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| Dangerous opportunity |
Mubarak resigns: Military takes over
Fireworks burst over Tahrir Square and Egypt exploded with joy and tears of relief after PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTERS BROUGHT DOWN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK WITH A MOMENTOUS MARCH ON HIS PALACES AND STATE TV. Mubarak, who until the end seemed unable to grasp the depth of resentment over his three decades of authoritarian rule, FINALLY RESIGNED FRIDAY AND HANDED POWER TO THE MILITARY."The people ousted the regime," rang out chants from crowds of hundreds of thousands massed in Cairo's central Tahrir, or Liberation, Square and outside Mubarak's main palace several miles away in a northern district of the capital.
The crowds in Cairo, the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and other cities around the country erupted into a pandemonium of cheers and waving flags. THEY DANCED, HUGGED AND RAISED THEIR HANDS IN PRAYER AFTER VICE PRESIDENT OMAR SULEIMAN MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON NATIONAL TV just after nightfall. Some fell to kiss the ground, and others chanted, "Goodbye, goodbye" and "put your heads up high, you're Egyptian."
With the resignation of Mubarak, we don’t know what will happen. The military has taken over but in reality the military has been in charge for the past 60 years. Three regimes have changed in that time, but not the political equation. What America can hope for is that democratic reforms will happen while radical groups like the Muslim brotherhood are kept at bay (too many revolutions end up with a small well organized minority taking over). We need to wait and see what happens.
Should President Obama be nervous?
… But IS AMERICA’S LEFT BEING BULLISHLY OVERCONFIDENT in the wake of their biggest midterm defeat since 1948? Definitely, if a series of new polls are anything to go by. A CNN/OPINION RESEARCH SURVEY RELEASED ON TUESDAY SHOWED THAT 51 PERCENT OF AMERICANS BELIEVE BARACK OBAMA WILL LOSE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 2012. The poll found that only 26 percent of registered voters will definitely vote for Obama, as opposed to 37 percent who definitely won’t. And despite a rising personal approval rating for Obama, according to RealClear Politics THE AMERICAN PUBLIC STILL OVERWHELMINGLY FEELS THE COUNTRY IS MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, WITH OVER 60 PERCENT OF AMERICANS TAKING THIS VIEW.
Economic issues are likely to dominate the political landscape in the lead up to November 2012, and here the president is already at a distinct disadvantage. Gallup’s latest poll released on February 9 showed that a mere 27 percent of Americans approve of Obama on the deficit (down from 32 percent in November), with 68 percent disapproving. On taxes, Obama has 42 percent approval as opposed to 54 percent disapproval, and on the economy as a whole 60 percent of Americans are unhappy with the president’s handling of the issue, with just 37 percent in favour. And on healthcare policy, another major voter issue in 2012, only 40 percent of Americans back the president, with 56 percent against. As Gallup concludes:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100075460/barack-obama-should-be-nervous-about-2012/
It’s a bit early, but the polls, predictions and prognostication has begun.
New drilling method opens vast oil fields in US
A new drilling technique is opening up vast fields of previously out-of-reach oil in the western United States, helping reverse a two-decade decline in domestic production of crude.
Companies are investing billions of dollars to get at oil deposits scattered across North Dakota, Colorado, Texas and California. By 2015, oil executives and analysts say, the new fields could yield as much as 2 million barrels of oil a day - more than the entire Gulf of Mexico produces now.
This new drilling is expected to raise U.S. production by at least 20 percent over the next five years. And within 10 years, it could help reduce oil imports by more than half, advancing a goal that has long eluded policymakers.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SHALE_OIL?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
Here is some good news today.
Tricks but no miracles in recent jobs report
…THE NUMBER OF NEW JOBS CREATED LAST MONTH, THE GOVERNMENT SAID IN ITS REPORT, ADDED UP TO JUST 36,000. THAT COMPARES WITH THE 150,000 NEW JOBS THAT THE "EXPERTS" WERE EXPECTING.
Keep in mind that 150,000 jobs are not even enough to absorb new people trying to enter the workforce for the first time, much less find jobs for the unemployed.
And THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN FRIDAY'S REPORT FELL BY A LAUGHABLY LARGE 0.4 PERCENTAGE POINTS TO 9.0 PERCENT, which of course the Labor Department chose to highlight in the first sentences of its release…..
….THE LABOR DEPARTMENT ALSO ANNOUNCED IN ITS LATEST REPORT THAT IT HAD OVER-COUNTED BY 452,000 THE NUMBER OF JOBS IT PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT HAD BEEN CREATED IN 2010. President Obama loves to say in speeches that 1.3 million jobs were created last year.
HE CAN'T ANYMORE BECAUSE THE NEW FIGURE IS JUST 909,000, and many of those were temporary Census 2010 positions…..
….IN JANUARY 2010, THE LABOR DEPARTMENT ASSUMED THAT 427,000 JOBS WERE KILLED BY THESE SMALL COMPANIES. THIS JANUARY THE MODEL GUESSED THAT ONLY 339,000 JOBS WERE ELIMINATED.
In other words, if Labor had used anything near last January's 427,000 figure, THIS JANUARY'S HEADLINE NUMBER COULD HAVE BEEN NEGATIVE INSTEAD OF SHOWING THE PALTRY 36,000 JOB GROWTH…..
……But even that doesn't tell the whole story because ADP DOES NOT COUNT GOVERNMENT WORKERS WHO ARE BEING FIRED AS PART OF BUDGET CUTBACKS.
According to Challenger Gray and Christmas, another private research firm, 142,255 GOVERNMENT WORKERS WERE PART OF ANNOUNCED LAYOFFS IN 2010. And public employees are likely to suffer more layoffs in the months ahead as local governments deal with budget deficits.
BOTTOM LINE: JOB GROWTH STINKS. But it isn't ebbing and flowing nearly as much as the government's number would have you believe
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/tricks_but_no_miracles_in_recent_5BVccbpjgGSJR4cvIzr54N#ixzz1DZIpt0WR
This is a definite must read. It is fascinating to see what is actually going on. It also explains why Gallup came out and said the Unemployment rate was 9.8% just before the government came out at 9.0%. It appears there are rules of thumb being manipulated to make the numbers look better.
Too Useful to Check: Us Magazine Falls For Fake Palin-Aguilera Story
GossipCop.com reports that Us Weekly just did something extraordinarily dumb (bolds, italics, and link are in original):
WHOOPS! US WEEKLY PUBLISHES SARAH PALIN/CHRISTINA AGUILERA SPOOF AS FACT
This is really bad.
Us Weekly has published what it claims are comments made by Sarah Palin, in which the former vice presidential candidate blasts Christina Aguilera’s performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XLV.
EXCEPT THE OVER-THE-TOP “QUOTES,” WHICH US WEEKLY ATTRIBUTES TO A MONDAY RADIO INTERVIEW WITH SEAN HANNITY, WERE ACTUALLY WRITTEN FOR A SATIRE WEBSITE…..
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2011/02/10/too-useful-check-us-magazine-falls-fake-palin-aguilera-story#ixzz1DZYCJrpe
Sometimes liberals can’t help themselves. Even if it’s not true, it should be. As Dan Rather said regarding the documents about President Bush being given special treatment they were: “Fake but accurate.”
The great Pigford fraud
…Andrew Breitbart delivered remarks, saying that AL PIRES CREATED A SYSTEM TO EXPLOIT BLACK FARMERS IN THE SOUTH, WHO ONLY NUMBERED ABOUT 3,000 EXPECTED CLAIMANTS at the outset. PIGFORD HAS ENDED UP WITH ABOUT 94,000 CLAIMANTS, thanks in no small part to Sen. Barack Obama’s sponsorship of a bill to extend Pigford when he was in the Senate. Meanwhile, BLACK FARMERS WHO WERE ACTUALLY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BY THE USDA WERE SCAMMED TO BENEFIT THE CLASS ACTION ATTORNEYS INVOLVED, who made a killing off of Pigford. The farmers, meanwhile, lost their land and continue to be victims of the entire process.
