Quick..... what comes to your mind when you hear the names Hoover, FDR, G.W. Bush, and Obama?
Let me help...failed Republican presidencies followed by truly disastrous Democrat presidencies.
So, here is my quick take on the parallels between the Hoover - FDR era and the Bush - Obama era in a nut shell.
Hoover believed in the Efficiency Movement, which held that government and the economy were riddled with inefficiency and waste, and could be improved by experts who could identify the problems and solve them (being an engineer by training - and not much of a political philosopher, I guess you couldn't have faulted him much for that). When the Wall Street crash of 1929 struck less than eight months after he took office, Hoover tried to combat the ensuing Great Depression with volunteer efforts, public works projects such as the Hoover Dam, tariffs such as the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, and raising the top tax bracket from 25% to 63%, none of which unsurprisingly produced economic recovery during his term. In sum, he was a protectionist and a proponent of government intervention unlike some of his predecessors (Coolidge and Harding) or what I would call an establishment Republican these days.
Hoover's failure to spur the economy on, especially coming at the tail end of the roaring 20's, paved the way for FDR and a long reign of Democrat congressional control. Republicans were trounced in congressional races as well as the presidential election.
FDR, an avowed Socialist, made the most of the crisis he inherited. He doubled down on Hoover's misguided policies while instituting the New Deal. It was during this period that America started its journey towards collectivism in earnest. Along with Social Security, the single worst damage inflicted by FDR was his stacking of the SCOTUS by progressive justices. By 1935, he was a true dictator, one might say. I documented some of his more outrageous actions here. In my estimation, he was the single worst president America had - that is until now.
G.W. Bush took over an economy that was weakening, but neverthless fundamentally sound in relative terms. The Gingrich congress had Bill Clinton curb his earlier progressive instincts and the era of small government was on. Then came the dot com bubble caused mild recession of early 2001 and the eventual 9/11 attacks. I believe that is when any remote adherence G.W.B. had to free markets flew out the window. To begin with, the Bush family was never known to be truly conservative devotees of free markets going all the way back to G. H. Bush's frictions with Reagan in 1980 and earlier. Bushes were, and still are, establishment Republicans who believe in big, compassionate government. As such, when things looked bleak in the early days of post 9/11 era, G.W.B. sacrificed everything that Clinton/Gingrich had accomplished as far as containing the federal leviathan. Combined with the cost of war on two fronts, federal government once again became its pre-1996 monstrosity. Over the next six years, we witnessed new entitlements like Medicare Part-D and the expanded SCHIP program - all as part of so-called compassionate conservatism. Finally in 2007, when the great recession started, G.W.B. showed his real face to the world when he declared "I had to sacrifice free market principles to save the free market system". If that statement alone didn't prove that he was never a constitutional, small government, free market adherent type of president, I do not know what would. Can you say Hoover light?
President Obama easily enough won the 2008 election because his opponent was nothing but a war decorated version of G.W.B. He, like FDR did, doubled down - make that quadrupled down - on G.W.B. policies of spending on entitlements. This is not meant to criticize him for all his actions (because that would take a few volumes of a book) but, in a nut shell, Obama through his radical cabinet and other appointments who would make FDR appointments blush, proved that we succeeded in electing our first Marxist (though a closet one) president. Ever since his election, rogue government agencies have been regulating and otherwise poisoning the business environment. This blog has catalogued many of his outrageous action. Consequently, as with FDR who couldn't pull the country out of the Depression until WWII did it for him 12 years after the start of the Great Depression, under Obama we have yet to see things improve in any meaningful way. The worst part of the story, however, will be the lasting effects of his legacy. As with Social Security under FDR, Medicare under LBJ, Medicare Part-D under Bush, among other entitlements, Obamacare and many of his Administration's damaging regulations will probably never be undone.
Thus is the scary and uncanny parallels between two critical eras in our history, with two sets of presidents where the Republican predecessor's lack of classically conservative conviction and vision led to two hard line progressive who exploited the opportunity to fundamentally alter our nation.
----
Of course, this is not to say that these four are the only failed presidencies in the modern era - which I describe as beginning of 20th century on. One must not forget an array of Republican (T. Roosevelt, Taft, Hoover, Nixon, Ford, and G. H. Bush (Sr.)) and Democrat (Wilson, FDR, LBJ, and Carter) presidents who left their damaging marks on this country of ours. However, this group did not amplify their predecessor's damaging policies by disastrous ones of their own. They mostly were instrumental in further expanding the government's reach in to our daily lives - bad but not disastrous as I said. All that being said, I am not minimizing the critical roles of two early presidents - Wilson and T. Roosevelt to a lesser degree - in fundamentally changing the course of this nation with their policies from one of a Jeffersonian vision to one that would eventually resemble 19th century Fabian Socialism of Europe.
My favorites since 1900? If I had to list them in order of preference:
1. Coolidge
2. Reagan
3. Harding
All for their dedication to free market principles and constitutional government as our founders intended.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
U.K.: The Manifestation of Progressive Policies
Two weeks ago, crowds of mostly youthful offenders looted and burned private property all around the U.K. Listening to their words was enough to make their mindset crystal clear to outside observers. One such sentiment uttered by a looter was: "Nobody is doing nothing for us — not the politicians, not the cops, no one."
What is behind such disenfranchisement by minorities and whites alike? The U.K. as a western European democracy provides the tools and the opportunity necessary for these protesters to lead fruitful lives, one might think. But is that enough? Apparently not.
No. What we have been witnessing in the U.K., Greece, France, and elsewhere in the European social democracies is the failure of a social experiment gone awfully wrong. It is the failure of the welfare state which slowly but surely kills the human spirit. It is the expected manifestation of progressive policies that gradually replaces productive members of the society with leaches who are encouraged by the state to live off the backs of those who have not yet lost their humanity. It is the fruition of irresponsible immigration policies that let anyone in but do not require them to assimilate in to their host culture.
The shameful tragedy that was recently played out in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe should be a warning to the U.S. The entitlement societies of Europe, created by the extensive welfare states built on foundations of Marxism, are not that far off from where we stand here in America.
What is behind such disenfranchisement by minorities and whites alike? The U.K. as a western European democracy provides the tools and the opportunity necessary for these protesters to lead fruitful lives, one might think. But is that enough? Apparently not.
No. What we have been witnessing in the U.K., Greece, France, and elsewhere in the European social democracies is the failure of a social experiment gone awfully wrong. It is the failure of the welfare state which slowly but surely kills the human spirit. It is the expected manifestation of progressive policies that gradually replaces productive members of the society with leaches who are encouraged by the state to live off the backs of those who have not yet lost their humanity. It is the fruition of irresponsible immigration policies that let anyone in but do not require them to assimilate in to their host culture.
The shameful tragedy that was recently played out in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe should be a warning to the U.S. The entitlement societies of Europe, created by the extensive welfare states built on foundations of Marxism, are not that far off from where we stand here in America.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Along With Perry, Here Comes the Race Card
Team Obama is leaving nothing to chance. When a politician has virtually no success to point to, he can do one of two things: take the honorable route and not run for office again, or attack his opposition in the most vile ways imaginable. Since Obama and his minions practically wrote the book on putting Alinskyite techniques to practice, the choice for the President is crystal clear.
The on-and-off race card has been revived ever since Rick Perry entered the race. What better opportunity than when your potential opponent is southern, white, Christian, and a conservative? It is a marriage made in heaven if you are an Alinsky loving progressive; and this bunch most certainly is!
The stooges of the Administration in media like Ed Schultz and Chris Matthews, who are like cheap booty calls waiting by their phones to please their sugar daddies, would normally be the smart choice for leading the attack but this bunch is not even that smart. Although we have already heard baseless charges from liberal punditry (see Schultz' selective editing of Perry's "black cloud" remarks, and Matthews' disparaging portrayal of Perry's defense of Federalism), quite a few Democrat politicians like Maxine Waters and Charlie Rangel have not been able to resist the urge to paint likes of Rick Perry and the Tea Party with the broad brush of racism themselves.
It is all part and parcel of being a progressive. When your intellectual capabilities cannot rise above that of a ten-year old, you must adhere to Alinskyite tactics to win over sheeple with the attention span of five year olds. And it is a little ironic coming from the side of the ideology (and political party) that practically invented and advanced slavery and racism throughout their existence.
It was not the Republican party (or is not the conservative ideology) that fought for slavery tooth and nail. It was not the Republicans who started the KKK and every other racist organization. It was not the conservatives who protested and resisted civil rights for minorities. It was not the Republicans who voted against civil rights legislation in droves, which had to pass with their votes. And more importantly, it is not the conservative ideology that keeps slavery of human soul alive today, as I cannot describe followers of an ideology that robs individuals of their initiative and individualism as being anything other than modern day slave masters.
Democrats and self described progressives... take a good look at your selves in the mirror! The image that you see is what an intellectually dishonest racist looks like.
The on-and-off race card has been revived ever since Rick Perry entered the race. What better opportunity than when your potential opponent is southern, white, Christian, and a conservative? It is a marriage made in heaven if you are an Alinsky loving progressive; and this bunch most certainly is!
The stooges of the Administration in media like Ed Schultz and Chris Matthews, who are like cheap booty calls waiting by their phones to please their sugar daddies, would normally be the smart choice for leading the attack but this bunch is not even that smart. Although we have already heard baseless charges from liberal punditry (see Schultz' selective editing of Perry's "black cloud" remarks, and Matthews' disparaging portrayal of Perry's defense of Federalism), quite a few Democrat politicians like Maxine Waters and Charlie Rangel have not been able to resist the urge to paint likes of Rick Perry and the Tea Party with the broad brush of racism themselves.
It is all part and parcel of being a progressive. When your intellectual capabilities cannot rise above that of a ten-year old, you must adhere to Alinskyite tactics to win over sheeple with the attention span of five year olds. And it is a little ironic coming from the side of the ideology (and political party) that practically invented and advanced slavery and racism throughout their existence.
It was not the Republican party (or is not the conservative ideology) that fought for slavery tooth and nail. It was not the Republicans who started the KKK and every other racist organization. It was not the conservatives who protested and resisted civil rights for minorities. It was not the Republicans who voted against civil rights legislation in droves, which had to pass with their votes. And more importantly, it is not the conservative ideology that keeps slavery of human soul alive today, as I cannot describe followers of an ideology that robs individuals of their initiative and individualism as being anything other than modern day slave masters.
Democrats and self described progressives... take a good look at your selves in the mirror! The image that you see is what an intellectually dishonest racist looks like.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Just Another Typical Week in Obama's Amerika
What makes conservative bloggers' job difficult in Obama's America is the sheer volume of newsworthy (though mostly unreported by the whorish media) events. This past week was no different, so here we go.
The highlight (or lowlight if you prefer) of the week was the announcement on Thursday by the White House that backdoor amnesty we have been speculating about is officially here. After the Obama administration was informed on Tuesday that major latino groups were unhappy with his inaction and further learned that the president has bled nearly 40% of his Hispanic support (coupled with his new low approval of 39% according to Gallup), Homeland Security (Secretary Janet Napolitano) announced unless you are a criminal, you have not only nothing to fear and the Administration will even go out of its way to secure work visas for you. Of course, not that entering the country illegally is a crime or anything like that!
What makes this action doubly outrageous is that U.S. Congress voted down the Dream Act that would have provided just such amnesty. In other words, to heck with the Constitution, we have ourselves a third world dictator in the White House.
A close second in the outrageous news department was another executive order signed on Thursday. With the stroke of a pen, our benevolent dictator ordered 'diversification' of the federal workforce - you know, the one of which 34% is comprised of minorities and 44% women! Welcome back affirmative action! I guess in these days of LGBT sensitivity training in the military and the CIA, nothing should surprise us!
Again on Thursday, we found out that the first family arrived at their $40,000 a week vacation rental at ultra liberal Matha's Vineyard on two separate planes within three hours of each other. No surprise here: shared sacrifice during this time of high unemployment, rising inflation, dropping stock market, trillion dollar deficits, etc... is for common folks only. The king must do as he wishes.
Just as you thought nothing else could have happened on Thursday, voila - a new not-so-shocking revelation! Judicial Watch released their findings from their FOIA request of HHS documents that Secretary Sebelius' gang was instrumental in violating the Hatch Act last November when the department spent over one million taxpayer dollars promoting Obamacare in coordination with the 2010 mid-term elections. Surely a would be scandal for anyone else other than this bunch of gangsters in D.C.! It is amazing what you can get away with when the media whores are propping you up.
Then, we had our esteemed Secretary of Agriculture come out and declare that 44 million Americans on food stamps is really a good thing because - get this - it creates jobs. The progressive mindset is an amazingly confounding thing to watch! He is just the latest progressive whiz kid to spew this kind of nonsense, following in the footsteps of Mrs. Pelosi, Mr. Reed, and of course, the President himself.
As Jeannie DeAngelis puts it succinctly: Barack Obama’s detractors are wrong about him being clueless on the issue of jobs and the economy. The President does have a plan. The Obama administration is doing all they can to get as many people as possible on economy-stimulating government-funded entitlement programs like AFDC, housing assistance, school lunch programs, low-income energy aid, and of course unemployment insurance and food stamps, all of which promise to have the US economy and job market booming in no time.
