Trump is now +6.2 points ahead of WALKER as Jeb slips to third in Real Clear Politics average

Trump widens lead over Bush to +5.8 in RCP average for GOP nomination

Libertarian calls Bernie Sanders a National Socialist because he's not for open borders

Here:

"[T]he far left really agrees with the far right about keeping out foreigners. ... Bernie wants to scapegoat immigrants for the failures of wage controls and the welfare state so that people won’t see through his lame socialist agenda. But no warmed over nationalist socialism can replace the creative power of free people." 

Ronald Reagan was a moderate and a demagogue

According to moderate Bruce Bartlett, here, who voted for Obama at least once:

"Although the far right’s mythology paints the Reagan years as the triumph of their ideas, the truth is that he governed very much in the moderate tradition of postwar Republican presidents. Reagan raised taxes 11 times, gave amnesty to illegal aliens, pulled American troops out of the Middle East, supported environmental regulations, raised the debt limit and appointed many moderates to key positions, including on the Supreme Court. But he skillfully kept his right flank protected by using thundering conservative rhetoric, even as he violated his own stated principles on a regular basis."

Ivana Trump goes on the record today saying The Donald will make an incredible president

Quoted here in The New York Daily News:

“Incidentally, I think he would make an incredible President,” Ivana Trump, who divorced her husband in 1992, added.

Donald Trump takes Laura Ingraham to school on her support for the Iraq War

This morning in the second half hour on her own show, Donald Trump told Laura Ingraham that she had made a mistake supporting the Iraq War, stating that he was opposed to it from the beginning.

Trump's opposition to the Iraq War will alienate most Republicans, except for the Buchanan Brigades (which can't number many more than 500,000).

The position will, however, be popular with independents who tend to vote Democrat, the much ballyhooed middle.

When it comes to third party candidacies, what party does Bernie Sanders represent, and why doesn't anybody talk about it?

Self-described Socialist polls 17.5% for Democrat nomination.

Seen here:

"[W]hat happens if the USS HRod begins taking on water. What would Democrats do? Is there an emergency "break the glass" option if real questions of Clinton's electability arise? It seems extremely unlikely that any one issue could bring Clinton down, but what if she begins to suffer 'death by a thousand cuts'?

"Would Vice President Joe Biden and/or Sen. Elizabeth Warren jump in? Or would/could someone not being currently mentioned throw a hat into the ring, like say, Sen. Sherrod Brown or former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg? Presumably Bloomberg would need to join the Democratic Party, but then again, has Sanders joined yet?'"

Leonid Bershidsky has it exactly backwards: Syriza's Left Platform turns out to be Greece's true conservative party, they just don't realize it

Here right out of the gate, and the rest of it is also quite as silly, not in the least because it asks the EuroGroup to devise the mechanism by which those already in the Euro will be shown the exit:

'Elect far-left politicians to run a country and they will still plot a revolution. That, apparently, is what ministers from the Syriza bloc were doing while negotiations with creditors were taking place. Though none of the crazy things they planned came to pass, Greece's radicals may someday be tempted to carry out a Syriza-style "Plan B." Euro-zone officials need to prepare for this eventuality and work out an exit procedure -- one that might still be needed.'

Yes, Greece's radicals. They went for the root alright, back to the drachma.

No, the real revolution was enticing Greece with the Euro because the Euro took the decision making about money out of the Greek people's hands. Revolting against that now is technically reactionary, but only in chronology, the new hobgoblin of little Hegelian minds. In reality preparing to go back to the drachma is an attempt to undo the revolution which the Euro wrought in Greece in the first place.

Greek dignity means having its own currency, just as it has its own glorious history, its own cooking, its own weather, language, culture, borders and so on. The drachma they can value and devalue on their terms, not someone else's. When the left in Greece and the rest of Europe wake up to the central importance of this fact, maybe the nightmare of this Euro farce will finally come to an end.

Paying off the $18.1 trillion national debt in 30 years . . .

Financed at 3.5%, it would require annual payments of $977.4 billion to retire the $18.1 trillion national debt in 30 years.

This assumes deficit spending (projected to average $512 billion annually, already factoring in increasing revenues going forward to 2020) would cease in order to balance the books and cap the debt.

