Archive for January, 2010

Publius

Lech Walesa Endorses Republican for Illinois Governor

by Publius

In an exclusive, Big Government has obtained a letter addressed by Nobel Prize Winner and anti-Communist hero Lech Walesa to the people of Illinois, endorsing Adam Andrzejewski, Republican candidate for Governor.


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Bret Jacobson

Missing The Mass Point

by Bret Jacobson

As Democrats are grieving their lost super-majority in Congress, some special interests are trying to spin the loss in ridiculous ways. The latest: Union boss Leo Gerard writes that “The message of Massachusetts should be clear: If Democrats want to save their own jobs in the midterm elections this fall, they must create jobs now.”

Create jobs? Create jobs?! It’s truly a fundamentally different worldview — and the kind that led Democrats off the cliff in the first place — to believe the government, rather than American entrepreneurs create jobs. (Here’s just one retort to that kind of logic.)

In one sense, there is a way Democrats could create jobs: They could quit trying to kill job-creating employers. Shred cap and trade. Hit the reset button on health care legislation. And, particularly important given the disastrous push by labor bosses, toss card check. Quit trying to force “green jobs” by killing other jobs. Stop the devastating machine of regulation from steamrolling any hope of economic recovery.

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Greg Knapp

Stimulus Wasted and Most Americans Know It

by Greg Knapp

toilet money

A new poll by CNN, shows that almost 75% of Americans believe the “stimulus” wasted most of our money. There’s more:

  • 63% of public thinks projects in plan were included for purely political reasons.
  • 21% of people in poll say nearly all the money in the stimulus has been wasted.
  • Only 4% think that no stimulus dollars have been wasted.
  • 56% of the public opposes the stimulus

Joe Klein says if you think like this you’re just Too Dumb to Thrive. Klein believes we should be thanking The One for our big tax cut. Hey, I’m always in favor of letting people keep more of their own money, but if you’re looking to stimulate the economy we are doing the wrong kinds of tax cuts. Klein also ignores all the tax increases The Big O has planned.

Maybe people are a little ticked over how some of the “stimulus” money has been spent.

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Capitol Confidential

Pants On Fire Alert: Axelrod Edition

by Capitol Confidential

David Axelrod, top political advisor to President Obama, was one of three White House advisors who took to the Sunday shows yesterday to plead the Administration’s case. Numerous outlets have noted that the three advisors gave three different accounts of the Administration’s record on jobs created–or ’saved’.

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But, the reality was actually worse than that. Axelrod alone could keep his own spin straight:

A year ago I told the president that a year from now your numbers will be much different than they are right nowbecause of the economic forecast we were hearing,” Axelrod said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program. “We knew that even as the economy started growing it would take time for the jobs to follow. That’s the nature of the economy.”

FACT: The unemployment rate known “a year ago” (i.e. on January 24, 2009) was 7.2% for December 2008 (Note: The December 2008 rate has subsequently been adjusted up to 7.4% by DOL).

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The Pork Report

Pork Report, January 25, 2009: Viking Edition

by The Pork Report

Minnesota Vikings’ headed to the stimulus Superbowl! Team officials looking at millions of dollars of federal stimulus funds to build “taxpayer field”

With Palin gone, Bridge to Nowhere may still go somewhere

Jobs agency spent $133,714 of taxpayer funds on exorbitant meals for staff, including iced tea priced at $13 a gallon, cheesecake costing $9 a slice, and a dozen gourmet cupcakes costing $50

Colorado will keep posting roadside signs touting projects funded by federal stimulus and featuring the governor’s name; The state has spent $247,000 of stimulus money posting those signs at about 100 sites in the past year

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Joe 'The Plumber' Wurzelbacher

Explaining the Tea Party Movement and the Bewilderment of the Political Class

by Joe 'The Plumber' Wurzelbacher

It is apparently a mystery to a lot political insiders why the Tea Parties have become so popular with so many Americans in state after state across the nation.

Many have simply tried to dismiss the phenomena as the ranting of a relatively small number of angry right-wing zealots. They are dead wrong but one gets the feeling the political class finds this easy dismissal far more comforting than the unsettling truths driving angry and vocal dissatisfaction by people from across the political spectrum.

