Wednesday, June 30, 2010
"66% of Voters Are Angry At The Media"
Surveys about the media are fascinating.
I say that because the media has been in steady decline.
Circulation is down. Viewership is down.
And yet, they continue with their biased reporting, which is likely what is turning people off.
Go figure...
I say that because the media has been in steady decline.
Circulation is down. Viewership is down.
And yet, they continue with their biased reporting, which is likely what is turning people off.
Go figure...
Here's part of the story from Rasmussen Reports website:
"But voters have consistently said in surveys that they believe the national media has a liberal bias and that most reporters try to help the candidates they want to win. Just before Election Day 2008, 51% said most reporters were trying to help Barack Obama win the presidency. Just seven percent (7%) thought they were trying to help John McCain, while 31% viewed their coverage as unbiased."
"How Obama Reduced Crime Rates Last Year"
I think this is worth noting in that, for once, an unintended consequence actually is working out favorably.
Of course, the FACT that a criminal's biggest fear is running up against an armed intended victim gets little, if any, publicity...
Of course, the FACT that a criminal's biggest fear is running up against an armed intended victim gets little, if any, publicity...
John Lott has the story at BigGovernment.com:
"President Obama surely didn’t intend it, but he deserves some credit for last year’s 7.4 percent drop in murder rates. His election caused gun sales to soar, and crime rates to plummet."
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Radio Address to the Nation on the Economy
Remember, Ronald Reagan followed Jimmy Carter.
Let's hope (pun intended) that history repeats itself.
We sure could use a change (pun intended) from what we have now...
Let's hope (pun intended) that history repeats itself.
We sure could use a change (pun intended) from what we have now...
Ronald Reagan began with this:
"My fellow Americans:
This week, we had some more good economic news. The economy grew by a revised 9.7 percent in real terms for the first quarter and an estimated 5.7 percent for this quarter. Both figures are better than had been predicted.
The strength of our expansion continues to surprise experts and outperform past recoveries. The curious thing is that some experts treat this good news -- strong economic growth -- as a cause for worry. Well, the commonsense reaction is right. Good news is not bad, it's good.
In some key ways this expansion is both different and more durable than those in the past. Stronger growth has enabled more people to find work and bring home paychecks, and it's improved the job outlook for the future. More people are working in America today than ever before. And the United States is creating more jobs at a faster rate than any other major industrialized country in the world, well over 6 million jobs in the last 18 months. In fact, we created more jobs in the month of May alone than all the Common Market countries created in the last 10 years.
I remember back in 1983 when a bill was introduced in Congress aimed at creating 300,000 jobs a year by spending $3\1/2\ billion of your tax money. Now, I said, ``No, the private economy will do the job better.'' And it has done better, much better. Since the recovery began, our economy has been creating, on average, more jobs every month than that government program promised to create in 12 months. And the jobs are benefiting everyone. Nearly 3 million women, a million blacks, and 650,000 Hispanics have found new jobs. "
A Tale of Two Disasters - WSJ.com
Here's a discussion of two disasters, two presidents, and the media coverage.
I think it's accurate...
I think it's accurate...
Paul H. Rubin writes in the Wall Street Journal:
"The final difference is in the press handling of the two issues.
Mr. Bush responded quickly to Katrina but was handicapped by regulations giving power to the states. Nonetheless, the federal response was well coordinated and helpful overall. But Mr. Bush was rapidly and widely blamed for the result of Katrina and for failures that actually occurred at other levels of government.
Now Mr. Obama has much more power than did Mr. Bush, but the federal response is ineffective and often stands in the way of those in the best position to know what to do. It is only in the last week or two that the mainstream press has voiced any criticism of Mr. Obama.
This is because the media's default position for Mr. Bush was 'Bush is wrong,' and it sought stories aimed at justifying this belief. For Mr. Obama the media's default is 'Obama is right,' and it takes a powerful set of facts to move it away from this assumption. As oil continues to gush from the unplugged well, this set of facts has unfortunately come to the fore."
Monday, June 28, 2010
"After big 1979 spill, a stunning recovery"
I certainly don't want to be dismissive of the oil spill; however, history seems to tell us that we can and will recover from it, as will the the environment and the wildlife...
This was written by Glenn Garvin of McClatchy Newspapers:
"Thirty-one years since the worst oil spill in North American history blanketed 150 miles of Texas beach, tourists noisily splash in the surf and turtles drag themselves into the dunes to lay eggs.
'You look around, and it's like the spill never happened,' shrugs Tunnell, a marine biologist. 'There's a lot of perplexity in it for many of us.'"
"Jon Stewart was born to bash Obama"
Too many satirists and comedians are NOT equal opportunity with their work.
It's refreshing to see Jon Stewart go against that grain...
It's refreshing to see Jon Stewart go against that grain...
Matt Zoller Seitz writes a lot about it at Salon.com:
"Throughout 2008, "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart assured reporters -- and viewers -- that even though he admired Obama, if the man revealed himself as less than advertised, he'd whip out the long knives just like he did when W. ran things. We had little reason to believe him, since he'd hit his stride with a Republican in the White House.
Believe him. The knives are out. The way Jon Stewart is going after Obama, you'd think the president owed him money."
The Alien in the White House - WSJ.com
Bingo!...
Dorothy Rabinowitz writes in the Wall Street Journal:
"Those qualities to be expected in a president were never about rhetoric; Mr. Obama had proved himself a dab hand at that on the campaign trail. They were a matter of identification with the nation and to all that binds its people together in pride and allegiance. These are feelings held deep in American hearts, unvoiced mostly, but unmistakably there and not only on the Fourth of July.
A great part of America now understands that this president's sense of identification lies elsewhere, and is in profound ways unlike theirs. He is hard put to sound convincingly like the leader of the nation, because he is, at heart and by instinct, the voice mainly of his ideological class. He is the alien in the White House, a matter having nothing to do with delusions about his birthplace cherished by the demented fringe."
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Health News - "Blindness Reversed in Dozens of Patient..."
This is quite remarkable.
ADULT stem cells are the catalyst, NOT the other kind...
