I can't believe the Washington Times allowed this in their paper...

Palin got it right
Democrats can take a lesson on cap-and-tax
By Rep. Don Young | Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Washington Times

Can it be? The MSM allowing an Op-Ed to be printed admitting the lefties are wrong, while at the same time admitting SARAH PALIN was right? This must me a dream....

Mrs. Palin correctly criticized the scheme presented in the legislation sponsored by Democratic Reps. Henry A. Waxman of California and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts. By only citing a report from the left-of-liberal Center for American Progress, Mr. Kerry and Mrs. Boxer naively underestimate the effects the legislation will have on the American economy. Other, more mainstream organizations, such as the Brookings Institution and the Black Chamber of Commerce, disagree.

Waxman-Markey artificially creates competition between cheap, abundant energy and unreliable, expensive renewable forms, compelling utilities to use heavily subsidized, politically correct "renewable energy" while thousands who work producing traditional energy lose their jobs.

All the while, American industry will flee to other countries where they can power their assembly lines with cheaper energy. Because nearly four decades of obscene subsidies for wind and solar power haven't worked, Waxman-Markey ups the ante and engages in societal re-engineering and fundamental restructuring of America's energy supply.

Just take a pill....

No, there will be no rationing of Healthcare...

So with the flip of a switch, or in this case, the signing of a bill, there will be 50 million additional people added to the healthcare system via the public dole. But, somehow we are to believe there will be no need for rationing of services.

Just so you know who is advising the president on healthcare. Here is but one example:
From "A Hard-Charging Doctor on Obama’s Team"
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: April 17, 2009
NY Times

Dr. Emanuel is a special adviser to the budget director, Peter R. Orszag. He is also the older brother of Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff.

By all accounts, Dr. Emanuel is a powerful force in his own right. In an interview in his cubbyhole of an office, he said he got his job on his own, with no help from his brother. [Of course, not. I'm sure it never even came up in the interview.] Rahm was “very conscious of the nepotism thing,” he said. Still, he is widely perceived as having extra clout because of his brother.

For two decades, Dr. Emanuel has been writing about how to guarantee health care for all.

Do you want to read one of those articles? Here you go (pay special attention to Table 1 recommendations):

Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions
Lancet 2009; 373: 423–31
Department of Bioethics, The Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA (G Persad BS,A Wertheimer PhD,E J Emanuel MD)

Allocation of very scarce medical interventions such as organs and vaccines is a persistent ethical challenge. We evaluate eight simple allocation principles that can be classifi ed into four categories: treating people equally, favouring the worst-off , maximising total benefi ts, and promoting and rewarding social usefulness. No single principle is suffi cient to incorporate all morally relevant considerations and therefore individual principles must be combined into multiprinciple allocation systems. We evaluate three systems: the United Network for Organ Sharing points systems, quality-adjusted life-years, and disability-adjusted life-years. We recommend an alternative system—the complete lives system—which prioritises younger people who have not yet lived a complete life, and also incorporates prognosis, save the most lives, lottery, and instrumental value principles.

It is not much of a leap from their conclusions in this article to how they expect to allocate all medical services once we add 50 million people to the system while at the same time slashing payments to the providers (hence, encouraging many to quit or retire early and fewer to enter the medical field all together)....

I guess Rush is right. Elections do have consequences. In this case, death for the elderly....

You can always cancel you AARP....

AARP Organizers Cancel ‘Listening Session’ After Participants Refuse to ‘Keep Their Comments Quiet’

AARP has some pretty classy employees. Do they train them to be that rude?

I guess Michael Moore will have to bring his own....

Cash-strapped Cuba says toilet paper running short
Fri Aug 7, 3:00 pm ET

Their healthcare is to die for (literally), but apparently they cannot wipe their...

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba, in the grip of a serious economic crisis, is running short of toilet paper and may not get sufficient supplies until the end of the year, officials with state-run companies said on Friday.

Officials said they were lowering the prices of 24 basic goods to help Cubans get through the difficulties provoked in part by the global financial crisis and three destructive hurricanes that struck the island last year.

Cuba's financial reserves have been depleted by increased spending for imports and reduced export income, which has forced the communist-led government to take extraordinary measures to keep the economy afloat. [Much like BHO.]

"The corporation has taken all the steps so that at the end of the year there will be an important importation of toilet paper," an official with state conglomerate Cimex said on state-run Radio Rebelde.

The shipment will enable the state-run company "to supply this demand that today is presenting problems," he said.

Now they fear us....

Baird fears foes may plan ‘ambush’
‘Telephone town hall’ will replace meeting
Thursday, August 6 | 11:13 a.m.
BY MICHAEL ANDERSEN
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

Here is U.S. Rep. Brian Baird's (D-WA) plan:

Secret schedule

Here's how it'll work: if you happen to be sitting near a publicly listed Clark County telephone line on the right day at the right time, your phone will ring.

In order to avoid software problems, Baird's office says, the exact date and time will be kept secret from the public.

If you answer your landline, an automated message will ask whether you have a question for your Congressman.

Press *3, and you'll be asked your location and the subject of your question. Sitting at his own telephone at an as-yet-undisclosed location, Baird then will choose a name based on its location and the topic.

There will be no further pre-screening, Baird said. After the call is over, the recording will be posted on his Web site.

Baird said the phone interviews will include "a much better cross-section of the public" than some live town halls.

Nice. A secret schedule, so even if you wanted to have a heart to heart with Brian, he won't tell you where he is. He's scared of his own constiuents! What if they showed up at his office:

O.O. Howard House
750 Anderson St # B
Vancouver, WA 98661-3853
(360) 695-6292

Tampa gets involved in the healthcare debate

With rowdy crowd! Keep it up people. If they haven't heard you yet, they will!

Islam, the religion of peace....

Nigeria: Thirteen-year-old forced to watch Pastor hacked to death in Boko Haram deadly violence
05/08/2009

A thirteen-year-old Nigerian Christian has told Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) sources how she was forced to watch her pastor’s murder, and has also spoken of her four-day ordeal as a prisoner in the besieged compound of Islamist group, Boko Haram.

On 26 July, Mary was in church with her pastor, his brother and an older Christian woman when a group of fifty militants broke in. She and her pastor hid as the group killed the pastor’s brother and dragged the older woman out of the room. On discovering their hiding place, the militants cut off her pastor’s hand to stop him holding on to her, then hacked him to death with machetes before setting him on fire.

The girl and the woman were dragged to Boko Haram’s compound in Maiduguri’s Railway district, and were placed in a room with around 100 other Christian women and girls. They were all asked to renounce their faith or face continued imprisonment, while Christian men were given the choice of renouncing their faith or dying.

Mary vividly describes how she was forced to wash the blood stained clothing of Boko Haram fighters. She was in the camp for four days, but managed to escape with a few others when military forces intensified their attack on the compound.

Mary’s pastor was one of three Christian ministers targeted and killed by Boko Haram during last week’s violence. Photographs showing the corpse of one murdered pastor from the Church of Christ in Nigeria, Rev Sabo Yakubu, indicate that his heart may have been ripped out.

Stuart Windsor, CSW’s National Director said: “CSW is deeply saddened by the appalling nature of the crimes committed by this sect against innocent civilians. Local Christians have also expressed disappointment that some western media have disregarded the targeted nature of attacks on their community, and the brutal murders of Christian pastors. Unless this aspect of the violence is recognised by all and dealt with effectively, people in Northern Nigeria will continue to suffer because of their religious beliefs”.

Notes: 1. The name Mary is a pseudonym used for security purposes.

So, what is Obama's take on Islam?

Text: Obama’s Speech in Cairo
Published: June 4, 2009
NY Times

Excerpts:

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country [But apparently not him!]to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust.

