With all due respect to the BlogFather (Sykes), I've always taken whatever Fred Barnes says with a grain of salt.
So when Freddy, a reliable Big Government 'conservative' booms a plan to make Iraq less dangerous than Milwaukee's north side, one reads it...
...the plan (which can be read at aei.org/publication25292) is well thought-out and detailed, but fundamentally quite simple. It is based on the idea--all but indisputable at this point--that no political solution is possible in Iraq until security is established, starting in Baghdad. The reverse--a bid to forge reconciliation between majority Shia and minority Sunni--is a nonstarter in a political environment drenched in the blood of sectarian killings.
So far, so good.
Why would the Keane-Kagan plan succeed where earlier efforts failed? It envisions a temporary addition of 50,000 troops on the ground in Iraq. The initial mission would be to secure and hold the mixed Baghdad neighborhoods of Shia and Sunni residents where most of the violence occurs. Earlier efforts had cleared many of those sections of the city without holding them. After which, the mass killings resumed. Once neighborhoods are cleared, American and Iraqi troops in this plan would remain behind, living day-to-day among the population.
Remain behind? Hmmmmm.....
Safe from retaliation by terrorists, residents would begin to cooperate with the Iraqi government. The securing of Baghdad would be followed by a full-scale drive to pacify the Sunni-majority Anbar province.
"Pacify"?
So the plan is to squash the Sunnis in Baghdad, and squash the.....who????....in Anbar?
...Baghdad that has become the "center of gravity" for the insurgency, according to Keane. And it could be brought under control by the end of 2007.
Maybe by the end of 2007.
The Keane-Kagan plan is not revolutionary. Rather, it is an application of a counterinsurgency approach that has proved to be effective elsewhere, notably in Vietnam. There, Gen. Creighton Abrams cleared out the Viet Cong so successfully that the South Vietnamese government took control of the country. Only when Congress cut off funds to South Vietnam in 1974 were the North Vietnamese able to win.
Well, there's little question that we screwed the South Vietnamese. Of course, we screwed them earlier, by arranging for the death of Diem. But hey...
However, Barnes backtracks:
...Alone among proposals for Iraq, the new Keane-Kagan strategy has a chance to succeed.
By now it should be clear that the US' interest is in eliminating AlQuaeda terrorists. If Barnes is telling us that "pacifying" Anbar and Baghdad will achieve that objective, I sure didn't see it in his article.
Here's an informed opinion from a member of the 101st who served in Iraq:
The battle really is only in the Baghdad-Anbar axis. Kurdistan remains pacified and booming economically. In the four years since the occupation began, the Coalition has lost less than 180 troops in the Shia-dominated provinces. The US certainly has the troops available, with 34 combat brigades just in the National Guard, but only active duty troops or those Guardsmen already mobilized can be sent in the short-term. The skeptical generals are right, in my opinion, to think that more troops will not help if the reinforcements postpone the required political settlement among the Iraqi parties. The US main concern has to be fighting the al-Qaeda affiliates and their allies, most of whom have settled in Anbar. The sectarian strife, on the other hand, must be settled by the elected government. Remember, sectarian attacks until mid-2006 had been almost entirely large Sunni bombs used to attack Shia crowds. After the bombing of the Samarra mosque, though, the Shia militias began counterattacking Sunnis in the mixed neighborhoods, using assassination. We have not yet seen large Shia car bombs or suicide bomb used to attack Sunni gatherings. As for the Sunni insurgency, the US fights this defensively, since the insurgents are clearly not strong enough to re-impose Baathist rule even in their home provinces.
The red-highlight area means that Freddy Barnes' solution is half-right/half-wrong...and it doesn't get better for Freddy:
More troops will increase the US casualty rate, as 20% of all of our deaths are related to accidents. More troops means more accidents, and more targets for the enemy. More troops, though, will buy the Baghdad government some time, and will weaken al-Qaeda and the insurgents as we wipe out cells. This will only matter if al-Maliki takes the supremely difficult decision to turn his new Army against the Shia militias, and deal with the inevitable Sadrist response. Whether we cut-and-run, or stand-and-fight, more bloodshed is inevitable.
We understand that death happens in wars. That's not nice, and we don't dismiss it lightly. But again, note that this soldier's opinion is that getting rid of AlQuaeda is the primary task--THAT is in the interests of the US.
We don't do religious wars real well.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Is Rumsfield a "Cut-and-Run" Guy?
There have been a lot of loud voices decrying the ISG report while concurrently elevating Don Rumsfield to sainthood.
So happens that both Rummy and the ISG report endorse similar potential courses of action.
Gee!! I wonder why I haven't heard that?
A funny thing happened on the way to last week’s release-date for the report of the Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker and former House Foreign Affairs Chairman Lee Hamilton. Out-going Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrote a memo to President Bush—which was leaked to the New York Times—recommending “a major adjustment” in the administration’s war policy.
...Rumsfeld included: retaining special operations forces in Iraq to target al Qaeda “while drawing down all other Coalition forces,” “withdrawing U.S. forces from vulnerable positions—cities, patrolling, etc.” and moving them elsewhere in Iraq or Kuwait as a quick reaction force “to be available when Iraqi security forces need assistance,” and deploying U.S. forces along Iraq’s Syrian and Iranian borders to prevent infiltration and limit Iranian influence in the country.
...The actual changes Rumsfeld and the ISG have suggested are not aimed at providing political cover for cutting and running from Iraq (an act whose dire consequences the ISG spells out in vivid terms). They are aimed at achieving what President Bush has stated as our goal in Iraq: a country that can “govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself.”
