My column in the Telegraph
Here is my column in today’s issue of the Telegraph
Expressing shock about this is like being shocked by third degree burns after a night in bed with the devil. Noble has done nothing wrong. It has played the game masterfully. It secured taxpayer property to build a taxpayer-funded hotel. It received management agreements to run the profitable parts of Macon’s Centreplex. Noble outmaneuvered C. Jack Ellis and Macon at every turn. Good businesses take advantage of bad businesses. It happens all the time.
Rebuild The Party: This is what real leadership looks like
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what real leadership looks like.
Conservative evangelical leader James Dobson has resigned as chairman of Focus on the Family but will continue to play a prominent role at the organization he founded more than three decades ago, The Associated Press has learned. Dobson notified the board of his decision Wednesday, and the 950 employees of the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry were informed Friday morning at a monthly worship service, said Jim Daly, the group’s president and chief executive officer. Dobson, 72, will continue to host Focus on the Family’s flagship radio program, write a monthly newsletter and speak out on moral issues, Daly said. Dobson’s resignation as board chairman “lessens his administrative burden” and is the latest step in a succession plan, the group said. Dobson began relinquishing control six years ago by stepping down as president and CEO.
There are way too many organizations in the conservative movement that are dependent on their figure head. They are, in effect, employment centers for out of work big shots.
Look at Free Congress. God bless our dearly departed conservative icon Paul Weyrich, but Free Congress was his. It existed to promote him and his causes. With him gone, it’s folding up shop.
Does anyone think American Solutions would survive if Newt Gingrich keeled over tomorrow? And what about Freedom Works? For that matter, what about Leadership Institute after Morton Blackwell is gone?
What is the plan? Who is the leader?
In the conservative movement, there are a vast number of organizations consuming ungodly sums of money, taking that money out of productive channels, solely to give an icon a platform. When the person dies the organization dies and with it the money dies in waste.
This is why James Dobson is a truly great leader — he is willing to give up power because he understands the cause is larger than himself.
Dobson is committed to his cause. He won’t let Focus on the Family be about him. Not only does that show his humble Christian spirit, it shows him to be the epitome of a strong leader.
We need more James Dobsons.
The Death of Common Sense in the Legislature
GO HERE TO GET INVOLVED AND STOP SB 31
Here are a few things worth noting in the battle over S.B. 31.
I applaud Georgia Power for getting on Peach Pundit to make its case. I’d note a couple of things about the statement:
(A). The statement does not actually say that Georgia Power will lose its bond rating if S.B. 31 fails. Why? Because it would not be true to say that. This is another scare tactic like “We’ll never build another power plant in Georgia if this doesn’t go through.”
(B) The statement does not say Georgia Power will not do the construction if S.B. 31 fails — something its lobbyists have been trying to make us believe would be the case.
Let’s deal with what is really at stake here. S.B. 31 is a vote of no confidence in the PSC. As Don Balfour said, the legislature created the PSC and the legislature can bypass the PSC if it wants.
Except, the PSC was created by the legislature to deal with very complex regulatory issues involving utility monopolies. The combined heft of the state legislature is not as smart in dealing with these matters as the professionals at the PSC.
According to Georgia Power’s post at Peach Pundit:
Senate Bill 31 will not affect the Georgia Public Service Commission’s (PSC) authority to approve the construction of the nuclear units and certify the cost that Georgia Power is allowed to recover. The PSC will monitor the construction of the nuclear units and Georgia Power will be able to recover only those costs that the PSC deems are prudently incurred. Senate Bill 31 only affects the recovery of the related financing costs while the units are being constructed.
If that’s the case, then why not let the PSC handle the financing costs?
In fact, if the statement as made is true, there really should be no need to go to the legislature. The PSC should be able to handle it. Why then go to the legislature? Because Georgia Power does not think the PSC will side with it against consumers and the legislature, which can be bought by Georgia Power in ways the PSC is statutorily prohibited from being bought, is convinced through experience or campaign donations that the PSC is broken.
The legislature need only look at the scrambling to undo Governor Perdue’s original transportation plans this year to see that the law of unintended consequences will plague their decision to bypass the PSC. How so?
Well, first it will signal to every lobbyist that for thirty pieces of silver and a blond, female lobbyist under the age of 30, the legislature will bypass all the institutions it has set up to take technical, non-political matters off its plate.
Second, S.B. 31 will add new burdens of compliance on the PSC and the regulatory framework within the PSC. For example, let’s say the legislature eventually realizes S.B. 31 was a bad idea. The PSC will not be able to fix the mess. The legislature will have to undo it.
If the legislature has no confidence in the PSC to do its job right, it should fix the PSC. It should not start whittling away at the PSC’s powers by making an already complex regulatory process more complex. There is no reason, by the way, that this bill must be done this year. The legislature can wait a year, come up with a framework to fix the PSC, then actually fix the PSC and let it do its job.
Right now, the legislature wants to carve out a loophole for a utility monopoly to bypass the watchdog without fixing the watchdog. In the process, the legislature is making an organization it apparently does not think can do a good job do an even worse job by carving out loopholes.
And again, the legislature is just providing further incentives for other organizations to bypass state regulatory bodies and go straight to the legislature. It’s an awesome way to generate campaign contributors, but a terrible way to actually govern a state.
GO HERE TO GET INVOLVED AND STOP SB 31
George P. Bush Gets It Right
“There’s some in our party that want to assume that government is the answer to all of our problems,” Bush said at a meeting of young Republicans, as reported by the Orlando News. “You know who I’m talking about,” he added, referencing Crist.
