When Journalists Attack

The people of this country (present company excluded, of course, Dear Reader) find innumerable issues that cry out for federal legislation, and yet we're still subjected to journalists and their half-baked ideas? I for one would propose legislation that requires journalists - the "professional" ones, you know - to take a simple quiz to qualify for certain subject matter.

Comes now the formidable economic giant, Bob Herbert. Never heard of him? He's a writer for the NYT. Began his career as a reporter. Got a degree in journalism. Worked his whole life in the reporting business. No word on his bio about his econ coursework. I'd link to his bio... except the enterprising among you can find it, and I'm not inclined to grant that paper an inbound link. Anyway, here's his, um, analysis of the causes of the financial mess we're in:

These were the reckless clowns who led us into the foolish multitrillion-dollar debacle in Iraq and who crafted tax policies that enormously benefited millionaires and billionaires while at the same time ran up staggering amounts of government debt. This is the crowd that contributed mightily to the greatest disparities in wealth in the U.S. since the gilded age.

This was the crowd that cut the cords of corporate and financial regulations and in myriad other ways gleefully hacked away at the best interests of the United States.

And I suppose that this is the standard operating procedure of the Left: repeat something often enough that people will think it is true. But it's not.

As has been detailed elsewhere, one of the causes of this so-called crisis goes back to 1977 with the passing of the Community Reinvestment Act. While I am certain that the CRA had good intentions and may have even done actual good, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Banks and lenders had to make loans that otherwise didn't meet their credit standards; I spent time in the financial sector and can attest to this firsthand. When you make loans to unqualified people because of a non-credit incentive (or: stick), you're going to make bad loans. One ought not be surprised that defaults happen.

One also ought to wonder about journalists writing on topics with which they are unfamiliar; or worse, that they are incapable of understanding. Indeed, if John McCain is a "conservative, small government, anti-regulation, free-market zealot" does that make someone who shares the ideas of Mr. Bob Herbert a liberal, big-government, pro-regulation, socialist zealot?

The Duplicity of Liberals

When someone is an unfit parent, they lose custody of their children. If you drink and drive, you lose your license - and if you're lucky, nothing more. That Liberals are dangerous for America's survival is manifested daily, and in numerous ways, and fortunately for them, the only thing we can do is vote them out.

Check out this great column by Hugh Hewitt, Columbia's Disgrace. I especially liked the retrospective of Eisenhower's efforts to expose the Nazi murder machine. I've been sitting on this for a day or so and wanted to blog about it, and wouldn't you know it, the timing actually worked out perfectly.

I say so because of this headline today, where lefties are protesting Rumsfeld's appointment as a visiting Fellow of the Hoover Institute. Especially disgusting? These comments:

An online petition contesting the appointment on the grounds that Rumsfeld clashed with the university's core values had more than 2,500 signatures Friday.

"He contradicts the fundamental standards of the university, which are order, morality, personal honor and most importantly, the rights of others," said Pamela Lee, a Stanford art history professor who helped write the petition. "This person has played a critical role in a disastrously failed military policy. He has aggressively abused international law."

Yes, folks, we're being lectured on morality and personal honor - not to mention "the rights of others" - by a Stanford art history professor. As far as liberal nuttiness goes, about the only person to the left of an art history professor is a women's studies professor. But I'm sure - absolutely certain - that Ms. Lee is also protesting for the "rights of others" by picketing abortion mills, so I should give her a break.

I don't know that much more needs to be said about the insane positions of the left, that academia simultaneously welcomes the Hitler of our time, and protests a former Secretary of Defense. Except for this: we need to take away the car keys from these folks.

We Can't Miss You if You Don't Go Away

Could this story be nearing a conclusion? Is it possible that we could be done with this Rosa Parks wannabe?

So, the self-important law breaker Elvira Arellano has left the church she's been holed up in, and is on her way to D.C., according to this from the Chicago Tribune.

Now, some people have already commented that arresting her on the steps of the Capitol - or some other significant landmark - is just what she wants. Her mug all over the news, and footage for the left to play, and replay, and replay, you get the idea.

Candidly, I don't care. Arrest her in D.C., arrest her on the way back at a rest stop in Indiana, but for crying out loud, just arrest her. And see that she leaves. If only she were a small Cuban boy, we'd have had her a long time ago!

The Immigration Question, Part II

TM, you know, the "squandered inheritance" line of thinking in your post jogged my memory a bit. I went back and found this piece that I read recently by the incomparable Mark Steyn. You can read the whole thing here, but I'll excerpt the best of it below.

Says the man:

Faced with a sustained systemic assault on US sovereignty, the federal government simply surrendered - and, in effect, sued for terms. Last year’s offer was rejected as being unacceptable to the vast legions of the “undocumented” and so, for example, the requirement to pay three out of five years’ back taxes was replaced by a total tax amnesty.

But just so we’re all clear what happened: An army of peasants defeated the soi-disant hyperpower. America’s closest allies - the Australians, say – periodically seek some modest advantage for their citizenry in return for their steadfast support, and generally get nowhere. But a population the size of Australia’s simply moved across the border and, despite huge public hostility to the strains imposed on local education and health care, the US government simply shrugged: There’s nothing we can do except give in.

Steyn goes on to discuss our problem as the template for subverting a nation's sovereignty, and makes the same point you make, TM: that those who are smart enough to recognize this aren't recognizing it.

But they're not stupid, the elites (well, those that think being "compassionate" to invaders is more important than American sovereignty are stupid). They simply have sold out American sovereignty for cheap labor. It's pathetic, and part of the problem is the enormous mountain of restrictions and government interference in how a business operates in the first place. Also, courtesy of the elites.

Anyone surprised that in the latest Gallup Poll Americans gave Congress a 14% approval rating?

It Was Only a Matter of Time

Before some barely functional idiots played the race card for soon-to-be convict Rep. William Jefferson. Yes, the 16-count indictment was a big set-up because Jefferson is a black Democrat. And I'm a 20-game winner for the New York Yankees. Also, I'm a black Democrat.

This guy took a half million in bribes and they're raising money for his legal defense fund??

(slaps forehead)

As long as you hold the Liberal line (abortion on demand, redistribution of wealth and national health care), can you basically get away with anything and still have supporters? The Right would have thrown this guy under the bus a long time ago.

It appears that "no" is the answer to the question: is there any end to our collective stupidity?

P.S. I promised you a trade policy piece, but don't hold your breath. It may be a couple of days, since I plan on getting a pair of eyes (or two) to look it over.

Hey Look! *Sigh* Man, This is Getting Old

**Yawn**

Ho-hum, more drivel from the cowards with the religion of peace.

Hey, Adam? Adam Pearlman? God, I hope you're googling your name regularly and somehow this pops up. Listen up: no matter how long that beard gets, no matter how much filth you peddle, you're always going to be that dorky Jewish kid who grew up on a goat farm. You might want to do the self-respecting thing and just kill yourself now.

You know the funny thing about this loser? When he gets caught - because he will, eventually - he's going to be treated with a hell of a lot more decency by the "baby killers" and "war criminals" that capture him than him and his people would treat one of ours.

How is this a religion again?