Conservicon

The Economy Was a Lot Better Under George W. Bush

John Conser — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:59:36 +0000

It’s true. The economy was a lot better under W. He knew how to stimulate the economy, and after 9-11, his tax cuts gave the country the stimulus it needed. Unemployment was low, and the stock market hit an all time high in 2007 under his watch.

W also had higher poll numbers at this point in his Presidency than Obama has, but that’s another story (take a look at Rasmussen’s graph here; the green and red approval and disapproval lines have narrowed substantially). National news magazines weren’t telling readers to live like it’s 1899 back when W was in office and everyone’s home values were rising. No, everybody was living it up, and deservedly so.

So, here is the latest in our crop of political bumper stickers. Enjoy.

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Complete Rush CPAC Speech at Hot Air

John Conser — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:21:41 +0000

Rush Limbaugh’s CPAC speech was a rousing success, achieving its desired effect to fire up the base of the conservative movement. It’s a long-winded affair, and listeners to his radio program will note he repeats many things he’s been saying on air lately. I thought the speech was rather like one of his monologues, only three times as long and without commercial interuption. However, the speech was aimed at those who don’t normally listen, so he took pains to define conservatism: conservatives love people and want them to succeed. He also took time to amplify his statement regarding his desire for President Obama to fail. The statement was not aimed at Obama personally, but rather was an expressed desire that Obama’s efforts to socialize the country stall out.

Hot Air has listed the YouTube clips of the entire speech here.

Obama Bin Laden?

John Conser — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:56:12 +0000

In light of our recent Top 10 Biden Gaffes, it was interesting to note the media have often slipped of late, in calling Osama bin Laden “Obama bin Laden.” Michelle Malkin points to the most recent slip up here.

Top 10 Biden Gaffes

John Conser — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:17:08 +0000

10. “If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there’s still a 30 percent chance we’ll get it wrong …”
Feb. 6, 2009, to lawmakers at a policy retreat in Williamsburg, VA.

9. “… a very good political speech from ,uh, the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska who I think is going to be very formidable …”
Sept. 4, 2008, in Manassas, VA, speaking about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

8. “A man I’m proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States, Barack America!”
Aug. 23 2008, in Springfield, IL at the first campaign rally with Obama.

7. “John’s last minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs!”
Oct. 15, 2008, speaking to a group near Ohio University.

Biden was widely ridiculed for this one and conservative pundits wondered how Palin would have been treated for making this gaffe.

6. “Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be Vice President of the United States of America … Quite frankly, [she] might have been a better pick than me.”
Sept 9, 2008 at a town hall meeting in Nashua, NH. This was a gaffe widely noted by female bloggers.

5. “When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened.”
September 22, 2008, in an interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric.

FDR, famous for his “fireside chats,” was a radio man, since televisions were still being developed in the lab during his time in office, and national television networks did not gain broadcasting momentum until after World War II. Also, Hoover was President in 1929 when the stock market crashed.

4. “I didn’t know we did it and if I had anything to do with it, we would have never done it.”
Sept. 22, 2008, in an interview with CBS’ Katie Couric.

The Obama campaign mocked McCain for not using e-mail in a TV ad that debuted September 12, 2008. Subsequently, it came out that McCain was tortured by his communist captors in Vietnam to the point he can’t type. Biden indicated the ad was “terrible” in the interview referenced above, and made this statement when asked by Couric why the ad was aired. His remarks embarrassed the Obama campaign, which withdrew the ad, then had Biden retract his statement by indicating he had indeed been informed of the ad, just not seen it.

3. “Stand up, Chuck, let ’em see ya.”
Sept. 12, 2008, at a rally in Columbia, MO.

Missouri State Senator Chuck Graham uses a wheelchair.

2. Early in the campaign called Obama, “Articulate, bright, and clean.”
In an interview with Jason Horowitz, reporting for the New York Observer, published Feb. 4, 2007.

It was an odd thing to say about a presidential candidate.

