Bailout for newspaper is nonsense

The Bristol Press is about to be extinct because its publisher Journal Register is in too much debt. A local lawmaker from Connecticut, Frank Nicastro, wants to be its savior and has asked the state government for assistance, citing "The media is a vitally important part of America."

That's very true, but how can a newspaper be objective if it is receiving government money? Free press wouldn't be free in that sense.

Moving inauguration day because of BDS

Chris Smith of The New Republic just can't wait any longer for President-elect Obama to become the real president. He's in favor of moving the inauguration to January 1, to welcome the new year with a bang. Well, mostly because he can't stand President Bush:

...Bush clearly doesn't want to hang around any longer, and thousands more jobs will disappear while he keeps the Oval Office warm for the first three weeks of January...

Honestly, I don't think having Obama in the White House on the first day of the year would make any difference in our current economic and global affairs. I know Obama supporters see him as The Messiah, as Mr. Fix-It-All, but he's really just a young liberal politician from Chicago.

Hamas, death incarnate

Hamas terrorists are killing their own and bombing Israelis in hopes to win the global propaganda war and annihilate the state of Israel, an important American ally. Here's how the Hamas operates:

In direct contravention of international law, Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, utilizing homes, schools and community centers as launching pads, content in the knowledge that if innocent Palestinian civilians are caught in the cross-fire, it will be Israel that is criticized. This amounts to a sort of Daily Double of human rights violations: the use of innocent Palestinians as human shields for the infliction of violence upon innocent Israelis.

It is Hamas that perfected the use of the suicide bomb, by which young Palestinians were induced to kill themselves so that Israelis could also be killed. It is somehow apt that Hamas should be forever associated with the suicide bomb, for in a larger sense Hamas has proved to be an instrument of the demise of Palestinians in Gaza.

In fact, Hamas has such a bad reputation these days that even oil-rich, wealthy Arab nations won't even help the Palestinians.

The GOP big government (failed) experiment

Richard A. Viguerie writes a good piece in the L.A. Times about Republicans' path and acceptance of Big Government:

Over the last eight years, President Bush sought to tame Big Government and turn it to conservative ends. The administration experimented with the belief -- as expressed by Huckabee, Gerson and Kristol -- that Republicans and conservatives would do better by rejecting small-government conservatism and accepting Big Government. For generations, Democrats had bribed people to vote for them with one Big Government program after another, so Republicans did the same (No Child Left Behind, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, endless deficits and, finally, the bailouts). The results of the experiment are now in: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Harry Reid, President-elect Barack Obama.

Indeed. Look where the Republicans are now, and look how disgruntled the conservatives are. Is there hope in reversing the Big Government trend? History tells a pessimistic story, that often government does not shrink. It all boils down to indirect vote buying. The Republicans thought they could pull such Democrat-inspired moves to win voters, but the maneuvers backfired big time. Seriously, the Republicans have nothing even close to Democrats' social programs, so what makes them think they could compete against Democrats in government programs? (Okay, maybe President Bush came close.) Do Republicans want to blur the lines between them and the Democrats? I sure hope not.

The GOP should embrace Small Government once again as Ronald Reagan did. It's also a way for the new GOP to distinguish itself from the old and from the liberals. The party may not win the fight, but as Viguerie points out "if we do not fight, we guarantee defeat."

UAW owns a $6M golf course

All that union membership fees put to good use... in owning and operating a golf course!

Retailers want to be stimulated

We all know retailers are in trouble in the current economic meltdown largely because consumers are in trouble. Now the National Retail Federation wants President-elect Obama to include them in his stimulus package. The NRF proposal seeks tax-free periods of 10 days each in the months of March, July, and October 2009 and has the federal government reimburse states for the lost tax revenue.

Let's hope the proposal doesn't make it to Obama's list of New Year resolutions...

Love for country is blind?

Joel Stein of the L.A. Times has this to say about conservatives' love for America:

...I still think conservatives love America for the same tribalistic reasons people love whatever groups they belong to. These are the people who are sure Christianity is the only right religion, that America is the best country, that the Republicans have the only good candidates, that gays have cooties.

In other words, Stein thinks conservatives are barbaric, narrow-minded, and self-righteous? Oh, and homophobic.

My personal observation has been that conservatives love America for its history and traditions, and their belief that those things will steer her to a positive path. Liberals, on the other hand, do acknowledge America's history and traditions, but their belief is that there may be something better out there, or that our minds cannot fathom everything about a theory or philosophy to determine its value. That's why many liberals are fond of Marxism and communism, even though history has again and again proven their failures to sustain a civil society. Yet liberals often call themselves "progressives." Go figure.

Here's what conservatives value: freedom and individuality. America has thrived and strengthened with these two core concepts. How else could such a young democratic republic become the world's superpower?

Freedom and individuality are also gifts from God. God made man in His own image and gave man free will. Our Founding Fathers understood that and believed the birth of America was a divine gift.

This love is not blind. This love is unconditional, reciprocating God's love for us.

Sen. Reid starts campaign early

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) is already interviewing campaign managers and raising funds for his 2010 re-election bid. Right now Republicans have no strong candidate to challenge him, but they'd definitely pour resources into this fight in an attempt to unseat Reid. Nevada voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004, but went Obama's way by 12 points in 2008. It's a state that has seen a good surge in Democratic voter registrations. If the Republicans want to put up a good fight, they'd better deploy field resources to increase registration and voter drive.

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish you, the readers, a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks to liberals for keeping Palin in the spotlight

Where's Palin lately? I don't even know, but thanks to Jeff Schweitzer writing in The Huffington Post, he's keeping the Palin dream alive. Oh, calling her a "walking political abomination" doesn't really help his cause, either...

The Rick Warren controversy

There is a lot of buzz surrounding Obama's inauguration invitation to Rick Warren. Many liberals and gay rights activists are shocked at the announcement and have come out to demand Obama take Warren off the list. However, more recently there have been calls in support of Warren.

