The Political Commentator

Is this some kind of a trick by the Secret Service?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:05:00 +0000

Send in questions you would like President Obama to answer? It almost feels like a set-up by the Secret Service or FBI to entrap overzealous conservatives.

Or is that just being paranoid?

(Click to enlarge)

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Whose side are the MSM RNC debate moderators on?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:54:00 +0000

If the MSM carries the water of the Democrat Party and is the rooting section for the reelection of President Obama to a 2nd term in the White House...

Why in the hell would you line-up an already weak and wounded crop of Republican candidates in front of one of their moderators like doomed men facing a firing squad?

Particularly because we know that like everything else in politics and society today, decorum and respect is largely a thing of the past.

Add to the mix that many if not most of the MSM moderators have private (or not-so private) political agendas consistent with the outlets they work.

Giving them the opportunity to ask debate questions that they select is providing them the opportunity to attempt to shape public opinion and is a recipe for potential disaster.

Which they will gladly do!

Is there any better way to make the current already weak crop of Republican candidates look like non-presidential buffoons than to smugly open a debate with a question that forces them to look like little children fighting with each other or that forces one of them to respond to the debate moderator regarding the stupidity and irrelevance of some question.

That will play well once, maybe twice but will soon get very old.

All while President Obama sits on the sidelines with at least the appearance of being presidential.

Of the 20-odd RNC debates that have either taken place or are scheduled it appears that well over half are being sponsored and moderated by MSM outlets that have historically been loyal to the Democrat Party.

This includes CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC and NBC.

My question to the RNC is why you would allow the "enemy" to have this outsized opportunity to affect the election in November in the first place? And now it is too late to do anything about it!

File this under fool me once shame on you but fool me ___ times and there may be something wrong with the leadership of the RNC!

Cartoon source

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TGIF: The Frequent Flier Edition!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:35:00 +0000

Today's libation comes straight from the 2012 presidential campaign of President Obama, now in full swing!

On Tuesday night the President gave a campaign speech to the country that went by some other very official sounding name. I believe he and the pundits in the press and on T.V. used the name State of the Union Address.

In it he told the country all kinds of interesting things, a great many untrue or that stretched the truth, and he made all kinds of great promises.

Promises that caused some of us wonder why he would be able to accomplish them in a second term when he failed so miserably at them in the 3+ years he's already been in office.

As an example he spun some great yarns about the need energy independence when ironically just days before he had killed the Keystone Pipeline. This project would have gone a long way towards accomplishing that independence along with the added kicker of creating lots and lots of jobs.

I believe that's called poetic license.

On the road again!

The morning after the SOTU the President took off on a 5-state campaign swing that in some way is supposed to pass as "official business" but that in reality is a very expensive, taxpayer funded junket.

The President's schedule!

The President left the White House Wednesday morning hitting Iowa and Arizona before spending the night in Nevada.

Bright and early Thursday he attended to some "official business" in Nevada before heading off to a day of some additional "official business" in Michigan where he would be spending the night.

The drink of choice chosen for a long and hard presidential week of travel and "official business" for the people of the country!

With a schedule like this there could be only one logical choice to present to President Obama as the "official business" cocktail of the week.

The TGIF beverage ... the One Night Stand!

5 ounces of Remy Martin Cognac

3.5 ounces of Mountain dew

3.5 ounces orange juice

Shake well and serve in a highball glass. (Source)

Prior TGIF honored politicians!

Barney Frank and the Super Fruity Sangria here.

Ted Kennedy and the Irish Car Bomb here.

Marion Barry and The Dirty Hooker here.

Enjoy, and next week don't work so hard!

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New Google privacy policy: Good, bad or indifferent?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:29:00 +0000

Google is implementing a new privacy policy as of March 1, 2012! Why are they doing it, what is its purpose and does it matter?

And if you choose not to agree to the changes then you always have the option of closing your Google account.

From Alma Whitten, Director of Privacy, Product and Engineering at Google, comes this statement describing how these privacy policy changes will be good for you, the user:

"...But there’s so much more that Google can do to help you by sharing more of your information with … well, you. We can make search better—figuring out what you really mean when you type in Apple, Jaguar or Pink. We can provide more relevant ads too. For example, it’s January, but maybe you’re not a gym person, so fitness ads aren’t that useful to you. We can provide reminders that you’re going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and an understanding of what the traffic is like that day. Or ensure that our spelling suggestions, even for your friends’ names, are accurate because you’ve typed them before. People still have to do way too much heavy lifting, and we want to do a better job of helping them out..." (Source)

Some other initial thoughts from around the globe included this from the Washington Post:

"Data-protection agencies in Ireland and France said they would assess the implications of the push. At least one consumer-advocacy group fretted that the policy -- which makes it easier for Google to target advertisements to specific groups -- might tie users’ hands and make it harder for them to limit what the company can do with their information..." (Source)

And certainly no one know yet what hacker-group Anonymous will think but I am sure that in time they will make their feelings very well known.

If you are so inclined and would like to come to your own conclusions the new Google Privacy Policy can be read here.

Photo source

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What happens when 6.65% is missing?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:23:00 +0000

If we're talking about 6.65% of the body weight gained by a supermodel during pregnancy then that's a good thing (and a good start)! But if it's a pension fund missing its return assumptions by 6.65%, then that's not so good!

