Obama Connections

It is interesting that the MSM is now raising questions about Obama's connections to the chronically corrupt Illinois political machine. For example:

On the Chicago TV show "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz" on June 27, 2002, state Sen. Obama said, "Right now, my main focus is to make sure that we elect Rod Blagojevich as Governor, we..."

"You working hard for Rod?" interrupted Berkowitz.

"You betcha," said Obama.

"Hot Rod?" asked the host.

"That's exactly right," Obama said.

In 2004, then-Gov. Blagojevich enthusiastically endorsed Obama for the Senate seat after he won the nomination, and Obama endorsed Blagojevich for his 2006 re-election race in early 2005.

While I'm not an advocate of guilt by association, it will be interesting to see how the Illinois corruption network expands.

Fred Dispenses a Little Common Sense

If Fred Thompson had been this entertaining on the campaign trail, the primaries might have unfolded differently:

Anh Cao: The New Face of Congress

In a most heartening development, Anh Cao will replace Congressman William "Freezer Cash" Jefferson:

Indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson suffered what may be the final blow of his storied political career in the most improbable way Saturday, when an untested Republican opponent took advantage of Louisiana's new federal voting rules -- and an election delay caused by Hurricane Gustav -- to unseat the nine-term Democrat.

With the upset victory, Anh "Joseph" Cao, a eastern New Orleans attorney who fled war-ravaged Saigon as a child, becomes the first Vietnamese-American in Congress. He will represent a district that was specifically drawn to give African-Americans an electoral advantage and one in which two of every three voters are registered Democrats.

Does this election outcome provide another data point suggesting a post-racial America?

Obama's Spending Plan

Obama unleashed today details of his vision for re-energizing the US Economy. Politico summarizes thusly:

—ENERGY: “[W]e will launch a massive effort to make public buildings more energy-efficient. Our government now pays the highest energy bill in the world. We need to change that. We need to upgrade our federal buildings by replacing old heating systems and installing efficient light bulbs. That won’t just save you, the American taxpayer, billions of dollars each year. It will put people back to work.”

This is a government subsidized make-work project wrapped in the flag of energy conservation. A gift to the unions?

—ROADS AND BRIDGES: “[W]e will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s. We’ll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we’ll set a simple rule – use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money.”

A government subsidized make-work. Another gift to the unions?

—SCHOOLS: “[M]y economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.”

Note that this proposal says nothing about improving the quality of education our children experience. This proposal is all about justifying more government subsidized make work programs. I know of no research that connects the energy efficiency of a school building with student performance as a result of an educational program.

—BROADBAND: “As we renew our schools and highways, we’ll also renew our information superhighway. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption. Here, in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have the chance to get online, and they’ll get that chance when I’m president – because that’s how we’ll strengthen America’s competitiveness in the world.”

It his a proposal for government subsidized broadband? The US already has an oversupply of broadband capacity.

—ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS: “In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the Internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the Internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help modernize our health care system – and that won’t just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.”

The thought of the government driving the adoption of an electronic medical records system raises more concerns about preservation of personal privacy than I can begin to enumerate. Given the numerous violations of privacy laws by State officials poking into "Joe the Plumber's" records, I have zero confidence in an electronic medical records system that is touched by the government (state or national) in any way. I support movement of medical records from dead-trees to electronic media. Let's encourage companies like Google to lead that charge.

These proposals are all about expanding the reach of big brother government.

Stunningly absent from Obama's proposals are incentives to spur entrepreneurs to take risk and create value. Innovation and entrepreneurship are the true strength and defining nature of this country. Only value created in the private sector can reenergize the US and World economies.

UPDATE: Has Obama proposed a Macho Stimulus Plan? Pass the Viagra please.

How Obama Got Elected

In case you were wondering, here's some insight into how Obama was elected president:



More at HowObamaGotElected.

Is Obama Qualified?

