More (Not So) Smart Diplomacy

Forget Pres. Obama's video message to Iran (We'll address that in a little while).

Pres. Obama sent a letter to Jaques Chirac saying, in part,

'I am certain that we will be able to work together, in the coming four years, in a spirit of peace and friendship to build a safer world.'

Unfortunately, Chirac is, today, a private citizen.  France elected Nicolas Sarkozy who assumed the office of President of France on 16 May, 2007.

I sincerely hope that President Obama did not mis-address his letter.

Hat tips to Instapundit, Gateway Pundit, and Neoneocon

Gaffe, tasteless, or funny?

President Obama was on Leno Thursday night.  Leno steers O toward his recreational activities and jokes that the bowling alley has probably been closed.  Pres. O comments that he has been practicing and actually rolled a 129.

Here is the video

Barack Obama "Special Olympics" Comment On Leno - 03/19/09

My personal favorite comment about this quote is from the American Thinker

Barack Obama uses retarded athletes as a throwaway line on a two-bit talk show

What do you think?

Another Obama Gaffe

Found at Hot Air.

President Obama compares AIG to a Homicide Bomber, with himself in the role of negotiator trying to talk them down.

You can't make this stuff up.

President Obama flubs basic math

Just saw this.

President Obama is at an electric car factory in California.  He exclaims that a Ford Model T gets better gas mileage than an SUV.

The Stats:

Model T: 20.2 BHP, top speed 40-45 MPH, 13-21 MPG

Ford Explorer: 292 BHP, top speed ~120 MPH, 15-21 MPG
Plus it has a climate enclosure (roof, doors and windows), climate control (AC and heat), AM/FM CD and cruise control!

How could the Teleprompter do this to him?

New Blog

Check out the new policy analyst blog.

Via Powerline

(Not So) Smart Diplomacy pt 2

The story so far.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown visits the White House.

President Obama doesn't even schedule lunch. Or the standard Podium to Podium press conference. The US media doesn't even report it.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown gifts President Obama with a pen holder handcrafted from the oak timbers of the Victorian-era anti-slave ship HMS Gannet (formerly commissioned as HMS President).  Additionally, PM Brown gave Pres. Obama the commission of the HMS Resolute - the sister ship of the Gannet and the ship from which the president's desk is carved.  Finally, Mr. Brown gave a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Winston Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.

President Obama gave Prime Minister Brown a set of 25 classic movies on DVD.

Mrs. Brown gave Sasha and Malia Obama an outfit each from Topshop - a British clothing store, along with six books (yet to be published in the US) from top British authors.

Mrs. Obama gave the Brown's sons toy models of Marine 1 from the White House gift shop

Of course, the question is, were those DVDs playable in British machines?

Apparently not. (via Powerline)

Obama and His Teleprompter

It seems that Pres Obama had teleprompter problems at the White House yesterday.

The money line from Sky News:

...the US president ended up thanking himself for inviting everyone to the party.

Can anyone say Ron Burgundy?

Stimulus

Ok, the story so far.  President Obama believes that increased taxes and government spending will stimulate the economy. He eschews private sector spending in favor of the "targeted" approach that government provides.

The Chinese, however, believe that cutting taxes will stimulate their economy.  Looks like it is working.

Amazing when GM can increase market share in China, while losing it here.

GM, the biggest overseas automaker in China, raised its forecast for the nation’s market growth this year to a range of between 5 percent and 10 percent from an earlier prediction of less than 3 percent, GM Asia-Pacific President Nick Reilly, said last week.

So, cutting taxes in China leads to increased auto sales, which lead to increased jobs.  I wonder if this approach would work here?

Stew's Watchman Review

I have never read the graphic novel, but I did study the story line prior to going to see it at the theater.  I find that I enjoy a film more if I do a little research ahead of time, especially if the story line is complex.

I took my son, Thomas, and a few of his friends.  They sat in the eyesore, neck stretch section and I wanted a more enjoyable movie experience.  I sat, by myself, in the geographical center of the auditorium with my basic movie props.  Bottled Water, Twizzlers, Watch, Creative Zen Micro, Ebook reader.

