This blog is no longer active as of October 31, 2011
I feel the need to write about something, which has been bugging me for a while now. I had always known that there was a certain subset of the Conservative movement, which was Anti-Semitic and racist. However, I felt that I could disagree with those people and still call myself a Paleo-Conservative. Indeed, I do very much highly disagree with those who believe in exporting Democracy to other Countries. However, something that occurred tonight forced me to confront the fact that the Anti-War, Paleo-Conservative/libertarian crowd was a bit more hateful than I thought.
First off, let me say this; indeed, I am skeptical of some of the goings on in Israel. Indeed, I am very critical of those who use their racial or ethnic background to get special treatment in this Country. However, my criticisms do not equate to the general hatred of Jews, neither does that equate to a hatred of Israel. Nor does it equate to the feeling that Israel does not have the right to exist as a Nation or that Israel should be destroyed. That my friend is unabashed hatred and that is something that I will not be a part of, at all.
As you all know, that read this blog; I am a user of the social media service called twitter. Tonight, I saw something on twitter that made me very angry. It appears that a particular online publication, which hails itself as a “libertarian” one; has a twitter account. I am referring to AntiWar.com. It appears that this site has a twitter account and on it, a link was posted to a story, in which a Palestinian girl was killed by Israeli border guards.
It was not so much the story that was posted, that I had such a problem with; it was the comment left, when the tweet was sent, it read:
Israeli police will not face trial over death of Palestinian girl – hey it’s not like she’s Jewish or something. feh. http://ind.pn/pjh8Mt
My friends, this is something that I just cannot and will not overlook. This anti-Semitic stereotype is so often bandied about regarding the Jews and Israel. This is nothing more, than leftist hatred; something that I cannot and will not support, ever.
So, as of today, the following changes are being made to this blog. I am, as of now, removing the label of Paleo-Conservative/libertarian/Classic Liberal from this blog. If that is what those two groups, being libertarian and Paleo-Conservative are truly about – I am done with them for good. I am a “right of center” that is what I always called myself. I simply put labels on it, so people could understand where it is that I come from. However, I feel that ignoring this and leaving the labels on the blog fosters the idea that I am someone supports that sort of hatred.
Further, I have removed the section on this blog, which brings the argument that “Racism” was the invention of a group of Marxist Jews from Germany that fled to America. While that might be true —- unfortunately, there are people out there, who use that argument to hide behind, so that they can continue to spew hatred towards Jews and Blacks —– I am not one of those people.
Further, I am going to find and display on my blog, in an obvious spot, a banner that declares that I STAND WITH ISRAEL —- as a Christian, I lay claim to that land, and one day, during the millennial reign of Christ, I will dwell in that land and judge Angels. That is what my Bible tells me.
This, admittedly, is a new place for me; and I feel a bit weird in it. However, when one stands for what he feels is morally right, sometimes, it has to be uncomfortable. Further, if those who disagree with this move of mine want to call me a neo-con, Jew Lover, Bush lover or warmonger — fine, let them. They are fools and one fine day, they will discover just how wrong they truly are.
It feels so good to be doing, what I feel is morally right.
I have been known to defend the John Birch Society in the past and once even stuck up for them, which inflamed a blog war.
However, when a writer at the John Birch Society writes something that I disagree with, and believe is wrong; I will call them on it.I happened to get an e-mail from Zionica, which is a Christian newsletter from a site that rounds up various posts on blogs, that would be of interest to people like me.
Usually, I agree with everything posted there; but this part got up my libertarian nose a bit.
I will quote a bit of what Bruce Walker over at the John Birch Society’s New American wrote: (H/T to Zionica)
Does that mean that the influence exerted by state religion is universally benign? No: What matters is not the principle of separation of religion and government but rather the nature of the religion connected with government. Christianity clearly demands tolerance and love for all mankind. Jesus’ parable of the “Good Samaritan,” for example, is a perfect example of how Christians are commanded by God to view non-Christians. So too are commandments such as “Love your enemy. Pray for them that curse you.” That sort of theological underpinning produces tolerance, which then infuses government with similar tolerance. So it is that, after the United States, the most tolerant nations — England, Denmark, Scotland, Costa Rica, and Norway — have always had state or national Christianity (Britain [Church of England], Denmark [Lutheranism], Scotland [Catholicism], and Church of Norway [also Lutheranism]).
While the separation of church and state has had no relationship to the practical liberties of people, religions such as Islam and Shinto — or metaphysical systems such as Buddhism and Hinduism — have historically not been tolerant. Nepal, which had Hinduism as its state religion until recently, has a history of violence and intolerance. Sri Lanka, which has Theravada Buddhism as its state religion, is in the last stages of a gruesome and long civil war in which Buddhists have murdered Hindus in horrific ways, and vice versa. Most people associate Buddhism and Hinduism with nonviolence (which is not, actually, part of the doctrine of either — although there are consequences for violence in the afterlife). Why anyone would expect that the metaphysical system of Hinduism —which, until Europeans introduced Christian values, practiced the suttee (burning alive of the widows of husbands who had died), Thugee (religious murder to appease the goddess Kali), and oppression of “untouchables” (as in India) — would be “peaceful” is a mystery.
Worst, though, are those nations which formally adopt a religion of violent oppression. Islam today bears a striking resemblance to the Shinto in Imperial Japan (Kamikaze pilots and suicide bombers, as well as as the mandate of world conquest. There are no less than 26 nations in Asia and Africa in which Islam is the state religion. In many even the attempted conversion of people to other religions is a capital offense.