1. “In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.”
In perhaps his most famous pre-election gaffe, Biden insulted Indian American immigrants everywhere on a taped clip shown on the C-SPAN show, Road to the White House, which first aired in July, 2006. Newsmax had perhaps the best write-up about the incident.

In Defense of Corporate Jets

John Conser — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:00:09 +0000

Several folks are pointing out the ridiculousness surrounding congressional witch hunts against corporate executives and their use of private jets. As one business ethics professor puts it, “it’s just silly to think that corporate jets are always a bad idea.”

Lost in the chatter is the hypocrisy surrounding these attacks. Members of congress and the President often use corporate jets, or the national equivalent in the case of the Boeing 747s designated for use as Air Force One. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi uses private jets to fly home to San Francisco from Washington D.C. And, here’s an article from the 2006 elections noting the donations of corporate jet use for politicians during the campaign season. This is but one example of many.

Wait time at the airport is less. Bob Lutz noted after the auto execs were attacked for flying corporate how it would look for them to show up late to a congressional meeting because their flight got bumped, had they flown commercial.

Security for executives is higher. Corporate espionage is still a problem, especially in the high tech and defense industries. Kidnappings of prominent individuals, particularly in places like Phoenix, are on the rise. Private jets provide an additional layer of security for prominent individuals such as top executives in the Fortune 100.

Corporate jets are cost effective. Business tickets are often needed at the last minute and cost full price. As Colin Campbell on MacLeans.ca noted, round trip coach tickets for two from Toronto to Atlanta run around $4,000. The same trip on a corporate jet runs $7,000. With airport delays factored in, with the hourly rate paid to top execs, the difference is quickly made up, and it soon becomes more cost effective to take a private plane than to fly commercial. Campbell noted that Wal-mart makes extensive use of corporate jets, while still being one of the most efficient and cost-conscious companies on earth.

Maybe there are some corporate excesses going on that taxpayers need to be concerned about. But the use of private jets ain’t one of them.

Country Bo On the Stimulus

John Conser — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:09:36 +0000

I walked into the local café today at the tale end of a heated discussion. Country Bo and the other regulars were complaining loudly about the stimulus bill. About the time I finished breakfast, the other regulars left for work or wherever and Country Bo ambled over to my table with half a slice of pie and half a cup of coffee.

“Lemme tell ya, Bo-ah. This country is goin’ down the tubes! We’s headed for socialism now the Dems have taken over.”

He took a thoughtful sip of coffee then squinted his brows at me.

“And this stimulus bill. Eh! What the tarnation is it gonna stimulate? When Dubya gave me money, at least he gave me six hunnert dollars up front. What’s this bill gonna give me, bo-ah? Do ya know?”

I had to confess I hadn’t been paying much attention to the particulars.

“It’s gonna give me six hunnert dollars, too, only as a tax break spread out over the rest of this year. Do ya know what that works out to, bo-ah? A dollar eighty-six a day! Heck’s specks, bo-ah! A dollar eighty-six won’t even bah me a slice of pah!”

The mention of pie reminded him of the uneaten portion of his current slice. He stopped talking long enough to finish it off, then washed it down with more coffee. He waived for the waitress who hurried over to top his cup off.

“Refills is free,” he said to me with a sly wink. I nodded. Yes, I’ve heard.

After a few more meditative sips he screwed his face up and banged the table with his fist.

“Dadgummit! Ah hates socialism! Ya know the difference between a communist and a socialist, bo-ah?”

I shook my head no. Guess I never thought about it.

“A socialist is a communist who got elected!”

Well, that seems as reasonable a definition as any, I allowed.

“Dang it, Ah shore do hate to see Obama take the country this way.”

I noted he pronounced the President’s name as if it rhymed with Alabama.

“They’s gonna socialize medicine. Did you know that, bo-ah? It’s in that stimulus bill. The gummint is gonna decide whether Ah kin git medical care or not. We all know old folks lak me is gonna be left out in the cold. Why do ya think all them Canadians come here for medical care? Cuz their gummint is in charge of the medicine up there. Dadgum bureaucrats decide if you git medical care or not. And more’s likely, they gonna decide you cain’t git it!”

