Absolute Malice in Mumbai

Rich Lowry:

Coming just weeks after Barack Obama’s election, the massacre explodes the Left’s most reductive explanation of Islamic terrorism: that President George W. Bush and his provocations, including the Iraq War, dangerously inflamed Muslims and fueled terror. With a security agreement setting a goal of a U.S. exit from Iraq by 2012 and Bush leaving office, jihadists are still at their monstrous handiwork. They have an ideological goal larger than any one conflict or any American president.

And the absolute malice of the Mumbai terrorists is a reminder of a piece of supposed Bush/Cheney alarmism: that should these as-yet low-tech killers — armed with guns and grenades — ever acquire weapons of mass destruction, they will use them without hesitation.

Mark Steyn, Tim Rutten. Killers without mercy, murderers of all human decency. This is what we face. And in this most sacred season for Westerners, say a prayer for all who died, and for all who live and embrace life not death.

I love this woman

Time goes by on Michelle Rhee, DC Supt:

Rhee is, as a rule, far nicer to students than to most adults. In many private encounters with officials, bureaucrats and even fundraisers--who have committed millions of dollars to help her reform the schools--she doesn't smile or nod or do any of the things most people do to put others at ease. She reads her BlackBerry when people talk to her. I have seen her walk out of small meetings held for her benefit without a word of explanation. She says things most superintendents would not. "The thing that kills me about education is that it's so touchy-feely," she tells me one afternoon in her office. Then she raises her chin and does what I come to recognize as her standard imitation of people she doesn't respect. Sometimes she uses this voice to imitate teachers; other times, politicians or parents. Never students. "People say, 'Well, you know, test scores don't take into account creativity and the love of learning,'" she says with a drippy, grating voice, lowering her eyelids halfway. Then she snaps back to herself. "I'm like, 'You know what? I don't give a crap.' Don't get me wrong. Creativity is good and whatever. But if the children don't know how to read, I don't care how creative you are. You're not doing your job."

Yes!

Time goes on: (where have you been, Time? a few lost generations of mostly poor black kids on your lack of a watch)

The most glaring example of the backward logic of schools is the way most teachers receive lifetime job security after one or two years of work. As Larry Rosenstock, CEO of eight California charter schools, noted at an education panel last spring, we don't give that kind of job security to pilots or doctors--or any others who hold our children's fate in their hands: "What is it that is so exceptional about teachers that they should have this unique right?

The teachers' union--Democrats most sacred of cows. Enough.

Give Thanks

Obama's Rich Revelation

Will Obama spike the lard omelet farm bill he sanctioned before the election? WSJ.

Wilmette Bike Drive Success

On that Pedal Power. From trustee Mike Basil:

Nicole collected 247 bikes, 54 helmets, $700 in contributions to buy additional helmets, and 12 scooters from people who traveled from near and far to participate. Unbelievable. 220 bikes were delivered to Hull House on Saturday, and 27 bikes needed extensive repairs, so they were donated to the "Recyclery" in Evanston, which is a faith-based organization that will repair the bikes and donate them to kids in area Head Start programs.

The owner of Wilmette Bicycle & Sport Shop donated his own time plus the time of one of his mechanics for the entire day on Saturday tuning up the 220 donated bikes, making them gift-ready. This Wilmette business showed incredible generosity and deserves very special gratitude and recognition.

Here's the best part:

Hull House has created a new distribution plan specifically for Nicole's efforts, where children in some of the most difficult neighborhoods in Chicago will be rewarded for high achievement in school with a new bike and helmet. The first group of kids will receive their rewards this Wednesday at the Mahalia Jackson school on the south side, and Nicole and Bennett will be there to help distribute the bikes.

There will be hundreds of deserving, needy kids in Chicago who will earn a terrific reward for their hard work in school under the most challenging of circumstances. All because ordinary people on the North Shore came together to achieve an extraordinary result.

North Shore Brushes Back Liberals

A few hopeful signs amid the leftward wave--liberal overreach brushed back on the North Shore.

Kenilworth reasserts private property rights

Winnetka overturns 20 year gun ban

Wilmette lets go a public sector porker

And voters resisted the easy solution siren song, keeping Mark Kirk in Congress and Beth Coulson in the state legislature. Some things to be thankful for.

Holy Land Foundation Guilty

This is very good news. The Holy Land Foundation, a front for terrorists, found guilty, guilty, guilty. Powerline.

UPDATE: More detail here, (via Andrew McCarthy), who is quoted:

"This is one of the most significant victories the Justice Department has won in the war on terror," said Andrew McCarthy, who prosecuted blind cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and 11 others for conspiring to blow up a series of New York landmarks. "Financing is the life-blood of jihadist organizations like Hamas. With the assistance of willing co-conspirators, they conceal their activities and use the Muslim obligation of charitable giving to mask support that is actually channeled to their murderous agenda. Today's verdicts say, loudly and clearly, that Americans aren't fooled and won't tolerate it. As a former federal prosecutor, I am especially proud of the assistant U.S. attorneys who persevered through some real travails in securing justice for the American people."

Previous post: Cair on Trial Too.

Another Outlook

Have a happy Thanksgiving, and God Bless.

Gender Neutral

Going for a color-blind, gender-blind society based on merit--it's the conservative approach. My blog analyzed by GenderAnalyzer:

We guess http://backyardconservative.blogspot.com/ is written by a man (53%), however it's quite gender neutral.

