Antarctic ice shelf melt 'lowest EVER recorded, global warming is NOT eroding it'
Human CO2 just not a big deal at Pine Island Glacier
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/03/antarctic_ice_shelf_melt_lowest_ever_recorded_just_not_much_affected_by_global_warming/

Here's an example of the science that the Human Caused Global Warming (Yet The Planet Is Cooling) proponents ignore..

It is as much science as anything else out there. Yet it is ignored..

When one ignores the science that doesn't fit the ideology, that's not science..

That's faith..

It's conclusion-based evidence.

It SHOULD be evidence-based conclusions...

Michale

Don't gotz to tell me twice!!! :D

Okay, so I think I've finally figured out what your problem is ... you don't drink enough.

I am sure the Democratic leaders in Detroit never thought that THEY would bankrupt their city either..

The problem isn't the city..

The problem is the Democratic Party mindset of coddling criminals, protecting criminal rights and ignoring victim rights, instituting a buttload of benefits and not having a clue how to pay for it all...

DeBlasio looks to be cut of the same cloth, so it's highly possible that New York will go the way of Detroit..

Michale

The only question remains is how long it takes for New York to go the way of Detroit...

Okay, so I think I've finally figured out what your problem is ... you don't drink enough.

Have a cold one, on me!

:-)

As I explained, it's not necessarily experience that is the sole defining characteristic of a successful POTUS..

If one doesn't have experience, but has good leadership, then one can be successful..

IN other words, if you have ONE of those two qualities (experience or leadership) then your chances of being a successful POTUS are WAY up there..

But, as has been absolutely PROVEN beyond any doubt with our current POTUS, if you have NEITHER of those qualities, then your presidency is going to suck purple panther piss...

Call me if you want to put specifics out there like "were Governors" or "were Cabinet Ministers" or such. But I don't have time to play silly word games.

Especially since those "silly word games" totally decimate yer position. :D

I DID give specifics... And the opinion piece that started it all ALSO gave specifics..

Your problem with the specifics is that they totally disqualified Obama as POTUS..

And, as with the Human Caused Global Warming (Yet The Planet Is Cooling) one disregards or ignores any facts or specifics that do not fit the selected agenda/ideology...

Call me when you want to examine ALL the facts, ALL the science, ALL the specifics, not just cherry picking the ones that fit your chosen mindset.. :D

Michale

The only question remains is how long it takes for New York to go the way of Detroit...

Three years. That's my guess...

Michale

Yes, he does..

A little TOO good...

"Wow. It's dark."
"Yea. A little TOO dark."
"Hmmm It's quiet."
"Yea. A little TOO quiet."
"Hay look!! It's Raph!!"
"Yea, a little TOO Raph."
"Would you quit that!!!"
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

:D

De Blasio Inauguration Both Populist and Tightly-Controlled
http://politicker.com/2014/01/de-blasio-inauguration-both-populist-and-tightly-controlled/

Now THAT certainly looks familiar...

Looks like DB is going to follow the Obama model for "Progressive"...

Michale

He does look good, dudn't he?

Now if Elizabeth Warren will just run for President :)

-David

#34 et. seq.

If you can not define experience and if, "I may not be able to DEFINE a successful presidency, but I can give you plenty of examples.." then you have set the parameters where only experienced Presidents are successful.

That is; you've defined the terms of your position.

Call me if you want to put specifics out there like "were Governors" or "were Cabinet Ministers" or such. But I don't have time to play silly word games.

I hate to say it but I think it's going to be a tough year for middle class America. Something going largely unreported is that the conservative strategy of pretending to be centrists again seems to be working.

I hate to say it, but yer right...

In California, policies for about 900,000 Californians are being canceled because of ObamaCare's mandates, and about two-thirds of these do not qualify for subsidies, according to The Chicago Tribune. The result: These folks will be paying higher premiums.

