Free Republic

As he stood beside Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama did more than simply name his first choice for an appointment to the Supreme Court. He told a story – her life story – that reverberated with echoes of his own narrative that propelled him to the White House. In introducing Ms. Sotomayor to the nation, Mr. Obama — who has mastered the art of creating and employing a personal narrative to political ends — suddenly assumed the role of narrator-in-chief. He ticked through Judge Sotomayor’s biography in great detail, suggesting that her path would provide one of the most compelling...

Taking advantage of the populist revolt against Wall Street and AIG bailouts, the House Democrats have passed a vengeance tax on TARPed financial firms that amounts to a 90 percent marginal tax rate on bonuses. This is being done in the name of AIG outrage, and nobody wants to defend the insurance company — including me. The financial-products division helped blow up the global credit system, and it shouldn’t be rewarded. Yet one wonders about this 90 percent tax rate. If it passes the Senate, will it ever be repealed? This could be the ultimate class-warfare spread-the-wealth redistribution scheme, aimed...