Brandon

Saturday, January 31, 2009

A Mark Steyn Masterpiece on The Stimulus Bill


Graphic hat tip to Aye Chihuahua.

"In the Western world, countries that were once the crucible of freedom are slipping remorselessly into a thinly disguised serfdom in which an ever higher proportion of your assets are annexed by the state as superlandlord. Big government is where nations go to die."

Another stunningly brilliant column. You'll want to read it all. Here are some teasers:

Stimulated right into being another Europe
Plan also could trigger protectionist backlash, just like during the Depression.
By Mark Steyn
OC Register
January 30, 2009

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, is on TV explaining the (at this point the congregation shall fall to its knees and prostrate itself) "stimulus." "How," asks the lady from CBS, "does $335 million in STD prevention stimulate the economy?"

"I'll tell you how," says Speaker Pelosi. "I'm a big believer in prevention. And we have, er… there is a part of the bill on the House side that is about prevention. It's about it being less expensive to the states to do these measures."

Makes a lot of sense. If we have more STD prevention, it will be safer for loose women to go into bars and pick up feckless men, thus stimulating the critical beer and nuts and jukebox industries. To do this, we need trillion-dollar deficits, which our children and grandchildren will have to pay off, but, with sufficient investment in prevention measures, there won't be any children or grandchildren, so there's that problem solved.

The more interviews Speaker Pelosi gives explaining how vital the STD industry is to restarting the U.S. economy, the more I find myself hearing "syphilis" every time she says "stimulus." In late September, America was showing the first signs of "primary stimulus" – a few billion lesions popping up on the rarely glimpsed naughty bits of the economy: the subprime mortgage racket, the leverage kings. Now, the condition has metastasized in a mere four months into the advanced stages of "tertiary stimulus," with trillions of hideous, ever more inflamed pustules sprouting in every nook and cranny as the central nervous system of the body politic crumbles into total insanity
...
The rules in this new "post-partisan" era are pretty simple: If the Democratic Party wants it, it's "stimulus." If the Republican Party opposes it, it's "politics" – as in headlines like this: "Obama Urges GOP To Keep Politics To A Minimum On Stimulus." These are serious times: As the president says, it's the worst economic crisis since the Thirties. So politicians need to put politics behind them and immediately lavish $4.19 billion on his community-organizing pals at the highly inventive "voter registration" group ACORN for "neighborhood stabilization activities."
...
"Stimulus" comes from the verb "stimulare," which is Latin for "transfer massive sums of money from what remains of the dynamic sector of the economy to the special interests of the Democratic Party."
...
it seems clear that large numbers of people voted for this president because they wanted something different, something other than "politics as usual." Not just something pseudo-different like the dreary maverickiness of John McCain "reaching across the aisle" (one of those dead phrases no one outside the Beltway gives a hoot about), but something really different. But the "stimulus" package is just politics as usual with a few extra zeros on the end. Will you notice anything? No. Don't get your hopes up. If you're broke now, you'll be broke in October. The Congressional Budget Office estimates only 25 percent of it will be spent by early next year. The other 75 percent is as stimulating as the gal in the Nancy Pelosi Pussycat Lounge telling you she had such a good time she's penciled in a second date for spring 2010. A third of all the spending won't come until after 2011.

Tom Daschle: Another Obama Cabinet Nominee Caught Cheating on His Taxes


Will Senate Dems call this one another "honest mistake" as they did with Treasury Sec. Geithner?

There's an old saying that goes something like this: Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking. It's impossible to attribute that to a single individual since any search of quotes on character turns up so many variants.

The sentiment expressed makes so much common sense that it almost seems universal. Universal to all but perhaps a handful of Democrats who feel entitled to flaunt the law and only make it right when they are caught and it's necessary to make restitution to gain office.

No Republican would ever be permitted the same leeway.

First there was Charlie Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee that writes the tax laws. Rangel didn't pay tax on income from his vacation rental property and laughingly claimed he "didn't know" he had to.

Then there was Treasury Secretary Geithner who only paid nearly $43,000 in back taxes when his nomination for the cabinet post was in the bag. Democrats rushed to his defense calling it an "honest mistake."

Daschle's "Honest Mistake"
Daschle Pays $100k in Back Taxes Over Car Travel
By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post
January 30, 2009

Former senator Thomas A. Daschle, nominated to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, paid more than $100,000 in back taxes and interest this month for the use of a car and driver over the past three years, the White House said tonight.

Daschle spokeswoman Jenny Backus said that Daschle "naively" believed the car service was a "generous offer from a friend," and he discovered only last summer that it is considered reportable income.

Daschle brought the matter to the attention of the Senate Finance Committee "when he submitted his nomination forms," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in an e-mailed statement tonight. "We are confident the committee is going to schedule a hearing for him very soon and he will be confirmed."

The committee plans to meet privately with Daschle on Monday evening to review his financial records.
...
Tax laws required Daschle to declare the services on his income taxes, but Daschle did not correct the violation until during his vetting to head HHS. In amending his tax returns for 2005 through 2007, he paid $101,943 in back taxes plus interest, ABC reported.

Last year, Daschle was paid more than $2 million in salary from Hindery's firm, in addition to the $2 million he earned as a senior adviser at the law firm of Alston and Bird.

Are Democrats unpatriotic?

Paid a $2 million salary and a car and driver to boot and the man stiffs Uncle Sam? Remember when V.P. candidate Joe Biden said: it was "patriotic" to pay higher taxes and insisted Democrats "Want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class?"

Are Tom Daschle, Secretary Geithner and Charlie Rangel trying to steal money from the middle class?

Right on cue Democrats are once again circling the wagons, this time around Daschle whose spokesman insisted the former Senate Majority Leader "naively" believed the car service was a "generous offer from a friend." "The president has confidence that Sen. Daschle is the right person to lead the fight for health care reform," White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said. Another official likened the situation to "bumps along the road but they handle it.”

Either Pay Your Taxes or Join the Obama Cabinet!

Leonna Helmsley (photo right), the New York Real Estate tycoon's widow who said "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes", went to jail after it was discovered she used corporate assets to remodel her home.

Had Helmsley been nominated to be in a Democrat cabinet she'd have been celebrated by Democrats instead of prosecuted.

Will we ever have meaningful ethics reform in Washington if one party continues to excuse it's members from the same rules imposed on the rest of us?

