Senate Still Tweaking Plans for Power Grab

In a tentative Senate deal, the "public option" has been dropped from ObamaCare. Instead, Medicare would be expanded to include the 10% of the U.S. population that is between the ages of 55 and 65. The Senate Minority Leader ridiculed the scheme: "If your goal was to come up with a plan for financial ruin, you couldn't come up with a better idea than cutting a program by $500 billion and simultaneously expanding the number of people it is required to cover."

We won't know much about the details until it has been scored by the Congressional Budget Office. But like any other Democrat scheme, it will undoubtedly be an expensive, ineffective, irreversible, impractical, unrealistic plan that gives more power to the federal government and takes freedom and choice away from taxpayers. The plan won't cut total spending on health care, reduce the Federal deficit, or help Americans to enjoy longer life or better health.

The primary objective is to pass anything that has the words "health care" in the title, and to pass it quickly enough to allow Obama to brag about it in his State of the Union teleprompter reading next month. (Higher taxes and bigger government will be the icing on the cake.)

By passing their health care bill, power-greedy Congressional Democrats will temporarily satisfy their thirst for power, but nothing else will be accomplished.

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Copenhagen Turning Into 'Circus' Sideshow, Critics Say

Blame the economy for Obama's low ratings if you like, but the Great Depression never caused FDR's approval to go this low.

A little history: 80% of those who filibustered civil rights were Democrats, including Robert Byrd...

The Permanent Tea Party

Four years of Tea Parties?

Throwing bums out...for a long time.

Upside-Down Economy

From Oct. 18 to Dec. 3, 1961, 116,000 people visited New York's Museum of Modern Art before anyone noticed that Henri Matisse's painting "Le Bateau" had been hung upside down. Modernity is supposed to "transgress" standards of the traditional, which is why Paul Hindemith, while rehearsing one of his dissonant orchestral compositions, said to the musicians, "No, no gentlemen — even though it sounds wrong, it's still not right."

Proponents of today's world-turned-upside-down economic policies say the policies might seem wrong but really are boldly modern in their rejection of markets in favor of pervasive government intervention in economic life. Hence New York, which until eight months ago was the financial capital of the world, is no longer even the financial capital of the United States. Washington is...

...more from George Will

Questions for Obama Supporters

• What kind of economy would be best for America?  
  

                A.  Socialist.
                B.  Communist.
                C.  Fascist.
                D.  Capitalist.

• Do you think the United States should have a private sector?  If you do, please explain.  If temporary government control of an industry is good, why not make it permanent?  If partial government control of an industry is helpful, why not make it complete?  If government control of one industry is good, why not put government in control of everything?

• With which parts of the U.S. Constitution do you agree?  Which parts of the constitution would you like to see changed?

• Obama has stated that he is in favor of tax increases (for reasons of "fairness") even when they result in DECREASES in revenue for the government.  Do you support Obama's thinking on this issue?  What do you know about the Laffer Curve?

• Do you still believe that Obama will increase the tax burden only for individuals making $250,000 or more per year?  Are you going to hold him to that promise?

• Liberals support progressive taxation for redistribution of wealth.  With which other Marxist principles do you agree? With which Marxist principles do you disagree?

• Liberals have consistently opposed voter identification laws aimed at reducing voter fraud.  Why?

• Many Americans (particularly minorities) say that their children are trapped in failing schools.  Nationwide, 52 percent of parents, and 59 percent of public school parents, support school choice.  87 percent of black parents aged 26-35 and 66.4 percent of blacks aged 18-25 support vouchers.  Liberals consistently oppose school choice.  Why?

• Obama was asked, "At what point does a baby get human rights?" His response: "...answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade." Based on his leadership in opposition to the Illinois Born Alive Infants Protection Act, Obama has demonstrated that he believes that a baby gets human rights at an unspecified time AFTER he or she is born.  My question to liberals: is infanticide acceptable?

• Is there anything Obama could do to lose your support?  If so, what?

