Get Yer Motor Runnin"

Again demonstrating innovative, cost-effective approaches to improving transportation in the state, Gov. Bob McDonnell recently announced an increase in the speed limit to 70 mph on 680 miles of interstate highways in Virginia. 

A fantastic move that keeps all of us moving.

"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Look at Michelle Rhee - fired for taking on DC’s teacher unions and pushing out poor-performing teachers.  And, now, the case of Juan Williams - fired from Nutball Politics Radio for saying that he was afraid of Muslims on planes.  Rest assured, though, that both will end up in far more prestigious roles (and far wealthier) than had they stayed in their prior roles, elevated into the national spotlight by their unjustifiable firings.

I don't particularly care for Juan Williams' political views, and, frankly, I think he's a knee-jerk liberal, but when compared to the nuts at NPR, he looks like Karl Rove.  But, now, I'm genuinely more interested, as I'm sure many Americans are. 

Michelle Rhee is one educator I respect, and many others do to.  If you believe the rumors, she's off to a new gig with the state of New Jersey.  Good for her personally, and good for NJ's kids.

Congratulations on your firings!

O'Reilly 1, View -2

Well, well, well.  Apparently, the leftist moronistas of The View can dish it out but not take it. 

I'm no fan of Bill O'Reilly's style, but he's dead on right about the inappropriateness of the mosque at Ground Zero and the radical/extreme/terrorist Muslims behind it.  On the other hand, in storming, Joy Behar and Whoopie Goldberg storm off the set to the cheers of the crowd demonstrating,  once again, their utter  intolerance for contrary opinion as reasoned as it may be.

Unfortunately, they came back.

Zoe’s Latest Hearings

You may recall that Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California recently held hearings on immigration reform at which comedian Stephen Colbert testified.  Now, as the chair of the House Ethics Committee, she’s holding hearings on ethics violations by Reps. Maxine Waters and Charlie Rangle. 

Rumor has it that the witness list includes noted political ethicists Pee Wee Herman and Roseanne Barr.

Military Injustice

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The recent order from a federal judge in California requiring the immediate end to the 17-year old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on homosexuals in the military certainly has the Obama administration caught in a pickle. On the one hand, President Teleprompter has promised to end the policy (though clearly wimping out by pushing for congressional authorization rather than just ending it by executive order). On the other hand, he is faced with an order from a civilian judge that clearly usurps the power of the commander in chief, which almost certainly would be overturned by the Supreme Court.

Given that he has consistently revealed himself an apologist for America and her military might, no doubt the president will instruct his attorneys not to appeal the decision and to allow this disturbing decision to become precedent for future activist courts set on second-guessing our generals in a time of war. Regardless of how one views the DADT policy, a single civilian judge should not (and, indeed, does not) have the authority change military policy in this way, particularly in the middle of a two-front war. Basic tenets of separation of powers need to be observed by the judicial branch  – and preserved by the executive branch. Unfortunately, the cowardice and blindness of the current Administration will now open the military to fighting the war on yet a third front –  the American courtrooms.

Geithner Gets One Right

Nice editorial by Secretary Geithner in the Post today describing the myths of TARP.  As I've said before, TARP, as it was originally intended to be a safety net for the entire economic system, was a stunning success.  It has since been bastardized by the Obama administration, using it as a piggy bank for every union-saving pork project imaginable.

Working-Class Whites Shun Dems

Wow.  First he loses Babs and the Washington Post.  Now, he's even lost Time magazine in its running of an article on how poorly President Teleprompter is viewed, this time the pole is that of working class whites people.  And the margin was huge - 58% to 36% - are turning to the Republicans.

Boy, this is like seeing a receiver wide open and just waiting for the pass to come down.  Please, please don't drop it!

Dick Black Really is a Gift

That is, Dick Black is the gift that keeps on giving. For example, his latest Facebook post describes Bob Marshal as “the brightest guy in Virginia politics.”  Well, when you're as dim as Dick, the flick of a Bic is a supernova.

Loudoun Pancake Breakfast a Hit

Kudos to Candace Strother for organizing a sell-out Saturday morning event in Sterling. Enthused Republicans, along with just about every local elected politico, packed the Cascades Senior Center.  Though all the speakers presented great messages, Speaker Howell hit upon what I consider to be one of the most significant issues on the horizon - redistricting. No doubt, with control of the two houses split, the creation of a "fair and balanced" plan will be difficult and contentious. Whatever the result, though, Loudoun comes out a winner.

Keeping a Video Eye on the Police

In a clear victory for those of us that believe video evidence is the best deterre

nt to bad behavior, a Maryland state court this week dismissed a case against a motorcyclist who used a helmet cam to film a state trooper who ticketed him for speeding. Wrote Judge Emory Pitt,

"Those of us who are public officials and are entrusted with the power of the state are ultimately accountable to the public. When we exercise that power in public fora, we should not expect our actions to be shielded from public observation. 'Sed quis custodiet ipsos cutodes' ("Who watches the watchmen?”)."

Fantastic result and fantastic analysis in a criminal action that could have brought the defendant 16 years in prison for violating Maryland's wiretapping laws!  Indeed, the state trooper and the state's attorney who brought the case are the ones who should be jailed.

P.S.  Do they really need cop cars like this for anything other than feeding their ego?

Zany Zoe

Congress, apparently having abandoned any attempt to better its pathetic 16% approval rating, has redirected its efforts to boosting C-SPAN’s Nielsen ratings by bringing in comedian Stephen Colbert to testify on agricultural reform.

I’m a big fan of the Colbert Report – because it’s great satire. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who invited Colbert to testify before her subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugee, Border Security and International Law, obviously doesn’t understand the difference between satire and reality.  Indeed, Colbert’s sole qualification for testifying on the illegal immigration of farm workers was picking beans for a day.  No, really, I’m serious.