The Scorebord

Watch Glances (my indicator of boredom) - 0
Zen Listens (dialogue drowner) - 0
Lines of ebook read (Visual distractor) - 0

In all, I give it an A.

It highlights all of the tension of the arms race of the 1980's, while the narrator (Rorschach) investigates the death of another superhero.  Will Collier's review highlights the following:

Not only does Snyder's film fail to even remotely acknowledge how thoroughly wrong Moore's by-the-numbers leftism turned out to be, he lards on additional political cheap shots to go with Moore's 80's-era Reagan Derangement Syndrome, to the point of lauding an American-Soviet alliance at the end of the movie.

The by-the-numbers leftism really is Reagan Derangement Syndrome - the arms buildup is caused by already having strength (in the form of the Dr Manhattan) and the Soviets respond by growing their nuclear arsenal to unheard of proportions.  Something has to be done.

Again, "I want to see it again" therefore A.

The real irony is, that the Soviets DID spend a phenomenal amount of money on an arms buildup (countering Star Wars) and then they collapsed.

In the light of the current US Government perchant to bailouts I would like to point out what happens when a Government spends money it doesn't have.  The Soviet Union is a perfect example of a superpower collapsing due to bankruptcy.

As Minnesota goes, so goes the nation

Minnesota is still attempting to decide the Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken.  Powerline Blog has the details.

The money line:

...as the system currently operates, a county's failure to follow the law is rewarded, not punished.

The same holds true for nearly all election law, especially McCain-Feingold.  President Obama was able to loosen the rules regarding the way his website collected money with the result as reported by the Washington Post on Oct 29, 2008 (A few days before the election).

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign is allowing donors to use largely untraceable prepaid credit cards that could potentially be used to evade limits on how much an individual is legally allowed to give or to mask a contributor's identity, campaign officials confirmed.

Faced with a huge influx of donations over the Internet, the campaign has also chosen not to use basic security measures to prevent potentially illegal or anonymous contributions from flowing into its accounts, aides acknowledged. Instead, the campaign is scrutinizing its books for improper donations after the money has been deposited.

The Obama organization said its extensive review has ensured that the campaign has refunded any improper contributions, and noted that Federal Election Commission rules do not require front-end screening of donations.

In recent weeks, questionable contributions have created headaches for Obama's accounting team as it has tried to explain why campaign finance filings have included itemized donations from individuals using fake names, such as Es Esh or Doodad Pro. Those revelations prompted conservative bloggers to further test Obama's finance vetting by giving money using the kind of prepaid cards that can be bought at a drugstore and cannot be traced to a donor.

The problem with such cards, campaign finance lawyers said, is that they make it impossible to tell whether foreign nationals, donors who have exceeded the limits, government contractors or others who are barred from giving to a federal campaign are making contributions.

In this event, following the law can only hurt the law abiding citizen.  (Doesn't this sound suspiciously like the principle critique of our nation's gun laws?)

I especially like this line

Instead, the campaign is scrutinizing its books for improper donations after the money has been deposited.

But given this truth

using the kind of prepaid cards that can be bought at a drugstore and cannot be traced to a donor.

The problem with such cards, campaign finance lawyers said, is that they make it impossible to tell whether foreign nationals, donors who have exceeded the limits, government contractors or others who are barred from giving to a federal campaign are making contributions.

Such scrutiny cannot possibly happen.

So the Obama campaign was unable to "scrutiniz(e) its books for improper donations". 

Now, since the issue is OBE, anyone who believes that the Federal Election Commission will look into it at this late date needs to contact me regarding some shares of Citi that I will happily unload for the paltry sum of $100 per.  In the meantime, however, Minnesota needs to do 2 big things.

1. Hold a Do-Over

2. Ensure that the same uniform standards of absentee ballot scrutiny are applied throughout Minnesota with substantial penalties for those individuals who fail to do so.

Aside: the original saying was "As Maine goes, so goes the nation."  Here is the Wikipedia entry.
 

Administration Official Snubs Brit Allies

I saw this item via Power line blog.

My key takeaway was this line from the UK Telegraph quoting an anonymous State Department Official involved in the planning of Gordon Brown's visit.

"There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment."

You have got to be kidding me.  The US State Department under President Obama cannot tell the difference between Great Britain and, say, Burundi?

