Monday, January 3, 2011

No Bailouts for Government Unions

Heritage   "The problem with government unions is that, unlike the private sector, governments have no competitors. If a union ends up extracting a contract from a private firm that eats up too much profits, that firm will lose out to the competition. But when a union extracts a generous contract from government, there is no check on that spending. Instead of being disciplined by more efficient competitors, the government just pays for higher spending with higher taxes or borrowing."
http://terrellaftermath.com/

Sunday, January 2, 2011

File away for future reference; Hillary: Up to her old tricks

Dick Morris  (Nov, 2010) "She always goes for the jugular and loves the politics of personal intimidation and destruction. It is because she is so well suited and adept at this form of political combat that she was instrumental in her husband’s success in beating back the impeachment efforts that stemmed from his lies under oath in the Paula Jones litigation about his affair with Monica.  
http://strangepolitics.com/
"Now she appears to have transformed the diplomatic corps into a spying operation, giving us yet another intelligence gathering agency. But, in doing so, she has undoubtedly alienated our allies and damaged our diplomats’ credibility."



There Oughta Be a Law: Californians Getting 725 New Ones in 2011

La Mesa Patch  "Trans-fats are thing of the past in certain food facilities, for example. And insurance companies can't charge men and women different rates for the same coverage." Here are a few more:

Kiss your 100-watt lightbulb goodbye  "As of Saturday, what used to be a 100-watt light bulb manufactured and sold in California will have to use 72 watts or less. The 72-watt replacement bulb, also called an energy-saving halogen light, will provide the same amount of light, called lumens, for lower energy cost.
"Similar new standards for traditional 75-watt, 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs will go into effect in California over the next few years, with wattages reduced to 53, 43 and 29 respectively."
Hat tip to Harley Standlee;Placerville, Ca.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Wars of Religion


Art: http://gospelgifs.com/
 Bruce S. Thornton  "This, finally, is what is at stake in the war against religion: whether the goods we live by and cherish — the dignity of the individual, tolerance, or respect for life — will survive, or whether they all will be swept away by history, or succumb to the materialist logic that makes each of our unique collection of chemicals no more significant or important than those of monkeys or dinosaurs, like them the playthings of chance and force, without freedom or dignity or transcendent worth — always the precondition for the worst horrors humans have inflicted on one another. Driving Christmas into the private shadows is just another signpost on the road to that inhuman and inhumane world."

Canada slashes corporate tax rate to 16.5%

Thomas Lifson  "But The Canadians have figured out something that eludes American progressives: taxing corporations is a silly way to raise revenue for the state, as it hinders job creation..."
I've been an hourly employee in a union family all my life before and after serving in the Marines, but we knew our family's well-being depended on the well-being of those who employed us. Business people were our benefactors and Democrats are the enemies of employers.

The President Is No Prosecutor/ Congress, not the executive, controls criminal law.

Andrew C. McCarthy "Messrs. Rivkin and Casey specifically target budget provisions that bar using federal funds to transfer prisoners detained at Guantanamo Bay to the United States. This maneuver, the authors correctly assert, thwarts civilian prosecution. It keeps the terrorists outside federal-court jurisdiction and thus prevents their physical presence at trial, a constitutional right the lawyers reasonably assume the detainees would have in the civilian justice system. "

Eric Holder’s ‘Made-Up’ Defense   "He claims that the New Black Panther case is a "made up controversy." Holder would be well-advised to retreat from this position. Too many stories, too many incidents are known by too many people."

The American 21st Century

Victor Davis Hanson "The American Constitution has been tested over 223 years. In contrast, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Russia, and South Korea have constitutional pedigrees of not much more than 60 years. The last time Americans killed each other in large numbers was nearly a century and a half ago; most of our rivals have seen millions of their own destroyed in civil strife and internecine warring just this past century.
"In short, a nation’s health is gauged not by bouts of recession and self-doubt, but by the durability of its political, economic, military, and social foundations. A temporarily ill-seeming America is nevertheless still growing, stable, multiethnic, transparent, individualistic, self-critical, and meritocratic; almost all of its apparently healthy rivals, by contrast, are not."

ObaToons

http://townhall.com/cartoons/kencatalino/2010/12/29/76893

http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/


'A big f------ deal' and more: The top 10 political quotes of 2010

The Hill  "Vice President Joe Biden’s use of profanity, a New York congressman’s admission of groping and a denial of witchcraft were among the top 10 political quotes of 2010.
"The healthcare reform debate is featured in several others, ranging from a Texas lawmaker’s outburst of “baby killer” to President Obama’s admission that he and his party took a “shellacking” in the midterm elections. " Via Lucianne

ABC Warns Republicans Against Challenging ObamaCare

Newsbusters  "If Pres. Obama's signal fight in the coming year will be preserving ObamaCare, he can count on at least one ally in his struggle with Republicans: ABC News and in particular its Political Director, Amy Walter.
"On GMA today, Walter issued a stern warning to Republicans who might have the audacity of hoping to repeal ObamaCare."
http://bigjournalism.com/

















MSNBC: Bush's Book Is Popular Because He Was So Hated  From Newsbusters: "So, Bush's book is popular because:"
1.He's hated
2.People bought it as a gag
3.People received it as a gift they didn't want
4.Books are cheaper now
5.It's shorter than Clinton's
"It takes an amazing amount of rationalizations to be a liberal these days, doesn't it?"

What Is 'American Exceptionalism?'

FamilySecurityMatters.org  "Even President Obama, when asked if he believes in American exceptionalism said yes, just as the French and British believe in their own exceptionalism. And this remark raised the hackles of those who believe that with all our flaws, we have managed to be exceptional in almost every way—including the constant effort to admit and correct our shortcomings."
Very good article, though we did have a problem with it's author's view that the Constitution changes with the times. If they meant by amendments, OK, but if they meant interpretation by the courts, we have problems. That "living, breathing document" line is a fancy way of saying we will not be bound by the Constitution".
Hat tip to Astute Blogger

Yes, the Greatest Country Ever   Britain "invented the rights that are the bedrock of liberal democracy. More than most European powers, it lived by Adam Smith’s formula for prosperity: “peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice.” From a tiny island, it came to govern an enormous extent of the globe in a relatively benign colonialism. It was a bulwark against the dictatorships of the Continent, from Napoleon, to the Kaiser, to Hitler. And it spawned the countries that have made the English-speaking world a synonym for good governance and liberty: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and America.
"Which brings us to the U.S."   Rich Lowry is editor of National Review. 
Mr. Lowry speaks frankly of America's failures, but in context with her successes. Which I'm sure will irritate Tavis Smiley no end.

Top Ten Reasons America Won’t Miss the 111th Congress

Heritage  "The American people, though, think differently, and they have already issued their verdict on the 111th Congress by way of an earthshaking election in November. If you take a look at some of Congress’ big-ticket “accomplishments,” you might understand where they’re coming from. Here’s a look at 10 major pieces of legislation coming out of Congress the last two years and why Americans might not be so pleased:"...

Hillbuzz photo
Never forget this act.