Brandon

Monday, February 28, 2011

Obama, President of the United Unions, not President of the United States!

 He Clearly Sides with Unions Over the Needs of Taxpayers!

Obama came to the defense of big labor again on Monday in remarks at the White House to the National Governor's Association: "I don’t think it does anybody any good when public employees are denigrated or vilified or their rights are infringed upon." This follows his earlier remark that the modest attempt by the Wisconsin governor and legislature to reign in union benefits amounted to "an assault on unions."

This follows the earlier revelation in February that Obama's political machine was taking an active part in coordinating the labor protests in Wisconsin. Let's not forget  that in 2009, Obama's bailout of Chrysler and GM in which the unions gained a huge ownership stake in both companies.

Then, there's Obama's close ties to SEIU President Any Stern, the most frequent visitor to the White House in 2009 and Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO bragging about his connections to the White House and describing how he talks to someone there "every day."

Americans are asking the question: Whose side is Obama on?

We already know the answer to that. Obama told us during the 2008 campaign:

"I Spent my entire adult life working with SEIU...Your agenda has been my agenda."



"When I am in the White House...I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States."


Obama and the Democrats Bought and Paid for with Union Cash!

It's entirely understandable that Obama and the Democrats would do whatever their union masters demand. After all, it is big labor that is funding the Democrat party. From the Wall Street Journal October 2010 report on big labor campaign spending comes this chart:

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For all the boo hooing Obama and the Democrats did about conservative spending by outside groups during the 2010 election, those contributions were dwarfed by big labor.

And Big Labor doesn't give a dime without expecting something in return and we are seeing that play out now in Wisconsin and across the country where they are pulling the strings to protect the overgenerous pay and benefits that were offered to them in the various states once run by Democrats.

In an excellent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Katherine Kersten describes the vicious cycle which has landed us where we are now:

Here's the vicious cycle: Union leaders take money from union dues and pass it to Democratic candidates. Once elected, the politicians "negotiate" with the unions that helped elect them.

In essence, the unions hire their own bosses who face them across the bargaining table. Eat your heart out, Delta Air Lines union members.

Politicians repay unions' financial support by doling out hefty pensions and benefits. It's easy to be generous when you're spending taxpayers' money, not your own.

Elected officials aren't accountable to a board of directors or shareholders, and they don't have to worry about going bankrupt, as private companies do.

Government is a monopoly, or near monopoly, so it has no concerns about competitiveness or efficiency to keep it honest. To keep unions happy, politicians need only kick the can down the road.
The Golden Goose is Dead!

The can has been kicked down the road as far as it will go and now the bill has come due. Democrat elected officials made promises to the unions that no government can afford to keep. Sadly, it's the Republicans who were elected in 2010 that are called on to clean up the mess. In states like Wisconsin, the rich have already been taxed to the point that wealth and jobs are fleeing the state. There is no longer a golden goose that the unions and Democrats can abuse. The golden goose died from exhaustion.

What's needed is fair, objective and unbiased political leadership that can tackle the fiscal problem without being corrupted by the tidal wave of union cash that caused so many of these problems in the first place.

Unfortunately, Obama and the Democrats have been so corrupted by Big Labor's big money that they no longer represent the interests of the average voter and taxpayer. This problem will have to be fixed without their help and over their corrupt objections.

John Stoessel Exposes Union Corruption and Greed

Unions were supposed to protect workers from abuse, not allow workers to abuse the taxpayer!

The best ten minute expose on unions:


More from Stoessel's Battle for the Future here.


Keep this in mind next time you see a union protest!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Obama's Secret Back Door for Lobbyist Deals He Doesn't Want You to Know About

Hiding from the transparency he promised as a candidate, lobbyists are doing business as usual, but in secret!

Remember this?

During the State of the Union address Obama derided the “parade of lobbyists [that] has rigged the tax code to benefit particular companies and industries.” And, because the public deserves to know when its elected officials are talking to lobbyists, he called on “Congress to do what the White House has already done — put that information online.”
The Obama White House did put it's visitor logs online beginning in 2009 and we learned that among the many dubious left wing guests, the man who visited most often that year was big labor's SEIU President Andy Stern.

But what we didn't know is that the Obama gang were hiding their connections to other special interest groups by meeting in a location across the street from the White House. From the Politico which broke the story:

Caught between their boss’ anti-lobbyist rhetoric and the reality of governing, President Barack Obama’s aides often steer meetings with lobbyists to a complex just off the White House grounds — and several of the lobbyists involved say they believe the choice of venue is no accident.

It allows the Obama administration to keep these lobbyist meetings shielded from public view — and out of Secret Service logs kept on visitors to the White House and later released to the public.
...
The White House says the additional meeting space is used when the White House is filled or when there’s no time to clear participants through the security screening. And to be sure, a few lobbyists contacted by POLITICO said they didn’t see any hidden motive for the White House staff’s decision to hold a meeting there.

“The White House conference facilities are just that: facilities for large meetings. They are also an option when rooms inside the complex don’t have the capacity for a given meeting or are booked,” said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin.

But that’s not how it feels to some of the lobbyists who’ve been there.

They say the White House is generally happy to meet with them and their clients once or twice but get leery when an issue requires multiple visits. These lobbyists say it is then that phone calls or meetings seem to be pushed outside the White House gates.

“Without question, I think that there’s a lot of concern about being seen meeting with the same lobbyists or particular lobbyists over and over again,” said one business lobbyist, who has been to Jackson Place meetings.
...
But lobbyists are particularly stung by what they see as a double standard, with Obama bashing their profession as part of what’s wrong with Washington while his staff routinely sits down with lobbyists to discuss key issues.

“When they need us, they call us. When they don’t, we’re evil,” said another lobbyist who has been to Jackson Place meetings.
Union Lobbyist Gets Daily White House Access

Obama almost never meets privately with members of his cabinet or Republicans in Congress. But his staff certainly seems to find the time for special interest groups like big labor. Here's Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO bragging about his access:




Trumka: "I am at the White House two or three times a week...I have conversations with someone at the White House everyday...EVERYDAY!


And you wonder why Obama doesn't listen to the voices of average Americans who voted last number in a landslide election for real change in the way Washington works? It's because Obama doesn't have time to even consider their views with all those union and other lobbyists knocking on the door and finding it wide open to THEIR concerns!

Over 1,000 Killed in Libya. Obama's Lame Response Invites MORE Killing

Being President of the United States is about more than throwing parties, golfing and looting the Treasury for your union cronies!

Five days ago, as the Libyan massacre began in earnest I asked "where is Obama," and "How is it that he can freely toss a U.S. ally like Egypt under the bus and yet has NO interest in changing regimes of U.S. enemies?"

At the time, I pointed out how Obama had made only one official statement on Libya compared to the pages of official statements on Egypt as he actively sought to remove Hosni Mubarak from office.

Well, Obama addressed the issue of Libya for only the second time on Wednesday and unlike his sometimes contradictory but often emphatic statements on Egypt, the tone of his statements on the situation in Libya were underwhelming to the point of irrelevancy. It's as if Obama were just voting "present" as he did so often in the Illinois state senate.

Nile Gardiner, writing for the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph sees Obama's weak response as "confused" and another "deer in the headlights" moment:

This is an historic moment. One of the most brutal, evil and anti-American tyrants of our time is facing a massive popular revolt that is threatening to finally remove him from power after more than four decades as absolute ruler of his country. It is not a time for fence-sitting or navel-gazing from the world’s only superpower. President Obama should be openly calling for Muammar Gaddafi to step aside immediately, and if he doesn’t, face complete international isolation – including comprehensive sanctions, travel bans, the freezing of bank accounts, and a halt to Western investment and trade.

