TheQuietMan pointed out this quote from the article linked downblog:

She also was asked to explain why she failed to vote in a number of elections since registering in New York City in 1988, including in 1994 when Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was up for re-election for the seat she hopes to take over.

"I was really surprised and dismayed by my voting record," she said. "I'm glad it's been brought to my attention."

She was surprised to find out she had barely voted.

Apparently she's easily surprised about basic facts about herself. "Oh, I have two eyes and one head, and am a warm-blooded mammal with an endoskeleton allowing me to walk upright? Really? The deuce you say. I am surprised to learn that, thank you for bringing it to my attention."

Imagine Sarah Palin saying something like this. Think the MSM would notice?

Howie Carr of course is not having any of it.

Posted by: Ace at 08:18 AM | Comments (70)
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Charles Krauthammer has the cover article in the upcoming Weekly Standard. He suggests that the extreme oil price collapse presents a "once in a generation" chance to impose a gas tax.

Here is how it works. The simultaneous enactment of two measures: A $1 increase in the federal gasoline tax--together with an immediate $14 a week reduction of the FICA tax. Indeed, that reduction in payroll tax should go into effect the preceding week, so that the upside of the swap (the cash from the payroll tax rebate) is in hand even before the downside (the tax) kicks in.

The math is simple. The average American buys roughly 14 gallons of gasoline a week. The $1 gas tax takes $14 out of his pocket. The reduction in payroll tax puts it right back. The average driver comes out even, and the government makes nothing on the transaction. (There are, of course, more drivers than workers--203 million vs. 163 million. The 10 million unemployed would receive the extra $14 in their unemployment insurance checks. And the elderly who drive--there are 30 million licensed drivers over 65--would receive it with their Social Security payments.)

Revenue neutrality is essential. No money is taken out of the economy. Washington doesn't get fatter. Nor does it get leaner. It is simply a transfer agent moving money from one activity (gasoline purchasing) to another (employment) with zero net revenue for the government.

To Krauthammer the benefits of a gas tax are "blindingly obvious" and include things like putting pressure on OPEC, and crippling the economies of Russia, Venezuela, and Iran. He notes that high gas prices also encourage fuel economy and reduce pollution.

I'm still mulling this over, but my first instinct is that this is a bad idea. Krauthammer acknowledges that the program will need a yearly adjustment to match the FICA rebate-that's-not-really-a-rebate with (assumed) falling average gasoline consumption. In other words, it will require Congress or an executive body to act every year.

More than that, what reason do we have to believe that if we give our assent to this now, future Congresses will keep the gas tax linked to a FICA rebate? I suspect that once acclimated to a gas tax, Congress will go right on upping payroll taxes--especially since a Social Security emergency is hanging over our heads. In fact, Congress can announce it's annual FICA gas-tax rebate and in the next breath regretfully pass a "planned increase" in payroll taxes to combat a shortfall in revenue. Money is fungible.

Also, Krauthammer's tax is focused on individual drivers. He spends one paragraph noting that special cases like truck drivers and others who drive long distances might need their own separate program for relief with a "small bureaucracy" to handle the paperwork. On the one hand, we might largely avoid that problem by exempting diesel from the proposed tax. If we don't make such an exemption (as Krauthammer seems to imply), anything that is shipped by truck will see a corresponding increase in price. Reducing the driver's FICA tax isn't going to help the rest of us with that.

In short, Krauthammer's net-zero gas tax is setting off warning bells. Click over and read the whole thing. It's long, but worth some consideration. What do you think about it?

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 08:13 AM | Comments (97)
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The "fragile peace" is over.

You know -- all that peace Hamas has offered.

Israeli warplanes retaliating for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip pounded dozens of security compounds across the Hamas-ruled territory in unprecedented waves of airstrikes Saturday, killing nearly 200 people and wounding 270 others in the single bloodiest day of fighting in years.

Most of those killed were security men, but civilians were also among the dead. Hamas said all of its security installations were hit and responded with several medium-range Grad rockets at Israel, reaching deeper than in the past. One Israeli was killed and at least four people were wounded in the rocket attacks. With so many wounded, the Palestinian death toll was likely to rise.

The air offensive followed weeks of intense Palestinian rocket and mortar fire on southern Israel, and Israeli leaders had issued increasingly tough warnings in recent days that they would not tolerate continued attacks.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel would expand the operation if necessary. "There is a time for calm and there is a time for fighting, and now is the time for fighting," he told a news conference. He would not comment when asked if a ground offensive was planned.

But asked earlier if Hamas political leaders might be targeted next, military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich said, "Any Hamas target is a target."
The strikes caused widespread panic and confusion in Gaza, as black clouds of smoke rose above the territory, ruled by Hamas for the past 18 months. Some of the Israeli missiles struck in densely populated areas as children were leaving school, and women rushed into the streets frantically looking for their children. Most of those killed were security men, but civilians were among the dead.

Civilians among the dead? Fortunately Hamas rockets have special no-civilian-casualties technology to prevent that...

A crude rocket fired by Palestinian militants fell short of its target in Israel on Friday, striking a house in the northern Gaza Strip and killing two schoolgirls.

... although sometimes the advanced fail-safes fail to work.

Hey, here's an idea: Let's cut down on both civilian and belligerent casualties by pressuring Hamas to stop launching rockets.

Or is that not nuanced enough?

Thanks to Morgen for that last tip.

UPDATE [DinT]: Because a "cease-fire" means so much.