Should it surprise us then to learn that on Sunday thousands in Bangladesh violently protested recent changes to the nation’s 1972 Constitution that retained Islam as the state religion of the nation but which diminished somewhat the role of Islam in government? The Bangladesh Nationalist Party demanded that “absolute faith in Allah” be put back in the constitution. Not only riots but strikes have also crippled the nation. The protesters, chanting, “There is no God but Allah” blocked highways and started fires. They also attacked police, as Sheikh Ainul Haj, the district police chief related: “The activists … beat seven of our officers who are injured. We shot rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the unruly mobs.”
All religious practitioners have not exhibited the same tolerance for non-practitioners that typically is demonstrated in Judeo-Christian cultures. The surest path of peace and liberty has most often been shown by those willing to embrace the Bible and those faiths that nourish their souls on its wisdom and goodness. Anti-Christian, anti-Jewish states such as Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia have been among the most oppressive in the world, suggesting a penetrating question: Why do we try to separate our God from America? America and its liberties were founded upon faith, and these liberties die without God — a historical fact evil and prideful men wish to deny.
As John Adams said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”
Now this is just a snippet of what the man wrote; and I highly recommend that you go read the entire thing first.
Here is my problem with this piece. The truth is, most American Muslims are peaceful and most of them, just want to practice their religion in peace and not be bothered and further more, most of them have no desire whatsoever to hurt anyone at all. What this article does not do, is separate between peaceful Muslims in America and violent extremist Muslims living abroad and some here in America. I will fully admit to having personal reservations about Muslims here in America, especially those who tend to embrace extremism. However, I am not ready to toss out the proverbial “baby with the bath water” just yet.
This, I am afraid, is a tactic straight out of the far Christian right; which panders to the fears that most Americans feel, when around people of other cultures. Fifty years ago or longer; it was blacks and now, it is Muslims. Further, this article is a classic textbook example of the very flawed belief system that America was founded as a “Christian Nation.” In fact, the United States of America was founded as a Constitutional Republic by men, who by today’s standards in evangelical Christianity; were Religious at best. In fact, one them, Ben Franklin was, in fact, agnostic.
The founders of this great Nation of ours, did, however, believe that one thing was, in fact, paramount — Religious Freedom. This is why the first amendment was added to the Constitution. Further, the founders also believed that the State should keep its nose out of the affairs of the local Church; as well, as the Church keeping its nose out of the affairs of the Government.
So, while I respect the “Christian Right,” I am afraid cannot, as a believer in Constitutionalism; support the idea that Islam should not be protected under the First Amendment. Nor can I support the foolhardy idea of “Christian Supremacy.” I would never support the idea of Islamic Supremacy, nor White Supremacy or any other sort of group that wishes to exert its particular group as supreme. So, why would I support this foolish notion? I believe that all men are created equal and should be treated as such and that no religion, political party or ethnic group should be held in higher regard than another.
To do anything other, is quite dangerous and is a grave danger to our Republic.
He’s nothing more than baldfaced liar.
Via Bryan York over at the Washington Examiner:
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama often discussed his mother’s struggle with cancer. Ann Dunham spent the months before her death in 1995, Obama said, fighting with insurance companies that sought to deny her the coverage she needed to pay for treatment.
“I remember in the last month of her life, she wasn’t thinking about how to get well, she wasn’t thinking about coming to terms with her own mortality, she was thinking about whether or not insurance was going to cover the medical bills and whether our family would be bankrupt as a consequence,” Obama said in September 2007.
“She was in her hospital room looking at insurance forms because the insurance company said that maybe she had a pre-existing condition and maybe they wouldn’t have to reimburse her for her medical bills,” Obama added in January 2008.
“The insurance companies were saying, ‘Maybe there’s a pre-existing condition and we don’t have to pay your medical bills,’ ” Obama said in a debate with Republican opponent Sen. John McCain in October 2008.
It was a simple and powerful story, one Obama would tell many more times as president during the national health care debate. But now we’re learning the real story of Ann Dunham’s health coverage is not quite what her son made it out to be.
However, there is this:
According to the book, Ann Dunham, an anthropologist who spent most of her working life in Indonesia, moved from Jakarta to New York in 1992 to work for a nonprofit called Women’s World Banking, which encouraged micro-lending in Third World countries. Unhappy in New York, in 1994 Dunham took a job with an American company called Development Alternatives, which had a contract with the Indonesian State Ministry for the Role of Women. Dunham returned to Jakarta to work, and Scott reports the job provided Dunham with health insurance, a housing allowance, and a car.
At the time she took the job, Dunham was increasingly worried about her health; she was suffering from intense abdominal pains. In November 1994, Dunham went to an Indonesian doctor who diagnosed appendicitis. As Dunham debated whether to leave the country for surgery, she called her boss at Development Alternatives. “You’ve got health insurance, that’s taken care of,” the boss told her. “We can cover the airfare.”
Dunham decided to stay in Jakarta, where she underwent an appendectomy. But the pain did not go away, and Dunham feared, correctly, that she was terribly ill. In January 1995 she left Indonesia to go home to Honolulu, where she was diagnosed with advanced uterine and ovarian cancer. She began a regime of surgery and chemotherapy.
That is the time during which Obama says his mother battled insurance companies to cover her illness. But Scott, who had access to Dunham’s correspondence from the time, reveals that Dunham unquestionably had health coverage. “Ann’s compensation for her job in Jakarta had included health insurance, which covered most of the costs of her medical treatment,” Scott writes. “Once she was back in Hawaii, the hospital billed her insurance company directly, leaving Ann to pay only the deductible and any uncovered expenses, which, she said, came to several hundred dollars a month.”
Scott writes that Dunham, who wanted to be compensated for those costs as well as for her living expenses, “filed a separate claim under her employer’s disability insurance policy.” It was that claim, with the insurance company CIGNA, that was denied in August 1995 because, CIGNA investigators said, Dunham’s condition was known before she was covered by the policy.
