Erick Erickson's Blog, page 59

Morning Briefing for March 22, 2012

RedState Morning Briefing

March 22, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Forgetting History

2. Marx Madness Redux

3. Mitt Romney: The Consummate Etch A Sketch

4. A Real Solution to the Gridlock Over the Highway Bill

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1. Forgetting History

I have a confession to make.

I am a thirty-something pundit on television and radio and I am frequently aggravated by many twenty and thirty-something pundits on television and radio. It is even a non-partisan aggravation.

We all make mistakes and I am sure someone can be critical of me for the same reason I find so many up and coming political pundits so aggravating, but I try to do my homework. I do keep a Lexis-Nexis account. I do read my history books. Mistakes happen, but it seems a lot of up and coming soon to be somebodies are making needless mistakes.

This may sound like a Matt Lewis inspired "get off my lawn" screed, but put very simply, a lot of pundits of the twenty and thirty-something variety have absolutely no sense of history. For them, partisan politics began at Bush vs. Gore and history did not exist before November of 2000.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Marx Madness Redux

My radio producer, Shane, is a genius. And he put this audio montage together in honor of the 2nd anniversary of Obamacare.

What to call it? Marx Madness.

What to put as background music? Why the national anthem to the USSR of course.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Mitt Romney: The Consummate Etch A Sketch

Throughout the presidential campaign, we have been lampooned by the pale-pastel wing of the party for not coalescing around the Romney campaign with alacrity. Our detractors have been stupefied by our stubborn opposition to "the only candidate who can beat Obama;" the man with the requisite resume, funding, organization, intelligence, and persona.

We've been at a loss to encapsulate our opposition into a one-liner; a bumper sticker. After all, it takes copious pages of ink to explain the extent of Romney's hypocrisy on the issue of healthcare alone. Yet, late in the 11th hour of the campaign, when it's probably too late to make a difference, we have finally discovered our symbol that exemplifies Romney. Ironically, it came from his own campaign.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. A Real Solution to the Gridlock Over the Highway Bill

As we approach the March 31 expiration date for surface transportation projects, we can take solace in the fact that the House will not vote on two bad bills; Boehner's original 5-year $260 billion reauthorization and the Senate's 2-year $109 billion bill. While we push for a more prudent long-term solution, the House will pass a 90-day stopgap bill to continue spending at current levels until the end of July.

While funding transportation projects with short-term bills is not ideal, it is better than passing a lousy long-term bill that cannot be altered for several years. Democrats are already launching their cantankerous assaults on the "irresponsible" stopgap bill, but we must remind them of two points that are overlooked in this debate.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Marx Madness Redux

My radio producer, Shane, is a genius. And he put this audio montage together in honor of the 2nd anniversary of Obamacare.

What to call it? Marx Madness.

What to put as background music? Why the national anthem to the USSR of course.

Download audio here

Enjoy.

Marx Madness #EERS

Tonight on the Erick Erickson Show we're going to celebrate Marx Madness.

Tune in to the top of the show for a special presentation.

You can listen live tonight on the WSB live stream and call in at 1-800-WSB-TALK.

Consider this an open thread.

Help Ted Cruz in Texas Repeal ObamaCare

As the nation marks today's ominous two-year anniversary of Obamacare, we should focus on how we fully repeal it. One place to look closely is the U.S. Senate race in Texas. Ted Cruz, the conservative in the race, has been consistent and tough on the issue from the beginning. He needs our help today.

The fight against Obamacare, Cruz says, "presents an historic opportunity to stop this Administration's relentless drive towards European-style socialism" and a "vital opportunity to defend freedom."

"The arguments that the Obama Administration is making in support of the individual mandate, at bottom, would allow Congress to do anything. Congress could order Americans to buy anything, not to buy anything, or to do anything it wished. Few things could be more destructive to our liberty."

Now, Cruz has launched a fundraising drive tied to repeal. The "ObamaCare Repeal Bomb" to raise $100,000 will help Ted against his chief opponent, the self funding multi-millionaire and moderate establishment pick, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Dewhurst talks a big game about repeal, but his track record would suggest otherwise. For example, Dewhurst thanked the Obama administration for the stimulus money and killed the anti-TSA groping bill after pressure from the White House. If his halting attack on Obamacare isn't surprising, it's because deep down, Dewhurst simply doesn't appear able to commit to fighting for conservative principles.

