Welcome to the Blogger blog of the New York Young Republican Club, Inc. We are the oldest Young Republican Club in the country, and we are affiliated with the NY State Young Republicans and the YR National Federation. We are now blogging on our website NYYRC.com, please visit us there. NYYRC.com is sponsored by Socialism Doesn't Work.com and made by Make a Website Great.com.
Congratulations Michael Steele! After six rounds of voting, Michael Steele is the Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Thank you to everyone who helped Michael Steele win this election today. The RNC is in good hands. Now, let's get to work, start winning elections, take back the House in 2010, and kick Obama out of the White House in 2012!
posted by Matthew Hindin @ 4:19 PM
It appears Mayor Bloomberg has warned labor unions in the city that they must renegotiate their contracts or risk loosing 23,000 jobs. Most of these are going to come out of the Department of Education. No doubt they will push back and we will all come to some sort of understanding that does absolutely nothing for us but push back the inevitable.
When are we going to face the problem of wasted resources and uninterrupted bullying by our countless labor unions. Do not misunderstand me, I am all for people making a living and improving their quality of life and doing so in a collective manor if they absolutely must. However, I also expect you to accomplish that without compromising the well being and resources of the community at large.
Take for example my attempt this week to renew one of my dogs city licenses. Last years form indicated that I should use the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's website to renew said license. I went online, pulled up the web page, proceeded to search for my dog's license under his name and the license number that had been assigned him a couple of years ago and guess what: "Our search resulted in no known record."
Great! Awesome! I tried countless variables of the pets name, license number, web browser, etc etc... The end result was always the same, we can't help you, please call 311 with any questions. So I did, and a lovely lady attempted to help me after having me on hold for ten minutes (it helped that I was making this call after 8PM otherwise the hold time might have been eternal.) It turns out, she had absolutely no idea were to start and she also had no idea how to find the telephone number to the Department of Health either.
I would be very curious to know a few things:
1 - How many millions of our city taxes have been spent on building the Department of Healths' website and database?
2 - How many people are manning the 311 call center around the clock and how much do we pay them?
3 - And why are we considering axing most of the city employees out of the Department of Education (read teachers) when there are so many other areas that are clearly under performing?
Don't misunderstand me, I do believe that our city's educational department is in dire need of restructuring. I also understand that the changes needed will take a very long time to draft and implement. However, I also understand that slashing headcount from the Department of Education could very well mean forcing parents to divert energy and focus away from providing for their families in a time of great need.
posted by Gregory Dussaq @ 11:07 AM
The Wall Street Journal has a front page article today on how some in the RNC are actively using Twitter. According to the article:
“Some Republicans worry that all the tech talk is overshadowing more fundamental tasks, like recruiting new candidates and broadening the party's appeal.”
Why should one need to overshadow the other? Why not a two-pronged approach to increasing the party’s presence and influence online, while also reenergizing the party’s message? The RNC desperately needs to work on its appeal, but it is also important that the RNC doesn’t end up even more behind in technology when the next election rolls around.
For a list of influential conservatives on Twitter, check out: http://topconservativesontwitter.org/
posted by Jen @ 10:16 AM
A military judge has put the brakes on President Obama's summary order to temporarily halt all judicial proceedings against terrorist suspects. This particular action is with regard to the case against Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri who is accused of masterminding the U.S.S. Cole attack in 2000 that killed 17 American servicemen.
The ACLU practically had a cerebral hemorrhage when hearing the news. They want Defense Secretary Gates to drop charges against al-Nashiri so that he can be tried in a civilian court. Now, I could be off base hear, but if al-Nashiri is a committed Jihadi warrior and he deliberately planned the attack and murder of U.S. military personnel, where does the "civilian" part come in?
This is going to be an interesting fight.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 8:43 AM
According to Morgan Stanley:
Hyperinflation is a possibility say Morgan Stanley
This is what happens when governments bailout banks, nationalizing credit. Bye bye private sector, hello chaos!
In case you may have forgotten, we now have the most left-wing president in American history picking up where Bush left off, with a nearly $1 trillion spending - pork, that is - package.
posted by William P. @ 8:35 AM
Without getting into a debate about the wisdom or folly of pro-life or pro-abortion stances (wish me luck there), I wanted to throw this thought out there for consideration:
Liberals contend that the federal government should spend more money (meaning the taxpayers should spend more money) on health care so that the uninsured and the poor (not always one and the same) can have decent health coverage. In other words, there aren't enough resources to go around for everyone.
So why did President Obama sign a bill that would allow federal funds (taxpayer dollars) to pay for abortions in other countries?
Wouldn't that money be better spent on health care in this country? Not necessarily abortions, but tangible critical care that so many Americans are lacking?