ADULT stem cells are the catalyst, NOT the other kind...
This is part of Alicia Chang's Associated Press story:
"The treatment worked completely in 82 of 107 eyes and partially in 14 others, with benefits lasting up to a decade so far. One man whose eyes were severely damaged more than 60 years ago now has near-normal vision.
'This is a roaring success,' said ophthalmologist Dr. Ivan Schwab of the University of California, Davis, who had no role in the study--the longest and largest of its kind."
"Exasperated members see obstruction at DoJ "
Both parties are having trouble getting information from the Department of Justice...
Jordy Yager reports at theHill.com:
"Meanwhile, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), outlined three issues to The Hill where he says the DoJ has refused to cooperate with his attempts at congressional oversight: the closure of the Guantánamo Bay military prison, allegations of criminal misconduct by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and the DoJ’s dismissal of the voter intimidation case, United States v. New Black Panther Party.
'Rather than making good on his promises [of] openness and transparency, President [Barack] Obama and his administration officials appear committed to a standard of secrecy and stonewalling of Congress,' Smith said. 'All this silence, stonewalling and secrecy begs the question — what is the administration trying to hide?'"
Saturday, June 26, 2010
"Reid and McConnell lead letter to Obama defending Israel in flotilla incident"
Now, here's a funny thing.
From the media coverage, you would think there were only a few supporters of Israel.
Then, on second thought, politicians are KNOWN for switching allegiance according to the venue.
Oh yes, and elections are not too far off. It's just so transparently obvious...
From the media coverage, you would think there were only a few supporters of Israel.
Then, on second thought, politicians are KNOWN for switching allegiance according to the venue.
Oh yes, and elections are not too far off. It's just so transparently obvious...
Eric Zimmerman reports at theHill.com:
"A huge majority of senators co-signed a letter to President Barack Obama Wednesday defending Israel's actions in the flotilla incident last month and urging the administration to oppose a U.N. resolution critical of the country.
Led by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — and signed by 85 other members of the upper chamber — the letter argues that Israel's blockade of Gaza was both legal and necessary, and that Israeli commandos were acting in self-defense when they landed on the ship."
Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? - WSJ.com
This seems to explain quite a bit.
The well-intended liberal side of the world just doesn't understand basic economics.
It's like wishing for something that goes against the laws of physics.
It just can't happen...
The well-intended liberal side of the world just doesn't understand basic economics.
It's like wishing for something that goes against the laws of physics.
It just can't happen...
Daniel Klein reports in the Wall Street Journal:
"Who is better informed about the policy choices facing the country—liberals, conservatives or libertarians? According to a Zogby International survey that I write about in the May issue of Econ Journal Watch, the answer is unequivocal: The left flunks Econ 101."
Friday, June 25, 2010
"Traffic Camera Victim ‘Pays Back’ Police Dept.."
Justice or just funny? You decide...
I found this on the nannystateliberationfront blog:
"If you’ve ever been issued a traffic ticket by a red light or speeding camera, you will revel in the bittersweet justice one lucky recipient bestowed upon his local nanny state police department."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Confidence Waning in Obama, U.S. Outlook - WSJ.com
Americans are finally waking up, and it's about time.
For a while I thought this was never going to happen.
This "emperor" clearly has no clothes"...
For a while I thought this was never going to happen.
This "emperor" clearly has no clothes"...
Peter Wallsten and Eliza Gray write about it in the Wall Street Journal:
"Americans are more pessimistic about the state of the country and less confident in President Barack Obama's leadership than at any point since Mr. Obama entered the White House, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
The survey also shows grave and growing concerns about the Gulf oil spill, with overwhelming majorities of adults favoring stronger regulation of the oil industry and believing that the spill will affect the nation's economy and environment.
Sixty-two percent of adults in the survey feel the country is on the wrong track, the highest level since before the 2008 election. Just one-third think the economy will get better over the next year, a 7-point drop from a month ago and the low point of Mr. Obama's tenure."
"World Sees Obama as Incompetent and Amateur"
The points made here equate to quite a heavy hit on Barack Obama...
Mort Zuckerman offers his opinion at U.S. News & World Report. Here's just a part of it:
"The reviews of Obama's performance have been disappointing. He has seemed uncomfortable in the role of leading other nations, and often seems to suggest there is nothing special about America's role in the world. The global community was puzzled over the pictures of Obama bowing to some of the world's leaders and surprised by his gratuitous criticisms of and apologies for America's foreign policy under the previous administration of George W. Bush. One Middle East authority, Fouad Ajami, pointed out that Obama seems unaware that it is bad form and even a great moral lapse to speak ill of one's own tribe while in the lands of others.
Even in Britain, for decades our closest ally, the talk in the press—supported by polls—is about the end of the "special relationship" with America. French President Nicolas Sarkozy openly criticized Obama for months, including a direct attack on his policies at the United Nations. Sarkozy cited the need to recognize the real world, not the virtual world, a clear reference to Obama's speech on nuclear weapons. When the French president is seen as tougher than the American president, you have to know that something is awry. Vladimir Putin of Russia has publicly scorned a number of Obama's visions. Relations with the Chinese leadership got off to a bad start with the president's poorly-organized visit to China, where his hosts treated him disdainfully and prevented him from speaking to a national television audience of the Chinese people. The Chinese behavior was unprecedented when compared to visits by other U.S. presidents."
"Photo Evidence of ‘Myth of Siege of Gaza’ "
I count this as another example of our biased media.
We're a long way from a media that reports the facts, regardless of personal agendas...
We're a long way from a media that reports the facts, regardless of personal agendas...
Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu reports on it at IsraelNationalNews.com:
"Reserve IDF officer Lt. Col. Jonathan HaLevi, a researcher for the Institute for Contemporary Affairs, wrote that Israel’s continuing supervised flow of humanitarian aide to Gaza also has helped the Gaza economy rebound.
'Gaza is not cut off from the outside world,' he wrote, and added that the large supply of goods and merchandise, including fuel oil, that enters Gaza through smuggling tunnels and pipelines from Egypt has actually helped bring down the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel to half the price in Israel.
