PrintJuly 12, 2010
The Baehr Essentials
Chris Christie continues to demonstrate why serving as Governor is the best preparation for the White House. Imagine taking on the unions, rather than serving as their handmaiden. Obama is eliminating outsourcing at the federal level, so more union organized government jobs can replace them. He is also requiring that the highest possible wage rates be paid to contractors -- the prevailing wage (usually set by union contracts). In New Jersey, the Governor attempts to deal with deficits by cutting wasteful spending. In Washington, the Obama administration looks for ways to spend more.
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There has been some criticism of Bibi Netanyahu from the right for his proclaiming good ties with the Obama administration. I think the criticism is misplaced. If relations are troubled, as they have been, Bibi has done his complaining ( or alternatively making his case) in private, with White House officials and the President. The Obama team has pulled back from their body slam of Israel , all in public, by Joe Biden, Obama, Robert Gibbs, Hillary Clinton and State Department officials a few months back. With Jewish fundraising for Democrats in the midterm elections down significantly, the new charm offensive by the White House signifies nothing more than politics as usual. Just as with the criticism and now lawsuit against Arizona's immigration law and the calls for immigration reform, the Obama administration has decided that for success in November (or at least the avoidance of a complete debacle), they need to motivate their base- the Jews, and now the Hispanics. In each case, it is appearance over substance. The Administration has made clear in any number of ways, that its primary foreign policy objective is to make nice with the Muslim world. The action they took to show their seriousness about this was to distance the U.S from its historic support for Israel. Netanyahu has played along now that the charm offensive from Obama is in full bloom, but he has shifted the game in Israel's favor by agreeing to final status talks, and making clear that the holdout is the Palestinian Authority. Bibi has always been a great spokesperson for Israel on American TV . He is calm, not strident, He says the right words, is quick on his feet, and lays the blame for the lack of progress, where it deserves to be laid. The simple fact is that the Palestinians are not one entity, but divided between Gaza and the West Bank. There is noone for Israel to negotiate with who has the ability to make peace for both Palestinian populations. The Palestinian have never wanted to end the conflict. They will always have more claims on Israel and the West. It is the mindset of a permanent welfare population whose grievances, Israel hatred, and anti-Semitism have been fed by the U.N and the international community for decades.
Bibi talk to Conference of Presidents
Bibi on Larry King in 5 parts
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The Administration does not like racial profiling, but the Justice Department is behaving as if racial neutrality in administering justice is a foreign concept. More evidence from another story that the mainstream media has missed.
The Administration does not like racial profiling, but the Justice Department is behaving as if racial neutrality in administering justice is a foreign concept. More evidence from another story that the mainstream media has missed.
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Back in 1993, the major media broadcast a big lie - that many men beat up their wives and girlfriends on Super Bowl Sunday. Now the same mythology has been created out of thin air about how men who watch the World Cup behave. .Christina Hoff Somers who exploded the first myth (and others) in her classic book Who Stole Feminism?, does it again.
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An analysis of the failure of the stimulus package;
Even the New Republic has Krugman fatigue.
Michael Barone says Americans are going to the mattresses on the economy. But we can't blame Sonny Corleone for this one.
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Nat Hentoff, who was exiled from the pages of the Village Voice for his apostasy on abortion (he became a pro-life advocate) is none too happy with the new health care rationing czar, who just received a recess appointment by the White House to help run the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
