The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.
Linus Pauling
Nominations For My Blog 2010 Year-End Awards
In my traditional mocking of the annual endless year-end awards and retrospectives, I will soon separately publish my "Man of the Year" (2008 John McCain, 2009 Rick Santelli) and "Jackass of the Year" awards (2008 Eliot Spitzer (unofficial), 2009 Alan Grayson); there's no trophy or award money, just a few bytes in cyberspace.
I have already made my choices, which I expect few of my faithful readers will guess, even though once I announce them, everyone will probably agree are obvious choices, given recurring themes in my posts. (One of my favorite Voltaire quotes is: "Common sense is not so common".)
As for the first award, there are a number of potential nominees (which may be distinctive of my list): Scott Brown (R-MA) whom became the first Republican to win a Senate seat from Massachusetts in decades campaigning as #41 (i.e., filibuster-sustaining), making up a 30-point deficit in a matter of weeks; Ben Bernanke, Fed Reserve chairman, whose controversial decisions influence the world's financial system; Roger Ailes, President of Fox News, whose cable news unit has become arguably the most powerful (center-right leaning) media outlet, earning frequent rebukes from POTUS; Marco Rubio (R-FL), a telegenic conservative Latino and Tea Party darling whom beat the popular incumbent governor, including the senior vote, despite a tough love message for entitlement reform; and Anthony Kennedy, the principal swing justice on SCOTUS, whose decisive opinion on Citizens United contributed to a disgraceful, unprincipled attack on the Supreme Court by Obama in his State of the Union address. Is my choice one of these--or perhaps someone not mentioned?
I've already discussed a number of eligible candidates of Democrats behaving badly: Al Franken, defending winner Alan Grayson, Michael Posner, Anthony Weiner, and John Morton. Other obvious nominees are Nancy Pelosi, whom had the audacity to put her personal ambition over the interests of her own party despite less than a 10% favorable rating and the most decisive turnover election in the House in over 70 years, outgoing North Carolina Representative Bob Etheridge whom assaulted a college student on a public sidewalk, Bart Stupak, whom made an infamous side deal with Obama to pass the corrupt Senate health care bill, and Charlie Rangel, whom is due to be censured tomorrow on the House floor as a result of several ethics infractions. Will it be one of these--or maybe someone else I haven't listed? I will give one clue: it won't be Barack Obama.
Earmark Vote: Thumbs DOWN!
Remember Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) post-election conflict over the earmark ban? Tom Coburn (R-OK) had proposed a 2-year ban as an amendment to the recent food safety bill; the amendment failed 56-39 (NOTE: 5 senators abstained). The fact that 48 Democrats voted to continue the corrupt process yesterday does not surprise me--we didn't get to a string of trillion dollar deficits by accident. What does surprise me is that 8 Republicans joined them, including 3 retiring senators whom would not benefit politically by the ban: Cochran (MS), Bennett (UT), and Voinovich (OH). Murkowski's (AK) support of earmarks is hardly surprising, given all Alaska politicians' addiction to the federal teat (including Sarah Palin). Lugar (IN), Shelby (AL), Collins (ME), and Inhofe (OK) were the remaining senators.
Inhofe (OK) is a genuine conservative whom makes the constitutional argument, argues that some earmarks have actually benefited the country, they account for a trivial amount of the budget, and earmarks aren't the only source of government waste (e.g., last year's infamous stimulus bill). I will simply note that earmarks were an initial test by the American people whom are justly concerned over a nearly $14T deficit; a 2-year suspension of earmarks was an initial test of good faith that the Congress heard the message of last month's election loud and clear. We need to put the interests of our country above an unholy alliance of wheeling dealing lawmakers pursuing district- or state-funded projects which are more about a lawmaker's political self-interest.
We need to start spending the people's money more frugally--as if a single dime spent on an esoteric academic grant is a dime not available to temporary assistance to family desperately looking to make ends meet, or a dime spent on some little-used facility takes away from badly-needed infrastructure repairs or a dime spent on farm subsidies isn't spent on modernizing our national defense.
Bonus Video: CAGW Porkers of the Month: Carper/Voinovich
Dick Lugar: It's Time to Retire
I've been a regular defender of the big tent concept, including moderate Republicans. But the 78-year-old, 6-term senior senator from Indiana has been drifting more liberal, going from a lifetime 77 American Conservative Union rating to 60's ratings in 2008-2009. The one-time mentor of Senator Barack Obama has strongly supported the new START Treaty, which Democrats have been using to bash Republican senators, wary of rushing ratification during a lame duck session. The fact that Lugar was one of the dissenting voices on the above-cited amendment against earmarks adds to my sense of frustration.
I think it's time for a new Republican voice from Indiana; I know that Lugar has already announced plans to seek a seventh term in 2012, but I do think that there are some strong potential candidates from Indiana, e.g., Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence, whom would make fine senators. I expect to support the GOP candidate for Senate from Indiana (including Dick Lugar), but if the Tea Party decided to back a worthy challenger, I think it would be to the benefit of the people of Indiana to make Lugar earn his next term.
Conservative Centerfold of the Year: Megyn Kelly, Fox News Channel
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| Courtesy of GQ, Photo by Alexei Hay |
Political Humor
WikiLeaks released more than 250,000 secret documents, some of which refer to computer passwords for world leaders. The most shocking revelation: Kofi Annan’s password is “BieberFan9.” - Conan O'Brien
[WikiLeaks found Obama's long-missing birth certificate. It turns out he really is an American....And Ron Paul's (R-TX) password is 'Bernanke666'.]
"President Obama took an elbow to the face last week and had to get 12 stitches. He was in line at Best Buy trying to get a $49 Blu-ray player." –Jimmy Kimmel
[Obama was going for a rebound off the fall election scoreboard, but the point guard for the other team got there first... The last thing he remembers is the crowd cheering for Sarah Barracuda.]
Musical Interlude: Holiday Tunes
Jimmy Boyd, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
