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Posts Tagged ‘socialism’

Tea Party Express II

Posted by Richard on October 1, 2009

They haven't quit in Washington. They're still working hard to come up with a government-controlled health care plan, to enact a crippling cap-and-tax energy bill, to regulate and control ever more of our economic activities, and to make more and more Americans beholden to the government and controlled by the government.

Well, we in "flyover country" haven't quit either. The tea party movement is alive, well, and growing. Just look at the recent polling data showing support for health care reform continues to drop, Americans are increasingly skeptical about what Congress is doing, and nearly two-thirds are angry about the current policies of the federal government

Our Country Deserves Better has announced the next vehicle for Americans to express their disapproval of the current administration's ongoing efforts to turn the U.S. into a socialist banana republic. Tea Party Express II is another cross-country bus tour with rallies scheduled in nearly three dozen locations (including Denver!): 

All throughout the recent Tea Party Express national tour we kept receiving emails and phone calls from people around the nation who lived far away from the route our buses took across America.  We vowed at the time to keep the Tea Party Express effort alive – and that’s exactly what we are doing.

It is our pleasure to announce the “Tea Party Express: Countdown to Judgment Day” which will cross the nation from coast-to-coast, border-to-border October 25th – November 11th — 1 year ahead of the November 2010 congressional elections… or as our Czarina of the tea party movement, Amy Kremer, likes to refer to as “Judgment Day.”  The Tea Party Express will kick-off the tour with a rally in San Diego, California on October 25th and wind up the tour with a rally in Orlando, Florida on November 11th (Veteran’s Day).  We’ve just posted the new tour map and itinerary (with the dates of rallies in each city) at our website: www.TeaPartyExpress.org

This won’t just be a continuation of the tour we just completed.  We will be having a lot of special surprises and additions as we grow this effort — and continue the fight against government-run healthcare, Cap & Trade, bailouts, out-of-control deficit spending and the growth in the size and intrusiveness of government.

Check out the route map and rally schedule here. And if there's a stop near you, get your ass out there! 

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9/12 rally time

Posted by Richard on September 12, 2009

If you're in the Denver area, I hope you'll join me in attending the rally Saturday at the State Capitol from 10 AM to 2 PM (I'll be the bearded guy wearing the "INFIDEL" t-shirt). Here's a description from Colorado Tea Party Patriots:

Please join a coalition of 9-12 and Tea Party groups from across the state for a "March on Denver". This event is in support of the national "March on DC" that is taking place on September 12th in Washington DC. March on Denver speakers will include: Jason Lewis, John Caldera, Amy Oliver and Ari Armstrong. Live entertainment will be provided by the rock band "Citizen Pain" and country singer Rich Owen. LET FREEDOM RING!

If you're elsewhere in the U.S., I bet there's a 9/12 event or rally near you. Go to Tea Party Patriots and scroll down to the list of states to access information for your area. Of course, there's the big 9.12.09 March on Washington if you're in that neighborhood, or you joined the Tea Party Express. If you can't be there (or anywhere), check the D.C. schedule and look for coverage on Fox News.

(BTW, if you're still wondering if all this tea party stuff is a real grassroots movement or astroturf, go to Tea Party Patriots and scroll down past the list of states to the list of local Tea Party Patriot Groups. OMG, there must be 500 of them!)

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Labor Day Tea Party rally draws 10,000+ in Illinois

Posted by Richard on September 8, 2009

You midwestern tea partiers are putting us westerners to shame. The Tea Party Express bus tour stopped for a Labor Day rally in New Lenox / Joliet, Illinois (outside of Chicago). According to the sheriff, the crowd was over 10,000, and they had to shut down a portion of Interstate 80 for a time. Wow! Illinois Review has video.

It's only going to get more exciting on Tuesday. Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher is scheduled to speak at one of the Michigan stops. Here are the details (from Levi Russell via email): 

(ON THE ROAD NEAR SOUTH BEND, IN) — Joe The Plumber (Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher) has confirmed with organizers of the Tea Party Express that he will speak at Tuesday's Tea Party Express rally in Brighton, Michigan.

The Tea Party Express will cross into Michigan on Monday evening for a 7:30pm rally in Battle Creek. Then on Tuesday the Tea Party Express will conduct rallies in Jackson (12:00 Noon), Brighton (3:30pm) and Troy (6:30pm).

