June 09, 2010

Carly Fiorina

So, Carly Fiorina won the primary in California. Meg Whitman also won hers.

I have to say that I'm not all that sure bout this. Carly Fiorina was, of course, the woman who ran HP into such trouble.

I'm also not all that sure about having successful business people as politicians. They're successful because they're good managers: which isn't, as far as I can see, what we actually want from politicians.

We want people who are good at seeing what doesn't need to be managed as politicians: or maybe that's just me making a political point?

June 9, 2010 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 09, 2009

Obama gets the Nobel Peace Prize

Astonishing news this morning: President Obama awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

After only nine months in office President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The thing is, Obama doesn't seem to have done very much about peace in those nine months. He's still fighting two wars, one in Iraq and the other in Afghanistan. If this is services to peace then what would be not peace?

Essentially, the committee has decided that because he's been making nice words about America now going to act multilaterally, rather than independently, then they'd give him the prize.

The Peace Prize is always the most politically motivated of all of the prizes and this year seems to be no different.

October 9, 2009 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 24, 2009

Iranian style democracy

ali khamenei
see more Political Pictures

June 24, 2009 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 12, 2009

Racism and the BNP

It's an interesting question to ask, is the BNP racist?

Umm, actually, scratch that, it's not a very interesting question to ask really, is the BNP racist, for it's absolutely obvious that they're raving maniacs yammering on about race, blood, "indigenous peoples" and all the rest of that idiotic clap trap.

For example, until the law is changed upon them (which it's about to be) they won't let anyone who is of the "wrong" melanin content join the party. Their constitution is full of wibble like "The Anglo-Saxon-Norse Folk Community" which is so stupid it's amusing.

Very simply, the answer to the question "is the BNP racist"? is, yes, of course they are. That's their motivating factor, their very foundation.

Click through the links to see the whole thing fully explained.

June 12, 2009 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 03, 2009

Jack Kemp dies

Jack Kemp has died. I remember him in his political pomp, the advocate of the supply side revolution. He was rather unfairly maligned it has to be said, for he's one of the few who really got what supply side economics was all about.

It wasn't and isn't purely about marginal tax rates, it isn't all about the Laffer Curve. It is, as it says, about the supply side of the economy. Breaking up AT&T's monopoly was supply side economics for example.

Jack Kemp, the ex-quarterback, congressman, one-time vice-presidential nominee and self-described "bleeding-heart conservative," died Saturday. He was 73.

Kemp died after a lengthy illness, according to spokeswoman Bona Park and Edwin J. Feulner, a longtime friend and former campaign adviser. Park said Kemp died at his home in Bethesda, Md., in the Washington suburbs.

Kemp's office announced in January that he had been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer. By then, however, the cancer was in an advanced stage and had spread to several organs, Feulner said. He did not know the origin of the cancer.

This is a good piece on the qualities of the man, which is, at this stage, what we should be concentrating upon of course:

Was there ever a man of such high spirits as Jack Kemp? Reagan was sunny; Kemp was a perpetual solar flare. He had an athlete's energy and an optimist's expectation that all would come out well. He also felt the respect for learning that only those who come to it late and under their own steam have. Ideas, he believed, really could save the world. Some of his ideas were half-baked—he put far too much credit in his friend Jude Wanniski—and his timing was bad.


May 3, 2009 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 02, 2009

Professional complainers

You do wonder sometimes, whether people don't have (or perhaps should have) better things to do. Some people it appears will complain about just about anything.

For example, new ads from Burger Kind showed a great big tall American cowboy and a little round and short Mexican. This is of course horrendous for no one at all has so far noticed that Americans tend to be taller than Mexicans, have they? But up pops one of the professional complainers to complain:

Fast food giant Burger King apologized Tuesday for an advertisement featuring a squat Mexican draped in his country's flag next to a tall American cowboy and said it would change the campaign.

