October 16

HO-HUM

“Fewer are tracking Wall Street protests than early tea party protests,” says a News Interest Index from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. “In mid-April 2009, news about early tea party protests made up 7 percent of coverage, identical to the amount of coverage devoted to the anti-Wall Street protests over the past week. But public interest today is significantly lower than it was in 2009 — just 17 percent say they are following the current protests very closely, compared with 27 percent who followed early tea party protests very closely.”

The partisan divide: 43 percent of Republicans intently followed the tea party coverage, compared with 12 percent who currently follow the Wall Street protesters. Among Democrats: 18 percent followed the tea party then, and uh, 17 percent follow the Wall Streeters now.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/13/inside-the-beltway-694003846/

 

 October 9

 YOU BETCHA

Well, that was quick. Odds are out already on whom Sarah Palin will endorse in the 2012 presidential bout. Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is tipping the former Alaska governor to lend her support to Herman Cain following her decision to bow out of the race herself.

Here’s how the bookmaker’s numbers shake out: 6/4 for Mr. Cain, 2/1 Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 7/2 Mitt Romney, 8/1 Rep. Ron Paul, 10/1 Rep. Michele Bachmann, 16/1 Newt Gingrich and 40/1 Jon Huntsman Jr.

“Whether or not any of these Republican candidates will actually welcome Sarah Palin’s public support is another matter entirely,” says Sharon McHugh, spokeswoman for the bookmaker. “But it will be interesting to see what effect her endorsement might have on their chances of election.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/6/inside-the-beltway-920928806/

October 2 

 WHIRLWIND

Sh-h-h-h. Don’t tell  Al Gore. In a hefty 92-page report released Wednesday, Environmental Protection Agency inspector general Arthur Elkins revealed that the agency used inadequate climate science when declaring in 2009 that greenhouse gases endanger humanity. Expensive regulations soon followed.

“It is clear that EPA did not follow all the required steps,” Mr.Elkins says, justifying the claims of Sen. James M. Inhofe — Oklahoma Republican and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works — that the agency’s decision to regulate greenhouse gas emissions using the Clean Air Act relied on politically biased science, with little concern for transparency and objectivity.

The lawmaker requested a review in 2010, and he got one.

“This report confirms that the endangerment finding, the very foundation of President Obama’s job-destroying regulatory agenda, was rushed, biased and flawed,” Mr. Inhofe says. “It calls the scientific integrity of EPAs decision-making process into question and undermines the credibility of the endangerment finding.

“The inspector generals report requested by Sen. Inhofe is just the latest evidence that the EPA is relying on junk science, bending the rules and ignoring its own procedures in order to do whatever the White House wants them to do,” says Myron Ebell, director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center on Energy and Environment.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/28/inside-the-beltway-211706599/

September 25

MORNING SICKNESS

Morning talk shows from the “Big Three” networks draw a formidable 13 million daily viewers; their sway in politics should not be underestimated in a big election year. Interesting, then, that NBC, ABC and CBS have gone from “Democratic promoters to Republican destroyers,” says a Media Research Center analysis of 53 interviews with Republican hopefuls from Jan. 1 through Sept. 15.

The press watchdogs found a “clear double-standard” when compared to a similar study of the broadcaster’s treatment of the Democratic candidates during the same time period from four years ago. They found that by a 5-to-1 margin, ABC, CBS and NBC morning show hosts employed an “adversarial liberal agenda” when they questioned Republicans. Eighty-three percent of the policy questions, in fact, reflected the liberal agenda, compared with 17 percent that reflected a conservative viewpoint.

And the Democrats? They faced cushy questions that tilted more than 2-to-1 to the left, and a far friendlier agenda. See the complete study at www.mediaresearch.org .

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/22/inside-the-beltway-563112002/

September 18

 VICE PRESIDENT NEWT

Romney/Gingrich 2012? Perry/Gingrich? It could happen. Voters and pundits alike are starting to realize that Newt Gingrich has positioned himself as the sole adult in the room, at least when the Republican presidential hopefuls gather to debate and/or fingerpoint and squabble.

“Gingrich is making an impression on Republicans who want to see more unity of purpose in the campaign in opposition to Obama rather than each other. His best quality, though, is his ability to push back against the media, both in and out of the debates,” observes Ed Morrissey of HotAir.com.

“Putting Gingrich on a ticket means having him front and center, defending the eventual nominee against all sorts of charges and allowing him to be an attack dog against the Democratic ticket.”

Note: As I have said Newt Gingrich can be both the smartest and dumbest guy in a room at the same time. This is an example of just how smart Newt Gingrich, the smartest guy I’ve ever met can be.

 September 11, 2011

 

MATTER OF TRUST

We are still a common-sense nation. When it comes to key national issues, 73 percent of likely voters nationwide trust the judgment of the American people more than their political leaders, says a Rasmussen Reports survey released Wednesday. The partisan divide: 83 percent of Republicans and conservatives trust the wisdom of their fellow citizens more than politicians, compared to 62 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of liberals.

“The American people don’t want to be governed from the left, the right or the center. The American people want to govern themselves,” says pollster Scott Rasmussen. “American attachment to self-governance runs deep. It is one of our nation’s cherished core values and an important part of our cultural DNA.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/7/inside-the-beltway-412978885/

August 21

ROLLING BLUNDER Fooling nobody

More nicknames have emerged for President Obama’s heartland bus tour: Rolling Blunder, Bus Force One, Running on Empty, America Under the Wheels, Hell on Wheels, Beast Bus. All courtesy of talk radio, the conservative blogosphere, fierce Republicans and — astonishingly enough — National Public Radio, which came up with the Beast Bus.

“The debt end bus tour … and a president who is really the campaigner-in-chief here of America. All he’s doing is campaigning,” says Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. “That’s what this bus tour is — it’s a campaign trip. It’s paid for by taxpayers, and we are not going to sit around and let it continue.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/15/inside-the-beltway-158341313/

August 14

OBAMA LOYALISTS

Republican strategists please note: Political rivals are entrenched and determined. Democrats are not “disillusioned” with President Obama, says a Pew Research Center poll of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents: 59 percent do not want another Democrat to challenge Mr. Obama for the 2012 nomination, while 38 percent approve of the idea. These numbers have not changed an iota since last fall, the pollster says.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/10/inside-the-beltway-55395499/

August 7

TEA-MOTIONS

The TEA party seems to prompt big emotions. Everywhere. Indignant tea partyers and conservatives are waiting for both Vice President Joseph R. Biden and MSNBC host Chris Matthews to apologize for framing the grass-roots activists as “terrorists” this week. Such language is part of an unsavory tradition, though. Assorted pundits, activist groups, politicians and news organizations have called the TEA party “an angry mob,” “irrelevant,” “racist,” “brown shirts” and “extreme right wing” since it emerged in 2009.

But there’s some drama within the ranks in a post-debt-debate world.

“Now is not the time for recriminations against tea-party-backed members of Congress who voted in the end for the debt deal,” says Richard A. Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com. “This is not the time to start fighting amongst ourselves. Nothing could make the Left happier than to see a splintering of the tea party movement.”

Mr. Viguerie adds, “President Obama used his bully pulpit to argue that the TEA party was leading the nation to Armageddon, and the compliant media acted as a thousand megaphones for that line. … Let’s leave the recriminations to the liberals and stay united.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/2/inside-the-beltway-983211570/

July 31

THE CONNIVING PRESS

“In the wake of a British media scandal involving illegal phone hacking, high percentages of likely U.S. voters believe reporters in the United States sometimes use illegal methods to learn personal information,” says Corry Schiermeyer, an analyst for IBOPE Zogby International.

Uh-oh. How much? The pollsters plumbed public opinion on the phenomenon to find 80 percent of the respondents say the American press can get shady in their zeal for a scoop. We’re talking phone hacking here. Just 8 percent say such practices are limited to Great Britain, Zogby found.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/28/inside-the-beltway-723803775/

July 24

CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS (Gee I wonder who the media sides with)

And now for a reality check: “Muslim and Western publics continue to largely agree that relations between them are poor and disagree about who is at fault — Muslims largely blame Westerners, while those in the West generally blame Muslims. Westerners see Muslims as fanatical, violent, and as lacking tolerance. Muslims in the Middle East and Asia see Westerners as selfish, immoral and greedy — as well as violent and fanatical.”

So says a massive new survey of about 14,000 respondents in Western and Muslim countries by the Pew Research Centers Global Attitudes Project. It also reveals that “widespread skepticism about the events of September 11, 2011, persists in predominantly Muslim nations. There is no Muslim public in which even 30 percent accept that Arabs conducted the 9/11 attacks.”

In contrast to Western nations, among most of the Muslim publics polled, “Muslims tend to identify with their religion rather than their nationality,” the survey says. See this startling research online (http://pewglobal.org/).

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/21/inside-the-beltway-192374634/

July 17

REBRANDING MR. GORE

Aren’t you as tired of this jerk as I am?

He’s persistent, that’s for sure. Al Gore will not let go of his climate crisis and is couching his alarmist arguments about global warming with a new twist.

“Using the same deceitful playbook as big tobacco used years before to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking, oil and coal companies and their allies are now deceiving the public about climate change. They have nearly unlimited resources to sow doubt, but we have one critical advantage: Reality is on our side,” Mr. Gore says.

The former vice president has renamed the Alliance for Climate Protection – his old nonprofit activist group – the Climate Reality Project, to center around a Sept. 14 event that will feature a new “multimedia presentation created by Al Gore” broadcast online in 24 time zones and 13 languages. Or something like that.

But brace for impact. Or hide. Mr. Gore is just in the nascent phases of “An Inconvenient Truth, Part Deux,” apparently.

“The climate crisis knows no political boundaries. Ferocious storms and deadly heat waves are occurring with alarming frequency all over the world. We are living with the reality of the climate crisis every day,” Mr. Gore says. “This event is the first step in a larger, multi-faceted campaign to tell the truth about the climate crisis and reject the misinformation we hear every day.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/12/inside-the-beltway-739840511/

July 10

The Navy Bought Fake Chinese Microchips That Could Have Disarmed U.S. Missiles

Last year, the U.S. Navy bought 59,000 microchips for use in everything from missiles to transponders and all of them turned out to be counterfeits from China.

Wired reports the chips weren’t only low-quality fakes, they had been made with a “back-door” and could have been remotely shut down at any time.

If left undiscovered the result could have rendered useless U.S. missiles and killed the signal from aircraft that tells everyone whether it’s friend or foe.

Apparently foreign chip makers are often better at making cheap microchips and U.S. defense contractors are loathe to pass up the better deal.