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“Real people” like me resonate in politics right now because of the growing chasm between what the political elites of both parties see as the best course for the nation—and for themselves– and the hopes and fears of the average American man and woman. In China that difference might mean very little to government as we saw in Tiananmen Square but, according to the Founding Fathers, such a division should not even exist here in the United States.

Those who are passionately protesting at Tea Parties and making themselves felt at the polls have rightly detected more than a hint of contempt for the average citizen. If everything were going well such elitist arrogance might be accepted, as it has been in the past. But things are not going well for our nation and more and more people are challenging the performance, ideas and motivations of those who hold themselves out as smarter and better than the rest of us.

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Dan Mitchell

Calling another Stimulus a ‘Jobs Bill’ Won’t Make it Work any Better than Last Year’s Fiscal Flop

by Dan Mitchell

This new video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity explains how last year’s so-called stimulus was a flop – and also reveals why politicians are pushing for another big-government spending bill.


Interestingly, since last year’s stimulus was such a disaster, the redistributionists in Washington are calling their new proposal a “jobs bill.” But as I say in the video, this is akin to putting perfume on a hog.

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Pamela Geller

Call For An Audit of Obama’s Campaign Finances

by Pamela Geller

In light of the long-overdue ruling by the Supreme Court to throw out the free-speech-killing and unconstitutional McCain-Feingold finance law (was there ever a more destructive, corrupting influence on elections ever?), it is a good time to revisit the active complaint to the Federal Elections Commission over Barack Obama’s campaign finances.

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Back when Obama was running for President, I broke a number of campaign donation stories that should have blown the race wide open. The Obama campaign committed the most egregious violations of election contribution laws, and they were dismissed with a wave of the hand. Millions came in from foreign countries — which is illegal: the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) “prohibits any foreign national from contributing, donating or spending funds in connection with any federal, state, or local election in the United States, either directly or indirectly.”

I broke the jaw-dropping story about how tens of thousands of dollars came in to the Obama campaign from a Hamas-controlled camp in Gaza. Al-Jazeera actually ran video of Obama phone banks in Gaza. One large contributor to the Obama campaign was Monir Edwan, who was listed on FEC documents as contributing to Obama from the city of Rafah in the state “GA.” If you were reading quickly, you might have thought it was just a contribution from Georgia. But there is no city of Rafah in the Peach State. Monir Edwan sent money to Obama from Rafah, Gaza.

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Andrew  Marcus

Hitler’s Other Little Helpers – IBM And GM/Opel

by Andrew Marcus

Let’s give the Progressives a rest today. Judging by the 700+ comments on yesterday’s Big Government thread: Media Matters Attacks Beck – Ignores Progressive Roots Of The Klan And Holocaust, it looks like they could use a breather.

Today, we would like to focus on Hitler’s other little helpers: IBM and GM/Opel.

Edwin Black, who authored War Against The Weak, a forensic examination of the Progressive-Eugenic movement, also has written extensively on the role IBM played prior to and during the Nazi Holocaust. From the introduction of War Against The Weak.

waragainsttheweak ibm

From the IBM and the Holocaust website:

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John Loudon

Obama to California ‘Water, Its Not a Right its a Privilege’

by John Loudon

On the list of insane public policy moves we have come to expect from the current administration, Cap and Tax, Obamacare and Union Card Check, a fourth has garnered relatively little attention, although the implications for all Americans may be among the most far-reaching.  The recurring theme is centralized control.

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On Monday, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will host a rare Congressional “Field Hearing“.  A Congressional delegation will venture out of the beltway and actually devote time to a problem in our country.  Better yet, they will be listening to real citizens.  Sort of.

At issue is what residents are calling a government-made drought in the Central and San Joaquin Valleys of California.   Legal and environmental regulations in the Endangered Species Act has resulted in the diversion of 200 billion gallons of water from the agricultural heartland of California into the Ocean.  According to California farmer Rose Corona,

“Potentially over $20 billion of California’s $43 billion of agricultural revenue could be decimated in America’s greatest breadbasket as farmers lose their farms and residents are forced to import food from China. While the solutions are not simple, local government officials are not even able to attempt them.”

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Capitol Confidential

Minority and Civil Rights Groups Slam Net Neutrality

by Capitol Confidential

In a stunning new development that observers say could significantly impact the ongoing debate regarding net neutrality, Big Government has confirmed that sixteen minority and civil rights groups recently submitted a joint filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) raising red flags regarding the policy’s potential effects.