We cheer the ISG’s fact-laden, easily read exposition of the situation in Iraq. This exposition makes plain that the principal conflict there is a power struggle between indigenous Shiites and Sunnis.
Clearly, the ISG's thought patterns reflect not only Rumsfield's ideas, but common sense. The interests of the US lie in destroying AlQuaeda, not policing politics inside Iraq. We're interested in protecting the US, not providing a "Super-Cop-Shop" for the Middle East.
Let's hope that Our President gets the message.
So happens that both Rummy and the ISG report endorse similar potential courses of action.
Gee!! I wonder why I haven't heard that?
A funny thing happened on the way to last week’s release-date for the report of the Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker and former House Foreign Affairs Chairman Lee Hamilton. Out-going Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrote a memo to President Bush—which was leaked to the New York Times—recommending “a major adjustment” in the administration’s war policy.
...Rumsfeld included: retaining special operations forces in Iraq to target al Qaeda “while drawing down all other Coalition forces,” “withdrawing U.S. forces from vulnerable positions—cities, patrolling, etc.” and moving them elsewhere in Iraq or Kuwait as a quick reaction force “to be available when Iraqi security forces need assistance,” and deploying U.S. forces along Iraq’s Syrian and Iranian borders to prevent infiltration and limit Iranian influence in the country.
...The actual changes Rumsfeld and the ISG have suggested are not aimed at providing political cover for cutting and running from Iraq (an act whose dire consequences the ISG spells out in vivid terms). They are aimed at achieving what President Bush has stated as our goal in Iraq: a country that can “govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself.”
We cheer the ISG’s fact-laden, easily read exposition of the situation in Iraq. This exposition makes plain that the principal conflict there is a power struggle between indigenous Shiites and Sunnis.
Clearly, the ISG's thought patterns reflect not only Rumsfield's ideas, but common sense. The interests of the US lie in destroying AlQuaeda, not policing politics inside Iraq. We're interested in protecting the US, not providing a "Super-Cop-Shop" for the Middle East.
Let's hope that Our President gets the message.
Bush Boyzzz Continue Name-Calling
Working on the "legacy" already...
Michael Gerson, former speechwriter and policy advisor to President Bush, offers an all out assault on limited government conservatism in Newsweek, calling those of us who believe in smaller government "fundamentalists" and concluding that "any political movement that elevates abstract antigovernment ideology above human needs is hardly conservative, and unlikely to win."
"Fundamentalists."
On the Fair Trade question (GWB prefers "Free Trade",) it's "Protectionists."
On the Illegal Immigrant question (GWB likes it) it's "Nativists" and "Xenophobes."
Sure would be nice if the Bush Boyzzz could figure out how to deliver an argument rather than mindless name-calling.
Of course, it's possible that 'mindless' epithets are all they're capable of delivering...
Michael Gerson, former speechwriter and policy advisor to President Bush, offers an all out assault on limited government conservatism in Newsweek, calling those of us who believe in smaller government "fundamentalists" and concluding that "any political movement that elevates abstract antigovernment ideology above human needs is hardly conservative, and unlikely to win."
"Fundamentalists."
On the Fair Trade question (GWB prefers "Free Trade",) it's "Protectionists."
On the Illegal Immigrant question (GWB likes it) it's "Nativists" and "Xenophobes."
Sure would be nice if the Bush Boyzzz could figure out how to deliver an argument rather than mindless name-calling.
Of course, it's possible that 'mindless' epithets are all they're capable of delivering...
Run, Rudolph, Run!!
Some folks in Elm Grove prefer surgical sterility:
The village should reverse its decision to allow sharpshooting of deer and become the first Wisconsin community to attempt surgical or chemical deer sterilization, a group of residents is proposing.
Just grab Bambi, put him in the ambulance, and take him over to Froedtert, eh? That way, Bambi's shooting blanks instead of having sharpshooters shoot lead!
Neil Palmer is not impressed.
"Personally, as someone who is a Wisconsin native and hunted deer and lived with deer in both rural and urban environments, I couldn't see myself as a Village Board member supporting paying for the surgical sterilization of virtually any animal that has become a pest issue," Palmer said. "That being said, if someone else wants to pay for it, that's fine. I don't think village residents would want to."
It's really all Brookfield's fault.
A deer count last winter found 30 deer in Elm Grove, up from 17 in 2005. Three hundred eighty-six deer were found in Brookfield.
They should put up a fence across North Avenue, instead.
The village should reverse its decision to allow sharpshooting of deer and become the first Wisconsin community to attempt surgical or chemical deer sterilization, a group of residents is proposing.
Just grab Bambi, put him in the ambulance, and take him over to Froedtert, eh? That way, Bambi's shooting blanks instead of having sharpshooters shoot lead!
Neil Palmer is not impressed.
"Personally, as someone who is a Wisconsin native and hunted deer and lived with deer in both rural and urban environments, I couldn't see myself as a Village Board member supporting paying for the surgical sterilization of virtually any animal that has become a pest issue," Palmer said. "That being said, if someone else wants to pay for it, that's fine. I don't think village residents would want to."
It's really all Brookfield's fault.
A deer count last winter found 30 deer in Elm Grove, up from 17 in 2005. Three hundred eighty-six deer were found in Brookfield.
They should put up a fence across North Avenue, instead.
Still Dealin' After All These Years....
Inadequate retirement plan, eh?
An 84-year-old man who owned a north side tailor shop used the business as a front to peddle crack cocaine, Milwaukee police say.
