What A Difference A Year Makes
Dec 11, 2009 Political
It has been a year since Barack Obama won the national election by a pretty good margin by running on his I am not Bush and Hope and Change platform. People were thrilled with him. Blacks were able to ignore his shortcomings and vote for him because he is a Democrat and he is black and the youth were able to vote for him because he promised to give them everything.
The shininess has worn off Obama and now that the newness has worn off people are able to see that he is nothing more than a typical politician. He promised transparency but has not been transparent about very much. Health care is debated behind closed doors and not on CSPAN as he promised. His personal records are locked up tighter than a gnat’s behind and he has followed many of the things that George W. Bush did, much to the displeasure of his base.
Obama is a man child who is trying to do a job for which he is unqualified and lacks experience to do. He is doing that job the Chicago way and turning DC into a bigger thug infested rat’s nest than it was before he arrived.
Any wonder why some folks are beginning to express displeasure and wishing that Bush were still president? A new poll shows that 44% of respondents wish Bush were still president.
Perhaps the greatest measure of Obama’s declining support is that just 50% of voters now say they prefer having him as President to George W. Bush, with 44% saying they’d rather have his predecessor. Given the horrendous approval ratings Bush showed during his final term that’s somewhat of a surprise and an indication that voters are increasingly placing the blame on Obama for the country’s difficulties instead of giving him space because of the tough situation he inherited. The closeness in the Obama/Bush numbers also has implications for the 2010 elections. Using the Bush card may not be particularly effective for Democrats anymore, which is good news generally for Republicans and especially ones like Rob Portman who are running for office and have close ties to the former President.
Given that the Democrats were in charge of the nation when it went to hell (don’t fall for the “Republicans were in charge when things went bad” meme) and that they were responsible for ignoring the warning signs it is no wonder that people long for the days when the adults were in charge.
This number will get larger once inflation arrives and the economy fails to make any real improvement. The elections of 2010 are 11 months away but it is not looking good for the party that has been in power for the last three years.
Stubborn Facts has posters of who we really miss.
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Tags: Bush, Democrats, economy, inflation, miss me yet, Obama
Obama Invokes Executive Privilege; Where Is The Outraged Left?
Dec 3, 2009 Political
When George Bush was president there was a trumped up scandal involving a faux undercover CIA agent and her wanna-be ambassador husband. The entire “scandal” was called Plame Gate after Valerie Plame, the CIA agent who was not covert but acted like she was a secret squirrel. There was also a so called scandal involving Bush’s dismissal of several US Attorneys, an act that was completely within his power as president (and something Clinton did as well).
Several of President Bush’s aides and Vice President Cheney were subpoenaed to appear before Congress (with regard to these and other incidents) and explain themselves but their boss declined invoking executive privilege (though he offered limited access). The Democrats were livid and the leftist blogosphere went nuts with visions of people being “frog marched” out of the White House. Here is what Democrat Henry Waxman had to say about the executive privilege claim in the Plame case:
The claim of executive privilege is ludicrous.
We are not seeking access to the communications between the Vice President and the President. We are seeking access to the communications between the Vice President and FBI investigators. The Vice President talked with the FBI investigators voluntarily and he did so knowing that what he said could be disclosed publicly in a criminal trial. Mr. Fitzgerald told us that “there were no agreements, conditions and understandings” that limited Mr. Fitzgerald’s use of the interview in any way.
This unfounded assertion of executive privilege does not protect a principle; it protects a person.
The President is wrong to shield Vice President Cheney from scrutiny. In our system of government, even the Vice President should be accountable for his actions. [from an above linked article]
Here is the big question. Where is Waxman and where are the other Democrats who had their panites in a wad over this incident now that Barack Obama has invoked executive privilege. Yep, Obama has said that his Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers, will not appear before Congress to provide information on how two people were able to get into the White House without an invitation. Congress wants her to appear and she was in the middle of the episode but Obama said she will not appear.
Earlier Wednesday at his regular briefing with reporters, Mr. Obama’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said Ms. Rogers would not testify. “I think you know that, based on separation of powers, staff here don’t go to testify in front of Congress,’’ he said. “She won’t — she will not be testifying in front of Congress.’’ Jammie Wearing Fool
It appears as if Gibbs is saying that the rules that Waxman and others wanted applied to Bush do not apply to Obama.
Where are you liberals? Where is your outrage? Where is Henry Waxman discussing the “unfounded assertion of executive privilege” and admonishing Obama on how our government works?