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end. [Yeah, let us end it by killing the "small but potent minority of Muslims" who are rammimg planes into skyscrapers, blowing up hotels and hacking Christian minister into pieces and burning their bodies.]

I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect[Mutual respect of animals who hack people to death? Who strap bombs on their children? These people know nothing but death. Let's kill them, before they kill us.] ; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

I could go on, but why? You get the point....

Yeah, that and the fact it's all a hoax....

Psychological barriers hobble climate action
Yesterday, 09:04 pm
Reuters UK

Psychological barriers like uncertainty, mistrust and denial keep most Americans from acting to fight climate change, a task force of the American Psychological Association said on Wednesday. [Yeah, that and the fact it's all a hoax...]

While most Americans -- 75 percent to 80 percent in a Pew Research Center poll -- said climate change is an important issue, it still ranked last in a list of 20 compelling issues such as the economy or terrorism, the task force said. [No kidding...? Who would have thunk?]

Numerous psychological barriers are to blame, the task force found, including: uncertainty over climate change, mistrust of the messages about risk from scientists or government officials, denial that climate change is occurring or that it is related to human activity. [Wow. That is great! People are finally beginning to wake up!!!!]

Remember when.....

Congress Members Criticize Auto Executives’ Corporate Jet Travel

Well, apparently whats good for the goose is not good for the gander....

House Orders Up Three Elite Jets
August 5, 2009
By Paul Singer
Roll Call Staff

Last year, lawmakers excoriated the CEOs of the Big Three automakers for traveling to Washington, D.C., by private jet to attend a hearing about a possible bailout of their companies.

But apparently Congress is not philosophically averse to private air travel: At the end of July, the House approved nearly $200 million for the Air Force to buy three elite Gulfstream jets for ferrying top government officials and Members of Congress.

The Air Force had asked for one Gulfstream 550 jet (price tag: about $65 million) as part of an ongoing upgrade of its passenger air service.

But the House Appropriations Committee, at its own initiative, added to the 2010 Defense appropriations bill another $132 million for two more airplanes and specified that they be assigned to the D.C.-area units that carry Members of Congress, military brass and top government officials.

Because the Appropriations Committee viewed the additional aircraft as an expansion of an existing Defense Department program, it did not treat the money for two more planes as an earmark, and the legislation does not disclose which Member had requested the additional money.

Um, and, "Why is it again we should take congress seriously?"

Babs Boxer gets it right...

We are trying to change congress....!!

Oh, and thanks for calling us "well dressed". I wish we could say the same for your ACORN/SEIU renta mobs....

Hmmm.... Maybe Americans are as ill informed I thought...

71% Say Obama’s Policies Have Driven Up Deficit
Rasmussen Reports
Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Seventy-one percent (71%) of U.S. voters say President Obama’s policies have increased the size of the federal deficit, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Ok, well I knew there had to be some ignoramuses in the poll:

Only five percent (5%) say the president’s policies have cut the deficit, and 10% say they have had no impact. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure.

Big Brother is watching.....

No more facts! No more facts! No more facts! No more facts!

Here is a Congressman who will likely lose his seat over this bill...

Lloyd Doggett's meeting on Obamacare in south Austin, TX, 1 Aug 2009

It would be good for you to go to YouTube & read what the person posting said about the gathering... This is what is happening to all Congressmen & Senators across America. Finally, we can unite against the government over something and beat them back (or replace them).

It seems at least one U.S. Senator has some testicular fortitude….

Read the entire letter from Darrell Issa (R) CA to Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff.

Excerpts:

Dear Mr. Emanuel:

As you know, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) recently raised questions about the failure of the stimulus and suggested on a national television show that stimulus money scheduled to be spent in future years ought to be returned to the American taxpayers. Following Senator Kyl's remarks, according to Politico, you coordinated an "assault" on Senator Kyl and other critics of your policies by directing four cabinet secretaries to write to Jan Brewer, the Governor of Arizona, asking pointedly if, in light of Senator Kyl's remarks, Governor Brewer wished to forfeit taxpayer money directed to Arizona by the stimulus. These tactics have been characterized as "a hit to the nose" and a message to "Back off." While this type of scare tactic may work in Chicago, it will not work to intimidate me or other Members of the United States Congress.

And later in the letter...

Since I represent a district in the great state of California, I hope that you will not take this letter as an indication of Governor Schwarzenegger's position on stimulus funds dedicated to California nor his position on any other public policy issue. I can assure you that any attempt to intimidate me or silence my criticism of the stimulus through such Chicago-style tactics will be futile.

That's right Congressman Issa: Attack, Attack, Attack!

Finally, someone standing up to the Chicago style thuggery going on in Washington D.C. since the election of BHO....

Arlen Spector (D) PA & Kathleen Sebelius (D) KS get a little feedback in a "Healthcare Townhall" meeting

Note the look of sheer disdain on Sebelius' face as this mere mortal, a simple serf, peon, CONSTITUENT dares to question the "smartest people in the room".

No. No one is talking about a government run healthcare system. (Except for our Barack Hussein Obama & Co.)

According to Andrea Mitchell (wife of former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan) we are too stupid to know what is good for us.

Of course, Andrea Mitchell (and her husband, Alan Greenspan) will NEVER have to have government healthcare....

These are "The smartest people on the room?"

Bernanke ought to be run out of town on a rail!

It's not my fault! He started it! GROW UP! YOU ARE THE POTUS!

Obama still cashing in on Bush's failings
By Joseph Curl
Originally published 04:45 a.m., July 29, 2009, updated 06:36 p.m., July 29, 2009

Facing the first real rough patch of his presidency, President Obama and his supporters are once again resorting to a tried-and-true tactic: attacking George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

In his White House press conference last week, Mr. Obama referred to the Bush era at least nine times, three times lamenting that he "inherited" a $1.3 trillion debt that has set back his administration's efforts to fix the economy.

With the former president lying low in Dallas, largely focused on crafting his memoirs, Mr. Obama has increasingly attempted to exploit Mr. Bush when discussing the weak economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the difficulty closing the military prison at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

As he took power, Mr. Obama promised a "new era of responsibility" that would transcend partisan politics.

"For a guy who campaigned on taking responsibility and looking forward, he spends an awful lot of time pointing fingers and looking backward," said former Bush deputy press secretary Tony Fratto, who has begun defending the previous administration.

But Democrats think Mr. Obama would be remiss if he did not point out what he inherited. [Imagine that!]

This man/child president is not nearly up to the task. I guess in some ways we should be thankful there are enough life-long zombified bureaucrats in D.C. to make sure we don't step too deep into it, in spite of the incompetence of the BHO.

Given BHO's recent foray into the race issue, maybe there ought to be an investigation?

EXCLUSIVE: No. 3 at Justice OK'd Panther reversal
Case involved polling place in Philadelphia
By Jerry Seper (Contact) | Thursday, July 30, 2009

Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli, the No. 3 official in the Obama Justice Department, was consulted and ultimately approved a decision in May to reverse course and drop a civil complaint accusing three members of the New Black Panther Party of intimidating voters in Philadelphia during November's election, according to interviews.

Questions about how high inside the department the decision to drop the case went have persisted in Congress and in the media for weeks.[Really? Then where has the coverage in the MSM?]

While the Obama administration has vowed a new era of openness, department officials have refused to answer questions from Republican members of Congress on why the case was dismissed, claiming the information was "privileged, according to congressional correspondence with the department.

Rep. Frank R. Wolf, Virginia Republican and a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee who has raised questions about the case, said he also was prevented from interviewing the front-line lawyers who brought the charges. [So much for "transparency".]

This all stinks to high heaven. If this were a Bush or Palin administration and the Justice Department had dismissed charges against a group that intimidated people at the polls, the state-run MSM would be calling for impeachment!

