'Too Big To Fail' Means Too Big

As Obama starts to verbalize the economic recovery, Republicans are in a strong position to dominate the debate by continuing populist themes. It could be argued that Bush's TARP was necessary to avert calamity, and his mistake was consolidating, not smashing 'too big to fail' banking monopolies. Positive market movement during the last two quarters can be attributed to those financial stabilization measures, though a fresh faced President did lead to some optimism. But as his policies are becoming clear, the market is weighing the true breadth of Obama's economy and it is pausing. Obama is now claiming his $787 billion stimulus is making a huge impact, but little has been spent. The most significant impact has been on America's credit card bill and our credit rating.

Our Angry Aristocracy

Our Angry Aristocracy, by Victor Davis Hanson

The Healthcare Mess

CBO deals new blow to health plan - Chris Frates

Always Wait Til The End & Told You So

I should have waited to call Obama's goof, because he dropped a doozy a few minutes later.

It is becoming clear that health care either a) won't pass or b) will past in the fall and ruin Democrats in 2010, mostly districts where they've won with conservative candidates.

Obama's Big Goof

With about 10 minutes remaining in his news conference, President Obama intimated that doctors choose procedures based on the price rather than patient need. Thought it was first do no harm?

My read on Obama's health care plan? It's going down in flames.

Supreme Court Hearings

Just some thoughts:

• Jon Kyl (AZ) was impressive and had Sotomayor flummoxed, stuttering with her words and stumbling over her own logic.
• Lindsey Graham (SC) started aggressive but never followed-up, letting Sotomayor off the hook by moving on and hedging with surprising honest statements that concede she's a shoo-in for conformation. Points for being frank?
• Sotomayor handled the Democrat softballs, but did not impress me as she had trouble recalling her canned lines, struggled under intense GOP questioning (which she must have prepared for), and consistently contradicting a clearly defined ideological pattern of her own making.

Hyperbolic, But Good

2010 Will Be a Political Earthquake - Peter Ferrara

Obama Is Wrong, Wrong, Wrong About Honduras

Obama Is Wrong, Wrong, Wrong About Honduras - Jennifer Rubin

Obama's Idea Of Change

Higher Taxes, Anyone? - George Will
Ambassadorships for Sale - Los Angeles Times

The President Likes His Plumage & Peggy's Right

Our Foreign Policy Neophyte - Charles Krauthammer
A Farewell to Harms - Peggy Noonan

How Times Have Changed

Krugman on the politics of the economy, "Republicans — and some Democrats — have treated any bad news as evidence of failure, rather than as a reason to make the policy stronger."

Wasn't that precisely the Democrats political strategy with Iraq?

Sarah Palin

If my 14 year old daughter became the subject of late night rape jokes, I'd quit politics too. I think she's got a better chance of running for the Senate (and winning) in 2010 on a "I'll give Washington a kick in the ass" platform. As for any presidential ambition she may have, she clearly has a personal appeal to social conservatives which is heighten by the liberal media's contempt. I was thoroughly unimpressed by her performance last fall, as she was an not asset on any issue (other than appealing to social conservatives). I still don't see her winning the nomination in 2012 with the economy as the defining issue. She'd definitely be a better candidate if she waits til 2016 but I wouldn't be surprised if she had entirely disappears from politics by then.

Second Stimulus

I actually agree with Krugman that we need more stimulus. But what he'll never say, and I'd what insist upon, is that it should be in the form of small business incentives and tax cuts. It should encourage employment in every form and tax the little guy less for creating jobs (collect from ALL workers). When the government just hands out from a big pot of money, it encourages fraud and cronyism.

Let Me Be Clear

Barack Obama never speaks clearly.

For Republicans, the Ice Age Cometh

For Republicans, the Ice Age Cometh

All Kinds Of Left-Wing Pork

You Won't Believe What's in That Stimulus Bill

Q & A

Q. What is the most powerful union in America?

A. The NEA

2008 Election Recap: Sarah Palin

I think Rollins was right in everything but his conclusion (Palin was not an asset on domestic or energy issues). My reading was fairly accurate, except Obama didn't over-reach with overt attacks (the whisper campaign was full blast) and McCain was too much of a statesman to hit Obama in the knees. Then add the market correction and you realize McCain would have been better off with Romney or Portman.

Anthony Fasano: Elite NFL Tight End

This is the second installment in an "I Told You So" series.

2008 Stats: 16 games with 34 receptions (26 for a first down) for 454 yards and 7 touchdowns (third most for TEs).

Related: NFL: Fasano Is Coming...

I Told You So

REALITY CHECK: Obama Received About the Same Percentage from Small Donors in 2008 as Bush in 2004

Related: Two Bits Of Baloney, Will The Real Barak Obama Please Stand Up?

Jesse Jackson Sins, Then Kisses The Ring

Market Mindset With Visual Perspective

Can't you understand what's happening here? Don't you see what's happening? Potter isn't selling. Potter's buying! And why? Because we're panicky and he's not. That's why. He's pickin' up some bargain. Now, we can get through this thing all right. We've, we've got to stick together, though. We've got to have faith in each other.

Graphs from http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog/index.php/2007/07/09/historical-financial-charts-are-you-invested-in-these-markets/

Obama & Ayers: Buchanan Is Right On The Money

Can one imagine how the media would have reacted had they learned that a GOP presidential nominee was introduced to politics and worked in harness with a KKK bomber of black churches in the 1960s, who was quoted the morning of Oklahoma City as saying he wished he had planted more bombs?

Seven Weeks Out & We're All Square

What States Are Really in Play? - Richard Baehr

Right On, Sister

Why Feminists Hate Sarah Palin - Cathy Young