PJ Media

PJM Political 01/31/09: Out Of Iraq In 16 Months? Plus, The Pelosi Economic Prophylaxis!

Tune in each Saturday to Sirus XM’s POTUS channel (#110 on Sirius, #130 on XM) at 7:00 AM eastern, 1:00 PM eastern and 7:00 PM eastern for the weekly edition of PJ Media’s PJM Political!

If you missed this week’s show, click below to listen:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(Want to download instead of streaming? Click here to download this week’s show. Or click here to download the lo-fi edition.)

Join host Steve Green of VodkaPundit.com for his take on Illinois’ Gov. Blagojevich’s removal from office and Nancy Pelosi’s proposed economic prophylaxis! Plus:

• PJTV co-host Allen Barton interviews Gordon Cucullu, the author of Inside Gitmo, published this week by Harper Collins.
• James Lileks on the Stimulus Bill.
• Col. Austin Bay, the co-author of A Quick And Dirty Guide To War, on President Obama’s planned 16 month withdrawal timetable from Iraq.
• Glenn Reynolds and Dr. Helen Smith interview Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, as he prepares for the TN gubernatorial race.
• Produced by Ed Driscoll.

If you missed any recent edition of PJM Political, click here and scroll through for hours of audio archives. And tune in to PJ Media’s PJTV channel for video coverage throughout the week.

Who Should Get the Conservative Slot at the New York Times?

Some names to consider for the coveted spot now that Bill Kristol is gone.

Lies, Damned Lies, and ‘Tax Cuts’

Confusing "tax cuts" with "rate cuts" often keeps us from setting the proper economic course.

Facebooking with Bibi Netanyahu

Israeli politicos have discovered the 2.0 version of precinct walking.

Obama Should Strike a Blow for Mutt Mavens and Get a Shelter Dog

Please, Mr. President, make the ulti-mutt statement in support of the underdog.

The End of the Beginning of the War on Terror

Terrorists did not disappear with Bush's departure. Here's how Obama could hasten their defeat.

Obama Nails It: The Prima Facie Immorality of Great Wealth

It's great to have a president who will call out those who so richly deserve it.

Mens News Daily: a href=”http://mensnewsdaily.com/glennsacks/2009/01/29/dads-dissed-at-the-nyt/”Dads dissed at the emNew York Times/em./a

Chicago Mayor Seeking Bailout Money for $15 Billion Airport Albatross

Richard Daley's shameless plan to expand O'Hare Airport.

"Yes, $400 billion to prevent sexually transmitted diseases will save your job."

So says David Harsanyi, in his column a href=”http://www.denverpost.com/harsanyi/ci_11585798″today in the emDenver Post/em: /abr /br /blockquoteYes, $400 billion to prevent sexually transmitted diseases will save your job. A $34 million remodeling of the Department of Commerce and $150 million for honey bee insurance and hundreds of billions in new government growth will create economic growth faster than a similar-sized business or payroll tax cut, you are led to believe. /blockquotebr /br /The “stimulus” bill is all about payback to Obama’s supporters and to a lesser degree, about fixing the economy. I am just hoping that the Senate Republicans are as savvy as those in the House about voting against the bill. They have nothing to gain and everything to lose if they do. If the stimulus works (I am dubious about this), then the Dems will get the credit. If the bill fails, those Republicans who signed on will be blamed, so what’s the point?

Anthropogenic Global Warming: The Greatest Fraud in History?

The credibility of science may never recover. (Also read Roger L. Simon: The Gore That Came In from the Cold.)

Europe’s War on Free Speech

The Geert Wilders case is only one of many that should warn Americans of the perils of complacency. (Also, Leon De Winter on the Wilders Trial [PJTV with registration])

How Can the World Be Blind to Israel’s Existential Threats?

It is amazing to me that there is so much confusion over who the terrorists are, who wants war, and who wants peace.

The Myth of the ‘Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor’

We hear a lot about increased income inequality in the media — until a Democratic president takes office.

A Favorite for RNC Chair Belonged to Exclusive, ‘White Only’ Clubs

Some say that Katon Dawson is a "ticking time bomb" for the GOP.

