Category Archives: Political polemics

JOBS SPEECH – TRANSCRIPT and COMMENT

The President took no personal responsibility for the failure to stem unemployment.  His remarks were solemn, his tone was that of a lecture.  At times his rage was less than subtle.

In fact, this larger [Republican] notion that the only thing we can do to restore prosperity is just dismantle government, refund everyone’s money, let everyone write their own rules, and tell everyone they’re on their own – that’s not who we are. That’s not the story of America.

 But the Pinocchio award goes to this paragraph.

I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass right away.  It’s called the American Jobs Act. There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation.  Everything in here is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by both Democrats and Republicans – including many who sit here tonight. And everything in this bill will be paid for.  Everything.

Got that?  Nothing controversial, everything supported by Republicans, it will be fully paid for and it must be passed immediately.  I say give Congress just half the time to study it that you took to prepare it.  That would take us to early December 2012.  We want to know what’s in this one before we pass it.

Barack knows his history and expressed his appreciation for what Abraham Lincoln did for the nation.

We all remember Abraham Lincoln as the leader who saved our Union. But in the middle of a Civil War, he was also a leader who looked to the future – a Republican president who mobilized government to build the transcontinental railroad; launch the National Academy of Sciences; and set up the first land grant colleges.  (emphasis ours).

 To Barack, Lincoln’s greatness comes from his infrastructure programs.  Giving freedom to the Black man is not even mentioned.

Our time and space is running out, so we will leave you with these Cliff Notes that cover the rest of the speech.

   loopholes                special interests             pass my bill right now

   crumbling bridges               loopholes             decaying bridges

   tax breaks             affluent Americans          struggling Americans

   fair share                     pass my bill right now                reforms

   oil companies                       lobbyists                      shared sacrifice

UPDATE:
OOPS! We forgot to include a link to the full transcript. Here it is.

JOBS and ECONOMICS a la BARACK OBAMA

Obama’s attempt to set Tuesday as the day for his address to a joint session of Congress was so obviously political that he quickly backed off and agreed to Speaker Boehner’s rejection of that date.  Michael Smerconish, who was filling in as host for the vacationing Chris Matthews, pointed out on the Hardball program that presidents are not empowered to order Congress to meet in joint session so that the president may address them.  A request must be made to Congress, whereupon the common practice of finding a mutually agreed upon date takes place without public involvement.  Once a date is chosen, it is announced publicly.

Smerconish and one of his two guests agreed that Obama’s choice of an open letter to the Speaker to initiate his request was unprecedented. Furthermore, they agreed that Rush Limbaugh was right when he said it was strictly a political move engineered to upstage the GOP Debate.  That was probably the first time the words “Limbaugh was right” were ever uttered on MSNBC.  Never let it be said the President did not fulfill his promise of audacity.

What should we expect to be included in this much vaunted address?  It has been billed as a “Jobs” speech and it will be presented as a stimulus for private sector job creation.  However, we expect the focus will be on jobs for government projects.  Like FDR’s WPA and CCC Camps, they will be boondoggles that improve some roads and bridges but will do little to improve the general economy while sending the nation more deeply in debt.  This is not the time to be replacing perfectly serviceable infrastructure.  If money is spent it should be spent on re-invigorating the free market system where wealth is created, not where old wealth is shuffled about.  These programs did not work for Roosevelt and they will not work for Obama.

A central point in the speech is likely to be a call for the creation of an Infrastructure Bank to fund government construction projects.  This has all the potential of becoming a Fannie Mae for bridges and tunnels.

If we give Obama the benefit of the doubt and assume that he really wants what he believes to be best for America, then we must conclude that our nation’s problem is Obama’s socialist roots.  He knows nothing about how free markets work.  He has no business experience whatsoever and sees government as the be-all end-all of everything.  The President knows not and cares not how the wealth to run a nation is created.  A nation may be imbued with wealth in its natural resources and scenic beauty, but it’s only in the private sector that wealth is created.  Government only depletes it.  A portion of that which is created is taken by government to provide essential services and hopefully to maintain the optimum environment where the creative process itself can prosper.

What Obama learned about economics he learned from his mentor and spiritual leader whose message is that it’s white man’s greed that runs a world in need.  Barack was so moved by this message that he cried as he sat in the pew at the conclusion of the sermon and knew then what  his mission in life would be.  This, in Obama’s own words as told in Dreams from My Father.  Even those who see nobleness in that dedication must acknowledge it is merely a mission of taking and giving; it is a mission devoid of creation.

There can be no doubt that Obama wants to bring down unemployment, which means to create jobs.  If he knew how to do it he would have done it.  He has been in office for 2 year and 7 months.  For the first 2 years he had the benefit of an all Democratic Congress who supported every item on his agenda.  The people he wants to help most are hurting the worst.  The man is not stupid, he is just blinded by his ideology and his ideology is in no small way born of his rage.  His heart is in expanding the government sector and not private industry whose profits he sees only as a garden of greed.

