Friday: Palin outsmarts Bernanke and Obama

Politics

Fed holds rates on inflation concerns

THE US FEDERAL RESERVE GAVE A DOWNBEAT ASSESSMENT OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST ECONOMY ON WEDNESDAY AS IT POINTED TO SLOWER THAN EXPECTED GROWTH AND HIGHER INFLATION.

In the most significant change to its policy statement, it stripped out all reference to “subdued” measures of underlying inflation and said that the economy is growing “somewhat more slowly than the Committee had expected”.

The toxic combination of disappointing growth but higher inflation combined to leave no hint that the central bank will consider further asset purchases to stimulate the economy.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9f913490-9cea-11e0-8678-00144feabdc0.html

It’s beginning to look a lot like 1979. Welcome back Carter. Is it time to get out our sweaters?

Sarah Palin predicted the effect of QE2

…..Back in November, GOVERNOR PALIN TOOK ON QE2 AND PRESIDENT OBAMA'S DEFENSE OF IT. Her predictions have turned out to be correct. WHEN MAKING HER CASE AGAINST QE2, SHE ARGUED THAT IT COULD CAUSE INFLATION, BUT WOULD NOT MUCH HELP U.S. NET EXPORTS AND BUSINESS INVESTMENT, the two factors needed to grow the U.S. economy.

Indeed, worsening net exports (exports minus imports) have been keeping the United States stuck in its current economic stagnation. When imports go up relative to exports, Americans get more debt and lose jobs, whereas when exports go up, relative to imports, Americans get more income and gain jobs. THE DECLINE IN NET EXPORTS MAY BE SLOWING OR PREVENTING THE U.S. ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

BERNANKE HOPED THAT QE2 WOULD WEAKEN THE DOLLAR WHICH WOULD TURN U.S. NET EXPORTS AROUND. BUT PALIN PREDICTED THAT ANY POSITIVE EFFECTS WOULD BE TEMPORARY. In November she wrote:

Will driving the dollar down in this way do anything to boost U.S. exports? The short answer is not really. A weaker dollar will temporarily boost exports by making our goods cheaper to sell; but inevitably other countries will respond in kind, triggering the kind of currency wars economists are warning us about.

Indeed, SO FAR PALIN HAS BEEN CORRECT. QE2'S EFFECT UPON NET EXPORTS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN TEMPORARY. Although U.S. net exports worsened more slowly in November and December, they resumed their economy-sapping slide in February, as shown in the graph below….

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/06/inflation_climbs_to_36_in_may_palin_was_right.html

So let me see if I have this correct. The media’s candidate for the stupidest politician ever was correct and Ben Bernanke and President Obama (the smartest politician ever) were wrong. Makes you wonder.

Obama versus Osama: guess who the Egyptians prefer?

First the good news: U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS MORE THAN TWICE AS POPULAR IN EGYPT AS IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADENIJAD.

Now, the bad news: the American president's standing has never been worse in Egypt, plummeting since 2008, when he received a 25 percent favorability rating, to 12 percent in 2011.
EVEN OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE LATE AL QAEDA LEADER, WAS MORE POPULAR THIS YEAR, WITH A 21 PERCENT FAVORABILITY RANKING. The Iranian leader fared worse, dropping from 21 percent favorability rating in 2008 to a miserable 5 percent.

The findings are drawn from a public poll of Egyptian views in the aftermath of the public uprising that brought about the resignation of Egypt's fallen leader Hosni Mubarak. The poll was commissioned by the International Peace Institute, a New York-based think tank with close ties to the United Nations and Arab governments.

http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/06/21/obama_versus_osama_guess_who_the_egyptians_prefer

In another poll it was found that Great White Sharks preferred Osama 97% to 3% over Obama.

Obama in Perilous Political State

According to a new Bloomberg National Poll, “AMERICANS ARE GROWING MORE DISSATISFIED WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S HANDLING OF THE ECONOMY and say it will be hard to vote to re-elect him without seeing significant progress over the next year and a half.”

