Quick Takes, July 14, 2011

ITEM: Smart Energy Policy? We have experienced the wonders of “Smart Diplomacy” and the world is in turmoil. Now, we have experienced the equal delights of Smart Energy Policy as the results of Mr. Obama’s release and sale of 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are now apparent. The results? Zip, zero, nada, zilch, bupkis, dick, and last but not least, squat. Go here for the whole debacle.

ITEM: Global Warming Isn’t Dead, It’s Pinin’ For The Fjords! So now we know. Go here, where we discover that the more one knows about science and the better informed one is, the more likely they are to see global warming as a figurative dead parrot that wouldn’t “voom” if was shot full of lightning because it’s nailed to the perch! Strange: I have a sudden compulsion to sing about being a lumberjack…

ITEM: Time Wounds All Heels: Apparently, even in the land of the unrestrained liberals—CNN—ratings still matter. I know, I know, but MSNBC is another dimension, literally another dimension. Don’t get me started. Eliot Spitzer’s show has been canceled. Go here for the story. I could construct some elaborate snark about this one, but frankly Scarlett, I just don’t give a damn.

ITEM: Why is the British Media So Much Better Than the LameStream Media? Go here for a Telegraph story on, of all things, a Harvard economics professor who thinks that the nation shouldn’t spend money that it doesn’t have because one day, the bill will come due! Amazing! He also believes that economic stimulus idiocy doesn’t work! Good grief, where has this man been?

ITEM: The 800 Pound Gorilla In The Room: As the deficit talks/non-talks grind relentlessly onward—or don’t—few comment on the 800 pound gorilla in the room: Obamacare. Until Americans know with certainty whether this lunatic abomination is going to be implemented or repealed, it makes little difference to talk about fixing the economy or entitlement reform, for it is the largest single entitlement ever imagined by man. Irrespective of other entitlement spending, it will bankrupt the nation, and Mr. Obama wants to roll back corporate jet tax credits. Say, didn’t he have something to do with Obamacare? I seem to remember something about that a year or so ago… Discuss.

ITEM: He’s Drowning! Quick, Throw Him This Anchor! Go here—if you dare—to discover that California politicians are indisputably, actually trying to bankrupt their state. There is simply no other possible explanation. What’s up? The Loongislature has passed a bill that gives labor unions the power to directly appoint half of city and county civil service commissions. That’s right: unions will appoint half of the people with whom they’ll negotiate for their wages and benefits. Unless Gov. Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown vetoes the law, it will automatically become law. These Californians, they’re really space aliens in disguise, aren’t they?

ITEM: Casey Anthony Was Guilty! We Know It Because The Media Suggested It! Maybe not so much. Did she kill her daughter? Perhaps. Is that among the most vile and heart rending crimes imaginable? Of course. Is the criminal justice system imperfect? No Doubt. As those of us who have actually labored in the criminal justice system know, there is no such thing as perfection. In any case, there are almost always unanswered questions and doubts that will never be fully explained. Life is absolutely not like the CSI shows, and in this case, the prosecution could not prove how Caylee died. They could not prove that she had been murdered. Go here for an article by Alan Dershowitz wherein Prof. Deshowitz suggests, convincingly, that the system worked. I tend to agree. You?

ITEM: Why, He’s Just Like Us! Go here for an interesting statement form Presidential Press Secretary Jay Carney who, speaking for the President, noted that Americans don’t talk about the GDP and unemployment numbers. If the Obama Administration really thinks that, and acts on that lunatic assumption, 2012 may be a historic landslide that will shovel-ready Mr. Obama all the way back to wherever he may or may not have been born. But hey, our self-appointed betters are just like us. They feel our pain and understand our meaningless, pathetic, petty little lives. Makes me feel warm inside. You?

ITEM: Oops! During my law enforcement days, we local cops often dealt with the FBI who have always more or less considered themselves God’s gift to law enforcement. To their occasional chagrin, they are reminded that they too must recruit from the human race, as in the case of the abandoned MP5, a 9mm submachine gun, which an FBI agent left sitting on the top of his unmarked car in the local federal building parking lot. A local skateboarder found it and skateboarded down to the police station to turn it in. Yes, it was loaded. Go here for a charming photo of a Seattle police cruiser illegally parked, and with an apparently loaded police AR-15 rifle sitting on the trunk lid while the officers involved did—who knows what.

The police department was not sure if the gun was loaded. Uh, I believe that’s relatively easy to check, and in fact, after ensuring that the safety is on, proper safety protocol for semi-automatic firearms requires removing the magazine and cycling the bolt/slide to eject any chambered round. Only the professionals should have guns. Oops.

