Scrunty Scribbles

YouTube - Hello Voters (Joe Miller Ad)

2010-10-14T09:59:00.001-04:00

Hilarious. Nuff said.

Technorati Tags: Joe Miller,Lisa Murkowski,Alaska,Senate,Campaign Ad

Obama: 'Tough Votes' Cast in Congress Are 'Courageous' While Putting 'Congressional Careers at Risk' - Political Punch

2010-10-13T08:51:00.001-04:00

Three weeks before his party could take a tough hit in the voting booths, President Obama said this evening that a “pleasant surprise” of his job is seeing members of Congress cast tough votes over the past 20 months even though it might lead to their congressional demise.

Obama: 'Tough Votes' Cast in Congress Are 'Courageous' While Putting 'Congressional Careers at Risk' - Political Punch

How in the hell is it courageous to defy your own constituents’ wishes? This demonstrates perfectly the disjointed view the government has of its own role.

They view themselves as elite rulers who know what is best for America, while we, the people, are too stupid to understand it all.

Technorati Tags: Obama,Congress

USS Cole: 'Rock solid' evidence, no retaliation - U.S. news - Security - msnbc.com

2010-10-12T08:06:00.001-04:00

"Think about the optics," he said, "You had a billion dollar warship nearly sank, with 17 Americans killed. You had the United States not doing anything publicly about it. Bin Laden and al-Qaida were able to issue a series of videotapes crowing about their achievement. So, if I'm an impressionable young man who aspires to conduct jihad, and I see what al-Qaida did and they weren't held responsible, hell yeah, I'm going to go toward them. And that, in effect, is what happened."

USS Cole: 'Rock solid' evidence, no retaliation - U.S. news - Security - msnbc.com

On October 12, 2000 I was sitting in an airport, waiting to fly to Great Lakes, IL for my first day of Navy Boot Camp when I saw this on TV. Even though I wasn’t yet a sailor, it still royally pissed me off. I thought for sure we’d get the bastards who had done it.

It’s a shame that we didn’t see this as the act of war that it was and instead treated it as a criminal matter. It might have saved a lot of lives later on if we had decided then to oust the Taliban for harboring Bin Laden.

Technorati Tags: USS Cole,Terrorism,Al Qaeda,Taliban,Osama Bin Laden

John Robbins: How Bad Is McDonald's Food?

2010-10-12T05:35:00.001-04:00

John Robbins: How Bad Is McDonald's Food?

Wow, you mean fast food is bad for me!? Thanks for the update.

So basically you have an ad campaign to inform people… of something everyone already knows. What a waste of money.

Technorati Tags: Fast Food,Consequences,Health,McDonald's

Video: Harry Reid’s greatest living Americans are … « Hot Air

2010-10-11T12:13:00.001-04:00

Q. Can you think of a greatest living American?

Reid: I’m glad I had the opportunity to know Ted Kennedy. Whether you agreed with him or not, what a life he led with his two brothers being assassinated, his other brother being killed in World War II. And Robert Byrd, who just died. What a, what a — he was in the Congress of the United States for more than 25% of the time that we have been a country. That’s fairly remarkable.

Video: Harry Reid’s greatest living Americans are … « Hot Air

Yup, these are the geniuses running the country. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he misunderstood the question. Are Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd really Reid’s idea of the two best Americans who ever lived?

Technorati Tags: Harry Reid,Greatest Living American,Teddy Kennedy,Robert Byrd

Team Paladino eyes 'anti-Semite' smear - NYPOST.com

2010-10-11T07:18:00.001-04:00

Renowned hip-hop entrepreneur and Phat Farm fashion creator Simmons has been a longtime Cuomo supporter and financial backer, as well as an aggressive opponent of anti-Semitism and racism. He hosted the Nation of Islam leader and his sons at his lower Manhattan home last year when they were in New York to greet Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy.

Team Paladino eyes 'anti-Semite' smear - NYPOST.com

How much of an “aggressive opponent of anti-Semitism and racism” can you really be if you are hosting meetings between Farrakhan and Khadafy?

The NY Post must really want Cuomo to win if they are going to try discredit Paladino’s lines of attack before he even brings them up. Anyone who actually takes the time to read this whole article, however, will probably conclude that he probably does harbor some anti-Semite attitudes.

Technorati Tags: Russel Simmons,Phat Farm,Andrew Cuomo,Carl Paladino,New York,Governor

Obama steps up attack on Chamber – The Washington Post

2010-10-11T05:56:00.001-04:00

"You don't know," Obama said at the rally for Senate candidate Joe Sestak and other Democrats. "It could be the oil industry. It could even be foreign-owned corporations. You don't know because they don't have to disclose."

The remarks are part of a volley of recent attacks by Obama and other Democrats on alleged foreign influence within the Republican caucus, whether through support for outsourcing jobs by major U.S. corporations or through overseas money making its way into the coffers of GOP-leaning interest groups.

Obama steps up attack on Chamber – The Washington Post

Way to fight that anti-business image you’ve obviously, rightfully earned. This shows Obama has decided to no longer even attempt to compete for the support of American businesses.

Technorati Tags: Obama,Chamber of Commerce,Campaign Donations

Mont. Woman Arrested for Damaging Jesus 'Porn' Art in Colo. - FoxNews.com

2010-10-08T08:34:00.001-04:00

Mont. Woman Arrested for Damaging Jesus 'Porn' Art in Colo. - FoxNews.com

"Should we as artists, or any free-thinking people, have to be subjected to fear of violent attacks for expressing our sincere concerns? I made a collage with a comic book and an illustration of a religious icon to express the corruption of something precious and spiritual," Chagoya told FoxNews.com. "There is no nudity, or genitals, or explicit sexual contact shown in the image. There is a dressed woman, a religious icon's head, a man showing his tongue, and a skull of a Pope in the upper right corner of the controversial page. I did not make a picture of Christ. I used symbols as one would use words in a sentence to critique corruption of the sacred by religious institutions."

Hey buddy, how about growing a sack and making a picture like that with Mohammed.

Technorati Tags: Jesus,Art,Porn,Enrique Chagoya

US military funeral protest case opens in supreme court | Law | guardian.co.uk

2010-10-07T08:40:00.001-04:00

US military funeral protest case opens in supreme court | Law | guardian.co.uk

In a key test of free speech protections in the US, the supreme court has heard arguments about whether a fundamentalist church had the right to picket a marine's funeral with signs like "Thank God for Dead Soldiers".

Members of the Westboro baptist church in Topeka, Kansas, protested at the 2006 funeral of Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder to express their view that US deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq were God's punishment for US immorality and tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.

These people are the worst kind of scum, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t protected by the first amendment. I hope the Supreme Court agrees, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they found a way to rule in favor of the Snyder’s.

Either way, I think it shows what a great and free country we live in that we have fretted over this case so much.

Technorati Tags: Supreme Courth,Westboro Baptist Church,Phelps,Mathew Snyder,Protest,Funeral

N.Y. Seeks to Ban Sugary Drinks From Food Stamp Buys - FoxNews.com

2010-10-07T08:16:00.001-04:00

N.Y. Seeks to Ban Sugary Drinks From Food Stamp Buys - FoxNews.com

“Bloomberg and Paterson planned to announce Thursday that they are seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the nation's food stamp program, to add sugary drinks to the list of prohibited goods for city residents receiving assistance.”

As much as I hate to agree with Nanny Bloomberg about anything, I’m with him on this one. When you start taking money from the government, then you open yourself up to their restrictions on your behavior.

However, I still don’t understand his crusade against fat people. In a spectrum of all the problems facing New York, I find it hard to believe fighting obesity warrants this much time and effort.

Technorati Tags: food stamps,Bloomberg,New York,Soft Drinks,Soda

Verizon, Motorola React Quickly To Droid X Issue - Mobile - IT Channel News by CRN

2010-07-22T06:35:00.001-04:00

"I’m very happy that they did come up with a patch as soon as an issue was discovered," Kretzer said. "That’s a far more responsible approach than Steve Jobs’ original response [to the iPhone 4 antenna issues] of 'Just don't hold it that way.'"