For Monday's rally supporters will join the Tea Party Express convoy and caravan from Jackson to Brighton and then on to Troy.

National media outlets are traveling with the Tea Party Express and will be broadcasting reports from each Michigan tea party rally.

Here are the details on our Michigan stops.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th at 7:30pm – BATTLE CREEK
Friendship Park (northeast corner)
Capital Avenue NE & State Street
Battle Creek, MI 49017

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th at 12:00 Noon – JACKSON
Cascades Falls Park
1401 S. Brown Street
Jackson, MI 49203
*We then invite all participants to caravan over with us to the Brighton rally!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th at 3:30pm – BRIGHTON
Mill Pond (by the gazebo)
W. Main Street & Mill Pond Lane
Brighton, MI 48116
*JOE THE PLUMBER TO SPEAK!
*We then invite all participants to caravan over with us to the Troy rally!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th at 6:30pm – TROY
City Hall (south lawn area)
500 W. Big Beaver Road
Troy, MI 48084

I wish I could be there in Brighton. I hope any Michigander readers I have will turn out for one or more of these events.

I've made another donation to the Tea Party Express to help them keep the momentum going all the way to Washington, DC, on September 12. If you'd like to help, too, go here

I can't wait until the big rally here in Denver next Saturday, Sept. 12, at the State Capitol, coinciding with the 9/12 March on Washington. I bet there's one near you, too — check the appropriate links in this post.

UPDATE (9/8): It sounds like they've had a great reception in Michigan, with thousands at each of the rallies despite off-and-on heavy rains. Check out the pictures and news videos at the tour blog's Michigan update, or just go to the home page and keep scrolling.

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Republican socialist health care

Posted by Richard on September 4, 2009

Inevitably, when the Democrats propose some radical, leftist, big-government program that moves us closer to socialism, some Republicans will support a slightly different radical, leftist, big-government program that moves us closer to socialism at a slightly slower pace or along a different path. Case in point: Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Robert Bennett (R-UT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Judd Gregg (R-NH) are co-sponsoring Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-OR) "Healthy Americans Act," S. 391 (PDF). Here are the first two paragraphs of the summary (emphasis added):

Requires each adult individual to have the opportunity to purchase a Healthy Americans Private Insurance Plan (HAPI), which is: (1) a plan offered by a state; or (2) an employer-sponsored health coverage plan. Makes individuals who are not enrolled in another specified health plan and who are not opposed to coverage for religious reasons responsible for enrolling themselves and their dependent children in a HAPI plan offered through their state of residence. Sets forth penalties for failure to enroll.

Establishes standardized coverage and state options for HAPI plans. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate guidelines concerning the benefits, items, and services to be covered. Sets forth requirements for setting premiums. Requires the Secretary to establish the Healthy America Advisory Committee to provide annual recommendations concerning modifications to the benefits, items, and services required.

Note the double-talk: It seems to "require" us only to "have the opportunity," but there are "penalties for failure to enroll." And the "guidelines" that it requires the Secretary of HHS to "promulgate" are essentially mandatory. Other key features:

  • It raises federal health care spending by over six times as much as Obamacare.
  • It outlaws all plans that don't meet the detailed government requirements, thus severely limiting our choices.
  • It requires all employers and individuals to "make shared responsibility payments for HAPI plan premiums," with stiff fines for those who don't.
  • It directs the IRS to collect the money, with employees' "shared responsibility payments"  withheld from their paychecks.
  • It restricts the tax deductibility and controls content of pharmaceutical advertising, and it lets the FDA determine whether a new drug intended to treat a condition for which other drugs exist offers "new value." 
  • It puts virtually all aspects of health care under the control of the federal or state governments, establishing among others: 
    • "school-based health centers" 
    • Chronic Care Education Centers
    • state Health Help Agencies to administer HAPI plans and "promote prevention and wellness"
    • State Choices for Long-Term Care Program
    • Healthy Americans Public Health Trust Fund

I think it's pretty awful, but I'll give the senators this: They accomplish all this and more in only 168 pages, compared to the 1018 pages of H.R. 3200. That brevity and efficiency of language earns a bit of grudging respect.

