A Reminder About that Wonderful Auto Bail-out

Again and again, the Democrat National Convention bragged that Obama saved the auto industry.

That is debatable given the current state of GM.  But not only that, if you are a taxpayer or, God forbid, were a GM bondholder, you pretty much got the shaft in the GM bail-out and IPO (no pun intended).  Read what I wrote back in 2010 for a reminder:

As if the Obama Administration has not ripped off the taxpayers enough already with the GM bail-out, the regime is doing it again. The feds are selling off their shares of GM in an IPO this week. And it is expected to go well.

But if you are thinking that you, the U. S. taxpayers can make back some money by participating in the IPO, you probably have to think again. The average guy cannot participate, and many brokers, including the one I use and Schwab among others, are cut out of the deal altogether.

So us taxpayers foot the bill for the GM bail-out, but we do not get to make some money back by participating in the IPO? That is an outrage.

…the policy of the Obama Administration is to force taxpayers to bail out GM and its unions, then stiff-arm those same taxpayers in the privatization.

But there’s more, including an angry bondholder’s take.  Go and read.  For this sorry bail-out is clearly a cornerstone of the Obama campaign.

Real Racism – “Vote Black” buttons at DNC

Democrats have been playing the race card for all it’s worth this election year.  It’s getting to the point where allegations of racism elicit yawns and laughs more than concern.  But do not think there is not real racism out there . . . among Democrats.

When I first found out about this button, which says “Once you vote Black, you never go back” I could not believe it. I thought it might be a hoax.  But not so.  Even the august Atlantic confirms it.

Now it is unlikely that button is official DNC merchandise, but it is being worn on the convention floor.

This is real racism.

“Justice” in the UK (UPDATED)

I love the U. K.   I really do.  Heck, I’ve studied there twice, toured there more often, and from time to time plot on traveling there again.  And going to Choral Evensong and then a good pub in England is about as close as I get to heaven in this life. 

But even I, along with many Americans, have utter contempt for the U. K. legal system.  These two stories explain why better than any enraged erudite essay of mine ever could . . .

Judge Peter Bowers lets serial burglar walk free.

Couple arrested for shooting at home invasion gang.

UPDATE: It took a while, but the couple has been cleared.

Ohhh! The Abomination!

I dare you to watch all 1:09 of this abomination . . . if you can.  Pain!  Pain!

Courtesy of Lutheran “Bishop” Sue Johnson, Anglican “Church” of Canada Primate Fred Hiltz, and Damian Thompson.

High Comedy at the Republican Convention

And, no, I am not referring to Clint Eastwood’s routine.  To be honest, I found it awkward although he had his moments, particularly when he zinged Obama for attempting to try terrorists in the middle of New York City.  Still, I think those in charge trusted him a bit too much, letting him speak without a script.  But does anyone really want to tell Clint Eastwood what to do?  Be my guest!

As for Romney’s speech, I wasn’t wowed.  But it was adequate, and he came across as Presidential.  And the rest of the evening well debunked the meme that he’s a felonious unfeeling plutocrat.  And that was the sort of night that was needed.

So, anyway, what do I find high comedy about the convention?  Liberal attempts to decode the words of Republicans to find racism and other evils.   The contortions particularly MSNBC went to find RAAAAACISM were absurd.  This week they practically invented the game Six Degrees of Racism.

And last night MSNBC found Birtherism in Romney’s speech.  How?   From these words:

Tonight, that American flag is still there on the Moon. And I don't doubt for a second that Neil Armstrong's spirit is still with us.  That unique blend of optimism, humility, and the utter confidence that, when the world needs someone to do that, you need an American.

Yes.  Those are obvious code words meaning, “I am a birther!”

While analyzing Mitt Romney’s convention speech on Thursday, Schultz couldn’t help but hear a birther reference tucked within the oration.

“Here is another thing that jumped out at me. ‘When the world needs to do really good stuff, you need an American,’” he said.