I could write a book about the waste of taxpayer money in such a ridiculous hearing (and to think I thought the MLB steroid hearings were a waste) and Lofgren's confused priorities. What strikes me the most about a comedian helping to set public policy, however, is the parallel to the movie Idiocracy, a comedy set five hundred years in the future where morons run the country.

Clearly, with this Democratic Congress, the future is now.

Cornucopia of Craziness

So many things to blog about, it's hard to choose just one.  Here are the nominees:

*The never-ending hypocrisy of President Teleprompter in appointing Queen Elizabeth Warren as a "special advisor" to get around a certain Senate confirmation defeat, where even the Washington Post condemns the move.

*Justice Beyer's Ice Cream saying the constitutional rights must yield to accommodate Muslim terrorists.

And, from  the local scene

*Sally Kurtz's continuing desperate plea for a do-over of her mindless "for" vote on a road widening when it should have been "no" -  despite hours of debate.


and the winner is (and it's really not crazy -just awesome) 

* "I'm exhauted of defending you, Mr.President."

Buckley Bows Out

In a noisy exit in which she expressed her clear disdain for the local political process, Susan Buckley announced this week that she will not seek a second term on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. Of course, if you have to deal with the likes of Stevens Miller and Eugene Delguadio, you’d quit, too.


Buckley certainly would have been a formidable candidate for reelection; she had great constituent service and definitely carried the appearance of a professional and intelligent politician (not to mention, she beat the pants of Mick Staton last time). Despite the loss of her professionalism and civility, it’s a welcomed development. Twice she disingenuously voted against property tax increases, stating that she did so because the increases weren’t HIGH enough.

Her departure leaves a golden opportunity for Republicans to pick up a seat on the board in the traditionally conservative Sugarland Run district. However, given that the Republicans are on track to nominate a polarizing extremist through an insular convention process, don’t expect to put this one in the “win’ column.

One Loudoun IS Dead!

Sad to see it in this shape, but . . . I told you so.

Latest Republican Loss

With Delaware Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell winning the Delaware Republican Senate primary, write off what would have been another Republican pick up.  Mike Castle, a moderate and well-respected Republican, would have kicked the tar out of the Democratic nominee Chris Coons.  Problem is that the whacked out Tea Party-ers don't care about winning. Like some Loudoun Republicans, all they care about is being "pure."  Unfortunately, that's a recipe for disaster for Delaware just like in the Nevada Reid-Angle Senate race.

This November is shaping up to be one very,very painful lesson for the Republicans

Obama Needlessly Steps into It Again

Really, does he need to get involved in this issue about the Quran burning?  I'm not saying I agree the book burning, but doesn't President Teleprompter think he should spend his time on our 10% unemployment rate and a multi-trillion dollar deficit?  And all he does by mentioning this guy is promote his platform.

And look at the hypocrisy here. Doesn't the minister have the same first amendment rights as those who are building a mosque at Ground Zero?  Apparently, Obama believes it's a one way street.

The Over-Under

The real Larry Sabato, and not Not Larry Sabato, predicts the Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House of Representatives this November.  Given that the football gambling season is upon us, I'll translate that to  "Rep +47."  As much as I'd love to see that, you can't gamble with your heart.  And my head says, "Take the under."

Twitter, Twitter everywhere

The vacation buzz now long gone, I've seen two stories today about Twitter.  One remarkable.  The other despicable.

On the remarkable side is this story about an astronaut aboard the International Space Station who shot a picture of Hurricane Earl and tweeted it back to Earth.  Some reception they get there.

On the despicable side, I saw a  headline about a Twitter hoax and thought it was about the ISS photo.  Turns out, it was a sports reporter at my least favorite publication, the Washington Pravda, who, supposedly to make a point, put out a fabricated tweet about a five-game suspension for Ben Rothlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  With reporters like that, it's no wonder the Post, and most mainstream papers, are tanking.

Vacation Mellow or Just Slow News

 My general standard for writing an article is any story that make me say to myself, "WTF?!"  I can't decide whether it's that vacation buzz or a lull in the action, but I haven't been too outraged - for a few days now.

Of course, it won't last.

Ground Zero Mosque Supporter Gone Berserk

Granted, this guy  may be an even bigger jerk than other Ground Zero mosque supporters in his cussing out an 82 year old Holocaust survivor, but his arguments are emblematic of the pro-mosque supporters' complete insensitivity to the issue.



.

Pancho Villa, the Reprise

Okay, now it's getting serious.  It's one thing if Mexico can't control their own criminals, but the firing of  bullets by feuding Mexican drug lords into El Paso government buildings requires nothing less than a swift, certain and severe military response from the United States akin to the Punitive Expedition to capture Pancho Villa who raided border towns early in the 20th century.

I'm not holding my breath.  With this administration, it's far more likely we'll invite the Mexican government build a consulate adjacent to the Alamo. Or give the drug lords US citizenship.

Carry A. Nation, the Reprise

Image via Wikipedia

For those of you too young to remember her, Carry A. Nation was a radical prohibitionist in the latter part of the 19th century famous for hacking up bars with her hatchet. She may have passed away nearly a hundred years ago, but her spirit lives on in group of Baptist ministers opposed to Gov. McDonnell's plans to privatize Virginia's government-run liquor stores.


Their arguments are as devoid of logic as Miller Lite is devoid of taste. For one, the ministers (insert gratuitous “bless their hearts” here) warn of a "lack of control" if the stores were privatized. Obviously, however, the state still controls the location of the stores not to mention the ability to tax the rot gut, so that one fails.

Their other argument is that privatization would adversely affect low income people. I don't get this one either. Last time I was in an ABC, there was plenty of Popov on the bottom shelf, not to mention Thunderbird in the grocery stores.

