Obamania having an impact on Americans perceptions

Rasmussen Reports that Americans are warming to the idea of more government intervention in the economy. Some highlights from recent Rasmussen polling:

• 45% of voters nationwide fear the government will do too much in response to the economic crisis while 44% are concerned that the government won’t do enough. In September, the numbers were 63% too much, 25% too little.
• The one constant throughout, however, is belief in the power of tax cuts to help the economy. In every survey conducted over the past few months, a majority of voters have favored tax cuts and tax cuts have consistently been more popular than stimulus plans involving new government spending. The latest findings show that 55% of voters believe any economic recovery plan approved by Congress should include tax cuts.

So, Obama is selling the idea that government is the solution, the media is contributing to Obama as the "New, New Deal" savior, and Americans are buying that government is the answer.

Although most Americans understand that tax cuts should be included in any recovery plan, my fear is they are only thinking of the pittance they will get, and are buying into the "tax the rich" scheme that Obama is peddling. As I have posted recently, we need big, bold tax cuts, for individuals, for corporations, and for investors. The overall economy won't benefit from government "investment," "stimulus," or other "infrastructure" spending. This is only taking money out of the economy from one place (taxpayers or investors) and transferring it to another (see this Heritage org piece).

Conservatives and Libertarians need to band together to return our nation to fiscal responsibility and sound tax policy. We are rapidly devolving to a Western European style welfare state and a future of low (or no) growth, and will be likewise ceding our leadership place in the world to the Chinese.

nothing more to

Discovering the fate of Hunley nears....

The mystery remains on what happened on board the CSS Hunley the night it sunk the Housatonic. Although this article doesn't shed much light, are historians approaching the conclusion that the Hunley's crew died from lack of oxygen?

Big Hollywood. Thank you Andrew Breitbart

Andrew Breitbart has started a new Conservative/Libertarian site for the Left Coast, Big Hollywood. I encourage you all to check it out.

Warning - Liberals will be incensed, so visit at your own risk.

No more to read...

George H.W. Bush Commissioning

This weekend, in Newport News, the final Nimitz-class carrier, the George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is being commissioned. It's a pretty big deal, with the namesake, the President, pretty much every other Bush alive, and Greta Van Susteren in town for it. It's hard to believe it's been over 30 years since the Nimitz was commissioned, but, alas, it has been.

If you're like me, and you think that naming vessels after living people is bad luck, go read how Bubblehead is lamenting the announcement that we're going to name a Virginia-class SSN after John Warner. Lots of good comments over there.

I'd like to get away from this practice, and I agree with Bubblehead that we could have honored Warner with a destroyer or something else...

At any rate, read about the H.W. Bush here.

Posting

Wow! It's been over a month since I last posted.

Sorry, if you're a regular reader. Christmas was a busy season around our house, and I have been pretty busy at work preparing for a potential calamity.

Plus, the guys at The Sub Report and our other submarine bloggers keep a good job keeping you abreast of submarine issues, and Obama has basically become Bill Clinton III, so, what more is there to say about him until he actually starts governing?

Since it's about a week away, all I will say to you is: BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!

The Left is in control, and rather than do those things that will actually get this economy out of the mess it's in, we have Obama proclaiming that only the government can save us. If that's the way we're going to treat this economy, we're all screwed.

We'll get a bunch of roads out of it, we'll get another "Stimulus" check, and the unemployment rate will keep rising, and growth, if it ever returns, will be stymied by the massive deficits we are ringing up.

When I have more time, I'll discuss, and point you all to links that blow away the myth of FDR as savior of the Depression. Passive students of history know WW2 saved us from the depression, and that the statist policies of Hoover from 29-32 and FDR from 32-40 were abject failures.

So, what will save us this time?

As I have said before, we need massive reductions in marginal tax rates - FOR EVERYONE - but mostly for the BASTARD RICH. We need the people who have real money to invest, to invest.

We also need corporate tax rates lowered, we need cap gains rates cut in half, and we need the government to stop pushing the phony-baloney global warming crap, put in place incentives to drill for oil, and allow the automakers to go into bankruptcy, if that's what their business model leads them to.

Without those steps, or some portion of them, we will see a prolonged recession, more unemployment, and a weakened economy when it finally does turn around.

So there.

Fixing the Economy - My Plan

Just caught a little glimpse from CNN of Obama's jobs plan. Looks a lot like typical Liberal fare. Infrastructure projects, a tax credit of some kind. Roads and bridges are good, and a necessary function of government, but, let's be serious here.

Unless we're willing to really endure some corrections - like lots of foreclosures, and the bankruptcy of the automobile (and associated) industries, in order to lower costs structures and make these businesses competitive - we need some drastic, supply-side work done.