Together debt repayments and cessation of deficit spending imply cutting current allocations by a total of $1.5 trillion annually, leaving just $1.7 trillion to fund government outlays in fiscal 2015 projected to soar to $3.8 trillion.

Out of control and misplaced spending therefore amounts to 55% of projected outlays in fiscal 2015, or $2.1 trillion.

In the already low GDP environment, a 55% fiscal contraction is utterly unthinkable to anyone in either political party, the equivalent of an 8.5% hit to the current dollar GDP at $17.69 trillion.

The revenue projection for fiscal 2015 is just $3.2 trillion, but will be the highest ever.

Average annual federal deficit projection 2015-2020

$512 billion, which will add $3.07 trillion to the national debt in six years.

Obama has added $6.3 trillion to the national debt 2009-2014, $1.05 trillion per year, with plenty of help from Republicans since 2010.

The voters think Hillary Clinton is a lying sack of shit by almost 2-1 in Colorado

The Hill reported here:

'This week’s poll by Quinnipiac University showed large majorities of voters in Iowa, Virginia and Colorado — three swing states Democrats hope to win — do not find her honest and trustworthy. The margin in the Colorado poll between those who don't trust her and those who do was almost 2-to-1.' 

Once upon a time in America there was a thing called conservatism which yelled Stop!

It's still up there, here.

Peter Berkowitz stands athwart history murmuring "slow down" while praying his version of The Serenity Prayer

Here, where else?, but in The Wall Street Journal:

'[Conservatives] should forthrightly reaffirm their commitment to the Constitution’s principles of individual freedom, equality under law, and limited government—all of which presuppose and protect religious faith and traditional morality. They should distinguish among what they can alter, what they must accept and what they should embrace. And they should design principled reforms that can win majority support in a country where diversity ensures that any conceivable national majority will include a significant spectrum of opinion.'

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. -- Reinhold Niebuhr, circa 1943

Insane Hillary Clinton proposes Chinese Communist Party-style interference in free-markets, obliterating short term/long term holding definition

current law says long term holding begins after 365 days

law under Hillary extends that to six years

Story here.

Sounds similar to the Chinese Communist Party recently telling investors they cannot sell. 

Trump bumps it up another notch in Real Clear average to lead with 18.2%, +4.8 over Bush

Trump widens lead in Real Clear Politics average to +4.2

TNR article on John Kasich's religion never tells you he's an Anglican convert from Catholicism

Here.

Liberalism always has something to hide.

Kasich's Anglicanism isn't what you might expect, according to this story:

'"But he does belong to a church — St. Augustine in Westerville, Ohio, part of the conservative splinter group the Anglican Church in North America. The denomination broke away from the Episcopal Church after that denomination consecrated an openly gay bishop. The ACNA does not permit female bishops or ordain LGBT priests. ... Kasich voted for the Defense of Marriage Act years ago and supported Ohio’s ban on gay marriage. But he was pragmatic after the Supreme Court ruling June 26 overturned state bans. Two days later, he was interviewed on “Face the Nation” and said: “I believe in traditional marriage, but the Supreme Court has ruled. It’s the law of the land, and we’ll abide by it. … It’s time to move on.”'

Retired admirals can swallow gays in the military, but not Donald Trump

A couple of retired lawyer-admirals are fit to be tied over Trump's attack on John McCain, according to this story in The Daily Beast, which purports to represent the feelings of the military generally:

"And it wasn’t just them—veterans groups and veterans themselves have taken deep offense to Trump’s remarks, especially given Trump never served in the Vietnam War, as the Arizona senator did. Trump instead received a medical deferment in 1968."

Did anyone, anywhere in the military, retired or otherwise, similarly rise up to denounce the Gay Putsch?

I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU MAGGOTS!

The fact of the matter is, this country doesn't need a house cleaning of just its political class, but of its officer corps as well. Obama has thought so, too, getting rid of the men we most need, the patriots who believe in moral absolutes, in killing the enemy and winning, and replacing them with women, faggots and attorneys. You know, people like himself.

Sorry Noah Smith: There isn't just one way to boost GDP growth

Smith says we need more immigration to solve our low growth problem. There is an alternative. Have more children of our own.