This is a follow-up to the article "The Public Pension Time Bomb!" that discussed the ballooning pension liabilities of towns, cities and states who also faced with shrinking tax bases, shrinking tax receipts, shrinking state and federal reimbursements and rising costs.

In addition to being reliant on new funds from now less plentiful sources, these pension funds operate under annual percentage return assumptions that need to average a certain rate far into the future so that those returns together with paid-in money will be sufficient to meet that funds obligations.

Well what happens if those annual percentage returns miss by a country mile or even worse the fund suffers losses significant losses and when there are gains they are miniscule? Where will the money come from to pay the retirees?

Consider the example of CalPERS aka the California Public Employees' Retirement System!

"The nation's largest public pension fund, the California Public Employees' Retirement System, posted a 1.1% return on its investment portfolio in 2011, Chief Investment Officer Joseph Dear told his board.

The 2011 performance was well below the estimated average annual return of 7.75% that the fund's actuaries say is needed to meet current and future obligations to its members.

The $229.5-billion CalPERS provides retirement and other benefits for 1.6 million state and local government employees and their families

CalPERS' annual investment results, whose volatility has echoed that of the overall markets, have become the focal point in an ongoing debate about looming pension fund liabilities and the ability of future generations of taxpayers to continue financing them. Gov. Jerry Brown has said he wants to overhaul state and local government pension programs, but whether he and the Legislature have the political wherewithal to do so in an election year remains unclear...

... This fiscal year, the state is contributing $3.51 billion. Next fiscal year's contribution is to be determined in the late spring."

So what will happen if at some point the state is no longer able to make a sufficient contribution? (Source)

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Is it Howdy Doody Time?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:38:00 +0000

Nope, it's even better than that! It's Watcher's Council nominations time!

But before we start who and what is the Watcher's Council?

The Watcher's Council is a long-standing group of 15 conservative bloggers from around the world and the winner of the 2011 Fabulous 50 Blog Award in the category of Best Conservative Blog-Ring.

Each week, first thing Wednesday morning, we the members of the Watcher's Council make known our two articles for public consumption; one of our own (Council) and one from somewhere around the blogosphere (Non-Council) that address issues we feel are particularly timely and important to present.

After a secret ballot among the members, Friday morning the winners in each category are announced and the grand prize, the appreciation of our peers, is awarded! Stay tuned!

For the week of January 23, 2012 the nominations are...

Council Submissions

The Colossus of Rhodey – What the Gingrich South Carolina victory could mean
The Political Commentator – Doing away with the Electoral College! One man, one vote and majority wins!
The Noisy Room – Revolution Moves Into The Overton Window
Simply Jews – Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey vs FUKUS
GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD – Going All The Way
Bookworm Room – War is not, and should not be, sporting
Right Truth – Making Sausage
The Right Planet – Are We a Democracy?
The Razor – A Tale of Two Disasters: The Titanic and the Costa Concordia
VA Right - Will Newt Survive His Ex-Wives With Knives?
The Mellow Jihadi – Lance Corporal Donald Hogan, Marine Hero
Rhymes With Right – Am I Wrong To Be Troubled Here?
The Glittering Eye -You Be the Judge
Joshuapundit-Obama’s State Of The Union – The Hollow Man
New Zeal – Kyrsten Sinema: Communist Connected Arizona State Senator to Run For Congress

Honorable Mentions

Liberty’s Spirit – Abbott and Costello Discuss Unemployment
The Independent Sentinel – Obama Reduced Our Dependence on Foreign Oil & I’m the Easter Bunny
Ask Marion – Tic… Tic… GOP Toc… or Rather Talk
Capitalist Preservation – The Fallacy Of The Minimum Wage Part Four

Non-Council Submissions

The Foundry – 1,000 Days Without a Budget: Facts on the Senate’s Failure submitted by The Colossus of Rhodey
Family Security Matters -Muslim Children in America are Being Taught to Hate submitted by The Political Commentator
Sultan Knish –So You Want a Revolution… submitted by The Noisy Room
Yourish.Com – TANSTAAFL submitted by Simply Jews
The Compass – An Iran Attack Would Succeed, Then What? submitted by GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD
The Anchoress-Pro-Lifers and the Truth-Phobic Press submitted by Bookworm Room
Gay Patriot -SOTU: Obama’s last chance to change tone submitted by Right Truth
Chicago Reader – What Makes Obama Run? submitted by The Right Planet
Zero Hedge –Obama Puppetmaster Warren Buffett Biggest Winner From Keystone Pipeline Rejection submitted by The Razor
Creeping Sharia – Colorado Muslim arrested on terrorism charges submitted by VA Right
Right Wing News –The Worst People In Politics Aren’t Racists submitted by The Mellow Jihadi
Polipundit – Why Newt should not be the nominee submitted by Rhymes with Right
James Taranto/Best of the Web – The Genetic Fallacy submitted by The Glittering Eye
Mark Steyn – The Sinking Of The West submitted by Joshuapundit
Accuracy In Media – The FOX News Feminists submitted by New Zeal
The New Atlantis – The Global War Against Baby Girls submitted by The Watcher
Cabinet – The Behavioral Sink submitted by The Watcher

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Barack Obama: A joke that's an oldie but still a goodie! (Bonus SOTU caption contest)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:33:00 +0000

(Enter the caption contest in the comments section below)

And any kind of humor is very much needed after last nights State of the Union Address!

