SHILLS SHILLING FOR THE ULTIMATE SHILL
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Removing The Tumor
In 1976, Ronald Reagan challenged Gerald Ford in the GOP primary. He failed in his endeavor and then watched Jimmy Carter win the presidency in November. As an aside, this election has a lot of parallels to the nascent Tea Party nominating idealogues at the risk of hurting the GOP establishment. But let's put that aside for now.
In 1980, Ted Kennedy ran against the incumbent, Jimmy Carter in the Democratic Primary. He lost and Carter lost to Reagan in November. For all the chatter about the Reagan Revolution, I doubt if he could have done it without Teddy (and John Anderson also deserves an assist from the official scorer.) Another aside. Teddy's motives will never make sense to me. He could have had the nomination in 1976 but he refused to run and Carter filled the void. He refused to shake Carter's hand at the inauguration and he succeeded in turning the press against Carter. If the real story of this real rivalry has ever surfaced, I am not aware of it. But that's an aside.
In 1992 a blowhard by the name of Pat Buchanan challenged George H. W. Bush (#41) and lost the election. Bush would then lose in November. Yes, Ross Perot might have won the election for Bill Clinton and there are a lot of "what ifs," but it is safe to say that Buchanan did not help Bush.
In the past thirty years, there have been 3 serious intra-party challenges to a sitting president. Each time, the results were the same: The challenger lost in the spring or summer and the incumbent lost in the fall.
Power brokers are generally smart people. They might now recognize that Obama is a tumor on the brain of the Democratic Party and the special interests who ride in the draft but they also recognize the complications involved in removing the tumor. It is a delicate procedure.
There might be an electoral challenge to Obama in the primaries but who could beat him? The most logical choice would Hillary but she is a member of the Obama Administration. She has been called a carpetbagger before and I don't think she wants to wear that dress again.
Evan Bayh wants to be president but he has voted in lock step with Obama. What would his slogan be? "Just like him but better?" Andrew Cuomo and Jerry Brown would be formidable rivals but their respective states demand too much attention at the moment. Does anyone have Dick Gephardt's number?
And of course, whoever gets the nomination will probably face a hornet's nest electorate that will make the 2010 voters seem friendly. It just is not an attractive offer. But in the corridors of power the scalpels (figurative at this point) are being sharpened. Plans are being made. What plans?
If one wishes to remove the tumor, it would be wise to do so sooner rather than later. If the Dems give up the White House, it could be a long time before they regain it. 8 years? 12 years? Possibly longer! The stakes are high. An entire generation of Democratic leaders are in peril. This is not an exaggeration. If the tumor is removed in the coming weeks, there will still be time for recuperation and perhaps a little reconstructive surgery. The White House might be salvaged.
But just how does one remove a sitting president? Delicately. Very delicately. Obama is the most secretive president in US History. (OK, we'll put aside the mysterious Abe Lincoln and his imprecise birthplace and his non-existent law school records. Obama is the most mysterious president since Abe Lincoln! How's that?) Obama is also a narcissist. Part of him would love to reveal his records for all to see so the world could further marvel at his unending brilliance. If only...Rest assured, he is secretive for good reason.
Powerful people will probably ask Obama to step aside. Even then, a cover story would be needed. Presidents don't just pack up and leave. Unh unh. A president has to be forced out of office either by scandal, election or term limits. An undisclosed health problem that he was justified in keeping private from the goons in the press? Complications from smoking? Dignity is left intact and a crusade (oops. A man-made contingency correction) is launched. The Misocapnist Poster Child! Give that man a Nobel Prize!
But is anyone betting against surgical complications? Obama and Axelrod will probably not go quietly into that good night. If the power brokers are forced to pry Obama out of his seat, they will do so with the crowbar of scandal. Once more, delicacy is required. The scandal has to be newly-discovered. Wink. Wink. Nod. Nod.
The mainstream media are losing credibility by the heartbeat. They cannot afford to be perceived as covering up a scandal for their favorite pet. All the king's horses and all the king's men will have a hard time reconstructing the yolk and shell of the fourth estate if they knowingly spiked a damaging story.
If Obama is on the top of the ticket in 2012, the Democrats might lose another 60 House seats, The Senate and the White House. Obama promised us hope and change. He might soon deliver on those promises.
