did represent Ryan. By comparison to the other governors, that would make Thompson Snow White.

Daniel Walker (1973-1977) was sentenced to 7 years in a federal prison for participating in a savings and loan scandal after he left office.

So if Blagojevich goes to jail the state of Illinois will be 3 for 5 in governors spending time behind bars. And before anyone screams “liberal Democrats” just for the record the corruption is bi-partisan, Blagojevich and Walker are Democrats, Ryan and Edgar are Republicans.

But corrupt is one thing. Corrupt, arrogant, and stupid is the trifecta that will ensure some serious time in the federal pen, and on these counts Blagojevich is 3 for 3. Consider that he said this on Monday:

 

Blagojevich made these remarks knowing that; (a) he has long been in the cross-hairs of the US Attorney who put his predecessor behind bars, and ( b) that US Attorney has a well-established reputation for being a pit bull when it comes to prosecuting corruption involving public officials.

Corrupt, check. Arrogant, check. Stupid, check and checkmate. Congratulations Governor Blagojevich, the next position for you to sell to the highest bidder will be that of cell mate.