WAY TO INSPIRE CONFIDENCE, JOE

Thar he blows again! Vice President Joe Biden cranks up some Swine Flu fear:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21925.html Then there was tap dancing and back-tracking. In the meantime, we're at a "Level 5" health alert and we still don't want to secure the borders? Aren't people within the administration actually taking time to talk to each other first, before blathering?

HOW'S HE DOING?

The latest LarsonPoll results regarding President Obama's first 100 days:

I feel a thrill going up my leg	0%
Excellent	10%
Good	2%
Fair	5%
Poor	32%
Not sure	3%
I'm having buyer's remorse	3%
I voted for someone else	39%
Not my fault, I didn't vote	3%
Where's my "free money"?	3%

LARSON ON TV

Tomorrow morning, 8AM, on KUSI TV in Southern California. Discussing everything from President Obama's first 100 days to Swine Flu and Arlen Specter. Channels 9 and 51 in San Diego.

AND ANOTHER REASON...

... why the Swine Flu story is reaching the panic zone: It's TV ratings "sweeps month", guaranteed to bring 24/7 hype from competing networks.  (In other news: A show of hands, please: Who has any confidence in Janet Napolitano right now?)

RATE PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FIRST 100 DAYS: Cast your vote! Click on "Larson Poll" in the menu at right.

PICK YOUR PANIC

Swine flu is the latest. A real concern, of course. But by the way the story's been covered, it seems like thousands have already bit the dust. Well, we've seen this before with other flu strains, SARS and, well, swine flu, back during the Gerald Ford years. Ah, those were the days... pre-Carter malaise. (Of course many of us have also been concerned about the increase in nasty, once "gone" diseases in recent years, including TB. It's baaaack!) Add to the current tensions the guns-and- ammo sales rush, some people who think we'll run out of food (ala the big "toilet paper shortage" caused when Johnny Carson made up a joke about it on TV) and it's a perfect psychological storm.

The nation seems ready to madly embrace every fear that is magnified by the media. The only good thing about the swine flu news is that maybe, just maybe, the national media will finally back off talking up the Great Depression Redux every moment.  It's all of that which causes the crisis of the moment to take hold and make everyone nuts.

GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE

Kudos to CNN's Roland Martin for applauding Miss California's honesty about the "gay marriage" issue: www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/22/martin.miss.california/index.html

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?

The terrorists mst be thinking, "Gee, thanks guys." The US Government is busy releasing too much info on CIA techniques and the Obama Administration is going overboard in trying to make the rest of the world like us. The left's obsession with Cheney is back, and MoveOn.org is busy lobbying the White House...which explains today's flip-flopping. Undermining our intelligence people by making records public, without context (or results gained from using CIA "techniques") is wrong. And dangerous. America has now given every bad guy in the world a clear understanding of what we won't do to stop them.

TALK ABOUT TORTURE: 

Try watching an entire news conference by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. I did that today. Painful. I'll say it again: I really miss Tony Snow.

JUST SPEAK AND IT'S FINE?

Does the President really think his charisma can change the minds of Chavez, Castro et al?  And aren't the too-cozy images from the Summit just a little bit unnerving?

THE LAW OF THE SEA

Another US-flagged ship was attacked pirates today, but (while having some damage) it managed to escape the attackers.  Like the now-freed Captain Phillips' ship, the Liberty Sun was carrying humanitarian aid to Africa. More evidence of those nasty Americans, trying to help the rest of the world. Imagine if the pirates got their way and through increased pressure kept America from doing what it does best: Helping the rest of the world. Then humanity would be in an even bigger mess.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR CIVILITY

Watching the "Celebrity Apprentice" show last night (hey, it's what happened to be on after 10), and I noticed how much more "bleeping" is going on this season.  Tensions run high and the air turns bluer. It's not just that program, of course. There are plenty of others with much more of this taking place. And I can't tell you how many emails I get from people who can't express a simple disagreement without peppering the whole message with sleaze. The coarsening of America appears to be expanding everywhere. In fact in today's culture it seems like it's a badge of honor to pepper speech with F-bombs and other assorted cussing.  Certain "experts" say it shows that the speaker is cutting edge and contemporary. I don't buy it. Words reflect the soul. And if today's speech is any indication, America's soul needs some help.

HAPPY EASTER

On a recent "Jaywalking" segment on The Tonight Show, Jay Leno was asking a young woman about Easter. After fumbling for an answer to his question about the day's origins, she said something like, "Oh yeah, it's about Jesus and resurrection.... but the best part is the Easter eggs." The "best part"? Well, she had some of it right. It's about Christ rising from the dead and all that His sacrifice brings to mankind (those whose chose Him). It's not about eggs and bunnies, as fun as they can be. It's not just another holiday. May this Easter weekend hold a deep, eternal meaning for you and yours. It's not just a "holiday". Happy Easter... He is risen!

DO AS WE SAY - NOT AS WE DO, DEPT.

In the LA Times (of all places) today is this nugget: A survey of the White House parking lot (by the Detroit News and Politico.com) shows that the very people who want to tell the US auto industry what to do aren't driving American cars. I'm sure the spin will be, "Of course we're not, and that's why we're now experts...we would have bought from US automakers if they had what we wanted". Or, "We do this to check out the competition". Uh huh.

Here's the bottom line: Surveyors found only five American cars out of 23. Two Fords, a Jeep, Cadillac and a Dodge. Those DC gurus-of-all-things driving foreign jobs include Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (Lexus), Budget boss Peter Orszag (Honda), economic advisor Austan Goolsbee (Toyota) and Biden advisor Jared Bernstein (Honda). At least Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (happens to be a Republican) has a Buick and a Ford Escape.

NATO NUMBERS: The President got a commitment of more troops for Afghanistan from NATO. But they're not doing combat operations. That's been the problem since NATO became more involved there three years ago. I was on location in Afghanistan right before the transition and saw plenty of troops from other countries opting out of lots of tasks that the US and a select few allies do, everyday. This shouldn't be a surprise to Mr. Obama. And it shouldn't be something he touts as something it is not. Meanwhile, North Korea launched a missile (which we're told wasn't fully successful). Network media adored the "quick response" from the White House: More talking, posturing and empty threats "backed up" by the UN. While the photo op jabbering continues, North Korea will likely shop its technology (such as it is) to countries like Iran.

THAT WILL DO IT

New Homeland Security boss Janet Napolitano (former Arizona Governor) was assessing the border situation here in San Diego this week. Among her "take charge" statements: Telling the bad guys (aka the drug cartels), "Enough!"  That ought to stop 'em.  She's also stepping up scanning of license plates on vehicles heading into Mexico. As if thugs, pushers and killers will all be law-abiding people who use only license tags properly registered to the driver. We're seeing why Napolitano didn't have a clue about border issues when she was "in charge" in Arizona either.

FREE SPEECH CURBS: Check my new column in the Christian Examiner... a "fairness doctrine" update: Go to www.christianexaminer.com and scroll down to the column section.

NO FOOLIN'

Sales tax rates in California are up 13%+ today... more in cities where voters have been duped into approving higher rates. In El Cajon not one but two voter-approved increases push the sales tax rate to 9.75%.  All because too many people bought the blather that not bumping up the rate would cause "the children" to be hurt, police and fire services to disappear, etc... the usual scare tactics.  This is on top of a variety of other state tax increases and "fee adjustments" coming into play this year. It's another reminder of how most bureaucrats don't have a clue how to stimulate business and bring back the economy. But voters have to get smarter, too, and stop the crazy approval of seemingly "small" gotta-do-it increases.