“This nation is great because we worked as a team. This nation is great because we get each other’s backs.”

No. Wrong. It is not so with America. This nation isn’t great because we work as a team with the president as our captain. America is great because America is free. It is great not because we put our self-interest aside, but because we have the right to pursue happiness.

I don’t blame the president for being exhausted with the mess and bother of democracy and politics, since he has proved so inadequate at coping with the demands of both. Nor do I think he truly seeks to impose martial virtues on America. But he does desperately want his opponents to shut up and march in place. And he seems to think this bilge will convince them to do so.

via Obama’s Vision for a Spartan America – Jonah Goldberg – National Review Online.

TTAG commentator Greg responded to the National Gun Victims Action Council recent announcement of a Valentine’s Day Starbucks boycott by organizing a BUYcott. Greg’s asking gun owners to reward Starbucks for its firearms policy by buying a beverage or food item with a two dollar bill (representing the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms) on February 14th. Not forgetting to “thank the clerk for Starbucks’ support of the Constitution.”

via Why You Should Spend a $2 Bill at Starbucks on Feb. 14 | The Truth About Guns.

The only way Mitt Romney wins a nomination is by destroying others.  It was true in 2008, and it’s true in 2012.  He is incapable of bringing people together with positive inspiration.  He had the chance early in this cycle to prove he would not run the type of nasty campaign he ran in 2008, but when push came to shove in Iowa, he fell back on what he knows.

via » Pre-debate irreparable split – Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion.

I don’t get it. Where was this GOP moxie when Barack Obama was a candidate? Where was the politics of personal destruction when it counted? Newt’s not perfect, but he’s not the personification of pure evil he’s being made out to be, and while Team Mitt shoulders much of the blame on this bitter, scorched-earth policy, I’m reading a lot of Conservatives I still somewhat respect who are piling on as well.

Where were these mighty defenders of Conservatism when Sarah Palin was getting demonized for her every move, to cite on general, broad example? They’re setting fire to all the goodwill and broad latitude people like me have given them to a) destroy Newt and b) prop-up Mitt Romney, the latter of which is hardly anyone’s idea of an ideal Conservative candidate. Mitt’s not the Devil, but he’s a helluva lot more Bush 41/Dole/McCain than he is Reagan.

This full-frontal assault on Newt – complete with Matt Drudge’s blaring headlines and massive anti-Newt sentiment – is a mixture of mild curiosity and bland infuriation (yes, fury can be bland). At a time when we should be focusing like a laser on the current POTUS, we’re instead eating our own, and it’s not just shameful, it’s wrong.

Give credit where it’s due: so desperate is Conservatism to get rid of Fred-6, the mere thought of his re-election is making us eat our own. How pathetic.

“Newt Gingrich has a proposal for freezing the budget at the 1983 level. It’s a tempting idea except that it would cripple our defense program. And if we make an exception on that every special interest group will be asking for the same thing.”

via Pathetic propaganda of the day « Don Surber.

Here’s a pic of Taylor Swift, just cuz.

I’ve made no bones about my relative discomfort with Rick Santorum – BigState SocialCons don’t do it for me – of the four remaining GOPers, he’s last on my list, though obviously preferable to Fred-6.

That said, I’m fine with Santorum staying in the race, assuming he’s actually going to stay in the race. I don’t feel the need to demonize any of the remaining candidates – the Donkeys will do that for me soon enough. I also don’t like the idea of Establishment types and various bloggers pining for a guy like Mitch Daniels or Bobby Jindal to jump in. Wanna know how to generate excitement among the base? Neither do those guys.

Daniels gave the GOPer retort last night to the SOTU, and it sounds like he did a decent enough job. However, this is a guy who didn’t run for POTUS because, er, his wife didn’t want him to, and that’s just plain ol’ weak in my book.

So, for now, adjusting the immortal words of Denny Green, we are who we thought we were. Newt and Mitt are content to eviscerate each other, Santorum is content to do his thing, and Ron Paul, well, I think it says a great deal that when Donkeys don’t vote in GOPer primaries, Paul’s support falls off.

Anyway, back to it, kids.

That’s a picture of Megan Rapinoe, my favorite US Women’s Team futbol’r – she’s quite hot, and also quite fun to watch.

Anyway…

If you haven’t heard, the world’s most famous secretary is a special guest at the SOTU tonight. Nope, I’ll not be watching. I just figured out The Wire is available for purchase through Amazon Prime streaming etc, so I’m rewatching season 1 right now for the tenth time or so.

Why? Why not – the rise and fall of Stringer Bell alone is worth a semi-annual re-watch.

Also: I can never get over how much Deangelo Barksdale looks like Todd Bridges.

Also re TW: It is a show for people who feel like reading a novel but don’t have the energy. In that sense, it’s perfect. Also: looking for a novel to read, and can’t find one.

I guess I better learn this deck:

This was ruled a catch and a TD, and it was close ^^^^^^

[Check out BAL player's left hand /brex]

The ruling on the field when BAL trailed 23-20 with under two minutes left of incomplete was horseshit – he caught the ball, took two steps, and then the ball was slapped away. That substory will get lost thanks to Billy Cundiff shanking a short FG, but it was a catch.

Anyway … GO GIANTS!