Among the data points from the poll (which has DEMOCRATS OUTNUMBERING REPUBLICANS BY 32 PERCENT V. 27 PERCENT):

• ONLY 30 PERCENT of respondents said they ARE CERTAIN TO VOTE FOR THE PRESIDENT and 36 percent said they definitely won’t.
• Among LIKELY INDEPENDENT VOTERS, ONLY 23 PERCENT SAID THEY WILL BACK HIS RE-ELECTION, while 36 percent said they are sure they will seek out another candidate.
• By a 44 PERCENT TO 34 PERCENT MARGIN, AMERICANS SAY THEY ARE WORSE OFF than they were when Obama took office.
• More than half of respondents (55 percent) say their children are destined to a lower standard of living.
• Fewer than a quarter of people (23 percent) see signs of improvement in the economy while two-thirds (66 percent) say they believe the country is on the wrong track
• Sixty-one percent either strongly agree or mostly agree that in 2012, Obama will have had his chance and if the economy isn’t substantially better by election day, it will be very hard to vote for him.
• By a margin of 61 PERCENT TO 32 PERCENT, AMERICANS DISAPPROVE OF THE JOB OBAMA IS DOING TO TACKLE THE BUDGET DEFICIT.
• Fifty-seven percent of respondents disapproved of his efforts to create jobs.
• Fifty-seven percent disapproved of his handling of the economy.

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/06/22/obama-in-perilous-political-state/

This is a devastating poll if you are a democrat.

Obama’s America in Black & White

Platitudes about the civic utopia that would spring forth from the election of Barack Obama have vanished. Thomas Friedman’s claim that “the American Civil War ended, as a black man . . . became president of the United States,” has now been replaced by PBS host TAVIS SMILEY’S PREDICTION THAT THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS “GOING TO BE THE UGLIEST, THE NASTIEST, THE MOST DIVISIVE, AND THE MOST RACIST IN THE HISTORY OF THIS REPUBLIC.” E. J. Dionne’s trope that “it is time to hope again. Time to hope that the era of racial backlash and wedge politics is over,” has given way to the statement by CBS’s BOB SCHIEFFER THAT RECENT CRITICISM OF OBAMA REPRESENTS “AN UGLY STRAIN OF RACISM THAT’S RUNNING THROUGH THIS WHOLE THING.” Paul KRUGMAN, who wrote in 2008 that “Racial polarization used to be a dominating force in our politics, but we’re now a different, and better, country,” HAS TAKEN TO EQUATING THE ANTI-OBAMA TEA PARTY WITH THE KU KLUX KLAN.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/270291/obama-s-america-black-and-white-seth-forman?page=1

Those who are equating Obama’s coming demise to racism remind me of the old joke about the man with halitosis who spent $50,000 to get rid of it to find people just didn’t like him. It isn’t racism that is causing Obama’s problems it’s his far left liberalism.

Spend Our Way Out of Debt

I am stunned that Democrats would be asking for a new stimulus. First, THIS NEW REQUEST IS AN ADMISSION THAT THE PREVIOUS STIMULUS HASN’T WORKED — if it had they wouldn’t be asking for more stimulus would they? But then, why ask for more of something that failed in the past?....

…..As my colleague ANTHONY DAVIES, ALSO AN ECONOMICS PROFESSOR AT DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY, HAS SAID, EVEN UNDER THE BEST CIRCUMSTANCES, STIMULUS DOESN’T CREATE PERMANENT JOBS; RATHER IT PLANTS THE SEEDS TO CRIPPLE THE ECONOMY. Yesterday, he explained:

As an economist, IF I WERE WORKING FOR A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND WERE TO DESIGN A PACKAGE OF POLICIES TO DESTROY A COUNTRY’S ECONOMY, I WOULD DESIGN A PLAN VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE’VE UNDERTAKEN IN THE U.S. OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS.

If we pursue another economic stimulus of similar size to the previous one, we may as well condemn the economy to another 10-20 years of recession.

Not only will it not work, but it will significantly add to an already grave debt problem. STIMULUS IS WHAT KEEPS ENTREPRENEURS FROM CREATING NEW JOBS AND PRODUCTS. It makes them nervous, because we have to raise taxes in the future to pay for stimulus spending, and this makes for a very uncertain business environment.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/270295/re-spend-our-way-out-debt-veronique-de-rugy

What is really unfortunate is the TEA Party folks saw this as soon as Obama did it. They went out and demonstrated against the spending, but the Democrats and the media attributed it to racism and are yet to admit the truth.


South Carolina Not Pay for Primary

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R) told lawmakers there will be no room in the budget to fund the GOP’s first-in-the-South presidential primary in February.

The Republican Party states the primary will go on, even if the GOP has to pay the $1.5 million needed to fund it.

