52% - getting sluggish; yellow lights on.

We are now at 52% of goal in our subscription drive, after one week.  That's okay, but we have half the distance still to run.  It is very sluggish today.  Please read below and help us make our goal.  It's vital!

FOURTH SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE

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MONDAY,  JUNE 8,  2009

ANYBODY IN WASHINGTON INTERESTED? - AT 8:46 P.M. ET: 

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gas prices continue to surge nationwide, and are now up more than 27% in the past seven and a half weeks.

The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline rose slightly Sunday to $2.613, from $2.606 according to motorist group AAA. This is the fortieth consecutive daily increase in the price of gas. In just the past week, prices have increased more than 4%.

COMMENT:  This can have a devastating effect on any economic recovery, and put inflationary pressures on the economy.  Yet, there seems very little interest in Washington or in the mainstream media.  Of course, there's a whole element in the capital that thinks higher gas prices are a good thing - forcing us into alternative fuels.  That's a convenient intellectual argument, but of course it ignores the financial pressures on families.  But families don't rank too high in the calculations of the presumed intellectual classes.

June 8, 2009   Permalink

WHY, IT'S JUST ANOTHER CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE - AT 8:12 P.M. ET:  From Fox News:

A Muslim leader invited by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to participate in a conference call after President Obama's speech in Cairo last week once told a crowd that "the jihad way is the way to liberate your land."

Esam Omeish, a surgeon and community leader who is running for Virginia state assemblyman, made the statements in 2000 at pro-Palestinian rally where he spoke out against Israel and urged Muslims to support the Palestinian liberation movement.

"We the Muslims of the Washington Metropolitan area are here today in sub-freezing temperatures to tell our brothers and sisters in (Palestine) that you have learned the way, that you have known that the jihad way is the way to liberate your land," Omeish said, just three months into the Al-Aqsa uprising that would claim over a thousand lives through Palestinian terrorist attacks.

COMMENT:  Where did Hillary Clinton get his name?  That's the key to clearing out the dry rot in our government that is always promoting these nutbags.

June 8, 2009   Permalink

THE EXCUSE MACHINE IN MOTION, AND WELL OILED - AT 6:26 P.M. ET:  Even the AP, whose fronting for Obama has been choice, is beginning to get uneasy:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama assured the nation his recovery plan was on track Monday, scrambling to calm Americans unnerved by unemployment rates still persistently rising nearly four months after he signed the biggest economic stimulus in history.

Obama admitted his own dissatisfaction with the progress but said his administration would ramp up stimulus spending in the coming months. The White House acknowledged it has spent only $44 billion, or 5 percent, of the $787 billion stimulus, but that total has always been expected to rise sharply this summer.

''Now we're in a position to really accelerate,'' Obama said.

I certainly hope so.  But get this, from AP:

Neither the acceleration nor the jobs goal are new. Both represent a White House repackaging of promises and projects to blunt criticism that the effects haven't been worth the historic price tag. And the job estimate is so murky, it can never be verified.

COMMENT:  It is always so nice to see actual journalism.  We cherish each one of these rare moments.  If the economy doesn't show real improvement, and if the president cannot show how he will tame spending and debt, and his foreign policy tanks, the 2010 midterm elections can be as exciting as the one last year.  But not in ways that the Dems anticipate.

June 8, 2009   Permalink

IT IS IMPORTANT TO IGNORE THIS - AT 6:07 P.M. ET:  A weather report:

If it seemed cold to you in Green Bay on Saturday, it was.

The high temperature for the day, reached at 9:50 a.m., was 52. That set a record for the lowest high temperature for June 6, according to the National Weather Service office in Ashwaubenon.

The old mark was 53, set in 1943.

Similar records were set across Wisconsin today. Manitowoc's high was 54, breaking the record of 56 set in 1935. In central Wisconsin, records were set in Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield and Merrill, all breaking marks set in 1935.

