Before we fall in love with Rand Paul, how about his foreign policy?

His father, Ron Paul's policy of "Be nice to Iran and they will be nice to us" sounds too low-information to be taken seriously. Perhaps that is why so many on the left liked Paul Sr. and that alone makes him seem too Bill Ayers-ish for me. TW

 

Rand Paul’s confused foreign policy speech  "I do not believe Rand Paul is anti-Israel or subscribes to the conspiracy theories of his father. But this was a naive and, in some ways, silly speech. It is not going to help him in his quest to attain political acceptability as a presidential candidate."

But on the other hand; Rand Paul’s foreign policy speech: No to isolationism, no to neoconservatism, yes to containment
"But distinguishing himself from GOP hawks is only half the goal here; the other half, as is often true lately, is distinguishing himself from his pop. Which explains why the speech begins with an indictment of radical Islam, including this pointed comment:" Paul here makes too much of McCain's jest that we stay in Iraq for 100 years. That's something Obama would do.

Jennifer Rubin: Time for hawks to wake up  "They now face a Rand Paul problem because they did not construct a sound, reasonable national security policy that would endure over time. In short, they lost the public and now they are panicked that Paul may win the party and the country over."
Emphasis in the original.

Rand Paul is no Ron Paul, and he'll go to Israel to prove it "Support for Israel’s right to exist doesn’t stop at rhetorical backing for its right to defend itself but would necessitate a recalibration of much of Paul’s foreign policy. Would he support or even involve America in a strike against Iranian nuclear facilities? Would he militarily defend Israel if it was attacked? If the answer is “yes” to either question, then Rand Paul will find himself to be a man without a movement."

Rand Paul’s Foreign Policy  "As long as he opposes the hawks in the party on any one thing, whether it is on foreign aid or military spending or something else, they will continue to distrust him. "

Two photos added: 76 Years Since the Hindenburg Disaster

An aerial view of the wreckage of the Hindenburg airship near the hangar at the Naval Air station in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on May 7, 1937.

The Hindenburg’s Interior: Passenger Decks

Passenger cabin

The Atlantic  (From 2012)   "Last Sunday, May 6, marked the 75th anniversary of the 1937 Hindenburg disaster. The massive German airship caught fire while attempting to land near Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 people aboard, plus one ground crew member. Of the 97 passengers and crew members on board, 62 managed to survive. The horrifying incident was captured by reporters and photographers and replayed on radio broadcasts, in newsprint, and on newsreels. News of the disaster led to a public loss of confidence in airship travel, ending an era. The 245 m (803 f) Hindenburg used flammable hydrogen for lift, which incinerated the airship in a massive fireball, but the actual cause of the initial fire remains unknown. Gathered here are images of the Hindenburg's first successful year of transatlantic travel, and of its tragic ending 75 years ago. 

(Also, be sure to see Recovered Letters Reveal the Lost History of the Hindenburg on Atlantic Video.) [34 photos]"

Hat tip to Walt Stier, Santa Maria, CA

The Atlantic

The crash site today

 411mania

Google

Many more posts on history, culture, politics and media at the Tunnel Wall blog

The Cruz-Feinstein kerfuffle

Cruz and Feinstein in blow up over the Second Amendment
Liberals "accuse you of trying to trap them, or, as in the case of Senator Diane Feinstein who was asked a question by Senator Ted Cruz about applying her interpretation of the Second Amendment to the First Amendment, they whine about being lectured, or as Nancy Pelosi dismissively said when asked if the individual Obamacare mandate was constitutional replied "Are you serious?"

Here's the transcript. 

The GOP Could Learn A Lot From Ted Cruz

Legal Insurrection: Ann Coulter makes that point about DiFi’s response to Ted Cruz, which we featured yesterday  "... Offended should not be an acceptable answer. 
"But, Offended is accepted as an answer virtually everywhere, particularly on campuses, unless the person offended is a religious Christian, in which case Offended is both the goal of the question and one of the few instances in which Offended is not an acceptable answer."
 

