A Political Wish List for the Holidays
A few small "gifts" would make life a lot jollier in the nation's capital.
The retail stores, despite the greatest economic slump since the Great Depression (we are told), were busy this weekend. There are plenty of sales, but the important things I could hope for can’t be found, discounted or not, on store shelves. Aside from good health and world peace, my list would include some items that feature extra helpings of political nostalgia and just desserts.
For starters, I’d like to have close political races in which the loser concedes promptly and gracefully. Al Gore bequeathed us not just environmental hysteria, but a new electoral tradition of heading to the courts after close contests. Norm Coleman appears to have won, but won’t “win” until the last court denies the final challenge and Sen. Harry Reid is convinced no good will come from sitting Al Franken by legislative fiat. This is a harmful and regrettable pattern which breeds ill will, paranoia, and litigation — an unholy trinity if there ever was one.
Next, I’d like a ban on “whither conservatism?” — and also “more or less God?” — columns. At some point pundits really need to get out of the way and let political leaders (ah, the people who run races and govern) find their own way. It matters not at all whether Kathleen Parker wants less religiosity. It matters much more whether Bobby Jindal can balance budgets and create a political following. Pundits really don’t pick the 2012 frontrunners; the voters do — in three years. (So ditto on the Sarah Palin “savior or curse?” missives. She’ll sink or swim on her own merits.)
After that I would like some straight talk on the auto bailout. How many congressmen drive GM cars? What’s the salary of the head of the UAW? How much did Big Labor give to the Democratic chairs of the committees which held hearings? You know, the important stuff. And better yet, how many cars would GM have to sell to pay back $10 billion in taxpayer “loans”? $100 billion?
Once we have that in our shopping basket, I’d like the repeal of McCain-Feingold. We’ve seen the demise of public financing as we know it thanks to the billion-dollar campaign of Barack Obama. And now we should see the end of the myriad of restrictions, limitations, and anti-free speech requirements that have made our electoral system a playground for lawyers. We might actually see this gift, now that Democrats have learned to love one free market, the market of campaign fundraising.
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Jennifer Rubin is PJM's Washington, DC, editor. She also blogs at Commentary’s Contentions.
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16 Comments
1. David Thomson:I have a simple wish for Christmas and the New Year: may the vast majority of Americans learn about creative destruction. Each and every economic improvement indirectly, if not directly, destroys existing jobs. The auto companies created in the early 20th century improved the lives of the masses—while destroying the livelihood of countless individuals employed in the horse and buggy industry. It is shocking that few well educated people are even familiar with this core economic truth. Such ignorance has resulted in a lot of avoidably stupid legislation and delayed progress. My wish might seem relatively modest, but it is extremely important.
Dec 9, 2008 - 12:42 am 2. cedarford:Next, I’d like a ban on “whither conservatism?” — and also “more or less God?” — columns. At some point pundits really need to get out of the way and let political leaders (ah, the people who run races and govern) find their own way. It matters not at all whether Kathleen Parker wants less religiosity. It matters much more whether Bobby Jindal can balance budgets and create a political following. Pundits really don’t pick the 2012 frontrunners; the voters do — in three years.
No, unfortunately, politics does not work on Jennifer Rubin’s expectations of a lieisure process where debate about if Republicans are a National Party or the Party of Southern Christian Evangelicals can wait 3 years.
You build strength and organization in the off-years. 2009 is all prepatory to whether or not Republicans can regain organizational strength outside the South and a few Mormon states and not lose complete control of Gov’t in 2010 by losing the Senate. Or the slide continues.
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Dec 9, 2008 - 3:08 am 3. G-Ma:First, I will disclose, I have a vested interest in US auto companies survival.
Dec 9, 2008 - 3:33 am 4. Valerie:I would also like to know the salary of the UAW union leaders. More important, how much has the UAW given to legislators for their PACS, instead
of monetary concesstions to their employers.
What is the added cost for mandates imposed by government agencies? Ex: EPA,etc.
Why have Sanators Shelby and McConnell fought against a loan for US owned companies? How many foreigned owned auto companies are in their states?
Do these foreign owned auto companies contribute to their PAC? How much?
If the US owned auto companies close, what will be the cost unemployment
benefits, healthcare (medicaide), mortgage foreclosures and loss of tax dollars to federal and state governments. When calculating these figures
include, all suppliers and vendors.
Jennifer,
That’s a fine list. So, keep asking. If our major news organizations had only asked the questions and transmitted the answers, they would be looking at bankruptcy, now.
