Kruiser Control Catches EUG’s Eye

Okay, some weeks it’s harder to get creative and witty than others and this is mine. So, like all good social media geeks, I check all channels before brainstorming my Cool Conservative blog column for this week, which in fact needs to be posted NOW!

So I am thinking about some of the heavy conservative hitters I could spotlight as the next EUG Cool Conservative such as Rush, Ann Coulter (who my good liberal friend this past weekend kept saying I was just like as I hazed him about Bernanke presenting his plan for the Fed and the future of our delicate economy with the pristine Americana backdrop of Jackson Hole supporting his spin), Laura Ingraham, The Donald, and thought I will save them for a rainy day.

Weekend with family in Jackson Hole hiking around Jenny Lake will heal the soul even if surrounded by liberal friends — come on! Some have to play the part of the liberal. In all seriousness, this friend is a very good man (my son says he has lots of Steez) who almost made me wet my pants when he put these two words together in the same sentence: liberal and sensible.

Sorry, I digress. Let me give you a better idea of how I actually research and hunt down Cool Conservatives. First, I find someone who is saying something politically poignant, someone funny, someone with Steez (Style & Ease) who I feel could likely stop or at the very least diffuse a liberal rant in 25 words or less.

And, this is exactly how I found today’s Cool Conservative. Well sort of. First, I checked my Gmail and was surprised and elated to find that Stephen Kruise was following the Elephant Under Glass (aka EUG). Much like any logical conservative, I check his Twitter stats! WOW!!! He’s got some Twitter stalkers. Immediately clicked on his blog and the rest is history — I had finally stumbled upon Kruiser Control Bonus Clips. Even though Stephen is apologizing for posting too many bonus clips and not enough original blog posts, I had a hard laugh at his 8/26/11 monologue on Jon Huntsman.

It was his ability to crack me up while being right on the mark that Stephen Kruiser became EUG’s Cool Conservative for this week. If you are hankering for more Kruiser Control wit, check out Stephen on Twitter!

Say it Ain’t So Warren!

Despite Obama’s inability to stabilize Wall Street fears, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. announced yesterday that it would invest $5 billion in Bank of America Corp., a much-needed vote of confidence that sent the beleaguered bank's stock soaring 9 percent.

While some may be surprised, this this elephant (and many others) aren’t buying it. It seems the Buffet has taken his BFF relationship with General Electric Inc. and Goldman Sachs to a new level. As supporter of commonsense, free-market principles, I don’t believe ill will is in order for this billionaire. However, I am cryptically weary of his underlying intentions.

According to the ABCnews.com story, in late 2008, before Buffett made his investment in the company, Goldman Sachs' stock had fallen nearly 50 percent from its peak of $247.92. It jumped 5 percent immediately after the deal was announced. Buffett's investments in Goldman and GE paid annual dividends of 10 percent, and wound up paying off. Berkshire made close to $1.8 billion from the Goldman investment alone.

However, unlike yesterday’s Bank of America deal, those companies approached Berkshire with their friendship bracelet offerings, seeking financial support and Buffett's stamp of approval.

I don’t know about you…but it all feels just a bit too cozy and convenient. It’s no
secret that Washington D.C. politicos have had an incestuous relationship with Wall Street for decades. Do you know who the leading beneficiary from Goldman Sachs is?

If you guessed President Barack Obama, you’re right. No other candidate has benefited as greatly as Obama did from Goldman Sachs employees in 2008. Contrast the billions banks got from American taxpayers over the course of Obama’s administration, and the millions of dollars Obama and Democrats have received from Goldman Sachs over the years and your stomach just might just turn inside out. Yes, Republicans have received GS $$ too but not the same staggering amounts given to our fine Democratic Party — how’s that redistribution of wealth sitting with you now?

As of yesterday, Buffett had made a profit, on paper, of $357 million thanks to a surge in Bank of America's stock price after the deal was announced with the stock jumping up 66 cents, or 9.4 percent, from $6.99 to $7.65. Again, I scratch my head hmmm. I guess it’s okay for Buffet, Washington elites and his private sector BFFs to make change. But what about Obama’s economic mantra: there are some who have made enough money. This could be where Buffet’s “billionaire guilt complex” stems from. It’s a shame, because it shouldn’t.

A little birdie told me Bernanke is in Jackson Hole Wyoming speaking on the Fed’s future plans but again not giving specifics. Of course he isn’t. How could he?! I am sure Buffet and his friends are biting their nails. Honestly, I think America has witnessed enough Fed carnage, don’t you? If I were Ben right about now, I’d be taking a long walk around Jackson Hole’s Jenny Lake, staring at the Grand Teton and thinking about retirement in 2012. Then I suppose he, Buffet and Obama can take that long awaited vacation – oh that’s right, President Obama just came home from one.

