Reminder: That incandescent light bulb ban was not a good idea

Hot Air  "Why? Not merely because government directives might forcibly funnel consumer demand, investment, and R&D toward a product that really isn’t ready for mass consumption, but also because, no matter how great their intentions might be, the free market is always better than politicians at picking efficient solutions. The free market’s only bias is in appealing to people’s rational self-interest; i.e., if people figure out that Product A is more expensive or of lower quality than comparable substitute Product B, people will buy Product B."
Well duuuhhh. Only a government bureaucrat would fail to figure that out.

http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/category/environmentalism/

The 50 percent solution; How we can get the fiscal Holy Grail — tax and entitlement reform all at once

Charles Krauthammer;  ….“Republicans are adamantly opposed. No more revenues, Mr. President. You got your tax hike on Jan. 1.

“Is there a solution? Yes: tax reform with a twist.

“The problem begins with definitions. By tax reform, Obama means eliminating deductions, exclusions, credits of various kinds with all the money going to the Treasury.

“That’s radically new. The historic 1986 Reagan-O’Neill tax reform closed loopholes with no extra money going to the Treasury. The new revenue went directly back to the citizenry in the form of lower tax rates.”….

ObamaCare, the caged beast about to be unleashed

http://terrellaftermath.com/

Mona Charen: As Obamacare becomes more unpopular, Republicans should be ready with an alternative. "The battle over health-care reform is not over. Yes, the 2012 election ensured that the law would not be repealed and replaced in 2013. But when the American people are unhappy with a policy, they find a way to alter it. Republicans can tie themselves in knots and consider abandoning their principles on abortion, taxes, immigration, or marriage (and perhaps some of those positions require rethinking), but the health-care issue is pitched right over home plate."

 

Offline until Friday evening

TD and wife are indisposed until Friday evening and blogging will be spotty for the next few days. I appreciate those who visit the Tunnel Wall regularly and faithfully, and dislike disappointing you, but hang in there with us, please.
The Tunnel Dweller 

The stupidity of those who govern us

These people should work at a real job during the day and legislate in the evenings. They have way too much time on their hands.

Norton

Lawmakers introduce bill to void 'Redskins' trademark  "The Non-Disparagement of American Indians in Trademark Registrations Act of 2013 is co-sponsored by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and comes days after a federal trademark panel heard arguments over whether the team name was a slur. The panel could potentially overturn the team's trademark, which would erode profits by allowing other businesses to sell apparel and goods featuring the Redskins name."

Charlie Rangel "made the extraordinary claim that "millions of kids" are dying because they are "being shot down by assault weapons."

 Progressive Radical Record of Labor Nominee Tom Perez  "Perez has twisted the rule of law to bring a lawsuit against Mowhawk Central School District in New York to ensure 8th grade students can dress in drag. The lawsuit perverted protections for women against gender discrimination and rewrote federal law to include “gender identity perception.” Thus, the school was forced to allow male children to dress in mini-skirts, stilettos and pink wigs. .... "To divert attention from the nomination of a radical, the White House has predictably played the race card. Spokesman Dan Pfeiffer reflexively attributed opposition to Perez to opposition to Latinos."

 

California: How about a retroactive tax grab, plus interest?  "“How would you feel if you made a decision, which was made four years ago, (and) you absolutely knew was legally correct and four years later a governing body came in and said, ‘no, it’s not correct, now you owe us a bunch more money. And we’re going to charge you interest on money you didn’t even know you owed’,” Brian Overstreet told Fox News from his office north of San Francisco."

While on the subject: Kaliforniya reflux disease   "I took this photo in the San Joaquin Valley: As can be seen, it is a farmers’ sign attacking politicians who created a legislated agricultural crisis.
"Further up I-5 I saw a vast dead orchard that I couldn’t get a shot of. Maybe next time."

Feds Spend $400,000 to Study Duck Genitals  "For the past four years, American taxpayers have paid nearly $400,000 so that Yale University could study the sexual conflict of waterfowl and “plasticity in duck penis length.”

Fantasy in the reality-based community over the $22 per hour minimum wage  "Professor Senator Warren’s course in “How to kill jobs 101″ is cruel and unusual punishment especially to hard working small businesses, family owned farms and companies trying to survive since 9/11 in struggling communities across our nation." One of the comments to this post:

How any thinking person, especially anyone involved in running a business, can think that tripling the minimum wage will raise the standard of living in this country is beyond comprehension. These people shouldn’t be allowed to vote, be near small children, pump gas, or play with scissors. They are dangerously ignorant.

 New Commercial Features Illegal Aliens Asking For ‘Affordable Healthcare’
"Citizens get the shaft, and illegal aliens get VIP treatment – that is America’s Sanctuary State." 

Months After Federal Raid, Gibson Guitar Still Faces No Charges  "Why did the government go after Gibson? A new video from Reason.tv explores the implications of the case, problems with the Lacey Act and how overcriminalization is threatening the American way of life.

Harry Reid and the Hawthorne Marines

 

John Bolton: Don’t confuse what Obama says with what the American people actually believe.