Questions about Obama's status as a Natural Born Citizen persist.  Alan Keys has filed suit in a Califoria court to force clarification of the issue.  More here .

Why has Obama failed so far to difinitively address this issue?

hattip: ace.

Jimmy Obama

Ann Althouse thinks Obama sounds a lot like Jimmy Carter :



What do you think?

And, oh, BTW, since when did it become appropriate for The Office of the President-Elect to issue a weekly address?  Is it my imagination, or are the marionette-like strings connecting Obama to his handlers visible in this weekly address video?

While we're at it, is there any meaning to be found in the fact that,. while the world's leaders are meeting, Obama is holed up in Chicago?

A question to which we may soon learn the answer: Is Obama a follower, or can he lead?

Election Aftermath: Obama Zombies

A humble prediction

Here's a humble prediction: Severe buyer's remorse will have settled in by the time Obama is sworn in, on January 20, 2009, as President of the United State.

The Hypocracy of Dividers and Uniters

Free Speech in the Obama Era: Censor Your T-Shirt

Free speech in the Obama Era. A man is arrested for simply wearing a McCain/Palin t-shirt:




H/T: Ace .

The Multi-Trillion Dollar Question about Obama

Obama has demonstrated exemplary skills at running a campaign. Obama has proven his ability to run an effective Presidential campaign. Just as Obama proved his ability to run a successful Senate campaign. Just as Obama proved his ability to run a successful campaign to become a legislator in the state of Illinois.

The campaign is over. Obama is now president-elect. There is no next campaign for Obama to pivot to; the President's office is not a springboard to another position up toe political food chain. Being president is about leadership. About governing. Voting "present" is not an option.

The multi-trillion dollar question about Obama is: can he govern?

Only in time will we learn of Obama's ability to govern. The stock market, however, excels at incorporating the future into current stock prices. On learning Obama is the president-elect, the stock market declined by more than 5%. The largest post presidential election stock market decline ever. Is the market prophetic? 

Obama's Finger

These videos are making the rounds today. The first is of Obama speaking in a disparaging way about Hillary Clinton:

The second video is of a (tired looking) Obama speaking about John McCain:

Coincidence? Careless gesture or intentional insult?

The Dead Vote in Cleveland

As we are on the eve of a Presidential election, these findings by Cleveland TV station 5 are unsettling:

CLEVELAND -- Among the thousands of graves at Highland Park Cemetery, one modest tombstone stands out.
Alex Holmes Sr. has been at rest in that cemetery for 15 years. But recent election records show he cast a ballot in this year's primary.
And our 5 On Your Side investigation found a home on Cleveland's east side listed as Holmes' address.
Jeremy Moore, Holmes' grandson, was stunned.
"He's deceased. Deceased since 1993," Moore said.
And it doesn't appear to be a name mix-up.
Records reveal Alex Holmes Jr. -- who is still alive -- voted in the same election as his deceased father.
Cuyahoga County Elections Director Jane Platten said she'll look in to it.
"Without having full detail, I have no idea why that would have happened," Platten said.
But this isn't the first time we've uncovered dead voters. Two years ago, another 5 On Your Side investigation exposed 13,000 dead voters registered in Cuyahoga County. More than two dozen of them cast ballots.

Obama's Energy Policy: Bankrupt Coal-Fired Power Plants

An audio file in which Obama outlines his energy policy includes a promise to eliminate generation of new electricity using one of America's most abundant resources:

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.

Approximately 30% of US electricity production is from coal-powered facilities. The US holds approximately 25% of the world's known coal reserves. R&D has produced significant advances toward clean coal power generation. New coal fired electric plants would incorporate the new technologies.

Perhaps Senator Obama was speaking recklessly. Perhaps. To my eye, greater bang for the buck would be achieved by stimulating building of power generation facilities, including coal powered facilities, that are cleaner than existing facilities. New capacity could enable retiring old inefficient and dirty facilities. Categorically ruling out expanding electricity production that leverages one of America's most abundant resources is short sighted.