GOV. NIKKI HALEY, KNOWN FOR HER CONSERVATIVE VIEWS AND ASSOCIATION WITH THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT, STATED TAXPAYER FUNDS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR MINOR FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING PRIMARIES:

“Political parties have sufficient fundraising ability to offset the costs of partisan presidential preference primaries, and in a budget year like this one, it is my ask that we do not dedicate taxpayer dollars to something I believe does not rise to the level of a core function of government,” she wrote in a letter in March.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/juliecobb/2011/06/22/south_carolina_will_not_pay_for_primary

Hooray for Nikki Haley. A governor with some common sense. The two parties plan on spending hundreds of millions on this election cycle. Let the party pay for the primaries and perhaps we won’t have bear quite so many commercials.

Interview with Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter’s new book is called Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America. I’ve read it, it’s outstanding, and I’d highly recommend that you read it, too. TO GIVE YOU A TASTE OF WHAT IT’S LIKE, HERE’S RWN’S SEVENTH INTERVIEW WITH ANN COULTER. ENJOY!

http://rightwingnews.com/interviews/interviewing-ann-coulter-about-her-new-book-demonic/

Coulter is quick witted and funny in this interview. And she does it without a teleprompter.

An Odd Comment about the Constitution

In a Time article on the Constitution, RICHARD STENGEL WRITES: “IF THE CONSTITUTION WAS INTENDED TO LIMIT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IT SURE DOESN’T SAY SO.”

Yes, it does. THE TENTH AMENDMENT SAYS: “THE POWERS NOT DELEGATED TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE CONSTITUTION, NOR PROHIBITED BY IT TO THE STATES, ARE RESERVED TO THE STATES RESPECTIVELY, OR TO THE PEOPLE.”
Even before the adoption of the Bill of Rights, JAMES MADISON EXPLAINED THE ORIGINAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE DOCUMENT IN FEDERALIST 45: “THE POWERS DELEGATED BY THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE FEW AND DEFINED. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.”

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/270325/odd-comment-about-constitution-john-j-pitney-jr

What is truly scary about this is that there are many on the left that would echo Stengel’s comment, that is, the power of the Federal Government is vast and indefinite.



Obamacare and the McKinsey study

Two weeks ago, the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. released a widely reported survey that said ALMOST A THIRD OF PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYERS REPORTED THEY WILL DROP THEIR EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE WHEN OBAMACARE'S GOVERNMENT-MANAGED INSURANCE EXCHANGES COME ONLINE IN 2014.….

….Obama and his allies reacted with fury to the McKinsey results. Obama's deputy chief of staff for policy, Nancy-Ann DeParle, CALLED THE RESULTS AN "OUTLIER" and questioned whether the survey's respondents understood the plan. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., sent McKinsey A THREATENING LETTER DEMANDING THAT THE FIRM REVEAL ITS SURVEY METHODOLOGY. And the New York Times' Paul Krugman -- ever willing to invent scurrilous charges out of whole cloth -- accused McKinsey of having "A SKEWED SAMPLE" OR "NO REAL DATA AT ALL."

Now McKinsey is having its day and answering Obama and Obamacare apologists by POSTING ALL 29 PAGES OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONS, AS WELL AS 206 PAGES OF CROSS-TABULATIONS. It turns out that some of the unreported responses in the survey are EVEN MORE DAMAGING TO OBAMACARE THAN THE ORIGINAL MCKINSEY REPORT INDICATED….

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2011/06/details-mckinsey-study-expose-obamacare-flimflam#ixzz1Q7qrpfvK

Be careful what you wish for.

Perhaps they should have read the bill before they passed it. The article points out if we do see the numbers from the survey, the cost of Obamacare will skyrocket by over $1 trillion in the first 10 years.

Mubarak resists, Astroid Defense, and Superstorms

Prizing Status Quo, Mubarak Resists Pressure

He walks several yards to his office from his living quarters at the presidential palace every day, dressed in his trademark black business suit and tie. On Saturday, he conducted a meeting of his new government’s economic team. And on Sunday, he received an envoy from Oman, who delivered a letter from the sultan.

EGYPTIAN, ARAB AND WESTERN OFFICIALS WHO HAVE DEALT WITH PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK OF EGYPT SAY THAT FOR THE PAST WEEK, HE HAS VEERED BETWEEN ANGER, A SENSE OF BETRAYAL and stoicism. Known for a fierce conservatism that prizes stability above all else, Mr. Mubarak has reacted to the calls for his resignation — some from Western officials who he thought were, if not friends, at least allies — with his usual change-resistant manner. One Arab official called it “his reflex adherence to the status quo.” …..

