Super Bowl XL is over. And while I'm happy for Bill Cowher and the Pittsburgh Steelers (is there a more classy organization in the NFL?), the game sucked. Both teams were sloppy; Roethlisburger--normally a mistake-free QB--had a horrible game and the Seahawks couldn't make a field goal or manage the clock well.
Perhaps the last eight Super Bowls leading up to XL spoiled me. I mean, we've had some of the greatest games in Super Bowl history over the last eight years: Elway's helicopter dive to beat the Pack in SB XXXII; Dyson's goal-line reach that fell short against the Rams in XXXIV; the Patriots three-point victories in XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX. Things have been good recently. There is certainly no other eight years period in SB history as good as these last several years have been. But the Steelers and Seahawks dissappointed. The referees let us down. Even the Rolling Stones sucked.
I'll feel better next year when the Seahawks meet the Broncos in XLI in Miami.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Monday, October 31, 2005
Ann Coulter Quote of the Day.
"If conservatives complained about CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Reader's Digest, NPR, etc. etc. half as much as liberals scream about Fox News, even I would say conservatives were getting to be a bore on the subject."
Great quote but why does Ann cite Readers' Digest as a liberal publication? They've always seemed pretty conservative to me.
Great quote but why does Ann cite Readers' Digest as a liberal publication? They've always seemed pretty conservative to me.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Jonah Goldberg Quote of the Day.
"The myth — oft-repeated by Jim Carville and others — that America was beloved by the world until the Iraq war or George Bush is hogwash. Anti-Americanism — in France, in Greece, throughout the third world — has been raging for a long time and actually increased with the defeat of Communism and on Bill Clinton's watch. That's not to say it was Clinton's fault in any significant way. It was merely a fact of life. Iraq is an excuse for America-bashing among nations that clearly couldn't be counted on no matter who was in the Oval Office."
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Ann Coulter Quote of the Day.
"Guns are our friends because in a world without guns, I'm what's known as "prey." All females are. Any male -- the most sickly 98-pound-weakling -- could overpower me in a contest of brute force against brute force. For some reason, I'm always asked: Wouldn't I prefer a world without guns? No. I'd prefer a world in which everyone is armed, even the criminals who mean to cause me harm. Then I'd at least have a fighting chance." -- "How To Talk To A Liberal (If You Must)"
Friday, October 21, 2005
George W. Bush is a conservative.
There are many of my fellow Republicans and conservatives who don't consider George W. Bush a conservative (i.e. he isn't their kind of conservative because, in the wake of the Miers nomination, he didn't nominate their kind of conservatve justice). The notion is absurd but is common nonetheless. Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard puts such nonsense in it's place in a recent editorial:
Right on Fred!
Bush, of course, is a conservative, but a different kind of conservative. His tax cuts, support for social issues, hawkish position on national security and terrorism, and rejection of the Kyoto protocols make him so. He's also killed the ABM and Comprehensive Test Ban treaties, kept the United States out of the international criminal court, defied the United Nations, and advocated a shift in power from Washington to individuals through an "ownership society." On some issues--partial privatization of Social Security is the best example--he is a bolder conservative than Ronald Reagan, the epitome of a conventional conservative.
Right on Fred!
Ann Coulter Quote of the Day.
I dug up this hilarious quote from Ann Coulter awhile back. Coulter wrote this during the 2004 election campaign:
"Kerry was indisputably brave in Vietnam, and it's kind of cute to see Democrats pretend to admire military service. Physical courage, like chastity, is something liberals usually deride, but are tickled when it accidentally manifests itself in one of their own."
Heh.
"Kerry was indisputably brave in Vietnam, and it's kind of cute to see Democrats pretend to admire military service. Physical courage, like chastity, is something liberals usually deride, but are tickled when it accidentally manifests itself in one of their own."
Heh.
Monday, October 03, 2005
President Bush nominates Harriet Miers to the SCOTUS.
The only qualification a Supreme Court nominee need have is that he/she will be a strict constructionist or an originalist.
Frankly, it doesn't bother me that Ms. Meiers has never been a judge or that the bulk of her legal career has been spent in private practice (that's a plus, in my opinion). She is obviously a good lawyer. After all, one does not become the head of the Texas State Bar Association by being a mediocre attourney.
And keep in mind that as the president's counsel, she was part of the vetting process that led to Pricilla Owen, John Roberts and Janice Rogers Brown receiving federal judicial appointments.