The Libyan people don’t need lofty neutrality from Washington. They do however need the president of the most powerful nation on earth to actively back their aspirations for freedom and democracy. And they certainly aren’t waiting for toothless statements from a divided UN Security Council or a morally bankrupt Human Rights Council.

President Obama is already being outflanked by Nicolas Sarkozy, who has taken a far tougher line on Libya than his US counterpart. It is hugely embarrassing when even the French are doing more to confront a murderous dictator than the traditional leader of the free world. Frankly, President Obama makes Jimmy Carter look like General MacArthur by comparison. The US administration needs to wake up from its slumber and start showing some real leadership on the world stage in place of its existing milquetoast foreign policy.
And if you think the Daily Telegraph doesn't carry much weight, here's the Thursday editorial in the Washington Post:

Why was President Obama last to speak up on Libya?
Washington Post Editorial

ONCE AGAIN, an Arab dictator is employing criminal violence in a desperate effort to remain in power - and once again, the Obama administration has been slow to find its voice. This time, the tyrant is one of the Middle East's most evil men - Moammar Gaddafi, whose regime has staged spectacular terrorist attacks against Americans in addition to brutalizing its own people. Having apparently lost control of most of the country, Mr. Gaddafi has unleashed an orgy of bloodshed in the capital, Tripoli, using foreign mercenaries and aircraft to attack his own people.
...
Governments around the world have been condemning this appalling stance and the terrible slaughter it has caused. The European Union has agreed in principle to impose sanctions, and the Arab League has said Libya will be excluded from its meetings. British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi all condemned the regime's violence. Said French President Nicolas Sarkozy: "The continuing brutal and bloody crackdown against the Libyan civilian population is revolting. The international community cannot remain a spectator to these massive violations of human rights."

By late Wednesday only one major Western leader had failed to speak up on Libya: Barack Obama. Before then, the president's only comment during five days of mounting atrocities was a statement issued in his name by his press secretary late last Friday, which deplored violence that day in three countries: Yemen, Libya and Bahrain.
...
Mr. Obama appeared eager to make the point that the United States was not taking the lead in opposing Mr. Gaddafi's crimes. "It is imperative that the nations and the peoples of the world speak with one voice," he said. "That has been our focus." Shouldn't the president of the United States be first to oppose the depravities of a tyrant such as Mr. Gaddafi? Apparently this one doesn't think so.
It's pretty bad when the Washington Post and the FRENCH show more backbone than Obama. And this isn't the first time. Once again, Obama is on the WRONG SIDE of history. So much for his Nobel Peace Prize. What a disgrace!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Camel Suffers Possible Injury for the Sake of Left Wing Protest in Wisconsin

The Daily Show thought it would be funny to bring a camel to Wisconsin. Yeah, not such a laugh for the poor camel!

Can you imagine the outrage from the animal rights crowd if a conservative smacked his dog at a Tea Party rally? Front page news right?

So, when the Daily Show drags a poor camel out in the freezing Wisconsin winter to play up the non-existent connection between the Egyptian protests and the illegal union strike in Wisconsin you're probably not too surprised that when the camel suffers a possible injury no one on the left even cares. To the left, the cause is more important than the life of a camel, OR even a human being.

Here's the tape:


Following the fracas the Daily Show decided not to run the sketch with the camel. Besides, when most people compare the $89,000 average annual compensation that Wisconsin teachers make to the $2 a day many Egyptians live on we can well imagine that a great many Egyptians would love to hop on their camel and high tail it to Wisconsin to offer their teaching services for less.

Is this Libya or America? Elected Dem Urges Blood in the Streets

This is what passes for Democrat civility in the wake of the Tucson shooting!


Congressman Michael Capuano (D-MA): "get out on the streets and get a little bloody."

Democrat urges unions to 'get a little bloody when necessary'
By Michael O'Brien
The Hill
February 23, 2011

Sometimes it's necessary to get out on the streets and "get a little bloody," a Massachusetts Democrat said Tuesday in reference to labor battles in Wisconsin.

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) fired up a group of union members in Boston with a speech urging them to work down in the trenches to fend off limits to workers' rights like those proposed in Wisconsin.

"I’m proud to be here with people who understand that it’s more than just sending an email to get you going," Capuano said, according to the Dorchester Reporter. "Every once and awhile you need to get out on the streets and get a little bloody when necessary."
Imagine for a moment the political firestorm that would erupt if an elected Republican had said anything similar and urged a crowd to violent action. It would be front page news coast to coast and the entire GOP establishment would be called upon to repudiate the offender.

But because this is an elected Democrat, and since there is already an organized campaign of extreme and violent rhetoric being waged in Wisconsin without ANY criticism from the mainstream "news" media this story is unlikely to result in any censure of the offender.

Left Sending Nationwide Call for Violence

This example is just one of many where the signal to take even violent action is being given nationwide. We have already seen the signs at the Wisconsin illegal union protests with at least one saying "Wanted Walker Dead or alive." And of course the use of gun sights placed over an image of Governor Walker (R) at protests organized by Obama's political machine.

Then, there is the vandalism and threats directed by teachers in Utah at a state education official.

The message that is being put out at every level of Democrat political activism is one tinged with the potential of violence. And it's a message that isn't being missed by the ready acolytes of the left; one of whom may be inspired to act.

Ironic surrealism posted the following video which documents how unhinged and violent many of these leftists have become. The video shows the public Tweets of unhinged leftists making death threats to the Wisconin governor:


lauren_2121: i hope scott walker dies. someone please shoot him?!

Included are many like this from Josh Harmon:
Please.. sum crazy man with sniper experiance do wut you do....Scott walker is the devil!!!!
Notice that these Tweeters are so convinced of the rightness of their cause, painted in the most graphic shades of good vs. evil, that they feel justified in taking ANY action.

[Caution: If you do respond to any of the Tweeters, please do so in a civil manner. These people are despicable worms, but they won't recognize that fact just because you inform them of it!]

A Vile, Anti-American Campaign Directed From the Top Down

What we are witnessing today is a mass movement being directed from the top down in ways that are subtle and not so subtle. When President Obama called the actions of the newly elected Governor in Wisconsin "an assualt" and used his own resources to bus in people from across the country while simultaneously stirring the pot of liberal bile nationwide he did so deliberately.

Obama's intention is to fire up his supporters with so much anger to try and overwhelm the state governments which were elected by a landslide last November. It's the old democrat tactic of mob rule whereby they hope to cause so much chaos and disruption that Independent voters simply let them have their way to shut them up.

But as we should have all learned by now, there is nothing that will shut up these crazies.

As I have said before, if God forbid one of these crazies were to act on these messages Obama and Democrats nationwide will rightfully be blamed. In any case, they should be held accountable for their actions and words!

There is simply no place in our American democracy for this kind of violent rhetoric!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Are Wisconsin Union Protesters Racist?

Tea Partiers were accused of racism with "predominantly white" crowds that had many more black faces than the Wisconsin protests!

Ironic Surrealism v3.0 has a very interesting take on the Wisconsin union protests. Remember all the reports of Tea Party events where the "news" media went out of their way to describe the crowd as "predominately white?" Well, Ironic gathered together a bunch of photos from the Wisconsin union protests. I posted one below. Let's play a new game. It's called SPOT THE BLACK! There is at least one African-American in the crowd. But compared to the average Tea Party gathering it might as well be a meeting of the KKK.

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Spot the Black!

If the same standards that were applied to the Tea Parties were applied to the Wisconsin protests we could say with no shame that the Wisconsin union protesters are racist!

The Great Government Shutdown of 2011

Dems are trying to overturn the results of a free election by abandoning their offices and responsibility!