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The filing, submitted on January 14, represents the collective views of the ASPIRA Association, the Black College Communications Association, the Hispanic Institute, the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the League of United Latin American Citizens, MANA, A National Latina Organization, the National Association of Black County Officials, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the National Conference of Black Mayors, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation-Black Women’s Roundtable, the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women, the National Puerto Rican Coalition, and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Telecommunications policy experts called the filing “historic,” in view of the sheer number of civil rights organizations participating, but also hard-hitting.  The comments, written by David Honig of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, state that “[T]his proceeding implicates one of the most important civil rights issues of our time.”

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Publius

Monday Open Thread: Early Retirement Edition

by Publius

Yesterday, Congressman Marion Berry (D-AR) became the first Democrat to announce his retirement in the wake of Scott Brown’s win in the Massachusetts special election. He will not be the last.

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Apparently, the paint job didn’t take in Arkansas.

Dr. David Janda

Health Care Reform: The Dog That Was Not Allowed To Bark

by Dr. David Janda

Last week, Congressman Thad McCotter introduced a Bill HR 4500, The Freedom From Rationed Health Care Act, that invalidates a little known, hidden part of the Stimulus Bill. That hidden part of The Stimulus Bill created the rationing and enforcement boards.  Significantly, this “minor” fiscal trim makes the first part of ObamaCare null and void.

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On November 7th, 2009, Speaker Pelosi marched to the podium and paraded her lap dogs to the microphone to proclaim “Victory” for herself, her Democratic House colleagues, and President Obama.  What about every other American? The “Victory” was the passage of the second part of ObamaCare, “The Health Care Bill.”  That’s right, the second part of ObamaCare is the 1,990 page bill that created 118 new boards, commissions, offices and bureaus. The same bill that will be paid for with (1)  $740 billion in tax increases,  (2)  a cut in Medicare to Seniors by $500 Billion, and (3)  a cost shift of $34 Billion to States in unfunded mandates.

This “Victory” was Pelosi’s and President Obama’s second victory on the health care front.  The first occurred under the cloak of darkness and obfuscation, in February 2009.  Hidden in The Stimulus Bill and passed into law were the ominous Obama, Pelosi, Reid rationing and enforcement health boards.

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Eric Dondero

Scott Brown Win Is a Victory For Bush Foreign Policy, Defeat For Ron Paul Isolationism

by Eric Dondero

Lost in the pre and post-election analysis out of Massachusetts has been the major policy differences between Martha Coakley and Scott Brown over foreign policy and defense.  The issue garnered some attention briefly during their final debate, when Coakley erred saying terrorists “were gone from Afghanistan.”  But then the attentions of the media quickly turned back to the health care debate.

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In campaigning with Brown in the final days, Rudy Giuliani mapped out the battle lines: “This election will send a signal, and a very dramatic one, that we are going in the wrong direction on terrorism, and we need to change it, and change it now.”  Giuliani added: Scott’s background in the military speaks volumes about his understanding of what we face.  And frankly his opponent’s ignorance about the issues facing us is astounding.”

From the start candidate Brown was unequivocal on defense matters.  A 30-year Veteran of the National Guard, still serving as a lt. colonel, Brown unashamedly backed the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.    It’s notable that not once did he seek to separate himself from the Bush foreign policy agenda.

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Bret Jacobson

Big Government, Big Unions

by Bret Jacobson

This week brought inauspicious news: more union members work for the government than work in the private sector, “despite there being 5 times more wage and salary workers in the private sector.”***

Because of globalization, safer workplaces, Social Security, the ability to save for one’s own retirement through 401k plans, and a better-educated, more mobile workforce, only 7.2 percent of workers in the private workforce have chosen to join a union.

Compare that to the world of government employment, where there is no employer to tell people why a union might not be best for them (we’re the employer, but we’re a little busy with our day jobs) and you get 37.4 percent of government workers paying dues. All told, that’s 7.9 million that we pay and 7.4 million paid by people who actually create wealth.