Verizon, Motorola React Quickly To Droid X Issue - Mobile - IT Channel News by CRN

As a longtime Apple hater, I have to confess a slight bit of schadenfreude about the whole “death grip” issue with the iPhone 4. Admittedly, people are probably making it a bigger deal than it is, but when you’re talking about the public image of a major company, perception is everything. It would have been for Jobs to just admit there was a problem and be more responsive to people’s concerns.

Technorati Tags: Droid,Apple,iPhone,Steve Jobs

Sherrod offered new job, but says she'll have to 'think about it' - CNN.com

2010-07-22T06:11:00.001-04:00

This poor woman was railroaded. Breitbart should be ashamed of himself for posting an obviously edited video.

What’s telling, though, is how quickly both the White House and the NAACP accepted it as true. Guilty consciouses?

Technorati Tags: Shirley Sherrod,Andrew Breitbart,USDA,NAACP,Racism

Sherrod offered new job, but says she'll have to 'think about it' - CNN.com

BBC News - Can Mel Gibson make a second comeback?

2010-07-22T05:56:00.001-04:00

People love a comeback story. I think he will have no problems as long as he can either blame everything on alcohol problems or paint his ex as a money hungry lawyer.

Technorati Tags: Mel Gibson,Domestic Abuse,Comeback

BBC News - Can Mel Gibson make a second comeback?

Rand Paul Under Fire for Comments on Race - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

2010-05-20T09:48:00.001-04:00

Rand Paul Under Fire for Comments on Race - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

Is it really that extreme to think that the federal government should not dictate the hiring practices of private companies? Just like Paul says, there are less intrusive ways to combat institutional racism.

The government should not do business with companies that have discriminatory hiring practices or other racist policies. The media should expose any companies that are doing things like that and let people decide for themselves whether they want to continue doing business with them.

Megan Fox Ready To Kick Some Ass

2010-05-18T10:35:00.001-04:00

She’s not too happy about a nude cell phone pic someone took of her.

“If I knew who took this picture, I would personally cause them harm — physical harm,” Fox told Allure.

Personally, huh? I did it! I did it!

Technorati Tags: Megan Fox,Nude,Photo

Here We Go Again

2010-05-18T10:21:00.001-04:00

What do you even have to say about things like this that hasn’t been said the kazillion other times this has happened?

There are news reports out today that Rep. Mark Souder, an Indiana Republican, will resign because of an affair with a female aide.

Why even bother to resign at this point? Evidently cheating on your wife is becoming SOP for a male politician.

Technorati Tags: Mark Souder,Indiana,Affair,Resign,Republican,Representative

Greece Gets its First Welfare Check

2010-05-18T08:59:00.001-04:00

14.5 billion Euros, and they didn’t even have to wait for the first of the month! Does anyone even think this is going to help in the long run, or are they just content delaying the inevitable crash as long as possible?

Technorati Tags: Greece,Bailout

Oh no! Miss USA has a Secret Stripping Past!

2010-05-18T08:41:00.001-04:00

So, are we really supposed to be outraged because the winner of a contest that judges the attractiveness of scantily clad women had once participated in… a contest that judges the attractiveness of scantily clad women?

In fairness to the Miss USA pageant, all they hype so far seems to be coming from the media. All they did was request pictures from the radio show that hosted the contest.

Technorati Tags: Miss USA,Rima Fakih,Miss Michigan,Stripping

Burj Khalifa: Pinnacle of Vanity?

2010-01-06T07:48:00.001-05:00

From the Stephen Bayley at the Telegraph:

Paradoxically, Burj Khalifa is not a truly modern building. It is a hangover of a demented spending binge. It is a subprime Great Pyramid. It is queasy nostalgia for a version of the future that looked old-fashioned a generation ago. It is kitsch retro fantasia, a glassy memorial to something not so much forgotten as never known.

The whole article does nothing but berate the architect and naysay the very idea of this building. America has long been the country where dreamers and over achievers could accomplish amazing things despite naysayers like Steven Bayley. Sadly it seems like that atmosphere is being lost here in America, and if it takes some moderate Muslim country halfway around the world to pick up the torch and ensure that the human race still progresses into the future, so be it.

Don’t feel too bad about it though, I’m sure most of the money spent to build it originated from Americans buying oil, and the architect and the firm that built it were both American. It’s just a shame they had to go there to find someone with enough balls to see a project like this come to fruition.

Disclosure: I’m a huge fan of The Fountainhead.

Technorati Tags: Burj Khalifa,Dubai,Stephen Bayley,Burj Dubai

U.S. Marine Captain: Aussie Women Dress Like Sluts

2010-01-06T07:21:00.001-05:00

From Fox News:

The captain's letter to the editor was published in the Northern Territory News yesterday.

It raised eyebrows among many Darwin women, including nightclub dancer Lana Sandic, 19.

"He's got some guts to say that," she said. "Most Territory girls would say 'Put it where the sun doesn't shine'."

But Capt Campbell was adamant. "Ladies have been conned into thinking that just because you have it means you should flaunt it," he wrote.

"Come on ladies, don't send us mixed messages. That's what you do every time you dress with less than nothing on."

Translation: “I am angry that I went out to a club in Australia and was surrounded by beautiful women who dressed like they should be easy but I still couldn’t get lucky.”

Now, I’m no Fox News hater, but you really have to wonder sometimes why they consider this stuff news.

Technorati Tags: U.S.,Marines,Australia,Aussie,Slutty Women

Tort Reform Could Save $54 Billion Dollars

2009-10-09T17:07:00.001-04:00

This from Reuters:

Limiting medical malpractice lawsuits could save the U.S. government $54 billion over a decade, congressional budget analysts said on Friday in a report that could boost a Republican push to include lawsuit reform in President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul.

Still, I wouldn’t hold my breath. Democrats have flat out admitted they’re too afraid of trial lawyers to include tort reform in any bill.

Technorati Tags: healthcare,reform,tort

No Flu Shots For Me, Thanks

2009-10-09T10:38:00.001-04:00

Let me just say that I’m not totally anti-vaccine. However, I do think that we may be going a little overboard with it. It is now mandatory that my kids get the chicken pox vaccine! I don’t think they should be vaccinated against something that they can recover from easily and that makes their immune systems stronger.

As for the H1N1 vaccine, no way. No way am I going to get vaccinated with something that was rushed through testing that quickly.

Technorati Tags: vaccine,vaccination,swine flu,H1N1

Confirmed: Nobel Peace Prize Absolutely Meaningless

2009-10-09T07:27:00.001-04:00

Unbelievable. Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

I woke up to this:

Rather than recognizing concrete achievement, the 2009 prize appeared intended to support initiatives that have yet to bear fruit: reducing the world stock of nuclear arms, easing American conflicts with Muslim nations and strengthening the U.S. role in combating climate change.

Luckily I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.

The committee chairman said after awarding the 2002 prize to former Democratic President Jimmy Carter, for his mediation in international conflicts, that it should be seen as a "kick in the leg" to the Bush administration's hard line in the buildup to the Iraq war.

I’m pretty sure Bush didn’t give a crap about winning the Nobel Peace Price, he seemed a little more interested in preventing Iraq from obtaining nuclear weapons and kicking the crap out of terrorists.

Technorati Tags: Nobel Peace Price,Obama

The Obama Propaganda Machine Now in Full Gear

2009-10-08T14:33:00.001-04:00

Evidently Obama is not content with having CNN “fact checking” SNL skits for him and having schoolchildren on to literally sing his praises, or the hour long infomercials on ABC. Obama has now decided to declare war against even those rare stories critical of him that manage to make into the mainstream media.

This is from Time:

…a new White House strategy has emerged: rather than just giving reporters ammunition to "fact-check" Obama's many critics, the White House decided it would become a player, issuing biting attacks on those pundits, politicians and outlets that make what the White House believes to be misleading or simply false claims…

This is just more evidence of the gigantic Obama ego. He takes everything personally. I think this might backfire on him, though.

