We need an IPOTO to counter Imperialist Communist China

Indo-Pacific Oceanic Treaty Organization. IPOTO. That's my suggestion for a name for it.  Is it coming?  In order to counter Chinese territorial aggression, it should.  Let Europe increase it's spending and prove it's worth defending with NATO.

This video is from early 2019, but the idea still resonates:

What to look for in Obama's acceptance speech

What should you expect to see in Obama's acceptance speech tonight?  That is, as opposed to at Obama's acceptance speech tonight, where you will see a large number of drones with no clue about reality.  According to top aides, you'll see him tackle entitlement reforms.  I'm assuming that means with the same tremendous aplomb he tackled the deficit with in his first term.

Top campaign aides to President Obama said that in his speech on Thursday night, the president will discuss deficit reduction and entitlement reform.

Stephanie Cutter, appearing on CNN’s Starting Point on Thursday, said, “I think you will hear the president lay out his plan of balanced deficit reduction where everybody pays their fair share and we cut what we don't need and that includes entitlement reform.”

Earlier, she said: “I think you will hear him talk about the types of decisions we need to make as a country if we want to get our debt under control and do it in a way that will unleash growth and help the middle class grow.”

Ironically, the number one solution - getting rid of Obama - will not be part of the party platform.

Countering Alinsky: Cash for Clunkers

Some time ago I wrote a two part piece on countering the Alinsky Rules for Radicals. It provided some basic ideas for counter-measures to stop the creeping advance of socialism via the left's Alinsky adherence to Alinsky's rules.

Today, I offer an opinion on a way to counter Alinksy Rule #6: A good tactic is one your people enjoy. The counter;

This is a pretty straightforward rule and if someone is doing something they enjoy, it's tough to make them not enjoy it. You could do that but it makes Republicans become the party of "No'. The GOP is supposed to be the party of 'know'. The best counter for it is to make sure that 'your people' are enjoying their tactics as well. The best way to do that is to combine tactics with fun.

Here's a tactic conservatives might find rewarding as well as fun. The Democrats are looking for Republican support on the "cash for clunkers" program. If we read this correctly, we can win on both ends.

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration expressed more confidence Tuesday that Senate Democrats can win over enough Republicans to pass a $2 billion extension of a popular rebate program that gives consumers up to $4,500 to trade in their old gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the popular program has allowed thousands of Americans to buy a new car at time when the economy is still in a recession and needs a boost in consumer spending.

"I think the last thing any politician wants to do is cut off the opportunity for somebody who wants to get a rebate to buy a new automobile," said LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Illinois.

He predicted the Senate would approve the $2 billion and said the "cash for clunkers" and said the program will "continue seamlessly."

"The money will be there to be reimbursed by the dealers," LaHood said after conferring with assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

There's an opportunity RIPE for the taking!

IF Republican legislators ignore the plea for help/votes, and
IF conservative voters in need of a new vehicle can participate in the program ASAP

IF conservative voters understand that this is the tactic

THEN

The stimulus money generated for this project will go into conservative voters hands and not end up as a payback to Democrat voters. It will spark the I voted for Obama and all I got was a chance to miss out on the cash for clunkers line of thinking. Talk about disappointment.

GOP legislators will be off the hook for the costs involved. Obama promised it, he spent it, and we took advantage of it first, because conservatives believe in action, not words.

Conservatives, upset with the tax and borrow and spend MO of OB, will have foiled an underhand liberal payback scheme and pocketed a rebate clearly not aimed at them.

Sweet.

But we can take it even further. Take a portion of that rebate money and donate it to your favorite conservative candidate for the general election in 2010. Say $500 goes to your candidate of choice. In many cases, depending on your state, the donation can be used as a tax credit too. You can take the money and NOT vote for a Democrat, as much as they'd prefer otherwise.

And if the program runs out of funds again because of the spoiler effort, and quickly, the Democrats will start to look foolish for creating a financial sinkhole and pouring more and more money into it. They can either shut down the program, angering their constituency and looking disorganized, or re-fund it through Congress again and look spend-crazy and/or disorganized.

This is, I realize small potatoes as far as the ARRA money goes, but it is visible, it's a fun tactic for conservatives to engage in, and it might even teach the spendocrats a lesson in fiscal sanity. Okay, maybe not, but it's certain to be a thorn in their side.

Go buy a car, it's on the taxpayers and since you're always being shortchanged take advantage of money that was going to go to liberal car drivers anyways, on your tax dime. It's the Law of Unintended Consequences that might shine through here.

What it achieves for the country depends on how the Democrats react to it, but I can't see any downside when compared to letting liberal voting blocks jump all over this. Maybe I'm wrong, but if so, could someone please point out the flaw in my thinking on the tactic?