Just for fun - What American accent do you have ??

Take the quiz here.

It nailed my Philly accent. Yo!

National Sovereignty Day in Iraq

Iraq celebrates.

Made possible by the grit and determination of the US military; the greatest force for good the world has ever seen. And by the political courage of this man:



He was right; the surge worked and a fragile democracy is in its infancy in the Middle East.

The media, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and, most notably, President Hopenchange were wrong when they said the war was lost back in 2006. Many Iraqis should be grateful that Bush stood by his convictions.

Birds of a feather

Courtesy of Investor's Business Daily

Maybe there are reasons for hope

A new Gallup poll finds that 46% of Americans find the Democratic party "too liberal". Gallup's interpretation of their polling data:

The Democratic Party continues to hold the upper hand over the Republican Party in the current U.S. political environment by a variety of measures, including party identification and party favorable ratings. However, compared to last year, Americans are significantly more likely to see the Democratic Party as too liberal, and as a result, they are somewhat more likely to view the party as being too far left than to perceive the Republican Party as too far right. That may expose a bit of a vulnerability for the Democratic Party, and if perceptions of the Democratic Party as being too liberal continue to grow, the GOP may be able to win back some of the support it has lost in recent years. But that may be possible only if the Republicans are at the same time able to convince the public that they are not too far to the political right.

Senator Stuart Smalley

As if the news couldn't get any better today...the Minnesota Supreme Court has certified Al Franken the winner of last November's Senate race.

Hey Minnesota, I know it's cold there, but did your brains freeze?? You should be deeply ashamed.

Ummm, should we be concerned??

There is a Financial Times article about the decision to officially kill off the "war on terror" moniker. You may recall the idea of simply calling events "man-caused" disasters. (Sort of like the election of this administration.) But in the article there is this little nugget:

Ms Napolitano, who arrived on Monday night in the UK, said she was hoping to learn from her British counterparts, and others, how to improve public “resiliency” to terrorist attacks. “You have got to minimise risk and respond with resiliency – there are lessons to be learned from other countries and the UK is one of them,” she said. [emphasis mine]

Improve public resiliency ?? Really; this is what we need to study ?!? Sounds awful close to "just shut up and take it."

"Thank you sir, may I have another"

Dissent isn't patriotic anymore

For eight years we were constantly reminded that "dissent is the highest form of patriotism". Of course that was when Republicans ran the show. Now dissent is just another form of terrorism according to the Speaker of the California Assembly, Karen Bass.

Q: How do you think conservative talk radio has affected the Legislature's work?

A: The Republicans were essentially threatened and terrorized against voting for revenue. Now [some] are facing recalls. They operate under a terrorist threat: "You vote for revenue and your career is over." I don't know why we allow that kind of terrorism to exist. I guess it's about free speech, but it's extremely unfair.

Where to even begin in evaluating the ignorance and arrogance of this statement. Seeking redress from your government and exercising your right to free speech are now terrorism. And any though of actual being accountable to your constituency is unfair; can't let the concerns of the little people interfere with your lordly designs.

And this ignoramus is the Speaker ?!? California is f#@#*ed !!!

Publicly hed US government debt to reach 82% of GDP in 10 years

Some great news from the Congressional Budget Office to start the day. From the U.S. News and World Report summary:

The Congressional Budget Office has just released two reports--one on Obama's budget, the other on the long-term fiscal outlook--that give some more concrete numbers on the coming growth of both the annual deficit and the long-term debt. Of course, it's nothing new that America isn't in great fiscal shape, but attaching numbers to that realization is necessary to really comprehend what's going on.

The CBO finds that under President Obama's budget, the deficit would be $9.9 trillion, or 9.9 percent of GDP, in 2009. Accompanying this, the CBO also finds the total debt held by the public to rise from 57 percent of GDP in 2009 to 82 percent (!) of GDP in 2019.

Apparently, CBO Director, Douglas Elmendorf, has a blog (who doesn't?) and his related entry concludes that current fiscal policy is unsustainable (big surprise) and that something has to be done now!

Under current law, the federal budget is on an unsustainable path—meaning that federal debt will continue to grow much faster than the economy over the long run. Although great uncertainty surrounds long-term fiscal projections, rising costs for health care and the aging of the U.S. population will cause federal spending to increase rapidly under any plausible scenario. Unless tax revenues increase just as rapidly, the rise in spending will produce growing budget deficits and accumulating debt. Large budget deficits would reduce national saving, leading to more borrowing from abroad and less domestic investment, which in turn would depress income growth in the United States.

