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Category: Politics
Posted by: A Waco Farmer
I generally refer to Dana Milbank, Washington Post political columnist-slash-satirist, as the "serially inappropriate Dana Milbank." In general, I find Milbank mean-spirited and distorted when it comes to covering the politicians I admire.

On the other hand, when Milbank goes after the other side, he generally gets things exactly right.

You must read these two graphs:

"Speaking before an audience that included Marion Barry, Cornel West, Malik Zulu Shabazz of the New Black Panther Party and Nation of Islam official Jamil Muhammad, Wright praised Louis Farrakhan, defended the view that Zionism is racism, accused the United States of terrorism, repeated his view that the government created the AIDS virus to cause the genocide of racial minorities, stood by other past remarks ("God damn America") and held himself out as a spokesman for the black church in America."

No exaggeration. He really did. Read the transcript here (oops; sorry, no longer available for free from the National Press Club--must be a hot item).

More Milbank:

"In front of 30 television cameras, Wright's audience cheered him on as the minister mocked the media and, at one point, did a little victory dance on the podium. It seemed as if Wright, jokingly offering himself as Obama's vice president, was actually trying to doom Obama; a member of the head table, American Urban Radio's April Ryan, confirmed that Wright's security was provided by bodyguards from Farrakhan's Nation of Islam."

Read Milbank in full here, who hits almost every point on my quick list scribbled in the margin of the event transcript:

1. draping himself in the the bloody shirt of the black church

2. his friend Barack lies a lot

3. America should repent for the sin of international slavery--and apologize to Japan

4. [in the context of the alleged CIA plot to infect African Americans with AIDS] he believes the U.S. Government (but not the American people) "capable of anything"

5. he feels for his friend, Louis Farrakhan, who, like himself, gets misquoted and misunderstood by the corporate media (which, evidently, includes Bill Moyers and Chris Rock)

Funny stuff. Although, in all sincerity, my heart goes out to the Obama family. My gut feeling: put a fork in Barack. This is too much.

UPDATE: Another one of my favorite foils, Joe Klein, writes perceptively:

"Wright's purpose now seems quite clear: to aggrandize himself--the guy is going to be a go-to mainstream media source for racial extremist spew, the next iteration of Al Sharpton--and destroy Barack Obama."

UPDATE-2: Susan Estrich agrees that Wright is poison, but suggests that Obama may survive with added strength (whatever doesn't kill you...perhaps?).

28/04: Breaking News

Category: Politics
Posted by: A Waco Farmer
Even as we speak, Reverend Jeremiah Wright is right now happily embracing the opportunity at the National Press Club to indict himself in an extremely public forum.

UPDATE: the program has concluded. The National Press Club site, dedicated to this morning's event (webcast and transcript) here.

In brief, as I suspected, this venue is proving much too much of a temptation to accurately articulate his worldview.

Barack Obama must be beside himself watching this.

Much more later from all quarters (including this one) in the days to come...
Category: Politics
Posted by: an okie gardener
Category: Politics
Posted by: an okie gardener
Infidel Bloggers Alliance has a great post by Mary Graybar with comments. (scroll down the page to find it) Worth reading. As things are now going, Obama will not even begin to keep the New Deal coalition together.

To go to the original essay, here in Townhall.
Category: Politics
Posted by: Tocqueville
The New York Times's David Brooks explains How Obama Fell to Earth:

"When Obama began this ride, he seemed like a transcendent figure who could understand a wide variety of life experiences. But over the past months, things have happened that make him seem more like my old neighbors in Hyde Park in Chicago."

"Some of us love Hyde Park for its diversity and quirkiness, as there are those who love Cambridge and Berkeley. But it is among the more academic and liberal places around. When Obama goes to a church infused with James Cone-style liberation theology, when he makes ill-informed comments about working-class voters, when he bowls a 37 for crying out loud, voters are going to wonder if he’s one of them. Obama has to address those doubts, and he has done so poorly up to now."

