Commentary by E.J. Smith on Tax Contradictions by the editors of The Wall Street Journal
President Obama seems to feel we’re not smart enough to figure out his true intentions. Any thoughtful American will realize his temporary tax cuts will kick in just as he begins his 2012 reelection campaign. It’s ironic too that with all the blame put on Bush, thanks to him, Obama will raise taxes and continue the Keynesian dream without having to lift a finger.

Commentary by Dick Young on Aftershocks of an Emanuel Exit by Laura Meckler and Douglas Belkin, The Wall Street Journal
The Obama administration has been looking for a way to send Rahm Emanuel into the wilderness but without the appearance of friction between Rahmbo and the president. After the president praised Emanuel so much during the beginning of his term, it would be very awkward for the two to have a public falling out. But the tension has certainly been there since Obamacare’s troubled days when Emanuel pushed for a bill that would pass, while other members of the administration pushed for a radical progressive remake of the American healthcare system. You can surely guess which path the neophyte-radical progressive leader of this country preferred. With the mayoral election in Chicago comes a chance to send Rahm packing without the appearance of trouble in the Oval Office.

Commentary by Dick Young on The Obama-Soros Connection by Buzz Patterson, Human Events
The George Soros backed Center for American Progress (CAP), run by John Podesta is the epicenter of the progressive movement here in the U.S. Soros and his money put Barack Obama in the presidency to further the ideals pushed by CAP. Recent donations by the conservative Koch brothers are a pittance compared to the amount of personal wealth George Soros has invested in remaking America in a radical progressive way. Soros has no qualms destroying a nation for his own personal gain. He forced a revaluation of the British pound simply to make a buck. The world is a playground for Soros, where normal citizens are simply cash-cows for the milking. The Obama/Soros agenda is one of redistribution of wealth from the middle class. Some of it goes to the poor to keep them voting Democrat, the rest will go to the rich to keep them fat and happy. The middle class small business owners will take it in the neck if Soros and Obama get their way.

Commentary by Dick Young on Our Waning Obama Worship by Victor Davis Hanson, National Review
Some have said that waning support for Barack Obama is confined to the outer reaches of American civilization, i.e. the small towns and villages of the American countryside. They are wrong. Americans in both urban and rural areas are waking up to the idea that their president is leading them down a path of fiscal destruction.

Commentary by E.J. Smith on Time for Emergency Economic Reform by Mitch Daniels, The Wall Street Journal
You don’t need to study econometrics to realize the Obama Administration is driving the economy off a cliff. Looking through their rose colored lenses debt to GDP will reach 90% with the economy growing at an average rate of 3.4% for 10 years. In the real world the economy grew by only 1.6% in the second quarter. Even kids selling lemonade understand the difference between the reality of what they hope to sell, and what they actually sell.

Commentary by Timothy Jones on Jim DeMint, Superstar by John Gizzi, Human Events
The ascendance of Jim DeMint to the position of Senate Republican leader would be, without a doubt, good for America. DeMint is the Senate’s most conservative principled Republican. His support for Tea Party candidates has helped many win their primaries, and he is a constant advocate of smaller government and lower taxes. If you’re wondering how a principled conservative would have voted on a bill, simply looking up DeMint’s vote is an absolutely perfect guide. With a new crop of freshmen GOP senators heading to Capitol Hill, let’s hope they put DeMint at the vanguard of the GOP Senate.

Commentary by Timothy Jones on Just What Is Mike Castle’s Voting Record? by Jim Geraghty, National Review
The establishment GOP is circling the wagons around Mike Castle. Either they see something they really don’t like in Christine O’Donnell, or they think that Mike Castle, one of the most liberal GOP congressmen in the country, is the only one that can win the race in Delaware. They may be correct, but if I were a Delaware conservative I would have a hard time justifying a vote for Castle. One thing is for sure, O’Donnell is running a much better campaign than anyone expected she would, and driving hard to win. She has the help of the same team of campaigners that led Doug Hoffman to near victory in NY-23. If there are any budding politicians out there that want to rise from nothing to competitive status, get on the phone to O’Donnell’s team and reserve them for the next election.

I first learned of Mr. Rubin’s new venture in Allan Nation’s very excellent The Stockman Grassfarmer. Mr. Rubin selected The Missouri Ozarks for his new venture in large measure due to the moderate climate, low property taxes, and legal raw milk. I am now looking into Jordan Rubin’s new venture with diligence and will have a follow-up report for you soon.

Commentary by Dick Young on The Republican Divide: K Street vs. Tea Partiers, by Ted Abram, FreedomWorks.org
It’s the old guard of the Republican Party vs. the new Tea Partiers here. Senator Jim DeMint has led the effort to elect real conservatives to the Senate, not simply Republicans in Name Only (RINOs). Groups like Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks are acting as a bulwark against special interest money being used to elect RINOs. Join FreedomWorks to help fight the establishments of both parties and to take America back.

