Author Archive: Michael R. Shannon
Judging Presidential Timber at CPAC
Four years ago Mitt Romney withdrew from the race during his speech at the conference, this year he wanted to use a CPAC speech to revive it. After suffering three consecutive primary losses to Rick Santorum, Romney needed a strong rebound and straw poll victory before an audience filled with many people skeptical of his conservatism and commitment to the cause.
Why Democrats Fear Ultrasound and Photo ID
On one hand various liberals want to place lurid photos of cancerous lungs on the front of cigarette packs, Photoshopped images of diabetic amputees on candy bar wrappers and the skull & crossbones on individual M&Ms — all in an increasingly fanatical effort to prevent individuals from doing potential harm to themselves by exercising free choice.
Occupying the Lunatic Fringe
They surrounded her vehicle and began the spreading their word. Some dropped their pants to expose my daughter to the persuasive message contained in their genitals. Others sat on the hood and pounded their fists. All this took place accompanied by an inspiring soundtrack of curses, vulgarities and sexual harassment.
A Grope A Day Keeps Osama Away
Sen. Rand Paul (R–KY) made the news Monday when he declined to get up close and personal with TSA guards at the Nashville, TN airport. Paul entered the security line; dumped his belt, glasses, wallet, shoes, cell phone and pocket change in the attractive plastic bin and walked passively through the full–body scanner.
Conservatives Get Stupid, Again
What a let down. Here conservative Republicans were so close to respectability and even acceptance in polite society. In Prince William County, VA where I live, conservatives convinced themselves we’d come far from that time in the recent past when the WaPost described evangelicals (essentially another word for conservative Republicans, since there is considerable overlap among the two demographic groups) as “poor, undereducated and easily led.”
Republicans Attempt to Change a Light Bulb
I don’t know precisely how many Republicans it takes to change a light bulb, but I can tell you that 289 are evidently not enough. That’s how many Republicans are in the House and Senate, yet they can’t accomplish a relatively simple task and repeal the ban on incandescent bulbs that went into effect January 1st.
Republicans ARE Discouraging Voter Turnout
It’s a dream come true for hysterical liberals and their fellow travelers in the ‘unbiased’ media. Pesky Republicans ARE actively working to discourage voter turnout in the 2012 Presidential election!
Democrats Regulating the Dead
Personal preferences are a reliable method of distinguishing between conservatives and Democrats. Conservatives believe personal preferences are just that: personal and particular to the individual. When others don’t share his preferences a conservative looks for more congenial companions or surroundings. Sometimes he even takes the initiative and creates a like–minded opportunity in the private sector.
Liberals Love Monopoly Taxis
Many DC–area residents have a taxi story. Few have happy endings. Mine occurred on a very rainy day at Union Station. I’d been shuffling along in an endless taxi line when my turn finally arrived. The cab pulls up and fortunately I happened to glance inside before I entered.
Abramoff Wants Congress to Come Clean
There’s nothing like spending 43 months in prison for fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy in connection with Congressional influence–peddling to make you an advocate of political contribution reform.
Notorious Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff is back on what the late Watergate scandal participant, John Ehrlichman might term a “modified limited hang out” book tour.
Playing Santa on Our Dime
Incumbent politicians react to a closer–than–expected victory like this in one of two ways: The near–death experience causes them to reevaluate their career and make substantial changes in their political behavior to more closely mirror what the voters expect. Or they consider themselves bulletproof and liberated from the petty concerns of annoying constituents.
Frankly Barney, You Won’t Be Missed
Are you having trouble refinancing because loan documentation is causing you to jump through hoop after hoop? Is getting a loan to buy a new home impossible because down payment requirements have skyrocketed? Or is selling your home difficult because every appraisal is low–balled? Thank Barney Frank.
The KinderCare Generation
Quite a few members of the daycare generation are currently occupying Obamavilles in New York City, D.C., Oakland, CA and points in between. This is a natural outcome of society’s reliance on strangers to raise our kids. The daycare generation’s formative years led them to become accustomed to large, mostly benevolent, third–party organizations that dried their tears, filled their tummies and enforced the rules for sharing.