An 84-year-old man who owned a north side tailor shop used the business as a front to peddle crack cocaine, Milwaukee police say.
Dan Trawicki: Where's The Document?
A couple of weeks ago, we noted that Waukesha County's Sheriff, Dan Trawicki, was unhappy with the budget allocation he got.
Ken Herro, an Oconomowoc supervisor, noted that Trawicki had not bothered to write a report showing exactly why the County Jail 'would be understaffed' with the budget allocation.
Now Dan states that he's letting the prisoners out the door:
Sometime after Jan. 1, the gates of Waukesha County's work-release jail likely will swing open and dozens of inmates will be released at a time when they would otherwise be incarcerated
Several weeks after warning about the effect of budget constraints, the sheriff is moving ahead with plans to shut down part of the work-release program and release 50 to 60 offenders.
Work-release employees must be shifted to the main jail, Trawicki said, because the Sheriff's Department was denied $400,000 in the county's 2007 budget to hire eight additional jail workers.
Pardon me, Dan-O--but let's see your thoughts on this matter in WRITING. One hates to think that you're featherbedding the deputies out here...
Ken Herro, an Oconomowoc supervisor, noted that Trawicki had not bothered to write a report showing exactly why the County Jail 'would be understaffed' with the budget allocation.
Now Dan states that he's letting the prisoners out the door:
Sometime after Jan. 1, the gates of Waukesha County's work-release jail likely will swing open and dozens of inmates will be released at a time when they would otherwise be incarcerated
Several weeks after warning about the effect of budget constraints, the sheriff is moving ahead with plans to shut down part of the work-release program and release 50 to 60 offenders.
Work-release employees must be shifted to the main jail, Trawicki said, because the Sheriff's Department was denied $400,000 in the county's 2007 budget to hire eight additional jail workers.
Pardon me, Dan-O--but let's see your thoughts on this matter in WRITING. One hates to think that you're featherbedding the deputies out here...
WallyWorld Goes Commie??
Reported from PRChina:
Wal-Mart, king of the capitalist retailers, [has] set up a Communist Party branch in its corporate headquarters in Shenzhen.
Dubbed "another breakthrough" for Wal-Mart by Wang Suiming, a Communist official in the city, the new organization was established last month, according to Shenzhen Special Zone Daily
So....my question: will WallyWorld put Methodist chapels in its US stores?
Wal-Mart, king of the capitalist retailers, [has] set up a Communist Party branch in its corporate headquarters in Shenzhen.
Dubbed "another breakthrough" for Wal-Mart by Wang Suiming, a Communist official in the city, the new organization was established last month, according to Shenzhen Special Zone Daily
So....my question: will WallyWorld put Methodist chapels in its US stores?
Monday, December 18, 2006
"Most Wanted--Wisconsin" an Odd Case in Wiggy's World
Over the weekend, Channel 6 ran a profile of another of "Wisconsin's Most Wanted," a fellow who the US Marshal wants for attempted murder.
The story provokes some mixed feelings.
The shooter's daughter married a man who enjoyed beating his wife, and apparently threatened to burn down their house (with her in it) as well. The shooter happens to see this piece-of-crap-son-in-law driving down the street one night, flags him down, and pops several rounds through the passenger-side window.
The wife-beating son-in-law survived, more or less.
Can't say that there are any heroes in this tale, but somehow I'm not...enthusiastically awaiting the capture of the PO'd daddy here.
Oh, yeah--it's a Wiggy-World deal. The shooting occurred on Arcadian Avenue.
The story provokes some mixed feelings.
The shooter's daughter married a man who enjoyed beating his wife, and apparently threatened to burn down their house (with her in it) as well. The shooter happens to see this piece-of-crap-son-in-law driving down the street one night, flags him down, and pops several rounds through the passenger-side window.
The wife-beating son-in-law survived, more or less.
Can't say that there are any heroes in this tale, but somehow I'm not...enthusiastically awaiting the capture of the PO'd daddy here.
Oh, yeah--it's a Wiggy-World deal. The shooting occurred on Arcadian Avenue.
WEAC Turns Up the Heat
As expected, WEAC wants more (and more and more and more and......) from its servants in the Governor's Mansion and Assembly:
Backed by unionized teachers like Vedra, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle seems poised for another try at rolling back the so- called "qualified economic offer" law, which limits teachers' ability to bargain for more money.
...The QEO law exempts school districts in labor negotiations from going into arbitration - which can force schools to accept unwanted contract provisions - as long as they offer wage and benefit increases that total 3.8 percent or more.
Here's the reality check:
...Salaries for Wisconsin teachers in the 2003-04 school year averaged $42,882 and were 8.3 percent below the national average, according to a Taxpayers Alliance analysis. But the estimated value or cost of their benefits was 39.2 percent higher than the national average, ranking as the fifth-highest in the country.
Of course, one needs to compare that $42,900 salary with something. How about Median Household Income for Wisconsin (2003)? According to the Census Bureau,
Household income is the sum of money income received in the calendar year by all household members 15 years old and over, including household members not related to the householder, people living alone, and other nonfamily household members
Wisconsin's?
$46,538
So in fact, a Wisconsin teacher's average salary is just under a Wisconsin household's median income. ONE-HALF OF WISCONSIN HOUSEHOLDS have LESS INCOME than the average teacher in this State.
Wanna bet that that the WEAC bennies are a lot better?