COMMENT:  Obviously, this is a corrupt report influenced by the right wing, the oil companies, and disgruntled Chrysler dealers.  Actually, it's hot outside, and, unless we spent trillions under the direction of Al Gore, we will all perish in great floods and locusts, and our children will throw away our pictures.  Just remember that.

June 8, 2009   Permalink

QUESTION FROM SILVIO - AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  It's a pleasure for me to appear periodically on Silvio Canto's Blogtalkradio show, originating in Dallas.  I appeared last week.  Should you wish, you can hear it here.  Just go to the Blogtalkradio box on the left of the site.

Now Silvio passes on to me a question from one of his listeners in Colombia:  How can Barack Obama get 78% of the so-called "Jewish vote"?

The question is undoubtedly prompted by what many perceive to be Obama's less-than-enthusiastic support for Israel and his association, in the past, with some religious and academic figures widely regarded as hostile to Israel, or even anti-Semitic.

The question goes right to the heart of American ethnic politics, now more commonly called identity politics.  Different ethnic groups, at various times in their history, do have an affinity for one party or the other.  At one time the "Catholic vote," especially in large cities, was reliably Democratic.  Not so much any more.  And the "black vote," before the 1930s, was actually Republican, a reflection of the affinity of blacks for "the party of Lincoln."

The Jewish vote is more heavily Democratic than that of any other ethnic group except blacks.  That may be changing slowly among younger Jews, but the statistic remains valid.  The affinity is based on these things:  1) All American Jews came from immigrant populations.  In the "old countries" it was the liberals, the leftists, who were more likely to protect Jews or at least leave them alone.  That is not true today, but beliefs die hard;  2) American Jews are among the most educated groups in the world, and the general liberalism of universities has its effect, if, in our view here, a pernicious one;  3) Jews associate the Democratic Party with the founding of Israel.  If it weren't for Harry Truman's recognition of Israel, against the advice of the State Department crowd, Israel might never have survived.  Again, that is the past.  Today, the Republican Party is more supportive of Israel than is the Democratic Party, but those old traditions are stubborn; 4)  Jews tend to be wary of evangelical Christians, even though they are fierce defenders of Israel.  Historically, evangelical Christians sought to convert Jews.  I think the Jewish fear is foolish and behind-the-times, and is far from universal, but it persists in some Jewish circles.  Many Jews see evangelicals as part of the GOP base.  5) All Jews in the Senate are Democrats, and all Jews but one in the House are Democrats.  This has its effect; 6)  Historically, Republicans were awkward, slow, or indifferent in their outreach to Jews and other minorities;  7)  Even though the civil-rights movement has a strong anti-Semitic element, Jews still identify with it, recalling their own period of being discriminated against.  So voting for Obama fit in with their history;  8) Culturally, Jews tend to be urban or suburban, and that's where the Dems are.

There are, of course, prominent Jewish Republicans, and Joe Lieberman is almost there.  And the Jewish vote can be switched, which would have a great effect on the overall vote in some of our largest states.  Forty percent of the Jewish vote went for Eisenhower in 1952, but Republicans failed to exploit it.  And 39% of the Jewish vote went for Reagan in 1980.  Again, Republicans failed to exploit it.  Reagan, unfortunately, was followed by Bush 41, who was antagonistic to Israel.  In 1992 Bush got 11% of the Jewish vote.

People ask how Jewish voters could reject George W. Bush, possibly the greatest friend Israel, and the Jewish community, ever had in the White House.  It's baffling, and was wrongheaded in my view.  It was equally wrongheaded for Jews to reject John McCain, a true friend, in favor of Obama, whose record on Israel was vague.  (In fairness, though, Obama has always had a close relationship with the Jewish community of Chicago.)

As I said, voting habits die hard, especially when they're reinforced by universities and by the Republican Party's often awkward outreach.  But habits, I'm firmly convinced, can be changed.  If Obama persists in his current foreign-policy course, we may see some change we truly can believe in.