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Andrew  Marcus

Media Matters Attacks Beck – Ignores Progressive Roots Of The Klan And Holocaust

by Andrew Marcus

Media Matters is attempting to attack Glenn Beck over his exposé of Progressive violence and crimes against humanity in the previous century.

Media Matters can spend all year trying to deny the blood soaked roots of the progressive movement, but that’s a little like Democrat Robert Byrd arguing that there was no such thing as slavery, let alone the KKK.

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Case in point, one topic Media Matters and other progressive groups don’t want to deal with is how Progressive Eugenics inspired the Master Race holocaust of WWII.

I have covered this here before, and the facts are truly damning as well as irrefutable.

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Publius

Sunday Open Thread: Income Tax Edition

by Publius

Today, in 1916, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the income tax was constitutional. 3…2…1…Drink!

taxman

Jim Hoft

Halleluiah! Obama Endorses Task Force to Look at Cutting Deficit After Tripling It His First Year

by Jim Hoft

Well, Halleluiah! Barack Obama says he wants to cut the spiraling national deficit.

Barack Obama tripled the national deficit last year.

This year Barack Obama is on track to nearly quadruple Bush’s 2008 budget deficit.


(CBO Estimates)

But don’t worry.

Barack Obama called for a task force today to come up with a plan to curb his spiraling budget deficits.

He’s serious.

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Nick Gillespie

Che Guevara’s History: First Time as Tragedy, Second Time as Greeting Cards

by Nick Gillespie

How resilient is the ghost of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary who ably assisted the Castro brothers’ sadly successful mission to turn Cuba into an island hellhole? His legend survives even a lackluster, long-winded biopic released in 2008 and now just out on DVD.

More important, Che’s legend survives the facts of his own life. Born in 1928 and gunned down in 1967 by drunken Bolivian soldiers, Che rarely missed an opportunity to make life miserable for those who opposed him. During the fight against the Batista regime, Che ordered the summary executions of dozens of real and suspected enemies, becoming the very thing he said revolutionaries must be: a “cold-blooded killing machine.” As a leader in post-Revolution Cuba, Che became known as the “butcher of La Cabaña” prison, where he oversaw hundreds of murders of political prisoners and “counter-revolutionaries.”

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When he became the effective czar of the Cuban economy and attempted to create a “new man and woman,” or workers fueled by revolutionary ideals rather than conventional workplace incentives, his plans failed catastrophically and helped make Cuba the economic basket case it remains to this day. Along the way, Che did more than his share to help ban rock and jazz music as “imperialist” forms of expression. Such actions mark Che less as the youthful idealist portrayed in the acclaimed film version of his own Motorcycle Diaries and more as a repressive, murderous thug, a Caribbean version of the Taliban.

By the mid-1960s, Che left Cuba to export armed revolution to Africa and South America, all without success. If his violent death at 39 secured his romantic martyrdom to a cause that now thankfully flourishes only in Cuba and North Korea, it is his iconic, beret-bedecked image from a 1960 photo that persists everywhere in popular culture, from Mike Tyson’s torso (the boxer sports a tattoo of Mao along with Che) to beer and booze labels to belt buckles to the T-shirts worn around the world. Despite Che’s pronounced contempt for rock music, Carlos Santana wore a Che T-shirt during a performance at the 2005 Academy Awards ceremony. Other invocations of the Che image, such as the image above from a greeting card line that features a dog as Che, suggest unconscious (or at least unknowing) parody.

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Understanding Liberal Rage Over Citizens United

by Brian Garst

On paper the Citizens United case has all the makings of a solid liberal issue.  First Amendment protections, considered sacrosanct by the left when a reporter is leaking classified information, are strengthened for those speaking truth to power.  Both the ACLU and AFL-CIO support the decision.  So why are prominent liberals speaking out so vehemently against it?

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It would be easy to chalk up liberal outrage to a general hatred for all things corporate.  But is that enough to overcome what otherwise seems like a tailor-made liberal issue? After all, the ACLU said “[the prohibition on corporate speech] is facially unconstitutional under the First Amendment because it permits the suppression of core political speech.” Moreover, the corporate gains, which liberals might feel benefit the right, are offset by those of the unions and other liberal issue groups that benefit from the ruling just the same.  The net political impact is thus neutral, suggesting that their opposition isn’t political in nature.  Neither is it based on the merits. Rather, it is philosophical.

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