The problem remains with these “trojan-horse” circuits that can be built into the chip and are almost impossible to detect — especially without the original plans to compare them to.

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency (IARPA) is now looking for ways to check the chips to make sure they haven’t been hacked in the production process.

Expect to see a whole lot more funding directed to this goal. Or, considering  IARPA is the research and development section of the intelligence community — expect the money to be spent — don’t expect to see where.

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http://www.businessinsider.com/navy-chinese-microchips-weapons-could-have-been-shut-off-2011-6#ixzz1Rckr9CFn

July 3

 Sez you

Latinos will turn out in “record numbers” in the 2012 presidential election, with at least 12.2 million casting ballots, according to projections from the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund; Executive Director Arturo Vargas predicts the voting bloc will “reshape the nation’s political map.”

The Latino voters are concentrated in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Texas. California leads in numbers – 3.9 million, an increase of 32 percent compared with the 2008 election. And while there are only 433,000 Latino voters in Illinois, it had the largest increase of voters, up by 38 percent. Mr. Vargas also notes that at least one in five voters will be Latino in California, New Mexico, and Texas.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/23/inside-the-beltway-781749452/

June 26

Jon Stewart apologizes

Aw, well gee. Jon Stewart has apologized after declaring that Fox News viewers were a “consistently misinformed” bunch, a notion challenged by the press watchdogs at PolitiFact, using statistical findings from several Pew Research Center media studies. After much ado, the watchdogs deemed the Comedy Central host’s opinion “false,” which seemed to make him penitent. Sort of. A little, maybe.

“Ultimately, PolitiFact declared my statement false. I defer to their judgment and I apologize for my mistake,” Mr. Stewart says. “To not do so would be irresponsible, and if I were to continue to make such mistakes and misstatements and not correct them – especially if each and every one of those misstatements happened to go in one very particular direction on the political spectrum, well that would undermine the very integrity and credibility that I work so hard to pretend to care about.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/22/inside-the-beltway-133200882/

June 19

Canada showing the way : PUTTING ON AYERS  

Oh dear. For the second time, friend-of-President Obama and possible “Audacity of Hope” ghost writer William Ayers has been blocked from entering Canada. The former Weatherman Underground founder was on his way to give the keynote speech on “world views” and media this weekend, hosted by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association. But no dice.

In 2009, Mr. Ayers was detained by the Canada Border Services Agency and barred from entering the country, with “no reason given for this exclusion,” says Mark Langer, president of the hosting group, who adds that the would-be speaker has since hired lawyers to secure his passage over the border, only to be “stonewalled” by Canadian officials.

“I am disturbed by the apparent inconsistency in the enforcement of Canada’s border. In the past, we have admitted Martha Stewart, a convicted felon. Just a few weeks ago, we also let in Geert Wilders, a far-right Dutch politician currently being prosecuted for violations of his country’s hate-speech laws,” Mr. Langer continues.

“One wonders if Ayers is being kept out of Canada for purely political reasons, something that is unacceptable in a free and democratic society,” he adds.

June 5

The Koch Factor

The fact that one-time Obama enthusiast Ed Koch has publicly expressed his reservations about President Obama’s evolving policy toward Israel has not gone unnoticed.

“One might think that the vote of one octogenarian and often cranky former New York City mayor may not be a big deal, but Koch has a long and eventful history of involvement with presidential campaigns. He almost perfectly captures the views of a certain type of older – often but not always Jewish – Democrat who is nonetheless skeptical of his party on national security issues,” says Tevi Troy, a Hudson Institute fellow and former senior White House aide in the George W. Bush administration.

“While Koch usually backs his party’s candidate, he also seems to have an uncanny ability to back a Republican – tacitly or explicitly – when the Democrats are going to lose,” Mr. Troy observes.

Editor’s note: When hell freezes over America’s Jewish votes will decide it was a Republican trick and STILL won’t vote against the Democrats. 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/1/inside-the-beltway-504129689/?page=2

May 29

Proof that playing a guitar for a living is dangerous to your ability to think clearly

 

 “There’s an incredible feeling of helplessness when you vote now. The political parties seem to have the same agenda, and I can’t think of any legislation that was made in the interest of the citizens lately. I think America is on a course to an internationalism we’ve never known. They call it many things. New world order, planetary government. We’re pretty much global as it is,” Tommy James tells Inside the Beltway.

And this would be Tommy James, of Tommy James and the Shondells, the iconic 1960s-era rock band whose hits include “Mony Mony” and “Hanky Panky.” The many tunes are set to emerge as a Broadway show in 18 months and, after that, in a Hollywood film version.

“I’m a pretty conservative guy. Grew up in the Midwest. I’m not a radical, just a regular American. And I am a constitutionalist,” Mr. James said. “These days, I don’t know how to describe our government. Democratic, Republican? Left, right? There are too many distractions. I sense we’re losing the basic founding ideas of the nation. We’ve got to get back to those ideas. And why not start with reaffirming the middle class? To me, middle-class America should remain our center of gravity.”

Mr. James, 64, has a noteworthy political pedigree. In 1968, he befriended Hubert H. Humphrey after appearing at campaign events for Humphrey’s presidential campaign. The candidate even wrote the liner notes to Mr. James‘ “Crimson and Clover” album; the pair remained friends until Humphrey’s death in 1978.

The rocker now heads to Minneapolis to help celebrate what would have been the former vice president and senator’s centennial birthday this weekend, hosted by Humphrey’s son, Hubert H. “Skip” Humphrey and former Vice President Walter F. Mondale. The event also will raise funds for a proposed memorial to Humphrey on the grounds of the Minnesota state Capitol.

If this guy doesn’t see a difference between the two Parties, he is politically brain dead.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/26/inside-the-beltway-681452624/

May 22

WHY YOU’RE TIRED

“This ‘Age of Obama‘ is exhausting. Ever since President Obama stepped onto the stage at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, it’s as if we’ve all been stuck as bit players in the ‘Obama Show,’ which has now become very tiresome in its seventh season. Everything all the time invariably is interpreted through this framework: What does this mean for Obama? What will Obama do about it? What does Obama think about it? How does Obama feel today? Is he happy?” says Weekly Standard staff writer Jay Cost.

“Those of you who have studied up on the Constitution know full well that Congress, not the presidency, dominates the first article of our foundational document. The president’s much smaller role is outlined in Article 2. We give the president a simple, republican title: ‘Mr. President.’ Nobody kneels before him when he walks into a room,” Mr. Cost says, later adding, “Somebody seriously needs to tell the New York Times, and all of Obama’s fans in the mainstream media, this fact.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/19/inside-the-beltway-419608447/?page=2

CDC ZOMBIES

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is prepared. For anything: Bird flu, bioterrorism – and the walking dead. To augment the CDC’s official emergency guide, here is the federal agency’s formal plan, posted on the official website, should the undead get cranky:

“If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. CDC would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation. This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control, including isolation and quarantine. … Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/19/inside-the-beltway-419608447/?page=2

May 15

Social Security in deep trouble

“Social Security will run a permanent yearly deficit when looking at the program’s tax revenues compared to what it must pay out in benefits, the program’s trustees said Friday in a report that found both the outlook for Social Security and Medicare, the two major federal social safety-net programs, have worsened over the last year. “

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/inside-the-beltway/

 Panel refuses money for airport scanners

“In the wake of passenger anger over intrusive security searches, House Republicans on Thursday spurned an Obama administration request for funds to buy 275 additional airport full-body scanners and to hire personnel to run them.

“The scanners generate a revealing image of a person so security personnel can determine if someone is trying to hide a bomb or other weapon underneath his clothing. But they have also provoked criticism from privacy and civil liberties advocates.

“Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee, releasing their proposed fiscal 2012 budget for the Department of Homeland Security, said they opposed funding President Obama’s requested $76 million for the scanners and personnel.

“The Republican legislation still must be approved by the committee and by the GOP-majority House. It must also clear the Senate, where Democrats are in the majority, before it would go to Mr. Obama to sign.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/12/inside-politics-289286012/

May 9

WHERE’S NEWT? 

As in Newt Gingrich? He’ll be spending considerable time in the 3100 block of Maple Drive in Atlanta, where he has opened presidential campaign headquarters, two floors above the offices of the Georgia Republican Party. Yes, Mr. Gingrich has yielded to the siren call of 2012, and is making a bid for the White House. He’ll make his public declaration by the time the state party begins its annual convention, to convene in Macon on May 13.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/5/inside-the-beltway-175822668/?page=2

GAS RELIEF 

Well, it’s a start. The Republican Study Committee has introduced the “Consumer Relief for Pain at the Pump Act”, which would repeal restrictive energy development policies along with mandates and prohibitions that cause gas prices to be “artificially high.” The act calls for utilizing U.S. natural resources, including oil shale, and condemns frivolous litigation or bureaucratic delays that hinder development.

“More energy means lower prices and more jobs. It doesn’t get any simpler than that,” says Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, and the committee chairman.

BTW a Politico report is saying only 9% of Americans blame Obama for high gas prices.  Do you believe that?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/5/inside-the-beltway-175822668/?page=2

May 1

 

What do you say now Ms. Pelosi?

Back in 2008 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, “The price of oil is at the doorstep. Four dollars plus per gallon for oil is attributed to two oil men in the White House.”

Oddly enough, Pelosi is now conspicuously silent about gas prices. No public comments. No press conferences. No interviews.

Here’s a question for you: If Nancy Pelosi blamed high gas prices on “the oil men in the White House” back in 2008, shouldn’t she blame today’s high gas prices on the snake oil men in the White House?

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/pelosi-blamed-oil-men-white-house-gas-pr

  

Wal-Mart coming out of its stupor; maybe it wants to be America’s store again

From: The Wall Street Journal scopes out the story:

“The world’s largest retailer stopped selling hunting rifles and bullets at all but a third of its U.S. stores five years ago, citing diminishing sales. It is now restoring them to hundreds of locations, bringing the total to nearly half of its more than 3,600 U.S. namesake stores, as part of a larger push to restore “heritage categories” of merchandise such as fishing rods and bolts of sewing fabric that it removed in an attempt to go upscale that backfired.

“We made a business decision to sell them in certain stores because we have realized the appeal was perhaps broader than we thought,” said Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar. “But we are committed to doing it as responsibly as possible, as always, in compliance with all applicable local, state and federal laws.”

