Henry Waxman: The Witch Hunter of Capitol Hill

National Review "If he isn’t meddling, he isn’t working. And if he isn’t using his powers to bully, bulldoze, or bankrupt his enemies, he is failing the gods of progressivism." Michelle Malkin

Next Battle: Immigration; How it will all play out

Victor Davis Hanson "We know the boilerplate well after a year of health-care acrimony. First, immigration policy — like health care, and cap-and-trade to come — will be cast as a civil-rights issue. That is, free access to the United States and, for some, its entitlement industry for millions of impoverished Mexicans will be redefined as comparable to ending discrimination in the South in the 1960s. Next, skeptics will be branded “racists” and “nativists,” as is being done now to the tea partiers. A few House members will wade through anti-illegal-immigration rallies, and within minutes the media will announce “racial slurs” and “a scary atmosphere” suggesting “violence” and “hatred.” This polarization is critical for the bill’s passage, since it does not have 50 percent public support — and won’t unless a series of constituencies can be united to see the issue in polarities such as us vs. them, whites vs. people of color, rich vs. poor. Blacks will be told it is Birmingham all over again. The Mexican-American middle class, highly skeptical of open borders, will be told that opposition to amnesty is “anti-Hispanic.” " Much more inside...

Obama to Open Offshore Areas to Oil Drilling for First Time

NY Times "Unlike the Bush plan, however, Mr. Obama’s proposal would put Bristol Bay, home to major Alaskan commercial fisheries and populations of endangered whales, off limits to oil rigs. Actual drilling in much of the newly opened areas, if it takes place, would not begin for years. " Many places, however are off limits. Via Heritage.

Liberal Bloopers: Iowa Town Renames Good Friday to 'Spring Holiday'

ABC News "Citing the Separation of Church and State, Davenport Nixes Holy Day." Bob Newhart had a great line he uttered in one of the "Newhart" episodes featuring a meeting full of local town characters: his character Dick Loudon said he'd never seen so much stupidity concentrated in one place. That comes to mind often when reading about progressive bloopers.

An Open Letter to Sean Penn

Newsbusters "The following is an open letter from actress Maria Conchita Alonso ... who penned this response to actor Sean Penn's recent remarks on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" in which the left-wing actor defended Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez." Hat tip to Jeff Hayden.

Political Cartoons by Wayne Stayskal

Townhall

We Are All Pods Now

Victor Davis Hanson "A year ago I had a vague idea that abroad to be democratic, pro-Western, capitalist, and friendly to the U.S. — a Britain, Colombia, Czech Republic, Honduras, Israel, or Poland — was considered good. And to be authoritarian, anti-Western, statist or communist, and anti-American was worse: a Cuba, Gaza, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, or Venezuela was considered, well, in the words of Robert Gibbs, “problematic.” No mas."

Why the Health Care Bill Could Be Repealed

RealClearPolitics "1. This bill is substantively different than Social Security and Medicare.".... "2. This bill is more similar to government programs that Congresses have repealed.".... "3. This bill starts on a different footing than Social Security or Medicare.".... "4. Conservatives may have the votes to repeal the bill.".... Sean Trende

Chicago Does Socialism

Victor Davis Hanson "In any isolated circumstance, we are willing to give the president of the United States a pass on a particular disturbing decision. But after 14 months of them, the Obama particulars add up to a remaking of America that is now clear and consistent: Grow government; redistribute income; establish permanent political constituencies of dependents; increase entitlements; hike taxes; demonize “them” while deifying their supposed victims; seek global neutrality abroad; and always play fast and loose with the truth. What do we end up with? "

In Cantor Case, Media Fanned Flames of Violence: ‘There Will Be Blood’

Big Journalism "Norman Leboon, a convert to Islam, was charged today with making death threats against the House Republican Whip, Eric Cantor (R-VA), and his family. The threat came in a YouTube video that Leboon posted last Wednesday. In it, Leboon says: Remember Eric…our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given. You are a liar, you’re a Lucifer, you’re a pig, a greedy [expletive deleted] pig. You’re an abomination. You receive my bullets in your office. Remember they will be placed in your heads. You and your children are Lucifer’s abominations. " Pamela Geller

Democratic senator: Voting for ObamaCare was “political folly”

Hot Air "Oh, and if you’re still angry at your Blue Dog congressman for gifting your children with this costly new liability, here’s a fun idea: Send him or her a commemorative Barack Obama health-care certificate. With some bus money, preferably, so he/she has transportation out of D.C. in January."

Waxman’s Vendetta

NRO "Waxman, the liberal lion who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is on the case. He doesn’t want to change the tax provision; he wants to browbeat the affected corporations. He has called the CEOs of AT&T, Caterpillar, and Deere to testify before his committee, accompanying his summons with a far-reaching document request lest the corporations miss the point: This is naked political harassment." Rich Lowry.