Author Archives: Stephen Gordon

Some Inaugural Day Observations

General

“So it goes. One man with a record of disrespect for the Constitutional limits on his power leaves the office of the presidency, and another takes over,” writes Anthony Gregory.

If there is such a “mandate,” why is Markos Moulitsas elaborating about the “most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world” — one which Obama requires for protection.

Markos does knock this one out of the park: “Hey, whatever happened to the people who claimed that Bush would never give up power? They were hilarious.”

Never fear, as they will be replaced by those already claiming that Barack Hussein Obama is really a terrorist in disguise.

Yes, there was a flub-up in the reading of the oath of office.  I’m sure some of the tin-foilers out there will also be stating that “Barack isn’t president because he wasn’t officially sworn in” for the next four years.

Obama’s best line: “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.  Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.”

“Nah nah nah nah, hey hey, good-bye,” jeered the crowd at former (it felt good to write that) President Bush.

As with Bush, I’m still concerned about never-ending war, ever-increasing government spending and additional encroachments of our civil liberties.

Rush Limbaugh hopes Obama fails, while Ed Morrissey and Jon Henke “hope” for the best.

Doug Bandow may have summed up my feelings best:

Finally, after eight long years of wasteful spending, unnecessary war, and trashing the Constitution.  Finally!

Now the challenge begins to constrain President Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress.  Onward and upward.

Stephen Gordon
http://stephengordon.com

The Very, Very Creepy Pledge to Our Lord and Savior Barack Obama

Democrats, Dumbasses and Authoritarians, Election '08, Individual Rights

“I pledge to be a servant to our president…”

As Mike noted, several people (Radley Balko, Will Wilkinson, Jonah Goldberg) posted a YouTube video (which seemed to have gone down memory hole already) described by Michael Goldfarb as…

…a bunch of B-, C-, and D-list celebrities, and Michael Strahan, resolving to take time out of their busy schedules of pilates and facials to end slavery, hunger, and Alzheimers — and to be a “servant” to our new president. That or a lot of slaves, hungry people, and confused seniors just got punked.

In tracking down the links, it appears that Ashton Kutcher posted an article at Huffpo on the 17th.

“A wise friend once told me that every time you serve someone else you take on all of their good traits,” writes Kutcher. “Maybe this explains the outstanding character of Barack Obama. He is a servant to this country and he has inspired me to adopt his spirit and to serve him with that dream of a great America in tow.”

We call it a Presidential Pledge. We have gathered a group of individuals who share the courage to pledge to our president, and the world at large, what it is that they are willing to do, give, or sacrifice, in an effort to help their fellow man…   …I encourage everyone to take a few moments to reflect on how they can serve our great nation and to create their own Presidential Pledge at http://www.myspace.com/presidentialpledge.

The video may still be found on above-referenced Myspace page and it’s embedded below.

“Obama is the new Scientology!?,” writes Wilkinson.

Balko refers to the “creep factor” while Goldberg notes “I know that liberals would mock anything remotely like this if it were tied to a Republican president.”

The final seconds of the video (starting at 3:53) may reveal the true nature of their desires: they wish to assimilate us into the collective of Borg Obama.

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge

Stephen Gordon
http://stephengordon.com

More “Change” From the Obama Administration

Federalism, The Nanny State, The War on Drugs

Meet the new “change” — same as the old change.

Here’s soon-to-be Surgeon General Sanjay Gupta on the reform of medicinal marijuana laws:

But I suspect that most of the people eager to vote yes on the new ballot measures aren’t suffering from glaucoma, Alzheimer’s or chemo-induced nausea. Many of them just want to get stoned legally. That’s why I, like many other doctors, am unimpressed with the proposed legislation, which would legalize marijuana irrespective of any medical condition. [snip]

But I’m here to tell you, as a doctor, that despite all the talk about the medical benefits of marijuana, smoking the stuff is not going to do your health any good.

There’s a good rebuttal of Gupta’s article here.

Stephen Gordon
http://stephengordon.com

DC Government Got This One Bass-ackwards

Humor

The District of Columbia intends to create Prostitution Free Zones during Obama’s inauguration.  From WUSA:

District police have placed signs along 5th and I Streets. They read, “Warning, Prostitution Free Zone.” Those who disobey could be fined 300 dollars, and even jailed. But will the city’s plan work?

DC City Councilman Jim Graham said officers cannot enforce loitering laws, which is the reason for these signs.

“Because this is focused, its limited in time, its aimed at a very specific issue, if you don’t move along, well put you in the car,” he said.

Whomever planned this really doesn’t know DC geography very well.  The last time I checked, the Johns hang out on K Street.  The prostitutes do most of their business from the Cannon, Rayburn and Longworth Office Buildings.  When the prostitution happens in DC, unlike the time-honored tradition of the world’s oldest trade, it’s the taxpayers who get screwed.

Stephen Gordon
http://stephengordon.com

How Many of Your Tax Dollars Will Be Used to Pay for Obama’s Big Party?

Election '08, Government Incompetence, Government Waste, Monetary Issues, Taxation

MSM advice about Obama’s inauguration:

So you’re attending an inaugural ball saluting the historic election of Barack Obama in the worst economic climate in three generations. Can you get away with glitzing it up and still be appropriate, not to mention comfortable and financially viable?

To quote the man of the hour: Yes, you can. Veteran ballgoers say you should. And fashionistas insist that you must.

“This is a time to celebrate. This is a great moment. Do not dress down. Do not wear the Washington uniform,” said Tim Gunn, a native Washingtonian and Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne, Inc.

“Just because the economy is in a downturn, it doesn’t mean that style is going to be in a downturn,” agreed Ken Downing, fashion director for Neiman Marcus.

And if anyone does raise an eyebrow at those sequins, remind them that optimism is good for times like these. “Just say you’re doing it to help the economy,” chuckled good manners guru Letitia Baldridge.

Of course, inaugurations cost significantly more than is raised though voluntary means.  In this case, DC Councilmember Jim Graham uses the pages of the “conservative” Washington Times to beg for federal dollars to assist with party expenditures.  It shouldn’t be considered a surprise that President Bush was more then willing to help out.  He’s declared “a state of emergency” to help cover the tab.  Of course, it is the taxpayers who will really foot much of the bill for the nation’s most extravagant party.

In “Our permanent state of routine emergency,” Mark Steyn observes:

In just about his last act as president, George W. Bush has declared Washington, D.C., a federal disaster area.

No, seriously. I’m not setting up some lame-o punchline here, like we used to do a decade back in the good old Monica days: “President Clinton today declared his pants a federal disaster area,” etc. What happened last week was that the Bush administration formally declared a federal emergency in the District of Columbia.

So what was it? An ice storm? A hurricane?

No, it’s the inauguration of his successor. The inauguration is scheduled to make landfall on Tuesday and wreak havoc all night long, as Category Five conga lines buckle highways round town, and emergency busboy crews find themselves overwhelmed as they struggle to clear drained champagne flutes. So the mayor, Adrian M. Fenty, put in a request for more federal money, and, apparently, the easiest way to sluice the cash to him no questions asked was for the president to declare a state of emergency in the District and funnel however many extra gazillions he wants through FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

If Obama really wants to create the “change” he has so often promised, he could declare a state of Federal Budgetary Disaster and refuse to sign any spending bill which doesn’t immediately balance the federal budget.  Alternately, he could spend even more money on a silly party than his predecessor did.

Stephen Gordon
http://stephengordon.com
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