Townhall - Bill O'Reilly - Panic on the Left: "David Letterman is a liberal kind of guy, and like many on the left, old Dave is kind of frustrated these days. A new Gallup poll has President Obama's job approval rating at just 41 percent, with 53 percent disapproving. Those are the lowest numbers Gallup has posted since Obama was inaugurated more than a year and a half ago.
So Dave is seeking answers to the president's diminishing popularity, and that kind of conversation usually involves the Fox News Channel, which is considered by the left to be all anti-Obama, all the time. Since I work at FNC, I dispute that perception. But there is no doubt that Fox News is the most skeptical TV news organization when it comes to analyzing the president.
Consider this: If Obama was being worked over the way President Bush was by the establishment media, his job approval rating would probably be in the 20 percent range. Remember the brutal media beating Bush took? Today, the mainstream press is largely neutral or positive on Obama, even as many Americans are having doubts about him.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
American missionaries gunned down for 'preaching Christianity' (OneNewsNow.com)
American missionaries gunned down for 'preaching Christianity' (OneNewsNow.com): "KABUL, Afghanistan - Taliban terrorists have declared they shot and killed a team of missionaries, including six Americans, because they were 'preaching Christianity.'
Ten members of a medical team, including six Americans, were shot and killed by the Islamic terrorists as they were returning from providing eye treatment and other health care in remote villages of northern Afghanistan, a spokesman for the team said Saturday.
Dirk Frans, director of the International Assistance Mission, said one German, one Briton and two Afghans also were a part of the team that made the two-week trip to Nuristan province. They drove to the province, left their vehicles and hiked for hours over mountainous terrain to reach the Parun valley in the province's northwest.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press in Pakistan that they killed the foreigners because they were 'spying for the Americans' and 'preaching Christianity.'
Frans said the International Assistance Mission is registered as a nonprofit Christian organization but it does not proselytize.
Maybe Obama didn't apologize enough to them to make them calm down and not kill people "preaching Christianity". Did he not bow low enough? Maybe it is time for a strongly worded letter??? Knowing Obama, he will make NO remarks about this at all. He seems after all to still be a great believer in Islam.~~ the Munz
Ten members of a medical team, including six Americans, were shot and killed by the Islamic terrorists as they were returning from providing eye treatment and other health care in remote villages of northern Afghanistan, a spokesman for the team said Saturday.
Dirk Frans, director of the International Assistance Mission, said one German, one Briton and two Afghans also were a part of the team that made the two-week trip to Nuristan province. They drove to the province, left their vehicles and hiked for hours over mountainous terrain to reach the Parun valley in the province's northwest.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press in Pakistan that they killed the foreigners because they were 'spying for the Americans' and 'preaching Christianity.'
Frans said the International Assistance Mission is registered as a nonprofit Christian organization but it does not proselytize.
Maybe Obama didn't apologize enough to them to make them calm down and not kill people "preaching Christianity". Did he not bow low enough? Maybe it is time for a strongly worded letter??? Knowing Obama, he will make NO remarks about this at all. He seems after all to still be a great believer in Islam.~~ the Munz
Kagan sworn in as fourth woman on Supreme Court (OneNewsNow.com)
Kagan sworn in as fourth woman on Supreme Court (OneNewsNow.com): "WASHINGTON - Elena Kagan was sworn in Saturday as the 112th justice and fourth woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to Kagan in a brief private ceremony at the court. Kagan, joined by family and friends, pledged to faithfully and impartially uphold the law.
Afterward, she smiled broadly as a crowd of onlookers stood and applauded. 'We look forward to serving with you,' Roberts said.
Kagan, a former Harvard Law School dean who most recently was solicitor general, was President Barack Obama's choice to succeed retired Justice John Paul Stevens. Republicans criticized her as a political liberal, before the Senate confirmed her this past week on a vote of 63-37.
She was sworn in twice Saturday by Roberts _ reciting one oath as prescribed by the Constitution during a ceremony in a conference room at the court with only her family present. Kagan then recited a second oath, taken by judges, with her family and friends and reporters present.
A supreme court judge who has NEVER served on the bench ... goes along well with a Senator who served half a term and voted present more times than not serving as the POTUS. No experience at all, just their beliefs and flawed judgments to guide them. What a sad state of affairs this country is in for. ~~ The Munz
Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to Kagan in a brief private ceremony at the court. Kagan, joined by family and friends, pledged to faithfully and impartially uphold the law.
Afterward, she smiled broadly as a crowd of onlookers stood and applauded. 'We look forward to serving with you,' Roberts said.
Kagan, a former Harvard Law School dean who most recently was solicitor general, was President Barack Obama's choice to succeed retired Justice John Paul Stevens. Republicans criticized her as a political liberal, before the Senate confirmed her this past week on a vote of 63-37.
She was sworn in twice Saturday by Roberts _ reciting one oath as prescribed by the Constitution during a ceremony in a conference room at the court with only her family present. Kagan then recited a second oath, taken by judges, with her family and friends and reporters present.
A supreme court judge who has NEVER served on the bench ... goes along well with a Senator who served half a term and voted present more times than not serving as the POTUS. No experience at all, just their beliefs and flawed judgments to guide them. What a sad state of affairs this country is in for. ~~ The Munz
Left sets the standard: aberrant sex disqualifies you from p ...
Left sets the standard: aberrant sex disqualifies you from p ...: "As far as disqualifying someone for public office, well, liberals have given us all the examples we need. Remember how they drummed Mark Foley out of office, because of explicit text messages he sent to House pages? Remember the constant drumbeat of liberal calls for Sen. Larry Craig’s resignation when he was caught playing footsie with an undercover cop in a Minneapolis airport restroom? Remember the howls of outrage when Sen. David Vitter did not resign after getting busted for using a call girl service?
Liberals even supported the ouster of Eliot Spitzer when Client #9 got outed for spending untold thousands of dollars on assignations with a high-priced prostitute.
So when liberals complain when I say that Judge Walker and Elana Kagan are both disqualified for public service based on their aberrant sexual behavior, I say back to them, Hey, I’m just following your lead. Just taking your advice. If you think I’m wrong, I’ll accept your criticism the moment you publicly apologize to Mark Foley and help him run his next campaign.
Until then, I’m just going to follow your example. Thanks for showing us the way.
Liberals even supported the ouster of Eliot Spitzer when Client #9 got outed for spending untold thousands of dollars on assignations with a high-priced prostitute.
So when liberals complain when I say that Judge Walker and Elana Kagan are both disqualified for public service based on their aberrant sexual behavior, I say back to them, Hey, I’m just following your lead. Just taking your advice. If you think I’m wrong, I’ll accept your criticism the moment you publicly apologize to Mark Foley and help him run his next campaign.
Until then, I’m just going to follow your example. Thanks for showing us the way.
BREAKING NEWS! - Records Disappear! New Information APPEARS! Obama Mama Drama!
We The People have been scammed .. this man who sits in the White House needs to be exposed or removed immediately should he fail to release all of his documents. Enough is enough.
If he is not eligible to serve as he has been this entire time, then everything he has done is illegal.
If he meets the standard of a Natural Born Citizen or not needs to be examined with all evidence and documents that are available now. Failure to do so is criminal at this point. Too many people do not believe that he was even born in the United States. You would think if he was, then it would be easy enough to establish. So why doesn't he?~~ The Munz
If he is not eligible to serve as he has been this entire time, then everything he has done is illegal.
If he meets the standard of a Natural Born Citizen or not needs to be examined with all evidence and documents that are available now. Failure to do so is criminal at this point. Too many people do not believe that he was even born in the United States. You would think if he was, then it would be easy enough to establish. So why doesn't he?~~ The Munz
Up a Creek: Accusing Bush of Video Stunt, 'Today' Gets Caught in Stunt of Its Own
In a deliciously ironic twist of fate, shortly before airing a segment aimed at embarrassing the Bush administration by suggesting that it had staged a video conversation between the president and soldiers in Iraq, the Today show was caught staging . . . a video stunt.
In the Bush/Iraq segment, Today screened footage indicating that prior to engaging in a video conversation with President Bush, soldiers on the ground in Iraq were given tips by a Department of Defense official.
But the only advice that the official was shown as giving was a suggestion to one solider to "take a little breath" before speaking to the president so he would actually be speaking to him. It was also stated that some of the soldiers practiced their comments so as to appear as articulate as possible. But there was no indication, or even allegation, that the soldiers were coached as to the substance of their comments or in any way instructed what to say.
In the Bush/Iraq segment, Today screened footage indicating that prior to engaging in a video conversation with President Bush, soldiers on the ground in Iraq were given tips by a Department of Defense official.
But the only advice that the official was shown as giving was a suggestion to one solider to "take a little breath" before speaking to the president so he would actually be speaking to him. It was also stated that some of the soldiers practiced their comments so as to appear as articulate as possible. But there was no indication, or even allegation, that the soldiers were coached as to the substance of their comments or in any way instructed what to say.
Today's timing couldn't have been worse. A preceding segment focused on the incessant rains and ensuing flooding in the northeast. For days now, beautiful, blonde - and one senses highly ambitious - young reporter Michelle Kosinski has been on the scene for Today in New Jersey, working the story. In an apparent effort to draw attention to herself, in yesterday's segment she turned up in hip waders, standing thigh-deep in the flood waters.Taking her act one step further, this morning she appeared on a suburban street . . . paddling a canoe. There was one small problem. Just as the segment came on the air, two men waded in front of Kosinki . . . and the water barely covered their shoe tops! That's right, Kosinski's canoe was in no more than four to six inches of water!
An embarrassed Kosinski claimed the water was deeper down the stre
et but that her producers didn't want to let her go there for fear she'd drift away. But Katie and Matt, perhaps peeved by her attempted scene-stealing, couldn't resist ribbing her. Matt: "Are these holy men, perhaps walking on top of the water?"
"Gee, is your oar hitting ground, Michelle?" inquired Katie, as she and Matt dissolved into laughter.
Moral of the story: people in canoes in a few inches of water shouldn't throw video-stunt stones.
Food Stamps for the Masses While First Family Lives it Up
A First Family jet-setting from one vacation spot to another while Americans suffer through unemployment, debt, frustration, exhaustion and just plain fear of what awaits their children in ten years, has to stop.
Sorry, President and Mrs. Obama, you need to cancel your August 19th one-week getaway to Martha’s Vineyard. We are paying for your Secret Service protection, the official entourage, and gassed up Air Force One whenever you need another romp to Kailua, Asheville, New York City, Marbella, London, Paris and Bar Harbor.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program reports that 40.8 million people are now collecting food stamps, up from 19% a year ago. Not two, or three or four Bush years ago, but 2009-2010. Unemployment is expected to stay the same at %9.5 or increase when the figures come out at the end of this week. “First time claims for unemployment benefits rose last week to their highest levels in four months.” You promised it wouldn’t go over %8 with the stimulus bill. Right.
The U.S. Census Bureau released the figures on new orders for manufactured goods this week. Orders decreased for two consecutive months by 1.2% from $5.1 billion to $404.4 billion. Less orders means less production, less production means less jobs and so on. No jobs leads to no spending and with consumer purchasing 70% of the American economy the retail and service industries are tanking.
