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I appeared yesterday on Silvio Canto Jr.'s talk show from Dallas.  It's here.

MARCH 1,  2011

YOU MEAN, SALVATION HASN'T COME? – AT 9:07 P.M. ET:  I'm so disappointed.  I figured, now that Barack Obama is in charge of General Motors, the company could do no wrong.  Every model would soar above the roads, owners would drive from N.Y. to L.A. in six and a half hours, the cars would increase in value every year, and there'd be no more climate change.

Not so fast.  It hasn't quite worked out.

The flagship of the "new" General Motors is the Chevy Volt, an electric car with a backup gasoline (sinful) engine.  The hype is that it will revolutionize driving, and is a historic development equal to the parting of the Red Sea.   No, that hasn't worked out either, as Reuters reports:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Co's (NYSE:GM - News) mostly electric Chevy Volt turned in a lackluster performance for efficiency in its first series of road tests by product raters at Consumer Reports.

"We would have really liked to have loved it," David Champion, director of Consumer Reports auto test center told Reuters on Monday after announcing the organization's top picks for 2011.

"It was fun to drive and the ride quality was pretty good. But when you look at the finances, for us it doesn't make any sense," Champion said.

He said consumers seeking value and top fuel efficiency would be better off buying a top-performing gasoline/electric hybrid like the Toyota Motor Corp (NYSE:TM - News; Tokyo:7203.T - News) Prius or a Fusion by Ford Motor Corp. (NYSE:F - News)

Champion's group rates ownership costs, reliability and performance in assessing value.

Consumer reports found that GM's first generation plug-in hybrid, which is the resurgent automaker's signature entry in the industry's drive for greater fuel efficiency, fell well short of its maximum range potential under battery power.

Champion said the Volt that Consumer Reports bought and tested ran for 26 miles before the vehicle's gasoline engine kicked in.

After promoting a 40-mile electric-only range for most of the Volt's development, GM last year introduced a sliding scale of between 25 and 50 miles.

The Toyota Prius, by contrast, gets 51 miles per gallon and the Ford Fusion gets 41 mpg.

And...

The Volt, which rolled off the assembly line in December, retails for about $41,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit. The baseline Prius sells for $23,000 while the Fusion hybrid costs about $28,000.

Typical.  Even with a federal subsidy, the thing is overpriced. 

I actually haven't seen a single Volt on the road.  If you've had any sightings, let me know.  I don't know why, but when I think of Volt the name "Edsel" comes to mind.  It's a puzzlement.

March 1, 2011      Permalink

CAMERON AS THE NEW WINSTON – AT 8:30 P.M. ET:  In the face of American presidential weakness, British Prime Minister David Cameron, of whom not much had been expected, has stepped forward as a vigorous foreign-policy leader, providing clarity where we provide "consultations."  British writer Nile Gardiner explains, in The Telegraph:

In the last few days the PM has projected strong British leadership on the Libya crisis, in marked contrast to his US counterpart, who has been distinctly underwhelming. He is winning plaudits across the Atlantic for his handling of the issue, with influential conservative publication The Weekly Standard praising his “Churchillian” statement in the House of Commons yesterday. Cameron’s recent landmark speech in Munich attacking multiculturalism and throwing down the gauntlet to militant Islamists was also widely praised in the United States, and stood in stark contrast to President Obama’s silence on the issue.

There’s no doubt about it – Britain is once again making its mark on the world stage after a period of decline under Gordon Brown, precisely at the same time that American leadership is sorely lacking. As I’ve written before, Britain may no longer be a superpower but it remains a world power, and still retains a key role in helping shape international affairs.

And in advancing this vision, Cameron is helped by a strong team of pro-Atlanticists with an important understanding of British history and her role in the world, including Defence Secretary Liam Fox, Foreign Secretary William Hague, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and Education Secretary Michael Gove. This a group that does firmly believe in British exceptionalism, in contrast to a US presidency that rejects the Reaganite concept of American exceptionalism.