Dianne Feinstein: “I Felt Patronized” By Ted Cruz…  Video

 Dianne Feinstein is the Sixth-Grade Poster Child for Incompetency   "Instead of answering Sen. Cruz’s questions, Feinstein threw out several red herrings. A red herring is a logical fallacy that misleads or detracts from the actual issue. When you don’t like the way a cross examination is going, employ the red herring to dodge the question."
 

Ted Cruz At CPAC: “God Bless Bloggers,” Toasts Andrew Breitbart…

What can we contribute to St Patrick's Day?

The Unspoken Ghosts of Irish-Americans
"Ireland had no defense forces until about 1913, so its people were captured and enslaved by many nations over the years. They endured more oppression than American blacks and suffered living conditions not unlike Jews of the Holocaust. But harboring grudges against ghosts of heritages past was not a mainstay for Irish Americans*. They had more important things to do. We know so little of our Irish’s torturous past because of their impressive will to live beyond victimization rather than living in it. America’s Irish are prime examples of sheer determination turning adversity into stepping stones of a better life."
*Apparently they had no Farrakhans or Rev. Wrights.
But I digress:
 "Throughout the 1600-1700s the Irish settled in Early American colonies and by the 1860s they were among America’s greatest Civil War heroes, renowned for their bravery and leadership. Their competence, patriotic enthusiasm and ingrained confidence in overcoming obstacles helped to diminish some of the religious bigotry against them in a predominantly Protestant America. Of this Civil War Irish History writes:

“There is perhaps no other ethnic group so closely identified with the Civil War years and the immediate aftermath of the war as Irish Americans.  Read more...

We posted this in the Tunnel Wall one year ago and felt it ought to have an encore: The Irish Brigade at Gettysburg

This painting by Don Troiani is titled New York’s Bravest. It is courtesy of 

www.historicalimagebank.com. 

Despite Cuts, Schumer Gets Marine Corps Band to Play at St. Patrick’s Day Parade  "Forget the sequester. If you're Chuck Schumer, there are ways around it. Consider the recent example of a U.S. Marine Corps band cancelling its scheduled performance at a St. Patrick's Day parade due to the "sequester"--and Chuck Schumer's successful "push" for the band to come anyway."

Obama’s Second Term Troubles Have Begun

http://terrellaftermath.com/

Obama’s Second Term Troubles Have Begun  "In the aftermath of President Obama’s now-obvious-to-all sequester overreach–in which he first predicted the end of the world as we know it, then backed away from those claims once the cuts went into effect, then attempted to inflict maximum pain on the American people, and is now blaming the Secret Service for the stupid and unnecessary decision to shut down White House tours–something is changing."

 

The Obama Quagmire; Column: How Chuck Hagel and the sequester stalled the president’s agenda  "Bwack! Lame Duckery is Calling: It may be very lonely when the half-mil donors run out of money." Lucianne

Obama: Our Out-of-Control Debt Is ‘Sustainable’ for the Next Decade
"Even given his pathetic opponent, Obama’s ridiculous assertion might have buried him electorally if he had uttered it during the presidential campaign. Assuming he really believes it, he should have. Instead, as has so often been the case, he chose to mislead the American people. “Progressives” have known for decades that they can’t win elections if they tell us what they really believe."

Obama Administration's Transparency: "Pretty Weak"  "Appearing at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) might cause some controversy. Would Cause of Action be as hard on a Democrat as on a Republican? "It's hard to speculate on what would happen if someone else was in office," Hutchins said. "[But] what we found is that the current state of transparency is pretty weak." " 

House Republicans Challenge Obama on the Budget, Sequestration, and Energy

NRO "President Obama is meeting with House Republicans at the Capitol. According to GOP sources, members are challenging him on a variety of issues."  Among these are:

...Representative Candice Miller (R., Mich.) asked the president to stop playing games with sequestration and reopen the White House for tours.

...Representative Peter Roskam (R., Ill.) challenged Obama about his leadership. He described the current political problems in Illinois, and told Obama that he needs to do a better job than Democrats in their state.
Basically Rep. Roskam said Obama was turning the US into a big Illinois.