President Obama, you are spending like a drunken sailor. The $787 billion stimulus bill, the trillion dollar apocalyptic health care fiasco, a $4.5 billion educational incentive program and of course, Michelle’s ‘Let’s get rid of fat people program’ at a cool $10 billion. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg we’re about to hit.
Obama To Apologize For Winning WWII? | NewsReal Blog
War is hell. Unoffending civilians are killed. Irreplaceable treasures are destroyed. That is the nature of war. That is why we try avoid it if possible. But unless you are the aggressor, you don’t go back afterwards and apologize for defending yourself and your allies when attacked.
Our Apologizer-in-Chief is sending an abassador to the annual ceremony memorializing the bombing of Hiroshima this Friday. AP tells us:
Tokyo has praised the decision to send U.S. Ambassador John Roos to the Hiroshima anniversary on Friday, though some survivors of the attack, which is seen by many in Japan as an unjustified use of excessive force against a civilian population, say they have mixed feelings.Whatever is Obama doing this for?
Sending American officials to Hiroshima is a potent gesture. Maybe someday, in some situation, it might even be appropriate. But to do so randomly, in no special context, is wasteful and morally reprehensible. It can and will only be received as a gesture of apology — perhaps weak, perhaps hypocritical, but apologetic nonetheless.
Morally speaking, bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki was absolutely the right thing to do. Victory was achieved instantly. Countless thousands of American lives were saved. That is the proper goal of a military operation in wartime. Period.
One might, mistakenly, believe that there is some element in attending the Hiroshima ceremony of sympathy or respect for either the nation of Japan or its people. Not so.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Lawmaker on Rangel jury plans to keep $3,000 in donations from embattled rep - TheHill.com
Image via WikipediaButterfield is one of a bipartisan group of eight members on the ethics committee who will weigh the allegations against Rangel.
Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), another member of the adjudicatory subcommittee, gave back at least $10,000 in campaign donations he received from Rangel last year when charges began to mount against the congressman.
G.M. Investing $500 Million in Mexico .... Good bye US Tax Dollars!!
MEXICO CITY — General Motors Co., the biggest producer of cars and light trucks in Mexico, will invest $500 million to renovate a factory in the northern state of Coahuila.
Part of the funds will go toward setting up production of eight-cylinder engines at the site, Grace Lieblein, president of General Motors de Mexico, said Tuesday in Mexico City.
General Motors has four assembly plants in Mexico, as well as a transmission factory that opened in 2009.
The factory will produce a new vehicle and eight-cylinder engines in a plant in northeastern Mexico, a company spokesman said on August 4.
The decision was announced at a meeting on August 3 between GM management and Mexican officials, the spokesman said, without giving details of the new vehicle.
The investment in the GM plant in Ramos Arispe, Coahuila state, would generate 390 jobs, he added.
General Motors has been present in Mexico since 1935, where it has some 11,000 workers, four factories, an engineering center and a test circuit.
Yes this is the same G.M. that Obama bought as too big to fail and that allowing it to fail woudl hurt American business.
Part of the funds will go toward setting up production of eight-cylinder engines at the site, Grace Lieblein, president of General Motors de Mexico, said Tuesday in Mexico City.
General Motors has four assembly plants in Mexico, as well as a transmission factory that opened in 2009.
The factory will produce a new vehicle and eight-cylinder engines in a plant in northeastern Mexico, a company spokesman said on August 4.
The decision was announced at a meeting on August 3 between GM management and Mexican officials, the spokesman said, without giving details of the new vehicle.
The investment in the GM plant in Ramos Arispe, Coahuila state, would generate 390 jobs, he added.
General Motors has been present in Mexico since 1935, where it has some 11,000 workers, four factories, an engineering center and a test circuit.
CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Another censure resolution for Lindsey Graham « - Blogs from CNN.com
Sen. Lindsey Graham was censured by yet another GOP state county party Monday night.
In recent months, Graham has been censured by GOP party committees in Lexington and Charleston counties. On Monday, the Greenville GOP Executive Committee passed a censure resolution by a vote of 61-2.
"THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Greenville County Republican Party hereby issues this formal rebuke of Senator Graham for his cooperation and support of President Obama and the Democratic Party's liberal agenda for the United States," the resolution reads.
The resolution says Graham will no longer be invited to participate in meetings or other events sponsored by the Greenville County Republican Party, and alleges Graham has "abandoned the Republican platform."
As evidence, the resolution cites Graham's votes in favor of TARP, his stance on immigration and his vote in favor of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Graham has said he will also vote for Elena Kagan, President Obama's second nominee to the high court.
Obama Earmarks $1 Billion in Stimulus Money for Company in Illinois | RedState
Obama Earmarks $1 Billion in Stimulus Money for Company in Illinois | RedState: "The biggest earmark in American history has been doled out to a company in Illinois, the President’s home state, in the name of green jobs. The President’s $862 billion Stimulus plan has been an abysmal failure. It provided states and localities with billions in bailout moneys, funded wasteful projects like the Monkey cocaine study at Wake Forest and given false hope to Americans that the President has ideas to turn around the economy. This earmark is an outrage and the signature project of the President’s Stimulus plan. Thankfully, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is sounding the alarm bells and educating the American people to this new Obama outrage.
President Obama is earmarking $1 billion in Stimulus money “to build FutureGen 2.0, a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage network” in his home state of Illinois. According to a Department of Energy press release, this billion is being provided to ”FutureGen Alliance, Ameren Energy Resources, Babcock & Wilcox, and Air Liquide Process & Costruction, Inc. to build FutureGen 2.0, a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage network.” That is right — $1 billion. This is the largest earmark of money in U.S. history and they are taking money right out of your pocket to pay for it.
The Department of Energy projects 1,900 jobs as a result of $1,000,000,000 in new spending. This works out to $526,315.79 of your tax dollars spent per job. A half million dollars per job seems to be a bad deal for the taxpayer. Of more concern to the taxpayer, Senator Tom Coburn believes this project to be more about bringing home pork to Illinois than providing stimulus to average Americans.
According to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu yesterday:
President Obama is earmarking $1 billion in Stimulus money “to build FutureGen 2.0, a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage network” in his home state of Illinois. According to a Department of Energy press release, this billion is being provided to ”FutureGen Alliance, Ameren Energy Resources, Babcock & Wilcox, and Air Liquide Process & Costruction, Inc. to build FutureGen 2.0, a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage network.” That is right — $1 billion. This is the largest earmark of money in U.S. history and they are taking money right out of your pocket to pay for it.
The Department of Energy projects 1,900 jobs as a result of $1,000,000,000 in new spending. This works out to $526,315.79 of your tax dollars spent per job. A half million dollars per job seems to be a bad deal for the taxpayer. Of more concern to the taxpayer, Senator Tom Coburn believes this project to be more about bringing home pork to Illinois than providing stimulus to average Americans.
According to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu yesterday:
U.S. underemployment rate 18.4 percent in July, according to Gallup poll | MLive.com
U.S. underemployment rate 18.4 percent in July, according to Gallup poll | MLive.com: "The underemployment rate as measured by Gallup was 18.4 percent in July, up slightly from 18.3 percent in June. The results confirm that there was no real improvement in the U.S. job market last month.
The underemployment rate measures both Americans who are unemployed and those working part-time but wanting full-time work.
The unemployment rate component of Gallup's underemployment measure fell to 8.9 percent at the end of July — down from 9.2 percent at the end of June. However, this decrease was more than offset by an increase in the number of people settling for part-time jobs.
The underemployment rate measures both Americans who are unemployed and those working part-time but wanting full-time work.
The unemployment rate component of Gallup's underemployment measure fell to 8.9 percent at the end of July — down from 9.2 percent at the end of June. However, this decrease was more than offset by an increase in the number of people settling for part-time jobs.
A Mortgage Rescue In Every Pot - IBD - Investors.com
A Mortgage Rescue In Every Pot - IBD - Investors.com: "Buying Votes: It appears that Democrats will receive a severe beating in the fall elections. What can save them? How about the administration wiping out large swaths of debt for underwater mortgage holders?
James Pethokoukis, a Reuters columnist who once wrote for IBD, reported Thursday that the White House might have an August Surprise in the works.
'Rumors are running wild from Washington to Wall Street that the Obama administration is about to order government-controlled lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to forgive a portion of the mortgage debt of millions of Americans who owe more than what their homes are worth,' Pethokoukis wrote in Reuters' Political Risk blog.
As Pethokoukis notes, with 15 million mortgages — one in five — upside down, there is $800 billion in negative equity out there. That's a lot of money to forgive — and a lot of voters to sway toward the president's party.
Pethokoukis didn't dream up the idea during a fitful nap in some anti-Obama swamp. He's based it on four points:
James Pethokoukis, a Reuters columnist who once wrote for IBD, reported Thursday that the White House might have an August Surprise in the works.
'Rumors are running wild from Washington to Wall Street that the Obama administration is about to order government-controlled lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to forgive a portion of the mortgage debt of millions of Americans who owe more than what their homes are worth,' Pethokoukis wrote in Reuters' Political Risk blog.
As Pethokoukis notes, with 15 million mortgages — one in five — upside down, there is $800 billion in negative equity out there. That's a lot of money to forgive — and a lot of voters to sway toward the president's party.
Pethokoukis didn't dream up the idea during a fitful nap in some anti-Obama swamp. He's based it on four points:
American Thinker: ObamaCare for the Internet
American Thinker: ObamaCare for the Internet: "With housing, automakers, banking, student loans, and health care checked off the list, next on Team Obama's agenda is the National Broadband Plan, better known as Net Neutrality. Quite simply, it is a plan allowing the federal government to take over the nation's telecommunication platform, giving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) centralized control of the internet. The fact that the FCC has no legal authority to regulate internet providers has not deterred administration efforts to regulate all electronic speech, news, and information.
Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, recently released a statement using Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 as prime justifications to push the National Broadband Plan. 'The 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina showed what happens when public safety officials lack a reliable means to communicate in the midst of a disaster,' he stated. In other words, double down on stupid: In order to mitigate problems inherently tied to governmental bureaucracy, add another layer of federal oversight.
Although it was a welcome and shocking development that Democrats actually do see the significance of 9/11, that the White House is exploiting 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to justify a federal takeover of the internet is anything but.
Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, recently released a statement using Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 as prime justifications to push the National Broadband Plan. 'The 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina showed what happens when public safety officials lack a reliable means to communicate in the midst of a disaster,' he stated. In other words, double down on stupid: In order to mitigate problems inherently tied to governmental bureaucracy, add another layer of federal oversight.
Although it was a welcome and shocking development that Democrats actually do see the significance of 9/11, that the White House is exploiting 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to justify a federal takeover of the internet is anything but.
Townhall - Donald Lambro - Obama's Economic Faux Pas Finally Recognized
Townhall - Donald Lambro - Obama's Economic Faux Pas Finally Recognized: "WASHINGTON -- A year and a half into his presidency, more Americans blame Barack Obama for the dismal state of the U.S. economy than George W. Bush. Obama has been traveling the country insisting that a weakening economy and high unemployment are still Bush's fault, but more and more voters are no longer buying that lame excuse, according to a new Rasmussen poll. It shows that 48 percent of Americans now say the president is to blame for the anemic recovery, versus 47 percent who still fault Bush.