FILM MAKER LEE STRANAHAN SHOWED UNDERCOVER VIDEO THAT HE OBTAINED, WHICH PROVES THAT THE LAWYERS INVOLVED DEFRAUDED THE BLACK FARMERS, while also teaching others how to scam the government out of money by exploiting the Pigford settlement. Stranaham’s undercover film also shows proof THAT PIGFORD IS BEING USED AS A STEALTH REPARATIONS PROGRAM.
Rep. Steve King delivered remarks following Stranaham. King looked into the Pigford settlements almost a decade ago, when a researcher delivered evidence to his office that about 75% OF THE PIGFORD I SETTLEMENTS WERE FRAUDULENT. King noted that there were black farmers who were discriminated against, and they should be made whole. But the Pigford settlements have far exceeded the number of actual farmers who were harmed. KING CALLED FOR A CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION INTO PIGFORD, TO UNCOVER THE FULL EXTENT OF A “CRIME AGAINST THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS.”
http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/02/10/cpac-presser-the-great-pigford-fraud/
You may not have heard much about this, but it has been brimming around the internet for a while now. The estimate of the number of farmers hurt (3,000) vs the number of claimants (94,000) shows us we need an investigation and prosecuting those who were involved in fraud.
FOIA requests: A double standard?
ERIC HOLDER’S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS EVEN POLITICIZED COMPLIANCE WITH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. According to documents I have obtained, FOIA requests from liberals or politically connected civil rights groups are often given same day turn-around by the DOJ. But requests from conservatives or Republicans face long delays, if they are fulfilled at all.http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/bombshell-justice-department-only-selectively-complies-with-freedom-of-information-act-pjm-exclusive/
THE DOCUMENTS SHOW A PATTERN OF POLITICIZED COMPLIANCE WITHIN THE DOJ’S CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION. In particular, I have obtained FOIA logs that demonstrate as of August 2010, the most transparent administration in history is anything but. The logs provide the index number of the information request, the date of the request, the requestor, and the date of compliance.
For example, REPUBLICAN ELECTION ATTORNEY CHRIS ASHBY OF LECLAIR RYAN MADE A REQUEST FOR THE RECORDS OF FIVE SUBMISSIONS made under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. ASHBY WAITED NEARLY EIGHT MONTHS FOR A RESPONSE. Afterwards, Susan Somach of the “Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda,” a group headed by Rev. Joseph Lowery, made requests for 23 of the same type of records. While Ashby waited many months for five records, SOMACH WAITED ONLY 20 DAYS FOR 23 RECORDS.
This isn’t necessarily surprising, but it is disappointing. Wasn’t the Obama administration going to be the MOST TRANSPARENT in our countries history? Evidently not.
CBO Director Says Obamacare Would Reduce Employment by 800,000 Workers
Testifying today before the House Budget Committee, Congressional Budget Office (CBO) DIRECTOR DOUG ELMENDORF CONFIRMED THAT OBAMACARE IS EXPECTED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF JOBS IN THE LABOR MARKET BY AN ESTIMATED 800,000. Here are excerpts from the exchange:…
…Rep. [John] Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, we'll -- and Dr. Elmendorf -- and we'll continue this conversation right now. First on health care, before I get to -- before I get to broader issues, you just mentioned that you believe -- or that in your estimate, that the health care law would reduce the labor used in the economy by about 1/2 of 1 percent, given that, I believe you say, there's 160 million full-time people working in '20-'21. That means that, in your estimation, the health care law would reduce employment by 800,000 in '20-'21. Is that correct?
Director Elmendorf: Yes. The way I would put it is that WE DO ESTIMATE, AS YOU SAID, THAT...EMPLOYMENT WILL BE ABOUT 160 MILLION BY THE END OF THE DECADE. HALF A PERCENT OF THAT IS 800,000.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/daily/daily.asp
Next time a democrat asks why the Republicans are looking out for jobs but rather are looking at Obamacare, you now have the answer. Since 2010 saw the economy grow by 909,000 jobs this alone would save almost as many jobs as the economy created.
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