Here’s a video giving us a timeline of what happened when in the story of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac collapse. Take special note of who was for regulation and who was against it.
Some more of "change" in the Obama administration that I’ve been saving up for a few weeks.
"Capturing or killing Osama bin Laden" used to be "a critical aspect of stamping out al Qaeda". Now he just needs to be "pinned down" or just kept "on the run". Some of this "change" Obama speaks of apparently means change from his campaign rhetoric. (H/T Don Sensing.)
Two years ago, Obama called the expansion of coal-fired electricity his "worst nightmare". Two weeks ago, Obama’s choices for both the EPA and the Energy Department described the industry as "vital" and coal as a "great natural resource". The environmentalists are not happy at this "change".
In spite of Obama’s promise to severely reduce or eliminate the influence of lobbyists in Washington, Harry Reid said that Obama would be meeting with lobbyists and him, where the president would be doing business with them. Reid said, "And there’s nothing wrong with that." I happen to agree with Reid (petitioning the government is a right, though it can, like anything, be misused), but Obama’s promises like this keep falling by the wayside. (H/T Q & O.)
Hmm, wonder if I should rename this feature "StillTheSameWatch"…
It’s been said that George W. Bush squandered the goodwill we had immediately after 9/11. Matthew Kaminiski writing in Forbes last month, however, brings another perspective as we begin the Obama administration; don’t mistake sympathy with pro-Americanism.
One hates to spoil a good party, but here’s a bet that’s far safer these days than a U.S. Treasury bill: Even with Obama at the White House, they won’t really like us any more than before.
No "He’s not my President" stuff from Republicans, but Democrats couldn’t resist one last childish outburst.
The crowd packed on the west side of the Capitol grounds serenaded President Bush in mocking fashion when he took to the inaugural stage alongside Vice President Dick Cheney.
"Nah nah nah nah, hey hey, good-bye," a section of the crowd chanted.
At least according to the incoming President Obama. Charles Krauthammer explains, but I just have the bullet points here to get you to "Read the Whole Thing"(tm). All lines below are quotes from the article.
The upshot?
Which is why Obama is consciously creating a gulf between what he now dismissively calls "campaign rhetoric" and the policy choices he must make as president. Accordingly, Newsweek — Obama acolyte and scourge of everything Bush/Cheney — has on the eve of the Democratic restoration miraculously discovered the arguments for warrantless wiretaps, enhanced interrogation and detention without trial. Indeed, Newsweek’s neck-snapping cover declares, "Why Obama May Soon Find Virtue in Cheney’s Vision of Power."
Another "Now They Tell Us" moment in the mainstream media. All the anger and disdain thrown at Bush, figuratively here and by a certain Iraqi reporter there, is over ideas and policies that the incoming administration has show it’ll be slow to dismantle. Those policies have indeed kept up safe for the 7 years since 9/11.
No, the ends do not at all justify the means. But for some of us, these were just wars. For others, neither Afghanistan nor Iraq were just, and the reflexively anti-war crowd will continue to push Obama, as they did Bush, to just do whatever our enemies want so they won’t get angry with us. Or perhaps isolate them, which "worked" so well for the 70+ years of aggressive communism in the Soviet Union. That even failed miserably with Hussein’s Iraq, with our own "allies" funneling aid to them through the back door.
No, George W. Bush kept us safe, and, despite the rancor and alarmism, without shredding the Constitution or civil liberties. Obama played on the fears of his supporters long enough to get elected President, but the time has come for action, and before you judge the actions of his predecessor, see what his actions are. That will speak louder to the success or failure of George W. Bush than any pundit’s pen can write.
With all the promises of change that Barack Obama got his supporters to believe, we’re now finding out that "promises" are more like "goals". Or perhaps "hopes".
Close Gitmo on the first day in office? First week? First 100 days? Well, technically, he may only issue an order to do it soon, but it’s "a challenge" to even close it within the first 100 days. The ACLU wants a timetable. Good luck with that.
"That’s a challenge," Obama said on ABC’s "This Week." "I think it’s going to take some time and our legal teams are working in consultation with our national security apparatus as we speak to help design exactly what we need to do."
It’s not as easy as some on the Left expected it would be. The "Reality-based community" finds that facing reality isn’t what they thought it would be.
Iraq withdrawal within 16 months? Well, Biden has said that they’re going to follow the Bush plan instead. Additional take on this and all the Iraq issues at RedState.
Universal Health Care is being back-burnered. Indeed, the economic crisis should be one of the top priorities, but I thought this whole scheme was supposed to save us all money. If it’s such a win-win for the economy and health care, why delay? Hmmm. (Perhaps it has something to do with how poorly UHC is working in places like Massachusetts?)
No lobbyists serving in policy areas they have worked to influence in the past year. So then, September 2008 is technically last year.
Interrogation techniques that Obama campaigned against may actually get a new lease on life. Newsweek tells us:
Dick Cheney, who will step down as vice president on Jan. 20, has been widely portrayed as a creature of the dark side, a monstrous figure who trampled on the Constitution to wage war against all foes, real and imagined. Barack Obama was elected partly to cleanse the temple of the Bush-Cheney stain, and in his campaign speeches he promised to reverse Cheney’s efforts to seize power for the White House in the war on terror.
It may not be so simple
This could be another entry in my "New They Tell Us" category. This was so simple during the campaign, but now they tell us it’s complex. Nuance, anyone?
All this added to Obama’s waffling on tax cuts, windfall profits taxes on Big Oil, and FISA. Now, I have no illusion that Obama has become some sort of bedrock conservative (though he’s been seen in the company of some), and we’re still likely to see many a liberal policy enacted. However, underneath all this complaining by the Left that the new boss seems the same as the old boss is one thought; maybe the old boss got some things right.
