Obama and racism

Obama: Arrogance or Petulance

AFTER WATCHING THE PRESIDENT FOR THE PAST 26 MONTHS I HAVE DETERMINED HE HAS TWO NEGOTIATING POSITIONS: ARROGANT AND PETULANT.
When he had majorities in both the House and Senate he was arrogant. Shortly after having been inaugurated Obama held a meeting with Congressional leaders on the subject of the stimulus package. According to a piece in the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire from January 23, 2009 - a full three days into his term:

"Challenged by Senate Republican whip John Kyl (R-Az) over the contents of the package, the new president, according to participants, replied: 'I WON.'"
Since his policies caused the voting public to rise up in electoral revolt last November tossing Nancy Pelosi out of the Speaker's chair and reducing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's majority to a tissue paper thin 53-47, OBAMA HAS TAKEN A NEW TACK: PETULANCE.

During the press conference to which Halperin was referring, OBAMA COMPARED THE CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS TO GRAMMAR SCHOOL STUDENTS - specifically his daughters - who leave their homework to the last minute.
Earlier this week he repeated his childish attempts to diminish House and Senate Republicans by TELLING THEM TO "TEAR OFF THE BAND-AID" AND "EAT OUR PEAS" in their discussions over increasing the debt limit.
http://www.mullings.com/07-13-11.htm
Neither of these are attractive traits, but it does give us a glimpse into Obama’s soul.


Racism In The Age Of Obama

Since Barack Obama's inauguration, HIS DEVOTED DEFENDERS HAVE INVOKED RACISM AS THE BASIS FOR THE BITTER OPPOSITION TO HIS LEADERSHIP.

Recent developments, however, make a better case that MUCH OF THE REMAINING SUPPORT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION'S FALTERING LEADERSHIP ACTUALLY STEMS FROM RACIAL FACTORS.

Even before the release of devastating unemployment numbers for June, leading polls showed big majorities convinced that America is headed in the wrong direction. A ZOGBY INTERACTIVE POLL (JULY 1-5) INDICATED THAT ONLY 23 PERCENT OF LIKELY VOTERS BELIEVE WE'RE GOING THE RIGHT WAY, while Rasmussen (June 26-July 2) pegged that number as a mere 26 percent. The two surveys reported nearly identical numbers (67 percent and 68 percent, respectively) who say America is moving the wrong way.

Only one significant segment of the population expresses optimism about the nation's current course and feels undiminished confidence in the president's leadership: Rasmussen reported A STARTLING 58 PERCENT OF BLACK VOTERS WHO THINK AMERICA IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. This compares with 24 percent of Hispanics and just 20 percent of whites who agree that the republic's on the proper course.

http://powerwall.msnbc.msn.com/politics/obamas-race-trump-card-1694864.story

I don’t think this is the kind of racism the left was thinking about when they castigated the TEA Party as racists or anyone else who criticized Obama.  But with the AA community, race trumps reality. 



The Debt Ceiling

Republicans are far more unified in their opposition to raising the debt ceiling (60% opposed, 11% in favor) than Democrats are in their support of it (39% in favor, 21% opposed). INDEPENDENTS TILT HEAVILY AGAINST RAISING THE DEBT CEILING, 46% TO 18%, ALTHOUGH 36% HAVE NO OPINION.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/148454/Debt-Ceiling-Increase-Remains-Unpopular-Americans.aspx

This is worrisome. The Democrats are on the losing side of this debate. This means they may cave. But they also may ignore the polls and pretend to have to cut social security payments because of the Republicans. This would hurt the country, but they think it might help their political chances. The people who are holding the gun to the electorates head are the Democrats.

Obama simply doesn’t get it
Asked during his Monday press conference why 69% of Americans in a recent poll indicated they did not want the debt ceiling lifted, PRESIDENT OBAMA SUGGESTED THAT MOST PEOPLE WERE NOT REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DOWN-TO-THE WIRE NEGOTIATIONS. HE’S WRONG. The entire globe is focused on how the world’s largest economy is going to right itself; so far, the process has been anything but impressive.

PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS RUN INTO A BRICK WALL. IT’S CALLED THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. The reason he can’t force Republicans to raise the debt ceiling is that he will not countenance a deal that cuts spending but doesn’t raise taxes. HE SEEMS UNABLE TO GRASP THAT 236 REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND 41 SENATORS HAVE SIGNED THE TAXPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE, PROMISING THAT THEY WILL “OPPOSE ANY AND ALL EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE MARGINAL INCOME TAX RATES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND /OR BUSINESSES…and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2011/07/13/America-Is-Paying-Attention-to-the-Debt-Ceiling.aspx

Out of touch?  He has been for his entire presidency and before. 



Obama’s Popularity in Arab World Now Lower than Bush’s

James Zogby, the anti-Israel pollster who released these findings today, blames the drop in support for Obama in the Arab world on Obama’s failure to put the amount of pressure on Israel the Arab world wanted and expected. But ACCORDING TO THE POLL, THE ARAB WORLD DOESN’T SEEM TO BE HAPPY WITH ANY OF AMERICA’S FOREIGN POLICY POSITIONS. RESPONDENTS RATED OBAMA’S POLICIES AS THE LEAST POPULAR, WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER LEADERS, INCLUDING IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD.

Killing Osama bin Laden also contributed to the Arab world’s negative views of Obama. In all six countries surveyed – Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia – the majority of respondents said killing bin Laden made them “less favorable toward the U.S.” Notably, in Egypt, only 2 percent said the al Qaeda leader’s death made them view America more positively.

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/07/13/obama%e2%80%99s-popularity-in-arab-world-now-lower-than-bush%e2%80%99s/

It appears Obama’s popularity is falling everywhere.



IPAB: GOP will impose a form of rationing

Republicans say it will impose "rationing." Reform supporters claim it may "transform" the entire health care system. But TOP DEMOCRATS, FEARING A POLITICAL BACKLASH, ARGUED TUESDAY THAT OBAMACARE'S PANEL OF UNELECTED EXPERTS IS NO BIG DEAL.

Under the new health law, the Independent Payment Advisory Board is charged with ensuring that Medicare's costs do not exceed certain targets beginning in 2020. IPAB will have 15 members, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO REDUCE MEDICARE'S REIMBURSEMENT RATES BUT CAN'T CHANGE MEDICARE ELIGIBILITY OR RAISE BENEFICIARIES' PREMIUMS OR COST-SHARING.

IPAB can't deny Medicare patients specific treatments directly. But IT CAN CUT THE RATES MEDICARE PAYS TO HEALTH PROVIDERS.

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Tuesday at his committee's IPAB hearing that this is de facto rationing.

"Ultimately, don't you believe there will be a time when Medicare will so dramatically underpay for a service to a provider that they will stop providing the service?" Ryan asked Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "Isn't that, effectively, rationing?"

SEBELIUS SIDESTEPPED THE QUESTION, ARGUING THAT OBAMACARE WILL DRIVE A "DIFFERENT STRATEGY"THAT IMPROVES QUALITY WHILE LOWERING COSTS.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/578083/201107121845/Dems-ObamaCares-IPAB-No-Big-Deal.htm

This is nonsense from the administration. What do you suppose would happen if the federal government took over all the public schools across the country and to balance the budgets decided to cut the salaries of the teachers. And each year they would review the finances and if the costs were still too high, they would again cut the salaries. Do you think that the best teachers would leave this system? Do you think the quality of the schools would go up or down? Would you think that this was a bad idea?




House Gop’ers Losing Patience with Obama Stall on Solyndra Loan Guarantee Documents

A House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee months ago asked President Obama's Office of Management and Budget for documents concerning a $335 million federal loan guarantee given to a politically correct clean energy firm. SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS WERE PROVIDED, BUT MANY MORE HAVE BEEN WITHHELD WITHOUT EXPLANATION.

Making matters worse, Jack Lew, OBAMA'S OMB DIRECTOR, FAILED TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR THE KEY OFFICIAL WITHIN HIS AGENCY ON THE LOAN GUARANTEE - OMB deputy director Jeffrey Zients - TO TESTIFY BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE DOCUMENTS HAD NOT BEEN PROVIDED. So committee leaders are now preparing to consider issuing a subpoena.

“After two years of zero oversight of the Obama clean energy programs, our investigation has been an exercise in good government to ensure that billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent wisely," said committee chairman Rep. Fred Upton, R-MI.

