Last night, Rand Paul changed american politics.   His filibuster was a stroke of genius.  While Lindsey Graham and John McCain were dining with Obama, Rand Paul reminded us all of the power of principle over politics.  He simply and eloquently said you either believe in the constitution or you don’t.  He did this so well that liberal and progressive Senators were stunned.  Dick Durbin even asked him questions that made the impact of the filibuster more signficant.  By acknowledging that Rand Paul was asking a seriious question and by engaging in a serious conversation with him, Durbin made Rand Pauls comments impossible to ignore.  It is hard to argue with his point that the President of the United States doesn’t have the power to just kill American citizens in the United States just because he thinks it’s a good idea.

Rand Paul did not shout.  He did not make outrageous attacks.  He even said a couple of nice things about Obama.  Yet, with his quiet, but reasoned performance, he delivered a devastating rebuke to the Obama administration.  The quieter he spoke, the louder he was heard.  Even die hard liberals are having a hard time arguing with Rand Paul this morning.

But an even more important star emerged with the public unveiling of Ted Cruz.  I thought Ted Cruz was just another Tea Party candidate.  The main stream media has painted him as another light weight swept into power by over enthusiastic Tea Party supporters.  But after I watched Cruz eviscerate Eric Holder during his cross examination I decided it was time to research this man.  It turns out that Ted Cruz is one heck of an attorney.   Cruz graduated from Yale and Harvard and unlike Obama his academic performance at Harvard is well documented.  He “earned” a position as editor of the Harvard Law Review, he was an executive editor of the Harvard Law & Policy Review and he founded the Harvard Latino Law Review.  He is also a brilliant debater and twice was voted the speaker of the year at national debate conferences.  As a private attorney he argued cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court and he was the Solicitor General for the State of Texas.  That is the kind of position you give to a real attorney, rather than the political position of Attorney General.  This is one of the most intellectually capable people in the United States Senate and no one should make the mistake of underestimating him.  Eric Holder finally came face to face with a real live capable attorney and the result was devastating.

Both John McCain and Lindsey Graham responded by ripping Rand Paul this morning in speeches to the entire senate.  It was a huge mistake:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/mar/7/graham-mccain-blast-paul-filibuster/

The Republican Party hasn’t seen this kind of talent in decades.  Ronald Reagan was the great communicator, but Ted Cruz is a great communicator who gradued Magna Cum Laude with a JD fromHarvard.  Rand Paul is a medical doctor, a man of principle with a rare ability to make arguments that are compelling even to political opponents.  While McCain and Graham were dining with the President, liberal Senators were being mesmerized by the rarest sight in Washington, a man standing firm and alone, on a matter of principle refusing to be intimidated.  McCain and Graham would have been wise to applaud such courage rather than to try and suppress it.

Lindsey Graham and John McCain are acting this way because they know they have just been pushed off the public stage by Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.  When politicians have to try and explain to people why they are important, it is because they aren’t.  The torch has been passed.  The RINO leadership of the Republican Party was blown off the national stage by the soft but eloquent words of Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.  It’s a beautiful thing.

UPDATE.  While Lindsey Graham and John McCain were explaining why Rand Paul was so naive and stupid, Eric Holder was busy caving, because it worked:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2013/03/07/letter-from-holder-to-sen-paul-on-drone-authority/

Graham and McCain just embarrassed themselves.

TDM

Rand Paul has just moved into my top ten list of American politicians .  He is now into his eight hour of filibuster regarding the nomination of John Brennan to be CIA director.   Who knows how long he will last.  Strom Thurmond, the current record holder, spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

I do not know how long this will last, but I do know that he has focused attention on this issue and he is making a compelling argument.  Even liberals are paying attention when he warns against an administration that believes it can kill American citizens without even pretending to follow due process.  At a minimum, the main stream media will have to cover this story.

It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.  It is just possible that Rand Paul will single handedly energize the entire Republican Party.  It has been a long time since we have seen such a raw and powerful example of leadership.  You may like Rand Paul.  You may hate Rand Paul.  You may even be indifferent to Rand Paul.  But after this performance today, it is going to be increasingly difficult to ignore Rand Paul.

As for me, I just hope he keeps droning on.

