King Obama’s contraception deception

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Obama News on Feb 16 

Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law its critics warned of undesirable consequences hidden within the monstrous and confusing bill. Naysayers then, they’ve become prophets. ObamaCare forces every health plan provider to include free coverage for contraceptive and abortive services.

But there’s a catch. Religious organizations also provide healthcare coverage to their employees. Since ObamaCare offers no religious exemption, church affiliates are required to provide services that conflict with ecclesiastical doctrines. The outcry was immediate, as organizations and charities across the religious spectrum vowed resistance on the grounds that a contraception mandate violates First Amendment freedoms. Therefore, King Obama is compelled to reform his decree, at least in part. He’ll order the insurers behind the religious entities to provide free contraception instead. Read more

The Santorum Conundrum

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Race for White House 2012 on Feb 12 

Mitt Romney has withstood every challenge to date, remaining the only constant in the Republican nomination race. There are legitimate reasons for his consistency. Romney is photogenic, has proven business skills, can manage a budget, and heads a campaign flush with cash. The sum total of these assets is the demise of everyone, thus far, who has challenged him.

However, conservatives haven’t warmed to Romney, as last week’s caucuses confirm. So Rick Santorum becomes the latest, and perhaps strongest, “conservative alternative” the “anyone but Romney” camp has long sought. Read more

One fine day on the tarmac

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Obama News on Feb 4 

Air Force One sparkled beneath the brilliant Arizona sun as President Obama and Governor Jan Brewer met one fine day on the tarmac. Then, for no reason, Brewer spat on Obama’s foot. Oh, she didn’t? Then she asked him for a shoeshine. No? Did her dog mark Air Force One’s tires? Wrong again? So what was the big deal? 

While both parties appeared terse during their recent meeting, they didn’t seem on the verge of blows. Obama was apparently displeased with how Brewer’s new book portrayed him while Brewer didn’t appreciate Obama’s condescending attitude. Fine, there was a mild rift. The situation ended with Brewer inviting Obama to a formal meeting, which a White House spokesman indicated was accepted, and Obama referring to the incident as “overblown” and “not a big deal at all.” 
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There’s no off-season for the professionally offended

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under General, Humor on Jan 28 

A professional athlete, no matter the sport, enjoys a certain time of year called the off-season. Off-seasons allow athletes to clear their minds and heal their bodies. As an added benefit, off-seasons prevent fans from becoming bored with the sport. Professional offense-takers should follow that example. Maybe their minds wouldn’t be so cloudy and the rest of us wouldn’t grow so sick of them.

Feminists head the herd when it comes to taking offense. They can find affront at the drop of a hat. Feminists have taken umbrage at everything from Victoria’s Secret to My Little Pony. Anything that fails to promote feminism’s “strong” woman — the bra-burning, gruff, nagging, sea hag — renders women doting airheads suitable for serving the patriarchal society.
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How does Romney remain the frontrunner?

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Race for White House 2012 on Jan 19 

How does Mitt Romney remain atop the Republican field? He’s unpopular with fiscal conservatives. Despite his business-friendly reputation, conservatives perceive Romney as a statist wolf in free-market clothing; a classic northeastern moderate if not an outright liberal. He fares even worse with social conservatives. Even with his reformed positions on abortion and marriage, his checkered history on both issues breeds distrust among Republicans. 

Since key elements of the GOP base are aligned against Romney there is opportunity for a reliable conservative with stamina for the long haul. Thus far no one has fit the bill. Read more

Santa Claus ain’t coming to town

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under General, Humor on Dec 23 

No need to watch out.

You might as well cry.

Go on and pout, I’m telling you why.

Santa Claus ain’t coming to town.

There won’t be any reindeer, or sleigh for you to see.

We’ve banned them all so we can prove our great sensitivity.

It’s no joke! The North Pole’s favorite son was banned from his annual appearance at the Hollings Cancer Center in South Carolina. Said spokeswoman Vicki Agnew: “Because of our state affiliation, we decided not to have a Santa presence this year.” The Center, Agnew continued, wanted to be “more secular and respectful to all beliefs. People who are Muslim or Jewish or have no religious beliefs come here for treatment.” Read more

The GOP field: A wolf without teeth?

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Race for White House 2012 on Dec 21 

Can we say 2012 is a golden opportunity for the Republican Party? What case can the Democrat incumbent present for reelection? The economy is anemic and job growth remains sluggish despite announced declines in unemployment rates. Republicans have the momentum from 2010 and enjoy popular support for repealing Obama’s signature achievement: ObamaCare. 