Talking about progressive policies creating jobs, we cannot forget that fountain of scientific knowledge (sarcastically speaking of course) Rep. Ed Markey (Jackass - Mass) who took the opportunity to criticize Governor Rick Perry for saying that EPA regulations are job killers. Esteemed jackass congressman from Massachusetts claims that independent (ehem...) studies clearly show environmental regulations create new jobs. Yeah Ed, go tell that to the coal miners and oil rig workers being put out of work as we speak. The so-called green jobs bonanza is a pie-in-the-sky as well as a scheme to enrich green crony capitalist allies of the Democrat party.
On the crazed Marxist front, we must not forget esteemed jackass, Congressman Frank Lautenberg of N.J. who was heard saying that "we've got to eliminate the rich.." If I had a dollar for every such rhetoric I've heard from Democrats, I'd be retired by now. Maybe one day soon I'll make a montage of their sound bites from my video vault.
For those of you who missed it, Homeland Security also put out their new video for purposes of encouraging people to report suspicious activity. Who portrayed the terrorists in this PSA? You guessed it: well dressed white people. Political correctness gone awry or something else? You decide (just remember that two years ago, it was the same outfit that put out the warning that soldiers coming back from Iraq could pose danger to the U.S.)
On the international front, this week we threw two old and valuable allies under the Obama bus: Israel and Taiwan.
First, the U.S. threatened that unless Israel apologizes to Turkey (I guess for defending themselves during the boarding of Mavi Marmara) for loss of life, Israel would find herself isolated at the U.N.
Second, and even more outrageously, V.P. Biden told the Chinese the United States fully recognizes that issues related to Taiwan and Tibet are part of China’s core interests. He said the U.S. will firmly adhere to the one-China policy and will not support “Taiwan independence.” He added the U.S. fully acknowledges that Tibet is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China.
With a friend like this, who needs enemies?
This was just scratching the surface as far as outrageous news goes but I needed to point out at least the most egregious ones.
So, the tyranny continues...
P.S. I am still awaiting Obama and his Democrat clan's apology to Rep. Joe Wilson. He and many of us knew all too well that Obamacare would cover illegal aliens, as we were proven right just over a week ago. Yes Mr. President, YOU LIE!
The highlight (or lowlight if you prefer) of the week was the announcement on Thursday by the White House that backdoor amnesty we have been speculating about is officially here. After the Obama administration was informed on Tuesday that major latino groups were unhappy with his inaction and further learned that the president has bled nearly 40% of his Hispanic support (coupled with his new low approval of 39% according to Gallup), Homeland Security (Secretary Janet Napolitano) announced unless you are a criminal, you have not only nothing to fear and the Administration will even go out of its way to secure work visas for you. Of course, not that entering the country illegally is a crime or anything like that!
What makes this action doubly outrageous is that U.S. Congress voted down the Dream Act that would have provided just such amnesty. In other words, to heck with the Constitution, we have ourselves a third world dictator in the White House.
A close second in the outrageous news department was another executive order signed on Thursday. With the stroke of a pen, our benevolent dictator ordered 'diversification' of the federal workforce - you know, the one of which 34% is comprised of minorities and 44% women! Welcome back affirmative action! I guess in these days of LGBT sensitivity training in the military and the CIA, nothing should surprise us!
Again on Thursday, we found out that the first family arrived at their $40,000 a week vacation rental at ultra liberal Matha's Vineyard on two separate planes within three hours of each other. No surprise here: shared sacrifice during this time of high unemployment, rising inflation, dropping stock market, trillion dollar deficits, etc... is for common folks only. The king must do as he wishes.
Just as you thought nothing else could have happened on Thursday, voila - a new not-so-shocking revelation! Judicial Watch released their findings from their FOIA request of HHS documents that Secretary Sebelius' gang was instrumental in violating the Hatch Act last November when the department spent over one million taxpayer dollars promoting Obamacare in coordination with the 2010 mid-term elections. Surely a would be scandal for anyone else other than this bunch of gangsters in D.C.! It is amazing what you can get away with when the media whores are propping you up.
Then, we had our esteemed Secretary of Agriculture come out and declare that 44 million Americans on food stamps is really a good thing because - get this - it creates jobs. The progressive mindset is an amazingly confounding thing to watch! He is just the latest progressive whiz kid to spew this kind of nonsense, following in the footsteps of Mrs. Pelosi, Mr. Reed, and of course, the President himself.
As Jeannie DeAngelis puts it succinctly: Barack Obama’s detractors are wrong about him being clueless on the issue of jobs and the economy. The President does have a plan. The Obama administration is doing all they can to get as many people as possible on economy-stimulating government-funded entitlement programs like AFDC, housing assistance, school lunch programs, low-income energy aid, and of course unemployment insurance and food stamps, all of which promise to have the US economy and job market booming in no time.
Talking about progressive policies creating jobs, we cannot forget that fountain of scientific knowledge (sarcastically speaking of course) Rep. Ed Markey (Jackass - Mass) who took the opportunity to criticize Governor Rick Perry for saying that EPA regulations are job killers. Esteemed jackass congressman from Massachusetts claims that independent (ehem...) studies clearly show environmental regulations create new jobs. Yeah Ed, go tell that to the coal miners and oil rig workers being put out of work as we speak. The so-called green jobs bonanza is a pie-in-the-sky as well as a scheme to enrich green crony capitalist allies of the Democrat party.
On the crazed Marxist front, we must not forget esteemed jackass, Congressman Frank Lautenberg of N.J. who was heard saying that "we've got to eliminate the rich.." If I had a dollar for every such rhetoric I've heard from Democrats, I'd be retired by now. Maybe one day soon I'll make a montage of their sound bites from my video vault.
For those of you who missed it, Homeland Security also put out their new video for purposes of encouraging people to report suspicious activity. Who portrayed the terrorists in this PSA? You guessed it: well dressed white people. Political correctness gone awry or something else? You decide (just remember that two years ago, it was the same outfit that put out the warning that soldiers coming back from Iraq could pose danger to the U.S.)
On the international front, this week we threw two old and valuable allies under the Obama bus: Israel and Taiwan.
First, the U.S. threatened that unless Israel apologizes to Turkey (I guess for defending themselves during the boarding of Mavi Marmara) for loss of life, Israel would find herself isolated at the U.N.
Second, and even more outrageously, V.P. Biden told the Chinese the United States fully recognizes that issues related to Taiwan and Tibet are part of China’s core interests. He said the U.S. will firmly adhere to the one-China policy and will not support “Taiwan independence.” He added the U.S. fully acknowledges that Tibet is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China.
With a friend like this, who needs enemies?
This was just scratching the surface as far as outrageous news goes but I needed to point out at least the most egregious ones.
So, the tyranny continues...
P.S. I am still awaiting Obama and his Democrat clan's apology to Rep. Joe Wilson. He and many of us knew all too well that Obamacare would cover illegal aliens, as we were proven right just over a week ago. Yes Mr. President, YOU LIE!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Obama on Individual Mandate: Then and Now
Then:
“Both of us want to provide health care to all Americans. There’s a slight difference, and her [Hillary Clinton]plan is a good one. But, she mandates that everybody buy health care. She’d have the government force every individual to buy insurance and I don’t have such a mandate because I don’t think the problem is that people don’t want health insurance, it’s that they can’t afford it. So, I focus more on lowering costs. This is a modest difference. But, it’s one that she’s tried to elevate, arguing that because I don’t force people to buy health care that I’m not insuring everybody. Well, if things were that easy, I could mandate everybody to buy a house, and that would solve the problem of homelessness. It doesn’t."
February 28, 2008
Now:
"...you should get health insurance just like you get car insurance. This should not be controversial but it has become controversial partly because of people’s view..."
August 14, 2011
Never mind the fact that comparing auto insurance mandate to health insurance mandate is like comparing apples to oranges!
This wolf does not even pretend to be in sheep's clothing anymore ...Just because the "fundamental transformation" of America must go on...
“Both of us want to provide health care to all Americans. There’s a slight difference, and her [Hillary Clinton]plan is a good one. But, she mandates that everybody buy health care. She’d have the government force every individual to buy insurance and I don’t have such a mandate because I don’t think the problem is that people don’t want health insurance, it’s that they can’t afford it. So, I focus more on lowering costs. This is a modest difference. But, it’s one that she’s tried to elevate, arguing that because I don’t force people to buy health care that I’m not insuring everybody. Well, if things were that easy, I could mandate everybody to buy a house, and that would solve the problem of homelessness. It doesn’t."
February 28, 2008
Now:
"...you should get health insurance just like you get car insurance. This should not be controversial but it has become controversial partly because of people’s view..."
August 14, 2011
Never mind the fact that comparing auto insurance mandate to health insurance mandate is like comparing apples to oranges!
This wolf does not even pretend to be in sheep's clothing anymore ...Just because the "fundamental transformation" of America must go on...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Back From Vacation...
...And a refreshing one it was! My (and my family) three day cruise to the Bahamas made me feel like I was back in the 1980s (and earlier) when you could smoke in bars, casinos, and many other areas where you normally cannot anymore. The staff on Majesty of the Seas were very friendly, food and entertainment great, and weather couldn't have been much better. To top it all off, won some decent money in Bingo as well as the poker table - enough to put a big smile on my face! I am also glad that Rick finally decided to join the race during my absence from the country. But all good things must come to an end; so time to pile on the progressive traitors.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Hypocrisy of Blaming the Downgrade on a $2 Trillion Mistake
Following on the footsteps of his boss Obama and the rest of the progressive cabal, Tim Geithner told NBC News of S&P’s “stunning lack of knowledge about basic U.S. fiscal budget math.” Now, this wouldn't be funny if it came from anyone other than the incompetent fools of this administration, but considering the source (someone who has obvious difficulty using Turbo Tax if one accepts the premise that he is not a tax cheat), one cannot help but have a good belly laughter.
What is outrageously hypocritical about the whole affair, however, is that this same Administration admitted to a similar $2 trillion mistake in their ten year deficit projections back in August of 2009 after ripping the CBO for miscalculating (what you and I know to be mythical) savings.
And how good is CBO's track record, you might ask? We all know the myriad of under estimations from cost of entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid to other government programs. More recently, in 2001, CBO estimated that by 2011, U.S. indebtedness would be negative by nearly $2.5 trillion. Go figure.
As Zero Hedge put it:
The U.S. is in deep trouble with its current $14.5 trillion federal debt and well over $100 trillion in unfunded social security and Medicare liabilities (which does not take in to account of the burden to be imposed by Medicare Part D and Obamacare!). Whether one looks at the total indebtedness of the U.S. government in 2021 as $24 trillion or $22 trillion, the picture does not change appreciably. If the U.S. was a household, you could not find a single financial institution that would be willing to lend it money - not with a current income of $2.2 trillion against expenditures of $3.7 trillion that are projected to increase several fold over the coming years. Default or chaos is imminent. Despite former Fed Chairman Greenspan's claims that we can always print money, the end game is disastrous to the citizens of this country. Here are some basic facts:
Real leadership would entail the President and the Congress making the tough decisions that are inescapable: reforming the entitlements. Until that happens, the U.S. can look forward to more downgrades and progressively increasing pain that is associated with fiscal irresponsibility.
What is outrageously hypocritical about the whole affair, however, is that this same Administration admitted to a similar $2 trillion mistake in their ten year deficit projections back in August of 2009 after ripping the CBO for miscalculating (what you and I know to be mythical) savings.
And how good is CBO's track record, you might ask? We all know the myriad of under estimations from cost of entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid to other government programs. More recently, in 2001, CBO estimated that by 2011, U.S. indebtedness would be negative by nearly $2.5 trillion. Go figure.
As Zero Hedge put it:
While we reserve judgment for S&P's effectiveness at being accurate in anything they do (they are, after all a rating agency and as such they goal seek results to comply with what their paying group think seeking customers demand), we would like to redirect to the modest topic of CBO predictive efficiency (the organization that is at the basis of the current credibility spat between Treasury and S&P, and which, incidentally has created the baseline forecast against which the debt ceiling compromise plan is supposed to cut $2.1 trillion over the next decade), by pointing out according to the same CBO back in 2001, net US indebtedness in 2011 would be negative $2.436 trillion, the ratio of debt held by the public to GDP would be 4.8%, total budget surplus would be $889 billion, and GDP would be $16.9 trillion. We won't comment on the error interval in CBO forecasts when compared to actual 2011 results, and we most certainly won't comment on the idiocy of the Treasury chastising someone, anyone, for erring, or disputing, forecasts.The $2 trillion math error that S&P supposedly made is a mere technicality. With or without that error, it was a matter of months before S&P reached the same conclusion. As vindication, Moody's and Fitch had also cautioned the government that its rating is in danger of being downgraded sometime next year.
