Lance Thompson

Symbolism in Massachusetts

Both sides have spun their versions of what Scott Brown’s decisive upset of Martha Coakley means in political terms. Conservatives cheer the end of the Democrat supermajority in the Senate, Democrats from the President on down characterize the victory of the Republican in true-blue Massachusetts as a symptom of Bush fatigue. But there are some interesting symbolic factors which may be significant for this election year.

Democrat Success Story

Even though “Democrat Achievements of 2009” would fall into the category of titles of the world’s shortest books, such a book would not be entirely empty. In fact, Democrats can legitimately claim that in the last year, they have accomplished something that the GOP has repeatedly failed to do for at least two decades. The Democrats have managed thoroughly to discredit liberal political philosophy and governance. This is no small achievement.

Man-Made-Disaster Prevention

Department of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano has retreated from her controversial statement on the would-be Detroit airline bomber. Having initially characterized the fortuitous intervention of airline passengers in the mid-air bombing attempt by terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab as proof that “the system worked,” she now must face another unpleasant fact.

Honoring KSM

The Obama administration’s decision to try Kalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) in a civilian court rather than before a military tribunal left many Americans mystified. Since Attorney General Eric Holder’s old law firm defends terrorists held in Gitmo (and did so while he was a senior partner there), we can assume that a Justice Department under his control will not successfully or even vigorously prosecute this confessed mastermind of the September 11th attacks. Much time and money will be wasted in parading KSM through the legal process. There is, however, a way to serve justice swiftly and, one might even say, diplomatically.

Gitmo Hero

The American naval base at Guantanamo Bay has received plenty of attention in recent years, ever since we started hosting terrorists in pleasant Carribean detention there. Liberals and wobbly conservatives have called for shutting down the terrorist-holding facilities there for some sort of vague public relations purpose. I’m all for relieving the United States Navy of the responsibility of running a tropical retreat for our enemies, as long as they can be moved to some place more fitting–like Devil’s Island.

Ministry of Fear

Brack Obama rode to the presidency on a tidal wave of campaign enthusiasm, famously promising Hope and Change. Instead, his administration has been governed by Fear and Loathing.

The Economy Falls

The Dow passed to the good side of 10,000 last week, and celebration was widespread because it was heralded as a sign of better times ahead. As early as May 27, Treasury Secretary and Turbo Tax tyro Timothy Geithner said the US economy was in the early stages of recovery, and in late August announced “We are back from the brink.” Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the financial equivalent of the Magic 8 Ball, has been saying since March that “signs point to recovery.” Administration spokesmen point to improving home sales, rising stock prices, and make-work jobs programs and credit the stimulus spending for curing the economy from its ills. They conveniently overlook the virus of unemployment, the contagion of home foreclosures, or the consumptive decline of the dollar’s value.

Last to Know

“You’re always the last to know your own reputation.” I can’t be certain that I coined that phrase, but I am sure that it is an underlying principle of the universe, and even presidents are bound by its laws.

What a Character

A nation’s character, like that of an individual, is determined by many factors. Among these are promises kept, principles upheld, ideals embodied and sacrifices made. Under the Obama administration, our national character has suffered in all these categories, most recently in regard to the cancellation of the missile defense system our nation previously pledged to erect in Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Presidential Pants on Fire

During President Obama’s health care speech to a joint session of Congress, the President’s claim that illegal aliens weren’t covered in the legislation met with incredulity from the few people present who read and understood the bill. But Republican congressman Joe Wilson said out loud what the rest were thinking. “You lie!”

Prosecutorial Misconduct

The Obama administration announced that Attorney General Eric Holder will assign a special prosecutor to take the first step in bringing to trial CIA operatives who used extreme measures to interrogate terrorists. These extreme measures did not include torture, but merely threats and coercion which caused those interrogated to reveal details of planned terrorist attacks, and further permitted the United States to prevent them.

Tricky Trillions

Basic political tactics dictate that bad news is released on a Friday, preferably before a big holiday weekend, when few people are paying attention. The current administration has had no shortage of bad news of late, but last Friday they announced that their previous ten-year estimate of the budget deficit (about $7 trillion) was too low. The revised deficit estimate for 2010-2019 is $9 trillion–two trillion dollars higher than before.

White House Character

The steady drop in President Obama’s approval ratings has been attributed to the recent acrimonious debate over health care reform. But I believe that debate is only a minor factor in Americans’ growing dissatisfaction with the president. The real source of Obama’s declining popularity is his character.

The Comeback Kid

Political strategy is ordinarily considered “inside baseball” because only die-hard followers of the sport are interested. But occasionally, such topics have national implications. Such is the case with Hillary Clinton’s ambitions.

Russian Into Trouble

Barack Obama is the most authentically anti-war president since Jimmy Carter. While a student at Columbia, he wrote a paper called “Breaking the War Mentality” which favored a unilateral nuclear freeze, advocated shifting spending from military to social needs, and supported other campus anti-military organizations. During the presidential campaign, he advocated immediate withdrawal from Iraq, and was widely known as the anti-war candidate of his party.

SignThis, Read it Later

Comedian George Carlin had a well-known routine based on his memories of Catholic high school. He and his friends used to try to stump the priest with theological conundrums such as, “Could God make a rock so heavy that even He Himself couldn’t lift it?” Carlin got laughs with this, but a similar question could be applied to Congress with less mirth.

Madam Senator

Dear Senator Boxer, There has been much public discussion about your comments to General Michael Walsh of the Army Corps of Engineers when he testified before your Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works last week. You interrupted General Walsh while he was answering–by all accounts courteously–your question to him about repairing levees damaged by Hurricane Katrina.