COMMENT:  Cheers for Cameron.  Of course, he has to face down the British leftists, who'd like to see a socialist, disarmed Britain, and have no problem with Islamic extremism.  But Churchill had to face down the Neville Chamberlain crowd, and even parts of Britain's upper crust, who thought Hitler was just a passing nuisance...or who thought he was a great man.

George W. Bush was inconsistent, and is still in the shadow of Ronald Reagan.  But he was a giant compared to the high-school philosopher who now occupies the White House.  If we don't pay the price for this today, we will certainly pay it tomorrow.

March 1, 2011       Permalink 

CHRISTIE ON THE ATTACK – AT 9:13 A.M. ET:  Chris Christie of New Jersey, who defines the term, "effective governor," has repeatedly denied presidential ambitions.  But an appearance before the board of the conservative Hoover Institution has made a number of observers wonder.  From The Politico:

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stepped away from the National Governors Association's meeting today for a private talk before the board of the Hoover Institution, a well-heeled Republican-leaning group whose members left, I'm told, impressed -- and with a distinct sense that Christie is eager to keep his name in the national mix.

"It was not just a speech about what he was doing in New Jersey. He went after Obama and Obama’s policies over and over and over again," said one surprised attendee, who noted that Christie had just come from a meeting with the president to the Hoover board's annual winter meeting at the Willard InterContinental hotel. "I came away thinking that he’s trying to keep his options open."

Christie dwelled exclusively on domestic policy, and showed off a detailed grasp that impressed the wonky crowd, the source said. He talked about Medicaid at length, arguing that threats of cuts to children's health care are a red herring, because children's health care is so much cheaper than care for the elderly.

"What was strking was how many times he went after Obama, and not in trivial ways," the attendee said.

COMMENT:  Christie may be catching presidential fever, a chronic disease in politics, for which no cure has been developed.  He would have to run on a one-term record as governor of New Jersey, and his abrasive manner may not be everyone's cup of herbal tea.  And, as we've said here, it may be wrong and even offensive, but his weight will become an issue, if only a quiet one.

And yet, Christie is the kind of officeholder who demands attention.  He's done great things as governor of New Jersey, and, before that, as a U.S. attorney.  He's had more hands-on experience than Obama had when he ran for president, although Obama set the bar pretty low. 

Even though I have some doubts about Christie as a presidential candidate, he would certainly be the bolt from the blue the Republicans need.  No one ever accused him of being just the next guy in line.

March 1, 2011       Permalink

WHAT AMERICANS WANT – AT 8:53 A.M. ET:  A new poll indicates that most Americans are in tune with Republican demands for smaller government, but a significant number are not.  From Investor's Business Daily:

Americans are deeply split on the role of government, but the majority at this point think Washington should be smaller and provide fewer services, according to the latest IBD/TIPP poll.

Overall, nearly six in 10 (59%) Americans surveyed in February think the federal government has too much power, 31% believe it has the right amount of power and 7% say it has too little power.

Not surprisingly, 83% of Republicans and 72% of conservatives believe the government is too powerful. But 64% of independents and 62% of moderates feel the same way. Majorities of Democrats (52%) and liberals (54%) think the government has the right amount of power.

This political alignment of Republicans with independents and the ideological alignment of conservatives and moderates make small-government supporters a force to be reckoned with.

The breakdowns were similar when the 915 respondents were asked how big a government they preferred and how many services they desired. Overall, a majority (54%) prefer a smaller government providing fewer services, and 34% want a bigger government providing more services. Republicans prefer a small government by 80% to 13%, and independents prefer a smaller government by 62% to 27%. By contrast, Democrats prefer a bigger government by a 56%-28% spread.

And...

The ideological composition of the country is 42% conservative, 37% moderate and 19% liberal. By party, 33% are Democrats, 28% Republicans and 35% independents.

COMMENT:  Overall, favorable results for our side, although I'm surprised that Democrats still outnumber Republicans by five percent in the party-preference section.  Republicans will win their elections through a coalition of conservatives and independents.  That is why nurturing the independent vote is so critical for GOP success.  And that, in turn, is why Republicans must be wary of ideological absolutism.  Draw independents in.  Don't repel them.

