Hurricane activity lowest in 30 years.
Via Drudge.
Updates from March, 2009 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Jehuda
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And a District B13 remake, which if I remember well is a sort of French Escape from New York
set in a post-Apocalyptic Paris. I haven’t seen either District or Taken. But the Taken sequel makes sense, given how well it’s done in theaters.
I usually enjoy Luc Besson-directed films; and I think it’s very clever from him to make French movies that look like Hollywood product; but some of the stuff he’s produced in the past just doesn’t cut it for me, most notably Unleashed
, which I thought was awful. Big fan of his Transporter
franchise, though.
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The NYT is actually reporting on Maxine Waters little conflict of interest incident…and they even say that she’s a Democrat!
How unusual. I wonder if the story is buried in the middle of the paper somewhere. Well, not that it matters. Almost no one reads the Times anymore…
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Nice.
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Fred Barnes: What we’ve learned about our new president.
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Douglas Schoen and Scott Rasmussen: Obama has lost the public’s confidence.
Oh, sure people will tell you Obama is still popular. It’s his proposals that are unpopular, so Team O is ok. Well, not anymore:
It is simply wrong for commentators to continue to focus on President Barack Obama’s high levels of popularity, and to conclude that these are indicative of high levels of public confidence in the work of his administration. Indeed, a detailed look at recent survey data shows that the opposite is most likely true.
But wait! There’s more: (More …)
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Or a Lieberman? Call it whatever you want. Anyway, the AFL-CIO is willing to back him in 2010 if he votes for Card Check. Does it make sense to think that union backing will only help him if he runs as a Democrat instead of a Republican? I guess. Let’s see what develops in the weeks or months ahead.
Not that much would be lost if he switches parties…
UPDATE: Looks like the unions are going to need more than just Specter’s vote.
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WSJ: Obama says he is ready to talk about cutting corporate income taxes and could compromise on his plan to combat global warming.
I guess Obama couldn’t ignore the voices of dissent any longer. Of course, words are one thing. Let’s see if we actually see some action. By now, we all know better than taking Obama at his word.
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So I was writing yesterday about how Obama’s lack of executive chops has become evident in the numerous appointment stumbles of the administration – and also in his poor reform salesmanship – and I thought there wouldn’t be anything more to add on that topic for a while, but the hits keep on coming:
- Politico (via Drudge): FBI raids office of D.C. CTO, Obama appointee.
- ABC News: Another Treasury pick withdraws (via Insty, who’s picked up on a clever observation on the dimming of Obama’s messianic glow).
And yet, the Dow is having a good day riding on a spate of good news. But is there something else fueling market optimism? The stock market looks forward. But Obama’s administration and the current news cycle has increasingly become all about looking back: retroactive buck-passing, shoddy vetting, demonizing media figures for views they have expressed and punishing the investor class simply for owning stocks; punishing Madoff and leaving government scofflaws like Dodd and Rangel untouched; and a negative reaction in Congress to Obama’s budget proposals.
As a result, Obama looks smaller and smaller vis a vis the challenges of our day. Does the market get the feeling that Obama’s plans won’t get too far in this environment? That 2010 will come and turn the tide? That Obama will be a one-termer? What are they betting on besides unexpected profits in the latest quarterly reports?
I only speculate, of course. Obama’s fortunes could turn around in a few weeks, maybe next month, but more and more people are realizing that the administration’s time is running out and that there’s a big “out to lunch” sign hanging from the White House’s front door at the most inconvenient of times. And you have to wonder. Does the future seem brighter to more and more Americans the more Obama’s messianic glow dims?
UPDATE: Now you tell us: What do you know? The crisis is not as bad as we think! (DIRE EMERGENCY CANCELLED, comments Drudge). I feel better already! (this is more of that poor salesmanship at work) Talk about unsteady!
MORE: Some related content (via Instapundit): Dan Riehl says the appointment problems are not that bad either; and Megan McCardle might agree.
ANOTHER ONE: Dan Riehl links. Thank you, Dan!
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Walt Mossberg of the WSJ likes it.
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At Big Hollywood: Will Hollywood Allow Us Heroes Again?
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The Hill: Obama’s honeymoon bliss fading.
Well, with every day that goes by it looks like he’s out to lunch on more and more issues. And people are catching on.
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Wow. Now I’ve seen everything: The American Spectator’s very own R. Emmet Tyrell wants to be Bill’s new friend.
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With liberal Democrats and Activists prodding them on.
