Fox News Cheerleads Newt to Improbable South Carolina Win

This man is a disgrace to conservative values.

First of all, I am a conservative Republican - but the over-the-top cheerleading for Newt Gingrich this week on Fox News definitely was a disturbing, and I believe, a major contribution to Gingrich's win in the South Carolina primary.  And what pains me the most is that Newt is somehow characterized as the more conservative response to national poll leader Mitt Romney.  Hmm - let's see here - Newt attacked the free enterprise system and Bain Capital in an amazing display of liberal democratic hubris - and in the same week was pointed out that he is a career adulterer.  But somehow, he is the MORE conservative candidate?  I don't get that.  Screaming at reporters does not make you conservative - it makes you a time bomb - and an unstable President. 

Meanwhile, at Fox News they basically can't contain their elation that Newt has won - I don't know if this is because they really like him, or that he was their colleague the past couple of years or that they now have an actual election to cover.  But the favoratism toward Newt is palaple and astonishing for a network that claims to be fair and balanced.  It has been not.  The smiles on the faces of Megyn Kelly and Andrea whathername are just pasted on their face that their colleague has won.  And, Sarah Palin,  I have lost all respect for you from here on out.

Juan Williams at Fox and John King at CNN gave softballs to Newt at the debates that he could hit out of the park and deliver red meat (although not meaningful) stuff to South Carolinians.  Mitt Romney was fine in both debates but didn't have pat answers about releasing his tax returns.  And by the way NO ONE ELSE WAS ASKED ABOUT THAT.  But Mitt's rich and apparently he, and only he, has to answer these direct questions (why is that?) - and meanwhile Newt campaigns excessively against captialism.  And so, who is actually more conservative?

And another thing, Rick Perry and Huntsman dropped out, thus releasing already dedicated votes - and Perry actually went against Romney in the debates asking him specifically for his tax returns.  Did he have a deal with Newt already and acted to be his hatchet man?  Probably.  So who is more conservative?  You gave the primary to a guy who attacked captialism and Romney's tax records without releasing his own (until the last minute).  But it was a false attack (no major presidential candidate has ever released his tax returns in recent history until the general election).

And the silly election night analysis by Bill Hemmer and others (like Britt Hume saying Mitt can't shake hands) is just appalling and somewhat incompetant (and I'm a fan guys. but really!)  I think Fox News and South Carolina have done a diservice to the country and the Republican Party in trashing Mitt Romney for 1) creating jobs and 2) paying his taxes.  It's a real shame.  Roger Ailles are you listening?\

UPDATE:  Thanks Britt Hume for reminding us late that Newt has the most unfavorable ratings nationwide of any candidate - way to bring it back to earth - I almost thought Megyn was going to cry.

The Bane of Bain

It was a job - get over it.

The recent overreaction, hysteria and general misunderstanding regarding Bain Capital, Mitt Romney's former company, and what they actually "do", appears to be a one-week tempest in a teapot.  But the manner in which so-called Republicans and conservatives bashed the all-but-confirmed Republican nominee for 10 straight days is unconscionable.  First of all, the guy has been running for President for about 12 years - you don't think this hasn't been grist for the mill before?  Did Mike Wallace and the 60 minutes crew all of a sudden discover a smoking gun somewhere?  Guess what - they didn't.  But  a few confused candidates who apparenlty don't understand how the free enterprise system works (and/or arithmetic) found that there was something else to throw at Mitt instead of Romneycare - that, and they're desperate.

Between Gingrich and Perry's utterly pathetic attacks against Romney (which make them both a bit to the left of Obama) and the overeaction of a few faux-right pundits who think this will be used as an iron cudgel during the general election, the discourse has been seriously dissappointing.  Even FOX News seems to have difficulty describing what venture capital/private equity companies actually do.  Bill O'Reilly exclaims it's "real complicated".  It's not!  Struggling companies look for private equity investors to invest in their businesses and essentially "bail them out".  In committing funds they retain ownership rights in the company, and in turn make tough business decisions as how to save the business.  This can entail layoffs, cancelling product lines, shutting down factories or finding another buyer, partner or investors.  Over time the equity investor works to rebuild the company and sell it to a going concern to reap return on what is frankly a risky investment.