The president should be lauded for selecting someone close to him--someone he trusts--for the Supreme Court. He is well aware of his father's legacy of Justice Souter. The president and his father talk about it and George H.W. Bush describes Souter as one of his biggest mistakes as president. Presidenr George W. Bush will not make the same mistake. To make sure he doesn't make that sort of mistake, he is nominating someone he trusts. The president knows Harriet Miers and he knows she will be a justice that moves the court to the right. President Bush is not taking chances. He's nominating someone who shares his judicial philosophy.
I support President Bush and his nomination of Harriet Miers.
Frankly, it doesn't bother me that Ms. Meiers has never been a judge or that the bulk of her legal career has been spent in private practice (that's a plus, in my opinion). She is obviously a good lawyer. After all, one does not become the head of the Texas State Bar Association by being a mediocre attourney.
And keep in mind that as the president's counsel, she was part of the vetting process that led to Pricilla Owen, John Roberts and Janice Rogers Brown receiving federal judicial appointments.
The president should be lauded for selecting someone close to him--someone he trusts--for the Supreme Court. He is well aware of his father's legacy of Justice Souter. The president and his father talk about it and George H.W. Bush describes Souter as one of his biggest mistakes as president. Presidenr George W. Bush will not make the same mistake. To make sure he doesn't make that sort of mistake, he is nominating someone he trusts. The president knows Harriet Miers and he knows she will be a justice that moves the court to the right. President Bush is not taking chances. He's nominating someone who shares his judicial philosophy.
I support President Bush and his nomination of Harriet Miers.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Idiot of Last Week.
In a speech to college Democrats on Friday, Howard Dean said the following:
The president and his right-wing court?!?
First of all, none of the nine justices of the Supreme Court were appointed by President George W. Bush.
Second, It was the four liberals along with moderate Anthony Kennedy on the SCOTUS who rules it was okay for local government to take away private property. The three conservative justices--Thomas, Rehnquist and Scalia--along with moderate O'Connor ruled against such unconstitutional measures.
Third, only a moron would conclude that four liberal justices + two moderates + three conservatives = a right-wing court.
Either Dean is completely ignorant or he thinks college students are.
The president and his right-wing Supreme Court think it is 'okay' to have the government take your house if they feel like putting a hotel where your house is. We think that eminent domain does not belong in the private sector. It is for public use only.
The president and his right-wing court?!?
First of all, none of the nine justices of the Supreme Court were appointed by President George W. Bush.
Second, It was the four liberals along with moderate Anthony Kennedy on the SCOTUS who rules it was okay for local government to take away private property. The three conservative justices--Thomas, Rehnquist and Scalia--along with moderate O'Connor ruled against such unconstitutional measures.
Third, only a moron would conclude that four liberal justices + two moderates + three conservatives = a right-wing court.
Either Dean is completely ignorant or he thinks college students are.
John Stockton: Great point guard but not the best.
Well the "Stockton is the best point guard ever" knuckleheads are out in force.
While Stockton is definitely one of the fifteen or twenty best players in NBA history, it is absurd to say he's the best point guard. That title belongs to Magic Johnson or Oscar Robertson (if you decide to count Oscar as a point guard). Those who say, "He's the all-time leader in assists and steals so that makes him the best" are intellectually dishonest. You are purposely selecting statistics to bolster your argument. If you cared about the facts, you'd also mention that Stockton is the second all-time leader in turnovers! You'd also note that Magic has a higher assists-per-game average. Magic didn't play anywhere near as long a Stockton so the assist totals aren't close.
But knuckleheads are on both sides.
Those of you who bash Stockton because he never won a championship don't get it. Athletes who play team sports should not be judged by how many championships they've won (or didn't win as the case may be). That's unfair and it doesn't say anything about individual greatness. Basketball is a team game and it takes a team to win it all. There are many factors as to why some great players never won it all: Lack of great players around them, level of competition, unsupportive ownership/management, injuries, etc. Not all of those applied to Stockton, of course, but you get my point. Team championships do not automatically equal individual greatness.
One idiotic myth perpetuated by Jazz fans--most of whom are complete morons in my experience--is that Stockton is the best pure point guard in NBA history. What nonsense. The "pure" tag is used to bring Magic and Oscar down while raising Stockton up. It's stupid. Stockton cannot compete for best point guard ever if all things are equal so Magic and the Big O must be brought down by applying the pure label. Look, Stockton fanatics, it's no insult that Stockton is the third best point guard in league history. Move along home, morons.
