I guess they don't get internet access in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. If they do, Osama Bin Laden apparently missed the ClimateGate bruhaha. Another audio tape from Bin Laden has been released today, and in it, the terror leader calls for a boycott of American goods and the dollar because of America's contribution to 'Global Warming'.
Is it just me, or is it weird that al Qaeda is triangulating like this? Do I smell a faint whisp of desperation? I guess all of the hard-core Islamic religious fanatics have all blown themselves up or been captured, so now Bin Laden is being forced to recruit a different type of religious fanatic - Gaia worshipping eco-terrorists.
Good luck with that. Those eco-freaks are crazy. Just be careful, they can turn on you in a heartbeat!
What's next with this guy - boycotting Whole Foods because they oppose the health care reform that his jihadis desperately need when their mission fails and they burn their bits off? Maybe a sit-in at a cattle ranch to protest cow flatulence and the evil ways of decadent Western meat eaters?
Does this mean he will no longer accept that dirty middle eastern oil money for his terror plots?
I wonder if Bin Laden knows what the carbon footprint is on a suicide bomber. Hey, perhaps now he will stop trying to obtain a dirty bomb because it it so environmentally reckless - after all, it's not so much a problem with killing millions of innocent civilians, it's about being a good steward of the environment! Can you imagine the carbon offset credits he would have to buy? What do you think the odds are that in his next video he will be munching granola and sporting a "Make love, not war" t-shirt?
Doesn't it sometimes feel like we're smack dab in the middle of a bad Twilight Zone episode?
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
THE STATE OF OBAMA
Was it just me or was that an incredibly boring speech last night from the Great Orator? It just seemed like a rehash of the past bazillion speeches he has given. Blah, blah, blah, blame Bush....blah, blah, blah, party of no...blah, blah, blah, attack, complain, deceive. No wonder his democrat supporters wanted to get drunk.
At least he expanded his rhetorical attacks to include the Supreme Court, so that's a refreshing change - I'm sure congressional Republicans and Wall Street bankers are happy for the break.
The only thing that kept the speech from being a total snoozefest was the remarkable amount of, shall we say...inconsistencies. The AP does a fact check analysis of the speech and finds it wanting. Here are some highlights:
That isn't the complete list, but they are the most egregious ones. On top of flat out lies, he also omitted quite a bit. In a State of the Union speech, especially in our post 9/11 world, and even more especially because of the failed Christmas Day attempt, national security should be a main talking point. It was barely given a paragraph, and even then it was a slam on George Bush:
The insinuation, of course, is that he is tougher on terror than Bush was. First, it is impossible to verify, as we do not release body counts. Second, it's hard to project that image when he insists on treating terrorists who are actively trying to kill American civilians as common criminals and has restricted our military's ability to combat our enemies by forcing them to follow the Army field manual - effectively giving our civilian police forces more options and tactics than our military.
He basically stated that, Massachusetts election or not, he was sticking with his agenda. He has heard the people and found them to be wrong. He knows best. Health care is still a priority and he is still determined to spend us intocollapse prosperity. He is not misguided in his plans, he is determined. He is a fully committed socialist who is refusing to bend to the will of the people. His tactic is to attack any and all resistance and force his will on the People.
When, exactly, do we cross the threshold from tone-deaf to tyrannical?
At least he expanded his rhetorical attacks to include the Supreme Court, so that's a refreshing change - I'm sure congressional Republicans and Wall Street bankers are happy for the break.
The only thing that kept the speech from being a total snoozefest was the remarkable amount of, shall we say...inconsistencies. The AP does a fact check analysis of the speech and finds it wanting. Here are some highlights:
- Spending Freeze - It's unrealistic, probably won't pass, and doesn't rescind the 12% average increases democrats instituted last year with the stimmulus bill. Pelosi, tone-deaf idiot that she is, called today for the freeze to include defense spending as well. For the details on what a waste a freeze would be, check this out.
- Bipartisan Fiscal Commission - A lame attempt to shield democrats from their profligate ways by forcing republicans to help make unpopular spending cuts and tax increases. This is also remarkably redundant, because one of the jobs of Congress is to be fiscally responsible and monitor their own spending.
- Lobbyists - Is he kidding us with this? Does he really think we don't know there are at least 12 lobbyists currently holding top positions in his administration?
- Jobs - Obama trotted out the number "two million" when he spoke about jobs 'saved or created'. This number is a joke. Back in December, the number on their website was about 650,000, but many of those were highly questionable. It's amazing that in one month they managed to add an additional 1.35 million jobs, even though the unemployment figures took another 'unexpected' dip. I guess that comes from their new calculation method - if a company takes stimulus dollars, every job in the company is now considered saved or created. Quite a racket.
- Transparency - I'm surprised the man doesn't clang when he walks - he must have a huge brass pair to tout transparency after the past year. FOIA requests are ignored by the White House, and we all know about his broken promise of CSPAN cameras capturing the health care debate. Backroom deals and dead-of-night passage of legislation has become the norm for this administration. Not only are bills not posted for 5 days for the public to read before voting, but now they aren't even released to members of Congress to read - vapor bills have become the norm. They are actually voting before they write the bills now.
That isn't the complete list, but they are the most egregious ones. On top of flat out lies, he also omitted quite a bit. In a State of the Union speech, especially in our post 9/11 world, and even more especially because of the failed Christmas Day attempt, national security should be a main talking point. It was barely given a paragraph, and even then it was a slam on George Bush:
"And in the last year, hundreds of al-Qaida's fighters and affiliates, including many senior leaders, have been captured or killed - far more than in 2008."
The insinuation, of course, is that he is tougher on terror than Bush was. First, it is impossible to verify, as we do not release body counts. Second, it's hard to project that image when he insists on treating terrorists who are actively trying to kill American civilians as common criminals and has restricted our military's ability to combat our enemies by forcing them to follow the Army field manual - effectively giving our civilian police forces more options and tactics than our military.
He basically stated that, Massachusetts election or not, he was sticking with his agenda. He has heard the people and found them to be wrong. He knows best. Health care is still a priority and he is still determined to spend us into
When, exactly, do we cross the threshold from tone-deaf to tyrannical?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
AGW IS MELTING AWAY
There has been a lot trickling out over the past week or so regarding the UN's IPCC and erronious reports. The first report was about a part of the 2007 report that talked about the glaciers of the Himalayas melting completely away by 2035.
The melting glaciers were a major talking point for AGW alarmists. Their argument was backed up by the IPCC report citing their demise, and, of course, the science was irrefutable because the IPCC only puts out quality, well researched reports.
Eh, not so much.
Turns out the 'report' was the product of a quote from a scientist during a media interview that wasn't backed in any way by studies or science. It was basically hysterical ravings that were taken as proven fact and published by the preeminent panel for AGW. It was just a mistake, the IPCC explained.
Then came the revelation that it was put in the report for purely political reasons. Apparently the lead author of the 2007 report knew that the claim was false but included it anyway in order to pressure world leaders to take stronger action on AGW.
James Delingpole of the UK's Telegraph has the scoop on the latest. In the 2007 report, the claim is made that up to 40% of the Amazon rainforest is in danger of a drastic reaction to changes in precipitation due to climate change. The report asserts that the reaction would be a change from a rainforest environment to a tropical savannah. The report cites Andy Rowell and Dr. P.F. Moore's 2000 report on global forest fires.
The problem with Andy Rowell and Dr. P.F. Moore and their report is that they are affiliated with WWF and IUCN. The World Wildlife Foundation is an environmental activist group focused on conservation, as is the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Dr. Moore is not an Amazon specialist, he is a policy analyst. As for Andy Rowell, he is a green activist and a reporter for the UK's Guardian newspaper. Their non-peer-reviewed paper is apparently just the tip of the iceburg. It turns out there is a long list of non-peer reviewed WWF papers that have been cited as evidence in the IPCC report. That violates the IPCC's rules for inclusion - all papers must be peer reviewed. And, one would assume, based on some sort of science, not some scientist spitballing a what-if scenario to illustrate their alarmist visions.
