Right Opinion
The best of conservative opinion and commentary, updated daily.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
How a Presidency Unravels
For concision and precision in describing Barack Obama's suddenly ambivalent relationship with his singular -- actually, his single -- achievement, the laurels go to Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. After Obama's semi-demi-apology for millions of canceled insurance policies -- an intended and predictable consequence of his crusade to liberate Americans from their childish choices of "substandard" policies sold by "bad apple" insurers -- Scalise said: Obama is like someone who burns down your house. Then shows up with an empty water bucket. Then lectures you about how defective the house was.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Yellen Needs Rules
The greatest central banker in my professional lifetime was Paul Volcker. His signal achievement was bringing down the inflation rate from roughly 15 percent to about 3 percent more than three decades ago. The simplest way to look at the economic evils of runaway prices is to think of inflation as a tax hike -- on consumers, savers, investors, corporate profits, capital gains and so on. One humongous tax hike. And it was the myriad tax-hike effects of high inflation that wrecked the American economy in the 1970s.
Highly Implausible Deniability
Barack Obama, mainly through his sock puppet Jay Carney, claims he knew nothing about Operation Fast & Furious; the tapping of the AP phones; Ambassador Steven's request for additional security in Benghazi; the NSA spying on our allies; the suspension of military death benefits; the targeting of conservatives by the IRS; or the problems with the ObamaCare rollout. But Democrats continue to insist he is the smartest guy in the world. Hell, he isn't even the brightest individual in the room if the First Dog, Bo, wanders into the Oval Office searching for his chew toy.
From The Comedy Store
President Obama admitted his approval ratings are low. He'll always have one huge accomplishment. President Obama has improved this country to the point that even racists have completely forgotten that he's black and despise him only for his policies.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Dems Nuke Rules, Say Bomb Voyage to Bipartisanship
Until yesterday, the biggest nuclear debate was over Iran. That all changed last night, when Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) put his finger on a nuclear option of his own -- this time over judicial confirmations and administration appointments. Like most liberals, Sen. Reid is still seething that Republicans shot down three radical nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court using one of the only tools at the minority's disposal: the filibuster.
Democrats, Republicans Failing to Live Up to Brands
If the Republicans can't fight wars and the Democrats stink at socializing medicine, what good are they? That would not be an altogether unreasonable question for a typical American today. No doubt spokesmen for the respective political parties would offer all sorts of objections to that summation. And many of those objections would be fair. A defender of George W. Bush's stint as commander in chief would point to the quick toppling of Saddam and the Taliban. He or she might argue that the Democrats undermined a wartime president and fomented defeatism.
Wedding Bells That Never Ring
My daughter Kristin and I are laughing, crying, and reminiscing our way through the practical preparations for her upcoming wedding. She's marrying a wonderful young man, and my husband and I feel confident that these two young adults will create a strong family together; rich in faith, love, and commitment. So it was particularly sad for me to read a recent Slate article on Dutch women, who scorn marriage as a relic of times gone by. The article's author, NYU professor Katie Roiphe, wrote that she realized during a recent visit to Amsterdam that "having children and not being married was not a big deal... The Dutch attitude ... is that marriage is not for everyone; it is a personal choice, an option, a pleasant possibility."
The Laugh-a-Minute Abortion Telethon
There may not be a more painful oxymoron than "feminist comedian." MTV flash-in-the-pan Sarah Silverman and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" co-creator Lizz Winstead teamed up in New York City on Nov. 18 for a telethon to fund abortions in Texas via NARAL Pro-Choice America. Think Jerry's Kids -- children assisted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association -- except instead of saving them, the unborn are eliminated. They call that "reproductive justice."
John F. Kennedy's Legacy
The day John F. Kennedy was assassinated is still fresh in the memories of those of us who lived through it. We all remember where we were when we first heard the news that he'd been shot and how we waited for word that he would survive. We remember the sound of news anchor Walter Cronkite's voice breaking as he delivered the news that the president was dead. But for millions of Catholics, it had a special meaning. It was lunchtime, and I was in the girls' bathroom putting on lipstick -- a new privilege for a 16-year-old in Catholic school -- when one of my classmates rushed in to say the president had been shot. Everyone froze. One girl screamed. And then Sister Jean Patrice's voice came over the intercom asking all students to report to their homerooms immediately.