Michelle Malkin Tops EUG’s Cool Conservative List

On Best Day “Constitutional Conservatism” More Liberating than “Liberalism”

At a recent meeting with a very fair-minded AP reporter, I blurted “You know what I think? Conservatism is more liberating than liberalism!” Yep, this crazy thought that I had kept hidden deep for the past several years? just came out of mouth in between sips of my skinny vanilla latte. Wincing and waiting for the reporter to laugh, I realized he actually was interested in my comment.

From there, I cautiously but enthusiastically explained my theory in support of the constitutional conservative platform including the support of free will, individual choice, and true diversity fostering a freedom that no liberal progressive agenda has ever come close to fulfilling. Then, as luck would have it, I stumbled upon Michelle Malkin’s 8.19.11 blog post smacking down progressives of pallor and more specifically the closing paragraph.

Said Malkin: “I’ve heard more than 20 years of this oppressive wind-baggery from do-gooder liberals who treat my unhyphenated American brothers and sisters and me as treacherous puppets for The Man. Their smug refusal to acknowledge free will, individual choice and true diversity of thought confirms that race-obsessed liberals remain the most unrepentant and odious racists of all.”

Wow! Why re-write commentary in support of my theory when it has already been communicated so well? The only two reasons I can think of are:

1) Try and persuade the misguided progressives of pallor demographic to shake off the denial and embrace reality

and

2) Honor Michelle Malkin for her candid, courageous and unapologetic conservative commentary as EUG’s Cool Conservative #5!

[Photo credit: Don Irvine]

Just had to have the last laugh…

Some days you just need to laugh out loud. And today for me was one of them.

It's been a long, hot week for the EUG in the land of Zion.

Launched a fabulous female U.S. Congressional candidate on Tuesday, worked on other political campaign strategy during the week, wrote web content for various business clients, worked with some wonderful mom bloggers, met and emailed with some great reporters on various topics including oil / gas exploration, immigration, why conservatism is more liberating than liberalism and, oh yeah, met with the Utah Governor to cap it all off. It was an informative first-time meeting - the Governor is a kind and level-headed man. He reminded me a bit of my dad actually.

In honor of this week in review that included my first stately office visit at the Utah Capitol, the slightly odd call for press to join Utah's West Valley Police in Ely Nevada to further investigate the disappearance of Susan Powell that happened almost two years ago, and the hilarious exhibition basketball-game-gone-wild debacle between Georgetown University and China (which, OMG, I watched via a kid's iPhone today lying on a PT table and boy I have never seen chairs thrown so hard) and a good old fashion verbal argument about how screwed up America is right now with my 15 year old son (it would be fair to say we disagreed on much and agreed on a few issues), this video is most definitely for me but also for you, my slow but steadily growing community of EUG readers.

Have a Friday laugh on me!

Mark Steyn EUG’s Cool Conservative #4

Mark, you had me at “Marinated children of dependency…”
It’s a dirty little secret but someone had to spell it out and Mark Steyn certainly did just that. Steyn won this EUG over during his talk with Neil Cavuto this past Saturday while discussing the riots in London and the failed and wicked socialist state.

Not sure, but I think a shiver may have just gone up my leg. (ewww!!)

Straight from his new book After America, a frightening but witty commentary on America’s demise by heading down the same doomed path as other failed European economies, Steyn uses the word “marinate” in way that will ever change my concept of barbequing. The concept of the socialist nation endgame equated to a marinated lot of dependent people has changed my outlook on the future of American society forever. If the Federal government and legislators we elect don’t get it right in 2012, the American Dream is toast as we know it!

Steyn astutely explains the dire consequences — and policy solutions — if downsizing of the Federal government and its spending addiction don’t occur sooner than later.

Despite George Soros’ ties to over 30 mainstream news outlets which have tried so very hard to destroy the credibility of anyone who doesn’t believe in the liberal progressive agenda, Steyn’s message about the “marinated children of dependency” resonates loud and clear, and IMHO should be a key high-level message for all GOP presidential candidates.

For this reason alone, EUG honors Mark Steyn as this week’s Cool Conservative. Watch and forever be enlightened.

“Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures” Obama’s 2012 Mantra

And what a desperate week it was! With the DOW rolling up and down like a rollercoaster, a deep sigh of relief occurred when the market closed up over 400 points. But remember, while Thursday was better, market confidence is still shaky with global markets still on the lam.

On Tuesday, an openly grotesque PR strategy leaked by the Obama re-election campaign to portray the Republican frontrunner as "inauthentic, unprincipled" and "weird" was heralded across Fox and Politico headlines.

