The Other McCain

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

Silvio Plays The ‘I May Be Incompetent, But I Am All You Have Got’ Card

Posted on | October 13, 2011 | 3 Comments

by Smitty

We need a term for this argument. How about Argumentum ad Gasbagam?

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi appealed for his political survival Thursday, telling parliament that his government is the only credible alternative to help guide the country through the growing sovereign debt crisis.
Berlusconi’s 3 1/2-year-old government faces a confidence vote Friday that will test if the premier retains a majority in Parliament. If the vote fails, Berlusconi must step down.

If I achieve any success as a blogger, I hope it is convincing people that liberty means ratcheting down the importance of government in general, and specific government figures in particular, to their minimum level of importance.

As I was attempting to articulate to Melissa Clouthier on Twitter the other day, the notion of people making themselves indispensable, itself, is the problem. Take the income tax. Take a fire axe to the income tax. Liberty will mean prying the cold, undead fingers of the government away from your wallet entirely, not electing somebody who promises reform in the form of an adjusted grip on the buttock.

When somebody tries to say you need them, the question needs to be: what are you doing to make the as simple as possible?

Update: speaking of that card:

Category: Italy

It’s Not So Much The VAT As The Precedent

Posted on | October 13, 2011 | 61 Comments

by Smitty

I concur with Ace’s objection to the idea of a VAT:

It should go without saying that the VAT is an exceptionally bad idea, whether it’s paired with a flat tax or a fair tax or any other tax and whether it replaces the federal income tax or not. Whatever its merits, they are outweighed by its key features: the VAT obscures for the taxpayer just how much money is being sucked up by the government; it is prone to Congressional abuse; and it is, in the words of economists, “efficient.”

Yes, you can put VAT on each and every sales receipt. But unless the taxpayer keeps and diligently tallies every receipt, he will have no idea what he’s ended up handing over to Uncle Sam.

This feature of the VAT is a tax-and-spend liberal’s wet dream because it keeps the taxpayer-voter in ignorance of how much of his property the government is appropriating over time. Even under the current complicated income tax scheme, the taxpayer-voter has a pretty good idea of how much of his annual income gets sent off to Washington, D.C. And he can then make reasonable predictions and demands and votes when Congress starts fiddling with tax rates. But for the average American, if Congress were to adjust a VAT, the question “how much does this affect me or my business” becomes difficult to answer. Again, unless the taxpayer-voter has been keeping track of his consumption.

And I respect Herman Cain very much. However, if you’re conservative, you might want to ask yourself: after Cain, who does the conserving?

Cain may respect Greenspan for having been a good Federal Reserve chair, for some value of ‘good’. However, as far as I can tell, the whole concept of the Federal Reserve has gone pear-shaped. And I don’t see how the VAT avoids sitting alongside the Federal Reserve as another tool for avoiding doing the correct, conservative, reasonable, responsible thing: saying ‘NO’.

  • Got a problem balancing the budget? VAT!

  • Need money to fund a project to buy some votes? Jack that VAT!
  • Got an economic feevuh? Call VAT man!
  • VAT! What is the question?

None of this is intended as a swipe at Herman Cain, whom I’ll happily support as GOP nominee. I’m just concerned that the real problem we face is an over-powered DC, and a VAT sets a precedent that, if history means aught, will be molested horribly within my lifetime.

Unlike the Boomers, who really don’t seem to care fig #1 about any generation past themselves, I think that we have to look really long and hard. The World’s Youngest Blogger is the guy I have to answer to about how we deal with the death of Progressivism. VATs are a really smashing success in Europe, as long as you don’t care that it’s your wallet getting smashed.

What I want to hear from candidates is how they’re going to deflate the Federal over-reach bubble. A federalist approach could diminish DC and restore the power of states and the federal government to act as vertical checks, even as we restore horizontal checks of Congress on the Executive. A VAT, on its own, won’t kill the American experiment, but it could be a contributor, mixed in with all of the other legacy Progressive ideas with which we seem strangely comfortable.

Update: linked at The Lonely Conservative.

Update II: A moment of agreement with Grover Norquist:

Norquist was even less sanguine about Cain’s 9-9-9 plan. “Having three taxes, all of which can grow – it’s like having three needles in your arm taking blood out, it’s much more dangerous than having one,” Norquist explained.

Category: Taxes

‘Pass This Jobs Bill — Or Thugs Will Rape and Murder You,’ Biden Implies

Posted on | October 13, 2011 | 19 Comments

“In 2008, when Flint had 265 sworn officers on their police force, there were 35 murders and 91 rapes in this city. In 2010, when Flint had only 144 police officers, the murder rate climbed to 65 and rapes — just to pick two categories – -climbed to 229. In 2011, you now only have 125 shields. God only knows what the numbers will be this year for Flint if we don’t rectify it.”
— Joe Biden, Oct. 12 in Flint, Michigan

Category: Crime, Joe Biden, Michigan

Nate Silver Wonders: Will N.H. Primary Move to December Backfire for Romney?