Michelle's Choice

Guess who recently said the following: "Tenure is the holy grail of teacher unions, but it has no educational value for kids; it only benefits adults."

A right-wing blogger? No, those are the words of Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the Washington, D.C. schools, who is speaking truth to teacher-union power to shake up one of the nation's worst education systems.

In going after tenure, Ms. Rhee is taking on the holiest citadel of the education establishment. This summer she offered a new teacher contract proposal with two options. Teachers could choose a plan under which their pay would rise spectacularly -- nearly doubling by 2010 -- in exchange for giving up tenure. Or they could opt for a smaller pay bump and still lose some seniority rights.[snip]

Washington is the lowest-performing school district in the nation. Only 12% of D.C. eighth graders are proficient readers, 8% in math. A mere 60% of high schoolers finish in four years with a diploma. The problem can't be money; Washington's per-pupil spending is the third-highest in the nation, at $13,000 a head.

WSJ. Michelle Obama chose private school Sidwell Friends for her daughters. Single mom Michelle Rhee fights for public school reform in D.C.

Both are Democrats. One is speaking truth to power.

Mormons did not steal your rights

From my friend Jason on the anti-Christian bigotry, especially anti-Mormon: Mormons did not steal your rights.com

Jason:

If you have been reading the news you have no doubt heard the stories about members of the LDS faith being targeted for speaking out on issue that is important to them and their families. This targeting has involved blacklisting, public demonstrations in hopes to shut down LDS places of worship, boycotts and public intimidation of small players and contributers to prop 8, death threats and more.

You may not agree with Prop 8 or LDS theology, but surely we can agree that the initmidating and the supressing of free speech does nothing to enhance our nation and our democracy. And surely you can recognize that the targeting of one religous group in a broad coalition of people amounts to the same intolerance, bigotry and hate that "No on Prop 8" protesters supposedly despise so much and are "rallying" against.

Shop at Sears

Got this email making the rounds from a friend:

Sears - Christmas shopping has already started. I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn't always my first choice.

It's amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they haven't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there, so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves.

Pass it on.

I decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department:

I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If it is, the Internet may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it's cheaper at that store.

This is their answer t o my e-mail:

Dear Customer:
Thank you for contacting Sears.The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback.
Sears regards service to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time.

Bill Thorn
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them, as Americans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!!

It's also Verified By Snopes.com at:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp

Yes Virginia, Penny Pincher

Yes Virginia, the real rich don't pay taxes. Missed this the other day. NY Times comments on Obama backer and mega-fundraiser Penny Pincher Pritzker withdrawing her name for consideration as his Commerce Secretary:

Earlier in her career, Ms. Pritzker was involved in running and overseeing Superior Bank, in a Chicago suburb, which focused on bundling subprime mortgages into securities, the practice that later helped set off the current financial crisis. The institution collapsed in 2001.

Moreover, Ms. Pritzker’s family is renowned for finding ways to avoid paying taxes on its wealth. The Pritzkers were pioneers in using tax loopholes to shelter their holdings from the Internal Revenue Service, and many of their dealings have never been made public. [snip]

A 2002 report by the inspector general of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation concluded that “the failure of Superior Bank was directly attributable to bank management and the board of directors ignoring sound risk management principles and failing to adequately oversee Superior operations.”

The Pritzkers agreed in 2001 to pay the F.D.I.C. $460 million over 15 years to cover claims by depositors. Still, more than 1,400 depositors who had more than $100,000 in their savings accounts — the maximum the government then insured — were left short about $10 million, said Clint Krislov, a lawyer for several of them. “Why the Pritzkers wouldn’t do the right thing and just make these people whole for the small amount of money that it would take, I still cannot understand,” he said.

It's classic for liberals--generous with other people's money, not their own. (even stiffing their own family members)

Jade

This is a plant my daughter got on a kindergarten field trip to the Botanic Garden. I once put it outside during a summer vacation and came back to find it chewed to a stump. For 20 plus years I have somehow managed not to kill it. A reward today in a sunny window.

The New Green Yoke

Climate change fanatics ride high, taking the global temperature. The liberal elite takes over Congress, tossing out an old left chairman from Michigan. WSJ:

That fissure neatly separates the Waxman Democrats from the old vanguard that Mr. Dingell represents. He was first elected in 1955 and has always tried to protect his hometown Detroit auto makers from the eco-mandates that ultimately helped to land them in their present predicament. Mr. Dingell's rough-hewn candor about the realities of "doing something" about climate change also helped to make him a green pariah. He knows that carbon regulation and taxes will fall most heavily on domestic manufacturing and Midwest states that rely on coal-fired power. His sympathies lie with the people who work near (or in) factories and drive Fords or Chevys.

Mr. Waxman, speaking for the upscale precincts of Beverly Hills, wants to phase out coal and cars that use gasoline. The coastal elites who now dominate Democratic politics will happily trade the blue collar for the green collar.

As Barack's chief of staff, is Rahmbo going to rein in these liberals or harness them for a huge government expansion built on our taxpaying backs? Looks like Big Green has a green light, and Rahm and Barack are hanging back letting the stock market free fall. Illinois is already an economic basket case under Dem "leadership", as is Michigan.

And Sen. McCain? Please don't reward our support by becoming a pawn on unworkable and expensive carbon caps.

The new green yoke, choking off economic recovery all in thrall to a dubious threat.