The U.S. is in deep trouble with its current $14.5 trillion federal debt and well over $100 trillion in unfunded social security and Medicare liabilities (which does not take in to account of the burden to be imposed by Medicare Part D and Obamacare!). Whether one looks at the total indebtedness of the U.S. government in 2021 as $24 trillion or $22 trillion, the picture does not change appreciably. If the U.S. was a household, you could not find a single financial institution that would be willing to lend it money - not with a current income of $2.2 trillion against expenditures of $3.7 trillion that are projected to increase several fold over the coming years. Default or chaos is imminent. Despite former Fed Chairman Greenspan's claims that we can always print money, the end game is disastrous to the citizens of this country. Here are some basic facts:
- Entitlements are on auto pilot. They cannot be touched short of major entitlement reforms which have been demagogued every time someone suggested reforming them a la Bush when he floated the idea of privatizing a small portion of social security, and Congressman Ryan who recently outlined his plan reforming Medicare (meaning effectively privatizing it) for those under the age of 55. In both cases, the left went on full attack mode, shamefully and falsely accusing their opponents of kicking grandma out in the street.
- Entitlements currently make up nearly 2/3 of entire federal spending. That means what can be cut totals approximately $1.3 trillion (less than the current deficit, therefore you can literally shut down government and you still couldn't close the budget gap). Of that, defense spending constitutes little over half.
- The future projection of entitlement growth as well as debt service is what drives the entirety of our projected future indebtedness. The inescapable conclusion, therefore, is that nothing short of abandoning entitlements as they exist now will save us from impending doom. Sounds harsh? It is the reality politicians must face.
Real leadership would entail the President and the Congress making the tough decisions that are inescapable: reforming the entitlements. Until that happens, the U.S. can look forward to more downgrades and progressively increasing pain that is associated with fiscal irresponsibility.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Where Is The MSM On Flash Mobs?
If you did not read blogs or watch local news where the events are taking place, you would not know that there is a troubling trend growing in our country: flash mobs that rampage through city streets, fairs, beaches, and public events, beating and robbing people who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in the vicinity.
The events have ocurred in Florida, Illinois, New York, D.C., Wisconsin, and elsewhere. The latest from Wisconsin is especially disturbing.
As Potter Williams Report blogs, this happens to coincide with OFA's (Organizing for America) call earlier this year for "boots on the ground". "The 2011 Organizing for America campaign entitled “Summer Organizing Fellowship” “appealed for workers of all ages to volunteer to undergo professional organizational training this summer for stationing in communities all over the nation to drive President Obama's social and political agenda… In the end…their work will take our grassroots power to an impressive new level.”
Whether there is a connection there or not, this is a new phenomena and I find it disturbing that the MSM is keeping the lid on this story. Is Glen Beck's prediction about violence on the street's as part of the radical left's game plan coming true?
The events have ocurred in Florida, Illinois, New York, D.C., Wisconsin, and elsewhere. The latest from Wisconsin is especially disturbing.
As Potter Williams Report blogs, this happens to coincide with OFA's (Organizing for America) call earlier this year for "boots on the ground". "The 2011 Organizing for America campaign entitled “Summer Organizing Fellowship” “appealed for workers of all ages to volunteer to undergo professional organizational training this summer for stationing in communities all over the nation to drive President Obama's social and political agenda… In the end…their work will take our grassroots power to an impressive new level.”
Whether there is a connection there or not, this is a new phenomena and I find it disturbing that the MSM is keeping the lid on this story. Is Glen Beck's prediction about violence on the street's as part of the radical left's game plan coming true?
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Amilya Antonetti Rips Obama to Shreds (Video)
Amilya Antonetti is the CEO of AMA Productions, a NYC based firm that that discovers, develops, and delivers consumer brands and products that provide better choices for today's consumer. She was also the only female expert on CNBC’s “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch” for a couple of years.
As an entrepreneur, she obviously detests Obama Administration's, and Democrats', anti-free market assault on America. Enjoy the video:
As an entrepreneur, she obviously detests Obama Administration's, and Democrats', anti-free market assault on America. Enjoy the video:
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Timmy: "No Risk"
Less than four short months ago, Timmy, the wonder boy, was asked if there was any chance the U.S. could lose its AAA sovereign bond rating. His unequivocal answer was, 'no risk'. Just the latest proof that no one in this Administration knows anything about their supposed area of expertise. Just a cursory knowledge of solvency related ratios such as debt to GDP as well as projected growth of Medicare and Social Security should have prompted him to answer yes instead. This guy is a complete moron as his infamous tax troubles exposed, like it or not.
Makes you feel kind of warm and fuzzy all over, doesn't it? At this point, I trust my cocker spaniel more than anyone in this group of incompetent boobs.
Makes you feel kind of warm and fuzzy all over, doesn't it? At this point, I trust my cocker spaniel more than anyone in this group of incompetent boobs.
Gotta Love Allen West
Here is Allen's birthday wish for the President, as it appears on his House site. Too bad he released this before the downgrade to AA+. It would have made a nice addition to Barack's resume:
| Happy Birthday Mr. President! | | |
| (WASHINGTON)--- Congressman Allen West (Fl-22) released this statement today: "Happy 50th Birthday Mr. President! While surprises are for birthdays, it is no surprise to the American people that your failed economic policies –- from TARP to your health care bill–- have resulted in disaster for our economy. Since taking office, unemployment has remained at or near 9 percent for 28 months, America has added $3.4 trillion in debt in 29 months -- the equivalent of about $4 billion per day -- we have an anemic housing market with record foreclosures, and an average price of nearly $4 for a gallon of gas. Even your budget did not receive one single vote in the United States Senate -- and the icing on the cake –- a stock market slide of nearly 800 points in the last 5 days. While it may be hard to hear the American people's frustration over the pop of the champagne corks and R&B bands at your $30,000/person birthday party, the citizens of this nation are suffering under your failed leadership. The best present you can give the American people will be for you and your failed economic policies to be defeated in November of 2012." |
Friday, August 5, 2011
Do They Really Think They Can Intimidate Us?
Obama Administration's newly rolled out anti-terrorist strategy is as purposefully vague as it is downright moronic.
Obamacare Realities Continue to Sink In
The travesty that is Obamacare continues to bear its ugly fruit. Aside from its most grave and immediate consequence - small to mid size businesses not expanding due to its higher labor costs imposed, other immediately less noticeable but nevertheless significant consequences like private doctor owned hospitals being scrapped, catholic hospitals closing down, medicine as a profession becoming far less attractive, and health insurance premiums skyrocketing are all taking their toll on the U.S. economy.
Now comes two new (and outrageous) developments that will surely pile on the future increases of medical insurance premiums.
First, as you may have already heard, Secretary Sebelius announced that, starting in 2013, birth control (as well as breast feeding) will be covered at no cost under insurance. Not only will the birth control pills (or other methods like IUDs) be covered 100% but also the rather expensive morning after pill. That means no deductibles, nothing. Welcome to the age of pregnancy being considered a treatable disease.
I leave it up to my readers' common sense to figure out what that alone will do to cost of insurance, not to mention promiscuity among teenagers.
Second, a provision of Obamacare in the form of a Medicare windfall is about to benefit Massachusetts hospitals to the tune of $275 million a year at the cost of hospitals in other states.
There it is...Obamacare in all its socialistic glory - benefiting the leaches of the society at the cost of the productive half.
Now comes two new (and outrageous) developments that will surely pile on the future increases of medical insurance premiums.
First, as you may have already heard, Secretary Sebelius announced that, starting in 2013, birth control (as well as breast feeding) will be covered at no cost under insurance. Not only will the birth control pills (or other methods like IUDs) be covered 100% but also the rather expensive morning after pill. That means no deductibles, nothing. Welcome to the age of pregnancy being considered a treatable disease.
I leave it up to my readers' common sense to figure out what that alone will do to cost of insurance, not to mention promiscuity among teenagers.
Second, a provision of Obamacare in the form of a Medicare windfall is about to benefit Massachusetts hospitals to the tune of $275 million a year at the cost of hospitals in other states.
There it is...Obamacare in all its socialistic glory - benefiting the leaches of the society at the cost of the productive half.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Russians Busy Inciting Marxist Revolution in the U.S.A. (Video)
The fifth column in this country is clearly being egged on by those holding the Trade Mark for Marxist revolution. Watch the exchange between the good looking RT personality and one of our own home grown Marxist. Coupled with Gore's call for an American Spring and all the Tea Partiers are terrorists talk from all the progressive quarters, the intent is clear: It is time for civil unrest on the streets, which would hopefully culminate in Marxism triumphing over evil capitalism. It is both amusing and disconcerting at the same time.
H/T TrevorLoudon
H/T TrevorLoudon
Happy Anniversary, Timmy
No, it is not Tim Geithner's wedding anniversary, nor is it his birthday or anything like that. August 2nd was the one year anniversary of the smartest man in America - as the progressives would have you believe - claiming victory over the recession.
Back on August 2, 2010, Geithner wrote an Op-Ed piece titled "Welcome to the Recovery" in the New York Times. In the piece, Timmy the wonder boy reassured the unwashed masses that the devastation wrought by the great recession was now a memory. Lets see what has happened in the ensuing 12 months:
Sorry Timmy, it appears that the GDP growth during the first 12 months of the so-called recovery was twice as high as the recent 12 month's average of well below 2%.
No luck here either, Timmy. Although the unemployment rate has come down from 9.4% to 9.2%, the recent trend does not bode well for your delusions of recovery anytime soon.
What is it with this administration? It is as if everyone who works for it is required to get a frontal lobotomy before taking office. From the EPA Administrator who does not know how much CO2 there is in the atmosphere to the Treasury Secretary who is utterly clueless as to why despite record spending there is no recovery to speak of, almost every cabinet level appointee of the Obama Administration is clearly unprepared for their offices. I might even be willing to put up with all the scandals of this administration but having to put up with downright stupidity on top of it all is asking too much!
Come to think of it, going by the ineptness he so generously displays at every opportunity handed to him (who can forget the lame excuse for the IRS troubles that he had, which should have been a signal of things to come), we have the wrong Timmy in Office. We need one with fairy god parents.
Back on August 2, 2010, Geithner wrote an Op-Ed piece titled "Welcome to the Recovery" in the New York Times. In the piece, Timmy the wonder boy reassured the unwashed masses that the devastation wrought by the great recession was now a memory. Lets see what has happened in the ensuing 12 months:
Sorry Timmy, it appears that the GDP growth during the first 12 months of the so-called recovery was twice as high as the recent 12 month's average of well below 2%.
No luck here either, Timmy. Although the unemployment rate has come down from 9.4% to 9.2%, the recent trend does not bode well for your delusions of recovery anytime soon.
What is it with this administration? It is as if everyone who works for it is required to get a frontal lobotomy before taking office. From the EPA Administrator who does not know how much CO2 there is in the atmosphere to the Treasury Secretary who is utterly clueless as to why despite record spending there is no recovery to speak of, almost every cabinet level appointee of the Obama Administration is clearly unprepared for their offices. I might even be willing to put up with all the scandals of this administration but having to put up with downright stupidity on top of it all is asking too much!
Come to think of it, going by the ineptness he so generously displays at every opportunity handed to him (who can forget the lame excuse for the IRS troubles that he had, which should have been a signal of things to come), we have the wrong Timmy in Office. We need one with fairy god parents.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The Obama Downgrade, Alphabetically
From time to time, I reprint articles that are too good to pass up. Here is part of one (click on the link at the end to read the rest). It is a sad statement that reciting the 26 letters of the alphabet is nowhere near enough to mention all the failures of this disgraceful impostor in D.C.
---
By: Bret Stephens
@ The Wall Street Journal
Snapshots from President Obama's efforts to improve America's standing in the world, 923 days into his administration:
A is for the Arab world, and our standing in it: This year, Zogby International found that 5% of Egyptians had a favorable view of the U.S. In 2008, when George W. Bush was president, it was 9%.
B is for the federal budget deficit, which is estimated to come in at around 11% of GDP in 2011, up from about 3% in 2008.
C is for China's military budget. For 2012, Beijing plans to increase spending on defense by 12.7%. The Obama administration, by contrast, proposed Pentagon cuts in April averaging out to $40 billion per year over the next decade, and Congress may soon cut a lot more.
D is for—what else—the federal debt, which grew to $14.3 trillion this month from $10.7 trillion at the end of 2008. D is also for the dollar, which has lost almost half its value against gold since Aug. 2008.
E is for energy. The average retail price of a gallon of gas hovered near the $1.80 mark when Mr. Obama was inaugurated. It has since more than doubled. E is also for ethanol, the non-wonder fuel the U.S. continues to subsidize to the tune of $5 billion a year.
F is for free trade. Bill Clinton signed Nafta in 1994, which facilitates $1.6 trillion in the trade of goods and services between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. George W. Bush midwifed more than a dozen FTAs, from Australia to Singapore to Morocco to Bahrain. Number of FTA's signed by the current president: zero.
Read on...
---
By: Bret Stephens
@ The Wall Street Journal
Snapshots from President Obama's efforts to improve America's standing in the world, 923 days into his administration:
A is for the Arab world, and our standing in it: This year, Zogby International found that 5% of Egyptians had a favorable view of the U.S. In 2008, when George W. Bush was president, it was 9%.
B is for the federal budget deficit, which is estimated to come in at around 11% of GDP in 2011, up from about 3% in 2008.
C is for China's military budget. For 2012, Beijing plans to increase spending on defense by 12.7%. The Obama administration, by contrast, proposed Pentagon cuts in April averaging out to $40 billion per year over the next decade, and Congress may soon cut a lot more.
D is for—what else—the federal debt, which grew to $14.3 trillion this month from $10.7 trillion at the end of 2008. D is also for the dollar, which has lost almost half its value against gold since Aug. 2008.