Imagine. No Religion, too.
There’s a woman who lives near me with a personalized license plate that proclaims she’s a WICCAN. If her idea of theology is a penetrating discussion with a pecan tree and she wants to proclaim her lasting commitment to cellulose; that’s her right. Even though the sentiment appears on a plate issued by the Commonwealth. She’s joined by motorists displaying plates with DRUID, PAGAN and even VEGAN.
Jesus, the Liberal Democrat
It’s tough enough trying to be a Christian in this secular world without taking misleading doctrinal advice from non–believers who deny the divinity of Christ. But some Christians obviously can’t resist because Hindus, Buddhists, Zen masters, Wiccans, pagans, fire worshipers, polytheists, agnostics, atheists and Unitarians continue their work of trying to get us to follow the “real” teaching of Jesus.
The Second Time Since Harvard Obama’s Ridden a Bus
This week Obama is once again firing up his Canadian–built Magical Mystery Bus and driving through North Carolina and Virginia as his re–election campaign begins on the taxpayer dime. Somehow the symbolism of Obama back in the bus is supposed to inspire Congress to pass his contemptible “jobs bill” and at the same time convince the rubes that Obama has the common touch.
The Qwikster Joins the Dead
The timing is about right. In August Netflix increases the fee for plans that include video streaming and DVDs by a shocking 60 percent. In September the company announces it’s amputating the DVD side of the business and naming the new entity Qwikster. And in October Netflix was planning to introduce beer commercials during streaming programming for everyone not subscribing to the new ‘premium plan.’
This Toll Tolls for You
A better solution to transportation funding is for Republicans to lead from the front and increase the gas tax and make it a percentage instead of a fixed amount. If conservatives in state and local government can’t persuade voters that paying for highways is a core function of government then we won’t ever be able to persuade voters to stop wasting money on non–core functions.
Gov. Perry, Welcome to Your Past
Recently I was watching a rerun of ‘Booknotes’ with Gertrude Himmelfarb — now a respected historian and neo–conservative, but in her youth a Trotskyite, which — for those of you suffering from recent history instruction in public schools — is a variety of Communist. When asked how she made the ideological journey from Trotsky to Reagan, it warmed my heart when explained that she was always a pretty conservative Trotskyite.]
A “Safe” & “Legal” Procedure That’s Always Fatal
The editorialists at the Washington Post thundered, “It’s already hard to get an abortion in Virginia, and it’s about to get much harder.” This stretches credulity since the number unborn babies executed last year totaled 26,000. What increase in the carnage would make the worthies at the Post more comfortable? Are 40,000 deaths sufficient? 50,000? How high must the pile be?
The “Save Obama’s Job” bill
In keeping with his policy of relaxing the administration’s grasp on reality, at the time of the speech there was no ‘Save Obama’s Job’ bill for Congress to pass, because nothing had been introduced. And just like the Congressional Budget Office does not estimate Obama speeches, the House does not pass speeches. It only endures them.
When Dry – Cleaning Attacks
Her idea was simple and achievable — once she recruited a major university to do the heavy lifting. It reminds me of a project my engineer roommate was assigned in college. The professor told them to improve the design of an existing product, but to keep it simple. So students were redesigning Saturn rockets, gas spectrometers and racecars. Lester, on the other hand, showed how drilling four holes in dorm soap dishes would keep the Irish Spring from turning into mush. He received an ‘A.’
Why some are more “illegal” than others
Instead of deporting everyone caught who is here illegally, the administration will drop deportation proceedings if the illegal has been here a long time (each day adding another 24 hours to the original border violation) or is elderly, pregnant, in school, responsible for other family member’s care and has a number of relatives or friends who are potential Democrat voters in 2012.
Note to Post: Cover Katie Perry, not Rick
The real story is that Perry is protecting the taxpayer and attempting to hold the line on government job growth at the state and local level, while at the same time working to continue the government policies that encourage and contribute to the explosive growth of private sector jobs during the Obamacession.
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