Redstate

Posted at 8:28pm on Jul. 3, 2008 Obama is nothing. No Dem nominee since Fritz has been something.

By Mark Kilmer

Barack Obama is not any particular thing, ergo he is nothing.

He's ready to refine his position on Iraq and troop withdrawal:

Obama told reporters in Fargo, N.D., that he is “going to do a thorough assessment."

"When I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies," he said, according to CBS News. “I have been consistent, throughout this process, that I believe the war in Iraq was a mistake.”

Posted in 2008 | changed his mind | Iraq | Obama | Troops — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:42am on Jul. 2, 2008 Obama's Countrywide-like Sweetheart Mortgage Deal

Obama's Judgment Fails Again

By California Yankee

Shortly after being sworn in as a U.S. Senator in January 2005, Obama bought a Georgian mansion in an upscale Chicago neighborhood. Obama bought the house for $300,000 less than the asking price of $1.95
million.

The Obamas' income had just risen dramatically. As a U.S. Senator, Obama got an annual salary of $162,100, Random House agreed to reissue an Obama memoir as part of a $2.27 book million deal, and the University of Chicago Hospitals promoted Michelle Obama and more than doubled her pay, to $317,000.

To finance his new mansion, Obama secured a $1.32 million loan from Northern Trust in Illinois. Obama received a discount on the loan:

He locked in an interest rate of 5.625 percent on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, below the average for such loans at the time in Chicago. The loan was unusually large, known in banker lingo as a "super super jumbo." Obama paid no origination fee or discount points, as some consumers do to reduce their interest rates.

Compared with the average terms offered at the time in Chicago, Obama's rate could have saved him more than $300 per month.

So who cares? Perhaps you should. Read on, there is more.

Posted in 2008 | Obama — Comments (33)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:45pm on Jul. 1, 2008 Turn off the giant Obamatron

We've paid to see this movie, and now we won't pay again.

By Mark Kilmer

There you go again. Reagan said it to Fritz Jimmy, and I repeat it in the same spirit addressed to the media.

Look at what they are telling us: That as the GOP Sharpens Attacks on Obama, they've noticed that In Flag City USA, False Obama Rumors Are Flying.

Meanwhile, as Obama Fiercely Defends His Patriotism, they've talked to a few people and discovered that McCain game plan worries insiders. (In early July? What kind if idiot "insiders" are these, if their opinions are accurately portrayed? Sorry, but lefty bloggers do not count. For much. Interested, yes. Worried? Hardly.)

Notice how Barack the August soars above the pagan rhetoric of the GOP and of his lesser-endowed fans, while John McCain is unleashing the flea-bitten hordes, bitterly clinging to the stale demons of the yesterday's politics.

They have their meme, do Barry and his pals o' the press, but I am hereby raising my hand and shouting: ENOUGH! Stop idealizing an unreconstructed leftist whose greatest feature is his willingness to play nifty tricks on the ditzy masses waiting for a guide to come and take them by the hand, leading them to the magical land of HOPECHANGEHOPE. For all of our faults, the American voters deserve much better from all of you than this hysterical swoon. Our nation faces important problems on which our government is Constitutionally empowered and entrusted to lead. To promise us the moon and the stars when they are only models created in some left-leaning Hollywood studio is to distract us from the business at hand.

We, the American people, want to win this war and leave Iraq for the Iraqis. We, the American people, want to sweat our way out of these economic doldrums. We, the American people, at long last realize that we have the energy under our own land to solve our current energy problems AND the ingenuity which, if unfettered by trite regulations, can create and transition to the next sources of energy.

This country, to paraphrase someone of whom most of us haven't heard, has paid to see the Carter Administration, and now we won't pay again. The cost is too high, even if its face is prettier.

The giant Obamatron be damned.

Posted in 2008 | Media | Obama — Comments (9)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:02pm on Jul. 1, 2008 McCain: Obama would nominate bad justices.

Is it time to throw the Supreme Court under the bus?

By Mark Kilmer

We remember Kennedy v. Louisiana, in which the 5 in the 5-4 split Supreme Court ruled that the State of Louisiana lacks the discretion to apply the death penalty to those who rape very, very young girls. The same ruling applies to the five other States who deemed that such crime was so heinous to their communities as to warrant "the ultimate punishment."