"Yet OMB has sought to delay and put off this investigation at every step of the way. Subpoenas would not be necessary if OMB had lived up to its agreement and produced the documents as requested," Upton said….

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/07/house-gopers-losing-patience-obama-stall-solyndra-loan-guarantee-#ixzz1Ryzk2F3V

Transparency anyone? No I mean it, anyone?


CSU hikes tuition, and boosts a president's salary by $100,000

MINUTES AFTER VOTING TO RAISE STUDENT TUITION BY 12 PERCENT FOR THE FALL, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES ON TUESDAY DECIDED THE SALARY FOR A NEW CAMPUS PRESIDENT SHOULD BE $100,000 GREATER THAN HIS PREDECESSOR'S.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a board member who voted against both the tuition increase and the compensation package, told his colleagues that the university would damage its public image by raising salary and tuition on the same day.

"I caution us today with these two decisions and I feel compelled to make this point," Newsom said. "There are plenty of people watching, and people we need as supporters."…

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/13/3765602/csu-hikes-tuition-and-boosts-a.html#ixzz1Rzfr7m4c

This is a salary increase from $300,000 to $400,000, a 33% increase. Glad to see California is doing so well.

Meanwhile in other California spending stories

THE HIGHEST-PAID STATE EMPLOYEE IN CALIFORNIA LAST YEAR, A PRISON SURGEON WHO TOOK HOME $777,423, HAS A HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS, WAS FIRED ONCE FOR ALLEGED INCOMPETENCE AND HAS NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO TREAT AN INMATE FOR SIX YEARS because medical supervisors don't trust his clinical skills.
Since July 2005, Dr. Jeffrey Rohlfing has mostly been locked out of his job — on paid leave or fired or fighting his termination — at High Desert State Prison in Susanville, state records show. When he has been allowed inside the facility, HE HAS BEEN RELEGATED TO REVIEWING PAPER MEDICAL HISTORIES, WHAT PRISON DOCTORS CALL "MAILROOM" DUTY.
ROHLFING'S $235,740 BASE PAY, TYPICAL IN CALIFORNIA'S CORRECTIONS SYSTEM, accounted for about a third of his income last year. THE REST OF THE MONEY WAS BACK PAY FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS WHEN HE DID NO WORK FOR THE STATE WHILE APPEALING HIS TERMINATION. A supervisor had determined that Rohlfing provided substandard care for two patients, according to state Personnel Board records.

Rohlfing won that case before the board and was rehired and assigned to "mailroom" work in late 2009….

http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/la-me-prison-doctor-20110713,0,2806624.story

The problem with common sense these days is it isn’t common.


Fred Thomson: Why I Wish Eric Holder Watched the Anthony Trial

…My read on the case? GUILTY OF MURDER BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. You don’t make an accident look like a murder, and you don’t place duct tape over the nose and mouth of a child who is already dead. I simply think that you had some jurors like the ones I’ve described. These things happen. People are fallible. OUR SYSTEM IS FALLIBLE.

APPARENTLY OUR OWN PRESIDENT AND ATTORNEY GENERAL DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS. It is with amazement that I read that a Somali terrorist is being imported into the United States to be tried in a U.S. civil court and accorded all the rights of an American citizen — ANYTHING TO KEEP HIM OUT OF GUANTANAMO AND THE MILITARY TRIBUNAL WHERE HE BELONGS.

We gladly run the risk of setting the guilty free in order to protect the rights of American citizens. NOW WE ARE RUNNING THE SAME RISK FOR THE BENEFIT FOR THOSE WITH WHOM WE ARE AT WAR. One principle is as old as our country. The other was invented by this administration. Clearly, they learned nothing from the Casey Anthony trial. Either that or they are willing to run the risk to us all for the sake of their rigid and misinformed ideology.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/271499/why-i-wish-eric-holder-watched-anthony-trial-fred-thompson

Holder is almost as big a disaster to the Justice Department as Obama is to the country.

More bad news for Obama

Obama Administration punishes reporter for using multimedia

The hip, transparent and social media-loving Obama administration is showing its analog roots. And maybe even some hypocrisy highlights.

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS HAVE BANISHED ONE OF THE BEST POLITICAL REPORTERS IN THE COUNTRY FROM THE APPROVED POOL OF JOURNALISTS covering presidential visits to the Bay Area for using now-standard multimedia tools to gather the news.

The Chronicle's Carla Marinucci - who, like many contemporary reporters, has a phone with video capabilities on her at all times - PULLED OUT A SMALL VIDEO CAMERA LAST WEEK AND SHOT SOME PROTESTERS INTERRUPTING AN OBAMA FUNDRAISER AT THE ST. REGIS HOTEL.

She was part of a "print pool" - a limited number of journalists at an event who represent their bigger hoard colleagues - which White House press officials still refer to quaintly as "pen and pad" reporting…..

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bronstein/detail?entry_id=87978#ixzz1Kty5fGY2

So this is Obama’s definition of transparency? She’s banned and other journalists were threatened if they reported the fact she had been banned.



Obama approval all time low: second straight week

President Barack Obama’s weekly approval rating remained at its all-time low for the second straight week, according to the Gallup poll.

IN THE WEEK OF APRIL 11-17 AND AGAIN IN THE WEEK OF APRIL 18-24, 43 PERCENT OF THE AMERICANS POLLED BY GALLUP SAID THEY APPROVED OF THE JOB OBAMA WAS DOING AS PRESIDENT.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-s-approval-remains-all-time-low-se

There’s still plenty of time until the next election, but do you see anything that demonstrates Obama is growing and getting better? It appears to be just the opposite.



Pennsylvania: Keystone for Democrats

If you're looking for ways to boil the 2012 presidential race down to its simplest form, here's one of the easiest: IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ENVISION ANY WAY BARACK OBAMA CAN WIN RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR IF HE LOSES PENNSYLVANIA. No Keystone State, no second term. It really is that simple.

As of right now, THINGS ARE LOOKING DICEY FOR THE PRESIDENT IN PENNSYLVANIA. Two weeks ago, the Democratic polling firm PPP released a survey showing the president's job approval rating at just 42% among Pennsylvania voters.

Yesterday, Quinnipiac University confirmed PPP's findings with a survey of their own conducted in Pennsylvania last WEEK SHOWING AN IDENTICAL JOB RATING OF 42% FOR THE PRESIDENT - A NEW LOW FOR OBAMA SINCE TAKING OFFICE.

Worse still for the president, for the first time the Quinnipiac poll found A MAJORITY OF PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS SAYING THAT OBAMA DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE RE-ELECTED.

The numbers show a sharp decline in Obama's standing in the Keystone State over the last nine weeks - particularly among Independents. In the last Quinnpiac survey, taken in mid-February of this year, Independents approved of the job Obama was doing as president by a net 4-point margin, 50 to 46. TODAY THEY DISAPPROVE OF THE JOB HE'S DOING BY A NET 20-POINT MARGIN, 37 TO 57.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/04/29/the_keystone_to_obamas_re-election_109702.html


This is a disaster for the Democrats.



Americans Are Ready to Take On the Deficit


A

reader pointed out these remarkable numbers from a Washington Post/Pew Research Center poll conducted April 21-25. Respondents were asked whether they think the federal budget deficit is a major problem that must be addressed now; a major problem that should be addressed when the economy improves; or not much of a problem:

MAJOR PROBLEM THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED NOW: 81%

Major problem that should be addressed when economy improves: 14%

Not much of a problem: 1%

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/04/028919.php

Again this is not good news if you are a partisan democrat. It appears fear mongering will not work against this as an issue.



Don’t Blame Speculators for Oil Prices

http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=174&load=5344


Some interesting stats on how we can bring down oil prices now.



Paul Krugman’s name is mentioned at town hall to hearty laughter

http://jammiewearingfool.blogspot.com/2011/04/leftwing-drone-cites-nobel-prize.html


What is truly remarkable is the amount of laughter when a liberal uses Krugman’s name to try and discredit a Freshman Republican representative at a town hall meeting.



Paul Ryan receives standing ovation

Paul Ryan received a standing ovation Thursday afternoon during the Q&A part of his meeting with constituents at a high school auditorium in a suburb of Milwaukee.

