Another Monday Comes

Mark Noonan

We just can’t avoid them, now can we?

Seems that whole economy things still isn’t working out as well as promised.

ObamaCare – the disaster that keeps on disasting:

State-run health insurance markets that offer coverage under President Barack Obama’s health law are struggling with high costs and disappointing enrollment…

…”The viability of state health insurance exchanges has been a challenge across the country, particularly in small states, due to insufficient numbers of uninsured residents,” said a statement from the office of Hawaii Democratic Gov. David Ige, announcing last month that his state’s sign-ups were being turned over to the federal government. (emphasis added)

Insufficient numbers of uninsured residents? But, wait – weren’t we told of tens of millions of uninsured who were all going to die horrible, painful deaths unless we passed ObamaCare? Could it be that – and I’m just spit balling here – they exaggerated the numbers of uninsured in order to create a crisis which they would not let go to waste?

Democrats Memory Hole Jefferson and Jackson

Mark Noonan7 Comments

It started as a bit of a Twitter joke in the wake of the Charleston shooting – if Democrats wanted to get rid of the (Democrat) Confederate battle flag, then they’d better stop having their Jefferson-Jackson dinners because Jefferson and Jackson both owned slaves. Well, nothing is too silly for our Democrats:

Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson are history in Connecticut.

Under pressure from the NAACP, the state Democratic Party will scrub the names of the two presidents from its annual fundraising dinner because of their ties to slavery.

Party leaders voted unanimously Wednesday night in Hartford to rename the Jefferson Jackson Bailey dinner in the aftermath of last month’s fatal shooting of nine worshipers at the historic black church in Charleston, S.C.

There is some discussion out there in the left about how to re-name the event, one suggestion being the FDR-JFK dinner.

Our Democrats in 2015 cannot even pretend to honor the United States of America. It is just impossible – there are too many people in America’s past who don’t live up to whatever is the latest notion of the Progressives. The complexities of human life just don’t matter – unless you are a true-blue Progressive on board with 100% of whatever the latest Progressive Twitter hashtag is about, you are out. And if you were born 200 years before Twitter, that is just too darned bad. Trust me on this, flaws will be found in FDR and JFK – heck, the mere fact that they were white males will eventually doom them in the Progressive pantheon. Just wait for an official demand from some Progressive group to have our capital re-named because Washington also owned slaves…and calling it the District of Columbia will also have to go.

The key for us is to just highlight this sort of nonsense. Point it out. Let the LIV know.

Out and About on a Wednesday

Mark Noonan6 Comments

Attorney General Lynch says she will look into those videos of Planned Parenthood looking for “less crunchy” ways of carrying out an abortion. The question remains whether she’ll be looking for criminal activity on the part of Planned Parenthood, or will be out to get the makers of the videos.

Governor Brown (D-Peoples Democratic Republic of California), says global warming threatens human extinction. As soon as he calls for a ban on limos, private jets and beach houses larger than 1,000 square feet, I’ll take him seriously.

Our new Partners for Peace in Tehran say they will buy whatever arms they want.

If you ever thought there was a bottom to the well of Progressive silliness, you were wrong.

Perry rips into Trump. He has to. First off, as a matter of principal: Trump is simply not the man who will win the White House for the Republican party. Secondly, as a matter of electoral politics – he’s an also-ran so far in the GOP sweepstakes and he has to gain some traction. Attacking Walker or Cruz will work against him (their supporters might be angered), attacking Bush and Christy is boring – we already know he’s not on board with them. Attack Trump and you get noticed.

Hillary Clinton is polling just terrible in the swing States. Before you get too excited, I understand the polling sample over-states Republican numbers – but, still, with 99.99% name recognition Hillary is down 9 points against Walker, who probably doesn’t have 50% name recognition in, for instance, Colorado. She’s a giant on weak legs.

I really don’t know what to say about the Bland case – woman gets stopped for failure to signal (with, I guess, also doing a rolling stop at a stop sign) and it escalates into her being arrested and then dying in prison – officially by suicide but the full investigation isn’t close to done. The only bit of wisdom I can impart is to wait until the investigation is complete before rendering anything like a judgement on it.