They didn't make the one argument that could justify greater restrictions on access to hard alcohol: increased public safety. Maybe that’s because there's no meaningful difference in the rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities between states with closely regulated, state-run alcohol distribution (such as Virginia, the Carolinas and Pennsylvania) and those with private liquor stores (California and Nevada).

The bottom line is that this renewed attempt to regulate morality is off-base, particularly here where the privatization would generate revenue we could all use, and increased access to Scotch which I could use.

Coming to a Milk Carton Near You

You have to admit that this is a pretty cool heist.  $50 million?! 

Middle East Peace, Cold Fusion and a Nationals World Series

What do they have in common?

Ain't gonna happen.

Takes more than a beer on the back porch of the White House to calm eons of hostility - and Obama sure as heck doesn't have it.  No matter what he thinks of himself.

That is One Lawsuit Crazy Administration!

Sue BP!  Sue Arizona!  Now the Obama administration has sued New Jersey - for securities fraud of all things! Apparently, every one in the state is a Tony Soprano.

In this the first lawsuit ever by the SEC against a state, the Administration settled with New Jersey for  . . .$0.  Moreover, all remedial actions had been taken by the state three years ago.  Now that was an effective use of taxpayer money.

Makes you wonder who they'll sue next.  Parents who defrauded their kids about Santa Clause?

LCRC/Loudoun Gubernatorial Appointments

So far, I’ve seen the following LCRC members appointed to board or commissions by Governor Bob McDonnell:

Randy Minchew- Counselor to the Governor

Joseph Guzman – Educational Commission of the States

Kai Zhang – Advisory Council for Career and Technical Information

David Ramadan – Board of Visitors, George Mason University

Other Loudoun residents (not sure if they are LCRC or not) appointed by the governor include:

Harold McKenzie - Virginia Horse Industry Board

Jeff Flippo - Volunteer Firefighters Service Award Fund Board

Congratulations to all. And more Loudoun residents are sure to be named as the administration fills more than 700 vacancies on state boards and commissions.

UPDATED: “I believe Muslims have the right to build a place of worship . . . on private property in lower Manhattan”

8/15 UPDATE:

Obviously yielding to the great political pressure applied by this very blog, the president now says he does not have a position on whether it is appropriate to build a mosque at Ground Zero. 


Really?  First of all, did you see his enthusiastic support stated during a Ramadan celebration of all times (see video link below)?  And why not take a position?  Not that I often look to Sarah Palin for support, but she had a good quip here:    "We all know that they have the right to do it, but should they? And, no, this is not above your pay grade."



I don't know whether to be disgusted by his cowardice or impressed by his ability to backtrack better than Michael Jackson ever did.

ORIGINAL POST:
Yet again, President Teleprompter gratuitously jumps into the middle of distinctively non-presidential issue: the building of a mosque near Ground Zero. And, yet again, he pokes a stick in the eye of all Americans. This time, counter to the opinion of 70% of Americans, he supports enthusiastically the clearly contemptuous construction of a Muslim mosque only two blocks from the site of a barbaric attack by radical members of that very religion

Certainly, America stands for the free exercise of religion. Indeed, America stands for many rights. However, just like your high school civics teacher taught, no constitutional right is absolute, and each must be exercised with due regard to the rights and sensibilities of others. The construction of the mosque at that location demonstrates an utter disregard for what that land has come to mean to all of us. It’s one thing for the Muslim builders of the mosque to ignore the concerns of others, but for the President of the United States to not only ignore them but to so unnecessarily sanction the mosque's construction, simply shocks the conscience. Indeed, his remarks in support of the mosque make little mention of the bravery of those who died there less than nine years ago, nor of the suffering of their families.

Not completely unexpected from Mr. Barack Hussein Obama, but appalling nonetheless.

Empathy? Really?

Yeah, flight attendants have SUCH a tough job.  The stress of showing people how to work a seat belt must be simply unbearable.

This article is so emblematic of the compulsion  mainstream media feels to offer  some kind of justification for the most abhorrent and aberrant conduct.

P.S.  Doesn't this picture remind you of Dick Black's facebook profile pic?

Arlington Cemetery UPDATE: Kudos to No. Va Tech Cos.

Apparently as outraged as I was by the report of the pathetic management of Arlington National Cemetery, but more active than I,  several northern Virginia technology companies have banded together to bring the cemetery's records management out of the dark ages.


Thank you, ACS, Blue Canopy, Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI, CGI, the Consumer Electronics Association, the Corporation for National Research Initiatives, CSC, IBM, Lee Technologies, MAXIMUS, Microsoft, MITRE, SoltechOne and Vistronix!

Where Do True Americans Vacation?

If you're the First Family, that is, purportedly the most American family in the country, where do you think you'd vacation?  Keep in mind that your nation is in a severe economic downturn, and any locale could use the tourism dollars.  Keep in mind, too, that your mere presence would give a lift to the entire local tourism industry.  So where do you go?

Spain, of course!  And you spend LOTS of money when you're there.

You'll recall that during the campaign, Obama's loyalty to America was questioned.  And, once again, Obama has shown he and his family care more about themselves than behaving like a real First Family should.

The Most Egregious Case of Judicial Activism Since Roe v. Wade

A travesty.  An absolute travesty.

After teasing and torturing the Constitution for 138 pages, Judge Vaughn Walker finally reached  the conclusion  that same sex marriage is guaranteed under the federal constitution.  Really?  I've read the Constitution a couple times and found nothing like that..  What did I miss?

To summarize the decision, the judge found that there was "no legitimate state interest" in banning same sex marriage and that the state was doing nothing more than legislating a moral view.  For those of you playing at home, the "legitimate state interest" standard is the lowest standard of judicial review and is extremely easily met.  Clearly, it was met on the facts before the court.