My view is that President-elect Obama is doing the right thing, politically. He needs a well-known religious figure in his inauguration program to satisfy the conservatives. After all, that's nearly 50% of the voters, and he cannot be effective in his narrative of unity if he distances himself, a self-proclaimed Christian, from the anti-gay marriage crowd. I think E. J. Dionne best describes both men:

One need not be too pious about any of this. Both Warren and Obama are shrewd leaders who sense where the political winds are blowing.

Yet keep in mind that there are folks who oppose gay marriage but support gay rights, such as a civil union. Many have problems with gay activists attempting to redefine the traditional institution of marriage between a man and a woman. And that is understandable and reasonable. If marriage can be redefined at will by a certain group of people, then what prevents the next proposition of legal marriage to be between say, a man and multiple wives (polygamy)? Or a man and his car? Or a male ape and its mate? Where does it end? That's a point Peter Wehner of Commentary brings up.

Rocker Melissa Etheridge also weighs in on The Huffington Post, starting with:

This is a message for my brothers and sisters who have fought so long and so hard for gay rights and liberty. We have spent a long time climbing up this mountain, looking at the impossible, changing a thousand year-old paradigm. We have asked for the right to love the human of our choice, and to be protected equally under the laws of this great country. The road at times has been so bloody, and so horrible, and so disheartening. From being blamed for 9/11 and Katrina, to hateful crimes committed against us, we are battle weary. We watched as our nation took a step in the right direction, against all odds and elected Barack Obama as our next leader. Then we were jerked back into the last century as we watched our rights taken away by prop 8 in California. Still sore and angry we felt another slap in the face as the man we helped get elected seemingly invited a gay-hater to address the world at his inauguration.

Inspirational, no? But wait a minute -- I thought Bush is being blamed for 9/11 and Katrina? Liberals are starting to confuse even me. She writes an article with sincere emotions, but gays already have the right to love another human of their choice and are protected equally under the laws. Think about it.

Capitalism won't fail

Ariana Huffington believes capitalism is as dead as Soviet Communism. For her sake I hope it's not true because The Huffington Post launched with V.C. (that's venture capitalist) funding -- around $40 million after several rounds. Surely she has more faith in the system?

This world economic meltdown won't kill capitalism and is not evidence of capitalism's failure. In fact, the meltdown exposes the failure of government overregulation and unchecked greed. Capitalism favors those with, well, capital (cash). The banks that have survived in this meltdown are ones with enough cash and not the ones betting everything on real estate properties and their derivatives. Same with car companies. Or any company for that matter.

People fail to realize that capitalism works with capital, not credit. Americans have gotten used to finance every purchase, from cars to televisions to furniture, instead of paying cash. Those households abiding the "cash is king" rule will do just fine in this economy. Same goes with companies. Firms operating with little or no debt will survive this economy. That's capitalism.

So being religious doesn't make one compassionate

That seems to be what Ezra Klein of The American Prospect is implying in his argument about a study showing conservative households give 30 percent more to charity than liberal households. To him, conservatives only donate because they're not really "compassionate," but just "religious":

But the difference can be explained in one word, and it's not "compassion." It's "religion." A recent survey from Google similarly found that self-identified conservatives gave more to charity than did self-identified liberals. But they also found that "if donations to all religious organizations are excluded, liberals give slightly more to charity than conservatives do." Indeed, religious congregations are far and away the largest recipients of charitable gifts: In 2006, they made up 32.8 percent of all giving. But is that charity, at least charity as Kristof and Brooks are defining it? For instance: Utah is among the most Republican states in the nation, largely because of its heavily conservative Mormon population. Mormons tithe 10 percent a week to their church. But is that charitable giving? Or is it a membership fee? How much of it goes to anti-poverty programming? How much to church administration?

Notice how liberals like to bring religion into the picture about conservatism. They like to paint the picture that conservatives are all narrow-minded religious nuts. He singles out the great state of Utah for its Mormon population and questions the act of tithing, even having the audacity to label it "membership fee." I'm willing to bet that the Mormon Church has done more good to the world than whatever foundation Al Gore or George Soros have set up.

Liberals also suffer from wealth-envy, as evident in Klein's writing:

...And what of income? As a class, the rich tilt right, and they also give more to charity, both because they have more, and because they benefit from the tax break. What happens when you control for income?

He couldn't just stop at "the rich give more because they have more," but had to include the "tax break" in it, as if these charitable givings weren't really charitable but just to circumvent paying higher taxes. Yes, the rich deserve to pay more taxes because they can!

Imagine a world where only liberals are charitable... Cool the Earth before feeding the poor! Save the animals before saving people! Legalize gay marriage or shut down the city!

Thank God for religious conservatives.

Bush and Cheney's secret missions

Amen, and thank you, Mr. President:

"People say, 'Why would you do that?'" the president said in an Oval Office interview with The Washington Times on Friday. "And the answer is: This is my duty. The president is commander in chief, but the president is often comforter in chief, as well. It is my duty to be - to try to comfort as best as I humanly can a loved one who is in anguish."

Mr. Bush, for instance, has sent personal letters to the families of every one of the more than 4,000 troops who have died in the two wars, an enormous personal effort that consumed hours of his time and escaped public notice. The task, along with meeting family members of troops killed in action, has been so wrenching - balancing the anger, grief and pride of families coping with the loss symbolized by a flag-draped coffin - that the president often leaned on his wife, Laura, for emotional support.

"I lean on the Almighty and Laura," Mr. Bush said in the interview. "She has been very reassuring, very calming."

China blocks NYT website, readership tanks further

Now the New York Times is really screwed...

Blaming Republicans, defending unions

Rose Ann DeMoro of the Huffington Post comes out swinging at the Senate Republicans, specifically their leader Mitch McConnell, in the matter of helping the auto industry. Funny title for an article: The Mitch Who Stole Christmas -- just in time for the holidays. Too bad she lacks the holiday spirit, calling Sen. McConnell "mean-spirited," "vilifying unions," and "cynical"...