Claims by United Nations officials, reported without investigation by most mainstream media, have falsely promoted the image of a humanitarian crisis and a scarcity of foods and merchandise in Gaza, implying that Gaza Arabs share the plague of famine as in India and other countries."
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
"The President's Oil Reserves Lie"
Oil. We have it right here in the U.S.
And there's plenty of it!...
And there's plenty of it!...
Chad Stafko includes this in his article at AmericanThinker.com:
"Note the following statement from the article:
... untapped reserves are estimated at about 2.3 trillion barrels, nearly three times more than the reserves held by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Counties (OPEC) and sufficient to meet 300 years of demand-at today's levels-for auto, aircraft, heating and industrial fuel, without importing a single barrel of oil.
Think about that. The nations that currently hold us hostage by their massive oil production actually have far fewer reserves than our own nation."
Government at Work - distributing stimulus money
This doesn't seem right to me...
At ABCnews.com, Coulter King and Marianne De Padua recently reported:
"Indian Tribe That Runs Connecticut Casino Earning $1 Billion-Plus Per Year Got Government Check"
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
What Israelis Really Think Should Be Done About Gaza - TIME
Every politician, head of state, and pundit has their "outsiders" opinion, so it's nice to see someone get the opinions of the Israeli citizens...
Karl Vick reports on the Time.com website:
"In a small country united by, among other things, an abiding sense of vulnerability, the missile attacks are synonymous with "Gaza." And though they have grown less frequent since Israel invaded the coastal strip in December 2008, what remains foremost in the popular imagination are periods when they seemed incessant. Gallingly, rocket attacks surged after Israel pulled its settlers and soldiers out of the coastal strip five years ago."
Meanwhile - "Fixing" the economy
The Brits have a newly elected government, and it looks like they're willing to make the tough choices necessary to "fix" their economy...
Rosa Prince recently reported this in the U.K. Telegraph:
"In a speech at the children's charity Barnardo's yesterday, Mr Clegg said the current child tax credit scheme was 'madness'.
'Crucially, we need to reverse the trend of making families ever more dependent on the state,' he said.
'The previous government believed social change must always be driven from the centre. But that's government at its worst – insecure government, government that creates needy families.'
He continued: 'That's why this government is going to raise the income tax personal allowance so that families can keep more of the money they earn.'"
Bike Race Doping?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Politicians - Hartford mayor Eddie Perez
Another corrupt politician bites the dust...
Everton ailey Jr. has the story at Breitbart.com:
"Perez was convicted Friday in Connecticut and faces up to 60 years in prison, with each of the five counts carrying a minimum of one year in jail. The jury acquitted him of one count of tampering with evidence.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10.
Perez issued a statement late Friday afternoon saying he did not feel it was in his best interests to continue as mayor during the appeal of my case."
"Billboard Asks: 'But Who Will Pay the Piper?'"
This use of billboards fascinates and amuses me.
I know it's because of the subject matter...
I know it's because of the subject matter...
Pete Winn reports this at CNS.com. Yes, there's a picture:
"Thanks to an advertiser who wishes to remain anonymous, cars and trucks on Arizona Highway 260 in East Central Arizona are driving by a billboard advertisement that recently went up, bearing President Obama’s face on what appears to be a mock U.S. $100,000,000,000,000 (One-Hundred Trillion Dollar) bill.
The billboard’s caption: 'But Who Will Pay the Piper?'"
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The United States of Throw the Bums Out - WSJ.com
I hope this sentiment prevails come election time.
It will remove some bums from office, and also deliver a message that politicians must pay attention to their constituents after they are elected...
It will remove some bums from office, and also deliver a message that politicians must pay attention to their constituents after they are elected...
Douglas E. Schoen and Patrick H. Caddell write this and more in the Wall Street Journal:
"Given the general climate of disaffection and mistrust with Democrats and Republicans alike, it's clear that the Republican Party's greatest asset right now is that elections are binary choices and voters tend to turn against incumbents. Put simply, the Republicans are winning support because they are not Democrats. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those who favored Republican control of Congress in the May Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll said they were motivated by opposition to Mr. Obama and Democratic policies, while less than one-third (31%) of those who favored Republican control said they support the GOP and its candidates."
"Nestle to begin draining millions of gallons of Arkansas River water"
Bottled water is an interesting product...
At ColoradoIndependent.com, Scot Keersgard writes about the reasons behind this statement:
"'The thing that gets me most fired up,' said Graham, 'is how illogical it is to take our water, pipe it five miles to a truck plant, send 25 trucks of it to Denver every day, and then put it in plastic bottles. Considering that anyone can just turn a tap in their home and get the same water. It is just absurd.'"
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Crude Politics - WSJ.com
This articles title is spot on.
Everything you say to a political animal gets twisted, spun, manipulated, and contorted to a point that it no longer has the intended meaning.
Unfortunately, human nature doesn't expect that and those without experience find out the hard way...
Everything you say to a political animal gets twisted, spun, manipulated, and contorted to a point that it no longer has the intended meaning.
Unfortunately, human nature doesn't expect that and those without experience find out the hard way...
This Wall Street Journal opinion column points out a recent case:
"When President Obama last month announced his six-month deepwater moratorium, he pointed to an Interior Department report of new 'safety' recommendations. That report prominently noted that the recommendations it contained—including the six-month drilling ban—had been 'peer-reviewed' by 'experts identified by the National Academy of Engineering.' It also boasted that Interior 'consulted with a wide range' of other experts. The clear implication was that the nation's drilling brain trust agreed a moratorium was necessary.
As these columns reported last week, the opposite is true. In a scathing document, eight of the 'experts' the Administration listed in its report said their names had been 'used' to 'justify' a 'political decision.'" The draft they reviewed had not included a six-month drilling moratorium. The Administration added that provision only after it had secured sign-off. In their document, the eight forcefully rejected a moratorium, which they argued could prove more economically devastating than the oil spill itself and 'counterproductive' to 'safety.'"
Politicians - Beware the lame ducks
With no potential consequences, strange things are possible...