Blago’s Eleventh Hour Appeal Was Great Political Theater

In a dramatic appearance at his impeachment trial, the Illinois governor begged for his job.

"If you want money flowing to the companies with good lobbyists and powerful congressmen, then the stimulus bill may accomplish something."

David Boaz, author of a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068484768X?ie=UTF8tag=wwwviolentkicomlinkCode=as2camp=1789creative=9325creativeASIN=068484768X”emLibertarianism: A Primer,/em/aimg src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwviolentkicoml=as2o=1a=068484768X” width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”" style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” / has a good article on the economy a href=”http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/turning_the_economy_over_to_po.html”at Real Clear Politics /a (via a href=”http://nalert.blogspot.com/2009/01/turning-economy-over-to-politicians.html”Newsalert/a): br /br /blockquoteEven if regulators are as smart as Leonardo da Vinci and as incorruptible as Mother Teresa, they can never have as much knowledge as the decentralized, competitive market process, so planned economies and planned industries fall further and further behind free-market systems. But in reality, even if they’re smart, they’re not incorruptible. Political influence always comes into play. What we’re seeing with the bailout funds will also happen with the stimulus money.br /br /Government planners claim to be able to aggregate all the available information and make informed decisions for the whole society. But market economies clearly produce far more economic growth than planned economies. It isn’t just the United States versus the Soviet Union or East Germany versus West Germany. Consider the customer service and technological advances you get from FedEx versus the post office, or Microsoft and Apple versus the DMV.br /br /If you want money flowing to the companies with good lobbyists and powerful congressmen, then the stimulus bill may accomplish something. But we should all recognize that we’re taking money out of the competitive, individually directed part of society and turning it over to the politically controlled sector. Politicians rather than consumers will pick winners and losers. That’s not a recipe for recovery./blockquote

Maybe You Should Listen to Rush Limbaugh After All

Obama seeks to discredit Rush, but the radio talker's stimulus idea is better than anything that's come out of Washington.

Are boys with unpopular names more likely to break the law?

emLiveScience/em reports:br /br /blockquoteBoys in the United States with common names like Michael and David are less likely to commit crimes than those named Ernest or Ivan. br /br /David E. Kalist and Daniel Y. Lee of Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania compared the first names of male juvenile delinquents to the first names of male juveniles in the population. The researchers constructed a popularity-name index (PNI) for each name. For example, the PNI for Michael is 100, the most frequently given name during the period. The PNI for David is 50, a name given half as frequently as Michael. The PNI is approximately 1 for names such as Alec, Ernest, Ivan, Kareem, and Malcolm. br /br /Results show that, regardless of race, juveniles with unpopular names are more likely to engage in criminal activity. The least popular names were associated with juvenile delinquency among both blacks and whites. br /br /The findings, announced today, are detailed in the journal Social Science Quarterly. br /br /While the names are likely not the cause of crime, the researchers argue that “they are connected to factors that increase the tendency to commit crime, such as a disadvantaged home environment, residence in a county with low socioeconomic status, and households run by one parent.” /blockquotebr /br /I once knew a caseworker who had two kids named Rotunda and Vagina on her caseload. I often wonder how those kids turned out.

How Does a Pastor Survive a Sex Scandal?

An HBO documentary on Ted Haggard, shot by the daughter of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, takes a sympathetic view of his life in disgrace.

Obama’s Bipartisan Stimulus Plan: Neither Stimulative Nor Bipartisan

The honeymoon is officially over: Republicans are fighting what they call a left-wing wish list.

Technical Hooey from the White House

New staffers claimed to find the place in the "technological dark ages" and pledged a more "open" website. Here's the reality.

Drone Warfare in the Obama Administration

Many assumed that Predator attacks on terrorist targets would stop once Obama entered office. They haven't. (Also watch Annie Jacobsen at PJTV.)

How Bad Was Bush for the World, Really? (Part 1)

Let's give the man his due, starting with his policy achievements in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Getting Conservatism Back on Track

Opening the minds of GOP politicians to New Media and how it can help revive the party.