Sunday, October 31, 2010

Lisa, are you going to shut down my Facebook page for writing this?

See what despicable dastardly tricks the elite ruling class will resort to!
What part of 'shall not be infringed' do these elitists not understand.
Free Speech cannot and will not be restricted in the USA!

Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 12:20am

Yesterday, Lisa Murkowski's hired guns threatened radio host Dan Fagan, and more importantly, the station that airs Fagan's show, with legal action for allegedly illegal "electioneering." The station, unlike Murkowski, who is flush with millions of dollars from vested corporate interests, does not have a budget for a legal defense. So it did what any small market station would do when threatened by Beltway lawyers charging $500 to $1000 an hour – they pulled Dan Fagan off the air. 

 Does all this sound heavy handed? It is. It is an interference with Dan Fagan's constitutional right to free speech. It is also a shocking indictment against Lisa Murkowski. How low will she go to hold onto power? First, she gets the Division of Elections to change its write-in process – a process that Judge Pfiffner correctly determined had been in place without change for 50 years. She is accepting financial support from federal contractors, an act that is highly questionable and now pending before the FEC. And today, she played her last card. She made it clear that if you disagree with her and encourage others to exercise their civic rights, she'll take you off the air.  

 The concept of "electioneering" involves several issues, but typically refers to campaigning at the polls, which is appropriately banned. Under federal law, it can also mean paying for advertising on broadcast media during a federal election cycle, and it requires disclosures if done by groups and corporations. Fagan used satire to mock Murkowski's write-in efforts and encouraged Alaskans to run as write-in candidates. That is not illegal. That is free speech.

Individuals like Dan Fagan have a fundamental right to speak their minds without threats from the incumbent Senator from Alaska. It is hard to find a constitutional right Americans cherish more than the right to free speech. This was a right Joe Miller, as a decorated combat veteran – a tank commander tested in battle, was willing to die to defend. Dan Fagan has not always agreed with me, but I will gladly defend his right to speak freely on his radio show, which he has often used to criticize me. In fact, Fagan has actually used his radio show to attack and insult me, my husband, my children, and my family in just about every way possible. He was especially insulting to my son, who left for a war zone to defend Fagan's right to attack our family. But when I was his governor, I never would have dreamed of threatening his right to free speech. I support him in this fight because this D.C. Beltway thuggery, as exemplified by Lisa Murkowski's latest threat, is ruining our country. The powers that be want ordinary Americans to sit down and shut up and let the ruling class ride us right off the debt cliff we're heading towards with Obama, Pelosi, and Reid steering the nation's car. We can't let them. Now is the time to put aside our past differences and stand up to the establishment powers.

This whole episode confirms again why we need to elect Joe Miller. Lisa, you can sue me if you want (you won't be the first). But I will not be intimidated from speaking my mind. Your intimidation just empowered us liberty-loving Alaskans. Are you really that out of touch?

- Sarah Palin 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

This will commence in the USA Jan 20th with the Republicans!

Germany's recovery is "a non-Keynesian growth program" in which 
fiscal discipline spurred private investment, and lower taxes.

Hmmm....maybe we should follow their lead, ya think?????
www.cnbc.com
German unemployment fell slightly in October, dropping to its lowest level in 18 years as the impact of persistently strong growth in Europe's top economy continued to filter through to the jobs market.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Medicare Advantage

The Obamacare cuts to Medicare Advantage begin to kick in January 1, 2011.
You can thank the AARP for supporting that tyrannical socialist Obamacare plan.
Let's hope the Republicans roll back most of it.
They should let stand only the bare minimum to help people out of a job for a certain period of time.

In addition to that, premiums for insurance companies that businesses use are rising quickly, simply because of all the mandates and regulations built into the National health care - contrary to the stated goal to make costs go down. My premiums will be going up for the second year in a row, directly related to Obamacare.

White House admits: that car in the ditch has an Obama bumper sticker on it

Washington (CNN) –We don't know the make or model of the car President Obama and Democrats say they've been trying to push out of the ditch, but at least we know what's on the bumper. "Look, there's, there's an Obama bumper sticker on the car. We get that," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs in response to a question from CNN.

Gibbs was attempting to illustrate that President Obama is taking responsibility for fixing the economy.