More on Obama's Illegal Campaign Donations

An Instapundit reader does some important leg work on illegal foreign contributions to the Obama campaign:

Meanwhile, reader Joseph Edwards emails:

All these stories about Obama's campaign contributions (lack of credit card verification, Aunti Zaitun, etc.) prompted me to check Google Trends (http://www.google.com/trends) to see from which countries people are searching for "Donate McCain" versus "Donate Obama." Check it out yourself. Nothing other than the USA registers for McCain, but a statistically significant number of Canadian and British residents apparently have enough interest in donating to Obama's campaign they show up as numbers two and three. Somehow I don't believe these are all US service men and women stationed in Montreal or London who are googling this topic.

He's right. Here's "Donate Obama," and here's "Donate McCain" on Google Trends. Of course, that just tells you who's searching, not who's donating.

Agreed.   It does raise myriad questions the Obama campaign should address pronto.

Biden Crowds vs. Palin Crowds

I'm a strong believer that actions speak louder than words. Both vice presidential candidates visited Bowling Green this week. Palin was in town Wednesday morning (Oct 29). She drew a crowd estimated at 5,500 on a work-day morning. The event required attendees to plan in advance and obtain a ticket to the event. It took commitment to attend the Palin event.

Biden spoke last evening, a Saturday, at an outdoor event held on the BGSU campus that attracted a crowd estimated at 1,500. Barriers to attending the Biden event were limited: no ticket required (show up), no need to miss work. Kids living in the nearby dorms didn't need to travel far. Parking was abundant. It appears Obama/Biden supporters were more committed to their beers than to making the limited effort required to rally their candidate.

Will a similar difference in commitment be apparent at the polls on Tuesday? We'll see.

Tito the Builder

Obama on Civilian Security

This clip is disturbing for a number of reasons. One is that it appears Obama is proposing yet another government program. Two, one might infer that Senator Obama is unawares that the US already has voluntary civilian security organizations we variously call the US Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, the Coast Guard, the National Guard, and even local police officers. Three, it could be interpreted as a promise of jobs for many individuals. Fourth, the prospect of 'civilian' enforcers is a chilling prospect reminiscent of Cuba and other totalitarian regimes. Is this program intended to enforce internal compliance with Obama's views?



UPDATE: The Captain's Journal has some questions:

1. How will this Civilian National Security Force (hereafter CNSF) be just as powerful as men with guns, artillery, ordnance, war ships and aircraft?
   
2. What will make the CNSF “just as strong” as the U.S. Marine Corps?
   
3. How will this CNSF implement national security policy?
   
4. Since the 2009 budget includes just over half a trillion dollars for defense spending (The Captain’s Journal supports this, and calls for even more), and since it is judged that this CNSF be “just as well funded” as the military, where will this half a trillion dollars come from?
   
5. Finally, if he didn’t really mean that this CNSF would be the beneficiary of half a trillion dollars (to do with we don’t know what), then why did he say so?
   

Excellent questions. I'm not holding my breath that anyone will bother to ask these questions of Obama or that Obama would answer them if they were asked.

Dear Mr. Obama

Powerline's John Hinderaker captures powerfully the irony of the current presidential campaign:

But because McCain was so spectacularly right, and because President Bush ultimately took his advice, the war has become a non-issue in the campaign. No one could have foreseen it: the 2008 Presidential race is about the banking industry and the stock market, not the war against Islamic terrorism. And, in just one of the many ironies of this election season, the result may well be that the candidate who was most spectacularly wrong about Iraq--Barack Obama--will benefit from the fact that his opponent was proved right, and win the White House. This is why throughout human history, people have referred to the "wheel of fortune," not the "wheel of justice."

Does this pattern also reflect the short collective memory of the US voting public?

The Govenator Challenges Obama to "Pump it Up"

Stumping for McCain in Ohio, the Govenator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, packages Obama:

Every year in March I come here to organize the Arnold Classic, which is all about building the body and pumping," Schwarzenegger said.