The liberals seem to be fairly silent on this and feel that Obama is within his right to keep Rogers from testifying. Personally, I believe that Bush was within his right and that Obama is as well. There is established law to support the decisions each of them made in US v. Nixon which limits executive privilege claims only during criminal proceedings.
That case dealt with people who were subpoenaed. I don’t think Rogers has been subpoenaed yet. Her presence was requested and Obama refused. A subpoena might come next but I doubt Obama would honor it.
In any event, I never blew a gasket over Bush’s refusals, the liberal left (but I repeat myself) did. So, where are they now?
Some much for transparency. So much for an end to politics as usual. They said if I voted for McCain I would get four more years of Bush.
It is beginning to look like that is party true. Of course, I would love to hear the liberals chime in on this. You can be sure that some will comment and justify this behavior. They seem to be able to justify everything that they so vehemently opposed when Bush was in office. Hell, they might even blame this on Bush since that seems to be the way the Democrats address everything.
As an aside, if the government panel’s recommendations on breast cancer screening had been made (and followed) 20 years ago Rogers might not even be here. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, when she was 44 years old. That is six years before the new recommendation. Under Obamacare, she might not be living through this mess. I’m glad she was able to get it diagnosed and has survived it.
Sources:
Commentary Magazine
Jules Crittenden
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Tags: Bush, Congress, desiree rogers, Obama, party crashers, Plame, subpoena, waxman
Commander In Chief Visits Fort Hood Wounded
Nov 10, 2009 Political
The only problem is that it was the former Commander in Chief and not the current one. While Fort Hood is picking up the pieces and soldiering up, while the FBI is finally investigating the shooter’s ties to terrorism (and yes, there are ties), Barack Obama has not visited the wounded. He has yet to even visit the post (he is scheduled to saunter in today).
President George Bush and his wife Laura went to Fort Hood for a private visit with those wounded by the first Islamic terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. George Bush always cared about the troops and often visited with them at Walter Reed.
The Bushes entered and departed the sprawling military facility in secret, having told the base commander they did not want press coverage of their visit, a source told Fox News. Fox
I know that running this country is a full time job but it seems to me that Obama could make an effort to get to Hood quickly to visit with the wounded and reassure the families of the dead. Let his Chicago thug buddies call up and ask him to make a pitch for the Olympics and he is on Air Force One jetting halfway around the world. When Michelle decides it is time for her date he hops on our plane and takes her to New York.
Let an Islamic terrorist kill American soldiers at the largest military base around and he fails to post.
And people wonder why the military has little use for this guy. The military, by and large, loved George Bush because he respected them and led them. He certainly did not leave them hanging for reinforcements while he stuck his wetted finger in the political wind to see what to do.
Bush was genuine and this idea is just reinforced by his visit to the wounded at Hood.
There should be no doubt by now that Hasan had ties to radical Muslims (who are praising what he did) and that he was making contact with al Qaeda sympathizers (and possibly members). His murder spree was motivated by his religion which makes him an Islamic terrorist. Yes, the government and the media tried to steer everything away from that fact but the evidence is mounting up and that can only mean the biggest terrorist attack on a US military base, in the US, happened on Obama’s watch and it was conducted by a guy who supported Obama.
The guy who did it was not a right wing conservative, or as Napolitano would put it, a domestic terrorist, but instead by a radical Muslim.
We are being told not to jump to conclusions (like say, Obama saying the police acted stupidly) and that there is a worry about backlash against Muslim soldiers. I don’t see that backlash taking place. The only soldiers who were targeted were non Muslims.
And they were attacked by a radical Muslim.
George Bush has been out of office for 11 nearly 11 months but he went to visit the wounded.
Maybe Obama had a tee time that kept him from paying a visit…
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Tags: Bush, fort hood, laura bush, Muslims, Obama, radicals, terrorist, visit the wounded
Thanks To Bush The Bad Guys Are Getting Caught
Oct 12, 2009 Political
The Patriot Act was enacted after 9/11 to provide law enforcement with a means to track those who would do us harm. There are many aspects to the PA and some of them are not very controversial. There are however, some items which remain controversial to this day (and some parts have been ruled unconstitutional). Democrats voted for the Patriot Act when Bush was President but later claimed that it infringes on the rights of American Citizens. Democrats are particularly worried about roving wiretaps which allow the government to monitor communications between suspected terrorists. The wiretaps (in various forms) have been used for decades by Presidents from both parties and the courts have ruled that they are legal and do not violate Fourth Amendment rights, a fact on which Al Franken was recently schooled.