Technorati Tags: Obama,media,bias

Better Late Than Never

2009-10-08T09:54:00.001-04:00

Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder were in Chicago on Wednesday to discuss the issue with local officials, students and victims' families.

Gee, maybe he should have done something like this when he was the head of the Chicago school system and 34 students were being killed in one year.

Crony!

2009-10-07T09:21:00.001-04:00

What other reason would cause Obama to appoint a man in charge of a school system that had 34 of its students murdered in one year to be in charge of the school systems of the entire country?

Technorati Tags: Arne Duncan,Chicago,Obama

Drill Here, Drill Now

2009-10-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

It’s an old topic, I know. It doesn’t seem so urgent now that gas prices aren’t quite so high, but with recent talk of a plot to replace the dollar in oil transactions, this article in CNN Money says it should be.

Honestly, I’ve never understood the argument against drilling in ANWR and other protected places. Let’s say we eventually run out of oil. Do these environmentalists think they are going to be able to stop the public clamoring for oil from ravaging these places to get every last drop as quickly as possible?

Why not do it now while the need is not quite so urgent and the people worried about the effect it may have on the environment can have some say in the way it’s done.

Technorati Tags: ANWR,drill,oil,gas

Supreme Court to Hear Cross Case

2009-10-07T08:14:00.001-04:00

A lawsuit filed by the ACLU wants to remove a cross in California which has been on federal lands for 75 years because the National Park Service recently refused to erect a Buddhist symbol.

Surprisingly, the Obama administration defends the cross and thinks it should stay. I agree. While I don’t think religious symbols should be popping up all over federal lands in this day and age, the cross was erected 75 years ago and has historical value.

If I had to put money on it, I’d bet the Supreme Court lets it stay.

Technorati Tags: cross,religion,church and state

Buy Local!

2009-10-07T07:52:00.001-04:00

So many people have started growing marijuana here in the United States, it’s starting to cut into the profits made by Mexican drug cartels.

Even the most hardcore anti-legalization people surely can’t help but feel a little good about this news.

Technorati Tags: marijuana,medical,legalization

No Surprise: Gitmo Closure Won’t Meet Deadline

2009-10-06T18:24:00.001-04:00

“It's going to be difficult for us to make the Jan. 22 deadline," Holder told a group of reporters on Tuesday. "But I do think that it was the right thing to set that deadline. ... [It] has a way of fousing people's efforts, their attention, and giving people a goal.”

I guess you could look at it that way. Or you could see this for what it really is: another idealistic promise made by Obama mugged by reality.

Technorati Tags: Guantanamo Bay,Gitmo

Why can't I get a credit card? - MSN Money

2009-10-06T17:55:00.001-04:00

Why can't I get a credit card? - MSN Money

This guy’s sense of entitlement when it comes to getting credit cards is half the reason the economy is in the mess its in now. Why do people think they have some kind of right to borrow money? Whether it’s borrowing money for a house or borrowing money in the form of credit cards, it’s not a right.

If you make it a “right” to borrow money, then you must necessarily take away someone’s right not to lend money.

Technorati Tags: money,credit cards,entitlements

Cry Me A River

2009-06-29T08:11:00.001-04:00

Evidently we are supposed to feel sorry for this shitbag who took great pleasure in abusing and humiliating prisoners, tarnished the image of the U.S. at a time when it was most vulnerable, and provided a slew of images to further galvanize anti-american and anti-war sentiment.

If no one wants to hire her, can you blame them? Who could ever trust this woman? This is exactly the type of person who would be smearing boogers on your pizza.

Technorati Tags: Abu Ghraib,Lynndie England,Iraq

This Woman Has Guts!

2009-04-20T14:14:00.001-04:00

When a gay judge (Perez Hilton) asked Miss California about her views on gay marriage she flat out said she thinks marriage should be between a man and a woman. Wow! She had to have known it would cost her big time.

I’m somewhat ambivalent about the issue personally, but I have to applaud her adherence to principle. I never thought I’d admire a beauty pageant contestant.

Why the hell is a gay guy judging a female beauty pageant anyway? Also, the audience seemed to overwhelmingly approve of her answer… interesting.

See the video here.

Technorati Tags: Gay Marriage,Miss USA,Miss California

Best Bumper Sticker Ever

2009-04-14T08:34:00.001-04:00

In general, I think the idea of displaying your opinions on politics, religion, etc. to people who for the most part don’t give a damn is pretty ridiculous.

However, my wife called this morning to tell me about this one she on the way to work this morning:

Even I had to chuckle at that one.

Technorati Tags: Obama,Economy,Bumper Sticker

Here We Go Again

2009-04-14T06:46:00.001-04:00

North Korea is once again attempting to use the threat of developing nuclear weapons as a bargaining tool with the west. I’ll never understand why we took such drastic action against Iraq, but we don’t do anything about North Korea and Iran who seem much more blatant about their quest for nukes.

Well, if we do decide to something about either one of them, I hope we just blow up a few facilities not stick around to rebuild their entire country.

Technorati Tags: North Korea,Nuclear Proliferation

Haha, Very Funny YouTube

2009-04-01T06:52:00.001-04:00

All their videos are upside down; April Fools prank?

If it is, it’s a dumb one. I won’t be watching any videos until they fix that crap.

Technorati Tags: YouTube,April Fools

Someone Wrote A Song About Obama!

2009-03-31T13:50:00.001-04:00

The crazy thing is that it was written in 1989.

Does Anyone Really Care What Meghan McCain Thinks?

2009-03-31T11:07:00.001-04:00

Well, I guess someone does because she has her own column at The Daily Beast. I most certainly do not.

It really irks me when she talks about “our generation” and how Republicans need to reach out to them. What the hell does she know about our generation? She’s separated from most people in our generation by the pampered lifestyle she’s lead since she was born. The average person in my generation could no more relate to her than they could to Paris Hilton. Sure, she has her circle and I’m sure she can speak for them, but please stop claiming to speak for “your generation” like you know anything about them other than something you may have seen on TV.

I do think she’s hot though, and it was pretty crappy for Laura Ingraham to call her fat.

Technorati Tags: Meghan McCain

Bush Policy on Stem Cells Driven by “Political Ideology” According to the AP

2009-03-09T09:06:00.001-04:00

I have to disagree, if anything it was driven by religious ideology, although I’m not religious and I still think harvesting human embryo’s is wrong.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is ending former President George W. Bush's limits on using federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research, with advisers calling the move a clear signal that science — not political ideology — will guide the administration.

All George Bush did was protect people who are opposed to the harvesting of human embryos for scientific purposes from having to fund it with their tax money. He didn’t outlaw it, and in fact stem cell research did receive funding during the Bush administration as long as the studies didn’t use human embryos.

So it seems that so far the Obama administration’s goal is to raise our taxes and then use that money to fund morally questionable activities.

Technorati Tags: Stem Cell Research

Murder, Pure and Simple

2009-03-05T08:38:00.001-05:00

While in general I am opposed to abortion, I can understand arguments in cases of rape and incest if preformed early during the pregnancy. I don’t see how you can call this anything but murder.

An abortion clinic owner accused of delivering a live baby during a botched procedure and then throwing the infant away was arrested Tuesday, authorities said. Williams was 23 weeks pregnant when the incident happened in 2006.

Unfortunately the woman was only arrested for practicing medicine without a license and tampering with evidence, not murder.

Supreme Court Rules Against FDA Labels Preventing Liability

2009-03-05T08:15:00.001-05:00

Our government seems determined to do everything in their power to ensure that drug companies are no longer a profitable enterprise. The Supreme court just ruled that labeling prescription drugs with the warnings provided by the FDA is no longer enough to prevent liability in cases of accidents or side effects.

Drug prices are already outrageously high. Much of that comes from over regulation, in addition to the people that can pay for them having to subsidize the people who can’t. Now drug companies have all the drawbacks of a vast organization regulating the crap out of them with none of the benefits.