Obama is a victim of the image he created for himself with some nurturing from the media.  The slogan of Hope and Change, mixed with the audacity to bring it all about was a promise to fulfill your dreams whatever they may be.  It is not for negligence that hope — for what?, and change — to what?  were never defined.  Definitions are limiting; vagueness is not.  It was left for each person to fill in the blanks with their own personal hopes and desires.  You say voters are not that naïve?  You say voters don’t believe politicians promises?  You may remember the woman who was thrilled at Obama’s victory because it meant he was now going to pay off her mortgage.  That woman had voted.  She voted for the fulfillment of her own personal dream.  Do you suppose she was the only one?

Barack Obama has broken more than promises.  He has broken hearts as well.  He has failed his own people.  All because of his socialist roots.

ARE YOU A SON OF A BITCH THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT BECAUSE OF YOUR BELIEFS? JIMMY HOFFA THINKS SOME OF US ARE

Warming up the crowd in Detroit just before the appearance of Barack Obama, Teamster’s Union leader Jimmy Hoffa had this to say about Tea Party members.

“President Obama, this is your army.  We are ready to march.  Let’s take these sons of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong. (sic)”

Not only is it sic, which means we know the syntax is bad, however that is what he said, but it is also sick.  Hoffa said in the same speech that war has been declared and there will only be one winner.  We are living in perilous times, my friend.

This is breaking news and as yet we can find nothing about Obama’s reaction to Hoffa’s offer.

UPDATE
Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government reports (with video):

Obama declares he is proud of Hoffa — after Hoffa declares war on Tea Party ‘sons of bitches’.

A TALE OF TWO SPEECHES

President George W. Bush’s speech after the capture of Saddam Hussein:

“The success of yesterday’s mission is a tribute to our men and women now serving in Iraq . The operation was based on the superb work of intelligence analysts who found the dictator’s footprints in a vast country. The operation was carried out with skill and precision by a brave fighting force. Our servicemen and women and our coalition allies have faced many dangers in the hunt for members of the fallen regime, and in their effort to bring hope and freedom to the Iraqi people. Their work continues, and so do the risks. Today, on behalf of the nation, I thank the members of our Armed Forces and I congratulate them!”

Obama’s speech after the killing of bin Laden:

“And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the Director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network. Then, last August, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan . And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and I authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad , Pakistan .”

Two very different speeches, one by a leader giving all the credit to those who did the job, the other by Barack Obama.

THE SOLYNDRA AFFAIR

Fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money for one man to contribute to a candidate’s campaign fund.  But it is money well spent if it helps you get half of a billion dollars in stimulus money to develop a company you are promoting.

Solyndra was the poster child for Barack Obama’s Green Energy Stimulus program.  In May of last year the President splashed across the news with great fanfare and with great pride as he told the nation this was his move to save the planet and create brand new jobs.  Now, less than 16 months later, the company is bankrupt and 1,100 workers were suddenly thrown out of work with no advance notice.  Furthermore, It looks like the taxpayers will be out $535,000,000.

Rich Lowry reports

In a visit to Solyndra in May 2010, President Obama called it “a testament to American ingenuity and dynamism.” He all but redefined the traditional statement of Americanness to encompass motherhood, apple pie, and the conversion of sunlight into electricity through cylindrical thin-film solar cells, the specialty of Solyndra.

Obama and Biden were literally invested in Solyndra’s success. The company got a half-billion-dollar federal loan guarantee, the first in a highly vaunted Department of Energy green-jobs program, as part of the stimulus. This was supposed to be the new economic model: government and its favored industries cooperating to lead the country into a green, politically approved recovery.

What can you expect from a business plan to make little solar panels at a cost of $6.29 per energy unit, get a government subsidy to cover half the cost, and then offer the product for sale at $3.24 in a market where the competition is selling it for $1.75?  It gets worse.  Solyndra is backed by one of Obama’s key fundraisers, George Kaiser of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Rich Lowry says this is Obama’s Enron, Power Line blog likens it to the Keating Savings and Loan political scandal.

From the Washington Post via American Thinker

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), chairman of the oversight and investigations subcommittee, wrote to the White House, “We have learned from our investigation that White House officials monitored Solyndra’s application, and communicated with DOE and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials. Documents received by the Committee also show that DOE and OMB officials were aware of the White House’s interest in the Solyndra loan guarantee.”

Solyndra’s shuttering has also raised concerns about the status of tens of billions the Obama administration has invested in other renewable-energy companies.

There is one difference between Keating or Enron and Solyndra; the press is not likely to run hard with the Solyndra affair.

TWEETER’S TWIT INDEX

Crimson Hexagon is to the internet as Nielson is to television programming.  They both are leading firms that take measure of what is popular in their respective spheres.  Crimson measures sentiments as posted in public social networking sites like Twitter.  Their work is directed mostly for commercial purposes, but they also explore political issues.  The outfit monitored tweets on the subject of the Presidents big black bus tour through Tea Party land and found 72% of tweeters were critical of the tour with only 6% tweeting favorably about it.  It places Obama in the running for the Twit of the Year award.

