Obama's Big Rush

"The time for talk is over. The time for action is now." Obama left little room for doubt. If Congress did not pass the spending bill immediately, the country would fall apart, and the damage would be "irreversible."

"Rise to the moment," Obama commanded Congress. "Every day, our economy gets sicker," he warned. Upon learning that the national unemployment rate had jumped to 7.6 percent, the highest since 1992, Congress could no longer question Obama's "fierce urgency of now."

Congress acted in accordance with Obama's instructions and produced a bill posthaste. Public negotiations were deemed to be impractical—too time consuming. So fierce was their urgency, they forgot to read the 1,100 page bill, and they broke their 48-hour public posting promise. 

Immediately after the bill was passed on Saturday, Obama signed the bill into law.

...No, wait, that's not what happened.  After pushing Congress to hurry up and pass the trillion dollar stimulus bill, Obama promptly took off for a three-day holiday getaway.  Eh, what's the rush?


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Obama delays signing 'urgent' stimulus for Chicago fun

To a critical eye, the hurry to pass the bill appears to have been a con, a legislative stampede.

What's the rush?  Urgent stimulus on hold for Bam's weekend off.

The push to get the bill through before the holiday weekend was so frantic, members of Congress didn't have a chance to read all 1,071 pages of the document before they could vote.  "In a perfect world it would have been nice to have had more time to process it," said Ilan Kayatsky, a spokesman for Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

British Women Pay High Price for Multiculturalism
Britain has headed down the same "rape path" as other neighboring  "enhanced" multiculturalized countries, such as Norway, where two out of three rapes are committed by men of "non Western backgrounds". 

Obama levitates, but the train goes off the rails.
One of many highlights of the stimulus bill the Democrats just rammed through Congress is $8 billion for high-speed rail. What makes this appropriation special is that there was no money for high-speed rail in the original House legislation. The Senate bill had $2 billion. The legislation coming out of conference "compromised" on $8 billion.

Remember when Obama promised to give us five days to review every bill that ended up on his desk?



"Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant... No more secrecy... And, when there's a bill that ends up on my desk as president, you the public will have 5 days to look online and find out what's in it before I sign it."

You've been trumped!

With help from a grand total of three Republicans, Congress has passed Obama's unpopular "economic recovery" plan. No one read the 1,100 page behemoth, and the 48-hour public posting promise was broken. (When Obama says he will trump you, he really means it.)

The spending bill isn't a new New Deal, it's the old New Deal on steroids, and it will be just as worthless as the original. A mere 12% of the stimulus package is stimulative. The rest is expensive partisan pork and political back scratching. But the wasteful spending and the political payoffs aren't the only things about this bill that are worrisome.

The "stimulus package" could just as accurately be described as a social engineering package. Obama's bill has stealth provisions that are designed to undercut parental authority, roll back Clinton's successful welfare reform, and set up a federal infrastructure that could be used as a tool for government rationing of health care.

This thing is ugly.

So it's no surprise that Obama's puppets in congress worked "in the dead of night and behind closed doors." to pass this bill. Of course they had to ram it through. You can't let a crisis go to waste, and this crisis could let up any time now, with or without stimulus. Plus, if they had allowed the public to review the bill for another 48 hours, it might have been just enough time for public support to completely collapse.

This isn't how our democratic republic is supposed to work.

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Can Israel make it alone?

If the Obama administration walks away from democratic allies, we will see the fastest reshuffling of the alliances we've seen since World War I.

Voting on a Stimulus They Haven't Read

Obama's Approach to Missile Defense Stirs Questions

Homeschooling: America's Hidden Breeding Ground for Conservative Ideology, h/t pen of jen

Stimulus Plan Tightens Reins on Wall St. Pay

A provision buried deep inside the $787 billion economic stimulus bill would impose restrictions on executive bonuses at financial institutions that are much tougher than those proposed 10 days ago by the Treasury Department.

Missing from Congress' stimulus negotiations: transparency

Could Congress have demanded that all negotiations play out in public? Waxman said that would have been impractical. "There are too many moving parts in this bill," Waxman said. "We would be sitting in an open conference committee meeting for weeks, if not a whole month, to process all the amendments that would have been offered."

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.