Friday, January 30, 2009

Strippers and Sewage Sludge Scandal in Detroit Implicates Wife of Dem Chairman of House Judiciary Committee

More Pay for Play the Democrat Way!

And you thought Democrat politics in Illinois was stinky and sleazy? Well, move over Blagojevitch. Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers, wife of House Judiciary Committee John Conyers (DEMOCRAT-MI) (famous for accusing Republicans of wrongdoing), is in hot water...
Detroit News: A lawyer for a strip club official says his client told a federal grand jury Wednesday that a top aide to then-City Councilwoman Monica Conyers offered to deliver her vote on a permit transfer for $25,000.

The onetime aide, Sam Riddle, denies the claims, which came the same day he held a news conference denying he accepted or delivered bribes in connection with the multimillion-dollar Synagro sludge deal.

Jim St. John, CEO of Deja Vu Consulting, alleged he and a colleague met with Riddle in a Dearborn restaurant in November 2006, days before the City Council was to vote on the Zoo Bar's bid to transfer a topless permit, St. John's attorney Brad Shafer told The News on Wednesday.

"At some point in the conversation, Sam Riddle indicated for $25,000 he could, or we could get, Monica Conyers' vote," said Shafer, adding his clients refused to pay.

The testimony comes two days after a Synagro Technologies vice president pleaded guilty to bribing city officials and demonstrates the grand jury investigation of City Hall continues to expand. City business under federal investigation includes the Synagro sludge contract, contracts at Cobo Center, the Asian Village development, other pay-to-play accusations and jobs handled by Bobby Ferguson, a Detroit contractor and friend of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
...
Conyers, who sources have said is under federal investigation in connection with the Synagro contract, closely matches the description of "City Council Member A," detailed in documents filed Monday when former Synagro Michigan Vice President James R. Rosendall pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy charge.

The Synagro contract was approved by a 5-4 vote in November 2007 after Conyers switched her position from opposing the contract to supporting it. Conyers has denied any wrongdoing
Congressman Conyers has had his own ethical problems. Accusations that he used his congressional staff for illegal campaign related work and to perform personal services like babysitting was "business as usual" according to one former aide.

Worse still, Conyers staff was accused of stealing the Thanksgiving turkeys a Detroit food bank donated to feed the poor. Instead they gave them to friends and political cronies. 60 families went without their Thanksgiving turkey because Conyer's staff cared more about rewarding friends than helping the poor.

Is this more proof of the REAL culture of corruption or will Democrats use the latest excuse: "It's just a mistake" to smooth this one over too?

Michael Steele Elected Chairman of the GOP

Will the same "news" media types who cooed about the first black president have the same affection for this good man?

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Michael Steele speaks after being elected Republican National Committee chairman in Washington January 30, 2009. The Republican Party picked its first black chairman on Friday as it elected former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Steele to rebuild the party after a string of devastating defeats.



"We stand proud as the conservative party of the United States."

Once called an "Oreo cookie" by racists in the Democrat Party and a man who had his credit report illegally rifled through by attack yorkies working for Senator Charles Schumer (DEMOCRAT-NY) he's a man whose sense of humor and his clear headed common sense are just the thing the GOP needs to help lead us back to VICTORY as Americans wake up from their Obama-Pelosi-Reid hangover.

He's the right man for the job at the right time!

Bush Gets Wild Standing Ovation in First Public Appearance Since Coming Home to Texas

Obama's been in office little more than a week and already people miss Bush!

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Former President George W. Bush, wife attend Baylor women's basketball game
By CHUCK CARLTON
The Dallas Morning News
January 28, 2009

A big women's basketball game between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 4 Baylor just gained added prestige.

Former President George W. Bush and wife Laura attended Wednesday's game. The two entered several minutes before the opening tip, flanking Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey, and received a prolonged standing ovation from the fans at the Ferrell Center. The group was engulfed by photographers and camera crews at the Oklahoma bench.

Another round of applause followed during the initial TV timeout at 15:57 of the first half, when the 43rd president was introduced again.

Bush maintains a ranch in nearby Crawford and plans to relocate to a home in Dallas soon.
...
Bush provided the Baylor women's basketball team with a pep talk before the game.

"I told them that every moment in life is precious and this is a big moment for them," Bush told pool reporter Chad Conine of the Waco Tribune-Herald . "There's no question in my mind they'll give it their all and I wish them all the best."

Thursday, January 29, 2009

A History of the Great Global Warming Scam

Just how did the CO2 scam start? Follow the money and one-world politics to find the answer!

John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, and a weatherman for over 50 years, presents a compelling step by step history of the global warming scam.

It starts with concern over automobile pollution in the 1950's. But as that problem was solved with technology, the environmentalists needed a new crisis to ensure their continued funding. Yet to be proven theories over the effect of small increases of CO2 in the atmosphere was their answer.

But it wasn't until a United Nations bureaucrat intent on developing one world government latched onto the idea of using these unproven theories to scare western nations into taxing their carbon output that the scam/scare went bigtime.

Coleman suggests that there is hope at the end of this rainbow of woe and deception. Shortly before his death, Roger Revelle, the "grandfather" of global warming and the man who originally inspired Al Gore, began expressing profound doubts about the science that lies at the heart of the alarmist/one worlders/carbon taxers claims. The time period Revelle insisted was necessary to prove or disprove the theories has come to a close and the evidence is indicating he was right and there is no problem with CO2.

The unanswered question now is how many years will it take before the global warming zealots admit they were wrong?

Don't hold your breath... doing so will build up too much CO2 in your blood and that's one accumulation of CO2 you don't need.

Read Coleman's history here.

Obama Turning up Oval Office Thermostat a Sign that Global Warming Not a Serious Concern?

Or this another case of do as I say, not as I do?

Obama and Co. demonstrate the new White House informality in Oval Office meeting!

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(L to R) Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. President Barack Obama, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and National Economic Director Lawrence Summers meet to discuss the economy in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on January 22, 2009. (UPI Photo/Pete Souza/White House Press Office)

Forget for a moment what a contrast Obama and these men in shirt sleeves in the Oval Office make with the Bush and Reagan years when a certain reverence for the Oval Office meant formal attire was required. It's the reason the men need to strip off their coats that intrigues me:

White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
New York Times
January 28, 2009

WASHINGTON — The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket. There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat.

