The Government Giveth, and the Government Taketh Away

I’ve been up to my neck in a project so there won’t be much posting for a day or so. I have taken a turn around the blogosphere while wolfing down a very late brunch. (It’s 3:45, after all!) Here’s what caught my eye and got dumped into this “everything but the kitchen sink” post.

I’d say unbelievable, except, sadly, it’s not.  The government “gave” out a $250 tax credit.  (Scare quotes because the government doesn’t have anything to give; it simply redistributes what it forcibly takes away from law abiding citizens.)  As is typical, they botched it, in some cases leaving people worse off than when they started.   As is so often the case.  Yay, Big Government!  Way to take care of people.

Michelle Malkin claims “All is not lost in the Ivory Tower!” Well, maybe. Stanford Magazine thinks their alumna Valerie Jarrett is precisely the right person to brag about; presumably the fact that she’s a Stanford grad will convince parents today to send their children there too. “They, too, can become slum lord leftist political hacks!” Some alumnni wrote in to protest the hagiography, and, quelle surprise… their letters were actually published. Shocking!

From the “some lobbyists are more equal than others” file – the oh-so-transparent Obama administration (how many lobbyist waivers have they issued to evade their own policy?) is being challenged on their most-frequent White House guest, SEIU’s Andy Stern.  He’s evidently committing lobbying without a license, which could result in up to 5 years in the Big House and up to $200k in fines.  Anybody care to bet whether he’ll actually be prosecuted?  Yeah, I thought not.  You know why they so blatantly avoid, evade, and ignore the law?  Because they can.

Jay Tea takes note of some happenings in the Catholic Church – as they were forced out of the adoption business in Boston, so they may also be forced out of the health care industry.  Lest you find yourself thinking, ‘eh, let ‘em leave!’ let me remind you that Catholic medical institutions provide fully 15% of the hospital beds in this country.  If they shut down (as they have threatened to do, should abortion become a mandate) they will be sorely missed.  I posted about this in February, and it’s looking like – should Obamacare pass – it’s really going to happen.

Some drive-bys… Foxfier has a new Kit.  And she is adorable.  Wintery Knight has some interesting stuff re: Christianity and Capitalism.  John Hitchcock has a few words on oaths and letting your ‘yes’ be ‘yes.’ Angel has one of my favorite pastors, John Piper, on video discussing What is the Gospel?   A blast from the past over at Because No One Asked: Michele was a remote control.  I understand that phenomenon well.  I was an automatic dishwasher.