The Middle is Always Evil

Barack Obama has announced his major Energy appointments, and the news isn’t good. Our new Energy Secretary under Obama will be a professor of physics at the University of Berkeley named Steven Chu. Liberals will be quick to point to his Nobel Prize as one of his strengths, but I will be quicker and point out that his Nobel Prize is in physics, which has nothing to do with energy policy. Despite the fact that climate science is not his academic expertise, Chu has made finding solutions to global warming into something of a “passion,” according to the New York Times.

What is his solution to the “problem” of global warming?

We need to alter the playing field with tax and fiscal polices… Developed countries have made this step with air and water pollution by enacting outright regulations and installing a cap and trade system.

Uh huh. So the new Energy Secretary has no plans on how to create new energy in the United States? Just more regulation and taxes on energy that we already have?

More:

Mr. Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars and living in neighborhoods closer to work. “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,” Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September.

The new Energy Secretary is not interested in energy independence. In the strictest sense of the word, he is looking to foster a new energy dependence– not a dependence on foreign suppliers, like in the past. No, Chu’s new energy plan is to socially-engineer the American people towards a further dependence on the government. The state will decide what kind of cars we drive and how close we live together.

The media is taking much enjoyment in pointing out that Obama disagrees with Chu on gas taxes. Its true. In the past, Obama has opposed a raise in the gas tax, but it is likely that his reasons were rooted in political pragmatism (remember gas prices in the summer?). But now that he’s got the top job, Obama can appoint ideologues like Chu to high-level positions in his cabinet and let them make all of the hard decisions for him.

In addition to wanting to dictate to oil companies what they should charge for their products, Mr. Chu has referred to coal powered energy as his “worst nightmare,” and has said that even clean-coal technologies will not be enough. “It’s not guaranteed we have a solution for coal,” he said.

Take a look at this graph of where our electricity came from in 2007. As you can see, coal power makes up about half of all of it. That’s a good thing; and Steven Chu wants a “solution” for it.

In summary:

Rod Blagojevich just stood up at a podium in the Thompson center in downtown Chicago and claimed innocence of any wrong doing. Snort.

Interestingly, while he was up there, Blagojevich defamed my favorite poem, If, by Rudyard Kipling.

Blagojevich attorney takes over press conference.

Attorney: “Blagojevich is innocent because he has been too busy working on healthcare for the people of Illinois to engage in any wrongdoing.” Hahaha

Attorney: “Blagojevich not going to apologize for fighting for sick children”

This is Chicago.

This past Sunday, disgraced Republican Colin Powell went on CNN and openly advocated racism. No one batted an eye. Here’s the quote:

The Republican party has to begin appealing to hispanics, to blacks, to asians, because that’s who we have lost to a large extent in recent elections. And you can’t appeal to them just by saying, you know… Pull up yourself! You know, uh, pull up by your bootstaps, and no more welfare. These sorts of loaded statements.

This is balls-to-the-wall racism. Don’t think so? All you have to do is think about it. How should the GOP appeal to “blacks”? What exactly does a “black” voter want out of his government? Nothing. There is no special formula for appealing to blacks, because not all blacks think the same way. Some of them are crazy, like Alan Keyes and Willie Lawson, the Rational Black Man; some of them are irresponsible, hapless moochers like our friend, Peggy Joseph; but none of them think exactly the same way.

How would one go about appealing to a skin color? It cannot be done; skin color does not think. The only thing that can be appealed to in the way that Mr. Powell is thinking is a mind– and minds do not have a skin color.

Colin Powell is a racist.

This is breaking news via Gateway Pundit:

Obama is “confident” and Rham Emmanuel is… Under investigation?

Hopefully more will become availible on this as the day progresses…

Rejoice! (for now)

A $14 billion emergency bailout for U.S. automakers collapsed in the Senate Thursday night after the United Auto Workers refused to accede to Republican demands for swift wage cuts.

The collapse came after bipartisan talks on the auto rescue broke down over GOP demands that the United Auto Workers union agree to steep wage cuts by 2009 to bring their pay into line with Japanese carmakers.

Tonight, the Senate Republicans– with ten, very ugly exceptions– have taken a stand for free markets and economic liberty in their defeat of the bailout of the automotive industry. Of course, its never too late for Democrats and “compassionate conservatives” to work together to subvert the democratic process:

Majority Leader Harry Reid said he hoped President George W. Bush would tap the $700 billion Wall Street bailout fund for emergency aid to the automakers. General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC have said they could be weeks from collapse. Ford Motor Co. says it does not need federal help now, but its survival is far from certain.

Barring any such abuses of executive power, it is difficult to say whether GM will now file for bankruptcy– a move that should have been made months ago– or if they’ll try to remain afloat until January when the new Congress comes into session, at which point they’ll have another go at brandishing their sores and tears, attempting to trade them for stolen assets. Most likely the latter.

For now, though, it is nice to know that while I am going to sleep happy– or at least momentarily satisfied– Congressman Harry Reid is “terribly disappointed that we are not able to arrive at a conclusion.” I hope that bloodsucker tosses and turns all night.

Time to suit up for next month.

What was it that Obama said on Tuesday when Blago was dragged out of his house on graft charges?

“I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening.” (Italics mine)

No contact, eh?

Here’s Obama on December 2nd, meeting with Blagojevich (right):

There’s more. According to Blagojevich’s official newsletter dated from November 12th. On the left is a from that publication of the two meeting. Guess what the accompanying story was on? One vacant senate seat.