Ms. DeMoro is upset over the Republicans' demand for "parity pay structure," or cutting wages and benefits for UAW laborers. She doesn't think it has anything to do with what's wrong with Detroit. Well, she's partially right -- unions share the blame with the clueless auto executives. Japanese automakers don't have to deal with excessive union contracts like G.M. has to, so naturally they can sell their cars cheaper than their American competitors. It's not about "punishing workers" as DeMoro argued, but rather staying competitive in the marketplace. And in the long run, allowing the employer to survive so the workers can still work. After all, nobody benefits from G.M. closing shop.

Being the liberal that she is, of course this has to tie into universal health care:

Or helping employers, as well as the people who work for them, by shifting healthcare coverage costs from employers to a national system like Medicare. It's one major reason why car producers have lower costs in other industrial countries which have national healthcare systems. It would also guarantee healthcare coverage for the millions of Americans who have lost, or are losing their jobs or employer-coverage in this recession, or were already uninsured.

Instead of cutting health care benefits, why not offload the obligation to a nationalized system like Medicare or some other universal health care plan. (I'm guessing she voted for Obama.) That actually sounds like a reasonable argument, but deep down it only means burdening taxpayers (including the workers) with UAW's health care bill.

No, thank you! Everybody is suffering in this recession, not just the auto workers.

But she concludes with a decent point:

During the last major Depression, we experienced a wave of union growth. A direct result was the full flowering of economic prosperity for American families and an unprecedented economic boom in the 1950s and '60s. The erosion of that dream and the shocking wealth chasm in our nation has coincided directly with the decline in union membership and the relentless attack on unions during the Bush-McConnell reign.

But let's just say that the unions of today is very different than those of the last Depression. There's nothing wrong with labor unions. In fact, it is indeed a good way for workers to organize and protect each other against injustices in the work place. However, mega-unions like the UAW, National Education Association, and American Federation of Teachers, have morphed into something sinister, something resembling political parties. And that stems from union leaders cozying up to Washington, particularly the Democrats, to stay in power and further their own agendas.

It is a shame that the UAW is getting so much negative attention in light of Detroit's troubles. Unfortunately, UAW leaders brought this unto themselves and their union colleagues for taking advantage of their employers and being a hard-headed cry-baby all these years...

Latest auto bailout proves TARP is slush fund

President Bush, soon to leave office amid lowest approval ratings, seems to be unconcerned about leaving a bad taste in taxpayers' mouths and is ignoring signals sent from his party members in Congress. Why else would he approve a $17 billion rescue package for G.M. and Chrysler when the Senate killed its version of bailout? Has he lost faith in free market capitalism? And notice that Ford isn't among the list of beggars. Maybe G.M. and Chrysler ought to learn a few things from this competitor. The fact that Ford is doing just fine without government money proves that there is a glimmer of hope for the auto industry, even if it means America is left with just one car company.

The auto bailout will come out of the TARP fund originally set up to relieve "financial institutions." Hans Bader of OpenMarket.org gives us a good idea of the statute:

...The bailout statute defines “financial institutions” eligible for the bailout as ”any institution, including, but not limited to, any bank, savings association, credit union, security broker or dealer, or insurance company.” Never mind that Congress listed as examples of ”financial institutions” only entities that were banks, insurance companies, or financial institutions, not automakers.

Using this money to save a car company is clearly not the intent of this statute. What is Bush thinking? If he is interpreting the bailout bill to include any institution, then TARP is essentially a slush fund for the White House. That would make it unconstitutional. But if the bill is honored as-is, then the auto bailout is illegal.

Would there be lawsuits coming forth about this? Maybe that is what kept Ford away from this package.

And what will Obama's incoming administration do? Billions of dollars in spending money for the White House. I'm sure the lobbyists are already buzzing around for a piece of that diminishing pie.

Congress gives itself a raise

Unbelievable.

While members of Congress give themselves a $4,700 raise, or $2.8 million from taxpayers, their constituents are living in the real world of frozen credits, tumbled stocks, devalued homes, and unemployment.

These politicians are lecturing the auto companies about executive compensation and corporate jets?!

Clinton Foundation received nearly $500M, largely from foreigners

Obama required Bill Clinton to release the list of donor names to his library and foundation in order for Hillary to get the Secretary of State job. And now we know why he didn't release this information when his wife was running for president: conflicts of interest galore!

Lots of money flowed in from Arab governments in the Middle East, especially from Saudi Arabia, world's largest oil producer and home to many Islamic terrorists. If Hillary becomes the Secretary, how can she be impartial to mediations and negotiations in that region, knowing that the Arab governments donated millions and millions of dollars to her husband's organization?

Then there's also the curious case of $250,000 from Denise Rich, ex-wife of pardoned white-collar criminal Marc Rich. President Clinton pardoned Rich in the last hours of his office. Would the donation have something to do with it?

Move over, Messiah, make room for the Prophet Dean

For a party that attracts atheists and non-religious folks, the liberal Democrats sure have a way of deifying their leaders. Barack "The One"/"The Messiah" Obama came first, and now Ari Berman of The Nation writes about Howard "The Prophet" Dean.

Sure, DNC Chairman Dean should get credit for his 50-state strategy to regain power, first in the legislative branch, and then the executive. In 2006 under his leadership Democrats became the majority in both houses of Congress. That momentum helped Obama win the general election by capturing battleground states like Indiana, Virginia, and North Carolina, along with several western states.

However, Berman attributes the Democratic resurgence from "Bush's remarkable mishandling of the country's domestic and foreign policies" simply makes him sound like a liberal talking head. Congress turned blue because of Republican politicians leaving their conservative roots and ignoring their warnings, and the fact that these politicians enjoyed having power for so long brewed corruption. Corruption brought down the Congressional Republicans. Poor economy hurt McCain's White House bid.

Dean isn't a prophet for coming up with a winning strategy. He's just like Karl "The Architect" Rove.

Caroline Kennedy faces an uphill battle (already)

It's not easy being a Kennedy, even when you have a Senator uncle. And I don't really think lunching with Al Sharpton would help. Come on, is that really a good strategy? Not to mention New York lawmakers are now examining a charity she helps run, The Fund for Public Schools, for questionable exemption grant by the state. Then there are voices against the sense of entitlement just because she's a Kennedy and a buddy of Obama's.