P.S. We can create jobs by drilling in the US and building nuclear power plants--private sector expansion.

Dutch Winter

We had a few snow flurries yesterday and Thanksgiving comes next week. It won't be long until winter--which I always loved as a kid, as an adult came more responsibilities. I'm not in the market for buying Dutch masters, but this is a reminder of a childhood favorite, Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates. Do kids still read this? And I think there was a movie.

Mukasey's Message on Al Qaeda here

Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Atty Gen. Michael Mukasey, who collapsed yesterday giving a speech on this very subject, "Al Qaeda Detainees and Congress's Duty". Mukasey has been begging Congress to act since last July, laying out urgent concerns and offering this framework:

First, Congress must make clear that release from the Guantanamo Bay military base does not mean that a detainee is entitled to enter the United States. Where a court finds that a detainee cannot be held as an enemy combatant, he should be returned to his home country or another country willing to receive him. He should not be permitted to jump the immigration line and enter this country.

Second, habeas corpus proceedings must protect the integrity of classified information and prevent disclosing that information to our enemies. Simply put, Congress should devise rules that allow the government to present the most highly classified information to the courts for their sole review.

We should not be forced to choose between continuing to hold a dangerous detainee and jeopardizing the intelligence sources and methods that Americans have risked their lives to obtain, and which our enemies may then render useless.

Third, Congress should establish sensible and uniform procedures that will eliminate the risk of duplicative efforts and inconsistent rulings, and strike a reasonable balance between the detainees' right to a hearing and our national security needs. Such practical rules must assure that court proceedings do not interfere with the mission of our armed forces.

Lawyers are not protecting us overseas after all. Here at home a judge has ruled for the release of 5 Gitmo detainees. Andrew McCarthy, NRO:

All that said, though, Judge Leon concluded that “[t]o rest [combatant detention] on so thin a reed would be inconsistent with this court’s obligation.” That is puzzling. There is nothing in the training of a judge that makes him an expert in military matters. In our system of divided government, the question of who is an enemy combatant should be committed to the executive brach — specifically, to the military professionals waging the war. If there is any evidence supporting the military's wartime decision to detain (and, to reiterate, Judge Leon said there was sufficient evidence to hold these men for intelligence purposes), the court should defer to the military judgment.

In any event, the Times reports that Leon "directed that the five men be released 'forthwith' and urged the government not to appeal." The government is considering its appellate options. Meanwhile, one can only hope that either Algeria or some other country is willing to take these guys. Otherwise, we are in the same fix presented by the Uighur case (which will be argued on appeal next week): facing the prospect of jihadists being released into the United States.

The election is over--Congress has no excuse not to act and exercise its responsibilities--one of the federal government's primary charges is to protect this country and its citizens. And to concentrate their minds, I imagine they still have those gas masks under their seats.

P.S. If you think the administration is crying wolf, note that the NY Times, no friend of the administration, had a story yesterday on the NYPD's push for greater latitude on surveillance:

An effort by the New York Police Department to get broader latitude to eavesdrop on terrorism suspects has run into sharp resistance from the Justice Department in a bitter struggle that has left the police commissioner and the attorney general accusing each other of putting the public at risk.

The Police Department, with the largest municipal counterterrorism operation in the country, wants the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to loosen their approach to the federal law that governs electronic surveillance. But federal officials have refused to relax the standards, and have said requests submitted by the department could actually jeopardize surveillance efforts by casting doubt on their legality.

What?! Now he tells us

Obama Advisers To Public: Temper Expectations

(But who will tell the MSM?)

Rove on Two Pressing Issues

Some pointers from Karl Rove:

One problem the president-elect has to worry about is whether his transition is stockpiling problems. Encouraging this year's lame-duck Congress to decide the Colombia trade agreement would remove a messy issue from next year's calendar.

There is also a thorny local controversy. Should the new president replace U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who prosecuted Mr. Obama's fund-raising patron, Tony Rezko, and is investigating high-profile Democrats?

Beware, Barack.

P.S. Penny Pritzker takes herself out of the running for Commerce Secretary--smart woman in that anyway--she has a lot of unsavory baggage. RCP blog.

P.P.S. Jim Geraghty on Barack's early concern about the national dinner party crisis, with special mention of his Chicago initiatives. No crisis is too small.

What is at stake in Afghanistan

The writer Ann Marlowe on what is at stake in Afghanistan:

Victory in Afghanistan -- defined as the time when we can pack up and leave Afghans to govern and defend their own country -- will come. It will take patience, however. After meeting with Mr. Doulat, I visited a girls' school in neighboring Tani District and stepped into a first-grade class with about 20 girls. None of them had a mother who was literate. They were being taught by an ancient, bearded, good-hearted man. I asked him who the top girl in the class was, and he pulled skinny, seven-year-old Meena to her feet. Her father is a laborer, and her clothes were ragged. If her illiterate parents have enough faith in the future that they send her to school, against cultural norms, we must not betray them or her.

Do enough Americans care about this to support our efforts there? Would we deny Meena safe harbor and enable al Qaeda to once again find it there?

Obamythology

The myth of the unity Lincoln cabinet, the latest manifestation of Obamythology:

Lincoln's decision to embrace former rivals, for instance, inevitably meant ignoring old friends -- a development they took badly. "We made Abe and, by God, we can unmake him," complained Chicago Tribune Managing Editor Joseph Medill in 1861. Especially during 1861 and 1862, the first two years of Lincoln's initially troubled administration, friends growled over his ingratitude as former rivals continued to play out their old political feuds.