This is all part of the ongoing attempt to demonize any large company making lots of money. They did it to the tobacco companies, but at least their product provided no benefit. It’s a shame that liberals have stoked the class envy fires so much in this country that people’s hatred of anyone making more money than them blinds them to the fact that they are killing an industry that is essential to maintaining our standard of living.

To all the people who think profit shouldn’t be involved in medicine: I hope you enjoy the immense slowdown of medical discoveries that is sure to occur as a result.

Technorati Tags: Socialized Medicine,Prescription,Drug Companies

Obama To End Iraq War in 2010

2009-02-27T10:10:00.001-05:00

He says we will be there only to train, advise, and conduct limited counterterrorism operations.

Surprisingly he doesn’t thank Bush for not giving up, allowing him to attribute it to “there have been real advances” in Iraq instead of that we’re getting our butts kicked and we should give up.

Everyone bashed Bush for not admitting he was wrong about the WMDs. Obama should receive the same treatment for not admitting he was wrong about the “Surge” in Iraq.

Technorati Tags: Iraq,Barak Obama

Obama Will Half the Deficit, After He Almost Doubles It

2009-02-26T07:54:00.001-05:00

He inherited a 1 Trillion dollar deficit from Bush. This story says that by the end of the year, it will be at 1.75 Trillion. That’s a pretty big jump. Don’t worry though, he promises that he will cut it in half by 2013.

So basically Obama will have almost doubled the deficit in one year, while his media lackeys try to put the emphasis on his promises to half it. How does he intend to do this, anyway? Credit where credit is due, he’s actually planning to cut farm subsidies, but that’s only about 10 billion over 10 years. He also plans to increase taxes on wealthier Americans. Wealthier than who, I wonder?

Technorati Tags: Deficit,Barak Obama,Economy,Taxes

Obama’s Speech

2009-02-25T08:10:00.001-05:00

Obama made his big speech last night. He continues to surprise me. I fully expected him to shift into a “it’s really not that bad, things are getting better” mode. Instead, he doubled down. His speech basically amounted to, “Don’t worry Americans, we can get out of this, but only if you let me spend A LOT more money we don’t have.”

Unsurprisingly, Jindal’s response was excellent:

"Who among us would ask our children for a loan, so we could spend money we do not have, on things we do not need?" Jindal asked. "That is precisely what the Democrats in Congress just did."

Here’s another comparison. The democrats are like a gambling addict who just lost his paycheck at the horse races and keeps borrowing more with a gleam in his eye, knowing next time he’ll win.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Bobby Jindal,Economy

Obama Taking Bill Clinton’s Advice

2009-02-24T09:32:00.001-05:00

Obama will make a speech today to congress in which he will try to balance a grim economic reality with a hope for the future. This is days after he was criticized by Clinton for not sounding hopeful enough.

In all honesty, it’s more likely Obama saw the opposition he was getting from his mortgage plan, even from his once trusted ally the press, and realized he’s reached the limit of what he can scare the American public into supporting.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Economy

The Three Best Governors in the U.S.

2009-02-23T08:07:00.001-05:00

Mark my words, one of these three men will be the Republican presidential nominee in 2012: Mark Sanford (governor of South Carolina, Bobby Jindal (governor of Louisiana, Haley Barbour (governor of Mississippi). All three have turned down large portions of the stimulus bill meant for their state because there were too many strings attached.

Evidently if they accepted money meant for unemployment benefits, they would have to expand the unemployment program, essentially raising taxes on businesses.

Even if they did it for political purposes, so what? At least they care what their constituency thinks, a trait many politicians are lacking nowadays.

Meanwhile fellow “Republican” governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he’ll gladly take their share of the loot.

Technorati Tags: Mark Sanford,Haley Barbour,Bobby Jindal,governor,stimulus

Bill Clinton Says Obama Should Sound More Hopeful

2009-02-20T09:51:00.001-05:00

He said this in an interview with ABC. Hmm, if Obama did sound more hopeful it might help to restore consumer confidence and get people spending and investing money again.

That would be a great idea, except it’s exactly the opposite of what Obama wants. He wants people to stay as frightened as possible so he can continue to convince them to support his dream of a massive, all powerful government ready to swoop in at a moments notice and save the day.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Economy,Bill Clinton

I’m From the Government, I’m Here to Help

2009-02-19T06:43:00.001-05:00

The Obama administration continues on its crusade to convince people we need more government intervention in the financial system. Now it’s billions to help prevent foreclosures. This is despite the fact that the number of foreclosures is starting to decline, not to mention the inconvenient truth that most people facing foreclosures are doing so because of poor decisions on their part.

So America continues to gleefully give away its freedom for the promise of financial security. The saddest part is that it’s a false promise; with the government in charge, the only guarantee is mediocrity, not prosperity. Someone needs to ask every politician who dares to vote in favor of all these ‘bailout’ plans when they decided to give up on freedom.

The sheep that support all this garbage need to see that when you are not free to face the consequences of bad decisions, you are not free at all.

Technorati Tags: Freedom,Government,Bailout

Obama Goes Back to What He Does Best

2009-02-17T09:28:00.001-05:00

The fact that most people oppose the stimulus bill literally hurts his feelings. He can’t be used to receiving criticism like this. Lord knows he had almost none while he was running for president. So does he go back to the drawing board and come up with something more palatable to the American public? Of course not, he’s The One and he’ll use the sheer force of his personality to sway the masses back to his side:

Obama Promoting Agenda In Key Battleground States

Media reports are casting President Obama's trip to Denver (where he'll sign the stimulus bill this morning) and Phoenix as an attempt to boost popular support for his economic agenda. Moreover, says the Los Angeles Times, the tour "reflects a decision by the president to escape the Beltway and touch base with the rest of the country at least once a week" and a recognition "that congressional Republicans were gaining traction in the debate."

Remember when he cited his extensive experience running a presidential campaign as evidence of having the executive experience necessary to be ready on day 1 of the presidency? Maybe the many recent stumbles and outright failures in his first few weeks of office have caused to him revert back to campaign mode like a scared child assuming the fetal position.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Stimulus,Campaign,Economy

Obama Set to Sign Away Our Whole Economic System Today

2009-02-17T07:45:00.001-05:00

I never thought that I would wish bad things for America, but today I do. I sincerely hope that the economy makes no moves toward recovery that can in any way be twisted by the media into being a result of this Bill. If that happens, say goodbye to America as an economic superpower and say hello to an America as just another Western European welfare state.

From its inception, America has operated under the belief that government is at best a necessary evil. As time passed we’ve looked more and more towards the government for the answers to our problems and have successfully turned our once austere government into a massive behemoth constantly trying to intrude into our lives.

Nothing lasts forever, and I always suspected American superiority would end this way, but I always figured it would be much more gradual. You’ve got to hand it to Obama, he wasted no time in bringing his “change,” and boy is it a doozy.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Stimulus,Economy

Gillibrand Not Backing Off of Her Pro-Gun Stance

2009-02-16T16:27:00.001-05:00

Sure, she may have caved when they came after her about her immigration stance, but at least she drew the line when they came after her guns.

"If I want to protect my family, if I want to have a weapon in the home, that should be my right," Gillibrand, who has two small children, said in an interview published in Monday's Newsday.

Good luck finding many other Democrats who would utter that seemingly common sense statement. Notice how they mention she has two small children as if it makes her a bad mother to own guns. Isn’t that sexist or something?

Technorati Tags: Kirsten Gillibrand,Second Ammendment,Guns,Senate Appointment

Geithner to Approve Auto Company Restructuring Plans

2009-02-11T07:31:00.001-05:00

Great. So a guy who can’t even figure out how to pay his taxes on time is going to figure out how to get the auto companies making money again. If it were that easy, I’m sure their execs would have figured it out by now.

Maybe they should runs these plans by some people in the private industry who actually know something about making money rather than a bunch of government lackeys.

Everyone’s heard the saying, “if you can’t do, teach.” Well, there should be a new one, “if you can’t do, govern.”