Today, a 27-year-old man in Memphis can buy a plan for as low as $41 a month. On the exchange, the lowest state average is $119 a month — a 190 percent increase.
Today, a 27-year-old woman in Nashville can also buy a plan for as low as $58 a month. On the exchange, the lowest-priced plan in Nashville is $114 a month — a 97 percent increase. Even with a tax subsidy, that plan is $104 a month, almost twice what she could pay today.
Today, women in Nashville can choose from 30 insurance plans that cost less than the administration says insurance plans on the exchange will cost, even with the new tax subsidy.
In Nashville, 105 insurance plans offered today will not be available in the exchange.
In Washington state, ObamaCare will increase the underlying cost of individually purchased health insurance by 34 to 80 percent on average, according to Forbes.
http://theweek.com/article/index/254564/the-hidden-costs-of-obamacare

If the Middle Class is who yer worried about, maybe supporting a repeal of obamacare would have been the prudent choice...

It seems obamacare looks after the corporate interests at the expense of the Middle Class...

I'm just sayin' ....

Michale
0310

Your comments are becoming way too long!

If you had chopped them up into multiple shorter comments you'd be well on your way to 800 by now. :)

I dunno...

The more I read about de Blasio, the more the phrase "too true to be good" comes to mind...

Call it my natural in-grained cynicism, but I have a feeling we're going to learn that deB is bought and paid for by some special interest/corporate group...

Michale
0309

Com'on people! It's for a good cause..

Hold yer noses and expose yourself to a different opinion!!

It won't kill you. Promise... :D

Michale
0306

I don't reject those studies..

I have stated time and time again that those are VALID studies, that it's all VALID evidence..

My point is... My point has ALWAYS been is that it is YOU (and people who think like you) that reject EQUALLY valid studies, EQUALLY valid evidence that DOESN'T support the Human Caused Global Warming (Yet The Planet Is Cooling) theory.

Why do YOU reject THOSE studies..

Why has not ONE SINGLE IPCC model ever been accurate??

Why has not ONE SINGLE IPCC prediction ever come to pass??

Why doesn't the IPCC reports even acknowledge the Medieval Warming Period?

Why doesn't the IPCC reports acknowledge and explain the FACT that there has been NO GLOBAL WARMING since the 1990s?

Why do you reject these very valid questions??

It's like the gay nature/nurture argument. There is VALID science on BOTH sides of the issue..

But the Left ONLY accepts the science that supports the desired conclusion and ignores/attacks the science that disputes the desired conclusion.

That is faith. Pure and simple... It's as pervasive and as blinding as any religious dogma...

"MY priests/scientists are right and the OTHER priests/scientists are wrong.."

I know, I know.. These are all old arguments..

But that's because no one has successfully refuted them.. And I always go with what works.. :D

The long and short of it is this..

The entirety of the Left *MIGHT* be right about Human Caused Global Warming (Yet The Planet Is Cooling)....

But the entirety of the Left *MIGHT* also be wrong..

And THAT is what ya'all have a problem in conceding..

Me?? I don't have that problem..

I could be dead on ballz WRONG and humankind is completely and unequivocally responsible for every weather event on the planet...

Logic and common sense would seem to dispute that, but I still could be wrong...

Can you say the same??

Regardless, my original point was that it can be dangerous to assume in science. This so-called "scientist" went down to the Antarctic expecting melting ice and proof of his Human Caused Global Warming theory.

He did not even consider the possibility that he could be wrong...

And look where such shortsightedness landed him...

That's what happens when so-called scientists conflate ideology and science...

"Enthusiasm about science is commendable. Enthusiasm IN science is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs"
-Commander Spock

Michale
0305

As the old NYPD Cop said, "I may not be able to define pornography, but I sure as hell know it when I see it!"

I may not be able to DEFINE a successful presidency, but I can give you plenty of examples..

Reagan Successful
Clinton Successful

Carter Dismal
Obama Dismal

As to experience.. I am just going to have to rely on common sense..

If one is going to be a leader one should.. Oh I dunno... have SOME experience in leading...

If one is going to rebuild an economy, one should.... oh I dunno.. have some EXPERIENCE in doing just that..

Now, of course, my argument is that Obama was elected without ANY experience..

Your counter is that MANY presidents have been elected without experience and they did all right. And that is a good counter argument.

AS FAR AS IT GOES...

Because Obama's problem is not *JUST* that he had no experience when he was elected.. Obama's BIGGER problem is that he surrounded himself with OTHER PEOPLE who had no experience at doing anything...

The POTUSes that you cite that did good, even with no experience surrounded themselves with people who DID have experience..

