Conservative Donnybrook

So far, since winning the Democratic nomination, Obama has made abrupt moves toward the center on civil liberties, abortion, faith-based programs, welfare, gun control, and the death penalty. Have I left anything out? Iraq, you say? Surely, as the centerpiece of the Obama campaign has been his insistence on a 16-month timetable for withdrawal, he wouldn’t flip-flop Iraq? Yes He Can! Well you see, of course, changing facts on the ground, and the assessment of his commanders, and facts that may become available to the Commander in Chief that he could not have known mumble mumble mumble… 

This actually getting embarrassing. Obama’s been telling us that the country’s ready for a realignment, but he didn’t mention that the grand political realignment would be that of Barack Obama himself, lurching rightward with whiplash-inducing suddenness. But we know that Obama is a deft if not ruthless politician, so isn’t exactly surprising. However, might all this be a little too deft, and risk alienating his most committed supporters, while leaving himself seeming unprincipled and capricious to the broader electorate? 

But all this centrism and triangulating is, in fact, a proven winner, is it not? Who, hardnosed Dems ask, wants another Dukakis or Mondale? Eyes on the prize: the Third Way leads to the White House! But remember that Clinton ran as a centrist during the primaries, when it actually took some courage to do so. (Obama: More Slippery than Clinton!) And Obama’s supposed to be the Left’s Reagan, bringing the entire nation around to his program through force of his savvy, optimism, and a unique historical moment, right? But lately he’s seemed less Reagan than Romney.

UPDATE: Kaus/Bloggingheads on Obama versus Clinton.

UPDATE: Bacevich on Obama, Bush, and Iraq.

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While I’m on the subject of Canada, ABC News published this story about Corey Glass, who deserted his unit in 2006 after complaining of stress and receiving a leave stateside from the Iraqi theater. He dodged the Army for eight months and then crossed the border into Canada. It turns out, the Canadian government has elected to deport Mr. Glass after requesting status as a refugee from the United States. Ironically, the Army doesn’t care; he received a general discharge under honorable conditions in December 2006.

Astoundingly (and outrageously), even though the discharge is a less than an honorable discharge, Mr. Glass remains eligible for many veteran benefits. Even though, he left his unit while his brothers-in-arms were engaged in combat operations, the taxpayers of this country may be saddled with paying his education through the G.I. Bill.

According to Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb, “”Most deserters are discharged administratively and not court-martialed. If someone deserts and that’s their only offense, we’re not going to send someone out to find you.” In 2006 alone, there were 3,301 deserters from the Army - soldiers that may still receive benefits.

On the bright side, even though “Canadians overwhelmingly support giving American deserters refugee status,” and the Canadian Parliament voted to grant refugee status to American skulkers, Prime Minister Harper has, to his credit, “overlook[ed] the resolution.”

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Two stories caught my eye today.

In the first, it appears that Canadians have been taken in by Obama’s squishy message of hope you can believe in, whatever that means. Apparently, Canadians believe in it even though Obama’s trade policy would play havoc with the Canadian economy. Meanwhile, the Mexicans, showing a level of intelligence orders of magnitude higher than the Canucks are skeptical of Obama’s risky trade schemes. Of course, it may well be that Canadians, like American workers, are losing jobs to Mexico and they view a little protectionism as a good thing.

Of course, Canadians (and Brazilians) might be forgiven for being sucked in considering that Obama’s official trade stance consists of a load of double-speak. On the one hand, there’s this:

Fight for Fair Trade: Obama will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. He will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that fail to live up to those important benchmarks. Obama will also pressure the World Trade Organization to enforce trade agreements and stop countries from continuing unfair government subsidies to foreign exporters and nontariff barriers on U.S. exports.

(emphasis added). I read this to mean that Big Government, Leftist, anti-freedom regulation is coming to a country like yours, Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie through the use of multinational, unelected organizations.

On the other hand, there’s this:

Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement: Obama believes that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. Obama will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.

On this, the Mexicans are right. Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie, you’re about to be screwed as tariffs and duties are placed on the goods that flow from your country into the United States.

Although it appears that Obama opposes NAFTA from the statements above, his next statement belies that notion:

Improve Transition Assistance: To help all workers adapt to a rapidly changing economy, Obama would update the existing system of Trade Adjustment Assistance by extending it to service industries, creating flexible education accounts to help workers retrain, and providing retraining assistance for workers in sectors of the economy vulnerable to dislocation before they lose their jobs.

As I read this, it looks like a government give-away to people who are retooling to be trained in service jobs (read: “would you like fries with that?”). Of course, what retraining is required to take a job flipping hamburgers or greeting customers to Wal-Mart?

In stark contrast, John McCain is unequivocally in favor of free trade, scoring a 100% mark from the CATO Institute on the issue.

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The Colombian military continued their string of stunning defeats of the FARC terrorist with the freeing of several hostages, including three Americans and French-Colombian Ingrid Bentancourt today.  This year alone top FARC leaders have been killed, over a thousand former terrorists have surrendered and secret documents have been seized.  FARC is dying out.

