Sinking in quicksand.
The unthinkable is finally happening. A small revolt against President Obama has broken out in Democrat ranks over the Obamacare fiasco. In response, President Obama is “brainstorming” with the insurance companies to find a way out. It’s like Animal House, with the same frenzy but without the humor. “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Nothing is over until we decide!”
He still thinks he “decides.”
Roger Simon argues that Obama should resign, giving the most old-fashioned of reasons. Shame. “If I were Barack Obama, I would resign as president. Forget all the temporary fixes and limited hangouts, I would be too ashamed of myself for having lied so blatantly to the American people — and on matters of such great significance.”
But Obama won’t resign, precisely because he lacks the quality of “shame.” But Roger has put his finger on the essential point. Obama is ungoverned by shame, and hence has no self-limiting boundaries. He’s like a runaway train without a driver. Such trains require an external agency to stop them. Obama won’t stop himself, no matter what, no matter how.
Since Obama will never resign, the Dems may eventually try to persuade him to retire, in the manner of Nixon or Johnson. The political pressures will bear on them until the beams creak and the floor sags. Unthinkable? Bill Clinton has broken ranks already on Obamacare.
Obama is waist deep in quicksand. The first rule of quicksand is not to struggle; to swim your way out. But Obama won’t. Can’t. The deeper he gets, the harder he thrashes. No shame. No self-control. And therefore this may end in the manner of the Beast of Hollow Mountain.
After a week spent admitting he broke the healthcare system, he continues to insist that only he can fix it. The dumber he is shown to be, the higher the hand he takes. In a statement, the administration argued that those opposed to the law — a law he intends to nullify himself — intend to “sabotage” ObamaCare.
“[The bill] rolls back the progress made by allowing insurers to continue to sell new plans that deploy practices such as not offering coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, charging women more than men, and continuing yearly caps on the amount of care that enrollees receive,” the statement said.
Sabotage! Them’s fighting words. Them’s also Bolshevik words, but never mind that for now. The received wisdom is that the small Dem revolt we are presently witnessing is caused by the fear of electoral loss. That is only partly true. It is more than that.
Charles Krauthammer was correct to say that the stakes are higher than a mere loss of the Senate; that the liberal project itself is now at serious risk.
At stake, however, is more than the fate of one presidency or of the current Democratic majority in the Senate. At stake is the new, more ambitious, social-democratic brand of American liberalism introduced by Obama, of which Obamacare is both symbol and concrete embodiment.
But even Krauthammer undershoots. The threat to the liberal project is bigger than Obamacare. The Obamacare fiasco is the mere tip of the iceberg, the harbinger of more … much more. The foreign situation is in freefall, but the biggest bomb is the economy. The most illuminating piece of news is Obama’s proposal to extend unemployment benefits so that the jobless can have a little something over the holidays.
That is a tacit admission of the most pressing problem. Things really are that bad. His economic policies are merely wallpaper over widening cracks. He has presided over an enterprise built on a fantasy; a house supported on twigs teetering over a cliff. And now the floorboards gape.
Krauthammer doesn’t go far enough. The status quo is facing an extinction event and they are beginning to realize it. Take the New York Times as representative of the liberal media. There’s a good chance it will be gone in four or five years from bankruptcy. Maybe they hoped that somehow Obama would save it. Now it’s clear he can’t and he won’t. Or take Detroit. They were hoping for “bacon” to show up somehow. But the pig is dead and gone and it is dawning on them.
The facts are hard. Very hard. And they can’t be elided any longer.
The most interesting figure in the short term is Bill Clinton because the Democrat revolt needs a leader. The delegation to Obama needs a spokesman. And he’s the natural. Bill is smart enough to know that the jig is up and canny enough to realize that if the status quo is to save itself there is only a small window of opportunity left in which to act.
The problem for Bill is he cannot lead this change since he’s used up the two terms allotted him. The crux of the drama from the Democrat perspective is that the only man capable of leading the revolt cannot. They have no real party elders left. Gore, Hillary and Kerry have beclowned themselves. Obama has seen to it that no star rose within the party to rival his brilliance.
The weakness of the Democratic Party is the single most destabilizing element in the equation. It’s the wildcard in the drama. Nobody, not even the Democrats, knows how it will play out.
Meanwhile, the conservatives, who cannot at present account for more than half the voters, are in a strategic waiting game. At best they can consolidate the half into the nether millstone against which events may grind. The single greatest task for conservatives is to fix their own leadership problems. In so doing they must avoid the single greatest mistake Obama has made, which is to rely on fantasy. The facts, however unpalatable. The truth, no matter how bitter.
