Archive for May, 2009

A title means nothing.

Posted: May 14, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: ,

President Obama speech at Arizona State University, had a very important line concerning the difference between a title and an accomplishment.

At the 3:40 mark or so he starts to hit it out of the park with a segment that culminates with the following quote:

“I come to affirm that one’s title, even a title like President of the United States says very little about how well one’s life has been lead.”

The advice he is giving is pretty good and the message strong. It doesn’t seem to be that it is the advice that he has followed himself, but the message itself is right.

If he lives up to those ideas he is speaking then he will turn out to be an excellent president. (remember he has been in only 4 months or 6 1/4% of his terms. He could actually rise to the occasion.) I doubt this will happen but you know I’d love for him to prove me wrong.

Update: Missed the 3rd part.

You can tell Glenn Reynolds will be smiling today…

Posted: May 14, 2009 by datechguy in fun, oddities
Tags: ,

when his first 4 posts of the day contain at least one of his taglines. All we are missing is an “indeed”.

No Photos: its all political

Posted: May 14, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: , , , , ,

I gotta give credit to Willie Geist for coming up with this angle.

This morning on Morning Joe they were interviewing someone from the Politico concerning the photos that the president has decided not to release.

He asked if the idea might have been to protect democratic pols who would have had these photos “hung around their necks”.

You know there are several angles to look at this. It could be considered the president’s “Sister Souljia” moment, turning from the left.

It could be his “Errol Flynn Trial” Errol Flynn Trial: 1943 – “j.b.” And “s.q.q.”, Suggestions For Further Reading on the subjectmoment as Monica Crowley maintained on O’Reilly last night, the theory being now people will imagine the worst.

Most people think that its a question of following the advice of the generals. The thought being that now the war is now owned by him is isn’t going to lose it.

The political angle didn’t occur to me and I’m ashamed of it, particularly with the excellent post by Legal Insurrection:

This presents a problem mostly for Democrats. Republicans who were briefed on the interrogation methods at least will be consistent, for the most part, in maintaining that the methods were lawful and useful. No Republican is going to be harmed politically by the revelations because most Americans support these methods against people like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. If leaks of a Justice Department report are to be believed, there will be no prosecutions. Republicans are safe politically and legally.

For Democrats, however, the damage could be significant. Nancy Pelosi already has lost a great deal of credibility from her changing stories. Dozens of other Democrats, including such senior Senators as Jay Rockefeller, apparently also were briefed on the interrogation methods and either were silent, approved, or encouraged the policy.

The irony is that a full blow investigation and hearings will turn mostly on what the Democrats knew, and when they knew it. The Republicans mostly couldn’t care less if they were “blamed” for keeping the country safe even if it necessitated waterboarding the mastermind of 9/11 to prevent further attacks. When faced with sacrificing a city versus using harsh interrogation methods, most voters would opt for harsh interrogation.

Keith Olberman, Chris Matthews, et/al not withstanding people who live here actually Like America and dislike having to choose between burning to death or jumping 100 stories to become street pizza. The Air force one debacle showed that no matter how they vote people know what the score is as thousands fled for their lives. This is not something you want to be on the wrong side of.

There is a story of Ronald Reagan meeting with European leaders in the 80 hearing them privately urge him to stand up to the soviets and deploy missiles while telling him they would publicly condemn him for political reasons.

Don’t think for one moment that high level people in congress didn’t make that request. The president has the approval ratings to withstand the hit, congress can’t, and believe that he made this move for their sake he WILL collect a chit for it.

I say the right thing is almost always the smart thing in the long run. President Obama did the right thing and it will turn out to be the smart thing in the end.

Update: Et Tu Chris Matthews?

Update 2: added the DUmmie Funnies link above, between them and Andrew Sullivan it looks like they are all learning about feeding the dog and liberal pets.

Update 3: via Jules Crittenden David Ignatious votes Souljia and has a full round up.

Morning Joe eveyone in studio

Posted: May 14, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags:

Starting with the Obama situation

6:02 a.m. The topic is the photos and Obama

6:04 a.m. Barnicle: It’s good that he listens to the generals on this one instead of the polls.

6:06 a.m. Willie wasn’t invited? Must have been because he voted for Miss California.

6:08 a.m. That is a very classy line by the president. Very well said.

6:14 a.m. “I pulled something but not a string.” Mika’s head is on the desk Joe turned around and Willie walked away so Barnicle had to do the next bit. That moment was worth being up this early.

6:20 a.m. You know the idea that this is to protect democratic pols didn’t hit me at all.

6:24 a.m. Take Obama away from the Democratic party and they are weak. Everyone agrees. I guess Mrs. Clinton star has truly fallen.

6:30 a.m. Market down unexpectedly. Is it?

6:33 a.m. What parent would put their child on the local airline after this?

6:39 a.m. We will leave it there on the joke.

6:41 a.m. Until someone else steps up Rush is it, that’s true but I think that Rush is right and the more people who actually hear him will agree, but then again I think the best voice I heard was on morning joe two days ago.

6:43 a.m There was not one tea party when George Bush was president. Harold never heard of Porkbusters or saw the graph. As Glenn pointed out there was a protest, it was the elections of 2006 & 2008 when conservatives stayed home.

6:57 a.m. Put your phone on vibrate, Barnicle is not allowed to comment. That was funny and Gibbs is right.

6:59 a.m. Did anyone else notice Barnicle’s hand was under the table during the entire Maxim 100 segment?

7:02 a.m. They do a lot of fund raisers don’t they?

7:06 a.m. This will all come out. Joe was right about the democrats on this and he is right about this.

7:07 a.m. Harold Ford is right again. Joe is right, he would make an acceptable moderate republican.

7:09 a.m. Joe I like you but you aren’t a Catholic, Barnicle is and should know better.

7:10 a.m. This isn’t a speech code, he is being given a honorary degree at a CATHOLIC university when he is radically pro abortion. That is contrary to our beliefs.

7:11 a.m. You know if I’d been tailing this guy for 40 min i might have lost it up front too.

7:13 a.m. Mark my words it will be AFTER the Notre Dame speech. His appointment is going to be a kick in the teeth to ND.

7:14 a.m. Harold and Joe make a good point but that is because like slavery Abortion is a seminal issue of good vs evil. It can’t help but be the point.

7:16 a.m. This all sounds nice but the job of a judge is to read the law and rule based on what it says. Not on what their life experience gives them. They are umpires. Their job is to apply the rules.

7:18 a.m. I think Richard Hass is exactly wrong on these issues. I predict before he actually comes on his arguments will the opposite of what is correct.

7:32 a.m. Jed Babbin on Morning Joe?

7:39 a.m. He points out that Powell ran out on his own and points out his bs on the Plame scandal.

7:47 a.m. It is a lot more complicated when it is your stuff. It’s a question of protecting troops in Afghanistan. Hass proves me wrong right away. Good for him!

7:48 a.m. There is nothing more satisfying than being proved wrong when you think ill of people’s opinion, I hope president Obama proves me wrong a lot.

8:06 a.m. You know that Savannah is a real good sport. The time will come when she can take over Mika’s chair. Mika better watch out.

8:22 a.m. You can say things on this show but you will be accurately represented.

8:26 a.m. Ad Hoc decisions?

8:37 a.m. The great morning joe Wars are on. MSNBC vs CNBC

8:38 a.m. This is a lot of fun, but relative to the other Joe he is liberal.

8:40 a.m. You are copying CNBC you have 6 boxes up.

8:42 a.m. And these guys are talking about the big tent that the republicans need?

8:48 a.m. Monica Pelosi. Barnicle is off the hook.

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