Sheriff Arpaio runs one of the most effective law enforcement departments anywhere in the country. And he equally enforces immigration laws consistent with Arizona state law. For that, ACORN and others want him punished.
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Via BigHollywood.
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Wasn’t Congresswoman Waters (D – CA) lecturing bank CEO’s just a few weeks ago? I guess some banks merit more scrutiny than others.
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Another good round-up at Instapundit: if Obama doesn’t mean what he says nor says what he means, why keep up the reformist act now that he’s President?
I mean, who’s the genius making him talk big about how signing statements are suspect one day just so he can indulge in signing statements the next? This makes the President look bad at the most easily graspable level. Piece of cake talking point for the opposition. That’s at best. At worst, it will lead to more of the “out of his depth” and “not have what it takes” talk. At least make use of signing statements down the line, but the very next day after making such a big deal about them?
He should just give up on the reformist sweet nothings, lest he keeps insulting our intelligence. He’s done wearing the reformer mantle. That ship has sailed. He will forever be remembered as a “read my lips” President on earmarks, to say the least.
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“U.S. President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner received failing grades for their efforts to revive the economy from participants in the latest Wall Street Journal forecasting survey.”
Well, they better. They wouldn’t be all that savvy about economics if they didn’t.
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But that was ok, because the President was a Republican.
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Just another day in the White House: Chas Freeman withdraws. Looks like he just made too many people uncomfortable.
UPDATE: Instapundit has a little round-up on the story, which got scant media attention as it developed into Freeman’s actual withdrawal. I guess the supine press is afraid to add to the uncertainty already generated by the administration’s evident lack of executive chops, although the problem becomes harder to hide with every day that goes by. Let’s not forget the latest troubled nominee, Carrion.
The administration must no doubt be worried about adding to that picture. Not knowing how to staff his executive team is one thing Obama cannot blame on Rush, Cramer, Santelli, or W. I’m sure they’d love to try, but even Alinksy’s Rule 13 has its limits. I guess they can always blame it on Obama feeling tired, but that would be pretty lame. And I think the administration knows that their lameness is starting to reach critical mass.
MORE: Camille Paglia says “Obama’s clumsy, smirky staff is sinking him”. Perhaps, but the buck stops at Obama, even if he’d rather pass the buck retroactively to the Bush administration…or fatigue…or whatever.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Professor Reynolds completes the picture of media malfeasance as to coverage of Freeman’s troubling background, here. Plus, a list of Obama’s botched nominations.
It’s enough people to cast an entire season of The West Wing
! No wonder the press won’t look at any of this too closely. This already long record of staffing misfires is at the least indicative of an unsteady Executive hand. To give it added prominence would “spoil the narrative”.
ONE MORE: Glen Greenwald seems to want to say “let’s not focus on Freeman’s conflicts of interest. Let’s focus on those insidious Zionists instead”. At least that’s what it sounds like to me. Of course, Cheney’s relationship to Halliburton was worth exploring for Greenwald; but not Freeman’s to CNOOC. Oh, no. Never.
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Tom Bevan on why Laura D’Andrea Tyson’s “Defense of Obamanomics” got Obama’s carbon tax plan all wrong:
Quick: can you name a good or service that is produced without using or emitting carbon? Me either. That means if Obama’s plan is implemented the cost of everything will be going up across the board, which is precisely the opposite of what you want to do in the middle of a deep recession.
It’s as simple as that. Hard to believe that an economics scholar such as Professor Tyson doesn’t see the problem with that; but then, she teaches at Berkley.
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Amy Walter:
History has taught us that the fate of the president’s party in a midterm election, especially that first midterm, is intimately tied to his job approval ratings. Right now, President Obama’s are great, yet the latest Diageo/Hotline poll shows some weak spots that, if they grow, could bring them crashing down.
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Michael Barone: What caused it? Not deregulation.
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Republicans want to end automatic pay hikes in Congress. Democrats don’t. Isn’t that something?
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Shannon Love: Dealing with left wing preachiness while trying to enjoy Watchmen.
It IS a pain…
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Anne Thompson has some SXSW news.
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John Nolte is not liking the way J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek movie is looking.
I take it he’s a purist. It doesn’t look so bad to me, but I understand how rejuvenating and “rebooting” it for a new generation might annoy people who grew up with the original series.
From a business standpoint, I see it as a bit of a gamble for the studio. Star Trek has never played very well internationally. And there are simply not enough Trekkies in the U.S. to make the picture turn a profit. They are going to have to bring in a big mainstream audience, including women. But if Paramount could pull it off with Iron Man
, whose subject matter – a comic book character – was similarly challenged, I guess they can do it with Star Trek.
