Happy Birthday Mr. Locke

Today is John Locke's birthday!

Drill, Baby, Drill

Sarah Palin from her facebook page points us to this victory for oil exploration, here.

Al Jazeera More Honest Than CNN

I expected the worst, of course, but was soon astonished. Except for those stories when the “I”-word was prominent (you know, that little country south of Lebanon), Al Jazeera was clearly better, more honest, more informative and more entertaining than CNN International or the BBC. And kinder to the US. In fact, it wasn’t even close. Also, since much of the news they reported was coming from the Middle East, they seemed better informed about such things as the death of the Iraqi Shiite leader Hakim (they referred to Saddam Hussein flatly as a fascist, something you rarely hear on CNN) and the Al Qaeda suicide bombing in Saudi Arabia (they had nothing but withering contempt for Al Qaeda – no pussy-footing “insurgent” rhetoric for them).

The above is from Roger L. Simon's post here describing his TV News viewing experiences in Europe.

OUCH!

Obamacare is Failing

The AP is reporting that a "key" GOP Senator is signally that the Obamacare plan may be dying in an article titled, "GOP senator signals fading hopes on health care".

A leading GOP negotiator on health care struck a further blow to fading chances of a bipartisan compromise by saying Democratic proposals would restrict medical choices and make the country's "finances sicker without saving you money."

The criticism from Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., echoed that of many opponents of the Democratic plans under consideration in Congress. But Enzi's judgment was especially noteworthy because he is one of only three Republicans who have been willing to consider a bipartisan bill in the Senate.

If Obamacare is on life-support, I suggest it suffer the fate of rationing that Obamacare would have inflicted on us all and pull the plug.

Busted for Bussing

"BUSSED IN UNION GOON BOOED OUT of Rep. Tim Bishop's Town Hall Meeting (Video)" is the post from GatewayPundit with LOTS of connections and video like the one below. Rep. Bishop should be ashamed to think his constituents are so stupid that they would accept Union members being bussed in to make a townhall more "friendly". I hope this inspires the residents of his district to vote the bum out.

In particular, pay attention to the patronizing tone in the woman's voice as she tries to control this crowd. Ugh!

A Little Respect For Sarah From The Left

They couldn’t believe that Sarah Palin was capable of something as canny as that deadly “death panels” phrase. They couldn’t see that it was a metaphoric shorthand for something real. Instead they thought she was too dumb, that she meant it literally (to have seen the potential for rationed end-of-life care in the bill), and instead indulged in an orgy of disdain for her “crazy,” “ignorant” “lies” and malicious misrepresentation.

The above is from Ron Rosenbaum's blog over at PajamasMedia.com in a post titled, "How Sarah Palin Rope-a-Doped All-Too-Many Liberals". He discusses how liberals messed up (no kidding) in not taking Palin seriously.

I agree.

But I disagree with his view of the "tactics" of conservatives at townhall meetings. An African-American conservative carrying a gun to a protest is wrong since he was protesting Obamacare but it was okay for Black Panthers to carry rifles back in the day?

I think the PO might have been correct

Follow the link here and watch the video. While the police officer did not express himself correctly, the guy protesting is wrong. You can not put up any old sign you want on public property. On your own property sure. Now if this was at a protest and the police officer only singled him out. That was wrong. All protesters should have been told to put down their signs.

Can't tell from the video. Why don't you watch and tell me what you think?

Great Idea - Buycott

The national leadership team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition this morning announced a series of Tea Party Buycott events designed to support John Mackey and the Whole Foods grocery chain. Mackey is the CEO whose op-ed in The Wall Street Journal opposing Obamacare and supporting free market health care reform has sparked unprecedented and unwarranted attacks from left wing propagandists.

The above is from this article here.

I've already visited our local Whole Foods but I think I might swing around on Tuesday, Setp. 1st again like these folks are proposing.

The Healthcare Draft

It can be argued that Modern Liberalism was born in the protests of the 1960s.

The most defining protest of the 60s was the fight against the draft during Vietnam, against the government forcing citizens to do something they normally would not choose to do, ie risk their lives in war.

The other protests were about freedom to choose as well. The sexual revolution broke down societal barriers. The civil rights movement broke down political barriers. Even the later, "pro-choice" movement leading to Roe v. Wade was framed as keeping government out of our lives and off our bodies. All these protests, all these movements were about expanding our liberties (sometimes too much) but the Baby Boomers doing it believed they were fighting government intrusion into their lives.

So now it is terrifyingly ironic to me that these liberal Baby Boomers and former anti-government protesters are now creating a new Draft, a new all-encompasing government intrusion. The drafting of every man, woman and child into an endless Vietnam of healthcare.

Yes, I am comparing Obamacare to Vietnam because it is nothing less than profound government intrusion into and control of our very lives via the healthcare system. And, ironically, those who are protesting this government intrusion are being as vilified by The (now liberal) Establishment as the hippies were.

Even worse, just like with the Vietnam-era Draft, some folks will be wealthy enough to opt-out, some folks will leave the country, and most folks will be stuck with in the government's maw.

Obamacare is a Healthcare Draft. And we who recognize this should fight it vigorously.

Liberals = Creationalism

James Murdoch (Rupert's son) gave the annual MacTaggert lecture in the UK and said the following which I feel is a brilliant description of liberal/socialist processes.

He said: “The consensus appears to be that creationism — the belief in a managed process with an omniscient authority — is the only way to achieve successful outcomes. There is general agreement that the natural operation of the market is inadequate, and that a better outcome can be achieved through the wisdom and activity of governments and regulators. This creationist approach is similiar to the industrial planning which went out of fashion in other sectors in the 1970s. It failed then. It’s failing now.”

He's talking about the BBC's expansion into broadcasting (read the Times article here) but that description, especially the first sentence, is frighteningly accurate.

North Korea Caught Shipping Arms to Iran

Wait. Bush was right?!? There really is an "Axis of Evil".

Yes, there is. Read here about it from Reuters AlertNet.

Realty Bites

But through the usual lack leftwing lack of imagination and a truly touching and naive faith in the efficacy of top/down government "solutions," Klein ends up advocating for government rationing and for imposing a government monopoly on health care, instead of for more competition and choice.

The above is from Ron Bailey's article, Ezra Klein's Confusion Over "Rationing" from Reason's Hit And Run blog. Ron really tears Klein's position apart. Good read.

Too soon? Nah.

The "opening salvo" in the "Ted's Dead" files from American Digest magazine. Read the comments too!

With Friends Like Obama...

Our allies will become enemies.

According to this editorial titled, "Obama jilts Poland and the Czech Republic" from The Washington Times, Obama is abandoning Eastern Europeans by cancelling the planned missile defense program.

You know, most presidents in the past have been either domestic or foreign policy presidents. Some of the great ones have managed to be both. But Obama has succeeded were few have before in being terrible at both domestic and foreign policies.

I feel sorry for the poor schmuck who's stuck cleaning up Obama's messes.

All Aboard

The Tea Party Express bus has left the station and is driving across country, stopping at Tea Partys from coast-to-coast and ending in DC for the big September 12th March on Washington.

Let's get this party started!