Franken now likely to win MN Senate seat

Talk about twist and turns in the yet-to-be-resolved Minnesota Senate race between Norm Colman (R) and entertainer Al Franken (D). This blows my mind. Franken trailing by just single digits?! Voters now have no excuse in saying their votes don't count...

Bush blinks first in auto bailout

In the high stakes game of "Who blinks first?" it looks like President Bush lost to the UAW. The biggest losers are taxpayers, naturally.

The White House will authorize a $17.4 billion bailout for G.M. and Chrysler LLC which should last them through February 2009. If the automakers cannot show they're worth saving by March 31, 2009, the loans will be called and all funds to be returned.

Pelosi meets her match

After reading this piece, I think House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) may actually wish Rahm Emanuel gets caught up in the Blagojevich scandal and ends up outside of the White House and maybe even Congress.

Kennedy off to a bad start in N.Y. senate bid

American politics have changed into a rougher and tougher sport. Just having a Kennedy name doesn't automatically catapult a person to Congress, as we've found out that having a Clinton name doesn't automatically elect a person to the White House. Caroline Kennedy has publicly declared interest in filling Hillary Clinton's senate seat in New York, and she's already touring the state to garner support (and headlines).

Unfortunately for her, she went upstate to meet with mayors and reporters, but her lack of political experience exposed her as the downtown city elite that she is. John Riley of Newsday.com writes:

It's true that NY is, nominally, a Democratic state. But upstate success is a recent phenomenon, and with no economic improvement despite endless promises from Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson, that worm may be ready to turn. Al D'Amato won three terms in the Senate by nurturing class and cultural resentments against Manhattanites with accomplishments like Javits, Holtzman, Green and Abrams.

In what way doesn't Caroline Kennedy fit that mold, without the accomplishments?

Best of luck, Caroline...

Oxymoron of the day: furious gay leaders

I thought gay leaders are happy leaders?

Apparently not the homosexual leaders. They are mad at President-elect Obama for inviting Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his Jan. 20 inauguration. Obama thinks it's a decent gesture in a show of unity -- and most would agree. But gay activists think otherwise. Yes, these gay activists accuse others of being narrow-minded, yet they are up in arms about the president-elect having a pastor at the inauguration. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that Warren preaches in California, a state embroiled in a clash between Proposition 8 supporters and opponents.

Lee Stranahan of the Huffington Post wants everyone to give Obama and Warren a break. After all, Joseph Lowery, founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and supporter of gay marriage, is also invited to the inauguration.

Global warming where?

Have you noticed that barely anyone uses the words "global warming" anymore? Now it's all about "climate change." Why? Because the globe isn't warming!

Arrogant Obama lectures reporter

The president-elect should learn to take the heat instead of lecturing a reporter about wasting his questions! How rude.

Will there be a brewing backlash from the media? The mainstream media was enamored of Obama and helped him get elected. With the latest Blagojevich scandal it seems Obama and his team aren't very fond of the media anymore...

More Clinton helpers in Obama team

Betty Currie, President Clinton's personal secretary, now helps answering the phone of transition team co-chairman, John Podesta. Podesta, of course, used to be Clinton's White House chief of staff.

Clintons Have A New Grip on Everything (CHANGE), indeed!

Zaidi becoming poster boy of BDS sufferers

The crazy BDS left is loving the story of Zaidi, the shoe-hurler who missed President Bush during a press conference, but quickly becoming the anti-American celebrity at home and abroad. Look at how worked up "Kathy" is from Comments from Left Field:

I did not feel one scrap of sympathy for Bush — although I will admit I felt grudging admiration for his poise and quick reflexes in the moment. But any sympathy or respect I might have felt for Bush vanished with “So?” and “It was amusing.” It was amusing? F*** you, you bastard. Hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, thousands of children who will never see their parents again, wives who will never see their husbands, families who are living in refugee camps in Syria and Jordan, are amusing? And don’t tell me Bush didn’t mean that, because al-Zaidi said it, as clear as crystal.

By the way, I had to censor the expletive because this is a G-rated blog. Kathy sympathizes with those Iraqis who suffered because of the war and clearly blames the president. She's living up to the compassionate liberal label. But her worldview proves she's ignorant and irrational. I'd hate to break it to you, Ms. Kathy, but even before the first Marine stepped foot on Iraqi soil, there were already hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, thousands of orphans, widows, and refugees from Saddam Hussein's tyranny.

She's definitely out in the left field. Way out.

Illinois Democrats show some love to Blagojevich

This is almost unbelievable... Illinois state legislature with a Democrat majority decided not to strip the governor of his power to fill the vacant senate seat for now. The main reason? They fear that a Republican may actually win the seat in a special election.

So it's back to square one for the people of Illinois, underrepresented in the Senate with just one senator.

E. J. Dionne seems pretty sure that Obama and his aides have nothing to do with the corrupt governor. Let's hope so.

UAW leaders gambling on members' livelihood

It's a high stakes game of chicken: UAW vs. the U.S. Senate, especially the Republican senators. At risk are autoworkers' jobs and billions of American taxpayer dollars. Sen. Tom Colburn (R-Okla.) blames UAW for the collapse of negotiations. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger is busy holding press conferences to make the GOP senators look bad and to encourage the White House to dip into TARP for a bailout.

You've got to hand it to Mr. Gettelfinger. It's nice to gamble with others' livelihood. It's not like he'll be out of a job if the automakers file for bankruptcy. He'll continue his stint at the UAW, continue to pour money into the Democratic political machine, and all the while pointing fingers at Washington for Detroit's destruction.

O Iraq, America fought for your right to throw a shoe at her

President Bush made a surprise visit to Baghdad on Sunday, and an Iraqi TV journalist surprised the world (and the Secret Service) by throwing a shoe at him. Luckily, the nimble President was able to dodge the projectile without harm as others in the press conference jumped on Muntader al-Zaidi. Obviously all anti-American Arabs are hailing al-Zaidi as a hero! Thousands rally in Iraq, Syria, and Libya to support Zaidi and his "courageous" action.