Now that they are in charge of everything Democrats are taking a closer look and deciding that the things they opposed are not so bad after all. The Obama Justice Department has asked that three controversial items in the PA be reauthorized (they are scheduled to expire at the end of the year).
The three portions relate to roving wiretaps, seizing business records and monitoring suspected “lone wolf” terrorists.
“We also are aware that members of Congress may propose modifications to provide additional protection for the privacy of law abiding Americans,” Mr. Weich wrote. “Therefore, the Administration is willing to consider such ideas, provided that they do not undermine the effectiveness of these important authorities.” Washington Times
Perhaps the Democrats had a change of heart now that law enforcement agencies have uncovered terrorist plots by using the techniques they long opposed. Because of the PA, terrorists were found and arrested. A few of them tried to detonate phony bombs (provided by undercover law enforcement officers) to blow up buildings. Imagine the hit this country would have taken had these guys been successful.
Maybe that was not enough to sway them. Perhaps it is the arrest of a nuclear engineer who was working at a nuclear research center. The 32 year old man was arrested along with his brother after it was discovered that he was passing lists of potential targets to al-Qaeda members in North Africa. The pesky PA helped to catch them:
US monitors picked up the exchange between the scientist and his contact in the militant group, known as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. The north African group regularly targets government and security forces in Algeria, and occasionally attacks foreigners. Guardian
Whatever the reason, the Democrats seem more willing to reauthorize the PA, including the controversial portions, by the end of the year.
There is no guarantee that they will be reauthorized but members who opposed the re-authorization must now be considering it given the recent arrests.
Interestingly, most of them supported it and then opposed it later when people began complaining about violation of rights. The PA is specific about who may be surveilled and under what circumstances and the courts have ruled these methods legal but Democrats saw a way to bash Bush. Their actions are no different than with the war on terror. Most of them voted for it and later said they were tricked by Bush, a man they believe to be dumb. The switch was politically motivated and put their desire to win above the safety of the nation.
I am not worried about the PA. If they reauthorize it fine and if they do not, fine though they will be making us less safe. I do not live in an area considered to be a high value target so I will not likely be affected.
Those who do will suffer should plots like those that were recently uncovered be successful. Members of Congress have to see this but then again they have a skewed idea about safety. They work in secure buildings that are guarded by armed officers and the air space around them is guarded by anti aircraft systems.
They will likely not suffer should they decide to make America less safe.
And that, is a shame.
Perhaps Bush should have gotten that Peace Prize. Not only did he hope to make us safe, he actually did…
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Tags: Bush, Congress, constitution, patriot act
Obama Should Blame Bush Again
Sep 30, 2009 Political
Barack Obama has taken every opportunity to blame George Bush for anything that goes wrong. Obama blames the economy on Bush and since he was president when it happened he has some of the blame but there is plenty to go around and a lot of it goes to the Democratic Congress and those who allowed people to borrow money when they had no hope in hell of paying it back.
Obama made a promise to close Gitmo and he will likely not be able to keep that promise so he, you guessed it, blamed it on Bush. It seems that Bush never told him how hard it would be or did not keep good records or [fill in the blank] just as long as you know it is Bush’s fault.
There is one thing that Obama should blame on Bush and that is the recent arrests of terrorists who were well on their way to perpetrating the biggest terror attack on American soil since 9/11. Yes Bush is to blame because of the Patriot Act that he signed into law. That Act allowed the terrorists to be caught on the roving wiretaps. That Act allowed the FBI to track Najibullah Zazi when he went to Pakistan and received instructions on making a bomb.**
Yes, Barack Obama and the United States owe a debt of gratitude to George Bush for the Patriot Act and those who complained about it should be thankful that the attack was thwarted despite their opposition.
Obama and his people should think carefully before they dismantle the Patriot Act and they should think long and hard before deciding on another course of action.
When it comes to this incident of capturing terrorists before they could execute their evil plan I have one thing to say.
It is Bush’s fault they were caught.
Source:
Washington Examiner
**Commenter Darrel note they were able to do this before the patriot Act. Upon further review, I was not clear as to how the Patriot Act assisted. The linked article indicates; “Nine pages of handwritten formulas for homemade explosives, fuses and detonators were later found on his laptop, e-mailed from an Internet account originating in Pakistan, court documents charge. This is exactly the kind of foreign communications the Patriot Act was designed to intercept..”
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Tags: Bush, evil, Obama, patriot act, Terrorism