Lindsey Graham, Clueless Politician

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham is a case study in what it means to be a clueless politician who does not understand that the world he once thought he knew has irrevocably changed.

Graham, interviewed by CBS News, denigrates Glenn Beck and other conservative talk show hosts, as well as most of those he would need to merit re-election next time around. He says that Beck is "aligned with cynicism" and that "cynicism sells." He paints with a single brush all those who attended town hall events as "crazies" because a handful are pushing for President Obama to reveal his actual Hawaiian birth certificate. Obama has fought in court to avoid doing so.

I leave it up to you to decide what is crazy about this issue. If there is nothing to hide, why fight? And the U.S. Constitution does require a president to be born on U.S. soil. My personal stance is that this horse is long out of the barn, and even if Obama has no birth certificate, are you ready to face the upheaval of a constitutional crisis as the Supreme Court orders him out of the Oval Office? Perhaps worse, are you ready for a President Joe Biden?

But I digress. Graham is lauding Obama for his achievements, declaring that The One had passed the "ready to be commander in chief test" during the presidential debates. For a guy who supposedly backed John McCain, that's a big "Say what?" admission -- and inexplicably weird. Graham goes on to defend his own radical views on allowing unrestricted immigration.

Worse, however, is that Graham licks his chops at the thought of what disgruntled voters will do to Democrats in 2010 without displaying any contrition or humility for the fact that Republican progressivism set the stage for the nonsense we are going through. He has learned nothing. You can tell when he says this:

"... we became a great nation not because we are a nation of cynics. We became a great nation because we are a nation of believers."

So what do you believe in, Sen. Grahamnesty?

Winning political elections. Adopting policies that will guarantee the allegiance of voting groups. This is the old "party first" formula that has led America to the thresh hold of disaster, a sellout on both sides of Constitutional principles for the expediencies of the moment. The short game, not the long game.

Glenn Beck is popular because he, and others, are voices that reflect a growing sentiment among Americans that both parties, in different ways, have ignored the Constitution and are selling our individual liberties down a progressive, socialist river. Beck believes in the Constitution, in freedom and liberty, in limited government, in an educated and informed electorate.

Lindsey Graham believes in playing the political game in Washington, where you compromise principle to achieve consensus and then wait for a policy to fail so that you can bash the other party.

That's cynical.

That he would invoke Benjamin Franklin to attack Glenn Beck is damn near blasphemy. Franklin may have been a master of political compromise, but it was never at the expense of the principles of liberty.

Americans are waking up to the political opportunists in both main parties and are realizing that just because you have a D or an R after your name doesn't necessarily mean anything good. We are entering a new era where politicians are going to be judged on their actions, not just on their rhetoric at election time.

And no one gets a pass.

The Fight Against Cap & Tax Goes to the Senate

Once it was announced that the House would schedule a vote on the Waxman-Markey (Cap'n Tax) bill for Friday, we knew that the progressives thought they had the votes.

Congressional sources say that phone calls to individual representatives ran 10 to 1 against the legislation, officially known as the American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009.

Unfortunately what the people think doesn't seem to count for much. It passed, 219 to 212.

I am pleased to report that 44 Democrats voted against the measure, including Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma's Second District. (We will be watching you on health care, Mr. Boren). No doubt a few of them waited until the could see the outcome before registering their vote, so as not to incur the wrath of the Pelosi.

I am displeased that eight Republicans voted for the measure, including the usually reliable Mary Bono of California. How many of these votes were the result of sincere belief in the cause of fighting global warming and how many were merely fear of liberal voters in their districts, it is unclear.

It would be easy to point the finger of blame at the eight GOP members, any four of whom could have reversed this outcome, but that would be letting the Democrat majority off the hook. Two hundred eleven (211) Democrats voted to tax our citizens and our industries by a trillion dollars, and to initiate new regulations that, if the Senate concurs, will change our lives as Americans, and all for an elusive 1/10th of a degree Celcius in 100 years.

Even if the Senate says no, and that is where the fight goes next, all 219 deserve the full oppobrium of the American people in the 2010 elections. There is no excuse for their combined arrogance and stupidity.

This political battle is not over. Not by a long shot.

Earth to Mrs. Clinton?

If it is not bad enough that in the same day, Hillary Clinton was both received at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Unborn) in Mexico City AND by Planned Parenthood to receive the Margaret Sanger Award ...

... and taking into account her goof with the "Easy" button meant to repair relations with Russia ...

... she now wants to know, after the second time visiting the Basilica, who painted the image of Our Lady on Juan Diego's Tilma.

I love the Monsignor's answer.

DAVE the OKLAHOMILIST chimes in:

It's worse than you told us, Anthony. Not only does she go through the motions of presenting flowers to Our Lady's image and lighting a green candle, which is nice but incongruent with her Planned Parenthood award later in the day, then she walks out of the big church and tells the Mexican crowds, "You have a nice Virgin!"

(Well, yes, she is very nice, but we're kinda surprised you noticed. Maybe your headline should be: "God to Mrs. Clinton." I think she's too much in touch with the world.)

You can't help thinking: These are the professionals who were going to repair the image of the United States in the world after eight years of the "idiot cowboy from Texas"?

(By the way, if you have trouble accessing the link, try going to the CNA home page and clicking on the story from there.)

Another good review of the story can be found at GetReligion.org.