“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.?” said Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, who occupies the small but strategically located office next door to his boss. “He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.
This from a man who said:

“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK,” Obama said.

“That’s not leadership. That’s not going to happen,” he added.
Obama may need to ride in carbon belching armored cars and fly around on a 747 for security reasons. But there's no security requirement for the thermostat in the oval office to be set to replicate a green house.

Just another example of the personal leadership Obama demonstrates on environmental issues. Rules are meant to be followed by the little people. Not him. Is that leadership?

Democrat Vote Buying "Stimulus" Bill to Give Tax "Credits" to Illegal Aliens?

No requirement for a valid Social Security number. Why not save postage and just send them a certificate of citizenship and a voter registration card along with the check?

In yesterday's report on the Hogzilla stimulus bill, we cited the Wall Street Journal editorial which draws attention to $83 billion for redistribution of wealth through tax refund checks to people who don't pay income taxes. And you thought it wasn't a vote buying bill?

Dick Morris describes the problem this way:
GOP, Push Free Enterprise
TownHall.com
by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
January 28, 2009

...In the name of economic stimulus, it not only has every item any liberal ever asked of Santa Claus on Christmas eve, it also contains the seeds of a permanent shift toward a European-style socialist democracy. Its dramatic exemption of more than half of Americans from paying federal income taxes (it is now about one-third who don't pay them) and its generosity in awarding this voting majority a welfare check -- called a refundable tax credit -- moves the politics of taxation sharply to the left.
But worse still, a loophole in the current bill:

Hill Republican: Stimulus aids illegal immigrants
The Associated Press
January 29, 2009

WASHINGTON: A top Republican congressional aide says the $800 billion-plus economic stimulus measure could steer government checks to illegal immigrants.

Republican officials are concerned that the Democratic-written legislation makes people who came to the United States illegally eligible for tax credits of $500 per worker and $1,000 per couple.

A House-passed version of the bill and one making its way through the Senate both disqualify nonresident aliens from receiving the credits. But neither requires a worker to have a Social Security number to get the credits.

An economic aid measure enacted in February 2008 that sent rebates to most wage earners required that people have valid Social Security numbers in order to get checks.
With all the opportunities for corruption and waste in this bill, which is more than one third the amount we spent for the entire federal government in fiscal year 2008, no one should be surprised at this oversight. It's one of many that are only now coming to light as the bill heads to the Senate.

Senate Republicans will do their best to block Hogzilla, but they can't stop this trainwreck without a few defections from Democrats. We found 11 House Democrats with backbone. Are there at least one or two in the Senate?

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

How many votes can $1.2 TRILLION Buy?

Obama stimulus plan isn't pork. It's HOGZILLA!

*HOUSE PASSES BILL 244-188NO REPUBLICANS VOTE FOR SPEND SPREE IN HOUSE*

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"Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before." White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel
Hogzilla started with the best of intentions as do most other Democrat big spending programs. Despite the fact that credit markets are improving after the first dose of $350 billion in the Bush bailout plan, Democrats insisted we had to act fast to do more because.... well...it's a crisis you know!!!

Starting weeks after his election Obama's plan began to take shape as Democrats first hinted at a plan costing in the range of $500 to $700 billion. But Democrats rushed to add billions more for their favorite programs quickly taking the estimated cost to $775 billion in the first week of January only to climb over $825 billion then $850 billion last week.

As Congress prepares to expedite passage of the bill the amount now reaches $900 billion with the total cost of the debt incurred taking the package over $1.2 trillion.

When you consider that all federal spending for budget year 2008 was less than $3 trillion you quickly realize that we are embarking on the most massive big government spending spree of all time. [Note to any conservatives disgruntled with Republican big spenders... we warned you that Dems would make things MUCH worse.]

Both House and Senate [searchable text] versions of the bill are staggering in the amounts and the sheer complexity and scope of the legislation. The Wall Street Journal sums it up by calling it "A 40-Year Wish List:"

A 40-Year Wish List
You won't believe what's in that stimulus bill.
The Wall Street Journal
January 28, 2009

...This is a political wonder that manages to spend money on just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years.

We've looked it over, and even we can't quite believe it. There's $1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years; $2 billion for child-care subsidies; $50 million for that great engine of job creation, the National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research and another $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects. There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons.

In selling the plan, President Obama has said this bill will make "dramatic investments to revive our flagging economy." Well, you be the judge. Some $30 billion, or less than 5% of the spending in the bill, is for fixing bridges or other highway projects. There's another $40 billion for broadband and electric grid development, airports and clean water projects that are arguably worthwhile priorities.

Add the roughly $20 billion for business tax cuts, and by our estimate only $90 billion out of $825 billion, or about 12 cents of every $1, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus. And even many of these projects aren't likely to help the economy immediately. As Peter Orszag, the President's new budget director, told Congress a year ago, "even those [public works] that are 'on the shelf' generally cannot be undertaken quickly enough to provide timely stimulus to the economy."

Most of the rest of this project spending will go to such things as renewable energy funding ($8 billion) or mass transit ($6 billion) that have a low or negative return on investment. Most urban transit systems are so badly managed that their fares cover less than half of their costs. However, the people who operate these systems belong to public-employee unions that are campaign contributors to . . . guess which party?

PhotobucketAnother "stimulus" secret is that some $252 billion is for income-transfer payments -- that is, not investments that arguably help everyone, but cash or benefits to individuals for doing nothing at all. There's $81 billion for Medicaid, $36 billion for expanded unemployment benefits, $20 billion for food stamps, and $83 billion for the earned income credit for people who don't pay income tax. While some of that may be justified to help poorer Americans ride out the recession, they aren't job creators.

As for the promise of accountability, some $54 billion will go to federal programs that the Office of Management and Budget or the Government Accountability Office have already criticized as "ineffective" or unable to pass basic financial audits. These include the Economic Development Administration, the Small Business Administration, the 10 federal job training programs, and many more.

Oh, and don't forget education, which would get $66 billion more. That's more than the entire Education Department spent a mere 10 years ago and is on top of the doubling under President Bush. Some $6 billion of this will subsidize university building projects. If you think the intention here is to help kids learn, the House declares on page 257 that "No recipient . . . shall use such funds to provide financial assistance to students to attend private elementary or secondary schools." Horrors: Some money might go to nonunion teachers.