But first, for anyone who played along with the SOTU cliche game, did you pick the correct first one of the speech and if you did what was it?

As for this joke we had to dig deep in the archives (actually a friend of mine emailed it to me yesterday), but it is still very funny in a very sad sort of way.

The Marine and the terrorist

A Marine squad was marching north of Fallujah when they came upon an Iraqi terrorist who was badly injured and unconscious.

On the opposite side of the road was an American Marine in a similar but less serious state.

The Marine was conscious and alert and as first-aid was given to both men, the squad leader asked the injured Marine what had happened.

The Marine reported, I was heavily armed and moving north along the highway here, and coming south was a heavily armed insurgent. We saw each other and both took cover in the ditches along the road.

I yelled to him that Saddam Hussein was a miserable, lowlife scumbag who got what he deserved.

And he yelled back that Barack Obama is a lying, good-for-nothing, left wing Commie who isn't even an American.

So I said that Osama Bin Laden dressed and acts like a frigid, mean-spirited lesbian!

He retaliated by yelling, Oh yeah? Well, so does Nancy Pelosi!

And, there we were, in the middle of the road, shaking hands, when a truck hit us.

Photo source Detroit Free Press

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The Public Pension Time Bomb!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:27:00 +0000

The growing crisis of public pension fund liabilities!

Pension fund liabilities for states and municipalities is an extremely apropos topic on the day of the State of the Union Address (#SOTU) when President Obama will be doing one of the things he does best which is pandering to the unions!

This pandering will be particularly evident, obvious and clear during an election year when the Obama reelection campaign is looking to raise a record dollar amount of political contributions!

The ticking time bomb!

Over the years have you heard the stories of public employees who retire with rich benefits that need to be somehow be paid for the rest of their lives?

These pension liabilities facing towns, cities and states will exist regardless of how much their tax base shrinks, tax receipts dry-up or other expenses rise.

The federal government has the advantage of unlimited taxing power to cushion any blow created by rising expenses and when the states get strapped for cash they can reduce the amount that they pay down to the cities and towns.

But what recourse do the city's and town have?

This pension liability can choke a governmental entity forcing it to cut essential and non-essential services to try and stay solvent.

If and when that fails they may be forced to do what individuals or company's are sometimes forced to do which is to file for bankruptcy protection to get out from under the financial anvil.

This issue of public pension liabilities will not go away and in fact will only get worse over time as predicted by many analysts.

An example of a teachers pension in New York State!

Occupation: Teacher

Retirement age: 60

Number of years teaching: 35

Final average salary: $80,000

Annual Pension Benefit: $52,000

Based on the formula at Calculate Your Public Pension, a private sector employee would need to accumulate about $1MM (total annuity cost) by the same age 60 to generate the same yearly income.

If you wanted to retire at 65 with 40 years in and an average salary of $90,000 then the numbers would increase to a yearly pension benefit of $67,500!

Visit Calculate Your Public Pension here to find out more and to test it for yourself.

And now when you watch the State of the Union Address listen to see if the President wants to work to solve this problem, maintain its existence or ignore it all together.

And for entertainment try and guess the first cliche that he will use in what promises to be a long drawn out monologue. Some of the choices along with their odds of winning can be found here.

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What will Obama's first cliche of the State of the Union Address (#SOTU) be? Check the odds here!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:34:00 +0000

In tomorrow nights (now tonight's) State of the Union Address what overused and tired cliche' will Barack Obama use first?

As an alternative to playing the much loved Barack's Bullshit Bingo game that was created to help you get through an Obama speech, try your hand instead at guessing the first cliche'-type phrase that the President will utter during what promises to be a cliche'-laden presentation.

From Paddy Power the exotic wager of the first Presidential cliche'!

Although Americans can't bet at Paddy Power, try using these odds amongst your friends.

As is always the case, unless you turn watching a Barack Obama speech into some type of a game, watching it at all will be virtually impossible!

Cliché Betting: What Will Obama say first

8/1 We have more work to do
10/1 Health Care reform
10/1 As I stand here today
12/1 Fundamental belief
12/1 God Bless America
12/1 Crossroads of history
12/1 Defining moment
12/1 Make Washington work
14/1 Common purpose
16/1 Pursuit of happiness
16/1 Building a better America
16/1 Reduce the deficit
18/1 War on terror
18/1 It won't be easy
18/1 Hungry for change
18/1 My civil liberties
20/1 Honour for me
20/1 I have a dream
20/1 Willing to listen to each other
20/1 Yes, we can
20/1 Don't get me wrong
25/1 Hard to believe
25/1 I'm fired up
25/1 Withdraw our troops
25/1 There are better days ahead
25/1 Do Nothing Congress
25/1 We'll have to make hard choices
25/1 We can be one people
25/1 A new direction
33/1 For far too long
33/1 Safe from harm
33/1 Jobs to the jobless
33/1 Reshapes our economy
40/1 Deepest gratitude
40/1 Greatness of our nation
40/1 Possibilities of this nation
40/1 Florida Primary
50/1 Believe in what this country can be
50/1 Unity is the great need of the hour
50/1 In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope
50/1 We can work together to keep our country safe
50/1 Abiding faith
66/1 Brighter day will come
66/1 Publish tax returns
66/1 Washington has a long way to go
80/1 Overcome the adversity
80/1 Bloated federal government
100/1 Diversity of my heritage
100/1 Yes, we might
250/1 Life is like a box of chocolates

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Muslim Brotherhood statement on its ascendency to power in Egypt!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:03:00 +0000

What was predicted would occur in Egypt post-Arab Spring has now officially happened as the now Islamist controlled People's Assembly assumes power today!

You wouldn't know this was the case if you are a watcher of White House press releases because the sweeping Islamist victory in the Egyptian elections has for the most part been ignored by the Obama administration.

And why wouldn't it be ignored as this is the absolute worst case scenario predicted during the Arab Spring demonstrations at the same time President Obama was insisting that Hosni Mubarak step down so that democracy in Egypt could spread its wings.

What do the Egyptian people have to look forward too? Democracy or something else?

The 70%+ of the seats won in the lower house of Parliament by the Muslim Brotherhood and other even more conservative Islamist parties may make the average moderate Egyptian citizen look longingly back to the days of a Mubarak-led government.

This is because it is only a matter of when, and not if, Sharia Law will be imposed across Egypt.

The Muslim Brotherhood statement from its English speaking website IkhwanWeb!

It requires a little reading between the lines but the intent is relatively clear. At least to me!

“… Now that parliamentary elections have reached the end of the proverbial race track, and the final results have been announced, it is time for swelling hearts to subside, for tensions to recede and disappear, and for everyone to express respect for the will of the people and to thank the great Egyptian people for taking part in this marathon election, and for insisting on turning out to cast their votes as they felt the precious value of each vote and witnessed the integrity of the electoral process…

…Therefore, there must be full transparency and frankness with the people regarding all the facts, so they shall always be aware and put their shoulders to the wheel, in order to get out of this tunnel. The Egyptian people have proved their strength and tenacity, persistence and sacrifice in many calamities and tribulations, as well as their ability to realize their hopes, overcome obstacles and endure all pains.

We hope that the elections will be a catalyst for all citizens to work hard, connect with others and selflessly serve the noble Egyptian people. This must also be a reason and a motive to respect and protect constitutional legitimacy in the light of Islamic ethics, good values and morals as well as noble national wisdom – self-denial, respect for others, giving selflessly, and sacrificing for the sake of God and in order to achieve the goals of the revolution.”

Cartoon source

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Game over: Islamists 70, Israel 0, Middle East?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:51:00 +0000

Will the predictable results of the Arab Spring in Egypt be a major part of the State of the Union Speech? Unlikely!

Isn't it funny how President Obama was so present during the so-called Arab Spring and the assumed move by the people of Egypt towards a democratic form of government?

The leader of the free world was front and center demanding that Hosni Mubarak step down so that the free will of the people could take hold in a free election process.

Never mind that enormous questions existed at the time as to exactly who would ultimately take control of the Egyptian government and the impact that it could have on the region and our best ally and best friend (at least during most administrations) Israel if it turned out to be Islamist.

The fear here and in other thoughtful publications was that a Muslim Brotherhood takeover of the Egypt government would occur coupled with the ramifications on the relative peace that has been enjoyed between that country and Israel for a long time.

But the President was so taken by the public relations opportunity presenting itself that he and other left-wing politicians trumpeted the virtues of this supposedly peaceful movement (ask Lara Logan her opinion on that premise) that was said to be taking place with the purpose of enacting change and an opportunity for freedom.

Change ... Now where have I heard that before?

60's radicals, OWS, Libya, Tunisia and of course the promise of change from our hopefully one-term leader in the White House Barack Obama?

The short and not-so-sweet results of the vote for the Egyptian Lower House of Parliament or the People's Assembly are in!

Islamist party-affiliated seats now occupy 70% of this governing body!

And the youth, aka those useful idiots and pawns for the Muslim Brotherhood, the ones who had helped to generate the momentum of the Arab Spring, well...

"...While the Muslim Brotherhood – which was banned under Hosni Mubarak – breaks into the political mainstream, twelve political unions were thrown overboard; several of them had represented the youth who toppled Mubarak’s regime back in February 2011..." (RT)

We will find out more on Monday when the new government has its first session!

Cartoon source

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Must watch video: Politics, pandering and killing the Keystone XL Pipeline!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:16:00 +0000

Did Barack Obama's decision to kill the Keystone XL Pipeline project with TransCanada make any sense beyond pandering to environmentalists and to his Hollywood base for campaign support and money?

The Keystone XL Pipeline was to be a 1,700 mile long 36 inch pipeline that would bring 800,000 barrels of oil a day into the United States.

So did the decision to kill it actually have a sound foundation for being made?

Of course it didn't with some of the winners being enemies of the United States like Venezuela, economic competitors like China who will most likely now work with Canada on this project and of course President Obama for the political reasons mentioned above.

The losers are the American people!

We lose as a country because killing the Keystone XL Pipeline represents a blow to the United States and our attempt to become more energy independent from sources of crude who do not have our best interests at heart and who at any time could shut the spigot off (i.e Iran and the Strait of Hormuz).

Under the Obama administration this attempt for energy independence has been halfhearted at best as decision after decision (i.e. drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP oil spill) speaks louder than any words that come out of the mouths of government officials or the President!

As important as the energy independence component is, the American people also lose given the fact that the Keystone XL Pipeline would have meant jobs and lots of them. That benefit will now likely go to China!

Why was the Keystone Pipeline killed?

The reasoning for the decision, as the graphics in this video clearly show, was partially based on the presence of an aquifer that is extremely large (it covers multiple states) and that is already crisscrossed by pipelines.

This is merely a smokescreen for the real reason the project was killed which are the politically motivated ones mentioned at the beginning.

Will the voting public hold Barack Obama responsible for a decision that was made at the expense of American jobs and that maintains our reliance on enemies of the state for our supply of oil?

Or will this just be one more item on a long list that the American public, taking its lead from the mainstream media, gives the President a pass on in November?

Talk, as we will hear from Barack Obama in the upcoming State of the Union Address is cheap, but his actions and record in office are indisputable and should be speaking volumes to the electorate.

Because this record generated from his first, and hopefully last, term in office have been abysmal!

Ezra Levant on The Source examines and explains the idiocy of the Keystone Pipeline decision!

H/T Conservatives4Palin
Cartoon: Theo Spark

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For those of us not in South Carolina, the Victoria's Secret 2012 Swimsuit preview!(Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:43:00 +0000

Weather for the South Carolina Primary looks like sunny and 70 degrees!

For anyone who is not in a warm spot, such as in New York City where the snow is falling and the wind chill is somewhere around 10 degrees, enjoy this video from Victoria's Secret!

H/T Theo Spark

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Doing away with the Electoral College! One man, one vote and majority wins!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:56:00 +0000

Update Saturday January 21: An article from Politicons "Surprise! NY Democrat: Voter Fraud Is One Of Our “Normal Political Tactics”
____________________________________________________

Could that possibly be a good idea? For the Democrat Party, expert in "voter" registration, the answer would most likely be a emphatic yes!

But is shelving the Electoral College for a system of presidential election winners chosen purely by popular vote the direction that our country should be heading?

This idea is being vigorously pursued by the organizers at a website called National Popular Vote and has been endorsed by publications including the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, San Jose Mercury News and the Los Angeles Times.

But, if you are a believer in the wisdom of the Founding Fathers and the strength of our Constitution, the answer to this question of the virtue of an election process by popular vote alone would seem to be a resounding no.

The Electoral College - "It is a process that began as part of the original design of the U.S. Constitution. The Electoral College was established by the founding fathers as a compromise between election of the president by Congress and election by popular vote. The people of the United States vote for the electors who then vote for the President..."

The process of selecting a president of the United States!

A system of choosing the president of the United States purely by popular vote would, at the very least, encourage an even greater attempt by some to attempt various degrees of voter fraud, by registering to vote anyone and everyone they thought would be sympathetic to their cause or in agreement with the ideology of their party.

That would be consistent with an old saying attributed to three Chicagoans, Al Capone, Richard J. Daley and William Hale Thompson, that goes something like "vote early and vote often."

An election by popular vote alone would bring the political discourse and the associated bending of the truth in political advertising, already considered by some to be at its worst levels of all time, even further into the gutter than most likely anyone would think possible.

This tactic of sending misleading and sometimes just plain dishonest messages would go along with the next thought that says...

"Ignorant votes rule," considered politically incorrect to say out loud but number one of the "Six Dirty Secrets of Presidential Politics."

These are the types of voters who do not necessarily take the time or have the interest to look at a politicians background and record themselves, but rely on the mainstream media to spoon feed them the "information."

They hear what they hear and believe what they hear which would make presidential politics and campaigning a process that allows he who has the most money and therefore speaks loudest and most often to rule the day.

This would benefit an incumbent of either party who is in full possession of the bully pulpit, allowing them to speak to the entire country basically at will.

And the Super PACs, now so prevalent and unrestricted by rules governing fundraising, would ensure that their desired message gets.

We will see that very clearly now that the Obama reelection campaign is getting geared up to take on the remaining Republicans.

What do you think?

I posed this question to a group of politically engaged, albeit mostly conservative, people from around the country.

These were just some of their thoughtful responses on the subject of the prudence of ending the Electoral College process and installing a one-man(woman)-one vote method for selecting the next president of the United States.

1) - This legislation is nothing but an attempt for the left to capitalize on the complete and utter ignorance of the American people. People who have limited education and absolutely NO sense of American history. They have dumbed the populace down to the point that the masses honestly think we are a democracy ... but we are not. The people honestly believe that the electoral college is a tool from a bygone era that no longer applies. They believe that as long as technology allows us to count everyone's vote, then every vote should count individually. It is an outrage and is as unAmerican as anything could be.

2) - How does the saying go? is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. A Republic is a well armed sheep... something or other. You get the idea.

- We are not a Democracy, we are a Representative Republic. The popular vote is a wonderful idea IF you are a liberal democrat. They (liberals and establishment types) love this idea because it pushes along the destruction of what America is supposed to be. The part that broke my heart about this legislation is what I heard on the radio ad that they were playing constantly a while back in support of this legislation. And that is that Fred Thompson is an avid supporter of this legislation. He was my guy in '08 and that sucked a lot that he could put his name to something like this.

This legislation is right up there with Obamacare and should be stopped at all costs. It is a travesty, plain and simple!

