Posse Incitatus

Did Michael Steele from GOP?

For several months now, I’ve been reading reports about Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele living high off the hog — staying in five-star hotels, dining at ritzy restaurants, flying first class.  He also has been known to suffer from foot-in-mouth disease, but that’s a topic for another blog.

Well, the latest reports have someone from the GOP using an expense card to visit a bondage-themed night club, and running up a tab of over $1,900.  The GOP denies it was Steele, but even if it wasn’t, it happened on his watch.

It is not a done deal that the Republicans will regain Congress in November.  They cannot be lackadaisical, arrogant, and overconfident.  They do need campaign contributions from generous donors to fund winning campaigns, and will have an awfully hard time getting those donations if they allow this kind of reckless abuse and misuse of funds to continue.

And aside from the financial ramifications, if party officials conduct themselves in a hypocritical, corrupt way, this just feeds the voracious mainstream media and the left wing bloggers who will be circling like sharks. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

So stupid, as a matter of fact, one can’t help but wonder: Are these folks even smart enough to govern?

PUT DOWN THE POM-POMS — It started early this week. Reporters on CNN, MSNBC and other networks began hyping the fact that economists are predicting increasing economic growth as we head into the spring and summer. 

It seems corporate earnings have been way up the past few months.  Yeah, and a mud pie would taste mighty good compared to a piece of excrement, too.  After what we've been through the past year-and-a-half, recovering earnings (or lower unemployment, or greater home sales) are nothing to write home about.

This Friday, we'll be learning what the latest unemployment figures are.  You can count on it: The sycophant media will sing in unison about how we're climbing out of the recession.  Don't believe it for a second.  We still have a long, tough slog ahead.  Not to sound like a pessimist, but I've been around a few years, studied economics and history, and I know how this gang of fools in Washington, D.C. operates.  It doesn't look good.

Spartans in Second Straight Final Four

Congratulations to the Michigan State Spartans! Who’d-a-thunk-it?

A team that was at times maddeningly inconsistent during the regular season, occasionally played without passion, and incurred injuries to several key players, has now made it to the Final Four.  This is the second straight Final Four appearance for the Spartans, and sixth time Michigan State has been to the Final Four since 1999.  Pretty incredible.

Todays hard-fought 70-69 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers is a testament to Coach Tom Izzo’s knack for preparing his team to face unfamiliar opponents in a short time frame (i.e., only about 38 hours between the end of Friday night’s victory over Northern Iowa and the beginning of today’s game).  It also speaks well of the players for coming through with so many clutch shots, rebounds, and defensive stops. 

Backup point guard Korie Lucious, a sophomore, really showed poise against a pressing, harassing, Tennessee defense. The Spartans did a nice job of making the Vols earn almost every basket.  Shooting guard Durrell Summers, perhaps the most talented player on the MSU team, continues with the hot hand behind the 3-point line, where he sank 4 of 6 attempts and finished with 21 points.  Saturday the Spartans will play upstart Butler, which upset No. 1 seed Syracuse on Thursday and is in its first ever Final Four. What a great run this has been.


On a related note, the powerful Kentucky Wildcats, favored by many to win it all this year, lost Saturday to West Virginia, which also is in its first ever Final Four.  Amazingly, Kentucky missed its first TWENTY 3-point shot attempts! I’ve never heard of such a thing. That must be some kind of a record for futility, and I’m sure the Kentucky fans must be just sick about it.  Sorry, but I can’t feel too much sympathy for them, because Michigan State football fans have had enough heartache to last a lifetime!

WHINY LIBERALS, SYCOPHANT MEDIA — People who are in the public eye often get nasty e-mails, voice mails, phone calls, and even snail mail.  Newspaper columnists, radio talk show hosts, elected officials (whether local, state, or federal), and political party operatives, for example.

However, they generally don’t make a big deal out of it and go crying to the media.  But the Democrats in Congress who have received venom for their arrogant and sleazy ramrodding of the Rube Goldberg health care bill down our throats, are beside themselves with indignant outrage and alarm.

And the lamestream media is like a bunch of puppets on a string, singing the Democrats’ victim tune in unison. NEWS FLASH: Bart Stupak received hateful e-mails and voice mails before he caved — when it looked like his opposition to Obamacare would sink the whole thing.  That hate came from the lefties.  Conservatives like radio talk show host Laura Ingraham and outspoken Detroit News editorial page editor Nolan Finley, who frequently skewers Michigan’s Gov. Jennifer Granholm, also report receiving vicious messages.  Do they go whining to the media? No.