In 1980, Ted Kennedy ran against the incumbent, Jimmy Carter in the Democratic Primary. He lost and Carter lost to Reagan in November. For all the chatter about the Reagan Revolution, I doubt if he could have done it without Teddy (and John Anderson also deserves an assist from the official scorer.) Another aside. Teddy's motives will never make sense to me. He could have had the nomination in 1976 but he refused to run and Carter filled the void. He refused to shake Carter's hand at the inauguration and he succeeded in turning the press against Carter. If the real story of this real rivalry has ever surfaced, I am not aware of it. But that's an aside.
In 1992 a blowhard by the name of Pat Buchanan challenged George H. W. Bush (#41) and lost the election. Bush would then lose in November. Yes, Ross Perot might have won the election for Bill Clinton and there are a lot of "what ifs," but it is safe to say that Buchanan did not help Bush.
In the past thirty years, there have been 3 serious intra-party challenges to a sitting president. Each time, the results were the same: The challenger lost in the spring or summer and the incumbent lost in the fall.
Power brokers are generally smart people. They might now recognize that Obama is a tumor on the brain of the Democratic Party and the special interests who ride in the draft but they also recognize the complications involved in removing the tumor. It is a delicate procedure.
There might be an electoral challenge to Obama in the primaries but who could beat him? The most logical choice would Hillary but she is a member of the Obama Administration. She has been called a carpetbagger before and I don't think she wants to wear that dress again.
Evan Bayh wants to be president but he has voted in lock step with Obama. What would his slogan be? "Just like him but better?" Andrew Cuomo and Jerry Brown would be formidable rivals but their respective states demand too much attention at the moment. Does anyone have Dick Gephardt's number?
And of course, whoever gets the nomination will probably face a hornet's nest electorate that will make the 2010 voters seem friendly. It just is not an attractive offer. But in the corridors of power the scalpels (figurative at this point) are being sharpened. Plans are being made. What plans?
If one wishes to remove the tumor, it would be wise to do so sooner rather than later. If the Dems give up the White House, it could be a long time before they regain it. 8 years? 12 years? Possibly longer! The stakes are high. An entire generation of Democratic leaders are in peril. This is not an exaggeration. If the tumor is removed in the coming weeks, there will still be time for recuperation and perhaps a little reconstructive surgery. The White House might be salvaged.
But just how does one remove a sitting president? Delicately. Very delicately. Obama is the most secretive president in US History. (OK, we'll put aside the mysterious Abe Lincoln and his imprecise birthplace and his non-existent law school records. Obama is the most mysterious president since Abe Lincoln! How's that?) Obama is also a narcissist. Part of him would love to reveal his records for all to see so the world could further marvel at his unending brilliance. If only...Rest assured, he is secretive for good reason.
Powerful people will probably ask Obama to step aside. Even then, a cover story would be needed. Presidents don't just pack up and leave. Unh unh. A president has to be forced out of office either by scandal, election or term limits. An undisclosed health problem that he was justified in keeping private from the goons in the press? Complications from smoking? Dignity is left intact and a crusade (oops. A man-made contingency correction) is launched. The Misocapnist Poster Child! Give that man a Nobel Prize!
But is anyone betting against surgical complications? Obama and Axelrod will probably not go quietly into that good night. If the power brokers are forced to pry Obama out of his seat, they will do so with the crowbar of scandal. Once more, delicacy is required. The scandal has to be newly-discovered. Wink. Wink. Nod. Nod.
The mainstream media are losing credibility by the heartbeat. They cannot afford to be perceived as covering up a scandal for their favorite pet. All the king's horses and all the king's men will have a hard time reconstructing the yolk and shell of the fourth estate if they knowingly spiked a damaging story.
If Obama is on the top of the ticket in 2012, the Democrats might lose another 60 House seats, The Senate and the White House. Obama promised us hope and change. He might soon deliver on those promises.
Half-Baked Alaska
I have to salute Lisa Murcowski for waging possibly the best comeback in US political history. Yes, I was pulling for Miller but Murcowski now has my respect as a fighter. She had a reputation of a trust fund baby who was given a Senate seat. A pampered princess who never had to work for anything.
Well, Murcowski had to fight to win this battle and fight she did. She will be a political force to be reckoned with. She will receive a lot of favorable media coverage simply because she hates Palin. When MSNBC needs a "even his/her/their party member says..." template, Murcowski will deliver. The Dems answer to Joe Lieberman.