June 8, 2009   Permalink 

SOMEONE NOTICED - AT 8:23 A.M. ET:  Well, maybe the new diplomacy practiced by the Obamans - read that appeasement with a slicker face - won't allow for the use of the D-word, but it's sometimes unavoidable.  Joel Brinkley, formerly of the New York Times, and now teaching at Stanford, hurls the epithet at Hugo Chavez, and throws in Hosni Mubarak for good measure, in a piece for the McClatchy-Tribune News Service:

Just as oil-rich Venezuela sinks deeper into debt, Hugo Chavez, its flamboyant and megalomaniacal president, has crossed the line and can now quite accurately be called a dictator.

A rush of new orders and decrees in recent days is silencing critics, neutering political opponents, shutting down the last of Venezuela's independent media and purging the military of all but the most sycophantic officers.

Chavez's behavior is reminiscent of President Hosni Mubarak's heavy-handed approach in Egypt. About all that's missing is the political prisoners. But, like Mubarak, Chavez does not hesitate to attack his critics with utterly nonsensical allegations, apparently without the slightest care about how ridiculous it looks.

In Egypt last week, opposition politician Ayman Nour, just out of prison, announced that he would run for president again. As he left home the very next day, a man waiting for him on a motorcycle threw a fire bomb in his face. We had nothing to do with it, the government averred.

COMMENT:  I don't know what Brinkley's politics are.  He's always struck me as a very sane and careful reporter.  But I am starting to sense, in the stories I research each day, a bit of a pushback by some in the media against the sometimes adolescent tone of this administration's foreign policy.  Maybe some journalists are beginning to confront reality.  I hope they're aware of the party invitations it may cost them.

June 8, 2009   Permalink

VULGARITY - AT 8:06 A.M. ET:  We are back to the Obama-as-Divine scenario.  A French restaurateur said, after seeing Obama in Paris, that he had seen the Lord.  Newsweek writer Evan Thomas, who really should know better, described Obama this way:  "I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God."  He said this to Chris Matthews on TV.  I'm sure Chris felt a tingle go up his leg...again.

Wonderful Renee Nielsen, who did that superb reporting from Mumbai during the terror attack there some months ago, and which we were privileged to print, makes this great observation on my new Facebook page:

If Obama is God, why isn't there an outcry over the separation of church and state since "He's" running the government now? I'm being overly sarcastic, but for those who've not paid attention to the left/media's crucifying (pun intended) of Bush the last eight years, this pathetic Obama worship is downright creepy. Journalism is dead in the MSM.

COMMENT:  You know, I never thought of that.  If Obama is Divine, we may have a First Amendment issue in the White House.  I say, where is the ACLU when we need it?  Maybe we should all write to the organization demanding a probe into this outrageous assault on our religious sensibilities. 

Just don't wait for an answer.

June 8, 2009   Permalink 

NORTH KOREA, UNPUNISHED, SHOWS ITS CRUELTY - AT 7:26 A.M. ET:

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Monday sentenced two American journalists to 12 years of hard labor in a case widely seen as a test of how far the isolated Communist state was willing to take its confrontation with the United States.

The Central Court, the North’s highest court, held the trial of the two Americans, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, from Thursday to Monday and convicted them of “committing hostilities against the Korean nation and illegal entry,” the North’s official news agency, KCNA, said in a report monitored in Seoul.

COMMENT:  When a country acts as North Korea has, and there are no consequences, this is what happens.  Now the foreign-policy "sophisticates" will undoubtedly rush to microphones to tell us that these women are "bargaining chips," and releasing them now becomes a "delicate matter."  I'm sure that will thrill them and their families...and their country.

The New York Times reports this:

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration signaled Sunday that it was seeking a way to interdict, possibly with China’s help, North Korean sea and air shipments suspected of carrying weapons or nuclear technology.

The administration also said it was examining whether there was a legal basis to reverse former President George W. Bush’s decision last year to remove the North from a list of states that sponsor terrorism.