Stockton is the third best point guard in league history. And that's okay.
While Stockton is definitely one of the fifteen or twenty best players in NBA history, it is absurd to say he's the best point guard. That title belongs to Magic Johnson or Oscar Robertson (if you decide to count Oscar as a point guard). Those who say, "He's the all-time leader in assists and steals so that makes him the best" are intellectually dishonest. You are purposely selecting statistics to bolster your argument. If you cared about the facts, you'd also mention that Stockton is the second all-time leader in turnovers! You'd also note that Magic has a higher assists-per-game average. Magic didn't play anywhere near as long a Stockton so the assist totals aren't close.
But knuckleheads are on both sides.
Those of you who bash Stockton because he never won a championship don't get it. Athletes who play team sports should not be judged by how many championships they've won (or didn't win as the case may be). That's unfair and it doesn't say anything about individual greatness. Basketball is a team game and it takes a team to win it all. There are many factors as to why some great players never won it all: Lack of great players around them, level of competition, unsupportive ownership/management, injuries, etc. Not all of those applied to Stockton, of course, but you get my point. Team championships do not automatically equal individual greatness.
One idiotic myth perpetuated by Jazz fans--most of whom are complete morons in my experience--is that Stockton is the best pure point guard in NBA history. What nonsense. The "pure" tag is used to bring Magic and Oscar down while raising Stockton up. It's stupid. Stockton cannot compete for best point guard ever if all things are equal so Magic and the Big O must be brought down by applying the pure label. Look, Stockton fanatics, it's no insult that Stockton is the third best point guard in league history. Move along home, morons.
Stockton is the third best point guard in league history. And that's okay.
Jonah Goldberg Quote of the Day.
"To his critics, it seems, Bush's error is that he offered too many reasons to go to war, except when he offered too few. When the news is that no WMDs have been found, WMDs become Bush's only reason to go to war. Back when the WMD angle had yet to be verified, the problem was that Bush offered too many rationales. Which is it?"
Ever get the feeling that the left doesn't like President Bush not because of his decisions but because, well, he's President Bush--a Republican!
Ever get the feeling that the left doesn't like President Bush not because of his decisions but because, well, he's President Bush--a Republican!
Ann Coulter Qoute of the Day.
"In the United States, more than 30 million babies have been killed by abortion since Roe v. Wade versus seven abortion providers killed. Yeah -- keep your eye on those Christians!"
Yeah, Christians are the dangerous ones--give me a f--king break. We don't murder children by the millions!
Yeah, Christians are the dangerous ones--give me a f--king break. We don't murder children by the millions!
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Jonah Goldberg Quote of the Day.
Jonah Goldberg is a conservative syndicated columnist. And he's very quotable. So I will occassionally dig up Jonah Goldberg quotes for the pleasure of the three people who read this blog. Enjoy!
"Take the two leading liberal columnists at the New York Times, Maureen Dowd and Paul Krugman. As we all know, one's a whining self-parody of a hysterical liberal who lets feminine emotion and fear defeat reason and fact in almost every column. The other used to date Michael Douglas."
"Take the two leading liberal columnists at the New York Times, Maureen Dowd and Paul Krugman. As we all know, one's a whining self-parody of a hysterical liberal who lets feminine emotion and fear defeat reason and fact in almost every column. The other used to date Michael Douglas."
Friday, July 29, 2005
Ann Coulter is viciously funny.
This was part of an exchange on Hannity & Colmes last night. The guests in this segment were Michael Reagan and Ann Coulter. I found the exchange incredibly humorous:
Funny stuff. Ann's "And if you if you kill a girl at Chappaquiddick you're really good." line had me laughing hard. The nice thing about Ann Coulter is that she's there to remind us all that Democrats are FLAMIN' HYPOCRITES!!! Aw, Ann. I love you.
COLMES: Michael, I want to ask you something you just said about Dick Durbin which was really unfair. You're accusing democrats of being against him (John Roberts) because of their religion, that is outrageous that you would even suggest that. Dick Durbin is a Catholic, Patrick Leahy is a Catholic, and he never said there was a litmus test. He in fact asked the same question John Cornyn asked, whether he could separate his personal believes in what the constitution says, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
REAGAN: Alan...
