It's Not Even Necessary To Mock This

The War on Women officially jumps the shark.



So a vote for Romney is a vote to screw... too easy.

Seriously, I know it's a joke. Sadly, so is the dumbass campaign theme about War on Women.

Next Operational Name is Hudson Hawk

At this point, the ATF's Fast and Furious scandal may actually make the news...

In a classic Friday document dump -- a sure sign of an administration with something to hide -- the feds released to congressional investigators a month’s worth of e-mail correspondence in the summer of 2010 between Bill Newell, then head ATF agent in Phoenix, and his friend Kevin O’Reilly, a former White House national-security staffer for North American affairs.

What do you know? Among the e-mails was a photograph of a powerful Barrett .50-caliber rifle that had been illegally purchased in Tucson and recovered in Sonora, Mexico, raising the possibility of a second “gunwalking” program, this one called “Wide Receiver.”

Like Fast and Furious, the ATF-supervised scheme that saw thousands of weapons “walk” across the Mexican border for reasons no one in the Justice Department has yet satisfactorily explained, Wide Receiver was apparently a joint operation that also included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the IRS and the US Attorney’s office.

It’s likely there have been others, in such states as Florida and Indiana.

While the back-channel e-mails don’t explicitly discuss Fast and Furious, they do show the White House’s intense interest in the ATF’s and other federal agencies’ activities in Arizona. In one message, O’Reilly asks Newell whether he can share some information with other officials. “Sure, just don’t want ATF HQ to find out, especially since this is what they should be doing (briefing you)!” comes the reply.

"Wide Receiver?"  Seriously?  Who came up with these dumb operational names?

Just remember, it was very important to have a special prosecutor deal with the alleged leak of allegedly classified information during the Bush Administration, and it was a huge scandal when the Bush Administration fired several U.S. Attorneys... but it's not important to have an independant prosecutor or much focus on the illicit sales of guns to international drug cartels (and potentially domestic criminals) as ordered by a component of DOJ, potentially for the political benefit of being able to advocate for gun control.  And before you think I'm pushing the envelope on the last point, I'm not the one who allegedly told gun control advocates the administration was working on gun control "under the radar."  That was... the President.

But hey, nothing to see here.

Those Darned Elections

Earlier this week, we had former Obama OMB Director Peter Orszag extolling the virtues of less democracy.  Now we have an elected Democrat throwing out the same idea, and suggesting a good way to implement it...

Speaking to a Cary Rotary Club today, N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue suggested suspending Congressional elections for two years so that Congress can focus on economic recovery and not the next election.

"I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that," Perdue said. "You want people who don't worry about the next election."

The comment -- which came during a discussion of the economy -- perked more than a few ears. It's unclear whether Perdue, a Democrat, is serious -- but her tone was level and she asked others to support her on the idea.

The audio backs up the idea that she wasn't joking, which officially makes Perdue's suggestion dumber than Orszag's.  Let us coun...

1.  Orszag's a policy wonk; while those people sometimes run for office (see Warren, Elizabeth), they usually stay on the technocratic theorietical side of the world and avoid trying to get elected.  When they do, they often flounder because they say things that are as dumb as this (see Warren, Elizabeth).  But Perdue is a professional politician and elected official who's suggesting that we suspend elections.   This makes her statement, even if off the cuff, several hundred times dumber than Orszag's article.

2.  Perdue's suggestion doesn't even have merit as something that might work.  Since when does making politicians less accountable to the electorate lead to better policy?  Do dictatorships and the old Soviet model of Communism have a brilliant track record of giving the populace what they want?  Does Perdue really believe that our elected officials, if insulated from the potential to be voted out of office, suddenly bail on their principles?  If so, we're electing the wrong people to office.  If a policy is opposed by your constiuents but you think it's a good idea, your job is to vote for it and then explain (convincingly, you hope) why you voted for it.  If you can't explain why it's a good thing, then maybe it isn't (see Obamacare).