The larger fiscal issue here is whether this spending bonanza will become part of the annual "budget baseline" that Congress uses as the new floor when calculating how much to increase spending the following year, and into the future. Democrats insist that it will not. But it's hard -- no, impossible -- to believe that Congress will cut spending next year on any of these programs from their new, higher levels.


The Wall Street Journal scratches just the tip of a the most monstrous iceberg of congressional pork spending of all time. That may be Democrats objective. Load this Hogzilla up with so much crap that it just overwhelms us all.

Whether it's the education and environmental groups or ACORN this bill is starting to look like one massive pay for play reward to loyal Democrat supporters.

Payoff to ACORN?
House Republican Leader John Boehner issued a statement over the weekend noting that the stimulus bill wending its way through Congress provides $4.19 billion for "neighborhood stabilization activities."
...
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., told FOX News Tuesday that the money could be seen as "payoff" for groups' political activities in the last election. ACORN generally supports Democratic candidates and actively backed President Obama last year.
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"It's just a long list of spending items. Not a real economic stimulus job creation bill," Vitter said. "It's line after line after line of favorite liberal spending programs, and it amounts to a big government bill -- not a job creation bill."
We're reminded that it was only January 7th when then President Elect Obama said this:
OBAMA: We’re not going to be able to expect the American people to support this critical effort unless we take extraordinary steps to ensure that the investments are made wisely and managed well. And that’s why my recovery and reinvestment plan will have - will set a new higher standard of accountability, transparency, and oversight.

We are going to ban all earmarks, the process by which individual members insert pet projects without review.
In addition to the above, does President Obama now suggest that the following, which are also part of the bill, are essential to his economic recovery plan?

  • $1.5 billion for a "carbon capturing contest"
  • $45 million for offroad trails.
  • $400 million for HIV and chlamydia testing.
  • $75 million for smoking cessation.

At least Democrats dropped millions for birth control after laughter erupted when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed that it was necessary for economic recovery. And Las Vegas can now pay for it's own Mob Museum, Rhode Island won't get the $4.8 million they wanted for a polar bear exhibit and Miami will have to do without the $1.5 million for a water park ride. But who knows whether some of that and more will sneak back into the final version?

Jeff Jacoby, writing at the Boston Globe reminds us of this Reagan parable:

RONALD REAGAN loved to tell the story of the unfailingly cheerful little boy who wakes up on Christmas morning to find, instead of presents, an immense pile of manure. Undaunted, he grabs a shovel and starts digging. "With all this manure," he says excitedly, "there must be a pony in here someplace!"

Is there a pony somewhere in the $825 billion "stimulus" plan that Democrats in the House of Representatives plan to bring to a vote this week? The Congressional Budget Office started digging into this immense pile of, uh, deficit spending, and what it found would discourage even a Reagan-caliber optimist.

There Will Be Cuts.... In Defense!

For those who were concerned that Obama might totally abandon his pledge to cut government spending, not to worry. WH Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel assures us that there will be budget cuts. But it's likely that most of them will be in the Dept. of Defense taking away the tools and training our troops need to keep them safe and succeed in their mission.

Republicans Have a Better Plan

Republican leaders in both the House and Senate have been adamant in their opposition to this bogus economic recovery spending spree. They continue to repeat that the correct course is tax relief that puts money back into the hands of American families who can generate economic activity faster than any government program. The danger of taking a $trillion or more out of the free market economy during a credit crunch and filtering it through the inefficient and wasteful government programs is clear to those on the GOP side of the aisle.

History has proven GOP economic principles work. Will Dems be held accountable after wasting trillions with little to show for it?

Monday, January 26, 2009

Q: Faked Antarctic Data Another "Honest Mistake" by the Global Warming Crowd?

A: No. And this isn't the first time, or second, or third the warming zealots have lied.

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January 24, 2009 snow fell for only the second time in recorded history in the United Arab Emirates. Hat tip to Cajun Tiger who witnessed last year's history making snow in Iraq first hand.

Remember last Fall when we had the highly unusual snow fall in London at the same time the Al Gore's chief scientific ally, Dr James Hansen of NASA was telling everyone that October was the hottest October on record? Only later did we learn Hansen used temperature data from September. Oopss! Just as Democrats are fond of covering their asses with the phrase "honest mistake" we were supposed to swallow that one weren't we?

Now, despite measurements showing an historic increase in Antarctic sea ice by the sophisticated instruments scientists assured us would prove the ice was melting, a new study comes out insisting that temperatures on the frozen continent are rising after all. But since there are not enough actual weather stations on the continent to provide the data necessary for a valid analysis, scientists conducting the study relied on another of those pesky computer models which thus far have been the only tool which continues to support the alarmist view that the earth is warming and it's all man's fault.

The warmers explain that it's all perfectly simple: they just used the computer model to estimate what the temperature data would be if observation stations existed. In other words, they made the numbers up.

It's getting harder and harder to cover up this bogus science with the "honest mistake" excuse. Even global warming adherents aren't buying it:

Despite the hot air, the Antarctic is not warming up
A deeply flawed new report will be cited ad nauseam by everyone from the BBC to Al Gore
By Christopher Booker
The Telegraph
25 Jan 2009

...One of the first to express astonishment was Dr Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and a convinced believer in global warming, who wryly observed "it is hard to make data where none exists". A disbelieving Ross Hayes, an atmospheric scientist who has often visited the Antarctic for Nasa, sent Professor Steig a caustic email ending: "with statistics you can make numbers go to any conclusion you want. It saddens me to see members of the scientific community do this for media coverage."

But it was also noticed that among the members of Steig's team was Michael Mann, author of the "hockey stick", the most celebrated of all attempts by the warmists to rewrite the scientific evidence to promote their cause. The greatest of all embarrassments for the believers in man-made global warming was the well-established fact that the world was significantly warmer in the Middle Ages than it is now. "We must get rid of the Mediaeval Warm Period," as one contributor to the IPCC famously said in an unguarded moment. It was Dr Mann who duly obliged by getting his computer-model to produce a graph shaped like hockey stick, eliminating the mediaeval warming and showing recent temperatures curving up to an unprecedented high.

This instantly became the warmists' chief icon, made the centrepiece of the IPCC's 2001 report. But Mann's selective use of data and the flaws in his computer model were then so devastatingly torn apart that it has become the most comprehensively discredited artefact in the history of science.