Pardon me for being rude, but get your priorities straight, Mr. President.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 9:16 PM
The Illinois State Senate voted unanimously today to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office after he was arrested by federal authorities for attempting to sell President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat. He vows to continue his fight, but if he couldn't win it from the bully pulpit of the top elected office in the state, he likely won't have much of a shot as a private citizen.
Looking back now that this saga has essentially come to a close, the funniest part of the last week had to have been Blago's media charm offensive. He went on Today, The View, CBS and told the same story to all of them - that he couldn't get a fair trial. That of course was due in large part to the fact that he refused to show up at his trial.
So now Blago slips off the front pages and into annals (anals?) of history.
Bye now.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 8:59 PM
Please call your Senators, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, today to object to the nomination of Eric Holder for Attorney General. Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of Eric Holder, but the full Senate vote is TODAY.
Sen. Schumer can be reached at (202) 224-6542.
Sen. Gillibrand can be reached at (202) 224-4451.
Why object to Eric Holder? As deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration, in 1999, Eric Holder was responsible for the pardon of 16 FALN terrorists and the pardon of Mark Rich. In 1994, when Holder was a U.S. Attorney in D.C., federal Judge Royce Lamberth asked Holder to investigate the Clinton health czar Ira Magaziner for perjury, but Holder refused to investigate.
So, please call Senators Schumer and Gillibrand today to object to Eric Holder.
posted by Matthew Hindin @ 12:51 PM
Okay, I didn't watch the interview President Obama gave to Al Arabiya Television, but I did read the transcript.
Obama let one rip that just stunk to high heaven. A quote, I mean. Check out this jaw dropper:
"...the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that."
posted by Rick Brownell @ 11:44 PM
$819 billion. Only an insane person would say that it is not too much money for an economic stimulus package. Particularly when that package, which we are told is essential to our very survival as a nation, includes cash for condoms and ATV trails and paint jobs for public buildings in various Donkey districts. It is a pork barrel paradise that will not boost the economy. It will only add to our debt and bury us in taxes for a generation.
After a party line vote that drew not a single Republican and lost 11 Democrats, Nancy Pelosi said proudly "We are taking America in a new direction." She is certainly right about that. That direction could very well sink us, though.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 9:44 PM
The headline says oh so much: Clinically Depressed Poodle Mauls Former French President Chirac.
A poodle? I'm sorry...a clinically depressed poodle? Now maybe the Francophiles among us will recognize what we mean when we say that the French are weak, white flag-waving jellyfish.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 12:49 PM
Giving California a waiver to substantially increase its fuel efficiency and clean air requirements for automobiles above EPA standards is not federalism. It is a cleverly crafted way for liberals to get the steeper standards they've always wanted without paying a political price for it. Automobile manufacturers cannot afford to build one set of cars for California and another set for other states. They can barely meet the federal emissions standards as it is.
What will happen is the draconian California standards will end up becoming the standard for the whole country. And it will happen too fast for automobile manufacturers to keep pace and more jobs will be lost and the economy will shrink even more.
Now I know the tree huggers out there couldn't care less about that. But I was hoping for a bit more consistency from our "leaders" in DC. All through the month of December we heard about how taxpayers had to step up and be patriotic by dumping billions of dollars into a moribund auto industry that was already heading for the toilet. Now President Obama is putting in place a ruling that will hasten that eventuality.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 9:05 AM
Since taking office President Obama has spent a lot of time trying to undo President Bush's executive work. Among the targets of his history re-writing campaign:
posted by Rick Brownell @ 8:51 AM
The 20th CD Race is heating up and Patterson hasn't even called a date for the Special Election to take place (shocking!).
In the meantime, folks are coming out of the woodwork to run. Click on the link from the Daily Politics, (above) for the latest and greatest from John Faso, a viable candidate for Congress.
Give us your thoughts on your favorite and just think of this: We'll be having a Special Election to fill our now-vacant Congressional Seat, but our new US Senator was just appointed... hm...
posted by Lynn Krogh @ 4:54 PM
January 23, 2009
NEW YORK YOUNG REPUBLICAN CLUB ISSUES STATEMENT ON KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND
New York, NY - The New York Young Republican Club, Inc. (NYYRC) issued the following statement this afternoon regarding the appointment of Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate:
Lynn Krogh, president, NYYRC, stated, “Though we are relieved that Governor Paterson has at least chosen someone who has been elected to a public office, we are disappointed that he has not chosen someone with greater experience. New York is a large state, and our new Senator will have to balance the needs of the long-term unemployment upstate with reverberating impact of the Wall Street implosion downstate, and we do not believe that Kirsten Gillibrand is up to this challenge. That being said, we are encouraged that Ms. Gillibrand has not strictly adhered to liberal dogma and hope that she will rise to the challenge of delivering what will be best for the people of New York.”
