Hat tip to Larwyn:
“Are We A Banana Republic?”March 21st, 2009John Hinderaker asks, Are We A Banana Republic?
If the Pelosi bill is actually enacted into law (which I still think is doubtful) and upheld by the courts, there is no limit to the arbitrary power of Congress. In that event, we have no property rights and there is no Constitution–no equal protection clause, no due process clause, no impairment of contracts clause, no bill of attainder/ex post facto law clause. Instead, we are living in a majoritarian tyranny. As I explained here, there is nothing wrong with the AIG bonuses and no reason why they should be repaid. But even if you think it was wrong for AIG to pay them, Pelosi’s proposed confiscatory tax–total taxes would exceed 100 percent in some jurisdictions–is an outrage. If Congress can appease a howling mob of demagogues by enacting discriminatory tax legislation against a group of people who are, for the moment, politically unpopular, even though the vast majority of them have nothing to do with the supposed problems that have given rise to popular outcry–imagine, say, Congress enacting a surtax on the incomes of all homosexuals in response to a notorious case of homosexual molestation–then the idea that the Constitution affords us any sort of protection against arbitrary government power is an illusion.As far as Pelosi goes, maybe we should be asking “are we a banana republic yet?”Don Surber, whose 60 days/64 mistakes is the most comprehensive list of Obama gaffes, goofs and missteps I’ve seen. Thank you, Don, for doing this important, difficult work of keeping track of all this. A towering accomplishment I’m taking the liberty of reproducing in its entirety here, as I try to amass a gaffeological library. A new Alexandria, encompassing all the gaffes of the known Obamaworld.1. Most expensive inauguration. Ever.
2. Appointing tax cheat Tim Geithner.
3. Appointing under investigation Bill Richardson.
4. Appointing tax cheat Tom Daschle.
5. Appointing Marc Rich and terrorist pardoning Eric “Nation of Cowards” Holder.
6. Appointing Janet “Man Caused Disasters” Napolitano.
7. Appointing Hilda Solis (OK, her husband has the tax liens).
8. Appointing anti-Semitic Charles Freeman Jr.
9. Appointing tax cheat Ron Kirk.
10. Appointing fund-raising cheat Gary Locke.
11. Appointing under investigation Adolfo Carrion.
12. Bumping his head on the Marine One helicopter.
13. Banning offshore oil again.
14. Funding abortions overseas.
15. Using the word “crisis” 25 times in a speech, then later complaining that people are too negative about the economy.
16. Letting Nancy Pelosi write the $787 billion “stimulus’ plan.
17. Relying on Tim Geithner to explain it.
18. Putting Joe Biden in charge of making sure the stimulus money is not — wink, wink, nudge, nudge — misspent.
19. Setting the Oval Office thermostat at 80.
20. Going to a press conference without a TelePrompTer. I… Uhh… Umm… Could you repeat the question?
21. Using a TelePrompTer at a press conference. Big boys don’t need training wheels.
22. Opening a press conference with: “Good evening, everybody. Please be seated. Before I take your questions tonight, I’d like to speak briefly.” 1,228 words later he took his first question.
23. Ethics waivers.
24. Going after Rush Limbaugh.
25. Going after Rick Santelli.
26. Going after Jim Cramer.
27. Trying to run the Census out of the White House.
28. Adopting the motto: “Never waste a good crisis.”
29. Writing a love letter to Vlad and Dmitry.
30. Throwing Poland under the bus.
31. Throwing Tibet under the bus.
32. Throwing Israel under the bus.
33. Taking Cuba out from under the bus.
34. Ticking off Switzerland by having his tax cheat go after the tax cheats in Switzerland. Cognitive dissonance.
35. Saying: “Karzai has a bunker mentality.”
36. Reaching out to the Taliban.
37. Iran has plans to Marine One helicopters.
38. Explaining his refusal to work with Republicans with the words: “I won.”
39. Having a BlackBerry that can easily be hacked by the Chinese.
40. Saying to the people of Peoria: “If Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off.” CEO: No. There will be more layoffs.
41. He gave a gift to the “wrong region” to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
42. Making the president of Brazil change his meeting so O’Bama could celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
43. Telling the American people: “You can’t take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers’ dime.” Vegas convention bookings nosedive.
44. Serving $100-a-pound wagyu — on the taxpayers’ dime.
45. Sending a “reset” button to Russia, presumably to diss the last 70 years of America standing up to communism.
46. Having the “reset” button say “overcharged.”
47. Taking a 4-day holiday weekend before signing “emergency” legislation.
48. Stiffing Chicago for nearly $2 million for that Election Night party.
49. Telling Caroline Kennedy she would, you know, make, um a good, you know, senator.
50. Bombing Pakistan.
51. Sending the bust of Sir Winston Churchill back to the British.
52. Telling reporters privately: “President Obama has accomplished more in 30 days than any president in modern history.”
53. Walking into a White House window thinking it was a door.
54. Signing an order that doctors must perform abortions, in violation of the Hippocratic Oath.
55. Signing earmarks while denouncing them.
56. Adding signing statements while denouncing them.
57. Quadrupling the deficits, while denouncing them.
58. Considering having the VA charge veterans for service-related injuries.
59. Thanking himself in a Teleprompter malfunction.
60. Banning pilots from carrying guns on airplanes.
61. Trade war with Mexico over 97 trucks.
62. Saying his bowling is “like the Special Olympics.”
63. Saying he didn’t know the AIG bonuses were included in the bailout package he signed.
64. Banning the press from covering his acceptance of a press association award