The fact that Dr Mann is again behind the new study on Antarctica is, alas, all part of an ongoing pattern. But this will not prevent the paper being cited ad nauseam by everyone from the BBC to Al Gore, when he shortly addresses the US Senate and carries on advising President Obama behind the scenes on how to roll back that "spectre of a warming planet". So, regardless of the science, and until the politicians finally wake up to how they have been duped, what threatens to become the most costly flight from reality in history will continue to roll remorselessly on its way.

You have to hand it to these global warming zealots. They've been exposed multiple times as bungling fraudsters but they keep on trying. And why not? Most of the "news" media will report whatever they say with few questions and Democrat politicians continue to use their fake science as an excuse for their next power grab.

And for those of you who still haven't seen The Great Global Warming Swindle, it's the best education available on the lie that is manmade global warming.

Bush Twin's Letter to Obama Girls

What's it like to "Play House in the White House?"

There have been so many examples of the welcoming good grace, best wishes and pure classiness that President and First Lady Laura Bush extended at every opportunity to the incoming Obama family. So, it should surprise no one that that same good wishes were also communicated by the Bush daughters Barbara and Jenna.

President Bush left incoming President Obama a letter on the Oval Office desk entitled "from #43 to #44" and the Bush twins left a letter for Obama's two young girls which the Wall Street Journal reprints under the headline: Playing House in the White House.

In a rare moment of showing the Bush family in a good light, NBC's Today Show arranged for the Bush girls to read the letter along with an accompanying slide show of photos showing what growing up in the White House was like for them:

One last Bush Thank-a-thon pictorial encore for the Bush twins:

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President Bush's daughters Jenna (L) and Barbara (R) arrive on the South Lawn of the White House after spending the weekend at the Camp David Presidential Retreat for the last time with their parents January 18, 2009 at the White House in Washington, DC.

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President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush posing with daughters Jenna (R) and Barbara (L) on May 10, 2008 at Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas, prior to the wedding of Jenna and Henry Hager.

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U.S. President George W. Bush (R) and his wife Laura (2nd L) return from their daughter Jenna's Texas wedding to the White House in Washington May 11, 2008. Also traveling with them are President Bush's parents, former President George H. W. Bush (3rd L) and his wife Barbara (L) and other daughter, also named Barbara Bush (2nd R).

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President George W. Bush, daughter Jenna, first lady Laura Bush and mother Barbara Bush greet guests at the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House in Washington March 24, 2008.

What a contrast this First Family is to the one which immediately proceeded it into office. No scandal. no grand juries. Just class.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

National Geographic Channel Special on Air Force One

Airing Sunday: A documentary highlighting the Bush years aboard the big plane!

Plus: An encore for our Bush Thank-A-Thon

If you have seen the History Channel's special program on Air Force One, you may also be interested in the National Geographic program on the same topic which begins airing this Sunday.

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And for those of you who want to take one more walk down memory lane before the harsh reality of Obama's failed presidency sets in, an encore for our Bush Thank-a-thon:

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Former President and Mrs. Bush board Special Air Mission 28000, the same plane that served as Air Force One throughout his presidency as they leave Andrews Air Force Base to return to Texas following the Inauguration on January 20, 2009.

The Air Force One Family says goodbye:


Troops Bid Bush Farewell at Andrews Air Force Base
by Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

1/20/2009 - ANDREWS AFB, Md. -- The U.S. military bid farewell today to the outgoing commander in chief during a stirring and emotional departure ceremony in which he called leading men and women in uniform the highlight of his presidency.

A joint service honor guard, military band and about 4,000 cheering, flag-waving fans greeted former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush as they arrived here from what's been called "the ultimate change of command ceremony."
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The crowd roared as the former president and vice president made their dramatic entrance into the hangar. The rousing sounds of the "Air Force One" movie theme rung out as the huge hangar slowly opened, revealing the huge blue-and-white presidential aircraft glistening in the sunlight.
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Bush said he'll leave the presidency with his "head held high," confident that he took the right course in difficult times. Historians will sort out his time in office, he said, expressing belief that they'll note "we did not shirk our duty, we did not shy away" from difficult decisions and that "we served with conviction."

Cheney praised Bush for taking on "the big jobs that needed doing" after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks launched some of the greatest challenges to ever confront the United States. "George W. Bush protected America," he said. "History remembers such leaders and marks them well."

Bush shook hands with many in the crowd, then turned toward the VC-25 aircraft that would take him home to Texas. The flight was designated Special Air Mission 28000 rather than Air Force One, which belongs only to the airplane carrying the sitting president.

On the tarmac, Air Force Brig. Gen. Maggie Woodward, the 89th Airlift Wing commander, escorted the Bushes to a red carpet stretching to the aircraft. A 42-piece joint honor guard flanked both sides of the carpet.

At the end of the carpet, Air Force Col. Steven Shepro, commander of the 316th Wing, and Col. Eric Snadecki, his vice commander, said their final goodbyes before Bush climbed the steps to the plane.

Shepro said he felt honored for him and his airmen to bid a personal goodbye to the departing former president. "It's like saying goodbye to an old friend," he said. He credited his elite team that regularly serves the president -- with the Air Force's only flightline protocol office and a second-to-none security detachment, among them -- with bringing honor to the Air Force.
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"We're all here to honor our former honor in chief as he departs," said Army Sgt. Tyler Murray, one of six members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard" to serve in the joint service honor guard. "President Bush has looked out for his troops, and we're here to honor him."

"I've been involved in a lot of high-priority missions," said Army Pfc. Jared Robison, a fellow "Old Guard" soldier. "But this one is the highest on my list, personally."

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Air Force One flies over Mount Rushmore in this undated Air Force photo.

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US President George W. Bush waves before boarding Air Force One October 10, 2008 before departure from Miami International Airport in Miami.


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Air Force One, carrying President Bush departs from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Wednesday, June 25, 2008, as the Marine One helicopter sits in the foreground. The president left for a day-trip to Michigan.

Finally, a video tribute to our 43rd President of the United States:

Friday, January 23, 2009

Obama Gives Terrorists A License to Kill

With one stroke of the pen Obama has now terminated "Bush's war" which has kept Americans safe since September 11th. From here on out, it's Obama's war and he will be held accountable!