E is for energy. The average retail price of a gallon of gas hovered near the $1.80 mark when Mr. Obama was inaugurated. It has since more than doubled. E is also for ethanol, the non-wonder fuel the U.S. continues to subsidize to the tune of $5 billion a year.
F is for free trade. Bill Clinton signed Nafta in 1994, which facilitates $1.6 trillion in the trade of goods and services between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. George W. Bush midwifed more than a dozen FTAs, from Australia to Singapore to Morocco to Bahrain. Number of FTA's signed by the current president: zero.
Read on...
Monday, August 1, 2011
Getting Bin Laden (and Lying About the Details)
If you are interested in reading about the operation to capture (hah!) or kill Bin Laden, I strongly suggest you read the New Yorker article by Nicholas Schmidle. It not only sheds light on the details of the operation, but also reaffirms what we already know: this is an Administration of liars (and bad ones at that).
Any thinking person would have known and jumped on the conclusion that, from the very beginning, it was decided not to take Bin Laden alive if and when he was found. Just think about it: capturing the symbolic head of anti-west terrorism and the can of worms that would open for any country holding him (not to mention trying and executing him). That would have been akin to watching a car crash in extreme slow motion - agonizing and a foreign relations disaster for an administration which has gone out of its way to try to dismiss military tribunals for captured terrorists.
The bulk of the evidence can be found in the following passages from the article:
Undoubtedly a pathetic little attempt to leave the door ajar for Obama etal. to claim they were telling the truth when they claimed capturing Bin Laden was an option.
Capturing Bin Laden would have nothing but downsides for the Administration as their faulty vision is one of establishing harmony with the Muslim world - not creating more tensions. Secondly, believing that SEALs memory of this operation would be cloudy is downright preposterous. This would require complete suspension of intellect as anyone who knows anything about SEALs knows that these are highly trained, highly intelligent special ops personnel who do not crack under pressure - let alone forget the details of such a memorable operation.
Once again, this is another indication of the shameless lies that this group will spread for perceived political benefit.
Any thinking person would have known and jumped on the conclusion that, from the very beginning, it was decided not to take Bin Laden alive if and when he was found. Just think about it: capturing the symbolic head of anti-west terrorism and the can of worms that would open for any country holding him (not to mention trying and executing him). That would have been akin to watching a car crash in extreme slow motion - agonizing and a foreign relations disaster for an administration which has gone out of its way to try to dismiss military tribunals for captured terrorists.
The bulk of the evidence can be found in the following passages from the article:
If all went according to plan, the SEALs would drop from the helicopters into the compound, overpower bin Laden’s guards, shoot and kill him at close range, and then take the corpse back to Afghanistan.and,
A second SEAL stepped into the room and trained the infrared laser of his M4 on bin Laden’s chest. The Al Qaeda chief, who was wearing a tan shalwar kameez and a prayer cap on his head, froze; he was unarmed. “There was never any question of detaining or capturing him—it wasn’t a split-second decision. No one wanted detainees,” the special-operations officer told me. (The Administration maintains that had bin Laden immediately surrendered he could have been taken alive.) Nine years, seven months, and twenty days after September 11th, an American was a trigger pull from ending bin Laden’s life. The first round, a 5.56-mm. bullet, struck bin Laden in the chest. As he fell backward, the SEAL fired a second round into his head, just above his left eye.As an expected side note, the New Yorker being a progressive publication, the author also adds:
None of them had any previous knowledge of the house’s floor plan, and they were further jostled by the awareness that they were possibly minutes away from ending the costliest manhunt in American history; as a result, some of their recollections—on which this account is based—may be imprecise and, thus, subject to dispute.
Undoubtedly a pathetic little attempt to leave the door ajar for Obama etal. to claim they were telling the truth when they claimed capturing Bin Laden was an option.
Capturing Bin Laden would have nothing but downsides for the Administration as their faulty vision is one of establishing harmony with the Muslim world - not creating more tensions. Secondly, believing that SEALs memory of this operation would be cloudy is downright preposterous. This would require complete suspension of intellect as anyone who knows anything about SEALs knows that these are highly trained, highly intelligent special ops personnel who do not crack under pressure - let alone forget the details of such a memorable operation.
Once again, this is another indication of the shameless lies that this group will spread for perceived political benefit.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Flashback: Debt Ceiling Follies - Then and Now
Then:
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies. ... Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
-- Illinois Senator Barack Obama, Senate floor speech, March 2006
Now:
"We all want a government that lives within its means, but there are still things we need to pay for as a country -– things like new roads and bridges; weather satellites and food inspection; services to veterans and medical research."
-- President Barack Obama, Address to the nation, July 2011
Isn't it funny how it was okay not to raise the debt ceiling in 2006 under a Republican administration and now it would be downright catastrophic to fail raising it? Furthermore, isn't it ironic that the man (and his party) that raised federal spending by a third as soon as he gained power can utter such hypocritical words without any shame whatsoever?
The impostor-in-chief has nothing to worry about. The debt ceiling will be raised thanks to class warriors, RINOs, and other politicians who lose their nerve at the last moment; and we will continue on our merry way to financial destruction. Absent a complete overhaul of our political system, there is nothing that can save us with this gang of clowns running our country.
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies. ... Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
-- Illinois Senator Barack Obama, Senate floor speech, March 2006
Now:
"We all want a government that lives within its means, but there are still things we need to pay for as a country -– things like new roads and bridges; weather satellites and food inspection; services to veterans and medical research."
-- President Barack Obama, Address to the nation, July 2011
Isn't it funny how it was okay not to raise the debt ceiling in 2006 under a Republican administration and now it would be downright catastrophic to fail raising it? Furthermore, isn't it ironic that the man (and his party) that raised federal spending by a third as soon as he gained power can utter such hypocritical words without any shame whatsoever?
The impostor-in-chief has nothing to worry about. The debt ceiling will be raised thanks to class warriors, RINOs, and other politicians who lose their nerve at the last moment; and we will continue on our merry way to financial destruction. Absent a complete overhaul of our political system, there is nothing that can save us with this gang of clowns running our country.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Simply Disgraceful...
Over my 34 years of living in the U.S., I thought I had seen it all as far as presidential disappointments go. I witnessed President Carter let the free world down by conceding to unfriendly nations from Iran to the U.S.S.R. as well as letting the American public down with domestic policies that allowed stagflation to inflict great suffering. I watched President Clinton lie under oath as the nation witnessed a political theater surrounding a sex scandal worthy of Italy or France play out. I agonized over policies unworthy of a so-called conservative President - George W. Bush - such as Medicare Part D and strengthening the EPA and other governmental agencies that have a stranglehold on America; and watched as he, in his own ironic words, "destroyed the free markets in order to save it". However, until Barack Obama became the President, I never thought we would have to live through such an unparalleled deceitful, corrupt, and arrogant presidency befitting more a delusional mental patient than the President of the U.S.A.
Although we spent the last two and a half years witnessing one scandal after another by an executive branch that is fitting only for a banana republic, last night's (un)presidential speech was perhaps the most disgraceful event of the last 30 agonizing months for anyone who loves this country.
Obama started his speech by, as usual, passing the buck and blaming it all on the previous Administration. He promptly continued by scaring the most vulnerable of the society - the seniors and the poor. To cement his well deserved unpresidential image, he called out his political opposition as unreasonable and radical and blamed them as the sole reason for the "stalemate" over spending and the national debt. It would not be so ironic if under his presidency the deficits had not grown from a high of $400 billion in 2008 to $1.4 trillion in each of the following years; and under his Democrat party the national debt had not grown $5.2 trillion in 5 short years to $14.3 trillion.
The speech was class warfare and fear mongering at its best. In order to justify his wishes (tax increases and a long term raising of the debt ceiling which is akin to handing him a blank check), he again compared himself to Reagan by invoking deceitfully his words.
Obama’s class warfare rhetoric has become even more stale. The small group of top income earners, who pay the majority of all taxes, are told once again that they’re not “paying their fair share.” How are we supposed to have some sort of rational discussion about the size and role of government, when Obama and his ilk keep peddling these tired old fairy tales?
“Let’s seize this moment to show why the United States of America is still the greatest nation on Earth,” Obama implored. “Not just because we can still keep our word and meet our obligations, but because we can still come together as one nation.” Except for those “wealthiest Americans” who “aren’t paying their fair share,” I suppose. They won’t be “coming together” with the rest of us, because they’re hated class enemies, and we need to seize their property by force. Plus, whatever happened to "we can't raise taxes in the middle of a recession" as Obama uttered last year? Back then, he seemed to comprehend that there is no economic thought - be it capitalist, socialist, Marxist, or whatever - that even remotely suggests that you can grow an economy and foster job creation by raising taxes on the producers of the society.
Obama's record-breaking, economy-crushing deficits were necessary, because they were “emergency spending” to save the middle class according to him. Since every single prediction Obama made about the economy at the beginning of his term is verifiably false, and his unemployment rates are higher than what he said we would be facing without his massive “stimulus” boondoggle, it’s hard to believe anyone would take this worn-out excuse seriously.
During the speech, he alluded to "compromise" time and time again. Excuse me? The President seems to have a case of amnesia, but we remember well him sneering “I won” when Republicans wanted some input into that stimulus bill, or telling audiences that “the people who got us into this mess” shouldn’t “do a lot of talking right now.”
In short, this was a campaign speech dressed up as an address to the public despite having no solutions to offer. Through the complexity of the debt limit and budget issue the President has revealed very little understanding or competence appearing to only be interested in getting the matter behind him so he can have a second term.
Obama realizes that he and his party are headed for a memorable defeat in 2012. As such, he must vilify the opposition and make them a party to the disaster he and his party has brought on by getting them to compromise on further economy wrecking policies. Will the Republicans fall for it? My bet is, yes as there are only about a hundred Tea Party Republicans in the Congress. I hope I am wrong!
Try as he did, Obama fooled only a few people on Monday. At this point in his presidency and in this debt ceiling debate, he is irrelevant and marginalized despite his pathetic attempts. The danger is that as this Administration becomes more marginalized it will take more desperate measures to try to prove its status, value and relevance as demonstrated by the scare tactics they are currently resorting to. Don’t be surprised if the Administration delays checks being sent out to get the public upset, after all it was Rahm Emanuel who said “never fail to take advantage of a good crisis.”
Although we spent the last two and a half years witnessing one scandal after another by an executive branch that is fitting only for a banana republic, last night's (un)presidential speech was perhaps the most disgraceful event of the last 30 agonizing months for anyone who loves this country.
Obama started his speech by, as usual, passing the buck and blaming it all on the previous Administration. He promptly continued by scaring the most vulnerable of the society - the seniors and the poor. To cement his well deserved unpresidential image, he called out his political opposition as unreasonable and radical and blamed them as the sole reason for the "stalemate" over spending and the national debt. It would not be so ironic if under his presidency the deficits had not grown from a high of $400 billion in 2008 to $1.4 trillion in each of the following years; and under his Democrat party the national debt had not grown $5.2 trillion in 5 short years to $14.3 trillion.
The speech was class warfare and fear mongering at its best. In order to justify his wishes (tax increases and a long term raising of the debt ceiling which is akin to handing him a blank check), he again compared himself to Reagan by invoking deceitfully his words.
Obama’s class warfare rhetoric has become even more stale. The small group of top income earners, who pay the majority of all taxes, are told once again that they’re not “paying their fair share.” How are we supposed to have some sort of rational discussion about the size and role of government, when Obama and his ilk keep peddling these tired old fairy tales?
“Let’s seize this moment to show why the United States of America is still the greatest nation on Earth,” Obama implored. “Not just because we can still keep our word and meet our obligations, but because we can still come together as one nation.” Except for those “wealthiest Americans” who “aren’t paying their fair share,” I suppose. They won’t be “coming together” with the rest of us, because they’re hated class enemies, and we need to seize their property by force. Plus, whatever happened to "we can't raise taxes in the middle of a recession" as Obama uttered last year? Back then, he seemed to comprehend that there is no economic thought - be it capitalist, socialist, Marxist, or whatever - that even remotely suggests that you can grow an economy and foster job creation by raising taxes on the producers of the society.
Obama's record-breaking, economy-crushing deficits were necessary, because they were “emergency spending” to save the middle class according to him. Since every single prediction Obama made about the economy at the beginning of his term is verifiably false, and his unemployment rates are higher than what he said we would be facing without his massive “stimulus” boondoggle, it’s hard to believe anyone would take this worn-out excuse seriously.
During the speech, he alluded to "compromise" time and time again. Excuse me? The President seems to have a case of amnesia, but we remember well him sneering “I won” when Republicans wanted some input into that stimulus bill, or telling audiences that “the people who got us into this mess” shouldn’t “do a lot of talking right now.”
In short, this was a campaign speech dressed up as an address to the public despite having no solutions to offer. Through the complexity of the debt limit and budget issue the President has revealed very little understanding or competence appearing to only be interested in getting the matter behind him so he can have a second term.
Obama realizes that he and his party are headed for a memorable defeat in 2012. As such, he must vilify the opposition and make them a party to the disaster he and his party has brought on by getting them to compromise on further economy wrecking policies. Will the Republicans fall for it? My bet is, yes as there are only about a hundred Tea Party Republicans in the Congress. I hope I am wrong!
