Right Opinion
The best of conservative opinion and commentary, updated daily.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
The ACLU Finally Supports Real Liberties
It wasn't until last week that I realized the ACLU opposed gun control. The co-chair of the Colorado ACLU announced his support for use of guns in self-defense on Facebook. Unfortunately, in the resulting furor he was forced to resign. Indicating that he owned a firearm apparently was too much for his colleagues to bear.
The Countdown to 1/20/17
When I was in grammar school, come May, I would begin scratching off the days until summer vacation. As the time drew nearer, I would start scratching off the hours. That is what I and, I wager, millions of others are now doing as we finally see the end of the Obama nightmare on the horizon. Hardly a day passes that the worst president in history doesn't further tarnish the office. Who but Obama would dare say that the Paris conference on climate control is an act of defiance against terrorism? Is it possible that even he believes such crapola? Does he actually picture terrorists around the world cowering in fear, saying to one another: "Oh, no, I think he really means business this time. If he actually goes ahead and holds his breath until his face turns blue, we're goners. Even Allah can't save us."
Friday, December 18, 2015
Watching the Tuesday Night Fights
Maybe it was because it was held in Las Vegas, where so many great prizefights have been held. But Tuesday night's Republican presidential debate was easily the best yet. CNN and Wolf Blitzer did a good, fair-and-balanced job of staging and refereeing the nine-person fight card. Most of the time was spent discussing substantive issues like foreign policy and national security, not throwing personal low blows.
No, There Won't Be a Brokered National Convention
All around the political blogosphere you can find folks smacking their lips over the prospect of a "brokered" Republican national convention. They look forward to the spectacle of delegates assembling in Cleveland with no candidate having a majority, of multiple ballots with governors, floor demonstrations after nominating speeches, congressmen running as favorite sons and delegates demanding that state delegations be polled. Political junkies relish the idea of watching hours of convention proceedings with the same frisson of ignorance about the outcome that makes sports broadcasts the only live television still commanding a large audience.
Legacy or Bust
Last Saturday, Barack Obama gained the second jewel in his foreign policy triple crown: the Paris climate accord. It follows his Iran nuclear deal and awaits but the closing of Guantanamo to complete his glittering legacy. To be sure, Obama will not be submitting the climate agreement for Senate ratification. It would have no chance of passing — as with the Iranian nuclear deal, also never submitted for the Senate ratification Obama knew he'd never get. And if he does close Guantánamo, it will be in defiance of overwhelming bipartisan congressional opposition.
Does Conservatism Matter in Republican Nomination Contest?
In December 2011, the candidate who led in the Iowa polls was not Rick Santorum (who ultimately squeaked out a victory there), nor Michelle Bachmann (who had driven Gov. Tim Pawlenty from the race by winning the Iowa straw poll earlier in the year), nor Mitt Romney. No, the leader was Ron Paul, with 23 percent.
What's Eating America?
"We have people across this country who are scared to death," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared loudly at this week's Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas. Virtually the entire debate was based upon this premise. Which is understandable. Since the bloody Islamist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, terrorism has shot up as the chief concern for most Americans, particularly Republican voters.
Establishment Republicans Must Be Careful Not to Go Too Far
I've long said that the differences between so-called establishment Republicans and grassroots conservatives are about more than tactics in budgetary battles with President Obama and congressional Democrats. The current Cruz-Rubio flap validates my position. Establishment Republicans have been enormously frustrated with the grassroots for wanting to call Obama's bluff in these budget battles to the point of allowing the government to shut down. They have maintained this is a fool's errand that will only help Democrats because shutdowns will always be blamed on the GOP, supposedly the party of limited government.
Another Bad Deal
A budget deal has been reached in Washington. It is a mammoth bill, at least 2,000 pages long. Conservatives are not happy, while the White House is applauding. I won't ruin your Christmas by going through all the gory details, but I'll just mention two. Planned Parenthood gets full funding. So, too, does the Syrian refugee program, even as the administration continues to insist that no changes are needed to ensure that there are no jihadists among the refugees.
Words, Meaning and Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz should have an uphill battle for the Republican nomination. Many of the leading pundits, personalities, and legislative leaders identified with the right do not like Ted Cruz. They think Cruz rocks the boat, picks too many fights, is more show horse than workhorse, and is not likable. Luckily for Ted Cruz, the base of the Republican Party has as much disdain for those pundits, personalities, and legislative leaders as those pundits, personalities, and leaders have for Cruz. The feeling is very mutual. As the thinkers and elites of the GOP pile on Ted Cruz, more and more conservatives rally to Cruz. Right now, a Cruz Super PAC is running ads in support of Cruz that use an unflattering quote by John Boehner as an endorsement of Cruz. It will help Cruz.