Mexico's ambassador to Spain said posters released in Europe for Burger King's new Tex-Mex style "Texican whopper," a cheeseburger with chile and spicy mayonnaise, inappropriately displayed the Mexican flag, whose image is protected under national law.

The ambassador wrote a letter complaining to Burger King and requested the ad campaign be discontinued.

But then again, we also have to say that as an Ambassador, his job description actually is "professional complainer".


May 2, 2009 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 24, 2009

Libertas

Libertas is a political party based in England. As you can see here from the Electoral Commission site, Libertas is registered to one Bridget Rowe.

Libertas UK


Date registered: 19/12/2008
Registered in: GB
Fielding candidates in: England
Is a Gibraltar Party: No
Has made a statement that the party intends to contest a combined European Parliamentary region: No
Has accounting units: No
Is Minor Party: No
Has emblems: -No-
Party address: 400 Main Road, Westerham Hill, TN16 2HP.
Party officers:
Leader: Bridget Rowe
Nominating Officer:Mr J.M. Greenbough
Treasurer:Mr Damian Wilson


You´ll of course see many mentions of Libertas in hte UK press. Almost all of them are not in fact referring to this Libertas. They´re referring to a political party in some other European countries, but not to the one here.

I know, I know, this is all a little strange. But essentially the position is that when that European party decided upon their name they didn´t bother to check whether they could actually use the name Libertas in England. So they´ll be spending a fortune promoting their "Libertas" brand but any votere they do manage to persuade will not be able to vote for them under that name Libertas.

You´d think that they would try to do something about this. Like telling journalists not to describe them as Libertas because their efforts will be entirely wasted. But as the following list of stories will tell you, they´re just not doing this. Don´t know why, but they´re not.

The European Citizen: Uniting the Italian Right
By Eurocentric
13 hours ago. Libertas? Nein Danke! Say NO to Europe's New Right Wing · Farmer candidate Raymond O'Malley joins far right neo con militarists and worries his "credibility is on the line too" for Libertas and Ganley. 20 hours ago ...


Libertas the pan European Political party: Libertas and the Big ...
By TA
He also pledged to provide full details on the fundraising activities of Libertas, which yesterday set up a new website accepting online donations from the general public. “I haven’t put any of my own money into this campaign. ...


Howard's man in Europe challenge
The Australian - Sydney,Australia
The 52-year-old has signed up as campaign director for Libertas, a new grouping that plans to become the first pan-European political party by standing ...

Declan Ganley & Libertas.: EVEN THE BLINKERED CALL FOR LIGHT
By Barricade
IT TAKES GANLEY A YEAR TO FLESH OUT THE LIBERTAS '... GANLEY DENIES HE IS THE BIG BUCKS BEHIND THE BIG L... THE LYING SNAKE OIL SALESMAN GANLEY AND HIS LIBERT... LIBERTAS SCAM SLAMMED- GANLEY SHOT DOWN ON SCAM TO. ...


Ganley 'puppet of US military' - MEP
Irish Times - Dublin,Ireland
Jim Higgins MEP, speaking at the Fine Gael North-West selection convention at the Sligo Park Hotel yesterday, questioned some of the affiliations Libertas ...


Lynton Crosby and Libertas, a Europhile Party : newsjunction.co.uk
By David T Breaker
The news reported on ConservativeHome that Australian election strategist Lynton Crosby - dubbed “The Wizard of Oz” - has signed up to run the campaign of the newly formed Libertas is indeed strange. It strikes me there are three ...

Declan Ganley & Libertas.: LIBERTAS LIE COUNTER. LIE NUMBER 4 ...
By Barricade
LIBERTAS LIE COUNTER. LIE NUMBER 4 -GANLEY DROWNS IN SWIMMING POOL LIE. THIS IS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE HELICOPTER FYLING FASCIST GANLEY'S LIE ABOUT JIM HIGGINS VOTING TO SUPPORT A SWIMMING POOL. ...

