Crossactionnews Podcast 02/17/09

February 18, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Crossaction News, Media Bias, News, Podcasting, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

Our Crossactionnews.com podcast for this week.

Feel free to visit the Publius Forum TalkShoe page to see my past podcasts. New podcasts appear approximately monthly, or whenever the mood strikes me to do one.

Unheroic Superheroes, Watch out for the Watchmen

February 18, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Anti-Americanism, Democrats/Leftists, Entertainment, Hollywood, Liberals, Media Bias, News, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Who Watches The Watchers? -A Comic Book As Political Commentary and a new blockbuster movie soon to hit theaters

If you thought the last Batman movie, The Dark Knight, was dark and cynical, wait until you see Watchmen, arriving in theaters on March 6, 2009. Brooding Bruce Wayne will have nothing on a “hero” that rapes his sidekick, another one that has no interest in mankind at all, one that is a megalomaniac, one that is psychotic, and one that is overweight and sexually impotent all set against a backdrop of a United States that is many shades of despair and evil. It makes Batman, The Dark Knight, seem like a festival of sweetness and light. This is the Watchmen, soon to be released by Warner Brothers. If this new flick at all follows that anti-American, nihilism of the original comic books we are in for some dark stuff, indeed.

Why do contemporary artists all seem to think the end of the world is nigh? Why has art become a thing of ugliness, instead of light? With all the beautiful things we see every day, the delicacy of a flower, the turn of a woman’s arm, the grace of a bird in flight, we are treated only to the bizarre and horrid by our artists. These days we see sculptures that look like molecular mistakes writ large. We live in architecture with the image of a jumble of blocks thrown to the ground in the midst of a temper tantrum by a gigantic, petulant child. We view paintings that appear more accidental than planned. We have movies full of violence and anti-social behavior. On the radio we hear music that celebrates all the worst in man. We even have comic books that belittle heroism, that deconstruct the good and exceptional turning their heroes as cartoonishly flawed as the most obscene head case on the Jerry Springer Show.

When did entertainment turn so dark?

This is Why Government is Legalized Theft

February 18, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Business, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Liberals, News, Socialism, Society/Culture, State Government, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Imagine you are the head of a company that loses a multi-million dollar lawsuit. Then imagine the public outcry if you announced that you were going to raise your prices to pay off the lawsuit. Would the public get incensed? Would you lose business? Likely both. It’s even somewhat likely in this litigious climate in which we live that the decision to raise prices to payoff the lawsuit would spawn yet another lawsuit against you. Ah, but we are talking business, aren’t we?

Now imagine that you are a city government and a court finds out that you’ve ripped off hundreds of thousands of your city water customers by wildly overcharging them for installing new fire hydrants. Imagine that you’ve been ordered by the courts to rebate $22 million to those city water customers. And then imagine that you announce that the rebates will be paid for by taxing the city water at an even higher rate than before.

In other words, you, the city, will be expecting the water customers to pay for their own rebates by charging them higher rates to fund that same rebate. Yes, the same “customers” that have no competition for water and no choice but to pay through the nose will be paying themselves their own rebate.

The New Yorker: Obama Like Gandhi

February 18, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Budget, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, News, President, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

We’ve seen the Obamacized media call President Obama Lincoln, we’ve heard him called FDR and Kennedy, we’ve been informed that he gives newsers a thrill up their leg. The media has even ridiculously called Barack Obama a “light worker.” He is The One, their Obammessiah. Well, we can now add another undue adulation to the media’s obsession of finding great figures to compare Obama to: Mahatma Gandhi. At least according to the New Yorker’s Hendrick Hertzberg he is, anyway.

In a piece from February 23, headlined “Partisanship, by the bye,” Hertzberg likened Obama’s work on the so-called stimulus bill to a “Gandhian” effort because it is going so swimmingly for The One.