Oh, they must be shaking in North Korea.  More "seeking."  More "examining."  In the White House the pants knees are getting a shine from all that kneeling, as the policy wonks pray that Americans will forget the latest outrage in two days.

North Korea apparently believes it can do anything it wishes, with the White House occupied by The One.  It's time for The One to prove North Korea wrong, but I fear he won't, that once again we'll make a "tough but positive" speech at the UN.  And now North Korea has American hostages, who can be threatened with death.

As Laurel and Hardy used to say, a fine mess.  And it can't be blamed on Bush, although the attempt will be made.

Time for results.

June 8, 2009   Permalink

QUOTE OF THE DAY, MAYBE OF THE YEAR - AT 7:14 A.M. ET:  A distinguished academic alerts us to this quote from George Orwell's "1984," as used in Andrew Stuttaford's piece in the Weekly Standard:

The new aristocracy was made up for the most part of bureaucrats, scientists, technicians, trade-union organizers, publicity experts, sociologists, teachers, journalists, and professional politicians.

Our academic asks, "Hmmm . . . are we there yet?"

COMMENT:  If we're not there, we're arriving at the station.  And it's a pretty frightening prospect.  Harry Truman once said that you can't tell an expert anything because then he's not an expert anymore. 

We are developing an aristocracy of "expertise," but expertise, especially when it is the product of our educational system, often comes with a slant, an ideological package.  And "experts" often turn out to be either wrong, or their opinions given disproportional weight. 

True leaders know how to employ an intellectual aristocracy, yet keep it at a distance.  Do we have a true leader today? 

I'll add another hmmm...

June 8, 2009   Permalink

SUNDAY,  JUNE 7,  2009

AND SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM EUROPE - AT 9:11 P.M. ET: 

June 7 (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy led pro-business parties in defeating socialists in European Parliament elections, lessening the pressure for more stimulus measures to fight the deepest recession since World War II.

Amid signs the economic slump is bottoming out, the continent’s top two leaders escaped the drubbing in European Union-wide elections that was handed to U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and socialists in smaller countries including Spain, Austria, Portugal, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovenia.

Merkel’s Christian Democrats and allied Christian Social Union racked up 38 percent of the German vote, beating the rival Social Democrats with 20.8 percent, according to preliminary results. Sarkozy’s Union for a Popular Movement scored 28 percent, beating the Socialists with 16.8 percent.

COMMENT:  Not bad, considering that it's Europe.  Now if we can only get a pro-American vote next year in an American election.

June 7, 2009   Permalink

RARE GOOD NEWS FROM THE MIDEAST - AT 7:46 P.M. ET: 

BEIRUT, Lebanon — An American-backed alliance appeared to retain control of the Lebanese parliament Sunday in a hotly contested election that had been billed as a showdown between Tehran and Washington for influence in the Middle East.

Preliminary results reported on Lebanese television showed the alliance, known as the March 14 coalition, had not only won — but widened — its majority in the parliament. If those results are confirmed, they would represent a significant and unexpected defeat for Hezbollah and its allies, Iran and Syria. Most polls in Lebanon had showed a tight race, but one in which the Hezbollah-led group would win.

COMMENT:  No question.  That's good news.  Whether it had anything to do with President Obama's "outreach" to the Muslim world remains to be seen.  But we welcome any good news from that region.

June 7, 2009   Permalink

GREAT MOMENTS IN JOURNALISM - AT 7:30 P.M. ET:  In reporting developments in the aftermath of the Air France 447 crash, the BBC told us this on its website today:

The recovery of the first bodies and debris following the disappearance of the Air France flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris has undoubtedly evoked varying reactions.

COMMENT:  You know, when we're in the presence of profound, penetrating journalism, we should at least salute it.  So we salute the BBC for providing an insight that is dazzling in its depth, its scope, and its sense of the human experience.  Keep it up.