Congressional Hypocrites

Mark Tapscott has a brutal op-ed up in The Washington Examiner titled, "Let's talk about your gold-plated, tax-paid compensation, Mr. Waxman." It's about the hypocrisy of Waxman's fishing expedition into the financials of the insurance industry when a five second review of Congress is far more damning than anything a well-paid private company executive can do.

Tear Waxman a new one, please, Mr. Tapscott.

Why Big Companies Support Regulation

To strangle the little companies with.

Andrew Stuttaford has an interesing post up titled, "About Those Green Jobs" over at NRO that exposes the hypocracy of big business working with big government to kill off competators.

Mr. Stuttaford's post is based on a Timothy P. Carney article titled, "How GE's green lobbying is killing U.S. factory jobs." from The Washington Examiner which is worth reading in full as well.

'One of his favorite topics of humor was Chappaquiddick'

(This article was written by Mark Hemingway and published on National Review - The Corner. I am copying it in full.)

Jules Crittenden mentioned on his blog he heard Ed Klein, former foreign editor of Newsweek and editor-in-chief of The New York Times Magazine, recalling on air that Ted Kennedy liked to joke about Chappaquiddick. It seemed to defy belief, so I listened to the episode of The Diane Rehm Show in question and sure enough — I've transcribed what Klein told guest host Katy Kay:

I don't know if you know this or not, but one of his favorite topics of humor was indeed Chappaquiddick itself. And he would ask people, "have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick?" That is just the most amazing thing. It's not that he didn't feel remorse about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, but that he still always saw the other side of everything and the ridiculous side of things, too.

EXCUSE ME? If that's true, it makes Kennedy kind of a monster. The odd thing is that if you listen to the whole show, the tone of everyone involved is nauseatingly hagiographic and reverential. Klein apparently let his guard down a bit; after he lets it slip Kennedy liked to joke about the woman he killed you can actually hear in his voice that he's trying to backpedal. The show actually cuts to a break as he's trying to explain himself, and I seriously wonder if it wasn't the producers trying to do Klein a favor. But I'm sorry, there appears to be little to that could explain this. It goes way beyond "you had to be there."

UPDATE: Blogging software was a tad buggy and didn't respond to repeated attempts to fix audio link — it should be fixed now. Also, Ed Morrissey has the audio much more convinently packaged at this YouTube link.

Sun Warms Globe.

Sunspots Do Really Affect Weather Patterns, Say Scientists.

So as I suspected, that giant glowing ball in the sky really does warm the planet. Apparently it causes wild temperature changes every twelve hours from noon to midnight to noon again. And now, its sunspots might actually affect the climate.

No, really? Shocking but true.

A new study in the journal Science by a team of international of researchers led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research have found that the sunspot cycle has a big effect on the earth's weather.

Big Government Is Watching

This is terrifying.

Bill would give president emergency control of Internet.

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

Using a Minotaur - I'm for it.

Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?

Obamacare Daily Round-Up 08-28

I love Sen. Inofe. I've met the man at my husband's book signing party. He is a very good senator. And I like what he's done in this piece titled, "Inhofe slams health reform."

And while I bow to no one in my admiration of Charles Krauthammer, I wish he would take a page from Sen. Inhofe's book and NOT help the democrats with their attempts at Obamacare. Here, Mr. Krauthammer self-indulges his intellect by describing how liberals can make Obamacare more palatable to voters. Mr. Krauthammer, salted mud still tastes awful. I appreciate your intelligence but I really wish you would not show it off by helping Obama force government-run socialized medicine down our throats.

Now I can't argue with Rep. Kline in this piece, titled "Kline Tells Business Group, ‘It’s Time to Push the Reset Button’." He isn't talking about Hilary's reset button, he's talking Obamacare. He said, "Republicans and Democrats should throw out the proposed Democratic and Republican health care bills and start over." Amen brother.

Nothing is too big to fail as I have posted previously here and here come to mind. Now we get this article with the headline, "Banks 'Too Big to Fail' Have Grown Even Bigger" from The Washington Post. So if the government's bailouts are making the banks "too big" and now Obama is creating new regulation on top of the regulation that messed everything up in the first place, how will do you think the government will run Obamacare? As I said before, if these banks had been allowed to fail, we'd be better off and less in debt than we are now.

What would be worse than Ted Kennedy continuing as Chair of the Senate Health committee? How about tax-cheat Christopher Dodd. Or this chick Mikulski. Both are up for it, neither would be good for us. Well, that said, neither would Obamacare.

It can't be repeated enough. "Democratic Health Care Bill Divulges IRS Tax Data"

Thomas Cooley writes in Forbes about the failure of the stimulus and I'm putting it in the Obamacare Round-Up because it is worth remembering two things. One, government run programs suck. And two, we can't afford Obamacare in the first place. The graphs below are from the article linked above.




Headline says it all. "Study: Health Care Reform Mandate Will Punish Employers, Kill Jobs."

Pajamas Media has a piece up titled, "There Are Two Types of Boycotts: The Elite-Supported and the Invisible" about the supposed boycott of Whole Foods because the CEO had the temerity to say, "The last thing our country needs is a massive new health care entitlement that will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and move us much closer to a government takeover of our health care system. Instead, we should be trying to achieve reforms by moving in the opposite direction — toward less government control and more individual empowerment." As I posted here, I've already done my shopping at Whole Foods in support of Mr. Mackey. You should too - if you can. And of course, the elite cry boycott and no one believes them is also evidenced here by the swelling number of views the Glenn Beck show is attracting after a boycott on his opinions was called.

The Times picked up on the Democrat's exploitation of Kennedy. "Democrats accused of using Edward Kennedy’s death to promote reforms."

The level of arrogant patronizing in this article here by Michael Kinsley is almost breathtaking. Read it only if your blood-pressure is low.

Our Sunday View Daily Take is reporting "OSV health care analysis in New York Times" talking about the Catholic Church's reluctance to support Obamacare because of taxpayer-funded abortions. And the Archbishop's Column in the Denver Catholic Register here smacks down those who are attempting the Catholic church to embrace Obamacare despite the abortion issue. Heartbreaking letter from a mother included. Kathryn Jean Lopez over at National Review covers it further in this post here.

"Dem. Rep. Betsy Markey: Yep, Medicare Will Take a Hit." is another headline that says it all from The Weekly Standard.

Time Magazine is noting "After Kennedy's Death: Silence from the Pope." It may have been that he just wasn't a good Catholic.

Back at headquarters, however, there is little room for nuance. "Here in Rome Ted Kennedy is nobody. He's a legend with his own constituency," says the Vatican official. "If he had influence in the past it was only with the Archdiocese of Boston and that eventually disappeared too."

From FoxNews.com comes another article where the headline lays it all out. "Why Won't ABC and NBC Run an Ad Critical of Obama's Health Care Reform Plan?" Perhaps when you actively embrace being the propaganda tools of the government, you tend to stifle opposition whenever possible. Classy and so Free Speech-y.

Speaking of class acts, another liberal, Democrat Diane Watson, plays the race card in the debate over Obamacare. "LA Rep: ObamaCare Opponents Want to Destroy ‘First President Who Looks Like Me’" (Audio clip is here.) Look lady, it doesn't matter who you are, where you came from, or what you look like, Obamacare sucks craptacularly. The numbers are bad. The policies are bad. It's all bad. Your skin color has nothing to do with my opposition to Obamacare and how arrogant and wilfully blind are you to assume that it is.