March 24, 2009 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 23, 2009

Obama punch drunk

Is Obama "punch drunk"? It's one of those little phrases that help to define a presidency. Me, no I don't think that Obama is punch drunk, nor drunk on anything else. It's just a phrase he used in an interview:

Obama is confronting a massive economic crisis, an outbreak of populist rage, and an inside-the-Beltway revolt against his budget plan. As far as the Washington media is concerned, he's very much on the ropes. But he was so calm -- even jolly -- in his "60 Minutes" interview broadcast last night that anchor Steve Kroft asked him about it straight out: "You're sitting here. And you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people gonna look at this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money.' How do you deal with, I mean, explain the...mood and your laughter?...Are you punch drunk?"


This becomes, this use by Obama of "punch drunk", the story itself:

The stark comments came during an interview on US network CBS's 60 Minutes in which the President was also intermittingly flashing his trademark smile and occasionally chuckling, prompting the interviewer to ask if he was "punch drunk".

"No, no," Mr Obama said. "There's got to be a little gallows humour to get you through the day."

Then again, there were those who didn't make that punch drunk the centerpiece of their report.

But you can see that others have been making hay with this story.

'Punch drunk'? What do you make of Obama's laughter?
USA Today - USA
Plug a search for "Obama + 'punch drunk' " into Google News this hour and you'll get nearly 2000 results. Kroft: "You're sitting here. ...

President Obama on '60 Minutes'
KNX1070 - CA,USA
"Are you punch drunk?" "No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day," Obama explained. "You know, sometimes my team talks ...

Obama grasps at 'flickers of hope'
The Australian - Sydney,Australia
... prompting the interviewer to ask if he was "punch drunk". "No, no," Mr Obama said. "There's got to be a little gallows humour to get you through the day ...

Why Obama Is Still Smiling
Washington Post Blogs - Washington,DC,USA
Are you punch drunk?" Obama replied with another laugh: "No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day. ...

Obama Snubs French President; Seeks to Work With Predecessor
AOL News Newsbloggers - Dulles,VA,USA
On 60 Minutes,he was laughing and making light of our financial crisis, the reporter asked him if he was punch-drunk, to which O replied No..something abt ...

Another 1 Trillion Dollar Obama Bailout!
KFMB - San Diego,CA,USA
Are people going to look at this and say, ‘I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money-' "Are you punch-drunk?" Kroft said. Does Obama have a ...

LETTERS: Will lawmakers give back their pay raises?
Las Vegas Review - Journal - Las Vegas,NV,USA
Steve Croft (interviewer) even had to ask Obama if he was "punch drunk." Gawd this nation is in trouble. Joe wrote on March 23, 2009 07:44 AM: gopher,I am ...

Washington Times
Brownie reincarnated
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
To recycle the words of Steve Kroft (as Obama did with the Bush-Brownie scenario), Mr. President, "are you punch drunk?" Do you have another point of view, ...

Monday Poll Question Information: Kroft to Obama, "Are you punch ...
KAUZ - Wichita Falls,TX,USA
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's budget would produce $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next decade, more than four times the deficits of ...

The Ed Morrissey Show: Kevin McCullough
Hot Air - MD,USA
What does Obama’s Special Olympics joke say about him? Is this similar to his DVD gift to Gordon Brown? Is Obamapunch drunk”? We’ll also talk about Kim ...


March 23, 2009 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 10, 2009

Americans for Prosperity

Americans for Prosperity is a campaigning group arguing that the stimulus package should not be passed. Their argument is that, as Americans for Prosperity say, that spending near $900 billion will make the country poorer in the long run. They might even be correct about that too:

On behalf of the members of Americans for Prosperity, I am writing to urge you to vote against the so-called American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Congress should not enact an expensive spending bill under the pretense of stimulus or recovery. No matter which amendments pass, the fundamental approach of dramatically increasing federal debt and spending is a mistake. We therefore urge you to vote NO and will rate a vote against the so-called stimulus as a Key Vote for Prosperity in our Congressional ratings.