3) - I am opposed to this idea. This sets up a tyranny of the majority. The Democrats would love this. They would register every Tom, Richard and Harry in their urban centers to outvote the country folk. Can you imagine the vote totals from New York and California overwhelming the small states. This is a dangerous idea.

4) - So because voters are ignorant and can't be counted on for a good decision, I'm supposed to trust the willy boogers after they have been bought off by Pilesofcrapticians? ( politicians ) I'm supposed to believe the voters in Noo Yawk are better judges of what we need as as country, than I am? I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night.

I would advocate a return to a poll tax, only property owners being able to vote, a citizenship test, repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment, and the outlawing of both all political parties.

5) - ...The National Popular Vote bill would not change the need for candidates to build a winning coalition across demographics. Candidates would have to appeal to a broad range of demographics, and perhaps even more so, because the election wouldn’t be capable of coming down to just one demographic, such as voters in Ohio.

We are a Republic and a Democracy. They are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Unable to agree on any particular method, the Founding Fathers left the choice of method for selecting presidential electors exclusively to the states by adopting the language contained in section 1 of Article II of the U.S. Constitution-- "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors . . ." The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly characterized the authority of the state legislatures over the manner of awarding their electoral votes as "plenary" and "exclusive." The National Popular Vote bill preserves the Electoral College and state control of elections. It changes the way electoral votes are awarded in the Electoral College.  The Republic is not in any danger from National Popular Vote. It has nothing to do with direct democracy. With National Popular Vote, citizens would not rule directly but, instead, continue to elect the President by a majority of Electoral College votes, to represent us and conduct the business of government in the periods between elections. 

6) - There's no way that I could support a national popular vote bill. It would give the populous states - the blue states - an even greater advantage then they already have and guarantee Democrat presidents ad infinitum.

7) - I guess one of my core questions would be, without pages of rhetoric, why be concerned with trying to alter the system?

In the history of the Electoral College, there have only been four instances where a presidential candidate has lost the popular vote yet won the election:

- John Q. Adams lost the popular vote to Andrew Jackson in 1824.

- Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular vote to Samuel Tilden in 1876.

- Grover Cleveland lost the popular vote to Benjamin Harrison in 1888.

- George W. Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore Jr. in 2000.

I question motivations. Nobody starts a major movement unless they feel there is something to gain from it. I find myself wondering who is in line to gain from this little piece of legislation ... and so help me God it is not the voters.

What do you think? Leave your comments below.

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Jennifer Lopez, Fiat and and driving through the streets of Iran (Video parody)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000

Does J. Lo know that Fiat has been accused of supporting Iran in the transport of ballistic missiles?

United Against a Nuclear Iran has made that fact clear and has asked Lopez to give up her rich endorsement deal with the company.

J. Lo has not responded to that request, and UANI has released a parody video of the original commercial that purports to show Lopez driving through the Bronx (although questions exist as to whether she is actually driving and whether it is actually the Bronx).

The new video includes scenes of life in Iran which is nothing like the block where Jenny grew up!

Video source

Image source

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Breaking: The Watcher's Council has spoken! TPC grabs third!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:50:00 +0000

Congratulations to this weeks winner, The Right Planet!

The Watcher's Council nominations for the week of January 16th were presented, the votes were cast, and the winners will now be announced!

For those of you who who may be reading about the Watcher's Council for the first time, it is a group consisting of some of the top conservative minded bloggers from around the world.

A group that The Political Commentator is extremely proud to have been asked to be part of!

Each week members select and submit an article of their own creation in addition to one article from a non-council blog they find to be particularly topical and important.

While you may not always agree with what you read, that alone may make the experience that much more valuable!

Once the submissions have been received at an undisclosed location in secret ballot form, the Watcher's Council members then individually vote for their favorites.

Those votes are protected and held by outside auditing firm Arthur Andersen until such time as they are counted and a winner named for the Grand Prize.

This Grand Prize consists of the appreciation of our peers.

In the end though, we all win because of the range of information and important analysis received on the critical issues of the day.

In a nutshell, the Watcher's Council is the ultimate conservative blog aggregator!

So without further ado, the winners of this weeks Watcher's Council are...?

Council Winners

*First place with 3 2/3 votes! The Right Planet – The Talking Points Meme
Second place with 2 2/3 votes – Joshuapundit- “I Got Bin Laden” – And Why Obama’s Big Boast Might Have Been A Huge Mistake
Third place with 1 2/3 votes – The Political Commentator-Achtung! Antisemitismus, immer präsent doch in der Regel unter dem Radar, ist jetzt immer häufiger offene und ist in das Licht der Welt erscheinen!
Fourth place *t* with 1 1/3 votes – The Razor-In the Belly of the Swan
Fourth place *t* with 1 1/3 votes – The Mellow Jihadi- Move, Vets Coming Through!
Fourth place *t* with 1 1/3 votes – The Noisy Room-Don’t Worry… Nuthin’ Bad’s Gonna Happen…
Fifth Place with 1 vote – Right Truth-Handcuffed, arrested, and now faces three and a half years in jail for firearms possession – for the crime of being unaware that the Second Amendment does not apply in New York City
Sixth place with 2/3 vote – The Glittering Eye – Citizenship Skills
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote – Bookworm Room –San Francisco Chronicle columnist warns city’s rational thinkers not to roll in the mud with one specific fringe group
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote – New Zeal – DSA Marxists Take Over the Occupy Movement: Plan “Spring Offensive,” With Widespread Occupations of State Capitols, Schools and Workplaces
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote– Simply Jews–De Nada Ilse
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote – VA Right! – Ron Paul Flying First Class on Taxpayer Dime

