Reason Morning Links: Left Lashes Out at Obama, Teen Pregnancy on the Rise, Clouds in Tea Party Convention

• Left reacts angrily to Obama's proposed, largely symbolic spending freeze that, at most, would trim about 1/144th of the federal budget. We object even to the mere appearance of fiscal responsibility!
• Obama tells ABC News he'd "rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president."
• Teen abortion, pregnancy rates rise for the first time in a decade. The Guttmacher Institute suggests a tie to President Bush's abstinence-only sex education policy.
• First Tea Party national convention appears to be unraveling.
• Journalism looks to the free market to save journalism.

Comments

[Robert Gibbs]

"I can guarantee that the worst thing we could do would be to raise taxes when the economy is still this weak."

The President misspoke.

There are plenty of worse things we could do.

[Kyle Jordan]

Could he stay home every night?

Wait around for Mr. Right?

Take cold showers everyday.

And throw his life away?

Sorry. I watched Grease the other day and this popped in to my head right after reading.

[Rich]

"I can guarantee that the worst thing we could do would be to raise taxes when the economy is still this weak." during a zombie outbreak.

Not even close.

[Mike M.]

"I can guarantee that the worst thing we could do would be to raise taxes when the economy is still this weak."

He's right (for a change), but it would be a lot easier to take him seriously if he hadn't spent the last few months desperately trying to push through a stealth tax increase.

The man is an utterly shameless and despicable liar.

[janeane garofalo]

This isn't about a spending freeze, this is about hating a black man in the White House.

Oh, wait.

[robc]

In 1990, when rates peaked, about 12% got pregnant.

Is that really the peak? I would have guessed teen pregnancy was much higher in 1790, for example.

[Tiffany]

See, Daddy, lipstick parties aren't so bad!

[Cabeza de Vaca]

"The convention, to be held in Nashville in early February, made a splash by attracting big-name politicians. (Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech.) But some groups have criticized the cost ? $549 per ticket and a $9.95 fee, plus hotel and airfare ? as out of reach for the average tea partier. And they have balked at Ms. Palin's speaking fee, which news reports have put at $100,000, a figure that organizers will not confirm or deny."

Wow, you would have to pay me to go to that.

[Sarah Palin]

Me, too.

[robc]

Hmmm...funding for abstinence only programs increased from 2000 to 2003 and 2006 finally showed increase in teen pregnancies.

So they can hold out for 3-6 years?

Better a pregnant 18 year old than a 15 or 12 year old.

[robc]

In 2006, two-thirds of all teen pregnancies were to ages 18-19; data do not reflect marital status.

Comparisons to other years would seem to be in order. I hate journalists.

[prolefeed]

Knowing the percentage of those pregnancies that were to married women who wanted to get pregnant would seem relevant too.

[Kyle Jordan]

"Left reacts angrily to Obama's proposed, largely symbolic spending freeze that, at most, would trim about 1/144th of the federal budget. We object even to the mere appearance of fiscal responsibility!"

I honestly never thought that I would see this much backlash against him. Never even entertained the idea.

This is fun to watch. Feels more like a tragedy than a comedy though.

[Janeane Garofalo]

"Backlash"?!

This is racism, straight up.

[Kyle Jordan]

Eh, whatever works.

[mitch]

I have to admit I agree with Kyle. When people told me before inauguration that Obama voters were going to be very disappointed in Obama's administration, I said, "They love the guy because he is black; he is not going to stop being black." Guess I was wrong.

[Clich? Bandit]

Blacklash?

Is that racist?

[Slap the Enlightened!]

I honestly never thought that I would see this much backlash against him. Never even entertained the idea.

Yes, indeed! If I'd known he was going to provoke this much of a reaction, I'd have voted for him myself.

[tkwelge]

+1

[Xeones]

Obama tells ABC News he'd "rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president."

It's kind of sad that he'll probably end up being a not-even-mediocre one-term president.

[AlmightyJB]

I would be really surprised if Obama isn't re-elected. I would think that getting 98-99% of the black vote is going to be something very difficult for Republicans to overcome, especially considering that they'll no doubt pick the worst possible candidate they can come up with. Not to mention the media influence.

[Kyle Jordan]

Good points.

I said it back near his inauguration but I'll say it here again. He's basically a built in two term Pres barring an incredibly poor performance or and very shocking scandal.

The best bet is to get him and his supporters in to a gridlock with an opposing force in hopes to keep both sides occupied and away from further harming liberty.

[Tulpa]

The Dems get at least 90% of the black vote in every presidential election. That's not the difference maker. The migrations of independents are far more influential, and the trends in that case are not looking good for The Hopey One.

[prolefeed]

It's not just the percentage, it's the turnout. A lot of blacks who usually wouldn't vote showed up to vote for Obama.

[Joe_D]

"Obama tells ABC News he'd "rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president."

How about a little from column A and a little from column B?

See how that works for both major parties?... I'm a uniter, not a divider.