That's part of the letter that Americans for Prosperity have been sending out around the country. They reall, really, do not want the stimulus bill to pass and as a minor league economist myself I can see what they mean. Even if a Keynesian stimulus is indeed what the country needs now, the morass of a bill that is in Congress ain't even that.

A conservative group called "Americans For Prosperity" has started a petition against the stimulus package that became so popular, it crashed their website in recent days. (The site has since gone back up.)

Here's some more news about their plans:

Americans for Prosperity, small government advocacy group, has circulated a “No Stimulus Plan” petition. It is a document that has become increasingly popular online.

The petition’s popularity rose the day after President Obama took to the airwaves to advocate for it, and on the day that the Senate is expected to approve their version of the economic stimulus plan--set to cost some $838 billion.

In response, Americans for Prosperity launched a new website for the petition called Nostimulus.com, which allows those who oppose the stimulus measure--and, according to recent polls, that is about 43 percent of all Americans--to voice their concerns and objections.

The petition reads that “Congress should not enact an expensive spending bill under the pretense of stimulus or recovery. We cannot spend our way to prosperity, and such an expansion of the federal government will put a crushing burden on taxpayers in the long-term.”

Americans for Prosperity’s objections to the plan include: claims that “only 3.6% of the scheme’s $825 billion price tag would actually go to real, practical infrastructure projects--roads and bridges; that the Congressional Budget Office has said the plan would actually hurt the economy; and last, that the plan would represent “the first steps towards the socialization and government-mandated rationing of health care.”

It is indeed true that the stimulus plan reads more like a wish list of every leftist in hte country, rather than an actually well crafted stimulus for the economy.

Americans for Prosperity’s No Stimulus petition (nostimulus.com) is a petition website against the Obama Stimulus Package! Sign the Americans for Prosperity No Stimulus’s nostimulus.com petition.

That's what's at the center of it all. Just don't spend the money.

February 10, 2009 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

December 19, 2008

Sherry Johnston Arrested

Sherry Johnston Arrested

Sherry Johnston is Bristol Palin's baby-grandmother.  Bristol Palin as we all know is the 18-year-old very pregnant daughter of Sarah Palin.

Sherry Johnston has been arrested on drug charges after a lengthy state police undercover investigation.  She has been charged with six felony drug counts and released on $5000 bail.

Bristol's baby is due this weekend so it would be great to be a fly around the crib listening to the Palins and Johnstons make small talk while cooing over their new grandchild.

How does Sarah Palin do it?  Does she root out controversy or does it just come knocking at her door?

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Remember him? Sherry Johnston, mother of Levi Johnston, arrested ...
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Levi Johnston was thrust into the limelight out of virtual ...

Mother of Palin daughter's boyfriend arrested
The Associated Press
Alaska state troopers have arrested the mother of Bristol Palin's boyfriend on drug charges. Sherry L. Johnston was arrested ...

Sarah Palin picked as Time's runner-up Person of the Year
Los Angeles Times, CA
Completely ignoring Al Gore because he'd already won the world's other top two prizes -- the Nobel and Oscar -- and pretty well rested on his warming ...

Sarah Palin Daughter Bristol's Baby Daddy Levi's Mom Sherry Arrested!
Post Chronicle
Is that title a tongue-twister or what? Don't worry, it's not as confusing as it sounds. Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin's daughter ...

Bristol Palin's Baby Daddy's Mom Arrested on Drug Charges
Gawker, NY
The mom of Levi Johnston—first daughter candidate Bristol Palin's uncomfortable jock ...

Oh those wacky Alaskans: Sarah Palin's in-law nabbed on drug charges
National Post, Canada
The Republican vice-presidential nominee had a tough time on the campaign trail, where her initial burst of popularity quickly dissolved as her inexperience ...

December 19, 2008 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack