Right Opinion
The best of conservative opinion and commentary, updated daily.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Obamalism -- As We Know It -- R.I.P.
Obamalism: a political/social/economic philosophy that combines socialism, collectivism and redistributionism wrapped around a killer smile.
What Can Rahm Be Thinking?
Mr. Emanuel praised Mr. Obama as "the toughest leader any country could ask for in the toughest times any president has faced." He fought back tears as he thanked his wife and three children, seated in the front row of the East Room for the farewell ceremony. That's how the New York Times described Rahm Emanuel's leave-taking as President Obama's Chief of Staff. We all say nice things on such occasions. I have no idea whether Rahm Emanuel's departure was his own idea or whether he suddenly discovered a life-long desire to run for Mayor of Chicago to cover for the fact he was being asked to walk the plank.
Dems Turn on Obama Over Iraq, Afghanistan, Gitmo
It's pretty clear that Democrats are less enthusiastic about voting this year than Republicans. The latest evidence comes from Gallup, which reports that Republicans' 3 percent edge in congressional voting among registered voters increases to 13 and 18 points when you include just those likely and very likely to actually vote.
The Obama Rope-a-dope
After 2010, will he be Carter or Clinton? That is the ongoing parlor game now played among pundits over how President Obama will react to a probable shellacking of the Democrats in midterm elections next month.
It Takes More Than Speechifying
With or without those omnipresent teleprompters, the president is failing to connect to the majority of his fellow Americans, mainly because they emphatically disagree with most of the snake-oil policies he’s trying to sell them.
'Stop All the Bad Stuff'
At a small, informal breakfast in Midtown New York Tuesday morning, House Republican leader John Boehner said the lame-duck Congress, scheduled roughly for Nov. 15 through Dec. 22, will pass a bill that extends all the George W. Bush tax cuts. And he said President Obama will not veto that bill.
Behind the Meltdown of the Climate-Change Bill
President Obama killed the climate change bill. That's the brunt of the article "As the World Burns, How the Senate and the White House missed their best chance to deal with climate change" by Ryan Lizza in the New Yorker. Lizza tells the tale of how Washington's erstwhile "Three Amigos" -- also known as K.G.L., for Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. -- cobbled together a cap-and-trade climate-change bill that had "the support both of the major green groups and the biggest polluters" -- until the deal fell apart.
GOP Must Be Wary of Overconfidence and Terror
I was campaign chair for Newt Gingrich in 1994, when the Republicans won control of the U.S. House. Many today don't recall that the '94 victory was the pot boiling over only after simmering and simmering somewhat beneath the surface for a long while. It wasn't until the last week before the election -- maybe even the last 72 hours -- that it became clear the Democrats would finally lose the House.
With Rahm in the Windy City
WASHINGTON -- On Sunday, Rahm Emanuel declared his candidacy for mayor of Chicago. Instantaneously, he had problems with his campaign, not the least of which is that he is as much a resident of Chicago as I am. So on Monday, I declared my candidacy for mayor of Chicago. Why not? I did it on the national television show of the estimable Sean Hannity, who immediately threw his support behind me. I was born in Chicago, come from a long line of Chicagoans and, like Rahm, am occasionally in town. The place is a gastronomic paradise, a cultural delight with great museums and a fine orchestra, plus opera; surprisingly, Rahm and I never have crossed paths while in town. Supposedly, he attends rock concerts. He could attend the Chicago Symphony, but he opts for Bruce Springsteen.
The Enemy Is Not Cheap Goods
The policies of the Chinese government make it possible for Americans to acquire a vast array of products at affordable prices. For that high crime and misdemeanor, the US House of Representatives voted last week to punish China.
I Got the Horse Right Here
In 1977, things were similarly gloomy. The misery index under President Jimmy Carter reflected the mood of many Americans. The president would come to speak of an America that had seen its best days and he told us we were going to have to cut back on everything, including our vision of a greater America.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Cut Taxes for the Rich -- Even for Obama
American presidents have advanced redistributionist policies before, but none has used Marxist class-war rhetoric as routinely as Barack Obama.
Conservatives, Forever on Trial
It's a topsy-turvy, upside-down political world out there for people who thought Barack Obama would be cruising at a 70 percent approval rating while crushing the Republicans like bugs. In fact, the opposite has happened. The Senate majority leader is in grave danger of involuntary retirement. Everyone in Washington concedes Nancy Pelosi is unlikely to bang the gavel in January.
Europe's Terror Alerts: Mumbai Meets Madrid
Hortefeux had just announced the arrest of a group of Islamist militants operating in southern France. The arrests followed numerous reports that intelligence agencies in several nations had detected a plot, likely planned by al-Qaida operatives, to launch "Mumbai-style" terrorist commando attacks in major European cities. The reports mentioned Paris and Berlin as specific targets.
The Case of the Terrorist Emeritus
It finally happened. A board of trustees at a state university has acted as if it had a moral trust to guard, not just fundraising to do. That's the remarkable news out of the University of Illinois, where the board is chaired by Christopher Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy. His father, the charismatic U.S. senator, brother of John F. Kennedy, and the Democratic Party's rising hope, was cut down in his hour of triumph -- June 5, 1968 -- after just having won a key presidential primary in California.
Congress Can't Repeal Economics
When Obamacare was debated, we free-market advocates insisted that no matter what the president promised, the laws of economics cannot be repealed. Our opponents in effect answered, "Yes, we can."
2011's Uncharted Political Waters
The New York Times has written, in explaining why the political parties have lost the confidence of the public: "Their machinery of intrigue, their shuffling evasions, the dodges, the chicanery and the deception of their leaders have excited universal disgust, and have created a general readiness in the public mind for any new organization that shall promise to shun their vices."
Politicians Exploit Economic Ignorance
One of President Obama's campaign promises was not to raise taxes on middle-class Americans. So here's my question: If there's a corporate tax increase either in the form of "cap and trade" or income tax, does it turn out to be a middle-class tax increase? Most people would say no but let's look at it.
Pot Prohibitionist Prevarications
With a month to go before California voters decide whether to legalize marijuana, Proposition 19's opponents have pinned their hopes on desperate arguments that illustrate the intellectual bankruptcy of the prohibitionist position. Unable to offer a persuasive moral justification for continuing to treat marijuana users and suppliers like criminals, the No on 19 crowd has tried to distract voters' attention with several bright red herrings. Here are five of the smelliest...
The Two Faces of Michelle Obama
Two first ladies will hit the campaign trail for Democrats this month: Michelle Obama, champion of ordinary Americans, and Michelle Obama, money-grubber for the liberal elite. The actions of the second Michelle will tell you all you need to know about the lip service of the first.