This election is a chance for Texans to stand up and show that they will not let Obamacare stand, and they will unite to elect a new Senator who is committed to defeating the Obama agenda.

Please contribute to Ted's Repeal Bomb and do everything you can to support him today.

The Nominee

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It is a mathematical improbability that Rick Santorum will get to the magic number of 1,144 — the number of delegates needed to be the Republican Presidential nominee. It is a political improbability that Rick Santorum will stop Mitt Romney from getting to 1,144.

Last night in Illinois, Mitt Romney won his first victory without caveats.

Even in Florida, a big win, there were plenty — counties that saw increased turnout rejected him. The northern part of the state rejected him. It required an amalgamation of voters not quite typical of the base to get Romney the nod in Florida.

In Illinois, Romney won. Period. The Santorum campaign stumbled badly in Puerto Rico, gave up a lead in Illinois, and the candidate proved horribly undisciplined. Like Dug the dog in Up getting distracted by every random squirrel, Rick Santorum loses all ability to focus when social issues come up. His lack of discipline and message focus steering those issues to families as he did so beautifully in the Mesa, AZ debate has hindered him and solidified a media narrative that he is more concerned with those issues than jobs and the economy. It is not fair. It is not even accurate. But fairness and accuracy are rare commodities in American retail politics and Rick Santorum has not leveraged his strengths well.

On the other hand, Mitt Romney's win in Illinois still highlights his struggles. Blue collar voters are not fond of him. Staunchly conservative voters are not either. Evangelical voters also are not fond of him. The voters do not feel quite comfortable with their pick. But though evangelicals and social conservatives are the base of the base of the Republican Party, they are not enough to stop Mitt Romney and a spending advantage some have estimated topped 20 to 1 against Santorum in Illinois.

This is not to say the race is over. Far from it. Rick Santorum will probably win Louisiana. Conservatives will rally to Santorum and continue protesting Romney as the nominee. But it will not be enough. Romney will do well in New England and the remaining mid-Atlantic states. He will do well out west, winning California.

He will be the nominee.

Theoretically, Rick Santorum could keep Romney from getting to 1,144. But as Romney piles up more and more wins and neither the Gingrich nor Paul campaigns remain factors, let alone have pulses, the inevitable will set in. Conservatives may not really like Mitt Romney, but they do not want a fractured party too divided to beat Barack Obama. There will be no white knight, no dark horse, and no brokered convention. We have our nominee.

If, come November, Mitt Romney wins, he will owe it to a lot of Republicans who put their reputation on the line and it will be payback time. If Mitt Romney loses, party leaders will undoubtedly try to blame conservatives as they always do, but it will be really hard to cast blame when Romney's supporters have billed him as Mr. Electable since shortly after they they billed Harriet Miers as a genius conservative pick for the Supreme Court.

Either way, conservatives have and no doubt will continue to make it very clear that Mitt Romney may be the standard bearer of the Republican Party, but he most definitely is not the standard bearer of the conservative movement. The disentangling of the movement from the party will continue. So too will our shared effort to oust Barack Obama from the White House.

Morning Briefing for March 21, 2012

RedState Morning Briefing

March 21, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. The Nominee

2. A Look at Obama's Budget Priorities

3. Trayvon Martin And Perspective

4. Ryan Budget: A Good Start, but will it Matter?

5. How Much Do You Pay For Gas?

6. Jason Mattera Detonates Hollywood

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1. The Nominee

It is a mathematical improbability that Rick Santorum will get to the magic number of 1,144 — the number of delegates needed to be the Republican Presidential nominee. It is a political improbability that Rick Santorum will stop Mitt Romney from getting to 1,144.

Last night in Illinois, Mitt Romney won his first victory without caveats.

Even in Florida, a big win, there were plenty — counties that saw increased turnout rejected him. The northern part of the state rejected him. It required an amalgamation of voters not quite typical of the base to get Romney the nod in Florida.

