As some of you may recall, I spent the day after the presidential election listening to Peggy Lee and wondering “is that all there is?” As I said at the time:

“I truly do feel like I just don’t care all that much. We get what we ask for, and apparently the majority of the country asked for a change that had never been clearly defined.

That’s fine. I’ll go along for the ride. I am, if nothing else, good at seeing the forest (while occasionally slamming into the trees), and love nothing more than to see people get EXACTLY what they asked for.”

In response, long-time Venomite Will Wallace made a prediction that halfway through Obama’s first 100 days his supporters would emit a collective gasp as they realized their Wunderkid was, indeed, just another politician full of hot air. But let’s hear it from Will in his own words:

I’m predicting that if you step outside about 10:16 am Eastern Time on March 18, 2009 and listen very closely you’ll be able to hear a multitude of Obama voters saying, in unison, “What the F***!?!?”

This election reminds me of the ‘none of the above’ polls that are so common early in primary races.

Candidate 1 gets 27% of the vote
Candidate 2 gets 19% of the vote
and “None of the Above” gets 54% of the vote

And while it appears on the surface to be a rejection of both candidates- if you forced the 54% to identify who they would vote for- it’s probably a mix of 70-100 people none of which would garner more than 8-10% support.

Obama- with the help of a criminally negligent press- was able to run as ‘none of the above’; or more accurately he was able to run as all things to all people.

And so while he won the election- whatever policies he enacts are sure to offend a portion of the people who supported him. By the time March rolls around and his supporters realize that:

• the fairness doctrine is much more likely to silence left wing radio than right wing radio (right wing is financially viable enough to go satellite or even off-shore while left wing struggles in most markets)
• that tax cut they’re hoping to see will disappear faster than a 747 on a David Copperfield special
• national security will be tested until we respond- and if there are three words that go together to form a triangle of inadequacy they are: liberal- military- quagmire
• being black is no more a qualification than it is a disqualification.
• the reason congress’ approval ratings are so low is because they’ve been trying to do many of the things that Obama champions.

Remember March 19- 10:16 am- take a moment- walk outside and listen as an entire block of young idealistic voters gets their grades back from their first political pop-quiz.

It’s a relatively soft lesson- traditionally zealots are the first to be lined up against a wall and shot- they’re just too hard to keep in line.

So, how’d Will do?

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Given the 1,079 pages of mind-numbing legislation, it’s no surprise to learn that the President didn’t read the economic stimulus bill in its entirety before signing it yesterday. As Kim points out, who has time to read something that long? In fact, the thing is so notoriously chock full of various allocations and spending items that it borders on unintelligible.

That, of course, would ordinarily be a ripe source of commentary and quips for comedians were we living in a country when it was still okay to make fun of politicians.

But such jokes are now verboten because they’re racist, don’t you know? No, really: just ask the folks at HuffPo who have their hemp panties in a wad over a cartoon in today’s NY Post which visually makes that very point. (Note the dead monkey.)

Yeah, it could never be a funny reference to the infinite monkey theorem, could it? Oh for the days when late night comedians, talking about this bill, could have quipped: “You think it takes forever to read the stimulus plan? Think about those thousand monkeys who had to slave* around the clock at their typewriters to come up with it!” (That’s how Gizmodo gets their blog entries, apparently.)

*Aw, gee. I just typed the word slave. I’m not supposed to do that either these days, am I?

UPDATE: Chris Muir explains how President Obama managed to read the bill in its entirety, line by line. (Drink alert.)

I’m no economist. In fact, I can’t even claim to have taken an economics class. So if the following seems clueless and simplistic, please (nicely) help me see where my reasoning is wrong.

See, I’ve been thinking about how our childrens’ children will wind up footing the bill for this stimulus plan. And that got me to wondering… by the same logic, doesn’t that mean that WE have been paying for the FDR deals that helped our grandparents out of The Great Depression?

If that’s the case, perhaps there’s some kind of tie between being burdened with a previous generation’s debts and a tanking present economy.

In other words, did yesterday’s signing of the economic stimulus bill essentially seal the deal guaranteeing another, possibly greater, financial crisis for our grandchildren?

As if I didn’t already find President Obama annoying enough, the man interrupted my daily TMZ viewing to announce he’d signed the economic stimulus bill.

My first impression: just twenty-nine days in office and his hair already noticeably more gray. Guess losing sleep wondering how to keep all of the promises made to different voter blocs with competing interests will do that to a person.