Keeping deficits and debt from reaching levels that could cause substantial harm to the economy would require increasing revenues significantly as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), decreasing projected spending sharply, or some combination of the two. Making such changes sooner rather than later would lessen the risks that current fiscal policy poses to the economy. Although the policy choices that will be necessary are difficult, CBO’s long-term budget projections make clear that doing nothing is not an option: Legislation must ultimately be adopted that raises revenue or reduces spending or both. Moreover, delaying action simply exacerbates the challenge, as is discussed in the report.

Wise Latina is maybe not so wise

The Supreme Court sides with the white firefighters in the Ricci case. The opinion is linked here. I have not had a chance to read it.

UPDATE:
Meant to include that although the opinion was a 5-4 decision, all nine justices agreed that Sotomayor was wrong in her grant of summary judgment in favor of New Haven.

So, Obama doesn't mind "meddling" in the internal affairs of some countries.

This time in Honduras . Now even foreign policy positions come with an expiration date.

The Honduran military on Sunday ousted leftist President Manuel Zelaya and exiled him to Costa Rica - an action rejected by much of the world, including the United States and its sometimes foe, Venezuela.

The apparent catalyst for the coup came last week when Mr. Zelaya decided to go ahead with a nationwide referendum on whether he could purse a second term in office. Honduran electoral law limits leaders to one four-year term.

Though the referendum vote was neither sanctioned by Honduran congressional leaders nor deemed legal by the country's Supreme Court, Mr. Zelaya scheduled the vote for Sunday. He further antagonized the country's elite by trying to fire the head of the Honduran military, which promptly retaliated against him.

In an unusual concurrence of views, the Obama administration and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said they still recognized Mr. Zelaya as Honduras' president. The State Department called the events an "attempted coup" and urged Mr. Zelaya's "return and restoration of democratic order."

And he aligns himself with Castro, Ortega and Chavez in the process. Zelaya tries to extend his term through an illegal referendum which was shut down by the Honduran military: and we call it a "coup". Just awesome!!

Of course Obama is again "deeply concerned" .

Geez, I leave you people alone for a couple of days ...

I had to go out of town to my daughter's beach soccer tourney in Wildwood, NJ (props to the Cape Express Soccer Club for a first rate tournament) and what happens... everything's gone to pot. Cap and tax passes; as does Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Jacko and even Billy Mays; Honduras implodes and Ahmedinejad sticks his finger in Obama's eye.

Cool optical illusion

Emailed by a friend. (I actually do have a few that can stand me.)

Believe it or not, the green and blue swirls below are really the same color.



Understand how it works here.

Mark Sanford implodes

Well there is now one less '12 hopeful. The Houdini act was flaky. But an affair in Argentina will be fatal. Any over/under on the days until resignation?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac asked to loosen condo lending rules

Banking Queen, Bawney Fwank, has learned nothing from the current financial crisis or how we got hear. He and fellow dem Anthony Weiner want to loosen their recently tightened lending standards.

In March, Fannie Mae (FNM.N)(FNM.P) said it would no longer guarantee mortgages on condos in buildings where fewer than 70 percent of the units have been sold, up from 51 percent, the paper said. Freddie Mac (FRE.P)(FRE.N) is due to implement similar policies next month, the paper said.

In a letter to the CEO's of both companies, Representatives Barney Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Anthony Weiner warned that a 70 percent sales threshold "may be too onerous" and could lead condo buyers to shun new developments, according to the paper.

This is the same Bawney Fwank that told George Bush there was no need to tighten regulations because they were oh so sound. Of course since these entities are nothing more than Democrat piggy banks this will probably happen.

Cap and tax works for me

In the America of Obama, groups are pitted against each other for their share at the public trough. Cap and tax is no exception. In that spirit, as a NJ resident I like the way cap and tax works based upon the chart linked here .Most of you poor bastards will be paying my electric bill. Bwah-ha-ha-ha!!!

Provided by the boys at PowerLine.

Obama the "meddler"

So the great uprising in Iran was really Obama's doing after all. I guess some aides didn't get the "let's just see how it plays out" memo as they credit their boss with inspiring the uprising.

But privately Obama advisers are crediting his Cairo speech for inspiring the protesters, especially the young ones, who are now posing the most direct challenge to the republic's Islamic authority in its 30-year history.

One senior administration official with experience in the Middle East said, "There clearly is in the region a sense of new possibilities," adding that "I was struck in the aftermath of the president's speech that there was a connection. It was very sweeping in terms of its reach."

Obama admits he was wrong.

The President, after three days of silence during Iran's post-election fallout, has become increasingly more strident in his tone about the regime's treatment of protesters. He has gone from "concerned" to "troubled and will probably hit "miffed" by the end of the week. Of course he has attempted to employ the standard, and increasingly obvious, Obama ploy of historical revision. The now familiar "As I have said ..." wherein he completely changes his position.

