Politics Daily

Jeb Bush: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's Support of Stimulus 'Unforgivable'

Tom Diemer — 2010-02-24T14:55:00+00:00

Filed under: George W. Bush, Bush Administration, Senate, Republicans, Barack Obama, Economy, Ron Paul, Obama Administration, Governors, 2010 Elections, Conservatives, Campaigns, Deficit, Unemployment

So much for the "11th Commandment." Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says that current governor and Senate candidate Charlie Crist's support for President Obama's stimulus bill last year was "unforgivable."

Bush made the remark in an interview with NewsMax, a conservative publication. "I know I'm supposed to be politically correct and I said I was neutral (in the primary) and all that," Bush said. But "I've got a problem with that."

Bush, brother of one president and the son of another, has kept his distance from the Republican primary battle between Crist and former Florida House Speaker Mario Rubio, who made a splash last weekend with conservatives at the CPAC convention in Washington.

But both of Jeb Bush's sons, Jeb Jr. and George P., have endorsed Rubio, who has criticized Crist for backing the stimulus package, considered by some to be Obama's signature accomplishment in nudging the economy toward recovery, Politico said.

Crist, in a visit to the White House with other governors on Monday, held firm on his decision to support the recovery bill and accept the federal money it authorized for Florida. He has been under attack from conservatives in the party since he came out for the plan in 2009.

That used to be regarded as bad manners in the Grand Old Party. Before he became president, Ronald Reagan embraced the so-called 11th Commandment, which is attributed to former California GOP chairman Gaylord Parkinson: "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."

Jeb Bush said he still likes Crist, despite his "mistake." Crist, he said, is "about the nicest guy I've ever met in politics."

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

CPAC Gets Younger, Hipper, More High-Tech

Matt Lewis — 2010-02-21T05:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, House, Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, Ron Paul, Humor, Taxes, Fundraising, Sarah Palin, 2012 President, Culture, 2010 Elections, Congress, Conservatives, Campaigns, Newt Gingrich

Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, and Liz (and Dick) Cheney gave big speeches on the opening day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) -- and Glenn Beck closed it to a rousing ovation, but just as interesting as the speakers on stage was the ages of the people sitting in the seats, congregated around the bars and cafes, and holding court in the lobby of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

I speak from experience. My first CPAC conference was eleven years ago. Since then, I've attended seven or eight of the annual affairs. The most obvious difference this year is that there are more young people in attendance.

CPAC director Lisa De Pasqual told me: "Our pre-registration numbers were 20 percent above last year's. We're expecting over 10,000 attendees and more than half of them are college students. I think it really speaks to the excitement and energy in the conservative movement right now."

One seasoned CPAC veteran, who asked not be named, bluntly told me, "I've been coming to these for years. This used to be a convention of blue hairs; now it has youthful energy." If you're a conservative -- as I am -- it was nice to see fresh young faces, who attend at a greatly reduced price. "Blue dog" Democrats are one thing, blue-haired Republicans are quite another.

Liberal blogger Bill Scher, who has gone to previous CPAC's, speculated to me that the increase in young attendees is a result of "the James O'Keefe Effect" -- a reference to someone their own age who made a splash. Scher's theory is that young conservatives now have a contemporary example of a person in their age bracket who made a difference, and got lots of attention in the process.

For young conservatives, who exist in a sea of skepticism, if not downright hostility, on the typical college campus, CPAC offers a safe haven where they can network with other like-minded students. A student named Kelly Schumacher, who attends college in Milwaukee, told me, "It's nice to have a conversation with someone who isn't arguing with you."

Added Chelsea Lapp, a high school student attending CPAC with 18 of her classmates at Westfield Academy near Buffalo, New York: "Everybody seems pretty pumped up about it."

Jason Mattera, a young conservative who works for Young America's Foundation, was so pumped that he gave a rousing, if politically incorrect, speech at CPAC -- and found himself singled out for criticism in the New York Times for his trouble. That might mortify a typical liberal college student. Here, it's a badge of honor.

Conference organizers did more than just offer to reduce the entry fees for students. For the past few years, bloggers had been relegated to the nether reaches of an exhibition hall, requiring them to dash upstairs to wait in line for the keynote speakers, and then scurry back to their warrens to write up something about the speech -- before setting out in search off a stray WiFi connection. This year, as New Media consultant Justin Hart told me, "bloggers have the best seats in the house. WiFi was up . . . and the blogger row table has gone from seating 25 to seating about 100."