Dunham protested the decision and, Scott writes, “informed CIGNA that she was turning over the case to ‘my son and attorney, Barack Obama.’ ” CIGNA did not budge.
In September 1995, Dunham traveled to New York for an evaluation at the renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Returning to Hawaii, she began a new course of treatment. She died in November.
A dozen years later, her son turned her ordeal into a campaign pitch for national health care. But the story Obama told, Scott writes, was “abbreviated” — the abbreviation was to leave out the fact that Ann Dunham had health insurance that paid for her treatment. “Though he often suggested that she was denied health coverage because of a pre-existing condition,” Scott writes, “it appears from her correspondence that she was only denied disability coverage.”
That’s a different story altogether. One the president never told.
I hated to quote all of that; but that, right there, is why I cannot stand this President. Not only is this man a socialist. He is a baldfaced liar. Who would use anything, and it appears anyone; including his own dead Mother as a political prop.
That, is why I did not vote for him and that is why I changed sides, and that is why I will never vote Democrat ever again. 😡
Others: Weasel Zippers, iOwnTheWorld.com, Hot Air, Betsy’s Page, The Lonely Conservative, JammieWearingFool and Clayton Cramer’s Blog
The news comes from Ron Paul’s local hometown paper:
LAKE JACKSON — After serving almost 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Ron Paul told The Facts exclusively this morning he will not be seeking another term for the District 14 seat.
Paul, 75, will instead focus on his quest for the presidency in 2012.
“I felt it was better that I concentrate on one election,” Paul said. “It’s about that time when I should change tactics.”
His announcement will give enough time for anyone with aspirations for his seat to think about running, he said. Paul didn’t want to wait for filing in the 2012 primary to let people know he wasn’t seeking reelection.
“I didn’t want to hold off until in December,” he said. “I thought it shouldn’t be any later than now.”
Paul has served 12 terms in Congress. District 14 encompasses a 10-county area along the Gulf Coast.
“The people in the area have supported me for many years,” he said.
Ed Morrissey over at HotAir.com, who is not a Ron Paul fan at all; offers some fact correction and some straight talk:
The Facts needs to do The Math. Paul first won election to Congress in a 1976 special election, lost later that year, and then won again in 1978. He’s served parts of 18 terms in the House, which adds up in this case to a little over 34 years when his current term expires.
Paul either really wants to retire or really thinks that he’s on the cusp of a major upset in the GOP primary. I’ll assume that he has a somewhat realistic view of his prospects in this primary, where he might wind up as the runner-up among Texans if Rick Perry jumps into the race. He’ll be 76 years old next month, and with his son in the Senate, Paul may feel comfortable with retirement after one last national campaign that puts his somewhat erratic libertarianism on the GOP presidential agenda for a second straight cycle. If he’s not taking a realistic view of his chances, then perhaps he believes that the only thing that held him back from besting John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee in any 2008 primary was his simultaneous campaign for re-election. If so, then he really needs this retirement.
Of course, Paul could change his mind before the end of the year, but after this kind of announcement, it would be hard to sell even to the adoring voters in his district. Looks like the end of the road for the man best known for contrarian votes on meaningless resolutions and for railing against government spending while garnering pork for his constituents.
I agree with the above, especially the underlined part. When I discovered that little tidbit of information, that was when I basically dropped my support of Ron Paul. Besides all of that; The Ron Paul cult did the same thing as the Barack Obama cult did, made the man into something he was not. When Ron Paul saw that he could not win the Presidency in 2008 and decided to give his support to the rest of the 2008 independent candidates, some of the Ron Paul cult almost went into meltdown. Some of them even turned on him and accused him of being a puppet for the Illuminati or something. It was a strange thing to watch.
Not only this, point-blank; the man is just not electable, period, end of story. Heck, even his supporters openly admit that, “It is not about winning, it is about spreading the message.” To which I ask, what is the purpose of spending all that money, time and effort into a person, who really does not give a hoot if he is elected or not? That my friends, is the epitome of stupid. Not to mention that he has associations and has taken money from people, who are, in my humble opinion, just straight up evil.
As I have said before, I respect Ron Paul on his fiscal policy; but his foreign policy; in this day and age of external threats to our Nation —- irregardless of what caused them — the fact is that they are there, and Ron Paul’s foreign policy is just not realistic. You cannot offer flowers and rainbows to people who want to kill you. It is just that damn simple. The only thing that terrorists and evil people, like some of Ron Paul’s friends understand; is the end of a gun — and we should keep that in mind, when voting for our next President.
Other than that, I wish Ron Paul a very happy retirement and I thank him for his service to his Country. I also thank him for returning his Congressional seat back to the adults in politics. 😀
Related: Michael O’Brien / The Hill: Rep. Ron Paul won’t seek reelection
Others: The Politico, Washington Wire, The Atlantic Online, The Note, CNN, New York Magazine, GOP 12, Real Time Economics, The American Independent, Gawker, Hot Air, Greg’s Opinion, Pajamas Media, Outside the Beltway, The Raw Story, Hit & Run, TPMDC, Hotline On Call, Politics, AmSpecBlog, Taegan Goddard’s …, Ben Smith’s Blog, Weasel Zippers and MarketBeat
I don’t do this often; But every now and again. I see funny stuff and I must show it to you.
I was looking at the headlines over at HotAir.com and I happened to come across this:
Herman Cain's Album is so good, it makes President Barack Obama wanna dance!
Now I fully realize that these ads are totally random and are usually generated by either Adsense or other providers. But woo boy was this one funny! 😛
I should also mention that I wrote this, it was 4:00 in the morning! 😀 Might have something to do with it; maybe. 😛
(Via Gateway Pundit)
Does anyone besides me, find this to be a bit odd? I mean, a Fox News Channel affiliate mocking a Republican Presidential Candidate?