Hon. Ernest Istook explains at DailyCaller.com:
"This year it’s the Democrats who may stuff major controversies into a post-election free-for-all, but Feingold’s principle holds true: Politicians who won’t face the voters ever again–or not for at least two years–have less accountability, especially when they know it’s their last chance before a major power shift."
Friday, June 18, 2010
'I Will Not Settle for Inaction' - WSJ.com
Hmmm!. Two emergency situations.
One president waves a restrictive law; another one doesn't...
One president waves a restrictive law; another one doesn't...
John Fund writes about it in the Wall Street Journal:
"Hawaii GOP Rep. Charles Djou, who won his seat in a special election last month, says he's "disappointed" that Mr. Obama has failed to waive the Jones Act, an antiquated 1920 law mandating that goods shipped between U.S. ports be handled by U.S.-built and -owned ships manned by U.S. crews. Unions fiercely support the law as a means of preserving U.S. jobs. In this case, though, the law might be hindering the recovery of hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast jobs.
Mr. Obama could issue a full waiver of the Jones Act, but failed even to mention the law in his speech last night. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Bush administration didn't hesitate to waive the law completely in an emergency. Congressman Djou says a waiver is essential in spurring the Gulf Coast cleanup. The Houston Chronicle reports that several countries offered to send sophisticated equipment immediately after the spill but were turned down. The Dutch government offered ships fitted with oil-skimming booms three days after the leak began. Geert Visser, the consul general for the Netherlands in Houston, said the answer from the Obama administration was "Thanks, but no thanks.""
"Kansas Candidate Proposes an Office of the Repealer"
Kansas Candidate Proposes an Office of the Repealer - NYTimes.com
This sounds reasonable to me. How about you?...
This sounds reasonable to me. How about you?...
This is from Monica Davey's recent New York Times article:
"In his journeys in this region lately, he has proposed a new Kansas entity, the State Office of the Repealer, whose job it would be to start disposing of all the silly, needless, over-the-top regulations that state officials have dreamed up.
'People just love this idea,' Mr. Brownback said here the other day, smiling broadly. 'They feel like they’re getting their brains regulated out of them.'"
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Katie Couric on Letterman
Wow. Did I just hear a defense of President Bush?...
Obama's speech: "There's a pipe spewing a gazillion gobs of oil into the gulf, so let's build more windmills"
This article seems to cover it quite well...
Andrew Malcolm has this and much more on the L.A. Times blog:
"Obama, the first modern president to pass his first full year in office without addressing the country from his historic desk, had the setting right. Just back from a day-and-a-half on the gulf coast listening, reassuring, talking tourism, eating seafood. He wore the proper suit, had the requisite flags and family photos in the background.
For 18 minutes he delivered the words crisply and forthrightly, though too often distracting anxious viewers with his fidgeting hands like the lecturing professor he once was. Or wait! Was Mr. Cool nervous? (See video below.)
Obama had the firmness down OK: Make no mistake etc. We will hold BP accountable etc. He....
...had the God references. The talk of real live shrimpers devastated. An American way of life threatened. And though he likened the spill more to an epidemic, he also brought in the requisite battle metaphors. And, in case anyone hasn't heard by now, Obama noted has another Nobel Prize winner in his cabinet, Stephen Chu, who hasn't been able to stop the oil leak either.
But there was something wrong."
America's Municipal Debt Racket - WSJ.com
Government at Work!
There was a time when I thought whistleblowers and groups that tried to inform us about government waste and abuse were somewhat paranoid.
Now, I wish there had been more of them; MANY more of them.
This stuff needs to be brought to the attention of the voting public...
There was a time when I thought whistleblowers and groups that tried to inform us about government waste and abuse were somewhat paranoid.
Now, I wish there had been more of them; MANY more of them.
This stuff needs to be brought to the attention of the voting public...
Steven Malanga reports in the Wall Street Journal:
"Nearly 40 years ago the Garden State borrowed $302 million to begin constructing the Meadowlands. The goal was to pay off the bonds in 25 years. Although the project initially went according to plan, politicians couldn't resist continually refinancing the bonds, siphoning revenues from the complex into the state budget, and using the good credit rating of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition authority to borrow for other, unsuccessful building schemes.
Today, the authority that runs the Meadowlands is in hock for $830 million, which it can't pay back. The state, facing its own cavernous budget deficits, has had to assume interest payments—about $100 million this year on bonds that still stretch for decades.
The authority that runs the new Meadowlands stadium in New Jersey is $830 million in hock.
This tale of woe has become familiar in the world of municipal finance. Governments have loaded up on debt, stretched out repayment times, and used slick maneuvers to avoid constitutional borrowing limits. While the country's economic troubles have helped expose some of these practices, a sharp decline in tax revenues has prompted more abuse as politicians use long-term debt to kick short-term fiscal problems down the road."
Politicians Cause Downsizing - Rasmussen Reports™
Well, I'm not surprised.
After all, what DOES government do well?...
After all, what DOES government do well?...
Howard Rich reports on the Rasmussen Reports website:
"Of all the myths helping to sustain the unsustainable status quo in Washington, D.C., among the most widely accepted is the belief that a politician’s seniority translates into tangible economic benefits for his or her district. In fact, this perception works hand-in-glove with another central government myth – the one about politicians being able to create private sector jobs with your tax dollars in the first place.
Perpetuated by aspiring elected officials at all levels of government (and parroted by an intellectually incurious mainstream media), these Keynesian pillars have gone virtually unchallenged for years – allowing government to continue devouring additional chunks of private sector industries it claims to be strengthening.
In recent years, however, public distrust of government has fueled renewed skepticism regarding these two myths – although the academic appetite to challenge them theoretically has been predictably lacking.
In fact, the research that could end up blowing these myths out of the water seems to have come about accidentally – or at least as an afterthought. Three professors at Harvard Business School – Lauren Cohen, Joshua Coval and Christopher Malloy – were examining the correlation between politically-connected firms and powerful legislative committee chairmen when they stumbled upon something “unexpected.”
What did they discover? Something free market advocates have known for years: Government spending kills jobs."