Noah Smith, here:

"Gross domestic product is simply the product of output per person and the number of people. The more people in your country, the higher the output. That's why China, whose output per person is only about a quarter of the U.S.'s, is now the largest economy on the planet. It just has more bodies."

The open borders libertarians

Noah Smith for Bloomberg, here:

"Exactly this sort of open borders immigration policy has received enthusiastic support from a dedicated core of libertarian economists, notably Bryan Caplan of George Mason University. These economists believe in relaxed immigration rules not because they want higher GDP growth, but because of principle -- they view national borders themselves as an unacceptable form of government intervention in the economy. The open borders crusaders are so zealous that moderate supporters of increased immigration, such as tech entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa, are often the targets of their ire. University of Chicago economist John Cochrane has also voiced support for the open borders idea." 

Democrat General Wesley Clark wants to put radicalized Muslims in camps: And you thought deportation of illegal aliens was impractical

From the story here:

"It's a sad choice, but if people choose ISIS, they should be treated as spies or enemy combatants – or both. I’m frustrated with the argument that sedition is free speech because there is a role for government to step in to prevent a dissenter from becoming an active shooter, or worse.

"Any implication that I support racial profiling or interning people based on their ethnicity or heritage is dead wrong. I’m for separating people who have made dangerous decisions from the rest of society.

"The US has the obligation to protect our own population from terrorists. And ‎if the domestic terrorist threat grows due to ISIS, we must act responsibly and promptly."

Manhattan Democrat says parks are for everyone, except Donald Trump!

Seen here:

"Our parks are for everyone," the Manhattan Democrat [Mark Levine] said. "Trump's continued ownership of parks concessions runs directly contrary to that spirit."

Obama State Department stonewalls everybody on FOIA requests

Story here. No mention that this is the State Department's long record of behavior under Hillary Clinton, let alone under her successor John F. Kerry, who served in Viet Nam.

At least the judge is as pissed as he can be.

I guess they are too busy over there at State securing Obama's legacy, and covering up Benghazi:

Trump surges to Numero Uno in latest Real Clear Politics polling average

Donald Trump channels Al Franken on John McCain?

Al Franken, quoted here in 2000:

"I doubt I could cross the line and vote Republican. I have tremendous respect for McCain but I don’t buy the war hero thing. Anybody can be captured. I thought the idea was to capture them. As far as I’m concerned he sat out the war."

The Wall Street Journal opines that some demagogues are worse than others

Here:

'But America has rarely lacked for demagogues willing to exploit public discontents. William Jennings Bryan won three Democratic presidential nominations running against eastern elites. In 1948 Henry Wallace ran as a Soviet sympathizer while Strom Thurmond won 39 electoral votes running as a segregationist. Either one would have been a disaster as President.'

"Either one"?

Demagoguery in defense of progressivism is no vice, apparently.

Trump pummels McCain in USA Today op-ed for calling fellow Americans crazies

McCain has a long history of dishing out "crazy" and is finally getting some blowback

Here:

'John McCain has called his own constituents who want a secure border “crazies.”  No one in the news media or the establishment, including the Republican National Committee, criticized the senator for those comments. ... McCain the politician has failed the state of Arizona and the country. ... He would rather protect the Iraqi border than Arizona’s.'

There's much more, at the link.

When it comes to mavericks, John McCain meets his match in Donald Trump

Video here.

Why capitalism, communism, socialism and fascism etc. turn out to be culs-de-sac

Seen here:

'Mao famously speculated on the nature of contradictions in a 1937 essay: “The law of contradiction in things, that is, the law of the unity of opposites, is the fundamental law of nature and of society.”'

EuroGroup deal forced on Greece "akin to dragging a collapsed marathon runner back to the race"

From Giles Wilkes' review of Yanis Varoufakis' The Global Minotaur, here.

If anyone knows a thing or two about firing up the crazies, it's John McCain

"[Trump] fired up the crazies".

The liberal projectionist, quoted here.

The Grauniad strikes again: 3 week bank closure cost the Greeks . . . just 3 Euros!

Seen here.