Barack Obama felt the wind on his finger and told his audience that he disagreed with the Court's majority, but in a speech to the National Sheriffs Association in Indianapolis, John McCain pointed out that if elected, Obama would nominate justices like those who ruled in favor of the child rapists:

McCain acknowledged that Democrat Barack Obama had also disagreed with the decision that struck down a Louisiana law allowing capital punishment for people who rape children under 12. Obama said he believed carefully crafted state laws permitting execution of child rapists do not violate the Constitution.

Nevertheless, McCain asked: "Why is it that the majority includes the same justices he usually holds out as the models for future nominations?"

"My opponent may not care for this particular decision, but it was exactly the kind of opinion we could expect from an Obama court," the Arizona senator said.

Indeed, when asked by CNN in May what kind of justices he would nominate, Barry answered: Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and David Souter. Throw in the tremulous Anthony Kennedy and the antique and rusty John Paul Stevens, and there is your Court majority who sided with monsters.

I think that time has come for Obama to toss these justices under the bus; after all, they are not the Breyer, Ginsburg, and Souter he's known. Right?

Posted in 2008 | McCain | Obama | Supreme Court — Comments (4)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:09pm on Jul. 1, 2008 Don't Call Senator Obama a Born-Again Conservative [Updated]

It's important to set the record straight

By blackhedd

Since Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination, there has been a lot of confusion about where he stands on policy issues. It's important to set the record straight on such matters as using government funds for programs tied to churches and other religious organizations. Obama's position on this and every other issue is crystal clear.

With the single exception of expanded drilling for oil, Senator Obama is in favor of every policy position that is recognizably conservative, and he has been since the beginning of his public career.

This includes: gun control (against it), gay marriage (against it), faith-based initiatives (for 'em), the Iraq war (in favor of victory and a continued presence), public financing of political campaigns (against it), the death penalty for rapists (for it), lower taxes (for 'em), and the flag of the United States (for it).

The Senator has not yet announced his long-held and consistent position on abortion, but he does think the conservative Supreme Court is doing a darned fine job.

Update: And Obama adds welfare reform to the list of conservative policies that he's consistently been in favor of all along. H/T Brother Moe.

All characterizations of Senator Obama's consistently-held positions as "liberal" or "left-of-center" are either unfortunate misrepresentations by political opponents (which he regrets), or legitimate misunderstandings caused by hurried or inartful statements by himself or his associates (which he also regrets).

It has been alleged that Obama is a born-again conservative. This mischaracterization is also unfortunate, as the term "born-again" implies some kind of recent conversion experience. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

That is all.

-Francis Cianfrocca

Posted in 2008 | flip-flop | Obama — Comments (12)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:56pm on Jun. 30, 2008 My Name is Troy Aikman

By E Pluribus Unum

OR, HOW TO INSULATE YOURSELF FROM PERFECTLY DESERVED CRITICISM

File under : Obama | Macho Bambi at it again | how dare you challenge my patriotism

First of all, apologies to Troy Aikman - this is not a blog about the immortal captain of our 3 juggernauts of 1992, 1993, and 1995. The Dallas Cowboys of that era remain supreme as the best team that ever took the field. [and shut up you tired Pat weinies - nobody loves you or cares what you think]

Imagine hearing a speech by Troy Aikman that contained the following:

I have found, for the first time, my devotion to the Philadelphia Eagles challenged—at times as a result of my own carelessness, more often as a result of the desire by some to score political points and raise fears about who I am and what I stand for. I will never question the Eagle-love of Jeremiah Trotter. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine.

Read on for Obama comedy.....

Posted in 2008 | how dare you challenge my patriotism | Macho Bambi at it again | Obama — Comments (128) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:35pm on Jun. 27, 2008 Obama's Gun Obfuscation

Obama Sraddles On

By California Yankee

Yesterday, reporting on reactions to the Supreme Court's decision striking down the D.C. gun ban, the Associated Press headlined "McCain backs gun decision, Obama straddles issue."

Here's video of Obama straddling the issue:

Just before the Supreme Courts decision was public, Obama disavowed his "inartful" statement calling the D.C. gun laws constitutional.

Wait. There's more.

Posted in 2008 | Guns | Obama | Supreme Court — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:17am on Jun. 26, 2008 Obama Should Confront His Muslim Issue Head On

It Shouldn't Matter If Obama Was Muslim

By California Yankee

Hardly a day goes by when you don't see some reference to it -- the "smear" that Obama is a Muslim. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal posed the question, "It is inaccurate to call Barack Obama a Muslim. Is it a slur? On Tuesday, the New York Times headlined an article "Muslim Voters Detect a Snub From Obama." Wednesday, Ed Morrissey asked, "Obama running from Muslims?" Even the broadcast media interviews Mulsims about the issue.