The New York Young Republican Club, Inc., is a not-for-profit political organization that exists to bring Republicans aged 18-40 together to discuss the Republican Party platform and aid the Republican Party in the education of the public about the Republican agenda and the promotion of Republican candidates for office. To find out more about the New York Young Republican Club, Inc. please visit the Website at http://www.nyyrc.com.
posted by Jen @ 3:28 PM
Any sane person (liberals need not apply) could tell you that detainees summarily released from the Guantanamo Bay terrorist detention facility will likely end up right back in circulation.
Here is proof, from the New York Times no less. Ali al-Shihri was released to Saudi Arabia from Gitmo in 2007, ended up in Al Qaeda's Yemen branch, and is currently a prime suspect in the September 2008 attack on the U.S. Embassy there.
How many more al-Shihris are there? How many more will Obama set free?
posted by Rick Brownell @ 2:04 PM
This story is replete with irony. Obama’s Secretary of Treasury nominee, for New York Federal Reserve Chair and tax cheat Tim Geithner, has gone on the record accusing China of manipulating its currency and not doing enough to stem their own economic slowdown. Geithner further criticized China for failing to pass a stimulus package like the United States has done (shamefully).
Where to start? Well, someone should inform Geithner (and the Washington Post) that when government intrudes in private economic affairs it amounts to the manipulation of currency. That our currency “floats” and is not fixed like China’s is secondary; our government, through the Federal Reserve and re-distributionist, manipulates our currency daily.
Fiscal policy and monetary policy, particularly when abused by bankrupt governments to “combat” economic downturns, affect the money supply, and, by definition, manipulate our currency.
In case Geithner forgot, China is a Communist nation. The party controls industry already, through official intimidation. Having no need to seize further power, then, China can take a relatively laissez-faire policy towards her economy, as it is most expedient towards recovery.
The United States government has traditionally been limited in the private sector. Geithner’s “critical” comments should be seen for what they are: justification for another, future power grab.
posted by William P. @ 8:22 AM
Toyota has taken away General Motors's 77-year claim to the title "World's Largest Automaker." The Japanese company, which now has a substantial base in America and employs tens of thousands across the country, sold 620,000 more units than GM in 2008.
The Treasury added a little boost to GM's wounded pride by giving it a $5.4 billion chunk of cash - the second installment of a loan to the embattled automaker afloat for just a little while longer.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 8:22 AM
Rick asked for more information on Kirsten Gillibrand, who might be our next Senator. Most importantly, in the House, Rep. Gillibrand voted against the bailout, voting against socialism. On that issue, she knew better than John McCain. Also, as Rick points out, she has a 100% rating from the National Rifle Association. She supports hunters' rights 100%. She comes from a conservative Republican hunting family, and her father has strong ties to the New York GOP. In 2006, she defeated John Sweeney. In short, Kirsten Gillibrand has strong conservative credentials, for a Democrat.
posted by Matthew Hindin @ 11:22 PM
Gov. David Paterson is set to appoint Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to fill the vacancy left after junior Senator Hillary Clinton's ascension to the Secretary of State post this week. Gillibrand came to Congress in 2006 after defeating 4-term Republican John Sweeney in a hard fought campaign. Her victory was the first by a Democrat in her district in 28 years and came in a year that saw Republicans driven completely to the sidelines in New York State politics. She was reelected in 2008 by a wider margin after defeating former New York State GOP chairman Sandy Treadwell.
Gillibrand's district, the 20th, encompasses the upstate areas of parts of Rensselaer, Washington, Warren, Columbia, Saratoga, and several other counties, including the hometowns of your humble narrator and our Club president Lynn Krogh.
I must confess I don't know much about Gillibrand, so if you have any valuable information to include, please let me know. I did learn that she was endorsed by the NRA, which is a good sign. Beyond that, I'm all ears.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 10:20 PM
Take a moment to digest this thoughtful editorial by Bush speechwriter and Pentagon official Marc Thiessen.
The gist: President Obama is set to virtually dismantle the security system put in place by President Bush that has kept us safe from a domestic terror attack since 9/12/01. Does he really know what he's doing? Is he right? If the answer is yes, we all benefit. If he's wrong, we pay a savage price and the "Democratic Party could find itself unelectable for a generation."
posted by Rick Brownell @ 8:27 PM
Andrew Jackson (the 7thPresident) closed down the Second Bank of the US in 1836 and aptly justified his actions with the following quote: "Gentlemen, I had men watching you for a long time and I am convinced that you have used the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of the country. When you won, you divided the profits amongst you, and when you lost, you charged it to the bank. You tell me that if I take the deposits from the bank and annul its charter, I shall ruin ten thousand families. That may be true, gentlemen, but that is your sin! Should I let you go on, you will ruin fifty thousand families, and that would be my sin! You are a den of vipers and thieves."
I bring this up due to the increasing chatter about the possible nationalization of some of our more troubled banks. While this is something I am terrified of experiencing (due to the far reaching power the Government would be assuming and the dramatic change in global banking that this would cause,) I understand that we might be fast approaching the point in which we might not have a choice.