THAT is the mark of good leadership.. You surround yourself with people who make up for your own deficiencies..

Obama is such a narcissist, he doesn't think he HAS any deficiencies.. Therefore, he surrounds himself with people who ALSO believe that Obama doesn't have any deficiencies..

Result??

A train wreck of a presidency..

THAT was the point of the article that you missed..

It wasn't slamming Obama for not having any experience..

It was slamming Obama for choosing people who ALSO didn't have any experience at anything...

Obama's core group are people that think EXACTLY like Obama and do not have the integrity to tell Obama how things really are...

CW himself has said the same thing on many occasions..

In short, a GOOD leader can make up for ANY deficiencies he has.. He just has to be able to admit that he HAS deficiencies..

Obama is not a good leader...

Hope I cleared that up for you.. :D

Michale
0304

Dear Old Michale,

#43

There you go again.

You state that experience is relevant to a successful Presidency. I (foolishly) cite one President with next to no experience who became one of the best & a President with gobs of experience who turned out one of the worst. You cite then as outliers.

So if I'm to continue this discussion you're going to have to define "experience". You're also going to have to define "Successful Presidency". I suspect you'll define yourself right out of an argument.

But because I'm as big a fool in 2014 as in prior years; I'll start off. The following Presidents were notable military leaders. Generals if you will, who became President. Let's discuss the success of their Presidencies.

Washington: Epic Success.
Jackson: Success.
Harrison: Incomplete.
Taylor: Incomplete (though I might be talked into failure).
Peirce: Epic Failure.
Grant: Failure.
Hays: Failure.
Garfield: Incomplete.
Roosevelt: Success (Though TR never got his star, he was an acting Brigadier at the end of the war. If you want to drop him okay.)
Eisenhower: Success.

From that list I determine that success as a General has little or no impact on success as a President.

On to the next subject.

#42

I never met a moron named Al Gore. I know several guys who know a guy named Al Gore but they tell me he's smart as a whip & a pretty nice guy overall.

You assert, "Humankind's effect on planetary climate is like a single man who is sitting in a dingy in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and flops his wee-wee out over the side to take a piss.."

Now Michale, I'm really trying to understand here. This is a God's Honest Truth question. There are hundreds if not thousands of serious scientific studies showing the impact of human activity on the environment, ranging from the "Little Ice Age" of the 18th century, through the causes of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, to the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere today.

Why do you insist on rejecting these studies?

I'm not being a smart ass, & will not challenge your answer, though I might ask for clarification.

Of course it is....

Who would you choose as President? One proved one of the best Presidents America ever had the other one of the worst. Care to guess which?

Of course, there are outliers...

A young black man who starts experimenting with cocaine and other hard drugs..

What are the odds??

That he would end up in jail or dead in the gutter??

Or that he would rise to become President Of The United States??

Of course, there was ONE instance where the latter happened..

But, because of that one happenstance, do we want to encourage our kids into hard drugs??

Obama is a perfect case study as to WHY management experience in a POTUS is a good thing...

Michale
0303

And yet, EVERY time there is a *weather* event, the Human Caused Global Warming (Yet The Planet Is Cooling) nutjobs scream to high heaven that the end is nigh...

You remember some moron named Al Gore, right???

Though I will point out that the very unpredictability of the weather you cite, viz. the unexpected hurricane that froze the ship in, is evidence for a changing climate pattern.

No one is arguing that climate is not changing..

Climate has been changing for billions of years..

The idea that man, in less than 100 years, could affect a planetary climate that has been changing perfectly fine on it's own for BILLIONS of years simply stretches the bounds of credibility to the breaking point...

Humankind's effect on planetary climate is like a single man who is sitting in a dingy in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and flops his wee-wee out over the side to take a piss..

Yea, it's probably not the BEST thing in the world to happen to the ocean..

But the idea that it could, somehow, affect the entirety of the ocean ALSO stretches the bounds of credibility to the breaking point..

My only point in pointing out the article is that this "scientist" assumed his dogmatic theory was correct and did not even CONSIDER the idea that there might not be melting ice, that ice might actually be MORE prevalant..

It's called faith based "science" and, as this moron found out, it can have dire consequences...

Michale
0302

#32

Weather is not climate.