We wish him well. And the Chicago Tribune. Will it be a news paper?

Democrat Culture Inaction

Who's the bigger victim? Rivals in the Democrat culture that sinks this state. Mary Mitchell in the maze:

Pardon me while I make this real plain. If you have worn your knees out trying to pray a hard-head off the corner, or if you suspect that the baggy pants and puffy jacket he is wearing are hiding a gun, maybe what I'm about to say will get through to him.

Pontiac prison in Downstate Illinois is eager to welcome him.

So much so, the union representing prison employees has been fighting every step of the way the state's plan to close the facility.

The prison is under-populated and inmates will be transferred to another Downstate jail with room. Yes, it's in the union's interest to keep the crime rate up--such is the zero-sum thinking of the Left.

Why is Chicago the crime capital of the nation? Perhaps it has something to do with a combination of chronic government unaccountability and lack of personal responsibility. Democrat culture in action---Democrat culture inaction.

Obama Irresponsible Already

You know, it's really irresponsible that President-elect Barack Obama hasn't named his new Treasury Secretary yet. Is this a harbinger of his vote-present presidency?

Standing around on the sidelines looking cool during a crisis may have worked for Obama in September but it's not acceptable now. Could be he's having trouble coming up with a credible pick--no Robert Rubin now that Citi's in the cellar. Maybe Barack can persuade Sec. Paulson to stay on--he's a great friend of Dem NY Sen. Chuckie Schumer.

UAW Pigginess

Here's a look at the UAW pigginess from another angle.

P.S. Aren't these guys "the rich" by the Obama campaign's sliding definition? And we should bail them out?

Your Loss, Kathleen

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented today on columnist Kathleen Parker’s piece from yesterday on religion and politics:

“In one of the most infamous articles ever written about people of faith, Michael Weisskopf called evangelicals ‘largely poor, uneducated and easy to command.’ He wrote that in the Washington Post in 1993. Fast forward 15 years to the Internet site of the same newspaper and what we have is another stab at evangelicals, only this time the goal is more wide ranging: Kathleen Parker wants to privatize religion.

“Parker labels conservative evangelicals ‘oogedy-boogedy’ people with their ‘armband religion,’ the kind of folks that ‘used to be relegated to wooden crates on street corners.’ She wants to know why anyone would pay attention to such slugs, or what she calls the ‘lowest brows’ among us. Then she sets her sights higher by saying that religion must be ‘returned to the privacy of one’s heart where it belongs.’

“When Pope Benedict XVI was in Washington last April, he said, ‘Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted.’ He was right. That’s what they do in Castro’s Cuba—they privatize religion.

“Traditional Catholics, evangelical Protestants and Orthodox Jews, as well as most Mormons and Muslims, are joined at the hip in the culture war. They will continue to fight the good fight and will not be deterred by those whose inflated perch sits above the ‘lowest brows,’ including those raised on ‘wooden crates on street corners.’ Not only will they not recede from public life, they will bring their religious values to bear in the public square with increased vigor.

“Maureen Dowd has inspired a flock of female wannabes. Whatever might be said about Dowd, the woman knows how to write a cogent piece. Would that her imitators at least aspire to her level.”

Franken Phony and Thug

Al Franken is a phony and a thug--challenging this vote. Via the AmSpec blog.

RedState with more comment.

Mitt Says No Bailout for Detroit

Tough love from Mitt Romney, one of the best businessmen in America, in the NY Times:

IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won’t go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed.

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course — the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

I love cars, American cars. I was born in Detroit, the son of an auto chief executive. In 1954, my dad, George Romney, was tapped to run American Motors when its president suddenly died. The company itself was on life support — banks were threatening to deal it a death blow. The stock collapsed. I watched Dad work to turn the company around — and years later at business school, they were still talking about it. From the lessons of that turnaround, and from my own experiences, I have several prescriptions for Detroit’s automakers.

Read on.

Victory in Iraq Day, Nov. 22nd

Celebrate Victory in Iraq Day, November 22nd.

Some credit here as well. A new democracy in the Middle East--Israel is not the only one now.

UPDATE: Positive new development in Iraq--a Baghdad metro to unite the city. But will Barack Obama build on the peace? Obama’s Top NSA And CIA Picks: Harsh On Israel, Sympathetic To Iran And Hezbollah.

Indian Navy Sinks Pirate Ship

I heard this on WFMT this morning, (I guess even they were impressed--maybe they thought it was Gilbert & Sullivan or something.) The Indian Navy takes on the pirates!! (Earlier photo of the warship escorting a merchant vessel.) London Times:

An Indian navy warship has sunk a Somali pirate "mother ship" in the Gulf of Aden, the world's most treacherous waterway, after the renegades threatened to attack the frigate.

The clash happened as pirates claimed to begin negotiations over a ransom for the Saudi super-tanker that was seized nearby on Saturday with two Britons aboard. The Sirius Star, which is carrying at least $100 million worth of oil, is the biggest ship ever to be hijacked.

INS Tabar, an Indian frigate dispatched last month to the area to protect the country's merchant fleet, sighted the pirate vessel late on Tuesday. Indian officers said they spotted pirates moving on the deck with rocket propelled grenade launchers and automatic weapons.

"On repeated calls, the vessel's threatening response was that she would blow up the naval warship," the Indian Navy said in a statement.