This Stimulus Bill is Even Worse Than You Think

Think the the stimulus bill is bad?  Think again.  The Stimulus Bill is Even Worse Than You Think.  Sobering information from NRO:

The health provisions in the House stimulus bill would expand dependence on the already-unsound Medicaid entitlement program, distort health care choices for unemployed workers, and set up a federal infrastructure that could be used as a tool for government rationing of medical treatments, procedures, and services. [snip]

For the first time, the federal government will give significant cash to able-bodied adults without dependent children.  ...Since most of these individuals have little apparent need for assistance, the new credit represents "spreading the wealth" for its own sake.  [snip]

Buried in the economic stimulus legislation is a provision that undercuts parental authority and expands control of taxpayer dollars by family planning clinics.  Because the income of parents or even a spouse may not be counted in determining eligibility, states would have the option to "consider only the income of the applicant or recipient." In other words, a child in a family at any income level may be eligible for free family-planning services. A child would be able to receive benefits through a "presumptive eligibility period" and beyond without parental knowledge that he or she applied for Medicaid.  [snip]

For the first time since 1996, the federal government would begin paying bonuses to states that increase their welfare caseloads. Under the stimulus bills, the federal government will pay 80 percent of cost for each new family that a state enrolls in welfare; this matching rate is far higher than it was under the old AFDC program. 

Obama has repeatedly told us in recent days that he is abandoning the old, failed, tired ideas of the past.  He isn't.

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House passes stimulus bill with no GOP support

It was clear that the measure was the result of old-fashioned sausage-making. Pet provisions were coming to light that had not been included in the original bills that passed the House or Senate—or that differed markedly from earlier versions. Some appeared to brush up against claims of the bill's supporters that no pet projects known as "earmarks" were included.

Gregg Withdrawal Embarrasses White House

White House sources tell me that another nominee for commerce secretary could be announced quite soon, maybe in the next few days.  But that candidate will be President Obama's fourth choice for commerce secretary.

Why not make the "stimulus bill" a kazillion dollars?

For half a century, the welfare establishment had the bright idea to pay women to have children out of wedlock. Following the iron laws of economics—subsidize something, you get more of it; tax it, you get less of it—the number of children being born out of wedlock skyrocketed.

Anti-Islam Dutch Lawmaker Sent Back to Netherlands Amid U.K. Ban

The right-wing lawmaker had been invited by a member of Parliament to show his anti-Islam movie "Fitna," which calls the Koran a "fascist" book and accuses Islam of being a violent religion.

Senators Grill Geithner Again on New Financial Plan: Republican Tells Him, 'You Have No Clue'

Jindal to give high-profile GOP response to Obama.

The only thing that can cure poverty is wealth.

U.S. judges admit to jailing children for money.

Two judges pleaded guilty on Thursday to accepting more than $2.6 million from a private youth detention centre in Pennsylvania in return for giving hundreds of youths and teenagers long sentences.

Woman's record-length fingernails broken in crash.

According to the Guinness Web site, her nails measured a total of more than 28 feet long in 2008, with the longest nail on her right thumb at 2 feet, 11 inches.

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Obama Is Not Doing His Job

When abroad, Obama criticizes his own country, praises the antithetical world view of another, and tells us that his job is to focus on the well-being of International Muslims.  At home, Obama has told us that we should live our lives in accordance with the wishes of "other countries."  In the court of international opinion, Obama wants to represent all sides.

What if you hired a lawyer, and instead of representing YOU, he decided he should be "fair" and represent "all sides." What if you couldn't afford a lawyer and your public defender insisted on playing the prosecutorial role? 

Yes, your lawyer must listen to the other side, but he isn't going to express their concerns, or recognize the validity of their points unless it serves your interests in some way. Everything your attorney says and does should serve your interests.  That's what it means to have representation.

As the current occupant of the office of the President of the United States of America, it is not Obama's job to represent the interests or express the concerns of other nations. His delusional "President of the World" schtick is even more absurd and egotistical than his "Office of the President-Elect" charade was.  As long as Obama insists on being the self-appointed President of the International Community, there is no one representing the citizens of the United States of America.

If the Jimmy Carters, the Susan Sarandons, and the Code Pinks among us want to abuse their freedom to express the concerns of other nations and represent their interests, they're free to do so. Barack Obama is NOT.

