Redstate

Posted at 4:22pm on Jun. 27, 2008 Obama's Real Record: Public Housing

Obama helps rich friends but hurts communities

By Kevin Holtsberry

Need proof that Obama's Hope and Change rhetoric is all symbolism and no substance? Look no farther than this devastating Boston Globe investigation:

As a state senator, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee coauthored an Illinois law creating a new pool of tax credits for developers. As a US senator, he pressed for increased federal subsidies. And as a presidential candidate, he has campaigned on a promise to create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund that could give developers an estimated $500 million a year.

But a Globe review found that thousands of apartments across Chicago that had been built with local, state, and federal subsidies - including several hundred in Obama's former district - deteriorated so completely that they were no longer habitable.

Grove Parc and several other prominent failures were developed and managed by Obama's close friends and political supporters. Those people profited from the subsidies even as many of Obama's constituents suffered. Tenants lost their homes; surrounding neighborhoods were blighted.

Shockingly it all comes back to friends and money. Read on.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Obamafiles — Comments (17)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:04am on Jun. 20, 2008 The Audacity of Abandonment

Obama moves from denial to obfuscation to capitulation.

By Richard H Collins

If I were a supporter of Barack Obama I would be nervous. Why? Is it his inexperience, his radical connections, or his stale liberal positions? Nope. I would be nervous because he seems fundamentally incapable of sticking with his principles on a host of issues large and small.

I know his supporters are enthralled with Mr. Hope and Change, but shouldn’t it worry them that he is so quick to backtrack and hedge his answers – or even switch positions entirely – during the course of a relatively short campaign? What will happen should he feel the real pressure of actual leadership (something he has yet to do in any real capacity)?

Read on.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Obamafiles — Comments (22)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:23am on Jun. 17, 2008 Obama promises that this time it will work

The magical power of Hope and Change

By Kevin Holtsberry

Obama continues to insist that his plans to use government to solve our energy challenges will work despite a long history of failure. Bill Clinton tried and failed but Obama won't because things are different:

The overall Obama economic approach echoes the 1992 presidential platform of Bill Clinton, who also launched his bid for the White House seeking a big expansion in infrastructure spending. But those plans were quickly shelved once he reached the White House. Congress rejected a proposal to steeply increase energy taxes, which could have been used to pay for the spending.

Clinton deficit hawks, especially then-White House economic adviser Robert Rubin, successfully argued that slashing the deficit would have a bigger impact on growth than boosting spending because markets would react favorably to a shrinking deficit. "Rubinomics" became the reigning Clinton economic strategy, and many labor leaders backing Sen. Obama worry that the 46-year-old senator ultimately will turn to Mr. Rubin, as Mr. Clinton did.

Sen. Obama waved off that concern. "I've got Bob Rubin on one hand [as an adviser] and [former Labor Secretary] Bob Reich on the other....I tend to be eclectic." Mr. Reich, has long championed infrastructure spending to boost jobs and the economy, and is a favorite of labor. He frequently and famously feuded with Mr. Rubin early in Mr. Clinton's term over the administration's ideological direction.

The chances of pushing through an infrastructure spending program are greater now than they were in 1992, Sen. Obama said, because of new concern about energy prices. Many alternative-energy projects -- clean-coal technology, wind-power generators and the like -- could be packaged as infrastructure. "The difference I would suggest is that there is a strong recognition in the public mind that we can't continue on our current energy path," he said. That means "there's a bigger opening to bring about change."

Its the magic of Change, you see. Obama is for it and so is the public. Presto! Outdated industrial policy magically works!

What's that you say? Haven't we tried this before? Yes, in fact we have. For more on that read on.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Energy Policy | Jimmy | Obamafiles — Comments (1)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:13am on Jun. 13, 2008 Carter's Second Coming?

Voters need to remember their history so they don't repeat it.

By Richard H Collins

Barack Obama may be the political equivalent of a rock star with his huge crowds and his celebrity endorsements, but his economic policies are simply the warmed over liberalism of the sixties and seventies.

Stale liberalism doesn’t have a history of success in America and doesn’t match his image of Hope and Change. This same old big government tax and spend liberalism is a far cry from a “New Politics.” So Obama has been forced into some creative marketing to sell his leftist ideology as post-partisan solutions to the country’s problems.

If you can cut through the hype and the rhetoric, his worldview is clear. Look at the way he talks about money. Tax cuts are “giveaways” and “wasteful spending.” Forget for a moment whether specific tax cuts enhance revenue or stimulate the economy. Instead, remember that tax cuts are fundamentally different from government spending because the money isn’t the governments to begin with.

This captures the liberal view perfectly; the government knows how to spend your money better than you do. Wanting to keep your own money is selfish and wasteful. Obama even made the ludicrous claim that it is only with his nomination that America can began to heal the sick and find jobs for the jobless. It is only increased government spending that can solve problems and only Obama who can lead the way.