If Obama really wants to jump start things - let's go with my plan:

1. A serious and drastic cap gains tax reduction - if not 0%, how about a reduction to 5% or 7.5%. That would get some capital spending started immediately.
2. A serious income tax reduction, not tinkering, like Obama wants to do with no changes on "the rich," but a real reduction, on the order of 30-50% on ALL taxpayers, especially those rich investors.
3. Privatize at least a portion of social security. Get these obligations off the government's books, and get this capital into the market, where it can help spur investment.
4. While I dont' want the automakers to fold, I do want them to restructure. Work something out that is a pseudo-Chapter 11 for them. Get real concessions from the unions who hamstring them, and get rid of their rotten management.
5. Quickly devise a plan to get the government out of the financial industry.
6. Repeal rotten laws like Sarbanes Oxley.
7. Get rid of CAFE standards and some of the other mandated standards the automakers and other industries must deal with.

The path forward needs less government, and more capitalism, not the opposite. If we continue on the tack we are on, we will wind up with 2 years of recession and a weak growth cycle.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. Let's have some.

Sarah Palin Stumps for Saxby

Today the wife, youngest daughter, and I made it over to the big Palin/Chambliss rally at the Gwinnett Arena.

I'd estimate there were about 4000-5000 present. I guess that's not too shabby for a run-off election event. Sarah Palin is the big draw. No one would have attended without her, so it's a good idea for Chambliss to end his campaign with the biggest, most exciting attraction.

The event, for us, was only marred, because some of the more aggressive adults pushed youngest daughter out of the way to get to Sarah for an autograph, breaking a 13 year old's heart. Some old men just gotta get close to greatness, I suspect.

As for the speech by Sarah, it was a pretty vanilla stump speech. I can't really get past her diction and speaking style, but, the regular folks seem to lap it up, and she always has a few good applause lines. I just wish she had better speechwriters, and didn't seem to ramble on sometimes.

I'd say 3,000-5,000 present. The AJC was there and the report is pretty accurate. Note they said about 1000 for the Martin/Ludacris event. Otherwise, she's a great draw and worth the short trip to see her.

Here are a few action shots.

Mom and Daughter await Sarah

Some of the crowd

Saxby

Sarah!

Sarah speaking

The back side of the arena, with the press stand.

Georgia Tech 45, Georgia 42

Paul Johnson:

"That old high school offense looked pretty good today."

That sums it up.

Don't

I Don't Envy Barack Obama

I personally think George Bush has done a fine job as a wartime president, and I think he is at peace with the job he has done. I have supported him for 8 years (despite what he has done to Conservatism as a cause) because he was absolutely right on the War on Terror and he has prosecuted it in a steadfast manner.

In every war, leaders make mistakes at the strategic level, and one can argue that Iraq was either a strategic blunder, or a necessary cog in the larger GWOT. One can argue the rationale used all day long, and we have. My bottom line is it was hard to imagine fighting a "Global War On Terror" and not taking down Saddam Hussein during it at some point.

W was ridiculously married to his initial strategy in Iraq, which plainly wasn't working. It took David Petraeus and (yes) John McCain to get him to change. Fortunately, he listened to Petraeus and McCain was able to bring enough political pressure and fortitude to Bush to get him to change direction and lead us to the point we can now legitimately claim victory in Iraq. This Thnaksgiving weekend, we all owe a huge debt of thanks to these two men, and also to President Bush, but mostly to the troops on the ground, who still secure this peace.

Now, it will be up to BHO to bring this chapter to a conclusion with honor, dignity, and leaving intact the second functioning democracy in the Middle East.

Yet, BHO's job is not getting any easier, just as the most difficult of the initial GWOT battles draws to a close. This week's events in India demonstrate that Islamofascists are determined to shed blood in the name of their "cause." Russia is openly flaunting the Monroe Doctrine (hopefully Katie Couric has been briefed on it) and is rattling her saber at our friends in Eastern Europe. Afghanistan, which has suffered from too much success too soon, and now suffers from History (Brits, Russians, Americans?), demands his attention.

At home, the economy has taken its worse hit since 1979. Democrats are talking about an incerdible $800B stimulus package on top of the already nearly $1T spent on bank and financial bailouts. By the time these are done, there will be zero dollars remaining for any of BHO's domestic priorities.

Conservatives are buoyed that the economic crisis may force BHO to actually apply economics to his policies, vice pander for votes. It's a shame that we have to enter into a crisis to have Democrats acknowledge reality. Still, we could see bailouts of the automobile industry that keep the inflated wage scales of the UAW intact, amid other atrocities.

For those of you that voted for BHO, he does seem like a thoughtful person. That may serve us well, it may not.