Something strange about this one. 😯
Seeing that there are other things to talk about besides Sarah Palin, and her bid to run for President. I’m with Tina here, either get in or get out; stop with the stupidity already.
There is this: (H/T HotAir)
This Gunwalker story us huge and there are people covering it, that know much more about it, than I do.
Check out Gateway Pundit, Patterico and Ann Althouse on the latest.
I’m thinking that this could be Obama’s big undoing; and could cost him his job, if not the reelection.
I feel the need to write something here. I am addressing this to the progressive bloggers here, not you my daily and normal readers of this blog. Therefore, when I use the words, “You,” “You Guys” and “You people”; I am referring to the people on these two blogs that I am writing about, not you normal readers here.
—-
Hey, listen up chumps. Because I am going to give you some very straight to the point talk about you and your moron President. I call him YOUR fucking moron President and not mine, I did not vote for him, so do not try to pan that “Oh, he’s your president too!” horse manure on me, because I am not buying that at all. Please, do not hand me the old “I suppose John McCain would have been better” routine, because I did not vote for him either.
You see, I used to be a Democrat; I used to vote for your party, ever since I was 18 years old. I voted Democratic Party, because my Dad was a union worker, because my parents did, because I wanted to support the so-called “cause.” I felt I was supporting the “Struggle” of the middle class every time I voted for your party.
I seem to remember that there were some very qualified people to be President and yet, your party threw those people over, for someone that you could actually rally someone around — a black person. It would be the ultimate end to the “Jim Crow” era, of which your party championed. Do you Remember, Douglas, of the Lincoln/Douglas debates? Well, he was a Democrat. Therefore, you all thought Barack Hussein Obama would be the ultimate victory. So much for that idea, eh?
You chose style over substance, you chose Identity Politics over common sense. You chose personality over proof of leadership; you chose an empty suit, who is more interested in an agenda over the future of your own damned party. Such a tragic thing, too bad, so sad — now deal with your self-created garbage and shut the hell up and take what is coming to you, you silly idiotic morons. You cast your own hopes, dreams, and aspirations on an inexperienced fool, who had about as much right to be President, as me. Then your christened “Golden Boy” proceeded to defecate on you and the rest of your party. My question to you is this; how does it feel to be played?
I seem to remember that there was a person — a woman, no less — who was a bit more of a moderate Democrat, who offered you the chance for America to succeed again. However, you chose skin color over common sense. I will confess, I was not a big fan of that woman and I still am not; due to some of the stupidity of her husband’s Presidential Administration — like the Waco debacle, for instance.
Why do you think that the Republican Party was determined to destroy her? Because they knew that if they tried to run against her, they would lose and lose badly. However, out of nowhere, here comes Barry, shooting past her, and the rest of the Democratic Party primary candidates, using a slogan he stole from another candidate and all of a sudden he was the new progressive Messiah. Suddenly, the other white woman was “Old School,” “Old hat,” and part of the old way. You people wanted to new, fresh and clean – non-offensive to your guilt laden white base.
Now, you are sitting around; looking and feeling like chumps, because you, as they say — were played. Even your media, yes YOUR media, the enlightened media, of whom is ninety percent and your blogosphere, of whom I used to respect, because of how you held George W. Bush’s feet to the fire for six years — went into the tank for this chump and now look like a group of special education students with Tourette syndrome. Honestly, pointing at OUR side, the Republican side, the Conservative side, or any side that disagrees with you — is stupid. You really should point the finger at your own damned selves. You have no one, nada, zero, nobody to blame — but yourselves.
You are also to blame for losing me. Your treatment of war soldiers and war dead was and still is — fucking pathetic. This is another reason, among many as to why I left your party! I come from a family of people who served, you all treat them like shit, and for that, you lost me. Not to mention all the bullshit that you pulled during the 2008 election cycle and now continue to pull. I will never be a part political party that stokes division, ever. Whether it is races, class, or whatever — that is bullshit and I will never be a part of it, ever. Not to mention how you idiots like to herd people into groups and practice that “Group Thought” shit; I am not a sheep thank you very much!
In closing: Man up. Yeah, that is correct — Man the fuck up! Admit that you stupid fuckers made a huge assed fucking mistake, and get you someone who can run against that feckless idiot and maybe, just MAYBE, you all might win another election. I highly doubt it, seeing this President is seriously kicked America and its people in the fucking jewels. Nevertheless, it is worth a shot. I mean, after all, the only fucking thing the Republican Party is running; is a psycho from Minnesota, a far right-wing crazy, a RINO, Two Mormon freaks and a pizza chain President — who knows nothing about the middle east. Surely, you have SOMEONE you can run against that fucking freak show on our side! This is the same party that got prayer taken out of schools and abortion legalized; surely you can pull something together!
Again, I wrote this, not because I wanted to mock you people. I wrote because it makes me sick to my stomach that the party that my family, including my parents and me, voted for, for many years — has turn into pile of damned waste. The Party that Ronald Reagan once called the “honorable party” has turned into a cesspool of Marxism; the party that once, under the leadership of FDR, rescued the Jews from a disastrous fate, now treats Israel and its people, like dirt.
So, when I see this stupid, petty nonsense between bloggers on your side, I have to seriously laugh. Because, as I said before — you have no one to blame for what is happening in America, with your party — but yourselves.
Cross-Posted @ My FireDogLake
Such a tragic thing to report, going into the weekend.
One of my favorite pictures of Gerald Ford and the First Lady
I started to fire up Microsoft Word and write some nice sounding speech, with flowery words and nice phrases in it. However, I will just keep it simple.
First lady Betty Ford has passed on at 93.
Betty Ford was, to many, a symbol, of strength, of courage, of overcoming big obstacles and of; yes, Hope.