Obama Huddles with House Republicans  "The overall tone of the meeting seems to have been cordial. Asked if Obama lectured the group, Representative Steve King (R., Iowa.) hesitated for a moment. “Maybe a little bit,” he said at last."

Republican confronts Obama on birth-control mandate  "Fortenberry has been one of the most vocal critics of that decision, which was passed down by the Health and Human Services Department in January of last year as the agency was implementing the Democrats' healthcare reform law. Opponents say it will force some employers – particularly faith-based non-profits – to cover contraception in defiance of their moral convictions."

Tense meeting between President Obama, House GOP  "Republicans focused on political issues — quizzing Obama on why his White House stopped giving tours after the sequester took effect. But the House GOP also delved into policy, where Republicans heard Obama say he doesn’t want to balance the budget in 10 years. That’s the challenge issued by Rep. Paul Ryan in the GOP budget unveiled on Tuesday."

Jay Carney may be out sitting on a ledge somewhere

Time For Carney To Go? White House Press Secretary Clearly Stressed, Burnt Out  "Over the past few weeks, however, a noticeable(sp) behavior has manifested itself in Carney’s daily briefings. He has become more testy, more combative, more personal with the White House Press Corps than anyone in his position prior. It seems if any reporter questions this White House—which has arguably experienced its worst month if recent precipitous drops in the polls are any indication—they are attacked publicly and directly."
...."Given the precedence, there’s no shame in taking the money and running, Jay.
"You’ve performed one of the most difficult water-collar jobs in the world for two years with passion and fortitude, but your patience looks to be at an end."

But, but Fox News and the White House were getting along so well together! Jay Carney Breaks News, Spars With Fox News’ Ed Henry, On President Obama’s Budget  "That’s the premise that Fox’s Ed Henry began with. “In terms of the Ryan budget,” he asked Jay Carney at Tuesday’s briefing, “how can you attack the Ryan budget when you are standing here without an Obama budget?” "

White House Press Secretary Contradicts Obama's Claims About Cancellation of Tours, ABC Ignores  "In an "exclusive" interview with ABC, Barack Obama on Tuesday dodged responsibility for the ending of White House tours, stating, "I have to say this was not a decision that went up to the White House." The President placed the responsibility on the Secret Service. Later in the day, press secretary Jay Carney contradicted Obama and admitted that the White House cancelled the tours. ABC's World News on Wednesday and Good Morning America on Thursday didn't bother to cover updates on Obama's denial."
....
"Later, Carney attempted to clarify for the President: "The Secret Service made the decision made a decision about its budget and to withdraw personal from its tours. We had to cancel the tours. It's our job to cancel the tours.""

Carney Rejects Questions on Cost of Presidential Travel, Golf Outings "Carney went on to blame the matter on Republicans." (Video)

Jay Carney Snaps at NPR Reporter Over Budget Question

Allen West: “Nothing On This Green Earth Liberal Progressives Fear More” Than A Conservative “Black American”…

Weasel Zippers 

“I’m speaking from experience when I tell you that there is nothing on this green earth that a liberal progressive fears more than a black American who wants a better life and a smaller government.”

5 Tips for Coming Out as a Black Conservative  It's like leaving a cult.

"In a way, listening to Rush Limbaugh proved a form of youthful rebellion. My curiosity was aroused by leftist characterizations of the man as a bigoted hate-monger. Surely, listening to the rantings of a modern-day Klansman would prove entertaining.

"You can fill in the rest of the story. What Limbaugh had to say on those daily drives to college proved more enlightening than what I was offered in class. I was not converted so much as matched with the ideology I implicitly held.
As I came of age politically, the reality of being a black conservative was no more isolating than being a Jehovah’s Witness. I had grown used to being a minority within a minority, the odd guy out, and having to routinely explain myself to others."   (Emphasis added)
Walter Hudson is a political commentator and activist in Minnesota. He writes a blog entitled Fightin Words and co-hosts the weekly podcast Liberty Tree Radio. He also contributes to True North, a hub of conservative Minnesotan commentary, and regularly appears on the Twin Cities News Talk Weekend Roundtable on KTCN AM 1130.