Say what you will about Bill Clinton, but at least he had an easy charm and a sense of propriety.  He also was a man who was capable of being gracious.  Obama is none of that.  Can you picture President Clinton, 2 ½ years into his presidency, ordering a million dollar bus from Canada, having it painted intimidation black, and riding for three days through the midlands making stump speeches blaming mid-east unrest and a Japanese earthquake for the lack of jobs at home?

DISASTER IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

Two man-made disasters have hit the Gulf of Mexico in the last year and a half.  One largely corrected itself through the miraculous forces of nature with some helpful assistance from government cleanup programs.  The second disaster continues to fester and is only getting worse.  Mother Nature is powerless to do anything about the second disaster and only fools expect Washington to fix that which Washington broke.

We are talking first about the oil spill caused by lax safety standards on the part of British Petroleum that led to an accidental oil spill, and then about the ill conceived drilling moratorium that followed it.  The second disaster was no accident.  It was wrong headed intentional action taken by Barack Obama against strong advice from the panel of engineers chosen by the President himself.

The engineers report was so clear and emphatic and contrary to the President’s agenda that the administration saw fit to falsify the report.  We reported the fraudulent act here and here at the time.

As of now, ten rigs have left the Gulf of Mexico and gone to locations in Egypt, the Congo, French Guiana, Liberia, Nigeria and Brazil.  Three more are expected to leave and eight new rigs that were slated for the Gulf have been re-directed elsewhere.  Thousands of jobs have been sacrificed, millions of barrels of domestically produced oil have been forfeited, our dependence on foreign oil has increased, and there is less tax to collect.  Correction: less revenue to be earned.  The Democrats have done away with taxes.

THE BIG BUST AND OTHER RANDOM THOTS

The President’s big bust tour didn’t go very well.  It’s not surprising when you know the tour was in fly over Tea Party country.  Even the black congressional caucus didn’t like it.  He spent too much time with white folks.  Maxine Waters pleaded with Black Caucus followers to “release us” and then we’ll go at him.  The Caucus is caught between Scylla and Charybdis on this one.

A recent Newsmax poll found that only 42% of voters will admit they voted for Barack Obama.  Now I know why all those Obama/Biden bumper stickers are disappearing from cars everywhere, except in college towns of course.

The goal of public service union leaders is to maximize membership.  If two people can easily do the job, five is better.  Five votes to count, five dues to collect, what could be sweeter than that?  On the other hand, the taxpayers, as citizens paying the wages are entitled to a day’s work for a day’s wages paid.  The negotiating table is supposed to resolve the conflict of interest between the public service unions and we the people.  But it’s the union dues that put the negotiators in their seats across the table.  What could be sourer than that?

Charles Koch responds to Warren Buffet

“Much of what the government spends money on does more harm than good; this is particularly true over the past several years with the massive uncontrolled increase in government spending.  I believe my business and non-profit investments are much more beneficial to societal well-being than sending more money to Washington.  — Charles G. Koch, Chairman and CEO, Koch Industries, Inc.

Charlie must be reading RandomThots.  We said here last Monday.

OBAMA DISAPPROVAL HITS 71%

If you hire a demolition expert you should not be surprised when the building collapses.

A community organizer knows nothing about building the wealth of a nation, only about how to appropriate wealth that has already been created.  The process is a destructive one.  That’s obvious.

In 2007 there was an economic meltdown due to excessive issuance of sub-prime mortgages.  ACORN was in the forefront of the activist community pressuring banks and regulators to make more and more of these loans until the inevitable collapse.  To fix it we hired an ACORN trainer.

You can hire an arsonist to put out a fire if you wish.  But don’t expect his heart to be in it.

PERRY’S TEXAS TALK, BERNANKE TAKES SOME HEAT

When Howard Cosell asked Mohamed Ali where he aimed his punches, Ali said “I aim for the back of the head.”  Mohamed Ali fought like a champ.  Republicans, on the other hand are given to pulling their punches.  Not Rick Perry.

It would be treason, Perry says.

“If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I don’t know what y’all will do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas,” Perry said to laughter from supporters in Iowa.

“Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous, treasonous in my opinion,” he said.

Ears on the Right heard NO MORE STIMULUS!  Ears on the Left heard only a blasphemous threat.  Those in the middle are provoked to thought.  In my opinion, it was a gotcha that won’t get.  Any sane person knows the comment was a slander, not a real threat.  Slanders are the spice of choice in political campaigns.  Bernanke is a good guy and Perry knows it.  But even good guys make mistakes.

Now about the Fed.  When interest rates are six percent, lowering them to five will promote borrowing by consumers for refrigerators and cars and borrowing by businesses for expansion.  It can poke an economy and get it to move.  But lowering rates from near zero to nearer zero is like trying to move the economy by pushing on its string.  What the economy needs is not another Quantitative Easing.  What the economy needs is a president who isn’t a business killer.