RedStateEclectic

Lindsey Graham Wants To Invade Africa Next

Another quick post: I caught this live online this morning. Thanks to RSLudlum at RonPaulForums for posting the mp3, which is hosted at WTMA

Graham is practically salivating over the thought of invading Africa next.

As long as these people are controlling our party, nothing can change. They rarely admit that our military spending is even part of the deficit, and their base won't even support cutting back on social spending. No way are they going to be adult enough to take an honest look at the cost of our military spending.

Remember when GW Bush won on a platform that included privatizing social security? Look what happened - the neocons in Congress sided with Pelosi and shut him down on that, and now Republican candidates frantically deny they would ever support such a "drastic" measure. Apparently everything in Washington is an untouchable third rail now.

But we're somehow supposed to now believe they're going to repeal Obamacare? Hogwash, I say. They have no interest in giving up one iota of control. After all, this is pretty much the plan the Mitt Romney wanted to pass. Does anybody really want to bet against a GOP plan to "fix" it by implementing the public option? Heck, maybe they can push through single-payer under the guise of playing tough with the big bad insurance companies.

These people must be stopped. Jim DeMint said recently (in a WSJ article that is worth a read) that "This may be our last chance with voters, because if we're given the majority . . . and don't reform Washington, everybody is going to say, 'What's wrong with these guys? We need a third party."

How to Counter ObamaCare in 2011? Defund it.

ObamaCare (or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) is the signature event of the Obama administration and Democratic majority since the 2008 elections. The creation of massive new regulatory bodies and making the purchase of private insurance products mandatory for all Americans is clearly the issue that gets conservatives, Tea Partiers, and many independents (especially seniors) most concerned for the future.

Indeed, the bad taste that legislation left in the public was due in part from the overwhelming nature of the bill but also because of the way it was passed. Who can forget Nancy Pelosi’s famous statement: “We have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it?” The process in Washington - no matter whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, independent or something else - is broken or has been broken. (I will write more about this subject soon).

I will presume, with the coming midterm elections that the GOP will retake the House. The Senate is certainly more in doubt but for the purposes of the proposal the Senate does not matter. I also assume that the Republicans will sweep into control of the House in much the same way they did in 1994 with very conservative freshman and a challenge to the current leadership (Boehner, Cantor, McConnell) who failed to hold to limited government principles when they controlled everything.

The calls right now on the internet on conservative sites are for repeal of ObamaCare. Repeal of ObamaCare would certainly be the ideal. However, it is completely unrealistic that the House and Senate would have a veto-proof majority available to remove ObamaCare from the books. If we wait until after 2012 to try and repeal the bill the agencies will have so completely changed the health care landscape that their elimination would be nearly impossible. So how can we stop it from happening?

The US Constitution in Article I Section 7 clearly lays out that all funding for the federal government must originate in the House of Representatives. The executive branch is responsible for executing the laws and branches of government but it can’t do it very effectively without money. I doubt many government employees would show up to regulate on their own time.

Therefore, simply by taking the House of Representatives, the Republicans would be in position to defund the entire ObamaCare agencies. It is possible, but it would be bold.

The GOP would soon find itself in the crosshairs of nearly all the mainstream media, ridiculed by Democrats, and chastised by the president every day. It would be required to have a reasonable alternative to fix our broken health care system. But most of all, it would require intense and relentless pressure from the people.

Poll after poll have shown that the American people are overwhelmingly against the implementation of the new health care plan. The question is: Will the conservative freshman Republicans (like Amash, et al) and the infusion of active grassroot Tea Partiers be strong enough to pull this off?

In my opinion, those who are opposed to ObamaCare should stop calling for repeal and begin calling for defunding the regulatory agencies responsible for its implementation. It is the only logical and possible solution until a more reasonable and free market approach to fixing health care can be adopted.

Netflix Chick Flick Pick, Plus Other Stuff

I'm sure there are unwritten blogger rules about slapping together posts that don't really go together, but I've only got one minute to share three thoughts.   So, dont expect any decent segues.  Just try to remember that it isn't a disjointed mess - it's eclectic.

First, because we can't be all politics all the time.... I am totally immersed in a family project this week, and I've been watching movies as I work.  Netflix suggested one for me, and I decided to watch it rather than waste 20 minutes trying to decide what to watch next.