Bad Muslims, Worse Westerners

I am sick and disgusted by people who believe we can not judge another culture due to their mistaken belief in moral relevancy.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

I CAN and DO judge other cultures because I think it is morally abhorant to slice of a girl's genitals or beat a woman. I think that homosexuals should be allowed to live. And that a wife should not be buried up to her neck and stoned to death because someone claimed she had committed adultry.

As you may have gathered, the above mentioned "cultural differences" are regular occurances in Muslim countries AND Western countries with muslims. Rarely does any political leader stand up and vigerously protest this mistreatment nor do they vigorously prosecute the offenders.

So millions upon millions of women live lives of brutal slavery because their Muslim men like it that way and our Western men are too yellow-bellied to fight for them.

If this seems like an extreme opinion, well then you are wrong too. Visit this website here and read about how brutally muslim women are treated. If you buy into this fallacy of not judging because of cultural differences, then imagine how you would feel if any of these things happened to you. Read the whole thing.

Here are just a few of those customs and mores: in Turkey, a nation often cited as “moderate,” wife beating is so common that 69 percent of all female health workers polled (and almost 85 percent of all male health workers) said that violence against women was in certain instances excusable. In April, a new epidemiological study in the European Journal of Public Health revealed that one out of every five homicides in Pakistan is the result of a so-called honor killing. And in Mauritania, the age-old practice of force-feeding young girls—a life-threatening process that is intended to make them round and therefore “marriageable”—has seen a renaissance. Girls as young as five are herded into “fattening farms.” Those who resist are tortured.

It was only when our steadfast ally Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed legislation legalizing the rape of his country’s wives by their husbands that a powerful Western leader actually expressed a view on the subject. “I think this law is abhorrent,” President Barack Obama acknowledged when queried at a press conference in Strasbourg, France. Yet, our president had to be asked about the rape-facilitation law before daring to venture an opinion. Nor is he alone in his bashfulness. All over the world, Western leaders have proven uncommonly demure on the subject of women in Islamic countries. On March 22, for instance, French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, the co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières, and usually no slouch at voicing indignation, found himself in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at a formal luncheon. This, on the precise day that a group of 35 Saudi clerics urged their government to ban all women from appearing on television or in newspapers.

The most important moral of human life is "do unto others, what you would have done to you." So why would we tolerate such God-forsaken behavior? Do our political leaders and "liberal" journalists believe it is okay to brutalize women?

When our Girl Scout troop became primarily muslim and we met twice a week in the local Mosque, the other mom's I met were wonderful, bright women that I hope to keep in my life. But when we had to decide where to place our "Gift of Caring" donations raised during the cookie sale, the ladies decided to give to a local battered woman's shelter.

That journalists are not asking and politicians are not stepping up to condemn this behavior is almost as bad as the Muslim men who exploit and enslave their women. A shame to both their houses.

On Obama's Poll Numbers And Lying

David Limbaugh has a post up on his townhall.com blogsite titled, "Reclaiming Popular Sovereignty."

Here is a nice juicy bite of what is a nicely searing condemnation of Obama and his attempt at socializing America. Enjoy, then read the whole thing.

It's true that Barack Obama's approval ratings began at the North Pole and are already hovering around the equator. But given what he's said and done, it is quite remarkable, frankly, that they aren't firmly planted at the South Pole.

The deceptions and contradictions are astounding. His premises for policy change are consistently duplicitous. He's embarked on a course to deliberately bankrupt the nation; he is at war with mainstream American values; he is undermining our national security during wartime (prosecuting our protectors -- and otherwise); and he's pursuing unprecedented government control of the private sector.

Three PJTV Videos

Sonja Schmidt talks about her attendance at an Obamacare rally. It is titled, MoveOn Activists At An ObamaCare Rally: Scare Tactics, Illiterate Republicans & Socialist Lies

Louder with Crowder has this video up here titled, PJTV UNDERCOVER, Public Interest Payday: Crowder Exposes Health Care Activists (And Gets a Job).

Diagnosis Liberal: Most Psychologists Suffer From Acute Liberal Derangement Syndrome from Dr. Helen.

EPA Considers Closing NCEE - Dr. Alan Carlin’s Unit

The EPA whistleblower saga took a new turn this week with a report that EPA was considering shutting down the agency unit in which Dr. Alan Carlin works. Dr. Carlin is the senior EPA analyst who authored a 100-page study last March, which severely criticized the scientific basis for the agency’s position on global warming. CEI broke the story in late June, when it unveiled a series of emails to Dr. Carlin from his boss, stating that his study would not be disclosed, and that Dr. Carlin was to stop working on global warming issues, because criticizing EPA’s position would only cause trouble.

Dr. Carlin works in EPA’s National Center for Environmental Economics (NCEE), whose function is, in its words, “analyzing the economic and health impacts of environmental regulations and policies, and … informing important policy decisions with sound economics and other sciences.” EPA has long been criticized for the tunnel-vision, cost-be-damned nature of many of its policies. (See, for example, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s 1995 book, Breaking the Vicious Circle: Toward Effective Risk Regulation, written before he joined the court.) Economists are the most likely professionals within EPA to examine the real-world effects of its policies. For that reason, the NCEE is potentially a major restraining force on the agency’s out-of-this-world regulatory ambitions. Wouldn’t it be great for EPA to get this office out of the way?

Hopefully, the publicity and scrutiny that Dr. Carlin’s report has received since it became public will carry over to EPA’s plans for NCEE, and this agency, with its hollow commitment to scientific integrity and transparency, won’t get its wish.

Trust The IRS

Democratic Health Care Bill Divulges IRS Tax Data.
Basically Obamacare gives the "Health Choice Commissioners" the right to get any tax information, unlimited, from the IRS about YOU in order to determine if you qualify for "affordablility credits".

The double-speak alone is terrifying let alone the complete and utter intrusion into your life by the government. NO THANK YOU.

Standing Ovation For Standing Up to Spector!

I love this!

Another Drop In the Gallop Poll

Obama is currently at a 50% approval rating in the Gallop polls today. Disapproval is at 43%. If those numbers reverse, Obama is in hot, hot water.

National Endowment for Propaganda

Patrick Courrielche titled his article in BigHollywood.com much nicer than I titled this post - "The National Endowment for the Art of Persuasion?" but then again, I'm not an artist looking for NEA money.

This article should turn your stomach. Mr. Corrielche chronicles how he "was invited by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to take part in a conference call that invited a group of rising artist and art community luminaries “to help lay a new foundation for growth, focusing on core areas of the recovery agenda - health care, energy and environment, safety and security, education, community renewal.”"

He continues with...

I’m not a “right-wing nut job.” It just goes against my core beliefs to sit quietly while the art community is used by the NEA and the administration to push an agenda other than the one for which it was created. It is not within the National Endowment for the Arts’ original charter to initiate, organize, and tap into the art community to help bring awareness to health care, or energy & environmental issues for that matter; and especially not at a time when it is being vehemently debated. Artists shouldn’t be used as tools of the state to help create a climate amenable to their positions, which is what appears to be happening in this instance. If the art community wants to tackle those issues on its own then fine. But tackling them shouldn’t come as an encouragement from the NEA to those they potentially fund at this coincidental time.

And if you think that my fear regarding the arts becoming a tool of the state is still unfounded, I leave you with a few statements made by the NEA to the art community participants on the conference call. “This is just the beginning. This is the first telephone call of a brand new conversation. We are just now learning how to really bring this community together to speak with the government. What that looks like legally?…bare with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely… “

Is the hair on your arms standing up yet

Yes, because when artists are conscripted to produce art proclaiming the glories of the powers-that-be it is propoganda and if I didn't like my tax dollars going to fund Mapplethorpe, then I am going to hatemy tax dollars going to fund Obama's propaganda machine.

Who is the Real Mob?

(My husband's post on NRO)

My excellent associate Roger Abbott and I have an article in today's Examiner that looks at the characteristics of revolutionary movements and concludes that the town-hall protesters aren't even close to that. On the other hand, there is a movement that meets all the qualifications. It's the one in power. And that means that those assuming the protests will automatically translate into changes at the polls next year are assuming too much at this stage.

Daily Obamacare Round-Up 08-27

Tea Party TV! I love this idea. How come a group of citizens can organically coalesce, become funded, and create this fantastic movement, yet our "elite" both on the right and left can't figure this stuff out?

Karl Rove has an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal titled, "Obama Targets Medicare Advantage, Seniors would lose with health 'reform,' and seniors vote." Obamacare supporters in Congress would do well to remember grandma votes more than grandson.

Like his famous scream, Howard Dean let something slip out at the Moran townhall that could do a lot of damage. This time to Obamacare.

Asked by an audience member why the legislation does nothing to cap medical malpractice class-action lawsuits against doctors and medical institutions (aka "Tort reform"), Dean responded by saying: “The reason tort reform is not in the [health care] bill is because the people who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers in addition to everybody else they were taking on. And that’s the plain and simple truth,”

Dean is a former physician, so he knows about skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance rates, and the role of the trial lawyers in fueling the "defensive medicine" approach among medical personnel who order too many tests and other sometimes unneeded procedures "just to be sure" and to protect themselves against litigation

The above comes from The Washington Examiner, here.

Philip K. Howard over at The Atlantic is also concerned with tort reform and has his suggestions here. Personally, I like the British system's "Loser Pays" which I have discussed previously, here (8th blurb down) and here (#4).

Code Red!! Reason has a funny because its true piece up titled, "Code Red: DC Open for Business, America needs a warning system to identify the threats coming out of Washington" by David Harsanyi.

Voters Say They Know Health Care Bill Better Than Congress. From Rasmussen. To be honest, I can't think of any intellectually honest person who would argue with that.

According to this HotAir.com post here, Obamacare could lead to mandatory circumcisions for all male babies. Here's hoping there is a religious exemption. HA!

Breitbart is reporting "Real US unemployment rate at 16 pct: Fed official." which, if accurate, begs the question, Can we afford Obama?

Leveraging Kennedy's corpse to put us all in the Obamacare grave. "'Win One for Teddy,' Say Dems Pushing for Health Reform, Key Question Is Whether Kennedy's Death Can Rally Fellow Democrats." As I said posted here, here, here, here, here, and here.

And I ask all those who are fighting Obamacare (Kennedycare?) to keep fighting this monstrosity. Just because Ted Kennedy died doesn't mean we need to "honor his legacy" by destroying the American economy, wrecking our entire healthcare system, and burdening our children with debt for the rest of their lives.

"Democratic Health Care Bill Divulges IRS Tax Data" But you should trust Obama and his government. Yeah, right.

This from the man who's against Voter ID at the polls. Classy. "Congressman Demands to See Constituent’s ID Before Allowing Town Hall Question"

Ah. Infighting has started. "Key Democrat suggests party moderates 'brain dead'"

I've lived in England and have relatives on both sides of the family still trapped in the NHS. So this article headlined, "'Cruel and neglectful' care of one million NHS patients exposed." comes as no surprise to me. It's a glimpse of our future if we do not stop Obamacare. This article, here, from Investor's Business Daily also examines the French system and it ain't so great either.

Welsh Don't Pull Punches

Below is an anti-texting video the Welsh police created to stop teens from texting while driving. Frankly, it should stop EVERYONE from texting while driving. Not owning a cell phone at all, I can't imagine why someone would be so stupid but there you go.

WARNING: It is graphic.

Leftie Magazine's Sure Like Halos

No Obamacare in Kennedycare Clothing

James Pethokoukis over at Reuters has an op-ed up titled, "No trillion-dollar healthcare tribute for Kennedy."

The cold, hard politics of the situation is this: Kennedy’s death makes passing healthcare reform tougher not easier. His seat will likely remain vacant until late January since there will be no interim appointment in Massachusetts and state law calls only for a special election to be held within 145 to 160 days. That is one extra tough-to-find vote Democrats will need if they try and shut down any GOP filibuster attempts. And if Democrats try to ram through a bill under reconciliation, a special budget procedure, Kennedy could have been helpful in rallying squeamish Dems and lobbying groups for the tough parliamentary battle, points out veteran Capitol Hill watcher Pete Davis, who tracks Washington politics for financial institutions.

A fascinating insight into this evolving situation. If Ted Kennedy hadn't clung to power (he was one of the Senate's Crypt-Keepers after all - yes, I went there), Massachusetts would have two Senators. Now they have just one, until they have the special election. Read the whole thing.

A SOBER LOOK AT TED KENNEDY is also worth a read. Very even-handed.

UPDATE on Denver DNC Vandal

According to GatewayPundit here, "Denver Vandal Worked for Dem Politician-- Was Arrested at RNC Convention!" Wow. This punk has been all over the place.

Is MSNBC a Front for Corporate Lobbying and P.R.?

(I Thought this post by Stephen Spruiell over at NRO was so strong, that I am reposting it in full below.)

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has accused the town-hall protesters of being mindless puppets for "AstroTurf" groups, which is how she describes Dick Armey's FreedomWorks — she called the group "a front for corporate lobbying and P.R." If we applied Maddow's own standards to MSNBC and its parent company, GE, we would have every right to lob the same accusation at Maddow and her liberal colleagues for supporting cap and trade:

Leaked e-mail shows how GE puts the government to work for GE

By: Timothy P. Carney

"The intersection between GE's interests and government action is clearer than ever," General Electric Vice Chairman John G. Rice wrote in an Aug. 19 e-mail to colleagues.

Rice was calling on his co-workers to join the General Electric Political Action Committee. "GEPAC is an important tool that enables GE employees to collectively help support candidates who share the values and goals of GE."

The full letter suggests that "share the values and goals of GE" really means "support policies that profit the company." [...].

"On climate change," Rice wrote, "we were able to work closely with key authors of the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, recently passed by the House of Representatives. If this bill is enacted into law it would benefit many GE businesses."

Accusing Maddow and other MSNBC talking heads of acting as GE's puppets when they attack cap-and-trade opponents would be stupid and unfair, but that's exactly what Maddow is doing when she accuses FreedomWorks and other groups of being fronts for corporate interests.

Why are the big newspapers and TV news shows failing? Because they are so deep in the liberal tank, they are drowning in their own lies and no US citizen is sane to trust them for unbiased news/information any more.

You are not longer speaking truth to power but lies to The People. Given that customers really do not like being lied to, that's a pretty stupid thing to do. MSNBC has been caught red-handed.