With the economic growth rate sinking to a mediocre 2.4 percent, and major states experiencing jobless rates between 9 percent and 14 percent, it is dawning on voters that the Obama administration doesn't have a clue how to get the economy moving again.
The evidence for this can be found in the Democrats' latest plan on Capitol Hill: a $26 billion spending bill to help debt-ridden states pay their bills and keep teachers and other public employees on the payroll. No incentives to boost business investment or job creation. No plan to unlock venture capital for economic expansion and new start-up firms. No new trade initiatives to expand markets abroad for American-made goods and services.
Just more of the same bailouts to strengthen cash-strapped state governments at the expense of the private sector.
There is nothing wrong with the American economy that the right pro-growth incentives cannot fix. But Obama and the Democrats in Congress oppose such incentives, insisting that still more spending is the answer to our economic woes, even though it hasn't worked in the past.
With the economic growth rate sinking to a mediocre 2.4 percent, and major states experiencing jobless rates between 9 percent and 14 percent, it is dawning on voters that the Obama administration doesn't have a clue how to get the economy moving again.
The evidence for this can be found in the Democrats' latest plan on Capitol Hill: a $26 billion spending bill to help debt-ridden states pay their bills and keep teachers and other public employees on the payroll. No incentives to boost business investment or job creation. No plan to unlock venture capital for economic expansion and new start-up firms. No new trade initiatives to expand markets abroad for American-made goods and services.
Just more of the same bailouts to strengthen cash-strapped state governments at the expense of the private sector.
There is nothing wrong with the American economy that the right pro-growth incentives cannot fix. But Obama and the Democrats in Congress oppose such incentives, insisting that still more spending is the answer to our economic woes, even though it hasn't worked in the past.
Obama And The Corrupt Banker | NEOAVATARA
Obama And The Corrupt Banker | NEOAVATARA: "“I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street,” Mr. Obama said in an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” program on December 12, 2009. “They’re still puzzled why is it that people are mad at the banks. Well, let’s see,” he said. “You guys are drawing down $10, $20 million bonuses after America went through the worst economic year that it’s gone through in — in decades, and you guys caused the problem. And we’ve got 10% unemployment.”
On Wednesday August 4, 2010, Obama went to campaign for Alexi Giannoulias, the Democrat nominee for Obama’s Senate seat from Illinois.
Mr. President, do you not see the disconnect here?
The Giannoulias family owned and operated Broadway Bank of Chicago. That same bank was seized by federal regulators in April, because they were, for all practical purposes, bankrupt. This was a bank that was mired in the central issues that resulted in the current fiscal crisis, i.e. subprime real estate loans.
And that doesn’t even talk about the usual, run-of-the-mill corruption in Chicagoland. The bank provided now felon Tony Reczko, Obama confidant and political supporter.
And remember: Giannoulias has only limited experience at anything…and most of his experience relates to his family’s banking.
And Mr. Obama wants you, people of Illinois, to vote for this man.
On Wednesday August 4, 2010, Obama went to campaign for Alexi Giannoulias, the Democrat nominee for Obama’s Senate seat from Illinois.
Mr. President, do you not see the disconnect here?
The Giannoulias family owned and operated Broadway Bank of Chicago. That same bank was seized by federal regulators in April, because they were, for all practical purposes, bankrupt. This was a bank that was mired in the central issues that resulted in the current fiscal crisis, i.e. subprime real estate loans.
And that doesn’t even talk about the usual, run-of-the-mill corruption in Chicagoland. The bank provided now felon Tony Reczko, Obama confidant and political supporter.
And remember: Giannoulias has only limited experience at anything…and most of his experience relates to his family’s banking.
And Mr. Obama wants you, people of Illinois, to vote for this man.
Batchelor: Plutonomy Rising « RBO
Batchelor: Plutonomy Rising « RBO:
Not Good Bad News: Bad Bad Predictable News
The jobless claims spike. The disinformation rumor spreads that the Obama team will buy out failed mortages, that is, bail out the banks again (and solve Freddie and Fannie by assuming the debt onto the Fed’s balance sheet). POTUS jets to Chicago to lead a rally at Ford, where he boasts that Ford benefited from his bail-out of GM and Chrysler. Puzzle. (Does POTUS know that it is harder to pay off your debts by yourself than to have the Fed pay them off?)
None of this is good news. It is even bad news. Report from Robert Frank at the WSJ of the birth of the plutonomy. The top 5% wage earners in the US now account for 37% of the savings. Without the rich, we do not have a consumer-class economy. The rich panicked in 2008-2009 and stopped spending, and that accounts for the cliff-diving in the economy. They got their nerve back in mid-2009 and started back at the yacht club. Still, the rich are shaky. And an economy that depends upon the rich is not stable. It is even not an economy. It is a feudal kingdom, with ersatz royals called politicians. Shrug.
From Calculated Risk re the Unemployment Claim Spike:
Jobs Picture Worsens With 131,000 Job Losses; 9.5% Rate - CNBC
Jobs Picture Worsens With 131,000 Job Losses; 9.5% Rate - CNBC:
U.S. employment fell for a second straight month in July as more temporary census jobs ended while private hiring rose less than expected, pointing to an anemic economic recovery.
U.S. employment fell for a second straight month in July as more temporary census jobs ended while private hiring rose less than expected, pointing to an anemic economic recovery.
 |
Non-farm payrolls fell 131,000, the Labor Department said on Friday as temporary jobs to conduct the decennial census dropped by 143,000. Private employment, considered a better gauge of labor market health, rose 71,000 after increasing 31,000 in June.
In addition, the government revised payrolls for May and June to show 97,000 fewer jobs than previously reported.
Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast overall employment falling 65,000 and private-sector hiring increasing 90,000.
"We're seeing an economy that's moving ahead slowly but not creating net on balance a lot of new jobs, and it points to continued expectations the economic slowdown we've seen will probably extend another two to three months, if not longer," said Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at The Davidson Cos. in Lake Oswego, Ore.
The unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.5 percent in July, just below market expectations for a rise to 9.6 percent. The steady jobless rate largely reflected a drop in the labor force as discouraged workers gave up the search for jobs.
Coach is Right «Coach is Right
Coach is Right «Coach is Right: "Apparently there are no limits to the depths to which Eric Holder will sink. This fraud is willing to allow Black thugs to threaten peaceful Whites trying to vote, and completely ignore the outrage over this miscarriage of justice. Now he is engaging in full fledged extortion.
According to the federal criminal Statues, Mr. Holder is sworn to enforce, his new policy for assessing and keeping funds from defendants in discrimination lawsuits is a violation of the Hobbs Act.
Extortion as defined in the Hobbs Act is “the obtaining of property from another, with his consent, induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right.” It is 18 U.S.C. S 1951(b) (2) of the federal criminal code. How things should work The Department of Justice (DoJ) has been turned into a criminal cabal whose purpose has become collecting money from those unlucky enough to fall prey to its clutches.
Holder has turned the purposes of the DoJ Civil Rights Division upside down. In the past when it handled cases of discrimination against corporations and individuals, such as landlords or banks, the DoJ Civil Rights Division has routinely collected fine money from those it has prevailed over in court. Just as routinely it would collect an excess of funds so as to be able to compensate those who were injured by the now convicted defendant but had not been part of the original settlement.
When all of those secondary claims were paid, the excess money would be returned to the defendant, but that was yesterday.
Holder has ordered that henceforth excess money will not be returned but rather be given to “approved advocacy” groups such as ACORN. And you thought the Senate had defunded ACORN!
Shaking down AIG
In March 2010, AIG lost a case and entered into a consent decree to settle an action brought by crime boss Don Holder. Beyond the financial demands of the original agreement, the excess funds collected by DoJ were turned over to, “qualified organization(s) to provide credit counseling, financial literacy, and other related educational programs targeted at African-American borrowers.” If you have stock in AIG or are insured by AIG or work for AIG, that is you money they are stealing and giving to our enemies.
What’s difference?
According to the federal criminal Statues, Mr. Holder is sworn to enforce, his new policy for assessing and keeping funds from defendants in discrimination lawsuits is a violation of the Hobbs Act.
Extortion as defined in the Hobbs Act is “the obtaining of property from another, with his consent, induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right.” It is 18 U.S.C. S 1951(b) (2) of the federal criminal code. How things should work The Department of Justice (DoJ) has been turned into a criminal cabal whose purpose has become collecting money from those unlucky enough to fall prey to its clutches.
Holder has turned the purposes of the DoJ Civil Rights Division upside down. In the past when it handled cases of discrimination against corporations and individuals, such as landlords or banks, the DoJ Civil Rights Division has routinely collected fine money from those it has prevailed over in court. Just as routinely it would collect an excess of funds so as to be able to compensate those who were injured by the now convicted defendant but had not been part of the original settlement.
When all of those secondary claims were paid, the excess money would be returned to the defendant, but that was yesterday.
Holder has ordered that henceforth excess money will not be returned but rather be given to “approved advocacy” groups such as ACORN. And you thought the Senate had defunded ACORN!
Shaking down AIG
In March 2010, AIG lost a case and entered into a consent decree to settle an action brought by crime boss Don Holder. Beyond the financial demands of the original agreement, the excess funds collected by DoJ were turned over to, “qualified organization(s) to provide credit counseling, financial literacy, and other related educational programs targeted at African-American borrowers.” If you have stock in AIG or are insured by AIG or work for AIG, that is you money they are stealing and giving to our enemies.
What’s difference?
Expose Obama » Blog Archive » What Recover Summer?
Expose Obama » Blog Archive » What Recover Summer?:
Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Obama Administration announced “Recovery Summer” in June to highlight the expected gains in jobs and economic strength resulting from Obama’s stimulus.. Well, maybe next summer.
Initial estimates from the Department of Labor (DOL) suggest the economy shed a whopping 131,000 jobs in July while employment for the prior two months was revised down by 97,000 jobs. The unemployment rate held steady in August at 9.5 percent despite a drop in employment, because the number of people in the workforce also declined as workers appear to be giving up in the face of persistent high unemployment.
To an important extent, the wild swings in employment in recent months are due to the decennial census that led to a steady but temporary rise in government employment, a spike upward in government employment in April, and now two consecutive months of downward plunges, resulting in 454,000 fewer government jobs. In the private sector, job growth increased smartly in April and May but has since dropped to a very anemic three-month average growth rate of about 51,000 jobs.
FOIA Flap Draws Cries of Transparency Lies - HUMAN EVENTS
FOIA Flap Draws Cries of Transparency Lies - HUMAN EVENTS: "After taxpayers bailed out the financial sector amid much public outcry last year, political and open-government observers are wondering how the Securities and Exchange Commission will now be allowed to skirt certain Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests under a new federal law.
Tucked inside a bill revamping the financial industry, signed by President Obama on July 21, is a provision that allows an exemption for the SEC to ignore certain FOIA requests. The FOIA dodge came to light when journalists from Fox Business Network discovered the SEC’s new public records loophole, an action the network’s attorney dubbed “a backroom deal that was cut between Congress and the SEC to keep the SEC’s failures secret.”
While big business defenders say the FOIA exemption appropriately protects certain disclosures for financial institutions, allowing the agency to work more effectively, others call it overbroad and another example of what they claim is the Obama Administration’s failed promise for renewed transparency in Washington.