"That's why I want to invite Senator Obama because he needs to do something about those skinny legs. I'm going to make him do some squats.

"And then we're going to make him do some biceps curls to beef up those scrawny little arms. But if he could only do something about putting some meat on his ideas.

"Senator McCain on the other hand is built like a rock. His character and his views are solid."

UPDATE: Here's the video:

Obama's Illegal Alien Problem

The AP is reporting that Obama's aunt, a Kenyan, is in the US illegally and living in subsidized public housing:

Zeituni Onyango, 56, referred to as "Aunti Zeituni" in Obama's memoir, was instructed to leave the United States by a U.S. immigration judge who denied her asylum request, a person familiar with the matter told the AP late Friday. This person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to discuss Onyango's case.

In fairness, it is unreasonable for a candidate to be held accountable for the actions of his/her relatives. On the other hand, to my eye, Obama has an unusually large number of personal connections to individuals with personal histories or circumstances that fall outside the realm of my personal experience. We know from the extensive literature rooted in symbolic interactionist theory that one's social ties determine a substantial amount of variance in an individual's views of the world. In short, those social ties DO matter, no matter how hard Obama and his surrogates try to shrug them off. There is much truth in the old saying, "You can tell a man by the company he keeps."

Powerline sums up McCain beautifully:

McCain himself seems to me beautifully captured in the almost Churchillian quote from JFK's inaugural with which we conclude our column. JFK described himself as the representative of a generation "tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world."

Obama will ...

Obama will pay my mortgage ...

How gullible can people be?

Hattip: Powerline.

Obama: I apologize for ...

Obama: I apologize for being late:



What a sterling example of leadership in action.

The Gathering MSM Anti-Obama Swarm

Growing consensus is that Obama's 30 minute infomercial has strengthened McCain/Palin's odds of winning the White House. The MSM's tradition of fawning coverage of Obama appears to be on the wane. Consider this from CBS News:

Without question, the Barack Obama infomercial served as a very slick and powerful recitation of the biggest promises he's made as a presidential candidate. But the very bigness of his ideas is the problem: he seems blind to the concept his numbers don't add up.

Is saying that "his numbers don't add up" tantamount to calling Obama a lier? Are we witnessing a gathering MSM anti-Obama swarm? It is about time the 'professional' journalists stop writing opinion pieces and start writing news. Assuming they know how.

Big Brother is Looking in Your Pocket: More Inquiries into Joe "the Plumber's" Ohio records

News reports indicate that abuse of restricted access databases in Ohio, in search of dirt on Joe 'the Plumber' is greater than initially reported:

Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, disclosed today that computer inquiries on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher were not restricted to a child-support system.

The agency also checked Wurzelbacher in its computer systems to determine whether he was receiving welfare assistance or owed unemployment compensation taxes, she wrote.

Jones-Kelley made the revelations in a letter to Ohio Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, who demanded answers on why state officials checked out Wurzelbacher.

Harris called the multiple records checks "questionable" and said he awaits more answers. "It's kind of like Big Brother is looking in your pocket," he said.

Extremely chilling is this quote from Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services:

'"[the] department frequently runs checks for any unpaid child support obligations "when someone is thrust quickly into the public spotlight."

This is troubling for so many reasons. One is that is reveals how haphazardly the ODJFS approaches locating individuals that are behind in their child support payments. A second is the apparent privacy violation.

I can't help but wonder: were similar checks run when Jennifer Brunner, Ohio's Secretary of State, was thrust quickly into the public spotlight due to law suits challenging her one-stop register and vote program.

Obama: Fighting to Stop the Outsourcing of America's Shitty Jobs

Obama Promises To Stop America's Shitty Jobs From Going Overseas

Obama Family Values

Obama family values on display:

Barack Obama has lived one version of the American Dream that has taken him to the steps of the White House. But a few miles from where the Democratic presidential candidate studied at Harvard, his Kenyan aunt and uncle, immigrants living in modest circumstances in Boston, have a contrasting American story.