Hillary Clinton just loves the Dr. Mengeles and their founder, the racist Margaret Sanger

Accepting the Sanger Award in 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hillary Clinton, quoted here:

As much as Planned Parenthood loves Hillary, Hillary’s an even bigger fan of Margaret Sanger, the racist eugenicist founder of the organization. Clinton specifically honored Sanger at a 2009 Planned Parenthood event in Houston.

“I admire Margaret Sanger enormously,” Clinton told the event’s attendees. “Her courage, her tenacity, her vision.”

Margaret Sanger, quoted here, who wanted to sterilize those "unfit" to reproduce, in the opinion of the State and its experts:

"Like the advocates of Birth Control, the eugenists, for instance, are seeking to assist the race toward the elimination of the unfit. ... We who advocate Birth Control, on the other hand, lay all our emphasis upon stopping not only the reproduction of the unfit but upon stopping all reproduction when there is not economic means of providing proper care for those who are born in health. ... These are gongenital feeble-mindedness; schizophrenia, circular insanity; heredity epilepsy; hereditary chorea (Huntington’s)’ hereditary blindness or deafness; grave hereditary bodily deformity and chronic alcoholism. Surely everyone will agree that the children of parents so afflicted are no contribution to the nation for even if they do not inherit these defects they are children of parents so handicapped that life will give them little, owing to their necessarily bad environment."

The face of one of Planned Parenthood's many Dr. Mengeles

Story and video here at CNN showing that Planned Parenthood has a thriving "business" trafficking in the organs of aborted babies, which they take care to preserve intact by killing the babies in just such a way that the desired organs are not damaged. The CNN stuffed skirt who presents the story seems most concerned about absolving the organization of the doing this for money. Hey, otherwise, killing the babies, well, that's up to a woman to decide if it's wrong.

"Never again" the Jews insist, year upon year.

Donald Trump rises to Number Two spot in RCP average for GOP presidential nomination

Hillary's latest whopper: "I called for cracking down on subprime mortgages"

Yea, the ones who under her husband exploded in number by over 800% between 1993 and 1998.

From the story here:

"I was alarmed by this gathering storm and called for addressing the risks of derivatives, cracking down on subprime mortgages and improving financial oversight," she added.

Someone gets to Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: On the weekend Schauble was a devil, but now he's a misunderstood genius!

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard erupted on Twitter on the weekend when Schauble leaked the Grexit memo in Brussels:

Now Schauble is a misunderstood genius who had it right all along:

'Wolfgang Schauble is one of the very few figures who has behaved honourably in this latest chapter. ... [H]e is entirely right to argue that a velvet divorce and an orderly exit from the euro for five years would be a “better way” for Greece, as he did on Germany radio this morning. ... Mr Schauble has been pushing for Grexit since 2012, and probably earlier. He genuinely thinks it would better for all concerned. When he floated his plan, he meant it. ... Even if [Merkel] was irritated by the Schauble paper – and her skirmishes with the irascible finance minister are legendary – she appears to have latched on to it as a useful negotiating ploy. The trick worked. It terrified Mr Tsipras into submission. ... Mr Schauble’s original and honourable intentions have been entirely misunderstood. The world’s verdict is that Germany's benign and enlightened statecraft in Europe over the past 60 years has given way to Bild Zeitung reflexes, the hegemony of crude populism. One can only feel sympathy for German diplomats who must clean up the mess and explain how this tangle of conflicting agendas spun escaped control.'

Mario Draghi: ECB is Greece's biggest depositor

There's real power, and then there's just power

Seen here this morning:

"We now have a total exposure of €130bn to Greece, that makes us the biggest depositor."

That's actually more than was on deposit at the end of May: 129.9 billion EUR. Deposits are down 108 billion EUR since September 2009, about 45%, squirreled away in other banks outside Greece, and under mattresses at home, which makes it a little risky to leave, say to protest in the streets. Europe has played Greece like a fiddle.

Euro Group creditors made a bundle off Greece's problems in 2014: 13 billion EUR

Moody's on Greece indicated today that the debt/GDP burden was already 177% before Syriza was even elected in 2015, but one man's debt burden is another man's opportunity.

Seen here:

'We assess Greece’s Fiscal Strength as `low’, because of the country’s high debt burden, which stood at around 177% of GDP at the end of 2014, one of the highest debt burdens in the universe of Moody’s-rated countries. Moreover, the potential to meaningfully improve the debt trend over the next 3-5 years is highly uncertain given that the large-scale reforms that could spur growth are currently hampered by ongoing political uncertainty.'