These types of death threats made against high profile people often come from angry people (who in many cases are either just crackpots or may have had too much to drink and suddenly found “liquid courage").  They generally don't represent a genuine danger.  The way the media has blown up the public's post-Obamacare vote reaction is alarmist and shameless.

I sometimes think the folks working in the mainstream media are as tone deaf and insular as the political hacks inside the Beltway. Oh well.

Trojan Horse Poop

For those who want to see the Democrats' chances at the polls in November go down, down, down... Obamacare just might be the gift that keeps on giving.

Ditto for those who hope this bloated, pork-laden piece of garbage is either overturned by the Supreme Court, underfunded by a Republican Congress, or, let us hope, OVERTURNED BY A GOP CONGRESS, WITH A GOP PRESIDENT SIGNING THE REPEAL BILL. YAAAYY!!!!!

But should this legislation remain in place, and eventually take effect, here are some of the Trojan horse droppings we can expect to see until a stake is driven through the heart of ObamaCare:

- Medical school enrollments will drop precipitously as disillusioned students who previously wanted to be doctors will recognize that they don't want to get into a bureaucratized, over-burdened health care system afflicted with red tape, inadequate pay, and stifling regulations.

- Many existing doctors will elect to leave the country, retire, or possibly accept cash only (if this is permitted), eschewing all forms of government reimbursements so as to sidestep Big Brother's heavy handed mandates.

- Already reeling state treasuries will be hammered by growing Medicaid caseloads, and obscene deficits will force Uncle Sam to stop doling out billions to help states balance their budgets. (At some point, China will stop, or greatly reduce, funding our deficits.)

- Corporations will lay off thousands, offshore more jobs, and rely even more on temporary and contract workers so as to avoid paying tens of millions of dollars for health care.

- The national unemployment rate will remain stubbornly well above 10 percent for years.  Millions will be forced out of their homes and into soup kitchen lines.

- We WILL hear of certain people being forced to wait months for crucial tests, procedures, or surgery, and dying as a result.  Or senior citizens being denied certain procedures or surgeries because they are deemed too old (in crude terms, expendable).

I'm sure there are other aspects of the fallout that will await us should this misguided legislation take effect. To the leftists out there who may be reading this (are there any of them?): Don't say I didn't warn you.

VICTORY FOR MSU — Michigan State has done it again!  Faced with an opponent that plays the type of scrappy, grinding defense MSU is known for, and employs the same blue-collar rebounding tactics as the Spartans, Michigan State managed to triumph, 59-52 over Northern Iowa.  Let us not forget, the Panthers last week defeated the overall No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks, and finished their season 30-5.  This is a solid team.  Two players greatly impressed me: Seven-foot center Jordan Eglseder, who has a soft touch under the boards and is incredibly graceful for such a hulking giant; and six-foot shooting guard Ali Farokhmanesh, whose father played volleyball for the Iranian national team.

Northern Iowa led the Spartans by 7 at the half, held MSU to 31.8 percent shooting, and had out-rebounded MSU 16-10.  But MSU roared out of the gate in the second half, hitting some key 3-pointers, playing stifling defense, and taking charge under the boards.  By the time the game was over, MSU had outrebounded Northern Iowa, 32-26.  Star junior forward Durrell Summers, who hit 6 of 7 3-pointers and scored 26 points vs. Maryland, hit 4 of 9 three pointers and scored 19 vs. Northern Iowa.  It will be a daunting challenge to defeat an athletic and fast Tennessee Volunteers team Sunday, but if anyone can do it, the Tom Izzo-coached Spartans can!

GO GREEN! GO WHITE! VICTORY FOR MSU!!!

Ask, and ye shall receive

The Democrats have lately been hyping stories of alleged political violence in an effort to discredit the Tea Parties and Republicans.

The concept is basically guilt by association: if you oppose their radical vision of health care and state control, you are a proto-nazi and a racist.  Clearly, in order to be a member of a civil society you need to be a Democrat – or at least submissive to them.