No doubt this was highly embarrassing for the Iraqi government. Not just the fact that one of its accredited journalists wanted to harm a visiting head of state, but the American president. The leader of the country that forced Saddam and his sadistic posse out of power, liberating the oppressed Iraqi people. The American president who made the tough decision to send American young men and women to war, knowing that some of them will die fighting for the freedom of strangers. The American president who steadfastly remained committed to a free, self-governing Iraq, while approval ratings at home tanked to a new low.

Yes, let the world see that flying shoe. Some will gladly see the American president duck for cover. Others will let out a sigh of relief that he's unharmed, and thank in their hearts for the freedom to throw a shoe at such a man.

GOP's Obama?

GOP rising star Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is nonwhite, an immigrant, Catholic, intelligent, and young, with possible presidential ambitions (although he denies it... for now). That's why Andrew Romano of Newsweek draws comparisons of him with President-elect Barack Obama. Mr. Romano's article gives us a good background of Jindal's upbringing and education, which I think rather differentiates him greatly from Obama.

For example:

...Although critics have questioned the governor's motives—Hindu activist Ramesh Rao recently wrote that "Jindal knew well that [conversion] was the only way, as an Indian-American Hindu, he could achieve his political ambitions"—his deeply Catholic views, including a "100 percent" opposition to abortion "with no exceptions" for rape, incest or health of the mother, undoubtedly anger more voters than they attract...

Vehemently pro-life. But if you recall, Obama couldn't even give a straight answer to Pastor Rick Warren when asked about abortion.

Also, no reports of Jindal fraternizing with domestic terrorists and priests who denounce America.

Bobby Jindal is the GOP's Obama and then some.

Emanuel had talks with Blagojevich's aides

All right, so Obama was correct in saying that none of his aides discussed the vacant Illinois senate seat with Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The truth is that Rahm Emanuel had such discussions with Blagojevich's aides. So technically Obama didn't lie.

Being a product of the Chicago political machine and considering his past (and current) questionable associates like Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright, I would not be a bit surprised if he gets in trouble one of these days. Plus, I really don't think the Clintons would mind bringing him down, either.

The immediate tasks following Obama's presidency may not be dealing with the economy and foreign policy, but rather hiding and avoiding skeletons in the closets of his inner circle.

Tax holiday instead of bailout

Thanks to Jeff Jacoby of The Boston Globe for shedding light in Rep. Louie Gohmert's (R-Texas) proposal: stop Treasury Pauson from spending the remaining TARP funds and use that money to finance a two-month tax holiday for every American taxpayer.

A bit more about Congressman Joseph Cao...

In one of the first interviews with Louisiana Congressman-elect Joseph Cao, Kevin Vance of the Weekly Standard sheds some light about the man who unseated Rep. William Jefferson (D).

Senate kills auto bailout bill

A few moderate Democrats joined forces with Republican senators to kill the $14 billion bailout bill after the UAW refused to cede wage and benefits to match those of foreign carmakers like Toyota and Honda. But now it seems the White House may step in to help Big Auto with TARP funds.

However, fingers are pointing everywhere already...

Democrats are blaming Republicans and the White House for not lining up their ducks, causing wasted energy and time, especially after the House passed the initial plan. Republicans are standing firm on greater concessions by Big Auto and its unions or else Detroit won't see a penny. They also bring up the point that Democrats have been too intimate with UAW and its largess, ultimately causing the downfall of G.M., Ford, and Chrysler.

It's a disturbing fact indeed that UAW and its political action committees have donated millions and millions to Congressional Democrats to lobby for labor benefits. Now look at what's happening. Daniel Howes of the Detroit News says it's Republican payback. That's certainly an oversimplified view of the situation. The bottom line is that the recession is hurting everyone, but not everyone is coming out asking for government handout. Why should taxpayers, many of whom are losing homes and jobs, further thin their wallets for these mismanaged corporations?

It bothers John B. Judis of The New Republic even more:

Here’s what bothers me. Japanese companies, which for years have benefited from one-way deal by which they could sell cars in the U.S. while U.S. companies were stymied in selling cars and trucks in Japan, set up non-union plants in low-wage, low-education, right-to-work states where they can pay less wages and benefits to their workers. Of course, in Japan, these same companies recognize and work with unions, but not here, where they have a chance to undercut American firms that work with unions. Corker and these other great patriots want to allow these Japanese companies to dictate the wages and benefits that American companies pay their workers. It’s despicable. Imagine, for a moment, American companies being allow to operate in this manner in Japan or South Korea. It would not happen.

Yes, that is part of the problem -- unfair trade practices between Japan and the U.S. But keep in mind that the Democrats control the House and the Senate and soon the White House! Why hasn't even one Democrat draft legislation to reverse this unfair trade? All they are thinking about is where and how to give more government handout, filling the media and our heads with images of an unemployment apocalypse triggering Great Depression II. Putting it bluntly, Democrats control the federal government, but they are not leading the nation.

And Judis ends with this:

Put it this way. What we have learned from the economics of the Great Depression is that in order to end the spiral of unemployment, government has to throw money at companies and consumers. It should be trying to raise wages, not lower them. The Wall Street bailout was a fiasco, but it was probably better than nothing. And the auto bailout was considerably better thought-out. Now there is a good prospect that two of the Big Three will fail, jeopardizing, perhaps, as many as a million jobs. That’s exactly the kind of thing that Americans should not be doing. But don’t tell that to those great patriots Corker, DeMint, or Shelby. They know better.

Anyone with basic understanding of capitalism and the fundamental economic principle of supply and demand would know Judis's thinking is flawed. Instead of the government throwing money, how about just not taking as much in taxes to let the companies and consumers decide what to do with it? Instead of trying to legislate acceptable wages, why not just let the market decide? The Great Depression was prolonged because of government intervention. The government should just get out of the way -- Americans have always found a way to recover and thrive without handouts!

Obama transition team officially in damage control mode

First, President-elect Obama held a press conference declaring that he and his aids have not spoken to Illinois Gov. Blagojevich about the open senate seat. Now his campaign lawyer Bob Bauer is doing an "internal review" so see who contacted the governor and said what... But the biggest leak is that Rahm Emanuel may have had several conversations with Blagojevich about the open senate seat!

