The Hurt Locker Beats Dances With Smurfs For The Best Picture Oscar

March 8th, 2010

An outcome I found quite gratifying. (Especially since The Hurt Locker is actually a very good movie.) I’m not the only one to think so.

So let’s see: Every time Hollywood makes a film that shows American soldiers as heroes fighting difficult wars (The Hurt Locker, Black Hawk Down), they make money. Every time Hollywood makes a film depicting U.S. troops as bloodthirsty psychopaths (Redacted, Home of the Brave, etc.), they don’t just lose money, they hemorrhage it.

Is it possible for Hollywood to figure out that left-wing anti-war films with American troops as the villains don’t sell? (At least not unless you put tall blue aliens in as they good guys.) It’s probably too much to ask…

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Posted in Media Watch | No Comments »

Oh no! Not an ad in The New York Times! We’re DOOOOMED!

March 6th, 2010

Via Instapundit comes word that proponents of anthropogenic global warming are getting tired of all that annoying skepticism over tiny little things like “missing data,” “corrupted peer review processes” and “stuff just made up out of thin air.” And they’re not going to stand for it any more! They’re going to hit back at those skeptics hard, real hard! They’re going to (brace yourself for this) take out an ad in The New York Times!

Oh no, not The New York Times! Not that! Just imagine the impact that will have on the 3% of the NYT readership that doesn’t already believe in global warming! It’s like trying to influence the NRA by threatening to take out an ad against them in the local vegetarian newsletter.

But on reflection, a global warming ad isn’t designed to change minds the minds of skeptics any more than a papal encyclical on original sin is designed to sway the mind of Christopher Hitchins. It’s designed to reassure the global warming faithful that the high priests of AGW will fight to maintain the faith, and that unbelievers and heretics will be punished. For that, The New York Times is the perfect vehicle.

They’re not trying to convince the other side. They’re preaching to the chorus.

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Posted in Global Warming, Media Watch | No Comments »

More on Perry’s Victory

March 3rd, 2010

This Michael Barone piece shows Perry beating Hutchison pretty much everywhere, but racking up a particularly large margin in metro-Houston, which would seem to bode well for defeating former Houston Mayor Bill White in November.

Updated: A piece from Kevin Williamson in NRO on Perry’s victory. I think he overstates the Ron Paul component of the Tea Party. (I also think most Paul supporters themselves were less wedded to his fringe isolationist and conspiracy theory views than they were with his populist anger at the GOP establishment that had abandoned conservative principles of fiscal discipline in favor of pork-fueled cronyism.)

Updated 2 From Danny Huddleston at American Thinker: “Note to all Republicans running for office anywhere in America, stick to Reagan conservatism and you will win. Contrary to popular belief independents don’t want moderate candidates, they want authentic candidates with core values.”

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Posted in Elections, Republicans, Texas | No Comments »

Instant Analysis: Why Perry Beat Hutchison Like A Rented Mule

March 2nd, 2010

As of now, just after 10 PM, Perry is winning big enough to avoid a run-off, and Hutchison conceded. That was the exact opposite of what most pundits predicted when Hutchison got into the race 18 months ago. After all, Perry was considered by many (including many conservatives) to be, not to put too fine a point on it, an asshole. He built up a reputation for cronyism with the attempted Trans-Texas Corridor land grab and the vaccine fiasco, both of which involved former aides. His love of toll roads (even converting existing, paid-for roads into toll roads) rubbed many Texans the wrong way. His veto of the post-Kelo eminent domain reform HB 2006 pissed off still more people, many of whom view the later 2009 Constitutional Amendments addressing the issue (Proposition 2, Proposition 3) as weak substitutes.

But in the end, none of that mattered. As many commentators noted, Hutchison’s best day was the day she announced, and it’s been downhill ever since. Why? Many reasons, but here are a few of the main ones:

  1. Perry ran a much better campaign, running hard and never letting up. Hutchison expected people to vote for her because she was popular (routinely racking up 65% of the vote in general elections) and wasn’t Rick Perry. Perry asked for people to vote for him because he was conservative.

