The Other McCain

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

Erickson Must Be Relatively Less Cynical Than Me

Posted on | April 20, 2011 | 3 Comments

by Smitty

Erick Erickson seems shocked, SHOCKED! that that GOP is ceding the tempo on the debt ceiling:

Now the Democrats want to increase the limit on the national credit card instead of paying down the bill. They want a free pass to more spending. Instead, the Republicans should accept the fact that no matter what they do they will never win over the press and should instead refuse to raise the debt ceiling without massive cuts and entitlement reforms.

The American people understand what it means to refuse to pay down credit cards and instead get new credit cards. They understand that is what government is doing. And they are tired of it.

If the Republican Party will not aggressively fight for real cuts and real reform in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, if at all, it very much will be time for a third party in this country.

As I was arguing yesterday, you’ve had a century of development to get to this cliff edge. We didn’t just show up. The Ruling Class as divided the people, with the Left taking the port end of the income distribution, and the Right taking the middle. The ‘sudden’ emergence of the Tea Parties, which seem ancient in Internet years, still isn’t older that the Perot-vian flash in the pan, back when Newt Gingrich had credibility.

Thus, the threat of a third major party is more useful than an actual third party, in my opinion. Shaking loose the Specter or Murkowski in centrist no-man’s land is more useful than having conservatives fragment. The only winner in that scenario is the Ruling Class.

The debt ceiling is an important battle, but pay more attention to the Rand Paul/Marco Rubio/Jim DeMint triumvirate for cues. We go to battle with the leaders we have. Sprinklerman and Eric “YouWhittle” Cantor are trying to get some right rudder on the ship of state. However, the President is using signing statements in overt defiance of Congress. I submit that:

  • The Tea Parties have to keep the pressure on the GOP, but
  • More than bending the GOP around the edges a bit will prove counterproductive.

We have a small target to hit, people, and the chances of a catastrophic cock-up are non-zero. Take it calm, take it stoic, and keep the pressure on.

Category: Red State, Republicans

VIDEO CLASSIC: ‘Pure Bias, Which You Demonstrate With Every Breath You Take’

Posted on | April 20, 2011 | 8 Comments

Kerry Picket of The Washington Times has not yet identified the two dudes who hassled her at a press conference with D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, but the one dude (pictured above, right) let loose with a hissy rant of self-righteousness that will live in infamy:

“Don’t pretend that you’re not biased. . . . You are obviously hostile and filled with contempt. I have no interest in cooperating with you. You know that you’re dishonest, because you really have a point of view that’s filled with bias and prior conclusions. . . . And the people of D.C. have voted, have voted against vouchers. That either matters to you, and is dispositive because we have a representative democracy, or you are utterly driven by ideology — which is clearly the case. . . . Pure bias, which you demonstrate with every breath you take.”

Now let’s go to the video:

Just taking a wild guess — a shot in the dark — Mr. Hissy Self-Righteous will turn out to be a long-time public-school employee and/or a teachers-union activist. Nothing is more ironclad in the minds of such people than their inalienable right to employment at taxpayer expense. Because school-choice threatens to deprive them of their monopoly of feasting on the government teat, Kerry Picket’s questions about Gray’s opposition to vouchers were like garlic to a vampire.

There is a Memeorandum thread, with blog comment by Weasel Zippers, JammieWearingFool, The Right Scoop, Hot Air, Fire Andrea Mitchell and Verum Serum

UPDATE: A little birdy tells me I guessed wrong about these two guys. Not union. Not school officals. I’m kind of surprised (but perhaps shouldn’t be surprised) to learn that D.C.’s LGBT community is staunchly opposed to vouchers, because they oppose tax money being spent to send kids to church schools.