I fear our appointed leaders will again mismanage this process by acting too hastily and with a God-like conviction in peoples desire to be each others keeper. However, how much longer are we going to accept the idea of continually propping up banks with guarantees and capital as a viable course of action? And how much longer are we going to allow the boards and management of these entities to look us in the face, apologize and/or claim ignorance while extending their hands out for help? Worse, I wonder how many banks we will decide to nationalize before falling back on the idea of creating a central clearing bank to bid on non performing assets.
Personally, if forced into a situation were I had to step in to avoid irreparable financial damage to this country and our respective communities, I would assume control of the largest and sickest bank in which I am most invested in (ie: Citi Group.) I would begin by guaranteeing all existing depositors and then replacing its' senior staff with competent, prudent adults. Next I would handover the remaining $350B that are left in the TARP. My instructions would be very simple: "Lever up this capital gradually by purchasing (at a "reasonable price") a significant amount of the "non performing" viable assets at other national banks which pose a systemic risk to our capital and commercial markets, while continually accounting to Congress and the US Tax Payer how each dollar is spent.
Consider this last call! And unfortunately as usual the tax payer is the desiganted driver. The time for half measures and meager patch work must end here and now. As much as I want to avoid this outcome, it reminds me of my childhood and the drastic measures my parents appropriately took whenever I wandered too far off the reservation.
posted by Gregory Dussaq @ 5:25 PM
In my opinion, George W. Bush was our best President since Ronald Reagan. In the WSJ today, the Architect, Karl Rove, explains why Bush was right when it mattered most, right about the War on Terror, right about the Iraq War, right about cutting taxes, right about No Child Left Behind, and right about combatting AIDS in Africa.
Bush's most courageous and difficult decision was the war in Iraq, and it was the right decision. We had dozens of reasons to remove Saddam Hussein from power, and it was an unfortunate mistake to premise our case on weapons of mass destruction, which, as Donald Rumsfeld predicted, could prove false. Many of Rumsfeld's famed "list of horribles" came true, but Bush still made the right decision.
With every day of the Obama White House, I only miss George W. Bush more and more.
posted by Matthew Hindin @ 3:37 PM
The Bush Family has class. President Bush left a note for President Obama in the oval office. And Jenna and Barbara Bush wrote a caring letter to Sasha and Malia Obama.
posted by Matthew Hindin @ 1:03 PM
This year's Oscar...pardon me, Academy Award nominations, were announced this morning. (Industry folks hate when you say "Oscar;" kind of like how Democrats get offended when I call them "donkeys.")
At first glance it appears to be all about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, and Slumdog Millionaire with their multiple nominations. I haven't seen any of these films yet. Not that I don't want to, but in the days of $13 movie tickets, $8 Cokes, long lines, and rowdy audiences, I tend to be extremely choosy about what I queue up for. Not that that stopped me from seeing The Dark Knight three times. Yes, Heath Ledger was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 12:05 PM
Caroline Kennedy has withdrawn her name from consideration to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate. This is a big relief, because frankly Kennedy has no business serving in the United States Senate.
She cited "personal reasons" in letting Gov. David Paterson know about her decision to withdraw. In political parlance, this means that she probably knew for one reason or another that she was in fact not going to get the nod and she was just trying to save face.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 10:58 PM
Andrew Breitbart has a good analysis here about how donkeys have a leg up on Republicans when it comes to creating an online presence.
There is truth in what he says. Unless we Republicans can get on the Web and start honing our message and reaching out to new people, we might be looking back at 2008 as the beginning of a long trip through the political wilderness.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 10:38 PM
Among the amazing headlines of praise and ongoing rhetoric this morning I stumbled across one that brought to light Fiat's (Italy's premier manufacturer and owner of Ferrari and Maserati) interest in our very own secretly bankrupt Chrysler.
While I am not surprised that an industrial conglomerate like Fiat might be interested in coming back to the US after almost 3 decades, it disappoints me a little to read that they are only interested if we fork over another $3B in loans to Chrysler (we already loaned them $4B, and an additional $1.5B to its recently approved Chrysler Financial.)
Apparently, Fiat believes a 35% equity stake is fair compensation in exchange for engine technology and car designs (these would not be approved for several years because they have not passed safety standards.) Additionally, they should be entitled to purchase another 20% stake in the joint venture for the outstanding sum of $25M (this assuming the operational efficiency of this company has improved and met the goals established by a Congress who can't tell the difference between a hybrid and a diesel engine) within 12 months.
Okay, I must apologize right now for what is about to follow because my blood is starting to boil and co-workers have started removing items from my desk which normally preceeds my smashing either a telephone, a keyboard or anything I might be able to pick up and express my frustration with!
Seriously? I mean we are one day into an administration that has clearly told us we need to grow up and "approach issues with maturity, creativity, tolerance, and loyalty." Let me start with the fact that we have not begun with much maturity yet, but our demanding a course of action within the next four weeks is clearly a start.