Technorati Tags: Timothy Geithner,Treasury Secretary,Auto Companies,Bailout

California’s Clueless Caught Unawares By DMV Furlough

2009-02-06T16:17:00.001-05:00

Nearly everyone who showed up to the DMV branch on Alma Avenue in San Jose had no idea it was Day One of California's furlough program, an order by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to shut down most state offices twice a month, including about 180 Department of Motor Vehicle offices, to save the cash-strapped state about $1.3 billion.

Wow. How can you not hear about this? I’ve been reading about it for at least a week and I live on the opposite coast.

"I think it's ridiculous," said Lynn Thurman, 58, of San Jose. "The whole situation. There is no need for this. We're supposed to be one of the richest states in the country. If we're so bad off, tell Schwarzenegger to take a pay cut."

Uhh, he doesn’t get paid in the first place lady. Good try, though.

A San Jose man who asked not to be named said he called in sick Friday, an unpaid day, to run a handful of errands, including going to the DMV. The man said that doing business at the DMV has become increasingly difficult now that the state office no longer keeps Saturday hours.

Maybe if he had told his boss what he really planned on doing instead of lying, the boss could have filled him in about the furlough.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger,California,Furlough

Something Wicked This Way Comes

2009-02-06T13:49:00.001-05:00

Something fishy is going on. First Russia persuades Kyrgyzstan to shut down our base there (which they deny), and now they volunteer to let us go through them instead. What are the odds that Obama is so wrapped up in the stimulus bill and his crappy cabinet position appointments that he’s ignoring warning signs that something bad is brewing out there in the outside world?

Let’s hope Russia is doing this just so they can have more leverage at the bargaining table and that it’s not something more sinister. With Putin pulling the strings over there, who knows?

Technorati Tags: Vladimir Putin,Russia,Barak Obama

What Does Reagan Have to Say About Our Current Economic Crisis?

2009-02-06T12:41:00.001-05:00

Well, nothing really because he is, unfortunately, no longer with us. But, from James Pethokoukis, Reagan’s farewell speech speaks to us from the grave:

Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So, we cut the people's tax rates, and the people produced more than ever before. The economy bloomed like a plant that had been cut back and could now grow quicker and stronger. Our economic program brought about the longest peacetime expansion in our history: real family income up, the poverty rate down, entrepreneurship booming, and an explosion in research and new technology. We're exporting more than ever because American industry became more competitive and at the same time, we summoned the national will to knock down protectionist walls abroad instead of erecting them at home. ...

You can find the rest of the speech at the link above.

Technorati Tags: Economy,Ronald Reagan

Speculation Begins On Obama’s First Supreme Court Nominee

2009-02-06T11:32:00.001-05:00

As news of Justice Ginsbeug’s tragic diagnosis of pancreatic cancer spreads, people are already guessing at who Obama will nominate to replace her if she decides to retire early.

It wouldn’t be surprising if she did retire, as she can now do so secure in the knowledge that a liberal president will be appointing her replacement.

An AP story already has a list of likely nominees:

• Judge Diane Wood of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.

• Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

• Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.

• Pam Karlan, a law professor at Stanford University.

• Judge Margaret McKeown of the 9th Circuit in San Francisco.

It will be interesting to see if there will be as much stonewalling by the Republicans as there was by the Democrats to Bush’s nominees.

Technorati Tags: Ruth Bader Ginsburg,Supreme Court,Barak Obama,Nominee

Obama Setting Stricter Energy Standards On Household Appliances

2009-02-06T10:08:00.001-05:00

Great. At a time when companies are losing money hand over fist, let’s make them spend even more money by forcing them to increase the energy efficiency standards on their products. President Obama needs to realize that companies making money is what drives this economy and if he really wants to improve it he needs to start by not doing things to increase their overhead costs.

Also, let’s not forget this hypocrite’s own affinity for keeping it rather warm in the White House:

The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket. There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat.

“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.?” said Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, who occupies the small but strategically located office next door to his boss. “He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.”

Technorati Tags: Energy Efficiency Standards,Global Warming,Barak Obama,Environment

Emergency Radio Chatter: White House and Hilda Solis-White

2009-02-06T08:03:00.001-05:00

This mock conversation from the LA Times is hilarious:

HS: We had a problem on takeoff. Flew into a flock of liens.

WH: Of what?

HS: Liens. Tax liens. My husband has more than 6,000 in unpaid business taxes.

WH: That's a lot of faxes!

HS: No, not faxes. Taxes. You know, like money. That regular people pay to government.

Make sure to read the whole thing, it’s pretty funny.

Technorati Tags: Hilda Solis-White,Barak Obama,Appointment,Nominee

25% of Republicans View Rush Unfavorably

2009-02-05T15:06:00.001-05:00

No surprise here. They did nominate John McCain after all. I guarantee you at least half of those Republicans who view Rush unfavorably have probably never listened to him other than the non-contextual snippets played over and over by the MSM.

Here’s my favorite part of this story:

One in 10 Democrats and independents said they'd never heard of Limbaugh or didn't have an opinion on him; only 17% of Republicans fell in that category.

Doesn’t it seem like they’re trying to make it sound like less Republicans had never heard of him than Dems and independents, when we all know one in 10 is less than 17%?

Technorati Tags: Poll,Republicans,Rush Limbaugh

Obama Continuing With Office of Faith Based Initiatives

2009-02-05T11:38:00.001-05:00

Obama is expanding Bush’s “Faith Based Initiative” program which seems to irk some on the left.

President Obama's newly revamped Office of Faith Based Initiatives is reigniting a contentious debate across the ideological spectrum over whether religious organizations that accept funds from the government should be allowed to discriminate when hiring.

Private organizations should have the right to hire or not hire anyone they want for any reason, whether religion is involved or not. However, if you’re going to take government money, you’re going to have to play by their rules.

Do I think that church organizations who are fundamentally opposed to homosexuality should be forced to hire them? No, but I also don’t think they should be given money by the government.

When the government spends money on charities they are basically telling taxpayers, “You are going to donate your money to this charity, whether you like it or not.”

I hate the fact that my tax money goes to organizations like Planned Parenthood that encourage abortions. I can also see how people who think that homosexuality should be a societal norm would be upset that their tax money goes to fund organizations that in their eyes discriminate against gays. Both of us could have our way if the government would step out of the charity business altogether. Give us that little bit of tax money back and let us decide how to donate it (or not donate it) ourselves.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Faith Based Initiative,Church and State,George W. Bush,Charities,Taxes

Unemployment at 26 Year High

2009-02-05T10:41:00.001-05:00

Initial unemployment claims are now the highest they’ve been in 26 years.

Is it any wonder employers are cutting jobs left and right? They have no idea what’s going to happen next. We have a government full of people arguing about how to “fix” things when all we really need is for everyone to slow down and take a deep breath so people can do some planning.

Everyone is betting on the economy getting worse, and no wonder. Who knows what abomination might come slouching its way out of Washington next?

Technorati Tags: Unemployment,Economy,Stimulus

Who Needs the Media Anyway?

2009-02-05T07:25:00.001-05:00

So Obama thinks he can use his 13 million email addresses to get around some of the media scrutiny on his latest screw ups.

Because of Obama's reach -- 13 million email addresses is a stunning number -- these sorts of tactics (Daschle? Daschle who?) have the potential to quickly re-focus the American public on the economic stimulus package rather than allow people to linger on the Daschle withdrawal and what it says about Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and the president's judgment more broadly.

All of that is not to say the media doesn't have a role to play. But, Obama has a unique ability to end-run the media filter and use technology to make it stick.

First of all, Obama doesn’t need to bypass the “media filter.” The only filter the media has when it comes to Obama is a thick sheet of rose colored glass.

Secondly, I’m not all that impressed with 13 million email addresses. Those people are probably his most hardcore sycophants and weren’t prone to much questioning of The One in the first place. He’s Preaching to the choir. It sure doesn’t seem to be helping his stimulus plan, which continues to lose support from the American Public.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Media,David Plouffe,Internet

Stimulus Can’t Be Used in Institutions That Allow Religious Worship

2009-02-04T14:59:00.001-05:00

While I don’t think formal religious instruction has a place in publicly funded schools, the wording of this seems overly restrictive.