“The Bentonville, Ark., retailer is in the midst of its worst-ever U.S. slump—with seven consecutive quarters of sales declines at stores open at least one year—and has begun a major retooling of its U.S. operations in a bid to go back to basics and re-establish the formula of broad assortments and “everyday low prices” that late founder Sam Walton made famous.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703367004576289230488920802.html

April 24

 
Another Regulation

A federal law limits water used by a showerhead to an unimpressive 2.5 gallons per minute. But now, a new Obama regulation applies that limit to all nozzles used in high-end shower fixtures. A shower with four separate sprays, for example, can by law produce no more than 2.5 gallons total! In effect, this will immediately outlaw thousands of shower products on the market.

http://youdontsay.org/Aroundworld.htm

Wheelchair Lifeguards

Lifeguards at Clearwater Beach, Florida must be in good physical shape. After all, they have to rescue drowning swimmers. But now, the town is being forced to make all the lifeguard towers wheelchair accessible! Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act. And if that’s not bad enough, it’ll cost a tidy sum to comply: $18,000. Is government completely insane?

 http://youdontsay.org/Aroundworld.htm

April 17

CANTOR NIXES Trump uses “we” Question: Who is the “we” you are talking about?

President Donald Trump? Don’t count on it, says House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

“Would you support a Donald Trump candidacy, especially with all this birther talk?” CNN anchor Kiran Chetry asked the Virginia Republican.

“No, I don’t think he is really serious when we see a campaign launched on the birther issue,” Mr. Cantor replied, dismissing the idea that Mr. Trump was the “best hope” to defeat President Obama in 2012.

“I think that there are some very weighty issues that we’re going to have to tackle,” Mr Cantor observed, adding that the ideal candidate should be “honest with the American people and face facts as far as the debt problem is concerned – and lay out there what we’re trying to do as Republicans in Congress.” There now doesn’t that make you feel better about being a Republican? /s/

 April 10

The link for these stories is http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/7/inside-the-beltway-7573545/  

BLAMING REPUBLICANS 

The pathetic victims of a possible government shutdown have been trotted out by the media prematurely, building up dramatic momentum as the budget showdown between Republicans and Democrats reaches the big finale. Naturally, the woes of innocent folks are the fault of dastardly Republicans, and the press is deft at trying to prove this. No wonder. Hand-wringing journalists are using the same melodramatic language that surfaced during the 1995 shutdown. ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, for instance, predicts that “Treasures like Old Faithful and Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore and Yosemite’s half dome will be closed to visitors.”

But wait. Here’s what CNN World News anchor Kathleen Kennedy said, when the previous crisis loomed 16 years ago: “The echoes of a government shutdown would be felt from coast to coast. The gates of ‘Lady Liberty’ at New York would be closed,” she said at the time, also invoking the Washington Monument and Bunker Hill as further proof.

“The liberal media are filling their programs with stories about dire consequences of deep cuts that will lead to troops not getting paid, closed national parks, and late tax refunds,” says Geoffrey Dickens, deputy research director at the Media Research Center, which tracked the coverage in 1995 — and this time around.

“However Karl and the others, as quotes from 1995 show, are simply dusting off the old media playbook to blame Republicans, not Democrats, for a shutdown, as they focus on high profile federal projects like national parks in an attempt to frighten the American people into opposing prudent fiscal decision-making,” Mr. Dickens observes.

HERE’S THE SKINNY 

This likely rules out an order of french fries in the House cafeteria at the moment. Nine Democratic members of Congress have joined a public fast to protest “Republican budget cuts for the needy,” in support of activists at MoveOn.org, Service Employees International Union and 39 other organizations.

Lawmakers who vow not to eat — at least for a day, anyway: Reps Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, Rosa L. DeLauro of Connecticut, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Sam Farr, Michael M. Honda and Barbara Lee of California, James P. McGovern of Massachusetts and Janice D. Schakowsky of Illinois. Organizers say 16 other lawmakers are expected to join the hungry ranks in the next few days.

April 3

TRUMPED UP 

It’s billed as a “Birther Conference.” Republican presidential hopeful Andy Martin will convene the “Third National Conference on President Barack Obama’s Missing Birth Certificate and College Records” this weekend at the Capital Hilton, just blocks from the White House. Naturally, Mr. Martin has asked Donald Trump — some call him a “birther,” some a “proofer” — to speak at the conference, which begins Friday. The billionaire real estate mogul has vigorously questioned for weeks whether Mr. Obama is a U.S. citizen and has demanded that the president produce a birth certificate that meets with his approval.

“I am impressed by your intuitive grasp of the controversy. While there are many opinions on where Obama was born, the only reliable evidence still points to Hawaii. You correctly identified the source of his obsessive secrecy: embarrassment at something on the document itself. What it is, I don’t know,” Mr. Martin said in his invitation to Mr. Trump.

“We are notifying hotel security that a high-profile visitor may be arriving either Friday — less likely — or Saturday — more likely — and that’s all I can say right now. We may not know until the last minute,” Mr. Martin tells Inside the Beltway.

NOW HEAR THIS

 

A billboard in President Obama’s hometown is intended to “encourage reflection on the disproportionate number of abortions among African Americans.” 

“Every 21 minutes, our next possible leader is aborted,” says a billboard motto on the South Side of Chicago from the pro-life group Life Always, emblazoned with a portrait of President Obama. The billboard is meant to “encourage reflection on the disproportionate number of abortions among African Americans,” says the Texas organization, which plans to erect 30 more — though a similar project in New York City ended after Planned Parenthood issued a letter of protest and local residents complained.

“Our future leaders are being aborted at an alarming rate. These are babies who could grow to be the future presidents of the United States, or the next Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington or Maya Angelou,” said the Rev. Derek McCoy, associate pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville and a Life Always board member.

TEA Party = Extreme

Funny, the phrase used to be “right wing conspiracy,” but no matter. One New York Democrat — well, a lot of Democrats — have blamed partisan discord on the “tea party,” villainizing the grass-roots group and incorporating it into talking points as a prime example of “extreme” Republican politics.

“Sen. Charles Schumer is busy telling anyone who will listen that Republicans should quit listening to the tea party and just do what the Democrats tell them to do. Other senators, anxious to curry Schumer’s favor, are dutifully reciting his talking points,” said Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots. “Blaming the tea party for the budget impasse is Washington’s political game of the week. We get it. Blame everyone but yourself.”

All of the above items can be found at:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/31/inside-the-beltway-541873020/

 

Harry Belafonte brays

“The greatest threat of all is the undermining of our Constitution and the systematic attacks against the inalienable rights of the citizens of this nation, rights that are guaranteed by out Constitution. At the vanguard of this insidious attack is the Tea party.”

www.youdontsay.org

Go West

Silver screen conservatives — those rare pro-America stalwarts standing fast in glittering Hollywood — have taken notice of Rep. Allen West, the Florida Republican who recently rocked CPAC 2011 with his rousing, reasoned patriotism and straightforward demeanor. Big Hollywood founder Andrew Breitbart has already declared his “dream team” ticket for the 2012 presidential bout: Mr. West and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. And now Mr. West himself has alluded to a “a very famous and popular Hollywood conservative actor” who has taken a strong interest in him; a personal phone call from this luminary, Mr. West says, was the “surprise of his day.” Let the guessing commence: West fans wonder whether it was Clint Eastwood, Jon Voight, Gary Sinise, James Woods,Bo Derek or even Pat Boone who was on the line. The lawmaker, ever wise and classy, has declined to reveal the superstar’s identity.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/23/inside-the-beltway-539988668/

 

CHRISTIE RISING

“New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a man who says he has no plans to run in 2012, leads a field of hypothetical Republican presidential nominees, and is thought to have the best chance of knocking off President Obama,” says a Zogby Interactive survey of 2,168 likely Republican voters (www.zogby.com).

“Of 11 possible Republican candidates being discussed for a 2012 presidential run, Christie takes 19 percent of the vote and 19 percent also think he is the most capable of a victory over Obama,” the survey finds, with Sarah Palin in second place with 13 percent, and Donald Trump and Mitt Romney tying for third with 9 percent.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/23/inside-the-beltway-539988668/

TAX ATTACK

Observant analysts at Americans for Tax Reformhave found that the term “tax” is used 255 times, “taxable” is used 208 times, and “excise tax” 17 times in the text of health-care reform law, now one year and one day old.

“There are 21 new or higher taxes in Obamacare, seven of which break Obamas ‘firm pledge’ not to raise ‘any form’ of taxes on families making less than $250,000 per year,” spokesman John Kartch tells Inside the Beltway.

“These tax hikes kick in at different times and are unpleasant surprises to many people. For example, the Medicine Cabinet Tax kicked in on Jan. 1 of this year, meaning Americans are no longer allowed to use their flex accounts or Health Savings Accounts to purchase over-the-counter medicines.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/23/inside-the-beltway-539988668/

 

NOW HEAR THIS

“Despite what the mainstream media suggest, we did not invent our brand of investigative journalism,” says conservative undercover videographer James O’Keefe, who recently created a ruckus at National Public Radio with damning footage of a former executive that sparked the resignation of NPR CEO Vivian Schiller and a House bill to defund the public broadcaster.

“Shows like ‘60 Minutes’ on CBS used to use our tactics all the time. All we’re doing is reviving this effective brand of journalism — and we’re being attacked for it,” Mr. O’Keefe says of his Project Veritas (www.theprojectveritas.com), billed as a forum for “muckrakers.”

The 26-year-old needs money, though — about $50,000 to cover the costs of the NPR video. Says Mr. O’Keefe in his fundraising outreach: “We know what we’re doing. We’ve had amazing success where the ‘pros’ in the mainstream media have failed for years.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/23/inside-the-beltway-539988668/?page=2#

 

Obamacare is still a dog that won’t hunt

One year after President Barack Obama signed the health care reform bill into law, a new national poll indicates that attitudes toward the plan have not budged.

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday, on the one year anniversary of the signing of the law, 37 percent of Americans support the measure, with 59 percent opposed. That’s basically unchanged from last March, when 39 percent supported the law and 59 percent opposed the measure.

“It’s worth remembering that opposition to the bill came from both the left and the right last year, and that has not changed either,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “In 2010, about a quarter of the health care bill’s opponents disliked the bill because it was not liberal enough – the same as today. That works out to 13 percent of all Americans who oppose the bill because it did not go far enough. Forty-three percent oppose it because it was too liberal.”

http://www.ihatethemedia.com/obamacare-one-year-later-just-as-unpopular

March 20

  

This week’s items come from the great site ihatethemedia.com 

1,500 teachers paid to do union business and miss class

  

In the city’s funny math, you get only one teacher for the price of two.  

The Department of Education pays about 1,500 teachers for time they spend on union activities — and pays other teachers to replace them in the classroom.  

It’s a sweetheart deal that costs taxpayers an extra $9 million a year to pay fill-ins for instructors who are sprung — at full pay — to carry out responsibilities for the United Federation of Teachers.  