Retiree Makes Own Electric Car — Becomes Tax Cheat and Enviro Criminal

February 18, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Energy, Media Bias, News, Science, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

A retiree from NASA who resides in Texas tinkering around with spare parts, a friend’s junked VW Beetle, with the sponsorship of a battery maker, invented his own electric car. It’s that ol’ American ingenuity at work (I won’t say Yankee ingenuity since the fellow is in Texas). We should applaud him, right? Not so fast.

Like you, I celebrate the garage inventor, the sort of creature that makes Apple computer a household name. I love the fact that as an American one can come up with an idea, build it, and maybe even get rich from it. But, let’s think about this story a bit, shall we? It becomes one of every good deed not going unpunished.

Chuck Schumer: Liar, Propagandist, Anti-American, Killer of Free Speech

February 17, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Censorship, Communism, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Founders, Free Speech, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, News, Republicans, Rights, Socialism, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Usually I don’t go for the hard-edged treatment of politicians as my headline here does. I don’t often call individuals “liars” and the like, though I’ve been known to do so on occasion. Generally, I prefer to assume that those that oppose my views are truthfully advocating for deep held beliefs and not using lies and obfuscation to get there — some exceptions to that, of course. I am not really the biggest fan of the wild-eyed, Olbermannesque sort of bombast and name-calling.

But, after what Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said of his desire to push the ill-conceived “Fairness Doctrine” down our throats, I just can’t see any other explanation of his motives. Every single word he said on this issue was convoluted, unAmerican, illogical and meant solely as a cynical means to his ends of quashing free political speech so that his party could consolidate it’s domination of American politics.

AP: Advertising Kids ‘E-Book’ Obama Indoctrination Effort

February 17, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Children, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Government, Corruption, Media Bias, News, President, Society/Culture, Taxes, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press is taken with the new e-book full of letters to President Obama published by the National Education Association (NEA) a liberal teachers union. Naturally, all the kids in this book are filled to overflowing with leftist talking points like pushing the anti-military angle — one kid even said he was “very luckey because I am not part of a military family.”

The kids were all indoctrinated with concern over global warming, infused with unthinking anti-war sentiment, disdain for our soldiers, and enthusiastic for Father Obama and his big government machine. Sadly, it appears that not one of these kids have been taught by their teachers about liberty, freedom, personal responsibility and American principles.

Defending the Pope

February 17, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, History, Media Bias, News, Selwyn Duke, Society/Culture | Comments Off

-By Selwyn Duke

Pope Benedict XVI has found himself in a maelstrom of controversy over his lifting of the excommunication of Richard Williamson, an illegally-consecrated prelate who has downplayed the magnitude of the Holocaust. The Pope has been scored by the media, certain Jewish groups and even some fellow Catholics, yet few truly understand what they’re criticizing. Let’s examine the matter.

There is no question that Williamson has made some outrageous statements. For instance, first we have the Holocaust comment that put him on the radar screen:

“I think the most serious conclude that between 200,000 to 300,000 perished in Nazi concentration camps, but not one of them by gassing in a gas chamber. I believe that the historical evidence is strongly against, 6 million Jews having been gassed in gas chambers as a deliberate policy of Adolf Hitler.”
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Have a Merry Stimulus

February 16, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Corruption, Humor, Liberals, Media Bias, News, Publius Forum, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

Here is a good one from goredearth.com.

Obama Disses Brits, Will Media Miss?

February 16, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, Foreign Policy, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, President, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Barack Obama loves Lincoln. It seems not a day goes by that he isn’t quoting the Civil War icon or comparing himself to that great man. But it looks like we are finding one great leader that Barack Obama doesn’t like so much: Winston Churchill.

It appears that President Obama is dissing the Brit’s most famous and stalwart leader by quickly returning the most famous bust of the man loaned to this country by the United Kingdom in the aftermath of 9//11. The return of the bust of Churchill flustered the British government because they didn’t ask for it to be returned. Our best ally was nonplussed and even quickly told Obama he could keep it in the Oval Office where Bush had displayed the piece of art. Obama told them no thanks which made the Brits even more amazed.