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Empty Chairs in the Indiana House Chamber as Dems refuse to do their job!

First it was the dwindling population of Wisconsin Dem state senators who fled the state rather than show up for the work as they were elected to do and face a vote on making benefits for teachers match more closely those of other public workers (still MUCH better than the private sector). Their numbers, decimated in 2010 elections, left them with only the power to deny a quorom by one vote and they used it rather than debate the issue.

In the Indiana house, Dems also got creamed in the 2010 election and like Wisconsin Dems lost control of the legislative body. Dems went from a narrow control of 52-48 seats to a whopping 40-60 seats. A 20 seat majority for Republicans.

Democrats in states like Wisconsin and Indiana have given away the store to labor unions for years and now the bill comes due and they leave town rather than face their responsibility. They are engaging in a form of government shutdown to block the change demanded by the voters.

But this action in these state legislatures is nothing compared to what is coming in Washingtion.

Pelosi, Reid, Obama Angling for Federal Shutdown

The last thing the Governors of Wisconsin or Indiana, and the leaders of their state legislative bodies want is a government shutdown which only makes the problems worse, not better. Sadly, in the White House, and the offices of Harry Reid in the U.S. Senate and Nancy Pelosi in the U.S. House the talk is all about a government shutdown in a high stakes showdown with the budget cutting House Republicans. Hardly a day goes by when a senior Democrat in Washington doesn't hint at a shutdown while always suggesting it will be the fault of the Republicans.

Rather than lead to find a solution which embraces the will of the voters in last November's election the Obama White House is already sending the signal to federal agencies to prepare to close up shop. No doubt the guidelines also include instructions on how to make the most political hay out of the closure.

Overturning a Landslide is a Foolish Thing to Attempt

The voters last November at both the state and federal level sent an unmistakable message that they want government to control spending and to end the cycle of tax and spend that Democrats have used to line the pockets of their union and big government supporters.

Instead of getting that message, Democrats seem stuck in the past with nothing but the same soak the taxpayer demands while resorting to absurd protests organized by union fat cats (guess how much THEY make) which only serve to highlight how the unions have raped the taxpayer at a time when most Americans are struggling.

A Rasmussen polling report indicates a ten point gap in favor of the GOP Governor of Wisconsin's effort to reign in the teacher's union. But the real mandate for efforts to control spending was delivered in the election last November. Democrats can have all the crazy, uncivil protests they want, but will the voters who gave the GOP a 2010 landslide win just look the other way as Dems try and overturn that result?

In 2012 the voters will have another chance to send Washington and state governments a message. If Dems don't wake up and start acting responsibly, they deserve the even worse "shellacking" to come!

11 Year Old Boy Cuffed & Arrested for Drawing Stick Figure w/ Gun At School

If he had used the drawing to protest the Wisconsin Governor, he would have got an "A+"

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NY Daily News: An 11-year-old boy was arrested, fingerprinted and handcuffed by police in Colorado all because of a stick-figure drawing he made in class.

Now his parents say they are out thousands of dollars as a result of the arrest, which took place in October and led to the boy being put on probation.

"It was heart wrenching to see my... 11-year-old son walk out my front door in handcuffs," said the child's mother in a report Monday on Fox 31 News in Denver.

The boy, identified as "Tim" because the family did not want their names used, suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder and was told by his therapist to draw pictures when he feels himself get upset or agitated.

On that day last year, he drew a picture of himself as a stick figure, using a gun to shoot several other stick figure people, his mother said. Above the figures he wrote, "teachers must die" and "music sucks."

"It was what his doctors had told him was the right thing to do," "Jane" said, according to Fox 31 News.
The boy was about to discard the drawing when it was seen by the teacher who sent the child to the Principal's office. Aware that he had a case of Attention Deficit Disorder no apparent action was taken at the school but police later showed up at the child's home and he was arrested and taken away in handcuffs without a parent, fingerprinted, photographed and put in a holding cell.

My Advice: Join the Teachers Protest

Odd that this should happen in a school. Especially when you consider that teachers in Wisconsin are engaged in an illegal protest using graphic gun imagery and "dead or alive" rhetoric directed at the state's governor. [1,2]

This kid and his family should move to Wisconsin, or wait until the illegal union protests strike Colorado and THEN he can use gun imagery to express his frustration, but only, ONLY if it is approved by the teacher and directed at the elected Republican officials!

Or perhaps the family could move to Utah and join teachers on one of their many field trips to vandalize property and threaten the State Superintendent!

A MUST Read: Columnist Ralph Peters Rejects Reagan-Obama Linkage

Photobucket"Get ready for Obama on horseback, wearing a ten-gallon hat and popping jelly beans."

You'll want to read the whole thing, but here's a teaser:

Obama Is the Anti-Reagan
By Ralph Peters
Real Clear Politics
February 22, 2011

In one of the most bizarre political gambits in our history, President Obama and his dwindling band of cheerleaders--nervously eyeing the big game in 2012--have been trying to cast an over-inflated community organizer as the reincarnation of the Gipper.

It ain't working.

No matter how often Obama drops President Reagan's name or how shamelessly his flaks attempt to link this shrinking, spineless president to the bold, visionary giant who turned a broken nation around, nobody's buying this preposterous propaganda.

Comparing Barack Obama to Ronald Reagan is like comparing Bernie Madoff to Warren Buffett: Hustling your clients isn't heroism, and fraud's not a formula for enduring success.

At a press conference last Tuesday, Obama couldn't restrain himself from invoking Reagan's name yet again, associating him with Tip O'Neill (another disgraceful linkage). But you only had to listen to that presser or read the transcript to grasp the immense distance between Obama/Hamlet, forever wringing his hands and wondering, "To be, or not to be?" and Reagan/Henry V embracing a battle the Washington court heralds insisted he could not win.
...
Obama isn't another Ronald Reagan. He's Jimmy Carter Lite, a deer in the headlights of history, overwhelmed by international crises he doesn't understand and that don't make any sense in the politically correct world-view he brought to the Oval Office. This is a president who can't even stand up to Pakistan, let alone lead the free world through the present Valley of the Shadow.
...
Reagan inherited a nation morally and financially gutted during the Carter years and turned it back into not just a shining city on a hill, but a gleaming country atop the summit of history. He rebuilt our economy, our military and our morale.

Obama is crippling our economy, misusing our military, and telling us we're bad people who appreciate neither the glories of Islam, the virtues of squandering trillions, or the boo-hoo-hoo, oh-so-awful difficulties of being president ("Mommy...it's too hard!").

Is "Wanted Dead or alive" Approprate Rhetoric for a Left Wing Protest?

If a Tea Party had signs like this it would be front page news everywhere!

And the worst thing about this is that it isn't an isolated example. Violent left wing rhetoric, even after the Tucson shooting, is commonplace!


Notice how one sign reads "Wisconsin needs true leadership, not threats" and yet right next to it is "Wanted Walker Dead or ALIVE." These people have NO shame!

Publius has additional video with more examples including multiple references to Governor Walker and Republicans as Nazis. Publius adds: "keep this in mind as you review these signs; a large number were created by teachers, responsible for educating the next generation of Americans. Shudder."

Ironic surrealism, who has more on the sign with gun sights over the Governor Walker's photo and reminds us of the words of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi who choked up over fear that violence might erupt from Tea Party and Town Hall protests in September 2009:


In the 2009 video Pelosi said "I think we all have to take action and responsibility for our words," yet when it comes to the union protests in Wisconsin, Pelosi was all for it. In a recent statement she said the protests were “an extraordinary show of democracy in action.”And let's not forget that Obama has wagged his finger at the right on countless occasions, including his lecture on civility after the Tucson shooting and yet his political campaign arm is openly backing the Wisconsin protests.