Prefer "average" wage? No problem-o, pal. According to the US Department of Labor, the average Wisconsin wage (All Occupations, May, 2005) was:
$35,660
HT: Owen
Backed by unionized teachers like Vedra, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle seems poised for another try at rolling back the so- called "qualified economic offer" law, which limits teachers' ability to bargain for more money.
...The QEO law exempts school districts in labor negotiations from going into arbitration - which can force schools to accept unwanted contract provisions - as long as they offer wage and benefit increases that total 3.8 percent or more.
Here's the reality check:
...Salaries for Wisconsin teachers in the 2003-04 school year averaged $42,882 and were 8.3 percent below the national average, according to a Taxpayers Alliance analysis. But the estimated value or cost of their benefits was 39.2 percent higher than the national average, ranking as the fifth-highest in the country.
Of course, one needs to compare that $42,900 salary with something. How about Median Household Income for Wisconsin (2003)? According to the Census Bureau,
Household income is the sum of money income received in the calendar year by all household members 15 years old and over, including household members not related to the householder, people living alone, and other nonfamily household members
Wisconsin's?
$46,538
So in fact, a Wisconsin teacher's average salary is just under a Wisconsin household's median income. ONE-HALF OF WISCONSIN HOUSEHOLDS have LESS INCOME than the average teacher in this State.
Wanna bet that that the WEAC bennies are a lot better?
Prefer "average" wage? No problem-o, pal. According to the US Department of Labor, the average Wisconsin wage (All Occupations, May, 2005) was:
$35,660
That would be 76% of the average teacher's wage. And again, there IS the bennie differential.
We may agree that a teacher's wage should be above average--they have a degree, and have an important job, after all. But how much above? And at what cost in benefits?HT: Owen
Spending Reform in Congress?
Seems the Democrat majority in Congress wants to make a few repairs:
Incoming House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairmen David Obey, D-Wis., and Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., promised to pass a continuing resolution (CR) for the rest of fiscal 2007 (which ends next September) to keep spending levels where they are now. What this means is that the incoming 110th Congress, if Obey and Byrd succeed in their pledge, will not pass the remaining appropriations bills but will keep non-defense departments and agencies on a CR spending hold through the entire fiscal year.
("The remaining appropriations bills" were the pork-stuffed Pubbie slobberings...)
HT: Betsy's Page
Incoming House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairmen David Obey, D-Wis., and Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., promised to pass a continuing resolution (CR) for the rest of fiscal 2007 (which ends next September) to keep spending levels where they are now. What this means is that the incoming 110th Congress, if Obey and Byrd succeed in their pledge, will not pass the remaining appropriations bills but will keep non-defense departments and agencies on a CR spending hold through the entire fiscal year.
("The remaining appropriations bills" were the pork-stuffed Pubbie slobberings...)
HT: Betsy's Page
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Mgr Bartolucci: This is Nuts!
A few of you know that Mgr. Bartolucci used to be the Vatican's choir director--he was "allowed" to retire during the reign of JPII, but was loudly lamented by some traditionalist-types who thought that he'd been dumped.
Maybe he WAS dumped. The fellow has some....interesting....opinions. This is one:
And furthermore, Gregorian chant has been distorted by the rhythmic and aesthetic theories of the Benedictines of Solesmes. Gregorian chant was born in violent times, and it should be manly and strong, and not like the sweet and comforting adaptations of our own day.
Chant, unlike any other music, is thoroughly un-'sexed'. There are marches, which are masculine, and certain hymns (e.g., Mother, Dear, O Pray for Me) which are decidedly feminine.
But, generally speaking, really good Church music is predominantly neither of the above--it is transcendent. Think about that for a few seconds--there is a reason...
On the other hand, some of his opinions are very useful:
Today the fashion in the churches is for pop-inspired songs and the strumming of guitars, but the fault lies above all with the pseudo-intellectuals who have engineered this degeneration of the liturgy, and thus of music, overthrowing and despising the heritage of the past with the idea of obtaining who knows what advantage for the people. If the art of music does not return to its greatness, rather than representing an accommodation or a byproduct, there is no sense in asking about its function in the Church. I am against guitars, but I am also against the superficiality of the Cecilian movement in music – it’s more or less the same thing. Our motto must be: let us return to Gregorian chant and to polyphony in the tradition of Palestrina
Let us recall that the "hootenanny Mass" was proposed by a certain local ex-Archbishop...
And then there's this one:
Q: Bruckner was also very inspired...
A: He has the defect of being longwinded. His Mass for wind instruments, the one in E minor, is rather tedious.
The good Mgr. evidently doesn't have time to appreciate the art of anyone born north of the Alps...
HT: ManWiththeBlackHat
Maybe he WAS dumped. The fellow has some....interesting....opinions. This is one:
And furthermore, Gregorian chant has been distorted by the rhythmic and aesthetic theories of the Benedictines of Solesmes. Gregorian chant was born in violent times, and it should be manly and strong, and not like the sweet and comforting adaptations of our own day.
Chant, unlike any other music, is thoroughly un-'sexed'. There are marches, which are masculine, and certain hymns (e.g., Mother, Dear, O Pray for Me) which are decidedly feminine.
But, generally speaking, really good Church music is predominantly neither of the above--it is transcendent. Think about that for a few seconds--there is a reason...