There are two problems with their plan.  The most obvious is that it is highly hypocritical, not that this ever bothers Democrats.  One of the great pitfalls conservatives experience when they argue with liberals is that they get caught up in proving consistency.  “See, you are inconsistent!” the conservative gloats, as if they proves anything.  It doesn’t, of course, because liberalism is primarily an emotional worldview in which intentions are more important than results.  Well, some results.  It is worth noting that while their anti-poverty, education and economic policies never actually promote prosperity, learning and wealth creation, they do always benefit Democrats.

The second problem is much bigger, and actually impacts the ultimate goal of liberal policies, which is increased state control (under Democrat supervision).

The problem is that by demonizing legitimate political discourse, they are actually making it more radical.

Liberals love to appear to be speaking truth to power, and love to claim that a violent right-wing insurrection is right around the corner, but they really, really do not want to face the real thing.

Yet that is exactly what they are creating.

The Tea Party movement is not merely a bunch of professional activists or bored college kids looking for a lark.  It represents a ground swell of the most economically productive Americans who deeply resent being ignored by the political process.  Liberal calls to “get over it, you lost fair and square” miss the point.  People can accustom themselves to minor changes in how bureaucracies are organized or how our international affairs are managed, but the policies now under discussion involve the actual taking of property.

To many Tea Partiers, it is state-sanctioned robbery.  The typical response to robbery is violent force since robbery is itself a violent act.  Instead of being amazed at the energy and passion of the Tea Partiers, we should instead be surprised at their restraint.

If the Democrats succeed in shifting the discourse, stifling Republican opposition and, come November, narrowly retaining power, these people will come to the reasonable conclusion that the very system itself is stacked against them.

They will rationally conclude that the only way to achieve their ends are through extra-legal means – which is something that the left has long celebrated.

In a post earlier this week I contemplated two versions of how this debate will play out: a hard landing or a soft landing.

By trying to stop a soft landing through gaming the system, the Democrats are virtually ensuring a hard one.

Sorting Out the Aftermath

The lapdog mainstream media has been in lockstep since Monday, fawning during President Obama's bill-signing ceremony, and doing its level best to paint Tea Partiers and Republicans with a broad brush as violent, menacing crackpots.  A few observations:

1) Every political group has its misfits and crackpots.  You can't judge everyone by the actions of the few. 

2) There is no video evidence of protesters hurling racial epithets at black members of Congress as was widely reported. (See Andrew Brietbart's writeup.)  The media has a bad track record for loudly trumpeting unsubstantiated hearsay as fact for days on end, then making obscure corrections (or NO corrections) when they're proved wrong.  Case in point: The census worker in Kentucky who supposedly was killed by right-wing, anti-government bigots. (How many weeks did THAT story go on?) Turns out the guy committed suicide. 

3) It's possible that some of the acts of violence, e.g. throwing a brick through a local congressional office, were committed by leftists trying to stir up public anger against conservatives.  It's been done before.  Remember the Tawana Brawley fiasco back in 1987?

THE HILLSDALE SOLUTION — Will some health care providers take the Hillsdale College approach, i.e., refuse any federal funds so as to sidestep the myriad regulations and government tentacles? That means no Medicare, no Medicaid, no SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program).  I’m not sure how that would pan out: Out of pocket payments only, or payments from private insurance companies, too? I suppose the government-imposed strictures under which private firms will function might dissuade doctors from even dealing with insurance companies.  If they have well-heeled clients, some physicians might take cash only.  Or will Obamacare evolve into a program that forbids people from paying out of pocket for care if they want a better doctor, or don't want to be put on a waiting list?  Wouldn't surprise me.

REVENGE IS SWEET? — I hadn’t thought of this possibility until hearing Bret Baier of Fox News mention it: Is it possible President Obama’s petty action of calling out the Supreme Court for its campaign finance ruling (Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission) during his State of the Union address could inspire several justices to strike back with a ruling against Obamacare? 