  2. For all his numerous missteps, Perry has actually gotten the big picture right: keeping the budget balanced, refusing to even consider a state income tax, and generally not screwing up the Texas economy. Even in today’s serious recession, Texas running rings around high-tax states like California. Perry deserves real credit for that.
  3. In a year when outrage against big-spending in Washington is at a rolling boil, Perry was able to successfully paint Hutchison as a Washington insider, a task made easier by Hutchison’s unapologetic defense of earmarking. He was able to do this because, while Hutchison’s voting record is conservative by the standards of the U.S. Senate, it’s not particularly conservative by the standards of Texas. There’s always been a suspicion by many rank and file Texas Republicans that Hutchison is a little bit of a “squishy” conservative, much like George W. Bush, who was dinged by conservatives numerous times for his free-spending ways.
  4. Perry constantly courted Tea Party activists despite the presence of Tea Party favorite Debra Medina in the race. As an energetic and widespread movement, the Tea Party voters he was able to win away from Medina probably put him over the top.

There are many other reasons, but running the best campaign, and as more conservative than Hutchison in a very conservative year, was enough to clinch the deal for Perry.

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Posted in Elections, Republicans, Texas | No Comments »

Republican Primary on Tuesday, March 2: State Senate District 5, Ogden vs. Bius

March 1st, 2010

The State Senate District 5 race pits incumbent Steve Ogden vs. challenger Ben Bius.

Some news articles on the race:

  • A Statesmen article. Ogden’s semi-slam of the Tea Party movement doesn’t exactly endear himself to me. Yes, I’m sure you can find some Perot and Ron Paul supporters among it’s ranks, but to suggest it’s entirely made up of them is both unwise and politically tone-deaf.
  • The Bryan/College Station Eagle.
  • The Texas Tribune. It seems in the week between the Statesman article and this one, someone gave Odgen a clue-by-four, as he’s reined in his Tea Party criticisms.

I am irritated by the fact that Ogden’s campaign website features no obvious link for “issues” or “positions.” You would think that would be a pretty fundamental requirement when you’re running for office. Maybe Ogden thinks he’s above such things.

Ogden is no liberal; he’s been endorsed by the Young Conservative of Texas, among others. But he has been playing up the “old experienced hand” angle. (“Look at me! I’m an insider!”) He also voted against allowing concealed carry on college campuses, and initially supported Rick Perry’s Trans-Texas Corridor boondoggle.

Bius is generally good on the issues, but I don’t like the fact that he brags about his conservative, budget-cutting ways, then turns around and slags Ogden for derailing a retired teacher cost-of-living adjustment. “I’m for controlling spending, except when it costs me votes.” On the other hand, he gets points for making the ending of inter-generational welfare dependency a centerpiece of his campaign.

If the Statesman article is to be believed, Ogden has raised about 100x as much campaign money as Bius, which would suggest he’s a shoe-in. However, it’s a bad year for clueless Republican incumbents to dismiss Tea Party voters. Right now I’m leaning toward Bius as being the more conservative candidate.

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Posted in Elections, Republicans, Texas | 1 Comment »

Republican Primary on Tuesday, March 2nd: House District 52

February 28th, 2010

Another election season is upon us. If you’re anything like me, down-ballot local races don’t get a lot of my attention until the election is nearly upon me. As partial recompense, I’ll try to through up a few links to southern Williamson County races, starting with Texas House District 52.

Here’s an overview of all Williamson County races from the people at Impact News (which provides a surprisingly good free monthly newspaper).

Here are links to the issue pages of the four candidates respective websites:

And here are some resource links on the race:

Quick and Dirty Analysis: Gonzales is probably the closest to an “insider” in the race, having garnered the most endorsements, and he and Gordon (running as the Christian/social conservative “values I learned from my father” candidate) have raised the most money. Alyssa Eacono and Stephen Casey are somewhat policy wonkish longshots. Right now I’m sort of leaning toward Casey, in the full expectation that he’ll get slaughtered in the primary. My guess would be Gonzales either wins outright or goes to a runoff with Gordon. All would be a vast improvement over Democratic incumbent Diana Maldonado.

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Mark Steyn on The Greek’s Welfare State Tragedy (And Our Own)

February 28th, 2010

I’ve talked about the problems facing countries like Greece and Spain before.

The problem with this Mark Steyn piece isn’t what to quote, but rather what not to quote. It’s filled with the usual Steyn pith, vigor, and remorseless demographic logic.

