Disappointed?

The National Debt in Perspective

As the left tries to blur the reality of the deficit, I came across these figures that puts it in perspective. When Clinton left office, the debt was 57% of the GDP. When Bush left office it was 69% of GDP and increase of 12% of GDP in 8 years. Right now, after 31 months of BHO, the debt stands at 97% of GDP an increase of 28% or more than .9% per month. If W. had increase debt at that rate, the debt would have been 143% of GDP when he left office.  

If you are wondering who is to blame for Moody's downgrading of the USA's credit rating, look no further. 

Democrat: University Can’t Sell Disappoint-MINTS

UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE WAS FORCED TO PULL BOXES OF MINTS FROM ITS SHELVES AFTER A STATE LEGISLATOR COMPLAINED THAT IT SATIRISED PRESIDENT OBAMA.

The red and blue box of mints - which were on sale for $2.99 at the University of Tennessee - bear a picture of the President with the words 'THIS IS CHANGE? DISAPPOINT-MINTS' underneath.
Officials were forced to pull the product after Democratic state Rep Joe Armstrong visited.

Mr Armstrong told The Knoxville News Sentinel that UT USES FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS AND SHOULD BE SENSITIVE TO WHAT HE CALLED 'POLITICALLY SPECIFIC PRODUCTS'.

He said: 'If it was a private entity or corporation or store, that's different, but this is a state university. We certainly don't want in any way to put the university in a bad light by having those political (products), particularly aimed at defaming the president.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2022422/University-forced-pull-satirical-mints-aimed-Obama-bookstore-complaint.html#ixzz1U9N396ph

This is a matter of free speech. It originally was put into the Constitution to mean political speech. What could be more political than these mints? Government is not subsidizing these so perhaps it doesn’t count as free speech for liberals.

Lies, Damn Lies, Statistics . . . and Government Numbers

For those of you out there who may be skeptical about the reliability of today’s jobs numbers, you’ve got good reason.

Just as the alleged massive ”cuts” to federal spending in the debt-ceiling deal are actually just slightly-less-massive increases in federal spending, THE ALLEGED “DROP” IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FROM 9.2 PERCENT TO 9.1 PERCENT SOMEHOW COINCIDES WITH MORE AMERICANS BEING OUT OF WORK TODAY THAN A MONTH AGO. Both of these feats of alchemy could only be produced by Washington’s doublespeak and Red Queen accounting.

The reason why the unemployment rate — though abysmal – appears to have held relatively steady is because more than 120,000 discouraged individuals dropped out of the labor market altogether, joining the swelling ranks of the long-term unemployed. Most of these individuals were not counted by the federal government in determining today’s unemployment figure. The disappearance of these individuals from the labor market more than offsets the 117,000 jobs created in July….

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/273829/lies-damn-lies-statistics-and-government-numbers-peter-kirsanow

As a former production manager who knows numbers, these aren’t good news for Obama and the Democrats no matter how you spin it. More jobs were created than the last two months. But not significant job growth. And with 120,000 dropping out of the job market, they just means when things do start to get better, more people will come back in to the market and the jobless rate will increase. Think about the political ads next year: 9.4% unemployment almost four years after Obama got the LARGEST stimulus in history and promised UNEMPLOYMENT would stay below 8%!!!


The MO of Wasserman Schultz

If Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz were a little dog, she might be a dachshund. She charges her adversary, teeth bared and yapping viciously, until realizing the other dog is larger. The realization sends her scurrying for cover, where she yelps, snarls, and whines. While this analogy may seem ridiculous, it perfectly illustrates Schultz's "confrontation" with Rep. Allen West and her political persona in general.

Schultz bit Rep. West during a speech on the House floor. Well, more like she nipped him on the heel. She never mentioned West by name, yet he was obviously her target. During a rambling, platitude-laced diatribe about the debt ceiling, Schultz accused Rep. West of denying Social Security checks and Medicare payments to senior citizens. West responded directly to Rep. Schultz, telling her exactly what he thought of her unprofessional tactics. Like a yapping, obnoxious little dog, Schultz tucked her tail and ran for the cover of her supporters, who were quick to oblige….

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/08/debbie_wasserman_schultzs_dog_days.html

Little Debbie’s at it again.


Why isn’t the Dollar in More Trouble?

While the stock market was crashing, U.S. Treasury yields plunged to 1950s levels.
Why? Our debt-ceiling deal was ugly, but Europe continues to out-ugly the United States. What would we do without Europeans?

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/273737/italy-rescue-kevin-d-williamson

The problem the world has is if they devalue the dollar where else can they go?

Teachers union disavows internal memo endorsing deception of parents

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS OFFICIALS HAVE DISAVOWED AN INTERNAL REPORT AFTER IT WAS POSTED ON THE UNION'S WEBSITE following its annual conference, embedded on each of its 19 pages with the union's logo and signed by a union official.

The report, titled "HOW CONNECTICUT DEFUSED THE PARENT TRIGGER," was replaced on AFT's website with a note saying "we have received complaints about these materials and have removed them because THEY DO NOT REPRESENT AFT'S POSITION."