He stopped to sip coffee a while, brooding in thought.

“Ah shore do hate to see it, bo-ah. Ah fought communism for this country! And now it’s come to this.”

My ears perked up, hoping to hear a good war story or two. Where did you serve? Korea? Vietnam? He shook his head.

“Against Deloris Kovoravitch. That woman is a communist! Ah he’ped keep her off the school board last year.”

I nodded as I stood up and made to pay my tab.

“She was terrible Ah tell ya. And Ah knows she voted for Obama. She had a sign for him in her front yard!”

As I went out the door he was still ranting about the communist, Deloris Kovoravitch. Since I’d gone, he’d shifted his verbiage to the waitress who came to refill his coffee once more.

The last thing I heard as I went out the door was the waitress joining Country Bo in a dressing down of Ms. Kovoravitch.

“Deloris was in mah class in high school. Ah knew she was gonna be liberal when she did her senior paper on Karl Marx …”

Work Continues …

John Conser — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:09:01 +0000

Taking the steps here to register with Technorati. Bear with us as we continue to configure the site.

Is This Bud Really for You, Mr. President?

John Conser — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:18:11 +0000

Sean Hannity’s efforts to have a beer with Obama seem to be gaining traction. An audience member in the President’s town hall style meeting last night asked about it, and Mr. Obama said it was the first he’d heard of it.

Hannity famously managed to get Ted Kennedy on the phone during his radio program back in 2003. After trying and failing to get Senator Kennedy on the program through traditional means, he talked Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in putting Sen. Kennedy on her cell phone after an interview with her while she was in the Capitol, persuading her by giving money to her favorite charity. Here’s a transcript of that conversation.

Now, the efforts for Hannity to “have a beer” with the President seem to be picking up steam. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Fox News’ Fox and Friends this morning seemed to indicate the President would indeed have a beer with Mr. Hannity.

However, when asked by FNC’s Steve Doocy what type of beer the two might imbibe, Gibbs was quick to assert Obama’s favorite would surely be domestic, probably Budweiser.

Alas, Budweiser is no longer domestically controlled! InBev, the giant Belgium-based conglomerate, now controls Bud’s corporate parent, Anheuser-Busch. For that matter, Miller, the other giant historically American brewer, is controlled by London-based SABMiller. (BTW, here’s a great piece from BusinessWeek on other American brands now in foreign hands).

So, what brewers are still domestically controlled? Well, for starters three big ones jumped to mind: Samuel Adams, Shiner, and High Falls Brewery. If the President is going to be concerned about drinking truly domestic beer, he and Mr. Hannity should choose a bottle or two from one of the above brands, or one of the many other domestically controlled brands. But if domestic control doesn’t matter, then this Bud’s for you, Mr. President.

Top 10 Reasons Libs Are Unhappy With Obama in His First Month

John Conser — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:49:17 +0000

1. Won’t surrender in Afghanistan quickly

2. Approval ratings keep dropping

3. Can’t speak well without a teleprompter

4. Efforts to tar and feather Rush Limbaugh backfired

5. Carbon footprint is huge: first Air Force One trip was a mere 150 miles, one of the shortest on record and at taxpayer expense

6. Efforts to move control of US Census from Dept. of Commerce is likely unconstitutional

7. Numerous problems with nominees’ confirmations

8. Enemies abroad remain unimpressed

9. Biden keeps putting foot in his mouth

10. Snubbed the black press at first press conference

Getting Off the Ground

John Conser — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:52:36 +0000

It’s fun starting up a new blog, and we’ve been busy around here. I did manage to get up the conversation with Country Bo, and lately I’ve been working on the bookstore and deciding who goes on the blogroll. Some of these decisions, books and links in particular, take more time than you’d think! Anyhow, thanks to all who’ve sent me notes about the blog and what you’ve seen so far. Much appreciated! Stay tuned for more …