Though I will point out that the very unpredictability of the weather you cite, viz. the unexpected hurricane that froze the ship in, is evidence for a changing climate pattern.

#34 & 35.

"The lack of experience issue IS a good point."

You say that as if experience is relevant.

Should I tell you of a man, elected President whose only prior experience was a a one term Congressman? He was a lawyer who was superseded on what would have been his biggest case.

Or should I tell you of the man who had experience running major organizations, had served in the Cabinet, and ran a humanitarian relief organization for the entire US?

Who would you choose as President? One proved one of the best Presidents America ever had the other one of the worst. Care to guess which?

No comments regarding the Leftist's MSM racial attack on Romney's family???

Why is it that the Left can spew such racist bile and no one from the Left says squat???

But let something like this happen from the Right and the Left is apoplectic??

Double standard much??

Michale
0300

For the record, the extra 200 comments donation will be in ADDITION to my actual count... :D

It's quite another thing to completely ignore the role played by Republicans in Congress - particularly the extremist wing of the party - in opposing literally everything that the administration has tried to do even when that opposition has been directed at formerly Republican ideas (until Obama promoted them!) and even when that opposition has done further damage to a very fragile yet recovering US economy.

What roll did the Republicans play in the NSA scandal??

What roll DID they Republicans play in Benghazi and the disastrous train wreck care roll out???

Repulicans had absolutely NOTHING to do with ANY of it..

Those scandals and so many more are owned completely and unequivocally by Obama and his minions..

It's a perfect, a TEXTBOOK example of how someone who is only versed in THEORY can royally frak things up in reality..

ALL of Obama's ideas look good on paper.. They look good in theory..

But when it's time for the rubber to meet the road, when it's time to actually put those theories into practice, Obama et al simply cannot be bothered by "details"...

With Obama and his plans, it's all "minor glitches" or a anti-something video or some other excuse..

Obama (and so many others) just doesn't seem to understand that it's the POLICIES that are the problem...

Now, I wouldn't normally go around promoting the discussion of a Fox News piece, you understand but, this is for a very good cause!

A VERY good cause!!! :D

The Holiday drive goes right through New Year's Day, right?

That's my understanding.. I have a plan for tomorrow as well to stimulate some more discussions. :D

Michale
0299

It might be a good idea to repeat your Fox Challenge at the top of each of the next few CW columns, just to be sure there are three more responses to it.

Now, I wouldn't normally go around promoting the discussion of a Fox News piece, you understand but, this is for a very good cause!

The Holiday drive goes right through New Year's Day, right?

I read your Fox link ... so, that's two.

It was a pretty shallow and decidedly unenlightening piece. Are all Fox News pieces like this? Because, you know, that would explain quite a lot ...

It's one thing to point out the less than stellar performance by the Obama administration on its handling of the Benghazi attacks, the NSA revelations, and the rolling out of Obmamcare, not to mention its counterproductive moves in Afghanistan and on the CT effort in general (which the author did indeed fail to mention, I might add).

It's quite another thing to completely ignore the role played by Republicans in Congress - particularly the extremist wing of the party - in opposing literally everything that the administration has tried to do even when that opposition has been directed at formerly Republican ideas (until Obama promoted them!) and even when that opposition has done further damage to a very fragile yet recovering US economy.

I did have to laugh out loud, though, when I saw that annus horribilis had to be defined as a horrible year. Sorry, but THAT was funny! And, it compelled me to continue reading until the end, too. So, there's that.

Experience as a Community Organizer does not translate into experience running a country..

The jobs are completely and 1000% different with different goals, different methods and different tools..

Obama may have been a great community organizer..

But, as we can see, that didn't help him set up a great website. Or how to win friends and influence allies..

Or how to grow an economy..

Americans are WORSE off since Obama has been POTUS...

That right there indicates that Obama simply did not have the right experience to be POTUS..

Michale
0297

Aside from the fact that the "article" was little more than her rehashing the good old days when she was writing stuff that President Reagan might use; her arguments were little more than the "lack of experience" argument that John McCain ran in 2008. Or at least ran until he picked Sarah Palin to run for VP.

So, do you agree with the "lack of experience" argument??

As for Palin, she had a LOT more management and executive experience than Obama had at the time...