Wordsmith set the ball rolling today on the story that has profound dangers for Americans in the war on terror. Both he and Curt cited the Washington Post story in which reporter Dana Priest gushed:

With the stroke of his pen, he effectively declared an end to the "war on terror," as President George W. Bush had defined it, signaling to the world that the reach of the U.S. government in battling its enemies will not be limitless.

With the stroke of a pen terrorists around the world were put on notice that the most successful anti-terrorism strategy that has saved thousands of American lives and resulted in the capture of kill of thousands of terrorist scum worldwide was coming to an end.

No doubt there will be a moment of celebration in the caves of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and many European capitals tonight. Note: I didn't mention Iraq. There, we can expect our sworn ally to continue the fight as they have all these many years.

Where's the Beef?

The executive order Obama signed which attracted the most attention was his decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility within one year; thus fulfilling at least one campaign pledge after breaking so many more.

And yet the order is short on details as to how exactly Obama expects to meet that deadline. At the signing ceremony he had to turn to Greg Craig ,Bill Clinton's impeachment lawyer and now White House Counsel, and confirm that the details will only be forthcoming later. Obama may need Craig's experience with Bill Clinton if things go wrong.

After years of Democrats complaining that President Bush had not adequately thought out the steps necessary to handle the problem of captured terrorists, does it not strike readers as odd that President Obama would dive into this pool head first without considering the details?

Republicans in the House Pounce

Speaking on behalf of Congressional Republicans, House Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement:

“The Guantanamo Bay prison is filled with the worst of the worst – terrorists and killers bent on murdering Americans and other friends of freedom around the world. If it is closed, where will they go, will they be brought to the United States, and how will they be secured? Will they be released by the courts, despite reports that more than 60 former terrorist detainees have already returned to battlefields to fight us again? Unfortunately, in briefings yesterday the new Administration did not have any real answers to these concerns.
Along with House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) was joined by Judiciary Committee Members Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) Daniel Lungren (R-Calif.), Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Ted Poe (R-Texas), Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), Howard Coble (R-NC), and Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) as they introduced a bill named The Enemy Combatant Detention Review Act (H.R. 630) which establishes clear rules regarding the detention of known terrorists.

Unfortunately, House Republicans have NO power to advance any legislation in a House controlled by Nancy Pelosi and in which the previous rules enacted by a GOP majority giving the minority greater rights has been abolished. So much for bipartisanship when Democrats are in control. So much for tens of millions of Americans with a different point of view being given a voice in their legislature.

Gitmo Killers Free to Kill Again?

House Leader Boehner cited the Pentagon report which states: "61 detainees who have been held and then released from Guantanamo Bay are suspected or confirmed to be 'returning to the fight.'”

That's no surprise to anyone. I'm reminded of the story of one American working at Guantanamo Bay who got to know one of the inmates. Asked what he would do if he got out the inmate said he would kill the man's family and other Americans. But added: "it's nothing personal." It's what these monsters do.

And so many of them have done just that:


Guantánamo detainee resurfaces in terrorist group
By Robert F. Worth
International Herald Tribune
January 23, 2008

The emergence of a former Guantánamo Bay detainee as the deputy leader of Al Qaeda's Yemeni branch has underscored the potential complications in carrying out the executive order that President Barack Obama signed that the detention center be shut down within a year.

The militant, Said Ali al-Shihri, is suspected of involvement in a deadly bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Yemen's capital, Sana, in September. He was released to Saudi Arabia in 2007 and passed through a Saudi rehabilitation program for former jihadists before resurfacing with Al Qaeda in Yemen.
Obviously the plan President Bush had in place to process detainees had flaws. But the Obama plan promises to be much worse with immense consequences for Americans whose lives may be placed in danger.

Will Obama face the same accountability that President Bush did these past eight years? What if terrorists do strike the U.S. on our soil or overseas and we learn that we could have stopped the attack if Bush's policy was still in place? Will Obama attorney Greg Craig once again be called on to perform the same services he did for Bill Clinton?

A Poll for Obama Voters Only

Since Obama provided no details on how he would fulfill his campaign promise, let's ask those who voted for him what should be done with Gitmo detainees:

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Caroline Kennedy Out (this time we mean it) as Senator But Dem Circus Rolls On!

There's never a shortage of clowns in this circus!




note: please play the accompanying theme music for this post by clicking the play button above.

On Monday, it was reported that Caroline Kennedy was the sure pick for the Senate seat in New York now vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On Wednesday, she mysteriously took herself out of the running. Reports vary on what happened next. Either she changed her mind and decided to stay in the running or Governor Patterson asked her to reconsider withdrawing or was leaking damaging stories to the press about her qualifications. It looked for a while like she may be back in, but sadly on Thursday made it official. She's out and Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand (D) is the likely pick to be announced Friday.

What delicious farce we had going on there for a while and I have to say I am sorry it is over. I was hoping to make quite a bit of use out of the graphic below:

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The best thing about a circus is that as an act ends in one ring another begins and in this case they are related. Caroline Kennedy is reported to have withdrawn because of issues surrounding her nanny and taxes. No doubt it was all an "innocent mistake." Where have we heard that before?

If Caroline Kennedy is unfit to be a Senator because of concerns over nanny and tax issues then why are Senators giving Obama's nominee for Treasury Secretary a pass on those same issues? Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner only paid all of his back taxes when he was informed he might be nominated. And yet Senate Democrats on the Finance Committee voted in lockstep to approve Geithner who, if confirmed by the full Senate, would be in charge of collecting taxes on the rest of us.

Do we have a higher standard for Senators than we do for Treasury Secretary in charge of the IRS ?

(O.K. stop laughing)

And let's not forget that in circus rings 2 and 3 we still have the Blogjevitch-Obama senate seat for sale scandal and the bizarre senate race in Minnesota where tragic clown Al Franken (D) is claiming victory after a recount board overlooked the fact that many of the precincts reporting high vote totals for him counted more ballots than voters.

What's next in this circus? Something tells me we won't have to wait long to find out.

After all, the show must go on!

Obama's "Historic" Inaugural Draws Less than One Millon People

PhotobucketBut three times the amount of garbage than any previous Inauguration!

It was just six weeks ago that the "news" media was abuzz with the prospect of five million people flocking to Washington, D.C. to witness the Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama.

Such hype was seen as proof that Obama's swearing in marked a sea change in not only American politics, but the global scene as well.

It didn't turn out that way did it?

