The Foundation

“Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread.” –Thomas Jefferson

Editorial Exegesis

“[Barack] Obama’s ostensible purpose [at his Rose Garden press conference Monday] was to lobby Congress for the eighth extension of jobless benefits since the recession began, to a record 99 weeks, or nearly two years. And he whacked Senate Republicans for blocking the extension, though Republicans are merely asking that the extension be offset by cuts in other federal spending. But Mr. Obama was nonetheless obliged to concede that, 18 months after his $862 billion stimulus, there are still five job seekers for every job opening and that 2.5 million Americans will soon run out of unemployment benefits. What happens when the 99 weeks of benefits run out? Will the President demand that they be extended to three years, or four? Only last week Vice President Joe Biden was hailing the stimulus for ‘saving or creating’ three million jobs. This week the White House says we need even more stimulus, in the form of jobless checks, to make up for the jobs his original spending stimulus didn’t create. The one possibility the President and Congressional Democrats won’t entertain is that their own spending and taxing and regulating and labor union favoritism have become the main hindrance to job creation. … Mr. Obama also claimed yesterday that he wants to cut taxes on small businesses. That’s a good idea, but Mr. Obama’s proposal to provide one-year temporary tax cuts, such as expensing of certain capital purchases, will be dwarfed by one of the largest tax increases on small- and medium-sized firms in history that is scheduled to hit on January 1. The increase in the capital gains tax will fall hardest on start ups and expanding businesses that need capital for growth. More than half of the ‘rich’ who will pay higher income tax rates next year are small business owners and investors. The President is right that ‘we’ve got a lot of work to do’ to get Americans back to work…. But paying people not to work and adding $30 billion more to nearly $1.4 trillion of deficit spending is a dismal substitute for real economic growth and private job creation. Republicans are right to resist it.” –The Wall Street Journal

The Demo-gogues

BS from BO: “Too often, the Republican leadership in the United States Senate chooses to filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress. Think about what these stalling tactics mean for the millions of Americans who’ve lost their jobs since the recession began. Over the past several weeks, more than two million of them have seen their unemployment insurance expire. … They say we shouldn’t provide unemployment insurance because it costs money. So after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, including a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, they’ve finally decided to make their stand on the backs of the unemployed.” –Barack Obama

The BIG Lie: “The fact is, most economists agree that extending unemployment insurance is one of the single most cost-effective ways to help jumpstart the economy. It puts money into the pockets of folks who not only need it most, but who also are most likely to spend it quickly.” –Barack Obama

“What they don’t know can’t hurt us”: “The vast majority of the American people and a lot of people really involved don’t even know what’s inside the packages.” –Vice President Joe Biden, when asked by ABC’s Jake Tapper if the administration “is getting enough credit” for the financial bill, the health care bill and the “stimulus”

Predictions: “I don’t think the losses are going to be bad at all. I think we’re going to shock the heck out of everybody.” –Vice President Joe Biden on the November elections

Non Compos Mentis: “[Democrats] are against anything that could cut off a path to citizenship for hard-working people in this country. I’m talking about people that just – don’t just work hard, many of these people have served in the military. They have been injured. They have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. … Let’s not punish these people who have given so much so you and I can enjoy the freedoms we currently have.” –Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) claiming that Demos oppose Arizona’s immigration law because illegals serve in the military – except they can’t

Nothing to see here: “I think that any information you have in that regard is absolutely without foundation. That may be someplace, but it’s not here in Nevada.” –Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claiming there aren’t illegal construction workers in Nevada

What’s in a name? “Cap and trade has certainly been demonized. I think that’s unfortunate. … So we’ll just call it something different.” –Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)

Upright

“America is struggling with a sputtering economy and high unemployment – but times are booming for Washington’s governing class. The massive expansion of government under President Barack Obama has basically guaranteed a robust job market for policy professionals, regulators and contractors for years to come. The housing market, boosted by the large number of high-income earners in the area, many working in politics and government, is easily outpacing the markets in most of the country. And there are few signs of economic distress in hotels, restaurants or stores in the D.C. metro area. As a result, there is a yawning gap between the American people and D.C.‘s powerful when it comes to their economic reality – and their economic perceptions.” –columnists Jim VandeHei and Zachary Abrahamson

“It seems quite possible that the NAACP has now lost whatever moral clout it had among Americans. It is now seen by more and more Americans as what in fact it became some time ago – an abuser of its civil rights moral cachet. The charge of racism leveled by liberal organizations, whether black or white, is now regarded as the politically motivated falsehood that it is. It is rightly seen, along with its six siblings – sexism, xenophobia, intolerance, bigotry, homophobia and 'Islamophobia’ – as the Left’s way of avoiding argument by demeaning its opponents.” –columnist Dennis Prager

“There is not now, nor has there ever been, anything post-racial about Barack Obama, except for the people who voted for him in the mistaken belief that he shared their desire to be post-racial. When he leaves office, especially if it is after one term, he will leave this country more racially polarized than before. Hopefully, he may also leave the voters wiser, though sadder, after they learn from painful experience that you can’t judge politicians by their rhetoric, or ignore their past because of your hopes for the future. Voters may even wise up to race card fraud.” –economist Thomas Sowell

“Barack Obama will not be on the ballot in November. Neither will George W. Bush be in the White House. You can be certain, though, that the Democratic National Committee will do everything it can to remind you of how unhappy you were when GWB was in residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Obama will not be running, but if the GOP does its job properly the November election will be a referendum on Obama’s policies.” –political analyst Rich Galen

“By balancing a stern demand for constitutional, limited government with a strong, positive, active commitment to voluntary betterment, the Republican Party can stand confidently to ask for the privilege of leading America back to our greatness and our goodness.” –columnist Tony Blankley

