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May 16, 2008

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Presidential Watch

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Liberty or Despotism: Which One Will Be Victorious?

Julian Krasta, NMJ.us

The line separating decency and iniquity can be arbitrary. That line vanishes upon close inspection of the wreckage of war and those who offensively wage it.

At this moment, beneath politicians' self-serving platitudes about tax increases and troop withdrawals, exists an indissoluble fact: There are regions today where dictatorships are driven by a primordial antipathy for every soul who is not aligned with their suffocating religious beliefs; where human beings - who were formed and birthed in the same way as you and I - fall in line with those dictators in the direction of industrial genocide.

In view of this disturbing data, my own free will has become more sacred to me every day, because each day I grow a little more scared I might lose it.

It was not always like this. My generation has known tantalizingly brief moments of harmony, when the day-to-day felt as relaxing as a pair of cushy house slippers: A drive to the shore was pleasurable and trouble-free; a stroll to the grocery store after dark for milk and Oreos was never dangerous, because that imperceptible protective dome of liberty always kept us safe.

Those memories now seem like illusions, and not just to me. Happiness and peace of mind are proving harder to come by because at-hand, threats are growing louder and in greater numbers from gangs of despots and Islamic clerics who are determined to raze our temple of independence.

Hillary: I'm Here, Get Used To It: And a landslide in West Virginia doesn't hurt.

Byron York, NRO.com

If the Democratic presidential race were a runaway, if Barack Obama were, say, 1,500 delegates ahead of Hillary Clinton, then there would likely not be so many anguished cries for Clinton to quit the race.

Just look at 1992. Bill Clinton is fond of saying he didn't wrap up the Democratic nomination until June 2 of that year, when he won the California primary. That's technically true, but Clinton was the clear winner long before that. Nevertheless, former California Gov. Jerry Brown stubbornly stayed in the race, even though going into June 2, he had 388 delegates to Clinton's 2,059. (Clinton's total was, at the time, 86 short of locking up the nomination.)

Hillary Clinton's campaign, which is not only not 1,500 delegates behind Barack Obama but might, by some reckoning, catch up with him in the popular vote total - and in any event remains excruciatingly close to Obama in all measures - is different. Obama's supporters, in the campaign, in the Democratic party, and in the press are desperate for her to leave the race precisely because her support is so substantial; her continued presence is a daily reminder of how profoundly divided the party is at this moment.

Her landslide 67-26 victory over Obama in West Virginia - she won by 147,410 votes - won't change that situation. Read article.

Worst-Case Scenario
What do we lose if they instigate war against us - and we are beaten? Our first loss would be freedom; next would be our livelihoods, our homes and our families. Read article.

It's 3 A.M. in Beirut

IBD Editorials.com

A Hamas leader says Lebanon is the next in a series of Islamofascist takeovers. Is Hezbollah's stranglehold on Beirut the prelude to another war with Israel? Is this 1936 all over again?

When asked by President Franklin Roosevelt about what World War II should be called, Winston Churchill suggested it be labeled "The Unnecessary War." "There never was a war more easy to stop than that which has just wrecked what was left of the world from the previous struggle," he wrote in "The Gathering Storm."

Well, we may be about to see another one and, as in World War II, the enemy - in this case, Iran - is telling us exactly what it intends to do: wipe Israel off the map. As Hitler rebuilt the Wehrmacht, flaunting the Treaty of Versailles, Ahmadinejad builds his nukes and the missiles to carry them, in the face of ineffective sanctions. And Hezbollah wants Lebanon.

None of the remaining presidential contenders has linked Lebanon to Iraq as part of Iran and Syria's grand designs for the Middle East. The focus is on Iraq. Hillary made noises about nuking Iran if it attacked Israel, but not about forestalling the attack in the first place. McCain wants to win in Iraq. Obama wants to channel Neville Chamberlain and talk to mad Mahmoud. Read article.

I May Be Black, Mr. Obama, But You're No President For Me!

Rev. Lainie Dowell, Great American Journal.com

If it were not for a number of conservative journalists who deal with facts and not spin, many of us would have no idea what the news media are not reporting about the social, financial, academic, religious and political events upon which we are called to make informed - indeed, crucial - decisions.

After closely following the anti-American diatribes of Obama's minister, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, for decades, I believe that Obama has been groomed from childhood to be The Great Muslim Hope of taking over America. Why? Because of his own words and associations, and also because of his wife Michelle's parroted refrain of her husband's and Rev. Wright's words and sentiments. In addition, Obama, in his elite arrogance, locks people out because he believes himself to be above people.

