Jobs, deficits and taxes

Are the job numbers real?

DECEPTION IS A DANGEROUS THING. You never really know when a lie may turn on you.

Take, for instance, the Labor Department's annual springtime boost in the faux jobs market. While it's nice that the government thinks there is an employment boom coming, this won't be a good development if that boom turns out to be imaginary yet still causes the Federal Reserve to prematurely tighten credit conditions.

Let's start from the beginning.

EARLY THIS MONTH LABOR REPORTED THAT 216,000 NEW JOBS WERE CREATED IN MARCH. It was better than Wall Street expected.

BUT THE FIGURE INCLUDED 117,000 JOBS THAT THE DEPARTMENT THINKS, BUT CAN'T PROVE, WERE CREATED BY NEWLY FORMED COMPANIES THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN EXIST. In fact, the department is getting so optimistic about the labor market that it increased this imaginary job count from just 81,000 in March, 2010.

As I've been telling you for months, THE SPRING ALWAYS CAUSES THE LABOR DEPARTMENT TO GOOSE ITS JOB-CREATION NUMBERS. And maybe sometime in the future this process will be warranted. But DURING 2009 AND 2010 THESE SPRINGTIME ASSUMPTIONS -- WHICH ARE OFFICIALLY CALLED THE BIRTH/DEATH MODEL BY LABOR -- LED TO MAJOR ERRORS IN THE ANNUAL JOB COUNT.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/faux_job_numbers_could_lead_to_real_3zKnIS84fd4XYOLbEK48GL#ixzz1JJc0qZ1S

These jobs numbers are going to come back and bite the Democrats. As actual new jobs are created, more people will come back into the job pool and you will see real progress being made even while the unemployment rate increases.



The Ryan Plan: A good plan

Ryan’s alternative to Medicare hardly seems as terrible as Paul Krugman makes out. Seniors would enter the health care world the rest of us live in, with co-payments, deductibles and managed care. EVENTUALLY, COST CONTROL WOULD REQUIRE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS ABOUT END-OF-LIFE CARE AND THE RATIONING OF HIGH-TECH TREATMENTS THAT HAVE LIMITED EFFICACY. But starting with a value of $15,000 per year, per senior—the amount government now spends on Medicare—RYAN’S VOUCHERS SHOULD PROVIDE EXCELLENT COVERAGE. His change would amount to a minor amendment to the social contract, not a fundamental revision of it.

Effectively constraining the growth of Medicare could make it possible for Democrats to do a lot else that’s important to them in the future. … Growing at more than 7 percent a year, MEDICARE IS PROJECTED TO EVENTUALLY CONSUME NEARLY ALL FEDERAL TAX REVENUES. It is crowding out everything else that Washington does or might want to do. Conversely, cutting Medicare’s growth rate to near the overall rate of the economy would do more than anything else to enable the kind of activist government liberals support—investment in kids, education, jobs, and infrastructure. …

http://www.slate.com/id/2290509

Rather than “death panels” this plan would allow the individual to decide when they didn’t think it was wise to continue heroic medicine. I expect to see Obama castigate this plan tomorrow night and try to scare seniors with his rhetoric.

Public Financing and Obama’s hypocrisy

In 2008, candidate Barack Obama didn't just ask for donations. His website asked donors to "declare their independence from a broken system by supporting the first presidential election truly funded by the people." At the time, NO ONE EXPECTED THAT BY "THE PEOPLE" HE MEANT A BUNCH OF MILLIONAIRES, BUT THIS IS THE CONCLUSION WE DRAW FROM OBAMA'S LATEST CAMPAIGN INITIATIVE. Politico reported last week that Obama, having raised three-quarters of a billion dollars in his 2008 race, IS NOW SEEKING OUT 400 ELITE CAMPAIGN CASH BUNDLERS TO RAISE $700,000 APIECE FOR HIS 2012 RE-ELECTION. If the plan succeeds, it will raise $280 million in seed money for his campaign, which will be plowed into raising more money on the Internet from old campaign lists. This guarantees that Obama will reject public funding in election 2012, just as he did in 2008.

OBAMA'S HYPOCRISY ON THIS ISSUE IS MANIFEST. He once declared he was "a big believer in public financing of campaigns," and even CHALLENGED HIS POTENTIAL REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS TO PLEDGE THEY WOULD ACCEPT FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS AND THE SPENDING LIMITS THAT COME WITH THEM. He also promised to "aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election." BUT ONCE HE REALIZED HE COULD RAISE NEARLY A BILLION DOLLARS ON HIS OWN, THOSE PROMISES ALL WENT OUT THE WINDOW.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2011/04/examiner-editorial-fix-public-campaign-financing-ending-it#ixzz1JJk2ZSED

This should have been a huge warning sign for the supports of BHO. President Obama is not a pragmatist or a realist. He is an opportunist. Well he says he missing anonymity and with the 2012 election coming up, we have an opportunity to give him back his anonymity.



President Obama's two minds on the deficit

When it comes to deficit reduction and entitlement reform, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS BEEN A MASTER OF MIXED SIGNALS, his critics say.

As a candidate, OBAMA PROMISED TO DEAL WITH THE EXPLODING DEFICIT – so committed to tackling the underlying issue of entitlement reform that HE TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST HE’D MAKE THE “HARD DECISIONS… UNDER MY WATCH” shortly before his inauguration almost 27 months ago.

But as president, such high-minded goals have run headlong into a tanking economy and more mundane political imperatives, like positioning himself for his 2012 re-election campaign…..

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52980.html#ixzz1JJlX0mYC


Yet another bit of hypocrisy.


A “People’s Budget” is proposed by Democrat Progressives

….The "People's Budget" is the liberals' answer to House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan's 2012 budget proposal, which is "leading us down a road to ruin," according to caucus co-chairmen Reps. Raul Grijalva and Keith Ellison. THE "PEOPLE'S BUDGET," GRIJALVA AND ELLISON CLAIM, WOULD ELIMINATE THE DEFICIT IN JUST 10 YEARS (RYAN'S PLAN WOULD TAKE MORE THAN 25 YEARS) WHILE EXPANDING, NOT CUTTING, MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND SOCIAL SECURITY. "This budget saves the American people from the recklessness of the Republican majority," Grijalva and Ellison write in a letter to Rep. Chris Van Hollen, senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

How can such fiscal miracles be accomplished? By tax increases that would make even some top Democrats gasp. Perhaps the most extraordinary is the caucus plan to raise the Social Security tax to cover nearly all of a taxpayer's income. Right now, the tax is imposed on the first $106,000 of earnings. For people who make more than that, the caucus would tax a full 90 percent of income -- no matter how high it goes. The caucus would raise the Social Security tax that employers pay as well.

The caucus would create THREE NEW INDIVIDUAL TAX BRACKETS FOR THE HIGHEST INCOMES, topping out at 47 percent. It would also raise the capital gains tax, the estate tax and corporate taxes. It would create something called a "financial crisis responsibility fee" and a "financial speculation tax." And of course it would repeal the Bush tax cuts.

As if anyone needed reminding, THE "PEOPLE'S BUDGET" IS PROOF THAT THE LIBERAL IDEA OF BUDGET BALANCING IS TAX, TAX, TAX. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SPENDING CUTS, YOU'LL FIND JUST ONE REALLY BIG ONE: NATIONAL DEFENSE. The liberals would end "overseas contingency operations" -- the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- starting in 2013. They would save more money by "reducing strategic capabilities, conventional forces, procurement, and research & development programs." In other words, they would gut the United States' ability to defend itself, today and long into the future.