While President Obama was making his latest pitch for a brand new, even more unsustainable entitlement at the health care “summit,” thousands of Greeks took to the streets to riot. An enterprising cable network might have shown the two scenes on a continuous split screen – because they’re part of the same story. It’s just that Greece is a little further along in the plot: They’re at the point where the canoe is about to plunge over the falls. America is further upstream and can still pull for shore, but has decided instead that what it needs to do is catch up with the Greek canoe. Chapter One (the introduction of unsustainable entitlements) leads eventually to Chapter 20 (total societal collapse): The Greeks are at Chapter 17 or 18.

What’s happening in the developed world today isn’t so very hard to understand: The 20th century Bismarckian welfare state has run out of people to stick it to. In America, the feckless insatiable boobs in Washington, Sacramento, Albany and elsewhere are screwing over our kids and grandkids. In Europe, they’ve reached the next stage in social democratic evolution: There are no kids or grandkids to screw over.

Snippage.

So you can’t borrow against the future because, in the most basic sense, you don’t have one. Greeks in the public sector retire at 58, which sounds great. But, when 10 grandparents have four grandchildren, who pays for you to spend the last third of your adult life loafing around?

Snippage.

When seeking to ingratiate himself with conservative audiences, President Ford liked to say: “A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.” Which is true enough. But there’s an intermediate stage: A government big enough to give you everything you want isn’t big enough to get you to give any of it back. That’s the point Greece is at. Its socialist government has been forced into supporting a package of austerity measures. The Greek people’s response is: Nuts to that. Public sector workers have succeeded in redefining time itself: Every year, they receive 14 monthly payments. You do the math. And for about seven months’ work – for many of them the workday ends at 2:30 p.m. When they retire, they get 14 monthly pension payments. In other words: Economic reality is not my problem. I want my benefits. And, if it bankrupts the entire state a generation from now, who cares as long as they keep the checks coming until I croak?

We hard-hearted, small-government guys are often damned as selfish types who care nothing for the general welfare. But, as the Greek protests make plain, nothing makes an individual more selfish than the socially equitable communitarianism of big government. Once a chap’s enjoying the fruits of government health care, government-paid vacation, government-funded early retirement, and all the rest, he couldn’t give a hoot about the general societal interest. He’s got his, and to hell with everyone else. People’s sense of entitlement endures long after the entitlement has ceased to make sense.

Read the whole thing.

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Posted in Economics, Foreign Policy, Welfare State | No Comments »

Vulnerable Congressmen Who Voted For ObamaCare

February 24th, 2010

I’d been meaning to compile a list of vulnerable Democratic congressmen who voted for ObamaCare. I was going to carefully study each, look at the voting and demographic statistics for their district, and then carefully determine which would be the best to target for voting against ObamaCare or, if that didn’t work, to target for unseating this fall.

And then an email from the anti-ObamaCare group Take Back Medicine landed in my inbox that already had a list of vulnerable and targeted incumbents, which evidently originated with political Mercenary of Moderation Dick Morris.

Well, what can I say? I’m a busy man. I’m also lazy.

So here’s their list, complete with exclamation points after the phone numbers. (Remember, if you live outside the Congressman’s district, don’t bother calling, as chances are they won’t give you the time of day.)

Vulnerable Congressmen Who Voted for Obamacare The First Time Around

Arizona:
Harry Mitchell (Phoenix suburbs) Call (202) 225-2190!
Gabrielle Giffords (Tucson) Call (202) 225-2542!
Ann Kirkpatrick (most of rural Arizona, NE part of state) Call (202) 225-2315!

California:
Jerry McNerney (Stockton and Pleasanton) Call (202) 225-1947!

Colorado:
John Salazar (Pueblo) Call 202-225-4761!

Connecticut:
Jim Hines (Fairfield County) Call (202) 225-5541!

Florida:
Alan Grayson (Orlando) Call (202) 225-2176!

Illinois:
Bill Foster (Dixon, Batavia, and Geneseo) Call (202) 225-2976!

Indiana:
Baron Hill (from Kentucky border up to Bloomington) Call (202) 225-3011!

Louisana:
Joseph Cao Call (202) 225-6636!

Michigan:
Mark Schauer (Branch, Calhoun, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee & Washtenaw counties) Call (202) 225-6276!
Gary Peters (Oakland County) Call (202) 225-5802!

