Tim O'Brien Daily

Why They Hated President Bush In Europe

Because he told the truth about the bad guys: Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

He did what everyone talked about doing but didn't have the political will to do: take out Saddam Hussein.

He also told the Germans and French he would not stand by while their companies knowingly sold nuclear technology to Iran and North Korea.

They also didn't like the fact that he stood up to the Russians without their permission.

They hated the fact that he blatantly identified and confronted the terrorists and refused to be cowed by popularity polls. 

President Bush certainly made a lot of mistakes. Ignoring the misplaced self-importance of the Europeans was not one of them.

Because of the courage of President Bush sparks of freedom are being ignited all over the world.  Let's hope his successors don't douse these flames with their allegiance to the polls. 

Just for the record, last time I checked Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Franco were all children of Europe.  I'd say their track record of confronting the bad guys is kind of spotty.

We Really Don't Know How Popular Obama Is

Any popularity ratings of President Obama are grossly inflated.  I submit to you that if the press accurately reported on President Obama's first hundred days the numbers would tell a different storyl.

In the first hundred days 77% of the articles on the front page of the new York Times were favorable to the President.

During the first 100 days of President Bush's administration 24% of the press' coverage was favorable.

During the first 100 days of President Clinton's administration 29% of the press'coverage was favorable.

But no matter how hard they tried the press couldn't run interference for someone who is clearly in over his head. Despite their best efforts the numbers are starting to tell the real story. Liberalism doesn't work no matter who is in charge. 

Obama's latest approval numbers. 

Global Warming Is The Big Lie Of This Decade

The United States Congress just passed an historically stupid cap & trade bill which is based on junk science at best.  If this monumentally stupid piece of legislation should pass in the Senate and become law say goodbye to manufacturing on American soil. Say goodbye to hundreds of thousands of jobs.  Say hello to significantly higher energy prices at the pump and on your home heating bill.  Anybody who denies these consequences is either not informed or a liar.  

For nearly a decade now the global warming delusionalists, led by their prophet Al Gore, have bullied weak minded Americans into believing that global warming is calamity the likes of which we have never seen and if we don't do as the elders of the church of global warming tell us the world as we know it will cease to exist.

All of this is a lie.  Global warming is a hoax propagated by the left.  If global warming is real than answer me this...

• Why has the earth's temperature been cooling since 2001?

• Why was the earth's temperature hotter two billion years ago when no man waked the face of the earth, much less produced CO2 emissions?

While all the aforementioned stupidity is going on in our Congress the rest of the world is going in exactly the opposite direction.  In Europe, Australia and Japan leaders are questioning the gospel of Al Gore, and either rolling back ill conceived legislation based on this junk science or at least putting its implementation on hold. 

These countries are getting it.  It is one thing to debate junk science in the classroom as a useful academic exercise where it has no real consequence.  It is quite another to base crippling policy based upon it.

If you want to be educated on the truth about global warming read the article by Kimberly Strassal in Friday's Wall Street Journal entitled The Climate Change Climate Change: The Number Of Skeptics Is Swelling Everywhere.

Stand up to these bullies.  Capitalism and free market are at stake. 

The Word Or Phrase You Think Of When You Think Of Mark Sanford

Pathetic, selfish, dumb.  Take your pick.

Here's a man who...

• Excoriated President Clinton for his moral transgressions with Monica Lewinsky

• Is Married

• Is a father of four young boys

• The governor of South Carolina

• A presidential contender

And he betrays his family by cheating on them.  Hell of a guy.  My wife said it best "These guys are so disappointing." 

The Real American Heroes

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Senator Ensign's Gotta Go

This past week Senator John Ensign (R NV) revealed under threat of extortion that he was having an affair with a staffer.  I have consistently called for the resignation of those men and women, who while in public service, have adulterous affairs.  If nothing else it shows poor judgment, a lack of respect for the people and will most certainly be a distraction from the job. 

My call for Senator's resignation or at least a decision to not stand for re-election is even stronger.

Mr. Ensign is, like myself, a fiscal and social conservative.  He has routinely spoken out on morality issues, including the vulgar behavior of than President Clinton.  Thus, Senator Ensign, by his own actions, must be held to a higher standard.

Additionally, the woman with whom he had an affair was the wife of a very close friend.  All this against the backdrop of his exploration of the possibility of making a bid for the White House in 2012 and the conclusion should be obvious.  Senator Ensign has serious judgment issues and character flaws.

Though the political elite in Washington have surely forgotten we the citizens must never.  Being a Senator is a privilege.  It is public office, not private office. We are asked for our permission.  We are owed a powerful fiduciary duty.  No one must ever be above this sacrosanct principle, even those on our own team.

Let's start cleaning up Congress by beginning with our own Party.  