June 7, 2009   Permalink

SARAH SIZZLES AGAIN - AT 10:25 A.M. ET:  Love her or loathe her, but Sarah Palin is on the speaking trail once again, and she hasn't lost her knack for firing up the base, as Ben Smith of The Politico reports:

I didn't get to this in my story on Palin's lower-48 in Seneca Falls, but she hasn't lost her ability to deliver a raw, base-riling stemwinder, and her introduction of Michael Reagan in Anchorage the other night is worth a listen (.mp3) and is currently making the rounds on the right.

She opens the introduction praising Reagan's son, a talk radio guy, for his willingness "to screw the political correctness that some would expect him to try to adhere to."

She blasts "self-proclaimed intellectuals, and the smug lobbyists who dominate Washington, and the liberal media."

And she suggests Obama is trying to impose big government as a tool of control.

COMMENT:  Look, I think Sarah Palin has some serious political problems, stemming largely from her less-than-stellar performance on the trail during the last presidential campaign.  But she also has terrific qualities.  Don't underestimate her.  She's one of the most fascinating political stories around today.

June 7, 2009   Permalink

LEBANON VOTES - AT 9:37 A.M. ET:  A critical election is being held in Lebanon today, one that could profoundly influence the future of the Middle East:

BEIRUT (AP) -- Lebanese streamed to their hometowns on the Mediterranean coast and high in the mountains Sunday to vote in a crucial election that could unseat a pro-Western government and install one dominated by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.

The race for the 128-member parliament will set Lebanon's political course for the next four years, with repercussions beyond this tiny Arab country's borders. A win for the Shiite militant group, which the United States considers a terrorist organization, and its allies could bring isolation to Lebanon and possibly a new conflict with Israel.

COMMENT:  This is the first test of President Obama's outreach-to-Muslims policy.  Although Lebanon is divided between Christian and Muslim populations, there are divisions within each camp, with some Christians supporting Hezbollah and some Muslims opposing it.  We'll look for signs indicating whether the new Obama policy will convince Lebanese to vote against Hezbollah, listed by Washington as a terrorist group.

Naturally, Jimmah Carter is there to "monitor" the vote.  If his "monitoring" turns out to be as shabby as it's been in other countries, no one will take it seriously.  He can no better monitor an election that serve as president.  And, of course, Carter made his usual insulting comment:

Speaking at a polling station in Beirut's Christian sector of Ashrafieh, Carter expressed hope the U.S., Iran and other countries ''will accept the results of the election and not try to interfere in the process.''

Yup, Iran and the U.S., put on the same level.  We elected this man.  Our shame.

June 7, 2009   Permalink

CANADIAN RETALIATION - AT 9:23 A.M. ET:  We may cheer when "buy American" provisions are included in American law.  But, ultimately, they backfire:

WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadian mayors have passed a resolution that would potentially shut out U.S. bidders from local city contracts.

The resolution is in retaliation to "Buy American" provisions in President Barack Obama's stimulus bill. Mayors voted 189-175 to approve the resolution at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Whistler, British Columbia.

COMMENT:  What did we expect?  That provision should have been dropped from the stimulus bill.  But we seem to be in a period where we punish our friends and reward our enemies.

There are negotiations under way between Washington and Ottawa to forge some kind of compromise.  I certainly hope so.

June 7, 2009   Permalink

PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL - AT 8:52 A.M. ET:  One of the things to watch in the next week or two will be the trend in presidential approval.  In the last week we saw the bankruptcy of General Motors and the president's outreach, somewhat controversial in many circles, to the Muslim world.  Rasmussen reported a sharp drop in presidential approval, which started showing up on Wednesday.  It has continued.  Yesterday's Rasmussen report showed only a six-point gap between those who approve of the president's job performance and those who disapprove, 53-47%.  The approval is the lowest Rasmussen has registered since inauguration.  The disapproval is the highest.

Will this continue?  We'll check Rasmussen's numbers today and report to you, but we stress the importance of watching trends over time.

UPDATE:  Sunday's Rasmussen shows virtually no change, with a seven-point gap between approval and disapproval of the president's performance. 

June 7, 2009   Permalink