March 1, 2011       Permalink

THE ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE OF THE UNITED NATIONS – AT 8:34 A.M. ET:  It is difficult to believe the mentality that grips parts of the U.N.  This is the same organization that seems to have the eternal respect of the man who occupies the White House.  From Fox:

As the United Nations works feverishly to condemn Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi for cracking down on protesters, the body's Human Rights Council is poised to adopt a report chock-full of praise for Libya's human rights record.

The review commends Libya for improving educational opportunities, for making human rights a "priority" and for bettering its "constitutional" framework. Several countries, including Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia but also Canada, give Libya positive marks for the legal protections afforded to its citizens -- who are now revolting against the regime and facing bloody reprisal.

Surprised to see Canada listed, as it's been terrific under Prime Minister Steve Harper.  Maybe there are still some old lefties in the Foreign Ministry who collaborated with this obscenity.

The U.S. mission in Geneva said it would look into the status of the document in response to a question about whether any efforts are being made to cancel or postpone consideration of the report. But an agenda put out by the United Nations in January said the Human Rights Council, of which Libya has been a member since last year, will "consider and adopt" the document at its session, which is under way and continues to the end of March.

COMMENT:  George W. Bush refused to let the United States join the Human Rights Council, as he understood exactly what it was – a front operation for some of the world's worst dictatorships.  Obama, by contrast, couldn't wait for the U.S. to join under his administration, arguing that we could "influence" the council.  Yeah, right.  You'll notice the heavy influence.

March 1, 2011      Permalink

LIBYAN REBELS REPEL GOVERNMENT ATTEMPT TO RETAKE CITIES – AT 8:10 A.M. ET:  The level of violence in Libya vastly exceeds any that we've seen in other Mideast countries, where revolution is in the air.  From Fox:

TRIPOLI, Libya – Government opponents in rebel-held Zawiya repelled an attempt by forces loyal to Muammar al-Qaddafi to retake the city closest to the capital in six hours of fighting overnight, witnesses said Tuesday.

The rebels, who include mutinous army forces, are armed with tanks, machine guns and anti-aircraft guns. They fought back pro-Qaddafi troops, armed with the same weapons, who attacked from six directions. There was no word on casualties in Zawiya, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli.

A similar attempt was made by pro-Qaddafi forces Monday night to retake the city of Misrata, Libya's third-largest city 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of Tripoli. Rebel forces there repelled the attackers.

"We will not give up Zawiya at any price," said one witness. "We know it is significant strategically. They will fight to get it, but we will not give up. We managed to defeat them because our spirits are high and their spirits are zero."

COMMENT:  More serious fighting is expected today.  This has the makings of a civil war, which may be avoided if Qaddafi can be forced from power.

March 1, 2011     Permalink

FEBRUARY 28,  2011

BUT WE WERE TOLD IT WAS PERFECT – AT 7:01 P.M. ET:  Seeing the handwriting on the iPad, President Obama is starting to make concessions on Obamacare.  Darn.  I guess this means we won't live forever.  From The Hill:

President Obama backed a significant change to the healthcare reform law for the first time on Monday, supporting a plan that could delay the implementation of the mandate to buy insurance by three years.

The president is supporting a plan that would allow states to receive waivers to pursue alternatives to the healthcare reform law, a change that could let states opt out beginning in 2014 from the requirement to buy insurance — one of the most unpopular parts of the law.

Speaking to nation’s governors on Monday morning, Obama said states should be able to request waivers for implementing alternatives to the reform law starting in 2014, rather than in 2017, which is the current timeline.

"If you have a better way of doing it, help yourself,” Obama told the National Governors Association. "Go ahead, take that route."

Obama announced his support for a bill proposed by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) that would let states opt out of many of the law’s mandates until 2017.

COMMENT:  According to the president's political schedule, that means the states could opt out until the year Mr. Obama leaves office.  If his schedule is disrupted by the 2012 election, and he departs for further employment earlier than he expects, I'd imagine the law would be modified still further.

Mother of mercy, is this the end of Obamacare?  Well, probably not, but if the changes Obama is agreeing to get adopted, there'll be a big dent in the law, leaving the rest of it vulnerable to common sense.