Zeituni Onyango, the aunt so affectionately described in Mr Obama’s best-selling memoir Dreams from My Father, lives in a disabled-access flat on a rundown public housing estate in South Boston.

A second relative believed to be the long-lost “Uncle Omar” described in the book was beaten by armed robbers with a “sawed-off rifle” while working in a corner shop in the Dorchester area of the city. He was later evicted from his one-bedroom flat for failing to pay $2,324.20 (£1,488) arrears, according to the Boston Housing Court.

If these were Palin or McCain relatives, the press would have been all over this story months ago. Here, a paper from the UK is doing the spade work.

Perhaps it is unfair, but I have to wonder: If this is how Obama treats his family, how should the American people expect to be treated if Obama were to become president?

Ohio Vote Fraud Alert: Ohio Judge Rules Park Bench is Official Residence for Voter

This is incomprehensible:

A federal judge in Ohio has ruled that counties must allow homeless voters to list park benches and other locations that aren't buildings as their addresses.

At minimum, this seems a green light for voter fraud. Unbelievable.

Obama's "Small Donor" Problem

"Ninety percent of our contributions are from small donors" claims B. Obama in his standard lawyerly parsing. Unsaid is the fact that many of those contributions are from small donors that are either nameless or give repeatedly under a false name.

CBS News is now on the hunt for Obama's mystery donors. Can the rest of the MSM be far behind? Will Obama explain the mystery of his "small donor" problem?

We Don't Need Another Eight Years of Lawyers in the White House

Obama's wealth redistribution advocating history is increasingly dominating the campaign discourse. The Obama campaign doesn't like it:

The Obama campaign immediately pushed back, arguing that the Right is deliberately misinterpreting a narrow legal argument Obama was making about decades-old court cases.

Hmm ... how many times has Obama directly, or his campaign surrogates, said some variation of, "what I meant to say was ...," when folks run with the plain meaning of Obama's words? Note also the extremely narrow lawyerly parsing: "a narrow legal argument ... about decades old court cases." Yep, let's distract by trying to refocus the discussion on the trees rather than the forest.

After eight years of Clintonian lawyerly parsing of the of the obvious, haven't we had enough of lawyers in the White House?

You Liberals are supposed to be open minded, well now's your chance. ...

You've likely seen this before, but it's worth another watch:


H/T to LightSeekingLight

Obama Campaign Lawyers Threaten Ohio Collegiate Journalists

Obama campaign lawyers are again striving to stifle reporters and suppress freedom of speech. Maggie Thurber has a great round-up in this blog post. The latest targets are Tiffany Wilson and Shelby Holliday, reporters for a college news service.

Update: LGF is on the beat.

Obama's Got Friends: Carole King is on the Stump

In one of the more bizarre episodes of this election cycle, singer Carole King is stumping for Obama:

King, whose "You've Got a Friend" is just one of many blockbuster songs she's written, is visiting small towns across the Midwest to urge voters to cast their ballot for Obama. On Saturday, she stopped at the Hancock County Democratic Headquarters in Findlay and spoke to a crowd of about 100 people, many of whom brought worn copies of King's albums to be autographed.

I'm guessing that the "about 100 people" that mobbed King's stop were more interested in seeing the (true) legend than in hearing what she had to say about Obama. Just a hunch.

I do wonder: Why do Democrats have such a fondness for celebrity?

Obama: Advocating "Redustributive Change"

Obama speaks clearly about redistributing wealth in a 2001 interview:

Hat tip: LGF
Obama opines that the civil rights movement "wasn't that radical" because it didn't include massive wealth redistribution. Interesting.

UPDATE: McCain and Boehner are using this interview as additional ammo in the campaign.