At 93, she lived a life that some only could dream of living. She was, in fact, thrust into the First Lady’s office, when Nixon resigned and our Nation was in turmoil for his so-called misdeeds.
I found this video on YouTube. I think it is most fitting:
Rest in Peace, Dear Lady. As God Knows, you have damned well earned it.
Now I see why Rick Santelli is ranting and raving!
First of all, here is the lovely report via the NYT:
For the second month in a row, employers added a dismally small number of jobs, showing that the United States economy is barely creaking along despite being two years into the official recovery.
With all levels of government laying off workers, the Labor Department reported that employers eked out just 18,000 new nonfarm payroll jobs in June. The already low number of jobs created in May was also revised downward to just 25,000, less than half what was originally reported last month.
Even as the government’s survey of employers showed that they were adding an anemic number of jobs, a survey of households showed that more people were out of work, causing the unemployment rate to rise to 9.2 percent.
Economists were stunned since they had been expecting June to show stronger job creation as oil prices eased and supply disruptions receded in the aftermath of the Japanese tsunami and earthquake. Instead, the government’s monthly snapshot of the labor market showed that several sectors, including construction, finance and temporary services, actually shed workers. At the same time, leading indicators like wages and the length of the average workweek, which tend to grow before employers begin adding more jobs, actually contracted.
“Even the wild-eyed optimists out there have nothing to grasp onto in this report except to say, ‘Ah, this too shall pass,’ ” said Joshua Shapiro, chief United States economist at MFR Inc.
Meanwhile the stupidity continues on the left. A perfect example is found over at The Hill:
President Obama’s senior political adviser David Plouffe said Wednesday that people won’t vote in 2012 based on the unemployment rate.
Plouffe should probably hope that’s the case, since dismal job figures aren’t expected to get any better for Obama and the economy on Friday.
Most economists expect a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to show that the nation added about 100,000 jobs in June. That’s not enough to keep up with population growth, let alone lower the unemployment rate or make a dent in the 9 million jobs lost during the so called Great Recession.
[UPDATED: The jobs report released on Friday showed the economy added only 18,000 jobs, much less than anticipated. The unemployment rate creeped up to 9.2 percent.]
It’s looking more and more like Obama will have to do something no president has done since Franklin Roosevelt: Win reelection with unemployment around 8 percent.
I have a sinking feeling that Plouffe is making a seriously stupid miscalculation ; and one that the Republican Party is going to take full advantage of, come November 2012.
The stupidity continues over at the NYT, again with the stupidest Economist ever to be allowed to write for a paper:
Ugh. That was a seriously ugly jobs report. Almost no job creation, with slow private-sector growth offset by falling public-sector employment; a falling employment-population ratio; and (I don’t know how many people have picked this up), an actual decline in wages, albeit a small one.
Let me emphasize that last point. My bottom line on the inflation-deflation issue has always been to look at wages; you can’t have a wage-price spiral if wages ain’t spiraling. And they aren’t, to say the least.
It’s important to realize, by the way, that stagnant wages are NOT good for recovery; all they do is ensure that the burden of debt relative to income remains high, keeping demand and employment down.
The situation cries out for aggressively expansionary monetary and fiscal policy. Instead, however, all the political push is in the opposite direction.
The underlined part and the part above it; is where the stupidity really kicks in here. That stupidity above, is why this damned Nation is in the place that it is now. Because of stupid people like Krugman. These idiots, in a sane World, would be tossed out of this Country for causing one of the most horrible economic collapses in this Nation, since the great depression, which caused many Americans; Conservative and Liberal, to lose money that they rightly earned or invested in and profited from.
This is not to say that the Republican was not to blame; they too stood by and did nothing and for that they paid a price during the 2006 and 2008 election cycles. However, America was not fooled the Democrats proceeded to make some of, if not more, of the same mistakes that the Republican Party made, while in power. For this, they paid in 2010 and will pay again in 2012.
Further more, it was the DEMOCRATS, not the Republicans, who sought to game the housing market, with the Community Reinvestment act of 1973. Of which the Democrats added the sub-prime cause, which caused the Housing Market to become unstable; which essentially caused the markets to collapse. Yes, regulation was ripped out; but it was the adding of the sub-prime clause that caused the major problems that set the housing market up for a horrible downfall. I know, I watched it all happen here, in real-time, while blogging it all.
In fairness, I will say this; because I am not an overly partisan blogger. It also was the Neo-Conservatives, with their one war, that was totally unjustified in their idiotic visions of a Democratic middle east and the quagmire that it created, not to mention the millions spent and the lives lost; that also created this mess as well. If we would have fought the Afghanistan properly and not like we did Iraq; the war would have been much shorter and would have cost us much less money.
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WOW! 😯
The Video:
The Story via Fox 2 in St. Louis:
Downtown St. Louis, Mo. (KTVI_FOX2)—
A former Democratic political operative has been indicted by federal authorities for allegedly planting a bomb in a CLayton parking garage in 2008. The bomb went off, seriously injuring a Clayton attorney. Police believe he was not the bomber’s intended target.Milton Ohlsen iii nicknamed “Skip” is well known to law enforcement. He’s also well known in Democratic political circles. The feds now say he’s the one who planted a bomb in a garage at 190 Carondolet plaza in Clayton on October 15, 2008.
Federal prosecutors say ohlsen made the bomb and put it in the parking garage where it went off and injured clayton attorney John Gillis.
Federal agents say Gillis was the wrong target. They say Ohlsen was actually trying to kill attorney Richard Eisen who drove a similar car. Eisen represented Ohlsen’s wife in a messy divorce case.
Starting in 2004 Ohlsen was used as a consultant by the Missouri Democratic party. He even had lunch at the governor’s mansion with then-governor Bob Holden.