Ryan faced a larger number of hecklers at this event than previous ones, but they were just a sliver of the max capacity crowd. The vast majority of those present stood and applauded Ryan after one constituent rose to thank the congressman for producing his plan to rein in the federal budget

Paul Ryan received a standing ovation Thursday afternoon during the Q&A part of his meeting with constituents at a high school auditorium in a suburb of Milwaukee.

Ryan faced a larger number of hecklers at this event than previous ones, but they were just a sliver of the max capacity crowd. The vast majority of those present stood and applauded Ryan after one constituent rose to thank the congressman for producing his plan to rein in the federal budget

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/video-paul-ryan-gets-standing-ovation-town-hall-meeting_558453.html




The Birther Networks

...As it turns out, ONE WAS 35 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HEAR ABOUT THE BIRTHER ISSUE ON CNN OR MSNBC THAN ON FOX NEWS DURING THE WEEK OF APRIL 11 THROUGH 17, when Obama was touting his budget. The cable network most often railed against as the birther-enabler was least likely - by far - to even mention the issue.....

... the following breakdown of birther stories as a percentage of total coverage for each cable news channel:

- Fox News: 0.4 percent

- MSNBC: 9.2 percent

- CNN: 5 percent

MSNBC devoted 23 times as much airtime as Fox to cover the birther issue. CNN devoted 12.5 times as much. So, as mentioned above, one was 35.5 times more likely to see a birther story on Fox's competition than on FNC itself.

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/lachlan-markay/2011/04/28/study-msnbc-and-cnn-covered-birther-issue-far-more-fox-news#ixzz1Ku73Jt1b

Obama claimed that he had to give up his birth certificate because “this was a "distraction" from "real issues" and therefore "silliness.” It’s funny which network(s) fed their partisan viewers a steady diet of this silliness.



The Obama Lie that flamed the birther story

... For the last two years or more, many in THE BIRTHER COMMUNITY KNEW THAT OBAMA'S "MULTICULTURAL IDEAL" WAS BASED ON A LIE. Knowing that Obama was capable of lying about the first two years of his life, they had no reason to believe he was telling the truth about his birth, especially given the lengths he had gone to in order to protect his birth certificate.

FOR THEIR PART, THE MAJOR MEDIA -- ALMOST TO A PERSON -- WERE DOING EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO PROTECT THE LIE. This was unprecedented on the sunny side of the Iron Curtain. The birthers had absolutely no reason to believe the media….

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

An interesting look at Obama’s childhood compared to the story he told in his 2004 Democratic Convention speech. Sometimes the story isn’t really THE story.



Obama trying to make America Great!

The budget is out of control because of THE THING THAT OBAMA SAYS MAKES AMERICA GREAT: ENTITLEMENTS. Who knew that giving money to the shiftless and lazy is the way we are supposed to measure ourselves?

Apparently America is at the pinnacle of its greatness, because we are giving it all away. According to this report, 50% OF AMERICANS ARE RECEIVING ENTITLEMENTS, AND MORE SHOCKING IS THIS REPORT THAT SHOWS THAT AS MANY AS 62% OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE RECEIVING THEM. I can understand 10% of Americans receiving entitlements, because conservatives are sensitive to the plight of the underprivileged, despite the lies from the lunatic left. But 50% just helps me understand how many lazy leftoids there are -- you know, people who believe that they are entitled to our money

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

I was shocked by the fact that 62% of illegals are getting handouts.





















Tornadoes whipped up by wind, not climate: officials

US meteorologists warned Thursday it would be a mistake to blame climate change for a seeming increase in tornadoes in the wake of deadly storms that have ripped through the US south.

"If you look at the past 60 years of data, the number of tornadoes is increasing significantly, but IT'S AGREED UPON BY THE TORNADO COMMUNITY THAT IT'S NOT A REAL INCREASE," said Grady Dixon, assistant professor of meteorology and climatology at Mississippi State University.

"It's having to do with better (weather tracking) technology, more population, the fact that the population is better educated and more aware. So we're seeing them more often," Dixon said.

But he said IT WOULD BE "A TERRIBLE MISTAKE" TO RELATE THE UP-TICK TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

http://www.france24.com/en/20110428-tornadoes-whipped-wind-not-climate-officials

But of course the alarmists will relate this to climate change. You see them on the TV trying to connect tornadoes to climate change to prove a theory that is falling into disrepute.

Crazy time: The Democrats look ready to cut off their noses to spite their faces

The direction Obama is leading us

March Madness: U.S. Gov't Spent More Than Eight Times Its Monthly Revenue

The U.S. Treasury has released a final statement for THE MONTH OF MARCH THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT FINANCIAL MADNESS HAS GRIPPED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

During the month, according to the Treasury, the federal government grossed $194 billion in tax revenue and paid out $65.898 billion in tax refunds (including $62.011 to individuals and $3.887 to businesses) thus netting $128.179 billion in tax revenue for March.

At the same time, THE TREASURY PAID OUT A TOTAL OF $1.1187 TRILLION. When the $65.898 billion in tax refunds is deducted from that, the Treasury paid a net of $1.0528 trillion in federal expenses for March

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/march-madness-feds-spent-more-eight-time

Over a trillion dollars spent in one month!!!! This administration has to be stopped.



BREAKING: GOP Readies Short-Term CR as Budget Talks Break Down

House Republicans are preparing a third short-term spending resolution in the event that a long-term compromise cannot be reached with Senate Democrats and the White House before April 8, GOP aides confirm. That scenario suddenly looks a lot more likely after a tense back-and-forth Monday between leaders on both sides of the debate. THE MEASURE WOULD LAST FOR ONE WEEK, CUT $12 BILLION IN DOMESTIC DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, BUT WOULD INCLUDE FUNDING FOR THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT UNTIL THE END OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR (SEPTEMBER 30).

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/263881/breaking-gop-readies-short-term-cr-budget-talks-break-down-andrew-stiles

The democrats aren’t serious at all about the deficit.



Obama administration moving forward with government shutdown plans

The process of shutting down the federal government is underway.

With the clock ticking towards Friday’s federal budget deadline and President Obama hosting congressional leaders for budget talks at the White House on Tuesday, TOP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS HAVE INSTRUCTED AGENCY OFFICIALS TO BEGIN SHARING DETAILS OF SHUTDOWN CONTINGENCY PLANS WITH TOP MANAGERS. This marks the next step toward both curtailing government operations if a budget impasse occurs and informing federal workers whether they are considered “essential” personnel who would stay on the job despite a shutdown.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/obama-administration-moving-forward-with-government-shutdown-plans/2011/04/04/AFodFdfC_blog.html?hpid=z1

The democrats aren’t serious about the deficit.



The Cupboard is bare

The left pinned its hopes and dreams on Barack Obama. HE WASN'T MERELY ANOTHER POLITICIAN, HE WAS POST-MODERN, POST-RACIAL, POST-CULTURAL, POST-POLITICAL. We were told OBAMA DIDN'T NEED POLITICAL EXPERIENCE. HIS INTERNATIONAL UPBRINGING, HIS MULTI-NATIONAL BACKGROUND, HIS INHERENT DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURALISM, HIS YOUTHFUL HOPPING AND GROPING FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY, CULTURE TO CULTURE, FAITH TO FAITH, THROUGH ISLAM, BUDDHISM, ASCETICISM, CHRISTIANITY, Augustine, Aquinas, Graham Greene, Nietzsche, Rev. Wright, and whatever else -- heaped atop his overflowing innate brilliance -- would beget a new breed of political man, a supreme decision-maker worthy of the most vexing challenges. HE WAS NO GEORGE W. BUSH; HE WAS THE ANTI-BUSH.

All of this, of course, was twaddle, but it's sadly in keeping with the perverse political-spiritual sentimentality that plagues the left. LIBERALS HAVE A BIZARRE TENDENCY TO REVERE THEIR POLITICAL LEADERS AS GENIUSES. They did so even with the Clintons and Al Gore. In handy contrast, THEY REFLEXIVELY CARICATURE THEIR OPPONENTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF STATURE OR FACT, AS STUPID. It's a very shallow thing to do, A TRIUMPH OF EMOTION OVER LOGIC; still, they do it incessantly.

Worsening the situation is the hard secularism of today's left. Progressives are more agnostic and atheistic than ever. THEY TEND TO SEARCH FOR SALVATION IN POLITICS, WHICH IS A GOD THAT WILL ALWAYS FAIL. In Obama, many of them hoped for some sort of political messiah, approaching levels of earthly omnipotence not possible by previous presidents…..