Thankfully, this is only one step in a long judicial journey.  Just like the Arizona immigration case and Cuccinelli's suit against Obamacare, we're early on in the proceedings and at least one more court will review each decsion.  But, boy, this sure has been one bad week for good jurisprudence. 

South Carolina Again Proving Itself the Wackiest Political Scene in the Country

Ah, yes, the poetry of South Carolina politics.

Chapter One:  Gov. Sanford slips off to South America to see his mistress, not telling anyone where he had gone.

Chapter Two:  Gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley called a "f***ing raghead" by a fellow Republican and state senator speaking in a live webcast.

Chapter Three:  Alvin Greene, a political nobody and welfare recipient, wins the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination without running any kind of campaign

And, now, Chapter Four, and the latest chapter in the story of Republicans eating their own: two local Republican parties designate their two-term  Republican U.S. senator persona non grata. because he's just not conservative enough for them.

 As someone at Too Conservative said about South Carolina, "Too small to be a nation.  Too big to be a lunatic asylum."

0-2 (temporarily)

I lost two early rounds in my lawsuit pick-em game.  Arizona effectively lost the first round in the challenge to its immigration verification law, and Virginia/Cuccinelli won an early victory in the suit against Obamacare.

The result in the Arizona case is no big surprise, but the win for Cuccinelli is a shocker even if only preliminary.  Ultimately, I think he still loses on the merits  (I hope he wins, but I'm being realistic).

The next big showdown will be, oddly enough, a combination of the two:  Cuccinelli's opinion on immigration checks by police.  My prediction there is that he'll be sued shortly by MALDEF, the ACLU or some other such organization and he will lose, in the short term, just as Arizona did. 

I'm doubling down with another $20.

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Disgusting Management of a National Shrine

Combine incompetence and outright fraud with nepotism and preferential contracting, and you get the shocking desecration of one of the most revered sites in American history.   In sum, the location of more than 6,000 soldiers remains buried at Arlington National Cemetery are in question because two morons were allowed to run Arlington for more than a decade without any supervision or accountability.

Both the deputy director in charge of operations, Thurman Higginbotham, and the director, John Metzler, have resigned in light of a congressional inquiry.   Metzler in testimony today gave a  conflicting and confusing account of the debacle, and, frankly, just made thing worse for himself.

Higginbotham (pictured here irreverently sitting on someone's grave), on the other hand, has taken the Fifth.  Back in 2006, however, he offered this little tidbit to Government Computer News, "My goal is ... so people can look up a grave from home and print out a map that will show exactly where the grave site is.”
 
Just don't expect the right body to be under that headstone.

"Friended" by a Politician?

So why would a 66 year old retired Marine have more friends than a goofy19 year old sorority girl?  Answer - he's a running for state senate.

Dick Black has 498 "friends" at last count.  OMG, Dick!  Who iz ur bff?

The Official End of Obamarketing

Sure, you can look at Rasmussen or Gallup, but for my money a president's popularity is best indicated by the t-shirts sold in DC airport gift shops.  And, to that end, you won't see any of the Obama logo'd t-shirts or cardboard cutouts of Barry and Michelle.  Believe it or not, they've been replaced by shirts reading, "Don't Blame Me - I Didn't Vote for This Kind of Change!"  Not an "O" in sight.
The times they are a changin'.

Dateline Reno: Angle in Self-Destruction Mode

Your intrepid reporter is on the scene in northern Nevada where the morning talk shows are running political ad after political ad.  Harry Reid v. Sharron Angle in the Senate race, and Reid's son Rory (aka The Undertaker) v. Brian Sandoval in the governor's race.  Not surprisingly, the elder Reid is hammering Angle as an extremist, quoting snippets from her speeches in which she says it's not a senators job to create jobs.  Reid, in another expected move, touts his ability to spend your tax money on Nevadans including a VA hospital in Las Vegas for the huge number of Agent Orange sufferers there (note snark)

While huge media blitzes are nothing unusual, a candidate shunning the media like an indicted Lindsay Lohan in a perp walk is something different.  Angle, at her own media event, quickly walked away from local TV reporters seeking to ask questions not answered in the press conference.   And, of course, the station would not let that one go away.

Republicans had a golden chance to oust Reid, but extremism has gotten the better of them.. After nominating a horrible candidate like Angle with misstep after misstep, you can expect the Tea Party to take a huge loss here - and, as a result,  we all get six more years of Harry Reid.

No Home for You

Embolden by the passage of legislation that will crush the banking industry, the Obama administration is moving further into state control of individual credit decisions.

The level of paternalism is simply amazing. As the Post writes, the Administration is taking it upon itself to decide “who should own a home and what the government should to do to support them.” What is even more surprising is that the people arguing for barriers are the same ones who just a few years ago were pounding on lenders to loosen underwriting standards.

Each borrower has a unique financial profile, and no government-mandated lending standards could ever address those adequately. People, as well as banks, must be allowed to seek credit and make credit decisions in accordance with their own situations, and, yes, allowed to fail in the event they make the wrong decision. This latest initiative is, like so many of these financial “reform” initiatives, nothing more than an attempt by politicians to appear responsive to the credit meltdown when, in fact, the market long ago corrected itself and will adequately balance credit risks and benefits going forward.

Unemployment Benefits and Tax Breaks: No and Yes

The unemployed already get 99 weeks - almost two years - of unemployment benefits and yet the Administration and the Democrats pound on the Republicans who say only that the $34 billion price tag on such extension should not add to a budget deficit that's already spiralling out of control.  Obama, once again, ignores those concerns, an beats his chest with threats of  "strong words" for those who would dare disagree with him.

