Obama's Dilemma: U.S. Foreign Policy and Electoral Realities

STRATFOR ...."The vilification from all sides that follows any mention we make of American politics is both inevitable and unpleasant. Nevertheless, it’s our job to chronicle the unfolding of the international system, and the fact that the United States is moving deeply into an election cycle will affect American international behavior and therefore the international system."
....
"The U.S. president will not be deeply engaged in the world for more than a year. Thus, he will have to cope with events pressed on him. He may undertake initiatives, such as trying to revive the Middle East peace process, but such moves would have large political components that would make it difficult to cope with realities on the ground. The rest of the world knows this, of course. The question is whether and how they take advantage of it."
Obama's Dilemma: U.S. Foreign Policy and Electoral Realities is republished with permission of STRATFOR.

One has to ask, with near-daily trips to the hinterlands for campaigning and blame-shifting plus rounds of golf, when does Obama have time or even interest to spend with foreign policy advisors?
I see no trace of either in the man.

Obama’s Middle East Is in Tatters, Utter Tatters  "It is not actually his region. Still, with the arrogance that is so characteristic of his behavior in matters he knows little about (which is a lot of matters), he entered the region as if in a triumphal march. But it wasn’t the power and sway of America that he was representing in Turkey and in Egypt. For the fact is that he has not much respect for these representations of the United States."  Emphasis added.

Why Won’t Obama List Israelis Among the Victims of Terrorism?  "If not blowing up a bus in the Negev, then a shoot-out at the El Al counter at Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome. A family massacre in the Galilee, a mass murder of Olympic athletes in Munich, two high-toll bombings in Buenos Aires. In a Jerusalem Yeshiva, on a Tel Aviv thoroughfare. And the liquidation of five members of a family, yes, a family that lived in a settlement. But its three-month-old didn’t really know that. Knife across the neck anyway.
"The omission is surely deliberate."

Daniel Pipes: Obama's Pretend Counterterrorism Policy  "In brief, an organization connected to terrorists swoons over the administration's pretend counterterrorism policy while the grieving father of a terrorist scornfully dismisses it. That tells us everything.
"What now, with the enshrining of a fringe study as national policy? There are no shortcuts: Those who want a genuine counterterrorism policy must work to remove the Left and the multiculturalists from government."

Peter King (left) and Bennie Thompson (right) symbolize
 the difference in counterterrorism policy outlook.

A Ponzi scheme that should be fixed

mjperry.blogspot.com

Charles Krauthammer  "The Great Social Security Debate, Proposition 1: Of course it’s a Ponzi scheme."

"In a Ponzi scheme, the people who invest early get their money out with dividends. But these dividends don’t come from any profitable or productive activity — they consist entirely of money paid in by later participants."....
Proposition 2: The crucial distinction between a Ponzi scheme and Social Security is that Social Security is mandatory.
"When it’s mandatory, you’ve ensured an endless supply of new participants. Indeed, if Charles Ponzi had had the benefit of the law forcing people into his scheme, he’d still be going strong ..."
Proposition 3: Even a mandatory Ponzi scheme such as Social Security can fail if it cannot rustle up enough new entrants.
"The Treasury already steps in and borrows the money required to cover the gap between what workers pay into Social Security and what seniors take out. When young people were plentiful, Social Security produced a surplus. Starting now and for decades to come, it will add to the deficit, increasingly so as the population ages."
Demography is destiny. Which leads directly to Proposition 4: This is one Ponzi scheme that can be saved by adapting to the new demographics.
"Of course it’s a Ponzi scheme. So what? It’s also the most vital, humane and fixable of all social programs. The question for the candidates is: Forget Ponzi — are you going to fix Social Security?"

Jobs Bill Forces States to Surrender Sovereignty!

Warning Signs  "Under Sec.376, States receiving any Federal funding whether Medicaid, Medicare, Tuition, FEMA, etc. will now surrender its Sovereignty under this new Jobs Bill.

"Surrendering Sovereign Immunity allows states to be sued by anyone recognized by the Federal Government. "

(A) WAIVER- A State's receipt or use of Federal financial assistance for any program or activity of a State shall constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity, under the 11th Amendment to the Constitution or otherwise, to a suit brought by (123) an employee or applicant for employment of that program or activity under this Act for a remedy authorized under Section 375(c) of this Act.