With Mayor Bloomberg calling for thousands of teacher layoffs to balance the 2012 budget, critics say it’s time to halt the extravagant benefit.  

  

“In these tight fiscal times, it defies common sense to pay two different people to do one job,” said Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, a government watchdog. “It’s a waste of money.”  

That $9 million would cover the salaries of 198 new teachers at the current annual $45,530 starting pay  

The DOE lets 40 experienced teachers collect top pay and fringe benefits, but work just one class period a day.  

Under a longstanding contract agreement, the DOE excuses these veterans to work for the UFT — currently 38 as district representatives and two as union vice presidents. The UFT pays them another salary, plus expenses.  

English teacher Tom Dromgoole, for instance, collects top teacher pay, $100,049 a year, from the DOE for his slot at Leadership and Public Service HS in downtown Manhattan. But he is relieved for most of the day to serve as a UFT high school rep. The UFT supplements his salary by $50,461, records show.  

Dromgoole is outspoken on state budget cuts, which he blasted at a boisterous protest last March with UFT President Michael Mulgrew. Reached Friday outside his Brooklyn townhouse, Dromgoole brushed past a reporter who asked about his UFT work, saying, “No comment.”  

Another veteran teacher said of the lucrative gigs, “It’s a plum because you’re not teaching. Some principals give them little or nothing to do” because the UFT reps are powerful.  

The rest of the 1,500 teachers paid for time away from students are UFT “chapter leaders,” who represent faculty at each school. They get at least four or five class periods a week “for investigation of grievances” and other union-related duties, the contract says. 

The UFT reimburses the DOE only about $900,000 of nearly $10 million it spends to replace the teachers, officials said.  

One principal said his school’s chapter leader is helpful as a staff liaison, but he questioned why the UFT — which collects $126 million in member dues — doesn’t cover the cost: “They have a lot of money to run TV ads. Should DOE be paying for this?”  

UFT spokesman Dick Riley said such arrangements are common among city unions “and were instituted with the agreement of NYC government.”  

A spokeswoman for Mayor Bloomberg declined to comment.  

http://www.weeklycontestwinner.org/prize/indexcar.php?kword=araudio  

  

Gas prices under evil oil stooge George Bush vs. gas prices under the god-like Barack Obama

  

Back in January 2009 we had finally tossed those evil oil stooges out of the White House and life was good again. Never again would we have to worry about prices being driven up by collusion between our nation’s leaders and the dastardly oil companies. 

So just ignore the fact that oil prices went up only 7 percent during the first 26 months of the Bush presidency, but have gone up 67 percent during the first 26 months of the Obama presidency. 

To paraphrase Bill Clinton, “I feel your pain at the pump. 

http://www.ihatethemedia.com/gas-prices-under-george-bush-vs-barack-obama  

Yeah, but … yeah, but … yeah, but the wind is natural

 

 

Hard to believe that there’s a member of President Obama’s administration who’s less popular than Director of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, but there is: Secretary of the Interior Ken “Oil Moratorium” Salazar. 

  

Rasmussen has the unpopular particulars: 

With gas prices soaring, the pressure’s on the Obama administration to increase the number of permits for deepwater oil drilling. Right now, just 16% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the man who’ll grant those permits, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, with a scant one percent (1%) who regard him Very Favorably. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 27% view the former Colorado senator unfavorably, including 11% with a Very Unfavorable view of him. But like many of his fellow Cabinet members, Salazar is an unknown commodity to many voters: 57% don’t know enough about him to venture any kind of opinion. 

The most surprising number in this survey is the fact that 1% of likely voters regards Salazar Very Favorably. We can only guess that the 1% is comprised of former Village People fans who appreciate the jaunty tilt of Salazar’s cowboy hat and/or Dr. Strangelove fans who are reminded of Slim Pickens playing Major T. J. “King” Kong. 

One thing we know for sure is that the 1% can’t possibly be approve of  his performance as Secretary of the Interior. 

  

  

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/march_2011/16_view_interior_secretary_salazar_favorably  re  on an epic scale

 

 

 

http://www.youdontsay.org/Aroundworld.htm  (March 7, 2011)

Maybe More Republicans Read
“In just two months, George W. Bush’s memoir Decision Points has sold nearly the same amount of copies as Bill Clinton’s memoir (released in 2004).”

 

Be Quiet
“A group of students singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ recently at the Lincoln Memorial were quieted by a security officer because the tune was considered a ‘demonstration’ in a ‘content neutral’ area.”

 

 

If You Can’t Ban Guns . . .

“Just days after Chicago’s ban on handgun ownership was ruled unconstitutional, the [members of the] city council unanimously approved what they were pleased to call the Responsible Gun Ownership Ordinance. One provision requires that all Chicago residents, to own a handgun, must present a signed affidavit from a firearms instructor saying the gun owner completed a safety and training course that includes at least one hour of range time. The catch? The city of Chicago bans gun ranges.”

Virtually Worthless

 

 

Islam on the Rise

 

 

March 6

GAS BIAS

Broadcasters don’t link escalating gas prices with President Obama in their coverage. But President George W. Bush? Uh-huh. His fault.

“They connected Mr. Bush, not Mr. Obama to high prices. As gas prices rose in 2008, network reporters mentioned Mr. Bush in 15 times as many stories than they brought up Mr. Obama in a similar period in 2011,” says Julia Seymour, a researcher with the Business & Media Institute who examined every news report on ABC, CBS and NBC that mentioned gas prices during those time periods.

She also found that not one single story brought up any of Mr. Obama’s “anti-oil policies” this year, despite the impact they could have on supply and prices.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/1/on-the-radar/?page=2#

 

CHINA’S CHINA

Not too tasty: A Department of Emergency Medicine research team at Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University tested cooking utensils and dinnerware made in China and sold in the city to find that almost 30 percent contained lead, which “astounded” them. The researchers dutifully reported it to the Food and Drug Administration.

The officials in turn “were so alarmed at the significant amount of affected items” that the federal agency is initiating further studies of imported Chinese — and Mexican — cookware, says Dr. Gerald O’Malley, who led the study.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/1/on-the-radar/?page=3#

 

TRUMPALISCIOUS

Donald Trump has a burgeoning new “grass-roots army” who pine for him to run for president in 2012. Who knew? There are numbers to back it up, reflected in a star-spangled website (www.shouldtrumprun.com) for Trumpaphiles convinced the billionaire has the business acumen, political calling and inner mettle to join the campaign fray.

“He’s a populist. As close to Ronald Reagan as I’ve seen in any candidate. When you watch his media appearances, he’s talking right to you. Reagan had that and so does Trump,” says Michael Cohen, a special counsel and executive vice president within the Trump Organization, who launched the effort on his own.

“When Trump talks, he’s fresh, he’s honest and he shares the same concerns as the common man,” Mr. Cohen continues. “Our current president and leaders have taken us off track and have sold out our future to foreign interests. Our economy is a disaster with staggering unemployment numbers and a deficit that is unsustainable. Trump is unafraid to tell Americans the honest truth on where we stand today as a nation, on issues they care about, including unemployment, gas prices, China, Libya, Mexico, India.”

Mr. Cohen created the site with the help of billionaire pharmaceutical entrepreneur and philanthropist Stewart Rahr to “develop a grass-roots army of Americans who want to put this country back in the right direction,” Mr. Cohen says.

A “grass-roots army” wants Donald Trump to run for president in 2012.

“As of Wednesday, we’ve had over 425,000 visitors to the site, all asking the trillion dollar question: Will Trump run in 2012? My hope and the hope of these people is a resounding ‘yes.’ We need a new leader who will stop apologizing to foreign dignitaries for our superpower status, bring jobs back to America and ensure that this country becomes respected again,” Mr. Cohen adds 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/2/inside-the-beltway-917537965/#

 

DOING THE MATH

Go easy now. Don’t want any Democrats swooning. The two-week funding measure passed by Congress is not a bad way to ease the swooners toward $61 billion in budget cuts, increment by increment, million by million.

“The Democrats realize that if they stand against a $4 billion cut against a $3.8 trillion deficit, that is an unsustainable position. We pro-rate these, so this $4 billion is two weeks’ work. If we did four weeks, it would be $8 billion. We’re fine going down that path. It gets us to the same destination,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Paul D. Ryan during a visit to Americans for Tax Reform on Wednesday.

The White House is willing to spring for the $8 billion while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi wouldn’t consider $4 billion, he noted.

“I definitely see some friction on their side of the aisle on this. What it tells me is that they realize that defending their spending binge is an indefensible position. The Obama ‘freeze’ in the budget is nothing more than a floor designed to lock in their spending levels,” the Wisconsin Republican observed.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/2/inside-the-beltway-917537965/?page=3#

 

GAS ATTACK

The “drill, baby, drill” demographic is getting huge, and with good reason. Consider that gas prices jumped 22 cents per gallon since last weekend, the second-largest one-week increase in fuel prices since 1990, says the U.S. Energy Information Agency. We’re now paying anywhere from $3.42 to $3.65 a gallon for regular gas, deemed “sticker shock at the psychic level” by the American Automobile Association.

“The world has turned upside down since the winds of change swept through North Africa and the Middle East. Pump prices are changing at warp speed. Service station owners and distributors are panicking about what the next tank wagon will cost them and are passing that cost to us in advance of the next shipment,” says John Townsend, a spokesman for the group.

A resolute nation is bracing for the worst. A Rasmussen Reports survey finds that six out of 10 Americans expect the price of gas to top $5 a gallon by July 1. And most now agree with Sarah Palin that the U.S. is being held hostage by the oil-rich Middle East: 76 percent now believe the U.S. “does not do enough to develop its own gas and oil resources.”

The industry doesn’t believe it either.

“There is nothing ‘robust’ about the Obamatorium,” said Jim Adams, president and CEO of the Offshore Marine Service Association, reacting to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s claim that the White House has a “robust” plan for Gulf Coast oil and gas production.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/3/inside-the-beltway-94785721/#

February 27

All of this week’s items come from http://www.youdontsay.org/Aroundworld.htm

A great site we at CiR.com recommend you bookmark.

What’s in a Name?

 

 

Throwing Your Money Away: Part Two 

 

 

February 20 

Who is dumber, Sheila Jackson Lee or the people who vote for her?

 At a House Judiciary Committee hearing about the individual mandate to buy insurance, Jackson-Lee said, “I would make the argument, one, that it [the individual mandate] is an incentive to do right – that it is not penalizing you because a penalty is punishment, and you’re not punished if you have health insurance, in fact.

“And so, you are in fact incentivized to have health insurance rather than take the negative, which is to suggest that because you have a penalty you’re being punished,” she said. 