Did CNN not get the memo? What are they doing? Oh, the horror...

5 freedoms you'd lose in health care reform
If you read the fine print in the Congressional plans, you'll find that a lot of cherished aspects of the current system would disappear.
By Shawn Tully, editor at large
July 24, 2009: 10:17 AM ET

1. Freedom to choose what's in your plan
2. Freedom to be rewarded for healthy living, or pay your real costs
3. Freedom to choose high-deductible coverage
4. Freedom to keep your existing plan
5. Freedom to choose your doctors

There are more of course. These are more like the 5 "lite" freedoms you will lose.

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

Health care reform: 'This is going to happen'

Quotes by San Fran Nan:

"If nothing is done now, health care for them will increase in cost. There are two words that should describe what we're trying to do: lower cost. Lower cost for the families, lower cost for businesses so they can be more competitive, lower cost for our economy so health care doesn't take such a big chunk, and lower cost for our budget because health care reform is entitlement reform. We have to take that spiral down or otherwise, it's endless in terms of growing the deficit. So, lower cost."

Does anyone REALLY beleive this? Name ONE thing the government has made CHEAPER!

We should be able to squeeze as much as we possibly can out of the current system. [Squeeze who? Squeeze what?] If [IF? IF? Is she admitting they don't have a clue?] it's a trillion dollars, over half of that has to come from savings and then half from a revenue stream, a co-pay, something else ["SOMETHING ELSE? WHAT IS SOMETHING ELSE?]. When you say taxing the wealthy, you have to see what you're comparing it to. What is the choice that is to be made? The Senate started out by saying they were going to have to tax people's health insurance benefits. That is a tax largely on the middle class. So where do you go get that much money? ["That much money" that's government spoeak for a lot of money.] Well, at the high end, which has been enjoying quite a fiesta [Does anyone feel like they are in a fiesta?] the last eight years in terms of tax cuts in the Bush administration. If the Senate comes up with a potpourri of further cuts or other sources of revenue that don't hurt the middle class, then that's something we should all be looking at. But this (reform) is going to happen [In other words, "We don;t give a rip what the U.S. Taxpayers think, WE are going to make this decision for you stupid little people!]. And those who oppose it are mainly just opposed to health care.

Yes, we would certainly like to have bipartisan support [But they don't have to have ANY Republican support to pass it] . But understand that we have differences of opinion as to the role of government, and in public policy, as it relates to health care. If there are ways that Republicans want to participate, that's fine. By and large, the Republicans (in the House) don't believe in doing that, the government role. Now, perhaps in the Senate, they will be able to come to some agreement. This is one of those things where everything is on the table.

President Obama has been completely committed to bipartisanship [LIE. Name one item where he yielded to Republicans. He doesn't need to and hasn't. This is HIS economy. It is the OBAMA STIMULUS package that is failing] . What I think he's finding out, but what we hope to change, is that there is not a shared value when it comes to expanding health care for Americans [THANK YOU, SO FAR REPUBLICANS. STAND FIRM IN OPPOSITION!] , that there wasn't any interest in reversing climate change [THANK YOU, SO FAR REPUBLICANS. STAND FIRM IN OPPOSITION!] and reducing our dependence on foreign oil and on fossil fuels [THANK YOU, SO FAR REPUBLICANS. STAND FIRM IN OPPOSITION!] . But I think that as we go along, we have a responsibility to strive for finding our common ground. If we don't have it, though, we have to stand our ground.

First of all, I was not briefed that waterboarding was being used. I know that there's confusion about that. They told us that there were those in the administration who thought it was legal [LIE] .

The fact is, after 9/11 until this new president came in, we really had no major initiative in Afghanistan [Tell that to the FORMER Taliban government] . It's a tragedy. It was a missed opportunity for years. And now we have to do something about it.

I don't know that there's a will in the United States to send 300,000 troops to Afghanistan. And that's what some have suggested [WHO?]. You may not know this, but in Congress, one of the hardest votes I had this year wasn't stimulus [I'll bet] . It wasn't the budget [I'll bet] . It wasn't the energy bill [I'll bet] . It was the supplemental (spending bill) for Iraq and Afghanistan [I'll REALLY bet] . The appetite has just gone out.

And yet, that is the war on terrorism. Afghanistan is the place where the terrorists sprang from [partially funded by Sadam Hussein]. That is where they have safe harbor. That's where we need to be to deal with it. But, again, there isn't a big appetite — public appetite — for that. So that's why getting out of Iraq was very, very important [WAS? Are we out already?] .

Cheney has Secret Meetings with Oil Execs! Opps.. I mean: White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives

What happened to being the most transparent administration ever?

White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives
Los Angeles Times | National
By Peter Nicholas
July 22, 2009

Reporting from Washington -- Invoking an argument used by President George W. Bush, the Obama administration has turned down a request from a watchdog group for a list of health industry executives who have visited the White House to discuss the massive healthcare overhaul.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent a letter to the Secret Service asking about visits from 18 executives representing health insurers, drug makers, doctors and other players in the debate. The group wants the material in order to gauge the influence of those executives in crafting a new healthcare policy.

So where is the stimulus money going...?

Where Is Obama’s Stimulus Money Going?
July 10, 2009 05:09 PM ET
By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT (not exactly a right-wing website)

Major legislation is being pushed unread to President Obama's desk by the Democrats who control the House and Senate. Legislation that is signed, again one can believe unread, by the president and left for the bureaucracy to implement. No one, least of all the American people—whose money it is that is being spent—seems to know what is going on.

.... one about .64 cents of every stimulus dollar going to a county that voted for Obama in 2008 vs. .36 cents to every county that McCain won, so maybe the lack of transparency in the stimulus spending is no accident. It's certainly true that each item that appears to dribble out produces further embarrassment for the congressional leadership.

Let's stimulate my voter base to make sure I get re-elected. That's what this is about. Payoffs like the one to Rep. Kaptur (D-Ohio) who sold out her coal based state for $3,500,000,000.

This is sleazy Chicago politics at its worst. The more you learn about this administration you realize they are trying to cram as must of their liberal social engineering agenda down our throats before the average U.S. citizen knows what has happened to them; how much liberty they have lost.

"Working as intended.."

Obama Says Economic Stimulus Worked as Intended, Urges Patience
By Edwin Chen
Bloomberg.com

July 11 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said his $787 billion stimulus bill “has worked as intended”

Just imaging how bad it would be without my "stimulus":

Were it not for the stimulus program, the president said, “state deficits would be nearly twice as large as they are now, resulting in tens of thousands of additional layoffs -- layoffs that would affect police officers, teachers, and firefighters.”

Maybe he has been trying to get double digit unemployment all along...

True unemployment rate already at 20%
Posted Jul 06 2009, 01:16 PM by Anthony Mirhaydari
MSN

Not to scare you, but the situation is actually worse than it seems. Over the years, the government has changed the way it counts the unemployed. An example of this is the criticized Birth-Death Model which was added in 2000. The model is designed to account for the birth and death of businesses and the resultant lag in survey data. Unfortunately, the model doesn't work that well during economic contractions (like we have now) and consistently overstates the number of jobs being created each month.

John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics specializes in removing these questionable tweaks to the government's statistical data to better align current numbers with the methodology used to gather historical data. After reviewing the data, Williams believes that "the June jobs loss likely exceeded 700,000." David Rosenberg of Gluskin Sheff notes that the fall in the number of hours worked in June (to a record low of 33 per week) is equivalent to a loss of more than 800,000 jobs.