TDM

I must admit that I found the term “pluperfect subjunctive” to be more than a little perplexing.  The more someone who actually understood the concept tried to explain it to me, the more confusing it became.  I ultimately decided that no one else actually understood it either, so on several occasions, for pure entertainment purposes, I would comment that a particular phrase was the classic example of the pluperfect subjunctive.  No one ever challenged me, probably because they either didn’t really care or more likely because no one wanted to admit they were also clueless.

Now we have political theater with regard to Senator Menendez that may actually make the pluperfect subjunctive more than a little appropriate.  A subjunctive is basically a verb that is used to express contingent or hypothetical rather than real action.  Since the action is viewed subjectively, it is called subjunctive.  Pluperfect actually means past perfect and it is used to describe an action that took place prior to some other past action.  An example would be:  “when I got to the dock, the ship had already sailed.”  In this case the Washington Post is saying that when they arrived, the prostitute who previously said Menendez did now said he didn’t.   A word to the wise, it would probably have worked out better if they got the right girl.

The Washington Post and the Daily Caller are now engaged in screaming at each other about who did the worse job of reporting.  A couple of things should be obvious.   For one, someone was paying $60,000 for Menendez to spend a couple of days in the Dominican Republic.  If you think Menendez, or his bff spent that kind of jingle for a nice beach and some great margaritas, rational thinking is probably not your strong suite.  But more important, the Senator’s conduct reeks of political corruption and payback.  Frankly, the sex party is probable the least important of his problems.  It is impossible to read this story without realizing that the Senator was bought and paid for big time.  There should be bi-partisan disgust with such blatant corruption on display.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I suspect that if Menendez was a Republican, the Washington Post would not have bothered sending a reporter down there to check this out.  They would have just assumed he was guilty as sin.  If nothing else, he would have been guilty of being a Republican.

Now Menendez is claiming that this horribly flawed Washington Post article is proof positive of his innocence.  That is like O.J. Simpson claiming that because Mark Fuhrman lied about using the N word O.J’s DNA magically appeared on the knife used to kill his ex-wife.  Oops…that actually worked.

Like I said:  “pluperfect subjunctive.”

TDM

LBJ understood the problem with liberals:

“The differences between Liberals and cannibals,” he said, “is that cannibals eat only their enemies.”

I sense that President Barack Obama is about to learn that first hand.  The problem is that Liberals believe things that are not true, that have never been true and that never will be true.  Therefore, by definition, Liberals are doomed to disappointment.  In the deluded world of the Liberal left we are separated from utopia only by the failures of our leaders.  Liberals rely on thoughts and emotions and ignore inconvenient facts.  When liberalism fails, as it always does, Liberals turn on their leaders.  They are always heartbroken by another lost opportunity.

Obama is now viewed as a loser by the liberal left.  They are absolutely shocked that Republicans stood up to him with regard to sequestration.   It is not too late for Republicans to once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but right now Obama is the big loser.   Liberals never handle political defeat very well and they are humiliated by being stopped by Tea Party Republicans who they consider to be dumber than plant life.  Since they will never consider the possibility that they are wrong on any issue, they will blame Obama.  This could be really ugly.  LBJ was wrong about a lot of things, but I think he nailed it with liberals.  Watch out Mr. President.  They may find you delicious in a whole new way.

TDM        

The main stream media still loves Barack Obama.  They still think all liberals are brilliant and that conservatives descended from Neanderthals.  But, they no longer think that Barack Obama is a winner.

Barack Obama is officially a loser.  We know this because he told us.  He told us that sequestration is a disaster and that it will cause a lot of pain.  He told us that it was a really bad terrible idea invented by Republicans to reward their rich friends and hurt poor people.  He also told us that he was powerless to stop it.  Forget the inconvenient truth that sequestration was Obama’s bad idea.  What really matters is that Barack Obama said it is really bad and that he was powerless to stop it.  He is looking and acting like a loser.

Winners NEVER complain about their opponents.  When winners are defeated, they just become more determined to win the next time.  Winners never lose; they just run out of time. 

Barack Obama is officially a loser and regardless of the reporting by the main stream media, that is a hard reality.  That is why his approval ratings are now in the 40s and falling like a stone.  The American people love a winner and they hate a loser.  They particularly hate a loser who blames everyone and everything but himself.  I believe that Barack Obama has made an enormous error and I am not sure he can recover.  He has handed republicans a prize worth more than rubies.  He has admitted that he has lost and that he doesn’t know what to do. 