COLMES: That suggests that democrats are just people because of their faith.
REAGAN: Alan, I wrote an op-ed piece, interesting, over a week ago and it'scoming to play out pretty well, that the Democrats will accept him if he becomes a bad Catholic. See, now...
COLMES: Now, that's ridiculous.
REAGAN: A bad Catholic. But they will not take a good Catholic. I'm sorry, but that's a fact...
COLMES: A good Catholic, according to whom? Do you determine what a good Catholic is?
REAGAN: A good Catholic, according to the Catholic Church, how about that? Ask Schulman, you're neighbor.
COLMES: Well, I'm not one to tell people whether they're good or bad at practicing their faith, maybe you think you can determine that.
Ann, I...
REAGAN: No, but there's a standard and the Catholic  it's interesting, there's only one Catholic Church, it pretty well stands, you know, stands pretty solid where it feels on abortion and what have you, and so if you're a Catholic who becomes pro-choice, then the Democrats will, in fact, accept you, which means they will accept a bad Catholic.
COLMES: What if you're a Catholic  what if you're pro-death penalty and you're a Catholic where the church says that they happen to be against the death penalty? Can you be a good Catholic and for the death penalty?
COULTER: And if you if you kill a girl at Chappaquiddick you're really good.
COLMES: Pardon me, Ann.
COULTER: I said if you kill a girl at Chappaquiddick, you're really in.
COLMES: That's a low blow. That really is a low blow. You should be above that.
REAGAN: Oh, you're really in. You can stay in forever.
COULTER: What do you mean a "low blow?"
COLMES: You really ought to be above that?
COULTER: Why? Did or did he, Senator Kennedy, or did he not kill a girl at Chappaquiddick? What, we can't mention it?
HANNITY: All right, thanks Ann, appreciate it. And Michael, thank you.
Funny stuff. Ann's "And if you if you kill a girl at Chappaquiddick you're really good." line had me laughing hard. The nice thing about Ann Coulter is that she's there to remind us all that Democrats are FLAMIN' HYPOCRITES!!! Aw, Ann. I love you.
Further proof that college is a fantasy land isolated from reality.
I stumbled across an article written by one Matt K. Murphy in response to a supposedly fair anti-Bush study by a Robert S. McElvaine, a historian. Murphy evicerates McElvaine and his leftist professor pals.
The Opinions of Brilliant Idiots -- Matt K. Murphy
And here is a link to McElvaine's original "study" that drew Murphy's ire:
Historians vs. George W. Bush -- Robert S. McElvaine
It's a good read and Murphy reveals how absurd and out-of-touch many in academia are.
The Opinions of Brilliant Idiots -- Matt K. Murphy
And here is a link to McElvaine's original "study" that drew Murphy's ire:
Historians vs. George W. Bush -- Robert S. McElvaine
It's a good read and Murphy reveals how absurd and out-of-touch many in academia are.
Calvin Coolidge: Underrated President.
I've been doing a lot of research on Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, and I've come to greatly admire the man and I now think he is one of the best presidents in American history--I'm talking top ten.
But everytime--everytime--a presidential poll is run, historians rank Coolidge near the bottom (generally bottom four). Is it a liberal thing? Not really. Modern conservatives rate Coolidge rather low, too. I think most have just accepted what everyone else has been saying about Coolidge and have failed to research the man for themselves.
So I will attempt to educate all three of you who read this blog with the following article which explains better than I why Coolidge was a great president:
A NEW LOOK AT CALVIN COOLIDGE
Remarks by Peter Hannaford
Coolidge should be an icon to libertarians and conservatives.
More links to pro-Coolidge articles to follow...
But everytime--everytime--a presidential poll is run, historians rank Coolidge near the bottom (generally bottom four). Is it a liberal thing? Not really. Modern conservatives rate Coolidge rather low, too. I think most have just accepted what everyone else has been saying about Coolidge and have failed to research the man for themselves.
So I will attempt to educate all three of you who read this blog with the following article which explains better than I why Coolidge was a great president:
A NEW LOOK AT CALVIN COOLIDGE
Remarks by Peter Hannaford
Coolidge should be an icon to libertarians and conservatives.
More links to pro-Coolidge articles to follow...
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Steve Young is probably the best QB in NFL history.
The question is not what Young could do but rather what Young couldn't do.
Well, folks, what couldn't he do?
