A Mixed Bag of Tea

Poll results* yesterday give us a mixed bag: the President's foreign policy has poll numbers that are positively stratospheric; but he has sunk to the bottom of the barrel on the economy.  Can we read anything in these tea leaves? This is an easy one.  Foreign policy-wise, this President has defaulted to the policies of his predecessor, from keeping Gitmo and military tribunals, to surging troops into Afghanistan, to using information derived from enhanced interrogation to take out high-value military and political targets like bin Laden.  Despite the heated political rhetoric of the Democrats - and "rhetoric" is all it was, as revealed by the post-election behavior of this President - the American people explicitly endorsed President Bush's approach to the War on Terror in 2004, and clearly have not changed their minds.  The President is the mere recipient of this long-term trend. Contrariwise, this President has uniformly and consistently rejected any and all fixes for the economy that might resemble the tax-cut, supply side, pro-growth policies of the former President.  Unlike the foreign policy sphere, President Bush did not invent this approach, but was just a further declension of the political revolution that was Ronald Reagan.  The American people overwhelmingly re-elected President Reagan in 1984 for the most part because of his economic approach, and have continued for more than 20 years to vote for this approach in that uniquely American way: by diving with gusto into the economy, and creating the boom and boon for all Americans that only a thriving economy can.  Despite this, our President insists on governing against the political tide.  It is no wonder his poll numbers are as low as the economy over which he presides. Many regard President Obama as a political genius. Hah!  He is an ideologue who happened on the right circumstances at the right time and became President.  *(h/t Jim Geraghty's indispensable Morning Jolt daily newsletter - subscribe here).

The Debt Ceiling

Easy, here is the latest argument for raising the debt ceiling, from the Washington Post's E. J. Dionne: Starting this week, the talk in our nation's capital will be dominated by whether or not Congress should raise the debt ceiling—as if we have any choice but to pay off our obligations. It will be a colossally foolish and self-destructive battle, another sign of how fanaticism and ideological obsession are rendering our country ungovernable. What drivel.  What does raising the debt ceiling have to do with paying off existing obligations?  I won't pay my mortgage unless and until I can borrow more money?  Who does this?  Everyone pays their obligations from income, not debt, unless they are insolvent. And if it is Mr. Dionne's point that we are insolvent, well, make the argument.  And then explain how an insolvent entity can get anyone to buy more debt, whatever the debt ceiling may be.  In fact, the markets and sovereign funds have been less than excited about our debt for a while now.  The only person willing to take on our questionable obligations is Ben Bernanke.  That's us borrowing from us to pay them, a situation that Mr. Dionne apparently thinks is just grand.

It's the Debt Ceiling, Stupid!

The Osama news is news, but Rep. Jeb Hensarling, just back from meeting with his constituents in Texas during the Congressional break, thinks the budget is still the issue de jour.  For those with short attention spans, here is what's happened thus far in this fast moving budget debate:

The Republicans recently triumphed, as the White House and the Senate agreed to $38 billion in cuts over the rest of the fiscal year.  Or, the Republicans triumphed were humiliated, as the White House and the Senate agreed to allowed only $38 billion $8 billion $352 million in cuts over the rest of the fiscal year.  Got it?

In truth, it's all been much ado about nothing.  The last budget debate was over what should be a relatively minor budgetary process, the so-called Continuing Resolution.  The Republicans set the terms for debate, how much to cut, and the Democrats managed to minimize the size of the cuts.  Result: a wash.

The real action is coming up on the Debt Ceiling and the 2011-2012 budget.  Paul Ryan's proposed budget, a far-reaching, bold, proposal which makes a real effort to reform our sorry finances, has been getting a lot of press of late, and some surprisingly positive comments from the Main Stream Media.  And it deserves the attention; if we can get Ryan's plan into law, it would be well-nigh revolutionary.  But the important thing is the Debt Ceiling, and here's why.

Continue......

You Can Run, But You Can't Hide

And run he did right up until Sunday afternoon, yesterday.  Osama bin Laden, that scurrilous cockroach, born into untold Oil riches, who then turned those riches into a trail of bloody death, met his own bloody end - and his Maker, who I am sure will have a thing or two to tell him before his ultimate consignment to Hell.

RIP?  I think not.

Of course, 'tis odd that he was found hiding in plain sight, in a million dollar, security intensified residence, within a mile of a Pakistani military academy.  Mayhap our Pakistani friends will turn over a new leaf now that this embarrassment has gone public?  That is, assuming they are capable of embarrassment.

And beyond odd, Osama's remains were buried at sea?  What, our government wants to give the Birth Certificate brigade something to do now that our President has produced his long-form?  Expect many tedious Death Certificate conspiracies in the coming years.

All that said, this is a great day, too long in coming, and congrats are in order for our Commander in Chief.

A Quick Political Prediction

Comments and opinions are one thing, but how about a prediction or two?  Here's where I stick my neck way out: The Republican field for the Presidency has a gaping hole in its center.  Gingrich, Romney, Pawlenty, and Paul do not excite anyone, much less the base that will be needed in any national run.  With Barbour's exit and Christie and Ryan's adamantine-like refusal to run,  what are Republicans to do? Don't worry; Sarah Palin is on the way.  She has cleverly reduced her profile the last few months, to let the sharks and piranhas of the press turn their addled attentions elsewhere for a while.  She even convinced many of the conservative punditocracy that she preferred all the money from her media gigs and would not be running.   But she will run, and when she announces, it will be explosive. Watch for it.  And watch for her initial talking points to be the subject of national debate right up until election day.  She has a knack for such things, a knack that will enable her to do the most important thing in any Presidential run, the thing that no one else, Republican or Democrat (including our over-rated Communicator in Chief), has shown any ability to do: set the terms for debate. And she who sets the terms for debate shall win the debate.  And the Presidency.