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hollywood - Ashton Kutcher
We all know celebrities live in a different world.
Considering all the mirrors, it's fascinating that they can't see themselves for what they are...
Considering all the mirrors, it's fascinating that they can't see themselves for what they are...
Michelle Oddis points out his hypocrisy at HumanEvents.com:
"Kutcher fails mention that he is the owner of a Navistar CXT. A 14,500 lb. monster pickup that gets 7 miles a gallon in its 70-gallon fuel tank."
"Some Republicans fear winning back the House..."
Here's an interesting pro and con article.
Considering how fast things change, I'm siding on winning ASAP, and worrying about the possible consequences later...
Considering how fast things change, I'm siding on winning ASAP, and worrying about the possible consequences later...
Jon Ward writes about the issue at DailyCaller.com:
"Turns out, not all Republicans are rooting for their own to win the House.
'I want Republicans to make massive gains but I want them to fall one vote short of taking the House,' said Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary to President George W. Bush. 'I want to see more evidence that Republicans are ready to govern. I want to see more substance, particularly on what spending they will cut.'
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican who has been tasked with recruiting candidates by House Minority Leader John Boehner, confirmed that this view is held by numerous party operatives and leaders, though none in Congress.
'There are some Republicans out there that I respect, that are very, very bright, that root against us getting the majority,' McCarthy said at a recent lunch with reporters. 'They believe it’s a two-cycle election. They believe they may get the White House. They think if we got the majority somehow it protects Obama.'"
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
"NY Gov. candidate slams CNN over potential hire"
CNN, the madam, and ex-governor Spitzer.
You can't make this stuff up...
You can't make this stuff up...
Kristin Davis (she's the madam and candidate for governor) reacts to this at DailyCaller.com:
"News reports suggest that CNN may be planning to hire disgraced former New York governor Eliot Spitzer to replace the departing Campbell Brown."
Politicians - Rahm Emanuel
This looks more than a little "sticky" to me.
Hopefully, the administration that was going to "change the way Washington works", doesn't say "it's always been done this way"...
Hopefully, the administration that was going to "change the way Washington works", doesn't say "it's always been done this way"...
Jerome R. Corsi writes at WND.com:
"WND's research further raises the question of whether the White House was compromised by Emanuel's financial ties to the company.
Emanuel lived for five years rent-free in an apartment owned by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and her husband, Stanley Greenberg, whose consulting firm was a prime architect in BP's efforts to recast itself as a 'green' corporation and recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars awarded through a committee chaired by Emanuel."
Monday, June 14, 2010
"When a Tax Is Not a Tax"
Most of us know that politicians will say anything to get elected.
Apparently, that behavior is NOT restricted to the election cycle.
They have different (opposite) stories depending on the venue...
Apparently, that behavior is NOT restricted to the election cycle.
They have different (opposite) stories depending on the venue...
Lawrence E. Harkenrider writes at American Thinker.com:
"Inconveniently, shortly after the health care bill was passed into law in March of 2010, the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC), located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, sued the federal government over the constitutionality of the new law. The lawsuit names Barack Hussein Obama, in his capacity as President of the United States, as one of the defendants. The Complaint alleges that the law's mandate requiring people to either buy health insurance or pay a fine is unconstitutional.
The Department of Justice, speaking on behalf of President Obama and the other defendants in his administration, recently filed its Response. Among other arguments, the defendants assert: 'The Minimum Coverage Provision Is Constitutional as an Exercise of the Power to Tax and Spend to Provide for the General Welfare.' In short, the mandate is constitutional because it constitutes a federal tax."
Politicians - and money
I'm sure this will become an election issue in Florida; and, I'm also sure it goes on all the time.
In politics, money and power, test everyone's ethics, and many fail the test...
In politics, money and power, test everyone's ethics, and many fail the test...
The Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard reports at TampaBay.com:
"Gov. Charlie Crist personally signed off on his former Republican Party chairman's confidential fundraising role with the state party, according to Jim Greer's attorney, whose allegation contradicts the governor's statement that he 'didn't know anything' about the deal now part of a criminal investigation.
State investigators say Greer and the party's former executive director, Delmar W. Johnson III, secretly set up a shell company called Victory Strategies to divert party money and enrich themselves. Greer was charged Wednesday with fraud and money laundering."
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Did Al Gore Invent His Marriage Too? - AOL News
Well, he DOES exaggerate at times...
Richard Benedetto wonders about it at AOLnews.com:
"But Gore had a reputation for exaggerating. Among other things, he got himself into hot water with the remark that he helped create the Internet. He also once intimated, inaccurately, that he and Tipper were the models for the couple in the Erich Segal 1970 novel 'Love Story,' later a movie that starred Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neill.
So why didn't we suspect he was exaggerating the quality of his marriage? It was probably because in those days we thought it was too risky to speculate on personal stuff without evidence. Everything is different now."
"The 'Discrimen' Of Change"
Here's a comparison of Roman times to our present day economy.
Ugh, oh! Rome fell, didn't it?...
Ugh, oh! Rome fell, didn't it?...
Keith McCullough says "it isn't working", and writes at BusinessInsider.com:
"What would be my approach to fixing this mess?
1. First, stop. Just stop what we are doing with this Bernanke-Geithner/Keynes/Japan experiment.
2. Then, start over. Start empowering new/competing risk management strategies. Start by respecting the cost of capital and future liabilities.
3. Finally, plan on changing this plan if it’s not working.
I have been promoting this Bull vs. Bear debate for the last few months because we need a Forum of Transparency & Accountability where we can settle this score once and for all. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be no more finger pointing by losers who won’t accept change.
This isn’t about egos. This isn’t about me turning into some broken clock perpetual bear either. This is all about finding a better way – a way that works. The market isn’t lying; politicians and people are."
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Israel Kills Diving 'Squad' Off Gaza - WSJ.com
Apparently, the Israelis have more than "peaceful" protest ships to deal with...
Chip Cummins reports for the Wall Street Journal:
"GAZA CITY—Israel killed a group of men in diving suits off the coast of the Gaza Strip early Monday and launched an airstrike against alleged militants preparing to fire rockets into Israel, heightening tensions between the two sides a week after a deadly Israeli raid against a flotilla of aid and activists."