No matter how much you may sympathize with the plight of the unemployed, being paid for sitting around for more than two years is simply ridiculous.  Well, ridiculous unless you're unemployed and not paying taxes in any event.

Here's the zinger, though.  In his weekly address, President Teleprompter had this to say, "[Republicans]have got no problem spending money on tax breaks for folks at the top who don't need them and didn't even ask for them; but they object to helping folks laid off in this recession who really do need help."

For the record I DO need a tax break and I AM asking for one!  Had I known that all I had to do was ask for a tax break, I would have done it long ago.

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Why I Won't Vote for Frank Wolf

I like Frank Wolf. He’s represented well Virginia’s 10th District and Republican causes in general. By virtually all objective measures, I should vote for him.  That is, all objective measures but one – term in office. 

He was first elected to office more than 29 years ago when Jimmy Carter was in office and the first space shuttle had yet to launch.  In fact, Mr. Wolf has now served 15 years since he signed the Contract with America and voted for a 12-year term limit for members of the House of Representatives.

I could have labeled this post I am an American before I am a Republican, Part II because the rationale is the same. Politicians and political parties have far more power than the founding fathers ever could have envisioned. Incumbents, in particular, simply have far too great an advantage and the power of the office is too intoxicating to allow anyone an unlimited number of terms. Politicians develop a sense of entitlement, and party loyalists look with great disdain on anyone who would challenge a same-party incumbent. The coercive power of incumbency genuinely distorts the democratic process, which is something the draftsmen of the Contract for America understood, and something with which Frank Wolf agreed. Well, at least, at some point.

Mr. Wolf also has shown himself to be more concerned about reelection than conservative government. He recently voted against the majority of his party and in favor of increases in pay for federal employees at a time when government spending already is running out of control. As discussed on BVBL, the 10th District has a great number of federal employees, and in voting for the pay increase, Mr. Wolf has revealed that preserving his own job is a higher priority than controlling government spending.

Sure, it would hurt conservative causes, not to mention the 10th District, if Mr. Wolf were to lose. The compelling need for term limits, however, trumps the qualifications or political beliefs of any particular candidate. A level playing field would be preferable, but Congress has proven over and over it cannot control itself by passing a constitutional amendment to limit terms. Thus, in this situation especially, if you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

I, for one, refuse to be a knowing accomplice to such political aggrandizement.

It's YOUR Fault Obama's Not Popular

Obama apologists, no longer getting any lift from blaming his predecessor for all the country’s ills, have taken a new tack. Now, they’re blaming all Americans.

Responding to a Washington Post poll that 6 in 10 Americans have no faith in the president's abilities, liberal talking-head Bill Press had this to say






The blogosphere has been all over this, prompting many great quips like
Just who do you think spoiled us? George Bush

and

Are you ready to accept your portion of the blame for Obama’s numbers?

and

Change the People!

Indeed, we rightfully should expect our much from our elected officials, particularly those who campaigned on nothing more than vague promises of  “change” and “hope.”  If we are to preserve a viable republican form of government, we must never tolerate ineptitude. We must never suffer through failed, arrogant policies. We must accept nothing less than clearly articulated and promptly executed polices for solving this country's problems.  And if you can’t govern to those expectations, get the Hell out of the way and let someone who can.

One Reason I'm Proud to be a Virginian - A Budget Surplus

Regardless of whom to credit, this is good news.  From the Washington Post:

Va. ends year with budget surplus, McDonnell confirms

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) confirmed in a radio interview Tuesday morning that the state concluded the fiscal year with a budget surplus. He told WNIS listeners in Norfolk on his monthly radio appearance that his administration would announce budget numbers tomorrow, echoing comments made last week to fellow governors during the annual meeting of the National Governors Association.

His administration has been predicting since June that year-end numbers would show that the state had returned to profitability for the year. Still, the official numbers will be comforting for officials that have spent the last year making deep cuts in the state budget to close shortfalls. "We've been able to turn it around in short order," McDonnell said during the radio program. "The good news is we've started to see a ray of sunshine. We've started to turn things around."

Granted, Virginia has some tight rules around balanced budgets, but, at least this year, it didn't involve massive tax hikes or other great gnashing of teeth.
Take that, California.

First Babs and Now the Post!

More eye-opening than the dopio macchiato I ordered at Starbucks was the headline in the newspaper below the register. At the top of the front page of the Washington Post, the headline read, “Six in Ten American Lack Faith in Obama."

The story continued, “Nearly six in 10 voters say they lack faith in the president to make the right decisions for the country, and a clear majority once again disapproves of how he is dealing with the economy.”  (Perhaps realizing it had gone too far, the online headline differed from the print edition, watered down to read, "Confidence in Obama Reaches New Low").

The fact that most Americans have no faith in President Teleprompter comes as no surprise, but that the Washington Post, of all papers, would run such a story above the fold on the front page is particularly telling. If a Democrat can maintain the support of neither Barbara Streisand nor the Washington Post, you know the wheels are really coming off.

UPDATE:  Add political heavyweight Roseanne Barr and ET (aka James Carville) to the list.

Worthless and Weak

Pardon the Animal House reference, but it fits Sen. Centerfold given his recent announcement that he will support the Barney Frank-Chris Dodd banking reform bill.

Even if he liked some provisions of the $18 billion financial reform legislation (he did, in fact vote for the original Dodd version), he had the power to demand that the Democrats remove at least some of the many ridiculous provisions of the bill. But nooo. Instead, he rolled over like puppy who wanted his belly rubbed.

When it comes to these key votes, he's as worthless as an English cookbook and as weak as a casino cocktail.

Now, drop and give me twenty!

