February « 2010

8Feb/103

At Ease

Godspeed, Corpseman! Semper fie!

Preston hardest hit

And that rhymes with 'birther.'

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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8Feb/1016

The Zen of Palin [Update by Dan]

The meme being floated by the self-appointed Intelligentsia with regard to Palin is that she is somehow not up to snuff on the issues of the day. That somehow she is ignorant of the issues that face us and lacks the knowledge to lead - offering criticisms rather than potential solutions. I find this a most obnoxious meme.

Alas, these critiques come from the very people Palin (and indeed all who find themselves moved by her speeches) has rightly targeted in her criticisms. And once again, instead of countering her complaints, they seek only to malign.

It is true that Palin has not demonstrated, on a national level, an ability to solve the major problems that face this country. Most obviously because she has not had an opportunity to do so. It is true that her resume does not include elbow-rubbing with the movers and shakers inside the Beltway. It is true she may not even comprehend how the "Game" is played in DC. We can only go on our gut instinct about her and her successes in Alaska... we can only take a sort of leap of faith when it comes to Palin. We can only, those of us who see in her something more than a charismatic pit-bull in chief, imagine what she might accomplish in the Oval Office.

To those that criticize that she lacks the necessary gravitas, I would only chuckle. For Obama, who now sits in the Oval Office, has not demonstrated the ability to solve the major problems that face this country, despite having a year of opportunities to do so. And this man IS the mover and shaker in the Beltway. The man whose elbows every political creature, especially in the early days of his presidency, have been trying to rub. Obama, who stands behind the presidential seal, who was voted into office with the hope that the "Game" Palin is now accused of not understanding would have its rules upended with an Obama victory, was beneficiary of a Giant Leap of Faith. And many who voted him into office realize that he is maybe not the One they anticipated... he is not the Game-Changer they had envisioned when they cast their ballots. Quite the contrary - he is now faced with the realities of DC. And his ability to navigate the political landscape is woeful at best. In some fashion he really seems not to understand the rules at all. And certainly does not comprehend the finer, more delicate politics involved. Never mind his complete detachment from the Will of the People.

It is true the Framers envisioned an apparatus given to the status quo. It is true they fashioned mechanism that had a high propensity to gridlock. And thankfully so. It is true that the vibrancy of our federal government is due to its preference for inaction. And again, thankfully so. So that no man or woman should ever master the mechanism is what all Constitutionalists pray for. That no so-called charismatic executive will ever seduce her entirely... this Lady Liberty... is what we should celebrate when we think of the Genius built into the apparatus.

So, really, at the end of the day, should we desire an executive that seeks to master that which is not to be mastered? Or should we tend toward those who are governed by true and abiding love of principle? Should we prefer an ideologue whose belief-system seeks to upend the apparatus? Or should we prefer one who is guided by principles which are, to the degree possible given Lady Liberty's disagreeable nature, most harmonious with her very essence?

From this perspective, I cannot help to think that Palin, as studied or learned as she may or may not be, is a creature who sings a theme that resonates with the institutional instrument itself. At least to the degree that is possible. I do not think the concept of limited government, limited interference, limited confiscatory taxation, limited oversight of commerce, limited social programming, limited policing of ever decreasing freedoms, and limited governance is trite. Not in the least. Palin herself is governed by these very principles. These, the underlying beliefs she proclaims, are broad but profound. And they are very much in harmony with the machine the Framers constructed. A master craftsman of any medium spends all of his initial energies understanding his medium. And at first (while still a novice) begins by trying to master it. Eventually realizing the folly of artistic masturbation, he then comprehends that there are limitations in the material he at first sought to master. If he is sufficiently dedicated and bright enough, he conforms himself to the least degree possible to the innate limitations of the medium. Then, understanding what can be and what will not be at the macro level, asserts himself within the medium prudently. Artistic Genius is most often affiliated with those who intuitively comprehend that equilibrium is only to be had when the master sublimates the creaturely desire to master the medium, and instead gives himself to achieving harmony with it at the first - and then and only then allowing for his own personal style to express itself.

One must first have two hands to "master" the violin. Drum sticks just won't do it. Ever. No matter who wields them. And no matter what they wear when they try.

Could we call her wise? Or at least, enlightened in a Mr. Magoo sort of way? I think so. And then what about the Golden Boy who approaches the battered violin each and every day with drumsticks? So confident is Obama that today - tomorrow - or the next - HE will eventually find a way to beat a grand opus out of it? And that the violin will become very much not at all what it is or ever will be... what kind of Towering Intellect sees in a violin a drum set?