According to the bill, which the Democratic-controlled House passed despite unanimous Republican opposition, funds are prohibited from being used for the "modernization, renovation, or repair" of facilities that allow "sectarian instruction, religious worship or a school or department of divinity."

Having guided prayer and allowing people to pray individually are two different things. A school has no right to prevent individuals praying on their own, and if that is considered “allowing religious worship,” then that clause would prevent any school from receiving funds.

Technorati Tags: Church and State,Stimulus

Obama Evidently Still Clueless as to What Caused Our Economic Woes

2009-02-04T14:07:00.001-05:00

I find it hard to believe that he can really be this dense:

Apparently referring to Republican foes of the stimulus plan, Obama said recent criticisms of it "echo the very same failed economic theories that led us into this crisis in the first place: the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems, that we can ignore fundamental challenges like energy independence and the high cost of health care, that we can somehow deal with this in a piecemeal fashion and still expect our economy and our country to thrive."

Obama added: "I reject those theories. And so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change."

Tax cuts had nothing to do with it. The credit markets were freezing up not because companies weren’t paying enough taxes, but because they were holding onto crappy assets. Assets that were forced on them by Democrats who made them abandon their normal risk assessments under the delusion that it is every American’s “right” to own a house. I don’t recall seeing a guarantee to property anywhere in the constitution.

The American people did not reject any theories when they voted for Obama, because he never offered any alternatives. They voted for “change,” while having no idea exactly what that meant, because he never told anyone!

Technorati Tags: Obama,Stimulus

First Gay Couple to Marry in Massachusetts Now Divorced

2009-02-04T12:32:00.001-05:00

For those who oppose gay marriage, it does seem rather ironic that two people who fought so hard to have the government recognize a promise they wished to make to each other, would go on to break that promise a few years later.

While I do think that gay marriage is probably detrimental to society, I wouldn’t be so quick to pounce on this news as if it proved it. Let’s not forget that most heterosexual marriages end in divorce as well.

Technorati Tags: Gay Marriage,Divorce,Same Sex Marriage

Obama Still Trying to Make Sure Everyone Stays Friendly

2009-02-04T11:27:00.001-05:00

Obama is making the mistaken assumption that just because people like him, they’ll go along with his policies. Yes, you might be able to change the “tone” of Washington, but the disagreements will always be there.

In the end though, does the tone really matter? House Republicans gushed about Obama after meeting with him about the stimulus plan, then promptly and unanimously voted against it. So unless making sure politicians are polite to one another is for some reason extremely important to you, who really cares about the “tone in Washington?” This is just another example of how naive Obama really is.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Stimulus

Democrats “Don’t Have the Votes” to Pass the Stimulus Bill

2009-02-04T09:01:00.001-05:00

This means that at least a few Democrats had to join the Republicans in opposition to it. Congratulations to them all.

Obama’s not going to let it go that easy though. Like a lion trying to pick off the young and weak from the herd, he’s meeting one on one with some of the more moderate Republicans.

Also, someone better let Obama know that one percent of a trillion dollars is still a lot of money:

President Obama said, "The overwhelming bulk of the package is sound, is designed to put people back to work. ...Most of the programs that have been criticized, as part of this package amount to less than one percent of the overall package."

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Stimulus

Obama Set to Cap Exec Pay

2009-02-04T08:24:00.001-05:00

Most of us are outraged when we hear about these Wall Street Execs and their bonuses, which are so much more than we little people make, especially when they are the recipients of our tax money. Tax money that wouldn’t be needed if they hadn’t bungled the running of their company in the first place.

In his latest effort to demonize Wall Street, Obama is expected to announce a plan capping financial compensation to the executives of companies who receive bailout money.

While my first instinct is to agree, something about this nags at me. Now more than ever, these companies are going to need the most talented people they can find to help bring them back from the brink. This compensation cap drives the truly talented away and ensures that only the mediocre will ever run companies that have received federal funds.

Don’t worry, I have an alternate plan: stop bailing out corporate losers!

Technorati Tags: Wall St.,Barak Obama,Bailout

Sen. Russ Feingold Calls For an Amendment for Senate Appointments

2009-02-03T15:38:00.001-05:00

He wants a special election instead of just having governors appoint them. What prompted this sudden interest in the way replacement senators are picked? No, not the fact that Blagojevich was still able to appoint a replacement for Obama seat in the Senate, despite being accused of trying to sell it in the first place. It was because he didn’t like the fact that the Democrat governor of Illinois is going to appoint a Republican to take Judd Gregg’s spot.

To be honest, I agree that the spots should probably be filled by a special election. I’m just surprised that he has the gall to say something now, after sitting quietly through the Blago fiasco.

Technorati Tags: Senate,Appointment,Russ Feingold

Daschle Withdraws From Nomination

2009-02-03T15:23:00.001-05:00

Surprisingly, Tom Daschle withdrew as Obama’s nominee to lead the Health Department. I hate to be cynical, but my guess is that Obama nudged him into it after realizing Daschle wasn’t worth the flak he would get. Especially considering he already had two other nominees with tax problems, not to mention all the lobbyists he’s appointed, despite his executive order barring lobbyists from serving in office (it’s ok, they have waivers).

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,Tom Daschle,Health Department,Nominee

Obama Nominates a Republican for Commerce Secretary

2009-02-03T11:54:00.001-05:00

The nominee, Judd Gregg, is a Republican senator from New Hampshire. New Hampshire’s governor is a democrat and would appoint his replacement to the senate. It was speculated at first that this was a shrewd move by Obama to get that coveted 60th Democrat in the senate to overcome GOP filibusters, but supposedly Gregg has said he wouldn’t take the spot unless the governor agreed to appoint another Republican.

Technorati Tags: Judd Gregg,Senate,Secretary of Commerce,Nominee,Barak Obama

It Creates Jobs, So Ignore All That Other Stuff

2009-02-03T10:28:00.001-05:00

"The bottom line is this: You've got a piece of legislation that creates jobs," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said after several questions. "The latest statistics based on the economic reports show that 90% of these jobs are private-sector jobs."

Wrong. That is not the bottom line because the Democrats who wrote the bill decided to fill it with a ridiculous amount of unnecessary spending.

You can justify all this extra junk in the stimulus plan through various circuitous means, but it doesn’t change the fact that they do nothing to immediately stimulate the economy. Like the Pell Grant expansion for example:

Others say investing in education would be an indirect benefit by helping students compete for better jobs in the future. Indirect benefits will be "fairly widely dispersed through the economy … so all kinds of jobs will be created," says Chad Stone, chief economist for the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

That’s great, but if it’s long term, then it doesn’t belong in an emergency plan to stimulate the economy. Put in some other bill where that statement can be adequately debated.

Technorati Tags: Stimulus

Note to Obama: You Might Want to Look Up the Word “Protectionism”

2009-02-03T07:50:00.001-05:00

Obama vowed to fight protectionism while negotiating a trade deal with South Korea.

Obama was quoted as telling Lee that trading states should fight the temptation to revert to protectionism, in the two leaders' first telephone conversation since Obama took office, Lee's spokesman said.

That sounds great, except that he does exactly the opposite. He opposes the trade deal with South Korea because it provides too much access to the American market. Uhh, that’s called protectionism, Mr. President. Let’s not forgot all the “buy American” stipulations in the stimulus bill as well.

With each passing day of his Presidency, I become more and more convinced that Obama actually has no convictions about anything and just says what people want to hear. I know, I know, it’s called being a politician. All politicians have to do that to some extent, but usually you can get a feel for what they truly believe. Obama… he’s still a mystery.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,South Korea,Free Trade,Protectionism

The First Bill Obama Signed

2009-02-02T15:22:00.001-05:00

If I owned a business, I would negotiate with my employees about their salary on a case-by-case basis. In each case, it would be my goal to pay them the minimum that they would be satisfied with, just as it would be their goal to get me to pay the maximum I would be able to. Some people would be better negotiators than others, and have more leverage, therefore would get paid more.