In the Fundamental Transformation department – newly sworn citizens don’t have to swear to bear arms in defense of the United States. It makes sense – after all, some of the people becoming citizens might not want to defend the United States; why inconvenience them with something as trivial as being loyal to the nation they voluntarily immigrated to?

List of the 20 cities Americans are fleeing from in droves. Oddly enough, a lot of them appear to be governed by Democrats. Shouldn’t people be moving into Democrat governed areas? I mean, they really care about the little guy and have the best solutions for all of us, right?

And, Now, Back to the Fun…

Mark Noonan30 Comments

Yesterday was an experiment and it will become permanent. I spent a day away from the Internet. No Facebook, no Twitter, no reading the news. It was wonderful. I’m thinking that I’ll give up the internet for Lent. Really, boys and girls, if you don’t do it, already, then make it part of your life: unplug from time to time. The ‘net has become like the TV in 1984.

Anyways…

John Kerry says that Iran isn’t allowed to use the bucket of money we’re giving them for terrorist operations. I’m sure you’ll all sleep soundly tonight.

Trump really messed up on his comments about McCain. I’ve got lots of problems with McCain. I hope he draws a TEA Party challenger. I think he’s often a bit of a jerk in the demeaning way he deals with GOP base. But, no matter how you slice it, McCain is a war hero. The recent poll showing Trump leading the primary field nationwide had a little tid-bit in it for the detail-minded: the day after Trump’s insulting comment broke, his support dropped like a rock. He won’t win a single primary and he’ll never be President.

Monk Rock? Well, we Catholics are rather dangerous, transgressive outsiders these days…

Saudi’s threaten military action against Iran. So, Obama has fundamentally transformed us – it is not backwards, corrupt monarchies taking a stand for decency in the world instead of the United States.

The Democrat party has decided that writing off the elderly vote is best – Obama Administration proposes to deny self-defense rights to people on Social Security if third party’s handle their bills.

Walker up by 9 in Iowa. Walker wins Iowa, NH and SC, he’s the GOP nominee.

Out and About on a Friday – and Saturday and Sunday…

Mark Noonan24 Comments

You know, just to keep things going.

Ok, so criminal justice reform is getting more front-burner. A genuinely bi-partisan group of people is looking for ways to reform our broken system. What I’d like:

End jail time for small time possession of illegal drugs. Anything less than a few ounces, maybe write the guy a ticket. No more jail time for failure to pay fines. End civil asset forfeiture. No more three strikes laws. Civil penalties for prosecutors who convict the innocent, or do fishing expeditions like the “Jon Doe” investigation in Wisconsin.

That would be a good start.

China seems to be dumping US Treasuries.

Women and minorities are obtaining concealed carry permits – a lot of concealed carry permits. Liberals won’t know what to do about this. As for us – it just means that, in the long run, a lot of women and minorities will eventually be voting conservative.

The guy who killed our Marines here at home spent a lot of time over in the Middle East. Someone please tell me why we allow easy travel between the Middle East and the United States.

Obama’s approval rating is 44.7%. Just keep in mind that it is very hard for a party to out-do it’s President’s approval rating on election day. To depress you, maybe what happens is Trump goes Perot next year and the final result is Hillary, 45%, Walker 42%, Trump 13%.

I actually spent some time reading the Iran deal. It is just terrible, as you suspected. Of course, people can read it different ways…I read it like an Iranian mullah who wants to do whatever he pleases. In that reading Iran…gets to do whatever it pleases. Seriously. 24 day waiting period for inspections. We not only have to lift sanctions, but help Iran gain market share and stamp on any State or local government which doesn’t want to do business with Iran. We have to give them scientific help of the best sort. And we have to obey the “spirit” of the deal – which is undefined. And if there’s a dispute about the implementation of the deal then we have 35 days to see it Iran’s way and if we don’t, then the deal binds us to see it Iran’s way. This isn’t diplomacy – this is Obama helping Iran to become the dominant power of the Middle East and pretending that he’s just making a nuke deal.

