zuckerman: why obama's policies have failed

"The growing divide and tension between the Obama administration and the business world is a cause for national concern. As Clive Crook wrote in the Financial Times, Obama is "a president under business attack." He is certainly under sharp criticism and for good reason: He has lost the confidence of much of the business community, whose worries over taxes, the dramatically increased costs of new regulation, and a general perception that the administration is hostile toward them and may take yet harsher steps, are holding back investment and growth. In the midst of a weak economy accompanied by levels of unemployment unprecedented since the Great Depression, it is critical that the government in Washington appreciate that confidence is an imperative if the business community is to invest, take risks with start-ups, and altogether get the economy going again to put the millions of unemployed back to productive work."

http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2010/07/16/obamas-anti-business-policies-are-our-economic-katrina.html

a hidden world, growing beyond control

"The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work."

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/print/

fiorina, boxer, and california politics

"Fiorina might surf it from here to Capitol Hill because her opponent, Barbara Boxer, 69, is the Senate’s fiercest liberal, and California is an intensely unhappy laboratory for liberalism—high taxes, opulent entitlements, thick regulations, and subservience to government employees’ unions.

Three years ago, global warming was one of the top issues for Californians. Now it has dropped off the radar in a state with actual, rather than hypothetical, problems. Unemployment is at least 15 percent in 21 of the state’s 58 counties. Of the 13 U.S. metropolitan areas with unemployment that high, 11 are in California, which has lost more than 400,000 jobs since passage of the $862 billion stimulus. Like Barack Obama as he campaigns in what he calls Recovery Summer for more stimulus (because the first did not ignite recovery), Boxer is vexed by the fact that California’s unemployment rate is 2.2 points higher than when stimulus was passed. When she said the stimulus was responsible for 100 jobs at a Los Angeles lithium-battery factory, the owner demurred, saying the stimulus had nothing to do with the jobs."

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/16/is-california-irredeemably-blue.html

an ugly preview of Obamacare

"If you want a preview of President Obama's health care "reform," take a look at Massachusetts. In 2006, it enacted a "reform" that became a model for Obama. What's happened since isn't encouraging. The state did the easy part: expanding state-subsidized insurance coverage. It evaded the hard part: controlling costs and ensuring that spending improves people's health. Unfortunately, Obama has done the same."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/07/19/obamacares_future_foretold_106358.html

enjoy paying the bill for obama's PR

"This week we learned that the Imperial Federal Government has squandered around $20 million dollars on signs. That $20 million? Well, that was stimulus money. The signs? They simply said, “Hey, y’all! We’re spending stimulus money here! Ain’t that cool?”

OK, so the wording may not be exact. The signs actually say something about “The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act” and contain that wonderful phrase “Putting America Back to Work.” Yeah, putting America back to work painting signs that say we’re putting America back to work. That probably works for the average Democrat voter. But not for me."

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/neal-boortz-enjoy-paying-572320.html

China passes USA as world's biggest energy consumer

"The figures reflect, in part, how the global recession hit the U.S. more severely than China and hurt American industrial activity and energy use. Still, China's total energy consumption has clocked annual double-digit growth rates for many years, driven by the country's big industrial base. Highlighting how quickly its energy demand has increased, China's total energy consumption was just half the size of the U.S. 10 years ago."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703720504575376712353150310.html

proggressivism and the dissolution of boundaries

"The genie is out of the bottle, and has been for some time. Unfortunately, this genie has bestowed more curses than gifts upon mankind. The genie I am referring to goes by many names: liberalism, progressivism, idealism, secularism -- call it what you will, but the end game has been the degradation of morality, the trampling of traditional values, the destruction of the nuclear family, and the annihilation of our economy. In its place we have apathetic youth, abortion on demand, scientific historicism, Social Darwinism, voter disenfranchisement, and financial chicanery. The genesis of all these issues is the same: the unrelenting erosion of boundaries that traditional mores placed on individuals, families, and communities. You can see this trend everywhere you look nowadays."

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/progressivism_and_the_dissolut.html

medved: why obama should defend the tea party

"After 18 months in office, it's increasingly obvious that Obama won't grab the chance for serious reconciliation because his deep-seated personal instincts push him the other way -- toward a self-righteous sense of personal victimization. For all his superficial self-assurance, there's an unmistakable aspect of his character that's brittle and insecure. He regularly attacks not just the judgment of his opponents but their motives, suggesting that Wall Street bankers or insurance company executives or Republican politicians care only about their selfish gain rather than the long-term interests of the country."

http://www.aolnews.com/opinion/article/opinion-why-barack-obama-should-defend-the-tea-party/19555987

GOP sees chance to retake senate

"Leaders of both parties have believed for months that Republicans could win the House, where every lawmaker faces re-election. But a change of party control in the Senate, where only a third of the members are running and Republicans must capture 10 seats, seemed out of the question.