Category: Education, Unions, Video

Greg Mortenson’s Hope and Change

Posted on | April 20, 2011 | 6 Comments

A topic we blogged last week gets a deeper examination from Alanna Shaikh at Foreign Policy:

The world was shocked by a report on CBS’s 60 Minutes this week that accused bestselling author and humanitarian Greg Mortenson of being a fraud. Not only were some of the stories from his book fabricated, 60 Minutes alleges, but the charity that Mortenson created to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan never built many of the facilities it has taken credit for. Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea didn’t, as it claimed, bring education to rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Its finances are a mess, and the charity does not even seem to have kept track of how many schools it built or how many students attended them. . . .
Why, exactly, did we ever think that Mortenson’s model for education, exemplified in his Central Asia Institute (CAI), was going to work? Its focus was on building schools — and that’s it. . . .
Over the last 50 years of studying international development, scholars have built a large body of research and theory on how to improve education in the developing world. None of it has recommended providing more school buildings, because according to decades of research, buildings aren’t what matter. Teachers matter. Curriculum matters. Funding for education matters. Where classes actually take place? Not really.
The whole CAI model was wrong. But here’s the truly awful thing: Looking back, it’s clear that everyone knew that that CAI’s approach didn’t work. It was just that no one wanted to talk about it.

Read the whole story, which is quite timely.

New York Times columnist Nick Kristof was completely taken in by Mortenson’s idea of building schools as a better way to fight terrorism than, y’know, actually fighting terrorism.

Mortenson’s book reportedly sold 4 million copies, because it told the bien pensants what they wanted to hear: The key to peace is education! “The more I do this, I’m convinced that education should be the top global priority. . . . We can drop bombs, we can build roads, we can put in electricity, but unless the girls are educated a society won’t change,” Mortenson said in a university speech where he “was greeted by a standing ovation.”

Now, it appears that Greg Mortenson was just a slick flimflam artist with a clever and appealing narrative, promoting an impractical scheme that would not actually achieve its stated goals.

Sound familiar?

Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that the U.K. Guardian describes Mortenson as a “favourite of President Barack Obama.” Perhaps not.

Category: Education

Just A Conservative Girl Now In Her Terrible Twos

Posted on | April 20, 2011 | 3 Comments

by Smitty

Fellow Virginian and righteous blogger JACG passed her bloggiversary, with kind words for this blog:

I would like to say a special thank you to Smitty over at The Other McCain. Even while defending our country over in Afghanistan, he still finds time to read my blog and link to me from time to time. Love that linky love Smitty. He also cracks me up on twitter. He and his wife are still deciding on what to name his first born son that is due to make his first appearance this July. I think Herman Cain Smith should be the winner. Just think if he does become the president, the kid will know how far ahead of the curve his dad really is. How cool is that?

Herman is indeed a noble name.
Actually, Mrs. The Other Smitty and I are considering Nicholas Dietrich Smith, at the moment.

Category: Blogging

Royalists for Social Justice?

Posted on | April 20, 2011 | 6 Comments

After yesterday’s post about the royal wedding, I decided to develop the theme into a column for The American Spectator:

Conservatives, predisposed to defend all things traditional and hierarchical, might naturally be expected to admire the British monarchy. But the remarkable fact is that most of the Americans obsessed by the royal wedding (and the media shamelessly feeding that obsession) are not conservative. The Will and Kate wedding is being hyped, and the hype is being consumed, by Americans who see no contradiction between their commitment to egalitarian ideals and their celebration of hereditary privilege. Liberals who quiver in outrage that American millionaires pay only a 35 percent marginal rate on their incomes — an injustice they blame on the hated “Bush tax cuts” — nevertheless seem unembarrassed by their adoration of British royalty. But then again, liberals spent decades pining for the restoration of a Kennedy dynasty, so perhaps we should not be surprised by their fascination with the House of Windsor. . . .

Please read the whole thing.

Category: American Spectator, Celebrities, Great Britain, Marriage

Colmes Interviews Breitbart

Posted on | April 20, 2011 | 3 Comments

by Smitty

I discovered that Andrew Breitbart is one part Abbie Hoffman, one part performance artist, one part indignant former liberal and, well, see for yourself.

The comments are mildly amusing.
More Breitbart goodness at American Power.

Category: Alan Colmes, American Power, Andrew Breitbart

Biden Commission

Posted on | April 20, 2011 | 4 Comments

by Smitty

Really? How will Slow Joe possibly help in any way that Bowles-Simpson did not? The assignment says more about giving the VP some LEGOs to play with than it says about serious analysis of the crisis.

In his “excessively partisan” speech last week at George Washington University, Obama announced the creation of a second deficit commission to be led by Vice President Joe Biden. He also asked congressional leaders to appoint four members each to represent them at the talks, for a total a 17 participants, including the VP.

But so far only six have officially been tapped to attend the May 5 meeting.

One desperately wants to be surprised by this sad turn of events, but even that is out of reach.