If W fashioned himself the modern Lincoln or FDR wartime president, does BHO see himself as their "domestic" counterpart? Healing the nation's psychic wounds from slavery, and saving our financial mess?

I might advise BHO and his supporters that those two presidents had limited success in their agendas at home. Of course, reconstruction wasn't carried out by Lincoln, but we saw its legacy last through 1964 in law, and through today in perceptions. FDR's depression-era reforms were not all that successful, and hinder our economy to this day. While many were necessary and serve us well, I think it's safe to say the Federal beast was hatched by FDR.

Anyway, good luck President-elect Obama. You're going to need it.

Don't

Global Warming Descends...

With the elevation of Vaclav Klaus to the presidency of the EU, a renewed emphasis on Global Warming reality (i.e. it is nothing more that the normal warming/cooling cycle of the planet)may be setting in.

A couple of articles emphasize this:

• The Sydney Morning Herald on attempts to discredit Klaus
• World wide polling showing a slip in support for GW alarmist actions

Join those who find this "science" junk.

Don't

Palin to Georgia

Sarah Palin is coming to Georgia to campaign for Saxby Chambliss on Monday, Dec. 1, in advance of the runoff the next day. Will she be able to sway any voters, or, more importantly, get out the vote for our 41st senator? I plan on attending her rally with the wife and our 13 year old daughter. Hope to see lots of other families there. If we make it, will send a report!

If you're in Georgia, sign up here!

Czech Prez In Cross-hairs of NYTimes

In this New York Times article, they say things about Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, that they would like to say about American conservatives. Klaus is one of us, and appears to be scaring Europe's Left Wing. Good for him, and perhaps for us, too.

Change?

Well, the Obamadministration is shaping up.

If you haven't been paying attention, this is really starting to look a lot like the Clinton administration, even including a Clinton (Hillary!) in the high level Sec'y of State post.

I guess if you're a conservative, like me, you're starting to think that this may not be so horrible after all. Let's face it, the Clinton years, economically, were not horrible years, and, if BHO decides he wants to be a free trader, wants to keep cap gains rates low, and only raises taxes on those making over $250k, it may not be really awful for the rest of us. Forget that those making over $250k will not hire more workers in their small businesses, will not spend as much on luxury items that the little guys build and sell, and won't invest their extra money in ventures that the little guys might want to start. But, given that a Marxist/Socialist won, it could be worse than Clinton III.

His economic team, while certainly left of center, is likely to be pragmatic and not likely to allow Obama to ruin the economy. So, I think we can take some solace there.

In foreign policy, I think most of us can agree the Clinton years were a disaster. Terrorism prospered, our president made an apology tour for slavery, and the military was emasculated.

Will Hillary make a difference there? Maybe. She has more balls than the rest of the Obama foreign policy team is likely to have, and given the prospect of a joke like Madeline Albright, she's going to be better. Plus, it opens the door for Rudy to take her seat in 2010. Furthermore, we already see him backing off the Iraq pullout plans, and he's said he's going to send MORE troops to Afghanistan.

Clearly, social policy is going to be far left. We'll see if BHO signs the Freedom of "Choice" Act, making on demand abortion the law of the land, as his first act, as he has promised. We'll see if he lifts the ban on federal funding of abortion, and permits the US government to fund abortions overseas. If he shows this group the back of his hand, he may be someone we can deal with on the right.

If he allows union card check laws to be passed, he will be paying off the union lobby, and helping to destroy industries across the country. Also will be interesting to see what he does on the auto industry bailout.

I don't expect BHO to govern as a conservative. None of us should. He won't. Elections have consequences. We lost. If he can get away with it, he could socialize every industry, raise taxes to disastrous rates, and make this a libertine social democracy (barely). That's a recipe for disaster and will make him a one term president. I don't think the guy is stupid.

Now, if you're a Kos-reading Kool-aid drinker, is this guy really about change????

Don't

Bush headed to Florida?

No, silly, not to retire there!

 

The George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier, being commissioned January 10th, is potentially going to be homeported in Florida, at Mayport, vice in Norfolk.

 

This week, the Navy announced that it prefers stationing a nuclear aircraft carrier in Florida, but it will take an act of Congress to fund it.

 

The Hill provides the details on the Congressional in-fighting that will occur.

 

Don't...

Obama voters. Ugh!!!!!!!

With a h/t to Gateway Pundit, you must watch this, the best argument for poll taxes ever made. I am sorry folks, but I am sick of my well informed vote having to contend with these uninformed (though I am sure they are not stupid) people.

It'll make you cry (and, if it doesn't, it's because you voted for Obama, and you are happy we're a nation of ignoramouses).

For more, visit How Obama Got Elected, and stay tuned for the documentary.



Don't...