On the other hand, some of his opinions are very useful:
Today the fashion in the churches is for pop-inspired songs and the strumming of guitars, but the fault lies above all with the pseudo-intellectuals who have engineered this degeneration of the liturgy, and thus of music, overthrowing and despising the heritage of the past with the idea of obtaining who knows what advantage for the people. If the art of music does not return to its greatness, rather than representing an accommodation or a byproduct, there is no sense in asking about its function in the Church. I am against guitars, but I am also against the superficiality of the Cecilian movement in music – it’s more or less the same thing. Our motto must be: let us return to Gregorian chant and to polyphony in the tradition of Palestrina
Let us recall that the "hootenanny Mass" was proposed by a certain local ex-Archbishop...
And then there's this one:
Q: Bruckner was also very inspired...
A: He has the defect of being longwinded. His Mass for wind instruments, the one in E minor, is rather tedious.
The good Mgr. evidently doesn't have time to appreciate the art of anyone born north of the Alps...
HT: ManWiththeBlackHat
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Dohnal's Solid Analysis
Love him or hate him, Bob Dohnal has the understanding that John Gard lacks--totally.
Here Dohnal discusses the results of putting the social Amendments on the November ballot. His analysis parallels that of Sensenbrenner; Sykes toyed with it, as did Belling.
The deciding factor in this equation was our old friends the "Reagan Democrats." I have consistently warned the GOP that they are losing this group, but even I did not see this coming. The Reagan Democrats are almost the exact opposite of the cultural elite that runs our political parties in this country. They are social conservatives, attend church regularly, drive pickup trucks and SUVs, fish and hunt, many of their kids join the service, they like country and western music and economically the belong to the middle and lower middle class.
Historically these people do not trust the GOP 'cause they look at them as the bankers, lawyers, real-estate brokers, industrialists, etc. — all people who they believe are not particularly interested in them except at election time. They live on the south side of Milwaukee County and move into Waukesha County as they succeed. They also live in the rural areas and small towns in Wisconsin. They are fiscal moderates, liking programs like Social Security and Medicare and disliking programs like welfare. They are strong on national defense, having hated the "commies." They do not like tax increases as they cut into their budget quite a bit. Clem Zablocki was their hero. Their GOP heroes have been Ronald Reagan and Tommy Thompson, both able to communicate with them extremely well. Sen. Jeff Plale is an outstanding current example of a "Reagan Democrat."
This group is part of the non-straight ticket punchers that can shift regularly and decide elections. For some reason Green did not connect with them in this election, even though he obviously got their votes in his 8th Congressional District races. [I'll offer an explanation: Green's campaign concentrated a good deal of fire on the 'corporate tax burden' in Wisconsin, which frankly is of little immediate interest to Reagan Democrats. As a comparison, note how Green's ratings jumped up when he hit the UW admissions policies, e.g. THAT was personally compelling; the rest was not.] What is surprising is that so many voted for Democrat Jim Doyle, a supreme example of the cultural elite. But Doyle has not raised taxes, claimed that he balanced the budget and did not succumb to the demands of the liberals who wanted all of their socialistic programs. Even the sportsmen did not view him as a major threat when Doyle changed course on gun control.
So another election is in the bag, the GOP having a straight downhill record for the last 10 years. They have lost the Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate races, the gubernatorial races, the state Senate, a congressional seat, the superintendent of schools, seven seats in the Assembly and are really sitting out in the cold on a big ice cube. The only bright spots have been Scott Walker in Milwaukee County and JB Van Hollen winning the attorney general's race.
Van Hollen's victory fits perfectly into the picture painted by Dohnal. He ran as a "law-and-order" guy--perfect for the AG race--and was running against the very picture of "cultural elite." Most people simply want "law and order"--not wacked-out warmed-over Green Party enforcement--and certainly not 'get out of jail free' cards for offenders.
It is true that the Republicans have become, to a greater or lesser degree, apologists for and defenders of "Big Corporate". This despite the spectacular ethical lapses at Enron, Global Crossing, (etc.) and the continuing collapse of US manufacturing employment, directly aided by a seeming lack of understanding of "the national interest" at the highest levels in Washington. To top it off, what about the stone-headed policy of ignoring illegal immigration (although that seems to be changing). Sure, Democrats like the illegals--but Bush & Co.'s seemingly elitist "ignore the law and lawbreakers" crap just doesn't play well on Main Street.
Here Dohnal discusses the results of putting the social Amendments on the November ballot. His analysis parallels that of Sensenbrenner; Sykes toyed with it, as did Belling.
The deciding factor in this equation was our old friends the "Reagan Democrats." I have consistently warned the GOP that they are losing this group, but even I did not see this coming. The Reagan Democrats are almost the exact opposite of the cultural elite that runs our political parties in this country. They are social conservatives, attend church regularly, drive pickup trucks and SUVs, fish and hunt, many of their kids join the service, they like country and western music and economically the belong to the middle and lower middle class.
Historically these people do not trust the GOP 'cause they look at them as the bankers, lawyers, real-estate brokers, industrialists, etc. — all people who they believe are not particularly interested in them except at election time. They live on the south side of Milwaukee County and move into Waukesha County as they succeed. They also live in the rural areas and small towns in Wisconsin. They are fiscal moderates, liking programs like Social Security and Medicare and disliking programs like welfare. They are strong on national defense, having hated the "commies." They do not like tax increases as they cut into their budget quite a bit. Clem Zablocki was their hero. Their GOP heroes have been Ronald Reagan and Tommy Thompson, both able to communicate with them extremely well. Sen. Jeff Plale is an outstanding current example of a "Reagan Democrat."
