Newest Crohnie?

Okay, this is SO not relevant to politics, but as a Crohns sufferer I feel it necessary to comment that the news blurbs on Josh Hartnett's recent hospitalization sounds akin to events leading up to my own diagnosis five years ago this month. I always feel empathy for my fellow Crohns and ulcerative colitis sufferers. It's a disease that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Okay, I might not feel bad if it were, say, Harry Reid. Just kidding. I'd feel bad even for Harry Reid. I'd even feel badly for Richard Dreyfus even though Dreyfus totally ruins movies for me. Okay, Bin Laden? No. I would not feel bad for Bin Laden if he had Crohns. Hitler? No. Wouldn't feel bad for him either. People responsible for female genital mutilation? Them neither.

Noggin Playing Partisan Politics?

As a parent who also watches Noggin on a daily basis [see past Yo Gabba Gabba references] I was particularly intrigued with Bret Stephens' piece. My guess is that Noggin got plenty of calls from disgruntled parents and pulled the clip. I watch more than my fair share of the channel and never caught Moose A. Moose's Ode to Obama. It's probably a good thing.

Noggin's Ode to Obama:

Barack Obama is the first African-American to be President. That is what's called a historic event.

Leading a country is no easy task. So what does he do to relax you may ask?

He loves shrimp linguini and the chili he cooks.

He also plays Scrabble; collects comic books.

He likes classical and hip hop and jazz music too.

He always goes shopping for the same type of shoe!

He reads lots of books and writes wonderful speeches.

He goes on vacation and takes walks on beaches.

He loves basketball; it's his favorite sport.

In the White House backyard he'll have his own court.

He reads bedtime stories to his daughters at night.

The president in pajamas, what a sight!

Now you know the president better than before.

Which leaves just one thing:

When he sleeps does he snore?

Bret Stephens' Suggested Additions For "A Politically Diverse Household" [Funny]

Barack Obama's election was indeed a historic event;

But don't forget, kids, he only got 53 percent.

Leading a country is no easy task;

And if you campaign as a messiah, better not drop the mask.

It helps to have Volcker, and Gates, and maybe Jones too.

But Geithner didn't pay his taxes – nor Daschle (boo-hoo).

A better world awaits us, about that there is no doubt.

Just don't bankrupt the country, Mr. President, while you bail everyone out.

Failure Of Which Leadership?

Who is Obama talking about? Failure of the union leadership that bled dry the very industries that provided their bread and butter? Failure of the NLRB to seek a proper balance between the needs of workers and the needs of management? How about failure of the state governments with the highest corporate tax rates that were so prohibitive that expansion into new types technology and product development was unachievable?

Abject bias to the labor movement killed these industries. The manufacturing plants aren't gone, they moved elsewhere to locations with populations who were more than happy to take those unskilled jobs for much less money. And now Obama blames "leadership" for creating these problems and chastises them for not doing a better job restructuring.

One could make the argument that his use of the nebulous term "leadership" could also refer to union leadership. However, given his support of card check legislation [that violates the individual rights of the non-union worker to maintain anonymity and keep his family safe from the thugocratic unions that got these dying auto beasts into this mess in the first place] and the fact that he singlehandedly started a trade war with Mexico at the behest of the Teamsters, it is prudent to say that such an argument would be dead wrong.

How To Piss Off A Debt Holder

To the point where they start trying to call the shots?

Answer:

Engage in exponentially increased frivolous social spending that threatens to bankrupt America and put the US dollar out of business.

China calling.

Obama's Budget.

Earlier, I was asking for historical perspective. Now, I think I'd be happy with perspective of any ilk.

A Plea For Some Historical Perspective

The Anne Applebaum I love has returned in her column today by acknowledging that, despite the new administration's best efforts to convince us otherwise, the world did not actually "reset" itself on January 20th, 2009. It would certainly behoove our current executive to develop a sense of history--and fast.

Judd Gregg On Obama's Budget

I know this has been posted all over the place already, but it is so noteworthy because of the accuracy of his factual support that it bears posting here as well.



**Geithner is fighting an uphill battle with O'Spendula as a boss. He's like a man who's married the next Imelda Marcos and is now trying to rein her in at the special interest groups' cash register.

Conservative Principle Numero Uno: The Private Sector Does It More Efficaciously

Jim Treacher properly identifies why Palin's rejection of federal monies for education [including special education] is NOT ironic.

This post raises another issue that has been hanging heavily over the conservative blogosphere of late: Con-on-Con hate crimes.

We are now living in a time where American Conservatism has fallen victim to the intraparty battles that dogged the American Left for the past eight years, People who otherwise agree on fundamental political tenets are fighting over minutia. It's ridiculous. For the sake of conservatism, we need to pare down our core party values and weed out the "mushy" ones. Let's focus our message and stay focused.

An AIG Bill of Attainder?

Ex post facto law? Wrong. The issue with passing a law "reclaiming" the AIG bonuses is really a BILL OF ATTAINDER. When people speak of ex post facto laws, they speak of retroactive criminalization. Bills of attainder, however, punish a particular person or class of persons without due process. It is axiomatic that punishment in the US means deprivation of liberty and/or property. People often confuse the two because they are contained in the same clause in the US Constitution.

The irony here is that this issue has not been brought up since the seventies. American society thought bills of attainder were ancient history. Now, they are front and center in not only the AIG bonus issue, but the Guantanamo Commissions as well [see here, here, and here]. The Gitmo detainees' attorneys claim their clients are being subjected to a bill of attainder because the MCA punishes the detainees as a class of persons. Here is the crux of the irony, the MCA at least sets up a procedure whereby the accused can confront their accusers and witnesses, can benefit from free defense counsel, has the right to see all evidence that will be introduced against them, has the benefit of getting all exculpatory evidence, and will be judged by a neutral panel of highly trained professionals. By that standard, the AIG employees are being treated WORSE than the detainees at Gitmo.

Tucker On Stewart

Once upon a time, when I was a hiply "apathetic" chain smoking, Doc Marten wearing, college freshman and sophomore, I watched The Jon Stewart Show religiously. He was funny, hip, and young and a welcome breath of fresh air compared to the dated feel of his talk show peers. But that was over fifteen years ago, when he WAS fresh, hip, and YOUNG. Now he is nothing more than a late forty-something ideologue with an audience. He speaks to the youth using that same infantile sarcasm that appeals to, well, youth and his ability to reason through complex issues is comparable to, well, a college pothead.

Tucker Carlson aptly addresses an aging icon of Generation X.*

*Let it be noted that Jon Stewart is too old even to be considered a Gen Xer.

Tedisco For Congress

My fellow Union College alum, James Tedisco is running for New York's 20th congressional district.

Please support his campaign by donating!