Jerry Wilson of Goldfish and Clowns, which has a sleek new look, makes complementary points:

Sarah Palin is the mirror in which the wannabes see their insignificance. She doesn’t need the blogger prattlers or the Twitter twits or puffed-up pundits. She blows right past them, communicating directly with the people. The genuine media high fliers, the true high rollers — Limbaugh, Levin, Beck, Hannity — have both the intelligence to give her free reign and the humility to know her star shines far brighter than even theirs, wisely yielding the stage to her whenever possible. They understand the concept of serving the greater good, and act accordingly.

William Jacobson's noticed the misogyny.

Enoch_Root

AKA. Bobby Donn Brubaker (the most popular man in Mesa, AZ), the Umbrella of Terror, Jack Ketch.

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Tagged as: Amrican Political Zen, Palin, Sarah Palin, The Hatists 16 Comments

8Feb/100

Patches Pronounces Scott Brown a “Joke”

The sad dregs of the Kennedy dynasty, Patches, seems not to realize that he's the punchline. A more inconsequential empty suit, it would be hard to imagine.

As mentioned before, William Jacobson is making it his near-term ambition to get rid of this tinpot termagant.

Mallory meets Fall of the House of Usher meets Tennessee Williams meets Celebrity Rehab. Pathetic.

At American Thinker, Phil Boehmke takes a broader view of crumbling Camelot.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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8Feb/100

Goldman and AIG

More revelations from the NYT:

Still, documents show there were unusual aspects to the deals with Goldman. The bank resisted, for example, letting third parties value the securities as its contracts with A.I.G. required. And Goldman based some payment demands on lower-rated bonds that A.I.G.’s insurance did not even cover.

A November 2008 analysis by BlackRock, a leading asset management firm, noted that Goldman’s valuations of the securities that A.I.G. insured were “consistently lower than third-party prices.”

To be sure, many now agree that A.I.G. was reckless during the mortgage mania. The firm, once the world’s largest insurer, had written far more insurance than it could have possibly paid if a national mortgage debacle occurred — as, in fact, it did.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the relationship between Goldman and A.I.G. was that without the insurer to provide credit insurance, the investment bank could not have generated some of its enormous profits betting against the mortgage market. And when that market went south, A.I.G. became its biggest casualty — and Goldman became one of the biggest beneficiaries.

*******

By the spring of 2008, A.I.G.’s dispute with Goldman was just one of its many woes. Mr. Cassano was pushed out in March and the company’s defenses against the growing demand for payments faltered. By the end of August 2008, A.I.G. had posted $19.7 billion in cash to its trading partners, including Goldman, according to financial filings.

Over that summer, A.I.G. had tried, unsuccessfully, to cancel its insurance contracts with the trading partners. But Goldman, according to interviews with former A.I.G. executives, would allow that only if it also got to keep the $7 billion it had already received from A.I.G. Goldman wanted to keep the initial insurance payouts and the securities in order to profit from any future rebound.

In addition to offering to cancel its own contracts, Goldman offered to buy all of the insurance A.I.G. had written for several other banks at severely distressed prices, according to three people briefed on the discussions.

*******

The government would soon settle the yearlong dispute between Goldman and A.I.G., with Goldman receiving full value for its bets. The federal bailout locked in the paper losses of those deals for A.I.G. The prices on many of those securities have since rebounded.

UPDATE: Jeff's got up an excellent post on Mario Cuomo's attempt to remake himself by going after Bank of America. I'd earlier mentioned this with respect to SEIU.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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8Feb/100

Congratulations, New Orleans

You elected a white mayor for the first time in 30 years (apparently this is a Big Deal), even if it was a Landrieu, and won a Super Bowl.

Can we be post-racial, now? (Photo from The Telegraph)

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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7Feb/102

A Note About Climate Change, Politics, Exhaustion

People ask me. "Dan," they ask, "why aren't you posting so much about climate change, now that so much information's coming out?"

The reason that I'm not posting on climate change is because the information's finally coming out. I've been posting on the subject and commenting on the subject from way back in the Scott Burgess days, before he disappeared and then finally re-emerged with a Mittel-Europa lifestyle blog (which you should check out anyway). So, I'm keeping track of developments (and cackling), but I think it's time to invest my efforts in other directions.