"INS Tabar retaliated in self defence and opened fire on the mother vessel.

"As a result of the firing by INS Tabar, fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored on the vessel."

“From what we see in photographs the pirate vessel is completely destroyed,” a senior officer said. Two speedboats were seen fleeing the sinking ship.

The British also turned captured pirates over in Kenya for charges after foiling an attempted hijacking.

UPDATE: WSJ on confronting the pirates:

As Somalia falls apart and the pirates proliferate, it's been left to the U.S. and the rest of the civilized world to police them. The main vehicle for doing so is a global maritime effort called Combined Task Force 150. It was set up after 9/11 by the Bush Administration and falls under the aegis of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. Commanders have hailed from France, Britain, the Netherlands, Canada and Pakistan. The current commander is a Commodore of the Danish Royal Navy.

But CTF 150 has 2.5 million square miles to patrol. Fighting piracy poses knotty legal problems too, as David Rivkin and Lee Casey describe here, not least what to do with captured pirates. Build a Captain Jack Sparrow wing at Guantanamo to contain them?

No crying for you Hugo

Saw this story on Brit's show. Trouble in the socialist paradise of Venezuela. His ex, Marisabel is very vocal. London Times:

"Whenever I hear him talking publicly about our girl in public, I want to say the same to him as the King of Spain: 'Why don't you shut up'."

Ms Rodriguez is standing against the Government’s Socialist candidate and the main official opposition party, composed of a variety of different groups.

The result of the elections will prove a test of Mr Chavez’s popularity which is slipping according to recent polls.

In one poll, 82 per cent said they did not agree with Mr Chavez’ policies on security and crime. Sixty per cent were against cutting ties with the U.S. and 84 per cent said they opposed Fidel Castro – who Chavez jokingly referred to as ‘Our father who is Havana’.

“Every place that he loses, will be a symbolic defeat,” said Luis Vicente, an analyst for pollsters Datanalis.

I read homicides were up over there as well. No crying for you, Hugo.

How Obama Got Elected

I have faith in the American people... but sometimes it's hard, especially given the explosion of information these days--there's no excuse. We used to have some semblance of a responsible media--now you have to get solid information elsewhere, at least where The One is concerned. Watch this:

A Top Profligate State

Illinois among the top profligate states. Stephen Malanga, WSJ "Our Spendthrift States Don't Need a Bailout":

Illinois has attempted to deal with a nearly $2 billion budget deficit in part by slowing down payment of its bills (its backlog of unpaid invoices was recently $1.8 billion) and hoping tax collections would revive. Instead, they are declining and the state's budget gap is widening. [snip]

This is not the first time states have been caught in this trap. One reason is because many fail to address their deep, structural budget problems during the good times, preferring to use booming tax revenues to start or expand politically popular (and often costly) programs. Another, deadlier issue is their failure to deal with huge and growing employee pension and benefits liabilities.

For years, state and local politicians have bought support from public sector unions by promising big benefits.Over time these promises exert severe pressure on their budgets. A study three years ago by the Employee Benefit Research Institute estimated that the average public sector worker earns 46% more in total compensation than his counterpart in the private sector, largely because government employers spend 60% more per worker on benefits than counterparts in the private sector.[snip]

Illinois, which has the largest percentage of unfunded pension liabilities among the states, actually cut its contributions to pension funds by $2.3 billion in the flush years of 2006 and 2007 as stock market returns were rising.

Expect an exodus from the state from those who can leave if you Dem pols don't cut spending rather than raise taxes.

Pass the Colombian Trade Pact

Rare common sense from the NY Times--pass the Colombian Trade Pact. They are actually worried about our undermining our credibility by walking away from our allies.

The Battle for Africa

Somali pirates seize a Saudi tanker, then an Iranian ship off the horn of Africa. The US engages to win hearts and minds on the continent.

P.S. The NY Times worries about gorillas.

Real Life Intrudes

Across the border from El Paso:

Elementary school teachers are the latest victims of an exploding extortion racket in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, as criminal gangs threaten educators to either hand over their coming Christmas bonuses or see harm done to their families or students, teachers' groups say.

Will this be a new agenda item for the NEA in the US? Could this shift their focus from teacher pay to real reform? A real effort to help underachievers who often turn to crime? Since Barack's been elected it's OK to be nerdy now but that's not nearly enough. Bill Ayers swans around advocating turning schools into little hotbeds of radicalism. (Here we go in Chicago.)

Presumably Barack and Michelle won't send their daughters to DC public schools, as the Carters did Amy. The Obamas have the luxury of choice--many others don't. Real life is so intrusive.

--crossposted at Anatreptic

A New Chapter

A new chapter. A meeting in Chicago. Tribune:

It was one of the earliest post-election meetings to take place between presidential rivals in recent history and reflected a desire on the part of both men to show bipartisanship as the nation confronts the challenges ahead.

By meeting with McCain so quickly after the election, Obama demonstrated magnanimity and practicality.

Despite gains by Democrats in Congress, the future president still will need Republican support for many of his initiatives and McCain can be more helpful as a friend than a foe.

ABC worried about President Obama's loneliness. Newly elected Dems worry about reelection.

Covert Street

Tribune:

A Glenview man charged with secretly videotaping a nude woman at a Wilmette tanning salon has now been charged with possession of child pornography, police said Monday.

Justin Noll, 28, of the 2400 block of Covert Street is charged with 12 counts of felony possession of child pornography and two counts of felony unauthorized videotaping.