However, everyone will recall that his deer-in-the headlights silence calm demeanor kept him from supporting the protesters as he did not want it to appear that the US was "meddling".

Since he has now weighed in with his recent statements, is he now meddling?? Or was he simply wrong by tacitly supporting the regime by his silence. In any event, his position has changed so one would conclude (at least us mere mortals) that one of those positions were flawed. But this is Obama so they could both be right even if contradictory. Nuance!!

Perez Hilton should stick to picking fights with beauty queens

Hilton got into a verbal exchange with will i. am of the Black Eyed Peas. Hilton also got himself punched in the face by the band's tour manager.

But what he should be most embarrassed about is the bitchy twitter updates:

"I was assaulted by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas and his security guards," the gossip blogger wrote on his Twitter account. "I am bleeding. Please, I need to file a police report. No joke."

Hilton continued in three subsequent tweets:

"Still waiting for the police. The bleeding has stopped. I need to document this. Please, can the police come to the SoHo Met Hotel."

"I spoke to my lawyer. I really need to talk to the authorities. Please come to the SoHo Met Hotel. Have called the police. Need them here."

"The Toronto police are here now. Thank you. Please stop calling them."

Hey, dipshit, pick up the phone and dial yourself!!

Health care reform has a fading pulse

Is Obama's plan in trouble. The administration is swinging into campaign mode (seems dear leader finds that governing is hard) according to ABC .

Facing mounting doubts about health care reform proposals as they become reality – “To be candid with you, I don’t know that he has the votes right now,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said on CNN Sunday, “I think there’s a lot of concern in the Democratic caucus” – President Obama today tried to rekindle some of campaign enthusiasm that swept him into office last November.

Addressing those “here in Washington who've grown accustomed to sky-is-falling prognoses and the certainties that we cannot get this done, I have to repeat and revive an old saying we had from the campaign: ‘Yes, we can,’” the President said Monday morning. “We are going to get this done.”

So why is support slipping ?? Maybe this aspect of the plan:

In the last week, health care reform efforts have been shaken by Congressional Budget Office analyses of draft health care reform bills by Baucus and Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., indicating the legislation will cost between $1 and $1.6 trillion dollars over the next ten years, with cost savings and coverage not as ambitious as White House officials are hoping for.

It could also be that Americans are figuring out that promises from Obama should not be taken as, well ..., how do I put this ... promises. Even the spin meisters at the AP are even figuring that out.

White House officials suggest the president's rhetoric shouldn't be taken literally: What Obama really means is that government isn't about to barge in and force people to change insurance.
.....
MIT's Jonathan Gruber, a leading health economist, said Obama's promise shouldn't be taken as a sign that Americans will be able to keep indefinitely the same coverage they have now.

"With or without reform, that won't be true," said Gruber. "His point is that the government is not going to force you to give up what you have, but that's not to say other circumstances won't make that happen."

This is the coming environmental apocalypse ??

More evidence of global warming climate change in Arizona.

Meteorologists are reluctant to call a month "nice." They have their data and their science and typically do not describe the weather in such subjective terms.

Except now, because the data prove it.

"It's probably the best June since I've been here, and I've been here most of my life," said the National Weather Service's Valerie Meyers, who is in her late 40s. "It's been really nice."
Possibly the nicest June ever.

It's that type of thing that is fun to say but hard to quantify.

Thursday, however, was the 14th consecutive day to stay below 100 degrees. That's the longest stretch of its kind in any June since 1913.

The lower temperatures have allowed people to sleep with windows open and drive with their arms out vehicle windows. Evenings, too, have been spent chatting with neighbors while children or grandchildren play. Those events are not life-changing, but they are, well, nice.

Has ACORN set up a Middle East branch office ??

Evidence of voter fraud with 50 cities posting voter turnout in excess of 100%.

Fight, fight, fight ... and it's blue-on-blue !!!

Olbermann vs. the Kossaks. A Kos poster has an epiphany that Countdown lacks any substance. Snippets below; but read the whole exchange to get a flavor for just how big a douche Olbermann has become.

Kos poster:

Keith loves to mock Bill O’Reilly’s ridiculous shtick and arrogance, but it is increasingly difficult to see the stylistic difference between KO and Bill-O. Both yell a lot, lecture a lot, smirk condescendingly at all who disagree with them, and ultimately neither one of them adds anything of value to the public record.

KO's rather thin-skinned response:

If you actually want this show to be better, kindly stop throwing rocks. They are picked up by people who’d be delighted to give the hour to Rick Santelli. And I wish you the very best of luck if that happens.