We have hard dark days ahead.   When the President of the United States is a loser, we are all losers.  I fear we will pay a terrible price for his failures.  But regardless of what happens from here on in, one thing is certain.  Barack Obama not only has an expiration date on his forehead, he is already yesterday’s news.  Even liberals will start deserting him, not because they disagree with him, but because they no longer believe in him.  It will not happen overnight, but it will happen.  I do not know who or what will replace him.  But I know a loser when I seen one and I see one now.  I do not know who will win the sequestration battle, but I already know the biggest loser.

TDM

I watched a small portion of President Obama’s Press conference today and it was beyond pathetic.   President Obama just ignores the White House press pool.  He is famous for bypassing them and giving interviews to local reporters who are guaranteed to not ask any tough questions.  Just recently he ditched them so he could play golf with Tiger Woods.  Yet, incredibly, the White House press corps is still totally in the tank for this president.   He “finally” gave a press conference and yet no one asked a single significant question:   President Obama started by blaming EVERYTHING on republicans: 

OBAMA: And let’s be clear: None of this is necessary. It’s happening because a choice that Republicans in Congress have made. They’ve allowed these cuts to happen because they refuse to budge on closing a single wasteful loophole to help reduce the deficit.

As recently as yesterday, they decided to protect special- interest tax breaks for the well-off and the well-connected, and they think that that’s apparently more important than protecting our military or middle-class families from the pain of these cuts.

This was so bad and so obvious that one reporter timidly asked if President Obama accepted any responsibility himself:  He responded by asking them what they would recommend.  Following is the answer to his question: 

QUESTION: Mr. President, to your question, what could you do. First of all, couldn’t you just have them down here and refuse to let them leave the room until you have a deal?

OBAMA: You know, the — I mean, Jessica (ph), I — I am not a dictator. I’m the president. So, ultimately if Mitch McConnell or John Boehner say, “We need to go to catch a plane,” I can’t have Secret Service block the doorway. Right?

It just doesn’t get any worse than this.  No one even mentioned that the whole sequestration deal was his idea and that he lied about it.  No one pointed out that every wage earner in the United States got a tax increase effective January 1, 2013 and they have all had to cut their spending.  Yet the President of the United States cannot possibly manage to cut expenses by 2.5% without making drastic cuts to essential services.   

I remember those great press conferences with Jack Kennedy where he sparred with reporters.  Presidents used to actually get asked real questions and they gave real answers.  The main stream media has always been liberal and they have always cut Democratic presidents a lot of slack, but they at least used to pretend to be reporters.  Now Obama gives this rambling monologue and the only question they can think to ask is why he can’t lock republicans in a room until they agree with him.  I don’t know when I have been more appalled and more disgusted. 

TDM

Bob Woodward, more than any other journalist, has had extensive access to George W. Bush, Barack Obama and senior officials in their respective administrations.  He may have had the best front row seat in the world for observing these two Presidents in action.  That makes the comments attributed to him in the following article very significant:

http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-woodward-obama-sequester-white-house-reporting-price-politics-2013-2

Woodward is walking where angels fear to tread.  He is accusing President Obama of irresponsibly putting politics ahead of national security.  He has challenged Obama’s character.  Republicans are terrified by the main stream media that responds so viciously to the slightest criticism of Obama.   No major Republican or Conservative, including Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even Glenn Beck dare hint at this. 

Woodward may pay a severe personal price for this, but the damage has been done.   The main stream media cannot ignore this story.   President Obama has avoided scrutiny by the main stream media who has displayed a collective lack of curiosity regarding critical issues.  Anyone who dared hint at a problem with Obama’s character would have been crucified as a racist.  Woodward has changed that.  Now the questions must be asked.

I don’t think this is because Woodward is angry.  I think this is because Woodward, who is in a position to know, has weighed Barack Obama in the balance and found him dangerously wanting.   I also think that Woodward senses a sea change among the Washington media.  In recent interviews, both Candy Crowley and David Gregory pushed back against the “sky is falling” hysteria from the White House.”   The Obama protective shield is starting to leak.  There’s a Woodward Wind blowing through our capital and it is wise to remember than an ill wind blows nobody good.

TDM

We had some friends who had a cat with an attitude.  One day, while we were visiting, this cat decided to scratch the back of their couch.  The husband, visibly angry, grabbed the cat and tossed it outside.  For the next 15 years, every time that cat wanted to go outside, it scratched the couch.  We call it rewarding bad behavior.