Voters seem to like Obama personally. Yet their political ideals are more commensurate with conservatism. Sixty-four percent of Americans view big government as the country’s greatest danger. Republicans are expected to hold such views. However, when 64-percent of independents and a sizeable number of Democrats also fear big government, Obama — the commissar of czars — has a problem. Read more

A date that still lives in infamy

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Military on Dec 7 

It seemed a normal Sunday morning for Oahu’s military contingents. Early risers were out for morning chow, Sunday services, or the beaches and golf courses. Some would sleep in, burdened by the lingering affects of a late night. No one awoke anticipating war on 07 Dec 41. But the plan of the day changed when the first Japanese warplanes swarmed over Hickam Field, Schofield Barracks, and Battleship Row.

Within hours, well-trained Imperial Japanese Navy pilots had decimated the Pacific Fleet’s battleships, destroyed hundreds of aircraft and buildings, and killed thousands of men. The attack drove a nation still reeling from a decade of economic depression to the edge of panic. Rumors swirled and West Coast residents feared a Japanese armada would appear on the Pacific horizon at any moment. In terms of national horror, only the War Between the States exceeds Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Read more

The question of character

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Race for White House 2012 on Dec 3 

If a political candidate’s personal conduct doesn’t reflect their public character, said character is only as good as the nearest camera lens. That seems the reality, as determining political character becomes more and more a matter of party affiliation than genuine ethics. 

For instance, Republicans roasted Bill Clinton for his womanizing ways. Yet many are excusing Herman Cain for what seems equivalent behavior. Democrats reverse the roles. Although Cain’s guilt remains unconfirmed, Democrats treat him like the Devil incarnate. Clinton, conversely, could philander to his heart’s content while Democrats marveled at his ability to lie. Is it too much to ask for a little consistency? Read more

A picture worth a thousand Squatters

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Photo of the Day on Nov 25 

It began as a gaggle of unnoticed activists, grew to national status, and became a cesspool of licentiousness, crime, lewdness, and violent threats right before our eyes. Big Labor and the Communist Party USA support its murky agenda, as do domestic and international statists right up to President Obama. Welcome to Squatting Any Street. 

Amidst the slogans and chants emanating from impromptu communes across the country, the only clear message from Squatting is that banks suck and Squatters are entitled. Other than that, Squatting Any Street’s message has been incoherent. Yet no internal chant or external criticism can define Squatting with the clarity of a single photo taken at Squatting Los Angeles. Read more

Will Perry’s fumble put him on the bench?

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Debates, Race for White House 2012 on Nov 12 

Did Rick Perry’s fumble — forgetting the name of an agency he wants to eliminate — seal his fate? The pundits think so; there’s just no way Perry can recover. Even though he has campaigned for months, stating his opposition to education, commerce, and energy bureaucracies on innumerable occasions, he’s finished. But does a momentary brain freeze disqualify someone from high office? 

There are better reasons for voters to avoid checking Perry’s box. His position on illegal immigration rubbed many conservatives raw. Perry widened that rift when he said opponents of granting in-state tuition to illegal aliens “have no heart.” Rick Perry’s campaign has unquestionably stalled. But he isn’t losing conservatives because he fumbled at one debate. Read more

Herman Cain has arrived

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Race for White House 2012, Scandals on Nov 6 

Political candidates are nowhere until their ethics are challenged, their morals are questioned, or their character is assassinated. No one can be considered a viable candidate for elected office until they’re targeted for destruction. Judging from this week’s news, Herman Cain has arrived.

A story that began with two women alleging “inappropriate behavior” has grown to include a third woman, female staffers from a conservative talk radio show in Iowa, and hush money from the National Restaurant Association. Yet the details about what occurred, if anything, have thus far been silenced, if they’re known at all. With each “revelation” the Cain saga seems more and more like Clarence Thomas’ confirmation hearings. Read more

America’s useful idiots cheer their attackers

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under General, Obama News on Oct 20 

Imperfections notwithstanding, humans are a rather forgiving bunch. We’ve been known to forgive people who’ve stolen from us, damaged our property, or attacked us outright. We’ve forgiven con artists, robbers, and swindlers of all stripes. The more magnanimous among us can even forgive their rapist, or their loved one’s murderer. A big heart is essential to granting absolution in lieu of vengeance. Therefore, when such forgiveness is accorded, the gracious party rightly earns public respect.

To revere a forgiving victim is one thing. But what would we think of someone who encouraged their assailant? What would we think of a woman who cheered her attacker during a sexual assault? How about someone who applauds while their neighbor is being murdered, or roots for the thief who’s burglarizing their home, or praises the thug who’s vandalizing their property? We’d think them foolish, if not tetched. Read more

Dick Durbin tests the Water Balloon Theory

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Congress on Oct 12 

No one likes high bank fees, especially in an era of bailouts, Wall Street occupations, and Washington deciding which banks survive. So a $5 monthly debit card fee creates an ideal situation for a manipulative politician, and Sen. Dick Durbin is ready to reap the populist hay. 