Disagreeing with Dyer at Hot Air, we don’t need to ‘Think Big’. We need to think small, think limited, think about what requirements we are meeting at which levels of government. OK, I’m not really disagreeing with Dyer on substance, merely his title.

The graphical take, via PowerLine:

Category: Barack Obama

LIVE AT FIVE – 04.20.11

Posted on | April 20, 2011 | 2 Comments

TOP NEWS
Jet Carrying First Lady Aborts Landing

More headaches for FAA's air traffic controllers

First lady’s transport too close to C-17 landing at Andrews AFB
Close call points to controller error


Accused WikiLeaker Sent To Leavenworth
Manning’s fans still butthurt despite planned treatment improvements



Misurata Rebels Show Ingenuity In Fight For City
Street gangs learn urban warfare in a hard school



POLITICS
Trump’s Attacks On Obama Not Helping Ratings

Conventional wisdom: Joke Candidate; MSM Wisdom: CONTENDER!

Ratings tumble for “Celebrity Apprentice” as Trump stumps

Obama Pitches Tax Hikes To Facebook Billionaires

Supremes May Toss Out States’ GHG Lawsuit


CIA Declassifies WWI Documents

Detroit Prosecutor Seeks Halt To Terry Jones Protest



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Premature Party For Intel?
Investors Love Treasuries Despite Debt Worries
Strong US Earning Buoy Tech Shares In Asia
Yahoo Earnings Top Target, Shares Up 3.5%
US Stocks Finish Firm On Earnings
Crude Oil Rises For Second Day On Improving Fuel Demand Outlook
Google Invites You To Edit The United States Map
Apple, Samsung Gear Up For Major Smartphone, Tablet Patent Fight
NASA: Final Launch Of Shuttle “Endeavour” Set For April 29



SPORTS
Rondo Gets Aggressive, Celtics Take 2-0 Lead Over Knicks

The Celtics' Rajon Rondo drives to the net past the Knicks' Fields, Douglas, and Stoudemire

Scores 30 points in 96-93 win against injury-riddled New York squad

Blackhawks Stay Alive With 7-2 Rout Of Canucks

Giants Pitching Halts Rockies Again Despite Jiminez’ Return



Angels’ 15-4 Romp Hands Rangers First Loss At Home

NBC Universal Signs 10-Year NHL Deal

Rivera Blows First Save, Jays Drop Yanks

Marathon Legend Grete Waitz Dies After Six-Year Cancer Battle



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Charlie Sheen Loses Custody Fight To Relapsed Crackhead

Torpedo Of Truth - MISFIRE!

Source says Mueller’s mom will look after kids while Brooke is in rehab

Demi Lovato Not Returning To “Sonny With a Chance”

What Was Vanessa Hudgens Licking Off Her Fingers? Not Drugs, Says Rep



Hoover Yanks Ads From ABC Over Soaps’ Cancellation

“Terminator” Creator: Cell Phones Are The New Skynet

Lady Gaga: “I’m Not Manufactured”

Florence Mayor Gives “Jersey Shore” List Of Rules For Filming



FOREIGNERS
Syria Lifts Emergency Law As Security Forces Open Fire On Protesters (Video)
Japan Considers Banning Entry Into Evacuation Zone
Fidel Finally Steps Inside; Gerontocracy Assumes Power In Cuba
UN Security Council Fails To Reach Agreement On Yemen
Cameron Hints He May Block Brown Bid For IMF Job
Iran-Saudi Rift Widens Over Bahrain



BLOGS & STUFF
Lonely Conservative: Obama Scolds Reporter (Video)
Pajamas Media: Obama Plans To Impose DISCLOSE Act By Executive Order After Bill Fails to Pass Congress, Supremes And FEC
Riehl World View: Wavey Davey Weigel – Dumb Or Just Playing At It?
Ed Morrissey: Obama Lies About I-35 Bridge Collapse To Argue For More Taxes
Power Line: “Amazon.com Is Doomed!”
Jammie Wearing Fool: New Civility Update
Protein Wisdom: ZOMG! Paul Ryan Doesn’t Just Want To Kill Your Grandma…
Big Hollywood: Lady Gaga, Fearless Artistic Visionary, Risks It All By Offending Christians

— compiled by Wombat-socho

Category: Live at Five
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