No Compassionate Conservative Tears For John Murtha (1932-2010) February 8, 2010

I cannot tell a lie.  When I heard the news of the death of John Murtha (D-PA) after complications from gall bladder surgery,  I did not have one moment of concern. Quite honestly,  what did come to mind was Murtha’s words describing his own constituents as “rednecks” during the 2008 presidential campaign.

“There’s still folks that have a problem voting for someone because they are black. This whole area, years ago, was really redneck.–John Murtha

Comments like the one above are what made me despise the race baiting and sparring between the high brow liberal elites and so called “Joe Six Pack” common folk.   If you initially refused to vote for Barack Obama , John Murtha and the Democrats were going to white guilt you all the way to your local polling station.

My second response to the death of Murtha involves his lack of respect for our troops fighting in the Iraq war.  Listening to Mutha’s  hasty remarks in  May 2006 branding  a squad of Marines who stormed a house in Haditha, Iraq  after a roadside bomb attack  as “cold blooded killers”  it was hard to believe that Murtha, a military veteran himself would utter such things before an official investigation was launched.

Still we mush honor the lives of the dead and I would like to included an interesting except from Vanity Fair magazine December 2006.  A simple Proust questionnaire which shows the Murtha behind the controversial remarks.  As we on the right wonder what will become of his vacant House seat, we can only be amused by such light hearted trivia before the ensuing political hailstorm.

-ALS AFROCITY

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Good health.

What is your greatest fear?
I fear for the future of our country because of the direction this administration is taking us in with the debacles in Iraq. We’ve lost our credibility around the world, and our young people are going to have to foot the bill for this war well into the future.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Teddy Roosevelt as president: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Tip O’Neill as Speaker of the House: “All politics is local.”

Which living person do you most admire?
The wounded troops I visit almost every week in the hospitals. These young veterans inspire me because of their immense courage, their dedication to their country, and the obstacles they overcome every day.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Incompetence.

What is your favorite journey?
I’ve been all over the world during my 32 years in Congress, but my favorite trip is traveling back and forth from Washington to my district, in western Pennsylvania. I enjoy the solitude and peacefulness of the beautiful countryside. The real beauty of the trip comes during the fall months, when the leaves change their hues.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Reticence: the unwillingness to speak out when you feel it’s the right thing to do.

Which living person do you most despise?
I can’t imagine taking the time to actually despise anyone.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I say yes too often.

What is your greatest regret?
I have no regrets. I always look ahead.

When and where were you happiest?
I enjoy every day.

What is your current state of mind?
I love my job.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’m comfortable with who I am. I try to use my God-given resources to the best of my ability every day.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Yet to come …

What is your most treasured possession?
I have several: the letters and memorabilia I’ve been given over the years by people I’ve helped, my great-grandfather’s Civil War hat, two golf clubs President Clinton gave me on January 19, 2001—his very last day in office.

What is your most marked characteristic?
Early in my career, I used to sit by myself on the floor of the House to learn policies and procedures. Wilbur Mills, former chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, asked me why I was always by myself and what I was doing. When I told him, he gave me two pieces of advice that I’ve tried to live by and that I’ve become known for: specialize in one area, and always keep your word.

What is the quality you most like in a man?
Courage.

Who are your favorite writers?
Leo Tolstoy, Winston Churchill, and David McCullough.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Winston Churchill. He just couldn’t have been real.

What is it that you most dislike?
Exploitation, mischaracterization, and weakness.

What is your motto?
“Live every day to the fullest.”

Fly On The TARP Wall February 8, 2010

I wanted to alert my readers to a great excerpt printed in the Wall Street Journal from Henry Paulson’s new book entitled  On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System .

Paulson, is the former United States Treasury Secretary  and at one time was the CEO of Goldman Sachs.  The book excerpt in the WSJ concerns the now infamous McCain 2008 presidential campaign suspension meeting which lead to TARP.    The event made for  one of the most memorable and intense campaign debacles in modern history.  John McCain and Barack Obama were about to meet for their first presidential debate and then the economic crisis hit the fan.   McCain appeared flustered and suffering from knee jerk-itis  while Obama was calm, cool and unaffected ( We would later find that this is Obama’s normal demeanor with everything from paper cuts to oh say overly endowed Muslim Nigerian citizens with snakes on airplanes—pretty much everything).

The dick measuring contest centered around who could handle the financial meltdown the quickest while appearing the most presidential.

From this excerpt in the Wall Street Journal

FEBRUARY 6, 2010

When Mr. McCain Came to Washington

Inside the White House meeting where Obama called McCain’s bluff: ‘I could see Obama chuckling’

By HENRY M. PAULSON JR.

…When the hearing recessed, I went into [Democratic Massachusetts Rep.] Barney Frank’s office and called [White House Chief of Staff] Josh Bolten to tell him in no uncertain terms that I thought it was dangerous for McCain to return. Josh said the White House was equally frustrated. McCain wanted a meeting at the White House, and the president felt he had no choice but to accommodate him.

I called Obama right away. He said that he would try to be as constructive as possible but that the Democrats were doing their part and I had better keep in touch with McCain. The president was scheduled to give a major speech that evening making the case for TARP, but news of McCain’s decision to suspend his campaign dominated the rest of the afternoon.

We’d devised TARP to save the financial system. Now it had become all about politics—presidential politics. I wondered what McCain could have been thinking. Calling a meeting like this when we didn’t have a deal was playing with dynamite.

At 2:25 the following afternoon. I spoke with John McCain, who had just returned to Washington. The call did nothing to ease my mind. “We have to protect the American taxpayers,” he told me, pointing out that nothing would get done in Congress without the House Republicans. They didn’t like our proposal and I needed to listen more carefully to them, he said.

“John, our system is on the edge,” I told him. “WaMu barely got bailed out today. Several other institutions are on the brink. If we don’t get something done soon, this economy is going to collapse.”

I was so concerned that McCain would do or say something rash that I resorted to a veiled threat: “I’m not a politician, but if you or anyone else does something that causesthis system to collapse, it is not going to just be on me. I am going to go and say what I think to the American people.”

I will let you  be the judge, all I can say is:

Autographed Letter Signed,

AFROCITY