"Our new set-up for Bloggers Lounge is packed thanks to Erick Erickson and Redstate.com," explained De Pasqual, referring to relatively new stars of the conservative blogosphere. "We've also integrated a lot of panels and speakers who can educate attendees about modern media success stories and how they can apply them to their efforts."

Aside from bloggers getting a huge upgrade, and aside from seeing more young people than ever, it was also interesting to note who was not seen. There are always gadflies who show up at these things -- you see them year in and year out -- but this year, they were noticeably in short supply. I had assumed that the Tea Party movement would mean an influx of unkempt grassroots activists at CPAC, but if they were here, they brought their khaki pants with them.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ron Paul Wins CPAC Straw Poll, Sarah Palin is Third With 7 Percent

Patricia Murphy — 2010-02-20T18:37:00+00:00

Filed under: Endorsements, Bush Administration, Senate, House, Republicans, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Dick Cheney, Ron Paul, Sarah Palin, 2012 President, The Capitolist, Governors, 2010 Elections, Congress, Conservatives, Campaigns, Newt Gingrich

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) ran away with the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday, with 31 percent of the vote. Paul's libertarian conservative message has made him a hero to small- government Republicans for years, but this is the first CPAC straw poll he has ever won.

Paul's victory came as a surprise to supporters of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who has won the straw poll at this event for the last four years. Romney was second this year, with 22 percent.

Another surprise came with Sarah Palin's third-place finish, with 7 percent of the vote. Palin is a favorite of the conservative base, but was one of the few Republicans included in the straw poll ballot who did not attend or speak to the conference.

CPAC's straw poll is an unscientific, voluntary poll, but it has served as a barometer of support for possible Republican presidential candidates among their all-important conservative base.

Here are the full results:

Rep. Ron Paul- 31 percent

Mitt Romney- 22 percent

Sarah Palin- 7 percent.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty - 6 percent

Rep. Mike Pence- 5 percent

Mike Huckabee- 4 percent

Newt Gingrich- 4 percent

Gov. Mitch Daniels- 2 percent

Rick Santorum- 2 percent

Sen. John Thune- 2 percent

Gov. Haley Barbour- 1 percent.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Obama Still Leads Potential GOP Challengers for 2012

Bruce Drake — 2009-11-20T13:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, Polls, Sarah Palin, 2012 President, Poll Watch

His job approval numbers may be facing a rocky stretch, but President Obama still leads all the possible Republican challengers for 2012 that Public Policy Polling tested in a survey conducted Nov. 13-15.

Obama leads Mike Huckabee by 49 percent to 44 percent with 7 percent undecided; Sarah Palin by 51 percent to 43 percent with 5 percent undecided; Ron Paul by 46 percent to 38 percent with 16 percent undecided; and Mitt Romney by 48 percent to 43 percent with 9 percent undecided.

Huckabee is seen favorably by 37 percent and unfavorably by 36 percent with 27 percent undecided. Palin is seen unfavorably by a 49 percent to 40 percent margin with 11 percent undecided. Paul is regarded unfavorably by 34 percent and favorably by 23 percent, with 42 percent "not sure." Romney is seen unfavorably by 39 percent and favorably by 30 percent with 31 percent undecided.

"Romney has his strongest performance yet because he does the best of the Republicans with independents, holding Obama to a two point lead with them," said PPP. "His overall favorability though is just a 30/39 spread because he's less popular with Republican voters than Huckabee and Palin are."

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

House Finance Committee Votes To Audit Federal Reserve

Christopher Weber — 2009-11-19T20:30:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Economy, Ron Paul

A House panel has voted to approve legislation introduced by Texas Rep. Ron Paul that would allow Congress to audit the Federal Reserve.

The provision that passed the House Financial Services Committee Thursday would direct the Government Accountability Office to examine the Fed's monetary policy, specifically how much it lends to financial institutions, Marketwatch reported. The proposed audit would not include a review of the central bank's policy deliberations.

It's the first time in its 95-year history that the Fed would be subjected to government scrutiny.

