Rip Van Winkle

If We Say It Is, It Is
Last week, when I was prepping the text of Theodore Dalrymple’s then-latest essay for publication at PJM, I headlined it, “Can Congress Make You Buy Broccoli?”, which seemed like the logical choice based on the substance of his Thesis, and wrote in the subhead for the homepage, “Can Congress force you to eat certain foods? To buy Health Insurance? So much for the 1970s mantra of ‘My body, my choice.’” I also Photoshopped a small “Keep Your Laws O...

If We Say It Is, It Is . . .
If you had gone to sleep in early 2006 and woken up today, you would learn that the Filibuster is no longer a necessary brake on the tyranny of the majority but rather is a fossilized impediment to necessary progressive change. Recess Appointments no longer result in “damaged goods” but are necessary protocols to get the talented by ossified ideologues in the Senate. If raising the Debt Limit beyond $9 Trillion was once reckless and proof of a lack of leadership, exceeding $14 t...

The gavel passes and Boehner weeps but nothing else changes
There's a new sheriff in town and after listening to his opening address to the 112th Congress, it would seem things on Capitol Hill are about to change.  Or will they?  All hail King Boehner.  Please check your spirit of Bipartisanship at the door. Four years ago, Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was given the honor of being elected the first female Speaker of the House.  Today, the gavel, and an unusually large one at that, was passed to Congressman John B...

No, really: Is it time to get rid of the filibuster?
Well, maybe not “get rid of,” but how about reform? Three Senate Democrats rolled out their Compromise proposal this morning and at least one writer at National Review (Dan Foster) says … it doesn’t sound half-bad. I’m inclined to agree. The specifics: -End the Filibuster on motions to proceed (since this amounts to unlimited debate on whether to allow debate at all). -Make all filibusters on substantive measures “talking” or “Jimmy Stewart”

Baghdad Bob: Senator Obama Only Voted Against Raising Debt Ceiling in 2006 Because He Knew It Would Pass Anyway
Bobby’s going out with a bang. (ABC News)- On Sunday, President Obama’s top economic adviser, Council of Economic Advisers chair Austan Goolsbee, cautioned members of Congress not to “play chicken” by voting against raising the $14.3 Trillion Debt ceiling - despite the fact that as a senator in 2006, President Obama voted that way. “I don’t see why anybody’s talking about playing chicken with the Debt ceiling,” Goolsbee told me on ABC Ne...

Video of Juan Williams: debt ceiling a "come to Jesus moment"
The Bible does in fact reference finances a huge number of times, more than many other topics. That said, what is the point of a Debt ceiling when it continually gets raised? Funny that Williams wasn't so driven about the nations Debt problem the last 4 years when Pelosi racked up more the $5 Trillion of it. An additional silver lining to William's statement? A liberal that can use the name of Jesus. So there's that. ...

White House Defends Obamas Senate Vote against Raising Debt Ceiling But Warns of Catastrophe If GOP Doesnt Raise Debt Ceiling
Wednesday, January 05, 2011 By Fred Lucas President Barack Obama is saluted as he arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, from Vacation in Hawaii. Col. Lee DePalo, commander of the 11th Wing, is at left. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Washington (CNSNews.com) - The Obama Administration is warning of catastrophic consequences if Congress does not increase the Debt ceiling, the legal limit on how much the Federal Government can borrow, but Obama held a different view on th...

Obama on the Debt Limit: Then and Now
Yahoo! Buzz In 2006, Sen. Barack Obama voted against raising the Debt ceiling to allow the U.S. to borrow more money, saying Washington was saddling future generations with its out-of-control spending. Now, his administration is implying that those who say the same are irresponsible. Asked on Wednesday about the seeming contradiction, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that in 2006, the outcome of the vote to raise the legal borrowing authority was not in doubt, and therefore the ...

Gavel down on Nancy Pelosi
John Boehner, (R) now firmly seated as the Speaker of the House after defeating Nancy Pelosi in a vote of 241 - 173 looks to 2011 Federal Debt Limit of 14.3 Trillion, realizing there is very little time to address the issues at hand in order to reset the course of history for America. Upon acceptance of the gavel he was quoted as saying, "That includes this gavel, which I accept cheerfully and gratefully knowing that I am but its caretaker. After all, this is the people's house." Former Speaker ...

Republicans Vow to Cut Spending
(FOXNews.com) - As a new and politically divided Congress prepares to convene Wednesday, the newly muscular Republicans and the White House seem to be on a collision course over whether to raise the federal Debt ceiling. Some Republican lawmakers have vowed not to vote to raise the Debt Limit unless there is a plan in place for dealing with long-term obligations, including Social Security, and for returning to 2008 spending levels. But the White House says that refusing to raise the limit would ...

Dont raise the debt ceiling
Daniel Foster at NRO Corner thinks Republicans will get a great bargain in exchange for raising the ceiling on the National Debt — which just hit $14 Trillion. That’s the on-the-books figure, by the way. From Daniel Foster: “Unlikely as it may seem at the moment, I’m becoming more and more convinced that congressional Republicans can get a lot — in terms of Spending Cuts, entitlement reforms, and the like — in exchange for agreeing to raise the federal Debt ceiling at s

"Blanket And Unqualified"
Victor Davis Hanson explains the kind of praise of America he wants to hear from Illegal Immigrants and their spokespeople. ...