Non-Council Winners

First place with 2 2/3 votes! – Allen West - Mr. President, please don’t play the race card in 2012… submitted by Joshuapundit
Second place with 2 votes – Defining Ideas – The Death Of Honestystrong> submitted byThe Colossus of Rhodey
Third place with 1 2/3 votes – Melanie Phillips-The West’s Useful Idiots submitted by The Political Commentator
Fourth place *t* with 1 1/3 votes - Mark Steyn –Ron Paul beckons GOP to Fortress Americasubmitted by The Noisy Room
Fourth place *t* with 1 1/3 votes - Maggie’s Farm – Understanding The Wuterich Haditha Court Martial submitted by The Mellow Jihadi
Fifth place with 1 vote - Wings Over Iraq–Let’s Review submitted by GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD
Fifth place *t* with 1 vote -Inside Higher Ed – Price of Success submitted by The Glittering Eye
Sixth place *t* with 2/3 vote -IsraellyCool –There’s Something About Perry submitted bySimply Jews
Sixth place *t* with 2/3 vote -Big Government –EXCLUSIVE:Former Bush Counternarcotics Advisor: We’re Losing the Drug War Because of Government Bureaucracysubmitted by Right Truth
Sixth place *t* with 2/3 vote -SE Cupp – Newt Gingrich, Natural Woman submitted by The Watcher
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote -Rush Limbaugh –Washington, DC, Law Forces Exterminators to Capture and Relocate Rats submitted by The Right Planet
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote -GodFather Politics – Urinating on the Dead: Marine Performance Art? submitted by Bookworm Room
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote -Nile Gardiner – Why are Barack Obama’s critics so smart?submitted by The Razor
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote -Liberty’s Spirit – The Real Story of the Lebanese Civil Warsubmitted by The Watcher
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote -Accuracy In Media – AIM Interview with Craig Shirley on Pearl Harbor, Ronald Reagan and Today’s Politics submitted by New Zeal
Seventh place *t* with 1/3 vote -The Blaze –More ‘Embarrassing’ Ron Paul Newsletters Emerge on Race, Israel, & More submitted by Rhymes With Right

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TGIF: Bottoms up with the D.C. edition! (Bonus EyeHandy Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:16:00 +0000

TGIF this week is dedicated to a mystery politician!

This may not be very difficult to figure out, but here are the clues:

This man has served time for cocaine possession after being videotaped smoking crack, was sentenced to probation for tax issues, was arrested for stalking and was front and center when Congress took control of D.C. government due to fiscal mismanagement.

But, as we have recently witnessed with high-ranking government employees such as Tim Geithner and Charlie Rangel, past personal indiscretions including tax evasion, did not have have not necessarily disqualified anyone from public service!

Who is this mystery politician?

video platform
video management
video solutions
video player

Who is this man and for TGIF, what would the drink of choice be?

If you guessed Marion Barry, a man who served 4 terms as D.C. mayor and was elected to the city council fromWard 8 in 2004 and 2008 after his legal troubles and who will be running for reelection again this year, you are absolutely correct.

And for this TGIF segment of pairing a politician with a namesake drink, for Marion Barry the imbibition of choice is .......

The Dirty Hooker and if you are so inclined, chase it down with a glass of coke.

Dirty Hooker

1/2 ounce (15 mL) Jagermeister, 1/2 ounce (15 mL) raspberry Sour Puss in a shot glass.

To recap prior weeks:

Barney Frank: Super Fruity Sangria

Ted Kennedy: The Chappaquiddick

Bonus Video: How to make a Mojito with Corey from EyeHandy.com

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Is this what you pay a president to do?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:08:00 +0000

New York City is ground zero for Obama fundraising!

Doesn't this man have anything more important to do for the country than glad-handing for campaign cash at four New York City fundraisers that were targeted squarely at the 1% he claims to loathe?

$35,000 a ticket at the home of Spike Lee

$5,000 - $15,000 a ticket for two fundraisers at the uber-posh restaurant Daniel

$50 and up for a stop at the Apollo Theater

C'mon man!

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Dirty Secrets of Presidential Politics!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:28:00 +0000

In an article at American Thinker John Ziegler presents his "Six Dirty Secrets of Presidential Politics" that he believes exist in general, and for the 2012 presidential election in particular!

According to Ziegler, these are some basic tenets of presidential politics that are critical to understand in order to understand the process.

Things that the mainstream media along with political operatives from both sides try their very hardest to exploit.

The list is presented below along with a link at the end to the article which contains a much more in-depth dissertation for each at American Thinker. Very interesting!

The Six Dirty Secrets of Presidential Politics, 2012!