Fireworks on the 4th -- courtesy of Kim Jong-Il

He must be "so ronery" again because he is desperately trying to get Barry O's attention by threatening to fire a missile at Hawaii on the Fourth of July. While Barry maybe too cool of temperament to fall for such "distractions" -- hey, he's very busy running the car industry, health care and the financial sector into the ground -- he sure as hell has mine. Who knows maybe Barry will be "concerned" .

Conventional wisdom says that this is posturing; Kim would never risk his own annihilation by lobbing a Taepodong-2 missile at the Aloha state. But that's the funny thing about psychopaths, they don't always follow the script. Or has Kim taken Obama's measure and bet (correctly or not) that Obama doesn't have the stones to respond with substantial force.

There has also been speculation that the Taepodong's 4,000 mile range will leave it short of the mark in Hawaii 4,500 miles away. But what if the intelligence estimates are wrong? Heck, they underestimated the size of the nuke Kim recently tested. And let's not forget about the WMD in Iraq. Are we willing to bet lives that the NorKs don't have sufficient technology?

It's too bad we don't have a defense against these kinds of threats. Perhaps a way to shoot down a missile. Of course that is all just a pipe-dream as democrats have constantly reminded us that such a technology is unproven and untenable.

Can we now please promise to only put the adults in charge of national security?

Obama not so great at economic prognostication

A great catch by Jim Geraghty. President-elect Barack Obama on January 3, 2009:

“If we don’t act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double-digit unemployment.”

So after acting swiftly and boldly (and recklessly)unemployment in north of 9%. But Obama doesn't think it will stop there.

President Obama yesterday:

In an interview with Bloomberg News’ Al Hunt today, President Obama says he thinks unemployment will hit 10% this year.

Will unemployment reach 10%? asks Hunt.

“Yes,” says the president.

Before the end of this year? asks Hunt.

“Yes,” says the president.

But Obama's bold action must have helped some, right?? I mean we keeping hearing about jobs saved or created. If we hadn't acted it would be much worse right ??

Well, there is a chart (using the administration's own projections) that has gone viral that sort of sums it up:

Hope and change!!!

Transparency - Obama blocks access to White House visitor list

From MSNBC no less.

The Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the Bush administration argument that a president doesn't have to reveal who comes calling to influence policy decisions.

Despite President Barack Obama's pledge to introduce a new era of transparency to Washington, and despite two rulings by a federal judge that the records are public, the Secret Service has denied msnbc.com's request for the names of all White House visitors from Jan. 20 to the present. It also denied a narrower request by the nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sought logs of visits by executives of coal companies.

Ah, smell that hopenchange !!

Fashion industry sucks up to Lord Obama

Michelle Obama wins a special tribute award at the annual awards ceremony.

The fashion industry made it clear at its annual awards ceremony Monday night that it's looking to future stars to see it past the doldrums of the recession, shunning longtime favorites and honoring a largely new guard: Rodarte, Proenza Schouler, Alexander Wang — and Michelle Obama.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America's special tribute award went to the first lady, considered a new player in this world.

Noting her "meteoric rise as a fashion icon," CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg said Obama had "a unique look that balances the duality of her lives" in her roles as trusted adviser to her husband, President Barack Obama, and busy mother to their two daughters.

Seriously, I know I am a jeans and sweatshirt guy, but this won a fashion award ???





I guess the Oval Office drapes are in this season.

ABC = All Bammy Channel

Drudge is reporting that ABC is now the first network to drop the pretense of objectivity and openly become the house organ fro the administration:

On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care -- a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!

Highlights on the agenda:

ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House.

The network plans a primetime special -- 'Prescription for America' -- originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate.

After three days of silence, Obama says he cannot be silent on Iran

This little glob of hopenchange is classic Obama in its vapidity. And since Ace has such a first rate analysis, there is no reason for me to mess with perfection. A little taste:

On FoxNews. Obama answering a question.

The Iranian people tried to determine their leaders, Genius. But the mullahs determined them, Smart-Guy. So what does your dog-food statement actually mean?


"The democratic process, free speech, the ability of people to peacefully dissent; all those are universal values and need to be respected."

Um, you don't have to dissent peacefully in a tyranny. Ask, um, Presidents Washington, Adams, and Jefferson, for starters.

He sounds an awful lot like a guy voting "present" yet again. Expressing some support for the resisters while also supporting the regime by specifying peaceful dissent.

It is truly worth reading the whole post.

A double shot of good news for a change

NJ guv Corzine is in trouble in the polls and there are concerns this could hurt the Obama brand.