Bank of America initiated the $5 debit card fee and you’d have thought they’d reinstated debtor’s prison. No sooner was the fee announced than Durbin pounced.  Read more

The curtain rises on Obama Theatre

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Obama News, POTUS on Sep 30 

When the curtain went up on Obama Theatre’s latest presentation, staged at a town hall meeting sponsored by LinkedIn.com, the performance was the same as it has always been. A theatre critic would describe Obama’s act as tired, tedious, and repetitive. The President delivered the same stale routines and predictable themes upon which he’s long relied. There was nothing new, nothing creative. His message was inescapably vacant and laughably sophomoric. 

Yet one scene stood out, wherein an obvious cast member sheepishly asked Obama, “Will you raise my taxes?” Read more

MSNBC attacks achievement

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Media Clips and Issues on Sep 24 

Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) might think twice before agreeing to another appearance on MSNBC. What’s to be gained from discussing issues with an interviewer whose mind is the political equivalent of a black hole? Credit Fleming for trying, but he must realize that MSNBC is nothing more than an outlet for left-wing activism.

MSNBC’s Chris Jansing scolded Rep. Fleming for opposing Democrat tax policy. Jansing asked Fleming to explain his own high income — his business interests gross $6 million annually — but paid no attention to his answer. Fleming took more than his “fair share” and that’s all that mattered. The condescending Jansing continued to prod Rep. Fleming:

You do understand, congressman, that the average person out there who’s making maybe 40, 50, $60,000 out there, when they hear you only have $400,000 left over, it’s not exactly a sympathetic position. You understand that? Read more

Democrats and Republicans created the Tea Party

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Congress, Tea Party on Sep 9 

If you were born in the 1960s, educated in the 1970s, and emancipated from parental dependence in the 1980s, the ideological differences between Democrats and Republicans were clearly defined. Democrats favored high taxes, government regulation, and wealth redistribution. Republicans advocated low taxes, limited government, and private charity. During the 2000s those lines were blurred. 

Republicans gained control of the federal government for the first time in memory. For conservatives the results were underwhelming. The hope was for Republicans to curtail government’s growth and influence. Instead, they expanded the federal role in education, healthcare, airport screening, and law enforcement. Budget deficits grew, partially due to wars fought for righteous reasons but with murky objectives, and partially due to tepid efforts at entitlement reform.  Read more

Send out the clown

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Congress, Domestic Policy on Aug 27 

A rodeo clown wears some of the most garish outfits imaginable. But who would expect ordinary from someone who’ll willingly tease a 2000-pound bull that’s wearing a bucking strap around his groin? While unquestionably odd, the rodeo clown’s wardrobe is functional, which is more than can be said of Rep. Frederica Wilson’s (D-FL) attire. One glimpse of her costume will send a bull scrambling for his sunglasses.

Rep. Frederica Wilson — Congress Clown — playing the race card (My apologies for using an external link rather than inserting the video. I can’t seem to make it work. AH) Read more

Judge Judy tackles entitlements

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Domestic Policy on Aug 10 

Arguments persist over just how America arrived at insolvency’s precipice. There may not be a single reason, program, agency, policy, or bureaucracy to shoulder the entire blame. The fact that we’re here is the culmination of a methodical, long-term process. However, there’s one culprit that is central to nearly all government expansions, and thus to our fiscal deterioration. It’s one that every productive member of society from the street sweeper to the CEO should blame . . . the bum.

A bum is everything the name implies, from irresponsible slacker to societal parasite. However, America is afraid to blame bums for their lowly condition; it’s politically incorrect. People who were yesterday’s bums, loafers, and freeloaders are today’s disenfranchised and less fortunate. They are the losers of life’s lottery, relegated to poverty because someone else stole a disproportionate share of America’s prosperity. 

Thank God for television’s Judge Judy. She isn’t afraid to blame the bum for being, well, a bum. Her public courage has earned my respect and gratitude. She should earn yours, too. Watch the video and you’ll agree:
  Read more

Live to spend, spend to live

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Congress, Tea Party on Aug 6 

Vice President Joe Biden sticks his foot in his mouth so often that he’s developed athlete’s tongue. The news flash comes when Biden doesn’t say something eccentric, unpredictable, or just plain stupid. So it was no great revelation to hear he’d accused Tea Party Republicans of behaving like terrorists during the debt limit debate. It’s also no surprise that he denied making the comment that everyone within earshot clearly heard. 

That’s just Joe being Joe, right? He has a long history of uttering inanities at the worst possible moment. Sometimes his gaffes unintentionally reveal hidden truths. While Biden was merely blowing his usual hot air with his “terrorist” comment, Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) can’t make the same claim. He pulled a “Biden” in the same meeting, and inadvertently revealed a not-so-secret truth about Washington politics.  Read more