As for Joe Miller, ce la vie. You publicly dissed Palin, you slimy ingrate. Plug in cliches here about dancing with the girl who took you to the dance and biting hands that dispense nourishment. Palin made you a rising star and you betrayed her in a matter of weeks. Go back to Yale, Mr. Big Shot. Good riddance.
Well, Murcowski had to fight to win this battle and fight she did. She will be a political force to be reckoned with. She will receive a lot of favorable media coverage simply because she hates Palin. When MSNBC needs a "even his/her/their party member says..." template, Murcowski will deliver. The Dems answer to Joe Lieberman.
As for Joe Miller, ce la vie. You publicly dissed Palin, you slimy ingrate. Plug in cliches here about dancing with the girl who took you to the dance and biting hands that dispense nourishment. Palin made you a rising star and you betrayed her in a matter of weeks. Go back to Yale, Mr. Big Shot. Good riddance.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Everything We Need To Know About The News Media We Learned From Joe The Plumber And That International Man of Mystery
You know where I'm going with this. Two years after the 2008 Presidential Election we still have large gaps in knowledge about Barack Hussein Obama. But we learned the intimate details of Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher within a day of his arrival on the national scene. That sort of thing does not happen by accident.
To briefly review, Candidate Obama wandered over to Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher's front yard on October 12, 2008. They briefly chatted and Mr. Wurzelbacher politely asked the candidate a general question about his proposed tax plan.
Withing hours, the details of Wurzelbacher's life were shot into the air to be viewed like a summer fireworks show. They might have missed his most recent prostate exam but they put everything else on display.
From Wikipedia:
Regarding his statement to Barack Obama about intending to buy the plumbing firm that employed him, Wurzelbacher later said that the idea of buying the company was discussed during his job interview six years prior.[6] According to MSNBC and Fox News, court records show that Wurzelbacher made $40,000 in 2006.[16] Dun & Bradstreet's report estimated that A. W. Newell Corporation, the full corporate name, had $510,000 in annual sales and eight employees.[42] As part of the background on McCain's use of "Joe the Plumber," several media outlets researched his professional plumbing credentials. One Toledo Blade article stated, "Mr. Wurzelbacher said he works under Al Newell’s license, but according to Ohio building regulations, he must maintain his own license to do plumbing work. He is also not registered to operate as a plumber in Ohio, which means he’s not a plumber." "Mr. Joseph [business manager of the local union] said Mr. Wurzelbacher could only legally work in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country."[43] Wurzelbacher has since stated that he is no longer employed at Newell.[1]
ABC News reported on October 16, 2008, that there was a judgment lien against Wurzelbacher for non-payment of $1,182 in owed Ohio state income taxes dating to January 2007, but "no action has been taken against him outside of filing the lien." Barb Losie, deputy clerk of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, said that "there is a 99 percent chance [Wurzelbacher] doesn't know about the lien, unless he did a credit report or was ready to pay his taxes."[44] While on Hannity & Colmes, Wurzelbacher stated that he was unaware of the tax lien prior to it being reported in the press, and thought he was being attacked because of his question to Obama.[45]
Clearly, when the mainstream media want us to know something, we are informed. Clearly, when their interests or biases are threatened, the news media will expend considerable effort to protect their interests or biases. Clearly, they will use their massive power to intimidate. This last point cannot be underemphasized. Just how newsworthy was Wurzelbacher's $1,182 tax lien? Like it or not, it would lead the news cycle.
Before we put aside Joe The Plumber, let's look once more at Wikipedia. They following tidbits might not link directly back to the Fourth Estate but they have been known to use civilians to cover their tracks.