Killing the Conversation

Democrats proclaim to value nuance and considered thought. Democrats claim that Republican lack nuance and don't think. Democrats also are masters of claiming x while acting out y. The latest installment is this interview with VP candidate Joe Biden. On encountering questions that required nuance and considered thought, Biden ended the interview:



What does this portend of an Obama presidency? Will they end they conversation every time it deviates from their preprogrammed talking points?

UPDATE: LGF weighs in:

Biden claimed that the Obama campaign did not pay “one cent” to ACORN.

That’s true. They paid at least $832,598 to ACORN. And 29 cents. Obama paid ACORN for voter registration.

Biden Doesn't Trust Obama's Experience: Giuliani Responds

Obama: "I'm not that kind of person ..."

Obama talks one game and plays another:

ACORN Fraud Map

Election Journal is crowdsourcing a map of confirmed cases of vote fraud related to ACORN:

View Larger Map
Those of us in Ohio should be extremely concerned about the sanctity of our vote.

Obama "probably won't" Cut My Taxes

Truth is finally emerging from the Obama campaign about his infamous claim that 95% of Americans will receive a tax cut. I took the Obama tax calculator for a spin. It definitively proclaimed that I "probably won't" get a tax cut under the Obama tax plan. OK, so much for truth. "Probably" strikes me as mighty weaselly.

UPDATE: To counter Obama's "you probably won't get your taxes cut" calculator,he McCain campaign should publish a "spread the wealth" calculator.

McCain Tags Obama

McCain finally takes off the gloves and is starting to call out Obama for what he is:

"At least in Europe, the Socialist leaders who so admire my opponent are upfront about their objectives," McCain said in a radio address. "They use real numbers and honest language. And we should demand equal candor from Sen. Obama. Raising taxes on some in order to give checks to others is not a tax cut; it's just another government giveaway."

Glen Johnson, the AP stringer that wrote the story, sensationalizes McCain's observation by calling it "his charge." Unclear to me how giving a shout-out about Obama's wealth redistribution program is a "charge." But then, in this election cycle, the Obama campaign prefers to shoot the messenger rather than the message.

How to Show Understanding of the "Middle Class"

Obama continues to demonstrate his immense understanding of the "middle class" voters he claims his policies support:



Note that Obama misrepresents what "Joe the Plumber" said. Joe didn't say that he would make $250,000+ per year, he said that the business he wanted to buy makes about that much a year. Again, Obama appears to not understand small GROSS income.

Even more unsettling is that Obama is attacking the messenger and not the message. What does this episode portend for an Obama administration?

Which Party was the Canary in the Economic Coal Mine?

A timely reminder of party engagement in the history of the current economic fiasco. Clearly Republicans were the proverbial canary in the economic coal mine while Democrats preferred to insist that evidence of crumbling tunnel supports was erroneous:

McCain & Letterman

McCain returned to Letterman and "gave David Letterman his highest viewership in nearly three years." McCain the Politician provided better comedy than Letterman the comedian. Me thinks it is past time for Letterman to retire.

Joe the Plumber ... Does Obama understand GROSS income?

McCain made Joe the Plumber famous. Listening carefully to the video it is clear that Obama either does not understand business income, plans to raise taxes at a lower income threshold than reported previously, or both. Note that Joe states that the business he plans to buy "makes about $250, $270, $280 thousand dollars a year ..." It seems reasonable to assume Joe is reporting GROSS income. If so, Obama's reply to Joe is beyond troubling. Obama appears to not understand the relationship between a GROSS INCOME from a business and a business owner's take home pay. Does Obama intend to tax GROSS INCOME?



Gateway Pundit has an excellent Joe the Plumber round-up.

UPDATE: Hmm ... how many factual errors or irrelevant, but mis leading, details can you identify in this paragraph:

A day after making Joseph Wurzelbacher famous, referencing him in the debate almost two dozen times as someone who would pay higher taxes under Barack Obama, McCain learned the fine print Thursday on the plumber’s not-so-tidy personal story: He owes back taxes. He is not a licensed plumber. And it turns out that Wurzelbacher makes less than $250,000 a year, which means he would receive a tax cut if Obama were elected president.