Well, for starters, the liberals (Ginsberg-Breyer-Sotomayor-Stevens)  who were among the dissenters in the 5-4 ruling, likely would vote to uphold Obamacare, and those who voted for corporate free speech rights would likely vote to strike down Obamacare on issues such as the mandate to buy insurance and the paliamentary procedures used to enact the legislation.  But there are always the occasional swing voters, such as Anthony Kennedy.  Maybe he might have leaned in favor of Obamacare before, but now might be harboring a grudge at our arrogant and narcissistic president.  Then again,  maybe I’m just engaging in wishful thinking.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND — I don’t have absolute proof, but the principle of karma sure has worked out in my life.  If you treat people right and behave decently, good things will happen to you, and good people will enter your life.  Today I listened to a man I had just met describe one of these situations.  Long story short: I went to a retirement lunch at a downtown Detroit micro-brewery with some co-workers.  On our way back to the People Mover, we noticed a hole-in-the-wall bakery with what looked like incredibly good treats in the display case.  So we stopped in and chatted with the proprietor.  We found out the “bakery” is really a coffee shop connected to a small theater for amateur thespian groups and film festivals.

The amiable gentleman gave a co-worker and me each a free dog biscuit for our canines, and a couple of us bought some of his key lime pie (which was delicious).  Just before we departed, he told us that the night before, a man came in and, wanting to buy a cappuccino and croissant, inquired whether the business accepted credit cards.  The answer was "No."  The customer said he was in town on business from New York City and didn't have any cash on him.  The owner said, "Don't worry about it; I'll get you a cap & croissant, and if you want you can pay for it next time you're in town. The well-dressed customer was so pleasantly taken aback, that he accepted the offer, then made one of his own: Turns out he was a part owner of the NHL's St. Louis Blues franchise.  He gave the proprietor a pair of tickets for rink-side seats at a home Detroit Red Wings game.  The coffee shop owner gladly accepted.  He took his son to the game at Joe Louis Arena, which, by the way, the Wings won, shoring up their hopes for a post-season playoff birth.

ONLY ONE MORE DAY — All week long I’ve been looking forward to Friday night’s NCAA Tournament tilt between my Michigan State Spartans and the surprising Northern Iowa Panthers, who knocked off the overall No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks.  Northern Iowa is a solid, impressive team.  Even in a lesser known conference, you don’t go 30-4 in a season without being fundamentally sound. 

Surprisingly, MSU was a 1.5-point favorite as of this morning.  But this probably has more to do with uninformed betters putting their money on a Spartans squad that is badly hampered by injuries.  All Big-Ten point guard Kalin Lucas is finished for the season with a torn achilles; starting forward Delvon Roe is badly hobbled by an ailing knee; and defensive stalwart/shooting guard Chris Allen has a sprained left arch.  Win or lose, it's been a great season, and a boatload of new talent is on the way to East Lansing next year, including 6' 10" center Adreian Payne, a five-star recruit, and Michigan's Mr. Basketball, point guard Keith Appling.

Creative destruction

I’ve been pretty quiet over the whole health care fiasco, mostly because the topic is being done to death elsewhere, but also because I’ve been enjoying the spring and following my beloved Spartans in the NCAA tournament.

Politics is important, and the fact that our very bodies are now considered federal property makes this clear as never before.  Still, it is essential that those of us who believe in limited government still take a break now and then.  Call it the pause that refreshes so that we can return to the fight with renewed energy.

Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, there is a discussion about the ways in which ObamaCare can be repealed.  The commenters tend to be skeptical, not only of the strategy envisioned but of the very concept of undoing an entitlement.  They point out (perhaps correctly, it is too early to tell), that people usually like getting something for nothing, and ObamaCare – like Social Security and Medicare – is yet another giveaway.

One commenter even goes so far as to claim that RomneyCare in Massachusetts has something like 70 percent approval.  Let us assume this is true.

The problem is that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is going bankrupt trying to pay for it, just as the United States will go bankrupt trying to pay for ObamaCare.  As its already high tax burden continues to bite and jobs flee the state, we shall see how popular it remains.

This is the elephant in the living room that supersedes all other arguments.  The US is already burdened by unsustainable entitlements.  No matter how popular they are, they cannot continue indefinitely.  We are paying for our day-to-day living on credit.  At some point the bill comes due.

The states understand this.  They are already stretched to the limit.  They understand that the expansions of Medicare will bankrupt them.  This is why the opposition to ObamaCare is so deeply rooted – it is simply a pipe dream.

It is true that I have disagreed with Mark Steyn quite a bit about whether Europe will surrender to Islam.  I don’t think it will.  I do however agree with him that the EU as currently constituted cannot continue for much longer.  There nation-states will undergo radical transformations as their economies collapse due to chronic and unsustainable entitlements.  Greece is merely the first domino to fall in this respect.

