Obama and Bush Foreign Policy Positions.

After a year with President Barack Obama at the helm of U.S. foreign policy, an observer could be forgiven for concluding that the presidency is more like taking over the controls of a train than getting behind the wheel of a car. That's because you can't steer a train; you can only determine its speed. So far, the menu of foreign policy challenges, and the Administration's response to each, is remarkably similar at the close of 2009 to what it was at the close of 2008. Obama's promises of outreach to adversaries and consultation and coordination with allies certainly cleared away some of the negative atmospherics left by the Bush Administration. However, his substantial policy positions have proven to be remarkably similar to those of the second-term, chastened-by-reality George W. Bush. Indeed, anti-war Democrats groaned when the President, in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, referred to "evil in the world" and hailed America's willingness to use force abroad over the past six decades as an essential component of global security. The neoconservatives cheered...Link

Nuts Optical Illusion - Watch more Funny Videos

Hiding health bills behind closed doors.......

It may be a new year, but congressional Democrats are planning the same old sorts of sleazy tactics in their bid to take over America's health care system. Congressional Republicans, especially in the Senate, should not let them get away with it. Transparency and ethics should be Republican rallying cries, and obstruction on those grounds should be a point of pride...Link

Keynesianism Delivers a Decade of Zero.

This past week we celebrated the end of what most people agree was a decade best forgotten. New York Times columnist and leading Keynesian economist Paul Krugman called it the Big Zero in a recent column. He wrote that “there was a whole lot of nothing going on in measures of economic progress or success” which is true. However, Krugman continues to misleadingly blame the free market and supposed lack of regulation for the economic chaos. It was encouraging that he admitted that blowing economic bubbles is a mistake, especially considering he himself advocated creating a housing bubble as a way to alleviate the hangover from the dotcom bust. But we can no longer afford to give prominent economists like Krugman a pass when they completely ignore the burden of taxation, monetary policy, and excessive regulation....Link

A Winter Soldier’s Quest for Congress............

Ex-Marine, Iraq vet, and antiwar activist Adam Kokesh is finally ready to fight The Man – from inside the system. But as he makes the rounds through the New Mexico congressional district he hopes to one day represent, he’s finding out fast that people are more apathetic about U.S. interventions abroad than ever before. "Nobody cares about the war. It’s predictable, but it’s sad," said Kokesh in a recent interview with Antiwar.com. "We have 300,000 troops serving in harm’s way, but I hardly get asked questions about that. I hardly get any questions about foreign policy."...Link

Paul takes aim at Cheney...............

(CNN) – Dick Cheney is taking criticism from at least one member of his own party over the former vice president's recent and persistent criticisms of the Obama administration's handling of national security issues. Ron Paul, the Texas congressman and upstart 2008 presidential candidate, told CNN's Larry King Monday night Cheney is in no place to criticize Obama's handling of the war on terrorism...Link

White men can Jump.

Trevor Ferguson hammers his way to the LSI Slam Dunk Championship

The degrading effects of terrorism fears.

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but David Brooks actually had an excellent column in yesterday's New York Times that makes several insightful and important points. Brooks documents how "childish, contemptuous and hysterical" the national reaction has been to this latest terrorist episode, egged on -- as usual -- by the always-hysterical American media. The citizenry has been trained to expect that our Powerful Daddies and Mommies in government will -- in that most cringe-inducing, child-like formulation -- Keep Us Safe...Link

Forbes to endorse Paul’s U.S. Senate bid.

FRANKFORT – Former presidential candidate Steve Forbes is to endorse Rand Paul’s Republican campaign for U.S. Senate, Paul’s campaign manager, David Adams, said Monday. Adams said the campaign will issue a news release Tuesday about Forbes’ endorsement...Link

Ron Paul's loopy ideas now making sense.

Loyal Ticket readers from the 2007-08 presidential primary months will remember our many items about the amazing long-shot political campaign of Republican Rep. Ron Paul, Dr. No or Dr. Know-Nothing, depending on your viewpoint. (In fact, over in the right margin here under Categories, you can find an entire Ron Paul story archive to reminisce through.) The now 11-term Texas congressman raised more money in the final quarter of 2007 than any other GOP candidate, including all the far bigger names...Link