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Global Warming on 15-Year Hold
April 2, 2012 | 12 comments
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Suddenly This Summer
March 31, 2012 | 8 comments
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FakeGate: Just Another Day at Team Green
February 22, 2012 | 7 comments
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“Climate” and the Campaign
January 12, 2012 | 8 comments
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Germany’s Green Bubble Follows Spain’s; Will Congress Waste More Billions on Ours?
December 15, 2011 | 3 comments
The Spectacle Blog
Mark Levin and Dan Riehl have posted items about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s positions on Obamacare and other key issues. That’s what happens when you become touted as a presidential contender, either (seemingly) unwittingly, like with Christie, or on your own aggressive initiative, like former Minnesota Gov. Tim “Global Warming Activist” Pawlenty.
Pawlenty now sees a president in the mirror when he shaves and is not only not repentant, but instead intends to double down on the ‘global warming’ nonsense as a 2012 primary ‘wedge’ issue (more on which useful idiocy the Left is counting on, later).
But this also reminds me of something I noted while addressing the Virginia Tea Party convention at the same time that Gov. Christie was in the process of winning the attendees’ straw poll for president: he moved revenues from selling energy use ration coupons under New Jersey’s state-level cap-n-trade scheme on-budget. Bad call.
Poof!, it’s permanent. Like with the lottery, “sin taxes”, the state getting in the liquor store business and so on, that which is demonized, immediately upon being converted into a cash cow, is a virtuous contributor to the public purse. We need the money! Where you will replace those revenues!? We witness this phenomenon all the time. We shouldn’t have seen it here with Christie. And we don’t need to see this among any aspiring chief executive or those who conservatives tout without knowing the whole story
No, no one is perfect, particularly in politics. This one, however, should be viewed as a modern, cardinal political sin. In Christie’s defense we will hear it argued that the scheme was already passed, it was necessary as he tries to clean up the Left’s train wreck (of which this will soon be seen as a big part, incidentally), and otherwise he’s just moving some things around on paper.
On the other side of the ledger we know that he has bad instincts on the issue, he has come down wrong on the issue, and/or is not committed to scrapping extremely bad ideas before they metastasize.
I am more moved by the latter case than the former. He could have done the right thing, and instead did the very wrong thing. There’s just no middle ground on this one, which politicians naively believe a) always exists and b) provides safe harbor. Maybe he, unlike Pawlenty, will soon repent.
If a Republican contender wants to be more than a pretender, it does seem clear from listening to the public that he or she will have to show some spine on several key issues. But as with Mitt Romney on his MassCare debacle, it seems no one is willing to admit mistakes, even indirectly, and instead see as preferable even saying bizarre things, undermining their larger virtues for higher office, in defense of their actions.
On ‘global warming’ and even cap-and-trade specifically, neither Gov. Christie nor former Gov. Pawlenty have done the right thing. Worse, when confronting the opportunity, they’ve done the wrong thing.
View all comments (19) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Chris Horner
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/11/08/politicians-policies-and-2012
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Ken (old Texican)| 11.8.10 @ 12:59PM
Son ofagun!
Sarah still has her skirts clean ...on issues.
whodathunkit?
Julie| 11.8.10 @ 1:00PM
Governor Christie winning the GOP nomination in 2012...FAT CHANCE. He would lose his home state in the general election.
Chuck| 11.8.10 @ 1:12PM
Global Warming Pawlenty and and the man who brought us RomneyCare would lose their home states as well.
Warrior | 11.8.10 @ 1:59PM
Well thought out post Julie. It is obvious that Christie could not carry a statewide election in New Jersey as proven by his run for Governor.
Tim*| 11.8.10 @ 1:02PM
This Article is an eye opener.
Dean Vernon Wormer, "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
JP| 11.8.10 @ 2:00PM
Yes, there's all kinds of mischief afoot as we close in on 2011. ObamaCare will continue to build its bureaucratic infrastructure and begin issung edicts no matter what occurs in Congress; Bernecke's QEII has already caused gasoline to pass the $3 a gallon level (can't wait to see what next year's grocery bill will be); home prices nationwide continue to slip; and the Dems may just get Cap and Trade by other means (Obama hit the sentiment perfectly: there is more than one way to skin a cat. China and the US appear to be on track for a trade war.
All of this is brought to you via Obama/Pelosi/Reid and the people who voted for them. Can anyone say Great Depression II?
Mimi| 11.8.10 @ 2:22PM
Well,..well, the day we longed for has come and passed. We did pretty darn well...elected a good number of true Patriots!! America is reset on a new road...this is only just the beginning.