Alan Caruba

Chicago Tribune: Why Obama should withdraw

chicagotribune.com  "The vultures are starting to circle. Former White House spokesman Bill Burton said that unless Obama can rally the Democratic base, which is disillusioned with him, "it's going to be impossible for the president to win." Democratic consultant James Carville had one word of advice for Obama: "Panic.""

Steve Chapman is a member of the Tribune's editorial board and blogs at chicagotribune.com/chapman


He does like Hillary, of course. Speaking of whom:

"Perhaps the more people see of Hillary Clinton the more they're reminded of her lies, her meanness and her seemingly unquenchable desire for power. Look at Hillary and you see:

•Whitewater, Casa Grande and her role in those scams
•"Fire their asses!" The order given by Hillary to sack the White House Travel Office
•Marines being used to hand out canapes at White House functions
•Her obstruction of justice and perjury in the Rose Law Firm billing records scandal.
•Craig Livingstone and the cache of FBI files
•The "I want to take those profits" moment.
•Leading the effort to destroy the women involved with her husband.
Oh yeah .. there's more, and (again) as Peggy Noonan says in this column: "There's something about her that makes you look, watch, think, look again, weigh and say: No."
Neal Boortz, 2008

Too PC? New Australian Curriculum Bans References to Birth of Jesus in Textbooks

The Blaze  “Kowtowing to political correctness by the embarrassing removal of AD and BC in our national curriculum is of a piece with the fundamental flaw of trying to deny who we are as a people,” opposition spokesman Christopher Pyne said.
"He added that it was pointless to try to deny Australia’s heritage.
" “Australia is what it is today because of the foundations of our nation in the Judeo-Christian heritage that we inherited from Western civilization,” Pyne said.
" Rev. Fred Nile, a member of Australia’s New South Wales parliament, called the change “an absolute disgrace.” "

The Obama-Buffett tax; BOHICA

  Obama’s War on Job Creators  “If we tax investment in job creation more, you will get less of it,” Ryan explained. “This looks like to me not a very good sign, because it looks like the President wants to move down the class warfare path.” And while the President walks America down that path, he’s marching to the beat of the big government drum that will lead to more spending, then more taxes to pay for it, and fewer jobs as a result."

http://terrellaftermath.com/

 Obama's Recipe for Tax Disaster   "The truth, however, is that -- no matter how well-packaged it may be -- Obama's proposal is a nasty bit of class warfare that will destroy jobs, drive investment out of the economy, and harm the middle class, and it is certain to raise far less revenue than predicted."

Photo: http://www.breitbart.com/

Obama announces debt plan built on taxes on rich 

$1.5 Trillion In New Taxes? Ho Hum.

The Obama proposal has little chance of becoming law unless Republican lawmakers bend. But by focusing on the wealthiest Americans, the president is sharpening the contrast between Republicans and Democrats with a theme he can carry into his bid for re-election in 2012.

"The usual term for that is “demagoguery.” "

Obama Nation: The Power of Panic  "It is time for the American people to say “enough!”  Our nation was not built on panic.  It was built on deliberate and serious debate.  Our Founders did not simply react.  They acted on principle with the full understanding of what would follow.  We have to start thinking more deliberately.  An effective jobs bill will reduce regulation, clear uncertainty and address real tax reform.  Time and time again, lower tax rates with fewer tax preferences (deductions) have always resulted in strong and sustainable economic growth.   The best way to increase tax revenues is to increase the number of people employed and the best way to do that is to lower tax rates."

Video: Political Systems Explained for Dummies  If this doesn't make it clear, I don't know what will.

Charles Krauthammer on Solyndra Scandal: ‘This Is Lemon Socialism’

Bully Pulpit


Solyndra Scandal Ends Green Jobs Myth  "...in January the Administration was essentially letting the 2012 campaign dictate decisions on the federal government’s financial involvement with Solyndra. They were not responding to normal profit-and-loss signals, as they should. Had Energy Department bureaucrats been investing their own money, they might have been more careful. But it was others’ money — taxpayers’ money — at stake. Self-interested investors, who naturally weed out bad investments, were wholly absent. The result: Taxpayers are likely to lose up to $535 million, while the people who made the decision to throw money at Solyndra have, so far, been completely insulated from reprisal."  Emphasis added.
More here.

Solyndra Scandal Hits Obama White House  "But while this ought to be an abject embarrassment for the dirigistes in the Obama administration, there’s a much bigger story behind the Solyndra scandal. It involves a concerted effort by White House officials to improperly rush the Solyndra loan decision for political reasons."
This article references postings in Judicial Watch.

