Post #216 ... revised, 2010

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal (to corporations), that they are endowed by their Creator (or certified public accountant), with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men (or corporations), deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed (or corporations of some of the governed), That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People (or corporations), to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,....

-- John Roberts, chief justice, SCOTUS

Post #215 Charles Krauthammer Jumps The Shark

"Jumps The Shark" is a phrase used to describe a TV series which has run out of fresh ideas. The phrase stems from the episode of "Happy Days" in which the gang visits California and 'the Fonz' jumps a shark with his motorcycle.

In his "War? What War?" column of January 01, 2010, Charles Krauthammer jumps the shark -- he repeats the same ol' tired and discredited neo-con world view.

Krauthammer says, "The reason the country is uneasy about the Obama administration's response to this attack is a distinct sense of not just incompetence but incomprehension." Um, nobody is uneasy. Of course, Republicans are uneasy about being out-of-power, but nobody leaves their house scanning the skies for falling planes.

Krauthammer also says, "From the very beginning, President Obama has relentlessly tried to downplay and deny the nature of the terrorist threat we continue to face." Um, no. In his inaugural address, Obama said: "Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred." The threat comes from al Qaeda, violent extremists, and terrorists -- rather than a tactic, "terrorism."

"And just to make sure even the dimmest understand," Krauthammer adds, "Obama banishes the term 'war on terror.'"

Well, "jihadists." Krauthammer's favorite term, means 'holy warrior.' What could give more aid and comfort to the enemy than having our President say we are fighting 'holy warriors?'

Krauthammer gives more aid and comfort to the enemy with his, uh, smirkiness. :p He sneers: "Guantanamo will close, CIA interrogators will face a special prosecutor, and Khalid Sheik Mohammed will bask in a civilian trial in New York -- a trifecta of political correctness and image management." Every major military commander on the ground understands the need to close Guantanamo as it acts as a recruiting poster for al Qaeda. Surely, we shouldn't ignore our military commanders on the ground. Surely, too, we shouldn't ignore the rule of law. Surely, three, we should have confidence in our judicial system.

Why does Krauthammer seem to devalue so much about what is right with America? Simple. He and only he and his neo-con allies know how to fight terrorism. But, of course, reality says otherwise. If Krauthammer and his pals know so much, why did 9/11 happen? And why hasn't al Qaeda been eliminated?

However, let me agree with Krauthammer on one point: "[The underwear bomber is] an enemy combatant -- an illegal combatant under the laws of war: no uniform, direct attack on civilians." But the title of his "War? What War?" column hints at the problem.

Nobody has declared war -- well, nobody with the Constitutional authority to. It is my opinion that we were attacked with an act of war; it is Dick Cheney's opinion that we are at war; George W. Bush told us to go shopping.

Until we get that -- War? What war? -- cleared up, we will continue to flounder. God help us all.

Post #214 Happy 2010!

Well, well, well, don't Republicans feel embarrassed and ashamed? Health care reform has passed both the House and the Senate, and the party of "NO" is left to hoping that the bill falls apart in conference committee. But yet there have been no earthquakes or volcanoes or any other end-of-time scenarios.

Washington, D.C., is like a giant pre-school. Lil' Barack Obama showed up and spread his toys on the table, and Lil' Republican kicked the table over and then cried that Obama wasn't sharing. Like a five year old who wants to sulk, Lil' Republican ignored the numbers which said that health care reform was inevitable -- now, Republicans are on the outside looking in and crying that they wanted health care reform all along.

Don't believe it. Consistency, please.

It's like Sarah Palin's bailout support -- ya know, George W. Bush's bank bailout that she supported during the '08 campaign but bad-mouthed in her book. Now that banks are paying back the money -- it looks like the bailout is working, expect Palin to say any day; "I was for it before I was against it."

Don't believe it. Consistency, please.

'Ah,' ya ask, 'do you believe Sarah Palin is qualified to be President?' Yes, of course, she is -- Sarah Palin is qualified to be President. There is no test -- just present a valid birth certificate. :p After all, we just had the governor of a large state who was not intellectually curious, politely speaking, as President -- wait, that did not turn so well.

Anywho, consider inconsistent former Vice President Dick Cheney who said "[W]e are at war and when President Obama pretends we aren't, it makes us less safe." Indeed, Cheney and his pals have been passing around a recording of a statement by Obama that shows he is weak on terror:

On Nov. 21, 2007, while taking calls on New Hampshire Public Radio, Obama said, "I truly believe that the day I'm inaugurated, that not only does the country look at itself differently, but the world looks at America differently. If I'm reaching out to the Muslim world, they understand that I've lived in a Muslim country and I may be a Christian, but I also can understand their point of view. The world will have confidence that I am listening to them, and that our future and our security is tied up with our ability to work with other countries in the world. That will ultimately make us safer. And that's something that this administration has failed to understand."

Um, that is correct. How does that make us less safe?

In his inaugural address, Obama said: "Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred." In other words, we are at war with that which is tangible -- Al Qaeda, violent extremists, and terrorists -- rather than at war with a tactic, "terrorism," or a religion, Gawd-forbid.

How does that make us less safe?

The inconsistent Peter King of New York, ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee and a member of the Intelligence Committee, chimed in: "I think that the administration has made a mistake by treating this terrorist as a common criminal, by putting him into the criminal-justice system."

How does that make us less safe? And how does the underwear bomber differ from the shoe bomber -- who, of course, was placed in the criminal-justice system by Bush/Cheney?

Consistency, please.

[rolleyes]