The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Moving Closer To Taking The Correct Lesson From Fannie/Freddie?

Posted on | November 12, 2011 | 17 Comments

by Smitty

Via Instapundit, we see that Michael Bloomberg has not:

“We look forward to the rapid fulfillment of this commitment so that Countrywide can sign another record-breaking agreement with Fannie Mae,” Mozilo finished.
Mozilo’s almost 20-year-old quote is relevant again thanks to the uproar New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg caused last week when he criticized Occupy Wall Street’s view of the financial crisis.
Bloomberg said, “it was not the banks that created the mortgage crisis. It was, plain and simple, Congress, who forced everybody to go and give mortgages to people who were on the cusp. … They were the ones who pushed Fannie and Freddie to make a bunch of loans that were imprudent, if you will.”

No, Bloomberg, the correct lesson is that the Community Reinvestment Act was false, and not in keeping with the spirit of the Constitution. Only the states should ever be interacting with citizens concerning their housing. The federal government should, at most, set some high-level standards. Then, the federal government could perform a useful oversight function.

In other words, beside the moral hazard involved in giving too much power to DC, we also lose the vertical check of having somebody being a watchdog. And that’s all without trotting out the Hayekian argument about the failure of overly centralized planning.

That is the correct lesson of Fannie/Freddie: they don’t work, they were never founded to work, and real improvement will not commence until their graft-laden simulation of working is brought to a halt.

Meanwhile, one hopes that NYC is capable of electing a useful mayor one of these days.

More at Power Line including a mocking tune which I may get to, later.

Category: Uncategorized

RICK SANTORUM AFTER DEBATE

Posted on | November 12, 2011 | 8 Comments

SPARTANBURG, S.C.
When Rick Santorum entered the post-debate “spin room” here at Wofford College, I was the first to greet him. “How’s it going, Stacy?” and his lovely wife also said hi. Quickly switched to video and started the interview, before the scrum assembled around us:

I’ll have more later, but have to get out of the media filing center in five minutes, as we’re running late to an important post-debate event.

PREVIOUSLY: Greetings From Spartanburg! REPUBLICAN DEBATE ON CBS; UPDATE: ‘No Runs, No Hits, No Errors’

Category: Debates, Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in Spartanburg, Rick Santorum

Greetings From Spartanburg!
REPUBLICAN DEBATE ON CBS
UPDATE: ‘No Runs, No Hits, No Errors’

Posted on | November 12, 2011 | 62 Comments

SPARTANBURG, S.C.
UPDATE 9:27 p.m. ET: Just caught Carl Cameron on his way out of the filing center. “What’d ya think?” he asked.

“Seemed pretty standard, except for Ron Paul,” I said.

“Yeah — no runs, no hits, no errors,” Carl said. “And Perry’s still alive.”

That’s a neutral, objective fact — and quite important. After Perry’s big flub Wednesday, it looked bad for him. But he came back very strong tonight.

Also, I’d say that Herman Cain came in well-prepared. Foreign policy is his weakest suit, so for him to escape without a major gaffe is a victory for Cain.

The debate is over and I’m heading to the “spin room.”

UPDATE 9:19 p.m. ET: Gingrich is saying something very smart-sounding, but I’m looking over at the post-debate “spin room,” where the campaign proxies are starting to assemble, so I’m heading that way for a minute just to scope out the scene. Will be back in a few.

UPDATE 9:16 p.m. ET: Jim DeMint asks a question, which goes first to Romney, then Huntsman. Eventually, they’ll get around to the non-Mormon candidates.

UPDATE 9:14 p.m. ET: Michele Bachmann isn’t wearing a gay tie, and doesn’t agree with Ron Paul.

UPDATE 9:12 p.m. ET: Rick Perry goes upside Ron Paul’s head, calls Paul’s ideas a “travesty.”

(Friends on Twitter point out that Ron Paul’s tie is as gay as Jon Huntsman’s.)

UPDATE 9:10 p.m. ET: Ron Paul hates lawless warmongers like Barack Obama.

UPDATE 9:09 p.m. ET: Herman Cain would reverse everything the Obama administration has done, as would Rick Santorum.