More on fallout from Obama-BP Gulf oil disaster
The Gulf oil spill has so many facets that we'll be hearing about it and referring to it for a long time...
Anthony G. Martin is already reporting this and more at Examiner.com:
"Sources along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana have reported to Conservative Examiner that citizens, private relief groups, photographers, bloggers, and citizen journalists have been barred from access to the region.
Only 'authorized' personnel are allowed, and that includes those journalists that are deemed 'authorized' by the federal government.
Conservative Examiner has also learned that the few authorized journalists and photographers that are allowed in the area have been instructed by the Feds not to write anything critical of the Obama Administration's response--or shall we say the lack thereof--to the crisis. Photographers have also been instructed to limit photographs of the devastation.
These actions by the federal government do nothing but raise suspicions even more about the nature of this disaster and the scenario that led to it."
Friday, June 11, 2010
Local 'earmarks' run a stop sign |
The earmark thing has NOT gone away.
It's really a very minor portion of the federal budget; however, it IS a hot-button issue, mostly because it is used questionably, not to mention on the sly.
My guess is that very little, if anything, has changed...
It's really a very minor portion of the federal budget; however, it IS a hot-button issue, mostly because it is used questionably, not to mention on the sly.
My guess is that very little, if anything, has changed...
Mark Weiner reports at Syracuse.com:
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid down the law this year: To prevent the appearance of Congress doing unethical favors for big campaign contributors, she told Democrats they could no longer steer federal money directly to corporations. The only 'earmarks' members could seek in spending bills would be for nonprofits.
Pelosi in March called it a 'critical reform that addresses concerns that many Americans have.'
'It ensures that for-profit companies no longer reap the rewards of congressional earmarks and limits the influence of lobbyists on members of Congress,' she said.
But not everyone is obeying Pelosi’s tough talk."
Hypocrisy On ICE - Investors.com
I think this is a classic example of a "flip-flop".
Perhaps you'll agree...
Perhaps you'll agree...
This is part of a recent Investors.com opinion column:
"Under the 2006 program, more than 1,100 cops with 71 state and local agencies have helped the feds round up more than 110,000 illegals, the report says. Nine Arizona law enforcement agencies have taken advantage of it. In fact, all of the agreements were inked while Janet Napolitano was Arizona governor.
This is the same Napolitano, who despite running the federal program now as Homeland Security chief, is slamming Arizona's tough new immigration code as 'bad law enforcement law.'
'That's not the kind of law I would have signed,' she asserted, explaining that she dealt with 'laws of that ilk' in Arizona before and that most police outfits were opposed to them.
In fact, most Arizona cops strongly support the new law — probably because, after training with border agents, they see it works."
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Politicians - "Governor Christie slams public teacher unions"
I hope Governor Christie is successful in New Jersey, because, if he is, it will open the door for more "telling it like it is", which I think is a good thing...
At AmericanThinker.com, Greg Halvorson writes about these recent comments:
"Parents and children who are being failed by a public school system whose costs are exorbitant and whose results are insulting deserve a choice. We don't have to look far around the country to know that vouchers and experiments in school choice are working, that they're producing results.
In D.C., those in that program are now reading 19 months ahead of their peers outside of the program. This isn't a coincidence, we know it's not a coincidence. We know that there's over five-million children trapped in over ten-thousand failing public schools around America.
And I use the word ‘trapped' and I use it directly. They are trapped by an educational bureaucracy, they are trapped by a selfish, self-interested, greedy school union that cares more about putting money in their own pocket, and the pockets of members, than they care about educating our most vulnerable and needy children."
Survey Says - but it's selectively reported
Here's another case of the media being "less than perfect" is their prompt and complete reporting of polling results...
Kevin “Coach” Collins posts this among other things on his blog:
"A recent Quinnipiac poll found 85% of us think illegal immigration is at least somewhat serious with 59% saying it is a very serious problem. The same survey found 66% want stricter enforcement. By 51/31 the new Arizona law is approved and 76% say boycotting Arizona is a bad idea.
CBS News found the same feeling about the seriousness of the illegal alien problem with its 84% total and CNN found 76% want the number of illegal aliens decreased. "
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
America - "In God We Trust"!
There are many who would like to have you believe that America's Founders had no religious inclinations.
Then, there's that seldom publicized 2nd verse of the Star Spangled Banner...
Then, there's that seldom publicized 2nd verse of the Star Spangled Banner...
"Why do Obama, BP refuse to use most effective method of oil cleanup?"
This seems like a legitimate question.
Of course, when politics are involved, nothing is at it appears to be.
Wouldn't it be nice to have the media ask this question and PRESS for an answer?...
Of course, when politics are involved, nothing is at it appears to be.
Wouldn't it be nice to have the media ask this question and PRESS for an answer?...
Anthony G. Martin writes about it at Examiner.com:
"In an interview with Esquire, Pozzi stated the following:
NICK POZZI: Keep in mind that what supertankers typically do is they sit in the middle of the ocean waiting for all the traders to come up with the right price. When they feel that the price is right, the tankers that are full, they take off, and they can be anywhere in the world in a few days. Right now there are probably 25 supertankers, waiting for orders, full of oil. So all they got to do is come to Texas, in the Gulf, unload the oil, and then turn around and suck up all this other stuff and pump it onto shore into on-shore storage. It's not rocket science. It's so simple. It's a Robinson Crusoe fix, but it works.
However, Esquire also reported that nearly FIFTY (50) super-tankers were sitting empty and ready to go, and on the cheap.
The Obama Administration and BP have totally ignored them."
"School Official in Basketball Flap Is No Stranger to Controversy"
This appears to be one of those cases where a decision maker with questionable behavior was allowed to continue making decisions...
PRE-LINK TEXT Jana Winter reports at FoxNews.com:
"The school official who nixed a girls' high school basketball team's planned trip to Arizona once supported a controversial program that required ninth-graders to attend a 'freshman advisory' class at which gay upperclassmen shared stories of their high school experiences.
