Latest Analysis, Commentary and Opinion*
(The title of each article is linked to the complete article)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Rich Investors Paralyzed by Fear
   Economics piece by Offsite (6/16/09)

Wealthy investors are reluctant to step up to the plate and buy securities because they are worried that financial markets will plunge again, a new survey indicates.

The Middle Eastern Cold War
   Middle East piece by Daniel Pipes (6/16/09)

A cold war is “the key to understanding the Middle East in the 21st century.“ So argue Yigal Carmon and three of his colleagues at the Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI) in a recent study, “An Escalating Regional Cold War.“

One percent budget reduction not crippling
   EdukShun piece by GoldwaterInstitute: Matthew Ladner (6/16/09)

We have a new entrant in the K-12 fable-making industry: a website called Stand Up for Arizona(1).

Americans believe Internet news most reliable
   Information piece by Offsite (6/16/09)

A new poll reveals that more Americans would choose the Internet as their only news source than TV, radio and newspapers combined, and Internet reports are considered much more reliable that other mediums.

Golf and Investing Lessons: Working The Ball
   Economics piece by Guest: Steve Selengut (6/16/09)

I think it was the immortal Ben Hogan who quipped: I can put “left” on the ball and I can put “right” on the ball—- “straight” is essentially an accident. Most amateur golfers would make a slightly different observation. We can hit the ball left or right with no problem; we just have no idea when either will occur.

Obama inconsistent on healthcare plan
   Health Care piece by Gary Krasner (6/16/09)

I listened to Obama’s speech before a carefully screened pro Obama audience at the AMA in Chicago Monday.  Early in the speech, he praised the Safeway corporation’s healthcare plan, and wanted to emulate it in his plan.

“Originalism” is not conservative judicial activism
   Judicial Activism piece by Robert E. Meyer (6/16/09)

Recent diatribes have appeared in the media criticizing and misrepresenting the rationale of those opposed to the Sotomayer nomination to the Supreme Court.

‘Global Warming - Real Danger, Exaggeration, or Junk Science?‘
   Global Warming piece by Guest: (6/16/09)

Contrary to popular belief… Climate change is real, but man made global warming is nothing more than a media driven myth. - Out of numerous topics being discussed around the world today, climate change seems to be a frontrunner. Despite the mainstream media’s attention to global warming, the debate is rather controversial. The issue that is often heard on the nightly news or in a major newspaper is that global warming is real, it is man-made, and it is changeable. Part of that popular belief is true and part of is not. Climate change is very real. We live on a planet that has a sparse variety of climate systems. We have rainforests, deserts, arctic wastelands, and everything in between. Global warming advocates say that the situation is man made and changeable, but real science says otherwise. The real debate is actually not whether climate change is real or not, but whether it is man made or natural. Most of the debate, like so many other debates, is more political that scientific. Like other debates as well, there are firm believers and firm skeptics both of whom are well educated, very intelligent scientist, but both of whom have different goals. The debate surrounding global warming is nothing more than science fiction versus science fact. The only difference seems to be that major money is on the side of science fiction in this case.

Monday, June 15, 2009

An American nightmare
   MustRead piece by Offsite (6/15/09)

So there I was sitting on the patio of a fast-food restaurant, enjoying the last few drags on a Marlboro while finishing the 32-ounce Coke, with which I washed my Big Mac down, when all of a sudden my heart was flooded with fear. Time was running out.

Probe launched in suspicious firing of inspector general
   Big Brother piece by Offsite (6/15/09)

In the wake of the White House’s highly controversial firing of an independent inspector general, one U.S. senator is demanding answers and justification, requesting records that extend even to the Office of the First Lady.

A Presidency And Government Running Amok!
   Government piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (6/15/09)

Political cronyism, coddling, ignoring the Constitution and the law is accelerating.

‘Repealing REAL ID?‘
   National Security piece by Press Release: Janice Kephar (6/15/09)

WASHINGTON (June 15, 2009) - Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has made clear her commitment to repeal the 2005 secure driver’s license law, REAL ID. Recently, the Obama administration has supported senior members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in drafting a soon-to-be introduced bill entitled “Providing for Additional Security in States’ Identification Act of 2009,” also known as the PASS ID Act. The PASS ID Act, in drafts reviewed to date, would repeal key aspects of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations, including identity verification and birth record digitization. Janice Kephart, Director of National Security Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, addresses the implications of REAL ID and PASS ID in a new backgrounder, “Repealing REAL ID? Rolling Back Drivers License Security(1).”

Rush to Defend FedEx is Wrong
   Unions piece by Chuck Muth (6/15/09)

Folks claiming that talk-show host Rush Limbaugh speaks for conservatives are off the mark.  Rush speaks TO conservatives, not FOR them.  And he speaks to them in their own language, which is why he has such a gigantic listening audience.  And because he has such a gigantic listening audience of conservatives, it is especially important for other conservatives to step forward and set the record straight on those rare occasions when Rush gets one wrong.

