Democracy As An Obstruction To Swift Action Is A Valid Point

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by Smitty

Bluegrass Pundit posts:

Noted Environmentalist James Lovelock and developer of the Gaia theory thinks democracy is getting in the way of fighting climate change. Also, he thinks Humans are too stupid to prevent climate change

It is certainly the case that providing for regular elections and separation of powers cuts down on the responsiveness of government. About the only area the US Constitution provides for swiftness is that of national defense. Arguably, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 took that too far, and now we wage all sorts of war without any valid declaration.

But that delay is as much a feature as a bug. “All hail our new supreme leader Al Gore,” continues Bluegrass Pundit. Uhhh, get stuffed, Mr. Gore. The same drag in the system that prevented you from working the referees in Florida in 2000, by involving more than a partisan State Supreme Court, and allowing the election law to be upheld, also made the ObamaCare legislation such an albatross that

“Congressional disapproval ratings hit 72 percent,” now at October of 1994 levels.

No, swiftness of action on acute matters can be sensible. Anyone arguing for swiftness on chronic matters like climate and the fabric of society is probably diabolical.  Is it unfair to go connecting dots between the AGW weenies and the Progressives?  I wouldn’t draw a thick line, or suggest a journo.list kind of conspiracy, but you might see these elitist twits enjoying a beverage with little surprise.

Now, how about that Judas Congress? Can their approval rating hit single digits in time for the election? I give them teens.

Sarah Palin Channels Nevada Heat, Breaks Window In Alaska

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by Smitty

Alan Colmes:

The headquarters of Alaska’s Democratic Party was vandalized over the weekend and the state party chair thinks the incident was influenced by Sarah Palin.

He then offers mad propz to Sarah Palin’s rhetoric-fu, quoting Patti Higgins, state chair of the Alaska Democratic Party

“In the beginning I didn’t think she knew what she was doing, but now I think she does.”

Rumors of a meeting with SecDef Robert Gates about weaponizing these powers for use in Afghanistan were not denied by an un-named Pentagon spokesman who was less than off the record.

Update: Mommylanche!

Howard Kaloogian Is A Completely Unreasonable, Rabid, Extremist Tea Party Fiend And Stuff

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by Smitty

No, really, he clocks in here as sort of a mellow fellow who could be your neighbor. A couple of questions fronted in this interview with
of PJTV are:

  • Can the Tea Party co-exist with the GOP?
  • Can the GOP survive without the Tea Party?


It seems that there will have to be some reckoning. The Tea Parties lack the savvy and the knowledge of the gory details. The GOP holds the cards there. On the other hand, the GOP of the last several decades has been Progressivism Lite, or in the case of some, no’ so much. OK, that was a mean link.

Back on topic, the simple truth is that DC is running open loop. Even if it wanted to, Congress couldn’t fix itself. The ballot in November is going to be a help, but even massive turnover in the House and Senate may not be enough. I submit that more attention to Randy Barnett and outfits like Friends Of the Article V Convention are good places to begin. Also, we should consider pressuring candidates to support an Article V Convention almost as strongly as repealing ObamaCare. I get the impression that President Bring-it-on wouldn’t admit to even slight concern about an Article V Convention. Truly, if you haven’t got the political power to ratify anything, you haven’t much. Yet, there has to be a building towards that goal, and it has to start somewhere.

So, may fortune smile on Kaloogian, the Tea Party Express, and every American citizen getting involved and communicating with the leadership that purportedly represents them.

Doug From Reno, Sarah From Wasilla

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From my column today in The American Spectator:

Doug from Reno was standing about 50 yards from the stage at Saturday’s “Showdown in Searchlight,” two hours before the official noon start of the rally featuring Sarah Palin. He was part of a huge crowd already gathering for the big first-day event of the Tea Party Express tour, and U.S. Highway 95 was backed up for more than a mile in either direction as thousands more made their way into the dusty lot a couple miles north of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s hometown.
He was wearing a National Rifle Association cap and mirrored sunglasses, and had a sticker on his shirt promoting a conservative website, DumpReid.com. Doug held aloft a large hand-lettered sign: “Karl Marx and Mao Were Not Founding Fathers!”
So far as most major media organizations are concerned, he was just another dangerous right-wing crackpot, but most major media organizations never actually talked to Doug or others like him among the thousands of grassroots activists who showed up in Searchlight. With few exceptions, what brought reporters to Saturday’s rally was the opportunity to do what they have been doing in their Tea Party coverage for more than a year: Highlight negative “gotcha” moments to discredit the movement as a dangerous collection of hate-filled, misinformed lunatics, meanwhile asking attendees questions along the lines of, “Who do you consider to be the leader of your movement?” . . .