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/world/middleeast/07mubarak.html?_r=1


He seems to be handling this better than President Obama has.

On Asteroid Defense and Constitutional Law

Mark Kleiman asks whether a “libertarian-leaning” reader could point him “to the specific provision of the Constitution under which the Federal government could spend money on asteroid destruction.” He further tells us that “[i]t’s not, properly speaking, defense, unless the asteroid was deliberately launched at us by the Klingons. THE ASTEROID ISN’T ‘IN COMMERCE’ AT ALL, SO IT CAN’T BE COVERED BY THE COMMERCE CLAUSE.”

As a libertarian-conservative, I am glad to help resolve this question. Of course, it should be noted from the outset that THE FRAMING OF THESE KINDS OF QUESTIONS IS A COMMON KLEIMANIAN TACTIC; he tosses out an appealing public policy approach, and then dares readers to conclude that the approach may not be constitutional. I certainly agree with Kleiman that asteroid defense cannot be covered by the Commerce Clause (thank goodness that there are some limits recognized by the Left on the reach and scope of the Clause), but I DON’T SEE WHY HE IS SO QUICK TO DISMISS ASTEROID DESTRUCTION AS A DEFENSE MEASURE MERELY BECAUSE THE ASTEROID WAS NOT “DELIBERATELY LAUNCHED AT US BY THE KLINGONS.”…..

http://www.chequerboard.org/2011/02/on-asteroid-defense-and-constitutional-law/


According to this, we could constitutionally shoot it down. Whew!


Green jobs in Obamaland

After receiving at least $43 million in aid from the state of Massachusetts, EVERGREEN SOLAR ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH THAT IT WOULD BE CLOSING ITS MANUFACTURING PLANT IN DEVENS, MASS., LAYING OFF ITS 800 WORKERS AND MOVING ITS MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS TO CHINA.

Warning: These are the "green jobs" that President Obama has touted as part of his "winning the future" agenda.

The problem isn't that Obama wants to direct federal dollars toward research for alternative energy. It is in the national interest to have affordable options when oil sources are depleted.

The problem is that OBAMA THINKS THAT GREEN JOBS ARE THE ANSWER TO THE ANEMIC ECONOMY RECOVERY. And he clings to that belief in the face of contrary evidence.

Last May, the president came to solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra in Fremont, Calif., to celebrate a new plant -- creating 3,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent workers. President Obama exclaimed, "The true engine of economic growth will always be companies like Solyndra."

Within months, Solyndra, which has yet to turn a profit, announced that it was canceling the expansion.

AT BEST, YOU CAN DESCRIBE OBAMALAND'S CHOICE OF VENUE AS BAD ADVANCE WORK…..

http://townhall.com/columnists/debrajsaunders/2011/02/06/green_jobs_are_not_evergreen_jobs/page/full/


In fact, green jobs are not any kind of an engine of recovery. Spain has shown that for every green job they created, they lost 2.2 jobs elsewhere.



State Dept. spokesman calls report on sharing U.K. nuke secrets 'bunk'

A STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN CALLED A BRITISH NEWSPAPER'S REPORT THAT THE U.S. OFFERED TO DISCLOSE BRITISH NUCLEAR SECRETS IN ORDER TO SECURE SUPPORT FOR THE NEW START TREATY "BUNK."

The Telegraph reported Saturday that WikiLeaks cables showed the administration agreed to give Russia information about every Trident missile the U.S. supplies to the United Kingdom.

The story claims that Russia used the talks over the treaty, which faced opposition from suspicious Republicans in the Senate before its 11th-hour lame-duck approval, to win agreement for more information about the missile supplies.

http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/142321-state-dept-spokesman-calls-report-on-sharing-uk-nuke-secrets-bunk


“Did so!” “Did not!” Sound familiar?

Sotomayor, Unplugged

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor drew attention to her racial politics this week during a speech at the University of Chicago Law School, where she took issue with the positions of some of her colleagues on the bench.

Since her confirmation hearings, in which she had to explain HER PREVIOUS ASSERTION THAT A WISE LATINA WOMAN "WOULD MORE OFTEN THAN NOT REACH A BETTER CONCLUSION" THAN A WHITE MAN IN THE SAME POSITION, Justice Sotomayor has typically been more guarded in her public comments. But at the student forum, she criticized Chief Justice John Roberts's position in a 2007 case about whether public school admissions could be race-conscious to achieve diversity (Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1).