Jackson-Lee is incorrect, however, as the language of the law clearly states the following: “If an applicable individual fails to meet the requirement of subsection (a) [have government-approved insurance]… there is hereby imposed a penalty with respect to the individual, Section 5000A of the law reads.” 

Another section of the health care law, entitled “Payment of Penalty,” stipulates that if an individual fails to carry a government-approved health insurance policy for any month during the year, they must pay a maximum penalty of $750. 

In keeping with Jackson-Lee’s theory, we would like to announce she is smart, not stupid 

http://www.ihatethemedia.com/sheila-jackson-lee-fining-people-who-dont-buy-insurance-incentive 

    Tax cheat Timmie Geithner admits his budget “creates unsustainable debt.”

   Is this a case of unadulterated gall or sheer stupidity? You watch this clip and tell us if it’s one or the other or if some completely different word come to mind.

 Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner testified before the Senate today and got grilled by Jeff Sessions. The Senator pointed out that President Obama’s budget – the budget Geithner signed off on – contains interest payments and other obligations that are “excessively high” and “unsustainable.”

 Geithner agreed.

 Let us repeat that. The Secretary of the Treasury agreed that spending in the budget he and the President just submitted to Congress is unsustainable.

 The inmates are running the asylum.

 http://www.ihatethemedia.com/geithner-admits-his-own-budget-is-unsustainable

   Arkansas Congressman introduces a proposal to defund Obama’s teleprompter

 Sure, our economy is rapidly swirling clockwise down the porcelain convenience, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a laugh along the way.

 Fox News reports one of the more creative ideas about cutting the budget:

 The House formally began debate, which is expected to last three days, Tuesday afternoon following some wrangling over the hundreds of amendments lawmakers want to attach to the package. More than 400 amendments were filed Monday night. Among them were a proposal from Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., to eliminate funding for the president’s Teleprompter and one from Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, to strip funding for the alteration, repair or improvement of the executive residence of the White House and instead divert that amount to deficit reduction.

Womack told Fox News Tuesday afternoon that he pulled his amendment because he wasn’t able to get an estimate on how much it would save. I think we made our point,” Womack said. “We’re asking people to do more with less. And I think the president ought to lead by example. He is already a very gifted speaker. And I think that’s one platform he could do without.”

 http://www.ihatethemedia.com/steve-womack-wants-to-cut-funding-for-obama-teleprompter

   A Canadian Muslim who “gets it”

 We need more politically incorrect professors like Mahfooz Kanwar

 About one dozen families who recently immigrated to Canada are demanding that the Louis Riel School Division in Winnipeg excuse their children from music and coed physical education programs for religious reasons.

 The families believe that music is un-Islamic — just like the Taliban believe and then imposed on the entire population of Afghanistan — and that physical education classes should be segregated by gender even in the elementary years…

 In any event, the school district is trying to find a way to adapt the curriculum to fit the wishes of these families, rather than these families adapting to fit into the school and Canadian culture.

 Mahfooz Kanwar, a member of the Muslim Canadian Congress, says he has some better ideas.

 “I’d tell them, this is Canada, and in Canada, we teach music and physical education in our schools. If you don’t like it, leave. If you want to live under sharia law, go back to the hellhole country you came from or go to another hellhole country that lives under sharia law,” said Kanwar, who is a professor emeritus of sociology at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

.ihatethemedia.com/if-you-want-sharia-law-go-back-to-the-hellhole-country-you-came-from http://www  Cain on the money

 Herman Cain told conservative activists the country is being ruined by “stupid people” and said liberals attempt to discredit President Obama’s critics with accusations of racism. Cain, a one-time Senate candidate and former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, is the most prominent African-American considering a run for the GOP presidential nomination.

 http://www.ihatethemedia.com/herman-cain-stupid-people-are-ruining-america

 February 13

Arizona’s governor sues federal government over border control

Governor Jan Brewer just announced . . . . on behalf of the State of Arizona, she is suing the Federal Government.

There are 5 counts . . . . and here is a summary (my notes) from the press conference.

1. failure to achieve operational control over the Mexico/Arizona border.

2. failure to protect Arizona from invasion and Arizona says invasion not just limited to other countries to invade but applies to people and secured border.

3. failure to enforce immigration laws . . . . and their failure causes national security risks . . . abuse of discretion that Fed only enforce the law they want to and they should enforce all.

4. declaratory relief about reimbursement for Fed govt’s failure to pay for incarceration of prisoners (illegal).

5. under 10th amendment . . . powers not delegated to the Fed, are reserved to the people and while control of border is fed responsibility, when criminals cross border illegally and commit crimes, it is a state responsibility and the Feds are interfering with the state to fulfill its responsibilities.

http://www.ihatethemedia.com/arizona-govenor-jan-brewer-sues-feds-over-failure-to-enforce-the-law

 

CBO says Obamacare will kill 8000,000 jobs

Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf testified before the House Budget Committee on Thursday and made a shocking admission – he expects ObamaCare to wipe out an estimated 800,000 jobs. That’s equal to every single job in the states of Delaware and South Dakota.

Here are excerpts from the exchange between Elmendorf and Republican Boy Genius Paul Ryan:

Chairman [Paul] Ryan: “[I]t’s been argued…that the new health care law will create jobs and increase labor force participation. But if I recall from your analysis, it was quite the opposite. Is that not the case?”
Director [Douglas] Elmendorf : “Yes.”…

Rep. [John] Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, we’ll — and Dr. Elmendorf — and we’ll continue this conversation right now. First on health care, before I get to — before I get to broader issues, you just mentioned that you believe — or that in your estimate, that the health care law would reduce the labor used in the economy by about 1/2 of 1 percent, given that, I believe you say, there’s 160 million full-time people working in ’20-’21. That means that, in your estimation, the health care law would reduce employment by 800,000 in ’20-’21. Is that correct?

Director Elmendorf: Yes. The way I would put it is that we do estimate, as you said, that…employment will be about 160 million by the end of the decade. Half a percent of that is 800,000.

http://www.ihatethemedia.com/cbo-director-says-obamacare-will-cause-800-thousand-unemployment

 

Religion of peace update

A disturbing video has emerged of a bloody religious mob attack in Indonesia that killed three members of a minority Muslim sect, showing extremists beating and stoning their victims to death.

The incident, involving more than 1000 Muslims who stormed a house in West Java yesterday to stop the minority Ahmadiyah Islamic sect from holding worship, has been condemned by the government and rights activists.

Footage of the attack – which came at the start of “interfaith harmony week” in the mainly Muslim country – shows police doing nothing as scores of Islamic fanatics go berserk with stones, knives and sticks.

Shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) and “kafir” (infidel), the mob brush aside a lone police officer and launch a sustained attack on the house, as a small group of Ahmadis try briefly to defend the property.

Defenceless and half-naked Ahmadi men are then shown being beaten and stoned to death in the mud outside the house. Their bodies are pelted with stones and desecrated as members of the mob laugh and take pictures.

http://www.ihatethemedia.com/indonesian-muslims-celebrate-interfaith-harmony-week-by-slaughtering-other-muslims

 

WEBB MASTER 

Buh-Bye. Since Sen. James Webb‘s term of office won’t run out for two years, many puzzle over his decision to retire, announced right on his 65th birthday. Will the Virginia Republican — who appears at the National Press Club on Thursday for the Ronald Reagan Centennial Conference on Foreign Policy — return to a life as an author/screenwriter? Was he swayed by the thought of spending more time with his fifth child, age 3? Some say Mr. Webb is just being pragmatic.

“He became a reliable vote for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Obama agenda, which became problematic as Virginia drifted back to the right in the 2009 and 2010 elections. But one vote in particular stands out — his support for the national health care law and subsequent opposition to its repeal,” observes American Spectator correspondent Philip Klein.

“Remember, Virginia is the epicenter for opposition to Obamacare, having been the first state to pass a Health Care Freedom Act, and then launch one of the suits challenging the law’s constitutionality. Webb would have an uphill battle to re-election, especially given that he only won by a whisker in 2006,” Mr. Klein says.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/9/inside-the-beltway-580007710/?page=2

 February 6

Montel Williams brays

 “If, in fact, the GOP doesn’t like any form of health care reform, what do we do with those 40 to 60 million uninsured? . . . When they show up in the emergency room, just shoot ‘em! Kill them! . . . Do we have enough body bags? I don’t know.” [Also:] “So, Michele [Backmann], slit your wrist! Go ahead! I mean, you know, why not? I mean, if you want to — or, you know, do us all a better thing. Move that knife up about two feet. I mean, start right at the collarbone.”

http://www.youdontsay.org/Quotes/W.htm#MontelWilliams

 

ORIGINAL SIN

Former George W. Bush adviser and Hudson Institute senior fellow Tevi Troy points out that along with a wealth of constitutional references, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson‘s ruling against the heath care overhaul law also refers to a 2002 article on the scope of congressional power by Robert Bork and his own brother, Daniel E. Troy, former chief counsel of the Food and Drug Administration.

“In contrast to previous domestic-policy changes like Social Security, Medicare, and welfare reform, all of which had substantial bipartisan support, the one-party imposition of the health care law has ensured that will always be seen as a partisan endeavor. As a result, it will never be able to overcome the original sin that governed its birth, and this will ultimately be its undoing,” Mr. Troy observes.

“Judge Vinsons ruling, along with the fact that a majority of states have joined the lawsuit against the bill, the recent House repeal vote, and the bills consistent unpopularity, remind us that there are many avenues available in a free society for challenging questionable legislative actions, and the anti-Obamacare movement is serious about exploring all of them.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/1/weather-or-not/?page=2

SCIENCE CORNER

Yes, there are “Super Bowl Sunday injuries” during the big game, insists Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical director of emergency medicine at the Methodist Hospital in Houston. Among typical problems: stomach ailments, injuries from tossed projectiles and broken teeth among those who try to open beer bottles the hard way. And domestic violence?

“There is a lot of testosterone flying around during the Super Bowl. You mix that with alcohol and underlying relationship problems and you have a recipe for disaster,” Dr. Kalina says. “If a woman is in a relationship where this is happening, it might be best to stay away from the house or party on Sunday.”

Some consider such claims to be suspect.

“For years, the domestic-violence industry has used taxpayer money to scare American women into believing they are safer on the streets than at home,” says Phyllis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum. “That’s ridiculous, of course. The safest place for women is in an intact, married relationship.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/1/weather-or-not/?page=2

 HERMAN‘S SIGN-OFF

He must be getting very close to his big “declare” moment. That would be presidential hopeful Herman Cain, who has resigned from his nightly Atlanta-based talk-radio show, where he’s chatted about issues for three years. His replacement of note is Redstate.com founder and CNN contributor Erick Erickson, who takes over the mic Thursday.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/2/inside-the-beltway-609578840/?page=2

AL‘S GLITCH

Ka-boom. Al Gore‘s insistence in an online missive to Fox News host Bill O’Reilly that “man-made global warming” is behind the Blizzard o’ 2011 won him a link on the Drudge Report, much buzz and technical difficulties.