Iranians To Obama..."Thanks For The Help"

There is little doubt in my mind that the conversation in the White House led by the President over whether to stand up for the Iranian people against the unbridled oppression of the mullahs went something like this...

• "How would standing up and speaking out on behalf of freedom in Iran impact my image?"

• "How can I navigate around having to take a clear stance, while at the same time give the appearance I am with the people?"

• "What would happen if I just wait it out?"

Here's what should have been said...

• "If we stand for freedom than we have no choice but to speak out for those people who are laying their lives on the line."

The problem for President Obama is he finds himself in unfamiliar territory.  He has never been a man of clear principle.  Or any real principle for that matter. 

His whole life he has been able to avoid controversy, but not taking stances on key issues.  His handlers, guardians and apologists have always provided him cover.  Unfortunately for President Obama now that he is President the jig is up.

There are no more political ladders to climb.  As president it is all about taking a stance.  Your decisions can cost or save lives.  Sadly, for the time being President Obama has offered his signature stance, once again voting present as he did more than 130 times as a member of the Illinois Senate.

Here are two other articles that put the President's inaction in context better than I...

Hope And Change--But Not In Iran by Charles Krauthammer

Obama's Choice Is Not To Choose On Iran by Jonah Goldberg 

Article On Healthcare From Investors Business Daily

A few of my readers alerted me to the fact that the link in my post of June 10th to the article on healthcare in Investors Business Daily entitled US: How Healthcare Really Stacks Up apparently was a dead link so I thought I'd do a quick link here.

I you want to go back and read the article in the context of the post here's the link as well.  Prior post.

The Perfect Obama Stance. Say A lot. Stand For Nothing.

When I saw the front cover of the Los Angeles Times newspaper earlier this week I had to smirk.  The far left column contained an article which detailed the Administration's decision to extend federal benefits to same sex couples.  Article  No big deal right?

Except that just last week President Obama, who promised during the campaign to repeal the Right To Marriage Act, filed a brief in support of the Act!  The Right To Marriage Act specifically prohibits extending federal benefits to same sex couples. 

This man is literally unbelievable.  The article went on to detail how president Obama's decision stems from the heat he received from the gay & lesbian community as a result of the brief filing.

My post is not about the benefits issue.  I personally am support civil unions and the benefits that flow therefrom.  This post is about principle.  Does the President have any at all? 

The knock on President Obama for anyone who cares to research his career has always been he will say whatever it takes to get elected.  Over a ten year period in the Illinois Senate than State Senator Obama voted present 130 times.  That's not "yes", that's not "no.'  That's "maybe."

Sound like the kind of guy you want on your side?  I think I'll go for the guy who takes a stand. 

Barack Obama is God...According To EvanThomas

I was going to leave the Normandy and Barack Obama event alone until I heard Evan Thomas, a writer for the going-out-of-business Newsweek, describe the President’s appearance at Normandy as “like God.”  I kid you not.

  Video Clip & Article

 

Mr. Thomas started his quite frankly weird analysis by commenting on President Reagan's, "Boys of Pointe Du Hoc" speech which as widely regarded as one of the finest speeches in modern American Presidential history. 

 

Thomas said President Reagan was, "all about America.  He was chauvinistic, provincial..." but President Obama, according to Thomas, "is above the country, above the world.  He is like God."

 

Apart from being utterly disgusted by a journalist who is supposed to objective slobbering all over the President, I am embarrassed for the man personally.  Not President Obama, but Mr. Thomas. Has he no self respect?  If my father behaved in such a way I would be humiliated. 

 

The press has become like giddy teenagers, one trying to top the other in their adulation of President Obama in hopes that he will shoot a fleeting glance their way and perhaps bless them with a pat on the head.

 

Back to Normandy.  As President there are certain things one must do.  Commemorating the anniversary of Normandy is one of them.  When I heard President Obama was going to give a speech at Normandy on the 65th anniversary of the invasion the thought seemed completely incongruous to me. 

 

Normandy is the ultimate symbol of American Patriotism and personal sacrifice.  If you look at President Obama and consider his track record in dealing with and talking about the military his presence at Normandy seems out of place.  The two just don't go together.  Just like Obama's appearances in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

 

I just had a thought!  I know what it reminds me of!  President Nixon trying to be like Kennedy and wearing wingtips to the beach.  Remember how awkward and contrived it all looked?

 

The Obama persona just doesn't match the setting.  Normandy represents self sacrifice, humility and the greatness of the American military.  It is not a contrived stage for purposes of reading another abstract speech from a teleprompter.

The hallowed grounds of Normandy transcend the speaker, whoever he might be, not the other way around.  A truth obviously lost on Mr. Thomas.