Romney's Bain Helped Obama With Auto Bailout... UPDATE: Story Retracted

Here's your free-market capitalism:

Revealed: Bain & Company advised Obama on auto bailout, recommended cutting dealerships...

Does it matter that Romney hasn’t worked for Bain & Company in nearly 20 years or are the optics of this one bad enough to make it newsworthy regardless?

...The NYT reported recently that to this day, as part of the deal he negotiated when he left, Romney still gets a share of Bain Capital’s profits.

Uhm, let's see... Romney's cronies at Bain (a company Romney co-founded) worked with Obama on Obama's fiat-market, counter-capitalist, union-appeasing, jobs-killing auto bailout. Does that look bad? Why yes, yes it surely does.

Call it the Obamney Bailout.

x-posted

Update:

...this is what really ticks me off. We're told what a great capitalist Romney is and if we attack him, we're attacking capitalism. So, then why did his firm engage in so much socialism and still manage to screw up businesses, after pocketing tons of cash for themselves? This doesn't sound like the kind of capitalism I believe in. The taxpayers often took part of Romney's risk, or bailed out his mistakes, as with a pension fund, but he always managed to feather his own nest pretty damned well. This is what's wrong with America, not what's worth defending...

Stay tuned...

UPDATE:

STORY RETRACTED

Global Warming, A White Christmas & Extreme Taxes

(Click to enlarge)

We don't get a lot of snow where I live, but today we're getting blanketed. The last time we had a white Christmas (with any accumulation) was in 1969. That was several years before I was born.

So naturally, that got me thinking about the looming global warming crisis.

William Jacobson has a good question: "At what point in time should global warming have stopped?" So far, no brave global climate warrior has managed to come up with an answer.

Along the same lines, a Swedish free-market economist muses:

So what is there to say that the pre-industrial era climate is really the optimal climate? That the benefits of a possible warmer climates wouldn't outweigh the disadvantages? I have asked that many times to Al Gore supporters and either gotten no answer at all, or some list of alleged (and exaggerated) disadvantages that completely overlooked the benefits.

Perhaps it's some kind of semi-automated Freudian slip, but it looks like Memeorandum has come up with the most believable global warming prediction I've ever seen:

“Expect more extreme taxes thanks to global warming, say scientists”

Maybe this will become the cardinal 21st century corollary to Ben Franklin's famous aphorism:

"In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes."

Whatever happens to the global climate, extreme taxes will almost inevitably follow!

X-posted

Snowe: Yes on Finance Committee Healthcare Plan

Olympia Snowe…ruin health care in your own state…and leave me alone.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said today she would vote to approve the healthcare bill before the Senate Finance Committee.

The Washington Post found that Snowe has voted with her party only 58.4 percent of the time over the course of 308 votes. She crossed party lines on the $787 billion stimulus bill. Only Susan Collins (R) had a lower party unity score (58.1 percent).

With Snowe's support on the Health Care plan, Democrats can claim a bipartisan product heading into the floor debate. According to the New York Times, Democrats seemed a bit more chipper after hearing Ms. Snowe’s decision.

Snowe's empty rhetoric: "Is this bill all that I would want? Is it all that it can be? No. But when history calls, history calls."

With Republicans like this, who needs Democrats?

Via The Hill

Via Memeorandum

More

Senator Roberts likens Baucus Plan to an instrument of death, killing elderly parents

The Baucus plan appears to take a “Lizzie Borden ax” to lop off various Medicare payments, amounting to a “big shell game.”

Olympia Snowe and the Consequences of a ‘Yes’ Vote

Snowe's healthcare vote puts her top Commerce perch at risk.

Lieberman Opposes Baucus Plan

LCR: Olympia Snowe Yes on Obamacare

Tea partiers turn on GOP leadership

Good news: The Tea Party movement is translating into tangible results. Those who promote smaller government are working successfully to remake the GOP.

Tea party forces are confronting the Republican establishment by backing insurgent conservatives and generating their own candidates — even if it means taking on GOP incumbents.

Music to my ears. John McCain showed us exactly where this country will go if the GOP continues to promote watered-down Democrats.

In Florida, where the national party has signaled its preference for centrist Gov. Charlie Crist in the GOP Senate primary, tea party activists are lining up behind former state House Speaker Marco Rubio in reaction to Crist’s public backing for President Barack Obama’s stimulus package.

And Marco Rubio has made quite an impression on ardent conservatives. George Will, the prognosticator of all prognosticators, has stopped just short of declaring Rubio the victor:

Rubio intends to prove that "in the most important swing state, you can run successfully as a principled conservative." He probably will.

As I watch Rubio build momentum, I find it hard to disagree.

Tea party organizers say their resistance to Republican Party-backed primary candidates has much to do with what they perceive as the GOP’s stubborn insistence on embracing candidates who don’t abide by a small government, anti-tax conservative philosophy.

