Month: February 2009

The Simulus and the Republicans

Posted on

An interesting question to be asked.

Will the Republicans opt to do this, given the gravity of the recession? They are in no mind to allow the bill to go through without substantial changes. The Senate Republicans, just like the House ones, believe that the stimulus bill is something of a Trojan horse. While no one disputes that a big fiscal punch is needed, many items in the current plan (which has been hastily thrown together) will take too long to deliver; at least a third of the House’s $819 billion package will not have been spent 19 months from now, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office.

The Republicans prefer tax cuts, which have the advantage of delivering their punch almost instantly. The problem is that in tough times like these, people are likely to save rather than spend their tax gains especially if—as in this case—the cuts are strictly temporary. Extra saving does nothing to boost demand in an economy that is suffering from a shortage of it. Republicans also object to some of the protectionist “Buy American” provisions attached to some of the money, and to inanities such as a $200m plan to returf the Mall in Washington, DC, (this last has now been removed from the House bill).

A party with a majority can usually pass whatever it likes in the House, but the same is not true in the Senate. Debates in the Senate are not rigidly time-limited as they are in the House, and in order to end discussion and move to a substantive vote, a motion of “clôture”, or closure, has to pass. The snag is that 60 votes are needed to pass such a motion; and the Democrats have only 58 senators. In theory, if the Republicans hang firm—and they held absolutely firm in the House—they could prevent the stimulus bill from ever being put to a full vote.

BARACK OBAMA’S gargantuan stimulus bill moves to the Senate on Monday February 2nd, after passing through the House of Representatives without a single Republican vote in favour. That means that it is in trouble.

via How Senate Republicans will respond to the stimulus bill | Stimulus and the Senate | The Economist.

Hopefully, the Senate Republicans will strip out all of the special interest pork that is within that bill and will pass a bill that will help the economy. Instead of further the socialist agenda of the far left.  But I do not look for any huge sweeping changes. As Michelle Malkin has reported, the Republicans want to play Democrat-lite and go along with Obama’s plans. Wonderful. So much for the loyal opposition guys. 🙄

How about just letting the economy run it’s course and taking the Government’s hands off of it? Instead, they want to play communist-lite and prop up everyone. Yeah, it will work, until China cuts us off, as well as the other Nation’s that are buying our debt.

Sometimes, I really think that the psychos are running the “nuthouse” in Washington D.C. 😮

The Mining Industry feels the pinch

Posted on

It is not just the auto industry that is feeling the pinch of the economy, it seems that the mining industry is feeling it as well.

BIG mining companies have suffered an astounding reversal of fortunes in the past few months. As boom has turned to gloom, commodity prices have slumped, leaving mining firms with painful decisions to make. Rio Tinto is the latest to suffer. On Monday February 2nd the Anglo-Australian mining giant was forced to confirm press speculation, acknowledging that it is in talks with Chinalco, a state-owned Chinese aluminium maker. The Chinese firm may agree to a deal to help to alleviate Rio’s debts which were taken on before the credit crunch led to a foundering world economy.

Rio’s debt pile of some $40 billion was mostly run-up through its purchase of Alcan, a Canadian aluminium firm, in 2007. Around $9 billion is due later this year, and refinancing will be a tricky proposition given the parlous state of debt markets. Another $10 billion must be repaid in 2010. Rio has started a firesale of assets: it raised $1.6 billion last week by selling iron ore and potash businesses in Brazil and Argentina to Vale, a Brazilian rival. But prices are depressed and making a sale is not always possible—Rio has still not managed to offload Alcan’s packaging business, although it is reportedly in talks with a potential buyer.

via Rio Tinto, deeply indebted, seeks investment from China  The Economist.

More fall out from a concept floated by the Democrats, that was based entirely upon risk. Thank you Bill Cinton for ruining America. 🙄

Japan’s Economy on the verge of collapse as well.

Posted on

Russia is not the only one. Japan now is on the verge of collapse as well.

A reader chided me for not making note of the truly dreadful factory output figures released last Thursday, which showed a fall of 9.6%.

I have to confess that I have fallen into “Japan bad news” syndrome, in that I expect bad news out of Japan and therefore did not focus enough on the details. And while I do not aspire to covering every financial news story (that’s what the MSM is for), the latest figures paint a grim picture, even by our new, desensitized standards.

