Obama’s Gulf speech was weak, cynical

Obama’s Oval Office speech was a complete bomb. First, his manner vacillated from academic to contrived, as when he held up a fist (probably per the TelePrompTer), presumably to show resolve. What I saw was a guy who has a vague idea what resolve looks like and tried to show it.

Second, what’s with the martial language? Oil is “assaulting our shores”? This is a “siege”? That doesn’t match the facts at all. This isn’t an attack on us that demands patriotism, but a disaster that needs competent and compassionate management. Nevertheless, could the speech’s goal — let’s get a 9/11-like bump out of this — been any plainer? Or more pathetic?

What if the blown call had gone the other way?

So we all know by now that an incorrect call (safe) at first base cost Detroit pitcher Galarraga a perfect game. First, two defenses of the umpire …

Viewed in real time, it still looks like the right call to me. In umpire training, we were taught to “think outs”, meaning that if you had a doubt, assume that the runner at first was out. It virtually always proves true and is a good rule of thumb, as I’ve seen in 40 years of watching baseball.

Second, the freeze frames I’ve seen aren’t as dispositive as they appear. Galarraga has the ball “snow-coned”, but perhaps not necessarily in his possession. None of this is to say that the call was technically correct. Just that the call wasn’t egregious.

So now to the reaction. I’ll leave aside instant replay for MLB, because that is a silly idea. But what of the calls for the Commish (or even Congress? Yes, they’re shooting of their mouths) to reverse the call? As I see it, the reaction is mostly to the unfairness of Galarraga being denied a place in the record books. That’s understandable, but not a reason for extraordinary relief.

Image that the situation was reversed. The runner was barely safe, but was called Out by the umpire. Faced with the prospect of an “undeserved” perfect game, would the public be calling for it to be taken away? I hope not.

I know I’ll be called sentimental, but the human factor needs to be a part of sports. Shit happens. In golf, it’s called “the rub of the green”. Just grin and bear it. As Galarraga has done, with so much class …

GOP won PA-12

Much has been made over the Dem victory in PA-12, Murtha’s seat. As WH mouthpiece Gibbs says, this is the kind of seat the GOP needs to take back the House. True enough, but the Dems won PA-12 with a candidate who is pro-life, pro-gun, anti-stimulus, anti-cap and trade, and anti-ObamaCare. Sounds like a Republican.

Seriously, I hope the Dems see their future in similar candidates. It would sure tone down the rancor in D.C.

They bleeped what?!

The South Park flap reminded me of a funny censorship item from a few years ago. Comedian Patrice Oneal was doing a bit about the D.C. sniper on, I think, Comedy Central. One of the punchlines was “a nigger in a Buick”, and the network bleeped out … Buick.

Our plan to win the war. Seriously.

Link to the story with full size graphic.

So big taxes were the plan all along …

After an insane spending spree which includes not only one-off costs but also builds in massive future spending, the Democrats profess to be shocked, shocked that the deficits into the future are unsustainable.

And they have a solution.

President Barack Obama’s top budget adviser, Peter Orszag, said on Tuesday that the U.S. government must significantly alter its policies in order to tackle a growing mountain of debt.

So which is it? Alter policies or build on what they’ve done? Surprise! Big new taxes will do both!

By the way, I do recognize that this is simply the Dem version of the GOP theory/practice of “starving the beast”. This, however, will be more effective. The cutting of government can easily be reversed, as we’re seeing. Programs and entitlements, once on offer, are almost impossible to reign in.

Muhammad is the new N-word?

I guess I can understand those who believe that images of the prophet are sacrilegious, though that’s not a universal part of Islam. But I find it a bizarre stretch to prohibit the use of his name. How would that even work in practice? Would sermons all sound like the South Park episode, with bleeps in every sentence, or weird work-arounds that had one referring to Muhammad in oblique ways? And how do we know his name in the first place?

Or is it that only Muslims can use the word, kind of like how only whites can say “cracker”?

And how do Muslims feel about their prophet’s name being bleeped out like a common curse? I’d find that insulting.

Vacations as a human right …

According to the Ottawa Citizen, “The European Union has declared travelling a human right, and is launching a scheme to subsidize vacations with taxpayers’ dollars for those too poor to afford their own trips.”

“The plan … would see taxpayers footing some of the vacation bill for seniors, youths between the ages of 18 and 25, disabled people, and families facing ‘difficult social, financial or personal’ circumstances.”

Antonio Tajani, the European Union commissioner for enterprise and industry, “wants to ensure people’s ‘right to be tourists’ remains intact.”

No comment needed …

Here’s the link

“Abortion Recovery Month”!?

In what has to be the worst case of sloganeering ever, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has proclaimed April “Abortion Recovery Month”. Now, I realize that it’s not what it sounds like – it’s for the adult survivors – but, still …

Here’s the link

We’ll accept ObamaCare …

Americans have a short attention span. Sure, health care held our interest while it was news, but now …?

I find it hard to believe it will resonate as a political issue after this year, and I wonder if, by attempting to keep it in the limelight, the GOP doesn’t risk sounding like a one trick pony.