Nevada:
Dina Titus (Las Vegas) Call (202) 225-3252!

New Hampshire:
Carol Shea-Porter (Portsmouth, Manchester, Lakes Region) Call (202) 225-5456!

New York:
Tim Bishop (Suffolk County) Call (202) 225-3826!
John Hall (Northern Westchester) Call (202) 225-5441!
Bill Owens (Plattsburgh up along Vermont border to Canada) Call (202) 225-4611!
Mike Arcuri (Utica and south central NY) Call (202)225-3665!
Dan Maffei (Syracuse) Call (202) 225-3701!

North Dakota:
Earl Pomneroy (at large) Call (202) 225-2611!

Ohio:
Steven Driehaus (Cincinnati west to Indiana border) Call (202) 225-2216!
Mary Jo Kilroy (Columbus and west to Indiana border) Call (202) 225-2015!
Zach Space (Dover, Zanesville, Chillicothe) Call (202) 225-6265!

Pennsylvania:
Kathy Dahlkemper (Erie) Call (202) 225-5406!
Patrick Murphy (Bucks County) Call (202) 225-4276!
Christopher Carney (NE Penn) Call (202) 225-3731!
Paul Kanjorski (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre) Call 202-225-6511!

South Carolina:
John Spratt (rural SC between Columbia and Charlotte) Call (202) 225-5501!

Virginia:
Tom Perriello (Charlottesville, Bedford, Timberlake, Martinsville & Danville) Call (202) 225-4711!

West Virginia:
Alan Mollohan (Wheeling, Morgantown) Call (202) 225-4172!
Nick Rahall (Huntington) Call (202) 225-3452!

Wisconsin:
Steve Kagen (Green Bay) Call (202) 225-5665!

An Additional List of Congressmen Targeted by the Tea Party

Rep. Michael Arcuri, New York 24th

http://arcuri.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3665, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-1891
Local Office Number: (315) 252-2777/2778, Local Fax Number: (315) 252-2779

Rep. John Boccieri, Ohio, 16th

http://boccieri.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3876, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3059
Local Office Number: (330) 489-4414, Local Fax Number: (330) 489-4448

Rep. Allen Boyd, Florida, 2nd

http://boyd.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5235, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-5615
Local Office Number: (850) 561-3979, Local Fax Number: (850) 681-2902

Rep. Christopher Carney, Pennsylvania, 16th

http://carney.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3731, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-9594
Local Office Number: (570) 585-9988, Local Fax Number: (570) 585-9977

Rep. Gerald “Gerry” Connolly, Virginia, 11th

http://connolly.house.gov/index.html

DC Office Number: (202) 225-1492 DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3071
Local Office Number: (703) 256-3071, Local Fax Number: (703) 354-1284

Rep. Henry Cuellar, Texas 28th

http://cuellar.house.gov/

DC Office Number: 202-225-1640, DC Fax Number: 202-225-1641
Local Office Number: (210) 271-2851, Local Fax Number: (210) 277-6671

Rep. Steve Driehaus, Ohio, 1st

http://driehaus.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2216, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3012
Local Office Number: (513) 684-2723, Local Fax Number: (513) 421-8722

Rep. Chet Edwards, Texas, 17th

http://edwards.house.gov/

DC Office Number: 202-225-6105, DC Fax Number: Fax: 202-225-0350
Local Office Number: (979) 691-8797, Local Fax Number: (979) 691-8939

Rep. Brad Ellsworth, Indiana, 8th

http://www.ellsworth.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4636, DC Office Fax: (202) 225-3284
Local Office Number: (812) 465-6484, Local Fax Number: (812) 422-4761

Rep. Bob Etheridge, North Carolina, 2nd

http://etheridge.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4531
Local Office Number: (919) 829-9122

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona, 8th

http://giffords.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2542, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-0378
Local Office Number: (520) 881-3588, Local Fax Number: (520) 322-9490

Rep. Deborah “Debbie” Halvorson, Illinois, 11th

http://halvorson.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3635, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3521
Local Office Number: (815) 726-4998, Local Fax Number: (815) 726-8024

Rep. Paul W. Hodes, New Hampshire, 2nd

http://hodes.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5206, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-2946
Local Office Phone: (603) 223-9814, Local Fax Number: (603) 223-9819