This group is part of the non-straight ticket punchers that can shift regularly and decide elections. For some reason Green did not connect with them in this election, even though he obviously got their votes in his 8th Congressional District races. [I'll offer an explanation: Green's campaign concentrated a good deal of fire on the 'corporate tax burden' in Wisconsin, which frankly is of little immediate interest to Reagan Democrats. As a comparison, note how Green's ratings jumped up when he hit the UW admissions policies, e.g. THAT was personally compelling; the rest was not.] What is surprising is that so many voted for Democrat Jim Doyle, a supreme example of the cultural elite. But Doyle has not raised taxes, claimed that he balanced the budget and did not succumb to the demands of the liberals who wanted all of their socialistic programs. Even the sportsmen did not view him as a major threat when Doyle changed course on gun control.
So another election is in the bag, the GOP having a straight downhill record for the last 10 years. They have lost the Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate races, the gubernatorial races, the state Senate, a congressional seat, the superintendent of schools, seven seats in the Assembly and are really sitting out in the cold on a big ice cube. The only bright spots have been Scott Walker in Milwaukee County and JB Van Hollen winning the attorney general's race.
Van Hollen's victory fits perfectly into the picture painted by Dohnal. He ran as a "law-and-order" guy--perfect for the AG race--and was running against the very picture of "cultural elite." Most people simply want "law and order"--not wacked-out warmed-over Green Party enforcement--and certainly not 'get out of jail free' cards for offenders.
It is true that the Republicans have become, to a greater or lesser degree, apologists for and defenders of "Big Corporate". This despite the spectacular ethical lapses at Enron, Global Crossing, (etc.) and the continuing collapse of US manufacturing employment, directly aided by a seeming lack of understanding of "the national interest" at the highest levels in Washington. To top it off, what about the stone-headed policy of ignoring illegal immigration (although that seems to be changing). Sure, Democrats like the illegals--but Bush & Co.'s seemingly elitist "ignore the law and lawbreakers" crap just doesn't play well on Main Street.
A Prediction from Vox re: Hillary's Debating Style
If it happens, it should be interesting.
Referring to Hillary, he says: I think they'll be much more interested when she pulls a "V" and devours a live kitten during her 2008 debate with George Pataki or whoever the Republican fall guy turns out to be.
I'll confess that I don't understand the term "V." But I DO understand "fall-guy."
Will she use salt/pepper on the kitten?
Referring to Hillary, he says: I think they'll be much more interested when she pulls a "V" and devours a live kitten during her 2008 debate with George Pataki or whoever the Republican fall guy turns out to be.
I'll confess that I don't understand the term "V." But I DO understand "fall-guy."
Will she use salt/pepper on the kitten?
Send DA Nifong to Jail
This pretty well should sum up the case for prosecutorial misconduct against Nifong:
The head of a private DNA laboratory said under oath today that he and District Attorney Mike Nifong agreed not to report DNA results favorable to Duke lacrosse players charged with rape.
Brian Meehan, director of DNA Security of Burlington, said his lab found DNA from unidentified men in the underwear, pubic hair and rectum of the woman who said she was gang-raped at a lacrosse party in March. Nurses at Duke Hospital collected the samples a few hours after the alleged assault. Meehan said the DNA did not come from Reade Seligmann, David Evans, or Collin Finnerty, who have been charged with rape and sexual assault in the case.
Meehan struggled to say why he didn’t include the favorable evidence in a report dated May 12, almost a month after Seligmann and Finnerty had been indicted. He cited concerns about the privacy of the lacrosse players, his discussions at several meetings with Nifong, and the fact that he didn’t know whose DNA it was.
Under questioning by Jim Cooney, a defense attorney for Seligmann, Meehan admitted that his report violated his laboratory’s standards by not reporting results of all tests.
This slimeball Nifong (and the slimeball who persecuted DeLay) should be removed from office immediately, and before going to Club Fed for a long, long time, they should each be subjected to some good physical reminders of their vulnerabilities.
The head of a private DNA laboratory said under oath today that he and District Attorney Mike Nifong agreed not to report DNA results favorable to Duke lacrosse players charged with rape.
Brian Meehan, director of DNA Security of Burlington, said his lab found DNA from unidentified men in the underwear, pubic hair and rectum of the woman who said she was gang-raped at a lacrosse party in March. Nurses at Duke Hospital collected the samples a few hours after the alleged assault. Meehan said the DNA did not come from Reade Seligmann, David Evans, or Collin Finnerty, who have been charged with rape and sexual assault in the case.
Meehan struggled to say why he didn’t include the favorable evidence in a report dated May 12, almost a month after Seligmann and Finnerty had been indicted. He cited concerns about the privacy of the lacrosse players, his discussions at several meetings with Nifong, and the fact that he didn’t know whose DNA it was.
Under questioning by Jim Cooney, a defense attorney for Seligmann, Meehan admitted that his report violated his laboratory’s standards by not reporting results of all tests.
This slimeball Nifong (and the slimeball who persecuted DeLay) should be removed from office immediately, and before going to Club Fed for a long, long time, they should each be subjected to some good physical reminders of their vulnerabilities.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Northern Lights and Haydn
...what, you're surprised that Haydn wrote about the "wonders of the Firmament" before WE actually saw the Northern Lights?
See: The Creation/Heavens Are Telling
Special thanks to P-Mac for editing assistance!
See: The Creation/Heavens Are Telling
Special thanks to P-Mac for editing assistance!
Gov't Educational "Study" Wrong, Wrong, Wrong
In July the Federal Dep't of Education issued a "study" telling us that public school students are better, academically, than private-school students.
Of course, the orgasms from WEAC's reliable, ah, supporters were virtually unlimited.
And, of course, the "study" was seriously flawed.
Read it all here.