We are entering a time of great upheaval – political, cultural and economic.   

I believe the United States, because of its self-helm and self-reliant culture, is better placed to survive these challenges more or less intact.

But there will be tough times ahead. 

In a way, I find myself sort of relieved about the passage of this legislation.  It will greatly speed up the day of reckoning.

If ObamaCare had stalled or failed to pass, we would not have confronted the problem.  Using the famous parable of comparing the erosion of liberty to boiling a frog, what this bill has done is sharply increase the heat.  This will do one of two things: It will either awaken the frog to the danger it faces, causing it to leap out, or it will kill it that much faster.

Either way, the way will be open for a process of creative destruction and societal renewal.

People tend to be short-sighted.  For 60 years the US has enjoyed almost uninterrupted peace and prosperity.  There have been disturbances, but no since the Great Depression and World War II have we faced a prolonged and severe test.  We have gotten complacent.  Reality is going to end that complacency.

I admit I had hoped for a soft landing – that the frog would jump out of the pot.  It may yet do so.  Americans may enjoy “free” stuff in the form of entitlements, but they also really hate being ignored.  The content of the health care legislation in this respect is less important that the corrupt process that created it.  Michigan’s Bart Stupak made a name for himself as a man of principle before shamefully caving.  He proved that when the chips were down, what he claimed were his core principles were in fact for sale (and quite cheaply bought).

This is why the Tea Partiers will not go away and why conservatives stand to make huge gains.

Even if they do not have the power to repeal ObamaCare, they can tinker with it, starving it of funding, imposing abortion bans and otherwise slicing into it.  There is much that can be done short of outright repeal.  They can administer the death of a thousand cuts.

Again, this would be the soft landing.

The hard landing is one in which the GOP regains some power, some punishment is inflicted, but nothing much changes.  Our prestige abroad evaporates and our economy at home weakens.  The gulf between the producers and the parasites continues to grow and societal divisions become sharper.  In the end, there will be a reckoning – when the currency is debased, the treasury is emptied and there are no more freebies to give away.

I’m not sure which scenario is more likely, but ObamaCare’s passage has pushed us much farther along the path – which may turn out to a blessing in disguise.

Bart Dupe-pak & the Sunday Night Sausage Makers

Well, the dirty deed has been done.  The Democrats have gotten their way, and now we all must live with the consequences.  As the Wall Street Journal so eloquently stated in this editorial, this goes far beyond just the fiscal ramifications and the degradation of our health care system.  This abominable legislation radically alters the relationship between private citizens and their government.  It treads heavily upon individual liberty.

The other day, I mistakenly predicted this legislation would fail to get the necessary 216 votes to pass.  My error was in trusting that Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak would stick to his pro-life guns, and ditto for several other ostensibly “pro-life” Democrats.  The fact that they caved is not so shocking; the fact that they caved based on a worthless executive order from the president is downright pathetic.  I won’t get into it here, but that statement is not worth the paper it’s printed on.

There’s a pretty good chance the GOP will take back both houses of Congress in November.  But that doesn’t mean repeal of Obamacare is likely, since President Obama would veto attempts to repeal parts or all of the legislation, and any GOP majority would fall far short of override capability.

And as unpleasant as it may be to contemplate this possibility, Obama just might get re-elected in 2012.  The Republican nominee, whoever he may be, will undoubtedly be skewered by the mainstream media and many of the TV networks, while they fawn excessively over Obama and give him the kid-gloves treatment.

And frankly, Democrats are so proficient at committing election fraud, that there will undoubtedly be a lot of mischief along those lines.  Especially if some kind of immigration reform bill is enacted between now and 2012, which also seems likely.

So it looks to me like challenges to the U.S. Supreme Court might have the best chance of repealing this Rube Goldberg colossus. Thankfully, many attorneys general are lining up and licking their chops.

I’m not a lawyer, but I can see several blatant unconstitutional flaws in this legislation.  My fear is the same as that of constitutional scholar, author and radio talk show host Mark Levin: That the Supreme Court will put aside logic and rational thought in favor of precedent — the precedent of FDR’s Supreme Court, which upheld the underpinnings of the welfare state. (Don’t get me started on social security and how adamantly I oppose giving tens of thousands of dollars to a ponzi scheme that will be insolvent before I’m old enough to collect benefits.)