“In general and across the board, it’s always a serious problem when the government tries to hide something,” says Mike Foley, a professor of journalism at the University of Florida and former executive editor of the St. Petersburg Times newspaper.
Tucked inside a bill revamping the financial industry, signed by President Obama on July 21, is a provision that allows an exemption for the SEC to ignore certain FOIA requests. The FOIA dodge came to light when journalists from Fox Business Network discovered the SEC’s new public records loophole, an action the network’s attorney dubbed “a backroom deal that was cut between Congress and the SEC to keep the SEC’s failures secret.”
While big business defenders say the FOIA exemption appropriately protects certain disclosures for financial institutions, allowing the agency to work more effectively, others call it overbroad and another example of what they claim is the Obama Administration’s failed promise for renewed transparency in Washington.
“In general and across the board, it’s always a serious problem when the government tries to hide something,” says Mike Foley, a professor of journalism at the University of Florida and former executive editor of the St. Petersburg Times newspaper.
Townhall - Floyd and Mary Beth Brown - Obama's Fixes Keep Financial Crisis Going
Townhall - Floyd and Mary Beth Brown - Obama's Fixes Keep Financial Crisis Going: "On July 2, President Obama declared, 'And finally, because of this law, the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes. (Applause.) There will be no more tax-funded bailouts -- period. (Applause.) If a large financial institution should ever fail, this reform gives us the ability to wind it down without endangering the broader economy. '
The occasion of his bold statement was the signing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act.
So imagine our surprise when less than two weeks later Fannie Mae requested $1.5 billion more from the U.S. Treasury. This request came after the 12th quarterly loss by Fannie, and with this money Fannie's take from the taxpayers' wallet will grow to a whopping $86.1 billion for one company. Together with its twin Freddie Mac the bailout package is over $200 billion.
Fannie Mae, aka the Federal National Mortgage Association, was created in 1938 as a government sponsored enterprise (GSE) to bolster the housing market by increasing Americans' access to cheap home loans during the last Great Depression. Freddie Mac, aka the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., was created in 1970 to end Fannie's monopoly in the secondary mortgage market. Both are mandated by Congress to help increase home ownership.
The occasion of his bold statement was the signing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act.
So imagine our surprise when less than two weeks later Fannie Mae requested $1.5 billion more from the U.S. Treasury. This request came after the 12th quarterly loss by Fannie, and with this money Fannie's take from the taxpayers' wallet will grow to a whopping $86.1 billion for one company. Together with its twin Freddie Mac the bailout package is over $200 billion.
Fannie Mae, aka the Federal National Mortgage Association, was created in 1938 as a government sponsored enterprise (GSE) to bolster the housing market by increasing Americans' access to cheap home loans during the last Great Depression. Freddie Mac, aka the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., was created in 1970 to end Fannie's monopoly in the secondary mortgage market. Both are mandated by Congress to help increase home ownership.
Spanish police close public beach for Michelle Obama's £250k Spanish holiday | Mail Online
Spanish police close public beach for Michelle Obama's £250k Spanish holiday | Mail Online:
Michelle Obama today faced a fresh wave of attacks over her lavish break in Spain with 40 friends, which could easily cost U.S. taxpayers a staggering £50,000 a day.
The First Lady has been lambasted for her extravagance at a time when the economy is still struggling. One blogger went so far as to brand her a modern-day Marie Antoinette.
And her critics will be further annoyed when they learn that the president's wife had a Spanish beach closed off today so that she, her daughter and their entourage could go for a swim.
Spanish police cleared off a stretch of beach at the Villa Padierna Hotel in Marbella after the Obamas had finished a busy day of sightseeing.
Cordoned off: Police officers keep onlookers away today from the site where U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha are staying at the Beach Club of Villa Padierna Hotel in Marbella
Police used palm trees and police tape to mark off the boundaries of a 100-yard expanse for the American delegation. On either side, onlookers gawked - and police occasionally stopped and searched sun lovers if they strayed too close to the private party.
It is unclear whether the police presence was paid for by Spain - or whether a nasty invoice could be landing in the lap of the American taxpayer.
The exact cost of the trip is unclear as Mrs Obama, 46, and her friends are footing personal expenses themselves - which is just as well.
For a start, they will be paying for the 60 rooms booked at the 129-room Hotel Villa Padierna. With basic rooms starting around £380 each, the nightly bill will be no less than £22,800.
Sun, sea and search: A Spanish police officer inspects the bag of a local bather. Anyone who strayed too close to the Obama party were stopped
Meals will also be picked up by the Obamas and friends.
ksl.com - BLM document reveals big change in federal land management
ksl.com - BLM document reveals big change in federal land management:
SALT LAKE CITY -- KSL 5 News has obtained a document that outlines a huge change in how the federal government wants to manage federal land in Utah, and one Utah congressman says it makes him furious.
Congressman Rob Bishop's office also recently received the document. Bishop said he's angry because it would put virtually all land management power in the hands of the White House.
A portion of the document was leaked back in February and led to speculation about a federal land grab in Utah. It talked about the creation of a 12 new national monuments
Now, an outside source provided KSL with the entire document, and it does suggest a dramatically new philosophy for managing federal land.
The Bureau of Land Management's document is stamped with "Internal Draft. Not for release." Titled "Treasured Landscapes," it lays out what some consider a sweeping and detailed plan for the next 25 years.
It took Bishop months to get the document, which lays out the context for the snippets released a few months ago.
"They have clearly been dragging their feet, and they don't waPMA Group founder charged with illegal campaign contributions - TheHill.com
PMA Group founder charged with illegal campaign contributions - TheHill.com: "The founder of a once lucrative defense lobby shop was arrested on Thursday after being indicted on eight counts of making illegal campaign contributions to lawmakers.
Government prosecutors allege that Paul Magliocchetti, who founded the now defunct PMA Group, orchestrated a scheme to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions in an effort to enrich himself and his firm by increasing its influence and prestige in Washington.
Magliocchetti has been indicted on 11 counts: four counts of making illegal campaign contributions in the name of someone else; four counts of making illegal campaign contributions from a corporation; and three counts of causing federal campaigns to unwittingly make false statements, according to a release from the Department of Justice.
Magliocchetti is scheduled to appear in federal court in Alexandria, Va., this afternoon, according to the release.
++++++++++++++++
Government prosecutors allege that Paul Magliocchetti, who founded the now defunct PMA Group, orchestrated a scheme to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions in an effort to enrich himself and his firm by increasing its influence and prestige in Washington.
Magliocchetti has been indicted on 11 counts: four counts of making illegal campaign contributions in the name of someone else; four counts of making illegal campaign contributions from a corporation; and three counts of causing federal campaigns to unwittingly make false statements, according to a release from the Department of Justice.
Magliocchetti is scheduled to appear in federal court in Alexandria, Va., this afternoon, according to the release.
++++++++++++++++
The PMA Group made significant campaign contributions to several veteran defense appropriators, including the late John Murtha (D-Pa.), a defense appropriations chairman.
It also contributed to the new chairman, Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), and committee members Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.).
Michelle Obama Can't Escape Critics on Vacation - CBS Evening News - CBS News
Michelle Obama Can't Escape Critics on Vacation - CBS Evening News - CBS News:
(CBS) When Michelle Obama visited the Gulf coast, she reminded us that many beaches were still open and suggested it was a good place to vacation. Right now, she's vacationing in Spain and taking some flak for it back home.
It's not the quiet mother-daughter trip the first lady would have been able to take as a private figure, CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
Last night, Obama and daughter Sasha dined with friends in Marbella, Spain. That was after a shopping trip.
Pictures: Michelle Obama in Spain
Earlier, a 15-vehicle convoy shuttled the entourage - an undisclosed number of staff, Secret Service agents and friends - to a posh hotel where rooms normally run from $300 to $6,000 a night. The first lady's group is said to occupy 60 rooms.
It's not unusual for a first lady to take a private trip abroad, and nobody expects her to stay in a cheap hotel, but with the U.S. economy in such dire straits critics argue the trip is simply in poor taste.
The Obamas already took flak for hawking the Gulf - "Everybody should come here," the first lady told a crowd in Panama City, Fla. - then choosing Maine for their own vacation.
Michelle Obama Visits Panama Beach
Few details of the Spain trip are known. Purely personal parts will be paid for by Obama and friends. Official portions - the first lady will visit the king and queen - will be on the taxpayer's dime. That includes:
• Transport on the Air Force version of a 757. That's $146,000 for the round trip, not counting four to five days' ground time.
• Expenses for the first lady's support staff
• Mandatory Secret Service detail, which could number 70 agents. At the $273-a-day federal per diem for five days, that's $95,550 for Secret Service room and board.
Long gone are the days when a president's wife could quietly duck the limelight. Jackie Kennedy's trip to Italy in 1962 was a scandal to some because she went without her husband.
The New York Daily News called Obama Marie Antoinette, the French queen who thought little of her poor subjects as she draped herself in extravagance.
(CBS) When Michelle Obama visited the Gulf coast, she reminded us that many beaches were still open and suggested it was a good place to vacation. Right now, she's vacationing in Spain and taking some flak for it back home.
It's not the quiet mother-daughter trip the first lady would have been able to take as a private figure, CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
Last night, Obama and daughter Sasha dined with friends in Marbella, Spain. That was after a shopping trip.
Pictures: Michelle Obama in Spain
Earlier, a 15-vehicle convoy shuttled the entourage - an undisclosed number of staff, Secret Service agents and friends - to a posh hotel where rooms normally run from $300 to $6,000 a night. The first lady's group is said to occupy 60 rooms.
It's not unusual for a first lady to take a private trip abroad, and nobody expects her to stay in a cheap hotel, but with the U.S. economy in such dire straits critics argue the trip is simply in poor taste.
The Obamas already took flak for hawking the Gulf - "Everybody should come here," the first lady told a crowd in Panama City, Fla. - then choosing Maine for their own vacation.
Michelle Obama Visits Panama Beach
Few details of the Spain trip are known. Purely personal parts will be paid for by Obama and friends. Official portions - the first lady will visit the king and queen - will be on the taxpayer's dime. That includes:
• Transport on the Air Force version of a 757. That's $146,000 for the round trip, not counting four to five days' ground time.
• Expenses for the first lady's support staff
• Mandatory Secret Service detail, which could number 70 agents. At the $273-a-day federal per diem for five days, that's $95,550 for Secret Service room and board.
Long gone are the days when a president's wife could quietly duck the limelight. Jackie Kennedy's trip to Italy in 1962 was a scandal to some because she went without her husband.
The New York Daily News called Obama Marie Antoinette, the French queen who thought little of her poor subjects as she draped herself in extravagance.
Do YOU Fear Obama?
Do YOU Fear Obama?: "Since the most powerful people in America fear the wrath of Obamanation, maybe you should too! They are indeed a dangerous bunch, after all…
Every member of the Supreme Court, every member of congress, every member of the Joint Chiefs, most members of the DOD, CIA, FBI, Secret Service and state run media, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PBS, NPR, MSNBC, Fox and print news, knows that Barack Hussein Obama does NOT meet Article II – Section I constitutional requirements for the office he holds. By his own biography, there is NO way he can pass the test. The hard evidence is so far beyond overwhelming, it is ridiculous.
