Right Opinion
The best of conservative opinion and commentary, updated daily.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Why the People Don't Trust Government
Politicians cherry-pick facts to suit themselves
Monsters Hiding in Plain Sight
In the darkest recesses of our minds we have always known that monsters exist. It is only when we are involuntarily thrust into an unfolding human tragedy that shocks our senses and devastates our hearts that we truly acknowledge their presence. Our collective eyes have been opened by the discovery of monsters lurking at Penn State University in the form of Jerry Sandusky, in an Ohio house of horrors run by Ariel Castro, and the list goes on. But have we as a society drifted into a false sense of security with the removal of these harbingers of evil or do we realize that the next monster is just waiting to strike? The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that there are currently 617,000 registered sex offenders in the United States, and typically 100,000 of those are unaccounted for.
America Goes to Pot
A drug is by definition a remedy, a treatment, a hoped-for cure. Something's the matter, or anyway not as good as it ought to be. Here, a bit of this will fix you up ... A lot of what goes on in 21st century America seems a lot less good than it ought to be. Witness in this context the legal-marijuana boom -- the strong public affirmation in places such as Colorado for the right to use pot for purposes left to the user's discretion. Said purposes include the alleviation of physical pain. They include likewise the alleviation of, well, one just can't say -- possibly the alleviation of unfulfilled desire.
Retreating on Illegal immigration
At a time when Republicans have Democrats playing defense on Obamacare, jobs and the economy, the GOP is inexplicably ceding political ground to the Democrats on an issue that can only provide more votes for that party and possibly lead to a permanent Democratic majority. Meeting in Cambridge, Md., last weekend for what they called -- with no little irony -- a "retreat," Republican leaders signaled they are open to considering some sort of legal status for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants who have overstayed their visas or violated American law to get here.
America's Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Are Not 'Ended'
In his State of the Union address, on four occasions, President Barack Obama mentioned the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq coming to an end: 1. "And in tight-knit communities across America, fathers and mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, remember fallen comrades, and give thanks for being home from a war that, after twelve long years, is finally coming to an end." 2. "When I took office, nearly 180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, all our troops are out of Iraq. More than 60,000 of our troops have already come home from Afghanistan. With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America's longest war will finally be over."
The Democratic Class of 1974 Passes From the Scene
Henry Waxman and George Miller are retiring from the House and not running for re-election after 40 years as congressmen from southern and northern California. Also retiring and not running for re-election is Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa. Sen. Max Baucus of Montana will resign if, as expected, he is confirmed as ambassador to China. Both were first elected to the House in 1974 and were later elected to the Senate. These four are just about the last members serving in Congress of the 75 Democrats first elected to the House in the Watergate year of 1974.
Republicans to the Rescue?
Some supporters of President Obama may be worried about how he and the Democrats are going to fare politically, as the problems of ObamaCare continue to escalate, and it looks like the Republicans have a chance to win a majority in the Senate. But Democrats may not need to worry so much. Republicans may once again come to the rescue of the Democrats, by discrediting themselves and snatching defeat from the very jaws of victory. The latest bright idea among Republicans inside the Beltway is a new version of amnesty that is virtually certain to lose votes among the Republican base and is unlikely to gain many votes among the Hispanics that the Republican leadership is courting.
Obama and the Grievance Industry
From one point of view, President Barack Obama's invocation of the hoary "77 cents" myth regarding the relative earnings of women and men was a shallow and cheap political pander. Democrats, eager to maintain their advantage with women voters, stoke grievance. It's the same playbook they've used to solidify their standing with black voters -- suggest whenever and wherever possible that Republicans are racists. It's crude, offensive and libelous -- but effective. Yet Obama fancies himself an intellectual. Campaigning against Ken Cuccinelli in Virginia, the president chastised the Republican for challenging climate change, saying, "It has to do with what's true. It has to do with facts. You don't argue with facts." Many in the press and in progressive circles regard this president as a bit of a thought leader.
One Brave Doctor Stands Up to ObamaCare
I don't have a completely satisfactory answer when people ask me what we can do to combat the tyranny we are witnessing in this country, but one brave and principled Texas physician is showing how people can stand up. Dr. Kristin Held of San Antonio, whom I've befriended on Twitter and grown to deeply admire for her vocal advocacy against Obamacare, has taken the next step in her battle -- our battle. Last week, she wrote a letter to Aetna insurance company terminating her participation in its program because of unilateral changes she said the company had made to its contract with her.
Monday, February 3, 2014
MyRAs – Washington's Latest Scam
The president's annual state of the union address is another example of how dysfunctional our government in Washington has become. Article 2, section 3 of the US Constitution says that the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union...." The president is the chief executive of our government. As chief executive, it makes sense that he report periodically about the state of affairs to the body responsible for passing laws, the Congress, so they have a sense of what needs to be done.
Cheerios Tweet Exposes Left's Cereal Hypocrisy
If there's a national shortage of apology cards, blame MSNBC. Even if the network actually cared about news, executives wouldn't have time for it with all the mea culpas the company is pumping out. Following a daily pattern of offend-rinse-repeat, MSNBC is becoming the place where personal attacks aren't just tolerated -- but encouraged. The network's latest bit of nastiness came earlier last week, when an episode of MSNBC's race-baiting went horribly wrong. In a tweet about Cheerios's new Super Bowl ad, an employee tweeted from the company's official account: "Maybe the rightwing will hate it, but everyone else will go awww: the adorable new #Cheerios ad w/ biracial family" -- implying that conservatives are nothing but a bunch of white racists. It was nauseating, even by MSNBC standards. By now, most Americans know that the network is incapable of civil debate.