Not Evil Just Wrong. Irish film makers need your help to debunk Al Gore

A couple of Irish film-makers want to get a documentary finished that takes on Al Gore and his "Inconvenient (un)Truth."

Will they get the money they desperately need to get this film distributed?

With your help, you can visit their web site and donate to get this film distributed to all major market US theaters.

Nothing more to

KC-45, ever going to happen?

One thing I haven't touched on lately is defense issues.

Of interest to me and something I think will tell us much about the Obama administration, is the still ongoing battle in the Air Force over the replacement for the KC-135/KC-10 tanking fleet.

John McCain bragged about this during the election ("people are in jail because of me"). When the USAF originally tried to let this contract years ago, they did it as a single source bid (to Boeing) which led to the imprisonment of the AF's chief acquisition officer, Darleen Druyun. It's now a case study in corruption.

A consortium led by Northrop-Grumman and including Airbus (based on their A-330), won the KC-45 tanker contract last year, but, immediately, Boeing cried foul, and the competition was essentially forced to another review. You can read some details of the review here.

In my opinion, the outcome of this contract will tell us much about how the Obama administration is going to work. This contract is so politicized, that I do not find it likely that it will be let on the merits of the bids. If that happens, it will say something positive about the Obama DoD.

The Boeing proponents forced this to be redone, because Boeing lost, and because the Chicago-headquartered Boeing was losing to a consortium with a large European component, and, final assembly was being proposed in a bright red state (Alabama) by Northrop.

If we are to believe the article, DoD intends to request a best-and-final-offer from both competitors, where the cost will be decided based on a first article cost.

Who wants to guess that Boeing will just squeak under the Northrop bid?

The Cult of Obama, now marketed

I posted not too long ago about the replacing of Che with Obama in the Left's marketing psyche.

With a h/t to Libertarian Republican, check out this AP news piece, with it's reference to Obama icons as Che-like (gotta watch the first 1:55 or so).

I think Obama probably wants the comparisons between himself and Che, however, to end at the T-shirt design level.

Bo calls out the GW nutjobs!

My buddy, Bothenook, posts today on the GISS's latest attempts at global warming subterfuge, and how they got caught, then attempted to perpetuate their lie, to sell their agenda.

In Bo's post, he doesn't claim to know the "exact truth" behind these people's agenda, but I think he doesn't give himself enough credit. His "educated guesses" are right on, and these people will stop at nothing until they hold absolute power.

In a related note - for global warming skeptics (or at least those who seriously doubt man's contribution to this), I have started a little link list to my previous blog posts on global warming. I'll probably add links to interesting GW articles and the like as well, so if you have one, send it on and you can always come back here to find them! I promise!

you don't need to

Is T. Boone Pickens a Stupid Man?

When T. Boone Pickens started pushing his "Pickens Plan" for energy independence, I wondered what his angle was.

In case you live in a cave, Pickens' plan is to build a large (4000MW) wind-powered energy complex on land he owns in West Texas. In addition to his proposal that we use wind for 20% of our electric needs, Pickens wants to see the nations automobile fuel be switched to natural gas, which, of course, is abundant in this country, and which he claims, is the best, most readily available fuel for our automotive infrastructure.

So, why, then, have I had a bad feeling about Pickens when I heard him talk about this. At various times, Pickens would say he was for an "all of the above" approach, yet, this was exactly the same approach McCain was advocating, yet we never saw Pickens get behind that, and, indeed, he seemed to poo poo McCain's plan, although it matched nearly exactly what Pickens was saying.

While not outright cheerleading for Obama, Pickens seemed to be favoring him, if in a slightly snarky manner. Last night, I saw Pickens again on Hannity & Colmes, and at one point he said that he like Obama because he was the only one talking about being energy independent in 10 years, as Pickens is proposing.

Now, I suspect Pickens isn't a stupid man, so he can't believe that Obama actually means this. Any idiot would know that Obama's promises are meaningless. He has no intention of ever doing anything to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and, it won't happen with Obama in charge of it.

Pickens seems to think that, for Obama to do this, it means he supports the natural gas as automotive fuel scenario, which Pickens sees as the only means to get to the 10 year point (and, which, I suspect, is Pickens' target for $). But, T. Boone, Obama is not going to allow the drilling required to get at those resources. He isn't going to allow drilling for oil, nor is he going to allow you to take natural gas out of the ground. Obama, if he thinks at all, thinks that we are going to reduce our dependence on foreign oil through some kind of breakthrough in battery technology, which is a massive pipe dream, as is Obama's idea that we can conserve our way to energy independence (though, I suppose if Obama keeps us in a deep recession, he might be able to shrink us to independence).

So, what's Pickens' angle?

Curious what you think and will find out! I'll research more and report back!