Okay, somebody tell me again, about just how the Democratic Party is the party of peace? These are Obama’s people folks; they are the ones who do this sort of stuff. Yeah, I know about Watergate, that was years ago and personally, I believe Nixion was set up by people within the GOP and Government who did not like him. (You know, like Democrats?)
Anyhow, look for the Republicans to use this against the current Governor of Missouri.
Others: Big Journalism and The Gateway Pundit
It’s the Sarah Palin Movie. Personally, I loathe the woman, and this looks like a Sarah Palin propaganda movie. However, it looks like it might be a good movie, for a few good laughs perhaps? 😛
What this movie will not tell you; because the Sarah Palin cult never really tells the truth, is that Sarah Palin feels that she is entitled to be President of the United States, either because she is a woman or because she feels that it is some sort of bizarre calling for God himself. Which in the eyes of this Independent Fundamental Baptist is quite absurd.
I will not get into all the various reasons why I do not like Sarah Palin; the best thing to do, is go here and read all the posts tagged with her name, and then you will understand why it is that I detest this woman.
Again, it might be just be a good movie, but it is sole purpose is to promote all things shrieking harpy Palin.
(Via Mediaite)
No, he is not crazy……Just slightly animated.
(via Mediate)
It is never easy being the President of the United States. There are times, when you have to do thing that you know are going to upset your base. A perfect example of this would be found here, as reported by the Washington Post:
President Obama is pressing congressional leaders to consider a far-reaching debt-reduction plan that would force Democrats to accept major changes to Social Security and Medicare in exchange for Republican support for fresh tax revenue.
At a meeting with top House and Senate leaders set for Thursday morning, Obama plans to argue that a rare consensus has emerged about the size and scope of the nation’s budget problems and that policymakers should seize the moment to take dramatic action.
As part of his pitch, Obama is proposing significant reductions in Medicare spending and for the first time is offering to tackle the rising cost of Social Security, according to people in both parties with knowledge of the proposal. The move marks a major shift for the White House and could present a direct challenge to Democratic lawmakers who have vowed to protect health and retirement benefits from the assault on government spending.
“Obviously, there will be some Democrats who don’t believe we need to do entitlement reform. But there seems to be some hunger to do something of some significance,” said a Democratic official familiar with the administration’s thinking. “These moments come along at most once a decade. And it would be a real mistake if we let it pass us by.”
Rather than roughly $2 trillion in savings, the White House is now seeking a plan that would slash more than $4 trillion from annual budget deficits over the next decade, stabilize borrowing, and defuse the biggest budgetary time bombs that are set to explode as the cost of health care rises and the nation’s population ages.
That would represent a major legislative achievement, but it would also put Obama and GOP leaders at odds with major factions of their own parties. While Democrats would be asked to cut social-safety-net programs, Republicans would be asked to raise taxes, perhaps by letting tax breaks for the nation’s wealthiest households expire on schedule at the end of next year.
The administration argues that lawmakers would also get an important victory to sell to voters in 2012. “The fiscal good has to outweigh the pain,” said a Democratic official familiar with the discussions.
As one might expect, this is not going over well at all with the progressive blogosphere. In fact, most of them are quite understandably livid at this sort of talk. Donald Douglas does feel the need to mock them; however, I will not stoop to such antics. Seeing that I have to elderly parents on Social Security, I will not take a stance as such.
The truth is that President Barack Obama is in one heck of a tight spot here. No matter what he does, he will be roundly criticized, by the right and the left for what he does. The right does criticize the President, sometimes rightfully so, for not showing enough leadership in situations like these; and when he does and makes suggestions like these, his base which is represented by the progressive bloggers —- roundly criticize him for making suggestions like this one here. In short, it is really a no win situation.
The cold, hard truth is this; America is in a very difficult situation. We are in a huge amount of debt. This debt was created by both parties over the past eleven years. It has been caused by one necessary war and another war that many thought to be unnecessary. Then, as a new President took office, to try to spur the economy; which ultimately failed, this President spent like a drunken sailor; and now, we are in this situation.
The only true hope I can offer is that the President and the members of Congress can come to some sort of agreement — that will not punish the Americans who worked so very hard to get the benefits that they are entitled. People like my Father, who worked thirty-one years at the same place, every day, played by the rules, and provided for his family. These people do not deserve to be punished. I just truly hope that the President and the Republican members of both houses of Congress realize this.
Others: The Politico, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Caucus, Talking Points Memo, Swampland, Gawker, Scarecrow’s myFDL diary, Oliver Willis, Taylor Marsh, TPMDC, AMERICAblog News, Crooks and Liars, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Corrente and FrumForum
He called Barack Obama a DICK, which is really what he and the progressives are anymore, in my humble opinion. So are the Neo-Conservative right for that matter.
Either way, here’s the video, via Politico:
The Story:
MSNBC senior political analyst Mark Halperin was suspended on Thursday by the cable network after he called President Obama “a dick” on a popular morning show and then quickly apologized.
“I thought he was a kind of a dick yesterday,” Halperin, who also is an editor-at large for Time, said on Morning Joe, referring to the President’s conduct during his press conference.
A couple of hours later, MSNBC issued a statement, saying, “Mark Halperin’s comments this morning were completely inappropriate and unacceptable. We apologize to the President, The White House and all of our viewers. We strive for a high level of discourse and comments like these have no place on our air. Therefore, Mark will be suspended indefinitely from his role as an analyst.
The cable outlet also put out a statment from Halperin at the same time, saying, “I completely agree with everything in MSNBC’s statement about my remark. I believe that the step they are taking in response is totally appropriate. Again, I want to offer a heartfelt and profound apology to the President, to my MSNBC colleagues, and to the viewers. My remark was unacceptable, and I deeply regret it.”