Union Boss in Charge of NY Fed

Angelyn Dionysatos asks an excellent question at the end of this post here over at the Alliance for Worker Freedom website.

"And for Americans, do we really need a union stooge playing a pivotal role in our monetary policy when we know he is serving a higher master?"

Daniel Hannan Speaks To Reason TV

Daniel Hannan MEP talks to reason.tv about the power of the internet, Enoch Powell, The Plan, the NHS and David Cameron...

I've heard this man speak and he is wonderful. Watch and learn.

CEI Hits The EPA

And the EPA deserves it. Read here, how the EPA is considering shutting down the portion of its agency that produced a WhistleBlower.

Hope and change and Shut Up.

VDH Predicts Obama's Future

The great Victor Davis Hanson has an opinion up here titled "The Tingle is Gone?" about Obama's past behavior and his future. A flavor of the piece is best tasted with this closing paragraph (but read the whole thing).

When moderates and independents are leaving your cause in droves because you misled them by falsely cloaking your unwelcome partisan ideology in a moderate veneer — at the same time the fervent base is doing the same because you misled them by falsely cloaking your unwelcome moderation in a partisan ideological veneer, you know you are simply not telling the truth by saying, in cynical Nixonian fashion, irreconcilable things all the time to almost everyone.

The Budget Deficit: It Gets Worse

(Originally posted by my husband at NRO - The Corner)

It seems that the horrible budget figures still include about $600 billion in revenues from a 100% auction of emissions permits under the cap-n-tax scheme. Obviously, the president hasn't realized that the climate bill he wants passed gives away 85% of permits for free (so presumably he hasn't read the bill either). Will Yeatman has the details at Globalwarming.org.

No Pro Without A Con (example 12,754)

Conservatives accept that there is never a win/win situation. Something always has to give. Liberals can't seem to understand that reality.

Iberdrola SA and E.ON AG’s turbine dreams for the windswept Texas Panhandle may be stymied by the mating rituals of the lesser prairie chicken.

Wind-power developers such as E.ON are scouring sagebrush and grasslands for the presence of ground-dwelling chickens that could impede turbine construction plans. Once plentiful in the southern high plains, the bird has a high priority for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The listing would put at risk as much as $11 billion in turbines that are part of the U.S.’s renewable-energy push.

Federal protection for the chickens will hamper Texas’s plan to add 5,500 megawatts of wind power in the region by 2013, a 60 percent increase for the state. President Barack Obama wants to double all U.S. energy from renewable sources such as the wind and sun in three years to reduce dependence on imported oil and the greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for global warming.

The above is from an article titled, "Prairie Chicken Mating Dance Threatens Texas Projects (Update1)" from Bloomberg.com.

That environmentalists and greens brought this predicament upon themselves is ironic. Environmentalsist want "alternative energy" but what they choose to support is more dangerous to the dezinens of the environment than what we already have. Typical.

A “Lost” Fact in the “Rathergate” Mess — Part 1

Remeber Dan Rather and "Edit-Gate"? Well the story isn't dead because Rather is suing CBS for $70 million dollars. But can he really defend himself when CBS's own investigation turned up this...

Mapes had information prior to the airing of the September 8 [2004] Segment that President Bush, while in the TexANG [Texas Air National Guard] did volunteer for service in Vietnam but was turned down in favor of more experienced pilots. For example, a flight instructor who served in the TexANG with Lieutenant Bush advised Mapes in 1999 that Lieutenant Bush “did want to go to Vietnam but others went first.” Similarly, several others advised Mapes in 1999, and again in 2004 before September 8, that Lieutenant Bush had volunteered to go to Vietnam but did not have enough flight hours to qualify.

Read Bernard Goldberg's entire post here. Apparently, thanks to the media's Bush Derangement Syndrome, we never actually knew the real facts about President George W. Bush. (That we know even less about Obama is even sadder.)

Putting PC to The FIRE.org

Greg Lukianoff has a post up supporting the good work his group, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), does in fighting for free speech on college campuses. I actually wrote about the Keith John Sampson case back on September 29, 2008, here.

Mr. Lukianoff's posting today is titled, "Free-Speech Organization Launches Ad Campaign Warning Colleges That Violate Students' Rights" and features this ad that FIRE is running in US News and World Report.

Over the next few days and weeks I will be highlighting the schools on FIRE's Red Alert list. We created the Red Alert list to "honor" those schools that have not only punished students and faculty for clearly protected speech, but have continued to stand by their shameful behavior. Even under intense criticism, and in some cases even the threat of a lawsuit, these schools have stubbornly stuck to their poor decisions. This is the second year in a row that we've placed a full-page ad in U.S. News & World Report highlighting the Red Alert schools. Additionally, this year we are placing ads in U.S. News & World Report's guidebook on the nation's best colleges, in 25 college student newspapers, in each Red Alert school's student newspaper, on USNews.com, and on Facebook. We are, of course, also tweeting up a storm on Twitter.

Support FIRE so we can prevent American Universities from suppressing free speech. If professors of higher learning can debate or defend their positions without suppressing student's speech, then they don't deserve their jobs-for-life tenure.

Tax Court Rejects Taxpayer's Attempt to Use Geithner's TurboTax Defense

The Tax Court yesterday rejected a taxpayer's attempt to use the TurboTax defense successfully employed by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Hopson v. Commissioner, T.C. Summ. Op. 2009-130 (Aug. 25, 2009) (citations omitted)

I wish I had the guts to be as brazen as Geithner with the IRS. I love that he claims ignorance with the IMF system since the IMF goes out of their way to explain it to their American employees. Someone's pants are on fire.

The 12 most annoying types of Facebookers

You know who you are. I think I might be several.

Obamacare Daily Round-up 08-26

As I said in an earlier post today (here), while my sympathy for the Kennedy family is real, I do not think we should sacrifice our American economy, our entire healthcare system, and our children's future to edify the non-legacy of Ted Kennedy.

And I ask all those who are fighting Obamacare (Kennedycare?) to keep fighting this monstrosity. Just because Ted Kennedy died doesn't mean we need to "honor his legacy" by destroying the American economy, wrecking our entire healthcare system, and burdening our children with debt for the rest of their lives.

Haven't the Kennedys done enough? Let's not allow pity for a family's loss to fundamentally change our entire society. Perspective, people. Please.

"Democrats plan hundreds of reform rallies." 500 of them to be exact. I wonder if these "rallies" will be open to all comers or if these liberal/progressive/socialist Obamacare supporters just want an echo-chamber instead of free speech? What alarms me most is that the DNC and Organizing for America (Obama's political arm) are working together. Why does the president get two organizations in addition to his bully pulpit. That seems rather wrong to me. Also the deluded Democrats insist Americans want Obamacare. Wrong.

And one tidbit of evidence that Americans do NOT want Obamacare is today's Gallup poll. Obama is at 51%. Seriously, can any of Obama's socialist policies succeed if all the major polls have him below 50%? That time might be coming, even if they drop the Obamacare and cap and trade.

Unsustainable spending is weakening the US Dollar according to this Wall Street Journal op-ed titled, "As Budget Deficit Grows, So Do Doubts on Dollar." And let's be clear, those CBO numbers of $9,000,000,000 deficit does NOT include Obamacare. Will hyper-inflation be coming?