Writing for the court, JUSTICE ROBERTS SAID THAT "THE WAY TO STOP DISCRIMINATING ON THE BASIS OF RACE IS TO STOP DISCRIMINATING ON THE BASIS OF RACE." Justice Sotomayor told U of C students that THAT FORMULA IS "TOO SIMPLE" FOR HER. "I don't borrow Chief Justice Roberts's description of what colorblindness is," she said. "OUR SOCIETY IS TOO COMPLEX TO USE THAT KIND OF ANALYSIS." She also told students that, contrary to fellow Justice Antonin Scalia, she was "not sure" whether determining the original intent of the Constitution was the most important consideration in deciding a case.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704709304576124502622737210.html


So our ‘wise Latina’ seems to have discovered that all discrimination is wrong, expect when it isn’t. I’m afraid that the left’s “it’s too complex” argument is little more than a ruse to do what they want and let the Constitution be damned. 


Stopping voter fraud

In the last presidential election, THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF ELECTORAL IRREGULARITIES, in particular of dubious actions believed to have been engaged in by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)…..


….Of course, voters had solid reasons for doubts for some time before the last two elections. In the state of Maryland, for example, the VOTER ROLLS DO NOT SEEM TO BE ROUTINELY PURGED AND IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK A VOTER FOR PROOF OF IDENTITY. Any attempt to add reliability to the system is resisted in Annapolis by the (lamentable and apparently permanent) Democratic majority. Resistance to reliable electoral reforms is widespread. However, rather than tackle this one state at a time, the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives offers a chance to reform federal elections nationwide. Article I, Section 4, cl. 1 of the Constitution reads as follows:


The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of choosing Senators.


First, as to voter identification, WE CAN CHOOSE A POLITICALLY CORRECT OPTION, I.E., THE ELECTION LAWS OF CANADA. After all, if we could copy their health care law, surely we can copy their election law. Here is what Canada requires in the way of voter identification, as published on the website of Elections Canada, an independent agency established by Parliament with responsibility for Canadian elections.


OPTION 1: Show one piece of identification with your photo, name and address. It must be issued by a government agency.

OPTION 2: Show two pieces of authorized identification. Both pieces must have your name and one must also have your address.

OPTION 3: Swear an oath and have an elector who knows you vouch for you. This person must have authorized identification and be from the same polling division as you. This person can only vouch for one person.

http://www.herald-mail.com/opinion/hm-safeguards-must-be-installed-to-prevent-voter-fraud-20110204,0,4036253,full.story


The normal debate is the Republicans say they have to produce a photo ID to cash a check and the Democrats say voter fraud isn’t a problem so people shouldn’t be inconvenienced by having to have a photo ID to vote. Who do you think gains by voter fraud?


Reagan’s Farewell Address

My fellow Americans:

This is the 34th time I’ll speak to you from the Oval Office -- and the last. We’ve been together for eight years now, and soon it’ll be time for me to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I’ve been saying for a long time.

IT’S BEEN THE HONOR OF MY LIFE TO BE YOUR PRESIDENT. So many of you have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much to you. Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to serve.

ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE PRESIDENCY IS THAT YOU’RE ALWAYS SOMEWHAT APART. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass -- the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn’t return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, and connect. WELL, MAYBE I CAN DO A LITTLE OF THAT TONIGHT.....

http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=732


Do you ever get the feeling that some of our presidents if they spoke from their hearts would tell us what an honor it’s been for us to have them as our President.



Magnetic Polar Shifts Causing Massive Global Superstorms

CONTRARY TO THE GLOBAL WARMING CROWD, THERE APPEARS TO BE A CLIMATE CHANGE OCCURRING THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MANKIND, CO2 OR GREENHOUSE GASES.

NASA has been warning about it…scientific papers have been written about it…geologists have seen its traces in rock strata and ice core samples…

NOW "IT" IS HERE: AN UNSTOPPABLE MAGNETIC POLE SHIFT that has sped up and is causing life-threatening havoc with the world's weather.

Forget about global warming—man-made or natural—what drives planetary weather patterns is the climate and what drives the climate is the sun's magnetosphere and its electromagnetic interaction with a planet's own magnetic field.