Let's not forget, too, that the chairman of the IPCC, Dr. Rajendra Pachuri, is in hot water himself. Mr. Pachuri has been investing heavily in companies that are being recommended by the IPCC. He has shrugged it off, of course, as has the other champion of AGW, Al Gore. There are those calling for his resignation, but he refuses to step down, naturally.
The 2007 IPCC report that has all of the flaws I have been discussing is also the one that won the shared Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. Since the report is being shown daily to be filled with false information and supposition, not science, does that mean the prize will be rescinded?
Oh, if only.....
Global warming is now dead last on the list of priorities for Americans, so at least it seems people are paying attention instead of just blindly believing the AGW hysterics. It's a start. When the Europeans start wising up, I'll breathe easier. But at least people are wising up to the scam, and it's happening before our governments sink trillions of dollars into it and cede our sovereignty to some global government.
So when do we get to bring Gore up on charges? How about taking away his Oscars and all the other prizes his fraudulent 'documentary' garnered?
Heck, I'd just be happy if they would stop peddling this AGW crap in the schools - I'm getting tired of having to deprogram my kids every year.
The melting glaciers were a major talking point for AGW alarmists. Their argument was backed up by the IPCC report citing their demise, and, of course, the science was irrefutable because the IPCC only puts out quality, well researched reports.
Eh, not so much.
Turns out the 'report' was the product of a quote from a scientist during a media interview that wasn't backed in any way by studies or science. It was basically hysterical ravings that were taken as proven fact and published by the preeminent panel for AGW. It was just a mistake, the IPCC explained.
Then came the revelation that it was put in the report for purely political reasons. Apparently the lead author of the 2007 report knew that the claim was false but included it anyway in order to pressure world leaders to take stronger action on AGW.
“We thought that if we can highlight it, it will impact policy makers and politicians and encourage them to take some concrete action.” In other words, Rose says, Lal “last night admitted [the scary figure] was included purely to put political pressure on world leaders.”
James Delingpole of the UK's Telegraph has the scoop on the latest. In the 2007 report, the claim is made that up to 40% of the Amazon rainforest is in danger of a drastic reaction to changes in precipitation due to climate change. The report asserts that the reaction would be a change from a rainforest environment to a tropical savannah. The report cites Andy Rowell and Dr. P.F. Moore's 2000 report on global forest fires.
The problem with Andy Rowell and Dr. P.F. Moore and their report is that they are affiliated with WWF and IUCN. The World Wildlife Foundation is an environmental activist group focused on conservation, as is the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Dr. Moore is not an Amazon specialist, he is a policy analyst. As for Andy Rowell, he is a green activist and a reporter for the UK's Guardian newspaper. Their non-peer-reviewed paper is apparently just the tip of the iceburg. It turns out there is a long list of non-peer reviewed WWF papers that have been cited as evidence in the IPCC report. That violates the IPCC's rules for inclusion - all papers must be peer reviewed. And, one would assume, based on some sort of science, not some scientist spitballing a what-if scenario to illustrate their alarmist visions.
Let's not forget, too, that the chairman of the IPCC, Dr. Rajendra Pachuri, is in hot water himself. Mr. Pachuri has been investing heavily in companies that are being recommended by the IPCC. He has shrugged it off, of course, as has the other champion of AGW, Al Gore. There are those calling for his resignation, but he refuses to step down, naturally.
The 2007 IPCC report that has all of the flaws I have been discussing is also the one that won the shared Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. Since the report is being shown daily to be filled with false information and supposition, not science, does that mean the prize will be rescinded?
Oh, if only.....
Global warming is now dead last on the list of priorities for Americans, so at least it seems people are paying attention instead of just blindly believing the AGW hysterics. It's a start. When the Europeans start wising up, I'll breathe easier. But at least people are wising up to the scam, and it's happening before our governments sink trillions of dollars into it and cede our sovereignty to some global government.
So when do we get to bring Gore up on charges? How about taking away his Oscars and all the other prizes his fraudulent 'documentary' garnered?
Heck, I'd just be happy if they would stop peddling this AGW crap in the schools - I'm getting tired of having to deprogram my kids every year.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
SHEER INSANITY
It has really been a trip listening to the progressive spin coming out of Washington. They just don't know what to do with themselves about the Scott Brown election.
It's not just that they have lost touch with the American people, it's that they seem to have lost touch with reality. Robert Gibbs' performance on Sunday with Chris Wallace was jaw dropping. At least, that's what happened to me when I heard this:
Whaaat??? Maybe Gibbsy got 'support' and 'oppose' confused. Those opposites can be tricky......
Thankfully, Congressman Marion Berry has brought the peons the word from On High - his Supreme Oneness is not concerned about the upcoming elections. After all, the difference between the 1994 election and the 2010 election, according to the Teleprompter Kid, is "me". Cue the choir of angels (ugh - it sounds suspiciously like a drunken Janeane Garofalo karaokeing "Obama Girl").
It's a good thing the White House is a big place with high ceilings - Ego Boy needs the clearance.
Meanwhile, David Plouffe is urging immediate passage of ObamaCare, arguing that once it's passed and we find out what's in it, we will love it. Tell you what, Mr. Plouffe - why don't you have your masters put the bills online like they promised so the people who are paying for this mess will know what bill of goods they are really being sold. That way we can let you know if we like it before they vote for it.
It seems our esteemed Leader has been busy with a make-or-break speech at Graham Road Elementary, so his distraction is excusable. BTW - what really bothers me about that picture is twofold: first, does he really need the podium, complete with Presidential Seal, and teleprompters to address school kids? And second, am I the only one alarmed that he requires two teleprompters for 'spontaneous' questions from the press pool?
But I digress.
It's all getting a bit bizzarre lately. My initial euphoria over the events of last week and the potential demise of ObamaCare have receded into a wary edginess. After a few sporadic statements of defeat, Obama seems to be rallying the troops to pass something (anything). It's rather like a
trapped animal - they seem resigned to their fate, but that is when they are their most dangerous and unpredictable, because they are desperate.
Make no mistake - the democrats are desperate. And like many trapped animals, they are willing to chew off their own leg and potentially bleed to death to escape. Unfortunately for us in this case, if they do chew their leg off, we will be the ones stuck trying to stem the bleeding with their nightmare health care bill.
The icing on the cake is the new, improved packaging they are wrapping Obama in. After all, it's all about the presentation, now isn't it? No need for substance with this party - perception is reality! Let's see - a tax and spend progressive who is blatantly ignoring his constituency suddenly pivots to become Mr. Populist less than a week after a major loss. Sure, that's believable.
Rebrand, rename, realign! It's a good thing they are rudderless and not anchored down with pesky morals and principles. Boy, can they put a damper on overreaching, unpopular agendas!
It all seems to be falling apart, though. Democrats are abandoning ship at a surprising clip. Benedict Arlen is off in a corner banging his head against the wall groaning "act like a lady, act like a lady" while various factions tear each others throats out and Valerie Jarrett wanders aimlessly, fingers in her ears, babbling "I disagree with everything you just said".
And all the while, our intrepid Captain is at the stern of the Ship of State pointing at the sunset shouting "Damn the Tea Partiers, full speed ahead!"
Fear not, fellow sailor - the democrats won't sink the ship. One of the terrorists they farmed out to Yemen or let off on a technicality in criminal court will blow us up long before the democrats do.
It's not just that they have lost touch with the American people, it's that they seem to have lost touch with reality. Robert Gibbs' performance on Sunday with Chris Wallace was jaw dropping. At least, that's what happened to me when I heard this:
"More people voted to express their support for Barack Obama than to oppose him."