As far as creativity, it's true we have not demanded much of this either, and that is obvious because the same old matriarchs (ie. corporate executives) are still at these companies. This too I am sure will be addressed in short order.
Tolerance! Well, the fact that we have not addressed the previous two points and we are still at the table looking to solve the problem I think answers the question of tolerance.
Now, finally in terms of loyalty, it is unequivocally preposterous to even attempt to bring our intentions into doubt! Are you kidding, we are $5.5B into Chrysler and looking to dish out an additional $3B. No one, and I mean no one on the face of this great earth can possibly debate us on where our loyalty lies!
We care about three things here: First is the thousands of workers that are about to be displaced. Second is the intellectual capital industries of this type on our soil forces us to possess. And lastly we are terribly concerned about the crisis of confidence a dramatic collapse of an industry this size would mean not only for our moral but also for the integrity of global trade and processes.
Additionally, does anyone really believe that after pumping $5.5B into Chrysler we are not going to fork over another $4B? Furthermore, you think we are ready to walk away from $8.5B and let this company collapse? The answer is obviously, NO! That said, should we allow Fiat so assume 35% of an entity that is fully bank rolled for the immediate future in exchange for cars that will not be approved for several years and engine technology that does not wain us off oil base fuels? The answer to this is also as dramatic, NO!
Should we allow Fiat to purchase an additional 20% stake in this new entity which we bank rolled with $8.5B initially (and I say this because we will probably need more...) after 12 months of aggressive restructuring for $25M? Are you kidding me? Do we all look unequivocally stupid to you? Let me get this straight, we bank roll it. We force restructuring. We retool it. We give you access to one of the best distribution channels in the country. We hand you the keys to some of the best selling autos and manufacturing in the country. We give you 12 months of leniency, and we do this all for a final 45% stake and $25M in cash. Right, I can see the pigs flying past the window on the tenth floor of this dramatically overpriced midtown office I inhabit.
In closing, allow me to quote our now fearless leader President Obama: "In reaffirming the our greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never given. It must be earned." Please, I implore you all to tread lightly. The solutions we come up with to our current problems come loaded with the possibility of stripping us of the fruits of our hard work, dedication and hard earned tax dollars.
posted by Gregory Dussaq @ 3:42 PM
Was passed a link from the Commission that's taking a hard look at the NYGOP (of which I'm a member). It's Chris Faulkner's blog.
http://gopgrunt.com/
For those not aware, Chris Faulkner is known for his great grassroots initiatives, and GOTV operations. While I believe I've only met him once, I have certainly heard his name in many circles and am now following him on Twitter. (Follow the NYYRC on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/NYYRC)
Check him out -- The interviews are interesting and get you thinking about what our focus should be, as we rebuild.
posted by Lynn Krogh @ 3:11 PM
For a group of people who purport to be friends of the environment, liberals sure do make a mess of things when they gather together. Above, we have the aftermath of the Woodstock festival of 1969. Below, the aftermath of the Obama inauguration celebration on the National Mall yesterday.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 12:55 PM
The tremendous amount of legal wrangling that has taken place and will continue to take place over the fate of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay often causes us to forget about the human element in this whole situation.
Allow the families of those killed on September 11th to have their say.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 8:05 AM
President Obama made many interesting statements yesterday, but one that caught my ear was that America would no longer make a "false choice" between "our safety and our ideals." Be warned, this is merely a linguistic trick Obama uses: establish two polar extremes that don't exist and plant himself firmly in the middle in order to play the role of the Sage.
Just the same, I found myself trying to figure out exactly when over the last eight years we have done that, then I realized that one of the reasons I didn't vote for this guy was that he and I just have fundamentally different views about how to deal with terrorists.
The mistake that Obama and his liberal friends make is that they are trying to pass along our values to the very terrorists who are trying to kill us. "What about the rights of the detainees? What about their Constitutional rights?" I'm no legal scholar, but I don't believe we are required as a nation to extend our Constitutional rights to our enemy.
The big irony here is that liberals scold us for supposedly imposing democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet they want to impose our system of law upon a transnational network of killers who will use that very system against us to make our country less safe.
I am hopeful that pragmatism will win the day. But it is difficult to hold out that hope when the liberals who now run the show have such a fundamental disconnect with the realities of our dangerous world.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 7:37 AM
Returning home last night from spending the long weekend upstate, I emerged from Pennsylvania Station to find the U.S. flag flying upside down above the marquee at the Affinia Hotel. 