It wasn’t simply that December was truly awful, but it came on top of a nearly-as-bad November

via naked capitalism: Veneroso: Japan on the Edge of the Abyss.

Again, this is what happens when you inflate a money supply and create a bubble.

Yves continues:

Yves here. I only get the privilege of reading Veneroso now and again, but I cannot recall him taking a tone remotely like what follows:

I have been writing about an Asian black hole for almost two months now. I have been crying from the rooftops about an emerging depression in Japan. It has been as though a neutron bomb had gone off in the world. There was no one who seemed to notice, no one who seemed to listen.

Every week it gets worse and worse and worse. Today it was Japan….

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN DATA THIS BAD FOR ANY MAJOR ECONOMY – EVEN IN THE GREAT DEPRESSION. December industrial production came in down 9.6%, worse than the METI forecast. It is now down almost 21% year over year. METI forecasts a further 4.7% decline in February. The inventory to production ratio soared again. Maybe METI will be correct.

If it is, Japan industrial production will have fallen 28% (non annualized) in four months. It will have fallen by a third in about a year. Nothing in the history of major nations compares. A 28% decline in four months would be more than half of the entire decline in U.S. industrial production over the 3 years and nine months of the U.S. Great Depression.

It would be a greater decline in four months than in any 12 month period in the Great Depression in the U.S. We are literally looking at the unimaginable. (I am attaching the U.S. industrial production index from the Great Depression for comparison).

IT’S A DEPRESSION IN JAPAN – ALREADY – PURE AND SIMPLE.

If this is true, unless President Obama can pull some sort of a miracle out of his rather skinny ass. We are in deep trouble. The reason I say this is because we are in a Globalist Economy, whether we like it or not, and Japan’s failures are our failures as well.

I think it will get much worse, before it gets any better. 🙁

(Via Freedom’s Phoenix)

Communism on the rise in Russia

Posted on

Looks like the fall out of the economy is finally hitting Russia.

Russia was rocked today by some of its strongest protests yet as thousands rallied across the vast country to attack the Kremlin’s response to the global economic crisis.

The marches, complete with Soviet-style red flags and banners, pose a challenge to a government which has faced little threat from the fragmented opposition and politically apathetic population during the boom years fuelled by oil.

Pro-government thugs beat up some of the protesters.

About 2,500 people marched across the far eastern port of Vladivostok to denounce the Cabinet’s decision to increase car import tariffs, shouting slogans urging Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to resign. Many there make their living by importing cars.

Meanwhile in Moscow arrests were made as about 1,000 diehard Communists rallied in a central square hemmed in by heavy police cordons.

Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov told them the Kremlin must throw out Western capitalism and impose sweeping nationalisation.

via Violent clashes in Russia as angry protesters call for Putin to resign over economy | Mail Online.

This is what happens when you inflate the supply of money, it causes things like this. I think before it is over, you will see a return to the cold war in America. I hope this not to be the case, but I believe the outlook is bleak.

(Via Freedom’s Phoenix)

Andrew Sullivan: Idiot Faux Conservative Douche Nozzle

Posted on

Remember that rant by David Duke, regarding Michelle Steele’s election to the Republican Party Chair that I blogged about yesterday?

Well, it seems that a particular faux conservative has once again showed his incredibly liberal side. I am referring to faux conservative, illegal immigrant and Blogosphere resident fake conservative fag boy;  Andrew Sullivan. Mr. Sullivan gives Duke his so-called “Malkin” award.

He is, of course, referring to syndicated columnist, Conservative Blogger and quite the serious MILF;  Michelle Malkin. (Of course, I am kidding about the M.I.L.F. part! (Well, sorta… She is hot, and yes, I’d hit it, given the chance… :D)

Now this is where this blog entry might just veer off into swearing, name calling and a bit of anger, so, to be safe and because I happen to know that my readership has increased. I’m going to start the butt chewing after the fold.

Proceed at your own risk, DANGER! CONTENT WARNING AFTER THE FOLD!

Read More …

Oh and…..