Breaking: Divine Right of Kings is Back.....

....if the Church of the UN has anything to do about it.  That reverent organization is preparing to consider a global Treaty brought forth by its most zealous proselyte, Bolivia, which wants to establish the rights of Mother Earth against ..... oh, I don't know, I guess all of us.  I can't think of any other animal or vegetable who might care what the minerals need or desire. The formula is simple: pick a god, any god, and posit that its interests supersede the interests of human type people.  Of course, the god's interests can only be divined by the holiest of human type people.  These are then appointed King or 12th Imam or Commissar or President for Life or something, and proceed to make sure the god's Commandments are carried out on earth, usually from the comfort of some plush Palace.  For now, the God Gaia's will is being channeled through such devout stalwarts of human happiness as the beloved Leaders of Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Nicaragua.  What could go wrong? Look for the next major revelation from the divinely inspired: God Gaia likes dinero, especially Yankee dinero.

Obama is Bad at Politics!

Then what is he good at?

Jay Cost at The Weekly Standard makes the case for Obama's ineptitude.

A good article, although about 1 1/2 years late. The Mercurial Pundit discovered our President's deficiencies way back in October of 2009.

The Other Shoe

Let's see, Mubarak, bad and he must go. Gaddafi, bad and he must go, and we'll send in the military to make it so. On the other hand, Iran, not so bad; nuking up and killing civilians notwithstanding. Syria, not so bad; nuking up, killing civilians, arming terrorists, notwithstanding. Is there a pattern here?

The Gaddafi one is the puzzle, not least because the Crazed One is not doing much more to his people than Iran did to the Green Revolution of 2009. Why is our President so willing to intervene militarily this time? But then I remember that this tin-pot dictator, thug, and murderer of the last 20 some years turned over a new leaf somewhere around 2005. He gave us all of his nuclear materials and has been a major, major source of intel and help in our fight against al Qaeda. In other words, he has been an ally, just like Mubarak. An ally who is now being pressed, not by "freedom fighters," but by al Qaeda backed forces.

Toss in the public contempt this Administration has shown for Israel over the last few years, and the puzzle pieces fall into place. America's allies, America's national security interests, the very underpinnings of American Middle-East strategy the last decades, are all being thrown under the bus. Does he really want the likes of Iran and Syria to dominate the region? Does he really think that would make things better in the world?

It really doesn't matter what he thinks, because we know what he is doing. And I think Saudi Arabia and others are following very closely Obama's other shoe - when will it drop and in what direction?

Sigh

Peter Wehner weighs in on the latest Presidential horse-race poll, and sadly veers off into increasingly tiresome peevishness.  There is a certain type of conservative who just can't abide Sarah Palin, which is to say, they can't abide any conservative who is high-profile enough to merit serious mainstream media push-back.  Chris Christie is a delightful exception to this rule, which Mr. Wehner makes abundantly clear, but I dare say if the Governor does enter the Presidential sweepstakes and the media does inundate him with 1/2 of the vitriol they have poured on Ms. Palin, Mr. Wehner will suddenly discover that Mr. Christie lacks the maturity" or the "temperament" or the "seriousness of purpose" required to top the Wehner like-o-meter.

Mr. Wehner concludes:

Ms. Palin has also suffered in contrast to other Republicans, and most especially Republican governors, many of whom embody a maturity, a proper governing temperament, and a seriousness of purpose. Compared to what Christie, Mitch Daniels, Scott Walker, Bob McDonnell, Bobby Jindal, and other lawmakers are doing, Palin seems to be shrinking before our eyes.

For what it's worth, I would ask Mr. Wehner to take a seriously objective look at Ms. Palin's career both before and after she was tapped for the Vice-Presidency and the national spot-light, and he might find the very definition of maturity, temperament, and seriousness of purpose. He might start with the way she took on the entrenched governing elite of her own party and won. Then he might take a look at the way she broke the back of the corporatist oil lobby in Alaska and successfully put together one of the largest pipeline projects on record - all to the benefit of her State and it's citizens. Then he might ... well, again, just look at her record.

Mr. Wehner's problem is not that he has a problem with Ms. Palin. It's that he brings to his analysis of the poll a non sequitor. Governor Christie is doing remarkable work in New Jersey; but instead of lauding the Governor, Wehner focuses instead on tearing down Ms. Palin. Why are her poll numbers down near Reid and Pelosi? There are myriad reasons, not least of which is that she herself has withdrawn from the public spotlight. For a politician as canny as she is, this ought to give a serious pundit pause to wonder. But instead of enlightening us with some learned speculation, Mr. Wehner resorts to two year old cliches that she lacks "basic knowledge about public policy," and WTF claims that she is unable "to articulate a compelling case for conservatism."

Again, just look at her record, and also the compelling performances she gives that draws crowds of conservatives in numbers never before seen. She makes the case for conservatism, boy and how!

Sigh.

Repeal

The House passes a repeal of Obamacare by a margin greater than the original enactment.  Democrats predict the repeal bill will be DOA in the Senate. If so, yesterday was a good day to die.  A very good day.  We'll see what the post-mortem judgment will be for the Democrats after the 2012 elections.