A few years ago, I was livid at President Bush for signing the unconstitutional McCain-Feingold campaign finance “reform.” But I felt confident the Supreme Court would rule against it as an egregious violation of the First Amendment.  Yet somehow, major chunks of it were upheld by a supposedly conservative court.  If the same thing happens with Obamacare, it will accelerate our nation’s decline.

Guess that's something ELSE to keep in my prayers…

SPEAKING OF PYRRHIC VICTORIES— Congratulations to the Michigan State Spartans for their exciting, entertaining 85-83 victory over the Maryland Terrapins in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  The Spartans led by 16 points with 12 minutes left, but came unglued toward the end.  They trailed by a point with just a few seconds left.  Bulky forward Draymond Green played the point guard, dribbling the ball upcourt, then found backup point guard Korie Lucious open at the top of the key.

Lucious drained a last-second 3-pt. shot to seal the deal.  But unfortunately, All-Big Ten point guard Kalin Lucas sat out the second half with an injury. Without him at 100 percent, it will be tough for my guys to advance much farther.  Who knows, maybe he’ll be all right by Friday night, when MSU takes on Northern Iowa, fresh off their upset of overall No. 1 seed Kansas. Keep the bread-n-circuses coming. We're gonna need 'em!

The Unhealthcare Blog

Today I'm not going to talk about you know what. There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow and in the days to come.

I'll touch on a few other items, starting with Michigan's own Governor Tinkerbell.  It's a given that her economic performance has been abysmal, and her obsequious behavior toward unions has done grave damage to Michigan's finances and educational system, until the last year or so, when she's finally compromised (e.g., appointing emergency financial manager Robert Bobb to clean up the Detroit Public Schools fiscal mess).

But Granholm's ineptitude extends far beyond fiscal and economic policies.  Here's the latest embarrassment: A convicted felon (Richard Short) had applied for and received a $9 million tax credit from the Michigan Economic Development Corp (MEDC) for a bogus company that supposedly would supply renewable and sustainable energy products to African villages.  Short also has been charged with attempting to defraud an 86-year-old neighbor with dementia.  This guy is the lowest of the low. EARTH TO MEDC: Ever heard of BACKGROUND CHECKS? Who knows, maybe Jen-Jen was SO dreamy-eyed about creating more of her precious "green jobs" that she breathlessly gave the thumbs up to this shyster.

This comes on top of several high-profile screw-ups by the state Child Protective Services staff and Department of Corrections (Patrick Selepak murdered three people in 2006 after he was mistakenly released from prison).  Jenny can't leave office soon enough.

CONGRATS, STATE CHAMPS! — The East Lansing High School girls' basketball team today won its first ever Class A state championship, 65-54 over Detroit Renaissance.  I watched the entire game, and was highly impressed by these young ladies' poise, skill, and composure.  The game was close through 3 quarters, with Detroit Renaissance holding a couple of 4-point leads in the first half.  But in the second half, the Trojans' defense toughened up, enabling East Lansing to convert several intercepted passes and fast break rebounds into easy baskets. 

Miss Basketball (the best senior player in the state, as chosen by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan) is East Lansing's Klarissa Bell, who will play for the Michigan State Spartans starting next year.  Bell is a superb ball handler, an accurate shooter, and a cerebral player who does not make mental errors.

But more important, she's an excellent student, a respectful person, and a role model for girls everywhere.  I know this because she lives in my neighborhood, and my son is a classmate of hers. Young people like her give me hope for the future of our nation.

Klarissa scored 14 points as she drew the close attention of the best defenders her opponent had to offer.  Fellow seniors Malika Glover and Zakiya Minifee (Both will play for Oakland University next year) scored 25 and 15 points, respectively.  Incidentally, Zakiya lives just a few houses away from Klarissa.  Boy, do we have the hoops talent!  Congrats to Coach Robert Smith, his staff, the tremendous players, families and fans of East Lansing Trojans girls' basketball.

CLOSE CALL FOR SPARTANS — Michigan State narrowly escaped its first round NCAA Tournament game Friday night with a 70-67 victory over New Mexico State.  The Spartans normally out-rebound opponents, but this game ended up with a 40-40 tie in rebounds.  The refs let some rough stuff go, and it was a physical game, with point guard Kalin Lucas and shooting guard Chris Allen both going down with ankle injuries (not expected to be serious). Next up: A formidable Maryland Terrapins squad Sunday at 2:40 p.m. EST.