What would the liberals spend money on? The "People's Budget" is essentially a newer and bigger stimulus bill. Grijalva and Ellison pledge TO "INVEST $1.45 TRILLION IN JOB CREATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD, K-12 AND SPECIAL EDUCATION, QUALITY CHILD CARE, ENERGY AND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT," along with billions more for stimuluslike road and other transportation programs…..

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/04/liberals-plan-gut-defense-and-tax-tax-tax#ixzz1JJmxgRIR

This is a liberal nirvana and a conservative’s hell. Fortunately 42% of the population identify as conservative and only 20% identify themselves as liberals. It doesn’t stand a chance of being passed.



California in the Balance

We calibrate California’s decline by its myriad of paradoxes. THE NATION’S HIGHEST BUNDLE OF GAS, SALES, AND INCOME TAXES CANNOT CLOSE THE NATION’S LARGEST ANNUAL DEFICIT AT $25 BILLION. TEST SCORES ARE AT THE COUNTRY’S NEAR BOTTOM; TEACHERS’ SALARIES AT THE VERY TOP. Scores of the affluent are leaving each week; scores of the indigent are arriving. The nation’s most richly endowed state is also the most regulated; the most liberal of our residents are also the most ready to practice apartheid in their Bel Air or Palo Alto enclaves.

We now see highway patrolmen and city police, in the manner of South American law enforcement, out in force. Everywhere they are monitoring, watching, ticketing — no warnings, no margins of error — DESPERATE TO EARN TRAFFIC FINES THAT MIGHT FEED THE STATE THAT FEEDS THEM. I could go on. But you get the picture that we are living on the fumes of a rich state that our forefathers brilliantly exploited, and now there is not much energy left in the fading exhaust to keep us going.

I see CALIFORNIA IN TERMS NOW OF THE RAZOR’S EDGE WITH DISASTER NOT FAR IN EITHER DIRECTION. A postmodern affluent lifestyle hangs in the balance here without a margin of error....

http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/the-razors-edge/

California demonstrates the ills of liberalism. It is the state most like the EU’s PIGGS where people turn down tax increases but want to continue the benefits California has given them. In fact, that is the attitude the left is trying to instill in the rest of the country. Fortunately we aren’t there yet.



Ideological intransigence

IN THE END, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WAS THE ONE WHO REFUSED TO BLINK ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD. Another way of saying it is this: THE PRESIDENT WAS WILLING TO SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RATHER THAN SEE PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S FEDERAL FUNDING CUT.

According to press accounts leaked by Democratic aides, House Speaker John Boehner argued for the funding cut late into the evening. THE PRESIDENT ANSWERED, “NOPE, ZERO.” He then said, “John, this is it.” Mr. Boehner accepted the budget deal without that cut.

A Republican aide confirmed more or less the same account to me. He said it was “chilling” to see how inflexible Mr. Obama was. You might call it ideological.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/264468/re-culture-life-win-thanks-house-kathryn-jean-lopez

You can only have a fight over an ideological position if both sides have an ideological position.



Now Elections don’t matter

From Nancy Pelosi’s speech at Tufts University

To my Republican friends: take back your party. So that it doesn’t matter so much who wins the election, because we have shared values about the education of our children, the growth of our economy, how we defend our country, our security and civil liberties, how we respect our seniors. Because there are so many things at risk right now -- perhaps in another question I'll go into them, if you want. BUT THE FACT IS THAT ELECTIONS SHOULDN'T MATTER AS MUCH AS THEY DO...But when it comes to a place where there doesn't seem to be shared values then that can be problematic for the country, as I think you can see right now.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/nancy-pelosi-elections-shouldnt-matter-much-they-do_557307.html

It appears elections only matter if you are a liberal and you win. All you have to do is to look at what is happening around the country. In Wisconsin you had all the Democrat Senators flee from the state to keep last November’s election from counting. And here we have the ex-SOTH proclaim that elections shouldn’t matter as much as they do. It also seems to me that Pelosi is calling for the congress to be more conservative and to not change the status quo.



Liberalism: Black America’s greatest enemy

…. In the 1950s when racism truly was a problem for blacks in America, MOST BLACK KIDS GREW UP IN TWO PARENT HOMES. TODAY, AFTER 60 YEARS OF LIBERAL DEMOCRAT ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS, MOST BLACK KIDS ARE GROWING UP IN FATHERLESS HOMES. No matter how you slice it, something is seriously wrong in the black community. And it has nothing to do with white folks nor Republicans.



These fatherless black boys make babies and join gangs. Typical of liberal screwed up thinking, I HEARD A PHD ON TV SAY, "THERE IS NOTHING A FATHER CAN TEACH HIS SON WHICH THE CHILD CANNOT LEARN FROM HIS SINGLE MOTHER." I thought, "Good lord, this woman went to college to learn this crap!" Newsflash libs: males crave male bonding and leadership. Why do you think they join gangs? This is not rocket science!...

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/04/liberalism_black_americas_grea.html


This was from a black journalist who sees the truth.



T Boone Pickens makes his case

…..Hence the allure of natural gas: Pickens claims the U.S. HAS NATURAL GAS RESERVES EQUIVALENT TO THREE TIMES THAT OF SAUDI ARABIA’S KNOWN 260 BILLION-BARREL OIL RESERVE when you use a Barrel of Oil Equivalent (BOE) comparison.

– Using BOE, NATURAL GAS, AT ITS CURRENT PRICE, WOULD BE ABOUT $1.50 PER GALLON CHEAPER THAN DIESEL FUEL.

– Using BOE, natural gas emits 30% less carbon

Boone Pickens wants to convert America’s 140,000-unit fleet of 18-wheel truckers to run on natural gas. Pickens says the cost of converting the next-generation fleet of 18-wheelers would be about $60,000 per vehicle – or roughly $9 billion for the entire 140,000 fleet. Where will that money come from?....

http://blogs.forbes.com/richkarlgaard/2011/04/11/what-i-learned-about-natural-gas-from-boone-pickens/

America is awash in fossil fuels and natural gas is one of the best. But it seems to environmentalists, nothing really works other than solar and wind power. Natural gas and nuclear are the real choices if you want to decrease the amount of carbon we are putting in the air.

Chronicles of Failed Doomsaying

Gregg Easterbrook, author of one of the better books on the environment over the last 20 years (1995's A Moment on the Earth: The Coming Age of Environmental Optimism) COINED WHAT HE CALLED "EASTERBROOK'S LAW OF DOOMSAYING"--"PREDICT DREADFUL EVENTS WHOSE ARRIVAL IMPENDS NO SOONER THAN 5 YEARS HENCE, NO LATER THAN 10. THAT TIME WINDOW IS NEAR ENOUGH TO CAUSE WORRY, FAR ENOUGH OFF THAT WHEN IT ACTUALLY ROLLS AROUND EVERYONE WILL HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT YOU PREDICTED."

But in the age of Google, it is easier to go back and check on these serial blunders. So as Britain was paralyzed with huge snowstorm a few months ago a number of folks went back and dredged up the climate campaign's predictions that winter snowfalls in Britain would soon (as in, by now) be a thing of historical memory.

Yesterday, GAVIN ATKINS OF ASIAN CORRESPONDENT.COM NOTES THAT JUST A FEW YEARS AGO THE UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME PREDICTED THERE WOULD BE 50 MILLION CLIMATE REFUGEES BY THE YEAR 2010. And so Atkins sensibly asks, um. . . WHERE ARE THEY? He noted we have census figures for THE AREAS IDENTIFIED AS MOST VULNERABLE, SUCH AS THE TUVALU ISLANDS, AND FINDS IN EVERY CASE THAT POPULATION IS STILL GROWING.

http://nlt.ashbrook.org/2011/04/chronicles-of-failed-doomsaying.php

Making predictions is tough work especially if it’s about the future.

Elections have consequences....

