Archive of posts filed under the Obama category.

Getting what you voted for

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With the President ordering the closing of Guantanamo Bay, the question arises: what to do with the prisoners there?

Of course, there are some on the left that think they need to be released. This, despite ongoing reports of former detainees returning to terrorism.

However, let’s assume that the administration recognizes that the bad guys are bad guys and need to be kept locked up somewhere.

Some states are saying they don’t want them. And I agree. I don’t want my state housing them.

But, then again, my state voted for McCain.

I have a solution that ought to make everybody happy: Spread the Guantanamo Bay prisoners around among the states that voted for Obama. I mean, after all, he campaigned on the promise to close Gitmo. So it’s not like they didn’t know he’d do it, right?

Well, it was okay with them if he did. So much so that they voted him into office.

I’m for having those responsible for putting Obama into office having to put up with the consequences.

Here’s the plan: There are, by one count, 245 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. 28 states and the District of Columbia awarded 365 Electoral Votes to Obama.

Spread them out accordingly.

For each Electoral Vote for Obama, a state gets just over 2/3 (0.671) of a prisoner. Here’s the breakdown:

State Electoral Votes Guantanamo Bay
prisoners
California 55 36
Colorado 9 6
Connecticut 7 5
Delaware 3 2
D.C. 3 2
Florida 27 18
Hawaii 4 3
Illinois 21 14
Indiana 11 7
Iowa 7 5
Maine 4 3
Maryland 10 7
Massachusetts 12 8
Michigan 17 11
Minnesota 10 7
Nebraska 1 1
Nevada 5 3
New Hampshire 4 3
New Jersey 15 10
New Mexico 5 3
New York 31 21
North Carolina 15 10
Ohio 20 13
Oregon 7 5
Pennsylvania 21 14
Rhode Island 4 3
Vermont 3 2
Virginia 13 9
Washington 11 7
Wisconsin 10 7
365 245

This could solve all kinds of problems.

I swear…

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January 19, 2009, 2:37 PM EST

President George W. Bush shook the hand of the Chief Justice of the United States.

“Thanks, John. This will save our country,” the President said.

“Thank you, Mr. President,” the Chief Justice replied.

As John Roberts left the Oval Office, the President walked back over to his desk and sat down. He took a deep breath, and a smile crept slowly across his face.

Adjusting his coat, the President picked up the phone and placed a call.

“Dick? George. John’s on board,” the President told the Vice-President. “You’ll let the others know? Good. Thanks.”

He hung up the phone.

January 20, 2009, 12:04 PM EST

John Roberts looked over his notes one last time. He glanced at his watch. The whole process was running late. That was the first change. George W. Bush was a stickler for things being on time.

The applause died down, and Roberts put his notes aside. Standing up, he walked to the podium and faced the tall man standing a few feet away.

“Are you prepared to take the oath, Senator?” the Chief Justice asked.

“I am,” said the junior Senator from Illinois.

The Chief Justice began, “‘I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear …'”

After getting the words wrong, flustering the incoming president, Roberts looked over at the outgoing Chief Executive and gave him a slight smile and nod.

George W. Bush returned the smile and nod, thinking quietly to himself, “One down, fourteen-hundred sixty to go.”

January 21, 2009, 7:34 AM EST

The Chief Justice stood up in the Map Room of the White House and slipped on his robe. He listened as the tall man he had sworn in the day before. He was ready to do his job again, and as planned.

Looking around, he noticed that no Bible was present. This would be easy.

The Constitution allows for that:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

No Bible, yet he’d used the phrase “swear” again, rather than “affirm,” as would be appropriate.

“Are you ready to take the oath?” Roberts asked the new president.

“I am, and we’re going to do it very slowly,” Obama replied.

The Chief Justice began, “‘I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear …'”

January 22, 2009, 6:18 AM CST

George W. Bush, private citizen, placed a call.

“Dad? George,” the former President said. “Yes, sir, it’s going perfect. John did his part Tuesday, and sure enough, Obama was flustered.”

He listened for a moment, then told his father, “Yeah, John did it again yesterday. Didn’t use a Bible. Looks like they borrowed one Tuesday, not for historical effect, but because they don’t own one,” laughing into the receiver.

“Yes, sir. They’ve realized that they’re 0-for-2 on the swearing in. John’s going to be away from the office, so it’ll be tonight before they try a third time. John will do his part. He’ll make sure he gets it wrong every day. We have 1,461 scenarios laid out, one for each day. John’s got them memorized; he has a photographic memory.”

He paused. “Oh, certainly. Obama will be so busy, spending every day for the next four years being sworn in, he won’t have time to do any harm. Hmm? Yes, sir. The plan’s perfect.”

The conversation turned. “How’s Jeb?”

January 22, 2009, 5:41 PM EST

John Roberts walked back into the Map Room, putting the final touches on his robe.

“Let’s get this done. Did you bring a Bible?” Obama asked the Chief Justice.

Roberts handed over a thin book.

“Hmmm,” Obama said, handing it to his wife. “I thought it would be bigger.”

Roberts prepared to give the oath again. “Oh, that? I borrowed it from Mitt Romney.”

All I want for Christmas is…

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Remember the movie A Christmas Story? The main character, Ralphie, wanted “an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time.”

And, at the end of the movie, he got it.

Remember Peggy Joseph? She’s the woman who said that, because of Obama, wouldn’t have to worry about putting gas in her car or have to worry about her mortgage.

She thinks he’s Santa Claus.

Well, so do most Americans, it seems. They voted him as the next president.

In the spirit of those American classics — A Christmas Story and Barack Obama — I’m wondering what you want Obama to bring you for Christmas.

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So how else were we right?

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During the run-up to the recent election, those of us on the right said that an Obama election would be bad in several ways, including for the economy.