With recent polls showing Gov. Jon Corzine falling behind Republican challenger Chris Christie, top operatives at the White House and at the Democratic National Committee are worried a loss could hurt the momentum of President Obama's young administration and are committing resources to help Corzine pull out a victory.
......
Corzine and his campaign operatives have been emphatic in linking the governor to Obama, who they describe as "a partner in the White House." Biden spoke at Corzine's campaign kickoff - saying "Barack Obama and Joe Biden are committed to Jon Corzine's re-election, period" - and he and cabinet members have made several appearances with the governor to showcase New Jersey projects using federal money from Obama's stimulus package.

"We worked too hard in this state and this country to get Barack Obama elected to the White House. We cannot afford a governor who will work against the president's efforts to reverse the damage caused by this Bush administration," campaign manager Maggie Moran said in a video message to supporters. "That's why we need your help to make sure Barack Obama has an ally in New Jersey who's going to work with him, not against him."

Before NJ republicans get too confident, they should look east...NJ's elections are probably no less fraudulent than Iran's and crazy Mahmoud is still claiming victory.

Let it snow, let it snow let it snow...

in NJ, in June ??? See the video here.

So, is a Al Gore a: (a) dimwit; (b) halfwit; (c) nitwit; or (d) man of science worthy of a Nobel Prize ??? (Hint: there are multiple right answers)

The trillion dollar health care "reform"

Including $600 billion in tax hikes.

Health-care overhaul legislation being drafted by House Democrats will include $600 billion in tax increases and $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said.

Democrats will work on the bill’s details next week as they struggle through “what kind of heartburn” it will cause to agree on how to pay for revamping the health-care system, Rangel, a New York Democrat, said today. He also said the measure’s cost will reach beyond the $634 billion President Barack Obama proposed in his budget request to Congress as a down payment for the policy changes.

Asked whether the cost of a health-care overhaul would be more than $1 trillion, Rangel said, “the answer is yes.”

Recessions can be fun !!

First we heard about funemployment. Now we learn that recessions can be great too. Just like a giant global sale. Et tu Forbes ?!?

In the land of Obama, it is all unicorns and skittles.

George W. Bush really was a lawless, petty tyrant

As his behavior in the attempt to fire an AmeriCorps inspector general clearly demonstrate:

I've been told that on Wednesday night the AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin, received a call from the White House counsel's office telling him that he had one hour to either resign or be fired. The White House did not cite a reason. "The answer that was given was that it's just time to move on," one Senate source told me tonight. "The president would like to have someone else in that position."

Inspectors General are part of every federal department. They are given the responsibility of independently investigating allegations of waste, fraud, and corruption in the government, without fear of interference by political appointees or the White House. Last year Congress passed the Inspectors General Reform Act, which added new protections for IGs, including a measure requiring the president to give Congress 30 days prior notice before dismissing an IG. The president must also give Congress an explanation of why the action is needed. Then-Sen. Barack Obama was one of the co-sponsors of the Act.

Now, there is the hurried attempt to dismiss Walpin, without the required notice or cause.

EXCEPT:
The president in question was not Bush but Pres. Hopenchange himself as described in the Washington Examiner piece from which the above text was taken.

Byron York's analysis:

UPDATE 1: I've been trying to discover the real reason for Obama's move, and it's still not clear. I'm told that it could be a combination of the normal tensions that surround any inspector general's office, or the president's desire to get his own people in IG positions, or a dispute over a particular investigation. "Bottom line," one source wrote, "getting rid of a tough, Republican-appointed IG who has been aggressively going after waste and fraud gives Obama a chance to replace that IG with a more compliant team player."

I'm also told that a number of inspectors general around the government have been expressing concerns to Congress recently about threats to their independence.

UPDATE 2: More information now, from the Associated Press. The White House is going ahead with firing Walpin. The firing apparently stems from Walpin's investigation of a non-profit group, St. HOPE Academy, run by Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star who is now mayor of Sacramento, California (and a big Obama supporter). "[Walpin] found that Johnson, a former all-star point guard for the Phoenix Suns, had used AmeriCorps grants to pay volunteers to engage in school-board political activities, run personal errands for Johnson and even wash his car," the AP reports. In April, the U.S. attorney declined to file any criminal charges in the matter and criticized Walpin's investigation. But at the same time Johnson and St. HOPE agreed to repay about half of the $850,000 it had received from AmeriCorps.

Bottom line: The AmeriCorps IG accuses prominent Obama supporter of misusing AmeriCorps grant money. Prominent Obama supporter has to pay back more than $400,000 of that grant money. Obama fires AmeriCorps IG.