ITEM: It’s Soooooo Unexpected! Go here for a Reuters report about the latest catastrophic economic report released—on a Friday—by the government. Unemployment rose—again—to 9.2% and about all those jobs the government claimed to have created in April and May? Never mind! Subtract 44,000 from whatever those totals were. It’s a good thing Americans don’t care about unemployment and all of that complex economic stuff. It’s all so…unexpected.

ITEM: Ruh-Roh, Shaggy! Let’s say that you were once the largest and most powerful automaker in the world, but you allowed unions to increase your labor costs so much that you went bankrupt. But lo and behold, a savior arose in the land of Chicago and bailed the unions out and let you come along for the ride. And now all is goodness, light and profitability. Yeah. Not so much. Go here to discover General Motor’s newest program: Buy a new GM car and get free auto insurance for a year. Uh, but wouldn’t that kind of thing suggest, you know, like desperation rather than profitability? Good question.

ITEM: Economic Doom? Go here to read a handy compilation of the economic reality of Obamanomics in statistics, provided by Stephen Green of Vodakpundit. In a rational world with a responsible, adult media (I know: oxymoron), the reality reflected in these indisputable numbers would tell any president that it’s time to retire to a life of traitorous betrayal of your nation rather than waste millions on a hopeless second presidential campaign. Any bets on reality? Discuss.

ITEM: Um, Shouldn’t He Be Supporting Jobs If He Says He Supports Jobs? Remember Barack Hussein Obama? You know, The One? The man who will lower sea levels and heal the planet? Remember how he has repeatedly said that creating jobs is “job one” for the white House? So why is he trying to destroy entire industries every time he opens his mouth? Go here for an example.

ITEM: Louis Renault Award, Reality Division: (AKA: So, You Actually Thought He Knew Anything About Defense, The Economy, Or, Well, Anything?!) Go here to "The Hill" for an article on Mr. Obama’s recent comments about raiding the defense budget to finance his domestic priorities. It reveals an amazing lack of understanding of, well, just about everything on the President’s part. I’m shocked, shocked! that a man with no experience at basically anything would have no experience at basically anything.

ITEM: Have You Read Amy Alkon? If not, go here to advicegoddess.com for a solid ration of common sense. In this particular article, Alkon take to take one Rebecca Watson who suffered the unimaginable horror of being propositioned—by her own admission in a completely polite manner—in an elevator. As Joseph Conrad, channeled by Elmer Fudd said: “Duh howuh.”

ITEM: Steven Chu Cares About You! Our very own Energy Secretary who has said, among other things, that we must figure out some way to get gasoline prices to rise to European levels ($10 per gallon) is once again demonstrating his selfless, boundless concern for the little people. In support of taking away incandescent light bulbs and forcing everyone to buy bulbs that are actually dangerous and cost a great deal more, Chu recently said (here) “We are taking away a choice that continues to let people waste their own money.” Oh rapture! How could any one man possibly care so much about little old me that he is willing, nay, determined to prevent me from making choices that would waste my own money? How, oh how have I been able to avoid bankruptcy, nay, how have I been able to survive without the benevolence of Steven Chu and the rest of the Obama Administration looking out for my welfare until this point in my wretched life? I’m so grateful, so grateful.

ITEM: #49: With the signature of Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin has become the 49th state that allows concealed carry in some form. Wisconsin is a “shall issue” state, which means that as long as an applicant for a concealed carry license is not by law disqualified from owning a firearm, the state must issue a license. Some other states, which do, in theory, authorize concealed carry, do quite the opposite in practice. Illinois remains the only state where it is entirely prohibited. Go here for the story.

ITEM: OK. I’m Confused. The White House and Congressional Republicans are fighting over a Debt Ceiling deal. They want to spend trillions more—more or less forever—and the Republicans want to cut spending so we don’t entirely bankrupt the nation sooner rather than later. Oh yes, and the White House wants to greatly increase taxes. It is certain than tax increases will seriously worsen an already serious economic situation. It is certain that spending more will seriously worsen an already serous economic situation. The only way to save the nation is to spend less, a great deal less. So what’s the problem? Who is completely crazy here? Discuss.