UPDATE 9:08 p.m. ET: Lindsay Graham wishes he was wearing Jon Huntsman’s tie.

UPDATE 9:07 p.m. ET: Mitt Romney gives the Mitt Romney answer.

UPDATE 9:06 p.m. ET: Ron Paul gives the Ron Paul answer.

Linked by The Lonely Conservative.

UPDATE 9:05 p.m. ET: Gingrich talks Syria. Name-checks Assad. He wants “mostly convert” response.

UPDATE 9:03 p.m. ET: Herman Cain talks “Arab spring.” The revolutions “have gotten totally out of hand.” Expresses concern about Muslim Brotherhood taking over Egypt. Obama has been on the wrong side of everything.

UPDATE 9:02 p.m. ET: Congresswoman Bachmann — that’s “Michele” to you, Rick Santorum — talks defense budgets. Turns it into repealing ObamaCare.

UPDATE 8:58 p.m. ET: Perry wants foreign aid to start at zero. Now the East Coast loses live TV coverage on CBS. And everybody in the Eastern Time zone is switching to TheOtherMcCain.com, for crucial coverage of Jon Huntsman’s gay tie.

UPDATE 8:52 p.m. ET: Huntsman’s gay tie — is that purple or fuschia? — is all about free trade. He likes young Chinese bloggers. IYKWIMAITYD.

COMMERCIAL BREAK!

UPDATE 8:50 p.m. ET: Mitt Romney hates him some Chinese! He’s anti-eggroll.

UPDATE 8:49 p.m. ET: China! Rick Perry talks China — the Communist Chinese government! He wants to win the Cyber War against those commies!

UPDATE 8:47 p.m. ET: Newt Gingrich gets huge cheers for explaining that enemy combatants don’t have no dadgum rights.

UPDATE 8:46 p.m. ET: Mitt Romney bashes Obama. Scott Pelley hates booing.

UPDATE 8:44 p.m. ET: Jon Huntsman has a gay tie. He’s anti-waterboarding.

UPDATE 8:42 p.m. ET: Michele Bachmann also supports waterboarding. And looks lovely saying so, don’t you agree?

Did I mention my wife reads this blog? Did I mention I love my wife? Because that’s kinda important.

UPDATE 8:41 p.m. ET: Herman Cain supports waterboarding as an “enhanced interrogation technique.”

UPDATE 8:40 p.m. ET: Rick Perry starts with a joke about his memory. He talks about being commander-of-chief of the Texas National Guard. He feels “very comfortable from Day One.”

Day Two, also. Day Three … uh, wait. Day Three … ?

UPDATE 8:38 p.m. ET: Rick Santorum will surround himself with people who will execute his policies. “Laser beam focus.”

UPDATE 8:36 p.m. ET: Herman Cain will listen to his generals.

UPDATE 8:30 p.m. ET: Rick Santorum just called Bachmann “Michele.” The media won’t notice, but he’s gonna get the evil eye from his wife. Santorum meanwhile talks some serious stuff about Pakistan. He just used the word “nexus.”

COMMERCIAL BREAK!

UPDATE 8:28 p.m. ET: Gingrich loves him some adverbs! He’s also “insistent” about protecting Copts in Egypt.

UPDATE 8:26 p.m. ET: Major Garrett reminds us that Michele Bachmann serves on the House Intelligence Committee. And is indisputably the most attractive member of the committee.

Wait — it’s sexist to notice that, isn’t it?

Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

UPDATE 8:23 p.m. ET: Rick Perry hates him some foreign aid. He don’t trust him no Pakistanianese, either.

UPDATE 8:22 p.m. ET: Cain talks Pakistan with great fluency. Just wait until they ask him about Vanuatu.

UPDATE 8:20 p.m. ET: Mitt’s blue tie is very hetero.

UPDATE 8:19 p.m. ET: Jon Huntsman looks unserious in a gay purple tie. Because I’m homophobic, too.

UPDATE 8:18 p.m. ET: Michele Bachmann sounds serious talking about Afghanistan, and also looks serious, wearing black with her hair up. Yes, I know: It’s sexist to comment on her wardrobe. But she’s standing on stage with a bunch of guys in dark suits.