In May, Noll allegedly used a small camera to tape an 18-year-old Evanston woman in a tanning booth, police said.

Ayers Rehabilitated

Bill Ayers, "rehabilitated" without remorse, holds forth in D.C. WaPo. A child of privilege still--a statesman in the Obama era.

P.S. Maybe the Guantanamo inmates should be housed at Cook County jail:

Ayers was booked by the organization to discuss his forthcoming book “Race Course Against White Supremacy” authored with his wife Bernadine Dohrn, whom he described as "cute" for visiting with convicted inmates for previous research.

We can rely on patronage workers to keep us safe. After all, Bill Ayers tells us terrorists are much-maligned and harmless like him. Of course, unlike Ayers, these guys are willing to die themselves. For Bill Ayers, dying is for other people, including those who put their lives on the line to protect his freedom.

P.S. Ayers non-denial denial on Sirhan, Sirhan.

TARP Application

November 17, 2008

Mr. Neel Kashkari

Interim Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability

U.S. Department of the Treasury

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20220

Dear Secretary Kashkari:

I write today to formally request $700 billion from the TARP Capital Purchase Program. Since unionized auto companies, state and local governments, and certain credit card companies are applying, I thought I should, as well. Attached you will find the two-page application which I downloaded from www.treas.gov.

I am fully aware that some $125 billion has already been allocated as of October 29, 2008. However, given that the federal government has the full weight of the army, the FBI, etc. behind it, I am confident that you can re-appropriate this money from the likes of Wells Fargo (or their successor companies, if the current over-regulatory and over-taxing economic climate has caused them to go under).

I have a plan for this $700 billion which should be just what’s needed to get the American economy going. Since the money came from the taxpayers in the first place, I propose giving it back to them. With $700 billion in TARP funding, ATR would facilitate the following tax cuts:

· Cut the corporate income tax rate from 35% to 15%, giving us one of the lowest corporate income tax rates in the developed world. We currently have the second-highest rate in the world (behind only Japan). This new 15% rate would give us the third-lowest rate in the world (ahead of only Ireland and Iceland). It would put us well below the Euro-zone average rate of 25%. Companies would be dying to set up shop in the United States. Estimated JCT cost: $170 billion^[1]

· Eliminate the capital gains and dividends tax. These rates are currently 15%, but actually represent a double-tax on corporate profits. When combined with the new, lower 15% rate on corporate income, capital costs would be at their lowest levels in nearly a century. Tax something less, and get more of it. This would also be an improvement over a suggested change we have made to the Treasury for years—allow taxpayers to index the cost basis of their capital assets to inflation (something which Treasury has the unilateral authority to do and which would be the equivalent of a 50% cut in the capital gains tax rate). Estimated JCT cost: $35 billion^[2]

· Cut the top personal income tax rate from 35% to a flat 15%. This would give the U.S. the lowest personal income tax rate in the developed world. Estimated JCT score: $235 billion^[3]

· Kill the death tax. Almost nothing is more capital-killing for small businesses and family farms than the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Estimated JCT score: $24 billion^[4]

· Allow companies to fully-expense capital assets purchased the first year. Under current law, businesses and other taxpayers must usually “depreciate,” or slowly-deduct, capital asset purchases the first year. This capital-boosting proposal would allow taxpayers to deduct 100% of the purchase price from their taxes in year one. Estimated JCT score: $240 billion ^[5]

Put all that together, and you arrive at almost exactly $700 billion. It’s safe to say that allocating $700 billion this year toward these tax reduction goals would do much for economic growth. But there’s more that can be done that doesn’t require any more resources:

· Ensure that there is full transparency in the TARP program by putting every TARP transaction and contract online for everyone to see. Disclose potential conflicts of interest with TARP-oversight staff.

· Allow companies to repatriate foreign profits to the U.S. without having to pay a double tax. The last time Congress allowed this in 2005, over $300 billion was repatriated, boosting GDP 2%.

I look forward to receiving the money. Please consult my staff for any ACH transfer information your people may need.

Sincerely,

Grover Norquist

GGN:rle

^[1] Assumes current CIT revenue of 2% of $15 trillion GDP. Static score reduction of 57% to account for rate reduction from 35% to 15%

^[2] Based on 2006 IRS data (Table 3.4 SOI): http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/06in34tr.xls

^[3] Based on IRS data (score is the difference between actual 2006 ordinary modified taxable income at a 15% flat tax rate and actual 2006 ordinary income tax generated)

^[4] Sum total of estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax receipts from 2004 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/04es02yd.xls

^[5] Assumes gross domestic private investment of $2 trillion. Assumes 15% flat tax rate. Assumes current-law depreciation rate of 20% annually. Current law revenue loss minus full expensing revenue loss is the result. http://bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=122&Freq=Year&FirstYear=2006&LastYear=2007

DON'T Appoint This Woman

She has BAD JUDGMENT written all over her--except for her own self-interest. Chris Muir.From Volokh on Gorelick:

Gorelick’s Wall was a prominent example of the role of lawyers hampering anti-terrorist activities before 9/11, a problem outlined by Michael Scheuer (former head of the Bin Laden desk and no friend of the Bush Administration):

SCHEUER: Well, we had—the question of whether or not we could have prevented the attacks is one you could debate forever. But we had at least eight to 10 chances to capture or kill Osama bin Laden in 1998 and 1999. And the government on all occasions decided that the information was not good enough to act. . . .