Please note how this is incredibly different from the government (or Obama) using your taxpayer dollars to do the same thing.  The government doesn't innately look for a return on its investment (ROI), but private entities do - thus they usually take more expedient and direct action.  Nevertheless, we still have purported conservative websites crying that this raft of bad news will hurt Romney and the Republican chances of overtaking Obama.  If giving up on the free enterprise system is the way some "conservatives" think we should retake the White House, then the terrorists really have won.  Fortunately, it looks like Gingrich's sucker punch is having the opposite effect as Romney's lead is now widening in South Carolina.

Whoa Nellie! It Was a Great Game!

Roll Tide  - the clear National Champion

I am fairly tired of all of the media saying that Monday night's BCS college national championship tilt between Alabama and LSU was a bad game - like they were reviewing a movie.  It was a GREAT game!  After a bowl season full of arena league scores and zero defense, and frankly zero drama, we had it all in the BCS game with Alabama throttling previous unbeaten and No.1 LSU 21-0.  Not only did they totally manhandle LSU, the Tigers didn't even cross the 50-yard line until the game was almost over - and they also did this in New Orleans with 70% of the crowd cheering for LSU.

Of course there was nothing much to cheer about as LSU couldn't do anything right - and this was supposed to be the "greatest team ever?"  Ha.  That's what made the game exciting to me - seeing such an overhyped football power (who admittedly deserved to be No. 1 at the end of the regular season) get absolutely crushed on its virtual home turf - a good ol' college football smackdown.  Whoa Nellie!  After a year of exaggerated hyperbole (i.e. a Baylor QB gets the Heisman just because he beats a bad Texas team on the last week of the year) it was great to see real football settled the old way.

Meanwhile we have critics lambasting the game and wishing for other final game alternatives (now, all of a sudden, they wish they had Ok St in the BCS game - then why didn't you vote for it?).  Sorry, pathetic losers.  Enjoy the college game while you can - because in a couple of years the playoff advocates will get their wish and all of this will be over soon.  You'll be bitchin' about something else then.  Roll Tide.

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.

Occupy Wall Street - Losers Without a Cause

The young and the restless

Let's call it for what it is - a disgrace. Occupy Wall Street is nothing but a bunch of do-nothing ne'erdowells hunkering down on someone else's property to protest about er, uh, that guy's property. It's a joke, and as commented by many - this "movement" is more of an effort to replicate 60's-throwback-style revolution, without a real cause. Yes, I said it - a rebel without a cause.

Initially compared to the Tea Party (really?), this lawless movement has been coddled by the mainstream media for the past month (and unfortunately by conservative pols and pundits, as well) but finally, people are coming out of the woodwork to call a spade a spade. With no concrete message, and anarchy fueled violence spreading, these people need to go and municipal governments need to do what they are paid to do, which is protect the citizenry. From the clueless New York Mayor Bloomberg to the anarchist sympathizer Mayor of Oakland, our  municipal leaders have fallen down in protecting their stakeholders. Not to mention those other elected officals in the Democratic Party, and the White House. And for that, we should really protest.

Obama Says America is Lazy

Is that my ball?

For the umpteenth time the President of the United States has insulted his own country.  Just last week, while in Hawaii, he accused the US for being "lazy" in "attracting business to the nation".  This comes from the same man who said in the past month that we are "soft", has gone out of his way to apologize for American investment abroad, has overly deferred to muslim nations, and who said during is campaign that "some Americans desperately cling to their religion and guns".  This outrage comes from a man who does not lead and only seeks to divide our country by blaming everyone but himself for recent economic failings.  Mr. Obama, all you have to do is to lower corporate taxes and that will attract business.  All you have to do is create a domestic energy policy that encourages oil exploration within our own borders.  All you have to do is to repeal your socialistic health care policy.  Lazy?  What golf course did you e-mail that retort from?

JoPa Gets Piled On

Unnecessary roughness

I'm sorry - but I don't quite get this.  The same administrators and school trustees who weren't exactly clued into what was going on nine years ago now are throwing the book at legendary Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno and firing him.   Yes, he should have retired long ago, but the school apparently wanted him and more importantly, so did the student body.  But because school administrators did not act on information he gave them nine years ago about a FORMER employee Joe is being shown the door.  Don't get it. 