No, Arne Duncan, 'White Suburban Moms' Aren't the Problem; You Are
Common Core, the initiative that claims to more accurately measure K-12 student knowledge in English and math, also encourages children to step up their "critical thinking." That didn't stop Education Secretary Arne Duncan, one of Common Core's salesmen, from telling a group of school superintendents last week that it is "fascinating" to see opposition to the initiative coming from "white suburban moms who -- all of a sudden, their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were, and their school isn't quite as good as they thought they were."
David, Goliath and Colorado's Next Gun-Rights Recall
Author Malcolm Gladwell has a new bestseller that turns conventional wisdom about the Biblical David vs. Goliath battle on its head: "David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants." In short, it's Goliath who really had the odds stacked against him from the get-go. The overconfident giant with poor eyesight, weighted down with heavy armor and multiple swords, never had a chance against lean, nimble, sharp-shooting expert David. The new Colorado gun-rights recall campaign against arrogant state Sen. Evie Hudak and myopic Democrats may well be a perfect update to Gladwell's book.
Remembering Stanley Ann Dunham Obama
Remember President Barack Obama's mother? Though the airwaves currently echo with his vow "If you like your plan ..." I keep remembering Obama's account of his mother being denied coverage by her insurance company as she lay dying of cancer. The moving and infuriating story was a staple on the 2008 campaign trail. His mother had insurance, he explained, but when she came down with cancer, her insurance company claimed her disease was a "pre-existing condition" and refused to pay for her treatment.
Obama and His Compassion Mirage
President Barack Obama, the quintessential leftist, would have us believe, as would all leftists, that his overarching motivation is his compassion but, like most leftists, reveals through his actions that his driving passion is not so much concern for his fellow man as it is an obsession to control people. That explains why Obama isn't the slightest bit sympathetic about people losing their health care coverage as a direct result of his fraudulent advertising on Obamacare and why, so far, he has callously resisted all calls for a reset of the worst policy train wreck on the longest policy train in memory.
'Sucker's Deal'
A president desperate to change the subject and a secretary of state desperate to make a name for himself are reportedly on the verge of an "interim" nuclear agreement with Iran. France called it a "sucker's deal." France was being charitable. The only reason Iran has come to the table after a decade of contemptuous stonewalling is that economic sanctions have cut so deeply -- Iran's currency has collapsed, inflation is rampant -- that the regime fears a threat to its very survival.
For O'Care Architects, Problems Are Features, Not Bugs
The defects of the Obamacare website have become well known. But the problems with the law go further than the website. These problems are not incidental, but central to its design and the intentions of its architects. Many Obamacare backers, including Barack Obama, would prefer "single-payer" health insurance. The government would pay for everything and you would get health care for free.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Oprah: Take Off Those Black-and-White Glasses
Come on, Oprah. You're way too smart to be this stupid. When are you going to get off this kick about Barack Obama being disrespected more than previous presidents just because he is a black man? It's getting embarrassing, Oprah.
Alec Baldwin vs. Liberal Bullies
I'm with Alec Baldwin on punching aggressive paparazzi photographers. I'm with him against the word police. I'm with him on the stalker. I'm with him on using an electronic device on a plane before takeoff. I'm with him on Kim Basinger playing visitation games with their daughter. What are conservatives doing demanding Baldwin's head for calling some pestilential paparazzi a "c-ck-s-cking little f-g." It is perfectly obvious Baldwin was just cursing the guy out with whatever bad words popped into his head, not engaging in "homophobia" against an actual gay person.
ObamaCare Website: Under Knew Management
If House Democrats are sharpening their knives, it's not for turkey-carving. After spending three years of political capital on ObamaCare, the President is returning the favor by leaving his liberal flock to fend for themselves. "Here we are, we're supposed to be selling this to people, and it's all screwed up," one House office told The Hill. "This either gets fixed or this could be the demise of the Democratic Party." Asked if Barack Obama was even more unpopular among his party than George W. Bush, another liberal staffer said, "I think that's already happened."