Minds Wide Shut
Richard Fernandez of the Belmont Club links to Victor Davis Hanson’s post this weekend on California’s End Times and concludes, “Dr. Hanson’s observations about the Left’s unreasonable expectations are probably true. But what does he hope to achieve by stating them?” Does he hope that against all odds that the Left will come to their senses? Perhaps, because that’s the logical thing to do. But history suggests that logic doesn’t always prevail. Historically

Victor Davis Hanson on Illegal Immigration as the new Manhatten Project
In this must read piece, Victor Davis Hanson compares the modern Illegal Immigration phenomenon to the Manhatten Project. In Hanson's words, "...illegal immigration from Mexico into America is the most radical attempt at nation building on the world scene today, theirs and ours. Stranger still, its narrative assumes a general inability or unwillingness to explain why millions leave Mexico and do not wish to return there, why they so like this supposedly oppressive country and wish to stay &...

New GOP member doesn't "know" what will happen if debt ceiling isn't raised
Speaking of clueless Republicans in the House that Teabaggers built, here's part of the new brain trust entering office today: Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC). Yesterday, newly-elected Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) appeared on Fox Business to talk about his own intention to vote against raising the Debt ceiling. The host asked Muvlaney if he was willing to “risk the possibility of a default on our debt.” Mulvaney responded that he has “no difficulty in” voting against raising the ...

A Leviathan sized greed strikes
When a nation becomes greedy, while not a unique event, it is rarely good for the national long-term best interests of its citizens. There is a case already brewing that will be interesting to watch unfold. The largest energy find since the Brazilian deep-sea Tupi (new Lulu) field has been announced lately. It is already changing the dynamics of the politics in its area. A nation that has always been energy dependent on imports is now going to find itself an energy exporter. What they do with th...

Obama's jobs killing energy screw up
Image via Wikipedia Fox News: President Obama has rededicated himself to creating jobs this year, but rapidly increasing prices for Oil and Gasoline threaten that goal. And many argue the president's policies are making things worse. One former Oil man warned then-candidate Obama back in 2007. "I said, Senator, if you don't do something in your First Term, if you’re successful, to increase hydrocarbon production in this country you will be on your knees in 2012," said John Hofmeister, fo...

Filibuster rules reform: Here's the package. Now the clock starts ticking
Filibuster rules reform: Here's the package. Now the clock starts ticking Well, as we observed this morning, the Republicans are out in force whining about Democrats' plans to reform the Senate's Filibuster rules. This morning on Fox & Friends, the usual Doocy-Carlson-Kilmeade trio gave a cursory report -- complete with a chryon describing it as a "power grab" by Democrats -- emphasizing Mitch McConnell's suggestion that this it would hurt Democrats down the road if they "eliminate the ...

Pelosi on crack!
Outgoing Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, in a news conference on January 4thsaid about Democrat’s Congressional spending, “Deficit reduction has been a high priority for us.  It has been our mantra, pay as you go.” Is this woman on crack?  She may well be since she and Obama are spending money like a pair of crack whores with a stolen Credit Card!  With the blessing and support of Barack Obama, Democrats have been using the American Economy as their own perso...

House passes new rules package
The House wrapped up the first day of the 112th Congress on Wednesday by approving a new rules package that will enact some significant changes to matters ranging from the Debt ceiling to members' Voting Rights. The new rules passed on a party-line vote, with 240 Republicans voting in favor and 191 Democrats opposed. Democrats tried earlier Wednesday to block the package. Earlier Wednesday, the House rejected a resolution by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) that would have directed a committ...

State of the State? At a Crossroads
(AP Photo/Mike Groll). After an exciting morning for State Democrats, our newly minted Governor took to a podium in front of thousands to deliver his State of the State address. And where is our state? At a crossroads, according to Cuomo's 87 power point slides. Over the course of his Speech Cuomo emphasized that there needs to be a "fundament...

Reconciliation
Recap: The Democrats unveiled their modest Filibuster reforms; Libertarians are more powerful than they'd have you believe; and I thought Speaker Boehner gave a very good Speech today. 1) Why is the path from Wall Street to Washington so well-trodden? 2) Super WiFi! 3) David Leonhardt's Q&A; with Gov. Mitch Daniels. 4) Lots of cool stuff at CES this year. 5) I'll be talking Filibuster reform with Chris Hayes on the "Rachel Maddow Show" tonight....

The Liberal Case for Stonewalling
Democrats are trying to curtail the parliamentary ploy, but there are plenty of reasons for liberals to love it. Samuel P. Jacobs reports on the lefty case for keeping the Filibuster alive....

Report: Growth in healthcare costs reached 50-year low during recession
The nation's spending on healthcare grew 4 percent, to $2.5 Trillion, in 2009, according to a new report from the Medicare agency's Office of the Actuary - the slowest rate of growth since the Federal Government began keeping track in 1960. Despite the slowdown in Insurance payments and out-of-pocket spending, the increase in healthcare spending still outpaced the overall growth of The Economy, which contracted by 1.7 percent. On average, Americans spent $8,086 per person on healthcare in 2009...

Great News: U.S. Department of Education helping to teach educators about Alinsky, Cloward-Piven and the Need for State-Run Medi
You may be surprised to discover that the Department of Education did not even exist until 1980. Yet, over the last three years alone, the Department has spent roughly a third of a Trillion dollars with copious amounts of 'Stimulus' spending sent directly to the bosses of the teachers' unions. I think even Progressives would agree that the Department of Education has been an abysmal failure. Hundreds of billions of dollars were spent in just the last few years alone with literally no measurable ...