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Hillary Lovefest

Curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on the "Next Blog" tab at the top of the page. This Hillary supporter page is what came up (the "Next Blog" link is not  static, so don't bother trying it at home).

Just had to pass on her majestic Stalinesque pose.  Suitable for framing.

Obama's Arizona Suit is a Loser in the Court of Public Opinion, Too

Half of Americans polled oppose President Teleprompter's suit challenging Arizona's immigration verification law and only 30% support it. (And that 30% ties nicely with the whopping 26% of the country that strongly believe he's doing a good job).

True leaders have the courage to make unpopular decisions and the ability to then convince others of correctness's of the decision. However, repeatedly taking major actions such as this suit and the health care entitlement program that never had, and never will have, popular support is not leadership.

It's arrogance.

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Liars, Damn Liars . . . and Disney Accountants

Remember that situation involving the author of "Forrest Gump" who was denied any royalties by the movie's producer on the basis that the film lost money? Well, here we go again with the fuzzy math of Hollywood accounting. Disney's accountants claim that Disney LOST $73 million in the three year prime-time run of ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" despite the fact that it brought in more than $1.8 billion in advertising revenue and $515 million in merchandising revenue.

Restoring some degree of faith in the justice system, the jury hearing the suit by Disney's partners aggrieved by the accounting practices awarded the partners nearly $260 million in damages.

Evil Mickey.

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Foremost priority?

Pandering to Muslim nations is the NASA leader's "foremost" priority. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e857ZcuIfnI

Actually, it's a perfect fit. The foremost priority of Muslim nations is blowing up NASA's spacecraft.

Debacle in the Desert, Part II

If there’s any suit on shakier legal grounds than Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s suit challenging Obamacare, it would be U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s suit seeking to block the Arizona immigration law.

Oddly enough, Holder does not challenge the law based on any kind of illegal discrimination. Instead, Holder claims that, despite Arizona simply questioning illegal immigrants' status and doing so at its own expense, the law somehow places greater burdens on federal agencies charged with immigration enforcement thus “diverting their resources from high-priority targets.”

If it's not enough that immigration enforcement is not among the Administration’s “high-priority targets," which is in itself a very disturbing admission, Holder adds insult to injury by grossly overstating both the Administration's efforts at border control and the impact of the Arizona law.

Oh, wait, maybe it’s just that Holder didn’t read the law yet.

Press release. http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/July/10-opa-776.html

Complaint. http://www.justice.gov/opa/documents/az-complaint.pdf

Brief in support of prelimary injunction http://www.justice.gov/opa/documents/pi-brief.pdf

Bogus Blustering of a “Brown Bailout”

Succumbing to the omnipresent banner ads warning of a "bailout” for UPS, I finally clicked on the link to learn more. Now, feeling duped and angered, I offer this commentary.

Despite the “bailout” terminology, this has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of direct financial assistance to UPS of the sort we saw with Citi or AIG. In fact, the “bailout” has nothing do with UPS at all. The legislation at issue would simply reclassify certain employees of UPS’ primary competitor, FedEx, such that it would be easier for those FedEx employees to unionize. UPS, by the way, does a great job of rebutting FedEx’s claims and setting the record straight.

I'd like to lay into FedEx for stretching the truth, but I'll focus on its motivation. FedEx’s real problem is not UPS or some kind of legislative favoritism of its competitor. Its real problem, and hence it's real motivation, is the unions. Indeed, desperate to avoid the crippling grip of unionized labor that destroyed the American auto industry, FedEx has engaged in a multimillion-dollar campaign to prevent passage of the law when, really, both UPS and FedEx should join forces and take the unions head on.

Sadly, though, that’s just not going to happen given the Democrats’ maternal protection of the unions. FedEx realized that - and cowered. In making a collateral and wildly confusing attack on UPS, FedEx ignores the economic detriment caused by these unions and, in so doing, becomes part of the problem.

Congratulations to David Ramadan!

David Ramadan, a prominent voice on the Loudoun County Republican Committee, recently was appointed by Governor Bob McDonnell to the George Mason University Board of Visitors. In the words of the Washington Post, board of visitor appointments are "the most prestigious appointments" a governor has to offer.

Congratulations, David!

. . and now back to your regularly scheduled spending

It was nice while it lasted, but the restraint of House Democrats came to an abrupt end today when they voted to increase assessments on banks by $10-$20 billion to pay for the banking reform legislation Congress is about to pass to replace the bank tax that Sen. Cosmo send he couldn't support.


I don't know who they think they're kidding. Sure, call it an assessment, but in the end it just as much a tax as any other given that the additional expenses will be passed straight through to bank customers. It is, in effect, just another tax we all end up paying.

The killer, though, is what we get for this $20 billion - a new, massive, non-functional, unaccountable banking bureaucracy. Yippee

A Rare Win for Fiscal Conservatives

All I can say is, "Wow."

House rejects extension of unemployment benefits

It must be an election year.

The Complexity of the Byrd Situation

Let me preface this by saying that I hope he makes a full recovery, but the illness of 91 year old Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia makes for interesting political fodder. If the senator were to resign by next Saturday, July 3, 2010, there would be a special election in November to fill the rest of his unexpired term. If a vacancy occurs after that date, however, the Democratic governor of West Virginia would appoint an interim replacement who would not stand for election until November 2012.

Here's the story.

Is One Loudoun Dead?

One Loudoun, a massive mixed use development along the Route 7 corridor touted as "the biggest and most integrated center in Loudoun County," broke ground in September 2007. Since then, the group behind the development has made several road improvements. But where are the buildings? The retail shops and residences we were told would be here "in the 2009/2010 timeframe" are nowhere near completion - if they have even been started.

Rumors are rampant that the deal is dead.

Well, at least we got an overpass out of it.

Tell Me Another One, Uncle Neal!