But not ONE member of America’s most powerful people will dare confront Obama and his anti-American cabal on the subject. The Constitution does NOT stand. Do you think there is no reason for this?
The Basic Facts
# Barack Hussein Obama is foreign born, period (Kenya)
# Regardless of his birth place, his parents had foreign loyalties (strike 2)
# He has foreign loyalties, demonstrated in every policy decision (strike 3)
# He’s not Christian, but Muslim
# He’s not “black,” but Arab
# There is NO U.S. birth certificate, other than the forged COLB
# NO Hawaiian hospital will confirm his birth place (he has named two)
# His policies are designed to destroy the Constitutional Republic, not to uphold or defend (strike 4)
# He won’t go away without a blood bath
These are the basic facts as they exist today. This is the basis for where we are headed…
There are Only three groups in America…
Every member of the Supreme Court, every member of congress, every member of the Joint Chiefs, most members of the DOD, CIA, FBI, Secret Service and state run media, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PBS, NPR, MSNBC, Fox and print news, knows that Barack Hussein Obama does NOT meet Article II – Section I constitutional requirements for the office he holds. By his own biography, there is NO way he can pass the test. The hard evidence is so far beyond overwhelming, it is ridiculous.
But not ONE member of America’s most powerful people will dare confront Obama and his anti-American cabal on the subject. The Constitution does NOT stand. Do you think there is no reason for this?
The Basic Facts
# Barack Hussein Obama is foreign born, period (Kenya)
# Regardless of his birth place, his parents had foreign loyalties (strike 2)
# He has foreign loyalties, demonstrated in every policy decision (strike 3)
# He’s not Christian, but Muslim
# He’s not “black,” but Arab
# There is NO U.S. birth certificate, other than the forged COLB
# NO Hawaiian hospital will confirm his birth place (he has named two)
# His policies are designed to destroy the Constitutional Republic, not to uphold or defend (strike 4)
# He won’t go away without a blood bath
These are the basic facts as they exist today. This is the basis for where we are headed…
There are Only three groups in America…
Your Money - As State Budgets Falter, So Do Pension Promises - NYTimes.com
Your Money - As State Budgets Falter, So Do Pension Promises - NYTimes.com: "There’s a class war coming to the world of government pensions.
The haves are retirees who were once state or municipal workers. Their seemingly guaranteed and ever-escalating monthly pension benefits are breaking budgets nationwide.
The have-nots are taxpayers who don’t have generous pensions. Their 401(k)s or individual retirement accounts have taken a real beating in recent years and are not guaranteed. And soon, many of those people will be paying higher taxes or getting fewer state services as their states put more money aside to cover those pension checks.
At stake is at least $1 trillion. That’s trillion, with a “t,” as in titanic and terrifying.
The figure comes from a study by the Pew Center on the States that came out in February. Pew estimated a $1 trillion gap as of fiscal 2008 between what states had promised workers in the way of retiree pension, health care and other benefits and the money they currently had to pay for it all. And some economists say that Pew is too conservative and the problem is two or three times as large.
The haves are retirees who were once state or municipal workers. Their seemingly guaranteed and ever-escalating monthly pension benefits are breaking budgets nationwide.
The have-nots are taxpayers who don’t have generous pensions. Their 401(k)s or individual retirement accounts have taken a real beating in recent years and are not guaranteed. And soon, many of those people will be paying higher taxes or getting fewer state services as their states put more money aside to cover those pension checks.
At stake is at least $1 trillion. That’s trillion, with a “t,” as in titanic and terrifying.
The figure comes from a study by the Pew Center on the States that came out in February. Pew estimated a $1 trillion gap as of fiscal 2008 between what states had promised workers in the way of retiree pension, health care and other benefits and the money they currently had to pay for it all. And some economists say that Pew is too conservative and the problem is two or three times as large.
Islamic Terrorist Murder Americans On US Soil « Uncle Sam's Boot Blog
Islamic Terrorist Murder Americans On US Soil « Uncle Sam's Boot Blog:
Date Country City/State Killed Injured Description
4/14/1972 USA New York, NY 1 3 Ten members of a local mosque phone in a false alarm and then ambush responding officers, killing one.
1/19/1973 USA Brooklyn, NY 1 1 Muslim extremists rob a sporting goods store for weapons, gunning down a police officer who responds to the alarm.
7/18/1973 USA Washington, DC 8 2 Nation of Islam members shoot seven members of a family to death in cold blood, including four children. A defendant in the case is later murdered in prison on orders from Elijah Muhammad.
10/19/1973 USA Oakland, CA 1 1 Nation of Islam terrorists kidnap a couple and nearly decapitate the man, while raping and leaving the woman for dead.
10/29/1973 USA Berkeley, CA 1 0 A woman is shot repeatedly in the face by Nation of Islam terrorists.
11/25/1973 USA Oakland, CA 1 0 A grocer is killed in his store by Nation of Islam terrorists.
12/11/1973 USA Oakland, CA 1 0 A man is killed by Nation of Islam terrorists while using a phone booth.
12/13/1973 USA Oakland, CA 1 0 A woman is shot to deah on the sidewalk by Nation of Islam terrorists.
12/20/1973 USA Oakland, CA 1 0 Nation of Islam terrorists gun down an 81-year-old janitor.
12/22/1973 USA Oakland, CA 2 0 Nation of Islam terrorist kills two people in separate attacks on the same day.
12/24/1973 USA Oakland, CA 1 0 A man is kidnapped, tortured and decapitated by Nation of Islam terrorists.
1/24/1974 USA Oakland, CA 4 1 Five vicious shooting attacks by Nation of Islam terrorists leave three people dead and one paralyzed for life. Three of the victims were women.
4/1/1974 USA Oakland, CA 1 1 A Nation of Islam terrorist shoots at two Salvation Army members, killing a man and injuring a woman.
4/16/1974 USA Ingleside, CA 1 0 A man is killed while helping a friend move by Nation of Islam terrorists.
3/9/1977 USA Washington, DC 1 1 Hanifi Muslims storm three buildings including a B’nai B’rith to hold 134 people hostage. At least two innocents were shot and one died.
7/22/1980 USA Bethesda, MD 1 0 A political dissident is shot and killed in front of his home by an Iranian agent who was an American convert to Islam.
8/31/1980 USA Savou, IL 2 0 An Iranian student guns down his next-door neighbors, a husband and wife.
1/31/1990 USA Tuscon, AZ 1 0 A Sunni cleric is assassinated in front of a Tuscon mosque after declaring that two verses of the Qur’an were invalid.
11/5/1990 USA New York City, NY 1 0 An Israeli rabbi is shot to death by a Muslim attacker at a hotel.
1/25/1993 USA Langley, VA 2 3 A Pakistani with Mujahideen ties guns down two CIA agents outside of the headquarters.
2/26/1993 USA New York, NY 6 1040 Islamic terrorists detonate a massive truck bomb under the World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring over 1,000 in an effort to collapse the towers.
3/1/1994 USA Brooklyn, NY 1 0 A Muslim fires on a vanload of Jewish boys, killing one.
3/23/1997 USA New York, NY 1 6 A Palestinian leaves an anti-Jewish suicide note behind and travels to the top of the Empire State building where he shoot seven people in a Fedayeen attack.
4/3/1997 USA Lompoc, CA 1 0 A prison guard is stabbed to death by a radical Muslim.
10/31/1999 USA Near Nantucket 217 0 An Egyptian airline pilot runs a planeload of 217 passengers into the water after uttering a Qur’anic prayer.
3/17/2000 USA Atlanta, GA 1 1 A local imam and Muslim spiritual leader guns down a deputy sheriff and injures his partner.
9/11/2001 USA Washington, DC 184 53 Nearly 200 people are killed when Islamic hijackers steer a plane full of people into the Pentagon.
9/11/2001 USA Shanksville, PA 40 0 Forty passengers are killed after Islamic radicals hijack the plane in an attempt to steer it into the U.S. Capitol building.
9/11/2001 USA New York, NY 2772 251 Islamic hijackers steer two planes packed with fuel and passengers into the World Trade Center, killing hundreds on impact and eventually killing thousands when the towers collapsed. At least 200 are seriously injured.
3/19/2002 USA Tuscon, AZ 1 0 A 60-year-old man is gunned down by Muslim snipers on a golf course.
5/27/2002 USA Denton, TX 1 0 Muslim snipers kill a man as he works in his yard.
7/4/2002 USA Los Angeles, CA 2 0 Muslim man pulls out a gun at the counter of an Israeli airline and kills two people.
9/5/2002 USA Clinton, MD 1 0 A 55-year-old pizzaria owner is shot six times in the back by Muslims at close range.
9/21/2002 USA Montgomery, AL 1 1 Muslim snipers shoot two women, killing one.
9/23/2002 USA Baton Rouge, LA 1 0 A Korean mother is shot in the back by Muslim snipers.
10/2/2002 USA Wheaton, MD 1 0 Muslim snipers gun down a program analyst in a store parking lot.
10/3/2002 USA Montgomery County, MD 5 0 Muslim snipers kill three men and two women in separate attacks over a 15-hour period.
10/9/2002 USA Manassas, VA 1 1 A man is killed by Muslim snipers while pumping gas two days after a 13-year-old is wounded by the same team.
10/11/2002 USA Fredericksburg, VA 1 0 Another man is killed by Muslim snipers while pumping gas.
10/14/2002 USA Arlington, VA 1 0 A woman is killed by Muslim snipers in a Home Depot parking lot.
10/22/2002 USA Aspen Hill, MD 1 0 A bus driver is killed by Muslim snipers.
8/6/2003 USA Houston, TX 1 0 After undergoing a religious revival, a Saudi college student slashes the throat of a Jewish student with a 4″ butterfly knife, nearly decapitating the young man.
12/2/2003 USA Chicago, IL 1 0 A Muslim doctor deliberately allows a Jewish patient to die from an easily treatable condition.
4/13/2004 USA Raleigh, NC 1 4 A Muslim man runs down five strangers with a car.
4/15/2004 USA Scottsville, NY 1 2 In an honor killing, a Muslim father kills his wife and attacks his two daughters with a knife and hammer because he feared that they had been sexually molested.
6/16/2006 USA Baltimore, MD 1 0 A 62-year-old Jewish moviegoer is shot to death by a Muslim gunman in an unprovoked terror attack.
6/25/2006 USA Denver, CO 1 5 Saying that it was ‘Allah’s choice’, a Muslim shoots four of his co-workers and a police officer.
7/28/2006 USA Seattle, WA 1 5 An ‘angry’ Muslim-American uses a young girl ashostage to enter a local Jewish center, where he shoots six women, one of whom dies.
10/6/2006 USA Louisville, KY 4 1 In an ‘honor’ attack, a Muslim man rapes and beats his estranged wife, leaving her for dead, then savagely murders their four children.
2/13/2007 USA Salt Lake City, UT 5 4 A Muslim immigrant goes on a shooting rampage at a mall, targeting people buying Valentine’s Day cards at a gift shop and killing five.
1/1/2008 USA Irving, TX 2 0 A Muslim immigrant shoots his two daughters to death on concerns about their ‘Western’ lifestyle.