We are becoming a nation of cowards.

Hillary ain’t too popular.

From quiet homes and first beginning, out to the undiscovered ends, there’s nothing worth the wear of winning, but laughter and the love of friends. – Hilaire Belloc

Scott Walker? Yeah, Just Like Hitler…

Mark Noonan18 Comments

From The College Fix:

University of Wisconsin sociology Professor Sara Goldrick-Rab claims there are “terrifying” psychological similarities between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Nazi leader and mass murderer Adolf Hitler.

In a July 1 tweet, Goldrick-Rab said: “My grandfather, a psychologist, just walked me through similarities between Walker and Hitler. There are so many-it’s terrifying.”…

Indeed, it is uncanny how much they are alike – given that Walker, just like Hitler, has worked hard his whole life, got married, has a normal family, doesn’t blame Jews for anything and is dedicated to working within our democratic republican institutions to effect change. How did we all miss the similarities?

The reality is that she’s a college professor with tenure – and Walker just signed a budget which stops tenure from being a life-long guarantee of employment no matter how stupid or lunatic you turn out to be. Naturally, Progressives are outraged by this. If you ever wondered why our institutions of higher education have become a morass of anti-American, anti-Christian and anti-civilization twaddle while also devolving into fascist enclaves where you are guilty until proven innocent, look no further than tenure. Once our Progressives got themselves set up with tenure, they could do as they pleased in higher education…and ending tenure is key to terminating the Progressive domination of higher education.

The hyperbole in the left about Walker stems from the fact that quietly, without fanfare and entirely in line with common sense backed by a majority of the people, he is devastating the left’s sources of power in the United States…which are all, bottom line, based upon getting into government or quasi-government positions and essentially using taxpayer dollars to undermine the United States. The left hates Walker with a white-hot passion because of this…and people who work themselves into such a state make mistakes. This, in and of itself, is a strong endorsement of a Walker candidacy for President – our opponents will do stupid things which will alienate LIVs.

On the other side of it, here’s a positive reason for us to go for Walker – he’s actually destroying the left. I still don’t know if it is a conscious plan which he’s just not telegraphing in advance or whether its just a desire on Walker’s part for common-sense reform. But whatever is making Walker take these actions, the actions are tailor-made to not just beat the left at the polls, but eliminate them from the political equation, in the long run. Some on th right are worried about Walker’s waffling on things like immigration reform and ethanol subsidies – but I’m starting to wonder if Walker just knows how to play the game and, once in office, just does what is right?

Moloch Lives

Mark Noonan15 Comments

This is vile:

An anti-abortion group on Tuesday released an undercover video of an executive at Planned Parenthood sipping red wine while discussing in graphic detail how to abort a fetus to preserve its organs for medical research — and also the costs associated with sharing that tissue with scientists.

The video, filmed by a group called the Center for Medical Progress, threatens to reignite a long-standing debate over the use of fetal tissue harvested through abortions, and could add fuel to efforts seeking to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy…

Planned Parenthood is claiming that this is all done with permission from the victims and that they don’t profit off it. But, all that is just bull. If someone gives you money for something, you certainly aren’t losing money from the deal…and as the video shows the PP doctor going into detail about how careful they are to kill in a manner which preserves body parts, it is highly unlikely there is no profit involved (you simply wouldn’t work that hard at a thing unless there’s a payday at the end of it). Do keep in mind that the PP doctor was having a nice meal while discussing the horrific practice…new idea for a movie: Breakfast at Mengele’s.

This should cause an immediate end to any government funding of Planned Parenthood, but I also urge people not to get too hung up just on that organization. They are not instigators of the modern barbarism but just an effect of it. And just you wait – with assisted suicide rolling down the line, we’ll be harvesting organs from the elderly, ill and depressed in short order. This is what comes of a society which does not hold to the sanctity of human life. If you wonder why our free speech and freedom of religion is under attack, look no further than the attitude which allows elective abortion and assisted suicide. If human life is contingent upon the convenience of others, then it is nothing to destroy their freedom of speech and conscience.