….So it is. And right now, WE'RE SEEING THE LEFT EMPTY. After burning down the house of Bush -- torching a good man with every weapon in the smoldering arsenal -- and assuring a Promised Land under Barack Obama, THE LEFT APPEARS NAKED, WITH NO ANSWERS ANYWHERE IN THE CUPBOARD. No water-turned-into-wine, no manna from heaven, no Holy Grail. All that remains are false promises from a false messiah made in the Left's own image. From Iran to Egypt to Libya, THERE ARE NO SOLUTIONS. This wasn't supposed to be.

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

This is an outstanding article. Don’t miss reading it!



Saving FDR

I heard Paul Ryan explain the House Republican budget proposal he released today. PAUL MADE A FINE CASE FOR WHY AMERICA NEEDS TO REVERSE DIRECTION AND EMBRACE FISCAL STABILITY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. But there was an original and beguiling subtext to his talk: REPUBLICANS, NOT DEMOCRATS, ARE THE TRUE HEIRS OF FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.

FDR’s New Deal economic policies have been justly criticized for prolonging the Great Depression. But to his tens of millions of supporters, his vision of America rang true. As articulated by Roosevelt, THE NEW DEAL WAS MEANT TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR AVERAGE AMERICANS—THE FORGOTTEN MAN—WHILE ALSO GIVING THOSE SAME PEOPLE THE SECURITY that comes from knowing government will step in to help out if they fall in troubled times.

Eight decades later, millions of working class Americans still desire that combination of growth and security FDR promised. According to Ryan today, they should invest their hopes in his plan, not President Obama’s….

http://blog.american.com/?p=29548


Basically the message from Ryan is similar to the message Chris Christie is giving. “I’m telling you the truth and you’ll thank me 15 years from now when these programs are still there for you.” The Democrats are not serious about the deficit and the deficit will destroy all these safety net programs.

Biggest Donors and who they’ve given to

Here is a list of the biggest political donors and who they’ve given to for the past 20 years from Open Secrets. It’s interesting. FOR INSTANCE, THE NEA AND THE AFT (TEACHERS UNIONS) HAVE CONTRIBUTED A TOTAL OF $ 60,758,000 OF WHICH $58,516,000 WENT TO THE DEMOCRATS (96%). At the same time you see how business (Dems like to say they are in the Republican bag) tend to split their donations with more going to the Republicans, but not anywhere near what the teachers unions are doing for the Democrats.

http://www.distributedrepublic.net/archives/2011/03/01/truth-about-money-and-politics




Transparency Obama Style

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS REFUSING TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT CONGRESSIONAL AUDITORS SAY THEY NEED TO ROOT OUT WASTE AND FRAUD IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS that pay out billions of dollars in disability benefits, stirring complaints about White House open-government practices.

The position taken by the Health and Human Services Department has resulted in a standoff with congressional investigators, who want to flush out cases of people who obtain jobs while collecting federal disability payments. That could be a violation of law under certain circumstances.

Congress' investigative arm, the Government ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE, HOPES TO MATCH THE NAMES OF THOSE GETTING DISABILITY PAYMENTS AGAINST A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN NEWLY HIRED, a method of confirming whether healthy, gainfully employed people are receiving disability on top of their regular salary…..

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-obama-records-20110405,0,15008.story


Sigh, just another day in Obamaland.



President Barack Obama is in trouble. Big trouble.

Despite the news that unemployment has dropped, Obama is still in trouble. THE MOST RECENT RASMUSSEN POLL SHOWS THAT ONLY 22 PERCENT OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THE COUNTRY IS HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION – the lowest since Obama took office. This is a clear indication that the administration is veering dangerously off course.

FOOD COSTS AND OIL PRICES ARE NOW SPIKING TO ALARMING LEVELS. So there is every reason to believe that the president’s approval rating – which fell below 50 percent, to 47.6 percent, in the most recent Real Clear Politics average — will continue to slide in the weeks and months to come….

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52491.html#ixzz1IiGKgMfc

The disappointment is mounting. Here are my reasons why I think Obama will be a one term president. Last election, Obama was elected not on who he was, but who everyone wanted him to be. We now know who he is. Secondly, unemployment has decreased of the past year, not so much because of job gains (although there have been those), but more that more and more people have dropped out of trying to find work. As the economy improves, the unemployment rate is likely to rise as more and more people opt back in. Third, inflation is starting up. You can’t do what Obama has done and not expect inflation. Finally, Obama has drastically increased the deficit, but has shown no leadership to try to tame it.




Paraplegic faces jail in violent citizen’s arrest

‘Victim’ charged with child abuse

Cape and Islands District Attorney MICHAEL O’KEEFE IS PRESSING AHEAD WITH A FELONY ASSAULT CHARGE THAT COULD PUT A PARAPLEGIC GRANDFATHER IN THE SLAMMER FOR UP TO 10 YEARS for whacking his 3-year-old granddaughter’s alleged molester with a Louisville slugger after setting a trap for his arrest.

As a result of 57-year-old Martha’s Vineyard computer salesman Frank Hebert’s unconventional citizen’s arrest, Joshua A. Hardy, 27, of Middleboro, now faces child molestation charges in a second case out of Wareham involving another little girl, authorities tell the Herald.

“I’m not a hero, that’s for damn sure,” Hebert, his voice cracking, said last night. “I’d do it again tomorrow, knowing the consequence. I DIDN’T HAVE A CHOICE. A 10-year-old kid could take me. This is not about me. This is about a tiny child. I WOULD NEVER TELL HER I TOOK A RISK FOR HER. I’D TELL HER I LOVED HER.”

http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1328424


I know the DA is looking for a plea deal on this one. He should plead with the grandfather to quit making statements like the last one. Sometime justice maybe blind, but it is not crazy.


Hip and knee patients facing 'cruel' delays

HOSPITAL TRUSTS ARE CLAMPING DOWN ON ROUTINE SURGERY INCLUDING HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENTS TO SAVE MONEY.

But orthopaedic surgeons said THE DELAYS ARE "DEVASTATING AND CRUEL" TO PATIENTS.

Peter Kay, president of the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA), told the BBC that there was "excellent evidence" that these operations improved quality of life and were cost effective.

But he said: "THE DOUBLE JEOPARDY IS THAT PATIENTS WAIT LONGER IN PAIN, AND WHEN THEY HAVE THE OPERATION, THE RESULT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN AS GOOD AS IT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD THEY HAD IT EARLY. "

Almost 700 orthopaedic surgeons across England sent the BBC information on their primary care trusts' policies on hip and knee replacements.

Of those, 152 said patients were now having to show they were more disabled or in greater pain than before to qualify for surgery; 118 said the operations were now regarded as a low priority; while 106 said they had been put on hold.

SOME TRUSTS HAVE INTRODUCED SCORE CARDS FOR PAIN AND DISABILITY….

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8430242/Hip-and-knee-patients-facing-cruel-delays.html

Somehow this doesn’t sound kind and compassionate. But this is what lies ahead for our seniors under Obamacare.

Explaining Obama's incoherence

Will Obamacare lead to rationing?

Everyone knows that dying in America is expensive. According to one typical study, 6 percent of Medicare recipients NEAR THE END OF LIFE CONSUME 28 PERCENT OF MEDICARE DOLLARS. According to another study: "...because the terminally ill often are hospitalized and may be candidates for the intensive care unit (ICU), and because the ICU is particularly resource-intensive, reducing use of the ICU among such patients appears to present unique opportunities for cost reduction."

Nevertheless, A RECENTLY RELEASED REPORT BY THE EXPERT PANEL ON END OF LIFE CARE organized under Governor Patrick's Health Care Quality and Cost Control Council EMPHASIZES THAT MANY MORE OF US WOULD RATHER DIE AT HOME; that we want that familiar view out our bedroom window instead of those cold, faceless hospital rooms with all those complicated machines. MANY OF US ARE WILLING, NAY EAGER TO LET SLIP THE MORTAL COIL IF WE CAN ONLY DO SO IN A MORE CARING, DIGNIFIED ENVIRONMENT. In short, in the words of panel co-chair Lachlan Forrow: "our expert commission actually wanted people not to think about cost. That's not the point….."