The Club for Growth has specifically targeted Sen. Bennett (who is up for re-election in 2010), sending a letter about S.391 to 3200 likely delegates to the Utah GOP convention and running a TV ad state-wide. You can see the ad here and click through to the letter. You can also help fund the ad, as I did.

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Upcoming health care events

Posted by Richard on August 16, 2009

Here's some information about upcoming events that's a bit more timely and of broader interest than my post about the Grand Junction rally.

Nationwide Recess Rally: On Saturday, Aug. 22, the Sam Adams Alliance and other groups are jointly sponsoring a series of rallies in front of congressional offices across the country. Go to Recess Rally and click your state to see time, place, and contact information for your state's rallies. Then go to the Sam Adams health care portal for some intellectual ammunition (and be sure to sign the Free Our Health Care Now petition if you aren't one of the 1.1 million plus who've signed it already). 

Town Hall Meetings: Check the Club for Growth congressional town hall calendar for meetings in your area. Note that all times are Eastern, so be sure to adjust for your time zone.

Tea Party Express: From Aug. 28 to Sept. 12, the Tea Party Express bus tour will host tea parties in nearly three dozen cities across the country, starting in Sacramento and ending in Washington, D.C. Check the schedule for a stop in your area (it's no accident that many of the stops are in the home towns of Democratic congresscritters who may be vulnerable in 2010). 

09.12.09 March on Washington: On Saturday, Sept. 12, FreedomWorks Foundation and 25 other organizations are sponsoring a march to and rally at the U.S. Capitol. Related activities will begin the preceding Thursday. For an event schedule, map, and to register (free), go here. Visit 912DC.org for more information, news, and to order the official t-shirts. 

Other events around the country: There will be plenty of other events around the country before, on, and after Sept. 12. To see what's happening near you and get contact info for local groups, visit Tea Party Patriots. If you can't go to Washington on Sept. 12 (and most of us can't), there is most likely a local event on that date that you can take part in. Please, please, please do so.

Get involved. Get active. Do something. We're on The Road to Serfdom, my friends, and guy behind the wheel has his foot on the accelerator. We need to scream "stop!" at the top of our lungs.

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Obama the African Colonial

Posted by Richard on June 29, 2009

The American Thinker has a fascinating article by L.E. Ikenga that, it seems to me, precisely nails Barack Obama:

Had Americans been able to stop obsessing over the color of Barack Obama's skin and instead paid more attention to his cultural identity, maybe he would not be in the White House today. The key to understanding him lies with his identification with his father, and his adoption of a cultural and political mindset rooted in postcolonial Africa.

Like many educated intellectuals in postcolonial Africa, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was enraged at the transformation of his native land by its colonial conqueror. But instead of embracing the traditional values of his own tribal cultural past, he embraced an imported Western ideology, Marxism. I call such frustrated and angry modern Africans who embrace various foreign "isms", instead of looking homeward for repair of societies that are broken, African Colonials. They are Africans who serve foreign ideas.


The tropes of America's racial history as a way of understanding all things black are useless in understanding the man who got his dreams from his father, a Kenyan exemplar of the African Colonial.


Before I continue, I need to say this: I am a first generation born West African-American woman whose parents emigrated to the U.S. in the 1970's from the country now called Nigeria. I travel to Nigeria frequently. I see myself as both a proud American and as a proud Igbo (the tribe that we come from — also sometimes spelled Ibo). Politically, I have always been conservative (though it took this past election for me to commit to this once and for all!); my conservative values come from my Igbo heritage and my place of birth. Of course, none of this qualifies me to say what I am about to — but at the same time it does.
 
My friends, despite what CNN and the rest are telling you, Barack Obama is nothing more than an old school African Colonial who is on his way to turning this country into one of the developing nations that you learn about on the National Geographic Channel. Many conservative (East, West, South, North) African-Americans like myself — those of us who know our history — have seen this movie before. Here are two main reasons why many Americans allowed Obama to slip through the cracks despite all of his glaring inconsistencies:


First, Obama has been living on American soil for most of his adult life. Therefore, he has been able to masquerade as one who understands and believes in American democratic ideals. But he does not. Barack Obama is intrinsically undemocratic and as his presidency plays out, this will become more obvious. Second, and most importantly, too many Americans know very little about Africa. The one-size-fits-all understanding that many Americans (both black and white) continue to have of Africa might end up bringing dire consequences for this country. 