Steve Young is the most perfect quarterback the NFL has ever seen. He's the only QB in history who was consistently accurate from five yards to fifty. No one ran better. No QB in NFL history ran for more touchdowns (43). His 2.17 touchdown to interception ratio is the best in NFL history. When Montana came up, the Niners were the only team running the West Coast offense; teams were not adept at defending it yet. But by the time Young was starting, every team in the league was geared to stop the West Coast offense. Yet Young has the highest pass completion percentage in NFL history.
Some will point out that Young only won one Super Bowl as a starter which hardly compares to guys like Bradshaw and Montana (who won four apiece). That is NOT a legitimate point. It is grossly unfair to heap the failures and success of a team onto one player. Simply put, championships should not be a consideration when ranking great players in team sports. It's absurd.
Steve Young is the greatest quarterback I've ever seen. I didn't see Bradshaw and Tarkenton and Unitas in their heyday but in the twenty years I've followed the NFL, Young is clearly the best QB I've seen. Elway, Favre, Marino, Manning and, yes, Montana not withstanding.
Well, folks, what couldn't he do?
Steve Young is the most perfect quarterback the NFL has ever seen. He's the only QB in history who was consistently accurate from five yards to fifty. No one ran better. No QB in NFL history ran for more touchdowns (43). His 2.17 touchdown to interception ratio is the best in NFL history. When Montana came up, the Niners were the only team running the West Coast offense; teams were not adept at defending it yet. But by the time Young was starting, every team in the league was geared to stop the West Coast offense. Yet Young has the highest pass completion percentage in NFL history.
Some will point out that Young only won one Super Bowl as a starter which hardly compares to guys like Bradshaw and Montana (who won four apiece). That is NOT a legitimate point. It is grossly unfair to heap the failures and success of a team onto one player. Simply put, championships should not be a consideration when ranking great players in team sports. It's absurd.
Steve Young is the greatest quarterback I've ever seen. I didn't see Bradshaw and Tarkenton and Unitas in their heyday but in the twenty years I've followed the NFL, Young is clearly the best QB I've seen. Elway, Favre, Marino, Manning and, yes, Montana not withstanding.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
President Bush picks a white guy to replace O'Connor--thank goodness!
Now hear me out.
I have no problem with women; I have no problem with women judges; I don't even have a problem with women supreme court justices (at least in theory--O'Connor and Ginsburg haven't been good justices). What I do have a problem with is any seat on the Supreme Court becoming the "female seat" or the "minority seat" or whatever. President Bush was under enoromous pressure to replace O'Connor with another woman (or a Hispanic). Even the First Lady suggested that Bush should fill O'Connor's vacancy with a woman. And while their were plenty of qualified female candidates--we're told that Judge Edith Clement was the runner-up to Judge Roberts--I'm glad Bush picked the person he thought would make the best justice. And in doing so, the president struck a deathblow to the nonsense of having seats on the supreme court reserved for specific types of people based soley on an accident of birth.
We know that if President Bush has the oppurtunity to replace Chief Justice Rehnquist or Justice Stevens or any other Supreme Court justice, sex, race and ethnicity won't be a consideration (conservative values will be but then that's the right of the president).
Say what you want about the president, but he does not pick people to fill jobs in government positions based on race or sex. He picks those he thinks will do the best job.
I have no problem with women; I have no problem with women judges; I don't even have a problem with women supreme court justices (at least in theory--O'Connor and Ginsburg haven't been good justices). What I do have a problem with is any seat on the Supreme Court becoming the "female seat" or the "minority seat" or whatever. President Bush was under enoromous pressure to replace O'Connor with another woman (or a Hispanic). Even the First Lady suggested that Bush should fill O'Connor's vacancy with a woman. And while their were plenty of qualified female candidates--we're told that Judge Edith Clement was the runner-up to Judge Roberts--I'm glad Bush picked the person he thought would make the best justice. And in doing so, the president struck a deathblow to the nonsense of having seats on the supreme court reserved for specific types of people based soley on an accident of birth.
We know that if President Bush has the oppurtunity to replace Chief Justice Rehnquist or Justice Stevens or any other Supreme Court justice, sex, race and ethnicity won't be a consideration (conservative values will be but then that's the right of the president).
Say what you want about the president, but he does not pick people to fill jobs in government positions based on race or sex. He picks those he thinks will do the best job.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Because I like lists: The Top 10 Presidents of the United States.