Please read the whole thing. Actually meeting and talking to people is so much more productive than treating them as superficial stereotypes. It’s also a lot more fun.


I’m now blogging from the Arizona home of Barbara Espinosa, whom I first met in August at the Right Online conference in Pittsburgh. When I first met Barbara, I was surprised to learn she was a blogger (see “Grandma Is an Angry Mob“) and I had no idea that she was such a well-know activist. She’s on a first-name basis with Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth and congressional candidate Vernon Parker, both of whom I’ll be interviewing later today in Phoenix.

It was the tip-jar hitters — contributors to the Shoe Leather Fund — who sent me to that Pittsburgh conference where I first met Barbara, and the tip-jar hitters have since sent me to Kentucky, New York, Florida, Alabama, California, Massachusetts, Alabama, and now to Nevada and Arizona.

Saturday in Vegas, after I got back from Searchlight, I was talking with a reporter from a major news organization who was amazed that this kind of reader-supported journalism is possible. And it’s only possible because of you — the few, the proud, the tip-jar hitters. Thanks for all you do.

Why Does Rep. Dingell Hate Naval Architects?

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by Smitty

BlogProf has the audio of Rep. Dingell comparing ObamaCare to the RMS Titanic. This is so outrageous. The Titanic was a proper ship. If properly crewed, there is no reason she would not be maintained in a state of pristine newness through massive amounts of paint and polish, just like Nancy Pelosi.

Opines the BlogProf:

Every time the man talks, it’s a mixture of moonbattery and unintended truthful moments. During the contentious summer between Democrat lawmakers and constituents, Dingell made some of his most famous gaffes, such as comparing tea party protesters to the KKK

A much better, if less known, nautical metaphor than the Titanic is the Vasa, which launched and scuttled itself after something like a nautical mile underway. More cowbell is not always better cowbell.

For Godwin’s Law reasons, we’ll leave the Graf Zeppelin out of this.

Seeing Through Andrew Breitbart’s Cunning Plan

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by Smitty (h/t LMA)

Andrew Breitbart will continue to escalate the zeros on the right end of his racial epithet bounty.

Past a certain tipping point, the temptation will be too great. Someone will mix in Dynamite Hack, covering Easy-E: (NSFW)

However, by that time, the bounty will have crossed the Too Big To Fail horizon, and Breitbart will apply for a Federal Government bailout.

What could possibly go wrong?

‘He Counted On America To Be Passive. He Counted Wrong.’

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by Smitty

Regarding the POTUS, we can expect exactly 0 substantial reflection, course alteration, or improvement in the political atmosphere between now and November, emphasis mine:

Whatever the case, the next seven months going into November are going to be about domination and attempted marginalization, not cooperation. He’ll seek to paint the GOP as obstructionist, which, btw, is how the GOP beat Daschle in 2004. I came upon that in looking at opposition to Reid versus Daschle, the only Senate leader to lose his seat since 1952. If the GOP caves, their base will abandon them, resulting in disaster in the fall. At the same time, the people can not afford to stand down, either, as the GOP’s minority status leaves them toothless without our many voices behind them. And no matter what, the months ahead are going to be long, hard and increasingly confrontational politically.

Actually, Dan has it backwards: We The People cannot expect to delegate the preservation of the Republic to the GOP.

We The People have to follow and draw attention to the Tea Party Express, the Andrew Breitbarts, and activities like the Tax Day Tea Party to inform the GOP in Congress that there is still a country worth the struggle against fascism.

He counted on America to be Passive. He Counted Wrong.

Five seconds of pure motivation with Reagan begin at 1:27