I knew the subject of 2012.....Who to choose to run against the "O" would pop up...We are all such POLS!!! The person who we pick, will be the obvious...well known, respected and the most logical...It will truly shock the POLITICAL WORLD...and stun the media. All the other candidates well align themselves to our " PICK" and wholeheartedly agree with the BOLD WISDOM of the people. It is coming folks...Theperson is no where near the " RADAR" now but at the right time we will have a A-HA moment of insight. On to the next battle of the "WAR" to save AMERICA!!!!
WayneFarmer| 11.8.10 @ 6:09PM
Herman Cain!
Sheila| 11.8.10 @ 2:54PM
While no one could fail to enjoy watching Christie school the teachers' unions in New Jersey, he is an open borders/amnesty advocate. Since demography equals destiny, this is my primary issue. I don't recall reading Pawlenty's supposed views regarding the border, but given that he is a prime squish, I fully expect him to be a hispandering politician as well. For these same reasons, I will not support Pence or Thune. Their ambition far exceeds their support for defending this country's borders and sovereignty. Palin, too, has made open borders comments (more when she was Mcshamnesty's VP pick) although now she seems to have walked it back a bit. I've held my nose to vote Republican too often in the past; no more. No, this was not the reason we got Obama - he was elected with the help of population replacement, which continues apace. Tribalism + democracy + stupidity = racist idiocracy.
Grzmlyk| 11.10.10 @ 2:29PM
Sheila, I must say, the GOP and the Dems are finally cracking down on this issue. Word is they've hammered out a compromise that sounds very promising.
The new plan is to limit every illegal alien to two votes per election (unless they're in a union - then, of course, they get the requisite five; if they're in the military - for some reason - they get the requisite zero).
I simply cannot understand why so many of our "leaders" are so eager to dismantle this country. It if flabbergasting even for a cynic like me.
The erasure of America as a nation-state is the goal - and then the new world order types will be able to go about building a global kleptocracy completely unfettered.
That's why it doesn't matter one whit that the GOP delivered a "historic" repudiation of Obama last week. Most of the newbies will either be co-opted or marginalized within five minutes of taking their oaths of office. And in any case, it's like the orchestra that played on aboard the Titanic as it slipped below the waves. Do any of these faux debates even matter anymore?
When even our conservative "stars" - Bush included, by the way - contribute to the dissolution of this country, does anyone really wonder whether it's over for us?
It's over for us.
serfer62| 11.8.10 @ 5:32PM
We have gone through many day long flowers that consideration of anyone should be shelved for 6 or even 12 months...remember when rice was the choice? or powell?
Christie burned his bridges with a rino choice for senator then continued double down. He's luch meat for crows...
Stevie D| 11.8.10 @ 5:40PM
The anti-Christie rhetoric starting to come from portions of the right is foolish.
The guy has taken on the teachers union and won in the court of public opinion. He shut down that tunnel boondoogle. He closed NJs obscene budget deficit without raising taxes. He did this without a traditional "mandate" (remember, he won less than 50% of the popular vote last year) in a traditionally blue state with a Democratic state legislature and state senate. Now he has more than 50% approval and rolled the state legislature, teachers union, federal bureaucrats and others. He should be emulated, not nitpicked.
The same people complaining about Christie today are the kind of people who would break up with Jessica Alba for being an average cook.
Grzmlyk| 11.10.10 @ 2:31PM
Open boarders is NOT nitpicking. It goes to the very existence of America as a sovereign nation.
And you'd stay with Jessica Alba if she was cheating on you regularly?
Sandy| 11.9.10 @ 7:21AM
Lay down with dogs, get up with fleas. Christie was endorsed and supported by the largest environmental group in NJ during his campaign. He cut the school budget (a good thing), and then took some of those savings at least, and hired a green company to erect windmills off the NJ coast. He also demanded that all refuse sites in the state to go to solar power. Political payback is a beeitch.
For Steve D above- Yes, Christie has been great on the Teachers Unions, but, to look at just that one issue, and give him a pass on some other really big issues is very foolish.
Stevie D| 11.9.10 @ 11:11AM
Here are a couple other issues you might want to learn about. Only Governor to remove a sitting Justice on the NJ Supreme Court? Chris Christie. For the doubting Thomas' out there, the decision wasn't made because of the Justice's habit of emulating Scalia. Who was the governor who closed NJ's multi-billion dollar budget deficit with spending cuts? Why, it was Chris Christie! Who refused to close the deficit with tax increases, as the legislature demanded? That Chris Christie guy again! Who did this with Democratic majorities in both houses of the legislature? Why, it was Chris Christie! As for pointing out that the teacher's union thing is but one issue, correct. Reagan's tax cuts were but one issue, too. Let's not mention those without talking about the appropriation bills he signed with earmarks in them. Some of them ran deficits. RINO!!!!! Apostate!!!!!!! Fleas all over him!!!!!!!
