Sunday, May 31, 2009

Paybacks Are A Barack

Chicago is famous for deep dish pizza and vindictive politics. When you win an election, you are expected to use all of the powers of your office (and then some) to reward your friends on the government nickel and to punish your enemies.

This week saw some interesting examples of Barack O. Capone bringing Chicago style politics to Washington.

First, as you may recall, Barack punishes journalists who cross him by refusing to allow them to ask questions at press conferences, a.k.a. Fox News. We were reminded of that again this week when, Obama Sockpuppet Gibbs made it clear that journalists who question race-baiting nominee Judge Sotomayor do so at their own risk. Said Gibbs,

I think it is probably important for anybody involved in this debate to be exceedingly careful with the way in which they’ve decided to describe different aspects of this impending confirmation.

On May 11, Team Obama inexplicably dismissed Gen. David McKiernan as commander in Afghanistan. According to The Economist, the only “reason” given by long term defense secretary Robert Gates, was the desire to get “fresh eyes” on the situation. You may recall Gen. McKiernan as the General who countered candidate Obama’s claims during the campaign that an Iraq-type surge would not work. McKiernan will be replaced by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was instrumental in the Iraq surge. Replacing a commander in this manner is unusual, and when asked whether this would end McKiernan’s career, Gates said, “Probably.”


This week, evidence also started to emerge that Chrysler has targeted Republican dealerships for closure, even though many of these dealerships are some of the most profitable Chrysler has. Interestingly, the list of closures also includes multiple dealerships owned by a financial supported of Hillary Clinton.


This brings us to the most interesting discovery of the week. In an article that I highly recommend that everyone read, former Clinton advisor Dick Morris outlines what Obama has done to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

In a series of interesting moves, Obama has completely marginalized Hillary by dividing up the traditional duties of secretary of state among a group of special envoys who have been charged with handling all of the complex, high-profile duties of her job. In effect, Obama has done to Hillary what the government often does to people it wants to get rid of, but who it can’t fire: Obama has given her a desk but no duties. Said Morris:

It may appear odd to describe a secretary of State as marginalized, but Obama has surrounded Hillary with his people and carved up her jurisdiction geographically. Former Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine) is in charge of Arab-Israeli relations. Dennis Ross has Iran. Former U.N. Ambassador Dick Holbrooke has Pakistan and Afghanistan. And Hillary has to share her foreign policy role on the National Security Council (NSC) with Vice President Biden, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, CIA chief Leon Panetta, and NSC staffer Samantha Powers (who once called Hillary a “monster”).

With peers who are competitors and subordinates who can deal directly with the president, Hillary is reduced to announcing foreign aid packages for Pakistan while Holbrooke does the heavy lifting.

Moreover, Obama has deprived Hillary of her power base and her income. He has then added insult to injury by making Bill Clinton a special envoy to Haiti, a significantly smaller, more irrelevant role than even the evil George Bush gave to Clinton (coordinating the relief effort for the Asian tsunami and later for Katrina).

Thus, contrary to popular belief, Obama is an over-achiever in something. In five short months, he has put himself in the running for the title of Most Abusive and Corrupt Politician of American History (MACPAH?). Let us hope that when his tyranny ends, someone comes along to teach him and his friends that paybacks are indeed a b. . .

11 comments:

StlDan said...

I just heard on the radio about a Chrysler dealer in Mn. who's sales are UP 40% this year while the National average for Chrysler dealerships sales are DOWN 40% this year and guess what Obama let him stay open.

Of course that would be a lie, he is being forced to close this week.

SQT said...

I know I shouldn't be amazed that these abuses are treated as less-than-nothing stories by the media. But then again, the media knows what'll happen if they cross The One. This guy is scary on so many levels.

BevfromNYC said...

He has now added "Used Car Dealer-In-Chief" to his "pay grade". He's got the "smarmy" sales technique down pretty well already, but when's he gonna get the polyester suit and slicked back hair?