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Howard Fineman, in Newsweek of all places: “Obama still has the approval of the people, but the establishment is beginning to mumble that the president may not have what it takes.” Ouch.
So what was holding them back from “mumbling” before? Obama had no executive experience and just a few weeks of Senate service when he was elected President. And now they are mumbling that he doesn’t have what it takes? Is denial a common trait among establishment types?
Carter is going to look like George Washington by the time this is all over…
(Via Drudge)
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AICN interviews Gary Sinise and Jake Rademacher, producer and director of the new documentary Brothers in War, which opens this weekend in select markets.
Via BigHollywood.
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So I keep hearing on TV that Judicial Watch has put out a report documenting Nancy Pelosi’s alleged abuse of Pentagon jets for her and her family’s personal use. The JW site seems to have little bandwidth to spare, because I’m having trouble loading up the report on my browser. Not to mention just loading their site’s homepage.
I went to Memeorandum and did a Google search, but no one else seems to be discussing the topic, although CBS did a related story last month. Ever since 9/11, the Speaker of the House has been granted the privilege of military transport because the Speaker is in the line of succession to the Presidency, should the President and VP become unable to exercise the duties of the Executive at the same time.
I’ll post more as soon as I’m able to read the report. Does Pelosi treat the Pentagon as her personal chauffeur staff? Is she really pushing it? I’m betting on yes for both questions. We’ll see.
Few in the MSM seem to be even discussing this matter, though. No surprise there.
UPDATE: Redefining “unacceptable”:
In one e-mail, aide Kay King complained to the military that they had not made available any aircraft the House speaker wanted for Memorial Day recess.
“It is my understanding there are NO G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable … The Speaker will want to know where the planes are,” King wrote.
Getting a little imperial there, aren’t you Speaker Pelosi?
ANOTHER: Looks like the JW report is finally loading quickly. It’s pretty detailed and well-documented with – inter alia - e-mails from Pelosi’s office and documentation from the Air Force. She’s been busted big time. Of course that whether this story achieves a higher profile really depends on MSM coverage, and not so much on how inappropriate her conduct is. At the least, it will come in handy for the opposition during the 2010 campaign.
MORE: At Hot Air: Most Ethical Speaker “treats the Air Force like her personal airline”.
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Politico (via Yahoo News) has a pretty detailed account of the big debate. Sounds like they put on a good show.
Meanwhile, Mary Katharine Ham sees bad news for banks in the one point Maher and Coulter do agree on. Scary…
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Will Collier gets it, as opposed to most of the film critics out there. He read the book, so I give his review a lot of weight. Sad, but it doesn’t sound just as bad as I’ve come to expect. It sounds worse!
At first I held hope. When I heard they changed the ending, it bothered me. Then I learned how long the film is and I chose not to see it. But bad acting? Transferring entire word balloons from the comic to the script? Now they lost me.
I’m sure the visuals are terrific, but so is the sunset from the Santa Monica pier…
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You can’t make this stuff up: CNN correspondent now communist candidate in El Salvador; and he fancies himself “El Salvador’s Barack Obama” to boot!
Hey, it’s the communist who’s saying it. Not me.
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Variety: Halcyon Company duo in legal battle.
Via Thompson, who has more on the whole mess.
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Sean Trende: Will Democrats Face a 1994 Repeat in 2010? “There are certainly some parallels to 1994. But there are also important differences as well. It is worth taking some time to explore both. But if I were a Republican, I wouldn’t break out the champagne just yet.”
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Kevin Hassett, tell us how you really feel: Obama is a Manchurian Candidate who’s started a War on Business.
Well, Hassett – who’s with the American Enterprise Institute – is not the first one to see shades of the classic thriller in current events. I personally saw Obama more as the Angela Lansbury character and Biden as Sergeant Shaw, but who cares? You get the idea.
I suppose Hassett will make the administration’s enemies list the minute he goes on TV to elaborate on the subject, if he hasn’t already.
(Via Drudge)
UPDATE: Is Obama’s message machine misfiring? Well, it’s true that the administration has not been clear about what they intend to do, as far as the banks go, but the White House’s budget proposals – universal healthcare, carbon taxes, and universal college access – are all too loud and clear; and they’re certainly causing worry. Probably because they do not address one iota of what is wrong with our financial system.
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Variety: A bad review for Watchmen: The End is Nigh.