Parents who were unhappy with the class were even more outraged to learn that students who attended were asked to sign a statement promising not to tell others -- including their parents -- about what was said in class."
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
The Media - Reuters manipulating photos (again)
I guess it's NOT illegal to crop pictures; however, it IS very misleading to eliminate content which would likely alter the opinion of the viewer.
Reuters has done this before to promote their biased agenda.
And also another one...
Another Cropped Reuters Photo Deletes Another Knife - And a Pool of Blood:
Reuters has done this before to promote their biased agenda.
The LittleGreenFootballs website has this example...Did Reuters Crop a Photo to Remove a Peace Activist's Weapon?:
And also another one...
Another Cropped Reuters Photo Deletes Another Knife - And a Pool of Blood:
"Sanctuary Cities"
I doubt anyone has the wherewithall to "guarantee" our safety, and government bureaucracies SURELY do not...
I found this on the DougRoss Journal blog:
"In an alarming example of how sanctuary cities can protect terrorists, a Pakistani man arrested for the Time Square bombing admitted on a city license application that he entered the U.S. illegally and authorities took no action.
That’s because he applied for the cabbie license in a state (Massachusetts) that openly protects illegal immigrants from deportation. Local law enforcement agencies throughout Massachusetts have don’t-ask-don’t-tell policies regarding illegal aliens and in this case the Boston Police Department has for years known that the terrorist, So Pir Khan, was in the country illegally.
Khan was recently arrested in an FBI terror sweep for his involvement in the Time Square bombing earlier this month."
"Nikki Haley And Ugly South Carolina Politics"
Politics is really ugly during normal times.
When you're considered an "outsider" it's even worse...
When you're considered an "outsider" it's even worse...
I found this story on the Neoavatara.com blog:
"For those of you that don’t know, Nikki Haley is the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of South Carolina. The old boy Republican establishment really, really hates this fact.
Haley ran as an outsider in a state that is as old fashioned as any…and shocked the world. As a member of the state legislature, she has shown herself to be a true conservative, and funneled that experience into coalescing her conservative voice. She was able to tap into voter resentment of the establishment, and thus, has built a huge lead and huge coffers of money.
But as she pulled out to her lead, the politics got dirty."
Monday, June 07, 2010
Meanwhile - Along the Border
I guess this could qualify as a J.D. Hayworth campaign ad.
On the other hand, videos like this make it hard to dispute that we need to do something better to secure the border...
On the other hand, videos like this make it hard to dispute that we need to do something better to secure the border...
"California has an immigration law too"
When one considers the already existing immigration laws of the U.S. and many of the states, you find some interesting things.
I'll blame the media for jumping on the anti-Arizona bandwagon, while failing to investigate that which would put things in the proper perspective...
I'll blame the media for jumping on the anti-Arizona bandwagon, while failing to investigate that which would put things in the proper perspective...
At AmericanThinker.com, Michael Harlin informs us:
"...California's law is racist while Arizona's is not, to use liberal logic, because race may not be used to trigger the inquiry into status in Arizona after an arrest. In California, no problem! Racial profile all you want!
But it gets better!"
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Rasmussen Reports™
What Americans are thinking on current issues...
It's a weekly feature of RasmussenReports.com:
"What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Saturday, June 05, 2010"
Matricular Cards
Try to wrap your brain around this...
Sara A. Carter has this at WashingtonExaminer.com:
"The matricular consular identification card, is issued by the Mexican government to Mexican nationals residing outside the country, regardless of immigration status. The purpose is to provide identification for opening bank accounts and obtaining other services. But the cards are usually used to skirt U.S. immigration laws, since Mexicans in the country legally have documents proving that status, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.
In 2004 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI officials called the card an unreliable form of identification. The agency said that Mexico lacks a centralized database for them, which could lead to forgery, duplication, and other forms of abuse.
Officers with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said their agency was asked by Mexican officials not to enforce U.S. immigration laws on the island while the cards were being issued."
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Meanwhile - in the U.K. - at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School
Do you see anything wrong with this? I do...
James Tozer reports in the U.K. Daily Mail:
"A Roman Catholic schoolgirl has been labelled a truant after she refused to wear a headscarf during a compulsory trip to a mosque.
Amy Owen, 14, and fellow girl pupils at a Catholic secondary school were told to cover their heads and wear trousers or leggings out of respect for their Muslim hosts.
But when her mother objected, saying she did not want her daughter to 'dress as a Muslim', she received a sternly worded warning letter from the headmaster saying she had no choice."
"Obama Weekly Approval Average Dips to New Low of 46%"
Just in case your news outlet missed this...
Gallup.com tracks Barack Obama's approval rating:
"PRINCETON, NJ -- At 46%, President Obama's job approval average for the week ending May 30 is the lowest weekly average of his administration, one point below the previous low of 47% measured in April."
Friday, June 04, 2010
Top 10 Largest Oil Spills
(Exxon Valdez or Deep Water Horizon Not on List.
The point is that we can survive this...
The point is that we can survive this...
At FactResource.com they have listed:
"Top 10 Largest Oil Spills"
"Photocopier Fallout: Congress, FTC 'Concerned'"
The more technology we have; the more things like this we have...
Armen Keteyian reported this recently on the CBSnews website:
"CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports parents and students at Dos Palos High School in Sacramento found out the hard way recently, when CBS affiliate KOVR pulled hundreds of student names, home addresses, cell phone and social security numbers off the hard drive of an old school copier."
Thursday, June 03, 2010
The Media - vs. Sarah Palin
I'm no fan of the media and apparently I'm not alone...
On Facebook, Sarah Palin writes about her recent experience with NBC:
"Is It Any Wonder Why We Call Them 'Lame'?"
"NBC responded to thank us for our statements and again promised that they would 'make sure' that the Today Show airs both of our statements 'as a fullscreen graphic during the segment tomorrow.' We were grateful because we knew that our statements would counter any accusation of 'inciting hatred.' And boy was it necessary because in his interview on NBC this morning McGinniss doubled down on his accusation to actually compare us to the Nazis!
