Life imitates snark

Another day, another Dem talking point discredited.

Lisa Benson channels an AARP townhall meeting. Meanwhile footage below shows a busload of seniors, paid by the insurance industry... or is that AARP paid by the insurance industry?

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h/t Redstate

cross-posted at Anatreptic

Ministry of Truth

I bet the Whitehouse would think "Ministry of Truth" would be a catchy name for this:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

They want something fishy on health reform? Send them this link.

Originally posted at Anatreptic

The Strawmen are getting less effective

President Obama has built enough strawmen to feed a cattle ranch for a month. His latest incarnation was the evil doctor giving out unneeded tonsillectomies or whatever just because the doctor could get paid more. Do you feel you have such a doctor? I didn't think so, because if you did he wouldn't be your doc anymore.

When we first moved to Utah, we had to get a new dentist. We found one but after a few visits we noticed that he was detecting at least two cavities per family member per visit. This hadn't been our past experience, so after we got suspicious, we visited another dentist. Lo and behold no cavities. We switched dentists.

Maybe the President forgot that the ability to change providers in our current system serves as a deterent to the strawman he proposed. I doubt his system will allow such choices, afterall as an ex-military guy I know something about government provided healthcare.

Originally posted at Anatreptic

To Quote an Expert

Reporting on the Government's inadvertant release of confidential civilian nuclear programs, the New York Times hilariously interviews an expert in the field of mishandling Government secrets:

“These screw-ups happen,” said John M. Deutch, a former Director of Central Intelligence and deputy secretary of defense who is now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It’s going further than I would have gone but doesn’t look like a serious breach.” (emphasis added)

William Broad's piece, however, failed to mention John Deutch's credentials:

The Defense Department secrets that John M. Deutch, the former Pentagon official and director of central intelligence, kept on his unsecured home computer apparently did not fall into the wrong hands, the government said in a review made public today.

Of course to Mr. Deutch, his willful violation of National Security Laws is only a screw-up (that - 'whew' - doesn't go further than the release of civilian nuclear secrets). Lower ranking people in the Defense Department would have been prosecuted; Deutch got one of Bill Clinton's pre-emptive pardens.

Will the NYT next seek Sandy Berger's opinion on protecting secrets?

Originally posted at Anatreptic

The Message Sells Itself

This effective chart, used repeatedly by Glenn Reynolds, succinctly explains a major driver behind the tea party movement. It also puts the lie to any talk by the President that he is interested in cutting the deficit. With over a quarter of a million tea party attendees, surely we can post this graph or something similar on billboards across the nation.

Heck, if the Republican party was worth two cents, they'd kick in some funding too. Of course they would have to address their "democrat light" deficits of the past seven years.

Cross-posted at Anatreptic

Another Crisis not to Waste

Keep Rahm Emanuel's words in mind as your government provides "solutions" to this year's Swine Flu crisis.

As a side note, I remember the 1976 swine flu scare, though I was living outside the country at the time. Below is President Gerald Ford setting the example by getting a swine flu innoculation:



Turns out in '76 only one person died from the Swine flu but 30 people died from the vaccinations. 40 million people were innoculated before the program was shut down within three months of its inception.

(While I point out the above, note I'm not against immunizations - I get a flu shot annually - I just have developed a sceptical disposition towards taking any government pronouncement at face value.)

Crossposted in Anatreptic.

Utah Tea Parties

Unlike the President's tax cheating cabinent picks, I pay my taxes without the threat of Senate hearings. This tax day, however, after completing my patriotic duty the Feds will hear from me. I'm heading down to the Tea Party being held at the Salt Lake City Federal Building. Look for me under the banner "Term Limits for Congress" or "Term limits = Sane Spending" (yes Orrin "Tim Geithner's too important" Hatch - you're one of my inspirations).

Are we going to have much of an impact other than to blow off steam? I dunno, but it is amusing to see two Congressmen and Utah's Attorney General are planning to crash the party as well.

If you are in Utah, join us:

April 15, 2009 Noon-2PM
Federal Building, 125 S State St., Salt Lake City

There will be a second protest from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm for those of you still intent on making more taxible income that day.

Other Tax Day Utah Tea Party Protests:

Provo
5-7 pm
US Post Office Provo (East Bay), 210 East 900 South

St George
5-7 pm
Vernon Worthen Park Gazebo (300 S 300 E, St. George)

Cache Valley
4-6 pm
Free Speech Zone
Approximately 241 North Main, directly south of City Hall/Logan Library (Grassy Area to the West of the Sidewalk).

Vernal
5-7 pm
Courthouse lawn at 150 E. Main St

Crossposted at Anatreptic

Beware some who feign to lead

There is not much difference between a lynching mob and those in Congress who worked themselves into a frenzy to vote AIG bonuses into oblivion last week. Congress (and the President) showed they are willing to push us into an ochlocracy.

And now up and coming "conservative" darling Congressman Paul Ryan regrets running with the mob because others have stated the measure may be unconstitutional? Well yes... but if Ryan can't tell the difference between plain wrong and "merely" unconstitutional (and without help at that) then I think conservatives just learned something disturbing about Ryan's character.

Addendum - While Tom Maguire says the jury is still out on constitutional/unconstitutional (remember abrogating political speech was ruled constitutional too) the verdict is in on "gutless".

Cross-posted at Anatreptic

Inversion

The Oquirrh Mountains rise above the inversion over Salt Lake Valley.

WWOD

James Taranto links to this testimony where a convert declares "Obama as my Personal Jesus"

Then I began to realize I wasn't the only one trying to buy a WWOD bracelet and spending my weekends scouring CNN.com. The rock star-type love for Obama wasn't just because he was pretty and in the media. Others too, had seen him as a shining light, heard that mythical voice boom out over the mountaintops; people were wearing the t-shirt because they would rather wear something representing a politician than a pop star. People everywhere, young and old, were caring again. So what's the problem here?

Parody? Perhaps. But Obama praise and worship sessions are already breaking out (but for some reason the video has now been "disappeared"...).

But what would an Obama sabbath school lesson be like?:

Class, I'm going to provide you with ethical dilemmas and you will ask "What Would Obama Do" to help you decide your actions:

- You move to a new town and find a new church. Soon you learn the pastor preaches racist hate and wants God to damn America. What Would Obama Do?

- You're introduced to a neighbor who once tried to kill members of the military, bombed the capital, and advocated children kill their parents. To this day, this "neighbor" is proud of what he did and will even say he didn't do enough? What Would Obama Do?

- You state your campaign will participate in the Federal matching fund program and abide by the limits set. You also challenge your opponent to do the same. Then you see you have an opportunity to collect more money? What Would Obama Do?

- You state you would support a "born alive" bill to save infants accidently delivered during botched abortions, only if the legislation provides the same federal language preventing a roll-back. The legislation before you now has been amended to include such language. What Would Obama Do?

- You hear that some people oppose your views and they are going to the airways and publishing houses to make their opinion known. What Would Obama Do?

- You decide to run for State senator. You find you have an opportunity to eliminate opponents - including the incumbent from the ballot. What Would Obam Do?

Oh my!...class your answers...

Maybe the right question should be: What WILL a President Obama do?