The idea that a sitting president would conduct a "ferocious personal assault" and character assassination on any candidate who it suspects will become the eventual 2012 Republican nominee, is not only shameful, it’s vomitus. No surprises here. As Seth Mandel explains recently in Commentary, “What Politico describes in the article could easily be mistaken for a wrap-up of Obama’s 2008 election strategy. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane, shall we?”

Mandel revisits the many distortions and character slams Obama waged during the 2008 election — supporting today’s Romney strategy is pretty par for the course. Sadly, with the help of Obama senior advisers willing to dole the negative jabs on behalf of their leader, this strategy could work.

I am not 100% sold on Romney. It’s early in the election and there are other incredibly viable conservative candidates to review including Michelle Bachmann and Ron Paul. What I do know is that Obama is accomplishment-LESS to date. Check out what his peeps are saying: "Unless things change and Obama can run on accomplishments, he will have to kill Romney," a prominent Democratic strategist close to the White House told Politico. Ouch!

It gets even better. As Team DNC unravels under the pressures of zero accomplishment and even worse an unprecedented downgrade, memos and emails are either being leaked to or pinched by media sources (or made to look that way – naughty media – not to mention their total downplay of the Wisconsin GOP wins this week!). With the latest memo from DNC Press Secretary Melanie Roussell being described as a state of play for media, it presumptuously presents the DNC's predictions last night’s debate without a trace of remorse for the Dem’s own role in ratcheting up America’s current economic, national security and foreign policy boondoggle.

Roussell opens her memo by throwing daggers as only Dems trapped in a corner can:

“With 179 days left before the Iowa Caucuses, the American people are increasingly turned off by what they are learning about the Republican presidential candidates and who they fight for. Instead of new ideas that give the middle class more security, we hear the same old policies that carve out special benefits for the special interests. Instead of a new approach that puts party aside and America first, we hear a rigid and extreme ideology that asks working and middle class families to carry the entire load.”

It’s time to end the blame game. Americans are just plain sick of it and Congressional approval ratings are showing it.

The mood in this country is transcending party lines as disheartened Democrats and Independents alike realize the “Hope and Dream” mantra of 2008 didn’t stack up the way they expected. I suppose some disgruntled but proud Dems will vote for Obama in 2012 just because they can. Some will hopefully have the smarts to try Door #2 — the alternative.

What gives me the most hope and optimism, from my vantage point under the glass, is that Americans from all parties are watching more closely than ever before. They are watching, listening, Tweeting and commenting on Facebook. As a nation, we are waking up and realizing just how scary the “fundamental transformation” stakes are as we leap into the 2012 election.

Despite the desperate mantra coming out of Washington, history will run its course come 2012. Americans will state their desire through their vote and hopefully have the capacity to brush aside the desperate mantra and make good choices — in the best interest of all Americans.

TGIF!

EUG: Cool Conservative #3

George F. Will’s Web of dependencies may be snapping Gives EUG Hope

Twice-weekly syndicated columnist George F. Will didn’t just land on EUG’s Cool Conservative radar because The Washington Journalism Review named him "Best Writer, Any Subject" or because he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary although both feats are very cool. It was the recent and incredibly timely and poignant Web of dependences may be snapping commentary that caught the eye of this newbie blogger and elephantess.

Will doesn’t hold back the punches. His insightful and witty first paragraph opens with gut-wrenching honesty: The debt-ceiling impasse has, as things generally do, ended, and a post-mortem validates conservatives' portrayal of Barack Obama and their dismay about the dangers and incompetence of liberalism's legacy, the regulatory state. His opening statement is as cool and calculated as Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.

Will’s commentary gets even better and more telling about midway. He open fires at Obama with literary ease, explaining the natural and grotesque progression of liberalism: during various liberal ascendancies, Will explains, the federal spider has woven a web of dependencies. The political purpose has been to produce growing constituencies of voters disposed to vote Democratic. This disposition, aka the entitlement mentality, is triggered by making the constituencies constantly apprehensive about the security of their status as wards of government.

I don’t know about you but if there was ever a time of apprehensiveness, I’d say it was right about now. Will supports this claim with cool, matter of fact clarity. Regarding the federal regime: Before this debate, who knew that the government sends more than 100 million checks or electronic transfers a month to employees, vendors and — much the largest group — entitlement beneficiaries, including 21 million households receiving food stamps? I sure didn’t.

It doesn’t appear our president has a clue how to fix the mess he has gotten us into. Or, does he? The current administration’s policies and actions are in such direct opposition to what Americans expected that a surge of OMG has literally and figuratively taking this country by storm.

Call it Tea Party Movement, call it fed up, call it “do or die”. Whatever you choose to call it, Will has mapped out a perfectly communicated argument in Web of dependencies may be snapping. His cool, conservative literary energy makes me believe Big Government’s dependency agenda might just be on the way out if we can get it right in 2012. Until then, Go Gridlock!