1. George Washington - He set the precedent for all future presidents. It could have been disastrous for the young republic. But he did things right (though even Washington couldn't avoid controversy). Author and historian Larry Schweikart said it best, "It's hard to imagine, say, John Adams or Thomas Jefferson setting the same kinds of incredible precedents that Washington set, both for decorum and for efficiency. Adams would have (as he later did) alienated half the country, and Jefferson would have lacked the diplomacy to pull the Federalists along."
2. Abraham Lincoln - After the South left the Union and threw a tizzy fit because they couldn't get their way in regard to slavery (make no mistake, the South left because of slavery--the states's rights idea perpetuated by neo-Confederates is a myth), Lincoln did the right thing going to war to keep the Union together. Yes, he expanded the powers of the federal government but he had no choice. His detractors, many of whom favor small government, need to look at Lincoln in the context of the times. Lincoln did what needed to be done.
3. Thomas Jefferson - With the Louisiana Purchase, he doubled the size of the United States. Jefferson believed in small government and believed that people should govern themselves. He also banned the slave trade as president and had the vision to fund the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
4. Ronald Reagan - I don't think Reagan's greatness can be exaggerated. With his economic policies (i.e, tax cuts) he gave us the strongest economy we've ever had. On top of that, he put the Soviet Union out of business bringing hope to not just millions of Americans but millions of people worldwide. Always positive, Reagan made his enemies--both domestic and foreign--look foolish.
5. Grover Cleveland - Robert Higgs, Research Director for the Independent Institute, said this of Clevelsnd, "He kept the country at peace. He respected the Constitution, acknowledging that the national government has only a limited mission to perform and shaped his policies accordingly. He fought to lower tariffs; preserved the gold standard in its time of crisis; and restored order forcibly when hoodlums disturbed the peace on a wide front during the great railroad strike of 1894." Though I disagree with Mr. Higgs on many fronts, he nails my opinion of Cleveland perfectly.
6. (tie) Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge - It's hard to seperate Harding and Coolidge because Coolidge was an extension of Harding. A former Reagan economics advisor said this about the Harding/Coolidge term: "In another 50 years, Harding will look much better than he does today. His most sensational move was to name Andrew Mellon, the Pittsburgh banker, Treasury Secretary, which is why the Twenties roared. Mellon was the best Treasury Secretary after Alexander Hamilton. Harding's second great move (which preceded his Mellon pick) was to name Calvin Coolidge his running mate. Coolidge is derided because he didn't advocate Big Government, but he was Reagan's hero. RR was in high school in the Coolidge years, when Coolidge best expressed the ideas of low tax rates producing greater tax revenues than high tax rates. It was Mellon who inspired the JFK tax cuts of 1964 and the Reagan Revolution that followed. The only reason Harding is reviled by today's historians is that he MUST be entombed along with Hoover (and Coolidge) in order to elevate FDR." My thoughts precisely.
8. James Monroe - Monroe had one of the greatest cabinets ever assembled and he had the wisdom to let his cabinet secretaries do what they did best. The Missouri Compromise managed to keep the young republic together and the Monroe Doctrine laid the course for generations to follow.
9. Harry S. Truman - Did little to slow down the ineffective New Deal programs of FDR and, overall, he was fairly weak when it came to domestic issues. However, his dealings with the Soviets and Chinese at the beginning of the Cold War were extraordinary in vision and scope. Every Cold War president that followed Truman owes him a debt.
10. William McKinley - Karl Rove, George W. Bush's close friend and advisor, said this of McKinley (which I wholeheartedly agree with), "He modernized the presidency, he modernized the Treasury to deal with the modern economy, he changed dramatically the policies of his party by creating a durable governing coalition for 40 years, he took a special interest in finding the rising generation of young leaders and putting them into the government, he attempted deliberately to break with the Gilded Age politics, he was inclusive and he was the first Republican candidate for president to be endorsed by a leader in the Catholic hierarchy."
Maybe I'll post a "worst ten presidents" list later this week--Carter, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon Johnson, Jackson, Nixon, Ford, Buchanan, and Wilson will all be on it
2. Abraham Lincoln - After the South left the Union and threw a tizzy fit because they couldn't get their way in regard to slavery (make no mistake, the South left because of slavery--the states's rights idea perpetuated by neo-Confederates is a myth), Lincoln did the right thing going to war to keep the Union together. Yes, he expanded the powers of the federal government but he had no choice. His detractors, many of whom favor small government, need to look at Lincoln in the context of the times. Lincoln did what needed to be done.