Elections have consequences unless the Democrats lose

Even as the United States fights a "kinetic military action" in Libya, there's plenty of non-"kinetic" con flict here at home. IT'S A WAR FOR OUR ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND THE VALIDITY OF OUR ELECTORAL PROCESS -- AND IT'S ONE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE.

Start in Wisconsin, the proxy battleground pro tem of the intensified national partisan conflict. DEMOCRATS THERE STILL REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES: They're still trying to block and/or roll back Gov. Scott Walker's agenda by any means.

With the state facing a $3.1 billion shortfall over the next two years, Walker won office on a reform platform, and voters also gave the Republican Party control of both houses of the Legislature. BUT THAT HASN'T QUAILED THE OPPOSITION…..

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/undoing_an_election_consequences_LRMQUbQ24tkGGGwqwAnCjL#ixzz1IBlZQUR4

When the Democrats came off the 2008 election they told everyone “elections have consequences.” It appears they have very short memories.



Judge Sumi Warns Attorneys About Criticisms

The attorneys present during these comments indicated it was not clear to whom they were directed, but I have to believe the warnings were directed at attorneys for the State.

Sumi said emotions are running high over two cases she is hearing regarding Gov. Scott Walker's plan to eliminate most collective bargaining for public workers. That "spirited debate" is important in a democracy, but ATTORNEYS MUST KEEP IN MIND THEIR PROFESSIONAL ETHICS, Sumi said.

"THEY ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROMOTE AND NOT DENIGRATE THE JUDICIAL BRANCH AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE RULE OF LAW," SHE SAID.

SHE ADVISED LAWYERS TO REVIEW STATE SUPREME COURT RULES that say: "A lawyer shall not make a statement that the lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to its truth or falsity concerning the qualifications or integrity of a judge...."

I find it disturbing that Judge Sumi issued this warning, which carries the threat of a Bar disciplinary referral. THIS IS TANTAMOUNT TO THE NUCLEAR OPTION, BY PUTTING ATTORNEY LICENSES TO PRACTICE ON THE LINE….

http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2011/03/judge-sumi-warns-attorneys-about.html

Liberals seem to want two different sets of laws. Those that apply when they are in the majority and those that apply when they are in the minority. In both cases, the laws favor the liberals.


Palin makes a lot more sense than Obama

…. The former Alaska governor also addressed how free-market reforms could inform energy policy. "MY VISION FOR A FREE AND PROSPEROUS AMERICA HAS MUCH TO DO WITH ENERGY," she said. That vision, on one side, involves getting out of the alternative-energy fad. MS. PALIN ECHOED RECENT REPORTS FROM SCOTLAND THAT SHOW HOW THIS FAD MAKES ENERGY, AND HENCE BUSINESS, MORE EXPENSIVE. FOR EVERY GREEN JOB CREATED, NEARLY FOUR OTHER JOBS ARE LOST.

The other side of her vision involves developing the natural resources in America that regulations, like bans on offshore drilling, have "stymied." IN A TIME OF HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND HIGH INFLATION, UNLOCKING THE COUNTRY'S MINERAL WEALTH CAN BOTH CREATE JOBS AND PROVIDE LARGER SUPPLIES OF OIL AND GAS TO EASE HIGH ENERGY PRICES.

India offers a lesson here. The past 20 years may have seen some of the country's entrepreneurial energies getting tapped, but A WEB OF REGULATIONS KEEPS ITS NATURAL RESOURCES UNTAPPED. Besides hindering expansion in a number of infrastructure sectors, these regulations -- MANY IN THE NAME OF ENVIRONMENTALISM -- ENABLE CRONYISM, AS RENT-SEEKING BUREAUCRATS SKEW THE PLAYING FIELD TO FAVOR A FEW BUSINESSES. They also leave India at the mercy of foreign energy sources.

Americans ought to get acquainted with these problems, if they aren't already. Rising demand from emerging economies in India and China makes energy security all the more crucial, said Ms. Palin.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471904576230772973296018.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLESecond


We have more energy resources than any other country in the world and yet we tie them up in red tape and refuse to exploit them. We not only send trillions of dollars overseas, but we fail to get the high paying jobs that would come in developing these resources.




Cut government? It’s not easy

….My most recent experience dates to 2005, when the White House put forward my name as assistant secretary of Commerce (and deputy NOAA administrator) TO SUPERVISE THE BURGEONING FEDERAL PROGRAM OF CLIMATE-SCIENCE RESEARCH. I passed my interviews with flying colors; but then the White House lost interest. Obviously, MY WELL- KNOWN SKEPTICISM ABOUT MANMADE GLOBAL WARMING HAD REACHED THE POLITICAL TYPES AND THE MATTER JUST DIED.

Too bad. During the last decade, we have spent some $50 billion on climate-related research, much of it through the inter-agency Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). The office I was supposed to direct finally issued 21 reports, which are of dubious value and hardly known. The first and most important of these, CCSP-SAP 1.1, ACTUALLY DEMONSTRATES THAT NATURE, NOT HUMAN ACTIVITY, RULES THE CLIMATE. THE 'FINGERPRINTS' OF OBSERVATIONS AND GREENHOUSE MODELS DISAGREE COMPLETELY -- as is evident from the graphs in the body of the report. Yet the Executive Summary, written by political types and approved by NOAA management, manages to gloss over the disparity and maintains the fiction of anthropogenic global warming. Had I been in charge, this Summary would not have been approved…..

….Conclusion

So what's to be done? THE POLITICAL APPOINTEES SOON GET FRUSTRATED WHEN THEY REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO CHANGE COURSE. We need lots of mid-level managers who are not afraid to put their jobs on the line. The bureaucracy is steeped in a culture of automatic annual increases -- and new programs. The American public and also the states have become used to government grants, subsidies and services; there are more than 1,000 federal grant-in-aid programs for states, involving education, housing, transportation, etc. Most of these federal services can and should be replaced by locally funded and controlled ones -- closer to the voters and taxpayers, and less costly. However, there is need to take slow steps in cutting the federal budget; WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS CAN BE PAINFUL, POLITICALLY DAMAGING, AND COULD KILL THE WHOLE ENTERPRISE. REMEMBER THAT "PULLING PIGS OUT OF THE TROUGH CAUSES A LOT OF SQUEALING."

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/03/adventures_in_federal_budget_c.html


Squealing democrats:  I think that creates the correct picture as to what is happening.

Obama’s snooze button

In a speech at Georgetown University on March 30, PRESIDENT OBAMA DECLARED THAT "WE CANNOT KEEP GOING FROM SHOCK TO TRANCE...RUSHING TO PROPOSE ACTION WHEN GAS PRICES RISE, THEN HITTING THE SNOOZE BUTTON WHEN THEY FALL AGAIN." Obama meant these words to apply to his predecessors in office, among them Jimmy Carter, who famously suggested that the energy shortages of the 1970s might be solved if Americans would just don heavier sweaters. But Obama is hardly the most self-aware of American presidents -- if he were, HE WOULD REALIZE HOW PERFECTLY THOSE WORDS APPLY TO HIS OWN ENERGY POLICIES.



For more than two years, Obama has been hitting the snooze button on energy. Through the Interior Department, EPA, and other agencies, HE HAS CARRIED OUT AN UNPRECEDENTED ASSAULT ON ALL WORKABLE FORMS OF ENERGY FROM COAL AND OIL TO NATURAL GAS AND NUCLEAR POWER. Ever since he launched his campaign for the presidency in 2007, in fact, Obama has pandered to the alternative energy lobby, a well-funded group that continues to bankroll Democratic politicians.