Nancy Pelosi has approved new rules for the House that will keep the old boy (or girl) network firmly in place. In 1995, when the Contract With America propelled Republicans into Congress, one of the points of the contract was to limit the terms of committee chairs so that you remove the ability of one Representative to rule the roost until they retired or died. This reduces the opportunity for corruption to build up over time or last for decades. It brings in new blood to bring new eyes to the issues.
Pelosi will have none of this. Let’s see how the rest of her party feels when the rules package is voted on.
Shire Network News #153 has been released. Well, it was released on December 21st, I just didn’t post my commentary here. It’s a look back at the funniest items from Blog News, and a look back at the year 2009. Yes, that’s 2009. Meryl and I do a retrospective of the coming year. Really. Click here for the show notes, links, and ways to listen to the show; directly from the web site, by downloading the mp3 file, or by subscribing with your podcatcher of choice.
Below is the text of my commentary.
Hi, this is Doug Payton for Shire Network News asking you to "Consider This!"
Well, what a year this has been! Let’s look back and see what 2009 has brought us.
Cooler temperatures: President Obama, while not having actually had any law enacted or treaty signed regarding global warming, managed to make this year cooler than last year. Must have been sheer force of will. And all the papers and news organizations credit him with doing it, so it must be true. While this year’s temperatures follow the cooling trend that has been going on for the previous 10 years, it’s clearly all a matter of intent. And speeches; lots of fine-sounding speeches. So thank you, Mr. President. Your oratory has saved us.
The Iraqi Olympic Shoe-Throwing Team: On the one-year anniversary of the day the Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at, um, the previous President (whoever he was), the first team dedicated to this newly-popular sport takes it international. While not technically an Olympic sport (yet), the Arab countries of the Middle East have come together to promote it to the IOC, and in a mass show of support of the new US President, they have made the shoe target an effigy of that…you know, the guy who was President before…recently. This is one illustration of the next item:
The world now loves us: They really love us, ever since we elected a Democrat. Iraq even allows US troops to be stationed there, thanks to the splendid outcome of "Obama’s Terrorist Intervention" in that country, which began on January 20th of this year. What more could you ask for? And Al Qaeda? Who are they? Heh heh. They have gone so far underground that they’re about as active now as they were in, say, 2001, when most Americans had never even heard their name. Peace on earth has come.
And finally…
Universal Agreement: Both sides of the political aisle have finally come together to speak with one voice. No longer is there any disagreement, harsh criticism or mean-spirited arguing. The recently-passed bill, entitled "The Pelosi/Reid Equal Opportunity in Talk Radio and Radical Right-Wing Internet Commentary Act" (otherwise known as the PREOITRARRWICA), has gone a long way to make sure that the voice of the people is heard loud and clear. What a joy that blogs and podcasts are now required to give opposing viewpoints; indeed, presenting them positively and in the best possible light.
So overall, except for perhaps the first 20 days, this year has shown us that America’s best days are ahead of her, if we can just pass that new $2.5 trillion spending bill. And I’m sure we will. Consider that!
(This podcast was produced pursuant to the provisions provided in the PREOITRARRWICA.)
President-elect Obama has invited Saddleback pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation (i.e. opening prayer) at the inauguration. While Obama and Warren disagree on some issues, Obama says he wants to "create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable." In fact, this follows in the footsteps of Bush’s choice in 2004, as the Huffington Post notes.
At his 2005 inaugural, George W. Bush tapped Rev. Dr. Louis Leon to deliver the invocation. Like Obama and Warren, the two shared a commitment to combating AIDS in Africa, as well as a friendship from time spent in each other’s company. But Leon was and is a progressive voice. And his selection in ’04 sparked a lot of interest, though little of the outrage that we see with Warren.
Indeed, the "tolerant" Left side of the blogosphere didn’t seem to get the "disagree without being disagreeable" memo.
Americablog: “Great, then where are the racists, Mr. Obama?"
Markos himself at Daily Kos: “Yeah. Where is David Duke’s invitation? Or as Blue Texan notes, when do Phelps and Hagee get their invitations? Heck, throw up Tom Tancredo up there for good measure, so us Latinos can feel some of the hate!”
Atrios: "Wanker of the Day: Barack Obama."
Firedoglake: "President-elect Obama chose eliminationist hate preacher Rick Warren to give the invocation at Obama’s Inaguration. With this choice, Obama sends three destructive messages. Number one: In Obama’s America, equal rights and reproductive freedom aren’t for everyone. Number two: President-elect Obama likes sharing the national stage with hate. Number three: While Obama enjoys his equality before the law, LGBT Americans can go to Hell. Literally. Gee. Is this change we can believe in?"
Andrew Sullivan: "…pandering to Christianists at his inauguration is a depressing omen."
Think Progress: "…he laughs off accusations of being ‘homophobic’ because he ‘talks to’ gay people and served protesters water."
(A tip of the hat to Don Surber and John Hawkins, from whom I got much of this list, and who have even more examples.)
Once again, we have examples of liberals, who tout their "tolerance" and "acceptance", being wholly unable to handle any sort of deviation from the orthodoxy. Additionally, as even the Huffington Post notes, the folks they claim are the intolerant ones actually were more accepting when they were in the same situation.
Tolerance. You keep using that word. I do no think it means what you think it means.
Yes YOU, if you opposed the auto maker bailout, want the economy to fail. YOU are a reckless ideologue. YOU don’t want to solve problems. YOU want the US to suck up a Depression. YOU are extraordinarily irresponsible.
So says Harry Reid and the Left side of the blogosphere. If you want fiscal responsibility out of our government, you’re irresponsible.
And in January, this line of thinking will hold even more sway in Washington, DC. Hold on to your wallets, ladies and gentlemen. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