The U.S. intelligence community is palsied by lawyers.

When we were going to capture Osama bin Laden, for example, the lawyers were more concerned with bin Laden‘s safety and his comfort than they were with the officers charged with capturing him. We had to build an ergonomically designed chair to put him in, special comfort in terms of how he was shackled into the chair. They even worried about what kind of tape to gag him with so it wouldn‘t irritate his beard. The lawyers are the bane of the intelligence community. . . .

She was also on the 9/11 commission precisely so she could cover up the criminal incompetence of the Clinton administration, which included her own actions. It's bad enough you're probably going to rehabilitate Sandy Pants Berger without foisting Gorelick on us.

A Modest Proposal!!!

So brilliant in its simplicity, why has the Barackstar not proposed it?!!!

A Modest Proposal for Solving Both the Economic and Energy Crises

Nuke Facts

From a physicist sympathetic to Obama, a few nuke facts:

Nuclear Energy

Conventional wisdom: Nuclear power would be great if only we could figure out how to get rid of the horrific waste. Plutonium lasts 24,000 years. There is absolutely no way we can keep that waste safe for such a ridiculously long time.

The hard science: Yes, plutonium has a half-life of 24,000 years, but it is so insoluble in groundwater that most experts agree it is easy to store safely. Additionally, plutonium can be reprocessed for use as fuel in reactors—that’s what France does. The real worry about nuclear waste is the other radioactive elements involved in the process.

How bad is this other waste? The U.S. government has put fantastic restrictions on allowed levels of nuclear leakage. Nevada’s Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility, for example, is required to demonstrate that people living downstream, and drinking all their water from underground wells, will not get more than 15 millirems of radiation exposure each year from leakage. To put that number in perspective, those same people will get an average of 350 millirems per year from nature and typical medical procedures.

It’s true that after 300 years, nuclear waste is still about 100 times more radioactive than the original uranium that was removed from the earth. But even this isn’t as scary as it sounds. If the waste is stored underground in such a way that there’s only a 10 percent chance that 10 percent of it will leak—which should be more than doable—the risk will be no worse than if we had never mined the uranium in the first place.

Message for Obama: Politicians believe the problem with nuclear waste is technical in nature. The scientists and engineers believe the problem is political. Mr. Obama, you need to explain the numbers to the public, because you are probably the only person in the United States who can convince citizens that nuclear waste storage really is a solved problem.

Oil prices have dropped with the slowdown of the economy, but developing energy at home is critical for the future of our economy and national security. And with more revelations of bogus global warming numbers we need to get real on energy and the environment, balancing the risk to our way of life from being starved for energy. After all, we are the most responsible entrepreneurs and consumers in the world.

No UAW Bailout

Powerline. Throwing good money after bad.

A Fiscal Lesson

NY state is in big trouble, but their governor is talking some sense. WSJ:

"[T]he higher we tax even the wealthy, the more we lose population and the less job creation there is," Gov. Paterson said in an interview Friday. "We're pretty resigned to the fact that we're going to have to do this with spending cuts."

What do you know. Paterson is a Democrat. A lesson for Illinois? Schooling the incoming administration?

A Positive GOP Message

Being fiscally responsible is not negative campaigning. A bright spot from election night--a Republican win in Kansas, taking back one of Rahm's freshman seats. Lynn Jenkins' winning message, winning ad:

Educated and Moderate

Something for Barack to ponder as we draw down in Iraq--the most educated and moderate of its citizens (who see the value of working with our troops to enforce the peace) are often the most at risk at a time of transition:

The U.S. military has barred Iraqi interpreters working with American troops in Baghdad from wearing ski masks to disguise themselves, prompting some to resign and others to bare their faces even though they fear it could get them killed.

Many interpreters employed by the U.S. government and Western companies do everything they can to avoid being recognized on the job because extremists have tortured and killed Iraqis accused of collaborating with the enemy.

"The terps are the No. 1 wanted here," said A.J., a 36-year-old military interpreter, using the shorthand for his profession. "More than the Americans. More than anyone."

The interpreters have come to symbolize the bravery of Iraqis who have aided the American project in Iraq. About 300 U.S. military interpreters have been killed since 2003...

The risk is not theoretical, discussed in a detached manner in a safe office setting.

UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt, Will Obama Preserve the Iraq Victory?

Obama's Education Plan

Ramirez on Obama's education plan, family-style.

Global Warming Fraud

Lysenko-like science from the Russians--their phony numbers underpin climate change alarmism.

NASA unmasked. Once again, it's the British press that reports the truth, not our MSM.

Crain's Brain Cramp

Crain's beats up on the Chicago School, prompting this response in the comments:

Chris Lawrence wrote:

"There is likely to be a lag between the need for action and government recognition of the need; a further lag between recognition of the need for action and the taking of action; and a still further lag between the action and its effects."

Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom, 1967


If the government, and the self-interested parties that elected this government, starts picking winners and losers, the effect of the accumulated entitlement liabilities will leave this nation in much the same way that Britain was prior to PM Thatcher finally taking a hatchet to the bloated budget of the British government. I don't think that the government’s manipulation of the credit market over the past two decades is exactly what the intellectual foundation of the Chicago School is all about - they consistently argued for a more laissez-faire government policy as it is more desirable than government intervention in the economy. When the government starts choosing US Auto maker employees over those of Lehman Brothers or DHL, we should begin to wake up and acknowledge that attempting to manipulate the economy isn't the responsibility of the federal government.