Posted on

I am about to sign off here and hit the rack (or in english, go to bed :P) So, if this blog doesn’t update till some time in the afternoon, that’s why.

I drank waaaaay too much coffee today. 😮

Can you feel the love?

Posted on

Peter Hitchens writes:

If I never again had to read or write a word about homosexuals, I would be very happy. I really don’t want to know what other people do in their bedrooms. But these days they really, really want us all to know. And, more important, they insist that we approve. No longer are we allowed to keep our thoughts to ourselves, while being polite and kind.

We are forced to say that we think homosexuality is a good thing, that homosexual couples are equal in all ways to heterosexual married couples. Most emphatically, we are compelled to agree that homosexual couples are just as good at bringing up children as the children’s own grandparents. Better, in fact.

Many people who believe nothing of the kind now know that their careers in politics, the media, the Armed Services, the police or schools will be ruined if they ever let their true opinions show. I am sure that many of them regularly lie about their views, to avoid such trouble.

We cringe to the new Thought Police, like the subjects of some insane, sex-obsessed Stalinist state, compelled to wave our little rainbow flags as the ‘Gay Pride’ parade passes by.

And that’s another thing. We can’t even call homosexuals ‘homosexuals’ any more. This neutral word is not considered enthusiastic enough. We have to say ‘gay’. Which is exactly why I don’t, apart from in inverted commas.

Ouch. Wow, that I was a wee bit harsh…. and this is in the U.K. no less!

Others: The Other McCain

Shocking Opinion Piece of the Day

Posted on

I must confess; when I read this, my jaw about dropped to the floor. 😮

Quote:

I propose that, from this day forward, we stop telling the tale of two Americas and instead document and celebrate the full and storied, multicultural and multidimensional story that is America in all of its colors, geographies and passions, in all of its ups, downs and exhortations.

I propose that, for the first time in American history, this country has reached a point where we are can stop celebrating separately, stop learning separately, stop being American separately. We have reached a point where most Americans want to gain a larger understanding of the people they have not known, customs they have not known, traditions they have not known.

I propose that this month. 142 years after Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 that allowed for the Southern states to be re-admitted to the Union, we adopt our own personal reconstruction goals to admit into our lives people who are different, people whose origins differ from ours, people who can teach us so much if we listen.

I propose that this month we become not the America of Rush Limbaugh or the America of Al Franken, but to become an America where all opinions matter and hope trumps hate.

I propose that this February, we become not an America of black or white or Hispanic or Asian but an America of black and white and Hispanic and Asian, an America where each of those heritages is a mandatory part of school curriculums. We don’t need more amendments to the U.S. Constitution; we need more amendments to our own personal behaviors, beginning with changing how we treat each other.

Where did I see such a thing?

In some newspaper in the south? On a White Nationalist Website? Nope. In the Detroit Free Press.

Color me shocked.

Someone needs to tell that this to Rev. Joseph E. Lowery; that post race racialism is wrong and should stop.

In case you forgot:

Now, who’s the real racists? 🙄

John Amato is full of crap

Posted on

Once again, liberal loon John Amato is caught talking out his rather large bazoo:

Referring to the comment, that I thought was absolutely awesome:

He shouldn’t be back on the shows. MSNBC has a duty not to invite him back on. Why is that such a hard concept to grasp? Republicans can say absolutely anything on the airwaves (women get the brunt of it) and never have to pay a price for it.

via There should be a penalty for Armey’s sexist comment to Joan Walsh | Crooks and Liars.

Uh, John, once again, you open your pot hole, before you know what the hell your even talking about. Does anyone remember Don Imus?

For those with the short memories:

So, John, please, stick to what you know; Because obviously, you don’t know what the fuck you’re even talking about. Damn liberal idiot. 🙄

Michael Steele-Gate continues

Posted on2 Comments

I wrote on this earlier, but now it seems that even more blowback from the far fringes of the Republican Party are now bellowing about the election of Michael Steele to the Republican Party’s National chair position. This time from no other than the God-Father and Master of Ceremonies of White Nationalism himself, Former Klansman and Republican Representative of Louisiana David Duke, who goes on, what can only be called a nuclear nut:

The Republican Party leadership in its latest act of self-immolation appointed, Michael Steele, a radical Black racist as the leader of the Party.