Weeks before his election, Obama POSTED A VIDEO THAT PROPOSED SPENDING $150 BILLION ON ALTERNATIVE ENERGY while promising that the measures would make the country energy independent and CREATE 5 MILLION NEW JOBS. To date, HALF OF THAT $150 BILLION HAS BEEN SPENT ($40 billion of it was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009), but the nation is even more dependent on imported oil, and WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/03/the_presidents_snooze_button.html


GOP says 5,000 non-citizens voting in Colorado a 'wake-up call' for states

Republicans on the House Administration Committee want to shore up voter registration rules in the wake of a COLORADO STUDY THAT FOUND AS MANY AS 5,000 NON-CITIZENS IN THE STATE TOOK PART IN LAST YEAR’S ELECTION.

Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), the panel’s chairman, called the study “a disturbing wake-up call” that should cause every state to review its safeguards to prevent illegal voting.

“We simply cannot have an electoral system that allows thousands of non-citizens to violate the law and vote in our elections. We must do more to protect the integrity of our electoral processes,” Harper added.

COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE SCOTT GESSLER, A REPUBLICAN, TOLD THE PANEL THAT HIS DEPARTMENT’S STUDY IDENTIFIED NEARLY 12,000 PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT CITIZENS BUT WERE STILL REGISTERED TO VOTE IN COLORADO.

Of those non-citizen registered voters, nearly 5,000 took part in the 2010 general election in which Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet narrowly defeated Republican Ken Buck.....

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/153079-gop-says-5000-non-citizens-voting-in-colorado-a-wake-up-call-for-states

Voter fraud is the greatest attack on our democracy that there is. 

ADA to Be Used as Tire Iron to Smash Business’s Kneecaps

Let’s see, what else could our government do to make it difficult to run a profitable business in this country? I know — expand the insane Americans With Disabilities Act so that it covers more than half the population:

MILLIONS OF AMERICANS MAY BE DISABLED AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT, according to some legal experts.

That’s because sweeping new regulations from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission OFFER NEW GUIDELINES ON THE ISSUE OF HOW TO DEFINE “DISABILITY” UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. …

“Before, perhaps 40 million people were covered by the ADA. That number will increase significantly,” [Attorney Condon] McGlothlen told Fox News. “Some people might even say that a majority of Americans are covered as disabled under the law.”

Now it will get worse:

Overall, lawyers for employers say THE REGULATIONS SHIFT THE BURDEN OF PROOF IN DISABILITY CLAIMS.

They say that EMPLOYERS WILL NOW HAVE TO SHOW WHY A WORKER DOESN’T REQUIRE SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, rather than employees proving that the measures are merited.

“It’s going to be very difficult for employers to argue in just about any case that an employee is exaggerating their disability or that the person isn’t genuinely disabled,” McGlothlen said

.

http://rightwingnews.com/economy/ada-to-be-used-as-tire-iron-to-smash-businesss-kneecaps/


Antarctic ice breakup makes ocean absorb more CO2

Some cheerful news on the climate change front today, as US government boffins report that ice BREAKING OFF THE ANTARCTIC SHELVES AND MELTING IN THE SEA CAUSES CARBON DIOXIDE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. This powerful, previously unknown "negative feedback" WOULD SEEM LIKELY TO REVISE FORECASTS OF FUTURE GLOBAL WARMING SIGNIFICANTLY DOWNWARDS.

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) which funded the iceberg study, describes the results as HAVING "GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CLIMATE RESEARCH".

“These new findings... confirm that icebergs contribute yet another, previously unsuspected, dimension of physical and biological complexity to polar ecosystems," says Roberta Marinelli, director of the NSF's Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Program

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/29/iceberg_phytoplankton_boost/


It appears the scientific “chicken littles” have even less to cry out about.



EPA air chief is clueless about CO2

During the EPA hearings, REP. JOE BARTON (R-TX) QUESTIONED GINA MCCARTHY, EPA CHIEF OF AIR PROGRAMS AND GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATIONS. HE ASKED:


DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE LEVEL OF CO2 RIGHT NOW IS GENERALLY SPEAKING IN THE ATMOSPHERE?


HE THREW HER A SOFTBALL. HER ANSWER?


WELL ACTUALLY I DON’T HAVE THAT FIGURE.

(Take long pregnant pause here.)

You don’t have what? Please tell me this is a joke! The chief of the EPA’s air programs and greenhouse gas regulations doesn’t know how much carbon dioxide is in the air? This is beyond anything I thought was possible.

That’s how bad Gina McCarthy’s answer was. To be the chief regulator of such a potentially devastating policy and to not know that CO2 is 390 parts per million? WHAT ELSE DOESN’T THE EPA KNOW ABOUT CARBON DIOXIDE? HOW ABOUT THAT IT’S NOT A DANGEROUS POLLUTANT

?

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/epa-air-chief-is-co2-clueless/?singlepage=true


Pitiful, just pitiful.

Desperate Lies

Chamber Refutes Foreign Money Charge, Accuses Administration of 'Fear and Smear'

The Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday refuted Democrats' claims that it could be pumping foreign money into U.S. elections, accusing the Obama administration of "grasping at straws" in a last-ditch bid to shift public opinion.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/12/chamber-refutes-foreign-money-charge-accuses-administration-fear-smear/

This is interesting. It makes you wonder why would the administration keep harping on something that almost every news media characterizes as unfounded accusations? It appears to be just another sign of how desperate things are for the Democrats. It does take the narrative off the “accomplishments” of the Obama White House and even it the commentary isn’t flattering about what they are charging, it appears to be better than looking at what they have actually done.

Be Careful what you ask for

House and Senate Republican staff members on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and House Government Oversight Committee say they will be more than happy to open investigations into White House and Democrat party charges of foreign financial influence in the U.S. election process if they win back majorities in Congress this November.


"Given that we know that President Obama's presidential election campaign received millions of dollars and possibly tens of millions of dollars in foreign donations, and that a NUMBER OF UNION-FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED FOREIGN CONTRIBUTIONS during the 2008 and 2010 election cycles, and THAT MOVEON.ORG HAS PERHAPS RECEIVED MILLIONS IN FOREIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, not to mention the possibility that the Center for American Progress has foreign donors, we can see where the American people might be concerned that these entities not have the opportunity in the 2012 election cycle to tap into such resources," says a Senate Republican staffer with ties to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Permanent Committee on Investigations. "And since our Democratic colleagues chose to ignore all of this, then perhaps we should revisit them."

It’s funny how frequently things tend to backfire in politics.

http://spectator.org/archives/2010/10/13/bring-it-on
Are the Democrats listening?

But what’s truly incredible about Obama’s pre-election performance is how it totally misses the mark on THE ISSUES THAT REALLY MATTER, LIKE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, LOW GROWTH, big-government spending, Obamacare, and tax hikes. That’s the stuff people are really talking about.

It’s as though Obama is from another planet, completely disconnected from the political reality as we march toward November 2.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/249552/obama-alien-larry-kudlow
Anger fuels the coming election

Anger appears to be a big factor in the coming election. I think people are angry with the results of the current administration policies to combat the bad economy, but more so with the disregard of the feelings of the voters. Democrats have insulted, made fun of and dismissed those who are most concerned about the reckless spending.

Among those who are angry about the economy, 54 percent blame both parties equally. But 35 percent say they're angrier with the Democrats -- more than triple the number, 10 percent, who aim their ire at the Republicans. To the extent that anger equals motivation, that 25-point differential explains some of the GOP advantage in pre-election polls.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2010_Elections/abc-news-yahoo-pollanger-economy-fuels-republican/story?id=11826703

Election Nightmare

The four causes of what’s likely to be a landslide defeat for Democrats in the midterm election are now locked in place. All that’s left for Democrats in the final three weeks of the campaign is to TRASH REPUBLICANS, STIR THEIR BASE TO VOTE, AND PRAY.