Can someone please explain to me how it is "democracy" or "free speech" when Democrats prance around with vile signs in great abundance at their protests and yet Tea Partiers, who openly discourage such sentiments at their rallies are said to be "un-American?"

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If there is ever to be any improvement in the political discourse of this nation BOTH SIDES, not just the right, have to be held to the same standard.

And if God forbid, some crazy shooter were to act in Wisconsin, the blame would rightly (for a change) be placed directly on Obama and Pelosi who have done so much to urge on the protesters.

It's past time Democrats were held to the same standards they daily demand of everyone else!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Donald Rumsfeld Disputes the Notion Obama is Admired Around the World

What does CNN's Candy Crowley base her opinion on? Nothing but some vague, unquantifiable idea of "the streets."

Don't you miss Donald Rumsfeld? He doesn't suffer fools gladly. Though I thought he was a bit gentle with CNN's Candy Crowley in this exchange. But just look at the expression on Rumsfeld's face!


From Politico:
Asked on CNN's "State of the Union" by host Candy Crowley whether the U.S. is looked at differently than under his tenure, Rumsfeld replied, “I don't think there's data that supports that.”

"I think [Obama] has made a practice of trying to apologize for America," Rumsfeld said.

Rumsfeld also downplayed Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize.

“He had not accomplished a thing when he got the Nobel Prize. It was given to him on hope,” Rumsfeld said. “He'd been in office 15 minutes.”
As the Middle East burns and hundreds are being butchered by the Iranian and Libyan government the protesters have been right to ask Where is Obama? What did he win the Nobel Peace Prize for if it wasn't to help save lives?

National Christmas Tree Destroyed

But not to worry, Obama's Ramadan Crescent is safe!

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Strong winds felled the National Christmas Tree near the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, February 19, 2011. National Park Service officials said the tree, a Colorado blue spruce from near York, PA , was about 65 years old and will be replaced in time for holiday festivities in December. The fallen tree was itself was planted as a replacement in 1978, the third in a line of holiday trees dating back to 1923.
Note that the last time the National Christmas tree had to be replaced was during the Carter Administration. Do the trees know something we don't? Nah! I think by now most people, let alone the trees, agree that Obama is a big mistake. Just like Carter!

Obamas NOT Invited to Royal Wedding

Michelle will have to make do with a consolation visit in May when no one cares!

Guess who won't be getting one of these in the mail?

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Michelle Obama that's who! The biggest social event of the decade and the Obamas, who have gone out of their way to snub the Brits and disrespect Queen Elizabeth II won't be able to strut their stuff!

Good for William and Kate!

Corruption, Fraud and Medical Malfeasance in Support of Union Protest in Wisconsin

Just another example of how when it comes to supporting a left wing agenda anything goes!

PhotobucketImagine what a teacher would do to your kid if they brought in a fake doctor's note to avoid school. You and your kid would be called to the Principal's office and the seriousness of the offense would be impressed upon you in the most direct terms.

But apparently, when it comes to violating the terms of their contract and calling in sick so as to engage in an illegal labor protest the teachers of Wisconsin don't seem to have the same concerns for ethics and law that they might otherwise impose on their students.

Not only are teachers involved in the Wisconsin protest engaging in an illegal labor action, many are now receiving fake medical notes. Hot Air has the story which was originally reported by the MacIver Institute which has photos, videos and one of the fake medical notes.

These teachers are "sick" alright!

The notes (image here) read in part: "This is confirm I have seen and evaluated the above named patient.Please excuse from work/school due to a medical condition."

From MacIver:
“I asked this doctor what he was doing and he told me they were handing out excuses to people who were feeling sick due to emotional, mental or financial distress,” said Christian Hartsock. “They never performed an exam–he asked me how I was feeling today and I said I’m from California and I’m not used to the cold, so he handed me a note.”

Another woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were handing out excuses like they were leaflets.

“I asked if they were handing out doctors’ excuses and a guy said yes and asked me if I needed one,” she said. “When I told them I needed one for February 16 and 17th, he wondered if I wanted to come back here for the protests next week.”
What happened next?

“I said, ‘sure,’ and I received a doctor’s note for the 16th through the 25th of February, without a medical exam.”
Phonying of medical records must surely be a violation of the standards of practice for physicians in Wisconsin. Surely, some sort of investigation is required by the medical board in that state.

The LIEberal Defense?

The usual suspects in the left wing blog world are lining up to do their best to blunt what is obviously wrong about these fake doctor's notes by suggesting that because the story came to light from conservative blogs and media that somehow this isn't a legitimate issue.

At the Daily Kos, they referred to the videographer and reporters who captured this story as not "disinterested witnesses:
This story is spreading like wildfire through conservative blogs and news outlets. When your wingnut Uncle Crazypants sends it along to you tonight in a capitalized, misspelled email, be sure to inform him—and all the other people on the receiving end of this garbage—about this "disinterested" witness at today's Wisconsin protests.

The point which seems to escape the Daily Kooks and other left wing hate sites is that the story is TRUE, no matter who first reported it. And not even the Daily Kos dared to defend the practice of faking medical records.

What does this say about the justness of the union protesters cause when they resort to fraud, lies and illegal labor activity to make their case?

Saturday, February 19, 2011

People Die in Iran and Libya Protests and Obama Says Nothing. Why?

How is it that he can freely toss a U.S. ally like Egypt under the bus and yet has NO interest in changing regimes of U.S. enemies?
SUNDAY UPDATE:Libyan forces fired again on mourners at funerals. Attacks are being made with machine guns, tanks, helicopters and missiles. Death toll now over 200. [1, 2]

In Iran hundreds of thousands take to the streets again on Sunday to protest the evil Islamic regime.

Where is Obama?
Amnesty International reported on Friday at 46 people had died in anti-government protests in Libya. On Saturday, reports are that 15 mourners at funerals for the protesters killed earlier were gunned down by government agents.


Where is CNN? Where is ABC, NBC, CBS???

Think back to the Egyptian crisis when we had multiple statements coming from the White House. A search of the White House web site shows page after page of statements, press releases and remarks.

Search the White House web site in regard to the Libyan situation and you find one generic statement expressing concern.

Readers will recall that we had a similar problem during the Iranian uprising in 2009 where Obama ignored the situation for about a week while Iranian democracy activists were gunned down in the streets.

Are the lives of Libyans and Iranians worth so much less to Obama? Or is it that he only inserts himself when it comes time to undermine friends and allies and takes a hands off approach to the Middle East dictatorships who are longtime enemies of the United States?

Whose side is Obama on?

Is This What Dems Call Democracy? Vandalism and Threats from Idaho Teachers Protesting Reforms

Where the civility police now? Is the left enabling another Tucson shooter?

We've already covered the disturbing use of a gun sights over the image of Wisconsin's Governor Walker and asked where are the civility police  who tried to link Sarah Palin and conservatives to Jared Loughner, the Tucson shooter? The answer- Obama is using his political machine to support the very protests that spawn the same rhetoric he would condemn loudly if it came from the Tea Parties.

Now, in Idaho we see that the ante of left wing union intimidation has gone one better with the vandalising of the vehicle belonging to Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna:

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Is this what Dems call Democracy? Tires slashed and car spray painted.

What's more, angry teachers have tracked Superintendent Luna to his mother's house and a cafe to confront him in ways that raised concerns for personal safety.
Luna discovered his pickup truck was vandalized and called police about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nampa police report. Two tires were flattened, and black spray paint on the passenger side of the truck spelled out "Luna," then crossed out the word, police said.

