Dana Milbank – Sweeteners for the South

And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor midafternoon Saturday to announce her aye vote — and to trumpet the financial “fix” she had arranged for Louisiana. “I am not going to be defensive,” she declared. “And it’s not a $100 million fix. It’s a $300 million fix.”…

Landrieu and Lincoln got the attention because they were the last to decide, but the Senate really has 100 Blanche DuBoises, a full house of characters inclined toward the narcissistic.

more fun in the Washington Post.

David S. Broder – David Broder: Fears of health-reform cost are justifiable

David Broder: deficit hawk? When you’ve lost DB, you’ve lost the right of left of center of the mainstream media.

Another Home Run for Mr. Card

The term ‘Card check’ is beginning to take on an entirely new meaning.  Money quote:

Whether you’re a serf to management or to union leaders makes little difference to the serf.

WorldWatch – September 27, 2009 – Why Union Leaders Are Trying to Destroy Themselves – The Ornery American.

Welcome Back, Orson

A man who knows how to call a spade a shovel:

You’ll notice that I have no qualms about insulting the extremists of the Left, but that’s because there is no way to win them over anyway. They are incapable of learning or even listening; they are contemptuous of logic or evidence; having learned all the things that “smart people” say, they just go on saying them without any sign that they are actually aware of the utter vapidity of their own dogmas.

This comes from a man who identifies himself as a Democrat.  He’s a generation ahead of me, so I can only assume that this meant something different in the past than it does now.  I don’t identify with the Republican party, but I can never in a million years imagine myself as a Democrat given their current state and those they sleep with.

WorldWatch – September 20, 2009 – I’m Back – The Ornery American.

From The Atlantic on Health Care Reform

I don’t remember if I had linked this previously or not, but it’s worth linking again at any rate.  If you are at all interested in the health care reform debate and its consequences, then you should take a few moments to read this article written by a man whose father’s death after a long hospital stay has approached the health care industry from a business perspective.

I’m a businessman, and in no sense a health-care expert. But the persistence of bad industry practices—from long lines at the doctor’s office to ever-rising prices to astonishing numbers of preventable deaths—seems beyond all normal logic, and must have an underlying cause. There needs to be a business reason why an industry, year in and year out, would be able to get away with poor customer service, unaffordable prices, and uneven results—a reason my father and so many others are unnecessarily killed.

I will add that every doctor that I know of who has gone to a cash practice has had a lower rate of increase for treatment costs over time and does the same quality of work or better with fewer staff members.

via How American Health Care Killed My Father – The Atlantic (September 2009).

Obama heckled by GOP during speech: ‘You lie!’ – Yahoo! News

In an extraordinary breach of congressional decorum, a Republican lawmaker shouted “You lie” at President Barack Obama during his speech to Congress Wednesday.

via Obama heckled by GOP during speech: ‘You lie!’ – Yahoo! News.

While I sympathize with the sentiment, I object strenuously to the gentleman’s actions on several grounds.  First  it was unmannerly and uncivilized.  Actions like this are inappropriate at that level of government and should be left to the Democrats who have no shame.  Secondly, it will undoubtedly lead to an escalation of hostilities between members of the parties.  Conservatives need to be strong in their beliefs and firm in their conviction, but we must also maintain a higher standard of behavior than our opponents if we wish to see the level of discourse rise from the sewer of the Cynthia McKinneys of the world.  Finally and most importantly, it was tactically bad.  This is the sort of nonsense that can distract people from the real issues relating to the Democratic health scheme which need to be defeated.  The sycophants in the news media will play this on an endless loop while they beat the Republicans up one side and down the other over this and it will have an effect if done long enough.  The last thing that we need when we’re finally starting to make some headway in the debate is to have someone on our side introduce a distraction of this order.  Rep. Wilson, you should be ashamed of yourself.  I sincerely hope it is only your honor that has been damaged by your actions.

Airbrushing out Mary Jo Kopechne by Mark Steyn on National Review Online

Airbrushing out Mary Jo Kopechne by Mark Steyn on National Review Online.  Steyn, as usual, cuts to the heart of the matter: “If a towering giant cares so much about humanity in general, why get hung up on his carelessness with humans in particular?”

John Mackey: The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare – WSJ.com

John Mackey: The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare – WSJ.com.  Mackey makes a lot of solid points and this is worth reading on its own.  It’s even more interesting when you consider the uproar from the fringe left when one of ‘their’ institutions goes off the reservation.

Servility and freedom « The Truth in Black and Right

Read it.  NOW!  This man is preaching the truth if people have ears to hear.  I normally include a quote, but it’s such good stuff that there’s no obvious part to pick out except the very end; and there’s certainly no need to rush.

The Community Is Restless by Mark Steyn on National Review Online

Reporting dissent is the highest form of patriotism!

via The Community Is Restless by Mark Steyn on National Review Online.

Mark Steyn is now our national treasure.  Canadian by birth, American by choice, honorary Texan by acclamation.