There are similar issues with the way the unemployment rate is measured. The headline rate only jumped from 9.4% to 9.5% because of a drop in the number of people in the workforce. The more inclusive "U-6" measure of unemployment, which includes discouraged workers, jumped from 16.4% to 16.5%. But even this doesn't adequately capture the situation on the ground: Back in the Clinton Administration, the definition of discouraged worker was changed to only include those that had given up looking for work because there were no jobs to be had within the last year.

By adding these folks back in, William's SGS-Alternate Unemployment Measure rose to a jaw-dropping 20.6%. Separately, the Center for Labor Market Studies in Boston puts U.S. unemployment at 18.2%. Any way you cut the numbers, the situation is very bad. According to David Rosenberg, one-in-three among the unemployed have been looking for a job for more than six months and still can't find one.

Or how about:

America's Effective Unemployment Rate at 18.7%?

So if the stimulus is working the way it was intended, does that mean Obama intended for unemployment to skyrocket? Maybe that is what he needs in order for him the create a crisis to pass his other socialist nanny state agenda items like government-run-healthcare, cap-and-tax, and the complete control of our lives....?

"One World Government", says the Pope

And all this time I thought the Pope's job was to lead people into a relationship with Jesus Christ, our lord, savior and mankind's only hope...

Pope proposes new financial order guided by ethics
July 7, 2009 4:38 PM ET

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI called Tuesday for a new world financial order guided by ethics and the search for the common good, denouncing the profit-at-all-cost mentality blamed for bringing about the global financial meltdown.

There is urgent need (for) a true world political authority" that can manage the global economy, guarantee the environment is protected, ensure world peace and bring about food security for the poor, he wrote.

And then we get to the real crux of the story:

The pope's focus on world finance raised questions about the state of the Vatican's own books.

The Vatican was implicated in the 1980s collapse of Banco Ambrosiano, in which the Vatican's bank was the major shareholder, and it agreed to pay $250 million to Ambrosiano's creditors, while denying any wrongdoing.

At the start of the meltdown in October, a top Vatican bank official assured that its deposits were safe and had no liquidity problems, saying the bank had stayed away from derivatives, the financial instruments blamed in part for the crisis.

Other officials have said 80 percent of the Vatican's investments are in low-yield government bonds and 20 percent in stocks and that the Vatican does not invest in companies that produce arms or contraceptives.

The Vatican in its annual financial statement issued Saturday said it ran a deficit in 2008 for the second straight year, posting a euro900,000 ($1.28 million) loss, compared with a loss of euro9.06 million a year earlier.

Maybe this is why they want reform. Are they running out of money for gas for the Pope-mobile?

Honduras - The REAL story....

I received this following as a forwarded attachment. It appears to be authentic, as I found "Paradise Computers" in Roatan (See Here) .

This only proves that BHO was wrong in Iran to not support the demonstrators and he is wrong about supporting Zelaya. As the author of this e-mail says: "if you find yourself aligned with Castro, Chavez, and Ortega you should REALLY look at where you’re standing."

The only thing I did was correct some grammatical errors (mostly missing apostrophes probably deleted at some point in the forwarding process).

Forwarded message:

I don’t profess to be an expert at Honduran politics or constitution, but I have been here a while and stay pretty involved with what’s going on in Honduras and especially Roatan. For those that don’t know me, I’m an American investor that has lived in Honduras full time since 2002. I’m very active on several commissions and have met with minister level executives of the Honduran government many times in the past few years.

There have been a lot of comments, descriptions, and hypothesis over the past few days. I’ve spent a LOT of time reading Spanish and English reports, talking to a lot of people on the islands and on the mainland, and listening to the local politicians. Id like to present my take on what’s happened. This is especially for Nick who’s been posting on the Roatan Tourist discussion group, but hopefully it will help clarify some points for others as well.

Mel Zelaya was elected 3 years ago with an underwhelming 49% of the vote. He was seen as a fairly conservative member of the liberal party. The general feeling when he was elected was that he wasn’t the greatest pick, but his background as a wealthy logger and rancher coupled with his more liberal social policies would probably be OK.

Almost from day 1, Mel started shifting Honduras policies to the left.

Remember when he tried to nationalize the oil industry forcing all fuel distributors to buy from 1 company so that Mel could control the price? The US rightfully reminded Mel that the US oil companies had a lot invested here and the confiscating of those assets would not be a good thing. Mel changed his mind a couple of days later.

Mel gave away the fishing rights to an area that Honduras has been fishing for decades if not a hundred years. He gave those rights to Nicaragua for nothing or at least nothing that was ever publicly reported. Mel forgot to mention this transaction to anyone in the country, let alone the fisherman. Guess how the fishermen found out? The Nicaraguan Navy confiscated several boats over a period of a few weeks. The crews on these boats were detained from a few days to a few weeks. Some of the boats were eventually returned to the rightful owners after paying fines. Some of the boats even had the electronics and gear still on board when they were returned to the owners. The Honduran government did absolutely nothing to repatriate these boats.

o Mel wanted Honduras to join ALBA a collection of countries that was formed by Cuba and Venezuela to counteract NAFTA/CAFTA from the US. When this was announced, there was a lot of concern especially from the business community. I was in a meeting with the local congressman less than a week before it was ratified. The message being sent was that this was just a way to get cheap oil from Venezuela. The congress wouldn’t consider ratifying this treaty for 6 or 8 months and by then Mel would have the oil that he was after. Again, less than a week later Mel got the treaty was ratified by the congress.

o Not too long ago, the minimum wage was raised from L. 3,500 per month to L. 5,500. That’s about a 60% increase. I’m not saying that the minimum wage didn’t need to be raised, but this huge increase was 3 times more than the labor unions were requesting (20%) and 6 times more than the business organizations had offered (10%). These increases caused tremendous layoffs on the mainland. Many maquillas (garment factories) began to move to Nicaragua because the cost of business in Honduras had gotten too high. This was another huge drop in jobs. I’ve not seen the actual number of jobs lost because of the 60% increase in minimum wage, but it was staggering.

o The Honduran constitution says that each year the President presents the annual budget to congress for approval. If the approval is not obtained by a specific date (I think its the end of January, but am not 100% sure) the budget from last year will be used until the new budget is approved by congress.

Mel never submitted a budget for 2009, hence the Congress cant approve it so Honduras is operating in 2009 on 2008s budget.

Now, why would a President not submit a budget? Who knows for sure but one of the possibilities is that 2009 is an election year. Mel would like to stay in power past 2009. The budget in 2008 didn’t include an election, so in essence there is NO money available for the 2009 election because were operating on 2008s budget. There are other theories about hiding graft and corruption, but I would assume that anyone that becomes President in Honduras wouldn’t be concerned about hiding corruption and theft in the budget he certainly didn’t mind doing it the previous 3 years!

Somewhere along the way, Mel decided to take a lesson from his mentor (Chavez) and arrange it so that he could remain in power for as long as he wanted. There was a little problem with this. The Honduran constitution, enacted in 1982, has 378 articles. 6 of these articles are cast in stone, meaning that they can NOT be changed. These 6 articles deal with defining the type of government, territory claims, and presidential term limits. They are the basis of the Honduran democracy.

o One other tidbit from the constitution Article 42, Section 5 says that anyone who is found to incite, promote, or aid in the continuation or re-election of the President would face loss of citizenship. Remember this one later on in this saga.

To further complicate things for Zelaya, ANY changes to the constitution have to be initiated by the legislative branch. The congress has to convene a constituent assembly. That’s basically a group of people selected by the congress to analyze any proposed changes and form those ideas into the new constitution. After the proposed changes are formulated, the congress would approve them to be put to a national referendum. The executive branch (the President) has nothing to do with that process.

Mel didnt think that the congress would go along with his ideas of staying in power so he decided hed call his own referendum. He doesn’t have the authority to do that remember that constitutional changes can only be done by the legislature AND the term limits are one of the articles cast in stone but he goes ahead and calls one anyway.