Dec 9, 2008 - 4:31 am 5. David Thomson:“If the US owned auto companies close, what will be the cost unemployment”
You can also ask this question: If the US owned auto companies stay open via tax payer assistance, what will be the unemployment cost? You cannot save jobs no longer relevant without damaging the overall economy. Any money our elected officials might give to the automakers will simply be taken out of the pockets of other taxpayers. There will be less money to invest wisely and help reinvigorate a sluggish economy.
Dec 9, 2008 - 6:03 am 6. G-Ma:David Thomson, one of my points I was trying to convey is the cost to the US
Dec 9, 2008 - 6:50 am 7. cfbleachers:taxpayers with or without a loan to these companies. I am no economist but I do pay taxes. The employees from these companies plus part suppliers and
vendors will be collecting taxpayer funds when they have no job. Estimated
at 3 million people. Iknow! Iknow! I am not to good at explaining, please be
kind.
I do challege you on your remark about the US auto companies being relevant.
They are US owned companies that employ US citizens. They also operate globally and making profits in other countries. They make quality autos for
industry and personal use. These auto companies are definately relevant to
their employees and the states where they operate. These companies and employees pay taxes.
I too have a holiday wish list, in keeping with the spirit of the times:
1) I would like the “patina of journalistic respectability” to be sandblasted, scrubbed with a wire brush, scraped, retrofitted, repaired, and returned to its original lustre.
2)I would like my presents delivered this holiday season by Kris Kringle not Chris Tingle. One of them is a cherub-cheeked, assessor of who is naughty and who is nice, and pretends to bring gifts to the children who follow his rules. The other is known in some quarters as Santa Claus.
3)I would like for academia to hold an intellectual debate on campus on the subjects of indoctrination, denial of free speech, authoritarianism, and suppression of ideas are the topics. I would also like to see the debate invite an “against” team to participate for the first time in 40 years.
4) I would like to see Hollywood produce 7 blockbuster films, none of which portray American business, republicans, non-leftists, people of faith or the military…as evil incarnate. Roger Simon writes the scripts, and none of the actors winds up in rehab, divorced and with a book signing on how the rest of us should lead our lives.
5)I would like my information stream back. You know, the one where facts are facts, pictures are pictures, and documents are originals. And they are given to us without distortion, parsed, forgery, or deception.
6)I would like to see patriotism replace the “blame chic”, self-loathing that has become so de rigeur. And without smug and pedantic rules about the “right” kind, which seems to want to eliminate our flag and our anthem, important symbols of our unity.
7)And I would like to see us take the election of our highest officials a bit more seriously. Vetting and nomination of candidates bringing us the best and the brightest, who seek to serve not themselves at the banquet table of cronyism and graft, but us, for the greater good.
And for Minnesota to take part in that process of nomination of individuals for higher elected office in government, not an insomniac’s infomercial. Enough with Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Al “Nothing but an Ass” Franken. Let the humiliation of your elected official from your state be a surprise, not a given, like the rest of us.
Dec 9, 2008 - 7:40 am 8. cfbleachers:(one last wish, an “edit” button on comments, so that when I am constantly interrupted or in a hurry, I can read, then edit my comments.
I too have a holiday wish list, in keeping with the spirit of the times:
1) I would like the “patina of journalistic respectability” to be sandblasted, scrubbed with a wire brush, scraped, retrofitted, repaired, and returned to its original lustre.
2)I would like my presents delivered this holiday season by Kris Kringle not Chris Tingle. One of them is a cherub-cheeked, an assessor of who is naughty and who is nice, and who pretends to bring gifts to the adoring and simple children who follow his rules. The other is known in some quarters as Santa Claus.
3)I would like for academia to hold an intellectual debate on campus on the subjects of indoctrination, denial of free speech, authoritarianism, and suppression of ideas. I would also like to see the debate invite an “against” team to participate for the first time in 40 years.
4) I would like to see Hollywood produce 7 blockbuster films, none of which portray American business, republicans, non-leftists, people of faith or the military…as evil incarnate. Roger Simon writes the scripts, and none of the actors winds up in rehab, divorced and with a book signing on how the rest of us should lead our lives.
5)I would like my information stream back. You know, the one where facts are facts, pictures are pictures, and documents are originals. And they are given to us without distortion, parsed words, forgeries or deception.
6)I would like to see patriotism replace the “blame chic”, self-loathing that has become so de rigeur. And without smug and pedantic rules about the “right” kind, which seems to want to eliminate our flag and our anthem, important symbols of our unity.
7)And I would like to see us take the election of our highest officials a bit more seriously. Vetting and nomination of candidates bringing us the best and the brightest, who seek to serve not themselves at the banquet table of cronyism and graft, but us, for the greater good.