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/archive/x719608853/Stopa-Rationing-by-any-other-name#ixzz1ITmBZl7H


The democrats will never admit that rationing is what they are leading us to. They rail against Sarah Palin’s characterization of “death panels,” but that is exactly what is coming.



Where’s the openness, Mr. President?

The day after his inauguration, PRESIDENT OBAMA PROMISED A NEW ERA OF “OPENNESS IN GOVERNMENT.”

But the reality has not matched the president’s rhetoric. We, PRESIDENTS OF TWO OF THE NATION’S LARGEST JOURNALISM ORGANIZATIONS, and many of our thousands of members, HAVE FOUND LITTLE OPENNESS SINCE OBAMA TOOK OFFICE. If anything, the administration has gone in the opposite direction: IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON REPORTERS’ NEWSGATHERING THAT EXCEED EVEN THE CONSTRAINTS PUT IN PLACE BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH….

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/03/2145884/wheres-the-openness-mr-president.html#ixzz1ITn7Eu7R

Truth seems to be a major casualty of the Obama Administration.



Explaining Obama’s Incoherence

For as long as I can remember scientists have been trying to put together A THEORY OF EVERYTHING WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN AND CONNECT ALL THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE OF PHYSICAL PHENOMENA. So far they haven't been successful, but they keep trying. I wondered IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO EXPLAIN THE MANY CONTRADICTIONS OF OBAMA and the mystery of his origins and incomprehensible nature of his domestic and foreign policies to better understand him and predict why he seems to be steering the ship of state onto the shoals

I think I've finally got it, though a night of watching old movies -- "The Man in the Iron Mask" and "The Prince and the Pauper" -- helped me along.

Barack is not one person. THE MAN WE KNOW AS BARACK OBAMA IS REALLY TWO PEOPLE, IDENTICAL (POSSIBLY CONJOINED AT THE HEAD JANUS-LIKE BUT LATER SEPARATED) TWINS. Don't laugh. I'll explain….

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

Actually do laugh. This is a funny write up which you should enjoy.



Man’s best friend comes through

A missing 2-year-old boy in Elgin was found Saturday morning after Kershaw County deputies say the family dog kept him warm and safe all night.

Sheriff Jim Matthews said 22-month-old Tyler Jacobson was reunited with his family after he was found across the street behind a neighbor's home when someone reported hearing crying in the area.

Tyler was reported missing around 8:00pm Friday from a residence on Ashley Creek Drive. Matthews said the boy's mother, 25-year-old Jacklyn Marie Jacobson, and her boyfriend Jose Gloria told investigators Tyler went to get some juice and didn't come back.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=14369871



This is one of those feel good stories that can make your day better.

Republicans will kill kids with their spending cuts claim Democrats

PBS hires Ann Coulter

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today, in the first of a series of stunning announcements, that ITS TELEVISION SUBSIDIARY THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM (PBS) WILL BE REPLACING THE DEFUNCT BILL MOYERS JOURNAL WITH A NEW WEEKLY PROGRAM, ANN COULTER'S FAR OUT JOURNEY.

The Coulter show is one of several dramatic changes to the public broadcasting network composed of PBS and its corporate sibling National Public Radio (NPR). The changes are the result of major upheavals in the wake of the firing of NPR commentator Juan Williams and covert 60 Minutes-style videos from journalist James O'Keefe showing NPR executives entertaining financial offers from "donors" they believed to be representing the Muslim Brotherhood. The shift in approach is also a direct consequence of the Republican and Tea Party victories in the U.S. House and Senate in the 2010 elections.

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/04/01/pbs-hires-ann-coulter-levin-an


Expect to hear howls from the left about this. Even though they claim PBS is not biased, the audience for PBS likes it just the way it is, that is, without conservative input.



Obama gets transparency award—in secret

President Barack Obama accepted an award for making the government more open and transparent in secret.

The White House even left the event off the President’s public schedule, so no one knew about it and requests for journalists to cover the meeting by those attending were turned down.

‘To have such a meeting not be transparent is the height of irony. How absurd can that be?’ said one participant, Gary Bass, executive director of OMB Watch, which keeps tabs on the White House Office of Management and Budget.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372184/Barack-Obama-awarded-prize-transparency-closed-doors.html#ixzz1IGumiJjj

Somehow this seems apropos.



Live Mikes and Democrats

Politicians are notorious for the use of canned talking points. So when New York Sen. Chuck Schumer stuck his foot in his mouth on a conference call this week by admitting that he was simply parroting what Democratic Party chiefs had told him to say about the Tea Party, it wasn't as shocking as some made it out to be.

SLOPPY, YES. JAW-DROPPING, NO.

Schumer was caught on tape explaining to his fellow Democrats WHY HE FAVORS CHARACTERIZING SPENDING CUTS PROPOSED BY THE GOP AS "EXTREME" AND "DRACONIAN."

He proceeded to elaborate: "I ALWAYS USE THE WORD 'EXTREME'; THAT'S WHAT THE CAUCUS INSTRUCTED ME TO DO THE OTHER WEEK."

His unknowing moment of honesty EXPOSED HOW THE LEFT IS STILL DESPERATELY TRYING TO SLANDER THE TEA PARTY, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge its members' concerns and respect their opinions, unwilling to stop mocking them (as, for example, with the tired "tea bagger" label).

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/columnists/tantaros/index.html

It seems that when Democrats don’t know others can hear them they say what they really think and mean, and it doesn’t work out too well for them.



Obama’s choice: The False Choice

It’s time to retire the false choice.

As a rhetorical device, particularly as A POLITICAL RHETORICAL DEVICE, THE FALSE CHOICE HAS OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS, IF IT EVER HAD ANY. The phrase has become a trite substitute for serious thinking. It serves too often to obscure rather than to explain….

…. THE FIRST, A PARTICULAR OBAMA SPECIALTY, IS THE “FALSE” FALSE CHOICE. Set up two unacceptable extremes that no one is seriously advocating and position yourself as the champion of the reasonable middle ground between these unidentified straw men.

Thus, Obama on health care, stretching back to the presidential campaign: “I REJECT THE TIRED OLD DEBATE THAT SAYS WE HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO EXTREMES: GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE WITH HIGHER TAXES — OR INSURANCE COMPANIES WITHOUT RULES DENYING PEOPLE COVERAGE,” he said in 2008. “That’s a false choice.” IT’S ALSO A CHOICE THAT NO ONE — CERTAINLY NO OTHER POLITICIAN — WAS PROPOSING.

Or Obama on financial reform: “WE NEED NOT CHOOSE BETWEEN A CHAOTIC AND UNFORGIVING CAPITALISM AND AN OPPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT-RUN ECONOMY. That is a false choice that will not serve our people or any people.” Again, please find me the advocate of either extreme….

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/presidential-myth-the-false-choice/2011/03/31/AFvoZRBC_story.html?hpid=z5

As long as this is simply a rhetorical device, President Obama’s uses, it is of little consequences. What is of concern is whether or not he actually believes this himself.

Krauthammer’s Take: Obama on Energy

From Wednesday night’s Fox News All-Stars.

On President Obama’s speech on energy policy:

"You’ll notice he picked an odd number as his starting point as a way to measure the one-third reduction. He said ‘WHEN I WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE,’ AND YOU ASK YOURSELF, WELL, WHY WOULD HE PICK THAT NUMBER INSTEAD OF TODAY’S? It’s because on the day he was sworn into office we imported 11 million barrels a day. Well, because of recession and other causes it’s now 9.7 [million]. SO WE’RE A THIRD OF THE WAY TO HIS GOAL AS OF TODAY WITHOUT HIM HAVING LIFTED A FINGER."

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/263608/krauthammers-take-nro-staff


So Obama takes credit for the recession when it’s in his interest to do so, but blames Bush for the bad parts. I guess he really is just another politician.



Obama would ignore Congress if they tried to curtail Libya actions

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), who asked Clinton about the War Powers Act during a classified briefing, SAID CLINTON AND THE ADMINISTRATION ARE SIDESTEPPING THE MEASURE’S PROVISIONS GIVING CONGRESS THE ABILITY TO PUT A 60-DAY TIME LIMIT ON ANY MILITARY ACTION.