'Leading From Behind' to a New World Disorder
"I must say I am perplexed," John Kerry told grandees at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, "by claims ... that somehow America is disengaging from the world -- this myth that we are pulling back or giving up or standing down." The secretary of state, whose website keeps a running tally of the miles he has flown since taking the job (320,961 as of Friday), insisted that nothing could be further from the truth. "The only person more surprised than I am by the myth of this disengagement," he said, "is the Air Force pilot who flies the secretary of state's plane."
A RINO-Democrat Alliance for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Those Americans wondering why the GOP-led House -- ostensibly the last bastion of defense against the legalization of 11 million illegal aliens -- just threw in the towel, can stop wondering. The above sentence says it all. The conservative wing of the GOP, aka the Tea Party, overwhelmingly responsible for delivering a net gain of 63 House and 6 Senate seats to the Republican Party in 2010, must be dispatched with extreme prejudice by the so-called Establishment wing of the GOP. They are the group of Beltway insiders so thoroughly convinced they own the franchise on proper thinking, they would align themselves with progressive Democrats, rather than principled members of their own party. They are arrogant fools.
Vexations
Income inequality is very much in the wind because Obama keeps whining about it, convinced that resentment over the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Ted Turner and their billions will lead people to vote for Democrats in November. This is sloppy thinking for several reasons. One, even if those guys didn't exist, I'd be no richer than I am today. Two, this administration has done nothing to diminish the inequality; in fact, during the past few years, wealthy people have seen their fortunes increase enormously, while the poor and the middle class have fallen even further back than they were when the Obamas moved into the White House. And, finally, Gates, Buffet and Turner, along with billionaires Oprah Winfrey, David Geffen, Russell Simmons and the Weinstein brothers, are all card-carrying Democrats.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
When the Left Goes Wrong in the Inequality Debate
If I were to reduce to a bumper sticker the way the left thinks about the world these days, it would read: **Inequality happens** If I were to reduce to a bumper sticker the way the right thinks about the same subject, it would read: **Inequality happens for a reason** This is not a small distinction. For President Obama, inequality is the public policy issue du jour. And like lemmings, left wing editorial writers and bloggers can think of nothing else to write about. But here is something that may surprise you. The most interesting analyses of the problem are on the right, not the left. For the most part, all the left does is deplore. They seem to have no interest in understanding why we have a problem. (I have a theory on that below.)
A Race Worth Watching
"There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse; as I have found in traveling in a stage coach, that it is often a comfort to shift one's position and be bruised in a new place." -- Washington Irving Rep. Chris Gibson has tested Irving's theory. Gibson, whose closely cropped graying hair announces his Army pedigree, believes he should be in the Guinness Book of Records for having moved so swiftly -- in 10 months -- from membership in America's most admired to its least admired institution. On March 1, 2010, he ended a 24-year military career and on Nov. 2 was elected to Congress. This fall, he will participate in perhaps the year's most interesting congressional contest.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
The Dumbing & Numbing of America
Colorado recently beat out Washington to become the first state in the union to legalize marijuana. Although I have long railed against the so-called War on Drugs because it was a waste of time and resources, I can't help thinking that legalizing pot is not going to improve the world. For one thing, aside from cleaning up crash sites and re-directing traffic, just exactly how are cops supposed to deal with stoned drivers? At least with booze, they can measure intoxication levels with breathalyzers.
From The Comedy Store
President Obama in his State of the Union announced new NSA guidelines to guard against unconstitutional snooping. They are strict. The NSA can no longer violate your privacy rights and glean your personal information, that job has been outsourced to Target.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Bolder Than Holder: Cruz Demands Answers From DOJ
For once, Eric Holder is conducting an investigation instead of being the subject of one. Even that's proving to be a tall task for the U.S. Attorney General, whose agency can't seem to put aside its political motives long enough to give conservatives a fair shake. And while accountability isn't exactly the motto of this Justice Department, Congress at least expected a pretense of concern over the very serious allegations of conservative targeting at the IRS. At a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, Attorney General Holder feigned interest as he listened to members rant about the DOJ's indifference over one of the most shocking scandals to hit the IRS in modern history. It's "astonishing," said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) of Holder's lack of urgency. Despite stacks of evidence dating back to 2010, DOJ has yet to hold anyone accountable for the high-level shakedown of tea party groups applying for nonprofit status.
Reducing College Costs
The cost of higher education has been much on my mind lately, in part because my oldest granddaughter is one of the estimated 22 million students headed to college in the fall. When I was her age, I was able to pay my own freshman tuition from a part-time minimum-wage job in a department store in Denver while I lived at home. But Phoebe won't be as lucky. Chances are she will end up saddled with debt, even though she may receive some merit-based aid and will likely work to pay her tuition. The cost of tuition has risen dramatically in the past 50 years. I paid about $250 per semester for tuition when I started school in 1966 as an in-state student at the University of Colorado. If I were registering today, my tuition would be roughly $5,300 a semester for a full-time class load. Even after adjusting for inflation, this represents a three-fold increase in tuition costs, at a time when a college degree is a prerequisite to middle-class status.