Jimmie Bise said something on Twitter recently, to the effect that he was thinking of moving away from politics on his blog. It does sometimes get overwhelming, and you may recall that I said to the proggs at the time of the election, congratulations . . . you've politicized us. And goodness knows, they've put enough of us out of business that we have the kind of time that only retirees, college and graduate students and folks on the dole used to have.

So, what are they offering us now, by way of selections for a 2012 presidential candidate? Romney (whose Massachusetts health care will have failed fully by then, but who deserves thanks for his advocacy of Scott Brown), Huckabee (most recently seen mealy-mouthing a backfired policy of setting prisoners free), Gingrich (who's way beyond expiration), and Palin (who's probably more effective gone rogue). For the moment, then, just for the sake of argument, let me state that even though he and I differ in a couple respects, I'm going to say Paul Ryan. Congressman King has been effective. There are others. But there's not a chance in hell that anyone's going to want to send a one-term Senator to the White House next time around, so Scott Brown's out.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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7Feb/101

I Endorse This Post

From The Classic Liberal. And also the analysis.

Christopher Taylor's graphics aren't as . . . informative, but his post on the government's structural disincentives to hire is well worth reading.

While I'm on the subject, I do a little editing and copywriting on the side, if anyone has any use for that, and my brother Enoch's people are putting together their February schedule for web design, so if you know anybody who has needs that way . . .

Bingley was in Brazil, and all we got was these lousy photos?

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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7Feb/106

Latest on Treach

From his Twitter stream:

Threw a ~~coronary~~ pulmonary (thanks, Pat) embolism, but he's still tweeting, so that's good.

Has an oxygen mask.

Will have to be on blood thinners for several months.

Has a machine that moves his leg around gently as phase one of his therapy.

Denied talking sexbot by his evil insurance company.

Anyway, Treach, you're in our thoughts and prayers.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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7Feb/101

Round Up of Thanks and Other Links of Note

Pride of place goes to Carol at No Sheeples, who wrote very generously of my book, and who's really been on a tear, posting on Reagan, Sarah Palin's speech to the Tea Party Convention, and Barry's apparent lack of stimulation in the role of President. Anhedonia is a terrible affliction that can only be overcome by massive spending.

Stacy linked this morning to my bit on Horowitz' Rule 5 bonanza. Another blogger of note reduces this to the formula, tits is hits, which may be true, but only tells part of the story. Stacy's in Alabama covering the races (electoral) down there, and Smitty's actually at the Tea Party Convention, so the ramblin' men are expending shoe leather, IYKWIMAITYD. It seems there may be corpses involved. An Evil Giraffe sees undead people.

Sissy Willis doesn't seem to have a bit of confusion regarding what the Tea Party Movement is about (and works in an allusion to "My Last Duchess").

William Teach saw fit to mention my mention of the hilarious talking sexbot product review.

The Unreligious Right links to my screed against Jacob Weisberg's Kleinian whinging, making me think that perhaps the screed is my natural metier.

Cynthia Yockey deserves thanks, as well, for offering to put up an ad for my book, and I would have taken her up on the offer if it weren't causing our pages to load slowly. She smites The One in admirable fashion here, not caring whether those so inclined will find her homophobic. I seem to recall being assured by those who make comedy their profession that there was nothing remotely funny about the man, but I might just have dreamt it.

He doesn't link here, and he (quite reasonably) questions my integrity in comments, but Karl seems to have written the best short analysis of what went wrong with ObamaCare. As a bonus, he gets in a nice smack on Klein, who is melting, melting.

Mike LaRoche wrote about a conspiracy theory worthy Olbermann or Charlie Sheen, that is best digested while listening to Dark Side of the Moon and watching The Wizard of Oz. Jack Cashill stretches speculation too far, in my view, in this piece on Obama's "origins," but the time-line part seems solid and an important contribution.

If you've forgotten to look in on Mike Hendrix lately, here's a reminder why you shouldn't:

Anybody who thinks the craptastic creep actually wants to keep capitalism shipshape and humming efficiently along, rather than “stimulating” it into a spectacular crash and burn from whose ashes the Almighty State can rise like a screeching carrion-bird, is kidding themselves.

William Jacobson's organizing to depose pathetic drunk Patches Kennedy.

JWF has discovered a libertarian candidate who obviates the need for political cartoonists.

Geoff B's excellent piece on how the radical factions took over the Democrat Party.