The Democrat dream has become a nightmare.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/four-causes-will-lead-democratic-election-nightmare_508526.html

Election projections

We are in agreement with several recent analyses suggesting that there are approximately 35-40 house seats that should be rated in the "toss-up" category. To simplify things we will refer to the RCP assessment that has 39 "toss-up" seats. They have identified 185 seats as either likely or lean Democrat and 211 as either likely or lean GOP. In each of the remaining 39 "toss-up" races the Republicans and Democrats have been polling within points of each other--many are within the margin of error. So let's assume that these 39 races split 50/50, giving the GOP a 20-set pick up. That gives the GOP a 53-seat pick up and control of the House. But a more realistic analysis suggests that in this current environment--keeping in mind the above voting metrics and the GOP turnout advantage--the GOP will win approximately 70% of the toss-up seats. That would mean a total pickup of 60 seats. And then let's also assume that Republicans pick up a few of the "lean Democrat" seats. Our sense is that in a true "wave" election the party with the lead, the enthusiasm and the turnout advantage will take 70-80% of the toss-up seats in addition to some of the seats that "lean" toward the other party. Using this formula, at this point in time IT IS OUR SENSE THAT THE GOP WILL PICK UP A TOTAL OF AROUND 65 SEATS, giving the GOP control of the House (with 242 seats to the Democrats' 185).


The Senate is easier to visualize but, in some respects, more problematic to project. We continue to believe that it will come down to the West Coast, with the races in California (Boxer and Fiorina) and Washington (Murray and Rossi) holding the key to a Republican takeover. We've put Connecticut in the Democrat column and have put the following in the GOP column: KY, MO, NH, PA and WI. The other four true toss-up states are West Virginia, Colorado, Nevada and Illinois, although there are signs that all four are trending GOP at this time. Assuming Republicans win all four of these toss-up states, that leaves the aforementioned two West Coast races. THE GOP WOULD HAVE TO WIN ONE OF THOSE "AWAY GAMES" TO GET TO 51 SEATS IN THE SENATE.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-lombardo/21-days-to-go-and-democra_b_760085.html

Obama’s Biggest Lies

President Obama loves to make up things that are patently untrue, like every economist agrees his $800 billion economic stimulus “has done its job,” the economy “is moving in the right direction,” and the Bush tax cuts caused the trillion dollar deficits.

The facts say otherwise, but he is never challenged by the news media for his repeatedly dishonest myth-making. Here are some of his worst offenses.

Myth 1: President George W. Bush’s 2001-2003 across-the-board income tax cuts are responsible for the higher deficits and $13 trillion national debt we have today.


Fact: The Congressional Budget Office, using static analysis that does not account for growth incentives, says the BUSH TAX CUTS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONLY 14% OF THE DEFICITS. A dynamic analysis factoring higher economic growth would have shown that the tax cuts account for even less than that, says the Heritage Foundation’s chief budget analyst Brian Riedl.

This is a good read to counteract the standard liberal talking points.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39385

Republicans Turn Outsourcing Attack Against Dems

The Democrats like to accuse the Republicans of supporting companies who send jobs overseas. It appears that this charge may backfire in this election.

In a reversal of roles, Republicans are attacking Democrats for supporting policies that would outsource jobs overseas and, in particular, to China.
The strategy is political jujitsu: Hotline On Call reported last week that Democrats were increasingly making outsourcing their go-to economic attack line this year. Democrats have long charged that Republicans support policies backed by Wall Street and big business that, ultimately, send jobs overseas. Now, Republicans are trying to use the issue -- and the electorate's anxiety toward outsourcing -- to their advantage.
In at least one Senate race and a handful of House races, Republicans have begun airing ads that attack Democrats for backing the economic stimulus package and claiming that the bill has sent jobs overseas. AFTER THE STIMULUS PASSED, AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT FOUND THAT THE BILL SENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO WIND ENERGY COMPANIES BASED IN CHINA.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/10/republicans_tur.php


 

The Meltdown

The Democrats Melt Down

And the Republicans aren't blowing it for once.

More news that isn’t really news.

It would be unbecoming for us at The Weekly -Standard​—we do have to uphold standards, after all!—to chortle with glee as the Democratic party melts down. It would be unkind to whoop at the top of our lungs as Obama White House big shots quit or get fired, and to cheer with gusto as the GOP leadership behaves sensibly, the Tea Party goes from strength to strength, and momentum builds towards a huge Election Day repudiation of big government liberalism.
So, instead, we’ll simply point out, calmly and quietly, that the Democratic party
is in meltdown, the Obama White House is in disarray, and the voters are in
rebellion against both of them.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/democrats-melt-down

CNN Poll: Obama at all time low

The latest poll from CNN has President Obama shedding eight points in three weeks, and congressional Democrats down nine on the generic ballot:

The president’s approval rating now stands at 42 percent – an all time low
in CNN polling and 8 points lower than where Obama was only three weeks ago.
Moreover, 56 percent of all Americans think the president has fallen short of
their expectations.

The president’s sagging poll numbers couldn’t
come at a worse time for congressional Democrats, themselves facing a nine-point
deficit in the so-called “generic ballot” question heading into the midterm
elections. In fact, the president’s approval rating is the same as that of
President Clinton’s in 1994 – the midterm election year that saw Republicans
wrest control of both the House and Senate.

Also, broad support for tea-party backed candidates:

In even worse news for congressional Democrats, likely voters say they are
considerably more likely to vote for a candidate the president opposes than one
he supports. On the other hand, 50 percent of voters said they would be more
likely to vote for a Tea Party-backed candidate while a third of Americans said
Tea Party support would dissuade their vote for a candidate.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/24/cnn-poll-obama-at-all-time-low/


Hope artist losing hope

The artist whose poster of Barack Obama became a rallying image during the hope-and-change election of 2008 says he understands why so many people have lost faith.

In an exclusive interview with National Journal on Thursday, Shepard Fairey expressed his disappointment with the president -- a malaise that seems representative of many Democrats who had great expectations for Obama.

"Looking at Obama's standpoint on various policies, it was like,
'Why throw all these particular projectiles over the wall... when I could put
all those things in one projectile that I could hurl over the wall,'" Fairey
said in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where he lives. "Obama was the
delivery device in theory. Now, I realize that he maybe is not the
correct delivery device, and I'll just deal with those issues separately."

http://news.yahoo.com/exclusives

Bad Timing for Democrats

The election of a Senator in West Virginia is taking a bad turn for the Democrats.

As we noted earlier this week, though, recent polls suggest that
the race tightening. A Rasmussen poll had Raese within 7 points of
Manchin. And a PPP poll actually had Raese ahead by 3
points.


And now, according to Politico, new information about an ongoing federal investigation into Manchin's administration is casting
a cloud over his campaign. Previously, the governor's office confirmed that the
administration has received two federal subpoenas. And this week, came word, via a special assistant attorney general assigned to the case, that the
investigation is focused on a multimillion- dollar highway project in Manchin's
hometown of Fairmont. Moreover, "anonymous sources" are telling news outlets
that Manchin's former chief of staff, state Democratic Party Chairman Larry
Puccio, is involved in the probe. Puccio, a real estate agent and appraiser, is
also from Fairmont.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42702.html

The Death Spiral Begins

Democrat racism

The standard meme from the left is that only the Republicans are racists. Here we see a Democrat using a racists appeal to keep her seat in congress.

Prepare to be disgusted as you see this liberal Democrat fire up her Spanish-speaking base by telling them that "the Vietnamese and the Republicans are trying to take away this seat."

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/09/027289.php

Obama heckled in New York?

President Barack Obama was heckled multiple times during his speech at a Democratic fundraiser in one of the country’s most Democratic cities.