Education activist RiShawn Biddle copied the report before it was removed from the AFT website. THE REPORT DESCRIBES IN DETAIL AFT'S STRATEGY FOR SUBVERTING SCHOOL REFORM LEGISLATION IN CONNECTICUT, A STRATEGY THAT RELIED GREATLY ON DECEIVING LEGISLATORS AND INTERESTED PARENTS….

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/2011/08/teachers-union-disavows-internal-memo-endorsing-deception-parents#ixzz1U9rPlwRZ

So who are you going to believe? An honest teacher’s union? Or your lying eyes?

More on the budget



1/10 of 1 percent

 NPR STATEMENT ON THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2012 BUDGET

Public broadcasting received a vote of confidence today from the Obama Administration. THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2012 BUDGET SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS INCLUDED $451 MILLION FOR THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (CPB) for the two year advance appropriation for FY 2014, an increase of $6 million over FY 2013 funding.

NPR President and CEO Vivian Schiller said, "We are grateful to the Obama Administration for RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC RADIO to the life of communities across the nation. Every day, over 900 public radio stations present fact-based local, national and international news, as well as local arts, music and cultural programming that can't be found anywhere else."

She concluded, "At a time when our country is confronting many difficult challenges, PUBLIC BROADCASTING IS PROVIDING AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE BY INFORMING AND EDUCATING 170 MILLION AMERICANS EVERY MONTH. This mission is more relevant than ever."

http://www.npr.org/about/press/2011/021411.NPRStatementOnThePresidentsFY2012Budget.html


In an age with the record deficits that we have, this is one appropriation that should be ended. If there ever was an example of welfare for the rich this is one.



President Obama issues a veto threat

President Obama issued a veto threat Tuesday afternoon against the House GOP “continuing resolution” that would fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year, SAYING THE CUTS IN THE BILL WOULD “UNDERMINE OUR ABILITY TO OUT-EDUCATE, OUT-BUILD, AND OUT-INNOVATE THE REST OF THE WORLD” AS WELL AS UNDERMINE “CORE GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS and investments key to economic growth and job creation, and would reduce funding for the Department of Defense to a level that would leave the Department without the resources and flexibility needed to meet vital military requirements.”

Democrats in Congress criticize the GOP cuts, which they say would kick more than 200,000 children out of Head Start, cut $800 per student in the maximum Pell Grant award, eliminate $1.4 billion in funding for science and energy research, and cut $2.5 billion for high-speed rail projects, among other changes.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/02/hours-after-saying-come-let-us-reason-together-president-obama-issues-veto-threat.html


It appears President Obama and the Democrats are playing by the Bill Clinton script. Unfortunately for them this is not the 1990s and they don’t have the American people’s good will. In a budget with over a trillion in deficits, it appears they can’t find a bit of spending that can be cut. That won’t play well in Peoria.



Obama says he'd stop adding to debt, but that's not true

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S CLAIM TUESDAY THAT HIS PROPOSED BUDGET WOULD STOP ADDING TO THE NATIONAL DEBT is wrong — and is proved wrong in his own budget.

"We will not be adding more to the national debt," he said flatly Tuesday at a news conference. "To use a sort of an analogy that families are familiar with, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE RUNNING UP THE CREDIT CARD ANYMORE. THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S HARD TO DO. BUT IT'S NECESSARY TO DO."

However, his budget shows that the gross NATIONAL DEBT WOULD CONTINUE TO RISE EVERY YEAR UNDER HIS PROPOSAL, ALMOST DOUBLING FROM $13.5 TRILLION LAST YEAR TO $26.3 TRILLION IN FISCAL 2021.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/02/15/108796/obama-says-hed-stop-adding-to.html#ixzz1E7ILs8Pv


In the internet age, it is absolutely amazing that politicians will say things that are so patently false and expect to get away with it. I guess the Democrats are channeling Dr. Goebbels.



It's the Deficits That Are Draconian, Not Their Cuts

After the riots in Athens, the Greek authorities decided to enact new laws to deal with their obvious problems. The new laws, which treat rich and poor alike for the first time, have been seen as harsh. THE NAME OF THE LEGISLATOR WHO WROTE THE LAWS IS A MAN CALLED DRACO. The date is believed to be 621 B.C. And more than 2,600 years later, the adjectival form of his name -- draconian -- is still tossed around here in Washington anytime someone proposes real budget cuts.

Of course, most of the Washington hands who hurl the "draconian" charge around probably do not know that Draco's laws were considered "just" according to Aristotle. For the first time in Athenian law, the codes were written down so that even poor people could know what was legal and what was illegal -- thus they could avoid inadvertently breaking the law…..

THE ONLY "DRACONIAN" PART OF DRACO'S LAWS WAS THE PUNISHMENT FOR THEIR VIOLATION, WHICH HE SET AS DEATH FOR ALL VIOLATIONS, whether petty theft or murder.….

