Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
Candace de Russy • March 17, 2010 18:18pm • Uncategorized
With its leaders taking cover, says CIA Director Leon Panetta, al-Qaeda is seriously disoriented. Unceasing attacks against the organization in the Pakistan tribal region seem, according to the Washington Post, to have sent Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants deeper into hiding, leaving the group “rudderless” and unable to carry out complex operations.
The prosecution of the war against al-Qaeda is one of the rare fronts on which President Obama seems to be steering the right course.
From the Blogosphere: Part II
Brent Tantillo • March 17, 2010 13:43pm • Uncategorized
More from the Blogosphere on Obamacare, these are the best pieces I’ve seen from our blogroll:
Claremont Institute’s Charles Kesler states that Obamacare is more than just a law by definition, it’s a takeover of a sixth of the U.S. economy.
The Columbia Journalism Review defines what ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ mean in the healthcare context.
Bush’s former head of domestic policy, Tevi Troy, calls health care reform a two decade blunder in Commentary.
Great cartoon at Dr. Sanity reflecting Obama’s obsession with healthcare reform is similar to those who obtain “the ring” in Lord of the Rings.
From Ed Driscoll: “As Noemie Emery writes at the Weekly Standard, the ObamaCare train wreck is ‘beginning to look like The Godfather crossed with a Marx Brothers movie, a bad sign for an administration that came in touting competence and projecting the feel of a Frank Capra film.’
From the Blogosphere: Part I
Brent Tantillo • March 17, 2010 2:22am • Uncategorized
Some of the finest reporting on Obama’s healthcare plan and the fight surrounding it are coming from blogs. Here’s my roundup of some of the more interesting stories from friends on our blogroll:
Accuracy in Media Blog: ‘MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews continued his attacks on the GOP over health care by calling the party a “narrow, little, nasty don’t do anything party”.’ Watch the video there.
Ace of Spades provides a Whip Count on the healthcare bill.
American Thinker: Bill Maher blames “belief in God” for the resistance to the healthcare bill.
Becker-Posner Blog: Posner defends the filibuster as being democratic.
Beltway Blips: The President won’t support in November any representative who votes against health care (from The Telegraph).
Christian Science Monitor: What is ‘deem and pass’?
More to come from the Blogosphere on health care.
Kudos to Obama
Brent Tantillo • March 16, 2010 14:24pm • Uncategorized
The Economist reports that the missile defense shield being implemented in Europe does a lot more than originally advertised. Apparently, the Russians when signing the deal to reduce their military arsenal in exchange for not implementing missile defense, failed to read the fine print.
READ the small print. That would have been good advice for foes and allies alike when America announced in September last year that it would abandon its plans for anti-missile defences in Poland and the Czech Republic, in favour of a new system initially based on ships.
Some saw that as a sell-out. Russia was being appeased as part of President Barack Obama’s “reset” of relations with the Kremlin, and the ex-communist countries were being punished for supporting the Bush administration. Five months later, that reading of events looks mistaken.
The new system, the Obama administration officials said at the time, will be more flexible and will have a land component from 2015. Poland will eventually host one base. And earlier this month Romania—after the briefest of talks—announced that it would be the site for interceptors. American officials are trying to find a consolation prize for Bulgaria, the runner-up, which says it would like a base too.
If American technology develops as expected, by 2018 the new shield would cover almost all of NATO’s European members against an Iranian attack—only a small part of Turkey would be exposed. That is a big change from the previous scheme, which was intended mainly to protect America from an intercontinental threat, leaving chunks of Europe unprotected. The new system poses even less of a threat to Russia’s nuclear arsenal (the Americans say neither ever did). The SM-3 interceptors now planned have a shorter range and fly less quickly than the rockets proposed by the Bush administration. Moreover, much of the system—the tracking radars and the Romania-based interceptors—will be deployed further south, unable to interfere with Russian missiles heading for America over the Arctic.
Apparently, the new system can stop small and medium range missiles from places like Iran from harming our NATO allies, and secondly, allows the U.S. to have a presence in former Soviet bloc countries, a fact that really annoys the Russians.
This has annoyed Russia. Its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the Kremlin had complained to America about the Romanian “surprise” followed by a Bulgarian one. In fact, America itself seems to have been caught unprepared by the enthusiasm of its allies. It had expected protracted negotiations, of the kind it had pursued with Poland. This would have provided a chance to soothe Russian feelings at a time when America is seeking its help to impose sanctions against Iran.
The main basis for the Kremlin’s complaint is political. Though Russia grudgingly accepted that ex-communist countries could join NATO, it sees the creation of American bases there as a breach of a promise made when the Soviet Union consented to German reunification. (American officials insist no such promise was ever given.)
While the missile defense system being implemented isn’t everything conservatives wanted, the Obama Administration’s skillful diplomacy and manuevering ensures that America gets two things it does want: 1) protection for its allies and bases in Europe from rogue nations; and 2) expansion of NATO to Eastern bloc nations. And for this diplomatic coup, the Obama Administration deserves praise.
Profiles in Courage?
Brent Tantillo • March 15, 2010 6:17am • Uncategorized
USA Today profiles the House Democrats who are undecided about Obama’s health care plan and why.