Demonstrators held signs that said “Broken Promises” and interrupted his
speech to protest AIDS funding and the stalled repeal of “don’t ask, don’t
tell,” the policy banning gays from serving openly in the military that Obama
has promised to lift.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42585.html#ixzz10LWc6OA4

In my 20 reasons the Dems would lose big in November this was one of them.

Democrats Fear Blowout Effect in Battlegrounds

This story reminds me of the scenes in the movie Airplane where Robert Stack keeps saying, ”this was the wrong time to give up ‘smoking, etc.’” I’m sure Sestak and a lot of Democrats must be feeling that way.

With polls showing Republicans well-positioned to win the Senate and
gubernatorial contests in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, House Democratic
strategists are increasingly worried about the downballot drag the top of the
ticket could have in the two battleground states.

Quinnipiac University released polling over the past week that
found Republicans ahead by double digits in the gubernatorial races in both
states and in the Ohio Senate contest. In the Pennsylvania Senate race, former
Rep. Pat Toomey (R) led Rep. Joe Sestak (D) by 7 points in a poll released
Wednesday.

Democrats are worried that the enthusiasm gap among voters in the
two states could be exacerbated if it appears by Election Day that Republicans
are headed for blowout victories in the marquee races.

"There's no question it's a problem. When the top of the ticket is
hurting, it absolutely makes it more difficult for a Democrat in a swing
district to win," said a Democratic strategist who has worked in both states.
"Voters will be looking at the gubernatorial race and going, 'If [Ohio Gov. Ted]
Strickland is down 10 points, why the heck am I going to go out and
vote?'"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20100923/pl_cq_politics/politics000003737693;_ylt=AhcH5s3.v7G_5AafKi1SPh34R9AF;_ylu=X3oDMTJxdG1jaDU5BGFzc2V0A2NxLzIwMTAwOTIzL3BvbGl0aWNzMDAwMDAzNzM3NjkzBHBvcwM3BHNlYwN5bl9wYWdpbmF0ZV9zdW1tYXJ5X2xpc3

QEc2xrA2RlbW9jcmF0c2ZlYQ

AP-GfK Poll: Independents as upset as Republicans

More bad news for the Democrats—Independents are also mad

In an Associated Press-GfK Poll this month, 58 percent of independents and
60 percent of Republicans said politics is making them angry, compared with 31
percent of Democrats who said so. About 7 in 10 independents and Republicans
were disgusted, compared with 4 in 10 Democrats, and independents and
Republicans were likelier than Democrats to be disappointed, depressed and
frustrated.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100923/ap_on_el_ge/us_ap_poll_irritated_independents;_ylt=Ai1wU81u3XugNFSzRUZFqtas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQ1YmxyNWU2BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwOTIzL3VzX2FwX3BvbGxfaXJyaXRhdGVkX2luZGVwZW5kZW50cwRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzcEcG9zAzQEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNhcC1nZmtwb2xsaW-

Climate change enlightenment was fun while it lasted. But now it's dead

Here’s more “news” that really isn’t news. I follow this topic closely. The volume of articles is way down a sure sign of the death spiral for AGW.

The closer it comes, the worse it looks. The best outcome anyone now
expects from Cancun this December is that some delegates might stay awake during the meetings. When talks fail once, as they did in Copenhagen, governments lose interest. They don't want to be associated with failure, they don't want to pour time and energy into a broken process. Nine years after the world trade
negotiations moved to Mexico after failing in Qatar, they remain in diplomatic
limbo. Nothing in the preparations for the climate talks suggests any other
outcome.

But nobody cares enough to make a fight of it. The disagreements
are simultaneously entrenched and muted. The doctor's certificate (death
certificate) has not been issued; perhaps, to save face, it never will be. But
the harsh reality we have to grasp is that the process is dead.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/20/climate-change-negotiations-failure

Dahlia Lithwick: It’s “Weird” for a Senator to Consider the Constitutionality of Legislation

Here’s an interesting piece. Should the Republicans consider whether a bill is Constitutional?

David Bernstein reminds Dahlia Lithwick that each member of the House and Senate takes an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

Lithwick in Slate

O’Donnell explained that “when I go to Washington, D.C., the litmus
test by which I cast my vote for every piece of legislation that comes across my
desk will be whether or not it is constitutional.” How weird is that, I thought.
Isn’t it a court’s job to determine whether or not something is, in fact,
constitutional? And isn’t that sort of provided for in, well, the
Constitution?

Short answer: Senators swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. Of
course they are obligated to determine whether a bill they are considering is
constitutional. Where did Lithwick get the idea that courts, and only courts,
should be concerned with the constitutionality of legislation?

http://volokh.com/2010/09/22/dahlia-lithwick-its-weird-for-a-senator-to-consider-the-constitutionality-of-legislation/

Poll surprise of the day: Barney Frank in trouble?

The Sean Bielat campaign has declared themselves within reach of unseating
Barney Frank in Massachusetts’ 4th CD, one of the presumed safest districts for
Democrats in the nation. The poll, conducted for the campaign by
OnMessage, shows Frank falling below the 50% mark despite the D+14 composition of his constituency. Bielat comes within nine points, even though the poll shows that he still badly trails in name recognition.

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/09/22/poll-surprise-of-the-day-barney-frank-in-trouble/

Here’s another take on it.

Frank knows better. He does not underestimate Bielat, nor will he
underestimate the real negatives that he faces.

Why will President Clinton give the endorsement, and not President
Obama or another Democratic leader? Frank needs to separate himself from the
economic policies of the Obama adminstration in which he has been a major
player, and associate himself with the economy of the Clinton years. Further,
Frank surely remembers that in the Democratic presidential primary of 2008,
Hillary Clinton soundly beat Obama, and that Obama’s highly publicized visit to
Massachusetts to endorse Coakley was not effective. Frank is even running away
from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, even though he has until recently been their
champion in Congress.

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/is-barney-frank-nervous-bill-clinton-coming-to-rescue-in-ma/ \

This may explain Frank’s conversion from Fannie and Freddie’s biggest defender to someone calling for its dismemberment. Barney Frank was one of the main culprits in the financial crisis that the Democrats like to blame on the Republicans and Wall Street.

Democrats blame the First Amendment for their impending losses.

As Democrats head for what promises to be a midterm election fiasco of
historic proportions, a pre-emptive excuse has begun to circulate: It’s all
because of Citizens United. Team Donkey fans claim the January 21 decision, in
which the Supreme Court overturned restrictions on the political speech of
corporations, triggered a flood of negative advertising by what President Obama
calls “shadowy groups with harmless-sounding names.”

http://reason.com/archives/2010/09/22/ad-rage

Well, it’s better than putting the blame upon themselves or having tirades about how “stupid” the voters are. Wait a minute, that’s probably next.

Another sign of impending doom for the Democrats

Six weeks before the election, President Obama couldn’t fill the
ballroom at the Roosevelt Hotel, despite cheap tickets on offer. And then he was
met by hecklers.

Who would have thought that six weeks before a cliffhanger
election, President Obama would have to reach down to the D list to fill a room
to listen to him? Most of us low rollers arrived early to see President Obama up
close and personal. Our tickets for the general reception at the Roosevelt Hotel
in New York were only $100. Some thought the email invitation was a joke. Some
bought tickets for $50 from their desperate Democratic committeeman. Some bought the same day.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-09-23/obamas-fire-sale/

Warren Buffett to CNBC: "We're Still In a Recession"

Warren Buffett tells CNBC that by his own "common sense" definition, the United States is "still in a recession."

Targeting the Democrats

Democrats unveil new logo: It’s a target.

I remember a Far Side cartoon in which two deer were talking. One had a target on its chest and the other said, “Bummer of a birthmark.” Well the Democrats appear to be looking for someone to put them out of their misery.