Posted on | October 13, 2011 | 23 Comments

Yesterday’s news that New Hampshire may move its primary to as early as Dec. 6 (!) was presumed to be good news for Mitt Romney, who has made the Granite State his must-win for 2012. But by a series of complex calculations, Nate Silver of Five Thirty Eight comes to the conclusion that a December primary for New Hampshire might be bad for Romney.

Like I said, it’s complex, but the basic idea is that by pulling Mitt’s sure winner out of the normal sequence, the December date would rob Romney of the perception of momentum heading into Nevada, South Carolina and Florida.

The front-loading scramble set off by Florida’s decision to jump from March to January has set in motion a chain-reaction of consequences and we don’t know what the ultimate result will be except . . .

Hit the freaking tip jar! Serious thanks to readers who have already contributed to the Shoe Leather Fund, because this front-loading has completely wrecked my plans for the campaign trail.

Before those treacherous bastards in Florida started this mess, the Iowa caucuses were scheduled for Feb. 6 — nearly four months away. That would have given me more than 100 days to raise travel money. Now Iowa’s tentatively slated for Jan. 3, meaning I’ve lost five weeks, and will probably have to leave for Des Moines the day after Christmas (Monday, Dec. 26) just to get in a week of coverage before the caucuses.

After that, it’s not yet clear, because if Nevada will move its caucuses from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17 (or later), New Hampshire could hold its primary Jan. 10. But if New Hampshire goes either Dec. 6 or Dec. 13, then I might have to leave Nov. 28 (the Monday after Thanksgiving) to get a complete week on the ground up there.

A full-speed trainwreck looms ahead, perhaps less than six weeks away, and meanwhile I’ve got to pay back Smitty for covering our trip to Vegas for the big debate Tuesday. And so I’m now rattling the tip jar like an epileptic on methamphetamine, because if I don’t have some kind of reserve built up by the time this whole thing kicks off, I might end up stranded next January in South Carolina with no way to make it to Florida, where I aim to wreak vengeance on the worthless RINO-hugging GOP Establishment sons of bitches who inflicted this catastrophe on me.





PREVIOUSLY:

Category: Election 2012, Florida, Mitt Romney, New Hampshire, Shoe Leather Fund

VIDEO: Brian Williams Announces NBC Poll Showing Herman Cain Leading

Posted on | October 13, 2011 | 37 Comments

Wanted to post this one as a record for history:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Comment? I got no comment. I’m just thinking back to CPAC, when I was introducing my friends in the hotel lobby bar to “the next president of the United States.” And they all thought I was kidding.

HERMAN CAIN for PRESIDENT
Because Everybody Keeps Saying He Can’t Win
And Yet Somehow He Just Keeps on Winning

Category: Election 2012, Herman Cain, NBC, Polls, Video

LIVE AT FIVE – 10.13.11

Posted on | October 13, 2011 | 4 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Congress Approves Long-Delayed Free Trade Pacts

Dingy Harry talks to reporters about the trade bills

Free trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and ROK initially negotiated by Bush finally approved by Senate

Saudis, US Trade Charges With Iran Over Plot
Assassination plan possibly the work of rogue faction within Qods Force?

Rick Perry Pins Presidential Race Comeback Hopes On Texas Tenure
Is his record as a pro-business governor good enough to overcome poor debating skills?



POLITICS
“Occupy Wall Street” Protesters To Be Forced Out Of Park During Cleaning

Occupy Wall Street protesters have a talk about drugs & alcohol

If Bloomberg is smart, he’ll use that as a pretext to give the filthy hippies the boot, but figure the odds

Underwear Bomber Suddenly Pleads Guilty



Rising Herman Cain Says He Won’t Fizzle

Illegals’ Border Death Tally Drops, But Desert Still Dangerous

Harrisburg Goes Bankrupt

Topeka Resumes Domestic Violence Enforcement

Rep. Issa Issues Gunwalker Subpoena To AG Holder



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Stocks Rise As Europe Plan, US Fed Buoy Recovery Hopes
Former Motorola CEO Robert Galvin, 1922-2011 RIP
Divisions Grow On Fed’s Policy Committee
AOL CEO Pitches Shareholders On Sale To Yahoo!
EBay Developers To Build Facebook Features
Oil Declines In NY As IEA Cuts Demand Forecast And Euro Strengthens
HP Rethinking PC Division Spinoff
Apple iOS5 Now Available With Over 200 New Features
Nokia Gears Up For New Strike On US Market
Aussie Court Hands Apple Victory With Samsung Tablet Ban
Google Engineer Calls Google Plus “Complete Failure”
Apple To Launch iPad Mini As Counter To Kindle Fire?
Cray Pegs “Titan” To Regain US Supercomputer Supremacy



SPORTS
Rangers Win Again In Extra Innings To Take 3-1 Lead In Pennant Series

Nelson Cruz celebrates with teammates after bashing three-run homer in the 11th

Rangers batter Tigers 7-3 in eleven innings

Cardinals Bullpen Slams Door On Brewers; St. Louis Wins 4-3 To Take 2-1 Lead In NL Pennant Series

Can Eddie Epstein Turn The Cubs Around In Just Five Years?

