Maggie's Farm

Just 9 words from Mrs. Obama:

That is via Wizbang, who quotes VDH:

I don't think in my lifetime I have ever witnessed quite a campaign in which the wife of the Presidential candidate has been sequestered lest she voice yet another sweeping generalization that can be rightfully interpreted as denigrating both the American system at large or the values of other Americans; or in which the Vice Presidential candidate has been sequestered from press questioning lest he once again in an interview or an impromptu says something that either is so bizarre that it makes no sense at all or serves as a good argument not to vote for his running mate; or in which the Presidential nominee himself knows that if he stays on the teleprompter he has a good chance of winning, but if he wades in to banter with the crowd there is equally a good chance that he may say something so disturbing that the entire facade that he has so carefully constructed simply collapses.

Matthew 23: 1-12

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Image: Fra Angelico's fresco Sermon on the Mount, Florence, approx 1440.

Eternal Father, the hymn associated with both the Royal Navy and the US Navy, and sailors and boatmen everywhere. The Brits might not be believers anymore, but they sure know how to do choirs. Words here. (Thanks, Theo):

This is not a hate crime.

Illegal immigration is off the radar. Except for Obama's illegal Auntie.

The candidates and their pets.

Are Americans too puritanical about drinking and shooting?

Barclay's Bank wants no help from the government.

We found some small businesses that are pro-Obama. Pimps and hos. (h/t, Right Wing Prof)

The $700,000 bill for Obama's Berlin extravaganza. Why not give his $600,000,000 to the poor?

Governator implies that Obama is a girlie man. I am no Arnold, but I think Obama is a twit.

More on the Joe the Plumber hatchet job. The Obama campaign is pretty good at hatchet jobs.

Why is Iraq not part of the Pres campaign? Because McCain was spectacularly right. And you can't have that.

The unintended consequences of climate change solutions. NYT

The assault against the "investor class": Betsy and Driscoll. Is that smart, since 2/3 of Americans have investments in some form? That's one of the miracles of American Capitalism.

The care and feeding of entrepreneurialism.

Steyn: Obama is good as a symbol.

Hope - but a slim hope, in my opinion. Obama has already chosen his Chief of Staff: Rahm Emmanuel.

There is another Maggie's Farm site. This other Maggie farms in central New York State and she has a fine, personal blog about her farming, her teaching, and wool. Love those barns. They had snow this week, which is further proof of the crisis of global cooling and the urgent need for woolens:

Love and Sleep

Lying asleep between the strokes of night
I saw my love lean over my sad bed,
Pale as the duskiest lily's leaf or head,
Smooth-skinned and dark, with bare throat made to bite,
Too wan for blushing and too warm for white,
But perfect-coloured without white or red.
And her lips opened amorously, and said-
I wist not what, saving one word - Delight.
And all her face was honey to my mouth,
And all her body pasture to mine eyes;
The long lithe arms and hotter hands than fire,
The quivering flanks, hair smelling of the south,
The bright light feet, the splendid supple thighs
And glittering eyelids of my soul's desire.

Algernon Charles Swinburne, the son of an admiral, is considered a decadent Victorian poet and probably not one of the greats. But lots of interesting stuff isn't "great." (Illo by Theo.)

A friend told me that he was going out on Halloween night with his kids dressed as a white, middle-aged, married, Christian, somewhat prosperous Republican father of three to scare the Obamamaniacs.

This toon via Makiw:

From 1989's Oh Mercy album (lyrics here):

Always late. Busy with what? We all know that being a Senator is not like a real job, but they all like to feel important, and chronic lateness tends to be an effort to convey that message. Whether or not you like Obama, this is entertaining:

Koshiro, 1954. From the Modern Japanese Print show at the Art Institute of Chicago:

Is Rick right or wrong about this? I have no idea. I think this is Rick's best, and perhaps most optimistic guess. A quote:

Obama does not seek to overturn America as much as he wants to alter the parameters of the social contract between the people and the government. He doesn’t want to do away with this compact and replace it with something else. He wants to nibble around the edges and “reform” the way that the American people interact with their government. This means more dependence, less freedom of action for the individual, an imposed sense of “community,” more strictures on the economy, and a war against “greed.”

This may seem radical enough to many. And indeed, with a Democratic Congress more ideologically in tune with the radicals, it is possible that they will push him further to the left than he wishes to go. But whatever occurs, there is little doubt that if he wins, it will be a triumph for the New Left and a reward for their patient undermining of the American experiment for more than 40 years.

I think Rick is saying that Obama probably wants to extend the Roosevelt statist, 1930s-style revolution. That's what Hillary had in mind too, with her "politics of meaning" which she fantasized might replace religion - but she knew a thing or two about economics because she really liked money, and this fellow appears to know nothing about economics. On the other hand, for a guy who has never had a real job he's got lots of cash in the bank...funny how wealthy the Lefty pols always seem to be, but "they care" - especially after they get theirs.

Read the whole thing. I'd be interested in our readers' reactions.

h/t, Theo:

From Mark Steyn's The Dog is about to Catch the Car:

Peggy Noonan thinks a President Obama will be like the dog who chases the car and finally catches it: Now what? I think Obama will be content to be King Barack the Benign, Spreader of Wealth and Healer of Planets. His rise is, in many ways, testament to the persistence of the monarchical urge even in a two-century old republic. So the "Now what?" questions will be answered by others, beginning with the liberal supermajority in Congress. And as he has done all his life he will take the path of least resistance. An Obama administration will pitch America toward EU domestic policy and U.N. foreign policy.

Thomas Sowell is right: It would be a "point of no return," the most explicit repudiation of the animating principles of America. For a vigilant republic of limited government and self-reliant citizens, it would be a Declaration of Dependence.

If a majority of Americans want that, we holdouts must respect their choice. But, if you don't want it, vote accordingly.

Yes, it's an appeal to our weakest, most cowardly and pitiful instincts.

One quote from Obama on the Constitution:

(It )"says what the states can’t do to you. Says what the Federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the Federal government or State government must do on your behalf, and that hasn’t shifted and one of the, I think, tragedies of the civil rights movement was, um, because the civil rights movement became so court focused I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalition of powers through which you bring about redistributive change. In some ways we still suffer from that.”

The community organizing? Are you joking? More at Surber. I do not think that he understands the concept of freedom at all. That concerns me. I think the Constitution is quite clear about the role, and mainly the limits of the Federal government. They knew all about power-seeking. It's one of the things that makes us unique.

From Glenn Beck, via And Rightly So:

The North Canaan, CT Congregational Church

Psalm 16