I am sure the press outrage at abuse of power will follow in 5 - 4 - 3 -2 -1 ...

[crickets]

Tonight....

Stanely Cup Final - Game 7!!! There is nothing more exciting in all of sports -- with the exception of sudden death dodgeball of course.

"Pepper needs new shorts!!!"

Obama: We must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all it's forms

Of course after 20 years of sitting in the pew of the church of Jew Zionist hater, Rev. Wright, these words are hollow. And this is also the man Obama claimed as his spiritual mentor.

So after 20 years and who knows how many private conversations, President Vigilance had no idea what his pastor was really like ??

Good and bad economic news

The bad news: Americans' net worth shrinks $1.33trillion in the first quarter of the year.

The good news: This blog saved or created $155 million. -- The rule seems to be that you can continue to do this if you never get called on it.

Shooting at National Holocaust Museum

88 year old white supremacist shoots and kills 39 year old security guard Stephen T. Johns.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the suspect was acting alone when he entered the museum just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, raised his rifle and began shooting. The suspect started shooting before going through metal detectors.

"The second he stepped into the building he began firing," Lanier said.

As Lileks accurately observes: "The fact that the Holocaust Museum has several armed guards tells you why we need a Holocaust Museum." How unfortunately true.

Schadenfreude post of the day

(image blatantly stolen from shoe-fly pie)

Douchebag Arlen Specter trails challenger Joe Sestak 52%-44% in this poll among PA dems familiar with both candidates.

(H/T - Ace of Spades)

More evidence that global warming is a bunch of hooey

Frost in Western Canada is the most widespread in recent memory. A quick glance at the calender shows we are in early June.

In Manitoba, the frost is the worst in memory for its frequency and area covered, said Derwyn Hammond, the province's senior agronomy specialist for the Canola Council.

"Certainly (it's) the worst year I've seen," said Hammond, who has worked for the Canola Council for 15 years.

But remember, "the science is settled".

PAYGO

The latest example of Obama's hypocrisy fiscal discipline. Apparently, The One has decided that it is probably better if government doesn't spend more than it takes in as revenue. Of course this requires the obligatory reference to this graph:




So after trillions in deficit spending we get PAYGO ???

My guess, despite Obama's god-like efforts, PAYGO will require him to raise taxes. And not just on the "rich".

UPDATE:
There is a $2.5 trillion exemption for health care.

The "pay-as-you-go" budget formula plan is significantly weaker than a proposal Obama issued with little fanfare last month.

It would carve out about $2.5 trillion worth of exemptions for Obama's priorities over the next decade. His health care reform plan also would get a green light to run big deficits in its early years. [emphasis mine]

So he also gets a pass for his other "priorities" ?? That simply sounds like a $2.5 trillion slush fund.

Funemployment re-visited

More brilliance from iowahawk. A little taste:

Brian Smalley was laid off by ObamaStickers.com in late April. He didn't panic. He didn't rush off to a therapist. Instead, the 33-year-old Santa Monica resident discovered that being jobless "kind of settled nicely, once you get used to the heating grate."

Week one: "I thought, 'OK... I need to send out resumes, send some e-mails, need to do networking."

Week two: "Hide from the landlord."

Every week since: "I'm going down to the Ralph's dumpster for free brown bananas."

What most people would call unemployment, Smalley embraced as "funemployment." What other people would dismiss as starvation, he whimsically terms a "starve-cation."

As big time bloggers like to say, read the whole thing.

North Korea threatens "merciless" nuclear offensive

Swell. Great news on a morning in which an ongoing lightening storm in southern NJ already looks like the apocalypse.

North Korea today said it would use nuclear weapons in a "merciless offensive" if provoked — its latest bellicose rhetoric apparently aimed at deterring any international punishment for its recent atomic test blast.
.....
Pyongyang raised tensions a notch by reviving its rhetoric in a commentary in the state-run Minju Joson newspaper today.

"Our nuclear deterrent will be a strong defensive means...as well as a merciless offensive means to deal a just retaliatory strike to those who touch the country's dignity and sovereignty even a bit," said the commentary, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

It appeared to be the first time that North Korea referred to its nuclear arsenal as "offensive" in nature. Pyongyang has long claimed that its nuclear weapons program is a deterrent and only for self-defense against what it calls US attempts to invade it.

The tough talk came as South Korea and the US lead an effort at the UN Security Council to have the North punished for its nuclear test with tough sanctions.

Square this circle

Obama economic advisor Austen Goolsbee on Fox News yesterday morning morning admits that the current unemployment level of 9.4% exceeds the 8% rate at which team Obama though it would top out.

