Maryland Conservatarian

Stories like this that make it so hard at times to parody the left even while it screams for a South Park episode:

Young heirs grapple with wealth of ambivalence

“One night in Adams Morgan, the sons and daughters of lawyers and corporate executives padded into a friend's rowhouse for a kind of group therapy session about their families' wealth.

“They are young people who have inherited or stand to inherit big money, and they are spending their post-college years living modestly and working to address the needs of the poor, hungry and politically disadvantaged.”

[Ed. Note: Politically disadvantaged? In DC? You mean, like conservative Republicans?]

We are then treated to some heart-wrenching anecdotes about young people with access to money; money they sometimes take advantage of for their own benefit. Apparently, this produces an inner turmoil the likes of the gainfully employed amongst us will probably never understand.

Courageously, though, not all of them succumb to the lure of easy money:

“Janelle Treibitz, 28, a part-time waitress who performs with the Puppet Underground performance group, which raises money for grass-roots organizations, could relate.

"In Vermont [this year], I broke my finger and didn't have insurance," said Treibitz, whose father is chief executive of a Colorado company that designs visual presentations for court trials. "I got my X-ray and gave [the hospital] a fake name and walked out. Is that okay that I am doing that -- taking up resources because I am refusing to take money from my parents?"

She has to ask?? (Unfortunately, the article doesn’t give the consensus answer.)

In fact, despite Post writer Ian Shapira’s generally sympathetic tone toward these shining lights, I am suspicious as to the article’s purpose. Being as these deep thinkers are the best walking, breathing argument FOR a punitive Estate Tax, I suspect the Post is again editorializing under the guise of a news story.

As you probably know, our President has been visiting the Red Chinese these last few days. On the bright side, no indication that he has apologized for the hateful things we’ve said about communists in the past. Otherwise,…

The Washington Post has helpfully provided an analysis of the trip: Obama's China trip stands in stark contrast to those of past presidents

I just bring it up so that I can take some cheap shots:

“…the United States may offer a target for carbon-emission cuts to boost climate negotiations in Copenhagen next month if China offers its own proposal…”

Post writers Andrew Higgins and Anne E. Kornblut describe this as the “one concrete advance [that] emerged” from the trip....Let’s all be glad they’re not building inspectors instead.

"The president dealt with every issue on his agenda in a very direct way and pulled no punches," [Michael Froman, economic adviser on the National Security Council] said.”

Of course he pulled no punches; there were no punches to be pulled. China isn’t Honduras. The bully act on China would garner no useful worldwide press to be basked in. Instead, China itself is a significant part of the global population – which at times seems to be our President’s target constituency.

“[President Obama] also urged China to resume talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.”

Do you think he was intentionally being ironic? Obama Snubs the Dalai Lama - WSJ.com

“Furthermore, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said, the administration had not expected "that the waters would part and everything would change over our almost 2 1/2 -day trip to China."

Well maybe the rest of the administration didn’t expect it…but the President?

I'm thinking of going out as a second-term Obama Administration...just the thought of it scares me.

I suppose because Poland is offering nothing in the way of world games or individual honors, it is instead the Vice-President who joins me in Warsaw today: Biden to reassure Poles during European trip

Much has been made about how the President has enhanced our global standing after the previous disastrous policy of an American president mostly putting American interests first. In fact, since September 17th, I’ve posted here of nothing else but the numerous diplomatic successes enjoyed and the attendant brilliant strategies employed by this Administration.

“Biden's national security adviser, Tony Blinken, said Monday that Obama's shift on missile defense, which was welcomed by Russia, does not threaten Poland or its neighbors.

"We've been very clear from day one that we are seeking to improve relations with Russia, but not at the expense of any of our partners," Blinken said.”

Unfortunately, Poland has selfishly put its own interests ahead of Obama’s and so Vice President Biden has been dispatched here as a…hmmm… kind of punishment for their insolence, I guess. Anyway:

“Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said he expected Biden to flesh out this offer during the visit, but that no history-making decisions would be made during Biden's short visit.”

I think we kind of knew that when it was announced that it was the VICE President making the trip.

Side Note: "The White House - Press Office - Briefing by National Security Advisor Tony Blinken on The Vice President's Upcoming Trip to Central Europe

Is “Blinken” not one of the great names for a national security advisor in this administration?

So the President gave a speech at the University of Maryland Comcast Center today. Reading a Washington Post report about it, the audience was predictably very supportive and little happened to disrupt the occasion.

The Post also provides an anecdotal insight into exactly why the young audience is so supportive:

“Rob Martinsen, a waiter at a College Park restaurant who could not attend the event because his shift starts at noon, came to see the spectacle nonetheless.

"I thought there might be some good confrontations" between Obama followers and the protesters, Martinsen said, adding that he counts himself in the "followers" group. "Too bad, though, everyone is on their best behavior."

“Martinsen said he hasn't followed the details of the health care debate, but he supports whatever option will get him cheap health care.…Martinsen chatted briefly with a woman handing out literature arguing against Obama's plan, but he walked away unconvinced.

"Their main point is it's expensive, but that shouldn't matter too much," he said. "Health care is a right."

Yep – who cares if it’s expensive…as long as it isn’t for him.

More evidence that racism is NOT at the heart of heated opposition to our current President:

Carter Cites 'Racism Inclination' in Animosity Toward Obama

When President Obama was first asked about the release of the Lockerbie terrorist, he termed it a “mistake”.

…a considerably less harsh reaction than when he was first asked about the arrest of Professor Gates in Cambridge: YouTube - Obama: Cambridge Cops "Acted Stupidly" In Prof. Gates Arrest

Good to know what really gets him ticked off.

Remember this: Democrats hunger for Obama as international symbol of change

“Now, restoring America's esteem in the world is a prime motivation of voters supporting Barack Obama for president…"The day I'm inaugurated, America will look at itself differently, and the world will look at America differently," Obama has said.”

Yeah, I was thinking about all that when I read the latest in the saga of the released Lockerbie terrorist:

“The families of some American victims have said they were revolted by the bomber's release, which was also sharply criticized by President Barack Obama, FBI director Robert Mueller and Attorney General Eric Holder….The United States had opposed al-Megrahi's return to Libya by any route.” Lockerbie release challenges UK PM's leadership

If an internationally beloved and respected president can’t convince a supposed strong ally like Scotland (and the UK in general) not to release a convicted mass-murdering terrorist after a mere 8 years of imprisonment then I fail to understand exactly what are the supposed international benefits we, as nation, have accrued with this administration.