It reads as follows:

“Last night’s victory was bittersweet for Illinois ‐ as we gain a great President, we lose a great Senator.  And it goes without saying that our next Senator has big shoes to fill. Because it’s important that the best person for Illinois is selected, I want to be clear that the calendar won’t dictate our search. Instead, I want to ensure that Obama’s successor will understand and fight for the needs of average Illinoisans,” Governor Blagojevich said.

Am I saying that Obama and Blagojevich discussed the Senate appointment at either of these two meetings? No, I am not. Am I saying that Obama is involved in corruption, graft, and other wrongdoing? No, I am not.

But, is Obama a liar?

Yes, he is; and for that reason, and that reason alone, every record and file in Obama’s “Office of the President Elect” should be subpoenaed, and scrutinized. This is something that Obama, Mr. Transparency, should willingly offer up– he has nothing to hide, after all. For Christ sakes, we already know that someone in Obama’s team is involved in this– I want to know where it stops, and I want to know before January 20!

Why is Patrick Fitzgerald so quick to say that Obama isn’t involved, anyway? Those were the first words out of his mouth after arresting Blagojevich. Surely, the man should at least be investigated! Blagojevich is friends with him; they endorsed each other; they’ve been politically connected for years. That warrants no investigation of any kind? It just speaks to the political nature of the whole thing. If these were Republicans, there would be an intense media scrutiny the likes of which has never been seen, there’d be calls for Obama to be impeached even before taking office, there’d be special prosecutors, Ethics Committees would be formed. But no! These men are Democrats– they’re the good guys.

It’s going to be a long, long 4 years.

Breaking:

Free republic is reporting the possibility of an Obama team connection to Blago-gate; apparently, when Blagojevich asked if Obama could push some clout around to get his wife placed on a paid corporate board, Advisor A responded that he, “thinks he could,” and that a “President-elect can do almost anything he sets his mind to.” The indictment names Rahm Emmanuel specifically as an advisor to the president elect; could he be Advisor A?

No matter who it is, the Obama team has been implicated; Obama now admits that a two hour long conference call took place between his team and the Blago-team about the Senate seat, and he has declined to out and out deny any wrong doing. He has, however, expressed “confidence” that there was none. This thing is obviously only beginning to unravel…

The pieces are still coming together in the Blagojevich case, but one thing has become clear to me: Obama– or at the very least, someone on his team– had contact with Blagojevich about the vacant senate seat; this is a fact that is implicit in the criminal complaint against Blagojevich. From page 66:

Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he knows that the President-elect wants Senate Candidate 1 for the Senate seat but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. F— them.”

If Obama had absolutely no contact with Blagojevich, as he claims, how did Blagojevich know who Obama wanted in the Senate seat, and how did he know that Obama wasn’t willing to give him anything but appreciation in exchange? He couldn’t know those things without speaking to Obama, or at least an aide. The only question is:

Why is Obama lying about it?

It seems to me that Obama could use this whole situation to his advantage. If Blagojevich contacted him and asked for a payment in return for appointing Obama’s preferred candidate, and Obama offered nothing but “appreciation” in return, it sounds like Obama did the right thing. Why hide that?

Could it be that Obama neglected to report the attempted bribe and is now trying to cover up that he did nothing? We really know too little to speculate at this point, which is why Obama should make a statement today clarifying his position.

Why the cover-up, Obama?

Not only is Obama clearly lying about his contact with Blagojevich, but Hot Air is now reporting that all questions about the situation are being removed from Obama’s new, “Open for Questions” page on his website, a utility that is supposed to contribute to a more open, transparent government. I implore everyone to go on the site and ask at least one of the following questions (via Hot Air):

• Given the current corruption charges involving Blagojevich, will ’serious’ campaign finance reform that takes money completely out of politics through publicly funded elections be a priority in the first term?
• In light of the recent corruption scandals (Blagojevich, Rangel, Jefferson, Stevens, etc) that have dominated the political scene, is there any ethics legislation being crafted to actually curb corruption and prevent another wave of Nixonian cynicism?
• Is Barack Obama aware of any communications in the last six weeks between Rod Blagojevich or anyone representing Rod Blagojevich and any of Obama’s top aides?

See how long it takes before you get your comment taken down.

This morning, while my governor, Rod Blagojevich was being thrown into a paddywagon, “President-Elect” Barack Obama was meeting with Al Gore, since he is a man who knows things that an incoming president needs to know (apparently). After his meeting, Obama had this to say on the Blagojevich situation:

Obviously like the rest of the people of Illinois I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the US attorney’s office today, but as this is a ongoing investigation involving the governor I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the issue at this time.

He also paused to make one thing clear about his contact with Blagojevich on the Senate-replacement:

I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening.

Unfortunately for Mr. Obama, this video of David Axelrod was discovered immediately afterward:

Awkward.

And even though the Obama team has since released a statement saying that Axelrod “misspoke,” we still have to ask the question: What did Obama know, and when did he know it? Oh, I know, I’m terrible for asking questions about a senator’s relationship with the governor of his state, but don’t forget that Obama served as a top advisor to Blagojevich in his first 2002 run for the state house and endorsed him again in 2006.

Ask yourself this question: If the shoe were on the other foot and John McCain had won the election, and something of this magnitute came out about one of “President-Elect” McCain’s close associates and political ally’s, would the media be so generous to him? Ha!

Hat Tip: Michael Ramirez, Investor’s Business Daily