I understand that the grand jury investigation transcript of the charges against the actual perpetrator and two senior administrators (of which JoePa is not named) looks bad, but I don't understand the over-the-top vitriol shown towards Joe - and especially from conservatives.  Some of the same people who bristled at the recent media treatment of Herman Cain are leaping on this bandwagon and casting the first stones at JoePa (mostly because they hate and misunderstand football, I presume).  And, do you also realize that there is more coverage tonight of "students marching in the street" then there ever was for violence at the Occupy Wall Street stuff? 

Over at ESPN, sports pundits are howling outrage at how college football has undermined our society (even though ESPN has caused much of the recent conference shuffling with their own meddling - see Longhorn Network).  Also, several former ESPN on-air personalties have been shown the door for sexual harrassment themselves during this same time period - did those pundits go straight to the police with what they knew?  I don't think so.  I understand the Penn State charges are serious - but the moral hypocrissy of the press is also.

Obama Loses Face - and Iraq War

Obama lost a war that the US won twice.

With all the audacity of "hope" President Obama announced today that the US will be removing ALL troops from Iraq at the end of the year.  Even though that will sound like a nice campaign promise to his leftist and demented base, this is a diplomatic failure of gargantuan circumstances.  President Bush had agreed to troop drawdown in his last year of his presidency - all Obama had to do was manage the situation.  And that would have entailed having some troop presence and airbases to maintain some control over the region, Iran, Syria and others - that's why we went in there.

Instead Obama bungled it all away - all this year the administration was trying to negotiate some additional  presence 'after' we left - but it got confused with mixed messages he was sending while trying to balance his political base at home.  Now the growing Iran influence will probably take over Iraq and our years of sacrifice will be for naught - because of this incompetant, ill-equipped and ignorant President.  The "i's" have it.

Amanda Knox is Innocent

She's innocent and always has been.

Thank god this woman was acqutted.  She was railroaded, period.  And the press still talks about her like she is guilty.  It is terrible.  It is a classic case of the press not doing their job.  Even now I am watching some clueless woman on CNN who can't even get her facts straight about the case.  This has happened across all media, even Fox.  No one seems to know the facts or cares. It is pitiful that people are jumping on reporting this case and don't have any clue what it is about.

She was railroaded.   Period.  No DNA, no motive, no nothing.  The Italian prosecutor was corrupt. He even spent 16 months in jail.  Everyone knows it.  The Italian people even eventually came around.  Get over it .

Obama's Job Speech - or - Failed Stimulus 2

Shot Down In Flames

Obama's "long-awaited" job speech - you know the one he went on vacation before giving it - was really nothing more than what many label as a "Stimulus 2".  Please see here what we thought of Stimulus One.  It's just a hodge-podge of temporary fixes and mild incentives that will not create one single job.  A $4,000 tax credit to hire somebody won't actually hire somebody - not with Obamacare looming and the rest of the economy throttled by uncertainty.  He also asked for more money for a sundry of infrastructure projects - you know the ones that weren't even "shovel ready" the first time around.  More of the same old policies - except this time he said it louder - and asked 27 times to pass his "jobs bill" that doesn't really currently exist.  All in front of an uprecedented full assemblage of Congress. And he didn't say how he would pay for it, but "wait until next week".

In his ever contradictory 20-minute speech, he claimed he was giving tax breaks to companies to hire people and in the next sentence proclaimed he was going to pay for it by raising taxes on those same companies!  He is as incoherant a man as any.  And a fool to think any of this will create jobs.  He could have just said I will start exploring for oil in the US and he would create an enitre industry - but that's not in his vocabulary.  Gimmicks are.  And he's now busy "taking it to the the people".  As clearly stated here, President Obama does not have a clue.  In fact, even the the left is now shaking their heads in disbelief.  It's another case of not Being There.



The Republican Debates - MSNBC Style

MSNBC - a collection of liars.

Watching the Republican Debates tonight from the Reagan Library in Simi Valley - a lovely place I have been to and would recommend everyone to visit - was a surreal moment.  Not because of the debates - but because it was on MSNBC.

Watching the aftermath of the debates on MSNBC is like watching the bizarro world.  These people live in their own far-out liberal heads and don't understand simple economics.  Starting with Chris Mathews, is who so consumed with what Tip O'Neil did 30 years ago, and that little man Rachael Maddow, its like watching a circus of limited minded midgets trying to scale a wall.

