Morning Briefing for June 23, 2011

RedState Morning Briefing
For June 23, 2011

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1. Empty Sophistry, when directed at the War in Afghanistan, is still Empty Sophistry

Shortly after taking office in 2009, President Obama declared that a new strategy was forthcoming for the Afghan war. Over six months later, after weeks and weeks and weeks of “thoughtful deliberation” (and a few dozen rounds of golf), Obama used an awkward 45-minute appearance at West Point to boldly announce…that he was going to implement what amounted to the same strategy that President Bush and Secretary of Defense Gates had prepared just before the January 20, 2009 change of command. Bold and cutting-edge, that.Now, as America winds down its Iraq obligation and feckless NATO blunders about 10,000 feet over North Africa, the President has another Afghan announcement to make. This one, though, is supposed to represent great news for the American people: the nearly ten-year war in Afghanistan (which may as well still be on the Dark Side of the Moon as far as many Americans are concerned) is ending, and we’re declaring ourselves the victors! . . . .If, as has been said more recently, the goal was to “punish al Qaeda and the Taliban,” then that mission could have been declared accomplished by November 2001, and we all could have been spared the effort of, and the rhetoric which has accompanied, the Global War on Terror. If, on the other hand, the goal was to permanently remove the Taliban from power, neuter or destroy al Qaeda, and leave behind an Afghanistan that was domestically stable, secure, and free of terrorists, and which wasn’t a threat to its own free people, to its neighbors, or to the rest of the world…well, how many more decades do you have to give?Rather than address these questions head-on, of course, Obama declared tonight to be Arts and Crafts time and threw together a few of his favorite creations: Straw Men.Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Obama Agencies Announce Massive Attack on American Job Creators

Over the last year, the Obama Administration, through its regulatory agencies, has been conducting a quiet war on American business—those enterprises that are the nation’s job creators. Earlier this week, the union extremists in Obama’s Department of Labor and the “independent” National Labor Relations Board (the same agency that may cause 1,000 Boeing employees in South Carolina to lose their jobs) launched an all-out offensive designed to maximize unions’ ability to unionize the 93.1% of America’s private-sector employees who are union free.On Monday, using retread and biased psuedo-studies, the Department of Labor issued an expansive 160-page notice for proposed rule-making; request for comments. It is, in sum, a radical overhaul of the reporting requirements for employers who wish to remain union free and the consultants, lawyers, and firms that provide human resources, employee and labor relations services.Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Horserace for June 23, 2011

This week we find Jon Huntsman in the race officially. Rick Perry continues to look at getting in the race. And there’s a battle shaping up in Iowa.I’ll get into it all and how the candidates are stacked up.Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Republicans Urge Obama to Raise Fuel Efficiency by 100 percent

The Obama green dreams have recently been awarded assistance by nearly forgotten former Republicans officials, desperate to find relevance. The collection of fifteen former governors, congressmen & agency officials are joining in with the President and Democrats who have long been of the opinion that the American public will only do what’s “right” if they are left with no other options. In the world of green, this translates into higher efficiency standards.Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. When is a War not a War? When Obama is President and Libya is the Opponent

Last week, at House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) request, the Obama administration provided a brief (32 pages plus classified addenda) overview of its activities in Libya, its conversations with Congress about them, and its rationale for not needing Congressional approval to continue this war ad infinitem. The full document (minus the classified annexes) is available here in pdf form. Here are a few highlights.Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. It’s Official: You Must be an Eco-Socialist to Graduate in Maryland

It’s not like Maryland Democrats haven’t worked assiduously to earn the distinction of ‘least free state in the country‘ for their beloved Free State.Maryland high school students will now be required to pass green proficiency requirements in order to graduate. The Maryland state board of education will require public schools within the state to weave in eco-socialist propaganda to the general science curriculum. Sadly, due to flaccid opposition and complacency on the part of all of us, public schools across the country have already been doing this for quite some time. Maryland is merely the first state to consummate those requirements as part of the “official curriculum.” Please click here for the rest of the post.

7. The nonsensical, astroturf campaign against AT&T and T-Mobile

I’ve said before that the case against the AT&T/T-Mobile deal makes no sense. Not only does the historical record suggest that the merger will increase competition, but the actions of key players are the opposite of what we’d predict if the merger were expected to reduce competition and raise margins.There’s something more to it, though. That something is astroturf pushing a basic agenda of an expanded government role in the media. Why yes, the same forces were behind Net Neutrality that are now behind the anti-AT&T coalition, in addition to Sprint who wants to keep prices higher and competition lower, by preventing AT&T and T-Mobile from getting together and being more effective.Please click here for the rest of the post.

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