Long story short - Arranged (2007) is an adorable independent film that will bore the socks off guys. I loved it, DH scooped the leaves out of the pool. Total win!

Next, speaking of Netflix,  please add  "For Liberty: How the Ron Paul Revolution Watered The Withered Tree Of Liberty" to your queue.  If enough people request it, they'll add it to their lineup, thereby potentially exposing it to millions of people.  Maybe write a quick review if you've already seen it? By the way, if you don't have Netflix, you should get Netflix. It's awesome. 

Finally, if you want to take a quick trip through the Oval Office across the sands of time, a blog called Villanous Company has something you'll probably never see on Netflix (Ok, that was lame) in this fun post: Queer Eye For The Oval Office Guy. 

Oh yeah, that table is ugly.

 

"Young Guns"

Aggressively looking to distance themselves from their party's past, three top Republican House members are using a new book to repeatedly and often scathingly criticize former GOP leaders.

In "Young Guns," due for release in the next couple of weeks, Reps. Eric Cantor (Va.), Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Paul Ryan (Wis.) cast the Republican congressional leaders who preceded them as a group that "betrayed its principles" and was plagued by "failures from high-profile ethics lapses to the inability to rein in spending or even slow the growth of government." Cantor specifically says Republicans became "arrogant and "out of touch."

"Under Republican leadership in the early 2000's, spending and government got out of control," McCarthy writes. "As government grew, there were scandals and political corruption. The focus became getting reelected rather than solving problems and addressing pressing issues."

This critique and the release of the book are the latest attempt by GOP leaders to cast themselves as a changed party since they controlled Congress four years ago, Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, has been a leading figure in this effort, even though he himself was a party leader then as now.

via voices.washingtonpost.com

Hope springs eternal--unfortunately, this reminds me of 1993-94, as the Republicans--under the leadership of "new leaders" (Gingrich, et.al.)--were promising to be something different. And they were--for a little while, but fell into the same traps that a lust for power--once obtained--brings about.

Pawlenty orders state agencies to decline "discretionary" federal health care cash

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty Tuesday ordered all state agencies to not to submit applications to any health care funding from the federal government related to the health care overhaul.

Any applications must be either required by law or approved by the governor's office.

Pawlenty, who appears to be gearing up for a run for president in 2012, has long decried the health care overhaul, which opponents call Obamacare, and has pledged to join a lawsuit to undo it.

“Obamacare is an intrusion by the federal government into personal health care matters and it’s an explosion of federal spending that does nothing to make health care more affordable,” Pawlenty said in a news release.

via www.startribune.com

That's a nice start. I'm going to have to read up more about Gov. Pawlenty. Click on the link to read the Executive Order he issued.

An Interesting Republican

Gary Johnson likes being called "the most interesting Republican you've never heard of" and a probable candidate for president.An article that appeared in the online magazine Salon calling him both of those things "said it all," he told The Des Moines Register Monday.Johnson, the former governor of Democrat-heavy New Mexico, has visited 26 states since December, trying to attract attention. He's not officially campaigning, but has a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization that lets him raise money and share political opinions.

via www.desmoinesregister.com

Note, this article about Gov. Gary Johnson--who, it would seem, might be looking for an apartment in Iowa after the first of the year! Eric L. and I tossed this around in some comments yesterday--it sure seems as if Johnson is "in".

Be sure to read the rest. If the economy is the issue, Johnson would seem to have some serious ground to run on.

Roses for Laura

To greet Laura, our wonderful RSE-hostess, and my fellow bloggers, let me offer you this bunch of somewhat unorthodox roses.

Like the colours? You can grow your own multi-colour roses.

To grow a rainbow coloured rose, consider that petals get their nourishment through the stem. The trick is to split the stem into several channels and dip each one in water of a different coulour. This way all the colours will be drawn by the stem into the petals and the rose will have all the colours in it.

The method works for other flowers too.

The source.

Had Enough Government Regulation?

Glen Allport goes on the offensive, in an in-depth and blistering attack toward all things governmental:

With a small, restrained government, there isn't much coercive State power for industry and other special interests to co-opt. As a government becomes larger and more powerful, this changes. With today's overgrown federal government, the power that corporations can purchase (via lobbying and other methods) is almost limitless.