Whaaat??? Maybe Gibbsy got 'support' and 'oppose' confused. Those opposites can be tricky......
Thankfully, Congressman Marion Berry has brought the peons the word from On High - his Supreme Oneness is not concerned about the upcoming elections. After all, the difference between the 1994 election and the 2010 election, according to the Teleprompter Kid, is "me". Cue the choir of angels (ugh - it sounds suspiciously like a drunken Janeane Garofalo karaokeing "Obama Girl").
It's a good thing the White House is a big place with high ceilings - Ego Boy needs the clearance.
Meanwhile, David Plouffe is urging immediate passage of ObamaCare, arguing that once it's passed and we find out what's in it, we will love it. Tell you what, Mr. Plouffe - why don't you have your masters put the bills online like they promised so the people who are paying for this mess will know what bill of goods they are really being sold. That way we can let you know if we like it before they vote for it.
It seems our esteemed Leader has been busy with a make-or-break speech at Graham Road Elementary, so his distraction is excusable. BTW - what really bothers me about that picture is twofold: first, does he really need the podium, complete with Presidential Seal, and teleprompters to address school kids? And second, am I the only one alarmed that he requires two teleprompters for 'spontaneous' questions from the press pool?
But I digress.
It's all getting a bit bizzarre lately. My initial euphoria over the events of last week and the potential demise of ObamaCare have receded into a wary edginess. After a few sporadic statements of defeat, Obama seems to be rallying the troops to pass something (anything). It's rather like a
trapped animal - they seem resigned to their fate, but that is when they are their most dangerous and unpredictable, because they are desperate.
Make no mistake - the democrats are desperate. And like many trapped animals, they are willing to chew off their own leg and potentially bleed to death to escape. Unfortunately for us in this case, if they do chew their leg off, we will be the ones stuck trying to stem the bleeding with their nightmare health care bill.
The icing on the cake is the new, improved packaging they are wrapping Obama in. After all, it's all about the presentation, now isn't it? No need for substance with this party - perception is reality! Let's see - a tax and spend progressive who is blatantly ignoring his constituency suddenly pivots to become Mr. Populist less than a week after a major loss. Sure, that's believable.
Rebrand, rename, realign! It's a good thing they are rudderless and not anchored down with pesky morals and principles. Boy, can they put a damper on overreaching, unpopular agendas!
It all seems to be falling apart, though. Democrats are abandoning ship at a surprising clip. Benedict Arlen is off in a corner banging his head against the wall groaning "act like a lady, act like a lady" while various factions tear each others throats out and Valerie Jarrett wanders aimlessly, fingers in her ears, babbling "I disagree with everything you just said".
And all the while, our intrepid Captain is at the stern of the Ship of State pointing at the sunset shouting "Damn the Tea Partiers, full speed ahead!"
Fear not, fellow sailor - the democrats won't sink the ship. One of the terrorists they farmed out to Yemen or let off on a technicality in criminal court will blow us up long before the democrats do.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
THE BEAST IS DEAD
Praise God, hallelujah!! The beast that is Obama Care is dead!!
Pelosi finally gave up the ghost after a last ditch closed door negotiation session with House democrats. I guess all the arms that could be twisted have been twisted:
Don't worry, though, they are still scheming to try to pass something. Anything. But the Senate bill as it stands is dead.
Thank you, Scott Brown. Thank you, People of Massachusetts. I, for one, am eternally grateful.
Pelosi finally gave up the ghost after a last ditch closed door negotiation session with House democrats. I guess all the arms that could be twisted have been twisted:
"In its present form without any changes I don't think it's possible to pass the Senate bill in the House," Pelosi said, adding, "I don't see the votes for it at this time."
Don't worry, though, they are still scheming to try to pass something. Anything. But the Senate bill as it stands is dead.
Thank you, Scott Brown. Thank you, People of Massachusetts. I, for one, am eternally grateful.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
IN THE DOGHOUSE Updated
I have been riveted to the media today, watching the fallout from last night. I'd say the mood in Washington is....subdued. It's rather like the people of Massachusetts rolled up a newspaper and whapped the democrats on the nose with it, and the liberal hangdogs aren't sure exactly what happened or why. They know they did wrong and are getting punished, but they aren't sure what they got caught doing - probably because there are just so many things they've done - bad dogs, bad dogs!
The Queen of the Kennel is still defiant -
God, the woman really has no rhyme or reason to her wild gesturing, does she? And since when is health care 'reform' all about jobs? Did I miss something??
The once and future 'centrist democrats' are suddenly rushing to prop up their moderate credentials, with Evan Bayh leading the pack. (via Politico):
There are still those who refuse to acknowledge that this was a referendum on health care, of course. It's just alarming that one of those people is Obama top dog David Axlerod, who insisted (incorrectly) on the morning shows today that Brown never ran an ad against ObamaCare, somehow translating that into health care not being the prime motivator.
The liberal blogosphere is like a pack of super caffeinated rabid pitbulls who have been hit with a baseball bat. As usual, their arguments are well thought out, respectful and rational (warning: language).
The election strategies are starting to drift out now, too. It's a toss-up between vicious negative campaigns linking republicans to George Bush, or, believe it or not, the new 'democrats are down-to-earth populists, just like Scott Brown' tactic. I'd say they'll most likely combine the two, because, let's face it, they can't run anything but vicious negative campaigns featuring George Bush - they're just going to add in the populist pap like a cherry on top because they apparently think we all suffer from short-term memory loss and won't be able to remember the past year by November.
Seems like the bad doggies need another whap....
UPDATE: Mark Steyn nails it with a post titled "Happy Anniversary!" . He perfectly encapsulates the Obama campaign push for Coakley on Sunday - which is still being pushed for November hopefuls, if you can believe it:
Exactly.
The Queen of the Kennel is still defiant -
"Heeding the particular concerns of the voters of Massachusetts last night, we heard, we will heed, we will move forward with their considerations in mind, but we will move forward for health care."
God, the woman really has no rhyme or reason to her wild gesturing, does she? And since when is health care 'reform' all about jobs? Did I miss something??
The once and future 'centrist democrats' are suddenly rushing to prop up their moderate credentials, with Evan Bayh leading the pack. (via Politico):
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who now might draw a challenge from Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), said the party needs to rethink its entire approach to governing.
There are still those who refuse to acknowledge that this was a referendum on health care, of course. It's just alarming that one of those people is Obama top dog David Axlerod, who insisted (incorrectly) on the morning shows today that Brown never ran an ad against ObamaCare, somehow translating that into health care not being the prime motivator.
The liberal blogosphere is like a pack of super caffeinated rabid pitbulls who have been hit with a baseball bat. As usual, their arguments are well thought out, respectful and rational (warning: language).
The election strategies are starting to drift out now, too. It's a toss-up between vicious negative campaigns linking republicans to George Bush, or, believe it or not, the new 'democrats are down-to-earth populists, just like Scott Brown' tactic. I'd say they'll most likely combine the two, because, let's face it, they can't run anything but vicious negative campaigns featuring George Bush - they're just going to add in the populist pap like a cherry on top because they apparently think we all suffer from short-term memory loss and won't be able to remember the past year by November.
Seems like the bad doggies need another whap....
UPDATE: Mark Steyn nails it with a post titled "Happy Anniversary!" . He perfectly encapsulates the Obama campaign push for Coakley on Sunday - which is still being pushed for November hopefuls, if you can believe it:
"We understand why you're angry. But don't let your anger with George W. Bush allow you to get tricked into voting for a Republican who'll obstruct the reform agenda you're crying out for."
Exactly.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
WE HAVE A WINNER! Updated
Scott Brown is the new Senator from Massachusetts! Martha Coakley has conceded with 92% of precincts reporting a 52% - 47% win for Scott Brown.
The impossible has happened. The People's Seat once again belongs to the People.