And now, Barack Hussein Obama agrees:

In the intervening weeks, the economy has showed clear signs of worsening. Employers said they eliminated more than 500,000 jobs in November alone and retailers reported disappointing holiday-season sales.

“The economy is going to get worse before it gets better,” he said twice in the early moments of the interview, taped Saturday in Chicago.

What else does he now agree with us about?

That he’ll be weak on national defense? That he’ll raise your taxes? That he’ll increase government interference in your life? That he’ll send the country to hell in a handbasket?

I wonder: Regarding Obama, what else we were right about?

Two words

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We all have out quirks.

Some are cute. Some are silly. Some are … aggravating.

Mine? I don’t have quirks. Just my own special way of doing things.

Like taking care about what I say. Words are important. Some people refuse to say certain words. They’ll come up with substitutes for other words.

This is common with profanity. The word “darn” for instance is used by some instead of “damn.”

The TV show Battlestar Galactica came up with the word “frack” (in the 1970s series; it’s “frak” in the current series). It, of course, is used instead of the word … well, you know what word it replaces.

The list goes on and on.

My biggest quirk about words, though, isn’t about finding replacements for curse words. Its about avoiding words that … seem worse.

For instance, there are two words that I’ve never used. And another two words I don’t plan to use.

Oh, I’ve used the words separately. But never together.

In my lifetime, I’ve referred most Presidents by their title and name. But not all.

I never referred to President Eisenhower as such during his presidency. I was too young. Same thing with President Kennedy. I’ve used the phrases “President Eisenhower” and “President Kennedy” but never during their terms in office. Or, at least, if I did, I don’t remember doing it.

But, beginning with President Johnson, I remember using the title with the name. Also with President Nixon, President Ford, President Carter, President Reagan, and President Bush.

With the election of Bill Clinton in 1992, though, I just couldn’t bring myself to say … that phrase.

Really.

I’ve never written it. I’ve never uttered it. I can hardly think it.

During those years, I referred to Bill Clinton either by his name (“Bill Clinton” or “William Jefferson Clinton” depending on the circumstances), or by his title alone. I would say “the President” or “the Commander in Chief” or whatever the circumstances called for.

But I never could bring myself to say … those two words together. That phrase. Still can’t stomach it.

And now, Barack Hussein Obama will likely be elected to the highest office in the land.

When the electors meet in two weeks, it would be very, very, very, very, very unlikely for those pledged to Barack Hussein Obama to do anything other than vote for Barack Hussein Obama. We’ll find out for certain in January, when the votes of the electors are actually opened and counted. I don’t expect a surprise.

Which means that I’ll be spending the next four years using other words to describe the person sitting in the Oval Office.

Right now, I have no problem calling the current office-holder by his title and name: President Bush.

Come noon January 20th, I won’t be able to say those two words: the combination of the office and the name.

But not to worry. There are plenty of other words and phrases I have for the likes of Barack Hussein Obama.

Obama in his own words: Jeremiah Wright

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Barack Obama’s words about Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s former pastor:

Wright was Obama’s pastor for 20 years:

Suppose James David Manning had been Barack Obama’s pastor:


Hat tip: Pat Dollard

What would Obama be like? Would he be the same person?

If not, then what kind of person is he now, having spent 20 years with his mentor, Jeremiah Wright?

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Obama in his own words: Bill Ayers

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Obama defends his relationship with Ayers:

Obama and Bill Ayers:

Bill Ayers, the terrorist who dedicated a book to “political prisoners’ … like Sirhan Sirhan:

Obama knew Ayers. Obama worked with Ayers. Obama got money for Ayers. Lots and lots of money.

The whole “when I was 8 years old” line doesn’t fly, because he wasn’t 8 when he launched his campaign in Ayers’ home. He wasn’t 8 when he served on several boards and programs with Ayers. He wasn’t 8 years old when he used his position in the Illinois state legislature to get money for Ayers and his group.

Tell me again why he’s leading in the polls.

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Obama in his own words: Teach sex ed to kindergarteners

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Obama and sex education. Listen carefully to what he says 25 seconds in. Then hear Gov. Romney’s response.

Another version. This one, Obama sandwiched around a supporter:

Obama says someone said something false about him. Then agrees with what was said.

Tell me again why he’s leading in the polls. Is it because we’re in Bizzaro World?

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So tell me again why Obama is expected to win in any state that has a large coal economy

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Latest polls (if you believe them) show Barack Obama winning in many of the largest coal-producing states.

Of the top 15 coal-producing states, Obama leads the polls in 6 of them, for a total of 89 electoral votes:

  1. Wyoming (338,900)
  2. West Virginia (158,257)
  3. Kentucky (130,688)
  4. *Pennsylvania (74,619)
  5. Texas (49,498)
  6. Montana (38,352)
  7. *Illinois (33,444)
  8. *Virginia (32,834)
  9. North Dakota (31,270)
  10. *Colorado (29,137)
  11. Indiana (27,965)
  12. *New Mexico (27,323)
  13. Utah (26,656)
  14. *Ohio (22,269)
  15. Alabama (19,324)

Totals in thousands of short tons, as of 2000. States marked with an asterisk (*) are listed as leaning/strong Obama by RealClearPolitics.com on November 2, 2008.

If McCain won those states, he’d win the election.

But here’s the reality … or so it seems: Obama leads in 6 of the top coal-producing states.

And Obama wants to bankrupt the coal industry:

Let me sort of describe my overall policy.

What I’ve said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else’s out there.

I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter. That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I’ve said with respect to coal, I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.

It’s just that it will bankrupt them.

Why would someone in those states want to vote themselves out of a job?

Maybe so they can get some of your wealth that Obama plans to spread around?

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