7/6/2008 USA Jonesboro, GA 1 0 A devout Muslim strangles his 25-year-old daughter in an honor killing.
2/12/2009 USA Buffalo, NY 1 0 The founder of a Muslim TV station beheads his wife in the hallway for seeking a divorce.
6/1/2009 USA Little Rock, AR 1 1 A Muslim with ‘religious motives’ shoots a local soldier to death inside a recruiting center.
11/2/2009 USA Glendale, AZ 1 1 A woman dies from injuries suffered when her father runs her down with a car for being too ‘Westernized.’ (10-20-09)
11/5/2009 USA Ft. Hood, TX 13 31 A Muslim psychiatrist guns down thirteen unarmed soldiers after proclaiming that ‘Muslims should stand up and fight.”
3,308 Killed By Muslims In America In 65 Terror Attacks
Deport the Wetback Babies! » Publications » Family Security Matters
Deport the Wetback Babies! » Publications » Family Security Matters: "In the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s the United States deported trainloads, busloads, and shiploads of illegal aliens. “Operation Wetback,” ordered by President Eisenhower in 1954, charged the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) with deporting a million illegal aliens: men and women and their American-born minor children. Government agents did it then, and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution does not prevent them from doing it today.
Was Operation Wetback effective? In ninety days 750 INS agents, with state and local police, deported 80,000 illegals from Texas alone. Thousands more were deported from California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Idaho. And while the operation was underway, 488,000 illegals in Arizona and California returned to Mexico on their own; another 700,000 fled Texas.
Liberal Democrats cling to the 14th Amendment and say deportation of American-born children to the homeland of their parents will never happen again. They point to the first sentence of Section 1: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” (Emphasis added.)
Was Operation Wetback effective? In ninety days 750 INS agents, with state and local police, deported 80,000 illegals from Texas alone. Thousands more were deported from California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Idaho. And while the operation was underway, 488,000 illegals in Arizona and California returned to Mexico on their own; another 700,000 fled Texas.
Liberal Democrats cling to the 14th Amendment and say deportation of American-born children to the homeland of their parents will never happen again. They point to the first sentence of Section 1: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” (Emphasis added.)
Electromagnetic Pulse Threat » Publications » Family Security Matters
Electromagnetic Pulse Threat » Publications » Family Security Matters:
You have probably never heard of an “EMP.” Don’t feel bad—a lot of people haven’t. If asked, most would probably respond it’s some sort of “Emergency Medical Something,” or maybe even a new, cool rock band. Could it have something to do with ESP, or be one of those texting abbreviations teenagers use?
In fact, it’s actually a deadly serious matter—and something you need to know about.
Just imagine that one bright, sunny day everything electrical just stopped working. The lights go out in your home or office. There is no cell phone or Internet service and, tragedy of tragedies, the coffeemaker won’t work.
All the modern electrical conveniences we take for granted on a day-to-day basis in the 21st century go kaput—without an obvious explanation. And as a result, modern life as we know it comes to a virtual standstill.
Sure, it could be a power outage. That happens when the weather is bad, which it’s not on this particular day. The power company could be working on the lines, but they aren’t. And even if they were, that might not account for your cell phone outage or the fact your car—and the others on the road—all died at once.
Aliens from outer space? No. An electromagnetic pulse—or EMP.
OUT GO THE LIGHTS—AND MORE
You were not aware of it, but American military, intelligence and homeland security forces had been tracking a foreign merchant vessel, operating off the East Coast of the United States.
The Consequences of Park 51: The Cordoba House » Publications » Family Security Matters
The Consequences of Park 51: The Cordoba House » Publications » Family Security Matters: "In light of the decision by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to allow for the construction of a mosque and Islamic center just 500 feet from Ground Zero, it can be successfully argued that political correctness has replaced history as a basis for knowledge in the United States of America. If it holds true that history does repeat itself – and I have no reason to believe it won’t – then the culture of ignorant arrogance, so prevalent in the nation today, will prove to be a contributing factor to the subjugation of the great American experiment.
To summarize, radical American Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder, CEO and Executive Director of Cordoba Initiative, has won approval – and support from the self-deprecating Progressives elected and appointed to office in New York City – to construct a $100 million, 13-story Islamic center, including a mosque that would accommodate up to 2,000, just 500 feet from Ground Zero. Abdul Rauf – who after the slaughter of innocents on September 11, 2001, said, “'I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened,” and who has refused to recognize Hamas or Hezbollah as terrorist organizations – is refusing to divulge the revenue sources for the project. Abdul Rauf’s wife, “Daisy” Kahn, is quoted as saying of the construction of a mosque in the shadow of 2,976 souls, “No big deal.”
To summarize, radical American Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder, CEO and Executive Director of Cordoba Initiative, has won approval – and support from the self-deprecating Progressives elected and appointed to office in New York City – to construct a $100 million, 13-story Islamic center, including a mosque that would accommodate up to 2,000, just 500 feet from Ground Zero. Abdul Rauf – who after the slaughter of innocents on September 11, 2001, said, “'I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened,” and who has refused to recognize Hamas or Hezbollah as terrorist organizations – is refusing to divulge the revenue sources for the project. Abdul Rauf’s wife, “Daisy” Kahn, is quoted as saying of the construction of a mosque in the shadow of 2,976 souls, “No big deal.”
The cost of Kagan's confirmation (OneNewsNow.com)
The cost of Kagan's confirmation (OneNewsNow.com): "The Senate on Thursday confirmed Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, making her the fourth female to serve on the nation's highest court. The 50-year-old Harvard Law School graduate is scheduled to be sworn in Saturday (August 7). While Kagan's confirmation isn't a surprise for most, the possible backlash some lawmakers may face as a result of their vote could be.
On a Senate vote of 63-37 Kagan was expectedly awarded the top jurist job to the Supreme Court. Bob Knight, senior writer for Coral Ridge Ministries and senior fellow for American Civil Rights Union, says those who voted to confirm Kagan could pay a heavy price in the mid-term elections.
'Sixty-three senators are going to have to answer to their constituents why they put on the U.S. Supreme Court a woman who altered a report by physicians that said -- and I'll sum it up -- that there really aren't any circumstances to justify a partial-birth abortion,' Knight explains. 'She made it say in some circumstances it may be the best single way to save a life of a mother.'
That modified report, according to Knight's column on Thursday -- 'The Kagan moral train wreck' -- was used as 'falsified evidence' in a Supreme Court case and amounts to 'fraud, plain and simple' on the part of the nominee.
Robert KnightBut there is more, says Knight, moving on to Kagan's position on man-and-wife marriage.
On a Senate vote of 63-37 Kagan was expectedly awarded the top jurist job to the Supreme Court. Bob Knight, senior writer for Coral Ridge Ministries and senior fellow for American Civil Rights Union, says those who voted to confirm Kagan could pay a heavy price in the mid-term elections.
'Sixty-three senators are going to have to answer to their constituents why they put on the U.S. Supreme Court a woman who altered a report by physicians that said -- and I'll sum it up -- that there really aren't any circumstances to justify a partial-birth abortion,' Knight explains. 'She made it say in some circumstances it may be the best single way to save a life of a mother.'
That modified report, according to Knight's column on Thursday -- 'The Kagan moral train wreck' -- was used as 'falsified evidence' in a Supreme Court case and amounts to 'fraud, plain and simple' on the part of the nominee.
Robert KnightBut there is more, says Knight, moving on to Kagan's position on man-and-wife marriage.
CNSNews.com - Sen. DeMint: Ratifying U.N. Children’s Rights Treaty Would Turn Parental Rights ‘Over to International Community’
CNSNews.com - Sen. DeMint: Ratifying U.N. Children’s Rights Treaty Would Turn Parental Rights ‘Over to International Community’:
Sen. Jim DeMint, Washington, D.C., August 4, 2010. (CNSNews.com photo/Penny Starr)Washington (CNSNews.com) - Sen. Jim DeMint (R- S.C.) said that if President Barack Obama gets his way and the Senate ratifies the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the precedent would be set to place parental rights under the jurisdiction of the international community.
“We believe we need to take clear action here in Congress to protect the rights of parents to raise their children," DeMint said at a Wednesday panel discussion. "This treaty would, in fact, establish a precedent that those rights have been given over to the international community."
DeMint is lead sponsor of S. Res. 519, a resolution to protect parental rights, which is co-sponsored by 30 senators total. Only four more senators need to sign on to inform President Obama that he does not have enough votes in the Senate to ratify the treaty, DeMint said.
DeMint has also introduced a joint resolution, proposing a constitutional amendment to protect parental rights.
Sen. Jim DeMint, Washington, D.C., August 4, 2010. (CNSNews.com photo/Penny Starr)
“We believe we need to take clear action here in Congress to protect the rights of parents to raise their children," DeMint said at a Wednesday panel discussion. "This treaty would, in fact, establish a precedent that those rights have been given over to the international community."
DeMint is lead sponsor of S. Res. 519, a resolution to protect parental rights, which is co-sponsored by 30 senators total. Only four more senators need to sign on to inform President Obama that he does not have enough votes in the Senate to ratify the treaty, DeMint said.
DeMint has also introduced a joint resolution, proposing a constitutional amendment to protect parental rights.
The Net Neutrality Spat Explained - ProPublica
The Net Neutrality Spat Explained - ProPublica:
In recent weeks, top officials from the Federal Communications Commission have held closed-door meetings to negotiate with the country’s biggest communications companies and online service providers on how the Internet should be regulated [1]. In a statement today, the FCC said it had called off those talks [2], saying the effort "has been productive on several fronts, but has not generated a robust framework to preserve the openness and freedom of the Internet."
At stake is the principle of net neutrality — the idea that Internet service providers must treat all traffic equally, and not privilege certain content by giving it more, or less, bandwidth — a principle that the FCC has been more aggressive about implementing under the Obama administration [3].
Here’s how Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, has explained net neutrality, as reported in the Guardian [4]:
Right to Privacy: An Outmoded Concept? | EFAM | Escape From America Magazine
Right to Privacy: An Outmoded Concept? | EFAM | Escape From America Magazine: "It seems almost taken for granted that as an American Citizen you may expect to encounter government officials armed with demands for information about your personal life. You are expected to reveal the most private and confidential information about yourself to any official, government agency, or business that asks for it, and you are expected to do so willingly and without question.
Additionally, these days it has been made very easy to provide your private in formation. Just swipe your card, or better yet touch your fingertip to a screen, or look into an iris recognition device. Digital technology makes it very convenient to surrender your private information, and the American people have become addicted to their modern conveniences.
When you go to a retail store to return a defective product, are you asked for personal and private information, including your address and telephone number, social security number, etc.? Why do you answer such questions? Did you have to give that information when you first purchased the product? No, of course not. Then why should you give it in order to get your money back?
This is all true, so I have one question .............. ~~~ The Munz
Additionally, these days it has been made very easy to provide your private in formation. Just swipe your card, or better yet touch your fingertip to a screen, or look into an iris recognition device. Digital technology makes it very convenient to surrender your private information, and the American people have become addicted to their modern conveniences.
When you go to a retail store to return a defective product, are you asked for personal and private information, including your address and telephone number, social security number, etc.? Why do you answer such questions? Did you have to give that information when you first purchased the product? No, of course not. Then why should you give it in order to get your money back?