Jerusalem Post; Obama’s grim message to Jerusalem
"Obama has consistently demonstrated, both in his rhetoric and policies, that of all US presidents since 1948, he is the most hostile to Israel. Now safely reelected, he travels to Israel on his terms, with no potential domestic political downsides for saying things he knows Israelis (and most Americans) don’t want to hear.
"Obama will have two basic messages, one relating to the Palestinians and the other to Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
"In both Israel and the United States, the media and the political classes will likely focus on the Palestinian question, but in truth, the Iran message will be the more chilling and potentially dangerous."
....
"So here’s the real message to Israelis from Americans: Whatever our religious backgrounds, we do not agree with Obama’s views on Israel or the Middle East."

ocregister.com

 

No shortage of advice for the GOP. Certainly not here.

What I cannot figure is who is actually running this nation? We see below how Obama is turning the GOP into knots and befuddling them completely, winning most encounters with them. Yet he went into office with nearly zero experience in governing anything and is -I'd say- the least qualified man in Washington to do so. This being so, then just who is the brains behind the Obama golden tongue?

Ann Coulter; Stop letting idiots destroy GOP  "Not two days later, in the Republican primary for Tim Scott’s old congressional seat from South Carolina, among the top two finalists was Mark Sanford, the Todd Akin of South Carolina. You would think Akin would stand in history to teach Republicans to stop giving away winnable seats by running ridiculous candidates. Alas, no."

The Republican ‘Autopsy’  "The RNC’s report bears an eerie resemblance to establishment Republicanism c. 1945."
"....as Brent Bozell put it, establishment Republicans are trying to “out-Democrat” the Democrats."

Photo: Republican Thomas E. Dewey, who lost in 1948 to Democrat Harry Truman. Don't gloat, Democrats; today you would call Truman a right-wing extremist.


Michael Barone; The GOP should at least avoid an alienating tone in the immigration debate.    "My observation in travel over the years is that Hispanics are treated very differently by Anglos in Texas than in California.
"In Texas, white Anglos see people with Hispanic features as fellow Texans. They smile and say howdy. They know, because they have to take Texas history in high school, that Hispanics have been living in Texas for more than 200 years and that some fought for Texas independence against Mexico."  (Emphasis added.)"The Republican National Committee report is not a bad start."

Four Things the RNC Report Got Right   "...it did get a few important things right. I do mean a few — I usually have five in these columns, but I could only think of four."
I particularly liked this section: "Kill Cannibalistic Primaries."
...."As the military saying goes, “amateurs talk about strategy, professionals talk about logistics.” And that’s what the RNC document does, mostly." 

Jerusalem Post Editor, Caroline Glick: 'We Can't Figure Out What He's Doing Here'

Big Journalism "Appearing with Brian Wilson and myself Wednesday morning, Glick said the Israeli people "can't figure out what he's doing here," when asked about the mood in Jerusalem as the President's plane touched down for the first time in his presidency.
" "Essentially his goal is to empower the un-electable, incredibly radical left in Israel to put pressure on the Israeli government for whatever concessions he wants it to make to the PLO," said Glick in evaluating the reasons why Obama will be meeting with university students and members of the Palestinian Government during his visit.
"When asked about how the installment of Chuck Hagel as the Secretary of Defense was received by the Israeli people, Glick said, "It's a hostile act." "
Listen to the entire interview:
I hate it when these videos begin automatically and make you endure a long commercial. If I can learn how to imbed them without this happening, I will. But until then, please excuse the non-professionalism. A fellow blogger advised me to find this on Youtube, but no luck yet. 

Tours to the crisis factory are still closed

http://netrightdaily.com/2013/03/the-obama-wonka-crisis-factory/

You think YOU live in a bad neighborhood? Look at Israel.

Israel National News

Rockets hit Israel as Obama meets Palestinians  "Palestinians argue that only strong U.S. pressure can get Israel to change course and halt its settlement enterprise, but doubt Obama is willing to do so. Obama's wooing of Israeli public opinion during his current trip has further enforced such perceptions."

A rocket fired at Israel from Gaza caused heavy damage to a house in Sderot Thursday morning

Obama Speaks Under Arafat Banner

"Arafat, as the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting has noted, "is known to many as the “father of modern terrorism.” Below is a timeline of some of the key events of his life and terrorist acts with which he was associated." "

 

Khamenei: Iran Will Destroy Israeli Cities If Attacked  " “At times the officials of the Zionist regime (Israel) threaten to launch a military invasion but they themselves know that if they make the slightest mistake the Islamic Republic will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during an address, broadcast live on state television."

 

Obama Heckled During Speech to Israeli People  Not what you might think or hope; it appears to have been about Pollard. 

Sean Moore Says NJ Child Welfare Agency Overreacted To Facebook Photo Of Son Josh Holding Rifle

HuffPo

"The ruddy-cheeked, camouflage-clad boy in the photo smiles out from behind a pair of glasses, proudly holding a gun his father gave him as a present for his upcoming 11th birthday.
"The weapon in the photo, posted by his dad on Facebook, resembles a military-style assault rifle but, his father says, is actually just a .22-caliber copy. And that, the family believes, is why child welfare case workers and police officers visited the home in Carneys Point last Friday and asked to see his guns."
....
" "I don't like what happened," he said. "You're not even safe in your own house. If they can just show up at any time and make you open safes and go through your house, that's not freedom; it's like tyranny." "
Hat tip to Rich Cutter Avallone