UPDATE 8:15 p.m. ET: Santorum reminds us of his foreign-policy credentials And runs over time talking about Iran.

UPDATE 8:13 p.m. ET: Rick Perry gets through his first answer without saying anything stupid. But he doesn’t answer the question, so he gets a follow-up. He does good.

UPDATE 8:11 p.m. ET: Ron Paul gets applause from Ron Paul fans.

UPDATE 8:10 p.m. ET: Gingrich opens with some great sarcasm about Obama’s dumb policies. “I agree entirely with Governor Romney.”

UPDATE 8:09 p.m. ET: Mitt Romney wants more time!

UPDATE 8:06 p.m. ET: First question to Herman Cain, about Iran’s nuclear weapons. He sounds pretty well-prepared. He gets a follow-up and handles it pretty well, too.

UPDATE 8:05 p.m. ET: Scott Pelley opens with a lecture and lays down the ground rules, hands it over to Major Garrett, who introduces the candidates.

UPDATE 8 p.m. ET: We’re LIVE nationwide on CBS.

EXPECT FURTHER UPDATES . . .

* * * PREVIOUSLY 6:56 p.m. ET * * *

We’re here at the Republican presidential debate at Wofford College (8 p.m. ET, CBS). Ali Akbar and Karen Martin have got a group of us bloggers into the event. I’m being assisted in this endeavor by my12-year-old son Jefferson:

Carl Cameron of Fox News and Jefferson McCain. Let’s face it, how many eighth-graders get official media credentials and hang out with network anchors at a presidential debate?

Ali Akbar and the ladybloggers of Politicalistas.com.

UPDATE: A couple more quick photos:

The stage it set, the lights are lit, the candidates are getting ready backstage and we await the moment when the moderators for CBS ask the crucial question: “Who’s buying Stacy’s beers at the after-party?”

You might not think that the warning sign at the right would be necessary, but this is South Carolina, after all. They take their Second Amendment rights very seriously down here.

The world’s loneliest Romney girl was asking people to take stickers. Not a lot of MittMania here in Spartanburg.

This family of Cainiacs was doing a standout by the entrance to Wofford College, surrounded by about 50 screaming Ron Paul fanatics. I’ve got video of the Paulistas and will upload shortly.

Category: Debates, Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in Spartanburg, South Carolina

Mike Rogers to Mona Charen: No, Cainiacs Are Not Liberal Hypocrites

Posted on | November 12, 2011 | 11 Comments

In a column at National Review, Mona Charen suggested that the boos from the audience in Wednesday’s debate for Maria Bartiromo’s “character issue” question were because Republicans have adopted “liberal hypocrisy.” This prompted Mike Rogers — a New Hampshire volunteer for Cain — to respond in the comments:

That’s a very uncharitable interpretation, and it fingers you as a liberal. Why, because LIBERALS are the ones who project their foibles and character problems onto Conservatives.
If you do your research as a journalist, you will find plenty of reasons to believe that the only two accusers known to actually exist have been found to be gold-digging serial accusers, one of whom is chuckled about in the halls of CBS for her past.
Character DOES matter, and the boos signify that most of the audience think that the charges are baseless and the resent the media trying to pile on.
Clinton was protected by people who said “we know it happened, and we don’t care — attaboy!”
Cain is supported by people who believe firmly that it didn’t happen, and have reasons for that belief — they will desert en masse if he’s lying.

It is perhaps uncharitable for Mike to accuse Charen, a veteran conservative writer, of being a liberal. But I fear she has succumbed to the temptation of letting others do her thinking for her — being influenced by what “everybody knows,” rather than considering the possibility that the Conventional Wisdom is mistaken.

The truth of the matter is that, in regard to the allegations against Cain, we don’t know what we don’t know and, alas, there are some things that are unknowable. However, many people have vouched for Herman Cain’s character, describing the accusations against him as implausible and, at this point, we have less reason to doubt his denials than we do to doubt his accusers.

Hey, why aren’t the media doing feature stories about Herman Cain’s longtime acquaintances who say they’re sure he’s innocent? Isn’t that . . . y’know, news?)