We are facing over $53 trillion in entitlement obligations, and that isn't included the under-funded liabilities of those fortunate enough to have a state or local job and the overly generous pension benefits that the current crop of politicians have caved into, adding hundreds of billions on to the debt future generations of Americans will have to pay, despite representing people who don't average earnings to justify such beneficial wages and benefits.

We don't have to look very far to see that government run programs are far less efficient that non-governmental economic institutions - Cook County hospital services, the bloated Street and Sans Department of the City of Chicago - you name it. With a nation with a per-capita federal debt of over $400,000 per household, I am waiting to see what the lag in effects of this governments latest failure to control its own excess will be, much less it's inability to "regulate" the private markets - if Detroit is any example of what is to come, God help us - and lets hope the "Chicago School" comes back into vogue fairly quickly.

The Obama Opera

I don't think this will be playing at The Lyric any time soon.

L’Obama, ossia L’Avvento del Messia
Opera in Tre Atti

Personaggi:

Barracco Obama, Il Messia, Redentore del Mondo.....................................Tenore Miracoloso
Santa Micaela della Revoluzione, sua sposa............................................Soprano Amaro
Giovanni Maccheno, Senatore, Avversario dello Obama..............................Basso Buffo
Sara Palino, Governatrice del Alaska e Reginetta di Bellezza........................Coloratura Buffa
Guglielmo Priapo, Ex-Presidente........................................................Tenore Mentitore
Hillaria, sua Sposa, altra Avversaria dello Obama....................................Soprano Ambizioso
Elena Tomasso, una strega..............................................................Contralto Venenoso
Giuseppe Bideno, “Piedimbocca”......................................................Tenore Buffo
Il Spirito di Giorgio Secondo, L‘Abominazione........................................Baritono Cattivo
Il Spirito di Ruscio Limbago, Bocca Grande............................................Basso Noioso
Jeremia Ritto, un uomo pazzo, pastore dello Obama.................................Basso Demagogico
Guglielmo Ayers, terroristo Americano, amico dello Obama.........................Tenore Anarchico
Un Sempliciotto...........................................................................Tenore Profetica

Il Popolo, La Media Elite, Il Mondo, Il Congresso, Terroristi.

HT TWS blog. Read on for the plot.

Demonizing Faith

Blogger Diana West reports on the threats and intimidation against those who supported Prop. 8. People of faith are demonized. The Left is empowered and intolerant--they feel righteous in their anti-Christian bigotry. It is the modern equivalent of a witch hunt, and this may be only the beginning. There are demonstrations planned by gay-rights supporters around the country today. I do believe marriage is between a man and a woman. That does not make me anti-gay.

The First Human Built Holy Place

An ancient temple, found in Turkey, the first human built holy place. Hunter-gatherers worshipped here, and the massive task may have led to their settling down to an agricultural society.

Keep Gates at Defense

Robert Gates is well-respected and his steady hand and knowledge is indispensable at this time of transition when we face heightened security threats.

Appointing Sen. Chuck Hagel would politicize the office, the last thing we need--and if you're looking for bi-partisanship he has no one's respect.

For that matter, keep current DNI head Mike McConnell. He served the Joint Chiefs, was an NSA director under the Clinton administration--he's a professional, apolitical, and has worked to connect the dots between agencies to keep us safe after Sept. 11th.

We Have Won in Iraq

The surge worked.

Some Sunset

No more sacred cows

Kitty Kelley is coming out with a new book on Oprah:

While Kelley herself insisted to me she aims only to chronicle ''Oprah's amazing, fantastic journey to the top,'' a longtime New York publishing mogul -- who requested anonymity -- told me Thursday, ''There is no way Crown [Kelley's publisher] is looking for a sweet, adoring book about Oprah's rise from poverty and abuse to being the most powerful woman in the media. ... They want dirt and juicy stories, because that is what sells, and Kitty is the best person to do just that.''

I still can't make myself watch her show (only if she has Sarah on) but she is a positive role model.

She's been kind of a sacred cow, beyond any real criticism, but apparently that is going to change.

Media Owes Palin an Apology

Don't hold your breath. What a credulous bunch, the MSM.

Is there a pattern here?

More post-election fallout:

A senior aide to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was fired from his post last week after he was charged with distributing and receiving child pornography.

Jeffrey P. Rosato, an aide to Boxer and a senior policy adviser on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, was arrested last Friday, the same day he was fired from Boxer's office, and charged with one count each of receipt and distribution of child pornography. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on Wednesday and was released on his own recognizance, but he is forbidden to have access to children or computers.

According to an FBI affidavit, an unnamed person "distributed more than 600 files containing graphic images and movies of child pornography to an undercover detective that [the person] believed was a 13-year-old boy" over the course of more than 15 online chats during a three-week period in January. In that person's computer, the FBI found information suggesting the person had exchanged pornography with Rosato.

Investigators also found pornographic photos and movies of children on Rosato's laptop computer during a Nov. 4 search of his Alexandria home, according to the affidavit. "Many of the images and videos depict prepubescent boys engaged in sexual acts," it said.

The story ends with this:

Last month, a former Senate aide, James Michael McHaney, was sentenced to three years in prison on a federal charge of possession of child pornography. McHaney, 28, was arrested last year in a sting and fired from his job in the office of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).

Is there a pattern here?