Obama’s False Choice

Rasmussen Reports

The 44th president is proposing to add more to the national debt than the first 43 presidents combined, doubling it in the next six years, and tripling it within the decade. But to talk about it in percentages of this and trillions of that misses the point. It’s not about bookkeeping, it’s about government annexation of the economy, and thus of life: government supervision, government regulation, government control. No matter how small your small business is — plumbing, hairdressing, maple sugaring — the state will be burdening you with more permits, more paperwork, more bureaucracy.

Read the rest of the article by Mark Steyn

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Ashley Biden Tape: VP's Daughter Doing Cocaine?

60% View Pelosi Unfavorably

Online Surveys & Market Research

Obama's Suicidal Policies

Obama has been working himself to the point of exhaustion trying to ensure that our economic crisis does not go to waste. If he can't get our country on the path to European-style socialism now, he might never have a better opportunity. Thus the sense of urgency.

With all the hand waving, grandstanding and parochialism that has been on display lately, let's not forget that there is at least one issue that is more important than our current economic woes: national defense.

While campaigning, Obama made several promises regarding national defense:

• I will cut tens of billions of dollars in spending.
  
• I will cut investments in missile defense systems.
  
• I will not weaponize space.
  
• I will slow our development of future combat systems.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that we live in a world that is as dangerous as it has ever been, Obama has provided every indication that he intends to keep these promises.

In the short time Obama has been president, he has shown that he does not take seriously the threats we face. He continues to insist that we can reason with madmen who have nuclear ambitions; he has begun to formulate serious plans to make significant cuts in defense spending, he has taken steps to halt the development of missile defense systems; and on the domestic front, Obama threatened to make cuts in support for military service-related medical care. These are not the actions I would expect from a commander-in-chief who understands the reality of the post 9-11 world.

The Heritage Foundation has produced an excellent documentary that exposes the life-threatening myths about defending America. 33 Minutes: Protecting America in the New Missile Age tells the story of the very real threat foreign enemies pose to every one us. The truth is brutal.

33 Minutes is the definitive documentary exposing the untold vulnerability we all face and the action plan necessary to revive a defense system that America uniquely can develop, maintain, and employ for its own defense and the peace-loving world's security.

Learn more

33 Minutes: Protecting America in the New Missile Age

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Obama Tries to Break Down Rising Resistance Over Budget.

Here's a great idea.

Reclaim AIG campaign contributions: Make members of Congress who have received campaign contributions from AIG — or any company paying bonuses — send the money to the Treasury.

Another Great Idea

Members of Congress should be compelled to wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers, so we can identify their corporate sponsors. Via: Humble Wife

What kind of president thrives on chaos?

Is it conceivable that a president would want matters to get worse?

33 Minutes: Protecting America in the New Missile Age

Transcript of Obama’s News Conference, March 24

Obama: The buck stops with me...well it will...soon. But not yet.  The economy is still Bush's fault.  Never forget that.

"Now, it’s important to remember that this crisis didn’t happen overnight and it didn’t result from any one action or decision. It took many years and many failures to lead us here." 

[Transcript of Obama’s News Conference]

Replacing a Cowboy With a Crybaby

Bush's "cowboy diplomacy" was relentlessly derided by liberals. One of their favorite churlish refrains: "Yeehaw! is not a foreign policy." They said we needed to restore America's reputation and leadership, so they gave us the gift of Obama. Note to Obama worshipers — Obama is not off to a good start.

From Telegraph.co.uk:

Obama 'too tired' to give proper welcome to Gordon Brown

Barack Obama's offhand approach to Gordon Brown's Washington visit last week came about because the president was facing exhaustion over America's economic crisis and is unable to focus on foreign affairs. Sources close to the White House say Mr. Obama and his staff have been "overwhelmed"...and have voiced concerns that the new president is not getting enough rest.

British officials admit that Obama aides seemed unfamiliar with the expectations that surround a major visit by a British prime minister. A well-connected Washington figure, who is close to members of Mr Obama's inner circle, expressed concern that Mr Obama had failed so far to "even fake an interest in foreign policy".