Abortion was, is and always will be the most important issue – if we can’t protect the lives of children, then we can’t protect anyone’s life. If the life of a child is worthless, then all our lives are worthless. This is why the conservative movement must never, ever give up on the life issue. It is the key to all things – if we can’t defend life, then we are defending nothing at all.

Out and About on a Saturday

Mark Noonan24 Comments

The longer I live the more convinced I become that any concentration of power or wealth is a threat to human liberty. I can’t say I’ve got the answers to how to fix the problem, but our Constitution provides a framework for making sure that no one gets on top of another in any long-term manner…but we on the right need to seriously and deeply consider just how we will change the Constitution when we obtain power (and we will: eventually, these Progressive nitwits will wreck everything and we’ll be called in to repair the world). Term limits (everyone who goes into politics long enough gets captured by the system…so don’t let anyone be there that long); strict controls on who is allowed to spend government money; beefed up protections for the dissenters…such things need to be built into our laws; and now that we’ve learned a few lessons, built in such a way that the con-artists will have a difficult time dismantling what we put in place.

What Media Bias? Part 200 – CNN blames the GOP for Archuleta being in charge of OPM:

…When she won Senate confirmation to lead the Office of Personnel Management, the chief objections from lawmakers who voted against her focused on Obamacare.

That was October, 2013, and the 62-35 vote reflected the political concerns at the time about how the agency, which serves as the federal government’s HR department, would implement parts of the health care law opposed by Republicans…

…Less attention focused on the agency’s role in handling government security clearances and how it safeguards some of the most sensitive U.S. government databases.

Even less was paid to why Archuleta — whose most recent job was as a national political director for Obama for America, the President’s reelection campaign — was the person to help fix what was an agency already struggling to deal with technology problems and serious data breaches.

Aides to Republican lawmakers who voted for her confirmation now acknowledge they didn’t pay enough attention to the importance of technology in the agency Archuleta was taking over…

One, small fact: the Senate was in Democrat hands when Archuleta was confirmed. 35 GOPers voted against her. All 55 Democrats voted for her. Even if all 45 GOPers in the Senate at that time voted “no” she still would have been confirmed. She’s a Democrat political hack put into office by Obama and a supine, then-Democrat-controlled Senate…and CNN wants LIV to believe that somehow the GOP failed here.

Does the United States need an exorcism? I’m no theologian – but, what the heck: give it a try.

South Carolina Republicans removed the Confederate Battle Flag from the State House today. It must be noted that Democrats put it there and Democrats never made a move to remove it.

The South Carolina shooter obtained his firearm via a loophole in the law – this loophole is called The Miserably Incompetent Big Government loophole. According to Progs, it can only be fixed by making the government bigger and more incompetent.

Everyone is agog over Fox’s Megyn Kelly calling out Obama on not commenting on the murder of Kate Steinle by an illegal immigrant in a sanctuary city. I guess it is nice that someone mentioned it, but it is also quite pointless. Obama isn’t commenting on it because no comment he can make will work to his political advantage. So, it becomes a non-event – and next week we’ll move on to the next story and in a month or two Obama will be back on the hustings pressing for “comprehensive immigration reform”. Fighting Obama in the political arena is not about calling him out on his dishonesty – it is about actually fighting him. Until someone steps up and says “no” to him, we’re just spinning our wheels.

A World Flying Out of Control

Mark Noonan13 Comments

I suggested that the Chinese government would just order their money bags to stay in the market – and I was right:

China’s securities regulator banned major shareholders, corporate executives and directors from selling stakes in listed companies for six months, its latest effort to stop the nation’s $3.5 trillion stock-market rout.

Oddly enough, right about the time this order came down the line, the New York Stock Exchange had a “technical glitch”, halting trading for a few hours. Don’t you just love completely unrelated coincidences? I know I do.

Obama may just give up on setting a dead line for the Iranians to agree to a nuke deal – I guess he figures it will take them a while to figure out just how much Obama is willing to surrender and he’s kindly giving them time to expand their wish list.