Steele is a passionate supporter of affirmative action programs that racially discriminate against tens of millions of White Americans. He also supports increased discrimination against White owned businesses in the awarding of non-merit and non-bid minority contracts. He is opposed to the death penalty and thinks that it is disproportionately applied to Blacks even though it is applied to White murderers at 500 percent higher than it is to Black murderers. He is also an advocate of more gun control legislation as well as a draconian, massively increased enforcement of the current laws. He is a servile dog of Israel and has condemned Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorists and yet said not a word of compassion for the 5,000 (half of them women and children) who have been maimed and murdered in Gaza by Israel’s weapons of mass destruction. He says that he would still support the Iraq War and the loss of 50,000 maimed Americans, 4500 killed and trillions in cost, even though the reason for the war (Weapons of Mass Destruction) was proven to be a lie.

When a reporter for the Washington Post interviewed me on the appointment, this is what I said:

I am glad these traitorous leaders of the Republican Party appointed this Black racist, affirmative action advocate to the head of the Republican party because this will lead to a huge revolt among the Republican base. As a former Republican official, I can tell you that millions of rank-and-file Republicans are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore! We will either take the Republican Party back over the next four years or we will say, “To Hell With the Republican Party!” And we will take 90 percent of Republicans with us into a New Party that will take its current place!

I think the insanity of nominating “Mr. Amnesty” John McCain and now this Black racist — will lead to insurgency in the Republican ranks, and a lot of dissidents getting elected in Republican Party primaries around the country. This will result over the next four years a real move by millions of Republicans to take the party back to the populist issues that are not only right but can win for the Republican Party. We must end affirmative action, protect our gun rights and all our constitutional rights, have a moratorium on immigration, we must have protectionism, yes I said protect American businesses and their workers from NAFTA and GATT and the lie of free trade, and we must have America First, not foreign interventionism. Our boys should be home protecting the American borders a not being murdered on the borders of Iraq or Afghanistan. The time as come for Republican Party to stand up to Obama and defend American heritage, rights, and freedom!

Man, Wow. Surprise You think he might be just a wee bit angry? Duke goes on to call Michael Steel, “Obama Junior”.  Doh

However, he does make some very valid points:

Some excerpts of media and direct quotes by Steele:

RNC Chairman Michael Steele Pledges Action RNC Chairman Michael Steele Pledges Action
January 30, 2009 by Michael Thompson in Associated Content

Some delegates at the RNC Chairman’s election in Washington, Michael Steele’s hometown, opposed Steele on the basis that he is not politically conservative enough for their tastes. This reflects the philosophic divisions that have afflicted the Republican National Committee at various times through history, most recently during the past three years. Michael Steele opposes the death penalty and supports affirmative action, unlike most Republicans.

Steele says he want more discrimination against White-owned businesses

Michael chaired a 17-member task force devoted to reforming Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), which works to provide more opportunities for minority-owned small businesses and further spur job growth and economic vitality. There are 82,000 minority-owned businesses in the state, accounting for 20% of all Maryland firms. Maryland ranks 2nd in the nation in having the most minority-owned businesses.

Source: Campaign site, MichaelSteeleForMaryland.com, “On the Issues” May 2, 2006

Steele wants stronger gun control laws and harder enforcement of the draconian laws on the books

Steele: “Society should draw lines. What do you need an assault weapon for, if you’re going hunting? That’s overkill. But I don’t think that means you go to a total ban for those who want to use gun for skeet shooting or hunting or things like that But what’s the point of passing gun laws if we’re not going to enforce them? If you want to talk about gun control, that’s where you need to start. We’ve got 300 gun laws on the books right now. At the end of the day, it’s about how we enforce the law.”

Source: Washington Post interview Oct 16, 2006

Opposed to the death penalty and thinks that is is disproportionately applied to Blacks (When in fact Whites receive a dramatically disproportionate percentage of death penalties.

Steele is personally opposed to the death penalty, but he has not publicly expressed his opinion on two executions [in Maryland]. Nor, he said, did he privately try to dissuade Gov. Ehrlich from signing the execution orders. He did, however, volunteer to undertake a study of the fairness of the death penalty to determine if minorities and the poor in Maryland receive a disproportionate share of death sentences. But that was in 2003, and three years later he has still not produced a finished report.