-------------------------------------------

Eurostat shows Greek GDP in current euros was just shy of 179.1 billion in 2014, down 26% from the 2008 peak. Greece is in a long, severe depression. Central government debt rose to 324 billion EUR at the end of 2014 and actually dropped to 313 billion EUR in the first quarter of 2015. Syriza was elected to power on January 25, 2015.

Those awful conditions developed under years of austerity government, after years of profligacy,  which Syriza promised to end. Now that Syriza has been forced to double down on austerity, expect conditions in Greece to worsen dramatically without debt forgiveness or a generational period of grace from repayment obligations. 

Little discussed in that regard, however, is the fact that in 2014 Greece is said to have paid an interest rate on its debts of 4% nominal and 2.6% effective.  This is happening in a world where the ECB has just decided to keep the headline lending rate at the record low level of 0.05%.

Whatever else may be said, Euro Group creditors by comparison are making a killing off Greece's predicament: almost 13 billion EUR in debt service revenues in 2014 alone.

If Europe is serious about keeping Greece in the Group, maybe it could start by stopping the profiteering.

Greeks accept EuroGroup humiliation in overwhelming vote of degradation

If the Left can't bring itself to revolt against the Fascist hegemony, there is no question that the Right can, either.

Just six had the temerity to vote "Present" while one did not vote.

The Prime Minister, Tsipras? 

IMF signals that it cannot now participate in the third bailout of Greece

Here, which The Guardian considers a "cannonball" shot into the bailout:

Greece’s debt can now only be made sustainable through debt relief measures that go far beyond what Europe has been willing to consider so far. ... Greece cannot return to markets anytime soon at interest rates that it can afford from a medium-term perspective. ... Greece is expected to maintain primary surpluses for the next several decades of 3.5 percent of GDP. Few countries have managed to do so. ... Greece is still assumed to go from the lowest to among the highest productivity growth and labor force participation rates in the euro area, which will require very ambitious and steadfast reforms. ... [G]overnance issues ... are at the root of the problems of the Greek banking system. There are at this stage no concrete plans in this regard. ... The dramatic deterioration in debt sustainability points to the need for debt relief on a scale that would need to go well beyond what has been under consideration to date—and what has been proposed by the ESM. There are several options ... maturity extension ... of, say, 30 years on the entire stock of European debt, including new assistance. ... Other options include explicit annual transfers to the Greek budget or deep upfront haircuts. The choice between the various options is for Greece and its European partners to decide [i.e. not the IMF].

Whatever you may think of Alexis Tsipras, tonight's interview showed him a true leader of Greece and an adept politician

The Grauniad is predictably impressed, here, but for many good reasons:

"Even if you think Alexis Tsipras has misplayed the crisis, it’s hard not to be impressed by his composure in tonight’s interview."

Tsipras, from the summary, pledges to go down with the ship, if necessary, and Tsipras admits Greece may well do so:

“The worst thing a captain could do while he is steering a ship during a storm, as difficult as it is, would be to abandon the helm.”

According to the polling data the people still love him, no doubt not in the least because he is made of the stuff which refuses to blame others, including Varoufakis.

IMF may have to back out of latest Greek bailout deal reached in Brussels early Monday

According to the story here, the International Monetary Fund, which has finally been calling for debt restructuring for Greece, i.e. haircuts, forgiveness, some say too little and too late, now believes the agreement reached this weekend falls far short of making Greece's debt sustainable. 

That fact means the IMF cannot agree to additional bailout sums according to its rules, which means the latest bailout would fall apart as the IMF would have to withdraw the 16+ billion Euros it has pledged in the deal.

In addition London is objecting to the proposed source of summer bridge loans to Greece which it says were previously ring-fenced against use for future bailouts. The Eurogroup doesn't seem to care about this very much, signaling that it intends to break the rules.

What a shock, huh?

Greece left in a permanent debt trap under neo-colonial rule after historic weekend showdown in Brussels

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, here:

The crushed Syriza leader [Alexis Tsipras] must sell a settlement that leaves Greece in a permanent debt trap, under neo-colonial control, and so economically fragile that it is almost guaranteed to crash into a fresh crisis in the next global downturn or European recession.

