Medary.com

SECTION ONE: The Word:
The Overreach Trap

The Democrats thought that with their victory in 2008, that they had a mandate to once and for all re-make the United States from a Constitutional republic to a European-style democratic socialist welfare state.

They were wrong.

According to this poll, three quarters of the American public is angry (either "very angry" or "somewhat angry") with the current policies of the Federal government. 45% of Americans are "Very Angry." Only 19% are either "not angry" or "not very angry."

The American public does not want European-style democratic socialism. What most Americans want is to be left alone to live their lives the best they can, with maybe a little bit of help at the margins--the "safety net" of basic services which any good and decent people will provide to the least fortunate among them.

The Democrats do not yet show any significant sign of understanding this basic truth of American political thinking. To the contrary, most of the Democratic leadership thinks that the problem is that they just have not explained themselves clearly enough to the American people. But what they do not understand is that they have explained themselves, their philosophies, their policies, and their attitudes quite well, and Americans overwhelmingly reject it all. For the Democrats' basic misunderstanding of the American political mood, and their subsequent arrogance and political tone-deafness, they will be punished severely in the next election, and possibly for as much as a generation to come. And they will have richly deserved their time wandering in the political wilderness. A few of them see the tsunami coming. But not enough of them.

(continued . . . ) But even as the anger builds against the Democrats, the Republicans are deep within the danger zone as well. As the Tea Parties are the current primary expression of American rage at Democratic governing philosophy, they are also an expression of profound distrust, disappointment, and--yes--anger aimed at the Republican Party as well. The Republicans were supposed to be the fiscally responsible ones, the ones Americans could trust to be the political counterweight to the Democrats' big-spending, government-loving core goals. The Republicans, led by George W. Bush, failed miserably. The disastrous "compassionate conservative" strategy of the Bush administration meant that the Republicans basically ceded to the Democrats the entire argument--the core American argument--of what is the proper size and role of government in the lives of the people. The Democrats believe that there are no limits to that role. The Republicans, during the Bush administration, accepted that point, voting for Republicans because "well, they're a bit better than Democrats, I guess." The collapse of that belief came in 2008, when the Republican Party nominated John McCain--a war hero, but a profoundly misguided politician--for President. His campaign was utterly doomed until he selected Sarah Palin as his running-mate. Palin found herself the only Republican on the national stage who had not accepted the whole of the Democratic, socialist, big-government agenda. That is why the left reserves its most vitriolic hate for her. That's why many within the McCain campaign worked to sabotage her. That's why so many regular Americans like her so much, despite her occasional rough edges.

But, because of the betrayal of the Republican Party of its individual-liberty, small-government roots, current Republican office-holders are now viewed with deep suspicion by even those who traditionally voted Republican. It is those betrayed Republicans who are the core of the Tea Party movement. That is why it is seen as largely a Republican movement, but the Tea Parties have a wide, deep, strong libertarian component. Libertarian ideas of personal responsibility, individual freedom and liberty, and strictly limited government are, at last, cool, trendy, a bit subversive. The other main camp representing the Republican political alliance--the social conservatives--are with much moaning, complaining, and gnashing of teeth, with their usual dark threats of retribution in this life or perhaps the next one if their issues are not immediately addressed, putting their pet social conservative issues on the back burner.

And, until the socialists now in charge of the Democratic Party are defeated and discredited, the back burner is where the social issues should stay.

Everyone needs to decide in their heart what is important right now. In order to do that, you need to take into account not only what you think is most important, but also what else is going on around you at the time. If you just found out your neighbor is molesting their children, but just at that moment, you look out your window and see that that neighbor's house is on fire and the entire family is outside, fighting the fire, do you go outside and try to convince the neighbor to turn him- or herself in, or do you help put the fire out first, and then deal with the other issue later?

The American people are united, with a large majority wanting their government to guarantee a stable, level playing field for all Americans, make sure everybody plays by the same rules, and see that nobody takes unfair advantage of the dangerous force of that government, that George Washington famously said was "like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action. " Within that framework, they want to be left alone. The Democrats are fascinated with the potential good that government might do, and are drawn to it like moths to a fire. The Republicans failed to keep the government--and the mesmerized Democrats--from irresponsible action, and even worse, started becoming mesmerized by the fire themselves. Both parties have failed us.

Now is not the time to drive away liberty-loving Democrats and independents with "wedge issues." If the American people focus on the big issues: the proper, limited role of government, individual responsibility and liberty, the freedom to live your life as you please within a reasonable, slowly-changing, understandable framework of law, then the United States can be renewed, the 21st Century will be another American Century, and our country will continue to be a beacon of hope to a world that has far too little of that precious commodity.

SECTION TWO: Things That Amuse Me:
Simians and other aminals*:
Broadcaster fined over killing a rat on TV show
*Yes, I know it's "animals," it's just that I always found the childhood mispronunciation really, really cute . . .

Travel:
American Airlines to charge $8 for blankets

Sports:
Perfect Nebraska bound for red

Science Fiction and Writing:
Internet prompts the publishing itch in over-60s

Science, technology, and space:
The shuttle launched. Yawn.