British diplomats insist the visit was a success, [b]ut they concede that the mood music of the event was at times strained. Brown handed over carefully selected gifts, including a pen holder made from the wood of a warship that helped stamp out the slave trade - a sister ship of the vessel from which timbers were taken to build Mr Obama's Oval Office desk. Mr Obama's gift in return, a collection of Hollywood film DVDs that could have been bought from any high street store, looked like the kind of thing the White House might hand out to the visiting head of a minor African state.

The real views of many in Obama administration were laid bare by a State Department official involved in planning the Brown visit, who reacted with fury when questioned by The Sunday Telegraph about why the event was so low-key. The official dismissed any notion of the special relationship, saying: "There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment."

As we round out Obama's first 50 days, let's look back on some of the highlights:

• After their first two weeks in the White House, Barry and Michelle were already creaking under the pressure, and they left the White House on short notice to chill out with second-graders. Barry: "We were just tired of being in the White House."
  
• Barry was quick to bounce back and soon developed a reputation as a party animal, throwing taxpayer money away for parties nearly every night with ‘friends’ and supporters, celebrating everything from the Superbowl and Valentine's weekend to President's Day and the Passage of the Porkulus bill.
  
• Almost every time he spoke, Obama whined about the incredible mess he inherited. In turn, the Dow-Jones plummeted just about every time Obama opened his mouth.
  
• Obama displayed incredible ignorance with regard to elementary economic issues, and sent incredibly confusing signals about the health of the economy. In one breath Obama would tell us not to "stuff money" in our matresses: “I don’t think that people should be fearful about our future, I don’t think that people should suddenly mistrust all of our financial institutions.” In the very next breath, he would tell us that the end is not in sight when it comes to the economic crisis.
  
• Obama sent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Russia, and in a stupid stunt worthy of Tracy Flick, Hillary embarrassed the whole world with a gift gaffe from Hades.
• As the embarrassment of his incompetence became increasingly painful, Barry spent an inordinate amount of time trying to distract voters from the real issues by picking fights with a harmless radio talk show host.

Now we hear that poor Obama is shirking his responsibilities because he is tired. What a crybaby! What happened to the boundless energy of "Campaign Obama"...that studly young man who pranced around on the beaches of Hawaii to show us what a beefy hunk he is?

And what happened to the promise of repairing our reputation in the world? Is this what they had in mind? Insulting the British and playing silly games with the Russians? Are they kidding?? It's not funny. It's an outrage!

CNN glosses over the Administration's failures, telling us it's the thought that counts. I'd like to think Obama has more than good intentions up his sleeve — but he doesn't, does he? In a few years we will look back on Obama's first fifty days and think "those were the good times, before we had any idea how bad things would get."

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Presidential Approval Index Dropping

Obama has a Presidential Approval Index rating of +6, his lowest rating to date.

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Not a Socialist

For the record: Obama is NOT a socialist — or is he? Read the whole article...methinks he doth protest too much.

Obama is Pro-Life

George Soros Funds Catholic Groups Making Obama Seem Pro-Life on Abortion. Via Michelle Malkin.

Obama's unprecedented dependence on the teleprompter

Have you not heard enough lies from Hussein lately? This should satisfy your needs.

Jindal Blasts Budget, Answers Critics

Is Specter History?

Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) will challenge Sen. Arlen Specter in a primary for the second straight cycle, according to Pennsylvania GOP sources. Toomey narrowly lost to Specter in a 2004 primary by less than 1 percent and recently said he was considering another run.

Jesus was a Palestinian?

A "true or false" question on the origins of Christianity asserted that "Christianity was started by a young Palestinian named Jesus." The teacher's edition says this is "true."

Today's Obama Economy May Be Worse Than Great Depression

Ten Tips For Tough Financial Times

By Jessica

• Account for every single penny you spend, no matter how minor the expense. Save all receipts, and use the budgeting method of your choice to keep track of how much you spend. If you don’t have time to do this, you don’t have time to shop. Period.

• Get out of debt and stay out of debt. Eliminating credit card debt should be a top priority.