"It was inevitable that the period of “Yes We Can!” deification would come to an end. It was not inevitable that Obama would now look so vulnerable. He’ll win the nomination, but in a matchup against John McCain, he is behind in Florida, Missouri and Ohio, and merely tied in must-win states like Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. A generic Democrat now beats a generic Republican by 13 points, but Obama is trailing his own party. One in five Democrats say they would vote for McCain over Obama."

Category: Politics
Posted by: an okie gardener
Michael Barone explains that the old-time nominating conventions of the past existed mainly because other forms of direct communication did not. For example, direct-dial long distance phone calls are an innovation less than 50 years old. Because of today's technology, he argues, we'll never again see a convention with real suspense and multiple ballots. Even this year's Democratic Convention, he predicts, will not revert to the past.

Full article. From Jewish World Review.

But, is there anyone in the Democratic Party who can make Hillary concede to Obama prior to the convention and withdraw from the race? I see her conceding and withdrawing from the race only if she is convinced that Obama will lose to McCain, that McCain because of age will serve only one term, and that she then will be well-placed for 2012.
Category: Politics
Posted by: A Waco Farmer
15 April 2008:

Back in February of 2007, I reissued an economic-historical post from the summer of 2006. At the risk of going to the well a few times too often, I am convinced that this thought deserves reconsideration today:


[FROM FEBRUARY 2007:] In light of the Stock Market uncertainty [2008: and banking crisis, slight up-tick in unemployment and bankruptcies, housing sales, and food riots in foreign lands],
I am reprising this analysis piece from the summer [of 2006]:


From July 2006:

I refuse to push the panic button on the economy, and I hate Vietnam parallels, but a growing chain of events gives me cause for concern.

2008: It is now most likely an appropriate time to voice concern over the economy--although I am still not pushing the panic button.

The stagflation and misery of the 1970s arrived, in part, as a result of the belief that we could have "guns and butter" without sacrifice. During an extended and expensive overseas military expedition, the US attempted to leverage the Vietnam War and the Great Society with little concern for revenue. At the same time, American manufactures suffered from an increased period of competition from emerging industrial nations. And, finally, the American economy, heavily dependent on foreign oil, suffered mightily from the rise of OPEC, which attempted to punish the United States for its support of Israel.

I firmly believe that history does not repeat itself--but sometimes the present is eerily reminiscent of the past.

We are in the midst of a protracted and expensive military engagement, a huge event on which we are divided but strangely detached. We continue to run-up budget deficits to pay for the war and our pampered national lifestyle. Our manufacturers are in much worse shape than thirty-five years ago, evidenced by our ever-increasing trade deficits and changing labor reality. Add Israel and oil to this equation, during a time when we are more dependent on foreign fuel than ever before, and there are serious reasons for concern.

2008: Although Israel seems fairly pacific these days (though always subject to change), nevertheless, oil closed at $113 per barrel today. Even without war and reprisal, our oil crisis is upon us.

You have heard my numerous exhortations in the past to stay the course in Iraq. I am not backing away from that line of thinking. But there is real danger ahead. Although the President's approval ratings in general (and on Iraq specifically) have turned dismal, his initiative in the Middle East has moved forward despite its diminishing popularity (mainly because Iraq seems disturbing but peripheral to most Americans).

Added commentary [Feb 2007: The above is obviously much less true in the early months of 2007 than it was last summer.

But an economic crisis would end all that. A deep recession would completely break America's will for war. The Iraq commitment survives precariously on the crest of this fortuitous economic wave. If this economy is as fragile as some have speculated, then the support for the war is just that tenuous.

More added commentary [Feb 2008]: Even more so today, an economic downturn would bring the war effort to a panic stop.

Think about it.

15/04: Brilliant!

Category: Politics
Posted by: A Waco Farmer
Political Cartoon by Michael Ramirez

Michael Ramirez,
Editorial Cartoonist for Investor's Business Daily.

This is perhaps the most cogent political cartoon of the season; it will be interesting to see if it makes it into the various "best of the week" round-ups.
Category: Politics
Posted by: A Waco Farmer
Into the wee hours of Wednesday morning I watched the C-SPAN replays of the two Petraeus/Crocker Senate hearings from Tuesday. Sitting on my sofa, bleary-eyed and jotting down a note or two, catching a few winks every now and then, I probably missed more than I saw, but, nevertheless, I came away with a few impressions.