It was the second time in the past few days that Luna called police. On Saturday evening, he encountered a man outside his mother's home. The man identified himself as a teacher and said he was upset about Luna’s plan to increase class sizes in Idaho. No arrests were made.

"It was just totally uncalled for," Luna told the Associated Press. "When you look at the emails that have gone out, where they've listed people's addresses, they've listed their home phone numbers, they've said 'Go talk to their neighbors and tell their neighbors to go tell them not to support this.' It's just union thuggery as far as I'm concerned."
Inciting protesters and giving out home addresses and phone numbers is NOT a legitimate form of protest. It IS "union thuggery" and should not only be condemned but prosecuted.

With teacher protests spreading throughout the country, it's incomprehensible that the President of the United States is using his political machine to foment this unrest. The same Obama who lectures Republicans on civility is now the facilitator of intimidation and potentially violent acts!

How long before another Jared Loughner inspired by Obama strikes?

Friday, February 18, 2011

Latest Votes Show House GOP Doing the Job You Sent Them to Do!

Have you said "thank you" with a contribution?

On Thursday, your Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives voted on and passed the following:
  • PASSED two amendments to defund the implementation of ObamaCare.
  • PASSED amendment to block Internal Revenue Service from enforcing the individual mandate in ObamaCare.
  • PASSED amendment to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood
  • PASSED amendment to defund Obama's Czars.
All of this relates to the pending Continuing Resolution to allow government operations to continue. The current resolution expires March 4th.

While these amendments may be overturned by the Senate, they will become the subject of negotiations between the House and Senate and may help force similar votes in the Senate which will also highlight the issues.

Remember Your Member

Check how your Representative voted by consulting the index of roll call votes here. Make sure to thank your member if he/she voted the right way with a contribution to help them as they gear up for their 2012 campaign. And if you are still saddled with a Democrat to represent you in Congress help the National Republican Congressional Campaign with some seed money for 2012.

The bottom line is that your GOP Congress is doing the job you sent them to do. Show them your thanks in the way that count$$$ mo$t!

Egypt My Ass. Teacher Protest in Wisconsin is about Union Greed, NOT Democracy!

Besides, if this is about democracy, the unions need to be reminded that REPUBLICANS WON BIG in Wisconsin state elections in November!

If you have been watching any news at all you know that union protests in Wisconsin are growing and spreading to neighboring states like Ohio and Indiana. The professional protesting class, many of whom are being bussed in by unions in close coordination with the Obama political machine (I thought this was a state issue), carry nasty signs that would get nationwide attention if a Tea Partier carried it. Just to show how unspontaneous and manufactured this protest is, one malcontent was photographed carrying a sign that read on the back "Impeach Bush." Well, we are talking public educators here. Maybe they think Bush is still president.

Democracy is what took place last November!

 When the crowd isn't comparing Republican Wisconsin Governor Walker to Hitler or Hosni Mubarak, they are talking about their protest as being just like that in Egypt. It's all about democracy. Have they forgotten that we had an election back in November in which the Red tide that swept the nation also meant a landslide for the GOP in both the Wisconsin State Assembly, State Senate, Governor's Office, state offices and Congressional races? And that political newcomer  Ron Johnson ousted long time liberal Senator Russ Feingold?

Wisconsin Teachers Living on $2 a day?

And just how ludicrous is it for these overpaid public employees to compare themselves to the protests in Egypt where the average citizen is said to live on $2 a day. Rush Limbaugh brought up a good point on Friday's show. He pointed out that there's a good reason why we don't hear from the protesters, the Obama Administration or any union organizers about how poorly paid the teachers in Wisconsin are. It's because the average teacher salary with benefits in Wisconsin for nine months work is $89,527!

If you think that is high, Wisconsin is 24th of Obama's 57 states (and he went to private school). That makes Wisconsin about the nationwide average. That might just give you a good idea of how badly your state is being taken to the cleaners by greedy teachers and other public employees whose salaries and benefits soar above those in the private sector.

Average STARTING pay $35,000+

Democrats like to point to the gap between rich and poor. But somehow they NEVER point to the gap between private and public sector salaries. And I don't need to tell you why that is. Even a starting teacher in Wisconsin can expect to pull down at least $35,000. WKBT reporter Jades Olds compared starting teacher pay in La Crosse, Wisconsin to that in the similar community across the river in Winona, Minnesota:
Teacher salaries in each district are comparable as well. "Starting salary for this school year was 35,608 dollars," said Jerry Kember, superintendent of La Crosse Schools. Scott Hannon, superintendent of Winona Schools said, "Starting teacher is going to make, in our district, maybe around 35,000 dollars."

When you look at benefits, the numbers are a little different.

According to Winona's superintendent, most teachers on a family plan pay nearly 11,000 dollars a year towards health care coverage.

Beginning July 1st, they'll also have to contribute 6 percent toward their pensions.
In La Crosse, most teachers on a family plan pay a little more than 2,000 dollars a year for health care and their pension is completely covered by taxpayers.

"Wisconsin employees, really on paper and probably realistically have a much better benefit package by not paying into their state retirement plan and also paying in far less for health insurance. They're in kind of an envious spot," said Hannon.
Yet somehow the newly elected Governor of Wisconsin is a hybrid of Hitler and Mubarak for suggesting that teachers contribute SOMETHING, as opposed to the current NOTHING, for their pensions and more towards health care just as they do in neighboring states!

And for all those protesters who are screaming about democracy and their rights, I would remind them again, that they lost state elections in 2010 and the people who voted in the GOP majorities have a right to have their program passed. I would also remind them that when Obama dismissed GOP ideas after he took office in 2009 he did so by saying "I won."  Later in 2009 he said "I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking." And just before Obama and the Dems got shellacked in the 2010 midterms he told the GOP to "sit in the back."

Well guess what you greedy union goons and protesters? You lost, so shut up and sit in the back!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

White Official Tells Black Constituents: "You're Black, go to hell!"

Actually, it was the other way around but at least I got your attention!

Sorry for the trick but I expect that it wouldn't be all the eye catching if I put the headline the way the story actually is. After all, we often excuse this kind of behavior when it comes from the left.
John Wiley Price Tells Citizens To “Go To Hell”

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Tuesday’s Dallas County Commissioner’s Court meeting erupted into an argument between Commissioner John Wiley Price and a citizen, ending with Price repeatedly telling several citizens to “go to hell.”

The exchange started during the public speaking portion of the meeting, which happens after the commissioners have gone through their weekly agenda.

Six citizens addressed the court. All of them talked about the recent controversial departure of county Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet. Sherbet, who was the Elections Administrator for 24 years, said he felt Price and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins forced him out.

The last public speaker at Tuesday’s meeting, Jeff Turner, began by stating that he would refer to “a certain member of the court” — Price — as “the Chief Mullah of Dallas County.”

Court rules state that public speakers may not address individual commissioners by name.
Commissioner Price became incensed at the repeated use of the word "Mullah" which refers to an Islamic cleric, and adjourned the meeting before turning to the audience and saying:
As Price stood to leave, he looked at Turner and the five other citizens who addressed the court. Price said to them, “All of you are white. Go to hell!”

Price repeated “go to hell” three more times. An unknown member of the audience said, “You should be ashamed!”

“I’m not ashamed!” Price answered. “I’m not ashamed! Go to hell!”



Ah well, it's just another example of the kind of one way "civility" we can expect from racist Democrats who daily lecture US on our behavior!

Dems Protest Outside Boehner's Apt. at 7:30 AM

Bad enough they protest outside his home, but they also violate the peace of entire neighborhood!

