The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you.
Max DePree
Obama Money At Work: News Clipping of the Day
Each Chevy Volt sold thus far may have as much as $250,000 in state and federal dollars in incentives behind it – a total of $3 billion altogether, according to an analysis by James Hohman, assistant director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Hohman looked at total state and federal assistance offered for the development and production of the Chevy Volt, General Motors’ plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. His analysis included 18 government deals that included loans, rebates, grants and tax credits.Obama Golden Oldie: What Obama wears out there on all those golf courses are sunglasses, not green shades. I'm channeling my inner Casey Kasem to remind you of the #1 hit sound bite from the Rush Limbaugh show two years ago last October:
KEN ROGULSKI: Why are you here?
WOMAN: To get some money.
ROGULSKI: What kind of money?
WOMAN: Obama money.
ROGULSKI: Where's it coming from?
WOMAN: Obama.
ROGULSKI: And where did Obama get it?
WOMAN: I don't know. His stash. I don't know. I don't know where he got it from but he's giving it to us, to help us. We love him. That's why we voted for him. Obama! Obama!
Gary Johnson Bolts the GOP to Seek the Libertarian Party Nomination
I like the fact that the GOP has a deep bench of capable governors--e.g., Mitch Daniels, Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindal, Chris Christie, George Pataki, etc. We've still had 4 former/current governors in the race: Mitt Romney (MA), Rick Perry (TX), Jim Huntsman (UT), and Gary Johnson (NM).
Rick Perry, after a blockbuster start, ran into trouble over immigration and the Gardasil controversy, then ran into problems even remembering his talking points (the famous "oops" moment). Perry has the money, but to be frank he's barely clinging to double-digits in Iowa polls and isn't even in double-digits in southern states like South Carolina and Virginia, which should be his strong suit, and in fact he didn't even have the organization to get on the ballot in Virginia. My bold prediction: if Perry doesn't finish in the money (top 3) in Iowa, he'll withdraw. GOP voters like his record in Texas, but they don't think he'll be competitive in a race against Obama. It's also possible that Perry, since he has a lot of money, could play the bystander like Huckabee in 2008, hoping to benefit from any mid-campaign stumble by the front runner, but GOP voters are also aware that his poll matchups against Obama aren't very good. Mitt Romney knew better in 2008 to gracefully concede and build momentum for a second chance.
Jim Huntsman is very appealing from a standpoint of two solid terms from a conservative state, and he has significant diplomatic experience; being ambassador to China is better than, say, Palin's claims of trade mission experience with Russia and Canada. Many see China competing with the US for the global economic leadership position. But Huntsman doesn't have Romney's private-sector and winter Olympics accomplishments, and the more moderate Republicans Huntsman is aiming at see Romney as a viable competitor to Obama. I expect Huntsman will probably drop out after New Hampshire.
I see Garry Johnson as sort of the libertarian alter ego to Tim Pawlenty, both fierce fiscal conservatives. They are both outstanding public servants, but they lack what GHW Bush famously called "the vision thing". Johnson as a libertarian Republican found himself competing with Ron Paul, the undisputed intellectual leader of the group and other than executive experience and possibly running as a Washington outsider, he never really had a rationale for his candidacy. The press, which normally goes after conservatives by questioning their pro-life position on the 1.5% of abortions involving rape or maternal health, loves to put libertarians on the spot over controversial stands like drug legalization (or decriminalization); of course, libertarians will draw parallels between the Mexican drug violence and organized crime's involvement in (alcohol) Prohibition.
Johnson had all but disappeared after an initial couple of GOP debates, barely registering within statistical significance in the polls, if that. I think third parties are more about making a statement. If a Republican has a chance to win the Libertarian Party nomination, it will be Ron Paul. This drives the media conservatives nuts, worrying that Paul will siphon votes from the eventual nominee and allow an incompetent Obama to win reelection by default. They constantly demand loyalty tests from Paul.
My personal opinion is that Paul's real intent is to use his support as leverage in the GOP platform: I could see Romney and Paul coming to an understanding about Fed chair Bernanke's future, a more accountable Fed, and several pro-liberty/Tea Party planks in the platform. I don't think Paul has any intention of seeing his likely swan song in politics enabling the reelection of the most communitarian President in history.
Trump Goes Independent
Say it ain't so, Joe! You mean after all the GOP Presidential candidates whom genuflected in front of him and kissed his ring, Trump has decided to bolt the GOP for a possible Presidential run of his own? Who couldn't see this coming when Busey withdrew his all-important endorsement of Gingrich. Don't you remember last April Busey endorsed Trump's possible run? This blog is not favorably disposed to the Donald, whose inflammatory, irresponsible anti-Chinese trade protectionist rhetoric is unworthy of a serious Presidential contender. For once I"ll be a part of the 99% voting against the 1% supporting Trump.
What's Another $1.2T Increase in the National Debt for Obama?
With the debt at $15.2T just $100B under the modest ceiling, Obama is expected to ask for the remaining $1.2T in the phased debt ceiling increase to last through 2012. Just a reminder: Obama inherited a $10.6T national debt. He is set to set a new all-time record of debt by a single President by mid-year, even as the economy has technically been in a recovery since June 2009, over 2.5 years ago. I still think it's morally outrageous that a spendthrift President has the audacity to ask for the money, never having made a serious attempt to cut the budget in any meaningful way.
Musical Interlude: Nostalgic/Instrumental Christmas
"Pie Jesu"
The Priests
Children's Choir of Saint-Marc
Gregorian. (Video Christian art, subtitles)
Andrew Lloyd Webber arrangement (Requiem) with Sarah Brightman, Paul Miles Kingston