When the field shifts, when it fluctuates, when it goes into flux and begins to become unstable anything can happen. And what normally happens is that all hell breaks loose.

MAGNETIC POLAR SHIFTS HAVE OCCURRED MANY TIMES IN EARTH'S HISTORY. IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN NOW TO EVERY PLANET IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM INCLUDING EARTH.

The magnetic field drives weather to a significant degree and when that field starts migrating superstorms start erupting.

THE SUPERSTORMS HAVE ARRIVED

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/february042011/global-superstorms-ta.php


Frightening, but something that isn’t caused by man.  As the article mentions the movement of the North Pole has recently increased by 8 fold. 


Meanwhile back at the Krugman Ranch

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FOOD CRISIS GO FAR BEYOND ECONOMICS. After all, the big question about uprisings against corrupt and oppressive regimes in the Middle East isn’t so much why they’re happening as why they’re happening now. And there’s little question that sky-high food prices have been an important trigger for popular rage.

So what’s behind the price spike? American right-wingers (and the Chinese) blame easy-money policies at the Federal Reserve, with at least one commentator declaring that there is “blood on Bernanke’s hands.” Meanwhile, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France blames speculators, accusing them of “extortion and pillaging.”

But the evidence tells a different, much more ominous story. While several factors have contributed to soaring food prices, WHAT REALLY STANDS OUT IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS HAVE DISRUPTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. And these severe weather events are exactly THE KIND OF THING WE’D EXPECT TO SEE AS RISING CONCENTRATIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES CHANGE OUR CLIMATE — which means that the current food price surge may be just the beginning

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/opinion/07krugman.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


Krugman seems to be a one note player in this area. I guess he didn’t get the message that this hypothesis has expired and didn’t read the article right above this.  But once again Krugman has shown he is wrong, wrong and wrong. 

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."

Grandiose views

Dems--the Federal Government can do most anything

In a recent townhall, Democrat Representative Pete Stark of California when asked about the Constitutional limits on the Federal government said the Feds could do just about anything in this country.

You can see it here.

http://www.breitbart.tv/congressman-at-town-hall-the-federal-government-can-do-most-anything-in-this-country/

The Divine Duty of Kings

After centuries of the the Divine Right of Kings, it now appears we have the Divine Duty of Kings
Prince Charles thinks "he has been placed on Earth as future King ‘for a purpose’ - to save the world."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1299099/Prince-Charles-My-duty-save-world.html#ixzz0vRsAlQkx

Stem Cell Therapy for spinal cord injuries

Geron Corporation will begin a clinic trial to see if stem cell therapy can help people with spinal cord injuries.

The FDA had placed a clinical hold on the drug due to safety concerns: A
preclinical animal study showed a higher frequency of small cysts within the
spinal cord injury sites injected with Geron's treatment. But as Geron developed
new molecular markers and procedures to minimize such risks, it asked for the
FDA to lift the clinical hold, which it did this week.

Geron hopes to start the human trial this quarter. It plans to recruit eight to 10 spinal-cord injury patients with complete impairment, meaning they have no motor or sensory function in the effected areas, and whose injuries are in the middle vertebrae. Patients will be injected with a low dose of the drug seven to 14 days after their injuries.

http://srph.it/cnb4aQ

Let us hope that this trial is successful or can lead to success in the future. Since it is an embroynic stem cell test, the documented problems with tumors, etc. seem to be a concern, but it must be promising enough to have the FDA lift their clinical hold on the trial.

Party of the Privileged

It appears that the Democrats are trying to show Americans that they are the party of the privileged. Recent events include:

1. Michelle Obama's trip to Spain with her daughter. While she is gone, Barack will celebrate his 49th birthday by jetting to Chicago.

2. Chelsea Clinton's 3 to 5 Million Dollar wedding.

3. John Kerry's 7 million dollar and 79 foot "sailboat" (don't call it a yacht) that he was docking in Rhode Island to avoid paying taxes in his home state.

I particularly enjoyed Barack Obama telling us how he and Michelle were just folks before he became president.

It's official--the economy now belongs to Obama and the Democrats

For the first since President Obama took office, voters see his
policies as equally to blame with those of President George W. Bush for the
country’s current economic problems.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters now think Obama’s policies are to blame for the continuing bad economy, up three points from last month. Forty-seven percent (47%) say the recession that began under Bush is at fault.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/august_2010/48_blame_obama_for_bad_economy_47_blame_bush