Commentary by E.J. Smith on How Government Unions Became So Powerful by Amity Shlaes, The Wall Street Journal
You have to wonder when the spending by the Obama administration will ever end. If we leave it to them it won’t as they request another $50 billion of your tax dollars to “Repave America”. These make work projects and pension contracts negotiated by the leaders of public unions will never lead to a vibrant economic recovery. Jobs are created by entrepreneurs who provide services or create products we didn’t realize we needed. No entrepreneur wants to start a business to support big government. Therefore, real jobs will not be created until we elect leaders that understand what Presidents Coolidge and Reagan did: government is the problem not the answer.

Comentary by Timothy Jones on Tea Party Pooper by John Fund, The Wall Street Journal
Christine O’Donnell is attempting to wrest the Senate nomination in Delaware away from presumptive GOP candidate Mike Castle. Castle is certainly what conservatives would call a RINO (a Republican in name only), but Ms. O’Donnell has had a shaky campaign. A win for O’Donnell would definitely be a bigger upset for the establishment than even that of Joe Miller in Alaska. Conservatives should keep their eye on this race, and on Ms. O’Donnell to see how things turn out in Delaware.

Commentary by Dick Young on Arizona’s Brewer Fires Back at U.N. by John Gizzi, Human Events
Hillary Clinton has told Cuban and Libyan members of the U.N. Human Rights Council that Arizona’s immigration laws are a “problem” that exists in our society. Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona is fighting back against Clinton’s assault on her state. Brewer wondered why no human rights violations have been part of any of the lawsuits against Arizona that have been filed by the Eric Holder led Department of Justice. That is a good question. Why is Hillary Clinton badmouthing an American state to the world if the government has even brought up the issue here at home? Thomas Jefferson argued against the United States’ participation in foreign affairs. Americans have a chance to elect conservatives this year who agree, like Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Commentary by Dick Young on Obama to Link Tax Plan, Hiring by Jonathan Weisman and Deborah Solomon, The Wall Street Journal
Democrats are split into three sides over what to do about the Bush tax cuts expiration. None of these sides would extend the tax cuts permanently and cut spending to shrink the deficit.

Whether or not you are a Hilton fan (or, like me, you have no idea why she is famous), it can hardly be said that the deaths of Mexicans, or anyone else for that matter, lie at her Prada-clad feet.

Over 28,000 people have died in the ongoing Mexican drug war since President Felipe Calderón took office. Are American addicts to blame for those deaths? I say no.

As a student of economics, I understand that every demand will generate a supply. In every marketplace, competitors will “fight” to gain the upper hand. But murder, torture and death are not rational economic behavior; they are evil.

The idea of American culpability is fostered by the liberal media. Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, says of the drug war: “It seems self-evident that we [Americans] are responsible.” In other words, blame America.

Andres Martinez of the New American Foundation says this is “what happens to a nation that shares a 2,000-mile border with the richest nation on Earth, that consumes some $65 billion worth of drugs a year and cedes control of that market to offshore criminal organizations.” Mr. Martinez would have you believe that bordering the U.S. has been a bad thing for Mexico, not the other way around.

This week, Arizona essentially ceded control of portions of the state to Mexican drug gangs. The federal government has abandoned the borders, and Arizona, with no army of its own, is left to drift. A sheriff in Pinal County, Paul Babeu, asked the government for 3,000 members of the National Guard to retake the area. The Obama administration gave him 15 signs.

Drug cartels are taking control of northern Mexico and the southern United States. Instead of blaming Paris Hilton and others like her, the president and his progressive administration should be sending troops to guard the border to protect Americans. As commander in chief, it is his job.

Commentary by E.J. Smith on The Small Business The 97% Fallacy by Kevin A. Hassett and Alan D. Viard, The Wall Street Journal
You have to be appalled at how Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Joe Biden are misleading the country, claiming that only a small percentage of small businesses will be affected if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire. As Messrs. Hassett and Viard correctly point out, the numbers are misleading especially when anyone with pass-through business income is counted. Pelosi and Biden consider Uncle Bob making a few bucks on eBay to be a “small business” and wham millions of businesses are added to the pile of stats. In the real world, 50% of successful businesses (those making more than $200,000) will be affected by the expiring tax cuts.

When the Obama administration unleashes an additional 16,000 IRS agents, you can expect to see more small businesses created overnight as more Uncle Bob’s come out of the woodwork. Section 9006 of Obamacare mandates that in 2012 all companies will have to issue 1099 tax forms to any individual or corporation from which they buy more than $600 in goods or services in a tax year. Again more small businesses will be created overnight. The larger the net Pelosi, Biden and Obama can cast around small businesses the more misleading their IRS based numbers become. All at the expense of the nation’s successful businesses.