In Illinois, Romney won. Period. The Santorum campaign stumbled badly in Puerto Rico, gave up a lead in Illinois, and the candidate proved horribly undisciplined. Like Dug the dog in Up getting distracted by every random squirrel, Rick Santorum loses all ability to focus when social issues come up. His lack of discipline and message focus steering those issues to families as he did so beautifully in the Mesa, AZ debate has hindered him and solidified a media narrative that he is more concerned with those issues than jobs and the economy. It is not fair. It is not even accurate. But fairness and accuracy are rare commodities in American retail politics and Rick Santorum has not leveraged his strengths well.

On the other hand, Mitt Romney's win in Illinois still highlights his struggles. Blue collar voters are not fond of him. Staunchly conservative voters are not either. Evangelical voters also are not fond of him. The voters do not feel quite comfortable with their pick. But though evangelicals and social conservatives are the base of the base of the Republican Party, they are not enough to stop Mitt Romney and a spending advantage some have estimated topped 20 to 1 against Santorum in Illinois.

This is not to say the race is over. Far from it. Rick Santorum will probably win Louisiana. Conservatives will rally to Santorum and continue protesting Romney as the nominee. But it will not be enough. Romney will do well in New England and the remaining mid-Atlantic states. He will do well out west, winning California.

He will be the nominee.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. A Look at Obama's Budget Priorities

When President Obama released his fiscal year 2013 budget, he revealed a great deal about his priorities for the remainder of this term and the possibility of his next. First in his State of the Union address and then for the past month on the campaign trail, he has repeated the message that it is crucial to promote all types of energy. This message is not reflected in his budget.

Consider the White House's push to repeal certain tax provisions — credits available to all industries —for just oil and natural gas firms, while seeking subsidy extensions and new tax credits to "green energy" favorites. Selectively levying $46 billion in new taxes on oil and natural gas companies and subsidizing "renewable" companies in hopes of huge job growth and technological change goes against the very nature of the market. But it is the Obama approach. He wants vindictive tax hikes on the oil and natural gas industry and massive subsidies and non-recourse loans for his favorites; this president is trying to rig the base of the U.S. economy. That policy imposes heavy costs and economic suffering on all Americans.

Oddly, his budget also attacks economically-deprived families suffering even before they try to deal with the costs of heating and cooling their homes.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Trayvon Martin And Perspective

On February 26 in a suburb of Orlando, a Hispanic man, George Zimmerman, shot to death an unarmed African-American teenager, Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was on neighborhood watch, carrying a pistol. "Zimmerman spotted Martin as he was patrolling his neighborhood on a rainy evening and called 911 to report a suspicious person. Against the advice of the 911 dispatcher, Zimmerman then followed Martin, who was walking home from a convenience store with a bag of Skittles in his pocket." To date, Zimmerman has not been arrested, but after a media outcry, local and federal grand jury investigations have been opened. Zimmerman contends that he shot Martin in self-defense; there are no eyewitnesses and the details are murky, but at least one witness overheard a confrontation. Presumably, further investigation will be needed before prosecutors can build a case that does not leave the claim of self-defense surrounded by a cloud of reasonable doubt, ending with a Casey Anthony type verdict. There's been some discussion about Florida's particularly strong self-defense law, but in any state in the Union, if a jury believes there is a real possibility that Zimmerman acted in self-defense, he'd be acquitted, and if the jury doesn't, he'd be convicted.

The Martin case is a legitimate local news story, of the type that crops up now and then – in major cities like New York, where I live, we have multiple crime stories a year that involve sensational or particularly tragic facts and – at least at the outset – a significant possibility that injustice will be done either to the victim, the defendant, or both. Such cases test public confidence in the competence and fairness of local law enforcement, and sometimes find both to be wanting.

But the media feeding frenzy over this particular story – one out of the thousands of homicides in this country – in apparent response to a left-wing campaign to keep it in the national news, reflects at best a loss of perspective and at worst a cynical effort to inflame racial division in an election year.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Ryan Budget: A Good Start, but will it Matter?

The much-anticipated Ryan budget for FY 2013, which also contains a blueprint for the next ten years, has been released. The headline figures of the proposal include the following factoids: it will spend $5.3 trillion less than Obama's plan and cut $2 trillion more in taxes over the next ten years; it will spend $4.15 less than CBO baseline; spending will be reduced from 24% of GDP to 19.8% and the debt held by the public will decline from73.2% of GDP to 62.3%.