Letter to Congressman Gary Ackerman
Phil Orenstein • March 13, 2010 0:13am • Uncategorized
March 12, 2010
Congressman Gary Ackerman
2243 Rayburn House Office Building
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Ackerman,
As a concerned citizen residing your Congressional District I write in opposition to any new legislation for expanded government control over the United States healthcare and insurance systems. This is a time in our country of high unemployment and continued recession in most of the marketplace except for the government sector. The unrelenting drive to get this $ trillion healthcare package signed in law, that will result in higher costs, rationing and place burdensome new taxes on individuals and small businesses, is reckless and destructive. It has been rejected by a majority of Americans in survey after survey.
It is unconscionable that you have continued to indicate a “yes” vote on this heinous policy for our country. As every other government program and safety net has failed to remain on budget, and has instead squandered $ billions of taxpayer dollars in waste and fraud, I don’t believe your hollow promises that this massive plan will be affordable and improve the quality of healthcare in America. I choose to obtain my coverage through private healthcare insurance and unequivocally reject any new government run plan.
This is a blatant power grab by the federal government that will forever weaken the independent spirit of the American people and I stand up and say NO! in my loudest voice. We are not a European socialist nanny state. This is the home of the brave and land of the free and since you have failed to represent and be accountable to your constituents, the time has come for you to step aside. The voters will speak in November.
Sincerely,
Phil Orenstein
States Withhold Tax Refunds
Brent Tantillo • March 12, 2010 6:18am • Uncategorized
In an incorrigible move, states such as New York and Hawaii are planning to hold on to taxpayer’s hard-earned money by delaying payment of tax refunds for months, according to USA Today.
New York, hit with a $9 billion deficit, may delay $500 million in refunds to keep the state from running out of cash, says Gov.David Paterson.
Hawaii’s Department of Taxation says some residents may not see state income tax refunds until the end of August, TheHonolulu Advertiser reported. It was part of a plan by Gov.Linda Lingle to deal with a revenue drop-off by pushing costs into the next fiscal period, which begins in July.
There is absolutely no concept by these politicos that the Government does not have the right to hold on to taxpayer’s hard-earned money one minute longer than necessary. If a tax return is owed, it should be paid immediately. But no, these states believe the opposite. They believe they are providing a benefit to taxpayers by providing them a return, that the great Leviathan if it wanted could take all of your hard earned dollars and squire them away for its pet projects. This is precisely the reason why Americans are so frustrated with government and why the Tea Party movement and others have formed to combat such violations of our inherent rights.
Campus Controversy
Brent Tantillo • March 11, 2010 7:01am • Uncategorized
Closer to home for me a controversy is brewing on the University of Miami campus regarding UM’s ban of a student newspaper call backlash. The Miami New Times reports that Donna Shalala, President of the University, banned the paper because they exceeded the number of places where they could distribute on campus. This from the University:
“back\slash Magazine was banned from the University of Miami on the grounds that they did not follow the rules–they circulated too many copies. They were specifically instructed to distribute only in 3 designated areas; and when copies were being read all over campus, and our Administration was unable to control the publications circulation, our only option was to rescind back\slash’s permission to distribute.”
Oh my Lord, a student publication being read all over campus. Imagine that. Somebody actually produced a publication good enough that it was read all over campus. What a sin, what a crime, what a bunch of bologna. The reason this rich private school didn’t like backslash was because they couldn’t control its content with them asking questions like now that we have a black president, isn’t time affirmative action be disbanded? Hmm. I wonder if this could be the real reason the magazine was banned?
DOA
Brent Tantillo • March 11, 2010 6:51am • Uncategorized
What a colossal waste of time health care reform is, as according to Fox News the Senate Bill is already dead on arrival, in the House.
New York State Governor’s Race Heating Up
Phil Orenstein • March 11, 2010 1:04am • Uncategorized
There is a great deal of interest in the potential candidacy of Suffolk County Executive, Steve Levy for New York State Governor. Although he is a conservative democrat, his recent announcement seeking the GOP and Conservative endorsements has sparked a renewed interest in the governor’s race vying with the lackluster campaign of Rick Lazio to challenge the anointed Democrat, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
Levy seems to be a fiscal conservative with a strong track record of eliminating huge deficits by cutting spending and the size of government while reducing taxes, playing hardball to win givebacks and concessions from the municipal labor unions, and has always produced a balanced budget. Levy has $4 million in his campaign coffers compared to Lazio’s meager $600,000. His prescription for New York State includes declaring a fiscal state of emergency, capping spending and property taxes and reforming the onerous public sector pension system.
His op-ed in the New York Post standing up and saying “no” to the exorbitant pay and pensions of the County police officers, who are the highest paid police force in the world, shows he is one of the rare politicians with backbone. We need a courageous figure to govern a state with the nation’s most dysfunctional legislature. Could Levy be a ray of light for our troubled state on the verge of fiscal disaster?
Saturday, March 13th at 12:00 noon a live video conference is scheduled to vet Steve Levy. For those interested, you will be able to access the meeting from your computers from your own homes:
Live Video Link Below – The password for the video is 8hk75gv
http://www.stevelevyforny.com/7544903.htm
To submit questions please e-mail teamlevy@levyforny.com
Note: If you connect more than 30 min early, you may have to click refresh in the bottom left of the video. The dial in number for phone-in questions is: 631-224-3602. Then press 6. The pin to join the conference is 5528. Thank you for your cooperation.