Dezinformatsia

Tweedle Dee: “Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann [is] spearheading a campaign to create a House Tea Party Caucus. Bachman [filed] paperwork … to found the caucus herself and become its chairwoman. She says the informal group would be dedicated to promoting Tea Party ideals like fiscal responsibility and limited government. Then again, the Tea Partiers were nowhere when it came to ending the mass extraction in Wall Street, so I think they’re actually full of crap. But they have nice words.” –MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan

Tweedle Dum: “[Bachmann] is so full of crap. I mean, she might be the queen of crap. What is she talking about? All she’s ever done is protect the bankers. And these Tea Party guys, ‘rah, rah, let’s cut taxes.’ Obama already cut taxes for [those] making under a quarter of a million dollars. So I guess the Tea Party movement, in essence, is actually about protecting the richest people in America. Wow, what a populist movement you have there.” –MSNBC’s Cenk Uygur

Good question, really wrong answer: “Is America in danger of the current debt crisis becoming a sovereign debt crisis … like the one that is now hitting Greece, yes or no?” –John McLaughlin ++ “No, because we can print money and Greece can’t. And the Bush tax cuts are for the people at the upper-end of the income scale, not the middle class.” –Newsweek’s Eleanor Clift

Because those victories are bad for America: “Some Democrats have been grumbling that the public is not giving the President enough credit for all he’s accomplished in such a short time. After all, Democrats argue, 18 months into his presidency, Mr. Obama has chalked up a number of legislative victories – an $862 billion stimulus bill that many economists say staved off a depression; a major overhaul of America’s health care system; and just [last week], the biggest reform of Wall Street and the nation’s financial system since right after the Great Depression. So what’s going on?” –ABC’s Jake Tapper

Other than that… “[I]f you set aside the Fort Hood bombing in Texas and the failed Christmas bomber, there has not been a major attack that’s been anything close to successful on American soil.” –ABC’s George Stephanopoulos

Say what? “If Mrs. Clinton has her way in the months and years to come, Pakistan will export more of its delicious and very juicy mangoes. Americans will eat them. It will all be a part of the fight against militants.” –CNN’s Reza Sayah, on the real solution to terrorism

Newspulper Headlines:

Breaking News From Genesis 3: “Apple: ‘We’re Not Perfect’” –KNTV website (San Jose, CA)

Also Known as Golf Carts: “Obama in Driver’s Seat – of Electric Cars” –USA Today website

Headcheese Blames Previous Headcheese for ‘This Mess I Inherited’: “Headcheese Blamed for Salmonella Outbreak” –Hope (British Columbia) Standard

Heckuva Job!: “Fed Paints Weaker Picture of Growth and Employment” –Associated Press ++ “White House Says Policies Have Helped Economy” –McClatchy Newspapers

Questions Nobody Is Asking: “Does Anyone Even Read NY Times Editorials?” –Washington Examiner website

Too Much Information: “Specter Spanks, Endorses Kagan” –Politico.com

Bottom Stories of the Day: “Pelosi Applauded at Planned Parenthood Event” –Politico.com

(Thanks to The Wall Street Journal’s James Taranto)

Village Idiots

Hitting the Tea Party: “I think Tea Party people are unpatriotic, short sighted and selfish. It is a pattern here. … I mean you got to look at it. If it’s furry and it has a tail and pointy ears and it meows, it’s probably a cat. You know? So you look at this, I wouldn’t want to stand next to any of those signs. I wouldn’t want to be associated with any of that language. If you are associated with it, it says something about you. … Let’s be honest about this. I mean you can’t go to any of these rallies and not see the negative signs. What’s that tell you about the organization?” –“diversity consultant” Luke Visconti commenting on CNN about racism in the Tea Party

Too much water from the Potomac: “We don’t need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples. As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them.” –former Republican senator-turned-lobbyist Trent Lott, dissing conservative Sen. DeMint and Tea Party candidates

What happened to separation of church and state? “To keep the House, we have a three-pronged strategy. To keep the House, it’s called the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.” –Democrat strategist James Carville

Reruns: “Over the past few weeks, the lies and distortions surrounding the Climategate scandal have largely been debunked. … It’s time to stop debating settled science and work together to solve the climate crisis.” –Al Snore with the same old boy-who-cried-wolf routine

That ‘70s Show: “I think we’re now going through a phase in which there is a sense of pervasive malaise, which affects different groups in society in different ways. So people are dissatisfied; they’re slightly worried; they don’t see a good certain future for themselves or for the country, but in their own narrow sphere. There’s no grand mobilizing idea.” –Carter’s national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski

Short Cuts

“As much as I would like pharmaceutical companies to rot in hell for their support of ObamaCare, I might need their drugs someday. Now, drug prices will not only have to incorporate R&D costs, but also the cost of paying for trial lawyers’ Ferraris. (Perhaps that should be listed as a side effect: ‘Caution! Improper use may cause nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, and six new houses for John Edwards.’)” –columnist Ann Coulter

“The race card. So useful to play when you’re losing an argument. Democrats don’t leave home without it.” –columnist Jack Kelly

“The NAACP is like a Talking GI Joe doll with a cord coiled into his back. Pull it, and GI Joe says something manly and combative. Pull the NAACP’s string. ‘Racism!’ squawks the shopworn voice. Pull it again. ‘Bigotry!’ it squeals, as it has so many times before.” –columnist Deroy Murdock

“[Barack Obama says the November elections represent] ‘a choice between the policies that got us into this mess and my policies that got us out of this mess.’ Waah, he inherited a mess again! Oh, and by the way, his policies haven’t gotten us out of it. … Obama’s self-pitying attitude is getting tiresome, piling ennui on top of malaise. Heck, let’s go with the portmanteau and call it Obamennui.” –Wall Street Journal columnist James Taranto