Meet The New Boss . . .

WORSE Than The Old Boss!

("from day one" commentary from the Press and White House notwithstanding . . .)

Politico reports that the PR people at the White House are in a "panic" over the official reaction to the oil rig explosion/leak.

Post-Katrina day 3: Bush lands on scene
Post-Explosion day 9: Obama has first press conference

Established, pre-approved procedure for a leak of the size they thought this one was, where this one is, under weather conditions that existed at the time of the explosion: go ahead and burn the floating oil. Procedure carried out: don't burn it, wait until the weather turns and you can't do it any more, and watch as the oil destroys the national fisheries.

(ahem)

1 Year Later: Who's The Sad Clown?

Major initiatives passed: Zippo

Of course, The Huffington Post couldn't let the anniversary go by without saying somthing inane like

"Yet Obama has undoubtedly created a different climate in Washington -- one based on reasonable discussion and debate -- and expressed a desire to work with the international community, as he has eloquently articulated in his speeches abroad. On national security, the president has largely made decisions through thoughtful consideration of the different perspectives rather than the stubbornly instinctive decisions of his predecessor. On the environment, his administration represents a radical change from the Bush era and has resurrected important regulations that were dismantled by the previous president. Despite criticism that health care reform has been watered down by industry interests and political deal-making, the very fact that the issue is being taken seriously in the Oval Office after years of inertia and is on the cusp of insuring millions of low-income Americans is, in itself, a victory."

Lets fisk it to honor the anniversary, shall we?

Reasonable discussion and debate = the opposition party is shut out of committee meetings, and their bills are not allowed to come to the floor. Tone deafness to public opinion is also part of it.

Desire to work with the international community = bow to the emperor, the king, and the current enemy in war (islam). Read your teleprompter and that is eloquence* Surrender to the demands of the ex-soviets over your nation's promises to its allies.

Thoughtful about national security = delay for MONTHS when your commanders in theater say they need troops or they will lose the war. Also, when something happens here, delay any response for one day, come out too tepid the second day, then pound the podium with your fist and wear a Stern face the third day.

Radical on the environment = radical to the point of crushing businesses and the entire economy if he could. Clinton passed regulations on his way out of office that were ridiculously stringent so Bush would repeal them and look bad. Bush repealed them and Obama put them back because the environmentalist kook fringe told him he had to.

Bush couldn't get health care reform through the Democrat congress. The Republicans can't get any of their dozens of non-socialist-nationalized-healthcare health care bills on to the floor even for debate because of Queen Pelosi. This is not a victory.

********

*When I am elected, I'll have to lay off the teleprompter now. Of course, anybody could make less use of the things than ol' Tennis Match.

And That Would Be The Wrong Answer Also

or, Why I Was Screaming Cussing In My Car On The Way To Work.

from the Turkish Press:

So the Navy has a cargo vessel under contract with an armed Naval patrol onboard. In the Suez Canal. Several small craft approach and all but one turn away at the urging of verbal commands, warning flares, and warning shots fired. And one continues. The sailors (USN sailors) open fire on the vessel. An Egyptian Citizen is KIA.

And the Bushies expressed regret over the shooting.

And I said to my radio, in rather emphatic tones, that this was not the proper response. That, in fact what Bush should have said is:

"If you keep coming on our at our ship during a shooting war (warship or no) and there have been recent acts of piracy in that part of the world, and we told you go away, shot warning flares and warning BULLETS at you, and you see a bunch of guys coming out on decks with EBRs and MGs . . . if under those conditions you continue to approach,

THAT'S WHAT YOU ******* GET YOU *******!!"

I guess we are playing both sides of the fence here, though. To the arab mind, what matters is action. You approach our boat and ignore warnings, that's a shootin'. To the squishy american leftist mind, intent matters. We regret having to waste bullets on you terrorists this shooting and our condolences to the family. "oh, that's okaaay, they didn't meeeean to kiiiil anybodyyy"

That is all.

A Million Schoolbooks for Liberia . . . Because?

President Bush has gone to Africa to make nice with the good people of Liberia. Fine.

We have given them most of a billion-with-a-B dollars to prevent them falling back into bloody strife. Okay, maybe I can go for that.

And now we're apparently going to buy a million schoolbooks for the Liberian skulls full of mush, as well as pay for 10,000 desks for the same. Hold on there.

I'm for kids going to school. I'm for the local economy making the furniture. I'm very much in favor of having textbooks in schools. But why is it my responsibility to pay so a kid in Liberia has a schoolbook? What's the big deal, it's only a few million dollars, right?

A few million here, a few million there, pretty soon you're talking about real money.

Surely this is a local concern. As long as the teachers have a chalkboard and a piece of chalk, they can teach. Make the kids pay attention and expect results and the kids will learn. They don't need textbooks at our expense. The job of educating children in Liberia falls to the parents and government of Liberia. Not me.

Get out of my pocketbook, thanks.

Heartless? No. Make the people stand on their own feet. Start with the children.