That new addition to a metaphor President Obama has repeated over and over again on the campaign trail to sharpen his economic message was akin to throwing a softball at Republicans. They quickly swung for the fences.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin tweeted "classic admittance ….Um, that's been our point."

In an email sent around to reporters from the Republican National Committee, another jab at the top White House aide. "Robert Gibbs admits that the President's famous 'car in the ditch' has an Obama bumper sticker on it," read the message under a large bold title: "They said it!"

Monday, October 25, 2010

Elections Have Consequences

Had enough yet? my favorite quote: "The American people don't really care" YES WE DO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m06sSoZ5bo
www.youtube.com
Since 2006, Democrats in the House and Senate have had their chance to show what they are made of, what they stand for. Do they represent you? Think about it. Redstate.com




Public sector versus Private sector: World trade center site

http://www.youtube.com/user/StevenCrowder#p/u/9/cO-hZVgA-bk

WSJ: Obama panel mulls end to mortgage interest, child tax deductions...

Democrats: You are stuck on stupid!

Obama panel mulls end to mortgage interest, child tax deductions...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304354104575568643889337142.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLTopStories


Sacrosanct tax breaks, including deductions on mortgage interest, remain on the table just weeks before the deficit commission issues recommendations on policies to pare back with the aim of balancing the budget by 2015.

The tax benefits are hugely popular with the public but they have drawn the panel's focus, in part because the White House has said these and other breaks cost the government about $1 trillion a year.

Sacrosanct tax breaks, including mortgage-interest deductions, remain on the table just weeks before the deficit commission issues recommendations on ways to balance the budget by 2015. Alan Murray and David Weidner discuss. Also, Jennifer Levitz discusses a leading national tea-party group that is laying plans to maintain pressure on new members of Congress after the Nov. 2 vote.

At stake, in addition to the mortgage-interest deductions, are child tax credits and the ability of employees to pay their portion of their health-insurance tab with pretax dollars. Commission officials are expected to look at preserving these breaks but at a lower level, according to people familiar with the matter.

The officials are also looking at potential cuts to defense spending and a freeze on domestic discretionary spending. It is unclear if the 18-member panel will be able to reach an agreement on any of the items by a Dec. 1 deadline.

Even if they do reach an agreement, any curbs on current tax breaks would likely face tough sledding in Congress. The banking and real-estate lobbies have fiercely rebuffed efforts to rescind the mortgage-interest deduction in the past.


Still, officials have found there aren't any easy ways to balance the budget, and they are expected to steer clear of more polarizing issues like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and a broad rewrite of the tax code in their short-term recommendations. The panel could still make long-term recommendations to change these issues, but they would be less concrete.

"My concern is that the talk of tax expenditures is couched as 'tax reform,' but it's not tax reform," said Alison Fraser, director of the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "It's simply a revenue-raising exercise."

Committee officials plan to try to broker a deal in November, after the midterm elections. They have until Dec. 1 to win the support of 14 of the commission's 18 members to endorse a final report. It is possible that the panel's Democrats and Republicans would issue separate reports if they can't agree, people familiar with the process said.

President Barack Obama created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in February, amid concern from lawmakers and economists that the growing budget deficit could damage the country's long-term fiscal condition. The bipartisan panel, made up mostly of lawmakers but also business and labor leaders, has met for months, at times more constructively than many expected.

"There's a lot of potential for agreement on the committee," said panel member Alice Rivlin, a senior fellow at the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution.

If the commission reaches a consensus, House or Senate leaders could agree to bring some of the changes up for a vote, perhaps early next year, although there is no deadline.

To balance the budget by 2015, excluding interest payments on debt, means officials would need to find roughly $240 billion in annual savings, according to commission documents. Panel officials also hope to issue recommendations that would "meaningfully improve" the country's long-term fiscal situation.

Even though officials are focusing on issues where they believe they can get broad agreement, they will likely face stiff resistance from certain lawmakers and interest groups. Some Republicans are expected to label any caps on tax breaks as a backdoor way of raising taxes. Several lawmakers' offices declined to comment on specific proposals as negotiations aren't yet under way.

Committee officials have also focused on the $700 billion in annual defense spending, which accounts for more than half of domestic discretionary spending. Critics say the government could cut some of the $400 billion spent on outside contractors. But many conservative groups have said cutting military spending would be a mistake, citing national security risks.