Obamaniacs help with censoring on transition site

Obama's transition team launched a feature called "Open for Questions" on its site, Change.gov, for users to submit questions and vote on the top ones, much like Digg. But users are also allowed to flag inappropriate questions to remove them from the list. It looks like Obamaniacs are abusing such a feature to remove questions relating to the recent Federal investigation of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Again, change we can believe in!

Obama and Blagojevich

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is still the governor and can still appoint a replacement senator to fill Obama's seat, unless the state legislature works fast enough to impeach him. The buzz about this whole ordeal, however, is if any of this ties to Obama or his aids?

Steve Benen at Washington Monthly opines that all of this makes the president-elect look better because of his "commitment to ethics reform." But it's a fact that Obama and Blagojevich knew each other, perhaps quite well, as they crossed paths in their political efforts. Obama and Blagojevich and Obama have supported each other politically.

And why doesn't Obama release a statement demanding Gov. Blagojevich's resignation? That's the point Jennifer Rubin of Commentary brings up, and a very good one. Who on the transition team has the Governor's number on speed dial?

FBI arrests Illinois Governor and aide

Dirty. Chicago. Politics.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat (but you wouldn't read it elsewhere on mainstream media), and his chief of staff have been arrested by the FBI on federal corruption charges. Evidently the governor and his aid were soliciting bids to fill Barack Obama's senate seat. However, investigators revealed that allegations may go well beyond just that...

Remember, corruption always loses in politics.

People already tired of seeing Obama on screen

When President-elect Obama first announced his weekly YouTube "fireside chats," it was hailed as genius in this Internet Age. However, viewership has dropped dramatically since it started three weeks ago.

What does this really mean?

First, Generation X and Generation Y have short attention spans. What Obama needs are cool soundtracks and product placements.

Next, add some cats.

WaPo defends unions and criminal trespass

When an article titled "Unions Aren't the Problem" shows up, you know it's going to be entertaining and amusing to read. Marie Cocco of the Washington Post graciously provides us the intellectual stimulation we need this morning...

I do agree with her on the original intention of unions:

Creating a viable middle class has been the goal of organized labor since labor first became organized. And it is this goal that was abandoned outright by American political and business leaders as they did all they could over the past three decades to encourage a relentless race to the bottom in wages and benefits.

So what happened? Like many organizations, unions became powerful and its leaders turned into mob bosses with influence over politicians and businessmen. And when one is sitting at the top with so much power, more than likely the person wouldn't want to leave and would do anything to remain at the top, including abusing its members.

Also, Cocco doesn't think personal financial responsibility applies to the middle class:

Strip away the financial mumbo jumbo and the credit crisis comes down to this: For decades, as wages and benefits for working and middle-class people stagnated or fell, the only way for them to purchase the goods that make the economy hum was through credit. This was true whether the item purchased was a home, a car -- or all the unnecessary gizmos that retailers have been more than happy to tell consumers were the must-haves of the day. Until we understand that we are in the midst of two crises -- one the short-term credit crisis and one the longer-term crisis in the failure to pay workers what they need to sustain themselves -- we are doomed to repeat this horror.

Why are people buying everything through credit? Cars, furniture, electronics -- everything is financed! My parents raised me to only buy what you have the cash for and try your best to avoid debt. That BMW is a sweet ride, but if I only have the money to buy a used Ford Escort then that's what I'll be driving for a few years. Our economy shouldn't hum on credit. It should hum on cash purchases!

And is she condoning trespass?

This is why we can only hope that events such as the unfolding peaceful occupation of a Chicago window factory by its newly laid-off workers is the start of something much, much bigger.

Laid-off workers returning to work, except it's not work because they are actually disrupting the actual paid workers the company kept. What nonsense is this?! Why aren't they scouring newspapers and researching online to find work instead of wasting time harassing their former employer? Move. On. Please.

Newsweek's cover story on gay marriage

Overall, I applaud Lisa Miller in her effort to rationalize gay marriage with a catchy heading in Newsweek. Gay marriage has always been an explosive and controversial topic, and I seriously think Newsweek featured this story just to stir the pot a bit. This is one of those subjects that nobody from either side of the argument will budge. It's been like that for decades.

But what's now bugging the pro and con crowds of gay marriage is the result of California's vote on Proposition 8. The vote to change the state's constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman removed the right for same-sex couples to marry. As we all know, California is a liberal state and such a ban on gay marriage came as a shock to many. Immediately supporters organized mass protests and other campaigns in hopes to reverse the results.

First, onto Miller's article. She opens with examples from the Bible, the source of reference for many religious conservatives in their anti-gay marriage stance:

Let's try for a minute to take the religious conservatives at their word and define marriage as the Bible does. Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists. The New Testament model of marriage is hardly better. Jesus himself was single and preached an indifference to earthly attachments—especially family. The apostle Paul (also single) regarded marriage as an act of last resort for those unable to contain their animal lust. "It is better to marry than to burn with passion," says the apostle, in one of the most lukewarm endorsements of a treasured institution ever uttered. Would any contemporary heterosexual married couple—who likely woke up on their wedding day harboring some optimistic and newfangled ideas about gender equality and romantic love—turn to the Bible as a how-to script?

Yet she fails to mention God's first creation in His own image: Adam. Knowing Adam's longing for companionship, did He create another man? No, Eve was made to be with Adam. Then God instructed them to be fruitful and multiply. So since Creation, God intended a male and female to form a family, the basic element of human society. (And even if you don't believe Creationism in the Bible and insist that there exists many interpretations, how can you not interpret Genesis as the basis for man-woman marriage?)

Miller reasonably points out Biblical examples of Abraham, Jacob, etc. from the Old Testament. In the case of Abraham (Abram), it wasn't the Lord that encouraged him to sleep with his wife Sarai (Sarah)'s maidservant, Hagar. The Scripture clearly says that it was Sarai's idea. What the author fails to realize is that the Bible records many things and events, many of which are sins and tragedies, but that does not mean they're condoned by God. That's why there's Jesus and the New Testament. He came to wipe the slate clean and allow a fresh start. And in the New Testament Jesus and the Apostles preach several times on marriage and family.