But there was just one problem: NBC broke their promise and didn’t run our statements after all. So, the 'journalist’s' sensational claims about us being Nazis went unchallenged."
"Judge Bans Enforcement Of N.Y. Day Laborer Law"
This is troubling to me.
Any perceived right of an "illegal" has to be second to the rights of citizens.
Hopefully, a future final ruling will set this right...
Any perceived right of an "illegal" has to be second to the rights of citizens.
Hopefully, a future final ruling will set this right...
JuditialWatch.org recently reported this:
"A federal judge is preventing a New York town from enforcing its 'unconstitutional' law prohibiting illegal immigrant day laborers from seeking work on public property and people from hiring them.
Oyster Bay, a Long Island town of about 300,000 residents, passed the public safety measure last fall because day laborers—and those who hire them—were creating dangerous traffic situations in the municipality’s main roads. The ordinance prohibits pedestrians from soliciting employment and bars drivers from stopping to hire workers.
Town officials say the traffic problem has been brewing for years and they had no choice but to take action because the federal government 'has turned its back on immigration enforcement.' Day laborers and those who try to hire them are warned about the law before being fined $250 for each subsequent offense."
Student’s Arrest Tests Immigration Policy - NYTimes.com
This girl's anger should be directed toward whoever brought her to America illegally, and set the stage for this to happen...
Robbie Brown has the story in the New York Times:
"ATLANTA — Jessica Colotl, a 21-year-old college student and illegal Mexican immigrant at the center of a contentious immigration case, surrendered to a Georgia sheriff on Friday but continued to deny wrongdoing.
Ms. Colotl was arrested in March for driving without a license and could face deportation next year. On Wednesday the sheriff filed a felony charge against her for providing a false address to the police.
The case has become a flash point in the national debate over whether federal immigration laws should be enforced by local and state officials. And like Arizona’s tough new immigration law, it has highlighted a rift between the federal government and local politicians over how illegal immigrants should be detected and prosecuted. "
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
"ABC Bashes Bush on Memorial Day"
And they seem to have gotten it wrong; very wrong.
If you watch or read ABC's news, be careful what you believe.
I'll let Rick Richman tell you about this one...
If you watch or read ABC's news, be careful what you believe.
I'll let Rick Richman tell you about this one...
Rick Richman exposes ABC's poor reporting at AmericanThinker.com:
"The ABC News report on the rainout of President Obama's planned Memorial Day speech in Illinois noted that Obama had been criticized for not staying in Washington to go to Arlington National Cemetery. But ABC provided a ready excuse, subtitling its report "Obama Not First to Skip Arlington on Memorial Day" and asserting that George W. Bush 'did not attend in 2001 or 2002.'
ABC was flat-out wrong about 2001, and highly misleading about 2002."
Yelling racism without checking the facts - Washington Times
If they read the law, and THEN disagreed, I might have a LITTLE respect.
The fact that they have NOT read it, and so vehemently oppose it, is just appalling...
The fact that they have NOT read it, and so vehemently oppose it, is just appalling...
The Washington Times offers this as part of their editorial on the subject:
"Do as I say, not as I read. That's the message being sent by liberals screaming bloody murder about the new Arizona law on illegal immigration. They doth protest too much. When pressed, most admit they haven't even read what they are criticizing so violently.
Members of the Obama administration who were attacking the law in the starkest terms are now admitting they never read it. Last week, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. made the admission. On Monday, it was Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's turn. On Tuesday, it was State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley who had egg on his face. Given how inaccurately these liberals have been describing the law, and the contortions they have made to apologize for it, they really have no option but to fess up to the fact that they haven't read it when cornered with specifics."
About that "Golden Rule"
As a strong advocate of not meddling and doing no harm, I find this to be quite valid...
While explaining the "current" version of the Golden Rule, Roger E. Skoff offers this at Townhall.com:
"To seek to do good for people can all too easily put them at risk of losing their liberties. Even in a one-on-one situation, it’s difficult to know what another person will regard as good. To dare to pick a good for another is at least to risk denying that person’s freedom of choice. And if the good that’s given is not perceived as a good at all, the intended 'benefit' can be something else, entirely. When the giver is a government and the beneficiary is not a single person, but a group or an entire nation, the likelihood that what is intended well will actually do great harm increases enormously.
It’s far easier to simply do no harm. What’s harmful is easier to guess correctly, whether for one person or for many; and easier to avoid doing. All it requires is the recognition that the person or people you’re dealing with are fully competent human beings blessed with at least a normal level of intelligence and ability; that they have their own set of values; and that they are worthy of your respect."
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Politicians - Nancy Pelosi
Apparently, I'm not the only one who finds fault with Nancy Pelosi...
Alaphiah has this and more on his blog:
"This is even a new low for Pelosi. Pelosi is a Liberal Progressive. Liberal Progressives usually champion so-called, 'separation of church and state.' Yet Pelosi is so desperate she is attempting to gain a political advantage using religion.
Think about it, she is willing and has the impertinence to first show her face at a Catholic conference knowing full well she is not in good standing with the leader of the Catholic Church.
Then in spite of her open defiance against the church’s teachings Pelosi lends rebellious council to the Church’s holy men as if she is an authority of what the manifestation of the gospels is. Who does Nancy Pelosi think she is “Our Holy Lady of Congress”?
This is blasphemy. It is an outrage. To think that Nancy Pelosi would stoop to using the gospels of Jesus Christ which have been officially rejected by the American political class, especially by Liberal Progressives who support homosexuality and abortion in open defiance of the gospels, and then to attempt to employ the same gospels that Progressives abhor in a scheme to manipulate believers to vote against voter’s own interest is simply blasphemous!"
Barack Obama - "Thank You for Doing the Right Thing on Memorial Day"
For me, this point is on the mark...
Here's MoneyRunner's entire comment on his blog:
"Thank you for not going to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. There is something sacred about that place and about that day. Those who bled and died for this country deserve to be honored and saluted by people who love their country and honor their sacrifice.
You don’t belong there. Thank you for realizing that and going to Chicago."