Then I felt bad for being so superficial, so I tried paying attention. After noticing that he was stumbling far more in this speech than ever before, I couldn’t help wonder if maybe even he was having a hard time buying the line of B.S. coming out of his mouth.

In case you are one of those fortunate enough to be employed — and therefore unable to watch either TMZ or the Obama show during the day — the gist of the speech was:

Blah, blah, blah. This here plan isn’t going to fix everything. Blah, blah, blah. Don’t expect miracles. In fact, we’re not sure if it’s going to fix a damn thing at all. Blah, blah, blah. Oh, we’re already working on a second stimulus bill because we realize this one is fucked up. Blah, blah, blah. Also, anyone who doesn’t agree with me is a weenie engaging in partisan politics.

Or something like that.

Meanwhile, the Dow Jones closed -297.81, a sign that businesses aren’t buying Obama’s blather, either.

Which just goes to show that you can put frosting on a pile of shit but it is still a pile of shit.

Quote of the day:

Why is it that the same people who think we can’t afford the Iraq War when the economy was strong thinks we can afford the stimulus when the economy is weak? Why do the same people who constantly complained about the government using fear of terror to consolidate power and increase spending turn a blind eye when their party does the same thing using economic fears? I find it worse than dangerous when people start putting party over principle — something both sides of the aisle are guilty of.

From Thinking on the Margin, via Sophistpundit.

I’ll say this for President-elect Obama: he has balls. Ten official balls, at last count, where he’ll personally be on display. Who knows how many unofficial ones there will be?

But here’s the thing about Obama’s balls: they’re big. And while his staff claims he’s got the first-ever Neighborhood Ball, the neighborhood around the White House pretty much threw their own ball when they stormed the president’s house after Andrew Jackson was elected. (His balls were apparently too small for their liking.)

Of course, taxpayers need not fret: we’re not footing the bill for Obama’s big balls. That’s the job of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which has been busily raising funds to fete Obama’s balls. Sure, actors and other artsy types are happy to fork over $10,000 per head for one of Obama’s balls — and Oprah hasn’t named her going rate yet — but even those steep prices don’t cover the entire expense associated with his balls.

Taxpayers will pay in part for Obama’s balls by footing the bill for House and Senate members to plan the inauguration and balls, by paying for the preparation of alternate locations in the event of inclement weather, by paying for the archiving of documents relating — however tangentially — to the inauguration itself. Oh, and we’ll also pay for the massive security force (Secret Service, Capitol Police, U.S. Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard) needed to not only secure D.C. and the various environs of Obama’s balls, but to also screen each and every individual who personally attends Obama’s balls.

Perhaps this is what Michelle Obama meant when she said Obama would make us work? Even though she may have warned us, it’s rather infuriating to realize we, too, are now tasked with the responsibility of supporting Obama’s balls although few of us can afford our own. And, meanwhile, we’re all getting the shaft.

Tonight’s the night when Barack Obama’s 30-minute commercial will air on CBS, NBC, Fox, Univision, BET, MSNBC and TV One. That’s right: all your channels will belong to him except for the Disney Channel, much to the relief of Obama’s kid who also doesn’t want to be forced to watch him.

Personally, I think his strategy is going to backfire. People are sick of this election, but they’re also sick of not being able to afford to go out to the movies or for dinner as entertainment. I have to wonder how many people, stuck at home, are going to resent Obama’s choice to preempt their chance to relax. Talk about being out of touch with the average working person….

My latest Pajama Media article is up and it’s not open for interpre-ta-tion.

John Hawkins at Right Wing News has rounded up the 20 most obnoxious anti-Palin quotes so far.

My favorite:

“They shouldn’t have the right to call themselves Christian, for they have no Christ-like attributes. I am a feminist and a Christian - and when I see Sarah Palin - I see neither. And it is official. She is evil.” — Margaret Cho

Guess Cho doesn’t think that whole bit Jesus said about “let him without sin cast the first stone” applies to Feminists.

If Obama’s, and now Biden’s, ties to convicted fraudulent fundraiser Tony Rezko weren’t enough to show that whatever “experience” Obama might have it’s not the kind we need in Washington, the “candidate of change’s” ties to a domestic terrorist should make that point perfectly clear.

Only problem is, if you aren’t plugged in to the internet you might never hear about those ties because Obama’s campaign has launched a letter-writing campaign to stop television networks from airing the ad while calling for the DOJ to investigate the PAC behind it. (.pdf file)

Here’s the ad they don’t want you to see:

If this is how Obama treats the right to free speech of those who oppose him while he’s campaigning, what should we expect if he does get elected?