Open-Borders Money Backs Marco Rubio
Political analysis of the Las Vegas debate immigration dust-up between Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio is missing a key ingredient: the money factor. You can read the lips of the candidates till the cows come home. But you'll get to the truth much faster when you learn where pro-amnesty power brokers have placed their bets and hitched their wagons. Rubio's brazenly fraudulent campaign to paint Cruz as soft on illegal immigration is a flabbergasting attempt to distract from the Florida junior senator's faithful allegiance to the open-borders donor class.
CNN Sashays With Satanists
When Ted Turner was running CNN back in 1991, he banned the use of the word "foreign" on air. In a memo to employees, he made a threat to fine employees with a forced donation to UNICEF. To avoid offense, they were told they should use the word "international" instead because it "promotes a sense of unity." Today, this is Jeff Zucker's CNN, and unity be damned. Offending the audience is part of the ratings gambit. On Dec. 13, as many Christians celebrated the third Sunday of Advent and rejoiced over the incarnation of Jesus Christ, CNN was celebrating Satan. Literally.
The 'Isolationist' Smear
After the latest Republican presidential debate, The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin argued that Ted Cruz had undone himself "courting" the "Trumpkin base," sinking "further into the far-right brew of isolationism and xenophobia." And to prove this contention, Rubin grabbed hold of two words Cruz used, "America" and "first," to claim that the senator from Texas was signaling support for 1930s/'40s-style isolationism.
Oh Good Grief! School District Censors Charlie Brown Christmas
There are some days when this anti-Christmas nonsense is enough to make you deck somebody's halls. The latest yuletide lunacy comes from Johnson County, Kentucky, where the school district has censored an elementary school presentation of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The district also ordered other schools to remove all religious references from their upcoming Christmas productions. At one school, "Silent Night" was replaced with a Christmas version of the "Whip/Nae Nae" song.
Bipartisan Achievements: Bigger Government, Worse Schools
"This is an early Christmas present." That is what a very merry Barack Obama said earlier this month when he signed into law a bill sent to him by the Republican Congress. The Republicans in Congress entitled it "The Every Student Succeeds Act." They wrote it to replace the "No Child Left Behind Act" — which was sponsored 14 years ago by then-Rep. John Boehner, a future Republican House speaker, and signed by George W. Bush, the last Republican president.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Life, Fortune & Honor: Is Your Vote Enough?
Growing up in Spain as a young child through the age of 15, I did not have the opportunity to engage directly in many of the things other American kids enjoyed. Whether it was a football game, hanging out at a burger joint, or just enjoying a pack of Juicy Fruit, my upbringing did not include any of these things. Truthfully, though, I do not feel slighted in any way given the extraordinary opportunity I had to grow up in a foreign land and experience its culture and people.
A Climate Deal Worth a Small Degree of Success
Figuring out what to make of the climate change talks recently held in Paris isn't as easy as you might think. Talk about a confusing atmosphere. There was the positive: The Paris deal "establishes the enduring framework the world needs to solve the climate crisis," President Obama said. "I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called it "a monumental success for the planet and its people."
A Hollywood Christmas Story
The following story is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. I drove past the outdoor parking-lot-turned-Christmas-tree-store several times before I decided to buy my Christmas tree from there. It was fairly close to my home in the Westside of Los Angeles, and business seemed brisk. Must be a nice place. Soon I found a nice, fluffy, well-shaped tree. "How much?" I asked a smiling salesman. "$60," he said, showing me the price tag I had overlooked, "Good deal." Then he said, "Are you Larry Elder? Big fan." "Guilty," I said. "Is this your place?" "No," he said, "I'm an actor, just doing this part-time to make a few bucks for the holidays."
The New 'Gotcha' Question
The latest "gotcha" question that is really irritating me is a point being made by the left-wing media and talking heads. The purpose of the question is not to inform anyone, but to shutdown debate. It goes something like this: "You know there are more than 6,000 Muslims serving in the United States military. Don't you think they are patriots?"
Christmas Lists, New Year's Resolutions and Economic Freedom
It's Christmas time again, and with it come the dreams of better times. Families struggling with the consequences of the most recent recession will be happy to know that there is a simple way to improve their lives and keep or make more money in the process. It's called economic freedom, and the United States used to be very good at maintaining it. Economic freedom is measured by, among other things, levels of personal choice, the ability to enter markets and the security of privately owned property. According to the Fraser Institute's annual Economic Freedom of the World report, the United States ranks 16th in terms of being an economically free country. It is a significant fall from its second-place status in 2000.