This is fact..

The lack of experience issue IS a good point.

Wouldn't you agree???

Michale
0296

#31

Aside from the fact that the "article" was little more than her rehashing the good old days when she was writing stuff that President Reagan might use; her arguments were little more than the "lack of experience" argument that John McCain ran in 2008. Or at least ran until he picked Sarah Palin to run for VP.

It assumes that "corporate" is an existential good & diminishes everything else. President Omaha has worked as a Community Organizer and has seen poverty & need up close & personal. Compare to the MIRC Romney's common touch.

#1?

Chris Turney, a climate scientist and leader of the expedition, was going to document 'environmental changes' at the pole

Australia's back-up ship, Aurora Australis could not break through

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2531159/Antarctic-crew-build-ice-helipad-help-rescuers.html

This is what happens when so-called scientists confuse their pet theories with reality..

It's what happens when so-called scientists look at the world as they would LIKE it to be, rather than how it really is..

In short, it's what happens when dogma and ideology replace REAL science...

Fortunately, these "scientists", these people were able to be rescued by air..

It could have been a LOT worse...

The lesson here, the "teaching moment" is that one should never conflate their "faith" with their "science"....

Michale
0295

I wish I could post that in it's entirety here so ya'all might actually READ it..

But I actually doubt any of ya'all would, even then..

It's so dead on ballz accurate and most of ya'all here (with a few notable exceptions) simply won't address ANYTHING that shows that our Emperor is buck-assed nekkid...

But, I have a challenge..

To the best of my knowledge, I am pretty much caught up on my fund-raising donations (CW, a private note if this is not the case).. As we can see at the top, the marker is on the wrong side of the graph...

If I can get five Weigantians to actually READ the above link and make comments regarding the content (supporting or disputing) I'll throw another donation into the kitty equal to 200 comments..

As an aside to CW, I won't be able to do it til Friday, but I WILL do it...

I know, I know... It's FoxNews.. But come on! Hold yer noses and expose yourself to a DIFFERENT opinion...

It won't kill you.. I promise..

And it's for a good cause...

Any takers???

Michale
0294

I mean, seriously, David..

This administration has lied so much and so big that it makes the Nixon Administration look like a paragon of honesty by comparison.

Why would ANYONE believe ANYTHING this administration says???

Hell, if Obama (2013 Lie Of The Year Winner) tells me that the sky is blue, I would have to look outside first to confirm...

Michale
0293

If the last few months have proven ANYTHING here in Weigantia it's that, when Obama has bad times, Michale has great times.. :D

Unfortunately, the rank and file don't seem to want to hang around and defend Obama.

Which simply proves beyond a doubt that said rank and file KNOW that Obama is wrong... :D

"Simple logic."
-Admiral James T. Kirk, STAR TREK III, The Final Frontier

:D

Michale
0292

Really??

A US Ambassador was killed and a GOP administration tried to cover it up by putting out a fake story of some mythical phantom protest?? A story that was total and complete bullshit??

"And you can PROVE that, right? Oh that's right, I forgot. You were absent the day they taught Law at Law School."
-Tom Cruise, A FEW GOOD MEN

:D

No, nothing like this ever happened under a GOP administration..

Because, if it had, the Left and the near entirety of the MSM would have crucified said GOP Administration.

Abu Ghraib proved that beyond any doubt.. :D

Michale
0291

I'll have you know that Geithner's 'stress tests' for the banks were a great success and instrumental in mitigating the disastrous consequences of this financial crisis.

Unfortunately, the Europeans took too long to take his advice on that score.

Oh, I think it will be very interesting ...

Hmmm. That might be interesting. I hope he doesn't call it "Stress Test" though.

Someone suggested "A Tale of Two Citis" ... heheh

-David

... that 2014 is going to be a very challenging year for Michale here at CW.com ...

... in more ways than one.

But, it's okay because, he is among friendly souls here. :)

Sorry, Michale. It did happen under a GOP administration. Several times in fact.

http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww307/AndreasFerrari/zzzzzzzzz2n8d5z8_zpsf277ba75.png

No one went completely and utterly batshit but you guys.