Changes to Medicaid and Medicare are unlikely to be recommended despite their looming presence in the U.S. budget. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that if laws don't change, federal spending on health care alone will grow from 5% of gross domestic product in 2010 to 10% in 2035.

Commission officials looked closely at making short-term changes to Social Security, but talks shifted in recent weeks toward incorporating those ideas into a longer-term plan. This is in part because any changes would probably have to be phased in over years, delaying the budgetary impact for at least a decade.

"My sense from talking to members of the commission is that's where they are focusing [on the long-term recommendation], Social Security reform," said Martin Feldstein, an economics professor at Harvard University who served as a senior official in the Reagan administration.

It remains unclear whether the panel will reach a consensus with negotiations taking place right after the midterm elections, when Washington tends to buzz with political jostling. The imminent debate over whether to extend all or part of the Bush-era tax cuts could also complicate its efforts. The panel isn't expected to weigh in on this issue.

The White House said this month that the budget deficit for the last fiscal year was $1.3 trillion, the second highest in 60 years. The government's revenue was roughly $2.16 trillion in the year ended Sept. 30, compared with $3.46 trillion in outlays.

The White House hasn't signed off on any of the potential proposals as it's waiting for the panel to complete its work.

Mr. Obama "expects that the fiscal commission will continue the process of discussing and analyzing a wide range of ideas and it is premature to describe any specific idea as a conclusion of a commission that has not even voted yet," White House spokesman Amy Brundage said.

The commission "is the last best hope right now for getting some substantive movement on the issue of the deficit, the debt, and the financial disaster we're facing," Sen. Judd Gregg (R., N.H.), a member of the commission, said in a recent interview.

Write to Damian Paletta at damian.paletta@wsj.com


Wash Post

The Washington Post, unlike the NYTimes, still does real journalism.
Case in point, this story about the Obama Justice department.

The only thing I find odd is that it was published on Sat., the day when the least number of newspapers are sold.
But putting that aside, it's a big issue...
Doug

WaPo Confirms: Racial Politics Played in Panther Case

More truth on Iraq

WikiLeaks Confirms: Iran Waging War on U.S. for Years: LegalIns
WikiLeaks Reveals Troops Did Find WMD In Iraq: Ace

Friday, October 22, 2010

'Hurt U.S. Congress' a sign of political times

'Hurt U.S. Congress' a sign of political times

PROVIDED BY HURT FOR U.S. CONGRESS Reports on the Internet suggest that Republican Robert Hurt is far ahead of his opponent, incumbent Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat, in the effort to cover the 5th Congressional District of Virginia with their signs as the U.S. House campaign comes to a close after next week.PROVIDED BY HURT FOR U.S. CONGRESS Reports on the Internet suggest that Republican Robert Hurt is far ahead of his opponent, incumbent Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat, in the effort to cover the 5th Congressional District of Virginia with their signs as the U.S. House campaign comes to a close after next week.

The campaign signs plastered across Virginia's 5th Congressional District have become a minor cult phenomenon: "Hurt U.S. Congress," they say.

The red, white and blue posters advertise the candidacy of Republican Robert Hurt, a state senator looking to win south-central Virginia's House seat. But to a broader group of fans, the signs imply a promise of things to come in the "tea party"-fueled "Year of the Angry Voter" - a seething backlash against the political body Mark Twain described as composed of "the smallest minds and the selfishest souls."

"I think the idea of hurting them by taking away their power is the perfect idea. If you want to do something that really hurts," said Jerry Douglas, who was so taken by the signs that he posted a photo of one to the Internet. "To me, that sign says that. It says, this is what they care about. Power and ability to control our actions. They have hurt us over the last two years, and now is our chance to hurt them."

Even the French have taken notice. In an article titled "La route du Tea Party," French newspaper Le Monde this week said the sign perfectly captures what's different about this year's elections. The writer said it was a "un usage brillant de son patronym" - roughly, a brilliant use of his surname.

Reports on the Internet suggest that Mr. Hurt is trouncing his opponent, incumbent Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat, in the battle to dot the 5th District with their signs. Hurt campaign officials say they've heard of the signs being posted well beyond the district's boundaries.

"It does reflect a tremendous enthusiasm for this election," Mr. Hurt said. "A lot of the folks we talk to don't know that there's a candidate involved in the sign; they just think it's a good idea."