As Michelle Malkin asked: “Will they come after bloggers next?” Unfortunately, it appears the answer is YES: self-described “anarchists” at the DNC are calling for Malkin’s death as I type this.

H/T to Glenn for the video.

UPDATE: More from Jonah Goldberg:

But it runs even deeper than you might think. Consider Bernadine Dohrn, Ayers’ wife and the co-host of Obama’s career-launching fundraiser. When she was in the Weather Underground she was one of those members typically fascinated with Charles Manson (I discuss this briefly in my book). Speaking of Manson’s famous murders she exclaimed, “Dig It! First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them, they even shoved a fork into a victim’s stomach! Wild!” In appreciation, her Weather Underground cell made a threefingered “fork” gesture its official salute.

UPDATE TWO: Read the American Issues Project’s response pointing out that if the DOJ investigates conservative groups and their donors, as Obama’s letter called for, then similar investigations should be carried out on liberal groups and their supporters, too.

While pundits still ponder what could possibly have motivated Obama to pick Biden as his running mate, maybe it’s as simple as former fundraiser they shared in common: Tony Rezko, who earlier this year was convicted on 16 corruption-related felony charges.

Obama, it turns out, had more ties with Rezko than we’ve been previously led to believe. Back when Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review his name made the local papers. That caught the eye of David Brint, a vice president at Tony Rezko’s company, Rezmar.

“I just cold-called him,” Brint said in an interview.

Brint said he wanted to know if Obama would come work for Rezmar, developing housing for the poor — something Obama had expressed interest in, according to the story Brint had read. Brint arranged for Obama to meet Rezko, but Obama didn’t take the job.

Obama, who has a law degree from Harvard, subsequently returned to Chicago to lead a voter-registration drive in 1992.

The next year, Obama joined Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland, a 12-lawyer firm that specialized in helping develop low-income housing. The firm’s top partner, Allison S. Davis, was, and is, a member of the Chicago Plan Commission, appointed by Mayor Daley. Davis was also a friend of Rezko. Davis and Rezko would eventually go into business together, developing homes.

As an attorney, Obama worked for Davis’ small Chicago firm, Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland. They represented Tony Rezko’s company, Rezmar and helped Rezko’s company obtain more than $43 million in government funding to rehab homes for the poor. Four years later, residents in many of those buildings spent five weeks shivering in the dead of winter because Rezko’s company didn’t pay the heating bill.

It was Rezko who organized Obama fundraisers in his own home, although the candidate can’t recall the precise amounts generated. Now, though, Obama claims he and his wife only socialized with the Rezkos “two or three times a year” and weren’t very close, but Obama asked Tony Rezko to tour his home before buying the place in 2005 because he wanted Rezko’s opinion. And, of course, it was Rezko’s wife who bought the lot next to the Obama’s house when they couldn’t afford to do so, then later sold a strip of it to Obama for well over market value. (That was, of course, before Rezko was convicted for kickback schemes.)

Likewise, although Obama claims he never did Rezko any favors, nine years ago Obama wrote a series of letters on Rezko’s behalf to obtain financing for one of Rezko’s real estate schemes.

The deal included $855,000 in development fees for Rezko and his partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama’s former boss, according to records from the project, which was four blocks outside Obama’s state Senate district.

Obama’s letters, written nearly nine years ago, for the first time show the Democratic presidential hopeful did a political favor for Rezko — a longtime friend, campaign fund-raiser and client of the law firm where Obama worked — who was indicted last fall on federal charges that accuse him of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Gov. Blagojevich.

(Obama’s campaign has since claimed his letters weren’t intended as a favor to Rezko but, rather, for the community of Chicago.)

Now Biden turns out to have ties to Rezko, too, through Joe Cari, a longtime Rezko associate. Biden’s long-time advisor and friend of 30 years, Joseph Cari, helped Biden with his presidential runs both earlier this year and in 1988. He’s also a financial contributor to Biden’s campaign.

Investigated as part of the Rezko probe, Cari was indicted in 2005 although he later cut a deal with federal prosecutors under which he pled guilty to extortion in exchange for other charges being dropped. As part of the deal, Cari admitted to helping a Rezko associate make telephone calls as part of one of the kickback schemes for which Rezko was later convicted. Cari’s sentencing has been delayed while he cooperates with the investigation. (Rezko’s sentencing is scheduled for October.)

Cari’s ties extend to Obama as well, having served as a “top-level Democratic operative” and “money man” as Obama transitioned from state to U.S. Senator. Cari was also Biden’s “Midwest field director” prior to pleading guilty to participation in an $850,000 kickback scheme overseen by, you guessed it, Rezko.