Ignorant votes rule! "No matter how politically incorrect it may to say out loud, there is absolutely no doubt that the voters who determine who wins our presidential elections are frighteningly lacking in even basic knowledge of the issues or the candidates..."
Issues/Ideology Mean Very Little! "Thanks to "dirty little secret" number one, I find it almost hilarious that so many political commentators still desperately hang on to the delusion that voters (at least the ones who matter) make their decisions the same way that said commentators do. This reminds of me of the identical fallacy which occurs when a woman interprets the actions of a man based on the erroneous belief that his brain works like hers does..."
The 2010 Midterms Are Largely Irrelevant! "The biggest political misunderstanding that most hardcore conservative voters have is that presidential elections are pretty much the same as the midterm variety. This is like comparing the NFL's Super Bowl with the Pro Bowl. Even though they are both football games, it would be difficult for them to be more unlike each other..."
The Liberal Media's Influence Is Increasing! "The popular perception among most commentators is that the media's general influence is on the decline and that, therefore, liberals are slowly losing one of their most powerful political weapons. I have devoted most of the last four years of my life to proving that this premise is patently false..."
Obama Will Be Much Tougher to Beat Than Perceived! "Even if the economy doesn't improve (or at least provide enough data for the media to manipulate into making it seem as if it is), Obama has at least a 50% chance at reelection. This assessment may be shocking to many conservatives, but it is based on sound analysis..."
The Conservative Media Has an Incentive for Obama to Win! "The "dirtiest" little secret on my list is one that, because it is so obvious, I am astonished has not been mentioned in any significant way. In my experience, the most universal misconception that conservatives have about politics is that most of those in the "conservative media" or those who are "activists" are motivated primarily because they believe in the cause. Unfortunately, for many reasons too numerous to get into in this space, this is simply not the case. The vast majority of the decisions made in the conservative media and by activists are decided by business considerations rather than by what is best for the cause..."

Read the entire article here.

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Did the First Lady enjoy an "Obama" birthday burger last night?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:50:00 +0000

What better way to enjoy a birthday than at a restaurant sporting a $28 Obama kobe burger!

The First Lady and the President went out like regular folks last night to a Washington steakhouse last night by the name of BLT Steak to celebrate Michelle's 48th birthday.

Forget about the fact that the menu sports a $28 kobe beef hamburger called, what else, The Obama.

The First Couple reportedly went in another direction with the American Wagyu steak at $81 a pop.

I don't know what that is but at the very least it sounds like it was created domestically!

The best part of the meal however are the comments about it at CNS News.

Here is a pu pu platter sampling some of the finer ones:

"What isn't mentioned is the amount of money spent to send the SS to the facility ahead of time to secure the area. The cost of fuel for the motorcade. The security detail inside and outside of the location. The cost of testing the food before and after preparation and delivery to the POTUS. This meal would cost the general American couple roughly $250 with drinks, tax and tip. This meal cost the entire nation THOUSANDS of dollars!! Thanks for looking out for the middle class BHO."

"Really disgusting--the emperor and his mistress living like pre-revolution French Royalty while so many are scraping by and looking for a job. Typical though."

"The Obama Burger"
Is made of real Kenyan beef sauteed in corruption. Flip flopped and blackened to perfection over an open flame of socialism. It changes color and tastes depending on where it's served in the country. Topped with lies, hatred for America, and a heaping layer of clueless!
Customary to serve it to the left of a big pile of peas!"

"Yum, I might go get one. Do they take food stamps?"

"Meanwhile, my company just canned 800 more people in its latest downsizing. But buck-up my unemployed brethren. There are apparently several lucrative restaurant jobs near the Obama's temporary DC address! Although the tips alone on the taxpayer-funded steaks may vault you into the notorious 1%."

"If she wanted to win the hearts of the "Commoners," she would have shared a meal at a Salvation Army soup kitchen."

"$81 for a flippin' steak? Living in the lap of luxury must be nice during the middle of a depression/recession. Such role models..."

And more at the link above!

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According to Snopes this interchange with Obama is False and yet it is so damn believable!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Haltman) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:46:00 +0000

The Obama American flag lapel pin story redux!

This was sent to me by email this morning, and although according to Snopes.com this story about then Senator Barack Obama is False, it is nonetheless unfortunately and completely believable!

File this under 2012 presidential election notes.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!

Yes, he told us in advance what he planned to do. Few were listening.

The following is a narrative taken from a 2008 Sunday morning televised "Meet The Press'.

From Sunday's 07 Sept. 2008 11:48:04 EST, Televised "Meet the Press" THE THEN Senator Obama was asked about his stance on the American Flag.

General Bill Gann' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain WHY he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

The General stated to Obama that according to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171...

During rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present (except those in uniform) are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Or, at the very least, "Stand and Face It".

NOW GET THIS !!

'Senator Obama replied:

"As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides". "There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression.." "The anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all that sort of thing."

(ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???)

Obama continued: "The National Anthem should be 'swapped' for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing'. If that were our anthem, then, I might salute it. In my opinion, we should consider reinventing our National Anthem as well as 'redesign' our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we, as a Nation of warring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails - - - perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments ......"

When I become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation, have placed upon the nations ofIslam, an unfair injustice which is WHY my wife disrespects the Flag and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past".

"Of course now, I have found myself about to become the President of the United States and I have put my hatred aside. I will use my power to bring CHANGE to this Nation, and offer the people a new path. My wife and I look forward to becoming our Country's First black Family. Indeed,CHANGE is about to overwhelm the United States of America "

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