So, Barack Obama, the man that would “fix” our “bad image” with the rest of the world, we were told by the media, has just dissed Churchill after only one month in office? And, according to one of the only stories I can find on this incident, the British government has been made nervous about the relationship between England and the U.S. because of the casual return of their generously loaned Churchill bust.

Obama to Hold ‘Fiscal Responsibility Summit’… So Who’s Gonna Teach HIM?

February 16, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Budget, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Corruption, Liberals, News, President, Publius Forum, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

In January, then president-elect Obama announced that sometime in February he intended to hold what he was calling a “fiscal responsibility summit” as he would be planning his proposal for the 2010 budget. Apparently it will be held on February 23, most likely at the White House.

But first we have the stimulus bill that Obama most likely plans to sign on February 17. That in mind, I ask the question: what does Barack Obama know of “fiscal responsibility”?

UAW Walks Out on GM During Bailout Negotiations

February 16, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Budget, Business, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Jobs, Liberals, News, Publius Forum, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

When the Auto Bailout was approved by Congress one of the stipulations was that the automakers had to get concessions from the unions.

So, in an attempt to abide by Congress’ demands, GM has been in negotiations with the United Auto Workers to make the requisite deals. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as if the UAW is in the mood for making any deals, at least if it involves any cuts for them. Consequently the UAW has decided to walk out on further negotiations.

Stimulus: Congress rejected mandated open access/net neutrality; affirmed reasonable network management

February 16, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Business, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Google, Government, Corruption, Inernet, Media Bias, News, Publius Forum, Scott Cleland, Socialism, Society/Culture, Technology | Comments Off

-By Scott Cleland

In promoting the important goals of extending broadband to all Americans and stimulating the economy, Congress has rejected attempts by net neutrality regulation proponents to broadly impose open access or net neutrality requirements on the marketplace at large via the economic stimulus bill. The Congress obviously understood that would not be an economic stimulus, but a wrong-headed, counter-productive depressant to necessary private broadband investment (see the stimulus bill).

Importantly, Congress implicitly affirmed the necessity for “reasonable network management” and also implicitly rejected the core end-to-end network principle of the net neutrality movement — where they define/accuse any smart network management/innovation as anti-competitive discrimination or infringement of free speech.
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It’s Not Obama’s “Stimulus” Bill

February 16, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Budget, Communism, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Frank Salvato, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, News, President, Republicans, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, Taxes, The Law | Comments Off

-By Frank Salvato

Now that the behemoth “stimulus” package has been reconciled in conference it appears that we, the taxpayers, will be saddled with financing a superfluity of special interest projects and entitlements. From programs that serve to combat sexually transmitted diseases and facilitate smoking prevention initiatives to the $30 million earmarked – yes, earmarked – for a wetlands restoration project meant to protect the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse, We the People have been bamboozled into financing the biggest raid on the US Treasury in the history of our nation. But before we grab the pitchforks and the torches and start marching down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House in protest, we should consider the facts surrounding the crafting of this abysmal piece of pork legislation.

The American citizenry has employed the convenient practice of blaming the President of the United States for all things enacted or ignored by government. This practice has been facilitated by the mainstream media for decades, if not since the birth of our nation. It can be argued that we have fallen into this practice primarily because it is easier and less time consuming than keeping tabs on each of the 535 voting members of Congress. But in taking the less engaged and less accurate approach to holding our elected officials accountable we perpetuate the misconception that the Executive Branch is all powerful. In fact, it is the Legislative Branch of our government that is charged – exclusively – with the tasks of finance and legislation.