President Obama today says that we are poised for recovery since job losses in May were less than expected.

So, you have, simultaneously, less than expected job losses and higher than expected unemployment. I guess you have to be as smart as Obama to see how that works out.

This blog will save or create 250,000 jobs !!!

Hey - if Obama can make such unsubstantiated claims, why can't I ??

Climate change - "The science is settled"

June snowfall in Dickinson, North Dakota. For the first time in almost 60 years.

Well, I guess that is a change.

June 6, 1944 - D Day

There is simply no way to overstate the courage of these men or what they accomplished.

GM's new logo

From the folks at Despair Inc.:

Funemployed

This is a term coined by The LA Times in yet another shameless attempt to spin for Obama.

You see, in Obama's America unemployment isn't so bad but rather something to be happily embraced; "funemployment".

While millions of Americans struggle to find work as they face foreclosures and bankruptcy, others have found a silver lining in the economic meltdown. These happily jobless tend to be single and in their 20s and 30s. Some were laid off. Some quit voluntarily, lured by generous buyouts.

Buoyed by severance, savings, unemployment checks or their parents, the funemployed do not spend their days poring over job listings. They travel on the cheap for weeks. They head back to school or volunteer at the neighborhood soup kitchen. And at least till the bank account dries up, they're content living for today.

"I feel like I've been given a gift of time and clarity," said Aubrey Howell, 29, of Franklin, Tenn., who was laid off from her job as a tea shop manager in April. After sleeping in late and visiting family in Florida, she recently mused on Twitter: "Unemployment or funemployment?"

Funny, I don't recall such articles during the prior administration when unemployment was at 5% and the economy expanding. A cynic might think that the rosy outlook might be influenced by the party-affiliation of the current resident of the White House.

Maybe the Times editorial board should come out very strongly against the coming media bailouts. Then they can enjoy all the benefits of funemployment themselves.

Christie +13 in NJ

The first post-primary poll is not looking good for Corzine.

And this can't help:

Christie’s biggest advantage may be Corzine’s negatives. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of voters statewide have a Very Unfavorable view of their governor. Just 12% are that negative about the GOP challenger. It is very difficult for an incumbent to bring down his own negative ratings during a campaign so it is likely the Corzine campaign will try to increase Christie’s negatives.

By a 48% to 33% margin, voters say they trust Christie more than Corzine on taxes. The gap is a bit wider on the topic of cutting government spending—50% trust Christie more while 27% trust Corzine. By a 55% to 28% margin, Christie is seen as the candidate most likely to cut down on government corruption. New polling shows that government corruption and ethics reform is the top issue for unaffiliated voters nationwide.

"On the other hand..." - WTF ?!?

Barack Hussein Obama gave a speech to what is being called the "Muslim world'. (As if one could imagine the secularist media or liberals referencing a "Chrisitian" or "Jewish" world.)

I am late coming to the party of dissecting the speech; and frankly the damn thing is too long to even try. But this jumped out at me:

America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.

Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction – or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews – is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.

On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. [emphasis mine]

"On the other hand..."?!? He wants to compare the horrors of the Holocaust with the Palestinian problems.

Look, life in Gaza or the West Bank will never be confused with a day at the beach. But most of the problems encountered by the Palestinians are self-created as they steadfastly refuse to even acknowledge Israel's right to exist. To compare that situation to a ruthlessly methodical attempt to eliminate an ethnic group is an outrage. It is moral equivalency run amok.

Voter fraud is just a myth

That's what Democrats claim every election cycle -- as well as claiming that any attempts to counter voter fraud are really attempts at voter suppression.

Then perhaps they can explain these findings from Minnesota Majority in the Franken-Coleman race:

Today, Minnesota Majority announced the discovery of individuals who were deceased prior to November 4, 2008, yet have voter history records on the secretary of state’s files that indicate they voted in the 2008 General Election.

Minnesota Majority employed a data enhancement service to flag potentially deceased individuals on Minnesota’s voter registration file. Over 2,800 individuals who voted in the 2008 general election were flagged as being “deceased” prior to the election. Minnesota Majority then selected a sample of a dozen records for additional investigation. A representative drove to addresses listed on voter registration records. Interviews conducted with residents or neighbors confirmed that at least 5 individuals from the sample were deceased, the latest having died in March 2007.

Is Joe Biden writing Obama's material ??

Barack Hussein Obama (it's okay to say that now -- although we'll see about 2012) claims that the US is "one of the largest Muslim countries in the world".

Not even close. Don Surber breaks it down so you, and especially I, don't have to.

With an estimated 5 million to 8 million Muslims, obviously he does not mean by percentage; Muslims are less than 3% of the U.S. population.