For this reason, the renowned and comedic journalist George Will is Elephant Under Glass’ Cool Conservative of the week.

Worth watching: Will delivering keynote address at the dinner for the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty http://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-video/george-will-keynotes-friedman-prize-dinner 

Dow, Nasdaq and Moody’s, Oh My!!

What a week on the beltway! In Obama’s own words (which we were privileged to hear over and over and over most of July) Tuesday was a success by his account. Well if this is so, then why the 500 plus drop on Wall Street this week? Just a guess, but I think those Wall Street guys know something we don’t and it might just have something to do with the special yellow brick road they’ve paved all the way from NYC to the Capitol. Oh my!

While families and Americans nationwide begin to comprehend today’s mini-milestone, Obama assures the Press Corp that they can take a break now that they’ve raised the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion. Wow! I don’t know about you but for me that just takes a load off. Seriously though, on the bright side, at least they aren’t in D.C. right now conjuring up more bogus legislation to posture around. It’s like they don’t know we also have access to the Internet and can Google on CBO, GAO and Library of Congress any time of the day.

Americans today get it more than they know, seriously.

One thing this week that really got the EUG perturbed is Obama’s attempt to kidnap the rhetoric of the mounting Tea Party Movement and Reagan Conservative Caucus — commonsense, a climate where business can hire, where folks have more money in their pockets. It must have been darn hard to read these silly little phrases off the teleprompter. But it must have been even harder for the unflappable, freshman conservatives, who so tenaciously tested Speaker Boehner’s will making him hold out for as much as he could get from the Obama, Reid, Pelosi (ORP) triumvirate, to stomach these words coming from the Oval Office three years too late. These unflappable U.S. legislators, and there weren’t many, were truly the catalyst for the small success that the Elite GOP quickly claimed as theirs on August 2.

Even with all the debt reduction fanfare, the scare factor was too much for the European and Asian markets, which quivered and tanked soon after Obama’s dried signature had sealed the deal. Analysts then turned wearily to what The New York Times described as the next, perhaps more important, task: determining how the new debt-ceiling law will affect the economy.

It won’t, just read the new law. At the end of the day, the new debt-ceiling law can be compared to a tourniquet protecting the soldier [Americans] from an open and bleeding wound [economy]. All I can say is I sure hope surgery is scheduled for November 6, 2012. Let’s just hope we aren’t waiting for Uncle Sam to approve the surgery!

EUG Cool Conservative #2!

Who Is the Masked Man Behind the Masthead?

It’s Cool Conservative Monday! The moment you’ve all been waiting for. To add more fanfare to the weekly column, I have added a 2012 Election Countdown widget to the far right. Yep, now you “Ele Under Glass” lovers (okay, love is a strong word, let’s use “getting to knowers” instead), can help me build Cool Conservative countdown hype because my goal is to showcase a new Cool Conservative person, place or thing each Monday. I would love to hear your ideas, so please share via Facebook, Twitter or send me a direct email, whichever you prefer.

I have to admit, Cool Conservative #2 was an easy one for me. He’s an incredible artist, cartoonist and like-minded thinker. He’s humorous and real, he’s the wildly creative and cool dude that designed my super fun Elephant Under Glass masthead. Isn’t she the cutest darn “Horton Hears a Who” like cartoon girl elephant you’ve ever seen?

I wish I could name Cool Conservative #2 but I know he would prefer I didn’t, so of course I won’t. He is the epitome of self-effacing. But, what I can do is share his thoughts on today’s political debt reduction theater, little snippets of truth that travel through his brainwaves and fit so well on this blog.

With this said, enjoy! 

 From the Man Behind the Masthead:

I know you all are sitting out there wondering "What do I think about this debt crisis?" (By the way, I am just kidding, I know you don't really think that. Most everyone is way too busy with their own bad selves to ponder the thoughts and ruminations of others.)

Well here's my answer anyway!

Maybe the House Republican freshmen holdouts are right to not cave to the Boehner compromise. They want a balanced budget amendment and they want it now. The minute this can gets kicked down the road they know that the urgency to even think about that amendment will completely go away. They are trying to do what politicians these days never do – that is stick to their word. Since we are now borrowing 42 cents out of every dollar spent, the idea that passing a short-term debt ceiling increase somehow solves the problem is really laughable. The federal government should not borrow a single dime! It’s grown fat and lazy feasting on the toils of its working citizens while it makes unbelievable promises of welfare to those that don't. It’s a sick con that would land private citizenry in a federal prison for life, how ironic!

The problem in a nutshell: The Presidency has devolved into exactly what our first president feared would happen, it’s become a pseudo-monarchy.