If there's anybody who can make the health care fiasco into lemonade for himself, it's Joe Lieberman. Although I disagree with him on nearly every aspect of his social views, he has shined as a voice of reason in foreign policy and now in the health care reform debate.
If Joe Lieberman will continue to hold the line against the public option and the cost, I believe we will be looking at the man who achieves something far more significant than being elected America's first black president - its first Jewish president.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Yawn.
All that buildup, all the weeks and months of "deliberation", and Barack Obama delivers a plan for Afghanistan that he could and should have had in place months ago if he had any leadership ability.
The words that still come to my mind about him after ten months in office are "incompetent boob". He's the new MBA who's never had a job in his life hired because of connections to run a company division. He's the rich kid with no direction of his own who suddenly shows up at his father's company with a desk and a title. He is the affirmative action hire. He's the legacy fraternity brother. He's the guy who won't retire. He's the guy who gets your parking space. He's the empty suit. And he's our President.
God help those serving in our military under the current Commander in Chief and the mealy-mouthed, girly-man Secretary Gates. That one-two punch is setting us up for disaster.
The words that still come to my mind about him after ten months in office are "incompetent boob". He's the new MBA who's never had a job in his life hired because of connections to run a company division. He's the rich kid with no direction of his own who suddenly shows up at his father's company with a desk and a title. He is the affirmative action hire. He's the legacy fraternity brother. He's the guy who won't retire. He's the guy who gets your parking space. He's the empty suit. And he's our President.
God help those serving in our military under the current Commander in Chief and the mealy-mouthed, girly-man Secretary Gates. That one-two punch is setting us up for disaster.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Hope & Change for Q1 2010
The word today is that cap and trade legislation is dead this term. That means Congress won't pass into law before the new year a huge tax on businesses and individuals presumably designed to fight global warming.
Supposedly card check legislation is dead, too. That means that for this year at least, businesses are not staring down the barrel of forced unionization.
These two failures of the Democrats to ram socialist programs down our collective throats could hardly be better news for the economy.
The only thing better that could happen now is if the Pelosi health care legislation dies in the Senate, too. That would make a trifecta.
My business volume is down about 35% from last year. I am operating with two part-time employees where I used to have three full-time employees. Everyone I talk to, customers and vendors alike, holds little hope for improvement next year.
But I am getting more and more optimistic about the first quarter. If there are no more bailouts and none of the Obama-Reid-Pelosi legislation passes between now and then, free enterprise might actually have a chance to start creating jobs next quarter.
Supposedly card check legislation is dead, too. That means that for this year at least, businesses are not staring down the barrel of forced unionization.
These two failures of the Democrats to ram socialist programs down our collective throats could hardly be better news for the economy.
The only thing better that could happen now is if the Pelosi health care legislation dies in the Senate, too. That would make a trifecta.
My business volume is down about 35% from last year. I am operating with two part-time employees where I used to have three full-time employees. Everyone I talk to, customers and vendors alike, holds little hope for improvement next year.
But I am getting more and more optimistic about the first quarter. If there are no more bailouts and none of the Obama-Reid-Pelosi legislation passes between now and then, free enterprise might actually have a chance to start creating jobs next quarter.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Lincoln's Rolling His Eyes
Barack Obama's inability to take action one way or the other regarding Afghanistan reminds me of Abraham Lincoln's inability to find a general who would stop with the getting ready already and actually prosecute the war against the South.
Except it's not the generals who are the problem in this case, but the commander-in-chief.
Obama's problem isn't finding a U.S. Grant, but being one.
Except it's not the generals who are the problem in this case, but the commander-in-chief.
Obama's problem isn't finding a U.S. Grant, but being one.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Health Care Shmealth Care
I don't think most Americans realize how dramatically their individual freedom will be impinged by the health care bill passed by the House this weekend. The government's take-over of the health care industry will allow it to dictate virtually everything about our lives. But that fact is lost because the debate is too big and the details too confusing for most of us with busy lives.
On the other hand what everyone should easily understand is that this bill takes ten years worth of taxes to fund only six years of program. The taxes start next year but the program doesn't go into place until 2013.
That fact alone should make every taxpayer in the country sick over this.
On the other hand what everyone should easily understand is that this bill takes ten years worth of taxes to fund only six years of program. The taxes start next year but the program doesn't go into place until 2013.
That fact alone should make every taxpayer in the country sick over this.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Executive Pay Cuts
In terms of free market economics, of course, the Feds have no business setting executive pay in private businesses regardless of their involvement otherwise. It is bad precedent, policy, and politics.
On the other hand, the executives who have stayed around at banks and other institutions that the Feds have coopted deserve what they're getting. If they are so smart and capable, they would have jumped ship as soon as they knew the Feds were getting their claws into the business, or at the very least as soon as they saw what happened to the AIG execs.
Perhaps they felt they were doing their patriotic duty. But now that they've seen that the Feds will welsh on their compensation agreements, I think that all the executives at those companies should walk out, a la the producers strike in Atlas Shrugged. Otherwise, they're just... government workers.
On the other hand, the executives who have stayed around at banks and other institutions that the Feds have coopted deserve what they're getting. If they are so smart and capable, they would have jumped ship as soon as they knew the Feds were getting their claws into the business, or at the very least as soon as they saw what happened to the AIG execs.
Perhaps they felt they were doing their patriotic duty. But now that they've seen that the Feds will welsh on their compensation agreements, I think that all the executives at those companies should walk out, a la the producers strike in Atlas Shrugged. Otherwise, they're just... government workers.
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