Let's just stop and savor the delicious irony of a Republican winning "Teddy Kennedy's seat" and (hopefully) killing Ted Kennedy's nightmare health care bill in one fell swoop.
Mmmmmmm......sweeeeet.
Juan Williams is predicting the democrats will put the pedal to the metal on health care and push it through in hopes of winning over the electorate on the bill's merits. Stuart Varney is saying that will be suicidal. I'm with Stuart. Unfortunately, Juan may be right on the pedal to the metal part, because the leadership still thinks we are drooling idiots who just don't know what is good for us until it is shoved down our throats.
The ball is now in the dems court. Will they do the right thing and swear him in or will they try to stall and risk further damage by pushing that incredibly unpopular, steaming hot mess of a bill through?
The People have spoken - loudly, inarguably, and definitively. Let's see if the Tonedeaf Trio hear it.
What's that I see through the dismal fog of wretched Progressive excess? Could that be a tiny glimmer of the Shining City on the Hill?
Suddenly, there's hope....
UPDATE: Here's a great clip from Jon Stewart to keep the good times rolling (Warning: content):
The impossible has happened. The People's Seat once again belongs to the People.
Let's just stop and savor the delicious irony of a Republican winning "Teddy Kennedy's seat" and (hopefully) killing Ted Kennedy's nightmare health care bill in one fell swoop.
Mmmmmmm......sweeeeet.
Juan Williams is predicting the democrats will put the pedal to the metal on health care and push it through in hopes of winning over the electorate on the bill's merits. Stuart Varney is saying that will be suicidal. I'm with Stuart. Unfortunately, Juan may be right on the pedal to the metal part, because the leadership still thinks we are drooling idiots who just don't know what is good for us until it is shoved down our throats.
The ball is now in the dems court. Will they do the right thing and swear him in or will they try to stall and risk further damage by pushing that incredibly unpopular, steaming hot mess of a bill through?
The People have spoken - loudly, inarguably, and definitively. Let's see if the Tonedeaf Trio hear it.
What's that I see through the dismal fog of wretched Progressive excess? Could that be a tiny glimmer of the Shining City on the Hill?
Suddenly, there's hope....
UPDATE: Here's a great clip from Jon Stewart to keep the good times rolling (Warning: content):
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Mass Backwards | ||||
| ||||
Monday, January 18, 2010
DESPERATE MEASURES
The situation in Massachusetts is like a nuclear bomb detonating in the heart of Washington D.C. Just about every poll is favoring Republican Scott Brown over Democrat Martha Coakley. The most tone-deaf adminitration evah is finally coming to the realization that ultra-blue Massachusetts is sending them a big, neon-rimmed sign that their radical, far-left agenda, including (or perhaps especially) the health care debacle currently making it's torturous way through Congress, is being rejected.
Let's face it - if you can't sell your ultra-liberal, far-left agenda in bluer than blue Massachusetts, where can you sell it?
There are so many factors involved in the slap in the face that is the special senate election that it will be impossible to blame just one thing. But fear not, I'm sure the liberals will do what they always do and turn on their own. It's not the agenda, it's Coakley and her poorly run campaign. Which didn't really hit the skids until her D.C. cronies stepped in to 'help'. The votes haven't even been cast yet, and already they don't even know her name.
They tried to run her against George W. Bush again, but that old saw just isn't biting anymore. Perhaps if the past year's democratic highlights (or lowlights, if you prefer) didn't include the $787 billion 'stimulus', the $410 billion Omnibus spending package, and a $1.1 trillion spending bill, their message that Bush ran up the deficits and caused the continuing economic hardships might sell better. Blaming Bush is laughable, and the electorate, even in MA, know it.
So now the powers that be in D.C. are scrambling to salvage ObamaCare.
The sheer number of trial balloons being floated right now are indicative of how desperate they are. The current seat warmer for 'Teddy's seat', Paul Kirk, has said that he will cast the 60th vote, even if Brown wins the election tomorrow. It turns out this is not feasible. This puts the kibosh on their plans to slow Brown's certification until after a vote for health care has been taken (although I'm sure they will still try). That would delay Brown's certification for weeks, possibly up to a month, and there is doubt the electorate would go for that. The dems are desperate, but that is a little too in-your-face politicking even for them.
Their plan to pass it in parliamentary reconciliation with a 51 vote majority is just a lot of hot air. The reconciliation process is for budgetary issues only, so many of the insurance reforms, such as pre-existing conditions, would not be in a reconciled bill. Not only that, the bill would expire in 5 years, so there would be massive taxation with absolutely no coverage to speak of in return. Yeah, that's a winner.
So now Obama is attempting to force the House to pass the Senate version as it sits. This would mean no vote in the Senate, as they already passed the bill. Unfortunately for Obama, Pelosi is not really hot on the idea. They were already having trouble reconciling the House and Senate versions due to the core differences with abortion and the public option. The chances that the House will vote to pass the Senate version are slim.
Unfortunately for democrats, that is also their best option.
Tomorrow will be a referendum on ObamaCare, no matter how much the dems deny, deny, deny. Let's hope the polls are right, and the people of MA send a message that Obama, Pelosi and Reid can't ignore.
Let's face it - if you can't sell your ultra-liberal, far-left agenda in bluer than blue Massachusetts, where can you sell it?
There are so many factors involved in the slap in the face that is the special senate election that it will be impossible to blame just one thing. But fear not, I'm sure the liberals will do what they always do and turn on their own. It's not the agenda, it's Coakley and her poorly run campaign. Which didn't really hit the skids until her D.C. cronies stepped in to 'help'. The votes haven't even been cast yet, and already they don't even know her name.
They tried to run her against George W. Bush again, but that old saw just isn't biting anymore. Perhaps if the past year's democratic highlights (or lowlights, if you prefer) didn't include the $787 billion 'stimulus', the $410 billion Omnibus spending package, and a $1.1 trillion spending bill, their message that Bush ran up the deficits and caused the continuing economic hardships might sell better. Blaming Bush is laughable, and the electorate, even in MA, know it.
So now the powers that be in D.C. are scrambling to salvage ObamaCare.
The sheer number of trial balloons being floated right now are indicative of how desperate they are. The current seat warmer for 'Teddy's seat', Paul Kirk, has said that he will cast the 60th vote, even if Brown wins the election tomorrow. It turns out this is not feasible. This puts the kibosh on their plans to slow Brown's certification until after a vote for health care has been taken (although I'm sure they will still try). That would delay Brown's certification for weeks, possibly up to a month, and there is doubt the electorate would go for that. The dems are desperate, but that is a little too in-your-face politicking even for them.
Their plan to pass it in parliamentary reconciliation with a 51 vote majority is just a lot of hot air. The reconciliation process is for budgetary issues only, so many of the insurance reforms, such as pre-existing conditions, would not be in a reconciled bill. Not only that, the bill would expire in 5 years, so there would be massive taxation with absolutely no coverage to speak of in return. Yeah, that's a winner.
So now Obama is attempting to force the House to pass the Senate version as it sits. This would mean no vote in the Senate, as they already passed the bill. Unfortunately for Obama, Pelosi is not really hot on the idea. They were already having trouble reconciling the House and Senate versions due to the core differences with abortion and the public option. The chances that the House will vote to pass the Senate version are slim.
Unfortunately for democrats, that is also their best option.
Tomorrow will be a referendum on ObamaCare, no matter how much the dems deny, deny, deny. Let's hope the polls are right, and the people of MA send a message that Obama, Pelosi and Reid can't ignore.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
GIVE IF YOU CAN
I know that times are tough, but thrre is a lot going on that requires our time and money. The devastation in Haiti calls for immediate help for anyone who can give. In more mundane events, there is a great candidate in a surprisingly tight race who could use your help, too. If you can spare some time or money, check these out (even $5 helps).