Riddle me this. Jim DeMint said recently that he wants 'someone like that Christie guy in NJ,' to be the party's nominee in 2012. Is Jim DeMint a RINO? Does Jim DeMint not understand the danger the country is in with an out of control Governor in NJ getting in bed with the out of control environmentalists of the state? Does Mark Levin not understand this when he has Jim DeMint on his show to give DeMint a platform? Sean Hannity? The rest of the conservative community when they hold DeMint up as a great example?
Jim DeMint requested earmarks during his government career. Paul Ryan voted for TARP. How long should they have to wear the hairshirt until they are scrubbed of their RINO-ness?
I anxiously await the day when American Spectator's readership anoints the perfect candidate. Until then I am enjoying the example Chris Christie sets for Republican leaders, fleas and all.
Dale Cord| 11.9.10 @ 9:46AM
The American people need to know and retain in their minds always that: To elect or allow through crooked voting tabulations “COWARDS" Look up the word in a dictionary if you don't know the definition. Yes "COWARDS" to the office of "Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces of America" is to put yourselves and your families, (who you are suppose to love above all things, even your own life) in "HARMS WAY". Good grief, the last President to have any Honourable military record was John Kennedy and he was a bought and paid for Pawn, raised in a dysfunctional family, and pimped out like a prostitute for the political machine in Washington, who the people of this country have been suffering under since Woodrow Wilson. Dwight David Eisenhower was the only capable individual to be honoured with the task of President and Commander and Chief of our military. He was a 5 Star General and commander of the Army. He was instrumental in winning the European conflict with the help of other brave and honourable Generals like George Patten, Montgomery, Omar Bradley etc. These 21st Century Generals would not even make a good pimple on the butts of these Generals mentioned. Obama, Bush Jr., Clinton, Bush Sr., Regan, Carter, Nixon, Johnson, Truman, FDR. Have never served the people of this country with a honourable military background or have the credentials to qualify for the highest office in our land. Why, most of them would not even be able to pass a lie detector test or an FBI investigation, let alone a physiological examination to see if they were of sound mind, and yet these "COWARDS" have been allowed to take charge of the greatest military forces in the world. If ever there would be a new definition for the word "INSANITY" the past 10 decades of American Presidential Leaders would more than suffice. Coward: One given to fear, one who lacks courage, afraid. Remember a Leader is only as good as those who place them in that position. We will reap, what we have allowed to be sown on our behalf! The price tag for this sitting President Obama, and his wife and entourage of thousands to vacation in India, for who knows how long is: TWO HUNDRED MILLION UNITED STATES TAX PAYERS DOLLARS, "A DAY"! This alone is beyond all rational and logical intelligent thinking. Not only is there no justice in the land but, all wisdom has vanished with it.
Matthew E. Miller| 11.9.10 @ 10:42AM
Look, it's perfectly fair to criticize Pawlenty's past position and statements on climate change and cap and trade, but it is flatly inaccurate to say he "hasn't repented". Indeed he has. From an October interview with Human Events:
"I wrote a letter to our congressional delegation months ago opposing cap-and-trade. My view on climate change is that we should all take reasonable ways to reduce pollution, but we need to do it in ways that don’t wreck the economy and advance bureaucracies that are corrosive to the economy and markets. The cap-and-trade scheme that is now before the Senate is something I do not support. "
Here he is in February of 2010 in an interview with David Gregory:
"The climate is obviously changing, David. The more interesting question is how much of it is man-made and how much is as a result of natural causes and patterns. Of course, we have seen data manipulation and controversy, or at least debate within the scientific community. . . . And the way you address it is we should all be in favor of reducing pollution. We need to do it in ways that don’t burden the economy. Cap and trade, I think, would be a disaster in that regard."
Again, you can question his sincerity given his aspirations, you can criticize him for inconsistency- all fair game- but you can't say he hasn't "repented". Since the end of 2008 Pawlenty has been squarely in the Republican mainstream on climate change.
Chris Horner| 11.10.10 @ 10:45AM
Yes, these are encouraging statements. I appreciate them. But any repentance will be welcome if a strategic course-change, which I know to be true for reasons all of which I cannot share but which arise from private conversations with a principal. But I do feel comfortable relating that as of earlier this year, admitting his past policies were a mistake was not an option for his '12 run, and the plan was to buttress his record, not walk away from it. See "lack of repentance". This was post-ClimateGate, the full political impact of which now does indeed sound like it has resonated. How much? Let's hope he at least does a Huckabee, and simply flips without explaining it. Or better yet repents. For now, he is a former governor with a record of activism which he has not repented from.