Category: Herman Cain

On Cue, Some #Occupy People Came By

Posted on | November 12, 2011 | 10 Comments

by Smitty

I’ve been in Philadelphia since Wednesday, while Mrs. Other Smitty attends a conference. My main job, other than blogging, has been to watch The World’s Youngest Blogger.

We’re across the street from City Hall in Philly:

That statue of William Penn atop the building had its peace disturbed this afternoon by what may have been a portion of #OccupyPhilly at around ~1630 local. I asked the girl at the desk of the Residence Inn if that was in fact the #Occupy crowd, and she was of the opinion that this was not all of them. Apparently, the suction cup does not know what the tentacle is doing in this ‘leaderless’ outfit, so little sub-groups may be on independent ops. The little camera lacks a good microphone, so you have to crank it up to catch the drums.
They could not muster enough sound to wake up the World’s Youngest Blogger, who woke up later, in time for their second pass at ~1715. They didn’t really build up their attendance at all.

Update: CBS 3 reports that #OccupyPhilly was protesting Comcast, which apparently has not made enough inner children in #OccupyPhilly smile lately. They are not planning to depart when their permit is to expire.

Category: #Occupy, Progressivism

#BlogCon11 Braced For The Charge Of The Intellectual Lightweight Brigade UPDATE: DaTechGuy Reports #OccupyDenver Is Weak Tea, No Party

Posted on | November 12, 2011 | 21 Comments

by Smitty

Pete Da Tech Guy just called. He reports that #OccupyDenver marches every Saturday around noon, when their number swells to as many as 1-to-3,000. The hotel hosting #BlogCon11 has said that any #BlogCon11 attendees who leave the hotel will not be allowed to re-enter during any march past the hotel that could potentially occur.
Da Tech Guy has technically stayed in the hotel, at a corner of the parking garage, standing lookout upon 4 streets for about the next hour or so. However, Pete reports there is no mainstream media staged, as there have been for the previous two days. Potentially, the police have re-directed the march.
Pete himself was pictured in the Denver Post: in a story
“Occupy Denver protesters try twice to disrupt conservative blogger conference” though he could not figure out why his picture was used in lieu of Tabitha Hale’s.

Pete Ingemi reports live:
14:49 EST Police are leading the march down the street. 15-20 marchers abreast, with drums, claiming to be the 99%. They have an inverted American flag in the front row. “Support Socialism!” screams one of them.

14:52 EST Not too many, reports Pete. Surprised if their numbers exceed 500. Many covering their faces. Not a decent Tea Party.

14:54 EST An ‘End the Fed’ sign. Much chanting and repetition. Same leader as yesterday, same drivel.

15:26 EST The first block full of #OccupyDenver has passed. The police think there may be another round of protesters.

15:28 EST The #OccupyDenver people were all given police escort. At the corner of 15th and Glenarm, it looks like #OccupyDenver may done for the day. The dog, who had been elected the #OccupyDenver leader, was not in attendance.

15:33 EST Da Tech Guy states that he got plenty of video that he will be uploading as soon as he is certain the demonstration is done for the day. Also, the hotel security has been spot on, according to Pete.

15:51 EST A group of police in riot gear has arrived, as well as two police motorcycles. They appear to be in no hurry, but it looks as though a second pass of #OccupyDenver may come down 16th.

16:06 EST Da Tech Guy has video uploaded, which I won’t mooch; he deserves the traffic.

EXPECT FURTHER UPDATES. . .

Links:

Category: Da Tech Guy, Progressivism

Sharon Bialek’s Fiancé Belatedly Remembers He’s Not Her Fiancé

Posted on | November 12, 2011 | 27 Comments

Things that make you go “hmmmm.”

A northwest suburban man says he needs to clear the air after coming to the support of his fiancee, who accuses GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain of making a sexual play for her.
For starters, Sharon Bialek isn’t his fiancee, said Mark Harwood in an exclusive interview on Wednesday night.
“We were engaged last year in June but I think there have been some assumptions that Sharon still lives here in Mundelein with me” Harwood told the I-Team. “Sharon and her son moved out in February of this year and now live in their own home … so effectively we’re no longer engaged.”
On Monday, when Ms. Bialek was the first of Cain’s alleged groping victim’s to go public, Harwood was contacted by news organizations trying to find out information about her. He did numerous interviews during which he was referred to as her fiancé. “I made reference to the fact that we were engaged and got engaged last June, 2010 and I think the assumption then-we were still engaged. I think most people seemed to be under the belief that Sharon lived [in my house] but she’s not here.”