Given that, it should be no surprise that government-imposed and government-run regulation in the United States is very different in effect from market-based regulation as exemplified by Underwriter Labs and other such groups. Contemporary examples of this sad reality are all around us (and in the links embedded in the text below). Despite the good that government regulation does and despite the honest, competent, hard work of many government employees in the regulatory agencies, the net result of our government-supplied regulation is negative – and often extremely negative, as detailed below.

Full Article.

His piece is long but really drives home the point so well that, if read, even the most state-lusting demublican could reconsider his ways.

Sen. Tom Coburn: Newt Gingrich 'last person I'd vote for' - Andy Barr

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is pouring cold water on the idea of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich running for president. “He's the last person I'd vote for for president of the United States,” Coburn said during a town hall event in Wagoner, Okla., over the weekend, as was reported by the Tulsa World. In explaining why he wouldn't support Gingrich, Coburn specifically targeted the ex-speaker’s three marriages as proof that Gingrich “doesn't know anything about commitment to marriage.” “His life indicates he does not have a commitment to the character traits necessary to be a great president,” said Coburn, who also noted that Gingrich is a “super-smart man.” Coburn’s comments follow criticism of Gingrich from his second wife, Marianne, who recently told Esquire that there is “no way” her ex-husband could become president. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2000, Coburn served in the House under Gingrich's rule and frequently criticized the then-speaker. A spokesman for Gingrich did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

via www.politico.com

I don't agree with him on absolutely everything, but I've always kind of liked Tom Coburn. He gets my "thumbs up" here.

The Palmer House - Frank Lloyd Wright

What a great way of spending a weekend (see the below clip).

Enjoy Frank Lloyd Wright`s Palmer House.

See also my posts Falling Water (with an animated fast motion re-construction of Frank Lloyd Wright`s masterpiece, and some lovely music accompanying the clip) and Falling Water - Frank Lloyd Wright (with a biographical account of the famous architect's life and career).

The Michigan GOP Convention

We Michiganders didn't have many liberty candidates in our races to begin with and we won even fewer  primaries. The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) didn't endorse anybody in the gubernatorial race that eventually produced former Gateway CEO Rick Snyder as the GOP candidate. 

Now, one of the things that make Michigan unique is the fact that many of the candidates for state office are picked by the party delegates, as opposed to the public ballot box, and that includes the position of Lieutenant Governor.  Historically, the candidate picks a running mate and the delegates vote that candidate in as a matter of routine.

This year was different, almost.  The TEA Party was out in force, and they decided to try to vote in their choice of businessman Bill Cooper for Lieutenant Governor over Snyder's pick of State Representative Brian Calley. Chaos briefly ensued because the convention simply wasn't prepared to have this vote.

(I didn't win a precinct delegate position this year, but my husband did, and was an alternate in the state convention. I wasn't sure I would be able to get into the state convention, so I didn't attend. DH did, and sent me the following report from the floor.)

What could be the greatest co- opting of the Tea Party movement to date took place today at the Michigan State GOP convention. To make matters worse, the wound was self inflicted.

With a large enough portion of the delegates made up of Tea Party and Liberty affiliations to force verbal "welcome to our big tent" praise from virtually every speaker, candidates raced to show TP support or claim they promoted TP agendas since Reagan was a child.

The shot to the foot occurred when the TP chose to nominate Bill Cooper to oppose Rick Snyder's Lt Gov choice Brian Curry. The opposition stemmed largely from Curry's support of the Michigan Business Tax. No doubt a premature show of strength played in to this move as well.

With Curry not the party choice, a late nominee and not on the printed ballot,  there was a quick attempt to dismiss the nomination with a show of hands vote.

Too bad there wasn't video. The Convention Chair briefly tried to pretend he was going to take this vote by a show of hands. In a basketball arena. He stood up in the middle of the floor, and acted like he was actually counting hands.  In a basketball arena, where alternates and guests weren't separated from the voting delegates. 

This ridiculous attempt was met with considerable and very vocal opposition, and attempts to continue the process were shouted down. Calls for a roll call vote began to pick up support with the delegates increasingly wanting to have the say. At that point the party establishment huddled for about 15 minutes and then Curry abruptly withdrew his nomination, leaving only the TP that nominated him looking foolish.