The lion's share of the savings come from welfare and other mandatory spending reforms ($1.9 trillion), block granting Medicaid to the states ($810 billion), and repealing Obamacare ($1.6 trillion). There are also $33 billion in much-needed cuts to farm subsidies (some Republicans are already grumbling about that).

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. How Much Do You Pay For Gas?

"The tools we have at our disposal are limited, but I would I say I would give myself a little higher in that since I became Secretary of Energy, I've been doing everything I can to get long-term solutions." – Energy Secretary Steven Chu, on whether he would give himself an A minus on gas prices.

The above quote is from a House Hearing this morning. Ed Morrissey breaks down the reality, and has video of the Secretary's testimony.

A Minus? The George Allen campaign today has a fantastic, and depressing, new website out today that suggests a different grade. At www.TooMuchAtThePump.com, you can put in the make and model of your car, or the size of the tank, and you get a comparison between what it took to fill your tank in January of 2009 versus now. The results will blow your wallet up.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. Jason Mattera Detonates Hollywood

Over the weekend we saw American songwriter and rapper Cee Lo Green headline a fundraiser for Barack Obama in Atlanta. Never mind the fact that the Left continues to lecture us about civility in the midst of Green singing the unedited version of his song, "Fu*** You," while flipping off the crowd. The presence of this popular artist headlining an Obama rally shows once again how the Hollywood elite will try to sell President Obama to us in 2012 just like they did in 2008. As my buddy Jason Mattera reveals in his brand-new book Hollywood Hypocrites: The Devastating Truth About Obama's Biggest Backers, there is an extensive power nexus between Tinseltown and the Obama reelection campaign. Conservatives may not realize just how deeply entwined the two are.

Jason writes, "The same Hollywood loons who got Obama elected will do so again. That is, unless we muzzle them. How? Not the way the Left tries to do, by silencing dissent. But by putting their political stances and public statements under the microscope of scrutiny to analyze whether they live by the same policy prescriptions they seek to inflict on America."

Buy Hollywood Hypocrites today. You won't look at Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Bono, Harrison Ford, Arianna Huffington, and many more A-list celebrities the same.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Jason Mattera Detonates Hollywood

Over the weekend we saw American songwriter and rapper Cee Lo Green headline a fundraiser for Barack Obama in Atlanta. Never mind the fact that the Left continues to lecture us about civility in the midst of Green singing the unedited version of his song, "Fu*** You," while flipping off the crowd. The presence of this popular artist headlining an Obama rally shows once again how the Hollywood elite will try to sell President Obama to us in 2012 just like they did in 2008. As my buddy Jason Mattera reveals in his brand-new book Hollywood Hypocrites: The Devastating Truth About Obama's Biggest Backers, there is an extensive power nexus between Tinseltown and the Obama reelection campaign. Conservatives may not realize just how deeply entwined the two are.

Jason writes, "The same Hollywood loons who got Obama elected will do so again. That is, unless we muzzle them. How? Not the way the Left tries to do, by silencing dissent. But by putting their political stances and public statements under the microscope of scrutiny to analyze whether they live by the same policy prescriptions they seek to inflict on America."

Buy Hollywood Hypocrites today. You won't look at Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Bono, Harrison Ford, Arianna Huffington, and many more A-list celebrities the same.

Morning Briefing for March 20, 2012

RedState Morning Briefing

March 20, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Kent Conrad's Budget Folly

2. Jon Bruning Also Supported Liberal Activist Thomas Perez

3. FROM RICK SANTORUM: Past Performance Indicates Future Results

4. FROM NEWT GINGRICH: Yes, Past Performance Does Indicate Future Results

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1. Kent Conrad's Budget Folly

Paul Ryan is set to release the details of the House Republican budget resolution tomorrow. While liberals, conservatives, tea partiers, etc. will have plenty to say about the content of the budget, we must all acknowledge that Ryan has worked assiduously to formulate a coherent blueprint for a responsible budget. The same cannot be said for his counterpart in the Senate.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad has not produced a budget of any sort in almost 1100 days! Yet, he has the temerity to call Ryan's budget a "breach of faith.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Jon Bruning Also Supported Liberal Activist Thomas Perez

The race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Nebraska is pretty straight-forward. Don Stenberg is a genuine, lifelong conservative with a great record while his opponent, Jon Bruning, has a very questionable habit of supporting liberals and liberal ideas.