HT: McIlheran
Of course, the orgasms from WEAC's reliable, ah, supporters were virtually unlimited.
And, of course, the "study" was seriously flawed.
Read it all here.
HT: McIlheran
Wild, Wacky: Wiggy's Waukesha
One of our "must read" bloggers moved to Waukesha to avoid, unhhh...problems. So today he awakens to find the following:
In a case authorities say demonstrates the growing ties between urban and suburban drug traffickers, a federal grand jury indicted 33 people Thursday on charges linking large-scale cocaine suppliers in Milwaukee to a tightly controlled network of dealers in Waukesha.
One listed residence was on Arcadian Avenue.
So much for avoiding criminal gangs....
But it gets more interesting when you check out the Waukesha School Board!
School Board member Frank Finman has recommended the district increase the minimum grade-point average it requires of student athletes. Currently, students need to have at least a 1.5 grade-point average for the quarter to remain eligible.
Controversial, yes. But get THIS:
The requirement would apply only to athletics and not other extracurricular activities. Finman said he removed students involved in other activities from his original proposal because he was concerned about the effect on academic decathlon teams.
So the "academic" decathlon team includes young whizzes with GPA's of <1.5?
It's not over, folks:
The idea was criticized by other board members. "That makes no sense at all," board member Patricia Madden said.
"Besides, I think there are athletes that stay in school only because of athletics because they are good at it, and it does motivate them," Madden said
So the football team is now the reason to go to high school, eh, Patty?
It gets better.
The district's 2006-'07 budget also contained a $645,000 error that the district anticipates it will be able to solve without affecting programming during the current school year.
$650K. That's a pretty big number, no? So which financial guru GETS A PROMOTION???
The board tapped comptroller Erik Kass to become the district's next executive director of business services
Makes sense to me.
In a case authorities say demonstrates the growing ties between urban and suburban drug traffickers, a federal grand jury indicted 33 people Thursday on charges linking large-scale cocaine suppliers in Milwaukee to a tightly controlled network of dealers in Waukesha.
One listed residence was on Arcadian Avenue.
So much for avoiding criminal gangs....
But it gets more interesting when you check out the Waukesha School Board!
School Board member Frank Finman has recommended the district increase the minimum grade-point average it requires of student athletes. Currently, students need to have at least a 1.5 grade-point average for the quarter to remain eligible.
Controversial, yes. But get THIS:
The requirement would apply only to athletics and not other extracurricular activities. Finman said he removed students involved in other activities from his original proposal because he was concerned about the effect on academic decathlon teams.
So the "academic" decathlon team includes young whizzes with GPA's of <1.5?
It's not over, folks:
The idea was criticized by other board members. "That makes no sense at all," board member Patricia Madden said.
"Besides, I think there are athletes that stay in school only because of athletics because they are good at it, and it does motivate them," Madden said
So the football team is now the reason to go to high school, eh, Patty?
It gets better.
The district's 2006-'07 budget also contained a $645,000 error that the district anticipates it will be able to solve without affecting programming during the current school year.
$650K. That's a pretty big number, no? So which financial guru GETS A PROMOTION???
The board tapped comptroller Erik Kass to become the district's next executive director of business services
Makes sense to me.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
China Is Our Friend!!! Part 43565
Some perspective on trade with PRChina, notorious human-rights violator:
The U.S. trade deficit with China was $24.4 billion in October, and has increased $18.9 billion since December 2001. The bilateral deficit keeps rising, because China undervalues the yuan, and this makes Chinese exports artificially inexpensive and U.S. products too expensive in China.
...In July 2005, China revalued the yuan from 8.28 per dollar to 8.11 and announced it would adjust the currency to a basket of currencies. However, the yuan continues to track the dollar closely and currently is trading at about 7.84, a 3.3 percent appreciation over 17 months.
Modernization and productivity growth raise the implicit value of the yuan about 5 percent a year; therefore, at the current rate of appreciation, the gap between the value enforced by Beijing and the true market value of the yuan grows each month. The yuan remains undervalued against the dollar by at least 40 percent.
...Many U.S. multinationals, like GE, Caterpillar and GM, have earned huge profits investing in protected Chinese and other Asian markets, and have lobbied the Congress and Administration not to take action against Chinese mercantilism. Together they have persistently characterized as protectionist critics of China’s policy that advocate affirmative U.S. steps that would either offset Chinese export subsidies or move China to change its policies. This is puzzling as the United States regularly takes steps to offset subsidized imports from the EU or Japan that harm U.S. industries.
Why the Bush Administration insists on affording China special status is a mystery
[Not really. GWB believes that a capitalist PRChina will become a "good global citizen." The only question is whether his belief has a foundation--and WHEN PRChina will actually live up to the terms of PNTR/MFN treaties--which is evidently not a major issue to GWB.]
Well, there you have it. Still wondering why US manufacturing jobs continue to disappear?
The U.S. trade deficit with China was $24.4 billion in October, and has increased $18.9 billion since December 2001. The bilateral deficit keeps rising, because China undervalues the yuan, and this makes Chinese exports artificially inexpensive and U.S. products too expensive in China.
...In July 2005, China revalued the yuan from 8.28 per dollar to 8.11 and announced it would adjust the currency to a basket of currencies. However, the yuan continues to track the dollar closely and currently is trading at about 7.84, a 3.3 percent appreciation over 17 months.
Modernization and productivity growth raise the implicit value of the yuan about 5 percent a year; therefore, at the current rate of appreciation, the gap between the value enforced by Beijing and the true market value of the yuan grows each month. The yuan remains undervalued against the dollar by at least 40 percent.