In 1967 the Greek coup d'etat was by the tanks, in 2015 by the banks

Yanis Varoufakis, audio here, says Tsipras felt defeated by the "No" in the referendum:

"In the [1967] coup d’état the choice of weapon used in order to bring down democracy then was the tanks. Well, this time it was the banks." (at 10:55 into the interview)

Alexis Tsipras sought out the help of Yanis Varoufakis starting in 2010, but never fully agreed with him

Varoufakis' plan, as outlined here in an interview in The New Statesman, was never embraced by Syriza as it needed to be to have even a chance of succeeding:

[Yanis Varoufakis] said he spent the past month warning the Greek cabinet that the ECB would close Greece’s banks to force a deal. When they did, he was prepared to do three things: issue euro-denominated IOUs; apply a “haircut” to the bonds Gree[ce] issued to the ECB in 2012, reducing Greece’s debt; and seize control of the Bank of Greece from the ECB. ... As the crowds were celebrating on Sunday night in Syntagma Square, Syriza’s six-strong inner cabinet held a critical vote. By four votes to two, Varoufakis failed to win support for his plan, and couldn’t convince Tsipras. He had wanted to enact his “triptych” of measures earlier in the week, when the ECB first forced Greek banks to shut. Sunday night was his final attempt. When he lost his departure was inevitable.

The likes of National Review and Glenn Beck are simply lying about Trump's views on amnesty

Everyone who has heard Trump's extended remarks on the subject of illegal immigration on The O'Reilly Factor in 2011 knows there's not a scintilla of evidence to suggest Trump has flip-flopped on the issue which is presently at the center of his campaign for president. Both National Review and Glenn Beck are mendacious for suggesting otherwise.

During that 2011 interview Trump committed to a case by case method of deciding who among the millions who are here illegally gets to stay and who must go, which shows that Trump is not the uncompassionate Neanderthal he is being made out to be on the subject. He acknowledged that the sheer size of the numbers makes it a formidable problem indeed, but not one the size of which was so large that our government wouldn't be able to work through it. But for that his opponents, who are not just critics, slimily accuse him of supporting a pathway to citizenship as if his position is not substantively different from the get-out-of-jail-free card the Democrats, and some Republicans, would hand out to each and every one of them. 

All Trump's other remarks about the subject on that show demonstrate without a doubt that Trump's position about enforcing the border with military if necessary, building a wall and living by the rule of law has been consistent with his clearly stated views over the course of almost two decades.

Jesus' parable about Germany: Time to abrogate The London Agreement and make GERMANY pay everything it was forgiven

"It is a sacrifice  required for the future of the human race"

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto The Allies, which took account of their servants in 1945.

And when they had begun to reckon, one was brought unto them, Germany, which owed them $10 trillion. But forasmuch as Germany had not to pay, his lord commanded Germany to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant Germany therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him half the debt.

But the servant Germany went out, and found one of his fellowservants, Greece, which owed him $400 billion: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

And Germany would not: but went and cast Greece into prison, till he should pay the debt.

So when The Allies' fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then their lord, after that he had called him, said unto Germany, O thou wicked servant, Germany, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, Greece, even as I had pity on thee?

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Medicaid enrollments surge 36% under Obama, by 17.3 million

Speaking of blowmehards, Democrat Bill Clinton approved a state flag design that carried a reference to the Confederacy

Reported here:

"As a national debate rages over the symbolism of the Confederate flag, some critics of the Clintons have questioned why as governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton approved a state flag design that carried a reference to the Confederacy.

"In 1987, Mr. Clinton signed Act 116 reaffirming a state flag design that included a star symbolizing the state’s membership in the Confederacy. ...

"These days the star – which sits above the word “Arkansas” on the flag – doesn’t seem to stir up much bitterness."

And according to this story, Clinton routinely presided over the celebration of Confederate Flag Day in Arkansas:

'“The blue star above the word “ARKANSAS” is to commemorate the Confederate States of America,” Clinton’s law reads. 

'The Clintons presided over the annual celebration of “Confederate Flag Day” while they occupied the governor’s mansion, which continues to this day.'