The American Red Cross. This link will take you to a page that details the different funds you can contribute to. The Haiti disaster Relief fund is the second button. Please help, if you can. The situation is dire. Donating to the Red Cross ensures that your money goes to desperately needed medical supplies, as well as food and potable water, NOT to the Haitian government.
If you are able to donate blood, I urge you to please do so. Consider donating platelets or plasma instead of whole blood (I do). To donate in Florida, please contact the Florida Blood Centers. Nationwide, check out the American Red Cross. The link helps you find a donation center near you. Please give, if you can.
If you live in the South, the next time you need to go to the store, choose your local Publix. They are currently taking donations for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund at the checkout registers. Just tell your cashier how much you want to donate and they will add it to your grocery bill.
Musician Wyclef Jean's charity, Yele Haiti, is collecting donations as well. You can either link to the site and donate there, or you can text YELE to 501501 to donate $5, which will be charged on your phone bill.
Please be cautious about monetary donations, because, unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there already. But, please don't let that put you off from giving to a safe, reputable group. Anything you can afford to give will be a tremendous help.
Now, if you're looking to sock it to "The Man", please donate to Scott Brown's election campaign. This site will enable you to donate money or time. This race is gaining momentum, and we have a real chance to send a message to Washington and Obama. I don't know about you, but I'm just loving seeing Coakley and her democrat/union/lobbyist cronies panicking over a possible loss of 'Teddy's seat' in bluer-than-blue Massachusetts. Help Scott Brown (and Massachusetts voters) send a wake-up call to Washington!
Please dig deep and give what you can.
The American Red Cross. This link will take you to a page that details the different funds you can contribute to. The Haiti disaster Relief fund is the second button. Please help, if you can. The situation is dire. Donating to the Red Cross ensures that your money goes to desperately needed medical supplies, as well as food and potable water, NOT to the Haitian government.
If you are able to donate blood, I urge you to please do so. Consider donating platelets or plasma instead of whole blood (I do). To donate in Florida, please contact the Florida Blood Centers. Nationwide, check out the American Red Cross. The link helps you find a donation center near you. Please give, if you can.
If you live in the South, the next time you need to go to the store, choose your local Publix. They are currently taking donations for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund at the checkout registers. Just tell your cashier how much you want to donate and they will add it to your grocery bill.
Musician Wyclef Jean's charity, Yele Haiti, is collecting donations as well. You can either link to the site and donate there, or you can text YELE to 501501 to donate $5, which will be charged on your phone bill.
Please be cautious about monetary donations, because, unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there already. But, please don't let that put you off from giving to a safe, reputable group. Anything you can afford to give will be a tremendous help.
Now, if you're looking to sock it to "The Man", please donate to Scott Brown's election campaign. This site will enable you to donate money or time. This race is gaining momentum, and we have a real chance to send a message to Washington and Obama. I don't know about you, but I'm just loving seeing Coakley and her democrat/union/lobbyist cronies panicking over a possible loss of 'Teddy's seat' in bluer-than-blue Massachusetts. Help Scott Brown (and Massachusetts voters) send a wake-up call to Washington!
Please dig deep and give what you can.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
MISSING THE POINT
I have some thoughts on the Harry Reid scandal. I think that many pundits may be missing the point.
What Reid said about President Obama was offensive, but it wasn't offensive to Obama. He was actually giving a backhanded compliment to Obama. His statement praised Obama for being the kind of black man that is 'acceptable' to Americans.
That is the offensive part. Yet again, we Americans are being called narrow-minded racists, and yet again we deserve an apology that we will never get.
Harry Reid's disdain and contempt for the American people and his ridiculously skewed perspective of how obnoxious, offensive and backwards We the People are is encapsulated in those remarks. Does it point to a level of racism in him that he assumes everyone else is racist? Possibly, but I'm no psychiatrist, so I'll leave that diagnosis to the professionals.
But, especially when put into context with his other statements about Americans, it most definitely paints a vivid picture of how he sees rank and file Americans. And it ain't pretty:
It's becoming more and more apparent that Reid is having...lucidity issues, shall we say? Remember his way off the mark rant about republicans trying to filibuster civil rights, suffrage and slavery?
The man obviously has some serious issues, and we are suffering the consequences.
Harry Reid should step down - he is not fit for a leadership role.
BTW - the phrase "the right side of history" has become the go-to argument for the democrats. Interesting, since history doesn't have a 'side'. History is facts, plain and simple. There is no right side or wrong side. Did democrats think they were on the 'right side of history' when they successfully filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957? How about when they fought Sufferage? I know they definitely thought they were on the right side of history when they seceeded from and then declared war on the Union in 1861.
Suddenly the 'right side of history' doesn't look quite right, does it?
What Reid said about President Obama was offensive, but it wasn't offensive to Obama. He was actually giving a backhanded compliment to Obama. His statement praised Obama for being the kind of black man that is 'acceptable' to Americans.
That is the offensive part. Yet again, we Americans are being called narrow-minded racists, and yet again we deserve an apology that we will never get.
Harry Reid's disdain and contempt for the American people and his ridiculously skewed perspective of how obnoxious, offensive and backwards We the People are is encapsulated in those remarks. Does it point to a level of racism in him that he assumes everyone else is racist? Possibly, but I'm no psychiatrist, so I'll leave that diagnosis to the professionals.
But, especially when put into context with his other statements about Americans, it most definitely paints a vivid picture of how he sees rank and file Americans. And it ain't pretty:
"My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."
It's becoming more and more apparent that Reid is having...lucidity issues, shall we say? Remember his way off the mark rant about republicans trying to filibuster civil rights, suffrage and slavery?
The man obviously has some serious issues, and we are suffering the consequences.
Harry Reid should step down - he is not fit for a leadership role.
BTW - the phrase "the right side of history" has become the go-to argument for the democrats. Interesting, since history doesn't have a 'side'. History is facts, plain and simple. There is no right side or wrong side. Did democrats think they were on the 'right side of history' when they successfully filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957? How about when they fought Sufferage? I know they definitely thought they were on the right side of history when they seceeded from and then declared war on the Union in 1861.
Suddenly the 'right side of history' doesn't look quite right, does it?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
TRAINING DAY
Did you ever get a job where you had to watch one of those stupid training films? You know the ones - the 'new hire' makes a series of obvious mistakes that are pointed out and corrected. They are sort of a 'don't do this' method of training.
Is it just me, or does this whole Christmas Day EunichBomber episode seem like a really bad TSA/DHS/airline training film?
Think about it - almost every single red flag that could be hoisted was, and yet he was still able to get on that plane and attempt to blow it up. Each step of the way, if this had been a training film, there would have been a big, flashing red X superimposed on Abdulmutallab, accompanied by a loud buzzing noise.
Let's see...The NSA got intelligence from al Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate that they were going to use a Nigerian in an unspecified terror attack. Then Abdulmutallab's own father warned the US Embassy in Nigeria of his son's radicalism. For some reason, these two things were never connected. Apparently the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) was never notified of either piece of intelligence - if they had, one would hope they would have connected those giant, flashing neon dots and Abdulmutallab wouldn't have been allowed on the flight. X! X! X! BUZZ!
There were also conversations between Abdulmutallab and at least one al Qaeda member (reportedly radical Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi - the man who allegedly counselled Ft. Hood shooter Malik Nidal Hasan) that were intercepted by US officials. Unfortunately, a radical Yemeni talking to a radicalized Nigerian apparently wasn't enough to warrant further investigation, even with the NSA intelligence mentioned above. BUZZ!