Time issued a statement later Thursday calling Halperin’s comments “inappropriate and in no way reflective of TIME’s views.”
The magazine did not suspend Halperin but said, “We have issued a warning to him that such behavior is unacceptable” and noted that he had “appropriately” apologized.
Here is why this bothers me; President Bush was called every last damned name under the sun by the media, the left, the left’s bloggers (which used to include me…) and now because someone dared to tell the truth about this President, he gets suspended. Let me go on the record as say that this man should be promoted a real job and not suspended.
Let me also go on the record as saying, that not only is President Obama a fucking dick; he is also a fucking asshole; who only really gives a shit about anything that promotes a BLACK agenda. Further, he only was elected BECAUSE he was BLACK! That is why the Democrats pushed him out front and made him the new NEGRO progressive Messiah! Because they knew that no white man would win the election! So, ol’ “Bambi Big Ears” was made the BOY for the cause and ended up being our next President.
Now there, assholes, you going to suspend me too? 🙄
Related:
: CNN, Firedoglake, TVNewser, Hotline On Call, Hot Air, Media Decoder, Booman Tribune, Michelle Malkin, Ben Smith’s Blog, Hugh Hewitt’s TownHall Blog, No More Mister Nice Blog, Scared Monkeys, FishbowlDC, NewsBusters.org blogs, Indecision Forever, RedState, Outside the Beltway, The New Republic, Pajamas Media, Gawker, Taylor Marsh, Ricochet Conversation Feed, New York Magazine, ImmigrationProf Blog, Daily Kos, Hold Fast, The Other McCain, PoliPundit.com and Runnin’ Scared, more at Mediagazer » More via Memeorandum
Now to be fair to Michelle Bachmann and her Husband; they are Conservative Christians, I get that part. However, I would think Michelle Bachmann would know that she has appeal to independent voters; and this is not a good way to do this at all.
Now, I also know that this piece is a liberal hit job on Michelle Bachmann. However, there is another reason that this bugs me, the same reason that I did not want Mike Huckabee in the 2012 race, it feeds the Meme that Republicans and all Conservatives hate gay people. Something that I know is just plain bunk. I could care less what gay people do in the privacy of their homes. Just don’t try to push your agenda off on me, like the far leftist gays want to do.
Again, while I believe this to be a hit job; sometimes the things that people say to further and foster false narratives should be critiqued.
This first “adult” mayor that Detroit has had in over 30 years or more; and the city still cannot agree on a budget.
The Story via The Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing abruptly ended budget negotiations Tuesday with the City Council, promising to move forward with the elimination of summer festivals, hundreds of police and firefighter layoffs, ending Sunday bus service and closing the People Mover and rec centers.
Bing said he doesn’t believe the council is earnest about a compromise by the Thursday deadline.
“The time for talk is over,” he said. “It’s going to be painful.”
Earlier in the day, the council voted 7-2 to reject a compromise by the mayor that would have restored $30 million to the 2011-12 spending plan. Last month, the council cut $50 million to pay down the city’s deficit.
Council members expressed shock that Bing wouldn’t agree to a counter-compromise to restore $20 million in cuts to bus service and public safety.
“It’s irresponsible and immature,” Council President Charles Pugh said. “It’s like the mayor is mad and left the marbles at the playground. People in the city are going to be hurt because of these kinds of games. What is so important to the mayor that he can’t get this done?”
Unless the mayor budges or the council gives in to the Bing compromise, Bing will begin making cuts Friday that will affect thousands of Detroiters and many suburban residents.
Popular gatherings at Hart Plaza — the Downtown Hoedown, African World Festival, Ribs ‘n’ Soul and the techno bash Movement — would end. The city would lose homicide investigators and police patrolling the streets; swimming pools wouldn’t open, and park grass would stay uncut, Bing said.
The Detroit Free Press, which is a very liberally biased paper; gives a few son stories of people that will end up moving away, if the council does not get their way. To whom I say, you may as well move anyway, this town’s better days are behind it and it will not get better.
This story here, ought to be a textbook example of full on socialism does not work, at all. In times of economic prosperity, socialism and capitalism can co-exist, when the economy falters, the results are disastrous. In fairness to the City of Detroit, they went through this before; in the late 1970’s, when Coleman A. Young was Mayor of the city. Except, this time, things are much more bleak for the city and our Nation.
That being said even the Detroit Free Press Editors see that the writing is on the proverbial wall in Detroit:
For employees who have already taken pay cuts and seen the city’s workforce pared back, it must seem like the ultimate unfairness: Detroit Mayor Dave Bing says he needs deeper union concessions just to keep the state from imposing an emergency financial manager.
The reality is, both sides are right. Many employees can’t afford to pay more for their health care or contribute to their retirement. In a city (and region) already beaten down by the last decade of recession, these kinds of changes won’t help reverse economic trends.
But the city is also broke, and health care and pension costs are among the biggest drivers. Detroit has 22,000 retirees and 11,000 employees whose pension plans require no contribution. Those pension plans also carry steep requirements from taxpayers to maintain them — including unrealistic growth rates set by contract.
The city also pays more than 80% of health care costs for employees, and up to 90% in most cases.
It seems unlikely that the unions will even bargain, let alone give concessions by the Sept. 1 deadline Bing has set. What’s their incentive?
From their perspective, if Bing is telling the truth and the state will have to take over if concessions aren’t granted, it’s better to have an emergency manager impose the changes than to give them away at the bargaining table.
And if Bing isn’t being truthful, then calling his bluff counts as a union victory.
Union leadership can afford, in this case, to stand firm.
But that also underestimates the city’s dire financial situation. Cooperating with Bing, and negotiating around the margins of his proposal, could help put the city back on good economic footing.