Bizzaro Superman

They, of course, pounced on Rick Perry's definition of Social Security as a "Ponzi Scheme", an unfortunate choice of words I would agree for Perry, but which he did not back down on - and immediately suggested that that was a great divide between he and Mitt Romney.  The reality is that they both said the same thing - that Social Security needs a fix to make sure it exists for everyone in the future. They consistantly said that Perry was for ABOLISHING social security - which he is not - and somehow made Romney look good - but he said the basic same thing. This what what they all waxed on about for hours last night.

Whatever, they spent the whole night trashing the frontrunner without listinening to what is going on.  Also they borught on Alex Winter from the Huntington Post who "fact checked" statements from the debate and loudly proclaimed that Perry "lied" when he argued with Obama's claim that the "border" was safe (in his speech in El Paso earlier this year) -when there is clear evidence of gun running under Obama's own "Fast and Furious" program.  This brain surgeon, with a gleeful grin on her face, compared "crime at the border" with "crime in other border cities such as San Diego, Houston and others", implying crime was down there and suggesting that there was not a border issue at all.  Not a more disingenuous comment has ever made on this network.

MSNBC - yellow journalism.  You are a loser organization and an association of liars.

Hitler Learns A&M is Leaving for the SEC

You see, Texas A&M is vaulting from the "big 12" conference for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) mostly because ESPN signed a major deal with arch rival University of Texas for a media network.  Colorado and Nebraska already bolted the Big 12 last year and this was the last straw for the Aggies and their wishes to be the only Texas team in the country's greatest football conference.  Alot of media make the Aggies to be bad guys for breaking up conferences and perhaps some tradition - but as the video shows, the evil lurks elsewhere.

Perry Has Tails (and Pols) Wagging

Perry has them so worried they're making stuff up.

Since Texas Governor Rick Perry has entered the presidential race the mainstream media and leftist outlets have been busy smearing him - and basically hinging on every word.  They even had the temerity to suggest Texas's good economy was just a myth.  Commenting on Texas' economy outperforming other states, Nobel Prize winning economist (and leftwing loon) Paul Krueger stated that "well, if you want low taxes and low regulation - that's what you would get".  Hmm, I think that's the idea Paul.  Spread the word.  Of course, some just attribute it to luck.  Anyway you look at it Perry has been pushing their buttons.

Did you realize its just been a week since he's been in the race?  Seems longer doesn't it?  And not only has the media gone Perry-crazy, but members of Obama's own cabinet are issuing lies.  Education Secretary Arne Duncan's recently visited the Sunday morning talk shows erroneously proclaiming Texas' education system was "in decline" under Perry and how "he was personally worried for the kids of Texas".  Robert Scott, Texas's Education Chief and the Dallas Morning News quickly rebutted these libelous smears.  And this is leadership, Barry?

"He went to Yale; I went to A&M"

The next President of the United States

Texas Governor Rick Perry has made a significant splash in the political world by declaring his presidential candidacy this Saturday, almost overshadowing the results of the meaningless Iowa Straw vote and pushing competing candidates Romney and Bachman aside.  Newly campaigning in Iowa with relative ease and candor a reporter from Politico asked him what the differnce between he and President Bush was.  His retort?  "He went to Yale, I went to Texas A&M".  Whoop!

By the way, Governor Perry will be the next President of the United States - and we have one of his first major endorsements here. Shout it out loud.

Obama's Magical Misery Tour

Obama's Lost Economic Plan Found

Meanwhile Obama is taking a ridiculous bustrip around the midwest, arguing with Iowans, and saying the same old tired things he said for the last year.  I guess this is why his approval polls now have dropped to 39%.

It's the Debt, Stupid

For the record, the downgrade of US debt was somewhat expected.  S&P warned about it in April after Obama gave a dispirited speech about "getting serious about debt".  Some think the timing is odd however since there is at least a plan in place to cut some spending (although modest) along with the congressional panels that will continue to address it next month (not next year).  And also since this is the same rating agency that all but blew the sub-prime mess.  Still one has to wonder what is S&P actually saying - and why are they criticizing the political process?   Some think it is to cricize the Tea Party - although that makes little sense since they are the only ones wanting to cut spending.  Others criticize the general nature of Washington and lobbyists to realize the entitlement balloon has to end.  In fact, it makes those politicians and scallywags who continue to call for tax increases look like economic buffons.  Adding insult to injury was Obama's inconsequential and non-presidential speech on Monday.  (FYI - read this excellent column detailing an inside view of the debt ceiling negotiations.)