Democrats like Obama have consistently failed to enact legislation that would alleviate many of the ills this nation has encountered. And when Black people like me tell them as much, they shout them down and make those who pull back the covers out to be "bigots," "racists," "House-Negroes," etc.

Well, my voice won't be shouted down! I may be Black, Mr. Obama, but you're no president for me! Read article.

Face it, Democrats: Barack Obama's got a growing problem with whites

Juan Williams, NY Daily News.com

Hillary Clinton down to her last straw, is making the case that she is the better candidate to run against the Republicans because, unlike Barack Obama, she can win white Democrats.

She is right. But because she is daring to touch the hot button of racial politics, she is being told to shut up or risk being charged with exploiting racial tensions for political advantage.

The facts are stubborn, however. Since his phenomenal win with 33% of the white vote in nearly all-white Iowa, Obama has been unable to get a firm grip on white Democrats. He has won a majority of these voters in only six states, the biggest of which is his home state of Illinois. Clinton has defeated Obama among white voters in key states such as California, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Exit polls show Clinton winning an overwhelming average of 57% of white Democrats since the February Super Tuesday elections.

If you think none of this is a real issue for Democrats as they try to win the White House, then listen to Republican guru Karl Rove. Citing Obama's inability to get more than 30% of Catholics or working-class white voters in a big state such as Pennsylvania, Rove recently wrote: "Defections like this elect Republicans." Read article.

McCain's Assault on Reason: Another Al Gore for president.

Roy Spencer, NRO.com

John McCain's global-warming speech on Monday made it clear that there will be no presidential candidate this year willing to question the assertion that global warming (a.k.a. "climate change") is manmade, or the assertion that we can fix global warming by passing a few laws.

Along with Clinton and Obama, McCain's proposal to attack global warming now gives voters three choices for a car color - as long as it is black. Like Clinton and Obama, McCain's proposal involves a "cap and trade" mechanism to legislatively limit CO2 emissions in the coming years, with the free market minimizing the economic damage by allowing a trading of emission credits between companies. He also includes an allowance for carbon offsets, although everyone (except Al Gore) believes this to be more smoke-and-mirrors than a real-world strategy for reducing carbon emissions.

What worries me is the widespread misperception that we can do anything substantial about carbon emissions without seriously compromising economic growth. To be sure, forcing a reduction in CO2 emissions will help spur investment in new energy technologies. But so does a price tag of $126 for a barrel of oil. Finding a replacement for carbon-based energy will require a huge investment of wealth, and destroying wealth is not a very good first step toward that goal. Read article.

My worst McCain nightmare

Richard Cohen, NY Daily News.com

Back in the year 2000, I boarded John McCain's campaign bus, the Straight Talk Express, and in a metaphorical sense, never got off. Here, truly, was something new under the political sun - a politician who bristled integrity and seemed to have nothing to hide. I continue to admire McCain for those and other reasons, but the bus I once rode has gone wobbly. Recently, it veered into the mud.

When McCain says that he is Hamas' worst nightmare, what in the world is he talking about? Almost on a daily basis, Hamas launches rockets into southern Israel, occasionally killing some poor soul. The latest victim was a 70-year-old woman. Israel usually retaliates and Palestinians - some of them just as innocent as the Israeli victim - are killed.

You would think that Israel would be Hamas' worst nightmare, but aside from the occasional - and fruitless - retaliatory raid, it cannot figure out how to stop Hamas' deadly activities. What would McCain do that Israel has not? Read article.

John McCain Profile

Mark Alexander, Patriot Post.us

Time for some "straight talk" about John McCain, who posts a solid but unflattering "7" in our ratings. That is a bit to the right of center, between Ronald Reagan and the ignoble ranks of "useful idiots.", Western apologists for socialist political and economic agendas -- essentially, advocates for Marxist-Leninist-Maoist collectivism.

For his part, McCain says, "I seek the nomination of our Party, because I am as confident today as I was when I first entered public life as a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution that the principles of the Republican Party -- our confidence in the good sense and resourcefulness of free people -- are always in America's best interests. In war and peace, in good times and challenging ones, we have always known that the first responsibility of government is to keep this country safe from its enemies, and the American people free of a heavy-handed government that spends too much of their money, and tries to do for them what they are better able to do for themselves."

OK, sounds good.