Try as he did, Obama fooled only a few people on Monday. At this point in his presidency and in this debt ceiling debate, he is irrelevant and marginalized despite his pathetic attempts. The danger is that as this Administration becomes more marginalized it will take more desperate measures to try to prove its status, value and relevance as demonstrated by the scare tactics they are currently resorting to. Don’t be surprised if the Administration delays checks being sent out to get the public upset, after all it was Rahm Emanuel who said “never fail to take advantage of a good crisis.”
Friday, July 22, 2011
You Are No Reagan, Mr. Obama!
Isn't it sort of funny - in a sick, twisted way of course - how the left and the President has been invoking President Reagan's name in the debate about raising the debt limit?! The same president they love to impune! Reagan knew the art of compromise, they say. Congressional Republicans should learn from him, they shamelessly add.
You are no Reagan, Mr. Obama, thus it would be a waste of time and effort to try to sway your staunchly collectivist ideology and Alinskyite tactics of lying about and ridiculing your enemies. You lie, lie, and lie some more; and with the help of your media whore pals paint a picture that is as removed from reality as your pathetic collectivist ideology.
You lie that President Reagan believed in the proper role of government as it pertains to intervening in the economy; that he was not a small government advocate. He was and fought for it as hard as he could against a Congress dominated by staunch progressives.
You lie that he raised taxes more than any other modern day president. On the balance, he did not. When he came in to office, the top marginal tax rate was 70%; when he left office eight years later, the top rate was 28%! Yes, he signed the 1983 bill raising social security withholding and did away with certain corporate and individual tax preferences in order to rescue social security and level the playing field, leading to freer competition. Even at that, the revenues to the treasury, which nearly doubled during his tenure, were spent and then some by the progressive do-gooders in the Congress.
You lie that his support for debt limit increases were unwavering. It was not. He was for a balanced budget amendment which he could not force the Democrat congress to even vote on. You are not.
President Reagan was a fiscal conservative who thoroughly understood the evils of progressive liberalism. You, sir, make European socialists blush with envy. And, contrary to your claim, FDR was no fiscal conservative - quite to the contrary, he was the first socialist president of the U.S.; possibly only to be outdone by you.
No, you are not even remotely Reaganesque, Mr President!
You are no Reagan, Mr. Obama, thus it would be a waste of time and effort to try to sway your staunchly collectivist ideology and Alinskyite tactics of lying about and ridiculing your enemies. You lie, lie, and lie some more; and with the help of your media whore pals paint a picture that is as removed from reality as your pathetic collectivist ideology.
You lie that President Reagan believed in the proper role of government as it pertains to intervening in the economy; that he was not a small government advocate. He was and fought for it as hard as he could against a Congress dominated by staunch progressives.
You lie that he raised taxes more than any other modern day president. On the balance, he did not. When he came in to office, the top marginal tax rate was 70%; when he left office eight years later, the top rate was 28%! Yes, he signed the 1983 bill raising social security withholding and did away with certain corporate and individual tax preferences in order to rescue social security and level the playing field, leading to freer competition. Even at that, the revenues to the treasury, which nearly doubled during his tenure, were spent and then some by the progressive do-gooders in the Congress.
You lie that his support for debt limit increases were unwavering. It was not. He was for a balanced budget amendment which he could not force the Democrat congress to even vote on. You are not.
President Reagan was a fiscal conservative who thoroughly understood the evils of progressive liberalism. You, sir, make European socialists blush with envy. And, contrary to your claim, FDR was no fiscal conservative - quite to the contrary, he was the first socialist president of the U.S.; possibly only to be outdone by you.
No, you are not even remotely Reaganesque, Mr President!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Republican Establishment Vs. The TEA Party
Rick Santelli's rant might have gone a long way toward igniting the fuse that launched the TEA Party movement in earnest, but in reality small, constitutional government conservatives from all political persuasions including some Democrats who are obviously delusional about their party and many Independents had been boiling inside ever since the G. W. Bush days of reckless spending. It goes without saying that G.W.B. had a lot of help from Democrats who were swept in to power in 2006. However, it is also wise to remember that one must fear the enemy he doesn't know more than the one he does.
Whether it was G.W.B. or, as is now, establishmentarian Republicans like Senators McConnell, McCain, or Snowe among too many others to mention by name, big government RINOs who are anything but fiscal conservatives are just as guilty as Democrats and other progressives in bringing the U.S. to the brink of insolvency.
The House of Representatives did its part to change direction in this financial fiasco by passing Cut, Cap, and Balance yesterday - a plan that clearly cuts spending in the immediate future, caps the government spending at just under 20% of the GDP, and seeks congressional approval for a Balanced Budget Amendment to be sent to the states. As expected the plan promptly got demagogued by the left, which accused it of cutting off seniors from Medicare which it clearly does not. The competing Republican/Democrat plans, whether it is the McConnell plan or the Gang of Six plan , do absolutely nothing to alter the disastrous course we have embarked on.
Regardless of Cut, Cap, and Balance's chances of passing the Senate - not to mention Obama's promise to veto it - the Senate Republicans owe America an up or down vote. This worthy plan is not only perhaps our last best chance for salvation, but a necessity to show up our disgraceful president for who he is: A demagogue. The same guy who last year said we could not raise taxes in the middle of a recession is now using class warfare as a weapon although we are in just as precarious a situation as were then.
What will play out over the next two weeks in this debate well may be the ultimate show-down between the establishment and the Tea Party, and who wins will also determine whether America wins or loses.
Whether it was G.W.B. or, as is now, establishmentarian Republicans like Senators McConnell, McCain, or Snowe among too many others to mention by name, big government RINOs who are anything but fiscal conservatives are just as guilty as Democrats and other progressives in bringing the U.S. to the brink of insolvency.
The House of Representatives did its part to change direction in this financial fiasco by passing Cut, Cap, and Balance yesterday - a plan that clearly cuts spending in the immediate future, caps the government spending at just under 20% of the GDP, and seeks congressional approval for a Balanced Budget Amendment to be sent to the states. As expected the plan promptly got demagogued by the left, which accused it of cutting off seniors from Medicare which it clearly does not. The competing Republican/Democrat plans, whether it is the McConnell plan or the Gang of Six plan , do absolutely nothing to alter the disastrous course we have embarked on.
Regardless of Cut, Cap, and Balance's chances of passing the Senate - not to mention Obama's promise to veto it - the Senate Republicans owe America an up or down vote. This worthy plan is not only perhaps our last best chance for salvation, but a necessity to show up our disgraceful president for who he is: A demagogue. The same guy who last year said we could not raise taxes in the middle of a recession is now using class warfare as a weapon although we are in just as precarious a situation as were then.
What will play out over the next two weeks in this debate well may be the ultimate show-down between the establishment and the Tea Party, and who wins will also determine whether America wins or loses.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Op. Fast and Furious: The Scandal and the Complicit Whorish Media
In the scandal ridden Obama Administration, not a week passes by that a new shocker is not added to the long list of misdeeds by this gangster administration with complete disregard for citizens' will or constitutionally established separation of powers.
The latest scandal - and the gravest so far - is the ATF's bungled (and mind bogglingly stupid) gun running sting operation code named Operation Fast and Furious. Several law enforcement agencies of the federal government, including the FBI, Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, got together to hatch a plan to sell guns to Mexican drug cartel members – at least one (and quite possibly two) of which was later used to murder a Border Patrol agent. As Canada Free Press reported last week, this is a scandal that is exponentially bigger than Watergate should it be tied directly to the President. Despite the Attorney General and the President's claims of ignorance, congressional Republicans have been digging hard and it seems they have hit paydirt.
This is a scandal involving murdered law enforcement officers, cover ups at the highest levels of the government, scapegoating whistle blowing low level operatives, witness tampering, and lies to the congress as well as the American people.
It was quite obvious from the beginning that such an operation could not be conducted without approval from the highest levels of the DOJ and, at least, the knowledge of the President.
Sure enough, Rep. Darrell Issa uncovered at least twelve high level DOJ officials who have been heavily involved with the operation. Further investigation also uncovered video evidence that not only Attorney General Eric Holder, but also the President knew about and presumably approved the foolhardy sting operation.
As bad as this is, the most outrageous part of this scandal is the apparent devious motive behind it: banning semi-automatic assault rifles in the U.S.
Obama made no secret of his desire to unleash war on the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution from the very beginning of his Administration. The opening the Administration needed was a 2008 report that 80% of the guns used by drug smugglers in Mexico were smuggled in to Mexico from the U.S.A. Using that report as an excuse, various agencies of the DOJ planned a sting operation, results of which would later be used to garner political support for just such a ban on sale of semi-auto assault weapons in the U.S. Sure enough, DOJ is "now requiring gun stores in Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico to report individual purchases of multiple rifles of greater than .22 caliber to the ATF. To quality for special reporting, the rifles also have to have a detachable magazine and be semi-automatic".
The outrageous nature of this move in the light of the revelations that put the culpability surrounding this scandal squarely on the Administration is simply astonishing.
Any one of the Obama scandals under a Republican administration would have been treated by the media and the left in general as a reason to impeach the president - whether you are talking about Pigford, the DOJ Black Panther case, falsifying expert testimony in justifying the oil and gas drilling moratorium, wilfully ignoring the separation of powers by ignoring the congress and courts on multiple occasions from the unconstitutionality of Obamacare to DISCLOSE Act to DREAM Act to net neutrality, or any one of dozens of other scandals.
Can we expect the main stream media to publicize this outrageous scandal to the general public anytime before they are forced to by alternative media? I am willing to bet no!
Welcome to a new era - the era of the left wing media whores covering up for the Obama Administration!
The latest scandal - and the gravest so far - is the ATF's bungled (and mind bogglingly stupid) gun running sting operation code named Operation Fast and Furious. Several law enforcement agencies of the federal government, including the FBI, Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, got together to hatch a plan to sell guns to Mexican drug cartel members – at least one (and quite possibly two) of which was later used to murder a Border Patrol agent. As Canada Free Press reported last week, this is a scandal that is exponentially bigger than Watergate should it be tied directly to the President. Despite the Attorney General and the President's claims of ignorance, congressional Republicans have been digging hard and it seems they have hit paydirt.
This is a scandal involving murdered law enforcement officers, cover ups at the highest levels of the government, scapegoating whistle blowing low level operatives, witness tampering, and lies to the congress as well as the American people.
It was quite obvious from the beginning that such an operation could not be conducted without approval from the highest levels of the DOJ and, at least, the knowledge of the President.
Sure enough, Rep. Darrell Issa uncovered at least twelve high level DOJ officials who have been heavily involved with the operation. Further investigation also uncovered video evidence that not only Attorney General Eric Holder, but also the President knew about and presumably approved the foolhardy sting operation.
As bad as this is, the most outrageous part of this scandal is the apparent devious motive behind it: banning semi-automatic assault rifles in the U.S.
Obama made no secret of his desire to unleash war on the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution from the very beginning of his Administration. The opening the Administration needed was a 2008 report that 80% of the guns used by drug smugglers in Mexico were smuggled in to Mexico from the U.S.A. Using that report as an excuse, various agencies of the DOJ planned a sting operation, results of which would later be used to garner political support for just such a ban on sale of semi-auto assault weapons in the U.S. Sure enough, DOJ is "now requiring gun stores in Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico to report individual purchases of multiple rifles of greater than .22 caliber to the ATF. To quality for special reporting, the rifles also have to have a detachable magazine and be semi-automatic".
The outrageous nature of this move in the light of the revelations that put the culpability surrounding this scandal squarely on the Administration is simply astonishing.
Any one of the Obama scandals under a Republican administration would have been treated by the media and the left in general as a reason to impeach the president - whether you are talking about Pigford, the DOJ Black Panther case, falsifying expert testimony in justifying the oil and gas drilling moratorium, wilfully ignoring the separation of powers by ignoring the congress and courts on multiple occasions from the unconstitutionality of Obamacare to DISCLOSE Act to DREAM Act to net neutrality, or any one of dozens of other scandals.
Can we expect the main stream media to publicize this outrageous scandal to the general public anytime before they are forced to by alternative media? I am willing to bet no!
Welcome to a new era - the era of the left wing media whores covering up for the Obama Administration!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Folly of Declaring War on Yourself
"California, once a business friendly state, continues to conduct a war on its own economy," says the Chief Executive Magazine.
Oh yes, the Golden State - once the fifth largest economy of the world - is reaping what it has been sowing for the past couple of decades. The magazine has ranked California dead last in business friendly environment for seventh year in a row. As CNN Money puts it, "buffeted by high taxes, strict regulations and uncertain state budgets, a growing number of California companies are seeking friendlier business environments outside of the Golden State". How fast? Companies are "disinvesting" in California at a rate five times greater than just two years ago. This includes leaving altogether, establishing divisions elsewhere or opting not to set up shop in California. And which are the states benefitting the most from this exodus? Texas, Utah, Arizona, North Carolina, and Virginia - all right-to-work red states!
Sacramento can't get its act together...and that includes the governor, legislators and regulatory agencies that are running wild. A state where higher and higher tax revenues are required to support a welfare state where every special interest group from the LGBT crowd to illegal aliens routinely get special rights that have costs attached to them is bound, sooner or later, to pay the price for their folly.