Source: By Michael Sokolove, New York Times Mar 26, 2006

Would still vote for the Iraq war even there were no weapons of mass destruction

I would think we’d still prosecute the war. But what I would do, if we’re going to do it, let’s make sure we have the right complement of personnel on the ground and that we are looking forward in this and not looking backwards. And that’s where I am right now: What are we going to do, what is our strategy to begin to move our soldiers home and have Iraqi government and leadership move forward and keeping what they want in Iraq?

Source: 2006 Maryland Senate debate on Meet the Press Oct 29, 2006

Works against the American business and their workers

Steele Supports Free Trade and actually led a trade mission to Africa where he called for no tariffs on these nation’s products where workers are paid a few cents per day. Such a policy would of course undermine American companies, American employment and wages.

“As Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor, Michael Steele led an historic trade mission to Ghana and South Africa to advance opportunities for small businesses in Maryland to bring their goods and services to the global market. In the United States Senate, Michael Steele will continue a growth-oriented dialogue with countries all over the world to advance the interests of Maryland businesses and to help them compete in an ever-changing global economy.”

Source: Campaign website, www.michaelsteeleformaryland.com, “Issues” Oct 25, 2006

Betrays the Republican base states!

Can Michael Steele lead GOP out of woods? Republican National Committee picks first black chair
By RICHARD SISK Daily News Washington Bureau, January 30th 2009

“Steele quickly pledged to break the current mold of the GOP as a southern and southwestern stronghold and reach out to reclaim the party’s former base in New York and the Northeast.”

So, while I can see why Duke does not like the guy. It is the whole framing of his arguments that bug me to death. I mean, it’s the whole “Servile Dog of Israel” business that turns me off. I mean, can understand Duke’s feelings. But does he have to swerve into the Israel Bashing? 🙄

Of course, the Liberals are just loving this stuff. They’re listed below…

Others: Jack & Jill Politics, Ben Smith’s Blogs, Pam’s House Blend, Booman Tribune, Alas, a blog,  and The Raw Story

Not everyone likes the idea of Michelle Steele being G.O.P. Chair

Posted on

This is quite interesting, Via VDare’s Blog:

Apparently Chairmanship of the Republican National Committee has become another of those positions, like being head of an Ivy League school or Governor of the Federal Reserve, to which white men of Christian heritage Need Not Apply.

The clique which controls the RNC has just ordained failed Maryland Senate candidate and professional Black Michael Steele: Michael Steele becomes first black RNC chairman By Liz Sidoti Associated Press January 31 2009-01-31

Steele was preceded by professional Hispanic Senator Mel Martinez (R-Cuba) who has apparently found masquerading as a Republican Senator – now the brilliant leadership supplied by his cronies has cost the GOP the House, Senate, and White House – too much like work. (Martinez dropped out of the RNC position in late 2007 and his assistant Mike Duncan served as stop-gap.) Martinez succeeded hereditary open borders fanatic Ken Mehlman.

There is an irony here. Steele was already being prepared for Coronation in 2006 when the Rove/Mehlman crowd realized that somebody has put some sensible immigration remarks on Steele’s Senate Campaign website. So he was dumped.

Interesting indeed.

President Obama breaks another campaign promise

Posted on

Here’s another campaign promise under the bus!

Via The L.A. Times:

The CIA’s secret prisons are being shuttered. Harsh interrogation techniques are off-limits. And Guantanamo Bay will eventually go back to being a wind-swept naval base on the southeastern corner of Cuba.

But even while dismantling these programs, President Obama left intact an equally controversial counter-terrorism tool.

Under executive orders issued by Obama recently, the CIA still has authority to carry out what are known as renditions, secret abductions and transfers of prisoners to countries that cooperate with the United States.

Current and former U.S. intelligence officials said that the rendition program might be poised to play an expanded role going forward because it was the main remaining mechanism — aside from Predator missile strikes — for taking suspected terrorists off the street.

The rendition program became a source of embarrassment for the CIA, and a target of international scorn, as details emerged in recent years of botched captures, mistaken identities and allegations that prisoners were turned over to countries where they were tortured.