As Speaker, Nancy Pelosi lived in a luxury two story penthouse condo overlooking the Potomac River. Plenty of security and absolutely no way anyone could protest or picket outside her bedroom window.

House Speaker John Boehner has lived in a rather modest basement apartment on Capitol Hill for years. Here he is after coming up the stairs on the big day he was sworn in as Speaker on January 5th:


Unlike the imperial Pelosi, Boehner's domicile makes him vulnerable to the intrusions of whacko lefties who feel their trumped up grievances entitle them to trample on the rights of others. This they did on Thursday morning:
When did demonstrating at the private homes of politicians or corporate executives become an acceptable way to voice one’s political opinions?

Nearly two dozen activists from DC Vote swarmed House Speaker John Boehner’s Capitol Hill residence at 7:30 Thursday morning, chanting “Don’t tread of D.C.” and “No taxation without representation” to protest congressional “meddling” in the District’s local affairs, in particular a House continuing budget resolution that would cut $80 million in federal payments and prohibit the city from using local funds to pay for needle exchange programs and abortions.

“Speaker Boehner is coming to our home telling us how to spend our money,” Ilir Zherka, the group’s executive director, told his followers. “We decided to come to his house to tell him to leave D.C. alone.”

After Capitol Police officers blocked their way by using bikes to erect a makeshift barricade, the protesters remained outside Boehner’s home for more than an hour.

This is the same tactic used last month by protesters who don’t want Wal-Mart to open a new store in D.C.
The article points out that it wasn't just Boehner who was confronted with this protest but the entire neighborhood who got the early wake up call. Once again, the protesters put their right to be heard above the rights of those who live in the neighborhood.

Sign of more to come as Dems become unhinged!

It's no secret that Obama is the most polarizing president in the last fifty years. And it's easy to understand why as he urged his supporter to "get in their face" and "punish your enemies." Such directives by Obama are one reason why Michael Barone warned in 2008 of the "The Coming Obama Thugocracy."

We are already seeing how protests are getting out of control in places like Wisconsin where teachers are shutting down schools and depriving children of an education rather than discuss any kind of pay reform. Protests in Ohio and New Jersey are also underway.

And as the budget battle gets underway in Washington, expect to see the usual suspects parade their grievances in ever more public, in your face, kinds of demonstrations.

Don't Bush-out on Protests!

The professional protesting left are going to come out of the woodwork and if we make the same mistake that President Bush did during the Iraq war, we will lose the middle ground of Independent voters who only see protests and rarely hear a countering voice.

It's simply not enough to assume that everyone who sees or hears about these ridiculous left wing rent-a-mob protests is going to be turned off to their message. Some conflict averse, poorly informed middle ground voters may just feel that we need to give in just to shut these lefties up. Of course if you give the left an inch they will come back and ask for a mile.

It's not enough for the folks on our side to just go about our business, do the right thing and behave like adults. We certainly must do those things but we must also do more. The vast silent majority whose beliefs are closer to those of the Tea Parties than to those of the rent-a-mob left need to see their values represented IN PUBLIC AND ON THE STREETS.

I'm not suggesting we stand outside Dem politicians homes. I imagine if we did, WE would be arrested. And of course we all know that if a conservative crowd gathered outside the home of a black politician the protest would be called a racist lynch mob.

Tea Partiers and like minded patriots have a host of ways to make their views heard so that the views of the whacko left are not left uncontested. I hope we get organized soon and do what we must to protect the victory we worked so hard to attain last November.

Remember that for the left, losing an election doesn't mean they stop trying to win the war!

Obama Linked to Group Using Violent Rhetoric/Images in Wisconsin Union Protest

Where's the outrage and calls for civility now?
UPDATE: Union Protests Spread to Ohio Capitol. Tea Parties on the scene but outnumbered. As I said in an earlier post, get out there and make some noise or prepare to get rolled over by the professional protesting left!
As I said repeatedly throughout the discussion on civility in the wake of the Tucson shooting that left 5 dead and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) with serious and permanent brain injury, there will be no improvement in civility as long as one side, always the Democrat side, exempts itself from the same rules they daily demand of Republicans.

Little more than six weeks since the Tucson shooting in which Sarah Palin was blamed for inspiring Jared Loughner (even though he did not follow politics, Fox News or Talk Radio) a Democrat group linked directly to Obama's political organization Organizing for America is holding protests in Wisconsin where a gunsight is planted over an image of the Wisconsin Governor, a Republican.

Other protesters carry signs comparing the Governor Walker to Adolf Hitler and ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak.

Here's video documentation from the Wisconsin protest interspersed with Democrat calls for civility and warning of the danger of overheated political rhetoric:


Obama calls Elected Governor's Position "an assault on unions.” "An assault?" Does that give the protesters extra license to oppose Governor Walker's plan even if they break the law? Couldn't such extreme rhetoric coming from the President and his supporters be the match that lights the fuse of an unstable mind?

God forbid there should be another shooting like the massacre in Tucson. But if that horrible day arrives, Democrats will have the blood of innocents on THEIR hands!

Happy Stimulus Day! Are You Better Off Now Than You Were Two Years Ago?

Where are the jobs Obama promised?

Wednesday was the second anniversary of Obama's vaunted Stimulus Bill. It cost about one $Trillion with debt and spending and passage was said to ensure that unemployment would not rise above 8%.

Here's the chart comparing Obama's projected unemployment with the stimulus and the actual figures:

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Readers may also recall that at the beginning of last year Obama and Biden were promising that 2010 would be a recovery year with Biden promising that up to 500,000 jobs would be created each month. We all know the result.

Keep Obama and Biden's promises and the actual result in mind when it comes to looking at their future budget projections and other promises.

Obama Administration Skips Congressional Hearing on Stimulus

When the GOP led House Oversight Committee decided to hold hearings on the success of the stimulus they invited Obama's economic advisers who first suggested the possible results of the stimulus to testify. Both refused. More on the Stimulus side step at the blog of Speaker Boehner.

The lesson we learn from this is that Obama and the Dems will say ANYTHING to sake of political advancement. But what they actually end up doing brings more harm than help!

Where Are Tea Party Protests in Favor of Budget Cuts?

Dems are mobilizing the usual suspects to sway public opinion. Where is Tea Party response?

The lesson of Pontius Pilate

Those who remember the biblical story of the trial of Jesus will recall that Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea, stood before the crowd in Jerusalem and offered them a choice between saving the life of Jesus Christ and the criminal Barabbas as a traditional token of clemency on the eve of the Passover feast.

The crowd yelled both for the release of Jesus and for Barabbas. And yet Pilate, who had sought a way to free Jesus, freed Barabbas instead. Asked later why he did so the answer was simple: Barabbas's followers shouted louder.

Pilate was a politician and even though it appears he thought freeing Jesus was the just course, he was compelled by political reality to accept the demands of the mob.

Who Will Shout Louder in Budget Battle?

Once again, an angry mob is descending on Washington. It is an army of professional liberal malcontents funded by the massive progressive/socialist complex led by George Soros and company. Their aim is to derail GOP budget cutting efforts in the House of Representatives and tar the GOP so badly that it will make Obama's re-election in 2012 more likely and a GOP takeover of the Senate impossible. Anyone who remembers how Newt Gingrich and the GOP Congress were tarred and feathered in 1995 should take heed.

While House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan is dealing with the tough issue of enacting real spending reform, Democrats in the House and around the country are ramping up the circus and the scare campaign.

First evidence of the circus comes as costumed characters from the PBS programs "Sesame Street" and "Arthur" linked up with a Dem Congressman on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to protest cuts in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which funds groups like the uber-liberal National Public Radio. Spreading their message across the country in a coordinated campaign, columns like this one in the Tampa Tribune feature large photos of lovable fuzzy Sesamee Street characters and text which extols the virture of public broadcasting while ignoring the evident liberal bias.