Guilt by Participation

Ayers Troubling Present

Obama tries hard to dismiss le affair de Ayers as a bit of ancient history that occurred when Obama was a mere lad of 8.  This posturing intentionally deflects attention from the role Ayers has played in Obama's adult life.  As the Post observes:

All told, Ayers and Obama won more than $150 million to ladle out.

McCain, to be sure, has never accused Obama of sharing Ayers' terrorist views.

He's merely questioned the Democrat's judgment in having worked with Ayers - and having launched his political career from the ex-terrorist's living room.

It's a fair point.

Incredibly, an Obama aide suggested that the senator didn't know about Ayers' terror past - which is a little disquieting, if true.

But he had to know what Ayers was up to with his school efforts - because Obama himself was helping him.

Bad judgment?

What an understatement.

Obama owes the citizens of this country an accounting of his activities as a "Community Organizer" in Chicago.

Leading Economists Oppose Obama's Tax Plan

TaxProf reports:

Hundreds of economists (including Nobel Prize winners Gary Becker, James Buchanan, Robert Mundell, Edward Prescott, and Vernon Smith) have signed letters opposing Barack Obama's economic and tax plans (here, here, and here):

We are equally concerned with his proposals to increase tax rates on labor income and investment. His dividend and capital gains tax increases would reduce investment and cut into the savings of millions of Americans. His proposals to increase income and payroll tax rates would discourage the formation and expansion of small businesses and reduce employment and take-home pay, as would his mandates on firms to provide expensive health insurance.

After hearing such economic criticism of his proposals, Barack Obama has apparently suggested to some people that he might postpone his tax increases, perhaps to 2010. But it is a mistake to think that postponing such tax increases would prevent their harmful effect on the economy today. The prospect of such tax rate increases in 2010 is already a drag on the economy. Businesses considering whether to hire workers today and expand their operations have time horizons longer than a year or two, so the prospect of higher taxes starting in 2009 or 2010 reduces hiring and investment in 2008.

What will be the response latency before someone brands this a racial smear?

This list of Economists for McCain is impressive!

Political discourse at its finest

Political discourse at its finest NYC style:

Back to Basics: Tax Cuts & Flat Tax, Too?

The Wall Street Journal is quoting Lindsey Graham:

"It will be a very comprehensive approach to jump-start the economy by allowing capital to be formed easier in America by lowering taxes," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "Now is the time to lower tax rates for investors -- capital-gains tax, dividend tax rates -- to make sure that we can get the economy jump-started."

That's good news. Simplify the message.  Lower taxes = Economic growth created by the people for the people. 

If McCain takes this approach, it will offer a clear contrast from Obama's classic "let's spend our way out of this" government funded approach which relies on funds the U. S. Treasury does not have.  Besides, the kind of infrastructure needed is not more bridges and highways. If the U.S. were to embark on a serious infrastructure project, the emphasis must be on installing a new energy infrastructure.

McCain could further distinguish his message by reviving his call for offering us a voluntary Flat Tax alternative. 

Twittering ACORN

If Twitter activity is any indication, Obama's ties to ACORN are definitely now part of the conversation.

Obama and ACORN

Obama's ACORN past:

Pull a Judo Move on Obama: Thoughts on How McCain/Palin Should Close the Deal

While Obama's enjoyed a nice run the last couple of weeks, McCain/Palin are still clearly in the running.  One might look to the 2004 election for parallels.  "Who 'ya gonna' trust?" is a question that loomed large in 2004 and looms large in the final stretch of this campaign season.  The current economic climate is a top-of-mind issue for many. As are energy and international issues. McCain/Palin are well positioned on all of these issues. Both are hightly effective communicators. This is doable. 

A two-pronged approach for squeezing Obama seems fruitful. 