It is not just the Wall Street Journal that is concerned. The Financial Times also has an article up about US deficits titled, "Deficit fears put Obama’s reforms in jeopardy."

Mr Walker is among a growing body of observers who believe America’s deteriorating debt position could have consequences for the country’s national security – even compromising its superpower status. Pointing to the UK, which saw it’s triple A credit rating put on negative outlook earlier this year, Mr Walker says the US faces a similar spectre unless it changes course.

Speaking of bad financial decisions for the US Economy, this can't be good either. Nothing against the man personally, but given Unions' reputations for corruption and graft, isn't this like letting the fox manage the hen house?

From the "Glimpse of Our Future" files, this Bloomberg.com article describes how Americans are fleeing London's financial jobs due to the British recession and high, high taxes. What does that have to do with the Obamacare Daily Round-Up? Ask yourself this, where can YOU flee to when US taxes hit +60% of your income because of these socialist public policies? Don't think it could happen? In the 70s, the upper tax rate was 90%.

Here and Here are two articled describing more horrors of UK's National Health System (NHS). This is what Obamacare's "public option" and "co-ops" are designed to lead too. And remember, if Great Britain's government can NOT handle the healthcare of its relatively small, rather homogeneous population, why on earth could anyone believe that the US Federal government could. Britain has had nearly 70 years of NHS and are still getting it wrong. No thank you.

“It throws a wrench in health-care reforms,” Maya MacGuineas, president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said in an interview. “No matter the specific numbers, they’re a constant reminder that we’re in bad, bad shape.”

The above is from this Bloomberg.com piece titled, "Obama Raises 2010 Deficit Estimate to $1.5 Trillion (Update3)" How many more updates and upping of the deficit will we get? Oh wait, here is "Update 5" from Reuters.

Can we end "The Narrative" please? (By which I mean will the press please stop telling "stories" and start reporting news?)

"It's the Personal Liberty, Stupid." Love the title and that it is directed at Republicans. McCain inspired perhaps? From Jennifer Rubin over at PJTV.

"Moran's town hall descends into chaos" and video of Moran's townhall is here. I'm not particularly sympathetic. Moran supports Obamacare so I can't support him and he was introduced by Howard Dean. That's deliberately throwing gas on the fire, Moran. Duh.

Ann Althouse shares my concern about using Ted Kennedy's death as leverage to cram Obamacare down our throats. We both were right as Le.gal.In.sur.rec.tion is reporting here. As I said before, while my sympathy for the Kennedy family is real, I do not think we should sacrifice our American economy, our entire healthcare system, and our children's future to edify the non-legacy of Ted Kennedy.

UPDATE On the above. More calls to leverage Kennedy's death for Obamacare here and here. Ugh.

Greg Mankiw asks "How large is the fiscal hole?" It's this big.


Slate.com is reporting "New Deficit Projection Is a Gift to Obama's Opponents." It may be a gift but it's also a warning. Support Obamacare at the peril of your health, your life, your earning ability, your freedom, your children's future, your children's children's future, and so on, and so on. It's a freakin' Herbal Shampoo commercial from hell.

"China Tears Up America’s Credit Cards." I'm inclined to say this is a good thing. Starve the beast as Reagan did. Too bad none of our political leaders had the spine to do it themselves.

And this tells me that democrats are scared. "Pro-Obamacare fanatic attacks CO Democratic party HQ!" Arguably the political equivalent of cutting yourself? The Denver Post article about the incident is here.

"Stopping Obamacare: $10 for Tark" It's actually a call for donations for a candidate who is opposing Obamacare but, hey, more power to 'em.

So it is only okay to report the gun-toting of Obamacare protestors. Obamacare supporters can carry all the weaponry that's legal. But there's no bias in our reporting. None at all. Now shut up, I explained. From Confederate Yankee.

Amusing little Exchange

This is a little email conversation between my husband and a friend that he has shared with me and now I am sharing with you.

The email to my husband was nothing but this scan of an article.


My husband's response -

"Why do you think Kris works from home and does all the shopping while I'm at work?"

It's funny because it's true.

Dead Kennedys

I was born in Boston. My mother's family has lived in Massachusetts since 1634. I grew up believing the Kennedys were the ideal all Americans should strive for.

That belief has long died.

It suffered its first blow when I learned of Chappaquiddick and Mary Jo (what does it say about the Kennedys when Chappaquiddick is in my spell check?). Ted Kennedy's defense of William Kennedy Smith was grotesque. And speaking of grotesque, let's not forget the behavior and history of Joseph Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. All slowly overcame my upbringing and slowly repulsed me from the myth.

Now I am sorry for the Kennedy family for the loss of their patriarch. They are human beings who deserve our sympathy for their loss.

But Sen. Kennedy's death is a good thing for America.

We are a democracy but the Kennedy clan acted like they were the heirs to the kingdom. We are a society that rewards on merit but nepotism ran rampant through the Kennedy clan. The Kennedy name and myth was treated like an American brand we were expected to buy rather than just a name. See here for my most recent post about this behavior.

Ted Kennedy was the anchor of a political family that treated America like an Oligarchy rather than a Democracy.

I would thank the Kennedys for their good service to our country. I thank the Kennedys for their sacrifice to our country and I offer condolences to the Kennedys for all the tragedies they have suffered.

I ask them now to step aside for new people to serve.

And I ask all those who are fighting Obamacare (Kennedycare?) to keep fighting this monstrosity. Just because Ted Kennedy died doesn't mean we need to "honor his legacy" by destroying the American economy, wrecking our entire healthcare system, and burdening our children with debt for the rest of their lives.

Haven't the Kennedys done enough? Let's not allow pity for a family's loss to fundamentally change our entire society. Perspective, people. Please.

Bad Mood Day

Today was the day I go to my endocrinologist.

Needles and blood draws are always involved but it is also that time when I need to get an MRI so my doctor can take a look at my little brain tumor (technically a pituitary adnoma but whatever).

The kids have been less than rotten but also much less than well-behaved. Everyone is talking about Holder when they should be fighting Obama's economic/health/energy/tax policies. And my head hurts.

So please forgive the short number of posts, the high level of moodiness/snark in the posts I did put up, and say a prayer for my beloved husband and children.

Size is Everything

America has always been big. Even when it was just 13 colonies, it was still geographically larger than many European countries. Now, of course, America is bigger than all of Europe.

And part of the genius of our Founding Fathers was acknowledging that we had to be separate states. Our heritage as former individual colonies demanded it as well as the vast geographic differences between the colonies. So, the United States of America was born - out of many, one.

But historically our central government has been appropriately weak. It's goal was to protect its citizens, regulate a little to maintain the standards of interstate commerce, and a couple of other things.

Then the progressives and FDR rolled around. Increasingly, our Federal government has usurped the states ability to govern themselves. This centralizing of governance into one big Capital is a very bad thing.

America is too big, too widespread, to geographically different to have a powerful central government.

In his article "Rome Vs. Gotham", Joel Kotkin makes this point far better than I can.

Urban politicians have widely embraced the current concentration of power in Washington, but they may soon regret the trend they now so actively champion. The great protean tradition of American urbanism – with scores of competing economic centers – is giving way to a new Romanism, in which all power and decisions devolve down to the imperial core.

