Author: Moe_Lane

Jack Murtha (D): INCOMPETENT Earmarker?

I mean, it’s bad enough that he’s doing it: but apparently it’s not even working.

In 2005, Rep. John P. Murtha announced here that a technology firm was moving into an abandoned plate glass factory. Best of all, he promised, the new firm would generate 140 jobs.

The Pennsylvania Democrat steered $150 million in defense money to Caracal Inc., along with a $3 million grant for factory renovations. “Today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony is yet another indication that our investment in this region’s economic revitalization is paying off,” he said that day. But Caracal never created the jobs the congressman touted. The firm peaked at 10 employees and then folded in early 2008. Once its Murtha-engineered Navy contracts ended, the company could not survive.

The article goes on to note that Rep. Murtha’s earmarks aren’t generating jobs for either the companies that he’s supposedly fostering via earmarking (over 60% have seriously underperformed) or his district (unemployment rates seem to have not been affected by Murtha’s pork habits at all): there’s also a lengthy section where specific firms are discussed in terms of Murtha’s… well, ‘litany of failure’ works as a description.  Clearly the man is off of his game; if this was a post about an athlete I’d be counseling voluntary retirement, while he still had his dignity.  As he’s a legislator taking my tax money to enrich his cronies and lackeys: scratch out ‘voluntary.’

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Heretical bishop arrested in drug raid.

The reporter must have loved writing the first paragraph. In some ways, it’s why you get into the news-reporting business in the first place:

A church bishop shot earlier this year in an attempted robbery was arrested on suspicion of selling narcotics and is being investigated on suspicion of sexual assault.

Authorities served a search warrant Tuesday at Our Lady of Tepeyac Church in Home Gardens, an Old Catholic fellowship outside Corona. Sheriff’s investigators found evidence the man was selling narcotics from the church, according to a Riverside County sheriff’s report.

(via @vermontaigne) If you want to know what an “Old Catholic fellowship,” it’s… complicated. Oh, sweet merciful Lord, is it ever complicated.  Particularly if you haven’t had coffee yet; I think that this guy’s from the ‘Let’s have married and lady priests!’ wing of schismatic Catholics, and not the ‘Reform!  We didn’t need reform!’ wing – but that’s a guess.  And the aforementioned coffee’s sounding better and better as an idea.

Moe Lane

Moe Lane

Do progressive Democrats play poker?

I mean, have they played enough of it to know of the old saying If you’ve been playing cards for a half-hour and you still don’t know who the dummy is, it’s you?

Progressives pressure Sanders, Feingold on public option reform

“Bernie Sanders can be a hero at this historic moment by declaring that any final bill must have a public option to win his support,” said PCCC co-foudner Adam Green. “That would change the entire calculus in House-Senate negotiations and force President Obama to finally fight back against Joe Lieberman’s threats.”

What? No, I was just idly curious.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

My immediate reaction to this paragraph…

…off of The Other McCain:

Jumping in Pools says “The battering and blaming of the Republicans has to stop.” Mr. Kat, when those GOP windbags threaten the invariant principles in, for example, the Constitution, then they are a tumor, albeit a benign one. The most you’re buying from a RINO is time. The RINO’s non-command of principles will feed the Progressive decline, albeit more slowly than a Democrat’s. In a way, the Democrat is more admirable, because he’s not blowing any sunshine up the public bottom about his task.

“Dammit, Smitty, time is what we need right now.  And if folks are worried about the direction of the GOP, they can always join up.”

I don’t really disagree with his main argument, mind.  But this situation isn’t Bad Versus Worse.  That was 2008, and Worse won.  Now the situation is Worse Versus Stop Hitting Ourselves With The Hammer.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

‘Regime,’ is it?

Slapdash, or scaredy-cat?  Does it matter?

The lack of self-respect in the Obama administration astounds me, sometimes.  From the (probably-now abortive) pushback on the call to shut down repatriating AQ terrorists to Yemen:

“I am aware of a lot of people pointing back at the way the transfers were handled under the Bush administration that apparently they have some concerns about that,” said the official, who had not seen the senators’ letter. “I didn’t hear many of those concerns at the time, but there were obviously hundreds and hundreds of detainees that were transferred under the old regime.”

The official hadn’t also seen Sen. Feinstein’s (D) own shared concern about said repatriation, which as Ed Morrissey notes is a serious problem for the drive to close Gitmo.  But never mind that, right now: what gives with all the unforced errors?  I mean, if this was an unintentional attempt to give offense, it’s pretty sloppy thinking; and if it was intentional, well, way to go with putting words in the administration’s mouth there, Sparky.  A true progressive would have had the elementary courage to put his or her Bush Derangement Syndrome on the record.

Well, either way I can’t say that I’m surprised.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.