Barry Not Talking - To Anybody

Obama - Home Alone

Last month Chris Mathews surprisingly criticized the President saying that he doesn't really act like a President "should" - and implied that he specifically knows that over three years in office Obama has not cooperatively reached out to Congress to work on legislative deals and/or lead in anyway imaginable.  Now more press is emerging telling the same tale - that Obama and the White House don't talk to anybody.  Even his fellow Democrats are saying it as well.  And just recently Obama took a short plane ride to New Hampshire an obvious political hotspot, but didn't include any state officials on his flight, a gesture usually made to create a relationship with local pols.

Over and over it is being strongly suggested that this is a man who does not lead by developing a governing consensus amongst allies, and enemies alike, - as most leaders do - and as most everybody does in ordinary life.  He hasn't reached out to Congress to encourage conversations on issues and has basically eliminated communication at the White House.  He appears distant and isolated.  No, he is distant and isolated. This is not a man to lead the country or devise solutions to aid the union.  This is a man afraid of his own shadow.  How can one say he "can reach accross the aisle" to gain consensus when he doesn't even know who is on that aisle?

"There once came into Egypt a Pharoah who did not know."

When Shovel Ready Doesn't Mean Squat

Seriously, what's one more pipeline?

Obama has refused to lead again.  Now that a shovel-ready infrastructure project is ready to go, can actually provide badly needed construction jobs (which he constantly crows about) and could increase the nation's independence of foreign oil - well, he's punting.  And I'm talking about the Keystone XL pipeline which would bring friendly oil from Canada down to US refineries in the Gulf Coast.  Jobs for the pipeline construction, jobs for the pipeline transmission, and increased jobs at the refinery. He has repeatedly stalled on a decision, but just today the House voted to extend the payroll tax cut - as long as Obama approved the Keystone project.

I find the opposition to this project somewhat startling.  Celebrities such as Julia Louis Dreyfus of Seinfeld fame (thanks for screwing that up for me Julia) have actually published ads exhorting Obama to oppose the pipeline.  Recent articles in the press (this one from CNN) actually try to claim that the project could decrease jobs in the US!  And, of course we have the requisite environmentalist groups that claim construction of a pipeline will create all sorts of environmental hazards (not as if construction a high speed rail project wouldn't?)  And, just for the record, we already have plenty of pipelines in the ground (see map above).

It is such a joke of an argument.  Obama says they need more time, but only because he doesn't want to offend any part of his small-mided base before election time.  Of course, all of this fine high-level analysis of the infrastructure industry comes from the same man who rushed through a failed stimulus that squandered taxpayer money.

Update:  Jan 15, 2012 -  Canada to start talks with China to sell energy.  See?  It didn't take that long.

Andrew Luck Got Screwed

Better Luck next year

Look, I don't want to get into individual statistics because they really don't matter.  Andrew Luck was the Heisman runner-up last year and many expected him to go pro - especially after Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh left to coach the San Francisco 49'ers.  Instead he returned for his junior season and promptly led Stanford back to an 11-1 regular season mark and a BCS bowl berth under a brand new coach.  He led a team that lost many starters over his brief stay, called his own plays, mind you, and was commonly named as the number one draft pick by the NFL next year.  It really wasn't a question if he was going to win the Heisman or not.

Then something happened - and I mean media-wise.  All of sudden as the season came to close alot of talk about Robert Griffth, the QB from Baylor emerged.  Baylor had three losses, they didn't really have a marquis win and heck they even lost to Texas A&M who promptly fired their head coach after losing to lowly Texas in their final game.  But the very next week, when many teams were not playing, Baylor beat Texas in their final game (and after the emotional rivalry game with A&M) and every media center started beating the drum about Robert Griffith.  And, yes, he had a good game, a good season and is a good talent - and from his appearance on the Heisman show, seems like a great guy.  But the media blather about RG3 after beating "Texas's great defense" (Texas - a five loss team) seemed to push this guy over the top in very close voting.  Over a guy who actually calls his own plays.

Why is it that ESPN must dictate everything that happens in this world?  Is it not enough that they have demolished the Big 12 conference with their ill-advised media deal to set up the "Longhorn Network" with Texas?  Is it not enough that their meddling has for the time being ended a 100+ year rivalry between Texas and A&M?  Now they have to say that if some QB thrashed their beloved Longhorns, well, he must be the Heisman winner?  What krap ESPN.

Even tonight we had to hear about how Baylor was a nothing program and this single player made them "relevant".  Uh, where was Stanford before Harbaugh and Luck showed up?  What a crock.  Andrew - better luck next year.