Thursday, October 27, 2011

Obama the Anti-Regulator!!

An Obama campaign press release today (sent to all of us diehard supporters of the O) proclaims that "Obama Has Approved Fewer Regulations Than Bush Up To This Point." Of course, if you read the report, as opposed to the press release, the thesis of the press release collapses (I can only imagine how much the phrase "Up To This Point" needs to be unpacked). Why? Because of this key paragraph in the article Obama Has Approved Fewer Regulations Than Bush Up To This Point, Analysis Finds:
Obama has approved 4.7 percent fewer rules than Bush had at the same point in his presidency, but they cost businesses more, according to a Bloomberg News analysis. Obama's regulations are expected to cost businesses between $100 million and $4.1 billion more than Bush's, Bloomberg finds.
I should say that most conservatives wouldn't present Dubya as our standard on the issue of big gov't or regulation, but such disingenuous and deceptive spin isn't pretty. Hey, whatever it takes to win, right?

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Coke, WWF and global warming

You have to read DEEP into press releases on the campaign to see any reference to "climate change," so I'll give Coke credit for being savvy enough to want to have it both ways, but . . .Coca-Cola Can Goes White to Save the Polar Bear:
"This campaign is about working together to save one of the most important places on Earth," said Gerald Butts, President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada. "As sea ice continues to melt at alarming rates, polar bears and local communities alike are threatened. With Coca-Cola's support, we can expand our reach and impact to help chart a sustainable future for this critical Arctic ecosystem."
But that sure conflicts with the data,
'Arctic rent seekers experts tell us that the ice is melting “faster than predicted.” Interesting conclusion, given that US Navy PIPS2 data shows that since 2008 the area of 2.5+ metre ice has nearly doubled and now covers almost the entire Arctic Basin. NSIDC also shows that the area of multi-year ice has substantially increased since 2008'
.

. . . where I spontaneously say, "Jindal for President"

Rise of the Republican Reformers - Josh Kraushaar - NationalJournal.com
As Jindal demonstrates, advancing good policies is good politics. The wonky Jindal is far from a natural pol, but his hands-on approach allowed Louisiana to rebound beyond expectations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. As the Republican front-runner, Romney would be well-advised to take a cue from Jindal instead of worrying whether doing so would become fodder for Democratic attack ads in a general election. It’s called leadership, and it’s something voters across the political spectrum yearn for.