Chicago Suburban Democrats Throw Homeless Man off Ballot

February 15, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Liberals, News, Publius Forum, Society/Culture, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Savor that headline, will you? The Democratic stronghold of Oak Park, home of trendy downtown shops and many Obama signs, is working with its lawyers to keep a homeless man off the ballot for the next village election.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Oak Park’s village board voted 2-1 to prevent Daniel Fore from running for village trustee on the April 7 ballot because he does not have a residential address. Fore is, however, registered to vote in Cook County using the address of an Oak Park relative and has been a well known citizen of the area since the 1970s.

Don’t Blame President Obama

February 15, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Communism, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, Media Bias, News, President, Publius Forum, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes, The Law, Thomas Brewton | Comments Off

-By Thomas E. Brewton

The simple truth is that no president can pull an economy out of recession or guarantee continuous prosperity.

Our nation has become hypnotized by the PR hype surrounding all presidents. The proposed stimulus plan almost certainly will do little to boost employment, but it will give a huge boost to inflation. In our economic ignorance, we desperately want to believe that presidents can take steps to manage the economy back to low unemployment and prosperity. We therefore demand action, even if such action always leads to inflation that makes economic problems worse.

Chalk the misperception up to President Franklin Roosevelt (FDR). He was the first president to operate on the hubristic presumption that a president could plan and successfully manage the entire economy to prosperity by imposing the liberal-progressive ideology of social justice. Even Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., one of President Roosevelt’s most sycophantic eulogizers, was compelled to tie the New Deal to what he termed the imperial presidency.
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Congress: Don’t Kill the Internet’s Golden Goose — Welcoming Private Investment Capital

February 15, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Business, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Google, Government, Corruption, Inernet, Liberals, News, President, Scott Cleland, Society/Culture, Technology, The Law | Comments Off

-By Scott Cleland

It is more important what Congress does not do — than what it does do — concerning the final language on broadband in the pending economic stimulus bill.

It is critical for economic growth and job creation for Congress not to derail the market competition and private investment dynamic, which is currently very successful for 90+% of the country, in trying to achieve broadband open access for the <10% of the country that does not have it, or enough of it.

Economically-depressing, open access/net neutrality restrictions on broadband investment are counter-productive in an economic stimulus package.
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Bury the Shovel, Will Ya Barack

February 15, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, News, Publius Forum, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

John Bergstrom over at Attack Comics has a hilarious comic on what Barack Obama’s newest “shovel ready” project he’s working on for us.

When Did Obama Decide to Turn Against Himself?

February 14, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Business, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, News, President, Publius Forum, Republicans, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston, Welfare | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Shocking video of Obama campaign promises that he wantonly violated with this stimulus bill!

We were told by every love struck denizen of the Old Media that Barack Obama was bringing a “new” politics to Washington. He was, we were assured, a candidate that was post-partisan, post-racial, and anti-business-as-usual. We were told we could bank on his campaign promises and that he wasn’t like any other politician.

Unfortunately, President Obama seems to have summarily dismissed the promises of candidate Obama, at least as far as this stimulus bill is concerned.

‘Name That Party’ Reaches House Floor

February 14, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Congress, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, Morals/Sex, Name That Party, News, Publius Forum, Republicans, Society/Culture, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

We have for a few years now been chronicling the constant failure of the media to label a criminal or troubled politician with his party affiliation when that politician is a Democrat, we all know. Every couple of days we detail a new “name that party” story where an Old Media outlet reports on a Democrat politician arrested, convicted, or accused of a crime though he seems never to be labeled as such. We’ve also noted many times the opposite tale where a recalcitrant pol that happens to be a Republican finds his party receiving top billing in the Old Media. We have dozens and dozens of examples.

Well, it appears that at least one member of Congress has noticed the same thing and has mentioned the media’s penchant for Democrat Party passing on the floor of the House of Representatives. The Hill’s Briefing Room blog gives us the story.

