Vast Right-Wing Conspriacy

Read me!

Now, I have to ask…If Democrats control the House, the Senate, and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.  Then how can there still be a “vast” right-wing conspiracy?

Emphasis on the vast.  I won’t try and pretend like there isn’t a right-wing conspiracy against Democrats, but its probably about as vast as the left-wing conspiracies against Bush and the Republicans.

I think it is a tragic case of confusion when parties and leaders OF BOTH PARTIES blame partisan conflict for the unpopularity of their programs.  I believe it is an example of elected officials assuming a mandate which doesn’t exist, and reacting negatively when public opinion is not what they think it “should” be.

In the end, it makes Clinton look a bit foolish and contradictory, because if the conspiracy is vast enough to derail Obama’s agenda…then doesn’t it stand to reason that the Democrats are in for a tough run in 2010?

Summer Spend-a-thon

The Obama White House has indicated that 600,000 jobs will be created this summer by ramping up stimulus spending.

The new summer strategy is aimed to quiet Republican criticism of the February stimulus.  Republicans charge that unemployment has continued to grow,  reaching a new high in May.

The Obama strategy is counterintuitive.  Many economists believe the trough of the recession was reached in mid March.  Though aggregate unemployment numbers are the highest in roughly 30 years, May’s unemployment statistics were lower than April’s.  This would indicate that the recession is easing, especially considering that employment is a lagging variable in economic calculations.

Why then, should we spend more?  If the economy is already showing signs of recovery what is to be gained by speeding up the pace of stimulus spending?  The answer is political advantage.  Only a small portion of the stimulus funds have actually been spent.  American voters have a notoriously short memory and many do not understand economic theory.  When things get better, it is easy to assume that the incumbent president and legislature are responsible.  It is sound political strategy to keep spending making any gains appear to be caused by the Democrat’s stimulus bill.  Therefore, the current administration wants to get as many funds out the door as possible.

The numbers do not add up.  The economy has started to improve, few stimulus funds have been spent, and the jobs the Obama administration promised during the campaign are failing to materialize–150,000 jobs created since February.

Wise policy would be to continue to spend at the same rate–or even slow down!– and if the economy recovers in the next few months, refund the money, or save it!

Political Cronyism at Government Motors (GM)

Something to chew on:

The UAW  openly supported the Obama election campaign.

The United Auto Workers Union was given 17.5% of GM by the Obama administration.

When Haliburton–former employer of Dick Cheney–was awarded contracts in Iraq, liberal critics were quick to demonize him and his administration, criticizing them of political cronyism.

This is a huge political hand out!

First, the Obama administration is rewarding the UAW for its generous support by pumping BILLIONS of tax-payer dollars into GM. Will these billions be spent supporting more Democratic election campaigns?  Second, the Obama administration is rewarding the very group that helped bring GM down through its inflexibility.  When Obama says that he does not want the American auto industry to disappear, it becomes obvious that he means he doesnt want his cozy relationship and revolving-door funding scheme to disappear.

It’s time for America to wake up. By meddling in the private sector, the Democratic party is attempting to solidfy its power with tax-payer money. Get the government out of GM and put the UAW out of business!

Dear Lobbyists…

Obama administration officials are easing the ban on lobbying.  Check out the great Wall Street Journal story here.

Lobbyist play an important role in American politics by providing a voice to groups which generally have little representation, specifically those groups with specialized interests.  It is great to see the Obama administration start to reverse its strict lobbying rules.

Unfortunately for the Administration this can only be seen as two things:  First, a flip-flop reversal of one of Obama’s strongest campaigning issues.  He pledged to lead America into an era where special-interests had a limited role–it seems this will not be the case after all.  Second, with mid-term elections right around the corner I think it is obvious that the administration would like to help special interests secure pork-barrel projects in at-risk  Congressional districts ahead of the vote.

Though the administration was certainly well intentioned, and probably partially effective at keeping lobbyists at bay during the stimulus deliberations, anyone who lives in Washington understands that this nation runs on lobbyists.  It does not look good for the administration to reverse it’s course on the issue–particularly after meeting with the industry’s trade group.

File it under….Flip-Flop Obamamous!

Solar Power Shortcomings

President Obama addressed troops at Nellis AFB Nevada today after touring the base’s solar energy farm.

The Nellis solar complex comprises 72,000 solar panels, 140 acres, and generates 30 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.  Obama touted the system as “the kind of foundation we’re trying to build all across America.”

This doesn’t seem like a very practical way to provide America with power.  The base’s solar array only provides 25% of the facility’s power which houses 12, 000 people.  Can you imagine trying to find 140 acres for every 12, 000 people in say…NYC, LA, or D.C.?

Read more about Nellis AFB photovoltaic array here.

Back to the basics.

Obama Aims to Sway Midterm Elections

Looks like team Obama is hitting the campaign trail again, talking about change and hope in an attempt to build support for democratic candidates for the 2010 mid-term elections.

The Obama administration will have a difficult time selling their liberal ideals now that the policy-cat is out of the bag.  The hope and change he promised has failed to show up.  He has looked less like America’s savior and more like a confused, frustrated rookie law-maker who is incapable of message discipline, even within his own party.

Obama has struggled to keep attention on his domestic agenda, and while the public opinion of him remains high both at home and abroad, his approval rating is lower than George W. Bush after 100 days, and he has few substantive gains to show for it–other than massive spending projects.

The Obama Revolution failed to materialize.  After billing himself as the Great Uniter, the man to end partisanship in Washington, the progressive-always-looking-ahead president, Obama has repeatedly blamed the Bush administration for the ills of his presidency, and has stooped to base partisanship to strong-arm legislators.  After building a campaign based on Bush criticism, Obama is incapable of acknowledging where he was wrong and the Bush team was right, namely in areas of national security.

Obama’s rigorous fund raising schedule indicates that his political capital is waning, but then again flip-flopping and reckless spending tend to sap support for even the greatest politicians.