Rep. Jay Inslee, Washington, 1st

http://www.house.gov/inslee/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-6311, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-1606
Local Office Number: (360) 598-2342, Local Fax Number: (360) 598-3650

Rep. Paul Kanjorski, Pennsylvania, 11th

http://kanjorski.house.gov/

DC Office Number: 202-225-6511, DC Fax Number: 202-225-0764
Local Office Number: 570-825-2200, Local Fax Number: 570-825-8685

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Ohio, 9th

http://www.kaptur.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4146, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-7711
Local Office Number: (419) 259-7500, Local Fax Number: (419) 255-9623

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona, 1st

http://kirkpatrick.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2315, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-9739
Local Office Number: (928) 226-6914, Local Fax Number: (928) 226-2876

Rep. Ron Klein, Florida, 22nd

http://www.klein.house.gov/index.html

DC Office Number: (202) 225.3026, DC Fax Number: (202) 225.8398
Local Office Number: (561) 544-6910, Local Fax Number: (561) 544-2864

Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, Florida, 24th

http://www.kosmas.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2706, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-6299
Local Office Number: (407) 208-1106, Local Fax Number: (407) 208-1108

Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio 10th

http://kucinich.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5871
Local Office Number: (216) 228-8850

Rep. Jim Langevin, Rhode Island, 2nd

http://langevin.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2735, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-5976
Local Office Number: (401) 732-9400, Local Fax Number: (401) 737-2982

Rep. Stephen Lynch, Massachusetts, 9th

http://www.house.gov/lynch/

DC Office Number: 202-225-8273, DC Fax Number: 202-225-3984
Local Office Number: 617-428-2000, Local Office Fax: 617-428-2011

Rep. Daniel B. Maffei, New York, 25th

http://maffei.house.gov/

DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3701, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-4042
Local Office Number: (315) 423-5657, Local Fax Number: (315) 423-5669

Rep. Ed Markey, Massachusetts, 7th

http://markey.house.gov/

DC Office Number: 202-225-2836
Local Office Number: 781-396-2900

Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, West Virginia, 1st

http://www.mollohan.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4172, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-7564
Local Office Number: (304) 292-3019, Local Fax Number: (304) 292-3027

Rep. John Murtha, Pennsylvania, 12th

http://www.murtha.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2065, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-5709
Local Office Number: (814) 535-2642, Local Fax Number: (814) 539-6229

Rep. Glenn C. Nye III, Virginia, 2nd

http://nye.house.gov/index.html

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4215, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-4218
Local Office Number: (757) 326-6201, Fax: (757) 326-6209

Rep. Tom Perriello, Virginia, 5th

http://perriello.house.gov/index.html

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4711, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-5681
Local Office Number: (434) 293-9631, Local Fax Number: (434) 293-9632

Rep. Gary Peters, Michigan, 9th

http://peters.house.gov/index.html

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5802, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-2356
Local Office Number: (248) 273-4227, Local Fax Number: (248) 273-4704

Rep. Nick Rahall, West Virginia, 3rd

http://www.rahall.house.gov/index.html

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3452
Local Office Number: (304) 325-6222

Rep. Laura Richardson, California, 37th

http://richardson.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-7924, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-7926
District Office Number: (202) 225-7924, District Fax Number: (202) 225-7926

Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, Texas 23rd

http://www.rodriguez.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4511, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-2237
Local Office Number: (830) 757-8398, Local Fax Number: (830) 752-1893

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland, 2nd

http://dutch.house.gov/

DC Office Number: 202-225-3061, DC Fax Number: 202-225-3094
Local Office Number: 410-628-2701, Local Fax Number: 410-628-2708

Rep. Linda Sanchez, California, 39th

http://lindasanchez.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-6676
Local Office Number: (562) 860-5050

Rep. Kurt Schrader, Oregon, 5th

http://schrader.house.gov/index.html

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5711, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-5699
Local Office Number: (503) 588-9100, Local Fax Number: (503) 588-5517

Rep. David Scott, Georgia, 13th

http://davidscott.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2939, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-4628
Local Office Number: (770) 210-5073, Local Fax Number: (770) 210-5673

Rep. Adam Smith, Washington, 9th

http://adamsmith.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-8901
Local Office Number: (253) 593-6600, Local Fax Number: (253) 593-6776