The arrogance of thinking that the producers of the society will endlessly support the non-producers is a hallmark of progressive thought that has failed in every social democracy tried. As bad as California's failure is, as a nation we are on the same disastrous course. I can only hope that the American electorate will heed the clear warning California is sending rest of the country.
Oh yes, the Golden State - once the fifth largest economy of the world - is reaping what it has been sowing for the past couple of decades. The magazine has ranked California dead last in business friendly environment for seventh year in a row. As CNN Money puts it, "buffeted by high taxes, strict regulations and uncertain state budgets, a growing number of California companies are seeking friendlier business environments outside of the Golden State". How fast? Companies are "disinvesting" in California at a rate five times greater than just two years ago. This includes leaving altogether, establishing divisions elsewhere or opting not to set up shop in California. And which are the states benefitting the most from this exodus? Texas, Utah, Arizona, North Carolina, and Virginia - all right-to-work red states!
Sacramento can't get its act together...and that includes the governor, legislators and regulatory agencies that are running wild. A state where higher and higher tax revenues are required to support a welfare state where every special interest group from the LGBT crowd to illegal aliens routinely get special rights that have costs attached to them is bound, sooner or later, to pay the price for their folly.
The arrogance of thinking that the producers of the society will endlessly support the non-producers is a hallmark of progressive thought that has failed in every social democracy tried. As bad as California's failure is, as a nation we are on the same disastrous course. I can only hope that the American electorate will heed the clear warning California is sending rest of the country.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The AGW Swindle: NAS Inadvertently Admits To Coal's Non-Warming Effect
Not every conspiracy is a well orchestrated effort on the part of its participants. Some simply snowball because of the opportunities they present unscrupulous actors with. One such case is the AGW (Anthropogenic Global Warming) movement that appeals not only to collectivists of all sorts (Marxists, Socialists, and everything in between) but also to crony capitalists who are ever-ready to capitalize on any opportunity to make money.
Man made global warming, or AGW, is potentially the swindle of the millenia that stands to cost the tax payers trillions of dollars through higher costs (of everything from utilities to every day items we consume) and taxes. Though its main true aim is global redistribution of wealth, its masterminds stand to make literally trillions of dollars collectively.
The masterminds behind AGW are an odd consortium of shady people like Maurice Strong, former politicians like Al Gore, and entities from small green energy related companies to some of the largest corporations in the world like G.E. and the Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs.
The tool these masterminds use to actuate their swindle is statist progressive politicians advancing their not-so-secret agenda, and bureaucrats (like Van Jones, Ray LaHood, and John Holdren), aided by an all-too-willing scientific community that is funded to the tune of billions of dollars world wide to carry out their misdeeds masqueraded as scientific research.
The biggest culprit of man made global warming according to the charlatan warmists at IPCC as well as the scientific community at large is fossil fuels, led by coal. This line of argument has been adopted by the religion that is environmentalism and become a hot button issue for Democrat party which is beholden to the green lobby (or a wholly owned subsidiary of the radical environmentalists as I like to refer to them). Worse yet, it is precisely the current crop of Democrats who stand to benefit from their own crony green capitalist policy initiatives.
In the latest news, last week the NAS (National Academy of Sciences) published a report that explains why there has been no increases in global temperatures over the past decade or so. The culprit, according to the NAS, is the massive amounts of coal that China has been burning thanks to its economy's explosive growth.
Coal, like other fossil fuels, puts out CO2 (carbon dioxide) which is a greenhouse gas. However, coal also emits sulphate aerosol particles that more than counteract the greenhouse effects of its CO2 emissions.
In other words, NAS has inadvertently admitted that fossil fuels, and coal in particular, do not cause man made global warming (as burning coal has kept temperatures lower than they would otherwise be over the past decade).
We all know the sordid background of the man made global warming crowd that includes falsifying (temperature, ice extent and sea level) data, circulating incriminating e-mails, making dubious predictions that do not come true, using climate models that do not work, etc., etc....
Enough scandal for a prominent scientist to resign from the presidency of American Physical Society last year, along with dozens more who have reached the realization that this is a fraud to abandon the AGW movement.
Two questions come to mind as a result of this news. First, will the Obama Administration change its mind and leave the coal industry alone now in the light of this study?
The other question is: will the AGW proponents have the integrity to admit they are wrong about the greenhouse effects of burning coal? Naaah, that would be too much to expect from this group of misfits.
Man made global warming, or AGW, is potentially the swindle of the millenia that stands to cost the tax payers trillions of dollars through higher costs (of everything from utilities to every day items we consume) and taxes. Though its main true aim is global redistribution of wealth, its masterminds stand to make literally trillions of dollars collectively.
The masterminds behind AGW are an odd consortium of shady people like Maurice Strong, former politicians like Al Gore, and entities from small green energy related companies to some of the largest corporations in the world like G.E. and the Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs.
The tool these masterminds use to actuate their swindle is statist progressive politicians advancing their not-so-secret agenda, and bureaucrats (like Van Jones, Ray LaHood, and John Holdren), aided by an all-too-willing scientific community that is funded to the tune of billions of dollars world wide to carry out their misdeeds masqueraded as scientific research.
The biggest culprit of man made global warming according to the charlatan warmists at IPCC as well as the scientific community at large is fossil fuels, led by coal. This line of argument has been adopted by the religion that is environmentalism and become a hot button issue for Democrat party which is beholden to the green lobby (or a wholly owned subsidiary of the radical environmentalists as I like to refer to them). Worse yet, it is precisely the current crop of Democrats who stand to benefit from their own crony green capitalist policy initiatives.
In the latest news, last week the NAS (National Academy of Sciences) published a report that explains why there has been no increases in global temperatures over the past decade or so. The culprit, according to the NAS, is the massive amounts of coal that China has been burning thanks to its economy's explosive growth.
Coal, like other fossil fuels, puts out CO2 (carbon dioxide) which is a greenhouse gas. However, coal also emits sulphate aerosol particles that more than counteract the greenhouse effects of its CO2 emissions.
In other words, NAS has inadvertently admitted that fossil fuels, and coal in particular, do not cause man made global warming (as burning coal has kept temperatures lower than they would otherwise be over the past decade).
We all know the sordid background of the man made global warming crowd that includes falsifying (temperature, ice extent and sea level) data, circulating incriminating e-mails, making dubious predictions that do not come true, using climate models that do not work, etc., etc....
Enough scandal for a prominent scientist to resign from the presidency of American Physical Society last year, along with dozens more who have reached the realization that this is a fraud to abandon the AGW movement.
Two questions come to mind as a result of this news. First, will the Obama Administration change its mind and leave the coal industry alone now in the light of this study?
The other question is: will the AGW proponents have the integrity to admit they are wrong about the greenhouse effects of burning coal? Naaah, that would be too much to expect from this group of misfits.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Guess Who Asked Koch Brothers For Campaign Donation...
You can file this one under "nerves of steel", or perhaps even "the dumbest political move ever".
As everyone knows by now, billionaire Koch brothers are ardent supporters of free markets and the Tea Party movement. As such, they have been under constant attack by progressive groups that dominate the left wing of the political spectrum as well as the Democrat Party. Who can forget what sounded like a thinly veiled threat by the White House which apparently somehow obtained confidential tax information on Koch Industries last year.
Well, fast forward to June, 2011 and Democrats seem to have either forgotten who Koch brothers are or in utter disarray to the point that they do not know what they are doing. Senator Patty Murray (D - WA) who is the Chairwoman of DSCC (Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee) apparently first sent a letter and then left a voice message at Koch Companies asking for a generous campaign donation.
Here is the hilarious response from the Koch Companies:
Now, I wonder if the desperation level at the DSCC is so high that they will even approach those whom they villify, or are all Democrats incompetent as we are reminded day in and day out by this Administration and Democrats in the Congress?!
As everyone knows by now, billionaire Koch brothers are ardent supporters of free markets and the Tea Party movement. As such, they have been under constant attack by progressive groups that dominate the left wing of the political spectrum as well as the Democrat Party. Who can forget what sounded like a thinly veiled threat by the White House which apparently somehow obtained confidential tax information on Koch Industries last year.
Well, fast forward to June, 2011 and Democrats seem to have either forgotten who Koch brothers are or in utter disarray to the point that they do not know what they are doing. Senator Patty Murray (D - WA) who is the Chairwoman of DSCC (Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee) apparently first sent a letter and then left a voice message at Koch Companies asking for a generous campaign donation.
Here is the hilarious response from the Koch Companies:
Senator Patty Murray, Chair
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
Dear Senator Murray:
For many months now, your colleagues in the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee leadership have engaged in a series of disparagements and ad hominem attacks about us, apparently as part of a concerted political and fundraising strategy. Just recently, Senator Reid wrote in a DSCC fundraising letter that Republicans are trying to “force through their extreme agenda faster than you can say ‘Koch Brothers.’”
So you can imagine my chagrin when I got a letter from you on June 17 asking us to make five-figure contributions to the DSCC. You followed that up with a voicemail* indicating that, if we contributed heavily enough, we would garner an invitation to join you and other Democratic leaders at a retreat in Kiawah Island this September.
I’m hoping you can help me understand the intent of your request because it’s hard not to conclude that DSCC politics have become so cynical that you actually expect people whom you routinely denounce to give DSCC money.
It is troubling that private citizens taking part in the discourse have become the targets of White House and DSCC fundraising missives, and we would certainly encourage you to rethink that approach. Ultimately, I expect voters will see through that and will weigh the issues on the merits alone. But in the meantime, if you could provide me some insight on what exactly you are asking of us and why, I would be most grateful.
Sincerely,
Philip Ellender
President, Government & Public Affairs
Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC
Now, I wonder if the desperation level at the DSCC is so high that they will even approach those whom they villify, or are all Democrats incompetent as we are reminded day in and day out by this Administration and Democrats in the Congress?!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Gems From Obama Press Conference
"Now, I've heard reports that there may be some in Congress who want to do just enough to make sure that America avoids defaulting on our debt in the short term. But then wants to kick the can down the road when it comes to solving the larger problem, our deficit"How typically arrogant and disingenuous of the Alinskyite who currently disgraces the White House.
President Obama
It has been two years since Democrat controlled Senate passed a budget. Let's not forget that Alinskyite-in-Chief's budget proposal was so outrageous that it could not even get a single Democrat vote and was rejected 97-0. Paul Ryan sponsored Republican House budget was also defeated by Senate Democrats.
And he has the nerve to talk about kicking the can down the road?
Just who is ridiculing efforts to reform Medicare - the main driver of the debt?
Isn't it amazing how progressives like FDR, LBJ, and Obama create huge, inefficient entitlements and then find a way to blame everyone else for their failure?
To make matters worse, Obama said:
"It is my hope that everybody is going to leave their ultimatums at the door. That we'll all leave our political rhetoric at the door. And that we're going to do what is best for our economy and do what is best for our people"Saul Alinsky would be proud of his disciple. He has mastered the Rules for Radicals flawlessly.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Nanny State to the Rescue
A new billion dollar federal program sponsored by HUD has reared its ugly head. No doubt, in an attempt to buy Democrat votes before the 2012 election, HUD and a non-profit neighborhood organization have announced that homeowners who are under water and in trouble can borrow up to $50,000 to catch up with their mortgage payments and late fees. The kicker is that the loan is not only interest free but also does not have to be paid back if the home owner stays in his house for 5 years. HUD forgives 20% of the loan balance for every year home owner keeps his home.
At this age of spiraling debt and worsening economic malaise, this only furthers the nanny state mentality and digs our hole deeper. Whatever happened to the traditional American self reliance - a basic ingredient of American exceptionalism? Must the state be there at every turn, holding our hand? Do we not have any dignity left as a nation anymore? God help us.
At this age of spiraling debt and worsening economic malaise, this only furthers the nanny state mentality and digs our hole deeper. Whatever happened to the traditional American self reliance - a basic ingredient of American exceptionalism? Must the state be there at every turn, holding our hand? Do we not have any dignity left as a nation anymore? God help us.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Comedy of the Week: Outrageous Quotes
Tim Geithner: "GOP debt plan 'irresponsible, risky, radical, unwise"Oh really, Timmy?! ...And spending money that we do not have on non-productive things, then sticking our children and grandchildren with the bill that will certainly enslave them is not?
Proof positive, once and for all, that he was never responsible for the balanced budgets (thanks to the G.O.P. controlled House) he likes to claim credit for.
Bill Clinton: “the stimulus did as well as it could have done — there just wasn’t enough of it”
Then, let's disband this useless $53 billion a year government monstrosity! More likely than can't, DHS will not enforce immigration laws on purpose. Illegals = Democrat power
Janet Napolitano: DHS can’t enforce immigration laws so we need amnesty programs…
Isn't it comforting to know that in an era when Iran is testing ballistic missiles to mound their soon to be operational nuclear weapons, and leaders like Chavez crushing the will and resistance of their freedom loving people, our State Department is busy arranging gigs for euro gay parades? Let the good times roll!
Hillary Clinton: “And then there is the work that our embassy team in Rome has been doing; two weeks ago they played an instrumental role in bringing Lady Gaga to Italy for a Euro (Gay) Pride concert."