Perception has nothing to do with it. The polls and the election results speak volumes. The GOP didn't just abandon the conservative base, the GOP abandoned the electorate. If it gets any worse, the Republican party will be irrelevant.

In a handful of states, tea party activists have zeroed in on House Republican incumbents and have launched primary challenges in protest of their past support for the controversial Wall Street bank bailout.

This strategy will save the GOP, and that will, in turn, save conservatism. The GOP can only survive if it is in tune with the values of this center-right nation. Conservatism can only survive if conservatives infiltrate the Republican party and eschew defeatist attitudes and third party impulses.

Via Memeorandum

Discussion: ABC, LCR: Tea Parties and the GOP - Mark Rubio, Real Conservative?

Mmm, mmm, mmm: More Barack Obama

Carney-Nunes, angelic victim of vicious right-wing extremist attacks

Thanks to Obama's friends in the Democrat-Run Media, the "Mmm, mmm, mmm video" is back on page one. Before we go there, let's review the updated story:

On March 23, 2009, Charisse Carney-Nunes (author of "I am Barack Obama") was invited to the B. Bernice Young Elementary School in Burlington, NJ as part of the school's Women's History Month celebrations. The author read from two of her books at two school assemblies.

Carney-Nunes was accompanied by two unnamed individuals.

On the same day, schoolchildren performed the "Mmm, mmm, mmm" Obama praise song for Carney-Nunes "since one of the books she wrote was about Barack Obama." On June 19, 2009, a video recording of the performance was uploaded to Carney-Nunes's YouTube account as a Father's Day tribute to Barack Hussein Obama. A promotional poster featuring the cover of Carney-Nunes's book is seen sitting on an easel in the background of the video, and a voice (strikingly similar to Carney-Nunes's) shouts approval for the children's performance: "All right, I like that!"

By September 23rd, the inflammatory video had become viral, and Carney-Nunes began receiving a torrent of questions from reporters and angry emails from conservatives. School staff denied having any knowledge of the recording prior to the media explosion. Dr. Christopher M. Manno, Superintendent of Schools, stated that "the video was posted on the author's website without district approval or knowledge."

Carney-Nunes told the Washington Post that an associate of hers videotaped the children's performance and later uploaded it, along with video and photos from other of her readings, to Carney-Nunes's YouTube account.

In today's story decrying the lack of civility in "today's viral world", The Washington Post inexplicably concludes that Carney-Nunes "was erroneously linked" to the "Mmm, mmm, mmm video."

My thoughts and observations:

• The Washington Post conveniently leaves out the question of whether Carney-Nunes was aware of the fact that her associate was recording the performance.

• The Post also fails to address the question of whether Carney-Nunes asked her associate to post the video on YouTube.

• Unless Carney-Nunes's associate maliciously and secretly hacked into Carney-Nunes's YouTube account to post the video, Carney-Nunes should take responsibility for this creepy piece of Obama propaganda in which her book is being celebrated.

• The Washington Post did make room in their story to demonize Michelle Malkin for asking the sort of questions that they themselves failed to address.

• The Post completely missed the opportunity to address the real source of controversy in this story, i.e., the question of whether this sort of quasi-religious hero worship is appropriate in government-run schools (whoever is responsible).

Via Memeorandum

Discussion: Left Coast Rebel, Sweetness & Light

Don't miss Michelle Malkin's side of the story

More

Carney-Nunes: "Keep looking for that inner-Obama."

Is this a good idea? Protest rally near B. Bernice Young Elementary School

Update: Protesters gather outside school that sang Obama praises

Pot-Smoking Idiot Unwittingly Hands Obama a Gift

A stupid bar owner, known for his racially charged publicity stunts, has handed Obama and the Statist Media a precious gift.

Patrick Lanzo, a proud pot smoker, put up a sign that reads "Obama's plan for health-care: N*&%*r rig it."

Brilliant.

This story will be used as "proof" that opposition to ObamaCare is based on bigotry and racism.

The impact of this one ignorant fool will outweigh the hard work that so many of us have put into this effort. We toil away day and night, doing everything we can to stop the Democrats' disastrous health care plan, but most of us will never influence the debate to the extent that this idiot has...

VERY depressing.

Update:

Contact Information

12804 Buchanan Highway

Temple, GA

770-562-4059

Email: gapeachbar@yahoo.com (?)

Via Memeorandum

Discussion: Another Black Conservative, The Other McCain, LCR

Is John Kerry Extorting Another Senator?

Is John Kerry extorting another senator?