• Every time you encounter a financial temptation, ask yourself if you really need it. Ask yourself if you will die without it. When you decide to purchase a non-necessity, consider postponing the purchase. Shop with your head, not your heart.

• Don’t buy anything just because it’s on sale. A "good deal", isn't necessarily a good deal for YOU!

• Make things last a little longer. For example, stretch your groceries a few more days before shopping for more. When you wait a little longer, you will use up things that are lingering in your pantry.

• Don’t go shopping without a list. Don’t be distracted from your mission when you shop. Stick to the list!

• Don’t feel pressured to spend money you don’t have. This can be particularly difficult for parents at Christmas time. One mother I knew told her kids they would only get three presents each, because Baby Jesus only got three gifts. When they are grown, your kids will remember the love you gave them, not the stuff you gave them.

• Get the clutter out of your house and out of your life. Maintaining things takes time and money, so get rid of the stuff you don’t need anymore. If it is broken, throw it away. Donate or sell usable items.

• Save money the old-fashioned way: DIY! 
  

• Don’t go to such extremes with frugality that you end up feeling entirely deprived. The idea is to come up with a sustainable long term plan. Use your budget as a framework within which to improve and enhance your life. Read Being Sensible About Frugality, for an excellent take on this philosophy. The author of this blog has many other good articles on the subject.

Resources

It really isn’t necessary to buy budgeting software; there are many free tools available online. If you have Excel, you can easily set up your own spreadsheet for tracking your spending and tailor it to your specific needs. Here are links to some free online budget calculators:

The Motley Fool – This site has many helpful calculators relating to finances, but the budget one is at the top of the list.

BudgetTracker, Inc. – This site is a comprehensive money-tracking tool and is a member of the BBBOnLine Reliability Program.

Video and article:

The Cheapest Man in America – This guy is fanatically frugal. When neighbors threw rice at his wedding, he swept it up and cooked it for dinner.

The Solution to All of Our Problems

Our leftist friends have made a compelling case, and I am now convinced that laissez faire economics are the source of most of our financial problems.  So I have a brilliant idea. Since free-market capitalism has been unequivocally proven to be the source of our economic woes, let's introduce new government regulations. The more the merrier. And to introduce these regulations, let's not call in a bunch of economist.  Let's put a few hundred smooth-talking lawyers in charge. We will call these demagogues "congressmen" and "senators." 

We should choose individuals who inspire a great deal of confidence.  Given the importance of the American economy to everyone who lives on this planet, we will need to assemble the most ethical, competent, farsighted, smart and sensible group of people the world has ever seen.  If we are judicious, perhaps we can put together a group that will have a very high approval rating, perhaps around 9%.

These lawyers will draw from their vast business experience and will apply their profound wisdom to all of our perplexing challenges, and will give us the best economic system their legal minds can come up with.  In the process, they will concentrate power in Washington, cater to special interest groups, and pander to the lowest common denominator.  

Doesn't this sound like a recipe for success?  I knew you would agree.

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• Honest man goes the extra mile.  Government fines man $650 for his honesty...and threatens him with criminal charges.  Let's put Government in charge of everything!

• The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters found that only nine percent (9%) give Congress good or excellent ratings.

• Chrysler wants to thank you for your involuntary contribution to the bailout.  Chrysler spent $100,000 on a full-page ad in USA Today to tell you how happy they are to have your money.  Tell them what you think on Chrysler's blog.  "Hey Chrysler:  You're not welcome!  Now is not the time for a 'thank you'.  Now is the time for a refund...and an apology."  My comment "has been saved and is pending moderation."  Think it will ever see the light of day?

• Barack Obama is considering abandoning laser-based airborne anti-missile defense.  Obama is an idiot. He is Soros' lapdog, and Soros longs for a weakened America. The 52% of voters who voted for Obama should be ashamed. I am incensed.

• Canada, are you crazy?  Canada offers $3.29 billion auto bailout.  Hey Canada, do you have anything left over to help us out with an anti-missile defense system?

Fascinating vintage cartoon...the secret of American prosperity.

Pay your income tax gladly and proudly!

Leftist Propaganda