Read the whole thing

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Empathy vs. the rule of law

Posted by Richard on May 28, 2009

At GetLiberty.org, William Warren succinctly summarized the problem with Sonia Sontomayor in this cartoon:

"What About the Constitution?" by William Warren

Dr. Thomas Sowell addressed the issue in greater depth in his latest column

Barack Obama’s repeated claim that a Supreme Court justice should have “empathy” with various groups has raised red flags that we ignore at our peril — and at the peril of our children and grandchildren.

“Empathy” for particular groups can be reconciled with “equal justice under law” — the motto over the entrance to the Supreme Court — only with smooth words. But not in reality. President Obama used those smooth words in introducing Judge Sotomayor but words do not change realities.

… Speaking at the University of California at Berkeley in 2001, she said that the ethnicity and sex of a judge “may and will make a difference in our judging.”

Moreover, this was not something she lamented. On the contrary, she added, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

No doubt the political spinmasters will try to spin this to mean something innocent. But the cold fact is that this is a poisonous doctrine for any judge, much less a justice of the Supreme Court.

That kind of empathy would for all practical purposes repeal the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees “equal protection of the laws” to all Americans.

The Sotomayor nomination, the railroading of bondholders, the massive expansions of wealth redistribution, and countless other actions and pronouncements have made it crystal clear that Barack Obama doesn't value the Constitution or "equal justice under law" very much. He gladly tosses them out when they interfere with his desire to expand the power of government and forcibly impose greater equality of outcomes. As Friedrich A. Hayek observed, the latter is incompatible with the former: 

From the fact that people are very different it follows that, if we treat them equally, the result must be inequality in their actual position, and that the only way to place them in an equal position would be to treat them differently. Equality before the law and material equality are therefore not only different but are in conflict with each other; and we can achieve either one or the other, but not both at the same time.

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Trickle-down socialism

Posted by Richard on May 18, 2009

With the federal government nationalizing banks and automobile companies, rewriting mortgages, and spitting on the sanctity of contracts, it was only a matter of time before state and local governments began emulating it. Especially when they get federal money to do so.

The city of Aurora, Colorado, got a $5 million federal grant to buy homes in foreclosure. So that's what they're doing. By outbidding private individuals and investors for the properties.

(Note: I tried to embed the video, but the code from kdvr.com doesn't seem to work. The link above should take you to their video. As of now, there is no text version of the story.)

I've seen significant advances in liberty — both social and economic — throughout my adult life. And because of that, and my own inherently optimistic nature, I've always felt pretty good about the future. No more. Toward the end of the Bush Administration, I saw that trend grind to a halt. And in the early months of the Obama Administration, I've seen it reversed with a vengeance.

We're not just re-creating the dreadful Carter years, we're descending headlong into the socialist and statist policies that crippled the Great Britain of half a century ago. 

If and when I'm ever able to contemplate retirement, Costa Rica is looking more and more appealing. Those of you who are still young have my sympathy — and my sincere hope that you'll have the good sense and courage to reverse this trend.

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Nationalization

Posted by Richard on April 29, 2009

GM = Government Motors.

I thought the Obama administration was going to recreate the bad old days of the Carter administration in the 70s. But now I'm beginning to suspect they have grander ambitions — maybe emulating the British Labour Party governments of the 50s, nationalizing major industries. They've certainly started down that road.

Like his pal, Hugo Chavez, President Obama doesn't mind screwing the existing owners and creditors of the firms he nationalizes. Especially if he can redistribute their wealth in the process.

Of course, without a government takeover, GM faces bankruptcy, so the stockholders would almost certainly get nothing in any case. But bondholders are supposed to be near the front of the line in a bankruptcy and are supposed to be treated equally, aren't they? 

Not in the Obama Plan. The numbers differ a bit from one source to another, but broadly speaking, the Obama Plan apparently divides up GM as follows: 

  • The United Auto Workers union, in exchange for its $10 billion in GM bonds, gets almost 40% of the company.
  • The U.S. government, in exchange for about $15 billion it loaned to GM, gets 50% of the company.
  • The remaining bondholders, in exchange for the $24-27 billion they loaned to GM, get just 10% of the company.