And for Minnesota to take part in that process of nomination of individuals for higher elected office in government, not as an insomniac’s infomercial. Enough with Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Al “Nothing but an Ass” Franken candidates. Let the humiliation of your elected official from your state be not a given, but come as a surprise, like the rest of us.
Dec 9, 2008 - 7:59 am 9. Jim Baker:The cars and trucks still have to get built, whether it is the UAW/GM or the Japanese. Jobs will be there, just relocated to more competitive plants. If the UAW/GM can’t build the same quality car for the same cost, how do they compete? Currently, it costs UAW/GM about $2000 more to pay for labor on the building of one car. ( Average wages for UAW/GM workers is about $150,000/year. Average wages for Toyota plants in the USA is about $100,000/year. $50,000/year times 200,000 UAW/GM workers is $10 billion/year. ) Time for UAW/GM to get real. I think an auto worker can make it on $100,000. If UAW/GM decide to become competitive, very few jobs would be lost. Competitively speaking, this labor union has destroyed GM, and with full co-operation from GM. When a company no longer cares what it’s labor costs are, it will be like what they said after they cut the tail off the proverbial monkey.
Dec 9, 2008 - 8:10 am 10. Thinking Person:G-Ma….I think you can rest assured that if the big 3 bailout doesn’t go through now, it surely will after Obama’s anointing in January. I am vehemently against it though. The automakers should have to reorganize which they will NEVER do if bailed out now and again next year and over and over and over. Bad decisions were made at the top, the company was bent over by the union bosses and unfortunately for you apparently the unsuspecting workers were at their mercy. I feel bad for you and others who will lose their jobs in all of this turmoil truly but there are so many others out in this great country of ours without HUGE retirement packages and HUGE healthcare packages that will also lose their jobs with no hope of a bailout. Sometimes it is truly a bitter pill but I don’t think you should worry. The unions have dear leader Obama’s you-know-whats in a vice and he’ll come through for them and you. It’s the rest of us tax-payers that will then need to be bailed out. Will Obama do the same for us then? Will you feel for us too G-Ma?
Dec 9, 2008 - 10:28 am 11. David Thomson:“The employees from these companies plus part suppliers and
vendors will be collecting taxpayer funds when they have no job.”
I agree completely with the above comments of Jim Baker. Somebody is still going to build and sell cars. Some people may indeed lose their jobs—but others will be hired. The net loss may be next to zilch, and there could even be an increase in hiring. These three companies should go bankrupt so that these matters can be sorted out. A bailout only delays the inevitable and makes the ultimate resolution that much more difficult.
I once lived next door to a large apartment complex that went bankrupt. The buyers paid about ten cents on the dollar for the remaining assets. They turned the property into a thriving community! This, by the way, is often the result of bankruptcy. The process must be endured. It simply cannot be avoided.
Dec 9, 2008 - 10:46 am 12. Suzi:My Christmas wish list? “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” for ALL Americans.
My daughter has more to say at http://www.gingiedmonds.com
Dec 9, 2008 - 1:44 pm 13. G-Ma:Thinking Person thanks for your remarks. I did not vote for Obama. Actually,
Dec 9, 2008 - 2:05 pm 14. Confused in Virginia:we probably agree more than we disagree. I have never worked for an auto
company but retired from a large health insurance company. The huge healthcare packages you mention do not exist. The huge retirement packages
don’t exist except possibily at the executive level. Retirement is supplemented by paying into a 401k. Which is now in the tank.
David Thompson-if only the the economy could be solved as easily as turning around an apartment complex.
I listened to the hearing today on Freddie and Frannie. The economist are
projecting 8 million more mortgage foreclosures. Those who have a car may be
living in it.
I do think I prefer someone “work” for their govenment money, instead of
staying home and having it mailed to them.
This is a good wish list, as are the additions to it. My wish is for good health for everyone, as I am battling several chronic illnesses that will eventually kill me – maybe I should wish to be healed – don’t know about that one, it sounds selfish.
The only other thing I would wish for, is for politicians to be required to resign their position in government – i.e. senators, congressmen and women, governors – prior to running for another office. This last presidential race lasted almost two years. I think it’s rediculous to be paid for a job that you’re not performing. I don’t care whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat, you want to run for a certain office, take a chance, but don’t expect to be paid for running for office.
Dec 11, 2008 - 12:21 am 15. Jim:I wish for Jesus to pop out of those clouds and scare those evil people to death.
Dec 11, 2008 - 1:16 pm 16. Dr. Shalit:Everyone -
Regarding “Card-Check” – and I say this as a former Union Committeeman, Pray Tell – why do we see the institution of Secret Ballot Union Representational Elections as a reform IN MEXICO – and an Impediment in the USA?
-S-
Dec 13, 2008 - 5:16 pm