It seemed so appropriate. As you may know, an upside down American flag is a signal of distress. Whether the hotel meant to do that or did it by mistake is unknown. The two employees I spoke with in the lobby didn't have a clue what I was talking about. As would many people in this country today, I suspect.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 10:02 PM
President Bush pardoned U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean before leaving office. I'm glad he did it. Neither man should have ever served a day in jail for doing their job, which in this case meant shooting and apprehending a known drug smuggler who zipped back and forth across the southern U.S. border on numerous occasions.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 9:56 PM
If you are like us and had to spend the entire day keeping your head low or your headphones on...
If you felt like the only outlet you had was to change your facebook status every five minutes to keep from yelling at your co-workers, (who were dancing with glee like it was Christmas morning)...
If you are wondering when the miracles that hope and change are supposed to bring will actually occur...
If you're looking for a place to commiserate with fellow NYC YRs about the new administration or to make bets on how long it will actually take Obama to close Gitmo...
Because you aren't likely to find this at any midtown bar tonight, we are initiating our first ever open thread today to provide a forum for you, NYC's Republicans to discuss your feelings about the ceremony (or how you refused to watch it), plot a strategy for 2010 (All hands on deck!), remember the highlights of the Bush years (Plenty of em')... SO GET TO COMMENTING!
NOTE: We are suspending our comments moderation to get comments up in real time, so we apologize for spam or profanity in advance.
posted by Lynn Krogh @ 4:40 PM
He flubbed the oath.....and I thought the one thing we know he is good at is scripted speeches....
http://www.breitbart.tv/html/262133.html
(sorry folks, can't create a link from my terminal. It's a miracle enough I found a way to post this. If you need to click on a link, go to Drudge. He's got the same link up.)
it's going to be an interesting 4 years......
posted by Gail Allen @ 12:26 PM
Please join me in participating in Smart Girl Politics 1st Annual SGP Twitterball on January 20, 2009 at 9:00 PM EST. Twitterball is a virtual party for the entire Conservative online community.
Some of the best and brightest in the Republican party joining us for this tremendous event:
Saul Anuzis, Republican National Committee Chairman Candidate
Chip Saltsman, Republican National Committee Chairman Candidate
Sharon Day, Republican National Committee Secretary Candidate
Michelle Malkin, columnist and Fox News Contributor
Amanda Carpenter, columnist and regular on Bill O'Reilly
S.E. Cupp, author and columnist
For more information about the event, please visit www.smartgirlpolitics.ning.com. Also, follow @SGPolitics on Twitter.
Please email me at pr@nyyrc.com if you have questions.
posted by Jen @ 11:02 AM
Rick posted the Miracle on the Hudson, but I want to take a minute to discuss the hero pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III. Sully was an Air Force fighter jet pilot in the 1970's, and a pilot for US Airways since 1980.
posted by Matthew Hindin @ 10:49 PM
Excitement today in New York as a US Airways jet belly flopped in the Hudson River near the U.S.S. Intrepid. The skillful emergency water landing came after the plane flew through a flock of birds which caused the engines to fail. Thankfully all 155 passengers and crew are safe. Congratulations to the flight crew and the first responders for their top notch work.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 11:43 PM
President Bush's farewell address was short, but it hit the right points. There were a couple of sentences that will stick with me for some time.
In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad. If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led.
America must maintain our moral clarity.... [G]ood and evil are present in this world, and between the two of them there can be no compromise.... This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense -- and to advance the cause of peace.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 11:28 PM
At some point on 1/16/09, you will feel a gentle tug on your wallet. Or maybe you will experience your wallet being ripped right out of your clutches.
President-elect Obama plans to reveal the $850 billion plan that Congress crafted up and brought down from Mount Doom, I mean Capitol Hill, today.
More on this travesty to the American economy as it develops...
posted by Rick Brownell @ 1:02 PM
From Politico:
Obama meets with liberal columnists
This is more commonly known as a press conference.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 12:50 PM
Here's a gem that's been making the rounds on the Web. We post it here to add some perspective for our friends who subscribe to the "eat-the-rich" mentality so prevalent among liberals:
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.
First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last year's Christmas party.
However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY: I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of buying the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9 A.M., mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5 P.M., I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.
Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero.. Nada. Zilch. The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.
The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I agree, which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries.
Business is at the heart of America as it has always been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. The power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple.
If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you. I'll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.
Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.
So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....
Signed, THE BOSS
posted by Rick Brownell @ 6:01 AM
It's a disappointing turn for voters and those of us who believe that voter referendums count for something, but a federal judge ruled that voter rights were not infringed by the recent move by NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg and the NY City Council to extend term limits.
The message here seems to be that elected officials can do whatever they like as long as they can drum up some excuse(in this case, the economic crisis) to justify their actions.
Pathetic.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 8:04 AM
Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton experienced the love-fest that you might expect during yesterday's appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
There is an interesting account of the day's highlights here if you didn't catch it live or want to avoid the honey-drenched obsequiousness of partisans tripping over themselves to suck up to the future Madame Secretary.
There was a lot of talk about "smart power," which is really just a short translation for "we're going to do things differently than Bush did."