This is all true, so I have one question .............. ~~~ The Munz
Fellow Dems shoot down fiscal hawks - TheHill.com
Fellow Dems shoot down fiscal hawks - TheHill.com: "Four House Democrats who have proposed significant spending cuts were chastised at a recent caucus meeting for targeting programs senior appropriators had deemed vital, according to lawmakers and aides.
Reps. Gary Peters (Mich.), John Adler (N.J.), Jim Himes (Conn.) and Peter Welch (Vt.) introduced an amendment to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development spending bill that would cut a dozen programs — totaling $1.4 billion — that had been added on top of President Obama’s initial budget request.
It was an effort to target a few government programs to chip away at a massive budget deficit — just as House leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), have ordered committee heads to do.
Reps. Gary Peters (Mich.), John Adler (N.J.), Jim Himes (Conn.) and Peter Welch (Vt.) introduced an amendment to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development spending bill that would cut a dozen programs — totaling $1.4 billion — that had been added on top of President Obama’s initial budget request.
It was an effort to target a few government programs to chip away at a massive budget deficit — just as House leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), have ordered committee heads to do.
But instead of winning praise, the four Democrats were taken to task — and eventually withdrew their amendment.
According to multiple participants at the Wednesday caucus meeting, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) strenuously objected to the measure, saying it took direct aim at items added by appropriators geared toward stimulating the economy.
The American Spectator : Obama's Immigration Power Play
The American Spectator : Obama's Immigration Power Play: "Last week, the Obama administration got Clinton-appointed Judge Susan Bolton to at least temporarily throw out key provisions of Arizona's immigration law. Within 24 hours came more evidence that they weren't done eviscerating immigration enforcement yet.
That proof came in the form of an astonishing internal memo outlining ways the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) could effectively legalize at least tens of thousands of illegal immigrants even if Congress fails to enact amnesty. Some would be granted resident status with the USCIS simply giving them green cards. Others would be allowed to evade deportation, possibly indefinitely.
'In the absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, CIS can extend benefits and/or protections to many individuals and groups by issuing new guidance and regulations,' said the memo, which was prepared by four senior officials from different parts of USCIS for the agency's director. Two of the memo's authors are Obama appointees, as is USCIS head Alejandro N. Mayorkas.
That proof came in the form of an astonishing internal memo outlining ways the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) could effectively legalize at least tens of thousands of illegal immigrants even if Congress fails to enact amnesty. Some would be granted resident status with the USCIS simply giving them green cards. Others would be allowed to evade deportation, possibly indefinitely.
'In the absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, CIS can extend benefits and/or protections to many individuals and groups by issuing new guidance and regulations,' said the memo, which was prepared by four senior officials from different parts of USCIS for the agency's director. Two of the memo's authors are Obama appointees, as is USCIS head Alejandro N. Mayorkas.
The Kagan moral train wreck (OneNewsNow.com)
The Kagan moral train wreck (OneNewsNow.com): "As we watch in disbelief, the United States Senate is about to take the Fifth on a Supreme Court nominee who has no business being near a courtroom except as a defendant.
The word from Capitol Hill is that the GOP won't even bother with a filibuster despite evidence from Elena Kagan's Judiciary Committee hearing that she falsified evidence used in a Supreme Court case and committed what might be perjury before that committee. (Editor's note: Following publication of this article, Kagan was confirmed on a 63-37 vote.)
One wonders what it would take for the Senate to deny this nomination. A daytime bank robbery, guns drawn? No, that could be chalked up to youthful exuberance or perhaps research in pursuit of insight into the criminal mind.
When the Gang of 14 Democrats and Republicans agreed to clear the path for some Bush Administration nominees, that arrogant group's presumption was that a president is entitled to his pick unless there are 'exceptional circumstances.'
The word from Capitol Hill is that the GOP won't even bother with a filibuster despite evidence from Elena Kagan's Judiciary Committee hearing that she falsified evidence used in a Supreme Court case and committed what might be perjury before that committee. (Editor's note: Following publication of this article, Kagan was confirmed on a 63-37 vote.)
One wonders what it would take for the Senate to deny this nomination. A daytime bank robbery, guns drawn? No, that could be chalked up to youthful exuberance or perhaps research in pursuit of insight into the criminal mind.
When the Gang of 14 Democrats and Republicans agreed to clear the path for some Bush Administration nominees, that arrogant group's presumption was that a president is entitled to his pick unless there are 'exceptional circumstances.'
CNSNews.com - White House Doesn’t Know, DOJ Mum on Whether Kagan Received Full Salary Since She ‘Ceased’ Full Duties as Solicitor General
CNSNews.com - White House Doesn’t Know, DOJ Mum on Whether Kagan Received Full Salary Since She ‘Ceased’ Full Duties as Solicitor General:
Supreme Court nominee Solicitor General Elena Kagan meets and greets senators on Thursday, May 13, 2010.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Supreme Court nominee Solicitor General Elena Kagan meets and greets senators on Thursday, May 13, 2010.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Washington (CNSNews.com) – Neither the White House nor the Justice Department are saying whether Elena Kagan has been collecting her full government salary since she “ceased” performing her full duties as solicitor general after May 10 when President Barack Obama nominated her to serve on the Supreme Court.
“I’d point you over to the Department of Justice on that. I don’t know what the pay records are,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told CNSNews.com.
Pressed on whether the White House believed she should receive her full salary, Gibbs again said, “I’d point you to the Department of Justice.”
However the Justice Department public affairs office did not respond to numerous inquiries from CNSNews.com on the matter in July.
“I’d point you over to the Department of Justice on that. I don’t know what the pay records are,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told CNSNews.com.
Pressed on whether the White House believed she should receive her full salary, Gibbs again said, “I’d point you to the Department of Justice.”
However the Justice Department public affairs office did not respond to numerous inquiries from CNSNews.com on the matter in July.
CNSNews.com - Black Conservatives Say Black Liberals Are Using Race to Discredit the Tea Party Movement
CNSNews.com - Black Conservatives Say Black Liberals Are Using Race to Discredit the Tea Party Movement:
Talk show host Herman Cain joined other black conservatives on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at the National Press Club to defend the Tea Party movement against charges of racism by the NAACP. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)
Talk show host Herman Cain joined other black conservatives on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at the National Press Club to defend the Tea Party movement against charges of racism by the NAACP. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)
Washington (CNSNews.com) – Black conservative leaders from around the country gathered in Washington on Wednesday to denounce the NAACP for its resolution charging that elements of the Tea Party movement are racist.
“The accusation by the NAACP is just another example of playing the race card because of failed policies,” conservative talk show host Herman Cain said at the event, which was organized by the Tea Party Express and held at the National Press Club.
“And it’s being used as a distraction from what really ought to be happening and what the NAACP, in particular, ought to be doing -- and that is focusing on many of the problems in the black community.”
Cain said in his opinion, “the NAACP has lost its relevance and they are looking for relevance in all the wrong places.”
“The accusation by the NAACP is just another example of playing the race card because of failed policies,” conservative talk show host Herman Cain said at the event, which was organized by the Tea Party Express and held at the National Press Club.
“And it’s being used as a distraction from what really ought to be happening and what the NAACP, in particular, ought to be doing -- and that is focusing on many of the problems in the black community.”
Cain said in his opinion, “the NAACP has lost its relevance and they are looking for relevance in all the wrong places.”
CNSNews.com - Alan Keyes: Under Obama ‘We Shall All Become Slaves on the Government’s Plantation’
CNSNews.com - Alan Keyes: Under Obama ‘We Shall All Become Slaves on the Government’s Plantation’:
Former U.S. Ambassador Alan Keyes at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. (CNSNews.com photo/Penny Starr)Washington (CNSNews.com) – Alan Keyes, a conservative activist and former diplomat, said Wednesday that President Barack Obama and liberals in Congress are promoting a dependence on government that mirrors slavery.
Keyes appeared with more than a dozen other black conservative leaders at a gathering in Washington to condemn accusations by the NAACP that the Tea Party movement has a racist faction. Keyes said real racism occurs when race is connected to ideology -- as was the case, he said, when Barack Obama was campaigning for president.
“The notion that you owe some allegiance or vote to an individual simply because of the color of their skin" is racist, Keyes said. He said such a notion was "constantly pushed at me by the American media" during the Obama campaign, when black Americans were expected to "feel proud" of Obama.
"Why should I feel proud of someone who wants to destroy the unalienable rights of unborn children?” Keyes said Wednesday during the event at the National Press Club. “Why should I be proud of someone who, in fact, wants to return this entire country to the condition in which my ancestors sadly found themselves?”
Former U.S. Ambassador Alan Keyes at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. (CNSNews.com photo/Penny Starr)
Keyes appeared with more than a dozen other black conservative leaders at a gathering in Washington to condemn accusations by the NAACP that the Tea Party movement has a racist faction. Keyes said real racism occurs when race is connected to ideology -- as was the case, he said, when Barack Obama was campaigning for president.
“The notion that you owe some allegiance or vote to an individual simply because of the color of their skin" is racist, Keyes said. He said such a notion was "constantly pushed at me by the American media" during the Obama campaign, when black Americans were expected to "feel proud" of Obama.
"Why should I feel proud of someone who wants to destroy the unalienable rights of unborn children?” Keyes said Wednesday during the event at the National Press Club. “Why should I be proud of someone who, in fact, wants to return this entire country to the condition in which my ancestors sadly found themselves?”
Health Care | National Center for Policy Analysis | NCPA
Health Care | National Center for Policy Analysis | NCPA:
Dear Policy Patriots -
Would the Sheriff of Mayberry Mislead You About ObamaCare? Alas, yes. In a $700,000 advertisement, Andy Griffith recently proclaimed the benefits of ObamaCare. What he fails to say in this taxpayer-funded is that ObamaCare's Medicare spending cuts will be ten times larger than the new benefits it provides to seniors. In fact, Factcheck.org, a project of the non-partisan Annenberg Public Policy Center, decried the ad as misleading, concluding, "Currently, about 1 in every 4 Medicare beneficiary is enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. For many of them, the words in this ad ring hollow, and the promise that "benefits will remain the same" is just as fictional as the town of Mayberry was when Griffin played the local sheriff."
HHS Secretary Insists on 'Double Counting'. On Monday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius hosted a conference call to discuss a new report on the health law's impact on Medicare. Questioned about the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) chief actuary's claim that the Medicare spending reductions in the law "cannot be simultaneously used to finance other federal outlays and to extend the [Medicare] trust fund," Sebelius responded by attempting to claim the savings twice, once for Medicare and again for new spending.
Sebelius's approach, known in policy circles as 'double-counting', is patently inaccurate, as CMS and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) have repeatedly said. The hard truth for ObamaCare is that can either shore up Medicare or expand coverage for younger workers, but it can't do both. Ms. Sebelius should first check her math-and then level with America's seniors.
The Future of Medicare. If you're a Medicare beneficiary, you need to pay attention to the toll that ObamaCare will take on your health care. Although some benefits exist, the reality is that the costs imposed on America's elderly and disabled are far greater. As a group, seniors will be more affected by the new health reform law than any other population. Consider the following statistics:
- Bottom Line Cost. More than half of the cost of the new health system will be paid for by $523 billion in Medicare spending cuts over the next ten years.