On top of that, he was in our terrorist database because of his father's attempts to warn us, but not on a terror watch list, no-fly list or a special screening list. This is because they felt there just wasn't enough information to warrant his being put on the watch list, let alone the no-fly or special screening lists. In Britain, if you are on a watch list, you don't come into the country. Period. But in the US, we have a tiered system - a database of about 550,000, on which Abdulmutallab was listed. Then there is the 400,000 person terror watch list. Then there is the 14,000 person special screening list, and, finally, the no-fly list, which has about 4,000 names. One would assume this tiered system is to make sure we don't step on any innocent toes. Wouldn't want to profile or make wild assumptions, now would we - it might hurt someone's feelings (even though the main database is for people with suspected or known terror associations). I suppose a father turning in his own son just isn't credible enough to get him on the no-fly list. Apparently we have to wait until he sets his crotch on fire before we can safely assume he doesn't have our best interests at heart. BUZZ!
There is a lot of talk about insufficient technology at the airports - not enough puffers and full body scans and the like. First of all, poorer countries like Nigeria have more important things to spend their money on than body scanners. Besides, what do they really care about the safety of US citizens, after all? We certainly cannot afford to pay to have all international airports upgraded - we can barely afford to upgrade our own. Forget about all of the high-tech stuff - if he had just been frisked, they would have found the bag of PETN explosive strapped to his torso. Someone in a terror database should at least be frisked, for heaven's sake! BUZZ!
For that matter, why aren't the terror watch lists/databases international? Apparently, Abdulmutallab was in a US database and a UK no-fly list, but not an international one. Why? Many terrorists are from overseas, so why aren't our international allies notified? Aren't we all supposed to be working in concert on this? Why are there different lists? So much for a 'global community'....BUZZ!
No one has yet been able to explain satisfactorily how he managed to get through security with a syringe filled with an unidentified substance, either. BUZZ!
The UK revoked his visa back in May, but apparently didn't notify the US - perhaps if the Obama administration hadn't waged that bizzarre campaign to insult and alienate our greatest ally, they may have shared that little tidbit with us. My question is, why did a man on a terror database get granted a visa in the first place? And if the visa was granted before his inclusion on the database, why didn't a red flag that he was already a visa holder go up when he was entered into the database? One would assume the State Department would automatically check the database before issuing a visa - but that would require common sense - something it is becoming more and more apparent that is sorely lacking in our government. BUZZ!
Well, at least his visa has finally been revoked -tweleve days after the event. BUZZ!!
Let's not forget the airlines in all of this. They are our last line of defense, and they performed miserably.
He is a single young man who bought a one-way ticket. BUZZ!
He then paid for said ticket with cash. BUZZ!
The cherry on top, though, was the fact that he had not one single piece of baggage for a transAtlantic flight. X! X! X! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!!!!!
If this wasn't so dangerous, it would be comical. But the fact is, Abdulmutallab nearly succeeded in his plan. The only thing that stood between him and a horrific tragedy was a malfunctioning detonation.
This is really the best we can do, 8 years and three months after 9/11?
Perhaps it's time to think about privatizing our security agencies. It is becoming more and more apparent that the bureaucracies in place now are as ineffective and bogged down in red tape as every other government bureaucracy. Let's face it, government agencies just simply are not known for their practicality, innovation and quick action - things that are desperately needed right now.
At the very least, it's time to get all of our various security agencies into a room and make them watch a 'training video' like I just described over and over again until they get it. Maybe a few team-building workshops between the agencies wouldn't be a bad idea either. They expect us to trust them with our lives, but they can't even trust each other with information.
Is it just me, or does this whole Christmas Day EunichBomber episode seem like a really bad TSA/DHS/airline training film?
Think about it - almost every single red flag that could be hoisted was, and yet he was still able to get on that plane and attempt to blow it up. Each step of the way, if this had been a training film, there would have been a big, flashing red X superimposed on Abdulmutallab, accompanied by a loud buzzing noise.
Let's see...The NSA got intelligence from al Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate that they were going to use a Nigerian in an unspecified terror attack. Then Abdulmutallab's own father warned the US Embassy in Nigeria of his son's radicalism. For some reason, these two things were never connected. Apparently the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) was never notified of either piece of intelligence - if they had, one would hope they would have connected those giant, flashing neon dots and Abdulmutallab wouldn't have been allowed on the flight. X! X! X! BUZZ!
There were also conversations between Abdulmutallab and at least one al Qaeda member (reportedly radical Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi - the man who allegedly counselled Ft. Hood shooter Malik Nidal Hasan) that were intercepted by US officials. Unfortunately, a radical Yemeni talking to a radicalized Nigerian apparently wasn't enough to warrant further investigation, even with the NSA intelligence mentioned above. BUZZ!
On top of that, he was in our terrorist database because of his father's attempts to warn us, but not on a terror watch list, no-fly list or a special screening list. This is because they felt there just wasn't enough information to warrant his being put on the watch list, let alone the no-fly or special screening lists. In Britain, if you are on a watch list, you don't come into the country. Period. But in the US, we have a tiered system - a database of about 550,000, on which Abdulmutallab was listed. Then there is the 400,000 person terror watch list. Then there is the 14,000 person special screening list, and, finally, the no-fly list, which has about 4,000 names. One would assume this tiered system is to make sure we don't step on any innocent toes. Wouldn't want to profile or make wild assumptions, now would we - it might hurt someone's feelings (even though the main database is for people with suspected or known terror associations). I suppose a father turning in his own son just isn't credible enough to get him on the no-fly list. Apparently we have to wait until he sets his crotch on fire before we can safely assume he doesn't have our best interests at heart. BUZZ!
There is a lot of talk about insufficient technology at the airports - not enough puffers and full body scans and the like. First of all, poorer countries like Nigeria have more important things to spend their money on than body scanners. Besides, what do they really care about the safety of US citizens, after all? We certainly cannot afford to pay to have all international airports upgraded - we can barely afford to upgrade our own. Forget about all of the high-tech stuff - if he had just been frisked, they would have found the bag of PETN explosive strapped to his torso. Someone in a terror database should at least be frisked, for heaven's sake! BUZZ!
For that matter, why aren't the terror watch lists/databases international? Apparently, Abdulmutallab was in a US database and a UK no-fly list, but not an international one. Why? Many terrorists are from overseas, so why aren't our international allies notified? Aren't we all supposed to be working in concert on this? Why are there different lists? So much for a 'global community'....BUZZ!
No one has yet been able to explain satisfactorily how he managed to get through security with a syringe filled with an unidentified substance, either. BUZZ!
The UK revoked his visa back in May, but apparently didn't notify the US - perhaps if the Obama administration hadn't waged that bizzarre campaign to insult and alienate our greatest ally, they may have shared that little tidbit with us. My question is, why did a man on a terror database get granted a visa in the first place? And if the visa was granted before his inclusion on the database, why didn't a red flag that he was already a visa holder go up when he was entered into the database? One would assume the State Department would automatically check the database before issuing a visa - but that would require common sense - something it is becoming more and more apparent that is sorely lacking in our government. BUZZ!
Well, at least his visa has finally been revoked -tweleve days after the event. BUZZ!!
Let's not forget the airlines in all of this. They are our last line of defense, and they performed miserably.
He is a single young man who bought a one-way ticket. BUZZ!
He then paid for said ticket with cash. BUZZ!
The cherry on top, though, was the fact that he had not one single piece of baggage for a transAtlantic flight. X! X! X! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!!!!!
If this wasn't so dangerous, it would be comical. But the fact is, Abdulmutallab nearly succeeded in his plan. The only thing that stood between him and a horrific tragedy was a malfunctioning detonation.
This is really the best we can do, 8 years and three months after 9/11?
Perhaps it's time to think about privatizing our security agencies. It is becoming more and more apparent that the bureaucracies in place now are as ineffective and bogged down in red tape as every other government bureaucracy. Let's face it, government agencies just simply are not known for their practicality, innovation and quick action - things that are desperately needed right now.