The sign has spawned discussions, both online and in person. One blogger edited his own version of the sign to read: "Hurt U.S. Congress Please!" On another discussion board, a commenter said that it "would be fitting" for Mr. Hurt to take a seat once held by former Rep. L.F. Payne - whose name sounds like "pain," as the commenter helpfully pointed out.

TJ's Backyard, a satire blog in Charlottesville, Va., posted a spoof story about the signs, saying the Homeland Security Department was planning to investigate thousands of residents "for placing threatening signs in their yards."

Former Clinton political adviser Dick Morris, attending a rally sponsored by Americans for Prosperity in Danville this summer, also riffed on the signs, the Danville Register & Bee reported.

"I saw the best sign outside," Mr. Morris said as he took the stage. "It said, 'Hurt U.S. Congress.' "

Story Continues →

© Copyright 2010 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Obama by the numbers

  • $26.2 Trillion:   Projected Federal Debt In 2020 Due To Obama's Binge Spending. (OMB, 7/23/10)
  • $13.6 Trillion:   Current National Debt. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 10/19/10)
  • $8.5 Trillion:     Cumulative Deficits Caused By President Obama's Proposed Budget, FY2011-2020. (OMB, 7/23/10)
  • $3.9 Trillion:     Total Cost Of The Democrats' Tax Hike To Taxpayers. (Joint Committee On Taxation, 8/6/10)
  • $3.0 Trillion:     Amount Added To The National Debt Since Obama Took Office. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 10/19/10)
  • $2.5 Trillion:     True Cost Of ObamaCare Once Fully Implemented. (Sen. Max Baucus, Floor Remarks, 12/2/09)
  • $1.42 Trillion:   Federal Budget Deficit For FY2009 – Highest In U.S. History. (Congressional Budget Office, 10/7/10)
  • $1.29 Trillion:   Federal Budget Deficit For FY2010 – Second Highest In U.S. History. (Congressional Budget Office, 10/7/10)
  • $868.4 Billion:  American Debt Held By China. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 10/19/10)
  • $831 Billion:     Net Interest Payment On Our National Debt In 2020 Due To Obama's Budget. (OMB, 7/23/10)
  • $814 Billion:     Price Tag Of Obama's Failed Stimulus. (Bloomberg8/20/10)
  • $575 Billion:     Amount Of Medicare Cuts In ObamaCare. (CMS Chief Actuary Richard S. Foster, Memo, 4/22/10)
  • $569.2 Billion:  Amount Of Taxes In ObamaCare. (Letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10)
  • $10 Billion:      The Cost Of The Teacher Union Bailout. (The Washington Post, 10/8/10)
  • $54 Million:      Amount Of Stimulus Funds Spent On A Napa Valley Wine Train. (ABC News' "Good Morning America," 2/2/10)
  • 41.8 Million:     Number Of Americans Receiving Food Stamps. (Bloomberg, 10/5/10)
  • 40 Million:        Number Of Businesses That Will Be Burdened By The Onerous IRS 1099 Requirement. (The Washington Post, 8/29/10)
  • $18 Million:      Cost Of The Stimulus Website Recovery.org. (ABC News' "The Note" Blog, 7/8/09)
  • 14.8 Million:     Unemployed Americans. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 9.5 Million:       Americans Working Part-Time For Economic Reasons. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 6.1 Million:       Americans Unemployed For Longer Than 27 Weeks. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 5.4 Million:       Number Of Properties Receiving Foreclosure Filings Since Obama Took Office. (RealtyTrac, Accessed 10/19/10)
  • 3.8 Million:       Increase In the Number Of People Who Were In Poverty In 2009 Over 2008. (NPR, 9/16/10)
  • 2.6 Million:       Jobs Lost Since Stimulus Was Passed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 2.3 Million:       Private Sector Jobs Lost Since Stimulus Was Passed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 1.2 Million:       Americans That Have Given Up Looking For Work. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 964,900:            Number Of Jobs That Could Be Lost Per Year Under Cap And Trade. (Tax Foundation, 3/09)
  • 89,000:             The Number Of Stimulus Checks Sent to Dead Or Incarcerated People. (The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire" Blog, 10/7/10)
  • $43,000:            Your Share Of The National Debt. ("The Daily History Of The Debt Results," TreasuryDirect, Accessed 10/19/10; U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov, Accessed 10/19/10)