The central bank's secrecy came under criticism last year when it used its emergency powers to pump hundreds of billions of dollars into the struggling financial sector. The Fed was not required to specify which institutions received the money.

The committee will vote on the entire bill Dec. 1.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ron Paul Wins! (Sort Of)

Christopher Weber — 2009-11-02T18:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Ron Paul, Primaries, Conventions, Republican Convention

A count of missing delegate ballots from Nevada's Republican convention last year concluded with a surprising result. It turns out three delegates supporting Rep. Ron Paul should have been sent from the Silver State to the national GOP convention in Minneapolis.

The result has no bearing on Nevada's role in nominating John McCain as the GOP candidate for president, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported. But a group of discontented Republicans who fought for the count say it's vindication for what they've been claiming all along: Ron Paul, who ran as an independent before dropping out in June, deserved a voice at the national convention.

In April 2008, the Nevada GOP convention was abruptly shut down by party leaders after a group of Paul supporters won a rules change that allowed them to alter the way national delegates were elected. As a result, a box of ballots from the 2nd Congressional District was locked up before being fully counted.

For 18 months Paul supporters demanded the remaining ballots be counted, stoking divisions within the Nevada Republican party. The count was finally made Friday and it was determined that delegates supporting Paul should have represented the 2nd District in Minneapolis.

"It's good to get it done," Paul supporter Wayne Terhune told the Gazette-Journal. "It's nice to be vindicated. The fact the three Ron Paul people won, indicates that might have been the reason they shut down the convention. Now it's done. We can put it behind us."

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

News From Los Angeles, With a Touch of Celebrity

Mary C. Curtis — 2009-06-24T10:12:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Barack Obama, Iran, Ron Paul, Woman Up

LOS ANGELES - Yes, the people I've met here this week are quite interested in parsing the president's statements about Iran. It's just that some of them have other things on their mind.

Showcased in national reports, Iran's parliament is hinting at legal action against opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, and President Obama spars with the press on whether or not his tough talk on violence in Iran was prompted by Republicans. "What do you think?" he answered, with a laugh that showed what he thought of the question. "I'm the President of the United States."

At times like this, the top of the network news is an easy call.

Still, on local LA stations, the headlines give way to a quick segue:

Will Chris Brown go to jail for assaulting his on-again, off-again pop star girlfriend Rihanna? He won't. And so the debate begins. Is five years' probation and six months of community service punishment enough or just another case of LA's celebrity justice?

Will Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa run for governor of California? He won't. Maybe he took a look at the latest Los Angeles Times poll, which shows his popularity taking a dive.

Switch back to the national news, and you'll hear about government-run stations in Iran trying to convince the public that protesters are under the spell of foreign masters, who ordered them to take to the streets.

But local stations are spending lots of time giving late-night sidekick Ed McMahon a proper sendoff. Flip to any channel and you can't miss a clip of him shouting: "Heeeeeere's Johnny!"

Reality intrudes in the neighborhood known as "Little Tehran," which saw weekend demonstrations of residents' solidarity with relatives and friends in Iran. The death of young "Neda" was a rallying cry.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, reality meets celebrity in Westwood, at a signature In-N-Out burger joint on the campus of UCLA.

Husband and wife Ian Belcher, 25, and Faeza Moghul, 28, brought their own healthier meal to share outside. Belcher is in his last year at UCLA, majoring in linguistics and studying Arabic and Farsi. They moved from the Bay Area, which they miss. "People are much more politically conscious," Moghul said.

The couple campaigned for Ron Paul in the last presidential election, and approve of President Obama's measured tone toward intervention in Iran. "Not to dismiss what's going on there," said Belcher, but if America's not going to criticize the elections in Egypt and Pakistan, Israel or Iraq, why should the country meddle in Iran?

The couple canceled a planned trip to Pakistan to visit members of Moghul's family because they didn't feel safe. "People have lost faith in the government," she said.

Moghul questioned the sincerity of politicians who wanted to bomb Iran "now caring so much" about voters there. All sides in the current debate, they said, are trying to push their agendas.

And just a few blocks over, hundreds of movie fans are standing in a line that stretches down the block, with one agenda in mind -- to catch a glimpse of Hollywood hunks Johnny Depp and Christian Bale at the night's premiere of "Public Enemies."