Here is hoping that the city council and the city’s many unions leaders listen to this advice; which, by the way, I suggest you read the rest of that, as it is interesting reading.
This writer is old enough to remember the last major recession, which affected Detroit up till the late 1980’s. The last time this happened, Detroit had a “tough-as-nails” Mayor, who took no guff from people who got in his way and was able to pull Detroit out of a full scale nose dive. Here is hoping that bing has that same toughness in him. Because any way you look at this; it is going to be bad for ALL parties involved.
This Posting was crafted on my Apple iPod using WordPress Mobile Admin (Too Cool!)
Yeah, I know what I wrote about it; I was being partly sarcastic. But seriously, good for Keith.
The video:
To Greg Pollowitz, shut the hell up. Your partisan bullshit is vomit provoking. Not to mention intellectually insulting; and judging from that last name, that should not be to surprising as to why.
Others: Power Line and Pajamas Media
What a tool! 😡
I would be willing to bet money Obama ordered that little hit.
This Posting was crafted on my Apple iPod using WordPress Mobile Admin (Too Cool!)
Heh.
Saying he was “stunned,” Rod Blagojevich was uncharacteristically tight-lipped today after a jury convicted him on 17 of 20 counts of corruption against him.
Holding his wife’s hand, Blagojevich spoke in a somber tone to a crush of reporters in the federal courthouse. “Patti and I obviously are very disappointed in the outcome. I, frankly, am stunned. There’s not much left to say other than we want to get home to our little girls and talk to them and explain things to them and try to sort things out. And I’m sure we’ll be seeing you.”
The two then walked to a waiting car as some in the crowd booed.
The federal jury found that the former governor brazenly abused the powers of his office in a series of attempted shakedowns captured on undercover government recordings.
Blagojevich showed no reaction as the jury announced its decision. Once the verdicts were read, he sat back in his chair with his lips pursed, looked toward his wife Patti and whispered, “I love you.”
As the first guilty verdict was read, Patti Blagojevich slumped into the arms of her brother, who stroked her head. She kept shaking her head “no” as the jurors left the courtroom, and once the judge was gone, the former governor grabbed his wife’s right hand and hugged and kissed her.
via Blagojevich on guilty verdict: ‘I frankly am stunned’ – chicagotribune.com.
Cue the Music!: (reference point for those who don’t get it…)
Mark your calendars, because this does not happen often.
Neo-Conservative David Frum has went soft on Gay Marriage.
Well, the left is not buying this at all, especially not Oliver Willis, who recalls that David Frum said back in 2003:
War is a grim thing. But it is sometimes a necessary thing — and very often a clarifying thing. We have learned much in the opening hours of this war. We will learn more in the days ahead. When the Iraqi archives fall into Allied hands, we will learn about the complex structure of international terrorism over the past three decades. We may learn something too about the flow of money from Iraq into France and Germany — not only to French and German corporations, but very possibly to individuals, including senior political figures.
We will learn the full horror of what went on inside Iraq. The perfunctory condemnations of Saddam we hear from so many opponents of the war will suddenly look utterly inadequate in comparison to the nightmare cruelty of Saddam’s regime. Perhaps — is this too much to hope for? — the Arab intellectuals who kept silent about Saddam’s cruelty will be shamed out of nationalist pride into moral awakening; a moral awakening that will at last discredit terrorism and open the way to peace with Israel.
Finally, we will all learn something about ourselves and our political leaders. The months since 9/11 have been a moral test. The Bush administration has passed with flying colours. Its opponents have failed. Politics can be a long, slow business. But in the end, moral failure will be held to account — even in Canada.
To Which Oliver Willis Says:
So guys who enable bloodthirsty warmongering that leads to the deaths of thousands of Americans don’t get a pat on the back, no matter how their new position may be the right one.
Of this point and this point alone; do I wholeheartedly agree. Further more, I do not think people that say this here:
And now it is time to be very frank about the paleos. During the Clinton years, many conservatives succumbed to a kind of gloom. With Bill Bennett, they mourned the “death of outrage.” America now has non-metaphorical deaths to mourn. There is no shortage of outrage — and the cultural pessimism of the 1990s has been dispelled. The nation responded to the terrorist attacks with a surge of patriotism and pride, along with a much-needed dose of charity. Suddenly, many conservatives found they could look past the rancor of the Clinton years, past the psychobabble of the New Age gurus, past the politically correct professors, to see an America that remained, in every important way, the America of 1941 and 1917 and 1861 and 1776. As Tennyson could have said: “What we were, we are.”
America has social problems; the American family is genuinely troubled. The conservatism of the future must be a social as well as an economic conservatism. But after the heroism and patriotism of 9/11 it must also be an optimistic conservatism.
There is, however, a fringe attached to the conservative world that cannot overcome its despair and alienation. The resentments are too intense, the bitterness too unappeasable. Only the boldest of them as yet explicitly acknowledge their wish to see the United States defeated in the War on Terror. But they are thinking about defeat, and wishing for it, and they will take pleasure in it if it should happen.They began by hating the neoconservatives. They came to hate their party and this president. They have finished by hating their country.
War is a great clarifier. It forces people to take sides. The paleoconservatives have chosen — and the rest of us must choose too. In a time of danger, they have turned their backs on their country. Now we turn our backs on them.
….Should get a back on the back or a pass either. I have not forgotten what this moron said and did to the Paleo-Conservatives and further more, I have no idea, why this man is being taken seriously anywhere, outside of the confines of his own damned house. Frum is nothing more than a political chameleon, changing his “stripes” and colors to fit the changing political winds.
…and just to be a detestable smart ass, which is what I excel at anymore; did I also mention that this man is Jewish? That, if anything at all, should explain much about him.