Last week we learned that Bruning not only supported President Obama's controversial nomination of Eric Holder to be Attorney General, but he won't back down from that support in light of Holder's abysmal record. Now we learn that Bruning also supported known liberal activist Thomas Perez to be Assistant Attorney General and head of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. There apparently is no end to Bruning's love of the Obama Justice Department.

In a 2010 letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bruning joined with three fellow attorneys general to advocate on behalf of Perez.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. FROM RICK SANTORUM: Past Performance Indicates Future Results

Mitt Romney highlights his business experience in the private sector but tries to hide his economic record in the public sector. He was a failed one-term Governor of Massachusetts, and by any objective measure, he would receive an F for his faulty fiscal stewardship there. Indeed, his economic record would not put him in the ring as a featherweight — let alone a lightweight — in any contest.

As heavyweight champ Joe Lewis once said, "He can run, but he can't hide." And in Mitt Romney's case, past performance really does indicate future results. Here's a start.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. FROM NEWT GINGRICH: Yes, Past Performance Does Indicate Future Results

Rick Santorum makes an excellent point that "past performance really does indicate future results." I completely agree—but not just "in Mitt Romney's case." Rick Santorum became the third-highest ranking Republican in the Senate in 2001 at a time when Republicans inherited balanced budgets, surpluses, and conservative, pro-life majorities. Senator Santorum and his big spending GOP allies proceeded to squander this inheritance.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Jon Bruning Also Supported Liberal Activist Thomas Perez

The race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Nebraska is pretty straight-forward. Don Stenberg is a genuine, lifelong conservative with a great record while his opponent, Jon Bruning, has a very questionable habit of supporting liberals and liberal ideas.

Last week we learned that Bruning not only supported President Obama's controversial nomination of Eric Holder to be Attorney General, but he won't back down from that support in light of Holder's abysmal record. Now we learn that Bruning also supported known liberal activist Thomas Perez to be Assistant Attorney General and head of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. There apparently is no end to Bruning's love of the Obama Justice Department.

In a 2010 letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bruning joined with three fellow attorneys general to advocate on behalf of Perez. They wrote:

"[Perez] is a nationally recognized civil rights lawyer whose breadth and depth of experience make him an ideal choice to lead the Civil Rights Division," and "[w]e are confident that Mr. Perez would be an exceptional Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division and urge you to consider his nomination."

I assume by "breadth and depth of experience," Bruning was referring to Perez's tenure as lawyer for Ted Kennedy? Or his experience in the Clinton DOJ? Or his volunteer activities for CASA de Maryland, a leftist advocacy group for illegal aliens? I guess it doesn't matter to Bruning that the group is funded by George Soros and Hugo Chavez?

The Civil Rights Division is extremely powerful — responsible for enforcement of our nation's many federal civil rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act — and its leadership must enforce the law, not treat the organization like the ACLU or MALDEF. But that is not how Thomas Perez sees it. Since he was confirmed by the Senate (with 22 opposing Republican votes), he has embarked on a crusade to impose by fiat the will of the Obama/Holder/Perez regime.

Most recently, he and his department brazenly decided to not "pre-clear" the Texas Voter ID law passed by an overwhelming majority of the Texas legislature and modeled after the Indiana law that the Supreme Court has already blessed. This, of course was not the first time Perez misapplied Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (the reauthorized version of which is dubiously constitutional). Perez and company also denied South Carolina and are looking at other states.

But it gets worse. Perez also has targeted states which have dared to enforce the very federal immigration laws that the Obama administration very purposefully fails to enforce. Specifically, he led the charge against Arizona's immigration law. And he won't stop there. He has aggressively pursued so-called "disparate impact" discrimination cases in areas such as mortgage lending and has novel theories on how to expand hate crime enforcement and numerous other areas.

In some ways, Perez makes Eric "Fast and Furious" Holder seem timid and reserved in his leftist ideology.

So, if Jon Bruning won't back down from supporting Eric Holder… will he at least admit that his support for Thomas Perez was a mistake?

Filling in for Neal Boortz Today

I'm filling in for Neal Boortz today and have the low down on a fast growing scam in education, in addition to more on Barack Obama's unicorn farts.

You can listen live tonight on the WSB live stream and call in at 1-877-310-2100.

Consider this an open thread.