A creative director for an ad agency said she's interested in Obama's health-care plan but "today's not the time or the place." It's time "to talk about frivolous things." You go to an event like this "as an escape." Cindy wouldn't give her age. In LA? "Are you kidding?"

Jessica Carreiro didn't mind. Of course not. She's 18 and a volunteer for the Los Angeles Film Festival. She's interested in politics and is writing an opinion piece on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for LA Youth Magazine. She's excited about studying literary journalism at UC Irvine in the fall.

Her career plans? "I want to direct."

She's certainly in the right city for that.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ron Paul's Son Announces Candidacy for Senate

Tommy Christopher — 2009-05-15T03:19:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, Ron Paul

Dr. Rand Paul, son of 2008 Republican Presidential candidate and fundraising juggernaut Ron Paul, announced his candidacy for US Senator from Kentucky in 2010. He teased the announcement on his Twitter feed, but let the cat out of the bag on the Rachel Maddow Show:

As a candidate, Paul's stands on the issues position him as a sort of "Ron Paul Lite." As enumerated on his website, he mixes more traditionally Republican ideas with Libertarian buzzwords. Like his dad, Rand Paul opposes the Iraq War, dings the Federal Reserve, and pushes back against the department of Education.

Still, the emphasis is more on traditional red meat issues like guns and tax cuts, which might help him enjoy broader support than his dad. If his father's supporters show even a little bit of loyalty to Rand Paul, I pity the fool that runs against him. Ron Paul has an intensely loyal, well-organized, and generous following.

Tommy on: Daily Dose:

Ron Paul's Son Pays Tribute to Me

Obama's attempt to block photo release: Good idea, bad idea?

Note to TMZ:Pictures Don't Lie, Miss California is Not a Liar

Sarah Palin Porno Parody Actress in Eminem's New Vid, and on Tour

New York Times: Ann Coulter's Makeup Takes 40 Minutes

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Joe the Plumber Leaving the Republican Party?

David Knowles — 2009-05-07T12:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, John McCain, Ron Paul, Bob Barr, Sarah Palin

In the words of Sarah Palin's speech writers, "Say it ain't so, Joe!" Time magazine reports that Joe the Plumber (does anybody care what his real name is anymore?) is readying to bolt from the GOP:

Samuel Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber, tells TIME he's so outraged by GOP overspending, he's quitting the party -- and he's the bull's-eye of its target audience.

Wow, I guess Matt Lewis gets his wish. So, the incredible shrinking party just got even smaller. After catapulting Joe to stardom in front of Republican audiences, I wonder how John McCain feels at the news of this latest departure. Actually, I think Matt is right to some extent. To put it kindly, Joe is something of a loose cannon. As the GOP quickly found out after McCain used him as a campaign prop, this guy never met a camera he didn't like, and his views were so selfish that he made Ayn Rand look like an altruist.

Where will Joe and his outrage land up next? Maybe Bob Barr has placed a call, or Ron Paul (he's still a Republican, right?). Or maybe Joe will just ditch this whole politics gig once and for all. But how do you go Galt when you make less that $200K a year?

David at Paradigms Lost
David on Twitter

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Republican Party Identification Nears the Mendoza Line

Tommy Christopher — 2009-04-30T15:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Ron Paul, Polls

Things are bad for the Republican Party. How bad?

The Mendoza Line, the low-water mark for a major league baseball player's batting average, is .198. Expressed as a percentage, that translates to 19.8%. In a recent Pew study, the portion of voters who identified themselves as Republicans was 22%. That's not a lot of daylight between the GOP and the visitor's clubhouse in Spokane.

How bad are things for the Republican Party? The Whig Party is taking shots at them. That's just embarrassing, like being taunted by Sanjaya Malakar at the American Idol finale.

There's little mystery in what has gone wrong with the GOP. In fact, a better analogy would be a cross between Mendoza and Dave Kingman. A Dave Kingman who never hit a home run. The Republicans have been taking a huge swing at every pitch that comes near them, resulting in a lot of wind and little else.

I went over some of this in my piece about the Republicans' 1st 100 days under President Obama. Not content to work with what they've been given, like the President's problems filling his cabinet, they have tried to manufacture points where there were none. Most glaringly, they tried to trash his conduct of the Somali pirate crisis, then accused him of trying to take credit for the supposed failure.