Homeland security is releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants held in detention:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/26/illegal-immigrants-released-detention-centers-sequ/?page=all#pagebreak

They are also furloughing border patrol agents.   I suspect that the process will continue with the Obama administration choosing, in every case, to make the most painful cuts first.  They appear to be on a mission to make sure that any sequestration cuts will result in the maximum possible damage.

This is not the first administration, at any level of government that had to make cuts.  But in most cases, when faced with the necessary, public officials act responsibly.  They try to make the best of it and minimize the impact.   This time, it looks like the opposite is happening.  If either congress or the American people reward President Obama for such childish and irresponsible behavior, we will only see even more of it in the future.

TDM

The Obama administration is now claiming that if we adopt sequestration illegal aliens and terrorists will flood across our southern border.  Terrorists, perhaps, but illegal aliens are more likely to be heading south, because there are actually jobs in Mexico.  I wonder if even the liberal left will buy this nonsense.

Obama is acting desperate.   He is used to Republicans folding like a cheap umbrella while the main stream media cheers in the background.   He is used to getting away with blatant lies, about nearly everything, because no on in the main stream media seems to care.  But this time few are buying the lie that this was all a nefarious republican plot to starve the poor.  For one thing, Bob Woodward is on a mission to set the record straight.  In addition, I think a lot of people have financial crisis fatigue.

It sure looks like a lot of Republicans have had it with Obama and his histrionics.  This is like the kid who throws one too many temper tantrums.  The parents finally learn to say no and they are shocked to discover how good it feels.

It just seems to me like the whole Obama mystic is wearing a little thin.  It is hard for me to evaluate this, because I get nauseated at the thought of seeing him speak.  But Michelle Obama’s decision to crash the Oscars bordered on surreal.  She was surrounded by token military personnel she never bothered to mention.  The whole thing screamed of “me, it’s all about me.”  This brought political grandstanding to a whole new level.  Sometimes, it is a short distance between class and crass.

TDM

Democrats routinely accuse Republicans of lying about nearly everything.  Republicans routinely accuse Democrats of lying about nearly everything.  Each side is absolutely certain that the other side lies more.  Rarely do we get the opportunity to know for sure who is lying about something. 

 But this time we have something very rare.  We have a credible witness with a reputation for taking notes, confirming sources and getting it right.  Bob Woodward wrote a book titled the “The Price of Politics.”  Woodward describes exactly who proposed sequestration and his narrative is impossible to dispute.  So far, anyone who has dared to dispute Woodward’s reporting has quickly backed off, probably because Woodward tends to record things and he has very good notes.  Now Woodward is asking a very important question:  “Why is President Obama lying about this? 

 Sequestration was a dumb idea and credit/blame for it can be apportioned on a bi-partisan basis.  It would never have passed if House Republicans, led by John Boehner, had not voted for it.  It would not have passed if the Senate, led by Harry Reid had not voted for it.  It would not have become law if President Obama had not signed it.  It is the classic example of bi-partisan stupidity.

 If Obama just admitted the truth, he would be better off.  But Obama has a serious character flaw.  He is incapable of accepting responsibility for anything.  He absolutely has to blame this on Republicans because otherwise he would have to blame himself.  Obama never blames himself for anything.

 Obama has gotten away with obvious lies since day one.  The main stream media refuses to report on his lies.  They either know he is lying, and don’t care, or they are so infatuated with him that they are unable to see the truth. 

 But now he has a problem.  That problem is Bob Woodward.  Woodward is not going to let this go.  When Obama lied about sequestration, Bob Woodward took it as an assault on his personal credibility.   Woodward is on a campaign to prove that he got it right in his book and the man has access to a microphone.  He is providing indisputable proof that Obama is lying and he is very difficult to ignore.

 No one should underestimate the significance of this.  This is the first time Obama has been confronted with his lies in a way that cannot be ignored.  There is a real risk for Obama that the main stream media will finally start to challenge everything he says.  If that happens, Obama is in serious trouble, because he stacks up lies like cordwood.  Credibilty, once lost, is often impossible to restore.  President Obama has been caught lying.  It is no longer possible to pretend otherwise.  The only question is whether lying, at this level and to this degree matters.  We will soon know.

 TDM