So, as we enter budget season in Washington this week, unless the Republican proposals include a death sentence for their violation, NO ONE SHOULD GET AWAY WITH HURLING THE CHARGE OF "DRACONIAN CUTS." THE CHARGE IS BOTH PREFABRICATED AND HISTORICALLY ILLITERATE.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/02/16/its_the_deficits_that_are_draconian_not_their_cuts_108910.html


A bit of history for you so when you hear the charge of draconian cuts you will know the person saying it doesn’t know what they are talking about. A must read if you want to learn a bit of history.

How much does Obama’s budget cut in 2012?

So to assess the administration’s proposal, one very crucial figure to look at is the effect their budget, if adopted, would have on the deficit in the year for which it would actually be the budget—that is, in 2012. You can find that figure on page 172 of the budget (table S-2, here). IT SHOWS THAT BY THE ADMINISTRATION’S OWN CALCULATIONS, THE EFFECT ITS OWN BUDGET WOULD HAVE IN 2012 WOULD BE TO INCREASE THE DEFICIT BY $11 BILLION. In other words, the Obama budget says that if we pass the Obama budget then the deficit for 2012 will be $1.1 trillion but if we don’t pass it then the deficit would be $1.09 trillion

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/259769/year-year-yuval-levin


When you read something like this, you have to figure that President Obama is the most out of touch President since Jimmy Carter.


Obama's Spending Promises, Then and Now

In its 2010 budget, the Obama administration projected that in FY 2012, total federal outlays would add up to $3,662,000,000,000. In its actual FY 2012 budget, the administration is asking for total outlays of $3,729,000,000,000. THAT'S RIGHT: THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS RESPONDED TO SKYROCKETING DEFICITS AND HEIGHTENED CONCERN ABOUT FEDERAL DEBT BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT IT IS REQUESTING FOR NEXT YEAR, compared to its projections of just two years ago, by $67 billion. Only in Washington is this a "cut."

As regards the deficit:

Moreover, in its 2010 budget, the OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PROJECTED THAT IN FY 2012, IT WOULD RUN A DEFICIT OF $581 BILLION, OR 3.5% OF GDP. Now, the administration tells us that its FY 2012 budget will run a deficit of $1.1 trillion, or 7% of GDP, nearly double what it had projected.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/02/028361.php


Does nothing ever go down in Obamaland? Well outside of the number of Democrats in office.


Hundreds protest Wis. plan to cut worker rights

Hundreds of Wisconsin's public employees clogged a hearing for hours and camped out in the state Capitol OVERNIGHT IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO DELAY ACTION ON REPUBLICAN GOV. SCOTT WALKER'S PLAN TO STRIP AWAY MOST OF THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS.

The Legislature's finance committee is preparing to vote on the measure, which would end collective bargaining for all state, county and local workers except for police, firefighters and the state patrol. THE MOVE MARKS THE BOLDEST STEP BY A NEW REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE TO SOLVE BUDGET PROBLEMS BY CONFRONTING ORGANIZED LABOR.

Opponents seized on the finance committee's public hearing on the bill on Tuesday to launch what Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, called a "citizen filibuster" that tied up the hearing for hours. A vote by the committee would set up final votes in the state Senate and Assembly later this week.

VOS, THE CO-CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, FINALLY ENDED THE HEARING AT 3 A.M. Wednesday, 17 hours after it started. Democrats said they would continue to listen to workers who still wanted to speak. Republicans planned to reconvene later in the day to vote on the measure.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7429435.html


Expect to see more of this. Public payrolls have gotten completely out of hand and they must be rolled back.




What is the new GOP Congress doing to help military voters?

Today the House Administration Committee held hearings on military voting issues in the 2010 election and the lack of Justice Department enforcement. A PJM preview of that hearing and ERIC HOLDER’S APPROVAL OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL BALLOTS TO SERVICEMEMBERS WHICH OMITTED SOME CONTESTS (SUCH AS GOVERNOR) is here. The hearing did not go well for the Department of Justice, and by the end, the testimony of Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez looked less than credible.

http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/02/15/what-is-the-new-gop-congress-doing-to-help-military-voters/


We always hear Democrat decry the use of photo IDs as discouraging voter turnout. It appears that all voters are created equal but some voters are more equal (those that are likely Democrat supporters) than others according to this Administration’s Justice Department.



Japan Just Wasted $78 Billion On 'Fruitless' Projects To Solve Global Warming

Japan spent an impressive $78 billion on global warming research in the past six years. However, NONE OF 214 PROJECTS PRODUCED EFFECTIVE RESULTS, according to an official report featured in Japan Times.

THIS "FRUITLESS" SPENDING IS UNDER SCRUTINY AS THE GOVERNMENT SUFFERS UNDER A HEAVY DEBT BURDEN.

Here's an example of a failed project:

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry spent about ¥1.6 billion on a project to produce livestock feedstuff from unsold boxed lunches from convenience stores. The project was abandoned after its management firm collapsed, the report says.

So yes, you can be glad for now that the U.S. spends so little on science

http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-global-warming-2011-2#ixzz1E7YQ3Gk2


Actually, Obama wants to spend $56 billion on high speed rail. As foolish as that project is, it still appears to be a better on than the Japanese were working on.