Democrats were able to take their share of the news cycle not merely by
nominating scandal-plagued Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., to run for reelection,
but by picking perhaps the absolute most appropriate image they could in this
political climate: a target

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/democrats-unveil-new-logo-its-a-target-102996509.html#ixzz0ze8AlCRU

Young Guns bring a glimmer of hope

People keep asking what will the Republicans do to reign in the reign of prolific spending by Obama and the Democrats when they gain control? Here’s a good piece on the problems and possible solutions

I have been, and remain, skeptical of congressional Republicans’ ability to
head off Fiscal Armageddon; the political incentives are all wrong, and it
probably will take a major economic crisis to realign those incentives. But I am
a little less skeptical today than I was yesterday — maybe 5 percent less. I
think there is a non-trivial chance that non-entitlement spending could be
scaled back to 2008 levels — not exactly raging austerity, but a start; combined
with sane entitlement reform and tax reform, that could get us several steps
back from the ledge we’re on. Something good seems to be afoot among
Republicans.

http://www.nationalreview.com/exchequer/246567/young-guns-vs-deficit

Yes, They Are Electable

The latest meme from the Democrats are the TEA Party candidates aren't "electable." I would ask Scott Brown about that.

Tuesday night was absolutely a precursor to November. It was absolutely a
continuation of what we’ve been seeing since Scott Brown was elected to “Ted
Kennedy’s seat” in Massachusetts. It’s a confirmation that voters are in an
anti-establishment mood.

But it’s more than simply being anti-establishment. It’s a vote against the current liberal rule in Washington. In that way, it is a vote for authenticity in philosophy. And it is a warning to moderate Republicans.

Senator Olympia Snowe, the Maine Republican, may
have a more conservative voting record this session because of it. ……..

It may explain why Harry Reid can’t break 50. It may explain why Nancy
Pelosi is working overtime trying to convince her caucus and the rest of us that
it ain’t over. It may explain why Barack Obama has lowered the office of the
presidency to campaigning against the House Minority Leader.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/09/15/can-the-tea-party-win-in-november/yes-the-tea-party-candidates-are-electable

Why things look so good if you are a Republican.

Things keep going from good to even better for the Republicans

Back then:

-The unemployment rate was 9.7 percent; it's 9.6 now.
-Half of the country said in January that the country was on the wrong
track; 57 percent say that now in the new AP-GfK poll.
-About 42 percent of
the country disapproved of Obama's job performance; half does now.
-Democrats had a 49 percent to 37 percent advantage over Republicans on the
party that voters want to see control Congress; the GOP now enjoys a 55-39 lead
among likely voters.
The last one is the big one. Six months ago, the
country preferred a Democrat congress over a Republican on by 12%. Today that
number is a Republican advantage of 16% a 28% turnaround.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ELECTION_LOOKAHEAD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-09-15-16-32-48

The Era Of Health Care Rationing Begins

Supporters of health reform said it would never happen. Maybe they got
caught up in their own rhetoric. Maybe they just didn't want to believe it was
possible. But rationing in America has started.

This week, the Food and
Drug Administration is expected to revoke approval of the drug Avastin for the
treatment of advanced breast cancer. Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter has
described the anticipated move as "the beginning of a slippery slope leading to
more and more rationing under the government takeover of health care."

It seems that even loyal Democrats have noticed the Obama
administration's not-so-subtle policy shift toward rationing. According to
Politico, many of the 34 House Democrats who voted against the health reform
bill are aggressively touting their "no" votes in campaign ads.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=547365

The Obama Bubble

The meteoric rise of Barack Hussein Obama has only been matched by the
rapid crash of his popularity. So what happened?

Fast forward to 2010. The Obama bubble has burst. Political moderates
have fled. His speeches are met with indifference and disdain. His
dependence on the teleprompter has become a national joke. His policies have
exacerbated our problems, not solved them. His endorsements guarantee
electoral defeat. The “I” word — incompetent — is heard with increasing
frequency. Even some media personages are critical.

How did this happen? Quite simply, the Obama bubble, like all
bubbles, was unsustainable. A bubble is not, by nature, a long-term affair.
It always consumes itself, sooner rather than later. So it is with Obama. He
promised so much, too much to possibly deliver. The hype produced the pop.
Did anyone really believe he could slow the rise of the oceans and cool the
planet?

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/sep/15/donna-joyce-latest-bubble-has-burst-the-one-as/

Primaries push more women into general elections, but most fresh faces now belong to Republican Party

Democrats used to own the field of women running for higher office. Not
anymore.

Nearly two years after an anticipated gender bounce - with
predictions that women in both parties would rush into politics inspired by both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin- it turns out that the momentum is on the Republican side.

If there is a Palin effect, it is not being matched by any Clinton effect at the
other end of the ideological spectrum.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/15/AR2010091506408.html

I guess my question is if you are a Democrat and don’t vote for a woman Republican, doesn’t that mean you are sexist?

Obama's conundrum

Obama's conundrum

The Democrat Party is facing a bleak November. You hear reasons for it but let's look at the record.

Here's the accomplishments of the Obama Administration

The TARP program to prevent a meltdown on Wall Street

The Stimulus Package which the President claims has created or save 2.5 million jobs

The Healthcare Package which Democrat Presidents since FDR have been trying to pass

The Financial Reform Package

Actually these are an impressive list of accomplishments. So what this is the problem with the Democrats running on these accomplishments.

To put it simply, these are the Democrat priorities, not the American people's priorities. The American people are very concerned about unemployment, the size of the deficit, and illegal immigration. Add to this, Obama's pledge not to raise taxes on anyone earning under $250,000 per year which appears to be one of the casualties of the enormous increase in the deficit and the federal government's suing Arizona for a law that 70% of American's agree with and you have the perfect storm if you are a democrat running for office this year.

Democrat financial logic?

With the wedding this week of Chelsea Clinton, it seems a little strange that Hillary Clinton is still trying to get doners to retire her debt from the 2008 campaign. The wedding is estimated to cost between 3 and 5 million dollars. But if you do make a $35 or more donation for this, you get a free DVD of Hillary's speech at the 2008 convention.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/hillary-clinton-still-begging-supporters-to-retire-campaign-debt-as-clintons-spend-3-5-million-on-daughters-wedding-99557349.html

Is Obama a Socialist?

Here's an interesting take on it.

Two years of research into Obama’s past forced me to change my mind. The
truth is that Obama’s political rise is so profoundly enmeshed in a decidedly
(if often stealthily) socialist world that the issue simply must be addressed.
Radical-in-Chief is no mere rehash of my writings during the campaign.
Overwhelmingly, it consists of new evidence, all of which forces us to explore
the little-known world of post-1960′s American socialism. Organized American
socialism may have limited public influence in the country at large (although
its behind-the-scenes role is significantly greater than is generally realized),
but it had an immense impact on the political development of Barack Obama. That is what I have discovered.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/242123/answering-eugene-debs-stanley-kurtz


Here's a situation that is analogous to Arizona's Immigration law.

Dupree allegedly stole a bicycle locked inside and was apprehended after the
owner, Anthony McKoy, saw him with the bike down the street.

Dupree says McKoy and two others pointed a gun at him, handcuffed him and placed a knee painfully in his back. He's seeking $500,000 for disabilities and distress suffered during the takedown.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100730/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_citizens_arrest_lawsuit_2

McKoy is in the situation that the people of Arizona are in except to make the analogy work, it would be the DA who would be bringing the charges against him.

Lessons from all over

Lesson from PA12

The Democrats are crowing about their holding on to John Murtha's old seat. I think the lesson from this election is that if you have a 2-1 registration advantage and you campaign as a Democrat who is against the Obama Agenda (against healthcare, cap and trade, etc), you have a chance.

Other lessons from PA.