Boehner: Thanks to Dems, We Don’t Have Time to Let America Know What’s in This Stimulus Bill

February 14, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Budget, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Corruption, Liberals, News, President, Publius Forum, Republicans, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

Representative John Boehner (R-OH), Minority leader of the House has been very good on Obama’s Generational Debt Bill — obscenely known as the “stimulus bill.” Here he is scolding Democrats for not giving Congress time to even read this 1,100 page bill. Boehner contends that “not one member has read.”

Boehner deserves a pat on the back for his strong stance against this bill.

Houston, We Have a Problem

February 14, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Children, Democrats/Leftists, Liberals, Media Bias, Morals/Sex, Nancy Salvato, News, Society/Culture, State Government | Comments Off

-By Nancy Salvato

“64 percent of all students engage in one of three of the most serious cheating behaviors — copying from another student’s work, using cheat notes or helping someone else cheat.”

I wonder how many people find the above statistic the least bit surprising. More importantly, I’m curious as to how it has come to this? Why do students cheat in such large numbers?

I would guess that a substantial portion of these cheaters use “pre-conventional” thinking skills. According to Kohlberg’s Moral Stages of Development, cheaters see morality as something external to themselves, as something that people say they must do -so when they break the rules, it is with the intention of not getting caught. What is right to them is what meets their own interests. They haven’t internalized the values of the family or community. When they follow the law, it is only because they don’t want to get into trouble. Their behaviors as members of our society depend on external controls.
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Things I Don’t Want to Write About

February 14, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Government, Corruption, Health, John Armor, News, Society/Culture, Taxes | Comments Off

-By John Armor

When you write a weekly column for 15 years, there comes a time when you have a column due, and only a handful of subjects you don’t want to write about in your knapsack. Judge for yourself whether you want to read about a stolen hat, a blocked intestine, a frozen underground pipe, or how cold it’s been the last two weeks.
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An Interview With Richard Nadler from 2007

February 13, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Immigration/Immigrants, Liberals, Media Bias, News, Podcasting, Publius Forum, Publius' Forum, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

I did an interview with Richard Nadler, President of the nonprofit think tank Americas Majority a few years ago that I’d like to add to this series. This interview was conducted at the 2007 Conservative Leadership Conference.

Feel free to visit the Publius Forum TalkShoe page to see my past podcasts. New podcasts appear approximately monthly, or whenever the mood strikes me to do one.

Whatdidhesayagain?

February 13, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Congress, GOP, News, Publius Forum, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Jimmy over at Deciever.com noticed a funny disconnect in Senator Judd Greg’s (R-NH) little tap dance as he was announcing that he wanted out of taking President Obama’s offer to become Secretary of Commerce.

When the Associated Press asked Gregg to share the results of his soul-searching, this is what he came up with:

“For 30 years, I’ve been my own person in charge of my own views, and I guess I hadn’t really focused on the job of working for somebody else and carrying their views, and so this is basically where it came out.”

If I were an arrogant jackass, this is what I might call “a teachable moment.” You see, it’s a really, really good thing that Judd Gregg realized this deep truth about himself and decided to go back to the Senate, where his job has always been to work for somebody else and carry their views.

You know — his constituents? The people of New Hampshire? Memba’ them?

I generally approve of Senator Gregg… but I gotta admit, Jimmy pegged a hilarious disconnect there!

CNN Can’t Stop Talking About Obama Even in Lincoln’s Birthday Stories

February 13, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, History, Liberals, Media Bias, News, President, Publius Forum, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Like Seinfeld’s “soup Nazi,” CNN is yelling “No birthday for YOU” to Abraham Lincoln on his 200th birthday — at least not one for Lincoln alone. Interestingly, the TV Cable Newser can’t seem to just give Lincoln his day without shoehorning Barack Obama into many of its stories about Lincoln. Its Lincoln/Obama day as far as CNN is concerned.