All of this comes as a direct result of the United States’ intervention in the South American nation.  Far from direct U.S. combat roles, American soldiers have trained, equipped and funded the Colombian military for years and results are finally beginning to show.  The impact has been so large that former FARC terrorist  Diego Canizares commented “If it keeps up like this, in two years the guerrillas will disappear completely.”  The series of victories could not have happened without U.S. intervention.  Terrorist attacks are down, funding for FARC is at an all time low and defeat seems imminent. 

President Alvaro Uribe has made the destruction of FARC a top priority.  So far he has achieved more than any of his predecessors over the past 44 years.  A fine job he has done.

This is just another example of the positive role the United States can play in our hemisphere.  I have said it before and I will say it again: the United States ought to spend more time and resources with our neighbors.  The United States of America is great, imagine what a free and democratic American hemisphere could be.  The time has come for an economic as well as military Monroe doctrine to take hold.

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A recent advertising circular which was sent to Scottish homes has Muslim knickers in a bunch. Of course, that is nothing new - Muslims appear to be the most easily offended group of people on the planet, rioting over cartoons, for instance. Just wait until Rebel, the recruit-in-training, pokes his nose under some woman’s burka because she’s laden with high explosives - it will be accounted a religious hate crime and the fur will really fly then. If there were ever a reason to take a hard look at immigration policies in the United States, this might give one pause about whom we allow into this country.

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Obama has come out in favor of expanding faith-based initiatives. Rod Dreher conducts a thought experiment:

But here’s something worth considering. Obama has recently declared himself opposed to the attempt to amend California’s constitution, or the U.S. Constitution, to ban same-sex marriage. …Anyway, here’s the thing. If gay marriage gets read by SCOTUS into the US Constitution as a fundamental civil right, as Obama no doubt wishes, I’m pretty sure that no religious organization that adheres to the traditional Christian/Jewish/Muslim teaching about same-sex marriage will be eligible to receive taxpayer funds as part of any faith-based initiative. So his proclamation today that he will support and expand federal funding for faith-based initiatives would, in that case, mean that he would in effect support federal funding for liberal faith-based groups only. The only churches, synagogues, etc., that would be eligible to receive federal funds would be those that have abandoned traditional teaching on homosexuality. Right?

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The Anglican church has a problem: Dr. Rowan.  Yet he is not the underlying problem, just its very visible face.  For years the church has been split between well intentioned and so-called “conservatives” and the Christian-lite “liberals” led by Dr. Rowan and brought into scrutinizing light by the elevation of bishop Gene Robinson.

Some parishes around the world have responded to the dismantling of orthodox ideals by calling for a conservative Anglican council.  The newly created council will teach seminarians, interpret biblical texts and issue proclamations on dogmatic issues.  Not a break from the Anglicans, but a “church within a church.”  While the desire to resist Dr. Rowan and his company’s brand of liberal theology is understandable, the decision to remain a church within a church fails to correct the root of the Anglican problem. 

When the prodigal son had enough of the world’s wicked ways did he forge a new way, keeping vestiges of a failed philosophy?  No, he returned to that which he first, erroneously, separated himself from: his roots, symbolized by his father.  So too should the prodigal church return to her roots: The Roman Catholic Church.  Much time has passed since the wicked and heretical King Henry VIII seized control of God’s Church on Earth.  The political and theological hegemony once emanating from Rome is no more.  No longer does the Roman Catholic Church rule the land with a shepherd’s crook and a crown and She has no desire to return to those days.  Her focus is now solely on souls.  Created by God for God’s people, it is time the rightly angered Anglicans came home. 

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With a cloud of labor disputes starting to grow over the NFL the league’s Commissioner, Roger Goodell, is not afraid to make his position known on controversial labor matters. Speaking earlier today, Commissioner Goodell called the NFL’s current rookie pay scale “ridiculous.” For those of you who are not familiar with this scale, it guarantees rookies who have just been drafted more money than individuals drafted in their same spot the year before. In the end this means that top rookies are getting paid over $50 million, most of which is guaranteed, despite the fact they have never played a down in the league. The fact that Commissioner Goodell acknowledges this problem and is actively seeking to remedy it, warms my heart. I know that the NFL is in good hands for the years to come. Now I only wish the NHL had found a Commissioner with half the ability of Commissioner Goodell.

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The Supreme Court has ruled that every American citizen in good standing has the right to keep and bear arms!  The court was split 5-4 thus proving that common sense is just barely common.

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The King will not abdicate his throne!  AB has indicated they will reject the invasion of InBev! Yet the war has just begun.  The devilish Belgian beer giant may take their battle to the shareholders.  Resist, citizens of AB, the future may be in your hands! 

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After years of delighting even the hippest hip-hopper in the Beltway, the Federal Jazz Commission, or FJC for short, played their last tune.  The band was a staple at my favorite watering hole in DC, Colonel Brook’s Tavern.