The Honduran Supreme Court says Sorry Mel, you cant do a referendum. That’s not within your power as president.

Mel, or more probably one of his advisors, figures out that if a referendum cant be done, we could probably do a survey or a poll instead! Great idea nobody will figure out that the poll that were now going to do is exactly the same thing as we were going to do with the referendum.

Damn those people on the Supreme Court! They figured out the ruse! They ruled unanimously that regardless of what you call it, if it acts like a referendum the president cant do it. If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck . . . .

Mel continues to talk of doing the poll on June 28 regardless of the Supreme Court

The Congress looks at the poll that Mel wants to do and gives an opinion that the poll would be illegal and they will not support it. Remember that Mel’s own political party is in control of the congress.

The Attorney General also analyzes the poll and determines that it is illegal. Over the course of the weeks leading to June 28, the AG reiterates many times that the poll is illegal and anyone participating in the poll would be committing a crime and could be arrested.

Mel runs into another logistical snafu. He needs some ballots printed. The entire political structure of Honduras (except him) has ruled that the poll is illegal. Its a pretty sure bet that he cant get the government to print the ballots for an illegal referendum so he asks his buddy Hugo Chavez to print the ballots. Of course Hugo says No Problem Comrade!

The rhetoric in the 2 weeks before the poll gets tense. Every legal opinion in Honduras says that the poll is illegal. The Supreme Court reaffirms its ruling that the poll is illegal. The Attorney General keeps saying that the poll is illegal and that anyone participating is committing a crime. Mel’s own political party says that the poll is illegal. There literally is not one legitimate group in the country that is siding with Mel about the poll.

Traditionally the military handles the distribution of the ballots and voting materials. The head of the military, Romeo Vasquez Velasquez says that the military will not participate in the poll because the Supreme Court is the entity that determines what is legal and what is illegal in Honduras. The Supreme Court has determined that the poll is illegal, so the military will not participate.

Mel Zelaya promptly fired Romeo Vasquez. The other heads of military (Navy and Air Force) as well as the Minister of Defense resigned in support of Vasquez.

The next day the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Vasquez was fired without reason and demanded his reinstatement. Zelaya refused.

The ballots arrive in Honduras (from Venezuela on a Venezuelan flagged plane). The Attorney General demands that the ballots be confiscated and held at a military installation.

Mel decides that if the military wont distribute the ballots, hell get his own people to distribute them

Mel gets a couple of busses and a few cars full of supporters. They drive to the Air Force installation that was holding the ballots. They forcibly entered the installation and took the ballots. Not only was this breaking and entering it was a complete betrayal of a lawful order of the Attorney General

The Attorney General says that the President has committed treason and asks for him to be removed from office. The congress created a commission to examine Zelaya's actions and determine if removal from office is appropriate.

A side note here about removal from office. I’m in no way a Honduran constitutional expert, but from what I understand, there’s not a clear means to impeach a sitting president. In a lot of constitutions, the impeachment of a president would be done by the legislative branch. In Honduras, there’s no such structure. There could be criminal charges brought against the president and the trial would be handled by the judicial branch. Not much different than anyone else accused of a crime. I’ve not heard of any provision to temporarily remove a president from office until the criminal charges were adjudicated. What would you do? Let a man accused of treason remain as the sitting president until the trial was completed? That would be insane, but that may be the only choice.

On Saturday, June 27, Mel got most, if not all, of the ballots distributed around the country. The polls were set to open at 7am on Sunday.

The Supreme Court voted to remove Zelaya. The Congress decided to remove Zelaya. The Attorney General stated many times that Zelaya was committing illegal acts and in fact committing treason. The military determined that the poll was illegal and that their responsibility was to uphold the constitution as opposed to supporting the president.

Early Sunday morning, about 6am, the military went to the presidents house and removed him from the building. He was put on a plane to Costa Rica. This was done to enforce the ruling from the Supreme Court.

This is where Article 42 of the constitution comes into play. The way that I read that article, Zelaya should have lost his Honduran citizenship at this point.

Once Mel had been removed, the President of the Congress (Roberto Micheletti) was sworn in as the new President of Honduras. This was exactly the person that is indicated by the constitution. It was a proper and legal succession of the presidency. The first thing that Micheletti did was confirm that the regularly scheduled elections would be held in November. His post is temporary until the new President was duly elected.

Its been said all over the press that Mel was arrested in his pajamas. I personally don’t believe that. In an hour he would have been at some polling place to vote and also to motivate those that showed up. This was the biggest day of his life. Id be amazed if he slept at all I know I wouldn’t be able to. There was one report that Mel was actually in suit pants and a crisply ironed white shirt when he was arrested and he asked to change into other clothes. Quite frankly, I see this as more likely.

I believe that this is an accurate depiction of the events that led to Zelaya’s expulsion on Sunday. If I’m wrong on a any points, I don’t think I’m off by much. The salient points are certainly accurate.

I personally think that it would have been better to arrest Zelaya and hold him somewhere in the country. He was removed from Honduras in the interest of public safety. The feeling at the time was that if he was held within Honduras, his supporters would take violent actions to release him from captivity. It would be a difficult decision and I’m sure the powers that be did what they thought was best.

I have been disgusted at the world reaction to these events. Its like they only looked at what happened on Sunday morning and ignored what events led to that day. I dont understand how the removal of Zelaya was anything less than a small country demanding that their country remain democratic. Their constitutional process worked exactly right to remove a rogue president with an agenda that was detrimental to the Honduran constitution and society. While the actions of June 28 would fit some definitions of a coup, it was certainly a legal and CONSTITUTIONAL coup. There have been several articles written that state that it was a MANDATORY coup. That’s a very difficult concept for most people from the first world to understand, but there are some coups that are good and even required.

I’ve read so much over the past few days that I cant remember where I read this, but the author was talking about the events in Honduras. He concluded by stating quite simply that if you find yourself aligned with Castro, Chavez, and Ortega you should REALLY look at where you’re standing.

I think that the Hondurans should be honored for what occurred. I know that I’ve never been prouder of a group of people than I’ve been of Hondurans the past several days. Instead of being isolated from the world and denounced as being anti-democratic they should be lifted on the shoulders of all free men around the world. I’m sure that there are plenty of people in Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea that would LOVE to hear the story of what a small country can do to ensure democracy lives in their society for their children to enjoy. That is if the people in those countries ever hear of the great accomplishments of a small third world country with ideals and principals larger than the democratic showcase of the first world.

Mitch
Paradise Computers, S.A.
Roatan's #1 Technology Provider Since 1997

Johnny Cash Performs "Ragged Old Flag" at Statue of Liberty Rededication - 7/4/1986

Here is video of the late Johnny Cash performing, "Ragged Old Flag" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic," at the 100th anniversary rededication of the Statue of Liberty on July 4, 1986.

Obama on the wrong side? Again?

Obama stands with tyrants
Honduras is part of a pattern
Washington Times
By | Thursday, July 2, 2009

Dictators and demagogues can rest easy on President Obama's watch. When thousands of Iranians flooded the streets of Tehran protesting a rigged election and were beaten and shot down by pro-regime thugs, the president bided his time before making a series of noncommittal statements. He seemed to hope it would all just go away. However, when a socialist demagogue was ejected unceremoniously from Honduras on Sunday by his own government for trying to establish a presidency for life, Mr. Obama instantly sprang to his defense.

"Elections have consequences" - Rush Limbaugh

When Is Coup, Not A Coup?

Honduras is under attack from the world for deposing a man who was attempting a coup. So when is a coup, not a coup?