By merely pulling verses from the Scriptures out of context without fully understanding them, Miller presents a weak argument against the anti-gay marriage, religious conservatives. Furthermore, it does nothing to advance the support of gay marriage.

Liberals unhappy about Obama

The more President-elect Obama talks about current issues and announces new cabinet appointments, the edgier liberals become. Ever since the general election, Obama has yet to offer anything concrete to the left-wing Democrats and MoveOn.org liberals. Instead, his decisions have been praised even by some conservatives! Some have labeled him a closet centrist -- imagine the horror!

Steve Hildebrand of the Huffington Post pleads for calm among his leftist friends:

...The point I'm making here is that our new president, the Congress and all Americans must come together to solve these problems. This is not a time for the left wing of our Party to draw conclusions about the Cabinet and White House appointments that President-Elect Obama is making. Some believe the appointments generally aren't progressive enough. Having worked with former Senator Obama for the last two years, I can tell you, that isn't the way he thinks and it's not likely the way he will lead. The problems I mentioned above and the many I didn't, suggest that our president surround himself with the most qualified people to address these challenges. After all, he was elected to be the president of all the people - not just those on the left.

The Democrat Party should take note. All these years of appeasing and redistributing wealth have made your party owned by the liberal netroot crazies, union bosses, and mainstream media. They have supported Democratic politicians, and what they giveth they can taketh. If these leftists don't get something in return by 2010, the Democrats are in for a lesson that the Republicans already learned the hard way...

First Vietnamese-American elected to Congress

Incumbent Democrat William Jefferson was defeated by Republican immigration lawyer Anh "Joseph" Cao. The Louisiana election was postponed for a month because of Hurricane Gustav. And with the star power of Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal, this state is starting to get redder and redder!

Gail Collins takes cheap shots at Chambliss and his win

Oh, it's really not surprising at all, coming from the op-ed of NYT. I can understand why columnist Gail Collins is taking these cheap shots since Democrat Jim Martin lost to Saxby Chambliss in Georgia. If the outcome had been the reverse, I'm sure Collins would've penned something less of an eyesore.

Cheap shot #1, attacking Chambliss' work ethics:

Anyhow, the Georgia runoff was more important than you might imagine. Certainly more significant than anything Chambliss has done since he skipped a closed-door Senate session on Iraq intelligence data to go golfing with Tiger Woods...

Cheap shot #2, making fun of other Republicans and those who went to Georgia to support Chambliss:

...Mitt! Mike! McCain! Together again, just like in the primaries, with a stuffed manatee playing the part of Fred Thompson. “If we give them a blank check, they will sign that check and be taking money out of our pockets,” warned Rudy Giuliani, whose total failure as a presidential candidate clearly has not affected his ability to turn a phrase.

Cheap shot #3, somehow linking Sen. Chambliss' golfing skills with her BDS:

Now Chambliss has been a senator for six years, and his greatest achievement was getting ranked the 33rd best golfer in Washington by Golf Digest. It is highly unlikely that he could stop the president from doing anything beyond making a putt.

Cheap shot #4, dragging Sen. Joe Lieberman into the picture:

Besides, if the Democrats did get the 60 seats, one of them would belong to Joe Lieberman. You may recall that although Lieberman spent the last year campaigning for John McCain (and, as it turns out, donating money to Republican candidates for the senate), the Democrats were so desperate to keep him in their caucus that they caved in to his demands to keep his committee chairmanship. If Lieberman had turned out to be Mr. 60, he would not only have wanted the committee, he would have insisted on being carried to all its meetings on a litter, borne by the fellow senators who failed to appreciate him, with Lindsey Graham running ahead, clashing cymbals.

Cheap shot #5, trying to justify her cheap shots with RINO Olympia Snowe (Maine):

Olympia Snowe, the senior senator, is widely regarded as one of Congress’s quality acts. In fact, some people might have wondered why John McCain, if he was so desperate for a woman on his ticket, ignored a well-traveled, independent-minded experienced legislator who does her homework in favor of an out-to-lunch moose-murderer who cannot seem to put together a coherent sentence.

All right, so #5 can also be #6, which is ridiculing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a well-liked politician and rising star among conservatives, but a woman that, for odd reasons, doesn't quite appeal to the feminists and liberal op-ed columnists.

New York may get a Sen. Kennedy

With Sen. Hillary Clinton leaving the Senate to become the new Secretary of State, rumor has it that New York Gov. David Paterson may appoint Caroline Kennedy to fill in the seat. And she's said to be considering it.

Transition of power in the Internet Age

President-elect Obama's staff has some talented, young, and energized people, and they grew up in the Internet Age where instant messages are preferred and Facebook usage is a must. But that also presents a challenge for the transition team.

The latest embarrassment comes from his Director of Speechwriting, Jon Favreau, a talented 27-year-old, a graduate of The College of the Holy Cross in 2003. Apparently some compromising party photos surfaced on Facebook with him and a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton.

And no need to find those photos. Obviously they have been removed to prevent further negative publicity to the Obama transition team.

The legacy of President Bush...

This is how I'd remember President Bush. Thanks to Peggy Noonan for sharing it.

It's not just about those 60 seats...

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) defeated Jim Martin (D) with a clear mandate -- by nearly 15 points! --from Georgia voters: we want to stay a red Peach State. This win for the Republicans assures that no super-majority can be achieved by Senate Democrats. Whew!

But it's really about more than that...

Clearly, the Democratic vote driving machine did not work this time in the runoff election. Black voters didn't turn out to vote for Martin as they had in the general election for Obama. If this is any indication of voter turnout in 2010, the GOP certainly will attempt to exploit this kink in the armor.

And why didn't President-elect Obama go down to Georgia to support Martin knowing how important of a race it was? Was he never a believer in Martin? I'm sure Jim Martin is left with a bitter taste in his mouth after this campaign, and not because he'd lost, but because "The One" didn't consider traveling to the Peach State to rally for him.

Chambliss had better luck with his support cast. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin went to Georgia to campaign for Chambliss, and according to the senator, "When she walks in a room, folks just explode." No matter what your opinion of her is, she's going to stay on the media radar and remain a star in the Republican Party.