While the Whigs are probably not ready to become the next major party, the Republicans' position as the #2 of 2 political parties in this country is ripe for the picking. Ron Paul Revolution, anyone?

Tommy on: Daily Dose:

Rushing to Conclusions

Robert Gibbs' Magical Powers and Other Observations

Seniors Handcuff Selves to White House - No, Really

The Republicans' First 100 Days

Tommy on: Twitter

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ron Paul: Secession Is Not Un-American

Christopher Weber — 2009-04-23T19:52:00+00:00

Filed under: Ron Paul, Viral Video

When all the hoo-ha happened over Gov. Rick Perry's suggestion that the Lone Star State could secede from the union, I immediately looked forward to hearing the opinions of three Texans: Kinky Friedman, Ron Paul and Willie Nelson.

In an interview with Briefing Room, Friedman said Perry had "gone off the tracks a little bit" and schooled the governor with a bit of Texas history (he also said he would run for Perry's seat again).

"I would remind him that there was great visionary hero named Sam Houston who traveled all over the state warning us not to do it - that it would cost great heartache and bloodshed."

Ron Paul, not surprisingly, approaches it more pragmatically. In a YouTube address, he doesn't take a position on whether Texas should secede but he does say Americans shouldn't be so squeamish to discuss it. He mocks the "liberal media" for providing no context, saying it's hardly a cut-and-dried issue. Paul admits that since the Civil War secession has been a "dead issue." But he says if anyone thinks the idea of a state breaking away is un-American or treasonous, "they don't know their history very well." After all, the United States came into being when 13 colonies seceded from England.

Watch Paul's full address:

Willie hasn't weighed in on the issue yet but hopefully he'll write a song about it.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Hillary Clinton Sounds Ready to Join the Ron Paul Revolution

Dylan and Ethan Ris — 2009-04-23T16:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Hillary Clinton, Ron Paul, 2008 President, Humor

We already know that Ron Paul enjoys the most devoted group of followers this side of Jonestown, but apparently he's expanded his ranks even further since his failed presidential bid last year.

It seems that now he's counting a sitting Secretary of State among his admirers...

Talk about an odd couple: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday gave a little bit of love to fellow former presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas)...

"I just want to say, having campaigned during the last presidential election, you had the most enthusiastic supporters of anybody I ever saw," Clinton said. "I mean, my goodness, everywhere I went, they were literally running down highways holding your signs.

"So I've never had a chance to tell you that, but your message obviously resonated with a lot of people," the secretary of State gushed.

Clinton is right. Paul's supporters were running down highways all last summer, waving hand-painted signs acclaiming the Texas congressman/gynecologist. But that's not all they did.

They also held faux-Woodstock events in his honor, crashed nominating conventions for him and, in one case, attempted to make a sex tape with him.

They also went to impressive lengths to hurl insults and death threats at bloggers who deigned to mock their candidate in a humor column-- a tradition that we expect will continue below...

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Rudy Giuliani to Wage War on Gay Marriage

Tommy Christopher — 2009-04-20T08:39:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Ron Paul, Gay Rights, Michael Bloomberg

Anybody remember Rudy Giuliani? He was the presumptive favorite to win the 2008 GOP Presidential nomination, before Ron Paul took him out? Well, Rudy's back.

The former Mayor of America tells the New York Post's Fredric U. Dicker that he is going to take his "traditional view of marriage," which I guess is between a man and a woman and whomever the dude is still married to, into battle against gay marriage: (h/t John Dickerson)

"This will create a grass-roots movement. This is the kind of issue that, in many ways, is somewhat beyond politics," said Giuliani, a two-term mayor who unsuccessfully sought the GOP presidential nomination last year.

"I think gay marriage will obviously be an issue for any Republican next year because Republicans are either in favor of the position I'm in favor of, civil unions, or in many cases Republicans don't even favor civil unions," he continued.

Giuliani, who is slated to address a Republican fund-raising gala in Albany tonight in what is widely described as further proof of his interest in running for governor, said he's committed to the traditional definition of marriage.

"Marriage, I believe, both traditionally and legally, has always been between a man and a woman and should remain between a man and woman," said Giuliani, who has been married three times.