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Meltdown 101: Highlights of economic stimulus plan

So, how much of a tax cut is he delivering to 95% of the American people with that $790 billion? A whopping $13 per paycheck that later gets reduced to $8 per paycheck. 

Democrat Leaders Hold Midnight Meeting, Freeze GOP out of “Stimulus” Negotiations

It is the prerogative of congressional Democrats as to whether the hearing will be an honest and open forum or instead a dog and pony show while real negotiations take place in a smoke-filled backroom.

More Appointment Chaos: Gregg Withdraws After Policies Too Much to Stomach

"It has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns."

Democrats Fighting Dirty For Your Money

Democrats are launching an ad campaign to turn Americans against the Republicans who voted against the Democrats' pork bill.  Apparently the era of postpartisan hope, change and brotherly love is officially over.  Here are some of their loathsome statements:

House Republicans just don't get it.  They celebrate being the party of no and status quo, while more than 2.6 million Americans have lost their jobs, the stock market has plummeted wiping out nearly $7 trillion [in] stock market wealth and endangering thousands of investors' nest eggs, and one in 10 homeowners was delinquent on mortgage payments or in foreclosure this fall. 

Republicans' champagne wishes and caviar dreams simply don't connect with middle class families struggling to make ends meet and furious that their tax dollars are going to bail out banks, build schools in Iraq, or send American jobs overseas.  [emphasis mine]

Here's the message I left on their website:

Your ad campaign is partisan and deceptive and your rhetoric is asinine. 

You talk about connecting with the middle class. Is Obama trying to connect with the middle class with his cocktail and wagyu steak soirées?  Is he trying to connect with the middle class with $170 million dollar celebrations and posh superbowl parties?  Americans are freezing to death while Obama luxuriates in a White House that is now hot enough to grow orchids.

Spending a trillion dollars two years from now isn't the way to help the middle class to get out of this recession. The middle class understands that.  And that's why support for Obama's highly partisan plan is eroding.  If Democrats want to get serious about a quick stimulus, they'd get behind a two-month tax holiday for all Americans. That would "cost" the government about one third as much as Obama's plan, and would have an immediate stimulative effect.  But there is one big downside to that plan: it doesn't give politicians any power.  They don't get to choose winners and losers. They don't get to reward special interest groups.

You aren't really serious about helping the middle class, are you?

P.S.  Regarding the $700 billion bank bailout package, most of the house democrats voted in favor, most of the Republicans voted against.  Don't try to trick Americans into believing that House Republicans are responsible for that bill.  It's a lie. 

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Iran sends first home-built satellite into orbit.

In the first foreign reaction, France expressed concern because the technology used was "very similar" to that employed in ballistic missiles.  "We can't but link this to the very serious concerns about the development of military nuclear capacity," foreign ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier said in Paris.  In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the satellite programme could "possibly lead to the development of ballistic missiles...that's of great concern to us," he said.

Tax issues prompt Obama nominees to withdraw!

Iran says Obama's offer to talk shows US failure

After nearly three decades of severed ties, Obama said shortly after taking office this month that he is willing to extend a diplomatic hand to Tehran if the Islamic republic is ready to "unclench its fist".  In response, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a fresh tirade against the United States, demanding an apology for its "crimes" against Iran...

Obama voices concern about freed Guantanamo inmates

"Can we guarantee that they're not going to try to participate in another attack? No," Obama said. "But what I can guarantee is that if we don't uphold our Constitution and our values, that over time that will make us less safe. And that will be a recruitment tool for organizations like al-Qaeda."  

Being president is not community organizing. Being president means you have real responsibilities. A primary responsibility is protecting the citizens.  Those citizens killed in a terrorist attack because of freed terrorists are then rendered totally incapable of "upholding U.S. values and law;" instead they have been sacrificed for the unAmerican value of debasing its citizens to appease enemies.

The Stimulus: A Picture is Worth a Trillion Words

Eye-popping illustrations of the stimulus from Suitably Flip via Midnight Blue:

It's difficult to visualize a million dollars, much less a million million dollars.  But that's the true threshold cracked by the "$825" billion "stimulus" bill, when you include $347 billion in estimated interest costs associated with the incremental borrowing required.