Diplomacy is all the rage with the new foreign policy leaders in Washington. But what has pure diplomacy gotten us with stopping North Korea and Iran from going nuclear? What has it done to forward peace between Israel and Palestine? What will it do as China seeks to more aggressively assert itself in Asia, Africa, and Latin America?
If we're going to handle all these challenges successfully, our power better be pretty darn smart indeed.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 7:13 AM
Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid and his cabal of Democrats have buckled to the will of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and will now seat nominee Roland Burris in the U.S. Senate. Now the Washington ComPost has cleverly framed this as an end to a "standoff," but it is merely Reid caving on his previous statement not to seat anyone appointed by the morally tainted Blagojevich.
It's a pretty sad state of affairs when one state governor who has been impeached and is facing federal corruption charges holds sway over the entire United States Senate, and any blowback for this turn of events should rest solely on Reid's shoulders. He'd rather be popular among his fellow liberals than right, and he did not have the courage to stand up to Blago's obtuse race argument. Not exactly leadership material.
Instead, typical to Reid's nature, he put the onus on Republicans to make a challenge to the Burris appointment. They most likely, and wisely, will not, but let's hope in 2010 they go all out to claim that seat for the GOP.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 6:53 AM
Announcing the closing of the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay was a symbolic political nod to Barack Obama's supporters that we all knew was coming. He'll announce it during his first week in office because he'll want to preserve the high poll numbers he will inevitably get as our new president.
However, even Obama recognizes that closing Gitmo will not be as simple as kicking everyone out and locking the doors. What do we do with the 250 or so detainees that are still there? They shouldn't come stateside, that's for sure. But this is just one of a host of questions that will have to be answered before Obama's campaign promise becomes reality. As with numerous other issues, we get a lot of talk from Obama, but not much substance on just how he will actually carry out his plans.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 7:55 AM
Let's face it, Hillary Clinton and Eric Holder are pretty much set to become the next secretary of state and attorney general, respectively. The Democratic majority in the Senate is already warming up its best softball pitchers for this week's hearings. But that doesn't mean that the GOP has to take this one lying down. Answers to key questions will allow us an idea of just what the Obama administration's plans are for the war against the radical Islamic fundamentalists, Iran, North Korea, and a host of other important issues.
Here's a sampling of top issues that should be posed to Clinton and Holder.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 7:39 AM
Surveying the political landscape at present, it is apparent that the so-called Liberals, the dictators, nincompoops, and socialists are defining the capitalist argument out of efficacy. In order that we may win this battle and preserve the Western notion of Man as an individual, we must not and cannot let the socialist claim the moral high ground through the abuse of language.
Supporters of capitalism are slandered regularly with terms such as “greedy,” “narrow private interests,” and “profiteering.” I reject these labels and their connotations. (Are capitalists really “greedy” more than anyone else, or should we see it, as was understood for millennia, as a sin which comes with our human nature?) They are hurled at us by politicians, drunkenly spending our tax money, whether it be on the banks they helped bankrupt, pet “infrastructure” projects, “education (i.e., upgrading schools that are already physically conducive to learning),” or irresponsible home mortgage borrowers. We hear there is no alternative, yet since when does a bankrupt family spend its way to prosperity?
We need to adopt words such as liberty, freedom, natural, security, vibrant, adaptive, efficient, progressive, stable, advancing, technological, social, and American.
And for their top-down, diktat laden legislation: thievery, compulsory, oppressive, tyrannical, stagnant, ossifying, morally bankrupt, futile, deceptive, authoritarian, anti-social, anti-American, unconstitutional, inefficient, feudal, fascist, and, finally, bankrupting. For good measure, throw in Machiavellian, for once the Socialist chooses his ends, all means become justifiable.
The wonderful thing about capitalism and freedom as complements is that they are brilliantly effective and absolutely defensible when compared to any other economic arrangement conceivable, both in the areas morality and productivity. Take unemployment, which is now at 7.2%. The question we must ask what system provides for the lowest overall unemployment level and this is unquestionably capitalism (unless, of course, socialism reverts back to its roots of forced servitude). Capitalism also preserves the choice of consumers and workers alike: a worker within a capitalist economy only has himself to blame for not seeking more gainful employment, while the socialist workers is tied down in government work; even if they were permitted to search for alternative employment (historically an uncertain prospect), they choose from a far smaller pool because of the government’s corralling of resources away from the private sector for its own projects.
In the area of healthcare, we must make it clear that by socializing care, costs that were originally accounted for in dollars will instead be accrued in blood, suffering, and lives. Real reforms are needed, but they are the opposite of what Dr. Barack and his RN Daschle are prescribing – we need MORE freedom, not less.
We Republicans cannot be D-Lite and expect, much less deserve, to win. We must present voters with a pro-freedom agenda, attractive across the false divisions that pollsters contrive. To accomplish this, we must stay sharp and refuse to accept the fundamental axioms upon which the elaborate socialist hoax is built. Socialism is immoral and will cost us dearly.
