POTUS, SOTU, SCOTUS, and Alito: Alito was right, Obama was wrong

The president was wrong to dis the Supreme Court during his State of the Union address. Wrong, because, amazing constitutional scholar that he is, he got his law wrong, and wrong because it was unseemly and unpresidential.

On a lighter note, Dennis Miller: "Obama chose to call out the only 9 guys in the room that did their homework in law school. And the rest who ended up settling for politics stood and and cheer[ed] it."

More SOTU commentary.

The Big O in freefall

Victor Davis Hanson kicks him while he's down.

"On every issue — more bailouts, more stimuli, more deficits, higher taxes, statist health care, cap and trade, diplomatic apologetics, the shunning of natural gas, oil, and nuclear in favor of 'millions of green jobs' subsidized by billions in federal 'stimulus' — the Obama position polls 5-15 points below 50 percent. ... So where are we at twelve months? Obama showed the country his vision of where he wanted us to go; he had both houses of Congress, a toady media, and enormous personal popularity — and he is getting nowhere. Why? Because most Americans are vehemently opposed to taking their country in the direction that Obama, Pelosi, and Reid would prefer."

Read the whole thing.

POTUS uses TOTUS at schoolroom speech

POTUS (acronym for "President of the United States") has melded into TOTUS ("Teleprompter of the United States"). This president can't seem to give any speech without his trusty device:

Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church, Va., Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010

Glib. Cool. Brilliant.

Not so much.

More of a newsreader. Or an empty suit. An unflattering portrait, indeed.

A picture's worth a thousand words. Candidate Mike Dukakis:


Something says these things do not belong together. A jarring juxtuposition.

The longer he's president, Obama seems -- is it possible -- less presidential?

Hmm. Somebody might be listening: New Contract With America?

Here's what Newt Gingrich suggests GOP leaders focus on in run-up to midterms:

1. Jobs, jobs, jobs
2. Balance the budget
3. An American energy plan
4. Congressional appropriations reform
5. Litigation reform
6. Real health reform
7. Every child gets ahead
8. Protect religious liberty
9. Protect Americans, not the rights of terrorists
10. Defending America is job one for government

Devil's in the details, and, as Newt says, a "contract" is a commitment to act, not a party platform. Pounding some of these key points is how Brown won Massachusetts.

Obama would rather be "really good one-term president"

"I'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president." -- President Obama

Wow. It's come to this.

A week is forever in politics, but so far it's looking a lot like a mediocre one-term president.

UPDATE: Indeed, looks like it's trending that way: "CNN Poll: For First Time, More Say Dem Control Is Bad For Country."

How the mighty have fallen: BO is leading them back into the wilderness.

BYU 71 SDSU 69: BYU basketball team gets last laugh at SDSU missionary impostors' expense

A section of SDSU students dressed up as LDS missionaries for Saturday night's game against BYU, some of them with bike helmets:


One of them reportedly held a sign, "Jimmer, which wife gave you mono?" Another sign said, "Hi mom(s)."

Pretty creative.

But the Cougs got the last laugh. After falling behind in the second half, BYU went on a 15-0 run. Point guard Jimmer Fredette used a left-hand scoop layup (right in front of the student section filled with the missionary lookalikes) and swished two final free throws to ice the game.


As a San Diego columnist noted: "Poetic justice."


A BYU fan might also say to the faux missionaries: "This win's for you, boys!"

Or perhaps, "Scoreboard." :-)

UPDATE: Cougars are 20-1, and ranked 10th in the USA Today/Coaches' Poll (and 12th in the AP).

Pretty good week for conservatives

Massachusetts: From Blue to Brown

7:22 pm MST - Coakley conceded. "Hope and Change -- and Yes, We Can!"

Happy Anniversary, Mr. President (tomorrow will be 1 year since his inauguration).

I nominate Scott Brown to give the response to the State of the Union address.

One Year Out: President Obama's Fall

In chilly midwinter, nearing the anniversary of his historic inauguration, President Obama's fall is upon us. A candidate who seemed so "connected" has suffered a major disconnect. Krauthammer connects the dots.

How do you spell "potatoe"? "Marcia" Coakley trails in "Massachusettes"

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) can't get the name of Dem Senate hopeful Martha Coakley right. And she can't get the name of the state she's running in right.

I'm sure they'd both agree it's Bush's fault.

Actually, it's probably her own fault she's suffered a 40-point meltdown since September 2009 (not to mention her opponent Scott Brown's growing strength -- and President Obama's increasing weakness).

Tuesday's special election to fill the late Ted Kennedy's seat could be a "shot heard round the world."

UPDATE: Yup.

BYU-bound running back Josh Quezada: dress and grooming standards and Locks of Love

Story, photos, and captions from the Orange County Register:


Josh Quezada watches video of himself playing on large screen at Pepz Pizza and Eatery in La Habra on Thursday, minutues before his signature long hair was cut to conform to grooming standards at BYU, where he will playing college football. Friends and family threw a combination going away and hair cutting party for Quezada at the pizzeria.


Josh Quezada enjoys some pizza with friends and family at combination going away and hair-cutting party held at Pepz in La Habra on Thursday. Quezada's long hair has been one of his signature features during his four years as a star running back for the Highlanders. The All-CIF back is headed to BYU and had to cut his hair to conform to the university's strict grooming standards.


Josh Quezada said he didn't recognize the person in the mirror after seeing himself for the first time without his long locks. The All-CIF back is headed to BYU and had to cut his hair to conform to the university's strict grooming standards. Quezada said the hair is being donated to Locks of Love, a nonprofit which provides hairpieces for children who have lost their own hair due to medical conditions.

Losing Hope, ready for Change

That's how I feel about the Obama presidency.

Peggy Noonan says the "slug" line a year in is "Disconnect." I concur. Read the whole thing.

Denial

Krauthammer nails it again:

The reason the country is uneasy about the Obama administration's response to this attack is a distinct sense of not just incompetence but incomprehension. From the very beginning, President Obama has relentlessly tried to play down and deny the nature of the terrorist threat we continue to face. Napolitano renames terrorism "man-caused disasters." Obama goes abroad and pledges to cleanse America of its post-9/11 counterterrorist sins. Hence, Guantanamo will close, CIA interrogators will face a special prosecutor, and Khalid Sheik Mohammed will bask in a civilian trial in New York -- a trifecta of political correctness and image management.

And just to make sure even the dimmest understand, Obama banishes the term "war on terror." It's over -- that is, if it ever existed.

Obama may have declared the war over. Unfortunately, al-Qaeda has not. Which gives new meaning to the term "asymmetric warfare."

Read the whole thing.