At the very least, it's time to get all of our various security agencies into a room and make them watch a 'training video' like I just described over and over again until they get it. Maybe a few team-building workshops between the agencies wouldn't be a bad idea either. They expect us to trust them with our lives, but they can't even trust each other with information.
JACK CAFFERTY GOES OFF
This is just too good not to share.
CNN's Jack Cafferty completely goes off on Obama, Pelosi and Congressional democrats in general:
This is just fantastic. It seems we have finally reached the tipping point - the administration is being hit from all sides on this one. Even democrat Rep. Sestak (D-PA) is coming out against their so-called 'transparency':
The head of C-Span is now being accused by lefty freaks of being a closet republican who is only trying to politicize the coverage issue to make democrats look bad. Who would have ever thought that lefty loons would have such blind faith in government? It's really bizzarre.
The administration's arrogance and disdain for the American people has become so glaringly obvious that even the left-wing neoPravda media are ticked off.
Beautiful.
CNN's Jack Cafferty completely goes off on Obama, Pelosi and Congressional democrats in general:
This is just fantastic. It seems we have finally reached the tipping point - the administration is being hit from all sides on this one. Even democrat Rep. Sestak (D-PA) is coming out against their so-called 'transparency':
“They said it would be transparent. Why isn’t it? At times, I find the caucus is a real disappointment. We aren’t transparent, not just to the public but at times to the members.”
The head of C-Span is now being accused by lefty freaks of being a closet republican who is only trying to politicize the coverage issue to make democrats look bad. Who would have ever thought that lefty loons would have such blind faith in government? It's really bizzarre.
The administration's arrogance and disdain for the American people has become so glaringly obvious that even the left-wing neoPravda media are ticked off.
Beautiful.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
UNIVERSAL VOTER REGISTRATION
God help us if John Fund is right.
According to Fund, the democrats, lead by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Barney Frank (D-MA) will be proposing a 'fix' to our voter registration problems. The 'fix' is called Universal Voter Registration.
Oh, it's a fix, all right. As in 'the fix is in'.
For months now, many people have been wondering why the democrats are on a kamikazi mission to pass their radical agenda. It just didn't make sense that so many would be willing to commit career suicide.
Here's how Fund says they are going to do it (via American Thinker):
How will they manage to sell this to the people, you ask? Simple. They will demonize ACORN and the voter registration fraud issues, using them as a foil to promote UVR. They will argue that we need to get rid of those corrupt third party registrations. After all, liberals are known to devour their own if politically necessary, so using ACORN as the villain is just par for the course.
And if the people don't buy it? It doesn't matter, of course. The Democratic Congress will ram this through against the protests of the American people, and they will do it quickly - time's a wastin', and November will be here sooner than you think.
The opportunity for fraud is astronomical with UVR.
First of all, the chances of multiple registrations are legion. If you are a property owner, you are registered. If you have a driver's license, you are registered. If you are on welfare, or food stamps, or unemployment, you are registered seperately for each one. If you own homes in multiple states (living in FL, this is a common occurrance with our 'snowbirds' who live here only in winter months), you will be registered in all states where you own property. It's almost impossible to be only registered once!
And don't forget, it takes an eternity for government agencies to get someone off the rolls if they die, so there will be lots and lots of dead voters out there - a custom made scenario for this Chicago Machine run administration.
This really will make it entirely possible to vote early, vote often, and vote from the grave.
What it comes down to is the numbers. The thing that got many of the states who are investigating ACORN for registration fraud interested was that the numbers just didn't match up. There were so many districts that ended up with far more voters that residents that it was impossible to ignore. UVR would take care of that.
As of 2008, about 71% (about 146 million out of 206 million) of eligible potential voters are registered. Of those, about 90% actually voted. UVR would enable unscrupulous factions to access upwards of 60-70 million unclaimed (but still registered) votes - plenty to swing any election on any level. Absentee ballots make this very easy - no ballot box stuffing required, just anonymously pop them in the mail! Artificially increasing the votes by, say, 15% would be easy to explain - surely more people would vote if they were automatically registered, right? That 15% translates to about 9 million votes - the margin by which Barack Obama won election in 2008.
Because many states (like Florida) have opened absentee ballots to all eligible voters, the only way to verify if a voter truly voted, and whom they voted for, would be by personal interviews. I'm sure that process would make the hanging chad drama of 2000 seem pale in comparison.
Granted, Schumer and Frank have yet to announce any pending legislation. Now that the concept is getting publicity, it will be interesting to see if they still propose it. If they're going to do it, it needs to be done soon in order to effect the 2010 elections. With any luck, this story will get legs and nip this nightmare in the bud.
If not, this scheme must not be allowed to be enacted. In one fell swoop this legislation would take us from our signature free elections that are the envy of the world to something resembling the fiasco in Iran last year.
According to Fund, the democrats, lead by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Barney Frank (D-MA) will be proposing a 'fix' to our voter registration problems. The 'fix' is called Universal Voter Registration.
Oh, it's a fix, all right. As in 'the fix is in'.
For months now, many people have been wondering why the democrats are on a kamikazi mission to pass their radical agenda. It just didn't make sense that so many would be willing to commit career suicide.
Here's how Fund says they are going to do it (via American Thinker):
In January, Chuck Schumer and Barney Frank will propose universal voter registration. What is universal voter registration? It means all of the state laws on elections will be overridden by a federal mandate. The feds will tell the states: 'take everyone on every list of welfare that you have, take everyone on every list of unemployed you have, take everyone on every list of property owners, take everyone on every list of driver's license holders and register them to vote regardless of whether they want to be ...'
How will they manage to sell this to the people, you ask? Simple. They will demonize ACORN and the voter registration fraud issues, using them as a foil to promote UVR. They will argue that we need to get rid of those corrupt third party registrations. After all, liberals are known to devour their own if politically necessary, so using ACORN as the villain is just par for the course.
And if the people don't buy it? It doesn't matter, of course. The Democratic Congress will ram this through against the protests of the American people, and they will do it quickly - time's a wastin', and November will be here sooner than you think.
The opportunity for fraud is astronomical with UVR.
First of all, the chances of multiple registrations are legion. If you are a property owner, you are registered. If you have a driver's license, you are registered. If you are on welfare, or food stamps, or unemployment, you are registered seperately for each one. If you own homes in multiple states (living in FL, this is a common occurrance with our 'snowbirds' who live here only in winter months), you will be registered in all states where you own property. It's almost impossible to be only registered once!
And don't forget, it takes an eternity for government agencies to get someone off the rolls if they die, so there will be lots and lots of dead voters out there - a custom made scenario for this Chicago Machine run administration.
This really will make it entirely possible to vote early, vote often, and vote from the grave.
What it comes down to is the numbers. The thing that got many of the states who are investigating ACORN for registration fraud interested was that the numbers just didn't match up. There were so many districts that ended up with far more voters that residents that it was impossible to ignore. UVR would take care of that.
As of 2008, about 71% (about 146 million out of 206 million) of eligible potential voters are registered. Of those, about 90% actually voted. UVR would enable unscrupulous factions to access upwards of 60-70 million unclaimed (but still registered) votes - plenty to swing any election on any level. Absentee ballots make this very easy - no ballot box stuffing required, just anonymously pop them in the mail! Artificially increasing the votes by, say, 15% would be easy to explain - surely more people would vote if they were automatically registered, right? That 15% translates to about 9 million votes - the margin by which Barack Obama won election in 2008.
Because many states (like Florida) have opened absentee ballots to all eligible voters, the only way to verify if a voter truly voted, and whom they voted for, would be by personal interviews. I'm sure that process would make the hanging chad drama of 2000 seem pale in comparison.
Granted, Schumer and Frank have yet to announce any pending legislation. Now that the concept is getting publicity, it will be interesting to see if they still propose it. If they're going to do it, it needs to be done soon in order to effect the 2010 elections. With any luck, this story will get legs and nip this nightmare in the bud.
