There are a number of current news stories that merit
at least some comment, so here are some quick notes:
BENGHAZI HEARINGS:
The facts in this story are not altogether clear yet, but
the responses of the Obama administration are very
revealing. These include former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton saying “What difference does it make
anyway?” and an Obama spokesman saying, “It
was so long ago.” Further, we have U.S. diplomats who
were there contradicting under oath the administration’s
version of events in Benghazi, and allegations that
whistleblowers have been, and are being, silenced.
Finally, we have the president’s own press secretary
unable to give any cogent answer to questions about
the matter, even though it has been in the news for months.
If it looks like a cover-up, smells like a cover-up and
sounds like a cover up, perhaps it is not unreasonable to
suggest it’s a cover-up........
HIGHER TAX ORGY IN MINNESOTA:
Having won control of both houses of the state legislature
for the first time in many years, Democrats (called DFLers
in the Gopher State) are sending bill after bill with higher
taxes to liberal DFL Governor Mark Dayton for his signature.
Mr. Dayton narrowly won election in 2010 promising, it
must be said, to tax the rich in Minnesota. The problem
with this higher tax orgy is that most of the burden of the
new taxes falls on middle class voters who are in for a big
surprise when they fill out their 2013 and 2014 state returns
(not to mention their surprise when they receive next year’s
health insurance premium bills). Taxes are going up, it’s
fair to say, for the local rich, too, but as a thoughtful essay
by Peter Nelson at the conservative Center for the American
Experiment think tank points out, many of these folks are,
and will be, taking a hike to a low-tax state.....
THE NEW YORK YANKEES IN FIRST PLACE:
With most of their best hitters, including Derek Jeter, Curtis
Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, Kevin Youkilis, and Mark
Teixera out with injuries, the Yankees, currently sending up
to bat mostly replacement players, just went into first place
in the AL East, perhaps the toughest division in baseball (the
Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles have very good
teams this year). Yankee starting pitchers, mostly aging,
past-their-prime veteran hurlers, backed up by (it must be
noted) the greatest closer in baseball history (himself over
40), Mo Rivera, are doing much better than expected. What
will happen when the presumably healed sluggers return
to the line-up after the All Star game? Can a replacement
team go to the World Series?......
THE MOVIE “THE GREAT GATSBY” IS A FLOP:
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel is an American classic, but
despite of several attempts over the years, it has not been
made into a successful film. In spite a lot of money
spent on it, and gigantic hype, the latest version just
premiered, is apparently (says major critic Rex Reed) a
colossal artistic flop. As in the case of Steven Spielberg’s
recent film “Lincoln,” the Hollywood direction and media
ballyhooing weigh down further an already overwrought
production. Critics and audiences don’t always agree, but
this much hype probably tells all you need to know.
WINTER CLOSES THE BOOK ON” GLOBAL WARMING”:
The coldest winter in memory in many places, following
contradictory trends worldwide, has seemed to close the
book on the alleged global warming theories. “Warmistas,”
including many scientists, have rushed to change their
terminology to “global climate change.” The only problem
with this new branding is that climate change is one of the
constants of planetary history, and nothing new. A few
hardliners think the warming scam still holds up, but,
like those who believe Alger Hiss was innocent, their
numbers are evaporating.....
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Copyright (c) 2013 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.
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