Outrageous. So will there be a public outcry from the victims? I suspect not much. Most of the people getting screwed may never realize it. They don't own GM bonds directly, they own mutual funds (probably via their 401k) that hold GM debt. The value of those mutual funds will go down without the investors really being aware of the reason, unless they pore over the annual report. 

And don't expect the media to do their usual heart-wrenching human interest stories profiling the poor pensioners, widows, and orphans who are being robbed of their savings. Most members of the media are completely infatuated with Obama, and their sympathies lie with the perpetrators of this crime, not the victims.

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Porker of the month

Posted by Richard on November 22, 2008

Citizens Against Government Waste named Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) its "Porker of the Month" for something he said in late October, which confirmed that he's an arrogant, economically illiterate socialist (emphasis added):

The remark occurred during an October 27, 2008 Indian-American Forum Candidate Night in suburban Virginia with his challenger Mark Ellmore (R).  Rep. Moran stated “Now, in the last seven years, we have had the highest corporate profit ever in American history, highest corporate profit.  We’ve had the highest productivity.  The American worker has produced more per person than at any time.  But it hasn’t been shared and that’s the problem.  Because we have been guided by a Republican administration who believes in this simplistic notion that people who have wealth are entitled to keep it and they have an antipathy towards the means of redistributing wealth.  And they may be able to sustain that for awhile, but it doesn’t work in the long run.”

“Rep. Moran’s punitive conclusion about creating wealth reflects the prevailing ethos of the current Congress,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz.  “His remarks offer a window into the soul of the congressional leadership and offer a bare-knuckled preview of the kind of confiscatory policies taxpayers can expect now that there are even fewer fiscal conservatives on Capitol Hill.  This Congress intends to reward hard work and productivity with a government-mandated ‘sharing’ program.”

It is no surprise that Rep. Moran cannot grasp the concept of benefiting from the fruits of one’s labor because all he has ever produced is hot air.  He entered politics soon after graduate school, where he must have majored in putting his foot in his mouth.  In 2003, he said, “If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this.”  In June, 2006 he told a local group that when he took the helm of a House appropriations subcommittee he was going “to earmark the s__ out of it.”

Apparently, Moran believes that rewarding productive activity doesn't work in the long run, but punishing achievement does.

Or maybe he's not really that stupid. Maybe he's just another unprincipled demagogue with power-lust who figures most of his constituents are that stupid, and he's more than willing to exploit their ignorance, envy, and greed. Sadly, it seems to be working for him.

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Another contender for sound bite of the day

Posted by Richard on November 4, 2008

Rick Moore said "This is What the Election is All About" (emphasis added):

From Virginia Democrat Representative Jim Moran:

"We have been guided by a Republican administration that believes in the simplistic notion that people who have wealth are entitled to keep it, and they have an antipathy towards the means of redistributing wealth."

Video here. In the socialist world of Moran and Obama, you are not entitled to keep your wealth.

Meanwhile, Black Panthers wielding nightsticks are intimidating voters at Philadelphia polling places.

And Chuckie Schumer is talking about reinstating the Fairness Doctrine.

And Barack Obama gives special thanks to the "gracious press".

Moran — that's pronounced "moron," right? 

For more about the Panthers confronting and intimidating certain voters, go here and here

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If it redistributes like a duck …

Posted by Richard on November 4, 2008

David Harsanyi (emphasis added):

Obama laughs off the charge of socialist behavior — and to be fair, socialism isn't the precise term to affix to his ideas. It's more like Robin Hood economics. On a recent campaign stop, Obama joked that, by the end of the week, McCain would be accusing him "of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten."

A funny line. But, of course, Obama's lofty intellect must comprehend the fundamental difference between sharing your G.I. Joe with a friend and having a bully snatch your G.I. Joe for the collective, prepubescent good. It's the difference between coercion and free association and trade. In practical terms, it's the difference between government cheese and a meal at Ruth's Chris.

Now, I'm not suggesting Obama intends to transform this nation into 1950s-era Soviet tyranny or that he will possess the power to do so. I'm suggesting Obama is praising and mainstreaming an economic philosophy that has failed to produce a scintilla of fairness or prosperity anywhere on Earth. Ever. 

Amen! Read the whole thing. Then vote as if our future depends on it.

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Do you want to fundamentally transform this country?