Miscellany:
Top 10 Super Bowl tech ads

Heinz' New Ketchup Packet Dips, Squeezes and Scores (With Video!)
Ale is good, make no bones about it
Delaware police say man pointed a gun at neighbor who was shoveling snow -- Y'all need to mind where you're throwing the snow, y'all . . .
Super Bowl Halftime Show: Time For Baby Boomers to Release Their Cultural Death Grip

Obituaries:
Rest in peace, John Murtha

SECTION THREE: Politics: The neverending battle against blithering idiocy:
People doing potentially good things (including sightings of politicians doing something less than totally idiotic):
Sarah Palin is going to wind up getting elected -- From someone who says he is not a fan . . .
New Marist poll shows Obama losing independents 2-1
Surely Marist will Poll Obama (D) v. H. Clinton (I) v. Palin (R) Next?
Thankless tasks drive people to drink
Sarah Palin's Media Strategy Proves Instructive for Right
Paul Ryan's Freaky-Good Plan for Making America Solvent, Forever -- "The only plan which actually saves our entitlement programs." Now, it's debatable if that's really a good idea, but regaining national solvency would be a nice change, anyway . . .
Snark Of The Week -- "So as a lifelong Massachusetts Republican I appreciate the irony in these pictures. We sent Scott Brown to DC on Thursday and by the weekend hell really had frozen over."
Tea Partiers vs. Ron Paul
3 Missouri Republicans Move Into “Contender” Status Including Ed Martin in St. Louis
Eye On The Polls – Not Good News For Democrats Or Incumbents
Civil Rights and Armed Self-Defense
No More Talking Points – It’s Time for Economic Freedom -- Cut government and return power to the people. There's your "talking points."
House GOP Responds to Summit Invite -- The sad part is that it sounds like it's borderline snarky, but it's just laying out the facts--which are snark enough with Obama and the merry crew of Democrat redistributionists in Washington . . .

The cure for blithering idiocy: freedom and individual liberty (yeah, I know--ooh, ick, philosophy!):
Why Fear Big Government? -- This really sums it up pretty well . . .
Are Rothbardians unreasonable? -- Yes! No! Pass! I think I tend to be more of a utilitarian Hayekian than a doctrinaire Rothbardian . . . mainly because I think there can be about 300 angels on the head of the pin, not the 3,000 the Rothbardians insist can dance there . . .
In Defense of Poorly Regulated Private Markets
A Formula for Real Economic Growth: Cut Public Employee Pay by 20% -- This should get some people excited . . .
The Revolution Continues: Revamped Online Resources from FEE
Drug Czar Should Go

The reality of President Obama as a blithering idiot (and he's the President, so he gets credit, if that's the word, for the entire Executive Branch):
Obama's Latest Defense: I'm No Different From Bush
Lessons Obama Should Have Learned From Watching the Super Bowl
Negotiations Without Preconditions for Iran, But Not Republicans
Obama becoming the National Nanny -- The first time I read this, I thought it said "ninny." My bad.
Keynesian Doublespeak
New Marist poll shows Obama losing independents 2-1 -- Yeah, I know, but it was so good I had to post it twice . . .
Those “saved or created” jobs on the block again
Does the President's Budget Matter? -- Actually, I'm afraid it does. It has no chance in hell of getting passed, but it will serve as another data point for an American public who is really, really, really, really angry at this kind of . . . stuff . . .
Is Obama Holding Health Care Negotiations in Good Faith? - Do you really have to ask? "Now that for the past year I've been calling Republicans rotten dirty horrible partisan monsters who eat babies and put puppies into blenders . . . I don't understand why they refuse to be bipartisan and sit down with me and listen to me tell them how simply awful and horrible and partisan they are. Aren't they awful?"
Sarah Palin Treated as Political Equal of President?
Gallup: Obama approval hits new lows on economy, health care, deficit -- Despite how it may appear, I really do wish that Obama would go to sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow as an American statesman . . . that would make a lot of people's lives easier, starting with the Democratic majority in Congress . . .
New Federal Climate Change Agency Forming . . . but, unfortunately, Obama sees more, bigger government as the best and preferred solution to any problem that arises . . .
A Tale Both Positive and a Cautionary: President Obama's Phantom $15 Billion Program for Small Businesses
The persistent attacks on Las Vegas are some of the dumbest things this administration continues to do -- Oh, I don't know, have you guys seen the budget proposal? Rim-shot! Pow!
Geithner: U.S. will never lose Aaa debt rating -- With all due respect, Timmy, your crystal ball has been pretty F'ing cloudy lately . . .

The reality of Washington Democrats (and Independents, and Socialists) as blithering idiots:
Back to the Drawing Board: Democratic fantasies face the bracing slap of reality. -- "Progressive Democrats . . . are having many of the nostrums they championed during the wilderness years tested in the real world for the first time in decades. The initial results of this long-delayed peer review have been a shock to the progressive system.
America is Not Ungovernable -- It's not that America is ungovernable. It's that Democrats don't understand the American system of governance.
Jobs bill could contain Card Check
Political Alchemy, Part I: Turning Spending Increases into Tax Cuts -- Tax "credits" are not tax cuts. Tax cuts are tax cuts. Democrats really need to stop lying and playing word games.
That Was Quick… Democrats Use Murtha’s Death to Push for Obamacare (Video)
More Evidence of Democratic Prejudice Against Republicans -- Or Crass vs. Class: you decide which was which, between Democrat Jen Crider and Republican William Russell . . . and you tell me which side is "coarsening the political debate" today . . .