With this new law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, it seems like that would be illegal. If one of the people I had negotiated a lesser salary with happened to be a woman, I would be breaking the law. So do all companies now have to standardize what they pay their employees?

Lilly Ledbetter was willing to work for her employer for 19 years at the salary they paid. It wasn’t a problem until she found out other people were making more. If a company is willing to pay a certain amount and an employee is willing to take it, how is that not fair?

Technorati Tags: Lilly Ledbetter,Fair Pay Act,Barak Obama

Obama Admits His Actions Might Result in Another Terrorist Attack on the US

2009-02-02T11:22:00.001-05:00

In an interview with Matt Lauer, Obama admits the possibility that his closure of Gitmo could cause the release of a terrorist who would later participate in another attack on America:

MATT LAUER: — to be less of a threat. But if one of those people that's released goes back and takes part in the planning of or carrying out of an attack against U.S. interests, you're gonna have a Willie Horton times 100 situation on your hands. How are you gonna deal with that?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Of course I'm worried about it. Look, the — you know, I have to make the very best judgments I can make in terms of what's gonna keep the American people safe and is what — what's gonna uphold our Constitution and our traditions of due process ... If we don't uphold our Constitution and our values, that over time that will make us less safe. And that will be a recruitment tool for organizations like al-Qaida. That's what I've gotta keep my eye on.

If Obama was really that worried about it, why didn’t he figure out what to do with the detainees before closing Gitmo? Probably because he was more worried about appeasing the left than the security of our country.

Technorati Tags: Barak Obama,GITMO,Matt Lauer

A Math Lesson for James Carville

2009-02-02T08:18:00.001-05:00

James Carville snidely tries to insinuate that Rush Limbaugh is the moral and intellectual leader of the Republican Party (as if that would be so horrible) in his piece at CNN, “A History Lesson for Rush Limbaugh.”

Last week Rush proposed taking the money going to be spent in the stimulus bill and allocate it according to the popular vote in the 2008 presidential election: 54% to the Dems for government spending and the rest to be spent on tax cuts. Carville takes this tongue-in-cheek proposal seriously and makes this ridiculous statement while wondering what if that had been applied to the the 2000 election:

Heck, had Democrats been able to control 50 percent of the government from 2000 to 2004, we wouldn't have even gone into Iraq in the first place.

I don’t know how he comes up with that, but I did my own math and I have to disagree. When the authorization to invade Iraq passed, Democrats already did control 50% of the Senate. 29 of 50 Democratic senators voted for the authorization.

In the house 39% of democrats voted for it. Let’s imagine that the Dems controlled 50% of the house and give them 217 members instead of the 209 they had. That would have given them 132 votes no (85 votes yea) instead of 126. 97% of Republicans voted yea. If we give them 216 members instead of 221, that gives them 209 votes yea and 7 no.

So the totals would have been Yea: 294, No: 139, the invasion would have still been authorized.

Technorati Tags: James Carville,Stimulus,Iraq,Rush Limbaugh

Gillibrand Appointment Just Gets Better and Better

2009-02-02T07:33:00.001-05:00

Not only did Governor Patterson appoint a relatively conservative Democrat to take Hillary Clinton’s spot in the Senate, her seat in the house may be picked up by the GOP.

Paterson boosted the Democrat from the House to the Senate to fill Secretary of State Clinton's seat, triggering an uphill special election battle for Democrats in a district where the GOP has a 70,632 voter enrollment edge.

There is some bad news, though: she might be caving on illegal immigration.

Seeking to mollify Hispanic lawmakers wary of her stance on immigration, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand yesterday told a group of 16 New York City politicians that she will use the group as a sounding board to help form her immigration policy, Assemb. Peter Rivera said.

Technorati Tags: Kirsten Gillibrand,Immigration,Senate,Patterson

Some GOP Governors Sell Out for Stimulus Money

2009-01-31T12:11:00.001-05:00

Way to drop the ball, Republican governors. While our stalwart members in the house united in opposition and with even John McCain saying not to expect GOP support for it in the Senate, some Republican governors seem to just want to make sure they get their piece of the pie.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, scheduled meetings in Washington this weekend with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other senators to press for her state's share of the package.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist worked the phones last week with members of his state's congressional delegation, including House Republicans. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the Republican vice chairman of the National Governors Association, planned to be in Washington on Monday to urge the Senate to approve the plan.

Not all of them are selling out though. My two favorite governors are still standing strong:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a former member of the House, said he would accept the stimulus money but would have voted against the bill if he were still in Congress. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he wasn't sure whether he would accept the approximately $3 billion his state would be in line for.

Technorati Tags: Sarah Palin,Charlie Crist,Bobby Jindal,Haley Barbour,Stimulus,Governor,GOP,Republicans

Obama Administration Welcomes Union Bosses Back to the White House

2009-01-31T11:54:00.001-05:00

No really, I mean literally.

“Appearing with Mr. Obama, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. drew applause when he flung another dart at former President George W. Bush, telling labor officials among those in the audience, “Welcome back to the White House.”

I think it’s important for workers to have the right to organize and try to get as much as they can from their employers, but we have way too many laws that tilt the balance unfairly towards the unions. Obama evidently disagrees, despite the fact that the government recently had to bail out two major automakers in large part because of ridiculous union demands they had to pay for.

Technorati Tags: Union,UAW,Barak Obama

Obama Fires AIDS Chief

2009-01-30T19:15:00.001-05:00

One of the things that Bush did that doesn’t get a lot of media attention is his work to combat HIV. You don’t hear much about it, probably because it doesn’t fit into the lefty media’s narrative that Bush is a soulless monster.

For some reason, the day after taking office, Obama fired Dr. Mark Dybul, the guy Bush put in charge of his 48 billion dollar plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR). This wasn’t some political hack that got fired either, he’s an openly gay physician. My guess is that either Obama has some crony he has in mind for the position or is simply going to scrap the program, or at least significantly downgrade its role so he can come up with his own plan.

Technorati Tags: Mark Dybul,HIV,AIDS,Barak Obama

We Don’t Care How, Just Spend It!

2009-01-30T16:51:00.001-05:00

The Democrats evidently don’t care what the 800 billion dollar stimulus money ends up being spent on, they just want it spent.

"If the house is burning, you're not going to worry about which hose you grab, so long as you get water on the fire," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., one of the chief authors of the House package as chairman of its appropriations committee.

What happens when the hose you grab ends up spewing gasoline all over the fire? They really buy into this Keynesian nonsense that if you just spend enough government money, all our economic woes will just disappear.

Technorati Tags: Democrat,Stimulus,David Obey

Congratulations Michael Steele

2009-01-30T16:36:00.001-05:00

Michael Steele is now the RNC chair. He’s seemed rather moderate to me so I did some research on his positions. The only thing I adamantly disagree with him on is Affirmative Action (he’s for it). Other than that he’s pro-gun, pro-life, and anti-taxes. Here’s a rundown of his positions on most issues.

Technorati Tags: Michael Steele,RNC

McCain Working on Alternative Stimulus Package

2009-01-30T13:44:00.001-05:00

Hopefully this means the Republicans plan on voting against the Stimulus bill currently being pushed by the Democrats. If they have an alternative, they can vote against it without looking like they just don’t want to do anything.

Technorati Tags: McCain,Stimulus,Senate,Republicans

Obama Administration Starting “Middle Class Tax Force”

2009-01-30T08:50:00.001-05:00

The irony is palpable. We have an administration whose every action so far has been to try and eliminate the middle class in this country now forming a task force to try and stop what they themselves are responsible for. If it keeps going, it won’t be long until we have only two classes of people in this country: the government, and those dependent on it.

The large and robust middle class of this country were not created by any government policy other than one of general economic freedom. As the dems take away that economic freedom you’ll see the middle class go with it.