Rep. Peter Visclosky, Indiana, 1st

http://www.house.gov/visclosky/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2461, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-2493
Local Office Number: (219) 795-1844, DC Fax Number: (219) 795-1850

Rep. David Wu, Oregon, 1st

http://www.house.gov/wu/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-0855, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-9497
Local Office Number: (503) 326-2901, Local Fax Number: (503) 326-5066

Rep. John Adler, New Jersey 3rd

http://adler.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4765, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-0778
Local Office Number: (732) 608-7235, Local Fax Number: (732) 608-7268

Rep. Jason Altmire, Pennsylvania 4th

http://www.altmire.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2565, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-2274
Local Office Number: (724) 378-0928, Local Fax Number: (724) 378-6171

Rep. Brian Baird, Washington 3rd

http://www.baird.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3536, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-2478
Local Office Number: (360) 695-6292, Local Fax Number: (360) 695-6197

Rep. John Barrow, Georgia 12th

http://www.barrow.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2823, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3377
Local Office Number: (706) 722-4494, Local Fax Number: (706) 722-4496

Rep. Melissa Bean, Illinois 8th

http://www.house.gov/bean/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3711, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-7830
Local Office Number: (847) 517-2927, Local Fax Number: (847) 517-2931

Rep. Marion Berry, Arkansas 1st

http://www.house.gov/berry/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4076, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-5602
Local Office Number: (870) 972-4600, Local Fax Number: (870) 972-4605

Rep. Rick Boucher, Virginia 9th

http://www.boucher.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3861, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-0442
Local Office Number: (276) 628-1145

Rep. Dennis Cardoza, California 18th

http://www.house.gov/cardoza/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-6131, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-0819
Local Office Number: (209) 383-4455, Local Fax Number: (209) 726-1065

Rep. Travis Childers, Mississippi 1st

http://childers.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4306, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3549
Local Office Number: (662) 841-8808, Local Fax Number: (662) 841-8845

Rep. Jim Costa, California 20th

http://www.house.gov/costa/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3341, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-9308
Local Office Number: (559) 495-1620, Local Fax Number: (559) 495-1027

Rep. Artur Davis, Alabama 7th

http://www.house.gov/arturdavis/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2665, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-9567
Local Office Number: (205) 752-5380, Local Fax Number: (205) 752-5899

Rep. Joe Donnelly, Indiana 2nd

http://donnelly.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3915, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-6798
Local Office Number: (574) 288-2780, Local Fax Number: (574) 288-2825

Rep. Parker Griffith, Alabama 5th

http://griffith.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4801, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-4392
Local Office Number: (256) 551-0190, Local Fax Number: (256) 551-0194

Rep. Baron Hill, Indiana 9th

http://baronhill.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5315, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-6866
Local Office Number: (812) 288-3999, Local Fax Number: (812) 288-3873

Rep. Steve Kagen, Wisconsin 8th

http://kagen.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5655, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-5729
Local Office Number: (920) 437-1954, Local Fax Number: (920) 437-1978

Rep. Daniel Lipinski, Illinois 3rd

http://www.lipinski.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5701, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-1012
Local Office Number: (312) 886-0481, Local Fax Number: (773) 767-9395

Rep. Jim Marshall, Georgia 8th

http://jimmarshall.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-6531, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-3013
Local Office Number: (478) 464-0255, Local Fax Number: (478) 464-0277

Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah 2nd

http://www.house.gov/matheson/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3011, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-5638
Local Office Number: (801) 486-1236, Local Fax Number: (801) 486-1417

Rep. Michael E. McMahon, New York 13th

http://mcmahon.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3371, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-1272
Local Office Number: (718) 351-1062, Local Fax Number: (718) 980-0768

Rep. Michael Michaud, Maine 2nd

http://michaud.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-6306, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-2943
Local Office Number: (207) 942-6935, Local Fax Number: (207) 942-5907

Rep. Harry Mitchell, Arizona 5th

http://mitchell.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2190
Local Office Number: (480) 946-2411

Rep. Collin C. Peterson, Minnesota 7th

http://collinpeterson.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2165, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-1593
Local Office Number: (218) 847-5056