So how big is the resulting $1.2 trillion spending package?  Big enough to dwarf any government program in history, even after adjusting for inflation.  It's bigger than the New Deal and the Iraq War combined.  The interest alone will be costlier than the Louisiana Purchase or going to the moon.  The $18 billion in bonuses paid legally by private Wall Street firms in 2008 - decried by the President as "shameful" - is vanishingly small in comparison (smaller even than the bill's incremental food stamps expenditures).

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Why Obama is so scary...he refuses to learn from history. We're doomed to repeat the mistakes of history, only in a bigger way this time.  Obama Explains FDR's Folly? 

‘Jimmy Carter’ tag has Obama wincing.

The GOP Should Go Upscale.  If the GOP abandons "downscale" voters, guess who will be there to scoop them up?

Money for nothing won't grow the economy.

Rendition Suddenly Back In Vogue

Shout out to GCA!

Americans Don't Want The Porkulus Plan

Some interesting and encouraging analysis and commentary regarding the stimulus package:

Democrats say the tax cuts in the economic recovery plan are evidence of their outreach to Republicans. The problem with that logic is that President Obama understood the importance of tax cuts during his successful campaign for the White House. That’s one reason the Democratic presidential candidate promised to cut taxes for 95% of all Americans. The latest polling data confirms that tax cuts remain the most popular part of the economic recovery plan. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of voters nationwide say tax cuts generally help the economy, and only 17% disagree.

Forty-three percent (43%) of Americans would support an economic recovery plan that included only tax cuts and no new government spending. Just 15% would support a plan with only new government spending and no tax cuts.

So the inclusion of tax cuts are both a way for the president to honor his campaign pledge and a bipartisan solution that Americans naturally view as part of an economic recovery plan.

Many pundits have tried to make the case that Obama has a mandate to ignore the right.  I don't believe this is true.  After the primaries, Obama moved to the center. But the stimulus package, in its current form, is not a centrist piece of legislation.  Centrist America wants to see a stimulus strategy that includes tax cuts and restrained spending.  If Obama really is the political genius that his worhipers say he is, he will insist on legislation that reflects America's commonsense values.

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Obama administration co-opting media analysts

Politico warns TV news viewers to take political analysis in the Age of Obama with a five-pound bag of Morton’s Salt.  Barack Obama’s right-hand man, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, holds daily conference calls with three prominent analysts who appear regularly as independent voices in the media’s political coverage.  

Bush hatred and Obama euphoria 

In fact, Bush hatred and Obama euphoria -- which tend to reveal more about those who feel them than the men at which they are directed -- are opposite sides of the same coin. Both represent the triumph of passion over reason. Both are intolerant of dissent. Those wallowing in Bush hatred and those reveling in Obama euphoria frequently regard those who do not share their passion as contemptible and beyond the reach of civilized discussion.

Big Government Stimulus

In the Western world, countries that were once the crucible of freedom are slipping remorselessly into a thinly disguised serfdom in which an ever higher proportion of your assets are annexed by the state as superlandlord. Big government is where nations go to die – not in Keynes' "long run," but sooner than you think.

Obama's Global Interest Imperialism

On Nov. 4, 2008, Americans elected their first international president. They elected a man who does not seek to preserve American values. Leftists perceived George W. Bush as an imperialist for American interests; by the same token, Obama is an imperialist for "global interests." In a war to save America from implacable foes, Obama's Global Interest Imperialism dooms American exceptionalism to the ash heap of history. With it may go the last, best hope of Earth.

Netanyahu says Iran will not get hands on nukes

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's leading candidate for prime minister, said Saturday that Iran "will not be armed with a nuclear weapon."  In an interview with Israel's Channel 2 TV, Netanyahu said if elected prime minister his first mission will be to thwart the Iranian nuclear threat. 

New Obama tax-evasion scandal: Tom Daschle

Daschle’s team claims that the former Senator deserves the credit for revealing the problem himself.  Daschle did report this — but only after getting picked as HHS Secretary.  If that sounds familiar, it’s because that’s when Geithner suddenly discovered that he owed Uncle Sam money too, only Daschle paid back a lot more: over $100,000.

Hackers Crack Into Texas Road Sign, Warn of Zombies Ahead