I have several thoughts on this. I think that any Republican who voted for the Michigan Business Tax should be ousted from the party, so I'm not a Calley fan.  But from a pragmatic viewpoint, I suspect part of Snyder's decision to tap him lies in the fact that Calley has significant legislative experience, something  that Snyder lacks entirely. As much as I would like to see the old guard handed a loss, I suspect that the reality is that two businessmen with no Lansing connections would have an awfully tough time getting anything accomplished.

Not only would two outsiders have trouble working with Lansing, there's not any way to be sure that Snyder would even accept Cooper. Trying to undermine him before he's even had a chance to get his hands dirty seems short-sighted. Snyder has reached out to everybody who will listen to him, and even drew support from the Democrats in the primaries. Heaven knows he's not the most conservative candidate, but he is an outsider, something that he shares with the TEA Party.  There will be plenty of fights to pick, especially with the Michigan Republican brand which doesn't have a strong record of actually spending less money than the Democrats, but I don't think that this was the right place to start.

But there is a bright side. While the TEA Party made a political move that failed, no politicians in the game win with every move they make.  The important point is that they actually made a point, and that is that there are a lot of them, and they are a force that must be dealt with.  If the party wants these people to vote for their candidates, the party will need to do some serious internal compromising, something I believe Snyder will do, especially now that he's heard their voices live and loud.

Who’s Going to Be Running?

So, just for the fun of it, let’s try to come up with a list of likely candidates for President in 2012.  I’m not talking about people we’d necessarily LIKE to see, but people who—by virtue of their actions seem to be headed in that direction.  Republicans, of course, are the most obvious, but who knows?  It’s always possible that if the perception of President Obama is one of weakness, that some renegade might choose to challenge him in the way the Ted Kennedy did (unsuccessfully) in 1980 against Jimmy Carter.

Here are my first few names, in no particular order (feel free to add to the list in the comment section):

 

Republicans:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty

Gov. Haley Barbour

Gov. Sarah Palin

Gov. Gary Johnson

Gov. Mitt Romney

Who else do you think is going to run, based on their current actions and history?

Charlie Chaplin’s Message Lives On

The Biggest Lie: Sea Level Rise

Personally, I think the idea that we can print our way to prosperity is bigger, but this one is up there too. (So many lies, so little time). It’s not that often that I color an entire paragraph red…

But if there is one scientist who knows more about sea levels than anyone else in the world it is the Swedish geologist and physicist Nils-Axel Mörner, formerly chairman of the INQUA International Commission on Sea Level Change. And the uncompromising verdict of Dr Mörner, who for 35 years has been using every known scientific method to study sea levels all over the globe, is that all this talk about the sea rising is nothing but a colossal scare story.

[…] When running the International Commission on Sea Level Change, he launched a special project on the Maldives, whose leaders have for 20 years been calling for vast sums of international aid to stave off disaster. Six times he and his expert team visited the islands, to confirm that the sea has not risen for half a century. Before announcing his findings, he offered to show the inhabitants a film explaining why they had nothing to worry about. The government refused to let it be shown.

Similarly in Tuvalu, where local leaders have been calling for the inhabitants to be evacuated for 20 years, the sea has if anything dropped in recent decades. The only evidence the scaremongers can cite is based on the fact that extracting groundwater for pineapple growing has allowed seawater to seep in to replace it. Meanwhile, Venice has been sinking rather than the Adriatic rising, says Dr Mörner.

One of his most shocking discoveries was why the IPCC has been able to show sea levels rising by 2.3mm a year. Until 2003, even its own satellite-based evidence showed no upward trend. But suddenly the graph tilted upwards because the IPCC's favoured experts had drawn on the finding of a single tide-gauge in Hong Kong harbour showing a 2.3mm rise. The entire global sea-level projection was then adjusted upwards by a "corrective factor" of 2.3mm, because, as the IPCC scientists admitted, they "needed to show a trend".

Wow. To what extent will politicians go (government scientists included) to scare us? Check out the one-minute time mark of the video below.

Now THAT’s funny.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Writes the (?) Official Travel Guide to Austria in an article entitled "150 Years Gustav Mahler": 

On July 7 on of Austria's famous sons was born: Gustav Mahler (1860–1911), the genius of the fin de siècle, is a music pioneer of his time and influenced many composers. Music lovers all over the world celebrate him in two years in series: 2010 marks his 150th birthday, 2011 his 100th anniversary of death.