King Barack Weighs in (Yet) Again

Is there nothing that Barack Obama will not opine about?

From the behavior of Cambridge cops to the pay packages of investment bankers to West Virginia mine safety and now to a piece of state legislation in Arizona (on immigration). Barack thinks he gets a say in EVERYTHING that happens in this country.

By the way, it is quite unusual for a sitting President to take a Governor and state legislature to task for passing a law he disagrees with. It is kind of Un-Presidential, in fact, to do that. Not the least of reasons is that he is supposed to be leading a country of States (maybe Cass Sunstein can remind him of some of the finer points over lunch one day). And, then there's this whole subject of seeming to be rather reactive, but that may have to wait for another blog posting.

The reason the Arizona state legislature acted is because the U.S. Congress hasn't acted. No, that is not really correct. Congress won't act because they are scared to (scared to piss more people off). But the problem is not going away. And as a front-line state, immigration matters to Arizonians. Right or wrong, their elected state officials felt the need to act, and did act. Now, having acted, The President decides that they did the wrong thing. The President. And, he bashes the Governor and the state legislature for taking the action they did.

Barack should be directing his ire at the Congress. Oh, and by the way, himself, for insisting the Congress take up health insurance legislation rather than other pressing matters of state. But, it is much more politically expedient for him to bash some Republican Governor. Hits the "right" note with his supporters.

Now I am not suggesting that The President should not exercise the bully pulpit to affect public policy. That is his right. He can say whatever he wants. He is The President. Unfortunately for him (and for the rest of us), he has exercised this right rather too aggressively in his short time in office. He basically can't help himself from speaking out.

Here is a serious question, not a joke: Does Barack think he is a Monarch or the leader of a Democracy?

SEC's Goldman Suit Smacks of Politics

I have been as vocal a critic as any about some of the ways that Goldman Sachs has benefited from Government bailouts over the last 18 months, but this SEC action, in the midst of the White House's legislative push to pass a financial regulations bill, just seems to me to be all about politics.

Plausibly deniable, we may never know (or at least we may not know until someone writes a book about it a year from now) if the prosecutors were influenced by the politicians to wage a public war against the most prominent survivor on Wall Street. It just seems to be too coincidental and I, for one, just don't believe in coincidence.

And, if it turns out to be true then, shame on the White House, the Democratic Congressional leadership and shame on the SEC Commissioner. Because they are messing with the reputation of one of our country's leading financial firms. And, the reputations of individuals. Once tainted, reputations are hard to restore.

I have no idea what actually happened, but this sort of fits a pattern with this President. He wants things the way he wants things and he wants them that way NOW. He is a bit of a bully and he doesn't like taking "no" for an answer. Sometimes these are good traits in a leader. But, not when the legal proceedings of our country's law enforcement agencies are applied inappropriately.

Time will tell if this was a political prosecution, or not.

John Kerry Believes in Fairytales

John Kerry spent an hour or two with President Assad in Syria and declared afterwards that "Syria is committed to peace." Good thing we have John Kerry. He would have made a great Secretary of State. My question for John Kerry is, "with whom is Syria committed to peace?"

Is Syria committed to peace with Hezbullah, the militant Islamic militia that continues to hold the people of Lebanon hostage to their fanatical military ideas? The same Hezbullah who launched the cross-border attack and kidnapped 2 Israeli soldiers, igniting a ruinous war in 2006? The same Hezbullah that fired rockets indiscriminantly into civilian population areas (i.e. cities) in Israel? The same Hezbullah that is now armed with 40,000 rockets, some capable of hitting major metropolitan areas inside Israel? How did those rockets get into Lebanon, you might ask . . . through peace-loving Syria.

Or, is Syria committed to peace with Lebanon, a country they continue to dominate, assassinating Lebanese journalists, politicians, business leaders who dare to disagree publicly with Syria?

Or, is Syria committed to peace with the Palestinians, while they continue to host the rejectionist and most violent elements of the Hamas leadership?

Or, is Syria committed to peace with Iraq, now that the dust has settled and it is clear that Iraq will not be torn apart.

Or, is Syria committed to peace with Jordan? Turkey? Iran?

Who is John Kerry saying Syria is committed to peace with?

Israel? Give me a break. Neighbors who are committed to peace with other neighbors do not help the enemies of those neighbors arm themselves with threatening weaponry. Neighbors committed to peace with neighbors do not align themselves with fascist states (i.e. Iran), who publicly call for the destruction of their beloved neighbors. Neighbors committed to peace exert their influence in the neighborhood to keep the peace, not to stir up trouble.

A senior American statesman (?!?!?) going to Damascus and declaring that Syria is committed to peace is a joke. But, unfortunately, it is not really a joke for Israel. It is more of the same public posturing that the Obama Administration has used to turn Israel into the "obstruction to peace".

This is Alice in Wonderland where up is down and right is left. Now, Syria is the peace loving country and Israel the obstructionist state. Thank goodness for John Kerry.