On the day of the big event, "news" organizations (I use the quote marks because they really are acting as agents of Obama's continuing political campaign) estimated a crowd of two million. After giving that headline plenty of ink, the figure has now dropped to somewhere around a million and headed south quickly.
"More than one million" is quickly becoming "about a million" and may soon settle comfortably below that according to at least one study done with photographic analysis.

A full size satellite image of the scene is available here.

It's fun watching the "news" media as they keep spinning this story. The L.A. Times is now left with this headline: "A record crowd for inauguration? Hard to say" as Obama's crowd does not seem to measure up to the all time high set for LBJ's big day in 1965. Considering how the population of the United States has grown by over 100 million since then it's further proof that Obama's crowd was large, but not historic.

Emily Badger writing at Miller-McCune suggests: "The question is an intensely personal one for the people who attended ("I was one of 2 million" sounds better than "I was one of 700,000 or so") ."

Mithridate Ombud at Newsbusters put it this way: "Obama's Million Ghost March: "I doubt it would surprise anyone here that the media would go to their best lengths to over-estimate the number of people at Obama's inauguration. But just how far? Try a million people."

Why should any of us be surprised? The "news" media has spent the past year papering over Obama's lack of experience and hyping his hopey changeness. Why let a little thing like facts get in the way of a good story.

This story is a warning of more distortions to come.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Obama Supporter Tries to Stiff Mike's America for Change

Ah, but like the Treasury Secretary who doesn't pay his taxes it was just an honest mistake!

True story:

I was at the checkout of a grocery store on Hilton Head Island this afternoon and handed the cashier cash for my groceries. She put it in the drawer and handed me my bag. Here's a rough transcript of what followed:
Mike's America: "Wasn't I supposed to get some change with that ($15.47)?"

Cashier: "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just so overwhelmed after yesterday."

Mike's America: "What was yesterday?" Thinking the store might have been crowded with people buying liquor with their welfare checks...

Cashier: "The Inauguration of course."

Mike's America: "Yep, they're still cleaning up the trash left behind. So much for a green inaugural."
It was then the smile left her face. I wish I had thought to remark: "Didn't Obama promise I'd get some change or do all I have is hope?" But you do what you can.

Obama's "Green" Inaugural Turns National Mall Into Trash Dump

Ignoring Obama's call for service, his supporters "hope" someone else will clean up their Inauguration mess. Some Change!

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Looking like some third world country, trash litters the National Mall in Washington, DC following the Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama January 20, 2009

It was supposed to be the greenest Inauguration in history. Environmental groups bragged about "rolling out the green carpet:"
For all you environmentally forward thinkers out there, don’t fret, as this year’s Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) is one step ahead. The Committee has teamed up with the EPA to make sure environmental impact is minimized wherever possible. From recycle bins that will line the National Mall to recycled carpet runners, the Committee has taken great measures to reduce the environmental footprint of the event.
...
The inaugural event will likely leave a substantial carbon footprint due to the expected numbers in attendance, but efforts like these are decreasing that impact in valuable ways, and it’s a great way to start a new administration!
And the result?

Crowds leave cups, gloves — even flags — on Mall
By Associated Press

POSTED: 07:30 p.m. EST, Jan 20, 2009

WASHINGTON: Inaugural revelers are lucky they didn't get fined for littering.

As crowds cleared the city today, their trash covered the National Mall and Washington Monument grounds after President Barack Obama's inauguration.

They left behind plastic bottles, newspapers, food wrappers, gloves and even American flags they had been waving.
Yeah, great green start hunh? Just another example of "do as we say, not as we do" environmentalism.

The Long Ride Home: "Dubya" Returns to Texas to a Hero's Welcome!

Plus: A report from inside the Bush Plane and a pictorial of the trip.

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"Never Tire, Never Falter" from President Bush's Farewell Address

30,000 well wishers gave former President and Laura Bush a heroes welcome upon their return to Midland Texas Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

Aboard the Bush Plane
a former Bush advisor files his account—and his photos—from aboard the former president’s flight back to Texas.
by Mark McKinnon
The Daily Beast

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Among the passengers, longtime Bush family, friends, and staffers included the former president’s mother and father and daughters Jenna and Barbara, Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, Dan Bartlett, Josh Bolten, Joel Kaplan, Jared Weinstein, Mike Meece, Andy Card, Don and Susie Evans, Blake Gottesman, Clay and Ann Johnson, Ed Gillespie, Barry Jackson, Joe Hagin, Israel Hernandez, Jeanne Johnson Phillips, Margaret Spellings, Alberto Gonzales, Brad Freeman, Jim and Debbie Francis, and Roland and Lois Betts.

“Grateful.”

That’s the word expressed not just by former President Bush, but his staff, as well, on the last flight home aboard on what any other day of the last eight years would have been Air Force One, but today was Special Air Mission 28000.

I can only imagine the blogosphere lighting up with what will be some version of “good riddance.” But while I expected the president’s mood to be defiant, bitter, defensive, or vengeful toward his critics, he was anything but. As he toured the cabin of the airplane throughout the flight, visiting with old friends, family, and staffers, he was filled with equanimity, grace, and a generosity of spirit.
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There was a lot of talk of old days and old times. About how eight years had flown by. About how children had grown. There was no high-fiving or celebration. And no weeping or whining. Just a quiet and friendly exchange of hugs between longtime colleagues and friends who had traveled a lot of miles together and weathered a lot storms.

And in the end, we all were simply grateful for the incredible ride.
Magnanimous to the End: A pictorial review of the long ride home

A last visit to the Oval Office and a message left behind for the incoming President:

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A folder for U.S. President Barack Obama left by former President George W. Bush sits on the Resolute desk in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington January 20, 2009. Picture taken January 20, 2009.

"The theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," former White House press secretary Dana Perino said Tuesday.
Right on Time:

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President and First Lady Laura Bush greet the Obama family as they arrive at the White House for the ride to the U.S. Capitol as the Inauguration gets underway.

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U.S. President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush depart the inauguration ceremony after Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the U.S.A. on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, January 20, 2009.

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Former President Bush gives President Obama a heartfelt hug goodbye before boarding the helicopter.

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Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush wave as they board a Marine helicopter on the east front of the Capitol. This is one of the same helicopters used throughout his presidency but can only be designated "Marine One" when the sitting President is aboard.