Palin Should Go On Letterman
   Politics piece by Doug Patton (6/15/09)

Not since Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas faced down the trumped-up lies of Anita Hill before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991 has a public official suffered more undeserved abuse at the hands of petty, small-minded liberals than Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Australia Leads Media Debate on Global Warming
   Global Warming piece by Guest: Dennis T. Avery (6/15/09)

CHURCHVILLE, VA - A major country is getting media debate on the science of global warming for the first time ever - thanks to Australia’s Senator Steve Fielding. As one of a half-dozen swing votes on Prime Minister Rudd’s massive carbon tax bill, Fielding recently spent his own money to attend an international conference of climate skeptics in Washington, D.C.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

High Crimes And Misdemeanors
   Government piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (6/14/09)

“The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.“

Obama fires watchdog who barked at his crony
   ObamaNation piece by Offsite (6/14/09)

Former Inspector General Gerald Walpin filed two reports exposing gross misappropriation of federal AmeriCorps funds by a prominent Barack Obama supporter and was shortly thereafter fired by the White House, circumstances he told WND are likely linked and others have called an outright illegal action by the administration.

‘Is Healthcare a ‘Right’?‘
   Health Care piece by Warner Todd Huston (6/14/09)

As we all know, the Senate is gearing up to begin the debate on Obamacare. As we move forward one of the first scheduled stops will be in the Senate on June 16 as the Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee(1) moves to begin its mark-up of the Health Care Reform Bill. But what are the basic assumptions that underlie this bill? Let’s take a look at one of them.

‘Will Bond Holder Revolt To Spurn New Stimulus Plan?‘
   Socialism piece by J.J. Jackson (6/14/09)

Liberals and their allies in the media spend a lot of time and energy these days trying to convince Americans that all is right with the world despite a panic that has now turned over in to a recession and threatens to morph into a depression.  All this under their direction of course but do not you dare bring up how their harebrained schemes to put people in houses they could not afford or give them loans they could not pay back lead to the credit panic that started all this.  These days when the stock markets are up you hear them tout how it is all because of Barack Obama’s great spending plans but never how those plans permanently enslaves our posterity to the federal government through debt.  And, typically, when the markets are down they turn the other way and find something else to talk about.  They will tell you that the day to day gyrations are not all that important in that case and fail to remind everyone that profits and dividends are down.  Sure, companies are beating expectations, but only because expectations have been lowered to levels deeper than the Marianas Trench.

A Fear Worse Than Words
   Politics piece by Guest: Paul A. Ibbetson (6/14/09)

Want to know what is worse than losing a long, grueling race for the White House? Don’t ask John McCain - ask Sarah Palin. Since the moment the Alaskan Governor decided to throw her hat in the ring as the 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate, she has re-defined what it means to be the candidate of the extreme. For conservatives, she injected a brief moment of pride, if not hope, in what was a more or less a pre-destined losing bid by John McCain to become the next president of the United States. While Palin brought a spark of enthusiasm to the McCain campaign, she truly unleashed the “Dogs of War” from liberals around the nation, who were driven into an anger-frenzy by her fresh face, conservative ideas, and vision for the future.

Saving America Isn’t Going To Be Easy
   Government piece by J. D. Longstreet (6/14/09)

How to get your American Tea Party Flag! -  If you’re like me, you are tired of feeling helpless as the price on foreign oil skyrockets and our national legislators sit on their ... uh… hands, in Washing ton, (The per-barrel price on crude was at the highest level, so far this year, at this writing.) D.C. and DO NOTHING but dream up more rules and regulations to push oil prices even higher and gasoline prices at the pumps higher still.  Even here in my home state legislators are trying desperately to find ways of pushing the state’s per gallon taxes on gasoline higher or just maintain the current level of state taxes per gallon on a commodity they KNOW we must have to move our goods and services and yes, even ourselves.  Many, if not most of us depend on gasoline to get us to and from our jobs so that the economy, such as it is, will remain, at least viable.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

The Progressive Attempted Coup Is Fermenting Deep Outrage
   Big Brother piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (6/13/09)

Progressive Demercrats are running amok in D.C., Americans, Democrats, Independents and Republicans are seriously pi**ed!

Inflation, Higher Interest Rates Ahead
   Economics piece by Offsite (6/13/09)

Beware the dire economic consequences, soon to come, of the projected budget deficit of 13 percent of GDP, says former Reagan administration economist Art Laffer. 

High-End Retail Industry Gets a Makeover
   Economics piece by Offsite (6/13/09)

NEW YORK—Fashion and retail executives are adding new ingredients like extensive customer data and streamlined websites to their marketing mix to get consumers to buy in the recession.

Obama Policy Will Sink the Dollar
   Economics piece by Offsite (6/13/09)

Just as individuals have to cut back on personal spending and try to come up with extra income when they overspend, governments have to occasionally do the same. Since Obama & Co. ran up the U.S. debt so much lately, some changes will have to be made in order to bring things back into balance.

The myth of preventive medicine
   Health Care piece by Offsite (6/13/09)

The Obama administration wants to pump billions of taxpayer dollars into preventive care and early detection programs.

Fast-tracking the nanny state
   Nanny State piece by Offsite (6/13/09)

President Obama wants health care reform this year.

School’s out - for good
   EdukShun piece by Offsite (6/13/09)

Friends don’t let friends send their children to public schools. So says Bruce Shortt, author of the compelling book “The Harsh Truth about Public Schools.“

“Efficiency” Means Death
   Health Care piece by Offsite (6/13/09)

President Barack Obama has undertaken the expansion of health care to the roughly 45 million Americans who do not currently have health insurance. Having about one American in seven with no health insurance is undeniably an undesirable situation which deserves our attention and concern.

Defending Indoctrination
   EdukShun piece by Offsite (6/13/09)

When David Horowitz published his book The Professors in 2006, he instantly became the target of vitriolic attacks from tenured radicals and their apologists outside the academy. Among the latter, the most determined was a group calling itself Free Exchange on Campus.