Michael Smerconish is a local radio talking in Philadelphia whose bald head pops up on MSNBC occasionally and used to sub for Bill O’Reilly at times. He is a long time Republican who supported Barack Obama because he thought John McCain would continue the Bush policy and squander the predator drones in Iraq. He believed Barack Obama would go after Osama Bin Laden.
According to the Atlantic Wire, we are now squandering the predator drones on..well…foreign relations. An American who claims he killed two men defending himself is being held by the Pakistani and this has caused the Predator operations to grind to a halt.
Listen to Smerconish defend his position before the election.
It is now over two years into the Obama administration. Where’s Osama?
Don’t get me wrong. It’s a tough job for the military. The President can only do so much. That goes for George Bush and Barack Obama.
What we know in hind sight is Barack Obama isn’t going to get Osama Bin Laden anytime soon and Iraq now seems like the most stable Muslim country in the Middle East. Could that be because George Bush squandering our resources there when everyone was urging him to pull out?
I couldn’t tell you where Smerconish stands on the issues now. I stopped listening to him about the time of this radio show, and not just because of his support for Barack Obama. His entire thought process seemed unthoughtful. I think time is proving me right.
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Media on February 21st, 2011
Remember when the Democrats smugly told Republicans that their opinions didn’t matter because they won the election and elections matter. Democratic Senators are too scared to show up in Madison to do their job. In the words of your leader, “The election’s over”.
You lost. Elections matter.
I hope the Democrats union pals feel 1/10 the financial pain we have been feeling in the private sector for years.
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Labor and Unions on February 21st, 2011
Instability and inflation fears drive gold up over $1400 per ounce (again).
Since Barack Obama took office back in January of 2009, gold has increased by 52% and the DOW has increased by 55%. It seems like the only thing not going through the roof is my salary.
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Economics on February 21st, 2011
Barack Obama’s recent gains in the poll have disappeared and I believe they will continue to fall. There is a reason and it can be summed up in one word: MADISON. The geniuses at the White House are completely out of touch with America. Richard Pollock sums it up nicely:
The showdown in Madison pits pampered public employees against hard-pressed taxpayers. It portrays union workers as an angry mob against those seeking orderly legislative deliberation. It paints Democratic lawmakers as outlaws on the run, undermining the democratic process. It launched a national debate about the generous salaries and benefits for government workers during a time of economic shortages. And it showcased school teachers who abandoned their children in favor of narrow, partisan political gain…read more
Sanity is not the Democrats strong suit, so I am expecting the circus to continue in Madison for a while. It’s clear. The Democrats have shut down the government in Madison. Eventually they will realize that this must end so they can blame any federal shut down on Republicans. Time is not on their side. They may not be sane, but liberals are power hungry. The power brokers in Washington will soon tell the Wisconsin liberals to eat crow and go back to work…maybe this week.
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in polls,predictions on February 21st, 2011
Nothing is more annoying than listening to a professional story tellers use their platform to give advice about serious subjects…like developing our natural energy resources. Gasland director Josh Fox want to educate our president on how he increase our dependence on foreign oil.
But this may surprise you. I have to thank Mr. Fox. You see…I had seen the stories in the newspaper about natural gas coming from faucets. It’s troubling. It makes you second guess whether drilling makes sense. Only a greedy bastard would want forge ahead with developing the Marcellus shale knowing that homes and lives would be destroyed.
I want to thank Mr. Fox because he made me do some research and no I know both sides of the story. As is true with so much that comes from the media, sensationalism is #1. Truth is #2. Follow up doesn’t exist.
When I first saw the story in the Philadelphia Inquirer, I blogged about it. I never saw CBS follow up…and neither did I. I assumed there was more to the story, but I never spent any time researching it. Well today I followed up. Because of Mr. Fox’s movie, there is plenty of information debunking the story.
the investigation found that the methane was “biogenic” in nature, meaning it was naturally occurring and that his water well was drilled into a natural gas pocket.
Now you may think I am a fool for listening to the industry who is making millions…but I could say the same about Josh Fox. Being unfamiliar with the area in question, water drilling, gas drilling, geology and probably about 10 other subjects that I don’t even know enough to list, I would say I am ignorant about the subject. My guess is Josh Fox is too.
I do know this. We live in a sue-happy culture. Too many people are trying to get rich by having a jury or judge deem them worthy. We are also a nation that looks for evil around every corner. Conspiracy theories are a hobby for some and a way of life for others.
I have no idea what is going on in northern PA, but I know that lawyers will be scouring the earth for signs of natural gas leaks just like 49ers digging for cold in the California hills. If there is a problem with fracking, the gas companies will pay in the long run.
Drill Baby Drill. Keep on fracking!
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Alternative Energy on February 21st, 2011
Who knows if we can trust reports coming out of Egypt, but this is not good.
Google executive Wael Ghonim, who emerged as a leading voice in Egypt’s uprising, was barred from the stage in Tahrir Square on Friday by security guards, an AFP photographer said. Ghonim tried to take the stage in Tahrir, the epicentre of anti-regime protests that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, but men who appeared to be guarding influential Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi barred him from doing so…read more
Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a long time member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He hosts a show on Al Jazeera called “Sharia and Life”. Save yourself the time. I already checked and it’s not in the MSNBC line up yet.
At a conference in Ohio in 1995 (he is now barred from entering the U.S.) he declared:
We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa…read more
Da’wa is the proselytizing of Islam. This guy has high hopes. He also believe that converts who leave Islam should be killed, gays should be put to death, the genitalia of girls should be “circumcised” (but only if the father thinks its necessary) and encourages spousal abuse saying,
some women enjoy the beating and for them, only beating to cause them sorrow is suitable
Egypt has found their anti-George Washington
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Foreign Affairs on February 21st, 2011
File this one under, “Can you imagine if a Republican said that…”
On facebook, a state Senator for Ohio was asked:
Kevin Crowther…The changes senator are to bring public union compensation in line with what the sate can afford. Logic dictates that we can’t continue on the current coarse. Tax increases are out as Ohio already has the 7th highest tax burden in the nation. Spending cuts are needed and it will take those with courage to stand up and make it happen. Democrats tend to punt on the issue an you know it.