Arlen Spector lost the Democrat primary even though he had President Obama's backing and the backing of the rest of the Democrat establishment. I'm not sure if this is bad news for incumbents, or simply bad news for turncoats. In either case it isn't good news for President Obama.

The Christmas Bomber and Intelligence failures

The Senate Intelligence Committee report identifies fourteen “points of failure.” Failure No. 2 is the decision not to put Abdulmutallab on the “no fly” list, which the intel committee attributes to “the language of the watchlisting standard, the manner in which it was being interpreted at the time, or both.”

So what happened? Why was Abdulmutallab not on the no fly list? We can thank the ACLU who in 2008 led a campaign to make it more difficult for the government to put names on the list. I guess those who would trade security for liberty also end up with neither.

A Question about Democrats

After seeing the Democrats pass a 2000 page healthcare bill without reading it (Nancy Pelosi's famous "We need to pass it so we can see what's in it") and now seeing both Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano criticize the new Arizona Immigration law but then admitting they hadn't read it, you begin to wonder is the reason the Dems don't do much reading because the don't want to spoil their liberal preconceived notions, or that they aren't intellectually curious enough to read something they might not agree with.

I at least appears that the Democrat party agrees with Don Quixote when he said "Facts are the enemy of truth."


Richard Lindzen says it is time to abandon climate skepticism

Richard Siegmund Lindzen is an American atmospheric physicist and Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lindzen is known for his work in the dynamics of the middle atmosphere, atmospheric tides and ozone photochemistry. He has published more than 200 scientific papers and books. He recently suggested that it is time to abandon climate skepticism or at least the term skeptic.

“One suggestion I’d make is we stop accepting the term ‘skeptic,’” Lindzen said. “As far as I can tell, skepticism involves doubts about a plausible proposition. I think current global warming alarm does not represent a plausible proposition.”

Lindzen told the audience the alarmists have simply failed to prove their case.

“For 20 years –more than 20 years unfortunately, 22 by now, since ’88 – of repetition, escalation of claims does not make it more plausible. “Quite the contrary,” he continued. “I would suggest the failure to prove the case of 20 years makes the case even less plausible, as does the evidence of ClimateGate and other instances.”

In fact, the claims of the AGW crowd that seem to link everything even contradictory things to being consistent with Anthropogenic Global Warming doesn't make the theory more robust but less robust. A robust theory explains why something happens and what can't happen. AGW after 22 years explain almost nothing and reject even less.

Meanwhile, back in the Jungle

The plan by Democratic Senator John Kerry and independent Senator Joseph Lieberman to reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming is not the subject of any committee hearings; it's not being debated on the Senate floor; it's not even been formally introduced. (Reuters)

Blumenthal claims he misspoke

Connecticut Attorney General and Senate Democratic hopeful Richard Blumenthal held a press conference yesterday claiming he only inadvertently said -- repeatedly -- that he served alongside America's bravest and most selfless in the Vietnam War. He explained that he misspoke and then said that he wouldn't let a few mistakes on his part allow others to disparage his record of service.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/time_for_war_story_windbag_to_surrender_nIlF6rQQDdjwci5eNkccEM#ixzz0oNW95hvs

Now one of two things are true about Blumenthal. Either he is a liar or he is delusional. In either case, the people of Connecticut have a choice to make on whether this is the kind of man they want to send to the Senate of the United States of America.

Update. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Connecticut finds Blumenthal with just a three-point advantage over Linda McMahon, 48% to 45%. Two weeks ago, he led the Ms. McMahon by 13 percentage points.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/electio

I think what makes Blumenthal's statements really unacceptable is he represents himself as someone who served in Vietnam when the story the NYT broke showed he did everything in his power to avoid that service and succeeded.

Future of the Euro and the EU

The Euro continues to decline in value and this morning as I write this stands at 1.224. Here is an article that see the Euro as a symbol of the entire EU experiment.

"The European experiment has failed and is only artificially being kept alive on a life-support system of taxpayer-funded bailouts. The euro is now a zombie currency: only the political will of the European nomenklatura keeps it nominally in existence. That is the exact reverse of the proper relationship between a currency and the state: the currency should be the expression of a healthy economy testifying to the legitimacy of the government it represents. Instead, a synthetic European super-state is showing its non-viability and moribundity through the implosion of its currency."

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geraldwarner/100040178/the-eu-is-as-doomed-as-its-currency-lets-get-out-from-under-this-collapsing-monstrosity/

A bit of this, a bit of that

Are Democrats racists?

It appears the Republicans are expanding it's attractiveness to voters. This election 32 black candidates will be running as Republicans (6.8% of all the national seats that will be up for grabs). Realistically only 5 of them are looked at as having a chance. Since this represents only 15% of the candidates I guess this means the democrats, independents and republicans who vote against these candidates must be racists. I'm betting there will be more racists democrats than the other two groups.

Now this is a foolish assumption on my part (that if you vote against a black candidate it makes you a racists), but it seems to be the primary assumption by the liberal left. What's sauce for the goose.....

More bad indications for the Democrats

In primaries in NC, IN and OH, Democrats turned out, but at far lower rates than they have in previous comparable elections.

In Ohio, only 76% of the democrats voted in a competitive primary (663K) between LG Lee Fisher (D) and Sec/State Jennifer Brunner (D) as compared to the voters who turned out in '06, when neither Gov. Ted Strickland (D) nor Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) faced primary opponents.

In North Carolina only 425,000 voters turned out to pick a nominee against Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC). The 14.4% turnout was smaller than the 18% of all registered Dem voters -- who turned out in '04, when Gov. Mike Easley (D) faced only a minor candidate in his bid to be renominated for a second term.

And in Indiana, just 204,000 Hoosiers voted for Dem House candidates, far fewer than the 304K who turned out in '06 (just 67% of the voters in 06).

This does not bode well for the Democrats. 2010 has a fired up electorate who are anti-Washington and anti-Obama policies.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/05/dem_turnout_fal.php

When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars.....

You know the song, but it appears just such a strange alignment has happened in very liberal and very environmentally conscienced Concord MA. Firing the environmental shot heard round the corner, the good people of Concord just a couple of days ago, banned bottled water from their town.

Now if God has a sense of humor what do you supposed He would do? That's right, suddenly there’s a water main break, and people are swarming supermarkets across the region desperately seeking bottled water.

As Kermit the Frog likes to say, "It's not easy being green."

Another member of congress to bite the dust.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey has told close associates that he will not seek reelection. This appears to be a big blow to both the Democrats and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Elected in 1969, the liberal Obey is a major democrat figure who played a leading role in the anti-war and reform movement of the House in the 1970’s. As the Appropriations chairman, he has been a close ally to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who came up through the same panel before moving into the leadership. And his departure follows on the death of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) this winter, are major blows to Speaker Pelosi.

As Obama turns left, the rest of the country turns right.

Some interesting polling by Resurgent Republic:

"On some emerging economic issues, however, a conservative consensus includes a plurality of Democrats. Asked whether they think it is good or bad that federal pay exceeds private-sector pay, 62 percent of voters said it was a bad thing and only 19 percent a good one. A new value-added tax was unpopular across the board: Voters panned it by a 67–21 percent margin, with only 31 percent of Democrats approving.

Democrats revert to being out-of-step on some national-security issues. While voters, by a five-point margin, think that Obama has improved the country’s standing in the world, voters by large margins want to keep Guantanamo Bay open (60–32) and favor military tribunals for trying terrorists (56–36).

The survey, in short, provides an enormous amount of good news for Republicans and conservatives. It even finds that Republicans in Congress, while still unpopular, are less disliked than Democrats in Congress." At least the Republicans are the lessor of two evils.


http://article.nationalreview.com/433351/republicans-in-resurgence/ramesh-ponnuru?page=1