...Many U.S. multinationals, like GE, Caterpillar and GM, have earned huge profits investing in protected Chinese and other Asian markets, and have lobbied the Congress and Administration not to take action against Chinese mercantilism. Together they have persistently characterized as protectionist critics of China’s policy that advocate affirmative U.S. steps that would either offset Chinese export subsidies or move China to change its policies. This is puzzling as the United States regularly takes steps to offset subsidized imports from the EU or Japan that harm U.S. industries.
Why the Bush Administration insists on affording China special status is a mystery
[Not really. GWB believes that a capitalist PRChina will become a "good global citizen." The only question is whether his belief has a foundation--and WHEN PRChina will actually live up to the terms of PNTR/MFN treaties--which is evidently not a major issue to GWB.]
Well, there you have it. Still wondering why US manufacturing jobs continue to disappear?
Ford Motor: Our Designs Are Asinine!!
When (not if) the heater core on your FoMoCo product finally pops a hole, fogging the windows and making you think your head is inside a bottle of glycol, get ready for the really bad news:
It will take approximately eight full hours of (billable) labor to replace the heater core. That's because FoMoCo engineers, geniuses that they are, have designed the HVAC system so that it's all one piece, and to get to it, you must remove damn near everything within 2 feet of the firewall.
30 years ago, it was about 1 hour's work because we all KNOW that heater cores blow--so they were designed to be easily replaceable.
Thanks!
It will take approximately eight full hours of (billable) labor to replace the heater core. That's because FoMoCo engineers, geniuses that they are, have designed the HVAC system so that it's all one piece, and to get to it, you must remove damn near everything within 2 feet of the firewall.
30 years ago, it was about 1 hour's work because we all KNOW that heater cores blow--so they were designed to be easily replaceable.
Thanks!
"Real Income" Tricks of the Trade and McIlheran
I'll take exception to P-Mac's calm acceptance of a certain report on economic progress in the USA.
Yah, we've all heard the numbers--roughly translated, that the "middle class" has not been doing well since Bushitler became President, (hint: all the money is going to Halliburton and its ex-officers...) etc., etc.
That's based on Department of Labor numbers which address average wage numbers. In fact, average wage numbers HAVE been stagnant for quite some time (although that has very little to do with Bush and much more to do with X42's love affair with PRChina.)
In fairness, it should be noted that while wages may have been stagnant, benefit costs like health insurance have risen significantly, mostly absorbed by employers. So it's not a simple proposition. Neither "Employers Good/Labor Bad" nor "Labor Bad/Employers Good" is the answer.
But here's my quibble with P-Mac's source:
“These changes are happening because, over the past 25 years, more families have moved to upper-income brackets. In 2004, the latest year for which we have comparable information, 34% of families made over $75,000. But in 1979, only 21% did so, after adjusting for inflation. And we now have fewer families in lower-income brackets. Only 46% of families made less than $50,000 in 2004, compared with 54% of families in 1979. The stagnant real median family income that is supposedly the reason for last month's Democratic victory is not so sluggish after all. Real median family income was $54,000 in 2004. After inflation, that's 11% higher than in 1994, 18% higher than in 1984, 25% higher than in 1974, and 59% higher than in 1964.
Close observers will note the term "family" has been highlighted.
The point? "Family" income in 1964 was earned (in the vast majority of the cases) by ONE worker, usually Dad. "Family" income in 2004 was earned by TWO workers (in the vast majority of the cases.)
Not all that hard to figure out why the number's almost double in the comparison, is it?
I hold no brief for spending on lawn-services, nor for $15K wedding-costs. But I also dislike manipulation of the numbers for the sake of making political points. Of course, that's not likely to cease soon, is it?
Yah, we've all heard the numbers--roughly translated, that the "middle class" has not been doing well since Bushitler became President, (hint: all the money is going to Halliburton and its ex-officers...) etc., etc.
That's based on Department of Labor numbers which address average wage numbers. In fact, average wage numbers HAVE been stagnant for quite some time (although that has very little to do with Bush and much more to do with X42's love affair with PRChina.)
In fairness, it should be noted that while wages may have been stagnant, benefit costs like health insurance have risen significantly, mostly absorbed by employers. So it's not a simple proposition. Neither "Employers Good/Labor Bad" nor "Labor Bad/Employers Good" is the answer.
But here's my quibble with P-Mac's source:
“These changes are happening because, over the past 25 years, more families have moved to upper-income brackets. In 2004, the latest year for which we have comparable information, 34% of families made over $75,000. But in 1979, only 21% did so, after adjusting for inflation. And we now have fewer families in lower-income brackets. Only 46% of families made less than $50,000 in 2004, compared with 54% of families in 1979. The stagnant real median family income that is supposedly the reason for last month's Democratic victory is not so sluggish after all. Real median family income was $54,000 in 2004. After inflation, that's 11% higher than in 1994, 18% higher than in 1984, 25% higher than in 1974, and 59% higher than in 1964.
Close observers will note the term "family" has been highlighted.
The point? "Family" income in 1964 was earned (in the vast majority of the cases) by ONE worker, usually Dad. "Family" income in 2004 was earned by TWO workers (in the vast majority of the cases.)
Not all that hard to figure out why the number's almost double in the comparison, is it?
I hold no brief for spending on lawn-services, nor for $15K wedding-costs. But I also dislike manipulation of the numbers for the sake of making political points. Of course, that's not likely to cease soon, is it?
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