Herring to McDonnell Panel

Though he wasn't tapped for any position in the McDonnell Administration, the governor-elect did reach across the aisle and appoint Sen. Mark Herring to the new Technology Working Group advisory panel.

Now keep in mind, that there's no one else on the panel yet and it's only "advisory," but even still it does show some genuine bipartisanship as it is certain to give Herring a big boost in what will be a tough reelection campaign.

Something Akin to Academics

With a battle brewing over the chairmanship of the Loudoun County Republican Committee, let me say that I, like many blogging about it, don't know Strother and don't trust Sell. Though he has certainly put in his time, I fear that Sell will bring back the divisiveness of the Protic era. And, since I haven't even heard of anything she's done (as also seems to the case with other LCRC members), I wonder about Strother's agenda.

All that said, I'm reminded of a saying about the college faculty politics: they're so vicious because there is so little at stake. That's not that the LCRC chairmanship is nothing to care about; it's just that so many people get so worked up about something that, in the end, just isn't worth it.

Something You Won't Read in the Post

As Karl Rove writes in The Wall Street Journal, President Obama's first year approval rating is the lowest ever! And that's one thing you'll never see in the liberal press. To be fair, though, the second lowest was Ronald Reagan - and things worked out pretty well for him. Check out the ratings.

And Another Hypocrite.

Following on the heels of Mr. Obama's curious Nobel peace prize acceptance speech is the runner up for political double-speak of the year. Sen. Mark Warner, while decrying the phenomenal increase in federal spending, nonetheless just voted FOR the largest budget in history.

Have some guts, Senator, and vote your supposed conscience.

Unfortunately, I am reminded of a quote often miattributed to Alexis de Tocqueville,:

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses because of the loose fiscal policy ensuing, always to be followed by a dictatorship, then a monarchy."

Orwell Would Be Proud

Peace means War, apparently. Paradoxically, the president defends the need for war while at the same time accepting the world's highest honor for peace.

I certainly agree with Mr. Obama that America must rely on military might to preserve liberty - and herself. It's just interesting that he would choose to make those statements before the Nobel committee. I wonder if they're having second thoughts . . . .

Not so easy to get out of Afghanistan is it, Mr. President?

Interesting that Obama is now put in a position of breaking yet another campaign promise, this one being to get out of the wars that have been keeping terrorism on the other side of the world. You'll recall the first one he broke was even before he was elected, backing out of his pledge to take public campaign funds and thus limit his own campaign expenditures.

Part of me wants to gloat at the broken promises, but the better part of me is glad that Obama is not completely giving in the the left wing that would have us fold our tents in the Middle East and bring the troops home now, regardless of what that would do to national security.