Greece is asking for a three year stay on financial execution – because if the EU just shovels more cash at Greece they’re sure to reform. Right?

Because the world is so peaceful, the Army has unveiled plans to reduce our active forces by 40,000 troops.

Russia and China are getting more buddy-buddy all the time. This is amazingly stupid on the part of Russia because only in alliance with the United States can Russia hang on to Siberia in the long term…but, meanwhile, this budding alliance is a threat to the United States. Which makes our Army reductions even more sensible. Right?

The murder rate in Baltimore has skyrocketed – so the mayor of Baltimore has fired the chief of police because Reasons.

A judge is really upset at the way the Obama Administration has just ignored court orders, lied to him and essentially gone off in a lawless manner on Obama’s amnesty program. He has ordered the offending officials to appear personally in court to explain why they shouldn’t be held in contempt of court. Problem is, these guys are already breaking the law – I doubt they’ll mind breaking it, again, by not showing up as the judge has ordered. Here’s a little secret for you, boys and girls, the Judicial can only enforce its decrees with the voluntary cooperation of the Executive…in other words, all Judicial decisions are just words on paper unless the Executive decides to give force to them. To be sure, the Executive should obey Judicial orders, but if the Executive doesn’t, the only recourse is for the Legislative to impeach the Executive, which will never happen. Our government only works when people obey the rules. Welcome to a government which doesn’t obey the rules.

ISIS is crucifying people for not obeying the requirements of Ramadan. Once again, glad or Army is being reduced by 40,000 troops.

Israel and India are drawing together – faced with a lot of the same enemies, they probably figure this will be useful…and as neither of them can count on American support…

Everyone hates Donald Trump these days. He’s a blowhard. A clown. He doesn’t do politics right. To be sure, he’s not my choice for President, but the man does have guts. He’s actually losing deals and money because he’s taking a stand. Maybe it’s the wrong stand (remember: I’m the pro-amnesty guy), but he’s taking it…a little courage is refreshing. And single-handed he has taken the discussion on illegal immigration away from the “DREAMers” and put it squarely where it belongs – on the astonishing level of criminality surrounding illegal immigration. No one really has a word to say against someone who is coming to get a job – but because we allow illegal immigration – because, that is, we’re refusing to enforce our own laws – the law-breakers have completely taken over. That horrid murder in San Francisco (by an illegal immigrant, with an illegally-obtained weapon, in a gun-free zone, in a Sanctuary City) has, I think, started to focus the public mind on the real problem – and Trump was out in front on it. The GOP should stop jumping on Trump and start challenging Democrats over their lack of support for border security.

Remain Calm: All is Well!

Mark Noonan6 Comments

Just had to put this up from Zero Hedge:

China Bans Use Of Terms “Equity Disaster” And “Rescue The Market”

…And so, with every attempt to manipulate the (Chinese) market higher falling flat in the face of selling pressure from the hairdresser/ farmer/ banana vendor day trading crowd (which has now thrown in the towel on the whole “it’s easier than farm work” theory and now just wants to break even and head for the hills) the only thing left for China to do is “fix” the narrative.

In other words, when banning selling doesn’t work, the logical next step is to ban talking about selling…

…So apparently, Beijing will now prevent journalists from accidentally jawboning the market lower so that Party mouthpiece media outlets are free to jawbone the market higher.

Needless to say, we doubt if this hail Mary attempt to rescue the market will do anything at all to save China from its homemade equity disaster.

Indeed. I haven’t paid too much attention to the market slide in China because I just figured the Chinese government would order stocks to go higher – telling the money bags in China that they’d better buy or else, ya dig? But if China’s market has got a huge number of small traders who are now getting burned…well, you can shoot a dozen bankers who don’t cooperate: its a much more difficult prospect to shoot 100,000 small investors who are bailing out.

There is one thing I do know about markets – when average folks start borrowing money to invest in it because it will always go higher, then it is crash time.  We’ll see how this plays out – but China has already lost $3 trillion in stock value since June…ain’t looking too pretty.