Main article: Controversial Ohio database searches of Joe Wurzelbacher
Prior to the 2008 election, Vanessa Niekamp, an employee of Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services, at the behest of its director, Helen Jones-Kelley, used state computers to search for information on Joe Wurzelbacher. On November 20, 2008, Niekamp reported the violation to the State Inspector General. When state and local officials completed an investigation into Jones-Kelley's order, concluding that the searches were improper.[70][71] On December 17, 2008, Jones-Kelley resigned.[72] In response to the event, Republican Ohio state representative Shannon Jones sponsored House Bill 648, which mandates civil and criminal penalties for improper access of personal information on state databases.[73] On January 6, 2009, Governor Ted Strickland signed the legislation,[74] which became effective after 90 days.[75]
On March 5, 2009, on behalf of Joe Wurzelbacher, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Columbus[76] charging that Jones-Kelley and fellow ODJFS employees Fred Williams and Doug Thompson improperly searched "confidential state databases" in an attempt to retaliate against Wurzelbacher's criticism of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.[76] The lawsuit claims that "officials of the State of Ohio violated Mr. Wurzelbacher's constitutional rights,"[77] and that "Wurzelbacher suffered emotional distress, harassment, and embarrassment as a result of the search."[78] Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, stated that "no American should be investigated for simply asking a question of a public official."[79] The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages.[78] On August 4, 2010, the U.S District Court in Columbus dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that the privacy violation didn't amount to a constitutional violation to the right to privacy. Judicial Watch stated it will appeal. [80]
On October 14, 2009, the Columbus Dispatch reported that, "A former contractor for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police has been charged with rummaging through state computers to retrieve confidential information about 'Joe the Plumber.'" The State Highway Patrol has stated that, "this individual has also used a law-enforcement computer network on Oct. 16, 2008 to access personal information about Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher."[81]
Yes, the dinosaur media can still intimidate.
Now let's view the media's treatment of our International Man of Mystery.
THIS VIDEO GROWS MORE CHILLING WITH EACH PASSING DAY
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
It is because they don't want us to know!
To briefly review, Candidate Obama wandered over to Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher's front yard on October 12, 2008. They briefly chatted and Mr. Wurzelbacher politely asked the candidate a general question about his proposed tax plan.
Withing hours, the details of Wurzelbacher's life were shot into the air to be viewed like a summer fireworks show. They might have missed his most recent prostate exam but they put everything else on display.
From Wikipedia:
Regarding his statement to Barack Obama about intending to buy the plumbing firm that employed him, Wurzelbacher later said that the idea of buying the company was discussed during his job interview six years prior.[6] According to MSNBC and Fox News, court records show that Wurzelbacher made $40,000 in 2006.[16] Dun & Bradstreet's report estimated that A. W. Newell Corporation, the full corporate name, had $510,000 in annual sales and eight employees.[42] As part of the background on McCain's use of "Joe the Plumber," several media outlets researched his professional plumbing credentials. One Toledo Blade article stated, "Mr. Wurzelbacher said he works under Al Newell’s license, but according to Ohio building regulations, he must maintain his own license to do plumbing work. He is also not registered to operate as a plumber in Ohio, which means he’s not a plumber." "Mr. Joseph [business manager of the local union] said Mr. Wurzelbacher could only legally work in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country."[43] Wurzelbacher has since stated that he is no longer employed at Newell.[1]
ABC News reported on October 16, 2008, that there was a judgment lien against Wurzelbacher for non-payment of $1,182 in owed Ohio state income taxes dating to January 2007, but "no action has been taken against him outside of filing the lien." Barb Losie, deputy clerk of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, said that "there is a 99 percent chance [Wurzelbacher] doesn't know about the lien, unless he did a credit report or was ready to pay his taxes."[44] While on Hannity & Colmes, Wurzelbacher stated that he was unaware of the tax lien prior to it being reported in the press, and thought he was being attacked because of his question to Obama.[45]
Clearly, when the mainstream media want us to know something, we are informed. Clearly, when their interests or biases are threatened, the news media will expend considerable effort to protect their interests or biases. Clearly, they will use their massive power to intimidate. This last point cannot be underemphasized. Just how newsworthy was Wurzelbacher's $1,182 tax lien? Like it or not, it would lead the news cycle.
Before we put aside Joe The Plumber, let's look once more at Wikipedia. They following tidbits might not link directly back to the Fourth Estate but they have been known to use civilians to cover their tracks.