Wow, we are in bigger trouble than I thought.

(Not so) Smart Diplomacy

I have held off doing this for a while, but these serial diplomatic missteps by the Obama Administration can no longer be ignored.

The United States and Great Britain have enjoyed a "Special Relationship" since Winston Churchill first used the phrase in a speech given in 1946.  That is 63 years.

The Obama Administration has begun to unwind that history, first by returning a bust of Churchill that had been on loan since the September 11 attacks.

Katie Connolly of Newsweek writes.

But the British press, as is its wont, smells a snub. The Telegraph speculated that British diplomats' pulse rates would soar, while The Times of London wondered if a shadow had been cast over the special U.S.–U.K. relationship.

Following the latest visit by the UK Prime Minister, the Telegraph of London is reporting.

But on this side of the Atlantic the whole business looked pretty demeaning. The morning papers and TV last night featured plenty of comment focused on the White House's very odd and, frankly, exceptionally rude treatment of a British PM. Squeezing in a meeting, denying him a full press conference with flags etc. The British press corps, left outside for an hour in the cold, can take it and their privations are of limited concern to the public.

But Obama's merely warmish words (one of our closest allies, said with little sincerity or passion) left a bitter taste with this Atlanticist. Especially after his team had made Number 10 beg for a mini press conference and then not even offered the PM lunch.

Did not even offer him lunch?

This occurs after a secret letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin purported to place Poland and The Czech Republic on the bargaining table to secure help from Russia in dealing with Iran.

President Obama, the citizens of those countries were reduced to slavery for nearly 50 years and you want to offer them up to their former slave masters in exchange for help in dealing with a rogue regime?  This is your vaunted "Smart" Diplomacy?

Comforting those that wish us harm while shunning those that have been stalwart allies reminds me of another messianic President - you do not want to be another Jimmy Carter.

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President Obama, Diplomacy, Obama Administration

In Search of: The Republican Party Part 1

I recently retired from the USAF after 20 years of service.  That was nearly 1 year ago.  I took a part-time job with a research company while starting my own consulting company and finishing a Master's degree in business.  The height of the summer's excitement - the Presidential race - convinced my wife and I that we needed to get involved.  We contributed money and I volunteered for local candidates.

We  are conservative.  We believe that government governs best which governs least.  However, we are also realistic.  That means that we stay away from third parties and gravitate toward the Republicans.  I am a registered Republican.  We donated money to the GOP.  That was a mistake.

They began to call.  They wanted money for this, that, the other.  Money, but no ideas.  We are not members of the pundit class.

I received, on 2 different occasions, faux ‘platinum’ RNC cards, with my name and a 12 digit number emblazoned on the front with the usual admonition that the bearer is to be accorded ‘all rights and privileges’.  I researched the number, thinking that maybe I held in my hand the key to Republican arcana - uh, no.  The number is meaningless (to me) and there is no place where I can be accorded ANY rights or privileges.

For the next month, while I am also seeking out ways to provide for my family, I am going in search of the GOP.   Here are the questions I intend to answer.

How does the Republican Party work?

What ‘rights and privileges’ do contributors have?

Are those of us who contribute truly members of the Republican Party?

What does it mean if you are a registered Republican, but don’t contribute?

How do they pick the chairman of the GOP?

I have chosen to start my research at the GOP website.

Pres Obama's Speech

President Obama gave a speech at Camp Lejeune on Feb 27, 2009, where he promised that

Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end.

Ralph Peters at the NY Post asks, in all seriousness,

What does that mean?

Will the 50,000 troops he intends to leave in Iraq, the trainers and maintainers, be forbidden to defend themselves? Are they just going to hang out? If terrorists or the Iranians skunk us, are we just going to ask for more?

My question is the same as Mr. Peters, but more pointed.  What Rules of Engagement (ROE) will President Obama put in place to ensure the safety of the 50,000 US soldiers that will remain in Iraq?

It was a combination of poor ROE and a lack of support from the the Clinton administration that led us to the battle depicted in the movie "Blackhawk Down." 

It was poor coordination (US government to Saudi Government) and poor ROE that led to the Khobar towers bombing

Don't let this happen again, insist that President Obama take responsibility for the future of our soldiers in Iraq.