Next up is the big scare technique. Any day we might expect Dems to accuse Republicans of wanting to cut off senior citizens retirement checks. Already, the scaremongering over repeal of ObamaCare has begun. Then, there  this reprehensible ad by Moveon.org (funded by George Soros) which suggests that an effort to eliminate taxpayer funding for abortions (didn't Obama already promise us that NO taxpayer money would pay for abortions?) means women will be forced to use coat hangers:

A different tactic is being used on the state level in Wisconsin where the unions are protesting changes in the collective bargaining agreement with the state. Teachers took students out of school and dragged them to the State Capitol to protest. The kids didn't even know why they were there. Dems and their union allies will do ANYTHING to win!

Let's Go Egypt on Obama!

GOP Leaders on Capitol Hill are doing their very best to remain above the fray and stick to the issues. And even if they were to take on this left wing scaremongering and demagoguery we all know that the "news" media would likely ignore much of what they said.

So, it's up to us here in the grassroots to make some noise. Do you want the GOP led efforts to cut the budget and begin the process of restoring fiscal sanity in Washington to succeed? If so, start organizing those protests, town halls, marches, letters to the editor, whatever it takes.

Perhaps folks on our side thought we could take a break after winning the biggest Republican victory in a midterm election in 80 years. But sadly, our victory simply caused our liberal opponents to redouble our efforts. If we remain on the sidelines now, they will snatch our victory away before our eyes.

We cannot just sit back and expect that our sound arguments are enough to win. We have to engage in the streets and as Obama told his followers, we must "get in their face" so the "news" media will be forced to report our side of the story.

Don't let the Barabbas crowd shout louder this time and condemn the new GOP Congress to the crucifixion Democrats have planned for it!

Make

Some

NOISE!!!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Chart Shows Damage Done by Obama in Two Years

How's that hope and change working out for you?

Remember Peggy Joseph who took her daughter out of school early so they could both attend an Obama rally in Florida during 2008?


Well Peggy, here's an education for your daughter that she won't find in a government controlled school. It's the record of what Obama's policies have done to the country in just two years:

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Source notes at Dick Morris.com

Just imagine how much worse this chart will look in another two years!

hat tip to Always on Watch!

The Coming Obama/IRS Shakedown: You thought you were getting healthcare but got an IRS audit instead!

Obama 2012 budget includes funding to hire 5,100 new IRS agents!


Hidden deep in Obama's proposed 2012 budget is the request for the hiring of 5,100 new IRS agents to enforce the big taxing dictates of the Obama machine. 1,054 of those agents will be hired to support the initial phase of implementation for ObamaCare. Of those, 81 will be hired just to monitor tanning salons which are required to pay the new tanning tax.

And this new IRS army is just the beginning. The left scoffed at GOP complaints about ObamaCare requiring 16,000 new IRS agents but with this budget we are already one third towards that goal.

Question: Will the so-called "fact checkers" who said GOP concerns over the IRS were wrong now issue a correction?

CBS News Reporter Sexually Assaulted and Beat in Cairo Square During Victory Celebration

Remember how we have been told not to worry about the protesters?
(CBSNews) On Friday, Feb. 11, the day Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan was covering the jubilation in Tahrir Square for a "60 Minutes" story when she and her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration. It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into frenzy.

In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers. She reconnected with the CBS team, returned to her hotel and returned to the United States on the first flight the next morning. She is currently in the hospital recovering.
Lovely! Do these people sound like freedom lovers to you?
Allahu Akbar!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The LAST Thing You Would Call Obama's Budget is "Fiscally Responsible"

Obama votes "present" again with new budget and ignores the need for REAL leadership during deficit crisis!

Obama made a lot of noise in his press conference Tuesday talking about his new budget and saying how how it met his campaign pledge to be fiscally responsible:

Just like every family in America, the federal government has to do two things at once. It has to live within its means while still investing in the future. If you’re a family trying to cut back, you might skip going out to dinner, you might put off a vacation. But you wouldn’t want to sacrifice saving for your kids’ college education or making key repairs in your house. So you cut back on what you can’t afford to focus on what you can’t do without. And that’s what we’ve done with this year’s budget.
After a few moments the laughter died down and people realized he actually believed what he said. Yet, the facts of his budget and his past spending show us the truth. The Cato Institute put these graphs together:

In his press conference Obama said he would take a "scalpel to the discretionary budget rather than a machete," yet it seems he hasn't used a pair of tweezers. Chris Edwards from Cato sums up Obama's plan "Last year, Obama proposed 2012 discretionary outlays of $1.30 trillion. This year, Obama proposed 2012 discretionary outlays of $1.34 trillion." And in the long run, no change at all:
Last year, Obama’s budget showed public debt rising to 77 percent of GDP by 2020. Yet despite all the administration’s expressed concern about rising debt, the new budget has exactly the same debt target in 2020 of 77 percent.
Spending in 2011 is the highest share of GDP since WWII at 25.3 percent.

Other than a war on common sense, could someone tell me what war Obama is fighting?

The Crying Game: President George H.W. Bush Gets Emotional for Valentines Day

And he picks up the Presidential Medal of Freedom!

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President Barack Obama presents a 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom to former President George H.W. Bush, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
With all the Reagan hoopla this past week or so it's good to get another reminder about another solid American leader: former President George H.W. Bush. Reagan was a hard act for him to follow but he did it well and with the same grace and class that was passed down to his son George W.

And like Ron and Nancy Reagans The elder Bush's were not only a power couple but a loving one as well. A day earlier, on Valentines Day, Jenna Bush Hager, the granddaughter of George and Barbara Bush and daughter of George W. Bush interviewed her grandparents for the Today Show:



Former president George H.W. Bush choked up on NBC's Today show while reading one of the many love letters he has written wife Barbara over the years -- this one from Jan. 6, 1994, their 49th wedding anniversary.

The ex-president's crying jag drew an "I love you" from the former first lady -- and a crack referring to the equally emotional congressional Republican John Boehner.

"You know what?" Barbara told George. "You could be speaker of the House."
This reminds me of the last time I saw both the President and First Lady Barbara Bush in person. It was at the White House the day after the 1992 election loss to Bill Clinton. The Bushes and Quayles were forced to walk the gauntlet of cheering and flag waving supporters along the entire length of the South Lawn to the mansion. They looked very tired and worn as they ran up the rope line. It was an emotional day for us all. It's good to see that later life has been so kind to them.
Don't you miss them?

Monday, February 14, 2011

Pro Democracy Protests in Iran: Where is Obama?

Why is his praise for Mubarak's downfall not matched by encouragement for the fall of the Mullahs in Iran?

During the Egyptian crisis not a day went by when Obama, or members of his Administration weren't preening for the cameras making one statement after another, many of which were contradictory. Yet even through that fog it seemed Obama supported the overthrow of Mubarak.

But when it comes to overthrowing the Iranian regime which has been the prime mover and shaker for Islamic terrorism worldwide and directly implicated in the killings of hundreds of Americans (1,2) where is he?

When protests over a rigged election erupted in Iran in 2009, Obama remained silent for a week. Protesters who were dying in the streets of Iran at the hands of the government in a way not seen in Egypt asked "Obama are you with us or with them? [video]"

And now, in the wake of protests in Egypt, Iran's pro-democracy forces took to the streets again on Monday and at least one protester was killed. Where's Obama? Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came out in favor of the Iranian protests, but where is Obama?