A note on style: I am on the road with student government this weekend, working off a laptop, thinking about national politics during the cracks, and writing with my beefy fingers on a small keyboard. In that vein, here are a few less than polished observations:

--Unfortunately, I missed what was easily the best line of the day, Joe Lieberman: "see no progress, hear no progress, speak no progress." Brilliantly succinct and devastatingly accurate.

--A General Impression: I like Ryan Crocker. I mean I really like Ryan Crocker. Of course, we love Petreaus (and, of course, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates); Petraeus and Gates are Grant and Stanton (with Ph.D.s)--they even have an "Anaconda" Plan.

But Ryan Crocker is less immediately appealing; he is less obviously brilliant. He is more working class. He does not have a Ph.D. from Princeton or Georgetown--rather, a BA from a low-profile college in Washington (as in state not District). Almost every one of his sentences begins with "ah, ah, ih, ih" and features an "um, um, um" somewhere in the middle of the thought, but so what? This non-descript fellow with the halting delivery gets things right. He is not especially smooth--but he is unflappable. He is quietly competent and, evidently, incredibly talented at getting to the crux of any challenge. Crocker is an acquired taste--but I think I finally get him.

In the face of the most turgid, self-serving, and inherently antagonistic questioning, Crocker stood his ground, speaking truth to politically informed ignorance and under-stating simple truths:

--this is tough and complicated

--AQI is reeling, which is a good thing

--much is left to do, and it will not be easy, but it is worth doing

Part II Preview:

--My number one pet peeve with the Senate hearing format?

--Opposition Talking Points.

--Where did we get those GOP Foreign Relations Committee members (nearly all duds and newbies)? Among other problems, the Party of Lincoln is desperately low on talent. We lost a lot of intellectual force and personality in 2006. But back to my point: with friends like these...

More to come...
Category: Politics
Posted by: A Waco Farmer
The independent cult film, The Tao of Steve (2000), follows the exploits of "an underachieving, overweight, overeducated former philosophy student turned Kierkegaard-quoting kindergarten teacher," lead character, Dex, whom women, inexplicably, find irresistible.*

How does an abdominous public school teacher so effortlessly seduce beautiful women?

Actually there is an explanation: The Tao of Steve.

Who is Steve?

"Steve is the prototypical cool American male. Steve McGarrett [Hawaii Five-O], Steve Austin [Six Million Dollar Man], Steve McQueen. [H]e's the guy on his horse, the guy alone. He has his own code of honor, his own code of ethics, his own rules of living. He never, ever tries to impress the women--but he always gets the girl."

How do you become Steve?

There are rules.

The first rule of Being Steve:

Eliminate your desire. "If you're out with this girl and even THINKING about sexual intercourse, you're finished, as women can smell an agenda...."

Enough said. There is not a man alive who doesn't understand this.

The second rule of Being Steve:

Be excellent in her presence. You must do something that somehow demonstrates your worthiness.

Evolutionary biology, perhaps. Something primordial draws women to men who are good at something--not necessarily something important in the grand scheme of things--but in an eco-system that favors the fittest, one must exhibit some trait worthy of natural selection.

A Personal Aside: I happily met and courted my beautiful wife (a brilliant history major) while I was king of the history geeks (two years earlier I would not have warranted a second glance). When she eventually brought me home to meet the family, it just so happened that I excelled at one of their favorite pastimes (trivial pursuit). I was Steve. Needless to say, I never let her see me dance or roller skate until after we were married.

The third rule of Being Steve:

Withdraw. According to Dex, Heidegger asserted: "We pursue that which retreats from us."

Dex: "Both men and women are interested in one another. It's natural, except we're on different timetables. Women want us, like, y'know, fifteen minutes after we want them, so alright, if you hold out for twenty she'll be chasing you for five."

Presidential Politics? Really? The connection?

In many ways, this is also the Tao of George...Washington, that is.

The old style of running for president (in the mode of the Father of our Country) was not to run at all.