“Mr. Gore‘s website was crashed by Matt Drudge‘s website on Tuesday. Gore‘s site was down from approximately 4:30 p.m. until about 6 p.m. Eastern time,” says Marc Morano of the ClimateDepot.com, a watchdog site that tracks the claims of global-warming alarmists

“Gore‘s website crashed almost immediately following Drudge’s link. The irony for Gore is that he has touted his role of ‘creating’ the Internet,” Mr. Morano continues, recalling that infamous moment in 1999 when the former vice president told CNN he “took the initiative in creating the Internet” during his time in Congress.

“It now appears the creator of the Internet’s website is not able to handle traffic from the DrudgeReport.com,” Mr. Morano concludes.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/2/inside-the-beltway-609578840/?page=2

January 30

These items come from: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/25/inside-the-beltway-259683827/?page=2

ESCAPE VELOCITY

What with space tourism all the rage, at least consider a theme park, maybe. NASA has announced that its space shuttle facilities are available for “commercial use” now that the noble project has been mothballed. Indeed, two launchpads, a 15,000-foot runway, behemoth buildings and other large-scale fare is part of the package.

The space agency “is seeking to identify potential industry interest in, and proposed uses for some, agency real-property assets located at Kennedy Space Center in Florida,” says the notice of availability, though any reinvention of the property can’t pose a negative impact on NASAs mission or master plan, or be used for residential or agricultural projects. So. What about space tourism?

Note that Virginia-based Space Adventures has signed an agreement with the Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation and the Rocket Space Corporation Energia to offer commercial seats aboard Soyuz spacecraft bound for the International Space Station, beginning in 2013.

“We would like to thank our Russian partners in increasing Soyuz production and providing Space Adventures these well sought-after transportation services on the only commercially available manned spacecraft currently in operation,” says Eric Anderson, chairman of the U.S. group.

TAKE A LOOK

It’s not time to play softball and wallow in civility, apparently. Judicial Watch recommends the 112thCongress investigate White House “czar” policies, ACORN, Climategate, the financial solvency of U.S. states, government justification for authorizing big bailouts and President Obama‘s “attempts to enact stealth amnesty for illegal aliens without approval by Congress.”

The government-watchdog group is also antsy over health care reform, pension fraud, national security, “politicization at the Department of Justice” and what they deem “White House bribery,” citing federal appointment offers to candidates now-former Rep. Joe Sestak, Pennsylvania Democrat, and Andrew Romanoff, who ran for U.S. Senate in Colorado.

“The American people spoke clearly on Election Day. No more backroom deals, no more influence peddling and no more corruption. This new Congress has an obligation to honor the intense desire by the American people to clean up corruption in Washington,” says the group’s president, Tom Fitton, who calls the Obama administration “the most secretive in recent American history.”

ABLECAIN 

Among dozens of political reactions to President Obama‘s State of the Union address comes this from Herman Cain, a Georgia businessman turned talk radio host, a 2012 Republican presidential hopeful and the preferred candidate of Ann Coulter.

“President Obama‘s speech failed to address the growing and persistent ills that plague our nation, largely symptomatic of an out-of-control government and in need of serious remedy,” Mr. Cain says. “President Obama said ‘investment.’ Americans heard ‘more government spending.’ President Obama said ‘job creation.’ We heard ‘but not in the private sector.’ President Obama said it is time for civility. We heard ‘for thee, not for me.’”

Mr. Cain adds, “The true state of our union is fragile, but the true will of the people is strong. The people will demand effective economic growth policies which were noticeably absent from the president’s speech.”

American Thinker contributor C. Edmund Wright has assembled a Top-10 list of reasons why Mr. Cain warrants support — he doesn’t speak “Washington drivel,” heed fancy strategists or answer to the media elite.

“And the number-one reason to support a Cain candidacy? It opens the door to a ticket of Cain and Haley Barbour in some order,” Mr. Wright observes. “Maybe this is not earthshaking, but imagine the ‘racist Republican Party‘ putting forth a national ticket including a drawling Mississippi good old boy and a black businessman who still speaks a smidgen of Ebonics. This would be the hope and change America thought they were getting in 2008.”

These items come from: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/26/able-cain/?page=2

SIGN OF THE TIMES

“Veteran’s Campaign Boot Camp” is the title of George Washington University’s upcoming two-day workshop for military vets who want to run for elected office at any level, conducted by fellow vets Sen. Michael B. Enzi, Wyoming Republican and Reps. Chris Gibson, New York Republican and Tim Walz, Minnesota Democrat.

There are currently 25 vets in the Senate and 90 in the House; during the 2010 midterm elections, 92 vets ran the Senate, 496 for the House. The event is open to the public, with a $200 admission; active duty members and vets pay $30. For information: www.veteranscampaign.org/enroll

UH-OLBERMANN       http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/26/able-cain/?page=2

News of former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann just keeps mutating, like a little virus. Critics tell him to go back to sportscasting, fans pine for him to run for office. Meanwhile, the guessing game is under way about a possible replacement. At the top of the list? Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, should he abandon his sudden candidacy for mayor of Chicago.

“If it didn’t mean relocating — and, politically, this would not be a good time to move from Chicago — Emanuel might make a good replacement,” explains Chicago Tribune media writer Phil Rosenthal.

But wait. The name of Alec Baldwin, already in the parent company NBC’s stable as the ironically right-leaning lead character of “30 Rock,” has been bandied about. Celebrity observer Rob Shuter of Popeater.com swears Mr. Baldwin tops MSNBC’s “ultimate wish list” of Olbermann replacements, by virtue of his “long-term passions for politics.” Network spokesman Jeremy Gaines dismisses the report as “entertaining, but untrue.”

Last but not least: Mr. Olbermann has been suggested as the replacement for Regis Philbin, who is departing his job as an ABC morning talk host; this, insiders say, is a most unlikely prospect.

JUST SO YOU KNOW

“The worlds Muslim population is expected to increase by about 35 percent in the next 20 years, rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030, according to new population projections by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life.”

“Globally, the Muslim population is forecast to grow at about twice the rate of the non-Muslim population over the next two decades – an average annual growth rate of 1.5 percent for Muslims, compared with 0.7 percent for non-Muslims. If current trends continue, Muslims will make up 26.4 percent of the world’s total projected population of 8.3 billion in 2030, up from 23.4 percent of the estimated 2010 world population of 6.9 billion.”

From the executive summary of the aforementioned report, in its gargantuan entirety here: http://pewforum.org

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/27/inside-the-beltway-9343198/?page=2

 

January 23

REVOLVING DOOR

When they leave Congress, senators must wait two years and House representatives one year before they become registered lobbyists. By law. So far, 13 of 19 outgoing senators from the 111th Congress have declared their post-Congress employment plans, and five of them are working in the “government relations industry” — this according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The watchdog group is continuously tracking the trajectory of former lawmakers; they also seek tips from former staffers about the details.

See who’s going where here: www.opensecrets.org/revolving/departing.php.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/20/inside-the-beltway-762583295/?page=2

 

The following items came from the great website youdontsay.org. Please make it one of your regular stops.

http://www.youdontsay.org/AroundWorld.htm

 

 

Bright Idea
The European Union has already banned incandescent light bulbs with ratings over 60 watts. Innovative German entrepreneurs, however, according to Reuters, are selling them not as light bulbs but as “small heating devices.” Siegfried Rotthaeuser imports both 75-watt and 100-watt bulbs from China and offers them to the public as “heatballs,” thereby skirting EU legislation. His first batch sold out in three days!
– “Light Bulb Moment,” The Limbaugh Letter, December 2010, page 5. Address: 1270 Avenue of the Americas, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10020. Show phone: 800-282-2882. Fax: 212-445-3963. E-mail. Website

 

 

 This page will return on January 23,  Coach’s decison :-)

January 2

 GARDEN VARIETY

“Post blizzard, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg issued mighty mea culpas but got a frigid shoulder from press and people for his city’s tepid response to the polar blast. The mayor did manage to hire 1,900 extra “day laborers” to help with the cleanup, though. Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie caught cold criticism because he was on vacation in Florida when the storm dumped 30-plus inches of snow on the Garden State. But hey. His absence has political metaphor.

“Gov. Christie is one the nation’s few — but thankfully increasing in number — realistic pols who govern under the very obvious operational assumption that the government and those who populate it cannot do everything, be everywhere and do everything for everyone. That includes predicting the weather. Are you listening, global warming bureaucrats?” asks Seton Motley, founder of Lessgovernment.org, a political nonprofit association.

“Democrats — the party of ‘everything government for everyone’ — are naturally frightened of and threatened by the less-government tea party movement that swept across the nation last month and shows no sign of abating. And they fear people like Christie who effectively articulate the less government message,” Mr. Motley continues. “They will lash out in often bizarre ways, including loudly chastising the New Jersey governor for not being a meteorologist.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/29/inside-the-beltway-534188308/

SIGN OF THE TIMES

“It’s a fleeting bonanza, but Americans apparently needed a “Silver Bells” and “Silent Night” fix this year. Radio stations that switched to a seasonal “all-Christmas” format eclipsed even the mightiest all-news outlets; the stations were rated No. 1 in nine of the top 10 U.S. markets — including New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles, according to Arbitron numbers released Wednesday.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/29/inside-the-beltway-534188308/?page=2

 

ALOHA

“It’s time to play “find the birth certificate,” even as President Obama is presumably enjoying the carefree, balmy breezes of his Hawaii. In the last 48 hours, Gov. Neil Abercrombie has repeatedly vowed to still the outcry of those who believe Mr. Obama was not born in the U.S., and is without proper “long form” documentation. Mr. Abercrombie — who was friends with Mr. Obama‘s parents back in the day — has ordered both the state attorney general and health department director to legally release more documentation “as quick as we can.”

The governor says he operates independently from the White House, and has not hidden his personal disgust with the doubting “birthers.” But Part Two has already begun: MSNBC‘s Chris Matthews pines to witness White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and chief of staff David Axelrod in action, among other things.