This posted by Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin on the White House blog would make even Pinocchio ashamed.

"[W]e already know that whatever bill comes to the President’s desk will end the problem of 'too big to fail.' It will end taxpayer-funded bailouts. And it will make sure that American families and businesses never have to foot the bill for the irresponsibility of Wall Street."

Sure it will. Just like the reforms passed after the bank failures of the early 1990s did, and the ones passed in early 1980s before them. However, I do agree with this part:

"If you’re a family trying to buy your first house, a parent trying to fund your child’s education, an employee trying to save for retirement, or an entrepreneur trying to expand your business, you have a stake in financial reform."

Unfortunately, though, the financial reform bill means that even those with good credit will have a more difficult time finding a loan and end up paying more for it.

Banks have repaid about 75% of TARP funds, Geithner says

Given the discussions I've had with some regarding TARP, I thought this article was particularly interesting. I  greatly fear, though, that the $700 billion that's been repaid simply will be spent again by folks like Barney Frank, as discussed in one of my posts below.

Here's the salient quote from the article:
"Mr. Geithner told a watchdog panel that banks had repaid about 75 percent of the bailout money they received, and the government’s investments in those banks had brought taxpayers $21 billion."

From the Ridiculous to the Sublime: Mexico Seeks to Join Suit Against Arizona

Apparently forgetting that it is neither part of the United States nor an American citizen, Mexico (yes, the country, and not the Richmond restaurant of the same name) has moved to intervene in a suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona challenging the Arizona law allowing police officers to inquire as to nationality. Story here

In its motion to appear as amicus curiae, Mexico contends that its diplomatic relations with the federal government should not be “frustrated by the actions of individual U.S. states.” Moreover, it contends that Mexico has a substantial and compelling interest in ensuring that its citizens illegally in the United States are treated “in accordance with federal immigration law.”

Not to get too legalistic here, but I certainly hope the court denies the motion. The idea of a foreign government intervening in a suit against an American state construing American law in an American court is almost as insane as that same government complaining that, in the end, we’re simply returning its citizens to it.

Never Miss an Opportunity to Spend

Though the discussion about the banking reform bill generally had involved the extent to which banks would be regulated, Rep. Barney Frank and Maxine Waters have the national checkbook out. Using funds that were supposed to go to TARP and be repayed by the banks, Frank and Waters want to spend another $4 billion on "mortgage relief payments to homeowners in order to defray mortgage expenses."

Stating the obvious, but this one really is just naked socialism no matter what spin Frank may put on it.

Quote of the Day

Speak not of doubt or failure. Seek earnestly the truth and already you have succeeded.

No Apology Necessary

Just like he used TARP as an opportunity to cater to the populist, anti-business sentiment by publicly berating bankers, Obama has seized upon the Deep Water Horizon tragedy to look like he "kicked ass" by calling in BP execs and extorting $20 billion from the company even as the spill, the damage and the confusion continue virtually unabated.

Of course, Rep. Barton was absolutely crucified for apologizing to a BP exec for Obama's Gestapo tactics. Indeed, with the administration's help. BP and its management have become so demonized that anything that even gets close to rational discussion of the situation is enough to get you tarred and feathered. Though Rep. Barton's original message certainly could have and should have been clearer, and he shouldn't have offered the lame apology, his point definitely is valid. It WAS a shakedown, pure and simple.

Obama politics as usual.

Great article on it here

Transportation Plan Passes Despite Odd Opposition from Stevens

On Tuesday, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved revisions to the Countywide Transportation Plan. Supervisor Stevens Miller, voting in opposition to the plan that would widen badly congested roads, offered a curious reason for his vote. As reported in Leesburg Today,

"Board Vice Chairman Susan Klimek Buckley (D-Sugarland Run) voted against the plan because she does not believe it would support the commercial tax base needed to shore up Loudoun’s economy. Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) said he felt like he couldn’t 'get to the heart of my issues' and he was being asked to trust something 'I don’t really know a lot about.'"


While I question Buckley’s veracity, Miller’s excuse for voting against the proposal is, well, inexcusable. His job is to “know” about the issues presented to the Board, make reasoned evaluations of them and act according to his conscience (and common sense). Here, though, he pleads cluelessness despite the fact that this very issue has been percolating for so long that one reason supervisors voted against it was that the CMP was now outdated. Indeed, back In July 2009, the Board extended the time for considering the proposal. That was 11 months ago.

Well, Miller may not be doing his job, but at least this time he didn’t do something really stupid - like challenge Delgaudio to a duel.

Loudoun Newspaper Merger - Good Luck. You'll Need It

Though we lose an independent editorial and reporting voice with the "merger" of these two papers, I'm glad to see that, for now, both the Loudoun Independent and the Loudoun Times-Mirror will continue to publish. I feel it's not for long, though. With any continued contraction in the print media market, the new owners likely will completely do away with one paper or the other. In fact, I'd say it's simply a matter of time until the new entity merges the two papers into one.

Best of luck to them!

President Teleprompter continues with the blame game

In a rare address from the Oval Office, our esteemed Teleprompter President simply dished out more inflammatory rhetoric . Again acting like a schoolyard punk, Obama boasts that he will "make BP pay" rather than offer any pragmatic solutions to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

All this chest beating, and still the public's assessment of his handling of the crisis continues to decline. Maybe, just maybe, it's time to work on solving the problem in cooperation with those who know most about it rather than distracting everyone with bursts of pseudo-machismo. In other words, maybe he should just start acting like a president.

ANOTHER $50 billion?!

Where to begin.

Let's see . . .

Obama rams through a $700 billion pork-laden, free-for-all-spending package under the guise of an economic stimulus, bribes his way to a $1 trillion dollar health care entitilement program, and now demands another $50 billion to pay off the teachers' unions. When will the insanity end?