“They are not committed to following the important part of the War Powers Act,” he told TPM in a phone interview. “SHE SAID THEY ARE CERTAINLY WILLING TO SEND REPORTS [TO US] AND IF THEY ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE, THEY’LL SEND THAT TO US TOO.”

THE WHITE HOUSE WOULD FORGE AHEAD WITH MILITARY ACTION IN LIBYA EVEN IF CONGRESS PASSED A RESOLUTION CONSTRAINING THE MISSION, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a classified briefing to House members Wednesday afternoon.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/263582/clinton-congress-obama-would-ignore-war-resolutions-daniel-foster


They told me if I voted for McCain, the government would end up in military adventures where they would ignore the Constitution and the congress if they wanted to limited them—and they were right.



Just Say No

This oral testimony (around 25 minutes) by ARNOLD KLING, A FORMER FREDDIE MAC ECONOMIST AND NOW MY COLLEAGUE AT THE MERCATUS CENTER, IS A MUST-WATCH. Speaking before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, he urged Congress to “just say no,” to more government involvement in the housing market.

ANY SCHEME TO BRING A GOVERNMENT GUARANTEE IS COMPARABLE TO BUILDING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ON TOP OF A FAULT LINE.

The best part is when Kling explains that “IT WOULD BE NAÏVE TO THINK THE PRIVATE SECTOR ALWAYS GETS THINGS RIGHT. BUT EVEN MORE NAÏVE TO THINK GOVERNMENT COULD GET IT RIGHT. THE GOVERNMENT IS CAPTURED BY SPECIAL INTERESTS.” As evidence, he points to the other witnesses on the panel: Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, and Michael Berman, chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Both institutions would benefit from a government guarantee on mortgage-backed securitizations, which is one option under consideration. The chairman was obviously upset with Kling, but I thought it was priceless.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/263574/just-say-no-veronique-de-rugy


How true this is. Special interests are always trying to get government to do their bidding. Government is neither efficient nor effective, it is political.



USAID Official claims Republicans budget cuts will kill 70,000 Kids

House Republicans offered delayed outrage to President Obama's point man on U.S. development and humanitarian missions, who testified before Congress this week that A BUDGET PLAN HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASSED LAST MONTH WOULD LEAD TO 70,000 KIDS DYING.


USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah told the House Appropriations State and Foreign Ops subcommittee on Wednesday that the budget plan, which would cut $61 billion in federal spending, would lead to the deaths of 30,000 kids in a malaria control program that would have to be scaled back, 24,000 from a lack of immunizations and 16,000 from a lack of skilled attendants at birth.

"There's a way to do this that does not have to cost lives and we're very focused and very much want to work with the committee to identify a path forward that can allow us to be effective at doing so," he said. SHAH IS SEEKING $59.5 BILLION IN FUNDING FOR HIS AGENCY, UP 22 PERCENT, OR $10.7 BILLION, FROM THE CURRENT LEVEL.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/01/obama-official-gop-budget-kill-70000-kids/


Here is someone who obviously believes the best defense is a good offense. In the current budget situation he is asking for a 22% increase!!! Looking at history, the USAID budget in 2006 was $20.7 billion which increased 25% over the previous six years. If USAID were granted what they asked for here, that would amount to a 187% increase over the last six years. When the Democrats tell you about dire consequences in cutting the budget, understand they are not telling you the truth.

Energy, Libya, and the real world

Awash in energy yet we won’t use it

AMERICA’S COMBINED ENERGY RESOURCES ARE, ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE (CSR), THE LARGEST ON EARTH. They eclipse Saudi Arabia (3rd), China (4th) and Canada (6th) combined – and that’s WITHOUT INCLUDING AMERICA’S SHALE OIL DEPOSITS and, in the future, the potentially astronomic impact of methane hydrates….

…The CRS estimates US RECOVERABLE COAL RESERVES AT AROUND 262 BILLION TONS (not including further massive, difficult to access, Alaskan reserves). Given the US consumes around 1.2 billion tons a year, that’s A COUPLE OF CENTURIES OF COAL USE, at least….

…. In 2009 the CRS upped its 2006 estimate of America’s enormous natural gas deposits by 25 percent to around 2,047 trillion cubic feet, a conservative figure given the expanding shale gas revolution. AT CURRENT RATES OF USE THAT’S ENOUGH FOR AROUND 100 YEARS. Then there is still the, as yet largely publicly untold, story of methane hydrates to consider, a resource which the CRS reports alludes to as “immense…possibly exceeding the combined energy content of all other known fossil fuels….”

…. While the US is often depicted as having only a tiny minority of the world’s oil reserves at around 28 billion barrels (based on the somewhat misleading figure of ‘proven reserves’) ACCORDING TO THE CRS IN REALITY IT HAS AROUND 163 BILLION BARRELS. As Inhofe’s EPW press release comments, “THAT’S ENOUGH OIL TO MAINTAIN AMERICA’S CURRENT RATES OF PRODUCTION AND REPLACE IMPORTS FROM THE PERSIAN GULF FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS….”

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/03/26/us-most-energy-resources-in-the-world-and-most-incoherent-energy-policy/

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=04212e22-c1b3-41f2-b0ba-0da5eaead952


Next time someone talks about “peak” oil or how we are running out of fossil fuels, remember what you’ve read here. America is the most energy independent country on earth, if only the left would let us exploit it.



Obama’s Energy Policies and George Soros

ARE BARACK OBAMA'S ENERGY POLICIES INFLUENCED BY HEDGE FUND BILLIONAIRE AND POLITICAL PATRON, GEORGE SOROS?

Abby Wisse Schacter, in the New York Post, notes that the OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS CLAMPING DOWN ON OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT IN AMERICA (BOTH ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE) but is hell-bent on helping other nation's tap their resources and points out that such help is being showered specifically in New Guinea, of all places.

IT IS STARTING TO LOOK OBVIOUS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T WANT OIL EXPLORATION AND EXTRACTION AT HOME WHILE IT IS PROMOTING THE SAME EXPLORATION AND EXTRACTION ELSEWHERE -- specifically Brazil and New Guinea. "The Bureau of Ocean Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has assigned only six drilling engineers to process all permit applications pending in the Gulf of Mexico. While Michael Bromwich bemoans a lack of the staff necessary to speed up the process, he's sending his staffers to Papua New Guinea to advise its officials on ways to develop the country's offshore drilling infrastructure. A significant portion of the agency's budget is covered by fees, royalties, taxes, and rents from energy production, so curtailing drilling closes off cash flow too.

Others have commented on Obama's generosity regarding Brazil's oil wealth and how those actions might help George Soros.

BUT FOCUS SHOULD NOW TURN TOWARDS THE EXOTIC LAND OF NEW GUINEA…

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

This dovetails nicely with the story right before it. We need to be exploiting our own energy reserves.



How Long Will U.S. Forces be Involved in Libya? White House Says Nobody Knows

The United States has been at war in Afghanistan for almost ten years, at war in Iraq for almost eight years and AT WAR IN LIBYA FOR NINE DAYS.

On “This Week,” ABC News’ Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper asked Secretary of Defense Gates HOW MUCH LONGER WE MIGHT BE THERE.

“Some NATO officials say this could be three months, but people in the Pentagon think it could be far longer than that. Do you think we'll be gone by the end of the year? Will the mission be over by the end of the year?” Tapper asked

“I DON'T THINK ANYBODY KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THAT,” GATES SAID.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/03/how-long-will-us-forces-be-involved-in-libya-white-house-says-nobody-knows.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Honest answers are hard to come by because they can be so unsatisfying.



Is NPR unbiased?

....ADVOCACY BEGINS WITH THE CHOICE OF STORIES TO COVER. When you cover the "controversial" Arizona immigration law with great attention and give very little attention to stories that reflect badly on immigrants, you exhibit bias even though no clear advocacy has been shown. OF COURSE, THE MEDIA WILL ARGUE THAT THEY COVER THE "NEWSWORTHY" STORIES. THIS IS CONVENIENT COVER WHEN YOU GET TO DECIDE YOURSELF WHAT IS AND ISN'T NEWSWORTHY.

Advocacy continues with the sources used in covering a story. YOU CAN STACK THE DECK BY CITING ONLY SOURCES THAT AGREE WITH YOUR POSITION. That level of bias is rather obvious and, frankly, not NPR's modus operandi. NPR tends to be quite scrupulous in including multiple sides of a story. When they run a story on gay marriage, for example, they will typically interview both advocates and strong opponents of the practice. At times they will tilt in one direction on their source list, but other times they will tilt in the other direction. Does this mean that NPR does not use a source list to advocate? Not so fast.

