A daily routine built on
good habits and disciplines
separates the most successful among us from everyone else.
The routine is exceptionally powerful.
Darren Hardy
Sunday Talk Soup
When earlier this week I reviewed Face the Nation, I mentioned that I hadn't seen the Meet the Press podcast yet. I have to be honest and say it was so spectacularly bad, probably the worst I've seen in years, I may need to parse the content in one or more one-off posts. So all I'll do is jot down some quick points.
First, it was strictly ideologically "progressive" and partisan except for the token appearance of Michael Steele, former GOP Maryland lieutenant governor, RNC chair, and apparently an MSNBC contributor.
Second, David Gregory pushed on the same federal bailout of Detroit, reprising 1975's urban legend of President Ford telling a near-bankrupt NYC to "drop dead". There was also mention of Obama's speech last year when Obama vowed that he refused to let Detroit go bankrupt. Gregory said that referred to GM and Chrysler. Say WHAT? In fact, they DID go bankrupt. Some "progressive" apologists claim that Obama was trying to distinguish his approach from an infamous Romney editorial in late 2008, claiming that it wasn't possible at the time (now isn't that special?). Yeah, right....
Third, I am getting tired of hearing trite charges of partisan obstructionism. Obama had super majorities in the 111st Congress. The charge against the GOP is a red herring; Obama doesn't want, doesn't know how to compromise. Obama and the Congressional Dem leadership played hardball, passing a corrupt healthcare law without a single GOP vote. Obama got a referendum by losing the most House seats since FDR's second mid-term, following a recession. Payback is a bitch, isn't it?
It didn't help that all the black panelists were economic illiterates. For all the complaints about the GOP "obstructing" Obama's "job program", Obama's "program" is simply more of the same ineffectual spending, much of it funding of state and local government and other special-interest spending, with money we don't have. Obama has already more than doubled the public debt (the rest of the national debt is held as entitlement reserves). The problems we are seeing are entirely due to Obama's anti-economic growth policies--unprecedented regulations, federal debt competition with private-sector investment, etc. Government gets in the way of hiring by putting ever-increasing conditions and costs on employer hiring. And he did that in the face of the worst economic conditions since the Carter recession. What he should have done is freeze (if not streamline) regulations, stop playing winners and losers in the economy (the economy is bigger than the public sector, infrastructure construction, and green energy), and provide businesses with a more stable, certain environment. Instead, he's playing games of chicken over tax policy and debt ceiling issues, some of the most irresponsible "leadership" I've ever seen, in or out of government.
Fourth, I thought the whole discussion of Trayvon Martin was pathetic. Not one person, including David Gregory, discussed the fact that Martin attacked and beat an armed man; moreover, when Zimmerman was on the ground, the weapon was within Martin's reach. There was at least one lawyer on the panel, and there was the spurious allegation concerning "stand your ground", totally obnoxious talking points about what if Martin had a gun. The gun was discharged when Martin had Zimmerman on the ground; there were tests that showed the shot was at close range, there were grass stains on the front of Martin's pants, there was no evidence (beyond the single gunshot) that Zimmerman hurt Martin, but some evidence Martin's knuckles showed wear, and one reluctant witness reported Martin on top of Zimmerman raining punches down on him. Without "stand your ground", there may be a duty to retreat/flee. But in this case, Zimmerman was pinned to the ground; he couldn't retreat and Martin had already broken his nose. But going back to Zimmerman following Martin, Martin could not have fired his weapon lawfully unless Zimmerman was engaging in hostility, which is more than not liking Zimmerman following him. Similarly, Zimmerman did not have authority to use his gun except in self-defense.
Finally, there were some shallow analyses of urban black problems, and once again we hear excuses: the only solution is to use government--force--to engage in morally hazardous federal handouts, preferential policies, etc. There was the ludicrous assertion, detached from reality, that the recent SCOTUS decision setting aside certain states had to go through prior DOJ approval for voting changes had "gutted" the Voting Rights Act. No, this is a matter of equal protection and the tenth amendment. "Pre-clearance" is a bureaucratic, not substantive issue. States that received scrutiny nearly 50 years ago which no longer have the same processes and records no longer warrant extraordinary oversight. DOJ still has the right to challenge any state's voting laws violating the Voting Rights Act.
A Matter of Religious Liberty
The Catholic Church owns a 1925 church in Springfield, MA; it wants to exercise control of its property (e.g., demolish/rebuild). The city council likes the appearance of the building's Italian Renaissance architecture and stained glass windows and moved to preempt demolition by naming it a "historic site". The Church sued in federal district court on religious liberty grounds and lost; the Court of Appeals has sustained that judgment. This is a clear violation of property rights, and I hope the Church appeals to SCOTUS.
Rand Paul vs. Chris Christie
Familiar readers know this puts me on the spot between my favorite governor and my favorite senator. I knew something was up when I saw multiple posts by Rand Paul on Facebook referencing the kerfuffle. I have become more disenchanted with Christie lately, in particular over the larded-up Sandy relief legislation. Christie recently made comments critical of Justin Amash's NSA reform amendment and/or Rand Paul's less interventionist foreign policy.
The result? Let's just say I "un-liked" Gov. Christie on Facebook and added Rand Paul and Justin Amash to my Twitter feeds. I, of course, support the governor's reelection, but the only way he gets my vote in 2016 is if he wins the nomination without my support.
Political Cartoon
For the benefit of the unknowing reader, these are names of victims of the Fast and Furious and Benghazi scandals.
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| Courtesy of Glenn Foden and Townhall |
The Beatles, "Good Day Sunshine"