February 28, 2011      Permalink 

LIBYA UPDATE – AT 6:25 P.M. ET:  There are conflicting reports on what exactly is happening in Libya.  Reports on CNN say that the supreme leader is holed up in a small part of Tripoli still under his control.  Fox reports claims by others in the tottering government that they still control most of the country.

We do know that the Libyan air force was turned against some of the protesters today, but we don't yet know the impact of the air action.

At the same time, there is diplomatic action going on, and other action possibly in store.  From London's Telegraph:

David Cameron and other Western leaders are on the brink of ordering military action against Col Muammar Gaddafi amid fears that the Libyan dictator could use chemical weapons against his own people.

The Prime Minister disclosed that he would not rule out “the use of military assets” as Britain “must not tolerate this regime using military forces against its own people”. Britain and America are also thought to be considering arming rebel forces in Libya.

Adding to growing concern about the crumbling regime’s ability to commit last desperate acts of mass murder, British sources have disclosed that Libya still has stocks of mustard gas chemicals.

Mr Cameron told MPs that Britain and its allies were considering using fighter jets to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, patrolling and shooting down Libyan aircraft ordered to attack protesters.

The Pentagon announced that the Americans had begun “repositioning forces” around Libya to provide “flexibility”. The French also announced that they would back a possible military intervention with NATO partners.

COMMENT:  Someone might slip a note to America's ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, who made a firm statement on TV a few hours ago saying it was premature to consider the use of force.  Of course, Rice believes everything is premature, and does not seem overly concerned about events outside the dinner circuit at the UN in New York.

February 28, 2011       Permalink

GOP REALIZING OBAMA WILL BE TOUGH TO BEAT – AT 10:14 A.M. ET:  Although that shouldn't be surprising.  Incumbent presidents come with built-in advantages, but some have in fact been beaten, as we'ver pointed out here before.  The names Jimmah Carter and George H.W. Bush come to mind.

But the GOP is facing reality.  From The Politico:

Just four months after posting historic election gains, Republicans are experiencing a reality check about 2012: President Barack Obama is going to be a lot tougher to defeat than he looked late last year.

Having gone from despondency in 2008 to euphoria last November, a more sober GOP is wincing in the light of day as they consider just how difficult unseating an incumbent president with a massive warchest is going to be, even with a still-dismal economy.

“I consider him a favorite, albeit a slight favorite,” said former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove. “Republicans underestimate President Obama at their own peril.”

Much of the GOP realism is rooted in a long-standing truism of American politics – that absent a major crisis of confidence, it’s highly difficult to defeat a sitting president.

COMMENT:  I also believe that the GOP still does not understand the importance of press bias in presidential elections.  Putting it bluntly, the media elected Barack Obama.  Even Evan Thomas of Newsweek said that press bias would have to be worth eight points or so.

The bias was bad in 2008.  It will be worse in 2012 because the press now knows it can get away with it, with no penalty.  Republicans should study how Ronald Reagan spoke over the heads of the reporters, and directly to the American people.  It was one of the traits that led him to victory.  Unless the GOP candidate in 2012 has that ability, he or she will be at a tremendous, possibly fatal disadvantage.

February 28, 2011      Permalink

THE DUKE IS GONE, AN ERA ENDS – AT 9:02 A.M. ET:  For those of us who grew up in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Dodgers remain in our blood.  They were, of course, the greatest sports team in the history of this or any other world.  When they left Brooklyn for the village of Los Angeles in 1957, we felt a sense of betrayal, never to be equaled. 

No one symbolized the Dodgers more than the great center fielder, Duke Snider.  For me, he has a special place, for he is the only Dodger I ever met personally.  In the old Brooklyn days, before players were paid ten million dollars to pick up a bat, they made extra money by cutting ribbons to open supermarkets, car dealerships, or sports stores.  Duke came out to my town on Long Island to open an A&P.  I actually met him.  I asked him the brilliant question, "Do you think you'll win the pennant?"  He replied, "I hope so."  Immortal words, to a kid.  I still have the autographed picture.