That's no longer the case. The emergence of competitive Republican candidates in Wisconsin, Washington and California—Democratic-leaning states where polls now show tight races—bring the number of seats that Republicans could seize from the Democrats to 11.

Democrats now control the Senate 59-41—after the death of Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who was replaced by Republican Sen. Scott Brown—including two independents who usually vote with them. That means Republicans need 10 seats to take a 51-49 advantage."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704875004575375122374132154.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories

obesity rating "for every American by 2014"

big brother (and obamacare) don't care about privacy.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/69436

the white house against the world

"Once the darling of everyone, this administration now seems to be at odds with everyone, fussing, feuding and defending itself. Not since Carter have we had a White House so divorced from public opinion.

You expect the opposition to disagree with a president who has moved the country farther to the left than any chief executive since FDR. And indeed, the changes have been epic, whether it's the nationalization of health care, the $700 billion in bailouts, the $862 billion in failed stimulus, the takeover of the car industry or attempts to control Wall Street."

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/540548/201007151900/The-White-House-Against-The-World.aspx

experts to obama: you cant ignore the islamic ideology behind terrorism

"The Obama administration’s reluctance to acknowledge and confront the religious motivation behind Islamist terrorism is not helping the counter-terror effort, leading experts warn in a new report."

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/69300

(good article) by sowell: signs of the times

"If you could spend vast amounts of other people’s money just by saying a few magic words, wouldn’t you be tempted to do it? Barack Obama has spent hundreds of billions of dollars of the taxpayers’ money just by using the magic words “stimulus” and “jobs.”

It doesn’t matter politically that the stimulus is not actually stimulating and that the unemployment rate remains up near double-digit levels, despite all the spending and all the rhetoric about jobs. And of course nothing negative will ever matter to those who are part of the Obama cult, including many in the media."

http://article.nationalreview.com/437983/signs-of-the-times/thomas-sowell

washington post: confidence in obama reaches new low

"Public confidence in President Obama has hit a new low, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll. Four months before midterm elections that will define the second half of his term, nearly six in 10 voters say they lack faith in the president to make the right decisions for the country, and a clear majority once again disapproves of how he is dealing with the economy."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071205453.html

"free market" obama

"There was a time when "free market" meant the functioning of the private sector without the intrusion of government. Now Obama tells us that capitalism really means government control of the private sector. What Obama has espoused in Las Vegas is nothing less than state capitalism -- the same relationship between government and business that exists in every totalitarian society.

Whoever wrote Obama's speech ought to be awarded the Orwell Prize for political deception. The American people have soundly rejected Obama's brand of socialism, so why not call it something else? Call it free-market capitalism, even if it is state capitalism. Call it support for the private sector, even if it is control. Call it free enterprise, even if it is socialism."

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/free_market_obama.html

will the real racists please stand up?

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/liberal_racism.html

krauthammer: selective modesty

"It is odd to have a president so convinced of his own magnificence — yet not of the magnificence of his own country."

http://article.nationalreview.com/437808/the-selective-modesty-of-barack-obama/charles-krauthammer

the case against the SC confirmation of elena kagan

can we get some better looking supreme court justices? just a thought.

http://article.nationalreview.com/437869/the-case-against-confirmation/orrin-g-hatch

barone: spending cant fix the economy

"Government policies designed to stimulate the economy seem to be having the opposite effect. Consumers aren’t buying, businesses aren’t hiring, and those fortunate enough to have some cash on hand don’t seem to be investing.

I call it the mattress economy."

http://article.nationalreview.com/437919/government-spending-cant-fix-the-economy/michael-barone

the stimulus FAIL

"The Bush and Obama administrations have spent more on stimulus than on the Iraq and Afghan wars combined — to no avail."

http://article.nationalreview.com/437879/mechanical-failure/stephen-spruiell

record LOW temps in Los Angeles

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/record-cold-at-lax-airport-as-july-gloom-continues-in-southern-california.html

businesses step up criticism of obama's agenda

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66A0AV20100711

obama "Science Czar" called for carbon tax to redistribute wealth from global 'north' to 'south'

if this isnt the economic philosophy of karl marx, then i dont know what is.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/69081

one giant leap backward

"Liberalism is caught in something of a Catch-22. Under Obama, liberals are determined to reinvigorate the reputation of government, to prove that only the state can get important things done. That is why the Gulf oil spill, for instance, is so vexatious for the White House and its liberal supporters. Why can’t the government be more nimble and resourceful?