  • 23,000:             The Number Of Jobs Obama Knew His Drilling Moratorium Could Kill. (The Wall Street Journal, 8/21/10)
  • 22,000:             Number Of Seniors In MA, NH And ME That Will Lose Their Medicare Advantage Plans As A Result Of ObamaCare. (The Boston Globe, 9/28/10)
  • $1,761:             Cost To American Families Per Year As A Result Of Cap And Trade. (CBS News' "Taking Liberties" Blog, 9/16/09)
  • $1,540:             The Amount Of The Tax Hike The Average Middle Class Family Will See As A Result Of The Dems' Tax Hike. (Tax Foundation, 8/1/10)
  • 1099:                The IRS Form Every Business Will Have To File After Doing $600 Worth Of Business With A Vendor. (CNNMoney.com, 5/5/10)
  • 100:                  Percent Of GDP That Our National Debt Will Rise To In 2012. (Office Of Management And Budget, 7/23/10)
  • 83:                    Number Of Fundraisers Obama Has Attended As Of 10/12/10. (CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10; CBS News, 8/16/10)
  • 80:                    Percent Of Small Businesses That Could Be Forced To Change Health Care Plans As A Result Of ObamaCare. (The Washington Post, 6/15/10)
  • 79:                    Percent Of Stimulus Funds For Wind, Solar And Geothermal Energy Projects That Went To Foreign Firms. (Investigating Reporting Workshop/ABC's World News Tonight/Watchdog Institute2/8/10)
  • 68:                    Percent Of Americans Who Think The Stimulus Was A Waste. (The Hill's "Briefing Room" Blog, 10/5/10)
  • 60:                    The Percent Of Young Voters Who Are "More Cynical About Politics" Now Than When Obama Was Elected. (The Huffington Post9/15/10)
  • 58:                    Percent Of Ohioans Who Say Obama's Frequent Visits To The State Make No Difference In How They'll Vote. (The Hill, 10/19/10)
  • 53:                    Rounds Of Golf Played By President Obama Since Taking Office. (CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10; CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10 )
  • 49:                    Visits To The White House By Andy Stern, Former President Of SEIU. (WhiteHouse.gov, Accessed 10/19/10)
  • 37:                    Number Of Town Halls Obama Has Done Since Taking Office. (CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10)
  • 33.3:                 Average Number Of Weeks It Takes An Unemployed Worker To Find A Job. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 30:                    Number Of Waivers Granted To Businesses So That The White House Could Avoid Admitting ObamaCare Was Making People Lose Their Health Care Plans. (USA Today, 10/7/10)
  • 27:                    Percent Increase In Premiums By Some Insurers In Colorado As A Result Of ObamaCare. (The Denver Post9/20/10)
  • 25:                    DVDs Given To The UK's Prime Minister Gordon Brown On His First Visit. (The Daily Mail (UK), 3/9/10)
  • 20:                    Straight Months That Food Stamp Participation Has Hit A Record. (Bloomberg, 10/5/10)
  • 17.1:                 Percent Of Americans Either Unemployed Or Working Part-Time For Economic Reasons. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 14:                    Straight Months With Unemployment Above 9.5%. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 10/8/10)
  • 9:                     Number Of Vacations Taken By President Obama. (CBS News, 8/19/10)
  • 4:                     Out Of 10 Likely Voters Who Once Backed Obama But Are Less Supportive Or No Longer Support Obama.  (Bloomberg10/12/10)
  • 2:                     Place In The Line Of Succession That Joe Biden Believes He Is In (Hint: He's #1). (CBS News' Mark Knoller's Twitter Feed, Accessed 10/19/10)
  • 2:                     Visits To The White House By Actor George Clooney. (E! Online, 10/12/10)
  • 1:                     Number Of White House Investigations. (CBS News, 10/6/10)
  • 1:                     Teacher Union Bailout To Motivate Teacher Unions For Midterm Elections. (The Washington Post, 10/8/10)
  • 0:                     Other People Obama Will Have Left To Blame For His Failures In 2012. (The American People, 11/6/12)


Read more: http://www.gop.com/index.php/briefing/comments/obama_by_the_numbers#ixzz135iWxZVF