“I am not a birther, I am an enemy of the birthers. Why has the president himself not demanded that they put out the initial documents?” Mr. Matthews asks. “I don’t understand why the governor doesn’t just say, ‘Snap it up. Send me a copy right now.’ And why doesn’t the president just say, ‘Send me a copy right now.’ Why doesn’t Gibbs and Axelrod say, ‘Let’s just get this crappy story dead.’ “

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/28/inside-the-beltway-447269406/

December 27

THAT’S LIFE

Advice to Republican National Committee chairman candidates: Don’t forget the pro-life credentials. The Susan B. Anthony List plans to mobilize a half-million socially conservative activists to lobby the voting committee to elect a clearly pro-life chairman. Time is getting short; the big debate between incumbent chairman Michael S. Steele and myriad challengers at the National Press Club is Jan. 3 – essentially, only days away.

“It is critical that the next RNC chairman not only be pro-life, but be prepared to use his or her position to advance pro-life values,” says the group’s president, Marjorie Dannenfelser.

Questions already have been submitted to the candidates online (www.rncdebate.org) by keenly interested observers. They include: “What is your position on restoring the Right to Life to unborn children?”; “Are you committed to defunding Planned Parenthood?”; “Do you believe traditional marriage should be preserved at all costs?”.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/22/inside-the-beltway-584796087/?page=2December 19
CHRISTIE 101 

Hmm. Maybe he can see New Jersey from his house. New York Times columnist Frank Rich is no fan of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who looms large, hearty and Republican over the Garden State. But the journalist calls the governor’s unprecedented popularity in the heavily Democratic state “instructive,” now that Mr. Christie has higher approval ratings in the state than President Obama or New Jerseys two senators, both Democrats.

“The core of Christies appeal at home is that he explains passionately held views in concrete, plain-spoken detail. Voters know what he stands for and sometimes respect him for his forthrightness even when they reject the stands themselves,” Mr. Rich says, adding that it’s proof “people want a leader with a strong voice, even if only to argue with it.”

“Mr. Rich adds, “No one expects Obama to imitate Christies in-your-face, bull-in-the-china-shop shtick. But they have waited in vain for him to stand firm on what matters to him and to the country rather than forever attempting to turn non-argumentative reasonableness into its own virtuous reward.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/5/assange-call-home/

SHOT IN THE ARM 

“Nurses continue to outrank other professions in Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics Survey,” says Jeffrey M. Jones, an analyst for the pollster. “Eighty-one percent of Americans say nurses have ‘very high’ or ‘high’ honesty and ethical standards. Americans rate car salespeople, lobbyists and members of Congress as having the lowest honesty and ethics, with the last two getting a majority of ‘low’ or ‘very low’ ratings.”

“Sixty-one percent, in fact, give lobbyists lousy ethical ratings, placing the mavens of special interests at the bottom of the list; 57 percent don’t approve of lawmakers’ ethics. Incidentally, an average 28 percent say journalists lack honesty — right between local politicians and bankers.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/5/assange-call-home/

 ARISE, MAMA GRIZZLY 

“The liberal feminist movement is dead, or at least transformed into a leftist, abortion rights advocacy group with little interest in any other women’s issues here in America or elsewhere. They simply have no credibility anymore when speaking about equal rights or misogyny in politics or corporate America.

“If you would have told someone 20 years ago that by 2010 the defenders of women’s rights would actually be conservative women, they would have said you were nuts. However, that is indeed the reality. It is now up to conservative women to pick up the sword and fight for equal rights for all women in the world.”

– American Thinker contributor Robert Eugene Simmons Jr.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/5/assange-call-home/

 BUNCH OF QUACKS 

“Congress is in a lame-duck session, but instead of acting like lame ducks, they are acting more like chickens with their heads cut off. Can you imagine firing someone for incompetence and then letting them run your company for another two months? Maybe it’s time to end the lame-duck sessions, send Congress members home immediately after they lose their election and turn lame ducks into dead ducks.”

—    Fox News analyst Mike Huckabee, assessing Capitol Hill this week

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/6/odd-man-out/?page=2

 

LORDS OF PORK 

“From our read-it-and-weep desk, there are now 39,294 congressional earmark requests for fiscal 2011 — that’s $131 billion worth — bobbing around in the great money seas of Washington. Those requests are no longer anonymous flotsam, however. A trio of advocacy groups — Taxpayers Against Earmarks, WashingtonWatch.com and Taxpayers for Common Sense — are tracking those earmarks in a public database.

“Even though some members of Congress insisted that it was technologically impossible or would cost too much to create an earmark-requests database, our three groups were able to build a database in less than six months for less than $100,000,” says research director Stephanie Mesick

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/7/inside-the-beltway-552849494/

December 5

CRECHE ALERT 

“OK. Never fear, there is a nativity scene in the White House. Located in the East Room, it’s the same one that has been there since 1967, says Semonti Stephens, deputy press secretary for first lady Michelle Obama – whose first words during a press preview Wednesday were, “Happy holidays. All right now, it’s Christmas.” For the record, the 18th-century Italian creche is made of terra cotta and carved wood, and was the gift of Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard Jr.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/1/inside-the-beltway-510729640/

MARTIAN ORDERS 

“If there are extraterrestrials, please, let them be agreeable. If it’s a microbe, let it be cute. In a minimal press release that already launched a thousand delirious rumors, NASA has announced a “News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery … to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life.” Thursday’s the day for NASA’s big reveal, staged at the space agency’s Washington headquarters at precisely 2 p.m.

“Hurray. Enough of WikiLeaks, lame-duck sessions and partisan discord. For five minutes, anyway. NASA watchers theorize the “discovery” has something to do with critters who prefer an arsenic-rich environment to air and water, possibly living the good life on the moons of Mars or Saturn. The mind reels. The conference will be broadcast live on NASA Television, available at www.nasa.gov.

“Meanwhile, NASA is offering 7,000 heat shield tiles from the almost-retired Space Shuttle to schools and universities that want a piece of space history. Schools can put in their request at http:// gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm . But this is still a federal agency: “Because the tiles are government property, a transfer protocol is observed. Recipients will be responsible for a shipping and handling fee of $23.40, which is payable to the shipping company through a secure website,” NASA says.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/1/inside-the-beltway-510729640/

THUNDER BOLTON 

“Alarmed by the general lack of White House finesse in the foreign policy and national security issues, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton has been parsing the possibilities of a White House run since August. Mr. Bolton – once a student organizer for Barry Goldwater‘s 1964 presidential campaign – reaffirmed his intent to ABC Radio’s Aaron Klein, and warranted an inaugural hit on Comedy Central: “John Bolton (and His Mustache) Might Be Heading for the White House.”

The stalwart with the unyielding gaze and walrus ‘stash, though, insists that his presidential run is the best way to focus the political discourse on the nation’s security, Iran’s looming nuclear prowess and U.S. stature on a global scale.

“It certainly would make the GOP nomination battle more interesting if Ambassador Bolton were to decide to run. He would do so in order to bring foreign policy and national security to the fore as issues,” observes Rick Moran of the American Thinker. “One question: If he and Sarah Palin run, who would the media hate more?”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/1/inside-the-beltway-510729640/

SCANNING TSA 

“The hubbub over perilous pat-downs and X-rated body scans is not over. Some say the Transportation Security Administration “politically manipulated” the situation by deactivating scanners at many airports during the Thanksgiving holiday travel days to defuse plans by civil activist groups to “opt out” of security measures. That in mind, former congressman Bob Barr — now chairman of the grass-roots group Liberty Guard — has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the agency, demanding TSA‘s internal communication about patting and scanning.

“We’d like to think that the TSA has been listening to citizens concerned about being given a choice between naked imaging or pat-down searches of people’s private parts,” observes Mr. Barr. “It’s far more likely the reason was political and we think the public should be made aware of the motivations of our country’s security chiefs.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/30/double-trouble-83966897/?page=2

Why the dead tree media is dying

“The WikiLeaks docu-dump has been heralded as a “breath of fresh air” and welcome transparency by some journalists, who seem to revel in the breach of classified material. “The Times believes that the documents serve an important public interest, illuminating the goals, successes, compromises and frustrations of American diplomacy in a way that other accounts cannot match,” the New York Times notes on its decision to publish 100 secret State Department cables. Times editors excised information they judged to be a security risk. But shaming appears acceptable. “On the other hand, we are less likely to censor candid remarks simply because they might cause a diplomatic controversy or embarrass officials,” the paper says, a strategy that drew “uncomfortable” reactions from Gray Lady loyalists, says Executive Editor Bill Keller.

“The release of these documents means that people will die. It is as simple as that,” writes reader David Stier in a special reader response section. “I cannot say how many, but the butcher’s bill from this sorry ‘disclosure’ will have to be met. Personally, I consider this willful release of secret documents to be treason. I am not a Tea Party fanatic, nor even a Republican. I am proud to be a Democrat and have enjoyed your publication for many years both online and in print. I fear that this relationship will now have to end. I expected better.”

“In one of many replies to irate readers concerned that “unelected editors” were determining the fate of sensitive government documents, Mr. Keller responds, “Why do we get to decide? And why did we decide to publish these articles and selected cables? We get to decide because America is cursed with a free press.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/29/inside-the-beltway-250967470/

November 28

THE GIPPER GAP 

“We’re approaching the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Ronald Reagan: February 6, 2011. It’s time to begin thinking seriously about an appropriate national commemoration of this good man and great president,” says David Frum, former George W. Bush appointee and now a CNN contributor. “To date, the main attempts to honor Reagan in the nation’s capital have gone askew. A government office building second in size only to the Pentagon? An airport from which Washingtonians cannot fly to California? These do not seem very appropriate monuments to a president who fought bureaucracy and yearned for home.”

Mr. Frum is not so keen on Reagan currency or statuary either.

“”Let me suggest something: A museum in Washington dedicated to the victims of communism. The struggle against communism impelled American foreign policy for almost half a century. That struggle was also the central concern of Ronald Reagan‘s political life. As much as Reagan cared about the geopolitics of the struggle, he cared even more about the human victims of communism’s brutal totalitarian ideology.””

The American Spectator writer Philip Klein observes, “I’d be all for it — as long as it’s privately funded.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/22/the-pat-down-press/?page=2

CRANBERRY-FREE ZONE 

“”Cranberry sauce, cologne, creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.); gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings); gravy, jams, jellies, lotions, maple syrup, oils and vinegars, perfume, salad dressing, salsa, sauces, snowglobes, soups, wine, liquor and beer.”

“List of food or gift items “that you should put in your checked bag, ship ahead, or leave at home,” according to the TSA. And an addendum: “You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but please be advised that they are subject to additional screening.””

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/22/the-pat-down-press/?page=2

IT’S STARTING

“The war on Christmas, that is. Fed up with ‘Godless’ trees and other inclusive holiday fare, two Chester County, Pa., commissioners have voted to stop letting groups with multiple political or cultural agendas set up holiday decorations on the courthouse lawn of West Chester. The commissioners resolved that the historic spot would now “erect and maintain its own seasonal holiday displays” themed around “liberty and freedom,” with special recognition to honor U.S. troops.