This is big stuff, perhaps even more important than the health care debate. The consequence could be a loss of local control, weakening the ability of cities to respond to new challenges in the coming decades.

Read the whole thing, you'll be impressed.

Shame is Good

Guilt and shame are, apparently, excellent parenting tools according to this website posting, here.

Personally, I believe there is a real deficit of guilt and shame in our society today. I'm looking at you, Girls Gone Wild participants and frat/hip-hop wannabes.

Unsustainable

The Office of Management and Budget has released its annual mid-session review that updates the budget projections from this past May.[1] They show that this year, Washington will spend $30,958 per household, tax $17,576 per household, and borrow $13,392 per household. The federal government will increase spending 22 percent this year to a peacetime-record 26 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This spending is not just temporary: President Obama would permanently keep annual spending between $5,000 and $8,000 per household higher than it had been under President George W. Bush.[2]

From a report, here, issued by The Heritage Foundation and titled, "New Budget Estimates Show Unsustainable Spending and Debt." These high deficit numbers are a new low for America's economy.

Running For Cover?

The bad news about Obama's economic policies destroying America's future or how Obamacare will destroy Americans' health is being ignored as Obama's administration waves a bright, shiny distraction under conservatives' noses in the form of CIA Interrogatons and will Holder prosecute, etc., etc.

There was a lot of hand-wringing over torture in the conservative blogosphere a couple of months ago and now that Cheney's gotten his wish and was vindicated, there is still hand-wringing.

This is NOT HELPING OUR CAUSE PEOPLE. Who cares? Let Holder fritter away even more credibility and Obama's political capital on a fool's errand. From the memos released, they have no case.

This is nothing but a distraction, a cover, while they try to rescue Obama's failed policies.

And as far as I am concerned when it comes to torture, if saving my children's lives from a terrorist attack requires that a very bad person get some water up his nose, then I have NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.

Sorry for the rant. I'm a good person but Sept. 11th is very personal to me and I don't have a high tolerance for fools errands.

Brits Cancel Michael Yon's Embed

(Originally posted by my husband on NRO-The Corner)

I try to explain the story to ConservativeHome readers here, but Michael's site is of course the best source.

All I have to add is please give generously to Michael's cause. Thank you.

MSNBC

MSNBC & The Great Liberal Narrative: The Truth About The Tyranny of Political Correctness

Posted using ShareThis

PC Tyranny

MSNBC & The Great Liberal Narrative: The Truth About The Tyranny of Political Correctness from the great PJTV.

Round Two To Cheney

ABC reports this evening that the CIA has released redacted copies of the reports requested by former Vice President Dick Cheney regarding enhanced interrogation techniques. They report that the information gleaned did in fact save many American and foreign lives. They also affirm President Bush’s statements that terrorist attacks were in fact thwarted.

The above is from Matt's Meditations website here and his post is an impressive rebuke to the mainstream media and Bush Derangement Syndrome sufferers.

Thank You For Your Service

I've taught my children to pray for every ambulance, police car, and fire truck that goes by. We also pray for soldiers safe return.

Additionally, whenever we see a soldier, my children RUN up to them and say "Thank You for your service." They're little heads explode when we're in the Atlanta airport because there are so many there.

You should say thank you too! K-Lo posted a video on NRO that should encourage you.

Obamacare Daily Round-Up 08-25

"The AARP’s version of a non-endorsement" isn't much of a non-endorsement according to HotAir.com. I like their interpretation but am wondering what will Grannie think of the AARP undermining her Medicare? I know what 50,000 former AARP members (and counting) think.

The Washington Post is reporting that "Young Obama backers AWOL from health care fight." So, Dear Leader chooses to spend all his political capital fighting for an expensive new government program that only stirs the people who supported him the least into fighting against him the most. And yet, we are to believe that Obama is smarter than Palin. Yeah, right.

In addition to his support for a single-payer component of any changes to the healthcare system, Murtha voted for the controversial cap-and-trade climate change legislation, which passed the House by a slim margin in late June.

Murtha has recently attracted headlines for the hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarked projects he has secured for the district — several of which are now under FBI investigation. Burns has seized on the negative publicity, calling on voters to restore ethical credibility to the district by electing him.

The above is from a TheHill.com post titled, "Rep. Murtha pressured to attend town hall." Gee, I wonder why republican challenger Tim Burns has to "pressure" Murtha to show up in person? Perhaps we should ask Specter?

According to this Wall Street Journal op-ed titled, "Tax Penalties and the Health-Care Bill, Under the House legislation, taxpayers will be fined for honest mistakes." Basically, if you don't do what Obamacare wants you to do, the IRS will automatically and without possibility of appeal, slap you with penalties. But it's not socialism.

Another from The Wall Street Journal titled, "ObamaCare’s Real Price Tag, The funding gap is a canyon by year 10." This time with pictures!


Maxine Waters: ObamaCare Opponents are 'Neanderthals' from JammieWearingFool (I love this blog!)

Stay classy Maxine. Stay classy.

Megan McArdle over at The Atlantic has a fabulous rant about the New York Times' shoddy reporting that is just one cool drink of water. Go Megan Go!

White House projects bigger deficits, bigger debt. Thanks YahooNews. We know. Some of us have known since before November 08 too.

From The Lakeland Times comes this quote below...

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold told a large crowd gathered for a listening session in Iron County last week there would likely be no health care bill before the end of the year - and perhaps not at all.

It was an assessment Feingold said he didn't like, but the prospect of no health care legislation brought a burst of applause from a packed house of nearly 150 citizens at the Mercer Community Center.

Well good, Sen. Feingold. Good.

Cracks in the veneer? Mario Cuomo does the unthinkable. Question the Dear Leader. Even this very mild rebuke is astonishing. From The Radio Equalizer, listen and decide for yourself here.

Want a glimpse of our future under Obamacare/Socialism - visit California. Visit New York. Two top states in the American union are now basket cases. But what about Chicago having to CLOSE for a day? And now Rhode Island has to close. My Way News is reporting that "RI gov to shut down state government for 12 days." Rhode Island has some of the worst corporate and personal tax rates in the nation. Now the state, the whole state, has to shut down for nearly two weeks! Honestly, if you could move from Rhode Island after that, wouldn't you? Trust me, folks. We're gonna see a lot more of this before it is over.

Wow! Via LittleGreenFootballs, here is a website (gabryelski.com) that lists ALL the questions asked about Obamacare and links to answers. Brilliant! The transparancy liberal/socialist Obama said government would provide actually being provided - oh wait. 99.9% of the questions asked are UNANSWERED. Ouch! Plus the ONE question that was answered was answered incorrectly - HR3200 says in one place it will not cover illegal immigrants but in another section implies it will. Here. Here. Here. And here.

No free lunches either. "Paying for Le Treatment, Nothing is free—certainly not French health care." is the title of an excellent article in the always-excellent City Journal.

Just Say NO! No to Obamacare. No to cap and trade. No to bankruptcy of the American economy. No. No. No. Well. I'm glad I got that off my chest. It was inspired by David Limbaugh's post up today titled, "Don't Give Obamacare a Life Raft" and it is directed at the foolish members of Congress (like McCain) who are actually trying to compromise on healthcare reform. What kind of idiot thinks you can compromise with insanity? As with Obamacare, you are NEVER a little pregnant. Don't give in. No to Obamacare.