If not, this scheme must not be allowed to be enacted. In one fell swoop this legislation would take us from our signature free elections that are the envy of the world to something resembling the fiasco in Iran last year.
DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YA....
Awesome.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) is expected to announce Wednesday that he will be retiring at the end of his term and will not seek reelection.
This really comes as no surprise. He has been tanking in the polls and is embroiled in two scandals - sweetheart deals with Countrywide (in which a democrat-led ethics investigation surprisingly found nothing - I wonder how much they got for that finding) and suspiciously undervalued property in Ireland.
Another Corruptocrat bites the dust.
Hopefully the next up will be Charlie Rangel. Or Barney Frank.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) is expected to announce Wednesday that he will be retiring at the end of his term and will not seek reelection.
This really comes as no surprise. He has been tanking in the polls and is embroiled in two scandals - sweetheart deals with Countrywide (in which a democrat-led ethics investigation surprisingly found nothing - I wonder how much they got for that finding) and suspiciously undervalued property in Ireland.
Another Corruptocrat bites the dust.
Hopefully the next up will be Charlie Rangel. Or Barney Frank.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGED Updated SIGN THE PETITION
C-Span has sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi, Harry Reid, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell requesting permission to cover the upcoming closed door negotiations for the health care legislation. It's too bad they didn't make this request when Harry Reid was putting together the recently passed Manager's Amendment, but, well, better late than never, right?
It will be interesting to see the response.
One would imagine it would be hard for them to refuse because, after all, President Obama himself said (on video, of course) that health care negotiations would be completely transparent and viewable on C-Span. Shame is a powerful motivator, according to Dear Leader. Too bad he, Pelosi and Reid don't have any.
However, this administration has been notorious about breaking campaign promises, so expect a refusal - if they deign to address the letter at all. I'm sure there will be some snide, snarky response. What do you think the odds are that C-Span will be accused of being a right-wing propaganda organization, embarking on a vicious smear campaign? That seems to be the go-to attack these days.
The Neo-Pravda media bear watching on this one, too. They stepped up when Fox News was black-balled by the administration, but the jury's still out on whether they will have C-Span's back. Hopefully Obama's repeated vows of transparency will shame them into demanding he keep his promise.
I'm not holding my breath, though.
UPDATE: Well, Pelosi's response is...interesting. When reminded of Obama's campaign promise to have C-Span cover the health care debate, her response was to laugh and say "There were a number of things he swore on the campaign trail". Isn't it refreshing for our elected officials to come right out and admit they will say anything it takes to be elected without ever taking it seriously or planning on following through? After that it is more of a dance around the subject than a direct answer. As usual.
UPDATE II: Sign the petition! The site will be up and running Wednesday morning. Make sure you check it out. Time to put on some pressure. Apparently it's the only thing Congress responds to anymore.
It will be interesting to see the response.
One would imagine it would be hard for them to refuse because, after all, President Obama himself said (on video, of course) that health care negotiations would be completely transparent and viewable on C-Span. Shame is a powerful motivator, according to Dear Leader. Too bad he, Pelosi and Reid don't have any.
However, this administration has been notorious about breaking campaign promises, so expect a refusal - if they deign to address the letter at all. I'm sure there will be some snide, snarky response. What do you think the odds are that C-Span will be accused of being a right-wing propaganda organization, embarking on a vicious smear campaign? That seems to be the go-to attack these days.
The Neo-Pravda media bear watching on this one, too. They stepped up when Fox News was black-balled by the administration, but the jury's still out on whether they will have C-Span's back. Hopefully Obama's repeated vows of transparency will shame them into demanding he keep his promise.
I'm not holding my breath, though.
UPDATE: Well, Pelosi's response is...interesting. When reminded of Obama's campaign promise to have C-Span cover the health care debate, her response was to laugh and say "There were a number of things he swore on the campaign trail". Isn't it refreshing for our elected officials to come right out and admit they will say anything it takes to be elected without ever taking it seriously or planning on following through? After that it is more of a dance around the subject than a direct answer. As usual.
UPDATE II: Sign the petition! The site will be up and running Wednesday morning. Make sure you check it out. Time to put on some pressure. Apparently it's the only thing Congress responds to anymore.
THE NEW TRANSPARENCY
Surprise, surprise, surprise! There are no plans for formal conference committees on the health care bill. Instead, they are going to play ping-pong.
Basically, Pelosi and Reid are going to lock themselves in some posh office and dictate what our new health care system is going to be. The House and Senate democrats will send over amendment ideas (Republicans need not apply), but this Frankenstein monster really has only two parents.
One can only imagine how contradictory, confusing and byzantine this thing is going to be.
At least we will be distracted by the $340 million dollar 2010 Census ad blitz. Good thing we have short attention spans! Three guesses on who is making the big push for Obama's national redistricting scheme. That's right, NBC - the National Barack Channel - all propaganda, all the time. I'm sure they are also hoping this will take the heat off him for his epic fail regarding the Christmas Day Eunich Bomber.
Pay no attention to the people behind the curtain messing with your health care and national security - look at the shiny $2.5 million Superbowl ad instead - that's much more interesting. I know I'm on pins and needles wondering what is in the 43-ft trailer and 12 cargo vans...
Basically, Pelosi and Reid are going to lock themselves in some posh office and dictate what our new health care system is going to be. The House and Senate democrats will send over amendment ideas (Republicans need not apply), but this Frankenstein monster really has only two parents.
One can only imagine how contradictory, confusing and byzantine this thing is going to be.
At least we will be distracted by the $340 million dollar 2010 Census ad blitz. Good thing we have short attention spans! Three guesses on who is making the big push for Obama's national redistricting scheme. That's right, NBC - the National Barack Channel - all propaganda, all the time. I'm sure they are also hoping this will take the heat off him for his epic fail regarding the Christmas Day Eunich Bomber.
Pay no attention to the people behind the curtain messing with your health care and national security - look at the shiny $2.5 million Superbowl ad instead - that's much more interesting. I know I'm on pins and needles wondering what is in the 43-ft trailer and 12 cargo vans...
Friday, January 1, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Happy New Year! I hope the new year brings you health, wealth and great happiness.
In the new year, I hope our country has a resurgence of prosperity and unity. I hope our leaders in Washington get a clue and stop the insane tax and spend agenda and return to the conservativve roots that made this country great.
And if they don't, I hope that in November we the voters replace their sorry hides.
I'm looking forward to what 2010 holds. It's always exciting to think about what may come, and this election year makes it even more exciting.
2010 is shaping up to be a big year. We have the passage of ObamaCare coming up - or maybe not, if we're lucky and some of our elected representatives come out from under Pelosi's spell and decide they don't want to commit career suicide for a fatally flawed bill that will do more harm than good. There is also Cap and Trade and amnesty looming on the horizon for our protesting pleasure, so I will certainly not be lacking in material to blog about.
I don't know about you, but I think it will be a politically turbulent year...
I look forward to the coming fight, and I hope you join me - there's plenty of work to do!
In the new year, I hope our country has a resurgence of prosperity and unity. I hope our leaders in Washington get a clue and stop the insane tax and spend agenda and return to the conservativve roots that made this country great.
And if they don't, I hope that in November we the voters replace their sorry hides.
I'm looking forward to what 2010 holds. It's always exciting to think about what may come, and this election year makes it even more exciting.
2010 is shaping up to be a big year. We have the passage of ObamaCare coming up - or maybe not, if we're lucky and some of our elected representatives come out from under Pelosi's spell and decide they don't want to commit career suicide for a fatally flawed bill that will do more harm than good. There is also Cap and Trade and amnesty looming on the horizon for our protesting pleasure, so I will certainly not be lacking in material to blog about.
I don't know about you, but I think it will be a politically turbulent year...
I look forward to the coming fight, and I hope you join me - there's plenty of work to do!
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