Enron Accounting, Madoff Scruples

Liberals have long been enraged about private sector companies cooking the books.  Enron, Global Crossing, Tyco, Adelphia, Worldcom, et al did all sorts of deceptive things in the late 1990s and early 2000s, leaving thousands of investors high and dry.

The blatant abuses and cavalier M.O. of these firms led to stricter accounting requirements and greater oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission, through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Then, six years later, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup, et al, were exposed big-time with their reckless and too-complex-to-comprehend investment schemes (derivatives, credit default swaps, etc.).  It seems these firms had gone so far as to hire mathematicians to create arcane algorithms for investment strategies.  Needless to say, there has been a backlash against the private sector in the form of Big Brother lording it over corporations to dictate how much they can pay their CEOs, and in some cases taking the helm (GM, Citigroup).

Fast forward a couple more years, and we have a nearly Bernard Madoff-like funding scheme in the form of Obamacare.  Yes, the Congressional Budget Office has declared that this monstrosity will cost "only" $1.2 trillion over one decade (about like predicting, in 1966, that Medicare would cost only $12 billion annually by 1990, when in fact it cost $107 billion in 1990).

ObamaCare relies on taxes that go into effect immediately, and benefits that don't kick in for several years.  It counts on a phony $500 billion of "savings" from reducing Medicare expenditures.  Never mind that the Democrats will turn around and restore those cuts in a few weeks with a so-called "doc-fix."  Even without the doc-fix, it is preposterous to claim savings by reducing spending on a program that has $30 trillion of unfunded liabilities and is currently being funded with deficit spending.

It is a certainty like death and taxes that Obamacare, should it become law, will be far more expensive than its supporters claim.  But will liberals ever take umbrage at the Chinese bookkeeping going on right under their noses?  Don't hold your breath.

The good news is that attorneys general from a dozen or so states are planning to contest Obamacare should it become law, suing over issues such as the mandate to purchase insurance and the Nebraska kickback.

Stay tuned. This promises to get really interesting.

Pyrrhic victories

The conventional wisdom is that unless ObamaCare passes, the presidency of Barack Obama will effectively be over.  This, we are assured, is why he is pushing so hard to get something, anything passed.

The conventional wisdom is wrong.  His presidency is already over.

The man who ran as the voice of the people, who promised hope, change and transparency has proven himself to be the most cynical inhabitant of the White House of my lifetime.  His indifference to the process, unfamiliarity with the details and above his is callous disregard of public concerns has destroyed his standing with the American people.

This goes beyond his mendacity.  It is now a more fundamental question of respect.

The American people were told that if they elected Obama, they would have someone who would listen to them.  Young people especially were assured that by raising their voices, getting involved and speaking out, they could make a change.

Suckers.

No one likes being played for a sap.  Revenge is perhaps the most powerful of all emotions, and the anger that has been kindled by this nonsense in the hitherto quiet center surpasses anything I've ever seen.

We live in a very participatory society, one that functions at its most basic levels because of the belief by its productive elements that their sacrifices matter - not just to themselves but to the whole country.

Obama's massive expansion of federal power threatens this - it essentially transforms Americans from citizens to subjects.  A good many citizens won't go along.

People often talk about civil disobedience, but there is a difference between the civil disobedience of a college student protesting in the name of some fashionable cause and a business owner vowing to go to prison rather than pay a tax or submit to a regulation.

The college kid may get a ticket, maybe even spend a night in jail and pay a fine, but in the end it's mostly theater, all for show.  There is little real conviction.

The business owner, on the other hand, has far more at stake.  Radicalizing students may get you some tear gas over a weekend; radicalizing the business class gets you a revolution.

As I noted above, Americans aren't big on rules or processes, and they are particularly contemptuous of rules they don't respect.  No one, not even the proponents of the plans now before Congress, truly respects them.  When push comes to shove, the opposition has a lot more investing in seeing this thing fail.

Obama may get his wish and sign this bill, but it will be the most unpopular bill in history.

The irony is that if he had accepted defeat a month ago and moved on, he might have saved his presidency.  We are now at the point where his victory will also spell his utter defeat.