HOW MUCH DOES EACH SOURCE GET TO SAY? WHAT MATTERS IS EACH SOURCE ASKED TO SPEAK UPON? IN WHAT ORDER ARE THE SOURCES CITED? Is the source heard in his or her own voice, quoted in the reporter's voice, or paraphrased? All of these are questions that demonstrate ways to inject the "objective" reporter's position into the story. Several years ago, FAIR did a source-counting report in which they proclaimed NPR's news to be largely unbiased. Such a simplistic view of communication either reflects poorly on FAIR's abilities or their honesty.

SELECTION, EDITING, AND REPORTER TRANSITIONS PROVIDE A POINT FOR ADVOCACY TO ENTER A STORY. Without seeing the entire available information from which a reporter assembled a story, we cannot make a firm claim of fairness or bias, but neither can Bill Moyers.

ONE ADDITIONAL ENTRANCE OF ADVOCACY COMES IN THE QUESTIONS ASKED OF SOURCES….

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

A good evaluation of NPR and how bias can get into news stories. In fact, the major problem the left has with Fox News is their choice of stories.  Fox covers something the left would rather they not and force the other news sources to cover it as well.



Transparency?

Ahead of a congressional hearing this week on whether senior political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security have blocked the release of some documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act, A SERIES OF NEWLY UNCENSORED EMAILS INDICATE THAT SOME STAFFERS COMPLAINED FOR MONTHS OF INTERNAL "MEDDLING" BY OBAMA-APPOINTED OFFICIALS.

Obtained by The Associated Press under a FOIA request, THE EMAILS DESCRIBE "CRAZY" AND "BANANAS!" POLITICAL REVIEWS OF DOCUMENT REQUESTS, AND "CONSTANT STONEWALLING" AS FILES WENT TO HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JANET NAPOLITANO'S POLITICAL STAFF AS PART OF THE PRE-RELEASE VETTING process.

President Barack Obama has said that federal workers should "act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation" to fulfill FOIA requests, and Attorney General Eric Holder has stressed that "unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles have no place in the new era of open government." But critics say that the administration has been bogged down by political interests in fulfilling document requests from journalists, watchdog groups and ordinary citizens.

In one recent instance cited by the AP…..

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/52033.html#ixzz1HtlvD3jB

So much for the most Transparent Government in history…



Transparency (part 2)?

The Obama administration failed to set up an "effective" communications system during last year's BP oil spill and THREATENED ITS OWN CREDIBILITY BY "SEVERELY RESTRICTING" THE RELEASE OF "TIMELY, ACCURATE INFORMATION," ACCORDING TO A NEWLY RELEASED REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE U.S. COAST GUARD.

Quietly posted on the Coast Guard's website two weeks ago, the report offers the first major assessment of the federal government's communications efforts during the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

"Several layers of review and approval by the White House and (Department of Homeland Security) prevented timely and effective crisis communications and HINDERED THE COAST GUARD'S ABILITY TO ... (KEEP) STAKEHOLDERS INFORMED ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE RESPONSE," THE REPORT READS, adding that "accurate and timely messaging from the response organization improves transparency with the public."

Information centers in Houma, La., and Mobile, Ala. -- established by the Coast Guard in accordance with pre-set plans for major disasters -- WERE "EFFECTIVELY MUTED," THE REPORT READS….

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/28/slowing-bp-oil-spill-administration-slowed-flow-information-claims-coast-guard/

Rather than one of the most Transparent Government in history, it appears this is one of the least transparent governments in recent years.



Senate Dems, White House to offer $20B more in cuts; tensions rise

Senate Democrats and the White House on Monday were working to finalize a new counteroffer to the GOP on 2011 spending cuts.

The counteroffer would cut an additional $20 billion from 2011 spending on top of the $10 billion already cut by two short-term continuing resolutions enacted this month, sources close to the talks said.

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/152131-senate-dems-white-house-to-offer-20b-in-spending-cuts


Considering this is .45% of the budget this isn’t much of an offer. If you are spending $50,000 per year and you are borrowing $16,000 of that amount and the bank told you that you have to cut your spending, this is the equivalent of offering to cut your spending by $222 per year. That probably wouldn’t impress your banker.

Who damaged the environment the most in human history?

Here’s a funny look at this question.

http://www.professorbainbridge.com/professorbainbridgecom/2011/03/the-worlds-worst-environmental-villan.html

Everything new is old again

Hoyer Says Federal Budget May Not Be Balanced for 20 Years

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Tuesday that it may take as many as 20 years to balance the federal budget after years of deficit spending in Washington.






At Hoyer's weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill, CNSNews.com noted that PRESIDENT OBAMA'S LATEST BUDGET PROPOSAL DOES NOT BALANCE AT ANY TIME IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS and asked Hoyer, "Do you plan on introducing anything that balances within that 10-year timeframe, or is that possible?"






“I DON’T THINK YOU CAN GET THERE IN TEN YEARS. I think it’s going to take a longer time [because] we’ve dug such a deep hole. We turned a $5.6 trillion [projected] surplus into $5 trillion in additional debt.”.....

The Democrats aren’t serious and shouldn’t be taken seriously.




Where do the Democrats stand on Deficit Reduction

With that in mind, here’s a look at where Democrats stand heading into these votes.

INTRANSIGENT LEADERSHIP:

• Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), the No. 2 Democrat, thinks anything more than the Democrats’ $6.5 billion in cuts over seven months would be literally impossible. “I THINK WE’VE PUSHED THIS TO THE LIMIT” he said on Fox News Sunday. “I’m willing to see more deficit reduction, but not out of domestic discretionary spending.”

• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.), as you may recall, BERATED THE GOP’S INITIAL PLAN TO CUT JUST $32 BILLION OVER THE SAME PERIOD — roughly half way between where the two sides are currently — AS “DRACONIAN” AND A “NON-STARTER.”

Tax more, spend more:

• SEN. FRANK LAUTENBERG (D., N.J.) told reporters last week that Senate Democrats were “close to believing” that they had a plan for further spending cuts. Oh, but he did have one idea: “SHOW ME THE MONEY, SHOW ME THE REVENUE!”

• Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) concurred: “I’m greatly disappointed so far in what [the White House has] been advocating, which is basically sort of buying into ‘we’ve got to cut everything out of discretionary.’ The White House is wrong on that… TO TAKE REVENUES OFF THE TABLE IS UNACCEPTABLE.”

• House Minority Leader NANCY PELOSI (D., CALIF) HAS AN EQUALLY INGENIOUS PLAN TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT — KEEP ON SPENDING: “NOTHING BRINGS MORE TO THE TREASURY THAN INVESTING IN EDUCATION,” SHE TOLD REPORTERS LAST WEEK.

 http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261540/where-do-democrats-stand-budget-andrew-stiles

A recent poll showed that 95% of Americans think something needs to be done about the deficit. It appears the other five percent are elected Democrat officials and their families.


Here’s more


Budget Votes on Hold

BREAKING: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) has accused Senate Republicans of reneging on an agreement made during last week’s meeting with Vice President Joe Biden to HOLD VOTES TODAY ON TWO COMPETING SPENDING PROPOSALS — THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLAN ($61 BILLION IN SPENDING CUTS) AND THE SENATE DEMOCRATIC ($4.7 BILLION).

“There’s no question that was the agreement made,” Reid said on the Senate floor. “I’m disappointed now that Republicans refuse to keep their word.”

REID ARGUED THAT SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE AFRAID TO VOTE ON THE HOUSE PLAN (H.R. 1) — he called it the “Tea Party plan” — because they have finally realized how “reckless” and “irresponsible” it is.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261588/budget-votes-hold-andrew-stiles

Actually if I were a democrat I would be embarrassed to vote for a plan that decreases the deficit by 4.7 Billion out of a $1.65 Trillion deficit. The Republican plan decreases spending by 1.7% while the democrat plan decreases it by .13%. That’s not even a rounding error.

Freshman Democrat Joe Manchin: Obama has 'failed to lead' on budget

WEST VIRGINIA SEN. JOE MANCHIN RIPPED PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON HIS BUDGET PROPOSALS IN A SENATE FLOOR SPEECH TUESDAY, a rare rebuke from a freshman Democrat who clearly is worried about the politics of deficit spending as he faces a tough reelection in 2012.