Also read: Obamacare Fiasco Has Republicans Feeling Good about the Future
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We see the Standard Democrat cronies in operation. The Standard special interest. The Standard corrupt and incompetent political operatives. The standard lawyers that sue everyone's pants off and pocket a huge chunk of the winnings. The Standard self-aggrandizing bureaucrats. The standard Democrat politician who will dish out pork at the expense of the American Worker and those in search of quality health care. Quite a standard.
As Krauthammer wrote: "Beyond the competence issue is the arrogance. Five million freely chosen, freely purchased, freely renewed health-care plans are summarily canceled. Why? Because they don’t meet some arbitrary standard set by the experts in Washington."
Pre-Obama most people (in the order of 85 percent) had a positive view of their insurance company despite years of bashing by Obama's Leftist allies.
It is Obamacare that is substandard. The Republicans should champion a bill that allows Americans to participate in a Free Market, Free Enterprise health care system if they so desire. Then the patients can set their own standards free of standard Washington Politicians and Bureaucrats. Those who want the DC crony corps in charge of their health care can remain with Obamacare.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ruth-marcus-political-malpractice-of-the-highest-order/2013/11/14/e6b95abe-4d69-11e3-be6b-d3d28122e6d4_story.html
First of all, there has to be a recognition that an adversary who is cornered and feels there is no way out is at his most dangerous. This is not a plea for mercy for the >>>Liu2 kou3shui3 de5 biao3zi5 he2 hou2zi5 de5 ben4 er2zi5<<<. It is a caution that an enemy with nothing to lose and who believes he is doomed can concentrate on taking as many of his opponents out as possible in the process of being wiped out. And sometimes that intensity can lead to survival and victory. I've seen it.
Second, both the Governing Class and the Country Class; the enemies of the Constitution and its defenders, are both locked into a pattern of thinking about where the boundaries of political warfare are. I would at least hope that the Patriot movement would recognize it. If TWANLOC are caught by surprise, it would not break my heart.
Consider the life and times of one Buraq Hussein Obama. Even if you take account of the two [2!!] "autobiographies" he supposedly wrote before having any accomplishments at all; can anyone point to any events in his life where he has demonstrated a love of country, of the American people, of our culture, of our Constitution, of the rule of law? Conversely, has his life and actions ever demonstrated contempt for any of these?
I use a phrase in German. It comes from Karl von Clausewitz' *On War*; the classic military treatise.
*Der Krieg ist eine bloße Fortsetzung der Politik mit anderen Mitteln.*
War is merely a continuation of Politics by other means.
I usually use the phrase to illustrate that whatever means of politics a culture has [and they can vary widely]; each is a proxy for Might making Right. It all comes down to the ability to kill your fellow citizen and/or take his goods. Politics in its various forms allocates power and resources short of that.
But some political traditions are closer to might making right than others. Americans are accustomed to politics and the allocation of power being decided non-violently [with the exception of 1861-1865] and by means within the law, the Constitution, and custom.
Once again, review the life of Buraq Hussein Obama. His first resort has been to extra-legal and extra-Constitutional means. He has not been averse to threatening mob violence by surrogates to get his way. Threats of personal violence against political enemies, the routine use of the organs of the State against political opponents in violation of the law and Constitution is now the norm, and likely blackmail based on the most intrusive surveillance of citizens since the DDR's *Stasi* have become routine. Every aspect of a police state, including the militarization of the Executive Branch, has been accomplished in the last few years.
When pressed and fighting for survival, you react with what you know. What will Buraq Hussein Obama's reaction probably be? Will it be inside the law and Constitution, or outside them? What limits will be placed on the coercive organs of the State?
Over at INSTAPUNDIT this morning, there was a discussion of whether we were already a police state. The consensus was not cheery. Patriots should be ready for all possibilities. And those who have taken the Oath should be ready to fullfill it if in a crisis our politics goes beyond the bounds of the Constitution.
Subotai Bahadur
It just might be that the public will turn against this administration but that does not mean that they will abandon the "hope and change" fantasies of the left.
And it does not mean that there are enough original parts (or even spare parts) with which to restore the nation.
The economy is on the precipice of a huge deflationary/then inflationary collapse. Our military has been weakened and our general staff has been decimated (or should I say castrated). Two generations or more of students have been educated not to love America and not to see America as "exceptional" in any good sense. Not only is there ignorance of history but also of logic. The inability to reason clearly is among the worst plagues our educational system has inflicted on our youth.
