April 22, 2009
King Obama Decrees
Neither Holman Jenkins (or his illustrator) have quite gotten the message of Hope and Change:
So King Barack the Mild is finding as he tries to dictate the terms of what amounts to an out-of-court bankruptcy for Chrysler and GM. He wants Chrysler's secured lenders to give up their right to nearly full recovery in a bankruptcy in return for 15 cents on the dollar. They'd be crazy to do so, of course, except that these banks also happen to be beholden to the administration for TARP money.
[...]
They've already seen that the rights and privileges of shareholders are not worth diddly when the king is throwing his prerogatives around. He dispensed with the services of GM chief Rick Wagoner, though the king owned not a single share of GM stock at the time. His minions communicated the king's pleasure that GM consider discontinuing its GMC brand, maker of pickups and SUVs that offendeth the royal eye -- though these vehicles earn GM's fattest profit margins.His minions haven't asked GM to give up the Chevy Volt, even after determining it will be a profitless black hole, because of the king's fondness for green.
I just wish it wasn't the hard-earned green in my wallet that Obama had such a fondness for.
Posted by: Keith at April 22, 2009 2:58 PMGood stuff.
These commentators are being far too kind to our new president. He has dictator written all over him. But he's actually the best thing to come along in many years...because he has so very nicely crystallized everything so people can see the true differences between altruism and egoism.
Posted by: Russ Shurts at April 23, 2009 8:49 AMI'm still not quite to the d-word, jg, but if the Administration carries through with show trials for Bush Administration officials on torture, you'll have me.
Posted by: jk at April 23, 2009 1:37 PMFebruary 17, 2008
All Politics is Local...
On "Super Tuesday" johngalt and dagny caucused in Weld County, CO for Mitt Romney since Fred Thompson had previously abandoned the campaign. At that caucus jg threw his name in the ring as a delegate to the district meeting 2 weeks later and was elected as one of 4 alternates to our 4 delegates. That district meeting was held yesterday morning and although jg was only an alternate he was still eligible to stand as a delegate nominee for the Colorado GOP State Convention. After nominating himself he stood in front of the 27 assembled neighbors, said a few kind things about John McCain and Fred Thompson, disparaging things about Boulder County and the Democrat candidates, and got himself elected again - this time as a full fledged credentialed delegate.
Having been caught flat-footed at the caucus when policy ideas were solicited for consideration as planks to the party platform, and in support of HB's lament that 'The Republican Party Has Left Me,' johngalt hereby creates a new subcategory to 2008 race called "GOP Planks." He invites suggestions from all corners. The first idea on the list has to be jg's comment from 'Let the Libertarians Go' earlier today:
Huckabee and his staff are not conservatives, because they do not hold private property rights as an absolute. His Christianity-inspired egalitarianism and altruism tell him it is morally justified to take one man's property and give it to another, as long as the first man has more to start with. That puts him on a par with the Edwardsesque rhetoric we all tired of through the early primary campaigns.As an "economic libertarian" I appeal to my Christian brothers to examine the teachings of their faith and recognize the difference between two like intentioned but fundamentally different processes: One one hand, individuals (and their voluntary congregations) doing charitable works and on the other hand, the heartless, soulless, ignorant servants of government attempting to be charitable with the conscripted wealth of others.
Governor Huckabee doesn't seem to recognize any distinctions between these two methodologies, but economic libertarians do.
I don't want to take anything away from your victory. And I applaud your service. My precinct was reduced to begging someone to accept a delegateship (now, had they offered superdelegatism...)
I wanted badly to accept, but the caucus itself was on the second floor of a large high school and I was still in pain from the icy trek through the parking lot and the lengthy walk through the school and up the stars. I did not know whether I would be able to serve. I did sign up as an alternate, so if my nice neighbor's feet get a little cold, I may see you at State. [And yes, you may think less of me for wussing out.]
We were not solicited for planks but we voted on a dozen the county GOP had submitted and one of our members had brought his own, typed as a resolution.
His was to reject mandates for health insurance a'la RomneyCare. It passed unanimously among a spirited group that had questioned every resolution to some extent. I asked how come six members voted for Governor Romney and yet every member rejected his health care plan. The candidate vote was secret ballot and no one volunteered.
Consider me tagged, jg. I will post a plank or two. I like the idea of planks but am not certain I am sold on the one you proffer. By rejecting Governor Huckabee, I suggest that your plank has been de facto adopted.
Good point on the rejection of Huckabee, JK, but I think it's important to elucidate just what it is about Bush 43's "compassionate conservatism" that has so enraged conservatives.
Don't worry old friend, I'm not taking this stuff as seriously as it sounds. I'm just saying I'm at least as well qualified to do this stuff as any of my neighbors are, and that the ideas discussed on this blog belong in the GOP platform.
"Wussing out?" You've got an excuse. A co-worker with strong 2nd Amendment interests left his caucus early because it was disorganized and he got bored. THAT's wussin' out.
Posted by: johngalt at February 19, 2008 1:57 AM