MANCHIN CHARGED THE PRESIDENT WITH FAILING TO LEAD THE WAY IN REDUCING SPENDING, while also criticizing Republicans for offering “partisan” and “unrealistic” budget proposals.

Why are we doing all this when the most powerful person in these negotiations — our president — has failed to lead this debate or offer a serious proposal for spending and cuts that he would be willing to fight for?”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50857.html#ixzz1G2511OfB

This is a bit early, but expect a lot more of it from Democrats. A year from now I’ll rerun the article about the Democrats offering 4.7 billion in cuts with anything more being described as Draconian and well see what’s going on then.




NPR and the TEA Party
http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/08/npr-executives-caught-on-tape-bashing-conservatives-and-tea-party-touting-liberals/#ixzz1G1Fiog6l

 It's interesting to see what people really say when they don't think anyone to hear it.  And it is interesting that they don't have problems with a Muslim group that is obviously anti-Semitic. 
 
Running on the Race Track

….This in a way disturbs me about Barack Obama more than anything else. WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT A NEW BREED OF POLITICIAN HE IS THAT IT DRIVES HOME THE REALITY OF HIS DREARY OLDNESS. Beneath the dashing façade, the insouciant wink, the casual wave, beats the heart of the dreariest old political hack imaginable. HE IS A CARD-CARRYING MEMBER OF THE CLICHÉ CLIQUE, the bromide brigade, the platitude attitude and the banal cabal. Uggh!

Case in point, his latest contribution to the national conversation, quoted in a new book by Kenneth Walsh. OBAMA SAYS THAT THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT IS INSPIRED BY RACE, by a sense that minorities are getting all these goodies from Washington. They are motivated, the President thinks, by "a subterranean agenda."

This is such a piece of hackery and flackery, of puffery and guffery, of foolery and fakery. POLITICS AT ITS RANKEST MASQUERADING AS ANALYSIS AT ITS FRANKEST. There is so much dirty laundry being aired here that I simply had to make a list. Every trick in the old, old playbook is on display…..

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/03/07/running-on-the-race-track


In fact, what the left accuses the TEA Party of is exactly the behavior they are engaged in. They are denigrating the TEA Party based on their prejudice rather than any substantive proof. I believe the term is projection.


The most transparent Administration in history

The Obama administration, which famously pledged to be the most transparent in American history, is pursuing AN UNEXPECTEDLY AGGRESSIVE LEGAL OFFENSIVE AGAINST FEDERAL WORKERS who leak secret information to expose wrongdoing, highlight national security threats or pursue a personal agenda.

IN JUST OVER TWO YEARS SINCE PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TOOK OFFICE, PROSECUTORS HAVE FILED CRIMINAL CHARGES IN FIVE SEPARATE CASES involving unauthorized distribution of classified national security information to the media. And the government is now mulling what would be the most high-profile case of them all - prosecuting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
That’s a sharp break from recent history, when the U.S. government BROUGHT SUCH CASES ON THREE OCCASIONS IN ROUGHLY 40 YEARS

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50761.html#ixzz1FweICczt


They told me if I voted for John McCain, the government would go overboard trying to silence national security leaks, and they were right!



THE HILL POLL: US future depends on cutting debt, voters say

LIKELY VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY BELIEVE DEFICIT REDUCTION IS CRUCIAL TO AMERICA’S FUTURE, BUT GENERALLY OPPOSE RAISING REVENUE THROUGH TAX REFORM TO CUT THOSE DEFICITS, a new poll conducted for The Hill found.

A FULL 95 PERCENT OF LIKELY VOTERS BELIEVE THAT LOWERING THE DEBT IS EITHER VERY OR SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT, the poll found, with only 2 percent finding the issue not at all or not very important.

Not surprisingly, respondents had a more nuanced take on tax reform, with LIKELY VOTERS SAYING THEY PREFER SPENDING CUTS TO TAX INCREASES TO SHOULDER THE BRUNT OF LOWERING THE COUNTRY’S DEBT.

Still, a plurality endorsed the general idea of lowering tax rates while eliminating many tax credits and deductions. Respondents were split, however, on whether they would be willing to give up their long-held deduction for mortgage interest, a tax expenditure that has received backing of powerful supporters like President Reagan during past pushes to overhaul the tax code

http://thehill.com/polls/147727-the-hill-poll-voters-say-us-future-depends-on-cutting-debt


This is not the survey the Democrats wanted to see. The Democrats were hoping to increase spending and have the voters get used to the services and then raise their taxes to pay for it. They increased spending but the TEA Party was not fooled and started to march against the spending right away. And the Democrats increase the spending too fast and now they have an electorate who is angry and not in the mood to increase taxes.



The Truth About Wisconsin

The fundamental issue in Wisconsin -- and states considering similar budget cuts -- is not whether government employees should contribute more (in Wisconsin's case, more being merely something) to their health or pension plans -- though that is important. Rather, it is whether workers should have the right to say no.

If passed, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's emergency budget will allow workers to opt out of joining a union and still keep their jobs. It would allow workers to vote every year on whether they want to keep their union. And it would take away the unions' ability to automatically deduct dues from workers' paychecks. All of these threaten organized labor's power by giving workers more choice.

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/03/08/the-truth-about-wisconsin


Libs tend to be for choice except if it means school choice, union choice, or even what kind of a toilet you can have in your home. Then choice is a bad thing.



The Falmouth Experience: Life Under The Blades

Standing on his home’s porch, Neil Anderson points through the thicket of trees in his front yard and across Blacksmith Shop Road towards one of his closest neighbors: A wind turbine.

“RIGHT NOW WE ARE 1,320 FEET, WHICH IS ONE-QUARTER MILE SOUTH OF WIND ONE, WHICH IS FALMOUTH’S FIRST WIND TURBINE. IT’S BEEN ONLINE SINCE APRIL. AND WE’VE BEEN TRYING TO GET IT STOPPED SINCE APRIL,” Anderson says....

....“IT IS DANGEROUS. HEADACHES. LOSS OF SLEEP. AND THE RINGING IN MY EARS NEVER GOES AWAY. I COULD LOOK AT IT ALL DAY, AND IT DOES NOT BOTHER ME. IT’S QUITE MAJESTIC — BUT IT’S WAY TOO CLOSE,” Anderson said.....

....One looming concern of neighbors is a second turbine, one of the same size and make that has gone up not far from the first. Falmouth’s Wind Two is scheduled to be turned on sometime this spring.

http://climatide.wgbh.org/2011/03/the-falmouth-experience-life-under-the-blades/

This is the future liberal dream of FOR US.

A man who appears to be a National Public Radio senior executive, RON SCHILLER, has been captured on camera savaging conservatives and the Tea Party movement.

“The current Republican Party, particularly the Tea Party, is FANATICALLY INVOLVED  in people’s personal lives and very fundamental Christian – I wouldn’t even call it Christian. It’s this weird evangelical kind of move,” declared Schiller, who runs NPR’s foundation.

 In a new video released Tuesday morning by conservative filmmaker James O’Keefe, Schiller and Betsy Liley, NPR’s director of institutional giving, are seen meeting with two men who, unbeknownst to the NPR executives, are POSING AS MEMBERS OF A MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD FRONT GROUP. The men, who identified themselves as Ibrahim Kasaam and Amir Malik from the fictitious Muslim Education Action Center (MEAC) Trust, met with Schiller and Liley at Café Milano, a well-known Georgetown restaurant, and explained their desire to give up to $5 million to NPR because, “the Zionist coverage is quite substantial elsewhere.”


On the tapes, SCHILLER WASTES LITTLE TIME BEFORE ATTACKING CONSERVATIVES. The Republican Party, Schiller says, has been “hijacked by this group.” The man posing as Malik finishes the sentence by adding, “the radical, racist, Islamaphobic, Tea Party people.” Schiller agrees and intensifies the criticism, saying that the Tea Party people aren’t “just Islamaphobic, but really xenophobic, I mean basically they are, they believe in sort of white, middle-America gun-toting. I mean, it’s scary.  THEY'RE SERIOUSLY RACIST, RACIST PEOPLE."

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/hoyer-says-federal-budget-may-not-be-bal