Read on . . .

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barak Obama | Jimmy Carter | Lyndon Johnson — Comments (10)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:58am on Jun. 10, 2008 Obama's costly primary

By Kevin Holtsberry

This New York Daily News column on the high price of Hillary's losing run for the Democratic nomination received a lot of linkage and commentary yesterday. And understandably so. Many folks, myself included, are enjoying the end of the Clinton era.

Celeste Katz points out that all that Clinton money and name recognition went for naught:

Posted in 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Archived | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:33pm on Jun. 4, 2008 The Road to Hell is Paved With Democrats

By Richard H Collins

So the general election has begun. Oh sure, Hillary hasn’t formally dropped out yet and neither party has had their convention yet. But last night John McCain and Barack Obama made it clear that they have switched their attention towards each other.

Obama claimed the mantle of the Democratic nomination, which he had secured not by primary votes alone but by the special party elders, known as superdelegates, and took time to accuse McCain of running for the third term of President Bush. McCain, speaking before Obama, pointed out that despite Obama’s constant mantra of change, and obvious rhetorical skills, he mostly offers standard liberal big government solutions not real change.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton | John McCain — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:58pm on Jun. 3, 2008 The Obama Juggernaut Illusion

By Kevin Holtsberry

As the media worships Obama tonight - on his way to clinching the Democratic nomination - it is worth keeping in mind that if it were not for the bizarre rules of the Democratic Primary process Obama would never have had a chance to win this thing. You don't have to be a Hillary shill - and I don't think anyone can accuse me of that - to recognize the simple fact that had the primary process been anywhere near winner take all Hillary wins.

Yes, Obama built a strong campaign organization. He raised a lot of money. And he did a better job of understanding the rules and organizing to win under those rules. But so much of his momentum was a result of the rules which prevented anyone from really winning. Hillary could beat him by hundreds of thousands of votes in critical state after critical state and gain little advantage. He was the underdog who just kept hanging around and eventually Hillary's own stupid mistakes proved fatal. That and his overwhelming support from African Americans was enough to push him over the top.

What the media seems unable to recognize is that Obama didn't decisively beat Hillary but rather eked out a slim lead and then convinced Democratic superdelegates to give him the nomination. But primaries are always about perception and Obama is the master of winning perception. His cool calm demeanor and his rhetorical skills have clearly won over the media. I think this and anti-Clinton sentiment made a huge difference. Democrats feel this is their year and they were willing to risk an inexperienced candidate because they wanted to put both the Clinton and the Bush years behind them. And they wanted a full-throated liberal even if he was untested.

The question is whether this makes Obama seem like a much stronger candidate than he really is at this point. If Hillary can beat him to the degree that she has what does that mean for the general election? If I was an Obama fan, I would be worried.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:41pm on May 6, 2008 That strange new respect

By Kevin Holtsberry

I have been pondering writing a post dissenting from the recent spat of articles where conservatives find they have a strange new respect for Hillary Clinton. But before I could, Phillip Klein beat me to it. Now, obviously I am professionally biased, but I heartily endorse his sentiments:

But what is there to admire about this so-called "tenacity"? Clinton began this campaign with a financial edge, the support of a popular former Democratic president, a built-in political apparatus, a consistent lead of more than 20 points in national polls, and more than a hundred superdelegates.

If a candidate starts off with all of those advantages and is too stubborn to drop out of the race, it's no surprise that she is still hanging on.

There is absolutely nothing admirable about a politician so narcissistic and hungry for power that she is willing to say or do whatever suits her political interests at any given moment.

If the Republican Party has declined to the point where conservatives are so worried about defeating a freshman Senator that they are rooting for Clinton to do their dirty work for them, it is simply pathetic.

Whatever Obama's faults, conservatives should ask themselves whether they can bear the possibility of the nation being held hostage by the psychological drama of the Clinton family for another four or even eight years.

Posted at 12:00pm on May 6, 2008 Clinton Will Break the Democratic Party to Save It

You See, Obama has to be Cleared Away by the Hand of Hillary! like the McGovernites of Old. Now She will have to Burn this Party.

By Mark I

The Huffington Post has an update to their story of this past weekend saying that the Clinton campaign has confirmed that it plans to use a May 31st meeting of the Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee to try and seat the entire Michigan and Florida delegations at the Democratic National Convention. The Clinton campaign estimates that seating of the entire delegations from the two disputed states will give her a pledged delegate lead of around 55 delegates over Sen. Barack Obama.

In a statement released in response to the story, the campaign did not deny that it intended to exercise what the Huffington Post characterized as the "nuclear option." It only objected to the notion that the plan was a secret one.

There is no secret plan....The Clinton campaign has been vocal in stating that the votes of 2.5 million people must be respected. Hardly a day goes by when a Clinton official doesn't publicly declare that the votes of Michigan and Florida count and that the delegations from those states should be seated.