“During a recent public hearing on the decision, the noisiest critics of the change were members of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, a group that has erected a 12-foot “Godless Holiday Tree” — aka “The Tree of Knowledge” — to the mix of displays for four years, The tree was decorated with book covers promoting atheism and winter solstice celebrations.

“Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell, a Republican, proclaimed during the hearing that the town should abandon the “first come, first served” approach to holiday displays and harken to recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that permit traditional secular and religious elements — Santa Claus, a Christmas tree, a Nativity scene and a menorah.

“But even mounting a display to honor the American military is fraught with peril, apparently. “We need to consult with our attorneys,” Mr. Farrell says.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/21/its-starting/

GOREVILLE 

“The 16th United Nations climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico, is just a week away. But Al Gore may be getting revved up in advance; he appeared Saturday with the Dalai Lama and others at a Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2010 that addressed global warming and its esoteric implications. During his “What’s to Be Done” lecture, Mr. Gore was asked why a similar U.N. event “failed” about a year ago in Copenhagen.

“”It was a collective failure on part of the global leaders. For me, the biggest disappointment was my own country. Had they passed the climate legislation, the end result of Copenhagen climate conference could have been different. There would have been dramatic chances of success of the summit,” Mr. Gore said, adding, “There are six anti-climate lobbyists for every member of the Senate. They believe that by deceiving people and creating false doubts about climate science, they can delay the legislation.”

“Meanwhile, organizers at the Cancun summit have sartorial recommendations: “Taking into consideration Cancuns warm weather, the host country and the Secretariat have exempted their staff from having to use a jacket and tie. Therefore, the dress code during the COP16/CMP6 will be casual smart. The host country suggests the use of a ‘Guayabera’ shirt, which is traditional attire in the South East region of Mexico.””

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/21/its-starting/?page=2

THE PAT-DOWN PRESS 

““The ballyhoo over airport pat-downs will be over as soon as we “maximize protection and security and minimize inconvenience and invasiveness,” says White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. Sounds good. Until then, please be entertained by the national press corps, which has patted itself down and come up with an entire carry-on bag’s worth of headlines. Among them:

“”Pat down or perish?” (Boston Globe). “TSA Uproar: That’s the power of Drudge” (Hotair.com). “Invasion of the body scanners” (Boston Herald). “The Revolt Against TSA: It’s the Election, Part 2″ (Commentary Magazine). “TSA has met the enemy — and they are us” (ABC News). “We just don’t want to get naked for you, TSA” (Fox News). “The Gate Rape of America” (Canada Free Press). “Torches and pitchforks at airport security” (CBS News). “Keep your hands off my Constitution” (Jewish World Review). “Tell the TSA: ‘Don’t touch my junk’, Here’s how” (MSNBC).

“”If you’re asked to remove your clothing, you should ask for a supervisor or manager.” (Advice to passengers from “Blogger Bob,” nom de plume of a TSA staff blogger, offering an official response Monday to a cell-phone video of a boy “strip-searched by the TSA” at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Nov. 19

“And now a word from the American Federation of Government Employees, the union for TSA workers, which is vexed that members are getting hollered at by irate passengers. “Like all Americans, transportation safety officers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. These men and women are the first line of defense against those who seek to harm this country,” says union President John Gage. “It is unacceptable for any passenger to verbally or physically assault any security officers, and TSA must act now — before the Thanksgiving rush — to ensure that the officers are not being left to fend for themselves.””

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/22/the-pat-down-press/?page=2

November 14

All of these items came from http://youdontsay.org/Aroundworld.htm a great web site I recommend to everyone. You don’t say is run by Fred Gielow  a great researcher.

 Can the Army protect us?

 “[A] November [2009] report from the U.S. Army [Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve] [states] that 75% of America’s 17- to 24-year-olds are not eligible for military service, largely because they are poorly educated, involved in crime, or are physically unfit.”

 Feminization of America’s colleges

 

 

APA off its rocker

 ”Because the APA [American Psychological Association] starts out with the foundational belief that there’s no real difference between the genders, then mothers and fathers start to look interchangeable. [. . .] With such a worldview, gay and straight relationships look the same; then gay marriage starts to look as if it were no different from the natural, biological family. And, when the research comes in — as indeed it has — showing gays and lesbians to be less psychologically healthy than straights, then the APA simply dismisses it, saying that the psychological problems are due solely to society’s homophobia.”
 

APA further off its rocker

 

 

$15.9 trillion spent on welfare, what has it gotten us?  

 

 

November 7

  “Teavangelicals”  threw the Democrats out

“Oh, ye of big faith. Like really big faith. The largest single constituency in the electorate in the midterm elections was “self-identified evangelicals,” who comprised 29 percent of the vote and cast a hefty 78 percent of their ballots for Republican candidates, according to new findings from the Faith and Freedom Coalition. Turnout by conservative folks of faith was up by 5 percent over 2006 – the largest ever recorded in a midterm election, the group says. The survey also found that 52 percent of all “tea party” members are conservative evangelicals; 57 percent also say both lawmakers and political leaders are “ignoring our religious heritage.” The survey of 1,000 voters was conducted Nov. 2.

“People of faith turned out in the highest numbers in a midterm election we have ever seen, and they made an invaluable contribution to the historic results,” says Ralph Reed, chairman of the 400,000-member group. “This survey, along with numerous exit polls, makes clear that those who ignore or disregard social conservative voters and their issues do so at their own peril.”

“And just so you know. The demographic already has a name – “Teavangelicals” – this coined by CBN News correspondent David Brody.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/3/hallelujah/  

You bet!

“Voters have given Republicans one more chance to get it right. They are on probation, and if they mess up again, they won’t get another chance,” says conservative maven Richard A. Viguerie, who has often cautioned the party to avoid fancy footwork among lobbyists and stay in touch with their Ronald Reagan roots.

“The Democrats under President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drove millions of voters right back into the arms of the Republicans. But if Republicans return to their bad habits – if they start working for K Street instead of Main Street – they will pay a terrible price,” Mr. Viguerie adds. “People will say: Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, and the Republican Party is dead.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/3/hallelujah/  

Hillary hiding out in Asia

“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has opted to stay well clear of the midterms, sitting them out in a two-week tour of Asia and Australia. In fact shes been as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/2/sentry-duty/?page=2

THE ‘EH’ FACTOR 

“When the loopy Rally to Restore Whatever was over on Saturday, boy host Jon Stewart had only this to say about his purported role as trusted political force: “Eh.” Marchers appear to agree with Comedy Central’s fake newsman. In an amazing little bit of technology, Lake Research Partners & Revolution Messaging managed to conduct a survey of 457 rally participants while they were wandering around on the Mall, via their cell phones and texting. Of course, the poll revealed that 86 percent planned to vote Democratic. And asked whether they were enthusiastic about voting on Tuesday?

“Eh. Or maybe, uh, huh? Only 25 percent said they are more enthusiastic than they were in 2008, 39 percent said they were less enthusiastic and 36 percent said they were “about the same.” Hm. Yeah, well. Eh.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/31/cavuto-matic/

YOUNGBLOODS

“Forget the archetypal image of tired old Republicans, so dear to the hearts of liberal pundits. Lou Zickar, editor of the “centrist Republican” Ripon Forum, has done the math to reveal that a victory for the Grand Old Party on Tuesday means new vitality.

“If they win control of the chamber, Republicans will not only have a leadership team that is, on average, almost 20 years younger than the Democratic leaders they will replace, but the first-ever House leadership team who were all born after World War II” Mr. Zickar says. “In all, 16 out of the 19 House committees will be headed by younger members should the GOP win the majority next week. To be more exact, the incoming Republican chairmen will be, on average, almost 10 years younger than the Democratic chairmen they will replace.”

Mr. Zickar continues, “Having a younger generation in charge of the House of Representatives means that the nation will have new leaders who, figuratively speaking, are looking at life through the windshield, not the rearview mirror. Most of these leaders have mortgages. Many have children. Some are putting kids through school. For them, policy debates over rising debt and higher taxes are not esoteric exercises shaped by times gone by, but rather real world decisions shaped by the lives they and their families are leading today.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/31/cavuto-matic/

hat profiling – the use of factors such as race, ethnicity and overall appearance to determine who gets a security check – is “necessary” in today’s society, says a Rasmussen Reports survey released Thursday. Another 32 percent disagree, and deem profiling an “unnecessary violation of civil rights” while 12 percent are undecided. Close to half – 45 percent – think profiling should be used to determine which boarding passengers to search at airports.

“Political correctness – long a virtue in the liberal camp – has few suitors these days, according to other research from the pollster: 57 percent of respondents say America has become too politically correct these days and 74 percent categorize it as a “problem” in the nation. Indeed, parsing our proverbial melting pot is no easy task. For anyone. But prissy avoidance of meaningful discussion can ultimately undermine our understanding, compassion and yes, genuine tolerance for one another.

“Did Juan Williams say what everyone is thinking?” asks ABC News analyst Russell Goldman?”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/21/inside-the-beltway-87016547/

Liberal attack on Glenn Beck falls flat

“A source has stepped forward with news that sales of “Tears of a Clown: Glenn Beck and the Teabagging of America” by The Washington Post’s syndicated political columnist Dana Milbank were, well, tepid. In the hundreds. Not promising for a book with an initial printing of 38,700, on bookstore shelves for 15 days.

“Sounds absurd to me. Have not seen any numbers but I saw it was on the Washington Post political bestseller list and was leading a couple of Amazon categories. That said, I highly doubt it’s selling like a Glenn Beck book,” Mr. Milbank tells Inside the Beltway via e-mail.

“Is this weepable? Hard to tell. In our zeal to remain civil, here are the unembellished Amazon sales numbers: Mr. Milbank’s book stands at 5,300 on the overall “bestseller” rank, but No. 5 in the history and criticism category, No. 10 in the journalism division and No. 11 on a list charting biographies of “TV performers.”

Selling a book outside of your echo chamber is hard work, eh Mr. Milbank?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/20/inside-the-beltway-202694759/

Graduates of government shoolz?

“Reconsidering, perhaps. That would be PBS host Gwen Ifill and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas, who on Tuesday publicly chided Sarah Palin for telling “tea party” supporters, “Don’t be thinking that we’ve got victory for America in the bag yet. We can’t party like it’s 1773.” Her critics thought the date should have been 1776. The ever astute Mrs. Palin, however, was referring to the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party; the iconic event took place on December 16, 1773.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/19/inside-the-beltway-996587537/