I'll get back to those articles in a bit. First, I call on Obama to face his Muslim issue head on. Nothing else will make this "smear" rumor go away.

Like Romney did with the Mormon issue, and Obama himself did with the race issue, Obama must deal with these rumors head on. Obama should give a speech, in which he repeats that he is not Muslim, and goes on to explain why but it should be fine with Americans if Obama were Muslim.

Before the Obamatons launch the hate mail, let me say that I was raised to respect others and was taught that I should strive, like God, to be "no respecter of persons." I've always tried to do that. It does not matter to me what a person's religious beliefs are. What is important to me is that our leaders have some religious belief. And I am comforted by the recent Pew findings that most Americans agree with the statement that many religions – not just their own – can lead to eternal life.

In the 20 or so months since Obama caved and broke his word that he would not run for president in 2008, he has been unable to dispel the "smear" that he is Muslim.

Read on, there is much more.

Posted in 2008 | Muslim | Obama — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:42am on Jun. 25, 2008 Obama's Padding

Padding A Resume Is Lying

By California Yankee

Padding A Resume Is Lying.

Obama has spent about $75 million on about 140,000 airings of ads so far. So of course last week he found it necessary to launch a new ad to introduce himself:

About 46 seconds into the ad, we are told that Obama “passed laws” that “extended healthcare for wounded troops who’d been neglected,” and in the usual manner of these political commercials we are given a little citation at the bottom.

The citation reads “Public Law 110-181 1/28/08”. That law is the only federal legislation cited in the ad — the other two items mentioned were from the Illinois legislature and referred to other issues raised in the ad.

The problem is Senator Obama never voted for that legislation. Public Law 110-181 is part of the defense authorization bill which passed the Senate in January by a vote of 91 to three with six senators not voting. Obama was one of those six absent senators.

Some in the media overcame Obamamania and highlighted Obama’s false ad claims [Read on, there is more]:

Posted in 2008 | Obama — Comments (16)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:51am on Jun. 25, 2008 Breaking His Word - Change That Works For Him

Don't tell us words don't matter

By California Yankee

McCain's presidential campaign released a new web video, called "Words."
The new video focuses on Obama's broken commitments to accept public financing.

Posted in 2008 | Obama — Comments (20)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:08pm on Jun. 24, 2008 Obama Gets The Communists

By California Yankee

"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of 'liberalism,' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." - Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948

It's one thing when Obama, the Democrats' standard bearer to be, is identified as the most liberal senator. It is something else, something quite extreme, when Obama is recognized as the darling of the Communist Party USA.

That's right, Joelle Fishman -- chair of the Communist Party USA Political Action Commission and the Connecticut Communist Party -- backs Obama.

Perhaps it is no surprise. After all, except for public financing of campaigns, Obama's positions are very similar to those of the Communist Party USA:

Among the points in the party's "Immediate Program" are a $12/hour minimum wage; for all workers, universal health care, and opposition to privatization of Social Security; economic measures such as increased taxes on "the rich and corporations," strong regulation of the financial industry, "regulation and public ownership of utilities," and increased federal aid to cities and states; opposition to the Iraq War and other military interventions; opposition to free trade treaties such as NAFTA; nuclear disarmament and a reduced military budget; various civil rights provisions; campaign finance reform including public financing of campaigns; and election law reform, including Instant Runoff Voting

This may not be a shock to the few who bother to do appropriate due diligence on Obama. Nevertheless, it is too much out of the mainstream -- too much progressivism liberalism socialism -- for me.

Posted in 2008 | Communists | Obama — Comments (22)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:32am on Jun. 24, 2008 Barack Obama on the Social Security Tax

Wrecking America’s Entrepreneurial Strength

By blackhedd

Senator Obama recently made an important proposal in regard to taxes. We’ve known for a long time that he intends to raise all kinds of taxes, including capgains taxes and income taxes on high earners. His specific recent proposal is to extend the FICA (Social Security) levy so that it will apply to all income above $250,000.

That may sound weird to you. It is, and here’s why: today the roughly 12.5% FICA levy is only applied to a bit more than the first $100,000 of income. Of course that makes sense because Social Security benefits are only based on that amount of income: if you make more than $100,000 in any given year, it doesn’t increase the retirement benefits you get.