Certainly it is natural to see Obama as the culmination of Abraham Lincoln’s legacy, but CNN takes this coupling a tad too far. Out of the 12 stories about Lincoln on their Lincoln page, fully one third include Obama. Additionally, the header graphic on the Lincoln page celebrates the day as being “From Lincoln to Obama.” One of the stories is about an artist that morphed photographs of Lincoln’s head with Obama’s face as if this was somehow pertinent to Lincoln’s birthday… or even pertinent to art, for that matter.

It nearly looks as if the day is as much about Barack Obama as it is Abraham Lincoln to CNN.

Obama’s Pre-approved ‘Press List’ At Last Getting Notice

February 13, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, News, President, Publius Forum, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

A month ago, I noted a comment by Chicago Sun-Times writer Carol Marin who was mildly complaining that President Obama never goes before the press without having a list of pre-approved journalists upon whom he’ll call during a press conference. She offhandedly quipped that in the press corps, “most of us don’t even bother raising our hands any more to ask questions because Obama always has before him a list of correspondents who’ve been advised they will be called upon that day.”

I wondered last month how long it would take for anyone else in the press corps to notice Obama’s tendency to hand pick from among the free press who he will deign to allow to ask a question? I also wondered if this same “free press” would have meekly allowed president Bush get away with treating the press in such a way? Or would they have raised a hue and cry that would have deafened the world? Drudge. at least, noticed then because within a day my post had wracked up over 200,000 views. But, until February 11, no one in the press has seemed too interested in discussing this issue.

Welcome To Publius Forum

February 13, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Thanks for visiting Publius’ Forum. Previous members should read this for important info on your account…
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The Lincoln We Need

February 12, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Constitution, History, News, Patriotism, President, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

These last 20 or so years has seen a bifurcated treatment of Abraham Lincoln. There are the enthusiasts and hagiographers that still revere him as the best that America has to offer — the proverbial great emancipator, Father Abraham. Then there is a second stream, enthusiasts of another sort, viewing the Civil War president in the opposite manner. That second group are the Lincoln haters. Those such as Thomas DiLorenzo, the sort that calls Lincoln a criminal and despot, and Henry Louis Gates Jr., the sort that castigates Honest Abe as an unremitting racist, have been joined by a small group of Lincoln detractors trying to convince America that Lincoln is to be discounted, even hated by history.

So, which Lincoln is the Lincoln? Is he the Lincoln of “the great emancipator” or the Lincoln of the “great despot” and which Lincoln is the one we as Americans should know?

In truth he is all and neither of the two views in current, popular memory. He is neither the vision of the Constitution destroying, negro hating man the detractors wish to foster, nor the spotless demi-god that the hagiographers want to claim as theirs. Yes he did single things that pulled out of context to the whole of the man are both racist and despotic. He was a man, flawed and imperfect to be sure, but he was also one so singularly radical and ahead of his time that I believe we should lean towards reverence as opposed to despising the 16th president.

Obama Dirt Digger’s Brand New Gig

February 12, 2009 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, News, President, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Back in 2007, many media outlets and their co-conspirators on the left were aghast that George W. Bush would try to place an “opposition researcher” for the GOP into the U.S. attorney general’s office in Arkansas. In high dudgeon, these folks claimed that Bush was “politicizing” the White House counsel and pinned it all on the evil Karl Rove. Bush’s appointment was scuttled to satisfy critics. But, now Obama is doing the same thing — only in a worse form — and the same media and lefty critics are oddly silent.

Barack Obama has been fond of saying that his so-called stimulus bill has “shovel ready jobs” built into it. This would be jobs ready to go, make-work style things of little lasting worth that are reminiscent of FDR’s feels-goodism of the New Deal. Regardless of what Obama really means about any association between shovels and jobs he certainly has at least one shovel-evoking job made up of whole cloth and manned by a likely suspect. I am talking here about Obama’s new job for his dirt digger in residence, the newly minted job of “White House counsel research director.”

It’s a grand title for dirt digger, but there you have it.

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