...And just whose rights will be violated when public pension funds go belly up and need to be rescued by the tax payers? That is easy, I am sure if we ask Al, the answer would be "the rich".Al Sharpton: "Offering public sector employees 401k’s instead of pensions is an unthinkable civil rights violations."
This coming from those screaming the loudest when Bush suggested investing a tiny portion of the Social Security fund in the stock market in order to ensure its solvency?AFL/CIO and AFT: "Let's use the billions of pension dollars set aside for union retirees to fund real estate development"
Jay Carney: “not a conversation worth having.”
White House press secretary on why the President turned down an offer by Republican Senator McConnell to discuss raising the debt limit. President is already off to 4 campaign fund raising events. I guess this is the kind of work ethic he was talking about yesterday!
According to the good senator, "by loading up the tax code with all these breaks for people who already have privilege". Does he realize that in the 1950s when the top tax rate was in the 90-93% range, no one paid anywhere near that? Had they, economic activity would have completely stopped.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D): "GOP is committing class warfare"
By the way, what do progressives mean by "privilege"? Fruits of one's hard work in now a "privilege"? And then they shamelessly deny that they are Marxists!
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And finally, the whole Obama press conference yesterday when the President started ugly and finished much uglier. It was class warfare at its best with hypocrisies galore concerning work ethic among others from a president with 75 golf outings, dozens of campaign events during the past month, and several high profile vacations under his belt.
Orwellian Methods, Thuggery, and Other Nonsense
Prologue to Obamacare
Relax, one more Orwellian attempt to keep producers of the society in line by the Obama Administration has been thwarted for the time being. HHS announced that they are suspending their plans to use "mystery shoppers" due to strong reaction from various groups as well as the public. The "mystery shoppers" were to check how many doctors refuse the Medicaid patient while giving an appointment to the privately insured patient - an unnecessary exercise since earlier this month a similar study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that two-thirds of Medicaid patients were denied doctors' appointments, compared with just 11 percent of those with private insurance.
Why Medicaid? Answer: Obamacare
Over half of all new health coverage obtained by Americans thanks to Obamacare will be through Medicaid. Obamacare's authors specifically chose Medicaid as the vehicle for most of the coverage expansion because it is "cheaper" than Medicare and private insurance. But Medicaid isn't cheaper because government is somehow better than the private sector at controlling health care costs. Rather, Medicaid is cheaper because it pays doctors less for the same services (about 60 cents on the dollar after burdensome paperwork and long waiting times (up to 10-12 months sometimes) for reimbursements). In other words, Medicaid, like Medicare, is price controls.
I can attest to this because my wife is a health care provider.
As a Washington Examiner editorial succinctly puts it:
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Alinskyite tactics of UAW
The left loves to play by the rules outlined by Saul Alinsky as the impostor who masquerades as our president proves day after day.
UAW, one of Obama's closest allies, is now threatening to brand foreign car makers in right-to-work states "human rights violators" if they refuse to unionize.
To show that there is some hope for the U.S. yet, overwhelming majorities of workers in these plants are perfectly happy and want nothing to do with the UAW or any other union.
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Loons of class-warfare agree: Corporations and the rich must pay
Socialist Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is apparently circulating a letter asking President Obama not to give in to the G.O.P. demands not to raise any taxes. They do not have to do much convincing as Obama agrees that the Republican approach to budget is immoral in a twisted way only a progressive could reason.
The long and short of it is these collectivists think that the rich along with corporations must pay off the debt by paying their fair share. Excuse me?
Does the good senator from the loony state of Vermont not know that those two groups effectively pay more than twice their share compared to the bottom 95% of the society? Does he also not know that even taxing 100% of their earnings (hypothetical since much past 90%, none of them would bother to work anymore) would not make a dent in the debt? How about growth we would be sacrificing by imposing higher taxes on the producers - Goldman Sachs analysts recently said that just letting Bush tax rates expire would have cost the economy 1.5% in GDP growth, let alone imposing much higher taxes.
As billionaire Stanford Professor Cheriton, of Google fame, puts it in no uncertain terms: Obama (and the same goes for other collectivists) is leading America on a crash course towards economic disaster.
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A picture is worth a thousand words...
Welcome back recession? As Zero Hedge reports, manufacturing survey indicates that we are in the second month of a new recession. As usual, NBER should catch up with the news within the next 12 months or so.
Suspicious by hundreds of immigration cases dismissed in Houston (and nearly 35,000 cases dismissed in the U.S.) by ICE last year, the Chronicle has obtained, through a FOIA, series of internal ICE memos that show that Obama Administration is implementing a backdoor amnesty.
The short and sweet of it is that, other than hardcore felons, ICE is instructed to not pursue immigration cases against illegal aliens. Who needs a congress that refuses to pass amnesty. There is more than one way to skin a cat, especially if the Administration in question has nothing but disregard for the U.S. Constitution as well as the will of its citizens.
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Relax, one more Orwellian attempt to keep producers of the society in line by the Obama Administration has been thwarted for the time being. HHS announced that they are suspending their plans to use "mystery shoppers" due to strong reaction from various groups as well as the public. The "mystery shoppers" were to check how many doctors refuse the Medicaid patient while giving an appointment to the privately insured patient - an unnecessary exercise since earlier this month a similar study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that two-thirds of Medicaid patients were denied doctors' appointments, compared with just 11 percent of those with private insurance.
Why Medicaid? Answer: Obamacare
Over half of all new health coverage obtained by Americans thanks to Obamacare will be through Medicaid. Obamacare's authors specifically chose Medicaid as the vehicle for most of the coverage expansion because it is "cheaper" than Medicare and private insurance. But Medicaid isn't cheaper because government is somehow better than the private sector at controlling health care costs. Rather, Medicaid is cheaper because it pays doctors less for the same services (about 60 cents on the dollar after burdensome paperwork and long waiting times (up to 10-12 months sometimes) for reimbursements). In other words, Medicaid, like Medicare, is price controls.
I can attest to this because my wife is a health care provider.
As a Washington Examiner editorial succinctly puts it:
Government price controls decrease the supply of doctor labor. When a government's price control regime fails, the next step typically is to find other means of coercion in order to keep economic actors in line.SEIU has enough out of work members with plenty of time in their hands to crack some doctor skulls if necessary.
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Alinskyite tactics of UAW
The left loves to play by the rules outlined by Saul Alinsky as the impostor who masquerades as our president proves day after day.
UAW, one of Obama's closest allies, is now threatening to brand foreign car makers in right-to-work states "human rights violators" if they refuse to unionize.
To show that there is some hope for the U.S. yet, overwhelming majorities of workers in these plants are perfectly happy and want nothing to do with the UAW or any other union.
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Loons of class-warfare agree: Corporations and the rich must pay
Socialist Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is apparently circulating a letter asking President Obama not to give in to the G.O.P. demands not to raise any taxes. They do not have to do much convincing as Obama agrees that the Republican approach to budget is immoral in a twisted way only a progressive could reason.
The long and short of it is these collectivists think that the rich along with corporations must pay off the debt by paying their fair share. Excuse me?
Does the good senator from the loony state of Vermont not know that those two groups effectively pay more than twice their share compared to the bottom 95% of the society? Does he also not know that even taxing 100% of their earnings (hypothetical since much past 90%, none of them would bother to work anymore) would not make a dent in the debt? How about growth we would be sacrificing by imposing higher taxes on the producers - Goldman Sachs analysts recently said that just letting Bush tax rates expire would have cost the economy 1.5% in GDP growth, let alone imposing much higher taxes.
As billionaire Stanford Professor Cheriton, of Google fame, puts it in no uncertain terms: Obama (and the same goes for other collectivists) is leading America on a crash course towards economic disaster.
---
A picture is worth a thousand words...
Welcome back recession? As Zero Hedge reports, manufacturing survey indicates that we are in the second month of a new recession. As usual, NBER should catch up with the news within the next 12 months or so.
I am embarrassed to say this but I have been cheering for this since last few months. Anything to get rid of these enemies of America is welcome.
---
Who needs the Congress, Obama thumbs his nose at the Constitution yet again...Suspicious by hundreds of immigration cases dismissed in Houston (and nearly 35,000 cases dismissed in the U.S.) by ICE last year, the Chronicle has obtained, through a FOIA, series of internal ICE memos that show that Obama Administration is implementing a backdoor amnesty.
The short and sweet of it is that, other than hardcore felons, ICE is instructed to not pursue immigration cases against illegal aliens. Who needs a congress that refuses to pass amnesty. There is more than one way to skin a cat, especially if the Administration in question has nothing but disregard for the U.S. Constitution as well as the will of its citizens.
---
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Obama's Open Season on Whistleblowers
Remember Gerald Walpin? The Inspector General Obama fired without a valid excuse early in his administration because he had uncovered a scandal surrounding corruption involving one of Obama's closest supporters - Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, who apparently used tax dollars as hush money for sex partners among other irregularities? Well, he now has a companion to commiserate with: Vince Cefalu.
Vince Cefalu is the agent who broke the scandal surrounding Operation Fast and Furious under Project Gunrunner, where geniuses in ATF (no doubt with the blessings of higher ups in the D.O.J.) lost track of hundreds of assault weapons they knowingly let Mexican drug gangs acquire, six of which turned up at the murder scene of a U.S. agent. Vince has been notified that he will be terminated by the ATF as a result of his role in letting the cat out of the bag.
The incompetence of government aside, there seems to be a troubling (but in no way surprising) pattern here on the part of the Obama Administration. The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 is supposed to protect those government employees who blow the cover off all types of malfeasence on the part of federal government. Vince Cefalu is the second high profile case where a whistleblower is being sacrificed instead of being congratulated.
The lesson for anyone contemplating on blowing the whistle on anything to do with this government is clear: In the rough and tumble world of Chicago politics, you do not rat on the big dog or his close supporters. Just ask Rahm "dead fish" Emanuel! If you are lucky, you will recieve a dead fish in the mail; if not, a couple of SEIU goons could be visiting you soon.
Vince Cefalu is the agent who broke the scandal surrounding Operation Fast and Furious under Project Gunrunner, where geniuses in ATF (no doubt with the blessings of higher ups in the D.O.J.) lost track of hundreds of assault weapons they knowingly let Mexican drug gangs acquire, six of which turned up at the murder scene of a U.S. agent. Vince has been notified that he will be terminated by the ATF as a result of his role in letting the cat out of the bag.
The incompetence of government aside, there seems to be a troubling (but in no way surprising) pattern here on the part of the Obama Administration. The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 is supposed to protect those government employees who blow the cover off all types of malfeasence on the part of federal government. Vince Cefalu is the second high profile case where a whistleblower is being sacrificed instead of being congratulated.
The lesson for anyone contemplating on blowing the whistle on anything to do with this government is clear: In the rough and tumble world of Chicago politics, you do not rat on the big dog or his close supporters. Just ask Rahm "dead fish" Emanuel! If you are lucky, you will recieve a dead fish in the mail; if not, a couple of SEIU goons could be visiting you soon.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Commentary on Past Week's Outrageous News
Lets go with the more outrageous ones first (- not that almost all news that comes out of Washington under this regime is not outrageous):
---
USDA gay sensitivity training may be imposed on all federal employees.....
What?...you might be wondering. Afterall, it is not like the USDA (home of Shirley 'I discriminate against whites' Sherrod) is the OPM or that we live in an Orwellian future society, right? Well, if that is your reaction, you may just need to be sent to a re-education center (soon to be proposed by the Obama administration, I am sure).
U.S. Department of Agriculture activists want to impose their intense brand of homosexual sensitivity training governmentwide, including a discussion that compares “heterosexism” - believing marriage can be between only one man and one woman - to racism.
Well, at least I am sure this is not a meat headed move by the secretary or anything.....but oh wait, the push for the training is coming from Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack. The Democrat has launched the departmentwide “cultural transformation” that includes a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Special Emphasis Program.
By the way, do not fear because our military and the ATF among other entities have already been subjected to this very training.
I am wondering when the public in general will be told to submit ourselves to the training as well!
---
Failing in congress, the DOL writes its own DISCLOSE Act while NLRB revives Card Check
If you thought that the deserved deaths of the DISCLOSE Act (never got voted on) and Card Check (defeated) in the Congress were victories for the free markets, think again! In a law abiding government where the separation of powers is not violated almost on a monthly basis, these job killing unionization bills would have long been buried in the ash heap of history, but this is the Obama thug administration that disregards such constitutional trivialities.
So, here we go again with law making by regulation (when it is not done by executive order). This past week, the Department of Labor issued an expansive 160-page notice for proposed rule-making. According to Labor Union Report "it is, in sum, a radical overhaul of the reporting requirements for employers who wish to remain union free and the consultants, lawyers, and firms that provide human resources, employee and labor relations services". Like the intent behind the proposed DISCLOSE Act, unions want to be able to shut down free speech for employers to make it easier to target them.
At the same time, the NLRB (which under the Obama regime no longer acts as an independent mediation body but rather as the governmental arm of the Marxist labor unions) announced on Tuesday that it is seeking comments on its proposed rule making to make it easier to unionize companies.
