The American Spectator

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12.1.08 @ 6:01AM

DEPTHS OF DESPAIR
Re: Jeffrey Lord's Three Democrats and a Funeral:

Not too long ago, I asked an old political Democratic pro what was the real lure to being in politics, running for office, and then staying in office.
 
Without even taking a breath, he stated: "Power!" It was the love of power.
 
I wondered how he might define a "statesman" for me, but chose not to ask such a direct question.

What's new pussycat?
-- R. Philips
Corrales, New Mexico

If you're trying to make us feel better Mr. Lord, it isn't working.
-- Mike Showalter
Austin, Texas

DREAM SCENARIO
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.'s Suddenly Last Summers:

I offer one modest proposal for the Obama administration: kill the Community Reinvestment Act. This act is in large measure the cause of the fall's financial meltdown.
 
The CRA is a Democrat welfare program that puts pressure on banks subject to it -- many of which failed -- to loan money to people who can't afford to pay it back. It provides a huge pool of money for donations to democrat candidates via Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Those are the place where Democrats put their helpers as payment for favors and give them huge sums of money to force banks to make bad loans. This act erased probably $150 billion of wealth in a mere two months.
 
An elegantly simple solution is to require that banks make loans that are adequately collateralized to people who demonstrate an ability to repay them.
-- Jay Molyneaux

The one notable fact about the Obama cabinet and "financial team" is how many were responsible for the current financial mess. While undermining the national economy they all personally profited and will continue to at the expense of the American people and their freedoms. This is not so much a team to save capitalism or the economy, but to reward Democrat avarice, corruption and economic incompetence that will destroy working Americans incomes and savings for years to come. Shades of Jimmy Carter are on the horizon with the appointment of Paul Volker.
 
Much like fascist appeaser and Joe Kennedy's poodle FDR (not to be confused with Obama's close friend and corrupt Fannie Mae head Franklin Delano Raines), Obama is setting in place a rogues gallery of corrupt politicians and naive academicians who desire to impose crushing taxes on workers, deficit spending that makes the last quarter century look parsimonious, nationalize private savings and limit Constitutional liberties while rewarding America's foreign enemies. What FDR did to encourage the rise of fascism Obama will do for Hitler's heirs the Islamic-fascists while making life harder for ordinary Americans.
 
For those who thought punishing Republicans smart thanks for the "audacious change." Time for conservatives to begin enjoying the political wilderness for years to come -- happy days are here again for the arrogant, effete and anti-American elite.
-- Michael Tomlinson
Camp Habbaniyah, Iraq

A MATTER OF VALUES
Re: Quin Hillyer's Should Congress Have a Cao?

Ah, the American dream, living in New Orleans, brought to you via immigration. It is a story of an individual, who within his crowd of fellow Vietnamese kept a focus, a sharp focus on his personal dream, his search for freedom, his desire for peace, his love to maintain family. 

Cold cash Jefferson has values too. 

Here’s a story of two different sets of values coming before those citizens who will vote which set they desire...at this time. 

My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty!

Gumbo, a Louisiana specialty.
-- R. Philips
Corrales, New Mexico

JUDGE HECKLER
Re: Wendy E. Long's The Law on Terror:

Were I to have suggested a response AG Mukasey to the state court judge heckler, it would have been "You, Sir, are a buffoon." Sadly, our age is marked by exquisite tolerance of buffoonery, which feeds upon the response of genteel silence. The apotheosis of this may be found in the pending Minnesota Senate race.
 
Simple naming of buffoons and buffoonery, as with regular naming of ignorance, seems right and civilized to me and a good first step in resistance. I know that naming ignorance has kept Obamaniacs their distance from me this last year; much to my enjoyment.
-- Reid Bogie
Waterbury, Connecticut

COURTED VOTES
Re: Mark Tooley's Thanksgiving, Obama, and the Pilgrims:

It is disappointing that, after our august men and women of the cloth argue their case and lose in the open public forum, they seek to go behind the closed doors of that state's court and disembowel the deliberative process.
 
It is in bad faith that opponents are attempting to defeat Prop 8 by arguing that an amendment to the constitution must be struck down because it is "unconstitutional" according to that same constitution. This totally ignores what amendments are all about. A free and self-governing people must be free to make changes in their basic laws and make binding statements on what the founding principles mean.
 
To say, as some do, the people of California have no authority to institute Prop 8 in that state's constitution means turning their backs on the ideal that a constitution and government derive their authority from the governed. To uphold the reverse may be a lot of things; but it has nothing to do with a democratic republic.
-- Mike Dooley

IS THERE A MAN AMONG YOU?
Re: Doug Bandow's European Fantasies:

I completely agree with Doug Bandow's analyses, down to the last period.

Now if he can just find three Europeans who also agree, we could have us a real revolution on our hands.

We over here will pay the price for the Eurocrats' warm and fuzzy-noodled dreams of domination.  And we will pay -- one way or another.

Pity.
-- A. C. Santore 

SUMMING IT UP
Re: James Bowman's review of Happy-Go-Lucky: 

"There's nothing more resented than a good example."

Perfect encapsulation of why some people despise Sarah Palin. 

Great review, as always.
-- Lee

MISSED EXTRA POINT
Re: Robert Stacy McCain's A Tide of Tradition:

It will be SEVEN in a row when Auburn whips Satan’s Spawn on Saturday.
 
War Damn Eagle!
-- Sam Alexander

Letter to the Editor