By sheer number, the United States is far behind Indonesia (213 million), Pakistan (156 million), Bangladesh (127 million) and so on. At least 23 nations have more Muslims.

The USA in fact has less than 1% of the world’s Muslim population of an estimated 1 billion people.

The future of Government Motors

Behold, the 2012 Pelosi GTxi SS/RT sport.

iowahawk is simply brilliant.

Christie wins in NJ

Chris Christie won yesterday's gubernatorial primary and will face John Corzine in the general election this fall. I confess to being disappointed as I voted for Steve Lonegan. Christie is much closer to Christine Whitman than Ronald Reagan

Nevertheless, I would urge fellow Lonegan supporters to take a day or two to lick their wounds and then rally around Christie as he is clearly a better choice then a second Corzine term. Let's just hope Christie doesn't decide to go the "mainstream" route of other northeast Republicans and abandon conservatives to emphasize his moderate bona fides -- how did that work out for you John McCain ?

For some background, The Tax Foundation has the grisly details:

New Jersey's State/Local Tax Burden Highest in Nation
Estimated at 11.8% of income, New Jersey's state/local tax burden percentage is the highest in the country, well above the national average of 9.7%. New Jersey taxpayers pay $6,610 per capita in state and local taxes.

New Jersey's 2009 Business Tax Climate Ranks 50th
New Jersey ranks 50th in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on property, including residential and commercial property. Neighboring states ranked as follows: New York (49th), Pennsylvania (28th) and Delaware (10th).

And this is after Coorzine ran as a tax-cutter:

Why drugs are bad ... especially for wood spiders

It's always bad when it ends with getting a cap popped in yo ass.

Time to play "Guess The Party" again.

Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has been indicted on corruption charges.

Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and three friends were indicted today by a federal grand jury for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that allowed DiMasi to pocket tens of thousands of dollars in payments from a software company while he was using his powerful office to make sure the company won state contracts.

The indictment on a battery of public corruption charges marked yet another stunning turn for a politician who, just a year ago, was considered by many to be the most influential official in the state before his resignation in January. Now DiMasi faces up to 20 years in prison on each of seven counts of mail and wire fraud and up to five years for conspiracy.

The indictment paints an unflattering picture of a band of long-time associates, led by DiMasi, successfully plotting to rig a series of computer software contracts over golf games, at Democratic fundraisers, and in incriminating emails that even referred to the speaker as "Coach." The charges follow a series of stories in the Globe.

Why it almost sounds like a "culture of corruption". But no mention of party affiliation. Maybe because it's Massachusetts the media just figures it's a gimme.

Obama says Iran has a right to nuclear power

Of course he expects them to limit their use of this technology to peaceful applications.

"What I do believe is that Iran has legitimate energy concerns, legitimate aspirations," Obama said, adding that the international community also "has a very real interest" in preventing a nuclear arms race.

Is Obama really naive enough to believe that a regime that has repeatedly called for the elimination of Israel and has openly waged war on the US and US-interests will limit their nuclear ambitions to energy generation ?? Of course not; this is simply a continuation of the Clintonian habit of kicking difficult issues down the road and letting future administrations deal with the consequences. In Obama parlance, issues such as these are "distractions" which impede his reshaping of America. Besides, he has a car company to run.

What should also be noted is that Obama is willing to put more trust in the mad Mullahs having nuclear technology than allowing law-abiding Americans to own firearms.

Obama has "no interest" in running GM

That's what PrezBO says as the feds take a 60% stake in GM as part of its bankruptcy restructuring. Of course he says this as he lays out his vision of the new GM that will emerge. The One explained how the new GM will produce cars that meet his eco-vision (and the government will help by buying GM for their fleet cars) and clean up their balance sheets.

What should be pause for concern is that these changes at GM were not announced by GM's CEO but rather by POTUS; although I guess they are really one and the same.

So, we have a President who has never run a business of any size, who has never run any type of commercial venture and who has no executive experience ready to run GM because he is just oh so cool!! And he also has a nice demeanor.

CEOs are well compensated because they are pretty damn valuable and good ones are hard to find. More often than not, they are groomed for the position. But hey, I am sure a community organizer can do the job just as well.

Fox News notes the government's passive investor role:

Senior administration officials, who declined to speak for attribution, said the U.S. government will be a "passive" investor but will oversee operations at the new GM because "the taxpayer will want us to."

Jim Geraghty has frequently noted that ALL of Obama's promises come with expiration date -- but they usually don't expire during the actual speech in which they're made.

So who thinks the new GM will bring a windfall for the taxpayer/shareholders ???

[crickets]