Rep. Mike Ross, Arkansas 4th

http://ross.house.gov/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-3772, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-1314
Local Office Number: (870) 881-0681, Local Fax Number: (870) 881-0683

Rep. Ike Skelton, Missouri 4th

http://www.house.gov/skelton/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-2876
Local Office Number: (816) 228-4242

Rep. Bart Stupak, Michigan 1st

http://www.house.gov/stupak/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-4735, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-4744
Local Office Number: (906) 786-4504, Local Fax Number: (906) 786-4534

Rep. Gene Taylor, Mississippi 4th

http://www.house.gov/genetaylor/

DC Office Number: (202) 225-5772, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-7074
Local Office Number: (228) 864-7670, Local Fax Number: (228) 864-3099

At some point in the future, I still want to examine vulnerable Democratic congressmen in more detail, but defeating ObamaCare has to come first.

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Posted in Democrats, ObamaCare | No Comments »

Congressman John Carter (R-Texas 31) on Obama’s “New” ObamaCare proposal

February 22nd, 2010

Since the Warlord of Mars is my own congressmen, I thought I would link to his most recent statement on ObamaCare, especially since it’s nicely concise and pungent:

There is no point, and great danger, in attempting to talk with President Obama about healthcare reform until he first agrees that the House and Senate healthcare bills are dead.

Republicans have not killed his bills. The American people have rejected them, from their knowledge of the details of the Democrats’ plans. Democrats and the President can’t seem to fathom that the voters of this country are pretty darn smart and very interested in anybody’s plans that include controlling their healthcare and 18 percent of the national economy from Washington. Average voters across the country have actually bothered to read extensively about these proposals, and have reached their own informed conclusions.

This fact is indeed a big pill to swallow for those who believe average Americans spend all their time bitterly clinging to their guns and Bibles.

SNIP

Unless the President agrees in advance to wipe the slate clean and bury the rotting corpse of Democrat healthcare reform, we will really have nothing to talk about.

It’s a good speech, and short, so read the whole thing.

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Posted in ObamaCare, Republicans | No Comments »

Socialism Works Its Usual Magic In Spain

February 21st, 2010

You may have heard about how Greece is fuxored thanks to a combination of high taxes, stagnant economy, restrictive job rules, and widespread tax evasion. Indeed, the sins of the Greeks may be enough to bring the Euro crashing down. It may come down to that, or else getting a bailout from an already-resentful Germany.

Somewhat less reported is the fact that the other members of Europe’s PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain) aren’t doing a whole lot better.

In particular, Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero seems to have worked socialism’s usual magic on Spain’s economy:

Spain now has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union. Nearly 20 percent of working-age Spaniards (or 4.5 million people) were without a job at the beginning of 2010. That compares with an average rate of 10 percent among the 16 countries that use the euro currency.

Spain is also facing an exploding budget deficit. The collapse of the labor market, which has resulted in a steep drop in tax collections, and the Zapatero government’s haphazard (and spendthrift) policy response of increasing unproductive public sector spending skyrocketed the deficit to nearly 12 percent of GDP in 2009 (or five times higher than in 2008).

The combination of negative GDP growth, rising unemployment, and a high deficit has raised concerns about the sustainability of Spain’s finances.

Hmmm: High unemployment, out-of-control spending, a huge budget deficit. Where have I heard that before?

In response to Spain’s economic crises, Zapatero has admitted that his socialist policies were a mistake, and set out a platform for lowering taxes, cutting the budget, an monetary reform.

Ha! Just kidding! He’s ordered Spain’s secret service to hunt for “Anglo-Saxon conspirators” as the cause of Spain’s problems. It’s always easier to scapegoat America than make hard choices, or face the consequences of your own failure.

At this point, I don’t it’s a question of if the Euro will crack, but rather when. Despite Obama’s mismanagement, the basic U.S. economy is still a lot more resilient and flexible than Europe’s. Europe has huge demographic problems combined with an unsustainable welfare state. Combine that with the the anti-democratic elites in Brussels, plus the fact that certain number of nations (the PIGS, certainly, but not limited to them) that are playing fast a loose with the EU’s deficit guidelines, and the chances are good that the Euro will crack sooner rather than later.

And the fallout from that isn’t going to be pretty for the U.S. economy either.

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Posted in Economics, Foreign Policy | 1 Comment »

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