3. Thomas Jefferson - With the Louisiana Purchase, he doubled the size of the United States. Jefferson believed in small government and believed that people should govern themselves. He also banned the slave trade as president and had the vision to fund the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
4. Ronald Reagan - I don't think Reagan's greatness can be exaggerated. With his economic policies (i.e, tax cuts) he gave us the strongest economy we've ever had. On top of that, he put the Soviet Union out of business bringing hope to not just millions of Americans but millions of people worldwide. Always positive, Reagan made his enemies--both domestic and foreign--look foolish.
5. Grover Cleveland - Robert Higgs, Research Director for the Independent Institute, said this of Clevelsnd, "He kept the country at peace. He respected the Constitution, acknowledging that the national government has only a limited mission to perform and shaped his policies accordingly. He fought to lower tariffs; preserved the gold standard in its time of crisis; and restored order forcibly when hoodlums disturbed the peace on a wide front during the great railroad strike of 1894." Though I disagree with Mr. Higgs on many fronts, he nails my opinion of Cleveland perfectly.
6. (tie) Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge - It's hard to seperate Harding and Coolidge because Coolidge was an extension of Harding. A former Reagan economics advisor said this about the Harding/Coolidge term: "In another 50 years, Harding will look much better than he does today. His most sensational move was to name Andrew Mellon, the Pittsburgh banker, Treasury Secretary, which is why the Twenties roared. Mellon was the best Treasury Secretary after Alexander Hamilton. Harding's second great move (which preceded his Mellon pick) was to name Calvin Coolidge his running mate. Coolidge is derided because he didn't advocate Big Government, but he was Reagan's hero. RR was in high school in the Coolidge years, when Coolidge best expressed the ideas of low tax rates producing greater tax revenues than high tax rates. It was Mellon who inspired the JFK tax cuts of 1964 and the Reagan Revolution that followed. The only reason Harding is reviled by today's historians is that he MUST be entombed along with Hoover (and Coolidge) in order to elevate FDR." My thoughts precisely.
8. James Monroe - Monroe had one of the greatest cabinets ever assembled and he had the wisdom to let his cabinet secretaries do what they did best. The Missouri Compromise managed to keep the young republic together and the Monroe Doctrine laid the course for generations to follow.
9. Harry S. Truman - Did little to slow down the ineffective New Deal programs of FDR and, overall, he was fairly weak when it came to domestic issues. However, his dealings with the Soviets and Chinese at the beginning of the Cold War were extraordinary in vision and scope. Every Cold War president that followed Truman owes him a debt.
10. William McKinley - Karl Rove, George W. Bush's close friend and advisor, said this of McKinley (which I wholeheartedly agree with), "He modernized the presidency, he modernized the Treasury to deal with the modern economy, he changed dramatically the policies of his party by creating a durable governing coalition for 40 years, he took a special interest in finding the rising generation of young leaders and putting them into the government, he attempted deliberately to break with the Gilded Age politics, he was inclusive and he was the first Republican candidate for president to be endorsed by a leader in the Catholic hierarchy."
Maybe I'll post a "worst ten presidents" list later this week--Carter, Andrew Johnson, Lyndon Johnson, Jackson, Nixon, Ford, Buchanan, and Wilson will all be on it
More thoughts on Judge John Roberts.
As I've looked at other conservative blogs and websites, I've been dumbstruck by just how many conservatives are doubtful about John Roberts's conservative credentials.
They keep comparing Roberts to Souter.
I don't believe there is any evidence that Roberts is another Souter (who was George H.W. Bush's greatest mistake as president).
Roberts does have a conservative record. He is pro-business and, while he isn't the pure constitutional traditionalist many conservatives wanted, Roberts believes the Supreme Court should not legislate.
Comparisons to Souter are invalid. Souter did have a record, in spite of what some conservatives claim. The first Bush administration did not do their homework. If they had, they would have realized that Souter was a conservative in only the strictest definition of the word. He was a pragmatic conservative in the classic political sense. That means Souter felt that dramatic changes to the law was not good for society. He was truly conservative in that he did not like change which is why I believe he ended up becoming part of the liberal bloc of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had over the last forty years become increasingly more liberal (liberal in the modern sense) and Souter went with the flow--which is conservative in definition, if not philosophy.