Here is the scenario. The currently deposed president Manuel Zelaya was attempting to change the constitution so he could stay in power. The Honduras congress and supreme court ruled that he would have to leave at the end of his term. Zelaya siad he planned to stay president of Honduras. The Honduran supreme court and congress authorized the military to arrest and deport Zelaya and his family. They installed an interim president, Roberto Micheletti and are arranging for elections to be held.

Is this what the headlines seem to imply?

"Video shows Honduran troops shooting protesters' bus tires" - CNN
"Honduran court defiant on Zelaya" - BBC
"OAS Demands Honduras Restore Ousted President" - NPR
"End Honduran coup drama" - Miami Herald

And, of course, the U.N. and our President BHO are in full support of the want-to-be dictator, in spite of the fact that he was going to act in clear violation of the Honduran constitution. Is this surprising? When has BHO even come down on the side supporting any constitution? He is likely taking notes and planning his own change to the 22nd amendment of our constitution so he can stay in power past his term limits. Opps, it is already happening.

Imagine, if you will, Bush 43 saying to the American people, “I’d like to stay on past my 2nd term. I believe the country needs my leadership.” Suppose the U.S. congress and Supreme Court say, “No, you can’t stay” and authorized the Joint Chiefs of Staff to take action to oust Bush. Would the U.N. have cried ‘foul’ and forced us to take Bush back? Would the world have supported Bush in this case? What if it had been Bill Clinton? What will happen if BHO tries this?

When will the people of the United States of America ever wake up and realize the media is telling them what to think? Will it be before we lose all our liberty to the tyranny of statism?

How's That Hope & Change Working Out For You?

467K jobs cut in June; jobless rate at 9.5 percent

JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON – Employers cut a larger-than-expected ["larger than expected" by whom? I don't know anyone who was surprised by the increase. Do you?] 467,000 jobs in June, driving the unemployment rate up to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, suggesting that the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy.

The Labor Department report, released Thursday, showed that even as the recession flashes signs of easing ["signs of easing"? Really? Where?], companies likely will want to keep a lid on costs and be wary of hiring until they feel certain the economy is on a solid ground. [Or maybe until they know just how much more of their profits will be confiscated by an out of control government?]

June's payroll reductions were deeper than the 363,000 that economists expected.

If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the unemployment rate would have been 16.5 percent in June, the highest on records dating to 1994. [FINALLY! Someone finally said it! They have been hiding this fact for months!]

[But wait! Good times are right around the corner....] Even with higher pace of job cuts in June, the report indicates that the worst of the layoffs have passed. The deepest job cuts of the recession came in January, when 741,000 jobs vanished, the most in any month since 1949.

And there was some other encouraging job news Thursday.

In a separate report, the department said the number of newly laid-off workers filing applications for unemployment benefits fell last week to 614,000, in line with economists' predictions. The number of people continuing to draw benefits unexpectedly dropped to 6.7 million.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke predicts the recession will end this year, with many economists forecasting that the economy will start to grow again as soon as the current July-September quarter. [And he know how accurate "Unle Ben" has been so far... Why do we look to these people for answers, much less predictions?]

[Now here IS some good news...] An elevated unemployment rate could become a political liability for President Barack Obama when congressional elections are held next year. The last time the unemployment rate topped 10 percent, the party of the president — then Ronald Reagan's GOP — lost 26 House seats in midterm elections in 1982.

So far, many people are saving — rather than spending — the extra money in their paychecks from Obama's tax cut, blunting its help in bracing the economy. Much of the economic benefit of Obama's increased government spending on big public works projects won't kick in until 2010, analysts say. [ALL $13 per week, straight into their savings account!]

I don't know if any is reading my blog. Frankly, I don't care. I just need to blow off steam or this crap would get bottled up inside me... It feels good to "talk back" to the MSM....

Freedom Of The Oppressed or Freedom From The Oppressors?

I couldn't believe my eyes. First ABC News broadcasts a week long infomercial from the White House and now the Washington Post is selling "access" to the “health care reporting and editorial staff." WHAT?

When will the revolution begin?

I am ready!

"The Sun never shined on a cause of greater worth." --Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

Here it is:

Washington Post sells access, $25,000+
By MIKE ALLEN | 7/2/09
POLITICO

For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off the record, non-confrontational access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper’s own reporters and editors.

The astonishing offer is detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health-care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he feels it’s a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its “health care reporting and editorial staff."

The offer—which essentially turns a news organization into a facilitator for private lobbyist-official encounters—is a new sign of the lengths to which news organizations will go to find revenue at a time when most newspapers are struggling for survival.

[It isn't about the papers struggling revenue. All they would have to do is start covering BOTH sides of every issue. Thw WP would then stand out in a sea of liberal bias and find themselves swamped in revenue. This is about facilitaing BHO's single payer universal healthcare scheme, plain & simple.]

Here's the advertisement:

"Underwriting Opportunity: An evening with the right people can alter the debate," says the one-page flier. "Underwrite and participate in this intimate and exclusive Washington Post Salon, an off-the-record dinner and discussion at the home of CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth ... Bring your organization’s CEO or executive director literally to the table. Interact with key Obama Administration and Congressional leaders …

“Spirited? Yes. Confrontational? No. The relaxed setting in the home of Katharine Weymouth assures it. What is guaranteed is a collegial evening, with Obama Administration officials, Congress members, business leaders, advocacy leaders and other select minds typically on the guest list of 20 or less. …

“Offered at $25,000 per sponsor, per Salon. Maximum of two sponsors per Salon. Underwriters’ CEO or Executive Director participates in the discussion. Underwriters appreciatively acknowledged in printed invitations and at the dinner. Annual series sponsorship of 11 Salons offered at $250,000 … Hosts and Discussion Leaders ... Health-care reporting and editorial staff members of The Washington Post ... An exclusive opportunity to participate in the health-care reform debate among the select few who will actually get it done. ... A Washington Post Salon ... July 21, 2009 6:30 p.m."

This is journalistic malpractice. How can they possibly be considered an objective news source while at the same time facilitating the undermining of 20% of the U.S. GDP?

Do What I Say, Not As I Do... The New Motto Of Congress?

Congress's Travel Tab Swells
Spending on Taxpayer-Funded Trips Rises Tenfold; From Italy to the Galápagos
JULY 2, 2009
WALL STREET JOURNAL

...Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That's a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.

...Some members of Congress have complained in recent months about chief executives of bailed-out banks, insurance companies and car makers who sponsored corporate trips to resorts or used corporate jets for their own travel.

In mid-June, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D., Hawaii) led a group of a half-dozen senators and their spouses on a four-day trip to France for the biennial Paris Air Show. An itinerary for the event shows that lawmakers flew on the Air Force's version of the Boeing 737, which costs $5,700 an hour to operate. They stayed at the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel, which advertises rooms from $460 a night.

The lawmakers were invited to a dinner party at the U.S. Embassy and had cocktails at a private party at the Eiffel Tower. Mr. Inouye attended a dinner sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, a U.S. trade group. Another senator on the trip, Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, took a cruise on the River Seine with defense-industry executives and elected officials from Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

Mr. Inouye and Mr. Shelby declined to comment.

The hypocrisy of these criminals we elect is outrageous. They should have to pay their own travel expenses except for the expense of traveling to and from their district on a weekly basis (IN COACH - NOT FIRST CLASS - AND MOST CERTIANLY NOT ON A CHARTERED PRIVATE PLANE MS. PELOSI).

I recognize that $13,000,000 is not a big number when discussing up to $9,000,000,000,000 in debt. That is the problem! These people think, "What's $10,000 or $20,000 of taxpayer money when the budget is over a trillion dollars?" The numbers are so large their pointed little heads cannot grasp that it takes dollars out of the pockets of hard working U.S. citizens to pay for their fat asses sitting in first class traveling to Kuwait.

There is such a disconnect between them and us I have no idea how they will ever begin to govern for the benefit of us over them.