But seriously, I heard that it is just seems like they are closing down more conservative owned dealerships. More car dealerships give money to Republican causes than to Democrat causes supposedly. I have not found the statistics to back that up yet.

AndrewPrice said...

StlDan, it's happening all over the country. I've seen several interviews with dealers who were in the top 5% of sales and profits, were highly rated, received all kinds of awards, and aren't in a market where they would compete with other Chrysler dealers. . . and they all got shut down without explanation. The only common thread that is starting to emerge is that they are were all Republican donors.

People are also questioning now which plants are being shutdown.

Sqt,

You're right to be worried. It took nearly 100 years to de-politicize the military and the bureaucracy in this country, so that we became a first world country instead of some banana republic. And in five months, Obama is looking to undo all that progress.

Unknown said...

Andrew: I take it you don't like Mr. Obama?

I have been through many power-grabbing politicians in my life, but Obama makes FDR look like Coolidge. The totalitarian mindset that requires the co-opting of all opposition or its outright destruction is firmly implanted in Obama's brain. The totalitarian need for power is merely an incident to the more all encompassing need to have complete "security" by systematically eliminating all persons and institutions which would stand in the way of his sick peace of mind. As I have done before, I strongly recommend that everyone read Hannah Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism. I had never thought in my lifetime that I would see an American politician who would fit her thesis--until now.

StlDan said...

Andrew, I know they are shutting the plant here in St. Louis, Mo. guess which way Mo. voted?

AndrewPrice said...

Lawhawk,

I have to say that I'm not a fan, no. I didn't dislike him when he got elected -- don't get me wrong, I didn't like him or want him as President, but I had no personal feelings about him. But since then, I've really come to dislike him. The man is an absolute as*hole and a tyrant.

I swear I would happier if Hillary were President, and that just makes me sick.

StlDan,

Why am I not surprised that they would mysteriously close an efficient plant in a modern (Republican) state with access to rails, roads, and a thriving economy, but would save outdated, run down plants in dying communities in a dying state that lost it's work ethic in the 1950s?

By the way, I've blown through St. Louis dozens of times in a desperate attempt to beat the I-70 rush hour. It's stunning how St. Louis has grown. Compare that with the rust bowl, where everything is shrinking. No contest.

StanH said...

Now Andrew, you know our Barry knows what’s best. We all must remember his extensive training as a community organizer, that’s the PC correct term for a “shake down artist.”

Captain Soapbox said...

Just saw on the news where they sank an old Navy research vessel in the Keys to make a reef for the fish. After all it's expensive keeping all those ships around, and sunken ships make fantastic habitats. So on the bright side I finally found something I can say Obama's good at: Sinking the US Navy, one ship at a time.

Disclaimer: Yeah I know it was an old ship and they did the same to others before, but it was too perfect an opening for some good old fashioned snark to pass up.

Writer X said...

On a recent visit to Chicago (my hometown), I was heartened to hear people in my sister's neighborhood say that they believed that Obama was a "One and Done." This said by people who even voted for him. Of course, they don't understand the damage he will do to the country long before then, but we know that is another story.

Regarding Hillary, it's a b**** when you have to compete with "Don't Mess with Joe" Biden on foreign policy. Wish I could say that I felt sorry for her and Bill. But I don't. Birds of a feather...

SQT said...

I worked with a girl who was an intern at the Clinton White House (pre-Lewinsky). She told me that Bill was pretty much the letch he appeared to be. She said that they had to move all the attractive women from the West Wing because Bill would get too distracted to do his work. I don't know if Lewinski wasn't considered attractive by the screeners or if she just flew under the radar. Either way, Bill stumped their best efforts. I swear I'm not making this up.

She was a intern for Bill and she told me that Hillary had her own interns and that they did not mix with Bill's. Bill's interns were not to "bother" Ms. Rodham-Clinton. They weren't to talk to her or address her at all. My co-worker definitely did not like Hillary. Fascinating insights into the Clinton dynamic.

Post a Comment