None of the confusion surrounding the Egyptian crisis exists when it comes to the overthrow of the Iranian regime. It's simply inconceivable that replacing that malignancy would be worse than the status quo. So, why hasn't Obama gone full out in favor of change in Iran?

Playing nice with Iran the past two years has gotten us nowhere. The Iranians are going full speed toward building a nuclear weapon. Their agents still kill Americans in Afghanistan, even Iraq, when they have the chance. And now, another opportunity where strong support from the top in the U.S. might, just might, make a difference and Obama votes present.

Teddy Roosevelt, a great enough president to get his likeness chiseled onto Mount Rushmore, once said "Speak softly and carry a big stick and you will go far." When it really matters, Obama is not speaking at all and he has thrown the stick away!

Obama Has No Vision/Strategy for Foreign Policy

"A succession of speeches saying, in essence, "I am not George W. Bush" is no substitute for a strategy."--Niall Ferguson

We were told that Barack Hussein Obama's law degree from Harvard meant that he was among the smartest men ever to be elected President. Those who suggested that forgot that President Bush had an MBA from Harvard. But if Harvard is the standard for brilliance, allow me to share with you the bio of the author of the piece below:
Niall Ferguson is a professor of history at Harvard University and a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. He is also a senior research fellow at Jesus College, Oxford University, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
Pretty smart guy wouldn't you say? His column, appearing in both Newsweek and the Daily Beast is a must read for those who want to understand the danger of a U.S. foreign policy that is adrift without an anchor of strategy and vision. You'll want to read it all, but for those pressed for time here's the short version:
The wave Obama just missed—again—is the revolutionary wave of Middle Eastern democracy. It has surged through the region twice since he was elected: once in Iran in the summer of 2009, the second time right across North Africa, from Tunisia all the way down the Red Sea to Yemen. But the swell has been biggest in Egypt, the Middle East's most populous country.

In each case, the president faced stark alternatives. He could try to catch the wave, Bismarck style, by lending his support to the youthful revolutionaries and trying to ride it in a direction advantageous to American interests. Or he could do nothing and let the forces of reaction prevail. In the case of Iran, he did nothing, and the thugs of the Islamic Republic ruthlessly crushed the demonstrations. This time around, in Egypt, it was worse. He did both—some days exhorting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to leave, other days drawing back and recommending an "orderly transition."

The result has been a foreign-policy debacle. The president has alienated everybody: not only Mubarak's cronies in the military, but also the youthful crowds in the streets of Cairo. Whoever ultimately wins, Obama loses. And the alienation doesn't end there. America's two closest friends in the region—Israel and Saudi Arabia—are both disgusted.
...
This failure was not the result of bad luck. It was the predictable consequence of the Obama administration's lack of any kind of coherent grand strategy, a deficit about which more than a few veterans of U.S. foreign-policymaking have long worried. The president himself is not wholly to blame. Although cosmopolitan by both birth and upbringing, Obama was an unusually parochial politician prior to his election, judging by his scant public pronouncements on foreign-policy issues.
...
The contrast between the foreign policy of the Nixon-Ford years and that of President Jimmy Carter is a stark reminder of how easily foreign policy can founder when there is a failure of strategic thinking. The Iranian revolution of 1979, which took the Carter administration wholly by surprise, was a catastrophe far greater than the loss of South Vietnam.

Remind you of anything? "This is what happens when you get caught by surprise," an anonymous American official told The New York Times last week. "We've had endless strategy sessions for the past two years on Mideast peace, on containing Iran. And how many of them factored in the possibility that Egypt moves from stability to moil? None."
...
Grand strategy is all about the necessity of choice. Today, it means choosing between a daunting list of objectives: to resist the spread of radical Islam, to limit Iran's ambition to become dominant in the Middle East, to contain the rise of China as an economic rival, to guard against a Russian "reconquista" of Eastern Europe—and so on. The defining characteristic of Obama's foreign policy has been not just a failure to prioritize, but also a failure to recognize the need to do so. A succession of speeches saying, in essence, "I am not George W. Bush" is no substitute for a strategy.
Obama Cut Pro-Democracy Funds for Egypt

In the wake of Mubarak's resignation, Obama rushed to the microphones to say that " Egypt will never be the same," and went on to suggest that "Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day."

What a shame that Obama CUT the funding to pro-democracy groups in Egypt, and Iran too, back in 2009. Money that the Bush Administration had supplied to both Egypt and Iran to monitor human rights, support free elections and foster democracy was cut by more than half when Obama took over.

Foreign policy is difficult enough even when those crafting it have a plan and a vision for where they want to guide U.S. policy. But with only speeches and a wagging finger Obama has made himself and U.S. interests irrelevant.

It's too soon to say what the long term damage will be from Obama's abdication of presidential leadership. But in a dangerous world, Obama's inexperience and lack of qualifications are putting U.S. interests and ultimately world peace at risk.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

If a $100 Billion Cut in Spending is "Draconian," How Would You Describe a $TRILLION Spending Bill?

Big spending Dems to continue false attacks on fiscal hawks. Nothing new about that!

Not so long ago a bill coming from Congress costing billions was reason for concern among those who take fiscal responsibility seriously. In the first two years of the Obama-Reid-Pelosi triumvirate trillion became the new billion. Even then there seemed little concern for spending. No longer did anyone balk at tossing in another twenty, fifty or one hundred billion into a spending bill which totaled around a trillion dollars. Obama's stimulus, health care and agency budgets drove the budgetary red ink through the ceiling resulting in the most massive peacetime deficits in the nation's history.

Now that the horse has bolted, Obama wants to close the barn door. In his Weekly Radio Address he described the budget he will introduce on Monday as one that will address the problem of rising deficits. "After a decade of rising deficits, this budget asks Washington to live within its means," he said. He went on to describe a five year spending freeze that he expects will cut the deficit by $400 billion over ten years and total savings of over one trillion.

Of course freezing spending at the stratospherically high levels set by Obama and the Dems in the last two years seems an odd way of establishing financial discipline.

Why No Dems Decrying Obama's "Draconian" Cuts?
Even cuts of $100 billion per year isn't much considering the size of the deficit expected to be $1.5 TRILLION this year. But that's Obama's starting point. It's also the GOP starting point. After an initially timid request to cut only $74 billion, House Republicans stiffened their spines and came back with a plan to cut $100 billion as they had promised during last fall's campaign.

House GOP leaders also revealed a plan to cut $32 billion from spending for this year. Senate Dem leader Harry Reid responded with the usual canned outrage calling the proposed cuts "draconian." If $32 billion is draconian, what about Obama's proposed reductions?

Why no outrage from Reid over Obama's cuts? Because Reid knows they are unlikely to happen. Obama will TALK about fiscal responsibility while giving a wink and a nod to Democrats in congress as they continue spending like there is no tomorrow.

Reid's attacks on Republicans are nothing more than the usual scare politics Democrats have employed for decades to derail any real fiscal discipline in Washington. Any day we can expect the standard parade of victims brought to Capitol Hill to tell us why the massive double digit increases in agency budgets over the last two years are all that keeps a poor family from starving.

Some Perspective

As this repeat with the usual suspects plays out remember that other members of your family and associates may be less well informed and more susceptible to the parade of victims than you are. You'll need to counter the scaremongering coming from Democrats with easily understood information. The following video makes a great presentation to help in that cause:




And if that doesn't do the trick, show your friends, family and associates the information about public school employees in Illinois cashing it in with huge pensions. All at taxpayer expense. It's likely that the same thing is happening in your state.

The bottom line is that there is plenty that can and should be cut from government spending. One hundred billion is a drop in the bucket and certainly not enough. Those who suggest cuts of that size are "draconian" should be laughed off the stage!
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