Main article: Controversial Ohio database searches of Joe Wurzelbacher
Prior to the 2008 election, Vanessa Niekamp, an employee of Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services, at the behest of its director, Helen Jones-Kelley, used state computers to search for information on Joe Wurzelbacher. On November 20, 2008, Niekamp reported the violation to the State Inspector General. When state and local officials completed an investigation into Jones-Kelley's order, concluding that the searches were improper.[70][71] On December 17, 2008, Jones-Kelley resigned.[72] In response to the event, Republican Ohio state representative Shannon Jones sponsored House Bill 648, which mandates civil and criminal penalties for improper access of personal information on state databases.[73] On January 6, 2009, Governor Ted Strickland signed the legislation,[74] which became effective after 90 days.[75]
On March 5, 2009, on behalf of Joe Wurzelbacher, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Columbus[76] charging that Jones-Kelley and fellow ODJFS employees Fred Williams and Doug Thompson improperly searched "confidential state databases" in an attempt to retaliate against Wurzelbacher's criticism of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.[76] The lawsuit claims that "officials of the State of Ohio violated Mr. Wurzelbacher's constitutional rights,"[77] and that "Wurzelbacher suffered emotional distress, harassment, and embarrassment as a result of the search."[78] Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, stated that "no American should be investigated for simply asking a question of a public official."[79] The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages.[78] On August 4, 2010, the U.S District Court in Columbus dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that the privacy violation didn't amount to a constitutional violation to the right to privacy. Judicial Watch stated it will appeal. [80]
On October 14, 2009, the Columbus Dispatch reported that, "A former contractor for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police has been charged with rummaging through state computers to retrieve confidential information about 'Joe the Plumber.'" The State Highway Patrol has stated that, "this individual has also used a law-enforcement computer network on Oct. 16, 2008 to access personal information about Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher."[81]
Yes, the dinosaur media can still intimidate.
Now let's view the media's treatment of our International Man of Mystery.
THIS VIDEO GROWS MORE CHILLING WITH EACH PASSING DAY
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
It is because they don't want us to know!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
When You Come To A Fork In The Road, Take It.
Post 11/2 I don't feel the same need to point out the numerous deficienciesof Barack Obama. History will judge BHO harshly but not so harshly as she judges the news media. I am discouraged from blogging further about Obama because I don't think there are any unbiased souls to win over. Sad but true, 30-40% of the voting public will vote for Obama no matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
Obama's base now consists of hard core political fundamentalists who have no time or room for facts. If a person cannot see the buffoonery of Obama by now, they will never see it because they don't want to see it. If they don't see his hostility to America it is because they just don't want to see it. If they cannot see his vapididty, his pettiness, his petulance, his arrogance, his narcissism, his incompetence and his extreme secretivity, it is because they choose to ignore these traits.
I would make a poor politician because I am more concerned with being right than winning. Owing to my idealistic streak, I frequently vote for losers and lost causes. So it does not particularly interest me to march as a foot soldier in the battle to unseat Obama. I feel that I have done my part to expose the pampered one for the empty suit that he is. Besides, I believe a Humpty Dumpty situation is fast developing.
It's not that I don't want to cease blogging but I'm not sure in which direction I will be going. Obama was and is a puppet of big media. The puppet masters are the real enemy. But then again, how much longer will they be around? I saw a blog (I can't find the citation but I will work on it) that said "The New York Times" revenue was down 82% from the previous quarter. Not even eggheads in bow ties will be able to make those numbers work for very long. It's one thng to joust with windmills and another to joust with a pile of rubble.
So I am not sure how regularly I will be blogging. Obama has made the case for me that he is a national disaster. For now, I rest my case.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
Obama's base now consists of hard core political fundamentalists who have no time or room for facts. If a person cannot see the buffoonery of Obama by now, they will never see it because they don't want to see it. If they don't see his hostility to America it is because they just don't want to see it. If they cannot see his vapididty, his pettiness, his petulance, his arrogance, his narcissism, his incompetence and his extreme secretivity, it is because they choose to ignore these traits.
I would make a poor politician because I am more concerned with being right than winning. Owing to my idealistic streak, I frequently vote for losers and lost causes. So it does not particularly interest me to march as a foot soldier in the battle to unseat Obama. I feel that I have done my part to expose the pampered one for the empty suit that he is. Besides, I believe a Humpty Dumpty situation is fast developing.
It's not that I don't want to cease blogging but I'm not sure in which direction I will be going. Obama was and is a puppet of big media. The puppet masters are the real enemy. But then again, how much longer will they be around? I saw a blog (I can't find the citation but I will work on it) that said "The New York Times" revenue was down 82% from the previous quarter. Not even eggheads in bow ties will be able to make those numbers work for very long. It's one thng to joust with windmills and another to joust with a pile of rubble.
So I am not sure how regularly I will be blogging. Obama has made the case for me that he is a national disaster. For now, I rest my case.
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