There is no shred of evidence that Roberts has a judicial philosophy similiar to Souter's. If any current Supreme Court justices should be compared to Roberts, it is Rehnquist. Rehnquist is a mainstream conservative who has consistently been a good conservative justice. Roberts appears to be in the same mold.
I continue to praise President Bush's decision to nominate Judge Roberts. If nothing else, Roberts is more conservative than O'Connor. And if President Bush fills every Supreme Court vacancy with someone more conservative than his or her predecessor, I'll be happy.
They keep comparing Roberts to Souter.
I don't believe there is any evidence that Roberts is another Souter (who was George H.W. Bush's greatest mistake as president).
Roberts does have a conservative record. He is pro-business and, while he isn't the pure constitutional traditionalist many conservatives wanted, Roberts believes the Supreme Court should not legislate.
Comparisons to Souter are invalid. Souter did have a record, in spite of what some conservatives claim. The first Bush administration did not do their homework. If they had, they would have realized that Souter was a conservative in only the strictest definition of the word. He was a pragmatic conservative in the classic political sense. That means Souter felt that dramatic changes to the law was not good for society. He was truly conservative in that he did not like change which is why I believe he ended up becoming part of the liberal bloc of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had over the last forty years become increasingly more liberal (liberal in the modern sense) and Souter went with the flow--which is conservative in definition, if not philosophy.
There is no shred of evidence that Roberts has a judicial philosophy similiar to Souter's. If any current Supreme Court justices should be compared to Roberts, it is Rehnquist. Rehnquist is a mainstream conservative who has consistently been a good conservative justice. Roberts appears to be in the same mold.
I continue to praise President Bush's decision to nominate Judge Roberts. If nothing else, Roberts is more conservative than O'Connor. And if President Bush fills every Supreme Court vacancy with someone more conservative than his or her predecessor, I'll be happy.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
President Bush chooses John Roberts to replace O'Conner. Yeah!
I admit, I was worried that President Bush would choose a "consensus" candidate to fill Justice O'Conner's shoes. While I have the utmost respect for Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, replacing a moderate with a moderate would have alienated much of Bush's conservative base and would have been a letdown (if Ginsburg or Stevens retires, Gonzalez would be a fine replacement). But President Bush did the right thing and now we have the conservative Judge John Roberts awaiting confirmation by the senate.
But will Roberts be confirmed?
Already, the pro-abortion whacko left is attacking Roberts as "extreme" and "anti-choice". It will likely be a fight to get Roberts approved by the senate. But with this nomination, President Bush has proven that he is willing to get down and dirty to see that judges who care about the constitution and the history of the United States make it to the Supreme Court.
Despite heavy opposition, Roberts has a couple things going for him:
1. Unlike Justices Ginsburg, Breyer and Stevens, Roberts has actually read the U.S. constitution.
2. Roberts is affable and even some hardline liberals have lauded his honor and integrity over the years (this won't make much of a difference to many on the left as the smear campaign is already underway).
Roberts has written in the past that he feels the Roe v. Wade decision was wrongly decided. While some may consider that extreme, Roberts knows that the founders did not intend for abortion on demand to be a constitutional right. Why? Because the constitution doesn't say anywhere that abortion is a right! Kinda obvious, huh?
Anyway, kudos to President Bush. He did the right thing.
But will the senate follow suit?
But will Roberts be confirmed?
Already, the pro-abortion whacko left is attacking Roberts as "extreme" and "anti-choice". It will likely be a fight to get Roberts approved by the senate. But with this nomination, President Bush has proven that he is willing to get down and dirty to see that judges who care about the constitution and the history of the United States make it to the Supreme Court.
Despite heavy opposition, Roberts has a couple things going for him:
1. Unlike Justices Ginsburg, Breyer and Stevens, Roberts has actually read the U.S. constitution.
2. Roberts is affable and even some hardline liberals have lauded his honor and integrity over the years (this won't make much of a difference to many on the left as the smear campaign is already underway).
Roberts has written in the past that he feels the Roe v. Wade decision was wrongly decided. While some may consider that extreme, Roberts knows that the founders did not intend for abortion on demand to be a constitutional right. Why? Because the constitution doesn't say anywhere that abortion is a right! Kinda obvious, huh?
Anyway, kudos to President Bush. He did the right thing.
But will the senate follow suit?
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