Rahm Emanuel: Solyndra? Never Heard of It    "With the White House facing a possible criminal investigation over the Solyndra scandal, look for more and more current and former members of the Obama administration to go full blown Sgt. Schultz." Michelle Malkin

 

Activist Bullies Urging Retailers to Discriminate Against You

Liberty Institute "Recently, these activists have pressured retailers to end their participation with the charity support group, Charity Give Back Group, an organization whose online service allows users to support their favorite charities by shopping the web. As a result of this pressure, many retailers are pulling out of the program."
The post above refers you to this New York Times article.

Obama's Reparations and Redistribution Policy

American Thinker "So much for the post-racial President. His words about there being no black America and no white America are belied by his own actions and those of his minions. His hypocrisy is self-evident.
"Reparations and redistribution -- those are his policies.  If more mainstream media outlets would cover this agenda, Obama's poll numbers would plummet.
"Perhaps more Americans are discovering the truth themselves: while his poll number with the black population are still relatively (and understandably) high his polling among white Americans has been in a free fall."

Cleaver

Congressional Black Caucus chairman admits hypocrisy, demonstrates racist attitude in not protesting Obama   "Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver says that the CBC would be "marching on the White House" if a white man were president.

"The flip side: because Barack Obama is an African American, he gets a pass."

 

“When school children start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children.”

iowntheworld.com  Headline quotes former American Federation of Teachers President Albert Shanker, speaking in the video below.
"Those experts have been in charge for years. They are what school reformers call the “Blob.” Jeanne Allen from the Center for Education Reform says for years attempts at reform have run, “smack into federations, alliances, departments, councils, boards, commissions, panels, herds, flocks and convoys, that make up the education industrial complex, or the Blob."  Also BigFurHat.com

The Buffett Tax: What a Bad Idea

Forbes   Thanks a lot, Warren!
"It’s said that tomorrow President Obama will suggest a “Buffett Tax”. A provision in the tax code that makes sure that billionaires like Warren Buffett don’t end up paying lower average tax rates then their secretaries."

Thanks, Warren!

“President Barack Obama, in a populist gesture designed to appeal to voters, will propose a “Buffett Tax” on people making more than $1 million a year as part of his deficit recommendations to Congress on Monday.

...."The standard economics of taxation says that you desire lower taxation of the returns to capital precisely because you’d like people to be investing capital."

Warren Buffett’s Tax Hypocrisy  "But if he were truly sincere, perhaps he might simply try paying the taxes the IRS says his company owes? According to Berkshire Hathaway’s own annual report — see Note 15 on pp. 54-56 — the company has been in a years-long dispute over its federal tax bills."

Factbox: What's on Obama's tax list, besides "Buffett tax"?  "President Barack Obama is expected to make a raft of recommendations for changing tax law on Monday, in addition to his new proposed tax on the rich -- known as the "Buffett tax" after billionaire Warren Buffett -- which was disclosed on Saturday."

Millionaires and billionaires pay a higher share of their income in taxes than the middle class.. "The reason for the light capital gains and dividend tax is that corporations pay up to a 35% tax on their profits before a dime of it is passed on to shareholders. The real tax rate on corporate income paid to individuals through capital gains and dividends is not 15%. It is closer to 45% once you count the tax on corporate profits. If the dividend tax rises to 20% next year from 15% today, then the total tax on dividends paid to shareholders would be closer to 50%, and that doesn't include state and local taxes."

http://www.worldmag.com/editorialcartoons/

‘An Especially Amateurish Example of Media Bias’ from CNN

Newsbusters  " “The Republican Party is split right down the middle between Tea Party movement supporters and those who do not support the two-and-a-half-year-old movement, according to a new national survey,” a Thursday CNN.com “Political Ticker” post asserted in recounting the findings of a CNN/ORC poll which were cited on air by both Wolf Blitzer and John King."....

"In his “Best of the Web Today” compilation on Friday for the Wall Street Journal online, James Taranto wondered: “See the problem?” He explained:

They’re arbitrarily lumping voters who are neutral about the Tea Party with opponents in order to swell the latter’s numbers. One could just as easily write: “An overwhelming 74% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents either support the Tea Party movement or have no feelings one way or another. Just 26% oppose it.”