Here’s video of the interview:

I don’t know if this has any particular significance, but for several days the media wanted the world to think Sharon Bialek was engaged to this guy, because that seemed to undercut suggestions she might be in it for money, e.g.,  Ben Smith at Politico:

In fact, per the Tribune, she’s living with her fiance, described as an executive in the medical equipment industry, in “a large, five-bedroom home… in north suburban Mundelein.”

He was described as her fiancé in the lead of an Associated Press article citing him as corroboration of Bialek’s account (although he didn’t know her in 1997 and says she never told him about it until Nov. 4). It was Thursday before WLS-TV got this interview, so that little bit of misinformation got corrected by the local ABC station in Chicago, three crucial days after it had been widely reported and woven into the media narrative as evidence of Bialek’s credibility.

Like I said: Things that make you go “hmmmm.”

Category: Herman Cain

FMJRA Special: Our Great Big un-Fat, non-Greek #BlogCon11 Roundup

Posted on | November 12, 2011 | 6 Comments

by Smitty

As mooched from Tabitha Hale via email, and with some formatting from yours truly:

…Ology Occupy Denver Crashes BlogCon ’11
Ace of Spades Video of the Draaaamaaa
Atlas Shrugs En Route To BlogCon 2011
Breitbart TV Occupy Denver silenced at #blogcon11 
Canada Free Press Coke Heads To Protest Koch Heads At BlogCon 2011
Denver Post  Occupy Denver protesters try twice to disrupt conservative conference
Diana Hseih FreedomWorks BlogCon 2011
Examiner Denver Occupiers fail in effort to occupy BlogCon11
Fox31 Denver Occupy Denver protesters take message to Tea Party crowd
Gateway Pundit Occupy Denver Protesters and Squatters March To BlogCon11
Gateway Pundit Denver High School Teacher Brings Students To Join #OWS Mob As They Storm Conservative Conference
Hot Air One Occupy protester arrested at conservative conference in Denver
Houston Chronicle Occupy Denver Shows Up At FreedomWorks BlogCon11
Human Events Occupy Denver at BlogCon 11: After Action Report
Maggie Thurber  Occupy Denver, BlogCon11, Protests and Dog Biscuits
Marathon Pundit Cops Arrest Occupy Denver Protester Outside BlogCon11
Nice Deb #BlogCon 2011 To Be Protested By Occupy Denver
Protein Wisdom Occupy Denver comes to Blogcon
Publius Forum Coke Heads Protest Koch Heads at Blogcon 2011
RedState Interview with Matt Kibbe
RedState Denver Occupiers Fail In Attempt To Occupy #BlogCon11
RightWingNews The Denver Occupy Movement Tries To Invade BlogCon
Sooper Mexican Occupy Denver Crashes BlogCon11
Sunshine State Sarah Occupy Denver Tries to Occupy #BlogCon11, Gets Smacked Down by Vicious Sarcasm.
The Lonely Conservative Occupy Denver’s Surprise Visit to Blogger Conference not Much of a Surprise
The Other McCain Denver Post Quotes @DaTechGuyBlog About @OccupyDenver at #BlogCon11
The Other McCain #OccupyFail at #BlogCon11: What Fun!
The Republic 1 arrested after dozens of protesters show up at hotel protesting conservative blogger conference
The Shark Tank Occupy Denver Rejects Ham Sandwich Peace Offering,Steven Crowder Falls in Love
United Liberty Occupy Denver To Protest BlogCon
United Liberty Why Is Occupy Denver Protesting BlogCon?
United Liberty More Video Of Occupy Denver

This aggregation had not occurred until I saw Tabitha’s email, so apologies to our regular linkers whom time and bandwidth have caused to be omitted.

Category: Blogging
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