Oh, wait, there's end in sight!

"'I think there is spending fatigue,' House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said recently." as quoted in the Post.

Hooray! Apparently, congressional Democrats are simply becoming too tired to cut any more checks. Maybe that's the way to the fiscal discipline Obama has promised.

Don't Cry for Me, Venezuela

Keep the day job, Hugo.

On second thought, quit the day job and give Broadway a shot. More on Hugopalooza here

In Favor of a New Third Party for Tea Party Activists

With a couple stories in local papers and the Post on the possibility of unsuccessful Republican candidates running in the general election as third party candidates, I can’t help but say I absolutely love, love, LOVE the idea of a new third party as the home (or asylum) for Tea Party activists.  All those crackpots who want to eliminate the Fed can take the militant anti-abortionists with them to their own padded room where they can fight over who is the most extreme nutball.


No doubt, Republcans would lose some votes and probably some elections, too. In the long term, though, it’s nothing but a clear win for the Republican party. A house cleaning like that would certainly make the party far more welcoming to independents and former Republicans disillusioned by party purists. I see it as a tremendous opportunity to build a stronger (and saner) political base.

With any luck, the Tea Party as a third party will arise in Loudoun, taking Dick Black as their state senate candidate and Suzanne Volpe as their chairman to start.

For some reason, I'm hearing music: "What a wonderful world it would be."

This Is Why I Don't Allow Ads

Over at Too Conservative, bless their hearts, they allow ads to be posted on their site, probably by AdSense.  AdSense, in turn, places whatever ads it wants, pretty much, which means you effectively have no control over the products, services or people appearing on your site for which you apparently vouch.

Well, there's this one that's now running on TC.  "The Patriot Majority" slams all the Republican Nevada senate candidates in what seems to be a front for Harry Reid. Keep in mind, this comes a week after a Nancy Pelosi plug also ran under the "Link" section.

I'm not one to begrudge a guy for making a buck, but when it comes at that kind of price, is it really worth it?

Dee Dee Stands for Dumb Dumb

Is every criticism of President Obama a racial slur?  Dee Dee Myers and the rest of the knuckleheads at MSNBC apparently think so.

Come on, man!.  Ooops.  No racial slur intended.

But while we're on the topic, what's up with the remark about looking for "whose ass to kick.''  Obama's obviously looking more for scapegoats than solutions.  Indeed, not once in his interview with Matt Lauer did the president give any indication that the federal government had actually offered any assistance to BP in stopping the spill.  Well, other than threatening to sue them - like that would make a difference.

In Honor of my 100th Post . . .

and as I read of so many political bloggers hanging it up, permanently or temporarily, I just had to pass this on.

Available for purchase here

New Herring Mailer

I received yesterday a "legislative update" from state senator Mark Herring touting the 10 of 17 bills he introduced that became law.  Thinking that most of these bills were probably recognition of things like the second anniversary of Velocity Five (which I very much like), I was surprised to see, after checking the list of bills for which we has the chief patron, that the bills were, in fact, substantive and his numbers were fairly accurate.  Of course, there were several fluff senate resolutions he sponsored, too, but there really weren't too many of them.  The success on those bills, coupled with his appointment by Governor McDonnell to the Technology Working Group panel, will make him a formidable opponent for any Republican challenger.

And for those Dick Black and Patricia Philllips fans, here are a couple other Herring figures that might interest you:

Number of plastic fetuses mailed to fellow senators:  0
Number of Harry Potter books sought to be banned:  0

Subsidize the Leftist Media?

I still can't believe there would ever be any serious discussion in the federal government to subsidize the media, but, sure enough, the FTC is working on a plan to raise taxes on the rest of us  to make sure that the liberal media can continue in its ways.

Keep in mind that there's more "news" out there than ever before.  It's just democratized as a result of the Internet, and, hence, the old-school media outlets have lost their oligopoly on news and opinion.

All I can say to that is "HAAAA HAAA HAAAAA HAAAA!!"

WAGE Against the Machine

And the "machine" is the idiocy of two Loudoun County supervisors, Kelly Burk and Sally Kurtz, who voted against permitting a new (and what would be the only) radio station in Loudoun County.

As quoted in the Loudoun Independent, Burk explained her opposition: “I don’t believe it is going to be local programming."

First of all, the BOS should not play FCC or program director. We need a local station, period. And though there's no guarantee that the new WAGE will touch local issues, it is certain that there won't be any local issues aired without it.

Politician Deathmatch 2010

Vying for the title Heavyweight Populist Nutball of the World, we have in the red corner, weighing in at 125 lbs, Ron Paul representing the libertarian/Tea Party movement bent on dismantling every government program ever created including the nation’s central bank. And in the blue corner, at 4’ 7”, we have Robert Reich representing the socialist movement, intent on nationalizing just about everything with profit motive including BP.

Let’s get ready to ruuuummmmbbbblle!

Ah, yes. There’s nothing like extremism begetting extremism. Triggered by Obama’s successful socialization of healthcare and overregulation of financial services, the political parties have further polarized, especially in their responses to the variety of recent crises (and perceived crises). Ironically, both movements appeal to populist sentiment. Feeding that populist beast, though, is just wrong regardless of which party serves up the red meat.

We need reasoned responses that take into account political and economic realities, and, hence, we keep the Fed just like we keep privately held oil companies. We also need to let the free market work as much as possible, which is why I support the Republican platform. But when Republican candidates like Catherine Crabhill (not that she has any chance, but it underscores my point) support the abolition of the nation’s central bank, I get concerned that conservatives will fumble the golden opportunity presented by the extremists on the left.

In other words, my fellow Republicans, be conservative, but don’t be crazy.