President Obama likes to say that “if we could put a man on the moon,” we can do anything, from socializing medicine to abandoning fossil fuels. That’s nonsense on stilts for a host of reasons. But it’s also ironic, given that we can’t even put a man on the moon anymore. Not when NASA’s foremost priority is boosting the self-esteem of children and Muslims."

http://article.nationalreview.com/437678/one-giant-leap-backward/jonah-goldberg?page=1

the United States vs. Arizona

"The suit against Arizona is a direct attack on America's safety and security."

http://article.nationalreview.com/437692/open-borders-doj-vs-america/michelle-malkin

sex, youth, the left, and gender nonconformism

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/the_lefts_use_and_abuse_of_chi.html

"progressivism" in the 21st century

"Progressivism has progressed; now the President can take over the auto industry, hiring and firing executives and handing the leftovers to the unions while refusing to pay bondholders what they are owed; he can force Congress to hand him the entire field of medical care plus the student loan industry. He can run up or back off wars almost at will and his regulators decide much that citizens are allowed or denied.

He can't spend the country rich; there is no money, only debt, but he spends anyway. Bernard Madoff lied, spent peoples' money and went to jail; the President says we are recovering by spending taxpayers' money and is a savior. The economy, not knowing to do what he tells it, pays no attention and sinks.

No politician will stop the wild ride to sort out the finances; the pain from immediate greater unemployment will cost him election. He will keep his job while awaiting ultimate collapse and much greater but later pain. The democratic process rewards him for corruption and punishes him for honesty.

Freedom and government are contradictory. Democratic processes have favored the growth of government power in U.S. history; individual freedom has diminished. Unless a lot of voters disagree, that looks like the way which will prevail."

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/can_freedom_endure_democracy.html

the coming GOP tsunami: an in-depth look at the prospects for 2010 midterm elections

http://www.frumforum.com/the-coming-gop-tsunami

romney on obama's foreign policy failures

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/05/AR2010070502657.html

the right vs. the left on american exceptionalism

read this. it's a really good article. i personally believe that obama is the first President of the United States to not believe in american exceptionalism, but you can judge for yourself.

"Oates, as is true of the far left generally, dislikes much of what America has traditionally stood for — individual political and economic freedom to make one's own choices. The left prefers collective decision-making through government. Indeed, it is the singular importance of the individual in this country that is at the very heart of American exceptionalism, so it is not surprising that the left doesn't like the idea.

President Obama doesn't go as far as the anti-American left. Asked about American exceptionalism, he responded with a clever dodge —saying that "I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism." In other words, to Obama, American exceptionalism is nothing more than casual chauvinism."

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/07/04/2010-07-04_bring_back_the_old_glory_its_time_to_rescue_the_idea_that_america_is_exceptional.html

is it NASA's job to make muslim countries "feel good"?

"A more serious task might be to make them feel terrible about the present level of education in Muslim lands, not least for women and girls, in the hope that we could spur them to reform and improvement. The dismal state of science, math, and engineering in Muslim nations is quite clear, but Mr. Bolden isn’t assigned to improve their performance (which would presumably be the job of USAID, but whatever). No, he’s to be another Dr. Feelgood, a sad assignment for this former astronaut. Mr. Bolden should not be criticized for telling the truth about his job, for the problem is at the top, not at NASA. The space program is being transformed into a tool of Obama foreign policy, which views American national greatness as an anachronism."

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjQwZWI1ZDZkNzBmMDNmMzk3NGI0YzQ1Nzc5NWYxMzE=

good read: losing the freedom to fail

"The fraud is a perfect illustration of the doomed and misguided zeal to sandpaper failure from American life. Students waste their educational years and are not forced to develop the knowledge and skills that will prepare them for life after school. Most realize they have been duped only when they collide with a wall that hasn't been lowered to meet their stunted abilities. Had they been allowed to fail earlier, they'd have a far better chance of leading productive lives as adults.