New York Governor David Paterson has plenty of problems in seeking re-election, evidenced by his awful polling numbers prior to his call for legalizing gay marriage. It's really classy of Rudyto smell blood in the water, and run against Paterson on denying people a right that he himself thinks is so nice, he did it thrice. Hopefully, Paterson gets the push he needs from Mike Bloomberg, turning this into a win.

If there's a silver lining to this story, aside from the fact that the reporter seems to have been named by the tandem of Bart Simpson and Moe the Bartender, it's that Rudy exposes the weakness in some Democrats' positions on the issue of gay marriage. He tries to hide behind Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who both favor civil unions.

The issue of gay marriage is picking up steam as a civil rights issue, and has even gained the support of John McCain's former chief strategist. Politicians are going to have to choose, and soon, whether they really want to be on the wrong side of history on this one.

Tommy on: Daily Dose:

* Newt Gingrich Nailin' Sarah Palin's Political Coffin Shut

* Today's Quickies and...Janeane!

* New York Times: Ann Coulter's Makeup Takes 40 Minutes

Tommy on: Twitter

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ron Paul Stung in Sacha Baron Cohen's New Film

David Knowles — 2009-03-17T08:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Featured Stories, Ron Paul, Humor, Viral Video

Texas Congressman Ron Paul was not amused. After being lured to a Washington DC hotel room for an interview with Austrian television, and, after experiencing lighting difficulties, Paul was directed to a separate bedroom where the show's host entered and, well, I'll let Slate take it from here:

Finally, Paul asks what's going on. "Don't worry about it, Dr. Paul," says Bruno, who then unbuckles his belt and drops his pants. At that point, Paul snaps up and storms out of the room.

As Paul is walking away, you can hear him say, several times, something like, "This guy is a queer!"

Well, of course, that man, Bruno--a.k.a. Borat, a.k.a. Sacha Baron Cohen--was no such thing, even though he plays one on TV and in the movies. Ron Paul proved but the latest unwitting victim of the ruthless satire that will be featured in Cohen's upcoming film, "Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Male." Other known casualties of Cohen's pranks include the Alabama National Guard and the audience at a Milan fashion show.

If you've never seen Bruno in action, however, have a look at the character and go back and try to imagine the scene with Ron Paul. Warning, the following clip has language that some will find offensive:

In other Ron Paul news, did you see his takedown of Stephen Baldwin the other night on Larry King? The subject was the legalization of marijuana, and on this occasion, Paul was on top of his game. Watch it here.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ron Paul vs. Stephen Baldwin on Marijuana Laws? Are You High?

Tommy Christopher — 2009-03-14T15:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Featured Stories, Economy, Ron Paul, Humor, Media, Crime

Ron Paul may not have won the Republican presidential nomination, but he damn-sure won every debate, most notably embarrassing John McCain at the Reagan Library. So, who would you book to debate Paul on the legalization of marijuana, or any topic? I can't think of many names lower on that list than Stephen Baldwin.

As I've noted before, I like Baldwin. Agree with him or not (and I don't), he's got an unvarnished quality that's tough not to like. But a debate with Ron Paul? I want some of what you're smoking.

Paul takes out most of his buddies in the process, noting twice that "a lot of people in congress drink a lot of alcohol." He also makes the case that you don't have to be Peter Tosh to favor legalization, just someone with some common sensimilia.

Here's the clip of their debate. Aside from the gross mismatch, also note the irony that you've got a debate about pot between a Hollywood actor and a Republican congressman, in which the Hollywood actor is against marijuana, and the Republican is in favor.

Tommy on: Daily Dose I I Twitter
Order The Audacity of Democracy Starring Tommy Christopher

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Greatly Depressing: Will USA Go Communist?

Ken Layne — 2009-03-09T00:23:00+00:00

Filed under: Featured Stories, Economy, Ron Paul, Ken Layne's Outrage, Obama Administration

People "from all walks of life" are lining up for donated bread in San Diego, 11% of U.S. mortgages are either late or in foreclosure, 8.3 million homeowners owe more than their house is worth, unemployment hasn't been so awful since 1948, 20% of Los Angeles County residents are on Public Assistance, 12.5 million jobless Americans are actively looking for work, and 84,000 homes in Maryland will have the power turned off next month due to lack of payment.