3.  Why do Democrats hate democracy so much?  Shouldn't the party change its name?

4.  Perdue's statement is telling of the problem Democrats have with regard to media bias.  If a Republican had suggested in the Bush years that we do something like this, they would have been filleted and forced to apologize, even if it was a joke.  But Democrats are used to the media covering for them, so they let loose with the inner thoughts they have about how the world would be a better place if they could just manage the country and the stupid citizens would just listen quietly and agree with whatever brilliant strategem the elite had developed.

5.  As a bottom line matter, this really comes down to Democrats suddenly running headlong into reality -- people are now opposed to bigger government, even if they like a lot of the goodies they're getting from it.  They don't want to pay for it.  The GOP base has adopted a simple position grounded in reality, which is that we need to cut back because we can't pay for it.  The Democrats keep pretending that they can raise taxes on the rich enough to cover the freight, when reality says they need to raise them across the board.  Perhaps if they didn't hold elections, they could raise more revenue through taxes to keep the big government they want to support.

6.  Hey, any excuse to post a classic Simpsons moment.  Apparently Homer agrees with orszag and Perdue...




7.  Here's hoping Perdue learns why democracy works next fall, when she's voted out of office.

Bad Moments in Fatherhood

I'm guessing this guy is out of the running for Father of the Year in Taiwan.  He also may need a divorce attorney.

Reason #1467 I Don't Live In California

And I thought I hated my homeowner's association...

A southern California couple has been fined $300 dollars for holding Christian Bible study sessions in their home, and could face another $500 for each additional gathering.

City officials in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. say Chuck and Stephanie Fromm are in violation of municipal code 9-3.301, which prohibits “religious, fraternal or non-profit” organizations in residential neighborhoods without a permit. Stephanie hosts a Wednesday Bible study that draws about 20 attendees, and Chuck holds a Sunday service that gets about 50.

The Fromms appealed their citations but were denied and warned future sessions would carry heftier penalties. A statement from the Pacific Justice Institute, which is defending the couple in a lawsuit against the city, said Chuck Fromm was also told regular gatherings of three or more people require a conditional use permit, which can be costly and difficult to obtain.

I know, it's not their HOA, it's just another asinine local governmental body thathas too much time on its hands and too many lawyers telling them they can't bend the rules, lest they face a lawsuit from whatever busybody neighbor called the cops and complained in the first place.  I don't care if the Fromms want to have weekly orgies in their homes -- they shouldn't need to go through an expensive licensing process to do so.  If their guests are keeping the noise to a minimum, and in compliance with all local parking regulations, why should anyone care?  And if the problem is the latter, ticket and tow them.

My solution, since this is California: tell them everyone's getting together to smoke pot.  Or have the whole congregation marry one another, and assert that you can't keep a family apart.

AAAATTTTTTTTAAACCCCKKK WAAAATTTTTCCCCCHHH

Best ad ever.



"How can you trust liquid rock?"

Hey, Let's Try One More Idea Everyone Will Ignore

President Obama continues his campaign to propose legislation for no reason other than to set up his campaign theme...

President Barack Obama, in a populist step designed to appeal to voters, will propose a "Buffett Tax" on people making more than $1 million a year as part of his deficit recommendations to Congress on Monday.


Such a proposal, among suggestions to a congressional supercommittee expected to seek up to $3 trillion in deficit savings over 10 years, would appeal to his Democratic base ahead of the 2012 election but likely not raise much in revenues.

Whew -- at least we know the real goal of the proposal is to get him re-elected, not to do anything crazy like raise revenues.  That campaign theme gets torched by Ed Morrissey...

What happens when the cost of risk equals the cost of relatively risk-free income?  People stop taking risks and shelter their capital.  When capital stops being risked in new ventures, economic growth slows and stops, jobs either never get created or start disappearing, and we get stagnation or recession.  That capital doesn’t sit on the sidelines forever, either; eventually capital moves to other markets, which means that even when conditions improve, we won’t see that capital return to our markets.  On top of that, the vacillation on tax policy and hostility towards capital holders amplifies the incentives to move capital out of the US.

