OK, Wait & See Is Over!

I was reading a post on the Pajams Media site, and it nails some of my concerns about the Geithner nomination for Treasury Secretary. Number 2 gets my attention:

2. Disparate treatment of previously pulled nominees

Zoe Baird (Clinton, 1993), Kimba Wood (Clinton, 1993), and Linda Chavez (Bush, 2001) all had relatively minor or potential issues with self-employment taxes on household help. Geithner’s unpaid amounts were exponentially larger. Is there a whiff of male chauvinism in the air?

Either it's a big deal, or it's not. You really can't change that standard, depending on the party in power, and seriously maintain your pretense that you're above the partisan fray.

Got it, Big O?

BTW, I didn't like the snarky, quasi-royal assertion of authority The Big O displayed before the opposing legislators the other day:

During his private meeting with congressional Democrats and Republicans on Friday, President Obama ended a philosophical debate over tax policy with the simple declaration that his opinion prevailed because "I won."

Democrats called it a light-hearted moment that drew laughs around the table. Republicans said there was laughter but couldn't recall if any of it came from their ranks.

Sort of like a husband making a "light-hearted" remark about in-laws, and laughing himself sick (but, not noticing that his wife doesn't join in the hilarity).

Wake up, Big O! It wasn't a 2/3 victory in the Senate. You still need the opposition, and cannot afford to pi$$ them off.

Note to Republicans in Congress and the Senate: you need to hang tough, and resist the steamroller. Otherwise, you might as well go home and find another job.

Wait & See Mode

I could be feverishly scouring the news, looking for "Obama" and "horrible dress", but I'm just going with the flow right now. I'm keeping up on the coverage of "The One" or "That One", depending on your political persuasion, but I'm not inclined to rush my preliminary thinking into a post.

Some of that is personal. I'm trying to plan out the new semester; catch up on personal paperwork; clear out the clutter in the house; and spend some time with my husband.

Not to mention just relax - it's been a bit hectic here over the holidays, and, as a result, I'm a bit run-down. A cold has been hovering for the last 2 weeks. I'm hoping to stop it in its tracks.

I plan to let my elected legislators do what they know they should - scrutinize the Stimulus Bill, looking for trouble, and raising a little hell when they find it.

The Secret Word is "Red Stick"

Now, I really can't say much more at this time, but, trust me, that's the phrase (not the word). More later in the week (hopefully).

Are We Being FLEECED?

Post-Clinton Dick Morris is doing a lot to redeem himself for his many failings. The book Fleeced! is one of them.

In Fleeced!, Morris untangles the intertwined alliances between foreign powers and US politician, US failing companies and the legislators that let them charge what "Vinnie the Enforcer" used to, but in the case of these New Robbers, it's all legal - thanks to their buddies, the pols.

[Disclaimer: I'm reading the library copy of the book.]

Well, That's When They Always Said It Would Happen

It turns out that Weather.com doesn't actually track the temperature of Hell, Michigan. Instead, it references the nearby Pinckney, MI forecast. However, we can safely say that the temperature must be close.

Today, Monday, MLK Day, Pinckney is 13 degrees. That's in Fahrenheit.

So, I think it's safe to say that what everyone always said was true - that a Black President would happen as soon as Hell freezes over.

The Unlikely Hero of the Week - or Year

Instapundit links to this story about the crash of flight 1549 - and the captain, who exemplifies everything we'd want in the man who holds our lives in our hands. But, it also praises the everyman, who let the women and children off first (I remember when that behavior was EXPECTED in an emergency), and the boatmen who raced to rescue the trapped passengers.

The Boston Herald has the full story here.

Obama's Picks

Eric Holder - See here and here for statements from victims of the people he thought should be pardoned.

This is not related to a reasonable judgment call. As Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice, he exercised considerable discretion over how to handle controversial decisions. And, as the testimonies above demonstrate, he failed miserably in that job. He was a lackey for the basest political maneuverings of the Clinton team. In short, he assisted in the shameful sale of justice to the highest bidder - such as Marc Rich (so aptly named).

In the case of the FALN, he pushed for the pardon that would assist the election of Hillary Clinton to the Senate.

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I started to pull this together, then read And Rightly So!, who has a post that nails my concerns.

SO much more efficient!