Keep trying in 2014 though!
-David

If my first prediction comes to pass, you can bet that it will be Democrats who are screaming, yelling, in fact BEGGING, to repeal obamacare...

" Your honor, these are the telephone records from GITMO for August 6th. And these are 14 letters that Santiago wrote in nine months requesting, in fact begging, for a transfer. Upon hearing the news that he was finally getting his transfer, Santiago was so excited, that do you know how many people he called? Zero. Nobody."
-Tom Cruise, A FEW GOOD MEN

:D

Michale
0287

You DO realize that Insurance companies use absolutely ANY excuse imaginable (and some they just make up) to avoid paying out, right??

If a person's premiums are not paid if full, then they are not covered..

Multiply that by hundreds and thousands of Americans and there you have your TrainWreckCare... (dot com :D)

Michale
0286

Or, more likely, you don't have to worry about any subsidies..

obamacare computes the subsidies and sends those to the insurance companies..

Except the system to do that is not installed yet..

Do you think the Insurance Companies are going to cover people if they haven't been fully paid??

Michale
0285

Financial management tools remain unfinished, he said, particularly the process that will deliver payments to insurers.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/tech-chief-didnt-see-march-obamacare-memo-100058.html

Maybe that's how it is in your state..

But there IS an obamacare pay system.

Well, there is supposed to be.

At last word, it's not installed yet...

I see no train wreck. I see a train that left the station late.

Too-MAY-toe, Poe-TAY-taa

It's all how you look at the spin.. :D

Michale
0284

You don't make payments through healthcare.gov. It's a brokerage. You make payments directly to your selected provider.

Once I selected a provider through healthcare.gov, my provider contacted me about payment. It took a while, but the back end has been working well in my region for at least a month. From what hear, that's typical.

I made my first payment, I'll be covered starting Jan. 1. Repeat once a month.

I see no train wreck. I see a train that left the station late.

obamacare (the website) will not survive to spring. It's going to take a mortal blow in January when "all those" Americans who signed up for obamacare will return to the website to make their payments and discover that there is NO WAY to do so..

The Obama administration will inform Americans to bypass the website all together and deal directly with the insurance companies, thereby conceding that obamacare is, indeed, a train wreck..

From that point on, obamacare will be known as TrainWreckCare...

I think I'll get a jump on everyone else and start using it now...

Wonder if trainwreckcare.com is available.. :D

Michale
0283

As opposed to the NY Times Obama-Stroking that stated it was all local militia and Al Qaeda had NOTHING to do with it???

No matter how ya'all try to spin it, we LOST a US Ambassador..

Under ANY GOP Administration, that would be a REALLY big deal and heads would roll.. The Left would go completely and utterly batshit...

One only has to look at Abu Ghraib (which was a REAL non-issue) to know THAT is true..

But, because it's Obama, it's a "fake" scandal...

Funny how that is, eh??

Michale
0282

(1) Vice President Biden (what, you thought I'd talk about someone else!?) will be so busy this year managing White House relations with Congress and keeping the Asia Pacific Pivot on a smooth track and generally covering President Obama's back on any number of foreign and domestic issues that he will simply have no time whatsoever to even seriously contemplate running for president again. Of course, that still leaves all of 2015, plenty of time to consider another presidential run for one of the most successful and influential Vice Presidents ever.

(2) Former treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, will release his much anticipated book about the 2007/8 financial crisis and response to it. Get your orders in now as it will be must read material!

Sorry to see you go 60 Minutes, but it's better we no longer pretend that you're journalism.

Yes, I couldn't agree more. And, it's a real shame. I guess it's just a sad reflection on the caliber of journalists and journalism that generally exists today.

Oh bother ... What happened, Liz?

Oh, it's nothing, really. It's just that HP now requires all commenters on their site to acquire a facebook account, ostensibly for the purposes of "turning the page on anonymity" and hence improving the "civility" of conversations.

All I have to do is find a way to get over my seemingly innate aversion to anything having to do with facebook. I'll undoubtedly succumb sometime in the early stages of the new year ...

Speaking of which, Happy New Year, everyone!

Oh bother ... What happened, Liz?

Curious more than anything. HuffPo has been on a steady decline though since AOL/Time Warner purchased it. My opinion, anyhoo.

Nobody's got any predictions for next year?