That’s why the “new AMT” won’t end up generating anywhere near what the Obama administration will claim.  It’s a nakedly political act designed to bolster Obama’s class-warfare demagoguery and credentials, and it’s a policy that will inevitably lead to a deeper economic crisis in the US.

Well, at least we know the country is in shape to weather another economic crisis -- we're getting plenty of practice.

Even Richard Nixon Would Consider This Stupid

It's not the concept so much as the execution -- everyone needs a rapid response function in politics, but the equivalent of a email box to snitch on others is opening yourself up to abuse.  This is so dumb, it's almost not worth the excellent jokes being produced on Twitter about it.

Sticks and Stones May Break Their Bones, But Words Will Cost You $10 Million

See, this is why I prefer to use the term "douchebag" instead of doofus...

Former Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz's less-than-flattering remarks about her fellow board members may have just cost her $10 million.

In her first interview since being fired from the Internet giant, published Thursday, Bartz told Fortune Magazine,

"These people f*ck*d me over," before referring to the other Yahoo board members as "doofuses."

But Bartz, who became the company's CEO in January 2009 and was axed by Yahoo Tuesday, may have made a costly mistake by venting her frustrations in the media.

The ex-CEO had a non-disparagement clause in her employment contact that had $10 million outstanding, sources close to the company told Fortune.

It was likely that her ridiculing "doofuses" comment would have violated that agreement, and she would therefore have to forgo the settlement, people familiar with the matter added.

Okay, douchebags might not have been advised, either.  But perhaps the truth would be an adequate defense -- maybe they are doofuses. 

If This Is In the Jobs Speech, Let's Just Cancel It

Of all the dumb ideas...

President Obama said during a Tuesday radio show that hiring discrimination against the jobless "makes absolutely no sense" and that he supports legislation to ban the practice.

Sybil Wilkes, a co-host of the "Tom Joyner Morning Show," asked the president about long-term unemployment and businesses that tell applicants, "If you're unemployed, we don't want to hear from you."

Obama noted that the long-term unemployed have a tougher time landing jobs and said a stronger overall economy would make employers less choosy. "But we have seen instances in which employers are explicitly saying we don't want to take a look at folks who've been unemployed," the president said.

"Well, that makes absolutely no sense, and I know there's legislation that I'm supportive of that says you cannot discriminate against folks because they've been unemployed, particularly when you've seen so many folks who, through no fault of their own, ended up being laid off because of the difficulty of this recession."

I give up.  I frigging give up.  Probably the worst part of this pandering statement is that Obama actually gets it right that the way to make employers less choosy would be to have them hiring in a stronger overall economy.  But instead of actually pursuing that goal, he'd rather try to impose a solution that forces them to hire one group of people over another.  Government picking winners and losers instead of the marketplace, again.

There is a decent chance that the President was merely saying something to soothe his progressive base.  If so, it's still stupid, but it's understandable.  But if he's honestly going to support creating a protected class consisting of long-term unemployed people, he's officially validating the view point that says he's clueless on business issues because he's never worked in the private sector.

I'm Kind of Upset That They Share An Actual Mascot With My Alma Mater

Loyal reader MS points us to K-State's new eco-mascot, which has been the object of ridicule all over the Interweb. 

I'd like to feel sorry for the girl in the costume, except that she chose her path in life as an object of ridicule, or she was too stupid to realize it was coming, in which case a college education cannot save her from a life of disappointment.

Dancing With The... Wait, Who Are These Guys Again?

I'm not sure what's a bigger sign of the decline of America:

1.  That the reveal of the celebrity cast of Dancing With The Stars is considered to be news; or
2.  That the so-called celebrities don't even qualify for the "H" list in Hollywood.  Chaz Bono and Rob Kardashian?  Seriously?  What, Bib Saget's housekeeper wasn't available?