Obama is proposing to charge the FICA tax on the first $100,000 of income (just as today), and then stop applying it to income between $100,000 and $250,000 (again, just as today), and then re-apply the tax to all income above $250,000.

Income above $250,000 will pay the Social Security tax, but will not contribute to the benefit calculation.

What is Superman trying to accomplish with this? What does he want us to think he’s trying to accomplish? And what will be the real effects?

Keep reading…

Posted in Economy | entrepreneurs | FICA | Obama | Social Security | taxes — Comments (20)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:24pm on Jun. 23, 2008 I'm sorry, but both Obama and McCain are unrepentant lefties.

Folks, this is not just an opinion.

By Mark Kilmer

Most Americans will vote for either John McCain or Barack Obama on November 4th, which means that most Americans will vote for a lefty. No matter what the rhetoric flying from either campaign, both McCain and Obama are unapologetic lefties. And this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Bear with me.

Both Presidents Reagan and Clinton were also lefties. Jimmy Carter? Aside from our current President, he was the last righty to be elected.

It is evidently true. Lefties comprise about 10% of the population, while – including the next President – 5 Presidents of seven since 1974 will have been lefties.

Researchers who have studied handedness have found links to genetics and to brain function, but there is no prevailing theory to explain the plethora of left-handed commanders in chief in recent decades.

Yet the trend is more than a statistical anomaly, a professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Daniel Geschwind, said.

"It's definitely not an accident. The chance is less than one in a thousand," he said.

Before 1974, just two presidents were known definitively to be left-handed: James Garfield and Harry Truman.

I write, pitch, and bat with my right hand, so I think I'll sit this Presidential election out. Concentrate on down-ballot stuff where we have some decent right-handed candidates.

Posted in 2008 | lefties | McCain | Obama — Comments (24)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:09am on Jun. 23, 2008 The Audacity of Lies: Obama Takes on the Crude-oil Speculators

The Mouth Is Quicker Than the eye

By blackhedd

When you’re Barack Obama, you can pursue an Orwellian rhetorical style because you have several crucial factors in your favor: You’re young. You’re good-looking. You have a pleasant deep voice. And you can blunt any criticism, no matter how cogent, just by saying “You’re only beating up on me because I’m black.”

Now that Obama has thrown campaign-finance reform under the bus (it doesn’t suit his newly-affluent circumstances), he has to deal with the price of gasoline. He’s come out with a rather esoteric set of regulatory proposals to deal with the issue, which has remarkably become perhaps the most important one of the summer.

I’ll take you through a short explanation of what our Hero thinks he wants to do, but as you’ll see, his bottom line is rather different from what you might think it is.

Keep reading…

Posted in CFTC | Crude Oil | Economy | futures markets | Obama | speculation — Comments (42)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:02pm on Jun. 13, 2008 The GOP will smear Obama as the SCARY GUY. (Says Obama.)

Give him your money now, the idea goes, or they'll succeed.

By Mark Kilmer

The old Halloween song began with a litany: "Witches, pumpkin heads, and black cats; scary ghosts and black bats." It did not frighten me as a child, and political candidates do not have me chasing Depends now.

What is scary?

Obama is trying to frighten his supporters into donating large lump sums to his campaign by outlining the GOP strategy being used against him. (I assume someone's passing him notes, or he's communing with the spirit of Lee Atwater via the Ouija.)

At a Chicagoland fundraiser, per CNN's Political Ticker:

“But that accurately captures, I think, the strategy. They’re [Republicans] going to try to make me into a scary guy. They’re even trying to make Michelle into a scary person. Right?" Obama said. "And so that drumbeat – 'we’re not sure if he’s patriotic or not; we’re not sure if he is too black.'

"I don’t know, before I wasn’t black enough," Obama said. " 'Now he might be too black. We don’t know whether he’s going to socialize – well, who knows what.' "

Aside from the race card, which the media encourages Obama to play, telling the truth about Obama certainly raises a cause for concern about the man. We know of Obama's friends, mentors, and soul mates – Ayers, Wright, Pfleger, etc. – and that is also a cause for concern.

Obama holds that voters are being frightened of his wife Michelle. It seems that when she said that she had never been proud of the United States until her husbands well-received presidential campaign, she mean that she had never been proud of politics in America until that Monday, February 18, 2008.

Was she trying to scare us? (The Boston Herald did select a rather scary picture of Mrs. Obama to use with the just linked story, though. That was their call.)

Read On…

Posted in 2008 | Obama | Scary Guy — Comments (9)/ Email this page » / Read More »