I hate to say it but I think it's going to be a tough year for middle class America. Something going largely unreported is that the conservative strategy of pretending to be centrists again seems to be working.

The references to Ayn Rand are being removed, the Tea Party candidates are being told not to say what they really believe, and Republicans are dressing themselves up as moderates. I've even seen conservatives running as Democrats. With their tremendous media advantage, gerrymandering and voter suppression efforts, and money, I think the 2014 elections bode poorly for most of America.

In other words, we're likely to see a whole lot more ALEC, tax breaks for the rich, and deregulation before things get better. I say this with a heavy heart and hope differently.

One positive prediction: Elizabeth Warren declares her intent to run for President *fingers crossed* This would certainly bring the economy front and center.

-David

That is indeed some humorous political theatre. And something it appears the American "liberal" media pretty much ignored.

Also, nice callout on the economy as most under reported story. So much to choose from here: gerrymandering, shifting of wealth upwards, the TPP negotiations, cost savings of the ACA ... but the economy is good just for the sheer size and willful ignorance of almost anything which isn't touted in a Chamber of Commerce report. The media completely fears reporting on the economy in any meaningful way that might offend their advertisers.

I'd like to add a farewell to 60 Minutes in the Sorry to See You Go category.

With their paid advertisement for Jeff Bezos right before Black Friday, their kow-towing to Republicans on airing a Benghazi piece full of more holes than a Hollywood movie script, and their "Billionaires are people too" interview w/ Bill Gates, or CBS' covering up of Leslie Stahl's role with the Peter Peterson Foundation it's apparent that 60 Minutes is no longer investigative journalism.

*sigh*

Sorry to see you go 60 Minutes, but it's better we no longer pretend that you're journalism.

-David

Great finish, with some surprise winners that really did deserve their selection over more obvious choices!

De Blasio is a good example of the above, but perhaps this is something of a daytime Emmy? Where do you go in politics from mayor of NYC, in this day and age?

I'm assuming Best Government Dollar Spent is tongue in cheek, a chew toy for every science fiction geek and every 10 year old boy that fried an ant colony using a solar powered magnifying glass "laser." Yeah, it may be 1 buck per shot, but it's one hell of an expensive gun. The (soft)target looks to be a BQM-147 Dragon, under 100 lbs, span under 10 feet, top speed maybe 100mph. Still, it's pretty impressive to hold the laser on spot for the 5 seconds or so it takes to start a fuel fire. Military value to the USS Ponce (amphibious dock) - mostly psychological I'd have to say.

Fifty percent cold prediction is awesome! You aren't flipping a coin, you're calling the side of hyper-sided dice! Keep up the good work in '14!

Come on, ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances...

:-)

-CW

It's been my experience that any political commentator that pisses off BOTH the Right and the Left simply *MUST* be calling it fairly accurately .. :D

Michale
0281

ALMOST the entire Left..

Present company excepted, of course. :D

Michale
0280

Best ex-president of my lifetime, in fact. Bar none.

When compared to the same amount of time that GW has been an "ex president", I would agree with you..

But Carter's anti-Israel comments and actions of the last few years seems to indicate he is lacking in the character and integrity department..

I think, meaning Obama was right to set such a pathetically low bar for himself -- he knew gun control was going to fail all along, yet he boldly attempted it).

We'll just have to agree to disagree.. I am certain Obama thought he could walk on water. Remember, this was right after his re-election.. He thought he had the political capital to part the Red Sea....

I have no doubt that Obama thought he could just say it and it would be so...

The Fates handed him and the entire Left a massive reality check...

Michale
0279

Being half-way through the Holiday Season, I'm officially in recovery mode. I certainly can't top your coolest present.

As for the HP commenter who lamented the lack of balance in your latest piece ... well, let's just say that it's a good thing I've lost my commenting privileges over there or there'd be some choice words for him. What he doesn't seem to understand is that, far from being "in balance", the US political system has become completely out of whack, for lack of a better phrase and "balanced" reporting would, by definition, be shoddy journalism.

I trust he's made a generous contribution to the Holiday fund drive ...

Just caught up on comments for the past week, all the way back to Part 1 of this.

Everyone having a good holiday season?

I got a set of KISS Pez dispensers, top that for a cool present! Heh...