[TrickyVic]

My opinion is he will be neither.

At best, a sucky two term president. But the only way that will happen is if the Republicans put up a lame challenger.

But, Obama has 3 years left. A lot could happen between now and then.

[Xeones]

Sad for him, i mean.

[Anonymous]

Sad for us, you mean.

[Abdul]

So let's see, the Guttmacher Institute, an opponent of abstinence only education, balmes abstinence education.

Empirical studies haven't shown abstinence education having any more or less impact on teen pregnancy rates than any other type of sex education.

[?]

If marginal changes in federal sex-ed policy can show immediate statistically demonstrable alterations in teen fucking, there are no pragmatic arguments for libertarianism.

So maybe don't be credulous about that.

[AlmightyJB]

But how else are you gonna blame Bush?

[Michael Ejercito]

Federally-funded abstinence programs predate the Bush administration.

[John Thacker]

Yeah, I mean abstinence education doesn't work, but neither does any other type of sex education.

Well, both of them can educate teens about what's out there and diseases and so forth, but they do a remarkably poor job of actually changing behavior, as opposed to just imparting information.

Which, in one sense, is a good thing.

[Rich]

Is Obama still going to freeze the Cash-for-Abstinence Program?

[Bob #2]

They never got much interest in it. The cash-for-sex program seems to offer much, much higher payments.

[Morty Rubinowitz]

"We object even to the mere appearance of fiscal responsibility!"

What's this we shit?

[P Brooks]

Why do the President's fluffers let him run aroun d saying idiotic shit like "I'm an excellent President"?

Does he think a candy bar costs a hunnert dollars, too?

[P Brooks]

Sad for him, i mean.

Unfortunately, the damage cannot be contained.

[Don Mynack]

I assume most "tea-partiers" have jobs or better things to do than pay $500 to hear Sarah Palin try to co-opt their movement. Why is this not a web-only event?

[FrBunny]

Obama tells ABC News he'd "rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president."

As if those were the only two possibilities.

[Mike M.]

Beau Biden officially drops out of the Senate race, which virtually guarantees that the republicans will pick up that Delaware Senate seat.

[Kyle Jordan]

I really hope the Repubs don't get a big head about this. Hopefully they'll remember getting thier asses kicked out recently and temper any idiocy they may be prone to giving in to.

Yeah...maybe...

[anonymous]

And maybe I'm a Chinese jet pilot.

[Martha Coakley]

which virtually guarantees that the republicans will pick up that Delaware Senate seat

Guaranteed victories can be slippery buggers.

[Maverick]

I'm surprised that Reason wasn't all over the popular tax vote in Oregon. It ends today.

[Hugh Akston]

Where is Oregon? Is it by DuPont Circle? Georgetown? Not all the way out in Arlington I hope?

[JW]

Obama tells ABC News he'd "rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president."

Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be on track for either option.

[P Brooks]

I doubt he'll be able to hoist himself to "mediocre" no matter how long he stays in office.

[Tulpa]

In 1964, a poll found that 60% of those who had voted in 1960 said they voted for John F Kennedy.

Strangely, JFK got barely more than 50% of the vote in 1960. Either there was a mass die-off among Nixon voters, or people change their perception of certain politicians after certain types of events occur.

[Lamarck's Giraffe]

In other news, we all have a new reason to avoid prison: Dungeons & Dragons inspired nerd "gangs". http://www.azcentral.com/offbe.....agons.html

[TrickyVic]

"""Singer was told by prison officials that he could not keep the materials because Dungeons & Dragons "promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling," according to the ruling."""

Which one of those does prison it's self not promote.

How many prisoners have fantasies about their gang getting to rape the new guy?

[Brandybuck]

What happens in the Democratic party is that the center left candidate makes his positions on the issues pretty clear, and the progressive base of the party assumes ... he or she is secretly one of them and upon election day will bust out with some Howard Zinn on everyone's ass.

So you've noticed that too, huh?

[alan]

Hmm, two morning hits post up since he was arrested over the weekend, and still no linky to a story on Caucazoid freakboy Andy Dick not being able to keep his hands off the lady's titties in public?

Not enough political spin on that story to warrant it, eh?

[alan]

From that Left Lashes Out at Obama story:

Personally I'm not as liberal as a lot of the Democratic base, but I'm not nearly as conservative as others inevitably accuse me of being. I'm pretty liberal on social issues but a caveman on national defense and criminal justice. I think that's pragmatic, but one man's pragmatism is another's Mao or another's DLC. Whatever. Either way, I tend to think Democratic presidents don't do enough of what the base wants -- for example Clinton's NAFTA mistake or Obama's inexplicable foot dragging on Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal and fruitless concessions to the GOP and conservadems on the size and impact of the stimulus.

In other words, 'I take a little from column A, and a little from column B, and a tinny bit from column C, however, do I adhere to any ethical principle in my political philosophy beyond my own personal vanities? No.'