Duke Snider has now died at 84.  Many of his teammates preceded him.  Duke remained as the symbol of the team, and now he has left us as well.

We will not forget number four.  And we will not forget those days at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, when any of us could get into the stadium for $1.25, and baseball was still a game. 

February 28, 2011      Permalink

IS THE ACT COMING TOGETHER? – AT 8:43 A.M. ET:  Speaking of performances, good and bad, one that recently didn't win any awards was the performance of the Obama administration in handling Libya. 

If you want to see the Obamans taken apart brilliantly, and with English charm, watch Harvard historian Niall Ferguson do the job in an appearance on MSNBC.  It's here, and you'll cheer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9sMo-LTdSc

But is the government in Washington finally getting its act together?  A story running at Fox News gives us some reason for very cautious optimism:

GENEVA -- The United States is pressing its European allies to set tough sanctions on the Libyan government, to turn up the heat on Moammar Qaddafi and convince his remaining loyalists to abandon the regime, U.S. officials said. The Obama administration also declared it stood ready to aid Libyans seeking to oust their longtime leader.

It's that last sentence that intrigues me.  What precisely do they plan to do?

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will make the administration's case for stronger action to foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany and Italy when she holds a series of high-level talks Monday in this Swiss city.

Clinton will also look to coordinate future U.S. sanctions on Qaddafi's government with senior officials from Russia, Australia and the European Union so that the international community presents unified opposition to the attacks that have killed hundreds of people in the North African country, senior administration officials said Sunday.

COMMENT:  The Obamans have been slow, sluggish, and vague, and we're still not convinced that sending Hillary, or anyone else, on errands, will have much effect.  But we'll watch the next few days, and see whether anything we do, or the Europeans do, can end the bloodshed and and turn Libya toward a better future.

Again we caution that revolutions usually don't end all that well.  The Arab world has no democratic tradition, and we can easily go from bad to worse if the post-revolution environment is botched, as it often is.  The Islamists wait in the wings.

February 28, 2011       Permalink

OSCAR – AT 8:15 A.M. ET:  There is a national sport in bashing Oscar broadcasts, so I won't do it.  The fact is that, historically, the Oscar show has been long and mostly boring, saved, at one time, by Hollywood glamour and a great comedian like Bob Hope at the helm.  Hope hosted the show for 18 years.

In recent years the glamour faded, replaced by a vulgar youth culture that didn't quite fill the shoes of Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth, Bette Davis, or Natalie Wood.  When Billy Crystal, a very funny guy, dropped out as host, all seemed lost.

However, let me dissent from all the negative comment about last night's show.  It wasn't bad.  Not bad at all.  Not a great show, but quite watchable, and generally free of the moronic political speeches of Hollywood lefties.  I have to admit that I'm a softie for Anne Hathaway, the co-host, who did, in my view, bring back some of that Hollywood glamour I miss, and has an infectious charm.  The other co-host, James Franco, kind of wasn't there, and might have served us better by staying home.

Look, it's an awards show.  How interesting can an acceptance speech for best sound editing be?  I thought most of the women looked reasonably classy, avoiding some of the tasteless costuming that ran Oscar downhill for years.  I have, I must admit, not seen "The King's Speech," but, from what I've heard, it deserved the Oscar for best picture.  I'm personally happy that "The Social Network" didn't win.  It's a good movie, but no more than that, and vastly overhyped. 

One responsibility of being a star is developing the art to leave gracefully.  Johnny Carson, with whom I worked, did it superbly, and with style.  When he left, he left, and that was it.  Last night we saw Kirk Douglas, sick, frail, and old, demonstrate what happens when a man stays too long at the fair.  This virile man and solid actor was a sad spectacle, the picture of a man who should have gotten off the stage years ago.  We want to remember stars as they were.

The old Hollywood, the larger than life personalities, will probably never return.  But I didn't think last night's show was a disgrace, so I can't join all the trendy bashers this morning.  And, if I weren't a happily married man, I'd take Anne Hathaway out to dinner anytime.

February 28, 2011     Permalink