Cato Experts Dissect Obama's Health Care Town Hall Meeting

Cato Institute Does It Again! Making the complex understandable.

From reason.tv

It This A View Of The Future Of The USA...?

Tetra Pak to seek immediate talks with government after Chavez counterfeiting threat
By Rory Harrington, 16-Jun-2009
Foodproductiondaily.com

The global packaging giant [Tetra] admitted it was taken back when Hugo Chavez declared that his country would no longer recognize patented products. The mercurial 54-year-old leader said his country might copy packing technology developed by Tetra Pak as part of a strategy to reduce costs and reliance on foreign companies.

The company was reacting to the announcement made on national television in which the left-wing Chavez dismissed patents as “universal knowledge” before declaring: “We don’t have to be subject to capitalist laws.” The government also said it would also seize cardboard manufacturers that refused to supply packaging to state-owned food companies.

How long before BHO decides patents represent "universal knowledge" and decides to return the ownership of that "universal knowledge" over to what its 'rightful owners' the working class people of the U.S.?

So far BHO has dissolved the validity of contracts when he nationalized Chrysler & GM and gave the majority ownership to the unions; when he forces banks to take TARP money then wouldn't accept repayment of the money; so how long before he simply negates intellectual property rights?

You Wanna See a Horror Film?

If this doesn't frighten you, nothing will....

Watch it in High Quality here.

BTW - It's misnamed. It is really NOT about BHO.

Babs Boxer vs. Dr Evil....(Sorry: SENATOR Babs Boxer)

So much for leaders with humility....

Could This Be The Next WPA-like Make Work Project?

Here is what 60 years of liberal democrat and union labor (but I repeat myself) rule lead to:

US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive
UK Telegraph
By Tom Leonard in Flint, Michigan
Published: 6:30PM BST 12 Jun 2009

The government looking at expanding a pioneering scheme in Flint, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature.

Local politicians believe the city must contract by as much as 40 per cent, concentrating the dwindling population and local services into a more viable area.

The radical experiment is the brainchild of Dan Kildee, treasurer of Genesee County, which includes Flint.

Having outlined his strategy to Barack Obama during the election campaign, Mr Kildee has now been approached by the US government and a group of charities who want him to apply what he has learnt to the rest of the country.

Most are former industrial cities in the "rust belt" of America's Mid-West and North East. They include Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Memphis. [Anyone see a common theme amongst these cities?]

He [Mr. Kildee] said: "The obsession with growth is sadly a very American thing. Across the US, there's an assumption that all development is good, that if communities are growing they are successful. If they're shrinking, they're failing." [Does he mean that people leaving the cities for lack of work is a good thing?]

Flint's recovery efforts have been helped by a new state law passed a few years ago which allowed local governments to buy up empty properties very cheaply. [New London vs Kelo, anyone. Eminent domain, here they come.]

They could then knock them down [who pays for this?] or sell them on to owners who will occupy them [I thought they said no one lived there to begin with - hence buying them in the first place!]. The city wants to specialise in health and education services [For who? I thought everyone moved away?], both areas which cannot easily be relocated abroad.

The city is buying up houses in more affluent areas to offer people in neighbourhoods it wants to demolish. Nobody will be forced to move, said Mr Kildee. [How can this possibly be cost effective?]

There is so much wrong with this whole idea and the premise on which it stands I don't know where to begin?

Who pays for the demo & turning everything back into meadows?

If they are buying homes in more affluent neighborhoods and relocating people from poorer neighborhoods, won't this mean the more affluent neighborhoods will fall into decay as its new residents are poorer than existing residents?

How would you feel if you lived in a more affluent neighborhood and the city relocated someone from a not-so-affluent neighborhood?

If they are using the acquired land, supposedly purchased where no one lived, to build healthcare & education facilities, who will these facilities serve - I thought everyone left?

If they are building NEW healthcare & education facilities (where no one lives) what happens to the old healthcare & education facilities? Technically, shouldn't these be under utilized since everyone has left? Do the tax payers have to then pay to tear down and/or rehab the old facilities or are these new facilities in addition to the current under utilized healthcare & education facilities?

I wanted to live where I could see pasture & not have neighbors looking over their fence into my backyard, so I actually bought my little slice of heaven.

Test It Yourself... Google: Pvt William Andy Long

What do you get?

The FIRST story that is NOT a blog is SEVEN stories down!!!

THIS IS A COMPLETE OUTRAGE!!!

WHERE IS THE COVERAGE!!!

AP has the only story and it's on Google at #7 and PAGE #6 until you get to ABC News (aside from local AR news regarding the shooting & funeral).

Not CNN.

No results were found for: "Pvt William Andy Long" from www.cbsnews.com

MSNBC: 1 Story on funeral: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31172325/

ABC News: 2 stories: In Memoriam -- Will Long and a picture: Daris Long, red cap, salutes the flag-drapped casket of his son, U.S. Army Pvt.

Fox News: 15 stories on the first 2 pages. Seriously, try it!

Maybe this is why Fox News is beating all their competition COMBINED!!!!

IRS Weighs Rules for Taxing Private Use of Work Cellphones

Yes, you read that right:

IRS Weighs Rules for Taxing Private Use of Work Cellphones

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL | Personal Technology
JUNE 11, 2009, 4:38 P.M. ET
By MARTIN VAUGHAN

WASHINGTON -- The IRS is weighing a proposal to deem one-quarter of employees' use of work cellphones as personal use and therefore subject to tax as a fringe benefit.

The proposal is one of several options the IRS put forward this week on the tax treatment of employer-provided cellphones. Current law already requires that the value of those cellphone services be included in a worker's gross income, unless the employee keeps detailed records showing that the cellphone is used for work only.

But as a practical matter, many companies don't enforce the record-keeping requirements. The IRS proposals from this week aim to simplify the requirements and aid enforcement of the law.

Why do I find it hard to believe that, with 20 VOLUMES of Title 26 of the US Code of Federal Regulations (the part written by the IRS) at 13,458 pages plus the text of Title 26 of the United States Code (the part written by Congress) at a mere 3,387 printed pages (bringing the adjusted gross page count to 16,845), the IRS is incapable of simplifying ANYTHING!

Poow, Bawney Fwank. Can't Take Hawd... Questions!

Imagine the fuss that would be made if Mitch McConnell or some other high ranking Republican wined and fussed refused to answer the question and walked out of an interview... The hula balo!

All I can say is "Amen, Brother!"

This is a MUST READ piece. If the GOP expects to win, it needs to take the gloves off and start fighting like Democrats!

Face it, the Democrats will never be held to account in the MSM. If not for Fox News and the likes of Rush, Mark Levin, et. al. there would be NO accountability. With no accountability the Dems can say one thing, do another and never get questioned about the gap between their rhetoric and their actions (see Obama's PAYGO comments below).

The MSM would, however, cover GOP Congressmen & Senators if they started talking like Breitbart does in this article. The MSM would have no choice. Yes, they would try to spin it, but the Dems would be exposed for who they really are, once & for all. The truth would be out in the ether for all to see & hear. Like the saying goes, there is no bad publicity, there's just publicity. We need to quit playing the center and start standing on our core principles of fiscal and social conservatism. (Oh, and once elected, they have to govern that way too – see election results of 2006 for proof.) It's the only chance we have.

Know thy enemy: This is not your mother's Democratic Party
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
By Andrew Breitbart | Monday, June 8, 2009

PAYGO? Really? Obama? PAYGO?

Obama's call for restraint defies spending splurge
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
By Joseph Curl POLITICAL THEATER | Wednesday, June 10, 2009

"The 'pay as you go' rule is very simple," Mr. Obama read from his teleprompter to a happy crowd of Blue Dog Democrats. "Congress can only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere. And this principle guides responsible families managing a budget."