 

 Speaking of which:  Dr. Carson: The Ryan Budget Works 

 

All Democrat eyes on 2014

http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2013/03/branco-cartoon-stepping-up/

Rush: "He has not started governing yet. He's got this Organizing for Action thing, which is a continuation of the campaign, the perpetual campaign."    "....why does this guy continue to be popular and get reelected? And it's because nobody associates him with the bad things happening in the country. And that's why he will never come to an agreement with Republicans on, say, the fiscal cliff or the debt ceiling or the sequester."

ObamaCare: Regulations and Applications

 AP Exclusive: Applying for health care not easy 

"Applying for benefits under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul could be as daunting as doing your taxes.

"The government's draft application is now on the Internet.
"It runs 15 pages for a three-person family. The online version has 21 steps, some with added questions.
"At least three major federal agencies, including the IRS, will scrutinize your application.
"That's just the first part of the process, which lets you know if you qualify for financial help.
"You'd still have to pick a health plan."

The Obamacare Application   "The application itself runs 15 pages for a family of three. The draft questionnaire that will be used to determine eligibility for subsidized insurance, composed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, runs 61 pages. 
"The AP’s conclusion is apt: “The idea that picking a health insurance plan could be as simple as shopping on the Internet is starting to look like wishful thinking.” "

 

Senate rejects Republican effort to repeal ObamaCare  "The Republican sponsors of the repeal knew it would fail Wednesday but said it was important to put senators on the record. Twenty Democratic-held seats and 13 seats held by Republicans will be up for election next year."

More problems with implementing Obamacare 

How did we get here?  

First, government programs are always more expensive than anticipated.  It is the way it is.
Second, my guess is that most Democrats voted for this law expecting The Supreme Court to reverse it.  A judicial rebuke would have given the Democrats the best of both worlds:  they voted for it but those 5 guys appointed by Bush, Bush & Reagan took your universal health care away.
Well, Supreme Court Justice Roberts spoiled the party.  He approved BO-Care on the grounds that Congress can raise taxes.
So the Democrats are now stuck in a place that they do not want to be in:  

Raising Taxes Won’t Help

American Institute for Economic Research.
Whether or not higher rates are politically popular, they cannot solve the problem of the rising federal budget deficit.

"Federal tax revenues have averaged 19.6 percent of GDP since World War II. As the chart above shows, federal receipts broke the 20 percent ceiling only once, reaching 20.6 percent during the tech boom of 2000.
"This has led many economists to argue that it is irresponsible for the U.S. to make long-term commitments to expenditure levels above about 20 percent of GDP. Nonetheless, government expenditure was 25.5 percent of GDP in 2011 and is projected to be more than 24 percent this year."

The above is an argument from reason. An ad hominem argument would be if instead of the above, I merely said Democrats are Marxists or idiots. Many leftists -Chris Matthews comes to mind- would respond to the above argument by merely calling me a racist or a tool of the rich.
Unfortunately - if you will forgive the ad hominem attack - this worked with the half of the population who voted for Obama.
More on this subject in the next post. TD

Hate Speech: Telling the Truth about Economics and Islamic Terror

Godfather Politics   "Once liberals define a word or give meaning to a political verbal weapon like hate speech, they own it. Abortion is about being “pro-choice” not pro-abortion. Homosexuality is not about sexual relations with people of the same sex; it’s about “gay pride,” whatever that means. And that’s the point. Ambiguity is the name of the game.
"The same is true of hate speech. If you disagree with liberals on an issue, the disagreement is designated as hate speech. When liberals are losing an argument, they resort to rhetorical diarrhea and call it hate speech: racist, homophobe, propagator of hate, war on women."
....
"An ad hominem (“to the man”) is an attack on the person instead of against his or her argument."  Emphasis added    Read more:

Too bad McCain wasn't that direct in real life.