ITEM: “I Did this All For the Unions”: said Ron Bloom, President Obama’s Assistant for Manufacturing Policy, is reported to have said in talking about the Administration’s role in the takeover of GM and Chrysler. Testifying before Congress, Bloom flatly denied every saying it. However, Bloom associate Steve Rattner, in a 2010 book, said that he did, but characterized it as a joke. And White House spokesmen are also characterizing it as a joke. The comment was made at a celebration dinner at a restaurant. Rep. Daryl Issa has now written a letter to Bloom asking him to clarify or amend his testimony. I don’t know; I kind of lean toward the proposition that this is exactly the kind of thing that an Obama Administration official and former union honcho would say? You? We’ll see. Go here for the story.

ITEM: Debt Ceiling? More Taxes? A Balanced Approach? All of the talk about negotiating an increase of the debt ceiling makes most folk’s eyes cross. But consider this: The debt ceiling is in place to prevent irresponsible, craven politicians whose only life skill is wasting enormous amounts of other people’s money from wasting so much of other people’s money that they actually bankrupt the country. And our representatives are talking about a two trillion dollar increase—two trillion dollars—as though it is inevitable and the rest is just niggling details. And of course, Mr. Obama demand tax increases. What he isn’t telling you is he has already obtained huge tax increases in Obamacare and elsewhere. Go here for a story by Jennifer Rubin that lays out the numbers. Truly frightening.

ITEM: How Can You Tell When Barack Obama Is Lying? His lips are moving. It’s an old joke, I know, but oh so true in this case. Remember Mr. Obama’s tragic story of evil insurance companies denying promised coverage to his cancer-stricken mother during her final months? It turns out that the story is not as he has represented it. I know: You’re shocked, shocked! Where’s Louis Renault when you need him? Go here for the story from Byron York.

ITEM: Do As I Mandate, Not As I Do! Go here for a story about Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, of course) who was voted the second meanest person in the House. It seems the Congresswoman hired a staffer with a vision disability and then denied her the accommodations she needed to do her job. Imagine that: A Congresscritter mandating things for the little people and ignoring them herself. Who’da thunk it?

ITEM: Syrian Hopes: One person always worth reading on the Middle East is Claire Berlinski. Not only has she lived in Turkey for many years, she’s a perceptive observer and writer. Syria is one regime that assists Iran in the murder of thousands, and as the Syrian citizenry stands up to demonstrate for freedom, they are being killing by the scores. Mr. Obama, of course, does nothing to assist those who truly seek freedom. Go here for Berlinski’s most recent account. And in the meantime, go here to read about Assad loyalists storming the American Embassy in Damascus. Perhaps if Mr. Obama only reached out with an open hand…?

ITEM: Lights Out! The bill, sponsored by Joe Barton (R-TX) that would have overturned the measure doing away with 100 watt incandescent light bulbs was defeated in the House July 11. For some reason, the vote was held under conditions that would have required a supermajority to pass. The final vote was 233 to 193; 285 were required for passage. Hmm. One might almost be tempted to think that this was nothing but political theater. Go here for the story and remember this whenever you’re forced to buy a CFL bulb or whenever you flip a light switch.

ITEM: I’m Going To Cut Off Grandma! Thus sayeth Barack Obama, threatening to cut off social security checks for seniors if the Republcans don’t give him as much of other people’s money as he wants to spend. Go here for Bob’s and my take on the issue, and go here for the actual figures. As usual, Mr. Obama’s lips were moving again.

ITEM: That Must Have Hurt! Remember when the merry Marxists at NBC produced a montage for the opening of the U.S. Open with children saying the Pledge of Allegiance—with “under God” and “indivisible” edited out? After receiving a letter signed by 108 members of Congress taking them to task, NBC has formally apologized. Apparently having a significant portion of the American public and the Congress ticked at them caused the suits at NBC to hastily rediscover patriotism they didn't know they had. Go here for the story.

ITEM: At the last moment before posting there is news of Mr. Obama’s abrupt and petulant exit from a negotiating session over the Debt Ceiling. Why? Because nothing is more important to him than massive tax increases. Why are they so important? Not so that he can use the revenues to pay down the debt, but to spend even more trillions and put us even more deeply into debt. He knows the House isn’t going to authorize massive tax increases, so this is his only chance to really bring America to its knees, particularly if he isn’t reelected. What’s your opinion? Discuss.

ITEM: Blind Faith: Go here to Fox News for the story of Morgan Trujillo, a 17 year-old Colorado girl thrown from a horse. Morgan suffered a serious head injury that left her unable to help herself. She was rescued by Keith Day, who is blind, who followed her cries for help. This one will restore your faith in humanity.

And on that positive note, I must thank you for stopping by and urge you to return again next Thursday for another edition of Quick Takes!