For a ticket running on a platform of change and reform, the Obama-Biden camp certainly seems determined to continue playing Chicago-style politics.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden: sure, they may have some experience, but is it the honest kind?

Not long ago, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter was asked why he didn’t think he’d be a good choice for the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee. Said Ritter:

I’ve been governor for 18 months. It’s been a great experience. But it’s just 18 months…Obama has to think about experience…levels of experience…

Not surprisingly, he immediately backed off from his statement because, after all, Obama himself only has 143 days of actual Senate experience yet believes he’s qualified to lead the free world.

To put things in perspective, it’s been barely over 143 days since Obama made his “typical white person” remark. (The coffee cup declaring that you’re a T.W.P. is still available.)

And it’ll be longer than 143 days before the next President is sworn in.

Yeah, he’s got that little experience. Perhaps that’s what he really meant about the “audacity of hope”.

(With all due apologies to — and a lingering guilty fondness for — the Bee Gees.)

Tellin’ You Lies

Well you can tell by the way I like to talk,
I’m a politician who doesn’t walk the walk.
That American flag on my lapel pin?
I’ll wear one now if it’ll help me win.
And now it’s all right. I say it’s OK,
Please everyone look the other way.
I don’t really understand
Why the New York Times turned against me, man.

Whether you’re a brother or someone else’s mother
I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Feel my poll lead slippin’ and all the Dems are flippin’
So I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, I’m tellin’ you liiiieeeees.

Well now I used to feel low and so I got high,
Read ’bout it in my book for $7.99.
I act like the Second Coming right down to my shoes,
Long as you don’t know it’s an act I just can’t lose.
And now it’s all right. I say it’s OK,
Please everyone look the other way.
I don’t really understand
Why the New York Times turned against me, man.

Whether you’re a brother or someone else’s mother
I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Feel my poll lead slippin’ and all the Dems are flippin’
So I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, I’m tellin’ you liiiieeeees.

My promises mean nothing. Pretend you don’t see.
Pretend you don’t see, yeah.
My promises mean nothing. Pretend you don’t see.
Pretend you don’t see. Tellin’ you lieeeees.

Whether you’re a brother or someone else’s mother
I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Feel my poll lead slippin’ and all the Dems are flippin’
So I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, I’m tellin’ you liiiieeeees.

My promises mean nothing. Pretend you don’t see.
Pretend you don’t see, yeah.
My promises mean nothing. Pretend you don’t see.
Pretend you don’t see. Tellin’ you lieeeees.
HA, yeah!

Dems interested in watching the Obama coronation ceremony in Denver can’t just show up expecting a free seat. Oh, sure the campaign wants supporters there, but with a catch: they’ve got to earn their way.

In a half-hour interview Wednesday with The Denver Post, Obama’s deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand, said he wants to use the ticketing process as a massive recruitment tool meant to bring in supporters from all 50 states and energize them to carry the campaign into the final 60 days of the general election.

“We’re going to ask those 80,000 people in that stadium to march out of there and go with very specific instructions and goals to register millions of new voters,” Hildebrand said. [...]

The Democratic National Convention Committee will work with the campaign and with state party officials to distribute the community credentials. Formulas for the states and longtime supporters and a small percentage of overflow, or standby, credentials are being worked out.

Hildebrand said that to ensure that the campaign fills the stadium, the application process becomes in and of itself a recruiting tool.

“Every single person is going to be a level of seriousness,” Hildebrand said. “You know, ‘Tell us how you’re going to get there from Maine. Tell us how you’re going to get there from Florida. Give us a sense of whether or not you’re really serious about this. If you’re not, we’re going to provide someone else with this.’ ”

Those who want a seat will begin the process at their local Democratic Party office. While demonstrating their ability to attend, they also will be encouraged to sign on to the campaign as volunteers.

“They fill out a form; there’s a conversation,” Hildebrand said. “We ask them and encourage them to register voters and to get out the vote and those activities that are important to us. It’s not a requirement, but it’s going to be an encouragement.”

Now we know what Michelle Obama meant when she said “he will make you work.” Just remember she also warned that Barack Obama “will demand you leave your homes” and “Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual…”.

Welcome to the land of forced free labor. We on the right have been subjected to it for years as our incomes have been taxed to pay for all of your lame-brain Nanny State ideas. I’d recommend packing extra undies if I were you — it sounds like Obamessiah has the next 4 years of your lives pretty much planned already.

Indeed.