On Presidential Rhetoric: the politics of polarization

WSJ "If the President and his advisers are wondering why his approval ratings are falling even as the economy is recovering, they might look to his own divisive conduct and the contempt he too often shows for anyone who disagrees with him."

The time of testing is coming for Obama

American Thinker "Most of us have been too fixated by the spectacle of our country being overturned by Marxist revolutionary zealots to pay much attention to external threats. But in the meantime, our enemies have been watching as the US shows no will to fight, and no inclination to oppose aggression with anything stronger than teleprompted words. Surely, they must think, - this situation will not last, and that now is the time for adventurism. I do not believe we have long to wait."

In Search of a Villain

Andrew McCarthy "[Statists] are betting that Americans will be duped into believing that something other than pandering — something other than the government’s scheme to use taxpayers’ dollars to purchase the loyalty of low-income and minority voters — is responsible for our current straits. Obama & Co. are constructing a narrative that says a near-depression was triggered by greedy Wall Street predators who dragged investors under water. If you buy that, they get a double boon: They escape blame, and they bolster their campaign to grab more control of the private sector under the guise of “regulation.” Don’t buy it. "

Obama backtracking from muscling Israel?

American Thinker "From all appearances, it means that after weeks of internal White House debate and indecision, Obama finally stepped in and put an end -- at least for the time being -- to National Security Adviser James Jones' push to skip negotiations and go directly to a final-status peace deal."...."Whatever the reason, it looks like Jones' trial balloon has fizzled out. Score one for Netanyahu."

Lindsey Graham: Immigration would kill climate bill

Politico “This comes out of left field,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), after hearing that Democratic leaders may now push immigration reform ahead of a climate bill. “I’m working as earnestly as I can to craft climate and energy independence, clean air and jobs, and now we’re being told that we’re going to immigration. We haven’t done anything to prepare the body of the country for immigration.” Via Heritage.

Quick Hits from Heritage

Expecting health insurance premiums to rise under Obamacare, Democrats are now trying to give Washington price control power over insurance rates.


According to pension consultant Girard Miller that California state and local governments have $325 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, which he said amounts to $22,000 for every working adult in the Golden State.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called President Obama’s Middle East peace strategy “counter-productive,” explaining: “If the U.S. says certain things and takes certain stands the Palestinians say, ‘Why should we negotiate?’”

According to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis, if Obamacare is not repealed by 2016, nearly 4 million Americans – the vast majority of them middle class – will have to pay a little more than $1,000 apiece penalties per year if they don’t get government approved insurance.

The Senate Democrats’ new federal budget would raise taxes on about 30 million people by $3,700 a year by 2012.

Heritage

The Fatal Flaws of the Wall Street Bailout Bill

Heritage "According to Rasmussen Reports, 64% of Americans are not confident that policymakers in Washington know what they’re doing with regards to Wall Street. They have every reason to be concerned."

Liberals and the Violence Card

Rush Limbaugh "The latest liberal meme is to equate skepticism of the Obama administration with a tendency toward violence. That takes me back 15 years ago to the time President Bill Clinton accused "loud and angry voices" on the airwaves (i.e., radio talk-show hosts like me) of having incited Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. What self-serving nonsense. Liberals are perfectly comfortable with antigovernment protest when they're not in power. From the halls of the Ivy League to the halls of Congress, from the antiwar protests during the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq to the anticapitalist protests during International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, we're used to seeing leftist malcontents take to the streets. " Emphasis added.

Goodwin Liu flunks the mainstream test, Part Two

Powerline "Interpreting the Constitution is, of course, one of the most important things judges do. Thus, the notion that Liu's writings about how the Constitution should be interpreted have "no bearing on [his] role as a judge" insults the intelligence of the Senators on the Judiciary Committee. When the path to confirmation involves insulting Senators' intelligence to this degree, that path is likely to be rocky. Liu is looking like a nominee Republicans may be able to block."

Mike Ramirez cartoon

http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/MichaelRamirez

Free All The SEALs From Travesty

Investors.com "An al-Qaida handbook captured in a raid by British authorities on a terrorist cell in Manchester, England, states "brothers must insist on proving that torture was inflicted on them by state security before the judge. Complain of mistreatment while in prison." And lie Abed did."...."This, however, is a politically correct administration that wants to close the detainee facility in Guantanamo Bay lest it tarnish our image among Islamofascists worldwide. We apologize to everybody and anybody. We won't tolerate another Abu Ghraib, so we tolerate this tragedy."

Rules for Republicans

Pajamas Media "Want your country back? Learn from our mistakes and be proactive." Clayton E. Cramer