He continues, "We want government to do its job, not your job; to do it better and to do it with less of your money; to defend our nation's security wisely and effectively, because the cost of our defense is so dear to us; to respect our values because they are the true source of our strength; to enforce the rule of law that is the first defense of freedom; to keep the promises it makes to us and not make promises it will not keep. We believe government should do only those things we cannot do individually, and then get out of the way so that the most industrious, ingenious, and enterprising people in the world can do what they have always done: build an even greater country than the one they inherited."

That's the talk, but how about the walk?

McCain's Congressional record is extensive and well documented, but his history prior to being elected to Congress is certainly worth a review. Read article.

McCain's Climate 'Market'

Review & Outlook, Online WSJ.com

The latest stop on John McCain's policy tour came at an Oregon wind-turbine manufacturer, where the topic was - what else? - the Senator's plan to address climate change. This is one of those issues where Mr. McCain indulges his "maverick" tendencies, which usually means taking the liberal line. That was the case yesterday, no matter how frequently he claimed his approach was "market based."

In fact, if "the market" is your favored mechanism, Mr. McCain's endorsement of a "cap and trade" system is the worst choice for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The Bush Administration has pursued one option, which combines voluntary measures with subsidies for "clean" alternatives. Since 2001 under this approach, U.S. net carbon emissions have fallen by 3% - that is, by more than all but four countries in cap-and-trade-bound Europe.

At the other end of the market spectrum is a straight carbon tax, which would at least distribute costs more efficiently. It would also force politicians to be honest about - and take responsibility for - the true price of their global-warming posturing.

Then there's cap and trade, which Mr. McCain has backed for years and would, as he put it with some understatement, "change the dynamic of our energy economy." He noted that Americans have a genius for problem-solving but continued, "The federal government can't just summon these talents by command - only the free market can draw them out." To translate: His plan is "market based" insofar as it requires an expensive, invasive government bureaucracy to interfere with the market. Read article.

With Hillary, follow the money, Dick

Russ Vaughn, American Thinker.com

In his May 8th column, Dick Morris, who knows the Clintons well, has put forth reasons as to why Hillary won't quit the race. One is the Clintons' sense of entitlement, fueled by an overweening arrogance and disregard for the rules of fair play. Another is their past experience that has proved to them that hanging tough pays off, as demonstrated by their many past escapes from scandals that might have seen lesser mortals serving hard time.

Although Morris mentions that the Clintons don't easily part with their money, and that Hillary has personally invested millions in the campaign, he doesn't follow through to the logical reason why. As the pundits say, follow the money, Dick. Bill Clinton may be the most charismatic ex-president out there making speeches round the world and commanding unprecedented fees for doing so but does anyone really think all that money is being paid solely for Bill's charm? Do you think that Bill is globetrotting with business magnates and cutting deals with central Asian strongmen purely because of his personal magnetism? Read article.

Clinton disclosures didn't list $24 million of Bill's income

Greg Gordon | McClatchy.com

Sen. Hillary Clinton excluded nearly $24 million of her husband's earnings from Senate financial statements from 2004 through 2006, capitalizing on rules that permit senators to limit disclosures of some of their spouses' income.

Her decision, while fully consistent with Senate rules and norms, delayed the release of financial information about former President Clinton's soaring income until the couple released their tax returns in early April, under pressure from Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama. By then, about 40 states had completed their Democratic primaries and caucuses, meaning that those voters didn't get a clear look at Bill Clinton's finances.

Like Clinton, Obama listed his wife Michelle's salary and directors' fees only as ``over $1,000,'' which complies with Senate rules. Obama and his wife, a Chicago lawyer, aren't as wealthy as the Clintons, however, and their finances are less murky. Read article.

Too "Complex"?

Thomas Sowell, Townhall.com

Some people think that the reason the public misunderstands so many issues is that these issues are too "complex" for most voters. But is that really so?

With all the commotion in the media and in politics about the high price of gasoline, is there really some terribly complex explanation?

It is clear that many people prefer to blame President Bush. Others prefer to blame the oil companies, who have long been the favorite villains of the left.

Politicians understand that. Numerous times they have summoned the heads of oil companies before Congressional committees to be denounced on nationwide television for "greed," with the politicians calling for a federal investigation to "get to the bottom of this!"

If corporate "greed" is the explanation for high gasoline prices, why are the government's taxes not an even bigger sign of "greed" on the part of politicians-- since taxes add more to the price of gasoline than oil company profits do?

Whatever the merits or demerits of Senator John McCain's proposal to temporarily suspend the federal taxes on gasoline, it would certainly lower the price more than confiscating all the oil companies' profits. Read article.

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