If the campaign follows through on this, it may be left to the ultimate superdelegate, DNC Chairman Howard Dean, to decide the Democratic nomination. Denver is going to be fun.

Read on…

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Democratic Party | Hillary Clinton | Howard Dean — Comments (35)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:41am on May 6, 2008 Change we can believe in

By Kevin Holtsberry

Obama is wrong about so many things I don't have the time to begin to list them. But I will say this, he does seem to know James Carville:

"Well, you know, James Carville is well-known for spouting off his mouth without always knowing what he's talking about," Obama told "Nightline." "And I intend to stay focused on fighting for the American people because what they don't need is 20 more years of performance art on television. And that's what James Carville and a lot of those folks are expert at ... a lot of talk and not getting things done for the American people."

Can we all agree that less James Carville on TV would be a good thing for America?

Posted at 11:30am on Apr. 30, 2008 A conversation with Jim Geraghty

By Kevin Holtsberry

I spoke with blogger extraordinaire and author Jim Geraghty today about the 2008 election - how we got to this point and where we are headed - over at the Stop Her Now Blog.

If you are enjoying the Best. Primary. Ever. and want Jim's take on it click on over and listen.

Posted at 6:24am on Apr. 25, 2008 MI Morning Update: MI Senate GOP fight for tax payers, Obama Gas Tax Holiday Hypocrisy

By saul anuzis

194 Days until Election Day

MORNING UPDATE:

Last night I attended the Eastside Republican Dinner. It was a great success with some interesting conversation and friendship. Thanks to all who helped with this.

The McCain campaign announced their Regional Campaign Manager that will cover Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin...former Giuliani staffer Jennifer Hallowell.

Pizza and Politics was on the Road in Saginaw County last night helping to recruit precinct delegates. We had over 50 people in attendance from across central eastern Michigan. State Representative Ken Horn and State Senator Roger Kahn stopped by to help rally the troops. We had leadership from Saginaw, Bay, Genesee, Lapeer, Tuscola, and Montcalm counties present. We owe a special thanks to Hank Fuhs and Marlene Chockley for helping make this event a success. Hank line…the best one yet!

Posted in 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Michigan Republicans | Republicans — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:19pm on Apr. 21, 2008 Obama With Iran

"Realistic Idealism" Vs. "Aggressive Personal Diplomacy."

By California Yankee

I have a slightly different take on the Iranians preference for Obama than does my esteemed colleague Dan McLaughlin.

Time magazine's Scott MacLeod reports that Sergei Barseghian, a columnist for the Iranian reformist newspaper Etemad Meli (National Confidence), notes that in Farsi, the words Oo ba ma would translate as "He's with us."

Iranians are following the American presidential race. In part, because they wish to be rid of President Bush, who branded Iran part of an "Axis of Evil," and because they are taken in by Obama's false hope. According to MacLeod, Iranians favor Obama's hope rhetoric and see a President Obama repairing the U.S.-Iranian relationship:

It's not only the policy expectations that account for Obama's popularity: his Third World ethnic background and the Muslim faith of his father's Kenyan family — even his middle name, Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and a revered figure in the Shi'ite Islam practiced in Iran — offer points of affinity that some analysts believe could give Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the political cover to make a gesture of reconciliation to the country long decried in Tehran as "the Great Satan."

But it's Obama's declared willingness to engage in "aggressive personal diplomacy" with the Iranian leadership that has generated the most interest among senior officials in Tehran, since this would mark a sea-change in Washington's approach. "Obama is a man of engagement, a man of negotiations," one Iranian official told TIME. Amir Mohebbian, an analyst close to Iranian conservative politicians, argues that "the mentality of Iranian decision makers is ready for that." He adds: "I think that the coming of Obama — maybe, maybe — helps to solve this problem, but it needs bravery, from both sides."

MacLeod, fails to mention that the U.S./Iran "30-year Cold War" is the result of Iran's seizure of the U.S. embassy and the subsequent holding of 52 U.S. diplomats hostage for 444 days -- the remainder of Jimmy Carter's presidency. Like Carter's failure to free the hostages, Obama's proposed "aggressive personal diplomacy" will also be seen as a sign of weakness that will only encourage this state sponsor of terrorism.

Read on there is more.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Iran | McCain | Obama — Comments (20)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:31pm on Apr. 21, 2008 God and Hillary Clinton

By Kevin Holtsberry

Faith and religion has become a hot topic in the Democratic primary of late, but the focus has been on Obama's controversial pastor and his comments about bitter voters. Today I spoke with Paul Kengor, author of God and Hillary Clinton, about Hillary's faith and its impact on her politics.

We spoke about Hillary's lifelong Methodism, her abortion extremism, the way the media ignores how Democrats politicize religion, and more. So click over and listen if that interests you.