He continued:

“That was the other line, you know, we’ve got to do big stuff. We’ve got big problems. We don’t have an American. How else are we supposed to take that line? To imply that the guy who’s leading the country right now is not an American, ‘when the world needs to do really big stuff we need an American.’ I felt that was below the belt, and it was a dog whistle, whatever you want to call it, a bone throw to the birthers out there that ‘I’m not that far from you.’”

Co-host Rachel Maddow was all too happy to agree.

“It struck me as the same way,” she said, “especially coming on the heels of his birther joke from this past week.” That, of course, was a reference to Romney making the comment that he doesn’t need to show his birth certificate in Michigan (where he was born).

Hey, let’s join the fun.  Readers are invited to play Six Degrees of Racism/Birtherism with my posts even. 

Here I’ll start: “fun” >> sex >> birth >> BIRTHERISM!  See, it’s easy!

A Speech for the Ages?

I might need to keep this short.  For I’m a bit tired this morning, perhaps because Paul Ryan’s speech revved me up so much that it took me a while to get to sleep.

Now I am not one to just love every Republican speech.  To be honest, I think Tuesday night was a disappointing dud.  But last night Ryan’s speech soared beyond my high expectations.  Ryan was clear, earnest, upbeat, and winsome; and at the same time his critique of the Obama administration was devastating.  Here’s a good summary.

And the reaction of the Obama camp shows they know they just took a big hit.

Love or hate Romney, you got to give him credit for making a smart pick for Veep.

I think Ryan’s speech might be remembered for a long time.  It is the best convention speech by someone not named Reagan I can remember.  This part alone could make it one for the ages (And I’ll conclude with it because I cannot do better.):

None of us have to settle for the best this administration offers – a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us. Listen to the way we’re spoken to already, as if everyone is stuck in some class or station in life, victims of circumstances beyond our control, with government there to help us cope with our fate.  It’s the exact opposite of everything I learned growing up in Wisconsin, or at college in Ohio.  When I was waiting tables, washing dishes, or mowing lawns for money, I never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life.  I was on my own path, my own journey, an American journey where I could think for myself, decide for myself, define happiness for myself.  That’s what we do in this country.  That’s the American Dream.  That’s freedom, and I’ll take it any day over the supervision and sanctimony of the central planners.

Republican Minorities Don’t Exist . . . On MSNBC

Minority Republicans do not fit the liberal meme that the GOP is a bunch of white racists.  So therefore minority Republicans do not exist . . . on MSNBC:

MSNBC wants you to think the Republican Party hates minorities. So much so that the liberal news network cut minority speeches from it’s convention coverage.

When popular Tea Party candidate Ted Cruz, the GOP nominee for Senate, took the stage, MSNBC cut away from the Republican National Convention and the Hispanic Republican from Texas’ speech.

MSNBC stayed on commercial through former Democratic Rep. Artur Davis’ speech, as well. Davis, who recently became a Republican, is black.

Then, when Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuno’s wife Luce’ Vela Fortuño took the stage minutes later, MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews opted to talk over the First Lady’s speech.

And Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval? Noticeably missing from MSNBC, too.

Mia Love, a black candidate for Congress in Utah, was also ignored by MSNBC.

Avoiding Artur Davis is particularly inexcusable as he gave a speech seconding Obama’s nomination at the 2008 Democrat Convention.  To excise his newsworthy Republican Convention speech is flat out bad journalism.

In the old Soviet Union, those who did not fit into Communist political orthodoxy were reduced to “non-persons” and were expunged from news accounts.  But something like that could never happen in America.

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MORE: Ed Morrissey weighs in and very well:

No doubt, they were trying to keep their 20 19 17 viewers up to date with all of the antics of raaaaaaaaaaaacist Republicans, and so had no choice but to block out Republicans like Mia Love, Ted Cruz, and Artur Davis.  I’ve seen news reports from Communist countries that had less Orwellian message control than this.

Do read his whole post.