- ObamaCare Gives A Little, Takes A Lot Away. The Medicare cuts in ObamaCare are ten times greater than the benefits ObamaCare provides to Medicare beneficiaries.
- Hospitals in Trouble. Experts predict that one in seven hospitals will experience financial distress because of ObamaCare's Medicare spending cuts.
- Increased Demand on the Health Care System. The new health benefits provided by ObamaCare will create new incentives for millions of Americans to demand more health care. But without more doctors to provide that care, the result will be millions of patients flooding doctors' offices, making access significantly more difficult for America's elderly and disabled.
- Fewer Subsidies. ObamaCare eliminates tax policies that encourage employers to provide post-retirement prescription drug coverage, currently worth $665 per retiree. For instance, S&P 500 companies will face losses of $4.5 billion. As a result, many companies are expected to completely do away with their retiree drug plans.
- Not Enough Doctors. ObamaCare failed to fully fund the expansion of health coverage, further stretching already-limited health resources. For instance, if everyone on Medicare took advantage of the free annual checkup, the U.S. would need 23,000 additional doctors in order to meet the demand.
- Future Cuts. Cuts today do not prevent cuts in the future. Quite the opposite, in fact. ObamaCare empowers a newly-created bureaucracy, called the Independent Payment Advisory Board, to recommend future spending cuts to limit the growth in Medicare spending.
Where Is AARP? AARP claims to represent seniors, but they fully support these detrimental policies in ObamaCare. As far as we can tell, AARP supports ObamaCare because they stand to profit from it. That's fine, but we don't think AARP should disguise its motives as something that will help seniors, when in fact it will hurt seniors.
Spread the Word! A health care system that prizes patient choice is possible. Since 1983, the NCPA has led the charge for patient-centered health care. Help us by forwarding this email to your friends and encourage them to sign up for the Policy Patriot Weekly Letter!
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Jeanette Nordstrom
Rangel Scandal Reveals Extent of Capitol Corruption - Rasmussen Reports™
Rangel Scandal Reveals Extent of Capitol Corruption - Rasmussen Reports™: "Four years ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to “drain the swamp” of corruption in Washington, D.C., but after failing miserably to do so it now appears she’s choosing to ignore it – while letting her colleagues sweep it under the rug.
In the latest example of this trend, a House ethics panel last week recommended that Rep. Charlie Rangel be “reprimanded” for a laundry list of corruption charges. Rangel, a Democrat who has been in the House for forty years, is facing a battery of serious allegations which, if proven, should cost the career lawmaker his job – if not land him in jail.
Rangel is accused of failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income and assets on his financial disclosure statements – a pattern of alleged evasion that spans nearly a decade. Additionally, he’s accused of failing to pay taxes on income generated from his vacation property in the Dominican Republic, using taxpayer-funded resources for campaign purposes and abusing his free Congressional mail privilege to solicit donations.
On top of all that, Rangel reportedly accepted political favors from donors who received favorable treatment from him during his tenure as Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee – which oversees tax policy, trade issues, Medicare and Social Security, among other responsibilities.
Every bit as troubling as Rangel’s alleged conduct, though, is the attempt by his colleagues to completely let him off the hook – and to do so quickly in an effort to avoid any lingering bad press leading up to the November elections. Despite of the gravity of his alleged offenses (including several Rangel has admitted to committing) House ethics members have recommended letting him off with only a “reprimand.”
What’s that, exactly?
In the latest example of this trend, a House ethics panel last week recommended that Rep. Charlie Rangel be “reprimanded” for a laundry list of corruption charges. Rangel, a Democrat who has been in the House for forty years, is facing a battery of serious allegations which, if proven, should cost the career lawmaker his job – if not land him in jail.
Rangel is accused of failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income and assets on his financial disclosure statements – a pattern of alleged evasion that spans nearly a decade. Additionally, he’s accused of failing to pay taxes on income generated from his vacation property in the Dominican Republic, using taxpayer-funded resources for campaign purposes and abusing his free Congressional mail privilege to solicit donations.
On top of all that, Rangel reportedly accepted political favors from donors who received favorable treatment from him during his tenure as Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee – which oversees tax policy, trade issues, Medicare and Social Security, among other responsibilities.
Every bit as troubling as Rangel’s alleged conduct, though, is the attempt by his colleagues to completely let him off the hook – and to do so quickly in an effort to avoid any lingering bad press leading up to the November elections. Despite of the gravity of his alleged offenses (including several Rangel has admitted to committing) House ethics members have recommended letting him off with only a “reprimand.”
What’s that, exactly?
Morning Bell: The Obama Tax Hikes, Another Step Toward a European Welfare State | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.
Morning Bell: The Obama Tax Hikes, Another Step Toward a European Welfare State | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.: "Last night, the Senate voted 61-39 in favor of a $26 billion bailout for states and government unions financed in part by an $11 billion tax hike that will kill American jobs at U.S. companies that compete overseas. Worse, before that final vote was taken, the Senate also defeated two amendments by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), both by 58-42 votes, that would have prevented the largest tax hike in American history. And earlier this month, Vice President Joe Biden told ABC News that the only thing wrong with President Barack Obama’s first $862 billion economic stimulus was that it didn’t borrow and spend enough.
The message to the U.S. economy’s job creators from this Administration and Congress is clear: You can expect higher spending, higher taxes and higher deficits for years to come. The verdict on this approach is in. Today the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor and Statistics released its monthly jobs report showing the economy shed 131,000 jobs in July as 143,000 temporary census workers lost their government jobs. With the private sector only managing to add 71,000 jobs and averaging only 51,000 jobs over the past three months, the private economy appears stuck in first gear. Despite the job losses, the nation’s unemployment rate didn’t budge from 9.5% because another 181,000 discouraged workers left the workforce. All told the U.S. economy has now lost 2.4 million jobs since President Barack Obama signed his stimulus bill, and his administration is 7.6 million jobs short of what he promised the American economy would support by 2010.
Faced with this failure, the Obama administration wants to double down on its tax and spend policies by hiking taxes on America’s job creators. Research on the last seven recessions shows that small businesses generate about two out of every three new jobs during recoveries. But the $3.2 trillion Obama Tax Hike in January will hit these businesses the hardest. As Heritage Foundation analyst Curtis Dubay has detailed, while only eight percent of small businesses pay the highest two tax rates, those businesses earn 72 percent of all small business income and pay 82 percent of all income taxes paid by small businesses. According to a study by the American Family Business Foundation, just stopping President Obama’s Death Tax hike alone would create 1.5 million jobs.
The message to the U.S. economy’s job creators from this Administration and Congress is clear: You can expect higher spending, higher taxes and higher deficits for years to come. The verdict on this approach is in. Today the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor and Statistics released its monthly jobs report showing the economy shed 131,000 jobs in July as 143,000 temporary census workers lost their government jobs. With the private sector only managing to add 71,000 jobs and averaging only 51,000 jobs over the past three months, the private economy appears stuck in first gear. Despite the job losses, the nation’s unemployment rate didn’t budge from 9.5% because another 181,000 discouraged workers left the workforce. All told the U.S. economy has now lost 2.4 million jobs since President Barack Obama signed his stimulus bill, and his administration is 7.6 million jobs short of what he promised the American economy would support by 2010.
Faced with this failure, the Obama administration wants to double down on its tax and spend policies by hiking taxes on America’s job creators. Research on the last seven recessions shows that small businesses generate about two out of every three new jobs during recoveries. But the $3.2 trillion Obama Tax Hike in January will hit these businesses the hardest. As Heritage Foundation analyst Curtis Dubay has detailed, while only eight percent of small businesses pay the highest two tax rates, those businesses earn 72 percent of all small business income and pay 82 percent of all income taxes paid by small businesses. According to a study by the American Family Business Foundation, just stopping President Obama’s Death Tax hike alone would create 1.5 million jobs.
Great Uncertainty on Medicare Cuts
Great Uncertainty on Medicare Cuts: "Top administration officials say that the Obama health care law has dramatically improved Medicare's finances. 'Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is now expected to remain solvent until 2029, 12 years longer than was projected last year,' says Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
But he also conceded that is easier said than done. 'As we know the future is uncertain, these are very long range projections. And those reforms require that we achieve very substantial improvements in efficiency and productivity.'
The trustees report openly expressed some skepticism about those savings, saying there is 'great uncertainty' about the assumptions on Medicare cuts:
* For instance, the health care law assumes some $200 billion in savings from productivity gains alone.
* The trustees called that 'far from certain.'
Those and other assumptions draw fire from several directions, including John Goodman, President, CEO and the Kellye Wright Fellow of the National Center for Policy Analysis. He says extending the life of Medicare would be good news. 'The problem is it's all a fantasy. It's based on assumptions that are so unrealistic that Medicare's own actuaries put out a separate report today, and I've never seen that happen before.'
In fact, the office of the actuary of Medicare, a nonpolitical watchdog, issued a separate 18-page report questioning many of the assumptions used to justify $575 billion in cuts to Medicare:
* They quote an analysis saying cuts to providers -- quote -- 'could jeopardize Medicare beneficiaries access to mainstream medical care....'
* In the next two decades, they say cuts could also force into the red 25 percent of hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health care agencies.
* And many, they say, 'would have to withdraw from providing services to Medicare beneficiaries.'
The actuaries talked with several prominent health economists, and all of them believe that the payment reductions were unsustainable.
'Half the funding for health reform is paid for by cutting spending on elderly,' says John Goodman, 'and the way they're going to cut spending is by squeezing the doctors and squeezing the hospitals.'
Source: Jim Angle, 'Great Uncertainty on Medicare Cuts,' Fox News, August 5, 2010.
For text:
But he also conceded that is easier said than done. 'As we know the future is uncertain, these are very long range projections. And those reforms require that we achieve very substantial improvements in efficiency and productivity.'
The trustees report openly expressed some skepticism about those savings, saying there is 'great uncertainty' about the assumptions on Medicare cuts:
* For instance, the health care law assumes some $200 billion in savings from productivity gains alone.
* The trustees called that 'far from certain.'
Those and other assumptions draw fire from several directions, including John Goodman, President, CEO and the Kellye Wright Fellow of the National Center for Policy Analysis. He says extending the life of Medicare would be good news. 'The problem is it's all a fantasy. It's based on assumptions that are so unrealistic that Medicare's own actuaries put out a separate report today, and I've never seen that happen before.'
In fact, the office of the actuary of Medicare, a nonpolitical watchdog, issued a separate 18-page report questioning many of the assumptions used to justify $575 billion in cuts to Medicare:
* They quote an analysis saying cuts to providers -- quote -- 'could jeopardize Medicare beneficiaries access to mainstream medical care....'
* In the next two decades, they say cuts could also force into the red 25 percent of hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health care agencies.
* And many, they say, 'would have to withdraw from providing services to Medicare beneficiaries.'
The actuaries talked with several prominent health economists, and all of them believe that the payment reductions were unsustainable.
'Half the funding for health reform is paid for by cutting spending on elderly,' says John Goodman, 'and the way they're going to cut spending is by squeezing the doctors and squeezing the hospitals.'
Source: Jim Angle, 'Great Uncertainty on Medicare Cuts,' Fox News, August 5, 2010.
For text:
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