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Former U.S. President George W. Bush looks out over the U.S. Capitol as his helicopter departs Washington January 20, 2009, for Andrews Air Force Base following the inauguration ceremonies for President Barack Obama.

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The Marine Corps' helicopter carrying former President George W. Bush flies past the U.S. Capitol for the final time en route to Andrews Air Force Base.

Home to a Hero's Welcome!

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Former President George W. Bush with wife Laura Bush speaks to a crowd of about 30,000 people at a welcome home rally Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 in Midland, Texas.

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Former President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush address the crowd during a "Welcome Home" Celebration January 20, 2009 in Midland, Texas.

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Thank You President and Mrs. Bush!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Official Obama White House Web Site Debuts with Partisan Bush Attacks

So much for the examples of class and good wishes extended at every opportunity by President Bush!

It won't come as any surprise that the examples of generous, graceful good wishes President Bush showered at every opportunity on the incoming Obama Administration had no effect whatsoever.

After all, we saw that from the top down, Obama's swipe at Bush in an interview last Friday was followed by Rahm Emanuel, now White House Chief of Staff, using the phrase "last eight years" as a pretext to excuse whatever missteps Obama might make.

Then of course we heard the booing of President Bush by Obama supporters at the Inaugural along with the chants of "Nah nah nah nah, hey hey, good-bye."

White House Web Site Becomes Partisan Hit Sheet

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side by side comparisons of class vs. crass

So it shouldn't be a further surprise to see that the White House web site, which switched over to Obama worship at 12:01 PM EST Tuesday is also infected with the same kind of partisan cheap shots at President Bush that pervades the minds of Obama supporters who have spent years hating the man.

The White House web site which under President Bush had only kind words for Obama and countless examples of the efforts the Bush's were making to help smooth the transition to the new Administration is now contaminated with a nasty partisan stench.

Items such as these leap out:

Under a section labeled "The Agenda: Additional Issues, Katrina"
President Obama will keep the broken promises made by President Bush to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur.

President Obama swiftly responded to Hurricane Katrina. Citing the Bush Administration's "unconscionable ineptitude" in responding to Hurricane Katrina, then-Senator Obama introduced legislation requiring disaster planners to take into account the specific needs of low-income hurricane victims.
"President Obama swiftly responded to Hurricane Katrina?" Really? You mean the man who had been in the U.S. Senate less than a year when Katrina blew ashore? You want to compare his response to Hurricane Katrina to the President who directed efforts to rescue 30,000 people off roof tops because the Mayor of New Orleans (DEMOCRAT) and the Governor of Louisiana(DEMOCRAT) failed to follow their own disaster plans?

Then this:
Reverse Tax Cuts for the Wealthy: Obama and Biden will protect tax cuts for poor and middle class families, but they will reverse most of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers.
More partisan campaign rhetoric that has no place on a U.S. Government web site. Should we also remind Obama and friends of the many Democrats who also voted for those tax cuts?

There Ought to be a Law!
THERE IS!

One of the first things I was told upon arriving in the White House Political Office to work for President Reagan in 1988 were the rules required by the Hatch Act that prohibit the use of taxpayer funded facilities for partisan political purposes. It's a big no-no. Those rules applied to everyone working at the White House and in every federal agency. They went so far as to preclude President Reagan from making overly partisan remarks at campaign stops for then Vice President George Bush even on trips that were paid for with campaign funds.

Put aside for a moment possible violations of the Hatch Act. What's worse still is that Barack Hussein Obama's first official act was to proclaim January 20, 2009, a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. And yet the very web site on which that proclamation was announced is laced with the nasty partisan tone which Obama swore it was his duty to overcome.

That's not what I call a good start in the hope and change department!

So much for the honeymoon!


Hat tip to Aye Chihuahua

Thank You Condi Rice

PhotobucketOur Bush Thankathon would not be complete without a tribute to our Secretary of State!

After Laura Bush, there has been one other person seen most often at President Bush's side. His faithful friend, the former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice. Affectionately called "Condi" by President Bush, he was often overheard saying "get me Condi" when some problem or other cropped up around the world.

Since the early days of President Bush's 2000 campaign for president Dr. Rice has been there on an almost daily basis. She has become part of the Bush family and stayed with them at the ranch and Camp David on numerous occasions.

She has been at the heart of every decision on national security and foreign policy during the last eight years and has represented our nation overseas with style and dignity.

With all the hoopla over the inauguration of the nation's first black president, let's not forget that trail blazers like the first black female Secretary of State led the way.

Condi is one heck of a class act!

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U.S. President George W. Bush (L) and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice walk from the Oval Office to board Marine One at the White House in Washington November 21, 2008. They are on their way to the APEC Summit in Peru.

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President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice walk to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, after spending the weekend at Camp David.

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President George W. Bush is introduced by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the U.S. Department of State Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, during a ceremony commemorating foreign policy achievements. White House photo by Eric Draper

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President George W. Bush is introduced by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the U.S. Department of State Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, during a ceremony commemorating foreign policy achievements. White House photo by Eric Draper

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US President George W. Bush and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wave as they arrive on the South Lawn of the White House November 17, 2008 from Camp David.

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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice answers questions on the Middle East during a news conference with President George W. Bush Monday, Aug. 7, 2006, in Crawford, Texas. White House photo by Eric Draper

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Standing with his national defense team, President George W. Bush talks with the press at Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas, Monday, Aug. 23, 2004. Pictured, from left, are: Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Meyers

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President George W. Bush meets with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Foreign Policy Team at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Thursday, August 11, 2005. White House photo by Eric Draper

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President George W. Bush meets with his National Security advisors via video conference at Camp David, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2001. Also pictured from left, White House Chief of Staff Andy Card, CIA Director George Tenent and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. White House photo by Eric Draper.

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President George W. Bush meets with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the White House Monday evening, July 31, 2006, to discuss her recent trip to the Middle East. White House photo by Eric Draper

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President George W. Bush is joined for lunch Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2005, by Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Karen Hughes, newly appointed Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. White House photo by Eric Draper

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President George W. Bush bows his head as he stands with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday, April 3, 2008, at the start of the North Atlantic Council Summit in Bucharest. White House photo by Chris Greenberg


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US President George W. Bush (R) kisses US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) during a ceremony at the US State Department in Washington, DC, January 15, 2009 commemorating foreign policy achievements during the Bush administration.

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Thank You Condi!

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