Before we get to that, here's the background on the important story that has been developing in Honduras, via Neal Boortz:

• Mel Zelaya was the President of Honduras.
• Zelaya has close ties with Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez.
• Zelaya emulated his buddy Hugo by attempting to change the Honduran constitution to allow him to hold office indefinitely.
• Zelaya's outrageous and brazen attempt to change the constitution by calling for a referendum was unconstitutional, but with some material support from Chavez, Zaleya was able to create a political crisis.
• In accordance with the rule of law, and with the overwhelming support of the Honduran people, the Honduran Supreme Court ruled Zaleya's efforts illegal and unconstitutional.
• The court issued an order to the Honduran military telling them not to do the logistical work associated with Zelaya's phony referendum.
• Zaleya and his cronies distributed phony ballots to the masses.
• Based on the Supreme Court's ruling, the Honduran attorney general said that the proposed referendum was illegal and said that he would arrest anyone attempting to carry out the election.
• Zelaya was arrested by the military and was escorted out of the country.

Here's a good rhetorical question: Does this sound like a military coup to you? Of course not.

You'd think the President of the United States of America would applaud the Honduran government for upholding the rule of law. You'd think Obama would shun Mel Zaleya. You'd think Obama would at least take a neutral position and refrain from "meddling" — as he did with Iran. But you would be wrong.

Obama levied sanctions on the impoverished nation in order to force the rightful government from power, and he revoked the visas of all the high Honduran officials to keep them from attending the recent UN summit...cutting them off from the international community. Leading Honduran businessmen have lost their American visas as well. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has met with Zaleya, and the Obama administration has given Zaleya every indication that they will continue to help him back to power.

Obama has justified his actions thusly:

“America supports now the restoration of the democratically-elected President of Honduras, even though he has strongly opposed American policies,” the president told graduate students at the commencement ceremony of Moscow’s New Economic School. “We do so not because we agree with him. We do so because we respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not. "

Baffling.

To investigate the situation in Honduras, Senator Jim DeMint, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, planned a congressional delegation trip to Honduras today (Friday).

At the last minute (on Thursday), John Kerry and Obama’s State Department blocked Senator DeMint’s planned fact-finding trip to Honduras.

Lefty bloggers are delighted:

"[DeMint] invoked Senate rules that allow a single Senator to “block” a vote on confirming various of President Obama’s diplomatic nominees, including those for US Ambassador to the Organization of American States, US Ambassador to Brazil and Undersecretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, because he doesn’t like the White House position against the Honduras coup. ...Good for Kerry for knocking DeMint on his ass with such a timely, karma-packed punch."

DeMint has issued the following statement:

“These bullying tactics by the Obama administration and Senator Kerry must stop, and we must be allowed to get to the truth in Honduras. Not a single U.S. Senator has traveled to Honduras to learn the facts on the ground. And the Obama administration won’t allow Honduran officials or even businessmen to come to the U.S., either. While this administration has failed to act decisively in Afghanistan, it is has no problem cracking down on a democratic ally and one of the poorest nations in Latin America.”

“Meanwhile, a thorough report from the Congressional Research Service directly contradicts President Obama’s snap decision about the legality of then-President Zelaya’s removal from office in June. Now, President Obama and Democrats’ blind support for this would-be dictator and friend of Hugo Chavez will prevent members of Congress from learning the truth first hand.”

Confirming the suspicions the lefty blogger quoted above, DeMint has indicated that Kerry's actions do indeed amount to retribution and extortion:

“They’re telling me if I will just let a couple of their nominations go through without debate or a vote, then they will let me go on the trip,” said Senator DeMint, speaking on the Mark Levin Show.

Interim Honduran President Micheletti once said he does not fear sanctions and that Honduras can get by without international aid. Let's hope he continues to stand firm.

h/t: memeorandum

Update I: Please see my related story on American Thinker.

Update II: A commenter took exception to the original title of my post: "Is John Kerry Blackmailing Another Senator?" There was some confusion about the definition of "blackmail."

I know liberal Democrats don't trust dictionaries, but here's how Merriam-Webster defines the word:

black·mail: extortion or coercion by threats

Remember what DeMint said?

“They’re telling me if I will just let a couple of their nominations go through without debate or a vote, then they will let me go on the trip”

That sounds a lot like "extortion or coercion by threats" to me. But perhaps it would be a bit more accurate to describe this as a bribe, or extortion. Fine. Title changed.

...

Living in denial about definitions:

Update III: Kerry confirmed the extortion on Thursday, stating that when DeMint complies with Kerry's demands, "the Committee will approve his travel to Honduras."

Update IV: The rest of the story

More

LA Times: Honduras' non-coup

Under the country's Constitution, the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya was legal.

Congressional Research Service: The legal basis under the Honduran Constitution for President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales’s removal from office.

Obama imposes sanctions on impoverished nation of Honduras, despite loss of legal basis for doing so.

Please hang on Honduras. It's not just about you anymore.

John Kerry trying to hide truth to protect Zelaya, blocking our fact-finding trip to Honduras

Honduras Is Following Its Law and Constitution.

"I'm a U.S. and Honduran citizen and I'm appalled by President Barack Obama's position on the Honduran crisis."