Commentary by Timothy Jones on The Revolt of the Bourgeois by Rich Lowry, National Review
The Tea Party is radical in its orderly nature. Rather than the screaming psychopaths of the left wing protest movement, the Tea Party has brought in Americans who value order and calm. They aren’t out protesting because their mothers didn’t hug them enough or because they became enthralled with an Ivy League professor who told them to “fight the man.” No, the Tea Partiers are everyday Americans who want to leave America cleaner than they found it, just like they did to the National Mall after the Glenn Beck rally. That mentality could go a long way toward keeping America’s future generations out of crippling debt traps. This conservative revolution is much different than that of 1994. In ’94 the GOP was leading the charge. Insiders were the instigators. Today, outsiders like Glenn Beck are the impetus for the revolution. That means that when the GOP takes control of the House, they will have to answer to outside inspection from the people.

Commentary by Timothy Jones on Jim DeMint Looks toward November, and Beyond by Robert Costa, National Review
Jim DeMint was Tea Party before Tea Party was cool, or even a movement. He has long been fighting for the same Tea Party principles that are getting new Republicans through primaries all over the country. With new allies in the Senate, DeMint will hold much more power and his conservative stances will likely guide many of the new senators. Under his banner the Senate will become a much more comfortable place for Americans who believe in constitutional principles and the message of the Declaration of Independence.

Commentary by Dick Young on How Do You Stop an Elephant Charging? by Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal
Grover Norquist says it perfectly that Tea Partiers and the GOP shouldn’t get distracted by shiny things. The focus should absolutely be on reducing spending, fighting tax increases and restoring constitutional principles to American governance.

Stax Records, the phenomenal studio behind this week’s featured band, Booker T. and The MG’s—and countless other soul-defining artists—was based on McLemore Avenue in Memphis. Stax sadly had the “S” taken out of its soul with two tragedies: First, Otis Redding, a buddy of the MG’s, died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. Then, just months later, on April 4, 1968, Dr. King was shot in Memphis. In 1970, Booker T. left for California, and a vital era in American music came to a close.

I’d begin your introduction to Booker T. & The MG’s with “Green Onions,” “Hip Hug-Her” (Booker’s first contribution with the B3 organ; previous Hammond organ contributions had been with the less powerful Hammond M3 spinet model), and “Soul Dressing.” As always, record albums are preferable to CDs. I own the complete MG’s 180-gram record collection produced by Sundazed Music of Coxsackie, New York. I also own the complete collection of original Stax LPs, as well as all the Stax and Atlantic 45s of the MG’s, including the ultrarare Volt pressing of “Green Onions.” The album Soul Dressing includes the 1963 release “Chinese Checkers,” Booker’s first effort with an electric piano instead of an organ. Booker is also featured on trombone on “Chinese Checkers” with drummer Al Jackson calling out the words “your move” midway through the record. After “Green Onions,” it’s my favorite MG’s single.

You will find Booker pictured with me at About Dick Young and all the singles I feature at my R&B Juke Box. By far, the finest book ever written on Stax including Booker T. & The MG’s is Rob Bowman’s Soulsville, U.S.A. Absolutely essential. I spoke to Mr. Bowman on one of my many Stax research projects through the years. There is not another non-Stax insider alive with the Stax knowledge Rob Bowman has accumulated.

Commentary by E.J. Smith on The Lawfare Wars by the editors of The Wall Street Journal
The Obama Administration’s attorney general Eric Holder appears to be delaying the military tribunal for the role of alleged USS Cole terrorist al-Nashiri in the death of 17 Navy sailors. How can President Obama look America in the eyes on Tuesday night, thanking our troops for their sacrifices, while Holder drops the ball on this? Apparently offending the left with a military tribunal would be too risky before November 2.

Commentary by Dick Young on Oranges and Lemons by Larry Thornberry, The American Spectator
Republicans in Florida need to get past the divisive primary between gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott and his opponent Bill McCollum. There is always a divide after a primary, but the party should rise above and work hard to elect the most conservative candidate in the race. In this case that’s Rick Scott.

Commentary by Dick Young on Down With Big Government, Big Business, Big Labor by Michael Barone, Human Events
Liberals thought this financial crisis, and the election of Barack Obama would validate their big government model and push them to political success for years to come; wrong. Few Americans believe that this recession was caused by too little government involvement in the markets. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were products of a misguided government housing strategy that pushed capital in the wrong direction. The Federal Reserve, as explained in Ron Paul’s excellent End the Fed, has been causing the misallocation of capital for decades. Government is not the solution to America’s financial woes, it is the cause.

Commentary by Dick Young on After November by Jim Geraghty, National Review
Conservatives should be particularly concerned with their state’s governors race this year. There are 37 seats up for grabs and the governors will be instrumental in the redistricting efforts that take place after the tabulation of the 2010 Census. The redistricting could tip the House scales in years to come. Governors and state legislators are just as important here as congressmen.