:-)

-CW

It's called integrity and character..

OK, I'll play. Best Integrity And Character Of Ex-President... Jimmy Carter!

Best ex-president of my lifetime, in fact. Bar none.

On guns, I was certainly never convinced that anything real was going to happen. I even wrote about how tough the nuts and bolts of gun control actually were, I believe, at the time. But I never thought it'd be an easy lift, and I don't think Obama ever thought he'd get it through the House. My evidence? The SOTU, where all Obama asked for was "a vote" -- knowing even THAT would be a stretch (no vote ever happened in the House, I think, meaning Obama was right to set such a pathetically low bar for himself -- he knew gun control was going to fail all along, yet he boldly attempted it).

All in all, a much more well rounded AWARDS commentary.. :D

I dunno, I thought both were kind of equal, but that this week's leaned further left and last week's leaned further right. But there's one HuffPost commenter that thought there was no balance at all (can't please everyone, I suppose).

:-)

-CW

Someone remind me again exactly WHY our POTUS wants to make a deal with Iran???

Michale
0278

"We are glad the Americans are here, but we fear that the president has lost credibility after Syria."
Ahmed al-Ibrahim, Saudi Royal Advisor

This is exactly what I was talking about..

Obama put the US's credibility on his "red line"..

When Obama blinked and caved, our credibility took a major, a likely irrevocable, hit in the region...

And you just HAVE to know that Russia and China will be HAPPY to become the Kingdom's newest BFFs....

Michale
0276

It's called integrity and character..

Things our current POTUS seems to be utterly lacking.

Obama would do well to actually LEARN from President Bush instead of trying to blame him for everything...

Likewise, Anthony Weiner, who attempted the most disastrous comeback attempt we think we've ever seen -- where even more scandal erupted after he tried to re-enter politics.

Word is that Weiner is planning a third "comeback"..

Which makes him perfect for the HCWMUIUWGA award... :D

In intangibles, Barack Obama announced in 2013's State Of The Union address, the formation of a blue-ribbon commission on the right to vote -- which was then never heard from again. Instant oblivion!

WHAT!!!??

Obama said something to score political points but then never followed thru!!!????

Say it ain't so!!!!

/sarcasm

:D

But the most overreported story by far (especially on one particular network) was none other than Benghazi. No matter how hard and long Fox and the Republicans beat this particular drum, there was just nothing to really report. Even 60 Minutes got sucked in, by rumor and unsupported allegation. The entire exercise could in fact be labeled "Republican pre-emptive strike against Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign." Because, when you got right down to it, that's really all it was about.

And yet... If it had happened under a GOP POTUS, it would have been "worse" than Abu Ghraib..

That's how you can tell if it was truly the horrific story that it really was...

Of course, we'll learn more and more about Benghazi during the next POTUS election...

Benghazi is not over.

Not by a long shot..

In a normal sort of year, there would have been several strong contenders for Boldest Political Tactic. Obama spending political capital on pushing gun control legislation (even though he knew chances for passage were slim-to-none).

I would dispute this assertion.

Obama actually thought he would prevail on Anti-Gun legislation.. I am also constrained to point out that many Weigantians also thought Anti-Gun legislation was a done deal. I seem to recall many comments to the effect of "Going after guns is not as toxic for Democrats as it once was"..

Of course, reality seeped in and several Democrats lost their jobs because of their Anti-Gun tirades..

So, I have no doubt that Obama actually thought he could ignore the Constitution (AGAIN) and push thru such an infringement..

"He chose.... poorly"
-Knight, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE

:D

Getting rid of chemical weapons in Syria was a good idea, which has to be chalked up to Vladimir Putin, really. Talking to Iran (rather than just raining bombs down upon their heads) was another good idea in the foreign policy sphere.

As to the former, there hasn't actually BEEN any CWMDs moved out of Syria.. Oh sure, lots of talk and promises... But that's about it.. So much for the vaunted "red line", eh?? :D

As to the latter, I have to wonder if it will be seen as a "good idea" when we see a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv...

A nuclear armed Iran should scare the absolute CRAP out of any civilized person...

I'm just sayin'...

All in all, a much more well rounded AWARDS commentary.. :D

Kudos...

Michale
0275