And what about the messy senate race in Minnesota? Some Democrats are scared of Al Franken actually becoming a U.S. senator. Is it really that easy for any Hollywood hack to become a Washington politician?! Will a Franken win encourage more of these west coast loudmouths to run for office? A Hollywood invasion of Washington. That won't be a pretty sight.

Another example of why the U.N. is a joke

Thanks to Claudia Rosett writing on Forbes.com about the United Nations' Durban Review Conference (or "Durban II" as she calls it) to expose the organization's hypocrisy in ending global racism. Durban II is chaired by a Libyan ambassador who has gone on the record slamming Israel many, many times. Other nations involved in the preparatory committee include Iran, Russia, Pakistan, and Cameroon. Yes, believe it or not, these are the countries tasked to organize a conference on ending racism worldwide!

My advice is for anyone participating in any U.N. conference or meeting to wear high boots. There's so much dog-squeeze at these places that you'll need adequate protection...

Jeb Bush considering senate run

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is contemplating becoming a senator after Sen. Mel Martinez (R) announced that he won't seek re-election. The GOP is giddy about this prospect as Bush enjoys high approval ratings in the state and having him on the ballot in 2010 would be great defense against the Democrats who consider Florida a high profile battleground. Even his president brother's historically low approval rating doesn't bother Jeb supporters. They are confident that Jeb's popularity will counter any negativity associated with President Bush especially when he's already  left the White House for two years in 2010.

The left, understandably, doesn't like the idea of Jeb Bush entering the Senate. Just having another Bush in Washington rubs them the wrong way! There's already some BDS II surfacing: Matt Stoller of OpenLeft.com is spreading BDS II already:

...Bush's background as a semi-corrupt businessman who participated in a scheme to, get this, sell water pumps in Nigeria, will emerge.

Remember, the Bush family is immensely corrupt, but that doesn't emerge unless there's actual scrutiny. Jeb has never been subjected to any such scrutiny, but it's hard to imagine that this situation can continue if he gets a serious contender. The Bush family is in disgrace, and I don't see how that changes in just two years, especially with the rumors flying around about Jeb's personal behavior and business shenanigans.

It was a former business partner of Jeb Bush that was under investigation for the Nigerian water pump deal gone awry. Jeb was never found of any wrongdoing. And simply accusing the Bush family of being corrupt, without scrutiny? Please don't tell me that the media scrutinized President-elect Obama.

Chambliss wins in Georgia

The Democrats won't be able to attain their 60-seat majority in the Senate as Georgia incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss wins with nearly 60%. My guess is that a lot of Republicans and conservatives came out to vote for fear of the Democratic super-majority threat. It's good to know that Georgia remains red. The win by Chambliss will look good on all those who'd gone to Georgia to campaign for him: Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and especially Sarah Palin.

Get paid $1, get a few billion dollars in return

Detroit's Big Auto is back to Washington to present plans in order to convince Congress they are worthy of a $25 billion loan. Ford CEO Alan Mulally is even willing to work for $1 per year if the company gets the government money.

My question is, Why isn't he paid $1 already when the company has been in trouble for years?! I have nothing against lucrative executive compensation, but when the company is on the brink of bankruptcy and ready to layoff thousands of workers, the least that executives could do is take a pay cut.

Palin's reputation rides on Georgia election

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin went to Georgia to stump for incumbent Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss in the runoff election on December 2. This senate race has national attention because it could mean a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority for the Democrats if challenger Jim Martin wins (and in Minnesota, Al Franken).

Palin also took a bold step in traveling to Georgia after the fallout of the presidential campaign. Georgia is fairly receptive to Palin's conservative messages, but in other red states and among other Republicans, Palin has plenty of vocal critics. She's obviously interested in staying on the political radar for the coming years, and a win for Chambliss would allow her to bank some political credits. However, if for whatever reason Martin unseats the incumbent, then there will be many, many fingers pointed at Palin.

Franken losing in recount, may seek help from Senate

The latest recount in Minnesota has Norm Coleman (R) ahead with about 340 votes and challenger Al Franken (D) is looking to take his case to the Democrat-controlled Senate. Talk about the loser trying to change the rules. Instead of honoring the voting results of Minnesotans, Franken is willing to overturn that by seeking help from his party friends in Congress.

No recession in Obama house

To show his appreciation for his wife's support, President-elect Obama is buying a $30,000 diamond and rhodium ring for the soon-to-be first lady. That's a nice gesture, and now we know there's no economic downturn in Obama's house.

Calls for Bill to replace Hillary in Senate

Some people would like to see a Clinton replaced by another Clinton. Now that Hillary will be Obama's Secretary of State, it's up to New York Governor David Paterson, a Democrat, to appoint a replacement to serve out Hillary's term. Other high-profile contenders include Caroline Kennedy and her cousin, Robert Kennedy, Jr. I doubt the Democratic leaders would like Bill to enter the Senate. That would turn the Senate into a drawn-out soap opera...

Centrist Obama

Is President-elect really a centrist? So far his appointments have not shown a leftward slant and that's making the progressive Netroots anxious. His choice for Treasury Secretary, State Secterary, and Defense Secretary have been praised by Republicans and Democrats alike. Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard starts to wonder: Is Obama a secret centrist?

Maybe we are starting to really see how effective a politician Obama is. I'm starting to wonder if during the campaign, Obama and his team played the left in order to get the support to secure the Democrat Party's nomination. Since he was going up against Hillary, a liberal politician who's shown to be open to a centrist platform, Obama veered to the left in order to distinguish himself from her. And by doing such he gathered the steam and momentum from the far left crowd who have been waiting for years to see a candidate they like. Now that he's president-elect, his cabinet choices have been disappointing the progressive left who have supported him the most.

However, it's entirely possible that he's just setting everything up for the long four years in the White House. Maybe he thinks being a centrist would get things done quicker in the early years, to settle things down. And when the dust settles, he can start going left, very left. After all, his campaign promises of bloated government programs and faux tax cuts would guarantee applause from the Netroots.