Obama's Debt Debacle

Obama's normal posture

As a fairly self-described political junkie, even I am tired of the debt ceiling arguments and endless pontificating.  And Obama's pointless "campaign speech" this morning was just the capper.  Can't the man just govern gracefully?  At least something got done.  A nice analysis of the latest in hypocrisy and mistruths are described in this article.  Obviously the mainstreams and CNN/MSNBC clouded and obscured the truth of these negotiations on a daily basis (like insinuating we would "default" when we never were going to)(and dipping into deep, disturbing hysteria) - but even on Fox and other places we got into a bit of hyberbole and cheerleading (yes, I said it).  Day by day truths would be illuminated and falicies cleared up - in the end I like to think we all learned something (such as the lunacy of "base-line budgeting").



Even some of us with conservative leanings could be heard to yell at the last remaining obstinate Tea Partiers to please agree to something so we didn't have to turn all of this mess over to Obama - despite the overtly inane arguments of the Democrats.  One neat sidebar to this debate was seeing The One almost near useless at the end and looking silly giving speeches in primetime that basically no one paid attention to.  While not a whole heck of alot happened at this moment legislation-wise, what did happen was Obama was made peculiarly unneccesary.  Not good for a guy trying to get re-elected.

Amen, brother.

In the end though, the Republicans, and those racist, terrorist, hostage-taking Tea Partiers actually have taken a bold step in changing the course of spending in this country - and without shutting the government down.  So that's Boehner 1, Newt 0, for those of you scoring at home (with LP Obama not making an official appearance).

Oh yeah I forgot, he is making an appearance - at this fundraiser with, uh, er millionaires, billionaires and corporate jet owners.  Hypocrite.

UPDATE August 5:  S&P downgrades US debt to a AA rating down from a AAA rating.  Let the blame games begin!.

Kicking the Can

In Friday's installment of "As the Debt Ceiling Turns" President Obama held his third press conference in two weeks and regaled the press attending, and a national TV audience, with several whoppin' one-liners.  The most bombastic being that "80% of the country support a balanced approach to the debt crisis" meaning including tax hikes to solve the issue.  He then followed that up with the hilarious factoid that apparently a majority of grass root Republicans also want a tax increase.  Got to hand it to him - this man has gall.  Or is just the dumbest stooge to come down the pike.  Or both.  Instead of commentating endlessly without shedding any light on the issue, why doesn't he just lead?

Did I really say 80%?

Of course, the public does not want a tax increase to solve the debt limit issue (that Obama has largely created on his own) - only 34% support that premise in a recent Gallup poll.  And I know of no Republican who has ever advocated for higher taxes - it's against our religion.  Obama's strange line of logic to get Republican support to increase the debt ceiling (in order to gain passage in the GOP majority House) somehow relies on obtaining tax increases.  And Republican's are using the debt ceiling issue to obtain badly needed budget cuts because of Obama' incredible blooming deficit (see chart below) - thus they have asked for cuts at least equal to the potential debt ceiling increase.  Obama increduously wants Republicans to raise taxes (which will theoretically only give Obama more money to waste) when he didn't even ask a Democratic controlled Congress to do it two years ago.  And, of course that will only hurt the jobless non-recovery we are now "enjoying". 

The main stream media coverage on this issue has been abominible - basically taking Obama's poll-tested catch phrases and reporting them as fact.  For example, the LA Times keeps running front page articles about "divisions amongst the Republicans" - nothing about Obama's inaction.  The reality is the Democrats have not even passed a budget for over two years.  Obama's budget for 2011 was voted down 97-0 by the Senate in April.  Obama has never cared about the debt ceiling and to this day has offered no plan (but the media keeps reporting like he has).  He keeps asking for a "big" package so he can get enought debt coverage to dodge this issue beyond next year's election but insists he would veto a smaller measure (because it won't).  If that doesn't show how he puts his interests above the country's, I don't know what else will.

And by the way, Obama and other Democrats voted against the debt ceiling in 2006.  Where was the media outrage there?  Sen. Marco Rubio - R, FL articulated the issues succinctly and as well as anyone on Face the Nation this Sunday.  He makes Obama look like a pre-schooler.

UPDATE 7-18-11:  With the Republicans moving a bill through the House to address the debt ceiling issue, the Obama White House announced that it will veto such bill.  See - he doesn't want to address it AT ALL.