Posted by Richard on November 1, 2008

He's Not My President on 10/31 (emphasis added):

I didn’t say it, Senator Obama did.  Speaking tonight at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, Senator Obama said, near the beginning of his speech:  “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.”

… fundamentally transforming something (in this case the United States of America) means to markedly change the nature, function, or condition of the foundation or base, forming or serving as an essential component of a system.

So what is it, exactly, that Senator Obama needs to markedly change?  What is the foundation or base of the United States of America, the essential component of our system (our government)?  I would argue it is the Constitution of the United States of America.  But does the U.S. Constitution need to be markedly changed?  I would argue, of course it does not.

I'm a Libertarian and thus not exactly a fan of the status quo. But Obama crowing about "fundamentally transforming" America gives me a chill. When I factor in his 2001 interview in which he regretted that the Supreme Court has failed to "transform" the Constitution by embracing "positive rights" and income redistribution, I become very, very disturbed. This is dangerous stuff. 

If you value the Constitution, if you value the founding (fundamental) principles of this country, if you value liberty — hold your nose and go vote for McCain.

Unless you're in a state where it clearly won't matter (like Massachusetts or New York). In that case, do me a favor and vote for Libertarian Bob Barr on my behalf. Regrettably, I can't. Colorado is close, and there's too much at stake.

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Obama regrets lack of radical wealth redistribution

Posted by Richard on October 28, 2008

In a 2001 Chicago public radio interview, then State Sen. Barack Obama said one of the failures of the civil rights movement was that it became court-focused, and the Supreme Court never addressed "the redistribution of wealth and the more basic issues of economic justice in this society." He called it a tragedy that the civil rights movement failed to put together "the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change." And he regretted that the Constitution addresses only "negative liberties" — what the government can't do to you — and not "positive liberties" — what the government "must do on your behalf." 

Here are key excerpts from the interview. Please share this with your non-socialist friends.

Contrary to what the Obama campaign and its mouthpieces in the mainstream media have been saying, Obama's "spread the wealth around" comment to Joe the Plumber hasn't been distorted, misrepresented, or overblown.

Obama really is a radical leftist, a socialist at heart, and someone who makes the George McGovern of 1972 sound like a moderate centrist.

Exactly what I'd expect from someone whose intellectual mentors, allies, friends, and colleagues include Saul Alinsky, Father Pfleger, the Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, Frank Marshall Davis, Alice Palmer, Rashid Khalidi, Raila Odinga … 

As Ken Blackwell said recently about Obama's fraudulent promise of "tax cuts" that are really disguised income redistribution, "Having the government take money from business entities or affluent individuals and giving it to those who pay no federal income taxes is not Keynesian. It's Marxist."

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Joe the Forgotten Man

Posted by Richard on October 22, 2008

According to Newt Gingrich, a June Gallup Organization survey asked Americans if the government should focus on improving economic conditions or on "distributing wealth more evenly," and 84% chose the former. Thanks to Joe the Plumber, it should now be clear to everybody that Barack Obama is one of the 13% who chose the latter:

America met Joe the Plumber last week.  But a pro-market economist writing over a hundred years ago was already familiar with Joe Wurzelbacher and Americans like him — and understood how they are used and exploited by politicians.

“They are always under the dominion of the superstition of government, and forgetting that a government produces nothing at all, they leave out of sight the first fact to be remembered in all social discussion — that the state cannot get a cent for any man without taking it from some other man, and this latter must be a man who has produced and saved it. This latter is the Forgotten Man.”

These are the words of William Graham Sumner, brilliantly analyzed and applied to 21st century America by Amity Schlaes in her recent book, The Forgotten Man.
    
Sumner wrote of the Forgotten Man: "He works, he votes, generally he prays — but he always pays — yes, above all, he pays."

Joe the Plumber has struck a chord in the closing weeks of this election because he represents the Forgotten Man.  When he confronted Sen. Barack Obama on the campaign trail with the question of what would happen to his taxes under an Obama Administration should he realize his dream of owning his own business, Joe cast the decision that faces us in this election in stark relief:

Which will be better for our economy:  Politicians redistributing our wealth or growing more wealth?

And Sen. Obama gave us an equally stark answer:  Under his leadership, America will focus on “spreading around” the Forgotten Man’s wealth, not encouraging him to create more of it.

Read the whole thing.

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