Just as we don't know pleasure without pain, fullness without hunger or black without white, we can't define success without its opposite. Someone who is not free to fail is not truly free to succeed."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/why_we_must_be_free_to_fail_zBkv0U1ZWVhUqxdKn2SeCK

the democrat's disconnect on creating jobs

"Pelosi’s remarks clearly show the disconnect between the Democratic Party and Main Street businesses. A quick look at Pelosi’s bio shows that, like President Obama, she’s never run a business or had to meet a payroll. She doesn’t seem to understand the uncertainty that so many businesses are facing because of the massive expansion of government and the spiraling deficits: Most businesses are facing the specter of unknown healthcare costs and higher taxes. So no wonder unemployment remains so high--most businesspeople I know are waiting to see where it all shakes out. “High uncertainty is the enemy of investment and growth,” economist Allan Meltzer wrote in a great piece this week in the Wall Street Journal on the common-sense reasons why the president’s stimulus plan has failed to solve the unemployment problem."

http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/mary-kate-cary/2010/07/02/Why-Pelosi-Democrats-Are-Wrong-on-Unemployment-Extension

really good article: everything you need to know about the financial regulation bill (dodd-frank)

take a wild guess if it's good for the people of america.

are you starting to see a weird trend here?

slash/ when reading this, think "status quo" AND what obama campaigned on. it starts with a c.

such a bigot.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/The-Recovery-Prevention-Act-of-2010-97887214.html

the great jobs killer

"It's time to call Obama what he is: The Great Jobs Killer. With his massive spending and tax hikes -- rewarding big government and big unions, while punishing taxpayers and business owners -- Obama has killed jobs, he has killed motivation to create new jobs, he has killed the motivation to invest in new businesses, or expand old ones. With all this killing, Obama should be given the top spot on the FBI's Most Wanted List."

http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/barack-obama--the-great-jobs-killer-97758294.html

why islam will never accept the state of israel

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/06/why_islam_will_never_accept_th.html

quote of the century.

"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."

-Norman Thomas, six time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America

no one's capital is safe in obama's america

"Obama's poorly coded message to investors is to take your money out of America and keep it out. Whether through excessive taxation, suffocating over-regulation, or thuggish confiscation, the lesson to be drawn by anyone with excess capital is to look for friendlier places to put it to work.

President Medvedev (of Russia) promises Cisco a capital gains tax rate of zero; President Obama promises to retire the evil George Bush capital gains rate of 15% and increase it to 20% in 2011. Cisco is merely telecasting to anyone who wants to tune in that Russia is taking advantage of Obama's lurch towards socialism (or worse). While Russia is portraying itself as a stable bastion for capitalists, America is increasingly seen as the land that mauled Chrysler and GM bondholders. While erstwhile command economies are liberalizing, America under Obama is nationalizing. The lesson is clear: Don't leave cash within the American financial system, earning minimal returns, with the fear that at any moment your assets can be confiscated or redistributed by a lawless and capricious federal government."

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/no_ones_capital_is_safe_in_oba.html

obama and the fiscal "road to hell"

"If it sounds strange to have European leaders lecturing the U.S. about fiscal restraint, it should. But that is where America finds itself after Mr. Obama's 17-month fiscal orgy."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703426004575338832391393128.html

the danger of moral equivalence

"A deferential and apologetic President Obama may think he is making those abroad like us --and he may be right in some cases. But if history is any guide, aggressive powers are paying close attention to these seemingly insignificant signs. Soon, they may turn their wild ideas into concrete aggression -- once they convince themselves that America neither wants to nor is able to stop them."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/07/01/even_a_few_words_matter_106161.html

we're looking more like france

"Obama has sought to remake America into a social democracy — like Germany or France — with a larger public sector, expanded entitlements, stronger labor unions and a changed political structure. He’s doing quite well so far.

Size of government. Are we really still a government of limited powers at the federal level? It’s hard to make that case.

The feds are running auto companies. They fired the General Motors board of directors and forced Chrysler bondholders into a settlement far less attractive than that given the United Auto Workers, strong allies of Obama."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/39234.html

supreme court watch: kagan's nanny state

government should solve all our problems...

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/elena_nanny_state_AEgahQ9QnpUkLwoLl74hVP

why obamanomics has failed

"Two overarching reasons explain the failure of Obamanomics. First, administration economists and their outside supporters neglected the longer-term costs and consequences of their actions. Second, the administration and Congress have through their deeds and words heightened uncertainty about the economic future. High uncertainty is the enemy of investment and growth."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704629804575325233508651458.html