"Now He Really Is Lying" is the title of Mark Kirkorian's post on National Review's The Corner. Guess who Mr. Krikorian is calling a liar - yup, Obama. This piece is well-linked and documented and worth reading if you are at all concerned that your taxes will go to pay for an illegal immigrant's healthcare under Obamacare. 'Cause they're gonna.

Currahee!

God Bless These Folks. Link here. Bring hankies.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Glimpse of Our Future From Mass.

I think the sentence that chills me the most from this FOXNews.com report about Massachusetts' healthcare system titled, "Massachusetts Touts Success of Mandatory Health Insurance as Critics Decry Costs" is as follows...

"We can't have 10 percent cost growth every year indefinitely and expect to sustain this kind of reform," said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation.

So Obamacare is going to cost trillions to start up and take over the US Healthcare industry - is there any reason why Obamacare won't also experience a 10% increase in costs each and every year just like Massachusetts?

Yes Vacancies

(Tevi Troy just posted this up over at NRO-The Corner and I liked it so much I am re-posting it here. Just an explanation, I copy and paste certain National Review posts rather than link because the NRO website doesn't let you copy the link. Just a FYI.)

I wrote last week about the lag in selecting someone to run Medicare and Medicaid at CMS. Today's New York Times reports that this is an administration-wide problem. The administration has filled only 43 percent of its top policymaking jobs, and, per the article: "No Obama appointee is running the Transportation Security Administration, the Customs and Border Protection agency, the Drug Enforcement Administration or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Mr. Obama still does not have an intelligence chief at the Department of Homeland Security, nor a top civilian in charge of military readiness at the Pentagon."

It is true that the Senate confirmation process is long and cumbersome, but when you have a 60-40 edge in the Senate, confirmation is not really the issue. The key is to select people and get them nominated. As Woody Allen used to say, 90 percent of life is just showing up.

So basically 57% of the top positions in Obama's administration are empty, including those big, protect-the-citizen positions like Customs and Border protection, DEA, and ATF.

To be honest, given the craptacular selections Obama has made for the positions he has actually filled, I'm not sure if these vacancies are a good thing or a bad thing.

Send In The Marines

Marine Corps Vet Blasts Dem Congressman for Calling ObamaCare Protesters 'Brown Shirts'
NewsBusters.org has the whole story here.

Wow. And wow!

A Plant That Eats Rats

As the caption to this popsci post says, "They need to grow these in the New York Subway."

Devaluing the Race Card Redux

The Weekly Standard is reporting that "Breaking: Only Barack Obama is Allowed to Irresponsibly Pop Off About Race Issues." in response to NY Gov. Paterson.

President Obama's aides were so furious that Gov. Paterson dragged him into a rant about racism that they sent a message sharply criticizing the governor's comments just hours after he made them, The Post has learned.

Again, my Devaluing the Race Card post about Gov. Paterson's remarks holds.

Trust Me, I'm The Government

At least 1,200 veterans across the country have been mistakenly told by the Veterans Administration that they suffer from a fatal neurological disease.

That is the opening sentence to this Breitbart.com news report that isn't being picked up by any of the mainstream media.

Could it be that to inform American taxpayers that this is how the government handles the healthcare of our veterans might negatively impact support for Obamacare?

Hmmmm....

Another Attempted Power Grab

Check and balances mean nothing to Obama apparently. This editorial from the Washington Times points out that Obama and his cronies in Congress want to put Inspector Generals under the executive's thumb.

BAD idea. The IGs must be independent if we want to keep corruption in our government to the barest minimum. Unless, that's the whole point of Obama's move - to open up the field to even more corruption. It's the Chicago way, right?

Fight's Not Over Yet

Don't get too exhausted fighting Obamacare because Obama and Congress have lots of really bad policies waiting in the wings to shove down our throats.

One in particular that could shred the American economy just as badly as Obamacare is the Cap and Trade bill that the House of Representatives foolishly passed before the summer break.

This Wall Street Journal piece titled, "The Cap-and-Trade Bait and Switch The climate bill in Congress is not the market solution the president promised." explains exactly why it should be fought tooth and nail as much as Obamacare.

Daily Obamacare Round-UP 08-24

Here is your Angry Mob. Terrifying!

I NEVER thought in a Million Years I would see this headline in a Boston Newspaper, "Kennedy should resign."

Ross Douthat begs us to "Don’t Blame Obama" for Obamacare. Yeah right. Does anyone at The New York Times vet these op-eds or is this kind of ridiculousness on purpose?

The Washington Times, meanwhile, uses this editorial titled, "Your taxes to pay for abortions." to explain why all those Tea Party Protestors and Townhall Angry Mobs were right. Your taxes will pay for someone else's murder of a baby. Enjoy.

Micheal Steele, Chairman of the RNC, has an Op-ed in The Washington Post on how the GOP has a plan. The piece is titled, "Protecting Our Seniors, GOP Principles for Health Care." He's basically talking about a senior's healthcare bill of rights which is all well and good but I think we need protection from Obamacare with a bit more teeth. Something like NO Obamacare.

Yet another call for interstate competition amongst healthcare insurance companies. This time from the Wall Street Journal in a piece titled, "The Competition Cure, A better idea to make health insurance affordable everywhere." If it works for auto, life, and homeowner's insurance, why can't it work for health insurance. It can't work worse than medicare.

"Attorneys should pony up, Lawsuit reform could help health care reform" is the title of this editorial from The Washington Times. I have a better idea that solves all tort-reform issues in two words: Loser Pays. They don't have nearly the problem of frivolous lawsuits in Great Britain because if you bring a lawsuit to a British court and lose, then you have to pay for not only your own lawyer but the defendant's as well. It's not perfect but it works.

"$10B aimed at union retirees, Provision called welfare by some, not enough by others." My take-away from this article is that Obama's government is buying off unions at taxpayer expense. What do you think?

Lawmakers said Sunday that President Obama must scale back ambitious plans to overhaul health care because ballooning budget deficits are undermining support for more comprehensive and costly legislation.

The above is the opening paragraph to this article titled, "Growing deficit frames health care debate" from USA Today. So does this indicate that liberals and democrats are finally realizing why the townhall Angry Mobs are so angry?

"Millions face shrinking Social Security payments." We knew this was coming but politicians repeatedly punted on doing something about Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid. These programs originated with FDR who was not the shiniest star in the galaxy when it came to ecomonics. And let's face it, liberals/progressives/socialists' policies are always based on theory rather than real world experience. Always. So now the social security chickens are coming home to roost and we have a faux FDR as president and a corrupt Congress to boot. Hope and Change ya'll.

This New York Post article titled, "The Real Reason" is a hoot for its NYC-style directness.

"While the commentariat's condescension is almost comical, the whole evil-or-stupid explanation misses the elephant in Obama's room: Americans of all stripes, it turns out, aren't very keen about the government barging into their lives."

I miss New York City and I loved this article. Go get 'em boys!

The New York Post also points out in this article here that our taxpayer dollars will be going to "sex studies" as part of the stimulus package. But how can that be? Obama promised to be fiscally responsible. HA!

I'm reposting this article because I love the title, "Congressman Herger calls Obama plan 'threat to democracy'". Amen brother.