Flyers Edge Canucks In Shootout To Keep Perfect Record



NBA, Players Union To Meet Federal Mediator Next Week

Raiders Acquire LB Curry From Seahawks

NCAA Finds No Major Violations At Auburn In Cam Newton Case



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Man Indicted In Nude Hacking Case

BUSTED: FBI Arrests Florida Man For Hacking Celebrity E-Mail, Phones

Christopher Chaney faces 121 years in prison for hacking fifty victims including Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis and Christina Aguilera




Sarah Michelle Gellar’s “Ringer” Gets Full Season From CW

Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck Expecting A Boy

HBO Renews “Boardwalk Empire” For Third Season

Debbie Gibson, Clay Aiken To Compete On “Celebrity Apprentice”

Prince Harry To The Rescue At Pool Party

Die Hard 5: “A Good Day To Die Hard”; Details Revealed



FOREIGNERS
Confusion Over Mutassim Gadhafi’s Fate
25 Killed In Baghdad Bomb Attacks Targeting Police
Syrian-Born American Arrested, Accused Of Spying For Syria
Tymoshenko To Be Freed Soon, Daughter Says
Vietnam, India Stand Firm On China Row
K-Pop star Rain Reports For Mandatory Military Service With ROK Army
Amnesty International Claims Canada “Required” To Arrest Former President Bush
Liberia’s Sirleaf Has Slight Lead, Runoff Likely



BLOGS & STUFF
Lonely Conservative: Cain Jumps Ahead Of Romney In WSJ/NBC Poll
Rush Limbaugh: Establishment & Regime Rally Around Romney
NRO Corner: The First Obligation Of Liberalism
Charles C. W. Cooke: OWS Protester Wants College Paid For Because That Is What He Wants
Troglopundit: Are You Absolutely Sure It Was Bias?
Ed Morrissey: DWS – We’re Not Here To Create Jobs
Weasel Zippers: Obama Administration Says Feds Can Tell Church Who Its Ministers Will Be
Fire Andrea Mitchell!: Joe Biden Warns Of More Rapes & Murders If Obama’s Jobs Bill Doesn’t Pass
Atlas Shrugs: Muslims Pelt Funeral Processions Of Murdered Coptic Christians With Bricks
Cafe Hayek: The Evidence For Keynesian Economics
Hit & Run: Florida Lawmaker Proposes Giving Death Row Inmates Choice Of Firing Squad Or Electric Chair
Pirate’s Cove: James Hansen Explains That Climate Skeptics Are Winning Because Of Good PR


SOTD: Slow Motion

Category: Live at Five

Legal Insurrection Plays
The ‘Miss Me Yet’ Card

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 27 Comments

by Smitty

I didn’t say it.

Category: Legal Insurrection

Herman Cain Surges Ahead in New Poll; Mitt Romney, Allahpundit Hardest Hit

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 42 Comments

Being the guy who has been talking up Herman Cain since Nov. 13, 2010, pretty much guarantees nobody will give you credit when the impossible actually happens:

Fueled by Tea Party supporters, conservatives and high-interest GOP primary voters, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain now leads the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. . . .
Cain checks in as the first choice of 27 percent of Republican voters in the poll, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 23 percent and Perry at 16 percent. . . .
In the previous survey, conducted in late August, Perry led the field at 38 percent, Romney stood at 23 percent, while Cain was at only 5 percent.

In the span of six weeks, Cain has gained 22 points and Perry has lost 22 points. And so the guy I started boosting 11 months ago is trouncing the guy whom I dubbed “The Phantom Menace” three months ago. But no linky-love for the Blogger Whom Allah Hateth. Instead, we get this kind of contingency/hypothetical doomsaying:

Even if Cain pulls the upset in South Carolina — which isn’t impossible given its social conservatism and Cain’s southern roots — how does he compete with Romney in a state as expensive as Florida and in the dozens of primaries that’ll follow that? . . .
Via Greg Hengler, here’s a “3 a.m. phone call” compare-and-contrast between Cain and Gingrich on the subject of how they’d handle the Iranian terror plot. This sort of thing — plus the fact that his 9-9-9 plan has alienated tax warriors like Grover Norquist — could knock Cain back enough by the time Iowa arrives to restore Perry to frontrunner status in the all-important “Not Romney” competition. Problem is, I have no confidence that Perry’s answer to this question would be any better than Cain’s. And, giving how Perry tends to avoid interviews, he probably doesn’t have any confidence either. Exit question: Second look at Gingrich?

Resisting the temptation to blame raaaaacism for all these doubts about Cain — whose emergence as front-runner none of the “smart” pundits ever imagined possible — I’ll instead attribute it to their unwillingness to speak the Four Dreaded Words: “Stacy McCain Was Right.”

Meanwhile, if Allah wants to raise doubts about any GOP candidate’s “electability,” let him watch this video from Ryan Gill at Tea Party Brew:

And as for “second look at Gingrich,” my answer can be summarized in two words: Dede Scozzafava.

 





Category: Herman Cain, Hot Air, Mitt Romney, Polls, Rick Perry
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