Past limited ground incursions and air strikes have not halted rocket barrages from Gaza. But with 200 mortars and rockets raining down on Israel since the truce expired a week ago, and 3,000 since the beginning of the year, according to the military's count, pressure had been mounting in Israel for the military to crush the gunmen.

I was told there would be no math on this blog, by my reckoning that's 200 attacks a week after the truce ended, but only 59 a week when there's a "cease-fire" in place.

You keep using this word, "cease-fire". I do not think it means what you think it means.

Posted by: Ace at 08:10 AM | Comments (49)
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This piece is a bit long, but a worthy read explaining the current China/USA economic codependency.

...In Washington, China was treated as a threat by some people, but mostly because it lured away manufacturing jobs. Others argued that China's heavy lending to this country was risky because Chinese leaders could decide to withdraw money at a moment's notice, creating a panicky run on the dollar...

...The Treasury is conducting more auctions than ever to finance its $700 billion bailout of the banks. Still more will be needed to pay for the incoming Obama administration's stimulus package. The United States, economists say, will depend on the Chinese to keep buying that debt, perpetuating the American habit...

There's another aspect to this odd couple relationship the article failed to mention though, and it may be the most important long term if true. A flying buddy of mine recently had a discussion with a Chinese industrialist who told him the Chinese are doing what they're doing not just because of the obvious economic codependency, they're doing this because they really believe the USA is the world's engine of technological and scientific innovation.

They expect us to dream up the future generations of scientific breakthroughs and technological crap they plan to manufacture. Not the incremental improvement and evolution stuff, they know how to do that. The Chinese are thinking about the totally off the wall, outside the box, transformational game changers. Star Trek type shit.

I think they're right. Our society, more than any other, tolerates the oddballs and mad scientist types.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 05:01 AM | Comments (83)
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...his approval rating at 38% and his disapproval rating at 54%...

Another soon to be Daschelesque victim of douchbag fatigue?

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 10:06 PM | Comments (89)
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No pop quizzes about the Bush doctrine or specific Supreme Court cases she believes were improperly decided.

Oh, well. It's not as if a Senator needs to vote on war or on judges' philosophies.

Vow: If not selected, I will not run. If not nominated, I will not serve.

Ah. She wants it easy or not at all.

But she's going to work twice as hard, you know.

Posted by: Ace at 07:02 PM | Comments (82)
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Subtitled: “Facility offers guilt-ridden travelers chance to offset pollution”
I have no evidence to support this, but I just have a gut feeling the “Inventor of the Internet” is somehow involved in this venture.

From AP, via MSNBC, why wait for your local, state or federal government authority to impose carbon sanctions….er, “offsets” on you when you can self-flagellate at SFI?

”SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco International Airport is planning to give guilt-ridden travelers a chance to offset the air pollution emitted from their plane rides.”

“The airport says it will set up a series of kiosks so travelers can purchase certified carbon offsets. A pilot program is to be launched this spring.”

“Travelers will enter their destination into the kiosk, which will calculate the amount of carbon dioxide for which they are responsible and the cost of offsetting it. After swiping their credit cards, they would get a receipt listing the exact carbon-reducing projects their money went to.”

(*ahem*Â….see above)

So I guess the idea is that the kiosks are like a little electronic altar where you can go pray at and offer up a financial sacrifice prior to boarding your flight. After all, Mother Nature/Gaia could strike your flight down from the skies at any time. Which really does have a profound impact on your earned SkyMiles.

”The view from my window.” (Seattle, 12/26/0

Below the fold is an example of what Mother Gaia is capable of. LookÂ…if you dare. And be ashamed of yourselves.
more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 06:55 PM | Comments (46)
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This was yesterday:

The diners represented seven military units -- Marine and Navy -- some of whom were joined by their families for Christmas dinner.

As Obama entered the room, it was absent of the regular fanfare of cheering and clapping. The diners were polite, staying seated at their respective tables and waited for the president-elect to come to them to stand up.

A deliberate snub or merely a proper distinction in the treatment due a president and a president-elect?

H/t Gateway Pundit.

*Headline corrected for loose shit. Actually, I think that might be the second time I've made that mistake. Thanks to thebronze.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 02:45 PM | Comments (127)
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Interesting that a bit of extra zip in the sack could change allegiances.

But, as several readers sending this tip ask, why on earth is this being reported?

The WaPo is reporting this. Why? Yes, it's interesting. A lot of covert stuff is interesting. That's why they write so many books about it.

But there is no public information value in exposing the methods by which we bribe foreign agents of influence. Once again, the MSM exposes our intelligence services for no reason -- not to inform the public about a policy question in which they have a vote, not to expose a corrupt or illegal program -- simply to prove they can and sell papers.

And yes: This exposure can definitely doom the program. If one of a warlord's less devoted wives or concubines lets it slip that her husband/john has gone from a zero to a hero in bed, the Taliban now have a reason to suspect his cooperation with America, whereas before they'd have had no idea whatsoever.

This had been just about the most covert corrupt-inducement program ever. You can't show off a new boner the way you can a new Bonneville. But no longer, thanks to the WaPo.

Thanks to Andy Canuck.

Posted by: Ace at 12:13 PM | Comments (84)
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And global warming too, I presume.

Steven Seagall is... Against the Dark.

As Steven Seagall is... Direct to Video.

Thanks to dri.

Posted by: Ace at 11:40 AM | Comments (104)
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