Ashton Kutcher? Seriously?

I'm pretty sure this will end badly, since the sequel sucked.  But on the off-chance Murray signs on and they somehow make this work, I'm willing to allow it.  We can always pretend it didn't happen.  Hell, I already pretend Ghostbusters 2 didn't happen.

This Might Be Part Of The Next Bad Idea Jeans Commercial

Remember, the Grond Zero mosque isn't located at Ground Zero.  Which is why it's applied for a government grant designed to rebuild Manhatten after 9/11.

Park51’s developers clearly have a legal right to apply for the grant. A list of Frequently Asked Questions that accompanied the application specifically states that religious organizations can make funding requests for capital projects “as long as the request is for a facility or portion of a facility that is dedicated to non-religious activities or uses.” According to an individual familiar with the Park51 application, it requests funds to cover a number of cultural, educational and community development aspects of the proposed 13-story building—but the prayer room is excluded from the grant application.


But the question on whether they could have is trumped by the question of whether they should have. The stated aim of the Park51 developers is to provide a community center for lower Manhattan’s 4,000 Muslim residents. Their own website explained that they understood the need to “appeal to the undecided, and change the conversation about Muslims in America.” It’s pretty clear that this play for federal dollars will generate none of that, starting with the lack of disclosure or community consultation before developers submitted their application, which was due November 5.


"If Imam Feisal and his retinue want know why they're not trusted, here's yet another reason,” says Irshad Manji, author of The Trouble with Islam and director of the Moral Courage Project at NYU, when I asked her about the grant proposal. “The New Yorkers I speak with have questions about Park51. Requesting money from public coffers without engaging the public shows a staggering lack of empathy—especially from a man who says he's all about dialogue."

The Daily Beast isn't exactly a hotbed of conservative thought, and the author is pretty sympathetic to those who have asserted that the developers have the right to build the mosque. But he also acknowledges, as one must, that they're tone-deaf when it comes to PR (and this is before we consider the fact that they don't seem to have the financing necessary for their cause).

Personally, if they get funding, I want the proposed gay bar next door to get funding as well.  Now those are words I never expected to type...

He Gives Socialists A Bad Name

I know people were mocking Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell and claiming they weren't smart enough to join the Senate.  Can those same people weigh in on the stupidity of Sen. Bernie Sanders?  Because he's looking to block the NBC-Comcast merger because we can't have Republicans running major media companies. 

The great thing about the U.S. Senate is that this probably won't be the dumbest thing said by a Senator this week.

Start Your Shopping!

Friend of the blog CB sends us the latest in great offerings at Amazon.  I know what I want for Christmas -- illustrated stories from the Bible!

We Have A New Contender For Dumbest Idea Of The Year

In a year full of rally dumb Democratic ideas, you have to give credit when you find the stupidest one.  I'd almost welcome an impeachment hearing where Roberts could testify, so I could watch Roberts verbally annihilate this idiot.

If This Story Was About W, We'd Never Hear The End Of It

Dude, it's not like misplacing your car keys.  It's the nuclear launch codes.  Yikes.

Sing Fair Harvard! Sing It!

Professor Bainbridge is right -- it is appalling that any institution of higher learning would invite Eliot Spitzer to give a speech on ethics.  Perhaps he's worth listening to as an object lesson in what not to do, but I tend to think that the point could be made without inviting a guy whose scandal manage to inspire a CBS television show.

Oh, and the institution of higher learning in question?  Harvard.  Yeah, there's no reason why the populace should think less of the Ivy League elites -- they're getting lectures on ethics from Eliot Spitzer, so clearly they know best.

Speechless

I'm not even sure how to classify this on the stupidity scale -- the cops leaked the address of the Times Square bomber to the media, allowing them to show up at the stakeout of the suspect's house, which tipped him off and almost allowed him to escape.  Someone needs to be fired.