Yes, Obama himself may be weakened (though the media will continue to air brush his flaws), and his party might have a temporary setback in the next one or two elections. But that does not mean that wishful thinking and utopianism won't still dominate politics. This is especially true because the "loyal opposition" hasn't gotten its act together and has few if any who can articulate an inspiring and effective vision.
We took the wrong freeway in 2008 and missed the last safe exit in 2012. After we crash or get lost I fear that the only options will be to walk. But there is no agreement on our destination and there are highwaymen ready to exploit us on our journey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP4keCkYHYU
Well, you can't get politics out of this stuff and ride to new moral heights, but the president has been weakened by his own actions and malfeasance. It is time to bring up the issue of Eric Holder. The House brings up the charges. They need to be rigorous in this, and the Senate can try him. Either way, the dems in the Senate will own him, and with the Obamacare fiasco, they are put in an untenable position. They either support Obama and his band of criminals or they stand up to him.
The dems look at politics as waging war. They need to understand the consequences of this.
............
not with oil adding 2% growth to the economy, shrinking the trade deficit and making every central banker in the world think it unwise to unload their dollars because the natural direction of the dollar is up when the trade deficit and the federal deficit are down. Yeah the fed is printing money but 95% if that money just sits on the federal ledgers. The 5% of it that escapes into the real economy --goes into to the stock-market. A rising stock market juices federal revenues to the tune of 100 billion annually. oil receipts add another 100 billion annually. The federal deficit has fallen to roughly 650 billion this year. That's still historically high but but down significantly from last year. If the deficits keeps falling this fast in the coming years --it will rapidly return to normal levels and even balance if the trend continues.
Obama of course will have had nothing at all to do with this. All if it will have happened despite his best efforts to kill it.
That said Obama is already claiming credit for the shrinking deficit. Just as Clinton did in the late 90's when the balanced budget was the result of the dot com led booming stock market and Newt's efforts to just keep the federal expenditures from growing. Clinton trashed Newt for his efforts and then took credit for the balanced budget.
I don't think that Obama will be able to do the same jujitsu. His people were hoping to do something like that with the government shut down last month. But obamacare is so hopelessly screwed up its not even wrong. So the shutdown is forgotten. Cruz and Lee are looking pretty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOGp4o6-S00
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_James_Milliken
...clearly a poem writ, recited, or excerpted for a column title, for a moment when the speaker has had all concern for the purple or lurid wrung out by the forces squeezing.
Here's another example --this is for the comments calling for strong messaging from right to left at this breaking (a hopeful word!) of the O spell --it's Andrew Napolitano writing.
Disregard for a moment his topic, and note how, in this very short piece, he never marshalls an argument without alongside a thumbnail of the animating principle.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/11/andrew-p-napolitano/the-aurora-co-shooter-was-seeing-a-government-shrink/
...and here's his archive --which i hope is as well-done. A lot of art needed for a lack of artifice.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/author/andrew-p-napolitano/
It's not like the guy never lack of practice on taxpayers' dimes.
i still find his baseball throws to be more illustrative of his wussiness
maybe he should just focus on his bodysurfing
http://youtu.be/Qm1NQLTlRNk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Di1babcDb0
For comparison: Bush at Game 3 of the 2001 World Series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Di1babcDb0
Note that you can see the ball actually reach the catcher. 'Nuff said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXuxCqPKflo
They had years to plan this and access to the best globalist, international talent money could buy. They are playing for all the chips, our natural resources and economy and Constitution, and will not stop on an ACA speed bump.
Would seem to be a small chance Obama and crew are pulling a "rope a dope" and will make most of ACA work by March.
Rpubs better come up with a plan for the major components of ACA, which will mean higher insurance costs and deficit subsidies. This is only the third round.
and
amerikans will not endure a new hero.
evil people w/ their personal attacks and lies contaminate everything they touch. always have, always will.
of course, we already have the old, new, cool super hero to worship.
he is pictured above.
you say he is sinking quickly into quicksand,
he says you know nothing and that he is sitting on a fine horse.
time will tell.