The European Parliament condemned renditions as “an illegal instrument used by the United States.” Prisoners swept up in the program have sued the CIA as well as a Boeing Co. subsidiary accused of working with the agency on dozens of rendition flights.

But the Obama administration appears to have determined that the rendition program was one component of the Bush administration’s war on terrorism that it could not afford to discard.

So much for the changing all of the Bush Administration’s tactics to deal with terror.  One would think that the left would raise a ruckus about this. But surprisingly, there’s not been the unhinged outrage that I expected.

Others: Hot Air, The Raw Story, theheretik.us, Liberty Street, Moe_Lane’s blog, Macsmind,  Jules Crittenden and Pat Dollard

More on Kentucky Ice Storm-Gate

Posted on

It seems that the Jammie Wearing Fool has Blogged on what I reported Yesterday.

Mr. Jammie writes:

Can you imagine the media reaction if this were George W. Bush? Heck, we’re still hearing about Hurricane Katrina nearly four years later.

Yes, I could. That’s because it happened while there was a Republican in office and the Democrats used that as a rallying cry for change. Oh, and because there were black people in involved too. But Because these are White Southerners and possibly even Conservatives, nobody in the liberal media cares.

Mr. Jammie also says:

Is Obama even aware what’s going on in Kentucky? I know he’s very busy between trashing Wall Street and Rush Limbaugh, but could he at least acknowledge these poor folks and get them some help?

I am sure that Obama is aware, whether cares or not, is another story. You have to remember those are the “Bitter and Clingy” one’s that did not vote for him. Kind of like the blacks in New Orleans who did not vote for Bush. It is simple case of, “Do I want to help these people? After all, they did not vote for me anyhow!” Perhaps it is a bit of a revenge towards the southern white community for what happened in New Orleans. Perhaps “President” Obama is saying to himself, “Let them damned honkeys suffer, after all MY people suffered more in New Orleans and even more so 300 years ago!”

So, I suppose this is revenge for what our forefathers did many years ago.

Update: Michelle Malkin finally gets around to blogging about it

Others: Associated Press, The Sundries Shack, Political Machine, Ed Driscoll.com, RedState, The Jawa Report and The Other McCain

Daschle-Gate Continues

Posted on

The Scandal continues:

President Obama’s choice for health secretary, Tom Daschle, was aware as early as last June that he might have to pay back taxes for the use of a car and driver provided by a private equity firm, but did not inform the Obama transition team until weeks after Mr. Obama named him to the health secretary’s post, senior administration officials said Saturday.

As Senate Democrats rushed to save the nomination of Mr. Daschle, their former leader, the White House spent the day trying to explain how he survived its vetting process despite his failure to pay $128,000 in taxes.

The White House would not say when the president himself learned of the tax issue, but said Mr. Obama is standing by his nominee.

“The president believes that nobody is perfect, but that nobody is trying to hide anything,” Robert Gibbs, the president’s press secretary, said in an interview, adding, “I think Senator Daschle rightly is going to have to answer questions, but I think members will be satisfied with the answers that he gives and will understand that he’s the right man for the job.”

At least six leading Democratic senators have come out in support of Mr. Daschle, but the fate of his nomination is unclear. The Senate Finance Committee, which is charged with holding a confirmation hearing on Mr. Daschle’s nomination, will meet behind closed doors Monday to discuss his taxes. After Timothy F. Geithner, Mr. Obama’s Treasury secretary, faced similar issues, some senators may have little appetite for confirming another nominee with tax problems.

“It’s totally shocking,” an aide to a Democratic senator said Saturday. “Why do we have to continue to have the same story over and over again with these nominees?”

via Daschle Knew of Tax Issues Over Car Use Last June – NYTimes.com.

I find it absolutely amazing that the Democrats would still confirm this guy, after learning about all these indiscretions. But then again, integrity is not one of the Democrats strengths. If the shoe was on the other foot. The Republicans would have already withdrawn his nomination and someone else would have been offered.  But because he is one the team of “The One”, he will confirmed and his tax problems quickly forgotten. Funny how that works, is it not?

Others: Althouse, Betsy’s Page, JustOneMinute

(via Memeornadum)