That seems pretty reasonable to me. Bob Hagan (A DEMOCRAT) responded:
Bob Hagan…I ran against Traficant buckwheat…so take your personal shots and show them where the sun dont shine
By the standards determined by the left…Bob Hagan is a racist. Mr. Hagan, please resign your post before you embarrass your party (That’s a joke. Democrats feel no shame.)
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Crazy Progressives on February 21st, 2011
Barack Obama was sounding like a centrist for a while. I knew it was crap, but I also knew that many people would believe him. (Why…God only knows). He relented on the tax cuts before the end of the year and then played lip service to getting serious about the debt.
But then the Wisconsin protests started and he just couldn’t stay out of it. He backed the unions and his moderation charade came to an end.
The Rasmussen report is a three day running average. It is now 3 days after his first remarks supporting the union and his approval rating has dropped dramatically. His rating stood at -9 points on February 17th. Three days later, his rating has dropped to -18. That is his lowest rating since December 15th.
A similar drop is seen in Gallup’s Presidential Approval rating (Gallup polls Americans, Rasmussen polls likely voters).
There are large labor protest happening in Wisconsin and the unions are gearing up for more protest throughout the nations. It should be remembered that the vast majority of American workers are NOT in a union. We must not be intimitated by their show of force. Remember…we surround them.
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Labor and Unions on February 20th, 2011
Even the most strident lefty would agree that a monopoly is positioned to abuse the power afforded by the lack of competition. Where we differ is in identifying monopolies. In a free market where the laws are upheld, monopolies don’t exist. Only government can create monopolies. The government has the power to skew any market by taxationand and regulation.
In the education market, government takes a large portion of household income to pay for free public schools. Only families with substantial means can afford private schools. We essentially have an education monopoly run by the government, and like other monopolies, the education monopoly can be abusive.
Education for the youth is so important, we have made it illegal to avoid it. You could say an education is essential. Is it right that a public union can deny an essential service in order to get higher wages? No, it is extotion. That is why many states have made it illegal for teachers to strike. Unlike unions that work in the private sector, public unions are not seeking a fair share of profits created from the use of their time. They are holding an essential service hostage while demanding their neighbors money.
We normally get our services from the private sector, but we often decide that essential services are best when the government provides it. It harms society when the essential services are withheld, thetefor public unions should be allowed to strike or withhold services.
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Common Sense on February 18th, 2011
The teacher’s union and others in the press are invoking the Egyptian revolution when discussing the teacher’s union protest in Wisconsin. What a joke. Egypt was a protest by people in abject poverty against a dictator. The protesters had much to fear. That part of the world has no problem with shooting protesters and some in fact were murdered by snipers. How much courage is being shown by teachers who refuse to contribute to their benefit plans. Hell…it’s not even cold today.
In an unbelievable exchange, Lawrence O’Donnell questioned a Republican congressmen about tax evasion because he was saving money. The congressman sleeps in his office. To an admitted socialist like O’Donnell, not spending money is akin to income and most be declared on a federal tax return.
Wow! There are so many ways to attack this stupidity.
1) If Mr. O’Donnell buys something on sales, he is saving money. Does he declare this on his income taxes?
2) Are all homeless people guilty of tax evasion, or only if they sleep on a public street?
3) What other items are on his list of things we MUST buy?
This stated logic explains so many things about liberals. It explains why they think that not collecting taxes from individuals is a cost to the government. It also explains their devotion to ObamaCare. The enlightened believe they should have the power over all of us to determine what we must buy.
In all honesty, it doesn’t surprise me that a socialist like O’Donnell believes such nonsense. Socialist don’t believe in property rights like mainstream America. What surprises me is that a major corporation would give a platform to such an un-American point of view.
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Liberal Bias on February 17th, 2011
Voting is not like shopping – it is more like making use of a commons, because the costs of a “bad” vote are borne by the public at large, and the chance of an individual casting the deciding vote is tiny…by Nicole
I haven’t read the book, but that is an interesting theory.
The tragedy of the commons is a theory that was first described in 1832 by William Forster Lloyd who wondered why the cows that grazed in common areas were so “puny and stunted” and the meadows so barren (read more). The simple answer: Self-interest (a human condition). When an areas is unowned, individuals use up the resources and everyone is hurt.
Applied to voters…voters know that their contribution (their vote) is of little consequence to the outcome of the election. They don’t “own” the results so they vote for what makes them feel good (their self interest). There is little worry about what is good public policy. Little or no effort to make a could voting decision is made by a huge majority of the voters. They are unaware that there feel-good vote is like the cows that overgraze leaving all puny and stunted.
Sadly, “Get Out The Vote” efforts only amplify this problem.
Posted by: The Elephant Owner in Election on February 17th, 2011
The World Food Bank is warning that food prices are at a “dangerous level”.
The World Bank’s food price index rose by 15 percent between October and January alone. The increase has been driven by volatile global trading in wheat, corn and soybeans. Global corn futures more than doubled since this summer, from $3.50 to $7 a bushel, in part because of higher demand from developing countries and a growing biofuels industry…read more
Would the people that advocated using the power of the government to force our food into our gas tanks please step forward. No one wants the spot light now that the unintended consequences are clear.
I believe we are headed for a period of high inflation. Please take the inflation poll (along the left side).
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