Mr. Obama's proposed budget would produce a $1.85 trillion deficit this year, more that four times the previous record set just last year by President George W. Bush, and $1.3 trillion next year. Over the next decade, the plan would incur $11.6 trillion in deficits - doubling the national debt, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Washington borrows roughly half of every dollar it spends and about 46 cents of every dollar pouring into the federal government goes out the door to pay for debt. And just like homeowners whose bad credit prevents them from borrowing money, the United States could lose its triple-A credit rating within the next 10 years, Moody's Investors Service said last month.

In addition, top Chinese bankers, who own billions of dollars in U.S. debt, this month said the U.S. government should start issuing bonds in yuan rather than dollars. In April, before the G-20 economic summit in London, the head of the People's Bank of China called for the yuan to replace the dollar as the international reserve currency. Throughout, the Chinese have begun to balk at buying more U.S. debt, unsure of its future worth.

So how's that Hope & Change working out for you....?

Maybe China will take on the USA at another province?

Why do I Like Her So Much?

Maybe because we think so much alike....

Palin: Government wants to 'control the people'
Posted: 01:09 PM ET
From CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby

(CNN) – Alaska governor Sarah Palin let loose Wednesday on the Obama administration for enacting fiscal policies that "fly in the face of principles" and "defy Economics 101."

In a speech introducing Michael Reagan — the son of former President Ronald Reagan — to an audience in Anchorage, Palin warned that the government is planning to "bail out debt ridden states" so it can "get in there and control the people."

"Since when can you get out of huge national debt by creating trillions of dollars of new debt?" Palin asked. "It all really is so backwards and skewed as to sound like absolute nonsense when some of this economic policy is explained."

"We need to be aware of the creation of a fearful population, and fearful lawmakers, being led to believe that big government is the answer, to bail out the private sector, because then government gets to get in there and control it," she said. "And mark my words, this is going to be next, I fear, bail out next debt-ridden states. Then government gets to get in there and control the people."

"Some in Washington would approach our economic woes in ways that absolutely defy Economics 101, and they fly in the face of principles, providing opportunity for industrious Americans to succeed or to fail on their own accord," she said. "Those principles it makes you wonder what the heck some in Washington are trying to accomplish here."

Though the bulk of her remarks focused on government encroachment into the private sector, and praise for former President Reagan's views on limited government, the former vice presidential candidate briefly touched on national security. She told the crowd that "the terrorists are still dead set against us" and that her son Track is still deployed in Iraq.

"It is war over there, so it will not be war over here," she said. "And it had better still be our mission that we win, they lose."

She also pointed to the recent dismissal of another ethics complaint against her, one that accused the governor of having a conflict of interest for wearing a jacket to the opening of the Tesoro Iron Dog race in February that feautured the logo of the sponsor of her husband's team. Palin has been forced to set up a legal defense fund to help pay for fees related to an onslaught of ethic complaints.

Palin said of the people who have filed the complaints: "Those are the folks who want to tell me, they want to tell you, to sit down and shut up. We will not do that. I just can't, because I love my state. I love my country."

Emphasis mine...

Obama Makes U.S. Look Weak? So?

The people have spoken. It turns out elections have consequences...

Boehner: Offering To Speak With Iran Makes America Look "Weak"

Obama. The Great Unifier...

Obama calls for new beginning between US, Muslims
By MARK S. SMITH, Associated Press Writer Mark S. Smith, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jun 4, 10:29 am ET

CAIRO – Quoting from the Quran for emphasis, President Barack Obama called for a "new beginning between the United States and Muslims" Thursday and said together, they could confront violent extremism across the globe and advance the timeless search for peace in the Middle East.
"This cycle of suspicion and discord must end," Obama said in a widely anticipated speech in one of the world's largest Muslim countries, an address designed to reframe relations after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Why do I think BHO sees the world through rose colored glassed?

Wow. Is He Really Qualified? (I mean BHO, not this guy..)

The 31-Year-Old in Charge of Dismantling G.M.
THE WALLS TREET JOURNAL
By DAVID E. SANGER
Published: May 31, 2009

WASHINGTON — It is not every 31-year-old who, in a first government job, finds himself dismantling General Motors and rewriting the rules of American capitalism.

But that, in short, is the job description for Brian Deese, a not-quite graduate of Yale Law School who had never set foot in an automotive assembly plant until he took on his nearly unseen role in remaking the American automotive industry.

It's nice to know we have someone so qualified helping to craft economic policy directly effecting a few million jobs...(This time I do mean Brian Deese, not BHO.)

Really?

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 1, 2009
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION


Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

Facts (stubborn things:)

GLBT % of population:
1.51% of the total U.S. population identifies themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, or 4.3 total million Americans. These numbers are based on figures provided by a broad-based coalition of gay rights organizations and homosexual advocacy groups. The primary source cited was the The National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS), published in the book The Social Organization of Sex: Sexual Practices in the United States (1994), by Laumann, Gagnon, Michael and Michaels.

Cost to U.S. Government (the "We the people" in our founding documents):
The federal government spent $6.1 billion on influenza-related programs in 2006, less than half as much as the $13.7 billion dollars it spent on HIV/AIDS programs that year, according to figures provided to CNSNews.com by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

During the same time, seasonal flu claimed 56,326 lives in the U.S., while AIDS-related deaths stood at 12,113.

Here are a Couple Intersting Tidbits...

From the Patriot Post
Friday Digest
5/22/2009

The Least Obvious Cut
Despite a bloated budget that expands government, President Obama vowed to cut or get rid of programs he considers useless or wasteful. But as a favor to his union buddies, one of Obama's real dollar cuts comes at the expense of the Office of Labor-Management Standards -- an agency that became a guardian of workers' rights under the Bush administration and whose investigations during his tenure led to 900 convictions of corrupt union officials.

Obama's budget proposal cuts $4 million in funding for the agency and requires resources to be transferred from the union watchdog to other agencies focusing on employers. Furthermore, the little guy who works in the union shop can no longer find out just how his hard-earned dues are spent -- on AIG-style perks, for example. The Obama Labor Department will not enforce the disclosure requirements put in place under President Bush.

With Big Labor now sitting in the catbird seat at two of the Big Three automakers and with billions in federal funding to fall back on, removing a watchdog agency geared toward policing union scofflaws doesn't seem like it benefits the American taxpayer, nor will it bolster their confidence in the new UAW-led regimes at GM and Chrysler.

And...

News From the Swamp: Utah Gov. Tapped for China Post

Four months after assuming the office of Chief Executive, President Obama finally got around to filling the key post of Ambassador to China by selecting Jon Huntsman Jr., Utah governor. Huntsman, first elected as Utah's governor in 2004, is well versed in Asian affairs and is fluent in Mandarin. He previously served as a deputy trade representative under President George W. Bush from 2001-2004 and was ambassador to Singapore from 1992-1994.

While Huntsman is a fine selection, his nomination continues an Obama trend of naming possible political opponents to inferior positions in his administration. Naming Hillary Clinton as secretary of state is an obvious example, but another was his bid to remake the Senate by tapping Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) to be secretary of commerce, a post Gregg eventually declined. Huntsman was on the verge of forming an exploratory committee for 2012. As has long been the case with Obama, he prefers to clear the playing field rather than compete on a level one.

I HIGHLY reccomend you subcribe to the Patriot Post...

Note to Obama Administration: "If it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck..."

American capitalism gone with a whimper

Front page / Opinion / Columnists
27.04.2009
Source: Pravda.Ru

It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

....lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blind the foolish.

Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

Even Pravda can see it happening. Why can't NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, CNNHLN, CBS, or ABC? Oh, that's right. They, too are Maxist's is sheeples clothing....