Will angry, hungry people rise up in revolution? Will the unemployed, bloated masses get off their sofas, turn off the teevees and launch a violent overthrow of the capitalist system?

Are working Americans ready to take the country back from Barack Obama and his team of Wall Street-Ivy League fat cat investment bankers?

Ha, right.

When "revolution" means putting a Ron Paul sticker on your gas-guzzling luxury tank or forwarding YouTube links to that CNBC stock jobber yelling about poor people having a roof over their heads, you can rest assured "angry Americans" will continue doing nothing more "radical" than sitting in their cars in the parking lot outside the Jack in the Box, listening to Rush Limbaugh and eating jalapeno poppers instead of looking for a job, like their wives keep telling them to do, or else.

The lasting effects of this Great Recession will be much worse than previous American downturns. With American manufacturing and retail and construction going into permanent retreat, a lot of these lost jobs will never come back. Whole regions of the United States are finished, economically -- those far-flung sunbelt exurbs of exurbs that existed solely on cheap credit and the housing boom's outrageously inflated prices will just die, forever, and the auto-industry cities will become ghost towns.

Even in the miserable depths of the 1930s' Great Depression, there wasn't much taste for a violent overthrow of the capitalist system. And if the lean, hungry Americans of that era couldn't get it together, there is very little chance today's bloated couch potatoes are going to do anything at all -- except whine, on the Internet.

When leftist American writers traveled the country in the 1930s, they thought there would be radical groups in every ruined farm town, ready to storm Washington and New York and seize the means of production. Instead, the people were baffled and beaten. Just getting by was hard enough.

Communist revolutions usually come from the top down, anyway. The poor workers at the bottom just get pushed around into whatever system the elitist tough guys decide to put in place. Obama and his Wall Street elitists are safe.

Ken Layne writes for workers newspapers such as Newer Socialism Review and Wonkette.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Happy Washington's Birthday, George Washington!

Ken Layne — 2009-02-16T00:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Barack Obama, Featured Stories, Ron Paul, Obits, Race, Ken Layne's Outrage, Obama Administration

If you're wondering why you are home today, on a Monday, it's probably because this is our national celebration holiday of George Washington's birthday! (You may also be unemployed.)

Was this man, George Washington, truly our greatest president? No, not at all! Most historians put him in the "Top 50," at best. But he was the first president, of America, and for that we honor his service to our country.

A funny thing to consider on this holiday is how President Washington might react to seeing Barack Obama in the White House. Washington would probably just think a slave had wandered off from the kitchen, by mistake, and then the Father of Our Country would order 50 lashings or something, and then somebody would sort of awkwardly say, "Ah dude we don't have slavery anymore," and Washington would sort of raise one eyebrow.

George Washington was born on a farm somewhere in about 1776, during the Revolutionary War. Before long, he did verily slew many Indians and Frenchmen. But after years of confusion, the Founding Fathers finally wrote the U.S. Constitution, which made General Washington the first president.

Even today, we remember him.

But why do we remember him? This is a more difficult question.

For one thing, Washington was very tall. He was the tallest man around, and yet he was also a talented dancer. He basically never said anything, which was important for his legacy, as people assumed he must be thinking very profound thoughts.

But, from his own journals and surviving correspondence, we now know that he was mostly interested in complaining to merchants about how he was always getting ripped off. Washington spent the rest of his time trying to sell real estate in Ohio, which he won in the wars, and complaining about how expensive it was to feed, clothe and house all of his slaves -- even though maybe 30% of the slaves actually did work, as the rest were either old people or little kids.

As a joke, many states also celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday today.

Ken Layne is a senior research fellow with the Mount Vernon Institute and publisher of Wonkette, the historical quarterly.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Obama Abandons 'Buy American' Stimulus Provision

David Knowles — 2009-02-13T09:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Barack Obama, Featured Stories, Economy, Ron Paul, Trade, Bill Clinton

President Barack Obama has changed his mind as to whether the massive stimulus bill that is expected to be approved by Congress today should include one or more strict, "Buy American" provisions in it. Back before the economy crumbled before our very eyes, Obama espoused the ideals of the Buy American philosophy, even using the phrase in promotional materials. Now, however, Obama has backed away from mandating such policies. To the dismay of big labor, as the stimulus bill currently stands, previously included made-in-America restrictions have been dropped. Politico explains:

The current Buy American language in the stimulus bill requires only that the government spends funds in ways that do not violate U.S. trade agreements.