1. Prong one is to shine a ray of hope. To make clear that McCain has a vision that can simultaneously navigate us through current challenges and transcend them.  Take on the Democratic leadership. Take on how the Democrats came into leadership promising improved ethics, etc.  Take on how ineffective they have been. And how Obama is part of the effectiveness problem.
   
2. Prong two is to pull a judo move on Obama. Obama has frequently held up his days as a community organizer as evidence of his leadership skills.  Obama is silent on what he has organized. Turn Obama's history of community organizing against him by shining the light on the issues around which he organized communities, the effectiveness of those efforts, and the Chicago context in which those efforts took place. 

This isn't terribly different from the path the McCain campaign has been following, but they must become more focussed and more effective in making these points. In particulary, they must be more effective in communicating how  McCain intends to lead through the financial crisis and beyond.  Make the path clear!  

When the truth becomes uncomfortable, it becomes a smear

The Anchoress is on a roll:

Now, the GOP is trying to shed some light on the clear and important connection between Barack Obama and the corrupt ACORN - whose activities are on the verge of discrediting the election in 11, or perhaps as many as 14 states - and even Thom notices that their effort is “seen mostly as ‘another right wing attempt to smear Obama.’” Because you know, when the truth is uncomfortable, it becomes a “smear.”

The choice of many in the press to champion Obama is beyond disgusting.  How they behaved during the Clinton era is a mere shadow compared to current efforts.  

Shout Out: Grizzly Groundswell

A shout-out to Grizzly Groundswell for doing fantastic work this election cycle bringing to the fore issues the msm are too blind, lazy, or inept to touch. 

On Limited Government: KISS?

While ruminating this afternoon about the current presidential election campaign, something shifted in a way that revealed how the concept of limited government has been emasculated. The concept of limited government has been reduced to war cries about two issues: abortion and taxes. To be clear both are vital issues. However they have become means to different ends, rather than two manifestations of a common theme: limited government or minimizing the role of government in our daily lives.    

The abortion 'debate' gets pitched as a debate about "individual rights," "reproductive rights," and myriad other "rights."  At risk of being overly simplistic, the discussion should be about individual choice.  A less government approach would preclude the government from entering this arena; would allow individuals to make decisions about their lives. Simplistic, yes. 

Taxes reflect the scope and range of government programs.  Fewer government programs translate to less demand for government funds. Lower demand for government funds translates to a lower tax burden.  Simple. 

Encourage discussions about programs to take place at the local level. The closer a program is to the source of need and support, the more efficient the program is likely to be in terms of financial and human resources.  

Would that our politicins be able to communicate clearly about what government programs, especially federal government programs cost -- both in financial and human terms.  Would that our politicians could effectively make the case that less government translates to greater individual  freedom, greater efficiency in delivery of programs (if decision making is moved to the local level), and a more dynamic set of choices as market forces are not impeded.

Simplistic? Yep. But there's much to be said in support of the KISS principle. 

Catching Up

For reasons of convenience, I have been posting on the 2008 Presidentail Campaign over at Digito Society. I'll try to resist the pull of convenience and return to posting political ditties here. Digito Society will return to its normal apolitical issues. 

Entering a Post-Convention Era

A modest proposal: Can the Conventions!

Political conventions have been a fixture of American presidential politics since the beginning. Will changes in electoral politics and Hurricane Gustov change that? Both parties ended their primary seasons with only one candidate standing. The Democrats went so far as to do away with the traditional roll-call vote to determine their candidate. They opted for a behind the scenes, out of public eye, voting process.

Hurricane Gustov has the Republicans curtailing their convention plans.

Given the inevitability of the conventions' nominating processes, why hold the conventions at all? Couldn't the voting be handled by a secure on-line system? Granted the host cities would not reap the millions of dollars of revenue the presidential conventions bring to town. However, couldn't the human capital and monies be put to better use?

McCain's introduction of Sarah Palin as his VP candidate was far more dramatic than anything that could happen at the convention.

Solution? Can the conventions!