The reality of Washington Republicans as blithering idiots:
Obama’s Kabuki summit invitation: Just say no -- But we all know that the Stupid Party will go to this like lambs to slaughter . . .
El Rushbo: Obama Invite to GOP Members to Discuss Health Care a “Trap” (Video)

Obama's healthcare summit sets stage for end-game -- Kill the Bill. Now.

Other blithering idiots at large making life difficult for regular folks:
The Constitutional Delusions of Sirota’s Mind
Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
Social Security Surplus Withers, But That’s No Surprise -- It's gone. They spent it.
Law Enforcement and DWI Roundup
“The milk man cometh, and the Constitution goeth.”
It’s Just Going to Get Worse -- The High Speed Rail boondoggle . . .
Even third-hand smoke carries carcinogens: study -- I remain open to the possibility that tobacco smoke is a Really Bad Thing . . . I know that personally, I can't stand it, but am not yet completely convinced that it should be banned . . .
Kan. Secretary of State Resigning to Take Job Building Government Web Sites -- There's something about Kansas . . . that makes statewide elected officials quit . . . I think that's five so far . . .

Opposition Research: because blithering idiocy can be dangerous, especially when organized into idiotic groups with idiotic ideologies:
Public-sector unions bleed taxpayers
Recession chugs on, except in government
The Human-Rights Facade Is Beginning to Crumble
The Progressive Tantrum -- "The important point is that Progressives are never wrong. . . I am not a populist. I fear the mob. But how can I fear the Progressives any less?"
Without Murtha, Dems now one vote short of passing ObamaCare in House -- Well, I guess the traditional 10-minute mourning period for Washington politics has pretty much expired . . .
The Liberal Prism of Condescension
Gerard Alexander: Why are liberals so condescending? -- "Every political community includes some members who insist that their side has all the answers and that their adversaries are idiots." Oops. Busted, I guess. But I don't think collectivists are just idiots. I think they're blithering idiots. If you start with the tenet that you'd just as soon leave other people alone, you'll have no name-calling from me. Otherwise? Otherwise.
Four versions of liberal condescension -- The Cliff Notes version of the above Alexander article . . .

The Keith Olbermann Memorial "Special Comment" on blithering idiots in the Media:
As counter-media fuels tea party movement, main stream media catches on -- "Breitbart said reporters put all news involving conservatives into two basic buckets: "racism and Watergate.""
Far Left Crank Andrea Mitchell Mocks Sarah Palin – Writes Notes on Her Hand (Video)
Max Blumenthal, Equal-Opportunity Hater -- And perennial candidate for Most Loathsome Person Of The Year . . .
Red Eye Celebrates Third Year By Topping CNN Prime Time Last Week -- When your entire prime time lineup is getting poorer ratings than a show that's on at 3 am (Eastern). . .
Daily Gut: Obama’s Coffin/T-Shirt ‘Moment’ -- And, on cue . . .

SECTION FOUR: Case Studies in Blithering Idiocy
"Global warming" aka "Climate change" -- or should that be "Climate Reform?":
NOAA’s new ‘climate service’ – not a sure thing yet

Health care "reform" aka health insurance "reform" -- or should that be health care "change?" Perhaps "Global healthing?:
The Small Bill -- Another Republican Alternative.

The Economy (Can the blithering idiots bring down the most productive economy the world has ever seen? Yes, They Can! Will they?):
Bernanke’s Plan To Drain The Monetary Swamp -- "If it isn’t executed perfectly, we could see a quick slide back into recession or rampant inflation."
Fed to Outline 'Exit Strategy': Bernanke Prepares Future Strategy for Curbing Credit; Policy Shift Remains Months Off -- The WSJ source article for the above blog comment article . . .
Did Goldman Sachs push A.I.G. over the edge?
Study shows why it is so scary to lose money

Foreign affairs and National Security (Will blithering idiots get us all killed, or make us all speak Spanish--or Chinese--or Arabic--or all three?):
Single European Currency: Single European Disaster
Why Not Cut Military Spending?
Is Europe About to Melt Down?
Question: Does Iran already have a nuclear bomb? -- They're going to do something on February 11th. What?
Greek Ouzo crisis escalates into global margin call as confidence ebbs
Strip club in Ohio donates $1,000 in cover charges to earthquake relief for Haiti -- Now that's foreign affairs we can all get behind! Um. Er . . .
Did Iran overreach?


The Morning Whip is a (mostly) daily review of what's out there that caught my attention, sometimes but not always posted before 11 am Central time in the U. S. of A., unless I just don't feel like it that day, am out doing something more important or more fun, or I've been abducted, detained, arrested, or otherwise flummoxed by the agents of blithering idiotry.

I surf the Web, so you don't have to! (which would be a trademark, but come on, who am I kidding?)