Commentary by Timothy Jones on Summer of Economic Discontent by Michael Boskin, The Wall Street Journal
After this summer, filled with questionable economic indicators, no one can believe that the “stimulus” was effective. Americans were sold a pile of dreams by the president, and his economic advisor Christina Romer. Romer is heading out of Washington after this week. Running for the hills after being roundly mocked for her predictions that unemployment wouldn’t exceed 8% if only Americans allowed their Congress to pass the president’s stimulus. Well, she was wrong, the president was wrong, and Americans are left with the bill and nearly 10% unemployment. As a reward for their faith in him, Barack Obama is going to reward Americans by raising their taxes, spending more of their money, and borrowing more from China. November can’t come soon enough.

Commentary by Dick Young on The Success of the Beck Rally by Jeffrey Lord, The American Spectator
The Glenn Beck rally was a huge success. Hundreds of thousands showed up. Americans are concerned about the direction of the country, and rightly so. Jeffrey Lord questions the message of Glenn Beck’s speech. Check it out here.

Commentary by E.J. Smith on ‘Systemic Risk’ Stonewall by the editors of The Wall Street Journal
You’ve got to be kidding me? Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Billionaire Julian Robertson have a lot of heart wanting to bring back the estate tax as a first order of business for Congress this month. Let’s not forget Mr. Rubin was on Citigroup’s board for a decade leading up to its taxpayer bailout. Talk about asleep on the job. And billionaire Robertson won his $27 million tax case after he successfully argued his whereabouts on four days and avoided paying New York city taxes. The estate tax is just another big government revenue stream that will be avoided by the ultra wealthy with the money to pay for fancy schemes while the less “successful” families pick up the tab.

Commentary by Dick Young on Obama’s Speech by Jonah Goldberg, National Review
On the heals of the Glenn Beck  ‘Restoring Honor’ speech, President Barack Obama has given a speech marking the end of combat operations in Iraq. I hardly believe that 50,000 troops still on the ground in Iraq is anything to celebrate. When will these troops come home? Will they come home at all? Or will they end up like the contingents in Germany, Japan and South Korea that never left once the wars were over? Below is Obama’s speech. Compare the tone to that of Glenn Beck above and ask yourself where America is heading under President Obama.

Commentary by Dick Young on Social Security Bait and Switch by the editors of The Wall Street Journal
Apparently in the Democratic political handbook it reads, “When all else fails, lie about Social Security.” And that’s exactly what the President and his surrogates in the White House and the unions are doing. They have created a mythical GOP plan to “privatize Social Security.” There hasn’t been any talk of this for years. A better idea would be to cut the pork barrel spending at home and the massive empire building around the world to pay back the money borrowed/stolen from the Social Security Trust Fund. This would go a long way toward shoring up the broken program; it might actually even be solvent after that. Congress needs to make these hard decisions.

Commentary by E.J. Smith on GOP Lead on Generic Ballot: The Highest Ever… Again! by Jim Geraghty, National Review
Americans have had enough of Reid, Pelosi and Obama’s radical experiments on everything from healthcare to the economy. The Gallup weekly tracking of 2010 congressional voting preferences of registered voters in the midterm generic ballot for Congress puts the GOP in the lead by 51%-41%. That’s the largest lead this year and in the history of the poll.

Commentary by Deborah Young on Obama Builds a Big Tent . . . for Conservatives by John Fund, The Wall Street Journal
Freedom loving Americans converged on Washington D.C. this past weekend. The Tea Partiers in attendance were fighting this administration to help Americans keep their freedoms. Anyone who doubts the Obama administration is out to control Americans should be reminded of the health care mandate, the first of its kind. Never before has the federal government forced Americans to buy something they may not necessarily want. This is Nanny State to the extreme and should be protested from coast to coast.

Commentary by Timothy Jones on Is Obama After More Tax Money or Your Gold? by Alex Panameno, Human Events
Two thirds of small businesses will have their taxes raised by the Obama budget plan. Obama wants to raise taxes from 35% to 39.6%. Plus, after finally getting rid of the Death Tax this year, Obama and his friends in the Senate and the House want to bring it back! Americans don’t believe the Death Tax is fair. Why are Democrats trying to bring it back? Rather than make the hard decisions about balancing a budget that is out of control, Democrats want to continue the same policies until the country implodes in a Greece-like debt trap.

Commentary by Dick Young on Joe Sestak, $350K, Atheists, Ethics, And Wind Power by Thomas A. Shakely, National Review
Joe Sestak has been in one scandal after another. Luckily for Pennsylvanians they have a much better choice for Senate, Pat Toomey. Toomey is a serious conservative who will bring an avid debt and spending cutting attitude to the Senate on behalf of his constituents.