1/6 of the country's economy is hanging by a thread.
a lot more being propped up by money created out of thin air.
debt beyond comprehension, and
our traditional enemies hold title to our future, literally.
what have we to be worried about?
we have an undocumented, drug addled community organizer at the helm.
we are soooo screwed. when it all crashes down, guess who has already prepared the paperwork (e.o.'s) and armed and funded his own private internal army for his ascension to permanent power? yep. and I'm betting those cozy snuggles w/ boris wasn't him lining up his usual 'afternoon delight' either. he will need some big-time mil. help, just like he said. he probably figures being c.i.c. will delay our fighting responses just long enough for his friends to ....? kypd
I prefer to think he's playing his fairy flute and the lemmings are dragging the rest of us over the cliff w/ them, all the while blaming us for letting them get that near the edge.
http://www.phantomreport.com/us-philippines-building-new-naval-base-in-spratlys
While the second part is true, the first, i.e. the GOP plan is a standard Democrat diversion. Presenting a GOP plan at this point gives the floundering Democrats, drowning in a poisonous vat of their own making, a target to attack, a target to use to displace voter anger. Already, the progressives have been re-writing history, stipulating that the GOP is responsible for the failure of Obamacare, regardless of the fact that the Democrats passed it via questionable parliamentary maneuver Christmas eve, allowing now input by the GOP, negotiation, or discussion.
The "replacement" for Obamacare is not status quo 2009; that's a false choice. The problem of Obamacare is not of GOP origin; it's within the heart and soul of the Democrat party. Obamacare is the Democrat world view implemented. From the crony companies selected on sole source contracts (unheard of outside of national defense requirements), to the incompetent management by HHS/CMS, Obamacare is the Democrats crowning achievement in governance and medical service delivery.
What the conservative opposition should do for 2014 is IGNORE or dismiss the ACA altogether. They should say
"well, of course, the American people by now know what Obamacare is, and unwinding that will require either Republican super-majorities in Congress and/or a new President, neither of which are likely to happen in 2014. We defer to the Democrats to solve their problem - we would rebuild from scratch. What we should be talking about is the impact of 5 years, 7 if you include the 2006 Democrat controlled Congress, on the economy of the USA. What would 4% growth for five years and 10 million new jobs mean to All Americans, from the entry level workers, college graduates who have still to get their first real job since 2008, to the middle class at large and even those the Democrats want to call "fat cats and 1%'ers", those entrepreneurs who risk their homes and savings to create new jobs for American - what would this America look like? What has America lost due to Democrat party governance, and how can we restore the economic future, liberty, and prosperity lost?"
Stay ON message. Don't let the donkey's and RINO's lead you by their leash, i.e. their message. The message for America is LIBERTY and ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, uncompromised.
This guy shoved sh*t up the Republican's noses so much and for so long that they've gotten used to the smell.
If you are not irreverently and aggressively writing your representatives now, you are a pansy willing to let the government tell you when to pee.
The ObamaCare mess offers a rare chance to strike a powerful blow against Mainstream Media - Statism’s Center of Gravity
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxwYXRyaW90dW5pdHl8Z3g6MjYwZmFhNWQyMjczZjc1
Unfortunately, no one on our side seems the least bit interested in taking advantage of this historic opportunity.
Mark my words – it will be the easiest thing in the world for MSM to pivot away from ObamaCare at a time of their choosing and change the Narrative to
“Conservatives/libertarians/Republicans abuse puppies!”
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=puppies+on+clothesline&FORM=IQFRBA&id=1CD0E7E84A77012488D01BB450A8A3FD55B7F198&selectedIndex=0#view=detail&id=1CD0E7E84A77012488D01BB450A8A3FD55B7F198&selectedIndex=0
We have to understand that Obama is not our target and ObamaCare is not our target. At the drop of a hat, MSM can throw Obama under the bus and start spinning “if only Hillary had been president…” So beware; even Barack Obama under the bus is of little value to the cause of Liberty & Prosperity, so long as MSM remains untouched.
We must hang ObamaCare around the neck of MSM in order to neutralize the power of their Narratives. For years, MSM lied to America about ObamaCare (and Obama). The ObamaCare disaster was only possible because of the serial lies and propaganda of MSM. The American people must be taught to ignore whatever male bovine feces MSM tries to peddle next.
Moral values ARE absolute. If one doubts this, notice the attitude shift once YOUR home is robbed or YOUR daughter is raped, versus focus on the "underprivileged", the "needy", and so forth. Moral values are universal and absolute. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are INALIENABLE, GOD GIVEN rights, regardless of whether one believes in a God or not.
Focus on American freedoms: life, liberty and prosperity; they don't happen at the end of a gun nor the progressive's rainbow.
which brings us to the purpose of government
"to secure these rights governments are instituted among men"
There will be no shortage of liberals willing to pretend Bill Clinton will be calling the shots after Hillary is elected president.