I have no doubt Charlie Crist wants to run for President of the United States. The guy would be worse than John McCain.
Multiple people tell me that Mel Martinez contemplated leaving his seat early, but Crist talked him out of it because Crist thought he’d be under too much pressure to appoint Jeb Bush to the seat.
Why doesn’t Crist like Jeb? Because Jeb is an effective conservative. Charlie Crist is not. Witness Crist going wobbly on tax increases to balance Florida’s budget. Crist is much more interested in protecting endangered animals than Florida’s tax payers.
It is incumbent on conservatives to begin now building up a great storehouse of Crist anecdotes showing how terrible he is so that he’s radioactive by 2012.
He would be wholly unacceptable as a Presidential nominee for the GOP. Crist has no principles beyond an instinct toward sticking his finger in the wind. And through his appointments within the Republican Party apparatus in Florida, he is tearing down a once very strong party.
Good on George P. Bush for standing up and telling the truth.
We should carry this headline into 2012 and club Charlie Crist like a baby seal with it: “Obama Teams With Florida Governor to Push Stimulus”.
Running Sarah Steeleman
Sarah Steeleman is thinking of getting into the Missouri Senate race against Roy Blunt. Those two do not like each other one bit.
Steeleman ran for Missouri Governor and lost in the primary. Her opponent went down in flames in the general election.
Steeleman is making the rounds to all the conservative groups trying to line up support. It is no secret that Roy Blunt, while a conservative standard bearer on social issues, is squishy on fiscal issues. He has been a porker and recalcitrant on many reform issues.
So here is where we find ourselves: Roy Blunt is an extraordinarily nice guy. It’s no secret I have not been a fan of his leadership in the House Republican Conference, but I like him and his staff a great deal.
I don’t know Sarah Steeleman. Looking at her record and her positions running for Governor, I’d say she’d be my ideological pick. But more and more people tell me she’s a jerk. And these are not the types of people who view self-starting conservative women as jerks. These are people who supported her for Governor. They tell me they are deeply fearful that were she to lose the nomination to Roy Blunt that she’d run a behind the scenes slash and burn campaign, which would only help Carnahan.
We cannot afford to lose Missouri in 2010. If Steeleman wants in, I’ve got no problem. But I am deeply, deeply concerned that even a number of her supporters from her last race are concerned about her entry and attitude.
I hope she thinks carefully before pulling the trigger on a run.
Steele Might Aid Primary Challengers
Wow. Well done, Michael Steele.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says that he might support primary challengers against the three GOP senators who voted in favor of the stimulus package. Asked if he was open to the move during an interview Monday on Fox News’ “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” Steele said, “Oh, yes, I’m always open to everything, baby, absolutely.”
Let’s be clear. This won’t actually happen. There are far too many institutional pressures and rules to make it possible. But signaling that he’d be open to it is enough to encourage a primary opponent and sends a strong message to Arlen Specter.
Specter is, after all, the only one of the three turncoats up for re-election in 2010.
We should, however, be mindful that as much as we don’t like Arlen Specter on 70% of issues, he is still a Republican vote for Republican leadership in the Senate and he knows how to slit Democrat throats with the best of them.
Arlen is in it for himself, not for the party or the voters. He does, however, line up with us on some of the big stuff. That’s to say he’d be worse than a Pat Toomey or most any other Republican, but he’s still better than any Democrat.
Washington Becomes Rome
Chuck Schumer wants the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to tell states they have no choice in the use of porkulus funds.
Below the fold is the entire letter. It’s is amazing in its reach. In effect, states will have zero discretion in how they spend the money and which parts they take.
This stems from Gov. Bobby Jindal and others saying they would not take the whole package because some parts would force state tax increases to comply with the terms of Porkulus.
Schumer says that’s tough. States will be forced to increase taxes and take 100% of the money if he has his way. And the states will have no discretion.
For instance, at least two governors have proposed rejecting a program to expand unemployment insurance for laid-off workers. Economists consistently rank unemployment insurance among the most efficient and cost-effective fiscal stimulus measures; by one frequently cited estimate, it provides an economic return of as high as $1.73 for every dollar invested. Thus, by denying this provision for their residents, these governors are not just depriving some of the neediest Americans of relief in a dire economy; they are undermining the overall stimulative impact of the package. No one would dispute that these governors should be given the choice as to whether to accept the funds or not. But it should not be multiple choice.
This is breathtaking. It, in effect, makes the states servants of the federal government. States rights, etc. are out the window. And never mind that the unemployment insurance provisions would force taxes on the small businesses that are currently the only thing propping up the American economy.
This is how it is to be, folks — the federal Emperor and his Imperial Senate ordering fealty and servitude from the states. And if they don’t get the fealty and loyalty, they’ll be cut off, their people hurt, their businesses shut down, etc.
Washington has become Rome. And with Barney Frank up there, we’ve even got the licentiousness and male prostitution rings. Next up: throwing Christians t the lions. Read more
Must See
Arnold and Maria
Just ran into Governor and Mrs. Schwarzenegger. I was leaving a store and guess they were going in to it in Georgetown. I was polite. They smiled politely.
He’s not nearly as huge in person as he looks in him movies. They have a big security team. I promise he was wearing make up. That or he had a bad spray on tan.
But they were friendly in passing — some politicians bluster past you.
The RS Shut Down
Apparently we’ve had a bug that was preventing us from backing up the site. So, um, yeah, it was a ploy to get you guys to other sites. Heh.
Hopefully we’ll be able to do daily backups from here on out.