NAFTA, pro and con

According to Wikipedia (a reasonably impartial source)  NAFTA dropped tariffs between the three countries to zip in nearly all cases by now.  It took President Bill Clinton's best efforts to get NAFTA ratified over the dead bodies of US unions. NAFTA did increase trade between Mexico, Canada and the US by a lot, perhaps 50% over the years since 1993 when NAFTA was ratified.    It also did contribute to US job losses of maybe 500,000 jobs.  These numbers can be controversial, but Wikipedia is the most balanced source I am aware of. 
   We had The Donald on TV yesterday trashing NAFTA up one side and down the other.  He promises to "renegotiate" the NAFTA treaty.  He claimed that NAFTA is a US job killer.  In this, he has, or ought to have, the warm support of US unions who have been anti NAFTA since the beginning. 
   We had the "three amigos) (Obama, Trudeau, and I can't remember the name of the Mexican president) on TV today.  All saying nice things about NAFTA, and the need to keep it going.   
   Nobody said anything about admitting the UK to NAFTA. 

Substance vs Process

The substance of the matter is making half the illegal immigrants in the country into quasi legal immigrants.  Call it 4.5 million amnesties.
   The outrage on TV is all about process, the fact that Obama plans to do this by executive order, rather that going for an act of Congress.  They don't talk about what Obama is going to do, they object to how he is going to do it.  They don't talk much about the fact that Congress isn't going to pass a big amnesty law because the voters don't want it.  Just two weeks ago the voters made it very clear what happens to Congressmen who fail to vote their districts.
   The polls show maybe 60% of voters are against the idea, but 40% are all right with it.  At that rate, Obama can probably get away with it, I don't see support for impeachment in those poll numbers.  The lawyers will natter back and forth about legality, but I'll bet the Congress passed enough loosely written laws over the years to allow nearly anything.
   

So what is Putin trying to do?

Two weeks ago,  Obama was about to take a big hit when Congress rejected his call for Authorization for the Use of Military Force,  21st century jargon meaning declaration of war.  Then, in response to an unplanned remark by John Kerry at a news conference in Europe, Putin jumps up and sells a face saving compromise to the world.  Syria will turn its chemical weapons over to a neutral party and the US won't do missile or air strikes on Syria.  The Americans love the idea, the Administration loves the idea 'cause now they don't have to suffer Congressional defeat, Congress loves it because they don't have to be mean to Obama, the voters love it because they never wanted to get mixed up in Syria at all.  Talk about a win-win.  Everybody in America wins.
   What's in it for Putin?  Sure,  he gets a lot of favorable publicity, and gets to write an Op-Ed in the NY Times,  but  all this is kinda light weight stuff.  Old Joe Stalin would not have been impressed unless the deal brought more land under Russian sovereignty,  more countries into the Soviet block, or destroyed enemy armies in battle.  I don't see that happening here. 
  I think Putin would have done better to leave Obama hoist by his own petard (big mouth).  Had Putin done nothing, Congress would have voted down (or trash canned) the authorization for the use of military force.  That's a big hit.  Obama would have either backed off on Syria, or pressed on without Congressional approval, neither of which would have come out well for Obama.
   Far as I can see, Putin bailed Obama out of a deep deep hole.
   I wonder why. 

I hate to say it, but Obama did something right

His new plan for illegal immigrants under 30.  Any who came here as children, and have kept their noses clean, graduated high school and/or served in the military, we let 'em stay.  at least for a couple of  years. I'm for it.  If you are a kid, and your parents cross the US border bringing you with them,  there is nothing a kid can do about it.  If the kid grows up in America, there is really no place to deport him too with any justice.   We as country are better off with decent young people as citizens, contributing to the legal economy than we are with illegal aliens hunted by Mr. Migra and willing to do almost anything to avoid getting caught.
  For a second point, I strongly believe that anyone who has served in the US military should be granted citizenship upon his honorable discharge from the service.  You cannot find better citizens than veterans, anywhere, anyplace.  For that matter immigrants make the most loyal citizens we have.  The United States needs loyal citizens.  What makes the US a superpower is a large and loyal population, and we need to keep it that way.
  Carping about immigrants taking jobs from citizens is small minded union talk.  We have jobs in America, and we can make more of them.
   Too bad Obama cannot do this kind of thing the right way, by getting a law thru Congress.  It's a measure of how ineffectual Obama is that he didn't propose a law, lobby Congress to pass it, made the needed concessions here and there to get it thru.  He cannot negotiate worth a damn, and after three and a half years few in Congress trust him much.  It's hard to cut a deal with a man you don't trust, 'cause you fear he will welsh on it.  Nobody wants to be taken for a sucker.

Jeremiah is not a bullfrog, he is a toad

Watched the tapes of Jeremiah Wright ranting over the weekend. He said 9/11 was the fault of the United States, not Al Quada, he claimed AIDs was developed by the CIA in order the kill off American blacks, and he finished up by calling upon God to damn the United States. This makes Wright a disloyal, hate mongering, superstitious lefty in my book.
Obama has been attending this fruitcake's church for twenty years, Wright officiated at his wedding and baptized his children. How much of Wright's hate, treason, and superstition does Obama buy into? If he doesn't buy any of it why does he attend? Obama has been calling for an end to American black/white conflict, and a coming together of all Americans. Wright is a plain old fashioned hate monger. Where is the real Obama? Does he really believe what he has been preaching on the stump, or does he secretly share Wright's views?
It's too bad. I liked Obama a lot up until the Wright thing broke. Now I have doubts about where Obama's heart is truly located.

WSJ defends Obama on the Rezco Thing

The Journal's Op Ed page ran a piece today explaining that Obama's only legal work connected with the recently indited Rezco was some five hours reviewing legal documents connected with the closing on a building for a church group, that Rezco was helping. The Journal properly reported that the writer is a friend of Obama's, but clearly the Journal thinks this is the real truth, otherwise they wouldn't have run the piece.
Interesting. The Journal takes some time and space to defend Obama against a piece of mud thrown by the Clinton's. Must be they like Obama (he is very likable) and don't like Hillary much. Especially interesting as from a narrow Republican viewpoint, we'd like to see the Democrats nominate Hillary, she will be easier to beat than Obama. Looks like the Journal druther see some fair play than see an easier-to-beat democratic candidate.