HuffPo here says Clinton never objected to Confederate Flag Day while he was governor:

'Arkansas observes a Confederate Flag Day, which is celebrated together with Arkansas Confederate History and Heritage Month and Confederate Memorial Day. Per state code, it is observed on the Saturday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. In annual gatherings outside the Arkansas Statehouse, participants can "attend and bring examples of the variety of flags used by Arkansas units and of the Confederate government and its army during the War," according to the Log Cabin Democrat, an Arkansas newspaper.

'Clinton did not publicly object to Confederate Flag Day during his time as governor. The holiday is still being observed . . ..'

Damon Linker wants to replace the electorate which likes a vulgar blowhard like Donald Trump

You know, with an electorate like the one that put these two together in the White House.

Here.

Does Maryland still spurn the Northern scum?

James Ryder Randall, Poet Laureate of the Lost Cause

Last stanza of "My Maryland":

I hear the distant thunder-hum,

Maryland!

The Old Line's bugle, fife, and drum,

Maryland!

She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb-

Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum!

She breathes! she burns! she'll come! she'll come!

Maryland! My Maryland!

Democrat Fritz Hollings' flag comes down, officially ending racism everywhere in one fell swoop, this morning at 10:00, EDT

In 1962, during Hollings' term as Governor, the Confederate battle flag was flown above the South Carolina Statehouse underneath the U.S. and state flags where it would remain for thirty-eight years. In 2000 the state legislature voted to move the flag from above the Statehouse to a Confederate soldiers' monument in front of the building.

President Trump's Air Force One

So what Bernard-Henri Levy and the EU really want is to tax the bejeebers out of Greek capital and the Greek church

BHL with celebrated child rapist

Venting his deconstructionist spleen, here:

Mr. Tsipras might defend his approach to the referendum by asserting that his goal was not so much to sound out the people as to reinforce his position in the confrontation with Greece’s creditors. But what is the justification for that confrontation? That creditors had the audacity to demand progress toward the rule of law and social justice, as well as efforts to tame Greece’s shipping magnates and its tax-avoiding clergy?

Evidently plank eight of Syriza's 40-point program is just window-dressing to BHL and isn't evidence that the goals of the EU and of Syriza in this regard are quite the same:

"8. Abolition of financial privileges for the Church and shipbuilding industry."

The French Jew and self-identified leftist and critic of the left has a passel of divergent opinions and loyalties, including to Roman Polanski, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Nicolas Sarkozy, but Tsipras' real offense to Levy is that, so far, he has been insufficiently anti-Christian.

Republicans ruined the Republican brand long before Donald Trump came along

Read my lips, no new taxes

Compromise is not a bad word

I have abandoned free market principles

We have nothing to fear from a President Obama

ObamaCare's not worth getting angry about

The difference between 1776 and 2015

In 1776 Christians resolved to take up arms against their king, but in 2015 that is unthinkable to them.

Guess who wins?

Obama fights ideology with "better" ideology, just like Bush

G. W. B. Obama

And that's why Obama is a failure, too.

Here:

"Ideologies are not defeated with guns, they are defeated by better ideas and more attractive and more compelling vision."

Flashback to 2011, here, when we noted that George W. Bush said the very same thing that Barack Obama is saying today:

"The long-term solution is to promote a better ideology, which is freedom. Freedom is universal," Bush said.

---------------------------------------------

The key to surviving in the future, of course, is to escape the prison of ideology and the "-isms" of what we used to group under the heading of "idealism". Neither president has ever had so much as a clue about what is and is not universal. 

Mitt Romney makes the severe error, calls illegal immigrants criticized by Trump "Mexican-Americans"

Here:

"I think he [Trump] made a severe error in saying what he did about Mexican-Americans, and it was unfortunate."

----------------------------------

Trump didn't say anything about Mexican-Americans.

George Will calls Donald Trump a one-man Todd Akin

And you thought Todd Akin was just one man.

Here:

"The debate gets hijacked [by Trump], the process gets hijacked [by Trump], and at the end of the day he is a one-man Todd Akin."

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Makes you wonder if George Will believes Donald Trump's business losses since announcing his candidacy are legitimate, if you know what I mean.