After demonstrating worthiness, a proper candidate would convince all concerned that he had no desire for the office (standing rather than running--allowing the electorate to find him, rather than actively campaigning). And, finally, the statesman would withdraw to his front porch to await the call of the people--would he accept or decline their invitation? We held our breath in anticipation of the answer.

Do any of the current candidates meet this standard?

An Emphatic NO! Times have changed. The front-porch campaigns were always a bit disingenuous, but we completely abandoned that charade in the early twentieth century.

Another Aside: if the old regime were still in place, we might be getting ready for President Thompson--the person who clearly wanted to be president least.

But we are now operating under an entirely new set of rules. No one can deny that Hillary Clinton desires the Oval Office. Obviously, John McCain very much wants to be president. And, for the most part, we are okay with that. For the most part--although an overly zealous suitor may still strike us as unseemly in our deep collective subconscious.

Does Obama violate the first rule of George in an egregious manner? Perhaps. From the moment Senator Barack Obama ascended Capitol Hill, he has suffered from a severe case of Potomac Fever. Without a doubt, one day one of his biographers will entitle this chapter of his life: "Young Man in a Hurry." For as long as we have known him, this forty-six-year-old, half-term senator has shown himself too eager for elevation.

Will that hurt him with anyone other than historians of nineteenth-century American politics? Hard to say.

Less serious--but not insignificant. Last week in Pennsylvania, Candidate Obama indirectly violated the Second Rule of Being Steve: he looked foolish in front of the electorate.

To demonstrate his "regular-guyness" for some Quaker State hardhats, he bowled.

The Bad News: he bowled a 37 in seven frames. The pictures were horrible. He looked goofy in his shirtsleeves and necktie, bowling gutter balls and making excuses. For the first time in this campaign, he looked like a pathetic poser.

Full disclosure: I bowl about as well as I golf--which is not very impressive. But on a typical night, not having bowled for a couple of years, and drinking a beer or two during the course of the evening to loosen up, I am going to bowl between 100 and 140. That won't make it on the PBA Tour--but it generally puts me in the running for top male performer and usually beats the girls. Obama? For perspective, the last time I went bowling with family friends, their teenage daughter rolled a 37.

Bowling is a working man's game. Obama looked very much like a Harvard pansy ineptly pandering to the yokels. Although he probably won't get this conceit--he bowled a turkey without ever rolling a strike. I tend to think this tip-toe through the bowling alley may prove more damaging than most aristocratic pundits appreciated last week. In short, for that particular moment, Barack was very un-Steve.

Note: the quote from the first sentence comes from the Wikipedia entry for The Tao of Steve.
Category: Politics
Posted by: A Waco Farmer
Peter Wehner, a former deputy assistant to President George W. Bush, and currently a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, writing this morning in the Wall Street Journal, asserts that Barack "Obama's record reveals him to be a doctrinaire liberal." Mr. Wehner picks up on a point with which Bosque Boys readers are familiar, but furthers the discussion with an enumeration of offensive policy positions and a helpful analysis of how the Republican candidate, John McCain, might address this unexpected opportunity:

"Mr. McCain needs to present a compelling case on the foundational beliefs that divide liberalism and conservatism – on matters like the size and role of government, competition and accountability in education, health care, and whether higher taxes encourage or retard economic growth. Mr. McCain also needs to force a debate on the proper role of the judiciary, the protection owed to unborn children and the rights owed to unlawful enemy combatants, and whether promoting liberty should be a central aim of American foreign policy in combating militant Islam.

"Mr. McCain needs to become an educator-in-chief on matters of political philosophy. He won't be able to fulfill that role nearly as well as Reagan, who was a philosophical conservative in the way that Mr. McCain (and most other Republican politicians) is not. And Mr. McCain himself has, until now, been sui generis on matters of conservatism. His challenge is to make his case well enough to convince Americans not only that Mr. Obama is a liberal, but that having a liberal in the White House would do real damage to our country."

We welcome this constructive addition to this increasingly vital and relevant conversation.
Category: Politics
Posted by: Tocqueville
Michael Barone, perhaps the nation's foremost political pundit, has made a most unusual prediction: Hillary wins the popular vote, but Obama wins the delegate count.