Technorati Tags: Obama,Biden,Middle Class,Economy

SCHIP Expansion Passes

2009-01-30T07:55:00.001-05:00

So the infamous SCHIP expansion will finally make it through now that Bush isn’t there to veto it. Now children in families making up to 40k a year will be eligible.

How much did it cost? Only 33 billion dollars. Don’t worry though, it’s going to be funded through increased taxes on tobacco products.

Sec. 701) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase excise tax rates on cigars, cigarettes, cigarette papers and tubes, smokeless tobacco, pipe tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco. Imposes a tax on floor stocks of tobacco products (other than certain cigars and cigarette papers and tubes), reduced by a $500 tax credit. Requires payment of such floor stock taxes on or before August 1, 2009. Extends the floor stock tax to articles located in a foreign trade zone on any tax increase date.

Damn, I feel guilty now for quitting smoking. The message from the government is crystal clear: it’s now our patriotic duty to smoke. Come on, do it for the kids!

Technorati Tags: SCHIP,Tobacco,Taxes

Dems Mad About Wall Street Bonuses

2009-01-29T19:47:00.002-05:00

What planet do these people live on? Wherever it is I want to go, because evidently there you can throw money at people with no oversight about how it’s spent and they automatically do the right thing with it.

That’s the problem with just about every liberal plan ever devised: they assume that human beings are going to suddenly stop behaving in the way that human beings always do. Newsflash: people are greedy. Instead of trying to change that, why not just come up with policies that harness it?

Technorati Tags: Bailout,Wall St.,Bonuses

Blago’s Finally Gone

2009-01-29T19:25:00.001-05:00

While it certainly comes as no surprise, it feels good to see someone so damn annoying get the boot. They should probably put him on suicide watch. He’s so far detached from reality, I don’t think he’ll be able to take it as his fantasy world falls apart.

Technorati Tags: Blagojevich,Impeachment

One Out of Four People Got Teary-eyed During Obama’s Inauguration

2009-01-29T14:52:00.001-05:00

I believe it. I’m not ashamed to admit I was one of them, but mine weren’t tears of joy…

Technorati Tags: Inauguration,Obama

Stimulus Bill Goes to the Senate

2009-01-29T12:18:00.001-05:00

I have to say, I don’t have much hope that the Republican senators will stand as strong against the stimulus bill as the House Republicans did. My prediction is that there will be some minor changes made to it to make them feel better; afterwards it will still be crap and they will still vote for it.

Technorati Tags: Senate,Republicans,Stimulus

Fun With Numbers!

2009-01-29T11:50:00.001-05:00

This is why I rarely give any credence to polls presented by the media. The headline for this story states: “Most NYers say gov did weak job choosing senator.”

The actual numbers were Excellent: 6%, Good: 27%, Fair: 33%, Poor: 29%. So in reality most New Yorkers think the choice was Fair. In order to make it look bad they chose to invent their own category, “Weak,” by combining Fair and Poor. No one polled was asked if they thought the choice was “Weak,” just Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor.

So yes, technically most New Yorkers thought the choice was either Fair or Poor (62%) compared to Good (27%) or Excellent (6%), but let’s look at some other ways the same results could be stated.

“Most New Yorkers say gov did fairly good job picking senator.” See, I invented my own category, Fairly Good by combining Fair and Good (60%) which is more than Poor (29%) or Excellent (6%). I could invent yet another category, Great, by combining Fair, Good, and Excellent (66%) compared to Poor (29%).

Technorati Tags: Poll,Gillibrand,Patterson,Senator,Governor

Thanks Ford!

2009-01-29T08:50:00.001-05:00

Ford is still refusing to take federal bailout money. Not only is it admirable that they’re not using the public’s tax money to keep themselves afloat, it’s also a good business decision. If they really want to sell more Fords, they should start making commercials right now stressing the fact that they decided to tough it out while their competitor’s took the easy way out. It fits right into the Ford tough thing. I’ve always bought Fords, mainly because my father-in-law sells them, but now I’d buy one even if he didn’t.

Technorati Tags: Ford,Bailout

Congratulations House Republicans!

2009-01-29T08:39:00.001-05:00

Technorati Tags: Stimulus,House of Representatives,GOP,Republicans

Amazingly, not a single Republican voted for the so called Stimulus bill. To have voted for this abomination with all the extra unnecessary crap it contains would have been downright idiotic. Of course it passed anyway, but at least the Republicans held their ground; good job guys. Let’s see if the GOP senators can keep up the good work (I wouldn’t bet on it).

Big Whoop

2009-01-28T13:59:00.001-05:00

Technorati Tags: Obama,Republicans

There’s a lot being made about how Obama has been meeting with House Republicans. Wow, Obama has been meeting with Republicans! He really is setting a new tone of non-partisanship. George Bush never did that! Oh wait, yeah he did.

Russia Successfully Intimidates Obama

2009-01-28T09:27:00.001-05:00

Russia has decided not to deploy its missiles on the Polish border and point them at NATO allies. Why this sudden turnaround you might ask? I’d imagine it had something to do with a phone call Obama had with Medvedev after which this statement was made:

"The implementation of these plans has been halted in connection with the fact that the new U.S. administration is not rushing through plans to deploy" elements of its missile defence shield in eastern Europe, Interfax quoted an unnamed official in the Russian military's general staff as saying.

Yet in the very first paragraph of the same news story containing that quote, this ridiculous conclusion is drawn:

Russia has halted plans to deploy missiles near the Polish border, a Russian news agency quoted the military as saying on Wednesday, in the clearest sign yet Moscow is seeking better ties with the new U.S. administration.

It has nothing to do with the new administration other than the fact that they backed down where Bush wouldn’t. If Bush had made those assurances to Russia, the result would have been the same.

Technorati Tags: Russia,Obama,Missile Defense

Israel Bombs Palestinian Tunnels

2009-01-28T09:04:00.002-05:00

Israel seems serious about keeping the pressure up this time. That’s the beauty of a unilaterally declared cease fire: they haven’t violated any kind of deal forced on them by other countries.

Obama Gives Interview on Muslim TV

2009-01-27T07:42:00.002-05:00

News Flash for Obama: the Middle East didn't like us very much even before we liberated Iraq and Afghanistan. All of the terrorist attacks came before that, remember? He can kiss their asses all he wants, but unless we all suddenly convert, or at the very least shut down Hollywood and stop being tolerant of homosexuals, I don't think it's going to do much good.

Blagojevich Trying To Prove His Innocence on Talk Shows

2009-01-26T15:07:00.002-05:00

Blagojevich thinks that he can go over the heads of the state legislators and sway public opinion of himself so much that they wouldn't dare remove him from office. Good luck with that. From what I've seen, I don't think it's going to work.

He just won't shut up about not being able to call witness at the impeachment trial. How stupid does he think people are? An impeachment hearing is not a criminal trial. Don't worry Rod, that will come soon enough and you can call all the witnesses you want.

Gillibrand Anti-Amnesty

2009-01-26T13:20:00.003-05:00

Of course this piece from the Daily News tries to make that somehow a bad thing.

Isn't it racist to say that anyone who is against illegal immigration is not a friend to Hispanic people? Wouldn't that statement imply that all Hispanics are illegal aliens? It never ceases to amaze how the left can get away with the most blatant stereotypes.

Hamas and Fatah Meet

2009-01-26T13:02:00.001-05:00

The mere fact that it's a major news story that the two major Palestinian political factions actually met and had talks says a lot about the hopes for peace talks between Hamas/Fatah and Israel.

Obama Wants to Allow States to Set Stricter Emissions Standards

2009-01-26T08:33:00.002-05:00

Wait a minute, I thought keeping the car companies from going out of business was important to the economy? Didn't we just dump a bunch of money in their laps for that very purpose? Now Obama is going to let states set higher emissions standards then even the EPA recommends, possibly costing car companies billions of dollars.

Let me just say, I have no problem with states deciding things on their own. I just wish Obama would be more consistent. He's trying to get waivers for states that want to set stricter emission standards than the EPA recommends. Great, next should be waivers to states who want to set stricter limits on protecting human life than Roe v. Wade recommends.