Surrender, Again

Posted on 21 March 2014 by eehines

Here’s Great Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, on the EU’s “response” to the Russian invasion and partition of Ukraine:

It’s important to send a very clear message that if there is further destabilization in Ukraine then there should be further wide ranging measures taken, and we’ve agreed tonight that we will task the European Commission to draw up those possible measures.

That’s it? What about holding out for Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, Mr Prime Minister?

This is abject surrender. It’s an insult to the courageous and strong British Prime Ministers of the past—Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher come to mind. You, Mr Cameron, are unworthy of your nation.

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Surrender

Posted on 20 March 2014 by eehines

Under threat of sanctions from the US and Europe, the Russians have finalized their annexation of Crimea. One of the targets of the US’ “sanctions,” Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, expressed his feelings about them in a tweet:

Comrade Obama, what should those who have neither accounts nor property abroad do? Have you not thought about it? I think the decree of the President of the United States was written by some joker.

The “sanctions?” They

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Some More re Obamacare

Posted on 12 March 2014 by eehines

The Wall Street Journal provided an interactive and a graph earlier this week in their online issue.

The Healthcare.gov Explorer, available here, allows you to quickly explore the highlights of what’s available in your county. As I’ve mentioned before, what I can get in my little county in Texas would be vastly more expensive in terms of premiums required and deductibles to be paid by me before the health plan would begin to pay (only) some of my expenses, were I to have to replace what my wife’s employer provides due to the employer’s decision to cancel its program.

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Budget Lies

Posted on 9 March 2014 by eehines

President Barack Obama, aided and abetted by the mendacious NLMSM, is touting his latest “budget” proposal as cutting spending by $600 billion over the next 10 years. But Scott Rasmussen, cited in The Wall Street Journal, has noted,

in the current year, the federal government is expected to spend $3,651 billion. …the president’s budget calls for spending $3,901 billion in 2015. That’s $250 billion more than this year. It’s not a one-year aberration either. Spending increases are projected every single year for the next decade and beyond.

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Stern Words

Posted on 3 March 2014 by eehines

Stern words, indeed, from our Secretary of State and motor boat skipper John Kerry. Even that liberal paragon who is George Stephanopoulos is becoming skeptical; that’s visible, too, in this interview excerpt, via The Daily Caller.

“Russia has engaged in a military act of aggression against another country, and it has huge risks, George,” he said. ”It’s a 19^th-century act in the 21^st century that really puts at—at question Russia’s capacity to, uh—be within the G-8….”

“All those violations, sir,” Stephanopoulos cut in, “so what’s the penalty for what Russia has already done?”

This is a preview of Stern Words. Read the full post (326 words, estimated 1:18 mins reading time)

Annals of Obamacare Lies

Posted on 28 February 2014 by eehines

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is spouting more of them. And with a straight face, too; it’s like she actually believes what she’s saying. Which would be even worse.

There is absolutely no evidence and every economist will tell you this, that there is any job loss related to the Affordable Care Act.

Leaving aside the well-documented instances of reduced hours, delayed (or canceled) hiring, canceled plant expansions, and so on that are occurring as a direct result of Obamacare, Sebelius is having a negative impact on jobs with her own Departmental edicts. She’s already ordered, for instance, the Obamacare-maximum allowed cuts to funding for home health care services.

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Are We Retreating from Engagement?

Posted on 26 February 2014 by eehines

William Kristol in The Weekly Standard:

Kiev is ablaze. Syria is a killing field. The Iranian mullahs aren’t giving up their nuclear weapons capability, and other regimes in the Middle East are preparing to acquire their own. Al Qaeda is making gains and is probably stronger than ever. China and Russia throw their weight around, while our allies shudder and squabble.
…
Having withdrawn from Iraq, and seeing it now fall apart, the administration is nonetheless determined to get out of Afghanistan. Its Russia “reset” is a joke, and its “pivot to Asia” an empty slogan. Secretary of State John Kerry huffed and puffed when Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons last year, and asserted it was a Munich moment. How right he was! Kerry came back brandishing a piece of paper, and Assad remains in power.

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Susan Rice…Has No Regrets

Posted on 25 February 2014 by eehines

Susan Rice, currently President Barack Obama’s National Security Advisor, said this on Sunday to NBC Meet the Press‘ David Gregory:

[W]hat I said to you that morning, and what I did every day since, was to share the best information that we had at the time. The information I provided, which I explained to you, was what we had at the moment. It could change. I commented that this was based on what we knew on that morning ….

Compare that with this transcript of a conference call in which a State Department official described real-time reporting of the events in Benghazi by folks present in and during the attack.

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Not a Change of Heart

Posted on 18 February 2014 by eehines

President Barack Obama, speaking to a crowd of House Democrats at a party retreat in Maryland, touted his executive order powers on Friday….

While saying he’s willing to work with Congress, he added, “I’m not going to wait, because there’s too much to do.”

But in an earlier time, when it was President George Bush the Younger, then-Senator Barack Obama (D, IL) was saying this:

The biggest problems that we’re facing right now have to do with George Bush trying to bring more and more power into the Executive Branch and not go through Congress at all, and that’s what I intend to reverse when I’m president of the United States of America.

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A Thought on the Contraceptive Mandate

Posted on 14 February 2014 by eehines

Notre Dame, et al., finally are getting their day in court concerning the Obamacare Contraceptive Mandate. Notre Dame’s case centers on the premise that the government’s compromise in formulating the mandate still leaves religious organizations required to be agents authorizing contraceptive coverage, which violates Notre Dame’s (et al.) religious beliefs.

Two things about this case disturb me. One is the Seventh Circuit’s attitude in hearing the case, as illustrated by this exchange:

Matthew Kairis (representing Notre Dame): The government is requiring Notre Dame to play a role.

Judge Richard Posner: But that role seems so trivial.

This is a preview of A Thought on the Contraceptive Mandate. Read the full post (314 words, estimated 1:15 mins reading time)

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