Labels: capitalism, socialism, winning
posted by William P. @ 12:41 PM
If around noon time today you suddenly inexplicably felt your throat tighten and your breathing become labored, then you are feeling the initial shocks of Congress reconvening for the 111th Session.
Our selectively intrepid legislators are returning from historic low approval ratings, exhausted from doing battle with the outgoing administration, secretly preparing for battles with a new administration (prepare to watch political cannibalism at its finest), refusing to seat an appointed Senator from Illinois, and eager to seat a questionably elected Senator from Minnesota, this promises to be the Mother of All Congresses.
Lock your doors and keep a close eye on your wallets.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 12:58 PM
Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church, has been invited by President-elect Barack Obama to speak at the January 20th Inauguration ceremony.
Liberals are outraged because Warren has publicly voiced his opposition to gay marriage. They don't want Obama sullying his reputation with such a "bigot."
But Barack Obama also opposes gay marriage.
So what does that make Obama? Umm, president, I guess.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 9:49 AM
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson withdrew his name from consideration for President-elect Obama's Commerce Secretary after it was revealed that there is an ongoing federal probe into one of his political donors. This investigation apparently preceded Obama's tapping Richardson for the commerce post, which begs the question of why Richardson chose to "not further embarrass" Obama just days before the inauguration rather than "not further embarrass" him before Obama announced his nomination.
I never thought Richardson was a good choice for the post because I believe he has no record in economic matters worthy of our current fiscal crisis. Though he did have a proven record of fumbling the Wen Ho Lee espionage case while he was Secretary of Energy under Bill Clinton.
The media laments this latest embarrassment for the incoming Obama team. But I think we should rejoice at their letting go of some dead weight now. Now if we could just do something about those cabinet picks for State, Treasury, Energy, Education, Agriculture, AG, HUD, Health & Human Services, and Labor. Then we'd be gettin' somewhere.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 10:44 PM
President-elect Obama has suggested a $300 billion tax cut targeted at businesses and individuals as part of his economic stimulus plan. I almost fell out of my chair when I read this because it seemed so against the grain of what Obama has been proposing all along.
It's too early to say Obama's finally got it right. After all, his prime motivator was to get Republicans to sign on to his plan, not because he suddenly got free market religion. Knowing this, we must be prepared to scour the details of these cuts and just how they will be implemented. And let's not forget the Wonder Twins, Nancy and Harry, who can take the shape of crippling spending deficits and the form of a massive entitlement program by simply bumping their fists together.
Stay tuned.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 10:36 PM
After several days of All-Gaza-All-the-Time coverage on the news, it seems as if the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are willing and capable of proceeding as far into their operation as necessary to smash Hamas beyond repair.
I'm comforted that European diplomatic "pressure" to urge a ceasefire will not persuade the Israelis to halt or suspend the offensive. Israel and sensible Americans are well aware that Europe barely has the stones to defend itself, so it's so-called condemnation of Israel means little. It's hard to take the left seriously when its legions of morally equivalent hacks are nowhere to be found when it is Israelis or Americans who are the target of rockets and terrorist attacks.
Hopefully the U.S. won't try to push a cease-fire before the job is done. If there is to be a road to peace in the Middle East, obstacles like Hamas have to be completely removed to provide a smoother ride.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 10:19 PM
What will become of Roland Burris, the 71-year-old former attorney general who was picked by Governor Rod Friggin' Blagojevich to fill the vacant Illinois Senate seat?
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seems to be on both sides of the issue, sticking to his vow to block any nominee that Blagojevich puts up, but then signaling he might be willing to make a deal.
Senate Democrats may or may not have the power to block a potential Senator from joining the chamber. Both Reid and Blago are absolutely convinced beyond a doubt that the law is on their side. (In a broader world, that's a pretty sad statement to have to make.)
Either way, there is no "deal" to be made, as Reid suggests. Either he has the power to block Burris or he doesn't. The fact that he has suggested something can be worked out indicates that Reid recognizes he is on weaker ground than Blagojevich. Blagojevich hasn't blinked this whole time. And Reid just did. So who do you think is going to get their way here?
Kudos to the Chicago Tribune though. Theirs is probably the only voice in the nation still calling for a special election as the only honorable way out of this mess.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 10:00 PM
The U.S. Navy will commission the George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), its latest Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, this Saturday, January 10, 2009.
This latest addition to our fleet is the 8th aircraft carrier to be named after a U.S. president. Two were named after Democrats; the John F. Kennedy was decommissioned in 2007, and the Harry S. Truman is still in service. Five of the remaining 6 are named after Republicans: Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, Lincoln, Reagan, and now Bush. The USS George Washington honors our only president to stand above political faction.
posted by Rick Brownell @ 9:46 PM