The rule change the NLRB is proposing to change is to turn union representation elections into “quickie elections”—from the current 38 to42-day elections that occur now to elections that take place in as little as 10 to 21 days. In his dissent, lone Republican NLRB member Brian Hayes noted:
Moreover, the employer would be forced to provide to produce a preliminary voter list, including names, work location, shift, and classification, by the opening of the pre-election hearing. The NLRB also proposes limiting parties’ (read: employers’) right to appeal cases.
Who needs Card Check legislation when you can unilaterally institute electronic voting, which may (and will) open up fraud, as well as coercion and intimidation of voters who no longer have the protection of private ballots; rushed elections so employees don’t have time to inform themselves about having to pay union dues, live and work by union rules, and support a vast far leftwing political machine; the inability for employers to challenge the validity of voting employees until it’s too late; and giving digital readouts of the home address and contact information for all the employees the union is targeting.
And you thought the government bureaucrats were inefficient! Tsk, tsk...
---
In other employment related news of the past week, while the NLRB, now dominated by appointees of President Obama, continues to push an activist agenda at the expense of our nation’s workforce (like the Boeing jobs NLRB is suing on behalf of the union to take way from S. Carolina which is a right-to-work state), we found out that the first time unemployment claims "unexpectedly" rose again. This piece of news came at the heels of the revelation that that AFL/CIO's Trumka talks to the White House everyday and visits twice a week (at least he is not letting Andy Stern, the former head of SEIU who was the most frequent visitor of Obama until he resigned in 2010, beat him in the crony game).
Quite unsettling were also the revelations by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke that he is stumped by the economy and the CBO saying that we are on target for a 1.4 trillion deficit for the year which will add on to our $14.2 trillion debt that CBO now says was almost doubled by the failed Obama stimulus. And, oh, did I mention that Elmendorf said government policies and debt are the reasons for the piss poor growth and pretty much predict doom for America (as he conveyed on his blog as well)?
The saying "no shit Sherlock" comes to mind!
And how about those Clinton era tax rates Obama claims will resolve our debt problem? Forget it, they will not!
I mean, come on Ben, what is there to be stumped about? Vilifying and assaulting the private sector non-stop while writing job killing regulations at record pace, diverting capital from the private sector, adding to the national debt at record pace, debasing the currency with hairbrained ideas like quantitative easing that have never worked anywhere before....; and you are wondering why Obamanomics is a miserable failure?
Plus, we have a genius of a President who thinks ATMs (among other examples of automation) are the reason why unemployment remains high one day and promotes robots in manufacturing the next...
And, oh, he also said in his weekly radio address that "we can’t simply cut our way to prosperity" I guess that means we will be spending our way to prosperity as we have been doing for several years now!
Now, why wouldn't businesses be willing to invest with this private sector-friendly environment and competent bureaucrats running Washington (sarc.)??? (additional hint: read the next news item below)
---
Tim Geithner gets his own little capsule for his little gem this week:
The little school boy looking Treasury Secretary told the House Small Business Committee on Wednesday that the Obama administration believes taxes on small business must increase so the administration does not have to “shrink the overall size of government programs.”
Normally I would write something here, but I am at a loss of words!
What a ship of fools we have in the Obama Administration...
---
“Trouble in the Hen House: A Puppet Show.” What is that, you may ask. Well, that is the latest indoctrination attempt by the Marxists who call themselves the American Federation of Teachers. The target? Our Kindergarteners and first graders. The aim? Teaching children how to use mob tactics to get what they want from those in positions of power. This puppet show fits very nicely into a kindergartener’s school day – right after finger painting and just ahead of snack time.
I mean which kindergartener doesn't need to be taught the virtues of labor unions? Long live cultural Marxism. Si, se puede!
While we are on the subject of cultural Marxism, the Board of Education in the socialist hell hole known as the people's republic of Maryland has made "environmental literacy" a requirement for graduation. I mean who needs functional literacy when they can be indoctrinated in 'environmental justice' and evils of capitalism?
---
Here are some more brief headlines you can click on if your blood pressure could benefit from rising:
* U.S. Taxpayers subsidizing Soros' war on Fox news. Oh, Joy.
* Obama’s administration offering quasi-amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illega immigrants. Just in time for the elections!
* In related news, N. Carolina's Dem governor vetoes voter photo id bill (god forbid, how else would the illegals vote for their favorite Democrat?)
* Union lawyer says southern workers unskilled, uneducated. Progressive elitism at its worse.
* Holder’s claim: Lawyers are nation’s “most effective terror-fighting weapon.” Military apparently to be declared unnecessary by the Marxist Obama machine.
* EPA to put its jackboot on the neck of the highly successful Texas econmy - Just because we cannot have that kind of accomplishment make this administration and their Marxist allies look bad.
* Hillary Clinton, holding true to the hypocrisy that defines progressives, flip flops on 'patriotism'
* A glimpse in to our future under Obamacare: Britain's NHS provides tambourines and maracas for the elderly instead of electronic alarms (...and no, it is not an episode of Benny Hill)
* Delusional statement of the week - Pelosi: "Debt largely accrued by President G. W. Bush"
* Pelosi wants to amend America's 'sacred documents' for 'ever expanding freedom' of jobs...as Democrats line up to call for the federal government to hire the unemployed (no joke!)
* Calls grow in Egypt to delay elections (but muslim brotherhood is a moderate group, no?)
---
USDA gay sensitivity training may be imposed on all federal employees.....
What?...you might be wondering. Afterall, it is not like the USDA (home of Shirley 'I discriminate against whites' Sherrod) is the OPM or that we live in an Orwellian future society, right? Well, if that is your reaction, you may just need to be sent to a re-education center (soon to be proposed by the Obama administration, I am sure).
U.S. Department of Agriculture activists want to impose their intense brand of homosexual sensitivity training governmentwide, including a discussion that compares “heterosexism” - believing marriage can be between only one man and one woman - to racism.
Well, at least I am sure this is not a meat headed move by the secretary or anything.....but oh wait, the push for the training is coming from Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack. The Democrat has launched the departmentwide “cultural transformation” that includes a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Special Emphasis Program.
By the way, do not fear because our military and the ATF among other entities have already been subjected to this very training.
I am wondering when the public in general will be told to submit ourselves to the training as well!
---
Failing in congress, the DOL writes its own DISCLOSE Act while NLRB revives Card Check
If you thought that the deserved deaths of the DISCLOSE Act (never got voted on) and Card Check (defeated) in the Congress were victories for the free markets, think again! In a law abiding government where the separation of powers is not violated almost on a monthly basis, these job killing unionization bills would have long been buried in the ash heap of history, but this is the Obama thug administration that disregards such constitutional trivialities.
So, here we go again with law making by regulation (when it is not done by executive order). This past week, the Department of Labor issued an expansive 160-page notice for proposed rule-making. According to Labor Union Report "it is, in sum, a radical overhaul of the reporting requirements for employers who wish to remain union free and the consultants, lawyers, and firms that provide human resources, employee and labor relations services". Like the intent behind the proposed DISCLOSE Act, unions want to be able to shut down free speech for employers to make it easier to target them.
At the same time, the NLRB (which under the Obama regime no longer acts as an independent mediation body but rather as the governmental arm of the Marxist labor unions) announced on Tuesday that it is seeking comments on its proposed rule making to make it easier to unionize companies.
The rule change the NLRB is proposing to change is to turn union representation elections into “quickie elections”—from the current 38 to42-day elections that occur now to elections that take place in as little as 10 to 21 days. In his dissent, lone Republican NLRB member Brian Hayes noted:
…[B]y administrative fiat in lieu of Congressional action, the Board will impose organized labor’s much sought-after “quickie election” option, a procedure under which elections will be held in 10 to 21 days from the filing of the petition. Make no mistake, the principal purpose for this radical manipulation of our election process is to minimize, or rather, to effectively eviscerate an employer’s legitimate opportunity to express its views about collective bargaining.As unions currently win nearly 70% of NLRB elections, an expedited (or “quickie”) election process is expected to increase the union win rate substantially. Former NLRB member Peter Kirsanow explains:
Make absolutely no mistake: That’s not enough time for even the largest and most sophisticated employers to counter what the union has been telling employees while organizing them for the last 6–8 months.In addition to “quickie elections,” the union extremists controlling the National Labor Relations Board are also proposing that unions be given names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of eligible voters within two days once an election has been set up. [Currently, unions are only given eligible voters' names and addresses seven days after an election is set up.]
Moreover, the employer would be forced to provide to produce a preliminary voter list, including names, work location, shift, and classification, by the opening of the pre-election hearing. The NLRB also proposes limiting parties’ (read: employers’) right to appeal cases.
Who needs Card Check legislation when you can unilaterally institute electronic voting, which may (and will) open up fraud, as well as coercion and intimidation of voters who no longer have the protection of private ballots; rushed elections so employees don’t have time to inform themselves about having to pay union dues, live and work by union rules, and support a vast far leftwing political machine; the inability for employers to challenge the validity of voting employees until it’s too late; and giving digital readouts of the home address and contact information for all the employees the union is targeting.
And you thought the government bureaucrats were inefficient! Tsk, tsk...
---
In other employment related news of the past week, while the NLRB, now dominated by appointees of President Obama, continues to push an activist agenda at the expense of our nation’s workforce (like the Boeing jobs NLRB is suing on behalf of the union to take way from S. Carolina which is a right-to-work state), we found out that the first time unemployment claims "unexpectedly" rose again. This piece of news came at the heels of the revelation that that AFL/CIO's Trumka talks to the White House everyday and visits twice a week (at least he is not letting Andy Stern, the former head of SEIU who was the most frequent visitor of Obama until he resigned in 2010, beat him in the crony game).
Quite unsettling were also the revelations by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke that he is stumped by the economy and the CBO saying that we are on target for a 1.4 trillion deficit for the year which will add on to our $14.2 trillion debt that CBO now says was almost doubled by the failed Obama stimulus. And, oh, did I mention that Elmendorf said government policies and debt are the reasons for the piss poor growth and pretty much predict doom for America (as he conveyed on his blog as well)?
The saying "no shit Sherlock" comes to mind!
And how about those Clinton era tax rates Obama claims will resolve our debt problem? Forget it, they will not!
I mean, come on Ben, what is there to be stumped about? Vilifying and assaulting the private sector non-stop while writing job killing regulations at record pace, diverting capital from the private sector, adding to the national debt at record pace, debasing the currency with hairbrained ideas like quantitative easing that have never worked anywhere before....; and you are wondering why Obamanomics is a miserable failure?
Plus, we have a genius of a President who thinks ATMs (among other examples of automation) are the reason why unemployment remains high one day and promotes robots in manufacturing the next...
And, oh, he also said in his weekly radio address that "we can’t simply cut our way to prosperity" I guess that means we will be spending our way to prosperity as we have been doing for several years now!
Now, why wouldn't businesses be willing to invest with this private sector-friendly environment and competent bureaucrats running Washington (sarc.)??? (additional hint: read the next news item below)
---
Tim Geithner gets his own little capsule for his little gem this week:
The little school boy looking Treasury Secretary told the House Small Business Committee on Wednesday that the Obama administration believes taxes on small business must increase so the administration does not have to “shrink the overall size of government programs.”
Normally I would write something here, but I am at a loss of words!
What a ship of fools we have in the Obama Administration...
---
“Trouble in the Hen House: A Puppet Show.” What is that, you may ask. Well, that is the latest indoctrination attempt by the Marxists who call themselves the American Federation of Teachers. The target? Our Kindergarteners and first graders. The aim? Teaching children how to use mob tactics to get what they want from those in positions of power. This puppet show fits very nicely into a kindergartener’s school day – right after finger painting and just ahead of snack time.
I mean which kindergartener doesn't need to be taught the virtues of labor unions? Long live cultural Marxism. Si, se puede!
While we are on the subject of cultural Marxism, the Board of Education in the socialist hell hole known as the people's republic of Maryland has made "environmental literacy" a requirement for graduation. I mean who needs functional literacy when they can be indoctrinated in 'environmental justice' and evils of capitalism?
---
Here are some more brief headlines you can click on if your blood pressure could benefit from rising:
* U.S. Taxpayers subsidizing Soros' war on Fox news. Oh, Joy.
* Obama’s administration offering quasi-amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illega immigrants. Just in time for the elections!
* In related news, N. Carolina's Dem governor vetoes voter photo id bill (god forbid, how else would the illegals vote for their favorite Democrat?)
* Union lawyer says southern workers unskilled, uneducated. Progressive elitism at its worse.
* Holder’s claim: Lawyers are nation’s “most effective terror-fighting weapon.” Military apparently to be declared unnecessary by the Marxist Obama machine.
* EPA to put its jackboot on the neck of the highly successful Texas econmy - Just because we cannot have that kind of accomplishment make this administration and their Marxist allies look bad.
* Hillary Clinton, holding true to the hypocrisy that defines progressives, flip flops on 'patriotism'
* A glimpse in to our future under Obamacare: Britain's NHS provides tambourines and maracas for the elderly instead of electronic alarms (...and no, it is not an episode of Benny Hill)
* Delusional statement of the week - Pelosi: "Debt largely accrued by President G. W. Bush"
* Pelosi wants to amend America's 'sacred documents' for 'ever expanding freedom' of jobs...as Democrats line up to call for the federal government to hire the unemployed (no joke!)
* Calls grow in Egypt to delay elections (but muslim brotherhood is a moderate group, no?)
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