Many a days after (sometimes instead of) my law school classes I would head across the street to enjoy a few pints.  On select days the FJC would set up shop and bellow out some of the best jazz that side of the Misssissippi!  Young and old, black and white;  From law students to ex-Watergate scandal perpatrators, everyone loved this band.  But the years have caught up with some of the members (Commissioners, as they call themselves) and they now seek warmer (and safer) pastures in Florida.

Thank you, Commissioners, for all the entertainment and fantastic music you provided over the years!

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If you need a reason to steer clear of the Democratic National Convention, here’s one.

It appears the Dems have taken a strong stand against fried food, banning it from their convention. As they pillage the local countryside in search of local-grown organic ingredients for their comestibles, they have mandated a color palette of at least three reds, greens, yellows, blues/purples, and whites in each meal.  Significant for their absence are the blacks and browns, which have been disenfrenchfried.

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I was introduced to thie video by a co-worker.  It demonstrates how one state senator’s faith in Obama is baseless and utterly unfounded.

H/T KS

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In the wake of Obama’s decision to break a pledge by eschewing public financing, David Brooks demolishes the popular image of Obama-as-starry-eyed-idealist, and argues that, in fact, he is a politician–in fact, a particularly cynical and even ruthless one.

And then on Thursday, Fast Eddie Obama had his finest hour. Barack Obama has worked on political reform more than any other issue. … In February 2007, he challenged Republicans to limit their spending and vowed to do so along with them if he were the nominee. In February 2008, he said he would aggressively pursue spending limits. …

But Thursday, at the first breath of political inconvenience, Fast Eddie Obama threw public financing under the truck. In so doing, he probably dealt a death-blow to the cause of campaign-finance reform. And the only thing that changed between Thursday and when he lauded the system is that Obama’s got more money now.

Brooks could have bolstered his argument by adding that Obama’s image as a post-racial healer is just as fraudulent as the idea that he’s a high-minded idealist. On this subject see an eye-opening TNR piece by Cinque Henderson from back in May: Continue Reading »

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Six human feet, one left and five right, have washed ashore on British Columbia’s pacific coast over the past year.  All of the wandering soles have been encased in running shoes.  No other body parts have been found.  The disturbing and mystifying recurrences has Canadians whispering of serial killers, mafia hits and tragic accidents. 

DNA evidence has been collected on all of the floating feet but no matches to missing persons or unsolved deaths materialized.  To date, police are stumped.  The FBI has offered to lend the RCMP a hand.  Canadian authorities have refused, citing an already staggering abundance of appendages on the ground!

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My new hometown in Northwestern Illinois is right on the Mississippi River. With the amount of rain we have been getting the river has risen up and drowned almost all riverfront property. Fortunately, there is a steep incline from the river into town and no further flooding has occurred yet. The good people of Ceder Rapids, Iowa have not been so fortunate. Thank goodness no one has died since the residents had the good sense to evacuate when told to do so. I wonder though, when will the Federal government start being blamed for property damage and not stepping in sooner to stop the flooding?

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The host of Meet the Press died suddenly today of a heart attack at age 58.
May he rest in peace.

WAC

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Well, maybe its just ABC’s viewer ratings.  In September, the American Broadcasting Company will begin airing a propaganda series titled “Earth 2100.”  The series will chronicle how the destruction of the world, particularly America, will unfold over the next 90 years. 

From man-made climate change (which appears to be no more than a myth) to devastating wars (we are currently in an unparallel period of a global lull in wars); ABC seeks to convince YOU that the sky is falling.  Unless we convert to solar power, eat wheat grass and make our clothes out of renewable hemp the world is doomed.

This sort of Chicken Little mentality does nothing to help the true problem; humanity has lost its way.  We have little left to conquer of this planet; we are convinced we know everything there is to know about life on Earth.  This, not the fallacy of certain doom, is our problem.  The false pretense of absolute knowledge is public and personal enemy number one.  Overcome the belief that Man is the end-all be-all of the entire universe and we will find that mysteries and knowledge we have yet to imagine await our species for eternity. 

Or, if you believe ABC, wear hemp, eat all organic, drink wheat grass and only use solar power and MAYBE you will survive for the next 90 years.  I say smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em

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The Irish have voted to retain their sovereignty.  The vast majority of the working class and farmers on the Emerald Isle flocked to precincts to lodge their dissatisfaction with the breadth of the Lisbon accord.  Fearing a loss of control in the areas of taxes, immigration, social and moral laws, the EU juggernaut was defeated.

Way to go Ireland!  Maintain your sovereignty.  By all means, engage in free trade but don’t sell your soul for a pittance.

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A Belgian brewer has made an audacious solicitation to buy out the King of Beers, his royal highness, Budweiser (ala Anheuser-Busch)!  Executives at the Saint Louis based brewer of dreams and delights are considering the bid of over $65.00 per share.

Could it be?  Will the King forsake his people?  Will my beer become (gulp) Euro Trash?   Oh Lord, say it ain’t so!

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