Sunday, February 28, 2010

Krauthammer 2/28/10

US Retreats from Space



My take on Charles Krauthammer's latest. His column was published in the Washington Post.

Summary: Obama and today's Democrats seem supremely indifferent to the opportunities in Space. His budget cuts most manned missions in favor of helping private sector launches. The current policy also substitutes Mars for the Moon as the goal for human flight. There are no concret plans for either supporting the private sector support or manned missions to Mars.

Quote:
For the first time since John Glenn flew in 1962, the United States will have no access of its own for humans into space -- and no prospect of getting there in the foreseeable future.

My Views: The Space Age is probably the most significant issue of our era. It continually amazes me how folks can call themselves "progressives" and fail to see the long term opportunities that exists for our civilization from Space exploration. K is probably right that Obama's policy is just smoke and mirrors to disguise a full retreat from Space.

Sad, so very sad.



Charles Krauthammer is a more establishment columnist. He came to punditry by way of psychiatry (at Massachusetts General Hospital) via the New Republic Magazine. He appears on TV where you never see his wheelchair. Here's his Wiki bio.

He wrote a book which is pictured at the right. I am drawn by the substance and the thinking than any particular writing flair.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Health Care Summit

I watched most of the summit Thursday. Obvious points:

1) Obama wasn't really looking for agreement. It was just an act. Else, why would he try to refute every single one of the Republican statements, no matter how sincere, and trivialize the statements of even the most senior R leaders?

2) The most egregious D statements he let pass without comment.

3) He wound up the meeting with D only speakers, cutting the Republican leaders out of any role in ending the meeting.

This meeting was run to make O and his Democrats look good and R's look bad.

CNN vs Fox 2/27/10

My best vid picks: CNN wins.




Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Quote of the Day 2/24/10

At least they served beer at the last White House summit this stupid and pointless.


- Ann Coulter, talking about the Health Care Summit tomorrow.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Quote of the Day 2/20/10

But if I had a choice of the Republican Party's problems right now or the Democratic Party's problems, I think you could triple the Republican Party's problems and I'd still rather have their problems than the problems facing Democrats.


- Charles Cook, in National Journal.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Quote of the Day 2/17/10

It is a collapsed soufflé in an unused kitchen in the back of an empty house.


- Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal, writing of the demise of the Health Care Bill.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Sarah Palin and the Media

Here's a silly article from Politico titled, Why the mainstream media loves Sarah Palin.

All this research and the reporter still misses the central point: The Media don't love Sarah Palin; they love to hate her. There is a difference.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Obama on Campaign Finance

If actions speak louder than words, then Obama's actions on the issue ought to outweigh his words supporting campaign finance laws and the Supreme Court rejection of them. Why did he opt out of the campaign finance system for his Presidential campaign in 2008? If he hadn't done that, he would be in far better shape on this issue today. The problem is that everyone is wondering how sincere he is on this issue.