Initially, the House bill restricted spending to American-made iron and steel, while the Senate Version went even further, mandating that "all manufactured goods" in construction projects come from U.S. producers.

But in interviews last week, Obama came out against provisions that "signal protectionism."

Obama's fear, though it is sure to anger labor unions and many on the left, is that Buy American provisions will "backfire" and discourage other nations from doing business with the U.S. at a time when we can't afford to turn away a single foreign customer.

American companies like Caterpillar, whose Illinois plant Obama visited yesterday, are opposed to Buy American restrictions. US Steel, on the other hand, thinks very highly of requiring new construction projects to use, er, US Steel.

The seemingly eternal battle between those who favor Buy American legislation, and those who don't has been around for some time. Sides of this battle are not drawn on the basis of political affiliation, as Pat Buchanan, Ron Paul, Bill Clinton, and now Barack Obama have all shown us. The question, as ever, is whether or not such provisions do more harm or good for the workers in the long run. In our current economic climate, Obama seems to have decided the former.

The AP has more.

It's no surprise that Lou Dobbs is outraged by the president's change of heart on the Buy America matter. Watch:

Dobbs would have us believe that continuing the very same trade policies that we have been practicing these many years is suddenly now putting the very future of the nation in jeopardy. While many may have a legitimate beef with the president on not bringing enough change to the issue of trade, one can hardly accuse him of steering the country in to new and dangerous waters.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Ron Paul Stimulus View

Denise Williams — 2009-02-07T17:19:00+00:00

Filed under: Economy, Ron Paul

As you'd expect from Texas Congressman Ron Paul, he's not a fan of the stimulus bill. However, unlike the rhetoric you hear from other Republicans, he accuses his party-mates of being new to the fiscal responsibility party after 8 years of giving the previous administration everything it wanted. But then again, we know that Paul is not really a Republican.

(h/t Jesse Benton from Campaign for Liberty)

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Who Will Replace Daschle as Secretary of Health and Human Services?

Tommy Christopher — 2009-02-03T20:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Barack Obama, Featured Stories, Ron Paul, Humor, Obama Administration

With the withdrawal of Health and Human Services nominee Tom Daschle (pictured here trying hard to finally get his eye-lasers to work) today, the field is wide open for this important post, and it's never too early to speculate about a replacement.

I think we can rule out Willie Nelson and Wesley Snipes (I already sent the White House a "heads up," just in case), but after that, it's anybody's job.

Usually, I go with either a jokey list, a serious list, or an outside the box list. This time, I'm going to mix 'em up and see if you can tell the difference.

Top Candidates to Replace Tom Daschle as Secretary of HHS Nominee

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius - She was mentioned early for the post, before it went to Daschle. She put out a standard statement today, about how she just wants to be the governor, blah bla blah. What's she gonna say? "BOO-ya! HHS, here I come!"

She would be a very smart pick for Obama, and good for the Democrats, elevating a great contender for national office.

Dr. Ron Paul - First of all, Obama would immediately earn the intense loyalty of 7or 8% of the population, and it would be totally worth it just to watch him go at it with Geithner at cabinet meetings.

Howard Dean - Another early contender, he would be well-qualified to enact the kind of reform that Obama is looking for. (There's already a Facebook group dedicated to his candidacy.) Plus, he's available, and he's a scream at parties! (sorry)

Dr. Phil - Bookends nicely with Surgeon General Sanjay Gupta.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow - Has already picked up NOW's endorsement.

Ed 209 - Obama is all about change. Does the Secretary of Health and Human Services have to be a human?

The Rest - Others being floated:

Former NIH director Harold Varmus (now at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)

Dr. Atul Gawande

Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber

John Podesta, founder and president of the Center for American Progress, formerly chief of staff to President Bill Clinton

I like Dean for this post, but I think the job is Sebelius' if she wants it, and she's also an excellent pick. What do you think?

Tommy on: BlogTalkRadio I Digg! I Facebook I Twitter
Order The Audacity of Democracy Starring Tommy Christopher

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments